Chapter Text
Time was a strange thing to an Astral. Even for him, who kept regular contact with mortals, it was hard to keep the passage of time in mind. For mortals, it moved only in one direction. For him, time was more malleable and he could visit whenever he wanted. So when one of his children came to him with a request to travel through time, Ramuh thought it would be interesting.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes."
"Very well then. May you accomplish your goal, Nyx Ulric."
Ramuh lifted his staff and struck the air below him, sending a wave of power through space and time. That wave swept the boy along with it, making him disappear from the Beyond and to the desired point in time.
More or less.
Nyx swore as he raced through the burning streets of his town, Libertus by his side. Niflheim had attacked all of a sudden, raining bombs on their little town like a summer storm. He'd been at their bar when the attack had started and couldn't get in touch with Selena or his mom. Libertus was the same, unable to contact his own family as the town was invaded by Niflheim soldiers.
Even running as fast as they could, it took them a while to get home as several streets were blocked by rubble, fire, or soldiers. But get home they did. The dwellings were untouched by the bombs or fires for now. Nyx glanced over at Libertus before plunging into his home shouting, "Selena! Mom!"
No one answered.
Had they been at the market? Or checking up on a patient? They had to be somewhere close by!
Nyx took just enough time to grab his dad's kukris before booking it back outside. He dropped by Libertus' house - they were safely together- to warn him he was heading back out, just in case his mom and sister came back.
Storm clouds were gathering above the airships, promising to drop heavy rain and lightning soon. It would help with the fires but not with the soldiers. Not unless Ramuh interfered and sent the lightning after them.
Nyx ignored the warning signs of a massive storm in favour of tracking down his family. He didn't know where Selena and Mom could be but he had to start somewhere! The market plaza had been hit pretty hard in the initial attack so they probably wouldn't be there. He couldn't remember them talking about visiting anyone so where could they be?
Lightning suddenly struck close by, filling the air with its thunderous roar.
The temple!
It was at the edge of the town, reasonably fortified and it was a regular emergency meeting spot. They had to be there! With a destination in mind, Nyx started making his way there.
While the fires and destroyed streets made him backtrack every so often, it was the soldiers who presented the biggest issue. They prowled the streets in large groups, firing on anything that moved. As much as Nyx wanted to attack them, he couldn't take down such big groups on his own.
Maybe once the Hunters were back, they would be able to fight back.
For now, Nyx hid in abandoned houses and on rooftops whenever he heard them approaching. Then he realized that he was coming across more and more soldiers the closer he got to the temple. Were they planning on attacking it?
Worried, Nyx decided to take a risk and scurried up to the rooftops once more. It would be faster to jump from house to house than to continue on the streets. It would leave him exposed and vulnerable to the airships but it was a risk he was willing to take.
More lightning struck within the town limits, some of them destroying a few airships. It seemed Ramuh was pissed off at Niflheim, he thought with a grin. The rain was definitely helping with the fires as he saw less and less of it on his way to the temple.
The temple wasn't much farther and Nyx could see a ring of Niflheim soldiers around it. Shit! He'd have to find a way in...
What in Ramuh's beard was going on?!?
Someone was fighting the soldiers. Alone. And winning.
Nyx lowered himself and crept closer, his eyes never drifting away from the fight. The person was moving quickly from one side to another. Blue crystals, ones that reminded him of his childhood saviour, flashed into existence when they did. Weapons spun around them in a mesmerizing dance of light. Soldiers fell in droves wherever they moved.
Finally he was close enough to see details.
The person fighting was a man, hair cropped short on the sides but full of lengthy braids towards the back. The weapons around him ranged from simple swords to a shield and even a huge shuriken!
That wasn't all either! As Nyx watched, the man appeared right in front of the temple doors in a shower of crystals. He extended a hand, palm facing the thinned number of soldiers, and a flash of light filled the area!
Boom !
Almost immediately, the roar of thunder deafened Nyx as he flattened himself on the rooftop. Had the man just used magic? Lightning magic at that? But he wasn't King Regis? And the man was much too old to be the prince.
So who was it?
Nyx's vision came back and he returned his gaze to the fight. Or what was left of it in any case. The magical attack had left only a handful of soldiers standing.
There were a few of them right below him too. He tightened his grip on his kukris. Took a deep breath. Then dropped, kukris burying themselves deep into white armor.
He yanked them out and threw himself on the next one before it could start to turn. He buried a kukris in its neck. Ducked under it as one finally reacted. An axe headed straight for his head.
Nyx brought up his other kukris to deflect the blow, grunting at the force it held. He couldn't sit still as the soldiers around him moved to attack. He ducked under the next attack, using his movement to strike at the soldier's arm as he did.
Nyx didn't wait to see how badly injured the soldier was as he used his momentum to jump on the last soldier. His kukris bit deep into its breastplate. He yanked them back out and turned back to face the last standing soldier.
Only to find it had been turned into a weapon pincushion.
"Your mother and sister are fine inside the temple." The man who had been fighting said as he approached.
Nyx stared at him. What in Ramuh's beard was going on? This close, Nyx could make out his features. Features that, despite the scar cutting through his face across the bridge of his nose, was eerily familiar.
Nyx Ulric faced an older version of himself and asked, "Who the fuck are you?"