The Dawn of the Future

by Jun Eishima

  　“Thanks, Gentiana. For everything.”

  　Tears welled up in Lunafreya’s eyes.

  　“Oh, dear Gentiana . . . thank you.”

  　Gentiana had left them with one last irreplaceable gift. Not as a goddess watching over the Star, but as a friend. Noctis gently held Lunafreya’s hand, vowing in his heart that he would never let her go and never lose her again, come what may.

  　Their quiet moment was interrupted by a sudden loud shout from Prompto. “Check it out! Over there!”

  　They turned to find him standing nearby, and followed the line of his outstretched arm. Noctis squinted as a bright light struck his eyes. An incandescent strip peeked over the horizon, slowly rising into the arc of a circle that shone ever brighter.

  　“Is that . . . ?” Lunafreya asked in a small whisper.

  　Noctis turned to look into her eyes. He opened his mouth to answer, only for Gladio to grunt a response from behind. “The dawn.”

  　Noctis looked up in surprise, then narrowed his eyes in exaggerated displeasure.

  　“Wow. Way to ruin the moment. Pretty sure I was supposed to say that.”

  　Ignis chuckled, and then Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Lunafreya were laughing, too, a brightness of spirit that filled the air as all welcomed the first morning light to grace the Star in years.

  M.E. 76?

  Darkness has departed, and dawn again shines upon the world. The Six and the Crystal are no more. The two realms are become one. And the mysterious powers once bestowed upon mankind have ceased to function.

  The once grand expanse of Insomnia is now an immense crater in the ground. The Crown City’s loss is softened, if only slightly, by its long years spent abandoned; no loss of life accompanied the devastation.

  　Efforts to rebuild it have yet to materialize, hindered by the city’s remote location and connection to the mainland by means of a single bridge. However, in an era without god or Crystal, the purpose around which Insomnia formed is also gone. For the time being, the recovery of Eos’s other regions is more pressing. It may be decades hence when buildings stand again in Insomnia and people fill its streets. Even then, the shape the city takes will likely bear little resemblance to the Crown City of the Kingdom of Lucis.

  　At one edge of Insomnia’s crater are the remains of the Citadel. It has towered there ever since its plummet from on high, visible even across the water in Leide. One is hard-pressed not to see it as a funerary monument for the abandoned city and fallen kingdom.

  Across the continent lies Lestallum, a bustling city forced to grow denser still during its time serving as the last bastion of human civilization. Though partially damaged by Teraflare, clever and rapid preparations for evacuation ensured that nearly all its people escaped harm. That the EXINERIS power plant was spared any damage at all ensured the city’s steady recovery following the attack.

  The territories of the former Niflheim Empire are now freed from ice and snow, the warming perhaps induced by Teraflare’s immense heat or as a consequence of the Glacian’s departure. The tundra is now a vast wetland, a ready source of fertile ground for the settlers who are sure to surge in number with time.

  Tenebrae, having escaped the brunt of the world’s destruction, is the city that revived most rapidly and true to its legacy. Care was paid first to the old Fenestala Manor and its surround, a testament to the faith and devotion of the Tenebrean people.

  Altissia, the splendid City on the Sea, rises in defiance of its many suffered misfortunes. Already half-destroyed by the Hydraean’s trial and deteriorated from a decade’s abandonment, the city was again ravaged as Teraflare wreaked havoc upon the Star’s tides.

  　Despite its catastrophes, Altissia’s recovery has been astonishingly swift. Demolished waterways are reconstructed, damaged buildings repaired, lost structures rebuilt. Perhaps most heartening of all is the restoration of the lovely bridges found throughout the city. The people of Altissia accomplished this in less than a year following dawn’s return to the world.

  　Camelia Claustra, the ever capable First Secretary of the Accordo Protectorate, played no small part in that triumph. But another factor of significance may have been at play. In the days before the darkness spread, Altissia had been chosen as the site for the marriage of Noctis Lucis Caelum and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. A decade later, that dream would finally be realized. Surely awareness of the celebration to come lifted the city’s spirits and bolstered its resolve to see the recovery hastened. Or perhaps such an interpretation is simply the fond delusion of a doting parent.

  A new wedding dress was commissioned, its design matching the one of ten years earlier. The patterns for the dress, the legacy of a master dressmaker, were carried personally from Altissia to Lestallum in the evacuation during the years of darkness. They’d been kept safe in the City of Light until the return of the dawn.

  　Preparation of the cake was entrusted to Coctura Arlund, head chef at Mother of Pearl in Galdin Quay. She came up with a new recipe for the occasion, splendid in both taste and appearance.

  　On the day of the ceremony, crowds thronged outside Palazzo Altemeria. Many were the residents of Altissia in attendance, along with an untold number of travelers from Tenebrae, Gralea, Lestallum, and all manner of places far and wide. Cheers resounded for the newlywed couple, symbol of the peace, on their emergence from the palace.

  　Present at the ceremony were the many dear friends and companions of the bride and groom. On the right side of the aisle were many who helped see my son through his long journey from Insomnia to Altissia.

  　On the left stood those who had served House Fleuret at Fenestala Manor. Among them was one young woman grown beyond recognition; a decade ago she must have been but a child. Now she stood with tears welling in her eyes and cheeks flushed with pride, as overjoyed by the occasion as the happy bride herself.

  　I thought to ask Ravus who the young woman might be, but alas, he was overwhelmed by the occasion and not for words. The sight of his dearest sister walking down the aisle in a dress of pure white doubtlessly affected him greatly. Thus, I have saved my inquiry for a future occasion, of which we are sure to have many.

  　That I might see Noctis take Lunafreya’s hand in his and watch as the two of them take their first steps in matrimony was a joy beyond any dream. That joy was redoubled by the sight of so many who wished them well.

  I owe all of you my eternal gratitude.

  　To Cor, for your long and steadfast watch over the Crown City. It was the labors of the Crownsguard that allowed Insomnia to endure against the daemons until return of her king. I can only imagine your ordeals during the years of night. You forever have my thanks.

  　To Cid, for guiding my wayward, untraveled son. I eagerly await the time when we might sit together again, drinking until the dawn. However, I hope that day will not come too soon. Please, if you would, look after my son a while longer.

  　To Cindy, for breathing renewed life into the Regalia. Seeing the car again brought Noctis great joy, and though his own appreciation is already effusive, I would offer mine as well.

  　To Gladiolus, for the stern discipline you brought to Noctis’s life, patiently bearing his protests and complaints; and to Ignis, for ever and always supporting Noctis as both a friend and an elder brother; and to dear Prompto, for being at Noctis’s side because of the person he is and not his title. To you three, I cannot express thanks enough. You have done more for Noctis and for me than you may ever know.

  　To Lunafreya, for seeing the ring to my son, and for standing beside him in the struggle to ensure a future for the world. As I am sure you must also see, the wayward boy has grown into a man of whom I could not be more proud. Please watch over him for me. Now and forevermore.

  　And to Noctis, my son, congratulations. May the future you two share be overflowing with joy.