Final Lament

"Ahh!~ Thank you so much for getting these flowers for me!" Daisy squealed, hurrying from behind the counter to accept the three basket of flowers from the girls.

"You're very welcome, Daisy. I'm sure you'll make beautiful flower crowns with these," Fleur giggled, reaching toward Daisy and rubbing her head gently.

Luciel watched as Fleur and Daisy spoke with one another, a wholesome smile spreading across her lips. She turned over to me, noticing my indifferent gaze and giggled softly. "Uh-oh~ Looks like a certain someone is getting moody~"

"I'm not moody. I'm just ready to get to the next job, we still need money remember," I said with a distant gaze across the market district.

Luciel laughed lightly at my stoic reply and shook her head, her gaze returning back to Fleur and Daisy. "It seems like they are nearly done taking. We'll be headed home soon."

Fleur hummed as she accepted Daisy's gifts then returned to us with her wallet filled with cash and a Plant Materia, the orb emitting a floral yellow light. "Alright, we can get going now!~ First job complete!"

I took Fleur's wallet from her hand then placed it in my pocket, looking her up and down as if to dare her to take it back. "We can go, but I'm keeping track of our finances until we head back home."

"C'mon, Nox! It's not like I'm out blowing off money on a daily! I do have self control!" Fleur whined and chased after me as I began walking off.

Luciel and Effie laughed at the two of us and began to follow behind, the four of us all exploring around Virgin's Farm Market and completing odd tasks left and right. From fixing old pipes to finding lost pets, we started to stack up on money, thanks to my strict watch over our earnings.

After our final job, the four of us decided to head back to the car and got in with me in the driver's seat. Exhausted from hours of activity, the cool air from the car's vents gave us the relief we all sought for from the blazing sun.

I took Fleur's wallet from my pocket and tossed it to her on the passenger side, Fleur grunting softly as her wallet fell onto her lap. "We made 35,150 zodias today, enough to replace our filters and go out. See how much we save when I'm watching the money?"

Fleur rolled her eyes at my cool, yet smug comment, a sly smile forming on her lips as she put away her wallet. "I guess I'll have to personally thank you for that, my prince..~ You do have that sort of financial discipline that I lack.."

"Yeah, I know," I said as I began to drive off from the Farm Market, taking us back to downtown St. Meishi.

Excitement filled the air as the promise of an outing lingered between the girls, each of them excited to go out and spoil themselves and me with gifts and food. I was never one for social outings, I've always tagged along to make the trio happy, though...it did always bring me peace being with them in a space of normalcy.

We finally made it back to St. Meishi and I parked the car in front of our house, each of us getting out and headed toward the front door. Unlocking the door, I allowed the girls to enter first before heading inside and closing the door behind us.

"Finally, home sweet home..." Luciel said with a soft groan as she flopped on the couch face first.

"You can say that again..." I said, unequipping my sword and setting it upon the wall near Fleur's grandfather clock then sat down on a large chair with a sigh.

Fleur chuckled softly at us, gently stroking my hair as she walked by my chair. "I'm gonna make us a quick lunch before we head out. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Alright," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the chair.

"I'm gonna help out too! One Fire Chakra Effie coming right up!" Effie exclaimed, marching confidently behind Fleur with her hands upon her hips.

Looni followed behind Effie with her head held high and her tail swaying with an equal demeanor to Effie. Luciel glanced at the two, letting out a soft giggle before sitting up on the couch and smoothing out her dress.

Luciel glanced over at me, watching as I scrolled on my phone for any updates from HRHC. She gently cleared her throat, catching my attention and gently pat the spot next to her. "Come sit next to me..~"

I stared at her for a moment, my gaze meeting hers for a few seconds. Putting my phone in my pocket, I stood from my seat to sit next to Luciel on the couch, a soft grunt sounding in my throat as she pulled my head down upon her lap.

I shifted my body to fully lay on my back, my gaze meeting hers as I rested still in her care. "Is there any reason why I'm doing this..?"

Luciel slowly ran her fingers through my hair, her fingers gently sliding through each tangled strand like the wind slipping through the leaves. She stared at me with pure affection, her heart feeling as if it here skipping beats.

"Should there be a reason for you to rest on my lap..? You've always done this...since we were kids," Luciel replied with a soft tone, her free hand gently grabbing mine and interlocking our fingers together.

There was a bit of silence between us, the sounds of two chefs laughing and bickering in the kitchen filling home...yet at this moment it felt as if Luciel and I were the only two here. I could feel my own heart waking up again as I stared into my Warden's eyes, her soft gaze filling me with... life.

Luciel began to bring her face closer to mine, her eyes becoming half lidded as she was inches away from my face, strands of her hair brushing against my skin. "Am...I too close..?"

"No...you're fine," I whispered back, my hand giving hers a gentle squeeze.

Luciel smiled warmly at my affectionate squeeze, her eyes watching light return to my gaze. She gently pressed her forehead against mine, a soft, nostalgic exhale hitting against my face. "Y'know... I always think about that day..."

"The day I almost lost you... I'm so glad you're still here. You're everything to me... I know you're still healing, but just know I love you. I always have...even as a nun in training. Those days... watching you train with Zachary," Luciel continued, her voice coming out in soft breaths.

I closed my eyes as the memories before the first Great Lamenting played in my head, the days of me and Luciel spending time together at the citadel replaying with a clear image. The memories were comforting, yet they hurt at the same time...my hand gripping hers slightly tighter.

"I love you too, Luci...and I don't want to lose you either which is why it hurts to care so much about you all. I truly do care about all of you, but..." I started with a heavy tone, my heart beginning to weight down on me.

"I know... I know, my prince. I know it all...which is why I don't mind your guardedness. I understand it better than anyone else could ever know. Just focus on healing...and we take care of the rest," Luciel reassured, gently letting go of my hand to caress my cheek.

Meeting Luciel's deep gaze, it was like falling in love with her for the first time again. A magical presence that emitted such a...soothing, comforting, and maternal grace no other woman could match in my eyes. Tears of love, longing, and hidden grief streamed down our cheeks, Luciel's tears falling and rolling off my cheek.

I reached up to her and placed my hand upon her head, my fingers affectionately tangling in her wavey hair. Luciel finally closed the gap between us, capturing my lips for a kiss that could heal generations, a kiss that made the world stop.

Luciel slowly pulled away from the kiss and opened her eyes, her thumb gently rubbing upon my cheek while staring deep into my amber lit eyes. "We're always here for you, Nox...remember that..."

"I know..." I replied back, my words coming out in soft whispers against her lips.

Fleur began to walk back to the living room, noticing the two of us on the couch and let out a quiet hum. "Oh, Prince and Warden~ Lunch is ready you lovebirds~"

Luciel and I glanced over at Fleur at the sound of her voice, noticing her teasing smile and wave. I let out a quiet exhale as I sat up from Luciel's lap and got up, lending my hand to Luciel to help her up from the couch as well. The two of us began walking toward the kitchen together, Luciel's hand in mine as she led me to the kitchen.

We sat around the dining table, my gaze fixated upon Effie who worked hard with Looni to set everything up perfectly. Effie hopped over to the table with two plates in either hand, setting them down in front of me and Luciel.

"Bon appetit!~ This is Effie's...Four Speciel... Supreme Ultra Pizza!" Effie beamed, standing confidently in front of us with her hands upon her hips, a proud glow emitting from her body.

I grunted softly as her shine began to physically blind me, gently stiff arming Effie to create slight distance. "You seemed to put your all into this, so I'm willing to guess it's good."

"Good?! No, no!~ This pizza is the best pizza in all of the Zodiac Districts! Just take one bite of this cheesy goodness and you'll never want any other pizza again!" Effie smirked, crossing her arms over her chest and looked at me with an expectant gaze.

Luciel took a bite of her slice of pizza, her eyes lighting up at the delicious taste of the triangular greatness. "Mmm~ She's right, Nox..~ This is amazing..!"

I glanced at Luciel then glanced down at the slice of pizza, the presentation nearly perfect, though with the help of Fleur. The pizza was topped with pepperoni, beef, ham, olives, mushrooms, and a bit of herbs we got from the Farm Market, every bit of the pizza looking perfect in ones eyes.

I picked up the slice of pizza and took a bite, closing my eyes as I chewed upon my piece. Effie and Looni watched with pure anticipation, the two glancing at each other before turning their gaze back to me.

I opened my eyes and looked at the pizza once more, the homemade pizza reminding me of my old foster family. Deep inside, I loved the pizza, it was the best thing in the world...but knowing Effie was seeking praise, I wanted to play hard to get.

"It's pretty good," I said, taking another bite with my eyes closed and sat back with an aloof demeanor.

Fleur snickered at my reaction and wiped her hands with a towel, her gaze shifting toward Effie. "Don't mind his aloofness, Effie. If he says it's pretty good, it basically means it's the best thing he's had in a while~"

"Oh really? Yes! Chef Effie is back in business!" Effie cheered, hurrying back to the stove to get herself a slice of pizza.

I rolled my eyes slightly, a small smirk tugging at the corners of my lips at the kunoichi's excited response. Effie and Fleur fixed their food and joined me and Luciel at the table, Effie setting Looni's plate of food on the floor next to her.

This was it...the heart of Squad V around the table with one another, enjoying a homemade pizza with a bit of gossip between the girls. Looking around my surroundings, I could say to myself that I truly felt at peace.

"Hey, I'm curious about something, Nox. Earlier today, you used those two big roots against Reid. Are those your Dark Lord abilitied as well?" Effie asked, genuine curiosity hinted in her voice.

"They are, but only a variation of my original ability. Floria's ability deals with Nature, specifically the Wind and Plant elements. Why do you ask?" I answered, my gaze shifting up from my phone toward Effie.

"Well, it's the first time I've ever seen it in person and Fleur and Luciel said you haven't used it in two years. Is it something you can use at will?" Effie asked, leaning forward against the table.

I let out a low sigh, setting my phone down and closed my eyes, my arms resting against the arms of my chair. "No. I can't awaken it at will, but I can control it at will now by regulating my emotions. However, to truly activate it I have to feel some form of strong emotion or be near something with Mana aka Rebirth Energy."

"But, if you're curious about all the details... Yes, there are other Dark Lords other than Floria. Yes, I can adapt to the energy from the Original Ten. No, I can not Rebirth, not that I've tried anyway," I rapid fired answers for Effie, watching as she put down a finger for every prefired question I answered.

"Okay, okay...You managed to answer those and I haven't even asked them yet. But I do have one last question. Where did your abilities come from? You're a Dark Lord, so you should have origins too right?" Effie asked, her gaze meeting mine with upmost curiosity.

I glanced at the other two girls, noticing their equal curiosity taken I've never told anyone about it. I exhaled softly through my nose then picked up my phone to check the time. "Alright, I'll tell you three this then we are getting ready to go out."

The three pulled up their seats and began to listen closely, their attentions laser focused upon me. Even Looni, who previously napped next to Effie, rose her head to listen to my own origins, her tail beginning to sway with interest.

"I will only say this once. Hateful Thorns is an inherited ability, not from my mother but from my father. I don't know his name since he was never there when I was conceived," I began, my eyes narrowing toward the open window to the side.

"Every Dark Lord has a purpose to for their power... Floria as you've seen is for nurturing and protection, but my chains were meant for Vengeance, Justice, and Restraint. I awakened my power the day Lament took away my mother, and since then.."

Luciel, Fleur, and Effie listened to every word with open ears and hearts, faint glimpses of memories seeing my power for the first time flashing in Luciel's mind. Though Effie was the most curious, Luciel listened the hardest, wanting to understand as much as she could about a Dark Lord.

"We aren't evil, not by a long shot. Dark Lords were made by the Sovereign of Destruction, Ragnarok. We are forces of nature, emotions, and concepts...all meant to play crowd control. Ragnarok made Dark Lords anyway," I continued, opening my eyes and meeting all of their gazes.

"However, I wasn't made by a Sovereign. My power came from another Dark Lord and perfected by whoever used these chains before me. Though they hurt to awaken, they never hurt to use. That is what my Hateful Thorns are," I finished, my voice filled with a certain tone of fact.

"Huh...so that's why I feel half divine energy from you when you use your power. Strange because all the Lament's we've ran into all have Chaos Energy," Fleur said, glancing over at Luciel with a raised brow.

"That's because Lament isn't a Ragnarok made Dark Lord, she's a will of Terminus. A Corrupted Dark Lord doesn't use Mana, they are incapable of it," I explained, summoning a butterfly and letting it flutter in the air.

"That actually explains a lot now...For the last two years, I have always asked why Genesis said the butterflies will guide us. It never crossed mind that's what it was, Mana," Luciel said, a smile of discovery forming upon her lips.

I stood up from my seat and grabbed my phone, slipping it into my pocket as I walked toward the sink to wash my plate. "Yeah and that's my explanation. This information stays between us."

"Yes, my prince. We know," Fleur giggled softly, looking back at me and watched me clean my plate.

"Good," I said, turning off the water and walked by Fleur, gently pinching her nose before disappearing around the corner.

All three girls chuckled amongst themselves and decided to get up as well to begin cleaning up around the kitchen before getting ready for our outing. The three made plans of going out to get supplies for Effie's new room for the house, the plans for making her a permanent resident fully set.

----------------

The day passed by steadily with the bustling streets of Zodiac Square and the tones of honking horns from passing vehicles, every part of the day being perfect from the weather to the surrounding people of the main captial of Exzodia.

The mall was no different from the outside, packed with people shopping with family and friends alike. I trailed behind the girls as they did their usual shopping, each of them picking out various new outfits and belongings for Effie's room.

"Hmm, I wonder what else we need...We could get a few posters and light to decorate the room, but we also need furniture and there's none in this mall," Fleur said, stopping in her tracks to glance around the mall with a careful eye.

"You don't need to worry about furniture, I have it covered," I said, my eyes glued to my phone as I scrolled on a shopping app for the essentials for Effie's new room.

"Ahh, look who's finally joining in on the fun now~ The FOMO must've finally gotten to you huh?" Fleur teased, gliding her way next to me with a sly smirk.

I glanced at Fleur then back at my phone, letting out a soft nose exhale disguised as a soft laugh then gently nudged her face away. "That's not the reason at all. I'm just making sure Effie has what she needs besides, even if I disagreed it wouldn't matter. It's a two on one vote."

Effie giggled at my deadpan tone and looked at me with her natural brightness, her eyes meeting mine as she caught my attention. "Don't worry, Noxie! Looni and I will be the best residents you've ever seen!"

'Yeah, I doubt that,' I said in my mind, thinking of all the fluff from Looni I would have to clean up around the house.

"Hello, excuse me misses," A male voice spoke from behind the three girls, his charming tone catching their attentions.

I glanced at the man as well, staring at him with a cautious gaze and slightly lowered my phone. The man had short silver hair, heterochromia eyes with his left being light blue and his right eye being deep red, and donned black round rim sunglasses like Fleur's.

Immediately recognizing him, I subtly stood on guard and let out a quiet grunt. I didn't speak, only watching to see how things would play out between him and the three women.

"Oh, Lord Reinhart. It's nice to see you're still doing well. How has ruling the Sagittarius Kingdom been for you?" Fleur asked, giving Reinhart a cordial smile and held her bags in front of her.

"It has been pleasant to say the least in all honesty. I can see you all are still thriving well, but I couldn't help but notice that Prince Nox is having you carry your bags instead of the other way around," Reinhart said, his gaze shifting toward me with a subtle and antagonistic smirk.

I scoffed softly at Reinhart's bold claim, slipping my phone back inside my pockets then crossed my arms as I met his gaze calmly. "If they wanted me to carry their bag, they'd ask. Don't you have more important things to be tending to than bothering us at the mall?"

"I do, but I couldn't help but to stop myself after seeing three beautiful women toting their own luggage when a very capable prince is there," Reinhart replied, letting out his usual smug chuckle.

"It's honestly fine, Reinhart. We have no issue carrying our luggage, plus why are you in our business? What's with you Royal Houses and antagonizing our Prince?" Fleur said, raising an eyebrow at Reinhart at his demeanor toward me.

"It's not that I'm antagonizing him, I'm just making sure he keeps up his royal code. After all, he is still the Prince of Exzodia and a royal crown should take care of all of his consorts' needs," Reinhart shrugged and chuckled softly, his voice laced with a hidden superiority.

"Our needs and then some are all met, thank you! We should really get going now, we're in a bit of a rush!" Fleur said, grabbing my hand and speeding away from Reinhart. "Ugh...weirdos always trying to check Nox. Can the guy live?"

I looked at Fleur as she led me away from the Sagittarius Crown, my heart beating harder at her protective action toward me. I couldn't help but to smile lightly, following behind her away from the smug royal.

Luciel and Effie followed quickly behind, being sure to avoid the awkwardness surrounding Reinhart. Luciel knew Reinhart's intentions were to rile me up, but she was pleased that his taunting had little effect on me.

"Slow down, Fleur. It's really not an issue, none of the other Houses really bother me as such. It's only a few people who believe they can get under my skin," I said, stopping Fleur as we made it outside, gently pulling her toward me.

Fleur let out a soft grunt as she tripped over her own feet and stumbled upon me, holding onto me to regain her balance. She looked up at me, meeting my eyes with a soft, protective smile. "I know, but it's just those clowns have no idea what went down. I just don't want anyone to ruin your peace."

"No one's gonna ruin the peace we have right now, alright? So, you can stop being a guard dog for me and just be a woman on an outing," I said, returning her smile and taking her bags from her hands.

Fleur let out a soft exhale and chuckled softly at me, an amused expression playing on her face. "Well, look who's suddenly being very gentleman like."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, making my way toward the car with shopping bags in hand.

The trio of women followed behind with lively giggles, each of them rushing toward the car with me and placing their bags in the trunk. Once everything was packed, we all got inside and began to drive off from the parking lot to continue our outing.

Coasting down the streets of Zodiac Square, we continued out shopping spree around plazas, market districts, and even old memorial areas to relearn the history of our land. The day was filled with joy, learning, and the familial peace I've been longing for.

Soon, we all stopped at a local park to finish our outing, each of us hanging around the swingsets as we watched the sunset together. Effie and Luciel sat upon the swings, Fleur sitting in the middle and blowing bubbles into the air.

I leaned against the stable poles of the swingset next to Effie, my gaze unmoving from the sun dipping slowly below the horizon. My eyes reflected the orangish hue of the sky, memories of the day all flashing within the pupils of my eyes.

"Today...was perfect," Effie said, swinging slowly back and forth on the swing.

"You can say that again," Fleur agreed, pausing in her bubble blowing to look out into the distance as well.

"Yeah...it was," Luciel nodded, stopping her swinging motions to admire the sunset ahead.

Effie giggled softly to herself, the other two glancing at her to see what was funny. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about when we went Coatyl Flying earlier and Nox nearly fell off his White Coatyl."

"Hmph. It was a compatibility issue," I said, rolling my eyes at the embarrassing memory.

The three girls laughed at my quick witted reply while I let out a soft nose exhale at their jolly response. Soon, the laughs began to soften, a soft laugh beside me slowly breaking into soft cries. I glanced over at Effie, noticing her tears flowing down her face.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm just so overwhelmed...I haven't been this happy is so long. I...I really appreciate you three. Especially you...Fleur... Ever since that day everything caught fire..." Effie softly cried, wiping her tears from her eyes, but her bittersweet sobs continued, her butterflies manifesting around her for comfort.

Fleur and Luciel got up from their spots to comfort Effie, hugging her and returning Effie's sweet appreciations. I watched the three in soft silence, my heart resonating with Effie's strong emotions, emotions she couldn't contain anymore.

I got off the pole and made my way in front of Effie, Fleur and Luciel looking up at me and making way for me to approach her. I crouched down in front of Effie, listening to her soft cries and just took her hands, feeling the grief she hid away behind her energetic personality.

"It's just us now, Effie...so..." I began, pausing to swallow the soft lump in my throat. "...make peace with the grief, and let it out. We're here for you..."

Effie bit her lip as she stared into my eyes, her hands trembling and gently squeezing mine. She leaned forward, her forehead falling upon mine as she began quietly weeping over everything she lost in her moments of the Great Lamenting.

My butterflies began to manifest around me, their dark blue glow surrounding Effie and offering her peace. They understood Lament no longer targets anyone else when grieving, so they shine and flutter to accept other's grievances...so I could bare them for when I should return "home".

One by one, each butterfly returned to me and entered my body, the dark essences of grieving turning into Mana so I could bare the purity and pain of Effie's grief. Effie soon grew tired, but most importantly...her chains too were finally broken.