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Hand in Hand

Chapter 2: Sleeping Beauties

Summary:

An 10 year old Noah finds himself in an unfamiliar land. Yet even in places one has never been before, the chance of meeting someone you knew is never 0.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

The clock struck six. 

A cold wave of uneasiness briefly washed over Noah. The loud bell of the clock square rang in his ears. 

"Huh? What….what just happened? Where am I?" 

Noah blinked. Looking around, he saw a few kids his age playing in the water of a fountain that was beneath the clock tower. Hundreds of people and Nopon walked around him, enjoying a huge festival. Many white doves flew around him, their wings flapping loudly as they flew. Looking up, he could see streaks of fire from the castle flying into the night sky, exploding into bright colours above. 

"That's right…It's Mother's Anniversary!" 

Noah exhaled in relief as he remembered where he was. He was in Alcamoth and it was his Queen Melia's 100th year birthday. Not wanting to be surrounded in a stuffy room wearing his uncomfortable fancy clothes, he, his sister, cousin and best friend had snuck out of the formal dinner party, with their parents' blessing of course. 

"Noah!" a young boy yelled. "What are you doing man! They'll start the fireworks without us!" 

Turning around, Noah saw Lanz, Eunie and Joran standing near the exit of the square. They were jumping and waving excitedly, trying to get his attention. The ruckus they were causing made the people around them to steer clear of the over enthusiastic kids, unwilling to get hit in the face by a stray wave.

"Get a move on already," Eunie said. "Or all the good spots will be taken!"

"Exactly!" Joran shouted excitedly. "So c'mon let's move it!"

"Sorry I zoned out for a sec!" Noah yelled, waving back to show that he was okay. "I'm coming!" 

His three friends nodded in acknowledgement. They turned around, and ran off towards the castle, the sounds of their laughter fading down the street. He quickly realised that he was being left behind, and could only shake his head at their enthusiasm. But when your Mother's crowning anniversary is this lively, Noah couldn't help but get excited himself. 

Just as he was about to break into a run to chase after them, Noah heard a single note break through the loud noise of the festival. And then another. Noah stood in awe as he realised that he was hearing a simple melody being carried on the wind.

"This sound…Why does it feel so familiar?" 

An uncontrollable sense of happiness filled Noah's chest. There was something about the tune that enraptured his senses, and urged him to move forward. A smile formed on his face as the notes flowed through his ears, His mind fell into the rhythm of the melody, his footfalls moving in sync with each beat that he counted in his head.

One… two… three… four… One… two… three…  four… One… two… three…four.

On the twelfth step, the feeling of hard cobblestone gave way to soft, wet ground. The sudden shift disorientated Noah, and before he could fall over, he stopped in his tracks. 

Shaking his head from the trance, Noah saw  that he was no longer in the city of Alcamoth. Instead he found himself in the middle of a lush, green forest. A thick fog surrounded the area, making it nearly impossible to see more than a few centimetri's ahead of him. A ball of bright light gently illuminated the forest floor, glowing dimly over the horizon

"What in Myneth's bosom," Noah muttered quietly. He didn't exactly know what the words meant, but he heard his uncle Reyn and Mum say it when something surprising happened to them.  

"Eunie? Lanz? Joran?" Noah cried out, hoping that his friends were nearby. "Anyone?" 

Noah heard no response.

As he slowly settled into his surroundings, Noah noticed that there was something wrong. On the first night out in the wilderness, Noah was fascinated by the sounds of wildlife that permeated through the forest. His mother had called it the songs of life, each noise and sound the indication that the woods were alive. But here in this mysterious foggy forest, it was only a dead, deafening silence. 

Until he heard a few notes of a flute playing faintly in the wind. 

Noah quickly jumped to his feet. The notes were in a higher pitched key, but it was the same song that played in Alcamoth. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the sound, and focused on finding the source of the music. He held his breath as listened, scared that his own stray thoughts would drown them out. In his mind, Noah slowly counted the time signature of the song, hoping that maybe it would help him find where it was coming from.
One… two… three… four… One… two… three…  four… One… two… three…four.

And then he heard it once again. The melody that brought him here was coming from the direction of the sun.

Noah smiled, and began running towards the music. With each step in the direction, the music grew more coherent. Weaving through the undergrowth forest, Noah’s mind raced as he desperately wanted to meet the person playing the music. He had so many questions to ask them!
“Where did you learn where to play? 

What kind of flute do you use? 

Could you teach me?”
But as the music got louder something was different. Instead of the overwhelming joy he felt when he first heard it, Noah began to feel a small tinge of sorrow. The more he ran, the more he could hear that each note carried a sense of mourning and loss, the entire song carrying the grief of words unsaid. His mind was screaming for him to run away, to stop pursuing, but something inside him beckoned Noah to see it through. 

He failed to notice something sticking out of the ground in the fog. 

"Ahh!" 

Noah yelped as he fell face first into a pile of mud, the wet soil splashing all over his clothes. Feeling the wind knocked out of him, Noah laid on the ground, desperately gasping for air. 

After a panic filled minute, his breathing finally settled. Desperately wanting to clean himself off, Noah attempted to get up. Slightly lifting himself from the mud, he felt a sudden and sharp pain from his ankle. Looking down, he saw that his foot bent awkwardly, caught in a tangle of roots and bushes that jutted from the ground. 

"Ow, ow, ow…", he muttered in pain as he worked to free his foot. After great difficulty, he managed to pry it loose. 

Looking down at his clothes, he groaned as he saw the massive stain that had formed on his shirt and shorts. Noah knew full well that the moment they saw him, he would probably get an earful from his parents, and then would have to scrub the dirt out himself. Eunie would probably laugh at him, asking if he needed a fortune clover for his bad luck. Crys would probably lecture him about keeping his head out of the clouds, to keep his eyes forward and next time not to run in unfamiliar forests. 

As Noah chided himself, a faint blue light danced across his eyes, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

"Wh… What was that?" 

Turning his focus to where the light came from, he saw hundreds of small blue and green orbs, floating gently towards the fog covered skies. Following the trail of orbs down, Noah saw that they actually originated from behind the tree that he had tripped on. 

"Strange…I didn't see them earlier," Noah thought to himself. "And the music's stopped too…"

Limping slowly towards the tree, he saw that the root that caught his foot was not actually a tree root. But rather, the tangled mess that jutted out between the ground was something made out of stone. Upon closer inspection, Noah recognized that the stone piece bearing some resemblance to the armour that the ceremonial palace guards in Alcamoth would wear on parade. 

Looking towards the trunk, Noah gasped when he saw the source of the motes. Sitting at the base of the tree trunk were a pair of blackened stone statues of a man and woman. Both had long hair that framed their still heads, their eyes closed peacefully with smiles on their faces. As he leaned over to inspect the statues, Noah could see they looked older than Crys and Ashera, but younger than his parents. The man looked like a regular run of the mill Homs, but the lady next to him had what looked like animal ears on the top of her head.
Noah thought that was strange. He’d never seen a person with animal ears on their head on Bionis. The closest to such an approximation would be the High Entia wings, but they still shared Hom’s ears. Curiosity overtook Noah, and he moved his hand towards the statue of the lady. As he reached out to touch them, he saw the motes move away from his hands, avoiding his reach. For now, he ignored the phenomenon, and instead forced on brushing the ears of the statue.

The more he looked at the figures, Noah couldn't help but feel sympathy for the two people depicted in the statues. They looked peaceful, but being alone in this silent forest felt like an undignified end of what looked like a very loving couple. At the very least they were side by side with each other.

“Perhaps they were people who died in a battle long ago,” Noah thought to himself. “It would explain the armour.”

As Noah was distracted with his personal theories on who these people were, he failed to notice a blue mote of light from the body of the man floating towards his face. It lazily brushed against his cheek, rolling gently across his skin. The mote felt warm, and Noah found it almost relaxing. 

That was until the point where hundreds of images and voices instantly flooded his head. Clutching his head in pain, Noah screamed as everything came crashing down at once. 

 

***


We were the last ones left. Our blades clashed in a deadly dance as our friends and comrades laid dead around us. Her white chakrams and my red sword sparked together as we gave it our all to be the last ones standing. Jumping back, I prepared for a final attack. Narrowing my eyes in concentration, I could see she was readying herself for one as well. 

We stood silent as the fires of battle smouldered around us.
In a flash, we both charged forward. I plunged my sword into her chest, and I felt victory as the light in her eyes were extinguished. But it was short lived as her chakrams sliced my neck, and I could feel the blood pouring into my lungs. 

We both collapsed into each other, and I watched as she turned into a husk on my shoulder. 

I shook as I tried to hold back my sobs. Begging you to not go, for we have so much to do. What about our son? 

"I hope that the future will be kinder to you,” you said as I watched your life fade before our eyes. Your hand trembled as our son grabbed it, not fully aware of what was happening. You gave us one final smile, before you closed your eyes and disappeared into the sunset. I held our son tight, not wanting to lose again.
“Daddy, where did Mommy go?” 

"Daddy will have to go soon. All right?" 

I don't want to go. I want to stay! I wanted to see my son grow! But this cursed mark I wore on my right hand told me my time was up. I used the last of my strength to hug him. To tell him his parents loved him very much.

"We're with you… Now and forever."

“Now you can continue on as Moebius. The same as myself.”
You said something to me. I couldn’t hear, or rather I didn’t want to hear. You spoke the truth, but I set us on a path to stay together. Forever.
“Then the one who died was…”
I looked back on the pile of clothes that had been discarded on the platform. My soul mate stood proudly next to my long shadow, as his friends smugly looked at me. A burning rage built in my chest, and I screamed as Ouroboros interlinked. Unsheathing the Sword of the End, I cursed as it slowly sunk in that everything I did was for naught. No.

“All I did! I did it for you!”
“After so long?”

I almost collapsed from my long shadow’s confession. The truth was that I did have friends like them long ago, and I left them out of a selfish desire. I looked up, and saw all of them, their eyes full of forgiveness.
“It’s what you both wanted right? Well then, easy choice!”

I reached out to his open hand, and he grasped mine with ease.

I watched as our hopes begged us to stay, that we didn’t have to sacrifice our lives. But our minds were made up.
“Believe in yourselves. All of you, will certainly reach heights we were unable to.”
We cradled each other in our arms, accepting that this was for the best. To ensure the future that we would never see, yet you still cried out for us. We smiled as we charged towards Z. Our desires for a better future propelling us forward. 

“You guys can surely make it.”

We can barely move from this spot. Our bodies are quickly deteriorating from our last heroic deed. Nothing we can do can prevent our end. 

Perfect. 

"This world is beautiful isn’t it,” the woman by my side whispers. I can tell she doesn’t have much left, but neither do I.
“It sure is,” I responded quietly.
“I’m glad I got to spend my last moments with you.”

I'm too weak to respond with words, only able to let out a low murmur of agreement. I shifted my body to place my head upon hers, trying so hard to keep my eyes open as the sun began to rise over the horizon of this new world. 

“I love you, my Noah.”

That’s right, this is what I wanted. To hear those words one last time. From the woman I loved. Not the Endless Now where we lived forever. Just one final moment together, hand in hand.

Using the last of my strength, I tried to respond. 

"I love you too, my Mi…" 

I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence. My eyes finally closed and I breathed my last, finally letting go. The sounds of a quiet, yet happy and content sigh are the last thing I hear in this life. 

Blue sparks came out of his body, drifting slowly as they floated upwards towards the sky, content at finding peace at last. Soon, they were joined by a flock of Green sparks, a sign that the life beside him had ended. Yet, the two streams of sparks intertwined in the sky, dancing across the stars, content they finally reconciled their regrets.

***

Noah opened his eyes in shock as the vision ended.  

Stumbling backwards, Noah mewled as he finally processed the memories. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto a nearby tree across from the sleeping figures. Grabbing his knees, he brought them against his chest and held them tight, desperately clinging onto something to keep him grounded.

What was supposed to be a day of fun celebration with his friends had quickly turned into an absolute nightmare. Being covered in cold dirty mud, lost in a foggy forest, and twisting and hurting your ankle was not on his to-do list. But he was 10. He could easily handle that. 

But the images and feelings he saw by touching that mote of light brought him to the breaking point. The young woman who was trying so hard to not cry in bed as she lay dying, staying strong for her son and him. Watching the same young boy, look helplessly as he felt his body slowly disintegrate into that golden light. Seeing that woman alive and well as a city burned around him as she looked upon him with confusion and disgust. Contempt as a party of six stood defiantly in front of him, denying the will of the world. Triumphant victory one moment watching that young man cry over the death of his loved one. The crushing defeat realising that the one who died was yours. 

The soft blue eyes of that young man with raven dark hair who held out his hand in acceptance. The golden eyes of the white haired woman that told him it was alright, and that he could come with them because that's what his loved ones would have wanted. The final battle when he and his love entrusted the future to them. Hoping… No, confident that they would make a better world when they couldn't.
Their final moments as he held his love in his hands as the sun began to rise.The warm embrace that he felt as they finally found peace.

Noah couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He felt them flowing uncontrollably from his eyes, and began to loudly sob into his knees. His cries broke the unending silence of the forest, echoing for metri if anyone was around to hear.

“Why did the man in the memories have my name?" Noah thought in anguish as he laid on the ground. "Why did he look like me? I don’t understand!?”

Nothing made sense. He wasn't sure if those memories were real, but they felt real. The man’s tumultuous life was too sad, and Noah was unsure if he was crying because of  what he  had experienced in that brief moment of time; Or if he was crying for the man also named Noah, he who had lived a life of loss and regret. 

At least his final resting place next to someone dear to his heart. 

 

Snap

 

As he tried to process it all, he heard the sound of a twig being crushed underfoot. He covered his mouth instinctively the moment he heard the noise. A useless gesture he realised, as he was bawling for who knows how long. Noah weighed his options. He could maybe hope it was a small bunnit and stay in place. But it could be a volff, or worse, and with his hurt leg he wouldn’t even have a chance of getting away. 

His lower lip trembled in fear as he turned around slowly, hoping with all his might there wasn’t a wild animal behind him. Slowly opening his eyes, Noah expected to see a hungry animal sizing himself up for dinner.

Instead Noah came face to face with a smiling little girl. 

"Um," the small girl nervously said. She held up a hand, and gave Noah a timid wave. "H-hello there!" 

Noah and the girl silently stared at each other. What felt like aeons passed, before the reality of the situation suddenly came crashing down on the young Homs. 

 

“Ahh!”

 

"Eep!"


In the confusion, Noah tried to run, but he forgot that his right ankle was hurt. Unable to support the weight, a sharp jolt ran up his legs, causing him to stumble and fall onto his knees. Tumbling on the hard floor of the forest, Noah felt his skin scraping against the roots and rocks. Overwhelmed from the stinging pain from his shins and knees, he began to cry yet again.
“Oh my gosh, are you alright?” the girl asked as she knelt down next to Noah. The mud stained the bottom of her white dress a dirty brown, but she didn’t seem to pay it any mind. 

“N-no…,” Noah sniffs, wiping his eyes and nose. “I-I hurt my ankle…”

"Oh gosh," the girl quietly repeated. Without hesitation, she gently put an arm under Noah’s arm, raising it slightly. “On the count of three, I’m gonna lift you. Are you ready?”
Noah could only nod his head in slight reassurance. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure if this girl could help him up, but Noah didn't have much choice in the matter. 

“Okay!” she smiled, reassuring Noah with her confidence . “One… two… three!” 

Noah slightly opened his eyes wide in surprise as the girl effortlessly lifted him onto his feet. With how little she seemed to be struggling, he briefly mused the thought that she could easily give Lanz a run for his gold.  But nothing prepared Noah when she then swung him around, bringing his knees up, and carrying them underneath.

Before he could fully process what had just happened, she gently lowered Noah onto the side of a nearby fallen tree trunk. After making sure he was comfortable, she then lightly pressed her fingers onto his right ankle. Noah inhaled sharply as he felt the pain go up his leg. Hearing his discomfort, the girl carefully took his shoe and sock off, and pressed her hands together. A shimmer of light in her chest shone as small water droplets began forming around her. 

“I may not be as good at healing as my Mam, but I can manage,'' the girl says. 

"She's healing me without a conduit?" Noah thought to himself. " Who is she?" 

The droplets of water that surrounded her began to glow a light green, and Noah could feel the familiar warmth of healing ether. She then placed them over his ankle, and Noah sighed in relief as ether flowed over his legs. A few minutes later, she removed her hands. "You feeling a bit better now?"
“Whoa…” Noah muttered. He gently placed his foot down onto the soft ground, and felt amazed that the pain was completely gone. A smile formed on his face as he finally stood on his two feet. “T-thank you so much.”

“Rule three of the salvagers code! Make a girl smile, you pass the trial!" the little girl exclaimed. “Well I guess you’re a boy, but maybe it works both ways!”

“The salvagers code?”
The little girl gasped in surprise. “You never heard of the salvagers code?!” she yelled.
Noah shook his head. “Well let me tell you about it then!” she said excitedly. Sitting next to Noah, the girl held up her right hand, raising her index finger. “Rule number One: Swim like a fish, and drink like one too! Not sure why Da says I’m too young to drink though, I can drink milk just fine. Rule number two: Always help others that help you! Rule number three… ”
Noah nodded as she continued listing off these rules. As hard as he tried not to, he couldn’t help but stare at the person who sat next to him.
The first thing he noticed was her gold colored eyes. He had never seen anyone with that hue before, and the sight of them sparkling in the rays of the rising sun looked incredible. She had long, white hair that nearly reached to her waist, the strands swishing gently in the wind. A small braid adorned the right side of her head, a red cord intertwined in it, complimenting the red bow on her neck. 

But as his eyes drifted up towards her head, Noah noticed that she had another defining feature. The girl had a pair of animal ears adorning the top of her head. Just like the lady who died next to the Homs named Noah. 

"Did they know each other?" 

"Something the matter?"
For a moment, memories of that man flashed in his eyes. The thoughts of the similar animal eared a girl nagging in his thoughts. 

"Umm," Noah stammered, caught off guard by the memories and her sudden presence. "Y-your ears. Are they real?" 

As if on cue, the girl's ears flattened against her head. "Wh-what do you mean if they're real?" she spat, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "They're as real as they come!" 

Noah mentally slapped himself. He probably broke one of her salvagers codes, since she was no longer smiling at him. "S-sorry!" he cried, holding up his hands in defence. "I just never saw someone with ears like yours!" 

Her ears slowly perked up again, but Noah felt it was more inquisitive in nature, instead of one of forgiveness. Cocking an eyebrow at him, she let out a low hum and crossed her arms. "Really now?" she asked, her voice dripping with suspicion. "Where on Alrest are you from where you've never met a Gormotti?"

It was Noah's turn to be confused. "Alrest? Gormotti?" 

He was sure he recognized those names from somewhere, but at the moment Noah couldn't remember where he had actually heard them. The day's events played heavily on his mind, distracting him from any coherent thought. 

Looking down, he hung his head in shame and embarrassment. "I’m sorry, it's just been a rough day for me… "

The girl said nothing. Instead she sat there, studying Noah. After a few moments of silence, she finally sighed. "If it's been so rough, then why don't ya tell me about it then? " 

"Huh?" 

“Mama always said if something is bothering you, it’s best to talk it out, yeah?” the girl said, inching somewhat closer to Noah. "And you look super troubled. So copper for your thoughts?" 

Noah was dumb struck. He had just met this girl, and he was pretty sure he insulted her earlier. If Eunie or Lanz was here, they'd probably tell him to shut up and that she had some ulterior reason for her sudden interest in him. Joran would have just stuttered at the request and would be the first to just grab Noah and run away. 

But there was something different about the girl. He felt like he could trust her.

"Okay." 

The girl smiled again. "Alright, let's hear it." 

Despite this feeling of trust, his mother's advice came to mind. When he was incognito mingling with the populace, he was under no circumstances to reveal his connection to the Royal family. It wasn't a vain attempt at being humble, but rather Melia's attempt to give her children a chance at a relatively normal childhood. People's attitudes change the moment they realise they were dealing with a person they could curry favour with. 

"Well today, it was my Mother's - I mean the Queen's Coronation Anniversary," Noah said, hoping he caught his mistake quickly. "I was out celebrating with my friends around the city, running through the crowd waiting for fireworks. But then I felt something weird, like the whole world stopped for a second. But after that passed, everything felt normal, until…" 

Noah paused. He looked up to see young Gormotti engrossed in his story, and was kinda glad for once someone was listening to him. The girl nodded her head, encouraging him to go on. 

"Well until I heard this song playing in the distance, and ended up here in this forest…" 

The girl suddenly gasped loudly, startling the Homs. "A song? You heard a song too!?" she excitedly whispered, as if she didn't want anyone else overhearing it. "Did it go something like this?"
When the girl hummed the first note, Noah couldn't believe his ears. As she continued Noah had more questions than answers. There were some different bridges connecting the chorus, but it was unmistakable. 

"W-what?!" he stammered, jumping out of his space on the log. "That's the song!" 

"Whoa," the girl murmured, her eyes wide at Noah's reaction. "Kinda incredible we heard the same thing, huh?" 

Noah felt somewhat relieved. Despite them being lost, at least he wasn't alone in this forest now. "I guess so…” 

Admittedly he was reluctant to mention what he had found. The experience was still lingering at the back of his mind, and he didn't want this girl to possibly see the memories of that man.
Noah was just unsure if it was because he didn’t want her to experience the pain, or it was because of a selfish desire to only view his memories.

"But you're still hearing it right?" the girl asked, looking around unsure of herself. "It's kinda getting loud again." 

Noah froze at her statement. He didn’t notice it initially, but he realised that after touching that spark he couldn't hear the music at all anymore. 

" Does that mean the music is coming from them?" 

As he was questioning the source of the music, he heard a sniff come next from him. From the corner of Noah's eye, he saw the girl's ears flickering towards the direction where the man and woman rested under the tree. She slowly got out of her spot on the log, walking slowly towards them. 

"Hey wait!" Noah said. 

In an act of desperation to prevent the girl from experiencing something so hurtful, Noah tried to grab her hand. But a sudden dizzy spell hit him, and he stumbled onto his knees. Disoriented and confused, Noah tried standing up, but it felt like a pair of hands were pushing him down, anchoring him to the ground. 

"Wait! Don't go!" he said, trying to scream at the girl."Get away from them!" 

Lifting up his head with great difficulty, he saw the girl slowly approach the two statues. He could see tears running down her face glistening in the dawn’s sunlight as she knelt in front of the man. 

With all his might against the force, Noah pushed himself up. He could almost feel the pair of hands on his shoulders keeping him down, tightening their invisible grip the more he tried to move, but he gritted his teeth and pressed forward.
" I can't let her get hurt… " he thought, struggling to move. “ Just one step at a time Noah.” 

The sounds of leaves crunched underfoot as Noah slowly inched towards the girl. He watched as she placed a hand on the man’s cheek, moving them slowly over the sleeping figure. A stray green mote from the woman with animal ears drifted slowly towards the girl, and Noah prepared for the worst. She looked at the spark with awe and reverence, letting it dance around her.
“You have to let her see the memories, Noah,” a familiar and soft spoken disembodied voice whispered from behind him. “It’s the only way to entrust that you two won’t make the same mistakes.”

"Are you insane?" he shouted back. He didn't want to turn around, for he feared to face the man standing behind him. "I refuse to let that happen!" 

"Sometimes the best we can do is be there when they get hurt," the man continued. "That's all anyone can ask." 

Noah ignored the words. He had to save her from the pain he experienced. If it was too much to bear for him, he couldn't bear the thought of someone as nice and gentle as her suffering. He tried standing yet again, gnashing his teeth as he fought against the man holding him back. 

"I apologise for this then Noah," the man said quietly. "I hope you forgive me one day." 

As soon as the words were said, the force holding Noah pushed him forward onto the ground. He tried to stand up again, but the weight on his back was so suppressive, it was almost choking him. He could only slightly move his head to check up to the girl. She stood in place, silently cradling the green spark in her hands, a peaceful smile on her face.
"Let go of me!" 

The voice didn't respond.  

He could only scream in anger and sadness as the girl slowly brought the mote towards her chest. A green light pulsed around her, and the sight made Noah wince. For a split moment, he could see a woman with long silver hair standing next to the young girl. The woman gently placed a hand on her shoulder, before disappearing the next. 

He held back his cries as she stood still for what felt like an agonising eternity. Her breathing and slight swaying were the only signs that told him that she was alive.

Until she turned around and faced Noah. 

The girl looked at him in shock. Her hands were still covering her chest, trembling as she slowly walked towards him. Tears streamed down her face, her lower lip trembling with sorrow. As she got closer to him, the girl stumbled, and fell to her knees wordlessly as her legs gave way.

Noah felt completely powerless to help her. He could only watch as she began to sob into her hands, as she violently shook from the memories she saw. 

"Please.. " he begged, his voice hoarse and quiet. He tried to reach out, trying to extend his arm towards her. "Then please, just let me be there for her…" 

To his surprise, Noah could feel the force holding him down gently let go. Without thinking, he carefully stood up, bracing himself in case the man was luring him into a false sense of security. Taking a shaky step forward, he held onto the small hope that he could reach the girl.
Nothing happened.

He gasped in relief, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Despite being exhausted from the day’s events, Noah summoned what strength he had left and brought his tired and battered body in front of the white haired girl.  

Kneeling down next to her, Noah brought her into a hug and held her tight as he could as she cried, letting her grief flow. She instinctively returned the hug, sobbing into his shoulder. He begane recalling Memories that weren't his , and Noah could feel his own tears forming in his eyes.
The memories of finding love, experiencing loss and yearning for forgiveness over and over again overwhelmed him. He couldn’t hold back his own tears, and Noah began to sob into her shoulder as well.
Amidst their shaking, he felt her arms tighten around him, and in return he tightened his hug around hers. 

For the first time today it felt like everything was going to be okay. 

 

***

Noah was unsure how long they held each other, but eventually, the two began to calm down. Unlike the first time he saw the memories, this experience felt comforting and he definitely felt better since coming into this forest. Perhaps the fact he had someone to hold onto helped.
Looking over to the girl, he could see she was wiping away the tears on his shoulder. Their clothes were already covered in dirt and grime, so Noah did not mind her doing so. Instinctively he reached a hand around her head and began to stroke her hair.  

"Thank you…" the girl finally whispered, as she held tight to Noah. "Thank you…?" 

The girl pulled away slightly, and clicked her tongue. A sinking feeling formed in his chest as he thought that maybe he went too far somewhere without realising it. The girl noticed his change in demeanour, and made an attempt to assuage his fears by going back into their hug. 
"Don't worry! You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said gently. “It’s just, umm, I never asked your name!" 

His jaw dropped in disbelief. His cheeks felt hot as they shared what felt like a very intimate moment, without knowing each other's names! A let out a small chuckle, which slowly became a full on laugh. "Oh my gosh I never asked yours too!" 

It was now the girl's turn for her cheeks to turn a bright red, and she looked away in embarrassment. It wasn't long though before she joined in the laughter. 

"My name is Noah," he said, flashing a warm smile at the girl. "What's yours?" 

The girl smiled back at him. Her gold eyes met his blue, and in that one moment, everything felt right in the world.  

"Nice to meet you Noah, I'm -"

 

***

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. 

The slow, yet gentle rhythm of knocking  against his bunk awoke Noah from his dream. He groaned and rolled over covering his ears with his pillow. He tried going back to sleep, but he heard the knocking yet again.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. 

"Hey Noah" a familiar voice whispered from the other side of his privacy blinds. "You up yet?" 

"Joran? That you?" he whispered, slight annoyance in his voice. He wasn't mad at Joran, far from it, but the dream he was having felt absolutely wonderful. Poking his head out of the curtains, he came face to face with his best friend. "What time is it?" 

"It's about 08:23," Joran said, stifling a sudden yawn. "We're about two hours away from City 0, so Kino just called via Iris, and told me to wake us up and get ready. Lanz and Eunie were already gone by the time I crawled out of bed, so I assume Lanz is doing his work out, and Eunie is doing a final prep before we meet the Bionis Commanders."

As his eyes adjusted to the light, it looked that Joran had just gotten out of bed as well. He was still in his sleeping clothes, and they were stained dark with sweat. His long hair was untied and unkempt, clumped together in a chaotic fashion. Dark circles formed under his eyes, and he noticed they struggled to stay open. 

"Insomnia again, Joran?" Noah said quietly as he jumped down from his bunk. His bare feet thudded quietly against the cold metal floor, sending a shock that helped wake him up.

“Yeah,” Joran said quietly, rubbing his right arm in embarrassment. “Nothing to worry about though. You know I can’t sleep on the first few nights on Aionios.”
Noah rubbed his eyes, removing the eye sand in his eyes, but also in slight frustration. They both knew that Joran was lying about being okay. Their first trip to Ainios had him crying all night due to nightmares, and Noah had to help him calm down the first few days after that.

“Why don’t you take a shower first then? Should freshen you up a bit.”

He cocked an eyeball at Noah’s suggestion. “I don’t look as bad as you do I?”

“Joran, to be honest you look like total shite.”

Noah brought out his mirror, and showed Joran his reflection. The man cringed as he looked at himself, noticing how unpresentable he was.

“Alright, then Noah, you win,"Joran sighed, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "I’ll try and leave some hot water for you if Eunie and Lanz didn't use it all up.”

"Okay I take it back, I should go first." Noah pouted jokingly.
"I mean I don't mind either way to be honest. It sounded like you had a rough night too."

Noah was unexpectedly caught off guard at Joran's statement. "I did?" 

"Yeah," Joran said quietly as he began rummaging through his bag for toiletries. "You were kinda crying in your sleep last night. The others were fast asleep so I'm sure I'm the only one who knows. You wanna talk about it?" 

"Maybe…" Noah pondered. He didn’t have a history of nightmares, and the dream he had was far from one. "Did I say anything?" 

Joran shook his head. "If you did, it wasn't coherent."

Noah wrangled his left hand over his right. He never really liked talking about his dreams to others, not even to his family. But for some reason, Joran was the exception. 

Well except for the ones he was really involved. He didn't need to know those ones. 

"I dreamt about Mother's 15th Anniversary…" Noah finally said. "I know it's a touchy subject to talk-" 

"Because I was in a coma for that entire week," Joran said, finally understanding Noah's hesitance. "Yeah I get ya. But I know you weren't crying over me."

For some reason, that little statement stung harder than a wisp. Noah felt a wave of sorrow and regret quickly washed over him. He quickly scrunched his face, prompting a hug and small kiss on the check from Joran. 

"I was joking, dude." 

Noah quickly blinked. "I mean what if I was crying over you?" he replied without hesitation. 

Joran's eyes quickly widened, his cheeks slightly turning a slight shade of red. "Well I mean, you know I don't mind," he stuttered. "Just continue on with your story." 

Noah giggled. Teasing his partner was so easy, especially since he looked really cute when he got flustered. Nonetheless he knew they were short on time, and so he proceeded to tell Joran about everything he could remember. The day of the festival, getting lost in the forest, meeting the Gormotti girl, and the two mysterious statues who looked like them. 

By the time he reached where he woke up, Joran looked at Noah in disbelief. "Are you sure this was a dream?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow, "This sounds way more coherent and memorable than your other ones." 

"I mean it's just as outlandish, isn't it?" Noah said. "Meeting a mysterious girl in the forest, and she looked like a younger version of the girl I've kept dreaming about?" 

"I mean when you put it that way…"

"Plus," he continued. " I heard the lullaby that I wrote down in my dream."

"Really?" 

"Yeah but something was different…" Noah said. He struggled to find the right word to describe the version of the lullaby he had heard. "It's hard to describe without playing it."

"Then why don't you play it for me then?" 

"Huh?" 

"It's still fresh in your mind, isn't it?" Joran said, moving next to Noah. "And I know you brought your flute, even though they said not to." 

Noah's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Without saying a word, he quickly turned around, reached under his pillow, and carefully pulled out a slim wooden case. By all accounts it was a plain, dark stained wooden box, the only indication of its royal owner was the simple seal of the Antiqua family engraved into the box. Opening it up, he and Joran admired the instrument within. It was a seven hole flute, painted white with gold and blue  accents that ran down the length of the instrument. 

Joran whistled in awe as Noah took it out of its case. It was a beautiful instrument to behold. He watched as Noah placed the flute to his mouth, and prepared himself to listen to him play.

One…Two…Three…Four.

Noah began playing the tune he heard in his dreams. Ever since that day, 11 years ago, it had stuck with him all this time. Every chance he got, he played it to the best of his ability, but he had always felt that something was missing. But in an act that could only be described as a gift from Meyneth herself, the second part to the song came to him in a dream. His fingers glide effortlessly over the holes of his flute, a testament to his mastery over the instrument, and the extreme familiarity of the song. 

As he finished playing the newly created second part, he looped the song back to the beginning. The song worked well as just a simple melody, but the addition of the second part definitely made it feel more complete. 

Starting from the song's second refrain, Noah found himself pleasantly surprised as he heard the sound of humming joining in. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know that Joran had his eyes closed as well, immersed into the music. While it didn’t weave flawlessly through the music, Joran’s fundamentals were still with him after all these years, and for Noah that was enough. 

After a few more repetitions, they both ended the song on a harmonious note. Noah lowered his flute, a smile on his lips. “Thank you Joran…” 

His knight tilted his head. "For what Noah?"

"Just you, being you I guess," Noah smiled back. He gently leaned into the other boy's shoulder, causing him to flinch so slightly at the sudden contact.
Joran immediately covered his mouth, and exhaled sharply. He looked the other way, unable to look at his friend snuggling up on him. "Oh, umm, you’re welcome dude… "  

He was always caught off guard by the cool bite of his partner's skin. 

Noah hummed happily in response. To him, Joran's skin felt warm, and in the chilly room, was Noah's only source of nearby warmth. His steady breathing rocked Noah back and forth, and the flautist found himself almost falling asleep on his shoulder.
After a few moments of silence, Noah couldn't ignore the urge to ask his partner a question that burned in his chest. 

"Hey Joran?" 

"Yeah Noah?
Noah's hands fidgeted over his instrument. He wasn't nervous but he knew what he was going to ask was another somewhat touchy subject between the two. "Have you ever thought of taking up the flute again? " 

As expected, Joran sighed in annoyance. He moved away from the bed frame, accidentally and ungraciously knocking Noah off his shoulder. "You know I’m not good at flute playing or music...Not like you and Crys."
"But what about just now?" Noah asked. "You picked up the harmonics wonderfully just after hearing it once!" 

"I mean let's be real Noah, anyone could do that! Plus they really weren't that great, and I just hummed it out too."

"But-!" 

"I’m sorry Noah,” Joran said, shaking his head side to side. “I wasn’t good enough for the flute then, I doubt I’ll be good now.” 

“Joran…”

Taking a quick look at his partner, he could only sigh. He knew when it came to Eunie, Lanz, and Kino, Noah was the mature, smart natural born leader; the older brother figure everyone could rely on. But when the two shared quiet moments alone, Noah allowed himself to be vulnerable. He wasn't Captain, or Prince Antiqua, he was just Noah.
His Noah.

And Joran felt guilty as hell rejecting him. But he knew how precious playing the flute was to Noah, and he didn't want to be the dead weight that held his partner down. The last thing he wanted was to ruin his passion on account of his clumsiness. 

“Sorry about ruining your morning man,” Joran finally said, trying hard not to look pathetic to Noah. ”I'll take a cold shower to make it up to you.” 

“You don’t have to take a cold shower, or apologise,” Noah replied, grabbing Joran’s free hand with his own. “I should be the one who’s apologising to you.” 

The two stared at each other, unwilling to move. The only sound that broke the silence was the hum of the ship and their breathing. After a few moments though, Joran was the first to crack and let out a little chuckle, leading Noah to do the same. The two closed the distance and rubbed their foreheads together.

“Man, why are we like this,” Joran groaned, rubbing the back of Noah's neck. “We’re hopeless without Lanz and Eunie around.” 

“I guess so,” Noah huffed. “How about we tie each other's hair later, then. Call it even?”
“Uhhg, fine, that works,” Joran said. Satisfied in the agreement, he gave Noah a quick peck on the lips, and they both let go at the same time. “Just make sure to get some food in you, I know how grumpy you get on an empty stomach.” 

“Mhmm, I’ll keep it in mind,” Noah murmured. The two nodded at each other as Joran left the room to take his shower. 

Turning around, Noah placed his flute back in its protective case. Before he closed it, he ran his fingers over the lacquered wood, admiring the craftsmanship. After carefully closing the lid, he placed it on top of his travel case to make sure he wouldn’t forget it later. Letting out a yawn, Noah turned off the lights and headed downstairs, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead.

Notes:

Hey y'all! Sorry it took a month. Life hit me fast. Hope this new chapter was worth the wait!

Regarding future updates, I'm gonna try my very best to cut down chapters to be around 5k words each. I'm unsure how long they'll take due to it being the holidays, and also I'm ramping on trying to get my foot into the door for career work soonish.

The next few chapters are still gonna be world building. Alrest gang is coming soon!

Comments are HIGHLY appreciated. I would love feed back on how to make it tighter and more coherent.

Notes:

Hi there! Thank you so much for reading this fic! I'm so nervous about I because it's my first time and I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Hand in Hand. If you have any theories or questions feel free to comment and I'll answer them the gear I can.

Thanks again and I hope you have a wonderful day!