//------------------------------// // A Brother's Farewell // Story: Final Fantasy: Twilight Elysium // by Matrix7o6 //------------------------------// (Eos) (just outside of Gralea) There was no more trouble beyond the run in with Ardyn, but a heavy feeling had grown between the four of them. They grouped back together, Twilight taking her seat beside Noctis while Ignis sat across from them. Gladio leaned on the side of the train seat Ignis was in. "We're nearing Gralea," Ignis stated. "Wonder what's waiting for us," Gladio pondered. "Swarms of Daemons," Noctis mused. "I can't think we wouldn't have a task force waiting for us," Twilight commented. The others raised their brows at her. "As in, I would assume the Daemons would be kept to larger areas of the Empire." "Twilight," Ignis called. "Do you know anything about Zegnautus?" "It's a mega fortress. Finest the Empire has ever built, and also acts as their castle." Twilight leaned back in her chair. "Are you able to guide us to the keep?" "Definitely. We can take the elevator straight to the throne room. But before that we need to go to the most western side of the building... To the torture chamber." She cast her eyes down at the last part. "Why would we want to-" Noctis started, but stopped when he realized. His eyes widened a little. "Prompto," he answered his own question. Twilight nodded. "I had been talking it over with Gladio. If we want to predict Ardyn we have to think like him. Which made us ask where we would keep Prompto held hostage were we Ardyn?" She let the question hang in the air for a moment. "Bzzt, times up. The answer is the torture room. We'll go there first to rescue him, then we'll go to the crystal." "Hmm," Gladio responds. "Good plan, and you incorporated Prompto first." "He's our friend; we can't just forget about him." Gladio nods in respect. "Then we'll have to be ready for anything," Ignis mentioned. "Although," Gladio adds, "I'm having a hard time buying the whole 'crystal can purge all daemons'." He added air quotes with his fingers for more emphasis, then shrugged. "It does seem a bit far-fetched," Twilight agreed. "But the old man made this war machine of a nation turn all eyes on Lucis for this thing. It must be more special than just a war trophy." "I guess the proof will be in the purging," Ignis said. "All we know is that the daemons are growing stronger as the night goes on. If they in fact can be destroyed by the crystal's light, then it will save not only Lucis, but the world." "I get the feeling it's not going to be that easy," Twilight said. "Ardyn is just letting us waltz right in and tap on this rock, and suddenly boom, the daemons are gone and it's all sunshine and rainbows." "We'll know what happens when we take it back," Noctis piped up. He'd stayed quiet through the conversation, listening to his party. At that moment the train skidded to a halt. "What the hell?" Gladio moves to look out the window. "Did we make it?" Ignis asked. "No, I think the welcoming committee just showed up," Twilight answered. "Come on Ignis." Twilight helped him out of his seat and they started their way through the train cars with Noctis close behind them. Then suddenly a force slammed into a nearby window, sending cracks through the glass. "The train is being overrun!" Biggs called over the intercom. "We're just outside Gralea's gates; get to your vehicles and don't worry about us!" "Thanks guys," Twilight said, more to herself. She morphed her horn into a sword as a goblin was trying its damnedest to bust through the window. "Let's do this." Noctis flicked his wrist but nothing happened. "What's wrong?" Gladio shouted at his own attempt to summon his great sword. "My weapons won't summon," Noctis stated, a look of slight shock on his face. As Ignis looked around with his limited sight, he found that there was a red mist clouding the others' auras. "There's red mist everywhere," he mentioned. "Then we run!" Twilight announced. She stabbed the goblin, who had finally broken through the window. She heaved its body out the window, knocking another goblin off the train in the process. But another one had made its way inside. The party bolted through more train cars with the goblin chasing them. "We're not going to have anymore room to run soon!" Ignis shouted as he ducked under a leaping goblin. "I'm open to suggestions!" Noctis called back. "Just like Biggs said; we take the Regalia!" Ignis responded, now being pulled by Gladio. By now they'd reached the unit holding their vehicles (the caboose). The guys sprinted to the Regalia while Twilight makes a mad dash for her motorcycle. Outside of the train, the tunnel they were in started flashing red and metal groaning could be heard as a robotic voice started talking on the train's intercom. (Emergency: threat level four; closing gate). Twilight muttered obscenities at herself as she pushed herself to run faster. They had to get out as fast as they could or the tunnel doors would close and trap them inside. She looked around for the button to active the garage-like door and pushed it multiple times until she saw and heard the door start to move. "Come on!" Twilight shouted as the other three piled into the car, Noctis taking the driver's seat. "If the gate closes while we're inside we'll be sitting ducks! I'll clear debris in our paths but whatever you do, don't stop!" Twilight sped out of the train as the door had risen just enough for her to fit through. Noctis followed suit. The two vehicles blazed through the tunnel. From in front of the Regalia, Ignis could see Twilight's magical aura surrounding her. He also noted the echoes around him. "I see Twilight!" he exclaimed. "Are we in a tunnel!?" "Yeah, I'm sticking behind Twilight," Noctis responds, not taking his eyes off his target. "Like glue," Gladio quipped as Noctis swerved in unison with Twilight. They sped through debris that Twilight moves out of the way, and within moments they are out of the tunnel. But of course they have no time to relax, for Magitek transports had been waiting for them, hovering menacingly above them. The transports, with heavy artillery it seems, opened fire on the group as their two vehicles sped down the tracks. "Damn it! They're bombarding us!" Noctis tried his best to swerve from the blasts, and to his credit he was mostly successful; there was only so much room on the tracks, and one wrong move could send them barreling to the ground. Twilight was also weaving around the blasts. Twilight's long and torturous hours of training had molded her into a weapon; unafraid and unwilling to second guess herself in these kinds of situations. She dodged another volley of explosions and turned to see if the Regalia was still behind her. In doing so, she sees the it get hit by several well-placed rounds. "The Regalia can take the punishment!" Ignis announced as another blast rocked the car. Though he was sure of it, the car began to lose some momentum. Twilight seemed to notice this and pulled out her horn. "What is she doing!?" Noctis asked in mild frustration. "She's lifted a barrier around us." Ignis tries shouting in panic for her to hear, "No Twilight! The Regalia can take it! Worry about yourself!" Another barrage rained down around them, exploding on the barrier Twilight had conjured. The two vehicles continued their escape with Twilight swerving and dodging the rounds, and never getting too far away from the car. In a last ditch effort to stop them, the transports fire all at once. Twilight maintained her barrier as she continued dodging attacks. A round manages to explode near her though, and the force of it sends her crashing into the railing. "Twilight!" Ignis yelled. Twilight fell over the railing just before the car was rocked by more explosions. As she feel, Twilight caught a glimpse of Ardyn. He was smiling and pointing away from himself, to an adjacent ledge. Twilight threw her horn to the ledge and teleported. The sudden stop brought a dull crunch in her shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain. But she pushed through it and pulled herself up with labored grunts. Once on solid ground she rolled over, panting to catch her breath. Looking around, Twilight found that in the excitement of the chase they had followed the tracks into Gralea. After a moment to catch her breath Twilight stood up, minding the pain in her shoulder. She made her way towards a nearby wall and, in a swift motion, rammed her shoulder into it. This resulted in a sickening pop that echoed through the air. "OH! That's brisk!" she yelled through clenched teeth. Preparing for more pain, she rotated her arm to make sure it was properly relocated, then sighs. "One hundred, eighty nine days without a dislocated shoulder. A new record." She holsters her horn. Why did Ardyn save me? she thought to herself. Twilight took a few more moments to center herself and figure out where in the city she was. Something was off in her inspection though; it seemed entirely too quiet. Like no one around. The buildings around her looked empty, some looked in disrepair even. Hmm. Once she had her bearings she realized she wasn't too far from the castle. Immediately she made her way there, certain that she would meet back up with the guys there. On her way, she noticed that what she could see of the city was desolate. Odd... She found the castle doors unlocked, even more odd, and entered the now-quiet building. No guards in here. What's going on? Twilight made her way in, but kept herself ready to defend herself. She moved through the entrance hall slowly at first. Then she heard the sound of the intercom activating. "Now now, don't doddle Twilight," Ardyn's voice echoed. "Your friends and your dear brother are scattered throughout the facility. You wouldn't want to be too late to rescue them." Twilight looked around to find the camera he was watching her in. A smug look crossed her face as she crossed her arms. "The old man must be going senile, letting the little kids play with the speaker systems. Well, have your fun Junior," she added, tipping her imaginary cowboy hat. She flips the bird at the camera. "Once I find everyone I'll be putting this one to bed." She starts walking down the hallway again. Geez! she thought to herself. What's happened to this place?! The city is in ruins and containment measures failed. Did Ardyn have a hand in this? At this point she was aimlessly hurrying down several hallways. "Something tells me this place is new to you, Twilight," Ardyn piped up again. "Don't worry; I have a tour planned especially for you. Do take a left up here past the hall you're in currently." "Leading me on like a mouse through a maze, huh Ardyn?" Twilight growled. She slowly walked through the sterilized hallways. Though she thought she hadn't seen lights on the way in, it seemed to be very well-lit. A generator must be supplying power to this section of the building. "Now, once you arrive at the end, take a left. Pick up the tape recorder on your way," Ardyn instructed. The tape recorder was on an empty shelf. With some reluctance, she picked it up. She pushed play as she continued through the empty halls. "Niflheim Head of Research and Development: Verstael Besihia. Log: zero, zero, three, seven, three: year seven hundred, thirty-eight. The occupation of Tenebrae was a success. Although the Queen was assassinated and her heirs captured and the initial objective was completed, His Holiness was not pleased at the escape of Lucis's king and prince. Then much to our surprise there was a girl among the captives with very unusual abilities." Twilight scoffed. "Just like him to keep recordings of his findings," she retorted. Her journey through the halls ended at an automatic double-door. Inside was a lab with multiple monitors showing 3D models of Twilight. Her horn was on the upper left part of the screen, undergoing its own scanning. Many notes were scattered around tables, along with various drawings of armor and weapons pinned up along the walls. "What is all this?" "Oh come now Twilight. You can't tell me you're surprised. Besithia was obsessed with research that would give the Empire an edge and you were among his fixations. Oh the things he found. But, I think it's best if the old man told you himself." As the words left his lips, Twilight noticed a glowing platform from the corner of her eye. Cautiously, she touched a button at its base. This caused a light to shoot up from the bottom, revealing Verstael Besithia's holographic form in the center. "Amazing," Verstael muttered. "What the he-" before Twilight could finish her sentence the hologram flickered. The Besithia hologram continued speaking. "This technology was a pipedream at best," he started. "The strides that I have taken because of this girl... I guess I should begin recording," he mused. "Verstael Besithia; prototype entry one. What you see before you is one of the many byproducts of the experiments I have conducted on the new subject. It would seem that she possesses a latent ability to use some, for a lack of a better term, 'alien' form of magic; something that works on a different level than what the Lucians use. Though she wasn't of much use during her initial field tests, she managed to fend off several Kingsglaive; they were perplexed by her ability and retreated. She will no doubt be punished. I must inform the general to not damage her brain or other vital organs until I can ascertain where this magic's origin point lies." The hologram faded. "Bastard," Twilight growled. She pressed another glowing button, next to the first. Besithia cam back to life with an unnerving grin on his aging face. "Verstael Besithia; prototype entry two. I couldn't have been more wrong! The subject's entire being is her magical source. Upon analyzing the subject's body in combat (after much more training, of course), she effortlessly channeled her magic power into her device, making it reshape itself into a weapon. Each phased weapon came with all the same lethality of real ones, by the looks of it. Similar to the Kingsglaive the subject is able to hurl her trinket and teleport directly to it, regardless of the form it takes. Upon learning a semblance of its nature and some struggle, I've obtained it for research." A hologram of Twilight's horn appeared above Besithia before enlarging. The other holograms shrank to accommodate the new image. Various measurements were popped up as well. "The object itself is not made of metal," Besithia continued. "The substance looks and feels more organic than that. Almost like it's made out of bone. Could it be the subject found this object and imbued it with power? Or is this object a part of her? It will take some time to fully uncover the secrets behind these discoveries. "On a side note, it seems like this object is linked to the very forces of nature istelf. We once thought the elements were owned by The Six. Unable to obtain them, they would be our mortal enemy on our way to ascension. But now things have changed. I look forward to new findings." The hologram faded once more. "So the fool had it out for my horn?" Twilight said, not really expecting and answer. "What of it?" "Well that's not all. There is one more entry, and I think you'll find it mind blowing. Certainly was a surprise to me, which is quite the feat now-a-days," Ardyn remarked. "You love discovery as much as any scholar, do play the next one." Mild irritation began to gnaw at Twilight; she had more important things to get to than just listen to a fool's ramblings. She pushed another button, prompting yet another Besithia hologram to spring up. Though this one seemed to be uncharacteristically fumbling through the recording. "Verstael Besithia; prototype entry three. I theorized many different things I could uncover in the research of the subject's device, but the magnitude of this discovery could not be greater. It seems that the magic within this device has triggered a resonance within me... as if I can feel magical sources. Sources of life, any living thing, from the basic elements to living organisms. "The magic potential also seems to be far greater in sentient beings. I propose that it may stem from our ability to think on a level beyond mere instincts. With enough time and effort, all of Niflheim could learn how to use the subject's magic." Twilight's eyes widened in alarm. Besithia continued. "However my research will come to a close here. The key factor in it is time. And time is something His Holiness does not presently have. He may become divinity once we've obtained the crystal, but until then he is still mortal with mortal limitations. Besides that, it seems my research did not go unnoticed. Chancellor Izunia desired all my work on this subject to be transferred to the Keep and kept between us. In turn, he will help me with Project Immortalis. "As much as I'd hate to dismiss such finds, my ascension to godhood would more than make up for the loss. So as of now, this will be my last transmission. Farewell Izunia and best of luck with your endeavors." With that the hologram fizzles out for the final time. "Why!?" Twilight looked around the room in anger. "You could have won the war with ease with this information. The magic!? My horn! What are you playing at?" She slammed her fist on the desk nearest to her. "Well I couldn't have the Empire win without my chance at revenge," Ardyn stated bluntly. "Personally, ever since I learned about who you really were, I've hated you. You wouldn't understand. You coward: You, who got to run away from your destiny. Something I was never granted, you were in such dire straits in a land of peace. I am nothing more than a pawn of the Gods." The room went pitch black. "Since I know of your past, it's only fair you know mine." The ground fell apart from under Twilight. She let out a scream as she fell into the abyss beneath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Zegnautus Keep) (outer entrance) The Regalia's ruined frame came to a stop in front of a blockade of destroyed train cars. Noctis opened the driver's side door (by some miracle despite the damage, the doors were still functional) and got out of the vehicle. Gladio quickly followed then helped Ignis out of the back seat. Once Ignis was out he darted around, looking for any signs of Twilight's aura. "No! No no no no no!" He started fumbling through the debris with his cane, trying to find the edge of the rails. "Pull yourself together!" Gladio said, grabbing Ignis before he sent himself over. "We saw her go over the edge-" "She's alive!" Ignis insisted. "If a fall was enough to do her in, she wouldn't have garnered such a fierce reputation." His words had a bit of venom in them. Normally realism never bothered Ignis, but for some reason with faced with the idea of Twilight dying... it was as if his mind refused to accept such an outlandish thought. "She may have gotten into the Keep before us," Noctis called out to them. "We need to find Prompto." "He's right," Gladio agreed, easing his grip on Ignis. "We should find Twilight along the way. But we have to rescue Prompto." Worry tinged his voice. "Yes, you're right," Ignis breathed out after a moment. "Let's hurry." Gladio helped lead Ignis back to Noctis, then the three friends made their way around the wrecked trains. Noctis looked back for a second at the destroyed Regalia. His father's trusty stead, passed down to his son. The only memory left of his father laid to rest in good company with other pieces of junk. The thought made his eyes glossy with tears. In the end it was a small price to pay to bring an end to this nightmare. "Hurry Noct!" Gladio warned, ducking under debris with Ignis. "The Daemons are still out here!" "Right," Noctis answered. He moved to lead them and at the same time he heard some creaking noises from a nearby train car. It looked like it had gotten lodged off the tracks after crashing against another car; it was raised a bit off the ground. Noctis ducked and hurried under it. On the other side, he heard more groaning noises coming from it. In his mind he could see the train crushing his friends. In a panic, Noctis threw Ignis back, right into Gladio, which sent the two stumbling and falling away from the groaning metal death trap. He then dived out of the way just as the train car slammed back down. While this action saved the three, it also divided Noctis from the other two. "Noct!" Gladio called over. "Are you okay!?" "For the most part!" Noctis answered. "We'll meet inside the Keep!" Ignis stated. "Try your best to find Prompto, our paths should meet!" "Roger! I'll see you guys inside!" Noctis turned away and ran into a nearby open train car. There were multiple Snaga Daemons in the car, and they went to attack him, but he ducked under it. He didn't feel he hide time to fight; only to run. "Not again," he muttered under his breath. "Izunia you're one son of a bitch, even for a politican!" Noctis rolled under a leaping Snaga and threw himself out of a train window. When he got back to his feet he sprinted for a set of stairs, pushing through more Snagas. More of them followed him as he ran, but were just out of reach. He made it to the door of the Keep and slammed it shut behind him. He locked it, and in a fit of anger he kicked the door. As the scene's silence surrounded him, a plethora of voices resonated all around him. The source of the voices made itself known and Noctis reached into his pocket and pulled out the Ring of Lucii. This ring that the Empire desired; this ring that cost him is kingdom, his father, his bride-to-be. He lost it all for what could be passively judged as a simple fancy stone. But he knew better. There was no running from this. This destiny in his hands. It was up to him to stop the blight and restore Eos. "Here goes nothing," he mumbled to himself. He quickly put the ring on his finger and pain wracked his mind as the voices of the Kings of Old spoke to him. Their ancient weapons were sprawled out in the air and on the walls of his vision as everything became blurry. This ring's selection process was costly. Entire lives of unworthy fools who thought themselves greater than their salvation have met their ends here. Burning cracks of wild magic coursed through the prince. Ash covered his arms and around his eyes. Did the ring find him unworthy? It must have! The pain was almost too intense to bear, but Noctis steeled his resolve. The ring must have noticed, for the voices went quiet. The power of Kings flowed through his veins. Noctis was accepted. With tribulation over, Noctis came back to reality. He was unsure if the power he wielded was controllable or not, but he knew he had to try. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Gladio and Ignis) Gladio climbed onto a train car and lifted Ignis onto it, then gave his friend his cane back. "I can see many Daemons, but no way forward," Ignis said calmly. "Sadly it looks like the door is our only path forward," Gladio sighed. "And Noctis is facing them alone, without his powers," Ignis added with concern. "There must be a way to help him." "Ask and you shall receive," Ardyn greeted as he walked to them out of nowhere. "What are you doing here!?" Gladio demanded. "My, my. Such hostility. And after I went through the trouble of bringing you gifts." There was mock pain in his tone. He smirked his signature smirk and snapped his fingers. In the moment, the duo's weapons appeared in their hands. "What the hell?" Gladio looked at his broad sword. "Not, I do believe a thank you is in order," Ardyn commented, looking to the group. "For another one of your stupid tricks?" Gladio smarted off. "Oh, come now. I bring you gifts and you treat me like a pest. I only wanted to tell you that Prompto is doing quite alright. And so is Twilight." Ignis pushed Gladio aside in an effort to get close to Ardyn, with intent to throttle him. "WHERE IS SHE!?" he demanded. "Ah, the way your voice is filled with venom at the idea of her being harmed takes me back to a simpler time. You know you can't hide it Ignis, so why bother?" Ardyn waved him off. "Oh, but you may want to find her soon... before her mind shatters." He chuckled and started walking away. "IZUNIA!-" Ignis shouted. Gladio grabbed his arm. "Keep it together," Gladio said. "He's trying to get in your head." Ignis calmed down. "I understand you want to find her. But Twilight's tough. She won't be beaten by Ardyn, at least not easily. We'll find her before something bad happens. But we need to get moving." The two carefully but hurriedly got off the train car and made their way to the same stairs Noctis had run to before. Gladio side-swung his sword in a wide sweep to take out several Snaga, while Ignis stabbed the ones that survived the initial slash. They continued to the door. Then Gladio found that it was locked. "Dammit!" he cried. He attempted to shoulder-bash the door. "Noct must have barricaded himself to keep the Daemons out here," Ignis suggested. He kicked another Snaga away from them. "Well, sorry to ruin your hard work Noct!" Gladio took his great sword and bashed the door in two. "If we can summon our weapons again do you think Noct can too?" He charged another Snaga. "I doubt it. The Chancellor has been generous, but to an end," Ignis responded. He dodged another creature and ran it through. They fought until the Daemons subsided. "It's over for now," Gladio panted, thankful for a moment's rest. Once Ignis finally caught his breath he turned to Gladio. "I'm sorry." "For what?" Gladio asked. "You're fighting pretty well for a blind man." "For losing my cool back there," Ignis answered. He turned away from Gladio. Gladio put a hand on his shoulder. "If you really want to apologize to me, then be honest with yourself and tell Twilight how you feel." "It's not that simple, Gladio. We have a job to do; we have to protect Noct." "A job we could very well die doing, Iggy," Gladio reassured him. "I wouldn't want any regrets weighing me down. Besides, all of Eos knows she likes you too, so for the love of all that's holy, please quit pussyfooting around and go for it." Ignis couldn't help but smile. "You think so?" "Yeah." Gladio nods to him. "Now let's get moving." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Noctis) Noctis navigated the halls of the fort as best as he could. As he progressed, he noticed the halls were narrower in some areas, wider in others. He weaved through them, seeming to see no end. He had to backtrack multiple times, one dead end after another; Noctis's hope was slowly eroding away. After a while, he came to a large door. He walked through it. From the end of the new hall, he saw a familiar blonde turn the corner and out of view. "Prompto?" Noctis called out. He took off in a sprint. As he rounded the corner he came face-to-face with an oncoming axe. He phase shifted past the weapon, only to be tackled to the floor but a large metallic frame. Noctis got to his feet to meet a Magitek trooper. Though unlike others he's fought, this one was radiating dark energy. Twitching with every move, the soldier leaped at Noctis again, but Noctis was ready. He flipped over the trooper and held out his hand, bearing the ring. Power whispered through him as red wisps fly into the trooper, though its advance was not halted. It charged Noctis again, and Noctis braced for the worst. But the trooper blew up before getting too close. "You must feel helpless without your weapons and your friends," Ardyn's voice called. "It's truly frustrating isn't it, oh Would-Be-King?" "Shut up!" Noctis cried, to the reply of no one. Knowing this was all of Ardyn's sick mind pressed Noctis on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Gladio and Ignis) Though the two companions were plenty worried for Noctis, their biggest obstacle was not the Daemons, but navigating the large fortress. With one man blind, it was up to Gladio to lead the way. This meant there was quite the chance that they would get lost. They did eventually manage to find an elevator and make their way up to a higher floor. So luck might have been on their side. "It's quiet; too quiet," Gladio mumbled. "I think Noct has been through here." "That would explain the lack of Daemons," Ignis mused. "Though I'm not sure how-" His eyes went wide with realization. "The Ring." "Right this way gentleman," Ardyn piped up on the intercom system. Gladio attempted to ignore him and tried to go through two large doors. This only resulted in them being shut of him. "Come now. Where is your sense of adventure?" Ardyn mocked. Gladio let out a huff and turned toward the walls with Ignis stumbling close by. "Warmer... warmer... burning up," Ardyn egged the duo on. Once the two got where Ardyn desired, Gladio sees a section of wall open. He mentioned it to Ignis. "Wonder what farce he's leading us into now," Ignis replied. They pressed forward, Gladio leading but staying close to Ignis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Noctis) From one corridor after another, Noctis ducked and hid from renegade Magitek troopers. He was trying his best to avoid a fight whenever possible. Time felt like it had no meaning in the light brown hallways. There was piping and supplies strung out all over the place, making it a little more hard to maneuver. Noctis could swear that he had doubled back a few times without realizing it. But then he finally thought he caught a lucky break of Ardyn's silly games as he made it to large doors that lead to the opposite side of the facility. "It's all coming along nicely isn't it?" Ardyn taunted as Noctis made his way across. With nothing eventful happening, Noctis didn't stick around to find out if something would. Then after making his way through the door, he saw several dead Magitek troopers on the ground. He cautiously walked over them. What happened here? Noctis thought to himself. He walked down another narrow hallway. And froze; he saw Prompto round the corner. "Prompto! Wait!" Noctis called. He was ready to run after his friends, but his stride was broken before it started by a metallic hand grabbing his leg. A Magitek trooper that was once lifeless on the floor glowed violently as it held Noctis in a death grip. Noctis wrestled out of its grasp and jumped away from it in time to avoid being taken out by the trooper's self-destruction. With the small brush of death averted, Noctis pushed on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Gladio and Ignis) A surveillance room? Gladio looks around at the system of monitors that lined the front wall of a rather large, sterilized room. "Maybe we'll be able to find Noctis's location with it," Ignis suggested, some optimism creeping into his voice. Gladio inspected the monitors. Much to his dismay, they were all static, save for one. "Looks like they've all been corrupted, except for this one," Gladio said. He guided Ignis to it and started the recording. The recording showed Ravus confronting a rather unwell-looking Emperor. "I... will be... the God... of the new world," the Emperor wheezed. His delusion having overshadowed his sanity. "Noctis is the rightful King," Ravus stated. "As my sisters have done, I will fight to defend that honor!" He drew his sword and two Mindflayers appeared alongside Ledolas. "Then DIE!" the Emperor shouted. With that, the Mindflayers swooped down on Ravus. Just as he engaged, the feed cut to a room that was barred off with lasers. Inside was the Crystal the group had been searching for. The salvation of the world locked behind a few beams of condensed light. "I see where they have the crystal. But why was the recording cut short?" Gladio wondered aloud. "In case Twilight found this room before us, no doubt," Ignis suggested. "It would make her frantic to see her brother in danger." After another brief moment of pondering he asked, "You said you know where the crystal is?" "Yeah, but it's blocked off." "Maybe we can do something about it from our end; it must take a lot of power to keep that barrier going. So we'll find the room with the largest power output and hut it down." Gladio found the circuit box, and indeed there was a great deal of power being funneled into one room. He shut them off and watched the monitor. He saw the laser grid flicker out of existence, leaving an opening to the crystal. "We did it," he sighed with relief. "Then all that's left will be to find the others and escort Noctis to-" Ignis's words were cut short by the sound of claws along the metal floor. The two shifted their attention in that direction. A large Daemon was headed their way. "Thieves... cannot... prevail! ..... The crystal is mine!.... Its light.... its power... ALL MINE!" With those last words, the creature lunged at them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Noctis) "My my, you truly are helpless without your friends babysitting you," Ardyn taunted for the umpteenth time. As if the fall and the discovery of his father's sword wasn't enough, Ardyn just had to drone on. "Do you ever shut up?" Noctis replied to the air, annoyed. Though, Ardyn wasn't entirely wrong; this journey has only been possible because his friends have been there to help him fight, to tell him when it was okay to breathe, or to buckle down and focus. Confronting a trial is much easier when you have people you can trust watching your back. It would definitely be nice if they were able to help Noctis navigate these hallways though. These halls were beginning to feel like they went on for eternity to Noctis. Soon a group of goblins popped into Noctis's view. He was able to cut them down swiftly with his father's glaive. "The Empire made some rather great strides in the production of Daemons," Ardyn narrated. Noctis made his way through some of the labs after dealing with some more goblins. "Of course, I showed them how. Do you want to know the most interesting fact about Daemons?" He paused for effect. "They are not just some monsters lurking in the dark. They're people, and animals. Children of nature, and you murder them with nary a care. Some of your best bonding moments have come from destroying the poor bastards." Noctis felt his heart sink into his stomach, but pushed on. "Even if that's the case, it can't be helped. The crystal will set them free," Noctis stated. He stepped over some lab clothes- the owners having seemed to vanish from them. Ardyn continues to taunt him. "Oh my boy, is that what you think? That the crystal is part of the reason they suffer now? All for HIS amusement? You're nearing the source of your woes now. Can you survive what lies ahead?" Noctis came to a massive room then. Doors lined every side and a single, dome-shaped structure rested at the heart of the room. He walked slowly, taking in his surroundings. He looked up quickly to see a large contraption aglow with Magitek particles. "That's encouraging," he mumbled to himself. He looked to the dome and noticed a red light shining on a recognition device. He rolled his eyes and searched the back of the dome for a switch. Once he flipped it, the dome ascended the room, along with a platform and stairs to the upper levels. "Finally some good luck for a change," he quips. "Intruder alert. Mobilizing Magitek Infantry," an automatic voice echoed. The doors lining the room burst open, allowing Magitek troopers onto the platform. "Me and my big mouth!" Noctis complained as he readied his weapon. "Where are your friends!? You don't think they abandoned you!?" Ardyn shouted maliciously as Noctis carved through several troopers. Though the upper hand did belong to Noctis for the moment, he knew that if he didn't start running soon he'd eventually be overwhelmed by too many troopers. Once his path was clear enough he made a break for it. "Still haven't found Gladio!?" Ardyn taunted. "I hope he and Ignis didn't split up! Blind men tend to bumble into traps easily." Noctis dashed to the scaffolding. Alarms were blaring very loudly near him, but he sliced through any trooper trying to cut him off. He ducked under an axe man's swing and lost his balance for a moment. He'd fallen on one of the empty lab coats. In a small twist of fate, he feels a hard rectangle in the coat- a keycard. Noctis nabbed it, jumped back to his feet, and continued to run. Thankfully most of the troopers released were inert, their power supplies seemingly brunt out. While he wasn't fighting an army, he was still in a fight for his life. After cutting down the remaining pursuers, Noctis made it to the other side of the scaffolding. There, he sees a device. While panting from his run, we walked up to it and swiped the card. The alarms went silent. "Security raised to level six. Access to level six granted," the robotic voice declared. Despite the newfound access, more Magitek axemen descended upon him. With no place to run, he stood his ground. "Your friends have such bright futures ahead of them. Can you really blame them if they run?" Ardyn chuckled as Noctis fought his way through heavy troopers. Though Noctis fought fiercely, more and more troopers charged toward him. They were built to never tire, or care for their own lives as they threw themselves at the enemy. He weaved his way through them, headed for the platform. An axeman went to grab Noctis, but he was able to kick him into the others, causing them to tumble like dominos. The Ring of Lucii glowed with power as the troopers got to their feet. It was too late for them though; a small black hole opened behind them and sucked them in. This seemed to be a small victory, but then a wraith appeared with more Magitek troopers coming out of the walls. Noctis let out a primal yell of rage and charged at them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Gladio and Ignis) "You hear that!?" Ignis looked to Gladio's direction. "It's Noct! We have to hurry!" Glaido started running. "Remember, I can see your outline! Call out the turns!" Ignis ran after his friend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Noctis) Noctis panted as the last of the troopers went down. A door a ways behind the dome lit up in confirmation, letting Noctis know it was open. He stumbled his way through the door and went through yet another hall. Though, this hall was cut off soon after it began, and once again Noctis saw Prompto take a corner ahead of him. "Prompto!" Noctis called out. He found the strength to run again and took off after his friend. "You just keep running headlong into traps," Ardyn comments. "Not really a King of Caution, are we?" Two doors came alight with electricity and started moving in on Noctis. And if that wasn't bad enough, the troopers on the ground rose up and began to glow. He swiped at them with quick strikes, destroying all but one of them before their cores were overloaded. The last one did manage to explode though, which caused Noctis to fly back, barely missing one of the electrified doors. He scrambled to his feet and tried to put distance between himself and the door, but seemingly to no avail. Both door were closing in on him. "It's Noct!" Gladio cried as he rushed to a door. "He's in trouble!" "There must be a killswitch. Find it!" Ignis says. "How can you be so sure?" "Adryn has, for some reason or another, always has an out. Here would be no different." Ignis's voice was stern. Gladio looked at the switches and pushed a red button. The doors shut off and open up. Noctis stumbled out in a rush, not wanting to leave anything to chance. "Miss us?" Gladio asked. He helped his friend to his feet. "More than you know," Noctis replied. "Ah! Reunited at last! Must be great having friends! Two down, two to go, right Noct?" Ardyn intruded. "The sooner we find Prompto and Twilight, the sooner we can shut him up," Gladio growled. He's just about had enough from the peanut gallery. "Agreed," Ignis said. With Noctis on his feet, the headed through the deactivated trap. It took them to a control center. "Guys, I think these are the cameras for the cells," Noctis stated. He looked to see which screens were active and saw either empty cells, or Daemons skulking about within them. "Then that means one of them shows the torture chamber. Find the monitor Prompto is on and see if there's a corresponding switch for it," Ignis suggested. At first glance they hadn't seen Prompto, but after taking a closer look they found him. He seemed to be in a crucified position, with his arms firmly fastened in restraints. A wave a sickness momentarily washed over Gladio at the sight, but he peeled his eyes away to search for the right switch. He pushed the button and Noctis saw the door open on the monitor. "Okay, if we follow the map and don't waste time we can get to him before any Daemons or troopers make it to him," Noctis said. "Got it," Gladio replied. The two studied the map for a few moments, then headed to the torture chamber, making sure to not leave Ignis behind. Thankfully they didn't run into anything to hinder reaching their destination. Soon they reached their friend. They held their breathe as they carefully worked his restraints off. Prompto's legs went a bit limp when they untied him and he started to fall, but Noctis caught him before he could hit the floor. "Easy," Noctis said. He helped Prompto into a sitting position on the floor. "You okay?" "H-hey," Prompto choked in response. "You came." A haggard smile crossed his face. "Of course we did." Noctis nodded. "Didn't think we'd forget about you did ya?" Prompto smiled nervously. "Th-thanks guys. I had to hear it for myself. That you'd still like the real me." Noctis and Gladio gave each other a quizzical look. "What's that supposed to mean?" they asked. Prompto sighed and stood up. "I'll show you," Prompto answered. "Ardyn told me that the platform he dragged me through to get here was the throne room. In it is the generator Twilight told us about. It's blocking Noct's powers; if we destroy the controls it will shut down." "I knew that noise sounded familiar," Ignis pondered. "We passed it on the way here." "Then let's take out the machine and find Twilight," Prompto declared. He wavered a moment, but steadied himself. The rest nod in agreement, and they make their way back to the throne room. Once there, Prompto got a good look at the door and sighed deeply. He looked back to his friends. "MT's have these bar codes on their wrists," Prompto said. He pulled up his hand and put it under the scanner. It gave an affirmative beep and the doors opened. He paused and looked at his friends in regret. "I'm one of them." The group looked amongst themselves for a brief moment and shrug in unison. "So?" they all three said at once. "What?" The nervousness in Prompto threatened to give way to bewilderment. "You haven't turned against us," Gladio said with a smile. "So why should we treat you any different?" "But I'm the-" "Plus you've never treated me like a prince," Noctis added with a reassuring smile. He entered the throne room. "Not even so much as a 'Your Highness,'" Ignis continued. He followed carefully behind Noctis. Prompto took a moment to let their indifference sink in. He laughed. "What was I thinking? Though I'm not sure how Twilight will react." "She'll be preoccupied with other things. Right Iggy?" Gladio smirked. "Y-yeah." Ignis looked away bashfully. "Here it is," Noctis declared. He skewered a set of electrical boxes with his father's sword. The whirring noises in the room started dying out. "Let's test it out." He took a few deep breaths, focusing himself. In a moment he was able to summon his own weapons. "Yes! Back in business!" Prompto jumped up happily. "Now let's find Twilight!" The celebration was cut short though, as a large Daemons landed just outside the entrance of the throne room. "The Ring... IS... MINE!" the Daemon cried out. It rushed at Noctis, prompting the group to roll out of the way. "Could that be... the Emperor?" Ignis thought aloud. "Then let's give his highness a proper hello!" Noctis shouted. He summoned Prompto's gun and charged the Daemon with the rest of the guys right behind him. They all made sure to steer clear of the creature's claws, but it used its strength to force the group out of the throne room. Several other Daemons were awaiting them. "Prompto!" Noctis shouted. "You got it Noct!" Prompto fired a flare, weakening the lesser Daemons. Ignis swiftly cut down the ones reeling from the light; he was starting to get the hang of his new-found vision. Gladio answered an Iron Giant's swing with his own. Both swords clashed and knocked each other away with the sheer force of the exchange. "THE RING! BELONGS! TO ME!" the Daemon Ledolas leaped at Noctis with killing intent. "ONLY I... CAN UNLOCK ITS TRUE POWER!" Noctis sliced into its side, but it didn't stop the monster from trying to cut his arm off. The thing seemed fixated on the Ring only. Daemons normally shy away from such things but the Emperor's desire has seemed to override the Daemon's instincts. "GIVE IT TO ME!" the Daemon demanded. "With pleasure!" a female voice called out as a lavender colored sword flew into the monster's back. "Twilight!" Ignis said with barely-contained joy as she teleported to her sword. "Help me finish it off!" She drove her sword further in. Noctis switched his short sword for a broadsword. He ran the Emperor through. "The... Empire... shall rule... all..... I shall be... the God... of the new world!" the Daemon cried out before it vanished into particles and smoke. "Burn in Hell and take your new world order with you." Twilight spat on the floor where the Daemon had perished. With the mad emperor gone, Twilight and Noctis were free to help the others. With the combined efforts of the reunited party, the Iron Giant fell, and they found respite for the first time since they arrived. "Twilight!" Prompto called, grabbing her into a hug. "Hey Prompto," Twilight responded. She gently returned the hug. "Get off me please," she added as politely as she could while she pulled away. She looked uncharacteristically anxious. "I cleared a path on the way here; the hanger is free to access. Let's get Noctis to the crystal. You three can protect him while I search for Ravus." "Tw-Twilight, Ravus is-" Noctis tried to say something. He looked to his concerned friends. "I know he's still missing," Twilight said frantically. "So let's hurry." She quickly led the way to the hanger. Sure enough the guys saw signs of a fight, but no Daemons. "Twilight, I-" Ignis started, but was interrupted. "I'm an MT," Prompto blurted out. He was unable to contain his nervousness any longer around her. "No you're not," she answered flatly. She continued leading them through more hallways. "But I am!" Prompto insisted. Twilight groaned and turned to him. "Look Spike!" Twilight shouted. She caught herself and cleared her throat. "Prompto. Yes I know you were technically born as a Magitek infantryman. I saw your barcode while you had your arms around me when we were riding to the Archeon. But that does not mean you're one of them. I should know, I have fought along side them. They show no pity or remorse. I've watched them massacre men, women, and children alike without a single shred of humanity. You are leagues above that." She put a hand on his shoulder as they slowed down and continued speaking. "You're a good friend, a hilarious prankster, part-time photographer, and a hopeless romantic." Though she was saying these things to make him feel better, she wasn't doing much good at all. Prompto saw sadness and fear in her eyes. "Okay." Prompto nodded. "Thanks Twilight." She nodded and led the group into the hanger. "Damn this place is huge," Gladio commented. "Look at all this space," Prompto added. "The elevator is up these stairs," Twilight stated. "It'll take you guys to the loading bay. I'm going to go find Ravus." "Ignis, it's now or never," Gladio whispered. He elbowed his friend. Ignis cleared his throat, but Ardyn's voice piped up on the intercom. "Twilight, what's your rush? Your big brother is coming to see you. No need to worry. Though, he does look a little worse for wear." Just then, a familiar figure shambled toward them from in between the great doors. The group's eyes were wide with horror at what stood before them. But Twilight's eyes were filled with dread and despair as she saw him: Ravus. His entire left side was covered in a pulsating, black substance. The left side of his face was host to an inhuman horn. His pale visage swayed as he looked to the group. Black tears were streaming down his face. "Kill... me... End... it..." The distorted groans of Ravus shattered Twilight's heart. "No... NO! NOOOOO!" Twilight screamed as the new Daemon Ravus roared. "Damn it!" Noctis summoned Lunafreya's Trident and threw it into the air. He teleported to it and came down on the Ravus Daemon's head. In the process he got a good scratch on his own chest. Ravus lazily tried to cut at him, but Noctis rolled away. He summoned his broad sword once more, preparing to counter as Gladio and Prompto assist him. "Twilight!" Ignis yelled as he shook her. "You have to snap out of it! Ravus is gone!" Twilight just smiled from her shaking. "What are you talking about? He's right there. He's just upset." She slowly took a step forward. "It's okay bro. We... we're going home now. The Empire can't hurt us anymore. I killed the emperor. Aren't you proud of me? Big Bro?" "Twilight!" Ignis tried to pull her away. The Daemon Ravus turned to her with its black sword extended. It goes to bring its sword down on her, but Gladio blocked it as best he can. "Pull yourself together!" he told Twilight. He kept his hold long enough for Ignis to pull her out of the way. Gladio was able to roll out of the way then. "Twilight!" Ignis shouted. "I know it hurts, but you have to snap out of it! Ravus is in pain!" Ignis slapped her. Twilight rested her hand on the mark, the stinging sensation just barely bringing her out of shock. The Daemon Ravus recoiled himself to gather dark energy. The tried to back away, only for them to get blasted across the room when Ravus released said energy with a roar. Even Twilight and Ignis were caught in the blast. "T-Twilight!" the Daemon Ravus pleaded. He stumbled toward her and Ignis. "End this... I don't want to do this... Please. End my suffering... Please, sister." Twilight's eyes widened. She only had to think for a moment, then stood up, readying her horn. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, brother. I guess I'll always just be your hopeless sister." Her horn morphed into a broad sword. "Care to dance, one last time?" "You're... never gonna let me... live that down... are you?" Ravus tried his best to reply as a comforting yet humiliating memory had taken form in the back of his mind. Twilight charged at Ravus. He did the same. The clash was fierce enough to send a shockwave throughout the hanger. The other four of the party were shaken by it. "Should we help her?" Ignis asked the others. Gladio shook his head in protest. The others definitely looked like they were ready to jump in at a moment's notice. "No. This is not a fight, but a farewell between siblings." Twilight's stream of tears were unending as she clashed with Ravus once more. She pivoted her heel and swung her weight across the daemonic blade and sliced his chest. Because his human half was fighting for control, the Daemon's movements were restricted to brief bursts of speed. Twilight took advantage of this weakness, but on the inside she was aching over how much he was fighting back. Stubborn to the end. The Daemon Ravus got into an offensive posture, which Twilight copied. They dashed at each other again with blinding speed, each striking the other. Ravus choked out some pained sobs and doubled over. Twilight, not wishing for her brother to get another chance to attack or suffer any longer, threw her sword into the air. She teleported to it and brought it down on his back, piercing his heart. "Thank you... Twilight." Ravus fell onto his back after Twilight pulled her weapon out. "I... I've said horrible things... to you... about you... I'm sorry." "Like I ever cared what you thought of me," Twilight sobbed. She grabbed his hand. "You were upset; I understood." Her eyes were red. Despite the tears that fell she was indeed trying to hold back. "I... I shouldn't have taken it out on you..... Despite all of it, I.. I'm so happy you came into our lives... I never said this enough.. You were the best sister... we could have asked for... Thank you Twilight... I ... I love you." His body was starting to fade into particles. "No! No, no no! Not you too! RAVUS!" Twilight cried. She wanted to hold him, and bent down to do so, but Ignis prevented her from it. He scooted her away, as to not make contact with the particles. "Thank you... Sister..." Ravus finally sputtered. And with those words, his form completely broke into particles and faded away. The only noise in the room for a moment was the sound of Twilight's sobs echoing off the metal walls. "WHY!? Why do I keep losing people!?" Twilight yelled in grief and frustration. All Ignis could do was hold her as she sobbed. "We've got company!" Gladio yelled. Daemons had started rising from the ground. "You could get to the crystal if you leave your friends behind," Ardyn mocked over the intercom. This brought Twilight's blood to a raging boil. "He's right, Noct!" Ignis said. The elevator arrived as if on cue. "We'll handle things here! You just-!" Before he could say more, a lavender aura engulfed the four men. "Fuck. What. He. Says!" Twilight yelled. She threw the four of them into the elevator. "Twilight!" Ignis tried to run out, but was stopped by Twilight's barrier. She slowly walked up to them. "I have lost everyone I cared about. I failed Silva. I failed to protect them. Please don't make me watch you all die too. Ardyn was right about me; I'm just a curse for everyone. And all I'll ever do is destroy lives." Her voice had gone monotonous in her attempt keep herself from crying more. "Since when has that bastard been right about anything we've done!? He's only ever built us up and broke us down for his own convenience and enjoyment. You are not a curse Twilight! You're the best thing that's ever happened to us! To me!" Ignis was shouting at this point. "You're headstrong and brave, and you care too much about burdens that were never yours to hold! That's why... That's why I-!" He was cut off by Twilight firmly yet carefully planting her lips onto his own. He was taken aback for a second, but pushed himself into it. After too short of a time, she pulled back and rested her forehead on his. The taste of her tears lingered on his lips. "I love you too," Twilight said. She took some steps back. The Daemons were coming closer to them. "And," she took a big breath, "your dishes were the best things I've ever tasted." She kicked Ignis back and forced the doors closed. She stabbed the elevator controls, which forced it to go down. "TWILIGHT!" Ignis called out as the elevator dropped. The sounds of distorted cries and the Daemon auras encroaching around her left her fate unanswered. "Oh my! That was unexpected but not unwelcome," Ardyn commented. By the time he'd said it, the elevator had reached it's destination. "Iggy!" Gladio shouted. "We have to go!" He had to physically drag Ignis out of the elevator. Once out, he let him go. Ignis kept his gaze up, trying to see if his aura vision could make out if she was alright. But it was to no avail; all he could see was an aura of bright flames around the platform. "Noct, we'll clear a path. Just focus on getting to the crystal," Gladio said. Just then, a reaper rose from the ground; Gladio quickly bisected it. The four of them proceeded, taking out several hobgoblins along the way. Soon they make it to some rails and they started climbing them. After another few moments, an Iron Giant dropped in front of them, while other Daemons converged around them. "Noct, go! We've got this!" Gladio said. He summoned his broadsword. With little time to waste, Noctis just nodded. "Don't die on me!" He bolted past the giant, narrowly missing its massive sword. Noctis ran to another elevator, not looking behind him as he went. Once in, the doors closed behind him. Thankfully no Daemons had followed him in. "I do hope your friends make it," Ardyn said simply. "How many have sacrificed their lives for you? Did you ever wonder what was going through their minds as they died?" Noctis pressed the button for the top floor and let himself rest on the wall. While here, he attempted to quell the burning in his lungs. Once the elevator came to a stop, he picked his sprint back up. "Almost there," Noctis said to himself. "Quite right, your journey is at an end," Ardyn announced, almost sounding satisfied with himself. Noctis almost ran full force into the crystal. He regained his footing and put his ringed hand into the opening of the multicolor interior. "Please, give me the power to stop the Daemons!" Noctis begged. He was not prepared for what happened next. With great force, the crystal started to pull him in. He struggled to break free of its grip. "Allow me to regal you with a tale," Ardyn said as he walked up to the struggling Noctis. "Two thousand years ago, two men live. These two men were brothers; one was blessed with power to be chosen by this very crystal," he started, gesturing at the stone in question. "The other was not. A scourge of microscopic organisms that fed on light were contorting men into monsters. So one of the brothers gathered armies and put these monsters to the sword, being sure to burn the remains. "While the other brother knew that these Deamons, as they had become known as, were once people, sinners and saints alike. This man saw these people as afflicted and took the scourge into him, cleansing many. One day this crystal called upon him to be crowned King." Noctis couldn't move as Ardyn paced back and forth. "In the end, he was betrayed by his brother. He had everything taken from him." He paused for a moment and looked at Noctis. "I told you my surname was Izunia. Well, I fear that was yet another of my white lies. My true name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum. This crystal has caused me a great deal of suffering. And killing you now will not bring me satisfaction," Ardyn scoffed. "Gain the Crystal's power and arise its champion. Only then will my revenge be complete. Oh, and don't worry about your friends. They'll have plenty to do in your absence. See you in a few years, Noct." Noctis screamed as he was completely pulled into the crystal. "The end is coming." Ardyn turned to walk away, only to be skewered by Gladio's blade. Prompto followed up with several shots to the head. Ardyn fell to the floor, lifeless. His hat rolled onto the ground. Then he got up and simply picked up his hat. His face was a deathly grey color, and there was now a black ooze coming from his eyes and mouth. He waved goodbye to them as he passed Ignis. "By the way, I hope you and Twilight work things out." Ignis turned heel and headed back to the elevator. Down below the hanger, the sounds of screams of Daemons had gone quiet. There was not a sould to be seen; only the remains of melted metal discharged munitions. The doors to the hanger were melted open. There was nothing left. The Daemons were gone. And so was Twilight.