The room was dark. The sky outside stormy and over cast. The sun having set some hour ago. The room was illuminated by a tinkling crystal chandileer above their heads, and strategically placed wall lights. In contrast to their purple-white glow, ever so subtly the bottom level of the throne room was illuminated with a more golden yellow tinge. Imperial Prince Prompto himself exuding a warm gradient of light- not unlike a fire. As he glared at General Dratos challenginly.

"This conversation has gotten quite out of hand." Dratos declared firmly, addressing the Throne room at large.

King Regis was sitting on the throne itself at the top of the stairs. Prince Noctis was standing before him, just on the edge of the uppermost platform. The wings of the throne room were occupied by the Council of Lucis. Who were all stirring with unease. One of their own, who had spoken wildly out of turn, was currently being escorted from the room by Gladio and the Crowns Guard.

The mood of the entire room was soured by was the possiblity that the scourge had progressed to a point it could blott out the sun. What was more; the Imperial Prince was accusing the Astral being at the top of their Panthon for the situaton. Something that did not quite make sense to them. Many of them bordered on the edge of being offended- other were simply confused as to how they had even gotten to this point.

They agreed with Dratos as he spoke. "We are supposed to be talking about the VERY REAL Insurgency Plot." Dratos argued. "Not matters of Astrals and what they may or may not be thinking." He sounded logical in his argument. So it was no wonder that the council members muttered agreements under their breaths.

Noctis could feel in his gut, however, that Prompto was right. He could not offer a clear explination for why. His mind was being flooded with memories he couldn't hold onto. Rain was falling in Noctis' mind. Just as if fell outside the windows onto his kingdom. The water threatening to drown them both. Noctis was THIS close to finally getting his memories back though. He could feel it. All the pieces were there. Something about the crystal. Something about the 10 years Prompto was talking about. Something about the sun going away...

"Who are we to even speculate on such matters? I am not the Oracle. And neither are any of you. At least-" Dratos appraised Prompto with a sideways look, then sneered. "I do not think you are."

He can feel the magic Prompto has. Noctis realized. Though that made sense. As the leader of the Glaive, and part of Regis' inner circle the man had been given some power. Though, Dratos was not fully connected to his father as Clarus and Cor were.

"Is it not more prudent to get to the heart of the matter?" Prompto asked rather pointedly. Prompto was all but goading Dratos into challenging him.

Dratos scowled at Prompto. He looked back up towards the throne, then back to Prompto. "If that's how you feel." Dratos stepped down. He seemed done with this argument. Ready to drop the issue.

Everyone in the room relaxed just a smidge.

What happened next only took seconds- but it was more than enough time for Dratos to make his move.

Noctis didn't realize it happened at first.

One second Dratos was down on the bottom level of the throne room- and then the next he was standing infront of Noctis. The magic of a warp strike crashing around his ears.

"You should know better to leave yourself this open- kid." Dratos whispered into his ear. Then twisted the blade he had stabbed into Noctis' gut. Pulling the knife, an a good portion of Noctis' innards out with a sick, wet splurch.

Dratos shoved him back. Noctis only registering that he had been stabbed in his gut- as the blade pulled out. Creating a cresent of red splatter on the floor of the throne room.

Noctis stumbled. Several people shouted his name. The closest being his father. Who stood up from his thone. Someone caught Noctis before he could fall to the ground. Even though there wasn't anyone visibly there. A hand that wasn't his own pressed over his wound. There wasn't much more flesh to hold in though. Just blood. Everywhere. Hot- and his intestines ripped open and spilling out. The blade had been a jagged and vicious thing. Ripping Noctis clean through- and pulling out his innards on its exodus.

Noctis felt the magic his father kept in his wards discharge. Releasing an electic spell. Clarus's black robes flashed past- and there was the sound of a heavy impact- The stone brick of the wall cracked. Glass shattered. Gladio screamed- and it sounded like his humanity was fraying at the edges.

Noctis felt distanced from all these things. As he was pulled under by the torrential rain that had been threatening to drown him. He was lowered quickly to the ground- and in all the chaos around him the face of the invisible person haunting the throne room appeared before Noctis. A man with wavey maroon hair and golden eyes. Who summoned some kind of medical kit out of thin air- and despite the world falling into chaos and all out war around him started clinically tending to his wounds.

ARDYN.

Noctis realized with a jolt that he remembered the man. Noctis was drowning physically in his own blood. Mentally in the rain waters flooding his mind. However in that singular moment. When he was breathing in both water and blood- Noctis remembered.

Ardyn moved to tend to Noctis' guts, spilling out his front and onto the floor. Noctis reached forward and stopped him. Latching a hand around Ardyn's writst. Ardyn jolted a bit and turned with surprise. The two of them making eye contact as the world errupted into chaos around them.

Time seemed to freeze. Just for the two of them.

Noctis tightened his bloody grip on Ardyn's wrist. "You son of of a bitch." Noctis whispered what very well might be his final words. A pained smile forming at the edges of his eyes. "You did it."

Ardyn held his gaze for just a second then spoke plainly, a pained expresson on the older man's face. "I have acheived nothing if you die here!"

"Doesn't matter." Noctis let go of Ardyn's hand and fell back. He was bleeding out on the throne room floor. But his Dad and Cor were standing inbetween them and danger. Clarus was fighting Dratos head on. Gladio and Ignis were trying to flank the traitor on the other side. Down below, Prompto was dealing with the Glaives who were showing their true colors.

Noctis closed his eyes. He could feel the world underneath him. The Crystal, whole, above them beating as its' heart.

Everyone was alive again.

EOS was alive again.

That was more than enough to work with.

Noctis opened his eyes reluctantly. It was cold. Bitterly so. It was overwhelming, after going so long without any sort of sensation at all. Noctis wrapped his arms around himself. Though it didn't change much. He was wearing nothing but a t-shirt, and it felt like it was mid-winter.

Noctis looked around. Trying to get a bearing for his surroundings. There was no light however. Just pitch darkness, and more cold. He held up a hand and summoned his magic. Producing a flame in his hand. Fire exploded into the room. Nearly taking his eyebrows off. Noctis flinched and dropped the spell quickly. Slapping himself to make sure he had not set himself on fire. Afterwards Noctis stood in the dark. Singed, still cold, and blinking spots from his eyes.

Noctis looked down at his hands. Opening and closing them curiously. He had not used that much energy, he thought. Just the normal amount he usually used. That little bit of magic had been nearly 100x as powerful as it usually felt though. A simple flame turing into full Fire explosion. That could be... dangerous.

Noctis could feel that he had more magic at his disposal thanks to the crystal. It seemed that his magic was also more powerful overall. Noctis felt super charged. So much so, that he worried he might explode just trying to contain all of the magic inside of himself.

The crystal did this. Noctis figured that must have been why Bahamut had kept him in there for so long. Incubating- or whatever the fuck that had been. Noctis had been floating for so long- he had honestly started to forget that he even existed at all.

Noctis sat down on the ground, and he closed his eyes. Just as his father had taught him. Meditating to have better control over over his magic. He inhaled, then exhaled a few times. Consentrating. Using just a single grain of his power- Noctis carefully summoned light itself. Glowing and ethereal in the dark. Less destructive than fire- however more taxing than a simple flame.

Light was something he had always been able to summon. That was what made him the 'choosen' King and not just another reagent. Light was usually too much of a drain on his magic reserves to bother with though. Flashlight clips were easier to handle- and did not require concentration. Not put him at risk of going into stasis. Tools were just more practical- but in their absence... Noctis placed a hand on his chest- and began to glow. Light radiating from him in a halo-like aura. Illuminating the area around him in a large radius. The Ring of Lucis on Noctis' finger responded. Becoming the same color purple as the crystal. The same color Noctis' eyes glowed when he channeled his divine gifts.

Noctis cast the spell, and felt it hold steady. Barley even using a fraction of his power. Though it did take concentrate to keep it steady.

Noctis looked down at his glowing hands. Surprised by how little magic it took. Usually he could hold this light spell for a minute or two- but at this rate he could probably hold it for hours.

There was so much more magic at his disposal. Ardyn better be ready to pay for everything he has put us through. Noctis thought to himself. Tightening his fist. Resolve firm and solid within his chest. The cold no longer bothering him like it had before. His light magic enough to keep the chill at bay.

With light to see by, Noctis found himself in a stone tomb of some kind. Or maybe a prison? It felt like one. Thankfully the door was open. Noctis climbed out and upwards through a carved and worn set of steps.

When he emerged, the first thing Noctis noticed was how dark it was. There was no sun in the sky- and no stars. Noctis looked around for electric lights on the horizon. Even in the most rural parts of Lucis you could usually see someone's house in the distance. There were not any that Noctis could see though. He was the only thing casting light right now, and it was kind of errie. There were swords everywhere, embedded into as well as a rock spiraling upwards. Noctis recognized them from the divine paintings, and his own more recent encounter.

"Bahamut?" Noctis ran his hand along a giant blade. Each one was taller than he was- clearly meant to be weilded by a giant, "Is this Angelgard?" Noctis asked himself. Looking around the rock. There were so many blades inbedded in the rock. It looked like an ancient battle field. He walked forward. There were two smaller, different shaped weapons before him. Placed such that Noctis could not miss them. Both were embedded in the rock, and then propped up by smaller stones. As if whoever had placed them did not want them to fall over.

Noctis inhaled sharply. Realizing that he recognized them. That was Gladio's sword. The one he had gotten for defeating Gilgamesh. The second weapon was Ignis' Drain spear. What were they doing here?!

Noctis quickly approached the weapons. Then reached out with his magic. Searching for his friends through their magical connection. All he found was echoing silence.

Noctis felt his whole world spin. They were both gone. Gladio. Ignis. Everything in their Armiger was still there - but the life force that Noctis had used to connect them to him was just- GONE. In their absence were two very large voids. Echoing holes where his loved ones used to be.

Noctis lost concentration on his light spell, falling to his knees. Shocked at this revelation. He stared. At the shape of both weapons. Barley able to see them in the dark. How long had he been gone? What in the world could have cause this to happen? He fearfully reached forward. Gripping the shaft of Ignis' Drain Lance. As if it could give him some kind of answer. He looked to the side. Then reached out. Placing his hand on Glaido's sword, like it was his friend's shoulder. Two graves. These were graves.

Noctis burst into tears, sobbing outright. His shoulders shook, and his breath came in uneven gasps. He pressed a hand to his mouth and reached out for the last member of his party. He felt that he already knew the answer, but he had to make sure-

Prompto was gone too.

A wail echoed out into the darkness. As Noctis released all of the breath in his lungs. As he realized that he was too late. That everything he was fighting for was gone. All of the people he cared about were dead; and even more than them, possibly. Magic pushed out from Noctis in a shock wave. The dark world around him began to respond to his grief. The seas churned and threw up large waves. The earth rumbled, cracked and then buckled. Lightning traced across the sky. Cold winds howled. Picking up across the landscape. In the far distance Ravatough bubbled, and a corpse sank deeper into it's molten core.

Noctis looked up towards the heavens. "Why? Why did none of you watch over them?! They meant everything to me! Did you not think I cared about them? That I didn't love them enough?!" Noctis sobbing once again, knowing he was not making much sense.

He didn't know how long he knelt there, cried his soul out. His new massive amounts of magic twisted around Noctis, and above him. Interacting with the physical world. A storm began to form overhead. It started to rain. Thick heavy drops hit the ground and ocean around him. Mirroring his tears.

Noctis looked at the weapons before him. Illuminated by a flash of lightning. Gladio's sword, and Ignis' spear... where was Prompto's gun? Noctis looked around in sudden despiration. He summoned light once more to get a better look at the area. He found no trace of his final friend though. Making him wonder what had happened. How Ignis and Gladio had been brought here- but not Prompto?

Noctis found his answer soon enough. His father's boat was waiting for him, moored to the side of the island. Somehow intact despite the churning ocean.

Noctis stepped onto the boat, since it had clearly been left for him. Finding it clean, but covered in a layer of grime and dust. There was a letter left for him. Stored in a clear plastic bag, and taped to the console with a clear effort to keep it from the elements. Impossible to miss.

Noctis' name was written on it. In Prompto's hand writing. Something he recognized through years of them doing homework and passing each other notes in class. Noctis sat in the driver's chair of the yacht, and peeled the plastic container off of the console. Opening it up to read.

Noctis, HEY! <3 I'm... not going to lie. That's the best I have. I have tried to write this letter a few times, and I feel pretty pathetic at this point. Like the best I have is: Hey! how's it been? Like any of this has been easy. Like there's nothing going on... The truth is though, that things have been kind of hard. I'm not smiling as much as I used to. It's hard to stay positive and happy. Given everything that has happened in your absence. Though maybe that comes with being in charge of things, and getting older. As of me writing this letter. It has been eight years since you were taken into the crystal. I am actually turning thirty this week. Which is... hard to think about. It feels weird you know. Looking back and realizing how young all of us were when all of this first started. Even though we were all legal adults, it was fairly obvious that we were still just kids. I don't really know where to go from here... So let me just fill you in on everything going on. Not long after you were taken into the Crystal, the scourge entered into it's second phase. There's a lot of science involved in this, and I know you hate science. So the long story short is there is a layer of demonic scourge obscuring the sky. I know it looks like the sun's up and disappeared. But it's still there. Behind all the demon funk. Or at least it should be. I've been attempting to build rockets or air ships that can get high enough to get samples, but so far it's been a bust. Materials are hard to come by, as you'll soon find out- and I haven't had much success. The Marshal thinks that whatever power the crystal gives you is supposed to burn away or destroy this barrier. I certainly hope this is the case. Without the sun around to destroy the demons, they have gotten worse, and defeating them only makes the barrier above the planet's atmosphere stronger. That particle stuff that comes off demons floats up and then it stays up there. It's like the water cycle, or nitrogen cycle. Only in this case it's demonic gunk. If that makes any sense. I'm not sure what happens when it comes down. Honestly I hope we never learn what that looks like. So; without the sun we all held up in Lestalum. With the energy plant we had enough electricity to power lights and keep the demons at bay. We started setting up fields and growing things. Thing were looking good, but there really wasn't anywhere else for people to go. We got refugees from all over. Even from Niflheim. Ignis tried his best to manage things and make sure people got what they needed. But in the end... it wasn't sustainable enough. Lestalum eventually got to over crowded and the city kind of collapsed in on itself. That's how Ignis passed away. I'm sorry. You're probably wanting more details but it's really hard for me to recount everything that happened. It was a lot, and there's a lot of details I'm glossing over here. I'm sorry I hate to tell you this way- but I know you'll find out anyway. About Ignis and Gladio dying, I mean. That's why I left their weapons up on the hill. As a memorial of sorts.

Noctis had to put down the letter. he set it on his lap and wiped away the tears on his face. Then he buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to read the letter anymore. It's contents shook him to the core. He tried to set it aside, however Prompto's handwriting called to him. Noctis reluctantly picked up the note. He sobbed as he read his friend's words.

I feel the holes they left in our magical connection constantly. Like bullet wounds that are constantly bleeding. It's hard to know they're gone. It hurts, but I can still feel you. Somewhere. Through our connection. Gentiana told us when you first were taken, that Angelguard was where you were going to 'return'. Though I'm not sure what that means anymore. She assured us at the beginning that you would be coming back. That you would be bringing the power to get rid of demons for ever. The truth is though, I think that the scourge might be affecting the Astrals as well. I haven't seen Gentiana ever since she delivered that message. Something seemed... off about her. Like she was happy? I don't know if that makes any sense. How can a god be happy about any of this? Pyrna and Umbra stuck around for a while after you disapeared. They were a great comfort. But they disapeared after about a year after you were taken. Refugees from Altissia said that the Leviathan guided their escape to the main land- and Rhamu saved me and Gladio one time when we got into a bind. Dude just called lightning down for us. Just like he used to for you. It was pretty awesome for him to intervene like that. Its because of that... maybe I thought Gladio would be safe. Maybe. I don't know. Glaido went off on his own. He was angry after Ignis died. You know how he gets, trying to push ahead and solve everything head on. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen to me. I'll spare you the details but... he's resting peacefully now. Those few sightings of the Astrals have been few and fewer as time goes by now. I don't have any way to measure magic, or know if whatever the scourge is doing can affect something like a God. The Scourge has got the whole planet under lock down though, so... I think it's safe enough to assume it might be messing with them as well. We need you Noct. Badly. Along with whatever power that Crystal and Bahamut gave you. Myself, the Marshal, Iris and Aranea are setting up a camp on top of Mt. Ravatough. It's warmer there thanks to the lava, and it's safer because no one else can get to us. People have gone crazy without any kind of sun, or social safety net. You need to watch your back. Don't trust anyone you come across, and don't make too much light because it will- ironically- attract attention. Demons aren't the only things you need to be worrying about I'm afraid. I'm leaving this letter and boat here for you, because it's not safe enough for us to travel this way anymore. The boat should be good for use to get you to Galdin Quay. I will be putting a radio link up in Hammerhead. It will be locked in Cindy's office. There will be a key under the paving stone with the heart imprint. I will be awaiting your call. Ever at your side, Prompto Argentum.

A wave swelled rocking the boat Noctis was on. Giving him a very fitting sinking feeling. The rain summoned by Noctis' emotion was still falling. Pattering on the roof of the yacht. As Noctis mourned the fact that Prompto would never receive any sort of call from him.

Prompto. Who had been waiting for him for- eight years. Who had passed the age of thirty without his best friends there to wish him the best. Who had spent even longer in the dark. With nothing to hold onto but hope. Noctis looked out of the boat's main window, and looked across the choppy sea. He couldn't even see past the end of the boat. It was so devoid of any kind of light, or life. There was a new hollowness settling into his chest. One Noctis was familiar with. It was the same emptyness that had haunted him anytime he thought about his father dying. The kind that made him want to curl up in a dark place and just disapear for a long time.

Noctis felt all of the resolve Bahamut had instilled in him waiver. He didn't know if he could do this anymore. Not without his friends. Noctis contemplated going down into the boat's living quarters. Just finding a place to lay down and forget that all of this was going on.

No. Noctis had done too much disapearing. So much so that all of his friends had suffered for it. He had kept them waiting this long, and he shouldn't make them wait any longer. He wiped tears from his eyes. Then reread the letter. Eventually he folded it up and placed it back into the envelope, and then again into the plastic bag which had kept it safe for all these years.

Prompto was gone. Gladio was gone. Ignis was gone as well. The Gods were missing. Noctis clenched the letter in his hand, and his face screwed up in pain. Was there even anything left worth saving?

Noctis bowed his head. Clutching Prompto's letter in both hands. He stayed like that for a long time. He eventually sat up though, and moved on. He tucked it into a jacket he summoned from the Armiger which would help protect him against the cold and rain. He kept the letter up against his heart. Where he could feel it as a reminder. Though the holes left in his soul were reminder enough.

Noctis did not leave the island with purpose. He felt more like he was running. Leaving something behind, which he did not want to face. Even if going forward meant facing possibly even worse things. The water was choppy as he drove the boat. The only lights he could go by were the ones provided by the ship, or any he summoned for himself. There was no stars. No Moon. It was errie. Thankfully the boat had a reliable compass, and he knew where Angelgard was compared to the shore- Noctis having spent days fishing on Galdin and looking out at the island.

Waisting more time. Noctis reprimanded himself. He tightened his grip on the steering yolk.

Galdin Quay was a mess. Noctis could see the demons from the shore, even before he got to the dock. Balls of red or purple glowing energy faintly in the dark. Noctis found a spare flash light in the boat, one brighter than just his regular pocket light- which seemed to have disapeared at some point. The light spell he cast on himself gave him a good radious of his immidiate area. However, the flashlight he could direct infront of himself- to help see ahead. He also didn't need to concentrate to keep it alight. Noctis shined it upon the once grand hotel resort as he walked down the pier. The roof of one side of the building appeared to have fallen in. Which was not a good sign. He hoped that the dock leading to shore was still clear. The air around them was fridged, and the water spray he had felt on the boat meant that a dip in the water was probably asking for hypothermia.

Noctis came to the end of the dock, and something he stepped on was not wooden but soft. Noctis took a step back and looked down. There were clothes lying on the floor. Noctis recalled back to his time in Niflheim. The missing person disease. People turning into demons. Noctis realized. It must have spread with the sun disappearing. Something metal caught his attention. Noctis frowned, then reached down. Picking up a ring. A golden ring with a D and G stamped into the side, but interlinked. Noctis recognized the symbol.

"No. Dino." Noctis stood back up and shined his flash light down on the clothes. Even if his general light spell offered more than enough to see by. Sure enough he recognized a few other pieces of jewelry. All with the same stamp. Dino's Jewlry making brand. Which he had shown to Noctis exitedly when Noctis had brought back some saphire one time for him to make into a peice of jewlry. Dino at the time had jokingly offered Noctis a share in his up and coming buisness. So long as the Prince was willing to keep supplying him. The guy had always been a bit pushy... but Noctis could only think of the man fondly.

Noctis looked down at the clothes, and then upwards. A goblin skittered away into the ruins of the building. Having been watching him from above. Noctis felt conflicted. Did he... he definitely should bury the clothes, right? Dino despite his pushyness was someone Noctis would call a good friend. He was one of the few people who didn't treat Noctis like royalty. Dino was just as pushy with him as he was with he was with everyone else- Noctis wasn't just going to leave the guy hanging.

This area was clearly not safe though. So Noctis quickly scooped up all of Dino's clothes. They were worn by the elements- almost rags by this point. Having been sitting out for who knows how long. All of the man's jewelry pieces had stood up to the test of time though. Noctis bundled everything together and put it into his Armiger. Intending to give it a proper burial when he had a moment.

Galdin Quay itself was filled with Goblins. Which crawled out of the wood work the second he put a foot on the stairs. Noctis didn't stick around to see if there was any end to them. Running down the dock, and then warping to the beach when it came into the range of his light. Choosing to fight smarter, not harder.

It was so dark, and impossible to see anything more than five or six meters ahead of him. The flashlight added another two meters, but that was the extent of his field of view. Noctis had to navigate mostly by memory. In the distant dark he could see the shapes of demons moving about. Bombs glowed with different elemental colors. Glowing purple limbs of something spidery walking around. Noctis avoided encounters as much as he could, and made his way up the sloping cliff side. Finding that his and Gladio's shared love for foraging was coming somewhat in handy. As Noctis had already climbed, explored, and hiked over most of the area, so new how to navigate the space.

All of the plants were dead. Noctis didn't notice it at first. Knowing how rocky and sandy the area around Galdin was. When he came across his first dead tree, Noctis began to take notice though. As the tree had not fallen down, so much as wilted. Laying over like a melted wax candle. The ground on his feet was mostly dirt, but it felt spongy in sections. As he walked across fields of pale, dead grass. This trend continued to get worse as Noctis got higher into what he remembered being lush green hills. It was very disheartening.

The walk up from Galdin to Hammerhead was rough. All up hill, and not really anywhere Noctis could go to avoid the demons patrolling the area. He summoned his sword and fought them off when he had to. Using the Ring of Lucis when he got over whelmed. The first time he had to do that he gasped at how fast the. The ring greedily feeding on everything in the area- including his own magic. Noctis actually struggled to get it to STOP asbsorbing mana. Sweating from the effort. Noctis decided not to the Ring of Lucis after that. Deeming it not worth the risk.

Noctis stepped off to the side of the road to stop at the Haven. He hoping to rest there before moving on. Only to find the first signs of people- and the first human corpses.

Noctis found the barriers first. Shelled out cars, barrels filled with rocks and sand. Like someone had set up a road block on the road way. Noctis carefully stepped around them, smelling something foul and rotten in the air. The first body he found was on the ground, huddled by one of the barriers. Left there. Like the person had been killed, and too much of a hassle to move. Their flesh was mostly intact, but it has liquified just like the plants. Melting off the bones and looking sunken in. Noctis covered up his face and backed away. Before throwing up. Disgusted by the sight and smell.

Against better judgment he looked at the body once more. He wasn't exactly a mortician, but he suspected the man might have been shot. Noctis didn't know why scavenging birds were not picking the thing apart, or why the usual animals had not torn it up. As nature tended to take care of exposed carcass in such a way.

Noctis had seen plenty- probably too many- of corpses over the course of him working for Dave, locating dog tags. This was not the worst corpse Noctis had ever seen. However it was strange- in that it was so old but still completley untouched. Expecially given that it was lying out in the open.

Not even any flies, or insects had tried to eat the corpse. Noctis looked upwards and around him. Now that he thought about it. He had not heard or seen any sign of animals since coming to shore. Noctis was not sure what to make of that.

Warrily Noctis continued up the hill. It did not take him long to find another corpse, a woman who was laying with a dagger still in her hand. A dark bullet wound in between her eyes. Noctis found two more similar sights as he went up the hill. Stomach already empty of what little contents it had, but sour as he continued to walk up towards the Haven.

On the Haven itself Noctis found what these people had all died for. There was an encampment set up on the Haven. With tents and attempts at more permanent shelter. A place for people to stay. Safe from the demons that haunted the area.

There was no salvation for anyone here though. Noctis didn't dare step into the Haven's circle. There was a body fouling it's presence. The rotted figure of a singular man, sitting in a chair near the camp center. He looked to have been holding a rifle at some point. However his arm and said gun had fallen off at some point. They were stagnant goop, at his feet. The figure was slumped. Giving Noctis a good look at the hat the man was wearing. Which looked like a fake yellow crown someone might wear for a children's play.

The words 'King of the hill' were spray painted on the sand bags infront of him. A solid barrier between the man and those coming up the hill. Noctis backed away from the sight, and then down the hill. Feeling like he didn't need to know any more of this story.

Noctis continued North, and after came to the Longwythe Rest area. The town was just as abandoned as Galdin Quay had been. Though it's abandonment seemed more recent than others. It had barriers set up on all of the roads, and it looks like efforts had been made to live in the area for as long as possible. If the movable lamp posts around the area were anything to go by. Noctis knew they were the type that could keep demons at bay. A good portion of them had been shot out- unfortunatley. There was broken glass everywhere.

The Hotel had also been burned down. Noctis stared at the partially destroyed building, and the half melted hotel sign. A place Prompto and Noctis had sat up in front of nearly every time they visited the area. Noctis had really enjoyed looking over the desert towards Longwythe Point. Which... seemed to have moved? Noctis tilted his head to the side. The light from his flashlight traveled far in the flat desert. He could just make the outline of the mountains in the distance. The familiar rock formation Noctis remembered being in the center of the desert was not where it was supposed to be though... It was near a half mile to the North West, and there rocks were also in the wrong orientation.

It seemed impossible for a mountain to just get up and move. Noctis started walking towards the area, but then stopped himself. No. He couldn't go off exploring and wandering where ever he wanted to. Not like he was used to doing. He... he needed to focus. He had to get to Hammerhead. He needed to find Prompto- or what had become of his friend.

Noctis tried a few of the vehicles in the Hotel parking lot. Eventually finding one that worked, or at least that he could he could start. Though it needed gas, and a tune up. Badly.

"You're no Regalia. But maybe I can do something for you at Hammerhead? Permitting Cindy is willing to help." Noctis asked the small car he had lifted. Optimistic that even though everything else seemed to be dead... that was a thought he did not want to finish.

Noctis pulled out around the barrier which had been put on the road leading North. He drove quickly through the desert. Demons flying by him in the sandy expanse. It was an hour and a half drive to reach Hammerhead Station. Noctis took his phone out of the Armiger and turned on his music. Letting the playlist Noctis had built up over his journey distract him from the fact that the small car was empty save for himself- and that he was very much alone in the world at the moment.

Hammerhead came up in the distance after what felt like an eternity. Noctis' stolen car lights landing on similar looking barriers to the ones he had seen in Longwythe. Only these were even thicker. There were concrete barriers surrounding the whole junction. As well as barb wire, and other measures for defense.

A good portion of them looked to have been damaged in some way. There was a bloody smear dripping over one of the walls. Like something tangled up in barb wire had been removed. Something that was alive enough to bleed.

"... Okay." Noctis slowed his car and gave the sight a cautious look. Not taking this as a good sign. He couldn't progress any further in the car, because of the heavy barriers. So he pulled the car off to the side of the road and parked it. As Noctis got out of the car, he noted that there was no lights still to be seen. Hammerhead was dark. That wasn't a good sign.

Noctis drew his engine sword and chunked it over the barrier. Warping to it, and then using his magic to suspend in the air as the threw the weapon again, past the barriers, and warping into Hammerhead itself. Noctis landed in the rough sand opposite the road to the gas station, and it was like walking into a war zone. There was carnage everywhere. It looked like someone had driven a modified car through a good portion of the barriers coming from the west. They were all bent, knocked over or had tire marks on them. Noctis found the remains of said car near the edge of the gas station. It looked like it had been blown up. Cindy's Rig was parked in front of the gas station pumps. Like it was being used as an impromptu barrier. There were chairs and places to take cover on the stylized roof of the station.

Someone had made a final stand here, and it looked like it had been a shoot out to end all shoot outs. There were bullet holes everywhere. In the side of Cindy's truck. In the ground, and walls. There were several other places that looked like they had been blown up. Either by mines or rockets.

Strangely enough, Noctis did not see any corpses. Nor any blood. Only the more permanent marks of the battle. When Noctis crossed the road, he noticed there was a patch of rough litter on the pavement on one portion. Noctis looked down at his feet. Scraping his boot along the aggregate. He summoned his light once more. It revealed a brown discoloration underneath the sandy mixture. Someone had made an effort to clean up the blood. Noctis realized he might know who would make such an effort.

"Prompto." Noctis said out loud, and then looked around hopefully. Of course Prompto would never let this place go to ruin. His respect for Cid, and his love for Cindy were too great. If anyone was going to go through the effort in a world which had given up; it would have been him. Noctis walked into the gas station proper. Which felt eerily empty. The space seemed to be demon free, remarkably. Perhapse the barriers were keeping them out?

Noctis shinned his flash light over the small collection of buildings. Most of the windows had been broken, but patched up to keep the elements out. There were bullet holes in some of the plastered walls. Noctis found that that the station store seemed to have been repurposed into a weapons depo. Takka's eatery looked to have been converted into some kind of Hunter head quarters as well. It was stacked full of crates, and even what looked like bunk beds.

It was here Noctis found the memorial. It was anchored to the side of Takka's shop. Just under the awning where it would be protected from the elements. There was wooden board, painted in the traditional Lucian Jet Black, and just a foot off the ground. The same kind of thing that you would see in the Capitol City when the citizens could not get approval for something more official. Usually when there was a car accident or something similar. The board was covered in pictures. Prompto's pictures. Noctis gasped, and fell to his knees in front of the memorial. Taking in the familiar faces.

A good portion of the pictures were of Ignis. Gladio seemed to have been added on as a second addition. Gladio's pictures were printed on normal printer paper, instead of photo paper. Almost as if Prompto had run out of proper film. There were other pictures of people too. Monica, and other faces from their travels. As well as pictures that looked to have been added by other people. They were pinned either to the board, or glued to the wall. A collection of smiling faces that were dearly missed by people. Noctis reached out, and ran his hand across the words 'In memorium.' painted at the top of the board in Prompto's familiar hand writing.

There were melted candles on plates and in cups placed all around the base of the memorial. As well as a few scattered tokens. Noctis smiled fondly at the cans of ebony, opened but weighed down with sand. There was a moogle doll as well. Probably left by Iris. It was laying on its side. Noctis picked the poor thing up, and noticed that it had a patch in its side. Where it seemed to have been shot- and then repaired.

Noctis blinked. Feeling his eyes grow wet. He didn't hold them back. Allowing himself to cry once more. How could he not? He had visited not one, but two graves now of his fallen comrades. Both left behind by Prompto. Who would have been the only one left to make them. With Noctis doing what? Floating around in some crystal.

Some best friend he was. Some King he was a well. His entire country was shot to hell- its citizens tearing each other apart.

Noctis sat down on the ground and cried. Grieving once more everyone he had lost. Everything that had happened. All because of some fated design by the Gods to rid the planet of the scourge. Noctis didn't understand. He felt the resolve which had been refined within the crystal, cracking within him.

How was this helping anyone? Why wait until things had gotten this far until doing anything about it? Noctis could have face Ardyn WITHOUT going into the crystal. With all of his friends at his side- it would have been a hell of a fight but doable. Why did Noctis need to be super charged with magic to do this?! Why let everything fall apart so much before sending him back?!

Noctis held the moogle doll in his arms. Finding some comfort in it. The sky above him swirled with black clouds. The rain did not reach the ground of the desert though. The dry nature of the desert holding out even though the world had fallen to ruin. A lightning bolt traced across the sky, and thunder rumbled. A Dry Lighning storm breifly illuminating the dark world. Causing demons to scream in pain and scatter. A nightmarish noise. He hated it.

Noctis eventually ran out of tears. Wiping off his cheeks and standing up. He wandered around Hammerhead, somewhat in a daze. Clutching the doll to his chest like he was a child. He walked over to the garage, and found the door to Cindy's office. It was the non-working part of the garage. Where they would often all hang out and share beers when the shop had closed down for the day. The key was underneath a cement rock- that had heat shape imprinted into it. A stone that always laid just beside the entrance. It had a key underneath it. Just as Prompto's note said it would.

The place was covered in dust. With only a few bullet holes in the front of the building to indicate that any sort of fight had been had. It didn't look as abandoned as some other places. Prompto had clearly made an effort to clean and organize everything, but he could never hide fact that a bloody battle had been shot into the window, and even the desk facing the door. The radio from Prompto's letter was located on Cindy's old computer desk. As well as pinted out instrucions taped to the desk. Telling him how to hook the system up to the car battery, and then turn it on.

Noctis followed Prompto's hand writting. Hooking the radio up to the battery, and then turning the radio on. He had seen Cindy and Cid use the device a couple of times. Talking to truck drivers on the roads and passing through the valley. Noctis picked up the radio receiver, and clicked it on. The machine turned on- there was nothing but static. Noctis held the receiver up to his mouth and after a long moment... said nothing.

Noctis wasn't going to fool himself. He knew that no one was waiting for him on the other side. He knew Prompto was dead. He could feel his absence like a bleeding hole inside of him. Noctis turned the radio off, and wipped tears away from his face. He picked up the moogle doll, and left the office.

As Noctis left the office, he spotted the graves buried in the sand outside the back of the garage shop. Outside of the walls, and far enough out that they would not pollute the ground well of the station. There were at least a dozen of them. Marked with stones. Two of them had metal poles sunk into the ground- and hanging from them were yellow Hammerhead Jackets. Cid and Cindy, he presumed. Noctis wanted to walk over to pay his respects. However there area between the grave and settlement was a Red Iron Giant. One who did not particularly look happy- probably from the lightning flash earlier. A fight Noctis did not feel like engaging.

Noctis went back into the settlement, and after a bit sat down inside Takka's old cooking shop. In the booth that they used to always sit at when they would stop by. Noctis remembered all the times that his friends would eat Takka's food, and fawn over how good it was. Even Ignis, who was always super critical of other chefs, loved the food here.

Noctis never ate any of it. Reminding them all each time that he did not like beans, or vegetables, or spicey food.

"If I ever get a second chance, or life, or something in the beyond." Noctis swore to the moogle doll he had set on the table in front of him. Fresh tears coming to his eyes, "I am going to eat every vegetable, every bean. Just- just to have another memory with them." Noctis found himself crying once more. This time over every moment, and every second he had ever taken for granted with those that he loved. He pressed his hands to his face. Then curled up on the booth's bench. That hole inside of him deep and endless.

Noctis didn't know when he fell asleep. He woke up to the sound of a car engine. He sat up, disorientated. Until he recognized the decorations around Takka's dinner, and the containers of guns and hunting gear reminded him that it probably had not been a proper dinner for a while

The sound of a car engine got closer. Noctis sobered up, and he moved to hide behind one of the barriers that had serviced the hunters inside said building durring the shoot out. Lights cut through the dark, casting a stark-white edge on the Hammerhead station signs. Before disapearing. The car was going up and down a hill. The vehicle was coming from the North West. From the Prarie Outpost? Or maybe someone coming from the Duscae Region?

Noctis quickly made sure that he wasn't glowing. Giving away his position. Remembering Prompto's warning about being careful around other humans. The dark settled back around Noctis, cold and empty.

He watched through the window as the car drove through the desert. Eventually coming right up to the barriers of Hammerhead. The car was put into an idle. Someone stepped out of the vehicle, and moved one of the barriers. Lifting one end and swinging it open like it was a fence gate. Not apparently bothered by the fact that it was a solid concrete highway barrier that probably weighed half a ton. Once the barrier was out of the way. They went back, drove the car through, and then closed the barrier behind them. In a similar manner.

The Car slowly pulled up into the car stop. On the open side, closer to the buildings. Noctis ducked lower behind the barricade set at the window. Heart pounding in his chest. He placed a hand over his mouth. As he realized that he recognized the car which had pulled into the station. An old soft top convertable. Red, with a white stripe. A silly little moogle antenna attachment.

Ardyn's car.

Noctis listened as the car came to a stop at the gas pump. The engine turned off, and the door opened once more. There was the sound of feet on asphalt. Then the clicking of the pump. Ardyn was filling up his tank. How were the pumps still operational after all this time? Prompto. Prompto would probably need to refuel whatever vehicle he drove when visiting the station. With it being so clean and up to date- he probably came by often.

Noctis was taken out of this trail of thoughts as Ardyn finished filling up his car. The demonic man did not get back in his car though. Instead he started walking towards Noctis. Who... honestly did not know why he was still hiding behind the barrier. Noctis had come back to confront Ardyn after all. To end it all. No. Noctis did not need to be afraid of the man. He did not need to fear confrontation.

Noctis rose to his feet. Intending to walk outside. To get this over and done with.

Ardyn's voice stopped Noctis before he could open the door.

"I'm terribly sorry." The man spoke quietly.

What? Who are you speaking to? Noctis did a confused double take. Ardyn was almost to the far side of the building. Not even looking in his direction. He did not even seem to know Noctis was here. Noctis shifted and leand to the side, trying to figure out what angle Ardyn was playing at. It was then that he realized: Ardyn was standing in front of the memorial Prompto had built.

Ardyn was standing infront of the memorial. Looking down at the empty cans of Ebony, candles, and pictures. He had taken his hat off, and had it laid over his heart, "I just thought you ought to know your friend has passed." Ardyn sounded sincere. Even looked genuinely greived. Noctis had seen the man talk with double meanings before. He always seemed to be hinting at his words having an extra layer of meaning. Add that layer of confusion to them. Teasing them.

However Ardyn- in this moment- did not look like he was trying to fool anyone. His voice was lower, and plain. His shoulders hung with an invisible weight. Ardyn was not play acting, or trying to fool anyone.

"There wasn't much I could do when I found him. I gave him a proper burial." Ardyn explained to no one, still looking at the memorial. "Cremation. I might have done better but... he should find his way to rest with you." Ardyn seemed to almost promise. Ardyn stood there for a long moment. Then he summoned something to his hand. The same light crystalization Noctis produced when summoning a weapon. Only his light was red, instead of the blue.

Noctis felt his heart rise up into his throat as he recognized the weapon. It was a gun. A pistol. Prompto's pistol.

Ardyn knelt down, gently setting the gun down in the memorial. With the candles, and the empty cans of ebony. Ardyn took something else out of his Armiger, and then added it to the memorial. Using one of the thumb tacs already present to add to the board itself. Noctis couldn't see what it was properly from his current view point. Noctis quietly pushed open the door to the dinner. The bell chime of the door giving his presence away.

Ardyn tensed, but didn't turn around. Noctis quietly approached the man, to get a better view.

Ardyn was crouched on one knee sitting in front of the memorial. An unreadable expression on his face. Having realized that he had been caught adding onto the piece.

Noctis could see the second object Ardyn had placed down from this new perspective. It was a picture of Prompto. Smiling stupidly in a selfie. Noctis recognized it as one of the pictures that they had taken for the trip's photo album. Noctis was also in the picture. Looking photogenic and almost like a super model. The contrast made them both laugh every time they looked at the picture. It was their favorite photo. Noctis felt tears well up at the corner of his eyes, and he had to swallow back a sob.

"You got here faster than I thought you would." Ardyn remarked, looking over his shoulder, but not turning to face him. "It hasn't even been a full day- not that one would be able to tell easily."

Noctis stepped closer. Just out of striking range. He looked down at the memorial. At Prompto's gun. "A day? Since he... ?" Noctis couldn't even finish his question. Wanting to know more, but also dreading any sort of information that could fuel his nightmares

Ardyn considered him quietly for a moment. "Yes." Ardyn shifted, staying kneeling before the memorial. As ilent indication that he wasn't going to fight Noctis. At least not in this moment. The man let out a long sigh. "He was ill. Some sort of viral Gastroenteritis. By the time I found him it was too late." Ardyn flicked some dust off his hat, and placed it back on his head. "For what its worth; I am sorry for your loss."

Noctis didn't know what to say. He felt the empty vastness where Prompto used to be within his soul. Along with the other two which were just as big. Noctis wanted to ask where Ardyn had burried Prompto- but he already had the answer. Cremation didn't leave anything but ashes, typically. Ardyn hadn't brought them with them so they were probably scattered by now. Noctis felt his hand start to shake. Less than 24 hours. Prompto had waited so long- if Noctis had just been a little quicker at getting back...

Ardyn shifted, raising up one knee, then pushing himself up resting both his hands atop of it. "Shows you exactly what kind of intentions the Gods have." Ardyn's words drew Noctis' attention. He watched, as Ardyn placed two hands on his back and stretched it out. Partally turning to him.

"They were apparently waiting for everyone to pass on before letting you free." Ardyn explained, guesturing down at the memorial. "He was the last human alive. Him and the Good Marshal. They held out for just about ten years." Ardyn sighed heavily, "Leonis passed first. That was when I found Prompto."

Noctis felt like someone had just punched his gut. "Oh." Noctis felt exhaled breathlessly. He raised a hand up to his mouth, and felt tears start to run down his cheeks. Prompto had waited ten years for him. An entire decade. Waiting for him to come back. Noctis pressed his face into his hand and began to weep silently. Mourning his friends once more.

Ardyn didn't say anything. He crossed his arms and stood vigil. While Noctis mourned Prompto, the Marshal, and all the others he had lost. Just processing that everyone he knew was dead sobered him. It was a chilling realization, that helped dry his tears. Though it loomed over him. Noctis would deffinitley be having a break down about it later.

Noctis wipped off his face and looked up. The shape of Hammerhead's iconic feature loomed over them. He could only just barley make it out in the dark. "You know. My father used to say that all of his good stories started in Hammerhead." Noctis recalled. His voice breaking the silence. Everything around them was still. Even the distant sound of demons in the distance had dropped off. The rain storm Noctis had summoned earlier had disipated at some point while he was asleep. "Every time they would go on an adventure, or get into trouble. They would always set out from here... and when things came to an end, they would always come back to here again. The place where beginning and endings meet."

Noctis turned to Ardyn, "I suppose it's fitting then, that we both met here. Where my own journey began."

"We are not supposed to meet here though." Ardyn turned to him, and then kept turning. Looking to the East. Towards Hammerhead. "This is not what was planned though. The end is supposed to be where it all began. In the tower where the crystal stands." Ardyn declared. Sounding sure of himself, and this fact. Like Ardyn knew something about prophecies and their intentions.

"I see." Noctis looked to the East as well. "So none of this kicks of, until go back to the Citadel. To the Throne room?"

"Yes, that is where the final battle should be." Ardyn affirmed with solid conviction.

"Well then," Noctis looked back to Ardyn, and tilted his head to the side, "We can head that way together. If you want. By the looks of things," Noctis slowly turned back to the dark world around them. "We have as much time as we want."

Ardyn was quiet for a moment. Thinking this over.

Noctis chose to considered Ardyn himself. Noctis was so angry at him. Ardyn, was the one who had killed Luna. Destroyed everyone and every thing Noctis ever loved. The planet was dead- and Ardyn was the sole reason. So Bahamut had said. When he showed him visions of Noctis and Ardyn killing each other. Noctis the light Ardyn the dark. It had been very clear to him then. He had spent a lot of time in the crystal building up his resolve. Refining it to do what needed to be done. Ardyn was no longer human. He was the demon of demons. The center and cause for all the darkness in the world. That is what the gods had told Noctis. That it would take all of their power, and his own life in order to rid the world of what this man had become.

Ardyn did not look anything like that though. He just looked exhausted. It looked like he had not been taking care of himself. His hair was longer, and it was no longer styled. He his beard needed a trim. His once fine jacket was torn to shreds. It looked like a demon had attacked the man at some point. Or someone with a heavy blade had tried to run him through. There was also a bullet hole directly in between his shoulder blades. Ardyn looked like someone who had given up, and had just waiting for the inevitable. Which given the state of the world; Noctis could kind of understand.

"I don't know what you would want to put it off for." Ardyn told Noctis, his voice thick with something. Anger? Resentment? he was avoiding looking at Noctis directly. "We are the only ones left." Ardyn reminded him.

Noctis still couldn't quite process that. The planet was huge, almost infinetly vast. Even after running around every inch of Lucis for a whole year, Noctis had only seen an infatessable part of it. How could every single thing, every person be dead? He looked upwards at the dark sky. "Maybe that's the idea. That after I kill you, the planet will be reborn or something?"

That sounded something like the Gods would do. Only... Noctis looked out across the dead desert once more. Everything was so stagnant. That not even the wind was blowing. The desert, despite there being no sun, was still for some reason. However it sat around them. Like a humid, hight pressure system.

The fact that the Gods had even let things get to this point in the first place gave him doubts. Noctis felt some of that resolve the Crystal had insitlled in him begin to shift. Will the world start to live again? Noctis wondered. Not with humans, that is for sure.

Ardyn shrugged. "I just want to pass on at this point." Ardyn admitted, somewhat morbidly. He looked out over the desert though, and gave his opinion.

"I don't think there is a seed to plant anew. At the very least there is no spark to give it life. You can feel it right?" Ardyn held out a hand, palm facing the ground. "How stagnant the air is? The circulation of magic around the planet, the life stream. It's gone." Ardyn passed his hand along the horizon. "For all the power the crystal has given you, I don't think there's much you can do at this point."

Noctis looked down. He did have a lot of magic power inside of him at the moment. So much so that it was a little hard to see past it to look at other things. He thought he could see what Ardyn meant though. Everything was... gray. It felt hollow. Rain had fallen, and lightning had crashed- but that had been Noctis' own doing. Noctis didn't know if his current power would be able to do anything about it either. It felt like the wrong type of energy. He could blast and slash and burn all he wanted, but growing something... that was more the Oracle's speed.

Noctis thinks. He frowned. Would that be something Luna could do? He had never heard of any stories about the Oracle creating or growing things. He knew for certain it was NOT something he could do... his powers were more about elemental and space manipulation. Meant to wage war, or defend against the enemies of the gods. That was the purpose of the King of Lucis afterall. Meanwhile the Oracle was meant to deliver the God's words to the people. To spread their good will.

"The world is most certainly dead. And I'm the one who did it as well! Is that not such rich irony?" Ardyn said with a strained tone. He sounded like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Like he was going mad- or had already been driven mad. "In my quest for revenge I forgot who I was. What I was-" The man stepped away from Noctis, looking off to the side. Ardyn looked distressed, like this was something which had been eating away at him. "I've changed. I'm not human anymore. I've lived to long. 2,000 and some 50 years- absorbing the shadows. I'm just a leaking bag full of demons." He guestured down at himself.

Noctis frowned. He hated it when people talked down about themselves. Prompto had used to do that too on occasion- trying to play it off as a joke. He had stopped though, when Gladio had told him rather firmly and plainly that none of them thought it was funny, and he needed to stop thinking of himself as worthless.

"Wait. Is this not what you wanted?" He asked with confusion. As he recalled that Ardyn was supposed to be the villian in this story.

"What? No! Flames no! I-" Ardyn reached back, and fixed his hair so it was over one shoulder. It was long, and somewhat tangled. He ran his fingers through it almost absently.

Ardyn's gaze grew distant, almost haunted. Like he was remembering something through someone else's eyes. "I did want revenge, yes. I wanted to destroy everything my brother ever built. That was not my original goal however. I wanted- I" Ardyn choaked- as if he didn't know anymore. His hands began to shake. "I've gone MAD at some point- and I don't think I will ever be sain again."

Noctis stepped towards Ardyn, and reached out. He firmly placed a hand on Ardyn's shoulder. Then squeezing tightly. Not saying anything, just silently conveying that he could feel Ardyn's distress, and he was there for him. Ardyn seemed appreciative of the anchor. He exhaled. Then inhaled deeply. Almost like it was the first breath he had been able to take in a long while.

"I am sorry. I'm a mess; not much of a final boss to defeat or anything." Ardyn joked, though it was soaked with guilt. Opening and closing his hands anxiously. "Believe it or not. I once wanted to keep the world from falling to darkness. From becoming THIS." Ardyn gestured to himself. Then dropped his arms. suddently looking three times as tired as before.

"I never should have accepted that metal bastard's deal." Ardyn lamented with a sigh.

Noctis pinched his brows together. "What deal?"

Ardyn looked at him. Surprised. "You don't know?"

"No." Noctis shook his head. "Tell me?"

Ardyn began to explain it all. The falling of the meteor. The start of the star scourge. Bahamut's descent from the heavens. The gifting of the Crystal to humanity. A promise for a King to one day be chosen, and wipe the scourge off the planet. His brother had been gifted the ability to bend time and space. To fight the demons threatening humans. Ardyn had been given the ability to sooth the disease, and take the illness upon himself. Curing the afflicted. The Oracle was supposed to be the one to choose which of them would rid the world of darkness. A woman who eventually became Ardyn's wife.

Ardyn explained this all to him, and Noctis listened. The two of them standing and occasionally stepping around the parking lot. Ardyn was very good at telling stories. Noctis was enthrawled. It felt like this story had been weaving itself for eons. The two of them having been spun along by their fates. Now they were finally meeting each other. Only instead of colliding in a brilliant fate changing-battle; they both found themselves quietly orbiting each other.

Just taking a moment at the end of the world. To assess everything.

Ardyn explained eventually how this all came to an end. How the Oracle had told Ardyn he had been selected for the stone- but then his brother had shown up to take the throne for himself. How his brother ended up killing the Oracle. Pushing Ardyn over the edge. Ardyn had given into his darker powers, just for a moment. Which was enough for the Gods to cast him out. Reason enough for his brother used to declare hiself the choosen King. For the world to declare him a monster. Ardyn had proven to be un-killable, however. He had eventually been locked away on Angelgard for some two centuries time. Until a Niflhiem Scientist dug him out.

"You are the Adagium." Noctis realized, "Your brother was Somnus The first King. That means you are my like great-great grand uncle or something."

"Or something." Ardyn said with dry amusement. "I guess I can classify you as my Nephew. Or something along those line."

Noctis took a step back. Still processing everything. "That means our entire kingdom... it's based off a LIE then." Noctis thought back to every lesson he had learned. Every story he had been told growing up. Every assurance that he had been give. That ruling by divine right was the way of things. But all of that was... it would UNFOUNDED. A stright up LIE. A strange sense of anger started to rise inside of Noctis. Thinking of how much his life had been dictated by the nobles, the gods, everyone around him. How so many people had placed responsibilites and pressure onto him. All because of some Astral's century long political game.

Something deep inside of Noctis shifted unhappily. Above them the clouds began to form, rumbling threateningly.

"I don't know quite about that." Ardyn looked up thoughtfully. Holding his hat to peer up at the show of power Noctis was putting on. "I think that Bahamut was playing all of us. He told me that I was right. Then he told my brother that he was right. Then he gave us knives and watched all of this play out like some kind of sick fight to the death." Ardyn shook his head, as if he thought it was all obvious in hindsight. "There are no winners here, save for him. Whatever he gets out of this planet coming to an end."

"I think they forgot about me for a while." Ardyn said quietly. His squinted up at the dark clouds. Noctis couldn't see them, except for when lightning occasionally flickered through them. "The Gods, I mean. I was locked away in the dark, and because I was out of sight, I was out of mind." Ardyn stepped to the side. He wrapped his arms around his chest and sighed. "Until my dear Verstael found me and broke me out. That about was when the scourge started spreading again. You were conceived not but ten or twelve years later, I belive."

"The first Lucian King to be born after you came back. They chose me because you were a threat again." Noctis picked up on what Ardyn was putting down before him, "He saw an opportunity, and sold it to us as fate. Just like he did with you and your brother"

Ardyn wrapped around his chest. "And now here we are. I suppose."

The two of them fell silent once more. Sudden exaustion overcame Noctis.

This conversation had taken a while, and it had been a long day. Noctis looked around, wondering if he would get a chance to properly rest before they had to get back to following their doomed fates. The sight of the moogle doll inside the resturant caught his eye. It was still sitting on the dinning booth table.

"Hey, lets go sit inside. So we are a little less out in the open." Noctis offered, waving his arm.

Arydn seemed uncertain, but then followed Noctis. Noctis lead the way with the most confidence he felt since... ever. There was no more pretense to keep up. No one to impress. No one to prove the expectations of. It was just himself, and Ardyn left in the world. Noctis felt a buzz of freedom at the base of his neck. The same kind that had him eagerly diving out of Insomnia the second his Father had given him permission to get out of town.

Noctis was, for the first time, fully in charge of his own life. Something he had desired for a long majority of it. There was no false pretense this time either. Noctis did not have a wedding he needed to attend to. Or a future Kingdom that needed to tended to. Noctis could do whatever, go wherever he wanted. He started with opening up Takka's, and inviting Ardyn inside. He frowned as the man passed. Wishing that it had not taken his Kingdom to fall, and everyone else to die for him to acheive this freedom. Something that most citizens in his once-kingdom were born with.

Noctis did not let this thought get him too down. He followed Ardyn into the dinner. "Take a seat." Noctis offered, "I was about to start making camp before you drove up. So let's eat something."

Arydn looked around the dusty building curiously. He took off his hat, and sat down at the main bar. "I don't think I've eaten anything in the last ten years." He remarked, "You still have food?"

"Uhm." Noctis did a quick scan of his Armiger. Ignis usually kept a store of food within a specific place. So that he could keep inventory of what they needed to restock when they went shopping. Noctis looked into the nebulous space, and found the 'cupboard' space bare of it's usual supplies. Noctis was alarmed by this. That had not been a thing since Noctis had FIRST given access to the Armiger to Ignis. Some of the first things Ignis used the Armiger for, were to store were protien snacks for Gladio. The big guy had been going through his first growth spurt at the time.

Noctis despaired for a second. Wondering how rough it would have been so see those seemingly infinite supplies dwindle down to nothing. Especially if food was so hard to come by. Not all was lost though. As Prompto seemed to have food stored nearby. Not in the same space as Ignis had kept it in- but near enough for Noctis to notice it. Prompto had a collection of root vegtables and other crops. Along with seeds and cuttings, and even fertilizer- he must have had to start farming his own food at some point. He wondered how long his friend had been subsisting off such a slim selection though. It didn't seem like there was much variety.

"I have some stuff..." Noctis admitted tentativley, "Let me see what I can do."

"Well alright then." Ardyn settled into the booth. Resting his elbows on the table and watching Noctis with a curious glint in his eye. Reminding Noctis that Ardyn was dangerous. Not just because of what he was, but who he was.

Noctis made his way into the back of the restaurant. Takka's kitchen was something Noctis was actually familiar with. Anytime they rented a caravan in Hammerhead- you could find Ignis talking about spices or recipe details with the man. Sometimes Ignis even cooked things for the guests. Noctis had offered to clean up and do chores for the man once- and then afterwards it became a somewhat permanent expectation.

Takka and Cid had laughed up a riot at the sight of Noctis, the Lucian Prince, bussing tables the first time it happened. Noctis just rolling his eyes. Informing them that he had spent the last 2 years of his highschool working in a sushi resturant, cleaning and helping prep the stations. So yes. He could help. Thank you very much.

Looking back- Noctis only had fond memories of the moment- and their gwaffing laughter. Noctis was always grateful the two older men were willing to let Noctis get his hands dirty. Instead of putting him up on a pedistle and insisting that he have everything done for him. The nannies, maids and workers at the Citadel had been like that. Fawning over him. Noctis had not even been allowed to dress himself- until Ignis came along. Everyone around the Citadel insisting they do every small task for him- that Noctis never so much as lift a finger. Tie his shoes. Bath him clean. Speak on his behalf. It was suffocating. All of their overbearing 'helpfullness'.

Ignis gave him the first breath of fresh air he was ever allowed to breathe. Telling Noctis' nanny that she was very clearly that she was dismissed for the day and slamming the door in her face. Ignis had not been his retainer for more than three days, before he realized how Noctis tended to go quiet and glassy eyed whenever the adults were around. And start kicking them out when they were supposed to have time together.

All Noctis had ever wanted was to just be a normal person. However thanks to the Gods and their lies, he would never have been seen as one. That was why Noctis always appreciated people like Dino, Cid, and Takka- who never did anything but treat people like equals.

Noctis checked first that the gas stove would still light- it did, but he had to hook up the propane bottle first, which had been disconnected for saftey reasons- by Prompto he assumed. Noctis checked the water after the stove. The pipes made a concerning noise at first- but then cold water from the underground water resivour came out. The well worked on gravity pressure, so it didn't need electricity.

Noctis wondered breifly- if he could restart the main generator for Hammerhead's station and turn the lights on. The stations were supposed to be fully independent. That way people had places they could still travel to in case of an emergency. Noctis remembered the council talking about decommissioning some of the Crowe Stations which were 'underperforming' once. Thinking them out dated and not worth the upkeep. Something his father had been incredibly angry about- and Noctis now understood why. His journey, and all of Lucis would have looked very different without the Crowe Stations and the road networks connecting them.

A lot of Lucian citizens traveled around nomadically, depending on the season and what kind of work was available. Not to mention the hunters who were constantly on the road, and who relied on they having some sort of place to rest, resupply and not have to be worried about being jumped by all manner of creatures. The Crowe stations had been built as places for people to gather and find shelter from both the demons and the elements. Without the Crowe Stations all those individuals would have no support system. Noctis on his journey to reclaim the kingdom after Insomnia fell, would have had no support system.

Noctis stepped out the back door of the resturant. Figuring that if Prompto had kept the kitchen, Cid's office, and everything else maintained- that the generator should be opperational as well. He walked over to the old machine. Looking over the dials and read outs. None of which looked promising.

One afternoon Cid had to do maintenance on the Hammerhead station generator. Prompto, always eager to learn how things work, had agreed to assist him. Noctis and Gladio had watched. Making bets on how long it would take for their friend to be told to piss off. Noctis might not have been directly involved in the work- but he had still been paying enough attention to what Cid had been saying. None of these readings were what Cid said they should be. The Generator didn't have enough power to run the station. If he tried to fire it up it would probably just short out.

How to get more power? Noctis turned around. He looked over at the concrete foundation where the water, gas and utility equipment were all located. There was a hatch on the ground, marked with several 'danger electricution' signs and markers. The Crowe Stations didn't work off the main electric grid, being hooked up to elemental nodes. Similar to the ones you could find around the Havens. Cid had explained to Prompto that under the hatch was where the generator hooked into the electric node. It was the fuel that supplied power to the generator. Noctis walked over to said hatch, broke the lock with a dagger, and then carefully broke the heavy rubber seal.

The node to the Hammerhead station was underneath. Down about an arm's lengthy- and surrounded by insulation. The nodes were black cyrstals with glowing energy inside. This one had not glow to it though- it was beyond depleated. Noctis had never seen a magical node with no energy insid of it. Heavy screws were drilled in to the base of the node. The rods that drew the electical power for the generator. There was no static discharge coming off the node. No magical thrum of energy. Noctis looked at it, tilting his head to the side. He carefully reached out with his powers.

The electric node was dead. No longery carrying or emmitting any energy. Noctis could feel how it had slowly run out of whatever power source had kept it sparking since the dawn of time. The literal life of Eos, if you believed the older cultural folk tales surrounding such things.

Noctis chewed his bottom lip. Then reached out. He placed a hand on the smooth surface of the crystal rock, and closed his eyes. Feeling just the faint echo of what used to be there. He could sense this node- how it went deep into the earth, and was faintly connected with the others. Noctis suddenly aware that this node was a point- a star- and the whole of the electrical nodes on Eos. They were like a constellation. A road map of some kind. The stars were all dark though. None of them were lit up. There was no more energy for them to discharge.

Ardyn was right. Eos was dead. This was proof, if anything. Noctis licked his lips, and pushed out with his magic. Giving it to the elemental node. He had so much power from the crystal- and the crystal was supposed to be the heart of the planet. Right? So what if he just... reconnected them? The node sparked, as Noctis thought of all the energy he had harvested from nodes similar to this one. How his father had taken him to the foundation of the citadel where clusters of these crystals could be found. Teaching him him to take up the energy safley from magic nodes when he was a child. Craft that energy into spells.

If Noctis could just give that power back... even if it was just a fraction- Noctis thought of that process. Of taking the magic from the node. What that felt like. He started to reverse that feeling. Giving energy back into the node instead.

His eyes closed with concentration, feeling a modicum of his super powered magic start to transfer. Noctis could feel it working. However he was unaware that what he was doing was having an effect on the station behind him. Hammerhead's lights slowly flickered on. Then began to flash. Then surge. A few breakers tripped. But not before one of the bulbs exploded and shot sparks everywhere.

The door to the restaurant opened with alarm. Ardyn holding his hat up to his head. He looked around and then came to the side of the building. Seeing Noctis kneeling in a hole very clearly marked with multiple 'danger, electrocution' signs.

Ardyn shouted and started running over. "What are you doing?!"

Noctis' concentration broke. He opened his eyes to look up to Ardyn- but didn't even get that far. All of the magic he had been trying to feed the node rebounded. Noctis went flying. The force of the electrical energy running through his system. Like he had been hit by a lightning spell. Noctis flew far enough to leave the concrete platform of the station's utilities. Noctis hit the ground and landed on what used to be a cactus. The green plant pale, and rotted away into slime. It's needles were still sharp, however. They dug into his skin in a thousand places.

"Noctis!" Ardyn warped over to him in a red-pinkish blur, reaching out with concern. A spark of electricity crackled from Noctis to him, and Ardyn flinched away. Mostly from surprise. He pulled back, then reached forward again checking Noctis over, "Are you alright?"

"Ow." Noctis groaned. Laying splayed on the ground. He was covered in cactus slime and needles. Sadly, not to diffrent from his usual experience fighting Cactuars- they held a surprisingly large amount of water- and could burst like a water balloon after death. A very painful water ballon. Noctis and Prompto had learned that the hard way, when trying to pose after defeating their first one.

Ardyn helped him up, checking him over. Once he was certain that Noctis was alright he unleashed a slew of reprimands."Child! What increadible foolishness would ever have you touch an elemental node! A NODE! Do you want to be turned to ash!?" Ardyn has the strangest sort of accent when he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. It reminded Noctis of the old dutches TV dramas that Gladio secretly liked to watch. "What were you even thinking?!"

"I thought." Noctis sat up with a grimace, "That I might be able to help?"

"Help?" Ardyn asked with confusion.

"Yeah. Like do a recesitation." Noctis assessed himself. He winced at all of the needles embedded in his skin. He stood up from the ground, shaking as many of the loose needles off as he could. "Like you know. When you give restart someone's heart with an electric shock?"

Ardyn stared at him for a full ten seconds. "That is the dumbest thing- You? A human? Restart the planet?! Chosen King or not I think that is a tad bit out of your wheelhouse!"

"Well at least I'm trying something!" Noctis snapped with frustration. He pulled out a needle as long as his pinky finger from his arm. There were a bunch of smaller needles like hair all across his side and back. He knew from experience that he would need tape, or glue to peel those off.

"Try something?" Ardyn returned Noctis' furstration with annoyance. "Like what? like dispelling this darkness?! Like bringing the sun back?"

"Well... Yeah." Noctis didn't know what else to say. "I don't know about you- but I'm not happy with the way things are going to be left. Shouldn't we at least- you know TRY something? You know? to fix things?" Noctis guestured around them.

Ardyn stared at him for the longest time. "And acheive what? Exactly? You think I want to live like this? As the focus for something so horrible and vile?" Ardyn asked, slapping a hand on his chest, "Just kill me and we can be over with this!"

"Yeah but! Think about it." Noctis tried to make Ardyn see reason, "Even if we fullfill the prophecy- the planet will still be dead. There won't be any life unless we put life back into the planet." He pointed to the remnants of the cactus plant he had splattered on the ground. It was more a puddle now.

Ardyn raise up his hands. As if trying to guide Noctis to reason. "There is no bringing back the dead, Noctis. Expecially something like this. This isn't a person- or a small animal. It's an entire planet. A world. We may have magic- but neither of us are Gods."

"Between the two of us. I think we could do something." Noctis argued. "Just look at how much power I have- and that you have. You said you had Oracle powers once. We can use that as well." Noctis suggested. Ardyn's eyes widdened. Noctis didn't notice he casually flicked a needle he had taken out of his upper arm off to the side. "Like think about it dude. Seriously. Between you and me. We should be able to do SOMETHING. We can forge our own path, or whatever. Do things our way- instead of whatever Bahamut has in store. Clearly he doesn't have anyone's best interests in mind."

"Need I remind you that I am the reason the planet is DEAD." Ardyn stressed. He reached up and pointed to his chest, with a whole hand. "Don't you understand? I am the rope which it was hung on. I'm the blow which beheaded the beast. I am the disease itself that burned the body of the world with fever." Ardyn described getting more upset with each analogy. His skin started turning grey. His eyes turning black. Liquid scourge started dripping from his eyes and mouth. As the man took on a form reflecting more of how he saw himself.

Noctis was distrubed by the change. However he found himself not scared- but concerned. Ardyn didn't look as intimidating as he was trying to be; he looked like he needed help. Professionally. Earlier Ardyn had told Noctis that he was not in the best mental state. However knowing and understanding were two seperate things.

"Yeah, but that isn't what you HAVE to be." Noctis tried to reassure the man. Unaware that he was only making things worse. "You can use your powers that aren't dark and demonic. Why not focus on those?"

Ardyn rolled his eyes, and turned away. Ardyn thinking that Noctis had no idea what he was talking about. Noctis thinking that Ardyn did not want to listen to him. Both partially right, but equally wrong. They were no longer on the same page. The breif moment of them meeting and cooperating so easliy was coming to an end. The light and the dark drifting apart once more.

Noctis offered Ardyn his hands silently. Slime covered and needle ridden as they were. "Let's take some time to figure this out." Noctis offered. "We have all the time in the world- we jut have to not kill each other. That's all."

The dark scourge infused man slowly turned away from the bright glowing Man standing before him. Walking away towards the buildings they had left behind.

"Ardyn?" Noctis asked after Ardyn had taken three steps, "Where are you going?!"

"I will be waiting for you in Insomnia." The man said rather dispondantly. Sounding dead exausted.

Noctis put his hands on his hips and watched the man walk away. He hung his head and scratched the back of his head. Then followed Ardyn through the dark. The Chancellor stepped up onto the Hammerhead platform and then walked over to the gas pumps. He sat down in his car with a heavy sort of exaustion. Not turning it on, or even closing the door.

Noctis walked over, looking somewhat guilty. "Are you sure you want to give up that easily?" he asked.

Ardyn looked up at him, "I gave up centuries ago." Ardyn admitted "I just want this all to be over." Ardyn reached over and closed the door to his car, "I've waited this long though. So I might as well give you some time."

Noctis chewed the bottom of his lip. "Well... I'm not giving up just yet. But- I'll try not to keep you waiting too long? I guess."

Ardyn looked over at him, then down at the steering wheel.

Noctis got the feeling the man wanted to be alone. So he went back into Takka's shop. He took out the tweezers from the Armiger med kit, and started taking took out as many of the cactus needles as he could. Then he used some glue paste to help peel out the rest of the tiny ones.

Part way through the paste drying, Ardyn's car started up. Then drove off. Headed East. Noctis paused and watched it go. Then got back to work. Once all of the needles were taken care of he returned back to the kitchen. The water was still running- and there was enough gas in the propane bottle to cook something. Noctis sorted through what food Prompto had left, and decided to make some potato soup. Which looked like would be the majority of what he would be eating, until he either found something else- or ran our of food. A very real possibility Noctis realized with some dread.

The next few days were the strangest Noctis ever lived.

Mostly because there were no days to go by. It was perpetually dark everywhere he went. The only thing Noctis had to tell time was from an old wrist watch he took out from his Armiger. It was a gift he had gotten forever ago from Ignis, but Noctis had not needed it much, so he had just set it aside. The device was still ticking away thanks to sound Insomnia Engineering. Unlike his phone, which he could not reliably charge anymore.

Noctis was traveling again, but this time he was alone. For the most part. Ardyn showed up occasionally, and then would leave just as suddently. Make remarks about what Noctis was doing. Or tell him something of what he new had happened to people. Unlike Gladio, Ignis and Prompto it did not feel like Noctis was traveling with the man. More that Ardyn was just shadowing him. Watching from afar.

Noctis had been surprised the first time this happened. Though, after a few more encounters, Noctis realized the man probably had litterally no where else to be. As the man was just waiting for Noctis to give up and end both of their existances.

It was a little frustrating at times. As Ardyn always did whatever he wanted, or felt like. He never help Noctis set up camp, never helped him scavange for things, never offered to help Noctis clean up some of the Havens they used for camping. Noctis offered food to the man one time, and Ardyn told him not to bother. As he did not need to eat anymore, and food was clearly scarce. Ardyn did accept some tea though, when Noctis found a pack of Grey while looting through the remains of a camp.

Ardyn watched, but never helped Noctis with his research on the energy nodes. Noctis trying to figure out how to get them going again. Noctis still wanted to try though. So he traveled from Haven to Haven. Using the map Cindy had given them so long ago at the start of his journey. Ignis having meticuously annotating every discovery they made on their way through Lucis.

Noctis was aiming for the magical nodes he knew were located at each Haven. Hoping they would be the key to acheiving his goal. Traveling was harder than he thought it would be though. Given the fact that demons were around every corner. Not to mention every Haven, and every Crow's Nest there was SOME kind of tragedy waiting for Noctis to find. Whether that be people who had resorted to canibablism to keep themselves form starving. To groups who had opted to commit mass suicide to avoid such resorts.

It seemed that at the end of the world there was no place left to go for humans- save for the magical sigils that offered shelter from the dark. By the looks of things, the Havens had been fought over tooth and nail by certain groups. So they could keep themselves, and their loved one's safe from the demons.

Noctis became numb to the sight of death rather quickly. Finding corpse after corpse. Death after tragic death. Whenever he was on the move, Noctis looked at them with a stone cold expression, and clinical percission. Though in the times he would stop to rest it would all come back to him- and he would cry for everyone that had been lost, or feel so nausious that he couldn't eat. Anytime he got upset, the wind picked up around him. His magic churning. Storms forming and soaking him through. Sometimes, when he felt angry instead of sad, the ground would even shift and buckle. The physical elements of the world responding to his greif.

Noctis pushed on. Wanting to try to make sure the wold- Eos itself would have SOME form of a future. He figured out a safe way to feed power into energy nodes. Figured out how not to get scorched, electrocuted, or frozen solid. Just powering one node or three nodes wasn't enough though. So he started trying to store a little bit of power in them- then travel as fast as he could to the next set of nodes, putting power there and so on. Distributing as much magic as he could. Then pushing and tying to get some kind of reaction. Unfortunatley the Nodes could not hold power for long- and it was kind of hard to get physically from one to the other. Not unless he spent a lot of time planning ahead and making things just such that he could travel to them quickly. A task Ignis would have been perfect at helping him with. Though sadly his bespeckled companion was no longer at his side.

It helped when Ardyn offered to drive him around. Which the man did on occasion. His company was a huge relife, even if it was sporatic. Noctis sometimes like Ardyn was a stray cat. Coming around whenever it suited him, and not the other way around. Noctis knew that he would have gone insane without someone to talk too, and Ardyn was a surprisingly good listenter.

Ardyn's presence proved to be a double edge sword however. Despite being the heart of the scourge or whatever Demons seemed to be attracted to the man like flies and vinegar. Ardyn said it was because they were seeking the release of death, which he had once been able to give them. Noctis didn't quite understand how that worked though. If Ardyn was the source of the demons- wouldn't it make more sense for him to be able to control them? Noctis asked this question once, and Ardyn stared at him openly for such a long time, that Noctis was detered from asking any more.

It was a large adjustment, for the both of them to get used to working with one another. Noctis had spent literal years training with Gladio, Ignis and Prompto to be as coordinated as they were- and it was frustrating to go from not needing to communicate anything to having miscommunications and misunderstandings over even the smallest detail.

Ardyn, Noctis was learning, was the kind of person who fought at a slower pace. With much more deliberation than even Ignis. Not to say that the man was slow. Ardyn could shadow step and warp just as reliably as Noctis could. It was just that Ardyn prefered to land ONE, solid strike instead of ten weaker ones. Something that came with the fact that Ardyn could heal through any damage give to him. Meaning that fighting for Ardyn was more about just killing whatever was attacking him- because in the grand scheme of things nothing was a threat to the man.

For this reason Ardyn fought and acted more as an RPG Tank more than anyone else Noctis had ever worked with. Something Noctis liked to tease him for. Expecially since Ardyn also refused to run anywhere. Moving never faster than a leisurly strole when they were hiking or walking somwhere. I'm an old man Noct. Litterally ancient. Ardyn would remind him quite often. Expecially when Noctis would use his magic to keep his stamina up, and run ahead. Leaving the man behind quite easily. Sometimes Ardyn did not even try to catch up. Often arriving after Noctis had already finished off all the demons, or whatever task he wanted to do.

They found their pace, after Ardyn learned about Noctis' Libra ability. The spell which told Noctis the weaknesses or resistances of an enemy. Something Noctis had always had available to him, but that he had rarley used given Ignis often could get to the information quicker. Ardyn would often wait on the defensive, until Noctis supplied him the knowledge he needed. Then the man would switch to a weapon that was more suited to the task. They slowly developed call outs for such things; and from there the two actually began to have more success in fighting off any encounters they ran into.

Unfortunatley despite Ardyn's intermiddent help; Noctis soon found himself stagnating in his research. He could never get more than surface deep with supplying power to the nodes. All of the nodes were linked. Noctis could feel how they interconnected each other beneath the earth. However, he could not seem to access one node from another. The nodes were were supposedly the magic ley lines of Eos flowed up to the surface and manifested. Noctis just didn't understand where all of their power HAD gone. The more he studied the issue the more it seemed like all of the magic had been drained in some form or fashion. Drained into me? Noctis made a note on his research journal one day. When I was in the crystal was I absorbing all of the world's power? Noctis considered this. Why were they rejecting holding that magic now though? There was something here he was missing. Noctis frustratingly went over everything again. Wondering what he could have missed.

One day found Noctis near what remained of Wiz's Chocobo post- North inbetween the Post and the Austor Slaugh. The Disc of Cauthus was off in the distance. The spire end of the meteor glowing errily grey in the distance- but not giving off enough light to see by. It was more just a land mark if anything. It was strange. The meteor also seemed to have dimmed in power. To the point that it was a litteral ghost of it's former self. Like that had been drained as well. Noctis had tried to get to the meteor- however the former path to the disc had collaped- and walking the entire circumfrence of the disc did not offer any promising alternatives.

"I don't think this is working." Noctis confessed to Ardyn with frustration. Turning to look up at the man.

Noctis was crouched on his knees in a ditch. Next to an empty frost node. Ardyn was standing on the hill just above him. Not at the Haven proper- but inbetween it and Noctis' current location. Ardyn couldn't enter the havens, being demonic in nature. "Thinking of finally giving up?" Ardyn asked with a slightly teasing tone.

"Thinking I might need to change tactics." Noctis stood up and streched out his back. He had been kneeling for too long. Ardyn held out a water skin that the two of them had been sharring. Noctis accepted it and took a few, long drinks of the water. Then wipped off his forhead. He felt the greasy texture of ash come off with the motion. Noctis grimaced, and then looked down at his arm. He was getting used to glowing in the dark. His light spell being nothing but background noise at this point. Said glow was being obscured by grey ash. He had not noticed while concentrating that it had begun to fall, accumulating on his clothes and in his hair.

Noctis looked to the south west. Where the dark perpetuatl sky was broken up by the red, violent glow of a volcano. "Ravatough's fallout is reaching all the way here." he observered.

Ardyn held out his hand and looked upwards. "Is that so?" He pretended only just now to notice. The man was also coverd in ash. Though his hat and tattered jacket offered more protetion than Noctis' t-shirt and cargo shorts.

"That volcano is one of the few things that are still alive." Noctis placed his hands on his hips, "I wonder why?"

Noctis had been first starting to explore the ruined world, when the volcano had errupted without any sort of warning. Sending a shockwave through the earth, followed by a thunderous noise. He and Ardyn had watched with amazement as the giant red plum expanded up into the sky. Even weeks later, there was still a gueser of liquid magma rising up from the summit of the mountain. Throwing car-sized globes of molten rock kilometeres into the air.

"I do not think a volcano spilling it's guts is a sign of it being alive." Ardyn remarked. "It is more like a death throw of the Earth, more than anything else"

"I don't think it is dying though." Noctis debated, "Think about it- most of the basic elements have been left intact. The wind might be stagnant in some areas- but it blows in others. The oceans might be freezing, but they still have waves. So there are still currents. Physics hasn't stopped on a larger scale. Hot to cold, cold to hot. Volcanoes work off those principles."

"Yes, yes. But the elements are propbably only responding to YOU." Ardyn reached out with a finger. Digging it into Noctis's shoulder. This was the eight or nineth time they were having this conversation. "The continent of Lucis has experienced a statistical outlier of earth quakes ever since you came back."

"That's not true." Noctis crossed his arms defensivley.

Ardyn raised his eye brows. "Do you remember the mudslide you caused the other day? Because I do. As does whatever is left of that poor racing track. Also-volcanoes aren't meant to errupt continuously- not like that." Ardyn guestured to the red cloud, "Violent erruptions only happen after a build up of gas and water vapor. They might happen in stages, like an explosion every other day, but not continuously spew material like this. Normal continues volanoes just kind of, bubble and leak. Something MAGICAL is clearly going on with the volcano. My money is on you being that something."

"Well. Then that might be something we need to account for." Noctis said with frustration. He rubbed his chin, and got a bit distracted by the rough texture of hair. It still felt weird- having a beard. The first time he saw himself in a mirror he had been properly surprised to find himself OLDER. Even though he had not been consious in the ten years he had been trapped in the crystal, apparently he had still existed in some form.

Ardyn adjusted his weight, and sighed heavily. Frustrated by their small debate. Noctis knew the sound well by now. Ardyn would always make that noise before leaving him. Sometimes only for a day or two. Other times for longer.

Noctis stopped scratching his scruff. "I have a theory I wanted to run by you. If you would answer it."

Ardyn rolled his eyes. "If you must."

"The volcano we agreed to disagree on- but we both can SEE that the Havens are still working." Noctis pointed past Ardyn up the hill with his hand. "Why do you think that is?"

"The Havens?" Ardyn turned around and squinted at the blue and green plum of magic above them. Ardyn had told Noctis when they first started working together- that getting near the things gave him pins and needles. That actually stepping onto the haves caused him physical pain. That was why he had insisted on them staying in a caravan all those years ago, when traveling to the disc.

"My Dad always told me they feed of the magical nodes. Since every Haven is where three nodes meet." Noctis explained, "but that can't be true. The nodes are all dead- and the Havens are still working just fine it seems." Noctis had not noticed any change in them at least. Even the ones heavily contaminated in blood and dead bodies still glowed and gave off their energy.

"Is that what people are saying these days?" Ardyn turned back to Noctis. A curious hint to his tone. "that they feed off the magical nodes?"

"Is that not how they work?" Noctis asked with a frown.

Ardyn rested his hands on his hips, and took a step to the side. "No. No one knows how they work. Every place has their own origin for them. People in Tenebrae think that the first Oracle created them. The Niflheim Empire thought they were devices left behind by the Soulheim erra. Back in MY time people thought they were where drops of divine blood fell durring the Astral war. That means that 2,000 years ago their origin was already lost to history." Ardyn kept his hands on his hips and shrugged. "All I can say for sure is that everyone has their speculations. But even I can not say for sure what their origins are."

Noctis clicked his tounge. That did not help him in the slightest. "If only Gentianna, or one of the other gods was still around. Maybe they might know."

Ardyn was quiet for a moment. Noctis was begning to pick up on Ardyn's non-verbal cues. The way he paused and shifted his hands off his hips, then recommitted to his current standing postion. Noctis could tell he was hidding something- and debating sharring it with him.

Noctis took another drink from the water skin, and waited for Ardyn to put his words together.

"There might be one." The man said after a bit.

Noctis nearly choaked on his water. "WAIT. There is?! Where? Who?" Noctis had no idea why Ardyn was waiting until NOW to mention this. The whole planet kind of needed divine intervention by this point. The two of them might have been powerful- but neither of them were Gods afterall.

Ardyn's expression flickered. He looked somewhat guilty, "I might have... encountered the Infernate shortly after being released from my imprisonment."

"Infernate... you mean Ifrit?" Noctis, said with trepidation. "The Betrayer?" He wasn't quite sure if that counted as 'divine intervention'.

"Yes. Niflheim dug him out of Ravatough some years before you were born. Then kept him on ice for some experiements." Ardyn explained, "until he woke up, that is."

Noctis stared at Ardyn for a full three seconds. "They took him? Was that why he wasn't on the mountain?!"

Ardyn's worry turned into confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"I climbed up and down Mr. Ravatough for nearly two weeks," Noctis explained. Pointing to the red glow in the distance. "Looking to make the covenant with him. But he wasn't there- or at least never showed himself to me."

"You went and climbed a volcano?!" It was Ardyn's turn to be surprised, "Why ever did people always say you were so lazy? Every few conversations you are telling me that you climbed down into ice caves! or up mountians! or hunted down Behemoths."

"I was on a pilgrimage." Noctis reminded Ardyn, "I had to find the Lucis Tombs, and all of the Gods. You would be surprised the wack kind of places my ancestors chose to be burried."

"Enough about that though-" Noctis waved his hand. They were getting off topic, "are you saying that Ifrit is still around? Can we still talk to him?"

"Well... he's not exactly the talkative type." Ardyn dodge the question. He assessed there surroundings, then started walking away from the haven. "We should move somewhere less flamable."

Noctis looked at the dry, dead grass surrounding them. Then followed Ardyn up the hill. They headed North to Aster Slaugh. Which was filled with grimmy, muck filled water. The beasts of several large creatures lay in the wetland. Bones with flesh sloughing off of them and contaminating the water. Dead fish floated all along the surface of the water. The whole place reeked of blood.

"It still disturbs me that there are no bugs around." Noctis remarked. "All this rotting flesh- and not a single fly."

"I don't know what happened to them." Ardyn shared the same sentiment, "There is also a lack of lichen and fungi. All the decomposers just disapeared. Its unnatural." Ardyn insisted heavily, raising up a hand. "Decay is a natural part of the life cycle. It makes thing anew for things to come. It keeps things from lingering and helps them move on."

Noctis looked over the dreadful sight of the swamp thought fully. "I guess there there isn't an Astral Messenger for that sort of thing?" he asked, "Someone we could at least try to appeal too?"

Ardyn grunted "Not to my knowledge. However we do have one of fire- sort of."

Noctis frowened, and crossed his arms. Ardyn stepped up to the swamp water. He pulled back his tattered sleeves up and held up a hand dramatically. With a snap Noctis felt a realease of Magic by the other man. The pulling of physical space from one location to another. Ardyn was actually summoning the God from someplace- rather than calling the God to come to him of their own power. A very interesting distinction that Noctis found interesting. Since that meant that Ardyn could call a litteral god to him like any other item from the Armiger.

The world around them errupted into fire. Most of it disipated in the water logged earth. However much of the dead grass happily caught on fire and burned. A humanoid figure appeared, and dropped from the sky before them. Landing in the shallow water with a splash. The Giant Ifrit rose up to their full height. The Astral was a giant. Somewhere near 6 meters (20ft) tall. Skin ashen, and horns rising up from his dark brown hair like a crown. Then there was the ACTUAL, mythological crown the God wore. Golden, with red rubies encrusted into its design. Elements the God was heavily associated with.

There was an infamous folk story Ignis had read to Noctis when they were growing up. Of a person who stole one of the gems from the god's crown when the God slept. The person found themselves immune to all forms of fire and heat. They thought himself invincible, even against the God whom they had stolen from. When Ifrit came to get back the gem, the human expected the God to fight with only fire and his element. He did not expect the God to draw a bow, and shoot the man dead where he stood. His body crumbling to ash, as the God retrived the stolen jewel. There were other variations of the story. Sometimes Ifrit used a sword instead of a bow. Sometimes the whole crown was stolen. Sometimes the theft granted more than just immunity to fire, but other magic powers as well.

Noctis stared at the Crown. More surprised that it actually existed, more than anything else. Ifrit meanwhile didn't seem to even notice him. The Astral being took just one step forward and then looked down at Ardyn. The shallow water the god was standing in was already boiling at simply touching the God's feet. The air around them became sticky, and humid. The whole area was starting to smell like brimstone.

Noctis realized he should greet the diety properly. He stepped back and bowed respectfully. "Astral of Fire and Hearth. I thank you for coming to us today. I beeseach your help; and your wisdom."

Noctis waited for a response, but none came. There was no movement either. Curiously he unbowed, looking upwards. Ifrit was still looking down and to the side, at Ardyn. As if awaiting orders.

Ardyn crossed infront of him. Indicating up towards the Astral being. "Poor fellow hasn't been able to talk ever since I corrupted him." he explained. Turning to look up at the God once more.

"Corrupted..." Noctis trailed off. Taking in the God once more. Suddently the grey skin seemed less ash related and more like the God had been drained of life. The left side of him was particularly dark- and deffinitley infected with scourge.

"You turned him into a demon." Noctis realized.

Ardyn grimaced, "Yes. He's like a marionette." The man guestured towards Ifrit. The God responded. Moving slowly and with deliberation. Ifrit reached down and placed a hand onto the ground. Then the Astral being sat, cross legged on the ground in front of them. Like this was a simple play date or something.

Noctis stared at Ardyn. Who very pointedly did not look at him, looking up at Ifrit. Looking guilty, like he knew he had done something wrong. Something Ardyn very much HAD.

"You turned a God." Noctis accused with disbelife.

"It was either that or be crushed, and burned." Ardyn defended himself, "Both not good experiences by the way. Though, strangley it takes me longer to recover from being crushed- instead of burned to ash. Still not sure sure why."

Noctis did not even know where to begin with that statement. He looked upwards at Ifrit. "He's looking at you." Noctis observed.

"What? Oh. Yes. He does that." Ardyn squinted up at Ifrit. "He does move around somewhat. But not any more than a demon patrols their area. His actual mind is gone- as is his soul. It's just an empty shell of a body. Filled with," Ardyn searched for the best word. "Tar."

Noctis turned to look at Ifrit. He reached out with his magic. He could feel Ifrit was a magical being, just by being in their presence. Similar to the Colossus, and the Leviathan, Ifrit's body was dense with magical energy. Each of the gods Noctis had met were condensed sources of power. When you looked at them you could FEEL what they were. The vast Earth. The Wild Ocean. Standing next to Ifrit, Noctis felt just as he had standing ontop of Mt. Ravatog looking down into it's fiery furnace. Only Ifrit was ten times more intense, fire and molten materials.

Now that he was looking closer though, it was also obvious that Ardyn had corrupted Ifrit. Darkening the Astral's power, and making his own. Ifrit's energy was twisted, unaligned. Noctis had not seen Ifrit before his corruption, so he had nothing to compare his current state too. He wondered though, how much of the warping was Ardyn's own doing. One would think that a God who had been exiled from the Hexatheon, and who's core element was betrayl would have some unsavory elements about them.

As it was now. Standing next to Ifrit felt like Noctis was standing next to another Ardyn. Or an extension of Ardyn. Or something along those lines. Which was... terrifying. Ardyn had corrupted a GOD. One of the six beings who were supposed to be the anchors for their world. Something that didn't just exist on the physical plane- but in the realms below and above their own.

As Noctis' magic reached out and examined Ifrit cautiously. Ifrit slowly turned, and looked at Noctis. No expression on the God's face. Just a neutral sort of acknowlegment. As if he was now expecting orders from him, instead of Ardyn.

Noctis met the God's orange eyes. They both stared at each other for a long time. "I think he might still be in there." He deduced after a minute. "Do you think you can uncorrupt him?" Noctis asked of Ardyn.

Ardyn went from poking at the ground with his boot to looking at Noctis, dumbfoundedly. "Excuse me? Cure him!? Do I look like an oracle?!"

"Well no. But you used to be able to do something similar." Noctis recalled. "Take the scourge out of people- just take it out of him."

"I used to be a sponge." Ardyn clarified, pointing up towards Ifrit angrily, "That he and HIS KIND used to put us in this predicament!"

"Ifrit was exiled from the pantheon though." Noctis reminded him, "Something like 5,000 years ago right? That was 3,000 years before your deal with Bahamut. He probably wasn't part of his plans."

"He was still exiled for wanting to kill all the humans." Ardyn snapped angrily. Ardyn got really upset anytime Noctis mentioned, or asked about Ardyn's other powers. Noctis was not sure why. He was starting to get the impression that the man was afraid of them- or something. "And let me tell you if I had not stopped him in Niflhiem he would have probably KEPT killing anyone he came across. He was NOT happy to be woken up."

"WeI think that we can handle him if he turns out to be violent- but this is a viable way for us to move FORWARD." Noctis stressed, guesturing back towards, "You can't deny that! If you could just heal him-"

Ardyn threw up his hands and turned on his heel. He started walking away.

"Ardyn!" Noctis shouted with frustration. He followed after the man. "Wait! Just listen!"

"No! I've had enough of your insane ideas! I am leaving!" Ardyn declared, and the man disapeared. No crash of magic- or warp. Just gone. Into the darkness itself. Noctis looked around with anger. Trying to find him. He honestly had no idea how the man was able to do that so seemlessly. It was like Ardyn could just disapear wherever he wanted.

"UGH!" Noctis yelled with frustration. He turned, "He is the most insufferable person I have ever worked with!" Noctis vented towards Ifrit. Who listened dutifully. "It's like. I KNOW he has trama- but if he can even do HALF of what he used to be able to- then maybe we wouldn't be here! He didn't even tell me about YOU! Look at you!"

Noctis threw both his hands up towards Ifrit. The Fire God just looked down at him. Burning brightly in the dark world. Noctis lowered his arms and hung his head. He sighed heavily. Frustration wining and sapping him of all his energy.

"Even with a God sitting infront of me- I- I don't know what to do anymore." Noctis admitted. He felt tears of frustration gather at the corner of his eye. He wipped his face off and looked up.

"Can you communicate in any way?" Noctis beeseached the God. "Is there anything we can do to save everything?"

Ifrit continued to just look at him. Noctis didn't feel any stirring in the God's magic, or pull from within. Ardyn was right. The Infernate seemed to just be an empty shell.

Noctis was getting so tired of meeting dead ends. He scrubbed at his eyes. Feeling tears starting to form. "Damn it all. It feels like I have all the peices here." He cursed, "I just can't connect them! If only Ignis were here..."

That empty, hollow vastness made itself present again. Reminding Noctis that he was in this alone. Noctis sighed. Then he checked his wrist watch. It was currently 12 o'clock at night. Though that meant very little, seeing as the sun was nonexistant. Noctis had woken up around 3 PM that day. Meaning he had been awake for nine hours.

"Alright. I'm done for today." Noctis declared, and then looked at the God sitting above him. "How do you feel about a nap?" Noctis asked.

Ifrit looked down to the side, and then moved. The God placed a hand in the swampy water beside him, and then made to lay down.

"No! No!" Noctis shouted with surprise, "Not in the swamp water!" Noctis exclaimed, "Get up! Get up!" He ordered the God. Ifrit slowly got up from the laying position. Now covered in muck, and fouled water.

"Ugh. Come on, There's a cleaner pool over here that you can clean yourself off in." He directed the god. Ifrit got up and followed him. Taking one step for every five of Noctis'. The ground shook ever so slightly as the God walked with him. Ifrit left scorched foot prints in the eart as he went, and a trail of fire. It was surprisingly easy to direct him though. All Noctis had to do was ask him to do something, or direct the God. It didn't seem that Ardyn had singular control over the being- or perhapse Ardyn was just not restricting Noctis from doing so.

It was the strangest thing Noctis had ever done. Guiding a litteral God over to the fresh water spring which was the source of the swamp. A deeper, cleaner pool of water, which thankfully didn't have anything dead lying in it. Noctis instructing Ifrit to clean himself off. The Astral Puppet not needing any more direction than that, apparently.

Afterwards Noctis walked back south towards the Haven he had been at previously- Ifrit following behind him at a slow pace. The grass catching on fire everywhere he went. Noctis had to stop and wait for it to spread and then burn. So that he wouldn't get caught up in the fire himself.

The Haven they returned to was one Noctis had already been working at. He had cleaned it up so that he could relax and work without corpses being in his immediate vincinity. The previous occupants looked to have died from either malnutrition, or some kind of sickness. A much easier thing to clean up then stagnant vicera, or battle remnates. Noctis had looked at some of the Havens and deemed the mess to much of a hassle to address. The easier ones- like this- he used a stretcher to carry the bodies a ways off, and then burned them with a fire spell.

He already his camp set up at this Haven. Thankfully nothing was damaged from the grass fire Ifrit started. The entire field was one burnt stain now. Noctis had a simple tent to keep out the rain, with his sleeping gear underneath. He was ever greatful that his friends had not taken his othopedic bed roll out of the Armiger. So he could lay down on the ground, without having to worry about his back giving out.

Noctis entered his camp and started his end of day routine. Wipping himself down with a towel, then changing into some cleaner and comfier clothes. He debated making some food, but ended up deciding against it. He had eaten that afternoon, and he had not found any new food supplies for a few days now. Better to conserve what food he did have. Noctis did decide to make some tea though. Using his magic to boil some water, and then filling up his favorite blue mug with the fish design on the side of it.

It was warm with Ifrit hanging around. The God was radiating heat like a furnace. Noctis didn't even need to start a fire. The Astral had sat down next to the haven. Facing the disc off in the distance. Noctis moved his lawn chair to face the same direction. Then settled down in his lawn chair exhaling with relife. It was good to get off his back after such a long day.

Noctis pulled at the laces on his shoes, and then one by one kicked them off. Settling down to relax. He had been reading through Gladio's books. He summoned the one he was currently on, thumbing through the pages. Wishing somewhat that his friend was still around, so they could discuss the novel with each other. Noctis wasn't the most avid reader, admittedly. However he had always enjoyed listening to Gladio talk about what books he was reading, or his ideas on where the stories were going. Gladio had been particularly exited for this novel series. It being from an author he was a big fan of.

Noctis thrumbed through the pages, not able to really concentrate on the text. After a bit he lowered the book, and looked over at Ifrit. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Havens would you?" Noctis asked, "Where they came from? Or why they seem to be the only thing left that still works magically?"

The God had been watching Noctis move around his camp, then gone to looking out at the meteor. No expression on their face to give anything away. Ifrit looked at him when addressed, then looked upwards, at the dark sky. Noctis didn't know if that was an answer or not. He laid Gladio's book down on his chest, and leaned back in his lawn chair. Looking up at the sky above him. The ever-dark swirl of miasma was high above them- higher than any clouds Noctis had manifested when he was upset. It kind of shimmered, like an opalessence. It kind of reminded him of the Lucian Wall...

"A barrier!" He bolted up right with realization. He hastily got up, knocking over his chair in the process. He reached for the jacket he had been wearing. It was hanging off the tent with the rest of his clothes, airing out. Noctis searched around in the inner pocket. Pulling out a clear plastic bag- with a hand written note inside.

"Prompto wrote something! Something about what was happening in here!" Noctis explained to Ifrit. Who was still gazing upwards and wasn't even looking at him. Noctis opened up the letter and reread it. Looking up occasionally and squinting up at the sky.

"It IS a barrier? of scourge? It really is kind of like the wall- that means all I have to do is pierce it!" Noctis realized looking around. He had no desire to relax anymore. Not with a new possible direction to go into.

"Come on- I know where we can find some potassium nitrate! That make Really Good range for spells." Noctis declared. Starting to pack up his things. Ifrit all the while looking upwards and not even paying attention to him.

Noctis spend the next few days traveling South East. Eventually coming to the production plant in Coernix Station, on the south side of the disc. There was a ware house there that stored raw chemical materials in it's past life. Noctis was a little worried when he drove up in his small stolen car, and saw the barbwired barricades. Thankfully none of the previous occupants to the station had been as interested in the chemicals as Noctis was. From what he could tell this settlement had also fallen to some sort of shoot out, or raid. Many of the previous occupants lying twisted and fallen in the road or buildings. Most of them with bullet wounds of some kind.

The entire area here was being covered in ash from the volcano. It formed a thick layer on the ground, and Noctis' boots crunched as he walked across a thin crust of the stuff. He pulled out a face mask from his Armiger and wore it as he raided the area. Finding what remnants of food the unknown Marauders had left behind, as well as anything else that could be of use. The Armiger was such a handy spell when it came to scavenging. Anything Noctis could pick up, he could take with him. Storing it inside a space pocket until he needed it. He didn't need to worry about picking to many things up, or the weight of carrying so much stuff around with him.

Noctis picked Coernix, Saxham, the nearby Niflheim Fort clean. Returning back to Hammerhead with more than enough matrials to last him for a long, good while. He used the key that Prompto had left for him, and opened up the garage again. Utilizing the tools he knew were on hand, and providing a few of his own.

Noctis wanted to build a spell that could reach high enough to pierce the barrier- hopefully exposing enough sunlight to do... SOMETHING.

Usually spells only went about as far as he could throw them. Noctis had been taught by his father that adding certain things to spells could give them diffrent secondary effects- and potassium nitrate specifically could make the spells push in a direction. Kind of like a fire work pushed off from the ground.

It took Noctis a few days of failed attempts. However on the fourth day he managed his first proper launch. A fire spell going off just about higher than the roof of the Hammerhead settlment. A major success in his book. After that twice, or three times a day the sky above Hammerhead would light up breifly with explosions, frost clouds, or lightning balls. Getting increasingly higher and higher with each launch.

The first time Noctis launched a multi-cast it exploded three times across with fire. Creating quite a large cacophany of noise. It nearly damaged the metal pavilion above him. Noctis winced, wondering if he perhapse should have moved further away to set the spell off. Instead of just doing it in the garage parking lot.

Ardyn appeared suddently- as he so tended to do. Walking out of Takka's Eatery. Hands covering his ears. "The world has already ended, Noct! What in are you trying to do?! Blow it up?!" He asked loudly. Hands over his ears and yelling over the noise.

Noctis turned. Covered in sulfer and smoke from mixing chemicals for the spell. He took off his ear protection, "Prompto said that the scourge creates a barrier between us and the sun! Kind of like the barrier that we had around Insomnia! I just need to pierce it- and we might be able to get sunlight back!" Noctis explained eagerly pointing up.

Ardyn stared at him with wide eyes. "You realize that the word barrier implies that it will take some force in order to break it?! I doubt a fire work, even a large one, is going to do anything." "Well this is just the start." Noctis held out his hands demonstratingly, "Trust the process Ardyn! It's science." Ardyn scowled, "If you just killed me this would all be over!" he reminded Noctis, "You kill me, and that barrier goes away!"

"But what if we can just get rid of it ourselves?!" Noctis proposed. Still having to should since Ardyn was on the other side of the station. "It's just a wall afterall!"

Ardyn stomped closer. Tired of shouting from across a parking lot. "Yes. A wall up near the stratosphere." Ardyn raised a hand, as if to demonstrate the height. "You do know how high that is?!"

Noctis looked down at his watch. Then looked up. "When the rock I launched falls, I'll know how high this one went." As if on cue a heavy fist-sized rock landed on the ground a few meters away with a solid thud. Breaking against the concrete road into chalky dust and smaller material.

"22 seconds." Noctis marked picking up a journal to make a note. "That should be- about." Noctis picked up a graphing calculator from his work bench, and started caclulating the formula.

"That would be 2.3KM-" Ardyn supplied almost instantly. His late husband HAD been a mad scientist- and Ardyn their partner in crime for a reason. "But what was the initial velocity?"

"The what?" Noctis asked. He set down his graphing calculator, and then opened up a physics book he had scavanged from somewhere. "No- I just need to caculate the falling velocity." He said with confusion.

"Not if there is an initial velocity." Ardyn looked like he couldn't belive that he was having to explain this, "and it curved. It went nearly six meters to the side!" Ardyn pointed. "That is going to add variance. Also- don't you realize how increadibly dangerous that is!? You could kill yourself with falling debris like this!"

"No- look." Noctis pulled back his hair with both his hands. It was getting long, he really needed to cut it. "It doesn't matter. If we can launch something high enough- It should work. I just did a max distance Flaraga, and then I tried to boost it to go up in stages- you know like burst and then burst- but I think I messed up the timmings." Noctis squinted up at the sky. then over at his work bench. A table he had set outside filled with flasks and spell materials.

"If I can figure out how to do a multi-stage thing. Maybe we can get samples? or data? Or whatever we need to break through!"

Ardyn placed a hand over his face. "Noct. You are litterally just launching rocks into the sky. Aren't you?"

Noctis puffed out his cheeks. "The only diffrence between science and not science is writting stuff down." Noctis argued. Closing his physics text book. He set the text book down, and picked up a clip board, which he was taking notes on, "And I'm writting things down- and learning as I go."

Ardyn scubbed at his face with disbelife. "Lucians. I should have expected as much."

"Dude. I'm not exactly a scientist by trade." Noctis reminded Ardyn defensivly. His shoulders slumped, as he looked over his work bench. "I wish Prompto were here... he would know better how to do this."

Ardyn rolled his eyes. Doubting a gunsman who constantly radiated 'baby chocobo' energy would have any more insight than the prince. Well. Ardyn said that knowing fully well that Prompto was also the clone of the most brilliant human to probably walk the earth. Mabye Prompto would have figured it out, eventually. Perhaps even faster than most other humans.

Arydn sighed, then held out a hand, asking for the clip board. "Well first start out with telling me what you have tried." He requested.

The two of them spent the next week going over Noctis' designs and what he had attempted thus far. Ardyn brought a lot to the table. Surprising Noctis by just how much the man knew when it came to physics, and chemical compounds.

"I didn't realize you were a genious." Noctis remarked one morning, as Ardyn was explaing to him how to make a chemical buffer that would allow Noctis to set stages through out his spells more easily. Hopefully giving them the ability to launch the spells in more deffined stages.

Ardyn just stared at him for a long moment. A hand streched out as he was in the middle of writting out a chemical formula on Cid's old chalk board. "Noct, who do you think BUILT the Niflheim weapons?" He asked rather seriously. "Expecially the giant demonic ones that were almost as big as Shiva's corpse?"

Noctis stared, at Ardyn for a moment, then thought about the notes and recordings he had discovered in Zengatus keep. He fidgeted with his pencil uncomfortably. He had always just assumed that the people working on such projects were faceless individuals. Not anyone he would ever actually meet.

"My husband worked for almost fifty years to learn how to make Magic, machine and flesh all cooperate with each other-" Ardyn turned back to the board and very pointedly, finished writting the chemical formula. The chalk stirking the board angrily. "This is not something you can just FEEL OUT, and construct with a basic understanding of math and physics. This is the kind of research someone dedicates their life to figuring out."

"Wait. Your husband?" Noctis only really picked up on the first sentance Ardyn spoke, "You're married??" To a man? was the words he wanted to tack onto the end of his statment. Noctis felt his heart stir with jealousy. Long burried desires threatening to come up again. Same sex marriage was heavily looked down upon in Insomnia. Expecially within the higher nobility. If Noctis had not been the Prince... perhaps in another life... he could have so openly been in a relationship with someone. Well, not just anyone. Three specific people. Noctis felt the holes in his souls bleed regret.

The sound of Ardyn throwing the chalk into the board's tray angrily, made Noctis jump. "WAS married." Ardyn stated bitterly, "He's quite dead now."

Noctis winced realizing he had deffinitley crossed a line anyhow, "I'm sorry."

Ardyn turned, and sighed, "I should not be so bitter. His deaths were my own doing."

"I'm... sorry?" Noctis said with less certainty.

Ardyn wasn't looking at him though. He was doing that thing where he looked at nothing and spoke, "I just... I didn't want him to get stuck like I am. Trapped with no guaranteed end. Living past your lifetime... it tears apart your mind."

Noctis stared at Ardyn for a long moment. Having no fucking clue what the man was talking about. "You miss him then?" Noctis asked.

Ardyn raised up his head, and looked back at Noctis. "Very much so." He admitted, then turned back to the board. "Now, about this formula-"

The next few launches were just trials- building up to a more formal launch. However Noctis saw an immediate progress in how high the spells were reaching. With their first 'practice' launch being almost nearly twice as high as Noctis' highest attempt thus far. That was very promising. However as they refined their launches- they did not seem to be able to make it high enough to affect the scourge above them.

Noctis's magic could light up the dark skies. Sending demons in the sandy desert running, screaming, and in some cases even disolving upon contact with the light. That was only with intense, short bursts however. Noctis could do those. Or make the spells linger for a long time and keep the demons at bay. Similar to the wall of Lucis- but more ethereal than.

After weeks of attempts however- it was clear that while Noctis' light magic was impressive; they just did not have enough height to dispell the scourge barrier blotting out the sun.

One day found them trying three diffrent launches, trying to direct the spell *upwards* to see if that could do anything. All three launches were failures though. Without any sort of stabalizing mechanism the first beam of light created a spot light that shot out into the dark- and illuminated the Adamantoise corpse laying just past the three-corners outpost. The second they managed to direct upwards, but it was at an angle and didn't reach the scourge barrier. Ardyn and Noctis finetuned the directional spell once more- and managed to get a direct cast upwards towards the scourge barrier... only for it not to reach the height they needed.

Noctis was disheartened by this point, to say the least. He sat in Cid's old lawn chair. Looking up at the lower, actual storm clouds gathering above them. Though the rain didn't quite reach the ground. Evaporating before it landed and making the entire area muggy.

Ardyn meanwhile fiddled around in the garage, which had become their main working station. Sand crunched under Ardyn's boots as he approached. A thoughtful tone to his voice. "I don't think these flasks are going to cut it." Ardyn declared, "I think we might need to try something diffrent. Do you have a staff?"

"A staff?" Noctis asked with confusion.

"Magic flasks are good for customizing spells, and are reusable." Ardyn explained, making a cupping shape with his hands, "and how you are stringing them together to go off in stages is very innovative. Expecially since you can enchant these to such high multi-casts. However you can only channel so much into them- and we need more lifting power in order to." Ardyn made a vauge motion with his hands. Like he was holding a pole arm. One he weilded up towards the sky. "I think a staff would be better suited for what we are trying to acheive."

"You mean like a staff-staff?" Noctis asked. His mind going to portrates of Kings, sages or mystics weilding long, garrish sticks. A particular God came to mind as well. Noctis had seen Rhamu's staff up close on several occasions. He still remembered the first time the Astral God sent it through the ceiling of one of the dungeons they were crawling through. Aranea had been very confused how a giant rod as thick as his arm span could be slammed through so many layers of rock and earth without leaving hole or collapsing the whole structure. Ignis had told her to just be greatful and not think about it too hard. Astrals didn't nessesarily exist in the same physical plane as them afterall. Prompto- who had been right at the center of it all when the God intervened, and very much should have died from the mighty impact, walked around dazed for almost the rest of the day.

"I have never used one." Noctis admitted.

"A staff is an extension of yourself." Ardyn held out his hands, to demonstrate length. "They enhance a person's control and help to channel their magic. A wand meanwhile is short. About the length of your forearm." Ardyn pointed from his elbow, then his wrist, "Wands were the predicessor to these flasks. You could charge them with one spell, and then set them off. Sometimes they were reusable. Most of the time they were not. Wands and flasks. They can be preloaded with magic then set off." Ardyn surmized, "So they are very handy for combat- you don't need to concentrate as much. Staffs require concentration to use though. They are not ideal for use in battle. I suspect this is probably why they fell out of use."

Noctis chewed his bottom lip. All of this sounded good. In theory. "I have not heard of anyone using a magic staff before. Like ever. The only person I know who has one is a God. You know?"

"Well. I didn't even know about flasks until about twenty years ago." Ardyn put his hands on his hips, then shrugged. "A lot changes in 2,000 years."

"Okay, so a staff." Noctis scratched the back of his neck. "Do you have one we can use?"

"Staffs are generally an extension of one's self. It would be best if you made your own." Ardyn considered something, rubbing just the tip of his chin, "For how much energy you will need to channel, we are deffinitley going to need mythril."

"Mythril. Damnit." Noctis thought of the Vesperpool, and the Steyliff Grove. The only source of Mythril he knew of. "That's litterally on the other half of the continent. A five days drive at the least."

Ardyn tilted his head to the side, "What about the mythril you and your friends collected?" He asked.

Noctis leaned back in Cid's old chair. Resting his hands ontop of his head. "It went into parts for the boat we used to get to Altissia." Noctis explained.

Ardyn nodded slowly, "Okay then. Where is the boat?"

"..." Noctis looked at Ardyn. Then he looked South.

It felt like going full circle. Returning to Galdin Quay after about three months of stumbling around a world of ruin. Thankfully his father's boat had not drifted off to sea. It was not easy to moore a boat with only one person- and Noctis had not been in the best mindset when he has set the boat's anchor. Gladio's insistance on Noctis mastering basic rope ties paid off though. His father's boat was still safley secured at the dock.

Getting there was a pain though. The once resort had become a nest for goblins. Creatures who were not nessesarly dangerous on their own- but their ability to move objects invisibly made entering the pier dangerous. That coupled with the freezing ocean below made the situation perilous. Noctis ended up having to cast one of his light spells with a flask to scatter the creatures. He then stood with a shield at the ready. Giving Ardyn the opportunity to get the mythril part out of the ship.

Things were going relativley well. Until Noctis heard a series of pinging sounds under his feet. The goblins were taking out the bolts of the walkway itself.

"Ardyn hurry up! We're out of time."

"I'm almost there! This last connection is-" Ardyn cursed "Whoever installed this greased it really well!"

Noctis looked over his shoulder at Ardyn. Who was waist deep in the engine compartment of the ship. The man had his hair tied back in messy bun. He had not wanted to wear his hat that day- because he had bad experiences with Goblins trying to knab the thing.

Noctis heard another ping beneath his feet. One of the poles connected to the pier began to strain. He warped over to Ardyn. The man was grimacing as he tried to fit a socket wrench onto a bolt. Trying to disconnect the mythryl part from the rest of the ship. A generous amount of grease was keeping Ardyn from getting a good purchase however.

Noctis switched to a great sword- and stabbed downward. Butchering the mechanism of his father's ship in order to cut the piece free. Ardyn made a surprised noise. The blade having only sunk milimeters away from his fingers. Not that Ardyn wouldn't have just regrown them, had he missed. Noctis dismissed his sword, reached in, and yanked the piece free with one hand. Just as the pier beneath their feet began to truely collapse. Falling out as the supports below them were no longer connected. Ardyn almost lost his balance and slipped into the water- but Noctis caught him by the scruff of his jacket.

Mythril part in one hand, Ardyn in the other Noctis gritted his teeth at the sky. Gathering his power and then willing himself and everything he was holding to go UP. The physical world did not want to comply with this wish. However, Noctis had enough magic to grab and then PULL it to his will.

With loud crash of magic Noctis and Ardyn disapeared. Then reappeared ten meters above the water. The Galdin Quay pier collapsing into the water below them. Cold and filled with chunks of ice. As dark and unforgiving as the sky above them.

For a breif moment they both floated. Suspended in glittering magic particles. Noctis for the first time since waking up from the crystal- summoned his full Armiger. Crystalized weapons appeared around him in a circle. Each of them shinning a brilliant sky blue. As concentrated as a demon-detering street lamp. Ardyn hissed- and his skin started turning scourge grey and fizzling. Many of the goblins below then started screaming. Noctis tightened his grip on Ardyn, then pointed with the mythril shaft towards the shore. Three of the weapons flew out- forming a line from between them and the short. Noctis focused on the closest- and then warped in quick succession. From the first to the second- and then to the third.

With that they were no longer over the freezing ocean. Free to land, or rather fall. Sand, and shards of magic exploded as Noctis and Ardyn hit the land at high speed. Both of them rolled over once, twice, before coming to a stop. Noctis found himself laying on his back, starring up at the shimmering weapons of his ancestors, which had traveled with him. Dizzy from the impact.

Ardyn, a little ways away from him was quiet for a long time. Then he surmized the experience with a simply. "Ow." Almost as if he wasn't actually in pain- but just wanting to acknowledge that such an event should have been painful.

"Sorry." Noctis winced, gathering his arms behind him, and sitting up. He had deffinitley strained his back doing this. He could already feel it seizing up on him. Around him the bright, shinning weapons around him flickered, and then dismissed themselves. Noctis felt the stasis hit immediatly afterwards. He fell back into the sand with an exausted 'wuf'. The feeling hitting him ten times as worse than normal.

Having more power apparently came with a deeper low. Warping with someone else usually took a lot out of him. Warping with succession was tricky, but doable. He had never chain warped while carrying someone else along though.

"You got sand in my hair." Ardyn complained. The ground crunching as he sat up. Noctis could feel himself passing out. The man's voice growing distant. Even as Noctis struggled to focus on it. "Still, that was an amazing recovery. How did you even DO that?"

"Noct?" Ardyn's voice hiked with concern. A sandy vissage leaning over him, as his vision tunnled. "Noctis!?"

Noctis woke up in the bed of a caravan. He was increadibly confused at first. Wondering why he would wake up so early. Unprompted. It was dark. Like the sun hadn't risen quite yet. He could just make out the sound of Ignis quietly working on something in the kitchennet. Probably doing the dishes- he didn't smell any sort of food being cooked or prepared.

Noctis's back hurt. He winced. Wondering if Gladio could give his back an adjustment before they got started for the day. He was really good at that. Massages as well. Ever since Noctis got injured as a child, Gladio had been studying physical therapy and the means to help Noctis maintain his constant spinal pain. If the Gladio had not inherited his position as a sheild, he probably could have been a chiropracter or something. Noctis greatly appreciated Gladio's skills in such an area. Since running around as much as they did, and fighting constantly would surley have destroyed his back by this point without some form of intervention.

For now Noctis exhaled, and gently began getting up from laying down. Intending to see if he could wake up Gladio- as he wasn't going to get any sleep with his back twitching and curling like it was.

Ignis turned from the kitchen sink. Only it wasn't Ignis. Noctis inhaled, as Ardyn turned around. His hair a mess, but still tied up in a bun. Jacket off, and white sleeves pulled up to his elbows. "Ah. I see you have returned." Ardyn said with some surprise. With that antiquated accent of his. "Splendid."

Oh.

Right.

Noctis felt himself sink. As the bleeding holes in his soul reminded him that his freinds were gone. No longer at his side. They were dead. The world was dead. All of this was just a pointless waist of time.

"Noct?" Ardyn asked with some concern. Setting down their main water flask in the sink. "How are you feeling? Any dizzyness? Nausea?"

Noctis shook his head. "I'm fine." he lied. Pulling his legs up to his chest. Noctis wrapped his arms around his knees and burried his face in his arms. "I just... you know."

Ardyn was quiet for a long moment. Noctis could feel that the scourged man understood what Noctis was going through. Ardyn gently set the water flask down. Then picked up the drinking cup he had been filling with water. Pulling up a plastic lawn chair to sit at Noctis' bed side. There was not a whole lot of floor space for it. However, with there only being two people using the caravan instead of one, Noctis supposed there might be more space than what he was used too.

"I feared when you first passed out, that you might have suffered a concussion." Ardyn admitted, taking a small drink from his water cup, before setting it aside. "Let me look at you?"

"What use is that going to do?" Noctis asked bitterly.

He hated being 'looked' at. People had been looking at him his entire life. He had been born under a microscope. The Gods had declared him as 'the choosen king' about two weeks before he was born. There had been a lot of dramatic glowing of the crystal. His father had gotten a vision of some kind. Luna's mother, the Oracle at the time, had made an official proclimation. Announcing to the world that the choosen King had just been born.

Ever since he was born Noctis had people watching him. Expecting things of him. Every toy he played with as a child was given a purpose. Every frustrated tantrum he had was treated like a judgment. People were always reminding him of what was expected of him. Of how he was supposed to fullfill their wishes. Noctis had not been allowed to live in PEACE- until he turned 17, bought his own apartment, and put three layers of security between his apartment and the world. Just so he had a space where he did not feel like a zoo animal.

"Well. I did used to be a healer in a past life." Ardyn reminded him, a touch of a smile appearing at the corners of his lips, "Belive it or not I was considered to be one of the best."

"You. A healer." Noctis shook his head. He did move though, so that he was sitting at the edge of the bed. Wincing as his back strained. "That's a scary concept."

"All healers are scarry people." Ardyn raised an eyebrow, "Belive you me when I say that anyone who knows medicine also knows where you are the weakest. Now. Hold out your hands? Straight out at chest height." Ardyn requested. He did some basic checks that Noctis was familiar with. He had spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital in his life. So much so that the Royal Medical ward was practically a second nursery.

"Is your back hurting you?" Ardyn observed rather quickly, as he checked to make sure Noctis had not injured himself in their fall.

"Yeah. A demon nearly cut me in half when I was like, five." Noctis explained, "So my back acts up some times. I messed it up pretty bad with that crash."

"Hmm. Let me see?" Ardyn requested.

"Sure." Noctis carefully turned. He wasn't particularly shy of his condition. Unlike Prompto, with his stretch marks. So Noctis carefully took off his shirt to let Ardyn assess the damage.

"Interesting." Ardyn looked over the injury, and asked him some questions. Noctis explaining his pain, and how it usually behaved. He used to take muscle relaxants when it got bad. However ever since Insomnia fell, he had not been able to get a prescription refilled. Gladio adjusting his back, and giving him the occasional massage helped. Ardyn, upon hearing this offered to adjust his back for him. Apparently knowing something of the process.

The man was surprisingly clinical. Ardyn remaining strictly professional- and not making even a single joke. It was very diffrent having Ardyn do this, than from what Noctis was used to. Usually when Gladio adjusted his back, his Sheild's hands lingered. Large, warm and comforting. Running along his skin from area to area. Sometimes giving Noctis goosebumps. Pressing into all the knotts and making them unwind.

Ardyn meanwhile took hold, applied pressure and then released. When Noctis' spine popped. It was beif. To the point. Purposeful. What usually took Gladio half an hour, Ardyn acheived in half the time. Noctis' back felt much better afterwards. However he felt like the room was cold. Devoid of... something.

It made him really missed Gladio. In a way Noctis had never realize he had wanted the other before.

"Better?" Ardyn asked once he was done.

Noctis rolled his neck, and rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah... Thank you."

"Anytime. Night Light. It's good to shake the rust off a little bit." Ardyn joked.

Noctis groaned with complaint, bending over, before snapping back up. "I told you NOT to call me that!"

"But you glow in the dark! and keep the demons at bay! Just like a night light!" Ardyn pointed out all to happily.

Noctis narrowed his eyes at him like an angry cat. Putting his shirt back on. unfortunatley the best way to deal with Ardyn's shennanigans was to ignore him.

Ardyn just smiled, "Hey, if I can't tease my great-great-great nephew, then it really is end of the word."

"Yeah. Whatever." Noctis grumbled. He finished putting his shirt back on, and then sighed. Already exausted. He was still completly out of magic.

"We got the Mythril." Ardyn guestured with his cup. Noctis saw that on the Caravan table there was the prize from the boat. "When we get back to Hammerhead we can work on shaping it properly. Then give this light spell another go."

"... Right." Noctis slowly stood up from the bed. Giving his back a few tentative stretches. Making sure it wasn't going to give out again. "I'm exausted, so let's try not to get in any kind of fight on the way back.

Ardyn drove them back to Hammerhead- because he did not like other people driving his vehicle. The specially modified lights on the car keeping the demons back. Noctis watched the road and dark landscape as they passed. Ardyn explaining to Noctis how they were going to build the staff, and what sort of other things they might need. Mostly just talking to himself. Something Noctis was somewhat used to by this point. Ardyn could talk to himself for hours, not carring whether or not anyone was paying attention. Noctis stared off into the dark landscape as it passed. Eventually drifting off and taking a nap.

Ifrit was waiting for their return. Sitting against the side of the Car Garage casually, a sword resting on one shoulder. None of the other demons dared to approach the corrupted God. So Ardyn had instructed him to stand guard to their work area. That way they had at least some saftey to return too.

Noctis got out and moved the gate for Ardyn, who parked his car just on the other side of Cindy's old rig, at the pump station.

Previously Noctis had done a lot of explaining to Ardyn on how he was chaining flasks and spells together. Now it was Ardyn's turn to explain to Noctis how magic worked when it was channeled through a singular, long form. Apparently it was important that Noctis' staff represent Noctis himself, more than anything. So the two went back and forth on designs, until they were able to come up with something they could feasibly construct- and would be easy for Noctis to attune too.

A week later, the two of them stood in front of Cid's garage. The final form of Noctis' Rod having taken shape. The main shaft was made from the mythril part of the ship, giving it a somewhat mechanical looking element. The center grip of the staff was formed from Noctis' favorite fishing rod. Though, it did not have the reel attached. The top end of the staff itself was a glass sphere, made out of several magical flasks he had fused together. The staff had initially been a bit short, and off balance. Until Noctis pulled out an old spear he never used anymore. Which he cut to length, and fixed to the bottom end of the staff. Putting a heavy, 20cm (8in) bolt on the inside of the end. Balancing out the weight of the mythril. The bottom end of this staff had a decorative point on it- one that kind of reminded him of Carbuncle's horn.

For that reason Noctis asked Ardyn to paint ruby red accents on the staff. The man once again demonstrating that with infinite time, people could pick up infinite skill sets. Ardyn was actually somewhat of a decent artist. Having drawn creatures and demons for taxonimy books in one of his many past lives.

Ardyn started by painting the staff jet black, then going over it with a small paint brush. Giving the staff tiny, intricate details in gold and ruby red accents. Ardyn had transformed the staff from cobbled together scraps to an actual cohesive piece. Creating something Noctis could, and did classify as a piece of art. The final design was subtle, but intricate. Ardyn finished it with a clear coating to protect the paint from scratching, or chipping. Once the paint was dry, he took out a teal blue fabric scrap from his Armiger. He wrapped the grip area around Noctis' fishing rod. Then wrapped a thin strip around the base of the sphere, to make it look a little more grounded with the rest of everything.

Noctis was very happy with this. As the teal blue color was his favorite, and it balanced out the staff. Making it look more neutral; instead of dark and firey-themed. As a final, personal touch Noctis hooked his favorite fishing lure into the blue cloth near the top by the glass sphere. The same hook he had used to catch the Dread Grouper in Galdin Quay. Something that felt like a life time ago. A reminder of happier times.

When complete, the staff looked magical just by itself. It reminded Noctis of his favorite phone and mobile games. For the first time in his life Noctis felt like a proper MAGICAL prince. Weilding a giant and otherworldly looking staff.

I should have done this years ago Noctis grinned to himself, as waved around the staff and tested out it's weight. Striking some of the poses he had seen used in video games. Prompto would have gotten a kick out of that. Taking a million pictures... this thought sobered Noctis just a little bit. He lowered his staff, cupping and looking down at the glass sphere mournfully. Within the glass he could see where the flasks he had fused together intertwinned. From some angles it kind of reminded him of the Lotus flower that had represent Insomnia's 8 districts.

"What's wrong, Night Light?" Ardyn asked, walking over. Holding a cup of tea. "You look dimmer than usual."

Noctis pulled a face, and Ardyn snorted with amusement. Before taking a sip of his drink.

"You're worse than Ignis!" Noctis declared, turning his back to the man.

"Yes, Ignis really knew how to add some FIRE to a conversation. Didn't he?" Ardyn asked cheekily.

"Oh my gods." Noctis rolled his eyes, "Are you going to teach me how to use this thing? Or should I just smite you now and spare myself the pain?"

"Why not both?" Ardyn asked a bit too merrily. Anytime the man was happy, Noctis was miserable. This was a reoccuring theme that did not sit well with his stomach. "Come on, I belive there are a few cactus around that you can take your revenge on." Ardyn offered a bit more seriously. He took Noctis out of the Hammerhead settlement, and he had Noctis practice freezing dead plant life with his staff. That way he could get used to using the new weapon properly.

Over the next week Ardyn instructed him on the basics of how to use a magic staff. Focusing on making sure he knew the fundementals, and concepts that he could build off of. Channeling with a staff was very diffrent than using flasks. With flasks you filled them up, and then manipulated the magic with objects. Releasing the spell all at once. With a staff he manipulated the magic while releasing it at the same time. This took a lot more concentration, and casting spells was a LOT slower.

Using a staff was better than manipulating magic barehanded though. Noctis had learned to cast fire storms, and other large spells that could turn the tide of a battle with his hands. Spells his father had considered a nessesary evil, since they litterally turned the tides for battles and wars. Manipulating magic with just his hands was taxing. You could not control how MUCH magic you put out. It was either all of it, or none at all. That was one of the reasons why their Storm Glaives needed to alway have a support team- because they were pretty much guaranteed to hit stasis after casting their spell.

Having a staff allowed him to control how much mana he released. It was a lot easier to aim and control the magic as well. The best way he could describe it was casting magic with a staff was like digging a hole with a shovel, instead of just his bare hands. Noctis could acheive the same things; just faster and with a lot less exertion.

By the end of the week Noctis was already figuring out how to cast full scale fire storms, ice gails- and even call down lightning from the sky. Using the endless supply of demons as target practice. It was almost ridicously easy to do these things, given how much magical power Noctis had on hand. It felt sometimes like the elements were at his disposal.

He had so much RAW POWER to throw around.

None of it could give Noctis his friends back though.

"I wonder if you could teach me more of the spells that you can do." Noctis lamented one day. He was practicing casting simple light spells with his staff. Specifically he was trying to make a floating orb. Like he had seen mages and wizards do in games. It seemed like a simple enough spell- though it was turning out to be trickier than he had thought it would be. So far all Noctis had managed to make were flashes of light. Nothing sustainable. With his missle-like flask spells, he could make fire-work like explosions... but in order to do that he needed the right mix of components. Could he combine components with his staff? Somehow?

Noctis summoned light into the glass orb of his flask. Concentrating on it. Getting a feel for how it felt when he called it with his staff. Trying to figure out if he could command light into a shape or form.

"What do you mean?" Ardyn asked, not looking up from his reading material.

Ardyn was lounging on Cid's old lawn chair, wearing a pair of pink reading glasses. He was reading what looked like an instruction manuel for a car- something he had probably gotten from Cindy's office. Ardyn only seemed to read non-fiction books, genuinley. The first time Noctis caught the man casually reading a text book on plant biology he had done a very confused double take. Noctis supposed this might have been why Ardyn knew seemingly everything however- and also had a million diffrent talents. Since he casually just seemed interestied in learning about things things.

"I know you're turning yourself invisible whenever I annoy you." Noctis informed him. Making the sphere of his staff glow a soft, white light. He had thought the man was warping for the longest time. Just into oblivion. However some curious foot print tracks in the sand yesterday had given him a hint as to what Ardyn was really doing.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Ardyn asked. The pitch of his voice was amused. As if Noctis was close, but not quite getting the mark. It made Noctis doubt himself. Just for a moment. A glance behind him- and Noctis could see Ardyn's smirk.

The man was messing with him. "I know because of your foot prints." Noctis stood firm in his belife. Letting him know that he wasn't going to fall for such a trick. Again.

"Hmmm. I will have to levitae next time then." Ardyn hummed, turning the page of his book.

The light Noctis had summoned flickered with interest. "You can float?"

Ardyn looked up, raising one eyebrow, "YOU are. Right at this moment."

Noctis looked down at the ground, and then lowered himself down to it. The magic he had gathered for his light spells disipaiting. "That keeps happening." Noctis adjusted his feet and found his footing again.

Ardyn hummed, which had a nasially sort of twinge to it, "You need to gather your magic above you, not below you."

Noctis looked back at his staff, and then raised it up, concentrating on the glass orb once more. It started to glow again. This time his feet did not leave the ground.

Ardyn waited a moment before asking. "So what sort of 'my' magic were you wanting to learn?" he asked curiously.

"You can, like, do stuff that I can't." Noctis spoke, his concentration waivering on his magic. The light in his staff fluctuated. "Like turn invisible- and then there was what you did on the train that one time- switching places with Prompto."

"Illusions and tricks of the mind." Ardyn turned a page on the book he was reading, as if this were a boring topic for him, "I could teach you some, but the majority of those ability lay within the my Oracle aspects of my capabilities. I don't know how much you would be able to replicate."

Noctis light in his staff died out. He paused, then turned slowly. "I thought you couldn't use your Oracle powers at all?" he asked with confustion.

Ardyn was quiet for a long moment. Starring at his book without looking at it. The darkness that kept the world in a choke hold rippled unhapplily around them. It was a warning that he was crossing a line.

"No. Hey. I didn't mean it like THAT." Noctis tried to do damage control. Ardyn always got sensative when he thought Noctis was trying to strong arm him into something.

"Why would would you even need such things in the first place?!" Ardyn snapped his book closed. Clearly having none of it.

Noctis did not apprectiate the man's tone. He scowled. The mood between the two of them souring.

"Noctis you forget that this. ALL OF THIS." Ardyn rose up from his chair, 'It ends with both myself and you dying. No magic I teach you will change that."

Noctis wrung the grip on his staff between his hands. Gritting his teeth. "I haven't forgotten that." He told Ardyn firmly, "But I haven't given up yet either! We can find another way."

"To accomplish what?" Ardyn asked with frustration, "To live?! You want to be alone for etternity?! Why would you tourture your self as such?!"

"I just want to make sure the world has a future!" Noctis raised his voice. Getting fed up with Ardyn's self-destructive mood swings. "You really want to just leave things the way they are?! Look at everything!" Noctis guestured to the station around them with his staff, "It's just stagnant and unmoving!"

"The darkness will go away once I am dead! I'm the source of all of this- remember?" Ardyn placed both hands on his chest. "This is all because of me! Kill me! and it all goes away!"

"THEN WHAT?!" Noctis raised his voice angrily. Thunder rumbled, and clouds began to form above them. "If you're the darkness- then I am the LIGHT! If we both kill each other what is left Ardyn?! Tell me!"

Ardyn didn't answer he turned away. About to run- just like the man always did.

Noctis took a step forward. "TELL ME!!! What is left?!"

Ardyn didn't meet his eyes. The man looked angry and upset. Ardyn clenched and unclenched his jaw. Then just disapeared. Noctis glared at the space, and marched forward. He reached out to where Ardyn was and tried to grab the man- but found nothing. Noctis looked around, and then raised up his staff. He slammed it on the ground. A concussive wave of magic shot out through the parking lot. It knocked over the chair and table Ardyn had been sitting in. His book flopped to the ground. A few of the other things they had taken to leaving outside the garage also scattered.

Noctis looked around, to see if he could see where Ardyn was. When he couldn't fing the man he then threw his staff into his Armiger with frustration. He walked into the garage, went up the stairs and face planted into the cot he had called home the last nine months or so. Screaming into his pillow.

Outside Ardyn dropped down from the shark-shapped pavillion Hammer head got its name from. He watched Noctis slam the door to the garage- and split into an entirely diffrent direction. Marching angrily through the grave yard Prompto had built for his companions. Then past them it into the darkness.

The next morning Noctis was boiling water for tea- or what he was pretended was tea these days. Given the lack of food, his diet was starting to get as weird as his father's had been. Noctis picked up the kettle, and turned off the gas stove. Then gently poured the hot water over Gyshal Greens he had found at the remnants of Wiz' post. He wasn't eating the fun-advertized chips, or the gimmiky vegtable food stuffs they sold. Litterally by this point, Noctis was supplementing his food with animal silage. He sighed waiting for the leaves to steep. What he wouldn't give for one of Ignis' world famous recipies right about now- or even just his toast.

The door to Taka's dinner opened. Noctis looked up as Ardyn stepped in. The man had deep bags under his eyes, and there were new cuts in his jacket and clothes. Like Ardyn had run into something nasty and LET it attack him. A very concerning pattern that had been developing off and on for a while... which neither of them wanted to address.

"Hello, Night Light." Ardyn greeted Noctis tiredly.

"Hey." Noctis reached over, and picked up Ardyn's bright pink coffee mug. "Tea?" he offered.

"Please." Ardyn sat down at the dinning bar. Noctis poured him a cup.

Noctis spoke as he served Ardyn, "About yesterday. I'm not going to make you wait forever..." He promised, "Just give me a bit more time. Please. We aren't out of dead ends yet."

Ardyn turned the cup around by the handle. Using just his ring finger. He sighed, taking hold of the handle. "Okay."

Noctis pushed himself that day with his light magic. Almost into Stasis- however he managed to cast light outside of himself, and sustain it for a short period of time. The trick apparently was that he had to multi-cast the light with another element. Creating bolts of lightning that didn't just light up the sky, but lingered like an over exposed photo. Cold mists that glowed errily. As well as fire that crackled a sky blue, rather than red. Spells that did a LOT more damage to demons. Cutting through them like a knife through butter.

Noctis slowly started with small light-infused spells, and then built up to large and larger phenomena. He learning his limits, but then slowly got better manipulating his magic with his staff, and found that he could go further. Noctis could feel himself GROWING as a magic user. In a way that was not artificially elivated by something else. Such as the Crystal, or the Ring. Noctis had never really considered Magic a skill he needed to train. Like his weapon fighting, or fishing skills.

The more Noctis progressed however, the less Ardyn seemed keen on watching or joining in. Noctis was begining to pick up that Ardyn's mood went up and down. Kind of like Noctis' own did sometimes. So when Ardyn said he didn't feel like getting up just yet, Noctis let him rest in. Knowing exactly how that felt. He also didn't say anything when he came back from a day of working on spells, to find Ardyn still burried inside of his bed. One arm sticking out of the covers. Gray and lifeless, just like many of the other corpses that dotted the landscape. Noctis had experienced similar depressive episodes himself. However it was strange being on the opposite end of one. It was strange. To wake up. Get himself ready for the day. Make a small breakfast. Then bring a cup of 'tea' to Ardyn's bed side. The only indication that the man was even moving being the fact that the previous cup had been emptied.

It was disheartening; because Noctis knew Ardyn was suffering the longer things dragged on. Noctis was making a lot of progress. He could see it. Feel it even. The distance between him and the sky still seemed impossibly far though. Noctis' magic only seemed to be able to reach so far... perhaps it was time that Noctis try to get closer himself.

Noctis had flown once. Durring his fight with the Leviathan. Suspended by a combination of Lunafreya's magic, as well as his own. He could also hover, for breif moments. When he summoned his Armiger, or warp mid-air. Suspended by the summoning of magic. After some expirimentation, Noctis learned that by concentrating magic underneath himself he could float, and even somewhat hover a little bit. It was tricky, to balance. Overall it was more like Noctis was making himself less bouyant than anything else.

The first few attempts he made at going higher ended up giving him scrapped elbows, and having him fall face first into the desert sand. Until Noctis got wise, and pulled out the old camping matts the hunters who had stayed in the Hammerhead Station store had been using once upon a time. Noctis placeing them out in the desert to use as a fall pads. After a few days of trial and error, Noctis managed to figure out the trick.

It was like a light switch being turned on in his head. One morning Noctis was carefully hovering between landing cusions, trying to get the hang of things. Then he realized that what he needed to be focusing on was not nessesarily where he was- but where he wanted to be- and Noctis then was flying. He was free from the confines of gravity. Acheiving the same floating freedom he had durring his fight with the sea goddess. He found himself laughing and then letting out a whoop as he pulled upwards and outwards. Noctis was soaring above the desert, a singular glowing light in the dark. He swooped downwards picking up momentum. Flying above the earth just about as fast as a car. Grinning ear to ear with this new found wonder.

Then without warning, he hit stasis.

Noctis was very lucky to have been traveling low to the ground. He was very unluck to have been traveling fast. Noctis hit the ground and tumbled. His staff fell away and disolved into light. Noctis kept rolling though, trying to keep his arms in and his head from hitting anything. He came to a skidding halt at the bottom of a hill. Dizzy. Bruised on every inch of his skin- and featuring a fresh coating of cactus needles and slime. He had to lay there just for a minute, catching his breath and trying not to pass out.

He wasn't quite successful with the latter. Jolting awake after an indeterminite amount of time. Noctis groaned as he sat up, and took stock of himself. It was not fun to limp back to Hammerhead- summoning and then using his staff as a walking stick. Noctis knowing very well how luck he was to not have broken anything- expecially his NECK. His back needed another adjustment. Noctis didn't want to bother Ardyn however, so after he clean himself up he just laid down in his bed, and tied to sleep it off.

Noctis had to take a week to recover, and afterwards he was a lot more careful of where and how he was flying. Instructing Ifrit each time before he took off to follow him, and catch him if need be. Noctis hoving just above the gian god's hands as he practices moving from one point to another. It took a LOT of magic in order to fly. Noctis couldn't pause mid-flight to recover his magic either. He needed to purch on something in order to replenish his supplies. Meaning that even though he was free from the ground- he was still not able to go too far from it.

Noctis could get a considerable amount of height by just going up- however he was warry to do so. Going high up risked him just falling to his death- and even with as much height as he could have possibly gainted- it was negligable when you considered that he needed to reach the tops of the very atmosphere of the planet. Noctis could fly, but he wasn't going to be able to fly up and then CAST a spell powerful enough that it could cover the distance. He could probably cast just as far from the ground- where he did not have to worry about falling to his death after hitting stasis.

Noctis had freed himself from the ground. However That damned barrier of scourge was just so unreachable. It wa increadibly disheartening. Noctis found himself training and practicing with less and less enthusiasim. Instead flying off to diffrent points in the desert and just looking up at the dark sky bitterly.

Noctis one morning found himself marking off a full year on his calander. His watch providing him with a date that was rather arbitrary by this point. Noctis had been keeping track of his progress on the pin up calander Takka had kept in his office. He marked the day off. Then rested his forhead against the wall. Closing his eyes.

He stayed like that, until the tea pot behind him began to whistle.

Noctis set down Ardyn's tea cup on his bed side table, where he put one every morning. Or their equivilent of one. He then gently moved one the chairs from a nearby desk, to sit at the older man's bed side. Ardyn had taken over Cindy's old room in the garage- while Noctis had taken over Cid's. Most of everything in Cindy's room was bright yellow, with accents of a burnt orange. The same color as it's previous owner's personality. Ardyn had made the room even brighter by adding pink pillows, fluffy blankets with patterns; even most of the stuffed creatures on the bed were Ardyn's. Noctis recognized only one of Cindy's. A chocobo that Prompto had gifted her at one point. It was sitting outside of Ardyn's nest, on the window sill.

Ardyn stirred as Noctis sat down. Peaking out to giving him a somewhat confused look. Considering it had been a few weeks now, and Noctis had done nothing but bring him tea and exchange a few words. Noctis figured the fact that he was sticking around to talk warrented the confusion.

Noctis clasped his hands together, and after a pause got straight to the point. "I need to go make another food run." He stated.

Ardyn stirred some more. Actually sitting up to look at him. Starting to fully wake up. He frowned looking around the room somewhat dazed.

Noctis sat back in the chair. Running a thumb across his other hand's knuckles. "I've got about... a month's left? I already raided everything from here to the Cornex Station. So... I'm probably going to just to straight to Lestallum." He explained.

Ardyn gave him an indesipherable look. "Oh." He said somewhat quietly, and shifted. Setting aside a stuffed cactuar, he sat himself up. Shifting a mountain of heavy blankets and pillows with little to no issue. His hair was greasy from not being washed, and he had an actual beard now. Similar to Noctis' own. Ardyn scratched at the new growth. Looking somewhat confused. Almost like he didn't know how long he had been lying in bed for.

Noctis closed his eyes. Having to prepare himself for his next words. "After I come back. I want to go to Insomnia."

Ardyn's eyes widdened with surprise. "I'm sorry??"

"My dad has a library full of information, on magic and the crystal. Litterally two centuries worth of notes." Noctis explained his reasoning, "If we can not find out a solution there then..." Noctis trailed off, then swallowed, "Then perhaps we might have to do things the way the Gods intended."

They were running out of options. As much as Noctis hated to admit it. That was what was becoming apparent to him. He had wanted to walk his own path for once, just once in his life. However it seemed others had once again made it impossible to do so.

Ardyn looked down at the foot of his bed for a long time. He turned back to Noctis, and was about to say something.

Noctis didn't notice, he stood up. Interupting Ardyn, "I'll be back in a week or two." Noctis informed Ardyn quietly. With more steadyness and confidence than he actually actually felt. "Just... if you're not going to wait for me here. I will find you in Insomnia." He promised. Then shortly after left the room.

Ardyn watched Noctis go. Then fell back into his pillows. He crossed his hands over his chest, and stared up at the ceiling. When he he heard the door downstairs close, Ardyn shot up. By the time he got untangled from the bed, summoned his coat, found his shoes, and walked outside; Noctis was already packed and ready to drive out into the dark. Taking the small car he had picked up at some point with him; instead of Ardyn's much more comfortable and reliable convertable.

Noctis looked up from the driver's side door as he walked up. Clearly surprised to see Ardyn up and about. Given that he has spent the last number weeks wallowing in his bed.

Ardyn reached out and squeezed the younger man's shoulder. Closing his eyes for just a moment. In another life he would have offered his estranged nephew a blessing of protection on his journey. Or perhapse a bit of luck. Instead all Ardyn could offer was as, rough. "Be careful, Light." His voice groggy from disuse.

Noctis nodded, and then after a while, drove off into the dark world once more.

Ardyn watched Noctis go from behind the barriers surrounding Hammerhead. Then he went back into the work shop. Taking a shower and shaving. His hair had gotten so long. He had to tie it into a braid, after he cleaned it- just so it would not be in the way.

Once Ardyn was clean he retreived the pink mug he had been using as his personal cup. Sipping the cold, sour mixture Noctis had been pretending was tea for the last few months. Considering his options. He could continue to wallow in shadows, or he could get up and do something. Ardyn did not want to go back to Insomnia, to be honest. He had spent ten years in the city by himself. Only leaving occasionally to see what a mess the world had become. Being so stagnant, and with nothing to do had driven him only further into to maddness. Though perhaps at some point that maddness had become sanity again. Given how civil he had been when meeting Noctis... how long had it been? Ardyn wasn't sure by this point.

Ardyn decided to not go back to Insomnia alone. By this point he did not care the throne. If anything, he thought that it probably should not have been allowed to exist in the first place. Ardyn shrugged on a coat that was mostly tattered holes by this point. Then walked to the far side of the Hammerhead. Off to the side where a parking lot and a small plot of earth had once been, and now was Ifrit's designated space.

One of Noctis' side projects for the first month he was in Hammerhead had been to make more of a home for the Corrupted God. Noctis had collected a bunch of scrap from the desert, and remains from a hunting camp out west. Figuring out how Cid's welder worked, and fashioning a chair of sorts. The Infernate now had a proper place to sit, or lounge. One that was completly (mostly) fire proof.

It was a sign of madness in Ardyn's opinion. To even worry about such a thing. Ifrit had been as perfectly comfortable on the ground, as he was on the lounge chair Noctis had made for him afterall. Noctis was a King though, and Kings were made to look after their people. It was not Noctis' fault that the only 'people' Noctis had to rule over were Ardyn, and an empty puppet of a God. Noctis treated Ifrit with a lot more kindness than Ardyn ever bothered too. However, sometimes it came off like Noctis saw the Astral akin to a family pet more than anything. A spoiled pet- in Ardyn opinion. Noctis seemed to have forgoten at some point that Ifrit too bore the weight of sins. Having once tried to kill every human on earth.

Ironic that Bahamut, who had supposedly stopped Ifrit, had succeded where the Infernate had not. He wondered why that was. What between now and then had changed the Dracoian's mind?

As Ardyn approached, Ifrit opened his eyes. Then sat up from where they were resting on their make shift cot. Lounging as they did when not called by them.

"Been a few days. Care to try again?" Ardyn asked, and then held up a hand. Mentally directing Ifrit to move.

The God reached down with one hand, and held it out for Ardyn to step onto. Ifrit easily picked him up. Moving back to laying back on his cot. Holding Ardyn in his hand, where he could sit and work.

Ardyn exhaled and then shook out his arms. He then reached out. Touching the main jewel of Ifrit's crown. Where the God's mind was supposed to be centered.

He reached out into the God. Feeling all of the dark and scourge Ardyn had placed there. It was like reaching into a pot of raw sewageoiling. Ardyn back pedaled the second he touched it. Removing his hand from Ifrit.

"No. No no." He backed away from the feeling immediatly. He hated this. Touching things. Reaching out to them. He hated how vulnerable it made him feel. Reminded him of how many times people had used his want to heal and help others as an opportunity to hurt him.

Ardyn didn't want to be reminded of what he had become. How much of a monster he was. This had been a mistake. Just as it had been a week or so ago- when he had first thought about doing this. Ardyn sat back in Ifrit's palm. Retreating into himself once more. The God continued to hold him in the cup against his chest. Not expecting anything of him. Just silently waiting.

Ardyn bristled at the perceived attention. "You're probably laughing in that prison I've put you in." Ardyn lashed out at the God angrily. "All this started with me corrupting you afterall. Or rather Bahamut corrupting me. I guess."

Ardyn fell silent. Remembering when he had first been given his powers. He had always wondered why the power to heal and help people had felt so... invasive. When Bahamut had gifted him his powers it had felt like the God had hammered a rod of pure golden light inside of his soul. One that attacted darkness, like a magnet attracted metal shavings.

When Ardyn absorbed darkness and illness, he needed to hold onto that center of light. The more he absorbed, the got harder and harder to sort through everything to find that light. It was hard to remember that he had been fully human at one point. Ardyn found himself starring down at his hands.

Ardyn clenched his hands tightly. "I just need to find that core again." he told himself. Then reached out, and place a hand on Ifrit's crown once more. "Okay." Ardyn closed his eyes. Meditating. Trying to find his center.

He could feel the dark energy inside of him. An endless well of condemed souls. He could also feel them inside of Ifrit. Which he had placed there. Ifrit right now acted as an extension of him. The whole damned planet was. Ardyn could feel how he had infested and infected all of it. From the ground below, to the barrier blanketing the sky above. He was an overflowing spring that could no longer be contained. Drowning everything around him.

Ardyn hated it. Why won't Noctis just kill me and end this all? He dispaired. There was so much darkness- and no where to put any of it. The Scourge was just like the dead plants and bodies that littered the earth. It was removed from a natural cycle, with no where to go. No way to turn it into something new.

Ardyn sighed, and pulled away from Ifrit after only a minute or two. "I don't think this is happening today." He told the Infernate appologetically. The God lowered him away from his forhead. Setting Ardyn down on his stomach instead. Ifrit appraised him for a moment, then when not given any orders, turned his head upwards. Looking towards the sky.

Ardyn followed his gaze. Feeling like he had several peices to some sort of puzzle, but no way to connect them.

He tried again later, after he felt up to it. He didn't sit with Ifrit this time. Instead he folded his knees and knelt in true, proper mediation. Trying to clear his mind. Hoping that in the stillness he would be ablt to find that core of light inside of himself. The abilities Noctis kept asking about- that Ardyn knew could be a path forward for them.

Over the next few days Ardyn spent a lot of time meditating- and at least once a day attempting to cure Ifrit. Noctis had grown so much in power- but Ardyn found his own development being frustratingly stagnant. He felt like he was trying to keep a leaking ship from sinking, with only a single bucket.

Ardyn was actually surprised when Noctis came back so soon. He had said he would only be gone a week- but it felt only like five days at the most. Though granted, Ardyn did not exactly keep a consistent sleep schedule. Noctis usually kept track of time and days with his watch. Ardyn usually saw no reason to and just let time pass him by, as it always had.

With Noctis returning, and Ardyn not having any results on his end, it was time for them to go to Insomnia.

It was a little akward. The Choosen King returning home- but not to do his intended duty. Driven to the location by the very being he was supposed to kill. Noctis was quiet for the entire drive, clearly wrapped up in his own head. Ardyn was quiet as well. Trying not to expose his attempts at trying to find his older selves; and give the boy false hope. Ardyn still didn't know if it was possible afterall- or something he even wanted to see through.

Having Noctis kill him was still the better option in Ardyn's mind. He had existed long enough- and had no desire to stay around any longer. Noctis' change in additude upset him though. The words he had wanted to speak before Noctis had left. They had been encouragment for the boy not to lose hope.

Noctis standing on the steps of the Citadel was a sight to behold. Expecially considering Ardyn and Ifrit were standing WITH him, instead of against him. Noctis walked up the steps and opened the heavy doors with familiarity. Together they walked down the main corridor of the citadel. Dark with it's vaulted ceilings, and angelic depictions haunting the corners. The main inner junction of the Citadel was a piece of artwokr no matter how you looked at it. Four Angelic statues held crystal chandilers like grapes. The stone masonry made you feel like the roof above you was opening up to the heavens. Accented by gold metal, and black pain.

Ifrit's presence was enough to scare away any demons lurking about- but Noctis summoned his staff with a spinning motion. Then slammed it down on the ground with an effort of power. Delivering a shockwave of magic into the floor, up the walls, and down all four of the main corridors. The crystal chandileer lights above them flickered. Responding to the return of their true owner. The lights above them began to glow, and so did many lights around the building. Powered by magic that ran through the tiles and walls, rather than electical cables. The light made Ardyn wince as it illuminated him. Several demons could be heard screaming in the distance, dying. With a single surmation of effort, Noctis had exorcized the Building with his light magic. Save for the two demons standing on either side of him. Both of whom were smoking black miasma ever so slightly.

Noctis looked up, past the main junction. Where the stairs to the throne room were situated at the Northern most wing of the Citadel. Noctis picked up his staff, and turned. Walking away from it and further down into the corridor. Moving upstairs and into one of the towers of the Citadel. Where a library of ancient texts possibly held the answers he needed.

Ardyn was a little glad for them skipping over the grandest room of the Citadel. He felt it would have been really akward to explain why there were corpses hanging from the ceiling. Corpses Ardyn made sure to hastily remove the second Noctis went to sleep that evening. Tired from traveling from Hammerhead all the way back home, Noctis reclaimed his childhood room within the royal chambers and went to sleep early. Giving Ardyn the opportunity to sneak down stairs and clean up his previous sins.

Honestly, Ardyn didn't even know what his past self had been thinking. Hanging Noctis' loved ones from the ceiling of the throne room.

You weren't thinking, you were mad. Being torn apart by your own mind. A voice that sounded vaugley like his dear Verstael spoke to him. As Ardyn lowered Lunafreya's body in the secrecy of the night. Ifrit providing the elevation he needed to do so without dropping the corpse and splattering her across the floor. Something he would loath having to clean up.

Ardyn grimaced, back in Hammerhead he had not been haunted by his ghosts so much. He really didn't care for them. Even if it meant seeing his loved ones again in some form. He wrapped Luna's body in a white shrowd, and carried her off. Quickly before Noctis woke up and wondered where he had gone.

There was a hidden anti-chamber behind the throne- used as an escape route durring the attack on Insomnia. Ardyn had originally found King Regis there. Still laying in his own pool of blood. Ardyn set Luna to rest there. Along side her brother Ravus, King Regis, the Sheild Clarus, and Nyx Ulric. Five bodies once hanging from chains, now wrapped properly in shrowds and ready for eternal slumber.

"Not a formal Entombment." Ardyn told the lot, nervously. Here he was not even 8 hours into being back and he was already speaking to them again. A bad habit he had picked up in his ten years of isolation. Mental sanity was such a fragile thing. "... I think it will do though." He decided.

Ardyn turned to leave, but stopped short of the door. The bodies behind him weren't going to rot and decay. Not with how Ardyn had magically stitched them back together- and the fact that the eternal night seemed to have stopped decay all together some how.

Ardyn chewed on his bottom lip. The five would never be properly at peace. Just like the rest of the damned world. The least he could do was give them proper funeral rites. Yes? Yes.

Ardyn turned back around, and summoned a box of candles. He placed one at each of their heads, and then their feat. He then rummaged around his Armiger until he found flower petals. Or the best equivilent he had. Why Ardyn had a box of fake flower petals in his Armiger- he wasn't quite sure. He tended to pick up and pilfer anything that seemed interested. He did vaugley recal one of Verstael's assistants planning a baby shower at some point. Maybe these had been for that?

Ardyn lit the candles, scattered the petals. He wanted to say something sarcastic and witty; however if he was going through the trouble of doing this properly- he might as well DO it properly. Ardyn inhaled, and began to sing the hymm of the dead. He was a bit rusty, but you could never truely forget something you had trained for and done countless of times. Ardyn as a healer had also been in charge of putting those he could not heal to rest. He had sung this song for a countless number of people. For the poorest of wayfairing strangers. Over soilders who died in battle. Now he sang it for the highest of nobility on Eos. A King, his Sheild, and the Oracle.

The marble anti-chamber, with it's round walls provided surprisingly good accustics. Ardyn found himself leaning into the song with a bit more feeling. Perhapse even just a bit more than that. If he could do at least ONE thing properly, he hoped that it would be this.

The lament came to a end. Ardyn letting it go with a singular long note. Afterwards he stood in the silence. A silence that wasn't echoing, or empty. Rather one that felt properly... dead. Somehow.

Ardyn felt satisfied enough with the result. He doffed his hat to the corpses. Then closed the chamber behind him as he returned back to the throne room, then upstairs to the royal chambers. Noctis was still asleep when Ardyn peaked his head into the room he had claimed for his own.

The room was glowing ever so slightly, thanks to the light spell Noctis cast continually on himself. Thus why Ardyn had given Noctis the nickname 'night light'. Since he basically walked around as a glorified one.

Noctis' watch beeped, startling both of them. Noctis opened his eyes at the noise, tense. He then relaxed and reached over. Turning off the alarm. Before sitting up and looking around groggily.

"Good morning, Night light." Ardyn greeted him jokingly, "Did you sleep well?"

Noctis grumbled, rubbing his stomach. Complaining about the nickname, as well as Ardyn being such a 'morning person.'

"It feels like we are missing something." Noctis said a few hours later. As his search of the Royal Library and the Citadel's archive came to no immediate answers.

"My boy. I don't think anyone in the history of Eos has ever tried to resessitate the entire planet." Ardyn pointed out. Closing the scroll he was looking at and then placing it back on the shelves. Picking the next one at random. A lot of them were written by the Lucian Kings themselves, reguarding magical experiments they had done over the years. Verstael would have cut off an arm and a leg to be in this room right now. Ardyn looked up at the shelves and shelves of knowledge colleceted over the years. A deep pang echoed in his chest as he thought of his late husband. They would have spent weeks archiving and reading all of this- just for the sheer act of learning what they could find.

Noctis scratched the thick hair growth along his jaw. Ever since coming out of the crystal, the King had sported a beard similar to his father's. However in the last few days it had been getting longer, and scraglier. Almost as if Noctis was not bothering to keep up with its maintenance. Maybe he was thinking of growing it out? It was a fair bit colder here than in Liede. Ardyn had to put on another layer of clothes before they came into the library.

"Niflheim was all about doing weird stuff with morality and lives. You know, with clones and what not." Noctis remarked, "What does it take to bring a person back to life? Or to create one?"

Ardyn put the scroll he had pulled out back into it's place. He didn't need some ancient document to answer this question. "It take three components. A body, a mind, and a soul."

"A body. A mind and a soul." Noctis repeated, and then wrote that down in the journal he had been taking notes in.

"A body. That would be the planet." Noctis pointed down to his feet, then scrunched his nose, "Can a planet have a mind?"

"I would say the mind is the collective consious of the people on the planet." Ardyn infromed him, "Your magic- the magic of the crystal- is deffinitley more what I would define as the 'body'. Because it handles more physical elements. You can move earth, summon elements, bend space, that sort of thing. The Oracle powers meanwhile deal primarily in the connetions between people, and with the gods. Almost all of it it is up here." Ardyn pressed a finger to the side of his head.

"Meanwhile Crystal magic is done through the heart." Ardyn moved his pointed finger from his temple, to the center of Noctis' sternum. Tapping it twice. "Oracle magic and Crystal magic are two very distinctly diffrent things."

Noctis frowned, placing a hand over his chest. "Oracle magic can heal people's bodies though. Those are physical ailments."

"Yes. It takes a lot of WILL to do so." Ardyn explained. He took a step back and explained, making vauge motions with his hands. "When Luna heals people she doesn't sooth any actual injuries. She more has to... to force reality to be what she wants it to be. That is partially why her and her brother are so head strong. The magic takes a lot of will power... and alot of self-confidence." Ardyn added on somewhat guiltily. He thought of his own, secrative failures to access the power set again.

Ardyn could no longer center himself enough to access the magic. Find that core Bahamut had drilled into him so many years ago. Ardyn didn't want to BE himself anymore. He was too unbalanced. All the Oracles he had ever met: Lunafreya, Queen Sylva, Area. They had been head strong and unwaivering. The deffinition of unshakable. Mean while Ardyn... Ardyn was sandstone. An uneven surface, worn away by time. Cracked, chipped and shot full of to many holes. He had crumbled into dust long ago.

Noctis considered this. "Okay. So if the Oracle is the mind, and then I'm the body. Then what is the soul?" Noctis tapped his pen on the table, thoughtfully. "They say the Crystal is the Heart of the Planet. Is that it's soul?"

Ardyn considered this, and then shrugged. He wasn't sure to be honest. "Maybe?" Verstael had been the only he knew of to ever deal in SOUL. The scientist had figured out how to move a dying person's soul from on body to another. That was how he had created his Immortalis project. Ardyn, as involved as he had been in, had never actually seen his husband's notes on how he had figured out how to do this though. Perhaps it was something he should look into...

"Where is the Crystal by the way?" Noctis asked tentativley, "I can feel it nearby- but it's not where we usually kept it."

Ardyn was increadibly greatful Noctis had slept soundly the previous night. "I moved it. It's... hanging in the throne room. You know. For dramatic effect."

"Oh." Nocits chewed his bottom lip. "Do you think that... anything has changed about it?"

Ardyn considered this. He had not really been paying attention to the crystal the last night. To busy trying to get the corpses down. "I don't know for sure. Should we... go check?" "No." Noctis answered quickly, sitting up nervously, "No. I don't want to risk it. Risk... getting sucked in again." He admitted.

Ardyn winced in sympathy. He had woken up Noctis from more than a few nightmares. Ardyn's own experience inside the crystal had been just as dreadful. The face of his first wife tourturing him in the name of the gods. An endless white dimension. "Fair enough."

"But maybe we can reconfigure the Lucian wall." Noctis suggested. Laying his arms out across the table. Making an apeal toward Ardyn. "Think about it. The Wall didn't just repel demons, but destroyed them, and then protected large areas of land. Maybe we can modify that somehow? To like, cover the entire world?"

Ardyn considered this. "The Lucian wall is a spell that feeds off one's life force." Ardyn recalled, "Even with all your power, creating such a spell could very well KILL you."

"I mean, I am fated to die killing you anyway." Noctis pointed out, "This is just... instead of me blasting you with a bunch of energy maybe I just have to like... kill you in casting this spell? Maybe?"

Ardyn considered this, "I am all for complicating matters; but this sounds like two many hands on a single dial."

Noctis fell silent, but Ardyn could tell that he silengly agreed. Noctis played with a corner of paper on the book he had been skimming. "I know you want to die. I am not planning on leaving you alone for eterninty." Noctis restated his goal. Though this time there was a good amount of... uncertainty to them. Ardyn frowned. "I just want us to find out own way. You know? Do this withouth Bahamut getting what he wants."

Ardyn was quiet for a long moment. He looked out the dark window then over to the glowing man across the table from him. "Noctis. May I say something that is on my mind for a moment?"

Noctis rested his head in his hand, "Sure."

"I don't think bringing back the planet is the answer here." Ardyn introduced this topic, scratching his neck. "In the sense that: Life has a cycle. You live. You die. Your body decays and then new life comes from that process. I am starting to think that we don't need to bring the planet back- we need to RENEW it."

"Okaaay," Noctis dragged out the word throughtfully, "The planet is already dead. Look at it." Noctis guestured out the window.

"Dead; but it's not decaying." Ardyn made the distinction, "Nothing is rotting. Not the dead, nor the plants. Not even the buildings are crumbling- It's been ten years and none of the buildings here have even fallen victim to even the weather- and look at some of them! They were damaged quite badly."

"It is almost like the planet is being held in this state of." Ardyn struggled for the correct word, "stagnation."

Noctis was quietly thoughful for a moment. "I think I see what you mean."

"I think what we might need to focus on is to make sure that when the two of us pass- that the planet is not held in this perpetual suspension of... unchange." Ardyn struggled for the correct words once again. Trying to get the concept across. As there was not exactly any modern term for it. There had been 2,000 years ago. Back when death was only seen as the first step in a process. It just seemed that the world, just like humans, had forgotten what the rest of that process was.

"How do you think we should do that?" Noctis asked thoughtfully.

"I... don't know." Ardyn admitted, "That seems very much like a Astral's territory if anything."

"IS there an Astral of Rot?" Noctis asked, and then pushed back from the table. He was in a rolling chair, which navigated the marble tiled floor easily. Noctis rolled to a book case- almost as if he knew what he was looking for already. The King pulled out a heavy looking tomb- which had clearly been added onto several points through out history.

"Astral of Rot." Noctis crossed one leg, and opened the book on his lap. Starting to paging through the book.

"I had no idea there were so many messengers." Ardyn said with some surprise. The book Noctis was looking through was almost as thick as his thigh.

"Well they come and go-" Noctis explained, "There are other worlds than our own. As well as dimensions, the Six are tied to this plane specifically, but the others kind of go where they please-"

"You think it's possible to summon one?" Ardyn asked, doubtfuly.

"Maybe. It wouldn't hurt to look." Noctis continued thumbing through the book.

Ardyn waited paitently. For all of sixty seconds, "Does that book not have an index?"

Noctis quickly checked the back, then flipped back to the front, "No- and they aren't alphabetical either."

Ardyn rolled his eyes. Of course. Lucians were far from a reasonable and scientific people. They were centuries behind on following logic and reason- they didn't even use the metric system. He went back to looking through the library documents in general. Seeing if he could find anything else of interest.

"No astral of Rot listed." Noctis declared after an hour, thumbing back to a book mark he had made with his finger, "The closest thing is Etros- maybe? But she's a god of Death. Like Shiva. It says that she's just established and inisted on certain burial customs- so people pray to her to aid the dead on their way." Noctis read off, "There's more than one note here that she does NOT like to be summoned or called upon however. King Pious apparently tried to, and ended up with-" Noctis leaned in, squinting to read the words, "Consumption? I've never heard of that before."

"Oh. That is an old word for Turberculosis." Ardyn supplied readily. Noctis blinked at Ardyn, a blank look on his face. "My husband- the Chief of Research in Niflheim- his father helped aid and develop the vaccine for Turberculois."

Noctis blinked at him once more, "I... I'm sorry. What's Tuberculosis? Is that something that effects bones? Like Scoliosis?"

Ardyn stared at Noctis for a long moment. Marveling at the realization that Noctis had grown up not knowing about the infamous 'white plauge'. "You live in a very lucky age, my boy."

The two of time continued to go through the Royal Archive. Which annoyingly wasn't set up with a Dewey Decimal System- rather things seemed to be organized by the whims of the Kings through out the ages. The two gathered interesting documents on the central table. Noctis reading through them, while Ardyn perused books, and asked Noctis if a document sounded helpful or not.

The study and research method felt familiar to him. Ardyn was reminded of the simpler times when he would help Verstael look up things in a library archive, or just from within the man's own mountians of notes. Ardyn hummed to himself. As he trailed his fingers along a shelf. He came across a set of three books, all bounded with the same thick black leather. They were newer than most of the other books. Almost modern compared to some of the ancient scrolls and books. Curious, he grabbed the first, and pulled it out. The first thing he saw upon opening the book was a diagram of the crystal, measuring it's dimensions. All with modern annotations.

"Well," Ardyn purred, "I seem to have found something interesting."

Noctis looked up from the document he was currently reading. Ardyn showed him the skematic he had found. Noctis's eyes lit up. The whole King's body flashed, increading in intensity. "Dude! these are the skematics for the crystal chamber!" Noctis put the book he had been reading down. Reaching for the one in Ardyn's hand.

"I belive so." Ardyn handed Noctis the book, then went to collect the other two books.

Noctis set all of the other materials aside to prioriatize the crystal diagram. It took them a long time to digest all of the information. One book was filled with diagrams, blue prints, and lables. Another was filled to the brim with material lists, component descriptions, and assembly instructions. Meanwhile the third seemed to be an operations manuel of some kind. The three being needed together in order to create and work the entire assembly.

Halfway through puzzling this out- Noctis' watch alarm went off. Announcing the end of what they usually designated as their work day. Noctis turned off the alarm and kept reading.

"I have some unfortunate news, we blew up this holding chamber for the crystal when we invaded the city." Ardyn infromed Noctis, once he had a better understanding of what they were dealing with. Most of the harnessing of the Crystal's energy seemed to be based upon the design of said chamber, "That was how we stole the crystal in the first place. Apologies."

Noctis had yet to remark on the destroyed state of his city, and the Citadel itself. He was quiet for a long moment. He pushed himself up from the table- as if pushing himself into action.

"Then why don't we see if we can fix it?" Noctis declared, "Yes. We are going to give that a try next." He decided.

Over the next two days they skimmed through the wreckage of the old crystal chamber. Refrencing it with the designs within the books. The magic of the crystal was apparently reflected by a dozen mirrors and then directed upwards. With a spell focal inbetween the sky bridges of the Citadel. That is where the King of Lucis came into play. They created the focus- out of their life force- and it acted as a prism. Which transformed the energy of the crystal into the wall itself.

"Wait the ring isn't involved in this at all?!" Noctis asked, sitting in the ruined chamber where the crystal used to sit. Legs crossed with the diagram for the chamber in his lap. He held up his right hand. Which had the ever-present black ring attached to it.

"Of course it's not." Ardyn was standing behind Noctis. Making a list of components they were going to need to replace, using a clip board to write on. He looked at a broken mirror panel, and then diagram. Grimacing. He had no idea where they would get so much adamantium.

"What the fuck is this thing even for then?!" Nocits asked irritably, trying to take off the ring. It didn't budge even the slightest.

"It's a collar clearly." Ardyn flipped to the next page of the material manuel, "Meant to keep you and your family in check."

Noctis tried to pull the ring off once more. Still with no success. "Damn it." he cursed. Noctis turned from where he was sitting on the floor, and held out his hand to Ardyn. "Cut my finger off."

The blunt, and rather serious deman made Ardyn blink with surprise.

Noctis doubled down on the decision. "I'm serious. Cut it off. This damned thing has done nothing but give me greif!" Noctis exploded with frustration. Ardyn felt Noctis' magic lingering around them twist. Above them the sky started to turn cloudy.

"Luna died trying to get it to me. It killed my father! Slowly! Do you know what it's like?!" Noctis vented, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. "To watch someone you love die?! From the VERY day you are born?! Knowing nothing can be done about it! To be told that you have some grand destiny live up to!? Then not be allowed to do anything BUT meet everyone's impossible expectations?!"

Ardyn looked at Noctis' upset expression, and then set his clip board aside. Taking on a tone he had not used in what felt like eons. Sympathetic, and caring. "No. I can not imagine what that is like. However. I am not cutting your finger off. I don't think that would actually do anything- given that it so clearly wants to stay on." Ardyn assured Noctis. Letting him know that Ardyn was hearing what he was saying.

Noctis fell back against the floor. Glaring up at the broken mirror chamber above him. A couple dozen of him starring back at himself.

"Perhaps we should call it for today." Ardyn suggested. He didn't sleep, or eat normally. Nor was Ardyn the best at keeping track of time. However, Ardyn knew that Noctis had not slept much since they had arrived in Insomnia. Just the eight hours after they arrived, then a short nap yesterday and the day before that. Insisting that they had work to do.

"Over working yourself only leads to mistakes." Ardyn advised, "When was the last time you ate? We didn't have breakfast, and you skipped lunch. How about some dinner?"

Noctis avoided looking him in the eye. Ardyn didn't know why. He frowned. "Noctis? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I... don't have any food left." Noctis admitted.

It took a moment for this information to sink in. It was a cold, dark feeling. "What was that Night Light?" Ardyn honestly was hoping that he had heard his nephew wrong, "What do you mean? You're out of food!?"

"I'm just- it's not that hard of a concempt." Noctis snapped. Pulling himself up from the floor. For the first time Ardyn realized just how irratable Noctis was being- had been for the last few hours. It had not been directed at him- more at their work than anything.

"There is no more food." Noctis reitterated, "It is not that hard of a concept to understand. Just... another reality we will need to work around."

Ardyn stared at Noctis, then off to the side. As if the blasted, destroyed panels of the crystal chamber could somehow provide input in on this conversation.

"But you went to Lestallum to get food." Ardyn recalled, "You... you were gone and then came back- and said that it was time to go." Ardyn had never SEEN any of the food though, now that he recalled. Though that wasn't exactly a red flag. The two of them practically lived out of their armigers. Ardyn ususually only saw food when Noctis cooked it, or made them tea.

Ardyn felt a sour feeling grow in the back of his mouth. Noctis had not made tea since their arrival at the Citadel. "You went to Lestallum to get supplies." Ardyn reitterated. Not sure what to say.

"Lestallum is covered in ash." Noctis informed him bitterly. "Mt. Ravatough is still spewing lava apparently. It's... everything west of the chasim is completly covered in lava." Noctis ran a hand through his long hair. Less brushed out than usual. Ardyn's eyes flickered from Noctis' unkepmt hair, then his untrimmed beard. Realizing how much it looked like Noctis had just... given up. "At this rate maybe the volcano will engulf the whole world- I don't know."

"That's..." Ardyn was still trying to process this, "You said you had a month's worth of food left before you went."

Noctis didn't look at him. "I lied." he said quietly.

The room was silent for a long time. Ardyn stared at Noctis.

Noctis swallowed. "We are running out of time." He spoke quietly. Then picked up the book containing the diagrams for the crystal chamber. "We are going to try and repair the crystal chamber- and dispell the majority of the scourge with the wall. If that doesn't work..." Noctis trailed off, "We will just have to settle for doing things Bahamut's way."

Ardyn continued to stared at Noctis. That cold, dread feeling inside of him hit some sort of bottom. Ardyn suddently felt himself grow hot. Angry. Furious. He dropped his reading material list onto the floor. Noctis flinched, then glared up at him. Ardyn didn't notice however. He walked out of the room. Out of the Crystal Chamber. Out of the Citadel.

Ifrit sat up as Ardyn kicked open the front doors of the Citadel, and came down the steps two at a time. The God had taken up post sitting at the entrance. With him there, none of the demons dared to even enter the Citadel grounds. Not that Noctis' lights made them even want too.

"We need to find food for Noct." He ordered the God. Ifrit stood up to his feet faster than Ardyn had ever seen the puppeted God do before.

Insomnia had been ruined a year before the night had settled in. At first some of the Crowns Guard and citizens had stayed to fight. To reclaim their home from the demons. They had some success with this- however when the long night came, they all subcummed to the dark shadows that Ardyn infected the city with. Either being killed by the demons who invaded the Captial City, or becoming one of them.

Ardyn raided one of these refugee camps first. He found pantries filled with food. All of the perrishables were mush, of course. However there were plenty of cans, and jars, and dry goods that had been untouched by a lack of insects. Hopefully it was all still good. Ardyn had not properly cooked anything for himself in the last fifty or so years- and food poisoning applied diffrently to a stomach that was 90% scourge liquid most of the time.

Ardyn gathered as much as he could find, storing it in his armiger. He then made his way back to the Citadel. Ifrit returned around the same time. An 18 wheeler truck over one shoulder. He turned it over and emptied it out. Boxes and boxes of cup noodles fell. Littering the front court yard. Ardyn stared at the addition. Then picked up one of the cups.

"Thank you." Ardyn beeseached the god. Who tossed the truck away- over the wall of the citadel and into oblivion. Until it crashed against something loudly. Ardyn walked back into the Citadel. Carrying his spoils in with purpose. He walked right up to Noctis- who was still in the crystal chamber. Slamming the cup of noodles down onto the surface Noctis was using as a desk.

"Here." He told Noctis firmly. Defiantly. "We aren't that desperate. Yet."

Noctis looked at the cup noodle, then looked up at Ardyn. "I thought you would have been happier... getting things done sooner."

Ardyn knew how much of a hypocryte he was being. He did not care. "Not at the expense of you suffering." Ardyn declared, and realized in that very moment- that this was true. Ardyn was sick of seeing people suffer. As sick of it as he had been back when Somnus was going around murdering anyone with the scourge.

Ardyn had never liked watching people suffer. Had always wanted to prevent it as much as he could. Even when he had been mad and vengeful, there had been a part of him he had to quiet. A part of him reminding him that doing all of this was WRONG- and it WAS wrong. What Bahamut had planned- for whatever reason to kill off the world. Letting everyone fight and squabble themselves to death. Forcing people to either eat or be eaten. It was WRONG. Cruel. Unjust.

Ardyn felt that angry, burning feeling inside of him simmer. A metal rod inside of him that glowed red hot, refusing to be quenched.

The next few days slowly involved them making camp in the royal chambers of the Citadel, and piecing back together the crystal chamber- or trying to at least. Niflheim was very good at destroying something when they needed too- and almost all of the electrics were needing to be replaced. Ardyn found himself on his back for most of the day. Gutting wires and electronics and replacing them as he went.

"I wish there was some kind of spell that could just REPAIR things." Noctis bemoaned. He did not have as much knowledge about mechanical componenets as Ardyn did. So he was stuck puzzling together the adamantium mirrors. There were a dozen of them- each broken into a thousands chunks and shards that all looked exactly the same. They didn't have any Adamantium to build new mirrors. So the two were going to try and glue the ones here back together. It was a giant 3-d puzzle with no sort of artwork or clues to go off of.

"You haven't encountered such a thing before?" Noctis asked, turning a piece of metalic glass over in his hand. He picked up a piece he had already matched it with.

"Not really," Ardyn placed a small in between his teeth, so he could use both hands to jiggle out a half-melted wire from the panel he was under.

Noctis turned the two glass pieces in his hand over, and then pressed them together. He started to concentrate, focusing on the gap between the two. Summoning magical fire- it was metal and glass. If he melted the edge enough they would fuse. Right? Just a small bead of fire...

Noctis concentrated. The peices in his hands heated up faster than Noctis anticipated. Too fast. He gasped and then yelped, as the pieces became too hot to hold. dropping them to the ground as his hands singed.

Ardyn, alarmed at the noise came part way from out of under the console. "What are you trying to do?!"

"I- tried fuse them together with fire." Noctis hissed. He pulled out a flask and summoned ice energy to it. Trying to dispell the heat from the burns.

Ardyn clicked his tounge and crawled out from under the panel. Given his large stature, and the smallness of the panel, it was a rather unflattering afair.

"Let me see your hands." He commanded, and then winced. His back not agreeing with him as he stood up.

Noctis guiltily handed his hands over, still using the magic flask as an ice pack. Ardyn was not surprised to see the burn lines, he shook his head, and summoned some burn cream from his armiger. Then bandages. It did not take him long to treat and wrap Noctis' hands. Though they would probably be aching for a day or so.

Noctis looked at his bandaged fingers, once he was done. Opening and closing them. "You are really talented at healing, you know that? Not even Ignis wraps bandages as well as you do."

"You can thank me by going down to the Citadel Garage- or any garage- and getting me one of those rolling matts they use to get under cars." Ardyn grunted, placing a hand on his lower back. He blew a stray hand out of his face, "And a better hair tie." His hair was getting longer, and it was in the way too often. Perhaps he should just cut it... Ardyn ran his hand through the marron locks. Thinking of Verstael. Ardyn hated getting his hair. He had too many trust issues to let someone near his neck with sharp blades. Verstael he had grown to trust though. His ex-husband had use to trim and style his hair for him...

The sound of something coming out of a subspace brought Ardyn back to reality, "One of these?" Noctis offered. Holding a mechanist's rolling cart with his newly bandaged hands.

Ardyn stared at Noctis, "I have been down there for nearly three hours- and you have had one of those this entire time?" He asked, indignantly. Weilding his wrench tool like a weapon. "I'm not young you know- my back has been killing me!"

Noctis used the cussioned board as a sheild. "I'm sorry! It just didn't occur to me!" He appologized somewhat childishly.

Ardyn was not going to forgive him for this however. Noctis would know that the wrath of the darkness was not to be taken lightly. He threw his wrench- not with enough force to be dangerous. It bounced off the cart, but Ardyn warped to it and tackeled his nephew to the ground. Noctis made a squacking noise- somewhere between a chocobo and a startled teenager.

A breif wrestling match ensued- which of course Ardyn won due to his longer limbs, and heavier weight. Giving Noctis the ultimate punishment- that of a head noogie. Digging his knuckles into Noctis' scap and twisting it back and forth. Noctis yelped, and tried to wiggle out of his arms. Just like Somnus would back when they were teenagers. Ardyn couldn't help but laugh. Releasing Noctis, who warped away immediatley.

"You're so mean." Noctis complained. Pressing his bandaged hands to his head.

"Vanquish me then." Ardyn challeneged humerously. Standing up and placing his hands on his hips.

Noctis pouted, and then picked up one of the mirror shards. "No. We talked about this- I don't want to risk fighting when we are in here. So that it doesn't set off our destiny or something."

Ardyn looked down at Noctis, and then relaxed his shoulders. Noctis reminded him of Somnus in so many ways- but when he said things like that it reminded him that they were very much NOT the same people. Ardyn sat down beside Noctis, and started helping him piece together glass pieces.

Suggesting ways they might be able to use their magic to perhapse fuse them back together. In the end neither of them were successful. Having to cut some some large back boards and then glue the puzzled together mirror shards to said boards. Then hoping that the restored reflective surface was whole enough to work with.

It took them a week of squinting at glass shards just to do this, mind you. With the easiest part of the reassembly just fixing the more mechanical and computer components of the control room. For as back water as Lucis seemed sometimes- even Ardyn had to admit that their engineering and mechanical components were better than Niflheim's. The Empire mass produced everything, with the idea that if something broke it could just be replaced. Meanwhile Lucians made sure their machines were simple, uncomplicated, and would be able to do whatever they needed to for as long as possible. Replacement parts were easy enough to come by, and even as damaged as the console was, what parts were intact were still working.

"Now all we have to do is get the crystal in place." Noctis said with some worry. Once the Crystal chamber was reassembled- as best as they could get it too be. All of the mirrors were covered with spider web cracks. The machine panels were still mostly covered in scourch marks- and Ardyn had to repourpose several of the dozens of office computers found around the Citadel to frankenstein an operating system. Giving them feed back and the ability to run sequence programs.

Noctis had been avoiding anything that might trigger their 'destinies' at any cost. One of those being to give the throne room a wide birth. He didn't even want to see the Crystal- if at all possible. Though Ardyn thought this was a bit silly. They had gone so long putting off their destinies by simply refusing to fight each other. He didn't think that being in a certain room, or seeing what was essentially a big rock would change anything. It was quite a big stretch to think that something would suddently cause them to turn on one another.

"How did you even get the crystal in here?" Noctis asked, following Ardyn up to the door, and then stopping a good arms length meters back.

"I had Ifrit carry it." Ardyn said simply, then corrected himself, "Well put it in an airship with a crane, back in Niflheim. THEN from the air ship to here, I had Ifrit carry it into place."

"You're using a litteral God- as a fork lift?" Noctis asked with a tone of reprimand.

"Only when needed." Ardyn looked, just as heavy foot prints came from the hallway. Summoned mentally, Ifrit ducked his horns so that they would not get caught in the chandileers of the main hallway intersection. The vaulted hallways were tall enough for Ifrit to walk upright through them, but there were a few lower hanging hazards the God had to be careful of.

Ifrit approached them, and then stopped. Waiting for further orders. Ardyn nervously looked up at the God, then to Noctis. Wondering if the young King noticed that the demon marks on the God had... shifted somewhat. Not reteating, just forming a diffrent pattern. Ardyn had been experimenting with some things while Noctis slept. Still trying to uncorrupt the god. Only in a diffrent manner. Ardyn could not longer absorbe the scourge like he used to. So he had tried... shifting it around. To just push it out of the got and elsewhere. Unfortunatley the process was a lot like digging a hole in sandy water. The hole just refilling anything he took out.

Noctis didn't seem to notice; or if he did he said nothing. Ardyn looked from Ifrit over to Noctis. "Okay. Are you sure you don't want to come in and help?"

"I'm going to stay back here, unless I have to." Noctis said somewhat appologetically, and took another step back. Wrapping his arms around his chest.

Ardyn nodded, respecting this decision. It wasn't like anyone other than Ifrit was going to be doing any work. He opened the door to the throne room.

The smell hit them both immediatly. The stench of something foul, rotten and sulfurous. Ardyn blinked as tears formed at the corner of his eyes. A chemical reaction that was automatic.

Noctis cursed, and then almost gagged. "What the fuck?!"

Ardyn recognized the stench immediatly. He took a few paniced steps into the throne room, and then looked around. Fearful that he had not properly cleaned up. Forgotten a body somewhere. All of the chanes were empty though. The five figures he had collected, and then talked to durring his period of insanity were not present.

"That's the smell of death!" Noctis noted. "What died in there?"

Ardyn's gaze immediatley went to the hidden entrance on the second level of the throne room. Behind which laid 5 corpses. Perhaps the door was not as air tight as it appeared to be.

Noctis had a hand over his nose. He stepped forward, just to the entrance of the throne room. "Ardyn. What in the world did you do in here?"

Ardyn turned sharply, before Noctis could enter the room. "No!"

"What?" Noctis asked with surprise. Stopped by Ardyn's outstretched hand.

"Wait here." Ardyn commanded, pushing Noctis backwards. "It's for your own good." He explained, then slammed the throne room door in Noctis' face.

Noctis stared at the heavy doors of the throne room. He scowled angrily and, reached for the golden handles. Pushing the doors inward. Ardyn was on the second level of the throne room already, opening the hidden door on the middle platform of the area. Looking at something. He didn't notice that Noctis had disobeyed him. To busy looking into the anti-chamber.

Noctis warped up to the man. Catching up in a flash of light. "Ardyn what are you-"

"Noct!" Ardyn jumped at his sudden arrival, and then reprimaned him. "Light! I told you to stay back!"

Ardyn tried to block Noctis from seeing what was in the next room. Stepping in the way and throwing out an arm. Noctis strood stock still. Having already seen enough.

On the second level of the throne room was a hidden anti-chamber, leading to a hidden elevator. Created as an escape for Kings and nobles, should an emergency arrise. Noctis was well aware of the chamber's existance. So he was not suprised to see it.

He WAS however surprised to see 5 figures wrapped in white cloth, and lined up beside one another. A familiar shape was laying across the chest of the nearest figures. One Noctis would never have forgotten the look or shape of. A black cane with gold accents, the shape of a lion's head as the handle. His FATHER's cane.

Despite the foul stench of the room, Noctis inhaled sharply. "Is that- my Dad?!" Noctis pushed past Ardyn. Shoving his way through. Not that Ardyn made to much of an attempt to stop him. Initially. Noctis tried to throw himself at the figure laying on the floor- but Ardyn stopped his nephew. Wrapping his arms around Noctis' wait and shoulder.

"Don't touch them!" Ardyn hissed, before Noctis could fall over the very clearly rotting and decaying corpse. Wet and sticky with blood and other juices. Bloated from rotting gas. The white linnen respectfully hidding the worse parts of rotting decay, but starting to stain yellow in some areas.

Noctis clenched Ardyn's arm across his chest a loud keening noise forming at the back of his throat- one which evolved into a sob. Ardyn slowly lowered him to the ground. As giant tears began to form in his nephew's eyes. Noctis couldn't form words. He was inconsolable. Wailing out with a mournful cry.

"I'm sorry." Ardyn appologized, holding onto Noctis. "I didn't want you to see this."

Noctis couldn't speak he was sobbing so hard. He wanted to go to his father and hold onto him- but instead all he could do was cling to Ardyn. Who pulled him into his chest, and rested his chin ontop of Noctis' head. Supporting him.

Noctis greived, and around them the Citadel reacted to his greif. Magical lights and sigils flickering on and off. A storm began to form overhead. The sky split with thunder, rain began to fall. The earth rumbled beneath them, several building around Insomnia fell from the tremors.

Noctis sobbed openly and continually. All Ardyn could do was hold on and comfort Noctis the best he could. There was the sound of heavy foot prints behind them. Then the room illuminated with a warmer tint, as Ifrit crouched down to look at them through the door. Drawn by Noctis' soul calling out for help.

Ardyn had given Noctis some control over the puppeted god afterall. Ifrit couldn't help Noctis though, not as he was. The God ended up sitting on the second level of the throne room. Just watching them through the door.

Ardyn consoling his nephew the best he could. He wasn't sure how long they were there. Long enough for Ardyn's nose to get accustomed to the stench of the room- though Ifrit's firey form might have relived some of the miasma.

"W-what happened?" Noctis asked after a bit. Once he was more collected. "H-how did he end up here?"

"I... actually found him in here." Ardyn explained warrily, "He was killed by Captain Dratos, who was one of our spies. A Niflheim General in fact. It seemed like he stayed back, so that Lady Luna could get away."

"Who are these other people? I can see one is Clarus- Gladio's father." Noctis looked to the other shrowded forms. Ardyn had laid weapons across most of their chests. Luna and Ravus' were bare however. Ravus had not had a weapon he particularly favored- and Luna's trident was much to valuable an item to keep lying around. He had that in his armiger.

Ardyn debated not telling Noctis. The way Luna and Ravus were wrapped they probaly wouldn't be identified. Not unless Noctis uncovered them. Ardyn enterntained the idea for just a second. Then decided against it. There were some lies that just weren't worth the fall out. If noctis even so much as peaked under the veils- and Ardyn had lied to him- what trust the two had would be gone forever.

Ardyn sighed. "The one on the far end is Luna, and beside her is Ravus."

"What?" Noctis sobbed, digging his nails into Ardyn's arm. "W-why are they here? How did they get here!?"

"I... didn't really have anywhere else to put them?" Ardyn was not lying, but that wasn't quite the whole truth. A half-lie. "The man in the middle is name Nyx. Luna gave him the Ring, durring the invasion. The Luci recognized him, and he defeated our Diamond Weapon. I figured... he deserved a burial as well."

"You've just been collecting bodies and entombing them under the throne?" Noctis wipped his face off. Ardyn thought Noctis would be angry. Instead he seemed to find a sliver line of humor in it all. "Pft. Our ancestors would have found that fitting."

Ardyn didn't really know what to say about that. He wasn't really as into the skull and death iconography that the Lucis Caelum name seemed obsessed with. He had enough going on in his life that brought morbid themes to the front. Personally, Ardyn had always prefered flowers.

Noctis extracted himself from Ardyn's arms. No longer desiring to be held. Ardyn stood up with Noctis. Then was surprised, when the chosen King of Light bowed to him. A formal guesture that was a huge significance. Even if they were the only ones around to witness it.

"Thank you." Noctis said, "For making sure my family was put to rest."

"I ... you are very welcome." Ardyn felt increadibly uncomfortable with this. He eyed up the bodies. All of which he had hanging from the ceiling of the throne room for almost a decade. Ardyn talking, debating and even yelling at them. Tokens of how far into maddness he had fallen.

As Ardyn looked at the corpses, he observed something curious. Noctis nocticed it as well. "These are the first corpses I have seen that are properly decaying." He observed.

That was not just it though. Ardyn looked down the lines of bodies. Each of them were at similar states of decomposition. Bloating up and emmitting a foul stench. About a week's on.

"Maybe it was because they died before the sun disapeared?" Noctis came to his own conclusion, and seemed to accept it at face value. Noctis didn't understand that his father, and all of these people had died 11 years ago. To him, being trapped in the crystal, it had only felt like two or three years. Noctis also had no basis of what a corpse should look like, or what the states of decay were. To him a dead corpse rotting away just made sense.

Ardyn as a healer, and someone who had worked with Verstael, was intimate with what happened to bodies after they died. He found it very significant that each of the corpses were at the same state. Despite having died months apart, and years ago by this point. It had been only a week since he had taken them down though...

Noctis sniffed, and wipped off his nose. It looked like another waive of greif was about to wash over him. Ardyn silently offered him a hug, and Noctis accepted it with a surprising amount of enthusiasim. Ardyn winced as his nephew squeezed on one of the sensative, constantly bleeding wounds left over from his imprisonment. Thankfully. Noctis didn't linger for too long.

"I know where to get some inscense, in one of the store rooms." Noctis produced a hankie from his armiger. He wipped off his face and cheek properly, "I don't know about flowers though. Where did you get these petals from?"

"They're cloth." Ardyn explained. "I had them in my Armiger from something or other."

"I wish we could have some actual ones." Noctis lamented, "Luna loved sylleblossums."

"Right." Ardyn wasn't quite listening. Still looking at the mystery presented to him. How the corpses had started decaying AFTER the long night, and not before.

Noctis did not notice, oblivious to the Ardyn's clandestine actions. The young King was more occupied by gathering materials, and spending some time to properly send off his loved ones. He lit incense and candles for the dead. Then found a dozen vases of fake sylleblossums scattered around the place; or similar looking blue flowers. Scattering petals and fake plants for the dead. A Lucian custom almost as old as the Crystal itself. Noctis muttered prayers as he went. Though who Noctis was praying too, Ardyn wasn't quite sure. The only God still around was a possessed puppet.

Ardyn meanwhile was occupied by the conundrom sitting before him. That being the fact that the corpses were rotting or decaying in the first place. It was an investigation he couldn't involve Noctis in. Not without confessing to his previous hobby of desicraiting human corpses.

Ardyn knew it had to be something about the funeral rights. It was the only thing that had changed, or that could have affected them. It wasn't Ifrit being close by. Ardyn had raised the corpses up using the God like a fork lift years ago, in the same manner that he had taken them down with.

So clearly it had to have been the funeral rites. What about that ritual had changed them though? It had somehow freed them from the perpetual, unchanging nature the world seemed to be in. What hard Ardyn done??? He knew for certain it had not been Oracle magic- he still couldn't access the light within him. It wasn't his demonic energy either. If that was the case the corpses would have turned into demons. His Lucian powers? Ardyn wondered about that but... he didn't think that was the case. Usually Ardyn had to very specifically reach for any sort of magical powers.

Something else was going on here. Ardyn could feel something turning in the back of his mind. This was something new. He had done something new. Something that wasn't dark, or light, or any thing else.

What WAS it though?

Noctis took the rest of the day, and most of the next to properly mourn his lost loved ones. Creating a memorial infront of the secret chamber's door. Against the wall of the middle throne room. Noctis collected pictures of his father, and his best friend. Of Luna, and a young picture of Ravus that featured Queen Sylvia as well. For Nyx he looked at the Glaive records, and found a locker number. Which contained some pictures that he could add to the memorial. Nyx standing with a woman and a heavy set man that was clearly from Galahd. Noctis also performed a small ceremony, and in death giving the man all the honors a Lucian soilder would receive for dying in battle. Even if there was no one left to recognize him for it.

Ardyn let Noctis mourn however he wanted. Keeping his nephew company, providing emotional support. While also silently investigating the situation. Ardyn wanted to find some answers. In order to do that, he needed to find some corpses. Not exactly a task he looked forward to- and one that turned out to be immediatley impossible. Insomnia had been ground zero for his demonic powers spreading out to infect the entire world. There was nothing left of the citizens but clothes, by this point. Arydn snuck out and checked some of the quieter corners of the city- but he couldn't find a courpse anywhere nearby.

Ardyn would probably have to leave the city. Not something he could do in the eight to nine hours Noctis usually set aside for proper sleep. Which was a bit frustrating. There were countless corpses beyond the walls. Noctis and Ardyn had passed by nearly a dozen a day, back when they were traveling around. Learning to ignore or avoid their presence. Ardyn couldn't leave to go experiement with them now. Not without Noctis asking a hundred questions. Not when they were so close to testing their next hypothesis.

The day after Noctis finished mourning they had Ifrit carry the Crystal into the repaired chamber. The Giant hefting up the giant rock easily, and carrying it over one shoulder, like a very unweildy duffle bag. Setting it within the crystal holding chamber gently, and then taking a handful of lumbering steps backwards.

"It isn't glowing as much." Noctis observed. Still warry of getting near or touching the thing. Lest he get sucked back in again.

"It doesn't feel empty though." Ardyn noted. The Crystal was significantly less brilliant, but still glowing with energy. "It still has life to it."

"I've absorbed most of it's power though." Noctis concluded with a sour tone, he looked down at his hand, opening and closing it. "Perhaps you aren't the only noose Bahamut put into place."

"Hmm." Ardyn did not agree with this statement, but he had no desire to bicker with Noctis today. "Let us see if we can turn this on."

The same technology the Lucians used to control and activate the crystal was actually very similar to the one that Verstael had developed to fully block said powers. There was something about audio frequencies that seemed to affect the crystal, or other magics. Ardyn adjusted a dial on a noise emmitter, which played a frequency neither of them could hear. They could both feel how it affected the crystal within the chamber.

"It's reacting." Noctis said with some eagerness, as they felt the energy build up.

"Wonderful. Let's go through the boot up sequence." Ardyn suggested, backing off on the dial. Taking strain off of the crystal.

Noctis picked up one of the manuels, one that was almost as thick as Ardyn's thigh. He paged through to one of their book marks. Reading off instructions.

In doing the boot up sequence they discovered a few of the mechanics that needed to be fixed. As well as some fine tuning that needed to be done to compensate for the mirrors being broken. After three days of bending over books and figuring out how the machine was supposed to work- and then reverse engineering it with what they had. With a lot of frustration they FINALLY got it working properly.

Their first test was going to just be a bean. Straight upwards. Seeing how much energy they could get out of the crystal in general, and if it would be enough for what they wanted to do. Noctis was hoping they could get the light beam higher than any of his own spells. Which usually capped out around the middle of the troposphere.

This was a relativley simple, if not brute force way to go about things. Ardyn didn't think it was uncalled for though. Most science started out by just poking something, and then waiting to see what would happen.

The day of the experiment found Noctis on the sky walk of the Citadel, and Ardyn down in the control booth. Both with walkie talkies for communication.

"Skies are clear." Noctis' voice came in a little staticy, and followed by a click.

Ardyn almost rolled his eyes. Wanting to point out the skies were always clear- unless Noctis was upset for some reason. He figured he should be happy that Noctis was in a good mood today though. He pressed down the button on his communication device, "Rodger Rodger. Starting up booting sequence. Over."

"You don't have to say over." Noctis replied with a staticy sight, "You know that right?"

"I'm sorry can you repeat? Over?" Ardyn asked with a grin. Feeling Noctis' face palm over the radio.

"Just start the boot up." Noctis requested. "PLEASE? Over."

Ardyn, satisfied that he could still annoy someone, began the boot up sequence. The crystal hummed, and began to build up energy. Ardyn glanced over at the reconstructed mirror chamber. Letting the crystal warm up. It took some time- nearly three times as long as the instruction manuel had taken note of. The crystal was heavily depleated of energy. Though it still held quite a bit. Ardyn reached over and checked the next sequence he was supposed to enter. Wondering if it might be better just to stick Noctis inside the chamber instead. Since he had so much raw power.

The radio clicked on, then off. Ardyn looked at it, and waited. Then picked up the walkie.

"Repeat. Over?" Ardyn asked into to device.

"It's nothing." Noctis replied.

Ardyn frowned and then shrugged. "Starting first phase. Over." He called out, and then stared typing a code phrase into the computer he had hooked up to the terminal. He ran program 'test one' which would direct all of the mirrors. The mirrors began to mechanically adjust behind him. Being manuvered by a series of levers and arms.

"I have light." Noctis announced, "But it's nothing stronger than a spot light."

"Give it a minute. Over." Ardyn reminded Noctis. He looked upwards. Where a thin tube above the crystal chamber stretched all the way up to the center point between the 4 Citadel towers. "Does it seem in focus? Over?"

"Uhm..." Noctis' reply was heavily static, "The diagram you gave me says you need to make an adjustment to make the occulus thing. To close it more? Yeah more closed on the thing."

Noctis was such a wonderful lab asistant. Ardyn his eyes. He turned and put a hand on the manuel controls for the mirrors, and slowly started easing up on a lever. Which manipulated the mirrors at the top of the chamber. A series of mirros that over lapped like a camera lense. "Tell me when, over." Ardyn spoke into his walkie.

"No, no. A little more. Okay- When!" Noctis replied, "Yeah, that's better. That looks like what you said it would!" Noctis said with enthusiasim. "It's much taller now as well!"

Now they needed to wait for the crystal to power up completly. Ardyn reached over to the dial that powered up the crystal. Wondering if he could increase the level more, or if he needed to wait.

The walkie clicked again. "Ardyn. We might have a problem." Noctis said with concern.

"Rodger. Over?" Ardyn asked with concern.

"The light is attracting demons." Noctis explained, "All over the city- I can hear them making noise- and a few of them are already in the air."

Demons? Being attracted TOO light? Ardyn had no idea why that would be a thing.

"I'm going to try and keep them away with my own light." Noctis decided.

"Well hold on- I can power down." Ardyn reminded him. He didn't want to be too risky.

"No. Just keep the sequence going." Noctis told him. He didn't sound paniced or rushed. Ardyn had seen the impressive light storms Noctis had summoned before. Noctis, with his new powers, could basically banish most demons on sight. He didn't think that Noctis would be in any particular danger... but being overwhelmed was a very real possibility.

Ardyn chewed his bottom lip, "Tell me immediatly if you need me to power down." He commanded, "Over."

Ardyn waited a tense moment, in which he got no reply. "Noctis. Respond. Over?"

"Yeah we're good. Over."

Ardyn sighed with relife. He closed his eyes. Opening up a second pair. Ifrit was posted at the front of the Citadel, where he usually stayed. Ardyn made him look around, but he didn't see any immediate threats. Ardyn commanded the God to go to the top of the tower, and help Noctis.

He then opened his eyes back in the control room. Ardyn placed a hand on the power dial. "Going to power level two. Over." He announced, and turned up the sound box that controlled the crystal.

Behind him the crystal responded and starting letting out more magical power. The repaired mirrors reflected the energy around, until it escaped upwards in a singular beam. Above him, inbetween the four towers of the Citadel, A bream of purple light flickered, increasing in both height and brightness.

Noctis looked back at the beam, and then looked forward. He was flying above the Citadel's sky walk. Getting a better view on what was going on. His magic staff held in his hands. Demons flew around the citadel in a circle. Flocking like birds after a battle. More rising up from the city and coming in from the surrounding area.

A large figure alighted ontop of the citadel. Glowing just like Noctis was, but with fire instead of pure light. Ifrit had been sent to assist him- but the God was stuck on the ground. While Noctis was in the air.

Noctis looked to Ifrit, then up at the distant growing collection of demons. They were circling around the beam of power rising up. As if attracted to it. However none of them approached after a certain point. Being kept away from the beam by the light itself. The beam wasn't light though- Noctis realized. It emmitted light to some degree, but its nature was pure, unfiltered magic. The demons were attracted to the MAGIC, he realized. They weren't directing a beam of spotlight upwards, but one of pure magic instead.

Static came in over the radio, but Noctis didn't head Ardyn over the wind. After a moment, behind Noctis, the beam of magic from the crystal raised in intensity once more. With a buzz, magic radiated off the beam. Almost enough to make Noctis lose concentration and fall out of the sky. Yet at the same time the pure magic replenished Noctis. Allowing him to stay in the air.

Noctis had to adjust himself with his staff. Looking upwards to see how high the beam of magic was now reaching.

What he saw stunned him.

The purple beam of light reached higher than any distance Noctis had ever managed. Actually touching the black barrier above them. The black was MOVING though. That unreachable darkness which kept out the sun- it was bending down TOWARDS him. Towards the beam of light, specifically. Swirrling in a circular motion. Like a whirlpool or a rapid. The dark tendrils a mix of cloud-like substances and also thick goo. It looked like a black mouth was opening up. Intending to swallow the magic whole.

Noctis had never seen such a thing happen- had not known it was possible. He reached for his walkie, but fumbled it. The communication device fell away towards the ground. Noctis had to dive to catch it.

"Ardyn! The barrier is reating to the crystal!" Noctis told him exitedly.

There was staticy reply "What?"

Noctis pressed, "The barrier is coming down TO the Magic."

Ardyn's walkie clicked multiple times with static. Something seemed to be interfering with the connection.

Noctis looked up wards once more. The barrier was swirling down, around the beam. A funnel cloud of shadows moving at a slow, viscus pace. The beam the crystal didn't seem to be dispelling the shadows in any way. Maybe it wasn't strong enough? This was more of a reaction than Noctis had ever gotten, however.

"Bring it up another level!" Noctis ordered into the walkie. He gathered his staff in both hand, and collected his magic beneath him. Flying- cork screwing around the beam of purple magic. Flying higher and higher.

The barrier creeping lower and lower.

I'm going to be able to reach it. Noctis thought. Hope rising within him. Light began to build in his magic staff, he glinted in the dark. A singular commet rising up along side the crystal beam.

Below him Ardyn head Noctis' walkie click, but didn't hear any words. The connection going bad. He cursed, and closed his eyes. Borrowing Ifrit's once more. He didn't see Noctis on the sky walk. The God looked upwards, and Ardyn witnessed Noctis flying for the first time. What??? Was the first thought that came to his mind. Noctis never having told him about his new found ability. How?! That's so dangerous! What does he think he's doing?!

Then Ardyn's attention shifted from the bright light of Noctis. The dark, swirrling shadows. Reaching down like a cyclone TOWARDS the Citadel. A terrifying sight to behold- even form himself.

Bright light flared up above Ifrit. Noctis casting one of his spells. The demonic God had to advert their gaze, and Ardyn below similarly found himself blinking away an after image.

Noctis flew as high as he dared, and then cast a spell upwards. Brandishing his staff, a shot that went off from its end. Like a fire work being launched into the air. It arced like a missle. Then exploded in a cascade of of sky blue flames. Light emitting from it so brightly, that the citadel and surrounding grounds was brifly illuminated. For the first time since he had made it his goal- he was able to STRIKE at the shadowy barrier surrounding Eos.

Nocits cried out in victory. Only for the satisfied "AH-HA!!!" to turn into a yelp. As the shadows that were destroyed by the light began to fall. Cascading down towards him like water. The darkness had been reaching for the beam of magical enegy in a controlled funnel. Noctis' disturbance of this caused some sort of distruption- and all of the scourge and demonic shadows began to free fall. No long creeping slowly but falling with a startling velocity.

Noctis did not have time to react- as the darkness fell down onto him like a wall of water. He braced for impact- and it was like being hit with a wall of nothing- yet everything all at once. Noctis lost concentration on his flying spell. Darkness was falling- and he was falling now with it. Being pressed downward- like a bug being hit by a flyswatter.

Noctis felt the air get knocked out of him- and he was choaking on darkness. Unable to breath. Scourge burning his skin. Two firey arms reached out and caught him. Noctis gasped. As he was rolled onto the sky walk of the Citadel. Then sheltered in a small bubble of protection.

Noctis choaked and vomitted out demonic scouge. He then looked up, seeing the God Ifrit leaning over him. Sheltering him from the down pour of black tar. Crouched over him, face as expressionless as always. Noctis pulled himself up to his knees, and fumbled for the walkie clipped around his wrist.

It took a whole second for him to find the button. "ARDYN! ARDYN SHUT IT DOWN! SHUT IT DOWN!" He cried out desperatley. Only to get no response. Noctis stared at the walkie. The space filling up with the static of the small device. Noctis looked up, and out from beyond the bubble Ifrit was creating. Darkness fell past Ifrit like rain.

Noctis stared at it. Static and rain. The world falling away from him.

Beneath him he felt the Crystal- a presence he had been familiar with ever since he was born. Be hit by the falling shadows. It hummed, and grew brighter. Then with a mighty CRACK it shattered.

Noctis cried out in pain, gripping onto the front of his shirt. Like it was his own heart that was breaking. He passed out from the pain- but didn't register that he had. Not until he woke up.

Noctis came to in increadible pain. His back had seized up, and his shoulders and hips hurt from laying on a hard surface for too long. He could feel his mana reserves depleated to a new low. It felt worse than stasis. Almost like what connection to magic Noctis was completly shattered.

Noctis opened his eyes, and found a firey glowing form next to him. It was Ifrit. Sitting beside him dutifuly, and waiting. Looking down at him. Noctis rolled over onto his back, and looked up. Darkness swirlled above him. The scourge barrier was still there. Noctis wanted to cry. He did so.

A frustrated wail breaking the darkness. As he pulled at his hair and slammed his fist onto the walkway of the sky walk. Continuing the motion until his wrist was broken, and his hand was bloody. Each impact flashing with a diffrent face. Someone he he had failed. His father. Luna. Iris. Ignis. Gladio. Prompto. Now the crystal. The duty his family had been sworn to for 114 generations. Failed. All hope shattered- just like the dozen mirrors he had spend the last week or so putting back together.

Noctis cried. Realzing that as the choosen King- as the culmination of everything the Gods had ever wanted. After all the expectations, all the trials. Noctis had Failed. He was a failure. Thoughts that did not nessisarily make logical sense- but things that felt very true to him. Noctis cried. For the first time since he had come out of the crystal, the sky above him did not cry with him.

After a long moment Noctis collected himself. He pressed a hand over his chest. As it ached like he had suffered a heart attack. He tried to pick himself, but didn't get far. He could see his staff lying a meters away. What felt like a kilometer. He reached out and tried to summon it to him. It didn't come to him. He stared at his intact hand and then tried again.

The pang in his chest where the crystal had been ached. He looked at his hand, and the staff. Noctis could not even FEEL where his magic had been previously. If felt like he was entirely without. Like he was beyond just stasis. Like his magic was gone entirely. Shattered, like the crystal below him.

Nocits had to crawl. Unable to walk. With the staff he was able to pick himself up to his feet, and stand shakily. Bloody, tearful, and exausted.

Noctis looked over at Ifrit, who observed his struggle without judgment. Noctis reached out a hand. Tentativley commanding the God to reach out to him. Thankfully that connection still worked. Somehow. Noctis was able to have Ifrit pick him up, and then carry him to the crystal chamber. Ifrit did so dutifully. Not even bothering with stairs- just jumping straight down the tube that ran through the center of the Citadel. they landed in the crystal chamber. Noctis grimaced at the sound of broken glass underneath the fire god's feet. Realizing that his work from the last few days was broken once more.

"Ardyn?" Noctis called out, his voice rough from pain and disuse. His entire mouth felt dry, and he was dehydrated. Noctis did no know how long he had been passed out. "ARDYN?!" He called out.

There was no response. He slid out of Ifrit's palm, and stood at the center of it all. A hand pressed over his chest, and using his staff heavily for support.

The crystal chamber was broken again. The mirrors had splintered off in chunks. A lot of the equipment had been knocked over. It was all feasibly repairable- it was actually in a lot better condition than they had originally found it in. Given the lack of fire damage.

However the main component was broken. Amethist shards were scattered across the wreckage. Purple and black. Glistening against Ifrit's divine fire. No glow to them, no magic. The heart of Eos had been broken and shattered. Noctis almost tripped on a peice of the geode. As he shuffled into the room. He looked at it, then continued his search for anything vaugley resembling Ardyn, or a human shaped corpse.

"Ardyn. Please." Noctis felt tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "I-I don't know if I can do this alone.

A dark mass pooled on the floor. Scourge. The magical whine of a demon being formed filled the room.

Noctis stared at the forming demon. He brandished his broken and bloody hand at it. Ready to blast it with light. Only his powers didn't come to him. He winced, and placed the hand back over his heart. The demon goo manifested into a form- turning from liquid into a solid mass. A pale grey arm slapped onto the ground. Covered in wet scourge. Noctis stared at the hand. Recognizing it. What formed next was a torso, a neck- and falling out of the darkness. A cascade of long maroon hair. Noctis watched, as Ardyn pulled himself out of the shadows. Crawling out of them. As if from a shallow grave. It did not look easy. It did not look painless. Ardyn looked to be in pain. As he struggled to recreate every one of his molicules. Grutning, and pulling at the effort as he crawled. Black scourge dripping from his eyes, and from between gritted teeth.

Noctis, halfway through dropped his staff. He stumbled forward and grabbed onto Ardyn's shoulder. Finding the flesh sink in like a partially rotted corpse. Noctis grit his own teeth, readjusted his grip, and then pulled.

Helping Ardyn drag himself out of hell.

The effort left them both breathless. "Noctis?" Ardyn, and reached forward, when there was nothing left to reform but his legs. He reached out with a hand. smearing black ooze across Noctis' face. "You're alive?! Thank whatever heavens to exist."

Noctis stumbled backwards- pulling Ardyn the rest of the way out of the scourge pulled. He collapsed with exaustion, and then grimaced. Bending over and placing a hand over his heart. Ardyn, laying on the ground infront of him stared. The older man had not come back into the world with clothes- the man was completly naked. Noctis didn't care however. He pushed through the pain, and pulled the man into a hug. Just so greatful that he was not alone.

Ardyn was quiet for a long time. As Noctis hugged his scourge covered form, and let out a singular, wet sobb. "What happened Light?" Ardyn asked, placing a hand on Noctis' back. He sat up. Getting his bearings.

"It's gone." Noctis didn't remover himself from holding onto Ardyn. Wet tears falling from his eyes. Where they landed on Ardyn's skin they ran off. Leaving a patch of more human looking, and healthily clean patch of skin. Something neither Noctis nor Ardyn noticed.

Ardyn returned Noctis' hug. Then took stock of the room. Ifrit standing in the middle of it all. Having to crouch just to fit within the ceiling. The consoles weren't damaged, but the mirrors were broken again. As was the Crystal- the heart of their world was scattered across the room. Chunks as dark as night. There was no magical buzz in the air. Now presence to speak of. The Crystal was dead. Their planet officially so.

"Creator above." Ardyn whispered with a low voice. Holding Noctis tighter. Not knowing what would happen next.

Nothing happened next. The two were alone, with a broken crystal and a broken God. Alone once more in a world without hope.

The next few days were speant with the two of them licking their wounds, and assessing their defeat. Assessing their defeat.

Noctis was in constant pain- the crystal leaving a litteral hole in his heart, that physically caused him pain. After a few days his magic did start returning to him. Like he was recovering from a particularly bad stasis episode. Noctis said that what magic was returning to him was HIS, but only his. He was no longer connected to the crystal, or the world.

Ardyn wasn't quite sure what the diffrence was. It was clear that he was not suffering in the same ways Noctis was. Ardyn had more than one type of magic within him; most of which he did not rely on the crystal for. His armiger was hard to access though. Ardyn really had to concentrate in order to take anything out- something he normally could do without a thought.

In contast Noctis's only source of magic was the crystal. He could no longer warp. Accessing his armiger was painful. It made his chest tight, and his arm feel numb. symptoms much to close to a heart attack for Ardyn's comfort. Enough that Ardyn advised against using magic at all for a time. Noctis seemed to almost permanently be in statis. The only thing that came back to him without difficulty were his light powers. Though he dared not summon it. In fear of exausting what reserves he did have.

Ardyn was exhausted. Dying and reforming himself from scratch always took it out of him. Something felt off about this reformation though. He was constantly leaking scourge from his eyes and mouth, and sometimes his organs felt like they lost his shape. At one point one of his arms just fell off. Noctis and Ardyn both watched as it puddled into scourge, and then paniced when it became an Iron Giant. Something that would not have been an issue to either of them previously. However, with neither of them being in a good enough condition to fight; they both ran in fear. Straight ro Ifrit, who swatted the thing away like a fly. Both of them thankful that the God seemed immune to just about everything.

Unaffected by the onslaught of darkness he had endured, as well as the shattering of the crystal.

Ardyn after this started bandaging his limbs when they felt 'weak' and began wearing more tight, form holding shirts. Ones that he could easily bandage over.

After a month it was very clear that Ardyn was recovering faster from their injuries than Noctis was. He started to return to the scene of the event. Picking up the crystal fragments and examining them. Trying to figure out what went wrong. Examining Ifrit to study how the God had been unaffected. Trying to figure out what it all meant.

Noctis meanwhile spent an increasingly longer amount of time laying in bed, and sleeping. The few times he got up for something other than nessessities, he went and sat at the shrine he had made in the throne room. Where he lit candles and silently mourned for everything he had lost.

Noctis had struggled with depression multiple times through out his life. He recognized himself hitting a low point again. Though he took no efforts to keep himself from spiraling. Without Ignis, Gladio or Prompto around, he saw no point in trying. Ardyn tried to talk with him, explain to him what he was finding out about the crystal shards. However any attempts Ardyn offered fell flat.

It was Noctis' turn to spend days and hours in bed, depressed. Unresponsive to anything. Meawhile Ardyn seemed to hit a burst of inspiration, and made several advancements studying about magic- now that he could touch and examine the Crystal without consequences. Something Ardyn would sit at Noctis' bed side, explaining away. The exact opposite of what Noctis wanted- which was to be left alone.

A full month after the shattering of the crystal. Noctis found himself being pulled up out of bed by Ardyn. The man made him clean up, get dressed. Then Ardyn sat Noctis down at the dinning table in the royal chambers.

Ardyn offerering Noctis his blue fish mug like a peace offering. "There's an idea I want to try." Ardyn informed Noctis anxiously, "I would have to travel back near Hammerhead, I think the outpost to the north west the closest location of what I need." Ardyn explained, then leaned forward, "I want you to come with me. I think getting out of this castle would be good for you. I know it drives ME crazy. I don't think locking yourself up like this is going to help you any. Mentally."

"Ardyn." Noctis was exausted. He set his blue mug aside, not wanting the chicken broth inside. Just the smell made him nauseous. He knew this was because he hadn't eaten anything solid for four days now. Noctis hung his head, rubbing a hand on his forhead. "No. Ardyn. I don't think we should try any more ideas."

Ardyn looked at him with a worried expression. "-But Night Light..." he tried to argue.

"NO! I think it's time we end this." Noctis told the man firmly. He had been thinking about it for the last few days now and... it seemed like the best option. Just to kill him, and himself. To get this all over.

For the last few weeks Noctis had been feeling the strangest desire to enter the crypt where his father, Luna and other family memeber were. To simply lay down with them and... stop existing. For the first time he finally was begnining to understand Ardyn's deep desire to end it all. Just get things over with. Surley the man still wanted the same thing? That he didn't want to continue pushing on with no where for them to go?

Ardyn stared at Noctis for a long moment, his golden eyes reflecting off no tangible light source. Noctis had stopped glowing in the dark ever since the crystal had been shattered. "But what about... about finding our own way?" he asked quietly.

"At this rate I don't even know if there will be anything left of us soon- not if we keep hitting dead ends." Noctis shook his head, "I can't stand it Ardyn. It's too much."

"That is science though. How you discover things." Ardyn protested, "You think me and my late husband discovered how to make a clone on the first try? No. It took litteral years of failed attempts before we even managed to get a human zygote to take the scourge and keep growing. Not to mention the machnes we needed to build in order to keep them under control. It was from those failures that my husband was able to define how human souls formed. Just from this failure alone I have already learned so much and-"

"Ardyn!" Noctis slammed a hand onto the table. Frustrated and annoyed. His mug tipped over. Liquid chicken broth spilled across the table. "I don't know what any of that means! I don't know what half of what you have been telling me for the last week means!" Noctis admitted, he pulled his hand back, as well as his harsh tone. He reached out, and picked up some napikins off the table. Half-heartedly dabbing at the mess he had made.

"I'm not a genious like you. I don't just learn and retain everything I read or hear it's it is all very exausting for me."

Ardyn looked down at the table they were sitting at. He clenched his hands. "I'm going back to Hammerhead tomorrow." He informed Noctis with resolve.

Then he stood up from the table. A determined and angry scowl on his face. "I am not giving up yet."

Noctis looked at the man with annoyance. His own words being thrown back at him. Ardyn gave him a determined look, and then left the dinning room. Leaving Noctis alone in the dark.

The next day Noctis slowly walked down the steps of the Citadel. Ardyn was mostly done packing up his car. Ifrit was sitting off to the side, on guard as always for any demons who might approach the building. Ardyn placed a duffle bag in the trunk, and then closed the boot door. "I should be back in a week." He told Noctis, "The first trip and hypothesis I want to test should be fairly quick and easy. After wards we can talk and go from there." "Ardyn." Noctis used his staff to take a step closer to the man. Coming to the bottom step of the Citadel. He looked up at the man, "I am not going to go with you." "I know." Ardyn frowned, "I think you should. But I will not force you, either." "No." Noctis shook his head, "When you come back. I'm going to end this." Noctis decided. Looking increadibly tired. There were dark circles under the man's eyes. "You know. One way. Or another." Ardyn's eyes widdened, then narrowed. "Come back with a solution... or come back when you're ready." Noctis told the man. He then turned and started back up the Citadel steps. A hand placed over his chest. "Noctis." Ardyn called after him. Noctis paused, and turned around, using his staff as a walking stick. He looked over his shoulder, down at Ardyn. Ardyn looked up at his nephew, clenching and unclenching his hands. "I won't make you wait long." Ardyn promised. Noctis nodded, and then slowly continued making his way up the steps of the Citadel. Ardyn turned, and looked at their silent observer. Ifrit, who was sitting on the steps nearby. "Keep him safe." Ardyn ordered. The God didn't nod their head. Just observing with a neutral expression as always. Ardyn drove out of Insomnia, and reached Hammerhead within four hours. Finding their base camp pretty much exactly how they had left it. Though the cubbords were completly bare of food, and the living space they had carved out felt lonley. Noctis was no longer around to provide a constant source of light and companionship. It felt lonely without his nephew around. Ardyn rested, then headed Northwest afterwards. Towards a glowing pillar of smoke rising out of the sky. Between Hammerhead and the Niflhiem base there was a Haven. One where people had fought tooth and nail again and again for a place safe from the demons. There had been not one, but multiple a battles at this haven.

Noctis upon initially discovering this; had deemed it a waste of time to clean up all the corpses. They were exactly where they had fallen in death. Scattered about the hillside and starring lifelessly at anyone walking by. Ardyn started with five. The same sample size he had back at the Citadel. He laid out the corpses, lit candles, and tossed some flower petals. He sang the Hymm of the Fallen. Then he waited. Making notes of the corpse's conditions, and any changes within 8 hour intervals. Within 2 days, three of the corpses began to show obvious signs of bloating. Within 4 days they were showing signs of proper decomposition. Ardyn made notes in a journal, and on day 5 pulled out five more corpses from the war zone. This time he tried a diffrent burrial method. One more common to Niflheim, instead of Insomnia. This involved crossing the limbs over their chests, and making sure their feet faced the Eastern sunrise. He burried them in shallow earth. Lucians wrapped their dead and entombed them- but the Niflheim people traditionally wanted to return to the earth afterall. Though most of them in the modern day were cremated. Four days later he had similar results. Ardyn stood between the Lucian style graves, and the Niflheim ones. He tapping his pen against his chin. "I can bury the dead." He concluded. "WHY can I bury the dead. People have been burying others for YEARS- but they haven't decomposed.... Have they?" He asked with a whisper. He walked back to his car, and pulled out his personal world map. Where did he know where there corpses? Where had people been burried by others? Prompto. Prompto had burried his friends back in Hammerhead. There was a whole grave yard out back. Ardyn drove back to Hammerhead, and after clearing out some demons that liked to linger in the area, he started digging. The first person he uncovered was a young woman. With blonde hair. It looked like she had died from several gunshot wounds. Probably going down fighting in her own way. Her corpse had been wrapped and bandaged respectfully. Meaning that she had been given full funeral rites. Her body had not decayed though. Not in a normal pattern. It was mushy, and the flesh was dripping off the bones. Same as all the other corpses. Ardyn wrinkled his nose at this, and then started digging up the other graves. An old man, with a yellow Jacket was in the next grave. Dead from a similar bullet wounds. He also was not decayed. The third grave held a teenage boy. Probably not more than 15 or 16. Also not decayed. None of the graves that Prompto had made had been successful. Not in the same way that Ardyn's had been. He considered this for a while. Recorded several things into his notes, and then reburried the corpses. The last thing Ardyn wanted was for Noctis to come out this way and see what Ardyn had done, afterall. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the distrubed dirt. Otherwise Ardyn was going to be killed without the consideration of a prophecy. "I need someone burried older than these people." Ardyn mused, when planning out his next step. He sat in his car, and looked over his map. Thinking. "... Ignis was burried in the tomb of the mystic." Ardyn recalled. Noctis had mentioned it at some point. It being in the letter Prompto had left for him. The Tomb of the mystic was in the Disc of cauthus. He folded up his map, and drove West. Noctis had not been able to find a way onto the Disc when he was wondering about before, but that was mostly because Ardyn not offered any of his abilities to aid in the endvor. He drove up to the ruined gates of an old Niflhiem base, and then entered within. There were some demons that gave him annoyances, but once they were cleared out Ardyn had full access to the air ships. His Imperial ID code working even now, after the Empire had truely fallen. He flew up and out. Then over towards the Disc.

The crater with the Metor was a sigh to behold. The Metor had a fainter glow. Dimenished in power, just like the crystal had been. Ardyn landed his ship in a relativley flat area. Then hiked down into the steaming crater. Looking for any sign of a royal tomb. If Ignis had been burried inside of the place it shouldn't have been too hard to find. Given Prompto and his friends would have been in distress when traveling this way. Ardyn eventually found the tomb. But he found the Titan first. Ardyn froze when he first came over the rise. Then stared. Mouth open. From this position he could see to the bottom of the crater valley- and the dead God at the bottom. "What?" Ardyn askes, his voice echoing in the canyon. He scrambled down the hill. Jumping over a gap and warping every now an then. At the top of one point he did a double take, as he spotted the tomb, and the path to it. Ardyn continued to jumped further into the crater though. The area next to the Meteor was hot. If Ardyn was mortal he might have been spontaneously combusting. However he shrugged off the heat, shadows rippling under the surface of his skin. He approached the Titan's corpse. Ardyn was as tall as one of the God's eyes. Which were were glazed over, and colorless. Cloudy with death. Ardyn dared to get closer. Eventually able to reach out- and rested a hand on the bridge of the God's nose. The corpse was surprisingly cold. Almost lke ice, compared to the heat around him. Ardyn looked up, and stared into Titan's dead eye. Then looked down the length of the Titan. Having to back up to even get the God into perspective. "Did I do this?" Ardyn asked. He genuinley didn't know the answer. He knew Gods could be felled. He had seen Shiva's corpse. Verstael had explained how using technology, they had managed to murder the goddess. That had diminished her power- but it had not gotten rid of her. Gods existed on more than just a physical plane. Their bodies could be killed, but just Like Ardyn they could reform themselves after a time. Any one who had seen Shiva's corpse could tell that the Goddess was still alive. You could still sense her presence. Hell all of Niflheim being shrowded in perpetual ice-cold fury proved that she still lingered. This was not the case this time. The Titan was dead, and gone from the world. Ardyn couldn't sense a lick of magic or life withint the god. The question was HOW? What had cut the God's connection from this world? Ardyn hiked around the Titain- something that took a few good hours. He could not determine a cause for their death however. Though a Large chunk of the god's body was undeneath the giagantic meteor. Ardyn did not think that was the cause of death however. The way the Titan was laying. It was almost like the God had positioned itself so that the Meteor would NOT fall, even after he was gone. Ardyn hiked up to higher ground to hopefully get a better view. Stopping by the tomb on the way in. The doors were a bitch to get open. Some rocks having fallen at some point to partially obscure the opening. Ardyn managed though. He reward was a carcophagous. As well as two corpses, covered in grey refugee blankets. Ardyn walked over without ceremony. Lifting up the shrowd of the taller figure. Ignis Scientia lay there. A hand crossed over his chest. A Dagger in on of his hands, laying over his heart. His other hand held a spear at his side. A dark and bloody mark circled around his neck. His head was twisted to the side. His neck broken from where a Lestalum mob had decided to hang him. Ardyn checked the other corpse, who probably was a friend or companion of the man. Ardyn did not recognize her. She had been hung as well, however.

Neither of the corpses had decayed. They looked fresh out of the mourge... relativley speaking. Though unlike some of the more 'recent' corpses, the two had signs of being picked at by wild life. Both of them had had their eyes torn out, and what Ardyn recognized as beak markings on their face. When the two of them had died, there were still animals around to scavange their corpses. Removal of said scavengers however, had resulted in the corpses staying in their current form. Ardyn stepped back and placed a hand over his mouth. He walked over to the door. He looked down at the Titan below him. What did this mean? The sun disaprearing had... stopped decay? Was it the scourge doing it? But then why was Ardyn able to kick start the process again? He didn't feel like he was using his demon powers when he performed funeral rites. Infact the two attempts he had experiemented with thus far- Ardyn had been fairly certain he had not been using any magic at all. "None of this makes sense." Ardyn paced back into the tomb, and looked down at the two covered bodies. As if they could provide answers. "No. That isn't right. I just don't know the methods and mechanisms yet." Ardyn turned away once more. The ability for Iron to rust had existed long before anyone understood oxidization afterall. This was something new. Ardyn could feel it. Some new kind of magic? or something else. He stayed there for a while, meditating on this matter. Then he climbed back down the hill. Going to see if he could bury a God. Ardyn contemplated how to go about it the entire time he climed down the hill. Wondering how exactly to go about burrying said god. He felt like it was a monumental task. The Titan was a being of the earth. Should he be burried? Or exiled from it? To be released to the sky- but sky burials required animals to scavange them. There were no such animals now. The Titan was the patron god of Lestallum. Did he follow their customs? Or those of of Old Lestallum? Or the customs of the people who lived in theis area back from Ardyn's original time period? Ardyn appeared before the dead god's face again. Starring at the cloudy white eyes. Ardyn took a few steps back, and then summoned a bottle of aged wine. A traditional component of Lestallum burial practices. He closed his eyes and steadied himself. "God of Earth and Determination." He said with significance, "I bow before you. Oh Landforger. Oh Starcatcher." Ardyn held out the bottle and bowed low from the waist. He adjusted the bottle to lay sidways, rose up to look at the Titan, and bowed even lower. "I bring you this offering. That you may rest in peace."

Ardyn felt something shift around him. It wasn't magic. It wasn't darkness, nor light. Ardyn felt it in his gut. It just WAS. A sudden rush of wind came from the mouth of the Titan, blowing his hat off his head. Ardyn closed his eyes and held his breath. As the smell of iron earth, wet clay, and fertile feilds washing over him. Ardyn felt a voice rumble within his chest. Backwards, and deep. The sound of an Astral God. Accursed. Why have you and the Chosen King not fullfilled your duties? Ardyn opened his eyes, and looked at the Titan's corpse. It had not moved to indicate it was alive. Ardyn felt fingers creeping up his spine. He suspected that the wind had not even been real. The Titan was speaking to him from beyond this world. This mortal realm lies in wait for it's fate. Ardyn received the same flashes he had always seen when viewing the prophecy. Noctis summoning pure magic to smite him, and all of darkness into oblivion. A true choosen King. Even though the throne was illgotten and cursed. Time stands still, until the phrophecy is fullfilled. The Titan observed. Ardyn's grip on the bottle tightened. It cracked, leaking red liquid down his sleeves. "Well the phrophecy is shit!" He told the God angrily, "You! and Bahamut! and Shiva! All of you tricking me and- Noct! You have no idea what you've put him through?! He was just a child when he was chosen! A babe that you all fated to die!" The Titan's Corpse didn't responde immediatly. Ardyn felt that metal rod of anger begin to boil the dark energy within him. He sized up the mountain sized cadaver. Planning on sectioning it and feeding it to a volcano. Mt. Ravatough was still burning strong, afterall. Thus is the Prophecy. The Titan fed Ardyn images once more. This time of the Gods. Five of them, excluding Ifrit. All standing around a twisted Island. Anglegard. Then; the image of a commet, hurtling through space. Dark miasma trailing from its cracks and crevices. A threat they did not have a solution to, not as individuals. We are beholden to it. We swore oaths to see the prophecy through. In Ardyn's mind he could see Bahamut speaking to the other gods. Offering them a solution to the commet. To the threat of the oncoming scourge. Not knowing that we were being led astray. The last image in Ardyn's mind was that of Bahamut. Their draconic claw out stretched. Four more enteties joined. Each of the gods agreeing to the plan. A fish tail for Leviathan. Titan's own earthen hand. A charge lightning staff from the Storm god. A smaller, pale human hand. That of Shiva as Gentianna. Newly dead, and still bitter about it. Their powers combined and then- light manifested true- the Crystal. The heart of Eos. The Gods deciding to gift it to humans. To declare a chosen King, and make a sacrificial lamb. The plan seemed simple at the time, straight forward. Darkness laid within Bahamut's eyes. Not a God of Order, but one of chaos. Ardyn could see himself, and Noctis. Reflected in the crystal. The image fell away from him as he came back to himself. He grit his teeth. "That still makes you responsible!" Ardyn reminded the God. He lashed out. Kicking his boot onto the Titan's nose. Punctuating his words with a few more blows. "When someone shits in your bed, you don't lay in it just because you promised to sleep there! You hear me?!" He kicked out in anger. The rocky earth of the God's flesh cracking with each impact. Satisfying Ardyn's anger little. "You should have done better! You're gods! Mortals depend on you!" Indeed. The Titan did not seem opposed to Ardyn's berating. If anything the God seemed to think it deserved.

Ardyn inhaled and then exhaled. No longer satisfied with causing the God physical harm. Not if he felt it deserved. Ardyn wanted to destroy the being. Ardyn wanted to claw through every plane of existance, and tear them from their thrones. So that no human or creature in any relm would worship them. Bahamut did not tell us his intent was to kill all the humans with this plan. The Titan told Ardyn. Ardyn blinked something about the word striking a chord in him. By the time I realized Bahamut's true intentions... it was too late. We ran out of time. Ardyn sneered. "You are a God! Are you not!?" he pointed out. "If are so truely worthless, then what power do you actually hold?!" Existance as a God is not so simple, Accursed. The Titan's presence was fading. Almost like this conversation was exausting the Titian. Ardyn knew he was exausted from it at the least. He could feel Titian growing distant from the world once more. There are rules... even we must obey...

Ardyn grit his teeth. "Well you will stay here and EXPLAIN them to me then!" He reached out with all of his power, his being. Trying to make the God STAY. His armiger activated. Hot pink blossomes around them. As crystalized glowing weapons shattered into existance around him. The Weapons which were all but useless in this situation though. Ardyn summoned his shadows. A well of darkness spilled out from him and began to fill the crater around them. Drowning the God's corpse in scourge. This had no effect either. Ardyn grit his teeth and dug into the depest parts of himself. Trying to find whatever source of magic he had used to summon Titan with in the first place. In anger Ardyn grabbed a hold of that hot iron rod deep inside him. The part that burned with fury about this situation. He wielded it- and were his eyes not closed- he would have been startled by the by the breifest emergance of golden flickering flicker across his fingers. The same gold that Lunafreya was known for summoning. Fullfill the phrophecy Accursed. The Titan sighed, slidding further and further away from him. It is the only way to make time move forward again.

The Titan slipped away, and Ardyn yelled out with all the magical power at his desposal. None of it was enough though. The crater flickering with shadows, red crystals, and just the breifest hints of gold. Ardyn growled with frustration as- even though he was clawing at the God's presence they still slipped away from him. The effort leaving Ardyn breathing heavily. As each part of his magical powers hit stasis.

Ardyn starred at the Titan's corpse. Who once again was nothing but a dead rock. He fell to his knees. Unable to lash out with magic, Ardyn vocally screamed. This time with rage. He rose back up and threw the remaining bottle of alchol at the God's eye. The membrane was suprisingly resilent, and wasn't affected by the glass. It actually bounced off with a comedic boink as if the Titan's eye were as solid as quartz. Ardyn caught his breath. He marched away. Pulling his hair back as he walked. Hands soaked in wine, Ardyn pulled a hair tie out from around his wrist. Gathered his locks, and pulled them into a high pony tail. It swayed back and forth, as Ardyn came to the rise of the Hill. Where the path led up and out of the Titain's valley.

Ardyn stood on one of the rock pillars. Standing above the God. He pointing down at the corpse below him with his chin. "Landforger!" He proclaimed, "Starcatcher! Collossus O' Titan. I CONDEM YOU!" Ardyn spat. His voice echoing off the canyon walls, and hopefully perhaps further. "You have failed your task on this planet. Not protected it's people. Not heard their cries for help not had the DECENY to answer their prayers!" Ardyn inhaled through his nose. He could not feel any stir of magic, or indication that what he was trying to do was working. He tried to call upon that unknown source of other magic he seemed to carry with him. All that met him was a quiet sort of silence, however. Ardyn pushed on. "You were sent to this world to protect it, and here is stands in Ruin. In death and departed from such. Done by your own negligant hands!" He accused.

"You will fester in this crater that once was considered your palace. Your corpse never again know the outside of this tomb. For it will stand as a testament to your failure and sins! Forever more!" Ardyn guestured across his chest, shoulder to shoulder, and then he threw his hand, back first towards the Titan. Almost like he was going to flick the God off. What he was doing was casting his feelings onto the 'grave'. A rite older than Old Lestalum. One that went back to even before Ardyn's time. "Be this the end of your days! Let it be truth!!!"Ardyn declared with force. The silence after Ardyn's delcaration had a heavy sense of finality to it. It was solid, and firm. Ardyn turned, satisfied with the burial right. As he marched past the Tomb where Ignis and Monica laid. Marched out of the Titian's crater, towards the Air ship he had landed in. Behind him, the weight of the Metore gave in onto the God's corpse. Crushing it.

As satisfying as it was to take his anger out on one of the Gods. Ardyn was still very much empty handed. He was no step closer to finding out how he was causing corpses to rot. Nor a way to dispearse the scourge. Time. Ardyn's mind kept circling back to that single concept. The one the Titan had mentioned it, somewhat. That time was standing still. Time was what stagnate.

Time. But then what am I doing? Make things move forward again? Ardyn thought. As he walked through his test feild. Five corpses set out every few meters, in varying states of decay, and also burial methods. Most were in shallow graves, or in cloth, or ashes in pyres. A clip board in his hand filled with notes. What about me burying people changes time? Ardyn did not know HOW he was doing this. Or WHAT was causing things to change. He knew that Noctis burrying people did not have the same effect. Noctis had cleaned up enough Havens that Ardyn could, and did, go back and look at the bodies his nephew had interacted with. Aside from those Noctis had burned with magic, they were untouched and still stagnant.

So Ardyn was doing something. Was it some kind of magic? He didn't feel like he was using Magic. Not in any form he understood it as, at least. Every corpse he burried or did a funeral right for started to. He was... releasing the corpses? Putting them to rest? Putting them back in time? Ardyn didn't quite know which distinction to make. He circled this note, and massaged his temples as he walked back towards his camp. Set just close enough to the Hammerhead Haven to keep demons away, but close enough that he wouldn't be bothered by the haven itself. Time.

Ardyn performed a funeral right on a building. Something he had to improvised- because how exactly did one do that? Put a building to rest. Ardyn just wanted to see what would happen. The building was a damaged shed inbetween Hammerhead and Galdin Quay. One of those things that should not have been standing this long. Not for ten years, as damaged and bent over as it was. Ardyn closed it up and told the house that it was no longer needed. Then once a week he travled down it, and made notes. Seeing if there was any progession on rust, or the soundness of the structure. As far as he could tell, there was no change. Not yet at least. This was one of those things that would probably take time.

One day he was checking up on it- when some demons attacked Ardyn. A bomb wandered too close to the shed, and of course it exploded. Knocking the whole thing over. Darkness gathered around Ardyn. That rod of metal burining in his core. "You. Have. RUINED this experiement!" He told the demons agrilly. Summoning his sword to smite them down. The Demons all actually flinched at the use of his power- but they only attacked him with more vigor because of it.

Ardyn, as the center of the scourge, could ironically not control the demons. They sought him out with desperation instead. Attracted to him like a magnet. They knew that he was supposed to be the one to release them form their torment. Even though he could offer them no such thing. All Ardyn could do was attract demons, or turn people into demons. He couldn't put them to rest. Which was increadibly ironic, given his current topic of study.

Ardyn grumbling in anger as he sorted through the mess of the building after the battle. Seeing what he could salvage for the Stupid demons. Whilst sorting through the wreckage, Ardyn picked up a cup that had been within the house. Intending to move it out of the way where he was less likley to step on it. As he did so, he grabbed it from the inside, around the rim. Resulting in Ardyn's fingers coming in contact with something fuzzy in texture, and sticky at the same time.

Ardyn dropped the cup immediatly with shock. Not knowing what he had touched. The cup fell to the ground and rolled away. He stared at it, then checked his hand. Making sure there was nothing on his hand. Carefully, he picked up the cup and looked inside. To his discust the cup was filled with mold. Like whoever had left this house to rot so long ago had not bothered to clean out their coffee cup properly. "Yuck." Ardyn dropped the cup into the pile of trash, and took out a disinfectant wipe. Cleaning off his hands. With a defeated sigh, he started walking back towards Hammerhead. Time.

Ardyn spent two months out in Hammerhead, burrying bodies. Then another month pretending like he had any sort of lead to go on at all. At the start of his sixth month mark, Ardyn admitted that his research was not amounting to anything.He knew that he could bury bodies and cause decay. He could replicate it quite reliably. Even do it on a crowd of corpses all at once. The mechanism by which this operated eluded him, however. Ardyn also did not know how this ability could be applied to getting rid of the scourge. He could give everyone on Eos a funeral, but then what?

This was when having someone like Verstael around would come in handy. His late husband had such a unique way of seeing the world. If Ardyn had given him this problem Versatel would be having him do this, and then that and then suddently the scientist would know exactly what was happening, already have a plan of action they could take, and they would be marching against the Gods straight out of this situation.As it was now, Ardyn was just traveling around in circles. Lost.It did not help that isolation was starting to get to him again. Ardyn was an extroverted person by nature. He was best working around or with other people. He need someone to run ideas by. Someone to walk through expriments with. Doing everything up in his head was just... not ideal.That was part of the reason why he had wanted Noctis to come with him.Noctis. Ardyn twisted a pencil inbetween his fingers as he thought of his nephew. Noctis, sitting alone in the Citadel. Waiting for him. Just as Ardyn had isolated himself for ten years. Waiting for Noctis to come back out of the crystal. The image made Ardyn uncomfortable. He didn't want anyone else to have to go through that.

The poor boy was probably going to drive himself as insane as Ardyn was."What are we going to do?" Ardyn leaned forward in his char, asking his microscope. Which he had glued googly eyes to some years ago. Of course it did not answer him. Rather rude of it to. Given their years of working together.

Ardyn sighed, leaning back in his chair again. "What should be done?" he asked himself.Ardyn went to visit Niflheim before he returned to Insomnia. He was originally from Lucis; but he now considered the cold and frozen wasteland home more than anywhere else. Shiva's wrath was still bombarding the region. The weather was worse, without the sun to defrost the ice on occasion. He was stuck to traveling by air ship for the most part, and by skiis anywhere else.

The first place he visited was Verstael's corpse. Well, the final one. The Immortalis machine really was a marvel of engineering. You could see where it had cut through the terrain on it's one and only journey through the mountains. Forever marring its terrain. The Immortalis project was humanity's best attempt at becoming a God. One that might have just proven successful, had Ardyn not set it up to fail."Hello love." Ardyn placed a hand on the icy drill. Looking up at the destroyed magitek core.

Ardyn had visited this place before, shortly after Prompto's victory. Making sure that his husband was truely dead. As much as Ardyn would have loved to have his husband at his side in the moment, he was ultimatley happier that Verstael was resting peacefully. Untormented by the bleakness of the end of the world.Ardyn moved some snow off a metal shelf, and then stepped up. Into the maw of the dead beast before him. He carefully navigated the metal surfaces. Standing on a drill head, and then pulling himself up, into where the Magitec for was. The machine that had once held his husband's soul.

Ardyn kneeled in the space. Reaching up, he took off the scarf from around his neck. A dear thing, that Ardyn had actually stolen from Verstael. Back when they were still getting to know one another. One of the first times Ardyn followed the man back to his home, and wiggled his way into his personal life. Ardyn had nicked the scarf from his wardrobe, and Verstael had declared him a thief."Not stealing, if I return it." Ardyn said to himself. Repeating his words from so long ago. He reached into the maw of the best, and secured the scarf around the broken Magic tech core. Pulling it tightly, so that not even Shiva's winds would be able to undo them. Once done, Ardyn placed a hand on the broken core. He inhaled and closed his eyes. Starting with a low and familiar note. The Hymm of the Dead rising up in his chest. Ardyn dragging out each note and putting as much of his heart into the song as he could. He didn't know if his strange new magic could.

Ardyn blinked away tears when he was done. Then leaned forwards. Pressing his forhead against the broken magictech core.He returned to all of Verstael's other corpses as well. Making sure they each got a proper send off. That way his loved one would not be left stagnating in the world after everything was done.

Seven months after leaving Insomnia, Ardyn returned. Driving his red convertible across the Eastern bridge from the Lucis continent, into Insomnia.The Capital city walls loomed over Ardyn as he drove through them. Tall and impossing stone walls that stretched for Kilometeres in each direction. Insomnia's walls were always something to behold. It was crazy to think that man alone had built the structures walls, and not some God. They stretched higher than the sky scrapers, and so far into the distance at some points they overshadowed the horizon.

Ardyn passed through the city gates into the dead city. Insomnia was errily silent as he drove across the highway, avoiding areas that had been damaged. It had always been creepy, given the ever lasting dark. However this time there was something off about it.There was a shrowd of white fog that lingered inside the walls. A ghostly vapor which glowed eriely. White, with a hint of blue. That was the color of Noctis' magic. Ardyn didn't know what to make of this at first. He stopped just at the top of the highway ramp and got out of his car. Looking at the thick soup-like clouds. He could feel it's chilly presence from atop the highway. Ardyn placed a hand on the road barrier and looked down ward.

The fog lurked beneath the entrance highway and submerged most of the city. Ardyn had no choice but to drive into it, and the mere idea of doing so left uncomfortable needle pricks along his skin. Something felt increadibly wrong. He wasn't quite sure what it was though. He decided to push on, and get to the Citadel as soon as possible. He put up the roof of his convertable, closed the windows, and proceded to drive through the familiar streets with caution.The fog was cold. Cold enough that Ardyn had to turn on the heater for his car. It threatened to ice the wind sheild as well. Thankfully he was prepared for such weather. Coming from the cold depths of Niflheim, Ardyn had installed a heated wind sheild and wipers on his vehicle. To help aid in some of the annoyances living in a snowy climate gave them.

The city of Insomnia was not so prepared for the cold snap. Ice covered glass windows, settled on cars, and even lingered on the streets in lower points. The cold of the magical fog gripped everything it came in contact with. Ardyn would have suspected Shiva being the cause for it, but there was no wind. Every time he had encountered the Ice Goddess she had blown strong winds into his face. Even when the meeting had been a 'friendly' one. Shiva was a blustury presence.A heavy, unmoving fog did not feel like Shiva's magic. It deffinitley felt more like Noctis. The magic had a presence to them. Similar to how Noctis' foul moods summored storms, this felt like something his nephew had conjured. Magic prickled at Ardyn's skin threateningly, but never attacked. Recognizing him on some level.

Ardyn gripped his steering wheel tighter. The feeling still making him anxious. The city was as quiet as a gave, and that disturbed Ardyn as well. He realized why after ten minutes of navigating through the abandoned streets (he had to drive around the wreckage of the highway). There were no demons about. What dark and twisted life had been haunting the streets and buildings was just GONE. Pushed out of the space. Ardyn could feel the scourge underneath the ground. Lingering in buildings that were closed off from the fog. None of it was allowed out in the streets though.Noctis had exersized the entire city-state with a glowing fog. Ardyn didn't quite know what to make of this.

The Center district finally came into view, and Ardyn passed by a yellow, overturned food truck. Then turned to make it to the Citadel gates. He had to get out of the car in order to open the metal gates. Ardyn shuddered as he opened his car door. Stepping into the thick of the cold fog. The magic wasn't hurting him, but it was uncomfortable to be in. Ardyn felt like he was walking through cold jelly.Noctis' magic was thick. He was greatful to get back into his car, which offered some protection. Ardyn shivered, and summoned a jumper, and then a new scarf. Layering himself up, before moving foward. Having to get out of the car again to close the gate behind him, of course. Though if there were no demons there probably wasn't much of a point in doing so.

He drove up to the front of the Citadel. Where he usually parked. Ardyn popped the trunk, and pulled out the car cover he kept there. Drapping a tarp over the car to- hopefully keep the effects of the ice cold fog away from it. Something which probably wasn't nessessary- but Ardyn always made it a point to take care of the things he loved and cherrished. Expecially his darling car.No one came out to greet him durring this process. So Ardyn let himself into the Citadel. The doors opened with a loud creak, and despite Ardyn trying not too, they echoed loudly when he closed them. Heavy as they were. The unbearable fog was not as present inside of the Citadel, thankfully. Though that might have been thanks to Ifrit, who was sitting on the far, far side of the Citadel hallways. A walk that took Ardyn a few minutes to make at a casual pace. Even from this far away though, Ardyn could feel the firey warmth the God's proximitiy gave off.

"Where is he?" Ardyn asked the God as he walked up.Ifrit simply looked down at him. Not able to answer, since he had no consiousness.Ardyn rolled his eyes and walked around Ifrit's foot. The God was taking up most of the area infront of the throne doors. Ardyn opened the black, heavily decorated doors to the throne room. Just polking his head in so that he wouldn't have to walk all the way upstairs, only to come down again.

By now the bodies inside the hidden chamber had decomposed enough, that it did not stink terribly. There was, however, a fairly distinct lingering odor. Noctis had turned the middle level of the throne room into a memorial back when he had first mourned the bodies. This was still the case, and many of the candles were actually lit currently.Knowing Noctis usually only kept them lit when he was visiting the memorial. Ardyn opened the door further, and peered upwards.

Noctis was on on the throne. Looking like he was made of it. Or it was made for him. The way he glowed made him look more divine than any other being Ardyn had met over his long life span. His aura a silver line of light blue, his hair almost white with magical energy. Ardyn could see that his nephew's powers had returned to him in full. However, something was diffent. Ardyn just could not tell what.Noctis stirred, opening his eyes. Waking up from the nap he appeared to have been taking. His magic shifted- and his magic was everywhere. It was the fog below them, the air around them, the sky above them. Ardyn inhaled, as he realized that Noctis was more a part of the environment around him, than just a person before him. Noctis shifted, and so did the climate all aroudn them.

Noctis looked down at Ardyn for a moment. Then sat up in the throne. "You've come, I see." Noctis greeted tiredly, but waking up to a more alert state."Indeed." Ardyn remarked, and began making his way up to the throne. "You've done some redecorating I see." Noctis frowned, looking confused. "You've exorsized the entire city by the looks of things." Ardyn clarified, as he came to the second platform, and kept walking. Guesturing towards the broken half of the throne room wall.

Noctis looked out towards the dark world beyond the room, and then back down to Ardyn. "Oh. Yeah." Noctis shifted on the throne, "I... wanted to try something." He admitted. By the pinched expression on his face, whatever he had been trying to accomplish had not worked. Even if finding a way to keep an entire city state free of demons was a monumental feat, Noctis did not see it as such. Ardyn stepped up the last step to the throne's platform. His boots clicking on the marble with each step. He approached the throne. Noctis looked up at him as he did so. Ardyn exhaled, finally feeling like he had arrived. This was it. The end of the road. "Hello, Night Light." Ardyn greeted with a fond smile.

Noctis scoffed, and looked away. The image of a displeased King. "I told you to stop calling me that." "But it suits you so." Ardyn argued with amusement, not for the first time. "So." Noctis appraised Ardyn, changing the topic, "Did you find a solution to the scourge?" Ardyn's shoulders sank. "No." Noctis similarly deflated. Not very appropriate for someone sitting on a throne. "Oh."

"It is frustrating." Ardyn clenched his hands. "I was able to find some things out. But I can't add them up in any meaninful way. I don't know if I can bring them into any sort of a solution. Not from where I currently stand at least." "Yeah. It's the same for me." Noctis agreed with the same frustration. "I looked at the crystal. Tried to reassemble it." He announced, "You were right." Ardyn's eyebrows rose with interest.

"The crystal IS similar to the nodes. I actually think that might have been what I was missing. The nodes connect to the crystal, and then the crystal back to them.- or at least it used to." Noctis sighed, "Now it is just as dead as the nodes are." "Yes, I guess that is what they mean by it being the heart." Ardyn had concluded this already.

Noctis closed his eyes, and shook his head. "I don't think there's any way to salvage this situation." There was an undercurrent of defeat to Noctis' voice. A dark void that Ardyn did not like seeing the younger man inhabiting. Ardyn hung his head, and then took off his hat. "I'm sorry Noctis." "You don't need to apologize." Noctis gave him a sharp look, almost a reprimand.

"I'm sympathizing." Ardyn clarified. Then reached forward, holding out the hand which was not holding his hat. Offering his nephew a hug. "I'm sorry that all of this has been put onto you." Noctis debated Ardyn's offer, then relinquished. He stood up, and took a step towards his open arms. Ardyn wrapped his nephew in as comforting of a hug as he could provide. Something that Noctis sorley needed, judging by how he melted into Ardyn's shoulder. Leaning on him, almost in exaustion.

"What I wouldn't have given to have just been your actual grand uncle." Ardyn joked as they pulled apart. He patted Noctis on his shoulder fondly. "You act as a true, proper King. It would have made Somnus increadibly angry." Noctis gave him a confused look. Ardyn clarified, "My younger brother was quite selfish, and childish when he did not get his way."

"Well. In the end, he is still going to get what he wants." Noctis pointed out, then sighed. He turned back to the throne. Looking up at it's grand, design. "If there is anything you still want to try..." he trailed off. Giving Ardyn an opportunity to back down. To continue delaying their fates.

Ardyn placed his hat back onto his head. "I have put anything I wanted to acomplish to rest." He assured Noctis. Noctis lowered his chin. "I suppose 2 years of delaying the inevitable is long enough to say we tried."

"Has it been that long?" Ardyn asked, and then counted on his fingers. He really was not the best at keeping track of time. "Two years, in a couple of days." Noctis affirmed. The sighed "We have all the time in the world to take. Too bad we can't just turn it back though."

Time. There it was again. Ardyn felt something stirr inside of him. The beginings of an idea, "Turn... back time?" He asked under his breath.

Noctis, not having heard him, reached to his side. With a shimmer of blue light, he summoned his engine sword. Swinging it once to refamilar himself with its weight. "Are we sure about this?" Noctis asked, turning around to look at him. "Once I start, i'm not sure if I will be able to stop."

"Of... course," Ardyn tried to sound certain, but was distracted. Turn back time... ? Was that even possible? Ardyn had heard of that being done in fictional stories. In real life though? Could it be done. Noctis nodded, and then concentrated. He summoned his Armiger. 13 weapons manifested themselves. Not just around Noctis, but around both of them. The arms were each as bright as a demon light. Almost as if they were made of pure light itself. Ardyn winced at their sudden apperance. The weapons slowly began to rotate around him and Noctis. Both of them were trapped in the circle of light. There was no where for either of them to hide.

Noctis stepped forward. Ardyn blinked at his nephew. Barley able to see through the light around them brightness. "You need to summon all of your shadows." Noctis reminded him, "I need to summon all of my light." "Right." Ardyn knew that had to be the case. Noctis needed to kill the heart of the scourge. Making sure he, and the demons were truely obliterated from the world.

Ardyn closed his eyes. Darkness was not hard for him to gather. It came to him, like water flowing down hill. Honestly it was keeping it away that was the hard part. One by one he started lowering his, and the darkness came to him. Attracted by Bahamut's curse. Black ooze began to seep out of his eyes and mouth. His intesines became crowded, bloated with the souls of the damned. Tearing themselves to shred and turning to mush. His form became smokey, blurry. Ardyn becoming darkness itself.Similarly, Noctis became light itself. He summoned forth pure, raw power. Feet leaving the ground as he did so. His hair started to turn white, his form radiated it. Outside the fog grew brighter. The foot print his magic reached bubbled and grew. The weapons of light around them began to spin faster and faster. Forrming a wall of litteral light to contain them in. Contain the magic Noctis was calling forth... his nephew' outline becoming harder to distinguish. As glowed brighter and brighter.

Ardyn did not need to concente nearly as much. The darkness and demons coming to him in droves. He looked up at Noctis with awe.Noctis. Noctis was not gathering energy. He was creating it. Producing it from nothing, seemingly.He's an endless amount of energy. Ardyn thought to himself, like a quasar.Quasars were only hypothetical though... as were their counter parts; black holes. The two types of singulaties. Ends that their understanding of quantum physics came to, mathematically. Verstael had said that singularites such as black holes and quasars were proof that they still had much to learn in the matter of science. Because how could such things be possible? A point where all mass gathered to, and a point where energy originated from... things that clearly could never exist.Unless they can. Ardyn watched Noctis only produce more and more energy. Meanwhile all of the shadows, the demons and scourge came to him. Rolling down hill. Spinning into him. A bottomless hole that could never be filled.Ardyn felt like he was just on the edge of something. He was a black hole... Noctis was a quazar.

Time.Ardyn stared up at Noctis. eyes wide, despite the black scourge leaking out of them. Despite the fact that all of the light Noctis was gathering around him was activley burning him to his very existance.A lecture his late husband and him went too years ago came to mind. Some couligue of his late husband's. The son of a friend of Verstael's father who was being sponsored by their family. A physicists who had developed equations of relativity.Ardyn bored, and hodling a champagne glass. Standing as his husbands arm candy, while dusty scientists talk.When you start warping space. You theoretically also warp Time. Time. Ardyn reached out, and upwards. Noctis opened his eyes. As Ardyn' hand cupped each side of his face. Noctis gave him a confused look. Though he did not lose concentration. Ardyn tightened his grip, seizing control of Noctis' raw power- and with every molecule of his being, PULLED.

Noctis woke up with a groan. He cracked opened his eyes. Finding himself laying on the floor of the throne room. Looking up at the dark chandileer above him. A dizzy feeling in his head. As well as a pain in his lower abdomen. His skin felt itchy there as well. Like ants had bitten him in a line. He shifted uncomfortably."Noctis." Someone pushed his bangs out of his face. It was his dad. Noctis blinked, and found that his head was resting in his father's lap. He looked up with wonder. Reaching out to touch the man's face. Noctis ran a hand down his father's nose bridge, then placed a hand on his cheek. Feeling the scratchy beard hair that his father had always kept trimp and proper. "... Dad?" he asked. Not sure if the moment was real or not. Regis smiled fondly, eyes gathering water. He reached up and held Noctis' hand against his face. "Noctis. My son." "You're alive." Noctis remarked.

Regis' brow furrowed. "Why, Yes. I am. Did you? Remember something?" Noctis pulled himself up to a sitting position, and pulled his father into a hug. Holding his father tightly. Just holding him. Ever so greatful to have his father back. Alive, and not burried underneath the throne. Unmoving and decayed. The memory static that had been washing washing over Noctis' mind was gone. Everything was clear. Noctis had a second chance. He had his father back.

"Be careful." Ardyn's voice came into advisement. Noctis looked to the side, and found his Great Uncle kneeling beside him. "Your flesh is still weak. Dont move around too much." "Ardyn. You brought me back to life." Noctis sat back. He placed a hand on his stomach. Realizing why it hurt so much now. He had been evicerated by Dratos- he had just been magically stitched back together. By ARDYN of all people. "Lucky for you, eviceration is a slow death." Ardyn stood up, and placed his hands on his hips, "Never actually LOST you. Though it was close." He tried to joke, the touch of a smirk on one side of his mouth. "Ardyn." Noctis looked up at the man, "You healed me. Using ORACLE magic." Ardyn looked down and to the side. Then looked back at Noctis, with something of a pained look. "It took took some time, but I found my center again." he explained. "Second chances, and all that sort of stuff."

"Thank you." Noctis told the man, "For everything. I mean it. this is," Noctis looked around him. They had gone back in time. By no small margine. "I can't even begin to say. Just; thank you." Ardyn seemed at a lost for words for a moment. Somewhere between greatful and embaressed. The man decided to settle for reminding everyone that he wasn't always the hero. "Anytime, Night Light." Noctis groaned. "Don't call me that." "Night Light?" Regis asked with confusion.

"It's a pet name. For my favorite grand nephew." Ardyn happily explained to Regis. He reached down and ruffled Noctis' hair. Who protested and swatted Ardyn's hand away. Ardyn just chuckling with amusement. Once Noctis got Ardyn off him, he took stock of his surroundings. His stomach hurt. A lot. His skin itched where it had been reknitted. He was sitting on the ground in front of the throne. There was a concerning looking puddle off blood of to one side, which Noctis suspected was his own. Clarus was standing three steps to the side. Sheild at the ready. Talking with several of the council members who were down below. As well as several captains of the crowns guard. Everyone was on high alert- and judging by how fast people were talking, and coming in and out, emergencies were being dealt with. There were some Glaives standing guard nearby. Noctis recognized Nyx, Crowe and Libertus. They looked like they had been in yet another fight. Crowe was still coverd in blood from the chin down. Nyx was fostering an injury of some kind. Nearby were also nearly a dozen Niflheim Guards in armor. Who were standing guard so firmly that one would think that they were statues.

Clarus mentioned something about demons, and protecting the citizens from them. Noctis slowly raised his gaze. As his senses returned he found not one, but two things lacking. "The crystal's been moved... and the wall has fallen." Noctis observed, then turned to his father. Sitting beside him. He only just now noticed the drained apperance of his father. The dark circles under his eyes. The pale expression. King Regis wasn't just sitting on the ground for him- he was very clearly in stasis.

"Dad? What happened?" Noctis asked with worry. Regis grimaced, "Shortly after Dratos made his move, so did Bahamut." his father nodded towards Clarus, "We are coordinating the Guard to take care of the demons, and advising Citizens to turn their lights on. The power Grid is going to be strained, but not all hope is lost." he wince and shifted his bad leg to a more comfortable position. "Hopefully, here shortly I should be able to resummon the wall..."

Noctis stared at his father. "But you can't do that without the crystal." he pointed out. "Your friend, the Niflhiem Heir, is making a considerable effort." Regis looked over to the side.

It was only then that Noctis realized there was a hole in the wall of the throne room. Remarkably similar to the one from the previous time line. Only this one was very new. That hole had NOT been there before he had been stabbed. "The- you mean Prompto?" Noctis asked with confusion. Memories of his past life mixed with the memories he had of this one. Prompto had been raised by Ardyn in this life. Noctis turned to Ardyn. Who was not paying attention to them. Rather texting someone on a phone. How in the world was Prompto going to get the crystal back? He... he couldn't even dead lift 200kg. Much less touch the crystal that divinley punished those who DID touch it.

"Noctis- wait." King Regis was unable to keep his son from standing up. "Don't, I just. Give me a moment." Noctis waved off his father. Trying to stand up. He got about halfway, before the pain in his stomach kept him from going further. Noctis put an arm around his stomach, and then reached for Ardyn. Who stopped typing and moved to help him stand. Noctis was still shaky on his feet. Hunched over due to the pain in his abdomen.

"Clarus." Regis called for his sheild. Unable to stand on his own. Clarus turned from the council, and then took the three steps it took to be at his King's side. Helping him up. Such a sorry state they looked. Two Kings, their kingdom under attack from within- and neither of them able to stand of their own power. Noctis wet his lips, "I am going to summon light." He informed Ardyn.

"Noct... I don't know if this is a good idea." Ardyn cautioned. Looking back as Clarus helped Regis to his feet. The King was clearly pushing himself more than his son was. His Dad looked like he was about to pass out from stasis, but insistently following his son anyway. "You are not in a good condition to push yourself. Neither of you are." "People are already dying from the demon attacks, aren't they?" Noctis asked him with gritted teeth. Ardyn pressed his lips together in a thin line. Not denying the possibiility.

"What kind of a King am I? If I can prevent more, but don't?" Noctis asked darkly. Then summoned his staff with a flash of light. Most people in the room were watching the Prince and King struggle to his feet. They regretted doing so now, as they blinked spots out of their eyes. Then muttered with surprise. As they saw the Prince with what they assumed was a new royal arm. A STAFF, which had never been listed as a weapon before. Painted with the Lucian colors, and with red and blue accents. Noctis placed the staff on the ground with a solid noise. Then used it to support himself. Just as his father often did with his cane. Noctis stood up a little taller, and took a step forward walking with Ardyn's help. He took one step, then a second. Gaining confidence as he walked. Pushing through the pain, more than anything. Noctis stepped into the center space before the throne. Where often someone addressing the lower levels would stand when addressing people. Where Noctis and Ardyn had decided to end their previous lives. Noctis set his stance, and waved Ardyn off. He then turned to face forward. Addressing everyone in the room. "Everyone." Noctis shifted his staff, so it was laying in both his hands. Parrallel to the ground. He began to summon his power. Letting it flow through him and into the world. Above him, the unpowered chandiler flickered back to life. "I am going to summon light now." He informed them all. "I'll try to keep it up until dawn. Prioritize getting citizens to safe areas, and keeping them safe." His orders had most of the people nodding with firm understanding. There were a few of the posher nobles who exchanged looks with each other though. Noctis wished he had time to remember their faces. "Noctis." Regis, stepped forward. Clarus helping him do so. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Squeezing it tightly. The worry of a father who had already lost his son once that day in his eyes. "Please." "I'll be alright dad." Noctis assured him. Placeing a hand over his father's and squeezing. Clarus helped Regis step back. Noctis turned forward again. Regaining his concentration. The unpowered chandiler flickered- and began to illuminate the room with it's usual intensity. Below the noble's feat the magical running lights in the tiles started to pulse once more. As did all of the lights within the Citadel, which were usually powered by the crystal itself. Instead of their usual purple glow, the lights took on a colder, blue hue. Noctis supplying them with power in the crystal's absence. Noctis did not need to draw on the crystal for power, afterall. After it had shattered Noctis had discovered that at the core of his magical abilities was the ability to produce his own magic. Feeding it into the world. Like a spring from the earth. He inhaled as magic that was his own filled him. The pain in his stomach leaving him just for the time being. It was still there though- and Noctis could feel that he would regret what he was about to do later. Noctis still pushed on. Gathering magic beneath him. He opened his eyes. Looking upwards as his feet left the ground. Whisperes and shocked gasps errupted across the throne room. As many of the Lucians in the room had never seen magic like this before. Not in a few generations. Weighted down by the strain of the wall- and Bahamut's 'gift' of a ring. When Noctis had been born; the Oracle and the Gods had declared him to be the chosen one. The fabled King of Light. A person who would banish the darkness away for good. Over the course of both his life times; Noctis had been forced to fullfill the expectations of that role. To fill a mold others had decided for him. Little had they known that all of that had been a lie. That Noctis had only been choosen out of convenance. That the God who set up the prophecy conspired to kill them all. Despite all of Bahamut's conspiring however; Noctis had still been born with this gift of light. A power that was now HIS to define.

Its time to show the world what the King of Light truely is. Noctis thought, and then cast his magic forth. He warped upwards. Flickering into nothing in just a flash. One moment there, the next gone. Leaving a light blue after-image in his wake. Regis stumbled forward, a hand reaching out towards the after image of his son. Not having expected Noctis to suddently disapear. Clarus caught the injured King before he could fall. Ardyn stepping in to give him a hand. The latter reassuring Regis that Noctis was alright. That his son was more than capable.

Noctis blinked back into existance above the Citadel, and continued to rise upwards. Higher and higer. A figure of pure light rocketing upwards. Not unlike a firework. He rose like a beacon in the dark. Until he was on level with the clouds, and all of Insomnia lay before him. Plauged with demons spawning in every shadow and dark alley. Threatening the saftey of Citizens. Who could do little but turn on their lights and hide in the innermost parts of their houses. Noctis gathered his magic, making a sweeping circle with his staff. The unseasonal storm which had been plauging the City all day responded around him. Already a manifestation of his power- Noctis felt the whole atmosphere shift and warp at his command. What should he do? Fire? No. that was best for short bursts. Fog? That had frozen everything over. A final element crackled at the end of his staff; and Noctis unleashed his spell. Giving it form. The stormy sky above Insomnia split open. Branches of lightning traced across the sky. Not touching the ground, but curling around around in twists and turns. Reaching across and then back up into the sky. Instead of the light disapearing in a single flash, it lingered. Brilliant and sky blue. One set of bolts traced across the sky, then another. A rolling orchestra of thunder accompanying the lights.

Down below demons screamed, burned by the sudden apperance of intense light. Many of them disipated immediatly. While other were to slow and burned into smoke. Noctis' lightning illuminated the city from above in rolling waves. Illuminating the city below him in swathes. As bright as a mid-day sun. People, cowering in fear now pointed up towards the sky with wonder. Watching as the lightning rolled and lingered unnaturally. As if it were being captured by a camera. In the darkest of nights for the city, they had been saved by a miracle. One that was clearly visible. As Noctis Lucis Caelum became the eye of the storm hovering directly above the Citadel.