Title: Blinded by Light
Summary: Ignis tries to stop the unthinkable from happening as Noctis seeks the blessing of Leviathan. Contains spoilers for chapter 9.
Ignis paused for a moment to rest against a wall in First Secretary Camelia's study. She had asked to speak to him as soon as he was done with his third shipment of evacuees. It was an odd request. The Secretary had shown little interest in speaking to any of them other than Noctis, short of making sure that they intended to fulfill their end of the bargain.
Ignis checked his watch. 3:54 p.m. Noctis should be about ready to confront the Hydraean. The thought made Ignis proud. His brother in arms was goofy at times, aloof at others, but he was always ready to do his job as king, no matter how much it pained him to be king. The Hydraean would be swayed this day, and Noctis would be one step close to healing the world with his Oracle.
"I'm glad you could join me," Camelia said without preamble as she walked into the room.
At least she didn't keep me waiting long, Ignis thought. She struck him as a prompt person, and she would have been here waiting on him if not for the fact that her city was in preparation to be destroyed for his king's sake. Though, it was for the world. Camelia was an intelligent woman who realized that. A good leader realized that – even King Regis was willing to sacrifice his kingdom so that his son could save the world. King of Kings, Noctis was. Though what that meant exactly not even Regis had likely known.
Ignis put a smile on his face. A slight delay in response was appropriate given that she had approached him from behind. "The pleasure is mine."
Camelia nodded as she approached her desk. "As you know, the Hydraean is scheduled to awake at approximately 4 p.m. In accordance with your concerns, Nifleheim will be sending troops to intervene."
"And you called me here to tell me what we already know?" Ignis asked. His tone was as plain as ever.
"One of our spies within the Empire has informed me that the Chancellor intends to interfere with the rite – personally."
Ignis nodded. "I see. Chancellor Izunia… is a cleaver man. A weasel the likes I have never seen. Any reason you believe he may interfere personally?"
"Reports are scarce – it is almost as if he let us have this information."
"I wouldn't put it past him. Ardyn Izunia will play any game to accomplish his goals, though what those goals are is something I cannot not even begin to fathom. In what manner Noctis is at the center of that man's games, we do know that."
Camelia shrugged. "The details don't concern me, merely the well-being of Altissia. Do as you wish, though see to it that Altissia remains unscathed."
"Understood," Ignis acknowledged and took his leave. He left the Secretary's Estate to find the wall of water surrounding the now abandoned city. Magnificent, truly. The wall of water was something of a legend in Accordo, even having drifted to some ancient texts in Lucis, times of when the god of the ocean lived manifest. Tales of the Astrals fell into legends after the fall of Solheim, but seeing it now – well, he was oddly used to it having participated as Noctis fought Titan and having rode on the robes of Ramuh as the Fulgurian assisted them in battle. The wall was impressive nonetheless. If only he could take the time to admire it for the annals of history rather than struggling to save the world.
The sun was scarcely visible past the whirling cyclone around the city. He had to get to Noctis and tell him it wasn't the empire he had to worry about, but the machinations of Ardyn Izunia. The man disturbed them all, though Noctis in particular felt violated by the man's dirty nature; a fair feeling, given that Noctis was the subject of the man's interest.
A small squadron of Imperial ships were heading towards the plaza. Ignis followed.
The gondolas were down, so Ignis had to take an alternate path of running along the stone edges of the waterways. Normally, he would never be as uncouth as to make a spectacle of himself, but the city was abandoned. A few daredevils had chosen to stay behind in the city, but they were of no concern. He had a goal to accomplish.
He snickered, thinking how jealous Prompto would be that he got to run the waterways – the kid would never believe that he had done so. Normally he would say something along the lines of his vision or hand eye coordination not allowing him to do such an act, but it was a lie meant to keep them on the road. If only they could enjoy the simple, wild pleasure of breaking all the rules more often. It wasn't a luxury they had. They were the Crownsguard whether they were ready to be or not.
It took approximately four minutes to arrive. He climbed a building to get a view over the plaza. The place in Altissia was a semicircle – 270 degrees – around a vast pool of water that spread out to the ocean. The pool of water was home to Leviathan, whose monuments rested at the bottom.
The Hydraean was already summoned, though Lunafreya was nowhere to be found. The sight of Leviathan was impressive, even with his experience with Titan. Titan had been large, but Leviathan was a goddess manifest. She wasn't his concern, however. Conquering Leviathan was Noctis's trial as king, one he seemed to be succeeding in as he warped striked from building to building as he found openings on the serpentine god – eyes during one strike, scales and then tail on others. He would trust Noctis to do his role, as Noctis would trust him to do everything in his power to do his.
On the patio below him was a small patrol of MTs – those soulless troops Nifleheim wielded in their maniacal dreams of conquest. The mania made sense as he saw Ardyn walking amongst them as if they were trees, perhaps even with less reverence. Who was this man? His goals were strange and certainly not in line with the empire. He had appeared on the scene ten years ago, around the time when everything they knew about Nifleheim changed for the worse.
Ignis's heart lurched as Ardyn looked at him, eyes locked. The weasel knew that he was there. Ignis sighed, looking over the soldiers. Eight of them, nothing he couldn't handle. And Ardyn… he knew that he didn't have to survive. He just had to distract Ardyn long enough for Noctis to earn Leviathan's blessing.
He had his daggers and a few of Noctis's lightning spells stored. His lance belonged to Noctis's powers, but his current arsenal would have to do. He jumped down, lobbing two of the three lightning spells he had stored. They took out all but two of the soldiers. The residuals effects of the spell were gone by the time he landed, only the electricity that danced over the titles remaining. Ignorable, mostly, by his leather boots.
His daggers were already out as he killed the first magitek soldier. The second was stumbling to his feet after the lightning blast, and was dead before he could draw his weapon. Gladio would be proud, Ignis thought with a grin.
There would be time for frivolity of thought later. He turned to Ardyn, his weapons at the ready, glad that the man hadn't attacked him with his back turned. To be quite honest, he didn't know if Ardyn was capable of combat.
"The loyal lapdog appears, just as planned," Ardyn spoke, though Ignis felt as though the man were speaking through him rather than at him. "Well, come on then. You came to stop me, didn't you?"
Ignis ran at Ardyn who withdrew a sword. How did he keep that in his robes? Ignis wondered, though he didn't have time to process what that meant as he struck the sword with both daggers, before trying to sneak a strike in at Ardyn's chest.
The weasel backed away with a blow that knocked the dagger in Ignis's left hand free.
"Now now, what a poor excuse for a member of the Crownsguard. Will Noctis ever become the King of Kings with you at his side?"
Ignis ignored the taunt as he jumped aside as Ardyn made a wild stab at where his body once was. Izunia's speed was impressive, rival to even that of Noctis. Best not to take chances, Ignis thought as he retrieved the thunder spell from his pocket. Take him out before he pulls a trick out of his sleeve – or a lance, if that sword of his is any indication of the weapons he can hide.
He threw the stored lightning spell at Ardyn, his heart hitting a painful stop as the man caught it.
Ardyn had a wicked grin on his face. "It'll take more than Elemancy to defeat me, boy." And then he threw it backed.
Ignis tried to dive away, but he wasn't fast enough. The spell knocked him off of his feet and sent him flying. He hit the ground with a painful thump, his body buzzing and seizing with the electricity. His vision was blurry as Ardyn walked up to him, barely a dark blur in his white-stained vision.
"Send a message for me," the man muttered as pain conquered Ignis's face.
He cupped his head in his hands, blood pouring profusely. Ardyn had to have swung his sword at him. He was useless, unable to see the weapon that would likely kill him. He looked up to Ardyn from the ground, red joining the whiteness that blurred his vision, not that he could trust it anymore. Ardyn was a black figure, almost a smog of darkness coming off of him. Ignis tried to push himself to his feet, not wanting to waste time with the tricks his brain was playing on him. Ardyn kicked him to the ground.
Ignis was going to die, he knew that. But he had to buy Noctis more time. Even a moment longer would allow him to tame Leviathan. He tried to crawl, his hand shooting with pain as it met icy metal. At least he found his dagger, which he swiftly threw at Ardyn.
He heard the wet crunch as that dagger presumably tore into the man.
"My, my, that hurt," Ardyn grunted.
"Not enough," Ignis retorted.
"My feelings," Ardyn chuckled. "You've lost, you know that? Of course you do. You were always the most intelligent of your pathetic crew. Oh, and do me a favor? Tell Noctis that you couldn't save his betrothed's life."
"No!" Ignis screamed, throwing his weight at the voice, only to hit air and crumple to the ground.
He heard the footsteps as Ardyn ascended the ramp to his ship, and watched with dread in his heart as he saw the red lights of the transport drift away through his blurred vision.
He had failed.
I failed, Ignis thought as he watched Noctis's damaged body sleeping and recovering in bed. Or, as much as he could see. The boy's body was a blur of black clothing on pale skin. A sight he would recognize anywhere, even through damaged vision. He was already starting to learn ways around his injury, recognizing the sound of Noctis's sleepy breathes and occasional snores. He smelled a faint scent of laundry detergent that they often used at camp and the cologne Noctis wore when he knew he was about to meet his future wife.
He would have to start getting used to such methods. His vision had done little to improve, and instead, was on a steady decline.
I failed, he thought again. A thought he couldn't get out of his head. A small part of him had thought that Ardyn was just taunting him as he left him to die on the Altissian pavement. That wasn't like Ardyn though. He fully intended for him to live, fully intended for him to give Noctis his message, even as far as to send Imperial medics to rescue him.
Tell Noctis that you couldn't save his betrothed's life.
Ignis shuddered at the words. Ardyn had killed Luna to hurt Noctis – a fact his friend would never be able to face. He knew that Noctis's first thoughts as he awoke would be that it was his fault, inevitably letting it eat him up inside.
I will just have to make sure that doesn't happen. He would tell Noctis that Ardyn had his own plans for taking down Luna. He would protect Noctis from the truth. He may have failed to save Luna – he was no Crownsguard, truly. He was a pathetic excuse for a man, now more than ever. But, still, he would protect his King's heart.
Noctis will never be the King of Kings if he lets Luna's death destroy him. But, really, he thought as he looked to the sleeping form. I don't want him to feel the pain.
It was all that he could do for his friend. All that he could do for his brother.
A/N: YIKES. I didn't realize I mentioned Ignis's enjoyment of vision so much… now he will never be able to properly tell the world his thoughts on the wall of water. This hurt to think about… so I had to write it. Clearly, this is filling in for the inevitable Ignis DLC.