AN: A huge thank you to Scribe of Red. Who took the time to correct all my silly mistakes.
Also a massive thanks to both Scribe of Red and Scribe of Rhapsody. Two inspiring writers that deserve recognition. Seriously, this story would not be here without them.
Code Ebony
The sky is just beginning to lighten as Noct finally pulls the Regalia into the small rest stop in the middle of nowhere.
The moment the car rolls to a gentle stop, his forehead falls against the hard leather of the steering wheel, and if he has his way, it will not be rising from it again.
It has been a trying day—days, if he cares to be accurate, but he really doesn't—and all he wishes to do is succumb to the exhaustion that is washing over him in waves.
"No you don't." His blissful descent into the welcoming arms of sleep is interrupted by a sharp tug on his collar. He stares blearily at the offending hand that has a firm grip on the fabric of his jacket, not quite understanding what it is doing there. Looking past the arm, he is just able to make out the blurred but clearly annoyed face of his Sworn Shield.
"Sorry, Highness, but you are not leaving us to set up camp while you take a nap." He doesn't sound sorry at all to Noct.
Clumsily he brushes away Gladio's arm and rests his head more comfortably against the steering wheel. "Just five minutes."
"Dude! It takes you an hour to wake up. There is no way we are letting you fall asleep now!" Prompto's loud voice cuts through the wonderful haze of sleep that has begun to pull him under. This time it's his own strength that lifts his head.
"Eyes open," Gladio firmly urges.
It's a struggle but he manages it, barely.
"And he's up," Ignis notes as he gets out of the car, but Noctis soon proves him wrong as he falls back into his seat, eyes closed once more. "Not technically…up."
Noct can hear his advisor walking towards his car door. "Not technically sleeping under cover on a rainy night, then, are we?" As if to emphasize Ignis' point, a few light raindrops fall on Noct's upturned cheek. He hardly twitches.
"Why must it always be such a struggle?" Ignis asks with a put-upon sigh. Noct can just picture him adjusting his glasses.
"There's still work to be done, Highness." Gladio's mocking use of his official title is accompanied by a few gentle—by Gladio's standards—taps.
He brushes Gladio's hand away again, but the damage is already done: he's awake. "I really hate you guys sometimes."
As he finally steps out of the car, Prompto's arm lands over his shoulder as his friend notes with clearly forced cheer, "Nice night for a walk."
Noct just groans.
With mechanical movements they unload their supplies, working on muscle memory more than anything else, as not even Ignis is capable of higher thought processes at this time of the morning. Within minutes the tent, fire, and everything else they need is set up, and it is with absolutely no grace and much relief that Noct collapses into one of the camp chairs set beneath the protective shelter of the tent.
"I could crash right here." The remark is quiet, but in the silence of the early morning, even against the backdrop of soft rain, his voice carries.
"You can remain awake long enough to eat."
Fighting to keep his eyes open, he can only manage a tired sigh as he meets Ignis' stern gaze. There is no arguing when Specs gets that look in his eyes.
In an attempt to stay awake, he fishes his phone from his pocket, hoping that checking his stats on King's Knight will be enough to stave off the fatigue.
"Hey, Noct, I could use a hand here."
He turns in his seat to see Prompto attempting and failing to scale the small incline of the haven, his arms laden with the last of the supplies.
"Oh, c'mon." With a reluctant moan, Noct rises from his chair and makes his way to his friend. "You couldn't have made two trips, could you?"
"In this weather? No!"
He's just about to take one of the bags from Prompto's arms when the sudden sound of shifting rocks pierces the relative quiet that surrounds them.
"Argh!"
On instinct Prompto drops the bags and reaches out for the first thing he can grab onto to steady himself—which unfortunately for Noct just so happens to be him.
Tired, surprised, and completely unprepared, Noct can do nothing to stop himself from being dragged down with Prompto.
It is a very short fall with a very sudden stop that leaves no time for Noct to even cry out as his breath is knocked out of him.
"Nice save, dude." Prompto's sarcasm is not welcome at the moment, and Noct makes that clear with a rather precise jab to his friend's ribs. "Oomph, right, got it! Not helping."
"No, you're not," Noct confirms as he slowly stands up, taking in the chaos that surrounds them. Everything that Prompto had been carrying lies strewn across the ground in various states, but thankfully most of it is salvageable.
"You're such a klutz."
"That is completely…true."
Suppressing a smirk that turns into a yawn, Noct starts to collect the scattered items. Prompto helps, and soon enough between the two of them they've managed to gather everything. Both of them dump their respective armloads by the fire, and Prompto starts trying to sort through them. Noct heads back for his chair, but he's stopped—seriously, does the world have something against him relaxing?—this time by Gladio, who's once again latched onto the back of his collar. He really hopes this isn't going to become a habit.
"You sure you got everything?" Gladio asks as he pulls him back towards the fire. Noct is too preoccupied with simply not tripping over his own feet as Gladio drags him backwards to answer. Prompto does instead.
"Yeah, wait, no!" Noct turns to see Prompto mussing his hair in frustration. "Ugh, I know we're missing something."
Gladio kneels, going through the pile himself while Noct stands there wondering if he can miraculously develop the ability to sleep while standing.
"Where's the eight-pack of Ebony we bought the other day?" Gladio asks.
Noctis is suddenly very awake.
"It's not there?" His voice sounds slightly panicked even to his own ears.
Both Prompto and Gladio are checking the supplies now, going through it with the swift efficiency that can only be brought on by fear.
Noct has already turned back towards the car, hoping…praying that Prompto merely left the box in the trunk.
In his haste, he nearly trips when his foot catches unexpectedly on something hidden by the long shadows of early morning. Stumbling, he recovers quickly, only to freeze.
Dark liquid lethargically spills onto the cold stone of the haven, so much like blood flowing from a deep wound. Sheared metal glints in the weak light of the struggling campfire, and the thin box that once held the precious cargo flaps listlessly in a light breeze.
Ignis' last supply of Ebony is slowly dripping away…
Unable to believe what he's seeing, Noct picks up the closest can.
"Noct!" Prompto comes running up behind him. "Did you find i—" His eyes lock on the empty can in Noct's grasp. Then the destroyed box behind him and the ever-growing pool of black.
"Problem?"
Noct jumps.
Prompto actually screams.
Ignis simply raises an eyebrow.
Instinctively Noct hides the evidence behind his back, but it's wasted effort, as Ignis has already noticed the incriminating pool of black that even in the dark stands out in stark contrast against the pale rock of the haven.
Ignis quietly walks towards them. Each step he takes forwards makes Noct want to take one back, but he somehow manages to hold his ground. Prompto, on the other hand, doesn't. He scurries back, murmuring apologies and excuses as he goes. "Sorry. It was dark! I was carrying too much. C'mon, Iggy, you can't be that mad! Please don't be mad! I'm too young to become a new recipe!"
Prompto's freak out does nothing to slow Ignis' pace, and in three more strides he is standing directly before Noctis. He extends his hand, and for a moment Noct wonders whether Ignis wants him to hand over the empty can of Ebony still hidden—quite uselessly, now that he thinks about it—behind his back. This assumption is soon proven wrong.
"The keys, if you would." The tone Ignis uses is level and quiet. His voice is made all the more terrifying for it.
Dropping the can, he fishes the keys from his pocket and places them in Ignis' awaiting palm without question.
Keys in hand, Ignis continues on his way, and it's only when there's some distance between them again that Noct can finally release the breath he didn't even realise he was holding.
By this time Gladio's standing beside him and Prompto, and they're all silently watching Ignis disappear into the dark in the general direction of the car. Not one of them is sure what they are supposed to do.
Luckily, they don't have to wait too long for an answer.
"If you do not wish to be left stranded, then I suggest you pack up camp."
Within minutes the tent is down, the supplies are packed, the fire is out, and the Regalia is pulling out of the rest stop, heading for civilization and more importantly: a fresh supply of Ebony.
The middle of nowhere actually turns out to be the road to the Rock of Ravatogh. Within half an hour they are pulling up outside the small convenience store—which mercifully turns out to be a 24-hour store—and Ignis is out of the driver's seat and through the door before Noct can even undo his seatbelt.
Gladio and Prompto are getting out of the car and Noct is just wondering whether he can get away with falling asleep when Ignis' raised voice destroys any thought of that happening.
"You cannot be serious!" Ignis' voice holds an edge of frustration that has Noct awake and out of the car in record time. Gladio and Prompto are already standing at the open door, not daring to take one step inside, and Noct can't blame them when he sees the scene playing out inside the shop.
Ignis looms before the counter, his arms crossed and his gaze set firmly on the poor clerk that sits quivering behind it. "I'm sorry, sir, but with the blockades we haven't received our scheduled delivery."
"Blast!" With that, Ignis is turning on his heel, heading for the door, causing Noct, Gladio, and Prompto to scramble out of his way as he heads back to the car.
They get the same answer at the next three stores, each just worded a little differently:
"Ebony? That stuff's as rare as gold dust at the moment, what with the Niff blockades."
"Our supplier said we'll be getting a new delivery today…though that was four days ago."
"I'm so sorry. We ran out of stock last week. You can try our stores own brand if you like—three out of five customers say they couldn't tell the difference."
The sales pitch almost results in Ignis dragging the foolish young sales clerk over the counter by his throat, but he restrains himself…barely. He instead settles for gripping the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in order to suppress a growing migraine. An obvious sign that they need to find some Ebony…fast.
They enter Lestallum just as the sun is rising. The morning light reflects through the blue crystals that surround the Disc of Cauthess, casting shadows of fractured blue across the whitewashed buildings of Lestallum.
"Sun up already?" Gladio complains from the back seat as he shades his eyes.
"Make it go away." Prompto's voice is scarcely audible with his face buried in his jacket turned makeshift pillow—apparently he's learned a few tricks over the years from Noct—but he still manages to convey his exhaustion.
"How?" Noct's question is merely an attempt to keep the conversation going, but it's not working. He can already feel the sweet haze of sleep starting to drag him down, and from the light sound of snoring just in front, he can tell that Prompto has already succumbed.
The slamming of the driver's side door has them all wide awake in an instant. Noct blinks away sleep to see that Ignis is already halfway across the car park. His strides are long but they no longer hold their usual degree of grace, or stability for that matter. This coupled with Ignis' silence for the past few hours is causing the knot of unease that has lodged itself in Noct's stomach to tighten.
Scrambling out of the car, they hurry to catch up, only to stop dead in their tracks when they see Iggy leaning heavily against the low stone wall of the car park.
"Specs, you okay?" Noct knows it's a stupid question even as he asks it. The withering glare he sees flash behind Ignis' glasses only confirms that.
"I'm perfectly fine." He doesn't sound 'perfectly fine'; to Noct, he sounds like he's ready to kill the next person that annoys him.
Unwilling to be that person, Noct hastily backs away. "Okay, good to know."
He, Gladio, and Prompto watch as Ignis stalks towards the labyrinth of narrow alleys that make up Lestallum's streets. All three of them quietly pray that one of the market stalls will have some Ebony. Even just one can would be a gift from the Six.
Prompto is the one to finally voice what they are all thinking. "What are we gonna do if they don't have any Ebony here either?"
They all exchange looks that convey one thing: dread.
Running a hand through his unkempt hair, Noctis growls in frustration. "This is our survival training all over again."
"Dude! Don't even go there!" Prompto whines. "Do you want to jinx us?"
"C'mon, it's not like things can get much wo—mmph" Prompto's hand comes out of nowhere to cover Gladio's mouth.
"Don't say it! Don't even think it!" Prompto's voice is a harsh stage whisper—that is, until Gladio forcibly removes his hand. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Owww! Okay! Okay! Personal space! I get it, I get it!"
"Make sure you remember it. Now, what are we going to do about Iggy?" Gladio asks as he turns back to Noct.
Staring at the sky, Noct takes a moment to really appreciate what might be his last sunrise.
Noct sees Ignis making his way back to the Regalia. In his exhausted and Ebony-withdrawn state, he's hardly paying attention to his surroundings. Perfect.
"Prompto, now!"
"On it!"
Radiant light floods the narrow alley, chasing away the shadows that dominate the small space. Shielding his eyes, Ignis is unprepared for the attack that comes from behind.
"Unhand me, Gladio!"
"Sorry, Iggy, this is for your own good." Gladio tightens his hold. "Do it now, Noct!"
Magic flask in hand, Noct lines up the shot.
"Don't you dare!" The anger in Ignis' voice causes Noct to falter and nearly drop the flask, but he recovers and the flask leaves his hand, landing on target.
Cold winds laden with frost engulf the alley. The winds are so strong that Noct has a hard time staying on his feet; he can feel himself being pushed back, thick ice forming under his boots, robbing him of his desperately needed grip.
Just as he's on the edge of being thrown backwards, the storm suddenly abates, leaving behind a world washed white with cold.
Shivering, he brushes off the light dusting of frost that clings to him. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Prompto doing the same thing.
"Did it work?" There's a slight tremor in his voice, and he's not sure whether it's from the cold, the lack of sleep, or the horror that comes with the thought that they might have failed.
Click.
His answer is the sound of crisp footsteps approaching from the opposite end of the alley.
From the increasingly thin mist emerges Ignis. Spirals of frost coat his clothes, hair, and glasses in fragile yet intricate designs that do nothing but add to the aura of chilling intimidation that surrounds him.
"Moving! He's still moving! Whoa!" Prompto yells as he backs away too quickly, slipping on the ice in his haste to get away.
"How?" Noct's voice is choked with disbelief even as he reaches for another magic flask. "That Blizarra had a maxed-out sleep effect!"
"You sure about that?" Usually a comment like that would result in Noct glaring at Prompto until he took it back, but Iggy's still advancing…until he's not.
Blinking, Noct tries and fails to understand what in the Six just happened.
One moment Ignis had been closing in on him, but the next…
…he'd just collapsed. Like a puppet with its strings cut.
Slowly, ever so slowly he approaches Ignis' prone form, only to find him fast asleep.
"He's out." Though ecstatic and relieved, Noct makes sure to keep his voice low. "Prompto, Gladi—oh no."
It seems that the sleep effect of the Blizarra worked a little too well. Gladio lies sprawled across the alleyway, dead to the world.
Finally coming to stand besides Noct, Prompto takes in the scene before asking the question that Noct is currently thinking. "How the heck are we supposed to get them back to the car?"
The sun is setting when they roll into Hammerhead. A cool breeze ghosts across the arid landscape, bringing with it a sense of calm that makes even the unforgiving desert of Leide seem inviting. This feeling is completely wasted on the three occupants that lie in various states of exhaustion inside the Regalia.
Noct collapses back into his seat as soon as he stops the car, barely remembering to engage the handbrake in time. The sudden stop causes Gladio to nearly slam into the back of Noct's seat and Prompto to bash his head against the dashboard.
"Did we crash?" Prompto asks blearily. His eyes are struggling to stay open and he's not even attempting to raise his head.
Gladio answers, "Not quite, though it sure as hell felt like it." He's massaging the back of his neck, trying to work out the kink that's formed after so many hours spent sitting in the car.
"If you got a problem with it, then next time you drive," Noct snaps.
"Does Gladio even have a license?" Prompto not-so-helpfully asks.
He's spared the contemptuous glares that comment deserves as Cindy saunters up to greet them.
"Well, ain't you boys a sight for sore eyes. What can I do for—" She pauses as her face scrunches up with concern. "What's up with Specs?"
She's reaching out to rest her hand upon his shoulder when Prompto launches himself out of the front passenger seat of the Regalia in a feat of desperate energy. Taking both Cindy's hands in his own, he quickly backs her away from the car, all the while he whispers: "Don't wake up, don't wake up, please don't wake up."
Noct's eyes are fixed on the back seat where Iggy lies curled asleep. To the side he can see Gladio carefully easing out of the Regalia, doing his best not to make a sound.
Thankfully, Ignis doesn't even stir.
Danger avoided, it's only then Noct notices that Prompto is still clasping Cindy's hands, right at the moment Prompto realises the same thing.
"Sorry." He drops her hands as though he has been shocked, turning away to hide the growing blush.
Cindy simply smiles. "Not a problem. So, what's troubling you boys?" Her eyes automatically drift to Ignis.
"It's not anything a little Ebony won't handle," Gladio explains as he makes his way round the car.
"Ebony? That stuff's been harder to wrangle than a spooked chocobo."
"Meaning?" It's Noct who asks, but all three are looking at her in various degrees of confusion.
"We don't have any. Haven't had any for about a week now."
Despair hits all three of them hard and fast, like a punch to the gut. They had known she was probably going to say that, but actually hearing the words, for what must have been the fifty-seventh time that day, is like a death blow.
This was their last chance, their last hope, and it has not availed them.
"Was it something I said?" Cindy asks, looking more worried than ever.
Noct wants to reassure her that it's not her fault, but he's too tired. He just wants to sleep—is that too much to ask? The sound of approaching Niflheim airships says yes.
They've been avoiding them all day, taking long detours just to avoid small battalions that under normal circumstances any one of them could take apart singlehandedly.
This isn't by any measure of the word a normal day, but still, a single battalion shouldn't be a problem between the three of them…right?
It's a problem.
There is only one airship, but it isn't carrying the common battalion of MT axeman he has come to expect. Nope, this airship just happens to be carrying a souped-up Magitek Armor fresh off the Niflheim factory floor, judging by the paint job.
It is a hard battle, made all the harder by the fact that they aren't entirely sure at one point which side Cindy is on when she hits Prompto over the back of the head with a wrench while yelling at him: "Don't you dare damage that Magitek Core!"
It takes them an hour to wear down the Magitek Armor's defences, but the thing's finally on its last legs. That's when they hear it.
At first it sounds as though something large is treading through dark water, but this gives way to a grating noise that can only be compared to the sound of some ancient door being forced open on rusted hinges.
Looking to the sky, he can see the last rays of light fading behind the horizon.
He turns back just in time to see not one but three Red Giants rise up from the shadowed earth.
"You gotta be kidding me!"
"Get down!" Gladio tackles him to the ground as one of the Giants swings its sword straight for his head. The fact that Gladio chose to tackle him instead of blocking the strike screams how exhausted he must be. How exhausted they all are. It's only a matter of time before one of them makes a mistake.
Rolling out of the way of the next attack, he pulls Gladio with him, just in time as a crushing blow descends, levelling the ground upon which Gladio had been lying on only a moment before.
"We can't keep this up!" Gladio shouts breathlessly, but his shield is still raised in defence as the second Red Giant charges with its sword raised.
Its assault, as well as the other's, are brought to an abrupt halt as they are forced to shield their eyes from a sudden onslaught of light as a Starshell fired by Prompto lights up the darkness. Prompto stumbles towards Noct and Gladio; his revolver hangs loosely in his grip in a way that would look relaxed if it weren't for the tremors that run the length of his arm.
"Do we have a plan? Please tell me we have a plan!"
"Plough right though 'em," Noct shouts as he side-steps a wild strike from the closest Red Giant.
"Really. After coming up with a plan that took down Iggy, that's the best you can come up with?" Noct would glare at Gladio, but he's too busy warping away from the gravity orb the largest Red Giant decides to summon.
"You want something better? You could always wake Specs up!"
Gladio stills.
"…I'll take the one on the left."
"Whatever you say."
Noct's smirk soon vanishes as the roar of Magitek engines descend over the battlefield once more.
"Where are they all coming from?"
Taking advantage of his distraction, the crippled Magitek Armor unleashes a hail of bullets with its still functioning machine gun. Phasing through the attack, he staggers when a bullet clips his shoulder. He would fall if it weren't for the strong grip that seizes his arm.
"Tha—" He is about to thank Gladio for the save, but the words die in his throat upon realising it's not Gladio standing next to him.
Ignoring Noct's terrified gaze, Ignis walks on, his stride predatory as he advances on his chosen target, his daggers coming to hand in shards of crystalline light with a simple flick of his wrists.
Noct looks to Prompto and Gladio, both of whom are still fighting.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" It's all the warning Noct has time to give as Ignis brings the blades together.
Sparks ignite along the edges of both daggers, only to die beneath the sheath of flame that consumes them. Lowering his stance, Ignis closes the distance between himself and the Magitek Armor so quickly that Noct would swear blind that he warped, and that's the last thing Noct sees because the curtain of fire that rises up in Iggy's wake soon becomes an inferno that sweeps across the battlefield.
Noct is forced to shield his eyes as he backs away from the wild flames. He's seen Ignis use Sage Fire before, but not like this. Never like this.
He loses his footing as a wall of intense heat slams into him, but the soft sand allows him to dig in and prevent himself from being thrown back further.
Untamed is never a word he would think to associate with Ignis…that is, until now.
As the cool night air finally begins to conquer the blazing waves of heat washing over him, Noct chances opening his eyes.
Only one Red Giant remains standing, or rather kneeling, before Ignis. The other two are already turning into gossamer fragments of shadows, which are soon swept away by the gentle desert breeze. Noct watches, expecting to see Ignis deliver the final blow to the weakened daemon sitting helpless before him. To Noct's surprise, he instead turns his back on the creature, making his way towards the edge of the battlefield, marked by the circle of still glowing glass spikes that had once been desert sand.
Struggling, the Red Giant manages to plant its sword, grasping the hulking pillar of metal with both hands as it tries to raise itself to its feet once more. The sound of screeching metal against rock overrides the comparatively quiet, high-pitched alarm of the Magitek Armor.
The explosion that consumes the Magitek Armor is nothing compared to the blaze that Ignis summoned, but weakened as it is, the Giant can do nothing but fall as the flames eat away at it. All that is left standing is the sword, dark and smouldering, until it too fades into darkness.
Silence falls, only to be broken almost immediately by the sharp 'kuh-tiss' of a can opening.
Turning, they see Aranea? Just standing there as if this is normal? Holding a can of…
…EBONY?!
"Well, don't you boys look a little worse for wear. I was going to give you a hand, but it seems…what?"
None of them are looking at her. All their eyes are trained on the precious metal can held loosely in her metal-clad hand.
She moves the can to the left.
Their eyes follow.
She moves the can to the right.
Their eyes follow.
"Okay, what's going on here?" A silver eyebrow arches in question as she brings the can to a halt.
Before any of them can answer, Iggy is standing beside Aranea—seriously, since when can he warp? She takes a step back in shock, but before she can do anything else, the can is gone from her hand.
"What the—hey!"
In a very ungentlemanly fashion, Ignis downs the full contents of the can before Aranea can stop him.
Though that doesn't stop her from trying.
"That's the last of my Tenebrae Gold!" She lunges for the can, but Ignis is already crushing it in his hand.
"Ah, apologies. That brand of Ebony is quite rare these days." The words don't match the satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Rare!" Aranea is livid. "It's impossible to get, they stopped producing it last year!"
"I had heard something to that effect." Ignis adjusts his glasses, looking to all those observing unfazed.
Aranea snaps.
"That's it!"
Lance in hand, she charges.
Noct, Prompto, and Gladio can only watch as blows are exchanged. Apparently one can of Ebony is enough for Ignis to make a full recovery.
"Should we stop them?"
Gladio and Noct glance at Prompto, then back at the fight. "You want to get in between that?"
As if to emphasize Gladio's point, at that moment Aranea shatters one of the glass spikes, sending shrapnel flying in a cacophony of noise.
"Yeaaah…no, no, I do not."
Noct sums up what they're all thinking in two words.
"I'm done."
Hours—and one raided and burnt-to-the-ground Niflheim base—later, Aranea and Ignis inspect their latest acquisition: two hundred cans of Ebony in various flavours, including Tenebrae Gold.