Spoilers ahead! This deals with the end of the game!
Summary: As Iris sees the light returns she heads to Insomnia to meet up with Noctis, her brother and the others.
~The Return of Lucis~
Iris scrunched her face up in annoyance as she noticed the change of light through her closed eyes. Her first thought was that a daemon was attacking, but she didn't hear the shouts or scrambling of the hunters in her unit, so it couldn't be that. She groaned as she sat up, ready to yell at the person who decided to shine their flashlight directly in her face. She was going off of very little sleep, as she had only just returned to the base in Lestallum earlier that day.
She opened her eyes rubbing at them tiredly as she looked sleepily in front of her, anticipating a fellow hunter to be standing there. She blinked as she just stared at the window of the room, light streaming through it. The lights had never bothered her in her sleep before, the only reason it would have bothered her was if they had suddenly gone off and come back on. That would mean though that the hunters hadn't rushed to awaken her in preparation of a daemon attack until the lights returned.
She swung her legs off the bed as she stood to approach the window, ready to check the situation out. She paused as she reached the curtain hand poised to draw it back. As the sleep faded from her mind she realized that her window faced away from the lights that protected the town, so it wouldn't have bothered her. If it wasn't the lights, then what had awoken her?
Steeling herself for what she might see she yanked the curtain back, and stared in disbelief at what lay beyond. The buildings and street outside her window were bathed in the light of dawn, the sun slowly making its way through the sky. Hunters and towns people were gathering in the streets, confusing on their faces as they tried to look up at the sun, a sight they had not seen in ten years.
Iris fully pulled back the curtain to let the light in more fully as she turned to grab her phone, checking the time. She gulped as she saw it read six in the morning, confirming that the sun truly was rising. She quickly stuffed her phone in her pocket, grabbing her shoes and pulling them on as she headed for the door. As soon as she was out of her room she bolted out of the building, joining Dave and the other hunters and citizens on the streets, though her gaze faced away from the sun.
She stared down the road that lead back to Insomnia, knowing why the darkness had been pushed back. She gulped as she headed for her car, her phone out of her pocket as she dialed a number.
"What is it Iris?" A gruff voice asked her as the line was answered.
Iris pulled her car door open as she spoke, "Have you seen the sky?"
"Of course, I'm heading towards Hammerhead now, Talcott said he had some news for us."
"Why didn't he call me earlier? The light returning can only mean one thing, that Noctis..." She trailed off as she finished starting the car and buckling in.
"He confirmed that he saw Noctis to Hammerhead, where the king met up with the others before leaving for Insomnia."
"Why didn't they contact us Cor?"
The man sighed, "I don't know, but now is not the time to ponder that, I'll meet you at Hammerhead. Eliminate any Daemons you find on the way."
"Will do Marshall."
Iris quickly hung up before pulling out of her parking spot, and heading down the street, fellow hunters stepping out of the way of her car. The ones at the edge of the town waving her off as she passed, though none of this mattered, she would have to remember to call Dave later to let him know where she went off too.
The drive down the roads was long and uneventful, the light driving off the last of the daemons for good as she drove, almost as if protecting her on the journey. She briefly glanced at her phone every now and again, hoping to see a missed call or something from Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, or Talcott. Anything to tell her that Noctis was back or that they were alright. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened as she passed the checkpoint into Leide.
It wasn't long after that Hammerhead came into sight, the gates open wide as the worry of Daemons had vanished. She pulled in, stopping beside Cor's car, and taking note that Talcott's truck was parked on the other side. She jumped out, running to the garage, anxious to see the others, and saw them just outside the entrance to the garage.
Talcott sat with his back against the garage, staring up at the blue sky in amazement, finding it hard to believe that he was able to see that color in the sky again. Cindy was facing in Iris' direction, having recognized the sound of her car driving in, a large smile on her face. Her blonde hair reaching to just past her shoulders now, her outfit not having changed much in the past few years, though she did have a few scars from her close run ins with daemons, though nothing serious thanks to the hunters and her quick thinking helping her escape.
Iris wanted to laugh, remembering one time where Cindy had just run over a few daemons to get herself and a few other refugees out of danger when she went to pick them up. The hunters had dived out of the way to avoid the truck as it burst through the Daemons to escape back to Hammerhead.
Iris' gaze finally landed on Cor, whose back was to her, his gaze towards Insomnia as he stood silent. She stopped in near the three, taking a shaky breath to calm her many emotions. She was excited that the light returned, that Noctis had returned, yet she was anxious that the four had gone to Insomnia, without notifying her or anything. It was said to be overrun with Daemons, they should have asked her and Cor for help, or even Aranea, but they hadn't. Speaking of the dragoon Iris was surprised she wasn't present, but the other woman was probably busy with exterminating any demons that the light hadn't reached yet.
"Those boys hadn't even stopped long enough to say hi." Cindy commented as Iris stopped.
Iris frowned, "So you didn't see Noctis?"
Cindy shook her head, "Nope, Talcott hadn't even bother to tell me that he had been here till after those boys had left."
"Sorry, they seemed to be in a hurry. I didn't won't to hold them back." Talcott commented, "Also it was still a surprise that his majesty was even back."
"How did you find him?" Iris questioned the young man.
Talcott turned his gaze down the road that lead to Galdin Quay, "I found him when I passed through the tunnel to Galdin Quay, nearly ran him over."
"Ya nearly ran over the king?"
Talcott laughed, "Well he was wearing all black, so he was kind of hard to see. He hadn't changed much besides some facial hair. When he approached my door, I recognized him instantly. He didn't recognize me though."
Iris smiled, "Well you were a kid when he disappeared. You've grown a lot over these ten years."
Talcott smiled sadly, "Only thanks to you and the others. Where are Dustin and Monica by the way? Cid didn't join you?"
Cor turned to them, "Dustin and Monica are gathering any of the crownsguard that remain outside the city and organizing the hunters to prepare for the night, and for exploration out into the wild."
"Prepare for the night?" Cindy asked, with a frown.
"The Daemons disappeared with daylight but we don't know if they will return. The hunters are preparing for them to appear again."
Iris nodded. "Makes sense. Also I hadn't even thought of going to Cid, sorry Cindy."
"Papa will be fine, he'd understand that you're anxious to get back to the city." Cindy nodded at the girl before looking between her and Cor, "So what is keeping you here?"
Cor nodded, "She's right we better make for Insomnia now, the boys may need our help if the daemons come back out at night."
Iris nodded as Cor walked past her, leading the way to the vehicles, Talcott hurriedly standing to follow after them, not planning to be left behind. Cor pulled out of the station, leading their small party back to Insomnia, Talcott's truck taking up the rear, fully stocked with any supplies they made need in the city. As they moved around the rubble lining the roads and moved across the bridge and through the west gate they parked on the highway, getting their first good look at Insomnia in years.
Iris stepped out of the car, staring over the west gate road, breath shaky, it still gripped her heart as she saw all of the destruction. Cor and her had returned to the city to escort any refugees abandoned by the Empire when the last of the light vanished. When she had seen the city then all those years ago, her first glimpse since Dustin and Monica had led her, Jared, and Talcott from the city. It was hard seeing so many beautiful buildings destroyed and the streets littered with daemons, the fight to get refugees to safety being a struggle even with the amount of seasoned hunters they had brought.
Seeing the city now bathed in light, it was easier to make out which buildings had been destroyed and which still stood. The citadel despite taking a beating still stood out over the city, Iris knew if the boys didn't come to them they would be there. She slowly began walking along the road, Talcott and Cor eventually following her, Talcott driving the truck along the damaged streets, not wanting to leave supplies behind in case they needed something.
Eventually they had to abandon the vehicle, the roads being impassable for the truck. They loaded what supplies they thought they would need into bags. Iris took a moment to tie her mid-back length hair back into a pony tail so it wouldn't be pulled on too heavily by the pack. They made their way through the underground tunnels, being careful of the trooper bodies that lay scattered along the ground. Occasionally one of the bodies would jerk because of the electricity, causing them to go on the defensive. When the first one had moved Iris had kicked it into the pillar nearby out of reflex. As the body crumpled to the ground the three had frozen, anticipating more to materialize at the noise.
Their movement through the tunnel was slow and careful, all being relieved to be out of the tunnel as they appeared above ground again. Though they stared at the body of the Behemoth King as they approached the Citadel, keeping a wide berth around the beast. Iris had never seen a beast so large, she had fought behemoth before, having unfortunately come across them and daemons at the same time, but never one this big.
They passed through the guard gates of the Citadel, avoiding the massive rubble that lay on the ground, eyes trained on the stairs ahead. Iris felt her heart skip a beat as she saw three forms scattered about the stairs. A small lithe form lay at the very foot of the stairs, barely moving, causing her heart to race in worry. Ignis' form leaned against one of the pillars at the top of the stairs head resting on his arms that lay on his legs as far as she could tell. Her gaze found her brother's large form sitting on the middle level between the two sets of stairs, legs crossed, shoulders hunched and head down. She paused briefly taking note that Noctis was not with them before readying herself for what was to come.
"Gladdy! Are you guys okay?" She called as she began to run across the round center of the area, approaching the blonde on the ground.
She was relieved to see Prompto move from his spot on the ground, shakily pushing himself into a sitting position, his gaze on the ground even though he turned it towards her to show he had heard her. Ignis had looked up at her voice, his blind gaze having turned to her, though she knew he couldn't see her. She paused for a moment as she came to a stop beside Prompto, her gaze on her brother who had jolted slightly at her voice, obviously not expecting her there.
"Iris..." Prompto began, his voice hitching as he greeted her.
She turned her gaze to him, finding that he had looked at her briefly before her gaze had moved to him, "Do you need healing? We have some potions."
Prompto laughed shakily, "Nah, just tired. Been fighting Daemons till the light ran them off."
"Were you sleeping out here or something? Wouldn't it have been better to rest inside?" Talcott asked as he approached.
"Just enjoying the light." Prompto laughed, glancing at the young man.
Iris paused, finding it weird that Prompto refused to look at her but openly locked gazes with Cor and Talcott. Iris shook her head before moving up the stairs to her brother, her steps seeming to echo in the sudden silence as she made her way up the stairs. Gladio still not looking at her even as she came to stand in front of him, his shoulders squared as if ready to tell her something important, or preparing for a reprimand. She hadn't seen him this serious since he had told her Noctis had vanished.
"Gladdy? What's wrong?" Iris asked, her heart beating fast.
"Just tired." Gladio responded, voice strained.
Iris could tell he was lying, she glanced up the stairs, noting how Ignis' head was resting in his hand, looking slightly undignified for once, "Is Noctis inside?"
Gladiolus nodded stiffly. "Yeah, he went up to the throne room, asking us to remain here."
"Why?"
Gladio paused for a moment, "He had to get rid of the darkness."
"He should have come out by now shouldn't he?"
Gladiolus didn't respond, his shoulders shaking a bit as he broke down, not being able to continue being strong any longer. Iris felt her blood begin to run cold as she glanced down at Prompto, the blonde crying as well, shoulders shaking as Talcott tried to comfort him, trying to figure out what was wrong. Cor was beginning to make his way towards Ignis, his face emotionless as realization began to dawn on the new arrivals.
Iris fisted her hands as she steeled her nerves before beginning to climb the stairs, Gladiolus jolting to his feet and calling for her to stop as she ascended the steps. Ignis seemed to clambered to his feet hastily, and moved towards the entrance, as if to stop her but she pushed past the advisor to the king. Cor keeping him from falling over from his exhaustion after the party's nonstop fighting.
Her boots stepped heavily through on the marble floor as she made her way to the hall past the entrance. Her mind blank, finding the only working elevator, her legs feeling too weak to climb all those steps up to the throne room. As the doors began to close behind her she heard the heavy footsteps of her older brother running towards the elevator his fists banging on the door as the elevator began to take her up.
She leaned back against the wall, trying to steel her rapidly beating heart, her mind praying that the boys were wrong. The world couldn't be so cruel that it would take him away from them. This had to be a mistake, this damn war had stolen him for ten years, it couldn't have taken his life as well.
The elevator dinged as it reached the floor, the doors seeming to open slower than normal. She walked out and into the waiting area before the throne room, her body shaking slightly as she approached the large doors, not sure what she would find on the other side. She pushed one open slowly, flinching at the sound of it scrapping along the floor.
As she stepped into the room she took in the destruction, noting the large gaping hole in the Citadel wall. She took in a shaky breath as she saw the throne above her, not being able to make out some of the details as she approached the steps. She heard nothing as she besides her steps and her beating heart as she sat foot on the first step. Her walk seeming to become slower as she walked up the undamaged side, eyes on the throne as she climbed closer.
Her gaze locked onto the black garbed figure resting on the chair, shoulders hunched and head forward. Arms rested on the arm rest of the chair, relaxed, and unmoving. Iris took a shaky breathe as she moved closer to the throne, silent tears beginning to run down her face as she knelt in front of the throne, her mind briefly thinking back to the first time she had met Noctis.
He had knelt before her similar to what she was doing before him now, his hands reaching for hers, her own hands mimicking the gesture, shaking as they did so. He was cold to the touch, having sat on the throne for hours. Her shoulders shook as she stared at her friend taking in his features, the ten years hadn't treated him to badly. He had a nice simple beard, giving his face a more mature look, though he looked relatively the same as he had all those years ago. He had a sad smile on his face, resigned to his fate but not running from it. He had come to terms with what he had to do, and he hadn't regretted it.
Iris tore her gaze from his face, looking down at her arms which still shook as they grasped his hands. She noticed the picture grasped tightly in his grasp, she moved his hand so that she could look at it, tears streaming down her face as she took in the contents. It was their picture from the day of his departure from Cape Caem. The whole group was there including Cid, Dustin and Monica. It was one of her favorite pictures, reminding her of the one her dad had in their manor of him and the Late Regis on their journey.
"Oh, Noct..." She whispered as she continued to cry, leaning her head on his knees, as her tears turned more violent.
Her shoulders shook as she cried, not believing that the world could truly be so cruel. First their city had been attacked and their king slain. Her father had perished in the fighting, giving his life for the king they all adored. Jared had been murdered by Calligo of the Empire while Noctis and the others were separated from them, leaving Talcott in Iris' care. Lady Lunafreya had perished during the Leviathan event in Altissia and Ignis had lost his sight. Prompto had been kidnapped and held captive by Ardyn before Noctis had been sealed inside the Crystal for ten years. When he had finally been returned to them he had marched off to his death immediately, not seeing any of them except for a select few. She understood that it was probably hard enough letting the other three know but, the fact that she hadn't even been given a good bye or anything from her friend hurt.
Why did the world have to take away the things that mattered most to them, even if it meant that the light returned? Noctis had been their light and their hope for so long, and now he was gone, what would the kingdom do without him? How would they rebuild their city without a king to guide them? What were they to do now?
Iris jolted as she felt a hand on her should, the large hand providing the comfort of family as it pulled her gently from her king's corpse. She allowed Gladiolus to engulf her in a hug, not willing to release her as she cried into his chest for their friend. Her whispered comforting words as he hugged his sister close, telling her of what Noctis was like in the final moments that they knew him.
Eventually they separated as the others joined them, Ignis suggesting they prepare a proper burial for their king, and to honor those who had died over the last few years. The small party set about preparing the burial, Iris choosing to bury Noctis in the gardens, his favorite spot over the years they had known each other. After he had been properly laid to rest they spent the day discussing their favorite moments with the king and those they had lost.
Iris leaned against Gladio, seeking comfort in her older brother, something she hadn't done in years, but now that it was all over she could finally relax. She knew there was a long road ahead of them, especially with no king to guide them, but with her brother at her side she knew it would eventually be okay. They would just have to heal after this latest lost and then they could continue to live their lives.
~Fin~
Iris is one of my favorite character in Final Fantasy XV. I really did ship her and Noctis till we saw more of Noctis and Luna's devotion to each other. It kind of surprised me that there is very little mention of her or even trying to contact her at the end. I was hoping Prompto would have pictures of some of the group over the year, and I was sad that he didn't. I was sad that we didn't even see Cindy at the garage when Noctis arrived, but I still felt the ending was good.
I felt like this was something important to show. Iris loved Noctis and also she wasn't exactly alerted to his return or even that her brother had gone off to the final battle. I could see her being worried the moment she heard or saw the light, and since she wouldn't have known of Noctis' fate it would be even more heartbreaking.
I hope you all enjoyed this story, this wasn't the one I wanted to write first, but I just finished it on Christmas Eve, so I had to get this out as soon as possible, it's been on my mind all day.
Thank you for reading.