The Pale Horse
The echoes of water drip through Steyliff's vastness.
It drips from the ruins' tile, from the roots and from the vines that crawl through it like veins. Each drop ringing loudly as they hit the floor of the quiet dungeon.
"What the hell." Gladio quietly gasps. The four of them stand on the bridge crossing the dungeon's lowest floor - their purpose a rescue mission.
Three hunters had gone missing, having called in to Meldacio just a few hours before to ask for help. Noctis and his friends had obviously made it too late.
Two headless bodies dangle at the other end of the bridge, the third lay back-bent over the side - head barely hanging on only through sinew and tendon.
Noctis swallows and braves a step closer. Prompto squirms in agitation before coming up beside him. The reek of blood permeates the air, so nauseatingly strong that Noct pulls his shirt up to his nose to filter it.
The four cautiously approach the body sprawling over the stone railing. Noctis winces at the sight, choosing to move closer to the pair of hanging bodies while Ignis warily inspects it. A pair of red pools stain the floor, and each time Noctis lets his eyes wander higher than the shoes the blood drips from, they dart back down and away from what would surely give him nightmares for ages to come. Swallowing back down his fear, he forcibly cranes his head up to look at them.
Unlike the other, these two have no head in sight - simply stains of blood trailing down their clothes from the stubs of their necks. Rope was tangled around their still bodies, the end of it attached to the railing of the floor above.
"Guys." Prompto nervously calls, asking for any sort of clarification.
"These were our guys." Noctis frowns, body feeling drained.
"Yeah." Gladio replies solemnly.
"Sh-should we call for someone? I mean, we can't leave them up there like that. And... what about their hea-" Prompto cuts off.
Nodding, Noct pulls his gaze away from the mutilated bodies, "We need to also keep an eye out for whatever did this to them."
"Noct." Ignis calls over. Reluctantly, Noctis walks over to Ignis's side at the body draped over the railing.
The dead hunter's hands were up by his neck, holding both sides of the machete still embedded there. His own weapon.
Arms coated to the elbow in blood, his grip on the weapon seemed eerily firm even in death. One hand on the hilt, and the other on the blade itself - the machete was lodged in the frayed remains of his throat, exposing him all the way to the bone. Noctis didn't need to be an expert to tell that it had been hacked at repeatedly in a wild frenzy.
"I think..." Ignis trails, hesitation halting his voice, "I think he was the one who did it."
The screeching of daemons draws their attention before Ignis can elaborate any further. Dozens rise from the floor, from reapers to goblins.
The daemons swarm them, and the four are forced to fight. Calling forth the Ultima Blade, Noctis lets his mind drift from the bodies to the battle.
He stays aware enough to avoid them, unwanting to disturb the two hanging or knock off the one on the railing. For the most part, the daemons tend to avoid them as well - scurrying around the dead hunters and drawing back when they get too close. Despite whatever strange reason they do, Noct's thankful.
Warping over to Gladio, the two deliver a lethal strike to a reaper. Two more take its place.
A flash-bang from Prompto stuns the daemons for a moment, and it's enough to give the four a chance to lessen a few of their numbers. Coming back to their senses, the daemons continue their assault with renewed aggression.
Noctis warps into a group of smaller ones, trying to lessen the swarm.
Hoofbeats draw his attention away for a moment, and the goblin swiping a claw past his sword draws him back. Noctis parries against it, forgetting the sound and how it seemed to echo through the entirety of the ruins.
Nevertheless, his skin tingles with anxiety and agitation stirs in the faces he can see - friend and foe alike.
He can't hear the echoes of the water drops anymore.
Dread clouds his senses - they needed to leave.
"Guys -" Prompto calls, voice shaky, "Something's not right. I think we should leave."
Apparently sensing Prompto's fear, several of the daemons turn towards him. Gladio knocks his opponents to the side to backup Prompto.
Feet sliding against the ground, Noct fights to push off a lich as it tries to grab him, "I-"
A shrieking gasp echos throughout Steyliff, followed by the unnaturally loud clacking of hooves on stone. The reek of blood is instantly overwhelmed by that of decay - the rot so powerful it sends Noctis and his friends choking for breath.
Noct's eyes - along with every other set - draw to the source. A viscous, inky mist extends from the hall they had come from before reaching the bridge.
His hair stands on end as the daemons suddenly scurry away in fear. The black mist rolls out onto the bridge, trailing over the edge and draping down to brush the lowest floor.
A ghostly neigh preludes the daemon as it steps from the mist and out onto the bridge. Chains dangle from it, connected to it's exposed bones and shifting in and out like living tendrils.
It was more of a skeleton than a horse, pale flesh dangling in clumps and strips along the bone. The mist seemed to emanate from the beast's gut, spilling out and cloaking it and its rider.
And the rider - it was watching him.
Its gray, fish-like eyes weren't focused, but its posture - from its head to its toes - were all keened towards Noct.
Noctis switched his grip on his sword, glaring at the pale daemon. It looked like a tonberry - cloaked and holding a lantern. It was too tall, too skinny - and with too many teeth.
From what Noct remembers, tonberries didn't have mouths.
The lantern, too, was strange - unlit and dark in color, it almost seemed to draw his vision in.
The daemon steps from its horse, almost as tall as Noct itself. He tenses as it pulls a sickly dagger from its cloak, dead eyes following Noct's every move.
"Be on guard!" Ignis alerts.
A clicking noise slips between its yellow teeth, and the sound spurs the horse on. The chains, barbed and sickly sharp, whip out at Noctis and his friends. The rapid attacks force them to move, to continually dodge the endless barrage.
Growing tired, and knowing that his friends were too, Noctis activates his Armiger in an attempt to give them a break and an opening.
The Royals Arms spin haphazardly around him, cutting cleanly through the chains as if they were simply thorny vines. It's near endless, with each chain being replaced by another or simply extending in length. Jumping into the air, he lets the Armiger suspend him there.
Feeling his power over it dwindle, he takes one last swipe at the chains targeting his friends. His work thinning the barrage of them would have to be enough. Noctis targets the skeletal horse next, not missing the way its rider steps away.
More chains spill from its insides, and those take to striking at him alone. Noctis pulls a few of the spinning weapons close to deflect them, ignoring how a few slip past and cut at his arms and legs.
With a shout, he drives the other Royal Arms into the beast. It staggers just as the Armiger fades.
"That didn't kill it?" Gladio growls out. The horse exhales, the sound screeching as it passes through torn and decayed windpipes.
Noctis takes a moment to catch his breath - and it's a moment too long.
The rider jumps in, swiping at Noct with its dagger. His friends rush forward, but Gladio and Ignis are intercepted by the horse daemon.
Noctis manages to dodge the first strike, but his footing unstable, the next would be unavoidable.
Prompto pushes him out of harm's way, the daemon's dagger cutting thinly into his own arm. They collapse on the ground together, Prompto standing and forcing Noct to take an elixir rather than using it on his own wound.
Noctis pulls his own potion out, cracking it over the blond's arm.
The wound doesn't heal.
Letting Prompto pull him to his feet, they wait for the daemon to make the next move. The dagger, now stained with Prompto's blood, is slipped back into its cloak. Behind them, they can hear Gladio and Ignis battle the horse daemon. To their front, in the center of the bridge, the rider waits.
It simply stands there, smiling as it raises the lantern before it.
The lantern ignites, and the daemon's smile stretches until it nearly splits its face in two. The way the little blue flame tosses shadows on its face infuriates Noct for some reason - as if the daemon has taken something personal from him. Something precious that it intended to break.
Noctis gasps as he finds Prompto's gun suddenly trained on him.
"Prompto!"
All expression is wiped from his friend's face as he fires, Noctis barely able to phase away. The deafening crack of the gun is nearly drowned out by the screeching bray of the horse, Noctis backpedals enough to see Gladio pull his blade from between its ribs.
A kick to his face draws his focus back on Prompto - he's leveled his barrel at Noctis once again. Ignis body slams him from the side, and Prompto strikes at him with the butt of his gun. Ignis pulls away just in time, dodging the spray of bullets Prompto sends his way.
A hollow neigh behind Noct is the only warning he gets before he is suddenly swept off his feet, chains and bones whipping around him. He covers his face with his arms, the slashing chains being replaced by a boot pressing into his shoulder.
Noctis looks up, seeing Prompto's face behind the barrel of his gun.
It clatters to the floor.
The breath sucked out of him, Noctis looks away from the gun and back to find tears streaming from Prompto's blue eyes.
"Sorry."
Shivering, Prompto collapses to his knees. Noctis jumps, catching him before he can fall all the way.
Entirely supporting his weight, Noctis pulls him back up, "We need to retreat!" he shouts out. He turns back to Prompto, surprised out how exhausted he was, "Prompto, c'mon - what happened? Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry." He repeats, trying to get his feet back under him as Noct drags him away from the battle. Gladio runs up and takes Prompto from him.
"Noct -" Prompto calls desperately from where he leans against Gladio, "It's after you."
Noct swallows, already somewhat aware of that. Attempting to reassure both Prompto and himself, Noctis replies, "Well, we're getting out of here now."
Ignis, the last to leave the fight, tosses a Fira spell at the daemons to keep them from following. Taking one last look, Noct watches the rider lower its unlit lantern and mount the horse.
The darkness of Steyliff's corridor do them no favor as they run for the exit. No daemons spring up to stand in their way, and they all appreciate the small mercy.
"What sort of daemon was that?" Gladio asks as he guides Prompto around some rubble.
"I'm not sure," Ignis looks over his shoulder, checking for any signs of the horse daemon and its rider, "But after seeing its influence on Prompto, I think it's safe to say that the missing hunters were their previous victims."
Ignis pauses, their frantic footsteps through the dungeon filling in his silence. Noct waits with dread for Ignis to continue, every nerve on edge.
"I'd also bet that its original target was Noct." Ignis bores his eyes into him, and a cold pit forms in his stomach, "No matter the cost, we can't let that happen."
They slide around a corner, and Noctis stops short. Ignis nudges him, and they start running again.
Noctis didn't need to say how dangerous that would be - Ignis didn't need to say it. They all knew it, how dangerous Noct would be should he turn his sword (his magic, or even the Astrals) on them.
The power he wielded was lethal - and in the hands of a daemon there would be little hope.
His friends were strong -
But -
"Noct is stronger." Prompto says, and Noctis nearly trips as he misunderstands Prompto's statement as admission, "That daemon won't take him - Noct's too strong for it."
His words are reassuring, and Noct nods his appreciation. "Thanks," He murmurs as they round another corner and spot the stairs to the exit.
The rapid beat of hooves drive them forward faster, racing for the exit. Noctis turns his head to try and spot the daemons, but the solid blackness of the dungeon cloaks them.
"C'mom!" He urges his friends faster, and together they burst out of Steyliff and into the nighttime swamp of the Vesperpool.
Swiveling on his feet, he turns to see if it would follow him out. There's nothing.
No sight of the daemons, no sound that indicated they were following, nothing.
Noct exhales deeply and steps further away from the exit. Gladio turns, letting Prompto hop off and pulling at Noct's arm to keep him going.
The stench of death burns his nose and eyes.
"Let's not linger here any further!" Ignis says and Gladio tugs on him, forcing him into a run for the car.
Ruins and gnarled trees try to prevent them from escaping, and the darkness of the swamp keeps them from seeing clearly. Noct's frustration and panic builds as his feet sink into the thick mud and branches snag at his clothes. Daemons cry out in the distance.
"Prompto, what are your thoughts on the dagger that the daemon was holding?" Ignis asks, vaulting over a fallen tree.
Clearly struggling to keep up, even as they slow their pace, Prompto huffs out, "There was something wrong with it. The instant it drew my blood - "
He cuts off as a bush snags his leg, and Noctis worries at how pale his skin is as he helps free him. A nest of Sahagins snap at them, teeth glinting as they are disturbed from their sleep.
Noctis pulls Prompto away from them, and they hasten their pace. Their earlier topic is forgotten as their feet hit the dirt road, and Ignis hurries them down it towards the Regalia.
The car sits to the side of the road, unprotected by any streetlights. Noctis wastes no time jumping into it and slamming the door behind him. Ignis starts the engine, spraying up dirt and grass as he revs it onto the road.
"Meldacio isn't far - we can get backup there." Ignis starts. Dread pooling in his stomach forces Noctis to turn around in his seat, looking into the darkness of the road behind him.
The glimmer of an unlit lantern catches his eye.
"Ignis!"
Ignis turns to look, and in that instant the daemon's horse jumps into view of the car's headlights. Swerving too late, they clip it and bounce off the road.
Next thing Noct knows is that he is lying on his back, pulled from the partially over-turned Regalia. The rhythmic flashes of red from the brake lights draw him back into awareness, and he jumps to his feet.
Dizziness has him clutching at his head, but he shakes it off and spots Gladio and Prompto. They are standing over Ignis, foot pinned beneath the car. Feet sinking into the mud as they attempt to lift the Regalia, Noctis rushes over to help them.
Prompto's exhaustion is apparent in the way that his arms shake and how his knees wobble. Noctis comes to his side and grips the car, and together, all three lift enough for Ignis to pull his foot free.
"It's not broken!" Ignis shouts, waving away the potion Noct offers. He stands, clearly favoring his injured foot, but other than that looks okay.
"We need to leave before - " Chains embed themselves into the Regalia's side, barely missing Noct and Ignis as they jump out of the way.
The daemon horse brays, its gait slow as it approaches. It huffs the same black fog that seeps from its body, bones broken and loose from being hit with the Regalia.
Its rider remains uncaring, sitting on the wounded beast's back and spurring it closer.
Noctis and Gladio grab Prompto and Ignis, and they run.
Huffing, he pulls Prompto through the swamp, Gladio doing the same for Ignis behind them. His own heart hammering in his chest, he growls as he realizes they are heading back towards Steyliff.
Roots from the earth try to trip him, and the sharp branches above snag at him. Through the squelching of the mud, he can hear the footsteps of his friends, but not those of the daemon's.
All his hairs stand on end regardless.
Prompto stumbles, and he slows his pace, "C'mon Prompto, hang on just a little longer."
It's a sharp cry from Ignis that stops them.
His foot, the very one he had injured moments earlier, had snagged on one of the thousands of exposed mangrove roots. Ignis clutches at it, attempting to stand. Gladio is quick with a potion, despite Ignis's wanting to conserve them.
"We'll only need them if we get caught, Ignis." Gladio reasons. He pulls him back up, ready to lead him again when the thump of something heavy on wet earth stops them.
The 'shing' of a blade through air is the only warning Noctis gets before he is dodging to the side. The rider appears behind him, driving its dagger at Noct's abdomen.
Crying out in surprise, he jumps. Something snags, but Noct pushes it to the back of his mind so that he can focus on just escaping the rider. Stumbling a step back, he turns to face the daemon.
For one, blissful moment, Noctis remains unaware.
Warmth seeps into his side, and when Noct touches it his hand comes back stained with blood.
"Noct..." Someone gasps, uttering like a prayer under their breath.
He looks back up to the daemon, the blade it's holding broken.
Broken off inside him.
The lantern it holds suddenly roars to life - bright blue flame surging out the sides and lighting up the dark forest as if it were a star.
A falling sensation overtakes him, and he drowns within his own mind. Noctis has no choice but to bend to the daemon holding him as it takes everything he was and unravels it.
His body was no longer his own.
Noctis turns, facing his friends and summoning a sword against his will. Light from the lantern dances across their features - his falling to an empty neutral while theirs grow in horror.
He no longer thinks, he just does. Nothing more than a puppet on the strings of a daemon.
His first strike is aimed to decapitate them all in one blow. Gladio's shield is the only thing stopping him.
"Noct! No!" Gladio grunts against the force of Noct's blow, teeth grit in exertion and anger. Chains rattle behind him, spearing straight for Gladio's exposed back.
Ignis pulls up his lance just in time to block them, standing back to back with Gladio as Prompto fires off at the horse daemon.
"Noct!" Ignis calls. There is no response, so Ignis shouts to the other two, "We need to separate them or they'll kill us!"
Gladio thrusts his shield at Noct, and when he jumps back the broken blade shifts painfully inside him.
"Gladio, you handle Noct while Prompto and I take care of the daemons." Launching his lance into the darkness after the horse, Ignis turns to look at Noct.
The daemon stands a short distance behind him, the blue illumination of the lantern's flame a sickly backdrop to Noct as he watches them impassively. Ignis tries to focus in on the daemon's jagged smile, but his eyes are drawn back to Noct's own piercing blue.
Sliding the dagger back into its cloak, he daemon exchanges it for a chain similar to that affixed to the horse. The horse daemon itself returns behind its master, and the two daemons almost seem delighted as they stand behind Noctis.
A furious scream from Prompto is the only warning before bullets spray at the pair of daemons. "Give him back!"
Noct phases directly between Prompto and the daemon, ceasing the fire and drawing a cry from Ignis to stop. "Prompto!" He dodges a lunge from the horse, "We can't get to Noct with both daemons in the way, target the mount first!"
"Don't worry," Prompto calls, Noct turning his gaze on him, "That bastard will pay for what it's done."
In the blink of an eye, Noctis warps a heartbeat from Prompto. Chains and fire from his own magic spring up behind him - separating them from Gladio and Ignis.
The fire blocks them from view, and yet, the daemons' eyes seem so bright against the wall of flames. Noctis stands straighter, eyes picking out every sign of weakness in his best friend.
"Prompto run!" Ignis shouts desperately.
And he does.
Noctis aims his blade at Prompto's retreating back, the dark material of his clothing quickly becoming engulfed in the darkness of the forest. Ignis's lance buries itself in the ground at his feet, distracting him for only a second before he warps into the darkness after Prompto.
He misses, and Prompto slides around a tree as he attempts again. Jumping as Prompto sweeps a leg under him, Noctis spins into a kick.
Rather than going down as it connects, Prompto uses the momentum to take off running again. Noctis is quick on his heels as Prompto ducks and weaves between the trees.
"Noctis, I-I can't keep this up!" He pleads, sounding more and more winded with each rapid step, "Please! I know you can beat this guy!"
Noctis answers with a warpstrike - Prompto barely dodging impalement, but still being knocked to the forest floor. Noctis rolls to his feet, impassively watching as Prompto struggles to even pull his arms under him.
"I know you don't want to do this." His voice sounds thick to Noct, the raw emotion clear in it and even clearer in his eyes. Noctis switches his blade from one hand to the other, stepping over to Prompto as he lays in the soil. Eyes widening and breath quickening, Prompto buries his head into it as Noct raises his sword.
"Gah!" He cries, and in a quick flash of blue summons his gun and fires a starshell, blinding Noct.
Backpedaling, Noctis covers his eyes as he hears Prompto retreat. He slashes out wildly, not connecting with anything. Noctis lowers his blade and breathes out deeply as he tries to regain his bearings.
Ambient sounds of the forest are the only noises his ears catch.
The forest is dark in every direction once he opens his eyes back up. Noctis swivels his head, trying to spot the direction that Prompto had run off to.
A light just beyond the trees and along the lake's edge draws his attention, and he jogs towards it. Bugs circle and bounce into the lamp above what he recognizes as one of his fishing spots.
The tackle shop, now closed at the late hour, was the only thing in sight. The humming light above the dock was mainly there to ward off daemons from raiding the shop - but on occasion, hunters would use shacks like these to hide.
Prompto was tired and alone, it was impossible for him to outrun Noct.
Noctis prowls around the shack, looking for anyway Prompto may have snuck in. Letting his light shine through the holes, Noctis sees no sign of movement. He walks out onto the dock, the wet wood creaking under his boots.
It's too quiet.
He strains his ears, listening for any sound of breathing, listening to see where Prompto was hiding. Only the buzz of the lamp and the creak of the dock reach him.
Eyes trailing out to the Vesperpool, he looks for movement out in the dark water. It's as still as a mirror's surface. A throb from his wound has him wincing and placing a hand over it.
The lake laps gently against the bank.
The piercing crackle of a gunshot rings through the air, snapping Noct's attention back towards the ruins.
Noctis bolts back in that direction, confused at how Prompto had made it that far. Trees and bushes blur by as he runs, and as he nears the ruins he warps up into treetops to get a better view.
In his haste, he almost passes Ignis. Propelling off a tree, he flings his sword at Ignis and warps down to find the other had rolled out of the way.
There's a gun in Ignis's hand.
Strands of loose hair falling into his face, Ignis stares him down. "I won't let you hurt Prompto - nor anyone else, Noct."
Prompto's gun dissipates from his grip, being replaced by his own daggers. Ignis holds them up, bracing to fight.
Noctis leans into his own fighting stance, narrowing his eyes in the little light their flashlights provide. Ignis lunges, aiming the pommel for the pressure point at his neck.
Phasing, Noctis swipes - cutting into Ignis's shirt but no farther. Jumping back, Ignis bolts between some ruins. Noctis warps above them in hopes to cut him off.
Landing on a fallen stone column, Noctis barely manages to phase away as Gladio jumps from behind it. He ducks between Gladio's arms as his Shield once again tries to grab him, and comes back with an uppercut to Gladio's jaw.
Gladio retaliates by throwing his own fist out, the strike accidentally landing too close to his dagger wound. Noctis doubles over, jumping back and away as Ignis chastises Gladio.
"Gladio!"
"Didn't mean to!" Gladio replies, genuine worry and regret clear in his voice. He turns to Noct, "Noct...?"
Hand hovering over the wound, Noctis looks back at Gladio and takes back his fighting stance.
"Noct, can you tell me where Prompto is?" Gladio asks, knowing full well he wouldn't get an answer.
Lowering his guard, Noctis steps back into the darkness. The cloaked daemon swoops in from above, chain swinging in a whirlwind at Ignis and Gladio.
Gladio jumps forward towards Noct, putting the daemon and Ignis behind him. Content to let the daemon handle Ignis, Noctis throws himself against Gladio.
Shoulder connecting against shield, Noctis flips back. Raw lightning magic races from his hand, directed at Gladio. It crackles violently against the metal of his shield, and the explosive contact sends him flying back and to the ground.
Noctis jumps on him, taking the chance to thrust his sword directly at Gladio's heart. Eyes wide, Gladio shifts to the side - it's not enough as the blade pierces wetly through his shoulder.
He cries out in pain, blindly kicking a leg up at Noctis. It hits Noct's pelvis, but does nothing to stun him. Instead, he yanks his sword free - ignoring the sicking cry it forces from Gladio - and thrusts it back down again at his heart.
Gladio grabs both sides of his sword, using his leg as a brace against Noct's waist to keep him from pushing any further. Straining against Gladio's strength, Noctis struggles to drive his sword into the other's heart. Ignis screams out for Noct from where he fights the rider. Neither acknowledge him, remaining locked in a stalemate with the Ultima Blade digging into Gladio's skin.
Gladio is the first to slip.
Blood coats the tip of the sword from where it scratches his sternum, and it forces a scream from Gladio.
"Noct! Dammit, no!" His words fail to dislodge Noct, and he struggles harder to push him back, to kick him off, to keep Noct from killing him. Noct digs his feet into the mud, pushing with all his might against Gladio's foot. Moisture builds up in his eyes as he feels Gladio start to give.
"Noct, please!" Ignis cries, and in his moment of distraction the daemon runs its chain across him, driving him to the ground and pinning him.
"Ig-" Gladio starts, the corners of his eyes growing wet as he grimaces, "Noct, listen! Dammit, we haven't come this far for you to just kill me like this!"
The tip of the blade drives further, chipping into bone and forcing an agonizing scream from Gladio. His Shield's resistance weakens, and Noct's eyes widen as he sees his opportunity to kill him.
The daemon shrieks.
Blinding light from a flare emanates from its now gaping hole of an eye. The daemon reels back, and Gladio rolls away.
Wet hair clings to Prompto's face, and smoke trickles from the barrel of his gun.
The daemon clutches its mutilated eye, destroying Prompto's starshell and snarling in his direction. It pants, jagged teeth exposed and remaining gray eye locked on Prompto.
The surge of hate towards him swells up in Noct too, and his neutral face falls away into a glare. He frowns and steps around Gladio's huddled form to take aim at Prompto.
The daemons retreats, jumping away and into the darkness. Prompto turns, shakily training the gun on Noct.
"Come on, Noct. Let's stop, please." He begs, "You're too scary to fight."
Thrusting his arm out to the side, the Sword of the Tall appears in a flash of crystalline blue. The chainsaw teeth lining its edge reflect the glow of their flashlights ominously.
Ignis helps Gladio up, administering a potion as they hurry to either side of Prompto. Gladio holds his hands up in a pacifying gesture, wincing as the action agitates his wound, "Noctis, I don't know what you are going through, but please - help us out here."
Noctis remains silent.
"Where's the horse daemon?" Prompto quietly asks, eyes darting between the darkness and Noct's Royal Arm.
Ignis presses against his side as Noctis steps forward, and Gladio does the same on his other side, "Retreated to Steyliff. With its wounds it is unlikely to survive."
Gladio angles his head towards Ignis, "Iggy, any ideas?"
Noct takes a step to the side, sending all three of them into a tightly guarded position. He makes no move to advance, instead stalking around them - the massive Royal Arm resting lazily in his grasp.
Ignis swallows, sweat trickling down his brow. "There are two options as I see it."
Turning to keep Noctis in his sight, Ignis tenses as he slows to a stop. Ignis presses further into Prompto and Gladio's sides, and together they back away a step.
"Restraining him is one. We need to remove that dagger."
"You know we can't catch him, Ignis." Gladio growls out.
Ignis nods and adjusts his grip on his knives, "We will have to force him into stasis - that will keep him from phasing away and reduce his range of attack considerably. The other option is to wait for dawn and see if that removes the daemon's hold over him."
"Dawn?" Prompto gasps.
Dawn was still hours away.
Ignis was aware of how slim their chances were at holding out that long.
"Right. So let's put some distance between us and do our best at avoiding his warpstrikes."
Gladio sneers, "Dammit, Noct! You really going to let that daemon play around with your body like that?!"
His anger seems to spur Noct forward a step, and Gladio gasps in frustration. The three take another step back, Noct's cold blue eyes watching their every move.
"Can't you at least go easy on us?" Gladio asks, his light tone laced with bitterness.
Noctis pulls the massive Royal Arm in front of him, and it roars to life.
They have but a moment to gasp before Noctis is surging forward. He brings it down at their heads just as they jump behind a fallen ruin.
The Sword of the Tall screams as its teeth eat into the stone above them, spraying sharp debris in all directions. His friends scream too, as they huddle lower behind the ruin.
Gritting his teeth, he digs the Royal Arm deeper, uncaring of how it demands its blood price. His heart thuds dangerously in warning, the cost of using the Royal Arm draining his already exhausted health.
He stumbles, and the instant he lets up Gladio and Ignis jump at him from either side. Rather than letting them catch him off guard, Noctis sweeps the sword in an arc around him. The heavy weight pulls him around as it drives into the ground without doing harm to either of his targets. A groan escapes his lips as he phases and swings the blade vertically, the spinning teeth spraying Gladio and Ignis in mud.
A sudden, snapping feeling forces him to stumble forward a step, clutching at his heart and curling over. He gasps for breath, and from the corner of his eyes sees how Ignis rushes forward to his aid.
Teeth bared in pain, Noctis heaves the Sword of the Tall again - cutting cleanly through a tree almost as thick as Ignis. He almost feels frustrated as the Royal Arm dissipates and Ignis's only sign of damage was his hurt expression.
"Noctis, please. None of us can keep this up anymore." Ignis begs.
Breathing slowly through his nose, Noctis forces himself forward. Prompto jumps in, heavy machinery glowing bright with explosive energy.
The blast wasn't aimed to hurt him, but it knocks him off his feet and sends him tumbling over mud and into the mangrove roots. Clawing at one, Noctis struggles to push himself up.
With an angry scream Noctis pulls out Flare - his strongest fire spell. Someone - or maybe all of them - scream for him to stop.
Before he can let the devastating spell loose, Ignis kicks his hand. The spell flies backwards and he is yanked forward and tackled to the ground.
The world behind him explodes in fire.
Its as if the flames themselves scream as they devour the massive tree he had just fallen near. Noctis covers his ears as he rolls from beneath whoever had tackled him. Ignis grabs at him again, pulling him away from the fire as it evaporates the moisture from the earth.
His sword finally connects with Ignis, slashing deep against his side. Ignis falls back, clutching at the wound. Standing on wobbly legs, Noctis cranes his head back to look at the burning tree.
Bark scorched black, the flames extend along the limbs and reach far into the sky. Turning back around, Prompto is attending to Ignis's gash with bloody hands, and Gladio is hovering next to them. He thinks - maybe this is hell.
Noctis falls.
The tree burns hot against his back, the roar of flames impossibly loud against his ears. A shadow falls over him, and he looks up to see Gladio standing before him.
Gladio's lips are pulled tight, eyes mostly lidded. He's not mad, nor is he eager to end the fight - it should have never happened in the first place.
No, Gladio is sad, and tired. Like Ignis and Prompto.
Like Noctis.
This fight should have never have happened in the first place. He never wanted to fight them.
His knees grow damp from the ground, and at his side by the wound, it grows damper still. Gladio secures a hand against his shoulder, and Noctis lacks the energy to resist.
A thorny chain rakes across Gladio, and Noctis is suddenly hauled to his feet by the rider.
The exhaustion, the resistance, is suddenly forgotten. Noctis finds himself following every beckon of the daemon.
"No! You bastard!" Prompto's face is twisted into a snarl as he helps Ignis stand. Gladio also cries out in fury, accepting help from the other two as they apply a potion to his bleeding back.
Together with the daemon, Noctis charges.
Ignis parries against his blade, his waning strength allowing Noctis to push him back. Prompto yanks him back by the shoulders, and Noct phases before he can restrain him.
The daemon swings its chain from behind, Noctis jumping at its command and leaving his friends to be swept to the ground.
All three clatter to the mud, scrambling to get back up. Noctis dives down on Prompto, aiming to spear his head. A kick to the gut from Ignis forces him to miss, and instead, he impales Prompto's thigh as the other kicks away.
Prompto screams out, curling over the wound as Gladio and Ignis drive Noct back. Sensing the opening, the daemon charges in on Prompto.
Gladio jumps in its path, arcing his greatsword at it and giving Prompto enough time to hobble back. Back vulnerable, Noctis warps in only to be struck by Ignis's lance.
Noctis clutches at his head, even being hit by the dull end Ignis's weapon still drew blood. It drips down his temple, and Noct shakes the blurriness from his vision.
Turning to attack Ignis, a pair of strong hands grab his shoulders. Ignis rushes in as he pulls a spell from his armiger.
Prompto cries out, followed by bone chilling shriek. It freezes them, and as they turn to look Gladio lets his hands fall to his sides.
The Ultima Blade was firmly lodged through the rider's skull. Prompto - teeth grit and eyes clenched - was hunched over it, grip on the blade tight.
Jaw falling slack, the rider fades away with its last breath.
The lantern clatters to the ground.
Prompto stumbles back, Ultima falling to his side before slipping from his grasp. It sinks into the earthy soil before shattering away into a gentle blue.
Turning to see Prompto fall to his knees, Noctis watches him with shocked eyes. The four of them stand there, frozen in the last hours before dawn.
"We did it." Prompto says, running an arm across his face.
Noctis brings his sword down at Prompto's neck.
He only manages to cut into Prompto's arm, stopped by Ignis grappling around his waist. He brings his elbow down onto his adviser's skull, dislodging Ignis in time to phase away from Gladio.
Blood spills between Prompto's fingers as he clutches at the wound, and Noctis pulls back, fatigue forcing his breath to come out in pants. Gladio charges him, and Noctis phases before switching his sword for a polearm and launching into the air.
He lands behind Gladio, spearing for his exposed back only to grind against the metal of Gladio's greatsword. Gladio kicks out, sending Noct tumbling over the rough swamp floor.
Struggling to push himself back up, Noctis barely rolls out of the way as Ignis attempts to knock him out with the back of his lance. Dizziness swells through him as he stands, but he is quick to shake it off and rejoin the fight.
Noctis throws his sword behind Gladio but doesn't warp to it, catching Gladio off-guard with a strike to the face. Gladio stumbles back, wiping blood from his nose as Noctis re-summons his sword.
"Bitch!" Gladio curses, feeling more blood coming from a split on his cheek.
They take a moment to catch their breath, but Noctis is the first to reenter the fight. Despite his sluggish movements, Gladio isn't quick enough to dodge him as he sloppily warpstrikes into him.
They tumble to the ground, and Noctis if forced to roll away when Gladio recovers first. Pulling the Bow of the Clever out, he shoots Gladio in the leg before falling to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
Prompto moves to help, but his leg gives and he falls short. Noctis takes aim at his fallen form before Ignis kicks the Royal Arm from his grasp.
Quickly summoning back his sword, Noctis swipes wildly at him from his spot on the ground. Forcing his last bit of energy into standing, Noctis lunges for Ignis.
His own energy dwindling, Ignis backpedals. Mid-strike, Noctis switches his sword for a lance, nailing Ignis in the chest. Gladio and Prompto scream out from where they lay.
Ignis stumbles to the ground, rolling over and clawing at the mud. Noctis appears above him in a flash of blue just as Ignis's hand makes contact with something laying in the mud.
Ignis swings the lantern around just as Noct strikes down with his sword.
"Stop!"
Blood trickles from where the Ultima Blade has pricked his throat. For a moment, no one moves. Noct just stands there, his blade pressed dangerously against Ignis's jugular, with nothing but the lantern between them.
Gladio tackles him, and even if he wanted to phase, he wouldn't have been able to. His magic had run dry.
Instead, he lays, almost catatonic, beneath Gladio as the other pins him.
Gladio watches him for a moment, cautious and hurt. Sensing that Noct wasn't struggling, he looks over to Ignis, "Iggy! You all right?"
Adrenaline has him gripping the lantern painfully tight, his shaking grasp doing nothing to disturb the gentle blue flame inside. Prompto staggers over to him, carefully maneuvering the lantern to the ground and removing his fingers from it.
Blood seeps down his neck and into his collar, so Ignis quickly places a hand over it and stumbles to his feet. Helping each other stand and walk, Prompto and Ignis rush to Noct.
A first-aid kit appears in Ignis's hands, and he hunches over Noct with it. Passive eyes follow his adviser's movements, watching as he pulls a pad from the kit and fix it to the wound on his neck. A pair forceps is the next item Ignis pulls out.
Noctis kicks out weakly, his vain attempts quickly stopped as Prompto pins his legs. Gladio shifts above him, moving to secure his arms better and allow Ignis access to the dagger lodged in his side.
"Ready?" Ignis asks, checking to see if Gladio and Prompto were prepared. He sees confirmation in their nervous expressions, so he looks back down at the gaping wound on Noct's side. "We need to do this quick."
He doesn't count down, or give Noctis any preparation, instead sinking the forceps into his wound and latching onto the broken dagger. Noctis screams out and arches back, furiously trying to claw away, to fight them, to escape.
Ignis is methodical with his work, quickly sliding the blade out without so much as a flinch. He sets the bloodied blade to the side and hurriedly summons a potion, holding it over Noct.
The potion spills onto the wound, doing nothing more than slowing the flow of blood.
Ignis cries out in frustration and panic, "The wound is not closing!"
"Mine didn't close with a potion either!" Prompto's eyes are wet from where he looks down on Noct, "We need another way!"
Cold seeps through his limbs, and his movements grow still. He shakily breathes as his mind returns bit by bit.
Blood splatters from a cough as he tries to open his mouth to beg for their forgiveness. Ignis brushes his hair from his face.
"We need to get him out of here." Gladio says, his grip growing looser.
"Not with that wound on his side. He's bleeding out." Ignis says, moving back to the kit and digging through it.
Chest heaving, Noctis watches Ignis pull a needle up to his flashlight.
Against his bidding, he begins struggling again. Gladio and Prompto's loose grips feel like steel bindings, and Noctis eyes widen as Ignis draws nearer.
Dark thread dangles from the needle, and Ignis bows his head as he rests it on the skin by the gash, "Forgive me, Noctis."
Instinct forces away all rational thought as Ignis slides the needle into his skin and pulls the thread through. Noctis claws at Gladio's arm, trying vainly to push away from Ignis and the pain.
Despite Ignis's clean and quick work, the needle dragging through his skin seems to be taking impossibly long. Noct eventually gives in, arms falling limp.
He remains still, even after Ignis finishes closing the wound and Gladio and Prompto release him.
"Noct?" Prompto questions.
His mouth twists into a grimace, and tears swell freely from his eyes to trail from their corners. Noctis clenches them shut, and someone grabs his hand.
A sob forces its way through him, shortly followed by another. He moves his free hand to cover his face, ashamed at crying so blatantly.
Ashamed at letting a daemon romp around with his body.
Ashamed at attempting to murder his friends.
He loved them so much, and yet he bent so easily to the whims of a damned daemon.
Noctis groans in pain as Gladio shifts him into sitting up.
"I'm so sorry!" He begs, tears making his voice thick.
"It wasn't your fault." Ignis states as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
His crying only worsens when Prompto agrees, "Hey, buddy - don't think about it. Let's just get out of here and forget it ever happened!"
Prompto's smile is blinding when Noct opens his eyes back up, and he wonders if his own eyes are just as red as Prompto's. Gladio pats against his back, but Noct can't find the energy to look back at him.
"Yeah it's no big deal. I almost had to stop going easy on you, though." Gladio jokes. Noctis eyes droop in response.
"Let's get you outta here." Gladio continues, heaving Noctis up. He smells of sweat and blood, but Noctis figures they all must.
"Sorry." He murmurs, head falling limp.
"No more, Noct." Gladio warns, "There was nothing that could be done."
Noctis 'hmms', his vision swimming in and out as sleep beckoned him. Ignis rests a hand on his shoulder and directs them in the direction of the road.
"Wait." Noct says. "We can't leave it here."
Prompto and Ignis turn, looking back to the battleground.
The unlit lantern sits among the mud.
...
Noctis stands at the base of Caem's lighthouse, more bandages exposed than skin. The sea breeze blows against his hair, and it brings a smile to his face as he watches the sunset.
He holds the lantern gently under an arm.
Footsteps draw him from his thoughts, and he turns just in time to see Prompto drop back against the railing over the cliff. His own bandages peak out from underneath his clothing.
"Ignis is mad you snuck out of bed." He drawls.
"No I'm not." Ignis responds, trekking up the hill with Gladio. Noctis doesn't miss the way his eyes linger on the lantern. Gladio chuckles and comes to stand in the shade of the lighthouse.
"He's just mad that Cor and the others couldn't find that horse daemon."
Ignis huffs as he comes to lean on the railing at Noct's other side, the action dipping his collar and exposing the bandages around his throat.
"Please, I know you are even less satisfied knowing only the rider was killed." Ignis response is clipped.
The four sit quietly for a moment, content to look out over the ocean. Sea birds call out, and Prompto sighs deeply.
"What does it matter? It won't be able to harm us ever again."
Gladio grumbles out at that, and even Noctis feels unsatisfied that he wasn't able to kill it.
He wasn't even able to kill its rider.
"Guys... I'm sorr-"
"Really don't wanna hear it anymore, Noct." Real frustration laces Gladio's voice, and the four fall into another silence. Prompto gently elbows Noct, and even though it pulls at his wounds, the action brings a small smile from him. Sighing, he looks over the cliff to watch the waves crash against the shore.
He sends up a quiet prayer, thanking any Astral listening for his friends. He would never be able to repay them.
Noctis shifts, pulling out the third thing from that ordeal that would torment him in many nightmares to come.
The sunlight glints off the dark framework of the lantern - it's a pretty thing, with delicate details and polished to a shine.
Noctis tosses it up once, glancing over its features once more when it comes back down. The three of them watch him, and the smile that crosses his face pushes tears from his eyes.
He looks over to them, golden rays from the setting sun making him look more peaceful than he actually felt.
"Ready?"
Ignis and Gladio nod, and Prompto gives him a bright smile. Noctis turns to look back over the ocean.
And he hurls the lantern into it.
They watch it fall from the cliff, spinning through the air until it finally hits the water with a insignificant splash. Prompto tosses an arm around him with a cheer, and Gladio ruffles his hair. Noctis smiles, and lets Ignis pull him back towards the house.
He ignores the bandages covering his body, and double that of those on his friends - they wouldn't want him to live with that regret constantly pulling him down.
So he smiles, and the lantern sinks to rest at the ocean's depths.
Thank you very much for reading!
I hope you all enjoyed and have a Happy Halloween!
This was written as a gift fic for TriggerHappyChocobo on Ao3! I am so super appreciative of all their work on Aftermath and Alone in Pitioss, please go check them out on Ao3! This turned out to be about 5K words longer than intended, but I just couldn't refuse hurt or possessed Noct and absolutely fell in love with it~ XD
For anyone wondering, Prompto hid under the dock Noct was standing on. After Noctis left, he resurfaced and called for backup. Cor found them fending off the sahagins from earlier and saved them.
Also, I am hoping this flows well since I was forced to write this over several different weeks. My schedule has been excessively busy and weird lately, so I would break from this for a week or two at a time - and I'm hoping that didn't create any awkward flow or errors. Regardless, it was very fun to write, I absolutely cannot resist possessed Noct, and have at least two more upcoming fics about it.
Anyway, Happy Halloween!
I hope you enjoyed, and thanks you so very much for reading!