Quick warning, major character death ahead.
Bone
Zegnautus Keep was empty. Everything living was long gone, having fled or been killed.
Noctis raced through the hallways, his friends nowhere to be found. He had been separated from Ignis and Gladio. And Prompto. Prompto was…
"He's right here." Ardyn's voice stated over the intercom. "You just have to find him."
Noctis wondered if he had spoken aloud. He didn't think he had but he must have if Ardyn answered him. Prompto was here. He just had to find him. He was here.
Noctis turned into a hallway and saw another MT. It saw him in return. The mechanical soldier raised its axe and began to stumble after him.
The Prince threw himself into the nearest hiding place, allowing the MT to pass him by before dashing in the opposite direction. He had no way to fight. All he could do was run.
Noctis had tried to wear the Ring but it had done nothing. The Ring lay dormant on his finger even though he tried to invoke its powers. The young man had been left with no weapons or magic to defeat the enemies he encountered.
"Where is he!" Noctis demanded after finding himself in another empty room. He wondered how Prompto must be feeling right now. He was alone in the hands of an enemy. What could have been done to him by now?
Blood on the-
Noctis clenched his hands so hard the nails broke through skin. The pain snapped him back into awareness.
"Just a little further now. You'll find your friend soon enough." Came Ardyn's sinister promise from overhead.
Prompto.
The blonde was right there in front of him. He could see him. Prompto was okay, everything was fine. He would take him and find both Gladio and Ignis. They could then kick Ardyn's ass and get the hell out of here with the Crystal.
Prompto turned around, as if sensing Noctis, and stilled. He took one step back, and then two. He swiveled around and ran.
"Prompto!" Noctis called out in desperation. His friend did not stop or turn around once.
"I believe he may be frightened of you." Ardyn chuckled. "After what you did, I can't say I'm all that surprised."
Blood on the train. Blood on the walls. Pieces. Pieces everywhere.
"I didn't do anything!" Noctis argued. That wasn't what happened. Ardyn took Prompto. "You took him from us!"
He received laughter in response. Prompto was alive. Noctis did nothing, he repeated to himself. He did nothing!
Noctis was exhausted. Trying to find Prompto again yielded no results. How long had he been searching now? He didn't even know. His body ached. His mind didn't feel any clearer since the incident on the train. In fact he felt worse.
"You are looking a bit out of sorts." Ardyn had been silent for a long while so Noctis jumped at his voice. "Why not take a break? There's a room to your right that would be suitable for a small reprieve. Not fit for royalty but, as you should understand well by now, neither are you."
Ardyn laughed while Noctis seethed in anger. He was going to ignore the man but his leg chose that moment to fail him and he stumbled.
The Prince sighed in resignation and limped to the room his enemy had pointed out. It was suitable, like the man had said. Noctis was a bit nervous to stay in there but Ardyn seemed to want to watch him suffer, not kill him. He believed he would be okay.
The Prince lay down on one of the bunk beds and immediately fell asleep. He dreamt of blood and death. And of a strange and sinister presence that he could not shake off.
Noctis saw Prompto again. His blonde friend was ahead of him, opening the door to another room.
"Prompto!" Noctis yelled out. It was if his friend didn't hear him. He entered, the door sliding shut behind him.
The Prince followed despite the room being unlit. He heard the shut and then lock behind him.
Noctis carefully made his way deeper. He flinched when the lights turned on, revealing Prompto on the opposite side. He was turned away from him, his shoulders hunched as if he was hurt.
"Prompto?" Noctis called out softly. "Are you alright?"
The blonde turned around and Noctis gasped. He was bleeding. The Prince could see several wounds on his torso. Exactly where he had-
"No." Noctis shook his head at the sight.
"Noctis why?" Prompto asked. "I was your friend wasn't I? Why would you do this?"
"I… I didn't." Noctis stammered in disbelief.
"Noct…" The Prompto spoke, blood beginning to spill from his lips. He stepped forward towards him but this time it was Noctis who retreated.
Blood on the train. His friend dead by his own hand. Prompto's blood covering his entire body.
"I didn't hurt you!" Noctis denied once again. He would never hurt Prompto. What he remembered wasn't true!
Prompto reached for him and Noctis smacked his hand away before backing away further. He was surprised at the contact, feeling cool metal not warm skin.
That wasn't Prompto!
"What you did… Wasn't okay." His 'friend' continued to approach him. "You need to make it right."
Suddenly Noctis heard a sound, like air being released from several containers. The Prince finally took in what else was inside the room he was in.
Large metal containers, rows on either side of the room began to open up, revealing bodies inside. They moved as one, pulling themselves out. One more Prompto. Two more. Many more.
Noctis remembered Ardyn's words. Gralea has plenty more where he came from.
Whatever these things were, they weren't Prompto.
Noctis spotted an axe resting against a wall near him and lunged for it.
They didn't look like Prompto anymore. Noctis realized that once the final 'Prompto' had fallen. The illusion fell away, revealing the MT's for what they were. The battle had been easy, the MTs stumbling after him with no weapons.
Even so, Noctis threw up afterwards. He lay in a shuddering heap, trying to get his body under control.
They hadn't been Prompto. But they had looked like him. He had killed his friend. He had killed his friend so many times.
He felt tears begin to build up but refused to let them fall. He needed to keep going for Prompto.
Because Prompto was okay. And he would find him.
"Ardyn… When I find you, I will make sure you suffer. You'll be begging death." Noctis vowed as he attempted to get his shaking under control.
It was a long time before Noctis was able to stumble out of the room, the axe in hand, and continue his trek into the Keep. He didn't feel well. His mind felt hazy from all the strain it had been under. He didn't know if he could keep going like this.
"Oh, Noct!" Ardyn dreaded voice sounded gleeful when he spoke next. "I've sent one of your friends to keep you company. It breaks my heart to think about how alone you must feel right now."
Noctis snapped around at the sound several bodies coming towards him. He ran to the next door but realized it was locked. The room nearby was locked too. Ardyn wanted him to fight then.
He turned around to face… Gladio. Several Gladios.
No.
In horror, he watched three of his 'Shields' approach him with weapons drawn. One had a broadsword, one an axe, another a gun.
Noctis knew they couldn't be Gladio but once again he was faced with killing beings that wore the face of his friend.
The young man wanted to sit down and cry. Beg Ardyn to stop this torture. But the Prince knew he had to keep going. No matter what.
He raised the axe.
Afterwards, Noctis fell to his knees. His stomach rebelled and he gagged. He didn't feel much better even after noticing the fallen 'Gladios' looked like MT's again. Just like with 'Prompto'.
The Prince hadn't been hurt terribly in the battle. The 'Gladio' MT's had been clumsy and seemed like they could barely fight. They had been taken down pretty easily, just like the 'Prompto' MTs.
Noctis stayed where he was for a long time, trying to gather up the resolve to keep moving forward. His head began to ache and he pressed the heel of his hand to it. It didn't help.
Frustration and anger began to rise up within Noctis as his the ache increased. He allowed himself to picture driving a sword into Ardyn's face. The thought pleased him. He would kill that bastard if it was the last thing he did.
Noctis didn't move when he heard footsteps coming towards him.
Those bastards just keep coming. Noctis thought as another 'Gladio' walked towards him, broadsword at the ready. Noctis's rage enveloped him, giving him the resolve he needed. He allowed the 'Gladio' to come close, letting it think he was going to be an easy target.
Noctis felt the dark presence once more. He noticed that something seemed off but the desire to kill the MT wearing his friend's face overrode his instincts. When his 'Shield' came close, reaching for him, he sprung into action and swung the axe with all his power.
The crunch of bone, not metal, snapped Noctis out of whatever trance he was in. He saw Gladio's body fall before him. Unmoving.
In disbelief, he did not move for several moments. He could just stare at the body of his Shield. Eyes open and unfocused. The axe he swung embedded into the side of his head.
There was no way to survive that.
"Oh dear." Ardyn's amused voice echoed around him. "First Prompto and now Gladio? Is this truly how the Prince of Lucis treats his friends?"
Noctis couldn't breathe. He let out a strangled sound.
"Should I be afraid, I wonder? If this is the treatment your friends receive, I shudder to think what you may do to your enemies."
Noctis screamed as Ardyn began to laugh.
This is getting kinda fun to write. :D