It all started when Ardyn tricked Noctis into pushing Prompto off the train. The guilt ate at his heart as time went on. Not even the talk with one of Luna's former maids made him feel any better.
In fact it made him feel worse.
The guilt of not being able to save or protect Luna was still fresh on his mind. And having to wake up and see Ignis' consequences for borrowing the power of the ring hit him hard, still. The combination of these wounds ate at the prince's heart and sanity.
"How unfair it all is, isn't it?"
"Get out of my head..." Noctis shook, doing his best to ignore the baritone voice, and failing. How was it that Ardyn can get under his skin so easily?
"It is so unfair of you to sacrifice everything you love. Why don't you give up?"
"No! I have to keep going..." Noctis hissed, breathing irregular as he forced himself to continue. He was almost at the top of the tower. He was injured from the previous fight, and he had run out of potions. He held one hand over the bleeding wound, staggering as his head swam.
"You don't sound so confident, Noct. Why don't you just give up? Allow me to take care of you."
"Not a chance, old man." Noctis scowled. "And I can't give up."
"Just surrender to me. I promise to take good care of you."
"Tch. As if." The prince scoffed in disgust. He had some of his spirit left, at least.
"I never go back on my word."
And Noctis knew it. The man had shown in the past he kept his word. But then he remembered watching helplessly as Ardyn stabbed Luna, ultimately the cause of her death. And once again the anger in his heart flared once more. However, this time it was different.
"I will treat you like a king. Everyone else treats you like a prince, a child. Even your own friends."
He was right. Noctis did often felt this way. But he had to remember that this wasn't just about him. The rest of the world relied on upon him to bring back the sun.
"And they would forget all too quickly of their gratitude of your sacrifice."
He could still feel the exhaustion taking over his body. And the longer he awknowledged Ardyn the more tempting his promises became. Why was this man tormenting him with sweet promises after all he had done to him?
"Because, Noct, I do care. Let me take care of you. All you have to do is surrender."
Noctis approached a corridor that was strangely narrow. He growled to himself as he bolted into a run. Laughter echoed all around, then he heard a spring and suddenly Noctis was trapped. He whirled around to see sharp weapons cone out of the floor and walls both directions heading his way.
"So much for all that talk about taking care of me, Ardyn!" Noctis yelled, feeling the anger rising.
"Oh, my. And here I thought we were getting along splendidly." Ardyn clicked his tongue. "Besides, I figured a little more pressure would do just the trick."
Noctis could feel the anger build up inside of him. It was building up like a volcano about to erupt.
"You know what you have to do, Noctis."
It took him a few seconds to register. The prince growled as his emotions flared. He didn't even realize his eyes glowed a bright purple and pink hue of magic flowed through his veins. And with a burst of magic flames engulfed the corridor. Somehow Noctis broke through the spell Ardyn had put on him to weaken him.
It didn't last long, though. Soon as the flames reached out they turned into smoke. The magic had barely scorched his surroundings. The spur of magic had drained much of his energy and Noctis leaned against the wall.
He watched as the weapons came ever closer to slice him into pieces.
"Tick, tock. Tick, tock. You only have one choice, sweet king."
"Ardyn..." Noctis whispered, close to breaking.
"Noct! Hang in there!" A familiar voice snapped the prince out of it.
"Iggy? Gladio?" Noctis' vision was swimming again.
"Quick! There has to be a switch somewhere!" Gladio panicked.
"Let me see..." Ignis said, and a click resonated around them. "Aha! That did the trick." The weapons stopped and went back inside the walls and floor.
Within seconds Gladio was holding Noctis up. Ignis was close behind with a few potions to hand over to the exhausted prince. Noctis gratefully drank them down.
"You look like shit." Gladio frowned, noticing how the shorter young man was still leaning on him for support.
"I feel like I've been crushed by Titan." Noctis admitted. He earned a short chuckle from Gladio. In response there was the faintest smirk from Noctis.
"Whenever you're ready, Noct. If we have to rest, then let's find a better place to recuperate." Ignis was just as concerned.
"No... No I can keep going." Noctis pulled away from the knight. He stumbled a step, but quickly regained his composure.
"Don't push yourself til you're dead, man." Gladio started. Before he could finish the prince interrupted him.
"I can do this!" Noctis snapped, glaring at the other. His eyes glowed again, and Gladio almost flinched. The prince was rather intimidating when he was like that.
"Okay, you can do this." Gladio held his hands up, then muttered under his breath. "You didn't have to snap, you know."
"Sorry... It feels like I just walked through hell before you guys caught up."
"It was Ardyn, wasn't it?" Ignis inquired.
"Let's just go." Noctis lead the way, ignoring the question entirely. It was answer enough for his friends.
A short while later they found Prompto. Seeing him hung up like that added to the guilt already building up inside of Noctis. He was beginning to wish for an end to all this madness all the more quicker.
It's all my fault.
"Don't go blaming yourself, buddy." Prompto flashed a grin. But to Noctis it was more of a mask to make him feel better. "I probably would have done the same thing."
Noctis didn't respond. His head was swimming again. By the time they made it to a room full of beds Noctis couldn't even make it to the mattress before he collapsed from exhaustion. The last thing he remembered was the panic in his friends as darkness overtook him.
When he woke up all three were surrounding him. They were like silent guardians. Gladio was frowning, Ignis was overly concerned and Prompto had guilt written all over his face. Noctis sat up, wincing at the soreness all over his body.
"Noct, what did Ardyn do to you?" Ignis questioned.
"... I can't use my powers. I can only use my father's sword and one or two spells through the ring. But I feel better, now."
"Bro, you still look like a truck ran you over." Prompto bit his lip.
"I still feel like I was crushed over by Titan."
"Yeah, and what was that about when you snapped at me back there?" Gladio pressed the issue.
"Nothing. Ardyn was trying to get into my head before you guys showed up." Noctis wasn't going to admit that he almost did surrender to the elder man.
It scared him knowing he was that close and ready to give up. And after what that man had done. Noctis was still ready to make a deal with him just to bring an end to his suffering.
"He's not trying right now, is he?" Ignis asked.
"No. It's just me and my head again."
"Good. Then you should be better off fighting this time around. Let's get going." Gladio was eager to face the elder man.
"Yeah. Let's." Noctis nodded.
Later, he had gone ahead of his friends. Once again he was alone with Ardyn inside his head as he stared at the crystal. He could sense the magic eminating from it, calling out to him. It was beautiful yet terrifying with the amount of power it held.
"Why won't you surrender? What is there left for you to fight for? Just accept the losses, Noct."
"I can't! If it weren't for their sacrifices, I wouldn't be here!" Noctis shook his head violently.
"And I have sacrificed much more selflessly. Tell me, Noct, are your actions the actions of a selfless man, or a selfish man?"
"What are you getting at?" Noctis growled, sensing a threat. Behind him he glanced to see Ardyn emerging from shadows of smoke.
"Just enter inside the crystal, and you'll know what I mean." Ardyn's voice was alarmingly persuasive.
Noctis glanced up at the crystal. The temptation eating away at him.
"I know you want to." When did Ardyn stand right behind him? The elder had whispered his luring words into the prince's ear.
Noctis twitched, trying to shake off the shiver going down his back.
"Remember my promise. I'll take good care of you, sweet king."
Noctis was angry again. And so without hesitation he stepped inside the crystal and allowed it to fully engulf him, putting him into a deep sleep. Outside he could hear Ardyn's laughter, followed by the panic of his friends. Noctis didn't have time to panic when he fell asleep.
He was face to face with Odin. Odin explained a great deal of his purpose. And yet the God still gave him the choice.
"I will give you time to think about it."
Noctis thought. He thought long and hard. He thought of every person he met through his journey. All the places. His mind wandered to his friends, Luna and Ardyn the most. Over and over he tried to forget what the man had said, but he couldn't.
Then he felt the guilt that had been eating away at his heart turn into fury. Ardyn had a point, in some cases. Why did he have to be the one to die? Aside from his friends, there wasn't much left for him to protect. On top of it all he was done with the expectations. No one will remember after a certain amount of time of his sacrifice in the end. It wss time he took control of his own destiny.
This had nothing to do with the new nickname that made him blush.
"I refuse to accept your bargain."
"Then you shall be rejected from us. You will return to the world of the living, and there you shall live in pain and sorrow for eternity."
What?
What did that mean? Noctis couldn't voice his questions. He was violently being sent back in a blink of an eye. Just like that, he was standing on the docks the same moment the sun rose for the first time in six months over the horizon.