Author's note: A second short chapter to make up for the lag of updates.
Chapter 6
Unspoken Feelings
The history of the nation of Lucis was complicated, Noctis was always good for history, it wasn't his favorite subject but he had a talent at memorizing dates, names and apply some critical thinking. And now the history of his country just got a lot more complicated.
The conflict between Ardyn and his brother Somnus not only changed the way Lucis came to be but also gave his battle a whole new meaning.
Noctis was now sitting on the snow along with his father and Ardyn, even though Area had already explained the whole ordeal from two thousand year ago, the anger inside the young King wasn't something that could just melt away.
"To think that our own lineage is tainted with so much bloodshed" said Regis with a sad expression almost covered by his beard and long eyebrows.
"I guess Somnus and I are not as different as I thought" Ardyn said smirking "Control and power it's something that runs in our family, maybe it's because of been so close to the power of the gods, but to long for more strength it's something implicit in human nature"
"We are not family" Noctis replied angrily "Unlike you or your brother my father and I are not genocides"
"Really? Then how do you explain all the people who died in Insomnia when your father had the knowledge and the power to stop it?"
"He was following the will of the gods. He didn't had a choice in the matter"
"That, my boy, it's where you are wrong. You and him could choose to go against the gods anytime just like I did"
"And what? To go on the same path of destruction you went? You tried to justify your hatred and made the wrong people pay for it"
Ardyn was silent for a second and it might be the first time Noctis saw his fate turn serious "I'm not justifying my actions. I didn't even do it before, I knew my path will end up plunging me straight to hell itself, but my tainted soul simply told me to drag all of you with me." Ardyn stood and looked at the night sky "In my time, the Starscourge was wiping out humanity so I tried to do the best thing possible and channel all that dark energy in to me, while my brother wanted to eradicate it along with the people infected. We both tried to do the same but by different means, and in the end, it's kind of ironic and pains me to say it, but Somnus was right."
Noctis and Regis looked shocked.
"He eradicated the Starscourge, even if it was only temporarily he made the best course of action"
"He killed thousands!" Noctis replied.
"Yes, but can you imagine what would had happened if I had been the one to touch the crystal? Keep in mind that my body was a bomb of demon energy ready to explode"
It was Regis who answered "The crystal could had been corrupted along with the whole Lucis bloodline"
"My brother wasn't The Wanderer, nor The Rogue or The Just, he was The Wise, he made everything in his power an took the most efficient way possible to destroy the Starscourge. Even if the people in his time didn't love him, now two thousand years later he is a hero. A King can be many things but been wise is an obligation for that job"
"But couldn't corrupting the crystal had ruined Bahamut's plan?" Noctis added.
Ardyn nodded "Yes, that could had made the prophecy completely useless, but that also could had let the Relentless Force in the form of the Starscourge run rampart on your world and subsequently destroyed it."
"But it didn't matter in the end, the Starscourge was destroyed and the Relentless Force is here now, the Lucis bloodline doesn't exist anymore"
"That is not completely true" Regis spoke "We are here now with the power of the Astrals to stop him, all thanks to Phoenix and the Astrals."
Ardyn smile knowing that his two receptors where starting to comprehend "Yes, but it wasn't Phoenix alone who brought us back, he doesn't have the power to transcend dimensions alone. He needed a voice to guide him."
"You mean and Oracle?" Noctis recalled the moment when Luna managed to summon all the Astrals to destroy the shield surrounding the Citadel.
"Yes, and now my dear Noctis we arrive to the most important matter. If Lady Lunafreya was in the Realm Beyond and there was no Crystal or Ring of Lucii to make the connection with the Astrals, then how did Phoenix got summoned?"
Noctis couldn't answer and Ardyn knew so he discreetly point somewhere behind the young King's shoulder. When he turned he saw Luna and Iris talking to each other. He turned back to Ardyn. "You mean Iris?"
Ardyn nodded again "That girl was the variant Bahamut didn't account for, and to be honest it still amazed me what she did, she is an Oracle, my boy, a different and very powerful one at that"
"What!?" Noctis said almost rising his voice. "She can't be, she is not a descendant from Luna's bloodline"
"As I said, it is a different kind of Oracle. My dear Area was touched by Bahamut and made the first Oracle. But that girl was touched by Phoenix. That's how far my knowledge goes thought."
Noctis managed to put himself together before talking "She said she came here for me, Phoenix send her here to rescue me and fight the Relentless Force. Could it be that-" he stop himself before he can say something weird.
Regis smile a little and put a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "I think you should rest now, my son. I still have some things to talk with Ardyn"
Noctis did need to leave but not for the reason his father was talking about. He stood up but Ardyn called to him before he left "Young King, I will not ask for your forgiveness, I don't deserve it and I'm not really sorry for everything I did. It has leaded us to this, after all."
"Fuck off, Ardyn" said Noctis leaving the two to talk.
He started to walk to where Iris and Luna were talking, this was going be awkward but he just had a conversation with his father and the most dangerous man who had ever existed who happened to be one of his ancestors. Yeah, it couldn't be as awkward as that, right?
"Hi Noct" Iris said waving a hand.
"Hi" he said but then he stood there for three seconds looking awkward and then Iris stood up.
"Well, nice talking to you, Luna, but I need to speak with Nyx for a second."
Luna smiled and Noctis look a the both of them with a raised brow "It was quite a pleasant conversation Iris"
Iris waved again and started walking towards Nyx and Ignis. Noctis sight while sitting next to his ex-fiancee.
"Yeah, we thought you needed an out of that situation" Luna said smirking.
"You look different, and I don't mean only the clothes."
"Indeed, although you had changed much more, now you are older than me"
Noctis was actually just hit by the realization of his own age "Damn, I'm Thirty now! Can you believe it?
Luna laugh a little "Yeah, it won't be long before you start having white strands like your father"
"Ok, who are you and what did you do with Luna? You are way too...mellow."
Luna set her sight on the snowy plains in front of them "I guess...I just feel like a heavy burden was lifted from my shoulders. It's funny, I thought I will be mad because of the whole situation, Bahamut's lies and the state of the world. But for the first time ever, I feel free"
"Yeah, I kind of had that same feeling when I arrived here. But I guess It couldn't be that easy, right?"
"It's just another battle Noctis, one more obstacle"
"It just…" Noctis swallowed a lump before talking "I think we have some things to talk about"
He let that statement hanging for a while but Luna didn't turn to look at him. She just stare at nothing and spoke with a calm voice "I can't say I wasn't raised with love." Noctis was about to ask her to return to the topic but she then looked at him, her expression easy to read as a book, she was saying something important "I had my mother and my father for a while, my brother Ravus loved me as much as anybody could. When you came to Tenebrae, for the first time a felt that I could love somebody in a different way, of course, at the time I was only a kid 'It is just a crush, it will pass' I said. Then my parents die and you left, Ravus was there to support me along with Gentiana"
"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Noctis responded with a tone charged with pain. He did know that life wasn't fair for her either.
"But you were there" Luna emphasized while getting something out of her robes. It was the Lover's Notebook, containing all the memories both of them exchanged throughout their lives. Luna opened the notebook and both of them saw pictures, messages and stamps, each one of them carrying a hidden meaning for them. "This did not only kept me from falling apart, but also to keep my training going, because you show me that this world is worth saving, I guess that's what all of us felt when each one of your friends got to know you. I was sixteen when I truly realize my feelings for you and also when the Astrals called me to tell me my true purpose" Noctis could see tears running down Luna's cheeks, her voice now trembling while trying not to fall apart. "So I just kept this for me, I didn't say anything in my letters because when I read it was the only time I didn't feel so sad, so hopeless."
Noctis' heart skipped a beat and felt his stomach shrink, like he had just been hit by a wrecking ball, he recalled all of her letters, all of them containing Luna's feelings just for him, in them there was only happiness and she seemed cheerful. But the reality of her heart was very different. Noctis then pulled her into a hug she didn't resist as his clothes became drentch by her tears. "I'm sorry, Luna. I'm so sorry."
"Stop apologizing please, it's not your fault" Luna looked in to his eyes "It's not your fault"
"But I-"
"I'm not coming back, Noct" she interrupted him and he looked at her in surprise, not only by the statement but it was also the first time she called him by his nickname "I don't belong in your world anymore, and your heart doesn't belong to me anymore. I can feel it, you have doubts" This time Noctis couldn't respond. "And that is perfectly fine, that someone who truly has the power to break the laws of the Astrals to get to you must be worthy, and you are worth another chance to live, to believe in the future, to truly love again."
"But you also deserve that opportunity, and you know I will happily give my life for you to have it"
Luna gently separated herself from him with a smile, she wiped the tears off her face "I know that, Noctis, but we just weren't meant to be, that's how it is. So please, do not blame yourself anymore" she took one of his hands and gave him the notebook "Hold the past in your heart, but never let it hold you"
Noctis took a few seconds but he nodded "I'll do as you tell me, I will become the King you wanted me to be, I will make you proud"
Luna let out a soft smile "I know you will. Now, do you think we are ready to go?"
Noctis nodded again and stood up dealing a new strength flowing inside of him, like a great new flame. "Alright people, are you all ready to go?"
"Aaawww, do we have to?" Prompto whined "I was having the best dream where everything made sense"
Noctis smiled and lended a hand to his friend to stand up "Yes we have. Now let's go Chocobo head, your King commands it"
Prompto laughed and accepted the hand "Then let's kick Bahamut's ass"
Noctis turned to Area who was patiently waiting in the distance "We are ready"
"So be it, my King." The old Oracle raised her hands and a white light engulfed them all.
-O-
There was a weird loud sound just like if your ears were fill with water for a second, then the light finally die down and Iris could open her eyes. The ten of them were all standing in the same position but not in the same place, the snowfield had disappeared and now they were contemplating something marvelous and nightmarish at the same time.
It was a colossal valley surrounded by crystal mountains all on different colors, millions of crystals, millions of worlds in peril by the monstrosity in the middle of the valley, a giant black tornado that reached the sky with red lightnings coming out of it, Iris could heard not only the wing blowing but even some roars.
On the ground, the tornado was surrounded by a horde of dark creatures, goblins, arachnes, boms, iron giants and even three diamond weapons (1). Right in the middle of everything was solitary person fighting all of them.
"This is... unbelievable" said Nyx "Are they guarding that thing?"
"That is the Relentless Force." Area explained "The source of all chaos in all the realms"
Another roar sounded and this time it almost made the ground crumble. A blue light came out of the tornado while black beasts that looked like eels tried to catch it. The light was actually a metalic human shaped dragon with golden blades as wings.
Iris recognized Bahamut from the history books, the Draconian looked like a winged knight and he was really struggling fighting the dark creatures.
"It seems that our dear friend is not doing too good" said Ardyn and Iris could swear she heard a tone of pleasure in his voice.
"No matter if we don't like him, Ardyn" Noctis said "We have to destroy that thing before it traps Bahamut or it would all be over." Noctis turned to all of them "This battle ends now"
A golden light flashed from Noctis' chest and the Royal Arms surrounded him except for the four weapons his friends and father had borrowed. All the arms didn't have the white glow anymore, the looked like there were surrounded in rainbow flames. The young King looked at Nyx. "A Kingsglaive needs a weapon"
Then the Swords of the Wanderer flew to Nyx's hands. "An Oracle needs her Trident" and true enough the Trident of the Oracle flew to Luna who took it. But one final Royal Arm, one that looked almost the same as the Sword of the Wise but this one had a crimson color (2) flew to Ardyn's hand who actually looked surprise for the first time.
"Are you giving me a weapon?" The man asked.
"A King needs his Royal Arm. Besides, this is partly your mess, Ardyn. You're going to help clean it"
King Regis let out a small laugh "Indeed, I second that"
Area then stood next to them "Go forth then, warriors and Kings, fight to protect the realms and bring forth a new age of light"
Regis and Ardyn summoned their armors, the last one's looked like the armor of The Mystic but with bat wings on the helmet.
Noctis was then engulfed in light again and his brand new armor, unlike every other royal armor that were white or silver, this one was golden and his cape was blood red, the helmet looked like the head of a bird and golden strands tied together like a tail coming out of it.
Now that's a King. Iris though with a smile.
"Let's go!" Noctis commanded and all of them started running towards the battlefield. They all got seperated ways to fight on different fronts, but before Iris tried to go anywhere, Noctis grab her hand. "Iris, take off your helmet for a moment"
With a thought the helmet dissolved and Noctis did the same. And then the young King place his hand on her neck and pull her into a tender kiss, it only lasted a few seconds but Iris felt like a flame threatened to blow her insides out from the surge of emotions.
They separated and Noctis smile at her "Sorry"
"For what?" Iris managed to say.
"For been so dense" Noctis laughed, closed his helmet and jump in to battle.
She did the same a few seconds after but with a brand new strength raging on in her heart.
-O-
References:
1.- Diamond Weapon are the giant demon that appears in the Kingsglaive movie but never made it to the game, which is sad.
2.- This is Ardyn's Royal Arm, the Rakshasa Blade, you can see him use it in the final battle and in Episode Ardyn, you can unlock it in the main game after playing the DLC.
-O-
Author's note:
Damn that conversation with Noctis and Luna was one of my favorite scenes, I had to play, read and watch all FFXV content again to figure out their very awfully written relationship, still their scene touched me.
This one was pretty short, it was actually part of the last one but it was already way to long so I put it on a separate chapter.
Another thing, next part is going to be the big battle so you can expect a really long chapter, also I might use others character's POV just for this battle, in my experience it makes it easier to cover all the important things in one scene.
Again, thank you for your patience and your support.