Hi All! Back from my travels. Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think. Thanks as always to my faithful reader(s) in the US, Canada, Singapore, and the UK. I'm not sure who you all are, but I love seeing you guys and gals pop up on the readership charts. Hope you are liking where the story is going. To everyone else not mentioned, thanks a bunch too, and hope you enjoy!

Luna took off running. She heard the sound of pursuit. Good, she thought. That left Nyx with less opponents. It left her with some though. She ducked through alleys, doing everything she could to outrun the glaives pursuing her. She was getting tired though, and couldn't run much farther. She finally dived behind a foul-smelling dumpster, doing her best to keep quiet. She was winded though, and attempting to quiet her breathing felt like it was suffocating her.

And the glavies were closing in. She could hear their footsteps getting closer. It sounded like there were at least two. The hunters knew they were near their prey. They didn't have to run anymore. Their pace became slow, measured, deadly. She heard them approach the dumpster.

Hiding would avail her nothing. She had to fight back, but how? She didn't have elemental magic anymore.

She closed her eyes and desperately focused on the wailing daemons within her. "What are you doing here, little girl," one of the daemons resonated in her mind.

She remembered it. It was the giant she had first absorbed.

"You have been imprisoned a long time," Luna said. "I am a woman now. How would you like some fresh air?"

"And what would you want in exchange?"

"Nothing that you wouldn't want to give. There are some enemies to slay. You would be given a golden opportunity to show off your strength."

"And still be imprisoned after," the daemon riposted.

"Am I imprisoning you or protecting you," Luna countered. "So many of your kind are killed outright. The fact that you have lived 12 years in me is an accomplishment. I shall continue to protect you if you will show your strength to the enemy."

"And if I don't," the daemon countered back.

"Then your protection will indeed be a prison," Luna responded with such cold conviction in her tone that the giant stepped back.

"Very well. You drive a hard bargain. I will help you, this time," the giant responded ominously, then emerged as though it were a summoned creature.

The glaives hovered over her, insouciant, taunting. "Come out here, blonde bombshell," one teased viciously, only to jump back in horror as the daemon appeared.

They looked at each other in confusion. "What the! It's a daemon," one exclaimed, backing away.

"Kill it, you idiot," the other demanded.

The two didn't stand a chance. The giant dispatched them with brutal ease. Luna pulled the daemon back before he could feed off of them and it was back in her consciousness once more.

"See, fresh air," Luna told him. "You keep doing that, and you will get a lot more outings."

"Hmph. I'm not a little kid," it whined, but subsided amicably (by its standards) back into her consciousness.

What a waste, Ardyn thought as he flew away alongside Aldercapt in his airship. Aldercapt was not even staying to occupy the Crown City. He was going to leave it to the Terrors of the Night. Still, Ardyn had to admit that the Empire had exceeded all of his expectations.

Verstael's Diamond Weapon had worked like a dream, destroying Insomnia's crystal shield. As Ardyn had predicted, once their defense was down, Insomnia fell like a house of cards. And it was all thanks to the Kingsglaive themselves. Soldiers have such a hard time adjusting to peacetime. When all is said and done, most of them live for battle. If you take that away from them, they become aimless and ripe for the taking.

Just some subtle hints and bribery and half had defected to the Empire's side with minimal effort. And as for the loyal ones, just a few random fragments of intelligence that the Empire was amassing troops in spite of all and that King Regis's future daughter-in-law was missing was enough to spur them into action. Just to be brought out of the way and taken care of by the defectors.

Still, things had not gone completely to plan. While it was true Regis was dead, and they had obtained the crystal, they had been unable to get Noctis or the ring. Luna's presence had also been an annoying complication. Ardyn hadn't wanted that brute of a Glauca to knock her out and carry her off—not because he cared about her or anything. It was just that she would have been far more useful in other capacities than bait. However, she had turned herself into a complication that had to be dealt with.

He wondered where she was now. She was not one to sit idle while imprisoned—the charred ruins of the Castle of Tenebrae attested to that. What would she do next? She had obviously been here for the crystal. If the crystal chose her, she could be quite powerful indeed. He relished the challenge. For too long he had been the most competent player on the board. He could use somebody competent to pit his wiles against. Regis himself had come close. He had rightly mistrusted the peace and kept Noctis away from danger.

If Noctis was anything like his father, he would be a worthy adversary as well. Perhaps he wouldn't kill him just yet. He needed to see what the kid was capable of. And as long as Ardyn kept Noctis and Luna apart, all would be well.

He was tired of Aldercapt and the cold damp Gralea. He needed someplace warmer, to celebrate his small victory.

"Pilot, kindly drop me off at Galdin Quay."

Luna was drained and exhausted—it had taken everything she had to summon the daemon. However, she couldn't leave Nyx in the lurch and had to retrieve the ring from the car. She had no idea how far she had run, or in what direction her destination was, but she could figure it out from the battle sounds. The resonating clanking of two gigantic swords grinding together was a dead giveaway.

It was just Nyx and the guard who had struck her now, but was a brutal duel. Without magic, they were fighting each other strength against strength, and it looked like the enemy was stronger. If nothing else, he was better armored. She wished she could summon the Giant again, but she knew she had no way of doing that again for awhile. With fumbling fingers, she dug into the tire, praying that the ring was still there and that she could retrieve it. She sighed in relief when she felt the cold metal of the ring and pulled it out.

Just as she did that, there was a jarring thud as Nyx was thrown against the car. He staggered to his feet, but it was obvious he could not take much more of this. He needed power to counter this guy, and they didn't have it. Nyx turned her way and glanced at the ring. She knew what he was thinking and her soul shriveled at the thought.

"Can I borrow it? I will give it back," he promised.

"It will destroy you! It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem," she exclaimed. "He's strong, but he's just one guy."

Nyx snapped. "Damn it! I'm not doing this for Glauca! What do you think will happen when darkness falls?"

The daemons! He was right. There was nothing left to protect the city from them.

Nyx continued. "I am doing this for the Crown City. If I die saving lives, I don't care!" Nyx stepped forward and gently but firmly pried the ring out of her hand.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm just borrowing, not stealing." And he put it on, right when Glauca approached.

For one horrified second, Luna thought she was going to see a grisly repeat of what had happened to Ravus. Nyx collapsed to his knees in agony, body obviously riddled with pain.

Glauca jumped back, alarmed, which gave time for Nyx to commune with the Kings of Old.

"Summon your wall," he demanded.

"Why should we listen to you? You are not a king," the lead wraith King demanded.

"What does that matter when your very kingdom is about to fall? Summon your wall and it may yet be saved."

"You, a commoner, would protect this city? Why?"

"Hearth and home," was all Nyx said.

The wraiths were silent for a moment. "We shall grant you our powers. However, it will come at the expense of your life. Can you accept that?"

"You drive a hard bargain," Nyx responded coolly. "Where do I sign?"

Luna watched as Nyx rose, light and power surging from him. And, forming around him were wraiths of the Kings of Old. They were going to help him, she realized in shock. The power of the ring was staggering.

The fight between Nyx and Glauca was no longer one sided. He didn't need a big sword or powerful armor. He was able to match Glauca, blow for blow. Luna jumped back as the whole roundabout became their arena.

Nyx landed a blow that broke Glauca's helmet, revealing the man beneath. Nyx jumped back, startled. "Captain Drautos," he asked, in shock.

"I didn't want to fight you, Ulric," his foe stated. "If you had given me the girl and the ring, this wouldn't have happened."

"Why, sir? Why betray Insomnia?"

"They were going to end the war! The Kingsglaive would become soldiers without a country."

"What does that matter if there is peace again? What about hearth and home?"

"The Empire will keep my home safe in exchange for this," Drautos said, lunging again.

Nyx countered with a parry forceful enough to draw sparks.

"So every man has his price, huh," Nyx demanded. "They hatched a deal with you and you accepted it? The same people that waged war under the guise of peace? How do you know they will keep their word?"

"It doesn't matter," Drautos snapped back, obviously too far gone to be reasoned with. "I live to fight, and so do you!"

They say you should never fight angry, and Drautos proved it. He lunged forward, too quickly, and lost his footing. The one second of catching his balance was all Nyx needed. He pushed past Drautos's guard, stabbing him through the throat.

The strangled sound Drautos made was sickening, but it was over quickly.

Nyx stood over the remains of his foe. "You are wrong. All I want is peace," he said firmly, then scuffed his sword on the ground to clean it off.

He plopped to the ground, too weak to move. Luna ran over to administer what first aid she could.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Nyx said weakly, removing the ring then plopping it back into her hand. "Nothing you can do anyway. The Old Kings made their bargain with me, and I've got no problem paying up."

She looked at him, and realized what he meant. She was looking at a man prepared to die. She swallowed hard. "What can I do for you?"

"You can do what King Regis said. Take the ring and get it to Noctis. Sorry I can't get you there myself, Highness, but you seem the type who can handle yourself."

Coming from a badass like him, it was a real compliment. Except it wasn't she who was holding her own, it was the daemons within. She couldn't tell him that—she didn't want to frighten him as he lay dying. Instead, she said, "the ring. It is quite powerful."

"Tell me about it! The Old Wall should keep the daemons away long enough for most of the citizens to get away. Those Kings are good for something." Nyx reached down to clutch his side—his hand came away covered in blood. "Looks like the ring isn't sealing my wounds anymore," he said calmly, observing the carnage on his hand. "Off with you Luna. This is no place for you."

Luna couldn't leave him to die alone. "I'm not going to leave you alone," she said firmly.

Nyx rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I don't need coddling when there's work to be done. Get that damn ring to Noctis!"

Any further debate was cut off with a frantic "Luna" coming from behind her. She turned and saw Gentiana running her way.

"Thank goodness I found you. We must go. Right now!"

Luna hesitated once more, but between Nyx's contempt for her "coddling" and Gentiana's insistence, she knew when she was beaten.

"Godspeed, Sir Ulric," she said sadly to her former rescuer.

"Call me Nyx," was all he said. Then Gentiana was ushering her away.

What was Luna supposed to do now? She couldn't get to the crystal—the Empire now had it, and she had burnt that bridge. She couldn't go back to Gralea, or even Tenebrae for that matter. She was stuck in Lucis. And she had to get the ring to Noctis somehow.

"Why give him the ring," an insidious daemon voice within asked. "Claim that power for your own."

It would solve a lot of problems, she thought. With the power of the daemons and the Kings of Old, she could get to the crystal and commune with the Astrals as well. It would certainly make her path to Oracle of Legend a lot easier, except that it would be cheating.

She wasn't thinking straight—she was too beaten down. She had seen too much death today—her brother, King Regis, and Nyx. Everywhere she went, death followed, and there was nothing she could do about it. Despite all of her vaunted powers, she was powerless.

The lights of Hammerhead were a beacon in the darkness. The gas station/rest hub was, as always, an oasis to weary travelers. It didn't matter if one was a Prince, an Oracle, or a commoner: all assuaged their hunger with the same greasy food, pumped the overpriced gas into their vehicles, and slept in the tiny trailer if they were too exhausted/frightened to travel in the night.

The trashy-looking woman sized Luna and Gentiana up as soon as they entered the convenience store. Despite the coolness of the evening, she kept her jacket mostly unzipped, exposing the skimpy top beneath

"Strange times when the Oracle drops by," the woman said.

"What do you mean" Luna asked, warily. If she was about to be sold out to the empire she had to do something. The daemons within were seething—"kill this woman," they muttered in unison.

"Oh I don't mean nothin. Just observin that's all. You're easy enough to recognize. Not sure if anyone here needs healin though." Then she changed topic. "It is a funny coincidence—first the Prince of Lucis comes by then his bride a few days later."

Luna jumped back, startled. "You have seen Noctis? Is he still here?"

The woman picked up on the desperation in Luna's voice, and gentled. "Sorry, hon. He was here with his bros a few days ago, did some huntin for me, then mosied along. His car was broke but I fixed it right up. It's my specialty," she added with pride. "I have no idea where he is now. But if you stay around, he's bound to come back. Where else is he supposed to get that sweet ride of his fixed?"

"You and your friend look exhausted," she added. "There is a trailer over yonder that's just the thing." She gave them the key. "Name's Cindy by the way. Stay the night on me. Things will look better in the morning. You'll see."

The trailer was small, but it was clean and cozy. But then again, anything would be compared to Luna's last accommodation. Gentiana had stayed mostly silent since they left Insomnia. Luna had no idea what she was thinking.

"What should we do next, Gentiana," she finally asked her.

"The path the crystal is now closed to us. You will not be able to commune with the astrals now. I do not know what to tell you. You will need to decide our path."

Luna's shoulders slumped. She was at a loss and there was no one to help her. Except maybe Noctis.

"We shall stay here for the time being. As Cindy said, Noctis will come back eventually. Then we can give him the ring. Maybe then he can do something about the empire and we can get to the crystal."

Gentiana shrugged. "Very well, Miss Luna."

Luna crashed on one of the beds in the daemons were too tired to put up a fight as well, and allowed her a dreamless sleep.

"I still don't know why dad wants me to go to Altissia of all places," Noctis commented.

"Quit complaining," Gladio snarked back. "It's not like you are following his orders anyway."

Noctis ignored him, focusing on the bite on his line. It looked like Ignis would have an epic fish to cook up at camp tonight. Or maybe they should stay at a hotel instead? Galdin Quay had a nice hotel right on the beach, and was only a short walk away. But then Ignis couldn't cook up what he caught…

He shook his head. Despite what Gladio had said, and despite the fact that he was still pissed at dad for having kicked him out of Insomnia, he still knew he would do his father's bidding. It was rare that he asked him for much, so he owed him this.

He put his fishing pole away. "Done already," Prompto asked, surprised. "I thought I could level up a bit more in King's Knight before you'd be ready to roll."

"Go ahead. I'm just going to look into the Altissia ferry schedule."

Noctis was actually displaying some responsibility? Gladio and Prompto looked at each other, started. "The ferry office is at the end of the pier," Ignis volunteered, as unfazed as ever. If he was shocked by Noctis's breaking character, he didn't show it. The three of them decided to follow Noctis to see what he was going to do next.

The ferry office was closed, which seemed very weird for early afternoon. They looked at each other confused.

"I'm afraid you're out of luck," drawled a man behind them. "The ferry to Altissia is not running at the moment."

They turned as one to face the newcomer, and didn't know what to make of the cloaked man in the fedora before them.

Ardyn sized up the group. He recognized Prompto immediately—he was a spitting image of Verstael when he was younger. He bet this kid didn't know his imperial origins. It was not his place to tell him. He dismissed Gladio as being just another meathead bodyguard—all brawn and no brains. How boring. He skimmed over Ignis. The bespectacled man had a sense of style, he had to give him that, but was too serious for his taste. Then there was Prince Noctis…

He bet Noctis used gallons of hairspray to keep his black hair that spikey, and of course he was wearing black clothes to go with it. He looked like your typical emo brat. If he weren't a Prince (now king actually), people wouldn't give him the time of day. Luna was a fool if she thought this whiny kid would protect her from the likes of him if he decided to claim her.

"Who are you," Noctis asked him warily, moving so that he was standing in front of his comrades as though to protect them from Ardyn.

Hmm, Ardyn thought. It seems like the kid did have a little backbone in him. His opinion of him went up by a millimeter. If this kid was even half the man his father was, he could still prove useful. No sense to kill him just yet, even if that musclebound freak and the greaser with glasses allowed it.

"Oh, I'm just a man of no consequence. Be seeing you around. Tata," Ardyn said, and departed. Galdin Quay was no longer a fitting venue for his greatness.

"So, no ferry," Prompto asked, stating the obvious.

"More time to fish, I guess," Noctis said, simultaneously resigned and relieved.

"That man looks familiar, but for the life of me, I can't remember where I've seen him. This is indeed strange. I shall investigate further," Ignis stated.

Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto left Ignis to do his thing while they went back to the fishing pier.

Yes, I know in the game that the Chocobros were going to Altissia so Noctis could marry Luna. I kind of thought it was a flimsy excuse in game and that it was weird for Noctis to be all cool with/excited for an arranged marriage. Hopefully my changing it to an "explore the world and grow up a bit/Kingly errand" is a little more logical, and that you forgive the change to cannon. Also, sorry about Nyx. It's hard for me to write "eye candy" battles like the movie showed, so I kept his final battle simple. I also tried to find a way to keep Nyx alive, but couldn't find a way to make it work. We didn't actually "see" him die here though, so make of that what you will ;-) Till next time.