Final Fantasy VS XIII

by Dark-Mage-XIII

On the night of a treaty signing between the technological Empire of Niflhiem and the magical Kingdom of Lucis, Noctis Lucis Caelum knows not all is well. When Stella Nox Flueret of the enemy Tenebrae asks for a meeting, Noctis' brand on his arm flares up, counting down the time he has to complete his unknown task. (Versus XIII/XV Fanfiction. Noctis x Stella) (COMPLETE)

12. Chapter XII: Magna Insomnia

WARNING: This chapter has minor self-harm and mentions of suicide. You've been warned.

---

Chapter XII: Magna Insomnia

"To be, or not to be, that is the question."

-William Shakespeare.

---

Noctis?

Stella?

What will we do once we have enough power? How will we awake when we deem ourselves ready?

You might think I'm crazy Stell when I tell you my theory of how I crystallized.

Hmm, indulge me.

I believe I forced myself to crystallize.

Why? What makes you think that, Noct?

Because I wanted to speak to you again.

Oh? You…really wanted to talk to me?

Stell, why wouldn't I?

Hmmm, I just never thought until you confessed to me you ever had feelings for me.

I never thought you would return the sentiment.

With the way we fought…I'm surprised you even did.

Forgive me for punching you?

If you forgive me for trying to hurt you.

All is forgiven. Now, I believe we can break free of our crystal prisons if we will it enough.

You sure?

It's all I have to go on.

---

"Noct should have been back by now," Prompto noticed. "We should go out and find him."

"He would want us to stay here, but I know Noct, he's stubborn," Gladio said.

"He gets it from you big guy."

"I should go out and find him," Ignis volunteered, standing up from his seat in the main hall.

"I'm going with you," spoke an unknown voice. Ravus, his hood up, approached. "My duty is to protect the crystal, but I know he went out to find my sister. I have to know she's alright."

"Alright, we will go and find them. You stay here and watch out for everyone. Noct left us with orders."

Prompto saluted to Ignis and Ravus. "Hope you find them."

Gladio nodded. "Be careful out there."

The two looked to each other. "Let's go," said Ravus.

Leaving the front door of the Citadel, the two immediately stumbled upon scores of Magitek troopers, frozen in their movements. Many corpses of the troopers lay upon the stairs.

"I'm guessing Noct has something to do with this," noted Ignis.

"Then why are the remaining troops frozen?" Ravus asked, waving his hand in front of one.

"I have a feeling this is the work of Ardyn."

"Oh your feeling is quite right," said the voice of Ardyn, leaning on a street light. "Come to find your King and Princess? Want to see what befell the two lovers?"

Ravus pointed his blade at Ardyn. "What did you do to Stella?!"

Ardyn used his finger to brush the blade away. "I did nothing. The goddess simply granted her blessing upon her. I'm sure you'll understand, after all, Stella probably is more devoted to Etro than most Lucians. Follow the side street towards the ruins of the 13th Tower and you shall find what you seek."

He disappeared, leaving Ignis and Ravus alone once more.

"What gamble is he playing? Surely this is nothing more than a trap," Ravus growled.

"You're most likely right, but if Noct and Stella are where he says they are, we must find out."

The two, with blades out, cautiously walked down the empty street, leaving the protective barrier of the Citadel. Ignis watched their backs, waiting for Ardyn or any Niflheim troops to appear.

"No!" Ravus exclaimed. In surprise Ignis whipped around, ready to attack what was before them, and nearly dropped his dagger in surprise.

Ravus sprinted over to the sight of Stella and Noctis, now crystallized. He tried to brush Stella's hair aside, but it was frozen in place. "No…Her focus was complete. I didn't even know she was a l'Cie. I had hoped…The she could live life happily, once the Empire was removed, and she would be free to love and dream as she pleased."

Ignis looked at the statue of Noctis. Once, long ago when he had met Noctis, he was just a little boy, full of innocence, and now he was now trapped in crystal stasis, possibly forever. The words of King Regis rang through his mind.

Listen well. A king cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences, and never looking back.

"Noct's focus has also completed…We are without our king, for now."

"What?" Ravus stared at Ignis. "Most crystallized l'Cie do not awaken from their slumber, and if they do, not for centuries."

That said, a king cannot accept nothing without first accepting himself.

Ignis shook his head. "I know Noct. He would never leave the world knowing that Ardyn, the strings behind Niflheim, was out here to bring the world to ruin. We need to relocate them to somewhere safe. Get them out of Insomnia before he does something to them to prevent their awakening."

Ravus nodded. "If you believe the King shall return, then I trust you. Where shall they go?"

Ignis picked up his phone and dialed Prompto. He heard the blonde pick up. "Iggy?"

"Prompto, get the Kingsglaive. We're at 13th Street, near the fallen tower. Bring any heavy lifting equipment you have."

"What? Why?"

"Noctis and Stella have crystallized."

Ignis heard a clang and some shuffling. "Y-Yes Ignis we're on it."

Suddenly dozens of MTs surrounded them. "Prompto hurry please!" Ignis pleaded before hanging up.

Ardyn appeared before them again. "You honestly think it will be that easy? I know that your precious king is important to you. Let's face it; you should just give up now. The pain will be much more bearable this way."

Ravus and Ignis pulled out their weapons.

Should he stand still, I ask you to stand by him and lend him a hand as his friend…and as his brother. Please, take care of my son.

Ignis stepped forward, determination driving him. As a child he once envied Noctis' luxury, but that was mere foolishness compared to now. He did not envy Noct's position, but he would be damned by Etro if it meant making his burden a little easier. "I swore an oath to stand by Noct and keep him safe. Whatever it takes, I will protect him!"

Ardyn was surprised. "Well then, have fun with the Cie'th. Be sure to give them your most warm welcome."

The armor on the MagiTek troops was ripped off, revealing the disfigured people underneath. Purple and black tar oozed around their eyes and limbs.

"There's too many to fight off!" Ravus declared. "At this rate we will be dead by the time the glaive arrives."

Ignis remembered one important event that happened when Noctis was suddenly teleported away to Altissia. He was tested by the divine, his own brand, and thus granted the power to protect Noctis. The eidolon that once protected the Leide fal'Cie now befalls to him.

"Yojimbo, lend me your aid in protecting the king!" Ignis declared to the bleak skies.

From the sides in a flurry of cherry blossom petals, a deadly warrior in black and white robes appeared; his katana on his shoulders.

"The Praesidian," Ravus whispered.

I heed your call.

"Clear the way for others to move Noctis and Stella!" Ignis ordered.

Yojimbo nodded. He proceeded to slice down a swarm of Cie'th with one stroke of his katana.

More were coming. Cie'th flooded the streets. Ravus stood by the crystal statues, fighting off Cie'th that got past Yojimbo's blade. Eventually it seemed to both men that the swarm was endless. Niflheim had manufactured so many MTs over the years and now this was the result, a mad man taking control over all of them.

Ravus had one idea, one incredibly far-fetched. But he had to do something to protect the statues. "Bellatorian, I seek your aid in protecting the Princess of Tenebrae and the King of Lucis. I know I am not branded but I am of the crystal's blood! Lindzei lend me your strength!" he pleaded.

A portal opened in the sky. Rose petals swirled in a maelstrom of blinding white light. A warrior in tarnished silver on a white horse flew out of the portal. The horse galloped over the buildings, the warrior slicing away at the MTs.

One of Tenebrae's royal blood, I answer to thee as Odin.

"Aid us in placing the King and Princess to a safe haven!" Ravus ordered, enveloping himself in an aura sphere of fire, lightning, and ice.

Odin rode off in a line down the street, slashing other Cie'th. Yojimbo stood by, clearing out the ones nearby. He took out three daggers and threw them in an arc, clipping any Cie'th in its path.

Ignis looked up amidst moving through the wave after wave. A huge armor, the Mechanian, was flying above the street. Prompto and Gladio rode on top of it. "We got you Ignis!" Prompto pumped his fist.

"Watch out for the glaive!" Gladio shouted.

On the street a speeding Regalia raced down the concrete. Cor was at the front wheel, Crowe and Libertus stood in the back, Crowe using her arsenal of magical lightning to zap at passing by enemies while Libertus shot at them with various guns.

"We've got company!" Cor announced. "Behind us!"

A large pickup truck followed behind the Regalia. It was worn from the years but still have massive power left in it. Cidney drove, her eyes focused on avoiding the Cie'th as much as possible. Cid was half hanging out the side, shooting a shotgun.

"Yeehew! I haven't been in a brawl like this in years!" Cid laughed, reloading his shotgun.

"We're coming fellas! Hold on!" Cidney said, stepping on the gas. Hanging out in the back were more glaives, trying to eliminate the Cie'th army.

Ignis cleared room around the statues with Ravus until the Glaive reached them. Cor slammed on the breaks, parking off to the side of the statues. Cidney also slowed down, moving past the group around to load up the crystals in the back.

Cidney hopped out and grabbed the chains. "Help me load 'em up!"

Alexandr lowered himself down to the ground so Prompto and Gladio could leap off to help. Everyone looked at the two statues of crystal.

Prompto's jaw was agape. "So Noct is truly in stasis now?"

Ignis nodded.

Ravus pointed towards the Citadel. "Look out! Ardyn is sending more reinforcements."

Sure enough, more Cie'th formed from the ground, but now not even remotely humanoid. Giant monsters in haunted armor, bomb shaped, or flans approached.

"Yojimbo, I need you to take out the large Cie'th," Ignis ordered. "I will take out the smaller ones."

"Odin, keep the area clear. Eliminate any that get past Ignis," Ravus said, going to Ignis' side.

"Alexandr, make sure the path for us is free once we are able to move Noct and Stella," Prompto grunted, trying to help lift Noctis' crystal up.

"Need help boys?" the voice of Aranea asked. The woman walked over, lifting up her black bladed helmet to reveal a pretty face with grey hair. "King Noctis' gang right?"

Prompto nearly loosened his grip on the crystal. "Yeah yeah, sure."

Gladio rolled his eyes. Aranea ran over and aided Prompto and Crowe in lifting the crystal onto the truck.

Ignis and Ravus continued to cut down the hordes and hordes of Cie'th coming their way.

"Almost got it," Gladio said, lifting up Stella's crystal up with Libertus and Cor.

"Better hurry, ere's more coming!" Cid pointed to another massive group of Cie'th reforming.

Cidney and Crowe threw chains and ropes around the two crystals, tying them down as secure as they could. "We're ready! Paw paw let's hit the road!"

"Gladio?" Prompto asked as he hopped into the back of the truck to help shoot down the Cie'th following after.

"One sec," Gladio said, standing his ground. "Titan!" His brand shimmered. "We need you."

Ignis and Ravus felt the ground shake beneath them. Cor pulled the Regalia up behind them. "Get in!" Cor shouted. Aranea stood up in the front passenger seat, knocking any Cie'th away from them.

Ravus and Ignis leapt into the back of the car. The rest of the Kingsglaive hopped into the back of the truck. The two ordered their eidolons to keep the monsters at bay.

"Now that's just too easy," spoke Ardyn as Cidney and Cor slammed on the gas. He pulled Ravus and Ignis up from their seats by their hands using an orb of purple light. "Your fates are in my hands now. Imagine this tale, the King's faithful advisor and the Princess' dear brother tragically failed to protect them as they slept in blissful crystal stasis. Your little friends will be heartbroken, unable to fulfill your dying request to bring His Majesty to safety."

Ignis struggled to move against the orbs suspending him by his one arm in mid-air. "All must…Sacrifice all for the King, for the King to sacrifice all for the world. I…"

Standing before Ignis was young shy Noctis Lucis Caelum. The boy was only 8 years old. Ignis expected a much more boisterous child. Presenting his hand out to him, Noctis took it, and gave a sunny smile. A kind heart that will soon touch millions.

"I always stand by him, even when the world has gone dark, the night has fallen, and the moon is the last light I will see!" Ignis took out his dagger and stabbed Ardyn right in the arm, causing the orb spell to release him and Ravus. Ravus took several stabs at Ardyn's limbs.

"The true king will restore the light and free the souls trapped in your grasp!" Ravus declared. The two began to free fall to the ground.

Ardyn shook out his hand. "The last light you will see?" He teleported to Ignis' side. "Then take a good final look at the moon." His dark magic exploded from his hand and absorbed into Ignis eyes. His glasses fell off, melting away into nothing.

"No!" he screamed, his vision burning away into eternal darkness. The pain seared all around his eyes, unable to focus on anything else.

Ardyn teleported to the falling Ravus. "As for you, a trapped soul seems ideal to me, doesn't it, Ravus Nox Fleuret?"

"What? No…No!"

Ardyn placed his hand on Ravus' arm and burned a brand into his skin. "And you have no focus either."

The brand was of the fallen Tenebraeian fal'Cie. The brand dulled immediately and purple ooze and black blood spread from the black tattoo, down his arms, to his legs to his head. His screams pierced through the night, bouncing off the hollow and empty buildings.

Ignis couldn't remove his hands from his eyes, the pain was unbearable. He could hear the screams of Ravus, but he could do nothing. For once in his life, Ignis was helpless. Is this how he was to die?

"I'm sorry…Your Majesty," he whispered.

He was caught by something. A large hand from the rough texture of it. It had to be Titan, Gladiolus' eidolon. "Take me…to them please," he rasped out.

He heard the loud thumping of the giant as it ran towards the group transporting Noctis and Stella away.

Ravus fell to the solid concrete, his body all consumed in eternal pain. Is this the eternal damnation that the stories told him about? Ardyn's voice was lingering in his mind.

Join me Ravus. We can rule the world that rejects us.

He forced himself to stand up. "Face me yourself, you monster," he gasped out. Half his body was covered in purple ooze, his skin greyed.

Ardyn appeared before him, his skin crumbling to show only dark grey skin underneath. His eyes were golden, the whites now black. "Better take me up on my offer. We can destroy the pathetic false king and his friends."

Ravus shook his head. "You still don't get it do you? If I can't live with life and love in this world, then at least…His Majesty and Her Highness can!" He drew his blade, pointing it right at the usurper.

Ardyn took out his own weapon, a purple orb of dark energy in his palm.

The clash began, unrelenting.

---

Ravus!

You saw it too, didn't you, Stell?

Yes…Oh Etro why? Why would Ardyn do such a thing?

I'm sorry Stell. Truly I am.

All we can do now is gather strength, to save him.

---

Cie'th chased the group. Crowe and Aranea leapt to the back of the Regalia, shooting and cleaving Cie'th on their tail.

The eidolons continued their best attempts to keep the path clear, but Odin suddenly disappeared, flying away. Titan came running after them, destroying anything in its way. Bypasses, small buildings, pillars, all crumbled from his force.

"Is that Ignis in the Archean's hand?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah it is. Bring him to us!" Gladio ordered. Once the Archean caught up, he placed the wounded Ignis down. The skin around his eyes was frayed and burned. The man was on the verge of passing out.

"Contain Ardyn's threat...Until we can get all out of Insomnia…" he whispered, finally falling into an unrestful sleep.

It seemed the Praesidian heard his commands, for he went to the forefront of Ardyn's Cie'th assault. Prompto and Gladio looked at each other.

"We have to, once we get Noctis and Stella out, we will need to get the remaining forces and citizens out of Insomnia," Gladio explained. Prompto nodded.

The two stood up, channeling their brands.

"Archean!"

"Mechanian!"

"Hold the daemon infestation at bay until we have saved the people of the Crown City!" the two commanded together.

Alexandr and Titan turned around and headed back to the Citadel.

Ravus dodged another swipe of Ardyn's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, the eidolons had returned, constantly fighting the Cie'th struggling to leak out into the rest of the city.

He remembered there were still people inside the Citadel. Not even the Kingsglaive had anticipated a large army of…Dare he say their ancient name, daemons.

"Odin, my final request of you, please get every single last person out of the Citadel to safety with the rest of the Kingsglaive," he ordered.

Ardyn laughed. "So desperate to protect the people who never thought of you once as their king?"

"I don't need a crown to protect people. His Majesty, King Noctis, didn't either." He swung his blade around, pushing Ardyn back. "I don't need a crown to tell me that you're nothing more than a bitter Cie'th."

The maroon haired man chuckled. "If that's how you see it. Such a shame." He pushed Ravus back with an explosion of dark energy. "You will submit to my will, just as all have."

'Noctis. Stella. I hope you two can return and stop this madness soon.' He thought.

Ravus yelled as he coated his blade in ice and magically commanded it to stab at Ardyn.

---

Ravus still draws power from the crystal. I can't take that from him.

Ardyn still draws his power from mine. I am trying to steal as much of it as I can.

Noctis?

Yes?

We can't wait any longer.

I know Stell. I wish there was more we could do.

All we can do at this point is awaken.

You're right.

---

My body tingled with the overflow of magic power absorbed into my body. I paused the process; shaking at all the souls I had seen depart from the world into a hell beyond imaginable. More souls were fleeing to the gate, only to be denied. Guilt in my heart grew. This curse only served to remind me of the suffering being caused, and I was just sitting around not stopping it.

It was time to awaken. Stella was right. It would be longer and longer as Ardyn is wreaking havoc all over the world, the more power he draws from the crystal. The time was now.

A question still lingered on my mind. How was one to stop him from returning? Even if we did kill him, he would still return.

I closed my eyes. I thought of the time I shared with my friends. Prompto, my best friend. Gladio, my shield. Ignis, my advisor. My brothers. My power.

The line between the realm of sleep and the realm of the living blurred before me. My body moved from being free movement to being immobile.

Stella…Who was there to speak to and listen to the words I couldn't always say to others.

My father, who raised me and loved me until his last breath. Who sacrificed all for me.

Something within my brand was pulling at my mind. My magic tapped into it. Suddenly I had a grasp over my own brand, my want and desires taking charge.

"I am Noctis Lucis Caelum. I want nothing more than to ensure a brighter future for my friends," I stated. "I am Noctis Lucis Caelum. I want to restore the light onto the world."

My brand flared in my forearm. "I am Noctis Lucis Caelum, 113th Ruler of Lucis. I wish to protect my kingdom from the Fallen King."

A crack. "I am Noctis Lucis Caelum, and I am awake."

Suddenly the crystal shattered. My body no longer immobilized, I flinched forward, losing balance. I caught myself in time before I bumped into Stella, still in crystal stasis.

A second later she returned to normal. She still looked battered and bruised from the night we fought.

"Stell?" I asked. She nodded, trying to regain balance. I caught her as she nearly fell over. "I got you," I almost whispered.

"Thank you, Noct," she responded, standing up properly. My hands still lingered on her upper arms. This was the first time we were ever this close. No dream world. No anger or blades between us. This was real. Her eyes were red from the tears she shed; her hair a bird's nest. Her flimsy white jacket was gone, tossed away to bare her now white brand to me.

I looked at my own brand. It was white, but completed instead of just one tiny arrow.

My attention was turned back to Stella when she placed her hands on the collar of my ripped jacket. "Noct? You okay?"

"Yes. I am," I responded. My cheeks felt hot as I stared into her violet eyes, at her golden locks, her pink, slightly puffy lips. She hiccupped quietly. Her eyes were half lidded. "Are you okay, Stell?" I whispered, pulling her in closer. Her scent was sweet, like a pretty Tenebraeian violet.

"Yes, Noct."

Eyes closed, I pressed my lips to hers. Her grasp on my coat got tighter. My hands released her shoulders and slid down to her waist, pulling her against me, never wanting to let her go. Our lips moved together in sync, slowly, softly.

We separated for air. Never had a kiss to me feel so sweet. My stomach fluttered with joy. My heart pounded. Stella…Was the woman I loved.

I went in for another kiss, and then another, each one more passionate than the last. Eventually we stopped, softly gasping for air.

"Noct, where are we?" she questioned.

The place we were in was dimly illuminated. Only a single lantern, one of those long lasting ones made for camping, was our source of light.

By the lantern was a note stuck to it. I ripped the paper off and read it.

You're on Angelguard, an island off the coast, near Galdin Quay. Be waiting in Hammerhead.

Stella looked outside the stone prison. "Noct…There is hardly any moonlight out there left. The stars have been blinked out."

I peeked out into the darkness. The moon was reduced to nothing more than a sickly green glow that barely cut through the night. All the stars' light was gone. "How long were we in stasis?"

Stella continued to stare at the moon. "Could be months, could be years. What matters now is returning to finish what we started. Restore the light, just as Etro would have wanted."

"Right... Hopefully whoever put us here will have left us a boat," I left the tiny prison cell with the lantern in hand. "Let's go."

The waves were small, the sea nearly silent. The soft crashes upon the shore did little to ease my fears. The time in stasis felt like a mere goodnight sleep. The world was just on the cusp of falling into darkness.

A boat was anchored off shore of the rock. The two of us, still having our physical energy low from our duel, took small steps down the rough black rock. I grabbed Stella's hand out of instinct. Her knee was still scraped and needed attention to it once we reached Hammer Head.

Climbing aboard the boat, I open up the glove compartment and pulled out the keys. Sitting down on the driver's seat I was about to start up the motor when Stella tugged at my jacket.

"May I mend it?" she asked.

I nodded and took it off. Despite the chill in the air, neither of us complained about the cold. How she wasn't freezing in her black mini dress was anyone's guess. She sat down in the seat next to me, summoning forth a small sewing kit in her lap. She pulled out a needle and thread and began to repair the giant tear down the back.

"Fixing it before I get a lecture from Ignis?" I joked.

She smiled as she worked. "Does Ignis fret over your state of appearance?"

"Yes. He usually does the fixing of my clothes, tears, rips, broken buttons. A king must look kingly all the time you know?"

"As a princess must always be pretty and perfect," Stella added. "I learned to sew when I was 16. I tripped over my dress and tore it. Gentiana taught me how to fix it, to keep up appearances for Niflheim."

A thought occurred to me. "I wonder what happened to Niflheim, now that Aldercapt is dead and their Chancellor is a bitter maniacal Cie'th."

Stella continued her mending. "The control over all their lands, including Tenebrae, has been lost. If it wasn't for the Cie'th running around most places would have independent governments right now. But I have a feeling…"

"A feeling?"

"A feeling that to protect entire cities constantly was a near impossible task," she sighed. "Let's just hope that's not the case."

All I could be sure of was that Insomnia was lost in all the chaos. No doubt Ardyn was ruling the place with me gone. She handed me my jacket once it was finished.

We reached Galdin. The place looked worn down, like it hasn't been touched in several months. The decks were empty and devoid of life, save for the Cie'th lurking around.

"Noct?" Stella said, gaping at the docks. "There's no one around."

Indeed no one was around. I parked the boat by the docks and the two of us hopped out, only to be faced with Cie'th.

"Stell, we can't waste time on these small fry," I said, grabbing a hold of her hand. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Good because I have never warped with a person on hand before."

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Noct? Wha?"

I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close to me and threw my sword across the dock underneath the visor. The two of us teleported across the way, past the Cie'th goblins and imps. Warping more and more across the decks, we eventually got to the parking lot. A giant armor patrolled the area, his massive sword being carelessly tossed around and destroying what was left of the parking spot roofs and the fishing shack.

"You okay?" I asked Stella, hoping she wasn't dizzy or sick. She was able to warp herself but with two people, it was alien.

She nodded. "It was strange to say the least. I never warped with others before either. Let's go." She clung to me as I threw my sword high over the head of the giant armor. It growled as we zipped across his path and landed safely on the concrete. My magic in that moment was too drained from extended usage with another being.

"Run!" Stella yelled, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward up the road.

The giant armor chased after us, continuous growls coming from the inanimate armor. The road up ahead was winding so we moved onto the grass and kept sprinting away from the monster. To think, the King and Princess were fleeing from a giant monster before they were to go fight the biggest threat the world had ever seen.

We arrived on the main road, devoid of any vehicles. This wasn't like the Regalia failing and us trying to hitchhike, this time we had no choice but to run. No Regalia, no people to beg from.

The plants were wilting. The brushes and cacti were grayed or yellow, dead. Lack of sun was getting to the world. A few more years and soon all life will cease. The world grows cold. Why did Ardyn want the world to burn so much after all he had done while he lived to protect it?

"Noctis he's catching up!" Stella cried in panic.

A sound, a very familiar sound in the far off distance alerted my ears. It had a low hum to it, but was much more prominent now than it was years ago. Was it truly years ago now?

"Greetings Your Majesty!" two men, who I had never met before shouted to me.

One of them powered up his machine gun and pelted the Cie'th with bullets. The armor wasn't so impenetrable it seemed for it growled in supposed pain. Deep dents were made in its plates. They drove right up to us. They wore thick coats and uniforms, a symbol of the Kingsglaive on their chest.

"Get in Your Majesty! Your Highness!" the driver said.

Stella and I jumped into the back of the Regalia and the man stepped on the gas. The armor tried pursuing us but eventually was out of sight, out of mind. I leaned back against the familiarity of the car. It felt like home again to me. Like my father was with me. Prompto, Ignis, Gladio were with me...

"Sorry about that Sire. We saw you two were in a pickle and had to get you two outta there, yeah?" the passenger in a white uniform said. "Name's Wedge."

The driver in grey raised his arm. "Biggs. Aranea sent us, or as you probably know her as the Dragoon."

"Aranea is her name? Why did she send you?" I asked.

"Aranea? She's alright then?" Stella added. She knew her.

"We knew that you two would return one day so the captain sent us to patrol the area for you," Wedge informed us. "Welcome back, Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"How long were we in stasis?" Stella questioned.

"Been almost a long two years, Your Highness."

"Two years? Feels like the world suffered for ten," I commented. "Only two?"

"Yep. Everyone abandoned Insomnia, the Empire crumbled to pieces and Aranea decided to take the company to a much better allegiance," said Biggs, slowing down the Regalia.

"Allegiance?"

"Yes. The Crownsguard has been changed around. Most of them hunt Cie'th now. Hammerhead is now mostly a headquarters for hunters."

"We brought you two to Angelguard, though to be once a holy place to keep you safe," added Wedge. "The world has changed drastically. Lestallum is the last human bastion on Eos."

Stella softly gasped. My body froze. Ardyn had brought upon the apocalypse.

"Etro..." Guide us. But she couldn't. Her power was too weak. She had been in slumber for millennia after millennia. "Watch over us," I whispered under my breath. "How are Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio?"

"Those three boys? They've been keeping on keeping on, as Prompto says. He tries to get the attention of Miss Cidney but she's pretty much married to her work." Biggs laughed. "Cid was asked to move the garage to Lestallum but he would rather have the Cie'th trample his dead body first before that happened. Miss Cidney keeps herself busy. The boys are mostly off on their own though."

It was like I was the glue holding them together. "Oh," was all I could have said.

"Better tell him about Iris the Cie'th Slayer," Wedge said. "Girl's got some punch to her now."

"Iris?" I raised an eyebrow. She had to be 17 or 18 by now. I'm guessing she had to definitely learn how to fight more and more as the days ended.

"Yeah. The captain and her been doing some hard training."

Stella leaned forward. "What of my brother, Ravus?"

Silence followed. The two looked at each other, not knowing what to say. My gut twisted. That was not good. Seeing Ravus being turned into a Cie'th while in stasis, had to be a trick. It couldn't have been our curse.

"He's...You'll have to ask the Marshal."

We arrived at Hammerhead. It was now enclosed with high metal fences and bright florescent lights constantly on. Biggs pulled the Regalia in. Two guards closed the gate behind us.

"Noct?" a cheery voice greeted me.

Stella and I exited the car only to be faced with Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio. Prompto had started to grow a goatee; Gladio's hair grew much longer to the point he had to pull it back from falling into his face, and around Ignis' left eye was scarred. He has green visors on.

"Guys?" I asked. "What's up?"

Gladio playfully smacked my shoulder. "Been gone for three years and that's all you have to say?" He winked at me.

"Is this Lady Stella Nox Fleuret?" Prompto asked me.

"Better introduce us, Noct," Ignis smiled. "It is rude for a King not to tell us about his girlfriend."

My face felt hot at the mention of girlfriend. "Guys, this is Stella Nox Fleuret, Princess of Tenebrae."

She curtsied. "Nice to meet you all. Noctis has told me so much about you three. He speaks of you as his brothers."

Prompto took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Milady, tis an honor."

I rolled my eyes with a smirk. "That's not how you greet a royal."

Stella laughed. "Oh please Noct, Remember when you first greeted me?"

"That was different. I did not know you."

"Yet it was almost entirely outside of protocol outside of stating my title and name."

"His Majesty is slacking it seems," Gladio jested, taking his turn to kiss Stella's hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, Gladiolus."

Ignis walked forward, a cane in his hand, lightly touching the ground to tell his positioning.

His eyes and the cane...He lost his eyesight. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Stella Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae." She held out the back of her hand farther than usual, lightly brushing her fingertips along Ignis' grip. He lightly grasped her hand and lifted it up to kiss it.

"So, we've got a lot of catching up to do, Noct," Gladio said.

"I shall call the Glaive to tell them the news." Ignis pulled out his phone from his jacket.

Prompto pointed to what once was the diner, but now was turned into a break/stock room for the Crownsguard. "We can sit down in there. I bet you're tired."

I was about to respond but Stella beat me to it. ""Maybe a little with all that sprinting I did with Noctis." She winked at me.

"Ohh right, lots of sprinting yes?" Prompto grinned very widely at me while Gladio simply gave me a thumbs up.

"Guys..." I grumbled, then a smile grew on my face. I couldn't be irritated. I was just happy to be back with them again.

"The Marshall is on his way," said Ignis, walking back over. "Shall we chat inside?"

"Yep." Prompto marched over to the diner. Stella's hand grasped mine as we walked together.

Inside the diner were a couple of black couches and a small makeshift coffee table in-between.

I sat down next to Stella and Ignis, Prompto and Gladio across from us.

"Biggs and Wedge gave us some of the details of what happened the past three years," Stella stated. "Care to give us more? They didn't want to tell me about Ravus. Please, is he okay? Please?" She didn't want what we saw to be true. Ravus was alright. He had to be.

Ignis looked down, pushing his glasses up. "Ardyn branded him. He tried to take control of him but Ravus instead is fighting back. He's been holding Ardyn at bay in the Crown city ever since you two went into stasis."

Stella gasped, ready to leap out of her seat; I placed my hand on her thigh and shook my head. She nodded in understanding and calmed down for the moment. The truth had hurt.

"Oh Stella, you need that bandaged," Prompto said. "Let me get the first aid kit."

She and I remembered the scrape on her other knee. "Thank you, Prompto," she said.

"Ardyn sent his entire army upon us when we found you two," Ignis continued. "That is how I lost my vision. A small sacrifice in the grander scheme of things."

I shook my head. "No Ignis…You shouldn't have ever lost it in the first place." I slammed my fist on the couch cushion. "What kind of a king am I if I can't even protect the ones I love?"

"Noctis, I swore an oath to protect the king. We all did. Brand, or no brand, we made a promise."

"Our brands turned white after Lucii was killed," Gladio said, pointing to Ignis' gloves. Prompto came over to Stella with some antibiotics and gauze.

"Yeah Noct, we swore an oath to stand by you. The brand changes nothing," Prompto added, wrapping Stella's knee up.

"I…" No words.

"We know Noct. After all your father had done to ensure loyalty I too would be skeptical," said Ignis. "Onto another matter, Niflheim fell to pieces, accelerated by Ardyn's doing. They scrambled to find a new leader but most were gone, either killed, resigned, or turned into Cie'th."

Prompto cut the gauze and tied it tightly with some tape for good measure. "There, Lady Stella. All fixed…F-For now."

She gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Sir Prompto."

---

"So uh, Noct, you're wondering why I am here, talking to you…Again," Prompto said to the immobile crystal statue of Noctis. "Well, I'm on a secret mission to find out what happened to Niflheim. The truth is Noct, I was not from Lucis. I mean I am from Lucis, but I was born in Lucis. I mean if you couldn't tell from my hair I'm not Lucian. Some people mistaken me for a Tenebraeian but…I am from Niflheim. I was adopted by nobles after King Regis had an elite task force take me away from the Empire."

Noctis said nothing. The crystal only continued to glow in the dim lantern lighting. Prompto sighed.

"Right. You can't hear my words, or at least I think you can't. I wonder if Talcott can find me some books on l'Cie crystals about that. Anyways, I'll…See you later, Noct."

He left the cell and departed on his own boat from Angelguard, towards Niflheim.

The docks of the eastside of Niflheim were all abandoned. Snow covered the wood. It had been at least a few months since Noctis went into stasis and Ardyn unleashed his Cie'th army upon the world. The plague in the air they brought spread like wildfire. The world had its last glimpse of light one week ago. The Kingsglaive and Crownsguard had reformed itself and now only called itself the Kingsglaive.

Ignis remained in Hammer Head, still struggling to get by but refused Prompto's help. Gladio was off blowing off steam by taking out Cie'th. That left Prompto.

He missed the days in high school when he and Noct would hang at the arcade and talk about the next girl who tripped over herself trying to flirt with Noctis, or the guys who tried to be cool to be best buds with him but came off as jerks instead. They would always play Justice Monsters Five, or if they were supposed to be studying at Noct's apartment they would take their phones out and play King's Knight until Ignis turned his back around to lecture them.

He missed it. He missed his best friend.

Prompto looked at his wrist, a barcode hiding under his bracelet. In all his years, Noctis never noticed, never asked. Noctis told him about his accident, which is why he hates it when people touched his back.

Niflheim gave him this bar code. What did it truly mean?

Slogging through the snow with only a GPS in his grip, Prompto pushed onwards. In sight there was a building, but the wind and chill made it harder to progress.

His bones became frozen, his lips quivering from the shivering cold.

"Hey, why are you out here kid?" a woman's voice called out to him through the snowstorm.

He felt tired. No, he couldn't look behind him. It had to be a trick of the storm, he had to get to shelter…warmth…

A cave before him was opened up. Sprinting through the knee deep snow in the darkness he arrived at the cave, collapsing in exhaustion.

"Oh boy…" the woman spoke again behind him.

When he awoke, there was a fire before him, keeping him warm. His gloves and scarf were taken off of him to dry by the fire. Sitting up, he just now noticed Aranea before him, dressed in a thick blue winter coat.

"Mornin' sleeping beauty," she greeted.

"Morning…Ugh my head," Prompto groaned. "Why are you here, Aranea?"

She crossed her arms. "Making sure you don't get yourself killed. Wouldn't want his Kingliness to kick our asses when he wakes up to find his best friend dead."

Prompto stared at the swirls in his thumbs. His best friend was asleep, he was reminded of again. "Y-Yeah, wouldn't want that."

Aranea scrutinized Prompto, catching onto his reaction at the mention of Noctis. "You miss him, don't you?

"Yeah, I do. Noct was my first friend, my only friend for the longest time. Sometimes I wonder…Because he's not here anymore I'm losing the friends he did give me. What he doesn't wake up? What if he wakes up and its centuries later? It should have been me crystallized…It should have been me instead of him." Prompto felt hid brand burn briefly on his neck. Scratching at his, it wanted to get rid of his brand, trigger it, become crystallized, anything. "It should have been me. Not Noct. He could stop this, all this insanity. Let Ravus stop fighting, let the glaive stop fighting." Blood was on his fingertips. He had opened up a wound on the skin where he magical brand lay.

"You honestly thought that would work?" Aranea asked, moving over to hand him a potion to heal the open wound.

He shook his head, looking to other brand, the barcode on his wrist. "I'm not…like them. I wasn't born in Lucis, I was born in Niflheim. No matter how much my l'Cie brand defines me, I will still always have this!" he bared his barcode to Aranea. "A brand of a traitor, of someone not of Lucis. The enemy! For all I know tomorrow I will become a threat, used by Ardyn to fight and destroy what I love." He grabbed a stick from the lit flame, holding it dangerously close to his barcode. "Why do I even have it? Why can't it just go away? I couldn't even tell Noct…or Gladio or Iggy about it."

Aranea grabbed his hand holding the torch before it could touch his skin. Yanking it away, she tossed it back to the fire. She looked in genuine concern at the blonde, trying to hold back his emotions.

"I wanted answers before…But now I fear what lies ahead. Do I even want those answers? Or just burn the past and forget?" he asked Aranea. The memories of s a self-loathing chubby child plagued him. Unhealthy, eating his feelings, his self-esteem non-existent. But yet, being healthy had given him some self-confidence, even for a little while. He had feared Noct would one day remember and he would just ditch him.

He had to remind himself that Noctis was not like that. A kind heart, worth being loyal to, through and through.

"It's one thing to burn the past and kill it, it's another to learn from it but not let it define your self-worth. I was a mercenary, started the group when I was just a teenager. We worked for the highest bidder, even the questionable ones. Working for Niflheim opened my eyes that the gil was probably not worth it. Seeing a world at peace was worth more than all the gil in the universe. Only His Majesty can restore that, once he awakes. Even if it takes ten years for him to awake, I'm willing to keep going. The past doesn't define me, my actions now, do."

She placed a hand on Prompto's shoulder. "No matter what you will find out in this place, you're still gonna be wanted by your friends. They sent me here to make sure you're alright. I'm not leaving without you."

Prompto nodded, shivering slightly from the wind chill coming into the cave. She was right. Noctis, Gladiolus, and Ignis shouldn't care about the past. Noct didn't seem too hung up on it.

The memories of their road trip across Lucis brought a sting to his eyes. Noctis, his best friend, would probably say don't sweat the details. "Alright…Aranea."

Fear ruled his heart though. If what he found out in the Niflheim facility was something they wouldn't like, how would they take it?

The two ventured out into the cold, approaching a metal building.

No going back.

---

"Noct?" I heard a girl…No, a woman's voice squeak out. I turned in my seat to see Iris in the doorway. Her hair grew out to be as long as Gladio's, and even pulled back in a similar fashion. She wore a skin tight black leather vest instead of the standard glaive uniform, the Kingsglaive crest on her various assortment of belts.

Aranea, relatively unchanged except for shorter grey hair, was behind her. "Hey, Majesty. Haven't aged a day last time I saw you."

"Noct…ehrm Your Majesty, you're back!" Iris exclaimed, hopping over to behind our couch. "This is Lady Stella, yes? Nice to meet you, Your Highness, I'm Iris Amicitia." She held out her hand to shake.

Stella took it with a grin. "Nice to meet you, Iris."

Aranea took a seat next to Prompto on the couch. "Aranea Highwind, Your Kingliness. I served under the Empire until you saw me take my graceful leave. Biggs and Wedge are in my company of mercenaries."

I nodded. "They said you decided to go under a new allegiance, I'm assuming it's the Kingsglaive?"

"Yeah. Seeing your comrades trying to get you and Stella out of Insomnia in the face of Ardyn's wraith made me think, this guy is one worth fighting for. You've got guts, and clearly luck is on your side if you've completed your focus."

"It's not done yet. We have to stop Ardyn for it to truly be complete," Stella said.

"The only thing is…How do we stop Ardyn permanently?" I asked everyone in the room.

"How to stop that monster?" Crowe asked from the doorway. Libertus, Pelna, Cor, Monica, Cidney, Talcott, and Cid were beside her. "You've got a plan?"

Stella and I nodded. "Yes."

"But you mentioned permanently," Libertus said. "That means you can stop him now but not forever."

"Cie'th don't pass onto the realm of the dead when they die, they regenerate back into the world of the living because their focus is still left unfinished. Ardyn failed his focus, keeping the light safe, a long time ago," Stella informed them. "Defeating Ardyn after so much effort, we will probably have to fight him again. He will return."

Ignis put his finger underneath his chin in thought. "At least, stopping him now we can gain the powers he stole from the fal'Cie. That would put a stop to his massive army."

"And reverse Ravus' curse," Stella said, looking down in her lap. I placed my hand on her shoulder. She looked to me, eyes wet, she was about to cry.

"He only gained the powers from the fal'Cie once they were dead. He dealt the final blow thus; if one of us kills him they gain his power to create l'Cie," I said.

"Defeat Ardyn then." Aranea slouched in her seat. "Now we got a plan. Insomnia is running amok with Cie'th. Most branded people are a part of the army. We will clear a way for you, Your Majesty."

Libertus patted his chest. "Yeah, we will hold them back long enough for you and Her Highness to get to the Usurper. If he comes back, we will strike back ten-fold."

Cid walked over; still looking the same as the day we meet in Hammer Head, except large bags under his eyes. "Yer nothin' like Reggie, but in the end, you still got yer heart in the right place, King Noctis."

Cidney grinned. "We got yer back, Noct, Stella. Just say the word and we shall clear the way."

Everyone looked at me and Stella and bowed.

"King Noctis? Princess Stella?" Talcott asked. He had grown. He was about nine or ten by now. "Why is it Stella isn't Queen?"

"Tenebrae have very strict rules on ascension to the throne. It doesn't help that Niflheim pretty much destroyed the monarchy," Ignis explained. "Lucian rules are far more relaxed. Noct became king when Regis passed."

Stella twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "When my mother died, the monarch, the rules were that once the eldest was wed they would ascend to the throne. With Niflheim however, that never happened."

"Once we retake your kingdom," I began, pulling her close to me. "You can re-establish your right to rule."

"How? Ravus is the eldest, he would be king first."

I laughed. "Not unless you marry first."

"King Noctis, is that a proposal?" she asked in jest. "Too soon to be popping the question tsk tsk."

"Hey, it's a mere suggestion."

"I can see it now, Noct's wedding," Prompto sighed. "Can I be the photographer?"

"Who will be the best man is the real question," Gladio chimed in.

"Clearly it's Iggy," Prompto said.

Ignis shook his head. "Why don't we ask Cid?"

Cid grunted. "With how you're debating this, Ravus would be the best man or something."

"But that violates the bro code, can't be the best man to the man your sister is marrying," Prompto said.

"Can't violate the bro code so it has to be one of us," Gladio stated.

"Guys…" I spoke up. "We can debate this after we kick the Usurper off my throne."

Ignis stood up. "You're right. Prepare yourselves."

"Wait, before you all leave," I said. "I just want to say…Thank you, for your sacrifice, for your loyalty to an unsure king. I…I appreciate it. No matter what happens after this, we will strive to push onwards, and never look back." I stood up, staring at my thumbs. "I know it took me a while, probably too late, but I am here, to serve you all as your king."

Everyone saluted and parted ways to prepare themselves. Prompto poked me in the arm. "I need to tell you guys something. You, Gladio, and Iggy."

"Alright, I'm all ears."

Gladio and Ignis walked over.

Prompto raised his wrist up before me and removed his bangle. On his inner wrist was a barcode tattooed onto his skin. "I…In a lab in Niflheim, when I went to go investigate what had befallen Gralea; I discovered what this barcode is. Noct, I'm not a Lucian. I was meant to be one of them…One of the Magitek troopers, manufactured in a lab. They all had barcodes just like this one. I am…sorry."

Why was he sorry? Sorry for what? "Why are you sorry?" I questioned. "That's not you."

His eyes widened. "Because well…I thought you would look down on me for it, or call me a threat or traitor."

I shook my head. "You're Prompto Argentum, Lucian Citizen, Member of the Kingsglaive. You're as Lucian to me as Gladio and Ignis and I."

His eyes began to water. "Noct…"

"Prompto, you're my best friend. Nothing can change that," I said, patting him on the shoulder.

Gladio and Ignis nodded. "You're a Lucian at heart, Prompto," Gladio said.

"It is not of where you were born or intended to be but where your loyalties lie," said Ignis.

He was trying to hold back the tears but failing. "Thank you…guys."

"I say…" I began. "Once this is all over, break down the borders, come together as one nation. Tenebrae, Solheim, Accordo, Niflheim, Lucis, an alliance not defined by what one doesn't have, but what strengths we share together."

Stella walked over, grasping my hand as she nodded. "Separate we were torn apart, unity however, will protect against future darkness."

Prompto couldn't stop crying. He tried wiping his eyes but more tears flowed out. "I…Thank you so much."

I stepped forward and hugged him briefly. With a smile, I said "No, thank you, Prompto."

Gladio ruffled his hair. "Thank you, Prompto."

Ignis shook his hand. "Prompto, you have my thanks."

Stella gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you Prompto, for being you."

He rubbed his cheek, a smile on his face. "Y-You're welcome."

Ignis handed him a handkerchief.

"Your Majesty," Monica spoke as she walked in. "Your Highness, there's something we'd like to show you." She gestured to outside. Stella and I followed her out to the Regalia. It was beaten up, scratched, and even converted into more of an armored car upon closer inspection.

Monica popped open the trunk. She handed me folded up clothes with a golden chained cape on top. She handed Stella a folded up white dress and white knee high boots.

"A King and Queen must look the part after all," she said, a weary smile upon her lips. Bags under her eyes, a scar on her lip. The past two years were hard on all.

"Noct," Ignis approached me, leaning on his cane. "The glaive said it will be several hours until the pathway is safe enough to get to the Citadel. May I suggest…One last camp out? Rest up?"

"Yes, indeed. Sounds like a fine idea. But, shouldn't we help them out?"

Monica shook her head. "We want our King in prime form for the difficult task ahead."

"There is a perfect spot upon a hill towards the front gate," added Ignis. "Get changed first then we will head out."

"Oh right," Monica said. "You three also have your Kingsglaive uniforms. Let's just hope they still fit after nearly three years."

---

Two tents were set up; one for us guys and one for Stella. She had to accompany us, for I wanted to share with her what our usual campout was like. It felt like eons ago since we last camped. Only this time, the stars were gone. No tracing the constellations.

Stella. Star. Once we rid the world of Ardyn I had to camp out with her again, under the stars.

Ignis had Prompto chop a large piece of meat for him for the meal. Gladio was showing Stella how to pitch a tent while I set up all five chairs and set up the campfire. A small flame flickered to life on my finger tip and bounced onto the kindling, igniting it.

In the light of the fire, Stella looked beautiful. Her white dress faded to black on the way down to her feet. A slit in the fabric from her knee allowed free movement, showing her white knee high combat boots. Her wrists adorned with golden bracelets.

"Like what you see?" she teased. Heat rose to my cheeks. I realized I was gawking at her from my seat. I sat up and adjusted my tie.

"Yes," I mumbled, looking away. "Sorry."

She walked over and leaned down and pecked my lips. "No need to. I find myself staring at you in that devilishly handsome suit." She raised an eyebrow at my tie. "Oh Noct, do you not know how to tie a tie?"

My dad would kill me if he found out. "Not entirely," I grinned sheepishly.

Her fingers traced the silk around my neck down to the half-hearted knot and undid it. "A king must look perfect in his first appearance at court." She finished tying it and sat down next to me. "There, now you truly look like a king."

"Dinner is served," Ignis announced, presenting a plate with a sliced up piece of meat, covered in spices, ginger, and even onions on the side for flavor. "Longwythe's Peak."

Prompto served up everyone's plates and all five of us sat down to eat.

"Ignis, this is absolutely delicious," Stella said in between bites.

"Thank you milady," he responded.

"You can call me Stella, or Stell," she added.

"Alright then, Stell. May I ask, what was your focus?"

She set her plat down on her armrest. "To prepare Noctis, to fight alongside him and cleanse the world of eternal darkness. It was a task I was given when I was a child. It was…difficult to understand at first until I meet Gentiana. Though you all might know her as the Glacian."

Prompto had his mouth stuffed full. "The Glacian? The eidolon of ice?"

"Yes. She, like Etro, is fond of humans."

"That does raise another question," Gladio began. "If Etro is so fond of us how come she hasn't tried to stop anything in a direct means? Why brand you and Noct instead? And for that matter, why hasn't she interfered since this whole mess with Ardyn started?"

"Because," I said. "Etro has grown weak and could not awaken from her slumber in the Realm of Sleep."

Stella nodded. "There's a strong consequence for a goddess like her to interfere, even at all. Sometimes I wonder if Pulse and Lindzei realized this and disappeared for that reason. But we'll never know. People worship them but…I can't help but think it's just clinging to a past and hoping for a wish that shall never come true. 'One day they will return. They have to'. All that remains of that time are the eidolons, warriors chosen by the goddess herself as a way to take pity on l'Cie. The Glacian pitied me most." She turned to face me. "But then the Draconian choose you, Noct. He almost rarely ever chooses a l'Cie to serve."

"So I am special after all. Whew, I thought my dad only told me that to make me feel better," I joked.

"Don't get too egotistical, we all have eidolons now," Gladio said. "We are ready of course to fight alongside them if Ardyn pulls his full hand out."

"They did a lot for us. I feel we can never fully repay them for their services enough," Ignis noted.

Prompto nodded. "I wonder though, what will happen to us not branded by Etro. Ardyn has the full weight of our brands in his grasp. Both Noct and Stella are the only ones safe from Ardyn."

Silence followed before Gladio spoke up. "Cie'th or not, if Ravus can defy Ardyn, then so shall we. For the King."

"Gladio…" I said. No more. No one else should have to suffer on my account.

"No, we swore an oath to you. We will be beside you, as human, as l'Cie, as Cie'th," Ignis declared.

"Yeah Noct. We will be there till the end."

"Let's just hope I can stop Ardyn then before you are turned into Cie'th," I said. "I believe we should be getting some rest now."

"Of course," Ignis stood up.

"I'll help put the dishes away Iggy." Gladio volunteered.

---

I stood a little bit outside the camp to stare at the moonless sky before me. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus were packing up the cooking ware.

My mind buzzed with the ever lingering question. As much as I wanted to get the powers of the fal'Cie away from Ardyn, if he were to return he would surely kill me and thus repeat the cycle. There had to be a way for me to prevent such measures. The world would be better off without his terror. I didn't want to let him return.

If no one had powers of the fal'Cie, then he would be powerless. No more Cie'th.

But I would…

It was hard for me to swallow. My body trembled at the thought of it. The transferring of fal'Cie abilities was upon death.

I would have to die by my own hand.

A tap on the shoulder. I turned to face Stella. "Oh, it's you," I greeted, pulling her close to me.

"You seem in a daze. A lot on your mind, Noct?" she giggled.

"Too much," I said before kissing her briefly. "I promise to help save Ravus."

She looked down at her feet. "Noct…What if you don't have enough power to defeat Ardyn? What then?"

"I…"

"Noct please, I need to be sure…I care about you."

"Nothing will happen, I promise, we are ready."

"I…I believe you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss my lips again. I pressed back, deeply kissing her with intense love.

I loved her. And now I was going to lose her.

Should I tell her? Should I tell anyone? The guys? They would surely dissuade me from my decision. I didn't want to die. Death was an omen, a thing to be feared.

But I couldn't bear to have the world fall into darkness again.

Pulling away from the bliss, I gave her a smile. "We can only hope for a sunrise."

"Right…I love you, Noctis Lucis Caelum," she said.

"I love you, Stella Nox Fleuret."

With another quick kiss, Stella turned to go to her tent. She paused, and twisted around to say one more thing.

"Noctis, do you remember when we met in that tower all that time ago?" she asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I believed you looked very handsome in that suit then too," she winked at me.

I laughed. "You looked beautiful in that dress too."

As she giggled and walked away, I caught a small glimpse of her brand, now white, on her chest, mostly covered by the thick straps of her dress.

I pushed up my sleeves of my suit to see my own brand one more time. White. Blurred, just like when I was a child.

I lied in the tent, facing away from the guys. Stella slept in her own tent, but I could tell she was having trouble sleeping too. Being in stasis for that long, I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to sleep, and neither could she.

A shadow of a woman approached my tent. It was my mother. I could hear her voice again. Another being joined her. I recognized his shadow too. It was my dad.

"I remember when I held you in my arms, my body ailing," my mother, Aulea spoke to me. "I couldn't bear to tell your father that I was dying."

"My son," Regis began. "I wish I could have told you what was to come. My death…My sacrifice was for you. Now you're making the most difficult decision a king could make. Look back and fight another day, or end the fight once and for all?"

I couldn't say anything for fear of waking the guys up.

"You don't have to die, Noctis," Aulea said. "You can defeat Ardyn and move on with your life."

But I couldn't. I couldn't live my life knowing I could have permanently ended it.

"It's your choice, Noct. Whatever you decide, we will support it, always," Regis said. The two faded away.

I couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell them what I had to do. This was the hardest thing I could ever do. No one else would suffer for me.

All sacrificed everything for the King, so the King could sacrifice himself for all.

I lightly gasped as hot tears flowed down my face.

---

At some point in the two years, Ravus had to ask himself as he mindlessly distracted Ardyn, the now scourge upon Eos, what was he fighting for? Himself? For Stella? For Tenebrae? The world?

The answer was yes to all. But there was one more.

Forced to be a servant to Niflheim so they spare his only family, the envy he held for Noctis Lucis Caelum nearly blinded him from his purpose. Stella forced herself through pain and sleepless nights just to help Noctis, even hiding her brand and focus from Ravus. What was so special about Noctis anyways? Why was he so worth going through this effort for? His father basically sacrificed his entire kingdom for the hapless Prince.

Then Ravus saw on the television the live feed of the Prince fighting off the enraged eidolon by himself. He tried his hardest to minimize the damage inflicted on Altissia and its people. Still, even if he had a good heart, Ravus was unsure of his ability to actually do anything. He had failed to stop the destruction of Altissia, expending all his strength foolishly.

Then he and Stella crystallized and suddenly it occurred to Ravus, Noctis managed to complete his focus, whatever it might be. That had to count for something.

Up above, Ravus caught a glimpse of the orbs of light shooting across the dark night. It had to come from the Caelum crystal.

Ravus smiled on the inside as he blocked another strike from Ardyn.

---

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the way is cleared before you," Cor stated as the five of us suited up. Monica clipped the cape to my back, the golden chain clipped to the front of my jacket. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus put on their Kingsglaive jackets. "I promised your father that I would protect you," Cor continued. "Now it seems my job is done. You grew into the king we all are proud of."

Everyone surrounded us and bowed.

I smiled, a heavy heart making it hard to keep up appearances. "Walk tall, everyone."

"Any final orders, Your Majesty?" Aranea asked.

"Make sure…to protect the people who remain of Insomnia." I and the others got into the Regalia. "The Usurper shall be gone soon. Be prepared."

"Yes, Your Majesty" Aranea, Cor, Monica, Iris, Crowe, Libertus, Biggs and Wedge all saluted to me.

I turned the keys and started the motor. "May Etro give us strength."

Driving through the gates into Insomnia, the main road was mostly clear of Cie'th. I tried so hard to keep concentration on the road, but I could only think about their faces. It would be the last time I ever saw them.

We stopped a block away from the Citadel. Within were Ardyn and Ravus, fighting a never ending battle. A giant Cie'th, twice the size of a behemoth but looked like one formed out of the ground. All five of us retreated out of the Regalia as it took a giant swipe at us. I pushed Stella out of the way towards the sidewalk. The two of us landed on our backs as I watched the monster smash the Regalia to pieces.

The memories of my father coming home in that car, taking me on joy rides, felt like they were torn to shreds, and all I had left were small pieces.

"Home sweet home?" Prompto said, running over to Stella and I. "You guys okay?"

"We're fine," Stella said. "We have to devise a plan. This thing isn't going to let us in."

"Ardyn clearly wanted no one to interrupt his duel with Ravus," Gladio grunted as he ran in with his greatsword, slicing at its leg.

Ignis tossed his cane away and summoned a lance to use instead.

I summoned my engine blade, a new one that Cid upgraded. It was light in my grasp, yet longer, more stable.

Stella summoned her rapier. "Surround it, based on Ignis' location. He can't target all of us at once." She ran off to Ignis' left, which was to the side of the behemoth.

I ran to the right with Prompto, his guns poised at the beast.

"Ready yourselves to attack at once," Stella called out. Gladio ducked another swipe of Behemoth's claw. "Go!"

Prompto began firing all his bullets off. I warped up and slashed at its spine, using the Star of the Rogue to tear up its back. Black blood dripped from the wounds and stained my weapon. Ignis jammed his lance into the side of its head.

It screamed in agony, charging up a large attack of energy from its horns. "Get down!" Gladio shouted. I warped to Ignis' side and pulled him out of the way. Stell, Gladio, and Prompto ducked behind a concrete wall. I pulled Ignis to behind the subway stairs.

A shockwave shook the ground and blasted us back. A monstrous roar echoed off the walls and the behemoth disappeared in black smoke and ooze.

"Nice stratagem, Your Highness," Gladio complimented.

"Thank you," Stella said.

We all got up and faced the gate to the Citadel. There was no going back.

Perhaps…It would be harder to die than it would be to kill.

"What we have been waiting for," Prompto sighed.

"Indeed," said Ignis.

"Next stop, the Citadel." Gladio put his black stained blade on his back.

Stella grasped my hand. "You ready, Noct?"

I nodded. I was more than ready to face Ardyn. I was not ready to face death again. "Yes."

I pushed open the small grated gate and proceeded on through. The road and stairs leading up to the main front doors of the Citadel were no longer littered with corpses of MTs or Cie'th.

Up above was Ravus, half covered in black ooze and corruption, being pushed back by Ardyn's blade. Ardyn kicked Ravus in the gut and raised his blade up to uppercut him.

"Ravus!" Stella cried out, summoning her rapier and warped in front of Ardyn's red glaive, blocking it. She charged up a golden shield of magical energy and blasted Ardyn back, hitting the front steps of the Citadel.

Ravus fell to the concrete faster than we could catch him. His eyes were closed, his breathing ragged. "Stell…la? You're…awake?" he gasped out. "Heh. Been a long time."

Gladio and Prompto propped up. Stella warped to his side and place her hand on his greyed out cheek. "Ravus…I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry…for not telling you earlier why I was obedient to Niflheim. Perhaps…Perhaps we could have…mended our bond. I…kept fighting…So you'd have a chance to defeat that monster." He turned his head to face me. "Repay…his favor ten-fold for me, Your Majesty."

I nodded. "Glad to."

"The pain," he moaned. "It's always constant…always."

Stella sighed, trying to use a potion to heal his ailments. "Ravus…Please hold on."

"I would but I can't die anyways. I'm as cursed as he is."

Ardyn grunted as he struggled to get up from the steps. "It's been…two years of stasis…and now you're finally here. I suppose I have to admit, your stealing of the magic from the crystal has…weakened my power. But no matter, I shall…recover." He raised his right forearm to the sky. "Ifrit… I call upon your aid."

In the center of the courtyard, a red insignia of the House of Caelum glowed bright like a flame in the night. From the insignia in a wall of flames came a being, a large human like being, equal to the size of Bahamut or greater, sitting on a throne made of twisted imbued obsidian. Horns protruded from his head. He leaned on his cheek, as if he was bored.

"Give them all your most warm welcome," Ardyn ordered. "Spare none but the True King."

All our eyes widened. "The Infernian," Stella gasped. "The most powerful of all eidolons."

Prompto gaped. "All eidolons?"

Stella nodded. "Yes. Please, get Ravus out of here!"

Gladio picked him up by the arm and lifted the passed out man out using his shoulder. Ignis grabbed the other shoulder and wrapped his arm around him. "Quickly now."

"How do you fight him?" I asked in panic to the stunned Stella. "I've fought an eidolon before but that was a test. I have a feeling this guy is not going to hold back.

"Fight eidolons….With eidolons," she said, placing her hand on her lower shoulder. "Gentiana! Shiva! I need your help."

"Bahamut! Please aid us!" I shouted to the sky, raising my left forearm.

Gladio and Ignis ran back to us. "Ravus is safe," Gladio informed me.

"Alexandr!"

"Yojimbo!"

"Titan!"

Before the light of Bahamut came forth from the dark sky, I noticed Ifrit raised his hand. "Stay cool, he's gonna bring the heat," I told my comrades. The five of us marched forward, until I saw a spark flicker from his palm. "Get down!" I pushed them to the side and took a full blast of intense searing flames to the face, making me fly back ten feet, all my energy wiped from me. My clothes were on fire, and I grunted in pain, rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames. My skin felt like it was roasted.

"Noct! Hang in there buddy!" Prompto ran over to me and patted down the embers remaining. "Stay down, we'll distract him."

I was not about to sit there in plain sight of Ifrit. I forced myself to get up, but my energy was drained. I needed a curative for these burns.

"Noctis!" cried Stella, running over to me and grabbed my arm around her shoulders to lift me up. I limped forward, in pain. These were not ordinary fires; there were a different type of magical flame, one I had never encountered before.

"Over here Stell!" Ignis shouted from the sidelines. Stella tried steering me towards him. "Quickly, before he strikes again!"

I saw him raise his hand again. "Get out of the way!" I ordered. Stella and Gladio pushed me forward under a piece of debris. Ignis and Prompto joined us and we ducked behind it.

"Here it comes!" Prompto exclaimed. An intense heat on my back rushed over in a loud roar. Once it subsided, Prompto, Gladio, and Stella rushed off, Ignis handing me a potion.

"Here," he said. I consumed the potion immediately.

"Thanks," I said. "Let's go!" I looked to the sky. Bahamut was flying above us. On his shoulder was Gentiana.

Yojimbo walked through the front gate of the Citadel. From loud thunderous footsteps came Titan in the distance. Alexandr leapt down from the top of the Citadel

"A heart who burned so bright now turns to ash," spoke Gentiana. "Protect me and I shall grant you the ability to extinguish this evil flame." She leapt off Bahamut's shoulder, skydiving towards us. Her black hair turned white, her pale white skin to blue, her clothes melted away like snow. Her body was now only covered by translucent blue scarves and diamond like ornaments. Her hair tied up into a high ponytail like braid.

"Shiva requires my strength to help her charge up her attack that will eliminate Ifrit," Stella informed me. "Protect us. Keep him busy!" She warped back towards the entrance.

"You got it Stell," I muttered. She took out her rapier and held it in front of herself. A golden shield formed around her and lifted her off the ground. Shiva floated over to her and grasped her hands on Stella's. I turned my attention to Ifrit. Summoning the Sword of the Father to my grip I warped up to in front of him, slicing at his arms and chest, barely making a dent. He grabbed me like I was a doll, not even looking at me before throwing me back twenty feet.

Alexandr planted himself firmly on the battlements and began firing a mass amount of bullets at Ifrit. He waved his hand and a fiery shield formed around him and his throne, deflecting the bullets. I ducked down to avoid the bouncing bullets.

Bahamut grabbed one of his blades from his wings and enveloped it in a beam of light and shot it right at the shield.

"Look out!" I shouted to Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. Prompto leapt down to me from his perch on the street lamp, Ignis and Gladio were in the back behind Ifrit's throne trying to break his shield. They fled as far as they could from the impending impact.

Ifrit looked up in time for his shield to shatter in a thousand embers. When the smoke cleared, the throne was shattered to pieces, and Ifrit lay upon the ground. His giant curved blade was in his grasp, and he stood back up, almost not affected by Bahamut's blade.

"Iggy!" I called out from in front of the giant. "Slow him down!"

"I have just the thing!" he said, pulling out an ice bomb and throwing it at Ifrit's feet. It made him stick to the concrete ground but he broke out of it easily. "Now, Praesidian!"

Yojimbo came charging in with his katana pointed at Ifrit. Prompto and I jumped out of his way. The fiery giant stopped the katana in its tracks with his curved sword. Ifrit redirected the blade and raised it to slash down Yojimbo. He parried it, and the two continued their duel.

Gladio rushed in with a sweep at Ifrit's feet, Ignis preparing more bombs of ice and throwing them at the Infernian's upper body. A shield of fire formed at his legs.

"Aim lower Iggy!" Gladio shouted.

"Of course!" Ignis shot at him, a wild guess, forcing Gladio to be weary of the storm incoming. It cooled the ground, but left Gladio's boots in ice.

"Feels like I'm hitting air!" exclaimed Gladio.

"Certainly didn't expect this much trouble," Ignis said.

"Was nice knowing you guys," Gladio commented, going in again to cripple the giant.

Prompto loaded up his gun with more bullets. "I need to get up high least I wanna accidently shoot the Praesidian."

I looked up. There was a perfect advantage point on the Citadel. Bahamut was charging up several more blades of light to fire upon Ifrit. I linked my arm with Prompto's. "Then let's go!" I warped up towards the small balcony. Prompto wobbled a little.

"I…whoa. Never warped before. Thanks man…Oh boy…" I handed him a potion to remove any of his sickness. "Thanks man," he said, gulping it down and settling himself down to snipe at the enemy eidolon. "This guy thinks he's hot stuff, but not for long!"

I looked over the vantage point. Ifrit and Yojimbo continued their duel. The rumbling in the distance meant that Titan was soon approaching. On the Infernian's forehead was a scar. That had to be a weak point.

Bahamut had charged up his blades and sent them all forth towards the two. Ifrit looked up and his eyes grew wide at the incoming barrage. He flipped back, Gladio clipping him with his great sword. Ifrit leapt off the stairs, Yojimbo in pursuit. The blades barely missed Ifrit, but he dodged them well, leaping across the courtyard, parrying Yojimbo's katana strikes and bouncing off the gigantic blades. I leapt off the balcony and warped straight towards Ifrit's forehead, cutting a large gash into his skull. Yojimbo sliced one of his horns off.

Ifrit collapsed to his knees, his mouth agape in pain. But he wasn't done yet. He charged up a shield of flame around him, gathering energy for a radial blast. I warped over to Gladio and Ignis, pulling them close me as I activated my Armiger shield. The blast shook the ground, blasting back Yojimbo into the wall.

Once the blast subsided, Ifrit coated his entire body in flames, brightly illuminating the courtyard. The blades of Bahamut disappeared.

"So even that wasn't enough?" Gladio asked, charging in with his blade in hand.

"It's turned for the worse," Ignis noted as he summoned his lance.

Prompto fired ice bullets at the head of Ifrit. "Out of the frying pan, dot, dot, dot?"

I raised my blade and gathered all the cold magic in the air. "We need to put this thing out!" I looked to Stella and Shiva, still charging their attack up. Leaping up with my Armiger, I slashed at Ifrit's torso ash he picked up his sword. Our blades clashed, mine struggling to keep hold of the stance, I parried his blade away and went in again, my barrage of glaives trying to shred through his skin, but barely making dents.

"Iggy! Toss me some coolant!" I ordered, doing a backflip to dodge a shooting flame. "On it!" Ignis prepared another bomb of magic and threw it at me. I used my blade to knock it right into Ifrit's face. The force of the bomb sent me flying; I warped down to the ground, rolling on impact.

The entire center of the courtyard was on fire. Smoke clouded the air, filling my lungs. "Gah, this guy is smoking hot," I muttered as I coughed, standing back up. The lamp posts were shaking out of control. Titan was here. He ran up to Ifrit and grabbed him, Titan's grip larger than his torso, and tossed him up into the air.

I flew up towards the Infernian on my Armiger, sending the entire arsenal at his forehead, but he blocked it. Bahamut caught me on his back, his wing swords bared, one in his grip. I leapt off his back to take another strike at Ifrit's forehead but he was prepared and blocked it with his blade. I fell down onto the flat part of Bahamut's sword, ran up it to flip backwards and warp straight towards Ifrit's forehead again. He turned his head and his horns greeted me. Bahamut parried every strike that Ifrit delivered against him. I aimed my legs to bounce off the side of his horns back towards Bahamut. On the Draconian's back I warped above Ifrit ready to strike his forehead.

A bright golden light beat me to the punch. Stella, enveloped in her golden shield, took her rapier and drove it deep into Ifrit's forehead, and ripped it out.

"Stell!" I exclaimed.

She winked at me. "What you couldn't have all the action with this guy."

Stunned, the Infernian fell back to the ground. Titan took hold of his ankle mid-air and drove him into the concrete.

Still he wasn't finished. He stood back up with his blade as support. He leapt up into the air and attempted to drive his blade right into Titan. Yojimbo leapt into the way and blocked the direct hit with his katana. Prompto came flying in on Alexandr's back, shooting magical ice bullets together. "I think you need to take a chill pill." He leapt off Alexandr's back and joined Gladio and Ignis on the ground.

I grabbed Stella around her waist and we warped back towards the guys together.

"Noct, look up, Shiva needs your aid too," Stella informed me. Shiva took to the skies. But it wasn't just one Shiva. She was multiplying. I nodded and warped up into the sky again.

Think cold thoughts. An ice cube appeared in my hand and began to grow. Clouds formed above us, heavy with precipitation. Winds swirled around my palm, snowflakes forming. The air began to chill. Snow began to fall. The energy began to build up within me.

Looking down, Ignis and Gladio were attacking the feet of the Infernian, Prompto spotting for Ignis. "A little to your left Iggy!"

"Noted!" he said, stabbing his lance into the ankle of Ifrit. He danced around, trying to avoid the sharp blades of my brothers.

Stella was skating across the ground, trying to avoid the hot flames sent her way. He swung at her, but she redirected his hit with much effort. Yojimbo took another stab at him, his blade hitting into Ifrit's shoulder. Stella leapt up to knock the Infernian's weapon out of his grip. "Now Noct!" she shouted to me.

I unleashed the pent up energy, the maelstrom forming. Bursting through the clouds was many Shivas, leaving trails of ice in their path. I warped down to Stella's side. Ignis and Gladio got out of the way of the stomping Ifrit. The fiery giant looked up to see his impending doom. The Shivas swirled around, adding to my snowstorm. The entire courtyard froze over. An ice blade formed from the swirling circle of the Shiva clones, and shot right into Ifrit's forehead. His flame extinguished, his body began to freeze over. He tried running towards us to finish the job, but he grew too slow. Ice coated his body, from his feet upwards.

Shiva floated over to Ifrit, a sad expression on her face. She briefly kissed his lower lip before he disappeared in ice. She turned to Stella and I.

"This final task befalls to you now," she spoke.

"O' King, it was an honor to serve by your side," said Bahamut.

Shiva, Bahamut, and Alexandr flew off into the sky. Yojimbo simply walked away, while Titan exited through a purple insignia portal in the ground

"Young king, chosen by the goddess" Shiva's words rang to us. "Restore light to the humanity she finds so dear."

"Goodbye, old friend," Stella said, a tear slipping out. "Oh." She wiped the tear away.

Shiva's words rang clear. This was our fight now.

"What did she say exactly?" Prompto asked as the ice melted away.

"She told me to bring back the light," I answered.

"That's our next stop," said Gladio.

"On we go," said Ignis.

"That eidolon was sure powerful," Prompto said, cracking his fingers and neck. "Quite a workout he was."

I raised an eyebrow. "Only a workout for you? Guess you've gotten better at fighting, haven't you?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Maybe a little."

I turned to Stella, who was still staring at the sky. "You okay?" I asked her.

"What? Oh, I'm…I'm fine Noct," she answered, not very convincing. "I'll miss her."

I placed my hands on her shoulders. "You have my sympathies, Stell."

She nodded. "Ravus is alright, yes?"

"Yeah, he's passed out cold though," Gladio said. "He will be fine once we lift his curse."

She nodded. "Then let's go. Find the Usurper. End his scourge upon the world."

We began marching up the stairs to the Citadel. I pushed the front doors open to find the place covered in bodies and debris. A chill in the air made my spine tingle.

Then I remembered what I would have to do. I had to tell them…Soon. Before it was too late.

The five of us stepped forward.

"Feels like we just retook this place yesterday," Ignis said.

"It's all lit up," Prompto gasped. "Why?"

"Guess he's expecting company," said Gladio.

"Home sweet home again," I sighed. The large spacious hallway once felt like home to me, but now it felt lonely and cold. The lights were bright, like the world was staring at me.

Ardyn walked forward from the balcony stairs. The sight of him made my eyes turn red. "Ah, welcome guests. You bested my eidolon, unscathed. No matter, I can fix that quite quickly."

From his palm the purple energy removed all the electric lighting in the room, leaving us in the dark. Even my light on my jacket went out.

"Noct!" Prompto cried out.

"Where are you?" Ignis questioned his voice bouncing off the walls.

"I'm here!" I shouted back, but it too echoed. I felt no one's presence near me, not even Stella's. "Stell? Gladio?"

"I'm okay, Noct!" answered Gladio.

"Noct?" Stella's voice called out in the darkness.

"Stell! I'll find you," I answered back.

I stood my ground in the bleak darkness. My jacket light flickered on. Before me was Ardyn smirking.

"Come Noct, finish the job you were meant to do," he mocked. "Let your goddess watch you restore the light."

My fist clenched up. "You sick of a bitch. Leave my friends out of this!" I summoned my engine blade and sprinted towards him. I stabbed at his torso. My blade hit flesh but it went right through him and he laughed as he disappeared. It was nothing more than an illusion. But if I didn't hit Ardyn, what did I just hit?

The flesh my blade connected with was Stella.

The light returned to the room. Before me to my horror, was Stella, frozen in pain. Her dress was torn where I stabbed her, my blade still in her. Blood soaked the white fabric.

My body was paralyzed. I had never anticipated this. I couldn't believe it. Reality was messing with me. This had to be one of Ardyn's illusions.

Tears ran down my face as I gasped out her name. "Stella….No….No no no!"

---

Standing in the foggy violet flower field where we once ran as children, I was in my princely fatigues, my glove covering my white brand. Before me was Stella, in her black short dress. Unharmed.

"Hello, Noct," she greeted with a smile.

"Hi…Stell," I answered back.

"You know…I feel as if our focus was to whatever we make of it," she spoke. "There was no set focus other than the one we gave ourselves. Etro didn't want us to become like Ardyn."

"She didn't want another to suffer," I said.

"And now…She must guide me to the gate. I have to leave this world now, " she stated, at strangely ease with her death. This couldn't be happening.

"But Stell…You can't…I…I wanted nothing more than to give you a world where you could be happy and free," I confessed.

"Noct…I am already happy with you."

The flowers faded away. The glossy floor of the citadel returned. Stella collapsed into my arms, our attire reverting back to our formal attire. I held her in my arms, caressing her check, brushing her bangs aside so I could look into her violet eyes.

"Stell…I'm so sorry. Please forgive me…" I whispered.

"Do…Not blame yourself Noct…" she gasped for air. "It was Ardyn…I ask of you one last thing, my love."

I leaned down and press my forehead to hers. "Yes?"

"Do not…let my death go to waste. Take…this sacrifice and use it to your full advantage. Goodbye…Noctis. Go, live your life."

More tears slipped out as I kissed her one last time. Her hand fell off my cheek and went limp. Pulling away, I felt her body evaporate beneath my hands. Her body glowed and disappeared. An orb of golden light remained. I touched it and it went straight into my eyes, absorbed into me.

I blinked. When I closed my eyes I saw a giant black gate in a void, like the sleeping realm. I sat there on my knees, unable to stop the tears. "Stell…Stell…"

I heard the footsteps of the guys approaching me. Prompto placed his hand on my shoulder. It did little to comfort me. I…killed the woman I loved. I was a fool, I let my anger and hatred get to me and I killed her.

I killed Stella.

My heart felt it was ripped out and torn to pieces and thrown into the darkness.

But I had to finish off Ardyn. Stella would want me to restore the light. Give the world a better chance. I had to keep going.

I would be with her soon.

"Noct?" Ignis asked.

I got up, pulling out my handkerchief to clean my face before putting my blade away. "Let's go."

I forced myself to move quickly through the Citadel. Every time I blinked I could see a gate, as if I could reach out and touch it.

"Think the elevator's working?" I asked, standing in front of it.

"Must be. He's literally showing us the way," grunted Gladio.

I pressed the button and the doors opened. We walked inside and I pressed the sub basement button. The elevator chimed and lurched, descending down.

"The throne room waits outside," said Gladio.

"Yeah…And so does Ardyn," Prompto added.

"Acting like he owns the place."

"It's time to take it all back," Ignis declared.

I stared at the doors. Once they opened there would be no going back. "It ends here…Tonight."

I stepped out into the main hallway. As we marched to the throne room, Prompto looked around. "Whoa, this place, I've only been here a handful of times but I never really saw it before."

"Ardyn awaits us," said Gladio.

"Are you ready, Noct?" Ignis asked me.

I stopped before the doors to the throne room. "Almost. One sec. Prompto, can I see your photos?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Just need one to take with me for luck," I said.

"Oh, oh sure," he handed me his small photo album. After all this time, it endured. As I flipped through all the ones we kept, the memories flooded back to me. The battles in the forest, exploring the royal tombs, Prompto's joy at the chocobos, helping Ignis cook the next sweet meal, Gladio teaching me how to camp out, all of that, in this small book. I nearly cried at the nostalgia. There was one photo that stood out to me.

It was at the last night of camp. Prompto insisted we all took a picture together. I had my hand wrapped around Stella's waist. Prompto has his elbow on my shoulder. Ignis and Gladio were couched down on the ground. I pulled it out of the protective plastic. "This one."

"Then it's settled. That's the one? No take backsies?" Prompto asked me. I nodded.

"Yes. This is the one." I put it in my pants pocket, buttoning it up.

I turned around and pushed the doors to the throne room open. Before me was Ardyn, his eyes golden and blackened, the corruption oozing down his face. I gritted my teeth as I saw before me dead corpses of the ones I loved, chained up and hanging from the ceiling.

"What, what is that?" Prompto asked in horror.

Stella, Regis, Aulea, Nyx, Clarus all hung from the ceiling. This had to be another illusion.

Ardyn waved his hand and the illusion was gone. "I'm afraid you're out of luck," he began, stringing out each and every syllable. "The throne brings you here? It seats only one."

I stepped forward, eyes red with rage. I had to control it Noct, least someone else gets hurt. "Off my chair jester, the king sits there."

He smirked. "Oh, Noct…How I have waited for this. Longer than you could ever know. Tonight the dreams of the blood royal…come to an end."

"Spite's all that kept him going," said Gladio.

"Talk about a grudge," Prompto said.

"Ardyn sits the throne?" Ignis asked.

I scoffed. "Not for long. This is my ascension. Before I thought it was, but now, I claim my stance here, now."

Ardyn warped to me, not even using a weapon. He snapped his fingers, paralyzing me in place. I groaned and strained to move, to draw my weapon, to do anything. "Watch through the eyes of the goddess herself as I remove your dear friends from the game." His forearm glowed.

I heard their screams. My body shook as I saw them being turned into Cie'th. The corruption spread through their bodies, their l'Cie marks twisting and turning grey.

"What did you do?!" I screamed out. The images continued to plague me until their screams stopped. My body was mobile again, and I turned around, hoping this was a trick. It wasn't. The three of them laid upon the floor, bodies twitching, black ooze covering half their bodies. "No…Prompto…Ignis…Gladiolus…"

"They have no place in this, the battle of kings!" Ardyn declared, walking out of the front door. "Come Noctis!"

I could only stare helplessly at my friends, now Cie'th. I had to stop him. I had to take their brands away. "This ends now," I said, anger and sadness driving me now. I ran out of the room and warped up the stairs till I reached the balcony. Ardyn stood on the street before the Citadel gates. I warped all the way towards him, landing with a roll.

"The once hapless and helpless prince, now does he understand the weight of the crown he must reclaim? Don't let us down," Ardyn stated, summoning his blood red sword. A red glow appeared behind him. I summoned the sword that belonged to my father, his last gift to me before he passed. A blue glow appeared behind me. The two of us warped to each other, our blades clashing. The force from the magic pushed us backwards into the buildings. We warped back to the ground at the same time, the glass shattering from the windows, pieces of debris falling down.

"Let the games begin," he said.

"No, now they end," I declared. I threw my sword at him; he blocked my warp, redirecting my blade. He slashed at my side but I phased through it.

"Let it continue, until only one remains," he muttered. "So you're the goddess' Chosen King. But you're a second choice at best."

I warped to the top of the lamp post, leaping up with my blade. He dodged out of the way, my blade digging into the ground instead. I pulled it out of the concrete just in time to block his quick jabs at me. I blocked and parried every single one. On the last redirect, I slashed at his side. He did not dodge in time. Black blood bled out from the deep cut onto his clothes. "What's one wound compared to a thousand over millennia after millennia?" he asked me, laughing like a maniac.

I phased to behind him, digging my blade deep into his back. He simply laughed as he reached behind his back and pulled it out. "It will take much more than that to kill me, Noct. Is that really the best you can do?" He warped up and to my side and slammed me back with his long sword. I cried out in pain at my back hitting the concrete. Forcing myself to get up, I warped up into another lamp post to recover some of my strength. Ardyn was warping all over, darting from each location. I warped down again and our blades clashed again, the magical force pushing us back again. Ardyn fell into the ground, leaving a giant dent. I went flying upwards, flipping through the air and warping straight towards him, I delivered every type of wound imaginable to him while he was down, even an uppercut to his face. Blood dripped out, making him look even more possessed. He grabbed his long sword and pressed me back, getting up all the while. Warping to and from each light,, my eyes struggled to follow his movements. Never had I seen nor done so much teleporting in one fell swoop.

"A king in name alone, can't you truly do any better than that?" he mocked as I phased back. He teleported to me; slicing at me. I leaned back to dodge it, the tip of his blade cutting my cheek open. I grunted in pain, feeling blood drip from my wound. "Your 23 years and nothing to show for it!"

He lunged at me, brutally cutting at me like a maniac with no control. First my leg, then my arm, and another cut to my face. My eyes scrunched up in pain. Before me was that gate again. The gate to the realm of the dead. I opened my eyes up to see Ardyn charging a power aura of violet around him. I dodge back away from his explosion. He laughed once more, teleporting to me and knocking me on my back, his hand on my head forcing me down.

I cried out from pain as Ardyn grabbed the collar of my shirt. "Aww…My revenge is soon at hand." He smirked. "How long have I waited…?"

I scowled at him, stopping my struggle. "Don't worry. It's far from over."

He lifted me back up roughly. "Well, let's have it then. You and your crystal…and your goddess, against all I have become."

He was more powerful than me, by a longshot. He could take a thousand hits from me and never be bested.

But that gate…That gate…

"The Goddess Etro greets the souls of the deceased and opens the door to the afterlife. When that door opens, the released souls burst out in a streak of light. Even though it's such an amazing power, you need to sacrifice someone to get it."

I activated my Armiger. "Power of Light shall prevail!" I exclaimed to the sky. I had to try this before trying to tap into that power. Stella's sacrifice would not be in vain.

Ardyn also activated his Armiger. "Ahh, a king! At last!" His weapons were translucent blue, starkly contrasting my blue. His red insignia returned behind him. Mine as well.

All of my weapons shot at him at the speed of missiles. I circled around him, each step a warp in its own right. His barrage was larger than mine, possibly had more Royal Arms than I would ever collect. It blocked each weapon I sent at him. At this point it was evident to me the Armiger wasn't enough, but I had to weaken him somehow, if I could tap into the powers of the Realm of the Dead, the Unseen Realm. Sending more at him, one or two managed to hit him in the gut, but then sent his own at me in retaliation. One tore my cape off, the chain breaking to pieces. He flew backwards down a street, farther away from the Citadel. I went after him, sending more and more of my barrage at him. Mid-flight he could not block everything sent his way. He raised his arms as if to shield himself.

We zoomed down the vast streets of Insomnia, only our Armigers cutting through the darkness. He stopped at an intersection, and I unleashed all of my weapons upon him, forcing him back and retreat back to the Citadel courtyard. Finally I was gaining an upper hand. He rose up into the air above the courtyard. I would not let up, no matter how much my wounds, physical and mental, screamed for me to stop. I couldn't stop. All I loved was at stake. The world was.

We pushed at each other, more swipes at the other with various magical weapons. Soon we were travelling up the Citadel at an angle, our feet almost touching the walls.

Ardyn and I ascended up to the sky. All I could see was the dim green glow on the horizon. The moon itself was not out. He retreated backwards, trying to get out of my reach. Not for long.

"I can keep going for all eternity, Noctis," he said. "But can you?"

I floated in midair. My Armiger was strong enough to last as long as I needed at my own cost. But I wasn't going to waste any more precious energy. I closed my eyes. The gate was tangible. I reached out to it, my hand glowing white. The glow grew brighter and brighter, until a beam of light burst forth and hit the gate. It opened up before me, a brighter light consisting of a thousand lights, ones I had seen expire, and ones I had not, headed straight towards me. All their pain, their suffering, was absorbed into my body. I screamed in agony at all the expiring souls granting me power.

I opened my eyes. Ardyn seemed taken aback by my sudden white glow around me. "No…That was a mere myth!" he exclaimed. "And yet you're the one who has that power!"

My eyes glowed bright blue, nearly white. I channeled the anguish, the power of the expiring souls, into every single glaive I shot at him. They moved at light speed towards Ardyn, breaking through his Armiger and inflicting a thousand magical wounds at once.

The two of us fell to the ground from the extreme blast of magic. I gasped at the toll on my body. I felt weak, my knees shaking. But I had to keep going. No stopping. Only one would be standing.

"A war…" Ardyn groaned. "Of attrition then." Scars and black blood marred him. He got up and summoned his long sword again.

With a yell I stabbed my glaive into the ground to force myself up. I had to activate that power again to finish him off. I closed my eyes and summoned forth the souls of the dead. "Realm of the dead, come onto me…Bring me your pain…" I pleaded. "Help me…End the eternal darkness."

My eyes glowed white again. I pulled out my glaive from the concrete, enveloping it in light and teleported forward without throwing my sword. Raising the Sword of the Father, I delivered one slash at him.

"You think 23 years is a long time?" He asked, limping backwards from my attack. "It is nothing to me! I have lived in darkness for ages!"

I warped behind him, leaping up to slam the Axe of the Conqueror down on him. He dropped his glaive. The light of expiring souls was enveloped in every single weapon I was pointing right at him. I teleported in front of him to upper slash his chest with the Sword of the Wise. To his side, I used the Swords of the Wanderer to slice his legs. I bashed his head in with the Scepter of the Pious. A body slam was delivered with the Shield of the Just. The Star of the Rogue was tossed at him at light speed. I whammed the Mace of the Fierce into his side. I rammed the Blade of the Mystic into his back. Rolling back, I fired a light arrow with one hand on the Bow of the Clever into his heart. I whirled around with the Greatsword of the Tall. I stabbed the Katana of the Warrior into his back, ripping it upwards. Black blood dripped from every single magical wound I inflicted upon his person.

Finally, I warped in front of him one last time, the Rapier of the Lover in my grip. With a lunge, I stabbed it right into his gut.

He froze in his movements. "So this…is how you would…end it." I ripped the rapier out. I stumbled back as the light faded from my eyes and my glaive. Ardyn fell backwards onto his back.

Rain began to fall on Insomnia. My breathing ragged, I walked over to Ardyn, lying limp on the courtyard.

"Now it is over, Majesty," he spoke with defeat. "What will you do?" he asked me, sadness laced within his words. "Banish the Cie'th, all except for one? Erase me from history once more?" I leaned down on one knee. Underneath that despicable being, was nothing more than a man who once wanted what was best for the world, only to be denied and broken.

"This time," I said with every ounce of pity I could muster. "You can rest in peace. Close your eyes forevermore, and Etro shall guide you…beyond."

"You look so much like him…Like my brother…He made a great king like you…" His sleeve was torn off in the scuffle, bearing his twisted brand of Etro on his right forearm. It shimmered and an orb of light emerged from it and absorbed into my own brand.

His body turned to black and melted into the ground.

A hollow victory.

---

Greetings! Have a happy holidays from me! Here's the greatest gift I could give, the gift of hurting your feels. (And a very...very long chapter) The next chapter is going up on New Year's Day.

Avery Scarlet: Thank you so much for your review! I hope I did enough justice to the Kingsglaive.

Taff: Thank you so much for taking the time to review my work! It means so much to me! 3

Guest: I did try to deliver on Ravus a little bit more on this chapter.

Anon: Noctella is best OTP 3 I did try to include as much of your closing requests as I could (Unfortunately Bhunivelze stuff didn't fit in so I couldn't include it) Thank you!

Kitani: Somnus is definitely the song I listened to the most while writing this fanfiction.

Thank you all! Happy holidays from me! See you in the New Year!