Hi Everyone! I see I have another review. Thanks for the feedback, Sohofive! I love getting feedback since it tells me what people are (and aren't) liking so know what's working and where I should improve. Anyway, next chapter is ready and below! The last part of this may be a bit "edgy" for teen rating, but since in my view M is for really explicit stuff (which mine is not), I'm leaving it alone. Just a heads up so it doesn't shock anyone. Thanks for reading and reviewing as always, and hope you enjoy.
The beach Luna walked along turned into an isthmus, with the same black silken water on either side. The terrain was monotonous, never-ending. Luna was growing desperate, even frustrated. She had to know what had happened. Was Noctis ok? It was all Ardyn's fault. If he hadn't interfered, hadn't, stabbed, her, she would still be out there. She could have saved the man she loved.
An icy tendril of anger, even hatred, against Ardyn welled up in her.
"Oracles aren't supposed to feel anger," a female voice taunted above her.
Luna glanced up to see a red maned, winged being gliding down to land in front of her. Her talons dug into the sand for purchase before the wings folded, allowing Luna to see her face. Her beady colorless eyes, staring down its sharp beak, met Luna's gaze.
"Who, are you," Luna asked in curiosity.
The being laughed derisively. "And I thought an Oracle would remember me. I am Valefor."
Luna stared at her intently, trying desperately to remember her pilgrimage. She had met Titan, Ramuh, Leviathan; had been planning to meet Ifrit, Shiva, and Bahamut. However, her life had been taken before that point. There had never been plans to meet, Valefor. She had not even known of her existence.
"Forgive me," Luna stated. "I, do not know you."
Valefor shrugged, a weird movement to make with wings. "I guess I have that effect on people. I doubt you will even remember this conversation in the end. I am, however, glad you remember Ardyn Izunia. You must if we are going to succeed in bringing light back to the world."
Luna's hands clenched into fists again as she tried to quell her anger and hatred for the man.
"Anger and hatred are the way to darkness," Valefor chided with tolerant amusement. "However, I think that, thing, deserves it."
Luna tamped down her feelings. Her placid tranquility that befit the Oracle returned. "Remembering him means nothing. I am trapped here," she stated, matter of factly.
"Trapped, or sequestered," Valefor asked affably. "You have, lost your way quite a bit. You need to find your center again if you wish to defeat Ardyn and return light to the world."
"Defeat Ardyn," Luna asked in surprise. "I am a healer, not a destroyer."
"In this case, you've gotta destroy in order to heal," Valefor replied.
There was something in that voice. Something, childlike. Memory sliced back—the temple, the girl, being enfolded in wings, then nothingness. Valefor was her captor, Luna realized. She tried to keep her thoughts blank. As long as Valefor didn't know that she remembered, she could play along.
"Oh! So you do remember me," Valefor chortled in glee, rendering Luna's plans to hide the return of her memories useless.
"I knew Oracles were something else. I'm so glad I chose you to play with," Valefor commented in childish glee. "I'm bored playing 'Cryptic Goddess' now though. Let's play something else."
"Where is Noctis," Luna demanded, ignoring Valefor's comments. "Is he, all right?"
Valefor giggled now. "Probably not. My brother tends to not treat his toys very good."
"Why are you doing this," Luna cried out in fear in frustration. "What do you want from us?"
"Merely to help mommy bring light to the world," Valefor returned with smug helpfulness.
"But, we have," Luna cried out.
"Then why is Ardyn still alive," Valefor snapped, sweeping forward to viciously slap Luna with one of her wings.
The blow knocked Luna into the water. It was like being in a sensory deprivation chamber—the water temperature matched her exactly. It disoriented her, causing her to flounder in the water.
"I don't like to lose when I play," Valefor stated, hovering over Luna. "And you remembering things isn't fair. I'll just have to try a little harder." She swooped down, dragging Luna up out of the water, high into the sky, holding onto her with her sharp claws. Luna cried out as a claw gouged her leg.
"Your memories are wrong," Valefor said. "You say you have returned light to the world, yet look what you did in its name. You allowed yourself to be captured, triggering a war in Insomnia for your sake. You let King Regis die for you, then had the gall to still want to marry his son."
"Stop it," Luna cried out, not wanting to hear this.
"We're not done," Valefor stated smugly. "I am going to rip out your memories, show you every mistake you have ever made, every lie you have told yourself about being a light bringer. And then, only when you have accepted every one of them and kneel to mommy, begging for her forgiveness, will you be worthy to call yourself Oracle."
"You, monster," Luna gasped out.
"I call this game 'Being Cruel to be Kind'. Let's begin," Valefor stated in eagerness, and let Luna go to plummet back to the land below.
Luna was taught never to show fear. However, she couldn't stop herself from screaming.
The trick to capturing black male chocobos was a blend of darkness and kindness, just as Rila had said. That was how Ardyn had succeeded 2000 years ago. Back then, he had still cared about the people of the world, and had wanted to cure them of the daemon blight. He had done so by absorbing the darkness, taking it into himself. He had turned to darkness in order to be kind to the world, being just the blend needed to capture the most elusive of chocobos.
All he had had to do was extend his hand in a flock of black chocobos, and most, male and female, swarmed to him. Those that didn't would try to attack him. They had been nothing against the ravages of the daemons he had absorbed though. He could easily weather their attacks and tame them to his hand.
He had had the pick of the litter in the end. Ardyn, with the cockiness of youth, had chosen the fastest and most flamboyant chocobo of them all. He had named him Nightmare due to the pure irony of it. Rather than intimidating anyone or anything he came into contact with, the animal chose to alternately flee from them or preen before them.
Still, his speed had helped Ardyn rush to those in need, to quickly purge them of the daemons before they could take hold. The beast was immortalized in the painting of Ardyn that stood in the Citadel to this day. Even if Ardyn's name had been scratched off of the label, they could not take away Nightmare's regal appearance.
Ardyn didn't know what had happened to Nightmare after Somnus had imprisoned Ardyn. He had to hope Nightmare ended out his life in a peaceful pasture, but he was not that optimistic.
The chocobos wouldn't flock to Ardyn now. His darkness had stripped him of kindness. Bitterness, cynicism, and vengeance had taken their toll onto him. And his powers of darkness were gone. Why would a black male chocobo give him the time of day?
The ones in the barn had not shied away from him though. And he knew the difference between male and female chocobos. He knew which ones to focus on. Like the one he saw on the rocky outcrop overlooking the flock of females below. The chocobo who thought he was king. Just as Ardyn had once thought himself to be.
It was time to show him that royalty was temporary. There was always somebody waiting to take over the throne. It was the chocobo's day of reckoning. Warping up to him would be a sure-fire way for the animal to bolt, so Ardyn had to take his time and start small. Perhaps if Ardyn made his way to the flock of females, the male would come down from the rocks?
Ardyn stepped forward, slowly, keeping hands palms up and forward. He heard the chorus of kwehs as some females bolted, and some eyed him warily, depending on their temperament. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said soothingly to the nearby beasts, the gentle words and tones from long ago returning to him. He wondered what Noct would think of him now—his mighty foe crooning to chocobos? Kindness was a means to an end, nothing more.
However, the chocobos would sense when he was not genuine. Like any animal, they were very perceptive.
Ardyn just had to pretend. All he had to think of was Nightmare's playful nudges and fluttering excitement whenever Ardyn would enter the stable. Of his affectionately nuzzling Ardyn's hand when he sensed he needed cheering up.
Nightmare had been the only animal to ever love Ardyn unconditionally. One of these could be a descendant of Nightmare. Ardyn owed it to his faithful steed to be kind. His sing song tones became genuine. His hands out became pleading rather than stiff and awkward. One of the wary females began to approach. Ardyn offered out some greens.
Just for the male to lunge between them, making loud, angry warks.
"Hi, big guy. Want some greens," Ardyn stated gently as the creature's black wings extended threateningly.
Hostility was better than him running away. At least Ardyn had his attention. Now came the dicey part of "taming". Some were like Nightmare, coming right up wanting the attention and wanting to be your companion. Other, more aggressive ones, fought it beak and claw.
As this one appeared to want to do. Ignoring the offered greens, he reared up with a shrill cry, then lunged, beak first. This is where darkness came in. One had to be willing to bear pain and not show fear. Easy enough to do when one was immortal, but not so now. Ardyn hissed as he felt the beak slice through his shirt and the warm ooze of blood.
Ardyn had to stand his ground. "Had enough yet," he asked gently as he saw one of the clawed feet kick forward. Ardyn barely stood upright as the force nearly knocked him over. However, his sturdy leather boots took the damage, leaving him free of claw marks.
The chocobo screamed again, and lunged, beak aiming at Ardyn's face. Ardyn's honed reflexes shot his hands out to grab the chocobo's beak before impact. Ardyn's grip held the beak shut and in place with a stranglehold. He ignored the pain as the sharp edges dug into his hands. He stood his ground as the chocobo tried turning this way and that to dislodge him. Ardyn clung like an especially strong leech. A leech who had bones that felt like they would be twisted apart by the jarring impacts of the chocobo.
Just when Ardyn thought his strength would give out, he felt the chocobo begin to tire. His head tosses became fewer and lighter. His wings came down. His body relaxed, and he ducked his head (a move Ardyn let him make), to show submission to the more dominant force.
Ardyn had done it. Despite everything, he could still tame black male chocobos. He couldn't wait to see the look on Wiz Junior's face, but he couldn't consider it a win yet.
"Good boy," Ardyn crooned. "Mind giving me a ride?"
The chocobo bent his neck, allowing Ardyn to hop aboard. Ardyn realized belatedly he had forgotten a saddle and bridle, but this was a challenge he relished. He still winced a bit as his bloody sore hands made impact with the animal's side to make it start running. His knees, already jarred from absorbing the impacts from earlier, protested as he used them to hold onto the speedy creature.
Once Ardyn was used to the sensation of chocobo riding again, and once the chocobo got used to a human passenger, the ride became smoother. Ardyn was able to glance behind him and saw a few of the female chocobos were following their male comrade. He smirked. Was Rila watching from the trees somewhere, now considering him a chocobo pied piper?
Or was she waiting to pounce with another whip? Well, she'd have to catch him first. And if she had something that could catch up to a black male chocobo at full speed, she almost deserved to catch him.
He made his way to the Trading Post in less than half the time the route had taken on foot. He couldn't wait to see the look on Wiz Junior's face. What rewards would Wiz give him for the extra chocobos that had come with him? Or would Wiz seek to betray him? Ardyn would find out soon enough.
"Not this dream again," Eostre thought in mounting terror, but her subconscious didn't listen. It never did, just as it let her know it was a dream, but still made her feel all the emotions as though it were real events.
She was running down the catwalk in Gralea, knowing full well what she would see. Aldercapt was always already turned, gone—she never saw him. It was only Ardyn who invaded the dream, standing there at the end of the catwalk, arms folded, a knowing smirk on his face.
Nightmare Eostre stood frozen, just as she had all those years ago. Ardyn stepped forward, slowly, deliberately, like a fencer ready to strike. "You have seen too much, Eostre Hallbera," he said, voice low, deadly. "You know what that means, don't you," he added, voice rife with dark promise.
The moves and words were always the same, like the blocking of a stage play. At this point, Eostre would turn and run. The catwalk would never end—she would keep running and running, feeling colder and colder as Ardyn caught up. The corridor would finally dead end, and she would feel Ardyn press against her from behind. She would hear the screams of the daemonified patients she had tried and failed to help coming from her own throat—feel the darkness take over as she careened into daemonification. The last thing she would hear was Ardyn's voice taunting, "man enough for you now," and she would wake up in abject terror.
This time, Eostre reached the dead end and felt him behind her as usual.
"Why do you always run to the dead end, Eostre," nightmare Ardyn murmured behind her, so close that his breath ruffled her hair. Nightmare Eostre turned to face him. The rational part of her brain realized then that this time the dream was different, and was probably going to be much worse.
He was gazing at her quizzically, deadly daemon hands resting at his sides. "This is your world, Eostre. Why do you never summon me away?"
The venue changed to Eostre's clinic in Tenebrae—the cot where so many daemonified humans had met their end looming behind her. She had dreadful fears that her nightmares about Ardyn and about the people she had been unable to save were about to combine into a frightful hellscape.
She turned, expecting to see the faces of the patients she had been unable to save, just to see only Ardyn again standing there, scanning the surroundings in detached interest before meeting her gaze once more.
"I can't help but notice I am still here," Ardyn commented dryly. "Why can you not let me go? Why do you always think I intend to turn you into a daemon when you know perfectly well I want something else entirely from you?"
Nightmare Eostre stood still, not responding as Ardyn stepped closer so that he was pressed against her once more. "Shall I guess why," he murmured, before lowering his lips to hers.
It wasn't like Eostre knew what kisses or anything more intimate felt like. However, the remembered feelings of his coldness against her, and, even worse, feeling the cot now beneath her as he lowered her to it, filled in the gaps. She felt a frisson of, something dangerously close to frightened but fascinated desire the instant before Ardyn murmured, "man enough for you now" against her throat.
Eostre woke up, gasping in a mix of shock, terror, and remembered sensation. It took a her a moment to realize she was not on a cot in her clinic in Tenebrae, and that she was alone. She was safe in Insomnia, she told herself. Even if she had her doubts lately about that safety.
Things had changed. Aranea had started largely ignoring Lux, leaving Eostre to make more and more of the decisions concerning his welfare. Eostre was not vain enough to think it was because Aranea trusted her judgement—it was as though she were avoiding her own son.
Ignis was overwhelmed with his role as both King and Prime Minister. She rarely saw him, and when she did, he looked vacant, exhausted. Most of his conversation related to the things that his new adviser Cosmos had said and how he would be lost without her expert judgement.
Eostre had only seen Cosmos from a distance. The woman had given her one look of acute dislike, then promptly turned her back on her, almost as though she couldn't bear looking at her. Insulting, but it suited Eostre just fine—she had learned long ago not to trust anyone with that level of influence. Although, why Ignis and Aranea seemed to buy into it was a mystery, and it made Eostre uneasy.
She had tried bringing up her concerns to Cor about Aranea's and Ignis's behavior. She had clammed up instantly though when she saw that he too was preoccupied, and not himself. She had drawn the unsettling conclusion that he was affected the same way they were. She had endured his lecture about "not wasting his time if she didn't have anything to discuss" rather than tell him what was really on her mind. She deemed it prudent to keep her own counsel.
Perhaps she should leave. But if she did, what would happen to Lux? He drifted like a ghost in the Citadel these days, being ignored by almost everyone except her. It was as though they were, shunning him, but she didn't know why. If she left, he would be truly alone, which was intolerable. Perhaps things would return to normal when Noctis and Luna returned. They had saved the world once—this was nothing compared to that. They would set things right.
Those thoughts were all well and good until she was alone in her bed. Then the uneasiness and what-ifs took over. What if things didn't improve? What if Noctis was affected too? Was what had happened in Gralea repeating here? Was Ardyn involved too somehow? The uneasiness must have triggered the return of her nightmares. Yet, why had her nightmares changed? Why had her subconscious turned it the way it had?
Perhaps that trashy romance novel she had just finished before falling asleep was the answer. Yeah, she thought to herself in relief. It was her brain digesting what she had just read, combined with the unease about what was going on around her that had triggered the usual nightmare combined with, what else had happened in it.
She told herself this as she willed herself back to sleep. But she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was unfinished business between her and Ardyn. And she remembered that brief flare of fascination she had felt for him after that walk home all those years ago. Despite all he had done, could that fascination have degenerated to this in her mind? That thought kept her awake the rest of the night.