On the shore we sat and hoped

Under the same pale moon

Whose guiding light chose you

Chose you all

-The Poet and the Pendulum, Nightwish

In the five years since Noctis' disappearance, there had been no shortage of tales to explain Lucis' King being missing.

Some people thought he had been killed during the beginning of the Long Night when the daemons had finally overtaken the world, whereas others thought he had died in Niflheim's attack on Insomnia in the first place. Others were of the opinion that Noctis had simply grown frightened and run away from his duty. Those who did believe as much kept it to themselves, for it wasn't a popular view.

The Hunters, having been exposed to more of the world's oddities and strangeness than most, knew that Noctis lived and he would come back.

When she could, Elpis had pushed back on the idea that Noctis was dead. No, she didn't know where he was, or when he'd return - but he would, she'd promise anyone who listened. She knew he would. A true King of Lucis never turned their back on their people.

The ride back to Lestallum was a blur as Elpis and Ignis both pushed their chocobos to the limits of their speed. Every lurch of the chocobos' steps matched the beating of Elpis' heart as something lighter than air rushed through her veins. She didn't dare put a name to it. She couldn't, for fear of there somehow being a mistake that would cause all her lightness to crash back to the ground.

They made it back to the city in half the time it had taken them to go to the Disc. They both jumped off their chocobos without waiting for the birds to come to a complete stop and hurried to the outer gate.

Aranea met them outside. "Not so fast," she said. "He isn't here yet."

"Where is he?" Ignis demanded.

Aranea narrowed her eyes at his tone but allowed it for the time being. "Libertus is driving him up from the Cape. The connection kept cutting, but from what I could hear, he was found in Angelgard."

A shiver went down Elpis' spine. Crossing her arms over her chest as if to warm herself, she said, "Nothing to do but wait, then."

From the look on Ignis' face, he was prepared to spontaneously grow wings and fly his way to Noctis. But in the end, he merely nodded, his face tight with impatience. Likewise, Elpis struggled to rein in her frustration and instead took up a post outside the gate, her gaze on the horizon. Vincent sat beside her, panting happily from their run back from the Disc. Elpis rubbed his ears absently.

Soon, she thought. I'll be there with you soon, Ardyn.

Elpis stood at the gate until her feet went numb, her legs ached, and her lower back screamed for relief. It wasn't until Vincent's ears perked up and all three heads pointed to the East that Elpis looked up and saw headlights quickly approaching. Heart in her throat, she stared at the truck, but she couldn't see anything past the glare of the headlights.

Please be him, Elpis thought even as she logically knew it had to be. Not many people had cars in the Long Night anymore.

Just as the car neared, Ignis hurried up beside her, his breath coming quick. Her heart soared, because Ignis would have only come out if he knew it was Noctis.

The truck pulled to a stop a few feet away from them, with Libertus' friendly grin and a wave greeting them both. The passenger side opened, and out stepped a man who looked so much like Somnus that Elpis couldn't help but shiver. It was as if she were seeing a double image, with Somnus overlaid on the figure emerging from the car.

But then the figure came out from the lights and towards them, and Somnus disappeared, leaving only Noctis behind. Time had not appeared to stop for him in the Crystal; his hair was to his shoulders, and a beard had grown in. There were new shadows in his eyes and his shoulders had broadened slightly.

Yet the longer she stared, the more Elpis could see the last remaining hints of childhood on him. The slight roundness still in his cheeks. The uncertain way he carried his new body. He was still a child to her, even five years on.

Finally, after a long beat of silence, Noctis self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck and quietly said, "Hey, Specs."

Ignis' throat worked as he swallowed hard, then smiled. "Your Majesty. Welcome back."

Noctis turned to Elpis and didn't seem to know what to say. She solved the problem for him, surprising even herself when she stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. There was a pause before Noctis briefly hugged her back. Elpis pulled away and put her hands on his shoulders, studying him.

"Libertus... he told me on the way," Noctis said, "how long it's been."

Elpis managed a small smile. "Been a while."

Noctis glanced to Ignis. "And you've all been waiting?"

"Of course," Ignis said, simply, because it was the most simple thing in the world. They knew one day Noctis would have to return; they all waited for him, and would have until their dying day.

Noctis smiled then, and Elpis saw it once more, a light shining in both Ignis and Noctis. She winced and rubbed her eyes, but when she looked again, it was gone. Was her sight playing tricks on her in the dark?

"Hate to break up the touching reunion," Aranea said, breaking Elpis from her thoughts, "but the Hunters will want to talk to His Highness."

"Before I do, you mean?" Elpis said, her tone light.

"And it's 'His Majesty' now, Aranea," Ignis added, his tone also light, his expression the image of innocence.

Aranea merely stared at them both, unamused, before turning and walking back into the gate. Noctis glanced around. "Where are Gladio and Prompto?"

"On their way," Ignis said. "They've been seeing to their own business. You've missed... quite a lot."

Elpis patted her thigh to signal Vincent over to her side, realizing her mistake only a moment later when she saw Noctis' expression as the Cerberus daemon happily lopped over. One of the heads sniffed in Noctis' direction, getting his scent, but Vincent decided to stay near Elpis instead of going over to make a new friend.

"Huh," Noctis said, right hand twitching as if he wanted to summon his Armiger. "Yeah, guess so."

"Please don't kill my dog," Elpis said. "He's nice, once you get past the three heads and the fact that he's a daemon."

There was a long pause before Noctis said, "You know what, I'm not gonna ask."

Though they'd been summoned, neither she nor Ignis made a move to follow Aranea into the city proper. Noctis looked out towards the road as if Gladio and Prompto would appear that very moment. After a beat, he said, "Five years is a long time. What do the Hunters want, anyway?"

"They've been running the show since the Long Night began," Elpis said.

Ignis crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. "They likely want to fill you in on everything that's happened and find out what you intend to do from here on out. Perhaps even offer their assistance."

"And to separate me from you," Elpis said. At Noctis' questioning glance, she clarified, "David and Ezma don't trust me as far as they can throw me." An understatement, but at least the feeling was mutual. The Hunters did good work and Elpis trusted them with the refugees and the running of Lestallum. She did not trust them with her own story or her plans going forward. There were too many old Kingsguard and Glaives in the Hunters now who knew Ardyn only as Adagium, a mythic monster to be contained.

If they got in her way, Elpis knew she would do whatever it took to save Ardyn. She wanted to avoid the possibility.

Noctis looked out towards the horizon, as if he could make Gladiolus and Prompto appear that very moment. Instead, a throat cleared to their side, and they all turned to see Libertus approaching them.

"You know," he said, trying for nonchalance, "if you wanted to skip town and head to Insomnia now... I could probably hold them off. Give you a head start. Y'know."

Elpis blinked in surprise, then shared a look with Ignis, then Noctis. For her part, she didn't want to be anywhere near the Hunters, and she didn't want them to possibly turn Noctis against her. She wasn't one of his dearest friends; she had no expectation that whatever he thought of her wouldn't be swayed by the Hunters. But if Noctis wished to speak to them, she wouldn't stop him.

As she waited to see Noctis' response, Ignis quietly said, "If we were to leave as soon as possible... I would want to say goodbye to Talcott, first. He deserves to know what's happening and where we're headed, should the worst come to pass."

The words he didn't say hung heavy in the air: Should they all die.

"I-" Elpis started, then paused. "Yeah. I agree. There's something I should do before we leave. If we leave."

They both looked at Noctis, who seemed to startle slightly when he realized they were waiting for him to make a decision. He glanced back at Libertus, who only leaned against his truck and waited. Finally, he slowly nodded.

"Talcott deserves that much," Noctis said. "And you, too, Elpis."

Some knot of tension released in her chest and a smile formed on her lips. They quickly made a new plan, knowing they'd have to move fast so the Hunters didn't catch them-or worse, Aranea.

Elpis and Ignis left Noctis with Libertus and the truck and hurried into the city. The cacophony of the people soon swallowed them, and Elpis felt a rush as she looked at every face she could. She passed by the newcomer Cora, who was feeding the stray cats bits of her dinner, much to the animal's delight. Children's shrieks of laughter flew above the rest of the noise as she passed by their game of ball. She felt as if she were half there, half not, as if she walked with one foot in the real world and the other in some unseen land that lay over the rest.

Soon, the people might live in the sun once again. They wouldn't have to fear the dark any longer. They could go back to their homes and begin their lives again.

She tried not to think if the same could be said for her at the end of this journey. A part of her knew it was possible she and Ardyn might not make it out of the story alive. After all, she had already died once before, and the odds were stacked against them. They were going up against Gods and a prophecy and the world itself. Happy endings only happened in fairytales.

With that thought weighing heavily on her mind, Elpis parted ways with Ignis once they reached the orphanage. He went to find Talcott; she went to the sitting room once again and, after rummaging around for a bit, found some paper and a pen. She sat at a table and, after a long hesitation, began to write.

It was there, a few minutes later, that Stella found her. Just as Elpis folded the paper, she heard the other woman's footsteps and stood to face her.

Stella took one glance at her, her eyes drifting to the paper, then sighed. "You're about to do something I'd advise against, aren't you?"

"Yep," Elpis said. "Listen. Noctis Lucis Caelum is back, and he's heading to Insomnia. Ignis and I are going with him."

Stella blinked rapidly. "Oh. Okay? But-"

"I'm sorry," Elpis said, ever aware of the time that had passed. "I can't explain. I wish I could. Listen, if I don't come back, could you make sure this gets to my sister Laelia in Tenebrae?"

Elpis held out the letter to Stella, who took it uncertainly. She gave Elpis a stricken look. "You-you think you're going to die. Don't you?"

Yes.

She had never asked herself that question, and yet she knew the answer all the same with a certainty she hadn't felt in a long time.

It was possible she was going to die trying to do the impossible. It had happened once. She could no longer think of herself as invincible, not since being run through the heart with a sword and spending two thousand years in the Beyond. But it was more than that. Somehow, in some deep part of her, Elpis knew that her death waited for her in Insomnia.

Instead of feeling afraid, she felt a strange sense of calm. Let her meet her death, then. She would fight it tooth and claw and make them drag her back into the Beyond, kicking and screaming.

Elpis would not give up on Ardyn without a fight. Even if she had to face each and every God herself.

She could say none of this to Stella. Instead, she merely shrugged a shoulder and said, "I don't know. It's always a possibility. And if I do, please, Stella-make sure my sister gets that letter. I should have said all of it to her myself, personally, but... never mind. Just-please."

Blue eyes shining with tears, Stella held the letter to her heart. "I swear to you," she said, "she'll get it. But you'd better come back, Elpis. You're needed here."

She had no response for that. Instead, she thanked Stella once again, and then made her way out of the orphanage, back out into the night.

She did not see Sunniva try running after her, only to be stopped by Stella. The girl fought against Stella hard but stopped when the woman held her tightly.

"She'll be back," Stella whispered to Sunniva, her words nearly lost against the girl's cries. "Have faith in her, Sunny. She'll be back."

Laelia -

By the time you read this, I hope the Long Night will be over. King Noctis is going to Insomnia to set things right, and I'm going with him. I am going to try and save Ardyn.

I know you wish I wouldn't. I'm sorry. I know you must feel like I've abandoned you, and that no matter what I say, I can't make that feeling go away. I should have come to see you in Tenebrae. I'm sorry that I didn't. I was too scared to face your judgment again, to see you be disappointed in me again. I'm a coward for it.

But know this: I'm not doing this just for Ardyn. I'm doing this for you, too. I want you to live in a world where the sun shines again, where daemons are a distant memory. I want you to live happily. Even if it means you hate me for the rest of your life, at least you'll be alive to do that.

If you're getting this letter, it means that I've died. Whether or not the Long Night is over, that much will be true. I can't be naive and say things will be fine when I know they might not be.

If I do die, just know that you're the best thing to happen to my second life. We might not be related by blood, but you're my little sister in all the ways that count; I hope you can still think of me as your big sister after this is over. I hope, one day, you can still love me, even if I've fallen short of deserving that love.

I love you, Laelia. Don't ever forget that. I'll bring the sun back for you.

Elpis

With Libertus' help, they evaded the Hunters long enough to make it out of the Lestallum city limits and onto the road towards Insomnia. Gladiolus and Prompto had been told to go to Hammerhead instead, where they would meet up with Noctis and the others.

As Elpis drove, they saw no signs of any daemons in their surroundings. She and Noctis shared a look. They both knew the daemons were being kept away so that they could make their way to Insomnia without incident. If she ignored Vincent, who had refused to stay behind by Lestallum, Elpis could almost pretend that it was merely a normal night. At one point in her life, the fact that she had not only a daemon in the back of her truck but also the King of Lucis beside her would have shocked her. Now, Elpis barely gave it a thought. All she could focus on was what came next.

Whatever that may be. No one had spoken about any plans since they'd set off. Maybe Noctis and Ignis were waiting for Gladiolus and Prompto to join them before they began hashing out ideas. Or maybe they were like Elpis and didn't know where to start.

Either way, the ride passed in relative silence. When they finally arrived at Hammerhead, they were all stiff and sore from the long ride and eager to get out of the truck. As Elpis parked, two familiar men emerged from the station, and Noctis' face lit up. He hurried out of the car, followed by Ignis, and together they rejoined Gladiolus and Prompto.

Elpis watched for a moment before turning away. A part of her recognized that she wasn't really a part of their group and so stayed back to allow them their reunion. It felt too intimate for her to intrude on.

She wandered off to the outskirts of the service station, letting the darkness envelope her. There was a chill in the air that always came with the desert at night. The feel of the hard ground beneath her boots was comforting, familiar - even if the last time she'd truly been in the desert had been two thousand years before. She wrapped Ardyn's red scarf around her head and neck in the style she hadn't worn in five years; somehow, it no longer felt right to cover her hair. Tonight, though, in the place where she'd once been born and lived and knew as well as her own hand, it didn't feel so wrong to wear the scarf once more.

As she threw a stick for Vincent to fetch, the wind rustled through the brush. Elpis paused, listening. Partly out of old fashioned caution, but also...

Ellie!

A girl's bright laughter rang in the air. Elpis felt as if she'd been punched in the chest. That was Charis' voice.

Elpis.

Gasping, Elpis spun around, trying to find the source of that voice, the one that belonged to her mother. And there - she could hear the far off crackle of a fire, the singing and cheers of her people as they celebrated, their laughter, their joy. The world around her was empty. The voices were just that: sounds, carried by the wind, of a time so far past that their existence was no longer known by anyone. Except by her.

The wind died down, and with it, the voices disappeared. Elpis stood, shaking, tears in her eyes. She'd forgotten the sound of her mother and sister's voices. She'd forgotten how much she, herself, sounded like her mother, voice smooth and deep.

Taking a steady breath, Elpis closed her eyes. Though she waited, the voices did not return. Still she sank to her knees, then bowed until her forehead touched the ground.

"Mother," she said, "Charis. Please. Help me see this through. Help me save everyone, one last time."

She received no answer to her prayer. Yet she did not feel alone.

When Elpis made her way back to the service station some time later, Ignis was waiting for her by the truck. He tossed a bit of meat to Vincent who took it with glee, all three heads fighting over it.

"We'll be staying here for the night," Ignis said. "Noctis wanted to push on, but it's best we not face whatever's awaiting us in Insomnia fatigued and sore.

"Mm." Personally, Elpis itched to keep moving as well, even though she knew Ignis was right. Being so close and yet so far from Ardyn still was like electricity running in her veins, like a string pulling her on, urging her to keep moving forwards.

Ignis turned his head towards her as if he were studying her. "Gil for your thoughts?" he asked at length.

Elpis wrinkled her nose. "No one uses gil anymore. Make me a meal and then maybe we'll talk."

"I happen to plan on doing just that tonight," Ignis said, a sly hint to his tone. Then, more thoughtfully, he added, "That does bring up the question of what will happen after this all ends. How do you rebuild a world after the apocalypse?"

"Very slowly," Elpis said, "and bit by bit. If things go as they should, that pleasant job will fall to you and Noctis."

He paused. "And what of yourself? What do you want for yourself, after?"

Being alive at all would be a start, Elpis thought. But it was a good question for which she had no answer. If she and Ardyn lived, what would they do afterwards? How would they build a new life?

She didn't feel like disclosing those thoughts to Ignis, at least not tonight, so instead Elpis said, "Depends, are any of you planning on charging Ardyn with crimes against humanity?"

Her tone indicated she'd meant to be joking, but it fell flat. The truth was, if Ardyn lived, he should face some punishment for his actions.

And the Ardyn of old would want to be punished for his actions, Elpis thought. He would punish himself for it if we gave him the chance. That, more than anything, decided her: If she had to, she would fight to keep him free.

"Let's survive, first," Ignis finally said. "Everything else can wait."

"Sure," Elpis said. "Come on. You owe me a meal."

Together, with Vincent following at her heels, they went inside the service station to eat what might be their last supper, to have one last night of laughter and rest, before the end.