Chapter 11

Once Noctis, Luna, Prompto, and Gladiolus arrived, they saw Pride Rock covered with hyenas. Noctis told Prompto and Gladiolus to distract the hyenas. Then he told Lunafreya to go get his mother and rally up the other lioness while he went to look for Ardyn.

"Aulea!" Ardyn's voice was heard. It echoed across the land. Noctis looked up and saw his mother walking up to Ardyn.

"Yes, Ardyn?" she said.

"Where is your hunting party? They're not doing their job." Ardyn said.

"Ardyn, there is no food. The herds have moved on."

"No! They're just not looking hard enough."

"It's over, Ardyn. There is nothing left. We only have one choice. We must leave Pride Rock."

"We're not going anywhere."

"Then you are sentencing us to death."

"Then so be it."

"You can't do that."

"I am king, and I can do whatever I want!" Ardyn said.

"If you were half the king Somnus was -" Aulea didn't get to finish. She was struck by Ardyn. Then they all heard a roar. They all looked up to see a lion standing up on a high rock. He climbs down and walks towards his mother.

"Somnus? No! It can't be. You're dead!" Ardyn said as he backed away from the strange lion.

Noctis nudges his mother gently. She opens her eyes and sees him. "Somnus?"

"No. It's me." Noctis replied.

"Noctis? You're alive. How can that be?" Aulea asks.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm home." Noctis said.

"Noctis?" Ardyn said but then he remembered. "Noctis. I'm a little surprised to see you..." He eyed the three hyenas, Ravus, Arenea, and Loqi. "Alive."

All three nervously backed away from view.

"Give me one more reason why I shouldn't rip you apart." Noctis said as he slowly walked up to Ardyn.

"Oh Noctis." Ardyn said as he started to back away from his nephew. He was backed up against the rock wall. "You must understand. The pressures of ruling a kingdom-"

"Are no longer yours. Step down, Ardyn." Noctis said.

Ardyn chuckled nervously. "Oh I would, of course. But there is one little problem." He points up at the hyenas above him. "You see them. They think I'm king."

"Well we don't. Noctis is the rightful king." Lunafreya said. She had the lioness gathered beside her.

"The choice is yours Ardyn. You either step down or fighht." Noctis said to him.

"Oh, must this all end in violence. I hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, wouldn't you agree Noctis?" Ardyn said as he walked over to the lioness.

"That's not going to work Ardyn. I put it behind me." Noctis said.

"But what about your faithful subjects. Have they put it behind them?"

"Noctis, what is he talking about?" Lunafreya asked him.

"Ah! So you haven't told them of your little secret. Well, Noctis, now's your chance to tell them, tell them who is responsible for Somnus' death."

Lunafreya and Aulea both looked at Noctis.

"I am." Noctis said.

Lunafreya and Aulea looked at him with wide eyes. Aulea walked over to her son.

"It's not true. Tell me it's not true." she pleaded.

Noctis looked at her sadly. "It's true."

"You see, he admits it. Murder!" Ardyn said.

"No! It was an accident!" Noctis said as he watched Ardyn circle him.

"If it weren't for you, Somnus would still be alive. It's your fault he's dead. Do you deny it?"

"No."

"Then you're guilty."

"No! I'm not. I'm murder!" Noctis said.

Now Ardyn has Noctis backed away from him this time.

"Oh Noctis. You're in trouble again. But this time, Daddy isn't here to save you. And now everyone knows why!"

Noctis slipped off of Pride Rock but held onto the ledge at the very last second.

"Noctis!" Lunafreya cried.

A lightning bolt struck the ground underneath Pride Rock. Flames started growing below Noctis.

"Hmm. Now this looks familiar. Where have I seen this, let me think. Oh yes now I remember. This is just the way your father looked before he died."

Ardyn grabbed hold of Noctis' paws with his own. "Now here's my little secret." He leaned into Noctis' ear and whispered "I killed Somnus."

Then it hit him. It wasn't Noctis who killed Somnus. It was his uncle who did. With new strength, he managed to get back onto Pride Rock and pinned Ardyn down.

"Murder!" he yelled.

"No Noctis please." Ardyn pleaded.

"Tell them the truth."

"Truth? But the truth is in the eye of -" Ardyn didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before he felt Noctis' paw against his throat, almost choking him.

"Alright. Alright! I did it."

"So they can hear you." Noctis said.

"I killed Somnus!" Ardyn said louder.

Then at the same time, the lioness and the hyenas all started to fight. The hyenas attacking Noctis and the lioness attacking the hyenas. Then Gladiolus and Prompto appeared. They rammed into the hyenas. Noctis was fighting two hyenas. He was having trouble fighting off onw when Cor grabbed the hyena by the neck and flung him off of Noctis.

He leaped into battle fighting off the hyenas. Then Ignis joined in the fray. He stood back to back with Noctis.

"Ignis!" Noctis exclaimed.

"Good to see you back, Your Highness." Ignis said.

"So how should we fight them off?" Noctis asks.

"I advise we should fight them off one by one." Ignis told him.

"Got it." Noctis replied.

Together, Noctis and Ignis, along with the other lions, fought off the rest of the hyenas. There were only a few more when Noctis spotted Ardyn.

"Go Noct! Leave the rest to us." Ignis told him.

Noctis nodded and he ran after Ardyn. Ardyn ran until he was at the ledge of the top of Pride Rock. He turned around to see Noctis leap into view.

"Murder." Noctis said to him.

"Noctis, Noctis, please have mercy. I beg you." Ardyn pleaded.

"You don't deserve to live."

"Noctis. I. Am. Family. It's the hyenas who are the real enemy. It was their fault. It was their idea." Ardyn said. Nearby, the hyenas growled in anger as they saw their own leader betray them.

"Why should I believe you?" Noctis asked. "Everything you ever told me was a lie."

"What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your own uncle."

"No Ardyn. I'm not like you." Noctis answered.

"Oh Noctis, thank you. You are truly noble. I'll make it up to you I promise. How can I prove myself to you. Tell me anything." Ardyn said/

"Run. Run away Ardyn. And never return." Noctis said.

Ardyn looked back in fear. "Yes. Of course. As you wish, Your Majesty!" He swiped some embers into Noctis' face.

Noctis yelled in pain and quickly swiped off the embers. Then Ardyn pounced on Noctis. The two lions started fighting each other. Then in the last fight, Ardyn was about to make the kill on Noctis but then Noctis pushed Ardyn over him. Ardyn fell down Pride Rock. Noctis looked over to see Ardyn getting up.

Ardyn saw the hyenas walked to him.

"Ah, my friends." he said.

"Friends? I thought he said we were the enemy." Arenea said.

"Yeah. That's what I heard." Ravus said.

"Loqi?" they both asked.

Loqi laughed mencingly. Then all the hyenas started stalking towards Ardyn. Ardyn tried to explain but the hyenas pounced on him and all of them were devoured in the flames.

Soon rain started pouring down on Pride Rock, distingushing the flames. The reign of Ardyn Lucis Caleum was over.