Author's Note: Arg! Why can't I keep this to the length I planned! This fic will now be 4 chapters long, to give me time to edit the last chapter. Though it will be shorter than all the others (at least it is so far) and more like an epilogue.
Ardyn sat beneath his favourite tree, back propped up against the soft wood, and watched Somnus and Aera whisper together at the edge of the golden grassy field. He made no move to join them, or to tear Aera away from her killer. Instead he just sat there. Watching the people that orchestrated his downfall.
He still didn't want to believe it.
How could Area, the one who'd promised to always support him, possibly be involved in such a plot?
But... he'd seen his reflection within that shining shield. It could have all been an elaborate nightmare his mind had made up to torture him but... it had held none of the usual themes. No. It was far worse than anything his mind could have conjured.
Aera turned her head towards him, blond hair brushing the side of her face, to smile that dazzling smile of hers. For the first time since he'd started seeing her here, he felt no desire to return it. He just watched her, unblinking, face slack.
She made a disappointed face, and started to walk towards him. But Somnus stopped her, grabbing her harshly by the arm.
The gods must have told her what was to become of him, and then she must have told Somnus. Was that why his little brother had turned so thoroughly against him? They must have known for years, been plotting for years, if that was the case. It made sense. And was all the more disturbing for it. How could he have been so blind?
Somnus had been spreading rumours about Ardyn, trying to turn the other Houses against him for quite a while, as Ardyn had travelled the countryside. Meanwhile, Area met with Ardyn regularly, sometimes in secret, always encouraging him to complete his calling as the Gods' had bid. He'd pushed himself to take in more and more of the Scourge, sure that he would be recognized for his devotion to the gods.
Until he truly was the monster Somnus had made him out to be.
Had her death been part of their conspiracy? Had it been fake, like so much else in his life?
Ardyn closed his golden eyes. He was tired. So very, very tired.
Why was he even still alive? Surely that man, the King who looked like an older Somnus, should have killed him by now. Ardyn distinctly remembered attacking him in a rage, thinking he was Somnus, being unable to land a hit on him, and then collapsing.
Unless that too had been a dream.
He didn't know which he preferred to be true. That someone had come to free him from his prison, only to tell him that he had only done so to kill him at the command of the gods, or that it had all been an elaborate hallucination.
Something pricked at the edge of his senses. He pushed it away, determined to ignore it. He just wanted to rest. That hallucination had been too painful, too exhausting.
If given the choice, he'd rather spend his final moments here, not in that cold stone prison. Better to die peacefully in the place of his choosing, than be awake and aware during the ritual sacrifice that was surely being done. That the gods had ordained was his fate.
Ardyn closed his eyes and leaned his head against the trunk, blocking out the sight of Aera reaching for him. Waiting for oblivion.
As he waited, he wondered, why hadn't the King killed him immediately? The Gods had given him a purpose, and he'd chosen to delay it. It didn't make any sense. But now, after being attacked by the monster Ardyn now was, surely the King would fulfill his duty.
A slight pain assaulted his temples, making him scrunch nose at the discomfort intruding on his peace. He cracked one eye open to see the light of the golden grassy field grow dim, the figures of Aera and Somnus fading into wisps of smoke.
He'd tried to choose the setting of his death, and been denied. Of course. Why had he bothered to hope for anything different?
Noctis sat on a new blanket he'd summoned from the Armiger, legs crossed, elbows on knees, and rested his chin on clasped hands. He stared hard at the collapsed daemon, who Noctis had covered in the black blanket he'd given him earlier, dropped during the fight.
Any doubt he'd begun to harbour about how dangerous this man could become had been thoroughly dashed. That rage that had taken him over, coupled with the black ichor oozing from his eyes, had proven that though he looked like a man, he was truly a daemon.
There was no doubt that he needed to complete his duty.
Not to mention, his back still throbbed with the aftermath of the demands of the Lucii.
He could do it right now even. The man, daemon, or whatever he was, was completely helpless. But then, Noctis had had multiple opportunities to complete the prophesy since he'd entered Adagium's prison, and had yet to take a single one.
His questions had been answered. Wasn't waiting just dragging out the suffering of not only his own people, but Adagium's as well?
Except the man's name was Ardyn Lucis Caelum. Someone who could have been king. And not only had he been sealed away for two thousand years, he'd also had no idea why.
And he'd called himself a healer.
Noctis couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was not right about the prophesy. That part of this feeling had come about due to a youth spent befriending any stray cat he came upon, he would keep to himself.
He needed to stop mentally making the comparison, he knew, but it was hard not to see the parallels. He'd managed to save many a stray from being 'destroyed' by showing that all they needed was to be shown some kindness. Just because they tried to scratch and bite, did not mean that they were rabid.
Anyway, he wanted to talk to Ardyn one last time. He had an idea, but wasn't sure if he should follow through on it. The Lucii had reluctantly agreed that it might work, though the Founder King hadn't been happy with Noctis' suggestion.
"You made him out to be a monster. He's nothing like one."
"You see the sickness within him with your own eyes," His ancestor sneered, "And claim he is not?"
"I see just that, someone who is sick."
"He is a daemon. We are charged with their eradication. What you are asking cannot be done."
"It could." One of the other spirits spoke out, the voice painfully familiar. "We have tread the same path for two thousand years. What harm will there be in trying?"
"A sinner such as him will never submit." Somnus Lucis Caelum intoned.
"He is your elder brother, is he not?" Noctis asked. "I don't know what passed between you, but surely you must desire for him to find peace."
"Sacrifices must be made, a fact he never understood." Was Noctis imagining things, or was that regret he heard through the distorted voice? But then it hardened, reminiscent of Lunafreya's, "Eradication is the only path towards peace. As it has always been so."
"A king cannot lead by standing still." His Father quietly said, spectral form standing at his side in support, while the rest of them encircled them, implicitly refuting Somnus' claim.
"He must always push forward and accept the consequences." Noctis finished with a small smile, grateful for his Father's trust in him. "I am the King of Kings. And I will pay the price."
"... So be it." The old King begrudgingly conceded.
So he now had two options before him. One guaranteed to succeed by the Gods. The other reluctantly conceded by the thirteen chosen Lucian Kings and Queens, with a potential for failure.
Before he made a decision either way, there was one thing he hoped to receive, and that was Ardyn's consent. He wished he could give the man time to come to terms with his fate, as the gods had granted to Noctis, but they did not have the time.
Why didn't the Gods tell the man, as Noctis had been told, of his fate? Unfortunately, that was a question Noctis would have to accept he'd never know the answer to.
Ardyn continued to show no sign of waking. Last time Noctis had slapped him awake, but he had no desire to do so again. He needed to start them on a calm note. Though there was no guarantee that what woke would be the man he'd been slowly coaxing into relaxing, and the daemon who'd attacked him.
Not wanting to wait any longer, for he had no idea how long the man would sleep for, Noctis shuffled over and reached out, putting his hand on the man's temple, intending to shake him awake, ready to warp away if necessary. However, as soon as the ring touched the clammy skin, it lit up the room.
Noctis jerked his hand back in shock, instinctively warping back to his blanket.
Golden eyes opened with a gasp, and Noctis waited, tense, ready to defend himself.
Ardyn lay there for a long moment, his breaths short and quick, eyes darting around the stone prison. They slid right over Noctis' frozen form, more interested in the lit braziers along the far wall and the gouges in the stone where the chains used to hang him from.
Noctis dared to hope that he'd have a chance to speak to the man once more, instead of being forced to put the daemon out of its misery, like Somnus had assumed.
Ardyn's deep voice whispered, "I'm... still alive?"
Noctis pressed his lips together, hopeful but not wanting to speak and startle the man just yet, given the strong reactions the man had to him in the past.
The red head slowly levered himself up, low ponytail sliding to rest in the centre of his back. The black blanket slid down his chest, revealing the puckered scars where the chains used to pierce him. Amber eyes blinked at it for a moment, head cocking to the side.
Noctis forced himself not to hold his breath, nerves tight and ready to react as necessary.
Ardyn's eyes widened and he jolted the rest of the way up, zeroing in Noctis.
"Why?" He demanded, almost sounding frustrated. Noctis allowed himself to relax slightly, that was not at all the reaction he'd been expecting.
"You... remember who I am?" He cautiously asked. Based on the question, and tone, he hoped that Ardyn did.
The man's lips turned down, eyes briefly flickering to where Lunafreya once stood on the other side of the crystalline wall. Thankfully, she'd left at some point while Noctis had consulted with the Lucii.
"Brother-" Ardyn growled, voice edging into the deep octave it had gained when he transformed, hands clenching in the fabric of the blanket.
Noctis grimaced. Damn it all. Before he could correct the man, desperate to avoid a fight, Ardyn beat Noctis to it.
"No," Long bangs swayed as he shook his head, "Somnus never hesitated to-" His throat bobbed and he turned his face away.
The King had to wonder what he'd stopped himself from saying. But was beginning to get a picture of it, based on Somnus' own assertions about his brother and the daemons. There was clearly bad blood between them. But was one in the wrong? Or was neither?
"Somnus' descendant." Ardyn said, much to Noctis' relief, finally relaxing his hands, stroking the fabric of the soft blanket.
Noctis nodded, settling more comfortably, reminding him, "Noctis."
He took a deep breath, intent on avoiding topics that could lead to a fight, but not sure how to do so, and blurted,"So, I've spoken to the Lucii." He winced, that was poorly done, but it was too late now. So instead he waited for a reaction, eyes searching Ardyn's face. The word was apparently unfamiliar to him though, given his lack of reaction.
"The what?" Ardyn asked, voice tired, clearly confused by Noctis' sudden statement.
"You don't know?"
Ardyn frowned and gave him a clearly exasperated look. Perhaps at the reminder that almost all of what Noctis had told him so far he hadn't known. Yeah, he should have anticipated that. But he didn't let the momentary embarrassment slow him, as he used to in his youth.
"They are the spirits of my ancestors. Housed within this ring." He held up his hand, the light of the fires catching on the metal.
Ardyn looked dubiously at the small piece of jewelry. "I've... never heard of such a thing before. Not even Solheim had artifacts of such power." He looked interested despite himself, but then went back to frowning, looking at Noctis narrowly, suspicious.
"I can speak to them," Noctis explained, "And they to me, given a bit of effort."
Ardyn grimaced, perhaps guessing what Noctis was trying to carefully dodge around.
"Let me guess," He waved an arm in a half-hearted gesture, sounding almost flippant."Somnus demands my execution."
Noctis raised his eyebrows, surprised at the attempt to hide how bitter the statement obviously made him. Ardyn was speaking with more awareness and energy than he'd had before he'd collapsed. His mind that much sharper. Had the weird reaction to the ring done something to him? Woken him up more?
Noctis eyed Ardyn's hand as it rejoined the other on his lap, both subtly stroking the fabric now. Perhaps he was using it to ground himself?
"I won't do anything without your consent." Noctis began.
"Ha," Ardyn scoffed, instantly bristling, hackles up. "And what will you do if I don't give it to you?" He raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Noctis, "Let me leave this place?"
"...No." Noctis conceded, hesitating to explain his alternate option. Despite his words to the other Kings, he wasn't completely sure he should offer it to the other man. He was making a judgment call about him after only having exchanged a few words with him. And against the advice of his ancestor, who surely knew him well enough to judge.
"So you'd rather I be a willing sacrifice? As if that's any better." He looked away from Noctis, this time not hiding how bitter he felt.
Noctis wanted to say something to refute what Ardyn had said, but could come up with nothing. It was true after all. So he was struck silent, not sure how to continue. He wanted to ask for more details of what transpired between the two brothers. Or at least get a sense of Ardyn's perspective. But again, he didn't want to start a fight. For if one started again, he knew the Lucii would demand he finally fulfill the prophesy. They'd consider themselves proven correct, and Noctis wasn't sure he'd have the will to resist them again.
Ardyn sighed, held both of his hands in front of him, palm up, and summoned his long red sword. Noctis tensed, summoning a sword of his own, but paused in jerking to his feet when the man did nothing but stare down at his blade, resting it in both hands.
Noctis slowly lowered himself back into a seated position, weary of the man turning into his daemonic form and attacking. But nothing of the sort happened. Ardyn just stared at it.
Something about the red sword caught his eye. Now that he wasn't so distracted trying to dodge the large blade, he realized there was something about it he recognized. Dismissing his favoured Engine blade to his Armiger, he summoned the Blade of the Mystic, and sucked in a shocked breath.
The swords were practically identical. Their only differences lay in the deep blue and red edges of the blades, and that the flourishes on the handles mirrored each other.
Ardyn glanced over at him, eyes fixated on the blade in Noctis' hand, then huffed at the questioning look on Noctis' face.
"They were forged together when we were young. With the hope that the two of us would rule together. Instead..." He sighed, and hung his head, but not before Noctis got a glimpse of the deep pain in his eyes.
The dark haired King decided to leave the other man to his thoughts, giving him space. He could break the silence and explain his alternate idea to him, with the caveat that it was a long shot, but Somnus' doubt continued to still his tongue.
The younger brother did not have a very high opinion of the elder. And though the tales that had been passed down through the centuries stated that Adagium was a master trickster, Noctis did not believe that anything so far had been a trick. Ardyn had been too disoriented, barely able to focus on Noctis, when he'd awoken. Not to mention, the kind of fear he'd shown for who he thought was his brother, was not easily faked.
And now he was incredibly subdued and bitter. But also, incredibly sad.
Noctis searched his mind for a distraction, and a topic that would give him more insight into the man he was contemplating saving. Ardyn seemed pretty lucid, perhaps he could risk asking him about the other name the man had kept mentioning in his delirium.
Before he could formulate a way to broach what was likely a sensitive topic, Ardyn's sword disintegrated into the red crystalline sparks that signified his Armiger. He then clasped his hands together and bowed his head in prayer.
Noctis' eyebrows shot up, was he praying to the Gods? His lips were moving, but Noctis could not make out what he was saying.
He hadn't been around someone praying like that in a long time, and after meeting the Gods himself, he doubted they could even hear the man's prayers. Knowing that the Gods were the ones to ordain his fate, Noctis was surprised he would still pray to them.
Taking his cue from the other man, Noctis finally dismissed his own sword.
Amber eyes flickered briefly to meet Noctis' at the noise, then he broke the silence, "If it is what the gods will... I- I will-" He choked on the words, hunching into himself. "I will do as the gods have ordained."
Noctis blinked multiple times. Shocked. It was that easy? The man bowed to the prophesy just like that?
Why had Somnus been so sure that he wouldn't? Had he convinced himself of the tales he'd written and passed down? Or maybe it was a way to justify to himself what he'd done? Noctis would never know.
He opened his mouth. Then closed it, at a loss of what to say.
"There... might be another way." He hesitated, uncertain if he should even offer the option to the man, if he was willing to go through with the prophesy.
"What?" Ardyn looked up at him through his long bangs, "What do you-?" Noctis winced at the bewildered, hurt look on his face, "No." Ardyn's face twisted into what could only be described as self-loathing,"I saw what I turned into. I'm a monster." He lowered his hands to rest on the blanket draped across his legs, head down and back bowed.
The man was sharp when he wasn't disoriented, scared, and angry. He'd taken Noctis' ambiguous statement and extrapolated what he meant very quickly.
"Even if you are..." He wouldn't go so far as to call Ardyn a monster, even with the way he'd appeared when he attacked. Sure, many would call all daemons monsters, and Somnus was apparently one of them. But Noctis had seen the monstrous things people could do to each other. Even if a monster was 'what' Ardyn was, that didn't make it 'who' he was. His choices already reflected that.
"What this?" Ardyn picked up on his hesitation to agree with the moniker, incredulous, he let out a disbelieving laugh, "You doubt your own eyes? Even Somnus-"
"He has no say in my decision." Noctis firmly stated, silencing the other man."Anyway, there's more to the prophesy than what I said earlier."
Ardyn cringed, no doubt assuming it was something negative to do with him. "What more could they possibly demand of me?" He asked, resigned, fists clenched in the fabric of the blanket.
Noctis shook his head, "Not you. Of Me."
Amber eyes glanced up at him, his back straightening up a bit.
"I was told by Bahamut that as the King of Kings, I would be given the power to banish the darkness, but at a price. My life." He quoted the Draconian, trying to keep his feelings on the matter from his voice. "Many sacrificed all for the King, so must the King sacrifice himself for all."
Ardyn came out of his protective huddle completely, until he was looking at Noctis straight on."You're saying, we both die here?"
Noctis nodded, "That's what I thought, when I first opened the door." He gestured back to the entrance of the prison.
"But no longer?" Ardyn quickly caught his implication. His easy understanding, while at first a bit intimidating, was a welcome surprise. Noctis was used to having to explain himself in more detail to everyone but Ignis. "Because I give you my... blessing?" Ardyn's lips twisted bitterly.
Noctis leaned forward, warming up to this alternate option, and to Ardyn himself, now that he'd been able to maintain focus for so long, "No. Well, partially. I was granted 'a power greater than that of the Six.'"
"How is that possible- The gods would allow-" Ardyn looked overwhelmed at the concept, and if Noctis had ever allowed himself to think on it at length he probably would have been too. It had always been easier not to think about.
"To wipe the Scourge off of Eos, they created a vessel of light," He raised a hand to his chest, "To cleanse a vessel of shadow." He gestured towards Ardyn, who twitched."The Gods implied we'd have to fight. But with you helping, then I have power to spare."
Ardyn was already shaking his head in denial, but Noctis kept going. "So I have a better idea. That's why I talked to the Lucii."
"No." Ardyn bit out, surprisingly forceful, shocking Noctis into stopping his explanation.
"No?" Noctis questioned.
"Spare me this- this fantasy of false hope." A small sneer split his face,"Not even Somnus would be so cruel."
Noctis winced, but pushed through, Ardyn's reluctance to hear him through, his fatalism, spurring the King even farther onto his chosen path.
"I think I can heal you, or at least restore you to what you were."
Ardyn closed his eyes, turning his head away, dismissing him, obviously pained at the words. "He would never agree to healing a monster. A daemon."
Why was he being so stubborn suddenly!? Noctis wanted to throw his hands up in frustration. First he'd been awed that the man had accepted his fate so easily, now he wanted to shake that acceptance right out of him!
"It's my choice!" Noctis snapped, raising his voice for the first time. Ardyn flinched, wide eyes looking at him through long red bangs. "It's my choice." Noctis said, more measured, bringing himself back under control. "It's my life that I'm giving. All I'm asking is if you'd like a chance to live."
Ardyn hesitated, clearly unable to believe what Noctis was offering him, "Why would you-" Ardyn shook his head, "You know nothing of me, of what I've done. I'm a monster that deserves to-"
"No one." Noctis interrupted, not quite able to contain the viciousness in his voice, "No one, no matter what they've done, deserves- deserves-" Noctis struggled to articulate the outrage he'd felt when he'd first seen Ardyn, "That!" He pointed to the place Ardyn had once hung from.
The man looked away form Noctis again, hiding his face. Noctis took a deep breath, getting his roiling emotions under control. He couldn't afford to be too emotional, though his concern that it would set the imprisoned man off had yet to happen. Perhaps the man had really stabilized from his earlier delirium?
"What does it matter?" The man sighed, "There's nothing left for me out there." He angled his head towards the blocked prison entrance.
"Then find something." Noctis argued, letting him change the subject, interpreting it as a concession. He tried to keep how upset he was starting to feel from his voice, upset that Ardyn so easily dismissed what Noctis was offering, what he himself desired. "You'll be free of the Gods' prophesy. Free to make your own fate."
"Such a life..." Ardyn hesitated, his resigned fatalism finally cracking, "I cannot even imagine it."
Noctis scooted closer. He offered his two hands, palm up. Ardyn didn't move, his eyes flickering between Noctis' hands and his face.
"I have friends waiting for me out there. All their hopes, their dreams for the future, they've entrusted to me. They'll help you, I promise."
Ardyn's composure broke, he sucked in a shaking breath, head shaking in denial still of what Noctis was offering him.
"Please." Noctis softly entreated, "Trust in me."
Amber eyes locked onto his blue ones, still hesitating. Noctis kept his hands out, meeting the devastation in Ardyn's eyes with his own fierce determination.
"Ha." The man chocked on a laugh, shaking his head not in denial, but something else. "I don't know why I kept seeing my brother in you. You're not at all alike."
Noctis wasn't sure how to take that, but decided on a complement. Hope swelled in his chest, was he going to...?
Ardyn slowly raised his hands from the blanket, until they were hovering, hesitating over Noctis' own. Noctis was close enough he could hear the man take a deep breath, and then bring his hands down, gripping Noctis' tightly. As soon as they touched, Ardyn gasped. Noctis wasn't sure why at first, until he heard the man whisper to himself, "This is real."
Still? He was shocked, the man had been so lucid since he'd woken up. Noctis never would have guessed he still wasn't sure of his reality. Had he been assuming Noctis was a figment of his mind the whole time? Well, it didn't matter any longer, he was committed now.
The ring on Noctis' hand began to glow with a brilliant light. Ardyn tried to flinch the hand touching the ring away, but Noctis' grip held him firm.
The King hunched forward, pain blossoming over his back, until his head almost touched Ardyn's bare chest. The stabbing pain took over his senses, all along the hunched expanse. It felt like he was being stabbed, but in reverse. Thirteen times.
A scream was torn from his throat, the agony overwhelming. Then, in an instant, it was over, the blades breaking free, coming to rest around them in a circle.
They held position for a moment, armoured forms materializing around the blades, long enough that Noctis, hunched over and panting, almost thought they wouldn't fulfill his demand and would carry out their original purpose. Destruction.
"Is this truly your decision?" One of the armoured forms asked, voice identifying him as the Mystic.
A soft snort had Noctis looking up, the sound out of place for what they were doing, "That's Somnus?" Ardyn clearly recognized the voice of his brother, even with the odd quality the armour gave his voice, "You look ridiculous." He pronounced.
An exhausted laugh burst out of Noctis.
"Yeah. I'm sure." He replied to his ancestors.
"Let it be done, as decreed by the King of Kings." Noctis' father spoke up, supporting Noctis, as he always had.
Blood was starting to pool beneath the King, running down the back of his black shirt, soaking through his pants, the wounds on his back leaking steadily from where the spectral forms of his ancestors had burst forth.
The Kings of Yore all stepped forward in turns, with the youngest of them leading the charge. One by one, their forms sank into Ardyn. With each one he grunted in pain. With each one a daemonic cry escaped his mouth. The whites of his eyes bled black, the golden iris glowing daemonically. Hands dug into Noctis' like claws, as the man clearly struggled to remain in place and allow the Lucii to cleanse him.
Until only Somnus remained.
Ardyn was panting now, head bowed, black sweat slowly evaporating off of him. Noctis was leaning heavily on the larger man for support, who in turn was now leaning heavily on Noctis, their hands still intertwined.
The armour around Somnus faded away, leaving a man who looked remarkably like Noctis, if he was clean-shaven.
"Brother..." The spirit sighed, "I should have known you'd try to martyr yourself. You haven't changed at all." Noctis felt Ardyn stir above him, turning his head to face his younger brother. "I thought my brother dead, with a monster walking in his place." Noctis glanced over to see the spirit was on one knee, head bowed to Ardyn. "What I did was unforgivable. But I had no choice. I'm sorry." He apologized, a surprising amount of regret in his tone, "I dare not ask your forgiveness, but I do ask your understanding."
"You still think you were in the right...?" Ardyn gasped, breath ruffling Noctis' hair. "Ha." He scoffed, voice gaining a bitter edge, "Of course. You haven't changed either." Somnus looked up, young face resigned, "But," Ardyn sighed, "If you truly do wish for me to understand, then I guess I'll have to live."
The edge of Somnus' lips twitched, then he stood, Lucii armour replacing his human form.
The Mystic stepped forward, and without further hesitation sunk into Ardyn's body, joining the others battling the daemons within Ardyn's soul. This time, his daemonic scream did not end. It just went on and on. Noctis wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn't remove his hands from Ardyn's crushing grip.
All he could do was pant through the pain, his body growing steadily numb.
The ring shone with the brightness of the sun, surely blinding even those waiting outside the prison.
The daemonic screaming stopped. Trailing off into an all too human wail. Then silence.
With half lidded eyes, he watched the Ring of the Lucii disintegrate.
Noctis could no longer stay conscious, his connection to his ancestors broken, their spirits at last at rest in the beyond.
He collapsed in a pool of blood.
It will have a happy ending, I promise! Though I did originally plan on ending it here on an ambiguous note to keep it more true to the game ending. I couldn't bring myself to do it :p
