"Are you sure this is truly safe, Your Majesty?" Clarus asked.
Currently, Regis and Clarus were reviewing the plans that Regis had made up since the Founder's Day attack, and they happened to be the plans that he had been thinking about ever since Noctis had come explaining what was supposed to lie ahead. But now that Bahamut was out of the picture, there was a level of uncertainty that Regis wished to wash away. There was still much to be done if he wanted to provide a safe and happy future for his son.
"I assure you, Clarus, it will be safe. I am planning for everything to go as smoothly as it can."
"Even with him?" Clarus asked, pointing to Ardyn, who was leaning against the wall across from them.
"Yes, even with my ancestral uncle."
Ardyn groaned. "Please, I've said it before not to call me 'ancestral'. Makes me feel far too old. Uncle, Uncle Ardyn, or simply just Ardyn will suffice just fine, nothing more."
Regis couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Very well, Uncle. Now, part of the matters I have to discuss are things that have yet to happen still, but I want your knowledge on."
Ardyn strolled over to the table, looking down at the amount of papers that had been scattered across it. "And what would that be?"
Regis opened up a desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. "My son gave this to me when he came from the future. He told me briefly the basics of its contents, but nothing else. I'm only opening it up now that I am able to talk to you about it."
He pulled out the stuff inside of it, revealing some documents and photographs. "From what I have been told about the future, Verstael Besithia has been working on making a special army of soldiers cloned from his own DNA."
"Yes, that raving lunatic believes his genes are superior. And somehow that equates to creating clones of himself to turn into mechanical daemon soldiers. What of it?"
Regis held out the contents to Ardyn. "It appears in the original timeline, one clone was rescued from that facility two years from now. He was rescued by someone and brought into Insomnia, left in the care of a family to raise him. Years later he befriended my son, and they became rather close. Noctis told me that if I were successful in changing the future, he would hope there would be a chance to still rescue Prompto. I find that rather heartwarming, don't you? My son wishes for the future to be bright, but still wishes for his friend to be by his side. It shows he has a heart that is deeply connected to those he loves, wanting the best for all of them."
"Ah, I see what you are implying," Ardyn said, reading over some of the papers. "When the time comes for this clone to come into existence, you'd want me to sneak him out. That, of course, is assuming we keep a ruse over the eyes of Niflheim that I still align my views with them."
Regis grinned. "Exactly my thoughts."
"And I still think it's all rather risky," Clarus grunted. "How can we assume all will be well in two years? Especially for Ardyn to walk freely around there without suspicion."
"I am still the Chancellor of Niflheim. If I were to try and resign, there would be much more suspicion than if I were to just lay low instead. So yes, it is best if I play the part and act as if nothing has changed," Ardyn explained.
"And that leaves us with our first important trip," Regis said, going back to the papers on the table. "The trip to Tenebrae has been arranged, now we only have to go there and hope that the Empire doesn't intrude. Queen Sylva already knows that we are coming, knowing of you too Uncle, and she has prepared what she has deemed necessary."
"And she believes it will work?" Ardyn asked suspiciously.
"She believes it, so I shall too."
"I thought the Oracle of the present day was only capable of sending the Starscourge into remission, not wiping it from the body entirely," Ardyn stated. "I was the only one able to do that, though, of course, the price was to absorb the disease into my own body."
"Sylva is looking for a way to make it work, and I have my faith in her," Regis responded. "I'm sure we can figure out something to help you."
"If that is what you say, then I must take your word for it," Ardyn said with a shrug.
From there, Regis began to discuss the rest of the plans. There would be plenty to think about, from everything concerning what they would do in Tenebrae, to whatever else followed. Regis knew how much was at skate, but all he could do was move forward as carefully and as smoothly as he could.
The trip out to Tenebrae was surprisingly made without any interruptions. It probably helped that the Empire didn't even think to be looking for them there in the first place. There already was enough news blaming Niflheim, that they probably thought it was best to stay quiet anyways. No public announcement was made for Regis's temporary leave however, which he hoped would be enough to keep the Empire off their radar, even with Ardyn on their side.
Thankfully, Ardyn had made a call to the Empire at some point, and somehow convinced them that he was going to take an extended vacation. It was almost hard to believe how he passed off the lie over the phone with ease. Ardyn apparently was a natural-born liar, or at least he had been warped into one with everything he had been through. Either way, Regis made sure to keep that note stored away in the back of his head.
When they arrived in Tenebrae, Ardyn remained rather silent, looking up at the architecture that they passed by. One could only wonder what he thought of it, and what memories it must have stirred in his mind. Perhaps it was the age of the structures, since Tenebrae was a very old kingdom. There was a good chance that it reflected buildings that Ardyn must have grown up in or had seen in his childhood.
"Ah, King Regis," Sylva said once they met her in a special meeting was a room that only had one window that looked out over the large field of flowers. Other than that, there was a desk with soft, cushioned chairs for the guests to sit on.
"I hope that your trip went smoothly?" she asked.
"It was, thank you. But, we can have small talk later on. We must discuss the matter at hand."
"Of course. Please, won't all of you take a seat?" Sylva said as she pointed to the empty chairs.
Once everyone was seated, Sylva looked over at Ardyn. "And you must be Ardyn, it is a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Ardyn replied softly.
"So, is it true that you once lived 2000 years ago? Healing those who had the Starscourge when it first began to surface?"
"Yes, that would be correct. Though, ever since the Starscourge within me grew to be too strong, I no longer can heal as I once did. I discovered this issue when I tried to heal someone once, only to discover that I bestowed the dreaded disease."
Sylva lowered her head. "It is truly awful how the Draconian did not consider the side effects until it was far too late. And then to not even try to fix what problems he made."
"Yes… the Draconian never seemed like the type to want to clean up his mess. At least, not until he waited a few eons," Ardyn grumbled.
"But he is no more," Regis reminded. "We have no need to worry about him now."
"Of course," Sylva replied, lifting her head back up. "We must remind ourselves we are free to do as we please. We shall make choices for the future that will bring peace to all. But first, we must start with you, Ardyn."
"Very well, let's see if this really warrants any merit. Just know that I am still rather skeptical," Ardyn sighed.
Sylva got up and led the three men down the hall. While the manor was not as tall as the Citadel, there were still several floors. They were led to a staircase that took them up the levels from the main floor. That was the floor that was predominantly used as their medical floor, from what Sylva explained. From here, they would go into one of the private rooms, and Sylva would try and perform her magic.
As they were about halfway down the hall, a little girl could be seen running from the opposite end.
"Mama! Mama!" she shouted. "I wanna come!"
Sylva laughed as she scooped up the three-year-old as soon as she was within range. "And what brings you here, my little Lunafreya? Did you run away from your brother again?"
Lunafreya giggled. "Maybe. But I wanna come with! I wanna see the magic!"
As Sylva talked with her daughter, Regis noticed that Ardyn again had a rather observational look. One that was similar to when he was looking at the architecture.
"Is everything alright?" He decided to try and ask, and stepped up to his uncle.
"I am… not sure," Ardyn admitted. "The young princess, she has features that bring up old memories."
"Memories from long ago?" Regis asked.
"I suppose it must have something to do with my ancestors?" Sylva added in, turning around to face Ardyn.
"Sylva, you and your children come from the long line of Fleurets, dating all the way back to when I was a young man," Ardyn said, placing a hand over his heart. He paused for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before he continued. "You are the descendants of Marisa Mirus Fleuret, younger sister to Aera Mirus Fleuret."
Regis could hear the strain in Ardyn's words, especially once he spoke the name of the other Oracle. He had read about the original Oracles from Ardyn's era, unfortunately most of the information was written in Old Lucian, making it hard to decipher. But what he had gathered was that Aera had met an untimely death, though it was never specified what the causes were.
"Aera…" Ardyn went on to say. "She was very dear to me, and the only one who understood me. And while I know you descend from Marisa's line, your daughter reminds me much of Aera."
"I'm sorry," Sylva replied softly. "If you prefer, I can have this young lady go back to her room where she was supposed to be."
"But I wanna see the magic!" Lunafreya repeated. "And I wanna know who Aera is! Who are you talking about?"
"Discussion of your ancestors should come at another time," Ardyn said to Lunafreya before he looked at her mother. "And while normally I have nothing against it if she wishes to stay, since I know how much children like to sneak and disobey anyways, it would be best if she didn't. For her safety."
"Very well," Sylva replied before looking back at her daughter. "Do you understand, Lunafreya? This is something that could be dangerous. I would prefer you to go back to your brother."
"Aw… okay… I understand!" Lunafreya pouted, but she quickly returned to a cheerful demeanor as she was set back down onto the floor. "We can talk later and I can hear all the things!"
The group then headed into a room that Sylva had set up. The windows had been closed, with thick curtains covering them. The only light source came from the fixtures that were built into the ceiling. Ardyn stepped forward, looking at the bed that would probably be used for what they were trying to achieve.
He then turned to face Sylva. "Do you happen to have any restraints on the bed or any rope handy?"
Sylva looked at him strangely. "And what would we need that for?"
"In case the scourge decides to take control of me. You'll want me properly restrained to the bed so I cannot break free. I dealt with this many times back in my day. It was the safest method to keep the contaminated person from attacking."
"And why didn't you mention this before?" Clarus asked.
"I had assumed it would have been already set. Perhaps I should have asked," Ardyn said as he shrugged.
"Well, if you think it is necessary, then I can have someone bring the… the rope that you request," Sylva replied before picking up a phone on a nearby desk.
Moments later, a staff member brought the requested rope, and Regis could see the confusion on their face. He didn't blame them for that, he too would have been confused if Ardyn had not explained beforehand.
"Are you sure that you're okay with this, Uncle?" Regis asked, watching Ardyn lay himself down on the bed.
"I am certain. I know the Starscourge. It will try to rebel. Try to fight against being purged. You must be prepared for anything that may happen," Ardyn replied.
Clarus and Regis then stepped forward, taking the rope from Sylva's hands. They bound Ardyn to the bed by his wrists and ankles, tightening the rope as best as possible. While it still left Regis uncertain, he tried his hardest to keep hope that it would succeed. This had to work, otherwise Regis wasn't sure what they would do next.
Sylva now stood next to the bed, holding her trident in one hand. "Blessed stars, hear my plea. I call upon you to give me the strength needed to completely purge this Starscourge. Let me use all that is possible to cure this poor man."
With the magic glowing from the trident, Sylva held it out over the bed, right over Ardyn's head. Her other hand reached forward, holding it just above his forehead. Magic sparkled from her fingers and soon Ardyn was being showered in a golden light.
He immediately started to scream painfully. Starscourge started to drip from his eyes and mouth as he struggled against the tight ropes.
"I've never seen the Starscourge so close before… is this really what it does to a person?" Regis thought as he couldn't bring himself to look away. "Or is it because Ardyn is a special case, having built up so much of it from healing others?"
Regis watched as Sylva kept chanting her special prayer, causing more light magic to spread over Ardyn's body. He only screamed louder and thrashed more against his confinement. The Starscourge was acting just as he implied, thrashing as a Daemon would when exposed to light.
"I ask for all of the Oracles before me to hear me," Sylva shouted. "Anyone who is willing, lend me your strength so we may heal the man who once was the healer for all of Eos. Let us bring him back to what he once was, curing him of this darkness-filled state!"
Sylva was almost completely glowing in magic now, every inch of her covering in that golden light. As Regis watched, he could have sworn he saw flickers of another woman standing near the bed, opposite of Sylva. Her hands were extended outward as well, sharing a similar shine of magic that sprinkled down onto Ardyn.
"Could that be…?" Regis began to wonder.
Looking as carefully as he could at the flicking image, the woman looked much like Oracles in the ancient paintings, telling of the old eras.
As Regis stared, she noticed and smiled towards him. 'Please ensure that my beloved Ardyn lives a good life. He deserves blissful peace after the Astrals tried to twist his fate into something cruel.'
Quickly, Regis looked over to Clarus, to see if he too was able to witness this other oracle. However, his expression was unchanged. He could not hear or see what Regis was seeing.
Whether or not Sylva saw the other Oracle was a different matter, but she still was rather preoccupied with her magic. With that in mind, it helped Regis conclude that the voice of this Oracle was speaking only for him to hear. The Oracle that was Ardyn love from 2000 years ago; Aera.
"I will do my best," Regis thought, hoping that she would be able to hear his thoughts in return.
Aera smiled warmly. 'Thank you, Regis. May the stars shine brightly now, bringing repose to you all.'
"A-Aera," Ardyn groaned weakly.
She knelt down next to the bed, placing her hand on top of Ardyn's head. 'Ease your sorrows, my love. Everything shall be alright. I trust that you'll find happiness again. Let your heart be open to it.'
"But… Aera…" Ardyn raspily breathed. "Only cure for… e-exhaustion… two things…"
'I know, my love. They are rest and myself. But while I cannot be by your side, I will always be in your heart. Try not to forget that, and one day we shall see each other again,' Aera's soft voice replied before she placed a kiss onto his forehead.
Aera's image vanished shortly after, leaving nothing more than a faint glow of magic.
Ardyn tried to say more, but he started to scream in pain again. Darkness was seeping off him like smoke rising from a fire. Soon all of that dark smoke started to fade, until there was nothing more. There were no more drips of Starscourge on Ardyn's skin, as if it had never been there in the first place.
His breathing started to slow down, just as Sylva's magic ended and she lowered her hands. She breathed out slowly, lowering her head a little.
"I hope that this worked," Sylva said.
She almost collapsed to the floor when Clarus moved forward to catch her. "Easy, Your Majesty. Let's get you to the chair so you may rest."
"Of course, thank you dear," she replied as Clarus guided her.
Regis watched Ardyn after that, seeing the man's slow and steady breathing. As far as they could tell, he was cured. However that assumption only went skin deep, he knew he would have to wait to ask the man himself.
"Wait!" a small voice cried.
Turning around, Regis saw Lunafreya peeking into the room.
"Lunafreya!" Sylva scolded. "I thought I told you to return to your brother."
"But he needs more healing!" she replied.
The little three-year-old ran up to Ardyn, reaching out to place her hands over his face. A bright light flashed from her hands, causing everyone else in the room to shield their eyes from it.
When the light faded, Regis saw Ardyn slowly open his eyes. His eyes were no longer that glimmering gold, but instead a bluish-gray. He only was able to keep his eyes open for a couple of seconds before passing back out.
"See? I helped healed," Lunafreya stated. "He's all better now."
"Luna, when did you learn to heal like that?" Sylva asked her daughter curiously.
"From you mommy!" she beamed brightly. "I watch you do healing for people and you taught me how to heal my boo boos. So I wanted to heal that man too cause he needed more. Did I do good?"
Sylva sighed, starting to smile rather than look cross. "You did wonderful, Luna. I'm very impressed with the gift that you have. Now please, go and find your brother, I am sure he is trying to look for you."
"Okay mommy," Lunafreya said, bowing her head before running out of the room.
"A wondrous little girl you have there," Regis stated. "I'm sure she will be a wonderful Oracle when she is older."
"Thank you, Regis. But now, let us move Ardyn to a more comfortable room. He will need plenty of rest no doubt, and from there we can see how he fairs."
"Agreed," Regis nodded as he went to untie Ardyn from the bed.
Waiting was all they could do now, but there was a hopeful feeling stirring in Regis's chest. After what he had seen, he had a feeling things were starting to look up for them.
This was a really fun chapter to write. So thank you anyone who may be reading this. If you have any thoughts, please dont feel shy and let me know!