Hello, all. Welcome to chapter 21 of Frozen Heart! Thank you for your patience on this one. It was a longer chapter, and a bit difficult to write. I decided to take a break from Lydia's POV and check in with Lunafreya and Noctis. The main focus of Noctis's segment today is the trial of Ramuh - however, I did take a few creative liberties from the game, so I hope you enjoy!
Also, I've gotten quite a few reviews on this story since I last updated, so thank you soooo much for your support. I'm really happy people are enjoying the story so far. Hopefully my next update won't take too long. Life is pretty busy right now, but I'm taking the time to relax and write whenever I can.
Disclaimer: I don't own FFXV.
Chapter 21: Worlds Apart
Dear Luna,
I don't have much time to write. The guys and I lost the car, so it's been a rough couple of days. But since I had a few minutes, I wanted to take the time to let you know how glad I am to hear that you're safe. I appreciate you updating me—and for speaking with Ramuh on my behalf—even though I'm sure you're in as big of a hurry as we are. Maybe if things were different, you could have come with us and we'd have faced the Astrals together. I'm sure I'd feel more confident if you were here with me.
Still, I'm trying my best to stay focused. I know my people need more than what I am now, and that I can't keep relying on everyone else to put themselves out there for my sake.
Luna, you know I'm not the best at talking about how I feel. But you've been there for me so much over the years. I hope that once we finally meet up in Altissia, maybe you'll let me be there for you, too. I should be so lucky to be worthy of that.
Ignis is telling me it's time to get going, so I guess I have to end this now. Be careful out there, and I'll see you soon.
Noctis
The sound of knocking at her door pulled Lunafreya's attention away from Noctis's letter. Instinctively, she closed her notebook and pushed it off to the side to keep it safe from prying eyes. Then she stood, composed herself, and straightened her back before making her way to the door.
When she opened it, Lunafreya saw the young housekeeper whose eyes lit up when she saw her. "Oh, there you are," the housekeeper, Donia, said. "I was starting to worry."
Lunafreya opened the door wider and did her best to force a smile. Normally, this came easily to her. But not today.
"Sorry about that," she said softly. "I needed a rest. It was a long journey here."
The housekeeper nodded in understanding. "Of course. No, it's no problem. I just—I did promise the Lord Ravus that I would look after you."
Lunafreya's eyes narrowed at the mention of her brother. They had barely spoken a word to each other since they arrived at this safe house in Tenebrae. He'd brought her here to rest and recover before the journey to Altissia—and she was grateful. But all she could think of were Lydia's sad eyes before she and Ravus abandoned her to face Ardyn Izunia alone. The hours they'd spent together on Angelgard before the storm broke, Lydia didn't go into many details about her life. But there were two things that Lunafreya knew without a doubt. One, that Lydia was the daughter of Shiva living on Eos in human form—although not by choice. And two—Ardyn, the Imperial Chancellor and embodiment of darkness itself, was her former lover. Why they were now enemies, she wasn't sure. But the very thought that Lydia would have to endure such suffering alone was nearly too much for her to bear. Especially when it had been her fault for encouraging Lydia to trust Ravus in the first place.
She didn't feel contempt toward Ravus. She didn't. But even as she stood in in this tiny room in a remote place in Tenebrae where no Imperial forces would ever find her, she felt hopelessly alone. And she had to swallow in order to prevent the onset of tears in front of the housekeeper.
With a gentle nod, she managed to maintain eye contact as she said, "I understand. Truly—I know the risk you're taking by helping me, and I have nothing to offer that would adequately express my gratitude."
Donia let out a small chuckle and said, "Well, I think you're doing more than enough by simply being alive."
The corners of Lunafreya's lips turned up, but she had nothing decent to say. So the housekeeper cleared her throat and asked, "Is there anything you need? Breakfast, perhaps? You're looking much better after a bath and a good night's rest."
"I'm feeling much better," Lunafreya responded graciously. "Thank you." She glanced behind her, taking the note of the soft light shining through the curtain in her room. It was then that she realized she'd been up before dawn and hadn't noticed the sun coming up. "Um... may I ask what time it is?"
"About half past 7," Donia replied. "The perfect time for a cup of tea and some eggs, or maybe a bit of porridge if you're up to it."
Despite having a scarcity of food for days on end while on the run, it occurred to Lunafreya that she didn't feel hungry at all. She only had one thing on her mind, and she couldn't spare a moment for breakfast.
Instead, she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Actually... I think I'd like a bit of fresh air before eating. Would you mind if I went to see the sylleblossoms?"
The woman's eyebrows knitted together, and she turned her head to glance down the hallway. "Oh—um, well, I don't know... Lord Ravus was very adamant that you stay inside until his return..."
"The sylleblossoms are just out back though," Lunafreya said with a small chuckle. "You know, believe it or not—whatever Ravus told you, I'm actually quite capable."
"Oh, I'm sure!" the housekeeper said quickly, as if afraid to offend Lunafreya. Her eyes darted from place to place while her voice falted, as though there was something she wanted to say but simply couldn't find the right words. "It's just—I don't know if... if Lord Ravus would like it very much if I let you... um..."
Lunafreya resisted the urge to get frustrated, knowing it wouldn't help despite her brother's ongoing efforts to keep her comings and goings in check. As difficult as each day had been since the attack on Insomnia, she had enjoyed a small taste of freedom while out on her own. A taste of freedom that she now suspected might have been her last. While not at home in her own bedroom, she was back in her cage where everyone seemed to believe she belonged.
Perhaps that's really the way it was meant to be.
Still, she had no intention of backing down today. She needed the open air to think clearly so she could write to Noctis. She would never find the right words while trapped inside this little room.
"Then we can keep it a secret," she said softly, placing a finger delicately to her lips. "I won't be long. If Ravus finds out, I'll tell him to blame me."
Donia pressed her lips together as though she wasn't entirely convinced, but after a moment of consideration, she shuffled aside and leaned against the doorframe. "It's still early," she said. "But don't stay out for long. I'm going to start breakfast soon."
Lunafreya gave Donia a joyful grin and half-walked, half-skipped her way back to the desk to get her notebook before rushing out the door. When she stepped into the warm glow of the morning sun a few moments later, she truly felt at home. Surrounded by mountains and trees, they were well-hidden from the prying eyes of Tenebraean folk and the Empire—but there was still enough light here that sylleblossoms were able to grow in patches throughout the landscape. In fact, there was a beautiful patch of them nearby next to a slow-running creek, and Lunafreya stooped down to gently brush her fingers across soft petals. As a light breeze teased the flowers and pushed the stems about, Lunafreya couldn't help but think of her Mother, and how the color of sylleblossoms resembled the clear blue irises of the late Queen.
She felt nudges against both her legs, and looked down to find both Umbra and Pryna at her feet. With a content sigh, Lunafreya sat down in the grass next to the sylleblossoms and spread out her skirts. And after getting comfortable, she opened up her little notebook and began writing.
She didn't give much thought to the time, as she imagined Donia would call when breakfast was ready. Instead, she immersed herself fully in writing, imagining herself in another life where Noctis was by her side and they could see each other every day instead of having to communicate while worlds apart.
As the words poured from her pen, Lunafreya forgot about her surroundings until sometime later when Pryna started whining softly next to her. At the same time, Umbra lifted his head and turned to look behind her, prompting Lunafreya to glance back and forth at her two friends. "What is it? Is Donia looking for us?"
"No, she isn't," a cold, male voice said at her back. "I am."
Lunafreya then turned her head abruptly, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her humorless brother, Ravus. He stood like a statue some five or six paces from her. She must have been so engrossed in writing that she hadn't noticed him.
"I asked the housekeeper where you'd run off to," he said coldly. "She told me you came to visit the sylleblossoms and offered to fetch you. But I decided to come myself."
Well—so much for their secret. She supposed she would have to apologize to Donia later.
With a sigh, she stood up and smoothed out her skirt. "I hope you didn't give her much grief," she said. "I knew you wouldn't approve, but I insisted."
"I had no doubt you would."
"Are you here to reproach me, then?"
"No, sister," he said, his perfectly straight posture never wavering. "I'm here only to make sure you're safe."
She felt a twinge of guilt when he spoke, wondering if perhaps it wasn't fair of him to treat him so cruelly when she knew he only wanted to protect her. Maybe it was her own fault for letting Lydia involve herself in their mess.
Then again, there was always the possibility that Lunafreya was second-guessing herself too much.
She gave nothing away, and simply clasped her notebook in both hands behind her back and looked him squarely in the eye. "Then it seems you've done all you came to do."
"So it seems," he agreed, turning to glance out at the light dancing among the tree leaves. Then, he continued: "Once you're properly rested, we will depart from here and make our way to Altissia. Accordo may be under the Empire's control, but it's possible the First Secretary could be reasoned with—if she understands what's at stake."
"You think she would listen to us?" Lunafreya asked.
He granted her a rare half smile. "To you, perhaps. You've always been the persuasive sort."
"Hm," she murmured, lowering herself down to nuzzle Pryna who had been vying for her attention. "Not so persuasive."
"Cold and distant doesn't suit you, Lunafreya."
Her head shot up abruptly, and she cast him a glare. She wasn't sure why, but his comment frustrated her. "How fortunate then that I wasn't seeking your approval," she retorted, holding herself proudly. However, Ravus didn't seem fazed.
"I can see you're angry with me," he observed in a quiet tone.
But she shook her head. "Angry—no. I'm not angry. Sad—disappointed—yes. Because yesterday I wanted to trust you. Today, I'm not so sure."
"I made a difficult choice. Do you think it's one I'm proud I had to make?"
Lunafreya paused, looking carefully at his eyes before stepping forward to close some of the distance between them. Then, with a solemn smile, she said. "That's just the trouble, Ravus. No, I don't think you're proud of what you did. But difficult for you?" She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him.
It didn't take him long to yield. "Very well—you're right. It wasn't difficult. But only because there's no universe in which I would choose a stranger over my own flesh and blood. Lunafreya, don't you understand that what I did was for your own safety? Ardyn is lethal—and he is not in the business of making empty threats."
"So instead of risking our lives, you would condemn someone else's."
"I don't appreciate the tone of judgement, sister," Ravus snapped. "You speak with such righteous conviction, and yet it means nothing."
The bite in her brother's tone caught Lunafreya off-guard, and she felt herself shrinking as he stared down at her. "Tell me—what do you think would happen if the Emperor got his hands on you and the Ring? If I had let Ardyn expose you, everything you've been working for would be reduced to ashes." She swallowed, watching his gaze as he waited a few seconds to let the words sink in. "You asked me to support your decision to see this through, and I am standing by that promise," he continued. "You refuse to throw away your destiny for my sake, or even for your own. Are you willing to do it for that woman? A woman you've known for what—two days?"
Despite how she felt about leaving Lydia behind, Lunafreya slowly came to the realization that Ravus was right. She wanted to save everyone—to give every person in this world all the happiness they deserved. But the reality was that she couldn't do that. She had to consider the big picture—everything she'd done up until now was to not only protect Noctis, but to create a better world for all living creatures on Eos. She couldn't do that if her plan was foiled before she reached Leviathan.
But even so...
"I just wish you had told me the truth," she whispered, clenching her jaw as her eyes began to sting. "We could have made a decision together."
Ravus sighed. "Lunafreya..."
She folded her arms and turned away to put distance between them. As well as she may have understood the reasoning behind Ravus's actions, she realized what a fool to think for a moment that just this once, he'd put his faith in her. But he just saw her as the small, fragile sister he needed to protect—the way he always had.
How might her life have turned out differently if she'd been granted mastery over her own fate from the start?
She didn't dare imagine such things.
Instead, she shook her head and walked past him, signaling that she would make her way back to the house. "I'm grateful for your help," she said softly. "But we have nothing else to say to each other. I'm going to breakfast now." As she put distance between them, he didn't try to stop her, nor did she turn back to see his reaction.
However, once she was certain he was out of sight and earshot, she knelt down and surrendered her notebook to Umbra. "Please take this to Noctis," she whispered, smiling as she scratched his ears. "I'll see you soon."
When Umbra trotted off, she took a moment to reach down and run her fingers through Pryna's soft fur. "Now, you and I..." she continued in a hushed voice, "Must find a way to escape this place."
In response, Pryna let out a soft whine, which only stopped when Lunafreya took the pup's face in her hands and leaned in to touch their foreheads together. "I fear there's no one I can trust to help me see this through. No one except for you and Gentiana." And before she pulled herself to her feet and started back toward the house for breakfast with Pryna by her side, she didn't dare to say a single prayer.
Later that day...
"Imperial troops continue to track insurgents from Insomnia across the region. The latest word has it that they are currently traveling through Duscae, but their destination at this time is unknown. If anyone has knowledge about the whereabouts of fugitives in Lucis, they are encouraged to reach out to Imperial forces in their area.
"In other news, yesterday's mysterious snow storm in Southern Duscae is still under investigation. Researchers estimate that nearly 12 inches of snow fell within a single hour, but as quickly as the storm clouds came, they dispersed, and all snow and ice appears to have melted since last night. No injuries or casualties have been reported as a result of the storm."
Noctis's eyes flickered vaguely upward as someone adjusted the volume on the radio nearby. He stopped listening and turned to regard Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis, who all sat at a table with him inside the local diner. He didn't bother to straighten his posture or uncross his arms, instead simply asking, "Does that make you guys think of anyone in particular?"
"Sure does," Gladio commented.
Meanwhile, Ignis gave a quick nod and placed his thumb under his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, I can't help but wonder if our new friend Lydia had something to do with the unprecedented storm yesterday afternoon."
"I hope she's okay," Prompto said. "Maybe we shouldn't have let her go off on her own."
Gladio huffed. "To be honest, I doubt anything we said would have stopped her."
Prompto begrudgingly agreed, and Noctis felt his own eyebrows knit together in concern. It was clear from their short time together that Lydia was perfectly capable of looking out for herself. But he couldn't help but wonder if she'd gotten herself into some sort of trouble. If they had access to the car, he might have been motivated to go find her. But as it stood, they were in no position to help anyone. They were still miles from Fociaugh Hollow, where Ramuh was supposedly waiting to meet him—and for whatever reason, this damn rain just wouldn't let up.
"If you're worried, Noct," Ignis suggested as the Prince gazed out the window, watching water droplets slide down the glass. "Perhaps we could give her a call."
Folding his arms behind his head and leaning back in the seat, Prompto said, "That's not a bad idea! Just to check in and make sure she's okay."
Noctis looked down at the table in silence. He was tempted, yes—after all, they'd been through a lot together over the course of a short time, and he felt he owed Lydia on some level. He also genuinely liked her, which meant his first instinct was to go to her aid the second she needed it.
But he also knew what Gladio would tell him if he started thinking of doing anything reckless. They were on a mission and had to keep their eyes on the goal. Lydia's path was completely separate from his own—were her conflicts really any of their business?
Noctis spent some time mulling it over as the group paid for their meals and drinks and headed back out into the rain. After a little extra prodding from Prompto, he decided giving her a quick call couldn't hurt—so he took shelter under the roof outside the restaurant while no one was nearby. He sucked in a deep breath and chose Lydia from his contacts before putting his device to his ear.
The phone rang for several seconds. In fact, it rang for long enough that Noctis thought she might not pick up. But finally, a clear, feminine voice cut through the silence at the other end of the line.
"Hello?"
Noctis cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh—hi, Lydia! It's, um—it's good to hear your voice."
"Oh, likewise," she said, an obvious smile in her voice. "Although I wasn't expecting to hear from you. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah..." Noctis said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're fine. Actually, we just—wanted to check in with you. Make sure you were all right."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Well, that was one way to make him feel silly.
"Um... no real reason, I guess. But I—I do hope you know you can give us a call any time if you need anything. Especially after all you've helped us out."
"I have everything handled, but it's kind of you to offer," she said. "I'm sure you have bigger fish to fry though, don't you, Noct?"
With a nervous laugh, he continued and said, "Well, sure, but... you know. Never too busy for a friend."
"Good to know," she said. "I'll keep that in mind."
Noctis nodded. "Okay. I—I'll let you go then. Talk again soon."
"Take care, now."
He hung up.
Several seconds passed as Noctis looked down at his phone, unable to put what he wanted to say into words. And Ignis, being Ignis, immediately noticed. "Is something wrong?"
Noctis hesitantly lowered his phone, but still didn't lift his head. "I'm... not really sure."
"Well, did you talk to her at least?" Gladio asked.
He gave a quick affirmative nodded. "Yeah. She said she was fine. It's just—I don't know, she just seemed a little... off."
"Maybe she was in a hurry," Prompto said.
"Yeah, maybe..." Noctis murmured, slowly pushing his device into his pocket. Meanwhile, Gladio cast a glance around to make sure there were no onlookers spying on them.
"She called me 'Noct,'" he added.
The three companions looked at him in confusion, so he chose to elaborate. "She never called me that. Actually, she was barely comfortable calling me 'Noctis.'"
"Well, she probably heard us call you 'Noct,' all the time," Gladio said. "Maybe it slipped out."
"Yeah, I think you might be reading too much into it, dude," Prompto suggested.
Meanwhile, as Prompto and Gladio tried to dissuade Noctis of his concerns, Ignis didn't say a word. And that worried him more than anything else. It had certainly sounded like Lydia's voice over the phone, but—perhaps his limited knowledge based on the mere week he'd spent with her wasn't enough to make a proper determination.
He supposed if she said she was all right, he might as well take her word for it and move on. They were still a long way off from Fociaugh Hollow, and the last thing they needed was to get stranded in the wild after dark. He was still learning to use his newfound abilities, and he couldn't afford to be careless.
As they traveled across the mushy, wet landscape, Noctis forgot about Lydia and found his mind wandering to other places. He hoped that after they met with Ramuh and retrieved the Regalia, they would finally be ready to make their way toward Altissia. Luna promised she would be there—and more than earning Leviathan's blessing, he was eager to finally have her at his side where he would no longer have to worry day and night.
He knew he had a responsibility to his people and his kingdom. At the end of the day—if he had what it took to protect Luna and the friends at his side—that was all that truly mattered to him. But lately, he doubted his ability to do even that much. His understanding of his new-found abilities was tenuous at best, and he hadn't managed to summon his Armiger in days. There was undoubtedly a trick to it, but he clearly hadn't discovered it yet. And he didn't have time for training wheels practice.
He felt as though they'd been running for hours before they reached their destination. As hard as he wished that they could have waited and taken a bus part of the way, he knew he was too easily recognizable and that many of the bus stops throughout the kingdom were being monitored by Imperial forces. The last thing he wanted was to put anyone in danger just so he didn't have to travel on foot. That said, he couldn't deny that a part of him was questioning his decision by the time they arrived outside a dark cave wet, cold, and exhausted.
"Oh great," Prompto said as they stared down the crumbling ruins, "Another creepy looking cave for us to get lost in."
"At least the majority of Costlemark Tower was fully intact," Ignis noted. "We have no way of knowing what might await us here."
Noctis shivered and swiftly rubbed his arms to generate heat. "Wonder if it'll be any warmer."
"Well, at least it won't be soaking wet," Gladio said, gently nudging Noctis with his arm. "Come on—you've got a date with destiny."
Noctis made a dissatisfied grumbling noise, but headed toward the precarious entrance nonetheless. Given the rocks and rubble piled around it, Noctis had to guess that the entrance had been sealed until recently. He wondered if Ramuh had carved out a way for him with the lightning strike from earlier that day. Regardless, he doubted a warm welcome and a "great job" sticker were waiting at the end of this cave.
As soon as they entered the cave, they began descending into the pitch darkness below with only their personal flashlights to guide them. Prompto was the first to point out, "I've got a bad feeling about this," while they made their way through dust and cobwebs. A few seconds later, a swarm of bats flying in the opposite direction above their heads made them all jump out of their skins. "Can't be a good omen," he heard Prompto add under his breath.
"Oh, stop being such a wuss," Gladio said, slapping the smaller man on the back and making a loud noise that caused them all to flinch.
"Geez, that hurt!" Prompto complained.
"Quiet, you two!" Ignis hissed. "We don't want to attract unwanted attention."
Noctis made a low noise of agreement. "Yeah, this sure seems like a good place for daemons to hide—even though it's still an hour or so until sunset." A strange sound somewhere nearby froze them all in their tracks. "Speaking of which..." he whispered, his eyes darting back and forth searching for hidden dangers. But he supposed it wasn't very becoming for a King of Light to be afraid of the dark.
After they all fell silent, he could hear more clearly the sound of a woman crying in or moaning in the distance. However, it was impossible to tell exactly what direction the noise was coming from in this cold echo chamber.
The boys quickly exchanged glances before Prompto asked, "That's not... a person, is it?"
Ignis shook his head. "I doubt it. I can't imagine any ordinary person being foolish enough to venture into this place—let alone surviving for long."
"Maybe someone needed shelter from the storm," Prompto suggested.
Ignis paused briefly before lightly tilting his head in admission. A second later, Gladio pushed forward, squeezing Noctis's shoulder as he passed him. "There's only one way to find out, fellas," he said.
There was a part of Noctis (a rather large part) that didn't want to continue forward. But he knew Gladio was right and that pressing on was the only way. Somehow, he figured all this had to be connected to his test from Ramuh—even though Gentiana had been incredibly cryptic in her message to him the other day. He hated to think the Gods would keep spouting cryptic nonsense to him now that he was King. After all, Noctis was more of the straightforward type.
As they descended further into the cave, which seemed to grow colder and colder all the time, Noctis shuddered at the sound of a deep hiss and a low moan somewhere nearby. Even though he was quite sure no one else had entered the cave, he suddenly had an odd sensation that they were being followed. A shiver ran down his spine when a drop of water fell from the ceiling and slid down his nose, but he hardly dared to lift his hand and wipe it off. While he'd felt fear before, this was a special kind.
Another moan reverberated throughout the cave, forcing them all to a halt. Then came a slithering noise—almost like a snake was nearby. Noctis lowered his gaze, frantically searching the ground beneath him for signs of movement. But even his small light wasn't enough to make much of a difference in such oppressive darkness.
"Guys, is everyone okay?" he finally managed to whisper. He had to be sure, as he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore.
"Yes," Ignis replied softly. "But we should keep moving."
Meanwhile, Prompto shivered as he spoke—from fear or from the cold, Noctis couldn't tell. "Yeah, seriously, guys. I'm too freaked out to stay still right n—"
CRASH!
Dust and rubble came raining down on Noctis as a booming noise followed by an abrupt cry from Prompto forced him to whip back around toward his friends. "Prompto!" he called. "What happened?!"
He winced as more crashing noises filled the narrow echo chamber. These, however, took place farther away from him. Ignis and Gladio both called Prompto's name at the sound of his call for help, and a second later, Noctis gave into his impulse and took off down the corridor where he could still hear Prompto screaming for help.
"It's a snake, it's a snake!" his friend cried. "Oh Gods, that's so gross, ahhhhh!"
As the unseen entity pulled Prompto further into the darkness, the rest of the group pursued with unwavering resolve. Noctis kept running even when his chest began to burn, but he struggled to ignore the terror that struck him like an iron bar while the walls and ceiling seemed to close in around him.
Cool and composed like Ignis? Hard and immovable like Gladio? Not a chance. His entire body wanted to shut down and crumble into nothingness—although it couldn't understand that Prompto's safety was far more important to him than his own fear.
Finally, the group came to the end of a long corridor and found themselves in a cold, giant chamber. Despite having a limited field of vision, Noctis glanced around frantically in search of his friend. But all he could hear when he fell silent was the sound of something—something green and slimy, most likely—slithering across the floor. Even Ignis and Gladio didn't dare to speak.
Noctis heard another series of moans nearby, like the ones that they had heard a short time ago while making their way through the cave. Only this time, the entity spoke to them:
"My baby..." the distorted voice of a woman hissed as they hesitantly searched for Prompto. "Where's my baby?"
Noctis couldn't fathom what the creature was talking about, nor did he care. All that mattered to him was reaching his friend, whose limp form he saw lying on the ground not far from them. He and his other companions sprang into action instantly. "Prompto," he said, launching himself toward the unresponsive shadowy figure.
But he was cut off abruptly when a giant serpent-like creature appeared in their path. Despite its size, it was as fast as lightning—and it put its body right between him and Prompto, daemonic eyes piercing his soul. "My baby..." the creature repeated, like a lonely Mother longing for her child, "I want my baby."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Noctis shouted back at the daemon. "All we want is Prompto!"
The daemon didn't take kindly to that response, letting out a hiss combined with a screech that forced Noctis and his friends to throw their hands over their ears from the pain. Caught off-guard, they barely had time to avoid the serpent's fangs as it shot its massive head forward. After he rolled out of range, he felt a hand on his arm. "I fear she won't let us reach Prompto without a fight," Ignis said while pulling him up.
"Then we'll just have to take her out," Noctis growled. He pivoted in front of Ignis to absorb a blow from the serpent's tail with his greatsword, and then used his own speed and agility to slice right into the creature's flesh. She screeched again and pulled back, giving the three friends time to regroup.
"Might be a good time to get out that arsenal of Royal Weapons," Gladio commented.
Noctis gritted his teeth, summoning the Bow of the Clever and taking a quick shot at the serpent. Then he switched to the Sword of the Father, warping himself closer to the monster for easy access to the head. However, the serpent was incredibly fast, and through her head into his body at the last second. The impact sent him flying into the wall of the chamber hard enough that he saw stars.
While he worked to compose himself, he clenched a fist at the sound of Gladio's voice nearby. "He still doesn't know what the hell he's doing with those weapons."
"He's learning," Ignis replied. "Give him a chance."
"Well, we don't really have time for trial and error, do we?!"
"He just needs a hand, that's all," Ignis said.
And when Noctis lifted his head, he watched his advisor pull out a long spear and take aim at the great serpent. Using his powerful throw, he drove the weapon directly into the creature's neck, causing her to turn her attention away from Noctis. It was that moment when the young prince knew he didn't just want to be stronger. He had to be. He couldn't afford to fail—not when he knew that as strong as his friends were, there were some enemies they simply couldn't measure up to. But stopping the darkness was Noctis's job. It's what he was born to do. If he couldn't live up to those expectations, then what good was he?
As Gladio and Ignis stood their ground against the seething daemon, she continued moaning and calling out for her absent child. Noctis pulled himself to his feet with heavy breaths and wondered if perhaps he was going about this the wrong way.
He thought back to something Luna told him when they were kids.
"I understand why you hate them, Noctis. After what happened... to your Mother, that is... it's only natural. The daemons are born of darkness, and they spread it wherever they go. But just remember—daemons are the pieces of consciousness left behind when mortals are consumed by Starscourge. They are not malicious by choice—they're trapped, and believe it or not—they need you to free them."
"My baby," the snake hissed. "Give me my baby!"
As Noctis lifted his hand and looked down at his quivering palm, he let out a slow breath. She needs me. And I can put her to rest.
Shutting out the sounds of Gladio and Ignis buying him time with the serpent, Noctis stretched his hand out and closed his eyes. He had to learn to control this Armiger—he had to save his friends and help whatever was still left of this woman. It was his duty as a man of Lucis, and as King.
He felt a faint pulsing within him, and when he open his eyes, he was amazed to see each of his predecessors' arms circling him. They were ready to give him their power.
"Hey!" he shouted, gathering his weapons at his sides. Ignis and Gladio paused when the serpent turned toward him, daemonic eyes blazing. "I can help you."
She slithered toward him aggressively, forcing him to evade as she snapped him with her fangs again. "Where's my baby?!" she snarled. "My baby! Give him to me!"
"I hope you find him," he whispered, steadying himself before aiming his armiger. And as the serpent lunged for him again, he directed his weapons forward. He drove them into her all at once and clutched his own chest in agony when she screamed upon impact. Beams of light shot from her body as each weapon pierced her—and she writhed, slamming her head against the wall of the cave once, twice, three times before letting out another cry and disappearing in a dark puff of smoke.
Noctis's knees wobbled. For a few seconds, he couldn't see at all, and it was only Ignis's steady hand that kept him from collapsing to the cavern floor.
"Well done, Noct," his advisor said with a soft smile.
A second later, Noctis looked up and saw Gladio's lips move, but no sound came from them. Suddenly, the entire world around him came to a halt, and his head exploded in pain. He screamed (or at least he assumed he did), and doubled over with his head clutched between his hands. The Prince squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could as if that would help dull the agony, but several long seconds passed before it began to fade.
"Arise, King of Kings," a low voice rumbled, causing his entire body to vibrate. "If you dare."
Noctis opened his eyes and raised his head, only to find his friends were no longer next to him. While he still appeared to be inside the cave, everything looked distorted, as if he was in some other world. And much to his shock, an elderly man with a flowing white beard and cold, penetrating eyes stood before him. He knew without having to second-guess himself that this was none other than the Fulgarian himself, magical staff and all. But he wasn't expecting the God to be so—small.
"You think my size amusing, do you?" the Astral asked in a short, icy tone. "Would you prefer I appeared in my true form? I thought it might be overwhelming for your—fragile mind."
Noctis blanched. It hadn't occurred to him to think that Ramuh might be inside his head, although he supposed it should have been obvious given the pain he'd felt when Titan reached out to him. He hadn't had time to make that connection.
Now he wished he had more control over his thoughts.
Unsure how to stand in front of a God, Noctis awkwardly dropped his hands to his sides and said, "Your—current size is fine. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I met you."
Ramuh stepped forward, mesmerizing Noctis by the way he seemed to ever so subtly hover above the floor. He wasn't sure if that was because he could actually float or if it was because they were inside his mind. Perhaps both.
Without a single change in expression or demeanor, Ramuh said, "Then it does appear you and I have something in common, for I too was unsure what to expect upon our meeting. I have looked in on you since you were nothing more than a newborn child—but I long doubted that you would ever be ready for the task ahead of you."
"Oh, well, thanks for the vote of confidence," Noctis said. He figured he might as well not censor his thoughts if Ramuh could hear them anyway.
"However," the Fulgarian added with a pointed look, "You did pass my test."
"I did?"
Ramuh nodded slowly. "You have transcended your fear of the darkness, and you now see daemons for what they truly are—the essence of mortals who fall prey to it. Fear brings more destruction and pain, but it is your acceptance and compassionate spirit that will grant you the power to fulfill your destiny." The God continued forward and then came to a halt directly before Noctis. While he was human-sized, he still towered over Noctis, who had to tilt his chin back to meet his gaze. The young Prince forced himself to stand still and hold his ground when Ramuh reached out and clasped his shoulder with a wrinkled but powerful hand.
Noctis held the Astral's gaze, feeling as though the layers of his soul were being unraveled in a single look. Then Ramuh's eyes narrowed, and he lowered his palm to lay it firmly on Noctis's chest. "I trust the Crystal's decision, and you with the fate of Eos. Call on me when your need is dire. And Noctis?"
"Yes?" the Prince asked in a small voice.
"Do not disappoint me."
Before Noctis had a chance to respond, a flash of lightning blinded him.A thunder crack simultaneously rang in his ears, distorting his perception so he could no longer gauge his surroundings. Several seconds passed before his vision returned to normal—and lo and behold, the world had returned to normal as well. To his relief, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto were looking down at him with concern.
"You all right, Noct?" Gladio asked as Ignis slowly helped Noctis to his feet.
Shaking his head to clear the haze, Noctis grumbled, "Uh, yeah..." Then, after he was on his own two legs again, he glanced back and forth between them triumphantly. "I did it. I received the power of the storm."
At that, his friends broke out into smiles. "Excellent news, my leige," his gentle advisor said with a soft laugh while Gladio patted him on the back.
Noctis's eyes settled on Prompto, who looked just as thrilled but was clearly exhausted from their adventures today. "Hey, you doing okay?" he asked, remembering that his friend had been out cold just a few moments ago.
Prompto shrugged sheepishly and reached back to rub his neck—a gesture Noctis didn't fully understand. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Sorry to worry everybody. I, uh, tried fighting back when that daemon snatched me, and I think she whacked me with that tail of hers. Too bad I wasn't much help."
Ignis turned and squeezed Prompto's arm affectionately. "I told you, we're simply glad you're safe, Prompto."
With a weak nod, Prompto looked back at Noctis. He wasn't sure why, but because he could tell his friend needed the reassurance, he let the corner of his mouth turn up into a smile. "Yeah, what Ignis said. Don't worry about it."
And after the group reaffirmed that everyone was safe and (mostly) unharmed, they made the long trek back to the surface. Although the storm had finally dissipated, they were dismayed to find that darkness had already fallen on Lucis—and they still didn't have a car. They agreed that they would travel to the nearest civilization and rest for the night, and in the morning they would call Cindy and Cid to find out if they had a status update on the Regalia.
Luckily, they didn't run into any daemons along the way. But much to Noctis's delight and surprise, there was a friend waiting for him when they reached the small town a few miles away. Umbra met them on a well-lit street outside a local inn, as if he'd known all along that this was were they'd be.
"As usual," Noctis said, smiling as he bent down to scratch the dog's head, "You amaze me, buddy. Did you bring another letter for me?"
"Lady Lunafreya wrote you back quickly this time," Ignis commented after casting glances at Prompto and Gladio.
"You think it might be something serious?" Gladio asked with a raised eyebrow.
Noctis sighed as he took the notebook from Umbra and flipped through the pages. "Guess we'll find out." He came to a stop when he found a new entry, and began reading. Her writing was as neat and concise as ever, softening his heart with every word he read.
Right up until he read something that shook him to his core. His face paled and his hands tightened on the notebook, no doubt giving his friends cause for concern. However, they didn't interrupt him until he stopped reading.
When he looked up from his latest letter, everyone eyed him curiously. "Everything okay?" Prompto asked.
Noctis swallowed, and then turned his gaze back down to Luna's perfect handwriting. He started shaking his head slowly before even forming an answer. But finally, he looked up at them again and said, "No. Guys, I think Lydia might be in trouble after all."
I do believe I mentioned a while back that the main story would progress pretty similarly to the game up until Altissia. That's MOSTLY true, but as you can see, there may be a few things that differ, and a few areas where I try to fill in gaps in the original story. We will definitely be seeing Noctis and Lunafreya again before the big Leviathan ceremony, but I think the next chapter we'll circle back to Lydia and see what she's up to now that she's managed to reunite with her Mother. Not to mention we MAY get a glimpse at what Ardyn has been up to as well. I haven't written his POV much yet, partly because he's so tough to write, but also because his perspective on things isn't quite as important yet. I expect we'll be getting to see more of that in the near future, though.
Thanks for reading! Until next time :)