"We're back, Baby!" Gladio cheered as he summoned his favorite Greatsword into being from the Armiger. The brothers stood in the empty hanger. Everything seemed deserted. Ardyn was nowhere to be found, and the Crystal hung silently behind them.
The Ring of Lucis shone brightly in the dim light; Noctis found himself staring at it. Was this what Bahamut had meant by 'purifying all by the light of the crystal?' He probed the ring with the magic of his bloodline and for an instant was drowning in the depths of power. This was nothing like before. Instead of drawing on his life and magic to fuel the ring's magic, it now held its own light, and he was merely the conduit. It poured through him, burning like fire ready to destroy his enemies and threatening to overwhelm him.
"You alright, Noct?" asked Prompto, steading him as he staggered.
"Yeah," he said. "Aslan supercharged the ring for me."
"Sweet, man," said Prompto gleefully. "Let's go zap some stuff."
"There'll be plenty of time for that later," said Ignis, staring around the room. Noctis realized with a start that this was the first time his friend was seeing their surroundings. "We need to figure out how we're going to get back to Insomnia."
"Isn't the train still here?" asked Prompto. "You got here by train, right?"
"The empire tried to blow it off the tracks," Gladio said. "...I don't think it's running any more."
"And the Regalia's finished," said Noctis, equal parts mournful and fond as he remembered how she'd gotten them through the blockades and into the city, protecting them from the missile blasts and machine gun fire alike.
"Well, maybe we can find something else?" suggested Prompto. "Maybe a truck or something?"
"Finally. I can't believe you guys made me come all the way up here! " A voice echoed from the shadows of the hanger, and they turned as one, drawing weapons and preparing to face the threat.
"Aranea," said Noctis, recognizing her. She looked sweaty and bedraggled, like she hadn't fared so well during her journey through the keep.
"It's been a long day," she groused, easing her helmet off, "if you can call it that now that the sun's disappearing."
"What are you doing here, Miss Highwind?" asked Ignis.
"I had to come get Biggs and Wedge of course," she said. "My ship's still allowed through the auto defenses, and I figured I'd come inside to check if you boys made it up here after all. I see you found your crystal."
"We've had an interesting time of things," Gladio said.
"Aranea," said Noctis. "I need your help."
It took surprisingly little convincing to get Aranea to agree to fly them to Insomnia. Once she heard that they knew how to defeat the demons and bring back the light, she was all on board. She even agreed to transport the crystal and the broken Regalia as well. After hearing how she'd helped Prompto during his time alone in the wilds of Niflheim, Noctis wasn't surprised she was willing to throw her lot in with them again. She was tough and professional, but she cared for people, he could tell. As he watched her soldiers open the great hanger doors and carefully load the battered crystal inside her red airship, he saw Prompto sidle over to her.
He couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but they seemed to be fairly friendly. Prompto at least was flirting; Noctis recognized the way he tucked his chin down and puffed out his chest. Aranea laughed with him at some joke, and Prompto grinned in a way that he hadn't smiled since before Altissia.
"They seem to be on good terms," Ignis observed.
"Yeah," drawled Noctis. "Think there's anything there?"
"She certainly seems to be comfortable around him," Gladio mused. The bodyguard hadn't left Noctis' side since they'd returned.
"He deserves to have someone that returns his affections," said Ignis.
"And Cindy's always been more interested in the Regalia anyways," joked Noctis. Gladio snorted.
"Hey, guys!" called Prompto. "You ready to go?" He bounded over to the group.
"Yeah, we're ready," said Noctis. The crystal had finally been stowed away.
"We'll just make a quick stop to get the Regalia, but that'll be super fast," said Prompto.
"Great," said Gladio. "The sooner we get out of here, the better." Aranea's soldiers had managed to keep the hanger clear of demons, but everyone could hear distant shrieks and growls and knew that their brief respite would not last much longer.
Noctis had never flown before. The Airship lurched into the sky with a particularly harsh jolt, but once they were airborne, it felt almost like being on a boat, with the occasional gust of wind tossing them like waves. The airship had a few small cabins for guests, so they could look out the window at the world passing below them. The nights were almost completely black now; the stars were totally blocked out, the moon substantially dimmed by the haze of miasma that covered Eos. The days weren't much better. The advent of sunrise brought the world to a demon-free pre-dawn brightness around mid-morning, but it wasn't until the sun was almost directly overhead that Noctis could even see his shadow properly, and only a couple hours later, it faded away until the darkness of night had once more overtaken the land, even though it was barely 6 pm.
Noctis had called Cor as soon as they'd gotten away from Zegnautus. The call had been uncomfortable. The marshal had been very pleased to hear that they had recovered the royal arms and the crystal, but had actually stuttered when Noctis had asked him, point-blank, if he had been privy to the knowledge of what defeating the darkness would cost. After a moment or two, Cor had confessed that while King Regis had never outright told him the price, he'd implied that his son would not survive the encounter. It was what the prince had suspected, but it still hurt to have it confirmed. Cor agreed to meet him in Hammerhead with every Glaive and Crownsguard and Hunter he could gather so that they could clear a path into the Citadel and fulfill his destiny.
Gladio had been able to talk to his sister. She'd relocated with Talcott back to Lestallum. The empire was in ruins; after Altissia, and then the burning of Tenebrae, with weeks of no communications from Gralea, the command structures had fractured. Local officers tried to exert what power they had, but MT units were malfunctioning, so only the human soldiers remained to try to exert what control was left. People were starting to flood back towards Lestallum, as it was the only place with a consistent supply of electricity. Iris was working hard with the local farmers to get greenhouses set up and the first wave of crops grown before the days disappeared entirely. She had cried when Gladio had told her that they knew how to defeat the darkness, that they were on their way to Insomnia to end it once and for all. She'd made him promise that they all would come back, and none of them had said anything as Gladio had lied and sworn that they all would.
On the evening of the fourth day of flight, well after darkness had fallen, the airship descended on Hammerhead station. Floodlights had been set up in preparation for their arrival, forming a large perimeter free of demons where they could land. Noctis felt antsy, itchy beneath his skin, at how close they were to the end of it all. Cor, Dave, Cid, and an honor guard awaited him as he descended the ramp, and although he'd participated in royal ceremonies all his life, never before had they treated him like a king.
"Prince Noctis," said Cor, bowing with one fist over his heart; the others followed. It was uncanny and almost funny and yet sad, since he knew this wouldn't last long. Formal words stuck in his throat, and he swallowed hard.
"Let's do this."