A Chilling Delay.
A frozen ravine where the fallen Shiva lies, a solitary railroad carved through its unforgiving snowscape. With Biggs and Wedge driving, the train makes its slow and steady way toward the imperial capital. Asuka and Noctis had managed to restore their friendship after Asuka had a much needed reality check from Kunimitsu. Now, everyone where finally ready to take the fight to the people behind all their problems.
The group are sitting in the dining car, Ignis and Gladio at a table, Noctis at the bar by himself, while asuka was laying down on a couch to rest.
Biggs addresses them over the loudspeaker "Oi! Uh—attention all passengers! We're on our way to our final destination in the imperial capital. Enjoy the ride. I'll be in touch if anything comes up".
"Look at all that snow. No wonder it's so cold in here" Gladio said.
"We must be approaching the Glacian's cadaver" Ignis said.
"Won't be a blessing if all we got's a body" Gladio pointed out, knowing the empire had been hunting down and killing the gods.
"Let us hope we pass through the gorge without incident" Ignis said, sounding a little tired.
"It's what's after the gorge I'm worried about" Gladio said.
Asuka sighs at that "Never an easy moment for us. Then again, if it was easy, we wouldn't be here".
"Indeed" Ignis agreed.
Noctis stands up and began looking around for a bit. A while later the locomotive begins barreling through large chunks of ice that have formed over the tracks, causing the front of the train to start icing up; the train's brakes bring it screeching to a halt, much to the remaining passengers annoyance.
"I wonder what it could be this time" Gladio said.
As if on cue, Biggs addresses them over the loudspeaker once more "Attention, eh!".
"Yeah?" Noctis asked.
"You may have noticed we've stopped. As for the cause… Outside, ya think?" Biggs asked.
"We'll take a look" Noctis said and begins to head outside.
"Oh. Well" Was all Biggs could say.
"Hope it's just a quick snow-shoveling job" Gladio said.
Ignis nods "Indeed".
"Knowing us, it's likely going to be something dangerous" Asuka said as she, Gladio and Ignis follow after Noct outside.
Noct has his arms wrapped around himself "It's freezing!".
"Better keep moving to stay warm" Gladio said.
Asuka rubs her arms "I trained to resist cold... but no training could prepare me for something like this".
"The Glacian did this" Ignis said.
"I think I can see her" Noctis said. Indeed, Shiva's lifeless face can be seen in the snow beyond the tracks.
"It's a shame. She's lying dead" Gladio said in sympathy.
"Yeah... she was beautiful" Asuka said in sadness at seeing such a beautiful being dead.
As they continued on, Gladio began to really feel the effects of Shiva's death "Damn, it's cold!".
"Let's clean up out here, warm up in there" Noctis said.
"Better make this snappy" Gladio said.
Suddenly, they're attacked by several daemons called Snaga. Tiny goblin looking creatures, but are no less dangerous. They weren't a serious threat, Asuka easily hit away any that got near her, having developed a strong dislike for the goblin looking creatures. Gladio killed 3 with a single swing from his large sword, and Noctis was able to skillfully cut down the ones attacking him by moving around. Even Ignis was able to use his other senses to figure out where they were and knocked them away with his cane, and even stabbed one with his dagger. His lack of sight had effected him, but he could still handle low level Daemons.
A Wraith showed up, which proved trickier than the Snaga. Wraiths weren't to powerful, but their abilities made them annoying. Regardless, they managed to kill it... but it was not over yet, as a large Deathclaw showed up. An eerie daemon noted for its bulky bone structure. Its name stems from the giant talons on both of its arms. It launches beams of light and utilizes a range of other fierce attacks to take down opponents. Fighting one is said to equivalent to tempting death itself.
But tempting death is nothing new for the group. So despite the Deathclaw's towering stature and creepy roar, they still stood ready to fight it. It charged at them, raising it's six claws, ready to impale them. But the group quickly avoided it, with Asuka grabbing it by it's bull looking horns and slams her knee in to it's snout. It roars as it raises it's head, with Asuka still holding on to them. She lets go, allowing herself to be thrown in to the air. The others quickly attacked it's legs, distracting it and allowing Asuka to come back down with a powerful kick to the Daemon's head, causing it to buckle down from the impact.
"Ignis!" Noctis called out.
"I got just the thing!" Ignis said as he tossed a fire spell on the Deathclaw, and while it caused minor damage, it was enough to cause it pain.
This allowed Noctis to use a warp strike, which cut of one of it's horns. The Deathclaw roars in rage as it leaps back, and draws its claws together to form a single large laser beam. Knowing what would happen if it hit, Asuka rushed towards the Deathclaw. Just as the monster fired the beam, Asuka slides under it, and ended up below the Deathclaw... and delivered a punch to it's gut that was so powerful, the large Daemon was actually sent flying towards the others. Gladio got ready and summoned both his swords and with a well placed strike, he cut the Deathclaw clean in half.
"Oh Yeah! Sibling power!" Asuka said in some excitement.
"Yeah, that was good" Gladio said as they fist bumped. Earning some smiles from Noctis and Ignis, happy to see the siblings were fully back on good terms. again.
After disposing of the creatures, Noct stands outside the train trying to catch his breath; from the doorway to get back onboard, Gladio is leaning out and calls to him.
"Hey, Noct! You'd better get in here. Something's not right" Gladio goes back inside "C'mon, Iggy. You too Asuka".
"Right!" Asuka said as she rushed inside.
Noctis begins to follow them inside; just as he's about to walk up the steps to get inside, he sees Ardyn walk past him, already inside the train "No way. You! Hold it! That son of a bitch" Noct follows Ardyn into the train car where Asuka, Gladiolus and Ignis were headed to find the car filled with mist and cold air "What the hell?".
Making his way into the next car, Noctis opens the door to be buffeted by snow and cold winds; he can make out Ardyn's silhouette at the other end of the car; wrapping his arms around himself, Noctis struggles through each step to keep advancing.
"Stop! Stop, dammit! Where is he? Where's Prompto?" He demanded in anger.
Ardyn looks at him "Oh, there you are! I'm worried about your friends. They've fallen and they can't get up. Why not lend them a hand?" He looks back to Noct's friends "And this young girl here is fighting so hard".
Noctis manages to get a few feet from Ardyn. Beyond him, Noctis can see Ignis and Gladio on the floor being covered in ice, while Asuka was trying so hard to stay awake.
"A coldness that can only be hers" Ardyn said, referring to Shiva.
"G-Get him... Noct!" Asuka managed to force out while she struggled against the cold.
Noctis tries but falls to his knees; as his vision begins to blur, he takes notice of a woman in the doorway past Asuka, Ignis and Gladio; it's Gentiana; Ardyn turns and realizes she's there as well; his expression momentarily becomes one of surprise, then nonchalance as Gentiana begins walking toward them.
"Ahh, the face you wore the day you-" Gentiana touches her pointer finger to her lips, then touches Ardyn's lips with it, instantly turning his entire body to ice.
She then walks up to Noctis "Let it now be done…as promised to the Oracle".
Gentiana gestures widely with her arms and floats into the air before being obscured by a flash of blue and white light; as the light fades, the form of Shiva has taken Gentiana's place. Asuka looked at her with wide eyes, she was not expecting that.
"Gentiana, it's you. You're the Glacian. Wha-" Noctis began but was interrupted.
"O King of Kings, restore Light unto the world" Shiva raises her hands and conjures Luna's trident; she hands it to Noctis; he leans forward and grasps it; the two are enveloped in another flash of light.
Asuka covered her eyes... then she sees someone... someone she didn't know. It was a woman, with large, white, feathered wings. She has blue eyes and blonde hair pulled to the back of the head in a bun. She has a tiara with a gemstone set in the center. She wears white pants, a white dress top and a pair of sandals. She also wears ornaments around her arms.
"Who... are you?" Asuka asked.
"My name... is Angel. You have endured so much in your young life, Asuka Kazama. Yet your pain has made you even stronger. You have proven that the darkness can not taint you" The Woman named Angel said before she goes down on a knee and rubs Asuka's cheek, who could feel warmth going through her body "It's time... for your power to be awakened".
Asuka was confused until Angel kissed her forehead... and this caused light to appear around Asuka's body. Before she could ask what was happening, Angel vanished. Leaving Asuka very confused. She looked up to see Noctis was recovering and the blizzard that was enveloping the train was gone.
"Noct... you ok?" Asuka asked.
"I... will be..." Noctis said as he glares at the forzen Ardyn and conjures the Trident of the Oracle.
Asuka glares at Ardyn as well as she stands up. She and Noctis gave each other a nod before shattering Ardyn together.
"Damn you" Noct said before he loses his balance and stumbles in to Asuka's arms.
"You ok?" Asuka asked.
"I'll be fine... we need to wake the others" Noctis said.
Asuka nods and shakes Gladio and Ignis "Hey, wake up".
They begin to stir with Gladio being the first to speak "The hell happened?".
"Yeah. I saw the Glacian. It's okay, she's gone now. You guys check on our drivers" Noctis said.
"I will stay with him, you two go" Asuka said.
"Got it" Gladio turns to Ignis and places his hand on his shoulder "You good?".
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go" Ignis said as they leave.
After they've left, Noctis begins to see the spectral image of sylleblossom petals floating past his feet; as his eyes move up, he sees first her feet, then a spectral image of Luna herself "Luna".
Noct slowly rises to his feet and reaches out to Luna; she smiles at him; just as he's about to touch her, she vanishes; Noctis falls forward; as he sits back up, the last of the sylleblossom petals floats into his open palm; he clenches his fist around it and begins to cry.
"It's so hard. Guess it was hard for you, too. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. Not even when you needed me most" Noctis said in tears "There was so much you wanted to say. So much I wanted to say… And now I'll never have the chance. I'm so sorry…".
Asuka puts her hand on his shoulder. But suddenly, both noticed something. They looked up to see Ardyn, alive and unharmed.
"I feel I've earned the right to call you Noct. And you, Asuka. For a moment I felt death's chill wind, such is the might of the gods. But then, I remembered I'm immortal. Such is my blessing and curse. Your attack hurt me, nevertheless…" Ardyn said before he drops his annoying arrogant look and scowls fiercely at them, and his voice becomes something of a growl "My feelings at least".
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I wanted to harm you physically" Asuka said with a growl.
"Ah, no need to apologize, my dear Asuka. After all, you have the right to be upset, after this" Ardyn said as he raises one of Prompto's guns "Ah, I should have asked if you remember him. Truly a blast from the past, nay?".
"You son of a bitch!" Asuka yelled as she goes to grab the gun, but Ardyn pulls it away and turns away.
"Ah, ah, ah! You mustn't take what's not yours" He said in a mocking tone.
"Where is he!?" Noctis demanded.
"He?" Ardyn asked.
"Where is Prompto!?" Asuka demanded in anger.
Ardyn turns back to face them "The little gunman's a short shot away".
Asuka grabs him "Enough of your damn riddles! Where is he!?".
Ardyn smiled calmly "Where else but Gralea, the seat of the empire? I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you. And you might even find your Crystal. With all these daemons about, you could certainly use it" He removes Asuka's hand and walks past Noctis, deliberately pushing past him as he does so, then comes to a stop "Off you go, then. I wouldn't want to keep you from your friend".
Ardyn raises his rand hand, in which he is holding a small device; he presses a button on the device with his thumb, then leaves without another word; Noctis stares after Ardyn, gritting his teeth and Asuka clenched her fists in rage.
Well, at least they knew where Prompto was now... and he is not far. Soon, they will finally have him back. And this time, nothing will force them apart again.
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Tell me what you think.
