The Empire of Niflheim.
Asuka, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio are sitting in the dining car of the train as it heads for Gralea. They were delayed by the freezing weather, and some dangerous daemons. Asuka and Noctis even encountered Ardyn again, and learned he was immortal, as even being frozen solid and shattered wasn't enough to kill him. Hi told them Prompto was in Gralea, and since they were heading there anyway, they hoped that for once, Ardyn was telling them the truth. The rest of the trip was mostly silent, as the group grew more and more tense the closer they got to Gralea. Knowing they heading in to the heart of their enemies' territory was more than enough to put them on edge.
"We should be drawing close to Gralea" Ignis finally spoke.
"Yeah" Noctis said.
"I can't imagine what it'll be like" Gladio said.
Noctis looked at him "Swarming with daemons, but you knew that".
"Don't remind me" Gladio said.
"The Empire was already full of daemons. Monsters in human skins" Asuka said bitterly.
"Once we arrive, we'll make for the Keep" Ignis said.
"The Keep?" Noctis asked.
"Zegnautus. An imperial megafortress said to be impregnable" Ignis explained.
"With Prompto and the Crystal inside it" Noctis added.
"What goes in, must come out" Gladio said.
"And we will make sure Prompto and the crystal comes out from that place. Every second they remain in there is another second to long" Asuka said, earning a sound of agreement from her brother.
The group are silent for a moment. They were trying to mentally prepare themselves for whatever they were going to face once they arrive in the Empire. Once they enter the city, there is no turning back until their mission is over.
"So, are we buying this story that the Crystal can purge daemons?" Gladio asked.
"The proof is in the purging, but it does stand to reason. We've observed that as the nights have grown longer, the daemon hordes have grown stronger. If they are in fact averse to the Crystal's Light, it could save not only Lucis, but the world" Ignis answered.
"We'll find out once we take it back" Noctis said.
"Yes... and if we are lucky, we can take back our home too" Asuka said before the train suddenly comes screeching to a halt.
"The hell?" Gladio said.
"What is it?" Ignis asked.
"My guess? Something to sidetrack us" Gladio said, sounding annoyed by their constant delays. And he was not the only one.
The group get up and move into the cabin car; as they walk past the series of large windows here, they all suddenly crack and the train car shakes, putting them all on high alert.
"What now?" Gladio asked.
Biggs speaks over the loudspeaker "City's trying to keep us out…with the daemons".
Small imp-like daemons, called snaga, begin swarming across the windows.
"Whoa-whoa" Gladio said.
Biggs speaks over the loudspeaker again "Gotta run! Don't worry about us".
One of the daemons busts through the glass and lands in front of Noctis and the others; he holds out his hand to tell Gladio to move back, then attempts to conjure a weapon into his hand.
"Let's get to work…" Noctis said before he looks at his hand, confused. His weapon did not appear.
"What's wrong?" Gladio asked.
"The weapons…they're stuck!" Noctis answered.
"Get back!" Gladio shouts as pulls Noctis away from the now charging daemon and kicks it in the face.
"Run!" Ignis orders
As Ignis retreats, Gladio pats Noct's shoulder "C'mon, move it!".
"Shit!" Asuka said as they hurried through the train, pursued by the daemons. Some where trying to leap at Asuka, but she managed to knock them away. Luckily, she didn't need weapons to fight. But without her combat gloves, dealing any real damage to the daemons would be really tricky.
"Only a matter of time before we run out of room to run!" Ignis said as he struck a daemon with his cane.
"Got a better idea?" Noctis asked, ducking under a leaping daemon.
"We trade the train for the Regalia!" Ignis answered.
With no other options, the group make their way to the freight car where the Regalia was waiting for them. Noct gets into the driver's seat while Asuka gets in the passenger's seat, and Gladio and Ignis in the back.
"Strap in" Noctis instructed.
"Gun it!" Gladio shouts.
Noct drives the Regalia out of the freight car and out onto the train tracks; an automated message then rings out "Announcement: Threat upgraded. Activating level 4 security measures. Sealing all gates".
"If they seal all gates, we'll never make it inside!" Asuka said.
"Put the pedal to the metal!" Gladio shouted.
"That's the idea!" Noct shouts back.
"Don't crash!" Gladio warned.
"Thanks for the tip" Noct said sarcastically.
"Where are we now!?" Ignis demanded.
"Inside a tunnel, on the train tracks!" Noct answered.
"Don't slow down, or they'll catch us up!" Gladio said.
"Going as fast as I can, hang on!" Noct instructed as he drives the car through the tunnel and onto a tracks bridge in the city proper and races down the bridge.
"Look out!" Asuka shout as an artillery shell suddenly strikes near the car, causing a small explosion.
"What was that!?" Ignis asked loudly.
"They're trying to blow us off the tracks" Noct said as more artillery continues striking around the Regalia.
"One clean hit and it's over" Gladio said.
"It'll take a bit more than that to stop His Majesty's trusty steed" Ignis assured.
"Come on Regalia! You got this!" Asuka shouts to their trusty car.
The artillery strikes begin hitting their mark; an imperial drop ship can then be seen falling out of the sky. It was complete chaos.
"Dodging one thing to run into another" Gladio said.
"The Regalia can take the punishment. Just focus on your driving" Ignis said.
More artillery strikes the Regalia; the vehicle is now on fire.
"You can do it, girl. You can get through this" Noct said.
As the Regalia closes in on the gate, several more strikes land directly on the car. But the gate was closing. If they get locked out, they are finished for sure.
"It's closing! Floor it!" Gladio shouts.
"C'mon, old girl…" Noct pleaded.
Just as the Regalia makes it through the rapidly closing gate, another strike lands square on the car, briefly engulfing it in flame; Noct brings the car to a screeching halt on the other side of the gate near the debris of a train car that stretches across the width of the bridge, one end propped up above the tracks; the Regalia now sits sizzling on the tracks, all its windows shattered; it has taken its final run.
"That's all she's got" Gladio said.
"It'll do" Noct said as he, Asuka, Ignis and Gladio get out of the car and begin to walk away; Noct turns to look back at the car with a somber expression, recalling a memory from childhood of his father stepping out of the car and embracing him "Dad… Thanks for everything".
Asuka puts a hand on Regalia "We had a good ride, my friend. Thank you".
After a moment of silence for their trusted car, Gladio speaks up "Are we seriously marching into the capital empty-handed?".
"And with no assurances the Crystal can beat back the daemon hordes" Ignis added.
"Guess we'll find out the hard way. No turning back now, right?" Gladio said.
"Yeah... there is no way we can go back now. We just have to try and make do without weapons" Asuka said, knowing full well it was much easier said than done.
As the group make their way toward the wreckage of the train car that sits propped across the bridge, they could feel that they were far from safe. With no weapons, and daemons lurking around every corner, it was clear they were in serious danger just by being here.
"This thing could come down at any time…" Gladio said.
"Let's be quick" Ignis said.
"C'mon, this way" Noctis said as he makes his way under the wreckage, but before the rest can follow, the train car collapses, separating them from their charge.
"Noct!" Asuka shouts.
"We need to catch up to him, quickly!" Ignis said.
It took a little while, but they found a way. Asuka and Gladio pulls Ignis up to stand beside him on top of the train car that collapsed and separated them from Noctis.
"Going up" Gladio said as he places Ignis's cane back in his hand once they're both on top of the wreckage.
"Is there a way forward?" Ignis asked.
"There's a way, but I don't see us going forward without facing off with the daemons" Gladio answered.
"And without our weapons, we are left at a major disadvantage" Asuka added.
"But now Noct is facing them alone. There must be some way we can help him" Ignis.
"Perhaps I could be of service" Ardyn's voice suddenly rings out as her saunters out of the wreckage of another train car.
"What are you doing here?" Gladio demanded.
"Why, I come bearing gifts" Ardyn said before he snaps his fingers; as he does so, Gladio's sword materializes in his hand and a dagger materializes in Ignis's, and Asuka's combat gloves appears on her hands.
"The hell?" Gladio asked.
"See? Gifts! Now, I believe a thank you is in order" Ardyn said.
"A thank you?" Asuka asked with a clear 'Are you serious' look on her face.
"For what, another one of your stupid tricks?" Gladio asked.
"Here I am, helping for a change, but I can see I'm not wanted" Ardyn said as he gestures a farewell, turns, and walks away.
"I'm loath to trust him" Ignis said with a clear hint of anger in his voice.
"Same…but at this point, we need all the help we can get" Gladio said, not liking the idea. He looks at his sword for a moment before dispelling it.
Asuka hated the mere thought of accepting any help from Ardyn, but right now, they had no choice. They begin to make their way down on the other side of the wrecked train car. As they make their way through the train wreckage in the area, Ignis looked troubled.
"I ought to have been more cautious. If anything were to happen to Noct, I…" He trailed of.
"Can't move forward if you're always looking backward. Quit thinking about what you could've done then and start thinking about what you can do now" Gladio said.
"He's right, Iggy. We are in a place where anything could happen. You can't expect to be able to predict all of it. For now, all we can do is be ready for anything, and react whenever something happens"
"Yes.. You are both right. What's done is done. We just need to be ready for anything now" Ignis said..
They soon encountered another wave of daemons but they were able to soundly defeat them. Now that they had their weapons back, dealing with the daemons would be far more easier.
"So if we can conjure our weapons again, does that mean Noct can, too?" Gladio asked.
"I have a feeling the chancellor isn't so generous" Ignis said.
Gladio looks at him "How come?".
"He may have feigned friendship, but he's proven a foe before. We'd best be careful" Ignis answered.
"Ignis is right. If Ardyn is helping us, it's certainly not out of the goodness of his dark heart. He must want something... something he needs us alive to achieve. I don't trust him at all" Asuka said.
"Understood. Best be careful" Gladio said.
They came across and radio and turned it on "This is the Imperial Security Bureau. A situation has arisen in several research sectors. All civilians must relocate to their designated refuge stations immediately. Failure to evacuate will result in incarceration or other appropriate disciplinary procedures. This emergency broadcast will repeat until the situation has been resolved. The Imperial Security Bureau thanks you for your cooperation".
"You think that situation is us…or something else?" Gladio asked.
"The latter, I presume. Whatever it is must be a matter of considerable scale to warrant such a warning. Keep your ears open. These broadcasts may help us understand what's going on outside" Ignis answered.
Asuka had a bad feeling about this. They enter Zegnautus Keep and were met by an uneasy silence.
"It's dead silent" Ignis said.
"More like undead silent. Place is crawling with daemons" Gladio said.
Asuka looks around "Creepy...".
While they make their way through the Keep, Ardyn broadcasts his voice to them "Right this way, my friends".
"Proceed with caution" Ignis said.
"Right..." Asuka said, she would never drop her guard in this place.
As the three of them make their way in the direction Ardyn intends, his voice was heard "Keep going… A little closer… Yes, that's a good boy and girl".
A wall suddenly begins to slide open; Gladio holds his hand up to halt Ignis "Hold up".
"What is it?" Ignis asked.
"Found some kinda secret passage" Gladio answered.
"Lead here by our guide" Ignis said.
"Long as it's a step in the right direction, I'll take it" Gladio said.
"Something really smells wrong here" Asuka said as they continuded on.
"Where are we now?" Ignis asked.
"Whatever it is, it's a mess. Watch your step" Gladio warned before they enter a control room "Hey, Iggy. Think we might've found the control room. Got lotsa…monitors and stuff".
"Which may help us monitor the rest of the keep. Does anything look operable?" Ignis asked.
Gladio begins examining a control panel "I'm more of a low-tech kinda guy, but I'll see what I can do. What have we here? Huh. Looks like they wiped everything".
"All of it?" Ignis asked.
"Yep. Wait, I've got something. There's one surveillance tape they forgot to erase, almost like they wanted us to see it" Gladio said.
"Probably because they did... And I have a feeling it was Ardyn" Asuka said.
"Then we'd best have a look. Whatever's on that tape may help us locate Noct and Prompto" Ignis said.
Gladio plays the tape; a static-filled screen appears Iedolas voice was heard "What of the Hydraean's power? What of my precious ring?".
The picture on the tape comes into focus; Ravus stands before the emperor in the throne room, King Regis's sword in hand; dark energy like that which rises when the daemons appear is rising off the emperor's hands.
"By the hand of the Oracle, they are with the King now—their rightful owner. And someday soon, he shall use them to purge our star of its scourge" Ravus said in defiance.
Iedolas looked angry "But the Crystal is mine… I am the one True King!".
"Nay, it is Noctis and none other" Ravus said as Daemons begin coalescing behind him. He turns his head slightly, taking notice of them "Certainly not a puppet of the darkness and the daemons it has borne".
Iedolas glares "You are the puppet…and you must die".
The daemons begin to attack Ravus; he skillfully begins fending them off, wielding Regis's sword; a sudden blast of daemonic energy hits him from behind, though, pushing him out of the throne room and toward a railing; a second blast descends on him, but he is able to deflect it with the sword; a third blast, however, hits him squarely in the chest and launches him over the railing into the depths of the Keep; the picture on the tape descends into static again briefly before regaining focus, now with Ravus once more; he's pulling himself to his feet, holding to a railing and using King Regis's sword for support; he can barely stand. Suddenly, what appears to be Noctis walks into the room; Ravus turns to him.
"At last you have arrived, Noctis. The gods have shown you their favor. As Blood of the Oracle, I present you your father's glaive" Ravus holds the haft of the sword out to him, gripping it with his magitek arm "Now go forth, my king. Shine your light unto the world".
The one who appears to be Noctis begins to reach for the haft of the sword, then suddenly conjures a red-bladed facsimile of the Sword of the Father. He swings the sword at Ravus, cutting off his magitek arm just below the shoulder and seemingly injuring him elsewhere as well. Ravus takes a few clumsy steps forward, then collapses onto his back, dead. Noctis leans down and picks up the Sword of the Father, Ravus's severed arm still gripping it, then carries it over beside of Ravus's body. He shoves the blade into the ground, leaving it standing over Ravus.
"Spare me your sycophancy. I've indulged your false heroism for far too long" Noctis said kneels down over Ravus's body and begins speaking with his real voice... it eas Ardyn "You tried to save the world in my stead, but it wasn't enough. The Crystal chose me, not you".
Now appearing as himself again, Ardyn stands and places his hat on his head before reaching into his coat and pulling out the letters Ravus had written to Lunafrey. Ardyn dismissively tosses the papers on Ravus's body, then begins walking out of the room.
"Rejection hurts, doesn't it?" Ardyn said as he leaves and the picture on the tape reverts to static.
"Ravus..." Asuka said in a sad tone.
"Was that Noct?" Ignis asked.
"No. Just that scumbag chancellor posing as him" Gladio answered.
"Ravus had finally accepted Noct as the true king... And that bastard Ardyn used it against him... That means the last thing Ravus saw was Noct cutting him down..." Asuka said, feeling horrible for Ravus. Despite the problems he had caused in the past, he did not deserve this.
"It sounded like Ravus tried to return His Majesty's sword" Ignis said.
"Yeah. Guess he finally got over his grudge. Even called Noct his king" Gladio said as the three are silent for a moment "Let's move. If that's what he did to Ravus, there's no telling what he'll do to Noct".
"We better hurry" Asuka agreed.
They continue on, facing some daemons along the way, before they enter the control room where the Crystal is displayed on the monitors.
"Hey, there it is" Gladio said.
"What is it?" Ignis asked.
"We've found the crystals on the monitor screens" Asuka answered.
"Then we're close. Do you see any sort of control panel?" Ignis asked as Gladio examines the control panel "If it's anything like the Citadel, there should be a barrier barring access".
"Then we un-bar it. You just tell me what to do" Gladio said.
Ignis nods "Right".
Gladio begins to touch some of the instruments as Ignis explains, and Asuka stands guard. A while later Gladio is stepping back from the control panel, having just entered a command. He looks at the monitors in anticipation. The barrier blocking access to the Crystal turns off. Suddenly, the foot of a daemon lands heavily on the floor behind them. They turn to face the creature.
"Thieves cannot escape the hand of justice. The Crystal is mine… Never shall I lose my grip! The Crystal, the Light, the power… All of it… Mine!" As the daemon shouts that last word, the emperor's face is briefly superimposed over that of the creature; the daemon roars, preparing to attack.
Asuka, Ignis and Gladio conjure their weapons and fight back. The Daemon attacks with large blades sticking out of it's arms. Gladio blocks the strike with his shield, and Asuka quickly punches the creature in the face. It slides back but was far from finished. Asuka and Gladio keeps it of balance with several attacks. Ignis listens closely, and once he was certain he knew where the daemon was, he tossed a fire spell, hitting it square in the chest. The daemon roars before vanishing. Asuka closed her eyes, and sensed something appearing behind her. She ducked down, dodging an attempt to impale her form behind, which also allowed Gladio to land a powerful strike with both his own sword and his new katana. Ignis then tossed another fire spell which forced The Daemon down on a knee.
Asuka quickly dashed in, grabbing one of it's arm blades, before letting out a battle cry and brought her fist down on the blade, snapping it. Grabbing the broken piece, Asuka rammed it in to the Daemon's side. Roaring in pain and having sustained a lot of damage, the daemon growls, folds its wings over itself and vanishes in a puff of dark smoke. Asuka Gladiolus are breathing heavily.
"I can't hear it anymore. Is it dead?" Ignis asked.
"Not yet, thing just disappeared. Ain't never seen one that talked like that before" Gladio said.
"Nor one so fixated on the Crystal" Ignis added.
"I thought Aranea said the daemons were afraid of the Crystal" Gladio said.
"It may be like moths to a flame, or it may be one of the empire's alternative facts" Ignis said.
"Great, cause we didn't have enough to worry about without a crystal obsessed daemon" Asuka said, sounding really tired of everything.
"Whichever it is, that monster's still on the loose" Gladio said.
"And we need to find it before it finds Noct and Prompto" Ignis said.
They continue on. As they make their way past a hallway, a door at the other end slides open.
Gladio glares "If that son of a bitch even—".
"Wait. Can't you hear that?" Ignis asked.
Gladio looked at him "Hear what?".
"Noct's voice. I heard it clear as day" Ignis said.
"What, where?" Asuka asked.
"This way, follow me!" Ignis quickly sets out down the hall.
"Hey, wait up!" Gladio said as he takes off after him.
Asuka quickly followed. Hoping they had finally found Noct... and hopefully, Prompto wasn't far away.
.
Tell me what you think.
