Awaken Light And Darkness Falls.
With the group reunited and their powers fully restored, they were finally ready to take back the crystal. There were several Daemons in their way, but with their strength restored and their determination stronger than ever, the monsters were little more than a waste of time. They finished of a small group of Daemons before they continued further towards the crystal, which was located deep within the building.
"Hopefully Biggs and Wedge both made it to safety" Ignis said.
"Who and who?" Prompto asked.
"Our train drivers" Gladio answered.
"And soldiers. They can fend for themselves" Noct assured.
"Yeah, they were strange fellows, but they got us much further than one would expect. If anyone can survive out there, it's them" Asuka agreed.
As the group make their way through the Keep, Prompto was trying to catch up on some things he might've missed since he was separated from the others.
"So, where'd you guys park the Regalia?" He asked.
"Outside. Though park ain't the right word" Gladio answered.
"She's broken down, alas" Ignis added.
"Took one for us, saved our lives" Noct said.
Asuka put a hand on her chest "She was a beautiful car, and dependable one at that. She will be forever remembered, and go down in history as the greatest car of all time".
"Preach is Asuka... She was amazing" Prompto said, giving his own respect to their trusty car.
"Now then, the Crystal" Ignis reminded.
"I'm guessing the way is locked" Gladio said.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing somebody has keys to the whole fortress" Prompto said.
"You're no better than a burglar" Noct said jokingly.
Prompto smirked "Aren't I?".
"Come on Noct. He managed to steal my heart. I say that puts him on a level above simple burglar, he is a professional thief" Asuka said, earning a laugh from Prompto and Noct, along with some chuckles from Ignis and Gladio.
"Well I will always pride myself on that one. My only regret is I can't steal it again" Prompto said.
"Well, you can steal my whole life with a ring" Asuka said with a teasing smile.
Prompto blushed... and he knew Asuka's was only half joking. She wanted them to get married, she was just waiting for him to finally ask her.
When they entered a room, they are confronted by the Foras daemon they encountered before.
"The ring… It's mine…" It said in desperation.
"Truly be…the emperor?" Ignis asked.
"Emperor Iedolas, his outside finally matches his insides" Asuka said.
"Does seem kinda keen on the ring" Gladio said.
"So we fight him?" Prompto asked.
Noct summons his sword "We take mercy".
"And we will finally avenge all the people who died because of him" Asuka declared as she summons her combat gauntlets.
Iedolas roars as he attacks the group. Gladio summoned a shield and managed to block Iedolas large claw before forcing him back, allowing Asuka to deliver a punch to his face. As he stumbled back, Prompto quickly fired at him with his guns. Iedolas screams but before he could attack Prompto, Noctis delivered a warp strike to his side, before warping away so Ignis could hit Iedolas with an ice spell. His movement slowed, Gladio delivered a powerful strike with his large blade, which sent Iedolas it to a wall, with a clear wound on his chest.
Refusing to give up, Iedolas screams again as he vanished from sight. But Asuka was used to this trick by now, so she closed her eye and focused. She managed to predict where he would reappear, and delivered a kick to his jaw. She then built up power in her fist, and delivered an upper cut which sent Iedolas in to the air. Prompto readied an rocket launcher he has "Borrowed" from an weapon's crate earlier, and Ignis prepared a fire spell. Both hit Iedolas at the same time, making him fall down, badly injured, before both Noct and Gladio dashed from each side, both delivering the finishing blow with their swords.
"The empire shall span…all the lands… By the Crystal's Light…we shall flourish… I shall arise…as ruler…of the world!" Iedolas said before he fell to the ground and faded away. He was finally dead.
"Rot in hell" Asuka said with spite, showing no respect for such an dishonorable monster.
"That was for Insomnia, and all the people that died because of you" Noct added, happy to see the man responsible for his home's destruction fade away in to nothing.
Ignis sighed "We need to keep moving. The crystal awaits".
Everyone nods and they continued on. As the group makes their way through the hangar area, they looked around, almost impressed by what the Empire had managed to build. Though it did make sense, with all the large machines they used.
"One helluva hangar" Gladio commented.
Prompto looks around "Look at all this space".
"So, the central elevator's through here" Noct noted.
"And out of the loading bay" Gladio added.
"Not much further" Asuka said.
The large doors at the other end of the hangar begin opening and Ardyn's voice was heard "Your Majesty, your precious Crystal awaits you. To liven things up I thought I'd take you on a stroll down memory lane. Of course, memories decay with time".
Ravus's body walks through the doors, now grotesque and daemonic, his left side spews black fluid and develops a black horn. A daemon-like appendage replaces his metal arm, he was holding a large black blade in his other hand, which looked like it was fused to him, and his chest pulsates with mutilated flesh. He had transformed into a monster.
"Kill me… End it…" He begs.
"Ravus..." Asuka said in shock.
"Is that really him?" Gladio asked, looking horrified by what had happened to him.
"Or what's left of him…" Prompto said.
"Dammit…" Noctis said.
"I... wanted a rematch against him... but not like this" Asuka said.
Ignis got ready "I'm afraid we don't have a choice".
Ravus screams in agony before he rushes them, like a living puppet that was forced to fight against his will. The group avoided his charge, but he keeps swinging his black blade widely, no trace of his former blade skills, just pure aggression. Gladio entered a small duel with him, but while Ravus wasn't as skilled as he was before, he was much stronger, so when Gladio blocked one of his strikes, it made him stumble back. Asuka leaps at Ravus to deliver a punch, but he quickly reaches out his new daemon hand and grabbed her by the neck. However, before he could do anything, Prompto shot him in the back, distracting him long enough for Asuka to break his grip and kick him in the face.
Asuka aims a swipe at Ravus' feet that had little effect, then ducking around each of his sword's swings. One of his strikes loosens some pieces from the floor, which Asuka grabs and throws it into Ravus face, which barely effected him as he quickly recovers and attempts to retaliate. Asuka quickly counters him and delivers a punch and a kick which forced Ravus back, giving Asuka an opening to perform a back flip kick to his jaw, sending him to the floor. This leaves him vulnerable to Gladio, who delivers a powerful overhead strike to Ravus' chest, causing purple fluid to fly out of his body. He screams as daemonic energy builds around him, before he unleashes it, forcing everyone away from him as he gets back up.
Asuka cursed under her breath "Damn... he is even tougher than before".
"It because of whatever happened to him" Gladio said.
"Regardless, he stands in our way. So we need to end this quickly" Ignis said, though his tone made it clear he did not like it.
"Right... Sorry Ravus" Noct said as he got ready.
Ravus charged again, but Noct warps behind him, delivering a slash down his back. As Ravus swings his blade in retaliation, Noctis dodged under it and slashed him in the side. Noct jumps back as Ignis throws a fire spell, which momentarily stuns Ravus, and Prompto resorts to his duel pistols and unloads bullets in to Ravus' body. Forced back by the focused onslaught, Ravus could do nothing as Gladio duel wielded his two swords delivered several powerful strikes, which made Ravus lose more of his new power.
The battle finally ended when Noctis rams the very blade he got from Ravus in to the former high commander's chest. Once Noctis pulls it out, Ravus falls to the ground... dead once again.
"A sorry end for the high commander, for anyone. He was a man with hopes and dreams" Gladio said, showing respect for their fallen foe, as Ravus's body begins to discorporate.
"It's horrible" Prompto said.
"Despite all his flaws... he had a good heart, and he was honorable... He deserved better" Asuka said in a sad tone.
"What kind of fiend makes daemons of men?" Ignis asked as Ravus's body finishes discorporating and is gone. Noct looks sadly at the floor where his body had been.
"Look alive, company!" Gladio shouts as the room suddenly fills with daemons.
They do their best to fight the daemons of, but there is way to many of them.
"We're getting nowhere!" Gladio said as he cut down a daemon.
Prompto fires his gun at any daemon he could "And they just keep coming!".
Ignis strikes one with his cane "Noct, you must go alone".
"What?" Noct asked in shock.
"If you can obtain the Crystal's power, we may yet turn the tide. Elsewise, we are all like to perish here" Ignis explained.
"Iggy's right. It's our only chance" Gladio said as he killed another daemon.
"But what about you?" Noct asked in hesitation.
Prompto shot a Daemon in the head "We'll manage somehow! Just get moving!".
"Trust us Noctis! GO!" Asuka shouts.
Ardyn broadcasts his voice to Noctis "You could still get to the Crystal…if you went on your own. Your friends will have to stay behind".
The elevator to the loading bay comes up to this level for Noct. With no other choice he takes it down to the loading bay and begins running for the elevator on the other side.
An automated message rings out "Hangar gate closing Please stand clear".
The gate to the elevator begins to close as Ardyn speaks "You'd better think fast. I don't envy you your decision".
Noctis continues to run as daemons begin manifesting and pursue him "So this is the way to the Crystal?".
"Betraying your friends for the greater good, the mark of a monarch! Step forth, Your Majesty!" Ardyn said in his annoying cocky tone as Noct makes it through the hangar gate "If you wish to obtain the Crystal's power, you must be prepared to lose all else".
Noct stops and looks back, seeing his friends absolutely swarmed by daemons, but fighting on; he turns to face the elevator, allowing the hangar gate to close behind him, separating him from his friends once again; he runs toward the final elevator. Meanwhile, the remaining four do their best to fight of all the Daemons, but there was no end to them. Asuka punches and kicks some smaller Daemons away, but a bigger one knocks her away. She tries to get up but the massive hand of a Daemon holds her down as a smaller one gets ready to take of her head.
"ASUKA!" Gladio shouts, but was held back by the Daemons.
"NO!" Prompto cried out as he desperately tried to reach.
Asuka looked around the best she could... She was going to die, and everyone she loved would be left at the mercy of the daemons. Panic builds up in her before she let out a loud scream as blinding white light erupts from her body. The daemons backs of, the smaller ones even seeming to melt away by the light. The others, minus Ignis, shields their eyes from the bright light before looking back with shocked expressions.
Asuka was glowing with pure light magic... and large white wings had appeared on her back, along with golden markings on her body and her eyes where glowing blue, and she had a blue gem on her forehead. Gladio and Prompto was utterly amazed by what they were seeing.
"Asuka..." Gladio whispered.
"What is happening? I feel... warm" Ignis said.
"Asuka... she's an angel" Prompto answered, unable to take his eyes of his girlfriend.
Asuka took a deep breath before she unleashed beams from her forehead gem, destroying all the remaining Daemons in the room, with no other even being able to show up due to the deadly light. Once the threat had been dealt with, Asuka slowly floats down to the floor, he wings disappear and the light fades away. She openes her eyes and looked around.
"What... happened?" She asked.
"Asuka... that was Amazing!" Prompto cheered as he ran up and hugged Asuka hard.
"Sis... how did you do that?" Gladio asked, still recovering from what he had just witnessed.
"I... I don't know. I was just overwhelmed by what was happening, and the thought of you all dying just pushed me beyond my limit. Everything is a blur after that, I just remember feeling power I have never felt before... Like I could finally protect everyone... What happened to me?" Asuka asked.
"Perhaps there is more to your bloodline than meets the eye" Ignis theorized.
Asuka thinks on that before she gasped "Wait, Noct!".
Everyone quickly recovered from the shock of the moment and hurried to find a way to Noct.
Noctis runs into the room housing the Crystal; Ardyn broadcasts his voice to him once more "Your journey is over, Noct".
Noctis stands before the Crystal and holds his hand out to it "Please… Help me stop the daemons".
Suddenly, the Crystal becomes very bright and seizes Noctis's hand; it begins to slowly pull him inside itself; as Noctis struggles in futility to get free, Ardyn swaggers into the room "Unharmed by the Light. The Chosen King, indeed. Allow me to regale you with a tale. In an age long past, an incurable scourge ravaged mankind. A tiny menace that twisted men into monsters, the likes of which you've seen. In Lucis lived a savior who could cure the afflicted. His body would come to host myriad daemons, that countless lives be spared. But a jealous king, one not yet chosen by the Crystal, ostracized and demonized this healer of the people. Making a true monster of him. I gave you my name earlier, but you should know that it was not the name given to me at birth. Ardyn Lucis Caelum is my proper name. You'll never guess whose name Izunia was. Noct, killing you as a mortal will bring me scant satisfaction. Claim the Crystal's power. Arise as its champion. Only once the Crystal and King are no more…can I know redemption. Come back soon. I shall keep your friends company until you are ready".
After Noctis has been completely pulled into the Crystal, Asuka, Prompto, Ignis and Gladio arrive, but are unable to do anything to help him. Ardyn turns to them, gestures nonchalantly at the Crystal and begins to walk away. Gladiolus swings his sword through Ardyn's head, releasing a puff of dark smoke from where the blade strikes. Ardyn falls back a little, but maintains his balance and holds onto his hat to keep it from falling off his head. He then continues walking away and Prompto shoots Ardyn in the back before he can take more than a couple of steps, releasing another puff of dark smoke and hurling his body onto the floor. Ardyn's hat rolls away and lays still for several seconds before Ardyn's hand suddenly reaches down to collect it and place it back on his head, once more unharmed, Ardyn is again standing; he smiles at Ignis, revealing corrupted daemonic features as he does so, but they go unnoticed since Ignis is blind.
"You Monster! What did you do to him!?" Asuka demanded as she goes to punch Ardyn, only for him to grab her arm.
"Oh don't worry. He is slumbering away for now. But you my dear, have finally awakened. I advise you prepare yourself. Because your own trials will soon begin, Asuka Kazama" Ardyn said before he walks away, leaving Noctis's closest friends unharmed but devastated.
Believing this sacred stone would purge the world of daemons, Noctis reached out to it, only to be pulled inside.
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Tell me what you think.
