Another updated chapter, this time the conclusion of the Winter Festival Metalcore antics of Gladiolus Amicitia. Since we're almost near the end of this, I'll let you know that the sequel to this is being written while this is being updated. Also, there will be a few new chapters in this fic that will connect with the next fic.

-miano53

Chronicles 24: End of the Metalcore Madness

"What is the deal with Gladiolus and scaring people with metalcore?" Mors Caelum asked, watching his poor grandson drive through the streets, heading for a park dedicated to his son, Regis.

The Lucian King had gotten fed up with his Shield scaring people during the holidays. Mors had the same done to him as his Shield, a man named Bjorn Ironside, and his wife, a Crownsguard named Rosita Amicitia, constantly going around, scaring folks by screaming like banshees during the Winter Festivals. When they had children and when Rosita's brother had children, they joined the Glaives and joined in their family tradition of terrifying the living daylights out of royal family members and the public. Besides the Crystal and ring, Mors was sure that the Amicitia-Ironside family was responsible for his not having too many years after scaling back the Wall.

"Well, you should know who to blame for all this."

Mors, who was standing on a building roof near the Regis Lucis Caelum Memorial Park, saw that Ardyn had joined him. The still-dressed-like-he-was-going-on-summer-vacation-and-formerly-known-as-Adagium man saw Mors glower and said, "Oh, c'mon. I am not responsible for the madness. I'm afraid you need to blame your line's patriarch: Somnus."

"Wait, the Mystic never tried to do such…" Mors started.

Ardyn summoned what looked like a phone and said, "He's not as pious as you think."

Mors took the apparent mystical phone and saw what looked like Ardyn's memories. One had the auburn-haired one looking about 12 years old and attempting to take a nap underneath an oak tree. The eight-year-old Somnus peeked out from behind it and gave an evil smirk. The boy was joined by another, dressed in red named Gilgamesh and the pair jumped out from behind the tree, playing a horn and small drum incredibly loud. Young Ardyn woke up with a start and screamed.

"That was during the Festival of Lights, the New Year's festivities when this place was simply called 'Cavaugh'," Ardyn explained.

He then switched to another picture, where Somnus and Gilgamesh, age 15, scared the 19-year-old Ardyn as he tried to drink a cup of Duscean orange juice. According to the former Adagium, that was during the Fall Harvest festivals in Duscae.

"So our Founder was a prankster?" Mors asked.

"Yes and it's a wonder why I became Adagium instead of him," Ardyn said, sounding a bit bitter.

Mors hoped that he wouldn't revert to "burn everything to ashes in vengeance" at the mere mention of his time as Adagium. Luckily, the auburn-haired one said, "Well, at least we solved the reason why. But as a warning, this is what that Gladiolus may do."

A third picture depicted Somnus, Gilgamesh, and several others dressed in gothic black and holding various instruments while hiding from Ardyn. The picture went to one where Ardyn looked around for his would-be assailants and he was joined by the Oracle of that day, Aera Mirus Fleuret. The third pic featured the two sipping on what looked like cups of coffee and then staring at a snowy landscape. The final pictures showed Somnus and crew popping out from their hiding spots and causing poor Ardyn to drop his coffee onto his lap and scream in sheer terror and pain.

"I thought I apologized to you for that!"

The specter of Somnus appeared, miffed that his brother would bring that incident up. Ardyn glowered and said, "You didn't. Instead, you laughed and ran off when Aera tossed magic at you."

"Well…I would've if she hadn't done such a thing," Somnus said, still not apologizing.

Mors sighed and said, "One would've thought the Mystic as a pious man…but after all this…I see why my grandson and his friends behave the way they do."

"I was just a child! Please have some form of sympathy," Somnus told the pair.

Noctis, trying to find Gladio before he did anything stupid, drove straight towards the park dedicated to his father, Regis. The plan was to use the schools practicing in the park for tomorrow's Festival Parade to stop the Shield and his Glaives from singing metalcore. If they could find Gladio and stop him, then they would be able to prevent any international incidents. Lucis was supposed to be the leader in the worldwide rebuild effort and if Gladio ruined that, then they would have problems…more so than when he accused him of being a coward after Ignis was blinded.

A phone call and Noctis answered over the Star of Lucis Mark III's speaker. Prompto called and asked, "You here yet, Noct? I think Gladio's here. I just don't know where!"

"Don't panic. Just make sure that the schools are ready," Noctis told him.

"You think it'll work?" the blonde asked.

"Well, Luna said that most people don't know that movie's not a festival movie, so pretty sure he won't notice," Noctis said.

The king pulled up to the park and saw the various Lucian and international schools that were practicing for the festival. The ages of the students varied and the eldest were those in the high school bands. He even saw his alma mater and the school noticed their king walking toward them.

In excitement, the group nearly bombarded him when Prompto showed up. He then told Noct, "I think everyone's ready."

"Oh, so we're gonna get back at the Glaives and Crownsguard?" a student asked.

Noctis nodded and the student cheered. One yelled, "REVENGE!"

Other students started singing, "Karma is a…!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's not that serious…Well…it is. But we're not going that far," Prompto said.

"Yeah, and you all being this loud's going to alert the Glaives as to what His Majesty wants us to do," their teacher, Ms. Kramer, said.

Noctis then told them what they were to do and Prompto went around telling the teachers of the other schools the same. Luna had informed her husband that she informed the younger students and their teachers, along with Libertus. After the plan was told to everyone, Noctis sensed that Gladio and the Glaives were rapidly approaching the park.

He smirked and said, "Time for payback, Gladio."

Gladiolus and the Glaives that accompanied him were hiding in various trees, seeing Noctis and Prompto with the schools that were practicing for the parade. They didn't seem to notice them coming and Gladio grinned. He was going to perform the most epic metalcore interruption in the history of metalcore interruptions. He would do his great uncle-in-law, Bjorn, proud.

He radioed the other Glaives and said, "Ready?"

"Yup! Ready! Let's do this! Time to break Bjorn's record!" the Glaives said over the radio.

The bands started playing in unison a rather familiar song and Gladio said, "Showtime!"

Noctis smirk grew wider as Gladio was about to pop out and sing something that his kids enjoyed. Prompto had some reporters from Meteor Publishing ready to catch the Shield and Glaives in the act of civil disobedience. And hopefully, that would stop Gladio from pranking him, government officials, and other Glaives during the holidays. Hopefully…

The younger students, after playing the intro to the song "Let it Go", sang, "The past is in the past! Let it go! Ooh, let it go!"

Right on cue, Gladio and the disobedient Glaives popped out of various hiding spots, with Gladio dressed as a "Gothic Rocker Claus". With a microphone, he sang/snarled, "Can hold back anymore! Let it go! LET IT GO-OO-OH!"

The students burst into laughter and Noctis started grinning. Gladio stopped singing and asked, "What's so funny?"

Prompto came out with a camera and said, "Gotcha!"

"Seriously, what's so funny?" Gladio asked, confused.

"You know that song came from 'Permafrost', right?" Noctis asked.

Gladio looked as if he was having an existential crisis and said, "No. No! That's a festival song."

"No, it's not. Little kids sing that song. Elsa sang it from 'Permafrost'. It's not a festival song," the teens told him, laughing.

The burly Shield looked embarrassed as he was being laughed at by his friend, his King, and some snot-nosed brats and moody teens. The other Glaives joined him, just as confused and Gladio told them that the song wasn't a Winter Fest song. They didn't beat Bjorn's record and pretty much embarrassed themselves.

Noctis snickered and said, "Well, Happy Winter Fest, Gladio."

"Uh…yeah…" Gladio said, ready to leave.

"Oh, and by the way," the King added.

Gladio stopped and the man told him, "'Fallguys' is a Festival movie."

The Shield scoffed, thought about it, and said, "Huh. Yeah, you're right."

Thus did the Shield stop his shenanigans…or so everyone hoped.

Well, at least Noct was able to stop Gladio from pranking everyone during the holidays. Review?