Final Fantasy XV - Kingdom Hearts

Part 32

Summary: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness.

Thommel's Glade.

The final royal arm, the last task to be done before they make their ways to Altissia. Looking out the window of the Regalia, Noctis stared as the world passed them by as the sun slowly rose up from the mountains in the distance. Night had finally passed them without any daemons hassling them or the heartless to suddenly appear.

Courtesy of Sora and Riku using their keyblades as beacons of light to ward off any daemons and with Ignis taking short cuts left and right to arrive faster to their target. With only four of the main party remaining on this journey, the prince had been very uncertain to drive to the last tomb with such a small number, but his advisor explained to them that the tomb in question was much like the very first one, in the open.

At the encouragement of his advisor and with the assistance from Sora and Riku, the prince agreed to take this chance to finally be done with the royal arm hunting.

When the sun finally blessed the world with its golden rays of light Sora and Riku dismissed their keyblades and finally sat back down on the seats, groaning tiredly. 'Who would have thought becoming flashlights was this exhausting? Never felt so drained…', Riku joked tiredly, resting his head in his hand. 'Tell me about…even sparring with Aqua isn't that tiring', Sora yawned, looking close to dozing off.

'We're almost there now boys, you can take a nap if you wish', Ignis offered, stifling a yawn of his own. The two grunted in response before ultimately taking his advice and quickly fell into slumber. 'Think the others will be alright without you?', Noctis said with a tired smile, 'I mean remember Prompto's attempts at an oatmeal?'.

'I remember', Ignis chuckled lowly and softly, 'Kairi had to freeze it entirely to put out the fires'. A few weeks ago, when Ignis was too weary to cook, the blonde Crownsguard tried his hand at something he claimed seeing Ignis doing so many times it was imprinted in his memory. However, as the boy learned that day seeing and doing were two very different things and he neglected to watch the temperature and watch how long he left it cooking. The pot caught fire and while some were panicking, Kairi took it a whole level of worry.

She froze it entirely into a block of ice and nearly froze the entire stove in turn. The pot sadly, clear from the ice block, the burns ruined the bottom and likely the ice would have made it too brittle, plus Ignis feared any attempts to use magic to melt the ice would have likely resulted in disaster.

He softly chuckled at the memory, the poor redhead had spent all morning apologizing to him and promising to make it up to her. Ignis assured the poor girl it was not the first pot he lost to his companions' negligence, but he was pleasantly surprised that she managed to buy him a new one with some cooking knives as an apology.

'However I trust Gladiolus enough to cook something of substance for the others', Ignis continued as he parked the car on the side of the road. 'If he can be pried away from Aqua long enough', Noctis chuckled, getting out of the car as Ignis had the roof put up, 'Can't believe those two are a thing'.

'It would seem their trials did more than just help with their confidence', Ignis mused thoughtfully, closing the door.

As the man had said, the royal tomb was indeed out in the open, nary a daemon, heartless or any wildlife insight for them. When they reached the steps to the tomb Noctis went ahead to unlock the door and obtain the last royal arm in the region. Exiting it, he and Ignis walked back to the Regalia. Along the way, the man glanced at Noctis. 'Noct, before we return, might I have a word?', he said. 'Sure, what's on your mind specs?', the prince said, turning and stopping to him.

'I'm wondering if you had any thoughts of these circumstances that we find ourselves in, regarding Sora and his company', Ignis stated, pushing his glasses up. 'What do you mean?', he asked. 'I'm merely curious to your thoughts on the matter. Otherworlds, the light, darkness, heartless, to start with', he elaborated. Letting an "ahh" escape his mouth, Noctis crossed his arms and gave the man a pondering look, before he shrugged his shoulders. 'Well first, if you had told me this before meeting them, I would have thought you've lost your mind', Noctis chuckled.

'You and the others have certainly put my mental fortitude to the test, make no mistake', Ignis chastised playfully with a smirk. Then his smirk disappeared and in its place was a small frown. 'Noct, in all seriousness, what do you think?'. The prince's stance relaxed as he rubbed his neck. 'I dunno about other worlds Ig, I mean, most of my life was back in Insomnia, but the light they're talking about? I…', he said, but then froze.

Slowly he looked back at the Regalia to see the two younger boys still sleeping before he looked down and sighed. 'Somehow…I kinda feel like its…at its weakest', Noctis said. 'At its weakest? Whatever do you mean by that?', the spectacled man asked with worry. 'Like…they're not ready for whatever Xehanort has in store for them…that, this great fight of theirs? It's one-sided'.

'Noct…', Ignis said softly, surprised by the man's honesty and genuine doubt in his companions, 'Where is this doubt coming from?'. Noctis looked at him and then with a sigh, said: 'I just…don't have a good feeling at their chances'.

As he turned to walk away, Ignis grasps his shoulder, 'Forgive my imprudence, but that is not a sufficient answer, and disregarding their feats and strength is not like you, Noct', Ignis argued. Noctis glanced back his advisor, before shrugging off his hand. Without a word, Noctis walked back to Regalia. Behind him Ignis frowned at his king, huffing in disappointment as he joined his king.

What could have possibly put that much doubt within Noctis?

Altissia

There were, and still are, few moments in Lunafreya's life where she could take subtle satisfaction from one's frustrations and fury. This was one such moment as she secretly relished in delight to see his radiance emperor Iedolas Aldercap, on the chair within the meeting room with his two other infuriated members of his inner circle.

Caligo is mostly going on about the other worlders becoming a legit threat to the empire's goals as well as Loqi arguing about plans to quickly subdue Noctis and his companions. Lunafreya at her seat with Ardyn merely standing against a pillar, listening without making so much as a sigh as this argument reached a bleak conclusion.

'We should have sent those white daemons to the fortress a long time ago! They would have finished off the prince!', Caligo argued, slamming his fist onto the table. 'If that bastard of a man Xigbar would relinquish control over them to us, we'd be unstoppable!'.

'Don't be any more of a fool than you're already making yourself out to be old man!', Loqi scoffed, 'We shouldn't have relied on him to start with! He's made promises but has yet to fulfill them to our empire!'.

As interestingly amusing as it was to watch these to bicker and whine like children, Lunafreya quietly watched the emperor in the vain hope his patience would dwindle, and he'd silence those bickering buffoons.

She didn't have to wait very long.

'SILENCE!', he bellowed, slamming his hands down on his seat and nearly raising. Darkness cloaked his body in a purplish light, alerting the Oracle immediately. This darkness…it was nearly the same as the one that plagued Ravus' own heart, but here it was different. The scent was a horrible blend of the blight and the darkness radiating from the heartless and Xigbar. How much of this evil has spread amongst the imperials, and just how much of this was the doing of the chancellor?

Iedolas' darkness receded into him as he settled back down into his seat, eyes staring down his two generals with contempt. 'That man has accomplished much for my empire, alone he could match those foolish warriors of the king', he seethed, his voice sounding closer to a snake than a man, filled with venom and lies. 'You two have failed me on numerous occasions, between falling for that duplicate and letting all our outposts be taken!'.

It was quite the challenge for the Oracle not to smirk at their discomfort and failings. Iedolas growled as he turned to the Oracle, her face still neutral. With a scoff, he turned back to Ardyn. 'And what of this Xigbar's reports? Has he finished with his project?', he demanded. With a saunter and courteous bow, the red-haired man said: 'Nearly completed, your radiance. He assures me that by the time Noctis and his troublesome ilk arrive in this city, he shall be more than prepared for even their mightiest warrior'.

'And the nobodies?', he growled.

'He says his "boss" has permitted him for more than just nobodies, your radiance', Ardyn assured with coy. Iedolas hummed gruffly looking to the Oracle. 'And you will have no qualms fulfilling the rite? Lady Fleuret?', he said. 'I will perform my tasks to the demands of the god, no more than that, you excellence', she assured, her tone polite but devoid of anything else warm. A tone she had reserved for her captors. 'However, I must inquire about my brother. Xigbar said there is a matter that concerns him'.

'The commander has been put in charge of the military forces during the rite', Iedolas said off handily, like she just asked about the weather, 'He is no longer to be your escort'. 'And dare I ask, who may take his place?', the Oracle questioned, 'Forgive my bluntness but there a few competent men among your forces to keep me safe'.

'Ahh my dear Oracle, I feared this would come up', Ardyn said so wistfully and charmingly it sent shivers down her spine. 'I had taken it upon myself to find a suitable, if not more capable, replacement for your brother'. As he finished, the door opened to reveal Terra entering the room, eyes devoid of any emotion other than contempt. Lunafreya restrained herself to gasp, a part of her felt foolish for not thinking Xigbar may have had a hand in her replacement.

'And who is this!?', Caligo demanded, turning to Ardyn. 'Why, this man here is quite possibly your strongest warrior', Ardyn said with a gasp, mock shocked. 'Have you not heard? This man had not only defeated the shield of the prince easily', he listed, walking around his other world friend, smiling sinisterly. 'But he destroyed one of those keyblades and swiftly defeated a master…'. Then he gave everyone the coldest smile Lunafreya had ever seen.

'But he killed the Immortal, too'.

To prove this, Terra reached out his arm and summoned the katana of Cor, broken in half before he stabbed it into the table. All eyes fell to the broken weapon in disbelief, even the Oracle's famous poker face had broken as her eyes were glued to the weapon. 'Now tell me your grace, has anyone among have such a feat as he?', Ardyn questioned innocently. 'I for one couldn't make this story up if I tried'.

Iedolas nodded, his grin appearing and twisted. 'No, chancellor, I can't say we do', he submitted. 'Then I think we're all in agreement that next to our wonderous commander, our Oracle will be in no safer hands than Terra', he sang, looking at the Oracle and the generals. Begrudgingly the two nodded with scowls as Lunafreya reluctantly nodded in tow. 'Splendid, now if that is all we need to discuss?', Ardyn asked, looking at his emperor. Iedolas nodded and gave his group permission to leave the room.

'Return the Oracle to her room', he ordered, 'You two, prepare the men for the rite. On that day, the false king shall finally join his father'.

"Not if we have anything to say about that", Lunafreya thought to herself as she rose from her chair. Exiting the room with Terra and Ardyn, the Oracle followed Terra quiet as a mouse, watching him closely. When the trio reached her room, Terra gestured her to enter it as Ardyn bid her a good day. 'Chancellor', she said, not facing him as he was nearly down the corridor. She heard his footsteps stopping.

'Yes, your grace?', he asked with obvious contempt in his voice, 'Is there something amiss?'.

'Among my brother?', she asked coldly, turning to him whilst he faced her. No more was there the neutral look on her face, now facing him was a look of fire within her eyes and willpower that not even the empire could shake. 'The darkness that's been spreading amongst the generals and even Aldercap, and now the blight too?', she questioned, 'Isn't the darkness enough poison?'.

Ardyn shrugged in response to her, his sickening smile still glued onto his face. 'Come now your grace, surely you don't presume it to be my fault his radiance's heart is filled with the darkness?', he said wistfully. 'After all, there is darkness within every heart'. 'And yet it is those with silvery tongues that entices weak hearted men to the darkness', Lunafreya accused, 'And who else here has the silver tongue of a snake?'.

Ardyn clasped his heart mockingly, stepping backward as she had struck him. Oh by the gods she would have done more than struck him where she had the chance. 'My dear Oracle, such accusations wound me', he gasped, theatrically. 'I would ask you of some of the wondrous light to heal my wounded heart, but I couldn't ask such a thing'.

'No, chancellor', she said, 'I wouldn't dream of leaving a man in such agony if I can help'. Raising her hand as it glowed with that golden light and warmth, she even boldly took a step closer to him. 'Please come closer', she encouraged. Ardyn's theatrics ceased as that coy playful smirk degraded into a cold and empty one, a smile that was a literal mockery of it. 'Careful your grace…you never know what you might catch from me', he warned.

'A darkness such as your own?', Lunafreya challenged, 'I do not fear it'. Lowering her hand as the light disappeared. 'But you know that no matter what it is or how powerful you make it, my heart shan't falter to it, nor submit', she boasted. Turning to her room she grasped the doorknob as Ardyn sauntered away. 'My dear Oracle's courage is inspiring but entirely fruitless, for as I have seen first-hand', Ardyn said as he walked down the corridor.

'It's not always the darkness that steals someone's light…'.

With that said, he disappeared down the corridor, leaving only Terra and Lunafreya to enter her room. The Oracle entered it in silence as Terra stood guard by the door, arms crossed and stance like a statue, unwavering and unmoving.

As the Oracle sat down at her small table, she closed her eyes and exhaled. "Naminé…please find my brother".

*Underground*

Following number II of the Organization, Naminé stayed close to him as the man seemingly took his time to waltz around the underground passages, whistling to himself. The blonde girl kept her distance, ducking behind things like barrels, walls, pillars and some crates as well.

Truthfully while Naminé was unable to be seen by anyone bar Lunafreya, there were two parts of her urging caution over recklessness. Even she wasn't entirely sure how much of her essence wasn't able to be detected by those who were touched by such darkness like his own, despite she should have darkness akin to his. And for her friend's brother's whereabouts, she was better off this way.

The second part? She was having some fun with it.

Being within Kairi's heart for so long since she became one with her again, there was very little freedom for her to explore and do anything other than watch the world through her eyes, go through some memories of her and dealing with her constant fantasying of Sora. Ever since Noctis however, she connected to Lunafreya's heart. Being able to walk around Altissia and heck just being able to walk around room freely despite the limitations of it being an ethereal being.

Also, it didn't help that she couldn't eat either, lord did she miss food.

Xigbar stopped walking when he reached a door, making the girl stop in her chase, sub-consciously leaping behind some crates. Xigbar leaned against the door before flicking out a phone from his pocket and sent a text to likely Ardyn, Naminé had some doubts he had a lot of friends on his phone. 'You done with that old fool yet?', he asked impatiently. He nodded with an "uh-huh" before hanging up and enter the room.

Quickly the blonde former nobody ran and phased through the door just as it shuts, following Xigbar down a flight of stairs with only faint lighting being their guide through the dark. Following him with four steps behind, Naminé trailed after him quietly as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Through another door, she found herself in what looked to be a laboratory.

How the heck the empire managed to smuggle all this and set everything up without anyone finding out is beyond her as she looked around. The place had a very bleak blue to it, several beeps and sounds of machines running whatever tests or processes they were built for. There were rows of violet filled test tubes that reminded her of the incubators she had to use to restore Sora and his company's memories all that time ago.

Inside the test tubes were daemon infected subjects, whether they were the magitek soldiers she's seen around the place or some poor souls that caught the blight she couldn't say, but what truly sent fear racing down her spine were the fact the heartless emblem was "proudly" labeled on the top of the tube.

Her blue eyes followed Xigbar as he walked up a flight of stairs that leads to another room but unlike the lab, she found herself in, two berserker nobodies were standing by the entrance. Quickly following him as he entered, she phased through the wall and nearly tripped over herself when she finally entered.

If she could vomit in horror…then for the first time since she regained mobility, she was she could not eat.

'Hot damn Ravus, you've seen better days', Xigbar remarked with any hint of remorse or semblance of guilt in his tone. The brother of the Oracle is on his knees, bare chest with his arms chained by violet chains, head down as the darkness cloaked around his body. The room stunk of that horrible darkness that Naminé had become accustomed to from her imprisonment of the Organization, but this sickening stench of the blight lingered in the air.

'Gotta say, buddy, I wasn't expecting you to survive this process', Xigbar hummed with a shake of his head, 'Hell, I'd say even Riku wouldn't have lasted this long without something going wrong with the process'.

'This…is nothing…', Ravus growled, fists clenched as the chains rattled. Naminé clasped her mouth to reframe from making sound, his voice didn't even resemble Ravus. As she backed to the wall, Ardyn sauntered in the room. 'Took your sweet time', Xigbar remarked casually. 'The Oracle was being rather inquisitive, I had to assure her grace', Ardyn said with disdain camouflaged in courtesy. Ardyn glanced at Ravus before he knelt to him with curiosity. 'How long has he been like this?', he questioned.

Xigbar shrugged. 'I dunno…a week? Bossman said it'd be impressive if his heart survived more than an hour from this ordeal', Xigbar remarked. Then he clicked his fingers and the chains disappeared into air, yet Ravus didn't fall forward as his arms fell to his side. 'Stand up, boy', Xigbar ordered. Doing so whilst swallowing his pride, Ravus stood up properly to face the two dealers of the darkness as with shaky limbs he stood up.

Looking at his prosthetic arm, before glancing to Ardyn and Xigbar, both nodding, Ravus reached for the connections. After several clicks, a stream of steam hissed from the joints before the arm collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud.

'Now, call on your new power, reclaim what the light stole from you', Ardyn encouraged. Ravus gritted his teeth as the darkness that cloaked him surged wildly as if he was suddenly encased in flames, violet and dark green fire surged around his left shoulder. Naminé could see the inhuman amount of pain contorting on his face yet the only sounds he made were grunts, growls, and hisses of agony, sweat running down his forehead with veins popping on his neck and forehead.

As the flames slithered down to the length of his right arm, Ravus fell to a knee, punching the ground to conceal his agony. The force of his punch shook the room and left a dent and several cracks extending around the floor. The flames darkened, washing over his torso as with a roar that rivaled or could have been mistaken for a behemoth, Ravus threw the fiery impersonating limb into air as the fires solidified.

Naminé gasped in utter disbelief and horror when Ravus showed his new arm, a pure black limb with dark red vein-like lines running down from shoulder to knuckles, clawed fingers as the darkness inked to his chest, showing the heartless emblem on his heart. Even his neck and jaw were coated with the dark ink-like substance with red lines connected to the emblem. When she saw his eyes, they no longer bore two colors but were now violet and dark. Standing up, Ravus looked at his new appendage and clenched his fist to test it out.

'There you go, Commander', Xigbar said with smugness. 'How's it feel?'.

Ravus turned to them both, smirking. 'I feel…reborn', he revealed, lifting his limb as black lighting danced around it. 'With this, not even the keyblade wielders could stop me', he bragged. From the sheer essence of his power alone even Naminé couldn't call it overconfidence, this darkness was new to her and somehow even more sinister than the former leader of the Organization. 'With the darkness of the heartless, and the blight infused in your blood, you will be unstoppable', Ardyn mused with suave, 'I dare say, even Noctis would be no more than a child against you'. 'All the better', Ravus growled.

Looking at his limb, Ravus clenched it and the lightning. 'On the day of the rite, on my name as Nox Fleuret, I will end the Lucis bloodline'.

This was enough for Naminé, being in this room suffocated her and the horror of seeing what those spawns of the dark had done to someone from the realm of light was nightmarish. Lunafreya most know…

As silent as a wraith, Naminé ran from that hell…unaware of Xigbar's cold smile.

*Later*

Standing outside the altar of the Tidemother underneath the night sky, Ardyn hummed in thought as Xigbar was constantly turning a card in his hands, the red-haired man could hear him muttering something about his co-worker "cheating" or "smug bastard", and his favorite line, "Why did you have to come back to life".

Hearing how so many people just die and come back somehow made him feel less special.

'Alrighty, so you want to go over the terms of our arrangement?', Ardyn asked indifferently, looking at the night sky. 'What? Having second thoughts already, chancellor?', Xigbar asked with a smirk, flicking the card away into the fountain. 'Getting cold feet when you're oh so close to your grand revenge?'.

Ardyn chuckled mirthlessly, taking off his fedora. 'Far from it, but there are some…concerns of mine that I feel we should renegotiate', he explained, 'Unless…you're the one having doubts'. Xigbar scoffed before he dramatically shrugged, arms up for effect. 'Fine, fine. What's eating ya?', he sighed. Ardyn turned to him. 'The plan of yours…truly is it possible?', he asked. Xigbar gave him a raised brow with a coy smirk. 'Come on old-timer, you think I'd be risking my neck if there was any doubt in the plan?', he accused.

Waltzing up to him, he said: 'All we have to do is make the Oracle is unharmed during the rite, she summons the goddess of the seas and presto, we've half the work cut out for us, and that's before the heartless show up'. Ardyn felt the plan was solid enough absolutely, between the idiot emperor doing whatever it took to get that worthless ring and killing Noctis with one stone and the heartless running amok the battlefield, it'd be absolute chaos and there they'll be taking advantage of it all.

'Once the goddess arrives, prince charming will be too busy fighting it to worry about the city', Xigbar said, 'The empire keeps Sora and the others busy, then if his majesty wins, then…you go for the kill if ya want'.

Ardyn, however, glowered at him. 'No, not until I see the rest of your plan bear fruit', he warned, 'After all, hasn't Sora proven to be more…capable than you and your master had foreseen in the past?'. Smirking cruelly, he gestured Xigbar's heart. 'I specifically recall he is the reason you are no longer a nobody, though his methods were less than…gentle'. Xigbar scoffed but the man of no consequences could see beneath the thick his words touched very sensitive topics.

'Fine, whatever. Kill the brat or don't, I don't care either way', dismissed Xigbar. 'But'. Ardyn raised a brow at his sudden change of tone as if something crucial had just been uncovered. Xigbar's yellow eye was no longer playful and conniving, rather it was dead serious as if the fate of all worlds rested upon this final tidbit of information.

'The Oracle is to be unharmed, at all costs'.

This…Ardyn truly despised and for the first time in so long, his face contorted into fury. 'Excuse me?', he questioned. 'You head me, chancellor. That Oracle is to be unharmed. Neither by you, the empire or heartless, you got it?', Xigbar reminded. The man showed his teeth as Xigbar's glare intensified, knowing this was an argument about to boil over. 'And dare I ask why I should contest to that wish of yours?', he asked.

'No. You don't have to know', Xigbar denounced quick and short.

Ardyn gave him a smug look as he said: 'I wish I could comply, but accidents tend to happen on the battlefield you know? Especially when things get chaotic'. The very next thing the man knew his chin was pushed upwards slightly as he felt something sharp and pointy pressed below his head as Xigbar's cold look turned darker. He knew he drew those over-sized blasters of his, and while he knew that they wouldn't do anything but delay the man, they certainly hurt him enough to exercise caution.

'You better watch yourself then, I'd hate to see this wonderful partnership crumble because *somebody* can't keep his end of the bargain', warned the one-eyed man. Ardyn gave Xigbar a friendly yet malicious smirk. 'Xigbar, where is this distrust coming from? I merely suggested things could go wrong', he said wily. 'And please put that away dear friend, I fear you may give someone the wrong idea'.

Pressing the weapon at him to make him clear his throat awkwardly, Xigbar's smug look returned. 'What? I thought this is how your empire shows concern and wishes for peace?', he taunted. 'Oh, my friend, his radiance has a peculiar way of expressing concern, but I can assure you *I* have nothing but the best of wishes for our plans', the man assured. His smile twisted into malice. 'Besides, I'd truly hate for something to happen to you so soon with our plans coming ever so close to fruition'.

Behind the former nobody was a sword that levitated in the air, covered in red crystal. The tip was inches away from Xigbar's neck and unlike Ardyn, one pierce would do in this man.

Both stood there at a standstill, yet none had moved at all, eyes locked to see what ulterior motives the other possess. 'Keep the Oracle alive, and I can promise you, you'll get more than your revenge', conceded Xigbar at last. 'You do that, and one other thing, I'll give you something even better'. Ardyn raised a brow at this as their weapons disappeared, Xigbar walking away as a dark corridor opened before him. 'Quite the promise Xigbar, and you're asking a lot from me', Ardyn challenged, 'What could you give me?'.

Xigbar turned to face him with a wicked grin. 'Your rightful place, your majesty', he said with a bow. 'In return, you make sure they're in the right spot, the right time and the right…condition'. Ardyn grinned and with a curt nod, turned to walk around the city, leaving Xigbar to enter the portal.

*Lunafreya's Room*

Clutching her hands over her heart as dismay washed over her, the Oracle lowered her head. 'This…cannot be', she whispered. 'It is!', insisted Naminé, kneeling before her friend, 'Ardyn and Xigbar have slowly turned Ravus in a heartless and mixed his own blood with the blight!'.

Lunafreya raised her head to the girl, eyes darken with sorrow and fear as Naminé gently placed her ethereal hands-on hers despite having no physical contact. 'Luna…I'm sorry, but Ravus' heart is…', she whispered but froze, unable to finish that sentence. Looking down in defeat, Naminé sniffled sadly. 'I'm sorry…I…I couldn't do anything…'.

Gently the Oracle attempts to comfort the girl into a hug, a shell of one. Deep in her heart, she prayed and hoped her brother would see the folly behind his pursuit of power. Instead, he fell to the temptations, lured by Ardyn and Xigbar's words and lies. Now more than ever her thoughts went back to Noctis and his company, there will be no way to convince her brother to stay his blade and work with the future king.

And so soon the rite comes, it'll be a battle that could end in many ways but all leading to tragedy.

Looking up at her friend, Naminé whispered: 'What are we going to do?'. Lunafreya closed her eyes as she stroked her friend's hair, pondering their next course of action. She let out a sigh of remorse before she looked to Naminé. 'We must place our faith in Noctis and Sora, their friends, that they may be able to perform a miracle'.

Naminé nodded with uncertainty before together they got up and approached the table, Kairi's letter opened. Picking it up, it reads:

"Lady Lunafreya

Believe me, when I say I'm perfectly content to wait for your letters, given the situation you're in I can imagine how limiting your contact with those outside the empire must be. Your letters often perk up our days, mostly for Noctis. I've never seen him smile so sweetly when he reads your letters, it's like a giddy schoolboy writing to his crush.

I'm wishing for the best for you and your brother, please for his sake and your own you convince to stay away from Ardyn and Xigbar. The darkness will bring him nothing but despair and loss of not just his heart.

I have no trouble speaking about my beloved, in fact, I've some stories of him that I think you'll find delight in! I hope we can discuss more about our lovers in person, but for now, I shall simply say he is my what Noctis is to you, my heart. We've recently entered a relationship that I'd wager almost everyone saw coming, but I have never been happier. He is like the sun to my storms, a constant source of strength and (forgive me for gushing) the sweetest boyfriend a girl can ask for!

I'm sure Noctis will be just as sweet for you!

We're nearly finished with collecting the royal arms and soon we'll make voyage to Altissia. I'm eager to finally meet you face to face (and share some stories of our misadventures too)

More belly rubs for Umbra, please! He's so cute and fluffy!

May your heart be your guiding Key, your grace

Kairi".

Smiling softly together, Lunafreya turned to the girl with a small smile that glowed with hope. 'We cannot lose faith in our friends, I know somehow, they'll make things right', the Oracle said. 'Knowing Sora?', Naminé said with affection, she nodded, 'Yes'.

Together they wrote back to Kairi and once Umbra set off to deliver the message, they stared into the rising sun on the balcony…

It was drawing near…

A/N:

Sorry, this took all week to do, things happened.

I wanted to try and build up what's going to happen in Altissia while giving Luna and co some character. I know I didn't do much with the empire's gang but…lets face it is anyone gonna be upset if I ignore most of them? And a little tease of how Noctis know about the final battle~

…setting myself up for repercussions here…

ANYWAYS! QUESTIONS!

Q1: What do you think of Naminé and Lunafreya's relationship?

Q2: Ardyn and Xigbar, were they ok?

Q3: Can you guess what Xigbar is promising Ardyn?

Q4: What do you guys think of Ravus' state?

Q5: Excited for Altissia?

Random Questions:

If you were dared to drink the last ebony, how would you plead to Ignis?

Who would win in a staring contest, Donald or Ignis?

A fight between Final form Sora vs Armiger unleashed Noctis, who would win?

As always, thanks for reading! Stay awesome but more importantly stay safe!