Blunted Weapons

Noctis knows he's dreaming.

The realistic bite of the hilt of his sword against his palm, the drip of blood against the floor, Ardyn pinned between him and the wall of the train - they try to tell him otherwise. To sweep him away and drown him, to never let him move on.

Noctis lets it regardless.

Blood spills from Ardyn's mouth, and Noctis watches it splatter onto the carriage's floor. When he looks back up it's Prompto he's pinned - it's Prompto he's pinned to the wall with his blade.

The clacking of the train is unbearably loud as Noctis pulls the blade free. Prompto collapses, and Noctis is too horrified to catch him.

The bellow of the train has him grasping his head, pulling at his hair and stumbling back. Heat permeates through the metal of the carriage, warping it and hazing his vision.

Something growls behind him.

Noctis turns, finding Pryna sitting in the darkness of the doorway. Behind her, the carriages continue endlessly.

The train takes them through a sea of fire, flames licking at the windows and melting Pryna's beautiful fur from her body. It opens it's mouth in a snarl, molten lava spilling between teeth. The eyes burn the same color of the hellfire engulfing them.

Noctis screams and falls back, his voice fails him as he tries to cry for help. The train's horn rings loud once again - painfully so as Noct screams.

He screams as the carriages collapse in on themselves, as everything goes an empty black. Noct clenches his eyes closed, letting them slowly open to find himself suspended in an endless black.

Noctis knows he's dreaming, knows he won't like what he finds, but he doesn't stop.

He walks through the void, his feet like lead as he walks ever onward. Crimson beads rise from the abyss beneath him, floating up and parting for him as he wades through.

Luna lays at his feet, velvety red dress pooling around her pale form. Noctis sits down, lifting her so her head could rest against him. Her red dress -

No - Luna only wore white. Noctis reaches down to touch the silky material, the deep red drawing him in peculiarly.

His fingers come away wet. Luna only wore white. His fingers come away wet with -

Noctis jolts awake, a gasp dying on his lips. It's dark out still - in the early hours before dawn - but voices drift from the other side of the hotel room door regardless.

Noctis shifts, sitting up and letting the blanket pool at his waist. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he watches his pale skin stretch as he sits there dazed from sleep.

Prompto lays asleep in the bed over, and from the sound of the voices, he can tell it's Ignis and Gladio just outside the room. Noctis frowns, they sound stressed.

"There's obviously something wrong, Ignis - why are you overlooking it?!" Gladio's quiet voice reaches his ears. Ignis responds, voice far too hushed for Noct to make out.

Beams of moonlight splash onto the wooden floor - it's dark, and Noctis just wants to go back to sleep.

"I know you don't believe that. Tell me - how much do you really trust him?" Gladio drops his pitch, but Noct hears him regardless. (A lifetime ago, the words would have stung - and he knows what Ignis will answer.)

Building up courage, he stands and makes his way to the door.

"I don't kn-"

Not wanting to eavesdrop on a conversation about him, Noctis cracks open the door. The hallway is almost as dark as the room, and all three take a moment for their eyes to adjust enough to see who is who.

"Ah, Noct." Ignis says, voice forcibly sedate. Noctis leans against the doorway, his tired body protesting the hour. Gladio watches him - still dressed in his nice uniform from the play. Noctis can only guess why.

He expects to be grilled, expects Gladio to grab him and shake him and leave. Except people hadn't died yet, so Noctis shoves down that fear.

Instead, Gladio looks to Ignis and stays quiet. Ignis sags alittle, and Noctis feels guilt pool coldly into his stomach - Ignis was likely more tired than he was.

No one addresses what happened to Noct just earlier that night, and it hangs above them like an executioner's axe. They sit quietly in the darkness, shifting uncomfortably and avoiding reality.

"Get some sleep." Is all Gladio says, walking down the hall to Iris's room. He shuts the door resolutely behind him, and doesn't come back out.

Ignis exhales slowly, "Noct, I think we should take the day off tomorrow."

"No." Monica was taking the Hesters to Caem tomorrow, they would be driving right passed Fort Vaullerey - an active base. "The soldiers the residents here have been mentioning - they are stationed along the route to Caem. We need to make sure they are busy while the others pass."

Lips pursing, Ignis turns fully towards him, "Highness, the Imperials are still recovering from our attack on their base. You want to attack another while we are still under their radar?"

His disagreement catches Noct off-guard, "We've never been under their radar, Ignis. It doesn't matter that they are recovering - they are still searching for us."

For me goes unsaid, but Ignis seems to catch it. His eyes watch Noctis like he would lose him at any second. Like Noctis would go off alone if Ignis refused.

Noctis would like to think himself better - but he knows how often he lies to himself.

"Let us tell the other to wait then, there is no need to rush headlong into this." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ignis leans back against the wall.

"Ignis, the sooner we do this the better. We have already been wasting too much time." Noctis takes a step forward. Ignis sighs, letting his gaze fall to the floor.

"How do we even know that base is occupied?" Ignis pushes, aware he was losing the battle. Noctis trusted that Ignis would take his answer despite his own misgivings, and he was grateful for it.

Ignis was sharp in every aspect. His mind as sharp as his knives and his eyes even sharper - able to pick up every detail and turn it in his favor.

Had Ignis been any other man, then he would have been dangerous. As it was, Noct was lucky to have his unwavering loyalty. It was something he would take full advantage of - and the only thing thing that kept Ignis ambivalent - or even unaware - to it was his own blind faith.

Sometimes, when Noctis would watch Ignis fight, he would be scared of how much Ignis lived for him. That became even more clear after Ignis went blind. Noctis trusted Ignis with his life, as Ignis trusted Noct with his own.

Ignis may no longer trust his words, but no matter the timeline, Noctis could always trust Ignis to trust in him.

"Trust in me Ignis, we can't overlook this anymore. It's time to fight back." The words don't have the desired effect, Noctis can tell. Rather than Ignis immediately dropping his argument, he looks Noct in the eye, frustration brimming in his features.

But he does nothing.

Ignis falls back, slouching slightly and pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Let's get there early then, and tell the others to postpone their departure until we are done."

Ignis heads into their room for bed before Noct can nod his thanks.

The next day finds them driving through Old Lestallum, cloudy skies matching their moods. The way Ignis clenches the wheel, the way Prompto cleans his gun, the way Gladio skims over the words in his book without reading - all are signs of tension that Noct carefully overlooks.

The car slows to a stop a distance away from Fort Vaullerey, and as the four step out rain starts to sprinkle down. Noctis leads them to a tower, careful of the mechas and guards.

Only one soldier stands between them and the watchtower overlooking the base, patrolling before a shed at the foot of the tower. The Ultima hums as he calls it to his hand.

Noctis warps into the guard, the lethal force sending them both crashing through the shed's door. Wiping off the splinters, Noctis stands and peeks back out.

They climb the tower, and Ignis spends a moment memorizing the layout of the base.

"So, uhh... is there a plan?" Prompto asks, keeping his distance from the rails to avoid being seen.

"Much like the last base, this one is full of Magiteks. However, they have a commander of flesh and blood. If we can capture them, we may be able to gain invaluable information about their plans." Ignis muses.

"It may be safer just to take him out." Noct says cautiously, very aware of how Caligo escaped last time. He wasn't going to give him the chance to kill anymore Lucians - but the others wouldn't understand his urgency. There was no revenge to be dealt this time around. "Ignis and I will find him while you two make a diversion."

No says anything for a moment, but it's long enough for Noctis to feel a cold pit form in his stomach. The rift between them suddenly feels so much more like a gaping canyon.

"Take him -" Eyes widening, Ignis steps further into the shade of the watchtower, "Noct, I insist we place him in the custody of Lucian hunters. They will be more than adept at handling prisoners."

Noctis clenches his fist, preparing to make some compromise when Ignis speaks up again.

"I think you have the right idea in splitting up - but I think you are more suited to creating a diversion. Gladio will go with me to capture the commander."

Noctis grits his teeth, "Ignis, this isn't how we should do this. We need - "

"What is the point in having me if you don't listen to me?!"

His words bite, and shame keeps him from saying anything else. Ignis adjusts his glasses and looks away, regret twisting his features.

"Noct, please. I - " His voice is thick and watery, and he pauses to clear his throat. Noctis gets the feeling he is leaving something unsaid, "I know things haven't been the same since Insomnia fell. And I know you haven't been the same since."

Ignis clutches at air as if he were searching for something tangible to hold, "I spoke out of line, but I need you to trust my judgement. Please, forgive me Noctis, but I think this is the best way."

Green eyes lock with Noct's shocked blue. "Sorry." Noct blurts.

"Sorry, Ignis." He runs a hand through his hair, stressing as it catches the few small tangles. "You're right. Just - be safe, okay?"

Nodding, Ignis fails to hide the relief from his expression. "Of course. Make sure you stay safe on your end too. Remember we can always retreat."

Noctis nods, stepping away from Gladio and Ignis to stand closer to Prompto. The darkening sky opens up, rain clacking against the tin of the tower's roof.

"Are you really ready for this?" Ignis questions.

"Of course. This place will be much safer for everyone once we are done here." Noctis turns, tapping at Prompto to get him to follow. He squawks and hurries down the first few steps before Noct. Noct pauses on the first, hand pressed firmly against the railing.

He tilts his head back, but keeps his eyes averted. "And please, don't ever think I don't listen to you."

...

"Haha!" Prompto cries triumphantly, the explosions he set off lighting up his face almost as much as it did the base.

"I don't think we gave enough time for the others to catch Caligo." Noctis frowns, looking in the direction he guessed they were.

"Hmm?" Prompto cocks his gun and starts firing off rounds.

Bullets whiz by and Noct whips around to fight, unable to spare Ignis and Gladio anymore thoughts. A group of MTs amble towards him, and Prompto jumps in from behind with some heavy machinery. His weapon goes off with a bang, the kickback causing him to stumble before Noct catches him and sends him back off.

His eyes catch on a pair of oil tanks sitting near a group of both soldiers and MTs. He calls Prompto back over and points them out.

"Think you can handle this?" Noctis asks as he hands Prompto a dualcast Firaga and keeps a quintcast Thundaga-Firaga for himself. Prompto gasps dramatically, holding the flask as if it would go off in his hands.

"Aren't we just trying to make a distraction? Not blow up half of Eos?!" He says, trying to hide the eagerness from his face. Noctis sees no objection from him. Prompto looks back over to the tanks, and continues unconvincingly with a toothy smile, "This sounds like a bad idea."

"Just make sure you toss it far enough so we don't get hit. Ready?" Prompto nods and together they wind back and hurl the spells towards the oil tanks. Both jump behind some crates just as the explosion goes off.

And it seems to go off forever, with the spells striking multiple times. Noctis has to cover his ears against the endless crackling boom. Heat hits his back as flames lick the crate he leans on.

The explosion eventually quiets, seemingly leaving a gasping void in its wake. Prompto and Noctis both take a moment to remember to breathe.

Noctis stands up, lending a hand to Prompto. They peek around the crate, careful of how waves of heat still emanate from where the spells hit.

Debris is scattered around, warped metal glowing bright red. They hadn't only taken out their enemies, they had melted them.

"Gross." Prompto comments, looking at the remains of what had once been a pair of MTs.

Noctis nods, "Maybe that was a bit overkill."

In the quiet aftermath of the explosion, Noctis can hear dropships retreating and circling the fort. Footsteps draw his attention, and he turns around to see Gladio jogging up to them.

"The hell happened over here?" He asks.

"A distraction." Prompto replies.

Noctis looks at Gladio, seeing him out of breath but not wounded. "How'd it go on your end?"

"Fine." Gladio says, motioning for them to follow, "Ignis told me to check up on you guys. Said we should take out the generator powering this base."

Noctis bites his lip - it sounded like Caligo would be able to escape again now that Gladio wasn't there with Ignis. He looks back in the direction Gladio came. "Maybe we should - "

"Don't worry. Ignis is more than capable of handling the commander. I made sure of it." Gladio cuts him off. Noctis begrudgingly trusts his judgement, and with one last look to where Ignis likely was, follows Gladio to the generator.

It's guarded, much like the one from the previous base. A pair of mechas stand, guns trained at their approach. Before Noctis can even preform a preemptive strike, they are already shooting missiles.

He rolls out of the way, flinging a polearm into the air above a mecha and warping down into it. Metal crunches under his blow, and he spends the next few strikes disarming it. He warps to the next as it topples, proceeding to do the same.

The explosion behind him is enough to tell that either Prompto or Gladio had finished off the first mecha, and he phases as chunks from the blast lodge themselves into the second. It goes down in a display of fire and oil, with Noctis barely warping away to a spotlight in time.

"Noct! Our Tank needs healing!" Prompto shouts.

"What?"

"Our party's Healer is out! You gotta stand in!" Prompto insists. Noct groans at Prompto's choice of terms, as well as the fact that he understood them. Noct glances around the battlefield, spotting Gladio trying to stem a cut in his thigh.

He warps down to get the soldiers off Gladio, and cracks a potion over his leg as Gladio brings up his shield. Bullets bounce off it, and Noctis waits until the snipers reload to swing around the shield and warp into them.

He makes quick work of them, and looking down to Prompto and Gladio, he can tell they only have a dozen or so soldiers left. Warping down to them, he moves over to Gladio.

"Ignis should have met up with us by now." Noctis says with a grunt as he pushes off an attacking soldier, "I'm going to go check on him, think you can handle it here?"

With a whirlwind spin of his blade, Gladio cleaves a pair of soldiers in two. "Who do you think your talking to? Hurry up and get his ass over here."

Noctis nods and winds his blade back. It's intercepted by a massive, black polearm.

"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy?" Aranea asks.

Noctis retaliates with a swipe of his sword, knowing by now that she was fully capable of dodging it.

Nimbly dodging another strike, Aranea whistles, "Oh, you're one of those strong silent types then."

"No." Noct says, "I just have places to be."

"Ha. Don't we all." She smiles, her polearm glows red and she jumps. Noctis warps up to meet her mid-air, catching her off guard. Rather than dispelling its charge in an attack, her polearm is used to stop Noct's sword.

They collide back with the ground, Noctis back on the offense. Knowing Aranea, she would leave eventually if he pushed hard enough.

"Why don't we call this off then and go our separate ways then?" He pulls his sword up just in time to block her attack. Magitek-enhanced polearm uncomfortably close to his face, he can see her actually give it some thought.

Aranea looks over her shoulder, towards a retreating dropship. "Hmm. It will be quitting time soon..."

She was stalling.

Noctis watches the dropship she was focused on - Caligo was probably making his getaway on that ship.

A hit to his side brings his focus back to the fight and his face to the ground. Noctis growls out in frustration.

Caligo was getting away. Ignis had not returned.

"Gladio!" He calls out frantically, pushing himself off the concrete, "Go get Ignis!"

Listening to Gladio's retreating footsteps, Noctis swings a pair of daggers towards Aranea. She jumps back into the air, charging her polearm again and aiming for Gladio.

Once again, Noctis intercepts her, driving them both back to the ground. She kicks back up, immediately jabbing at him. Noctis phases through them, spotting her openings and striking with his own attacks.

A blow with his own polearm winds her, and she jumps back and away - retreating.

"It's about that time..." She drawls, "This girl doesn't work after-hours."

Aranea turns and waves, her signature dropship rising before her and sending a wave of air upon them all. She tosses her windblown hair to the side, and with a smile, "See you later, pretty boy."

"Noct!" Gladio's shout draws his attention away from her retreat, "I can't find Ignis!"

Noct turns his wide eyes back to Aranea's ship - traveling in the same direction as the previous. Another rises and turns to follow, its slow movements blasting them with wind and noise.

"I think they - " Before Gladio can finish his thought, Noctis warps to the dropship.

...

When Ignis wakes, he wakes slowly and to the rumble and sway of a dropship landing. His hands have been bound behind him by rope, and his fingers tingle at the tight restraint.

Vision swimming in and out, he barely notices when he is hauled to his feet and moved into a small building. The arms pulling him roughly drop him in what seems to be a storage room.

They tie him to a rack before walking out of the room, leaving Ignis to himself.

His head falls against his chest, and he tugs experimentally against the rope. Ignis curses at himself for being caught, for putting himself and potentially the others at risk.

If he couldn't escape then...

Ignis tugs harder at the rope, jostling the metal rack he was tied to. The ropes don't give, and the rack doesn't budge.

Then the others would have to rescue him.

He ignores the door as it opens, instead craning his neck back to try and look at how he was tied. Sore body protesting, he lets his head fall again and catches his breath.

Blood trickles into his eye from the wound he received earlier - during his attempt to capture the commander.

"You don't think he left us because we're weak, do you?"

Prompto's own insecurities ring poisonously through his head. Ignis knows that Noct is not like that - time and time again Noct would choose them over even himself. But -

"Clearly, you're not as important to him as you think you are."

Ignis clenches his eyes shut and tugs roughly against his binds. They bite into him, but he only stops his struggle as a boot presses onto his leg.

"It's useless, you know?" The commander smirks down at him. Ignis only responds with a frown.

"Now now, there's no need to worry. You are in the capable hands of Caligo Ulldor!" The man exclaims. Ignis recognizes the name as that of Niflheim's Brigadier General.

"And what do you intend on doing with me?" Ignis growls out.

There's a snap and it's as if his leg had suddenly caught on fire - Caligo had broken it. Ignis bites roughly against his lip to keep from crying out, but hisses painfully as Caligo removes his foot.

"Kill you." Caligo says, taking a step back, "That is what I intend on doing."

"Then why bother capturing me?" Ignis growls out, unable to keep the pain from his voice. Calgio squats down next to him, hand resting against the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"Aren't you supposed to be smart?" Caligo asks, sounding genuinely confused. His tone boils Ignis's blood. "Why do you think I captured the prince's adviser?"

Standing and moving directly in front of Ignis, Caligo condescendingly looks down on him, "You'll only stay alive for as long as I need you to."

"His Highness will kill you." The threat does little to Caligo's demeanor, and instead of replying, he nonchalantly pulls out his sword. Ignis's eyes widen as he catches sight of the metal gleam.

Caligo brings it down onto his broken leg.

White engulfs his vision at it hits bone, and Ignis fights to keep his head from lolling to the side and passing out. He brings his head back up to look at the damage - the blade has pinned his leg to the concrete floor. Blood pools from the wound and seeps into his clothing.

Hissing, he focuses on breathing in and out, grounding himself and pushing past the pain. The sword remains deeply embedded in his thigh, skewered all the way through and deep into the ground. He wouldn't be moving for a while.

Ignis swallows down the pain and fear, glaring up at Caligo with hooded eyes. Caligo meets his glare with a toothy smile, he stands up taller and puts his hands on his hips.

"Still feeling smarmy?" He asks. Ignis doesn't answer.

Caligo paces, frowning when there is a knock on the door. A man in a white military trench coat stands in the doorway.

"Lady Aranea is pulling out. And she suggest you not remain here long either."

Caligo grumbles, "Very well. Dismissed."

The man dips his head and leaves. Caligo turns back to Ignis.

"I know that prince wouldn't just keep you around for no reason. Please, use that little head of yours and think - why would I keep you alive?"

Ignis remains silent, already knowing the answer. Caligo waits for his response, and when there is none, he shrugs smugly.

"That dear little Prince of yours will either turn himself over or try and come rescue you. Either way, it will result in his death."

Ignis tests the ropes once more, there is no give. Caligo pulls a chair up, the metal of the legs scraping against the concrete obnoxiously loud. Calgio sits cross-legged, resting his chin in his hand.

Something deep rumbles outside, shaking the walls and racks inside the room. Dust falls from the ceiling.

The victorious facade falls for the first time from Caligo's face. He tilts his head up, listening for anything else unusual.

When nothing comes, Caligo 'hmphs'. "If you think that's rescue, think again."

An explosion rumbles the building once again, much closer this time. Ignis sits taller, using his free leg to brace himself as he leans higher against the rack.

He meets Caligo's glare head on.

"You would have been smart to surrender while you had the chance."

Caligo backhands him, the cut on his head splitting further and sending fresh blood spilling down the side of his face. His glasses clatter to the floor, but he pays them no mind as his eyes lock back on Caligo.

"Wipe that look off your face." Caligo sneers and stands, "You cannot defeat me."

"No." Ignis groans against the pain but looks up, eyes steely in their defiance.

A flash of blue and the door explodes.

"But Noctis can."

Thank you for reading!

It's my birthday gift for Noct - haha, jk it's honestly a coincidence I finally finished this in time to post this month. Although hurt!noct week is coming up, I don't think I will be participating (80% of the stuff I voted for didn't make it in T.T Oh well, maybe next time~).I instead want to work on a Halloween fic in the making, if I have time, maybe two. The one I was working in is turning out longer than I thought it would be, but that's just how things work~ ;D SO - if Dam. Mem. updates are slow until Halloween, you know why~

Also thesis and stuff, but that's a given.

Next chapter will be cool, Noct and Ignis aren't really as mad at each other as they seem. But things will be progressing quicker, we are between 1/3-1/2 done with the story if I've projected things right. Who knows, the last half of the chapters could stretch on forever and turn this into a monster. Well see.

Thank you guys for all your comments! (Also, thank you John Smith for all of your comments! Not just on this story! I can't tell you how much it meant to read them! And if you want to know more about the dinosaur stuff I'm doing, hit me up at RoosaurusRin on tumblr - I'm posting pics every now and then about the fossils I work with!).

You guys are so awesome! Thank you very much for your patience too! I have alot planned, so I hope you enjoy what's to come!

Thank you guys for reading! Until next time! :)