Disclaimer: If I owned Final Fantasy XV then I wouldn't need to make an OC/AU in the first place. But I do own this plotline, my OC, and every word on this page. My advice? Don't steal it. Enjoy. ◕‿◕
This chapter was inspired by the song: Stephen Lloyd: Into the fire
Summary: The Emperors adviser receives word of the Kings arrival. Stella, Ignis, and Noct plan to head for Accordo. The crystal is stolen and chaos erupts.
4#: Inferno
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'Into the fire we go,
We don't have time to fear.'
-Unknown
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Nifleheim Palace
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"Sire, the scouts have spotted King Regis and several hundreds of soldiers and carriages entering the border. Should I send word for the Emperor?" A tall messenger who could barely contain his shaking limbs asked meekly as he bowed before the man on the other side of the room.
The mans face was entirely obscured in shadows as he sat at his desk, a goblet of red wine that looked suspiciously like blood in his gloved hands. Amber eyes stared coolly at the messenger, who stood by the door as if he was ready to bolt any second.
Briefly the man assessed the messengers words, the tiniest of smiles curling at his usually grim lined mouth.
"Send for the Emperor..." The mans silky voice caused the messenger's quivering to stop in favor of freezing in place. But the man was not deterred. "And tell him our plan is to be set in motion. Make sure our men are ready, or your head will pay the price."
Quickly the Messenger stood to his feet and bowed his head, skin paling instantly at the threat. "Right away Sire. I will send for him immediately." And then like a flash he was out the door.
As the door slammed shut, the loud sound reverberating throughout the room and disturbing the usual dead silence there, the man slowly stood from his desk. White teeth flashed in an amused smile as he cradled the fragile goblet in his hands. The man slowly ran his fingers over the glass before suddenly crushing it into his palm.
The sparkling fragments fell to the floor, red wine staining the carpet like blood, and crunched under his boot as he walked towards the only window in the room, overlooking the entire city as the sun began to set.
"It's time to die, Regis."
Insomnia Outskirts
Present day
"So this is it?" Stella asked for the fifteenth time, her ring adorned hands fidgeting as she followed Ignis out to the courtyard. "We're really doing this?"
Ignis let out an exasperated sigh as he pushed up his spectacles, blue eyes annoyed as he turned to the young Duchess. Stella generally wasn't a vexing person, but when she was unsure and nervous she tended to work on Ignis' nerves more than usual.
"Unless you have second thoughts and would rather not meet with us tonight, then yes- we are really doing this. The council has granted us pardon, and you have guaranteed your assistance. I'm pretty sure this is final." He replied tartly and quickly bowed when Noctis walked past them and towards his motorcycle.
"Of course I don't have second thoughts Ignis. You know me better than that." Stella admonished, her voice trailing off as the bespectacled man brushed past her.
The trio were currently standing outside of the Insomnia border, right beside the path leading out of the Lucis capitol. After Gladious had made it quite clear he wished to be present beside Noctis in whatever future endeavor he had planned, it wasn't hard to convince Stella to join along as well.
"You're heading to Accordo then?" She had asked a few hours earlier, her blue eyes big and full of surprise as Noctis ordered a servant to repack his things.
"Apparently so." He had muttered offhandedly before heading to the council room to inform the members that he would be on leave. Stella quickly fell in step behind him, her cellphone forgotten as they strode down the hall.
After Gladious had confirmed that he in fact would be traveling to Accordo so he could meet them halfway and then make plans to get to Nifleheim, Noctis had instantly contacted Ignis and made plans to leave so he could get a head start. It would only take three days at most to get there by vehicle, and he wanted to reach his father as soon as possible. Ignis would be taking the car, which would be more than big enough to fit Gladious and Prompto, and currently the bespectacled man was off to the blacksmith to prepare the vehicle for travel.
Noctis may have just been a heir, but his opinion was practically law when it came to political matters, second only to the King and the Imperial fleet themselves. It was obvious he wanted to talk some sense into his father and perhaps reforge the treaty. After all, Regis had only headed for Nifleheim a few days ago, and settling something as serious as this took weeks. It wouldn't take long for Noctis to get there in time.
But an odd feeling of dread had formed in Stellas gut since hearing of the news, and now it was only growing. Her heart was warning her that something unforeseen was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be beneficial for either of them.
"You're unusually quiet Stella. Don't tell me you want to join along?" Noctis teased when they turned the corner and reached the left wing of the castle. His voice hadn't changed from it's quiet and indifferent tone, but by slight smile he sent Stella it wasn't hard for her to figure out he was joking.
"Do not be ridiculous Noct, you know how busy I am. I couldn't spare time for this trip," She replied, returning his weak excuse for a smile with her own.
Noctis simply shrugged and walked ahead of her, his gait as calm as it had been that morning- before Stella had arrived. Briefly Stella wondered how long it would have taken Noct to get the news of his fathers leave if she hadn't come along. Cor Leonis obviously would have stalled on telling him, and maybe would have kept it from him until the treaty was finalized no matter how suspicious it would seem.
And no doubt he had informed the council to keep it to themselves as well. She wouldn't be surprised if Noctis gave all the elders a piece of his mind before getting permission to go. Stella would have done the same thing after all, mild manner or not.
Suddenly, Noctis came to a halt in front of her, almost causing the blond to stumble into him. He quickly steadied the Duchess before giving her a mild apologetic look. It took only a few seconds for her to realize they were standing outside the doors of the council room. There were far more guards around the corridor, and Ignis had already summoned the members earlier so Stella was sure they were already inside; waiting.
Noctis glanced toward the doors before looking back at his friend, a flurry of expressions that she had no time to read moving across his face.
"I'll be out soon Stella. I think it best you stay here. I'm going to be in hot water already, trying to convince them to let me go when there are no other royals to do my duties here. It will only get worse if they see you here, considering how they feel about you."
She understood his meaning instantly. Their alliance completely had to do with the trust Stella shared with the royal family, the council on the other hand...
Well they weren't exactly fond of her. Not only was she a foreigner, and considering how private Lucis was that wasn't surprising, but she was also a woman. There weren't many women in power, especially considering some of the kingdoms still didn't have them in high regard.
And yet, maybe it was her pride talking for her...but she wanted to see their faces when she walked in that room. Casual attire and all, she was a Duchess now. Though she was always cautious of her choices, she didn't see the harm in showing that she was apart of this and she was by Noctis' side.
Just as Noctis turned to wave the guards aside and walk in, Stella gently grabbed the sleeve of his jacket- stopping him. He paused and turned his head slightly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Stella simply smiled at him, polite and cool and completely at ease.
"Venomous towards me or not," The blond began, her expression turning serious as Noctis turned to face her."I think I have the right to be involved. Everything concerning Nifleheim...concerns me. Not even you would deny me this."
And Noctis knew, just by the steady way she looked at him; Stella was determined. And nothing stopped Stella when she was determined.
All he could do was sigh and hold out his arm for her to take as they walked into the council room, where many skeptical elders were waiting for them.
Duscae: Amicitia Ranch
"Dude, what the hell!" Prompto squeaked as Gladious dragged him out of the ranch house they had been staying in. A large burgundy truck that hadn't been there before was now parked a distance away beyond the grass plains surrounding the ranch, and Prompto's incredulous expression was briefly replaced with confusion, but quickly went incredulous again.
"We're off to Accordo, squirt." Gladious explained gruffly. "Don't worry about supplies, I've already taken care of it-"
"You made me drop perfectly good groceries so we can travel to some stupid city?!" The goth looking blond complained loudly, his annoyance at the loss of good food showing clearly.
"Silas will clean it up. But his highness needs an audience with us and we're going to grant it to him. Charge your weapon, get in the truck, and let's go."
And it was evident by the sternness of Gladious' jaw that he was completely serious about dumping their vacation at his grandfathers ranch, just out of the blue and with the vaguest explanation ever. Prompto had been shopping all day since the servants in the house all had days off- which was annoying enough since he had to do a girls job. And it hadn't been ten seconds when Prompto returned to the ranch and entered the kitchen that Gladious had appeared and accidentally crashed into him, inadvertently destroying the groceries due to how inhumanely strong the bodyguard was.
The blond was extremely annoyed about it. Yet Prompto couldn't help but wonder what it was that Noctis needed them for. The quiet prince had been traveling a lot recently, much like their friend Stella, and his latest letter had mentioned him returning home. Had something happened?
"Don't worry your head about this." Gladious griped as he approached the truck and revved the engine to test it's durability. It was an old truck after all, his grandfathers servant hadn't used it for years but it wasn't like he was going to ride a chocobo all the way to Accordo. "I know you, and by now you're wondering if Noctis has gotten himself killed or something."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Prompto muttered as he opened the passengers door and lifted himself in. His mood brightened a bit when he saw his gun sitting on the dashboard, sleek and badass as he remembered it. During their stay at Duscae, Prompto had proven just how obsessed he was with the gun and keeping it sparkling like a gotdamn crystal had been the subject of many futile arguments.
Gladious didn't respond to Prompto's last retort, but the muscular mans eyes narrowed slightly as he started the car.
"You think they'll miss us?" Prompto asked after a moment of silence, referring to the servants, as Gladious pulled out of a dirt road. His voice was light, almost too light, and Gladious couldn't help but snort.
"I doubt it. They'll probably cheer when they realize you're gone."
The dramatic widening of Prompto's blue eyes and the comical drop of his jaw made Gladious chuckle.
"You prick." The blond muttered, raising a gloved hand to shove Gladious' broad shoulder despite the fact they were in a moving truck. The dark haired man only smirked at his younger comrade before turning to look ahead as they drove away from the ranch.
'Don't worry Noct.' Gladious thought silently as he turned the truck into the road leading towards the city. 'We'll get there in no time.'
Solheim
The Temple
Several soldiers stood alert and silent as they marched through the temple that contained the very heart of Cosmos' crystal. Each unit from each kingdom of Fractum adorning their royal colors, with the exception of Solheim and Nifleheim, stood on each side of the large structure. And though there were more men guarding the crystal than could be counted, very few actually stood in close proximity to the life source of the world.
At the moment, only two very well trained protectors of the crystal stood at the very top and center of the temple where the crystal resided while hundreds marched in the middle and rear of the temple. Every since the Summoners vanished and the crystal was discovered lying in the rubble it's destructive power had caused by the King of Solheim; very highly trained humans had been assigned to guard it day in and day out.
No one kingdom was trusted to keep the heart of the crystal safe, especially since the five fragments of the crystal already resided in each kingdom separately, so the 'heart' of the crystal was guarded heavily in the abandoned capital of Solheim where few could reach it without the allied kingdoms combined permission.
And yet, even isolation had it's weaknesses...
"Did you see that?" A soldier suddenly muttered to his subordinate as he passed a pillar of the temple. The sun was setting, and the illuminating blue fire of the crystal seemed to reflect light like water across the walls. The subordinate narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked in the direction the other soldier had been staring toward. He saw nothing beyond the pillars of the temple nor the tree's that surrounded it.
"I know not what you speak of-" The younger soldier began, rolling his eyes discreetly as he headed back to his post. But a suddenly flash of darkness, blowing out the blue flamed torches and causing the temple room to go dark, made him pause.
"What-" A yowl and then a sickening crush erupted in the otherwise silent temple, the sound echoing deafeningly throughout the temple walls.
Instantly more voices of panic rose. Several men quickly rose their weapons to ward off any unsuspecting intruders. But to their utter confusion there was no one there. And when the eyes of the men witnessed the darkness that had caused the sudden confusion slowly spread throughout the walls as if it was alive, the panic only rose.
"Protect the crystal!" One of the higher ranked soldiers ordered to the remaining men who had not yet been enveloped in the darkness. "Go, now!"
But the darkness was already spreading upward in rapid succession, making the stone walls of the temple crumble and shake as it rose, and by the time the men had reached the crystals chamber all they saw was the blindingly bright jewel throbbing and emitting an energy that pulsed rapidly as if in a panic. The darkness was surrounding it, engulfing it.
Eyes wide in panic in horror, weapons already trying to dissipate the darkness and get to the crystal. But the blackness was endless, breaking apart yet fusing together again as the men attacked it.
And then the darkness completely devoured the life source of the world, smoke erupting in place of where the crystal had been hovering like a floating castle. When the pitch black smoke cleared, the sight that the soldiers beheld made the panic rise tenfold.
"It's gone!"
Insomnia: Council Room
A sudden wave of pain shot through the Princes body, making him pause in his advance toward the council table. At first the pain was only mild, but when Noctis took another step his entire body felt like it was on fire.
Noctis keeled over, eyes wide and his crystal birthmark throbbing, as he crumbled to the floor of the council room in the faces of every elder present. Stella froze as she heard a crash behind her, and when she saw her best friends state, all the blood drained from her face. Stella turned and quickly knelt beside him, eyebrows furrowing when the prince began to shake violently, his bright blue eyes fading to red and back again.
It hadn't been one minute when they walked in the council room with many disapproving stares turning their way that Noctis had collapsed into this state. It was so unlike him that Stella began to panic as chaotic murmurs and footsteps erupted in the room.
"Noctis!" She gasped, her heart dropping in her chest. "Noctis, what's wrong!?"
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'Etro...my sister...the monster you created...to oppose me...'
'He's fulfilling his purpose, Cosmos.'
'Which is to destroy the balance...'
'I'm sorry sister, I've waited too long.'
'No...no, what have you done...'
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I hated the last chapter, because despite everything it's supposed to be that way yet I don't like how I wrote it, but this chapter (and the next) are one of my favorite ones despite how short this one is (as well as abrupt) and how...supposedly confusing the next one will be. All thanks goes to my muse.
Hope you enjoyed ^^