Chapter Three - The Calling

Noctis hasn't ridden a Chocobo in a long while. He would recognize their unique smell miles away. His fond memories of the cute, fluffy companions brought a soft yet sad smile to his lips. Those were memories of better times. Even though Noctis didn't regret anything, he couldn't help but wish his younger self would have enjoyed such small and simple pleasures as riding a Chocobo a bit more back in the days. He opened his sleepy eyes and found himself staring at two arms embracing him firmly around his waist – as if the person sitting behind him wanted to make sure he wouldn't fall of and possibly injure himself. He didn't understand, why did he feel so exhausted?

That's when everything came back to him: the Startscourge; escaping the facility; Solheim's magitek infantry; the battle; the victory... And then, Ardyn...

"Hey there, you feeling okay?" asked the younger man behind him.

Noctis glanced over his shoulder. "Huh? Not sure..." he answered tiredly. "Where are we going?"

Quicksilver shrugged, his chin pointing ahead of them into the dark night. "His Highness said to follow his trails. He went ahead of us to make sure the route is safe."

"So... you trust him?" asked Noctis, looking around them with a weary gaze.

The blonde snorted in a funny way. "Definitely! You haven't heard of His Highness' noble deeds? He's the only one giving a crap about what's happening to our people and the only one capable of stopping the Starscourge from spreading out too fast. He's a hero! Everyone back in Insomnia adores and admires him."

"Heh, really..." acknowledged Noctis, caressing the soft, black feathers in front of him. He couldn't keep the inner sarcasm away. Obviously, Quicksilver complimenting Ardyn sounded all wrong to his ears.

Something must also be wrong with his eyes. This was Gralea, wasn't it? Where once had been a wasteland full of ice and snow, now there was only lush, green vegetation and trees as old and as high as the skyscrapers of Noctis' old home. The glowing moonlight, shining its soft rays of light in between the thick branches of the trees, illuminated the misty woodland before him exactly in ways he always imagined in his childhood. A fairy tale come true. He drank in the magical atmosphere, inhaling and exhaling the crisp, fresh air of the night and allowed himself to relax a bit more in Quicksilver's warm arms. In response, the blonde pulled the soft blanket a bit tighter around their bodies to keep the warmth between them from escaping. Noctis didn't know why, but he felt connected to the younger man behind him in a way which made him all of a sudden sorely missing the presence of Prompto, Ignis and Gladio by his side...

How were the guys doing? Noctis wondered. Had the dawn reached his dearest friends? Was everyone okay?

"By the way, I... I'd like to thank you for saving my life. Not only once, but twice. I don't know how to ever repay–"

"Nothing to thank me for," Noctis interrupted the younger man. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Of course!" answered Quicksilver firmly. "It's just... I don't have any special abilities. As long as I can remember, I've been living alone on the streets. I wish I knew how to properly defend myself and other people. I don't like feeling helpless," the blonde man admitted softly.

Noctis patted Quicksilver's arm. "If you really mean it, I can teach you how to defend yourself. Seems like we'll be stuck together for some time anyway. What do you say?"

"Heaven! You would?!" The younger man's arms squeezed around Noctis a bit tighter, his happiness palpable as he laughed out loud.

"It's a promise," said Noctis, determined to share his magic with his new companion as soon as he would feel better.

As if on cue, Quicksilver began whistling the familiar Chocobo melody and Noctis smiled wistfully. Indeed, this wasn't his imagination only. Quicksilver had so much in common with Prompto, it was slightly uncanny.

The Chocobo slowed down and came to a halt with a friendly greeting as Ardyn suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

"There you are, young lads. Quick, let's enter our safe haven. I have everything prepared for the night," the healer said.

Ardyn and Quicksilver held onto Noctis carefully as he climbed down their feathered friend, all the way assisting his weak steps until they came to stand in front of a wall camouflaged by vegetation.

"Do we need to climb up that wall? Seriously? Noctis isn't ready for something draining like that..." reprimanded the youngest among them, who sounded extremely protective of Noctis.

"Have no worries," replied Ardyn with a secretive, little smirk on his face and then swished his arm in a welcoming gesture. The amber-eyed man pulled some branches of ivy to the side, revealing the entrance to a well hidden cottage. "I admit, it's not much. But it's safe." Ardyn scratched the back of his head as he opened the door. "Either way, let's go inside."

...

As they entered the small cottage, Noctis felt immediately relieved to see three sturdy looking, wooden beds positioned to his right against the wall, illuminated by several candles placed in each corner of the rather confined space. For some unknown reason the dizziness came back and he was barely able to stand on his own feet anymore. "Need to lie down," he murmured to Quicksilver.

"Right," agreed the blonde man, navigating around the round table and helping Noctis making himself comfortable on the nearest bed. Quicksilver gently pulled the warm blanket over his exhausted body, asking, "Do you wish to sleep?"

Noctis shook his head. "Not yet, my mind is awake, and..." His stomach growled furiously. "I'm a bit hungry," he admitted with a weak smile.

Ardyn blazed the old, small fireplace on the opposite wall alight with cozy warmth. Turning to look at Noctis, he said, "I can prepare nourishment for us. Meanwhile, why don't we introduce ourselves properly? I have every intention of being honest with you if you're willing to honor me back with the same sincerity."

The older men locked eyes and assessed each other silently for one minute.

Quicksilver felt that same, undefinable tension grow as it did before and decided to intervene. "Look, let's eat something first. We're all starving, right? Your Highness, how may I be of help?"

Noctis heard his old enemy gently sighing and then watched the red-haired man turn and move around the small space in preparation for their meal. Watching Ardyn bustling around, who gave Quicksilver instructions on how to wash his hands first and then how to peel and cut the vegetables, and seeing his former enemy being all generous, kind, healthy and alive, made Noctis turn everything he knew about the man in his head. How much could he reveal about himself without frightening or turning the older man away from him? He knew he had to win over Ardyn's trust if he wanted to find answers regarding his purpose and placement in this strange world. Which brought him back to an old dilemma: conversation has never been his strongest point.

"What date do we have today?" Noctis asked. Best to start the conversation with something small and inconspicuous.

Ardyn gave him a small glance from the table. "Monday, April the eighth, thirteen years after the arrival of the Meteor of Six."

Thirteen years after the arrival of the Meteor of Six? If Noctis remembered right, that's somewhere around two thousands years far back into their past. That's when ancient history spoke of the downfall of the ancients. How did he manage to end up in the middle of it happening? He felt his eyes bulging from sheer surprise. He clearly needed a moment to process the true meaning of Ardyn's severe response, there was nothing small and inconspicuous about that. Of course, there had been some guesswork on his side and the possibility of traveling back in time did occur to him before because nothing else made sense to his fried brain cells... But to have that suspicion so easily confirmed? Noctis didn't know what to think of it and felt himself getting a little sick to his stomach.

He will never get back home, will he?

"Do the two of you remember for how long you were captive? And if you don't mind me asking, and I apologize if my questions make you uncomfortable, do you recollect any of the experiments those fools have done to you? If anyone here could help me figure out Solheim's current machinations, it would be the two of you. I would appreciate if you could relate to me every detail you might remember," Ardyn said, his eyes expectantly shifting back and forth between Quicksilver and Noctis.

"To be honest, I have no clue how I got here in the first place, let alone being aware of the entire duration of my confinement," Noctis admitted, staring thoughtfully at the wooden ceiling.

Quicksilver cleared his throat, saying, "Well, about one week ago, they brought Noctis down to my cell. I think he must have already been injected with the scourge malady because he was unconscious and unresponsive the following days after. Once or twice a day, the scientists came back to check on him. They were talking to each other in a foreign language and seemed extremely excited. I... I've seen many people come and go over the months I've been there and, as far as I know, nobody survived the vaccinations. Noctis did, though..."

Ardyn's eyebrows met his own hairline. "I see, that certainly explains the infantry's sudden presence earlier. Apparently, their mission had been to retrieve Noctis, who's possibly the very first test subject to have exceeded their expectations."

"I don't feel any different, other than a little weak from the battle," said Noctis, looking at Ardyn with a frown on his face. "You said the Starscourge in my body is gone?"

"Indeed," answered Ardyn, his calculating eyes never leaving Noctis' face.

Noctis deepened his frown, addressing his comrade, "My lineage should have prevented my body from getting infected. Despite my protection, Solheim has found a way to circumvent it. I want to know how. We need to go back."

"What?! That's suicide!" Quicksilver hissed, the chair tipping and knocking to the ground as he stood up swiftly. The younger man's frantic eyes pleaded with Ardyn. "Your Highness, there's no way we're going back there, please. Both of you have no idea what kind of things all those people working down there are capable of... we won't make it out alive a second time."

Ardyn set his knife down on the table and observed the blonde man's frightened attitude for a while before turning around on his own chair, regarding Noctis in an open and sincere manner. "I understand and share your motivation to go back there. For the time being, I suggest avoiding strenuous confrontations with Solheim's infantry at all cost. We need to give your body time to heal. Monitoring your recovery has priority, in case something unforeseen might happen to you. I assure you, the research facility won't go anywhere."

Quicksilver sighed in relief and collected his chair from the floor. After sitting down again, the blonde resumed peeling the skins of something that looked suspiciously like carrots or potatoes, quietly listening to the exchange between the two older men.

"Fine. No more battles, for now," Noctis agreed. He huffed, the annoyance of his momentary weakness visible on his face. "Then let's make a deal: if I promise to open up about my true origin, then in return, you have to bring me in the presence of the Crystal. That's the only place I can get some answers of my own."

The older man stared at Noctis with a baffled expression on his face. He then proceeded to calmly take his hat down and placed it on an empty spot on the table. Rearranging his red-violet curls and then binding them into a low ponytail, Ardyn chuckled softly to himself and teased Noctis, "Oh my, didn't you already know? We mere mortals answer to the Crystal's call, not the other way around. Taking you in front of the Astral's most precious gem without any proof of entitlement would secure everyone of us imprisonment for life – or worse. I'm afraid, that's something I cannot allow."

"Then the deal is off, I can't tell you about myself without knowing anything of my purpose here. Let's leave it at that..."

Ardyn chuckled again. "I see, playing hot and cold with me, aren't you? I like that," he said.

The blonde man almost choked on his own tongue and it was apparent to Noctis that he tried to hold back his surprise at Ardyn's coquet response. Quicksilver's flustered reaction suddenly gave Noctis a different perspective on how Ardyn behaved around him. For instance, was Ardyn flirting? Nah, it must be Ardyn's usual, insufferable self making an appearance. His former enemy used to always talk in riddles, not afraid of freely speaking his mind, oozing innuendos while his words reflected ambiguous intentions – always leaving negative connotations in their wake.

Noctis watched Ardyn placing the cut vegetables inside a pot, pouring some water over it and bringing the content to a quick boil over the fire. Honestly, Noctis didn't know what to think of the man. At one hand his whole being shuddered with revolt, resenting everything this man had once become and had represented back home. On the other hand, he felt compassion and sympathy for his former enemy after finally knowing some of the truth. Having overcome his own fear of death, experiencing the world beyond the mortal veil which was still so fresh on the forefront of his impressionable mind, has opened Noctis' eyes to the shallowness of his former feelings of revenge. Right then and there, as he quietly observed the younger, more naïve version of Ardyn, Noctis felt a bit at a loss...

It took the current prince of Lucis a few minutes until he was ready to take the bait, not aware of Noctis' inner turmoil. "Let's say... I deem the information you're going to provide me with to be worthy the risk of an audience with the Crystal. What are your plans moving forward? Armiger ability aside, you claim not knowing how you got here, and yet you know all of the Empire's infantry weaknesses and seem to possess the knowledge on how to handle their magitek weaponry in battle. This knowledge of yours is invaluable to me. To cut to the chase, I wish to forge an alliance," Ardyn said, casually stirring the pot after throwing in some seasonings.

Noctis scrutinized his former enemy with serious eyes, looking carefully for any old signs of deception.

"Eos is dying," the older man added softly, looking over his shoulder and meeting Noctis' eyes almost in a desperate manner. "Noctis, were you to join me in my sacred mission of purging the world from the Starscourge, the chances of surviving the trials ahead would easily go up for everyone. Fools set the rules of this world. Take a look around you, it's undeniable. Why not lead by example and unite, bringing back peace to Eos instead?"

Something told Noctis that Ardyn was sincere with his goals. But could he really go through those same, painful trials once again? Noctis had been there and done that already, didn't he? He clenched the soft blanket in his fists, squeezing his eyes tightly shut in despair. He felt drained, his soul yearning for rest. Noctis just wanted the world to leave him alone for once.

"Allow me to speak frankly: nothing can be more important than bringing an end to the suffering of the world. Moral excellence, trust and loyalty are hard to come by these days. Despite the scarcity, such are the fundamental virtues that I keep close to my heart. In case you would be agreeable to such a union, it goes without saying that staying true to those values will greatly affect the outcome of our cooperation," Ardyn explained.

The irony of his former enemy's words didn't escape Noctis and that brought a bitter smile to his face. How much destruction and suffering could have been avoided, if only Ardyn had stayed true to the same virtues he so highly regarded and cherished? What had truly happened for Ardyn to easily disregard all of his goodness and strong values? Hiding in the shadows for centuries, going as far as orchestrating and manipulating various nations to go against each other and killing myriad of innocents in the process, hell, that didn't seem like something this version of Ardyn would be capable of, right?

Noctis felt an irrational pull inside to protect exactly that virtuous side of Ardyn, and that's when an important realization struck him like a lightning bolt: the whole mess had once started because Ardyn had been all alone. The healer had no one to rely on, having not only been shunned and betrayed by his own blood and family but having been denied something vital; the Crystal rejected his birth right of leading his people back to freedom and prosperity.

Noctis' eyes wandered over to Quicksilver, who silently observed him in return. Could the solution be really that simple? Noctis knew from experience that without Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, he wouldn't have had the faith and strength to fully commit himself to the prophecy. Interestingly enough, it had been none other than his fated nemesis to remind him of his friend's love and relentless support. It had been none other than the Usurper himself teaching Noctis how utterly priceless true brotherhood was.

Was it possible that Ardyn had envied the keen bond and the emotional intimacy Noctis had shared with his friends all along? Piece by piece, Noctis felt as if the scales were crumbling down from his eyes. This, right here, would be the defining moment when, for the first time in his life, he could make his own decisions regarding his own future. This seemed to be Noctis' chance to not only save Eos' future, but to save Ardyn's and his own life in the process as well.

Would Noctis choose the easy path, following his inclinations toward rest and peace? Or would he dare following another difficult path, full of unknown hardships and struggles? Albeit, the challenging path promised to be a rewarding journey, in various ways, which for some reason felt right and liberating; a path resonating the most at the deepest levels of his being, if he was honest with himself.

"You can count on my help," Noctis said finally, his decision set in stone. After all, a king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. Noctis would grant Ardyn the priceless experience of companionship and brotherhood. He would bestow upon his former enemy the harmonious future which Noctis himself had been denied of partaking in. He would intrude upon the Crystal's prophecy and change the course of the timeline – consequences be damned.

Their eyes met evenly, an unspoken agreement taking place between them. Noctis felt as if time was standing still. Something significant yet irrevocable was happening. This time, Noctis wasn't afraid of meeting Ardyn halfway.

Ardyn looked like a deer caught in the headlights, the harsh sound of the wooden spoon clattering to the floor shattering whatever trance state they both had been lured into. Going by the long silence that followed after, clearly this hasn't been the answer Ardyn had expected to receive.

"Whatever crazy stunts you two are planning of doing, count me in too. I'm all in for some fame and fortune," Quicksilver quipped in all his seriousness of joining, hoping to relieve the tension in the room once more.

The older men laughed softly at the blonde man's bold intervention, easing into a lighthearted conversation after the silence was broken.

"I'm starving, when can we eat?" fussed Noctis impatiently.

"In a minute. Let me arrange the dishes first," said Ardyn gently, his amber eyes bright with feelings of joy and newly found camaraderie. The honest, unburdened smile on the older man's face was palpable.

Their eyes connected one more time and from then on Noctis understood his purpose. He has made the right decision. Noctis would find a way to dispel the veiled darkness residing and growing inside Ardyn and then he would make sure of keeping that flattering smile on his former nemesis' lips constant.

If only that damn dizziness would finally end messing with his head...

...

For one short moment, Noctis was entirely convinced of having slept tightly on the sturdy bed inside of Ardyn's safe haven. But when he opened his eyes, the view that greeted his eyes wasn't what he expected to see. Sheer darkness dominated his surroundings. Utter silence drowned his aural senses and forced them to focus inwardly; the constant rush of blood in his veins and the regular beating of his heart the only sounds reaching his eardrums.

Noctis tried moving and instinct made him gasp for air when his body didn't respond to his will. The slight movement of his lips on the other hand made him aware of some kind of a breathing aparatus attached to his face. He felt strangely weightless and couldn't tell if his body stood in an upright or in a horizontal position. He could feel slight and feather light caressing movements all over his skin. Was it some coolly, fluid-like substance? Noctis couldn't tell. Whatever that stuff was, it felt gross and somewhat attached to his skin. And this in turn informed him of his naked state. Now would be a good time to get worried, he decided.

Where was he? Why couldn't he move? This reminded him of a sensory deprivation chamber, like the ones he saw in those science fiction movies years ago. What was going on?

Noctis couldn't tell how long he's been inside that silent, dark place but he felt the familiar dizziness taking over his mind once more and then everything turned to blissful black.

"And so we finally meet, brave wanderer."

Noctis struggled to come back to consciousness. His eyelids felt heavy with unnatural sleepiness. The light behind his eyelids seemed blinding. Why was it so damn hard to get his eyes to open?

"Many hear our call, but only few manage to reach us. It's a pleasure and honor to meet you, young wanderer." The soothing sounding, male voice got slightly louder, indicating the person talking to Noctis was getting closer. Though, the voice reverberated inside his head instead of outside of it.

Cool, velvet hands reached for the sides of his face and gently touched his skin.

"Open your eyes..." the tender voice whispered.

And just like that, Noctis' eyes opened, the drowsiness steadily evaporating. The light greeting him was still blinding to his sensitive eyes and he winced slightly.

"Very good, you're adjusting to the frequency of our temporary home. Take your time..."

"I... I don't understand. Where am I? Who are you?" Noctis asked, squinting his eyes to mere slits and trying not to panic. He still couldn't see anything. First that creepy experience with the sensory deprivation chamber and now this.

Cool fingers stroked gently over his forehead. "Have patience, brave wanderer. This is your first time tuning into the fifth density plane. Find your octave. Breathe. Focus on the places my energy touches your centers," the male voice said, gently guiding and stabilizing Noctis' awakened state.

Noctis tried opening his eyes fully and they immediately widened at the ethereal sight before him. Unconditional love flooded his senses and he staggered slightly backwards, struggling to stay on his own feet. The androgynous looking being standing in front of him could only be described as breathtaking. Fair skin with a light bluish complexion, bright looking eyes of a iridescent color and white, long and straight hair that reached his feet. Noctis felt awe-struck at the person's magnetic personality and he blushed a little when he realized both of their bodies weren't covered by any clothing.

The otherworldly looking man smiled in a warm and tender way at Noctis. "I greet you in the love and the light of our Infinite Creator. Our social memory complex have walked your world. We are old upon your planet and have served with varying degrees of success. We have seen the faces of your peoples. Many have forgotten about our existence. On your plane of third density, my past body/mind/spirit complex has been known as Odin, the Reaver. In that state of being, Oracles all over your world were able to commune with myself and download information. In the far past, leaders of your peoples have summoned my presence to aid their battles against the darkness."

Noctis tried taking all the information in, which was extremely difficult as he had to maintain a certain amount of strength to keep himself awake and aware. "Are you what we would call an Astral deity? Why am I here?"

Odin dimmed the glowing light around Noctis, making it easier for him to focus.

"Astrals are body/mind/spirit complexes living in the fourth density plane of existence. We, too, have our place. We are not those of the Love or of the Light. We are those who are of the Law of One. In our vibration of the sixth density plane the polarities are harmonized, the complexities are simplified, and the paradoxes have their solution. We are one. That is our nature and our purpose. As to the reason of why you are here, you heard our call. Vast numbers of synchronicities have paved your way and nudged your decisions toward reaching this plane. The fifth density body/mind/spirit complex known to your peoples as Phoenix, the Reborn, is responsible for your presence in ancient Solheim. Before arriving back on Eos, it was your desire giving aid to your peoples one more time. Metaphysical rules require all third density body/mind/spirit complexes to forget their origin and purpose so they can learn/teach without influences of their past distortions. Therefore, our service today, here on the fifth density plane, is to assist you in remembering again who you truly are. You have arrived in ancient Solheim to aid your peoples in the Harvest."

Noctis would be lying if he said he didn't feel overwhelmed by Odin's words. It seemed, he was about to get his answers, after all.

To be continued.