In hindsight, it's easy to see where our end began. Isn't that always the way of things?
There are those who would say I should be happy with the time Ardyn and I had together. And we were happy for a while. We had good years together, it's true.
But I am a selfish woman, and greedy, and I cannot be content with the meager years we had, happy though they were. Not when I know now that the gods were moving us like toys in a game. Not when I know how it all ends. How can I, when I know we should have had long lives together?
Perhaps if there were no such thing as destiny, I could more readily accept our tragedy. Crescentia said that destiny gave people's lives meaning and helped them cope with tragedy. If it's all for some grand purpose, then it's easier to accept the pain that comes with living.
She would be disappointed in me for my inability to cope with my fate. I suppose that's why she ended up being the Oracle, and I ended up dead.
Looking back, it's easy to see where it ended.
In my and Ardyn's case, it began with a nightmare.
"No!"
Elpis wakes with a shock at Ardyn's shout. Instinctively she reaches for the stave that rests against the wall near their pallet. It isn't until she sees that Ardyn's still sleeping that she instead reaches for him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Ardyn? Ardyn, wake up."
For a brief moment, her hand glows white over Ardyn's skin. Then, with a panicked yell, Ardyn's up in a flash, slapping away her arm. They lock gazes for only a brief second before Ardyn growls and pins her to the floor, arm on her shoulders.
Heart in her throat, Elpis tries to pry his arm off her shoulders. The look in his eyes terrifies her. There's no recognition in them at all.
"Ardyn!"
Somnus runs into the room and grabs Ardyn by the shoulders, hauling him off her. Ardyn fights against his brother, something like an inhuman growl emanating from his chest.
"What-" Somnus shouts as Ardyn pushes him away and slams him against the stone wall. Momentarily stunned, Somnus drops to the ground.
Elpis stands and rushes over, taking Ardyn's face in her hands and forcing him to look up at her. "Ardyn. Look at me. Shh, my love. Look at me."
Finally, his amber eyes focus on her face. Slowly, the sleep falls away from them, as does the confused panic.
"El," he breathes out shakily, raising trembling hands to her shoulders. "El, you're-you're all right-you're not-"
Over the top of his head, Elpis shares a look with Somnus. Without a word, he stands to his feet and leaves as Crescentia comes in.
"What happened?" she asks.
Elpis shakes her head as she hugs Ardyn's shoulders while he clings to her waist. "I don't know. Please, go help Somnus make some tea." She has no idea if tea will help with whatever Ardyn is going through, but mostly she just wants everyone out of the room so she can speak to Ardyn alone.
Crescentia leaves, and Elpis kneels before Ardyn. Though his breathing has slowed, it's clear he's still deeply rattled. "Ardyn," she says quietly, brushing hair from his face, "what's wrong?"
"I-" He shakes his head, wincing. "It... was a nightmare. Thank the gods. Just a nightmare."
Elpis frowns. "You woke up screaming," she says, without reprimand. "It was a powerful nightmare."
His hand, still trembling, comes up to caress her cheek. "It was you," he says quietly. "You were back in the desert, and the sun was shining on you. You were beautiful." A tremor runs through his body. "And then you turned into a daemon. I had to-I had to kill you."
Her mouth opens, but no words come out. Then she manages a shortlived smile. "Well. As you can see, I'm not a daemon. You're right, it was only a nightmare."
Somnus returns with the tea and hands both Ardyn and Elpis cups. They share another look while Ardyn drinks his, and Elpis nods briefly. Though he's clearly not happy to do so, Somnus leaves them both, closing their bedroom door behind him.
They take their tea in silence, Ardyn's trembling slowly subsiding, Elpis' discontent growing. When they set aside their cups, Elpis says, "It's getting worse."
Ardyn buries his face in his hands. "El-"
"Don't 'El' me," she says firmly. "Ardyn, you're sleeping less and less as the nights go by. And when you are sleeping, you're having nightmares. You just pinned me to the ground because you thought I was a daemon-"
Ardyn looks up at her in horror. "I did what?"
Cursing herself, Elpis shakes her head. "I'm fine. You didn't hurt me."
"Gods." Ardyn stands and moves away from her, running his hands through his hair, beginning to pace about the room. "I'm sorry, El. I-gods." With another growl, Ardyn punches the wall. Blood trails down his hand as he curses.
Taking up a rag, Elpis goes over to him. When he backs away from her, she merely raises an eyebrow. "Ardyn. You won't hurt me. Give me your hand."
Reluctantly, Ardyn steps closer to her and lets her tend to his injury. After a moment he says, "That was incredibly stupid of me, wasn't it?"
"It wasn't your smartest move, no," Elpis says lightly. She takes hold of his hand once she's wrapped the wound up. When nothing happens, she frowns down at it, wondering if she imagined her healing light in the confusion of Ardyn's waking. "But," she continues, "I imagine your pride will be wounded longer than your hand."
"Mm," Ardyn says, hesitantly placing his hands on her hips and pulling her forward until they touch. His hands are gentle, as if he fears hurting her again. He presses his forehead to hers and closes his eyes. "Forgive me?"
"You weren't in your right mind," Elpis says. "There's nothing to forgive."
"Say it anyway."
Elpis relents. "I forgive you, Ardyn." They stay like that for a long while, merely breathing the other in, taking comfort from the solidity of each other. Then she says, "You have to let me take some of the daemons."
Pulling away, Ardyn shakes his head. "No."
"They're killing you," Elpis says, a note of fear in her voice. "Do you have any idea what it's like to stand by and watch you suffer when I know I can help?"
"And do you have any idea what it would be like to see you suffer in the same way because of me?" Ardyn shoots back. "I will not allow it, El."
"Don't treat me like something you can order around," Elpis says. "I've done as you asked and I have waited, Ardyn, I've waited seven years for you to trust me enough to let me help. I've put my trust in you and in the gods. But I am putting my foot down now."
Instead of responding, Ardyn dresses quickly, his wrinkled healer's robe thrown hastily over his long tunic and breeches. "It's not a matter of trust," he says at length as he's tying his hair back. Dark stubble lines his jaw, and it occurs to Elpis she hasn't seen him shave in a few days, nor has she helped with such a task. "I'm trying to protect one of the few precious things left to me. You will never know the taint of the Scourge in your soul so long as I am alive, Elpis, and that is my final decision."
He leaves without another word, leaving Elpis to fume in silence. Gods, the utter stubborness of that man!
And yet, guilt weighs her down as well.
Because what Ardyn does not know is that she already carries the mark of the Scourge within her.
It happens by accident. She doesn't even entirely remember how she and Ardyn come to be apart that night. They begin together, Ardyn tending to his patients, she giving out much needed supplies that people need, such as fabric or food. A year has passed since she came to live in Solheim, and because of her frequent outings with Ardyn, the people of Solheim now know her. They no longer turn away in suspicion of her but instead greet her happily.
She still carries the sun medal from Therasia in her purse. It's the only payment she's ever accepted for her help.
Somehow, they come to part ways. And in the time she and Ardyn are apart, a woman finds her.
"You-" The woman starts, then stops, uncertain. She's white, pale from lack of nourishment, her bones all too visible underneath her skin. Two children trail behind her while one rests against her back, bundled in a shawl.
Alarmed, Elpis motions for her to sit right where she is. "Rest, my lady," she says. She pulls out a flask of water mixed with ingredients to restore energy. "Drink this, slowly. I am Elpis Maelen, of the Lucis Caelum family. Have you come seeking Healer Ardyn?"
The woman nods weakly. Behind her, a little girl with wide grey eyes stares at Elpis blankly. Beside the girl is a boy with curly blond hair. Elpis hands them small portions of food, which they eat greedily.
"My name is Iustina," the woman says. "These are my children, Amabilia-" She motions to the girl, "-Justus-" this time to the little boy, "and Delphina." Iustina unties the makeshift harnass she's using to carry Delphina. The girl is older than her siblings, and even though she looks to weigh nothing, her mother's body must ache from carrying her.
"You're from Tenebrae?" Elpis guesses. The blonde hair and blue eyes seem to be a widely shared trait in that part of the world.
"We are," Iustina says. "My husband and I heard tales of Healer Ardyn and-and of you, my lady. Bahamut's Chosen. Please," she says, voice cracking, "Delphina has the Scourge. We came seeking salvation."
Elpis moves the cloth away from Delphina's body, wincing as she sees how far along the Scourge is. Her veins run dark beneath pale skin. The girl is sound asleep, but a deep crease lines her brow, as if her dreams are troubled.
"You've come far," Elpis says. She notes that there is only Iustina and her children before her now. "And your husband...?"
Iustina's head bows. "A daemon killed him a fortnight ago."
"I am so sorry."
She cannot say why she doesn't stand and run for Ardyn. Something keeps her rooted to the ground beside Delphina, makes her take off the gloves she wears to place her hands on Delphina's chest.
Iustina starts. "My lady-?"
"I will waste no time in seeking out Healer Ardyn when I am capable of healing your daughter, esteemed lady," Elpis says. "The Scourge is far advanced."
Iustina only nods, doing nothing to stop her, instead taking up her other two children in her frail arms. Elpis closes her eyes and, with practiced ease, draws up the light from within herself. Delphina's body begins to glow underneath her hands and, deep inside her soul, the Scourge screams with fury.
Hush, Elpis reprimands. Her light chases the darkness as it tries to run from her, gathering it up into a ball, and with a flick of her wrists, Elpis yanks it free of Delphina's soul.
The girl wakes with a gasp, her chest heaving. Elpis has no time to pay her any mind as the Scourge seems to scramble for a new place to rest. Before she can react, it sinks into her chest, prying its way to her heart. Gods, the pain-it brings tears to her eyes as the Scourge finds a new home within her soul. She cringes as it realizes this new home is not something it can mutate, but a cage meant to keep it locked away forever. And then, after a moment of indescribable rage, the Scourge sleeps.
Before her, Delphina lets out a quiet, "Mama?" Iustina holds her tightly, kissing her head over and over.
Elpis puts a hand to her heart, drawing in a deep breath. She can feel the weight of the Scourge behind her heart. And this is only one daemon - Ardyn has dozens, if not hundreds, more. How ever did he cope?
Iustina watches Elpis warily, drawing her children closer. She seems to sense something is amiss. Elpis clears her throat and smiles shakily. "I know of a place you can stay until you get back on your feet," she says as she slowly draws herself to standing. "If you intend to stay in Solheim, we can find a new house for you, and ways to help. We're still rebuilding after Ifrit's Betrayal, but there's plenty of space."
"Are you... all right, my lady?" Iustina hedges.
Elpis makes certain her peaceful expression never wavers. "I am, Lady Iustina. I'm Bahamut's Chosen. The Scourge cannot harm me."
It is only after she sees Iustina and her children to a safe home that Elpis takes the medal out of her purse and pins it to her yellow headscarf. She may not be Ardyn's wife, but what she told Iustina is the truth: She is Elpis Maelen of the Lucis Caelum family, healer of Solheim. She will never stop aching for her tribe, but neither will she deny the contentment and new life Solheim offers her.
Ardyn never notices the new darkness within her, and she never tells him.
And, when the people come to her first, Elpis heals them herself.
When Elpis emerges from their bedroom later, Ardyn is already gone. Somnus waits in the gathering room, stirring a pot of porridge. He glances at her briefly before sheepishly looking away.
"I'm sorry," he says, "I saw you without your headscarf."
Elpis blinks. "Oh," she says, throwing one end of the yellow fabric over her shoulder. Over the years, she's stopped wearing it in the close manner of a young girl and, instead, wearing it looser on her shoulders. She still only allows Ardyn to see her without it on. "It's fine," she says. "It's not as if we could have asked Ardyn to stop panicking while I put it on."
"Still," Somnus says. "I know it's important to you."
"In this case, Ardyn was more important. But... thank you," Elpis says. She takes up a bowl and allows Somnus to fill it up. Then, knowing he shares his brother's inexplicable fondness for bland food, she mixes it several dashes of spices and herbs. They eat together in silence until Elpis says, "He's getting worse."
Somnus stares at the fire, his expression far away. "I know."
Elpis stirs her porridge listlessly. "I-I don't know what to do. He won't listen to me. Any time I try, he rebuffs me. He seems to believe he's protecting me."
"He's always had that annoying habit."
"Do you think you can talk some sense into him?"
Somnus snorts lightly. "If he won't listen to you, he definitely won't listen to me." He hesitates. "But... I can try. He's being foolish, flying in the face of Bahamut's decision."
Elpis can't help but roll her eyes. "Forget Bahamut's decision. It's my decision that matters here," she says, without rancor. "Though, yes, you're right. He gave me these powers, and it's my choice to use them. I've been patient, but that patience isn't helping anyone, especially not Ardyn."
Unable to sit still any longer, Elpis stands. "Gods, Somnus. I feel as if he's dying and he won't let me save his life."
"Because he knows it might come at the cost of your own," Somnus says quietly. "And he could never forgive himself for that. He would rather die."
"Stupid man," Elpis says, trying not to cry. "Stupid, stubborn man."
She hears Somnus stand behind her and, a moment later, hesitantly put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He loves you," Somnus says. "And he has only two people he can say that about anymore. You, and myself."
And yet, Elpis thinks, what's love without trust?
Somnus' hand falls away. "Perhaps you should seek guidance from the gods," he says. "Maybe all these years they've been waiting for you to approach them instead of the other way around."
Elpis bites her tongue as Somnus takes up his sword and leaves to go about his routine. If the gods have let us all wait for seven years for no reason other than that we need to go to them, Elpis thinks, then what good are they?
She cringes at the blasphemous thought and shakes her head, as if she can shake it out of her mind. Her faith is still fickle after all this time, it seems. Even if she were to approach the gods, would they even bother reaching out to her? Or would they find her lacking in some way? Would she be able to make herself heard?
I suppose there's only one way to find out, Elpis thinks. She picks up her basket full of food and other supplies and makes her way out of the house she shares with her tribe.
Fire lights her way through the new Lower City of Solheim. The ruins of the Old City tower over them, dark reminders of the gods' wrath. Elpis will never not be amazed at how humanity can adapt to anything. The first year or two of her stay in Solheim, it was like a haunted place, the people scarce and terrified of the night.
And yet, as the years went on, what choice did they have but to make do with their new Eos? They learned to live by firelight, learned to slowly trust in its warmth once again. They built new homes and buildings by it. Even Ardyn helped with the building, and the memory of his bare torso as he worked with the carpenters is something that still brings a smile to Elpis' face. (He has a very fine everything, not just a fine ass, as it turns out. At least in her opinion.)
Instead of despairing or panicking that this may be the end of humanity, they came together and made a new life for themselves. There was even a small market in the very center of the Lower City, protected by enough firelight to drive away even the most horrifying daemon. Iustina and her children sew clothes for the people of Solheim now. The last Elpis saw Delphina, she had even managed to catch the eye of a pretty girl who sold jewelry fashioned from old magitek.
Somehow, even when it seems to be the end of the world itself, life continues on. Elpis is amazed by her home every single day of her life.
And yet there is still a small part of her that thinks none of it should be necessary in the first place.
She makes her usual stops and drops off the supplies until her basket is mostly empty. Then she makes her way out of the Lower City and into the remains of the Old City, a ball of light guiding her way. A few stray animals run to her, dogs and cats mostly, and she breaks up the remains of her food to feed them. They're too wary to come into the new city, but Elpis has hope that, with time and very gentle care, she can convince them to become pets once again.
After a few minutes of traveling, she comes upon her destination: An old shrine set against the destroyed wall of Bahamut's church. It's long since abandoned as a new one has been set up in the Lower City. She usually visits that one, but today, she needs the peace and quiet of solitude. The new shrine is too busy, and what's more, Elpis is slightly embarrassed by the little dolls people have taken to making of her and Ardyn and setting on the altar there. She needs a clear, focused mind, not one distracted by adorable little woven Ardyns.
She kneels in front of the shrine and lights one of the remaining candles. Closing her eyes and clasping her hands in front of her, Elpis tries to figure out how exactly she needs to do this.
Forgive me, she thinks. All this time, and I'm still like a naive child.
Memories of Ardyn keep flashing through her mind. His laugh, his smile, the way he looks when he's sleeping. The love and pride in his face when he looks out at the people of Solheim when he thinks no one is looking. How they've come to see him as a sort of leader. The vision of him as a king is still fresh in her mind even now.
Elpis loves him so much that sometimes it overwhelms her, makes her feel as if she might crack in half, for no one person should be able to contain this much love. The fact that he feels just the same about her will never cease to stun her.
Please, she begs. Please. I cannot lose him. Please send me a sign, a vision, of some way to help him.
And, in the back of her mind, something she doesn't dare voice: I don't care if the Scourge continues long after I'm gone, so long as Ardyn lives free of it until he's old and gray.
In stories, the gods usually appear with earth-shattering booms, or with other such hard to ignore signs. Elpis waits. Her prayer is met only with silence.
Shaking her head, she focuses harder. Please, Bahamut. Give me a sign. I will beg for as long as it takes. I cannot-I will not-let the Scourge take Ardyn.
Elpis sits until she loses feeling in her feet and her knees scream with pain. She sits until she loses all sense of time. Her stomach rumbles with hunger and she barely notices it; if she needs to attend to nature, she doesn't pay it any mind. All that matters is finding some connection between her and Bahamut that will lead her to the answers.
And then-
It hits her like a strike of lightning, like one of Bahamut's swords slicing clean through her. A voice in her head pushes out every other thought, every other sense of her being, until it is the only thing left.
You've waited long for this meeting, O Chosen, the voice says, great and terrible and utterly ripping her apart. Doubt plagues you still, and yet you come to me on supplicant knees nonetheless, hoping beyond hope that I will respond. That is the faith for which I have waited to see from you.
Dimly, Elpis realizes she's shrieking in pain, hands on her head. And yet, this is only right. To speak to the gods should not be a little thing. It should be agonizing, it should be something not at all done lightly. They exist in a realm far beyond her mortal comprehension-of course the mere sound of Bahamut's voice should feel as if she is dying.
And then, in her mind, an image takes shape. Ardyn, a crown on his head and wearing fine silks, laughs at a young girl sitting on his knee. The girl is enthusiastically telling him a story, the words lost to Elpis. What is not lost is the black curls on the girl's head, nor her amber eyes.
As if in a dream, Elpis feels herself walking up to the throne Ardyn sits upon. Beside it is an empty one, smaller but just as lavishly decorated. She can feel the silk on her skin and the unfamiliar weight of a crown on her head. Jewels hang from her headscarf. And when Ardyn looks up at her, his entire face lights up.
"Mama," the girl cries, jumping down from Ardyn's knee and rushing to Elpis. She grabs hold of her skirts and grins up at her happily. It's only then that Elpis sees her round belly and feel the weight of a babe inside her. "I was telling Papa about the secret room Pryna found-"
Elpis raises a brow at Ardyn. "A secret room, hm? You know, it was likely a secret for a reason."
"But it lead out to the forest, and then I found the prettiest bug, but I ate it by an accident!" The girl makes a face. "It was awful."
Ardyn hides his laughter behind his hand. Elpis pins him with a look, trying not to join in the laughter. "This is your daughter. She gets this from you."
"Me? I think not. We'll blame Uncle Somnus for this one."
Snorting, Elpis reaches down and picks the girl up. "Come, Aurea. It's time for little bug eating future Queens to eat an actual meal." She holds a hand out to Ardyn. "You too, Your Majesty. Come."
"As my Queen commands." Grinning, Ardyn takes her hand, and together they descend down the steps from their thrones. Only then does Elpis see that the room is shining brightly with sunlight.
The vision leaves her as suddenly as it came. Before she can recover, Bahamut's voice tears into her mind again.
When darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come. Only this Chosen King can banish the darkness brought by plague and return light to Eos. The Oracle will bestow upon him the power of the gods and the True King will end the Long Night. Awaken us, O Chosen Oracle, and we will guide your True King's hand in banishing the evil that plagues our star. The Revelations await you.
And, like a gentle breeze, he's gone. Slipping from her mind as if he was never there.
Elpis lies on the ground for a long while, limbs weak, mind blank. All she can think of is the little girl in Ardyn's lap, the feeling of a babe in her belly, and a warmth only the sun can bring. A warmth she can barely recall the feeling of.
"Aurea," Elpis whispers, tears falling from her eyes. "Aurea Lucis Caelum."
Eventually, somehow, Elpis gets to her feet and makes her way back to the Lower City. She has no recollection of the journey; her mind is a haze, and the few times she is cognizant of her surroundings, she only sees two dogs leading her way, one black, one white. When she stumbles into the marketplace, she doesn't notice the hush that falls around her. The people stop and stare; Delphina begins to step forward, only to be held back by the pretty jewelry girl.
Elpis glances around, eyes dull, until her gaze lights upon Ardyn. And then, without conscious thought, she speaks:
"Only by the hand of the True King, Chosen by Light, shall our star be cleansed of the Scourge." Her voice is almost unrecognizable. "A King without a crown as yet, but who will lead us once more into the sun's embrace. O Chosen King, the gods call you to take their Revelations."
She manages only a small step in Ardyn's direction before she collapses.
When Elpis awakens, it's to the familiar warmth and scent of her and Ardyn's blanket. There's pressure in her head that makes her whimper.
"El?" Ardyn's voice, so quiet and gentle, guides her the rest of the way into consciousness.
Wincing at the firelight, Elpis turns her head away, feeling Ardyn's cool hand on her cheek. "Ardyn," she says, throat dry and voice raspy. Then, managing a small smile, she says, "I guess this time you get to call me a lazy bum."
Ardyn's laugh is weak, but it's a laugh all the same. He holds a cup of water to her lips and she drinks quickly, even as her throat feels as if it's covered in knives. He sets a cool, damp cloth on her forehead, which helps with the pressure a little.
"What happened?" he whispers.
Licking her lips, Elpis closes her eyes once more. "I went to Bahamut," she says. "And he granted me a vision."
Ardyn takes her hand in his, grasping it tightly. "And it was Bahamut who left you in this state?" There's a note of anger in his tone that Elpis cannot understand.
"I may have been overwhelmed," she allows. "But don't you see, Ardyn? He's finally given us our path. After so long, we know how to defeat the Scourge. You said yourself-" She coughs, and gods, it feels as if her throat has been ripped out by some savage beast. She remembers screaming during Bahamut's vision. Still, she continues on. "You said yourself that one day you would take the Revelations."
"Yes," Ardyn says slowly, hesitantly. "I did."
Unable to understand his mood, Elpis forces herself up. "I saw you," she whispers, her hands gripping Ardyn's shoulders and her forehead finding his. "I saw you, a King crowned upon a throne. The sun was shining on us all. And-and oh, Ardyn. There was a child."
Ardyn stills and pulls away from her. "You need to rest," he says, his voice blank. "I don't think you're in your right mind yet."
Frustrated, Elpis growls. "You're still not listening to me! Bahamut has told us what we must do, and we must do it. You are the True King, Ardyn. You will bring the sun back, just as Bahamut said. We'll be married. And one day there will be a little girl with your eyes and my hair named Aurea, and Eos will thrive once more."
He stands abruptly and steps away from her, turning his back on her. Elpis watches as he gathers up the few things he'd used on her, pours out the bowl of water, and cleans the cup she drank from, all in silence. Finally, when there's nothing left to do, he says in a hushed voice, "I don't know if I can do this, El."
She blinks, then softens. "Hey," she says, holding out her hands to him. "Come here."
Ardyn does as she asks, coming to kneel between her legs, burying his face in her neck. She holds him tightly and kisses his head. "I'm scared, too," she admits. "But what scares me more than the Revelations is the possibility of losing you to the Scourge. You're all I have left."
He lets out a shuddering breath, and she can feel tears on her skin. "What if I fail?"
"How could you? Our path has been chosen by the gods themselves. This is our destiny." She nuzzles his face, trying to smile. "Come, now. Where's that vain, arrogant man I love?"
Ardyn laughs weakly. "Only with you could I be this cowardly."
"Mmm," Elpis says, "a wise man once told me he prefers to think of that sort of thing as common sense."
"Now, see," he says, pulling away to smile at her, "you accuse me of being arrogant, but then refer to me as wise? I blame you for my ego."
"Hah! That ego was large long before I ever met you," she teases. "I merely gave up trying to pop it and decided I may as well see how big it could grow."
Ardyn slowly raises an eyebrow. "Are you certain you aren't referring to another part of my anatomy, El?"
Laughing, she playfully shoves him, and with that one joke, Elpis knows they'll be okay.
How could they not be okay? After all, the gods were shining their light on them alone. They were the Chosen, they knew their fates, and a little girl named after the sky was waiting for them.
Solheim was waiting for them.
"You're crazy," Adeo says.
"Well," Crescentia hesitates, "maybe not crazy, but it does seem a little-"
"-Preposterous," Deus cuts in.
Somnus glares at them. "When did you all become heretics?"
"When Lady Elpis received a vision telling her and Ardyn to undergo the Revelations, which could potentially destroy more of the world," Deus says, and Elpis has to admit he has a valid concern. "We've only just gotten Solheim back to her feet. The Revelations have utterly rearranged the very land before. This could destroy what little of the city we've managed to rebuild."
"And traveling to each sacred resting place of the gods would take too much time," Crescentia says. "I don't have the power needed to keep the Scourge at bay while you and Ardyn travel."
Even Somnus cannot argue with that. He runs a hand through his hair, sighing. "Maybe Lady Elpis should stay behind?"
Elpis shakes her head. "No. Bahamut told me to go as well. This journey is meant for both of us."
Somnus glances at Ardyn. He's remained silent throughout their conversation, his gaze fixed on the fireplace. "There were always going to be risks," Somnus says at length. "And sacrifices. Adeo, you and the army can hold back any daemons that appear, can't you?"
"Yes," Adeo says with a deep frown. "People won't go for it, though. You'd be asking them to sit and wait and let their family turn into daemons while you go off on what might be a wild chocobo chase."
"And what if you die during your journey?" Deus asks. "Then we'd be without any protection whatsoever."
Strangely calm, Elpis says, "We won't die. And if we did, Bahamut would choose someone else to wield the healing powers."
"That's not as comforting as you think it is," Crescentia frets, wringing her hands together. "You can't promise that he would, either."
Elpis laughs a little, looking at all of them with some amazement. "Don't you see? This is our destiny. Bahamut himself told me as much."
She sounds so certain, and yet, there's a part of her that hesitates every time she brings up their destiny. A sense of foreboding that will not leave her, no matter how much she reassures herself.
"It's not our decision in the end," Somnus says. "It's Lady Elpis' and Ardyn's."
Brought out of his thoughts by the mention of his name, Ardyn blinks and looks away from the fire. "We've not much choice." It's not at all the ringing endorsement of her plan that she was hoping for. He pinches the bridge of his nose and Elpis can't help but notice how much darker the circles under his eyes have gotten. "We must do something."
In the back of her mind, an idea sparks. Before she can think on it further or voice it, however, a scream from outside gets them all to their feet.
"Help us! Healer Ardyn, Lady Elpis!"
She and Ardyn are out the door before any of the others. Feet from them, a woman backs away from a man, and Elpis recognizes the slick, shiny substance growing on the man's body. The Scourge is turning him into a daemon.
Yes, the darkness within her soul whispers, yes, let him turn, join us, join us.
Shut up, Elpis tells it.
She and Ardyn approach carefully, uncertainly. For the truth of it is, neither one of them have cured a person from the Scourge when it's so far advanced. They have never brought someone back from the very brink of becoming a daemon.
"Stay back," Ardyn tells the woman, and Adeo pulls her further away from the man. "What is his name?"
"Ephesius," the woman says, and cringes when the man lets out a daemonic cry.
"Ephesius," Elpis says, holding out her hands. "We're going to help you. Healer Ardyn and I-"
The man stills completely, fixing glowing eyes first on her, then on Ardyn. "You," he says, his voice garbled. "The son of the people who created magitek."
Bewildered, Elpis looks to Ardyn. His expression is hauntingly calm. "I am."
Hissing, Ephesius moves away, the Scourge dripping from him. "Don't touch me. My brother went to your parents for help." Crying out in pain, Ephesius grabs his head. His hands have already become daemonic claws. "He died there. You'll do the same to me."
"I won't," Ardyn says evenly. "I am sorry for your loss, Ephesius, but I am not my parents. Please, let me help you. I can cure you."
Ephesius roars as Ardyn approaches and swings wildly, managing to slice open Ardyn's arm. And then it's too late. The Scourge overcomes Ephesius, mangling his body, breaking his bones and muscles and recreating them as something different. The daemon wails at the light that surrounds it, then rushes at Ardyn.
"No!" Elpis shouts, only to be held back by Somnus.
One moment Ardyn is standing in the path of the daemon and the next he's behind. The daemon runs through the magenta outline left behind by Ardyn's warp, then slowly turns around until it spots him once more.
"Som, take Elpis and get away from here," Ardyn says. With a flick of his hands and the sound of breaking glass, weapons outlined in magenta appear all around him. His Armiger keeps the daemon back briefly as Ardyn takes hold of a sword.
"Don't you dare," Elpis hisses at Somnus. "Run if you must, but I won't leave him."
She breaks free of his hold and runs closer to Ardyn, who curses when he sees her.
"For once in your life, don't be stubborn," he says as he dodges another wild blow by the daemon.
Ignoring him, Elpis finds an opening, rushes past the daemon, and grabs a stave from Ardyn's Armiger. She lifts it up just as the daemon brings down its own new weapon, a large sword made entirely of the Scourge. It hits her stave, sending a teeth-chattering shock from her arms down to her toes, but her stave manages to hold it off until Ardyn comes in and slashes at the daemon's arm with his sword.
"You are-" Elpis swings at the monster's leg, hitting the knee with an audible crack. "-Out of your bloody mind-" She only just dodges another blow by the daemon, falling to the ground and using her momentum to roll behind it. "-If you think I'm letting you do this alone, Ardyn Lucis Caelum!"
Calling upon the light inside her, Elpis gathers it into her stave, then slams the bottom of it into the ground. The earth trembles as light erupts from the top of her stave, and though it's brief, the daemon is blinded. Then it lashes out, swinging its arm towards her. A sharp cry escapes her as its arm slams into her side. She flies through the air and, by some miracle, the wind is not knocked from her lungs when she hits the ground.
She hears an enraged yell from Ardyn, and when she looks up, he's attacking the daemon with every weapon he has in a flurry so fast that she can't keep up with it. Terror grounds her to the spot when she sees Ardyn's face. She does not recognize him at all. His eyes are empty of everything except one thing:
Bloodlust. Pure and utter bloodlust.
"Stop," she whispers, leaning on the stave to get to her feet. Angry magenta energy markings surround the daemon, Ardyn warping from attack to attack, until, with a final growl, he cuts the daemon's head off with a slash of a scythe. The body doesn't even hit the ground before Ardyn slices his sword through the daemon's heart.
The corpse falls, Miasma in its wake. Soon, the daemon is nothing more than smoke on the wind, its body disappearing into the shadows.
The stave disappears from her hand in a flash of magenta light. Before her, Ardyn falls to one knee, a hand pressed to his eyes. He seems to shake something off with a low growl, one that sends a tremble down Elpis' spine.
She approaches Ardyn carefully. Not with any fear, because frankly, her mind hasn't caught up with everything yet to know enough to fear him. But she does know enough to be careful. She does not know the man before her, and that thought terrifies her.
"Ardyn?"
With another tremor, Ardyn lowers his hand from his face. He twitches briefly, then takes a deep breath, and when he looks up at her, it's the Ardyn she knows.
"El," he says. "Don't ever do that again."
"I could say the same to you."
Behind them, Elpis can hear the woman crying. The weight of failure hits her harder than the daemon's blow.
They just killed a man. They killed a man because he would have rather died than let Ardyn anywhere near him. They've killed daemons before, but never after seeing them change. It had been easy, then, to tell themselves they were animals that had changed, not people.
Elpis holds out a hand to Ardyn, something in her relaxing slightly when he takes it. She pulls him up to his feet and raises a brow at him.
"I think you have some explaining to do."
"I don't know the entire story."
They sit together in their bedroom, Ardyn looking over her wounds from the battle. Somnus has left to take care of the woman, while Adeo, Deus, and Crescentia see to the rest of the citizens. Elpis knows she and Ardyn should be out there as well. When she led Ardyn back to their home, he didn't stop her, and she didn't suggest they see to other matters first.
In this one rare instance, there are more important things than being leaders for the people of Solheim.
Ardyn gingerly touches her ribs which causes her to hiss quietly. She can already tell one is fractured, if not more. "That's what I get for not wearing my armor today," she says.
He kisses the back of her neck. "I'll take care of you." After a moment of focusing, she feels the warmth of his healing light spread through her, easing the pain in her chest. True, she could heal herself just fine, but it's become something of a ritual between them over the years after a battle. They heal each other, as it's the only way to reassure themselves that they're both truly okay. And it's nice, to be taken care of in such a way.
"As I said, I don't know the entire story," Ardyn continues when the worst of her pain is gone. "But my parents did experiment on people in the magitek labs. To what purpose, I know not." He pauses. "There were rumors that they wanted to merge human consciousness with magitek armor, on to something called a 'database'... so that even if the armor were to be destroyed, the consciousness could live on and simply be set into another machine."
It's almost funny. She understands all of the words when taken apart, but put together in the order Ardyn just put them in, and they become incomprehensible.
"But I don't know for certain," Ardyn finishes, his tone unusually low. She doesn't need to look at his face to know that this history shames him. "My father never taught me any of that. For all I know, it could be a mere story, made up in the time since they've died to demonize the people who caused Ifrit's Betrayal. I cannot deny that they experimented on people, however. So it could very well be true."
Elpis does not dishonor his shame by reacting blindly. She thinks the story over in silence as he finishes his work. Once he's done and she's dressed again, she turns to him and studies his face.
"Have you ever gone down to the remains of the labs to see if there were clues?"
"No." Ardyn shakes his head. "But... Somnus has. He won't speak of it with me."
Which, Elpis supposes, is all the proof they need that something evil truly was going on in the magitek labs.
She caresses his face with her hands, making him meet her eye. "I wish you had told me this sooner," she says, "but I understand why you didn't. You're not responsible for what your parents did. I'm sorry you've been blamed for it today."
Ardyn visibly relaxes and closes his eyes. He leans forward and they kiss, the weight of secrets lightened for a brief time.
"Come," Elpis says when the kiss ends. "Let me see your wounds."
"I'm fine," he says, pulling away from her. Elpis can't help but notice he's been putting distance between them far more than normal. Usually, he can't seem to stop touching her, at least in private. She used to tease him for his constant need of attention, like he were a puppy.
"Let me look," Elpis insists. "To be sure. You know I worry."
Ardyn waves a hand and stands. "I'm fine, El. You should rest, and I should go out." He grimaces. "I need to see if the story has spread."
There's something she's missing that she can't put her finger on. Elpis frowns, staring at his hand, then at the cut in his healer's robe where the daemon's sword sliced him. Blood stains the fabric, though not as much as she thinks there should be.
"All right," she says, knowing this particular battle is lost. "Let me have your robe, though, so I can clean it and stitch it up."
Ardyn removes his robe without protest and hands it to her, then leans down to kiss her once again. He looks unusually serious as he pulls away to gaze down at her, thumb stroking her cheek.
"You're the best of all of us," he says. "I love you, El."
"I love you, too, Ardyn."
He manages a smile before he turns and leaves. Elpis stares at his arm as he goes.
The arm that has no wound on it. The wound on his hand from earlier is gone as well.
Maybe he healed himself this once, Elpis tells herself. Because I was hurt in the battle. He's always been overprotective. He wouldn't want me to overwork myself.
The battle. The battle where Ardyn seemed to lost all sense of self and used a power he often didn't even talk about in order to kill a daemon after it hurt her. And where...
"Oh, gods," Elpis murmurs. His energy mark has changed. No longer is it the pure blue; now it's magenta. As if stained with blood.
Or with the Scourge.
I'm losing him, Elpis realizes with her heart in her stomach. We don't have time for the Revelations. He'll lose himself before that happens. What path did that leave them now, though?
Burying her face in his healer's robe, Elpis breathes in his scent, of fire smoke and earth and sweat and the ingredients he uses to make up potions for his patients. A hint of blood lies underneath.
She is losing the man she loves, and she has no idea how to stop it.
At some point, after stitching the robe and washing the blood from it, Elpis falls into a troubled sleep. She wakes when she hears the bedroom door open and the familiar tread of Ardyn's footfalls. If she had any dreams or nightmares, she no longer remembers them.
She waits as Ardyn washes up and then joins her under the blanket, wrapping an arm around her waist. She turns to face him, cuddling close, and studying his face. He looks more exhausted than she's ever seen him. Instead of bringing up the day's events or asking if the story has indeed spread, Elpis kisses him deeply, hungrily, trying to tell him in that one action how much she loves him. How much she needs him.
A shadow of his old grin appears when the kiss ends. "Did you miss me that much in the short hours I've been gone, my lady?"
"I always miss you when you're gone," Elpis says, her fingers running along his collarbone and down his chest. She presses her hand to his heart and tries to take comfort from the familiar beating. "I don't think we should do the Revelations," she says at length.
Ardyn blinks in surprise. "But your vision-"
She shakes her head. "No, I know. But everyone was right. We don't have the time to make that journey. Our people don't have the time." Nor do you. "I think I may have an idea, though."
In the quiet of the Long Night, she tells Ardyn of her plan, of her one last wild hope that she can save not only Eos but him as well. And when he finally agrees to it, when she pulls off his robe and lies back as he comes to kneel between her legs and lower his face between her thighs, she tries to ignore the pulling of the string that calls for her to take the Revelations. Elpis loses herself in Ardyn and manages to quiet the voice in the back of her head that's telling her she may be dooming them all.
She won't. The only acceptable outcome is victory. Anything else doesn't bear thinking about.
"Angelgard?" Somnus asks with surprise. "What of the Revelations?"
Ardyn waves a hand. "They're too dangerous. I've spent all these years helping people. I can't bear the thought of endangering anyone for my own sake."
Somnus crosses his arms over his chest and, briefly, shoots a look at Elpis. She pretends not to notice as she's packing the last of their supplies. "You would be doing it for a good reason. Everyone must make sacrifices sometimes for the greater good," he says.
Ardyn shrugs. "Bahamut himself hasn't yet come down from the heavens to tell us we're being stupid," he says cheerfully. "So it must not be that bad of a plan."
"That is a horrible criteria," Somnus says drily.
Crescentia puts a hand on his shoulder. "Som, don't you trust your brother and Lady Elpis?"
"... Yes."
"Then trust that they know what they're doing now." Crescentia smiles at Elpis. "You're both very brave. But are you sure you should be going by yourselves?"
Elpis ties off the last of their sacks and hoists it over her shoulder. "Solheim can't spare you," she says. "I know you've doubts about your own abilities, but you've learned much. Do as Ardyn and I showed you, and you'll be able to help those with the Scourge who seek you out."
Biting her bottom lip, Crescentia nods. Elpis gives her shoulder a reassuring pat before taking one last look at her home. Years before, she'd done the same thing when she left her tribe to seek out a healer to save her sister. Then, she'd been heavy with the knowledge that she was severing all her ties to her life as she knew it.
Now, she's only heavy with the knowledge of what will happen should she fail.
"And remember," Elpis says for what feels like the hundredth time, "the letters to Charis in my bedroom, on the table by the window. If we don't succeed-"
"-I send the letter with the black wax, with the Zenais tribe's hawk," Crescentia finishes. "I remember. But you'll succeed, and you'll get to send the other letter when you return."
Elpis only smiles tightly in response. And then it's time for them to leave. They all file out of the house and follow Elpis and Ardyn as they go to Ardyn's black chocobo, Aquila. He'd found it years before, a lost hatchling alone and starving in the Old City, and had brought it home. Somnus had teased him for months about how he mothered the little chick. Elpis, meanwhile, teased him for the big name he bestowed upon so small a creature.
Still, Aquila grew into a fine chocobo, and fiercely loyal to both Ardyn and Elpis. He lets out a high kweh as they approach and begin loading up their supplies onto his back. After a moment, Somnus draws Ardyn away, and Elpis tries very hard not to eavesdrop.
Well, maybe not that hard.
"Are you sure about this?"
"El is certain of it," Ardyn says. "And that's all I need."
Somnus is silent a moment before saying, "You truly do love her, don't you?"
Ardyn laughs quietly. "When this is over," he says, "I'm going to marry her, little brother."
Elpis almost drops the bag she's holding in shock. She recovers before either of the brothers notice her reaction and hides her face by focusing intently on getting the bag strapped to Aquila's back. When Ardyn joins her side a moment later, she has to make sure she's not grinning like an absolute fool before she looks up at him.
Ardyn Lucis Caelum, my husband. I like the sound of that very much.
A childish part of her wants to stick her tongue out in triumph at Somnus. She only just manages to hold herself back.
Ardyn helps her mount Aquila, then takes up his place behind her. The solidity of his body against her back is reassuring, and for a moment, Elpis feels as if everything will be okay.
Somnus steps back along with Crescentia, barely concealed worry on his face. "Come back to us alive, brother," he says. Crescentia smacks his shoulder.
Ardyn laughs. "I will, Som. Have no fear. The gods smile down on us."
With that, he flicks Aquila's reins and steers the chocobo onto the path to the border of the Lower City. Elpis lets out a deep breath, a tension in her chest easing.
It was happening. They were going to save the world. And she was going to save her husband.
There's one lesson we rarely take from the myths and stories of the gods. One we ignore, because to confront it would cause too much doubt in our hearts. It would cause us to question too many things.
The lesson is this: The gods lie.
The journey to Angelgard takes only a little over a month. Aquila keeps a fast pace without tiring, and most times, Elpis sleeps in the saddle while Ardyn keeps them on their way. They rest occasionally, but never for very long. The knowledge of what they've left behind in Solheim keeps them going fast.
Along the way, they come across daemons. Each time they must kill one, the burden of failure weighs heavy on their hearts.
It's only when they reach the shoreline that they stop. Out over the ocean is a storm, lightning striking down into seemingly nothing. Elpis peers out at the water, but all she can see is darkness. The only hint there's even an ocean at her feet is the sound of the waves and the water that rhythmically runs over her toes.
After a time, she leaves the beach, not wanting to be target pratice for the storm, and returns to the little camp they've set up under a rocky cliff. The sand is different from what she grew up with, but the feel of it sinking under her feet is comforting all the same.
"It's strange," Elpis says. "If we turn and go North now, we would be in the desert again. And yet, my tribe never ventured this far out."
Ardyn motions for her to sit between his legs so she does, resting her back against his chest. He wraps his arms around her waist. "Never leaving the desert made you miss out on a spectacular sight. At least, when the sun is shining."
"I can't wait to see it," she murmurs. Then, before either one of them can linger too long on that, she says, "How will we get over to the island?"
"Well," Ardyn says with a long sigh. "I've found some boats that remain from when people lived here. There's one that should hold us... hopefully. And if not, ah... black chocobos can fly."
They both look at Aquila with a critical eye, noting how skinny he is, and how short his wingspan.
"I'm going to drown here," Elpis says with resignation.
Ardyn laughs, which is what she wanted, and nuzzles her neck. "Stop that. Don't think of it for now. Tell me more about the child."
"I've already told you everything," Elpis says with a laugh. "Many times, over the course of this journey."
"Tell me again."
"Her name was Aurea," Elpis says fondly. "And she accidentally ate a bug. She had your eyes, my hair and skin, and your smile. And I was with child in the vision."
"Boy or girl?"
"How am I to know?" She pokes his hand. "It was still in my belly."
"Bahamut could have volunteered the information."
"He didn't."
"How rude of him."
Elpis stares up at the black sky. "Which would you rather: Boy or a girl?"
Ardyn doesn't immediately answer. Instead he sighs once more, kissing her shoulder, rocking them back and forth. "I don't know," he says at length. "I gave up all thought of children when I was chosen and I realized the extent of my responsibility. It wasn't something I ever considered that much before, in any case."
"Mm," Elpis says. "Neither did I, really, but that was because it was one of the few things I had no real choice in. As High Priestess, I would have to bear children to continue the Maelen line and lead our people. So, I always knew I'd have children, and I never thought much about what I wanted past their existence. Now Charis has a daughter instead."
She'd married young, to a man from a neighboring tribe. The daughter had been born only a year after the wedding and Charis had named her Elpida.
She would be five now, Elpis thinks, and her heart breaks for everything she has missed in their time apart.
Ardyn hugs her tightly. "You know, when you're Queen, you can go back to the desert and no one will be able to stop you," he says. "You could stay as long as you want."
She grins in spite of herself. "That's not quite how it works, silly man."
"Why not?" he asks. "We'll be King and Queen of Solheim. Things will work however we say they work."
"I can sense Somnus having a heart attack at your very words even from here."
Their laughter echoes throughout the darkness, and soon they slept. When they awoke, they would go to the island where once the gods sat in judgment and try to save the world they loved.
The storm passed them sometime in their sleep. Aquila shifts nervously as they lead him to the boat, and frankly, Elpis shares his reluctance.
Ardyn comes to a sudden halt at the edge of the water. "Damn it," he says. "The boat was here. I tied it to the dock to make certain it wouldn't drift, and it's done exactly that."
Aquila lets out a quiet kweh that almost sounds despairing. Elpis wants to join him.
"Then we take Aquila and our chances over the water?" she asks, and she can't stop the fear from leaking into her voice.
Ardyn stares out at the water with grim determination. Then he holds a hand out to her. "Take my hand, El. I wish to try something."
She does as he asks, standing close to him. When she feels the prick of his light against her hand, her own powers respond almost without her notice. Their light intertwines as Ardyn holds up his free hand to the ocean.
Curious but not wanting to break his concentration, Elpis stays silent and pushes her powers further to him. They both begin to glow so brightly that she can no longer see anything beyond their light.
"Gods of Eos," Ardyn murmurs, "clear us a path through the water to the Isle of Angelgard."
Silently, Elpis repeats his prayer and lifts up her stave. She doesn't know how she can tell it's time to set it back on the ground - just that she does, and when it hits the ocean in tandem with Ardyn pushing forward his arm, the water suddenly rears away from them with a great roar. Aquila squawks in terror, flapping his wings. Ocean mist sprays against them as the water rises up and up to create two columns. Shadows swim beyond their reach, some of them fish, some of them monstrous.
"Good gods," Elpis mutters, eyes wide even as the saltwater stings them. "What did we just do?"
Ardyn, grinning wildly, picks her up into a sudden hug and spins her around. "A damned miracle, Elpis!" Setting her down, he takes her hand again and pulls her towards the opening they've created. "The gods are inviting us to their home. We shan't be rude guests and stand in the open door."
"Is now a bad time to admit that I'm scared of the ocean?" Elpis says shakily, though she follows Ardyn into the tunnel all the same. Aquila pulls at his reins but relents as she keeps a tight hold of them.
Ardyn laughs. "What is there to fear now? We're safe."
As if to illustrate his point further, a daemonfish swims perilously close to the edge of the water-then, with an ear splitting shriek, swims away when their light hits it. After that, the daemons follow them, but none others try to approach.
"The others are never going to believe this," Elpis manages with a weak laugh. "I'm not certain I believe it yet, either."
How long they walk, she doesn't know. The fear that the water will suddenly fall in on them or a daemonfish will be able to withstand their light keeps her distracted. So when the ground once more rises up and the wings of Angelgard greet her, it's a surprise.
Elpis looks back behind them. The water remains standing, as if waiting for their return.
"I don't dare take that as a good sign," she mutters to Ardyn, even as her heart lifts.
Laughing, he pulls her into a deep kiss. A little dazed, she says, "That's probably sacrilegious on this ground, you know."
With a very, very naughty smirk, Ardyn says, "Want me to do it again?"
Gods, yes. Elpis shakes her head and pulls away, though her hands linger on his torso. She looks up to the wings of the Isle, then blinks and peers closer at a structure standing nearby.
Ardyn follows her gaze. "The prison the gods once used," he says. "The staves were a magical barrier to keep them inside and everyone else out. The magic is long gone from them, since the War."
The darkened prison gives her such a sick feeling of foreboding that she has to look away from it.
"It's so hard to imagine that the Six actually sat here once, that Ramuh cast His judgment upon people here," Elpis says. Not only is it difficult, but it's unnerving. In her tribe, the Elders of each family held trial. If the problem was between two tribes, then a special council was made. That was fair, Elpis believes. It was only right that humans should judge other humans.
Then again, Somnus and Crescentia would say that humans are fickle and fallible. They can never know all the facts. The gods are beyond the reach of such petty things as bribery or corruption, therefore they would never be swayed into a false verdict.
She shakes her head to rid herself of her blasphemous, distracting thoughts. Turning to Ardyn, she says, "I don't know what to do next. All this time, I thought I would step foot here and just... know. But I don't."
Ardyn leads her further away from the ocean's edge until they come to the base of the wings. He takes Aquila's reins from her and ties them to a tree, giving the chocobo a reassuring pat. Then he rejoins her side and gives her the steady smile she loves so much.
"I have faith in you," he says sincerely. "Do whatever you think you must. The gods will hear you, one way or another."
Bolstered by this, Elpis nods and centers herself, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Bahamut, she prays, I, Elpis Maelen of the Lucis Caelum tribe, your Chosen Oracle, request your help once more. Please. Help me wake the other gods here, in Angelgard.
She's not aware that she's raising her stave until she opens her eyes and begins to sing. The voice comes from somewhere entirely different deep inside her - from her power itself. Her light grows to be blinding as the soprano, so unlike her natural voice, echoes throughout the Isle.
It feels divine.
As the last note fades away, another voice answers.
Chosen Oracle. Bahamut says, his voice quietly flowing through them on the breeze. Did not I say to take the Revelations?
"Yes," Elpis says. "Forgive me, Bahamut."
Then why have you come here?
"We are ever more your humble servants," Ardyn cuts in, joining her side. "But we could not make the people of Eos wait while we traveled."
"Please, God of War, I beg of you," Elpis says, taking to her knees and bowing her head until her forehead touches the sand. "Grant us your mercy. Awaken the remaining four gods and grant your blessing unto Ardyn, your Chosen, once more that he may cleanse Eos of the Scourge."
Around her, the air shifts, and the breeze stops completely. A man stands before her when she looks up - except, no. It is not a man. Familiarity strikes her as she takes in his pale skin, the black armor, and the draconian wings emerging from his back. The last time she saw this form, she had been but a child.
Bahamut studies them both, his pale blue eyes unreadable. His gaze fixes on Ardyn. "You demand your gods to bow to your whims?"
"No," Ardyn says without flinching. "I demand my gods give me the chance to prove myself here."
Perhaps she imagines it, but Elpis thinks she sees a hint of a smile pass over Bahamut's mouth. "Then so be it."
Ardyn starts slightly. "Ah-wait, really?"
Bahamut pierces his gaze on Elpis. "Finish your song, Oracle," he says. "And the gods will find you here."
Her voice flows forth once more, louder this time, and the world around her disappears. Her very self disappears, it seems, and there's nothing but her voice, echoing throughout the world. In Duscae, the earth trembles as the Titan stirs. The waters draw away from the shore as, under Celluna, the Leviathan moves. When Elpis takes her next breath, a taste of crisp, cold air greets her.
The song ends once more, and when she opens her eyes again, she and Ardyn are surrounded by gods.
Like Bahamut, they have taken on human aspects. Leviathan, half woman, half fish, glares down at them from a rock with yellow eyes. Ramuh stands beside Bahamut, stave in hand. Titan stands beyond them, still tall, his eyes like the lava that runs beneath the earth. And on the other side of Bahamut is a woman with pale skin and black hair that Elpis once saw before a fire. In a blink, her human aspect is gone, replaced by her true form of a white body.
"How dare you?" Leviathan demands. Elpis is unreasonably reminded of her mother. "Has the arrogance and pride of humans grown so much in the wake of the War? Should we have another, to teach you humility?"
"We'd rather you didn't," Ardyn says lightly. "The last one was more than enough."
"Why, then, have we been called to where once we sat in judgment?" Ramuh asks, his voice the crackle of lightning. "Why have you awoken us?"
"I haven't," Elpis says. Then hurriedly adds, "Not fully. Otherwise you would be here in your full forms."
"Not that we don't appreciate the consideration of you appearing before us thus," Ardyn says.
Shiva smiles gently. "You have Chosen well, Bahamut. They are smart."
"Pah," Leviathan spits. Her teeth are disconcertingly sharp, and Elpis tries not to imagine them ripping her skin apart. Or worse, Ardyn's. "Ifrit must have melted your brain as well, Glacian, for if they were smart they would not have brought us here. Why have we not already killed them for their impertinence?"
Bahamut gives Leviathan only a brief glance. "They are my Chosen, Hydraean," he says. "Raise a hand to them and you raise your hand to me."
Leviathan hisses, but does not attack.
Titan speaks at last, his voice like rocks raining down from a mountain. "The Chosens wish to stand in judgment?"
"Then judge them we must," Ramuh says, and Elpis remembers that it was he who once judged the humans brought before him. And executed them.
She takes Ardyn's hand and squeezes it. It's far too comforting to feel that he's trembling in fear as well, though he hides it.
"Tell us, O Chosen King, Healer of Solheim," Bahamut says, "why should we grant your our blessings?"
Ardyn is silent for a long moment, his gaze intense, his eyes lost in thought. When he speaks, he does so with utter certainty. "Because I wish to purge our star of the Scourge that plagues it," he says. "Because I want nothing more than to see those in thrall to darkness find peace. It is all I have worked for ever since Solheim's Fall." He pauses, then takes a breath. "I don't even care if you kill me afterward, as punishment for my impertinence. If that is the price I must pay to heal Eos, then I will pay it."
Ardyn, Elpis thinks with panic, shut up.
His declaration is met with silence. Then Bahamut looks to Elpis. "And what of you, Oracle? Would you too lay your life down for Eos?"
Unlike Ardyn, she does not think over her answer. She cannot second guess herself in this. And if she thinks it over, she will simply come up with lies.
And so, Elpis speaks the truth. "No."
Leviathan hisses again while Shiva merely studies her.
"Explain yourself," Ramuh commands.
"I am not selfless like Ardyn," Elpis says without shame. "If you had asked me that years ago, I would have said yes. I would have said that no price was too high if it meant the sun would return. But my mother warned me that there are prices too dear to pay, and I've come to realize she was right. Don't you see? I have already given my life to Eos. So has Ardyn. We have given ourselves over and over again. Too many have given their lives for it already. If bringing an end to the Long Night means I must see Ardyn die, then I will learn to happily live in the dark for the rest of my life."
Ardyn's hold on her hand tightens until it's painful, but she doesn't cringe and doesn't pull away.
"I came here because I knew the Scourge was taking Ardyn from me," she says. "And I cannot abide a world without him. I refuse. Nor can I accept a world that must be paid for with the blood and despair of thousands."
"Lovelorn fool!" Leviathan shrieks, and faster than Elpis' eyes can track her, she launches herself from the rock, trident in hand, and hits Elpis with the force of an ocean.
Her body hits a rock and knocks the wind from her lungs. She distantly hears Ardyn shout her name, but can focus only on trying to drag air back into her chest. Spots dance before her eyes as she wheezes. And far away, in the cage behind her heart, the Scourge screams with rage.
Let us have her, it cries. Let us rip her flesh from her bones. Give over, child, and let us taste blood!
Elpis pushes the voices away and struggles to her arms, then grabs hold of the rock behind her and pulls herself upright. Ice forms on the rock as Shiva suddenly comes to stand in front of her, facing Leviathan.
"That is enough," Shiva says. "Would you rather she had lied to us, Hydraean?"
"She is impure of spirit," Leviathan snaps. "She places herself and her lover above the rest of the world and expects us to reward her for it?"
"She wishes to see the sun again," Ardyn says, "with me. She wants to live in the world she saves."
"Impudent sack of meat."
Elpis gets to her feet, leaning on her stave. Her voice weak, she says, "I have already given up everything once. I haven't seen my family in years because I chose to save the lives of my sister and my people over my own future. So yes, if I am selfish for wanting to live, then I will be selfish." She pauses, then bows her head deeply. "However. If my life were needed to give Ardyn the power to cleanse Eos... then I would do so without complaint."
"Elpis," Ardyn pleads, "shut up."
"You make no sense," Leviathan says.
Elpis gives her a sweet smile. "I'm human. A human in love with another. We often don't."
"Enough."
Everyone stills at Bahamut's command. The Draconian turns to Ramuh. "It is my choice in the end, Fulgurian, but tell me your judgment that I may take it into consideration."
"The Hydraean is right," Ramuh says. "They are but human, with humanity's failings and foibles. To expect more of them than what the Chosen Oracle has shown would be foolish."
"That is how the Crystal made them," Titan observes. "Their lives are short and without meaning inherent. They must find ways to give themselves meaning."
"And what is more meaningful than love?" Shiva asks. "It is humanity's greatest trait. The love between a parent a child, between siblings, and friends, and lovers. Should we punish one who displays the best of human attributes? Who loves so deeply and purely that she refuses to be parted from him?"
"It is a poisonous love, if it makes her forsake the world that birthed her," Leviathan says.
I'm getting very tired of being spoken about as if I'm not here, Elpis thinks wearily. She feels hands on her shoulders and finds Ardyn has come to her.
"If we live through this," Ardyn says, "I am going to yell at you. A lot."
She smiles. "I can't wait."
He shakes his head in exasperation. Then, to the gods, he says, "Please, Gods of Eos. I cannot abide a world without Elpis as well. If a life must be paid, let it be mine. Of course I don't truly wish to die. I want to live the rest of my life with her. But if that's the cost, then so be it. All I ask is that no harm come to her. I want her to see the sun once more."
"There must be a payment, 'tis true," Bahamut says. "There can be nothing given without something in return. A child cannot be born without the pain of the one who bears it. A person cannot eat without ending the life of something to sustain them."
Ramuh bows his head. "Let them be judged worthy, and make them bear the weight of the price."
"Would you give your powers willingly, that they may fulfill their destiny?" Bahamut asks, and though he addresses it to all the gods, he looks to Leviathan.
She raises her head haughtily. "Will you fight me, lover, if I demand they earn by battle my blessing?"
"I would."
Sneering, Leviathan says, "Then let them be blessed, and may they live the rest of their lives in misery."
Silence falls over the Isle once more. Elpis turns to Ardyn and whispers, "Did we win?"
"Leviathan hasn't eaten us yet, so I think yes."
"Chosen Ones," Bahamut says, his wings expanding behind him as he raises his arms. "Let your judgment be thus: Grant to you the power of gods, that you might cleanse Eos of the Scourge. Chosen King, take the Scourge into your body and be host to it forevermore. Chosen Oracle, you will be the key that keeps the darkness at bay within his heart. Your lives will never be free of the Scourge. Only thus can Eos know peace once more. That is our judgment and our price."
Ardyn opens his mouth, but Elpis grabs his arm before he can say anything stupidly noble and self-sacrificing. "But there will be no more daemons?" she asks. "Ardyn will never change into one if he keeps the Scourge?"
"So shall it be."
It's not exactly what she wanted when she set out from Solheim. She wanted Ardyn cured completely. But if the gods say he will never turn and will be able to live a long life even with the Scourge in his body... then perhaps that is simply the best she's going to get.
She and Ardyn share a long look, countless words passing between them without needing to be said. And then Ardyn nods and kisses her forehead.
"Then we accept," Elpis says to Bahamut.
"Come, Ardyn Lucis Caelum," Bahamut says. "Come, Elpis Maelen. Receive your blessings."
Together, they stand and approach the gods. Ramuh raises his stave to the heavens and lightning splits apart the sky and gathers in his stave. Then he strikes them. Elpis screams as the electricity courses through her body, setting every nerve alight. She has no time to recover as Titan cracks the earth open around them and lava engulfs them, sinking into their bones. Leviathan cools it, but only by drowning them, filling their lungs with saltwater.
Elpis, delirious and on her knees, is only vaguely aware when Shiva approachs her. The goddess lifts her head up and smiles benevolently, then kisses her, freezing her very blood. When Shiva does the same to Ardyn, she disappears in a gentle flurry of snowflakes.
And then there is only Bahamut. He has lost his human aspect and has taken on his true, terrifying form. The God of War raises his hand, then brings it and all his swords down on them.
When the first sword pierces her heart, Elpis passes out from the agony, only to be woken again and again as each of his swords lays claim to her body. At last, the final sword cuts through her, and her weightless body falls to the sand.
Go now, O Chosen Ones, Bahamut says. Wield the light and erase darkness from this world.
Somehow, Elpis manages to stand. She stumbles over to Ardyn who is dry heaving on the ground. When he looks up at her, blood runs from his nose and mouth, and the blood vessels in his eyes have broken.
She falls next to him, leaning on him, and he holds on to her. The power of the gods runs through them now, agonizing and divine all at once. Ardyn presses his forehead to hers and they both close their eyes as light emanates from their bodies.
"With this power of the gods," Ardyn says, his voice ragged, "I return the light to Eos."
An explosion sounds somewhere beyond them, loud enough to hurt Elpis' ears, and then she feels the Scourge flowing through the Isle into Ardyn.
"And with this power of gods," she whispers, "I bind them to you, Ardyn Lucis Caelum."
She sets a hand on his chest and the Scourge tries to claw its way out, claw its way back into her, but the light of her power merely pushes it back. She imagines a lock being turned, a door being closed, and then-
And then the light disappears from them both and the earth rumbles below them.
Ardyn curses. "El, come on. The water-it's falling. Aquila!"
With a quark, the chocobo runs over. Ardyn hoists them both up in one fell swoop and Elpis hangs on for dear life as Aquila runs from the Isle and back through the path, water splashing up under his claws. Elpis hears a roar behind them and turns to look, only to be turned back around by Ardyn.
"You really don't want to see," he says.
"Now that you've said that, I think I should!"
She realizes what it is a second later: The water returning to its natural state. Aquila runs as fast as he can, and the shoreline is in sight when the water catches up to them. For the second time that night, Elpis is thrown through the sky as the water slams into all of them. The last thing she sees is Ardyn's red hair.
You see now, don't you? It was a trial.
And I failed.
Then again, I was never meant to win in the first place.
The worst part of it all is that the gods kept their word. Ardyn would never change into a daemon and the darkness would not return. They never promised to make him a true King. They never promised me life.
I cannot blame them for my poor bargaining skills. But I can hate them.
NOTES: We're coming upon the end, my friends. Thank you for sticking with it this far.
I deliberately chose not to feature the Revelations, mainly because a) that would have made a longer story than I initially envisioned this as and b) there simply isn't enough in the games for me to draw from in regards to how they work. Some of the gods chose to fight Noctis, while others did not. However, I didn't want the blessings to be simple, either. So I made it brutal for Elpis and Ardyn. Like I said, I'm playing fast and loose with canon here.
(Also, I totally wanted to throw in a mention to Hojo in this chapter. But I refrained, because I'm boring.)
The playlist for this chapter:
1. I Walk the Line by Halsey
2. NFWMB by Hozier
3. Young God by Halsey
4. APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS by Yoko Shimomura, of course.