#please send regis requests I’m BEGGING

[kaelinaloveslomaris]

Whumptober 23: Bleeding Out

I’ve had this one done for weeks, but since I was stuck on the previous one, I couldn’t post it until I’d finished that one. So I’m really happy to finally be able to share this one.

Drautos decides he’s done playing the long game and would rather take Noctis out.

Warning: this is the bloodiest thing I have ever written. Very graphic depictions of violence and injuries. And (temporary) major character death.

—

He’d stepped away only for a moment to answer a phone call, waving Gladio away when his Shield had moved to follow him. In hindsight, he’d think it should have seemed odd that Drautos had called him directly, but then the captain of the Kingsglaive had mentioned something about wanting to work with him on some aspects of his training, and he’d brushed off every scheduling attempt brought to him by Ignis.

Magic sizzles behind him, the only warning Noctis has before pain erupts in his chest. He stumbles forward with the force of the blow, gasping as the air is punched out of his lungs.

Warp strike, his brain helpfully informs him. He looks down at the point of the blade protruding from his chest, frowning at the familiarity of it. His vision swims as he registers that that is his blood dripping from the blade.

Noctis draws in an agonizing breath to scream for Gladio, but a hand clamps down over his mouth, smothering it. He catches a glimpse of red leather on the arm the hand is attached to, and he feels sick for reasons other than the sword sticking out of his chest.

Drautos, you traitorous bastard!

He doesn’t want to believe it. The man is practically an uncle, and he’s been a loyal member of Regis’s inner circle for as long as Noctis has been alive. But that is his sword and his leather jacket, and Noctis doubts anyone would go to the trouble of trying to steal or replicate them just for this.

The hand over his mouth muffles his shriek as he is pulled back farther onto the sword. His vision sparks and goes black for a moment. When his eyes focus again, his head is leaning back against Drautos’s shoulder and he is looking up into the face of a man who five minutes ago Noctis would have sworn loved him.

He whimpers, feeling the sting of the betrayal stronger than the physical pain. Tears well in his eyes even as nausea stirs in his stomach. He sobs against the hand pressed to his mouth, closing his eyes to avoid seeing Drautos’s cold expression.

Why? is the only thought in his mind. He can’t understand what would drive him to do this, and he doubts he will ever get an answer. Already he can feel the strength ebbing from him with the blood that is soaking his shirt.

The sword slides in him, a sickening drag, and Noctis grasps the blade before he thinks about it, sharp edges slicing into his hands, spilling more of his blood, but he doesn’t want Drautos to remove it. He knows his time is up the instant the sword leaves his body. He’s on borrowed time as it is.

He can taste the blood on his tongue, his throat is thick with it, and he coughs into Drautos’s hand. There’s nowhere for the blood to go, and he gags on it. He tries to swallow it, but he keeps coughing up more until he thinks he’ll suffocate in his own blood.

Noctis’s legs buckle, and Drautos lets him slide to the ground. He keeps a firm grip over his mouth, despite the blood Noctis can feel running down his chin, following him down to kneel behind him. He pulls Noctis against him, and there’s almost something intimate in the way he cradles Noctis. His other hand comes up to brush through Noctis’s hair, and for a moment Noctis wants to believe that he hadn’t wanted to do it, but there is no care in his eyes.

“Why?” he murmurs against Drautos’s hand, the pressure behind his eyes finally spilling over onto his cheeks. Drautos brushes a tear away with his thumb.

“With you dead, the line of Lucis will end and your father’s spirit will break. This war will be over, and Insomnia will be justly destroyed for abandoning the outer territories.” There’s a cold passion in his voice, bitter and harsh, and Noctis flinches. He knew Drautos was a refugee, most of the Kingsglaive are, but he hadn’t thought he held it against them.

This wasn’t a recent change, wasn’t something he or his father had done. He hadn’t been bribed or blackmailed. This was the product of a festering hate he had always harbored, and he had finally grown tired of waiting.

Noctis’s hands are cold and he can’t keep his grip on the blade. It doesn’t matter anyways. Both of Drautos’s hands are on his face, not his sword, and he’s only delaying the inevitable. Noctis can’t fight in this condition. He knows he’s going to die, but he can’t quite summon the fear he thinks he should probably feel. He’s numb, distant.

Drautos runs a hand through Noctis’s hair one more time in a mocking facsimile of affection before both hands are gone from his face. There’s a small shift in the pressure in his chest, and Noctis chokes on a scream as the blade is ripped out of him. He tumbles forward, barely managing to catch himself with his hands before smashing his face into the ground, and spits the blood out of his mouth. He’s now on his hands and knees before Drautos, but he can’t find it in himself to be concerned about his lost dignity. His would-be uncle is going to kill him, meters away from his oblivious Shield.

Noctis doesn’t have the strength to fight as Drautos rests his sword against the back of his neck. He doesn’t have time or the breath to scream. Gladio may only be meters away, but he would never be fast enough. And even though Gladio is an excellent fighter, Drautos has decades more experience and the added bonus of access to the king’s magic. Noctis isn’t sure who would win in that fight, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for anybody else’s death today.

Blood spatters the ground beneath him as Noctis tries to breathe with ruined lungs. He’s not surprised Drautos isn’t content to just let the wound in his chest take him. The man knows the limitations of a phoenix down, knows as well as Noctis does that if he goes for the head, there’s no chance of revival.

Noctis chokes on the blood continuing to fill his mouth, and he spits it at Drautos.

“I hope the Niffs kill you,” he gasps between coughs. “I hope Cor hunts you down… like a daemon.” It’s taking the last of his flagging strength to force out the threats, but it’s all he can manage in his last moments, and he refuses to go down meekly.

Drautos doesn’t respond, just raises his sword for the final blow. Noctis closes his eyes, sending a final apology to Gladio, to Ignis, to his dad, because Drautos is right, his death will destroy Regis, and waits.

But the sword doesn’t fall, and Noctis summons the strength to lift his head at the sound of footsteps in time to watch Gladio throw himself at Drautos.

He’s never seen Gladio move with such fury. His strikes are heavier, faster, and even Drautos falls back under the initial onslaught. But it doesn’t take long for Drautos to recover, and it’s obvious Gladio had the advantage of surprise.

Noctis knows Gladio barely has a chance against Drautos, and he wants to beg Gladio to leave, abandon him and save himself, because at this point, there’s not much that can be done for Noctis. But he also knows that Drautos will never let Gladio live now that he has seen his treason. The only way out for Gladio is to defeat Drautos, and as much faith as Noctis has in his Shield, he’s not certain this is a fight he can win.

Noctis’s arms give out under him, and he collapses in a pool of his own blood. He knows he should try to stay awake, that if he falls asleep he’ll never wake up again, but he can’t keep his eyes open and his vision is going black regardless. He tries to focus on the clash of steel, the heavy footsteps of Gladio and Drautos’s lethal dance, but it takes more energy than he has left.

Astrals, please, give him strength, Noctis begs. It’s all he can do, and he’s sure it isn’t enough, doubts the Astrals are even paying him any attention, but he can’t even raise his hand to reach for his phone to call for help, so it will have to be enough.

Every gargled breath is more blood than oxygen, each one weaker and more painful than the last, and Noctis isn’t sure how much time passes as his life ebbs away before he is startled out of his dying haze by the sound of a sword clattering to the ground and the slump of a body.

“Noctis!” Gladio screams his name before Noctis has time to wonder who won, and the rush of relief is painful.

Gladio is beside him in an instant, his hands in Noctis’s hair, and Noctis shies away from the memory of Drautos’s false affection. But this is Gladio, and there’s nothing artificial in the panicked way he grasps at Noctis, pulling him into his arms and wrapping himself around him as though he can shield him from death even now.

Noctis doesn’t want his last sight to be Drautos’s uncaring expression, so he forces his eyes open, but now he can see the guilt twisting his Shield’s face and he hates it.

“Noct! No, oh Astrals, please no…” Gladio’s voice breaks, and what’s left of Noctis’s heart breaks with it. His ruined hand twitches, and it takes all his focus just to raise his arm enough to touch Gladio’s face. Gladio captures his hand in his, and Noctis doesn’t mind the pain as he laces their fingers together. He’s just glad that Gladio is holding him, that he’s not dying alone.

“Don’t… blame yourself,” he murmurs. He knows it’s an impossible request, knows Gladio will blame himself for the rest of his life, but he still needs to say it so Gladio knows that Noctis doesn’t blame him.

“You’re not supposed to die before me, you idiot!” Gladio snarls. He is angry, but Noctis knows his grief and insecurity has always manifested as anger, knows that it’s not directed at him. Gladio is in pain, and it’s the only way he knows how to express it.

“‘m sorry, Gladdy.” Noctis can’t focus anymore, doesn’t know if the wetness on his cheeks is his own tears or Gladio’s, or maybe both. He can’t remember the last time he saw Gladio cry.

His eyes drift closed, and he can hear Gladio screaming but he can’t make out the words as painless darkness beckons.

~*~

He wakes with fire in his veins.

Noctis gasps, spine arching off the ground as life slams back into him, and he’s surprised when the breath doesn’t hurt. He claws at his chest; there’s still a worrying amount of blood soaking his clothes, but there’s no longer a hole punched through him. He rolls onto his side, coughing the remnants of blood out of his throat and mouth before retching.

���Easy, Noct.” There’s a soothing hand rubbing circles on his back, too small and gentle to be Gladio’s, and Noctis connects it with the familiar voice.

“Ignis?” he rasps.

“I’m here, Highness.” His voice is low and strained, but it is comforting to Noctis, and he takes a moment to rest and try to get his bearings. His entire body aches like he’s been trampled by a dualhorn, and he’s sticky with drying blood, but his body is somehow whole.

Noctis knows he shouldn’t be alive. In fact, he’s pretty sure he died, which means…

He finally pries his eyes open and looks down at his hands. The ashes of a phoenix feather still cling to his skin, and he is surrounded by the fading glow of magic. His eyes fall closed again. He’s been revived.

“Thank you,” Noctis says.

“Of course, Highness.” Ignis is still being unbearably gentle with him, as though he’s afraid Noctis will break. His hand hasn’t left his back, still a cautious pressure that is keeping Noctis grounded, but he has offered nothing more.

Noctis leverages himself up on his forearm, struggling to sit up, but he’s still weak and his arms tremble with the effort. Ignis supports him with sure hands, strong and steady despite their care, and he keeps a grip on Noctis’s shoulder until he stops swaying. Noctis appreciates the silent support. There’s no judgment in it, no condemnation or frustration with his weakness, and even just having Ignis with him helps calm the frantic racing of his heart.

It’s when Noctis finally turns his eyes on Ignis’s face that he sees all the emotions his advisor had managed to keep out of his voice. There are tear tracks down his face, and his eyes glisten behind bloody fingerprint-smudged glasses. His hands and clothes are covered in Noctis’s blood, and Noctis thinks that even all of Ignis’s skills won’t be enough to wash the fabric clean again.

Noctis throws himself at Ignis suddenly, burying his face in the side of Ignis’s neck. Ignis wraps his arms around Noctis, hesitantly at first, then tighter as Noctis clings to him.

Noctis feels Ignis’s breath hitch, and his advisor tilts his head to press his cheek against the top of Noctis’s head. One of his hands comes up to caress his hair, and Noctis stiffens, Drautos’s cold expression flashing behind his eyelids.

Ignis freezes against him, hand dropping from his hair, and Noctis sobs into his shoulder. He curses Drautos for taking away that method of comfort, a gesture Ignis has used since they were children.

Despite his flinch, he wants Ignis’s hand back in his hair, wants his caring fingers to replace the memory of Drautos’s cruel ones. Instead, they stroke down his back as Ignis honors his instinctual unspoken rejection, and Noctis doesn’t know how to ask him not to.

He doesn’t deserve someone like Ignis. Ignis, who would come halfway across the city to revive his childhood friend while kneeling in his blood and somehow remain calm enough to talk him through his first revival. Who could pick up on Noctis’s every twitch and adjust to them without letting his own emotions and desires get in the way, despite that Ignis has to be just as scared, if not more, than Noctis.

He also doesn’t deserve someone like Gladio, who would throw himself at a man he barely has a prayer of winning a fight against to save someone who was already dying.

That thought almost makes Noctis’s heart stop again, and he pulls away from Ignis.

“Where’s Gladio?” It was unusual for his Shield to stray far from his side when he was injured. If Noctis so much as stubbed his toe, Gladio would hover until he was sure Noctis was going to be fine. So if he wasn’t around when Noctis had literally died...

What if Drautos had injured him? Noctis would be surprised if Gladio had managed to fight the captain of the Kingsglaive and get away without a scratch, and with all of Noctis’s blood spilled everywhere, it is impossible to tell if any of it is Gladio’s.

Ignis’s mouth presses into a thin line. “He is cooling his head. He was nearly in hysterics by the time I got here, and was in no fit state to help you through the revival process. It is disorienting enough without a panicked Shield hovering.”

Noctis relaxes. If he had been seriously injured, Ignis would have said something.

“Does he know it was… successful?” he asks, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. There’s never a guarantee that a phoenix down will work. There are time and cause of death parameters that make it more or less likely, but never a guarantee. Noctis would not have been hopeful of his own chance, had he been in Ignis or Gladio’s place.

“Yes. I would never have been able to make him leave your side before he knew.”

His relief wars with his guilt over making them worry. He has come close to death before, very close, but he has never actually died before today. He winces as he remembers the pain on Gladio’s face as he died in his arms.

“Are you alright, Noct?” Ignis asks.

Noctis nods. The phoenix down has done its job, as far as Noctis can tell. He is breathing and no longer bleeding out. He imagines the aching and weakness will go away with time.

He doesn’t remember the experience of being dead. It is like he simply fell into a dreamless sleep and was unexpectedly awoken, but he has the vague feeling that he has forgotten something. It’s unsettling, and he doesn’t want to think about it.

Noctis stands on shaky legs with Ignis’s help, his eyes seeking out Drautos’s body. Gladio had been thorough, beheading the traitor as he had tried to do to Noctis. He knows it is practical, and exactly what Gladio should have done, and he feels a sick sort of vindication, but it still makes nausea curl in Noctis’s stomach.

He stumbles forward a few steps before he regains the feel of his legs under himself. He ignores Ignis’s concerned murmur of his name behind him and calls the Engine Blade to his hand.

He stares down at Drautos’s body, blood soaking his leather jacket around the slash across his chest from Gladio’s sword. His own sword, still stained with Noctis’s blood, is lying on the ground, inches from his still hand, the one he had run through Noctis’s hair. He contemplates it for a moment, kicking it with his toe to hear it clatter against the ground before crouching to pick it up and stashing it in the Armiger.

He stands above Drautos and tightens his grip on the Engine Blade before raising it and plunging it down into Drautos’s heart with a scream.

How dare this man claim to care about him? How dare he stand at Regis’s side, at his back, all those years and not mean a word of his vows of loyalty? How dare he hold their trust for years and drag it out and make them love him before betraying them...

Unexpected grief rises in him and he drops to his knees at Drautos’s side, tears spilling down his cheeks. He screams again, this time in anguish, and he hunches over, arms wrapped around himself, and presses his forehead to his would-be uncle’s chest. He knows, somewhere, that he should not be grieving over the traitor who had killed him, but he can’t hold back the tears.

Dimly, he hears Ignis and Gladio calling his name and their running footsteps behind him before a hand touches his shoulder. He doesn’t know which of his friends’ it is, but he shakes it off. He doesn’t want to think of their disappointment in him when they realize he is crying over Drautos’s death and not his own. He just wants them to leave him alone to mourn, to not see his weakness in the face of this betrayal.

But Ignis sits next to him and reaches out to brush his hand against his hair before stopping himself. He starts to pull away.

“No,” Noctis croaks. He grabs Ignis’s hand and then immediately lets go, embarrassed.

Ignis’s eyes are soft when he catches Noctis’s gaze. He slowly rests his hand back on Noctis’s head, twining his fingers through his hair, and watches him carefully.

“Is this alright?” he asks, concerned.

Noctis nods, tilting his head into the contact. It’s not, he can still feel Drautos’s touch, but he refuses to let him ruin this, so he will let Ignis run his fingers through his hair as much as he wants until the memories are gone.

He leans into Ignis until he’s pressing his face into his shoulder again, and Ignis wraps his free arm around him. He tries to hold back the tears, tries to tell himself that he shouldn’t be crying, but it just makes breathing painful.

He hears Gladio settle himself on the ground next to them, and he places his hand on Noctis’s shoulder, gently rubbing his shoulder with his thumb. Ignis rests his head against Noctis’s.

“It’s okay, Noct. It’s okay,” Ignis murmurs against his ear. “You have the right to mourn.”

Noctis sobs, and Ignis holds him through the tears, until they’re spent and he’s worn himself out. He’s too exhausted to protest as Gladio scoops him up in his arms, cradling him carefully against his chest, and carries him out of the alley.

[atropaazraelle]

I would like to request for #16 please for 100 Ways to Say I Love You. Thank you so much. :)

Thank you for the request, I hope it’s to your liking!

The oppressive heat of Lestallum was like an extra blanket in the night, one Ignis couldn’t lift, or throw off. Sweat clung, damp and uncomfortable under his arms and at the back of his neck. He’d stripped down to just his pyjama bottoms, lay on top of the bed clothes, and still he couldn’t get comfortable. The fan that blew in the room only moved the air around, sending a warm current over Ignis’s overheating skin.

He gave up trying to sleep, sitting up quietly on the edge of the bed so as not to wake anyone only to find someone was already awake. On the balcony Gladio stood, his tattooed back bowed, arms resting on the railing, and head hanging down. Ignis considered putting his glasses on, and then thought better of it.

Against all sense, the floor tiles were warm under his feet, and Ignis made his way over quietly, only pausing briefly to check on the two sleeping bodies in the other bed. Noct could have slept through the meteor fall that created the Disc, Ignis was sure of it. Prompto was almost as bad.

Gladio started, a flinch running through his entire body as Ignis placed his fingers to the back of Gladio’s shoulder, and he turned sharply to look at him. He visibly relaxed when he saw it was Ignis. “Sorry, Iggy,” he said, his voice a low hum that carried no matter how quiet he tried to be, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Ignis shook his head, his hand lingering on Gladio’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” he replied, his voice soft, one thought on the sleeping companions a few feet away, “I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

Gladio sighed, and slumped again on the balcony, looking out at the view of Lestallum. The power plant was still alive at this hour. Insomnia had always claimed to be the city that never slept, but Lestallum was the city that never stopped working, busy shoring up power to keep the lights on all over Lucis, and the daemons at bay.

“I nearly lost her,” Gladio said, and this time his voice was so quiet Ignis barely heard him.

Ignis closed his eyes, and squeezed Gladio’s shoulder with his fingers. “Yet you didn’t,” he reminded him.

“Only because of Jared,” Gladio replied. “What sort of Shield am I if I can’t even protect my sister? I’ve already lost everyone else I left behind, I don’t want to lose her too.”

Ignis felt his heart break for Gladio, but what answer could he give? He was the Shield; he had to accompany Noct, defend him, train him, protect him, and do so at the cost of his self. It was a huge burden, and an unfair one. Gladio had been born to this, he’d never asked for it, but he did his duty with pride and dedication, as his father had before.

His father, who had sent his son out to protect the Prince, and been forced to leave his daughter at home in Insomnia, even though it seemed inconceivable that he wasn’t as aware of the danger Insomnia was in as Regis himself had clearly been.

“Then let’s not leave her behind,” Ignis said, softly. Gladio looked at him as if he’d started speaking in tongues. “It’s a long way to Cape Caem, but the Regalia seats five.”

“What?” Gladio asked, dismissively, “You think travelling with us is safer?”

“Than staying in a town overrun with Niflheim forces,” Ignis replied, “yes.” He sighed, moving his hand from Gladio’s back to lean his forearms on the railing and look at Gladio. Gladio’s face was a picture of anger and misery, but there was a trace of the obstinate in the downward curve of his lips that told Ignis he was begging to be convinced Ignis was right. “If nought else, you will be able to use the time to teach her how to protect herself.”

“She already knows as much as I can teach her,” Gladio countered.

“Then let her show you that. Iris is a capable young woman, thanks to both you and your father.” Gladio’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed at the mention of their father, and Ignis looked away for a moment. “If we take her to Cape Caem she can prove to you that she is as safe as you can make her.”

The silence blossomed, heavy with the weight of Gladio’s thoughts. Eventually he said, “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Ignis replied, raising his hand again to settle it against the top of Gladio’s spine, and trail his fingers down. “I’m going to take a cold shower and try to get some more sleep,” he said, softly. “You should too.”

Gladio grunted, and Ignis lingered a moment longer, watching the quiet contemplation that settled across Gladio’s face before he moved away.

“Iggy?” Gladio whispered.

Ignis stopped at the end of Noct’s bed, and turned to see Gladio looking at him with an expression Ignis sorely wished he could properly see at this distance. “Yes?”

There was a pause as Gladio swallowed, and then said, simply, “Thanks.”

Ignis smiled, able to hear the dozen unspoken things contained in that simple word. “You’re welcome,” he replied.

[breakfastteatime]

RE: Asks

Okay, quick update on the Ask situation.

1) I am SO HAPPY to discuss ideas with you and

2) If I'm really inspired, I’m happy to write a whole fic based on your Ask. However,

3) Not every idea is something I want to write (but consider this me BEGGING YOU to write them!) because I spent the first half of this year writing requests and I wanna write for me for a while. So,

4) For the ideas I am willing to write, I can’t give you any kind of timeframe right now because my day job is exploding for the rest of this month and probably into July.

To be clear, the ideas I’m hoping to explore are: *The time travel idea (not every aspect of it, but we’ll see what happens ;)) * The MTs stop attacking if Noct’s unconscious idea And *SIck!Regis idea If any of the anons who gave me these ideas don’t want me to write fic, let me know!

I’m so sorry if I’ve upset anyone by not going ahead and writing an entire fic based on your idea. Please, please, please keep sending them! I love chatting headcanons with you guys. And honestly, I want more stuff to read so y’all better get writing!

Thanks everyone ^_^

[airlea-sicarius]

NOCTLEA DRABBLE IDEAS

Because I feel like I need to work a little on them in between chapters and such (because we all know these dorks are ‘pure’). It’ll also really help between filling in requests!

PLEASE KEEP THOSE COMING IN TOO - People who have sent them in, you always make me smile. I write for the Bros and Prince!Regis, reactions/headcanons and one shots are ALWAYS allowed. If you want to send in some Noctlea (Noctis x Airlea) please do!

That’s gonna be a different post though for more info. For now though, here are the Noctlea drabbles I have ideas for! I won’t be posting them all the time because x readers are great too (so are self-inserts and you can bet your asses I’ll be doing some of me in FFXV - well, if I was brave and all that good stuff XD not at all this lazy ass).

I would very much like you to send some in as well! Be it from this list or be it from your minds. To tag a few peeps: @jojopitcher @bluefirefox23 @cerasusazule 

QUOTES

1. 'I love my eyes when you look into them; I love my name when you say it; I love my heart when you touch it; I love my life when you are in it.’

2. 'Marriage is getting to have a sleep over with your best friend every day for the rest of your life’

3. 'Love is smoke made by the fumes of sighs’

4. 'I realised I was thinking of you, and I began to wonder how long you hand been on my mind. Then it occurred to me: since I met you, you’ve never left.’

5. 'I wish I could explain your eyes and how the sound of your voice gives me butterflies. How your smile makes my heart slip a beat and how every time I’m near you, I feel so complete.’

SONG LYRICS

1. 'Your eyes are so blue, I can’t look away as we lay in the stillness, you whisper to me… “___, marry me. Promise you’ll stay with me.” “OH you don’t have to ask me. You know you’re all that I live for. You know I’ d die just to hold you stay with you.’ 

You - Evanescence.

2. 'May it be the evening star shines down upon you. May it be when darkness comes you’re heart will be true. You may walk a lonely road. Oh how far you are from home.’ 

May it be - Enya

3. Who can say why you heart sighs, as your love grows, only time? Who can say why your heart cries, as your love lies, only time?’ Only time - Enya

4. Dormit deus faciunt. Dormit perpetua. Dormit domine. Nobis caselum Somnus caelum ignosco. Auroram videre potest?

Translation: our master has succumbed to endless sleep. With him sleep power. Sleep beloved sky, begging for forgiveness. Can we once again see the dawn?

Omnis Lacrima - FFXV OST

5. We are the dusk and Dawn. We are the apple of God’s eye. We are as infinite as the light we hold inside. 

Sun - Sleeping at last.

[deathbyignis]

Drautos x Reader pt 3

You awaken to the sound of the alarm system to your home arming, the secondary panel being next to your bedroom door. The room is dark, and you can make out the faint street lights invading your bedroom from below. Your mind didn't register at first, but you finally surmised that it was early--very early. You turned to the clock, 3:17 am. You lay there for a moment trying to shake the cobwebs from your brain. Where was he going at this hour, you ask yourself. The Kingsglaive had the day off, save for a dinner event with King Regis tonight. Crownsguard too for that matter, so it isn't like he has a meeting with Cor or Clarus. You finally decide to get up, go pee, then move your tired body downstairs. The kitchen still smells of coffee, the remnants of a microwaveable breakfast sandwich sit on the counter. At your feet is a little dog begging for the crumbs. Your body has been through the ringer these past two days and as you stretch, you felt it screaming for relief. Ungodly amounts of PT, 10 battles vs. your fellow Glaives, and a few rough romps with Titus...you decide to clean up his mess later and head to your couch. You turn the tv on to the local news, as you often did (not like you are planning actually watch anything anyway), and curl up in your favorite fuzzy blanket with Titan snugly tucked underneath and lose consciousness immediately. When you wake again, you assess by the position of the sun coming through your windows that it is around 10am. You feel nauseous, and stay still for several minutes. You can't remember the last time you slept like that and you are grateful for the chance to rest your body. You sit up slowly and Titan runs straight for the door. Poor kid must have been holding it for some while now. "I know, imma gonna get dressed and we'll go ok" you say to him as you dart upstairs to put some clothes on. A simple athleisure outfit will have to do as anything else would be over-doing for this simple task. You grab your phone, a bottle of water and you are out the door. The park is off-limits now, so you take Titan the opposite direction. The first patch of grass you see, he does his business and begins his ritual of sniffing every other dog that has been in the area for the past month. You take the opportunity to check your phone. 23 messages. Someone was on a bender last night, you think. Crowe: What are you wearing to dinner tomorrow? I don't have shit! Can I borrow something? Nyx: Man, you really fucked him up! Nice work glaive! Titus: I'm sorry please come home. Pelna: This overnight guard shift is bullshit! Titus: where did you go? Come home. Crowe: I remember you wearing a really sexy nude colored dress to a ball last year, maybe that? Still have it? Nyx: I think he actually believes you are Yojimbo! 😂 Libertus: (to group) need...whiskey. Crowe: if you don't want to loan me the dress, you can say. Nyx (to group) I got Scotch, but no whiskey. Libertus: (to group) is that what I asked for hero? Pelna: (to group) I don't have either because I'm in hell! Tredd: (to group) I got both but keeping it all for myself. Libertus: (to group) greedy ginger bastard Pelna: (to group) LOL Crowe: (to group) Shut the fuck up! Some of us are trying to sleep! Nyx: (to group) where is y/n Tredd: (to group) silence your phone Libertus: (to group) probably giving the king a bj with her purdy Tenebrae mouth. Crowe: it still vibrates Tredd: you must really love this then Nyx: Ohhhhhh No you didn't Crowe: fuck you Tredd stop or I'll put your balls in a magic vice next training. Titus: didn't want to wake my angel. I love you. You're pissing yourself with laughter at the insanity of your friends, and are irritated at Titus for not telling you where he went or when he would be back. You assess that his text was to sent to curtail your annoyance. You start firing off the texts. To Crowe: of course you can wear it, though the chest area may be a little tight on you! 😘 To Nyx: thanks friend, it always feels good to do good work! To KG group: you guys are nuts! I ❤️u! Except Lib...we'll talk tonight. Titus: where are you baby? Crowe calls immediately and the two of you set up a time to meet at her place so you can get ready together. She initially wants to meet at your place so she can browse your closet for options, but you make a couple of excuses and agree to bring the options to her. You scoop up Titan and head back inside. 10:47 You have just over five hours before meeting Crowe. She lives in the same area of Insomnia as Nyx and Lib, which is close to the Citadel. It will take you 30 minutes to get there, so you have to leave your place in 4 1/2 hours. You decide to hit up your closet, since you haven't even contemplated your evening attire. It was custom for the men to wear their Kingsglaive uniforms to official engagements, but a woman in hers is just ghastly. You had a large selection of gowns and cocktail dresses from your life in Tenebrae, and a few that Titus had bought you. You first pulled the dress that Crowe had specifically requested, then inspected the remaining. You pulled two black dresses that you thought would fit Crowe perfectly and a burnt orange one that you thought she would love. 11:24. You check your phone. No response from Titus. You send him another message: I'm meeting Crowe at her place at 4:00 to get ready. Will you be home by then? You throw your phone on the bed with a sigh, and feel your body temperature rising. You turn back to your closet, and pull out two cocktail dresses. One red, one midnight blue. You decide that six dresses is enough options for two women and zip them up in a garment bag. You proceed to pull the matching shoes and stuff them in a duffle bag with your makeup and assorted nail polishes. 12:37 You send another message: Baby are you ok? I'm starting to worry. Titus ignoring your texts was par for the course when you knew he was at work. He kept his personal phone on silent while inside the Citadel for obvious reasons. He couldn't exactly have his phone chiming if he was in a meeting with Clarus or Cor or holy shit, The King. Today, however, you were 90% sure that he wasn't at the Citadel which was the annoying part. You decide to take a shower and do your hair so you can focus on taming Crowe's thick mop when you got to her place. 1:09 You emerge from the shower and check your phone. Nothing. You contemplated texting his work phone but thought better of it, remembering the argument that ensued last time. 2:22 You finally finish straightening and styling your hair in the most elaborate braided scheme you have ever conjured. The style allows your length to fall beyond your shoulders, while the braids keep it away from your face. It looks damn good and you are pretty damn proud of yourself. Your phone didn't make a sound the entire time you were fighting with your hair. Now you are pissed. You stare at your phone, refusing to pick it up or send another text to Titus. You look around the bedroom and your closet catches your gaze. You don't know where he has been all day, but you are certain he will make it to dinner tonight, and a plan to make him suffer unfolds in your brain. You open the closet door and pull an asymmetrical burgundy-wine colored dress out. You last wore it to the aforementioned graduation party, the night you fucked Gladiolus Amicitia. He didn't know that small detail, but Titus forbade you from wearing it again, as in his words, "every man there got an instant erection" when they saw you that night--including himself. This thing has "sinner" written all over it. Plunging neckline and back, the highest point of the skirt about three inches from your slit. Perfect. You are happy that you had the smarts to hang the matching panties and backless push-up bra with the dress. 2:49 You text Crowe that you are on your way and scoop up the bags and your purse and bolt for the door. You are concerned about him, but seeing as though this is not his first disappearing act, you find yourself leaning more and more towards angry and you don't want to chance meeting him in the garage. 3:22 You arrive at Crowe's and haul everything up three fights of stairs. She must have heard you stomping, because she opens the door just as you put your hand up to knock. You walk into the small apartment, and see Nyx and Lib sitting on the couch in their KG unis, minus their jackets. You drop everything in a pile and launch yourself onto Libertus. "My Tenebrae mouth"? you yell as you punch him in the shoulder with everything you have. Maneuvering yourself to suffocate him into the couch cushions, you take position on top of him and growl "My Tenebrae mouth"? "What does that even mean Libertus"? "Sorry, I'm so sorry" Libertus begs for you to release him. To Nyx's delight you punch him in the same spot again, praying to The Six that he has a horrific bruise by dinner time. "Enough, children" comes Crowe's annoyed voice. You slap Libertus lightly on his cheek as you jump off of him, eliciting a giggle from his BFF. Crowe helps you pick everything up and the two of you disappear into her bedroom. When you both emerge, Libertus and Nyx look stunned. The times they get to see you like this are few and far between. Jaws dropping, eyes popping, you are confident that your choices of the burgundy and burnt orange dresses were on point. The boys are speechless. Crowe breaks the silence "Alright enough gawking, lets go get this over with" she says with pure disdain. She is a stunning beauty, but never appreciates people pointing it out. You take one last look at your phone and throw it onto Crowe's couch upon exit. 6:54 Your crew arrives at the Citadel 30 minutes early. You are led to the Royal Banquet Room and it is already 70% full. You scan the room like a sniper looking for your target. No Titus. No Cor. "Hey guys, can I take your picture" a sweet kid asks, startling you. "Sure" Nyx replies as the four of you get close. ::flash:: "Thanks, love the lighting in here"! "You guys Glaives"? He asks darting his eyes between Lib and Nyx. "Yes, all four of us" you retort with clear annoyance causing the kid to blush. "Right, sorry, of course" he replies shyly. "What's your name", Crowe asks the kid. "Oh, uh sorry, yeah, um, I'm Prompto". "Nice to meet you Prompto, so where's the bar"? He points in the general direction of the bar, mesmerized by Crowe's tits squished in a dress made for your much less ample frame. You chuckle at his awkwardness and walk away with your friends. On your way to get your liquid courage to face Cor, you exchange pleasantries with various dignitaries, Crownsguard members, and Glaives. Every one of them, except the few women, would fail the eye color test if challenged. The four of you each covertly take a shot, order your drink of choice, bring them to the massive marble table in the center of the room, and take your seats. You sit in the middle of the table, boys on one side, girls on the other, directly facing each other. Crowe on your left, Nyx directly across from you. You know from experience this is the best strategy to avoid awkward conversations with the King or Clarus, or being the one to have to wake the prince. A small delicate bell rings and the crowd converges upon the table. Everyone takes a seat and you wink at Nyx for being the genius of your seating arrangement. It is 7:28 and the King is about to enter, but still no sign of Titus or Cor. The table is abuzz with various chatter when a bellowing voice announces his Majesty's entrance. In unison, 70 people push their chairs back and stand in deafening silence. Titus and Cor enter first, followed by the King. You feel like an idiot for not even contemplating that they would enter with King Regis, since this dinner is in the honor of the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive. You can't take your eyes off him. He is dressed in his all-black uniform with silver accents, the one you immediately want to peel off of him every time you see it. Touché, darling, touché. You decide the best strategy for tonight is to shoot him darts as an unmistakable silent communication that you are not happy with him. Cor is the yin to Titus' yang. He is in his simple Crownsguard fatigues and you feel tears begin to form when he scans the table and locks eyes on you. There is no smile from him, no encouragement, just a deadpan stare into your soul. Your head immediately drops. The King takes his place at the head of the table and gives a short speech about Titus, Cor, and their respective corps. He touts them as great leaders and heaps praise upon each of them. He speaks of an undisputed truth among the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard alike; each soldier in each division would happily give their life for either of these men, because the soldiers know that Titus and Cor would do the same for any of them. You feel proud to be able to say he is your love, if only to yourself. You shed more than few tears, and are grateful that you aren't the only one to do so. The King finishes and room erupts in applause. Titus and Cor, both equally uncomfortable with public praise, tell everyone to sit. The table continues to stand and applaud, as the King does. After several moments, Clarus places his hand on the King's shoulder and tells him to sit, garnering laughter and another round of applause for Clarus. As you prepare to take your seat, you make eye contact with Titus, but he quickly looks away. The meal is seven courses and by the fourth course, people are getting antsy. You don't sit for this long unless you are in a transport being toted to this battle or back to the Citadel following one. At least in the transports you can stand and stretch. "My ass is starting to hurt" Crowe whispers into your ear. You turn her direction, give her a grin and a knowing nod. You glance past her to see the people at the other end of the table, and see Gladiolus staring at you grinning from ear to ear. You ignore him and quickly turn around again to the King's side of the table. You immediately regret your choice of attire. You continue to make small talk between courses with your neighbors, while stealing glances every now and again at Titus and Cor but your eyes never connect. The final course arrives and everyone huffs the fancy sorbet down in an attempt to get out of there faster. Finally the King stands, wishes everyone well, and informs everyone that he is "too old to keep up with you kids, so I will leave them to you", grinning at Titus and Cor. The two leaders look at each other in feigned horror eliciting a soft chuckle from their audience. The entire table stands once again, and The King makes his exit. Cor announces that since everyone has tomorrow off, Titus and himself have arranged for an after party on the Citadel rooftop veranda. The room erupts in cheers once more, and the group begins to file out of the room with many filing up a massive fight of stairs. Along the way, you try to make amends with Luche and ask how he is. "Fine, good, yeah" he responds, clearly embarrassed by your question. The crowd stops, waiting for the door to be opened. You look around you and see the Prince directly behind you, his face nearly in your ass. The photographer kid is next to him, and that bastard Gladio directly behind him. There is a fourth guy in their group, a tall blonde who seems to be the one keeping all of them in line. You can hear him whispering to Prince Noctis, telling him to back off your ass. You are grateful. You wonder to yourself if this is the group you would be placed with if you do indeed move to the Crownsguard. Your entire body shakes at the thought, and you feel queasy. You quickly turn back and see Nyx and Lib shooting darts at Gladio. You love how protective these guys are of yourself and Crowe, and you give them an appreciative grin. The staircase is slowly becoming a sweltering sauna when finally the door opens. 40, maybe 50 dinner guests converge onto the rooftop seeking cool air. You see no sign of the two men you wish most to avoid, so you take in the scenery. The rooftop is lit up tonight. The massive fish tank with Leviathan's mini-me glows brightly alongside various orbs, cascading water lamps, and the glow of The Crystal. You surmise that there are about 15 tables throughout the veranda and the four of you choose one in what you hope will be a quiet corner. Nyx volunteers to fetch the group's drinks and races off. Lib announces that he has to "take a leak" and disappears somewhere on the other side of the rooftop, leaving you and Crowe alone. "You ok girl", she asks "you've been uncharacteristically tight-lipped tonight". Apparently you weren't doing as good of a job hiding your angst as you thought. "Fine, yeah" you respond staring at the silk tablecloth. "Your lying" she retorts, lifting your chin, forcing you to look at her. "What's going on with you"? "Nothing, really, I am fine" you state with a false smile. She's stares deep into your soul for several moments and the tears begin to well up in your eyes. Crowe grabs you by the hand and leads you towards the rooftop railing for privacy. "Talk to me" she pleads. "I can't Crowe, please stop asking" your gaze is at your feet, and you almost wish this floor had rocks. "Is it a guy, it's always a fucking guy" she states in a disdainful tone. You remain silent as she stares you up and down. "It is" she sighs. "Why didn't you tell me you were fucking someone"? "It's moved way past the fucking stage Crowe". The tears begin to flow and you turn your gaze to the city lights of Insomnia. "I love him". Right on cue, his presence is announced. The soldiers he commands greet him with whistles and hollers but you don't turn around. Crowe announces that she'll be right back and returns moments later with your drinks and some napkins. You chug your gin fizz in one go and a wide-eyed Crowe hands you hers. You pause the debauchery long enough to dry your face. You chance a glance in his direction and he is seated at a table with Tredd, Luche, and Axis, just staring at you. You think he believes that you may be spilling your guts to Crowe now. You quickly turn your back to him and chug Crowe's drink. "Altius, may I have a word with y/n". You freeze. Your stomach sinks and your heart begins to race as if it is trying to push its way out of your chest and make a run for it. The moment you have been dreading all night is here. Cor. "Of course" Crowe stutters. You can hear the click of her shoes as she walks away. Cor stands close to you, but turned the opposite direction, possibly looking at Titus. "This isn't the time or place for a heart to heart, so I'm going to keep this short and simple" he says in a steady tone. Turning his gaze in an attempt to make eye contact with you, "There will always be a place for you in the Crownsguard, should you wish it". There is a long pause. "Thank you" you respond, your voice cracking. "Will you be at your session tomorrow"? You turn to face him, "of course". "Good, we can talk more then" he says turning to walk towards the Crownsguard group. After several minutes you go to your table and let them know you are heading to the ladies room. Crowe follows. You can feel multiple sets of eyes watching you--including Titus--when really what you desire most is to disappear into the landscape. You reach the restroom, lock yourself in a stall, and do your business. When you come out to wash your hands, you look into the mirror. You are definitely feeling the effects of the two gin fizzes. "Pretty good for someone who was crying just 20 minutes ago" Crowe says with a cheerful tone. You smile at her "Thanks, it's my Tenebrae mouth, it drowns out all other imperfections". You both laugh and head back out. As you re-enter the party, you can see things are starting to get out of control. Axis has decided that he wants to challenge Lib at arm wrestling, Luche and Tredd are having an extremely loud argument over who the strongest Astral is, and Pelna is challenging Nyx to a warping contest where they must warp from the roof of the Citadel, to an adjacent one, and back again. You roll your eyes and sit next to Pelna when you see that Gladio and his boy band have overtaken your table. You look at Titus. He has removed his armor and is sitting there in a tight long-sleeve shirt that shows off his built physique. He feels you looking at him and taps his hand three times on the table which has become his secret code for FOLL-OW-ME. You give him a one minute lead, then scan the rooftop. Everyone else is busy with someone else so you walk briskly in the direction he walked. You enter the hall where the bathrooms are, and see an open door that you would swear was closed before. You enter timidly, not knowing if this is where he disappeared to. Suddenly the door closes and there is an arm at your waist turning your whole body around in a single movement and pushing your back against the wall. Titus places his left leg between yours and wraps your head into the powerful grip of his hands and descends upon your lips. His sweet tongue swipes your lips, begging for entrance. You are so weak, you think to yourself and open your mouth fully to reciprocate. You haven't seen or talked to him since last night, and your body needs him. You bring your hands to rest softly on his pecs while grinding your sex against his thigh. You blissfully drown in the movement of your mouths clashing together. He breaks away and breathlessly places his forehead on yours and stares deeply into your eyes. You pull your courage from somewhere within the depths of your body. "Where were you today" you say in an accusatory tone. The look he gives you is one of pure guilt. He gently kisses your swollen lips and lets go. "I was busy" he says taking a few steps back, his tone matter-of-fact. "Busy"? you retort. "Too busy to send a simple text letting me know that you're ok"? "I've told you SO MANY times y/n not to ask me about my business" he says, beginning to raise his voice. "Yes, you have, but you keep disappearing on me Titus, what am I supposed to think"? "It doesn't matter what you think" he shoots back, anger beginning to rise. "Oh, so yesterday you love me, today I don't matter" you say quietly, as you can hear people in the hallway. "I didn't say that...why do you twist my words"? "You just said that what I think doesn't matter to you, yes or no"? "That's not what I meant, you know that" "Do I"? "You are gone and out of communication for...12...17 hours today". "Two weeks ago it was 22, time before that, 19". You get up and into his face as much as you can to a man of 6'4". "Riddle me this Titus, if I disappeared consistently like that, and came home and told you that you were completely out of line to ask me about it, what exactly would you think"! He turns towards you in a rage that you have never seen from him. His hand goes flat against your abdomen and he forces your body to slam back against the wall behind you. With a low growl, he pounds his fist next to your head, cracking the drywall, his nose touching yours. "You have no idea what I am dealing with or what I am trying to do" his face red and beginning to sweat. "Be grateful that you get to live in your little world of Anaks and goblins because I assure you that there are far worst daemons in this world". Seeing your tears, and feeling the fear he has placed into your quivering body, he pauses and takes two steps back. "And they're coming"

[chosenkiing]

Title: Marionette

Warnings: Violence. Character death. Manipulation. (All of those tags that tend to accompany an Ardyn fic.)

Length: 2800+ words

Pairing: Ardynoct | Ardyn x Noctis

Summary: Mar·i·on·ette. A puppet worked from above by strings attached to its limbs.

Naïve, little king… Did he truly believe his pickpocketing skills were remarkable enough to swipe the key from his pocket without the redhead noticing? Ah well… Mayhap it was time to reveal a little more of his true nature to his dear, distant nephew? He hadn’t intended to keep the young man completely in the dark forever—

—tempting though it was.

This is “Clandestine” continued, but Ardyn-centric.

Notes: Thought it might be a good idea to mention a few quick details that I haven’t covered that might be worth mentioning. Ardyn never joined up with Niflheim so they don’t possess any of the MT technology, meaning Prompto doesn’t exist. Ignis and Gladio never got the chance to bond with their charge due to Ardyn’s sudden appearance. The two are still around as part of the Kingsglaive, but don’t really know Noctis on a personal level. Oh, and Noctis never went to Tenebrae since Ardyn was perfectly capable of healing the princeling with his own abilities.

Basically, what you need to know is Ardyn has pretty much completely isolated Noctis. ‘Cause in this scenario he’s kinda crazy possessive like that...

Marionette

Noctis really was such an innocent, little thing—it was easy to forget sometimes, what with the detached and indifferent façade he often displayed. Though for anyone that knew him well—namely Ardyn—that front was terribly easy to see through. He was an earnest, young man with a bleeding heart that Noctis himself seemed to despise given just how desperately he attempted to conceal it.

Even though Ardyn found his nephew’s façade pointless, it was endearing all the same, thus why he was aiming to send the raven-haired king away. He had no doubt he would remain in the younger man’s favor regardless, but he’d rather avoid him becoming even more cross with him should he watch what he had planned…

Simply put, Lunafreya had to die. He could give countless reasons as to why, but the paramount of which was the peculiar influence she held over the Chosen King. Ardyn couldn’t risk the little Oracle overstepping her bounds. The immortal had been grooming his dear, puppet king since he was but a child—he would not tolerate having his control over the young man weakened, even slightly so.

Noctis belonged to him. No other.

“Ardyn, I…” the shorter male started, still caught within the immortal’s arms. He paused momentarily, seeming to debate his next words carefully, “I can’t just hide away upstairs and pretend I don’t know what’s going on down here.” Ah yes, there it was: that kind and protective streak dear Noct was prone to. Appearing to have gathered some courage, he continued boldly, “If you just let me talk to her—”

“—Absolutely not,” Ardyn cut off, watching the other’s crystalline eyes widen in surprise. Normally, the redhead was far more patient with him, but this was a risk that he simply would not permit. Seeing the little king nearly gaping at him, he continued with a soft sigh as he tucked a few of Noctis’ dark, disheveled strands behind his ear, “I apologize, but for your sake I will not allow it.”

Raising a slender eyebrow, Noctis was clearly distressed, “What has you so paranoid, Ardyn? What could you possibly think she would say that would make me doubt you? Yeah sure, this—” he declared, untangling his hands from the Accursed’s wavy, burgundy strands before gesturing towards the now not-so-secret chamber, “—this is really fucked up. But even still I…” Gentle but conflicted, blue eyes avoided his amber gaze as he took a deep breath, as though he was readying himself. “Look, you’re really important to me, okay? No matter what happens, that’s not gonna change.”

Oh, such sweet naïveté that spilled from Noctis’ lips! Ardyn could sense the daemons within him stirring, begging and pleading him to allow them to ruin the Chosen King. To corrupt the precious, blinding light that flowed within his royal, Lucian veins… but he would not allow those daemons have their way.

Such a privilege belonged to Ardyn alone.

Ignoring their tempting beckons, the immortal allowed his lips to curve into a deceitfully warm smile, “It’s a relief to hear as such. I do hope you recognize the sentiment is returned in kind, Noct,” he said affectionately, his fingers carefully massaging the small of the younger male’s back. “There is nothing I would not do for you.”

As he was expecting, the king’s lips cracked a small, content smile, his cheeks still flushed from their little tryst only minutes ago. Ah, how fun it was to tug at his marionette’s strings~ How sweetly and obediently he danced for him!

Noctis’ relief was short-lived as a contemplative look crossed his face then, the crystalline blue of his eyes clearly displaying his inner turmoil over this obscure situation. “You really think Luna means us harm?” The King was seeking reassurance, was he? That was a sure sign that it was only a matter of time before he acquiesced…

Nodding briefly before resting his forehead upon the shorter man’s, Ardyn allowed his expression to turn somber, “I do.”

Subtly biting the inside of his cheek, Noctis was clearly distraught as his eyelids closed in thought. It seemed the young king really was quite fond of the blonde woman, and for a brief moment the immortal entertained the idea of allowing the Oracle to live. Perhaps if he were to cut out her tongue and remove her eyes…? The thought was quickly abandoned, however. It was still far from worth the risk, and he doubted Noctis would approve of the gesture, let alone have the stomach for such a sight. Maybe he would try to make it up to the young king some other way…

With an almost pained sigh, Noctis opened his crystalline orbs once again, “I guess… I should leave this to you then, huh?”

“Oh Noct,” the redhead sighed heavily, “this is the very reason I told you to keep your distance from here. I do hate to see you so upset.” Upset over someone other than him, that is. Ardyn adored every expression the younger man made—so long as it was for him. Seeing Noctis in despair over another was trying his patience.

“Eh… sorry about that,” he murmured quietly, carefully wrapping his arms around Ardyn in a timid hug. “I just… I guess I wanted to know more about you. You don’t actually talk about your past—I got curious.”

“You silly boy,” Ardyn teased with chuckle. “How about I make you a deal?” Noctis glanced up at him to indicate he was listening, so the older man elaborated, “Run along to your chambers and await me there. When I return, I’ll share with you a story. Does that sound agreeable?”

“What do I look like to you? Ten?” The young king deadpanned, that sharp tongue of his making itself known.

Ardyn chuckled, shaking his head, “I think you’ll find there’s an interesting truth to many of the tales I’ve already shared with you, Noctis.”

“What are you talking about?” the other male questioned, eyebrow raised in confusion. “Pretty sure the only stories you told me were to help me go to sleep, and they sounded awfully farfetched for there to be any sort of ‘truth’ to them.”

“Oh, come now, darling,” Ardyn cooed, carefully sidling next to the shorter male as he ushered him to the previously locked door, away from the morbid chambers. “You loved my stories. And they weren’t just to lull you into slumber—I coaxed you into waking with them as well, sleeping beauty. Back then you said they were the best part of being awake,” he teased, chuckling at the memory.

Ah yes. For quite some time the child king had refused to go to bed alone. It seemed his father’s death left him terrified of going to sleep without his uncle nearby. With a bit of urging, he’d gotten the child to admit why…

What a shame that the only night Regis hadn’t tucked him in had been the night he died. Terrible coincidence, that. Certainly not planned.

“Yeah well, you should be flattered,” Noctis sighed in exasperation at his uncle’s teasing. “It’s pretty damn hard to beat sleep.”

“Oh my! I surpassed sleep? It seems I’m a better raconteur than I previously thought,” the taller male exclaimed with a dramatic flair. “My King, you should have told me sooner. I still have countless stories I could share with you.”

The king let out an undignified snort at Ardyn’s antics, “You’re ridiculous. I’m heading back to my room.”

“Very well,” he chuckled, unlocking the door and opening it for the young royal, “I’ll meet you there soon.”

Hesitating, Noctis stalled in the threshold before speaking, “Just… do me a favor. I know I don’t have any right to ask this of you—especially after stealing your key and shit—but please make it quick. I just… I don’t think I can handle the idea of her suffering.”

The Accursed felt his brow twitch in frustration at the request. Even after all of this, Noctis’ thoughts were still partially with his fiancée, were they? As much as he adored the young king’s bleeding heart, he didn’t like the idea of it bleeding for others.

All the more reason the Oracle needed to die…

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Ardyn bowed theatrically before straightening and grasping the other’s chin firmly. Coaxing the younger male into meeting his golden gaze, he began, “I do have a request for you in return, however.” Without awaiting a response, the immortal continued, his lips curving into an almost dangerous smile, “Promise me you won’t linger on this. She’s hardly worthy of your distress, much less your tears.”

Noctis appeared to have been rendered speechless for a moment, the demand having caught him off guard. Regaining some of his composure, the young man gave a slight, hesitant nod, “I promise I… I’ll do my best.”

“Very good. I’m relieved to hear it,” he hummed approvingly. Before the other had time to react, Ardyn pressed firm kiss upon the other’s mouth, nipping sharply at his bottom lip before pulling away. The immortal felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched a bright blush spread across Noctis’ face, the pink tint traveling all the way to his ears. “I’ll see you soon, Noct~” he murmured lowly before releasing the younger man.

The raven-haired king was quick to make his retreat, slipping out into the hallway without another word. Ardyn continued to watch, appreciating the young man’s posture and gait before it disappeared around a corner. His ‘nephew’ really did have such an exquisite figure…

With that squared away however, he still had a lovely, little princess of Tenebrae to deal with—and he’d rather finish up that messy business before Gentiana got involved. Though perhaps the most peaceful of the Six, the Glacian was still a force to be reckoned with, and certainly not someone he wanted anywhere near Noctis.

Ardyn’s lips twitched into a twisted smile as he sauntered back into the circular chamber. A dark chuckle emanated from the immortal as he approached the captured Oracle, her eyes surprisingly fierce despite her dire situation. “It would seem the King of Kings has left your fate in my hands, Lady Lunafreya. You did leave quite an impression on him though,” the redhead nearly spat, his distaste apparent.

“Even so, it was all for naught,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “After all, what conceivable reason does he have to trust a princess he’s only met a few months ago? Especially over the man who’s served and looked after him for years...”

The blonde woman made an incoherent sound, the cloth in her mouth thoroughly muffling and distorting her words. “Oh? Did you have something to say, little princess?” he mocked, before humoring Lunafreya and removing the makeshift gag.

“You’re the one responsible for the daemon outbreak at the Citadel, aren’t you? The incident that killed King Regis twelve years ago?” she accused, words and voice steady despite her labored breaths. She was right, but he was surprised she’d come to such a conclusion. “You just swooped in like a vulture while Noctis was grieving, didn’t you?”

The immortal chuckled, “That’s a rather bold allegation, don’t you think? How do you suppose little old me managed such a feat?”

Lunafreya kept her azure gaze steady as she looked her captor in the eye, “You and I both know exactly what you are, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, pitiable Accursed of years past—”

A sharp slap cut the Oracle’s sentence short.

“Don’t pity me, little princess,” he hissed, the tight control he’d had over his temper finally snapping, “You’ve been fed only half-truths spun by silver-tongued Astrals who do little more than sit on their asses.”

Roughly yanking the woman’s suspended body forward by her long hair, Ardyn allowed his form to shift, his daemons beginning to surface. Tanned skin turned sickly gray as his sclera grew black. Dark rivulets of the scourge dripped from his eyes and down his cheeks, bearing an almost mocking resemblance to tears. “It is I who pities you, young Oracle. They force others such as yourself into cleaning up their messes rather than displaying some humility and admitting they made a mistake.”

“They have shown their humility by requesting our help,” Luna insisted faithfully, wincing from the pain in her scalp.

“Is that what you believe? That they’re ‘requesting’ your help? Dear girl, you’re more of a fool than I thought you were. As gods, they manipulate and they control, it’s their nature.” The immortal knew better than anyone just how cruel the Six could be…

“And you think it’s somehow more humane for you to be the one pulling the strings of the Chosen King?” she quipped, the allegation causing the redhead’s eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

“Unlike you,” he hissed sharply, “I won’t allow them to sacrifice Noctis.” The accusation was quick to leave his mouth, causing the princess’ eyes to widen at his words, and Ardyn realized his slipup a little too late. Irritated and unwilling to continue their discussion, he summoned a blade and swiftly drove it between Lunafreya’s ribs before she had another chance to speak.

“You’re… f-fond of him…” she still managed to gasp through pained breaths, much to his dismay.

Rolling his eyes, Ardyn’s lips twitched into a crooked smile, “It’s only natural to be fond of one’s possessions.” Twisting the hilt, the daemon’s smirk widened at the woman’s scream, the black sludge of the Starscourge now dripping from his lips.

“He is mine of his own accord, and I will do with him as I please,” Ardyn declared possessively, allowing the summoned blade to return to his Armiger. In its wake, a gaping hole was left in Tenebrae’s princess. He watched with satisfaction as the Oracle’s holy blood poured from the wound, staining her once pristine garments as her body began to go limp.

Wrenching back the woman’s head with the hand that was still tangled in her hair, the Accursed leaned forward and whispered ominously, “It would seem victory belongs to me, my fair lady. You have fallen.”

Releasing his hold upon her blonde strands, the immortal took a step back as he attempted to recompose himself, reigning in his daemonic appearance. Lunafreya’s accusation had touched a nerve, one he’d taken great care to pretend didn’t exist. She was surprisingly observant for someone who should have been terrified, and it vexed him.

At least he wouldn’t have to deal with her interfering any longer, though it was a bit of a shame. He’d been looking forward to thoroughly torturing the young woman who’d been declared the future Queen.

But then he’d went and promised Noct he would end it quickly…

He supposed that only served to prove there was some truth in the Oracle’s revelation, much to his irritation.

And honestly, in a strange, sick and twisted manner, Ardyn knew he did love Noctis—or at least what little humanity remained of him did. Perhaps it was the daemons imprisoned within him that warped his affections, twisting it into something forbidden and cruel, something that had spun far out of his control.

Regardless, something within him had changed the first moment he’d met the princeling. What had started as a plan to exact his revenge had become something else entirely the moment those beautiful, lonely, crystalline eyes looked up at him. They overflowed with more anguish and tears than should have been possible for one so young, almost as though he already knew the horrors that fate had in store for him. And now he would be forced to confront it all alone with no one to help guide him.

He was a naïve, young boy, destined to be used by the gods and then discarded. In Noctis, Ardyn saw a kindred spirit, a soul so very much like his own. And maybe… just maybe he could save him…

… the way he could not save himself.

[phoenix--dxwn]

Not Easy

Noctis Lucis Caelum X Reader (with a little bit of brotherly Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto)

Request: Omg i love your writting???? It is so amazing?? You just neeed to write one with Noctis I beg you

Word Count: 5120 (it’s a long one fellas)

Trigger Warnings: blood, death, angst, etc. PLS GET HELP IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING! MY ASK BOX IS ALWAYS OPEN

A/N: This is going to be an angsty fic so be warned!!! I don’t even really know if I would classify it as angsty… it’s more sad than angsty…??? Though there may or may or may not be a twist at the end…. Oooooppppsss!!! It’s also like… in between Kingsglaive and before the beginning of XV. Which as a disclaimer I’ve never watched Kingsglaive?? I’ve only watched like snippets of it in like AMV’s and shit. Also I kinda teared up during this??? LMAO IM SO LAME HAHA. I hope you guys enjoy! I LOVE Noctis. He is my fave. But Nyx is creeping up on me and he isn’t even in the game??? I JUST NEED A PERSONAL FIC WITH HIM AND NOCT PLS Well… not technically… IM CRYING NOW OKAY??? ALSO THERE WILL PROBABLY BE AN EPILOGUE?? IF Y’ALL REALLY WANT IT THAT IS. SO SEND ME AN ASK ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT IT! Also I gotta give a big shoutout to @thatonedaydream // @luvleekaotix-imagines and @ladyscientia for always putting up with me and having them look at my shit sooooo yeah. there’s some iggy fluff in there for youuuu!

It all started after King Regis saved you from the invading empire of Niflheim. You were a small child that didn’t have a family anymore. General Glauca had come and wreaked havoc upon your city, and it was ultimately decimated. You had nowhere else to go. King Regis had found you crying out in the middle of a burning street, trying to call out for your parents. But no one called out for you in return.

Your tiny body had fallen to the ground, giving up all hope for your survival. You were an orphan. But no one was coming to get you. Body numb, you didn’t even realize when a pair of strong hands picked you up from the ground and into their comforting arms. The only thing you could remember was crying into the man’s shoulders for what seemed like hours with no end.

When you got to the kingdom of Lucis, Regis immediately introduced you to his son, Noctis. He was about the same age as you, maybe a year or so older. You didn’t say anything for a week or so. You didn’t care to. Noctis kept trying, however. He wanted to make you feel at home. He wanted to make sure that you still had a family. Even if it wasn’t blood, the people of Lucis were your new family. The pair of you grew close. You did everything together. You were inseparable.

It was inevitable that you would end up falling for your best friend. A part of you knew it was wrong, but you were human. You couldn’t help it. You had feelings, just like everyone else did. You knew that things were going to end from the start. He was a prince… and well… you… were you.

As you became more comfortable with the thought of having a new place to call home and a new family, you and Noctis came up with grand plans and ideas for your future. You wished it hadn’t gone the way it did, but things just happened to go that way. He had duties as prince, and though you were working closely with the King and Cor, you knew things weren’t going to last.

Even though the pair of you had mutual feelings for each other, it was destined to never work. Especially with the Oracle around. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t hate Lunafreya. She was perfect. Luna had a heart of gold. She was the most pure person you could think of. And her duty, was to support the king. To support the Chosen.

After the betrothal was announced, it felt like your heart was ripped out from your chest, thrown on the ground, ripped apart, and someone was stomping on all the broken pieces then thrown into a fire to burn into nothing. You were laying in your bed, crying so hard you didn’t even notice when Noctis came into the room, pulling your broken body into his arms.

You sobbed into his chest and looked up at him, your eyes filled with pain.

“Why did it have to be like this…?” you whisper in between sobs.

He looked down and sighed.

“I don’t know. I wish it wasn’t…”

You sat up a bit, trying hard to not look him in the eyes.

“You know what this means right?” you ask quietly.

“Yeah… I do.” he croaked.

You wipe your eyes and look him in the eyes, immediately regretting that choice. You loved his eyes. You loved the way it complemented his hair… the way they lit up whenever he saw you. You shake your head from the thoughts and take in a deep breath.

“Whatever this is…” you say motioning between the two of you. “Can’t continue. You.... you’re going to marry Lunafreya. And you’re going to be so damn happy with her…” your voice cracks. “And you…. You will love her with all your heart. And you will forget about me and what we had. Our feelings for each other…” you stopped and shut your eyes tightly.

Noctis looks away, tears threatening to fall at any second. He takes your hands in his own and hold them tightly.

“I’m not going to forget about this. About us. I could never.” he begins.

“You have to, Noct.” you reply harshly. “She’s your fiancee now and there’s nothing I can do about that. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t fucking hate her because she’s perfect. And she is perfect for you. She’s the Oracle. You guys are… destined to be together.” you stutter.

Noctis shakes his head violently at the word.

“No! Fuck destiny. Fuck all of this. Luna’s great. Don’t get me wrong but… I don’t want to marry Luna. Alright, you know how I feel about you… I didn’t want it to come to this…”

“Well it did” you cry out. “It isn’t and it wasn’t ever going to work. We both knew that from the beginning. That’s why… that’s why we never actually dated, or kissed. It was to save us both some heartache. God, how could I be so stupid…?” you pull your hands away from him and pull your knees up to your chest.

“Hey…. you are not stupid. We’re human beings. We can’t help our feelings. We can’t control them. We had a connection. We grew close. Neither of us can be blamed for that.”

You knew he was trying to reassure you. But it wasn’t working. You knew you had to distance yourself from him. You felt like it was the best thing to do. The two of you hoped that Regis would change his mind. Knowing Niflheim, the treaty wasn’t going to work and the wedding wouldn’t ever bring peace. But you also feared that nothing was going to change Regis’ mind.

“You gotta to let me go, Noct.” you whisper.

“You know I can’t do that.”

You shake your head and look at him.

“You have to. Please. I don’t want to be in even more pain by you fighting for this. No matter how we look at it, we aren’t going to get our way. The world is a cruel place.” you taper off and begin to play with your hands.

“I don’t want to… It’s not going to be easy… It’s not going to be easy for me to break your heart.” he confessed.

“Well you need to. Just as I’m going to have to break your heart by telling you to move on. To forget. And to love.” you get up from the bed and open the door, signalling Noctis to leave. He gets up from the bed and walks over, looking down at you. He shakes his head a little and pulls you into a strong embrace, knowing very well that this could be the last for a long time.

You rest your head in his chest, then look up at him.

“I wish you the best, Noctis. I really do. No matter where you are, or who you’re with… I am going to support you, and I will always give you my love..” you give him a half-hearted smile and gently place a kiss on his lips.

Noctis holds you close to his strong frame and gives you a broken look.

“I will always love you, (Y/N). I always will. Don’t forget that. Ever.” he says before walking out.

You lean against the entrance of the door, putting your head against it. You walk back into your room after Noctis is out of sight. You close the door and walk to the edge of your bed, sitting down on the ground and bring your knees up to your chest, finally releasing all of your sobs into the night.

You hear a small knock on your door but you didn’t answer. You continued to sob into your knees. The door cracks open and Ignis comes into the room, closing the door behind him. He walks over to you, sitting next to you.

He wraps an arm around you as you lean into his body, holding onto him for dear life. Ignis was like your big brother. He took care of you. He always made sure you were okay, that you felt like home. You were close with him. He knew how you felt about Noctis, and he knew that he felt the same way. He helped the two of you express your feelings towards each other. Ignis was the one to always ensure you were safe, that you were completely sure that you wanted to work with Cor to protect the King. He helped you recover when you first got to Lucis. Before you even met Noctis.

“Shh…” he cooed gently. He stroked your hair and kept humming softly to help calm you down. “Things… will be alright.” he reassures. “I promise you. He isn’t going to forget about you. No matter how many times you tell him to do so.”

You look up at him and wipe your eyes again.

“Why can’t it be different…?” you whisper. “Why did it have to be like this…? Why did it have to happen to me?” you began to cry out again.

Ignis sighed and shook his head.

“I wish I had a better reason than the world is a cruel place. Sometimes… things aren’t going to work out the way you want. But you can’t let that stop you from living your life. I know, it hurts now. And it will continue to hurt for a while, but you must realize that Noctis is going to be going through the same emotions that you are feeling. You cannot think that he isn’t feeling the way you are simply because he is going to be married. However, the both of your lives will continue to go on. With or without each other. In spirit, you will be there for him, and he will be there for you. And no matter what happens, he will love you unconditionally. And he will hope the best for you. And you will do the same. That is how love works, (Y/N). Please understand that if he had a choice, he would choose to stay with you.” he tilts your chin up to look at him. “You will find someone. You will find someone to love you just as much as Noctis loves you. And you will love them as much as you love Noctis. Believe me. If we could have it any other way, you two would be together. But sometimes, people miss each other. And that is the case we have here. Don’t let it get you down. It will hurt. And it will sting. And it will stay with you as your first heartbreak. But you can make it through anything. I know you can. Don’t ever let him see you break or fall apart. It will only make things harder on the both of you.”

You sniffle and nod a little, smiling at the man sitting next to you. The brother-figure in your life. You weren’t sure what you would do without him.

“Thank you, Iggy. I mean it. You don’t know how much that means to me. I don’t know what I would do without you.” you cry a bit and hug him tightly, taking in his words to heart. You weren’t going to let him see you fall apart. For your sake and his. You couldn’t. You would let yourself have an elastic heart. And even though this marriage would pull and tug on your heart, you wouldn’t snap. You wouldn’t allow it.

Ignis continued to hold you until you fell asleep. He picked up your small figure and tucked you into bed, kissing the top of your head.

“Things will be alright, (Y/N). We are all here for you, even Noct.” he whispers in your ear before leaving. He sighs and looks at Gladio.

“She going to be okay?” he asks softly.

Ignis looks down at the ground before looking back at Gladio.

“I hope so. She’s got to be focused. The treaty will be soon. And we will not be there to help. If (Y/N) is killed… I don’t know what Noctis would do. Or any of us for that matter. (Y/N) is family.”

Gladio nods slightly. Prompto walks out of his room when he hears two familiar voices chatting away in the dead of night. He yawns and rubs his eyes, looking at the pair.

“What’s going on?” he asks, sleep still tainting his voice.

Gladio sighs and looks over at Ignis.

“(Y/N) and Noctis… they’re having a rough time right now.” Gladio says sadly.

Prompto frowns and nods a bit.

“Are they gonna be okay…?” he looks over at Ignis. He looked tired from staying up with you until you were asleep.

“I sure hope so… We need our prince focused, and we need (Y/N) focused for the task that is ahead of her. I can’t help but feel like this is partially my fault…” Ignis begins.

Prompto interrupts before he could go on.

“You can’t think like that Ignis. How the hell were we supposed to know that Regis was going to marry off his son to Luna? I mean… I don’t think any of us knew what was going to happen in the long run. Don’t beat yourself up.” he reassures.

Ignis simply nods his head.

“Well, I suggest we get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

Gladio and Prompto both nod, heading back to their rooms.

The next morning, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis, are outside waiting with you for Noctis to come out before you say your goodbyes. You smile at the men, trying to convince the them and yourself that you would be okay. Gladiolus gives you a gentle smile, pulling you in for a tight hug.

You sniffle a bit and return the embrace, knowing you’re going to miss how much you two used to horse around. Gladiolus had a special place in your heart. He was the king’s shield. You worked closely with his father and the two of you had a special bond. Mainly due to the fact that you always made him promise to keep Noctis alive. Even so, you couldn’t help but feel like you were never going to see them again. And maybe you wouldn’t. Who knows what could happen?

“Be safe, Gladio. I’m counting on seeing you guys again.” you say weakly. “Don’t let Noctis fall out of the Regalia, okay? He’s got a fiancee to see and a wedding to do…” you smile but the words didn’t come out as happy as they could’ve.

Gladiolus looks at you with a sombre look in his eyes.

“Are you going to be okay? I think I’m more worried about you than the prince right now.” he replies quietly.

You simply nod your head.

“I’ll be okay. I promise. Don’t do anything stupid.” you laugh a bit.

He gives you a smile and nods before letting you go say goodbye to the others.

You walk over to the blonde, with hair that resembles a chocobo butt. You smile at him and hold out your arms. He gives you a sad smile and runs into your arms. You chuckle a bit, knowing how much you would miss his humour and all of the photographs he took of all of you back in the Crown City. You would miss the stupid comments and the silly puns he would always crack.

“I’m gonna miss you, Prompto. Don’t do something stupid that would get you killed, alright? And take lots of photographs. I want to see them all. I want to see all of your adventures while you’re on the road. And for godsake, go get yourself a girl. You deserve someone who will love you unconditionally. Someone who will love you even if you are from Niflheim.” you whisper. You give him a loving smile and kiss his cheek. “You really should tell them. You’re family. They aren’t going to shun you, alright?”

He nods and wipes his eyes.

“Thanks, (Y/N). You’re the best. And.... I’m really sorry about everything. I wish it were different. I really do.”

“Me too, Prompto. But it isn’t. I’ll live.” you give him another tight hug before making your way to Ignis.

“Hey Iggy.” you say, tears now longing to spill out. Goodbyes were hard for you. Especially since you never got to say goodbye to your actual family. Now that you have a chance of saying goodbye, it felt like you were losing another family. You couldn’t help but feel emotional. They took you in like it was nothing. They loved you unconditionally. You fell in love. You made new bonds. And it felt like it was all crashing down around you.

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” you sob. The emotions rushed out of you like a flowing river into the ocean. “Please be careful. Don’t lose your glasses. Whatever you do, make sure Noctis goes through with the wedding. And keep watch over Gladiolus and Prompto too. And make sure you always have enough ingredients to cook meals. Don’t starve--” you tried to keep going but Ignis cut you off.

“We’ll manage, (Y/N). You do not need to worry too much about us. I need you to be concentrated. The treaty is coming up soon. You must be prepared and focused on the task at hand.”

You take in a deep breath and nod, before crying again.

“I feel like I’m losing another family… Please… don’t die on me. I don’t think I could live through that again. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to them… and now that I’m saying my farewells to you it’s like…” you couldn’t finish your sentence.

Ignis grabbed you by the arm and pulled you into his body, hugging you as tight as he could. Prompto and Gladiolus saw this and gave each other a nod, walking over and giving you another hug. This time in a group setting.

“You aren’t losing anyone, (Y/N). We may not be here physically, but we will be with you in spirit. Always.” Ignis pledged.

“Yeah and you can always call us! And we can write each other!” Prompto adds.

“Who knows? Maybe even after the treaty happens you can come meet us somewhere.” Gladiolus chimes in.

You laugh a bit and nod, wiping your eyes off.

“You guys… are the best.” you respond. “I love you guys. Don’t ever forget that.”

They give you their best smile back and pull away when they see Noctis coming down the steps.

You look up at him and give him a broken smile. He walks down to you and the others disperse. He embraces you with all his love, and it felt like he wasn’t ever going to let go. It had hit the both of you that this was it. It was finally coming to an end.

“Don’t die.” you whisper into his chest. “Don’t you dare fucking die. And don’t do something dumb. Stay safe. Eat your vegetables. Get some sleep. Keep going no matter what happens.” you pull away a little, your arms still around his waist. “Love Luna with all your heart. Do whatever you can to live a happy life, because that is what you deserve.”

He reciprocates your broken smile. He was leaving his true love. He didn’t want to love another person, but it was his duty as prince. It pained him more than you could know.

“If there’s anything I need to tell you… It’s that I learned it’s not easy breaking your heart. And… that I’m always going to love you no matter what you say. No matter who I am with. Nothing will be the same. No one will ever come close to you. No one has what we had.” he begins.

You sniffle and smile up at him, the words stinging your heart.

“Don’t die on me. Keep yourself safe. Keep my father safe. I want to see you again. So… please. Promise me that you won’t die.” he holds up his pinky to you.

You laugh a little and shook it with yours.

“I promise.”

You give one last hug to the rest of the boys and wave as they set off in the Regalia after Noctis spoke with his father.

-----------------------------------------------------

“(Y/N), a word?” Regis calls.

You nod your head and follow him outside the Citadel.

“No matter what happens during the treaty, promise me that you will not come to save me.”

You pause and look at the ground and shake your head slowly.

“I can’t promise that, sir. Noctis is going to need his father. And if you die, he deserves to say goodbye. Therefore, I cannot promise that. I could never forgive myself. This is what I’ve trained for. I’m ready to die for you, for this kingdom.”

Regis sighs, knowing he wouldn’t be able to change your mind. You were always stubborn. It couldn’t be helped. As the Imperial soldiers started making their way into the Citadel, you kept watch over everyone you could. General Glauca, Ravus, Ardyn, and Iedolas entered last, and your eyes instantly narrowed.

King Regis and Iedolas began to speak, but Regis knew the treaty was never going to happen. But you and the rest of the Lucian guardsmen and Glaive were at a disadvantage. Aldercapt drew a gun on Regis, and before you knew it, all hell broke loose.

Swords were materializing within seconds, the power of the crystal beginning to show. It only fueled Iedolas’ dream of taking the Ring of Lucii. General Glauca then began to attack the royal guard, using all of his strength to get what Aldercapt wanted. Blood began to paint the floors of the once clean Citadel. You watched as Clarus Amicitia was thrown to the wall. Glauca threw his sword and it went right through him. You cried out as flashes of your family being murdered filled your head. You wouldn’t allow him to kill anymore people. You begin to evacuate the King, and push him through the doors to safety.

You give him a nod before shutting the doors. In your heart, you knew you wouldn’t be able to take Glauca down. But you could hold him off enough to have Cor get Regis out of the city. Cor tried to talk you out of the plan, but you insisted. You weren’t going to let Noctis get married without his father being there. You weren’t going to let Regis die without letting his son say goodbye first. This was your duty. This is what you wanted to do. This is how you would repay your debt to everyone in Lucis for taking you in. This is how you would show your gratitude for everything they have given you.

You narrowed your eyes at the man in front of you. This was the man who slaughtered your parents. The one who took away your home. There was no way in hell you were going to back down, even if you were afraid. A part of you wanted the pain to end. A part of you wanted everything to be over. The suffering of never getting the chance to say goodbye to your parents… the pain of trying to be happy even though the love of your life is marrying someone else. The pain of knowing that things weren’t going to be the same no matter how anyone looked at the given situation. But their lives would go on without you. It had to.

You promised Noctis you wouldn’t die on him, and you were going to do your damn best not to. But you couldn’t let your fear cripple you. Not now. You were going to make it out alive, even if it was by the skin of your teeth. You were determined to make it out. To see them again. But you couldn’t deny the possibility that death was imminent.

Your sword materialized and you gripped it tightly, shaking slightly at the outcome that was going to happen. Glauca tilts his head slightly at you. He shakes his head slightly and leaps toward you, his sword clashing with your own. There was no denying that he was immensely stronger than you, but it wasn’t going to stop you from buying the King enough time to leave. You managed to push the big man back while maintaining your composure.

“You’ve taken EVERYTHING from me, and I won’t let you take away any more. So you will have to get through me if you want to move on.” you growl. You take in a deep breath before readying yourself for another attack.

This time Glauca came at you with more force than before, making you slide back. You grunt at the impact and try to hold him off. You duck under his sword, allowing you to not be cornered by the strong man. You begin to use magic on him, hoping that it would weaken him to some degree, but it didn’t seem like it was doing anything. You cursed under your breath before moving back once more.

You lunged at Glauca and went for his legs, wanting to incapacitate him by having no leg support. You managed to knick through his armour, but only slightly. You moved back once more and took another defensive position, bracing for the hit. Glauca jumped high into the air, landing with such might that it caused you to fall to the ground. You frowned and tried to roll out of the way, but Glauca managed to pick you up by the neck.

You materialized your sword once more from the ground, managing to stab Glauca in the chest. It caused him to stumble a bit, but not before he impaled you with his own greatsword. He drops you to the ground and pulls your sword out of his damaged armor, dropping it to the ground alongside you. You looked up at the ceiling, your hands covering the gaping wound that made a home in your abdomen. You shut your eyes, tears streaming down your face.

It was finally over. All those years of having an empty hole in your chest. You were going to be whole again. You were going to see your family again. You smile to yourself and open your eyes again, a bright light beginning to form. You were ready.

You take a photo out of the pocket of your uniform. It was a photograph of the five of you together, laughing together in the gardens. You hold it close to your chest. You hoped it was enough time. Though you may not have done much in the long run, you felt like you did your duty to the fullest. You have repaid your debt by giving your life. That’s all you could’ve asked for.

“I’m with all of you, always.” you say with your last breath. The light engulfed your body, and when you woke once more, you were in a dream-like state. You saw your parents, watching over you.

“Hey baby. We’ve missed you.” your mother began.

“We’re so sorry for everything that has happened…. We’ve missed so much.” you dad croaked.

You tear up and shot up, taking them both in your arms.

“I’ve missed you guys so much.” you cry out. “It’s over. I’m… free, right?” you question.

“Of course, sweetie. You are free. Free from pain, free from all the nightmares and torture.”

You smile at them, looking down below you. You would be watching them from above, as a guardian angel.

-----------------------------------------------------

“Noctis…?” you ask. “Are you there…?”

Noctis looks around, realizing that he’s dreaming. He looks over at the voice calling for him.

“(Y/N)? What… what’re you doing?” he questions.

“Well… I couldn’t keep my promise.” you confessed. “I’m sorry. I tried the best I could… I guess it just wasn’t good enough. I just wanted to tell you that even though I’m gone physically… I’m going to watch over you and the others. I told you that no matter what I’d be there in spirit… so here I am.”

-----------------------------------------------------

Noctis immediately wakes from his slumber. He wanted it to only be a dream, but he couldn’t feel your presence anymore. He frowns and wakes the other three up.

“What time is it, Noct…?” Ignis begins. “Is everything alright?”

He shakes his head.

“I… I don’t know what time it is. I don’t care….”

“What is it, man?” Prompto urges.

“(Y/N)’s gone.” he simply states. Noctis looks down at the ground, tears staining the floor.

“Noct… I’m so… sorry.” Gladio apologized.

“We all are, dude.” Prompto puts a hand on his shoulder.

-----------------------------------------------------

The time had come. When the Chosen would give himself for the world, for the people. Everything had been taken away from him. His friends, his betrothed, his true love… even his father was taken away even though (Y/N) had sacrificed themselves for the King… it was all for nothing…

Noctis was finally going to see everyone again. He could finally embrace you in his arms once more. He could be with his family. He could be with his friends. Everything was going to be okay.

He closes his eyes and lets the light engulf him. When he opens his eyes, you were standing there alongside everyone else who were waiting for him.

“Welcome home.”

[feylen]

We just finished Final Fantasy 15 and I just ... need to talk about the ending or rather everything starting with the events in Altissia so please, beware the heavy spoilers under the cut and send me messages of what you think or ... I just don’t know right now. I’m totally confused and sad and kinda ... angry?

Okay. Please. Just tell me I’m not the only one who thinks the story, especially ending chapters, is/are soooo super rushed? Starting with hitting Altissia everything kinda goes hay-wire. 

First, the thing with Luna. Husbando and I did watch Kingsglaive and boy, glad we did. I mean, she kinda is THE heroine of the game and you never get to exchange a word with her before she DIES? Like ... okay. That was pretty sudden. All the roads lead to Altissia and Luna and then she silmpy dies without even exchanging a word with Noctis. I know, emotions and drama and stuff like that but man. If we didn’t watch the movie, we wouldn’t even have any emotional connection to Luna AT ALL because the game doesn’t really create the connection for you. Two childhood memory flashbacks are enough? I beg to differ. 

At that point I already was a wreck emotionally because Ignis is BLIND after the events and again, you’re not getting told how that happened. 

Tbh, we didn’t mind the train part so much as other peeps and I didn’t even mind that the story continues to guide you on a linear path. Then suddenly you’re in Niflheim and booooy. The plot holes there are unbelievable. And again, if you didn’t watch Kingsglaive before, you didn’t even really know who Ravus was and what his agenda was and OH MAN HE JUST LIES THERE ON THE FLOOR?! Seriously?! The whole Niflheim thing reminded us sooo much of Resident Evil 5 and you could patch up some story parts together by your own but whew. Chapter 13 was just meh. What did Ardyn do to the Emperor, when did this all happen, when did the people change, why didn’t no one do something or realize something etc etc. Question we tried to answer on our own and based on the little scattered notes you find every now and then and hopefully we’re not too far off with the answers we come up with. And did I already mentioned Ravus? 

Speaking of Niflheim. You know who’s also from Nifl? Prompto. Nice. Do we get an explanation for that? No we don’t. Even the Anime doesn’t make sense regarding that imho. So I do think we’ll get a DLC for that. And also speaking of DLCs, there will be more cut scenes added and changed afterwards? Why, I mean - we already waited 10 years. I don’t mind waiting one year more lol. At least I maybe get a game which makes a bit more sense in the end. Also, I highly doubt that husbando will touch the game again just to see the new cut scenes...which is a shame though. 

And then, the ending. Heavy tobacco. So yay. Everyone dies. Who would have thunk. Apparently Gladio, Ignis and Prompto died while fighting off monsters too since they appeared in the after life? I thought that they lived on an carried on Noctis request but whoops, they died fighting monsters which they already did as a living for the last 10 years unless Ardyn just imagins them being there with Noct and Luna and Regis ... who are already dead. I’m so bummed out. I read a nice theory on Reddit though which would work for me haha (I’m still in heavy denial lol):

There's another theory I just read, that by defeating Ardyn the timeline was repaired (which got messed up because of his existence) and Noctis went back to a time where the world wasn't thrown into chaos, where Luna still lived, and that's why you hear them push the car again. Then he successfully marries Luna and that's what you see at the end.

So, in the end I think I just needed to rant a bit  I guess? I mean, I’m so sad that so many awesome side characters got so less screentime and even though you spend so much time with the Chocobros there is something missing there too. I really miss all the side stories/quests which explain why this character is in your party and again, if you didn’t watch the Anime, you wouldn’t even know some simple facts like these. I also wish there was more of Aranea, Luna, Ravus, Iris, Cor and the list goes on.

Also I do enjoy endings which leave some space for interpretation but husbando was like “what just happened?” and I already had all my gears in my brain running on 150% to come up with strange interpretations while wiping away my tears and also thinking “wth did I saw just now” haha. 

But don’t get me wrong. We loved the game to pieces. The graphics are top notch and while the camera during the fighting was indeed a pain in the ass sometimes, I loved the fights and animations. The relationship between the Chocobros will be something I will cherish forever and I really loved every single character in this game. Even the oily and seriously twisted Ardyn haha.

Let’s see what the future DLCs will bring for this game!