Noct still felt in the a daze the next day, getting on the train with the others. Was this still worth doing? What good was the Crystal if he couldn't save Luna?
The train was just pulling out of the station when there was the flash of a familiar coat, and What? Noct thought. It couldn't be. He ran in the direction he'd last seen it in, ignoring the others calling after him. If it really was Ardyn, Noct couldn't let him get away.
There was an eerie stillness in the air when Noct charged into the last carriage, but that wasn't important.
Ardyn looked the same as always, turning to face Noct as if nothing had changed between them. He reached out a hand, but Noct summoned a sword, pointing it at Ardyn's throat.
"You killed Luna!" he shouted.
Noct had trusted him, and then Ardyn had stabbed Luna while Noct had been helpless to stop him. He'd been working for the Empire all along, and whatever sick game he'd been playing with Noct had been just that, a game.
Ardyn raised his hands. "I did it to protect you, Noct."
Noct shook his head. Gladio had been right the whole time, and Noct had been the one taken in by Ardyn's act. He'd been so stupid. He wasn't going to let Ardyn talk his way out of this.
"Did Lunafreya or your father ever tell you about the prophecy, Noct? That the Chosen King would bring light back to the world, but only at the cost of his own life?"
"What—?" Noct looked at Ardyn, confused. That wasn't how the story had gone.
"Your father sacrificed all of Insomnia. Lunafreya sacrificed Altissia and her own life. They're both kind people. As much as they cared for you, do you truly believe that they valued your life over the lives of so many people? People they'd been charged with protecting?"
That was—it had been strange. His father had always taught him that the most important thing was protecting their people. That was why he'd kept the walls up around Insomnia even though it was killing him.
Ardyn reached a hand out, gently pushing Noct's sword down. His tone softened. "They've both known, Noct. For a very long time. It's why your father grew distant. He couldn't bear to look at you and know that you would die before you even took the throne." Ardyn paused then, looking in the direction of the other carriages. "Do you think your friends were told? Are they really your friends, Noct?"
Noct shook his head. No, it wasn't true. He closed his eyes, but that didn't stop Ardyn from speaking.
"Is it you that they're protecting...or is it the king?"
Noct didn't know what to believe. That his father, that Luna had only saved him for a greater sacrifice? That Ardyn had killed her after helping Noct for weeks because this too, was something that would help him?
Ardyn traced a hand down the side of Noct's face, touch light as a feather. "You said you trusted me once, Noct. I swear to you, everything I've done has been for your benefit."
If what Ardyn said was true, then his father and Luna had been lying to him his entire life. That everyone else had known might also be true, and no one Noct called a friend really cared about him.
"Please, Noct." Ardyn's tone was beseeching, and Noct wavered, taking a faltering step forward.
Ardyn had helped him for weeks, and never asked anything in return. He'd soothed Noct's pains, and made him feel less alone, not like a prince but a person, someone who needed comfort as much as anyone else. It was easier than Noct had thought it would be to fall into Ardyn's arms, let Ardyn stroke him gently on the back as he let the sobs out, shaking with it.
FILL: bend to your will 8/?
The train was just pulling out of the station when there was the flash of a familiar coat, and What? Noct thought. It couldn't be. He ran in the direction he'd last seen it in, ignoring the others calling after him. If it really was Ardyn, Noct couldn't let him get away.
There was an eerie stillness in the air when Noct charged into the last carriage, but that wasn't important.
Ardyn looked the same as always, turning to face Noct as if nothing had changed between them. He reached out a hand, but Noct summoned a sword, pointing it at Ardyn's throat.
"You killed Luna!" he shouted.
Noct had trusted him, and then Ardyn had stabbed Luna while Noct had been helpless to stop him. He'd been working for the Empire all along, and whatever sick game he'd been playing with Noct had been just that, a game.
Ardyn raised his hands. "I did it to protect you, Noct."
Noct shook his head. Gladio had been right the whole time, and Noct had been the one taken in by Ardyn's act. He'd been so stupid. He wasn't going to let Ardyn talk his way out of this.
"Did Lunafreya or your father ever tell you about the prophecy, Noct? That the Chosen King would bring light back to the world, but only at the cost of his own life?"
"What—?" Noct looked at Ardyn, confused. That wasn't how the story had gone.
"Your father sacrificed all of Insomnia. Lunafreya sacrificed Altissia and her own life. They're both kind people. As much as they cared for you, do you truly believe that they valued your life over the lives of so many people? People they'd been charged with protecting?"
That was—it had been strange. His father had always taught him that the most important thing was protecting their people. That was why he'd kept the walls up around Insomnia even though it was killing him.
Ardyn reached a hand out, gently pushing Noct's sword down. His tone softened. "They've both known, Noct. For a very long time. It's why your father grew distant. He couldn't bear to look at you and know that you would die before you even took the throne." Ardyn paused then, looking in the direction of the other carriages. "Do you think your friends were told? Are they really your friends, Noct?"
Noct shook his head. No, it wasn't true. He closed his eyes, but that didn't stop Ardyn from speaking.
"Is it you that they're protecting...or is it the king?"
Noct didn't know what to believe. That his father, that Luna had only saved him for a greater sacrifice? That Ardyn had killed her after helping Noct for weeks because this too, was something that would help him?
Ardyn traced a hand down the side of Noct's face, touch light as a feather. "You said you trusted me once, Noct. I swear to you, everything I've done has been for your benefit."
If what Ardyn said was true, then his father and Luna had been lying to him his entire life. That everyone else had known might also be true, and no one Noct called a friend really cared about him.
"Please, Noct." Ardyn's tone was beseeching, and Noct wavered, taking a faltering step forward.
Ardyn had helped him for weeks, and never asked anything in return. He'd soothed Noct's pains, and made him feel less alone, not like a prince but a person, someone who needed comfort as much as anyone else. It was easier than Noct had thought it would be to fall into Ardyn's arms, let Ardyn stroke him gently on the back as he let the sobs out, shaking with it.