Noct wasn't sure if it was five minutes or five hours later when the temperature in the room suddenly dropped, cold that cut straight through his jacket and made his teeth ache. He glanced up to see if Ardyn knew what was happening, but Ardyn was looking off into the distance at something far away.
He turned to the door, putting Noct behind him and murmuring to himself. "A coldness that can only be hers."
Noct watched Gentiana appear out of icy mists, snowflakes swirling around her that turned to frost any solid surface they touched. Something passed between her and Ardyn, and she reached out a pale fingertip, freezing him in place.
Noct didn't understand. "What—"
Light, pale and shimmering, and in Gentiana's place was the Glacian. There was something almost sorrowful in her expression as she looked at Noct. "Let it now be done...as promised to the Oracle."
Noct felt ice on his hip, flowering into a mark that curled down and over his thigh. He pressed a hand to it, wondering if this one would be the last.
When he looked up again, she was gone.
-
"Noct!" Gladio came charging through the door, sword in hand, and when he saw Ardyn, he swung in a wide arc that passed inches from Noct's face.
"No!" Noct yelled, but it was too late.
He looked at Gladio and Ignis and Prompto, remembering Ardyn's words. Were they really his friends? Would his father have sent them with him into such uncertainty without telling them how important it was that Noct lived through it? The lives of all the people in Lucis, weighed only against his own.
"Get away from me," Noct said, backing up until he was nearly at the other end of the carriage.
They looked at him in confusion, though that expression cleared quickly. Noct felt relief wash through him as Ardyn stepped up behind him, arm around his waist as he tucked Noct close to his side. "That hurt," he said, "my feelings at least. After all, I only have Noct's best interests at heart."
Before anyone could respond, the entire train shuddered violently. Dark shadows converged on the windows, then daemons were pouring in, screaming and ravenous.
Ardyn tugged him along, and Noct didn't look back though he heard his name being called. His friends could take care of themselves, they didn't need to take care of him anymore.
-
Noct stopped once they were safely in Ardyn's room on his airship. He raised a hand to Ardyn's face, touching the skin there, warm and whole, though Noct had seen him frozen and shattered to pieces. "How did you—"
Ardyn smiled, but even Noct could tell there wasn't any humour in it. "Shall I tell you a story?" He pulled Noct close, settling them on the couch so he was wrapped up in Ardyn's arms, Ardyn's chin resting on his shoulder. "There was once a great king, who only desired to save the people from a scourge that twisted men into monsters. The likes of which you've seen. His body would come to host myriad daemons, that countless lives be spared."
Ardyn stopped, as if waiting for something, and Noct pulled back to see his face changing, dark shadows that spread slowly over his skin.
It was—disturbing, but Noct wasn't afraid, not of Ardyn. He carefully touched a hand to Ardyn's cheek, the shadows wet but no more menacing than anything else Noct had come up against, and Ardyn sighed, pressing his face into Noct's palm.
"A jealous king, one not yet chosen by the Crystal, ostracized and demonized this healer of the people. Making a true monster of him."
Noct frowned, settling back against Ardyn's side. "You're not a monster."
"You'll find that many disagree with you on that sentiment, dear Noct." Ardyn chuckled, carding a hand through his hair.
Noct shook his head, then reached into his pocket for the Ring of the Lucii. It'd been calling him, he could hear it, but there was something sinister about it, about how everyone who held it had died for it. "I don't want it," Noct said, though he wasn't sure whether he meant the ring, his destiny, or all the things in between.
Ardyn took the ring in his fingers, letting it sit in his palm for a moment before shadows arose, engulfing it. The ring glowed with white light, but it wasn't enough for the darkness that grew and grew, until it had been devoured completely.
"Don't worry, Noct." Ardyn said, drawing him close. "I'll take care of everything."
FILL: bend to your will 9/9
He turned to the door, putting Noct behind him and murmuring to himself. "A coldness that can only be hers."
Noct watched Gentiana appear out of icy mists, snowflakes swirling around her that turned to frost any solid surface they touched. Something passed between her and Ardyn, and she reached out a pale fingertip, freezing him in place.
Noct didn't understand. "What—"
Light, pale and shimmering, and in Gentiana's place was the Glacian. There was something almost sorrowful in her expression as she looked at Noct. "Let it now be done...as promised to the Oracle."
Noct felt ice on his hip, flowering into a mark that curled down and over his thigh. He pressed a hand to it, wondering if this one would be the last.
When he looked up again, she was gone.
-
"Noct!" Gladio came charging through the door, sword in hand, and when he saw Ardyn, he swung in a wide arc that passed inches from Noct's face.
"No!" Noct yelled, but it was too late.
He looked at Gladio and Ignis and Prompto, remembering Ardyn's words. Were they really his friends? Would his father have sent them with him into such uncertainty without telling them how important it was that Noct lived through it? The lives of all the people in Lucis, weighed only against his own.
"Get away from me," Noct said, backing up until he was nearly at the other end of the carriage.
They looked at him in confusion, though that expression cleared quickly. Noct felt relief wash through him as Ardyn stepped up behind him, arm around his waist as he tucked Noct close to his side. "That hurt," he said, "my feelings at least. After all, I only have Noct's best interests at heart."
Before anyone could respond, the entire train shuddered violently. Dark shadows converged on the windows, then daemons were pouring in, screaming and ravenous.
Ardyn tugged him along, and Noct didn't look back though he heard his name being called. His friends could take care of themselves, they didn't need to take care of him anymore.
-
Noct stopped once they were safely in Ardyn's room on his airship. He raised a hand to Ardyn's face, touching the skin there, warm and whole, though Noct had seen him frozen and shattered to pieces. "How did you—"
Ardyn smiled, but even Noct could tell there wasn't any humour in it. "Shall I tell you a story?" He pulled Noct close, settling them on the couch so he was wrapped up in Ardyn's arms, Ardyn's chin resting on his shoulder. "There was once a great king, who only desired to save the people from a scourge that twisted men into monsters. The likes of which you've seen. His body would come to host myriad daemons, that countless lives be spared."
Ardyn stopped, as if waiting for something, and Noct pulled back to see his face changing, dark shadows that spread slowly over his skin.
It was—disturbing, but Noct wasn't afraid, not of Ardyn. He carefully touched a hand to Ardyn's cheek, the shadows wet but no more menacing than anything else Noct had come up against, and Ardyn sighed, pressing his face into Noct's palm.
"A jealous king, one not yet chosen by the Crystal, ostracized and demonized this healer of the people. Making a true monster of him."
Noct frowned, settling back against Ardyn's side. "You're not a monster."
"You'll find that many disagree with you on that sentiment, dear Noct." Ardyn chuckled, carding a hand through his hair.
Noct shook his head, then reached into his pocket for the Ring of the Lucii. It'd been calling him, he could hear it, but there was something sinister about it, about how everyone who held it had died for it. "I don't want it," Noct said, though he wasn't sure whether he meant the ring, his destiny, or all the things in between.
Ardyn took the ring in his fingers, letting it sit in his palm for a moment before shadows arose, engulfing it. The ring glowed with white light, but it wasn't enough for the darkness that grew and grew, until it had been devoured completely.
"Don't worry, Noct." Ardyn said, drawing him close. "I'll take care of everything."