Insomnia was once a prosperous city housing millions of Crown citizens and providing a haven from Niflheim rule. King Regis’ popularity stemmed from his love for his people and prioritizing their needs and safety above his own. Many families rejoiced the birth of their new prince many years ago as he was a symbol of hope for Lucians to uphold the peace.
Where grand Lucian architecture consisted of gothic buildings and statues of old Lucian kings were kept in pristine condition in honor of the old Kings who made their city possible, it was now replaced with broken streets infested with daemons. Many buildings were beyond saving. All that remained were stone ruins and bitter memories of Insomnia’s fall Gladio did not witness, but heard enough from the news ten years ago to know those who had not managed to escape, had turned into daemons themselves or found death.
“We’re home.” Noctis said as he took in the sight of his city.
Gladio never dared to venture this far out in the last ten years. Too many daemons and Ardyn pulled the strings of whoever dared enter his domain. By now the false kind surely knew of their arrival. All of his careful calculations led to this and the hairs of Gladio’s neck prickled from anxiety of what awaited them beyond the gates.
“How does it look?” Ignis asked as they walked briskly and avoided hitting the major streets where growls and shrieks of daemons echoed.
Prompto tapped Ignis’ hand. “Dark. You’d hate it because no one has cleaned in years.”
“I should make that priority after this.” Ignis agreed and smiled out of gratitude for the detailed description that followed.
Gladio walked beside Noctis and pulled him aside quickly when a daemon spotted them. They ducked into an alley that was designed far too much like a labyrinth. After a few grueling minutes of Gladio trying to find the end of the alley, Prompto broke the ice once more taking photographs when the opportunity presented itself.
They found safe rooms to rest under the subway to eat or catch their breath and tend to wounds. Gladio prepared himself well for the fight of his life. None of the daemons here were weaklings or compared to those wandering in the wastelands. These were ones who could end them in a single hit if they were careless.
He would rest only at Ignis’ insistence and Noctis urging him to sleep at his side. Sleep didn’t come, not when Gladio maintained his constant vigilance and to watch his king sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Their first hard fight was the Behemoth King guarding the gates to the entrance of the castle. Gladio allowed the borrowed power to burst out of him and attacked with all his might. Ignis’ plans were working well and they ended it with Noctis summoning his Armiger arms to end the behemoth. Even after spending ten years asleep in the Crystal, Noctis’ fighting had improved.
Gladio loved fire. Nothing beat the crackle of fire when he camped or the warmth in provided on cold nights, but the heat licking at his skin the moment they entered the courtyard outside the castle, threatened to scorch him. “Ignis!” Prompto yelled as he grabbed Ignis and pulled him to safety behind a fallen marble pillar.
Ifrit was a force to be reckoned with. Even Noctis seemed slightly intimidated to be up against a mighty foe that no doubt Ardyn was watching somewhere in amusement. Gladio struggled to even stay on his two feet with every hard knock of fire directed at him or the others. Even so, he used what Noctis gave him to his advantage.
The fight drags on and even he’s reaching his limit until Noctis received help from astrals to banish Ifrit. Seeing Noctis summoning Shiva was both breathtaking and frightening as the area immediately froze over without regard of the rest of them and Noctis plunged his sword into Ifrit with Shiva’s aid. In moments, Gladio could move freely once more and he shivered from the cold still clinging to his body.
“Warn us next time.” Gladio panted.
“Sorry.” Noctis apologized as they entered the castle.
Everything was as Gladio remembered. Nothing was out of place except it was empty and silent. The castle once bustled with life with many servants and other political officials coming and going. Of course, there was Noctis too who filled the castle with life. No King Regis greeted them in the waiting room reserved only for him and his son to discuss private personal matters with the exceptions from time to time being Ignis or Gladio.
“I hated this room.” Noctis suddenly said as he glanced up at the paintings decorating the ceiling. “My dad always looked sad.”
Gladio grimaced at the recollection of King Regis speaking with his father in hushed whispers and his father coming home solemn if not frustrated he could do no more for his king. Then a tragic realization hit him. Regis had known. Regis had known all along that one day Noctis would return to this very room years later with them. An end not even he as a father could prevent.
“Noct…” Prompto said sympathetically.
“He loved you.” Ignis added. “Nothing can change that.”
“Thanks guys…you’re the best.” Noctis smiled and exchanged a fist bump with Prompto. “So this is it.”
Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose then sighed. “Yeah. We’d better get moving.”
“Wait.” Prompto interrupted and pulled out a photo album from his pack. “Noct…I know it’s not much, but please look through these and you can pick whatever you want.”
Noctis nodded as he flipped through the album, laughing at some point no doubt after finding a few embarrassing photos. Then his expression changed to a crinkle of his eyes and tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m going to miss you guys.” He pulled two photographs from the album and smiled. “Thanks, Prompt. It means a lot.”
Ignis cleared his throat. “I do believe Gladio deserves the last say before we go up.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Gladio admitted. There was too much left unspoken but no time to spend lamenting on lost opportunities.
Prompto crossed his arms and raised a brow. “Wow. That’s so unromantic, Big Guy. By now any girl would be swooning but you’re terrible at it with Noct.”
“Shut up.” Gladio snorted. “Noctis is different.” He slowly placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly to his king. “It has been an honor being your shield, King Noctis.”
Ignis also placed a hand over his heart and bowed and Prompto followed as the three of them expressed their gratitude and honor of serving Noctis, of watching him grow from a prince to the king standing before them.
“Please, my friends, you don’t have to be so formal.” Noctis said lightly though he was smiling. “The kingdom will need your guidance. I have placed all my faith in you as my father did with me.”
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timeasmymeasure
Redux part 11/?
Date: 2017-01-11 05:10 am (UTC)Where grand Lucian architecture consisted of gothic buildings and statues of old Lucian kings were kept in pristine condition in honor of the old Kings who made their city possible, it was now replaced with broken streets infested with daemons. Many buildings were beyond saving. All that remained were stone ruins and bitter memories of Insomnia’s fall Gladio did not witness, but heard enough from the news ten years ago to know those who had not managed to escape, had turned into daemons themselves or found death.
“We’re home.” Noctis said as he took in the sight of his city.
Gladio never dared to venture this far out in the last ten years. Too many daemons and Ardyn pulled the strings of whoever dared enter his domain. By now the false kind surely knew of their arrival. All of his careful calculations led to this and the hairs of Gladio’s neck prickled from anxiety of what awaited them beyond the gates.
“How does it look?” Ignis asked as they walked briskly and avoided hitting the major streets where growls and shrieks of daemons echoed.
Prompto tapped Ignis’ hand. “Dark. You’d hate it because no one has cleaned in years.”
“I should make that priority after this.” Ignis agreed and smiled out of gratitude for the detailed description that followed.
Gladio walked beside Noctis and pulled him aside quickly when a daemon spotted them. They ducked into an alley that was designed far too much like a labyrinth. After a few grueling minutes of Gladio trying to find the end of the alley, Prompto broke the ice once more taking photographs when the opportunity presented itself.
They found safe rooms to rest under the subway to eat or catch their breath and tend to wounds. Gladio prepared himself well for the fight of his life. None of the daemons here were weaklings or compared to those wandering in the wastelands. These were ones who could end them in a single hit if they were careless.
He would rest only at Ignis’ insistence and Noctis urging him to sleep at his side. Sleep didn’t come, not when Gladio maintained his constant vigilance and to watch his king sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Their first hard fight was the Behemoth King guarding the gates to the entrance of the castle. Gladio allowed the borrowed power to burst out of him and attacked with all his might. Ignis’ plans were working well and they ended it with Noctis summoning his Armiger arms to end the behemoth. Even after spending ten years asleep in the Crystal, Noctis’ fighting had improved.
Gladio loved fire. Nothing beat the crackle of fire when he camped or the warmth in provided on cold nights, but the heat licking at his skin the moment they entered the courtyard outside the castle, threatened to scorch him.
“Ignis!” Prompto yelled as he grabbed Ignis and pulled him to safety behind a fallen marble pillar.
Ifrit was a force to be reckoned with. Even Noctis seemed slightly intimidated to be up against a mighty foe that no doubt Ardyn was watching somewhere in amusement. Gladio struggled to even stay on his two feet with every hard knock of fire directed at him or the others. Even so, he used what Noctis gave him to his advantage.
The fight drags on and even he’s reaching his limit until Noctis received help from astrals to banish Ifrit. Seeing Noctis summoning Shiva was both breathtaking and frightening as the area immediately froze over without regard of the rest of them and Noctis plunged his sword into Ifrit with Shiva’s aid. In moments, Gladio could move freely once more and he shivered from the cold still clinging to his body.
“Warn us next time.” Gladio panted.
“Sorry.” Noctis apologized as they entered the castle.
Everything was as Gladio remembered. Nothing was out of place except it was empty and silent. The castle once bustled with life with many servants and other political officials coming and going. Of course, there was Noctis too who filled the castle with life. No King Regis greeted them in the waiting room reserved only for him and his son to discuss private personal matters with the exceptions from time to time being Ignis or Gladio.
“I hated this room.” Noctis suddenly said as he glanced up at the paintings decorating the ceiling. “My dad always looked sad.”
Gladio grimaced at the recollection of King Regis speaking with his father in hushed whispers and his father coming home solemn if not frustrated he could do no more for his king. Then a tragic realization hit him. Regis had known. Regis had known all along that one day Noctis would return to this very room years later with them. An end not even he as a father could prevent.
“Noct…” Prompto said sympathetically.
“He loved you.” Ignis added. “Nothing can change that.”
“Thanks guys…you’re the best.” Noctis smiled and exchanged a fist bump with Prompto. “So this is it.”
Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose then sighed. “Yeah. We’d better get moving.”
“Wait.” Prompto interrupted and pulled out a photo album from his pack. “Noct…I know it’s not much, but please look through these and you can pick whatever you want.”
Noctis nodded as he flipped through the album, laughing at some point no doubt after finding a few embarrassing photos. Then his expression changed to a crinkle of his eyes and tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m going to miss you guys.” He pulled two photographs from the album and smiled. “Thanks, Prompt. It means a lot.”
Ignis cleared his throat. “I do believe Gladio deserves the last say before we go up.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Gladio admitted. There was too much left unspoken but no time to spend lamenting on lost opportunities.
Prompto crossed his arms and raised a brow. “Wow. That’s so unromantic, Big Guy. By now any girl would be swooning but you’re terrible at it with Noct.”
“Shut up.” Gladio snorted. “Noctis is different.” He slowly placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly to his king. “It has been an honor being your shield, King Noctis.”
Ignis also placed a hand over his heart and bowed and Prompto followed as the three of them expressed their gratitude and honor of serving Noctis, of watching him grow from a prince to the king standing before them.
“Please, my friends, you don’t have to be so formal.” Noctis said lightly though he was smiling. “The kingdom will need your guidance. I have placed all my faith in you as my father did with me.”