nightcure | airlocked cmo post

...You can't think that way.

[Ardyn shook his head, straightening up and forcing himself to focus. This wasn't about him or the crushing agonizing guilt he felt over the things he'd done. It was about Noctis, about his friends and the suffering all they had gone through at Ardyn's hands.]

[At his side, his right hand bearing the exact same ring curled into a loose fist. His left, however...came up to rest light on Noctis' shoulder.]

You were not the one to determine the price of the magic of our bloodline. You did not decide to be the Chosen upon which the fate of the planet rested, to whom others would swear their lives to guard and protect. None of it was ever in your control, and therefore you should not be allowed to shoulder blame for it.

It is true that a king should carry the pain and suffering of his people; carry it, but not be held accountable for that which is ever out of his control. The Astrals' game was ever rigged against you. Blame me, blame the gods, blame the Lucii--but not yourself.

[ He knows he shouldn't. He knows he can't. He knows that if he thinks that way, he'll spiral down. Noctis spends a lot of time in his head, blaming himself, and it's dangerous. Especially in his current situation, that line of thinking could get him killed.

... and yet.

Noctis looks at Ardyn, and his guilt is practically written across his face. All of his hurt and regret is laid out for Ardyn to see. ]

Even if I didn't decide it, we got dragged into it. All of us. And they shouldn't have had to suffer. I know... no one would have chosen that. No one could have predicted just what was in store. But none of you should've had to suffer. Luna. Ignis. Ravus. Gladio and Prompto. You and everyone else, they--

[ Noctis draws in a sharp breath. He knows he should include himself. But it's something he's been struggling with for a long time. He's grown so accustomed to carrying this burden, carrying--like Ardyn said--pain and suffering. And oh, how he's done that... perhaps a little too well. ]

You all deserved better. [ He pauses, and he looks conflicted. ] ... We deserved better. Better than anything the Astrals gave us.

Yes, we did. Every single person on our planet deserved better than they received, but that regrettably does not change the outcome. Neither does holding yourself accountable for being dealt a losing hand from the very beginning.

...Few deserved a different fate so much as you did, Noctis.

If I could-- go back and change things, I would. We both would, huh.

[ He's quiet for a long time after that. He wonders... will the network use this? They have to know what Ignis did for him. They have to. He still has no idea how they pull off their memory bullshit, but...

Wouldn't it make for an interesting fifth season? To bring in the endlessly devoted adviser, strip him of his memories. Confuse and disorient him, because from the first day he'd know he should be able to see. He'd do damn near anything to protect Noctis.

A cold pit of dread settles at the bottom of Noctis's stomach. ]

... He tried to get me to quit, you know. After I woke up, he came and talked to me. He-- He told me he thought we should stop our journey.

[ It comes out only a touch confused. ]

...There are many things I would change given the ability. But dwelling on an impossible concept will only serve to drive one insane.

[But Noctis' next words caused Ardyn to hesitate, frowning in confusion.]

Why would-...that makes no sense.

... Yeah. I know a thing or two about dwelling on stuff you shouldn't.

[ He lets out a frustrated sigh. It's more like a huff. ]

He... said it was because we'd already lost too much. But he-- he should've known I wouldn't buy that.

Obviously not. So then, why--

[Whatever it takes, I will protect him--]

[...It didn't take a genius to see those words were no exaggeration. But then--would a person like that allow anything, immortal or Lucii or Astrals, to jeopardize that? No, of course not, but...but did he know? Was that even possible, for anyone else to comprehend the true sacrifice the prophecy demanded?]

. . .

[ He's honestly still trying to wrap his head around it. It's... it's impossible that Ignis would know about Noctis's fate. Impossible. Noctis chalks it up to Ignis being that worried about Noctis, about his state of... well, everything, after losing Luna and nearly dying.

He's so deep in thought that he doesn't notice Ardyn's gone quiet. When he does, he looks at him, frowning. ]

Ardyn?

...no, it isn't possible. [Ardyn shook his head, gradually pulling himself out of his thoughts.] Surely there isn't a chance anyone else could have known what was meant to happen to you.

[ ... ah. Noctis swallows hard. So they were thinking the same thing. ]

Yeah. It's impossible. He would've said something if he'd seen something.

[ ... but would he have? ]

[Ardyn admitted he didn't exactly know Noctis' friends more than necessary to prod at their insecurities and manipulate things as he'd seen fit. But...]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it sounds as though there is quite a lot he did not say.

airlocked cmo post

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