#ring of lucii

[pink-linoleum]

dark soulsifys ur noctis

[necronominomnom]

I trialed my wedding hair, based on Lunafreya Nox Fluret! I need to curl my bangs and fringe pieces, but it looks like a decent take on it!

[chocobrohs]

Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV; the chosen king, bearer of the ring.

(outfit mod here)

[fi-wardsword]

Gore tw:

[ffxvglitchedup]

Spoiler alert! Today is the anniversary of Episode Ignis so I thought I'd share a little glitch I caught using Ansel in between scenes. Ignis puts on the Ring of the Lucii, or does he? It's floating in the air behind him! All images copyright Square Enix Co Ltd.

[flowers-of-tenebrae]

Ring of the Lucii - PS4/5 controls

Death - attack button

A - circle

B - square

C - R2

---

Alterna - lock on + warp (full MP)

A - R1 + triangle

B - R1 + circle

C - L1 + triangle

---

Holy - dodging/phasing as a counterattack

A - square

B - L1

C - L2

[phoenixwithapencil]

I think ff15 would have gone very differently had anyone managed to frame the prophecy not as a divine inevitability but a demand made by the imminent threat to the world and to Noctis that is Bahamut.

Bahamut gets framed as- not benevolent per se, but *good* by the narrative. You’re told that this is the god who created the crystal, the prophecy, the ring. This is the god who has been in your corner from the jump. Don’t question it too hard. Go quietly into that goodnight.

The chessmaster has never once had the best interests of their pawns at heart.

Hold Bahamut up to scrutiny and he is the reason that Noct must die. Who orchestrated the growing darkness? Who demanded sacrifice to stop that same darkness in its tracks?

It is, I maintain, not necessary sacrifice. There exists a world in which the ring of the lucii demands a blood toll- a life for a life- and it goes unpaid. There exists a world that the crystal demands a blood toll- the king for the world- and it too goes unpaid. Still, the sun rises.

So then if Noct’s death is unnecessary, that means Bahamut is demanding the frivolous death of the man Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto swore to defend. That makes Bahamut a threat, just the same as daemons or Nifilheim or Ardyn or Ifrit.

And I think, come hell or high water, that the bros wouldn’t fold to that sort of threat. They’d stand and fight.

[fire-of-the-sun]

FFXV: Fate, Hope & Sacrifice

After reading this post by @queenoffishingandcookies, I was inspired to write this impromptu meta to examine Regis' perspective on Noctis' fate more deeply which resulted in considering others as well, leading me to realize that, in a story defined by sacrifice, all the most notable deaths: Regis, Nyx, Luna and Noctis, operate without knowing all the details of the other's fates or what would ultimately happen to each other - which only adds to the inherent tragedy as they all possess hope for outcomes that cannot be.

Early on, Final Fantasy XV becomes a story punctuated by a series of sacrifices building off each other and being passed down like a baton in a relay race in an effort to aid Noctis and ultimately give the world a future, with every death before the young king paving the way to his own. It's not a coincidence, for example, that the illusions of Regis, Luna and Nyx's bodies are the main ones displayed by Ardyn in the throne room at the end to try and emotionally assault Noctis (and the audience) with the painful reminder of the lives who were sacrificed for him to reach that pivotal moment.

NYX

Nyx is a loyal man dedicated to serve his king and doesn't hesitate to sacrifice his life in service of a greater good. Put in a difficult situation, he puts on the Ring of the Lucii and agrees to his own demise for the chance to help safeguard the future by giving Luna the opportunity to help Noctis, who he was initially angered to learn Regis was protecting above all else. As he dies, he voices his desire for Noctis to rule well, assuming that he will eventually become king and Luna would naturally become his queen and rule by his side - a pretty nice future and one that Libertus confirms he's rooting for as well. Though his sacrifice wasn't in vain, Nyx had no idea that that wouldn't actually happen and that both would one day perish instead.

Sharing the same desire to secure a future for the world (and a name meaning as well), Nyx feels like a predecessor of sorts whose own death serves to parallel Noctis' eventual demise as they both must wield the Ring to succeed, which mars their flesh and leaves their bodies to disintegrate into nothing as/before dawn breaks.

LUNA

Luna is knowledgeable of and dedicated to her role as the Oracle and her fated task to help Noctis become the King of Light for most of her life, providing him more help and wisdom than any. Unfortunately, she secretly knew she was going to die as a result of the covenants she had to forge for him and had to accept the sad reality that she would never get to marry and live her life with him like she so desperately wanted, though she probably comforted herself with the hope that, at least, he would get to live a long life and help restore the world.

As further confirmed in the novel, Dawn of the Future, Luna had no idea that Noctis would have to die to complete his calling and was devastated upon seeing a vision of Noctis' impending sacrifice and that her actions in giving him the Ring would ultimately result in the death of the man she loves. Though she seeks to stop it from happening in that reality, in the canon story she'd be forced to watch helplessly as it all unfolds and continue to help him reach that tragic conclusion no matter how much it breaks her heart.

REGIS

Though a great king to his people, Regis is driven above all else to protect Noctis and grant him as much opportunity for happiness as possible before his unjust demise. Like Luna knew of her impending death, Regis seems to suspect that he's going to die in the attack and lets it happen without much of a fight, putting his final hope in Nyx to protect Luna and, in turn, aid his son. Right before his death, when Regis states that he wishes Noctis and Luna a happy life together, I always wondered if he knew it wasn't actually going to happen but, as a loving father would, still dreamed for it anyway and wanted to voice his heart's desire to Luna as his parting words to her or if he genuinely believed it was possible.

We know that Regis learned that Noctis would eventually have to be sacrificed when he's five years old, but I was unsure if he was simply told it would happen sometime in the future and therefore had no idea when or shown through a vision and could therefore estimate based on seeing Noctis' aged appearance as suggested by the OP. I don't know if that's confirmed but, even if not, I think it's likely that he could have seen it given the fact that - in the DLC/Dawn of the Future anyway - Ignis, Ardyn, Luna and Noctis himself all see a vision of his death on the throne, so if they got a chance to witness it beforehand, I imagine Regis probably could have as well as someone with direct access to the Crystal. Also, if the Omen trailer is meant to act as a depiction of a potential future Regis sees and seeks to avoid, then it seems like confirmation that he received other visions as well.

As I wrote in my meta breaking down Noctis' appearance, he looks arguably a bit older than a 30-year-old after the time skip given the immense power he's been granted so, if Regis did see him in a vision, he may even assume he could be mid 30s or older and would get the chance to live all those years. With this hope in mind, Regis may believe that his son would at least get to enjoy some period of relative happiness with Luna (as he doesn't know she's actually going to die soon) and hoped they'd marry and even potentially have a child and continue the Lucis line (Regis had Noctis when he was 30 after all). He had no way of knowing that none of those things would happen and that Noctis would have to enter the Crystal, lose ten years of his life and die without experiencing the joy of marriage or children like he was able to.

NOCTIS

Noctis, of course, was largely left in the dark for most of his life and never could have imagined the tragic events that would unfold after leaving home to get married. He had no idea Insomnia would be attacked and his father would die. He had no idea that Luna would perish as a result of her duty to him. He had no idea of Ardyn's true identity or intentions. He had no idea that saving the world would require him to sacrifice his own life until entering the Crystal and having a decade stripped from him - an event that recontextualized his dubious regard of his father's previous choices and his feelings about his own demise in relation to other sacrifices, most notably Luna's, which gives him the determination to go through with it as well and ensure no one who died for him did so in vain. His experience wrestling with the reality of his fate and an untimely demise is one shared by those before him to some degree and one he must accept wholeheartedly as well. You can read this meta for more of my in-depth thoughts on Noctis' mentality toward his fate.

I think it's harder to know what Noctis originally expected to happen before learning what was meant to. Even if he succeeded in defeating Ardyn, he'd have to face a future without his father or Luna, whom he genuinely hoped to be with, though his friends would certainly continue to be great support and comfort, and we do get a taste of this potential reality at the end of Episode Ignis. Naturally, Noctis probably considered the potential repercussions should he fail, which would have left the entire world in perpetual darkness and despair ruled by Ardyn with no hope of change - a prospect that would no doubt further fuel his resolve to succeed no matter what. It all comes down to him now and he can't fail.

IGNIS

Though it doesn't cost him his life, I want to quickly touch on Ignis who sacrifices his eyesight upon using the Ring (and idea borne in remembrance of Nyx's actions) in an attempt to protect Noctis and even seeks to save him from his fate after seeing a vision of him on the throne in Episode Ignis. To try and keep him safe, Ignis suggests they end their journey, but Noctis refutes that he can't let any sacrifice at his expense be made in vain and Ignis has no choice but to accept Noctis' decision, knowing more than he does where this path truly leads - similar to Regis before he died.

CONCLUSION

Though the path of their lives was skewed by fates they could not control, all remained driven by their love for each other and others and ultimately succeeded in what they set out to do and achieved a semblance of what they had hoped for: Nyx succeeded in helping Luna and therefore Noctis, who was able to provide a future for the world even if he didn't get to rule it. Regis didn't get to see Noctis and Luna wed in life like he desperately hoped for, but he's comforted by their matrimonial union in death and that his son was able to experience some happiness in life - his success filling him with pride. Luna succeeded in aiding Noctis and, though she didn't get to spend her life with him like she dreamed, they're able to be together forever in the afterlife. Noctis didn't get to live the life he expected but succeeded in saving the world like everyone before him hoped and sacrificed for and gets to rest by his beloved's side forevermore. Even Ardyn himself is able to find peace after centuries of suffering - all fates resulting in a bittersweet conclusion to an inherently tragic tale.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please like and reblog to share and check out my #ffmeta tag for more!

[mrsmneme]

Can't afford to lose

A story with an art for belated Valentine's day celebration.

When Insomnia fell, Prince Noctis was not immediately aware of it but he felt a weird dull weight over his crown and some whisper echoing in his head a few hours later. Such feeling was not strong and lasted only a few minutes, so he did not have any idea about the cause. But in his sleep that night, he had a vision, or a nightmare, about Nyx Ulric bargaining the Kings of Yore for using their power to protect the city. When he learned what had really happened from the newspaper and texts, it scared him badly.

And now, he and his remaining comrades, Gladiolus and Prompto, were after his advisor, Ignis, who had been reportedly taken to Zegnautus Keep by the Chancellor of Nifflheim. Thanked to Ravus, his enemy to ally, who had given him the Keep's map containing all shortcuts, and keycards needed, to the Crystal Chamber which he believed they could find the kidnapped retainer there. 

Such weird feeling happened again fifteen minutes ago. It sent shivers down his spine. When it had been Nyx, his instructor and friend, he had gotten quite an awful shock. But Ignis was way more closer to him than the Glaive, or he could say he had a special place in his life. What if he had a vision of Ignis bargaining for power then missing forever like Nyx? The weight of worries stumbled on him was overwhelming. The Prince shook his head. He had no choice but to keep going for him before it was too late. 

He was walking throught the seventh shortcut when he saw cobalt fog surrounding him. At first he mistook it for poisonous fumes, then he realized it was not. He was still walking in a hallway but Gladiolus and Prompto were out of his sight. Then he saw himself in a vast cobalt plane with plenty of gigantic transparent royal armors hovering above his head. They whispered something he could not understand. The scenery made the Prince's muscles tighten, he had seen it in his vision about Nyx. He could not help glancing around nervously. His gaze ended up at a man kneeling at the center of the plane, a familiar face , Ignis Scientia.

The advisor left his bangs down his forehead. He had lost his blazer, his glasses and his gloves while his shirt's sleeves were folded up to his elbows. The left side of his face looked grey, terribly burned. He looked fatigued and injured. The Ring of Lucii dimly shone on his finger.

Noctis was stunned at the moment. He wanted to speak, or at least approach his advisor but his whole body disobeyed. His limbs were too heavy to move and his lips could not produce any kind of voice.

A voice from the royal armors spoke.

"Thee emptied what had acquired."

"But the fight is yet to be concluded."

Ignis nodded.

"I need more, much more power until I totally defeat him."

"So please, Your Majesties."

A royal armor answered.

"If thou dost wish to save the King, a sacrifice must be made."

"One greater than eye sight thou conceded."

"Life."

"Risk, sacrifice thy life or succumb."

Ignis nodded, stood up and made a humble reply.

"I'll sacrifice."

The Kings of Yore's whispers echoed around the plane. Noctis could not comprehend their words but he knew they were satisfied.

"The contract is forged. The ring is now thine to control." 

"When such fight is over, the price will be thy life."

One by one, Kings of Lucis dissappeared from the cobalt plane. The Ring shone harshly and magic flame was lit around the bearer's body. Plenty of cracks appeared on the retainer's skin and spread over his hands, arms, chest and up his neck toward his face, showing how he was burned inside. Ignis screamed in agony. Noctis found himself free from paralysis. He rushed to his advisor with all his might and wrapped his arms around him. It was a surprise that such magic flame did nothing to him. Ignis' hands were trembling against his arms he used as his support. His suffering seemed unbearable. 

"Ignis!" Noctis called his name and cradled him in his arms. The retainer rested his forehead on the Prince's shoulder and let out his grunt for seconds before he could answer.

"Noct." Ignis tried his best to manage a faint smile. "You're alright."

"It doesn't matter, Specs! But you! And what have you done?" The Prince's hands trembled the same way as his retainer's. Seeing his favorite Ignis facing lethal agony was unbearable for him. Knowing he chose his doom himself hit him much harder.

"It's alright, Noct. I'm fine with the given condition." The advisor replied. He took longer time than he needed to deliver just a couple of sentences.

"But you chose what's killing you! And you're hurt, badly hurt. How can you say you're fine, Ignis? You are NOT fine!" Noctis' voice became slightly crack. 

"As long as you are." On the contrary, Ignis' voice became steady and calm.

"I'll never be ok if you're not, you fool!" He could not help scolding him. Tear started pooling in his eyes.

"Perhaps you're right. But it's almost impossible to defeat the legendary entity like him. Way harder to defy God's will. If there's any chance to do so, no matter how hard or agonizing it will be, I'll take it. And I'd like to let you know there's someone I definitely can't afford to lose." He smirked and stared deep into his blue eyes. "Whatever it takes." The surroundings changed again. The cobalt fog started dissipating, Noctis could see the destroyed Crystal Chamber with Ardyn freezing in an attacking gesture at one end with Gladiolus and Prompto freezing in walking gestures at the other. Ignis let go of his Prince's arms, used Overclock, turned toward the Chancellor, drew his daggers from Armiger, enchanted them with fire magic and leaped forward to confront him again. Then the fog, the plane and the Chamber was disappeared from Noctis' sight.

A few drops of tear fell out of the Prince's eyes. He was still walking through the seventh shortcut with Gladiolus and Prompto. He wiped them and sniffed then felt the shield's hand patting on his back.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Hard to explain. But I sensed something bad. Can we go faster?"

"Sure!" The shield replied, skimming over the map again. "Just a few doors left."

"Hold on Iggy. We're coming." The gunslinger announced. All of them started running in unison. 

Numerous amount of thoughts came across the Prince's mind. He already knew what the situation was but the solution was yet to find. 'I'll try my best to heal, spare, compromise, revive, every way I can to save you.  You know, Ignis? You're the one I can't afford to lose too.' He thought while they were unlocking another door leading to the Chamber.

end note

I redrew my old art about Noctis and Ignis in Episode Ignis verse 2. Then I was curious what the story would be. So I wrote it too.

see original art in X here

[krisssssssy]

Reviewing everything on Ravus made me kinda sad. When I first played I hated Ravus. But he was the only character who knew things were “fated” a certain way by the gods and he still tried to change it.

Luna, Noctis, Ardyn, they’ve all resigned themselves to their chosen fates (granted, Ardyn did try to resist but Bahamut took care of that…). Only Ravus is like, no, fuck all that. There’s something really honorable in that, and it made me think maybe him trying on the Ring of Lucii wasn’t as arrogant as I once thought.

And honestly screw the Kings and Queens of Lucis! They rejected Ravus because he ultimately served his sister’s interests, not Noctis’. And I’m supposed to root for the Kings and Queens who have fucking Somnus as their founder?

I’m glad in Dawn of the Future we got to see more of the characters resist their fates. But Ravus is cool in my book. And his song Ravus Aeterna is one of my favorites!

[reflectionsofacreator]

Anything you'd change about FFXV? I'd probably have the bros spend some time in Insomnia before they left, not like a lot tho. Establish basic concepts like the Wall and Ring of Lucii, basic tutorial stuff, and then an imperial attack. Tone of the game is funny until the Wall collapses, Imp troops march enmass into Insomnia, and it's a fight just to escape. Could witness some horrors, like the Diamond WEAPON deamon, the miasma turning citizens into deamons, and casual Imp cruelty to the citizens. That would really get you invested in the game right from the start I think.

Bestie I need you to know that I got this ask, read the first sentence, then proceeded to laugh so hard that I ended up wheezing and couldn't finish reading the ask for two minutes.

What fucking wouldn't I change about this hot mess of a game, wicked white.

Buckle in this is gonna get Long.

There's two different ways I'd go about this. 1) To just enhance what's already there (it's possible) and make a coherent game, or 2) make a story that I find personally satisfying.

If we do the first one, my primary modus operandi would be to make XV as coherent as possible, and nix a good portion of the "extra" stuff (the DLC, the movies, the Brotherhood OVA) and just. Incorporate it into the game from the get go. A large portion of that would to be, like you said, have the bros start out in Insomnia and establish a lot of basic concepts, give weight to Insomnia as a whole, explain why the Wall is important and why the daemons are so threatening, etc.

(funfact: Kingsglaive actually was supposed to be the opening portion of the game, but it got scrapped for a movie. I mourn every day.)

I'd also want to give a greater emphasis on Noctis being a king via physically helping his people, listening to their woes and doing what he can to make it better. It's sort of there already, with the game's focus on hunts and a few sidequests, but I'd make it go further with things like tangibly affecting the towns you go to, or having people with real problems say how their lives get better. Notably, I'd go so far as to have the chocobros save a village or town that's on the verge of being overrun by daemons, just to drive home what the "King of Light" moniker means and what Noctis can do that's a step up above the rest of his subjects (ie magic). If the first few hours are spent in Insomnia with a lot of pro-royalty sentiment, I'd then spend the next long time in the continent then tearing that apart. Have some citizens express pro-Imperial stances, or anti-royalty stances; have the common citizen talk about how the war has affected them, and how neither state seems to care for their well being. Really drive home that it isn't just Noctis who lost something with the Fall of Insomnia, it's the people as well.

Luna needs to be more present, and with her own character. Have her and Noctis communicate more via the journal, with Noctis adding in bits and pieces of the sidequests that they player has completed, or add some photos that Prompto took. When we get a letter back from Luna, the narration of her voice fades out and we actually get to see what she's been doing, where she's been traveling and start playing as her. Show what her life is like under Imperial occupation, show what her duties as the Oracle even are, show that she has a lot of political weight as 1) the princess of Tenebrae and 2) the Oracle itself. Highlight the tension between her and her brother, but also his care about her through smaller things (a phone call here, a note saying he left her something, etc).

Take all the bro dlcs and just. Put them in the main game. Tie the character arcs into the way they actually interact with Noctis and the others-- Make Gladio have more of an issue about being a Shield and worrying about measuring up (to his ancestors, to his Dad [that he barely knew, that he knew without being told died for the king]) be brought up before all of it, have him talk about some of his feelings. Sure he can keep most of them close to his chest and only express it to the player, but for fuck's sake the macho posturing only hurts him.

Ignis' dlc is largely alright, but I'd have there be a bit bigger focus on his political role, and also the Empire. I'd maybe sneak in the headcanon that his family actually used to be Tenebrae royalty some generations ago, and fled for Lucis when Tenebrae got taken over. Add some depth to the nobility lines, have him and Ravus talk about a few things here and there.

Prompto's is, potentially, the one I'd change the most. Prompto's whole "reveal" about being a clone is... so fucking stupid. There's no weight to it, and by the time that it's revealed there's no reason to even care about it. Tweak it to where your "random encounters" are because Prompto's got a subderminal tracker in him, have him know about it. Really drive home that he's an actual, real, liability to Noctis and the others, while also desperately trying to be normal and desperately wanting his only friend to not forget about him with the advent of his Kingly duties. Drive home the idea that his loyalty to Noctis (and thus his representation as "the common person") is a choice that he is pursuing with all of his heart, not something that's intrinsic to being Lucian or a citizen of Niflheim.

MAKE IRIS AMITICIA A PERMANENT PARTY MEMBER Y2K FOREVER. Have her join relatively late, around Cape Caem or so, but by god add her as a permanent member. Actually, have her join up when Gladio is gone, and just... not leave. She already brings so much life to the party when she's there, and she raises up some interesting questions; is it morally right to bring a 15 y/o girl with them on their dangerous quests, even if she's been trained for this since birth? Is it right to deny her her birthright of being a Shield to the king and also serving like she's been told she's headed for her entire life?? Just! C'mon!! Agh why is she only a guest I'm going to chew thru glass.

Since we're following the canon route of "Noctis has to die to save the world from the Scourge", lets add in more hints about it. Have him question why his father never trained him how to be King, have him remark that his upbringing was pretty "normal". Talk about how Regis seemed to Know Something about it, and how even Luna doesn't quite know what it was. Make more of a big deal about the lines of the Oracle and the line of Lucis effectively ending, and that with them, all the magic in the world will also be gone.

Emphasize Noct's willingness to find a solution, any solution for the horrors plaguing his people, have him witness them die for him, for others, have him be unable to save them. Drive home the thesis of "many have sacrificed themselves for the king, now the king must sacrifice himself for all", make it have weight and mean something. This isn't something Noctis is doing lightly, but because there is no other solution to be had, because everyone has suffered and he has the chance to make it worth it. This isn't about him anymore, this is about his duty as a king, the duty to the people that he is supposed to protect.

The actual ending of XV can stay relatively the same imo, keep the ambiguity of the rest of the bros dying, keep the "happier" end of Noct and Luna in the afterlife. Makes it feel earned, really. Now they finally get to rest, they finally get to have some peace and the promise of a better tomorrow fulfilled, and be able to spend their days together like they were always able to. The problem isn't exactly the ending itself, it's that it doesn't really feel earned in the base game.

Now.

If we do the second, to make a story that I, Personally, find satisfying, we're gonna have to do some restructuring.

[Part 2]

[chocobrohs]

"He who holds the Ring communes with the Lucii and commands great power."

[archivist-crow]

The Grimoire Library

Alberti Parvi Lucii Liber de Mirabilibus Naturae Arcanis - Attributed falsely to the authorship of St. Albertus Magnus, this grimoire was published in Lyons, France, with the kabbalistic date of 6516. It gives instructions for making philters, interpreting dreams, discovering treasure, making a hand of glory (a black magic charm), making a ring that confers invisibility, and performing other magical acts.

Text from The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology (Checkmark Books - 2009) by Rosemary Guiley

[mae-the-gay-nerd]

Guess who just broke final fantasy 15 by killing the god turtle with just the ring of lucii, me!

[flowers-of-tenebrae]

How It Could've Gone

I really adore Noctis/Luna but I'd be the first to agree it could've been executed better or fleshed out more, they should've interacted in-game as adults, the players should've been allowed to build an emotional connection to Luna, etc. So here's one hc of how it could've gone:

-

Luna survives the battle at Altissia and Ardyn's stabbing but is weak and severely wounded. Instead of mourning her death, Noctis and his bros grapple with the aftermath - the response and recovery of Altissia, Ignis' blindness, Luna's convalescence, Noctis' own shortcomings in the last trial, and Noctis' realisation that it isn't too late. That he and Luna still have time.

Cue Luna joining the guys when they depart for Niflheim - to some protest, mainly out of concern for her health. But our girl isn't one to sit back when there's a world save and she has the power to help. Maybe she even tries to heal Ignis' eyesight but it's been too long since he incurred the injury. Maybe her healing powers have waned after the last trial or maybe Ignis refuses it. Either way Luna acts as their guide to Niflheim and joins as a guest party member when they alight at Cartanica.

Their trip down the mine to the royal tomb is still fraught with danger and heightened emotions, but Luna's presence eases the tension and her abilities (both as a healer and wielder of the Trident) help in picking up the slack. During this time, and earlier on the train ride, the guys and Luna get to know each other - the way they should have in-game - and discuss their respective journeys. Maybe Noctis and Luna have a private moment at a campsite where they can, for the first time in years, be just "Noctis and Luna" together - and not the chosen King of Lucis and the Oracle. The Ring of the Lucii is brought up, with Luna apologising for not delivering it sooner, and so is the fall of Insomnia and Regis' passing. Amidst the sweet sorrow and growing pains, the group retrieves the royal arm but Noctis still has yet to put on the ring.

They agree to journey to Tenebrae, both to fulfil promises unspoken and to check on its state after hearing rumours of an attack on the radio. Their impending arrival is heralded by daemons assaulting the train. Luna helps repel the daemons with her powers of light, but is left utterly spent and Prompto is lost in the onslaught.

The remaining group reaches Tenebrae only to find the rumours are true - an imperial invasion has devastated the land once again and the fight rages on. In the midst of it all, they encounter Aranea, Biggs and Wedge assisting with the evacuation. Aranea points out where the fighting is thickest and informs them of the latest news out of Gralea and Ravus' rumoured passing.

The army of MTs and daemons is being puppeteered by Ardyn, who mocks them for being down one member and running behind schedule. Their enemies are relentless in their attacks and despite Gladio and Ignis' warnings, Noctis breaks off as he charges after Ardyn. Their frenzied fight comes to a head as Noctis gains the upper hand and pins Ardyn to the ground. Ardyn's mocking laughter rings in Noctis' ears as he crows their time has finally run out. Noctis' vision clears and he finds on the end of his sword is none other than Luna.

Lying amidst the ravaged flower fields of her home, Luna reveals her true feelings and inescapable fate. Her body has been wracked by the covenants and Ardyn is right, her time was always going to be limited with her calling now fulfilled. Still, she is grateful for the time they spent together, for the chance to stand beside him and laugh again as they once did. Luna admits she was looking forward to their wedding and asks Noctis to save their star, reminding him he is not alone and Prompto can yet be saved.

Noctis, cradling her body, cries he is sorry, he won't let her down and they'll be together again someday.

Luna smiles... And the party is down to three.

-

(Happy 8th anniversary to FFXV!)

[zzprompto]

hi ! I hope this isn't too much 😭 I'm the same anon as before and I loved the ignis fic so much it made me cry a bit /extremely pos

I was thinking if you could do another one of the reader meeting ignis for the first time after he became blind, and how ignis would act? also the reader worrying about him and comforting him

thank you sm in advance I love your writings so much 😭

im so glad you enjoyed it! ofc i can write you some more :)

☆ together

ignis scientia x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

- slight episode ignis spoilers and mentions of fighting & injuries.

fighting, bloodshed and chaos. those words accurately described what had happened at altissia a few days ago. a day that many, such as [name], had never experienced before in their lives.

yet, everything seemed like it just happened in a flash. [name] barely remembered what happened, it was almost as if he was not present during the event. unfortunately, he was. he absent mindedly witnessed such tragedy.

it had been a few days since the group had been truly together. the group consisting of gladio, ignis, noctis, prompto and [name] had been all seperated after the fight, but they luckily all found eachother in the end. even if that meant that half of them were gravely injured.

noctis had gotten gravely injured, and so had ignis. nobody had spoken to noctis yet as he was still knocked out, and similarly so for ignis.

ignis had used the powers contained within the ring of lucii to try and defeat ardyn. however, he didn't know the consequences it would bring. he had scarred the left side of his face and he had gone blind. it was horrible, something nobody imaged would happen to a person like ignis. yet, ignis risked everything just to make sure his friends were safe.

[name] was anxiously sitting outside of the room where ignis was resting. the man hadn't seen how ignis looked like yet, he was just waiting outside whilst biting his nails out of nervousness.

[name] was scared, and saying he was scared was truly an understatement. he was terrified, really. he doesn't know what has happened to the man he cares about the most, the man he loves the most. it was unbearable just sitting there waiting on the floor. too unbearable.

a few footsteps caught the attention of [name]'s ears and a door opening. then, someone cleared their throat to alert [name] and it was none other than gladio.

"you can go see him now, he's awake." gladio said, his voice hoarse. it was different to how he usually sounded, [name] noted. this was definitely taking a toll on gladio, and everyone for that matter. everything that had happened those few days ago was affecting everyone.

[name] immediately stood up and nodded at gladio before rushing into the room. he couldn't wait a second longer to see ignis, or what had happened to ignis. [name] knew he had to brace himself for what he was about to see, because it could be rather unsettling. luckily for him, it wasn't.

[name] walked into the room and his eyes immediately scanned the room. every wall, every corner and every surface was looked at before [name]'s eyes finally met ignis' face.

"ignis.." [name] whispered out loud, taking a few, small steps forward towards the man he had just mentioned. [name] then finally got to the bed ignis was laying on and he crouched down besides it.

"hey." [name] continued to whisper. "are you alright? are you feeling any pain?" [name] asked, gently stroking one of ignis' palms. he was being as careful and as gentle as he could possibly be to not injure him any more than he already was.

ignis groaned a little before he sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes and staring into practically nowhere. "i'm alright, just a little sore." ignis sighed, trying to make his injuries seem better than they actually were. in reality, they were worse. that fight with ardyn, using the ring, it hurt like hell. it didn't help that ignis could no longer see anything, not even [name], anymore.

"that's good." [name] hummed, his voice gentle, just like his touch. he tried to be as soothing as he could be, if that was even possible. he wanted to make sure ignis was okay, but it didn't seem like that was really the case.

ignis sighed again and he closed his eyes. it wasn't as if it made a difference anyway, his vision had gone and his whole world was shrouded in darkness - just like eos' fate.

"actually, i'm not alright." ignis admitted. his voice was unusually quiet, and shaky. [name] was starting to get worried - this wasn't the ignis he knew.

"i can't see, [name]." ignis confessed, his voice growing more and more shaky as he continued to speak. it was as if he was on the verge of tears, getting ready to cry at any given moment.

[name] looked at ignis a little confused. "of course you can't see.. your eyes are closed, ignis." [name] replied, trying not to laugh at his comment.

"no, [name]." ignis sighed again, a small frown on his face. he then opened his eyes and tilted his head towards [name]. "i can't see, [name]. i've gone blind." ignis admitted.

[name] was now in a state of panic and confusion. he didn't understand. how did such a thing happen? ignis could see without his glasses.. but now he had gone totally blind?

unbeknownst to [name], ignis had used the ring of lucii to try and fight ardyn. it led to him gaining a scar on his face, and his loss of vision. the power was too much for him that it deteriorated his eyesight and painted his skin with a memory he'll never forget.

"i.. got myself into a fight with ardyn trying to protect noct." ignis explained, trying his best to keep his composure and look strong infront of [name]. "i used the ring's power, [name]. it was too much and this is how i ended up." ignis shook his head. he didn't enjoy the situation he was in, but he would live with it no matter what.

"oh.." [name]'s voice dropped along with his face. he couldn't believe what he had just heard. he didn't even know that ignis had gotten into a fight with ardyn. why did he not know sooner? ignis was meant to be the man he loved, and cherished, and cared for but he didn't even know that the other had been seriously injured.

"ignis, i'm.. i'm sorry." [name] mumbled, letting go of ignis' hands. he then burried his face into his own hands, feeling as if he was about to cry. he couldn't believe such a thing had happened, and all he could do was apologise for something he hadn't done.

"[name], it's alright." ignis frowned as he felt the mood shift suddenly. he knows he shouldn't of dropped something so heavy, but [name] was bound to find out anyway. "i'll get used to it. it's fine." ignis sighed. in reality, it wasn't fine. nothing was fine about this situation, but ignis just wanted [name] to stop worrying.

[name] shook his head, biting his lip whilst he was at it too. none of this was fine, when ignis said it was fine he lied. how could [name] trust him now? everything was going to be so different, [name] couldn't help but worry. he had to worry for himself and ignis, there was nothing else he could do.

"it's not alright, ignis. i know you don't think this is alright, you yourself said earlier you were alright then you lied." [name] spoke, his voice cracking as it filled with various different emotions. he felt so distressed, yet angry, yet worried at the same time. he was so confused. why wasn't he there for ignis?

ignis felt the area around him before he grabbed [name]'s hand and held it close to him. "yes, i'm afraid you're right. i'm not alright, [name]. i'm far from it." ignis admitted, feeling vulnerable speaking about his emotions so openly.

"i'm scared, terrified even. i don't want to live the rest of my life in darkness. i won't be able to see you, or the others anymore. i won't be able to cook or drive the regalia." ignis started to break down, letting all of his emotions flow as he spoke to [name]. "i'm useless now, [name]. my lost vision had made me useless." ignis sighed.

[name] shook his head and he gripped onto ignis' hand tightly to try and somewhat reassure him. "no, no ignis. you're not useless." [name] said, frowning as he heard how negative ignis was about himself and his situation. "you're far from it, being blind doesn't make you useless! we'll get through this, ignis. i'll help you, ignis. i'll do everything i can to help you." [name] continued, practically on the verge of sobbing.

"[name], it would be pointless." ignis mumbled, still thinking of himself as useless because of this situation. he didn't believe that anything good could come out of this situation. "my vision won't magically come back if you help me, and nothing good will come from this!" ignis groaned.

then, [name] cut off ignis with a kiss. he couldn't take ignis speaking of himself so negatively. it hurt him too much to hear the love of his life speaking so negatively about himself. he couldn't stand it, and he wouldn't stand it one bit.

"ignis." [name] stated as he pulled away from the kiss, brushing a few stray hairs out of ignis' face. "you are far from useless, and me helping you won't be pointless." the male continued, doing his best to reassure ignis.

"we'll get through this together." [name] carried on speaking as he slid onto the bed to lay next to ignis. "no matter what, we'll always be together. i'll guide you until we're old, help you navigate the world when all you see is darkness." [name] hummed, speaking more and more sweet promises into ignis' ear.

[name] carefully traced the scar that was under ignis' eye. it was so beautiful that it looked natural on ignis. [name] loved it already.

"ignis, i love you. i'll love you no matter what. if you're blind, unable to get out of bed, or even unable to do anything. i'll always love you." [name] whispered into ignis' ear before placing a kiss on ignis' scar.

"it's me and you, together forever. you got that?" [name] smiled, placing a few more kisses along ignis' face. he wouldn't stop, even if ignis asked him to. he loved him too much to ever stop loving him.

ignis sighed, giving up all of his protesting now. he wouldn't even try to stop [name], because he knew [name] wouldn't stop if he asked.

"fine, yes. it's us together, always." ignis smiled himself, leaning into [name]'s touches and kisses. he didn't want this feeling to stop, ever. he wanted to truly stay with [name] forever and for as long as possible.

"now that you said that, i'm never letting you go." [name] chuckled to himself, leaning in and making himself comfortable against ignis' chest. "we're staying by eachothers side no matter what."

it was true, [name] never let go of ignis. the two faced the impossible and [name] did whatever it took to help ignis face the darkness he was surrounded it. the two stayed by eachother's sides, together, forever.

☆ author's note : i hope you liked it, anon :) i really enjoy writing for final fantasy characters so keep the requests coming! im sorry this took a bit longer, i'll try get more requests done near the holiday time.

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