Book Three: The Children of Fate

VI - {EDITED}

"Ardyn! How could you?!" Sera exclaimed, her temper rising. "You gave me your word that you would not cause destruction. That even meant trying for the throne." A deadly smirk made its way on his face, causing Sera to shudder from her trauma.

"I told you I couldn't make any promises. The destruction of the Star is my only desire," Ardyn said.

"It's not the only thing you desire. You wish to be with your beloved again." Ardyn glared at the Oracle, almost ready to strike her down where she stood. "Past your hatred, you want to walk with Aera in the heavens and that's just what your soul does. The real you walks with her in the Beyond. Your brother's devious actions killed your beloved and cursed you to live for an eternity. You so desperately want revenge on the very kingdom that banished you to Hell. Believe me when I say this, seeking out revenge will get you nowhere." Sera said everything she could to get him to strike her down. She needed him to do so, so that she could draw the scourge from within himself. Hear me, Gods of the Star, give me the strength to walk after I absorb the Starscourge from him, Sera prayed to the Six for help.

"You know nothing of my hatred," Ardyn hissed, each word dripping with the venom underlying his rage and hatred. And with that, he warped behind her, his sword to her neck, the razor-sharp blade pressing against her skin. Rakshasa, the most powerful weapon he possessed, an imitation of his brother's blade, the Blade of the Mystic. She couldn't help but laugh in the face of his imitation.

"Taking me on with a false weapon? How cute. Fighting me with a copy of your brother's weapon is foolish." Sera said, summoning a mere light based dagger she had picked up during her journey with Noctis years ago, ready to pierce Ardyn's flesh with it.

"This is much stronger than that little piece of scrap metal you call my brother's sword. Strong enough to kill the Oracle herself." Sera rolled her eyes at the nonsense Ardyn was spouting, annoyed with him already.

"I do not fear death, Ardyn Lucis Caelum." What he didn't realize was that Sera had a dagger to his stomach. Suddenly, as if knowing the Oracle was in trouble, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio came rushing into the room. Sera jabbed the sharp blade into his stomach, dispelling it and warping beside her betrothed.

"Sera, are you alright?" Gladiolus asked, his gaze directed towards the Oracle.

"I'm fine. But we need to take care of the Adagium first," Sera responded, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Ardyn.

Sera looked over at Ardyn as he summoned Rakshasa, causing Sera to smirk again; Sera soon followed suit as she held the Trident of the Oracle.

"Distract him long enough for me to get to him," Sera said, determined to put an end to his terror. "The only life taken tonight will be his."

And with that, Ignis pointed out weak points in Ardyn with his daggers, Gladiolus following his lead. As for Sera and Prompto, they decided to blindside him with their pistols. Ardyn caught on quickly and targeted the blonde gunman. Amidst the fight, Ardyn went in to warp-strike Prompto but Sera spotted it and, and in a quick motion, the dark-haired Oracle warped to him and knocked him out of the way. Ardyn's blade tore the skin of her arm, causing her to wince in pain. Although in pain, Sera warped behind Ardyn and stabbed the tines of the trident into his side. Bringing him to his knees, Sera absorbed the scourge from him. His memories flooded into her mind at a dizzying speed, each one stitching together with the memories Sera had collected from Romelle.

*"The Gods have chosen me to be the True King, brother," Somnus said, an evil smirk on his face. The brothers fought to the death but Aera stepped in the way and died by Somnus' blade.

"Aera!" Ardyn shouted in a mix of pain, grief, and rage. He held his beloved close to him. He made his way to the Crystal but the miasma he had absorbed was too strong. The Crystal's radiant yet blinding light rejected him, sending him flying across the room, demonized and ostracized by the Bladekeeper. Romelle rushed to both her sister and the man she loved, trying to tend to them both.

"Somnus, you're no king! You do not put the needs of your people above your own!" Romelle shouted as she kneeled before her sister's dying body.

"Have you grown so bold to speak against your king, Romelle? Remember who gave you and your sister a home among my people," Somnus stated, his eyebrow twitching with annoyance. He dispelled his Yaksha blade, turning his back to the scene before him, looking at one of his guards. "Have her executed and lock up that monster where no one will find him."

"Would you really kill your child before it's even born?" Romelle asked, raising an eyebrow as she rose to her feet, her hand on her stomach, hinting that she was pregnant. "Do you not remember, Somnus dearest?"*

~Prompto's POV~

During our fight, a streak of black and gold came across my vision. With a small thud, I found that Sera had pushed me away from Ardyn's attack, the both of us on the ground, her on top of me. The look of fear she had worried me, a piercing sapphire gaze meeting my own gaze. I knew what her plan was and I knew she was scared of not succeeding. She gently kissed me and stood. Having not noticed the cut on her arm before, I had only just noticed that she was bleeding when she brought her hand up to the cut. Her crystal necklace glowed, signaling only one of two things - the Gods were trying to communicate with her or she was about to use her power to absorb the darkness.

Be careful Sera, I thought, watching her warp around like Noct used to.

She warped behind the former Chancellor and stabbed him in his side, causing him to fall to his knees. Within seconds, Sera was drawing the Starscourge out of him. Her pained screams filled the corridor, her skin flaking away like ash, revealing darkened skin, orange and purple veins with miasma running through them, an eerie purple glow coming from her and the miasma. I looked away, trying to fight the urge to stop her from continuing with her plan. I felt helpless to keep her from being in pain, just standing there, listening to the screams that came from her.

Ardyn fell to the ground, not moving. Sera stood, breathing heavily, looking like her mind slipped into the darkness. Her eyes glowed orange while a black ooze dripped from the corners of her mouth. I tried to get to her but was met face to face with the tines of her Trident.

"Stay back!" Sera said, her voice sounding like multiple people were talking over hers at the same time. A gold light surrounded her as it purified her body of the disease. Soon, her trident dispelled and she fell forward. I quickly rushed to her and caught her, finding she was back to normal, only weakened.

~3rd Person POV~

"Always there to catch me when I fall..." Sera said, weakly, her voice soft and hoarse.

"What can I say? You're a great catch," Prompto laughed nervously, although it was more worry than his cheesy pick-up line.

"I'll be fine, Prompto. Don't worry about me so much." A reassuring smile was seen on her face, trying to keep her beloved from worrying so much. Sera then slipped into an unconscious state, too weak from absorbing 2,000 years worth of the Starscourge as well as the memories Ardyn had or had acquired over his lifetime.