After the Light (FFXV)

Chapter 13

The manor was practically overflowing with magitek troops. Iris, Stella, and Pryna were separated from Aranea and Ravus, in the group's attempt to make their way out to Aranea's ship. They entered the dining hall, which was empty, but had clear signs of a break in. Iris checked the room to make sure no one was hiding, and looked out the windows to make sure no else would make an entrance. Stella shut and locked the doors, and then stood by Iris.
          "Is your phone still out of service?" Stella asked, checking her phone.
          Iris took her phone out, checked it, and then said, "Yeah. No luck over here."
         They turned to Pryna, who was glaring and growling at the doors. The magitek were pushing against the door, trying to force their way in. Stella warped to the highest point of the wall, Iris hid behind a tall cabinet, and Pryna hid under the table.
        The magitek smashed the doors to pieces and eerily walked into the room. Iris looked up at Stella, who was keeping an eye on the magitek. As they grew closer to the cabinet, Stella nodded at Iris.
       Iris immediately stepped out and slashed the first three magitek with her katana. Stella warp-struck the following two, knocking them into the ones behind them. With more magitek charging into the room, Iris continued the pattern; flipping over Stella and striking the next few magitek with a powerful combo of kicks. Stella followed up with several warp strikes.
       The last one to enter the room was one of the larger magitek models. Stella immediately warped to a high point, and Iris ran. The magitek troop ran after Iris, and took the first chance it had to strike. Iris ran up the wall, dodging the attack, and backflipped over the troop. Stella then came in from behind with a powerful warp-strike.
       "We need to find the others." Iris said.
         Stella nodded. "Right. Let's go."
        They rushed out of the room with Pryna, but were soon forced to stop when a horde of magitek troops turned the corner and charged towards them. In a slight panic, Iris and Stella ran down two separate corridors, with Pryna following Stella. The magitek moved swiftly, leaving no time for either party to turn around and follow the other.

         Stella and Pryna raced down the stairs. Pryna jumped over the small patch of ice on the floor, while Stella slipped on it. Ice?! Her eyes followed it as it melted away, into a nearby room. She pushed the door open, and found Ravus and Aranea fighting a group of magitek, alongside Ignis and Prompto. Ignis had been using ice magic on his daggers, causing a good portion of the room to freeze; since it had already been wet from the rain coming in through the broken windows. She stepped in with Pryna and closed the door, just as the fight ended.
       "Stella and Pryna!" Prompto called out, turning everyone's attention to them.
        "Are you all right?" Ravus asked.
        "We're fine, but we got separated from Iris. Stella was out of breath.
         "We'll find her." Ignis promised.
          "Hopefully Noct and Gladio find her first. We dropped them off before landing the regalia, so they've been in here a while." Prompto said.

         Using his shield, Gladio and Noctis ran a group of magitek troops down the hall, and shoved them down a long flight of stairs. Gladio immediately turned and walked back the way they came from, and pressed the down button for the elevator. Noctis joined him as the elevator arrived.
       They went down a couple floors, and found magitek parts scattered all over the floor. They checked both ends of the corridor.
       "Iris!" Gladio called out as he tapped Noctis' arm and then started running.
        Noctis followed him around the corner, and almost immediately stopped when they passed the library. He hurried back to the double doors, looked through the glass, and saw Ardyn on the other end of the room. Noctis' eyes were full of rage as he opened the door and stepped in.
"ARDYN!" He shouted.
Ardyn turned around. "Noct-?!" Before another word could leave his mouth, he was warp-struck through the glass double doors, leading to the lounge.
Noctis stepped into the lounge, further shattering broken glass beneath his feet. He summoned his father's sword and approached Ardyn, who was laying on the ground.

Gladio continued to chase after Iris. She had finally slowed down as she entered the billiard room, which was the next room after the lounge. Gladio entered the room not long after she did, but didn't see her. He searched every part of the room, but didn't find her.
"This ends now!" Noctis shouted as he swung his sword down.
Using his own sword, Ardyn blocked Noctis' attack, and began resisting his effort to complete the strike.
"Noct, snap out of it!" Ardyn shouted as he shoved Noctis back.
As he stood, Noctis unleashed his armiger. Before he could make the first strike, Gladio rushed between them and held up his shield.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!!" Gladio's voice was filled with more rage than what Noctis felt flowing through his own body.
"Why are you protecting him?!" Noctis shouted back.
"You're attacking Iris!! Open your damn eyes!!" Gladio shouted.
"I-Iris?" The armiger dispersed; fading into the air.
Gladio lowered his shield, allowing Noctis to see a terrified, injured Iris standing behind him. Noctis' eyes widened. He wanted to speak, to apologize, but Gladio's entire face screamed unforgivable.
A horde of magitek started to rush in from the billiards room, forcing Noctis, Gladio, and Iris to run through the library. The doors swung open, and they rushed out, stopping Ignis and Prompto in their tracks.
"Go back!" Iris warned.
With no need to be told twice, Ignis and Prompto turned around and ran.

Finally making it back outside, Ignis and Prompto led the team back to the regalia, which was parked on a very long bridge. Since they were further ahead, they made it to the regalia first; just as one of the imperial ships, with an open door, hovered over them. A large robot jumped out of the ship and landed on the bridge, creating distance between both parties. Gladio, Iris, and Noctis stopped instantly, as the robot was facing them.
        The robot prepared to fire several missiles, which forced the trio to turn back and run. Ignis and Prompto started attacking the robot from behind, but it proceeded to open fire. All of the missiles exploded against the bridge, and the shockwave threw Noctis, Gladio, and Iris off of it.
         "NOOO!!" Prompto shouted.
          "Hurry, Prompto!!" Ignis hurried to the regalia, jumped into the driver's seat and started it.
           Prompto hopped into the passenger's seat, and Ignis immediately sped off. With enough speed, the regalia changed it's form and ascended into the sky.
          "What do we do?! What do we do?!" Prompto was beyond frantic.
            "Calm down, Prompto! I'm just as worried as you are! If we go after them now, we'll only attract attention, and then we'll never get out of here!" Ignis really tried to keep it together.
            Prompto looked back. The lights from the imperial ships began to blur as they got lost in the heavy rain, and the thickening fog.