Yay, more battle!

Join in on a grand expedition

A trip through my contradiction

Complex, diverse I guarantee

Your chance to be all you can be

I'm letting my nature talk

It's the only way I will walk

Life roars when given room to breathe

Let's break the laws of you and me

. .

Can you really tell me what is right or wrong

When they're two sides of the same coin

Viewed in different ways

The Human Paradox

Step right into pandemonium

Welcome to my delirium

My Human Paradox

The Human Paradox

. .

- Dynazty - Human Paradox

Limbs, he saw. Limbs and filth. Tentacles, and reek.

He heard Prompto's panicked voice, but the words were lost under the thumping of blood in his ears. What now wobbled before them was an abomination. It was like all the childhood nightmares of monsters and boogeymen had gotten drunk together and had sex with a shrubbery, and this was the result. It looked like a tumbleweed with teeth, and he really didn't feel like taking on a roll with that thing!

It screeched a hair-raising cry that made shivers run down the prince's spine; he had backed away unconsciously until his arm touched something behind him. With a stifled gasp, it clicked. Eggs. Its eggs. With a new surge of adrenaline, the engine blade found its way back into his hand with less than a thought. "Prompto! Help Iggy!"

Ignis was hastily making his way across the swamp, his dagger already held up protectively across his torso at the sound of the creature, although he clearly had no clear idea of distance or direction. Prompto hesitated for less than a second before scurrying towards the strategist.

"Gladio!" He didn't need to say more. The older man had his blade out, crouching, prepared to jump at Noct's mark. Satisfied, he made his move.

In a swish of air, Noctis lunged himself to strike the creature's side across from Gladio. It let out a cry that was more irritated than injured as it wobbled its huge body to go after the insect that had the audacity to attack it. Doing so it offered its weak point for Gladio. Noctis smirked.

The massive weapon came down with the force of a power drill. The disturbing squelch echoed around the swamp as three tentacle limbs were severed, the dark green liquid gushing out like water from a fountain. The creature shook violently, and the cry had gained a piercing pitch. Now it was enraged. Not allowing it to recompose, Noctis dashed again, this time aiming for what he assumed to be its antennae. The blade met air as the creature withdrew its limbs to shake as if it was trying to rid itself of something.

"Noct! Behind you." Noctis glanced behind him just in time to dodge a swing. Rolling safely out of the way, he nodded the dark man a thank you.

Prompto clenched his teeth as he watched them go at it from a distance, standing protectively in front of Ignis, his finger loosely at the trigger but not aiming. If there would be an opening, he would take it but damn! This thing was… what the hell was this thing, anyway?!

"Prompto, what is it?" How Ignis managed to maintain his calm, the blond would never know. The tone was pure of any doubt, any fear. It was inquisitive, rational, ready. It was that of a squadron leader on a battlefield when he was devising the best strategy.

"It's giant and disgusting! Like something that a chocobo threw up, except bigger! And it moves!" He couldn't help his own voice squeaking. The other huffed.

"I need you to be a little bit more specific than that, Prompto."

"Well, uh, there's tentacles. And a mouth. Big enough to swallow Regalia. Not to mention us!" The hazelnut brunet hummed in understanding.

"Is it mostly green in color?"

"Yup. You know this thing?"

"Unfortunately, I believe it is a creature called malboro. A grown one is capable of wreaking considerable havoc. We should try and end this swiftly."

Prompto snorted, but it held no humor. "Well, they're working on it." As he said that, Gladio landed a heavy dive hit against the creature's side. "Ooh, nice one, dude!"

"This is no time to be joking around! A malboro is a sinister adversary. We should help them." He made a move to push past him, but was stopped as the blond stepped in front of him, guiding him to a halt.

Prompto shook his head, ignoring the afterthought that the other remained oblivious. "I dunno if that's a good idea, man…"

"Shut up!"

"Huh?!" Prompto knew he was gaping. Hell, Ignis probably knew he was gaping, but he couldn't help it. He had never heard Ignis sound so… crude.

"I'm well aware what you three think of my impairment, and heed my words, it is not my intention to be nor become a liability. I am still able to fight, to serve my duty, and right now, it is to protect Noct. So spare me your pity, Prompto, and tell me: which way is it facing?"

Prompto's lip quivered. His eyes were wide as he could just watch. The adviser had his head held high, face focused, his mind composed onto taking the beast down, swift and painful. "Iggy…" He hadn't meant to say it, the name just slipped out unguarded. The man's resilience was positively overwhelming. He had to swallow the lump that had crept up to his throat to fight some breath back into his lungs. "It, uh, it's at your one-o'clock, about thirty yards, facing four-o'clock. If that mouth side of it can be considered a face."

"Thank you." Ignis' stick disappeared under the murky surface with a hollow splosh; the man was already stomping in the given direction, the dagger dismissed, the healthy hand gripping his left shoulder firmly.

"Wait, what're you…?!" Prompto was cut off as the creature let out a piercing wailing sound and stood at full height. Its tentacles swished and its whole body swayed from side to side frantically, and as something emerged into his view, Prompto understood why.

Noctis saw his chance as the deadly swamp-shade had its attention on Gladio. The dark man was blocking a swing after swing as the tentacles hammered against his shield. He quickly called out his spear into his other hand, and, using his own body weight, plunged the engine blade deep into its rear limbs. Letting out an angry screech, it shook to crush the prince, and Noct was ready. The spear found its mark at what must have been the abomination's forehead, the point burying itself deep, and in a flash of blue, the prince stared down into non-existent eyes as he stood on its face, hanging from his spear while taking aim. The bullets, four, five, all six of them, were fired in rapid succession, dark green staining him as it spurt out from the freshest wounds.

It cried piercing howls as it tried to shake off the vermin. Its limbs thrashed violently but couldn't quite reach the lithe dark form. Noctis let his gun go, only to be replaced with the engine blade again, as he somersaulted down into a crouch. "Now!"

On cue, the heavy blade of Gladiolus' buried itself into the creature's side, ripping flesh and tearing through. Pieces of rotten vegetation and tissue littered the low waterbed. It thrashed, screeching, and out spewed puffs of ill-shade-of-green gases.

"There's no end to this," Gladio grunted.

"How is it still moving?! We're hitting it!"

"Dunno, but we're gonna be fertilizer if we won't come up with something!"

"Tryin' to!" Noctis reappeared a few feet from where a huge limb had been aiming to crush him.

"Guys!" Both men checked that the creature was preoccupied before turning to Prompto's voice. They were coming towards them, Ignis in the lead, Prompto reloading his rounds as his gazed traveled between all of them nervously.

"What the hell are you doing, Specs?!"

"Improvising!" came Ignis' resolved response. "I have an idea! Get behind me!"

"Stay back, Iggy! We're…!"

"No, you won't! A grown malboro's outer defense is nigh impregnable and able to withstand colossal damage. We cannot fight it like we would an ordinary opponent." He had a stern look on his face as he took a few steps closer, listening, waiting for it, knowing it would come. "If you don't mind, I suggest we fight it with finesse this time instead of force. I'll–"

Ignis was cut off as the creature let out a wet roar, and a thick cloud of that same green gas was spewed all around it. The reek of it could be felt instantly: like rotten fish and moldy, earthly smell of decay. Ignis' hiss was timid.

"Urgh!" Noctis gagged and fought to force down the bile that had risen into his mouth. The same reaction could be seen on the other's faces as well, and their breaths became pants as it replaced oxygen.

Ignis' voice was grave. "Listen, we have no time. If I'm not mistaken, it is already using its most vehement technique. It is fouling the air as we speak. The effects of prolonged exposure may be long-withstanding and disorientating."

"What do we do?" Gladio grunted. "You're still the strategist here."

"Exactly." Ignis took a step forward, motioning for the others to stay back as he felt their coming protests. Through his darkness, he listened. Listened for the ripples of the water, as they crept closer, focused his senses to distinguish a friend from a foe as he called forth the familiar feeling of warmth into his palm.

Many things happened at the same time. Through the evaporating veil of fumes, the creature dashed towards them, moving with surprising dexterity and speed for something of that size and shape. Its jaws were wide open as it lunged for the strategist. Ignis' palm burst aflame with the ethereal flame of the Firaga spell. And that's when Noctis understood that he wasn't the only reckless idiot in their party.

"Iggy...!"

"Gladio, wait!" Noctis moved instinctively to halt the warrior as he was about to intervene. The shield grunted as he grabbed the prince's arm to push him out of the way, but his instincts told him it was already too late. The creature was almost upon the man; no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to stop it anymore.

That's when the man flung the ball of flame straight into the beast's open mouth.

The magic burst like a makeshift Molotov. The heat wave crashed against the men, throwing Ignis off balance, and he fell ungracefully; he cried a yelp as white-hot agony stung his shoulder. The creature wailed and writhed, trying to wriggle away as the ethereal flames torched it from the inside.

"Ignis...!"

"Don't - ah! - worry about me! Now is our chance!" he spat as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Noctis bit his teeth, a jab of guilt stinging his chest, but it didn't change the fact that Ignis was right. He called out his heavy blade; this was going to end, and this was going to end now!

"Let's go, fellas!"

"Right!"

The creature stumbled around blindly, preoccupied by the damage of the fire magic. Dark murk pooled from its mouth as it gathered from the wounds in its scorched core. Prompto was the first to strike. Seeing his opening, the carefully placed bullet impaled the creature's already injured jaw muscles; he let out a snorty little laugh of satisfaction.

Gladiolus rolled his eyes at the blond. "Good going, kiddo. Just don't get cocky!" As if to demonstrate he flung himself to strike downwards in an arc; the malboro, increasingly interested in its prey again, shrieked a furious roar as it tried to crush him, but the dark man had moved out of its reach already.

Noctis had used their efforts to seek a vantage point. Hanging from his engine blade about 25 feet from the ground, the young man waited. "C'mon," he muttered to himself. "C'mon..." He was granted what he was waiting for as the malboro again withdrew to wiggle and shake out a new spill of what could only be described as environmental toxins. He sprung himself into an aerial somersault, and flung his blade across with added momentum. The familiar rush of air whooshed around his senses, and he landed onto the sword to bury it halfway into the creature's side. As the new pain kept it busy, Noctis tore the blade out upwards, severing a chunk of flesh that was left hanging pitifully by a few tendons.

"Haha, Noct rules!" Prompto laughed and waved him a cheer.

"Shut up and focus!" Gladio barked. "It's not dead yet."

Indeed. To their horror, the calamity was still coming after them. Ignis' attack had visibly weakened it, its movement was slower and far less precise than it had been, but other than that, it showed barely any sign of going down. It lunged at them with animalistic bloodlust, and didn't seem to even care it was bleeding profusely!

"Just what the hell is this thing?!" Noctis grumbled under his breath as he again jumped to dodge a swing at him.

"I'm not sure I want to find out," Prompto spat back as he kept blasting it. Or would have, if his gun hadn't chosen that exact moment to strike a mutiny.

"Huh?! Jammed?! You've gotta be kiddin' me!" His spur-of-the-moment exclamation managed little but to attract the adversary's attention. The blond felt his heart stop and air left him as he watched in stupefied horror how the open jaws came at him, saliva glistening on the small spikes as he was about to be gobbled.

"Prompto! Look out!"

Noctis heard the gruff voice of Gladio's when it was already too late. The beast was rushing for his friend, who was apparently frozen in fear. Prompto's face was white as a sheet and he trembled. Something ticked inside him. That was it! Instincts took over; Noctis felt his blood heating up at the surge of new energy unleashed.

"You're done for," he muttered venomously.

With a crystalline jingle, the power of his ancestors materialized around him in luminous armaments. Noctis could feel their valor as, for the fleeting moment, he was one with the old Kings and Queens of Lucis, their blood coursing through his veins in unison with his own as the full force of the Armiger dove down to shred the vile creature, tearing, slicing, piercing it. Ripping it apart.

"Noct…?" Prompto's voice was so small he practically just formulated the word with his mouth. His legs had given out on him; he was on his knees in the water but didn't feel the coldness. His paled lip quivered a little as he watched, eyes wide, the rapid flashes of blue light hurling at, into and through the monster that had almost killed him. He had never seen him fight like this, with such bloodlust. It was like he was possessed. Even from afar, and even though it was for mere glimpses, Prompto could make out the intense red hue of his friend's eyes. This time it was tinted with crimson.

The beast cried out and wriggled helplessly under the onslaught. Limbs were severed, the land stained with its foul blood as it was ripped into shreds, until it was with the final flash of blue that Noctis dove upon it with the war axe, cleaving it in half.

The world seemed to stand still for a moment; no-one dared to move, not even breathe as the wet rattles echoed hollowly around the swampland. Only after the remains of the beast had collapsed around him did Noctis dismiss the weapon.

The silence seemed dream-like. The only sounds were their exhausted pants, huffs, ripples of water under their shaking legs. The moment was fleeting but seemed to last forever, until…

"Dude. That was… hardcore!" Prompto cheered, coming out of his stupor and throwing him a high-five. "And thanks, by the way. I thought I was a goner." The other simply shrugged.

"Took me all I had," he chuckled, stretching a little.

"Hey, don't forget who provided us a chance at victory," Gladio's scornful voice sniped. He motioned towards the adviser, who was standing precariously, clutching his wound. He forced a smirk, although it was distorted by pain.

"Oh yeah! That was awesome, Iggy! Whew! We'd all be plant-food if it weren't for you."

"Happy to help." The self-satisfied smirk was back in place.

"And you keep telling me I'm reckless," Noctis smirked, crossing his arms.

"I guess I have spent too much time with a – uh! – a certain someone with quite the tendency to get himself into trouble," Ignis smirked in between pants.

"Hey, I'm not suicidal," he chuckled lightly.

"Says you," Gladiolus sniped, his glare heated. Noctis' jaw tightened, the light mood gone.

"I know what I'm doing."

"You don't know shit. You've just proven it tonight," the tone was unrelenting. "We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you."

"Look who's a broken record," Noctis snorted.

Prompto rolled his eyes. "Guys, maybe you two should cool it for now? Let's just go get that swordy or whatevs and scram…" he tried to console. He was ignored.

"I owe you nothing," Noctis stressed the last word, glaring daggers.

"Well, maybe you should be just a little more appreciative of what people go through for you," Gladio crossed his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Noct snorted.

"You know full well," he almost spat.

"If this's about Specs…!"

"Then it should be my concern!" the heated tone of Ignis cut him off. All heads turned to the strategist. He was standing almost sideways to them, still holding his arm. If the harsh tone hadn't been enough, ultimately the look on his face stunned them.

Ignis took his time, seemingly choosing his words. "I've had enough of this pointless bicker, and I refuse to be treated like a fragile piece of bric-a-brac any longer. Tiptoeing around what happened isn't going to change that."

Ignis had caught them red-handed; the others looked bothered, guilty, embarrassed. With a deep sigh, he went on, "Let's be frank. This injury is merely temporary. The Antidote has done enough to salvage the arm. But my vision hasn't improved, and probably won't." His tone told them enough. It told them Ignis had accepted it. Now they would have to, too.

"Yet in spite of this, I would remain with you all. 'Til the very end."

Gladio huffed, a sound mixed with irritation and embarrassment. "Sorry, but I object. War is a matter of life and death." His tone spoke the words his lips didn't: Ignis was going to end up in a body bag.

"But we'll be there!" Prompto cut in, challenge shining in the blue eyes as he stepped up to face the bodyguard.

"It's not about us looking out for him!"

"Uh-huh? Well, then he should be free to choose." It was his life. Prompto understood that, probably better than anyone.

"There's more to it than just what he wants," Gladio spat out the last word like it was something disgusting.

"I know full well!" Ignis barked. "I've told you all before, I refuse to become a hindrance. If I can't keep up, I will bow out. I'm not expecting you to adjust to my pace. I'm not expecting to be treated differently." He held a small pause, as if to find the right words. "And I refuse to abandon my duty on Noct's side."

Noctis' heart skipped a beat. He heard his breath hitching a little at those words, and the iron band around his chest was crushing him. He almost missed Gladio's snort,

"What says 'His Majesty?'" It was a poisonous tone, making it clear the shield wouldn't be satisfied with but one answer. An answer Noctis wasn't sure was his to give.

Ignis sighed. "Noct, I told you before, a king has to make decisions, and then he must live with the consequences and never look back." Then he turned his attention. "Gladio. Noct will take his rightful place, but only once he's ready. Give him time." His tone seemed to say 'and that's final'. For a moment, the shield looked like he was about to protest, but, as it dawned to him that he was alone with his stance, he shook his head defeatedly.

His tone dripped condemn. "Have it your way. We're still taking a big risk. We better all be ready." Noctis hadn't liked the stress the older man put on that word. He liked it even less when the shield fixed him with a meaningful glare before turning to stomp away, shaking his head as he went. Despite the sourness of it, a fraction of him wanted to go after the man. It was only a fraction, though, and that fraction was greatly overpowered by remorse and spite, which held onto his heart much tighter.

Ignis heard the furthering steps and had to bite the inside of his cheek. He had had his concerns, that Gladio would react this way, but he hadn't expected it to sting so much. He refused to feel guilty, though, nor agreeing to his views. Instead he forced the facade back to his tone as he suggested,

"Now, about that tomb…"

"Right." Noct's reply was absentminded, and Ignis' brows furrowed. They had a long road ahead of them, and frankly, the strategist wasn't sure what they would find at the other end. The only thing certain to him, though, was that he would walk it with them, make that distance for as long as he lived. And if not, then... Well, it wouldn't matter at that point.

They cut down the growth – the eggs and the vegetation – and pushed through the thick outgrown heap until the door glimmered under their lights. Gladio didn't return to help them, but no-one had really expected him to, anyway. The dark man was taking a moment at the other side of the swamp lake, within eyesight but clearly keeping his distance.

It looked almost innocent, Noctis thought, as his eyes went over the light marble appreciatively. Looking at it spoke nothing of the toil and trouble it had taken to finally reach it. He couldn't help but wonder if the past three days had been worth this. Was a royal arm... worth their cracking friendship? And did it make a difference either way?

Behind him, Ignis coughed a little. "After you, Noct."

"Yeah, yeah..."

He remembered Ignis' words by the fire; they pushed his doubts aside. The key made a small metallic chink as it turned in the intricate keyhole. With a low scraping sound, they pushed the door open and, Noct in the lead, stepped into the dim rest of the ancestor.

It's over. It's done. *insert Frodo meme here* Thank you so much Elillierose for beta reading and advice, and also I want to thank you all who read through and left comments!

When I had completed the draft of this, I was a couch potato for the rest of the day. Just dazed. When I get into the zone over a longer writing project, that zone stays with me for weeks, until I finish what I've started. I'm pretty relieved it's done now, and it turned out exactly the way I wanted. Yeeah, it is pretty Noct ex machina, but that's intentional. He is the main character after all. Plus he can do all these cool things. Summon ethereal weapons. Call forth gods. Friggin' gods! How cool is that?!

Anyway, I hope you liked it. If you have a prompt you'd like me to write, send me a PM. Or feel free to give me a holler about whatever. Cheers!