Momentis
Part V: The Beginning of the End

Judge and Jury
by Philippe de la Matraque

It had been three days since the incident in the tomb. The paper would be out today. If Dino included the meeting with Ardyn, many people were going to be excited, some would be scared, and a few were bound to be quite upset. Ignis sighed. There was nothing to be done about it. He hadn't told Dino not to publish it, and he wasn't about to. He believed in a free press as long as that press published the truth.

He wouldn't see the paper until he got to the office, but he imagined he'd run into a few of the upset people at breakfast. Ignis dressed and grabbed his phone. There were more than the usual hellos and good mornings as he made his way out of the hotel and across to the cafeteria.

But Cor's gruff voice met him as he approached. "Get it to go. Meet me in my office."

Ignis sighed again and nodded. The workers were prepared for him. They handed him a bag and a bottle of juice. He thanked them then turned toward Administration.

It was too quiet when he arrived. No one spoke, but someone closed the door behind him. Ignis counted slowly to five but no one said a word. "I imagine you're all glaring at me, but let me remind you that I'm blind and can't see it."

"Sorry, Iggy," Prompto said. He was to the right of the door, sitting down, from the sound of his voice. "It's me, Gladio, Cor, and Cid.

"You might also have invited Aranea," Ignis told the crowd. "She knows the whole vision, too."

"So does Ardyn apparently," Gladio groused. Next to Prompto, also sitting. "Maybe we should've invited him."

Ignis did his best to glare back at him. "That is uncalled for. And I only told him part of the vision. He had Dino. He could have killed him. He could have killed all of us. What would you had me do? Fight him?"

"You did before," Gladio shot back, but Ignis heard in his tone that he was backing down.

"I had the ring then," Ignis reminded them. "And still he only toyed with me."

"Have you read the paper?" Cor asked. Sitting behind his desk. "I have. I'm wondering why I had to find out in the paper. That was three days ago."

"I get the paper in my office," Ignis replied. "I haven't been to my office. I saw nothing amiss with what happened so I felt no need to tell you. It was handled, over and done."

"You might have consulted us," Cor started again, but Ignis held up a hand to stop him.

"Consulted you?" he asked back. He was hungry and perhaps that shortened his temper this morning. "While he had a knife or a hand on Dino's throat, deep in the Balouve Mines? That vision was given to me. I didn't have to tell any of you. I chose to. And I chose to give Ardyn just enough to get him to leave without killing anyone."

"What exactly did you tell him?" Cid asked and Ignis felt his temper drop. Though he was a bit miffed that everyone was sitting, and no one had offered him a seat. Still Cid was offering him a chance at understanding, and Ignis was determined to take it.

"What did Dino write that I told him?"

Prompto ruffled a paper, then started to summarize. "That Noctis doesn't know what's going on out here because he's floating in a white space. That he will be defeated and that you know he's coming soon because of certain changes to our appearances."

"Sounds accurate," Ignis commented. "So what part do you have a problem with? That I told Ardyn or that Dino heard it and now all of Lestallum knows the king will return?"

"Both." Cor was characteristically blunt.

"Too bad," Ignis told him. "I'm the only here who has fought Ardyn, with or without a ring. There was no other option than to talk him down. A tactic that will certainly stop working the more we try it. So I offered him enough to get him to leave without jeopardizing this community. And by the sound of it, it had the exact opposite effect. It has bolstered this community with a new hope and a new resolve. I also told Dino and Talcott that Noctis would be in that Crystal until his ring absorbed all its light. I did not tell that to Ardyn, nor did tell any of them the cost of Ardyn's defeat."

"He's got a point," Prompto said in his defense. "I haven't seen so many smiles as I've seen out there since before the world went dark. People were starting to doubt the king's return, thinking it would be dark forever. Now they have something to hope for."

There was silence for a moment, so Ignis listened to them breathe. Cid was relaxed. Cor was a bit too far and keeping very quiet. Gladio sighed then he spoke, "It's too risky for you to go to those libraries anymore."

"I concur," Ignis replied. "I told Talcott as much that night. We have enough books to last us a couple of years anyway."

Cor was the last holdout. "Why let him know it was soon? Why the details?"

"Soon is a vague term," Ignis reminded him. "I couldn't give him a definite time any more than I can give you one. But if he's back in Insomnia preparing, he's not attacking us here. And if he thinks time is short, then Gods-willing, we won't' have to face him again. None of us can defeat him, not even with an army. Only the Chosen King."

There was quiet again and Ignis found Cor's breaths. They were coming hard. Not the result he wanted. Still he waited.

Finally, Cor stood. "I don't like give him time to fortify the city." He took another breath. "I'd like to take a force, some of the new Glaive, to interrupt his fortifications."

Ignis hadn't missed that he'd stated what he wanted to do, not what he would do. He was waiting for Ignis's approval. Ignis took two steps closer to Cor's desk. "I think it's a good idea as long as your work there doesn't draw his ire back here. Take only volunteers." He offered his right hand.

Cor took it and they shook.

"Next time you wake me up this early," Cid said, "it had better be for a good reason. Let the man get back to work."

Gladio stood and patted Ignis's shoulder before he went and opened the door.

Prompto was the next to get up. "Since I'm in town anyway, Iggy," he said, "mind if I join you in your office for breakfast."

Ignis turned and met him near the door. "Not at all. Anything else catch your interest in the paper?" he asked as they headed up the stairs.

"He got a decent photo of you," Prompto reported. "Not as good as one of mine, but you looked rather heroic with your daggers on fire."