As the Ivory Dragon died, an invisible ripple spread through the world. The whole city trembled slightly, and then, one of the two remaining chains that bound the Ivory Island to the rest of Hope's shattered kingdom broke with a deafening ring.
The broken chain fell into the darkness of the Sky Below, leaving only a single tether holding the island in place. The island's position shifted… not by much, but enough to cause the arching stone bridge to crack, shudder, and then slowly crumble.
A cloud of stone dust rose into the air as the massive structure collapsed, enveloping the area with debris as Nightmare swiftly galloped with Sunny atop his back.
In the short amount of time between when he had defeated Mordret and the present, his Monster Core had reformed. During that time, he noticed a certain problem pertaining to his Aspect, but he could concern himself with that later.
For a few moments, Sunny remained motionless amidst the sounds of hooves, staring at the beautiful ivory walls of the great pagoda that towered above the world. Although the whole city was being consumed by immolating flame, here at its precipice, everything was calm and quiet.
He couldn't quite believe it.
Solvane, the Saint of War, was dead. The immortal prince encased in the mountain of moving steel was dead. The noble dragon that had dutifully guarded the tower was dead, as well.
They won. The Nightmare… was conquered.
More or less.
From the blood-soaked arena of the Red Colosseum, to the neverending prison of nightmares, to the numinous Temple of the Chalice, to the furious battle for the sky above the Ivory City, to confronting the Prince of Nothing… somehow, he had lived through all of it, and triumphed.
What were the chances of that?
'I'm really something…'
Of course, there were a few issues left.
Most of the army of the perished Chain Lords was still intact, and on its way to the city. The cohort had dealt a terrible blow to the small part of it, but hundreds upon hundreds of flying ships still remained, carrying thousands upon thousands of soldiers. Now that their commanders were dead, he was not sure what would happen to them, and how they would react.
Noctis was nowhere to be found.
And Hope was still chained, even if not for long now.
With a sigh, Sunny stood up and grimaced as a feeling of sickening weakness overwhelmed him. His soul was terribly damaged… he had never abused it to this degree before, not even during the siege of the Crimson Spire. His body was not doing too great, either. Sunny had given his all to come this far, and now, he was at the end of his rope.
But he was also so close to becoming a Master.
Nightmare leaped over to the last chain connecting to the Ivory Tower.
The emerald meadow, the calm surface of a clear lake, the peaceful grove of ancient trees… he had been here before, in the distant future. Of course, now, the island did not look exactly the same. There were pools of dragon blood sizzling in the green grass, and wisps of smoke floating in the air, brought over from the burning city by the wind.
He looked at the Ivory Tower and saw the body of a beautiful white dragon wrapped around it, not yet reduced to weathered bones.
Sunny remained motionless for a bit, and then went to find March as Nightmare returned to his Soul Sea.
She was laying in the grass not too far away. Her bones were broken, and Sunny had made an audible sound of disgust after seeing all the burn marks and smelling the digestive fluids on her body, but she was alive.
Not knowing what else to do, Sunny took off the Puppeteer's Shroud, rolled it, and placed the soft fabric under the archer's head as a pillow. Then, he lingered for a few moments, patted March on the shoulder, and stood up.
"That was pretty badass of you."
He wanted to puke.
Then, he slowly walked forward and stood in front of the dead dragon's head, looking at the closed gates behind it.
This was it.
The prison of Hope…
As he studied the gates, something suddenly rustled behind him. Sunny remained motionless for a few moments, and then slowly turned around. His eyes were dark and hollow.
...Noctis did not look as bad as he had after the battle with Solvane, but he also did not look good. The sorcerer was battered and beaten, his body covered by terrible burns. His elegant garments had turned into rags, and his raven-black hair was singed and uneven.
He also looked… different.
It was as though the burden of madness that had clouded his beautiful grey eyes finally disappeared, leaving them sparkling and clear. The sorcerer looked radiant and at ease, emanating a cool and calming aura. His friendly presence enveloped Sunny like an embrace.
Perhaps this was how he had been centuries ago, before the duty of being a shackle to Desire turned him twisted and weighed down by the curse of eternal servitude.
Noctis glanced up, at the ivory expanse of the great pagoda, and then looked at Sunny with a smile:
"Ah, Sunless! Please excuse my disheveled appearance. Looks… looks like we've won, doesn't it?"
Sunny lingered for a few moments, then offered him a silent nod.
After that, he faced the sorcerer and asked:
"So. What now? This is it? We are done?"
Noctis remained silent for a bit, then lightly shook his head.
"Well… actually, there is one small thing left to do."
Sunny sighed as he looked at the knife within Noctis's hand. His voice resounded from the Extraordinary Rock, tinged with a bitter emotion:
"...I thought you said that she can break one chain on her own."
Noctis smiled.
"Oh, I think that she can. However…"
The immortal's smile paled and then disappeared, leaving his face strangely bare.
"...That doesn't mean that she should."
He sighed, and then looked away, at the pillars of smoke rising above the dying city. His gaze was distant and solemn.
"Have you ever seen a wolf gnaw its paw off to escape a trap, Sunless? Ah… it's a terrible thing to behold. I wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone."
Noctis remained silent for a while, and then added in a wistful tone:
"Wolves... are meant to be free."
Then, a carefree smile appeared on his beautiful face once again, and the sorcerer turned to Sunny with sparks dancing in his grey eyes.
"So, my friend… the time has finally come for me to request something of you."
Noctis's hand rose to the sky, pointing in the distance. Following, Sunny's gaze landed on the scarlet sun — the miniature one.
'…Huh?'
It was… shaking?
"Although I'm don't know where you got that powerful beam of energy from, I know that it caused the Conqueror to… react. Now that they have awoken, the seal is bound to collapse soon."
Sunny's gaze darkened. He had initially thought that the end of the Nightmare would lay with ending the conflict between Noctis and the rest of the Chain Lords.
He had never considered that the final act would be hanging right above everyone's heads.
The miniature scarlet sun trembled violently, its glow pulsing in uneven, sickening bursts. Dawn's gentle gold couldn't soften its presence — if anything, the early light only made the crimson orb look more wrong, more intrusive, like a burning wound tearing open the morning sky. Each shudder sent ripples through the air, warping the clouds into distorted shapes as if the heavens were melting around it.
Below, the Ivory City drowned in its radiance. Smoke turned red, shadows stretched thin and jagged, and the still pools of dragon blood hissed as the scarlet glare washed over them. Even the peaceful meadow darkened under the oppressive light, its colors muted as though the world itself was bracing for something it was never meant to witness. The tiny sun cracked — just once, a thin line of blinding brilliance — and the entire sky seemed to flinch.
"…What do you need me to do?"
Sunny didn't think that he could do any harm against the Conqueror, but he was all out of ideas. Noctis, who he had to admit was more knowledgeable than himself, might have already accounted for this.
As if reading his mind, the sorcerer grinned.
"Ah, I know that expression all too well by now, Sunless. You must be thinking of the best ways to exploit the dying man in front of you, yes?"
He grimaced, unsure if now was the time for jokes.
"I've never seen a real wolf, you know? And yes, I am trying to exploit you, but do I really have a choice?"
Noctis chuckled.
"No, I suppose you don't. In any case, what I have to ask of you is simple. As I release Hope from the last of her chains, I won't be around to deliver her message. I'll need you to do so for me, so listen closely…"
Sunny listened in silence… and then widened his eyes.
For a moment, he simply stood there, breath shallow, eyes wide and unfocused, as if the ground beneath him had quietly shifted into a precipice. When he finally managed to swallow, the motion was stiff, strained. Sunny looked away, unable to meet Noctis's gaze, because whatever he had just heard… it left him trembling.
"I— What? You knew…?"
Noctis smiled.
"I don't have the luxury of explaining everything currently, but I am sure that you will come to understand yourself. Now… will you go?"
Sunny let out a shaky breath.
"Ugh.. well, this isn't the worse thing you've made me do. Fine, since you asked nicely."
Noctis looked up at the scarlet sun once more, then to the single piece of obsidian in his hand.
A sad smile appeared on his face.
"Well, then… I guess this is a goodbye… for now, at least. Farewell, Sunless. You have been a great friend to me. And I… I hope that I have been a good friend to you, too."
He sighed, lingered for a few moments, and then added:
"Before we part, however, I must tell you something."
Sunny looked at him darkly and asked in a hoarse voice:
"What?"
Noctis silently shook his head.
"You... you really should stop wearing all black. What a terribly drab color! Ah, Sunless… you are better than this…"
With that, the sorcerer laughed and took a step forward.
He hesitated for a second, then locked Sunny in a hug. Because of the difference in their heights, Sunny had to bend down a little.
Noctis chuckled, then grew silent for a moment.
Then, he sighed and whispered, his voice suddenly low and somber.
Just four words, each carrying immeasurable weight:
"Never trust the Gods."
Then, the sorcerer let go of Sunny, smiled one last time, and walked away.
Soon, he disappeared from sight.
And not too long after that, the Ivory Island trembled slightly as the last chain holding it in place broke apart.
Sunny gritted his teeth, then looked away and wiped his eyes.
His shoulders fell.
"Damn scoundrel… you tricked me again…"