[Two, she says, and two is the one he seeks out, though with some trepidation; this is Somnus's child. A king in his own right, of course, and long dead, with a voice that wishes to be heard, but Noctis can't help wondering if it's some sort of invasion of privacy. Would it bother Somnus? He'd encouraged this, in his own way, but... it's his family.
...It's Noct's family too, though, however distant. Being here and meeting the brothers that started it all has taught him that much. Quietly and stubbornly, he shoves that hesitation aside and reaches to take that metaphorical hand, feeling for the soul of the 2nd king of Lucis. Who are you, he asks. What kind of ruler were you? What arms did you wield?
What message do you have for me?
After that, a hush falls between them, with Noctis silent and idle for what feels like a long time as the whisper of a single ancient spirit trickles upwards through his magic and resonates with his own in return. The binding of souls, Cor had called it, and he's felt this before. The sudden and sharp aching of tethers around his heart as a blade of his family enters his body and becomes his own, the surge of power every time he fully conjures the Armiger. Familiar, warm, powerful. It's softer here, words instead of weapons, and sometimes he still doesn't understand it in full but the more he listens the more he can feel it, the heart of the message he's receiving. Understanding- the struggle of taking over for shoes too big to fill, fearful for the future, fighting not to crumble under the weight of a kingdom to built up when the crown came upon him too young and too sudden. Encouragement- that no matter how history remembers you, your legacy is what lives on after you're gone. It's kinder than Noctis had expected.
Those words don't reach Pyra, as they are not meant for her. But connected as she is to Noct, she can feel the intent behind them: patience that has endured thousands of years, relief to have finally reached that distant goal, encouragement that going forward, none of them are alone. It's warm, and though he doesn't realize it, there are tears on his cheeks as the souls of his ancestors step back and leave him in peace once more.]
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...It's Noct's family too, though, however distant. Being here and meeting the brothers that started it all has taught him that much. Quietly and stubbornly, he shoves that hesitation aside and reaches to take that metaphorical hand, feeling for the soul of the 2nd king of Lucis. Who are you, he asks. What kind of ruler were you? What arms did you wield?
What message do you have for me?
After that, a hush falls between them, with Noctis silent and idle for what feels like a long time as the whisper of a single ancient spirit trickles upwards through his magic and resonates with his own in return. The binding of souls, Cor had called it, and he's felt this before. The sudden and sharp aching of tethers around his heart as a blade of his family enters his body and becomes his own, the surge of power every time he fully conjures the Armiger. Familiar, warm, powerful. It's softer here, words instead of weapons, and sometimes he still doesn't understand it in full but the more he listens the more he can feel it, the heart of the message he's receiving. Understanding- the struggle of taking over for shoes too big to fill, fearful for the future, fighting not to crumble under the weight of a kingdom to built up when the crown came upon him too young and too sudden. Encouragement- that no matter how history remembers you, your legacy is what lives on after you're gone. It's kinder than Noctis had expected.
Those words don't reach Pyra, as they are not meant for her. But connected as she is to Noct, she can feel the intent behind them: patience that has endured thousands of years, relief to have finally reached that distant goal, encouragement that going forward, none of them are alone. It's warm, and though he doesn't realize it, there are tears on his cheeks as the souls of his ancestors step back and leave him in peace once more.]