A/n: Just a small little warning I have to add...
⚠️WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT⚠️
It's small and only last for a few sentences, but I just wanted to warn those who are sensitive about the topic. The scene is in the nightmare, if you're wondering when you should skip. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Gladio makes his way through the final passage towards where Gilgamesh awaits. "There's a chill in the air... I can feel his presence. He'd better be ready for me."
He eventually comes to a stone bridge spanning across Taelpar Crag. Embedded in the stone bridge on either side along its full length are a great multitude of swords. Gilgamesh stands at the other end of the bridge, his back turned to the shield. Gladio approaches and announces himself to the undead warrior. "I'm here."
Gilgamesh slowly turns his head. "Brandishing your brute force?"
"Yeah. Let's see if you can handle it."
Their battle begins. Gilgamesh wields a broadsword in the hand of his only remaining arm. Gladio summoned his greatsword and faced off against the undead warrior.
The two exchanged blow after blow, both injuring the other. However, Gilgamesh was clearly powerful. He had the upper hand and could easily knock Gladio down. Luckily, the shield found plenty of curatives during his trek through the Tempering Grounds and was able to keep in tip-top shape during the battle.
Gladio was able to parry a few of Gilgamesh's attacks and stagger the undead warrior, granting him the window he needed to deal heavy damage.
In the middle of the battle as the shield was trying to regain his breath, Gilgamesh spoke to him. "You only delay the inevitable, O Unworthy One. Look how you tremble!"
"I ain't afraid of you," Gladio declared.
The undead warrior closed the distance between him and the brute. "With every passing second, the fear in your heart grows greater still."
"So what do I do? Just roll over and die?"
"Yes. Why else would you have come here, if not to join the other lost souls?"
"Because I've got what it takes-and I'm gonna prove it!" Greatsword in hand, the shield dodges Gilgamesh's next attack and struck from behind.
The undead warrior recovered, striking Gladio and knocking him off his feet. He swung his blade a second time while the brute was down, but he was slightly taken aback when his sword was parried. With a successful parry, Gladio leapt at Gilgamesh and was able to deal some more damage.
At a certain point in the battle, Gilgamesh parries Gladio's sword, then simply stands and stares. "Blind reliance on strength alone reveals your weakness of will." As Gilgamesh utters this, the shield turns to look at the many abandoned blades of those who have also tried to face the undead warrior.
"Countless disappointments met their end here, and so shall you!"
"No. I didn't come here to die. I came here to prove to you I'm worthy!" Gladio proclaimed, reengaging Gilgamesh.
The battle waged on. At a certain certain point, Gladio seemingly had Gilgamesh defeated and brings his blade down for a bisecting swing intended to finish him off. Gilgamesh forms a fiery left arm from his energy, however, and catches the brute's blade. "You are strong-yet so long as fear binds your heart...the power you possess is wasted on you."
Gilgamesh dispells the broadsword in his right hand and replaces it with a katana that he wields with both hands. Gladio remains on his toes when seeing the undead warrior switched weapons. He grips his greatsword tightly as he stood in front of the powerful adversary. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, too. Ain't no way I'm backing down now! I've still got some tricks up my sleeve, too."
After depleting half of Gilgamesh's remaining energy, Gladio attempts a horizontal slash across the undead warrior's midsection. However, Gilgamesh blocks the attack and counters with a slash that cuts Gladio across his forehead. The shield was forced to back away to regain his composure before continuing the struggle against the undead warrior.
Clashing blades and parrying more attacks, Gladio eventually delivered a strike that throws Gilgamesh off balance and down onto one knee. The undead warrior's fiery left arm dissipates as he falls.
"I kneel before no man!" Gladio proclaimed at the top of his lungs. He stares at Gilgamesh for a moment, then seems to become aware of the pain in his forehead. He trailed his fingers across the new scar before letting out a faint chuckle. "Not exactly the "souvenir" I had in mind. It took me a while, but I realized something: you're right-I am afraid. Afraid of accepting the fact that maybe I'm not really cut out for the job I'm expected to do. But hey, at least I'm not walking away empty-handed. I'd better get going. I may be all muscle and no mettle, but I'm gonna keep protecting Noct the only way I know how."
Gladio turns and starts walking away just as Gilgamesh rises back to his feet and addresses him. "Spoken like a true Shield of the King." The shield stops and turns back to face the undead warrior as he continued. "Fear and doubt beget death alone. He who averts his gaze from his own faults cannot call himself a true Shield, but you-having made peace with your inner self-have proven you are worthy. The Chosen King should be so fortunate as to have a man like yourself serving at his side."
"You mean...?" Gladio's voice trailed off.
Gilgamesh looks at his katana, then holds its grip out to Gladio. "And with this glaive, I entrust my power to you."
The shield stabs his own sword into the ground and approaches Gilgamesh to receive his gift-the Genji Blade. As he takes the weapon into his hands, Gladio notices a medallion bearing the Crownsguard symbol hanging from the katana. "Where did you...?"
"Taken from the young man who impressed me with his strength of will. It was with this very blade he stole from me my arm."
Gladio was honored. However, he didn't feel as though he was worthy of such a gift. "But...I can't accept this."
"If he still walks among the living, a man of his mettle will have doubtless transcended attachment to mere material possessions." Gilgamesh held out his hand, conjuring another gift for the shield. "Take this as well."
Gladio accepted the crystalline coin and noticed a strange symbol engraved on it. "What is this?"
"The symbol of the ancient kingdom, Vanaheim. Do give it to the young queen."
He was shocked at how the undead warrior knew about (Y/n). "How did you know about her?"
"Her scent lingers on your being. Many of her blood line failed where you have succeeded. Alongside the crimson queen, this artifact is all that remains of the once grand Vanaheim. It is only right it be in her possession."
Gladio places the coin in his pocket. "I'll make sure to give it to her."
"Now, hasten forth-with mind unclouded by doubt and will unmoved by fear. The Last King of Lucis is ill fit to fight without his Shield," Gilgamesh said.
Gladio nods and smiles. "Thanks again." He turns and leaves, carrying the Genji Blade at his side. Exiting the chamber, he saw Cor and (Y/n) eagerly waiting for him.
"You made it," Cor spoke up.
Gladio nodded. "Sure did."
"And so quickly. I'm impressed."
The shield raises the Genji Blade and shows it to the marshal. "Brought this back with me, too. Figured you might get a kick out of it."
Cor analyzes the blade and easily recognizes it. "I wondered where I put that thing." He stares at it for a moment before realizing Gladio is presenting it to him. "Keep it. Makes for a better souvenir than that scar."
Gladio then turned towards War. "I've got something for you."
"Me?" (Y/n) watched the brute fish an object out of his pocket. When seeing it was a crystalline coin with the symbol of Vanaheim engraved on it, her eyes widen in surprise. "Where did you get this?"
"Gilgamesh had it. He said your ancestors tried to take him on and thought you'd like the coin back."
War stared at the coin for a few seconds before sighing. "You keep it. I don't want it."
"You sure?" Gladio questioned.
"Yeah. After all, you earned it."
He put the Vanaheim coin back in his pocket.
Cor turns and begins to walk away. Gladio and (Y/n) follow after the marshal. They leave the Tempering Grounds and walk down the path leading away from the entrance. As they strolled away from Taelpar Crag, Gladio spoke up. "Y'know, he mentioned he lost his arm in battle with a real hot-headed young guy back in the day."
"That so?" Cor questioned.
"Whoever it was left a lasting impression on him. Talked about how the guy had the strongest will he'd ever seen."
"Takes more than will to complete the trial. You need to wield your weapon with a primal finesse. If you fail to prove your might, you get cast out empty-handed."
"I dunno. He didn't seem to think the guy would let it bother him. Said the guy's too old to care about material things anymore-if he's still alive," Gladio said.
The conversation died down and the Horseman walked ahead of the two men. She went to summon Ares, but stopped when she saw Pestilence walking towards her. "So, how'd it go?"
"Well," the ivory-haired girl answered. "Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto retrieved the mythril and will be arriving in Lestallum by tomorrow night. They will be speaking to an engineer named Holly in order to refine the mythril."
"Thanks, Sis. I appreciate it."
Pestilence smiled. "Seeing you open up brings a smile to my face. I'm proud of your progress so far."
The redhead combed a hand through her tresses. "Guess I am changing slowly. It's easier to control my temper now."
"That's good! Seeing you less tense and more relaxed is a welcomed change." She clasped her hands together, her smile widening. "Please, contact me anytime."
"Thanks again, Pestilence." (Y/n) waved farewell to her sister before summoning Ares. She climbed on to his back, waiting for Gladio. When he caught up with Cor behind him, he patted the top of the horse's head.
"Gladio," Cor spoke up.
Gladio came to a stop before climbing onto Ares and turns back to face the marshal. "Huh?"
"I hope you feel more confident in light of your success today. Few men can lay claim to such an accomplishment-not even Cor the Immortal."
"Yeah, but I didn't earn myself a badass nickname like he did. Still, I'm glad I went through with it." He mounted the horse and sat behind War. "I can finally say I'm truly ready to fulfill my duty."
Cor nodded. "Good."
"Well, I guess this Shield better mosey on back to his King. Wouldn't want him to get scared without me."
"Before you go." Cor walks up to the fiery steed and meets (Y/n)'s gaze. "I want to thank you for lending your strength to His Highness and his retainers. Although your intentions are purely your own, they've benefited from them as well."
"Don't thank me yet. They, along with you and the other people of Eos, are still in danger because of the Horsemen's carelessness. Thank me when my sisters and I have dealt with the monsters from our world," War retorts. "Farewell, marshal."
"Good luck, you two," Cor said as Ares took off.
<------------<<<<<
After having arrived in Lestallum, (Y/n) explained to Gladio what Pestilence told her. They were both in agreement, deciding to wait for the others to arrive tomorrow. They headed to the Leville and bought a room. Inside their hotel room, Gladio stood on the balcony while the Horseman sat on the edge of one of the beds with crossed legs. Her gaze fell on the shield when noticing he was fiddling with the Vanaheim coin.
Pushing herself to her feet, she walked out of the room and stood on the balcony beside him. "Is it really that fun to play with?"
Gladio kept his eyes on the coin, admiring its unique design. "It's not everyday you get your hands on the currency of a lost kingdom. Besides, I've never seen a coin made from crystal."
"Vanaheim's currency was made from a mineral called vanarite. As the name implies, it's a mineral that was only found in Vanaheim," she explained.
"Can't believe your kingdom used a precious mineral as currency."
"Hey, I'm just as surprised as you." She pushed herself off the railing. "Pushing that aside, let me check that scar."
Gladio ceased playing with the coin. "There's no need. It's just a scar."
She gestured to the bed. "Just sit your ass down."
The shield did as she commanded and sat down on the edge of the bed. He watched her closely as she approached him.
War stood in front of Gladio, eyes focused on the fresh scar. She gently traced the scar, noticing the small amount of blood that had dripped from the wound. It was already dry. Her eyes narrowed when seeing the skin was slightly irritated. Using a minor healing incantation, she was able to heal the slight infection. "I didn't get rid of the scar, only the infection. It's not like I can heal scars, anyway."
Before she could remove her hand from his forehead, Gladio grabbed it and held it gently. "Thanks for taggin' along, (Y/n). It was because of you and the marshal I was able to keep going."
"I'm sure you would've been fine without me," she said. "For now, you should rest."
"What? You're not gonna show me that same beautiful smile like earlier?" He grinned, holding her hand tighter.
"Again with the flirting...?" She groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Like I said before, I call it "telling the truth"."
"Oh, really?" (Y/n) freed her hand from his, using both of hers to push him down on the bed. She climbed over him, straddling his waist. Staring into his amber eyes, she leaned down. Their faces were now mere inches apart. Teasing him, she brushed her lips against his. "If you think flirting with me is enough to get me into bed, you've got another thing coming."
Just as quickly as she pinned him to the bed, she hopped off of him. Gladio was still stunned from her sudden actions, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. Shaking his head, he snapped out of it and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Someone's a tease."
(Y/n) grabbed a pillow from the other bed and tossed it at him. "Shut the hell up and go to sleep or I'll smother you with a pillow."
"There's the girl I know," he chortled. Then, he made himself comfortable on the bed with a heavy sigh. When the lights turned off, he looked across the room at the girl. "You gonna get some sleep?"
"Yeah, I am." War lied down on the other bed. "Think you'll be able to get a decent night's rest with that nightmare?"
"Nah, I won't. But a couple hours of peaceful sleep will be good enough for me."
"All right..." she sighed. "Goodnight, Gladio."
"'Night, firecracker."
*****
When Gladio opened his eyes, he looked around and saw himself in a large corridor. The walls were aligned with beautiful painted portraits and intricately detailed statues. He walked towards a nearby window, pushing aside the luscious mauve curtains. Looking out the window, he admired the beautiful scenery of what appeared to be a large kingdom. Taking a closer look, he saw banners with a familiar symbol. He was in the beautiful kingdom of Vanaheim.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Gladio closed the curtains and stepped away from the window. Glancing down the hall, he saw two figures heading in his direction. He recognized both of them-one was Gaius and the other was (Y/n). He noticed the beautiful gown she was wearing as she and her advisor walked past him without sparing a glance in his direction.
"What is on the agenda today, Gaius?" The (e/c)-eyed girl questioned.
"We've located another conspirator, Your Majesty," the tall man replied.
"Another one?" She murmured in surprise. "Who is it?"
"Lady Aubrey. We have her in custody and she awaits your judgement in the throne room."
Her eyes widen in horror at hearing the name. "Lady Aubrey? But she..."
"I know she was one of the ladies of the castle during your father's rule, my queen, but we must nip this rebellion at the bud or it will never end. From what they found in her home, she seems to be the leader of the group of resistance," Gaius explained.
(Y/n) steeled herself. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Gladio followed the duo to the throne room. He moved about freely, knowing he couldn't touch anyone nor could anyone see him. He leaned against the wall and watched as (Y/n) became judge, jury, and executioner. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene as Lady Aubrey begged for her life after the queen decided her fate. This was a part of the nightmare he'd never seen before. He pushed himself off the wall as the (h/c)-haired girl removed herself from the throne and summoned an all-too-familiar sword.
"I'm sorry, Lady Aubrey, but you leave me no choice," (Y/n) told the sobbing woman.
"P-Please, my queen!" She jabbed a finger in Gaius' direction. "This man is using you! I would never plot against you!"
"Something a traitor would say..." Gaius muttered under his breath.
Without hesitating, (Y/n) plunged her sword through the woman's chest, killing her instantly. Removing the blade from Lady Aubrey's body, blood splattered against the queen's white dress, painting it red. With emotionless eyes, the young girl gestured to the two guards on duty. "Dispose of her body." The two men did as they were ordered, dragging the corpse out of the throne room.
"The hell're you doing, (Y/n)?" Gladio hissed, even though he knew no one could hear him. He glared at her as Gaius strolled down the stairs that led up to the throne.
"How're you faring, my dear?" Gaius asked with a worried tone. The shield clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing the man was feigning concern.
"Fine." (Y/n) dispelled her sword, wiping off a few drops of blood that were on her face. "Is there anybody else who needs to be taken care of?"
"Not today, no. Although, I did wish to speak with you about a matter of utmost importance."
She turned to face him. "What is it, Gaius?"
A sinister smirk made an appearance on the man's face. "I wanted to thank you personally for all you've done to make my mission easier."
The queen was puzzled at his proclamation. "Mission? What're you talking about?"
Gaius circled (Y/n) like a voretooth eyeing its next prey. "You were a mere puppet, my darling. Now that all Vanaheim sees you as a monster who cannot stave off her bloodlust, the citizens desire your downfall."
She desperately tried to wrap her head around his words. "If this is some kind of sick joke, it needs to end now, Gaius."
"I only speak the truth." He handed her a letter. "If you do not believe me, read this."
(Y/n) turned her back to the man and began reading the letter.
Gladio, who was standing by the girl, read the letter over her shoulder. He wore the same expression as her when learning Gaius was an imperial spy sent by Niflheim to seize the kingdom of Vanaheim. Looking up from the letter, he saw tears forming in the queen's eyes as a broken expression manifested on her face.
Assembling the pieces together, Gladio glared at Gaius. He painted (Y/n) as a bloodthirsty monster and caused all of Vanaheim to turn against her. The brute wanted to kill the man where he stood, but couldn't.
Suddenly, Gladio heard a disembodied voice whisper in his ear.
Save her...
He shook his head just as Gaius conjured his sword. Heeding the voice, he stepped closer to (Y/n). Looking around, he tried to think of how he could stop the man.
Just as Gaius was about to stab the queen in the back, Gladio leapt towards the girl and summoned a shield. What shocked him the most was when he heard and felt Gaius' blade clash with his shield.
"Who the hell are you?!" The man shrieked.
Realizing he was visible, Gladio lowered his shield and glared sharply at him. "Someone who's gonna break your neck."
Gaius noticed Gladio protectively standing in front of (Y/n) and cackled. "You honestly believe you'll be able to protect that monster?"
"The only monster I see is the bastard who manipulated her," Gladio growled. "Your job is to guide and protect your queen, but you're nothing but imperial scum. You filled her head with lies and used her own kingdom against her. I'll have plenty of fun kickin' your ass."
"Even If you kill me, the entire kingdom will be after her head. You stand no chance, you heathen," Gaius spat.
"I don't give a damn! Where you failed, I won't."
Gladio switched to his greatsword and attacked Gaius. Although the man was nimble and hard to hit, the brute managed to knock him down after a few hits. Before he could finish him off, the doors to the throne room flew open. A horde of soldiers adorned in Vanaheim armor raise their weapons as they stormed into the throne room. Their sights were set on the broken (Y/n).
Seeing how many soldiers there were, Gladio clicked his tongue and decided to abandon his greatsword. Turning around, he grabbed the queen's wrist. "C'mon, Your Majesty. We're making a break for it."
(Y/n) was unresponsive. She appeared to be a lifeless doll which didn't go unnoticed by Gladio. He couldn't get her to move and took another course of action. Scooping her up into his arms, he dodged the adversaries and ran out of the throne room with them chasing him.
Unfamiliar with the castle's layout, Gladio blindly ran up and down corridors for what felt like hours. When he could no longer hear the soldiers behind him, he dove into a nearby room. Placing (Y/n) down on the bed, he locked the door. Sighing, he examined the room and saw it was a beautifully decorated bedroom. He assumed it must've been a guest room by its size. Pushing the thought aside, the shield cautiously walked up to the queen. Kneeling down on one knee, he gazed into her (e/c) eyes. Carefully, he placed one of his hands on her knee. "Hey, how're you holdin' up?"
(Y/n) managed to lift her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Why...?"
Gladio's brows furrowed together in bewilderment. "Why what?"
"I've never seen you before in my life, and yet you chose to protect me. Why?" Her voice was frail. As she spoke, her body shook and tears cascaded down her cheeks.
This was the first time Gladio has ever seen the girl broken. He squeezed her knee as he spoke. "I may be Noct's sworn shield, but that doesn't mean I can't protect you too. I won't let that bastard get his way."
(Y/n) lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as sobs wracked her body. "I deserve to die for how many I've killed." She saw the blood on her dress and scrunched up the fabric in her hands. "So many people who trusted me are dead. I'm a monster..."
Gladio moves his hand from her knee to her chin. Tilting her chin up slightly, he gazed into her teary (e/c) eyes. "Listen to me, (Y/n). You were being used by that bastard."
"But I was the one who killed all those people! Their blood is on my hands, not Gaius'!" She broke free from him, entangling her fingers in her (h/c) locks. "Even if I was blinded by love, I did the unspeakable! I deserve to die." She removes her fingers from her hair and summons a dagger.
Gladio was confused as to why she summoned a weapon. He took a step towards her just as she pointed the sharp blade at her chest. Without hesitating, he grabbed the dagger out of her hands and tossed it to the floor. "The hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Making Gaius' job easier," she snapped.
The moment she tried to summon another weapon, Gladio grabbed both of her wrists in his hands to stop her. "Stop this, (Y/n)," he growled.
"Why?!" She yelled. "My whole kingdom wants me dead anyway!"
"You're seriously gonna let that bastard win?" He hissed. "You're gonna give up without even fighting? That's not the (Y/n) I know."
The young queen fell silent for a few seconds before responding. "What's the point in fighting? I'll be dead soon enough."
"I won't let anyone touch you," Gladio proclaimed. "You may have given up, but I haven't."
She saw the determination in his amber eyes. "How could I not give up? No matter what I do, Gaius has won. Niflheim will claim Vanaheim whether I live or die."
"If you die, you'll be taking the easy way out. Live, and do your best to make up for what you've done."
(Y/n) fell into deep thought, replaying Gladio's words on a loop. After a couple of seconds, she sighed sorrowfully. "You're right. Death would be the easy way out, but how will I make up for what I've done? I'm a murderer..."
He smiled at her. "Trust me when I say this: you're doing a damn good job already."
This confused her even more. "What do you-?"
She was interrupted when they heard yelling from the hallway. They both fell silent until whoever was shouting passed by the room without noticing their presence.
Gladio turned to the girl and held out his hand towards her. "As much as I would love to keep chattin', we've gotta get out of here. You trust me?"
She gazed at his hand before taking it. "I do."
"Then let's get the hell outta here. I'll be your shield, (Y/n)."
*****