Author's Note: Ok, so this is suuuuuper rough. (Ha!) Apologies! It's been...the better portion of a year since I've written anything (*coughs* NaNo2017 *coughs*), and even longer than that since I've posted any works. FFXV has become one of my more recent obsessions and it's looking like I'm gonna be going all in with this one. It's been a long time since a new (to me) fandom has inspired me enough to write for it. Consider this an experimental piece as I try to get a feel for the characters and get back into the flow of writing once more.

There will be more! (Hopefully! *laughs*) I actually intended for this little ficlet done in 750Words to be something else, but then the build-up to that got me to my goal quicker than expected. I've been doing 750Words daily to help me kick my writing skills into shape, so there could be more as soon as tomorrow! (But seriously though, don't get your hopes up, cause I've always sucked at posting any sort of regular!)

Anyway, that's enough of my blathering. Enjoy! 3

Until Dawn Breaks

by starlitpurple

Chapter 1

The patter of rain wasn't loud enough to mask the retreating footsteps of their King. ...Nor the all too familiar sounds of daemons spawning at their backs. Ignis felt more than heard his companions turn to face the threat, and, casting one last thought to his earliest and best friend, turned toward the noise erupting from the ground behind them.

"Guess this is it," he heard Gladio's deep timber at his left.

He pushed his glasses up with his left hand and then called on his daggers, feeling their hilts materialize in his hands. "One last battle, then. Shall we?"

He wasn't sure his voice would carry around the lump in his throat and was surprised to hear how stable it sounded to his own ears.

Prompto hummed in assent. "For Noct," he said, voice firm, and Ignis found himself immediately repeating his words right along with Gladio.

He heard the whooshing of a giant's sword seconds later and backflipped neatly out of the way before pouring his all into the fray. This would be their last official task as Crownsguard to their King; keep the daemons at bay long enough for Noctis to fulfill the prophecy and bring light back to the world. They absolutely would not fail him now, not after a decade of waiting for this day to come. Noctis would succeed, they would be sure of it.

He just hoped he did it quickly. For every monster he took down, he could feel at least two more taking its place. Every minute he could hear more daemons pulling themselves from the ground or skittering toward them from other parts of the city.

To his right, he heard Prompto utter a grunt of pain before firing off several shots in succession. As soon as he finished off the giant he'd been fighting with his spear, he moved toward Prompto. By the sound of it, he was near completely surrounded by daemons. Ignis could hear his Drillbreaker and knew that he was using it tactically to gain space as well as do a bit of damage to the group. He moved around, skillfully carving a path with his blades, until he was at Prompto's back, bumping shoulders with him to let him know he was there. Then he turned his focus inward momentarily so that he could gain Total Clarity as Prompto successfully got them some maneuvering room. The second the Drillbreaker stopped, Ignis whipped around the sharpshooter and flung his daggers outward, using the full force of his magic imbued weapons.

"Nicely done!" Prompto yelled, a bit winded. "You got a few of them!"

Ignis smiled in his direction as he heard Prompto take out the last of the group. "Alright, then?" he asked, already knowing that he was. He turned toward a slithering sound at his right and started launching his lance at the spot he knew it would be. At the answering screech, he knew he'd made his mark.

"Yeah," Prompto answered from across the way. It sounded like he'd dodged an incoming blow, a few shots ringing out once more. Likely getting himself into a better position. "Thanks for the assist, Iggy!"

He nodded, moving in quickly with his daggers as soon as his spear made contact with the daemon a third time. There was a familiar clang at his back, and he knew that Gladio had blocked a nearby blow, letting out a little grunt at the force of it. Finishing his own daemon off, Ignis knowingly flipped out of the way when Gladio growled and unleashed his Tempest move against the threat. He summoned his own spear as he went, driving it into another enemy.

His feet had no sooner touched the ground when they were swept out from under him and he was sent sprawling. The force of Prompto's Gravisphere almost instantaneously started pulling at whatever had knocked him over.

"They just keep coming," Prompto yelled over the din and the rain. "We won't be able to keep this up much longer!"

"Just. Keep. Fighting," Gladio grunted out, and Ignis could hear the blows he was doling out in between his words. He was sounding quite worn out as well, he noticed as he pushed himself to his feet.

"We can't give up now," Ignis added, backing up a bit and taking a moment to catch his breath while he launched his spear at the daemons still held in place from Prompto's attack.

He could hear the despair enough in his companions voices to know that they weren't really making any sort of dent in the hoards of daemons that were swarming them, but they were succeeding in what they were trying to do, and that was all that mattered right now. Ignoring the niggling voice at the back of his mind that knew that Prompto was right, he threw his all into holding their positions.

Ignis could tell the very moment when Noctis had done what he'd set out to do. There was an intense sort of static in the air, heavy with magic. All around them and all at once, the daemons started disintegrating at their feet. He held firm, daggers still at the ready until he heard the others making their way to him.

"He's done it then," he said when Prompto settled a hand on his arm. He wasn't really asking, he already knew, and the thought left him feeling a sort of elated sadness.

Gladio clapped a hand on his shoulder, a thick note of pride in his voice as he replied. "He has."

Within moments, the rain stopped, a calming serenity in the sudden quiet. Ignis let out a gasp when he felt the warmth on his skin. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he whispered, "the sun?"

"It's a beautiful sunrise, Iggy," Gladio uttered, his voice cracking slightly with strain.

He felt Prompto shift beside him, and then the snapping of his camera. "The prettiest," he said, sniffing as he snapped another shot.

"Then...the dawn has come," Ignis said, half to himself. He took a long steadying breath and turned his unseeing gaze to the heavens. With a shuddering sigh, he whispered, "Well done, Noct."