Author's Note: Promptis. First big project of the new year! Welcome and thank you for reading. This was spurred on by a trailer for the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, which looks like a ton of fun to me-but I wanted Noctis' friends to be included in the fun as well. Prompto's adoration for fluffy birds made this a no-brainer.
This was and will continue to be inspired by the opening theme for 'Zone of Enders', Kiss Me Sunlights. I was listening to that song as this idea poured into my head. Let me know if you'll be checking out the Chocobo Carnival, and/or why you think Promptis is the best ship. I'm all eyes as I continue my quest for the Best Prompto Ship.
Enjoy, and thank you for being here!
The Crown Prince of Lucis was about to make the greatest decision of his life.
Noctis overlooked the birth of a revolution, standing on the edge of a reality that would soon change. The world as he knew it was about to be turned inside-out, thrown into a cataclysmic shift he would never be able to turn back from. A pronouncement of monumental importance was about to be made, and upon it rode the fate of his world. That decision would be made with nothing less than the deepest wisdom and the greatest courage. Like a true prince and an indestructible king, he would make that decision with the supreme confidence. That decision would be made-
During the Moogle Chocobo Carnival.
Noctis was rooted in the room he shared with Prompto, a bubbling, radiant kaleidoscope of euphoria's colors. As his friend, the giver of meteoric warmth, spoke of the upcoming festivities as though he were a living, breathing brochure, the Prince of Lucis pondered his next moves. The decision lying in wait concerned the warm, invaluable memories Prompto had given him, and it was a decision Noctis couldn't afford to botch. After all, he was only planning something that concerned someone outside of royal boundaries, someone that had nothing to do with the palace's intrigue. Dragging the photographer (deeper) into a world of assassins, spies and conspiracies was a matter that couldn't be taken lightly. Plus, his friend deserved much more than the palace of Lucis could ever be able to offer. Noctis was on the verge of offering something to a gift from the Astrals, and would do so while honoring that gift's carefree spirit, light and energy with reverence. With devotion and grace the Six would be envious of. Noctis would-
Be a complete and utter failure. Not like that would be anything new, as the known world was expecting a screw-up for their Future King.
Noctis was rooted in his chair, transfixed by the outbreak of light flooding their room. Prompto was as luminous as Ramuh's solar flares, when a short while ago his spirits were unbearably low. He noticed it, Ignis noticed it, Gladiolus noticed it, despite the gunslinger's best efforts to grace every one of their hours with a smile. Sensing even the slightest drop in their Chocobo's mood was as natural as breathing. Whenever that loss of sunshine happened, it was felt just as clearly as a javelin piercing flesh. And lately, Prompto had been in the worst spirits, head bowed and spirit even lower, dragged down by the whirlpool known as Prince Noctis' life. He denied it, of course, always brushing off everyone's concerns with a blindingly bright smile, but he was as translucent as crystal clear water.
Guilt was a thousand volleys of arrows burying themselves in the prince's heart. Noctis found it impossible to pull even a single arrow free, watching his friend's spirits fall more into darkness with every passing hour. Sure, Prompto told him he supported his upcoming marriage, told him everything would be fine once he became King, but the fear that slithered into Noctis assured him otherwise. Their photographer, his reason for meeting every day with a smile, spent the last couple of weeks in sadness he never should've been introduced to. Prompto didn't come out of that abyss until earlier, soaring out of it with news of a certain festival. Sure, he had to put up a fight against Headmaster Ignis, begging him to drive them to Altissia four days before Noctis' wedding, just in time for the grand festivities. The fight was a long, excruciatingly difficult one that lasted five seconds (because even Ignis fell victim to Prompto), and so it was decided. The little group would join the fun Altissia promised children of all ages.
They were in Altissia's room, split between two rooms. Gladiolus and Ignis were in one, most likely discussing their next moves (or Gladio's favorite Cup Noodle flavor), while he shared the room with their jubilant Chocobo. It was two days before the city's carnival, and their duties would hopefully remain quiet for a moment, giving them the air and room they needed to enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, Noctis couldn't find it in himself to be still. He may have been sitting in a seat, but his stomach was on a mission to perform a million somersaults. Prompto's energy was always so magical it was electric, sending a fusion of fire, wonder and excitement through the prince's veins. Not only that, but shouldering a certain decision made him just a little bit jumpy.
Just a little bit.
"There's gonna be a ton of games and Moogles and CHOCOBOS! Chocobos, man, can you believe it? They've got an entire festival named after 'em! So glad Iggy decided to let us hang out for it!"
Fondness spread across the young swordsman's face. Even though his mind was on fire with the words that desperately needed to be said, Noctis couldn't help but melt into his friend's magic. "So am I," Noctis nodded. "Passing up anything that makes you smile like this would've been pretty stupid. Ignis is anything but stupid, so there wasn't too much to worry about."
Prompto picked up his camera and began to paw it, eyes suddenly doused in worry. Noctis chuckled, marveling at how vibrant his friend's emotions were, always so pure and engaging. "Hope I'll have enough film," he said, confessing a concern in a voice made of moonshine.
"It's a wonder you ever have enough film. How many scrapbooks have you filled up so far again?"
"Just a few," the gunslinger pouted, clutching his camera to his heart. He stuck his tongue out at Noctis with his friend's next words.
"Fifteen doesn't qualify as a 'few', sunshine. You've probably got an entire closet devoted to scrapbooks."
Prompto retaliated indignantly, hugging his camera as though it were a stuffed animal. "So what if I do? Got a lot of memories to capture, y'know. Can't afford to lose a single one, bro! And we're going to a wicked awesome Carnival. A Chocobo Carnival!"
"Yeah, the perfect family reunion. Sure you're thrilled. After all, you're about to see all of your brothers, sisters and cousins again. Probably an uncle you haven't seen in a few years, too. Bet they've been pretty miserable ever since you became human."
After the photographer counterattacked his friend's teasing with a pillow to the face, Prompto fell into a chasm of thought. Noctis watched as memories stole his friend away again, casting dark embers over a spirit of deific virtue. The silence between them weighed enough to crush a thousand eons, but when Prompto broke the silence, Noctis wished the absence of sound would have gone beyond the end of time. "Sorry about being so down lately," he whimpered, still clutching his camera. The swordsman opened his mouth to protest, but Prompto pressed on, smiling, always smiling.
"I don't ever mean to be a downer, bro, especially with you going through so much right now. It's just that…well, I dunno. I guess, one morning, I looked in the mirror a little too long."
Scowling, every inch of his face laced in venom, Noctis growled: "Y'know, I'm just gonna be real with you right now. Most of the time you say things that make me want to hug you and never let you go. Then you say something that makes me want to blast you into oblivion. I know Chocobos are weird, but-"
"I'm bein' serious right now, Noct," the gunner whimpered, taking a seat alongside his friend, camera still in hand. The sadness weighing down Prompto's spirit was cruel, sickening, making the prince wish he had the strength to blast anyone and anything that had ever harmed Prompto into oblivion.
"Just got a little down doing some thinking, and-"
"And what?" the swordsman snarled, putting a vehement barrier against Prompto's trip into Apology City. "You realized you want your feathers to be blue instead of yellow?"
Prompto bowed his head and wrestled his hands against each other; something else Noctis loathed about his friend. Whenever the Chocobo expressed opinions that were important to him, he bowed his head, as though he deserved to be treated like a miniscule insect. "I dunno," he whimpered, camera settled in his lap, heart racing.
"I'm sorry, Noct."
"Apologize one more time and I really will blast you into oblivion."
"It's nothing, really," the gunner chuckled weakly, the sound doing a mediocre job of masking his heartache. "I've just been feeling pretty lame lately. I…I don't…I don't feel like I'm really doing anything for you. I mean, you're about to get hitched and become King, and-"
"Yeah, the very things you take my mind off of," Noctis snarled. He hated being anything less than gentle with Prompto, but sometimes, desperate times screamed for desperate measures. "Becoming King and marrying someone that's like a sister to me. Bringing that crap up when we're supposed to be focused on this Chocobo Parade isn't helping you any, either. Keep it up and you'll wake up in the underworld, sunshine."
Prompto gave him a look that screamed with childlike innocence, one a child would have worn upon finding out a hero wasn't real. "You don't love her?"
Time froze and slapped Regis' son in the head. It actually bashed the sides of his head in with a bag of bricks. "Well, no, not really," the prince thought, heart racing at the speed of light. "Like I said, I love her like a sister and she's even said that I'm like her little brother. I can show you the letter if you want me to. You're the one I love, Prom. I'm about to marry Luna and ruin her life when I love you. You're the one I think about, day and night, but I'm about to marry someone else. Yeah, I'm cool like that, aren't I?"
"Well, no, not really. Like I said, I love her like a sister. She's even said that I'm like her little brother."
"You never said anything," Prompto whimpered, tears rising. Noctis folded his arms while nodding, confidence and valor painting a picture that commanded respect. He-
Was the biggest moron in all of Eos.
"Didn't want to worry you. I give you enough bullcrap to deal with, and if you don't get that look off your face, I'll ask Ramuh to send you into oblivion. We're supposed to be concentrating on your family reunion, Prompto, not me ruining Luna's life. There's gonna be plenty of time for that later. Besides-"
"You're the one I love. You're the one I go to bed thinking about. You're the one I dream of. You keep my mind off the bullcrap I'm supposed to carry, and so to thank you, I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. I want to thank you for bringing me to life every damn day. You give me a reason to breathe, to believe in something other than the crown and these damn responsibilities, and I want to thank you. I want to thank you by letting you know how much I love you, want you, need you."
"Besides what, Noct?"
"We've gotta make sure you've got enough film for this party of yours," Noctis chuckled, failing to hide volcanic eruptions of nervousness, chuckling while rubbing the back of his neck.
"C'mon, buddy, we'd better get to the market. We've only got two days before this Chocobo thing, so let's hop to it, sunshine!"
While shoving a protesting, blushing Prompto out the door, Noctis grimaced.
Lemme see. I'm supposed to tell him how I feel about him at the damn fireworks show. Four days before I'm supposed to marry Luna. Maybe I should just ask Ignis to write a love letter for me, because when do I EVER know what I'm doing?