At the risk of dating this story, please be aware that this was written even prior to the 2.0 update for the Final Fantasy XV (Versus) demo. So by the time the actual game is released this might be even more outdated. The description of the caravan interior for my fic has already been proven wrong, though I was working more with a fifth wheel trailer rather than the travel trailer the game seems to have, anyway. Ah well, that's what our imaginations are for. :
The love these boys have for chocobos has probably been explored already, but I wanted to throw my hat into the ring and give it a go! No such thing as too many, right? Also, the biggest, HUGEST thanks goes to Cassandra Cassidy for taking time away from playing said updated demo to help edit this story for me. Let me know if there are any remaining errors in the comments!
"Here," Prompto said as he offered Noctis a bag of gysahl greens. It was evident that his friend was interested in the yellow-feathered residents of Wiz Chocobo Post. Frankly, their entire traveling group was intrigued by the large birds. A short while ago he'd even spotted Ignis hovering closely, scratching under their beaks.
Chocobos were such a novelty for city natives like the four of them. These animals were rather impractical in cramped urban environments. They weren't as quick or easy to maintain as the vehicles that took up the streets of their home, but there was no denying that they were beautiful. Prompto expressly approved of the way the plumage atop their heads stuck up.
Noctis straightened off the fence he'd been leaning against and raised an eyebrow at his gift. While Ignis was technically in charge of financing their meager budget, the prince had the final say with their purchases. Noctis was not aware of expenditures on chocobo food.
Shrugging, Prompto hopped up to sit on the top-most railing and said, "Hey! Don't look at me in that tone of voice. I know you want to feed them, too, and I had the spare change in my pocket. Not like it'd make a difference in our savings toward car repairs."
"...Right." Noctis relented and accepted the feedbag. The distinct crinkle the plastic made as he popped it open alerted the two closest chocobos of an impending meal. They pestered him, chirping incessantly and flapping their giant wings. Both tried to nuzzle Noctis' hands; they were so large that they more or less gently head-butted the prince in the chest in their attempts to get fed.
Prompto thought it was hilarious, whereas Gladiolus found it not so. He hovered at a respectable distance, never able to let his guard down when their highness was in unknown territory or out in public amongst crowds. The burly man intercepted with a, "Whoa there! Talk about your feeding frenzy," and was able to grab both reins in one hand to keep the birds in place, but only just. It wasn't like he wanted to hurt them, but they were rather insistent.
"It's all right," Noctis said. A third chocobo approached and nibbled at his hair. He started with that one, holding out a stalk that it ate right from his hand. Though miniscule, a tiny grin parted his face.
Neither Gladiolus nor Prompto had anything to say to that, instead they exchanged grateful looks over their friend's head. Prompto felt relieved to see Noctis smiling again – there certainly wasn't much reason for it as of late, and he'd missed bearing witness to the expression. Being a part of the cause brightened his own spirits. Gladiolus looked rather comforted at the turn of events, also, and petted one of the birds he kept at bay as if in thanks.
"They're so soft," Gladiolus marveled.
Noctis nodded and said, "Mm, like a pillow." He offered up the entire bag now as it was almost empty. The birds could certainly eat, and in a hurry.
Crunching grass and gravel announced Ignis' arrival, having left earlier to speak with the owner of the establishment. He didn't look up from the paper slip in his hand as he announced, "Gentlemen, I've managed to procure the caravan for us. It will only be for tonight, given our circumstances, so we'll have to take full advantage."
Ignis looked ready to continue, but stopped short when he finally saw what the three of them were up to. His expression relaxed as he spoke. "Making peace with the locals, I see."
"They are pretty friendly," Noctis said in agreement. He upended the bag for the birds, but there weren't even crumbs left at the bottom. One of the chocobos tweeted and lost interest thereafter, resuming its pecking at the vegetables in the trough at its feet. The original pair kept somewhat more cordial by showing their affection.
"It's too bad we can't ride them today," Prompto said, unable to prevent the forlorn tone from infecting his voice. "I miss Reg, but sitting in a car for days isn't easy. I wouldn't mind traveling on one of these bad boys for awhile."
"It's rather more strenuous than it seems," Ignis informed him. He adjusted his glasses before he joined the rest of the group at the fence.
"Have you tried it before?" Prompto asked, but everyone was giving the man the same curious glances.
"I am well-versed in the subject." Which wasn't really an answer, Prompto considered, but he didn't press the issue. "It's documented that there's a lot of trust involved. Chocobos are superb judges of character, and if they were to deem someone unworthy it's nigh impossible to handle one. Even so, a rider must take great care to properly maneuver a chocobo due to chance of injury."
Gladiolus scoffed and said, "Sounds to me like it'd be easier just to walk. Nothing unruly about your own two feet."
"Easy for you to say! Your endurance is off the charts. Or are you scared they'd buck you off?" Prompto asked.
"Actually, while chocobos are the preferred sources of manual labor in this region they might exhibit some difficulty with such a feat. You, on the other hand, would most likely to be overbalanced," Ignis was swift to point out.
All three of them were reluctant to rush their highness away, ultimately leaving the decision on when to leave up to him. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto instead filled the silence until almost sundown. Giving a couple last strokes to the chocobo's neck, Noctis announced that everyone should settle in for the night. Nobody brokered any arguments.
Prompto hopped off the fence and made it first to the trailer on the lot. He peeked his head inside, giving the interior a cursory glance to inspect that everything was secure. The setup wasn't luxury by any standards, but the caravan appeared clean.
For four grown men the place erred on the side of tiny. A fold-out sofa took up the majority of the opposite wall, and it looked as if the dining area could also be converted into sleeping quarters. Coupled with a small section up above that was already a designated bed, all of them would have somewhere to sleep, cramped as it may be. There was a two-burner stovetop that boded well for a nicer cooked meal by Ignis tonight, and a prep sink beside that.
Stepping inside, Prompto could spot the utilities sectioned in the rear of the unit. A real, functioning shower that was obviously a tight squeeze for someone of Gladiolus' stature was by the toilet. Even those of whom were built compact, like him or Noctis, would need to be careful not to bump their knees getting in and out. Still, it bested any bathing in a frigid lake. He now had central air, so Prompto figured he'd survive.
Ignis somewhat ducked his head upon entering, leaving Gladiolus as the last to enter. He wouldn't join the rest of the troupe until he'd made a round or two of the property. Like Prompto, Ignis was interested in the accommodations. A noise of interest clicked at the back of his throat when he discovered that behind a closed door wasn't a closet, but a built-in, single machine for washing and drying clothes.
"Now this is a pleasant surprise," he said in the same breath as he practically ordered everyone to strip right then and there. "I don't know about you fellows, but my shirt can practically stand on its own. No use tolerating the inconvenience." Not mentioned was knowing when, or if, they'd be capable of doing this again. Money was tight to start with – forced to flee with such limited resources as it were – and combined with car repairs, their gang was racking up some serious debt.
Prompto didn't hesitate, hopping up and down on one foot to dislodge his boots. To be the first to claim the facilities, Noctis wound his way to the back. Bathing would doubtlessly be next on Ignis' list of demands and he wanted a head start.
At last able to shuck off his footwear (and dislodge a pesky pebble therein), Prompto tossed the clothes into the machine and kept score every time he successfully made it in.
"Your aim is improving," Ignis said as he removed his jacket, folding and setting the article aside. The unit was too small to complete everyone's load at once, and it was apparent their friend would wait until after he finished with Noctis' laundry. In the mean time, the most casual Ignis permitted himself to be involved rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
"Right? If there's one good thing about taking on all these bounties, it's the practice. I just wish they were adding up in other ways..."
Ignis hesitated to respond; first he gathered Noctis' personal belongings and began a wash cycle. "We're not in any sort of dire straits – not yet. Please concentrate on survival. The rest will fall into place. That's all you need worry about."
"Yeah, but-"
A knock came at the door. Ignis answered it, pausing with one hand on the latch and the other now holding a dagger. "State your business."
"Special delivery," Gladiolus announced through the door. His search must have found the coast clear because he came bearing a bag of supplies – mainly their food rations. There were a couple small things like snacks from when they'd afforded such luxuries, but the majority was whatever they scrounged up in the surrounding area. Those were perishables like meats that needed to be consumed within a day or two, or rooted vegetables which could be used in anything.
There were also bedrolls, for which Prompto was chiefly grateful. The material on the seats and, thusly, the beds was course to the touch. Come morning he'd rather not wake up with rashes in unfortunate places. Altogether, at least it would be softer than the ground they'd been forced to resort to the past couple of days. Prompto worried the knots in his back and shoulders would never have the chance to recover.
"We might manage a proper stew tonight," Ignis said. Already he'd meticulously sorted the proper ingredients and started the pot warming.
"Good! I was starting to wonder if we'd ever have red meat back in my diet," Gladiolus said, unfolding the sofa into a place to sleep as he did so. He would have collapsed on top of the converted bed if Ignis hadn't turned one of his knives from cutting vegetables to brandishing it at him, instead.
Their companion warned him, "I dare say you will not. Please wait until you've showered before sullying the upholstery." Prompto understood the sentiment – he'd been stuck with the guy's stink, too. And considering they were the two biggest people in the group, Gladiolus and Ignis would have to share the largest bed in the caravan. Having that sweaty swordsman so close was liable to burn the nose hairs off of Ignis in his sleep if the necessary measures weren't taken.
Gladiolus obviously had several comments at the ready, but aside from his smirk he was too smart to protest. He would never risk losing out on such a hearty meal. Still standing upright, he, too, made quick work of his shirt and pants, just as Noctis finished with his shower. As one Prompto and Gladiolus eyed the open door and then each other, before making a crazy dash for the rear of the camper. Their highness expertly dodged the both of them, even while toweling off his hair.
"Dibs! Dibs, dibs, dibs, I call dibs!" Prompto shouted and managed to reach the door first.
Except Gladiolus' strength trumped his speed. Both of his arms caught Prompto around the middle and, despite the blond man's kicking and flailing, he effortlessly hefted him clear off his feet. Depositing him where he now faced toward the front of the caravan he said, "Sorry kiddo, but you heard the nanny. No rest until I'm squeaky clean."
"Nanny?" Ignis scoffed in the same instant Prompto whined, "Not faaair. If it was just a race I would have totally won!"
"Wait your turn, Squirt." Slamming the pocket door in his face, Gladiolus locked him outside the bathroom.
Prompto stood there griping a minute longer, but once the shower switched on, he tromped away. He wasn't really mad, though. Out of all of them, Gladiolus was the fastest at getting clean, whereas Noctis took the longest. Since the prince was already finished, Prompto knew he wouldn't have long to wait. Musing on the fact, he had no clue what could occupy Noctis in there for so long, but chocked it up as a royalty thing.
Noctis had claimed one of the beds during his and Gladiolus' feud – the section on the upper level. He'd positioned himself on his stomach and rested his chin on top of his folded arms, gazing out a window. While the hour was early, he looked like he was dozing.
Climbing up, Prompto leaned in close to join in his line of sight. Their bare skin touched and he suppressed a shiver; ever since they were young his friend ran a little cold, like the dead. It was kind of clammy from the shower, too. He didn't resist, however, when Noctis pressed into him and leached some of his body heat, always willing to share.
"What's up?" he asked.
"The chocobos sleep standing up. I wonder how they do it?" Noctis observed, apparently still interested in the birds.
"Huh, I never noticed. Their legs have got to be pretty strong."
Ignis must have reached a point where the food needed to simmer because in the background a radio clicked on. The sounds of a dial tuning and sporadic airwaves filled the air. Prompto wished him luck; if their top-of-the-line car stereo system couldn't pick up anything then he doubted such a dated antique could do better.
Everyone startled to attention, then, when the contraption did pick up something. "This is ... on KISS FM, keeping our listeners posted on the tragic events of ... Death tolls continue to escalate-"
The dial spun rapidly and the radio turned off with a harsh squeal. It was obvious Ignis wanted to listen to the news, as static-y as it was, but a sharp glance at their prince made it clear how unwise it was to reintroduce the subject that the announcer broached. Noctis had closed his eyes and ducked his head into the crook of his arm.
"Yeah, well. This place has rank taste in music, anyway. Haven't they ever heard of a guitar? Whatever the old vendor out there was playing almost put me to sleep," Prompto said, rather loudly. "Nobody would know good tunes if they were blasted directly into their ears."
"Rather droll, I must agree. I don't know what I was expecting," Ignis said and offered a grateful nod. Noctis demonstrated his appreciation in the change of subjects, too, by drifting into him a little tighter.
Gladiolus emerged then, still rather damp from his shower. Prompto barely gave him the opportunity to move further inside before he sprang from the top bunk, onto the unfolded bed below, and towards the bathroom. "Me next, me next!"
"You'd better hurry. The food will be ready soon," Ignis warned.
"Yeah, and if you're not out in time I get your share," Gladiolus said.
Prompto stuck out his tongue and returned the favor from earlier by slamming the door on him. During the shower, and over dinner, and even when trying to sleep he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't the same after they'd caught that short, garbled message on the radio. Noctis was typically a little short in conversation – not because of annoyance or disinterest – he was just reserved like that. He preferred to observe first; but even so, he was more soft-spoken and standoffish than usual. His thoughts were turned inward and none of them quite knew how to bring him back to the present.
Well, Prompto mused as he stared up at the ceiling, fingers tapping a staccato on his chest as he schemed, maybe there is one thing that can make my friend happy. Decision made, he sat up and went to the front of the caravan. There was just enough room for him to squeeze past Gladiolus' and Ignis' pop-out bed and hang from the top portion where Noctis slept.
"Psst, Noctis. Hey," he whispered, prodding his friend in the side. "Sleepyhead, come on, wake up."
"Unless you're dying I don't care," Noctis said, without even budging.
Prompto picked up Noctis' neatly folded clothes and tossed them at him. The prince still barely flinched. "Your disinterest is killing me! Come on; I want to show you something."
"Can't it wait until morning?" Noctis asked, groping blindly for his shirt, jacket, and pants. His attempts were laughable, so Prompto took pity on him and nudged the attire towards his searching hands.
"Fat chance. Now hurry!" Prompto said.
As soon as they exited the caravan, Prompto's lapel flashlight switched on. Now that he could see where they were going, he took Noctis by the hand and led him back to the ranch. The facilities were well-tended but small, the chocobos remaining in the open where it was comfortable for them to stretch. There were few animals that posed a threat and would risk attacking them outright, human settlement or no. No matter how cute they appeared, Prompto had seen one of the wild chocobos stomp and peck a whole pack of sabertusks into a cowardly retreat.
All but a single chocobo stirred at their arrival; one of the three that Noctis had fed. It raised its head high and begun to 'kweh' in excitement. Prompto brandished a carrot that had survived their night's meal to appease the bird. Not as sweet as their preferred food, but the chocobo happily crunched on the vegetable in his hand.
"Does Ignis know you're pilfering the food stores?" Noctis asked. The 'again' wasn't tacked onto the end of the question, but it was understood. That aside, there was a surprising lack of judgment in his tone.
Prompto took a pointed bite of the next carrot before sharing it with the chocobo and waggled his eyebrows. "Gotta keep him on his toes, right? Now step closer and feed it for me."
"Why aren't we doing this during their hours of operation?" In spite of the sour expression he wore, Noctis did as instructed and took over distraction duty once Prompto passed him a small handful of food from his pocket.
"We could feed them in the morning, yeah, but it'd be a shame not to take advantage on a great night like this and go for a moonlit ride. Don't you think?"
Noctis frowned. "The proprietor said they're not ready for that."
"Whatever that means," Prompto said, rolling his eyes in the second he straddled the fence separating them from the chocobos, then making it to the opposite side next to their ride-to-be. His movements were calculated and slow to prevent startling the yellow bird, but the chocobo paid him little mind. It was engrossed in its free meal and concentrating on nothing else.
"And Ignis warned that the task might be dangerous for inexperienced riders."
"I don't hear a 'no' anywhere in those protests," Prompto accused. His friend didn't refute him, which was just as well, because Prompto was focused on the best method to mount the chocobo.
He grasped the strap closest to its beak for leverage. Chocobos seemed stout from a distance, but up close and trying to get a leg up without a boost made them out to be gigantic. Grunting, Prompto forewent any sort of dignity and crawled his way across by placing both arms along its back and shimmying up.
"Graceful," Noctis drolly said.
"Successful," Prompto corrected him. He was facing the wrong way and carefully swung his legs around. Getting Noctis to join him was far easier; taking him by the elbow, he hefted him up until he was situated at his back. "Wow, we're so far off the ground. This must be what Gladiolus feels like all the time."
"How do we...move?"
They both took in their surroundings, as if searching would somehow yield a solution out of thin air. Of course it didn't. Prompto resorted to jostling the reins. "Uh, giddy up?" Nothing, so he gently dug his heels in as persuasion. "Come on, skedaddle."
"Maybe you need to say please," Noctis suggested.
"Please would you move, Mr. Chocobo, ye of the greatest steeds, ruler of the racetracks?" Their chocobo preened the fluff on its chest. Prompto groaned. "Man, totally lame. I was expecting something way more adventurous, like in the movies."
Noctis tilted his head. Raising a hand, he snapped his fingers, his eyes flashing colors before a spark electrified the air. Or what the prince might have intended to be a minor spell took off in an unexpected way. His control wasn't always spot on, but nothing this bright or loud had ever come from him in the past. An actual bolt of lightning struck nearby, frightening all the birds there – especially the one they were currently perched on. The entire flock began screeching and scrambling for better cover.
As soon as Prompto was finished screaming with the chocobos and possessed a firm hold on the feathers at the bird's neck he demanded, "Was that necessary? Where did that even stem from?"
"I don't know," Noctis said through gritted teeth. Nothing save Prompto himself was present for him to hold onto for safety as their ride frantically ran through the ranch and towards the caravan. "My lightning magic was never that powerful-"
"No kidding! I thought we were about to be fricasseed."
Gladiolus burst out of the caravan sans top and shoes. Hot on his heels was Ignis, shirt rumpled and un-tucked, pressing to know what the emergency was. His inquiries were cut off when the chocobo's mad dashing nearly removed their heads on the pass.
"Your Highness?" Ignis called a second time. Glasses askew, he straightened the eyewear to identify what was happening. His expression quickly morphed to 'horrified.' "Noctis! Prompto, what do you think you're doing? Dismount immediately!"
"Sorry, kind of busy right now!" Prompto had to shout to be heard over the din of squawks and chirps.
Apparently, their ride was fed up with the excitement and chose to flee, putting as much distance between it and the commotion as possible. It ran into the woods, heading east through the thicket. Prompto had no concept of control, Noctis and he unable to do anything save hold on. Long, harrowing minutes went by where the chocobo crossed a great distance. They leapt over giant boulders and took sharp turns around trees.
Something touched Prompto's arm that caused him to flinch, but in his peripheral vision he distinguished a gloved hand. Noctis was attempting to commandeer the reins. Prompto was quick to hand off some of the leather to him, knowing that it was dangerous for Noctis to let go of his waist for too long. Together, they tugged on the tether. They had to be careful not to do it too fast and risk upending their ride, but if they weren't firm then the chocobo would never stop.
On a strip of pavement it stuttered to a halt. The bird had traveled so fast that they'd managed to reach the road. Dazed, Prompto looked from one side to the other, but he didn't recognize what part of the highway they were on. Street signs or definitive landmarks were absent.
"You okay?" he finally asked, turning in place to examine his friend.
"Yeah," Noctis said, sounding a bit out of breath like he'd done all the running and not the chocobo. "You?"
"Ignis is going to punch me right in the face," he said, in lieu of an answer. Although, in a way, it was a testament to his health. His impending health, anyway. "In the nose, probably."
"You know he won't," Noctis said. He climbed down and Prompto wasn't far behind, wanting his feet firmly planted on the ground.
"He'll sure want to. I mean, you know he'll be thinking about it – strongly – after that display," he paused, cutting a glance at the prince. "Seriously, how were you able to do that? I've seen you cast strong fire and ice spells, but never lightning. I thought you said you had trouble conducting it unless there was rain."
"I do... I did." Noctis' brows drew close together. "That was before Ramuh."
"Oh god, Ignis and Gladiolus are both going to have kittens. A great big pile of baby coeurls everywhere."
"Not if we get back."
He looked as lost as Prompto felt, though. Perhaps during the day they might have stood a chance of discovering their whereabouts, but in the dark it was nigh impossible to determine just how far they'd gone.
Shaking his head, Prompto said, "Maybe we should find shelter? The guys will have a better chance of tracking us if we stay put, or we can meet up when there's sunlight. We risk getting more lost if we travel in this darkness."
He never heard Noctis' verdict, because a loud, whirring noise akin to a hundred rusted gears grinding together came from overhead. An airship with several flood lights beamed directly down on them. Prompto hissed as he almost went blind at the sharp contrast, raising his hands to block the onslaught.
A hatch creaked open and several figures dropped down, creating small impacts in the pavement. Prompto roughly counted ten or fifteen Magitek Troops by the time they were surrounded, and had no qualms muttering a furious curse at their lousy odds. His trusty handgun could materialize at a moment's notice, but its readiness did not compensate for his utter lack of skill. Unlike the other three men he traveled with, he hadn't received any official training. Whatever he did have was based on luck and perseverance. Even combined with Noctis' impressive arsenal, they weren't equipped to deal with an ambush of this degree.
Noctis summoned a sword to his hand as soon as the first metal soldier broke ranks. He rapidly slashed outward and knocked off whole chunks of the robot. By the time it was weak and exposed Prompto had his pistol in hand and shot the thing between its two beady lights-for-eyes. It fell to the ground with electric wires on the fritz, arm twitching but malfunctioning.
More came. Noctis reverted to a lance to allow some distance, propelling whole groups back. His strikes sent most of them banging into one another.
Prompto had some of the best eyes in the group, but their flashlights didn't penetrate as far as his bullets could. He was forced to wait for the discharge flash of an enemy's return fire or the eerie glow of their eyes to pinpoint a location. Half the time he was still guessing.
His strikes just weren't occurring fast enough to put a dent in the enemy defenses. Prompto could also tell that Noctis wasn't making as much headway – the combat was taking too long and the sheer numbers were overwhelming. A white-hot flash, brighter than all the others, alerted Prompto to another serious problem. One of the rear guards had ripped off its own limb. Spikes protruded from the appendage – a shrapnel grenade was activated.
It lit a searing path in the dark as the MT headed right for his prince. Forgoing his current target, ignoring whatever else was intent on hurting him, Prompto redirected his gunfire. He unloaded everything he had. Nothing slowed the machine down, and he could only helplessly watch as the weapon embedded in Noctis' chest with a sickening crunch and tear. He was too far away and his bullets were just pinging off the son of a bitch and his friend was going to get blown up right in front of him he couldn't stand it-
The soldier and its bomb were cleaved in half by a broadsword. The bomb slipped free with a gross squelching noise. Gasping, Noctis clutched the gaping wound as he dropped to one knee. On the backswing, Gladiolus finished off the machine that had hurt his ward. Assuming a protective stance in front of him, he looked huge and terrifying in just his pants. In fact, Prompto thought he looked way scarier than usual.
Also joining the fray was Ignis. "Pay attention, Prompto!" He stabbed a robot in the back with both his daggers just as it was about to cut Prompto down.
"Forget about me! Go help Noctis," he said, raising his handgun and clearing the way for him to get closer.
Group reunited, they made quick work of their surprise attackers. Prompto was exhausted; he could sense it in his bones, but he was so relieved not to be alone that he didn't care. Threats to their highness neutralized, Gladiolus meandered over and offered him a hand up. His legs were unsteady from that last fall, but with the other man's effortless support they made it to where the remaining two of their entourage huddled close by.
Ignis was fussing a tad more than usual, if Noctis' protests were a good indicator. "I could still fight."
"I do not doubt it," Ignis said without looking away from his handiwork. One hand was braced on Noctis' cheek while the other hand hovered above the stab wound. The telltale signs of regenerative magic originated from under his palm. In the limited visibility and due to the dark coloration of his shirt it was tricky deciphering whether or not it was working. Prompto bit his bottom lip, kneading it until a tension left Noctis' neck and back that only pain could have put there.
"I dare not do more in case of shrapnel residue, but that should hold well enough until I can inspect it more thoroughly."
Prompto knelt beside Noctis and said, "Man, it's a good thing you two came along when you did. We wouldn't have stood a chance."
"They didn't get you too, did they?" Ignis asked, placing a hand on the back of his head. He was already generating a healing spell but Prompto waved off his concern.
"No sweat; the things couldn't even get close."
He immediately realized his error when Ignis narrowed his eyes, hands tightening on the both of them. "Then do either one of you care to explain what you were thinking tonight? Were you even thinking?"
Prompto shirked back, but even though there was no pain, Ignis had an unbreakable hold. "Why are you looking at just me when you ask that, huh?"
"Hah, who are you trying to fool?" Gladiolus asked. The traitor was keeping a safe distance, arms crossing his chest as he grinned. "I gotta admit, it was pretty cool how you-" At Ignis' indignant look, Gladiolus cleared his throat and took on a stern expression. "It was stupid of you to put his highness at risk. The both of you could have broken your necks with a stunt like that."
"But we... I didn't..."
"It was my idea," Noctis spoke up. Ignis pulled a face, privy to the contrary but unable to directly call the prince a liar. "We couldn't get the chocobo to obey our instructions so I just wanted to encourage it with a small lightning spell, but I scared it by mistake. It's nothing like driving a car."
Ignis groaned and bumped foreheads with the two of them. "The both of you will be the death of me, I swear it."
"Come on," Gladiolus said. He was scrutinizing their surroundings. "We should mosey. Here we're out in the open and who knows if more of those carriers will fly by."
"Yes, you are quite right." Ignis finally released Prompto from his ninja grip and rose to his feet. He helped Noctis, too.
"Should we have time left to stay in the caravan?" Noctis asked.
"I should think so. I rented it until the late morning hours, and provided we return the chocobo no one should be the wiser about your nightly shenanigans. For that matter, where is the wayward fowl?"
At Ignis' question Prompto slapped both hands on his cheeks and dragged them downward. "Oh no, we lost Penelope." They hadn't kept an eye on their ride since they got off of it, too occupied at the prospect of getting killed by the metal soldiers. Chocobos were smart enough to avoid a conflict if they could help it, so they hadn't worried. Without them noticing it must have escaped in terror at the first sign of danger.
"You named it?" Gladiolus asked.
"Just now I did. Come on, we have to go and save her!"
Side-eyeing him, Noctis asked, "You're sure it's a girl?"
"Who cares? A damsel in distress is still a damsel in distress."
It took the remainder of the night, searching through mountains and fending off goblins, but they found the chocobo nestled in one of the many caves dotting the area. The bird was fast asleep and not as lenient at being woken up a second time. Gladiolus was thankfully persuasive, especially when Prompto double-teamed with the last of the carrots. Then it was Ignis that didn't approve. Prompto could already foresee foraging duty for the next week to make up for stealing all the vegetables.
At their return the sky was turning from black to a satin, navy blue. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but the group would only have a couple hours to sleep if they were fortunate. There were chocobos meandering everywhere. One of them was even situated on the store porch. Gladiolus decided to tie theirs up to the fence, triple-knotting the reins to be sure.
Prompto let it finish the carrot and scratched behind its head. "Goodnig- Er, sleep tight, Penelope. Stay out of trouble, yeah?"
He rejoined his friends in the caravan. Gladiolus had collapsed face-first on the bed and was snoring softly. Ignis was in bed beside him, one arm thrown over his head, but he raised it to peek open a single eye at him. Not that he was able to see him clearly without his glasses, but since Prompto was the last one inside it wasn't as if he had to guess who had entered.
"Busted, huh?" Prompto asked.
"You've no idea. But later, perhaps. For now just be quiet and sleep."
"Roger that, boss man." He mock saluted him and instead of returning to his own spot at the converted dining area he climbed up to Noctis' bed. His back was towards him so Prompto used the prince's side as a pillow and let his feet dangle over the edge. Noctis grunted, but didn't request he move.
"Is this okay? I mean, you got...hit pretty bad, ya know?" Prompto asked in a whisper.
"It's fine. Not your fault." Noctis mumbled. Partially asleep and his friend could still read into everything, the observant nerd. Prompto smiled wanly and closed his eyes, but he couldn't rest. Not until Noctis grunted again and reached around, his arm flopping on Prompto's chest and holding him gently in place. "Seriously, knock it off. Your stressing is making me stressed."
"Can't help it. Things got way more intense than I'd bargained for."
"I don't know; it was kind of fun."
Prompto paused for thought, then asked, "Like that time I snuck you into the club to see our favorite band fun, or when we got stuck on the palace roof fun?"
"You were the only one scared of heights," Noctis reminded him. His hand gave Prompto's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "But definitely more exciting than that."
"Okay." Mollified more from the physical contact than anything else, Prompto gently gripped his friend's wrist in one hand and dozed off. In sleep he was able to finally relax, and would have continued to recuperate from the night's adventure if the ranch hand's – the burly older man who also ran the store's – voice hadn't carried for miles.
"Where in tarnation are all my chocobos?"
Then he had reason to worry about other things.