So far so good! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 15, its characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to me!

Chapter 2: Uneasy Situations

A warm fire and camp had been set up at a nearby haven. Gladio had carried her all the way there, because there was no way they were going to let her walk around without shoes. She was wrapped in the blanket again and for very good reason this time for it was all that was keeping her clothed at the moment; Ignis was inspecting her back, a deep frown upon his features as she sat upon the cooler. In the mindset of her escapade, she has managed to reopen her wounds. A burst and a potion was once again used, the wounds healing enough to scar up.

"Do not move too much." Ignis told her.

"O...Okay…" She jumped when she heard footsteps but it had been the guys returning from getting more firewood and some herbs Ignis needed for dinner that night. Noctis also carried a bucket of ice which he cultivated from his magic. The woman was still jumpy and afraid of her own shadow it seemed.

"Easy...We come in peace." Gladio grunted then took a seat. "Well, Iggy?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses, frowned.

"Her wounds were not made by an animal…" He went to the kitchen area, ready to prepare a proper meal and calming tea for he knew there would be quite the hell to pay. "They will need to be cleaned as well, to further the healing process."

Ah...Thus the reason for the ice now turned into water.

"Then...what…?"

"Whip marks…" Ignis' words had the others reeling. "I'd say our guest has had...quite the horrible experience in Insomina." He went back to his cooking. "Remember to clean those wounds."

"Yeah and who the hell are you expecting to do that anyway?" Gladio grunted, keeping his distance from the girl.

"Certainly not I." Ignis continued his cooking. "And you, my friend, are scary enough as it is."

"Uh...I got it!" Prompto took the hint quick enough but Noctis beat him to it, shocking all into silence. Nocits took the bucket over towards the young woman currently sitting upon the cooler.

Deep seated anger befell the prince of their group, his knuckles nearly turning white. He took a deep breath and knelt in front of the woman, Gladio's words flashing past his eyes.

Don't look intimidating. Stay on her level. You've got to build her trust before she even talks. Tell her exactly what you are doing at that moment and make sure she can see your hands at all times. She decides everything you do, no questions asked. She'll be skittish for a while so we gotta keep her as calm as possible.

"How do you know how to handle something like this anyway?" Noct asked the bulkier male of their group.

Gladio had paused.

"It happens sometimes…" He just shrugged then went back to his gruff personality. "Get going before Iggy starts bitching again."

"Hey…My name's Noct." He told her. "I'm going to help your wounds heal...That okay? I'll have to clean the wounds with this cloth and water, so you'll feel the cloth on your back. You won't see me but I'll be right behind you. I'll have to sit on the cooler."

She looked at him for a long moment then slowly nodded. Without a word he put the bucket nearby then sat down behind her on the cooler. She tensed for a second, shaking a bit as he dipped the cloth in the water and rang it out.

"Alright...Here goes…" Ever so gently he placed the cloth on her back and froze when she jumped lightly. "It's okay...I'm just going to clean them."

Ignis couldn't help a prideful smile grace his face. Despite the situation, it had been the first time he had ever seen his prince act so...well...princely in a way.

"Can you tell me who hurt you?" Noct remembered Gladio also saying to keep talking to her in a calm manner.

"Wh...Why...Would you...want to know…?" She shuddered.

"Because I want to make sure I'm killing the right person." And he meant it.

Her eyes widened for a moment then she gripped the blanket tightly.

"...I...Don't...know who he is...B...But...Empire…" She shuddered. "He...He hurt m...me because…Of...b...brother…"

"Brother?" Noctis looked at her calmly though inside he was seething. "You have a brother?"

Slowly she nodded, tears arriving again. "Hiro...and I...running and...we got caught...The...man in black armor…Hiro...he...fell...and…" She was rambling her answer while bowing her head, but Noctis could pretty much figure out what she was trying to say.

"Can you look at me?" She turned around to look at him. "No one is going to hurt you again. I promise."

"Who...are...you to promise that…?" She asked him.

"Members of the crownsguard." Ignis finally spoke up and her eyes widened. "You can rest easy tonight, knowing the company you currently keep."

She looked around at all of them, completely in disbelief. Then, without warning she all but jumped into Noctis' arms and cried once more.

"You're going to be okay…" Noctis placed a careful hand on her healing back as he let her cry on his shoulder.

A quick wash up and the young woman was given whatever clothing would fit her: Prompto's long sleeved shirt that usually rested around his waist and some loose fitting jeans tied with a rope around her thin frame. Once she was settled under a warm blanket in her chair, Ignis handed her a hot cup of tea.

"It will help calm you down a bit more." He told her and she took a sip of the warm liquid. "Now then, what is your name?"

"Heiwa...Heiwa Lockheart."

"A pleasure Ms. Lockheart." Ignis had been the one to take over. "I am Ignis."

"Yo! I'm Prompto!" The bubbly one of their group was perched on the cooler.

"Gladio."

Having given his name earlier, Noct just nodded her way.

"Now that introductions are completed, do you feel up to explaining how you ended up here in the middle of nowhere, Crown Citizen?"

She frowned, looking down at the cup in her lap she began her tale.

"When the warships came, no one was expecting it. People were being thrown out of their houses. There was screaming and shots firing everywhere..." She shook a bit. "My brother and I hid underneath the floorboards of our house until nightfall. We escaped through the water ducts in the dead of night...We managed to get out of the city but...The Imperials saw us…" Tears welled in her eyes again. "My...brother was training to be a crownsguard so he...knew how to fight...He told me to run and not look back and I did...but...I heard him scream and I turned around…" Her eyes closed. "The...soldiers grabbed me and...All I can remember is seeing Hiro bulldozed to the ground and then…" She winced; absentmindedly she touched her shoulder, a sign she was remembering her wounds.

"Hey, it's okay…" Prompto didn't want her crying again.

"Prompto's right." Noct nodded. "You don't have to say anymore."

"Agreed." Ignis pushed up his glasses. "I believe that's enough excitement for the day. Prompto, would you mind escorting our guest to the tent so she may rest in comfort?"

"Uh...Sure!"

"I...But…" She looked at them all like a crown citizen would when approached by a member of the elite. A clear sign she was a common citizen with no titles. Ignis, Gladio and Noctis were used to such stares but Prompto was not.

"Not to worry, we'll be fine." Ignis reassured her as he took the cup from her shaking hands. "It is you who needs the tent more than we do at the moment."

She quickly shook her head. "I...don't want sleep...I'm...afraid…"

"This is not a dream, Ms. Lockheart." She looked at Ignis and he stared right back at her. "You are safe and secured. Go on now, rest easy."

"Thank you…" She rose and followed Prompto to the tent. He let her in first and watched him set up a sleeping bag for her.

"Uh...go on...it's really nice...I promise!" Prompto gave her smile as she climbed in.

"There ya go!" Once in he zipped her up, gave her a smile. "All nice and comfy!"

"Thank you…" She looked up at him. "I...Could you...stay...for a bit? Please?" Those pleading eyes were hard to deny, though he really couldn't blame her right now.

"Uh...Sure…" He set down right next to the sleeping bag. "Don't you worry one bit. Old Prompto'll scare the nasty bad guys away!"

She actually smiled before her eyelids became heavy and sleep overtook her. Satisfied she was out cold, Prompto returned to the trio around the fire.

"She's out cold." He reclaimed his chair he had sacrificed for her comfort. He frowned. "Must have been hard…"

"I had a feeling she would have a hard time sleeping thus a light sedative was in order." Ignis stated. "She will sleep through the night and possibly the next day."

"Makes you wonder how she was able to survive." Gladio retorted.

"Not well...We all know it has been exactly three days since we were informed of the attack." Ignis stated. "And by the state she is in, I'd say she is lucky to be alive."

"Hmmm...Lockheart...I know that name…" Noctis looked towards Prompto. "Wasn't there a guy at school with that surname?"

"Huh? Oh...Yeah!" Prompto blinked at the memory. "He was badass!"

"It must have been Hiro Lockheart." Gladio's words had them all staring at him. "Heh...Kid can swing a mean sword...Would've been a good glaive if you ask me...Nearly beat my ass one time."

Prompto's jaw dropped. "No way!? Seriously!?"

"Why the hell do you think I was asked to go look at the recruits that one time?" Gladio raised an eyebrow at him. "The guy in charge said there was a recruit that was practically mowing everyone down during sparring sessions. Said they needed someone with more experience to check his skills."

"If he was as good as you and fell at the hands of the Imperial army then it must have been a one sided affair." Ignis added. "And if he was a recruit, then it is very possible that the wounds upon Ms. Lockheart's back were HIS punishment of sorts." Noctis and Prompto gave him looks of surprise. "There have been occasions in which the Empire did that I'm afraid...Had enemy soldiers watch as they destroyed their families right before their eyes." Ignis frowned. "Some were driven mad…"

"That's why...you knew what to do…" Noctis looked at his advisor. "You've...seen it before…"

"Whip marks are light compared to what Gladio and I have seen." Ignis sighed. "The Empire tends to take...pleasure in punishing the family of enemy soldiers...especially the female members of such families." He frowned. "I would say Ms. Lockheart was able to escape before a more...intrusive punishment could commence."

"Huh...Suddenly I have the urge to kick some Imperial scum to the ground." Gladio cracked his knuckles.

"Indeed though we should first handle the current situation."

"Yeah...did you guys just feel that…" Prompto touched the top of his head.

"Yeah...Looks like it's about to rain…" Noctis sighed.

"Well...This will be interesting…"

It was tight but what were they to do with the rain practically pouring down outside? Thanks to the sedative, Heiwa was completely out of it. Prompto and Noctis opened up a sleeping back and used a blanket while Gladio and Ignis took the other two bags. Noctis planted himself right next to the sleeping Heiwa, his urge to punch something growing every minute he saw her fragile form. He could very well be staring at the last resident of Insomnia. The cruelty this young woman endured must have been enormous.

A hand on his shoulder and his eyes looked over the woman to see Ignis staring right at him.

"Do not allow the Empire to do this to anyone else, Noctis." Like always, Ignis gave good advice to his prince. "It is people like Heiwa that give us a reason to fight them."

Ignis was the ever faithful advisor to him and the young prince took his words to heart. Drifting off to sleep, Noctis made a mental note to find the Imperial warrior with black armor and deal with him himself.

Next Time: The First Occurrence