Hi, people. Long time no see! Sorry for the wait. Biology homework is really a pain in the ass sometimes. Anyway, this chapter contains a little violence, and by little, I mean a-lot-but-not-that-much violence. Nothing too rough though. Noctis and Prompto have a little rough start. Anyway, enough from me. I'll meet you on the other side of the story. Bye!

Chapter Three:

Threatening Bonds

Prompto shuffled into his usual clothing. Checking the time, he smiled.

6 a.m.

He was always an early bird. The others in the cavern couldn't stand him, but Prompto just shrugged them off. He was one of the best hunters in the pack, and he liked that. It meant that he got to eat first, and have all the ladies he could ever want. Yes, he was a lady's man, but he didn't care. Nobody dared challenged him for his position. Walking out of his cave chamber, Prompto went out the cavern, and wandered to the edge of the cliff.

It was beautiful.

Prompto's still young, but he's seen a lot of beautiful things. Ladies, men, chocobos. But the sunrise took the cake. It always did. The way clouds seem to mix with the horizon, and the ways those colors mixed and flowed freely mesmerized him. The morning breeze flushed through his hair, making it feel as light as a feather. It was like looking at a goddess. The tip of the sun was just starting to peek out. It's bright, golden light covering everything in sight. Prompto sighed peacefully, and sat on the edge of the cliff. He wished this moment would last forever. Tilting his head back, Prompto allowed the golden rays of sunlight to cover his body, embracing the feeling of warmth stretching over his entire body.

Right now, everything in life was perfect.

Prompto didn't realize how long he had been bathing in the light, but soon enough, other kitsunes were starting to wake up as well. Stretching and yawning, they shuffled around each other, dressing up in the same clothing as Prompto. The current leader of the pack walked up to Prompto.

"Prompto." He sighed, his voice raspy with old age.

The young kitsune turned around to look at the elder, and smirked. Standing up, Prompto brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Morning, Ardyn," He chirped, smiling lightly. "Thought you'd never wake up."

Ardyn chuckled lightly. "What, you thought I was really dead this time?"

"Not 'thought.' I knew."

The elder fox sighed. "Not the first time I've heard that..."

"True, true..." Prompto smirked. "So, what time am I leaving, boss?"

Ardyn smiled. "Soon. As soon as the sun is fully in the sky, you go. Cindy, Drautos, and Nyx will be accompanying you on this mission."

Prompto rolled his eyes. "Boss, you know I'm the strongest fighter in this pack. Surely, I can retrieve the kid by myself. The others would just slow my down, anyway."

The leader sighed, and crossed his arms. "Yes, I'm well aware of your abilities, Prompto, but your carelessness can be devastating, if not taken care of properly." And with that, Ardyn patted the blonde's shoulder, and sauntered back into the cavern. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of your egg while you're gone."

Prompto grunted under his breath. "Old man... you better."

I'm curious about this 'Noctis' that others speak about...

This time, I'll make sure to show him some of my abilities as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noctis groaned. Blinking his tired eyes awake, he yawned. Passionately. Sitting up groggily, he realized that he was in his bed, not the lock room. Confused and tired, Noctis stumbled out of bed, and staggered to the bathroom.

God, I smell like shit.

Cranking the water on, Noctis stepped into the shower, and sighed pleasantly as the warm water gently washed over his sore body. Showers were the solution to everything besides sleeping, in his opinion.

Stepping out of the shower, Noctis dried himself off, and put on a loose hoodie. Glancing at himself in the mirror, Noctis cringed. His whole face looked sunken, and heavy bags nestled right under his dull eyes.

Sweet Jesus. What happened to me?

Walking out of his room, Noctis gasped at the lock room on the opposite side of the hallway. The red carpet was all crumpled up, and footprints littered the floor.

Gross. I just washed my feet.

Walking towards the lock room, Noctis unlocked the lock on the heavy metal door, and pushed it open with all his strength. Noctis froze.

What... happened in here...?

Little pieces of broken chains littered the floor, claw marks were everywhere, and there was a gaping, fucking, hole where one wall should've been. Not to mention the blood splattered on the walls. Noctis felt bad for the maid. It's a pain vacuuming fur off the floor. Especially werewolf fur. Wait... wolf fur... claw marks... broken chains... hole.

Oh fuck.

It all makes sense now. Why Noctis was so exhausted, why he smelled like saliva, why the lockroom was this way. This was his doing.

Dammit...

Noctis slammed his fist against the wall. It's been so long now. Sixteen years packs a lot of transformations, and after all this time, he still hasn't learned to control his transformation yet. Noctis' read about ancient werewolves back then. How easily they could transform to and back in mere seconds. That was part of the reason why they were such fierce fighters. Their proud, magnificent fur flowing through the wind, standing boldly on top of anything. Cliffs, plains, mountains. That just make Noctis feel like the rung of their species.

The last werewolf. How cute.

Noctis shakes his head angrily. "No..." he grumbles. "I'm gonna show them... I'm gonna prove myself to everyone. Especially myself."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The woods are a beautiful mixture of red, orange, and yellow in the fall. The cold, fresh breeze blows past Prompto's fur gently. He loves this time of year. Prompto swore he could spend a whole week just staring at those leaves. It's his way of calming down.

"We're almost here," Prompto whispered to the rest. "I can feel the presence of humans."

"About time," Drautos sighs. "Can't wait to get in there and taste some human blood. It's deliciously sweet." His black ears twitch in anticipation.

Prompto sighs, and flicks his tail in disapproval. "We're here to capture someone, not to cause a scene."

Cindy snickers, and runs up beside Prompto. "So, where is this someone you're talking about? Is it a male or female? Um, not that it matters to me that much..."

"If it doesn't matter to you, there's no point in me telling you," Prompto grunts.

Cindy's eyes widen. "W-wait, that came out wrong! I'm just curious who this someone is, that's all!" Her brown tail flicks to one side, waving left and right.

Prompto chuckles. "Just kidding, drama queen. It's a guy."

Cindy sighs in relief.

Thank the lord. If it was a girl, I swear...

Prompto continues. "Also, this kid isn't someone."

Cindy and Nyx glance at him questioningly.

"He's something."

And I still haven't figured it out fully yet.

As they approach an opening in the forest, the kitsunes all skid to a halt. "There it is..." Prompto concludes. "The great city of Insomnia."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noctis felt weird all day at school today. It's like, something else like him was... near. He couldn't get his mind to focus on that something, but he was sure it wasn't human. The signals they give off are dull and muted, and Noctis barely pays attention to them. But this particular feeling... was almost like it was calling out to him. Was it a warning? A greeting? Hell, it could be an invitation to go live underground in a ditch for all he knew, but he couldn't quite shake the noise out of his head.

During classes, Noctis didn't even pay attention to the teacher. He'd spent all of school gazing out the window, gazing into the city. Looking for something.

"Noct?" His teacher sighed.

Noct's head immediately snapped to her direction, eyes like a hawk's. Rummaging through his papers, Noctis cleared his throat. "U-uh, yes?"

"I called on you, Noctis," she explained uncertainly. "What's the answer to the question?"

Noctis fumbled his hand through his hair. "I-uh, what was the question again?"

Laughter spurt out in the classroom.

The teacher sighed. "Silence, everyone." Leaning down to face Noctis, she looked him straight in the eye. "What's the monomer of a nucleic acid, Noctis?"

Noct grunted. "Dunno. What is it?"

Snickers echoed around the room. The teacher put her hand on Noct's desk. "Well, you would know if you had your textbook with you, Noctis," she whispered.

"Ok." Noct replied simply.

"Aand where is your textbook?"

"At home."

The teacher grumbled in disappointment. "Can you explain what it's doing there?"

Noctis threw his hands up behind his head. "Having more fun than me."

Laughter bursted out in the classroom, alarming both Noctis and the teacher.

"Settle down, class," the teacher tried to say, waving hands through the air like crazy. "Don't make me bring Cor in here!" Silence overthrew the sound in less than a second. It was... rude, but satisfying at the same time. The teacher turned to Noctis. "Noct, I'm going to have to write you a detention note forrrr... what?!" The seat was empty. Noctis was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noctis stretched his back in the air. Biology was never his forte. Or any class, for that matter. Running through the streets on Insomnia, the calling was getting stronger and stronger now. So overpowering, Noctis had to leave the classroom, or his brain would collapse. At the beginning of the day, the buzzing in his head was light and noticeable, but now, it was like a needle piercing his head.

What is this??

Rubbing his head in his hands, Noctis continued to run down the street, looking for the cause of the signals. Occasionally tripping ever few steps, other citizens looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was. After all, he did run down this street a few days ago as a damn monster.

He didn't blame them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What's this for?" Drautos asked, his black tail swiping around his legs.

"It's just something that'll make this mission a whole lot easier," Prompto replies. "The city of Insomnia is massive, and if we were to look through ever crook and crack of it, we would be taking weeks."

"Well then, what's this spray gonna do?" Nyx added on.

"This is supposed to cover our scents with the smell of a female werewolf," Prompto answers. "Males can smell and feel females from a mile away. Soon, he'll be the one coming to us."

Cindy snorted. "So, you're just making us smell like a werewolf in heat? Not cool."

"It doesn't matter if it's cool or not. Orders are orders."

Cindy grumbled in disapproval. "Fine, whatever." Her chestnut tail wrapped around one of her legs. "I'm curious what a werewolf looks like. After all, we've only learned about them as cryptids in a book."

"Yeah..." Prompto agreed. "Now, we wait."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The buzzing seems to be getting stronger everytime Noctis approached the walls on Insomnia. Whatever this feeling is coming from, it's outside Insomnia.

Is this a joke?

Normally, Noctis would sneak out of the city without a second thought, but he sensed something was off.

The scent smells so much like him, another werewolf, but could it be? The Lucis line was the last known family of werewolves for decades, and Regis died years ago. Is there some secret sanctuary that the rest of his kind have been hiding in?

It smells like a female.

Another werewolf by itself was a massive discovery, but the fact that it was female, meaning that Noctis could revive his species, that was groundbreaking news.

Before he knew it, Noctis found himself sneaking out of Insomnia. Instead of wrapping his head around how suspicious this was, Noctis continued with the plan. Clearly, he wasn't the smartest cookie in the jar.

Crawling into one of the air vents, Noct has to duck his ears and tail down so he could fit through. The passageway was just as he had expected. Dark, damp, and gloomy. Dirt smudged onto his shorts and shirt. He knew Ignis would give him a long lecture for this. Wriggling through the other side of the vent, Noctis stands up and brushes the dirt off his clothes and ears.

It's getting stronger... I can taste it.

Following the scent, Noctis realizes that it goes into the forest. A feeling of fear slowly creeps its way up his spine. His tail fluffs up a little, and he swallows. This could either be mind blowing, or it could go bad. The risk is definitely in the back of his brain, but Noctis shakes his mind and continues following the scent.

He's already snuck outside of school and Insomnia now. He's in too deep. Besides, things can't possibly go that bad... right?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Drautos jitters with excitement, and is now pacing in circles around the others. "I can't wait to taste some of his flesh," he says, saliva dripping from his parted jaws. "Werewolf meat must be pure and succulent."

Cindy sighs. "You're hopeless," she complains. "We're here to capture the kid, not eat him."

"Well, that doesn't mean I can't have a little sample while we're at it." Drautos smirks, and licks his lips in anticipation. Nyx just shakes his head.

"Guys, quiet," Prompto suddenly whispers. "Quick, hide. He's close."

Cindy, Drautos, and Nyx all clear out, and settle themselves either in a tree or a bush. Prompto shifts into his human form, and raises a hand. "Wait for my signal."

His golden tail flicks curiously in the grass.

It's showtime.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noctis could literally feel the scent pressing on him now. It was so strong, he thought it would burn his nostrils. Walking through the dense forest, Noctis pauses at a particular clearing in the woods. No grass was growing on the ground. This was where the scent was practically radiating off from. He could tell that there was someone standing in the middle of the bald spot. A... guy?

So it's not a woman... damn.

Uncertainly, Noctis slowly walks towards the other male, his ears twitching in suspicion.

What's a guy doing standing alone in the middle of the woods?

"Who are you...?" Noctis asks, looking at the blonde suspiciously. "Do you have any business here?"

The man doesn't answer. Noctis analyzes the guy, searching for possible threats on his body. His eyes land on those golden ears and tail. This wasn't a human.

Kitsune...

"You're a kitsune."

The man smirks.

Noctis gets creepy vibes off this guy. "What are you doing here? Are you lost or something? Give me an answer, here!"

The blonde looks up at Noctis. His blue eyes completely match the other's. "Is there something you want to know?"

Noctis jolts at the sudden reply. Creepy... "all the other questions that I asked you."

The man smiles. "I'm Prompto. I'm a traveler visiting Insomnia, in search for a certain someone." Noctis frowns. "Now, care to explain what you're doing here all by yourself, boy?"

Noctis rolls his eyes. "You're one to talk. What are you doing standing all by yourself in the woods?"

Prompto grins. "Who said I was alone?" He holds up a fist, and three kitsunes sprung from the trees and bushes, charging at Noctis. The boy jolts away, and immediately gets into a defensive position.

"The hell!!" He growls and catches a brown fox, throwing it off his shoulder and onto the bare ground. It lands with a thump, and rolls into a tree. Prompto grins.

So, he's capable of self defense. Not that it'll matter that much.

A gray fox charges into Noctis, and barrels him over. "Ow, that hurt, ya know!" He shouts, and grabs the fox's tail, flinging it into a trunk. Suddenly, a midnight black flash of fur shot past his eyes, and Noctis felt all the air knocked out of him. Although Noctis was strong, he was no match for four massive foxes. The damage he's done will definitely leave some nasty bruises and scratches, but it wasn't enough to be fatal. They would just keep getting back up.

All this time, Prompto had just sat back and watched, waiting until the target was finally willing to surrender. He had to admit though, he never expected a werewolf to be this... attractive. Normally, the werewolves they learn about are all drawn like bears. But... damn. What's gotten into his mind? No matter what he looks like, Prompto's on a mission. Looks don't matter to him. He shakes the thoughts out, and focuses back on the struggle in front of him.

While Noctis was busy tangling with the gray kitsune, the black one had snuck up behind him, and before he could turn around to block it, the fox had taken a good bite out of his shoulder. "God, you guys are really starting to piss me off!" Noctis growls in rage, and kicked the gray fox in the face while grabbing onto the fur of the other, flinging it off his back.

The black fox gets back up, and licked its bloodstained lips greedily. "Mmmm..." it purrs. "Just like I imagined. Pure and succulent." Noctis groaned, clutching his injured shoulder. Blood seeped through the wound like a river.

Well great.

"Drautos!" The brown kitsune hissed. "I said no eating!"

Drautos looked in her direction, and pouted. "It was just one bite, Cindy..."

"No! That doesn't make up for the damage you've done to the guy! He's gonna bleed to death before we even get him to the cave!"

"He's a werewolf, Cindy, calm down!"

"So what if he's a werewolf?? That doesn't help the situation here!"

"Aren't all werewolves supposed to be stronger than kitsunes? These attacks shouldn't even phase him!"

Noctis stared confusingly at the two foxes.

"Well, it's certainly phasing him, Drautos!" Cindy roared.

Cindy and Drautos, huh...

"Well, seems like the last one is broken, then," Drautos snorts, his black tail swishing over his head.

"Drautos!" Cindy shouted.

As the foxes argued over an appetite, they didn't notice that Noctis had picked up a rock, and was inching his way towards them.

"This is your fault!" Cindy hissed.

"Well, sorry I got hungry!" Drautos shouted back.

"Ardyn's gonna kill us!"

"Oh, shut up, will you? I doubt that pile of bones could even scratch us." Drautos sighs. "Let's just finish what we started. If he dies, he di-"

Suddenly, a rock was bashed against the older fox's head and Drautos staggered back, roaring in agony before collapsing on the bare ground, out cold.

Cindy stumbled back in surprise. "The hell?!"

Noctis smirked. "How's that for a broken little werewolf?"

Cindy growled low in her throat. Getting ready to pounce, her chestnut brown tail bristling with anger. "Hey, you interrupted my arguement! I was about to squish Drautos to the ground!"

Noctis snorted. "He's already on the ground." He pointed to the black fox's unconscious body. "You're welcome."

"Why you little..." Cindy pounced, and Noctis easily dodged it. Nyx came in from the side, and tried to knock the kid over.

Noctis whipped around, and grabbed the gray fox's snout, flinging him into Cindy's body. They grunted in pain, and tumbled to the ground.

Prompto smirked from the tree. "Not bad, for a snack."

Noctis glared at the blonde. "How about you get down from there, and I'll give you a firsthand experience on what I can really do."

"Boss, just finish him so we can bring him back!" Nyx growled. "Ardyn's gonna be upset if we come back late with a dead corpse!"

Prompto just silenced them with a flick of his tail. "Don't worry, I already know what you can do," he growls. Cracking his knuckles, Noctis glares at the blonde.

"You sure about that, blondie?" He snarls, and jumps, trying to swipe Prompto off the tree. The kitsune easily dodges his attack, and lands gracefully on the ground.

Morphing into a fox, Prompto smirks. "Give me everything you've got." Noctis growled and pounced, trying to squash the fox to the ground. Again, Prompto easily, and hopped behind Noctis. "Too slow," he grins. Noctis whips around and snatches Prompto's wrist. Tugging the man towards him, Noctis runs a fist right at the other's face. His fist hits an open palm, slowly curling around it. Prompto smirks. "Gotta try harder than that to hit me, bro." And with that, he kicked the other in the stomach.

Noctis groaned in pain, and released his grip on Prompto's wrist. "Ow..." curling into himself, his voice whimpered. Prompto took action, and pinned the other to the ground. He smiles, and calls the others. He then halted when the whimpers turned into laughter. "Heh heh... ha... haha... HA HA!" The blonde ordered the others to keep their distance. They nodded, and jumped back.

Noctis sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, didn't think I'd have to use this, but it seems like you leave me no choice."

Not that I would ever want it...

Closing his eyes, Noctis calls the inner demon inside him. For a moment, the forest was dead silent except for the rustling of leaves.

What do you want?

I want you to give me your power.

Ha! Why would I do that?! You never called for me, anyway. Why should times be different now?

Look. If you help me, I'll let you take over my body for a while.

Hmmmm... that's strange, coming from you.

Times are different, now. I'm about to get kidnapped. Again.

Seems like others are way too desperate for me.

Ok, so what is it? Are you gonna help me or not?

Ugh. Fine. I'll lend you my power this time. I'm not going to take over your body, since if you can learn to handle my power, you can just freely use it. You don't have to keep annoying me to get it.

Thanks, Carbuncle. You're sooooo soft under there...

Hey, do you want me to change my mind?

Okay, okay. See ya later, bro.

Whatever. Just... don't die. Okay?

Promise.

Noctis snaps his eyes open, and smirks. His body immediately starts changing. Bones rearrange themselves, and fur sprouts from every part of his body. Normally, this process was extremely painful, but this was... different. If you make the transformation occur, it's not painful. Just feels weird. His teeth sharpen into canines, and a deep growl emits from his throat. Prompto curses, and jumps off the beast, scurrying back. His tail curls protectively around his leg.

"Uh, boss?" Cindy stutters, pointing at the beast in front of them. "Is that...?" Prompto curses, and his ears flatten against his head.

"Shit. I was hoping we wouldn't have to deal with this..." growling, Prompto orders everyone to get into an attack formation. "On my signal," he snarls.

Noctis glares at the four foxes, and his pupils dilate. He charged for Prompto, claws scraping the dirt.

"Now!" Prompto's hand forms into a fist, and the other three foxes lunged at Noctis, biting into his fur. Noctis barreled Cindy over, and grabbed Drautos by the tail. Nyx jumped onto his back, and dug his claws into soft flesh. Roaring, Noctis tumbled around the area, leaving cracks in the ground. Cindy yelped, and ran out of the way before she was turned into a pancake. Literally. Slamming his back into a tree, Nyx whined and lost his grip on the werewolf's back. Noctis noticed, and snapped his jaws around Nyx's leg. Yelping, Nyx struggled to free his leg, but it only made the pain worse. Noctis threw the fox's body around like a toy, slamming it on one side of the ground, then slamming it on the other. After a painfully long moment, Nyx stopped struggling, and went limp between the werewolf's jaws. Noctis smirked, and decided it was time to end this. Flinging the limp body into a tree, the trunk snapped with a sickening crack, along with the fox's spine.

"Nyx!" Cindy wailed, and rushed over to the fallen hunter. Pushing the limp body with her nose, Cindy's eyes got misty. "No, no no NO!" Noctis just looked in her direction with a rock-hard gaze.

"Not so much of a broken dog, now, am I?" He sneers. Shaking the blood off his body, Noctis started walking towards the chestnut furred fox.

"Stay away from her, you monster!" Drautos shouts, and pounces onto the werewolf. Noctis staggers back, and growls in his throat.

"You're one to talk," Noctis groans. "You're the one who literally took a bite outta me."

"I wasn't planning to kill you, at least!" Drautos growls, and sinks his teeth into Noct's neck. Noctis snarls, and twists his head to try and grab the black fox, so he could meet the same fate as his friend. Staggering in the dirt, the whole thing was like a massive pile of fur and claws. Noctis finally grabs onto Drautos' tail, and slams his body into the ground repeatedly.

He was just about to break the other fox's neck until a sharp pain emitted from his hind leg. Noctis roars in pain, and let's go of Drautos. The black fox scurries away in an instant. Growling, Noctis turns around to see a spark of golden fur latched onto his leg.

"Prompto..." Noctis snarls, and kicks the fox off. The blonde doesn't hesitate any longer, and lunges onto the beast's back. "I see now," Noctis growls. "So you're that one fox that broke into the lockroom that night. Heard you ran back to your cave with your tail between your legs."

Prompto doesn't answer, and starts ripping white fur out of Noctis' neck. Sinking his teeth into tender flesh, Prompto could taste the blood flowing in his mouth. Snarling, Noctis jumps around, trying to shake the golden fox off his back. After a few minutes of no success, Noctis begins to feel weary from blood loss. "You're like a fucking bug!" Noctis roars.

Prompto smirks. Sinking his claws into the beast's back, Noctis let out another cry of pain. He slams his back onto as many trees as the forest has, but Prompto stays stuck onto his back. Blood poured out of his neck like a god damn river, and soon, Noctis' vision started going blurry from blood loss.

Noctis regretted not taking out the other two foxes before, because soon after Prompto latched onto his back like a damn disease, Cindy and Drautos pounced onto him as well, digging their teeth and claws into his body. He was getting desperate at this point. Rolling in the floor, jumping frantically, roaring in rage. Nothing worked. Soon enough, after staggering around for what seemed like an eternity, Noct's limbs gave out, and he collapsed on the torn ground.

Prompto released his jaws from the beast's neck, and morphed back into a human. He wiped his hand over his mouth, and licked the blood off his fingers. Cindy changed into her human form after Prompto. "Mission successful..." Prompto smirked.

Cindy looked back at Nyx. The kitsune was sprawled on the ground, wheezing and gasping from pain. Running towards the hunter, Cindy scooped the man's arm over her shoulder, and went over to Prompto. "Let's go," she whispered. Prompto nodded, and looked over at Drautos.

The hunter flicked his tail in understanding, and padded over to Noctis. He stood over the boy for a while, thinking about getting another sample to taste, but pushed the thought aside. After he had collapsed, the boy had turned back into his human form. Positioning the boy on his back, Drautos looked over to Prompto.

"Let's go," the blonde sighed, and took off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sunsets in Insomnia were always gorgeous. Ignis hummed to himself as he drove to the mansion. Opening the huge double doors, he stepped in to find Gladio and Aranea sitting at a table together, drinking tea. Gladio noticed Ignis, and turned to face him, his tea sloshing in the teacup.

"Ignis, where's Noctis?" Gladio asked. Ignis glanced confusingly at the soldier.

"I thought you were training with him after school," Ignis questioned.

Gladio shook his head. "He didn't even come home."

Ignis' eyes widened. "What?! Where is he??"

"We're asking you, Ignis," Aranea mutters. "Maybe he's at the arcade again, or something."

Ignis put his jacket back on, and grabbed the car keys. "I gotta go find him," he sighed, concern tracing his voice.

Aranea stood up. "Wait, Ignis, you're going alone?"

"It'll be faster this way," Ignis replies, and shut the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was getting dark. Thankfully foxes have night vision, or Prompto was sure he would've ran into a million trees by now. Drautos was right behind him, Noctis still perched on his back as he ran. Cindy was starting to drag behind after carrying Nyx for so long, and Prompto knew they had to take a break soon.

Settling for a small crook of trees, Prompto slowed to a light trot. "Ok, let's rest here for a bit," he sighed, and sat down on a boulder. Cindy set Nyx's body down on the ground, and laid back, panting. Drautos slid Noctis off his back, and laid him on the ground as well. Morphing into a human, he sat on a tree stump and rubbed his neck.

"Jeez, that wolf kid shed all over me," he complained. He snatched tufts of white fur on his jacket and flung it on the ground.

Cindy snickered. "Heh, you look like a snowball!" Drautos just glanced at her, pushing her face gently. "Hey! Stop that!" She whined.

"Shouldn't have called me a snowball then," the older fox chuckled.

Prompto just gazed at the ground for a while.

I wonder what Ardyn needs a werewolf for...

Lifting his head up, Prompto faced the others. "Hey guys?"

Cindy and Drautos turned to look at their leader questioningly. "Hm?" Cindy asked.

"What do you think Ardyn's planning to do with the guy?" Prompto sighs.

Cindy shrugs. "I dunno, probably just going to extract its blood for his weird experiments, I guess..."

Drautos nodded. "Yeah. Besides, why do you ask? Are you worried about the kid?"

Prompto shook his head. "I-uh, no. I'm just curious, that's all."

Drautos leaned in closer to Prompto. "You sure, boss?" He sneered. "I dunno, he's pretty attractive for a monster. Just wipe all the dirt and blood off his face, and he'll look as good as new!"

Prompto sighed. "What are you getting at?"

"Maybe you have some secret bond or weakness for kids?" Drautos chuckles.

Prompto whipped around to look at the hunter. "What?! What kind of things go on in that head of yours??" Drautos just shrugs it off.

"I know I saw a blush there, boss," he teased.

"Shut up!" Prompto threatened at turned his head. Drautos continued to joke. Cindy just laughed as the two argued. Turning to Nyx, she walked over to the hunter.

"How are you feeling?" She asks. "Can you drink something?" Nyx just nods, and slowly opens his mouth. Cindy pulls a canteen out of her travel pocket, and carefully feeds the water into Nyx's mouth. After swallowing, Nyx sighs, and rests his head on the cold ground.

"Don't worry about Prompto and Drautos. They're just professional hot-heads. Nyx stifles out a scratchy laugh.

"I swear, Drautos, I'm going to put shit in that mouth of yours if you don't stop!" Prompto yells.

"Okay, jeez, boss!" Drautos backs away. "I just have to ask you one more thing."

"What??" Prompto whips around to face the other kitsune.

Drautos smirks. "Are you planning to... know each other when we get to base?"

Prompto flushes. "WHAT!?" His face was a bright pink now. Drautos just laughs.

"I was just kidding, bro! No need for that! Even though I loved that reaction of yours."

"Shut up!" Prompto shouts. Drautos just makes a kissy face.

"I wonder what a fox and wolf hybrid would look like..."

"That's it! We're leaving!" Prompto bursts. "Everyone, get up!"

"Whaaat??" Drautos whines. "But we just sat down!"

"Yeah, Prompto." Cindy adds in.

"I don't care! Just get up! We're advancing!" Prompto morphs into a fox. His tail bristling with anger and... a hint of... embarrassment.

"Uuuuuugh, fine!" Drautos sighs, and morphs back into his fox form. Positioning Noctis onto his back, Drautos padded up behind Prompto. Cindy draped Nyx's arm around her shoulder, and followed behind Drautos.

"Let's go," Prompto growled, and took off into the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ignis was getting worried at this point. He had checked every possible place that Noctis usually goes, and found nothing. The arcade, the school, the gym, even the garden. Driving back to the mansion, Ignis wallows through the door, and slowly shuts it behind him. Ignis and Aranea look up at him.

"Did you find him?" Gladio asked. Ignis just shook his head.

"This is bad..." Aranea growls. Setting her playing cards down on the table, she throws a jacket on, and walks up to Ignis. "Have you checked every place Noctis usually goes?" Ignis nodded slowly.

Fuck...

Gladio appears behind her, and puts a hand on Aranea's shoulder. "Don't worry," he soothes her gently. "Noctis isn't incapable of defending himself. He can fight like there's no tomorrow."

Aranea brushed his hand away. "It's not if he can defend himself or not, Gladio," she whispers. "What if... Niflheim... he can't fight back something like that."

Ignis nodded. "That's why, I had to come get you guys."

Aranea and Gladio agreed with Ignis.

"Well, Ignis..." Gladio started.

"Start the car," Aranea interrupted. "Inform the guards immediately, Gladio. This could be bad." Gladio nodded, and threw open the doors, sprinting outside. "C'mon, Ignis," Aranea whispered. "Let's go find our missing doggy."

Ignis just sighed and nodded.

Please be alright, wherever you are, Noctis...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ugh...

Where am I...?

Noctis looked groggily around. He could tell he was on some kind of creature, since the ride was bumpy as hell. Trying to focus his eyes, he slowly turned his head to the side.

Yeah... definitely moving...

It's the black one...

Noctis glanced slowly around and spotted the other three kitsunes, and groaned softly.

Where are they going?

What do I have to do with kitsunes, anyway?

His eyelids felt like they were 100 pounds each. Drifting out of conscious, Noctis slowly curled up under the deep blanket of sleep again.

Damn...

After running through the woods for what seemed like forever, Prompto finally saw the light emitting from their cavern. Bursting through the trees, Prompto and the others sprinted towards the light like moths to a bulb.

"We're here..." Prompto sighed in relief.

"Finally," Drautos whined. "It's about time that old fox paid us for the hassle he sent us through."

Cindy agreed. Walking into the cavern, all the other kitsunes glanced to stare in their direction. Setting Nyx down on the ground, Cindy rubbed her sore shoulder. Drautos just shrugged.

"We're back," Prompto finally spoke. The kitsunes in the cave all cheered.

"Well done, soldiers," a figure behind all the foxes replied. The applause ended, and silence soon flowed upon the cave. "I'm very proud of you four. Werewolves are extremely strong compared to us kitsunes."

"Yeah, yeah, big deal," Drautos sighed. "Just take the kid."

Ardyn smirked. "My pleasure." Scooping Noctis up, Ardyn nodded, and started walking into one of the many caves in the cavern.

"Aw, I'm covered in white fur again!" Drautos complained, and morphed into his human form, swiping the fur off his body. Cindy just chuckled.

"Ardyn- Wait." Prompto interrupted.

Ardyn turned to glance at the blonde. "Yes?"

"What are you planning to do with Noctis, now that you have him?" Prompto questioned.

The elder kitsune smirked. "Oh y'know, just the typical stuff," he replied. "Blood extractions, tests, etc."

Prompto stood there for a moment. "Oh... well, ok."

Ardyn smiled, and disappeared into a cave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ok, so if Noctis was really kidnapped, Niflheim would be the first choice to go to." Aranea explained.

"Ok, but Niflheim's days away from Insomnia," Gladio interrupted. "We have no idea where Noctis is right now, if he's really kidnapped by Niflheim."

Ignis agreed with Gladio. "It's true. We should look around outside the boundaries of Insomnia to see if it was someone else."

Aranea sighed. "Fine. But if we don't find anything, we're going straight to Insomnia. Got it?"

Gladio and Ignis both nodded. "Understood."

She cursed softly. "I just hope that Noctis didn't... run away on purpose to go join another nation."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ardyn carries Noctis all the way into a deep chamber underneath the cave where the only lights were from small candles. He went into a dark room, and flicked the lights on. Inside the room was a whole colony of prison cells. Inside them were all sorts of deformed monsters. Some had multiple limbs, others had scales. It was... unsettling. Setting Noctis into an empty cell, Ardyn chained his wrists and ankles to the wall just in case he woke up.

"Do you have him?" A group of darkly dressed MTs were in one side of the hallway.

Ardyn smirked. "Yeah, I do." Stepping aside, he revealed the figure chained to the wall.

The MTs nodded, and stepped out of the dark. "Good. We will take him to Niflheim tomorrow."

Ardyn nodded, but spoke up before the mechs were about to leave. "Remember the deal," he whispered. "I get half of his blood." The MTs just nodded, and disappeared.

Looking at the unconscious boy, Ardyn smiled. "Kid, you have no idea what nations have been doing to get their hands on you." And with that, he sauntered out the room, locking the door behind him.

End of Chapter Three

Hi, guys. I really don't have much to say right now, since it's late at night, and I'm just drifting in and out of consciousness while writing this end segment, so I hope it makes sense. Anyway, new updates should happen in a few days to a week, depending on how much homework my teachers plan on torturing me with. Okay, peace out, rainbow trouts, and good night.