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Reviews: I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story! Your reviews keep my muse going! I'm sorry I wasn't able to post last week. It was a busy week, and I was hardly able to get on my computer. I have a once a week thing for updating, because writing is only a hobby and sometimes it can be hard to indulge that hobby when life keeps you busy. It also keeps me ahead of the game in the event I can't sit down and write. I'm very determined to finish this story, and can only be grateful my muse agrees right now.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think in the reviews!

Chapter 7

When Hermione had thought to see if she could apparate the same way Noctis could, she hadn't thought she would get the opportunity to try it out the very next day.

It had started with the distinct sound of a camera clicking that had led to the most embarrassing five minutes of Hermione's life. She hadn't meant to fall asleep on Gladio. It had just happened. He could have put her in the tent without disturbing her, the muscle types always could, but he'd decided to let her sleep on him and fall asleep with her. The friendly teasing of Noctis and Prompto had flustered her to the point she was sure her face would never go back to normal, but Gladio had been unaffected. He'd merely gotten up calmly compared to her mad scramble, and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head before fixing them both plates from the food Ignis had prepared.

As if sleeping together hadn't been bad enough. That affectionate gesture had sealed whatever everyone had been thinking. She had seen it in their eyes.

It was safe to say that Hermione had decided a quick retreat was the best thing. Hermione had zeroed in on Noctis, commented on how he could seamlessly apparate from one place to the next so much without losing his stomach, and the boy had quickly offered to show her some of his tricks. She'd dragged him away, aware of someone else getting up and following them from a small distance away. She had felt his gaze on her back but did nothing to acknowledge his presence. Noctis had been ignoring him too, so she was sure Gladio was acting his role as Shield.

They were some ways away from camp, the pair deciding to stop at a secluded area with plenty of boulders. Noctis had her summon the dagger, his sword already in hand. "Okay, so warping is all about concentration. My father always told me I needed to keep a clear head when warping from one place to another. It's teleportation, so you are literally moving your body from one place to another. I remember when I first started, not focusing got me burned plenty of times."

That didn't sound too terrible. It was better than splinching. "So what keeps your from vomiting?"

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks turning red. "Well, I was born with the magic, so I don't have that problem. I did at first, but it went away the more I used it. Some of the Kingsglaive had the issue, because they could never get used to it. You were born with magic too, right?" She nodded. "Then the more you use it, the more comfortable your body will get." He grinned. "No more getting nauseous for you."

"That's not much of a trick," Hermione teased him.

Noctis shrugged. "I was actually hoping you'd help me out. As you can see, I can't use magic without it being a bomb. You're a natural with it, and you're not even Kingsglaive! Maybe you can figure out why I can't tap into the magic like that."

Hermione pursed her lips, not knowing where she would even begin. "I'm not sure how I would be able to help."

Noctis threw his hands in the air, frustration evident on his face. "C'mon! You have a strong connection to the Astral's. I know you said you aren't favored, but there is no other way you can have their magic otherwise. You have to know something."

Gladio quickly walked up to them from where he'd been watching. "Hey, it's alright Noct." He threw a quick wink at Hermione. "Magic isn't everything."

Noctis let out a disgusted grunt, sitting on a nearby boulder, his shoulders slumped in dejection.

She held up her hand when Gladio moved to sit next to Noctis, Hermione doing so instead. "From what I've seen so far, your fighting skills are excellent. Why do you want to learn to use magic when you're doing just fine without it?"

Noctis sighed. "I need to get stronger. I don't know if you were told, but there's a prophecy-"

"Forget the stupid prophecy," Hermione bit out. "Why do you want to learn?"

Noctis looked away from her, his jaw tensing for a few moments before relaxing again. He turned back, his eyes far too serious as they bore into hers. "My father entrusted this role to me that I know I'm not prepared for. Just a few days ago, I was on my way to get married, and now everything is gone. Niflheim can't get away with this. I owe it to my father, to the people that died fighting them, to the citizens of Lucis. I need to get stronger any way I can, and that means using every bit of my birthright that I can access."

Gladio sucked in a breath, his eyes darting between the two. Hermione watched Noctis, her eyes looking for any sign that his words had been false. She knew they weren't, but it was nice to know her instincts had been right about him. She placed on hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "I'll do everything in my power to help you access it. I don't know where to start yet, but I'll try."

Noctis' face lit up, throwing his body at Hermione and nearly knocking them both over with the force of his hug. She clung to him, breath catching as he seemed determined to squeeze her to death. Merlin, she couldn't abandon him. She'd seen a lot in his eyes when he'd earnestly spoke to her. There was determination, resolve, a little anger, but there had also been fear, desperation, and a whole myriad of emotions that pierced Hermione's heart. She could help him, and she already knew she wouldn't go home until he had reclaimed his kingdom and freed his people.

The Regalia, as the boy's had called it, was a classic that shouldn't be making the drives her four companions had apparently been pushing it through. It was a beautiful car, majestic looking with its purple and black paint job. According to Ignis, the vehicle was one of a kind, having faithfully served King Regis and his friends a long time ago. Hermione had taken a look at the scratches and small dings with a shake of her head. Not only was their transportation distinctive, but they clearly took advantage of the mechanic that gave it a tune up whenever they stopped by.

Still, it was a nice car. The air conditioning was in great condition, the radio had excellent speakers, and the leather seats were extremely comfortable. Noctis had fallen asleep within five minutes of the drive, curling up in his seat like a cat. Hermione was sitting in between him and Gladio, having been offered the position that Prompto usually took but had declined when she'd noticed the boy never actually sat still. As much as she wanted to keep her distance from the man who currently had his arm stretched on the back of her seat while he read, Hermione didn't want to be responsible for any agitation that occurred because the blond annoyed his two friends.

As it was, the drive was not long, and pretty soon they were pulling up into a service area that was named Hammerhead. She remembered the name from Cor but didn't know if he had actually stopped by while she'd been unconscious. Thinking of Cor, Hermione checked her phone to see if he replied to her text. He hadn't.

She had messaged Cor in the hopes that he would know of any libraries or bookstores that held information on the magic of this world. Be they myth or historical, Hermione didn't care. She needed a place to start. She planned on examining the tome Luna had given her again once she could ensure her privacy. Rubbing the locket that was disillusioned under her shirt, Hermione hoped Cor could prove useful in helping her with this.

Noctis woke as soon as the car was parked, rubbing his eyes as he looked around. "I'm starving. Who wants to grab a bite?"

Hermione rolled her eyes when Prompto immediately agreed. "Breakfast was not that long ago."

Noctis shrugged, sending her a quick grin. "What can I say, Mione? We're growing boys."

They ran towards the diner, not noticing the pained look on Hermione's face. Gladio and Ignis shared a look as her eyes glazed over, neither knowing what prompted such a response from her.

Mione… The last person to call her that had been Harry when she'd forgotten to meet him for lunch, and he'd forced food on her after barging through her office door. "You need to eat Mione." Harry had scolded. That had been the day before Luna's final visit that ended with her in another world. She'd been so annoyed with him, snapping and giving him attitude for ruining her workflow. After years of being friends, he'd simply grinned and sat down with his own lunch. Hermione couldn't believe her last conversation with him had been half insulting his intelligence and half complaining about her boss. Merlin, her last conversation with Ron had been an argument. He'd avoided her all week because she'd still been annoyed with him.

She was a terrible friend.

Her breath hitched, startling Ignis and Gladio. Ignis grimaced, placing a firm hand on her shoulder to bring her out of wherever she was for she was not with them, of that he was sure. "Hermione, are you alright?"

Hermione jumped, her head whipping around to stare at the guys. Her eyes were wide, having forgotten where she was for a moment. "What?"

Ignis shared another look with Gladio, his friend crossing his arms across his chest. "Something upset you."

Hermione shook her head. "It's nothing."

Gladio scoffed, "You're a terrible liar."

Hermione glared at him, willing him to drop it. "It's nothing." She was very close to gritting her teeth, something she hadn't done since her 6th year at Hogwarts.

"Alright," Ignis said. He shook his head slightly at Gladio when the man opened his mouth to protest. He knew the look on her face. It was the same Noctis made when he shut down, the same Regis sometimes held when a decision he made would not be up for debate. After years of dealing with the stubbornness of the royal family, Ignis knew when to table a discussion and save it for later. "There's shopping to be done. I'll need you to come with me so that you can choose your things. Gladio, you should stick with Noctis and Prompto. Make sure they don't wander off. We need to have a conversation with Cid about possibly upgrading some of Prompto's weapons and the bow for Hermione. After that, we'll see if Cor is ready for us. I'm expecting a call before sundown."

Hermione made no protest, grateful that Ignis hadn't decided to question her further. In truth, she never had been a good liar. She had a variety of excuses ready for any given situation, but additional questioning would have her carefully crafted lies crumbling before she could blink. She was better off denying any inquiries or just staying silent.

Unfortunately, the little store attached to this service station had little in the way of clothes that Hermione felt comfortable wearing. After perusing the available casual wear, Hermione shook her head at Ignis. She was not a daisy duke, midriff top type of girl. He simply nodded, purchasing a tent and sleeping bag while informing her she might have better luck when they made their way to Lestallum. When that would be wasn't discussed, but Hermione had a feeling she'd be stuck with these clothes for a while. Her old clothes were still in Cor's bags. She hoped he hadn't thrown them out. She could mend them in the privacy of her tent.

Their next stop was Cid and Cindy. Cindy was… interesting. She was very friendly, sunny smiles and upbeat attitude reminding Hermione of Prompto. Cindy was not afraid to wear the type of clothes Hermione had rejected. Hermione figured if she had long legs and a generous chest, she wouldn't either.

Cid was a grumpy old man that reminded her of Aberforth Dumbledore. He had taken the abused and broken weapons from Ignis, grumbling about specific parts and idiot boys. Hermione didn't think he would be able to get the bow working at all, but something told her not to say that within his hearing ability. He'd startled Hermione by grabbing her chin and tilting her face back and forth as he studied her. This went on for a few minutes before he'd let go, grumbling some more under his breath and retreating into the garage. She'd shot a questioning look at Ignis, who had watched them with wary eyes while talking with Cindy, but had only gotten a shrug in return.

Hermione and Ignis were entering the diner to meet up with the rest of the group and possibly get something to eat when her phone rang. She waved Ignis away, stepping back out to answer. "It's about time you got back to me."

Cor's voice was not amused. "Why do you need to read up on magic?"

"At Noctis' request actually," Hermione explained. "He wants me to help him unlock more access to his magic, but I don't know how. I'm hoping research will lead me to the answer."

"Once we take down this base, he should concentrate on acquiring the other royal arms."

Hermione had thought much the same, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "He wants to be as strong as possible, and having easier access to his magic will do that. Think of it as building a different branch of his arsenal."

Cor was silent for a moment before sighing, "Fine. I only know of two places that might have the information you need. Both are inaccessible at the moment, but I can get you into one when we have more time."

Finally, they were getting somewhere. "What are these places?"

"The Citadel and the Oracle's home in Tenebrae. I didn't spend a lot of time in the Citadel's library, so I can't say for sure what we'll find there. I think the Oracle's home will be more viable, but there is no way we'll infiltrate without being discovered."

What choice did they have if the Citadel's library proved to have no information? "We'll try the Citadel then. Also, do you happen to have my old clothes?"

"I was going to throw them out. They're ruined."

"No," Hermione yelled. "I can fix them. I'll retrieve them when I see you."

"Right. I need you guys to head to the location I'm about to give you. There's a backdoor entrance to this base. We do this right; we won't have any problems taking out these Nif's."

"Hold on," Hermione ordered as she walked back inside. She walked to the table the guys were sitting at, noticing Ignis was able to get some food. She put her hand over the speaker. "I need the map."

Ignis handed it over, and Hermione moved to another booth so that she could spread it out. She felt Gladio move up behind her, his hand resting on her back as he leaned over to get a look at what she was doing. She concentrated on Cor's instructions, finding the area he was talking about easily enough. It helped that the map was detailed and that Cor was clear on where they needed to go.

She straightened once she'd ended the call, looking up at Gladio. "Cor's ready for us."

Gladio nodded, looking at the map. "You should eat before we leave."

Hermione shook her head. "I'll be fine. Cor will get impatient if we don't head out now."

He gave her a look but didn't push as Hermione informed the group of their plans.

When Monica informed them that they would create a distraction while Hermione and Cor took out the base from the inside, she was the first to object. Gladio was a close second and Noctis was the last, arguing that they should all stick together. Unfortunately, Cor walked to them after hearing their noise and stared them all down until Hermione reluctantly followed him away from the others. There were grumbles, but soon the boys followed Monica.

Hermione frowned up at him. "Is there a reason you and I are doing this by ourselves?"

"Correction," Cor said. "You will be doing most of the heavy lifting this time around. Gladio informed me your warping skills needed work. I didn't think you would be affected by nausea, because you inherited the magic. I remember Regis not being a fan of warping either until he'd used it more often."

Were they reporting to him? Is that what Gladio and Ignis were doing when they asked her questions, or when Gladio stuck close to her? "You mean to tell me you won't be helping at all?"

"Oh, I'll be helping," Cor assured her. "I'll just be doing it from the ground. From what I've observed, there are plenty of targets higher up. That will be all you."

"Fantastic," she mumbled.

They turned a corner, Hermione spying a rifleman on a ledge. She was sure there were more somewhere. Cor clapped her on the back. "When I get up there I expect the area to be clear."

This was why Hermione avoided lying. If she had explained to Cor from the beginning that this type of magic was new to her, he wouldn't have felt the need to test her the way he was. She could just apparate, but if she didn't at least throw the knife, she knew he would suspect how she did it and then there would be yelling… possible wand breaking…

Well, there was no time like the present to try something new.

It really was like apparating if one thought it through. She was just focusing on an object, and not a predetermined destination.

Summoning her dagger, Hermione took a deep breath and threw it at the first Niflheim soldier. She felt the magic embrace her, and before she knew it, she was crouched over said soldier with her dagger in its chest. There was no nausea, no splinching, and there had been no squeezing tube sensation.

What there happened to be was more soldiers of the same type that she'd just taken down, each shooting at her. She threw up her barrier with one hand and threw the dagger with her other hand. Warping from target to target, Hermione started to understand why Noctis did this so much. It was efficient, quick, and something only he could do.

Cor came to a stop beside her once she took out the last rifleman. "They told me you needed practice."

Hermione shrugged. "I probably do."

They walked down a set of stairs, coming upon more troopers and a larger soldier. Cor said, "I'll take care of the big guy. Get the others."

Hermione warped to the first one, not giving the one next to her a chance to react as she stuck her second dagger into its chest while striking down her intended target. She conjured a ball of flame, hurling it at the group too close to each other. Cor finished off the larger one with a final strike of his sword.

They moved on, Cor opening a door and poking his head out. He brought it back quickly, a bullet hitting the wall where his head had been. "Snipers. Take them out."

"On it." Hermione warped to the one farthest on her right, keeping their attention on her while Cor fought the troopers below. Their bullets hit her shield harder than the other ones had. Throwing her weapon into the air, Hermione warped to it, quickly throwing it back down and following. She defeated the last one, looking below her and noticing Cor was facing off against three large soldiers with axes.

Sparking her hands with multiple balls of lighting, Hermione called out to him. "Move out of the way, Cor!"

He didn't hesitate, jumping away from his opponents and watching as Hermione unleashed her bombs. The troopers went down, limbs twitching from the force of her lightning. She warped to the ground, wincing as her dagger scratched against the concrete.

"I hope the others are doing alright," Hermione said.

Cor walked forward, stepping over the dead troopers. "Keep your mind focused on our task. You'll only compromise yourself by worrying about others."

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't say a word. She followed him until he stopped just before another opening. She noticed more of the large soldiers positioned at different areas of the clearing. There were more snipers as well. Cor turned to her. "You don't happen to have any magic flasks, do you?"

"Sorry," Hermione apologized. "But if I can get rid of those snipers, I can try and make a big enough ball that it will effectively be a bomb."

Cor was engaging the ground troopers before Hermione could suggest they take out the snipers together. Grumbling at his impatient nature, she got started. She had to put up her barrier, the soldiers on her level realizing she was a more appealing target right away. She had no clue how to use these curved daggers for any complicated fighting, so she hacked and slashed at them until she switched tactics and warped to the other side. She was breathing heavily by the time she had gotten rid of them all, the constant warping starting to take its toll.

Cor was still fighting the troopers below, having to dodge and weave through their attacks. Dropping her dagger, Hermione held her hands out to the sky. She willed fire and lightning to merge, to create one large sphere as Cor kept them herded together. She could taste blood on her upper lip, knew she should have saved this experimentation for when she hadn't used up a lot of energy warping everywhere. Still, Hermione kept her mind focused.

Slowly, but gaining speed, a ball of lightning formed. Another of fire materialized right after it. She forced them together, their size expanding until there was a noticeable shadow above the troopers heads. Cor looked up, eyes widening at the sight of a firestorm compressed into a considerable orb floating above them. He jumped to the side just as Hermione let it drop. The dozen armored troopers didn't stand a chance. The force of the explosion knocked Cor back, painful electric shocks and small burns covering his body.

Hermione saw Cor fly back, his body colliding with a metal beam. Damn it, that was the second time she hurt this man with her magic! Picking up her dagger, Hermione threw it to the wall next to the metal pillar. She stumbled a little as she materialized, collapsing to her knees right next to him.

"No, no, no," Hermione chanted. He was burned and bleeding in multiple places, some electric and some from fire. She summoned her wand, waving it in the pattern to perform a diagnostic charm on him to see the extent of the damage. Several systems lit up red, showing Hermione the injuries her spell had caused. Her mind was drawing a blank, the witch who knew everything couldn't remember a single healing spell. Searching for one was going to take too much time. Remembering the potion Ignis had told her about, Hermione frantically dug through his pockets. Nothing, he had nothing. Why did he have nothing?

His breathing was slowing down, his chest movements barely noticeable. Blood trickled out of his mouth in a steady stream. Merlin, she'd killed him. He'd trusted her, and she'd murdered him. Sobbing, Hermione lay her head on his chest, a palm over his heart. "Please don't die, Cor. Please." She begged, pleaded with him, pleaded with the God's.

Bluish white light poured from her palm. Hermione's vision was blurred as she felt her magic rise, and surge through her hand over Cor's heart. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes and see what was going on. That was when she noticed her other hand that had been clutching Cor's side was glowing as well. Her eyes widened as blood stopped oozing from his various wounds, the burns slowly starting to disappear.

Practically climbing on top of him, Hermione directed more of her magic through her palms. Her hands shook, her breathing becoming harder as she concentrated. Her diagnostic charm was starting to fade, but Hermione could see the red disappearing rapidly. She bit her lip hard to keep her body going, the pain jerking her to attention.

Cor's eyes opened slowly, his dazed expression clearing to one of confusion when he saw her. Hermione collapsed on top of him in relief, the light fading away. He slowly sat up, holding her to him when she would have fallen backward. He took in the visible signs of a crying jag, the tears were still running down her face, and figured something had happened to him at some point. "What happened." His voice sounded weak, even to his own ears.

Hermione's face crumbled, burying her head in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry! My spell hit you! There was so much damage, I'm sorry!"

He'd never been comfortable with crying. Her sobs made him feel like he should apologize for something. "Hey, I'm alright now." He shrugged. "Besides, it's my fault for not moving fast enough."

Her face was a mask of fury as she looked up, hitting his chest with every word she spoke. "You were dying, Cor! Dying! It is not your fault! Don't say that!"

Cor scowled, grabbing her hand to keep from hitting him again. "Well, obviously I'm still alive, if not a little weak. How did you heal me? Did you use a Phoenix Down?"

Hermione gave him a confused look. "A what?" She shook her head. "No, I don't know what happened. One minute, I was pleading with every deity I could think of not to let you die, and the next my hands were glowing, and you were healing." Her shoulders sank, her head flopping forward to connect with his chest again. "I'm so tired. I don't think I can fight anymore right now."

Cor sighed, pulling her closer so that she could rest against him. "That makes two of us. It's a good thing this was the last wave. The blockade is clear from this side."

The sound of an airship alerted them to more company. It stopped above them, the hatch opening to reveal a golden-haired man in armor. His eyes lit up at the sight of them. "Well, well, if it isn't Cor, The Immortal. So, you survived the Citadel. And who's this? Niflheim is very interested in you."

Cor growled, "Loqui."

The man jumped into a maroon mechanical suit. "You won't survive what I have in store for you. It's time your legend came to an end, and the girl to come with me."

Gladio brought down the rest of the Nif's, the damn bastards not standing a chance at the show of force his group and Monica had provided. There had been so many of them, Gladio wondered if there had been any left for Cor and Hermione to take out. He hoped not. Some of these Magitek troopers had been tough.

Thinking of Hermione, Gladio wondered how she was doing. Ignis had made the observation early on that the Princess was no longer used to combat. Oh, there had been some, they could tell. There was a look in her eyes that screamed battle-hardened, but her skills told them it had been a long time since those battles. She was improving, fast, but Gladio wondered what her life was like before she'd met up with them.

Ignis thought King Regis had planned to acknowledge her officially once the treaty with Niflheim was signed. He could see no other reason why she would have been there with his dad and the King otherwise. Gladio agreed, but something about the situation bothered him. Cor hadn't known about her. King Regis had never seemed the type of man to keep something as important as his daughter a secret. Technically, she was his firstborn. In all fairness, she should have been next in line and not Noctis. Was that why he hadn't confessed to her existence? Where had she been all this time? She'd been heartbroken at the death of his dad, so Gladio had tried searching his memories for trips his father had taken.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason why he thought of her. From the first time she'd fought next to him something had sparked in Gladio. Her determination and selflessness had been so attractive to him, even as he was internally cursing her lack of care for her own life. There was the way she made his life easier by sticking close to Noctis, and the time her eyes lit up in the cave when she'd been telling him about runes had made him want to kiss her so bad.

He would have if Ignis hadn't interrupted.

It helped that she was attracted to him too. He knew she was. She blushed every time she came into contact with his body, and he caught her ogling him when she thought he wasn't looking. She let him help with her hair, and sat close to him in the car. He could tell she was wary, but he figured he could push through that. He wasn't in a rush. He'd pretty much declared his intentions with her in a way that even Noctis understood.

There was a part of him that said maybe he shouldn't get involved with her. She was technically a Princess, Noctis' sister. His job was to shield her, not date her. That voice sounded suspiciously like Iggy. And like he always did when Ignis tried to tell him he shouldn't do something, he ignored it.

Monica walked up to him, their group gathering together after making sure all the Magitek were gone. "I can't reach Cor."

Ignis raised a brow. "The Marshall is likely busy at the moment."

"I can't reach the-" Monica stopped abruptly, glancing at Noctis for a second before speaking again. "I can't reach Hermione, either."

Ignis looked at the closed gates of the blockade. "It stands to reason that if the Marshall is busy, so is she."

Monica gave him an unimpressed look. "We were the diversion so that they could take care of things on the inside. There shouldn't have been as much resistance. They should be here."

Gladio felt alarm go through him at Monica's tone. Hermione was supposed to be safe with Cor. "Only one way to find out." He walked to the huge gate blocking the way through, staring at the control panel. "How are we supposed to open this?"

Monica sighed, getting in front of him to take a look at it. "Cor was supposed to open this from the inside. We'll have to hack it."

Monica jumped back as gunfire sounded, the control panel blown to shreds. The wall creaked open, nobody waiting for them. Monica, Ignis, and Gladio turned back to look at Noctis, who had taken Prompto's gun and shot it. "There, it's open. Let's go."

They walked into the empty clearing, seeing no sign of Hermione or Cor. There were no Niflheim soldiers either. Ignis pointed to an area above them. "There! It's an airship."

Suddenly, the area they were looking at was lit up with explosions. Noctis got ready to throw his weapon and warp, but Hermione appeared in front of them with Cor next to her. They were both clearly exhausted, not something Gladio would have ever said about The Immortal. Hermione looked ready to keel over, and Cor was having a hard time getting to his feet.

He heard Prompto whisper. "Dude, did she just warp with Cor?"

Then Noctis whispered back. "She is so teaching me that."

Gladio grabbed Hermione, holding her steady while Monica went for Cor. Ignis studied them. "What happened?"

Cor grimaced, clutching his side, looking a little green. "Talk later. Advanced Magitek Armor coming our way."

As he said that, a maroon Magitek Armor jumped from the area it was in. It landed a few feet in front of them. An annoying high pitched voice laughed, "Don't run away, Immortal! We were just getting started!"

Hermione groaned, pushing away from Gladio and managing to stand without falling. "I'll surrender and die right here if you just stop talking!"

The voice gasped, "You insolent bitch!"

Cor cast his eyes to the sky. "Now you've done it. Dodge!"

Gladio pulled her out of the way, everyone going in different directions as the Magitek Armor shot missiles. Hermione grabbed her Kukri and lifted it into the air. Before she could throw it, Gladio caught her arm and brought it back down. "You're exhausted. Sit back and let us handle this."

She made the Kukri disappear, hands sparking instead. "You're right. Confronting him head on is likely to get me killed with how much of a liability I am at the moment." She shot a concerned glance at Cor. "He's been badly injured. I healed him, but I know he's still weak."

Gladio had been stuck at the part of her saying she healed him, but her worried tone made him focus. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him. Just stay here."

She nodded, giving him a grateful smile that made his heart clench. Running to join the fight, Gladio stuck to Cor as promised. The man didn't seem to mind, sending Monica to protect Hermione. They attacked together, bringing down one of the Armor's legs while Noctis and Ignis took down another. The man inside was screaming at them, but Gladio paid him no mind. All he knew was the battle in front of them until he was defeated.

Hermione walked up to them, a fretting Monica following behind her. She was trying to give Hermione a potion, but his girl was not having it. "Honestly, I just need to eat and sleep. As long as we don't fight anymore, I should be fine."

Another airship appeared, flying towards them fast. Prompto pouted. "You just had to say something."

To his surprise, a ladder descended from the opening hatch. Cor blew out a breath. "Perfect. Hermione, get behind me."

A female Niflheim officer jumped down, using her shiny lance to land next to the destroyed Armor. "I'm not here to fight, Immortal. Those aren't my orders." She pulled off her helmet, revealing a pretty face that looked like she hailed from Tenebrae. "You're looking rough, honey." She directed at Hermione. "You tell these guys to treat you better." She held out the lance. "See my new toy? You won't be destroying this one. Niflheim is still trying to figure out how you destroyed the last one."

Cor moved to stand in front of Hermione, Gladio pulling her against his chest. Cor growled, "Enough, Highwind."

Highwind laughed, "Spoilsport." She picked up the unconscious Niflheim officer, hefting him over her shoulder. "Give me a call if you get tired of these men, Princess. I can show you a better time."

Everyone stiffened, including Hermione. Gladio shot Ignis a concerned look. Now Niflheim knew who she was? That wasn't good. They watched as the airship flew away. Hermione's head fell back against his chest, eyes closed. "I can't believe she replaced the stupid thing already." She frowned. "I so can destroy it. I think I will the next time I see her."

Cor crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't like that she'd taken an interest in you."

Hermione opened her eyes, taking his grumpy tone as accusation. "You're the one that let me fight her alone!"

"Yes, I should have just ignored the machine gun shooting at us," Cor said dryly. "I didn't tell you to destroy her weapon."

Hermione straightened, Gladio immediately missing the pressure of her body against his. "Was I supposed to let her push the bloody thing into my chest?"

Ignis stepped forward, holding up a hand to stop the Marshall's retort. From Cor's glower, Ignis was lucky to be alive. "You both are tired and injured. We should make camp before the adrenaline rush leaves you." Hermione opened her mouth, but Ignis' quick look shut her up. He turned to Monica. "You are welcome to come with us, but there will be no room in the car. Hermione will have to sit on someone's lap as it is."

Monica nodded. "I'll take Cor's bike, and follow you to your haven."

Gladio looked down at Hermione, concerned at the paleness of her face. "Want me to carry you?"

"I can walk," Hermione sniffed.

She did walk, slowly, but nobody commented. Just like nobody said anything to the Marshall who was walking with a limp. They reached the car, Cor taking the front. Gladio pulled Hermione onto his lap, who blushed but didn't comment. She simply sighed and let her head rest on his chest.

They drove in silence for five minutes before Prompto said, "So are we just going to ignore that the Niflheim chick called Mione a princess?"

Gladio wanted to smack him. Nobody had brought it up for a reason, but the blond wouldn't know that. Hermione opened her eyes from where she'd been lightly dozing. "What about it? It's obviously a nickname meant to tease me."

"So you aren't secretly a princess from another kingdom?" Prompto asked, only slightly serious.

Hermione snorted, eyes already closed again. "Please, Prompto. Do I look like a princess to you?"

No one said anything, relief flowing through them when the blond changed the subject to some of the shots he'd gotten from the battle. Ignis encouraged the conversation, drawing Prompto into an in-depth discussion that lasted the rest of the ride.

Nobody noticed that the prince was not asleep as everyone thought, and that he was watching Hermione with a frown on his face.