Noctis stared down both Ignis and Gladio. He had his toy sword out with weights strapped to the handle. The weights had actually come from Prompto's gear. When this trip had been originally conceived as a road trip/vacation/last hurrah before Noctis got married, Prompto'd brought his running gear. The weights were to make the toy sword as heavy as the real one because his toy was the same approximate size. Ignis had appropriated a mop handle for a spear while Gladio had seemingly felled a small tree to use for his training weapon. Ok that might have been an exaggeration. It was a skinny log that had been awaiting cutting for repair purposes. It was about the size of Gladio's greatsword, making it ideal. A handle had been fashioned using tools to whittle the base down enough. Magic and rubber versus wood. Noctis stood ready for the attacks. Ignis charged first. Noctis dodged the thrust and grabbed the marked spot where a blade wouldn't be and used Ignis's force to fling him right into Gladio's path.
"Very good. You're not trying to take us head on," Ignis said.
"I ate too much dirt yesterday to do that," Nocti said. Gladio and Ignis both charged him. Noctis tried to avoid them but they flanked. Noctis rolled under a swing from Galdio and dove between his legs rolling out of the slide and jumping up to kick him in the back, only the be swatted down by Ignis.
"Nicely executed, but don't forget about me," Ignis said. Noctis stood up and dusted himself off. They went at it again. Noctis managed to execute a dodge roll in time to make Ignis hit Gladio on the head.
"Perhaps we should procure safety equipment," Ignis said.
"No time for that, besides, all you did was hit as hard as Iris," Gladio said.
"You've been holding your swings back as well," Ignis said.
"If you two are holding back, that's not going to help me," Noctis said, "I have an idea. Carbuncle. Can you conjure up some practice weapons for Galdio and Iggy?"
You bet! Carbuncle leapt into the air doing a loop into the air creating a ruby light and out popped two obviously toy weapons. Gladio's toy greatsword looked fairly ridiculous while Ignis's toy spear boasted a rubber shaft and a hard foam tip. A second ruby light produced three face shields not unlike fencing helmets.
"Could have used these yesterday," Gladio said.
"Carbuncle was napping yesterday," Noctis said. He took the small one, obviously meant for himself. Once they were ready, they resumed, this time no swings being pulled. Noctis ended up on his back the first reset. He dragged himself back up and they continued and the pattern resumed.
Cor observed the young King and two of his retainers training from a distance. Despite being extremely diminished, Noctis was still fighting with everything he had.
"Care to explain how you were able to fly a ship that is chipped to only respond to magitek troopers or pilots carrying said chips on their person in the form of access cards?" he said. Prompto came out from the shadows.
"Don't you already know, sir?" Prompto said not meeting his eyes. Left hand gripping his right arm above the wrist. Cor knew alright.
"I remember reviewing your file whenever His Majesty started to socially interact with you more often. It was marked R3," Cor said.
"Refugee Minor from an Enemy Territory," Prompto said. The tone was dead. There was no trace of the ordinarily exuberant young man Prompto was known to be at all in it. In that moment, Cor could see the lingering damage from Prompto's first years of life in Imperial Custody.
"Quite far trek from Gralea to Insomnia for a five-year-old," Cor said.
"I had help," Prompto said, "A lady."
"Dr. Allegra Argentum was her name," Cor said, "One of our finest double agents. She used up almost all her favors to get you into the city, not that I knew it at the time."
"Are you going to tell them the rest of it?" Prompto had uncovered the barcode with his fidgeting. In that moment, Prompto looked so small.
"That I will leave to you. You've proven you aren't what the Empire had intended you to be," Cor said.
"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, sir!" The bouncy personality Prompto was known for was back in place. Along with the slight hero worship. "Well, I can't let them have all the fun." A nerf gun appeared out nowhere and Prompto ambushed the other three. It was easy to see in these young men the men that he, Regis, Weksham, Clarus, and Cid had been.
Prompto's ambush was met with swift retaliation, and the blond gunner ended up eating dirt with a huge grin on his face. This was a nice change after the heavy conversation he's had with Cor. Now he had a name to go with his savior. Dr. Allegra Argentum. He wondered if she saved any other kids and gave them her name too. He got a rubber sword to the side from spacing out. Kid sized or not, Noctis was not showing any mercy and the hits still managed to hurt. A chirp made everyone pause. He dug out his phone.
Hold it! He needs a mask too! With that Carbuncle summoned him a matching face mask to the other three. Now it was on. Carbuncle had also, kindly, given him a second nerf gun, well, a nerf crossbow. The first one he'd brought with him. He'd seen pics of Altissia. He'd had plans to snipe the others at random times and use the maze like layout of the city to get away with it. Now with everything that had happened, it would be a bad idea. Oh well, this was fun too. Everyone took positions. The game was simple. Noctis had to defeat them or otherwise manage to get away from this fight with minimal damage. The Warp moratorium was lifted in the case of three on one. At the signal he began to fire and Noctis phased through the attacks quickly and phased past an attack from Ignis and warped behind Gladio only to met by the blade. Prompto fired at him only to have Noctis look up and he got a rubber sword to the gut for his troubles sending him out gasping for breath. One down. Prompto managed to get his breathing back to normal as he watched Noctis phasing away from attacks from Ignis and Gladio. He was tiring. Soon they had him hemmed in. Wait a second. Noctis warped away at the last second and the older men hit each other. Noctis capitalized on that and hit Gladio's back full force with a warp strike crushing Ignis with Gladio.
"I believe that means I win," Noctis said taking the mask off.
The grin on his face was meant to be smug, but on his child face it was just too cute, so Prompto snapped a pic of it: helmet hair and all.
"Prompto!" Noctis was scowling at him. That was adorable too! Oops. Better run!
"What's happening here?" Noctis looked up at the voice. It was Cindy. She had a huge bag of tools slung over her shoulder like many Crown City girls had slung purses.
"Training," Prompto said. He was by her side in no time flat. Noctis shook his head. Prompto was completely smitten, but unless he suddenly had an engine and four wheels, there is no way Cindy would ever really return Prompto's attentions. He'd better never mention that a loud. Who knows what might happen.
"And who's this little guy?" Cindy asked. Oh great. This again.
"I was a lot taller and older when you saw me last," Noctis said rubbing his neck and gesturing.
"Older…Prince! Is that you? How'd you end up a little one?" Cindy had crouched down to eye level.
"Monster curse," Noctis said.
"And ya'll sill haven't figured out how to fix it?" Cindy said.
"We're hoping Lady Lunafreya can undo this curse," Ignis said.
"If anyone can, it's the Oracle. Now where's Paw Paw holed up?" Cindy stood up and placed a hand on her hip.
"The Lighthouse hanger bay. I'll take you!" Prompto said.
"That's mighty kind of you, but you don't have to," Cindy said.
"It's no problem at all," Prompto said.
"If you insist," Cindy said.
"It's like watching a love sick puppy," Gladio said.
"At least he's consistent," Ignis said.
"Are we done for now?" Noctis couldn't take another match up.
"For now. You're getting better at handling your current limitations," Ignis said.
"And taking advantage of your smaller size to get past us," Gladio said.
"A thousand needles!" The three of them were nailed by a barrage of water balloons. Talcott and Iris were the culprits.
"You know what this means, Iris?" Gladio said. It took a few moments for his statement to sink in.
"No, no no no no!" Iris took off running from Gladio. With a laugh, Gladio chased after his little sister.
"Why's she running from him?" Talcott asked.
"Just this!" Noctis tackle hugged him.
"Ah! Help!"
"Gladly." Ignis had found a bucket of water and upended it on Talcott and Noctis. A squeal let them know Gladio had succeeded with his mission.
Everyone who'd gotten soaked was wearing dry clothes. Noctis was stuck wearing his Justice Monster's Five PJ's because that had been his last set of clean clothes that currently fit him. Ignis had kindly agreed to do the laundry after getting Iris to agree to let him do this chore. So, there Noctis was waiting for other clothes in the guest room while sitting on the couch. When entering the guest room, Cor raised an eyebrow at Noctis's attire but said nothing.
"I found something while I snuck into the Crown City for the final part Cid needed. I think that, at the moment, they're the right size for you," he said pulling something out of his jacket. It was a pair of kukris? In his hands at this size, they were a pair of short swords. One was slightly different than the other. There was an engraving on the hilts. "N.U."
"Who did these belong to?" Noctis asked.
"A Kingsglaive Hero. Nyx Urlich," Cor said, "It's believed he gave his life trying to stop the invasion. He along with many other loyal Kingsglaive." Noctis really wished he wasn't currently in very cartoony PJ's.
"I hope I can honor their memories and their sacrifices," Noctis said. He equipped them causing them to vanish into crystalline light.
"You're already on the right track," Cor said, "Even if you've currently hit a snag."
""Snag." That's a good way to put this." Noctis pulled his knees up to his chest. "If this can even be fixed."
"You must have faith in the Oracle," Cor said. Faith. Faith was a destiny that ended in death. Noctis had plenty of faith. So had his father. Look where it had gotten both of them and Lucis. Faith in the Six's Plans and the Prophecy. Being a "Chosen One" was nothing like the movies portrayed it to be. He was glad that factoid had been largely kept out of the public eye, though the few internet servers still going mentioned rumors of the increasing night meaning the prophecy had to be coming true. Some had guessed correctly. Some were way off. The rigors of training finally got to him and he felt himself drift off where he sat. A few minutes couldn't hurt.
Cor was unsurprised whenever Noctis fell asleep sprawled across the guest room couch. Cor carefully picked him up and placed him on the bed nearest the door. It seemed like only yesterday that Noctis really had been this small. Cor prayed that Lady Lunafreya would be able to reverse this. An adult heir to the throne was easier to rally behind when retaking a country and Noctis also had his destiny to fulfill. He could do neither in the form of a child. Cor exited the room. He had to see if there was anything he could do for Cid and Cindy to help them in repairing the boat.
MP: Once again, the Prompto thing is my own personal HC and Dr. Allegra Argentum is a repurposed OC from a FF XV fanfic that I stalled out on.
The MT Ship tech info is also another of my own HC's.
In game, I'd try to use Magitek weapons because I was told Noctis could use all the weapons and they never worked. Prompto used them, they worked. So, I figured there was something more to it. Hence, in my HC you need to have been chipped or carry the chip on a card to use MT items or fly the air carriers.