A/N: WARNING! If you HAVE NOT gotten to Chapter 12 in the game, DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'RE OKAY WITH SPOILERS! This one's a small one, but I don't know how everyone feels about spoilers, regardless of how big they are, so don't kill me if you get mad! I warned you… Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story idea, in conjunction with Milaya Milen Zeal. She wrote Noctis's parts, as well as Zidane's, Mikoto's, Kuja's, and Sephiroth's.
Heated Passion
Chapter 10
X*X(2 Months Later)X*X
Prompto jolted slightly in his sleep, having been awoken by a sudden noise…which was still going. He blearily opened his eyes, trying to find the source, before realizing it was Noctis's cell phone.
"Noct…your phone's going off," he groaned, lightly nudging the taller male's shoulder.
Noctis groaned softly as he rubbed at his eyes, before he rolled over and snatched his phone from the nightstand. After flicking his thumb over the screen, he put it to his ear with a sleepy, "Hello?"
"Hi Noctis. It's Luna," came the familiar voice from the other end of the line. Her tone sounded almost…urgent. "Sorry I woke you…"
"Luna…? What's wrong?" he asked as he sat up slowly.
"I've got some news for you and Prompto, but I'd rather tell you in person. Can Zidane and I come over soon to talk?" she asked.
"…yeah, sure," Noctis said with a nod. "Should I inform Father as well?"
"Yes, he'll want to know, as this concerns him, too. Can we be there within the hour?" she replied.
"Alright. We'll see you in an hour."
"Thank you. We'll be there soon," Luna said, and then the call ended.
"What's going on?" Prompto asked tiredly, still trying to wake up.
"Luna's coming over with Zidane…apparently she's got something to tell us."
"I wonder if she found out something about Niflheim…" the blonde murmured, frowning.
"Maybe…let's go; she wants us to get Father, as well," Noctis said as he rose to his feet.
"Huh… Okay," Prompto nodded, sitting up with a grunt. The pair got dressed in day clothes before making their way to Regis's study, where the older alpha was waiting for them at his desk.
"Lunafreya called me, as well," he told them. "She wouldn't say what it was about, only that she needed to speak with us, and it sounded urgent."
"Same here…" Noctis said as he helped Prompto into a chair. The omega cast his husband a grateful look as he rested a hand on his swollen stomach.
The couple had gotten the confirmation that they were, indeed, having twins about one month prior, thanks to an ultrasound. It was still too early to tell their genders at the time, but they'd be able to find out soon with another ultrasound by the end of the week. Three more days, and they would find out if they were having boys, girls, or one of each. Prompto couldn't help but feel excited, despite the current situation.
Not long after the pair had sat down to wait, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Regis called out. The door opened right after, revealing Luna, Zidane, and Gentiana, Luna's counterpart as Oracle.
"Hello, King Regis," the blonde woman greeted once the trio had entered and closed the door.
"Hello, Lunafreya. What is this urgent news you have for us?" the king inquired, getting straight to the matter at hand.
"I bring news regarding why Niflheim cut off the suppressant supply," she replied with a worried note to her words.
Noctis, of course, caught the worry in his old friend's words immediately, and this invoked a sense of concern with him as well. "…What kind of news?"
"Gentiana managed to eavesdrop on Aldercapt as he spoke with Ravus," she began. "By doing this, she learned that they cut off the suppressant supply with Insomnia due to the denial of their proposal for an arranged marriage between you and me, Noctis." She paused to let this sink in, and Prompto's bright blue eyes widened at the news.
"They hoped that by doing this, you would claim a random omega, and be forced with them. This would be a sort of…revenge for them, as they assumed you would be miserable. Obviously, this has backfired. For all they know, Prompto IS a random omega in their eyes, but he's definitely not. Regardless, they now wish to somehow seek revenge."
"I could not determine what those plans were, but they may plan on an assassination," Gentiana added, her tone grave. The room was silent once the words had sunk in, and soon, Prompto felt himself trembling with fear.
"…bastards…" Noctis snarled out softly, clenching his fists tightly. Regis even glowered in the general direction of Niflheim's empire, his expression furious.
"Damn those fools," he growled lowly. "Regardless of how things turned out, their plan caused many omegas in Insomnia to suffer greatly. They cannot be excused from this."
"I wish to aid you in this situation. If it comes to a fight, Zidane and I will stand by you, regardless of my bloodline," Luna said firmly.
"I will also be of assistance," Gentiana added calmly. Her voice, since she was a beta, somewhat soothed Prompto's nerves, but he still couldn't stop shaking.
Noctis took a deep breath, before he exhaled harshly. "Dammit…"
Zidane, on the other hand, didn't say anything as he hopped on a chair, his face almost completely empty.
"Thank you, all of you," Regis finally sighed out after a minute. "I know we'll need all the help we can get."
"Of course, King Regis," Luna nodded, bowing her head respectfully. Suddenly, a rapid series of knocks sounded on the door, making the king frown as he called out for the person to come in.
"Your Majesty! Magitek troops have been sighted near the wall!" a guard alerted them, causing all those in the room to tense.
"Gather the necessary forces, and take them out!" Regis ordered, his voice fierce.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the guard said, saluting the older alpha before quickly leaving.
"It seems they have decided to act sooner than anticipated," Gentiana remarked, frowning. Now Prompto was starting to panic, a quiet whimper escaping him. There was no way he could fight like this, nor would he even be allowed to do so. How was he supposed to defend himself?
Immediately, Noctis rushed to Prompto's side and wrapped his arms around the blonde, shushing him as he ran a hand through his hair, whispering soft words of comfort in his ear. The blonde clutched at the comforting arms around him, struggling not to let any tears escape as he tried to calm down.
"Noctis." Regis's voice grabbed the pair's attention, and they looked at him. "I want you to remain with Prompto in the safe room. We cannot afford to let anything happen. To either of you." Before the raven could protest, his father cut him off. "I know you're an excellent fighter, Noctis. But your omega needs you, your support, and your protection."
Noctis seemed prepared to object, but one look at Prompto threw that idea out the window. "…Alright."
"Dun worry, Noct," Zidane said as he reached to his sides, pulling out a set of intricate daggers. "We got this one."
"Indeed. I'll be in contact with Ravus, actually," Luna nodded, making everyone look at her in shock. "Don't worry, he's on our side. He's fully supportive of my choices. I spoke with him before I called, and he swore on his life that he wouldn't reveal anything to anyone." Gentiana nodded in confirmation of the Oracle's words.
"As long as he can be trusted, then that is fine," Regis said. "Noctis, take Prompto to the safe room. Keep your phone on you, and one of us will contact you when all is safe." Noctis nodded as he helped Prompto up, leading him away carefully but quickly.
Zidane, in the meantime, moved to the window, peeking out to see how they were faring…before his eyes widened. "EVERYBODY DOWN!" he screamed, and the moment they had, a large orb of fire smashed through the window. Prompto gave a terrified shriek, stumbling as Noctis was getting him out.
Gentiana swiftly transformed, revealing herself as Shiva, the Glacian. Fortunately, her size wasn't massive, unlike the other Astrals, and she darted out the destroyed wall, freezing the ground and the intruders below. Luna looked at Zidane intensely, silently urging him after her.
Zidane growled softly as he looked out, before he pulled out his phone and tossed it to Luna. "Call Kuja," he said softly. "Tell him HE is here…he'll know…"
And then he vaulted out through the window and rushed off after Shiva. Luna heeded her alpha's advice, pulling up Kuja's number and calling him. As it rang, she said to Noctis and Prompto, "I'll go with you." Immediately after, Kuja answered as they made their way to the safe room.
When Kuja answered, he sounded extremely bored, which wasn't anything new. "Yes, Zidane?"
"Kuja, it's Luna. Zidane told me to call and tell you he's here," the blonde woman informed him as they trio headed to their destination. Meanwhile, they heard Regis leaving behind them to help defend their city.
Silence followed the words. Before she could repeat herself, though…
"…'he'…?"
"Zidane said you would know who he meant!" she snapped, becoming slightly frustrated, but gasped as another tremor shook the castle. Prompto yelped as he clung to Noctis in response. Noctis cursed angrily under his breath, keeping Prompto as close as he could while they hurried.
"…where are you?" Kuja asked…however, there was a deadly, growling undertone to his voice when he spoke.
"We're at the castle, and it's under attack. Zidane went with Shiva to fight off the intruding forces," she explained hurriedly.
"…five minutes."
That was all Kuja said before the connection was cut. Luna quickly pocketed Zidane's phone, and focused on helping the couple in front of her to the safe room, as the tremors were starting to get worse. As they rushed to their destination, Prompto couldn't stop the whimpers escaping him. He was terrified, this time not only for himself, but for his and Noctis's unborn children.
They soon arrived at the safe room, and Noctis unlocked the room with his hand on the identification panel, allowing them entry. Once inside, he sealed the room shut before sitting down with Prompto in his lap to comfort him. Luna, however, stood a few feet away, appearing to be deep in thought.
"…I wonder why they're making such a bold attack in the middle of the day…" she murmured.
"It doesn't matter now, Luna," Noctis pointed out, once again running a hand through Prompto's hair. "We can question it later…"
"True, but it still bothers me…" she sighed.
X*X(Outside)X*X
As Luna finally settled herself within the quiet room, though, the outside was a whir of motion with an explosion of noise to accompany it. The engines of the Magitek soldiers churned as they swung their heavy blades and fired their guns with impossibly loud bangs amidst the Magic spells being cast by the menacing "Black Mages" amidst their ranks, ranging from basic Fire, Thunder and Blizzard spells to Firaga, Thundaga and Blizzaga. All of the Crown's Guard was fighting tooth and nail against the intruders, but the number they were up against were far beyond what many of them were used to, though Gladio and Ignis were somehow able to fend off the troops coming at them.
And amidst the carnage, Zidane was darting back and forth, leaping over swings and magic spells and swiftly lashing out at every enemy he came across. Neither the Magitek soldiers of the Black Mages seemed to be able to grasp that Zidane, despite his short stature, was able to effortlessly slice either one of them to ribbons before they even formulate a proper counter strategy.
As he landed after kicking a Magitek soldier's head in before lobbing it off with a twirl of his blade, he jumped for the nearest Black Mage and tore of its casting arm before kicking it down and shoving his blades into its chest to cease its movements. "Ch…!" Snarling, he looked around. "Where the hell ARE you, you bastard?!" he fairly roared out. "STOP HIDING BEHIND YOUR PUPPETS AND SHOW YOURSELF!"
Shiva froze another group of Magitek soldiers and Black Mages solid, allowing the defending troops of Insomnia to destroy their fragile forms with ease.
"Where are these things coming from?!" Gladio snarled as he destroyed another five of the Black Mages.
"I'm not certain, but we need to destroy them, no matter what," Ignis replied, spearing his lance through three Magitek soldiers' chests. Out of nowhere, Ravus appeared, slashing through several of the Magitek soldiers and Black Mages with his sword.
"What are you doing here?!" Gladio demanded, glaring at the man.
"I'm on your side, as long as Lunafreya is safe," Ravus replied.
"She's in the safe room," Ignis told him, barely heard over the commotion, but Ravus heard him, nodding in acknowledgement before they all three resumed fighting.
Suddenly, a chilling, mechanical-like voice from behind Ravus screamed, "KILL!" giving him only a few second to leap aside to avoid the Fira spell thrown at him by one of the Black Mages. Once he had straightened up, the Black Mage screamed the same phrase again, preparing another spell—only for a pure white orb suddenly smashed into its back and crushed it to the ground.
The orb then whizzed away, towards where a number of similar orbs were circling around Kuja, who was standing on top of a nearby wall. And the look on his face was one that couldn't even be described.
"Zidane's further down with Shiva!" Ignis called to him. Kuja merely regarded Ignis for a moment, before he gave one derisive snort and lightly hopped up—right before he literally flew off in the direction Ignis had given him, the white orbs circling around him as he did. Shiva soon glided over to the omega, nodding to him as she guided him to his younger brother, who was still tearing apart the Magitek soldiers and Black Mages.
Upon landing (smashing down a Magitek soldier's face into the ground with his heels) Kuja barely said a word as he flicked his hand up, which made the white orbs around him throw back the nearest Black Mages before they could finish casting.
"Thanks," Zidane growled without looking up.
"…where is he?" Kuja nearly demanded of the younger man.
"Hiding. What else is new?"
Shiva seemed to understand who they were speaking of, even without them saying just who. Freezing another group solid again, she darted off, seeking out this mystery person.
As Shiva left the two brothers alone, the pair started ripping their way through the opposition, Zidane with his daggers, and Kuja with his arsenal of spells that even reduced the Black Mages to little more than ashes.
Kuja snarled as one Magitek soldier refused to drop at the first hit, right before he snapped his hands forward, sending all orbs surrounding him to slam into it. And as he moved his hands, he almost cackled as the orbs seemed to dance to his motions.
"Come dance with me!" he jeered, before the orbs shot the soldier into the air.
And Zidane took the opening to vault off of a Black Mage and somersault upward, before tearing the soldier to bits.
Meanwhile, Shiva flew along, seeking out this mystery person Zidane and Kuja spoke of. She soon spotted someone suspicious that she didn't recognize, the older man wearing black armor with a cloak and his graying, almost white hair gone from the top of his head. The man was far back behind the Black Mages, and she decided to lure him in.
Darting down, she swiftly threw an ice ball at him, striking the ground at his feet.
The man looked up after jumping away from the ice being hurled at him, but his expression didn't change from the empty frown he wore. However, rather than retaliate personally for the assault, the man merely flicked one of his hands, which immediately had a small handful of Black Mages turn on Shiva. And as he snapped his fingers, each of them launched a powerful Firaga spell towards her.
Shiva was swift to counter, dispelling the Black Mages and their Firaga spells with her Diamond Dust attack. Instead of attacking the man again, however, she sent out an image of herself to alert Zidane and Kuja of her location.
The man merely snorted once, before he turned and began to walk away without so much as sparing Shiva a second glance. Frowning, the Astral blocked his path with a wall of ice.
This made the man stop just short of the wall before he finally turned to regard Shiva again. "…foolish Eidolon…" he murmured as energy gathered in his palm…moments before he had to dodge a burst of fire aimed for his head. The Glacian looked to see where the fire had come from, and was pleased to see Kuja had joined her.
If looks could kill, Kuja's glare would have completely obliterated the man where he stood. Anger was seeping out of his every fiber and it was a miracle that he wasn't shaking from the rage clearly boiling inside of him. "Going somewhere… 'Master Garland'?" he snarled icily.
Shiva looked between the two, seeing a faint resemblance, but ignored it for the time being to focus on the task at hand: stopping the source of the Black Mages, who was apparently named 'Garland'.
"…so…this is where you've fled to, Defect…" the man—Garland—said in a cold, monotone voice.
Kuja didn't even bother to respond to those words, or even the way he was being addressed. Instead, he merely raised his hands, which had the orbs surrounding him rise up as his feet also lifted a few inches off the ground. Shiva steeled herself for a tough fight, as she knew this wouldn't be easy.
"…you think you can win?" Garland said solemnly. There was no emotion in his voice; it was more like he was simply stating facts. "…a foolish thought."
"…" Kuja's glare deepened, and his lips pulled up into a furious snarl. "…There is nothing to discuss with you," he hissed, right before he launched all of the white orbs towards the man. Shiva cried out before hurling dozens of ice shards at Garland as well.
Despite his obvious age, Garland was still able to avoid the orbs almost easily, before raising his hand—which halted the shards in their tracks, before they flew right back at their caster.
Shiva swiftly darted about, dodging the shards with ease, before circling around and throwing an ice spear at Garland.
As Garland dodged the spear almost easily, Kuja lunged forward with a short cry, snapping his hands out and sending the white orbs dancing through the air in an attempt to hit him, but Garland was avoiding all of the swipes with ease that should not even be possible for someone his age.
And Kuja didn't even seem to notice that his rage was doing him more harm than good.
Noticing Kuja's growing rage, Shiva flitted over to him, attempting to calm him so he would fight smarter.
However, Kuja didn't even seem to notice the Astral's presence, launching spell after spell at Garland, and while some of the spells graced his shoulder, they were just short of actual hits. And the old man clearly saw this.
"…pathetic…" he said simply, dodging another fire spell.
Kuja snarled in fury, before he released a furious screech as power built up along every fiber. And then he suddenly screamed out, "Just GO AWAY!" as the sky above Garland was suddenly torn open.
Shiva dodged the massive orbs of exploding magic with pure ease, practically phasing through them as she made her way to Garland. The Glacian knew this needed to end soon, or else Kuja would end up getting hurt badly.
However, when the dust lifted, Garland was gone from where he had been mere moments ago. Shiva blinked, frowning, before trying to sense where the cold-mannered man had gone. Kuja cried out in frustration, looking around in an attempt to figure out where Garland had disappeared to as well.
"…Fool…"
The word made Kuja gasp and whirl around—only to choke as Garland's hand suddenly closed around his neck, cutting off his air and making him claw at the man's armored arm.
Shiva's demeanor changed then, her normally calm thoughts shifting to cold ones that matched her icy form. She attempted to get close to the pair, but several Black Mages appeared, launching Firaga spells at her and forcing her to back down for a moment as she dealt with them.
"…pathetic wretch…" Garland said simply, as energy gathered in his palm. And then, just as Shiva broke through the Black Mages, the man slammed the energy into Kuja's chest, the following explosion throwing the omega back with a cry of agony, before he hit the ground…and that was where he stayed.
Shiva cried out, darting towards Garland, and then, as soon as she was close enough, she simply tapped him on the chest with her icy finger, and the man froze into a solid icy form, before plummeting to the ground below, shattering into thousands of pieces and shards. She then sent another projection of herself to bring Zidane to Kuja's aid.
As Shiva dropped down next to Kuja, she breathed in relief upon noticing that Kuja was alive. However, he was just barely hanging on.
"Ah shit…!" Shortly after that cry, Zidane skidded over, crouching by his brother. "Kuja?! Kuja, c'mon!" The Astral shifted back to her human form, looking at Zidane sorrowfully.
"Garland had him in a death-grip, and slammed magical energy into his chest before I could stop him," she explained. "I'm sorry…"
"Ah crap…!" Zidane hissed, before turning to Shiva. "Can you get him back? He needs help, ASAP!"
"I'll do what I can," she murmured, starting out by pulling out a hi-potion from her pocket. She gently propped up Kuja's head, and carefully poured the bitter liquid down his throat, seeing him swallow automatically. From there, she focused her energy on his chest, extracting the energy from Garland's attack from him. It seemed the energy the older man had used not only exploded, but had almost stayed in his chest to cause more damage. Soon after she finished, Kuja coughed harshly, his eyes fluttering open.
Despite his eyes flickering open, though, his vision seemed to be blurred, and his entire frame shuddered, as if he was in pain.
"Take it easy, Kuja," Shiva soothed, looking to Zidane.
"Get him to the castle, please!" Zidane said as he stood up, turning to the Black Mages now coming for them. "I got these asses…" Shiva nodded, and then shifted to her true form again before scooping up the omega and swiftly flying off to the castle, heading for the safe room. She phased through the door, startling the three occupants, but said nothing until after she had set the silverette onto the sofa.
"He was attacked, and almost died. I treated him, but he needs to rest," she said to Luna, before phasing through the door again and returning to the fight outside. Prompto whimpered at the sight of Kuja, worried for his friend.
Noctis regarded the omega for a moment, watching as the man's shuddering continued long after Shiva had left. Glancing down to Prompto, and then to Kuja, he finally made up his mind.
He stood up, lifting Prompto as well and moving him to sit at Kuja's feet. "Luna, can you watch them, please?"
"But Regis said to stay here," she frowned.
"Noct… Please don't go…" Prompto whispered.
"I can't just stay here," Noctis pointed out to his old friend, before he turned to Prompto and lightly kissed him. "It'll be okay. I'll be back before you know it… I promise."
"Just hurry back, for Prompto's sake," Luna told him, her tone leaving no room for argument. Prompto, however, drew his knees in as best as he could with his pregnant belly, hugging them as he nodded shakily. Noctis nodded softly, before he reached over and briefly hugged his husband close, before he hurried off.
He didn't get far, however, as a sudden explosion blew apart the wall opposite the safe room. Prompto screamed, terrified, as he backed himself into a corner. Noctis jumped in alarm, before he ran back, and stood between the wall and his friends, materializing his blade in hand. Of all people, Aldercapt practically stalked over, his demeanor almost…cocky.
"Well, well, Prince Noctis. Going to defend that random omega you claim to love?" he sneered. Powerful Magitek soldiers were behind him, a dozen of them prepared to fight Noctis.
Noctis didn't even bother to respond to the man, staying right where he was, shielding Prompto, Luna, AND Kuja as he adjusted his hold on his blade.
"Stubborn, aren't you?" Aldercapt smirked wickedly. He then motioned briefly with his fingers, and the Magitek soldiers began to move towards Noctis, ready to fight.
"Get down!" a very familiar voice bellowed at Noctis, right before a powerful shockwave sent the soldiers flying back. Once the dust cleared, it was revealed to be Gladio, as he lifted his shield from the floor.
"Gladio!" Noctis breathed out in relief, a small smile on his face, before he wiped the expression off of his face.
"Focus on protecting the others! Ignis is on his way," the larger beta ordered, knocking half of the soldiers down with his broadsword. Noctis nodded as he leaped forward and cut through the nearest soldier, spinning on a dime and switching his blade for a mace to destroy the next one's face, snarling furiously.
Prompto whimpered, petrified, as he watched. He couldn't even bring himself to move, let alone to fire his gun if he had it.
"Look out!" Ignis's voice warned, and then he speared through two of the soldiers with his lance. "Watch over the others!"
Noctis growled angrily as he knocked another soldier away, his eyes flashing from blue to violet in his anger. There was NO way he was letting these assholes near his husband OR his kids! Suddenly, Prompto gave a fearful cry as Aldercapt got close while Noctis had been distracted.
"PROMPTO!" Noctis screamed, immediately jumping back and smashing into the older male's side, knocking him away. Aldercapt let out a furious snarl as he got back up, unsheathing his sword and charging at Noctis. The prince snarled as he snapped up his sword and blocked the incoming blow. Then, with a roar, he lashed out and forced Aldercapt away from him.
Prompto watched fearfully as his alpha and the cruel Niflheim leader clashed again, Aldercapt slashing at the raven's legs right before they met, knocking him down. The blonde watched in terror as the old alpha then turned on him while Noctis struggled to his feet.
Out of nowhere, a powerful blast sent Aldercapt flying off to the side, and Prompto looked to see Regis glowering furiously at his opponent, his eyes glowing red.
"You will NOT touch my son or his omega, Aldercapt!" Regis boomed. Aldercapt snarled back, enraged. Then Ravus appeared, going to stand protectively in front of Luna and Kuja as she stuck by the older omega.
"Leave, Father!" Ravus growled. "You're sorely outmatched!" Aldercapt glowered at his son, furious beyond belief.
"How DARE you turn on your father, Ravus!" Aldercapt spat.
"Stand down, Aldercapt. I will not hesitate to end you," Regis ordered coldly, positioning himself in front of Noctis and Prompto. Sneering, the leader of Niflheim suddenly raised his hand, right before he swiftly flicked his hand at Noctis, hurling a hidden dagger at the prince, who was unable to avoid the strike to his lower arm.
"NOCT!" Prompto screamed as his husband collapsed in pain.
"DIE, FOOL!" Regis roared, before stabbing Aldercapt in the chest with his sword, instantly killing him. Prompto, finally forcing himself to move, hurried to Noctis, tears in his eyes.
"Noct! Noct, come on, please! Stay with me!" he pleaded, holding him close.
"He needs help," Luna said, giving a sharp whistle. Then Shiva appeared, and she gently brushed against Noctis's wound with one of her wings.
Blinking wearily, Noctis slowly opened his eyes, groaning as he pushed up. "Nrgh…ow…"
"Oh thank god…" Prompto hissed, pressing his face into the raven's neck.
"Argh…! Prom…! Easy, I'm okay," Noctis reassured him, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulder.
"I don't like seeing you hurt…" the blonde whimpered.
"I know," Noctis murmured, rubbing his back.
Smiling softly at the sight, Luna murmured to Shiva, "Can you go get Zidane? I hope he's okay…"
The Astral nodded, and then flitted outside, returning with a concerned look as she carried the short blonde in. As Shiva set the blonde down, however, the blonde collapsed, crumpling to the floor.
"Zidane!" Luna gasped, kneeling by his side. "Shiva, can you help him?" she asked urgently, and the Glacian nodded, brushing her wings against Zidane's chest.
The blonde coughed harshly for a moment, before he blinked awake, glancing around slowly. "…w…whuh…?"
"Shiva brought you here, and you collapsed when she set you down," Luna murmured, holding her alpha close. "What happened?"
"…G…Gar…land…" the blonde managed to get out. "Garland…happened…"
Luna stiffened, before carefully hugging the blonde alpha. "At least tell me he's gone…" she whispered.
Zidane groaned as he tried to sit up, but his limbs didn't seem to be responding to him as they should. "…should…but…he…g…genetic…cl…cloning…"
"Easy, Zidane," the blonde woman soothed. "You can't afford to hurt yourself further…"
"…'m…fine…" Zidane choked out slowly, as he tried to raise his hand. "…a…are you…?"
"I'd be more worried about you," Luna smiled slightly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"…h-hey…'m…not gonna…go down…that easy…" he got out, trying to smile up at her, but the expression seemed to be somewhat forced.
"Just rest. You've more than earned it," Luna told him.
"Let's take Zidane, Noctis, and Kuja to the infirmary. They'll be able to rest and recover there," Gladio said, and Regis nodded.
"Please do. Iris will be able to tend to their wounds there," the king agreed. The large beta nodded, and picked up Kuja before carrying him to the infirmary, Ignis following with Zidane.
"Noct…? Can you walk?" Prompto asked softly. Noctis nodded softly, before he carefully rose to his feet, helping Prompto up as well. The pregnant male sighed out of relief, thankful that Noctis was at least able to walk.
"Go to the infirmary and get some rest, my son. You definitely need it," Regis told him with a small smile.
"R…right…" Noctis got out, as he began to walk after Ignis and Gladio, with Ignis carrying Zidane and Gladio carrying Kuja. As they went, Noctis held Prompto close to him, breathing slightly heavily.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Prompto asked quietly as his alpha slowly made his way to the infirmary, the blonde staying glued to his side.
"I'll be okay…" Noctis murmured, before he glanced toward Gladio and Ignis. "…I'm more worried about them…"
"Right…" the smaller male mumbled. He was worried about their friends, too, but his worry for Noctis was greater, despite the lesser injuries. Eventually, they made it to the infirmary, where Iris was waiting for them.
"Come on in, guys. I'm ready to help," she smiled. After she had looked over the brothers' injuries, she stepped back and said, "They just need some pain medicine and rest."
"Thank god…" Prompto sighed. Noctis managed a small sigh of relief as well, nodding his head softly in thanks.
"As long as they're gonna be okay, we'll head to get some rest ourselves, right Iggy?" Gladio said, lightly nudging the sandy blonde's side with his elbow.
"Indeed. We'll take our leave now," Ignis nodded. Once they had left, Iris hummed curiously as she examined Kuja's back more closely.
"What's wrong?" Prompto asked, watching her.
"He's got a scar on his back here," the brunette frowned.
"…a scar?" Noctis repeated as he and Prompto moved over quietly.
Hidden beneath the silver-haired omega's hair was a long scar running eight between his shoulders, paper thin at the ends, yet about two inches in width right in the center of it. It didn't appear to have ever been properly stitched, either; more like it had been left to heal on its own.
"Holy shit…" the prince mouthed.
"Oh god… I wonder what happened?" his omega wondered quietly.
"Well, we obviously won't get any answers while he's resting," Iris pointed out, starting to head towards the cabinets. "He needs some pain medicine, so I'm just going to give him a small shot of something to help him rest easier." She paused, before looking back at the pair. "Noctis, at least rest as well. Prompto, you can stay with him." The blonde nodded thankfully, going to an open bed with Noctis as he settled on it.
"I'm just glad you're okay," the pregnant male whispered as he curled up with his alpha as best as he could.
"…Forget me for a moment," Noctis sighed out, as he wrapped his arms firmly around his husband's shoulders, pulling him close. "I'm just…just glad you're alright…that the three of you are alright…"
"But you got hurt, I didn't," Prompto mumbled, burying his face into Noctis's chest and inhaling his comforting alpha scent. "I have every right to be worried…"
"Hey guys?" Iris piped up as she finished giving Kuja a shot of pain medicine, drawing their attention to her. "How would you like to find out the genders of the twins while you're here? I'm sure it's close enough to that time."
"I'd love to," the smaller male nodded, looking at Noctis eagerly.
Noctis smiled softly as he nodded. "If you have the time to spare…please do."
"All right. Let me get the ultrasound machine," she smiled. She went into another part of the infirmary, soon returning with the ultrasound machine on its cart. "Okay Prompto, you know the drill. I'll do this so Noctis can still rest with you."
"Thanks, Iris," Prompto smiled slightly, carefully rolling so he was on his back while remaining close to his husband. He pulled his shirt up, allowing the brunette to squeeze the gel onto his stomach, shivering at the cool feeling of it. He held Noctis's hand firmly as Iris then pressed the wand to his swollen stomach, turning on the machine in the process. After a bit of searching with the wand, she smiled brightly.
"Looks like you guys are having two little boys," she announced. The pregnant male looked at Noctis happily.
"We're gonna have boys," he murmured, tears of happiness welling up in his bright blue eyes.
The prince allowed a small smile as he nodded. "So we are…" he murmured, briefly kissing Prompto to his temple.
"Congratulations, guys. They're both looking good, and developing at an appropriate rate," Iris told them, her tone holding nothing but joy for her friends. "At this rate, you'll be due at the eight-month mark, right on time."
"Thank you, Iris," Prompto told her.
"Anytime, guys. I'll let you clean yourself up, and then you both should get some rest," she replied, handing the omega a small towel to wipe off the gel. "I'm sure Zidane and Kuja will be awake and feeling better by then." Noctis nodded as he helped Prompto wipe off the gel, before they got themselves comfortable.
"I'm so happy…and relieved," the blonde murmured once Iris was gone.
"Ssshh…" Noctis shushed him gently, running a hand through his hair. "Just rest… I'll be right here, I promise."
"M'kay…" Prompto nodded, snuggling closer. He soon drifted off in his husband's arms, content with his life.