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Reviews: Thank you for your reviews! They keep my muse going! I apologize for any confusion with the last chapter. Going forward, take note that any scenes in italics are either dreams, memories, the past, or other mind experiences. Not sure about out of body, but we'll see if we get there. I really like the relationship I'm building between Noctis and Hermione. I actually second guess myself on that even though I have like a million siblings (4), so I write fluffy stuff like this and think 'me and my brother are never this sappy' but I'm doing it.

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

Chapter 10

Hermione and Noctis were the last to wake up the next morning. The room was empty when Hermione opened her eyes, the curtains drawn shut to stop the sunlight from blinding the remaining occupants. The bed Prompto and Ignis had slept on was neatly made, something she was sure Ignis had taken care of. Hermione remembered a time when she would be up at the crack of dawn, but all her late night research activities and knowledge that nothing would get done before noon at the earliest had retrained Hermione's body to sleep in late.

Noctis was positioned on his stomach, one arm resting under his pillow and the other curled around her. That development had happened sometime during the night, and Hermione was tempted to ask Ignis which of them the prince cuddled with in the tent. Her bet was on Prompto.

Stroking a hand through his messy hair until he stirred, Hermione said, "It's time to wake up."

Noctis shook his head into his pillow, removing his arm from her waist and pulling the blanket tighter around him.

Hermione rolled her eyes, smiling at the way he seemed to disappear into the covers. "Come on, Noctis. I promise the bed will still be here later, but now it's time to see what the others are up to."

She had to coax and prod him a couple more times before Noctis groaned and flipped onto his back. "Fine." He stared moodily at the ceiling like it was the cause of all his problems before getting up and stumbling to the bathroom, grumbling all the way. Hermione chuckled to herself. Some boys, no matter what world she was in, would never change.

They walked down to the lobby once they were ready for the day, finding only Iris and Gladio waiting for them. Gladio walked up to her, putting his arm around her and leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "We're going out."

Hermione nodded in acceptance, having planned on trying to wrangle some alone time with him at some point in the day. "Where are the others?"

"Prompto's out taking some pictures of some areas he was noticing yesterday, and Ignis left with Jared and Talcott to browse the market." Gladio gestured to where Iris was dragging a slightly confused Noctis out of the hotel. "Iris wanted to show him some stuff, so it's just you and me."

Hermione grinned at him. "What did you have in mind?"

"Ever had Cup Noodle?"

Trying Cup Noodle, which was exactly what Hermione imagined it would be, turned into strolling around the markets and then taking a walk through the city. Gladio had kept her laughing throughout the day, Hermione was sure her sides would never be the same. Any time he could convince her to follow him into a secluded corner, he would kiss her until she was sure she would melt into the pavement. It was a nice reprieve from the constant traveling and Magitek fighting they had been doing. She hadn't seen a single Niflheim soldier all day, a new record for sure.

They were walking back to the hotel, Hermione contently tucked into Gladio's side. The sun had started to set, and Gladio had deemed it time to head back. Hermione didn't mind. Today had been a pretty great day. Gladio brought her to a stop by the fountain in front of the hotel. "Did you have fun today?"

Hermione smiled up at him. Did he even need to ask? "I had a great time. Thank you for taking me out."

"You're welcome," he grinned back. "So since you enjoyed it so much, you think you might want to do it again? The next time we have a chance?"

Hermione stood on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. "Of course I would. I'm already looking forward to it."

He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her hard but briefly. "Great. I'm glad we're on the same page." He removed his hands, using one to entwine their fingers together. "Let's go in before Ignis sends out a search party."

Their group along with Jared, Talcott, and Iris were in the lobby. Noctis walked up to her, barely batting an eye at their tangled fingers. "Mione, Talcott has some information for us."

Hermione let Noctis pull her away from Gladio, walking over to where Jared and Talcott were talking with Ignis. She grinned at the boy. "Hey, Talcott. I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Hermione, but you can call me Mione if you want."

Talcott's eyes widened. "Thanks, Mione. They wouldn't let me tell Prince Noctis my story until you got back."

"I apologize for keeping you waiting then," Hermione replied. "You can tell us now if you want."

Talcott nodded eagerly. "You got it." He turned to Noctis. "There's this legend about a sword, and the sword is supposed to be behind a waterfall nearby. They say no one can find the sword, because a daemon who messes with your mind lives there too."

Ignis said, "That could very well be a royal arm."

Hermione agreed. "It's worth checking out. Thanks, Talcott."

Talcott beamed at them. "I'm happy to help."

Noctis scratched his head. "Do we have to leave right now? The sun is going down, and who knows when we'll have access to beds again."

Gladio, who had walked over with Prompto after hearing Talcott from afar, frowned. "What's wrong with camping?"

Hermione held in a grin at the insult in his voice. She definitely wouldn't be telling him she preferred the hotel as well.

They left first thing in the morning, Noctis falling asleep with his head in Hermione's lap and Hermione trying to nap with Gladio's arm around her. The night had been rough for her and Noctis. He'd kept waking up every ten minutes from headaches that didn't want to leave, even after he'd downed some medication, so Hermione had dragged him for a walk around town in the interest of not waking any of their companions. That had proven the wrong course of action as Ignis was a light sleeper, and had been all too ready to scold them when they'd finally made it back to their room a mere two hours before they were supposed to leave.

It was safe to say neither of the two were looking forward to the possible daemon fighting or anything else Eos wanted to throw their way today.

All too soon they parked at the service station right before the waterfall entrance. Noctis was groggy once Hermione was able to get him up, the two the last people out of the car. Prompto had taken the time to fuel up the Regalia, and Ignis was retrieving something from the trunk. He strolled over to them, handing them two small soda cans. "Drink this."

Gladio raised a brow from where he'd been leaning on the driver's door, arms crossed. "Giving them stores from your precious Ebony stash, Iggy?"

Ignis sent them a disapproving look as they gulped down the drink, both scrunching their noses in distaste. Hermione had never taken to coffee and Noctis wasn't a fan of any drink that kept him up when he wanted to sleep. "These two will be completely useless otherwise."

Hermione rolled her eyes, already feeling the effects of the chilled caffeine. "Don't be ridiculous, Ignis. While I'll admit sleep deprivation can be a serious issue, especially when sensory input and a focused mind is of the utmost importance in our situation, one night is not going to make much of a difference."

Noctis choked on the last of his drink, tossing his can in the trash before tugging Hermione away from the others. "Let's not make Specs angry, alright?"

Hermione frowned. "Why would he get angry? Everything I just said is fact. He appreciates facts." They were getting farther from the group, but Hermione was still able to make out an angry voice saying 'They what?' before the stomping sound of boots came their way. "Bugger. Let's go before your Shield tears a new one into us."

They hurried down the stairs, jogging down the dirt path until they were sure Gladio wasn't pursuing them. Hermione looked to make sure they were out of sight before turning back around. She made a small noise as she bumped into Noctis, the prince having stopped just before a large clearing. Hermione looked around him, seeing a huge snake up ahead, slithering around the area.

She murmured, "Do you think we can avoid it?"

Noctis nodded. "I think it won't notice us if we go through the trees and rocks down this side. Text Specs so they know to do the same."

Hermione did as he asked, sending the quick message to Ignis before following Noctis. She felt a small twinge at her temples just as Noctis clutched his head in pain, overbalancing and falling into the snake's territory. The snake whipped its head around, its massive body rearing up and then disappearing under the ground.

Hermione jumped down beside Noctis, eyes frantically searching for any sign of the snake coming back up. Noctis was still clutching his head, crouching in a ball to try and stave off whatever pain he was feeling. She felt a faint rumble beneath her, the sound coming closer faster than normal. Cursing as she realized what it was, Hermione crouched over Noctis, pulling him on top of her right as the snake broke through the ground and threw them in the air. She grit her teeth as pain assaulted her, quickly apparating to the other side of the clearing.

Noctis bent over, still on the ground, and threw up the contents of his stomach. The pain was still there, Hermione fearing she'd splinched herself until she prodded her back and realized one of the snake's teeth must have pierced her side when it threw them in the air. Her hand came back red, trickles of blood running down her waist under her pants. "Bugger it all. Ignis is going to throw this in my face."

Noctis forced himself to his feet, face pale after the attack on his mind and the subsequent vomiting episode. "I feel like I've been squeezed through a small tube. What was that?" He looked at her bloody hand. "You're hurt. This is bad. That thing can poison with its bite."

Great. Bloody great. "Ignis will have an antidote just in case." The snake let out a shriek as it barreled towards them, its head rearing up into striking position. Hermione brought up her barrier to block its strike, Noctis summoning his preferred sword. The snake's head struck, mouth wide with fangs on full display. A black shield intercepted the attack, forcing the snake's head back before the metal struck it across its mouth. A fang dislodged from the snake's mouth from the force of the blow, the reptile shrieking in pain and retreating a couple of feet from them.

Gladio sent Noctis and Hermione a scathing look. "Stop going off on your own," he barked at them.

Ignis and Prompto ran to them, the trio surrounding the two. Ignis zeroed in on her hand and Noctis' pale face. "Did it bite either of you?"

Noctis shook his head. "Not me. Another headache."

"I'll be fine," Hermione said curtly. In truth, the slightest movement pulled on the wound, making it burn, but she wasn't going to say anything until that thing had been taken care of. "What element works on this?"

Ignis eyed her before saying, "Ice is best. We must be near its nest."

"Enough chatting, more killing." Noctis warped to the snake, striking at its side before warping to the top of its head and delivering another blow. Gladio followed him in, using his greatsword to pin its tail to the ground. Prompto used two guns to shoot at it from afar while Ignis chilled his daggers and calculated the best position to attack.

The serpent ripped its tale from Gladio's sword, not seeming to mind the hole it now sported or the blood that flowed to the ground. It curled itself around Gladio, ignoring everyone else as it slowly squeezed a struggling Gladio. Hermione made to run to him, but Ignis held her back. "I have a plan."

Hermione listened impatiently, noticing with relief that Noctis was able to free Gladio from the snake's grip. She nodded and took the magic flask from Ignis, biding her time until they gave her an opening.

Ignis shot forward, stabbing at the snake with precise movements and jumping back when it tried to bite him. He repeated the process; stab, slash, jump back, until the snake reared its head in frustration.

Hermione warped to the snakes mouth, landing on its head. Acting quickly before it could throw her off, she threw the magic flask down the throat of the serpent, adding a few more orbs of ice for good measure. The snake screamed, tossing its head to throw her off. She threw the dagger next to Prompto, landing just behind him before she could hit the ground.

The magic flask exploded, the snake's skin exploding from the inside out. Blood and guts spilled around Noctis and Gladio, the two closest to the dying reptile. What was left of the serpent landed on the ground, its reptilian eyes clouding over in death.

Ignis approached Hermione. "That went exactly as expected. Flawless execution." He twirled a finger. "Now let me see where you were bitten."

Here it comes. She turned her back to him, lifting her jacket and shirt to reveal the bite on her side. Her internal healing had kicked in during the fight, the blood nothing but a dribble and the wound slowly closing. Ignis shook his head. "Cor instructed you not to use your healing power."

Hermione shrugged. "Cor's not my handler. Besides, this happened by itself. It happens with smaller wounds like this. I wasn't poisoned, or I'm sure the healing wouldn't have kicked in."

"That's true," Noctis said as he walked up to them. Gladio was behind him. They were both covered in snake bits, the smell making Hermione gag. "I didn't realize that was a healing thing, but it happens with me too."

Hermione swiveled around to face him. "Noct, that's great! That means access to more of your magic is not as suppressed as I thought it was." Perhaps it was only the active abilities? Excluding warping. It was a plausible theory.

Ignis cleared his throat, seeing they were getting off topic. "Be that as it may, it would put my mind at ease if you took an antidote. We are about to enter a cave with a rumored daemon that sounds like no easy foe. The effects of poison making themselves known once we're in there is not an option."

Hermione bit back a groan of protest. "Fine, give it here." They weren't the nicest tasting liquids she'd ingested.

Ignis watched her down the vial, making a clicking sound with his tongue when her face puckered in disgust. "I'm sure this won't happen again if you make sure to get the proper amount of sleep."

She knew it.

Making Gladio and Noctis wash up near the waterfall before entering the cave had been a bad idea.

Ice covered every inch of the grotto, the temperature dropping as soon as they entered, Prompto being the most affected after Noctis and Gladio. "Looking on the bright side, maybe the cold keeps the daemons at bay?" He didn't sound too hopeful.

"Yeah," Gladio said dryly. "Because monster's like warmth."

"Ah," Prompto replied. "Sarcasm. But what if they're frozen?"

"Encased in ice," Gladio said slowly, fake wonder in his voice. "Waiting for something warm to pass by."

"Mione," Prompto whined. "Your boyfriend's being mean to me."

Hermione blushed at the term. They hadn't sat down and discussed what they were though she was sure that exclusivity was what each was aiming for. She pressed onward, hoping no one noticed her flushed cheeks. "You're both ridiculous."

They were attacked by flan-like daemons not long after. Imps came after that. Then there was the humanoid daemon who knew how to fight, and they had the misfortune to encounter not one, not two, but three giant female spiders the more they went down. The slip and slide game they played in the cavern was also wearing on everyone's nerves. It was a fast way to explore the cave, but the seeping cold only seemed to worsen the farther down they went.

Noctis had taken the lead, but it was clear after encountering the same dead end for the third time that he had no idea where he was going. Ignis said slowly, "Noct, if I may-"

"Don't ask," he growled out.

Gladio nodded. "Yep. We're lost."

Noctis groaned, "Don't answer."

Prompto waited until they'd ended up in a familiar looking part of the cave. They'd already been there. "Don't know where we came from. Don't know where we're going."

Hermione stayed silent. If she thought she could get away with it, she would summon her wand and use a 'point me' spell. She was half tempted to try if it meant leaving this place faster. Her warming charms were not lasting on anyone.

Noctis hissed, breathing becoming erratic, and lost his balance. The four lunged for him, but he'd been too far away and he fell off the slick patch of ice they'd been crossing. "Noct!" Ignis yelled, rare panic in his eyes as they scrambled to see where he'd gone.

They could see him, curled on his side, blood seeping through his pants where a shard of ice poked out from his thigh. He was writhing in agony, not seeming to notice the wound as he pulled at his hair.

Damn the Archaean, Hermione thought. The Titan was going to get Noctis killed.

Gladio jumped down, his body landing on bent legs, the big guy shaking off whatever shock traveled through them after such a lengthy fall. He stood in a defensive position over Noctis, face set in hard lines as he looked at something in front of him.

Hermione saw what he was looking at a moment later. Imps, flan, and smaller spiders were heading towards to duo. Ignis grabbed her arm, bringing her attention to him. "Get down there, heal Noct. We'll be down as soon as we can."

She nodded, apparating next to Noctis. Gladio didn't spare her a glace; his eyes focused on the oncoming daemon horde. Hermione bit her lip, able to see the extent of the wound for the first time. The icy spear had impaled his thigh. Noctis was still straining against a headache, the constant moving agitating the injury. Silently apologizing, Hermione sent a quick Stupefy at him. It worked, his body stilling, hands falling limply by his head.

Reminding herself it had been a necessary precaution, Hermione considered what to do next. Normally, removing the impaled object was the wrong thing to do. She felt she needed to adhere to that bit of procedure. The spike was a part of the ground. She would have to break the icicle before attempting to take it out of his leg. Merlin, what if he'd hit an artery? The pool of blood beneath him was big enough as it was.

There was fighting going on near them. She could hear the grunts and shrieks, the slices of blades and whizzing of bullets. A brief strike of lighting hit a pillar just a bit beyond her. An Arachne had joined the fight.

Praying what she had in mind worked, Hermione focused all her attention on the spear of ice. It slowly started to disintegrate, the ice shrinking until Hermione could no longer see it. She flung out her hand, casting a stasis spell on his wound to stop the new spurt of blood that started to gush out. She kept the disintegration of the ice going until she heard the frozen ground beneath them crack. Satisfied that no frozen water remained in Noctis' leg, Hermione removed the stasis spell and thrust her hands onto the wound. The magic was waiting for her call, rushing forth and closing the gaping mess that was Noctis' lower limb.

The relief choked her, Hermione unable to concentrate on anything other than the knitting flesh and repairing tissue.

Scuttling above her disturbed the relief, fear taking its place. Looking up, she screamed in terror as two more Arachne grinned down at her. She hastily built a barrier, her panic fueling the power she put into it until it resembled solid blurred glass and not the tile-like dome she was used to. Footsteps ran to them from her side, metal and boots coming into contact with her shield.

Using her barrier, Gladio and Ignis stepped on it, jumping into the air. They swung their greatsword and lance in an upward strike, twisting mid-swing to hit their respective targets. The Arachne screamed in pain, their forms disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. They landed next to her, Gladio giving them a once-over before returning to finish off the last of the daemons.

She let her shield fall so that Ignis could kneel beside Noctis. "Will he be alright?"

Hermione hesitated. "Physically, he'll be alright, sore after a wound like that. Mentally is another question. The Archaean is trying to contact him, I'm certain."

Ignis nodded. "Yes, I came to that conclusion as well. We'll have to visit the Meteor." He looked at her. "Is Titan trying to gain your attention as well?"

Hermione shook her head. "Other than the first time when we reached Lestallum, I've only felt slight pressure here and there. His target is the prince. There will be more incidents like this if he doesn't stop."

Ignis' lip quirked into a ghost of a smirk. "I fear trying to argue with Archaean is a futile effort." They turned as Gladio grunted in pain. More Imps had come out of nowhere, one of their floaters hitting him. "Wake the prince and get him away from this area." He ran to assist the guys.

Hermione crawled to Noctis' head, sitting cross-legged and pulling him onto her lap. She moved his bangs from his forehead, whispering, "Rennervate."

She expected Noctis to open his eyes, maybe be a bit groggy. She gasped as his eyes flung open, body straining with pain. His pupils were red, the blue she was so accustomed to gone. She cupped his cheeks with her hands, lowering her forehead until it touched his. Looking into the red eyes, she begged, "Please, leave him be. We'll come see you. You can't keep doing this to him!"

There was no change, only the whimper that came from Noctis.

"Damn you," she spoke furiously. "He's just a boy. Stop torturing him like this! You're going to get him killed!" She kept her eyes locked on his. "Noctis, fight through this. Just listen to my voice and come back."

When nothing happened, Hermione grew desperate. Why was he holding him hostage like this? Could she have done something when she stunned him? Thinking fast, Hermione came to a solution but almost rejected it immediately. Hadn't they told her she was too volatile to be a master in Occlumency? The mind healing procedure she had read about required the Healer be a master in both Occlumency and Legilimency. There were risks. She could be lost in his mind, never come back out, but what choice did she have? The Astral wasn't letting up. Noctis still hadn't found the royal arm in this cave, and despite all the daemons they'd faced, none had been like the one Talcott had described.

Mind made up, she spoke softly. "Let me in, Noct. Don't fight me. It's just Mione. Animus Anima."

She was in the throne room at the Citadel. It was elaborate, gleaming tile and stairs leading to a throne surrounded by golden statues. She ran up the stairs, eyes only for the figure that was sitting on the throne.

From far away, it looked like Noctis was slouching in his seat, but up close Hermione could see the chains the wrapped around him, holding him there. His eyes were defeated, the life that sparked in him even when he played nonchalant erased. Making a noise of distress at the sight, Hermione tugged at them, dropping to her knees so that she could look into his eyes. There was no recognition, no sound of greeting. He just stared at the ground vacantly.

Feeling a presence behind her, Hermione turned, falling onto her butt when she was greeted by the angry red eyes of the Archaean. His head was the only part of him visible, the throne room falling into a black fog. She glared at him. "Let him go."

He opened his mouth, a range of notes leaving in an angry roar. She slapped her hands over her ears at the assault, unable to understand. A voice spoke from behind her. "He says my son is weak."

Hermione whipped her head around, the voice familiar. King Regis was standing by Noctis, his expression solemn. "He's not," Hermione found herself saying. "Noctis is handling the situation he's been thrown into the best he can."

Regis looked down at his son. "I never wanted this burden to fall to him, yet it was predestined. What father doesn't want to see their child happy? Instead, I must watch as he gives up his life."

Hermione went cold; despair colored her tone. "What are you talking about? I'm going to get him out of this. He will not die here."

Regis didn't look up. "You know what the Prophecy says."

Hermione shook her head, confused, but Titan roared again. She faced the Astral, ire building. "You are the one weakening him! He almost died because you keep shoving your presence into his head when he needs to be focused! I know you're doing it on purpose!"

"Better a weak King die than the Astral's waste their time."

She knew they were not the King's words even if they came from his mouth. "He is your chosen! The Starscourge is a product of the God's creation, and you've picked a family that has to clean up a mess you all created! You cannot judge him based on what you think you see!"

"There is another who can take his place."

Hermione shook her head fiercely. "He's the last of his line; there is no other." The Archaean was stubborn, she knew, volatile. She needed to calm down. Continuing to yell at him would only anger the Astral.

She drew herself up, grabbing one of Noctis' chained hands with her own. She saw King Regis reach for the other. They faced Titan, her tone reasonable even if her body was taut. "He is trying. He was not prepared, but that does not make him weak. He will prove his worth to you when we go to where you sleep, I swear it, but right now he needs to be set free. I am begging you to give him a chance."

The Archaean stared at her unblinking. Hermione did not break eye contact, determined that the Astral see sense. Finally, with one last angry roar, he disappeared in shimmering light. Hermione sagged in relief, the chains falling easily at her insistent pulls. Regis stepped back, eyes on the two of them. "Titan is not patient, and you have made him angry. Take care Noctis fulfills the promise you made for him."

Hermione paid him no mind, willing Noctis to lose the deadened look that had taken over his features. When there was, at last, a spark of life, Hermione turned her attention to herself. She willed her mind to leave. Noctis confusion was apparent as he seemed to come back fully. "Dad…Mione…what…"

Hermione came back to herself, distantly aware that the guys were surrounding them. The fighting was over, the smell of charred flesh concerning her. Noctis' eyes were slowly clearing, the blue hue she loved overcoming the red. He blinked as he saw her, brow furrowing at feeling her forehead pressed to his. "Did you know your eyes are red?"

"Are they?" She felt the same consistent pressure from earlier increase a bit and knew the Archaean was not gone. Titan is not patient, and you have made him angry. The King's words replayed in her mind. She lifted her head. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm tired," he whispered. "Can we make camp?"

Ignis knelt down next to them. "There is no place here to make camp. Our best chance is to retrieve the royal arm lest we have to brave this place form the beginning by leaving now."

Noctis nodded in resignation. "I'm going to need a potion." He sat up, looking at his group. "What happened?"

Ignis handed over the correct bottles, giving the same to Hermione with a silent look. There was something in his eyes that made her wary. They were calculating, the same expression that crossed his face when he was trying to figure something out. It usually didn't take him long either. "You fell off a considerable height, and were in need of healing."

Noctis groaned, standing. "That's not cool. I'm done with ice, I really am."

Gladio held out a hand to Hermione, pulling her to her feet as the others moved off. He placed a hand on her chin, tilting her face up to meet his. "Your eyes are still red. Normally it fades just as quickly as it comes. What happened?"

Hermione cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean? Has this happened before?"

His eyes narrowed. "When we first met you, it was a toss-up whether your eyes would be brown or red. Mostly when we were fighting."

"Oh," she frowned. "Well, that's interesting." She gave him a small smile. "We need to catch up with the others. The sooner we unlock this tomb, the faster we can get Noct to the Archaean."

They set off, Gladio grunting, "Ignis filled me in. Damn Astral is making my job a hell of a lot harder than it needs to be."

"The worse part is I don't think he's done," Hermione commiserated.

They found their way to the tomb, needing to cross a thin ledge to do so. Hermione felt the same undercurrent of magic from earlier from the right of the area they'd found themselves in. She guessed it was another seal, her curiosity if the magic came from the same witch or wizard pulling her in that direction.

The air froze, icy pinpricks burning her from the inside. She gulped in air instinctively, regretting it instantly as her lungs seemed to freeze. Her airway constricted, sending her to the ground on her knees, her hands clutching at her throat. She lifted her head, the task almost impossible. Her friends were suffering the same fate. Blood trickled from the corner of Prompto's mouth, his hands struggling to lift the gun that had fallen to the ground.

How had they not noticed the white fog that surrounded them?

In front of Noctis floated a half man, half tentacle creature. Accents of gold littered its body, the cover of some type of armor covering its top half, but there was nothing human about the daemon. Like the Arachne, this daemon bore some features of a person but the tentacles that formed its beard disguised those characteristics. One of its hands was glowing a bright purple.

A dagger sailed through the air, pierced the purple appendage and pinned it to the icy rock behind it.

The ice attack stopped, the fog dissipating just as fast as it appeared. Hermione scrambled to Prompto, her lungs still burning from the shock of cold she'd breathed in. He was struggling to breathe, his hands clutching his chest frantically. Ignis stopped her before she could heal him, pouring a potion down his throat instead. "Conserve your energy. The fight is not over."

He was right. The daemon had ripped its hand from the wall, Ignis' dagger stuck in the ice. It raised its hand, the brightly colored glow emanating. Hermione turned as she felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up, freezing in shock. General Glauca was there, and his sword was mercilessly sliding through Noctis' chest. She watched as the light left his eyes, head lolling to the side. The general wrenched the sword back, the prince's body plopping to the ground with a final thud.

Hermione saw red.

Warping with a scream of fury and heartache, the general stopped her blow with his sword, pushing her back. She gave him no chance to attack, sending a powerful streak of lightning his way. It hit his armor dead center, his body flying back and hitting the ice with a pained grunt. She warped, aiming for the opening between his chest plate and neck. Then Loqui was there, holding her back and shouting in his annoying voice.

Noctis watched in shock as Hermione went toe to toe with Gladio, his sister doing her best to cause them both harm. Her eyes were still red, but they had clouded over, only the faintest of color showing through. His chest ached where her lightning strike had connected, muscles still twitching from the aftershocks. Gladio was trying not to hurt her, but she wasn't making it easy. Tears were streaming down her face as she attacked. His eyes widened, warping away just in time to dodge another spell she got past Gladio.

Ignis would know what to do. Noctis looked around, eyes stopping at the blonde figure kneeling on the ground. Her arms were wrapped around her middle; body bent as if trying to shield herself. "Luna?" Noctis whispered.

His friend looked up, a pleading edge in her eyes one Noctis had never seen before. He opened his mouth, unsure what to say, but what came out was a hiss of displeasure when Ravus grabbed her arm in a tight grip. He hauled her to her feet, Luna fighting to get away. "Let her go!" Noctis shouted. Summoning the sword he'd taking from the first royal tomb, Noctis warped to Ravus, using the blade to slash at the back of his knees. The man dropped Luna, dodging before the hits could make contact.

Ignis took a moment to asses the situation, the entire battle turning into an all-out melee when they needed to concentrate on the daemon. Hermione was fighting Gladio, Noctis was going after Prompto. Both were attempting to do their perceived opponent's mortal harm. Prompto was trying not to harm Noctis, dodging the prince's warp-strikes and trying to calm him down. But Gladio… It had started off as defending, but the man was starting to go on the offensive; attacking instead of blocking, parrying with his greatsword against her Kukri's. If Hermione hadn't been so proficient with magic, he was sure Gladio would have cut her down with no mercy by now. That's when he noticed it. The three of them were blind, the iris' obscured by milky white.

And the daemon was doing nothing but floating in place, watching the proceedings.

He had done something to their minds, befuddled them until they were attacking each other. This was the daemon Talcott had mentioned, the one that kept all from the sword behind the waterfall. One of Hermione's stray lightning balls hit the daemon, the being recoiling with a shriek. His dagger had punctured a hole in the daemons hand, the wound still visible with a trail of blood to accompany it.

It took him but a minute to analyze everything, and come up with a plan.

Throwing five knives in quick succession, he pinned the daemon to the cave wall, each blade in points not so easily removable. Summoning his Spelldagger's and infusing them with lightning, he struck out at the daemon as the monster was opening its mouth. He flipped away, avoiding the icy breath that followed the daemons painful screech. Switching his daggers for a lance, Ignis jumped as far as he could with the limited area available, bringing the blade down in a crushing blow. The daemon dissolved into a puddle on the ground, the dark purple mass disappearing into the ice.

Hermione clenched her teeth as she continued her lightning assault on Loqui. He was holding her power back with a shield, but she wasn't giving up. She pushed forward, bringing the lightning ray closer and bringing the Commander to his knees.

Then it wasn't Loqui in front of her, but Gladio. He looked startled to see her, his shield slipping just an inch. Hermione panicked at the same time, throwing her hands just past his head, ending her assault even as she scorched the rock and sent pieces of it flying. Her mouth dropped open, trying to make sense of the fact she'd been attacking Gladio, and remembered what had prompted her to lose her mind in the first place. Body turning, she spied the raven-haired boy rubbing the back of his neck as Prompto pat his shoulder.

Laughing in relief, Hermione ran to Noctis and jumped into his arms. He put his arms around her in reflex, sending a startled look to the guys as she tried to suffocate him with her hug. He decided not to question it, tightening his arms around her, the comfort welcome after being tricked into attacking one of his best friends.

"What the hell happened, Iggy?" Gladio asked.

"We faced the monster in Talcott's myth," Ignis explained. "If you recall, this particular daemon is known for messing with the mind."

"That explains a lot," Hermione murmured. She stepped out of the hug, cheeks flushing from the embarrassment of having been played by a daemon. She had always been weak against attacks of the mind, the evidence in how easy it had been for Luna to Imperio her and how badly she failed at Occlumency. "I apologize if I caused any damage."

Noctis hunched his shoulders, weariness set in his features. "Are we done here? I want out of this stupid cave."

Noctis went forward without waiting for an answer, pushing the key into the opening and waiting impatiently for the doors to open. He thrust his hand out to the dual swords waiting for him. Hermione rubbed her chest when they pierced his chest, an echo of what he felt flowing through her.

She gave a passing glance at the other pathway she had intended to investigate before everything went to hell. She still wanted to check it out, but Noctis was already walking away. It was probably the same as the other she'd discovered. It wasn't like she carried the key required to open it.

She didn't realize she had fallen behind until Prompto placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her with a slightly worried face. "Everything alright?"

Hermione gave him a reassuring smile, jogging with him to catch up to the others. "I'm fine. I'm looking forward to the heat once we make our way out."

Prompto nodded. "You're telling me. My arms are going to be permanently covered in goosebumps at this rate." He poked his skin, feeling the bumpy ridges. "I'll be surprised if no one gets sick."

She grimaced. "Don't jinx us."

AN: Animus Anima basically means Mind Soul. I am by no means a language expert, so anything like that is from Google.