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...
"If we could start over, I'd like to think it would all be different... Better... On both sides." - Noctis Lucis Caelum.
Ignis held his head, rubbing his temples. Cid was still sick and bedridden, and the virus was spreading throughout Lestallum. He had informed Cindy of what was happening and had Prompto put the reins on her for showing up. Aranea and her troops helped lock down the city until this epidemic was solved. Ignis had hardly slept a wink since it started. He took his precautions, but was at a loss for what to do. It only got worse as the first casualty was found. Lestallum was simply too crowded, and it was hard to quarantine just the sick. At least while he was in the quarantined zone he would be able to help out.
"Ignis, are you okay?" Iris sat in front of him, her face filled with worry. She had happened upon the city just as it was being cut off from the rest of the world.
"You needn't worry," he assured her, giving her a nod.
She looked unconvinced, frowning but choosing not to say anything. She had been a tremendous help thus far, and he was sure that without her, he would have collapsed from pure exhaustion. The two of them had been through something similar to this, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. He pulled out his phone, updating Gladio and Prompto on the situation here, as the two of them could not come in. Cor and Aranea walked through the door of the house, both of them collapsing. Iris got them a drink, while Ignis began to think about what to feed the healthy and sick alike.
"More dead today," Aranea reported, taking a drink.
"It's almost exactly like the poison in the crown city," replied Cor.
"Which means all we can do is wait," said Ignis, unhappy about that.
"Wait? Wait for what?" asked Iris.
"Wait until it dies out. There's no cure and too many people to take care of. It'll pass," said Cor.
"You mean we just sit here and let people die?!" Iris was outraged.
"There's nothing we can do. You don't remember when the crown city was poisoned because you were one of the ones infected. But it was almost the same, except we had the technology to cure it eventually."
"You fell ill and delirious. When you came to you hardly remembered what had happened," said Ignis.
"You caught it pretty bad too I think."
"Indeed, though I was fortunate to repel it quickly."
"Sounds like a good time, sorry I missed it," said Aranea.
"You weren't with the Empire then?" asked Cor.
"Not yet, we were in a long negotiation about my pay. I heard a plague hit, had no idea it was the Empire."
"Noxima had come to warn us, but was a second too late. She was able to save the Prince, he was pretty unhappy about it but was unaffected."
"If I had known they would poison and entire city just to get to one person I wouldn't have bothered."
"That's good to hear," said Ignis approvingly.
.*.*.
Charlie stepped out from behind the waterfall, Noctis at her side. The two of them trailed behind the other three, not exactly in a rush to catch up with them as they would be parting ways, but not exactly wanting to lose sight of them just yet. They avoided the giant snake again, and were all at the Regalia before long. They were quiet, not really knowing that to say just yet.
"You're sure?" Ignis asked one last time, looking at Charlie.
She nodded, "Get out of here," she instructed.
Prompto bid them farewell as he got into the car, Gladio just nodded at them once and followed suit. Once again they were left with Ignis, who just sighed as he got behind the wheel. They drove off in the direction of Lestallum, Noct watching them disappear into a blur. Charlie pulled out her whistle from her pocket and blew it loudly. It was a chocobo whistle, though it sounded a bit different than the one that he carried. It didn't take long for the chocobo to show up. It was a bit smaller than any of the ones he had seen, and a different shade of yellow, a darker one. It also had curious pink accent feathers here and there on it, almost like an outline or a highlight.
He continued to observe as Charlie smiled at her companion. The bird nuzzled her cheek, happily eating the greens she provided. This was her chocobo, he could tell. They seemed to share a bond that lasted longer than a standard rental period. She put the bird's head, he could swear she was humming a small tune. But it was so faint, almost like a whisper he couldn't really be sure that he was hearing it. Satisfied, she hopped on the bird, extending a hand towards him. He took it, hanging on as she took off.
They were headed in the opposite direction of Lestallum, to where, he didn't know. The way Ignis and Gladio had trusted her without question, made him feel at ease with her. It wasn't just that though, there was something else. It was like, there was a deep connection between them, despite the fact that they had never met before. And yet it was there, and for the first time in his life, he didn't feel that loneliness he grew up with. It made him happy, and safe at the same time.
They rode the chocobo for the rest of the day, and well into the night, stopping here and there so the creature could get a drink and catch its breath. They didn't speak much, neither of them feeling the need to fill in the silence with forced small talk. Besides, he could tell that she was focused on what she was doing, and he didn't want to interrupt. He wasn't sure what time it was before they arrived at an old wooden shack. Charlie dismounted, and he followed her lead. She led the chocobo into the shack, Noct bringing in the rear. He was about to ask what they were doing here when she kicked something on the wall and the floor began to descend, like an elevator. The bird seemed unfazed, so Noct tried to play it cool. But she smirked as she could see that his eyes were a little wild.
The floor had stopped moving and Charlie opened the door in front of them. There were lights all around, leading into a hallway. She guided her chocobo, going into an adjacent room. It was a stable, and the chocobo happily went to its food and water. They then entered yet another room, this one was circular. Noct's eyes widened as he took in the sights before him. There was a stream, which had a boat docked, looking ready to go. On an upper level was a red Imperial Dreadnaught. And then further down as they walked he saw two cars almost completely identical. One he recognized, as it was his own car, the Star of Lucis. Right beside was the same car, only red in colour. They came to the middle of the entire room, that appeared to have hallways leading towards it. There was a computer system there, and people he had never seen before in his life.
"Ma'am," they greeted her as she walked by. She nodded at them, smiling as she led the way down one of the many hallways.
"What is this place?" asked Noct as he followed her.
"This is my central base of operations. I couldn't have it at Insomnia nor Gralea, so I made one," she answered.
"Underground?"
"Of course, that's where you build the best secret bases."
She led him towards a cafeteria of sorts. The room wasn't very big, as there probably weren't many here at the same time. But it was better than nothing he supposed. He saw vending machines that didn't require any sort of currency, and a wide variety of foods that didn't need a fridge. He was suddenly reminded of how hungry he was, not having eaten since breakfast.
"Licelle, come here," Charlie called a brunette over towards them. The young girl eagerly ran towards them, "This is our guest of honour. Please get him some food and show him to his bed."
"Yes ma'am!" Licelle replied.
"It isn't Ignis food, but it's still pretty good. I've got some checking in to do around here. I'll come find you when we're ready to leave," she told him.
"Sounds good," he wasn't really sure what to do.
Charlie nodded, taking one last look a Licelle and then leaving the room.
...
Charlie finished her work quickly. She was fortunate to have these people with her, to help make her job easier. She had trained them well, and sent them all to rest as she studied her notes. She sighed, feeling her phone vibrate. Six messages and eight phone calls. She was a little hurt it wasn't more. Then again, she was far underground. The phone calls were nothing, except her commanding officer. But that was at least three of the messages she received. The other two were from Cor, and one from Ignis. Aranea sent her orders, Charlie would be sure to carry them out at her convenience. Cor wanted a status update on the Nifs. Ignis had simply told her to try and get some sleep. While she knew that wasn't what he actually meant, the real message underneath was asking what she was doing and how long it would take.
Her reply to Cor was much the same as the one to Ignis, nicely telling them to fuck off while she was working. Aranea, however, she responded to as her counter part, Oydis. Her messages sent and she wouldn't bother to check her phone again before bed. She walked towards the resting rooms, where several bunk beds were in place to accommodate those who worked here. She found Noctis on his phone, playing a game it looked like. His lamp was still on. She walked towards it, nodding at him as she climbed onto the bunk above him.
"So, where are we going?" he asked, the sounds on his phone no longer audible.
"Insomnia, more accurately, underneath it. There's a vault that's conveniently sealed with blood magic," she replied, her eyes focused on the ceiling.
"Definitely convenient. What's in the vault?"
"We'll find out. It's not going to be easy to get in there, so make sure you do everything I tell you, without question."
"I'm not really the taking orders kind of person."
"Then consider it friendly advice to keep you alive. This is something I'm good at, I've been doing it for years."
"I guess I could listen, just this one time. I've got a reputation you know," he said slyly.
"Oh of course! Far be it form me to cramp your style, Highness."
He laughed, "You can call me Noct. I never really cared for all that royal stuff."
Charlie smiled, "Noct it is then."
"You're not going to make me get up super early are you?"
"That depends on when you let me sleep."
"Do you sleep? Always being out here on your own?"
Charlie was silent. She closed her eyes, knowing that she wouldn't sleep much at all tonight, "I only sleep when I feel safe. Lately, that isn't too often."
"It must be hard."
"Sometimes, sure. But I knew what I was getting into when I started my job."
Noctis picked up his phone again, not really knowing what to say to this girl. He enjoyed her presence, as it seemed to fill a void he never even knew he had in his life. And yet, here was a prime example of someone he had never met that sacrificed so much just for him. He didn't ask for any of this, never even really wanted to be a Prince. Now he was King and he loathed that thought. He didn't want to think about that.
"Ignis wants to know where we are and what we're doing and when we'll be back," said Noct.
She groaned, leaning over and holding her hand out, "Give me your phone a sec, I'll take care of him," she was annoyed. Noct was hesitant, but handed it over. She frowned, focused for the maybe twelve seconds she had the phone and then handed it back. He looked at it, not really understanding what she had written. They weren't even words, but his response came almost instantly. No need to be nasty. Noct smirked, obviously these two had some sort of secret language.
"So... you and Ignis?" he was actually curious about it. About how his two closest friends seemed to live a double life that he never knew about until she made an appearance.
"What about it?" she asked.
"How long have you two been together?"
"A solid and steady time frame of never."
"Doesn't seem like it. What's the story with you two?"
"No story, we just grew up together, kind of like you did. We went to the same school, trained together, did all that crownsguard stuff. We're old friends, nothing more."
"Yet."
She leaned over the bed and threw her pillow at him, "You turd! Neither of us have time for things like feelings and probably never will in this hectic world."
He laughed as he caught the pillow, "So you do have feelings."
"No, I'm dead inside."
"Right," he replied dryly.
She laughed, "Give me my pillow back."
"You threw it, you lose it."
"Are you really playing that tired game with me? I will fuck you up."
"Are you threatening your Prince?" he raised a brow.
She laughed again, as he began to hand her the pillow. But then pulled back just out of her reach. She huffed, the both of them enjoying their game despite the disruption they caused. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel despair at her future.
.*.*.
Ignis rubbed his head, his head ache hurting more than usual. The others hadn't really noticed, probably because he'd been rubbing his head a lot since this virus had hit. Aranea was speaking to Cor about starting another quarantine zone, while Iris listened intently. He stood then, going to check on Cid. The old man was snoring softly, the sounds of his breathing were even and no longer obstructed. That was a good sign, perhaps he would make it passed this after all.
Satisfied, he closed the door and walked towards the kitchen, busying himself in there. Supplies were running short with food trucks unable to come and go as usual, so he did what he could. It was well below his standards, but no one complained. He could see the exhaustion in their faces. No one seemed to be getting any sort of rest of any kind. It wasn't long before Aranea had left to do one last round. Cor had retired to one of the spare rooms, as did Iris. Ignis was left by himself, cleaning up and trying to push his head ache away.
He thought back to the last memory of hers he relived. Her base now was abandoned, she had tied up most of the loose ends. The staff she employed she sent to Aranea, and the extra ship she had donated to the dragoon knight as well. The chocobo, Ceres, was also left to the her, and her car. It seemed that all she left Ignis was this house and Noct's car. And of course that book. He hadn't had a chance to look at it since Cid had gotten sick. The outbreak had kept him so busy he nearly forgot about it. As he finished cleaning, he retired to his room, looking at it. He felt too tired to even bother with it tonight. Sighing, he laid back in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't notice when he fell asleep.
.*.*.
Nox breathed hard as she stood in front of Gladio. They had been sparring for three hours already, and she was determined to finish what she started. Ignis watched with a scowl on his face, as he was waiting for well over an hour. She closed her eyes, taking one deep breath before opening them again. She nodded at him. He took his broadsword and came at her. She held her ground, waiting for the moment. She coughed as she was on the ground again, banging her fist on the ground. How was he so fucking fast? Seriously, he was a fucking mountain and he moved like a cat! She got back up, not even bothering to catch her breath before nodding at him again. Her jaw set, she was going to do it this time. But she kissed the floor again. She growled angrily, getting up and giving it another try. And it produced the same results.
"That's enough, Gladio!" Ignis was tired of watching.
"You're too soft on 'em!" he called back.
"You shut up!" Nox pointed at Ignis. She got back to her feet, facing the shield, "Again!" she instructed. Nope, "Again!" Not this time either, "Again!" Another miss, "Again!" and failed once more.
She was shaking from exhaustion, having a harder time getting up, only making it to one knee as she tried to catch her breath. Gladio looked over at Ignis, at a loss. The adviser was unhappy, his disapproval all over his face. Gladio sighed, his sword resting on his shoulder. Nox was finally on both of her feet, her breath ragged and her eyes clouded. She straightened out, taking one long breath and looked over at Gladio.
"Again," her voice was steady, calm.
"You sure?" he was hesitant, glancing at Ignis.
"Never mind him!" she said annoyed, "Again."
Gladio was still apprehensive, but the intensity of her amethyst eyes forced him to act. He began to run at her again, his sword at the ready. She let out another long breath, her eyes trained on him. She held her ground, focusing. She held her hand up just as Gladio was about to strike. And it happened. Instead of being knocked to the ground she had not only erected a shield, but infused it with lightning, that pushed him back across the room. She hardly heard his scream within her bubble, but saw the after effects as she couldn't keep it up much longer.
She felt dizzy, dropping to her knees, the weight of the air crushing her. Gladio grabbed her from underneath her shoulders and lifted her up to her feet. Ignis was there at her side, his face neutral. She forced her head up to look at the shield, finding it hard to even do that. He was smiling at her.
"You did good," he approved.
"Thanks," she croaked, and then she felt light headed again.
This time, she gave into the darkness, her body going limp. She fell into the shield, and he held her up effortlessly. Ignis instinctively checked her pulse, satisfied that it was healthy.
"You should have stopped hours ago," said Ignis, as he began to lead Gladio out of the room. He cradled her much like a brother would protect a sister as he followed Ignis down the corridor towards her room in the citadel.
"She's the boss," Gladio shrugged.
"She pushes herself too far."
"I prefer training with her anyway, she does better than Noct."
"I suspect it's because she feels she has more to prove than he does, which is why we shouldn't encourage her to overwhelm herself."
Gladio didn't respond, knowing that his friend was right. The rest of the trip was silent, Nox sleeping soundly against Gladio's chest. Ignis opened the door to her room, turning on the light in there. Gladio followed him in, going straight to her bed and placing the girl there. Ignis looked around, noting how clean it was. He was so used to the Prince it was rare for him to see her. She had intricate arts hung up on the walls, and a vanity that only gathered dust on it. He smiled slightly as he saw the overstuffed book shelf. That was probably the only clutter around here, books. Gladio was standing at the door, and Ignis checked on her one more time before leaving, closing the door behind him.
.*.*.
Ignis found himself awoken by a fit of coughs. His throat was hoarse as he choked, feeling phlegm build up. Drat, he had caught the virus. He supposed it was inevitable, given that he was around sick people all the time. His head hurt, and he could feel he had a fever. He sat up slowly, trying to assess where he was in progression. He had noticed a small pattern, though not perfect, did help him predict whether or not someone would survive.
He felt pain in his chest, and he concentrated on it. He held it, in an attempt to alleviate it, but only felt a prickling in his hand. He didn't need this right now, if only he could cure it easily. He would be lucky to cure it at all. He gasped, putting his hand back on his chest, wishing the pain would just leave. And then it did, his hand tingling against his chest. He took a sharp breath in and felt nothing. Curious. He coughed again, feeling his throat once again go hoarse. He put his hand to it, concentrating and wishing that his throat would be cured. His hand tingled again, and the pain in his throat was gone. What was going on?
...
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