Hotel Insomnia : 2:47am : 1 day

You gazed out the window of your hotel room. A hazy mist surrounded the city at this hour. It was hard to see the buildings in the distance considering the fog. Mesmerizing, but also somewhat isolating.

You saw the faint reflection of your dimly lit hotel room in the window, and a body rising from your plush bed.

The lips of Gladio caressed the side of your jaw, and you rose you hand to the back of his neck; pulling him closer.

"What are you still doing up? You okay?" He spoke in a deep, early morning tone.

"No." You whispered; allowing your hand to slide down to his stubbly cheek.

You turned you head toward him so your foreheads touched. You held the position for a moment with your eyelids delicately shut.

"What's going on?" He asked, breaking the silence in a somber tone.

You opened your eyes and looked at the man before you. "I... I've never stopped being terrified. In my mind I always thought I would have it together by this point, but I don't... and even less because I'm crossing this bridge without my aunt."

Gladio knelt beside you and kept the eye contact. "You might never shake that feeling, and that's okay, because you are strong. You will never crack under pressure, and even though your aunt has passed, you still have me. You still have Noctis, Iggy, and Prompto. We might not be there physically, but just know that we are all behind you. You will never be truly alone in this world, and I hope you can rest easy knowing that."

You wrapped your arms around the man, holding him tightly. If only you had the will to call it quits and lead a normal life. No, that was one thing you wouldn't bend on. As terrified as you were, you were the Champion, and it was a title you held higher than all else. As much as you wanted to stay, your will and conviction to leave was much stronger.

"Let's go to bed." You spoke, releasing the man and making your way to the bed.

You pulled the blanket back and settled in place; facing the window. The bed dipped in a bit as Gladio lay beside you. His arm comforted you and pulled you closer; draping around you like a sign of protection. There it was, that safe feeling of his embrace once again. Everlasting bliss you'd call it.

Although your body felt relaxed, inside you were screaming. Your eyes still looking out the window without a hint of tiredness. Minutes felt like hours, and you were certain you'd remain this way until sunrise.

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Hotel Insomnia : 10:04am : 1 day

As reluctant as he was, Gladio had to leave for work a couple hours prior. He knew you were dedicating this day to Noctis and Prompto however. He felt content leaving you in their hands. That's why they were there as soon as he left. Even the prince was early to rise for such an occasion.

"You ready squirt?" Noctis sat at the edge of your bed. His eyes were locked on you as you continued to look out of the window.

"Of course..." You nodded, "Just taking one last glance before I turn in my card."

Somehow turning in this hotel key was a lot more difficult than moving out of your house. Guess it was because you couldn't wait to get out of a place filled with so many memories. That, and you knew you'd have another place to go. With this... with this you were giving up your key and essentially becoming homeless.

"Let's go." You turned away and walked toward the door.

You shut the front door for the last time and didn't look back. If you had, tears may have streamed right then and there. You felt an arm come around you and a kiss plant on your temple.

Looking to your left you smiled at Prompto. Faux, but believable. You knew he was trying to make you feel better, and you'd not bring down his mood. Hell, he was probably just as sad.

Going down to the lobby, you turned in your key card exhaled deeply. This was goodbye to Hotel Insomnia. Lucky for you saying goodbye to Insomnia as a whole wasn't until later. Right now the three of you packed into your car and drove it to a place you knew would make you happy... well, less sad.

The car ride was quiet, and it was a silence you could appreciate.

You exhaled as the three of you continued to sit in silence. The days... although they seemed to tumble away, this one still seemed very distant. It was hard to put words to any of this. By this time tomorrow you'd be long gone.

"It's crazy." Prompto started and the two of you perked up. "We all became so close in such a short amount of time. It feels unreal."

"I went from being a bullied foreigner to the luckiest girl in the world." You smiled. "I fucking jumped into the prince's car window! Do you know how many people don't believe that story? Sounds made up, so I guess I can understand why."

"Stranger than fiction." Noctis chuckled.

"I don't want this to be a sad thing. This day, I mean." You sat up and looked at the boys. "I want this to be... a time stamp. Because, truth be told, I haven't been able to shake the self doubt. So if I leave here on an upsetting note, that's all I will be able to think about."

"What should we do then?" Prompto faced you. "Movies? Amusement park? Beach?"

You shook your head, "No, this is fine. I love hanging out. It's just, I wanna do it with a smile on my face."

That request was asking a lot. It was hard to smile after the days you opened up about your future, let alone the actual last day.

There was a pause that was soon broken by the prince. "Are you going to see Luna again?"

It wasn't even a question you personally considered. You figured you would just go straight to Niflheim. Besides, Tenebrae wasn't a place you wanted to see again.

"No." You shook your head. "Visiting last time got my aunt killed. I won't risk it."

Your eyes looked into his as you placed your hand on his shoulder. A thought crossed your mind. "Luna. She promised me refuge if I were to ever make it back out. If I get the opportunity, you'll be the first to know."

"I look forward to that message squirt."

It was a shame really. Time always seemed to shoot forward at a light speed when you didn't want it to. Felt like you three had just began to hang out, yet here you were watching the blanket of a dark Spring night tuck away the sun one last time.

You could honestly say you didn't regret a second of it. You were terrified, but ready. Cor discussed your future plans. Your friends got in their final hangout time, but now there was one final quartet you had to say goodbye to.

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Maple Leaf Park : 2:45am : 0 days

"I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. This meant everything to me." You spoke to the four as you packed just a few carry along items into your trunk.

As you went to close it, Gladio's hand reached past you and shut it. The two of you just gazed at one another with a smile on your faces. Relishing each other's company one last time.

He wrapped his arms around you held you tightly, "I'm gonna miss you so much. I love you babydoll." He whispered before kissing the top of your head.

"I love you so much." You squeezed him back.

The embrace of the man wasn't something you ever wanted to end, but of course it would. You still had to say goodbye to the other three.

Looking up, you gave him a deep kiss. No hint of sadness. Just passion and love.

Backing away, you turned to Prompto. "My husband!" You squealed.

Probably an interesting choice of words to use in front of Gladio considering he never had a proper chat with Prompto over your tattoo.

The blond squeezed you with every bit of his strength. "Things will never be the same without The Great Anak."

You chuckled, "I know, but we gotta be strong, okay?" Your voice lowered so that only he could hear you, "I'm a survivor. Remember that, please."

You felt it was something you needed to tell him directly. Coming out to him first about your big Nifilheim secret was the most candid you ever were about the situation. Back then you told him you weren't sure if you were going to die. It was important that you reassured him that you would live.

Letting go, you smiled at the boy. You were confident in what you said.

You knelt down beside him and hugged your bloodhound. "Benedict! I'm leaving you in good hands, okay? You be a good girl. Keep my boys in line alright?"

You gave her a long kiss on her head before giving her a few more pets.

Walking down just a bit more, you looked up at Ignis. You had so much to thank him for.

"Thank you." Your eyes widened as Ignis once again stole the words right from your mouth. "You've done more for me than I can give gratitude for."

You shook your head, "Impossible. You taught me a lot, and you've been there for me even when I didn't ask for it. You're amazing. You do know that, right?"

The two of you embraced, and for the last time you wondered what would have happened had Ignis perused you first. This would have been much harder. You could see yourself not wanting to leave, but Ignis convincing you to do so anyway. Would have been an interesting life.

You backed away and smiled before moving to the final and toughest goodbye.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum." You shook your head with a smirk.

The prince opened his mouth to speak your name as you did, but before he could get a single sound out you put your finger to his lips.

"Don't you dare copy me." You chucked. "Be original prince."

Your hand lowered and he exhaled, "So this is it? I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you more." You went to hug the boy; your face buried in his shoulder. "If it weren't for you I would be without a friend in the world. Thank you for that."

"Even if we didn't meet that day, I'm sure we still would have. I can't even imagine life without..." His words trailed off. "..Are you sure you don't want us to send you off at the boarder?"

You clenched the back of his shirt in your hands. Tightening the hug, you took a deep inhale before letting go. Your eyes looked into his for a moment as you shook your head. Your hands grabbed his face, and you placed a kiss on his cheek.

It was another apology and he knew it. An apology for what might happen while you were gone. An apology that you just couldn't bring yourself to speak.

You backed away once again and headed to the drivers seat of your car.

"Hey." Gladio called you, "When you're ready to come home... I will escort you back myself. You just say the word."

Comforting words, but that's all they were. It wasn't that simple to just come back home. Not only that, you would forbid him to ever do something so risky.

"Catch ya later." You gave one last wave before taking off.

You made sure to hit a couple of blocks before you let loose your tears. You didn't want that to be their last image of you. It was hard to stay strong, but you had to now. There was no more time. Soon you would be in Niflheim, and things were going to be much different.

It was scary to think of it like that. Hitting the road right now meant that by the time you reached the boarder, day should be breaking. You didn't want to run into any daemons. The sight of that Iron Giant wasn't something that would easily leave your memory. You didn't want to run into it, or anything similar.

This trip over would be long but straight to the point. Drive through Hammerhead and fill up. Take the ferry from Galdin Quay to Altissia. Pick up your weapons and gear in Altissia, and then take the train to the end of the line. With that plan in mind, you felt set with that checklist; secure even. In your head, it was now game time.

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Hammerhead : 6:02am

"Long time no see." You exited your vehicle that was currently parked by the gas pump.

Cindy smiled at you as she approached, "Now I didn't think I was gon see you again. Not this soon after all your talk about getting back home."

"You remember me?" You asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Course I do." The blond girl nodded, "I don't forget faces. 'Specially not ones with a car so unique."

It was flattering that she remembered you. Honestly you were joking about the 'long time no see.' You did remember her, but you figured she helps so many people that you'd be forgettable.

"Here, lemme help you fill er up." Cindy grabbed the gas pump and began to fill up the car. Such a sweet and helpful woman she was.

"Cindy." You paused momentarily. "I didn't just come here to fill up my car. Or get it serviced."

"Well ya sure didn't stop by just to say hi did ya?" She tipped her hat slightly upwards to get a better look at you.

You shook your head, "I was wondering if you could tow my car... from Galding Quay?"

A very strange request, but one you hopped she wouldn't question too much. You had to think quickly. Speak before she could wonder why.

"I'm moving to Altissa for good. There's no need for cars there, and I can't just stay parked at Galdin. They will tow my car, but the problem with that is, if they tow me I won't know where."

The blond girl removed the nozzle and placed the pump back in its holder. "Well..." She spoke while twisting the gas cap back on. "Towing this beauty ain't the issue. The question is; how long are we gon keep her here? I don't mind it, but you've gotta ask Paw Paw."

Great. Another obstacle. You needed to make this quick. Although day just broke, you were burning through it quickly.

You walked over to the garage where the old man just sat. Maybe it was a coincidence that both times you visited Cindy was doing all the work? Or maybe that's just how things were.

"Hi." You gave a quick wave. "Um, you may or may not remember me. I'm the sad sap riding around in my dead aunt's car. Uh, yeah, so I was wondering if you mind towing my car from Galding Quay and then possibly keeping it here? You can have all the money in the trunk. 248,000 gil. Whatever it takes for you to keep it here... well, actually I need some money for other transportation, but whatever is left, you can keep it."

The old man looked up at you from his seat, "...Huh?" He rolled his eyes, "You always just spew everything out at once like that?"

"Only when I'm nervous." You mumbled. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm kind of on a time crunch. I really need to hit the road."

Cid stood up, "This isn't some parking garage... but, I knew your aunt."

"What?! Are you sure?! Why didn't you say anything last time?! How do you know her?!" Your heart raced upon hearing the words.

"Calm down. She was a good customer of mine. Her license plate changes from Insomnia to Leide. Had me install it." He paced a bit before looking back at you. "Tell you what. The cost will be 1500 gil a month to keep it here. Deal?"

You couldn't do the math, but you'd agree to anything. 1500 gil multiplied by infinity. Sure. You just wanted the car to stay with people that you trusted. Even if they eventually came to strip the car, it was better than having it rust away in some strangers garage.

"Deal. I'll need it towed by tomorrow at the latest. Thank you." You nodded graciously before turning away to head back to your vehicle.

"You will come back for it won't you?" Cid asked in a tone that made you believe he knew what you were up to.

You nodded, "I hope so."

Hammerhead: check!

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Galdin Quay : 10:56am

You sat at the docks waiting for the ferry to arrive. Seemed like it was taking forever. Like you'd be waiting until the end of time. That small boat off in the distance didn't look any bigger, nor did it look smaller. Felt like that had been going on for the past hour. You had your suitcase by your feet. It was only filled with a bit of money, two pairs of clothes, and some hygiene products.

It was a nice relaxing view. One you wished you could share with the boys. One you wished you could share with your aunt again. Instead, you were sharing it with some stranger named Dino. You met him last time you were here. He was obnoxious then, and he's obnoxious now. Oh right! That just reminded you! You were having a conversation with him! Pay attention!

"So that's when I was like, no gems means no tickets." Dino looked at you for a response.

"Oh, no I get you. It's like uh... you scratch my back I scratch your back type of deal." You weren't paying attention at all. You just hopped by repeating the last bit of his sentence and putting them in other words he wouldn't notice.

The man paused and looked at you. His face was dead serious. "...Ahhh, see YOU get it." His eyes looked out at the water, "Looks like ya ferry is here. What was your name by the way?"

You paused with widened eyes, "Uh, my name is... uhhhh..."

"Dino!" A male's voice called from the upper level, "You sold me tickets for two weeks from now you bastard!"

The man shook his head, "Looks like I gotta handle a little buyer's remorse. See ya later kid."

You grabbed your suitcase and headed to the ferry. This trip to Galdin was cut quite short. You wondered if it would be greedy to stay in one of the rooms. Just one night wouldn't hurt, right? It wouldn't but you'd also feel like a cheater. Your aunt would never have allowed it. And now that Cor was your new messenger, you knew he would forbid it too.

Packing in, you took your seat and kept your suitcase in your lap. You felt like a runaway. Some vagabond child just trying to find her way in life. That's not how it was however. You knew where you belonged, and you were on a linear path.

Galdin Quay: check!

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Altissia : 3:45pm

It was dark and musty in this old place you trained. You wanted to spend as little time here as possible.

You were able to find your bow and grapple gun quickly. There was a bit of wear and tear, but it would only play into the backstory you thought of for yourself.

You retracted your bow and placed the grapple inside the suitcase. Lucky for you, there was no customs when boarding a train. Even from country to country. You wouldn't be questioned for carrying weapons. Even if you were, you had an excuse for that too.

You already struggled parting with everything you loved, so leaving behind a place you hated was simple.

Wheeling out your suitcase, you stepped back out into the town. Wasn't too far away; the big crowd. You just needed to go a bit south.

Seemed like the weight of this suitcase got a lot heavier since you packed in your bow and grapple. Funny, you always thought they were light weight.

You hauled it up the bridge, but on the way down, you tripped over your feet and your case was sent flying. Yup, your knee would definitely be bruised. Worst of all, it was in front of all these people. Shit, this was mortifying.

Your hands pressed flat against the ground as you were going to lift up, but you stopped as you saw a pair of boots in front of you.

Looking up, you were met once again by the paralyzing eyes of Ravus Nox Fleret. It was only the second time you saw him, but each time you felt so locked in place. Say something! Anything!

"Nice coat." Was all you could think to say?! Why were you still on the ground, you thought?

Whispers and chatter circulated through the crowd. Did you have any idea who you were speaking to? Did you know who's path you were blocking?

Finally rising to your feet, you maintained eye contact. You handed the man the clear umbrella you had tumbled down with. He made no effort to take it, so you stuffed it in the side of his arm.

"You might want to shield yourself. It'll be coming down soon." You nodded at the man and walked back to your suitcase..

Picking it up, you rolled through the crowd and toward the train. In your wake you left Ravus who was even more hard to read after having spoken to him.

You could still feel his eyes burning a hole in your back. Don't look! You told yourself not to, but you had to confirm your suspicion. Of course your intuition was spot on. The two of you briefly connected eye lines before you hastily turned back around.

Did he remember you from Tenebrae? Impossible! Your face was covered then and you hadn't spoken a word. Luna wouldn't tell. Then again, last you met all he could do was stare into your eyes. Maybe he was just like that.

You stood now outside of the train station. The clouds really were moving in. You looked up at the sky and you now began to regret leaving your umbrella.

A thought crossed your mind, should you stop in Tenebrae? To at least see Luna? It was a nice thought, but no. You even told Noctis the risk wasn't worth the reward.

It was a shame that a place so beautiful was associated with death. It would be hard enough riding through. Yeah, stopping in wasn't an option.

You could feel the rain begin to trickle down, but lucky for you the train had arrived. It was scary to think that once you got off this train it would be in Nifilheim.

Altissa: Check!

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Train: 8:21pm

It was difficult to think of all the things you left back home. This ride to Niflheim seemed to be going light speed. It was haunting.

You looked out the window and let out an exhausted sigh. You hoped the boys didn't miss you too much. It killed you to think of how hard it must have been for them to keep it together for that past week. Especially Prompto.

The sun was fully set, and all you could see was the dark night illuminated by the countless stars. It was the one thing that still connected you to back home, and you relished in it. Next stop... the end of the line.