Across the water and onto the rails, the royal retinue makes for Gralea, the imperial capital. Their objective: reclaiming the Crystal, that they might reclaim their homeland. However, the ring's weight proves too much for Noctis to bear.

Chapter 10: The Heart of the King

The Scourge of the Stars

Several weeks later…

Makoto and the others are riding a train past a savannah-like landscape dotted with the occasional tree; Ventus, Sabaru, Spot and the others are sitting together in one seat together; Makoto sits alone across the aisle from them, hanging his head looking all sad and depressing.

"So…we're gonna roll through Twilight." Ventus guessed.

"Not before visiting the royal tomb in Cartanica." Spot stated.

"You're sure you're up to that?" Hoppy asked in worried to Sabaru about his blindness.

"The blindness won't stop me. Eyesight's a matter of time." Sabaru reassured. Then Finn suddenly walks up to them and stares at Makoto and look angry at him.

"The heck is wrong with you?" Finn demanded as Makoto slowly raises his head still depressed. "We're not stopping in Twilight. You need to grow up and get over it." He yelled.

Noctis stands and confronts his friend. "I am over it. I'm here, aren't I!?" Makoto shouted then Finn glared at him.

"Maybe when you're not too busy moping, you can look around and give a heck about someone worse off than you." Finn angrily said which cause Makoto began to look ever more angry.

"What are you saying!?" Makoto cried out at Finn then he grabbed him.

"How's that ring fit ya? You'd rather carry it around than wear it? She gave her life so you could do your duty, not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself." He argued at Makoto.

"You don't think I know that!?" Makoto shouted back.

"You don't! Sabaru took one for you too, and for what!?" Finn yelled back at him, which cause a scene on a train, their friends tried to stop them, but they won't listened.

"You think you're a king, but you're a coward, a failure and WEAK!" Finn cried out at Makoto which finally snapped him.

"Shut up! I get it, okay!? Leave me alone!?" Makoto yelled back at Finn which cause him to walk away from him.

"Then get a grip! Pull your head outta your ass already!" Finn shouted back at him as he walk away in frustration.

Everyone on the train look so shocked to see them fight each other including their friends who are now looking sad after this, it's been a week since what happened at Twilight, and they began to think that their group began to fall apart. Makoto walks to the other end of the train car and takes another seat; after a moment, he holds his closed hand up and slowly opens it to reveal the Ring of the Crystal; his hand is shaking; Makoto closes his fist tight around the ring and grits his teeth; and began to cry knowing that it's too much for him to bear after losing his parents and his fiancée. He look at his friends and Finn knowing that he caused the group to fall apart because of his depression and Sabaru's blindness. And seeing that his friends Finn began to get angry at him for what happened, knowing that they are no longer talk to each other anymore.

Then they have arrived at their destination, they get off the train and head down to the elevator and they all look so silent to each other. They all heard about the quarry from Craig saying about the mine fell out of use in recent years, and now serves as little more than a watering hole for wild beasts. According to him, however, a royal tomb lies in the quarry's depths, waiting to be uncovered. They all began to make their way through the Fodina Caestino mine.

Music Cue: The Voice Someone Calls (Persona 3)

"Feeling a little out of my element." Hoppy comment.

"We're a foreign species in this environment. Mind we don't end up prey." Scrabian Knight suggested.

"Right, good tip." Makoto nodded, as they all began to explored around the mind, but unfortunately Sabaru doesn't know where he was going due to his blindness, Wheezy began to help him out and catch up with the others.

"Be careful, Sabaru. You have to watch their footing." Tibber warned.

"I can do my best." Sabaru reassured and he walk slowly to watch his step.

"Man... These tombs are always in the darndest places." Quiver exclaimed.

"Glad you're taking this seriously." Finn replied to him as he crossed his arm while walking down.

Hours Later

Music Cue: Relax and Reflect -Pensive- (Final Fantasy XV)

They explored around the mines and find no Royal Tomb, they all decided to camp here. But unfortunately, They don't do the same things they do. Finn sit far away from The group because of Makoto, Makoto look so depressed for what happened, Spot doesn't invention anything, Tibber doesn't create new spell and potion, Quiver doesn't do his practiced along with Scrabian Knight, Whizzy and Hoppy stay inside the Tent and refused to go to sleep, Ventus look around to see them like this, but he want cheers them up for those photos he took.

"I... Um... Took alot of photos. You... Wanna look?" Ventus asked, but unfortunately they don't seems to be interested which cause him to sigh. "I get it now." He sadly said.

Next morning

Music Cue: The Voice Someone Calls (Persona 3)

They all headed off to find the Royal Tomb by going down to a downward sloping path.

"Tomb must be down below." Finn proclaimed. They all have to watch their step knowing how slippery the slope due to the water. When they continue down the path, the groups finds some mining machinery blocking the way further down.

"They parked here?" Wheezy tilted his head about this.

"Wish we could write 'em a ticket." Ventus joked, but unfortunately the group doesn't laugh. Then Spot began to examined the machine.

"Hm... This machine needs to powered up. If we get the motor running, we can move it out of the way for us." Spot informed. They agreed to his word, and headed off to find the control panel. Makoto inspect the control panel and starts up the machinery; black smoke begins to pour out of its smokestacks, but abruptly stops after a moment.

"Hey. What're you stopping for?" Finn demanded.

"I'm not." Makoto response. Then Ventus noticed something on the panel. It says "In case of power failure, use backup generators."

They began to wondered on how find it, they headed to the shed to find the key, they look around the place and Spot finally found underneath the desk. And they headed off to find the Generator Controls. Moments later, they look around and found it. Makoto is going to activate.

"And don't blow it up." Finn warned, which annoyed Makoto as he activates the generator, a red light on the controls turns from red to green.

"Did it work?" Sabaru asked.

"Yep! We've got the power!" Ventus cheered.

"Might not have it for long, though. Hurry up and move the machine." Finn said as they agreed. They all return to the machinery's primary control panel; the mechanism that has been serving as an impediment is shown rising out of the way. And thus they all headed to the Royal Tomb, and on their way. Finn stopped Makoto with a serious look.

"You sure you're ready for this? You got what it takes?" Finn asked.

"To do what?" Makoto repleod

"To face your ancestors and convince them to lend you their strength. Got a long road ahead. Can you see this through? To the end" Finn questioned him.

Makoto stared at Finn who still give him a serious look, he sighed and answered him "Can and will. Whether I like it or not, I've got a duty to fulfill... as king. My father depends on me including my ancestors, and I have to reclaimed my Kingdom from the Nyx Empire. They taken everything from us, I have avenged my father's death including Namine's from them. And I don't care what's gonna happen to me, I have stopped them and gained everyone's freedom from them!" Makoto said.

Finn look impressed of his courage and his maturity. "You're damn right, you do." He replied then give him a serious look again. "Then that means you'd better start taking this seriously." He warned as he an Makoto catched up with them, and they now in a huge cave.

"This cave is huge!" Scrabian Knight exclaimed.

"The tomb's further in?" Sabaru asked.

"Yeah, somewhere. Let's keep going." Makoto replied as they draws close to the swamp at the bottom of the mine.

"Man, something stinks around here." Ventus complaint as he covers his nose.

"Don't and fall in whatever that is." Quiver warned.

In the swamp at the bottom, outside the entrance to the royal tomb, Makoto and the others come across several large organic sacs hanging between some tree roots.

"What is this?" Wheezy asked after seeing several large organic sacs.

"Don't know... Eggs, I guess." Scrabian Knight asummed.

"I hate eggs." Finn scoffed.

"Do we really wanna know what's back there?" Hoppy wondered then suddenly, large squirming tentacles come out of the swamp followed by the malboro they belong to which startled the group.

Music Cue: Master of Shadow (Persona 3)

"That looks like a mouth. Is that its face!?" Tibber exclaimed.

"That's Malboro!" Sabaru answered then noticed that it's going to strike them, they all dodge it then suddenly the Malboro began to out it's sprouts and attack the group.

"Whoa! Look who's hatching!" Spot exclaimed. They all began to battle against it including it's sprouts. But unfortunately it's has no effect on it.

Finn grunted "it'd pointless." He exclaimed.

"What do we do!?" Wheezy panicked as he dodge it's attack.

"This might be a good time to panic." Spot suggested.

"No. There must be a way!" Sabaru insisted and noticed that it looks mad. "The malboro has gone berserk. Keep your distance to avoid its Bad Breath." He warned as they all fall back Gotta

"We have shut that thing's trap!" Makoto shouted, As the malboro sucks in air and prepares to unleash its Bad Breath, which cause Sabaru to get an idea.

"Makoto, I have an idea. Spot! Toss me your magic flask." Sabaru called out as he goes it to him. "Here goes!" Sabaru hurls the magic flask down the malboro's gullet; a second later, flame erupts from the creature's throat. "That should do it." He smiled.

"Whoa, that was awesome!" Wheezy exclaimed.

"Nice one, Sabaru." Finn comment.

"Now, we've a fighting chance!" Sabaru said as they all began to defeat the Monster together and they finally finished the battle.

"It's over for that thing." Sabaru declared.

"Yeah... All thanks to you." Tibber smiled.

"You really saved our butts." Finn added.

"Seriously. We'd be plant food if it wasn't for you." Scrabian Knight added.

They all smiled, and Makoto walked off to incinerates the eggs. "What, no royal commendation from His Majesty?" Finn asked annoyed.

"None for you, at least." Makoto replied as the eggs are gone and revealed a royal Tomb. "Just wish they found a better place to build it." Makoto shrugged as he went inside and sarcophagus that bears an Katana in it's hand. Makoto grab the Katana gently as it's began to glow bright and then it went into Makoto.

"Alright, let's leave this place." Finn declared as he began to walk out of the swamp.

"Wait!" Sabaru respond as Finn stopped.

"What is it?" Finn asked.

"It's been a week since then. Why aren't we like ourselves anymore?" Sabaru asked.

"He's right. Why aren't we?" Spot asked. "We were used to cheered for each other and having a great times together, why aren't we like this anymore." The group look so silent to respond him, Sabaru sighed.

Music Cue: Living with Determination (Persona)

"It's true that my vision became poorly after what happened at Twilight and the Death of Namine... But I just can't let the group began to fall apart because of me. And yet I'll... I'll always be on your side for all this." Sabaru reassured.

"Sorry, but I object. War is a matter of life and death." Finn refused.

"But, we'll be there!" Ventus replied.

"Yeah, we all in this together!" Hoppy agreed.

"It's not about us looking out for him!" Finn yelled, which make Makoto frowned seeing this argument.

"Uh-huh. Well, then he should be free to choose." Scrabian Knight defended.

"Yeah, Sabaru will be there for us, we can't abandoned him for his safety!" Tibber argued.

"There's more to it than just what he wants!" Finn yelled, then Sabaru slapped much for everyone's shock including Finn seeing Sabaru slapped him in the face.

"I know full well! And Calm down!" Sabaru yelled at Finn, then sighed as he calmed down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to slap you. I just... Lost my temper for this... But I won't ask you to slow down. If I can't keep up, I will bow out." He said.

"What says "His Majesty"? Finn asked to him, but look silent then Sabaru comfort him.

"Makoto, I know it's hard to lose a family you cared alot so much. But you can keep blaming about everything that's happened because of you. Your father risked his Life to protect and so does Namine. They want you to fight back and stand u against the Nyx Empire. You are their only hope. They sacrifice their life for you, and you need to put an end to this. And they don't want to see you look a depressed for what happened, if you keep being like that. Who's gotta stop them, reclaimed our Kingdom and avenged their deaths? And you are their only hope and gained everyone's freedom. And you are king. One cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back." Sabaru said which make Makoto feel better as he smiled, knowing how much he cared for him. "Finn, Makoto will take his rightful place, but only once he's ready." He replied to him as he quiet for a moment before relenting and turning his back

"Have it your way. We're still taking a big risk." He said then turns to look at Makoto "We better all be ready." Finn walks off then a stop at the moment "Oh, and... Makoto... Sorry about my anger towards you." He apologized then head off, Makoto smiled knowing that the group has been restored thanks to Sabaru, they all headed back got the Train Station.

Music Cue: Tranquility (Persona 3)

"You guys mind if we stop in Twilight?" Makoto asked with a smile.

"Might as well hop off." Ventus nodded

"If it helps him move on." Finn added as they all prepare reboard the train.

"We're here for you, Sabaru." Makoto reassured.

"Yeah, legs us help you." Spot agreed as all make it to the train and head out for their destination.

"Hey, watch your step." Makoto warned for Finn knowing they finally made up to each other.

"You're not "pushing onward"? Finn air-quote.

"Not at his expense" Makoto replied.

Finn shrugged. "Fair enough." He smiled.

They all board the train; none of them notice Xigbar standing down the platform from them, watching them; Ardyn boards the train; the train departs from Cartanica Station.

To Be Continued...