Chapter 19: The Dangerous Rite of the Hydrangea

The day after tomorrow:

*At the hotel*

Gladio: So you found her?

Erik: No.

Ignis: She's nowhere to be found.

Waldo: Wait, are you saying she spent the night outside

Ignis: I believe, unfortunately.

Waldo: Shit

Gladio: Guys, I'm sorry

Noct: Now's the part where you apologize.

Gladio: I didn't know it was going this far and she was going to stay out all night...

Noct: Yes indeed you should have!

Ignis : Noct, calm down.

Noct went to sit in a chair

Waldo: Poor Reza and to think that she slept outside in the cold and dark...

Prompto: And on the floor

Erik: Don't worry about that, whether it's camping, in a bed or even on a chair, this girl can sleep on anything without bothering her and then Rex is with her.

Prompto: Cool

Erik: And by the way, where were you two last night?

Prompto: Uh, we were...

Waldo: Taking pictures of the city and doing a little sightseeing, I really wanted to see Lunafreya's wedding dress.

Ignis: Really

Prompto: Yes, that's what tourism is all about.

Waldo: Although the Reza dress she wore to the banquet at d'Insmonia was much prettier

Noct: Reza in a dress, I can't believe it, I wish I'd seen that.

Waldo: I got the pictures if you want, *look at his camera* Ah, look.

She showed him a picture of Reza dressed in a black dress with a corset, holding a glass of wine in her hand.

Noct: She's really... beautiful.

Prompto: She looks like a real princess.

Noct: Even though the people of Insmonia didn't think so...

Erik : Reza may not be a princess in the eyes of the people of Insmonia but in our eyes she has always been one.

Ignis: In the eyes of the king too

Noct: And from mine, I'm going back to get it.

Ignis: Noct you've been looking for him all night, you need to get some sleep.

Noct: No way, I'm going to look for it and this time I'm going to find it.

Ignis: Noct! (Sighing) I'm gonna follow him.

Erik: We're all gonna go.

Then the group of 6 went out into town again in search of their missing comrade, but then a strange man grabbed Noct by the pass.

Men: At last I find you dirty plague

Noct: Excuse me.

Men: Don't play innocent, you'll pay for yesterday.

Ignis: I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person.

Noct: Now get off my back

Men : Wait, shit, that's not her.

Men: Yet it seemed like the same hair colour, face and style of dress.

Noct: Wait till you ran into my sister.

Men: You got a sister?

Men: Oh, okay, here's the resemblance.

Noct: Please tell me where you saw him.

Men: And to make her right, we'll tell you, brat.

Men: Ah hulk of her we've been humiliated, and I've got that black eye she gave me.

Gladio: She's the one who did this to you*laugh*

Men: You think it's funny, gorilla.

Men: How about we go after the brother and get her out of his hole...

Noct: Huh what!

Reza's side:

Reza: Thank you, Weskam, for your hospitality.

Weskam : It's been a pleasure princess, I hope to see you again in my bar, half price for you.

Reza: I will, see you around.

Weskam : See you soon Lady Cereza

Reza now calmer and more relaxed walked quietly in town looking around her

Reza: This town's not so bad after all, huh, Rex?

Rex: * bark*

Reza: Wait, it's not Noct over there.

Reza saw his brother only in trouble.

Reza: Fuck yesterday's assholes, I gotta get him out of there fast.

Reza hit one of the guys without warning and he threw him to the ground...

Reza: Didn't I tell you to get the hell out?

Men: You, you piece of...

Noct: Reza

Reza: You're pretty persistent for a dirty bastard.

Men: Bitch by your fault, we've been humiliated, you're gonna pay for this, guys! Attack!

Reza: Come closer, you big losers!

And it was the beginning of a bare hand fight, Reza fortunately very agile dodged the blows with ease before giving some, Rex bit one of the legs of the aggressors later here they are all on the ground, Reza his foot above the mountain "of bastard" and under the amazed and shocked eyes of his friends.

Noct: Reza was

Waldo: So cool, you're too strong.

Erik: See, that pays for hand-to-hand practice.

Reza: Oh, come on, Erik.

Noct threw himself on Reza and took her in a very tight hug...

Reza: Noct I can't breathe.

Noct: I don't care, if you knew how scared I was for you, I've been looking for you all night...

Reza: Noct I'm sorry

Gladio : Reza

Reza: Yeah.

Gladio: I'm sorry about yesterday and calling you a spoiled brat...

Reza: You Gladiolus Amiticia apologize, well I accept your apology.

Noct: Guys, I need to talk to Reza in private.

Ignis: All right, we'll leave you

Noct took Reza's hand and dragged her out of the group.

Noct: Now that we're alone, we need to talk...

Reza: What do you want me to say?

Noct : What happened to you Reza, last night you went crazy and hit Gladio...

Reza: I don't know, when he called me a spoiled kid it brought back bad memories and I lost control.

Noct: Bad memories?

Reza: For a moment I remembered all the hurtful things people said about me.

"useless princess"
"selfish and spoiled girl"
"She has no power, she's useless, the king must be so disappointed."

Reza: * Bumming and kicking the post with his foot * Just hearing it again makes me so pissed off.

Noct : Reza

Reza: * Get your teeth in!* Shit! *hit* Shit!*hit* SHIT!*hit*

Noct: But you're no longer that powerless child and I know that father never thought for a second that you were unworthy of your title.

Reza: If you say so.

Noct : Look at you now, you've beaten many guys, magictech robots, behemoth monsters, I'm proud you know.

Reza: You know, I told father he was the most terrible father in the world.

Noct: And how did he react?

Reza: He laughed

Noct: *laugh* you're really amazing you know that Reza.

Reza: *laugh* It's good to laugh, thank you Noct.

Noct: Please.

Reza: And for the rite, let's all get high and show this deity that she drinks for warmth.

Noct: We're all gonna rock

Reza: *smile* check

Noct : Check, let's go back to the hotel, I'm exhausted.

Reza: All because you've been looking for me, a good massage to make up for it.

Noct: I'm not refusing, you should take the job of Galdina's, a real brute, this masseur.

Reza: *Laugh*

Noct looked at his sister's face still hidden by her hood and glasses, and seeing her hiding her face bothered him, Reza then saw his gaze and was interrogated.

Reza: Noct?

Noct: Seriously, why are you wearing that

The young prince stood facing his twin sister and with his hands took off the hood and glasses.

Noct: It's better this way

Reza: Noct that's what you're doing, I don't have to show my face in the city.

Noct: So what

Reza: But if there's...

Noct: Who cares?

Reza: I remind you that there's empire in this city.

Noct: Anyway, I'm royal too and yet I'm not hiding...

Reza: Noct, please.

Noct: I mind not seeing your face, please.

Noct took her in his arms and Reza sighed, letting him caress her hair, something he has always done since childhood.

* The day of the rite *

Beep beep

Erik: Reza are you in position?

Reza: Affirmative.

Erik: Well, you're gonna have to fend for yourself today.

Reza: Don't worry about me, Erik, it's not the first time.

Erik: Be careful.

Reza: You hang up, too. Looks like the sea monster's awake, and so is the empire, so it's up to me.

The countdown to the rite has begun Reza shoots down as many imperials as possible

Reza: You guys are doing great.

Erik: Things are getting complicated

Waldo: You worry about us, we...

Reza: Waldo, Erik shit communication.

Eddie: As we meet again

Reza: Eddie, I should've known.

Eddie : Our paths were of course crossing again, now princess give me the crystal of lucis in heap possession.

Reza: You don't know about the crystal and the hands of the empire.

Eddie : Sure, but not totally, because you, the princess chosen by the former queen, got a piece of it...

Reza: Even if I own it, you'll never lay a hand on it.

Eddie: So you're gonna die

And then came the brutal fight between Reza and Eddie...

Eddie: I've spent my life waiting for this revenge, you've humiliated me enough

Reza: You think killing me is gonna change anything, you're a coward.

Eddie: Shut up, I was Dixon's disciple, I should have been the one who was going to outrun him and you came along and ruined it.

Reza: Do you think I wanted this

Eddie : Now Dixon is dead, because of you and to be able to kill you I made a pact with the empire and put up with all their experiments GIVE ME THE CRYSTAL!

Reza: Never.

Reza gave her a blow, Eddie walked away from her.

Eddie: I haven't said my last word yet.

The robot from last time appeared and Eddie climbed in ready to attack.

Reza: Shit

Eddie: I'm going to kill you and then I'm going to show your body to your beloved brother.

Reza attacked the robot with all his strength but the robot threw her against the wall violently, Reza had difficulty getting up and twisted himself in pain.

Reza: It doesn't change ...nothing ...the crystal, the greatest treasure of our lineage, I won't let anyone take it. So that's why ...I'm going to fight and to answer to the courage that my brother and Luna are showing right now!

All of a sudden the crystal around Reza's neck began to shine and a vessel of light surrounded them, while somewhere in Nilfneim the crystal of Lucis also began to shine...

Eddie: Where does this light come from?

The light went down and in front of the robot, Reza with his weapons around her and her hair that turned white, Eddie didn't have time to understand that she metamorphosed into a wolf and disappeared in a flash.

Eddie: How she metamorphosed

He didn't have time to finish his sentence that she was already behind him and attacked her, Eddie tried to hit her but without success because she disappeared again.

Eddie: She's too fast. I can't even see her.

A few minutes later, Eddie got out of the robot in vain...

Eddie : You're just a dirty little pretender, your brother, your friends, they're all going to die, the empire won't stop...

Reza:...

Eddie: You can trust me

Reza: I know, and that's why I'm not going to stop either, until there's nothing left of it.

Reza shoots his gun into Eddie's leg.

Eddie: AHHHH! * hold his leg and get hurt * bitch.

Reza: You look hungry.

Eddie heard grunting behind him and saw Rex

Reza : Rex attack

Rex threw himself on Eddie and Eddie screamed while spanking himself to be devoured by Rex and die by his fangs...

Reza: Good dog and now

But before doing one more Reza spat blood and fell to the ground...

Reza: Please...Zenith...go help Noctis...in my name Cereza Lucis Caelum *cough cough* I invoke thee...

A circle of light appeared around Reza and in a flash of lightning Zenith appeared the guardian of the lightning, Reza saw him go to the altar before fainting and from his hand fell a ring now adorned with a purple crystal.

So much emotion in that chapter, I hope it got you more