Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 2

Noctis finished filling out the forms and went to his Dad's office, knocking on the door.

Regis looked up and smiled at his son. "What brings you here?" he asked and Noctis entered, handing him the forms. Regis was surprised to find they were Crownsguard, not for his friend Prompto but… "Noctis?"

"I know it's crazy but…Harry always wanted to come here, and I know if there's any way then he'll find it. I um…designed a uniform for him and he had it physically made there for me. We've trained together since we were kids and he uses magic like no one here has seen. Maybe it'll only ever be on paper but…"

"If you're sure?" Regis asked, seeing the pain in his sons' eyes. Noctis had come to his rooms last week, sobbing, something he hadn't done since he was a child and Regis had held him through the night. It had taken until the next morning to understand, his son had felt something snap that night and had not dreamed of Harry since. Harry, who had to die to save his world, just as Noctis was fated to do one day. "Very well, I shall see to this myself," he promised and Noctis nodded. Blue eyes were still haunted by grief and he made the mental note to ensure he had the free time to spend with young Argentum.

"Thanks," Noctis mustered a tired smile before slipping away.

Regis sighed and got up, going to get some coffee before returning to work, adding the information from the forms into the Crownsguard personnel database, all that was missing was a photo. He marked the new file as part of Noctis' guard rather than his own and then went back to his other work. Time spent having fun would do Noctis good, so he sent a note to Ignis to clear as much of Noctis' schedule as possible. He'd been wary at first when he had received young Prompto's file and realised exactly who he was, but he had forced himself to simply watch from a distance, looking over the reports that had been made at the time of his retrieval and also the yearly checks. Everything pointed to him being a normal, if lonely, child, and his friendship made Noctis happy. They'd met once and the boy had been a bundle of nerves but polite. Regis had noticed the bracelets on his right wrist, knew what they hid, and he had to wonder how much his adoptive parents had told him. If Harry was dead, then it left Prompto as Noctis' only friend and Regis hated that thought. His son deserved so much more but too few ever saw past their titles. He hoped that Ignis was coming to do so, seeing more than just his charge and Prince in Noctis. He knew the relationship between Noctis and his Shield, Gladiolus, was…strained at times. They did not have the instant comradery that he had formed with Clarus so many years ago, but they would get there eventually. For now, he just hoped his son would lean on his friends in his grief.

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Harry carefully cleaned and packed away his uniform, leaving only the armband that he never took off. It had been a month since Voldemort's defeat and he felt…empty, worn out, pulled in too many directions. Part of him wondered why he had chosen to live but he knew why, he hadn't wanted to leave Noctis….except he had. There had been no meadow since he had come back, his nights spend dreaming of the war, of those he had lost…anything but what he wanted to see.

The Ministry was already clamouring for him to work for them, Hermione was pushing for him to stay at Hogwarts to take his Seventh Year, Ron kept pushing Ginny at him despite the fact he didn't like girls…..only Luna and to a lesser extent, Neville, let him be. He'd written to the ICW to take his NEWTS through them, wanting to just be done with it. Maybe he'd find an island somewhere and settle down. He snorted and shook his head, no, he couldn't do that. In the end, he knew what he had to do, he had to find a way back to Noctis.

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Noctis stood on the dais beside the Throne, dressed in Princely Royal Raiment, face schooled into attentive calm. He hated functions like this but there was nothing he could do to get out of it, after all, it was his official Birthday Party. They were celebrating his eighteenth Birthday, there was another party scheduled for his graduation in a few months as well, much to his displeasure, although at least that was going to be smaller and less formal which meant he could invite Prompto. It wasn't fair that his best friend couldn't come to these things just because he wasn't a noble or something. Prompto always said it was fine, that he wouldn't know what to do at a party like this but Ignis could teach him easily. When he was King he would ensure those rules changed, no matter how hard the Council wanted to fight against it.

He was dreading Graduation because it would mean he wouldn't see Prompto every day. Prompto, who was always happy to play games with him or show off his photography, listen to whatever was troubling Noctis…..the only other person outside his Dad who knew why the end of July made Noctis withdraw, crying. Harry had died in the same month he had been born. Prompto would listen to his stories of Harry, whether those of Harry's world and how he had been set up to die or of Noct's time with him. He had asked Prompto about joining his Guard and Prompto had laughed, thinking he was joking, but he wasn't. He knew Prompto could do it, his friend needed to believe in himself.

Noctis bit back a sigh as the speeches finally finished, seeing the knowing smile on his Dad's face. He bowed to him and then descended into the well-wishers, praying for the party to end.

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Prompto grinned as he was let into the apartment, a small, wrapped parcel in his hands which he quickly handed over. "Happy Birthday! How'd the part go?"

"Like normal," Noct grimaced and they settled on the couch as he unwrapped the parcel, laughing as he pulled out the Chocobo plushie. "Thanks, the best present I've gotten." He leant against his best friend and Prompto wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pressing a kiss to fine, dark hair.

He hated that his best friend was forced to attend such things, to feel so alone. He did everything he could to make Noct happy, to see him smile, lighten his load but he knew it wasn't enough. And once school was done…. He wished Harry was with them, surely he would know how to support Noct. He loved Noctis and Noctis loved him, but not the same way it had been with Harry, at least he didn't think so? Not like he had a lot of experience in any kind of love, he barely knew his adoptive parents let alone loved them and Noct was his closest friend. He knew all Noct's secrets and that made the shame burn brighter than ever. He plucked at the bracelets Noct had given him to replace his old, worn wristband. They were black, proof of their friendship and he loved them. He felt fingers cover his and looked up.

"You okay?" Noct asked him in concern.

"I…" he swallowed, could he do it? Could he really let Noct know just what he had befriended?

"Prom, whatever it is, it's okay," Noctis promised seriously.

"Where are Iggy and Gladio?" he asked warily and Noctis frowned, getting worried.

"At the Citadel but they'll be over in a few hours. Iggy's going to make pizza for us."

Prompto nodded and took a deep breath. "You're my best friend," he whispered shakily. "I…I've never told anyone before, please don't hate me," he pleaded and then found himself being hugged.

"I could never hate you," Noctis swore, getting more and more worried.

Prompto stayed there for a few seconds before pulling away and slowly removing the bracelets, baring his wrist for the first time, trying not to shake, unable to look him in the eye.

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Noctis watched him remove the bracelets and blinked as pale skin was revealed, Prompto really needed to get more sun. And then he really registered what he was seeing, a row of stark black lines, some thick and some thin, across the back of Prompto's wrist. And with them were numbers…like a barcode. He gently took Prompto's arm, lifting it to look closer. It had to be old, he noticed a scar that just touched the edge of it, and he remembered the injury that had caused it, back before they were friends Prompto had come to school with bandages on his arm. Who the hell tattooed a kid with a barcode? Shouldn't a tattoo have faded over the years, distorted as he grew? "Prom….who did this to you?" he choked out, fighting tears, fingers gently stroking the tattoo, feeling the slightly raised edges to the lines. He felt Prompto tremble slightly at his touch and looked up to see tears in blue eyes.

"I've always had it," he admitted brokenly. "I…I'm not Lucian, Noct," he whisprered and Noctis nodded.

He'd always suspected that, Prompto didn't look Lucian and he'd heard the slurs occasionally sent the other boys' way. He'd seen the way Prompto would flinch, hunching in on himself. It wouldn't be a secret if Prom was from Tenebrae, they'd taken in a lot of refugees from there over the years, more after Niflheim had taken full control of the country. "You were born in Niflheim, weren't you?" he asked gently. He saw and felt his friend flinch and pulled him into another hug. "Who cares where you were born? It doesn't matter. You've never cared about my title so why would I care about this? Except to be pissed off they hurt you."

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"Even if…even if I'm not human?" Prompto almost whimpered the question, and Noctis tightened his grip.

"What? Prom… you're human."

But Prompto shook his head, eyes haunted. "I wasn't born Noct, I was made. To…to become an MT," now that he'd started he had to tell him everything, even if it destroyed everything. If someone was going to kill him for what he was, then he wanted it to be Noctis, he knew Noctis wouldn't draw it out, would make it quick and painless.

"That doesn't make sense, MT's are machines."

"No, they aren't. They're weaponised daemons, living beings infected with the Scourge until they become something else…used to power the magitek cores," his voice was shaking as he explained. He undid the bandana around his arm to reveal a strange scar and he carefully took Noct's hand, guiding it up to press against the skin, feeling something embedded beneath.

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Noctis was horrified, how could even the Empire do such a thing? He took a deep breath as his hand rested on his friend's arm. He looked up, meeting terrified blue eyes, this was Prompto, this was his best friend. Non-human didn't mean evil, he remembered Harry's stories of Hagrid and Remus, especially Remus who had been infected by something that could be considered similar to a daemon and shunned for it, despite being a good man. "How did you escape?" there was no way Prompto had been sent here, he wouldn't be telling him if he were meant to be a spy or assassin unless being here had turned him against the Empire? He couldn't blame him if that was the truth because if he had been raised like Noct was imagining then he wouldn't have known any better.

"I don't know. I…I wasn't a good soldier; I was meant to be….decommissioned. I remember the storage pod but after that, it's…hazy. I think I might have been drugged. I remember someone carrying me, a voice telling me it would be okay….then I was in a hospital in Insomnia and the Argentum's were there and they were saying they were my new parents."

"Were you…infected?" Noct asked shakily and Prompto nodded, looking away.

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"It's gone now, my eyes used to be more purple but that faded over time. I remember being violently ill, black stuff coming out. I think the treatments have to be continuous up to a point or the body can reject it. Or maybe that was why I was defective."

"So when you beat me at shooting games?" Noctis asked and Prompto flinched only to be pulled into another hug, his head under Noct's chin and he didn't fight it.

"It's why I didn't try and be your friend earlier, I've always been scared there's something in me, something buried in my head, that could make me hurt you. It's why…I got so heavy too…my body couldn't adapt to the food, we were given ration bars and liquid nutrition," he whispered, clinging to the warmth of Noctis' body, feeling sure arms around him. If he was going to die then this was a good last memory. "I would never willingly hurt you, but I don't know if something could make me do it. I could be dangerous to you."

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"I don't believe that. We've been friends for years now Prompto. If there was some sort of programming or something then it would have been triggered by now. And I know you're strong enough to fight something like that," Noctis promised him, he knew it just like he knew the sky was blue and he loved Harry. His best friend would never harm him. "I don't care who Niflheim wanted you to be, you are Prompto Argentum, my best friend. Anyone who has a problem with that has to get through me," he swore and felt Prompto's body hitch as he fought back a sob. "It's okay, I've got you, let it out," he whispered and soon Prompto was sobbing in his arms, clinging to him.

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A while later the door opened and Ignis froze as he saw them. Noctis shook his head at him and Iggy nodded, slipping into the kitchen silently. Soon two mugs of hot chocolate were placed on the table beside Prompto's bracelets. Ignis looked down at them, worried over Prompto's sobbing and then his brow furrowed as he spotted the bare wrist, normally covered. Noctis immediately moved his hand to cover it, but not before Ignis glimpsed the black lines on pale skin. He adjusted his glasses, frowning, there was no mistaking that mark for anything but a barcode, explaining why the younger boy always kept the wrist covered. Who could have done that to him? A glance at his Prince made it clear he would not be explaining.

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As Prompto's sobs slowed, Noctis gently pulled him more upright. "Come on Prom, chocolate cures all. That was something he had learned from Harry who learned from Remus. He grabbed a mug and gently pressed it into Prompto's hand, guiding it to his mouth. Once certain he wouldn't drop it, he grabbed his own. Iggy made the best hot chocolate. "I won't tell anyone," he whispered, putting his mug down to grab the bracelets, settling them back in place around Prompto's wrist. "I know Ignis and Gladio will accept you if you chose to tell them. And with what you said…it's probably in your file so Dad likely knows already," he offered, sitting so they were pressed into each other's side. "How…how old were you when you were saved?"

"Six, I think." He leant into the warmth and comfort of his best friend. Never in his wildest dreams had he dared to hope that he could keep this, that Noctis would accept him. "I'm sorry, I'm ruining your birthday."

"You could never ruin it Prom, I want to be here for you. You trusting me with this is the best gift you could give," Noctis promised. Now he had even more reason to hate Niflheim, for what they had done to Prompto and every other child like him. The Magitek army seemed to be never-ending, how many kids were being 'made' to fill it? They needed to be stopped and he would do it, someday, somehow. And they would help all the kids like Prompto, teach them to be kids and not soldiers.

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Harry sighed and collapsed on the bench, exhausted. Isao chuckled and tossed him his water bottle. "You have improved much and at a quick rate," the older man offered, and Harry nodded.

Technically, his blade skills had been learnt while asleep, not translating to his actual body. He had done what he could to make those skills real, but he'd had no one to fight against or to teach him beyond what Noctis was learning. He'd lasted all of six months post-war before packing up and leaving Britain. Luna had also left, choosing to travel the world in search of undiscovered magical species but she was due to arrive soon. He had moved to Japan, to study fighting and a different style of using his magic. He hated his dependency on his wand, although he could manage some wandless magic it wasn't a lot. When not training he was researching anything he could find on travel between worlds. He'd be nineteen in three weeks, making it two years since he'd seen Noctis, but he still wore the armband and he could still feel Noctis' magic in it, so he had to still be alive.

He often wondered how Noct was doing, he'd have graduated by now and have more and more duties piled on. He hoped he still managed time with Prompto, the younger boy was good for him, made him relax and play.

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Harry grinned as Luna skipped up the path, picking her up to spin her around as she laughed. "It's good to have you here," he whispered as he hugged her, and she kissed his cheek.

"I've missed you too," she grinned and pulled him into his house.

"Did you find the animal you were looking for? You're very happy."

"Nope," she smiled as books began appearing, obviously having been stored using her tattoo. Hers was a silver unicorn on her right shoulder, barely visible against her pale skin. "I found what we need to send you to your Prince Charming." She spread the books out, ignoring his frozen form.

"W…what?" he stammered; eyes wide.

"You're not happy here Harry, you haven't ever been I think. I want you to be happy which means sending you to the True King. He will need the Master of Death at his side to banish the Darkness and live."

Her voice was that dreamy tone he had learnt to trust. She denied being a true Seer, but what she said always came true, as long as you could translate it. This was rather straight forward, as long as he could get to Noct, they could save his world together and live to tell the tale. Except… "Luna, I'm not…"

"Yes you are, you're just ignoring them and making them sad," she chided, and he sighed, looked like he was going back to Britain. "Call them and they will come to you."

Harry stared at her and then slowly a smile spread over his face, they could do this. He could finally get to Noctis.

TBC….