"Alexus?! W- what are you doing here?" Prompto me asked in pure shock.
He immediately removed his gun from my neck and stared at me in his bewilderment.
"I'd like to ask the same thing, but first I'd prefer to get off the floor first if you don't mind." I said.
Realizing the position we were in, he hastily backed up and looked around at the other two in his confusion as he sat across from me.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you! I just thought that- I mean, you didn't have a light and- I should've been paying more attention! T- There were so many daemons here that I thought you were one and- I'm sorry, super very sorry!" He said all at once trying to apologize, bowing his head down.
Sitting up as he rambled on, I didn't say anything right away from my shock in finding him, or rather being found by him. He quickly stood up and reached out a hand to help me up which I took.
"Guess you're not dead after all, huh?" Elea said with a big smile and a big slap on his back which surprised him and made him stumble a step forward from the force of it.
"I'm not going down that easily. Takes a lot more than a few daemons of that size to take me down." Prompto said with a shrug when he fully stood up again.
"Wait... You took that big daemon out, all by yourself?" Yura asked in pure shock.
Brushing off the dirt from my clothes, I looked back up at him. He was covered in soil and parts of his clothes were torn. He had also gotten a few scrapes from fighting, but he looked generally okay for the most part.
"So is it just the three of you guys?" He asked me, making me nod once.
"Yeah. She told the others to wait on standby while we came to look for you." Yura informed him.
"You're pretty strong to be able to take something like this daemon all by yourself. Feels good to have someone tough like you on our team!" Elea said in praise.
I took a step closer towards Prompto. There was something off that didn't fully convince me that he was alright, he hadn't moved one of his arms since we showed up.
"What were you doing all the way out here? You fought this huge daemon alone?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"I had to get it away from Annie who was being carried by Talcott after her injury. I had no choice but to get it's attention back into the cave where it came from. I didn't want to put the others in danger." He explained.
Letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding on to, I had mixed feelings about seeing him in person after everything that happened earlier today. The fact that he seemed safe and sound in front of me made me happy, but put himself in danger... He put himself at risk, and that's what made me angry. I didn't want to bury another one of the people I've been fighting alongside with. Not him of all people.
"Not gonna lie, I really thought this was it for a moment there. Like, damn. 'This isn't how I wanted to die' kinda thing. It sure was a tough one." Prompto said, trying to make a joke about it.
"Give me a few pointers when we make it back to camp, I want to learn more on how to fight better from someone strong like you." Yura said.
"Sure thing!" Prompto said with a thumbs up.
"I can't believe you..." I started off with, not able to hold back my frustration at him for not taking everything as seriously as he should.
"What about?" He asked me in confusion.
"Why'd you go after it alone like that?!" I said, raising my voice at him while closing the distance between us. "We're supposed to be in this fight together! We're on the same team, aren't we?! Why didn't you wait for someone?!" I asked, my voice louder than before.
He took a step back in surprise from my yelling, but I didn't stop there.
"Anything could've happened out here! When we fight, we protect each other. That's the strategy we've been using this whole time, so why would you go off on your own and get hurt and making me worry like thi-" I stopped myself there.
When I paused in shock at the words that slipped out of my mouth, the entire cave became quiet. I slowly took a few steps away from him. It wasn't until Elea spoke up which broke the long silence.
"I knew it! So you were worried!" She said with a big grin.
"It was obvious from the start. Her face showed it long before she said it." Yura said with a shake of his head as if he was stating the most obvious fact in the world.
"Lux?" Prompto asked, taking a step closer to me but I took a step back in reaction and looked away from him.
"Look... Forget I said anything. Let's just go back out and meet with the others since they've been waiting for us. The ten minutes I gave them are almost up." I said, trying to change the subject in my embarrassment.
When I tried to walk away, I felt Prompto put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.
"What?" I asked, my tone coming out harsher than I intended it to.
"We'll leave you two alone." Elea said with a wink before walking off.
"Take your time. Elea and I are going to talk to the others to let them know everything is okay." Yura said after handing Prompto his light for us to use and then following after Elea who had already walked off ahead.
"Wait! I didn't say to-"
" Lux..." Prompto said my nickname again to get my attention.
With a quick sigh to calm myself down, I turned back to face him.
"I'm sorry about earlier." He said, releasing his grip from my shoulder and looking towards the ground as he spoke. "I should've never pointed a weapon at you. I didn't expect you guys to show up like you did. I could've hurt you and-"
"No that was my fault, I should've been paying more attention. Guess that just means I have a lot more training to do. Can't let a daemon get behind me like that in the future. Just... Hey, don't even worry about it. It's fine." I said in a quiet voice, still embarrassed of how I yelled at him earlier.
Turning around to face him, I took a step back from him when I realized how close we were standing to each other.
"I didn't mean to make you worry like you did. Sorry about that too." He apologized, looking at me with a smile and a hand scratching the back of his head.
"What are you talking about? I wasn't- I mean, yeah, a little bit but... Just completely forget that part. I was way out of line." I said. "Still, I need to know. I didn't want to bring it up in front of the others, but you're actually hurt. Aren't you? Don't lie to me."
"You knew, huh?" He said, raising a hand to his other shoulder. "I guess something like that doesn't get past you. I'll be alright, promise. I was just got caught off guard. It was a bad hit, a bruise, but I'll be okay with a little bit of rest."
"I wasn't going to worry Elea and Yura but, next time if you're hurt then let me know at least. Please, so I can help you." I said, not hiding my concern. "Lean on your teammates a little more. Don't forget we're both captains on the mission. We don't let the other fall behind, and we never move faster than the slowest."
He put a hand on my head and looked right at me with a warm smile that caught me by surprise.
"You worried for me. Thank you." Prompto said before he let go and started to walk over towards the cave exit. "You coming?" He asked when he turned around and realized I wasn't following him.
"Wait, I need to apologize properly. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you like that." I started off with, needing to let him know why I was so angry at him earlier.
"It's okay. If anything, I had it coming. I broke the rules. You have every right to be mad at me, Lux." He said, walking back to me.
"But I feel like I have to explain myself first."
"Explain what?"
"Something that happened to me... The last time I was a captain. This was the main reason why I didn't want to have that kind of role again for this kind of mission, but Monica kept insisting I was the only one for the role based on my experience out on the field. Back then... I led the Glaives into a mission where some of us didn't come back. The daemons overpowered us, we had no choice but to retreat and lose the outpost we couldn't defend. It was a total defeat, a stain on our name of the Kingsglaive. Just thinking about it back then, I began to realize that I was wasn't strong enough to lead. That I wasn't strong enough to have these people trust me with their very lives again... And when you and the other Hunters went missing... I feared I had messed up again. Badly. I thought that yo-"
"You thought I had gotten myself killed out here by taking these daemons all by myself?" He asked, making me nod and look away. "Hey, I understand a little bit better now. Back then, I assumed you didn't want to take the role of co-captain because you didn't like me or something. With how fast you refused that day, I even considered it was because of me being chosen for captain instead of someone else."
"No, it wasn't that. I just... I didn't want you to die. I know it's dumb to think so, but I think I'm cursed. I feel like when I take on a big role like that, someone will get killed because of me. It's silly, so stupid, but terrifying all at the same time." I admitted.
"Like I said before, it'll take a lot more than a few daemons to take me down. I can't die. Not yet. Not until I fight alongside my old team again." He said confidently.
"Until then, don't you dare do something as reckless as you did today... You big jerk." I said, lightly punching his arm.
"Ow! Go easy on me. I'm injured." He said with a small laugh. "Okay, I promise. A pinky promise, is that good enough?" He held out his hand with a pinky out while wearing a genuine smile.
"It's only good enough if you keep your word." I said, taking his pinky into mine and shaking on it.
"C'mon. Let's not make the others worry." He said, walking away with me following closely behind.
"I've already had someone tell Miles to stop at the nearest Haven to let the Hunters get some rest. So they don't have to go through another battle like they did today."
"Sounds like a plan. Plus, I was getting a little hungry myself." Prompto said with hand to his chin. "What do you think is on the menu this time?" He asked me.
"I'm generally good with whatever. I just want the day to be over if I'm being completely honest with you. Too many things have happened today." I said with a sigh.
"You wouldn't be saying that if Ignis was the one cooking for us." He said.
"Ignis?" I questioned.
"Oh right, you haven't met him yet."
"Can you tell me a little about him? I've only ever heard stories passed down from the other Glaives but never met him in person."
"Well, if anything, he is definitely the best cook I've ever met. Something still true to this day. That's for sure."
"He's a cook? But I heard that he was bli- Oh! I'm so sorry." I said, stopping myself in the middle of my sentence by covering my mouth with my hands quickly.
"Blind. Isn't that what you wanted to say?" He asked bluntly with a short laugh.
"I shouldn't have brought it up like that."
"Don't worry about it. I know he'll never get his sight back, it's been too long since it happened." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "You know, I was there when..."
When he trailed off in his sentence, I saw the expression on his face change as his walking pace slowed down somewhat.
"I didn't mean to bring up any sad memories." I apologized, feeling guilty. "I probably made you remember something sad you didn't want to."
"It's not like that. I mean, I remember the day it happened as if it was just yesterday... But if I'm being completely honest with you, the fact that Iggy can keep going after something like that happened to him... Losing his eyesight wasn't a setback, if anything, it made him way stronger than before. It only made me respect him even more."
Watching his face turn from sadness into beaming with pride over his friend amazed me.
"If something like that would've happened to me... I honestly don't know what I would've done." I said. "I guess, I would've given up. Getting back up on his feet the way he did, it makes him sound like an incredible person. I can see why you look up to him the way you do."
"Don't say it like that, it's a little embarrassing." Prompto admitted with a small smile.
"Okay. Then I'll be sure to tell him all of that when I meet him in person one of these days." I said with a shrug.
"You wouldn't dare do that." He said with a long exaggerated fake gasp.
"Try me." I said while crossing my arms over my chest.
"Hey! There they are!" Tobul's voice suddenly called out to the several people who were waiting outside the cave entrance for our return. We made it out of the cave to where the rest of the group were patiently waiting for our return.
Twitch: Enrita11
November 8, 2021
