Chapter 13
***Recap: Hinata and Velcia have been on a mission in the land of Eos for the past 3 weeks. During that time, Hinata has learned the ability to warp strike and summon her weapons, including a shield. To test their new skills and help their allies, the Kingsglaive, they travel to Costlemark Tower to aid Noctis in receiving a glaive.***
Yells and roars echoed through the tower. Daemons surrounded the group and erratically attacked with claws and teeth bared. Hinata warped to the side, dodging an incoming attack from a purple skinned monstrosity. It growled and pounded the ground, glaring back at her with its black eyes. She summoned her shield, throwing it forward and impaling its chest. In a wisp of glowing blue mist, she warped to it, grabbing her shield and yanking it out, dark sludge sputtering out of its wound as it yowled.
Prompto slid in beside Hinata, firing consecutive shots from his pistols into the Daemon's already opened laceration. Hinata grabbed Prompto's wrist, pulling him up to his feet as they both backed up, watching the creature fizz away into Darkness. Prompto swiftly gave her a side fist bump with a smirk on his lips, before turning to attack the rest of the horde.
Hinata could barely smirk back, before her attention was drawn to another enemy. Summoning her dao blades, she threw one forward, warping and yanking it out of the creature she impaled as she used her other blade to slice through the arm of another monster. She warped to Velcia, summoning her shield to absorb an oncoming bolt of lightning from a floating Daemon. Holding out her Keyblade, Velcia covered the Daemon in a frost of ice, freezing it in place. Noctis warped straight through it with a lance, shattering it as its pieces dissipated into the Darkness.
Finally the last Daemon fell, leaving the group alone with their heaving breaths echoing eerily around them in the dark tower. Hinata placed her hands on her back, stretching and struggling to take in a full breath as sweat dripped down her skin. They had been traversing the dark corridors of Costlemark for what seemed like hours, fighting battle after battle with groups of Daemons. It had been overwhelming for Hinata at first, as the creatures were more feral and aggressive than any of the hunts she had taken on since being there. After a few rooms of fights, she realized she had to be at the top of her game, using every technique she had ever learned to keep up with the others.
Velcia came over to her, summoning a potion in her hand and giving it to Hinata. She took it gratefully, breaking it in her palm and watching the glow meld into her skin. A sigh escaped her as she felt her breath regulate and her cuts heal while the potion traveled through her.
"T-Thanks," Hinata smiled at her.
She smiled in return, her orange hair sticking to her face from the slick of sweat on her skin. "Of course," she nodded. "You're doing a great job."
"Heh, thank you." Hinata chuckled, wiping her arm over her head, taking in a deep breath of the new found energy.
"No use standing around here," Gladiolus spoke up, wiping at his own brow.
"Indeed," Ignis agreed, cleaning his glasses as he scanned his eyes over their surroundings. "Let us continue."
They stood on a stone ramp that spiraled downwards, further into the depths of the tower. Hinata went to the railing of the ramp, gazing at the seemingly endless pit they were venturing into. Her arms ached, despite the potions she was given between fights, and her head was beginning to throb. The walls had a dim unnatural glow to them, lighting the otherwise pitch black halls. Ben's light from his tablet shined a generous amount of light as well, but it still strained Hinata's eyes to be surrounded by so much darkness.
With a sigh, she turned and followed after the others, smiling softly when Jack rested on her shoulder. He had been a formidable ally through the dungeon as well, possessing creatures and forcing them to attack their own kind. A few of the Daemons were more complicated for Jack to possess, instead only able to keep them from attacking for a few fleeting moments, before being forced from their bodies. He was nearing his own exhaustion as he yawned and snuggled on Hinata's shoulder.
They went further down, fighting groups of Daemons along the way, all of them becoming weaker the longer they went. Over an hour passed before they finally reached the bottom, Prompto nearly face planting to the stone ground.
"Please can we take a break?" He whined, starfished along the floor.
Gladiolus scoffed, simply stepping over him as he took in the massive room they found themselves in. It was somehow even darker than the rest of the tower thus far, the walls barely visible from where they stood. Gladiolus grabbed Ben, taking him with to light the way as he explored the entire room.
The others stayed behind at the base of the spiralling ramp they had just traversed. Noctis slid to the ground near Prompto, propping his back against the stone pillar the ramp was attached to. He dug his palms into his eyes, grumbling under his breath about how exhausted he was and wanted a shower. Hinata leaned against the ramp's railing, recovering her breath with her eyes shut to keep the sweat from getting into them.
A cool hand on her arm, made her look up to see Velcia offering her a bottle of water. She took it with a smile and drank the entire thing, sighing as the cool liquid went through her.
"We'll rest for awhile before moving on." Velcia informed her. "We've definitely earned it."
"Yeah…" Hinata nodded, breathless.
"This room appears to be devoid of Daemons," Ignis spoke up, standing tall with his arms crossed a few feet away, seemingly unaffected by exhaustion.
"That's a relief," Prompto sat back up with a groan. "I don't know how much more I can take!" He pulled out his phone from his pocket, burying his face between his knees with another groan, "Ugh, my phone doesn't even get service down here! How am I supposed to keep Riku up to date on what we're doing?"
"I think he'll appreciate the break," Noctis mumbled, his eyes closed and head looking up towards the ceiling. "He complains you text too much."
Hinata chuckled, looking over at the boys and shaking her head with a smile. She hadn't told them, but Riku was beginning to grow fond of his two new penpals, despite his every effort to push them away.
"There's not much down here," Gladiolus' loud voice echoed.
"But there's some sort of elevator type contraptions in the corners of the room!" Ben piped in.
"Any idea where they lead?" Hinata called back, turning around to see Gladiolus and Ben still exploring the area.
Ben paused, a blue scanning light emanating from his screen. "They lead further down into a whole bunch of tunnels. Sort of like a maze!"
"A maze… great." Noctis groaned.
"Ben, do you believe you can lead us through the tunnels with your scanner?" Ignis asked.
"Hmm…" Ben hummed, examining his scan. "My connection is a little fuzzy… but I can try!"
Ignis wordlessly nodded, allowing Ben to continue lighting the way for Gladiolus. Once the entire room had been explored, they all met back at the base of the stairs to recover their strength. Ben floated in front of Ignis and Velcia, showing them his scans of the maze below. They whispered between each other, trying to map out their path before heading down. Hinata took the time to sit down beside Noctis against the column. She shut her eyes, listening to everyone softly speaking around her.
Jack still slumbered on her shoulder, whining in his dreams as he nuzzled further into her. Hinata ran her hand comfortingly along his back before sliding her hand over the locket hanging from her necklace. She traced the metal key engraving on its surface, reimagining the vision in her thoughts to distract herself from the work in front of them. Her thoughts drifted to Riku, as they often did, a soft smile quirking her lips. The tension in her muscles relaxed, finally calming, but it was short lived as Noctis nudged her shoulder, letting her know it was time to move on.
She opened her eyes, taking in a long breath before she pushed herself back up to her feet. Ben was leading the way, floating towards the corner of the room. There was a tower of rocks standing in front of a square bit of flooring that was a different texture than the rest of the room with a dim blue glow along the seams. The entire group carefully stepped onto the platform before Ben pressed a button on the tower of stones. With a rumble, the floor they stood on began to lower. Prompto yelped in surprise, grabbing Hinata's arm when he stumbled back. She placed her hand over his, silently watching them lower while her heart began racing.
The platform stopped with a jolt with no path for them to follow. Stone walls confined them on every side except straight up where they could barely see the previous room they were in before. An uneasiness travelled through them as they began feeling along the walls, Ignis commenting that there wasn't any indication of the dead end on the scans.
"This doesn't make any sense." Velcia stepped to the center of the platform, stopping short when something lowered underneath her foot. "Oh-"
Before she could get another word out, the floor shook, sliding slowly out from underneath them. Hinata scrambled back from the edge, looking down to the tunnel below. Gladiolus chuckled, patting Velcia on the back before he jumped down, the others following suit. They were met with jelly-like daemons, glowing glazed eyes that glared at the group, charging forward. Hinata inwardly groaned, summoning her blades to aid in taking them out. The earlier rest did little to help regain her stamina.
Within minutes the enemies were destroyed and they found themselves in the maze Ben had told them about. The tunnel was square in shape, perfectly carved out. Three areas of the wall were made of the same texture as the first elevator platform with a dim blue glow, serving as doors for separate paths to take. Hinata ran her hand along one of them, listening to Ignis and Ben discuss which path to take.
"Where should this maze lead, exactly?" Hinata asked without looking over her shoulder at them.
"Hopefully to a glaive." Noctis spoke almost disinterested as he leaned against a wall.
"There is a creature in these depths that is rumored to have the glaive in its hold." Ignis informed them. "These halls should lead us to it."
Hinata nodded, turning around and crossing her arms. "Good thing I'm not claustrophobic." She mumbled under her breath as she took note of the confining walls.
Ignis ran his hand along the engravings of the right wall, pushing on the same section Velcia had stepped on earlier. With a rumble, the wall skid across the ground, revealing another section of the maze that looked almost identical to the one they were in now. As they entered it, they were instantly met with more Daemons, causing almost everyone in the group to groan.
The process continued. Defeat the Daemons, choose a direction and move the door to go forward. Occasionally the floor would lower, bringing them further into the depths of the dungeon and closer to their goal. Over an hour had passed before Noctis demanded they take a rest. Hinata leaned against the wall in a corner, Jack and Ben floating in front of her as the rest of the group talked amongst themselves. She closed her eyes, listening to Prompto asking how much longer they had to go and Noctis grumbling that they were most likely just lost.
"I'm sure we're not lost!" Ben chimed in, bobbing up and down in the air. "We're getting close, I know we are."
"I will admit, Ben's scans are becoming less clear the further down we go." Ignis noted. "But he is correct, we shouldn't be far from our destination."
"As long as we're not going in circles, guess that's some progress." Noctis still grumbled under his breath as he got up to his feet and walked over to Hinata, leaning against the wall beside her. "How are you holding up?"
"I am really looking forward to seeing the sun again." She whispered, her eyes remaining closed.
"Yeah," he scoffed, "Same here."
"Enough bitching," Gladiolus cut in, somewhat annoyed, "Let's get moving. The faster we move, the sooner we'll get back to the sun."
"We'll need to go down again." Ben informed him as the rest of the group got ready.
With a press of the button, the stone slab of the floor began sliding out from under them, rather than lowering as it had before. They jumped down to the tunnel below them, confined in a small square space with three doors.
"I'm… not sure which way." Ben admitted right away, the scan on his screen covered with static as its appearance glitched every few seconds.
"Just guesswork at this point, huh?" Gladiolus asked.
"Should we split up?" Prompto suggested.
Ignis shook his head, "That would be unwise, we have no way to meet back together in the event that one of us discovers the correct path or ends up in danger."
"Actually," Velcia spoke up, "I should be able to work a summon spell."
Everyone turned to look at her, their expressions a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"No way!" Prompto exclaimed, "Can you really do that?"
Velcia nodded, "If we are going to split up, I can put a tether enchantment on an item for each group. If you focus on it, and apply a very basic magic to it, it will activate and bring the other tethered groups to your location. Activating it is almost exactly the same as summoning your weapons, so everyone should be able to do it… if it works like I'm hoping, I haven't gotten to test it yet."
"That's… remarkable." Ignis noted.
"Yeah," Hinata added, smiling when Velcia looked her way. "I had no idea you could do something like that."
Velcia chuckled, "Thank you, but it's really a simple spell."
"That all sounds good to me." Gladiolus nudged Ignis with his elbow, "What do you think, Specs?"
Ignis took a moment to think it over, taking in a deep breath. "I see the merit in it. We can split into groups of two." He looked to the others, a stern gaze in his eyes. "In the event one of us ends up in danger, summon the others to you immediately."
"Can do," Noctis half saluted, motioning beside him. "Hina and I will take the left path."
"We will?" Hinata asked in surprise. "I mean, you want to group up with me?"
"Why not?" Noctis shrugged it off nonchalantly.
"I'll take the big guy!" Prompto piped in before Hinata could reply. He playfully punched Gladiolus' arm as he came up beside him.
"We'll take the way forward." Gladiolus agreed.
"Then that leaves Velcia and I the path to the right." Ignis finished, looking towards her to make sure she was alright with their set up.
"That works perfectly." Velcia smiled, "I'll need an item from each group, to work the spell."
Prompto summoned a lavender chocobo feather charm with beads intertwined in a thin, braided leather. Velcia took it in her hand, closing her eyes and focusing. Her palm began to glow, covering the charm in its aura. When she opened her eyes and the glow faded, the feather seemed to radiate a faint power as she handed them back to him.
Hinata peeked over Prompto's' shoulder at the charm, sensing the magic around it. A soft hand on her shoulder caught her attention as she looked over to see Velcia looking at her expectantly.
"Oh," Hinata realized, "You need something from me too, huh?" When Velcia nodded, she looked herself over, bringing her hand to her locket, tightening her hold on it. "I guess, this should work." She reached under her scarf, undoing her necklace and hesitantly handing it over to Velcia.
"I'll be careful," Velcia assured her, closing her hand over it as the glow shined through her fingers.
Hinata placed it back around her neck when Velcia had finished, feeling a faint heat radiating from the locket. They said their farewells to each other, then she and Noctis pressed the button on their door, watching it slide open. Ben and Jack floated with them, wanting to stay close to Hinata.
The path was generally straight forward, considering the multiple directions they had to take before. Ben kept the journey from being silent, continually making comments and encouraging them to keep going every time they defeated a group of Daemons. It proved difficult to take out the enemies without the entire group, but the four of them managed without too much trouble.
"I'm starting to think we'll never make it out of here." Noctis sighed, stretching his arms after they took out yet another set of Daemons.
"This is getting a bit ridiculous." Hinata agreed, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. "I wonder if the others are having any better luck?"
"Well they haven't summoned us, so they're probably still searching too!" Ben pointed out. "Besides, I'm sure we're getting close, I can feel it!"
"I appreciate your optimism, Ben." Hinata chuckled, about to say more before Jack began to growl. She looked over at him, seeing him staring at the opposite wall, his ears flat on his head and tail straight. "What's wrong, boy?"
Ben floated beside Jack, listening to him for a moment. "He says… something's coming."
Noctis and Hinata looked at each other, both immediately summoning their weapons. Not a moment later, the walls began to tremble, dust falling from the ceiling as something large rammed against the other side of the wall. Noctis ran forward, pressing the button on the door to open it and face whatever was trying to break its way through. Fist sized black spiders swarmed in through the crack in the door as it was just beginning to open. Noctis jumped back with a yell, shaking his hand wildly when they attempted to crawl onto him. The door skid to a stop, not even halfway open, somehow jammed as more spiders continued pouring in.
Hinata dissipated her blades, facing her palms towards the curtain of spiders covering the walls as she summoned a layer of water over them and them gathered them all together into a sizable orb in front of her. They floated and wriggled wildly in the water, before the entire thing flashed and turned to ice.
"That's disgusting," she shivered, the sphere of ice falling to the ground and shattering on impact.
Noctis shot a burst of flames towards the opening of the door, frying anymore spiders that were crawling in. They fell to the ground in a crisp with a loud hiss, a louder shriek from the other side mixed in. The walls rumbled again, the large body ramming against the door, one of its pulsating spiny legs poking through the opening. Hinata wasted no time, summoning a spiral of water and immediately freezing it as she sliced the leg of the Daemon off, black sludge sputtering onto the floor and walls. A yowl erupted from the creature on the other side, a burst of electricity coming through the cracks. Ben shook from the surge of electricity, Jack growling and floating through the wall to confront the creature himself.
"What is this thing?" Hinata yelled over the noise.
"I think it's an Arachne!" Noctis called back, stepping over the severed leg to slip in through the thin opening in the door.
Hinata grabbed Ben, attaching him to her belt as he was having a difficult time floating on his own after the power surge, before following after Noctis. She carefully slid through the thin doorway, seeing the huge Arachne. It appeared to be a gray spider-like creature, with a woman's body as its torso and a intricate pattern on its back. Its hands were on the sides of its head, screeching with electricity snapping around it and stumbling back and forth as it struggled for control against Jack.
Noctis jumped back, avoiding it as the Daemon rammed into the wall. A loud crack made Hinata and Noctis freeze, Hinata still in the doorway. They stood perfectly still, hearing the rock around them cracking and shifting as the Daemon continued to slam against the walls, one after another. The floor beneath them began to fracture, large chunks falling completely.
Noctis scrambled back as Hinata forced herself the rest of the way through the doorway and called out, "Jack! Get out of that thing!"
The creature froze, twitching for a moment before the floor beneath it completely gave out. Hinata gasped, reaching towards it out of instinct as it fell. She ran to the edge of the hole, surprised to see nothing but thick darkness beneath them, unlike the tunnels they had seen before. The cries of the creature echoed as it plummeted, its sound dying out the further it fell. Jack easily floated out of the creature, his white body almost appearing to glow in contrast to the darkness around him as he watched it disappear. As he flew back to the group, Hinata let out a breath of relief, looking over to Noctis, who was still clung to the wall, as if anticipating more of the floor to fall away.
"That was... something." She whispered, getting a breathy laugh from Noctis in response.
"Yeah," he shook his head, starting to relax a bit more as he stepped away from the wall. "No idea what an Arachne was doin-"
A rumble interrupted him, the floor beneath Hinata crumbling away. She shrieked, her arms flailing as dropped. Noctis rushed forward, reaching for her, but only managing to grab onto her necklace, snapping it. The beads and shells burst, the locket slipping from his grasp as it plummeted into the darkness along with Hinata.
Frigid wind whistled past Hinata's ears, masking Noctis' voice as he yelled after her. Her chest heaved, her mind scrambling for what to do. One of her blades flashed into her grasp and with as much power she could muster, she threw it towards the ground, warping to it the moment she heard it clang against the rocks. She hit the floor hard from her momentum, skidding and rolling a few feet before finally coming to a stop. She stayed still for a moment, groaning at the raw sting that throbbed through her entire body. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the dense darkness around her, barely able to make out the faint glow from the maze she and Noctis had been in.
"H-Hin-a-ata…?" Ben's voice glitched, his golden light emanating as he floated off of Hinata's belt. His screen was cracked, but still functional as he looked Hinata over. "Are- Are you all right?"
She remained silent, blinking in thought before she subtly nodded. Jack's barks caught her attention as he zoomed to her, whimpering and licking her cheek. Thudding footsteps came after him as Noctis skid to his knees beside her.
"Ah, shit," Noctis cursed under his breath, looking her over. "Should have taught you how to stick a landing better."
Hinata scoffed, bubbling into a laugh despite the resonating pain she felt in response. "Shut up." She brought her hand to her face. "The floor crumbled beneath you too, huh?"
"No, I jumped in after you." He told her nonchalantly. When she peeked at him between her fingers, he added. "Didn't want to be stuck in that maze by myself."
"I don't blame you…" She sighed. "Might have beaten being stuck down here though… wherever this is."
"We'll be fine." He assured her. "We'll just wait for the others to use those summon things Vel put together." He stood up and offered his hand for her. "You think you can stand up?"
She hissed as she propped herself onto her elbows, nodding. "Y-yeah, I think so."
A slight cry of pain escaped her as she grabbed Noctis' wrist and was pulled to her feet. Summoning a potion, she crushed it in her palm, allowing it to meld into her skin. The pain decreased into a dull ache, helping her mind clear as they looked around to assess their situation.
Ben's glow provided their only light source in what appeared to be a massive cavern. Hinata stepped forward, pausing when she felt something crush beneath her foot. She knelt down, seeing the remnants of a seashell ground into the floor. Her heart tightened, recognizing it from the necklace Riku had bought her. Taking in a breath, she stood back up, saying nothing to acknowledge it.
"I'm sort of surprised there's no Daemons down here." Hinata noted, swallowing the emotion lumping in her throat.
"T-There are…" Ben's glitched voice spoke up. "S-Scans."
Hinata looked around as she summoned her blades. "Are they… just watching us?"
"They show up randomly in complete darkness." Noctis informed her with a low voice, summoning a lance. "Especially the big ones."
"Big ones?" Hinata repeated, "Like that spider one we just fought?"
"Bigger."
"Fantastic," she whispered.
As in reply, a lowly growl resounded around the cavern, trembling the ground beneath them. Hinata stumbled, looking around as Noctis simply waited, standing tall and firm. A pool of thick darkness formed in front of them, a massive arm reaching out of it. Blue and purple smoke erupted as a body crawled out of the pool. It towered above them, its thick skin a deep red, with gold shining tattoos along its bulky muscles. A flaming blade was in its grasp, providing a blinding, intimidating light. Hinata backed up, staring at the creature in awe as Noctis instead walked forward, readying his weapon. Before any of them could make a move of attack, more growls began to echo, pools of darkness erupting throughout the cavern.
Hinata's grip tightened over the hilts of her blades, seeing the Daemons crawling out of the darkness, completely surrounding her and Noctis. The heat from the flaming blades combatted the rigid air, causing beads of sweat to form on Hinata's skin as she stared up at the challenge before her.
"Focus on one at a time." Noctis' voice broke though her racing thoughts.
Shaking her head to refocus, Hinata readied her blades, watching as Noctis ran forward and threw his weapon, warping to the Daemon right in front of them.
"Alright…" She took in a quick breath. "Ben, get above us and scan these things. I need to know how to take them out."
"A-Aye, Aye, C-captain!" Ben spurred into action, despite sputtering as he followed her orders.
"And Jack," she continued, "I need you- ah!"
She warped to the side, barely missing as a Daemon sliced its blade overhead. She covered the blade with water, dousing the flames. The resulting energy fled from her body, but she was unable to fathom it as she threw her blade into the creature's neck, warping to it instantly. She swung with it, allowing gravity to pull her downwards and carving through the skin of the neck to its torso. A giant hand reached for her as the creature flailed and screamed, but she released her weapon, dropping to the ground and rolling forward; resummoning her weapons to her hands before she jumped back to her feet. Noctis warped back to her side, the Daemon he had assailed disintegrating back into darkness behind him.
"Captain!" Ben called out, his voice strained as he struggled to keep his voice from glitching. "They're Iron Giants! Weak to Ice and Light magic!"
"Ice huh?" Noctis smirked, holding out his palm, a glowing, icy mist emanating around it. "You might want to get off the ground." He threw a lance straight up, warping to it.
Hinata took the hint, summoning her shield and impaling it into the same giant she had already attacked. She warped to it, using the larger mass of the weapon to keep herself leveled off the ground. A flash of white caused her to conceal her eyes as a frosty blast of wind almost caused her to lose her grip on her shield. Opening her eyes, she saw the entire floor of the cavern covered with a thick layer of ice. Each of the giants pulled at their legs, rendered completely immobile.
"Hell yes!" Hinata cheered, getting a victorious smirk from Noctis as he landed safely back on the ground.
Jack barked, taking the opportunity to possess the giant Hinata was already propped against. He forced it to swing its massive blade against the closest Daemon, slicing through their back. Hinata took the opportunity to summon her blades, impaling and warping to the Daemon to slice its neck. It fell forward, dissipating back into the darkness before Hinata had even touched the ground.
Noctis summoned his lance, throwing it straight through the chest of the giant Jack was possessing. As it disintegrated, Jack flew out to find his next victim along with Noctis and Hinata. Together, they focused on one giant at a time, taking them out with little to no trouble when they were encased in ice. The Daemons began to catch on to their ploy, placing their flaming blades near the floor to melt away the ice. Hinata doused the blades with her water when she could muster the energy, but internally lamented the sudden lack of their light source.
With a roar, the ice cracked, shattering as a giant ripped its foot out of confinement. It stomped forward, the ground shaking beneath its feet, further breaking apart the ice. Hinata turned towards it, her and Noctis' most recent kill disappearing into the darkness behind them.
"Let's go for the legs. Bring it down." Hinata directed, Noctis merely nodding in response, "I'll go for the right."
She threw her blade, warping to it mid throw and using the ice to slide under the giant, slashing through its right leg. Noctis immediately followed suit, slicing the left leg. With a pained wail, the giant staggered forward, blackened sludge splaying across the ice as it fell. Jack possessed another giant, forcing it to impale its blade in its fallen comrade.
Hinata jumped to her feet, ready for more, but shrieked with a thick hand grabbed her from behind, hoisting her off of the ground. She cried out, her voice labored as the Daemon tightened their hold on her. "N-NOCT!"
Noctis turned, his eyes widening as he saw Hinata in the giant's grasp. He summoned his lance, about to throw it, but a blade slammed to the ground beside him, ice shattering and exploding everywhere. Hinata struggled, her arms pinned down against her sides, unable to use any of her magic or weapons to escape. The Daemon that Jack had possessed fell back into darkness, only then allowing Jack to see what was happening. He snarled, zooming into the giant and began fighting for control.
Its grip tightened around Hinata, her voice crying out in pain. Her vision was blurring, her ribs threatening to crack. Noctis was contending with his own Daemons that had broken out of the ice and were coming after him with a reignited fury, while Jack grappled for control. With a roar, the creature lifted its hand and threw Hinata across the cavern. She flipped in the air, summoning her blade and throwing it to the ground. With a flash of blue, she beamed to the stone floor, skidding and rolling to a stop. She hissed, grabbing her arms, the skin raw and bloodied.
"Captain!" Ben's concerned voice rang through her throbbing headache. He flew over her, scanning her before asking. "A-are you alright? You're really hurt."
She opened her mouth to reply, but only a whimper came out. Instead, she merely waved him off, turning her gaze towards the Iron Giants. More of them were appearing, replacing the ones they had taken out. Noctis was handling his own, but even he was beginning to take hits.
"Do you have any potions?" Ben asked, getting a shake of Hinata's head in response. He floated in silence for a moment, stuttering from his cracked screen, before he turned and zoomed away. "Maybe Noct does!"
Hinata wanted to yell after him, order him to come back and to not distract Noctis or draw attention to her, but she could only watch. Noctis glanced back at Hinata when Ben had reached him, along with every Iron Giant that could overhear what Ben was saying. They each turned towards her, Hinata's heart stopping momentarily as she realized she needed to get back up and fight.
She pushed herself back up, trying to stand, before her arms gave out and she fell with a cry. The ground rumbled as the giants stepped towards her and she looked up at them, realizing they were greatly outmatched.
A flash of blue, sparkling mist, intercepted her sight of the impending chaos, leaving Noctis in its wake. He stood protectively in front of her, his chest heaving and blood dripping from his hands. All of his weapons instantly appeared, circling him with a blue translucent glow.
He looked over his shoulder at Hinata, his eyes burning with a bright purple intensity. "Stay down." He ordered her, getting an awestruck nod in return.
Noctis warped away, his weapons going with him and striking on command, without him even having to touch them. Lances, blades, and chakrams assailed the Daemons from every angle, Noctis teleporting every second to make it impossible to track him. Ben flew to Hinata's side, watching everything with her, both of them in a daze as Jack joined the fray. The Daemons fell, some of them disappearing, fleeing on their own accord with their small sense of self-preservation. As the last one decomposed, Noctis appeared back in front of Hinata, his weapons shattering away in orbs of light as he crumbled exhausted to the ground.
Hinata pushed herself to her knees, crawling over to him. "Noct..?" She whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder and rolling him onto his back.
He looked up at her, chest heaving and sweat slicked on his skin. "...What?" He replied nonchalantly.
Her worried frown tipped into a smile of relief. "You alright?"
"Yeah," he assured her, pushing himself to sit up with a groan. He summoned a couple potions, handing one to Hinata. "Could use a nap."
She chuckled, breaking the potion in her palm and taking in a deep breath as it melded into her skin. "You and me both."
Noctis laughed under his breath, wiping at his brow as he looked around at the empty cavern, his eyes finally adjusting to the dark. Ben floated in front of Hinata, his light providing a soft glow around them. Him and Jack checked on Hinata, making sure she was alright when the potion didn't heal all of her wounds. She waved them off, snuggling Jack on her shoulder as she fully sat up, bringing her knees to her chest. The cavern was silent once again, their breaths echoed in the stillness.
"So… Noct?" Hinata spoke up after a couple minutes.
"Hmm?" He hummed.
"What was that?" She asked, tightening her arms around her legs.
Noctis took in a long breath, "Armiger… it's something only the Kings of Lucis can do. I can summon the glaives I've collected from the past kings and use their power. It obviously leaves me exhausted, still getting the hang of it."
"It was incredible." She admitted, shaking her head in disbelief, a chuckle escaping her. "I've never seen anything like that before."
He huffed in amusement, leaning back on the palms of his hands. "Think Vel could duplicate it?"
Hinata laughed, "I have no idea. I don't think I'd be able to handle it, honestly."
"Nah, I think you could." He shrugged, "You were holding your own just fine against those giants."
"Yeah, until I got thrown across the cave." She pointed out with a sigh, Noctis chuckling in response.
"I've had that happen, too. Trust me." He assured her.
She smiled to herself, falling back to silence as she stared absently at the ground. The adrenaline of the battle gradually left her system and she was finally able to think about everything that had happened. She pulled back her hand, reaching for her locket, but was met with nothing but the fabric of her shirt. The lump that had been lodged in her throat since falling into the cavern swelled, making emotion bubble up from her throat. Biting her tongue, she buried her face between her knees.
Minutes passed, nothing being said between any of them. There was nothing to be done except wait for one of the others to summon them back with the items Velcia had enchanted.
"You know…" Noctis' voice startled Hinata as she shot her head up to look at him. "Splitting up was a really dumb idea."
Hinata breathily laughed, nodding in agreement. "Splitting up never turns out well, huh…?"
"Yeah, figured with how easy the rest of the maze was, there wouldn't be anything to worry about."
She hummed in agreement, leaning her chin on her knees.
"Um, by the way…" Noctis shuffled to face her, his eyes downcast with shame. "I'm… sorry about that locket of yours."
Hinata looked away, not wanting to admit how upset she really was about it. "It's-" her voice wavered, making her clear her throat. "It's not your fault. Maybe… I was too attached to it."
"I doubt it," Noctis shook his head, meeting his eyes with Hinata when she looked back at him. "With all the shit we've gone through, you sort of need things like that, you know? To help you remember the way things are supposed to be." He scoffed looking away, "And I'm not helping."
"No it's… fine, really." She downcast her eyes.
"M-maybe I can scan for it!" Ben suggested, his voice still occasionally glitching. "Has to be around her somewhere." He floated up, scanning his light around the cavern, but he dropped down in defeat in less than a minute. "I'm not getting anything c-clear."
"Well," Noctis stood up, "let's go look for it. Not like we have much else to do." He held out his hand for her.
She took it, being pulled up to her feet and sending him a soft smile of thanks. Ben floated ahead of them, lighting the way. They would occasionally find a broken shell or bead scattered on the ground, but no sign of the locket. After a few minutes of fruitlessly searching, Noctis summoned flames in his palm and went walking in another direction.
Once Noctis was out of earshot, Ben whispered, "We'll find it Hinata, I-I'm sure of it."
She numbly nodded, swallowing hard. Looking over to Ben, she saw the large crack across his screen. "How are you doing? You look pretty beat up."
"N-nothing DiZ can't fix." He assured her, flashing her a quick reassuring smile.
Sighing, she lamented, "I really need to stop going along with other people's ideas when I know there's a better solution."
Ben hummed in response, trying not to talk more than he needed to with the state of his body.
"Hinata?" Noctis' voice echoed towards them.
"Yeah?" She asked, turning around before a sudden white light encapsulated them.
When the light dissipated, they were in the middle of a circular, stone platform, with pillars all around them. Noctis and Hinata were right beside each other, both of them looking around in complete confusion.
"Ah, it appears it was successful." Ignis' voice caught their attention.
They spun around, seeing Velcia and Ignis standing on the other side of the platform, their smiles slipping away the longer they looked at each other.
"Hinata," Velcia gasped, rushing towards her and running her hands over her arms as she took in each of her wounds. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"We ran into some trouble." Noctis admitted, shrugging at the displeased expression Ignis sent him. "What? We took care of it."
"Why didn't you summon anyone to you?" Velcia asked, shaking her head. "Oh this is my fault, I shouldn't have suggested we split up."
"It's fine," Hinata assured her, placing her hand over Velcia's to calm her down. "We didn't know how to get out of where we were and didn't want anyone else to get stuck down there with us." She took in a breath, "And besides… we couldn't summon anyone even if we wanted to."
Velcia paused, looking towards Hinata's shirt and seeing it bare, without her necklace. "Oh no…" She brought her eyes back up. "Hinata, I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"I'll explain it all later." Hinata whispered, straining a smile to her. "But… I think it's safe to say I don't ever want to split up again on future missions."
She laughed, despite herself, "Yes, I completely agree."
"So what did you guys find?" Noctis asked, changing the subject as Velcia went to healing Hinata's wounds and checking on Ben.
Ignis sighed, "We believe we discovered the final elevator that will lead to the creature of this dungeon."
"But we wanted to make sure we had everyone back together before we investigated." Velcia added, continuing to heal Hinata.
Noctis nodded, "Let's get the others back then. More than ready to be done with this place."
Velcia double checked to make sure that Hinata was fully healed before she backed up and held out her hand, her Keyblade appearing in a blue flash.
"You copied the spell for yourself." Hinata noted, getting a triumphant smile from Velcia.
"Figured it might come in handy for me, too." She admitted with a chuckle.
Closing her eyes, the tip of the blade began to glow. It sparked, growing brighter until it flashed out of existence. Within a few seconds, white light surrounded them, leaving Gladiolus and Prompto when it disappeared.
Prompto spun around, his face lighting up the moment he saw the others. "Alright!" He cheered, pumping his fist in the air as he looked back at the maze they had just escaped. "Take that, Labyrinth!"
"Wouldn't start celebrating yet," Gladiolus patted his hand on Prompto's shoulder. "We're not done here."
"But hopefully will be shortly." Ignis added as he pressed down on the center of the platform they stood on.
A clank of machinery whirred as the elevator began to lower, the center glowing brightly. Metal pipes covered the walls a deep red light showing through as they continued to descend. Hinata walked to the edge, examining the pipes as she heard a low hum of machinery through the cracks in the pipes.
"Reminds me of that underworld on Treasure Planet," she commented softly to Ben.
He hummed in response, clicking to her belt so he could stop floating. "M-Might explain a few things." He noted, getting a nod from Hinata.
A growl and claws scratching against metal caught all of their attention. They exchanged looks between each other, everyone summoning their weapons. It was becoming obvious that whenever their elevator would come to a stop, they would be met with the creature guarding the glaive.
"Specs, you're in charge of coming up with the plan of attack." Noctis spoke up.
"Certainly," Ignis nodded in respect, looking to the others, specifically Hinata. "Stay behind me until I give the word to attack. Together, we should have no trouble against this adversary."
"Make sure no one tries to be the hero." Gladiolus added, leaning his broadsword over his shoulder. "No telling how vicious this thing will be."
Velcia and Hinata exchanged a glance, Velcia giving her a smile of support. Hinata strained a smile in response, swallowing hard as she listened to the growls of their impending enemy growing in volume.
The confining walls opened, revealing a massive metal room. The floor was grated, blue light shining through the seams. Wires and machinery covered the walls of the round room, leading high up into the ceiling. Indented scratches were against the floor and walls, sparks from broken wires bursting everywhere. They were barely given more than a few fleeting moments to take in their surroundings before the ground shook from something taking a heavy step.
They turned around, the massive creature towered above them, eyeing them as it circled around the platform they stood on. It had the appearance of a dragon, thick tan scales covered its body and bony wings were on its back, but nothing matched the size of the twisted horns protruding from its head. Its curved claws clicked against the metal with each step and its narrow jaws snapped open and shut, showcasing its sharpened teeth.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Prompto breathed out, his mouth falling open. "What is that thing?"
"A Jabberwock…" Ben informed them with a distracted voice as he focused his energy on scanning. "C-Can't see what it's weak against, though…"
"Ignis?" Noctis asked, not taking his eyes away from the creature that stalked around them, just waiting for them to make the first move.
"I'm not certain," he admitted, examining the creature.
"It looks like some sort of dragon." Hinata spoke up, slightly tensing when Ignis looked over at her. "So, water and ice would probably work against its fire, right? If it has fire, anyways."
"Worth a shot." Gladiolus shrugged, smirking at Hinata when she looked at him.
"Indeed," Ignis nodded, an icy glow covering his hands, enchanting his daggers, before excess ice transferred to Noct, enveloping his blade as well. "Noct, warpstrike, keep it distracted while we go for its legs. Everyone be wary of its movements, one wrong step and the odds will become against us."
"That sounds good," Velcia agreed, ice already forming at the tip of her blade. "Lead the way and we'll follow."
"Give it everything we've got!" Ignis ordered, everyone springing into action.
Noctis warped away, reappearing just in time to slash his blade across the Jabberwock's jaw. The ice on his blade stuck to its scales, but his blade barely marked the surface of its thick skin. He continued his barrage, fully capturing the attention of the monster as the others followed Ignis' instructions. Velcia stood back, a chilling wind swirling around her as the metal beneath her feet began to transform into ice. Icicles grew around the feet of the creature, slowing it down considerably. The others used the icy floor to their advantage, sliding against it to slip between the legs of the monster and to avoid its claws thrashing about.
With the continued barrage against its legs, the scales began to loosen, weakening and falling off to reveal the softer skin hidden beneath. A bellowing yowl resonated through the chamber as a generous slice was taken out of its leg. From between the scales a thick black smoke oozed out, clouding around its legs and covering the group. Velcia stood safely at the center of the room, her heart jumping the moment she lost sight of the others.
"Hinata!" She cried out, sprinting towards them.
Noctis warped right beside her, grabbing her arm to stop her before she entered the smoke. She began to object, before she saw the black plumes fade away, everyone beneath the creature encased in stone. Her eyes widened, her heart dropping, flashes of past memories digging in her mind, before she shook them away and pulled away from Noctis.
"We have to get them out, now!" She sprinted to Hinata, summoning a light shield just in time as the Jabberwock's claw slashed over them. "Noct, distract the creature! I'll cast a remedy spell!"
He nodded without needing to reply, warping away. "Hey! Hey, you piece of shit!" He yelled, waving his arms to get the attention of the Jabberwock. "You forget about me?!"
The Jabberwock snarled, wasting no time to barrel forward. Noctis smirked, warping away at the last second and reappearing above the creature. He landed on top of its forehead, holding himself up by its horns. It shook its head wildly, snapping its jaw and scratching its claws at its face to get him off. With a growl, it whipped its head straight up, flinging Noctis high up into the air. Holding out his hand, Noctis summoned a ball of flames and threw it straight into the Jabberwock's open mouth. The fire erupted upon impact, scales flying in every direction as it staggered back and slipped on the icy floor.
It shrieked as it fell, writhing on the ground, unable to regain its balance. Noctis ran towards it, his eyes beginning to glow a dim purple as he prepared to summon Armiger. Hinata warped beside him, making him jump back in surprise. He saw Velcia freeing Prompto from his stone prison, Ignis and Gladiolus beside him. Everyone ran to regroup, barely giving each other a reassuring nod before charging the creature.
Spells and weapons were thrown against the underbelly of the beast. Sparks flew as scales were torn away and the skin exposed. The group worked as a well oiled machine, giving everything they had to defeat their enemy once and for all. The Jabberwock howled, its thundering roar weakening with each blow until with a final cry, its eyes faded and it fell limp.
Everyone backed up, realizing their work had been done. Hinata struggled to take in a full breath as she leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees, head down. A hand on her shoulder made her glace up to see Gladiolus beside her. His skin was bruised, bloodied, and blotched with dirt, but he wore a triumphant smirk that curved the tips of Hinata's lips into a returning smile.
Jack's bark caught their attention as he floated out of the Jabberwock's body. He weakly landed on Hinata's shoulder, nuzzling into her hand when she patted his head.
"Was it too much for you to control?" She asked him, getting a whimper in response.
"Don't worry Jack," Ben spoke up, his voice a bit stronger from recharging during the battle. "E-Even ghost doggies have their limits."
Gladiolus chuckled, rustling Hinata's hair, much to her dismay. "You did good." He looked to Jack, scratching him behind his ears. "You too. Controlling all those Daemons .That was something else."
"Did we really do it?" Hinata asked breathlessly, standing back up straight.
"About to find out." Noctis replied, walking towards the dead Jabberwock, his hand outstretched towards its body. "The glaive should be here."
The seams of the Jabberwock's scales began to glow, sparking and fizzling away. With a flash of bright light, a broadsword floated out of the body, suspending in the air. Noctis reached towards it, a blue light covered his hand and the weapon, instantly turning it translucent. Hinata went to walk forward to see it more clearly, but Gladiolus grabbed her arm, keeping her back. She was about to ask why he was holding her there, but froze when the weapon turned towards Noctis and flung itself straight into his chest. Her eyes widened, her breath fleeting as she pulled against Gladiolus' hold to force her way to Noctis, but he kept her there.
Noctis stumbled back a step, wincing as the blade dissipated into orbs of blue light. HIs other weapons surrounded him, the same translucent blue as the blade. They swirled around him, the new glaive among them, before exploding in a flash, leaving Noctis standing alone once again. Gladiolus' grip loosened on Hinata, allowing her to move again if she pleased, but she stayed still.
"What was that…?" She whispered to him, her eyes still focused on Noctis.
"He gained the power of a new glaive." He simply explained, releasing her arm completely and walking forward. "Happens every time."
She shook her head, unable to shake the image of the weapon plunging itself into Noctis' chest. Taking in a breath, she saw Velcia a few feet away, discussing something with Ignis. Velcia caught her gaze, sending her a smile and a nod. Everyone was covered with cuts and patches of dirt, sweat slicked against their skin and hair knotted, yet there was an air of triumph around them.
"Woo! We're alive!" Prompto's sudden exclamation echoed throughout the arena as he flung his arms in the air. He ran forward, slinging an arm over Noctis' shoulder. "Let's celebrate by eating something dead!"
Hinata paused, blinking and shaking her head in disbelief as she took a moment to gather what Prompto had said. "I-I'm sorry, what?"
Noctis chuckled, rolling his eyes as Gladiolus simply groaned, obviously used to outbursts like that from Prompto.
"I have heard tales of how delicious Jabberwock meat can be." Ignis pointed out, walking up to the creature with his hand to his chin.
"You can't be serious." Hinata laughed breathily.
"That would be one way to celebrate our victory." Velcia commented with a giggle, attempting to stifle her laughter when Hinata sent her a look.
"Oh come on," Gladiolus spoke up, "You can't tell me you'd rather just leave the beast here to rot. Might as well enjoy some part of it."
"I'd rather not eat something I just killed!" Hinata objected, "That's just- well, it's weird!"
"That's it!" Ignis exclaimed, making everyone else fall silent and look towards him. He snapped his fingers, looking to the others with a proud smirk. "I've come up with a new recipe!"
"Alright!" Prompto cheered.
"We can taste test for ya." Gladiolus added.
"I'm not on board with this." Hinata noted, but no one seemed to care.
"I'll make it tonight at the haven." Ignis informed them, summoning his dagger to cut out some of the meat.
The others agreed with excitement, while Hinata sighed in resignation. She walked up to Noctis as he watched the others help Ignis, his eyes were sullen, darker than they had seemed before.
"You alright?" She nudged him with her elbow. "That glaive thing was really intense."
He chuckled softly, "Yeah, it really threw me off the first time it happened… But yeah, I'm fine. Always feel a bit weird afterwards."
"I can only imagine." She admitted. "But we finally did it. We got through the place, not sure how we'll head back up though."
"I saw a glowing tile on the other side of our elevator." Velcia joined the conversation, walking up to them, her hands clasped in front of her. "I can sense a large amount of energy inside of it and I wonder if it will transport us back to the entrance of the tower."
"That would be a relief." Noctis yawned. "I'm ready to sleep for a year."
Hinata and Velcia chuckled in response, continuing to converse as the others finished gathering the supplies they needed. Once they regrouped, Velcia led them to the tile she had talked about and pressed on the center of it. A bright light surrounded them, vanishing them from the arena and reappearing at the entryway of the dungeon itself. Warm sunlight illuminated the stairwell. A mixture of reds and orange hues mixed in the sky as the sun was beginning to set Hinata brought her arm over her face, shielding her eyes from the intensity of the light, but revelled in its warmth.
She followed the others out of the dungeon and into the surrounding forest. Occasional conversation was shared between them, mostly comments about how relieved they were to finally be out. Ignis led them to a nearby haven that was still in sight of the ruins of Costlemark. The boys set up the campsite in record time and the fire was going just as the stars began speckling the darkening sky.
Velcia and Ignis toiled away on dinner, discussing Ignis' new discovered recipe, while the others sat around the fire with warm blankets wrapped around their shoulders. Prompto typed away on his phone, informing Riku of everything that had happened, as Ben was unable to send any texts in his current disheveled state.
"Smile!" Prompto scooted next to Hinata, holding up his phone to take a selfie.
Hinata held up a peace sign, doing her best to wear a genuine smile as Prompto shot the picture. Deep down in her gut, she felt the festering guilt of losing her locket, and the thought of Riku finding out it was gone made a knot tighten in her heart. She took in a breath, straining a smile to Prompto when he showed her the picture before sending it to Riku. Standing up, she walked to the edge of the haven and staring out at the surrounding forest. The others let her be, getting back to their own conversations and discussing all the different things they saw in the dungeon.
Within the next hour, dinner was served. Velcia called Hinata back to the group to eat what Ignis had dubbed, Lasagna al Forno. Hinata couldn't deny the tantalizing scent of the dish, almost forgetting that it contained meat of the monster they had just killed. The others dug into the meal, borderline starving after exploring Costlemark for an entire day without sustenance. Hinata hesitated for a few minutes, bringing her gaze to the flickering flames of the fire and allowing her thoughts to wander.
"You did good today, Hinata." Gladiolus' voice caught her attention.
Hinata blinked, looking up to see everyone looking at her from their seats. "O-Oh," she stammered out softly. "Thank you." She downcast her gaze to her dinner, poking at it with her fork. "Everyone else did, too."
"We seriously couldn't have done it without you guys, though." Prompto added, leaning back on the palms of his hands, his empty dinner dish beside him. "I didn't think we'd ever get through that place."
"I'm thankful we could help." Velcia smiled. "It was the least we could do for you."
"Yeah," Hinata nodded, "I've learned so much this past month, and it's all because of you guys." She looked up, drifting her gaze between all of them. A sad smile tipped her lips. "I'm really going to miss being here with all of you."
"We might miss you a bit, too." Noctis admitted, smirking when Hinata met his eyes. "Just a bit though."
"A lot more than that," Prompto corrected, letting out a loud sigh. "It just won't be the same without you, Hina. And you too, Vel!"
Velcia giggled, "Thank you, Prompto. In all seriousness though…" She sat back in her camping chair, pondering her words. "You all took a chance on a couple of strangers and gave us a place to safely grow and learn. There aren't many people that would do something like that… So, thank you." She smiled sweetly, landing her gaze on Ignis. "I've really enjoyed getting to know each of you."
Everyone mumbled their agreements, the light mood gradually lowering until it was replaced with a bittersweet, melancholy atmosphere. Hinata looked between everyone, her heart sinking at the thought of leaving them after everything they went through together. In an effort to distract herself, she finally took a bite of the lasagna. She froze the moment it touched her tongue, savoring the delicious, unique blend of flavors. Without thinking, she hummed in appreciation, quickly taking another bite.
"This is amazing, Ignis!" She chimed, looking up and pausing when she remembered the solemn silence.
"Pfft," Noctis brought his hand to his mouth, stifling a laugh, his shoulders shaking.
Prompto joined in a moment later, followed by everyone else in the group. "Told you it'd be great!" Prompto reminded her.
Hinata's face was warmed, but she continued to eat her food. "I didn't think it'd be this good." She admitted.
"Yep, Specs comes up with some pretty tasty things." Gladiolus chuckled, leaning back in his seat and lacing his hands behind his head.
"I admit it is one of my finer creations." Ignis smirked, taking a sip of his cup of ebony coffee.
"Man," Prompto sighed, looking over to Hinata. "Do you guys really have to leave tomorrow? Can't stay for a while longer? I'm sure Iggy can come up with some even tastier recipes for you to try!"
"I honestly really wish I could." Hinata confessed, looking back to the fire and feeling everyone's eyes falling on her. "But… my replica is still out there and… it's time I put a stop to all of her chaos." She paused, her heart sinking, "I've put it off for long enough."
"I wish we could help." Noctis muttered.
"You guys have your own mission to do." Hinata reminded him, smiling up at him. "And your wedding is coming up." She snickered when Noctis' face warmed as he nervously laughed in response.
"Well, at least promise you'll keep in touch." Prompto suggested. "Text and send us pictures when you can! Just like we do with Riku."
"Definitely," Hinata's smile grew.
They continued their dinner as the conversation fell to a slight lull. Prompto and Velcia kept the conversation lighthearted, despite the obvious solemn atmosphere. The moon was high up in the night sky by the time everything was cleaned up and everyone was saying their good nights.
Velcia stood on the far end of the haven, conversing with Ignis about keeping in contact so they could trade recipes and stories of their adventures. Prompto made remarks of them needing to have ways to contact each other since it was obvious to him they liked each other, but a smack on the back of the head from Gladiolus ceased any further comments on the matter.
On the other side, Hinata was at the edge of the haven, silently staring out at the stars. She shivered from the cool night wind, before suddenly feeling the warmth of a blanket tossed onto her. She caught it with a start, looking over to see Noctis walking up beside her.
"Thought you might need it." He told her as he dug his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky.
Hinata smiled as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, enjoying its comfort. "Thank you." She whispered, looking back to the stars.
"So you're really heading back tomorrow, huh?" He asked, neither of them looking away from the sky.
"Yeah…" She sighed.
"It'll be weird not having you around anymore." He admitted. "Sort of liked having you and Vel with us."
A slight smile tipped the corner of her lips, "Me too. I hope I'll be able to come back someday."
"There's uh…" He downcast his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, "Something I need to give back to you before you go."
"Give back to me?" She asked, looking over at him.
He held out his hand and a sparkling blue mist surrounded it. As it disappeared, a scuffed and dented golden locket was in his palm. Hinata gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth as she turned towards him completely.
"I found it right before Vel brought us back to her and Specs." He explained, turning towards her. "I meant to tell you then, but with everything going on… I didn't want to just hand it to you in the middle of all that or with everyone watching. I know it's important and-"
He stopped short, choking on his words when Hinata rushed forward and embraced him. His breath hitched and body tensed, before he reluctantly relaxed and hugged her back.
"Thank you…" She whispered, emotion heavy in her soft voice.
"Y-yeah," he stammered, just as soft and quiet.
They stayed in their embrace for a moment longer, until Hinata cleared her throat and pulled away. "S-sorry," she wiped at the corners of her eyes, sniffling. "Just a bit emotional."
"Don't worry about it." He assured her, noticing the others glancing towards them and a light dust of warmth on his cheeks. "But-uh, here you go." He held out her locket, "Wanted to make sure I got this back to you, before you left."
She carefully took it from him, cupping it in her hands like a treasure. "Thank you," she told him again, her voice barely audible.
"I… might have accidentally opened it." He cleared his throat as well, averting his gaze when Hinata darted her eyes to him. "I was just wanting to make sure it was alright when I found it."
She paused, looking down to the locket and opening it, her heart fluttering as she saw the hologram flicker to life. "It's... a vision of the future." She told him, shaking her head. "I know that sounds crazy."
"No," he chuckled, "With everything I've seen since you joined, I'm not even fazed by that."
She breathily laughed, closing the locket before it got to the last scene and looked back up at him. "It's... " she swallowed hard as her voice trailed off. "A vision of-uh, me and Riku… That's why it's so important to me."
"Wow…" He glanced at the locket in her hands. "It really is special, then."
"Yeah," she smiled, holding it close to her heart. "So, really… thank you. I can't even begin to explain how much it means to me."
"Of course," he met his eyes back with hers, both of them smiling. After a moment, he cleared his throat again and pointed over his shoulder, "I should-um, probably get to bed."
She chuckled, "Yeah, me too." She looked back to the stars, "I'm going to stay out a bit longer, enjoy the stars here for the last time."
Noctis followed her gaze, a sigh escaping him. "Yeah, I heard you say our night sky is pretty awesome."
"It is," she nodded, running her thumb over the engraving on her locket.
"Well," he looked over at her, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She glanced back at him, smiling as she nodded, "Yeah, tomorrow."
He turned away, waving behind him, "Make sure I'm awake before you leave."
"I promise," she chuckled, watching as he escaped inside his tent.
Once he was gone, she moved to sit down, her legs dangling off the edge of the haven. She continued gazing at the stars until everyone else had gone to bed. Once she was sure she was alone, she brought out her locket in front of her, tracing the heart shaped key engraving on the front of it before opening it. Her heart tightened as the watched the hologram recording play out. She hadn't been able to bring herself to watch it since Riku had forgotten her. Tears welled up in her eyes, her heart swelling as she saw her future children and the loving look in her gaze as she looked back at Riku. With a shaking breath, she closed the locket, only to reopen it and watch it all over again. She wanted to memorize every moment. This was the future she was striving for.
***Author's Note: I'm back! Thank you all so much for being patient with me as I took a few months break to care for my upcoming child. He's here now, just passed two months old a few days ago. We're both healthy and I have been so excited to get back to writing.
We're finally done with Eos! I really enjoyed my time here and absolutely adore all the boys here. There's so much more I would love to explore in this universe, but I'm just going to have to save it for my FFXV Fanfic I'm hoping to do once this series is said and done.
Next up is a world I'm sure many people have been wondering when I was going to get to it. A bit of a staple for worlds in Kingdom Hearts, and I'm very excited to finally go there! I hope everyone has a wonderful week and enjoys this chapter! Until next time!***