Get ready for a heavy feels chapter!

Prom hummed softly, trying to gather up his thoughts before he began the story. It had not even been a year since the event, only about half a year. So the events were still mostly fresh in his mind. Though, he knew he was never going to forget this, no matter how hard he tried to.

"It all started the day N'oct and I were out in Eastern Thanalan. We had just been doing some hunting together when we noticed there was an attack on Highbridge. We were the only Adventures close by so we ran to help… but there was a terrible storm going on. Horrible downpours of rain, and constant lighting and thunder."

When he closed his eyes he could still see the flashes of bright light breaking through the sheets of rain.

"It was slippery and the Qiqirn that were attacking, just seemed to keep coming. They were already midway across Highbridge, but N'oct and I were doing what we could. I was staying long range, but trying to lead the Qiqirn to follow me off the bridge in the direction they had come. N'oct on the other hand was right up in their faces. He was a paladin, using swords like how you use them…"

He paused for a moment to see if Noctis had anything to say, but he was still quietly listening. With a deep breath, Prom continued, diving deeper into those memories.

"The thing about Highbridge. It's a large bridge over a large ravine. Like, it's really large… deep… whatever you may say. And there are these areas that can take you to a lower section of the bridge that end hanging over that ravine. N'oct… he had knocked some Qiqirn down there while I was still on the main level of the bridge. I didn't even notice that he had gone down there… well until…"

Prom's breath started to sound a little shaky. His throat felt dry, but he couldn't bring himself to reach over for a cup of water. He could only remain fixated on the memory. He had gone this deep, and now there was no way he could back out. He had to finish this, even if it would hurt for a while after.

"I don't really know how it happened. I still keep thinking it in my head… but I heard N'oct scream. When I knocked back the one last Qiqirn near me, I ran to the edge to see that N'oct had almost fallen off the platform. He was hanging on the edge by one hand… one Qiqirn dead just a few feet in front of him and one last living Qiqirn… approaching him…"

Now the shaking of his hands was getting worse, Noctis no doubt could see it now. And now tears finally decided to show themselves in his eyes, just another way to make him look miserable and pathetic.

"I-I was so close… I shot down the last Qiqirn, b-but as I got to the edge of the platform. N'oct grip gave out… and I missed him by only a matter of seconds."

After that Prom stopped talking, he closed his eyes, pushing away some of the tears. He had done it. He had said what needed to be said, and now he just had to wait. He didn't even dare think of what Noctis was going to say, or even how he was looking. Prom was sure he wouldn't be able to handle a sympathetic look from a face that reminded him of N'oct.

"I'm sorry… I didn't, uh, I shouldn't have asked," Noctis replied after a moment.

Prom shook his head. "N-No. That's quite alright. I shouldn't… it shouldn't be this big of a deal to speak of."

"Hey no. You have every right to be upset by it. It sounds… well you know, pretty traumatic."

"Hmmm…"

"Uh, how about we eat? Maybe some food could make you feel better."

Prom smiled a little at the sincerity of Noctis's voice. He managed to lift up his head and finally make eye contact again. "I think that sounds nice."

Noctis got up to hand over one of the rice balls. Prom took it in his own hands and bit into it, finding that it did make him feel a whole lot better. He savored the taste for a moment before swallowing and going to bite it again.

"This is quite good. Thank you for making this Noctis, ah, I mean Noct," Prom said softly.

Noctis stared at him with a saddened gaze. "If it's too hard for you to say Noct, you can just call me Noctis again. I don't mind."

Shaking his head, Prom exhaled slowly. "No, I shall call you by what you wish to be called. I know that I can overcome this wall. I should be able to anyway…"

"If you say so."

"I'm sorry if I distracted from our happier mood before. I realize I may have brought it down too much."

"You're fine. It just uh, really seems like you need to get it off your chest? You need to say it? Shit, sorry. I'm not really that good at these things. Ignis is usually the one who can handle these types of things."

"Ignis? Another friend of yours?"

Noctis nodded a little. "Yeah. I guess you don't have a glasses wearing friend who just loves cooking more than anything?"

Prom shook his head. "Moving here, and going between the cities, I didn't really make friends that easily. I tried but…" He shook his head, not ready to get into another heavy topic conversation. "N'oct… he was my first friend I had here. The only one who came forward to try and befriend me and support me."

"He sounds like he was a great friend," Noctis said, his voice barely over a whisper.

"He was," Prom said.

"Anything else you'd like to talk about?"

"I… I don't know. Though, I realize I never got to ask you what your purpose was. Or as you said it, what your story is."

Noctis finished up eating his food before he spoke. "My story? Well, I guess you could say… it's keeping a promise. But I can't do that while I'm here. I have to get back to my own world."

He let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Prom watched him breath in and out for a moment before his eyes opened again, staring up at the stars. "Somehow…"

"I know you'll get back," Prom said. "We'll find a way. You should, uh, your friends, they should know that you're okay. Especially if your friend, Prompto was it? If he really is anything like me, he is probably worried for you."

Noctis nodded. "Prompto is the heart of our group. Wearing his emotions on his sleeve or whatever. But yeah, he probably is pretty worried."

"Do you hold onto anything to remember him?" Prom asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Prom ran his fingers along the edge of his shirt and had his thumb reach just a little under the fabric. He slowly pulled out the string that sat there until the entire thing was visible for Noctis to see. "As much as I still pained with N'oct's loss… I will never forget him. I could never… And to honor it, I hold this on me at all times.

He held up the end of the necklace, showing the little blue gem that was on the end of it. "It belonged to him and a while back he gave it to me. He told me that we should each keep something on ourselves in case something ever happened to the other. A memory that we can always hold close."

"So he had something of yours too?"

Prom nodded. "He did. I had given him a special golden wristband with a chocobo engraved into it. It was one of my first personal projects when I started learning the art of the goldsmith."

"That sounds nice. I don't really have anything like that. Well, I never gave him anything like that."

"I won't force you to do anything if you don't wish to, but I would say it is a kind idea," Prom said as he wrapped his hand around the gem. "It's still very hard for me to talk about it. But somehow… I feel I can open up to you. I suppose that is because of how you remind me of him."

Noctis sat back up. "You think so?"

"I've never spoken about this to anyone… other than N'oct's father."

Noctis seemed to sit up even straighter at that. "Is his father… still alive?"

Prom hummed. "Yeah, he is, but I haven't talked to him in some time."

"Oh… I see. Well uh… I hope he is okay. You should, uh, try and talk with him more. I'm sure he'd probably like the company."

"I sense you have some tension regarding a father. Perhaps since I got something off my chest, you should as well?"

"I can try," Noctis said with a shrug. "My dad… back home in my world, I'm kind of the prince, so you know, he's the king. Was the king. He… He died when the Empire attacked the city. I didn't even know, I was far out of the city's range. I had no idea until I heard the news reports."

"Oh, I am sorry," Prom replied. "I can see now why you seemed uneasy when I mentioned N'oct's father."

Noctis wiped his eyes, brushing away probably some small tears. "I just wish I could have… the last words we said, I was just kind of not taking it seriously. If I had known it would be our last time… maybe I would have said something else," Noctis sighed as he lowered his head.

"If it would help, perhaps I could talk to him again, maybe even mention you. I am sure his soul could rest much easier if he knew there was a version of his son that lives in another world."

"Would you?"

"Unless of course you would want to meet him yourself, but I don't know how much time you wish to spend here."

Noctis began to run his hand up and down his pant leg. "How close is he?"

"Back in Ul'dah. So not the farthest distance, but still we would have to travel back."

Noctis hummed softly. "Guess we probably wouldn't have time. But if we really don't, you could tell him for me, right?"

"Of course I would. And still, I wish to thank you again, for before. My chest does feel a slight bit lighter now than it has in some time."

"No problem. Glad I could do something."

Prom smiled, feeling the warmth actually radiating through his entire face this time. He really did feel better, and he couldn't express it enough to Noctis how that made him feel. He finally wiped away the final tears left on his face and stood up from his chair. Noctis did the same and the two of them quietly cleaned up the area around the firepit.

"It has grown late, and I would say I am rather tired," Prom yawned.

"I hear ya," Noctis agreed as he laid down in the tent.

"I'm sorry the tent isn't that much bigger," Prom said as he sat down. "It should be fine for the two of us, but I'm sure that-"

"Nah, it's cool," Noctis interrupted. "I've shared a tent with the guys plenty of times. That's three other guys, and none of them have scales or a tale."

Prom laughed. "Sounds like you have the experience then." He then paused, licking his lips slightly before facing the man. "Goodnight , Noct."

"Oh? Uh, goodnight, Prom."

A little flicker warmed Prom's chest again. He tried his best to hold onto it as he closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep for the night. After everything that had happened, and everything that was said, he just hoped he could get a good night of sleep.