Disclaimer: Not mine

So it's the golden trio together and the 4 guys together. Though I've been asked to mix them up too, which works with Harry and Hermione's discussion last chapter, it won't be a big part of the storyline though.

Chapter 4

Prompto quickly stripped off his now too big uniform before helping Noct out of the medical clothes and then into the shower. It took him a few seconds to work the controls out and then he gently began washing him. Noctis leant back, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the water and Prompto's gentle ministrations. Had Noct even had a shower since the Crystal spat him out? "Okay?" He asked and Noct opened his eyes, smiling slightly.

"Feels nice."

"If we had more time I'd make it feel even better," he grinned cheekily and Noctis chuckled.

"Think that'd knock me back out," he admitted, managing a tired grin. "Definitely don't miss that fuzz," he reached out to touch Prompto's chin and he pouted before moving to wash Noctis' hair for him. "Can do that bit," he offered.

"I want to, let's not stretch anything just yet. And I liked my fuzz!" he carefully washed and conditioned Noct's hair for him, having to move an arm around his waist to support him as he flagged. As the last of it washed free of Noct's hair, Prompto leant his forehead against his shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to warm, wet skin. "I've missed you so much," he choked out, fighting tears and then Noctis was turning slowly, wrapping his arms around Prompto's waist, leaning against him before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"I'm here, don't know how, but I'm here," Noctis promised.

Prompto nodded and turned the water off, grabbing a towel each and settling Noctis down on a handy bench in the bathroom. He quickly dried off and redressed before moving to help Noctis, easily settling the brace into place and securing it, having to adjust it slightly for Noctis' altered, younger, body. And it hit him, no Wall or Ring to drain his life away like his Dad's, to make his childhood injuries worse and worse until he needed a walking stick or even a wheelchair. These people had managed to partially restore Iggy's sight, could they do something for Noct? "Ready?" he asked and Noctis nodded so Prompto stood and offered his hands which Noctis took, letting him help pull him up, sliding an arm around his waist to be safe. They left to find Iggy and Gladio alone in the tent, talking quietly. They looked over, Ignis squinting and then both stood and bowed before smiling.

"Knock it off guys," Noctis muttered, nudging Prompto to keep going so they left the tent to find the three at a window.

Harry looked over at them and grinned. "Very spiffy."

"A pity we don't have our old uniforms, at least they would fit," Ignis admitted.

"I can resize those for you," he offered.

"Resize?" Gladio asked.

"Shrink them to fit perfectly."

"Thank you," Noctis said and Harry nodded, his fingers twitching and Prompto jolted as he felt the material shift around him and then it felt right.

"Wow," he grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem. Out visitor is coming right up the main street, you guys know him?" Harry asked so they went to the window and looked down.

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"Cor," Noctis breathed in relief. They'd told him Cor had survived but seeing him made it real. He couldn't make out any detail, but he knew how the Marshal moved, he'd known him his whole life. It made sense that he'd be the first one to come looking for them.

"Okay, you need to eat something and then I want to take a look at that old wound," Ron told him firmly and Noctis stared at him for a second before nodding. Maybe that was why he felt so weak, he needed food. Prompto helped him over to the camp and helped him sit in front of the fire…which wasn't producing smoke. He watched as Harry put together a plate and mug, bringing them over.

"Mug's soup," he offered and Noctis took it in both hands, lifting it to his mouth and taking a cautious sip, closing his eyes as flavour burst over his tongue, forcing himself to swallow slowly, knowing better than to rush his first meal in who knew how long. His last meal had been rations, caused by a lack of food growing in the dark. This was….he heard a feminine laugh and opened his eyes to see the woman…Hermione, smiling at him.

"Harry's cooking is wonderful, isn't it?"

Noctis nodded, taking another sip and then another until it was all gone, waiting a few minutes before accepting the plate from Prompto, finding a simple sandwich waiting. Once he was done eating, Ron approached and Noctis turned, raising his clothes slowly to reveal the mess of scars.

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Cor walked through the silent city, so many memories of happier days… trying not to think of the duty he was walking towards. He had buried one King, had been absent for another…and now a third. He wished he had been in Hammerhead that day, to see the man he had become, but it was not meant to be. All he could do was pray his death had been as quick and painless as possible, though he doubted it.

It had taken him days to reach the city which had been rather confusing. One minute the world had been trapped in darkness, the land desolate, and now it was a wilderness of plants and animals. Roads were overgrown, though it seemed the bases were clear, and anything outside of them looked as if it had been many years since humans had done anything, cars were rusted ruins, the transmission towers collapsed…none of it made sense. The city appeared untouched as well, the damage what he expected form the various reports he'd heard post attack.

He was wondering how many bodies he would be collecting; he hadn't passed the boys and they hadn't returned to Hammerhead. They had changed so much since Noctis disappeared and he was wondering if maybe…the idea of living on without him…

He stopped and stared up at the Citadel…was that movement? He knew those windows, the Throne room. Was someone still alive? He walked up the stairs, wincing as his knees complained, he was not getting any younger, he'd turned fifty five this year. He was getting too old for all of this, though Cid would glare at him for that, he was still going strong at eighty seven. It was wrong, none of them had dreamed of outliving Noctis, he knew Cid hadn't wanted to outlive Regis either.

He pushed the main door open and slipped inside, it was utterly silent, deserted but then…in the dust were footprints. Some coming in through the doors like he had, imprints of standard issue boots but there were three other sets that were not, one set he would say belonged to either someone young or female due to the size. That had him even more on guard, sword in hand. The elevators were dark, dead with no power, so he pushed aside the panel hiding the emergency stairs and headed up, not taking the public access ones for safety if those footprints belonged to looters or some such group. He finally made it up and found the door to the Throne room ajar. He readied himself then peered in, spotting a tent and campsite and then his heart leapt into his throat as he spotted a head of familiar bright blonde hair, helping another figure walk around…one dressed in Royal Raiment and walking with a limp….it wasn't possible.

"Will you be joining us Marshal?" Ignis' voice reached him, and he stepped cautiously inside, the younger man's senses were exceptional to make up for his blindness. Inside the room he spotted Gladio and Ignis, sitting down and looking his direction…and three strangers by the windows.

"Your Majesty?" Cor called and the two turned to him, shocking him as he took in his King, unchanged from a decade ago.

"Cor," Noctis smiled at him, looking tired but alive and healthy.

And then he took a good look at Prompto and frowned, he had seen him not even a month ago, he'd had a goatee and more muscle mass, in fact…he too looked as he had when this all started and another look at the other two showed the same thing. Was Ignis actually looking at him, not just in his direction. "How? What happened to all of you?" he demanded warily. Was this all a trick of Izunia's? He'd heard their reports himself of the man's powers.

"The Astrals," Ignis answered, standing slowly to approach and Cor took in how carefully he moved, seeing the scars as he got close enough, still there but lessened and his eye was no longer sealed shut, both eyes the green he remembered form before the injuries. "When we all touched Noctis we were knocked out, it felt like an electric shock, when we woke we were like this."

"An electric shock, Ramuh?"

"That would be my assumption. Have you wondered about the vegetation and animal life?"

"Of course?"

"According to our new friends, they arrived to find Noctis pinned by his Father's sword to the Throne, frozen solid. They saw us on the stairs, also apparently ice statues. When Harry," he indicated one of the men, "touched the sword Shiva appeared. She froze all of humanity so that the planet would have time to recover."

It was unbelievable and yet…it also made sense, at least freezing the people did. It would explain why he had been so cold, how it had suddenly been afternoon and the state of the world outside their safe bases. "How can you live?" He asked Noctis who shrugged.

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"I don't know, I remember dying, defeating Ardyn in the beyond and then I was waking up here." That was hazy, like he had sort of woken once before, freezing cold which was likely when they had freed him, but it was too hazy to really focus on, except for a gentle, male voice and green eyes, which had to have been Harry. He could understand her somehow saving his body, but returning his soul and intact when he remembered shattering? He doubted he'd ever know, or maybe he would when he died again.

"Are you injured?"

"Just tired and sore, I did have a sword through me," he managed a tiny smile, even as he tried not to remember his Dad's anguish as he drove that sword into him. it had been cruel, to make him be the last one to strike, but they had attacked in order, leaving him no choice. And in a way he was glad, that it had been his Dad, even hidden by armour, that had been his last mortal sight. He glanced over at the three who had saved them all and motioned them forward. "Cor Leonis, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, they're from another world," he introduced and yeah, seeing Cor's jaw actually drop made his year.

TBC…

I am swamped with papers so you can either have the occasional short update to things, or nothing till the second week of November or so.