Disclaimer: not mine

For those who wanted slash, there's now a slash version of this up. While there are less chapter in it, it has caught up to this since I combined chapters when posting. I added and altered scenes to it.

Chapter 17

Gladio watched carefully as Prompto admitted what he had become, seeing the shame in his eyes, they were all working to break him out of that emotion, so far with limited success. Good news was the doctor wasn't screaming, calling for the Guard or attacking, he couldn't read what she was feeling as she stared at Prom.

"Could you repeat that?" She asked faintly.

"Prompto underwent his Awakening as a harpy," Ignis answered for him, voice clipped, ready to verbally flay her should she say anything to upset the newest member of their pod.

"I see…" she took a deep breath. "I assume that is why you no longer need the therapy?" her voice sounded more natural with the question and Prompto nodded warily.

"This has to remain secret," Gladio spoke up and she glanced over at him, nodding.

"Of course."

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It was a struggle to maintain a mask of professionalism, fighting down the instinctive fear. She was human but as a doctor in the Citadel, she knew the truth about the King and other old families, she had to in order to treat her patients to the best of her abilities. She had seen so many return from battle, horrendously wounded by MT's and harpies alike. She'd seen footage too to ensure she knew what they could do, and she had done her own research, reading up on their enemies.

Looking at Argentum, the idea that he was a harpy would never have occurred to her. He was half curled into the Prince who stood behind him, arm around his waist, the other hand now in blond hair, calming him even as Argentum trembled. She had seen nothing that would suggest what she was seeing was remotely possible. Was it the bond that had allowed the boy to remain as he had been before the Awakening?

"Have there been any physical changes since then?" she asked and was glad she sounded normal again.

The Prince nodded and gently prodded Argentum who sat up and reached for his shirt, hesitantly looking up at her. Seeing the fear in his eyes made her feel bad about her initial reaction and she offered a gentle smile. He blinked at her, surprised, but then he pulled the shirt off and she took a step towards him only for him to stiffen.

"May I come closer to look? I won't touch you without your permission."

He glanced back at the Prince who smiled in encouragement, nuzzling him again, and Argentum looked back at her. "Okay."

"Thank you," she walked up to the exam table, keeping her hands on the file and pen. She could see why he had removed his shirt, she remembered when he'd been brought in and he had been slender, wiry, but not very muscular. Now he had definite muscle definition and little body fat. "May I see your back?" she asked and he turned around to show her. The scars were still there but they now looked years old rather than months and she told him so. "Has anything else changed?"

"I can carry Noct now and Cor has me practicing with heavier guns," he admitted quietly.

"I have also noted some dietary changes, Prompto has never been a picky eater but now he favours meat over anything else," Scientia added.

Anna nodded and noted it all down, this was one patient file she would be ensuring was very well secured. "I would like to take your vitals for a baseline; temperature, weight, body measurements."

He finally made proper eye contact with her and she waited patiently. She was not going to push or rush anything, she did not want to stress him any more than he already was.

"We won't let anything happen Prom and remember, Cor chose her, he'd never pick someone that'd hurt you," the Prince promised him softly.

"Mr Argentum, it is very obvious that you are nothing like a normal harpy. Even if you were, I have taken an oath to heal those under my care, to not harm them. The aim of today is to ensure you are healthy and that you remain so in the future. Part of the reason the Marshal chose me is likely due to the fact I am human and therefore shouldn't set off any of your new instincts."

"Prompto, my name's Prompto," he finally offered and she smiled.

"Prompto then," if using his first name helped him feel comfortable then that was what she would do.

"What do you want first?" he asked and she nodded, pulling out a thermometer and he turned his head, allowing her to place it in his ear.

"Thirty nine degrees, if you were still human I'd be concerned," she told him, recording it. She wished she had the research she'd done at hand so she could check if that was in the normal range for a harpy but…she thought it was a little low.

"According to Citadel records, that is low for a harpy," Scientia spoke up, tablet in hand. "His body temperature was higher at first, I would guess around forty-one. It has been lower since he died." As soon as those words were out of his mouth all four froze.

"Died?" She asked and they exchanged looks. "Gentlemen, I cannot treat Prompto if I do not have all of the facts."

"There was a voice in my head, telling me to kill, I couldn't remember much or talk properly. I recognised Cor and Noct after a bit and Noct could use the bond to help me push the voice back but…" the blond looked miserable and the Prince soothed him.

"With the aid of the Crystal's power, an attempt to break or transfer the clan bond was made while Lord Ardyn travelled to Niflheim to keep said harpy distracted. Unfortunately the man had created a kind of failsafe and it triggered with his death, killing Prompto and as far as we know, every other member of their clan," Scientia finished for him.

"That shouldn't be possible," she denied.

"It's because I'm a clone, he messed around with the genetics to ensure obedience. Guess Cor got me out before I was old enough for him wake my harpy genes up or maybe he only did that to some of us? But it killed me when Ardyn killed him."

"Obviously the Prince was able to revive you." That was a relief, the idea of the Prince having a bond severed so soon was terrifying.

"Dad, Uncle Ardyn, and I tried for over an hour but nothing worked," the Prince told her.

She stared at him and then back at the definitely alive Prompto. There was a time limit to using magic to bring the dead back and he had gone passed it so how was he alive? "That's…"

"No one can ever know," The Prince stared her down and she nodded, dumbfounded. "Shiva brought Prompto back. She said our magic failed to bring him back because he's a harpy."

"She did something to me. My temperature's lower, my memories came back and…we went to the pools, part of me wanted to run and another part wanted to dive in."

Anna wasn't sure what to think or feel. An Astral? Hadn't the Empire killed Shiva? How was it possible and why would she intervene? "In that case, I think a new test should be run, see if whatever she did shows up on the genetic level. The magic of the bond alters the very genetics to grant the mer form. There has never been anyone with both mer and harpy, at least to our knowledge, it may not be possible or it could be Shiva has stabilised it to where you can. It would be better to know before you attempt to get in anything other than a shower or ankle deep water." As she spoke she got him up and onto the scales, recording his weight which had returned to a healthy range.

She took measurements and then when he nodded got out a sample collection kit. She took the necessary samples and labelled them for testing, grateful that it was an automated system, the last thing they needed was a lab worker freaking out.

"Have you transformed at all since your Awakening?" She asked as she put away what she didn't need.

"A few times, to practise flying. I keep trying to sit on ledges and they were getting worried I'd fall."

"I found him sitting on Noctis' balcony with his legs over the edge one morning," Scientia added.

Yes, that would be very concerning, especially if they were unsure whether or not he could actually fly. "You can fly?" She asked and he nodded.

"It's not easy, but I managed a lap of the training room."

"The muscles are there, and are improving very fast, but they do need training," Amicitia explained.

"Do you find the instincts harder to control in that form?" she asked, taking notes.

Prompto shook his head but then paused. "But I've only been with them since the first time."

"Do you think you could transform now so that I can at least give a visual examination?"

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Prompto froze, was she serious? Crazy? She was human, defenceless if he…he was fine with the guys but they were his clan, bond mates. He glanced up at Noctis but he was staring at the Doctor.

"Doctor, if anything goes wrong,"

"I understand I am the most vulnerable person in this room," she cut Ignis off. "And I will not blame anyone should something happen."

"Why?" Prompto asked.

"Prompto?" the doctor asked.

"Why do you want to see?" he pushed.

"If I am to be your doctor going forward then I need as much information as possible. If you are injured, there is a chance you will transform even if you don't intend to. If that happens, then having even basic information on your harpy form when healthy will help."

That…made sense…he looked at Gladio who nodded.

"Over here Doc," Gladio called and she moved back to where he was.

Prompto looked to Noctis who let go of his waist, squeezing his hand briefly before stepping back to give him room. He kicked off his shoes, slid off the table and moved back a bit towards the farthest wall from her. He reached inside and pulled, feeling his wings burst from his back, body shifting.

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Anna watched, fascinated as wings burst from his body, hands gaining claws, but she winced in sympathy as she heard the cracking of bone as his feet changed. She had seen mer's change, that was instant, painless…nothing like this. Was it always like that for harpies? Or was it different due to the small amount of their DNA he carried, something Besithia did to the clones?

His appearance wasn't quite what she expected either. Even with his altered form….his features were still shockingly human. He lacked the beak fully though she got a glimpse of sharp teeth in his mouth. His eyes were black but…not cold.

"Prom?" The Prince called and Prompto turned to face him, head cocked to one side, making a noise and the Prince smiled, holding out his hand and Prompto went to him, curling against him, cooing. The Prince smiled and ran a hand through bright blond hair that had become rather feathery looking. "Okay?" he asked and Prompto made another noise.

"That means yes," Amicitia murmured to her. "He's been learning what he can of our language since he learnt the truth. We've been working to pick up what we can of the harpy tongue in return."

"Prom, think you'll be okay with the doctor coming closer?" The Prince asked gently. That got a nervous sounding chittering noise, Prompto looking over at her again. One clawed hand clung to the Prince's shirt but then he nodded hesitantly.

"Nice and slow, stop if he needs you to," Amicitia warned and she nodded.

She slowly moved forward, hands to her sides and open to show she was unarmed and meant no harm. When he tensed slightly she stopped but under the Prince's gentle touch he relaxed again. She stopped just out of reach, not wanting to push it. "Is this alright?" She asked gently and he nodded slowly, clinging to the Prince still but that was fine. She took note of everything she could visually, not willing to risk upsetting him by recording anything at the moment. "I am not making you uncomfortable being so close?" she asked and he stared at her, slowly letting go of the Prince.

He took a half step towards her and she remained still. That close, it was unlikely anyone could stop him if he went for her….but she didn't feel at all threatened. She remained still even when a clawed hand reached towards her, feeling soft, practically invisible feathers on the back of his hand brush her face. She didn't flinch and he smiled slightly, before he stepped back into the Prince.

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Noctis held Prompto as he slept, he was so proud of him. He had ignored his fear and done everything the doctor had asked of him. He had transformed for a stranger and nothing had happened. The long appointment been exhausting for him though, more stress than he'd had to deal with since his Awakening.

He liked the doctor; she had handled things very well considering everything they'd hit her with. Cor had made an excellent choice. Prompto had even let her touch him! They'd know the results of the tests by next week and he was a little nervous, did Prompto have a mer-form? Was that why he wanted to dive in? Or was that wishful thinking?

He would feel better having official word that Prompto was healthy and he knew Cor would as well, they all would. Even if he hadn't been their Fourth, he was their friend. He knew it wouldn't be much longer before he was another brother. All their secrets were out in the open now and Prompto was healed. His control of his instincts was improving every day as the time with the doctor proved. The real test would be a mer Prompto didn't know but who would they trust to say nothing? Prompto had friends in the Glaive but he had seen most of their mer-forms at some point. A Crownsguard maybe? Prompto knew some in passing but he didn't have actual friends among them. Monica maybe? Or Dustin? They were both calm, level headed, and utterly loyal, they wouldn't speak out of turn.

Noctis looked up as Ignis stepped into the room with a tray. "We missed lunch, I thought you may be hungry."

"Thanks," Noctis carefully sat up but Prompto stirred, waking up. "Hey sleepy, Iggy brought us a late lunch."

Prompto sat up, blinking, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks Iggy."

"You've had a stressful day, you needed the rest," Ignis smiled and ruffled sleep messed blond hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Prompto told him, digging in to the food.

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Ignis dove into the water, feeling his body change immediately, but then he surfaced and made his way to the edge. He rested his arms there and Prompto knelt down, studying him. It was the first time Prompto had truly gotten a good look at him.

"Can I see?" Prompto asked and Ignis slowly lifted a tentacle from the water, holding it still when Prompto reached out.

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Prompto carefully touched the raised tentacle, not wanting to hurt Iggy. He ran his fingers over it, finding it felt very, very slimy, soft, tender and velvety but also slippery and sticky. It was nothing like Noct's scales. It was different, but not scary. The tentacle moved, slowly wrapping around his wrist and he felt the suckers caress his skin, unable to help laughing. "That kind of tickles," he admitted.

"Told you it'd be fine," Noctis called before diving in as well, he surfaced and joined Ignis at the edge.

Gladio remained out of the water and it was nice of him to stay but he felt bad that he was staying out because of him. He dipped the hand with the tentacle wrapped around it into the cold water, he knew it had been cool before, but now it felt cold.

"Okay?" Gladio asked and he nodded.

"I'm fine, Iggy is Iggy, tentacles or legs," he grinned and Ignis smiled back in relief. Everyone relaxed and they stared there, talking about Iris and her shenanigans at school, the Council meeting Noct had been forced to attend, even the new camera he'd bought Prompto so he could get back into photography. He kept his hand in the water, the tentacle curled around his wrist.

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Regis glanced out his window and smiled at the sight in the garden below. It was good to see the four of them outside, enjoying the sunlight. He spotted Cor hovering nearby them, ready to step in should anything happen. The garden was not one of those open to the public but staff regularly used it or even just passed through. It was a good spot to choose for getting Prompto used to being around others again. The open air should help him feel safe and therefore less likely to react poorly.

Clarus was wary of the boy, but he'd had little interaction with the blond, despite his friendship with Gladio. Most of what he knew was from Prompto's file and that only listed facts. He didn't blame Clarus for being wary, it was what made him such an excellent Shield. Regis did hope that with exposure to Prompto, with what Gladio would share with his family of the boy, that he would come to see Prompto was no threat. No, once he was ready, Regis planned to speak with him and Cor about him officially joining the Crownsguard. There hadn't been a true marksman in the group since Weskham and form what Cor said, Prompto would likely outstrip even his skills.

He knew the boys wanted to see if Prompto could handle actually getting back in the water, if he could still swim with them, but he had advised them to wait for the test results which were taking more time than normal. If it was possible he had an unstable mer-form or something, they needed to know in advance.

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Cor watched as Prompto climbed the rope easily, timing him. It was something he hadn't been able to do since before the first attack since he'd never recovered full upper body strength. Now he was managing it easily, far better than some of his most seasoned people could.

Reggie had spoken to him about Prompto joining the Guard and in theory it was a good idea, it would be expected once people learned Prompto was part of Noctis' Retinue. He was a civilian, refugee, nobody as far as others were concerned. Joining the Crownsguard would be expected but it was risky. He trusted his people but could he trust them to treat Prompto well? If he joined, sooner or later, his heritage would be revealed. Would they be able to see past what he was, to accept that Prompto was different?

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Prompto sat on the same exam table as he had several weeks earlier, the guys with him for support. He was scared about what might have been found, but it was also a relief to know that soon he'd have answers. He couldn't help nervously drumming his fingers against the table but Iggy gently pressed on his hand to stop him.

"It will be alright, no matter what the results we will deal with it," he promised softly.

"Iggy's right, relax blondie," Gladio smirked at him and then the door opened to let Dr Lorne in.

She smiled at seeing them all. "Your Highness," she bowed and then brought up two reports on the screen for them all to see. "The one on the left is your last test results, the right is the newest." She highlighted three sections. "As you can see, there have been some significant changes. The Unknown result has actually increased some to ten percent. Your Harpy results have also strengthened to forty percent, which I was expecting given your Awakening. As it is under half it may explain why it takes time for you to transform. The biggest change is right here, forty percent mer, meaning you still carry some human DNA, if only ten percent."

"So what does it mean?" Noctis asked for him.

"The harpy and mer are exactly the same, balanced. My best, educated, guess would be that you should also have a mer-form. Given the time taken to transform, I would be very careful for the first time since entry into the water may not cause an instantaneous change like you are used to," she warned them and they nodded.

"So that's why I feel drawn to the water but also wanting to run," he offered and she nodded.

"Likely. It is possible that once you are in the water that sensation will fade, the mers instincts taking precedence over the harpy's. I don't want you near water alone until we are sure of everything though."

"Of course, we will ensure we remain with him when near the pools. Would it be of any help for you to be present the first time he attempts to swim?"

"Medically, there is little that can be done. If something does go wrong, your Highness will be able to do more than myself or any of the medical staff."

"So perhaps the King or Lord Ardyn should be present."

She nodded in agreement. "Other than that, you are complete healthy Prompto. I would like to see you every three months, baring anything coming up. Alright?"

"Thanks doctor," he managed a smile for her, mind reeling with everything he'd found out.

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Gladio chuckled as Prompto hit the mat, hard, but turned it into a roll, getting back to his feet quickly. He was getting better at fighting beyond firearms. He was training with Iggy at the moment, working on his speed and agility. While Prom now had the strength for prolonged sword use, he still wasn't comfortable with one so they had decided to see how he went with daggers and lances instead.

The kid had learnt how to store and summon his guns and so now he was technically always armed, the Armiger ensuring he never ran out of ammunition, Gladio just wished there'd never be a day where he needed that. So long as the war lasted though, sooner or later he'd end up having to pull the trigger, before or after Noct became King.

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Noct grinned and splashed Prompto who sputtered and mock glared at him, wiping the salt water from his face. Gladio laughed from where he was leaning against the wall and Iggy even glanced up from his book. Prompto had been near the water enough that they no longer felt it necessary for one of them to stick by his side. They traded off one of them staying out, just to be safe but Prompto was fine, they were just waiting for him to be ready and for either his Dad or Uncle to have the time to be there.

Prompto shook his head and went to stand as Gladio went to slap his shoulder, the force and being part way through standing throwing off his balance. He scrambled to catch himself and Noctis' eyes went wide as he watched as if in slow motion as Prompto fell forward into the pool.

"Prom!" he screamed and then dove down, terrified.

He didn't see Ignis' eyes go wide even as he pulled his phone to call the King, or the look of horrified guilt on Gladio's face before he dove as well. The section they were in was deep, very deep.

TBC….