Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 4

Ichigo parked the Regalia opposite the large open building that seemed to serve as HQ. thankfully, the days on the road had helped them stabilise a bit emotionally. A nights proper sleep had helped Prompto and the older two were pushing passed their grief to ensure the group remained safe…but the Prince was still a concern. It was obvious he was bottling everything up and that was not good.

They got out and looked around while Ichigo grabbed his pack from the trunk, shouldering it. "I'll check in, see you later?"

"Yeah, we'll find you before we leave," Gladio answered, offering his hand and Ichigo shook it. He slipped away and was surprised to spot Dave but headed over to him.

"What brings you this far north Ichigo?" Dave asked, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Helping out some green hunters."

"Ah, the city boys. They okay?"

It was obvious Dave had realised who they were but was keeping quiet to keep them safe and Ichigo nodded. "Dealing. Wasn't going to let them drive after the news broke though, last thing they needed was to crash."

"Good. Looking for a lift home?"

"Thought I'd wait and see what they're doing, in case they need help and then wherever I'm needed most."

"Might be a hunt out in Duscae, near the Nebulawood. There's a nasty behemoth called Deadeye causing a lot of trouble. Wiz's Chocobo outpost is out there and they can't let the birds out while it's around. Without them, there's no rentals."

"Which means people are getting stranded." Chocobos had been a shock, like a giant yellow chicken big enough to ride. They didn't particularly like him and he preferred walking or Shunpo but others relied on the birds. "No one's been able to take it out?"

"First guy to go after it never came back, since then there's been a group of three and another duo, all have come back alive but needing a lot of medical care. They've all been low ranked though, not ready for something like a behemoth."

He'd have to run back to Galdin and finish packing up his little house, who knew when he'd go back. Pity he couldn't store more than his blades away within his very soul, then again it would probably be very weird if he could, though it'd give that pair more to look at and do other than stand on flagpoles or spar.

He carried his pack inside the building, a few people looking up but he was just another Hunter to them. He grabbed a corner to dump his gear in and sat down to stretch out a bit, leaning against his pack. He closed his eyes as if sleeping but in reality he was using other senses to track the Prince and his friends. They met up with another person and he felt a strange flare in Noctis' signature before it settled down, but it had changed…more powerful? A while later he felt the surge of battle and opened his eyes, everyone looking up the path the boys had taken at the distant sound of gunfire and explosions. They didn't last very long though and eventually an older man in black walked down the path, speaking with a woman before talking to Dave.

He was surprised when the man approached him. "Kurosaki?"

"Yeah," he stood up, finding the man was a little taller than he was. "Can I help you?"

"Cor Leonis," he introduced himself, the man Noctis and co had been looking for in Hammerhead and the name was vaguely familiar…a news article soon after he arrived…ah! Crownsguard.

"Ichigo," he offered and the man nodded.

"Ignis speaks highly of your skills. Thank you, for helping them."

Ichigo shrugged slightly. "The Pr…Noctis wasn't moving too well and everything was booked out, figured he didn't want to limp down the aisle. Though I guess the wedding's off now."

Leonis nodded. "Dave said you'll be heading into Duscae?"

"He mentioned a hunt out there in order to get the Chocobo rentals back into business."

"there's a base blockading the road that needs dealing with."

"That you're way of asking for help with it?"

"You're a hunter, not a soldier."

"And Imperial blockades make life harder for everyone. I'll help."

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"Ichigo!" Prompto waved at the hunter, spotting him near the Regalia.

"Did whatever you needed to?"

"Yeah," Noctis answered. "Got a lift?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I've agreed to take a hunt around the Chocobo outpost for a behemoth. It's why the rentals are down. And that guy you met with, Cor, asked if I'd help with the blockade into Duscae."

"Are you sure?" Ignis asked in concern.

Prompto understood his concern, Ichigo was a hunter, a good one, but he wasn't a soldier. They weren't either, even if the other guys had been Crownsguard for years, they'd never seen real combat. He had years of arcade shooting games and a month of training, even if Cor had admitted he'd taken to guns with a raw talent he hadn't seen before. Praise form the Immortal himself…still, he was very aware he was the weak link in the group. He didn't have the physical abilities they did, he had to keep a distance between himself and the enemy or else he risked becoming a liability.

Ichigo just nodded. "Blockades are a pain for everyone."

Ignis looked at Noctis before asking him something softly and he nodded. "Very well, we will give you a lift to the outpost, and a hand with the hunt if you wish."

Prompto's eyes widened and he fought the urge to bounce but Gladio still chuckled. "We can see Chocobos?" he asked and Ignis smirked slightly.

"If Ichigo accepts."

Ichigo looked at him, a smile twitching at his lips. "Sounds good."

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Ignis parked the car near the Haven and they headed up, the sun too low in the sky to begin their assault on the base. They got the camp set up and Ignis got to work cooking, Ichigo lending a hand.

Once again, he chose to sleep out under the stars, leaving the tent to them. He was still awake two hours later when Prompto left the tent, not saying anything even as he patted the sleeping bag beside him. Prompto snuck over and lay beside him, hands shaking slightly.

"Nightmare?" Ichigo asked softly and the blond nodded. He settled a blanket over them both and then sneakily knocked him out again. He was surprised Prompto had sought him out rather than one of his friends, maybe he didn't want them to know he was having nightmares? A few minutes later, Gladio peered out of the tent in concern and Ichigo motioned for quiet, pointing at Prompto's sleeping form, and the other man nodded, ducking back into the tent.

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They moved into the narrow gap in the rock walls, working their way through until they met the woman from the outpost. She nodded in greeting. "The base is unfinished. If we are to strike, now is the time. Be warned; Commander Loqi has been sighted at the base. Take all care. From here we will split into two groups. Prince Noctis, please join the marshal up ahead. The rest of you will assist me in the diversionary effort," she explained succinctly.

"So it's me and Cor, huh? I'll see you guys later."

"You go give 'em hell. We'll do the same on our end," Gladio smirked and then they backtracked out of the rocks, heading for the main gate with the woman.

"Prom, the snipers are yours. Ichigo, can you watch his back?" Ignis asked and he nodded. "Very good, shall we?" the three of them took off while Prompto found a good spot with some cover, to shoot the snipers from, Ichigo crouching with him, watching for any threat as the attack began.

The fight was just a chaotic mess, something he was very used to. The MT's worked out eventually where they were concealed and he launched himself at them, keeping them off Prompto as he finished off the snipers and then began picking off the various troops before they could reach the others. Seconds after the last MT fell, the gates opened to reveal Noctis and the Marshal, Prompto scrambling out from cover.

"Noct!"

"Marshal. It's good to see you again," Ignis nodded to the man even as Noctis looked them all over.

"Alright on your end?" The Prince asked in concern.

"Right as rain. The Niffs couldn't take their eyes off us," Gladio assured him.

"Thanks to you we were spared their attention," Cor nodded to them, especially Ichigo.

At the sound of an approaching engine they looked up, spotting an imperial drop ship suddenly flying in; the PA activating as it hovered above them.

"Stay right where you are. Well, well, if it isn't Cor the Immortal. So you survived the Citadel. But you won't survive what I have in store for you. It's past time your legend came to an end."

"Say, Marshal, how 'bout you show us how it's done?" Prompto whispered as the armour dropped down.

"No wimping out. Let's move," he ordered, lunging in with his sword.

Once again, Ichigo stuck with Prompto, defending him from the MT's that had arrived with the armour so that he could focus on his shooting. At one point he hauled him back with a grip on his vest, almost throwing him behind a shipping container as missiles hit the ground where they'd been standing.

By the time the armour blew they were exhausted and the sun was getting low in the sky. "Impressive. Seeing you in action puts my mind at ease. It's clear I don't need to worry any more. I'll return to watching the Niffs. 'Til next time, take care," Cor told them before he and the woman whose name Ichigo still hadn't heard left. Ignis vanished as well, going to retrieve the Regalia.

They headed through the now ruined base on foot, Ignis eventually catching up in the car.

"Ain't so bad out here once you get used to it," Gladio offered with a grin.

"Still a lot we haven't seen, though."

"And a lot for us to do," Ignis pointed out.

"Yeah."

"Buck up. We're just getting started," Gladio slapped Prompto on the shoulder before getting into the car.

They got in and Ignis began driving quicker.

"Look out world, here we come!" Prompto cheered from his spot between Ichigo and Noctis.

"We can finally leave this dust bowl behind," Gladio admitted, even he was sick of that dry heat.

"The lands beyond are vast by comparison to Leide."

"Bigger's better! More stuff to see and do," the blonds enthusiasm was contagious, everyone grinning.

"First comes Duscae, a region known for its wetlands. Have you been to Duscae before Ichigo?"

"Never, sorry."

"Really? Wetlands?" Noctis perked up and Ichigo figured he was looking for more fishing opportunities since he'd fished for quite a while at Galdin.

"There's also the Chocobo forest where the hunt is located."

"Now we're talking!" Prompto cheered.

"Further west lies the Cleigne region, wherein we'll find the town of Lestallum."

"Oh. Isn't that where Iris is headed?"

"Barring delays, she should've arrived by now. Maybe even had herself a look at the Meteor," Gladio answered, sounding relieved.

"The Meteor of the Six?" Noctis spoke up, obviously trying not to sound too interested.

"The same. Its heat is harnessed to power Lestallum," Ignis explained. It was very different to the power sources Ichigo was used to back home but seemed like it may be better for the environment.

"Whoa. That sounds way cool."

"I'm actually looking forward to this," Gladio smirked as they pulled into the Alstor Coernix Station.

"It will be a long drive. Best fill up the tank before we set out," Ignis told them as he parked. They all got out to stretch their legs and look around.

Noctis's phone rand and he frowned as he dug it out. "Who could this be? Hello?"

"Um, Noct?"

"Iris?" He asked in surprise, getting their attention.

"It's really you! So good to hear your voice! Everything's fine over here. We managed to make it to Lestallum. We just settled into our new digs. So, yeah. Let me know when you're coming so we can meet up."

"Yeah, will do. We're helping out with a hunt first so it'll be a while."

"You better! Be careful too," she warned before he hung up.

"Was that Iris? Hmph. Can't even call her own brother," Gladio scoffed.

"In all fairness, yours wasn't the obituary broadcast all over Lucis," Ignis offered as he finished filling the tank. "We should see if the caravan is available, start fresh in the morning."

"I'll do it," Ichigo offered, heading for it, finding it hadn't been rented yet so he quickly paid the fee. He pulled out his map and checked the roads, looked like they'd reach the outpost in about two days.

He headed into the store, seeing Gladio's large form through the window.

"Oh, crap. They're out," he heard Noctis hiss so moved to join them, seeing them staring at a sign.

Due to road closures, we are SOLD OUT of Ebony Coffee for the foreseeable future.

"Can't let him see this."

"He'd be crushed."

"Who?" he asked and they nearly jumped.

"Ignis, he probably bleeds Ebony," Noctis admitted.

"So our driver's going to be going through caffeine withdrawal, wonderful."

"Good thing we have a backup," Gladio smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"Caravan's ours for the night."

"Great, beats camping," Noctis grinned at Gladio, obviously relieved.

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Noctis watched as Ichigo helped out around camp. It was kind of weird how easily he just slotted into place with them, willing to help with any task. He wasn't a big talker but then most of them could be pretty quiet. Even Prompto had been quieter than normal since… well.

Ichigo was good at watching Prom's back too, freeing him to focus on his shooting without worrying about being snuck up on. He'd seen Ichigo yank him back during their fight with the Loqi guy, getting them both clear of missiles, he was fast and strong. It made sense, he had to be good to hunt on his own. He was…almost tempted to see if Ichigo would stay on with them, but that was selfish. He didn't need the trouble travelling with them would bring from the Empire. They'd take care of the behemoth and then go their separate ways.

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"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" Prompto bounced in his seat, almost trying to stand before Noct and Ichigo yanked him back down, letting Ignis park sensibly before they got out.

"The kid's got it bad," Gladio laughed, watching as the blond actually began bouncing once clear of the Regalia.

"There are worse vices, I suppose," Ignis offered fondly.

They walked passed a sign and Prompto pointed with wide eyes at the words 'Chocobo Racing'. "Oh em gee, guys. They've got Chocobo races here."

"Your point being?"

"We have to stay and watch," Prompto answered as if it was obvious.

"Once we have handled the hunt we have to continue our journey," Ignis answered and he pouted slightly.

"C'mon, just a little longer!" he pleaded even as they approached an older gentleman.

Ichigo stepped forward as ranking hunter, plus the less people got a really good look at Noctis the better. "Dave sent us, said there's a problem behemoth in the area?"

"Yeah and we can't permit our birds to leave the post, not while Deadeye's still about. He's an uncommonly ferocious behemoth that's taken to prowlin' these parts of late. His scent makes our birds nervous, an' to prevent accidents an' tragedies, we have no choice but to suspend rentals. You reckon you could handle the likes of Deadeye? If you could bring the beast down, there'd be a reward in it for ya. But knowin' the danger, I wouldn't blame ya for sayin' no. Other hunters haven't had much luck."

Ichigo pulled out his map and put it on the table. "Where was he last sighted?" they gathered around to see where the creature tended to linger. "The Nebulawood it is then." They shook and went to rent the caravan, leaving behind anything they didn't need for the hunt.

They left the outpost and spread out a bit along the path, especially once among the rocks, just in case it got above them. They paused at the sound of a vicious growl echoing around.

"The hell?"

They looked up, seeing first one tree, then a second collapsing among the hills in the distance.

"Well…that's not a comforting sight," Prompto whispered.

They cautiously headed on inside; a number of trees in the area had been snapped; the sound of creaking wood reaching them, trees occasionally falling in the distance. They soon entered a clearing where they met a pack of voretooth fleeing from the other direction.

"Whoa! Look at 'em go!" Knowing the trouble the beast could cause to others they quickly took them down before moving on, mist thickening on the ground, making the journey more treacherous.

They make their way to an abandoned stone structure with an opening and passage through which they could crouch; Noctis began to lead the way in when they heard growling again.

"Noct!" Gladio grabbed Noctis and gently pulled the prince back before stepping forward, but Ichigo beat him to it, dropping down into a crouch to crawl into the tunnel. Gladio blinked but then followed him in.

"Hold up!" Ichigo hissed as he stopped, flattening himself to the wall. Looking out to the side he could see Deadeye prowling into view, revealing a blind right eye. That didn't mean it couldn't hear or smell them in the tunnel.

Gladio saw it and looked back to the other, holding up a finger, closing his right eye and tapping his closed eye with his finger. "'Deadeye'—the name says it all," he murmured to let them know since only he and Ichigo had a good view of the creature.

After a few more seconds of observing the massive animal, Ichigo motioned for the others to follow him. "Let's move."

They continued making their way forward, but after about ten more feet, Deadeye suddenly seemed to figure out where they were; forcing them to press themselves against the ground to avoid Deadeye's snout as it was shoved down into the narrow passageway. They all heard the soft whimper from Prompto and Ignis reached forward to gently grip his ankle, steadying him. Thankfully, after a few seconds, Deadeye gave up; raising his head to roar, then turning and stomping away. They waited a few seconds more before getting up and continuing the crawl out of the tunnel.

"It's weak on the right—no eye, no horn," Gladio told the others as they made their way through the misty trees and rocks.

"We'll stay in range until we can exploit its blind spot," Ignis offered as they kept moving as quietly as possible.

"Okay?" Noct whispered to his best friend and Prompto nodded, flushing slightly in embarrassment at having being heard.

They soon reached a fence and used the rocks to jump over it, then entered a mist-filled clearing of the wood where Deadeye had its blind side to them.

"We've got the beast in our sights," Gladio grinned, ready for a fight.

"But no plan of attack. The behemoth should be headed back to its lair, where we can catch it fully off guard," Ignis argued.

"Yeah, as long as we stay on guard ourselves."

"Be careful, a trapped animal is at its most dangerous," Ichigo warned, then again it had too much room to out manoeuvre them and the mist did a good job of limiting their visibility too. They moved from outcropping to outcropping and fallen trees, staying just out of sight without losing sight of the beast themselves.

They followed Deadeye into a gutted and burned-out building in the wilderness that obviously served as his lair. The bones of previous meals littering the place made it obvious.

"Look," Ignis pointed the small outcropping where Deadeye lay and then down to the barrels that littered the ground.

"Think they actually have fuel in them?" Ichigo asked.

"Worth a try, Noct?" Ignis glanced at the Prince who handed out magic flasks to his Retainers.

"Fire spells should work well. Sorry," he whispered to Ichigo who shrugged.

"I'll keep him off your backs."

"Let's go," Gladio whispered and they moved out.

As soon as he saw them he leapt down from his perch and Ignis threw the first spell, igniting the barrel.

They began harrying the beast to get him into range of the next barrel, Ichigo yanking Ignis back from a lethal swipe, meeting claws with his blade, making the beast yelp. Noctis began warping around to disorientate Deadeye, egging him on. There was only one barrel left when he fell and Ichigo buried his blade in his throat just to be sure.

"All in a day's work," Gladio grinned.

"Let's get back…I want a shower!" Noctis grimaced at how filthy they had all become during the fight, they probably stank too. The trip back was a lot quicker, Gladio hauling along Deadeye's other horn as proof.

"You boys did it—you took down Deadeye! The area's safe again, an' we owe it all to you. On behalf of the locals, I give you my heartfelt thanks," Wiz announced when they appeared.

"So, about the Chocobos…" Prompto asked and Wiz laughed.

"Our birds're at your disposal. You can rent them any time you like," he promised and Prompto perked up but Noctis grabbed him.

"Shower, food and sleep first," the Prince ordered and everyone laughed as Prompto deflated, pouting, but followed him to the caravan.

TBC….