3. Spilling the Truth

Prompto numbly sat in the passenger's seat of the Regalia while Noctis slid into the drivers side and shut the door. The pressure to speak weighed him down so heavily that he had a hard time getting the words to come out right. Instead, Prompto stared blankly at his hands.

"Promto..." Noctis trailed off, frustration coating his voice.

For the moment, the prince was holding himself back, but there was an explosion building the longer Prompto remained silent. Noctis's temper was a fierce and swift one, usually burning out quickly when it came to his friends, but it was the first time Prompto was faced with it being directed towards him. How did Gladio and Ignis handle it? The very thought of Noct being mad at him made him feel sick.

"You've been acting weird ever since you fell into those ruins and now there's whatever that was!" Noctis gestured towards the road, his voice rising in volume. "What the hell was that? What have you been hiding from us?"

"I- I don't know," Prompto stammered out the truth. He swallowed his panic and hoped that he could hold it back long enough to tell his friend everything that he was still keeping secret.

He started at the beginning, knowing it was the only way he'd stay on track and not forget any detail. Some of it Noct already knew about after their talk the night before, but Prompto repeated it anyway, though he glossed over his descriptions of the murals and winding halls of the ruins.

Noctis was surprisingly quiet through his explanation, only shifting slightly in his seat when Prompto got to the part where the walls were closing in on him. He made a curious sound at his plea to the Astrals.

"You offered up your camera? Wait, that's why you've only been using your phone to take pictures?" Noctis asked.

Prompto nodded. "Well, yeah. I didn't have anything else. Not sure the Gods really need a camera. I just had to hope its value to me was enough, and it must have been, because that's when Rhyos showed up."

"Rhyos..." Noctis repeated with a frown. "I've never heard that name before. Guess he could be a messenger, like Gentiana, but none of that explains the light show you just put on."

Ah.

Prompto remembered what worried him the most. Talking to an unknown Astral was one thing, but touching an ancient artifact was a whole different issue, even if it did happen at the urging of said Astral. "Um, okay, so there was one more thing in that room and I swear I didn't want to touch it, but Rhyos insisted that it would help me get out, so..."

Seeing was believing, right?

Prompto reached into the armiger for his bag, letting it fall into his lap in a shower of blue magic. He avoided looking Noctis in the eyes as he pulled out the crown, which cast a soft glow over the interior of the Regalia, and held it up with both hands so his friend could get a good look at it.

"Well, it's magic, that's for sure," Noctis remarked once he found his voice.

Prompto tried not to let his disappointment show. He knew Noctis had already told him there were no records from the age of Solheim, but he'd hoped seeing the crown might jog his memory of a legend or a story passed down through the ages. The Lucis Caelum's had been around since the end of the Astral War; how was it they knew nothing?

"We should tell Ignis and Gladio about this," Noctis said.

"No!" Prompto blurted out, earning a raised eyebrow from his friend. "I mean, not yet? I dunno... There's already so much they have to worry about with our lack of funds and trying to find the parts Cid needs to fix the boat, I don't wanna add to all of it. They don't need to worry about me."

"You're their friend. The more you try and hide this, the more they're going to worry," Noctis pointed out.

He knew that, but hearing someone else say it? That he and Ignis and Gladio were friends? Wow. It still blew him away.

Despite that, he still wasn't ready to tell them. He knew he should, especially after his accidental burst of magic. (Holy shit, he had magic?! He'd freak out more over that later.) But there would be so many questions that he had no answers to, and there remained that bit of fear in his heart that they would judge him for making an agreement with an Astral he knew nothing about.

That had to be, like, at the top of the list of Very Bad Ideas, right?

Noctis sighed. "Fine. You'll have to tell them eventually or they'll find out on their own. Trust me, they'd rather hear it from you."

Prompto nodded. "So you really don't know anything about this crown? Or any crown from Solheim?" he asked, just in case.

"Nothing I can think of, but that's not really a surprise. My ancestors kept track of our history, but there was nothing left to remember after Solheim fell. Like I said, Luna might know more, just because she's the Oracle."

The mention of Lady Lunafreya sent a shiver down Prompto's spine, which he shook off, unsure of why hearing her name would cause such a reaction. "Uh, yeah. Sounds good."

Noctis was quiet for a moment, and then, very softly broke the silence. "We should get up to the cabin before the others come looking for us."

Prompto agreed and stuffed the crown back into his bag and then into the armiger. After a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, the two exited the Regalia and made their way up the hill to rejoin their friends.

.

.

Ignis liked to think he was very good at reading others.

With Gladio and Noctis, it was quite easy, even without considering his many years of practice ad getting to know them. Noctis had a habit of broadcasting everything he was feeling or thinking, whether it was through his expressions or body language. He knew the prince was fully capable of masking his emotions, he simply chose not to. Gladio often did it on purpose, preferring the blunt approach over anything subtle, though when the situation called for it, he did have a masterful poker face. More often, he hid his true feelings behind another.

Prompto was... different. Perhaps because of his common upbringing or maybe because of the sheer number of secrets surrounding him. Secrets that Ignis once attempted to look deeper into, only to be stopped by the Marshall himself, which made Ignis all the more curious about Prompto. All of that may have had a hand in his struggle to understand the blond and figure out his motives for befriending Noctis.

There was always a motive.

Except, naturally, for the utter anomaly that was Prompto Argentum, who only wanted a friend.

He never asked for anything. Never used his status as the best friend of the prince to get what he wanted. Never abused the power and status that came with their friendship. No, the worst Prompto did was encourage the Noctis's poor habits and cause a bit of a distraction when there was work to be done.

Ignis had gotten much better at reading Prompto over the years, especially once he gave in and accepted that he too had become friends with him, and it was with absolute certainty that Ignis knew Prompto was hiding something from them.

It was something new. Something recent.

And what was more maddening, was that Noctis was in on whatever it was.

"Quit thinking so loud, Iggy," Gladio grumbled as he sat down in the camp chair next to him.

Ignis couldn't stop thinking about it. He hated secrets. They always found a way to swing around and bite him in the ass when he least expected it, sometimes literally. (Like the time Noct brought home a stray cat and thought he could hide it in the closet.)

"They're hiding something."

Gladio raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly to where Noctis and Prompto were playing around with the chocobo's they'd rented for their journey through Malmalam Thicket. The pair were trying out new tricks and the large birds seemed content to let them do what they wanted. Gladio turned his gaze back to Ignis, who met his eyes and refused to back down.

He sighed, loudly and heavily, as though his whole evening was ruined by whatever Ignis wanted to talk about. "What makes you think that? They seem normal to me."

"Are you really telling me that you haven't noticed?" Ignis asked. He thought for sure that the Shield would have picked up on it as well. He was normally so observant.

Gladio just stared at him.

Ignis refused to sigh. He kept his frustration tightly bottled up as he began to explain the oddities he'd noticed over the past few days. "Prompto has not attempted to take a single selfie mid-battle since we left Taelpar, nor has he asked to stop for a photo-op. In fact, I have not seen his camera once since he fell into those ruins. The only pictures he has taken have been with his camera."

"Well there you go. He either lost it or it got damaged when he was down there. Noct probably offered to get a new one and now he's trying to convince Prompto that it'd be worth the money. Mystery solved," Gladio said dismissively.

"I doubt it's something so simple."

"Not everything's complicated, Iggy." Gladio stretched his arms out over his head and then fully relaxed in his chair. "We'll just take on some extra hunts and get him a new one once we get back to Lestallum."

But why hide it? Why not tell them something happened to his camera? Was he waiting for them to ask? Ignis had so many more questions, but Gladio made it clear he was done talking by taking out his newest novel to get in some reading before bed. Ignis would just have to mull things over to himself.

There was more to it than the camera, he could feel it.

.

.

Prompto just needed a little time to himself, and heading back to the motel room early to take the first shower was the perfect excuse. He knew Noctis would spend at least an hour playing Justice Monsters Five, and Ignis and Gladio were unlikely to leave him there alone. It was too risky, even in an out-of-the-way place like Old Lestallum.

He took care of his shower first, washing away the dirt and grime that accumulated from camping and their trip through Malmalam Thicket. The warm water helped clear his mind as well, leaving him feeling refreshed and looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Prompto wrapped a towel around his waist after drying himself off, figuring he had a little more time before he had to get dressed.

He wiped down the mirror to get a better look at his recent injuries. Most of them were healed thanks to the use of the potions they kept on hand, but there was one that went particularly deep that still twinged when he moved his arm the wrong way. Prompto twisted around to get a better look at his shoulderblade, where there was a faint red line marring the freckles there. He nodded in satisfaction.

As cool as Gladio's scars were, he didn't want any to call his own. The clawmark from the bandersnatch would cause some discoloration for a while, but was well on its way to healing.

Prompto's gaze dropped to his wrists as he turned to face the mirror properly, but as always the sight of ugly black lines on the underside of his right wrist made him quickly look away. He forced his eyes back to the mirror instead.

There was a second face alongside his own.

Prompto screamed and failed his arms as he spun toward the intruder, his mind going blank in panic. He acted purely on instinct, backing up against the sink hard enough to bruise. "What-?! Who-?!"

There was a heavy sigh. "Are all humans this melodramatic? Here I am, gracing you with my divine presence and this is how you choose to greet me?"

Prompto clasped his towel in fear of it falling and revealing far too much of himself to the ancient being. "Rhyos?"

"In the flesh!" The Astral beamed at him, apparently pleased that Prompto remembered his name.

He looked different than before. Gone were the frayed, graying robes and in their place were tight-fitting pants, a red t-shirt, and a thick leather jacket. Heavy boots laced up to mid-calf. His long, dark hair was braided back to keep it out of the way and on top of his head was a pair of sunglasses. If not for the unnaturally bright red eyes, he could have passed as an average hunter.

Rhyos frowned as he looked him up and down, and Prompto flushed under the attention.

"D-do you mind?" he stammered out, gesturing towards the door. He squeaked as Rhyos grabbed his hand, turning it so he could see the barcode. Prompto tried to pull his hand away, but the Astral's grip was firm.

"What is this?" Rhyos asked.

"I don't know. I've had it for as long as I can remember and no one's ever told me what it means, just that I need to keep it covered," Prompto said, fidgeting nervously.

And honestly, he hadn't wanted to ask. Maybe he did when he was really young, but he didn't remember that and he doubted his parents gave him a straight answer if he did.

Content with the response, Rhyos released him and waved a hand at the door. "Unless you'd prefer we carry on out conversation in here, as lovely as this room is, we should go sit and talk. I imagine you have questions."

Yes!

Prompto swallowed his first response and nodded instead. "Could I get dressed first."

Rhyos shrugged as he opened the door and walked through. "If you must."

Only once the door was shut, did Prompto drop his towel and quickly get dressed. His mind whirled with thoughts. He had a great number of questions, but where should he start? How many could he ask before Rhyos's patience wore out? The Astral's mood was of the mercurial sort – constantly shifting in an almost unpredictable way.

He needed to figure out his most pressing questions, and fast!

But there was only so long he could delay, and Prompto left the bathroom without settling on what he wanted to ask first. Not that it mattered in the end, because his mind went perfectly blank at the sight of Rhyos sitting on one of the bed and examining a very familiar camera.

Rhyos looked up and gave him a fanged grin. "Come! I wish to take a, uh, what is it you kids call it these days? A selfie? Yes, come take a selfie with me!"

Prompto was starting to think the man was messing with him. He couldn't possibly be serious, right? He watched Rhyos pat the bed and lift the camera to an appropriate position.

Yeah. He was serious.

Figuring he had nothing to lose, Prompto joined him and hoped that his smile came across as convincing as Rhyos snapped a few photos in quick succession.

"Perfect," Rhyos said as he looked them over. "I thank you for allowing me the use of the unusual device. I will admit, it took me time to figure it out, but in my defense, I have been asleep for two-thousand years."

Prompto blinked in surprise as Rhyos pressed the camera into his hands.

"It is clear that it means a great deal to you, from all of the images that are stored within its memory. It would be a shame to keep it from you any longer," Rhyos said, his voice unexpectedly full of fondness. "I must say, I am impressed by what humanity has accomplished and rebuilt in these long years, but then again, you mortals have always been the creative sort."

"Uh, thanks?" Prompto said, unsure of what else to say to that.

Rhyos bowed his head graciously. "Now, where is the Crown of Solheim?"

Prompto carefully set aside his camera and then called up his bag from the armiger. From there, he withdrew the crown and held it out to Rhyos, who took it with gentle reverence.

"It has been a long time since anyone had worn this crown. Not since the dying of a golden age. The last to bear the honor was a young boy, one who I believed destined to change the tides and put things back the way they were meant to be." Rhyos rubbed his thumb across the sun.

There was a moment of silence before Prompto worked up the courage to ask: "What happened to him?"

"It is not a happy tale, Prompto Argentum," Rhyos said, turning red eyes onto the mortal next to him. "May I ask, how is it you are able to use the magic granted by Bahamut?"

"Oh, um, it's Noct's magic? He just sort of lets us borrow it?" Prompto had no idea how it all worked. He was sure Ignis had explained it to him at one point in time, but he'd been too excited about the entire event that he hadn't paid attention.

Rhyos tilted his head to one side. "So your body is already accustomed to the use of magic?"

"Uh...?"

"Fascinating," Rhyos murmured, looking at him with renewed interest. "Tell me, have you experienced anything unusual lately? Dizziness perhaps? Trouble with sleeping?"

Did being sick count? It wasn't something Prompto would consider unusual, even if it left as quickly as it came on. No, that wasn't the answer Rhyos was looking for, and maybe in telling the Astral what he knew, Prompto would get some answers of his own. It was sneakier than he preferred, but it wasn't like Rhyos was answering his direct questions.

"I killed a daemon a few nights ago. There was this light... I still don't know how I did it," Prompto said.

Rhyos grinned in delight. "That is the first manifestation of your gifts. You've proven yourself worthy of the crown."

First manifestation.

That meant there was more than just killing daemons with light.

Prompto dropped his head into his hands with a low whine. "This can't be happening. Please tell me I knocked myself out when I fell and this has all just been some kind of hallucination."

Rhyos reached over and pinched him.

Prompto yelped and jerked his arm away. "What was that for?!"

"To prove you're not dreaming," Rhyos said simply. "Do you know why I saved you that day?"

"Because you're a kind, merciful god?"

Rhyos chuckled at the sarcastic response and Prompto wanted to sink through the floor. What was he doing, speaking to an Astral in such a casual manner? It had to be blasphemy.

"I locked that place away a long time ago, before the War of the Astrals began. Once, it was a temple. The largest and most decorated in all of Eos, right in the heart of Solheim. A place of worship for mortals, and a palace for the gods to visit when they wished to visit.

"It was a monument treasured by all, right up until it became clear that humanity no longer deserved to walk those jeweled halls," Rhyos said, staring straight at Prompto as he spoke. "Bahamut himself could not pierce the barrier protecting it, and yet somehow you found your way in. Curiousity, Prompto Argentum, is what led me to save you that say and hand to you the Crown of Solheim."

"I don't deserve it," Prompto blurted out. "I'm just a commoner – a pleb – there's gotta be someone else. Someone better than me."

"Nope."

Prompto blinked and suddenly there was a warm weight settling on his head. "Wh- hey!"

"There is ancient magic at play here. You will find it easier to wield it the more you wear this crown. And trust me on this, if you wish to help your prince and save him and many other from what Fate awaits them, you will want those gifts the crown has to give." Rhyos stood up, giving Prompto a good look at the massive bird covering the back of the Astral's leather jacket. It was primarily red and orange, though the long tail feathers and wingtips were painted with a rainbow of colors. "Besides, just think of how much bonding time you'll have with your prince charming while you practice your new abilities."

Prompto gaped at him. "How did- What? No, Noct is my friend."

Rhyos turned back to him, one eyebrow raised. "You've taken a great many intimate pictures of him, for someone you consider just a friend."

He couldn't even deny it.

Prompto ducked his head as heat flooded his cheeks. He'd gotten a little carried away in the early parts of their pseudo-bachelor-party road trip, snapping pictures of Noct peacefully napping or gazing out over the ocean while he fished or laughing with his head thrown back at whatever joke Prompto just cracked. If asked, he figured he could brush it off as wanting to put together a fun wedding gift for Lady Lunafreya, but the thought fled his mind when he was actually confronted about it.

"I am afraid this is when we part ways. Your friends will soon return," Rhyos said.

"What about your request?" Prompto scrambled to ask, remembering at the last minute that he still didn't know what the Astral wanted.

Rhyos took a few seconds to answer. "Perhaps next we meet."

And then he was gone.