Man, I didn't think it would take me this long to update again. I wrote half of the chapter, and I was proud, but then a LOT of intense things happened in my life. So, I usually wasn't in the mood or too busy to write. It's all better now, though.
I didn't expect all these favs and follows over the course of 2 months (since I last updated)! Thank you so much to all who read and supports me, as always! It truly means a lot.
This is my Christmas present to you all: A nice long chapter with interesting stuff happening! I know it's a little late, but Happy Holidays! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to what comes next.
Oh and by the way, I found a song that is perfect for the fanfiction overall. It's called "Pieces" by Rob Thomas (one of my favorite artists) and it fits so well with the story in my opinion. Give it a listen!
Dawn's mind raced as her and her lover returned to the caravan. Things were happening so fast, everything seemed like a blur right now. For years, she's alone and scraping for survival, and then one day she finds her dream. This...had to be too good to be true.
Her thoughts focused once more on her dream and the conversation with Ignis. What was he planning to do? Why did it matter so much to him about the whole situation with one dream? Heck, anything to do with her mother. Maybe he was up to something...
Her hand tightened around the beautiful bouquet he had given; the scent and sight putting her at ease.
"Mornin', guys." Greeted Prompto as he stepped down from their temporary shelter, blonde hair going in all different directions. Ignis offered a nod in response.
"Good morning. I'll be preparing breakfast soon."
"Sweet! I'm sure that'll bring Noct out of bed."
Sighing slightly, the brunette pushed up his glasses as he went back into the trailer to contemplate on their meal. "As always."
Dawn stood in front of the steps for a moment. "Do you need my help with anything?" She asked.
He turned around to look back at her. "Hmm...no, I think not. You should relax outside and leave it to me this time."
"But..." She was slightly taken aback by the suggestion. Didn't he want her to learn?
"No buts." He gave a soft smile. "Our little cooking sessions can wait. I insist."
Without waiting for a protest, he disappeared into the tiny kitchen to work his magic. The redhead, still confused, decided not to push further.
"Dawn! Over here!" The energetic blonde waved at her from the white table. "We can wait together."
"Well...alright." She said, walking over to the chair that stood across from him. He gave a bright smile as Dawn sat down.
Not even a minute passed before Prompto started talking, eager to get to know his redheaded friend better. "Sooo...what have you been up to?" A sly smirk plastered his face.
"Uhh...what do you mean? You make it sound like I robbed someone." However, she knew full well what he meant.
"Aw, come on! A secret meeting in the wee hours of the morning...two kindred spirits alone together...spill the beans!"
"Prompto-I...uh...we didn't..." Cheeks grew hot under the microscope that was Prompto's blue eyes. What was she suppose to say?
"Relaaaax, Sleeping Beauty. I'm only playing! Whatever happened with you and Iggy is your buisness." Said the sharpshooter, yet his slight pout was showing otherwise...
Despite the clear disappointment, the fairy calmed down. There was no way she was going to describe the kiss she was going to share with Ignis.
Prompto grew serious as his eyebrows creased, his voice not as shrill and full of energy. "But, seriously...how are you holding up, buddy? You seem a little...I don't know...distressed?"
Green eyes met with blue. Not this again. "I'm alright. There's no need to worry about me. I've just had some long days, you know?"
Thankfully, Prompto wasn't as headstrong as Ignis was. "Oh. Well, that's good to hear. It's just...with your mother and all..." His face slumped.
"Prompto?"
"Look, Dawn. I..." His eyebrows creased even more with thought. "I just want you to know that we're all here for you, ok? We haven't really known each other for that long, but..." His gaze returned to her. "You can rely on me."
The redhead smiled at her friend. "Thank you, Prom. I know I can. I'm...I'm glad I am not alone."
"Prom?" His blonde head cocked sideways in confusion.
"Yeah, Prom. Prompto is becoming a bit of a mouthful." She chuckled. "Besides, I think you're the only one without a nickname...besides chocobo butt, that is."
Once again, 'Prom's hand reached up to cover his wild locks that were compared to an animal's rear end. "Heeey!"
At that moment, Gladiolus appeared from the bushes, taking a seat next to Prompto and Dawn. "Man, I'm starving." He said.
"You disappear into the wilderness quite often. What's the deal?" Asked the fairy, noticing that the man is gone every chance he gets.
"I like taking a walk around. Do some outdoor training, gather some lumber, that sort of thing. Can't get out of shape just sitting around." The sweat on his forehead told as much.
"I suppose that makes sense. I've been slacking on my workouts lately..." She took note that there hasn't been a whole lot of opportunity let alone focus for excercise.
Gladio rested a muscular arm on top of the table, facing towards her. "Say, why don't we change that? A jog in the morning and some good old fashioned training?"
Dawn thought about it for a moment. It would help her keep in fighting shape, as well as get the chance to hopefully get to know her friend better. They had a falling out before...maybe this could help prevent it from happening again. Maybe she could gain his trust.
"Yeah, possibly. Once I help Iggy with breakfast and all that."
"Sure thing."
It was some time before their meal was ready. Dawn still wasn't quite sure why Iggy refused her help, but decided to let it go and instead enjoy his work of art with the company of everyone; she had enough of pushing matters for one day.
However, as the group ate in silence, she sneaked a look at the brunette.
He seemed focused on his food, but there was another hint of something else etched into the creases of his skin.
Worry. It became clear that Ignis was deep in thought about something...most likely what they talked about earlier this morning. Maybe that was why he decided to work alone; not wanting to drag her down to that level of discomfort again.
The redhead's heart swelled. He was willing to keep himself in a pit of darkness alone, if it meant keeping her out of it.
Once the group had finished their filling meal, they packed up their things and prepared for departure. It was finally time to continue on the original path they were taking: Noct's journey.
"Everything in order?" Ignis said out loud as everyone packed into the prized Regalia.
"Yup." Was Noct's curt reply.
"Iris has been waiting long enough." Said Gladiolus as he already held his book in one hand. "Let's get going."
"Right!" Shouted Prompto, eager as ever.
Dawn did not contribute to the conversation. Her mind was elsewhere, already at their destination. From what she heard, Lestallum was a booming city, much like Insomnia. It was hard to tell exactly what to expect from such a populated area.
On one hand, the fairy was nervous. She had never been to any sort of city before. So many eyes watching her...so many people that could potentially figure out the truth about her. On the other hand, it was exciting. This sort of experience would bring many new feelings. For a minute, it reminded her of the first time she ever went to school.
A brand new adventure that awaited her...thrilling yet terrifying. What if the people judged her? What would the teacher think of her?
A blurry face came into view; a distant and broken up voice rang in her mind. "Don't worry...sweetie...one will...you...don't...afraid..."
It became more and more difficult to piece together what the voice was saying. Even so, the identity was unmistakable, no matter how plunged in the past or darkness that it was now.
It was her mother.
A different voice cuts in her thoughts. "Dawn? Can you hear me?"
The redhead managed to come back to her senses. "W-what?" She stammered, the cloudy memory dissipating.
"You ok? You blanked out on us for a second there." Prom turned at her from the passenger seat, a bewildered expression on his face.
She shook her head lightly. "I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all."
No one wanted to push her any further. With a gentle frown, Ignis started up the car and began to drive.
The trip to the ever-sunny Lestallum was a mostly silent one. Each member of the group had their own world of thoughts swirling in their mind, keeping them preoccupied. The blonde, every once in a while, would find pleasure in taking his beloved photos and sharing them to his friends. Besides that, there was no conversation.
The seemingly everlasting silence continued on until they had reached the halfway point.
Without anyone really realizing it, Ignis pulled over in the middle of the road, his brows furrowing more than normal.
"Hey, why are we stopping, Iggy?" Prompto was the first to speak, as Gladio was buried in his book until now and Dawn's eyes were heavy, rendering her slow for the moment. Noctis was, of course, fully asleep.
The cook did not respond for what seemed like forever; his eyes were fixated on whatever was in front of them. Prom gave a thoughtful 'hmm' as his gaze followed that of his friend's.
His gasp is what caught the attention of everyone else.
"What is wrong with you two?" The redhead said, lifting her head to try and see over Ignis and his tall hair. "It better be some sort of-"
She froze right then and there.
Out in the distance, there was some sort of...person. A woman. A woman with short flaming hair.
It...it couldn't be.
"No..." she whispered. "M-m..." The word failed to catch hold.
"Look closer." Her lover pointed at the obstruction in the road. "She doesn't seem normal."
The blonde photographer squinted at the woman, following Iggy's instructions. "Wait, she? We nearly ran over a girl?"
The sound of movement came from the back of the car. "What's with the wake up call?" said the dark-haired Prince, stretching as he did so.
Gladio finally lowered his book, catching on that this interruption wasn't some stupid bird that Prompto saw or Ignis's Ebony spilling on his lap. This was serious.
"I...what...I don't see..." Dawn's words were failing her over the fact that she was staring at what seemed like her mother about 15 feet away. The brunette grabbed her hand tightly, knowing full well what she was feeling.
"Look. She's transparent." Noting this weird occurrence, he looked into her eyes. "Dawn, this isn't your actual mother. She's an illusion."
Prom shook his head in disbelief. "W-What?! An illusion?! O-of...Dawn's mom?!"
Both Gladio and Noctis half-stood in surprise to see for themselves. Sure enough, as they gazed at the 'illusion', the rocks and dirt directly behind her were visible. This was some sort of...ghost. But why?
"Illusion..." Dawn whispered. "But...she..."
Her hand felt warm as it was squeezed tighter. "We should find a way around." Ignis said calmly. "Everyone, back in your seats. We're turning around."
The startled group did as they were told, lowering themselves back into the comforting leather of the Regalia. "What in the hell..." The muscular man said, almost to himself. He was the last person to ever believe in ghosts.
But as the royal advisor looked into the rear-view mirror and began to shift, a pale hand suddenly hit his chest. "Wait...Ignis." His lover's voice was quiet...almost as if half of it was taken with the wind. He stopped what he was doing and returned his gaze to the road in front.
Everyone was quiet as they watched the so-called 'ghost' turn around and start walking in the other direction.
A heavy veil hung in the air. The smell of burning brush lingered. Smoke was nearly visible in the sky, and all around them. What in the world was happening?
Every step, there was a blaze of fire left in the wake. Every footprint a small pit of flame. The flame then started to spread, further and further, to the left and right, as if there was a trail of oil guiding it.
The path of fire reached the rocky cliffs, climbing its rugged surface to reach the top. The group stood mesmerized as a giant 'U' shape was formed behind the ghost, a gateway to fiery hell crackling against the road and rock. It seemed incredibly real.
And then, the 'illusion' was gone. As she disappeared behind the towering rock that was around the corner, so did the fire. The flames, the musky air, the smoke-all of it, gone in a second. It was as if nothing ever happened.
"I...I don't understand..." The daughter of the mysterious and illusive woman managed to say after a good minute of silence. "Why...what was..."
"That was your crazy mom?" Gladio turned towards her. "Seemed like a charmer."
Without a response from her, Noctis spoke up. "That's...pretty creepy. Didn't think we'd be seeing her..."
"We need to continue on." Ignis cut in, his hands already on the wheel. "Lestallum is still a ways away, and we haven't much daylight."
With that, the group turned around and headed to another route. Silence greeted them once more as no one wanted to bring up the subject of what they had witnessed.
Dawn's lover decided at that point that he needed to be strong, for all of them. He didn't know why Zafirah was haunting her daughter, but he wouldn't allow it to fester in her mind or in the minds of his friends. They needed to continue this journey one way or another with a straight head, and he was determined to be the one to provide.
If he was being honest with himself, he felt torn. Torn between his newfound lover and his king. Both we're extremely important to him, and both had the right to their own journeys and problems, but he could only do so much at one time. He had to be there for Dawn when she found herself staggering. He had to be there for Noctis as he found his way to ascension.
He would do the best he could; for everyone. The thought of the ghost was shaken from his mind, a resolve forming in his heart.
It took some time to reach Lesallum, Dawn deep in thought the whole way there. She couldn't figure out for the life of her why Zafirah was doing this. What was her goal? It had to have something to do with the vision, that's for sure...but what in the world did a ghost have to do with it all? What did it all mean?
The car stopped moving again. She looked up from her lap, hands letting go of the edge of her shirt.
"We have arrived." Said Ignis, already getting out of the black vehicle.
"Woohoo! We made it!" Prompto said in his energetic self, hoping to keep everyone's minds on the moment rather than the haunting they had seen before. "Can't wait to see Iris!"
"She probably thinks we got lost." Gladio said as he, too, exited the car, his muscular figure relieving weight.
Dawn and Noctis were last to follow suit, their feet hitting the warm ground. The air felt heavy and humid, the sun offering to cook anything that stood on the ground for too long. This felt completely normal to Dawn, her skin basking in the heat.
The others clearly weren't the same. Already their foreheads were beaded with sweat, their faces shouting that they wished black wasn't the custom for Insomnian people.
The redhead's focus fell onto the city before her; forest green eyes were filled with color and people as they swept the entirety of the place. All different kinds of pipes, buildings, vegetation, and wires littered Lestallum. What a strange place this was.
She silently wondered to herself if Zafirah had seen this too.
"Dawn." She heard Ignis call. His gloved hand met with hers. "Let's go. I think you will enjoy yourself here."
She nodded, her high ponytail swaying with the movement. Lips slightly bent upwards, giving him a gentle smile. It was good that he was here.
The pair joined the rest of the group, already venturing into the maze of pipes and brick that was Lestallum to find Iris.
I had a hard time figuring out what would happen during the trip, but I managed to throw a spin in there. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll try and work on another soon!
Oh yeah, I just checked and on the 24th was the anniversary of this fanfiction! Can't believe its been a year already. Here's to another year full of fun and imagination!