Jason caught himself wringing his hands, and he forcefully stilled them, leaving them to fall limply to his sides. His words hung in the air, but although they filled him with dread, he received little in the way of reactions from the guys and Cor.

"And by 'player' you mean…?" Ignis prompted, and Jason realized he was only receiving blank stares for his anxiety.

Er. Right. Ignis and Gladio didn't remember the altercation in the canyon, and he doubted Noctis even knew who Ardyn was. And Cor thought he was a damn Messenger still, if he even believed that.

This might take a while. Before Jason could decide what to say next, though, a phone began chirping.

Cor shifted, digging his phone out of his pocket and lifting it to his ear. "What is it?" He said gruffly. He listened for a few seconds, Jason fidgeting anxiously but not quite willing to interrupt. "Alright. On my way." He turned to Noctis. "I have to get back to watching the Nifs. Keep me posted on your progress and I'll see what help I can send your way.

"Right," Noctis agreed, wrenching his eyes away from Jason. "Stay safe out there."

"Likewise." Cor bent over to pick up the sleeping man, and Jason panicked. He couldn't leave, Jason had to warn him!

"Wait, what? You can't leave yet, I have to tell you–"

Cor glared, and Jason choked on his words. He looked every bit the intimidating man who had forced Jason to accompany him, who had held him effortlessly against a wall and threatened his life, and Jason was brutally reminded who he was dealing with. This wasn't a man who would accept orders from anyone, and Jason had just come very close to giving him an order. "Kid, do I look like I have all day? I have to make it halfway across the country in forty eight hours. Give me the short version."

Jason opened his mouth. Closed it. His thoughts scrambled together in a tangled mess. He thought he'd have time to tell Cor everything, but it looked like that wouldn't be the case. Okay. Okay, first thing's first.

"Ardyn Izunia isn't who he says he is. He's the mastermind behind Niflheim's experiments with daemons, the attack at the Citadel, everything. The Emperor is his puppet. We have to find out what he's up to." Jason paused. Shit, what else did Cor need to know right now? For the life of him, he didn't know what Cor got up to while Noctis went on his journey, but this man could be a huge asset if he could just give him the right information. Which would be a lot easier if the marshall didn't look two seconds from bolting. Or punching his lights out, but Jason rather thought that was his default expression. "Okay. Two more things: Aranea Highwind is thinking about switching sides. Find her and I think you can make a deal. Also, find Ravus and tell him...tell him the thing he's most dreading happens in Altissia by Ardyn's hands. He definitely won't trust you, but he may end up putting a wrench in things."

What else, what else? But Jason was drawing up blank. He'd probably think of a million things later, but for now, it would have to do.

"Well. That's...something," Cor said, lifting a brow. He looked to Noctis for an explanation, but the prince only shrugged, lips pursed.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Makes as much sense as anything else lately," Noctis muttered the last part.

Cor's phone beeped insistently, and the man nodded. Without checking it, he heaved the unconscious man onto his shoulder effortlessly, giving them all a look. "Right. I'll look into it if I get the chance."

Jason bit his lip, watching as Cor turned abruptly and began to walk toward where he'd parked his bike. He could feel eyes practically boring holes into him, but his heart was pounding in his ears, drowning everything out. Cor didn't believe him. But he had to. Jason couldn't just wait for things to happen, he needed eyes on Ardyn or they might not know what he's up to before it was too late. He jittered in place, staring after Cor, indecisive.

"Are you planning on telling us what that was about?" Gladio said, shifting to one side.

Jason didn't even look at him. Cor was getting farther away, and still he couldn't think of anything–

Oh. Oh! It might be nothing but a shot in the dark, but maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

Heedless to the surprised voices of his companions, he turned and bolted towards Cor, catching up to him swiftly. He stumbled a little, still dead tired, but caught up soon enough. "Wait, Cor!"

Cor had reached his bike, dumping the sleeping man onto the seat without looking up. "Make it quick, Messenger," he said gruffly.

"One more thing. It's about Prompto." Just as Jason predicted, that got his attention. Cor turned and glared, eyes sharp with suspicion and hard as steel. Jason continued swiftly, before Cor decided to do something with that murder in his gaze. "I know what he is."

"How," the man said shortly, dangerously, and Jason was almost compelled to take a half step back. But he wouldn't back down on this.

Jason stuttered over his words before stopping. It would do absolutely no good to tell Cor his unbelievable story. So he would stick to what he had told him before. "I watched it happen in a vision," he said matter-of-factly. "At some point in Noctis' journey, Prompto is captured and taken to the base he was found in as an infant."

Tromping boots against concrete had Jason's eyes flickering nervously to Noctis and his retinue, swiftly coming into hearing range. "Cor," Jason pleaded, and though Cor scowled at him fiercely, he gestured, the four of them stopping in their tracks. Noctis glared and the rest of them look concerned, but they don't come any closer.

"Tell me what you know. Now."

"That guy," Jason scrambled for a name, "Prompto's original–Versteal. He's developing a massive weapon that could do a lot of damage. Prompto stops him, but he ends up finding out about his origins and then Ardyn...well, Ardyn tortures him, and uses him to lure Noctis into a trap." Cor narrowed his eyes, and Jason swiftly continued, outlining everything he could remember about the incident. "Aranea Highwind will know more," Jason concluded. He winced, wishing his memory wasn't as crap as it was. "I don't know exactly how she finds out, but she helps Prompto survive it."

Cor didn't answer for several seconds, and Jason noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Prompto shifted from side to side just out of earshot, staring at the two curiously. Cor looked over as well, considering the blond for a moment. Prompto blinked, surprised at having both of their attention all of the sudden. Jason looked away, and it was several more seconds before Cor met his eyes again.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Because I need you to believe me. Because I know you care about Prompto for whatever reason, and this might be the only way. Jason remembered the way Cor had been protective of Prompto when they'd met, remembered the softening of his gaze when he spoke to the younger man. Cor might be a hard ass, but there was a gentleness in him reserved only for the blond. Jason didn't know exactly why, and it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that Cor shared Jason's desire to protect Prompto, something that would hopefully build trust between them.

Jason didn't say any of those things. "I just. I don't want him to go through that. No one deserves to find out that way. And," he glanced briefly at Prompto again, who looked decidedly discomfited at this point. There were so many other reasons. Prompto wasn't just a character anymore. Jason had felt genuine grief when he thought he'd died and despite everything, the man was someone Jason cared for, more than he was willing to admit. He didn't want to see Prompto hurt, didn't ever want to see the despair on his face because now it was real, and Jason found that he was prepared to go to almost excessive lengths to avoid it. He looked Cor in the eye and remained silent, at a loss for words.

After a few more moments of deliberation, Cor eyes softened almost imperceptibly. He leaned back and nodded, as if everything Jason couldn't describe was plain on his face. "Ardyn Izunia, huh?" he asked, almost casually.

Jason let out a long breath of relief. "Will you watch him? If anything is going to work, I need to know what he's up to."

Cor lifted a brow, almost smiling. "Don't you know everything?"

Jason's eyelids fell to half-mast. "Only what the Gods deign to share," he deadpanned.

Cor snorted, and his mein was almost friendly, after everything. Then it was gone. "I'll have him watched, as well as follow up on your other leads. If what you said is true, I'll report back to Noctis, and we'll go from there." He pulled out a small notebook from his jacket, opened it to a page and scribbled something on it. Ripping it out, he handed it to Jason, who took it with a questioning frown. "My number. Calls only, none of that texting bullshit. If you think of anything else, contact me. I might not answer, but I'll get back to you if I'm still alive."

Blindsided, Jason could only watch as Cor swung himself onto his bike behind his captive, starting the engine with a roar. He leaned forward to leave, but hesitated one last time. "About Prompto. I was the one who found him." He stopped, as if not sure what to add to that, before finishing with, "I'll be in touch."

Jason jumped back as Cor peeled out, flinging dust and gravel into the air before ripping down the highway towards the Hunter Base. He gaped after him before staring numbly at the crumpled piece of paper in his hands. It was a series of numbers, he guessed, but it was written messily in that same stilted font that barely looked English that was all over the signs around Eos. Also, he didn't have a cell-phone, so the point was moot. He smiled a little at Cor's views on texting, reminded vaguely of his dad. Heh. The older generation was old, no matter which reality he was in. With a sigh, he folded the paper in half and shoved it in his pocket. He wasn't sure exactly what to make of Cor's declaration, but at least now it seemed like Cor believed him. Hopefully, he could make connections that Jason could not.

He wished he had a way to contact Cor directly. Maybe he'd ask Ignis about getting a phone.

"Now will you tell us what the hell is going on?" Noctis said sharply when Jason rejoined them.

"Yeah, dude! What was all that about?" Prompto bit his lip. "Why were you guys staring at me like that?"

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, a sharp headache making itself known on top of his exhaustion. He sighed, dropping his hand and looking at each of their expectant expressions. It appeared that all of them were at the end of their patience. "Yes. I'll tell you everything I know. But it's a long story, so can we please find a place to chill for a while?"

Noctis looked like he was about to protest, but with one look at Jason's swaying form, he fell silent. "Fine," he said, and it was a little gentler than before, much to Jason surprise. "We make for camp. But then we talk." There was no room for argument in his eyes, and Jason nodded, far beyond the desire to protest the clear command in his tone. It was time.

-o0o-

"...and then the sun rose."

The crackling fire was the only sound aside from the chirping of the crickets and the slight rustle of the wind. Jason's final words, voice husked from weariness and talking for an hour straight, rung in the silence as if he'd shouted them instead of the whisper in which they were delivered. The humid air of the region clung to each of them uncomfortably, the terrain changing drastically after they'd breached the other side of the mountain range. The desert's nightly chill was a distant memory as they all sweat in the thick air.

Prompto sat stiffly, still as uncharacteristically inanimate as he'd fallen only a few minutes into Jason's tale. The man himself was slumped into Prompto's old camp chair, looking utterly spent. Beads of sweat dripped down his face and collarbone, and his black hair seemed to take on a life of its own in the humidity, curling every which way. But though it tickled the edges of his eyes and lips, he was clearly too distraught, brows drawn together and expression grim, to notice. He avoided each of their eyes, waiting for them to absorb the grim tale he just shared.

Prompto tried. But. It was too much. And so he sat in still silence, waiting, or perhaps wishing, for someone to speak and take the responsibility from him.

Jason had not been exaggerating when he'd told Prompto that his tale ended in tragedy. Prompto turned his head slightly to look at his three friends, feeling himself tear a little at the fringes.

Noctis sat pale as death in his chair, slouched as if he'd taken a mortal blow but shoulders tensed so tightly Prompto could practically feel the pain in his own body. Noctis' hand clenched around Ignis' as if he let go, Ignis would vanish into the ether. Ignis, for his part, clung to Noct's hand just as tightly, completely expressionless, almost terrifyingly so. About halfway through the story, Gladiolus had turned his back on all of them, staring out into the pitch black, head bowed and arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Prompto wrenched his eyes away, looking at his trembling fingers in his lap.

So much suffering. He knew they were at war, but this was so much worse than he was prepared for. Would ever be prepared for.

Ignis loses his sight.

Prompto is t-tortured.

So many people die. Lady Lunafreya. N-Noct–he inhaled sharply, shuddering hard. And the rest of humanity is left in darkness while this–this Ardyn sits on Noctis' throne, waiting for Noctis to end it all. Waiting for him to sacrifice himself–

And there was something else that Jason wasn't telling him. His eyes kept meeting Prompto's then skittering away, as if Jason didn't want him to know something terrible. But Prompto couldn't imagine what could be worse than what he'd already said. He didn't want to know.

What could be worse than seeing those Prompto loves maimed, killed, taken away from him? Prompto's whole body was trembling now, and he leaned into Ignis' side, desperate for contact. Ignis didn't react.

What could be worse than losing Noctis?

Nothing.

"No," Noctis whispered, the first person who'd spoken in over ten minutes. Jason flinched. "No, I don't believe it," he said a little more forcefully.

"It's the truth," Jason said, voice rasping slightly. "At least, the truth as I knew it to be."

"How?" Noctis demanded. It was aggressive, but his voice cracked, displaying his distress. Prompto shuddered. He didn't know if he wanted to hear anymore. "How do you know all this? And don't you dare sit there and tell me it's because you played a damned videogame."

Jason stared at him straight on, grim determination on his drawn features. "How did I know that Insomnia would fall? How did I know that you guys would return to Hammerhead, or about the mech at the blockade?" He let his words hang in the air for several seconds before dropping his gaze again. "Because I was brought to this world to be your Messenger," he said the word with disdain. "That, at least, has been made inescapably clear…"

Noctis pinched his lips together into a tight line, until they were devoid of color. He cut his gaze away, hair shadowing his eyes.

"So…" Ignis finally spoke. "Noctis is the Chosen King, the one from the Prophecies. 'When darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come.'" He quoted, a familiar line from the legends of Lucis. "And if Noctis is the King of Light, then the darkness…"

"Is Ardyn Lucis Caelum," Jason supplied. "I admit, I don't know everything about his past, but he explained it a little. He was the original Chosen King. In order to save the people from the Starscourge's first outbreak, he took it into himself. He...corrupted his soul, I guess, and was rejected by the Crystal. His brother became king instead."

"And now he walks Eos, immortal, in wait for the Chosen King to end his existence, and in effect, the Starscourge."

"In a nutshell." Jason leaned back, crossing his arms. "There was something in the game that I just didn't get. It bothered me at the time, like, it was another one of 'because videogame' moments. Now that all of this is reality, and not just an interpretation in another dimension–or whatever," he waved his hand, physically shooing away the musings on the information they still just didn't have. "I didn't understand why Noctis had to gather the pacts with the Astrals. Yes, they were great ex machinas that could take out a horde of enemies in one strike. But the cost just seemed. Arbitrary. When Noctis was in the Crystal, Bahamut himself said that the Crystal's power and the power of Noctis' forebears exceeds that of the Astrals. In the end, Noctis didn't use the Astrals at all to defeat Ardyn. So Lunafreya's death was...superfluous, I guess." Jason winced at his own wording, but didn't take back his statement. Noctis twitched, but didn't comment.

"According to legend," Ignis said slowly, "it is said that the King once stood alongside the Astrals to banish the darkness. It seems that Lady Lunafreya is under the belief that Noctis will need that power."

Silence hung in the air for several minutes, no one really sure what to say about that. "Maybe," Prompto started, hesitantly, "Maybe we can change her mind. If Noctis didn't need the power, then why go after it?"

Jason clenched his hands between his knees, brow furrowed in concentration. "I don't think we can make that call yet. Not until we know what Ardyn has planned."

"You said before that you thought Ardyn might be a 'player'," Ignis said. "Am I to understand that you believe he may not follow the same path you knew him to follow before?"

Jason nodded. "You, Gladio and I encountered him in Keycatrich while we were searching for Noctis and Prompto. He manipulated your memories somehow so that you didn't remember when I asked you about it the next day."

"But you remember everything clearly?"

"Yeah. It was odd, because I don't remember you guys meeting him in the canyon. Your first interaction with him was actually at Galdin Quay." Jason briefly described their interaction, how it should have gone, before outlining the encounter in the canyon. "When he spotted me, he stopped time, just like I can. He seemed surprised that I was there, and called me a Messenger. Then he grabbed me." Jason looked down at his arms, rubbing them lightly with a grimace of remembered pain, and Prompto wondered just how violent that altercation had been. "That was when he was repelled with the same power I experienced when I came to this world; a white light, like lightning...Ardyn seemed to believe I was protected by a God. Anyway, it was what he said after that that made me start to think that he might be like me. He said 'the game has changed'."

He's wrong, a frustrated voice inside of Prompto whispered, and without thinking, he opened his mouth and repeated the words. "You're wrong."

Jason and Ignis looked to him in surprise, and Prompto furrowed his brow in confusion. "Um. I don't know why I said that."

There was a curious echo of shock that reverberated through Prompto, but he barely acknowledged it, discounting it as surprise from his outburst.

Ignis pursed his lips, but nodded, turning back to Jason. "It is curious that he used that particular turn of phrase. And the fact that he was somewhere he wasn't originally meant to be is troubling."

Jason nodded. "I thought so as well, but I can't be certain. Ardyn was acting differently than how I remembered him, yeah, but so far, nearly everything is happening the same way I remember it. The only difference is what I've done to change things and our encounter with Ardyn."

Wrong, the voice whispered again, and this time, Prompto tilted his head. Again, his mouth opened before he could stop it. "No. Things are different." Prompto fell silent with an audible click of his jaw, as if the words had been physically pulled from him. Now it wasn't just Jason and Ignis, but Noctis turning to him as well. Prompto sat up straight, brow furrowing. There were echoes of something just on the edges of his consciousness, an unnamed excitement growing out of place.

"Prompto?" Ignis said.

Prompto looked at him. And he started talking. "Um. I don't think Ardyn's from the same world as Jason. Remember what Iggy said? That Jason has power that only Gods, Messengers and the Line of Lucis have? I think, it's the other way around? Or–" he swallowed, trying to grasp a line of thought that seemed just out of his reach, fluttering like a nearly invisible spider web in the breeze. The voice whispered to him, but the words were indistinct, formless. And then it was gone. He felt suddenly devoid, excitement fizzling into nothing, leaving empty confusion in its wake.

Prompto slowly closed his mouth, disconcerted. What was that?

Jason leaned forward, looking at Prompto strangely. "What do you mean, the other way around?"

"I…" Prompto frowned. "I don't know." He looked away, shivering.

"...Prompto brings up a good point," Ignis said slowly. "If he is of the line of Caelum, then it could explain his power. We might even surmise that it stems from his connection to the Starscourge." Jason frowned, lacing his fingers together in thought. "Either way, I think we have to assume that Ardyn won't keep his original plan, at least not entirely. He could have been referring to the fact that seeing a 'Messenger' will make him approach things differently. His wording could be coincidence."

Jason deliberated, but he shook his head, clearly not convinced. "No, there's a connection between my abilities and Ardyn's, I know it. I just have to figure out what...but basically, it means we don't really know what's going to happen for sure anymore," he concluded quietly.

"None of it is going to happen," Noctis, who had barely reacted to anything that had been said, spoke with unexpected force. He glared into the fire, a suspicious shine to his determined eyes. "I won't let it."

Gladio finally turned around, face stony, and stood behind Noctis' chair in silent solidarity. He kept his peace but placed one firm hand on Noctis' shoulder, connecting the four of them.

Jason smiled a little. "That's the plan."

"How are we going to do that, though?" Prompto asked, solemn. No voice whispered to him. All was quiet. He shook his head slightly, but after a second, dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him. He was exhausted, after all.

"For now, we go to Lestallum," Gladio said firmly, finally speaking up, speaking directly to Jason. "Iris is waiting for us there and so is Ardyn. Either Ardyn does as you've predicted and he's there for us to deal with, or he's not and we know for sure his plans have changed."

Jason tilted his head, considering. "Cor said he'd watch Ardyn and report back to us. I guess all we can do is wait."

"What about the Royal Arms?" Noctis asked, a little color returning to his cheeks.

"I think it would still be wise to pursue them," Ignis said thoughtfully. "I have no doubt we will need all the power we can get, before the end."

"And Luna? We have to stop her from making the pacts with the Astrals," Noctis insisted.

"I don't think we can." Ignis said grimly, lacing his fingers together. "Until we think of a different way to stop Ardyn or receive more information, we may not have a choice but to follow the Path of Kings."

"But–"

"We have no idea where she is, Noct." Ignis said quietly. "The chances of us guessing when she will arrive to the Disk of Cauthess or happening upon her in our travels are slim to none. We simply need more information."

Noctis sighed, burying his head in his hands. "This is so messed up…" Abruptly, he stood. Without removing his hand from his eyes, he stumbled to the tent and made his way inside, the tent flap closing gently behind him.

The remaining four sat silently around the fire, the revelations of the night weighing heavily on them all. Ignis rose first, following Noctis into the tent, and Gladio a moment later. Prompto didn't move, staring at Jason, hesitating. But Jason wouldn't lift his eyes, gazing into the fire as if all the answers lay there, elusive. With a quiet sigh, Prompto stood and entered the tent, letting it close behind him.

Noctis sat on his knees, eyes on the floor and shoulders slumped, seeing nothing. He looked lost, shining blue eyes beyond the point of worry and grief. Prompto hated seeing that look on his face, the very same expression he wore when he discovered Insomnia's fall. It was ironic, Prompto thought bitterly, that he'd had promised then that he would protect Noctis from such a look again, but ended up breaking that vow only weeks later.

Ignis, Gladio and Prompto settled around Noctis, waiting for their prince to speak. Noctis worked his jaw.

"That is not our future. I won't allow it," he whispered, looking up at the three of them with all the determination he could muster.

"We won't allow it," Prompto said. Noctis nodded, but he couldn't hold there gazes. He dropped his own, dark lashes doing nothing to hide the tears he wouldn't allow to fall. Prompto felt his own eyes sting.

"...Guys," Noctis said brokenly, and Prompto knew what he was thinking about. Prompto's torture. Ignis' blindness. That he leaves them all, forever. Noctis reached a hand out to both of them, one on Prompto's arm and the other on Ignis' cheek, just below his right eye.

"Not gonna happen," Gladio said. He'd said little the entire night, but there was no arguing with the finality of his tone, and hope to be gained by his unwavering confidence.

"Yeah, no way we're gonna let you sacrifice yourself, buddy."

Ignis sighed, lightly touching the back of the hand cradling his cheek, gently taking it into his his own and squeezing it. "We will find a way to defeat the Chancellor and make this right. For now, we should all get some rest. We have a long journey ahead."

Noctis nodded, visibly relaxing as gentle hands guided him down. Prompto didn't resist as Noctis pulled him into his arms, resting one beneath Prompto's head and throwing the other across his waist, drawing him close. Prompto closed his eyes, burying his head beneath Noctis' chin, both reassured by his strength and lending Noctis his own. Ignis settled down behind Noctis, and Gladio behind Prompto, the larger man throwing his arm over the two youngest members and placing his hand reassuringly on Ignis', whose own rested across Noctis' hip.

Silence filled the tent, and Prompto could feel himself slipping away in the protective arms of his friends, mind still troubled but too exhausted to deny sleep any longer. A stirring of something within him drew his lips into a sleepy frown, the edges of his consciousness disturbed by some unknown presence he couldn't name. Before he could place it, Prompto was fast asleep, the unsettling feeling nothing but a vague memory to be swept away by his troubled dreams.

Jason never entered the tent that night.

-o0o-

AN: Honestly? I don't know how accurate to the lore this is going to be. In the context of this story, I think it will make sense in the end, though. Remember that Jason is working with limited information, and some recent updates to content will be ignored because of this. It will make more sense once certain things come to light later.

Man, someone is trying really hard to reach Prompto. Is Jason on the wrong track? He doesn't seem to think so, but only time will tell.

Next Chapter: The guys go shopping and Jason invests in some hair products. It's not as gay as it sounds...or maybe it is. Hehe. I've already got it written, just gotta edit, so stay tuned folks.

Thanks for your kind comments, guys. Really, it lifted my spirits quite a bit and made everything suck just a little bit less. So...just, thanks. See you next time!