A/N: hello, all! Sorry for the delay. I hope that for those of you still reading, you enjoy the new chapter :) And for any new readers for whom this just popped up in their feed, hello to you! You're probably going to start from chapter one...or well, i hope you're starting from book one...but anyway, thanks for getting on the ride! More bumpiness ahead.
They were all thrown to the floor when the black wave hit, covering them in tangible nothing. Instinctively, Ignis held his breath, but let it go when he realized that nothing about the wave was wet. He didn't have long to contemplate the contradiction; the spluttering gasps of the others dashed his thoughts away, and he flopped himself over in the direction of the most Noctis-sounding coughs.
"Highness, are you alright?" His voice was pained, strained, and extremely stressed. That…whatever it was—threw him for a loop, rendering him quite confused.
"I'm over here." The prince grunted from just off to Ignis' right. The adviser lumbered to his feet and carefully stepped his way in that direction, cocking his head from side to side, listening.
"Are you hurt?" He asked as he stuck his hands out in front of him, waving them a bit to ensure he would brush an obstruction with his fingers before ramming himself face-first into it.
When Noctis spoke again he was farther, still. "A little," he moaned, and Ignis quickened his step. "I think I've hit my head."
The adviser nearly tripped in his rush, but regained his footing, pausing to listen once again. Behind him, Maren began to chant, drowning out Ignis' rapidly beating heart.
"Noct?" His voice echoed in the darkness, twisting with the mage's litany. He took another step—
A sharp chime rent the air, dispelling the darkness in a cold gust of wind. Ignis blinked hard, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden light—
"Ignis, what are you doing?!" Noctis' voice behind him had him whirling on the spot, ready to run to his liege, only he stopped when he realized he'd walked through the open door.
On the other side, Noctis and Maren stared at him open-mouthed. But, that's not what had his attention. From his side, he was in a room—Prompto's bedroom, if he was not mistaken. From the logistics, Ignis quickly deduced that he'd walked in through the boy's closet door.
The closet door that was now slamming shut of its own accord.
Leaning against the wall was a smiling Prompto, aged approximately five. His blond hair was short, and he was just starting to put on a little weight that couldn't be attributed to "baby fat". Eyes far more violet than blue blinked up at him from behind cheap prescription glasses.
"Will you make me a sandwich? I can't reach the cabinet with the bread."
Ignis raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to say.
Prompto's little face folded into a pout. "Please? I—I'd ask Mom and Dad, but they're busy."
The adviser cocked his head to the side, studying the child before him. "Well, I dare say that I am busy, too. I need to get back to my friends."
The room dimmed around them as Prompto pushed himself off the wall and stepped ever-so-slightly in front of the closet door. "Friends?"
Recognizing the threat for what it was, Ignis relaxed his posture and smiled. "Yes, my friends. Prince Noctis and Maren Spencer."
"Aren't I your friend?" The boy knit his eyebrows together, his eyes alight with curiosity.
Ignis let a small smile ghost across his lips. "Yes, we are friends. I care for you very much, that's why I'm here." Ignis spread his hands out, placating. "To help you." He added, letting the barest smile touch his lips.
Prompto's little face broke into a grin. "Well, then, please make me a sandwich? I'm realllllyyy hungry." He followed Ignis' glance to the closed door, and shook his head. "Won't work. You know better than that."
Ignis frowned, but nodded along. It was true that when one was in the magic house of another that they were subject to the realities of the host's mind, which on average was convoluted at best. "Yes, of course." Since he did not know the rules to this particular house, he decided to play along. "Show me to the kitchen."
The smile Prompto's visage gave him brightened up the whole room, and when the small hand found his, it was warm and solid and very real. The little boy led him to the landing—the other two doors in the hall were closed, each with shadows spilling from the cracks beneath.
Shadows that gathered in the corners and watched him as the boy tugged him down the stairs.
Ignis glanced into the living room as they passed, pursing his lips. Mr. and Mrs. Argentum sat on a couch, staring at a news program on the television. Their eyes didn't even flicker in his direction as their son pulled him through the door of the kitchen, the glow of the screen playing across their waxen features.
Prompto pointed to a cabinet close to the refrigerator. "Bread and peanut butter is up there. I can't reach that high, and I'm not allowed to climb on anything."
Ignis nodded to him and dutifully gathered the requested items and set them upon the counter before opening the refrigerator. "What kind of jelly do you want?" He asked as he rummaged through the condiments.
"Grape's my favorite, but Mom only gets strawberry." Prompto pulled a melancholy expression, his shoulders sagging exaggeratedly.
"Oh, that's a shame," Ignis sympathized (his favorite was grape as well, but Noctis only enjoyed ulwatt berries, which were far too tart for the adviser's liking). He found the jar in the door of the refrigerator and quickly assembled the sandwich, giving it to the hungry boy. As he put away the ingredients, he watched the figures in the living room, but they sat still as death.
"Yes, well, now that I have fulfilled your request, I'll be on my way." Ignis nodded to the boy before turning towards the back door on the other side of the kitchen. Behind him there was the gentle scrape of the plate as Prompto pulled it more toward himself. The adviser was just reaching for the knob when the boy spoke again, this time around a mouthful of food. "Are you shur you don' wanna stay with me? Iss not so bad here."
Ignis glanced between the boy, the still figures in the living room, and the back door. "I'm sure I need to get back to my friends."
Prompto shrugs at that, swallowing his bite. "Could you make me another sandwich before you go? This one is really good!"
Ignis firmed his lips, glancing towards the living room. "Why don't one of your parents help you?"
Prompto shakes his head. "Too busy. They're important people, you know."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Ignis leans against the door. "But they're just …sitting there. Surely one of them has the time—"
The volume increased on the news program droning on in the background. "No," Prompto whispered above the din, "when they're home, it's the only time they have together, so they try to make every moment count." He smiled when he said it, but the disappointment that clouded his lovely eyes betrayed the enthusiasm in his words. "It's important for their marriage."
Ignis' spine stiffened as he glanced past the boy to the adults in the room beyond.
It was getting difficult to reconcile this all as just a space in Prompto's head. A lonely little place for a lonely little kid.
Ignis began preparing another sandwich.
When Noctis first met Prompto, well, the first time it went beyond their initial awkward exchange, anyway—he was impressed with the other boy. The blonde was funny and nice and hard-working and—above all—he was brave. Maybe foolishly so, but the prince was of the mind that a little foolishness now and then was the spice of life.
But, now? He was beginning to think he didn't know his friend at all, and that scared him.
When Ignis disappeared behind the door, Noctis launched himself at it with all he had, ripping and tearing at the knob, beating his fists against the wood; he even lobbed a fireball at it, to no avail.
Maren scoffed at his antics. "You're not getting through there."
"Well, what the fuck am I supposed to be doing? Prompto's sucked us in his brain, and Iggy's been eaten by a fucking door, and I'm stuck with you of all people…"
Maren sniffed indignantly, his waxy features pulling into a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Noctis's reply was cut off by a rumble like thunder that shook the very air around them; the empty arcade shifted out of focus, and then came back with rushing clarity. All the games came to life, music blasting at a much higher rpm than usual. Dings and whistles sounded out around them, disorienting the pair.
The door opened again, revealing blackness beyond. Needing no further invitation, they stumbled towards the door, but just as they were closing in, a tuft of blond hair caught the prince's eye.
"Prompto?!" He called, taking two steps in the wrong direction.
Maren, sensing his companion's hesitance, whirled on his heel, but it was too late; the blackness behind the door whipped out, tendrils of suddenly substantial nothing wrapped around Noctis's limbs, knocking him on his ass as it drug him screaming through the door.
Everything went suddenly still again. "And then there was one." Maren whispered into the silence.
Noctis tumbled through nothing for ages; he was spat out upon the sidewalk outside of the school he and Prompto attended.
The building was empty, but the door stood ajar. Taking the invitation for what it was, Noctis made his way inside.
He wandered down hollow corridors with warped lockers, some of them dripping their existence upon the tile floor. All the doors were closed, except the one at the end of the west wing, leading into the gymnasium.
Another rumble shook everything as he shuffled down the hall, calling Prompto's name softly.
When he stepped through the double doors, he found the room mostly empty, with the exception of a slightly younger version of his friend, doing suicide drills at the end of the basketball court. Noctis watched for a few moments, reconciling this Prompto with the one he knew and loved.
This version was perhaps two or three years younger, and a bit heavier. Noctis knew Prompto had worked hard to lose a good deal of weight their last year of middle school, showing up to their first day of high school much leaner than when he'd last saw him.
Prompto's shoes squeaked on the gymnasium floor each time he hit some invisible line and whirled around to run in the other direction. Noctis called his name, first stumbling, then jogging toward the other boy, but the blonde paid him no heed.
As Noctis neared Prompto, thunder erupted through the building again, throwing both of them to the floor. The prince was quick to recover, but young Prompto lied still on the floor, breathing harshly.
Noctis hastened over, reaching down to help the smaller boy up, but Prompto just shook his head, muttering about being too heavy for Noctis to bear. He struggled to his feet, and without another glance at the prince, resumed his running.
"H-hey, Prom! Prom, please stop!" Noctis called to him, waving at him as he passed.
But the blonde just shook his head. "Gotta keep going, sorry!" And he brushed by the prince, not even sparing him a glance.
Noctis stood, dumbfounded, as Prompto just kept going and going and going.
"…gotta be strong enough…"
"…gotta be fast enough…"
"…gotta be good enough…"
Each iteration was accompanied by a heaving breath and a quiet peel of thunder. The boy's freckled face shone with sweat, his freckles all but lost in his red cheeks.
"…gotta be strong for Noctis…"
"…gotta be fast for Noctis…"
"…gotta be good for Noctis…"
Thunder rumbled again and Noctis realized the sound was not natural in any sense of the word; it was emanating from the other boy, and the realization that it was the sound of hunger turned the prince's blood to ice, and when the double doors on the other side of them opened up to the undulating darkness, Noctis walked through willingly.
POST A/N: in all seriousness, I really appreciate you guys for understanding what I'm going through with the loss of my father and ..well hectic life and general depression. I'm truly grateful to you all! But, especially, I am grateful to Kaciart, Gnine, Saltslimes and MsChievous for being wonderful distractions and listening ears over the last few months. I'm sure there's folks I missed listing, but know you're all in my heart. Ok, this is sappy. Gotta go write some more whump to make up for it.