They all spent the next few minutes just watching the sunrise, Noctis basking in the warm light while his friends slowly digested all that he'd told them. Prompto was fiddling with his phone, still trying to turn it on, when Noctis suddenly felt a weird tingling in the back of his head, and his skin began to itch and crawl.

He leaned forward, uncovered eye snapping up, to a point in the distance that seemed to be calling to him.

"Noct?" Gladio, who was still holding him, had noticed his sudden focus. But to Noctis, it sounded like Gladio was far away...

Noctis couldn't answer as he strained his living eye, trying to peer into the distance enough to see what it was he was sensing. After a few seconds of squinting uselessly, Noctis growled and ripped the bandages off his face, unmasking his dead eye and bathing the world in the fiery colors of life itself once more.

His bad eye stung and burned horribly in the bright sunlight, which was probably why Ignis had covered it up, but Noctis didn't care- because now he could see what was approaching, what was calling out to his very soul-

In the distance, he could distinguish it now: before, it had just looked like a speck in the endless, red, dusty earth, but now, with his dead eye to enhance his vision, Noctis could see a riot of blazing yellow and brightest green racing towards them, growing closer and clearer by the second.

He knew who it was, in his bones, in his soul, they were calling out to him:

Brother, brother, BROTHER!

"LUNA!" Noctis screamed, rational thought suddenly flying out the window as he struggled in Gladio's grasp, wanting, needing nothing more than to get closer, to know that they were safe, to know that they were okay, because their souls were screaming out to him now, too, and he could smell it, could feel it from even this great distance, the blood that covered them, the pain that caused their lights to spark and flicker. "NYX!"

Twin roars, deep enough to shake the land answered his screams, and he could hear that same terror, that same drive to be closer, to be sure of his safety, in every echo.

Those roars were apparently some kind of trigger, because the crawling of Noctis skin abruptly changed and he felt icy magic swimming over him as his entire body shifted into something else.

Noctis finally succeeded in scrambling out of Gladio's arms, fell only a few inches instead of feet to the ground as Gladio leapt away, and started crawling on limbs that were longer and odd, paws scrabbling in the dirt as Luna and Nyx drew ever closer, so fast they were almost a blur, and on any other day Noctis probably wouldn't have been able to believe his eyes as two massive Coeurls, their pelts white and black-striped, leapt the ten-foot jump to get on top of the Sanctuary with ease despite the blood that covered their flanks and the scars maring their stripes. Electric blue eyes stared at him and he could see his own reflection in them- he too, had somehow become a Coeurl.

The two massive creatures zeroed in on Noctis and he reached out to them, and for the first time saw the color of his own soul, a bright, deep blue, as it extended past his body and merged with the electric yellow and grass green fires of the souls in front of him; he saw as the colors combined and spread, filling in the gaping holes that he hadn't even noticed in his own soul, forging new connections and strengthening old ones as strength flowed into his limbs, a strength he had not had since he had first put on the Ring in Gralea.

He hadn't realized it back then, but he could feel it now: his soul had been in tatters by the time Carbuncle came for him; every time he'd used the Ring, he had been tearing his soul into pieces, and that final summoning had been what nearly did him in and destroyed him completely. He had literally been on the cusp of becoming nothing.

Hell, even Bahamut had told him, if he banished the Accursed, his soul would be destroyed. Noctis hadn't cared at the time, he'd already been too damaged. But now he could see what had been torn away from him as Nyx and Luna's ragged souls mingled with his and they all three began to weave a brighter tapestry of lights; yellow, blue, and green, intertwined with deepest, royal purple.

As their souls merged, Noctis caught a glimpse of memories, of what had caused the damage to Luna and Nyx's souls, and his anger at Bahamut grew.

Luna's soul had been damaged by the covenants she forged with the Six- each Pact had torn another portion of her soul away, until her very body began to decay from within from the strain.

Nyx's soul had been damaged in the same way as Noctis', from channeling magic from the Ring through his connection to the King. Nyx had been a soldier for years, and in training from the time he was a young child. All of this had slowly begun to wear away his soul- but the biggest damage had only occured hours previously, when he tried to use magic to heal Luna, magic that had been lost for generations because of how much it harmed the caster, and nearly died trying to fight off General Glauca in his condition, all with only magic borrowed from the King through the Ring.

Carbuncle had arrived then, already drained from Pulling Luna and Noctis through time, and been further injured in the battle when he tried to shield Nyx and Luna from Glauca. Nyx had immediately recognized Carbuncle (from what?) and begged him for the power to defend Luna and defeat Glauca; Carbuncle had reluctantly obliged and Pulled Nyx's soul from the future as well; Nyx had gained all of the abilities of his future self- specifically the abilities he gained when he became a powerful daemon some time after the Fall.

The huge forms of the Coeurls in front of him looked like they were melting, shrinking, fur dissolving into skin, paws into hands and feet, Silver horns and long purple whiskers fading into hair, until two bloody and dishevelled human figures were visible: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, in a ragged ornate dress, and a scarred Nyx Ulric, in a damaged Kingsglaive uniform.

The two fellow Champions fell into a heap near Noctis, and they all clasped their arms around each other, the sudden ravenous need to be in physical contact with the others fading as the fires of their souls settled again, feeling more whole than before.

Noctis could feel exhaustion weighing him down again, and struggled to remain awake- he was so sick of sleeping- but his will quickly gave out when he felt Nyx grip his hand tighter.

‹ I'll keep them safe. Don't worry. › Nyx's voice, (so familiar despite having heard him speak only once in his life, when Nyx drove him from the palace to his apartment so long ago) reverberated in his head, the way Carbuncle's did. Noctis struggled to meet Nyx's eyes, and saw that the Glaive had scars almost to match Noctis' own burns.

‹ We need to save Ardyn. He's the key to it all. › Noctis insisted, feeling his eyes struggling to stay open with every blink. His head, suddenly top-heavy, fell onto Luna's shoulder as she struggled closer, and he felt her breath catch as she saw the full extent of his injuries.

‹ Oh, my dear Noctis, I am so sorry, this is all my fault › Luna whispered, one pale hand hovering over the ruined half of his face, as if wishing to use her magic, but both of them knew it would only make things worse.

With what strength remained, Noctis sluggishly shook his head, ‹ No, all I ever wanted was to save you, my first friend... It was worth all the pain, if it meant we could be here…. Finally together…. We can…. save everyone…›

He saw her nodding her head above him, tears in her eyes, and then he fell into exhausted sleep once more.

"-- ng Regis does not know what has become of Nyx and I. When I appeared, I was still feeling the extent of my former injuries, and Nyx heard my screams and came running. Titus Drautos is actually a spy in charge of turning other Kingsglaive to the Empire's side, and is really General Glauca. He was keeping me under guard from a distance, and in the original timeline would have kidnaped me in a few days time, after the official welcoming ball.

"When he heard the commotion in my room and heard Nyx's report of me being attacked, he came to my rooms and attacked us as Glauca. Nyx tried to defend me, and Carbuncle appeared then and granted Nyx's request for Glauca was defeated, and we immediately fled, knowing we had to get to Noctis before the Empire or the Kingdom's traitors could attack again. Carbuncle alerted us before he left that you were still in the Leide region, and that's when the…. Transformation took place." Luna's voice, sounding hushed, suddenly broke through Noctis' slumber, and he struggled back to wakefulness. He could feel Nyx and Luna pressed against his sides, the fires of their souls intermingling with his, the coolness of their Unseen bodies a welcome change to the searing heat of his Seen friends.

"But… why on earth would you all suddenly be able to change into Coeurls? Time travel is one thing but…. Becoming a werecat is quite another…" That was Ignis' voice…. Wasn't it?

"Coeurls, specifically, Regal Coeurls are the sacred animals of Etro; I would say I'm surprised you don't know this, considering your own Crownsguard uniforms, but to be honest, it seems like all you Insomnians have forgotten your own history, too caught up in your superiority to the rest of the Kingdom from behind your Wall."

"Nyx!" Luna's scandalized voice rang out.

"I for one, cannot blame you for that assertion. Most Insomnians are completely intolerant to the rest of the Kingdom."

Noctis sat up. And stared. No one reacted to his movement.

"Don't forget ignorant too, I didn't even know what a gil was until we got out here."

Noctis was confused.

"...You seriously didn't know what a gil was…?"

…again.

"Wait, who's this Etro again?"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me."

He clearly remembered falling asleep, and he had just woken up. He'd sat up… and now he could see that he was bright blue and transparent, while beneath him his body hadn't moved, and slept on between his Unseen friends. Flabbergasted, he listened in as Nyx and Luna told his friends what had happened to them in the Citadel, and It seemed like only a few minutes had passed since he and Luna had been reunited.

He could clearly see a vein in Nyx's forehead twitching as he was told just how clueless Noctis and his friends had been-were-are? About life outside Insomnia, and Noctis couldn't help a smile at the frustration on the Glaive's face even in such a weird situation..

‹ Noct? Can you hear me yet? › Carbuncle voice suddenly said, and Noctis turned around a little too fast, and had to fight to keep himself upright as his momentum spun him like a top where he was hovering. Flailing his arms, Noctis tried to grasp onto a sleeping bag or a support pole, but his hands passed right through.

"What's going on?," Noctis tried to ask as his spinning gradually slowed, but nothing came out. He furrowed his brow.

‹ C',on Noct, I know you can do it! You have to use your soul to speak! It's easier in your Sacris forms, but with enough practice, you'll be able to do it in your human form as well. ›

Sacris? Oh, wait, Carbuncle probably meant when he turned into a Coeurl; he, Luna and Nyx had been speaking in each other's minds. Except he wasn't even sure how he'd done that…

It took a few minutes of fruitless muttering, but finally, Noctis figured out that if he drew the flames of his soul out into the air around him like a cloak, he could project his voice beyond his mute throat. It was tiring, but worth it when he saw the pride in Carbuncle's black eyes. The Esper's physical body was still sleeping next to Nyx, and it seemed like Carbuncle was spirit-walking the same way Noctis was.

‹ Okay Carbuncle, so…. What just happened, with me and Luna and Nyx? That was…. Really really weird. I didn't even feel like a human anymore once I… felt them coming closer, and even now, I can feel this itching to be closer to them. What's up with that? I don't even like touching people usually. ›

‹ Oh, that? That was kind of…. Unforeseen, heh heh... I didn't expect you all to have that reaction, even if your souls were injured previously. It's possible that I messed up somehow when I Pulled you three back in time, or maybe this is something that Mother wills. Or maybe fate was always tying you together; not just anyone can successfully merge their soul with another person's to heal both, let alone three people's souls being perfect matches. › Carbuncle explained, looking a little sheepish.

Noctis was nodding along with the outlandish explanation, then his brain seemed to halt at the last part. ‹Perfect matches? No, wait…. You don't mean we're soulmates do you!? › He demanded, feeling a little nauseous at the thought. He'd seen the same movies and read the same books as everyone else, and Soulmates usually meant romance and…. sex.

Noctis shuddered at the thought.

‹ Oh! Yes, Soulmates is actually a really good way to describe it! Perfect, even! › Carbuncle cheered, apparently unaware of Noctis' unease, ‹ It's incredibly rare of course, most people could go their whole lives without meeting someone with a perfectly compatible soul; then again, most people aren't able to see souls in the first place, or have a chance to damage them permanently. Souls do heal overtime, just very slowly, and it can take hundreds of cycles to repair even a small tear. That's why it's so difficult to heal you right now, but it should go a lot faster now, since you, Luna, and Nyx are all perfectly compatible, you guys healed almost all of the damage already! ›

Dread filled Noctis as Carbuncle continued talking. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, ‹ Okay, but just because we're soulmates doesn't mean we have to like… date or anything right? I know me and Luna have to get married for the Treaty, but that's like, a best friend thing. Not a romance thing, you know? We're both just doing our duties to our people. Niflheim didn't say anything about us needing to produce an heir or anything, and how on eos is it going to work if Nyx is our soulmate too? › Noctis was panicking, and he was babbling too. ‹Oh gods oh gods what if Luna and Nyx start flirting with me? How old is Nyx anyways?›

‹ No, wait, Noct, calm down, it doesn't have to be like that at all, humans for the most part are beings focused on reproducing, but the concept of Soulmates goes back further than even the first humans of your world. It doesn't have to be that kind of relationship, people who meet their soulmates typically have very strong bonds, and while some of them do pair up romantically, just as many of them are best friends, or are even family members. You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with! › Carbuncle reassured him, launching himself across the tent to nuzzle one ghostly-blue cheek against Noctis' face, sending waves of cold energy into him.

Now that Carbuncle mentioned it, the… bond he could feel between him, Nyx, and Luna felt more like a familial bond than romantic love, but how was he supposed to know what was what? Romance and sex had always been a mystery to him, and it had been a welcome relief as a child to confess his brokenness to Luna through their notebook exchanges, and have her tell him she felt the same way, and always thought it was just her, because everyone she spoke to seemed so caught up in entanglements of love or passion, and she just couldn't understand it.

Noctis sighed in relief at the Esper's words and the memory that he and Luna were the same, and felt himself gradually calming down. It was a very odd experience to be so worked up and not have his heart pounding in his ears, or his breath being too fast. It made him feel all disjointed, like he was having an out of body experience or …. Something other than what was currently literally happening.

‹ So uh, Carbuncle… why exactly am I floating around while my body's down there? ›

Noctis asked, running one hand through Carbuncle's fur. This night was just going from weird to just plain old freaky. How many more surprises were in store for him with this time travel business?

‹ Oh, that one's easy. After you do a lot of soul magic- such as when yours, Luna's, and Nyx's souls merged, but mostly because of the summoning you did before I Pulled you back- it's very easy for your soul to Wander out of your body to recharge. It'll only happen when you've done a lot of really advanced soul-related stuff, so you don't have to worry about it happening every time you fall asleep, but it's a good way to explore the world while your body rests.

You'll keep Wandering until your soul has recharged enough, then you'll wake up in your body again. You can go anywhere you please until you wake up, but no one will be able to see you, and you can't really interact with anyone unless they have the Sight until you've advanced in enough in manipulating your soul- but since you're the only human I know of that has the Sight, it might get a bit lonely pretty fast until you can train more. › Carbuncle explained, hopping down to the 'ground' wherein he floated a few inches above the earth.

‹ Wait, you're saying I could, like, spy on the emperor himself, and no one would see me? › Noctis asked, thinking hard. ‹ Or even that I could… find where Ardyn is exactly, so we know where to trap him? ›

‹ You could… › Carbuncle hedged, ‹ But you have to be very careful when it comes to him. I've seen your plan in your dreams, and while it's admirable, Ardyn has been infected with the Scourge for almost two thousand years. The virus will have adapted to his body, making his particular strain resistant even to Luna's healing magic. › Carbuncle said, ears drooping. Noctis watches as the Esper looked around the tent, seeming as if he was trying to collect his thoughts.

‹ The only way you would have a chance of curing him would be to combine Luna's magic with blood from someone who's immune to the Scourge, usually from someone who was exposed to a small amount of the infection while in infancy, but most people that initially survive such exposure die at a very young age from a weakened immune system, or gradually mutate into daemons as the virus takes hold. ›

Noctis frowned as he contemplated Carbuncle's words. He'd never heard of anyone or their children surviving daemon attacks at such a young age, but maybe it was something he could ask Ignis about? Surely if there were any known survivors, there would be papers published about it? People studying anything they could to find a cure? ‹ Well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Could you show me how to find Ardyn awhile? Or is it like you said, I just wander around until I find him or wake up?›

‹ Well, since you know him personally, it should be easier to locate him while Wandering. You just have to focus really hard on who you want to find, or where you want to go, and you'll find your Path. › Carbuncle flicked his tail and then floated over to the entrance of the tent, ‹ Before you go jumping into the deep end though, it might be a good idea for you to get your soul-legs first. ›

Noctis proved Carbuncle point by trying to take a step forward, and immediately falling into a slow-motion somersault. Noctis flailed his arms again, trying to stop the forward spin, but all that seemed to do was making him spin faster.

The squeaking, chittering sounds from the front of the tent told him how humorous Carbuncle found his situation, and Noctis couldn't help his own chuckle. This was too ridiculous, especially after all the stressful things he'd had to endure the past few hours.

Sticking his arms out straight, Noctis tried to 'swim' over to Carbuncle- and found to his surprise it worked surprisingly well. Gaining his momentum, Noctis floated nearly effortlessly over to Carbuncle, who did a little prance when he saw Noctis doing so well.

Okay, let's have you do a few laps around the Sanctuary so you get the hang of it, and try to go as fast as you can. ›

Noctis nodded as he phased through the closed tent entrance. ‹ Got it ›

The next few minutes were filled with Noctis swimming laps in the air around the grounds, gradually gaining speed as he learned to use the flames of his soul to push him along; the only particularly interesting part was when he accidentally swam too low, and momentarily disappeared beneath the ground.

It was a very weird sensation, being surrounded on all sides by heavy dirt, and the part of Noctis' brain that enjoyed video games couldn't help but think of it, hilariously enough, as clipping. It was also weird because he'd just kind of assumed he wouldn't be able to go under the earth or buildings or anything. Most ghosts in all the movies he'd seen stayed solidly above ground, despite being able to pass through walls.

‹ Well, you did say I could 'go anywhere' › Noctis conceded to Carbuncle. ‹ Does this mean I can go to the center of the earth if I really wanted? ›

‹ Sure, there's lots of old ruins buried underground, it might just take you awhile to get to them since you've probably never been to them in person. Once you've physically visited a place, or Wandered there, you can forge a Path whenever you want when you're here, same as finding people. ›

‹ Cool. ›

‹ Very! ›

‹ Okay then, how exactly do I make a Path to Ardyn? You said just focus really hard on where I want to be? Or rather, who I want to find? ›

‹ That's pretty much it, yep! Focus all of your energy on finding Ardyn, and reach out with your soul. It'll feel a lot like when you're channeling magic, since it's pretty much the same thing. ›

Noctis took a deep breath out of habit, and then closed his eyes. I need to find Ardyn, I need to find Ardyn, I need to find Ardyn Lucis Caelum… Raising one hand, he flared the purplish-blue flames of his soul out, sending a tendril of light up his arm and out of his palm, searching, seeking. It took a few seconds but then…. There!

The blue tendril that he'd sent out of his hand suddenly sparked like a firework and shot off into the distance, towards Insomnia…

And the world twisted around Noctis.

‹ Woah! › He shouted in surprise, as the sky suddenly hurtled down towards him, shifting into a night sky from the previous sunrise, as though time was fastforwarding. The sky slammed down on him like a waterfall, or as if he were diving into a pool from a great height. He had closed his eyes, expecting pain, but the odd sensation of pressure had passed without incident.

Opening his eyes, he gasped in awe as he saw himself surrounded by stars and the void of space, with that single blue tendril stretching out in front of him, one end tied around his wrist, pulling him along with steady pressure, like a leash.

Twisting around, he saw Carbuncle diving gracefully in a spiral around him, and the Esper smiled at his surprise.

‹ Don't worry, you'll get used to it! › Carbuncle called, ‹ Insomnia's not too far away, so this won't last very long, but it can get a bit disorientating if you're going somewhere reaaallly far away. ›

True to the Esper's words, Carbuncle had barely finished speaking before a sensation like a great wave passing up Noctis's body from his feet made him stumble, then the starscape around them surged back upwards and-

Ardyn was standing less than a foot away, staring directly into his eyes.