Appearing from the Path, Noctis shook his head out of habit to dry his hair, feeling as though he had just surfaced from deep water, even though he was perfectly dry.
Carbuncle stayed curled up in his arms this time as Noctis used his legs to 'swim' over so he could float next to his body, which his friends had carefully laid onto a thick, clean sleeping bag again.
It was really weird having an out-of-body experience, but even weirder in that he could literally watch his chest up close and see that, no, his body wasn't breathing at all. Surveying his friends, who were all close by, he could see them all shooting occasional, concerned glaces at his body as they discussed in more depth the future that he, Luna, and Nyx had traveled from.
Unfortunately for his friends, neither Nyx or Luna were as far from the future as he was, and so did not know all the details. Luna knew quite a bit, some of it surprising to Noctis, who settled in to wait out his Wandering without missing important stuff. If he listened in now, they could save time later without having to repeat everything for him.
"- My Calling." Luna was saying, one hand resting on the bloody patch of dress that marked her healed stab wound as she stared down at his unconscious face, "Was to see Noctis Crowned as the King of Light. I… I tried everything I could, to circumvent his death, I knew what the Astrals were planning, but I could not resist my Calling for long. The only thing I felt could do, to make things right, for my betrayal, would be to die, myself… I decided that Forging the Covenants with the Astrals would be the surest way for Noctis to succeed, and in ...convincing my Calling that would be the way to Noctis' victory, I sealed my own fate. You see, I could not bear to remain long in a world that I had condemned my only friend to death in…"
What…? Noctis had obviously interrupted a conversation, because he had no clue what Luna was talking about. Well, aside from the obvious, but why did she keep mentioning her calling? From the way she was talking, it seemed important, more important than just a job she did as the Oracle, and he could see her bright green (now tinged with purple, like his own) soul withering every time she spoke of it.
She's the one that chose the Covenants? She did all that…because she wanted to die for betraying me? What does that even mean?
"Wait a minute, why on eos didn't you mention that you were a l'Cie before, Princess?" Nyx said from where he was kneeling next to Noctis' body still, his bedraggled Kingsglaive uniform looking like he had been slowly removing it, as his greaves and bracers were arranged next to him, along with the long, flowing purple ribbon Noctis now recognized as being inspired from their Regal Coeurl forms.
Nyx had turned and was gaping at Luna, before hanging his head into his hands at her mystified look.
"Oh Mother, I am surrounded by heathens." Nyx bemoaned.
"You are aware you are addressing the literal Oracle of the Six, correct?" Ignis queried, looking just as bemused as the rest of Noctis' friends.
"The who of the what now?" Nyx asked, then paused, "No, wait, I think I know who the six are… those are those Eidolons you worship, right?" Nyx began counting on his fingers, "Bahamut, Shiva, uh… Ramuh? Leviathan… oh wow, who's that big guy...Titan! And Vulcan!" Nyx finished, then paused, casting his eyes skyward in concentration. "No, wait, I may or may not be getting Titan and Troll mixed up, considering that big guy's been holding up the Meteor for awhile, and that's gotta hurt."
Luna, especially, was looking at Nyx oddy. "You… you truly did not know I was the Oracle?"
Ignis meanwhile, seemed to have taken offense on the Earth God's behalf: "Did you just call The Earthshaker a troll?"
Nyx held up two fingers as he replied to both Ignis and Luna, "I don't even know what an Oracle is, I just thought you were some random princess," He ticked down a finger, "And two, well yeah, It would make more sense for him to be Troll than Titan because holding up the Meteor for this long, taking constant damage like that without regeneration abilities? He'd have Faded by now."
Ignis opened his mouth to speak, stopped, and then just buried his head in his hands. "This is just… too much. Can someone please inform me when the world makes sense again?"
"I'm with Iggy." Gladio harrumphed,crossing his arms, scowling, then uncrossing again as he pounded his fist into his palm. "There's just too much here to process. Somebody just…give me an enemy! Who are we fighting? What are we fighting for? Just tell me that! Not all this… time-travel, heretic mumbo-jumbo stuff about Callings and 'La sea!'"
"We're fighting for the future, and… for those who want to see it." Nyx said solemnly, flexing his burnt fist. Nyx's burns from the Ring stretched from the tips of his fingers, to nearly up the side of his neck; his had already darkened and crystallized fully, with a few burned, crystal veins tracing the side of his face.
"Yeah, that's still really vague and cryptic." Prompto interjected, "I think what the big guy wants to know is who he can punch."
"Yeah, that." Gladio agreed, red soul flaring.
"Fine. You can punch that dick Ardyn for me, you know, before we cure him, since Noct is so hellbent on saving him."
"Who the hell is Ardyn?" The sheer exasperation in those five words could have been funny in any other situation.
"The guy that's been possessed by hundreds if not thousands of daemons for thousands of years, and is the one that turned me into a daemon the first time around." Nyx said, pointing at his eyes as he made them flare yellow and black before returning them to normal.
"He's also the one that stabbed me during my Covenant with Leviathan," Luna supplied, looking lost in thought as she stared just past Noctis' body, one hand slowly rubbing at the bloodstain on her dress, picking at the wound beneath idly.
No, wait… she wasn't looking at his body…
Luna? Noctis asked, wondering if he was right. It would make it so much easier for them to get moving ASAP...
Luna's forehead creased just a bit, but she shook her head again and tuned back into the conversation.
"Why the hell would Noct want to save him then?"
Disappointed that Luna could not hear or see him after all, Noctis settled in for the long haul, listening as Nyx and Luna traded broken information with Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio, the exasperation and incredulousness of his friends and soulmates (wow that's a really weird thought still) ramping up with every traded question and answer, until Nyx finally took it upon himself to give an 'Abridged History of Eos' to the Crown City citizens, because apparently more than half of the stuff they'd learned in highschool and college history had been flat out wrong or twisted in some way so that Lucis- more specifically, Insomnia- looked good and everyone else backwards barbarians.
‹ I always did wonder why we have skulls on everything ,› Noctis said to Carbuncle, ‹ And why our national color is black. ›
‹ Well, thousands of years ago, after the Great Remembering, your ancestors started to worship my Mother, Etro, the Goddess of Death, for allowing you to remember the fallen. Once people started remembering the dead, they were horrified at how they had given up so many of their young children as soldiers, and were determined to remember their sacrifice. Though the sentiment behind it has been forgotten, tradition and the fashion industry kept the symbology alive. ›
Nyx was still speaking in the background, a less detailed, more generalized version of what Carbuncle was telling him, speaking of two l'Cie from different Crystals who awoke from their Sublimation, and were the first to recognize the dead. The two l'Cie, free from the Callings of enemy Crystals, banded together and worked to bring peace and justice to the survivors of the ravaged world. Machinations and Remembrance, the two l'Cie, spent the rest of their lives trying to unify the world…
But ultimately failed when survivors of the other nations rejected their unification plans and various factions began to war once more, changing the landscape forever as insurgents from the dominion began to crave the power they were denied when Machinations and Remembrance began to preach for peace and insisted the seized lands of the other nations were returned to their people.
These insurgents pledged themselves to the three remaining crystals, to summon Verboten Eidolons despite their casualties. The sacrifices used by the fanatical factions for the Eidolons became so numerous to compensate for the lack of magic in the sacrifices, that eventually the Eidolons were able to stay permanently and in control of themselves, instead of driven by the will of the l'Cie sacrificed.
The people of the world saw the eidolons as gods of war, and then gods of all, and thousands of devotees began to gather for the sole purpose of bridging the gap between the mortal plane and the realm of the eidolons, that they might have the chance to bring their gods to the mortal plane permanently. Dozens of Eidolons were summoned, different branches of the eidolon Classes being hailed as brother and sister gods.
Ramuh, a Verboten Eidolon, was one of the first to gain the Immaculate title, being the first of Six classes that could enter the mortal plane permanently instead of fading within the hour. He was followed shortly by many Titans, Ifrits, Bahamut's, Shivas, and finally his sister Verboten, Leviathan.
Nyx spoke of how many people forgot about their Mother Goddesses entirely, that people forgot about the gift of remembering death, forgot about the Goddess of the Dawn, who shone a light of hope upon the world when the Great War ended.
That people forgot entirely about the Great Remembering and the peace it brought, and instead worshiped weapons of war and the destruction they wrought with their presence.
Thousands of years passed, and slowly the nations of today rose up from the ashes as the Immaculate Six strove to prevent any further summonings, until the knowledge of breaching the way into the Between Realm was forgotten, and the modern age was born as the line of Lucis was born, even as the Starscourge began to make its first appearance with a meteor- The Meteor- hurling itself from space, and only by the hands of Titan did the world not suffer extinction.
Noctis floated, gobsmacked, as he listened to Nyx and Carbuncle explain the history of the world in a way that his textbooks had never even mentioned. Even his history professors had never spoken a single word about the Great Remembering, and any mentions of other Crystals was just in passing, about false rumors created by rival nations, jealous of Lucis' power...
He had learned a lot today, and he could only hope it would serve them well. He had never learned this history of his world the first time, and it dawned on him just how little he had known about the world, even after ten years trapped in the Crystal.
It felt like he was a broken record. He didn't know enough, he wasn't good enough, he wasn't strong enough.
But he didn't care.
He would learn more, he would do all he could to help others, he would be all he could to stay strong, strong enough for his friends to rely on, strong enough to save his people and the world.
Strong enough to save a man steeped in two thousand years worth of Plague.
He would do it. He would be strong enough. He would save everyone he possibly could.
Even if it meant defying the Six and their Prophecies to do it.
There was a distant, booming crack of thunder; white lightning in his mind as a word was written onto the back of his eyelids:
V̷͇͋E̵̛̺Ȑ̶͍B̵̧͂O̷͎̒Ṯ̸̎E̷̝̾N̷̪̽ ̴̢̍Ē̸͓I̵̖̅D̷̘͊O̶̢͝L̷̮͂O̸͎͘N̸̯̿!
It sounded like a reminder;
Verboten Eidolon.
It sounded like a warning.
VERBOTEN EIDOLON!
Noctis shook his head, swaying, as the world around him began to flicker and fog around the edges.
‹ Oh, you're going to wake up in a moment, › Carbuncle said, jumping out of his arms to float in front of him, as though he had not noticed the voice, ‹ When you do, can you make sure to keep my body close to either you, Luna, or Nyx? That way when I stop Wandering I can speak to you all right away. Although now that you've done it yourself, you should be able to at least see me with your Sight... but it might take your powers awhile to become that strong. I want to be on hand if anything happens to you. And please, wait at least a day before you try to go after Ardyn, I should be recharged enough by then to wake up and help. Daemons are naturally a part of the Unseen Realm, so they can resist some of our magic, and I do not want any of you facing down Ardyn until I know I can heal you if you are further injured. › Carbuncle said in a rush, tilting his ears back and fluffing up his tail as he pranced anxiously back and forth in the air.
Noctis nodded as the grey fog continued to roll across his vision, ‹ Don't worry, I've only just met up with Luna again, I don't want her or any of my friends anywhere near Ardyn without- ›
"-All the help we can get" Noctis muttered, blinking his eyes open. Ow. Though the reigning nausea from his damaged soul was gone, that apparently didn't mean his physical injuries were healed. Though the bleeding had stopped once more, it still felt like his back and stomach had been torn open, and his burns flared underneath the bandages, especially the exposed side of his face that the sun had hit earlier. He was grateful that Ignis had insisted on covering up his other burns before they ventured out into the light.
"Woah, Hey, Noct, back with us already?" Prompto inquired, sounding surprised, and at his sides, Luna and Nyx- his friends, his soulmates- were already in motion, shifting next to him, offering him support, helping him to sit up, mindful of his back and stomach. Their dead hands were pleasantly cool compared to the searing touch of his living friends, and he was grateful that, with them so close, it didn't feel like he was going to suffocate from the heat anymore.
"You guys are better than the Regalia's A/C," Noctis laughed, accepting the brief touches as he was leveraged into a better position. Prompto was quick to shove Gladio's massive backpack at him, and Noctis gratefully accepted it to help support his back, willing to stand the pain from his injuries if it meant he wasn't going to be lying down constantly.
That made him feel too small, too helpless and off center. He needed his head in the game, needed to feel in control, if he was going to be able to get through all that was to come. "Yeah, Prompto, I'm up again. How long was I out for?"
Ignis beat Prompto to the punch, checking his watch before Prompto could even open his mouth, "Around three hours." Ignis informed him, and Noctis watched the way Ignis' sharp, clear green eyes were eyeing the way Nyx and Luna sat so close to him, how Noctis did not shy away from them instinctively the way he did others when they were in such proximity. He might have imagined it, but for a second, Noctis thought he saw a flash of...something in his advisor's eyes, but within a second it was gone, and Ignis was back to his usual, mother-hen self. "How are you feeling, Noct?"
The words 'fine' were about to pass his lips, but something stopped him. A sense of exasperation, and disapproval that was not his own.
Noctis leveled a sideways glare at Nyx, who raised his hands in surrender. Luna laughed softly beside him, and Noctis rolled his eyes, before sighing, ignoring the mystified looks his Seen friends were trading at the silent interaction.
"My back and stomach still hurt…. A lot, and the burns are still painful, but it's nothing I can't handle." Noctis said truthfully, "And I found where Ardyn is, or, rather, where he's going."
"How? You've been unconscious this whole time." Gladio said, pacing forward, "Not to mention right before that, you turned into a freakin' coeurl, and were acting all crazy."
Noctis vaguely remembered he had transformed into his - Sacris?- form quite literally in Gladio's arms, and was unbelievably relieved that he hadn't hurt his friend with his suddenly-there claws. He wasn't quite sure how to go back into that form, but knew, from the speed that Luna and Nyx had traveled from Insomnia - miles upon miles - that it would be extremely useful to master it, if only for the speed and endurance it granted, let alone the fighting capabilities as a Coeurl, one of the deadliest natural predators Eos had to offer.
With the ability to kill prey instantly, it was no wonder they were the Sacred Animals of Etro.
"Well, when Carbuncle Pulled us back in time, it forged a connection between Luna, Nyx and I," Noctis explained, "It activated when they got close to us I guess, and it just kind of took over when I sensed that they were injured. I'm not sure what it looked like to you guys, but our souls kind of reached out to each other and… healed each other from what the Ring and the gods had done to us." He didn't want to mention the soulmates aspect just yet; that was… beyond private. He would tell Luna, and Nyx, when they had a moment, but he didn't want the others to know just yet.
His friends didn't know he was broken; he had only ever shared that with Luna, his first friend.
And though even then she had been a kindred spirit, he couldn't bear to bring himself to tell Ignis and Gladio, when they were so entangled in his royal duties- including the eventual conception of an heir...And they had been so in love with the idea of him marrying Luna, so excited for the wedding, even after the Treaty was no longer on the table…
They had insisted on the wedding continuing, even though they should have known the entire thing was an arranged marriage without either his or Luna's will, only a duty to their kingdoms…
It only hit him then.
Did… did they even know it was an arranged marriage?
"Woah wait, your freaking souls were hurt?" Prompto interrupted his thoughts, and Noctis forced himself back on track.
"Yeah, that's what the Ring and the Covenants do to you." Noctis said, waving his hands dismissively- he was getting distracted again. He could only chalk it up to events moving way too fast, and the fact that probably any other person in the world would be currently screaming and bawling in agony from his injuries. He'd developed a high pain tolerance in Zegnautus Keep afterall...
Stay. Focused.
"Listen, I know where Ardyn is. Apparently I can spirit walk or whatever after doing lots of soul magic, and Carbuncle showed me how to find Ardyn- he just murdered the Emperor and replaced him with a doppleganger, and now he's heading to Galdin Quay where we would have met for the first time, last time. He's going to give us a souvenir coin that would have tracked our movements. This is our one chance to catch him off guard; we've got to ambush him, and cure him, before he knows what we know." Noctis said, "We've only got five days until the Signing Ceremony- we've got to cure Ardyn before then, and get his help to actually sign the Treaty this time. We need our world at peace if we really want to be able to fight the Scourge."
"But Noctis, surely you know… I was unable to heal the… Chancellor's... Scourge the first time." Luna suddenly spoke up, placing one decorated hand gently on his uninjured shoulder as she leaned forward, clear blue eyes beseeching him. It was only as she leaned closer that Noctis caught a whiff of sea salt.
She had drowned then, not merely succumbed to her stab wound.
"That's because your healing by itself isn't strong enough. Carbuncle said that Ardyn's strain of the Scourge is particularly strong, because it is so old and is made up of hundreds of individual infections he absorbed. Carbuncle said that we would need the blood of someone who was exposed to the virus as a baby, but did not turn into a daemon. We need the blood of someone who's resistant to the Scourge, but I don't know anyone…"
Wait.
Nyx had raised his hand in front of him, twisting his fingers as he summoned a magenta flame to his hand, the electric-yellow of his soul flaring at the edges with daemonic-gold. "Well, I don't know about exposure as a baby, but I've fought enough of Niflheim's daemons, not to mention I'm now part daemon myself… could you use my blood?"
Ignis shook his head, staring in obvious fasciation at the flame dancing on Nyx's fingertips, "No, I don't believe that would work. Your body appears to have... subjugated the daemonic influence of the disease, but from what Noct is saying, we are looking to purge the Chancellor of the daemonic taint entirely...is that not correct, Noct?"
But Noctis wasn't listening. He was remembering…
Ardyn had said that Magitek Troopers were cloned and injected with the Scourge in infancy as part of the experiments…
Could they use Prompto's blood?
Frustration was pounding in Noctis' head, because this was another thing he didn't want to- couldn't just announce to the entire party.
He needed to get Prompto by himself, so that he could ask him for his blood. He refused to announce to everyone what Prompto was- because that would be a complete and utter violation of Prompto's trust, especially because he's only had a few hours to process the knowledge that he was made to be a soldier.
Before he realized it, he was cradling his head in his hands, fingernails digging into his scalp because too much was happening too fast and he felt really bad for his friends now because he's just dumped this on their laps out of nowhere after a seriously traumatic night and how on earth are they coping?
Noct can barely restrain himself from screaming at the sky in frustration, and he knows he hasn't only because he doesn't want to hurt his friends even more.
"Woah, hey there, young King," Nyx says, dismissing the flame in his hand and placing a steadying hand on Noct's other shoulder, "Easy, you're not alone in this. How can we help?"
There's an aborted movement in the background, Gladio shifting his stance, as though wanting to move forward but catching himself, and Noctis can imagine him clenching his teeth as someone else played his role.
Noctis took a deep, cleansing breath, ignoring how it was out of habit instead of necessity. He could process and worry about that later. Now he just needs to collect his thoughts and shove them into some semblance of order, and he needs a plan. "I…. I need to talk to you two, and then Prompto. In private. Before we do anything else. We also need transportation to Galdin Quay, as soon as possible." He said, forcing his fingers to unclench from his hair, and looking up at the group. "Doesn't have to be the Regalia." He tacked on at the end, knowing Cindy had taken awhile to fix it the first time.
There was a beat of silence, before Ignis, ever practical, spoke up, "I believe that would be in the best interest of traveling as well. Before, we were only planning on five passengers, tops. Now we have six, including some serious injuries…. I believe a rental is definitely an option. We shall have to… ask Cid for a loan." Ignis' voice was laced with doubt and reluctance.
Noctis grimaced at the thought; Cid had always been extremely gruff and disapproving, and Noctis had been shocked at his appalling rudeness when they first met. Which, in this timeline, happened only yesterday. "That's going to be tough, Cid doesn't like us very much...yet."
Ignis was nodding along, "Yes, I believe you are correct… Noct, I'm sorry to say but you might have to put in an appearance to convince him of our urgency."
Noctis sighed and nodded in agreement. Cid was an old bastard, but seeing "Reggie's" son so incredibly injured would undoubtedly change his disposition in a heartbeat.
"Gladio, will you accompany me to the garage? Noctis, will you and the others stay here, on the Haven, while we're gone? If we are able to convince him to loan us a car, we shall drive out here to pick you up, instead of you all having to make the hike through the rough terrain." Ignis said, already going through the motions of snagging one of the smaller packs along with his wallet, empty of usable funds though it was.
Gladio took a moment, looking over Noctis, Nyx, and Luna, taking in their horrific injuries with reluctance. He was obviously loathe to leave them unguarded, but had to concede Ignis' point that they would be safe on the blessed grounds from any roaming sabretusks or other predators. Noctis' Shield let out a big, gusting sigh, and nodded in reluctant agreement. "Fine. But your asses better still be on this Haven when we get back," He said, jabbing a finger in their direction as he joined Ignis at the tent's flap.
Ignis was halfway out the entrance before he suddenly did this weird spinning around motion. "Noct, are we able to summon our weapons? We have not had the chance, and I wouldn't like to put you under any more stress from the magic, but nor do we want to be waylaid by any marauding creatures on our way in."
Noctis blinked at the unexpected question, and was glad that Ignis had thought to ask. "Uh…I'm not sure?" Frowning, he cocked his head to the side as he searched out his magical armory. Holding out his good arm, he pulled on one of the daggers he had enchanted the last time around, slightly surprised he had access to it- he had only gotten his hands on it the last time around after pulling the twin daggers out of the back of a scarred and old Behemoth King, who was still kicking even with multiple weapons embedded in his ancient hide.
In a flash of blue crystals, one of the twin Voltaic daggers appeared in his hand, sending sparks of yellow flame up his arm at the contact, visible only to his dead eye. Raising his eyebrows, Noctis grinned as he felt his connection to the thunder magic buzzing in the back of his head grow stronger, before startling a bit as both Luna and Nyx twitched beside him; glancing from side to side, he saw that their own soul-flames were now tinged yellow (barely noticeable with Nyx's already yellow flame, which now had extra sparks floating around the edges), even though he was the only one wielding the enchanted dagger.
Okay. Wow. We're seriously going to take advantage of this.
Dismissing the dagger, Noctis watched as the yellow faded from Luna's and his own flame. "Okay, that's cool. And sure Specs, you and Gladio can summon your weapons, I didn't even feel anything from drawing on them, other than a thunder magic boost."
Looking slightly dubious, Ignis and Gladio nonetheless summoned their weapons and left the tent. Gladio was practically marching, back ramrod-straight like Cor himself was watching.
Noctis could only assume they were doubting his word, keeping their weapons on hand instead of summing as they needed them, so they didn't tire him out.
"Uh, so, Noct, did you want me to just… step out for a bit…?" Prompto's voice cut across his thoughts once more, and Noctis turned to look at him, observing how he looked a little nervous, and how his golden flame was dancing erratically at the edges. "I think Iggy had some leftovers from last night stored away, you guys are probably as hungry as the rest of us, I could reheat it if you want."
The reminder of food causes Noctis' stomach to growl, and it's an odd thought that he's hungry already. The first time around, they had all gotten used to meals being spread apart, rationed. His current body is apparently still running on three steady meals per day from the capital.
"Sure, Prompto, that'd be great. This won't take too long, I hope." Noctis agrees, and watches as Prompto dithers a bit before making a break for the entrance.
The tent seems stifling loud after Prompto leaves, even if Nyx is the only one actually breathing.
"So…" Noctis said, nerves making his hands tremble. Six, this was so awkward. "According to Carbuncle the three of us...uh… we're soulmates?" It comes out sounding more like a question, and Noctis wanted to bury his head in his hands again in sheer embarrassment and shame, but the hands still on his shoulders make him acutely aware of Luna and Nyx's presence.
There's a few moments of silence, before Nyx shifted slightly. "So... what exactly does that mean?"
"Well, uh, Carbuncle said that whatever we did when we were in our Sacris forms- our Coeurl forms- healed most of the damage to our souls from the Ring and the Six and the Summoning, and they kinda… fused? When I summoned that dagger just now, did you guys feel closer to… lightning? Electricity?"
Nyx was nodding already, but Luna appeared slightly confused, "Is that what that sensation was? I'm afraid I've never really experienced black magic before, my family has only ever used white magic, healing and protective."
Noctis nodded, unclasping his hands and threading them through his hair as he spoke, "Yeah, it looks like when one of us is using something to enhance our abilities, it will effect all of us, which could be really useful. Last time around, people were already using naturally-occurring effects from different creatures and resources to make accessories, but I discovered I can also enchant weapons and enhance accessories to be even better with my magic." Noctis began counting off on his fingers, "Using different… shades of magic and different raw materials, I could make items that make your wounds heal faster over time, make it easier to use elemental magic, made your skin harder to break, etcetera. Even good-luck charms, like Phoenix downs, I could enchant to literally bring someone who was dying back from the brink, but you had to use it before their heart actually stopped…"
A shudder wracked its way through Noctis' body when he remembered all too well the many occasions that he and his friends had had to use the miraculous item... and the one time they couldn't. The wounds in his back and stomach seemed to burn at the memory, but he couldn't bring himself to regret the pain.
That was how he had gotten here, after all.
He wouldn't have the chance to save everyone now, if he had saved himself then.
"We can also feel each others emotions," Luna said, her pale hands curling around Noctis's own, "I can feel it now, as I did earlier. You mustn't dwell on such sorrow, but look around at the new world we are in. We are together, and nothing shall keep us apart. We are going to save the world, and its people, together." Luna's voice was earnest, and when he could bring himself to look into her eyes, they were blazing, determination and hope visible in every line of her face, so different from the Luna he had glimpsed so long ago in Altissia.
There was a flinching sensation, guilt.
Noctis' head snapped around to look at Nyx, to see the older man was staunchly looking away from him and Luna, the older Glaive's expression shuttered. "Nyx, what's wrong?"
Nyx's shoulders were perfect, military-straight as he stared intently at the other side of the tent. Finally, he spoke: "All my life, I've been a foreigner, an intruder. And then this happens. How could the goddess make the three of us soulmates, if I am only here to be the outsider, again?"
"Nyx, what are you talking about?" Luna questioned, sharing a look with Noctis.
"You two are engaged, you've known each other your whole lives, and here I am…" Nyx barked out a bitter laugh, "Barging in and ruining it for you guys. This is worse than being the third wheel…I don't want to get between you guys, or cause strife in your marriage...especially because I'm older than you both..."
It was Noctis who turned to stare at Luna this time, and the misunderstanding that Nyx had made was clear. It was Noctis who burst into snorting laughter first; Luna quickly followed once she realized what was so funny.
"Oh, Nyx, Nyx, you are confused!" Luna managed between laughter that was edging towards hysterical, "Noctis and I are not in love, and our marriage is arranged! There is no love or lust for you to intrude on, only friendship, and you are already one of my greatest friends, from this life and the last."
Nyx was looking flabbergasted, even as Noctis and Luna's hysterical laughter was affecting him too through the bond. "But… I thought… the whole Kingdom thinks…"
Noctis shook his head, fighting through the guffaws to speak, "The entire Kingdom is under the impression that we're star-crossed lovers finally reuniting in a beautiful wedding to commemorate peace. They don't realize our wedding is a condition of the peace." Noctis said,
"We've been separated for over a decade, but we were each other's first true friends, and we have stayed that way. All I ever wanted to do was to save Luna from a prison I thought was my own fault, and now we are together, and there's nothing to stop us. We are not in love Nyx, and if it's fine with you, I would like to stay that way. Neither Luna or I are keen on…er, sex or stuff like that." Noctis' laughter had subsided towards the end, turning sombre and serious.
Understanding was dawning in Nyx's eyes. "Oh," He said, "That makes this a bit easier. So, just to clarify… you two aren't going to start flirting with me anytime soon are you? Because that would be reallly awkward…"
"Nope!" Noctis said, at the same time Luna proclaimed "Surely not!"
Nyx sighed in relief, and Noctis felt the feeling travel through their bond, relaxing his shoulders and easing his anxiety. Okay, one problem solved.
Now for Prompto…
"Hey, Luna, could you ask Prompto to come in here again for me? I think Gladio will have my hide if I try walking again so soon…" Noctis said, and Luna quickly agreed with the sentiment, poking her head out of the tent's flap to call for Prompto, one hand lightly holding onto her side where her own mostly-healed injury was.
Noctis frowned as he considered her torn, blood-stained (formerly white) dress, before looking down at his own clothing; they were going to need new outfits, and soon, especially if they wanted to travel. He didn't think he could stand to be in this disgusting, blood-stained shirt and pants for another day.
"Nyx, could you pass me my bag there?" Noctis asked, "I want to see if I've got any clean clothes in there. I'm not sure of your size, but I can probably find something to fit Luna…"
Nyx obliged, and passed along the smallest pack. Noctis spent a few seconds rummaging through it, before giving up and dumping it's contents onto the floor of the tent. Ten or so bundles bounces out, and Noctis snagged two at random, unfolding the clothing that Gladio had expertly wrapped up in socks.
Shoving the soiled bedding to one side, Noctis arranged the clean clothing on the floor of the tent, unrolling two of his plainest pairs of black pants and shirts. Holding one of the larger shirts up, Noctis considered Nyx, before offering him the shirt with a shrug. "Want to try that on, see if it fits? It'll be less conspicuous than your Glaive armour."
Nyx raised an eyebrow when he saw the brand name embroidered on the seam of the sleeves. "Fit for a Crown Prince, eh? Fine by me."
Nyx began unbuckling the last of his armour, but must have sensed Noctis' unease with his undressing, because he sent him a look before saying, "Don't worry, Highness, I'll take this outside."
Noctis smiled at not having to ask the uncomfortable request, and nodded gratefully at Nyx as he left the tent squinting against the sun and holding the opening aloft for Prompto as he nervously pranced inside, followed by Luna, who was smiling reassuringly at him, holding his hand.
"Prompto, you trust Luna, right?" Noctis asked as his friend nervously settled himself on the floor across from him, anxiously rubbing at his right arm.
"Of course I trust Lady Lunafreya!" Prompto agreed quickly, shooting her a star-struck smile, "What's this about?"
"Well, you know how I said we need the blood of someone who is immune to the Scourge, for Luna and I to cure Ardyn? Well, I think…. I think we can use your blood for the spell." Noctis ventured, passing Luna the clean clothing as he spoke, trying to seem casual as he spoke, so Prompto wouldn't be spooked.
Prompto spluttered nonetheless. "Wait, what do you mean my blood? How could I be immune? I've never even seen a daemon outside of movies!"
Noctis shook his head, shuffling forward until he could hold Prompto's hand, the opposite of the one Luna still had clasped, "It's because of where you were born, Prompto. Niflheim was experimenting with the Scourge, they started injecting it into the babies they cloned, to infect them during their later experiments. But you were rescued before they got past the initial… treatments. You were injected with the Scourge, but it was a single dose and it was in a small enough amount that your body was able to fight it off, especially with the better living conditions in Insomnia."
Prompto just sat there and stared at Noctis, who watched as Prompto's face and flame flickered through a million emotions.
Seconds passed, and right as Noctis was wondering what on Eos he could say to make Prompto feel better, Luna leaned in and put her other arm around Prompto's shoulder.
Releasing Prompto's hand, she instead place her palm on his cheek and guided his chin until he was looking into her eyes. "Prompto Argentum," She said, "You have nothing to fear nor feel shame of. No one chooses how or where they are born, and your friends accept you and love you for who you are. Let this revelation be not a curse, but a blessing. With your assistance, we will be able to help a great many people." Luna whispered, her hands glowing with soft golden light, accented with the green of her soul as her magic wove around Prompto, sinking into his skin and making his lip tremble at the comforting words.
Breathing out a shaky sigh, Prompto nodded, squeezing Noctis' hand tightly as he looked from Luna to Noctis and back again. "Okay. I'll do it. What do we need to do, exactly?"
Noctis glanced over at Carbuncle's unconscious form, watching how the small white body was eerily still, not stirring with the breath of life. He wondered how long it would take Carbuncle to wake up.
"All Carbuncle said is that we would need to use your blood, and combine it with Luna's healing magic. I guess we could try to make a potion or something, and either make Ardyn drink it or pour it on him?" Noctis said, wondering how on earth they would accomplish that. As far as he knew, they didn't have any special equipment to draw blood from Prompto, which meant that they would have to… cut Prompto and collect his blood that way.
The thought of breakfast suddenly didn't appeal anymore.
Nyx came back in then, and he was balancing containers of food whose smell made Noctis' stomach flip in time with his thoughts. It was odd seeing Nyx in such casual clothes- Noctis had only ever caught glimpses of him when he was in his full Kingsglaive uniform.
"C'mon, food's not gonna eat itself, and you two need to get your strength up." Nyx said, distributing the containers to the others and pressing one into Noctis' reluctant hands. "Eat." Nyx commanded again.
Noctis sighed and jabbed the provided fork at the food, unwilling to actually eat anything. Nyx plopped down to the floor and sat cross-legged next to Noctis, jabbing at the air with his elbow in Noctis' direction but not actually connecting with the wounds hidden underneath Noctis' ruined shirt. He was just doing it for emphasis.
"I'm not hungry." Noctis said, stabbing at a bit of potato that was mixed in with the eggs and now-shredded toast. "Prompto, we'll have to wait for the others to get back. Iggy's good with all the medical stuff, he might have an idea of how to use your blood and Luna's magic better than I can."
Prompto nodded, obviously trying to put on a brave face as he dug into his meal.
"You should at least try to eat, Majesty. One of the first things you learn, growing up outside the Wall? Never refuse food, you don't know where your next meal is coming from, and you have to conserve your strength." Nyx said, and Noctis scowled at the form of address.
"Hey, my Dad's still alive in this timeline and besides, you should be calling me 'Noctis', all things considered." Noctis said, and then shoved a forkful of soggy toast and eggs into his mouth, just because he knew Nyx wasn't going to stop pestering otherwise.
Prompto was glancing back and forth between Luna, Noctis, and Nyx, analyzing their interactions, looking intrigued. Noctis shoved his bowl towards Prompto with practiced ease, and Prompto began to pick the potatoes out and deposit them into his own bowl, swapping them out for bits of egg.
"How long do you believe it will be before Ignis and Gladiolus return?" Luna questioned, addressing the group at large, watching the casual food exchange between Noctis and Prompto with amused eyes. She'd known since childhood how much Noctis hated vegetables.
Noctis shrugged, "I guess it mostly depends on if they run the whole way there, and how cooperative Cid is. He used to be best friends with my dad, but they had a fight some time before I was born, and never really made up… he does come around in the future, though, and I'm pretty sure once he, or rather, Cindy, hears that I've been seriously injured, they'll probably rush over here."
"Uh, what exactly are we going to tell them, anyways? Are you going to tell them the truth? 'Cause if not, bro, you're going to want to cover up that eye again." Prompto suddenly said, gesturing at Noctis' face with a bit of toast.
"Wait, what's wrong with my eye? I mean, other than being able to see all this weird soul-flame-y stuff?"Noctis asked, reflexively poking the skin around his dead eye and then feeling like an absolute idiot when pain blossomed there, his fingers agitating the crystallizing burns that dominated that side of his face.
With a sharp hiss, he flinched back and groaned out "Ow. That was stupid of me."
"Yeah, kinda." Nyx said, shaking his head in a sharp motion, and Noctis saw with no small amount of horror that apparently both Luna and Nyx had felt that flare of pain. At the very least, it seemed like they were only affected when the pain was first registered, not the entire time, because otherwise he's pretty sure neither of them would be able to stand.
"You're going to have to tell us what on eos soul-flamies are, because you haven't mentioned that yet but dude, your eye is literally glowing freaking pink." Prompto said, holding up his phone and presenting the dead screen to Noctis.
Grabbing the phone out of his friend's hands, Noctis hit the power button out of habit, but the screen remained blank, and he vaguely recalled Ignis saying all of their electronics had died when he got Pulled back. Angling the phone away from the glare of sunlight coming in through the entrance, he used the screen itself as a mirror instead.
It's a good thing he didn't have to breathe.
It was one thing to know the damage…
It's another thing entirely to see it.
The lighting in the tent was pretty good, and he could see his face as clear as day in the reflection on the expensive screen.
The entire right side of his face was criss-crossed with silver or dark brown scars that branched out in segments across the bridge of his nose and lip towards the mostly-unblemished left side, one of the 'sparks' nearly reaching his good eye, which looked it's normal blue. The scars were mottled and rough around the edges, and he could still see some very faint lines of fire glowing beneath the skin still.
It was his right eye, his dead eye, that was truly shocking, even with Prompto's words.
The white parts of his eye, his sclera, had darkened to grey, and his iris was a bright, glowing magenta, with rings of darker lavender around his pupil, which was odd and distorted, like the light was coming from inside his eye.
When his eyes finally unglued themselves from the scars and the glowing, they caught on another detail that was out of place; bits of grey and white now streaked through his hair, starting at the roots and fading to dull black at the tips, turning his once raven-dark hair into salt and pepper.
He looked like an old man.
It's a good thing he didn't have to breathe.
Otherwise he'd be hyperventilating right now.
It took him too long to notice that his hands were shaking, and by the time he realized it the phone had already dropped from his numb fingers, clattering to the floor.
It took him too long to notice that the bond between him, Luna, and Nyx was roaring in the back of his head with their concern, and that arms were wrapped around his shoulders once more from both sides, and Prompto was leaning in, speaking rapidly, looking on the verge of tears once more, but Noctis couldn't hear the words past the memories, the memories of his father withering before his eyes as the Ring and the Wall sapped him of his life force, as images of a man in his forties was aged as though he were in his seventies, as sleek black hair turned grey, then white, in the span of a few years.
He looked like his father.
He looked like the Ring was killing him again.
"Say something!" Prompto begged, his words finally breaking through the roaring in his ears.
"I look like Dad," Noctis finally choked out, "My hair…" He became aware that he had been pulling on his hair with a vice-like grip again, and when he glanced down at his fist, he saw strands of black and white.
He had pulled his own hair out.
"Oh gods," Noctis whispered, limbs trembling uncontrollably as tears burned down his face, "I can't handle this again…"
He had caught a single, nightmarish glimpse of himself in the water, after escaping the Crystal.
He had studiously avoided any reflective surface for the next few days it took them to reach the Citadel for him to die. He couldn't bear to see his face again after ten years were stolen from him by the gods.
The face he had glimpsed had been alien, a stranger, something so disturbing in how little of himself he saw in it.
And now it was worse, because he did recognize his own face, it was just… marred.
Disfigured.
He had already had so many scars littering his body.
The long, ugly gash that carved up his back, the twisted flesh on the back of his calf… and now his arm and face, which could not be so easily hidden behind casual clothing. These scars would be on a constant display, to anyone, everyone who so much as looked at him.
And his eye. His eye that was glowing vibrant and unnatural colors. It would draw attention even faster than the scars, and would make sure people kept their gaze locked on his own in confusion instead of hastily looking away to avoid staring at his disfigurement.
He was ruined.
"Hey, hey, Noct, look at me, c'mon, look at me, okay? Listen, I know what you're thinking, but it's not true, okay? What you look like doesn't matter, okay? It doesn't matter! It's what's inside that counts. Scars might not be pretty, yeah, but they say that you're a survivor. Scars tell a story, and they say that you survived. You're here, you're alive, and we're going to make sure no one else has to go through what you did. We're going to make sure that no one else has to die needlessly. We're here to give the people of this world a brighter future, one that doesn't end in darkness. And we'll all probably have new scars by the end of it. But it won't matter, because we're all going to do our damndest to survive, right?" Nyx's voice, full of authority, broke into his thoughts, and all he could see in front of him was a mass of bright yellow fire.
Nyx was crouching in front of him, hands gripping his shoulders gently, his burning blue eyes alight from within. When Noctis caught his eyes, Nyx took one of his hands using his own burned one and guided it to the side of his own face, where Nyx's own burns were steadily darkening from white crystal to sunken, browned scar tissue.
"If it makes you feel better, we match." Nyx said, and Noctis let his eyes wander to the hand Nyx was using to hold his own, and saw that both of their arms were nothing more than molten silver and dark brown, nothing recognizable about the original flesh between the scars that flowed like fire up from the tips of their fingers to their necks and faces.
Just as their souls were perfect matches, their scars seemed to mirror each other as well.
Both of them had died putting on that damned Ring to save the lives of others.
But Nyx wasn't giving up.
Nyx wasn't wallowing in self-pity.
I won't let myself, either. Noctis thought, with some effort. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger?" He asked, snorting out a weak laugh through the tears, then hastily wiping his nose on his shirt sleeve for lack of a handkerchief.
"Exactly." Nyx said, and Noctis found himself leaning into Luna's shoulder, actually enjoying the contact as Prompto crowded in for another group hug. Well, it wasn't really a hug, per say, more like everyone was cuddling in close, and Noctis didn't feel trapped as he would have if everyone had their arms around him.
It actually felt… nice.
Before he knew it, Noctis found himself nodding off, his head lolling onto Luna's shoulder as sleepiness started to overcome him. Luna and Nyx didn't look much better, and somewhere in his drowsy mind, Noctis wondered if it was his own sudden exhaustion affecting them or if the sleepless, stressful night was finally catching up to them.
Noctis had just closed his eyes, intending to rest them for only a second, when he was jerking awake an instant later, the loud roar of an engine echoing over the plains. Nyx and Luna jolted awake as well, and Noctis had to struggle for his brain to catch up.
"Oh hey, they're back! And they've got a car! Oh! And Cindy's there too!" Prompto said excitedly, jumping up from where he had been toying with his camera, apparently putting a new battery in it from the camera case he had obsessively packed.
Prompto hurried to open the entrance wider, "Ooh, I wonder if Cindy- oh ew. Cid's here too."
Prompto's tone of voice, that had started out excited, quickly turned sour, and Noctis was once more reminded that Cid's behavior on their first meeting had been nothing less than… extremely rude.
First impressions took some time to wear away, and his friends had never gotten the chance to get to know Cindy's grandfather better just yet.
Noctis might not hate the guy, and he could hold an amicable conversation with him, but never could forget that Cid had deliberately overcharged them for their first (or, current) repairs, costing them every single Denarii they had, instead of simply informing them that Gil was the only currency accepted outside of Insomnia.
If he had done that, they could have at least returned to the outskirts of Insomnia to do an exchange- but no, instead, he overcharged ridiculously, in a currency he couldn't even use.
And, as Noctis had to keep reminding himself, that only happened yesterday.
There was the sound of slamming car doors, and then Cid's distinctive, rough voice barking out, "So where's this Prince of yours, Scientia? I only sent y'all out to take care of some weak varmints, and you're telling me the Prince managed ta' get himself hurt fighting some mangy sabertusks?"
"As I have already informed you, Master Cid, it was not Sabretusks that caused His Highness' injuries." Noctis glanced in the direction of the voices at the sound of Ignis' formal-sounding tones, strained with aggravation, though anyone that did not know Ignis well wouldn't have been able to tell.
He spotted the now-familiar ivy and cerise colors of Ignis and Gladio, now followed by two yellow lights, whose colors were subtly different shades from Prompto's golden and Nyx's topaz.
A soft, jasmine-color that was shuffling next to Ignis' ivy green appeared to be Cid, while a brighter, sepia tone that was walking slightly ahead seemed to be Cindy. Gladio's cerise red was trailing behind, probably trying to keep his aggravation out of sight.
"Well, accordin' ta' Dave, y'all fellers hadn't even left to go take care of that odd Dualhorn yet, and there ain't nothin' in the area other than Dualhorn and Sabertusks. All them Anaks and Bulettes don't show their faces this close to Insomnia. Ya'll're not pulling the wool over my eyes. I ain't givin' ya'll no discount for fakin' wounds or nothin'!"
"Aw, Pawpaw, don't be like that, y'all know these fellers have been helpin' us out, and they've been nothin' but friendly. They didn't have to lend us a hand, but they did, and we're in their debt. Dave says they saved his life, showin' up when they did. If'in Ignis says the Prince is hurt, then I want to help."
"Seriously Cid, you know my Dad. Do you really think he'd raise me to pull some stupid prank like that? We Amicitias have honor, you know." Gladio's deep voice said, a hint of annoyance and frustration creeping into his tone.
"Bah. Ol' Clarus didn' even bat an eye when ol' Reggie pulled back the Wall without a lick of help fer' the rest of us. Any honor he had left him that day. I knew him, but not any more." Cid grumbled, and Prompto and Noctis shared a look of surprise.
Noctis had never gotten the details of Cid's argument with his father, and Noctis had just… kinda assumed it was something that Cid had done. His cantankerous personality spoke for itself. But from the sound of it… Cid had been angry at his father for leaving the people of Leide unprotected? For protecting only Insomnia?
A chill crept up Noctis' spine, and he suddenly remembered those odd words that had echoed in his mind, in a voice like thunder.
But… what do Verboten Eidolons have to do with Insomnia?
His musings were interrupted by the scuffing of rock, Cid muttering a curse, Gladio's angry growling, and finally, by Prompto eagerly holding the tent entrance open for Cindy, who ducked into the tent, a large, beat-up looking first-aid kit clutched in her hands. Cindy blinked, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, then she reared back, a shocked look overtaking her features.
"Oh! Prince, what happened to y'all? Oh, gosh, your face…" Cindy's eyes traveled around the tent, her eyes only widening further as she spotted Nyx, whose face was just as badly burned, and then her eyes landed on Luna, and Cindy's entire countenance seemed to radiate her shock and awe. "L-Lady Lunafreya?"
Luna did not appear surprised at being recognized, instead she smiled gently and offered her hand to Cindy, who took it like it was a precious thing. "Hello, Cindy, is it? You have my sincerest thanks for arriving here so quickly to our aid."
Cindy's mouth was moving, opening and closing like a stunned fish, a bright red blush riding high on her cheeks. "U-Uh, y-yeah, Cindy, that's me." Cindy was staring unabashedly at Luna, some strange mixture of mortification and horror visible in the way her sephia fire was flaring wildly within her chest. "M-My Lady? If you're here, then… wouldn't you be able to heal the Prince and his friend yerself?"
Luna smiled a sad, watery smile, and said "If only I could, I would gladly. But the will of the gods prevents me; I cannot use my magic on either of them or myself without doing more harm, I believe we shall have to rely on the plainer ways to heal our injuries."
"What're you saying? Your magic won't work? But you're the Oracle! You can heal the Scourge!" Cindy was obviously in shock, and it was only then that she saw the crimson stain that had dried into Luna's tattered dress at the waist. Cindy's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "My-My Lady! You're bleedin'!"
"Was," Luna corrected gently, "I was saved by a Messenger of the goddess. The only ill that ails me now is a lingering pain, and an unsightly dress." A small snort of amusement passed Luna's lips at this remark, and Noctis tried to withhold his own amusement as he watched Cindy trying to process everything.
"But, then why did y'all call for help, ifin you're already as healed as you're gonna get?" Cindy finally asked, right as Cid finally made his grand entrance, tossing aside the tent flaps with disgruntled grumblings.
"Mostly we just need access to a car, and a phone. We found out some important stuff we have to tell my dad, but we have to get to Galdin Quay before we go back to Insomnia." Noctis said, breaking Cindy's attention away from Luna, and attracting Cid's attention as the older man struggled to see in the dimly-lit tent.
"What in tarnation?"
Cid forced his way none-too-gently past his granddaughter and peered down at Noctis' face, and then Nyx's. His face slowly became a mottled red, anger sparking in his eyes as he saw the little tattoos that subtly decorated Nyx's face. "Yer one of Reggie's Glaive, ain't cha?" He demanded, "One of them boys out from Ghalad?"
"Yes sir, I've served since the Kingsglaive's inception." Nyx's shoulders were squaring up, and Noctis knew he was bracing himself for some kind of explosion on Cid's part, for accusations of theft or responsibility to be level against him.
Well, they were right on one part.
"OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS HE COULD'A DONE!" Cid exploded, whirling around and shaking his fist at the sky as he began to pace the length of the tent, "AND HE'S GIVIN' HIS SON AND HIS GUARD THAT BLASTED, GODS-FORSAKEN RING TO USE? WHEN HE KNOWS IT DOES THAT KIND'A DAMAGE TO THOSE NOT MEANT TO WEAR IT?"
Noctis just stared, mouth agape, at Cid as he continued to pace around the tent, ranting about how irresponsible his dad was, to give Noctis the Ring, or to even let him and Nyx 'and the rest of them ghaladian kids' draw upon the Ring's magic through his dad when the Crystal itself should have been enough magic to be used for protection.
Pretty much everyone was staring at Cid now, Cindy included, and from the look on her face, she was as shocked at her grandfather's violent reaction as the rest of them.
"So… you're not blaming us…?" Noctis finally asked, mystified. He'd never really seen anyone get mad at his father, and this was an odd experience. Especially since 'his' Cid had been nothing but nostalgic… possibly because by the time Noctis had ever heard Cid talk about his father, Regis had been dead and gone, without Cid even having the chance to reconcile or even speak with him after years of separation.
"'Blamin' ya'? Bah! I thought it was maybe just you, but no, ifin one of you sensible ghaladian boys is even using the Ring's magic, then it's Reggie that's not teachin' the lesson, not ya not learnin' it." Cid grumbled, and Noctis honestly wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not.
"So, you'll let us borrow a car then?" Prompto interjected hopefully, shooting frantic looks at Ignis and Gladio, who were silently fuming behind Cid's back. Gladio's jaw clicked shut at the reminder that they had to play nice… for now.
Cid narrowed his eyes as he stroked his beard, obviously considering everything. "After what ya'll did to the Regalia, I don't know that I trust ya with one of my own cars… if ya'll can do that to a state of the art, custom classic, I'd hate ta see what ya'll would do to our clunkers out here outside the Wall..."
Nocis blinked, and realized that Cid had a good point. Even with the Regalia being an "older" car, it had still been updated and enhanced over the years, with the newest technology and safety features built into the original; it was updated yearly with whatever new specs had been developed to make it faster, safer, and more comfortable for the King himself to drive.
And they had nearly-totalled it no less than five times that Noctis could remember.
What hope did they have of driving one of the absolutely ancient, constantly-breaking down cars that populated Lucis outside of the ultra-wealthy city of Insomnia?
"Cindy, yer gonna drive these cityfolk to Galdin, in the Big One." Cid finally ordered, "The rig ain't gonna hold more'n five at a squeeze, an' I don't want them screwin' with any of our payin' customers' cars."
Cindy, who only had eyes for Luna, snapped out of her daze, and whirled around to gape at Cid. "Wait! But who's gonna fix up the Regalia while I'm gone?!" She fretted, wringing her hands.
Cid waved her off with a scoff, "I'd been fixin' that car since Reggie bought it, whadaya take me fer, a mascot? Hammerhead's my company, an' I didn't build it from the ground up by not knowin' how to fix cars."
Cindy was properly chastised, but Noctis could see her disappointment. He wished he could make it up to her; he'd remember how much she loved tinkering with the Crown City tech…
Maybe he could bring her with them to Insomnia, when it was all over, let her see how advanced everything was in person…
Or, maybe he could do one better…
When the Scourge was destroyed, and the Empire an ally…
What was stopping them from bringing down the Wall?
What would stop them from bringing the technological and medical advancements of Insomnia to all of the Kingdom?
To all the of Eos?