Astronomical

by Pandansca

Prompto, Lesser Astral and Son of The Hydraean, wishes more than anything to leave the confines of the vast, endless ocean and explore the land above. Finally gathering the courage, he decides to leave his waters and ends up in the arms of Noctis, the Prince of Insomnia and the boy Prompto has been watching since he was very young.

7. Chapter 7

It was as if the prince was swept up in a turbulent whirlwind- pacing in incoherent circles around his bedroom, gathering everything useful he could find.

Prompto sat upon Noctis' bed with large eyes, hugging his knees close to his chest as he watched the man rummage through dresser drawers and wardrobes before making his way to the bed and throwing what he had gathered into one of the suitcases that was placed next to the Astral. The dark-haired man was on edge, and rightfully so.

…

The large doors closed, leaving a barrage of panicked mumblings and the clatter of silverware and glasses behind.

Regis grit his teeth, his fists clenched on top of the table in front of him. With merely a look, Clarus was at his side, leaning in close so his king could address him privately. "Clarus, how the HELL did those men get in here undetected?! Where the hell are all the Glaives?!"

Clarus' ice blue eyes were hard as he multitasked between listening to Regis and tuning in to the grainy sound of his Glaives sounding off through his earpiece. Prompto and Noctis weren't able to hear the Glaives, but even through the frantic chatter of their guests, the duo could hear the king's shield as he replied, voice gritty. "I don't have an answer to that, My King. All of my commanders are responding with no sign of intrusion."

Regis scoffed, and Noctis finally sat down, giving in to Prompto's little tugs on his suit jacket. The prince scowled, looking to the two older men next to him. "I bet it's something of Versteal's doing... I'd bet my crown on it.", he spat, voice full of venom.

"If so, we need to look in to it. We can't allow ourselves to be taken off-guard like this- it's disgraceful, not to mention an embarrassment to our name."

Nyx cleared his throat from his spot next to Prompto, gathering everyone's attention. "No offense, Your Highness, but what exactly is the battle plan?"

"Battle plan?" Both father and son responded in unison, turning their attention to the Galahdian man.

"Yes, My King... Assuming… there will be a battle?"

Clarus grunted, hand moving away from his earpiece. "Glaives on guard along the wall have confirmed Loqi's threat of troops. Multiple air ships and soldiers have been spotted gathering on the opposite end of the bridge, just as he'd claimed."

Regis let out a haughty huff of breath, body tense. "…How much time do we have until nightfall?"

"A little over two hours, Your Highness.", Crowe supplied, looking down at the watch on her wrist.

Regis looked to his son, eyes searching and steely. "Noctis, this is your battle… What are you going to do? Whatever you choose, you have my full support."

The prince swallowed thickly, eyes flitting to look into Prompto's for only a moment before regarding the Glaives at their side. "Nyx, Crowe, meet me in my bedroom half an hour before nightfall. Libertus, ready my car. We're going to need it." The Glaives shared perplexed glances with one another before nodding in unison. They excused themselves from the King's table swiftly, leaving the other men. Noctis made to move only a step behind them, grasping a cold hand in his own. They had to move, and fast.

"Wait- Noctis. Son, what are you planning?"

Noctis chewed on his lips, mind racing. "I don't know. But I'm not going to let them hurt you or Insomnia. Not again."

And with that, he left, dragging the Astral close behind with hurried footsteps. Upon the prince's departure, their guests grew more worried, the chatter beginning to get louder until Regis could barely hear himself think.

"Your Highness, we have to do something about them.", Clarus supplied coolly, eyeing the many tables. "If they grow too fearful, they may riot, or worse. We need to get them safely to their homes before all hell breaks loose."

The weary king sighed, answering his shield with a curt nod of his head. Grabbing his son's abandoned, empty champagne glass and a utensil, he clattered the two together, gathering everyone's attention. "I apologize… And, thank you to all who have attended this- regretfully- troubling occasion. In light of these circumstances, I will be ending the party here. Please- go back to your homes, and stay locked indoors with your loved ones…" His eyes scanned over each face in the crowd. Fear for his kingdom and his son were running rampant in his tired veins, but he would not let it overcome him. He would be strong for his people. And he trusted his son. "Do not be afraid. No matter the outcome of this untimely threat from Niflheim, I assure you, all will be well… My son will do what is right… Now, begone."

With the king's command, everyone filed out one by one, leaving the king and his shield alone.

…

Out in the distance, from the view of the large bedroom windows, the airships could be seen, hovering just outside of Insomnia's walls, their blinking red lights and whirring machinery cutting through the clouds like metallic birds. The sun was setting, and quickly. They hardly had any time left. Barely an hour.

"N-Noctis…", Prompto called, his voice laced with worry, but the man didn't hear him over his intense focus and whispered mumblings. Nervously, he licked his lips, suddenly feeling dry again.

Noctis didn't have to do any of this. He owed the blonde nothing; was under no obligation to defend him whatsoever. The Glaive were called, ordered to be battle-ready in the case of an attack. An attack that was surely going to come, because there was no moving Noctis from his decision. Even now, he could hear them running through the halls, gathering their weapons and calling out to one another through their earpieces. The sound of their armor clanging as they stepped was like thunder to his ears.

The prince practically growled as he all but slung a final handful of clothes into a suitcase, zipping it up quickly. Rage and frustration led his actions like a dog on a leash, getting the better of him. "If Ardyn thinks I'm going to hand you over to him, he's a fucking idiot." He drug the finished suitcase off the bed and slung it by the door. Prompto flinched as it made contact with the wall, giving off a loud thud, and huddled into himself further as Noctis opened another. He disappeared into the bathroom, gathering bath supplies next. They couldn't afford to take much- only the essentials. But they were nowhere near prepared for this. Something like this needed far more time- planning- that they didn't have the luxury of entertaining.

"That son of a bitch… How dare he just- do this! Send his men barging into our castle like they own the damn place. And on my father's birthday, no less! Ugh!" He slung the towels and bottles of products inside, zipping it closed and slinging it in place next to the others. His nice clothes were gone, put away in his wardrobe, replaced by something easy to move in; easy to fight in. A white t-shirt and some jeans, a light black leather jacket thrown over to ward off the night chill. He had helped Prompto change as well, sad to see the lovely garments go. The Astral had looked so nice in them; so pure, as he surely was, untainted by the cruelty and greediness of men. Now, the other man was dressed in more borrowed clothes. A black tank top with an odd geometric design paired with coeurl-printed black jeans. It was an odd, tacky sort of match, but it would have to do. The Astral was slightly smaller and thinner than Noctis, so there was no helping it. The prince could only offer what he no longer fit into. The clothing fit Prompto snugly, but not so snugly that it would impair his running or fighting.

Gods, he hoped they wouldn't have to fight. He didn't even know if the Astral could fight. Probably not.

Noctis leaned his head back, sighing heavily as he dug the palms of his hands into his eyes until he saw stars blossoming behind his eyelids. "…Fuck… What the fuck am I going to do…?" He knew the general plan- Operation: Don't Hand Prompto Over. After all, who knew what that sick fuck wanted with Prompto? It could be any number of things. It was no well-hidden secret that The Mad King of Niflheim was working on many experiments, going so far as to even rip children, men, and women from their homes in order to test things on them with the help of that damned Versteal… What Ardyn was trying to do with these experiments, no one knew. But it was sure as hell enough to convince himself that Prompto would never be safe with him.

'…I wish Mom was here… What would she do? …What would she tell me…?

A cold hand drug him from his muddled thoughts like a breath of fresh air, the grasp light and hesitant, bunched in the front of his shirt. He lowered his hands from his eyes slowly, blinking away the white from his vision as he stared down at Prompto. He didn't know when the man had moved from his place on the bed, but now he was standing in front of him, looking up through blonde fringe with wide, worried eyes. It hurt Noctis' heart to see him so worked up, so scared, and even though he was scared himself, he pushed it back. He had to be strong. This wasn't the time for a meltdown, no matter how much the idea was clawing at him.

"…Noctis…"

He sighed, placing his hand on the blonde's shoulders. "…It's okay, Prompto… It's gonna be okay…" He put on as best a smile as he could manage, small and fragile, but sincere. A hand cupped a cold, scaled cheek, thumb grazing over glittering scales. "Don't worry. I'm not going to give you up… I made a promise. And I intend to keep it." Prompto quirked his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing further. What promise? Noctis hadn't made any sort of promise. Noctis smiled further upon seeing the look, a laugh tempting its way up his chest despite the serious circumstances. "Don't worry about it… It was a promise from a long time ago…" '…And I'll be damned if I break that promise…'

Knock Knock Knock

"Prince Noctis, Crowe and I are here, just as you requested."

And just like that, Noctis was swept into the tide once more, his body tense and eyes frantic as he scanned his bedroom once more for anything he may have forgotten. "Come in."

Nyx and Crowe filed in, no longer in their lovely formal attire, but in their Glaive uniforms once more. "So. What's the plan?"

Noctis grabbed the suitcases by the door, lugging one into each soldier's arms. "We walk and talk. Come with me." Without another word, Noctis grasped Prompto's hand, leading them all out of the bedroom and towards the elevator. Once they were all inside, he pressed the button that would take them to the parking deck.

"Noctis, are we handing the Astral over?", Crowe asked warily, giving the poor buy in the prince's grasp a once-over.

Noctis let out a small noise; something between a laugh and a scoff. "No way in hell."

Nyx eyed his prince and the way he was holding hands with the other man curiously but didn't comment on it, nodding curtly. "If so, then what's the battle plan."

To this, Noctis frowned. "Ardyn doesn't want Insomnia. Not right now, anyways. Since his father's death, he hasn't shown any interest in conquering us like his father once tried. At best, this could all just be an empty threat to scare us."

"He may not want Insomnia right now, but who's to say it isn't in his cards? He wants the Astral. And from how I see it, if he's as crazy as his father, he'd do just about anything to get him. Including an attempt at taking Insomnia and murdering your father in cold blood.", Crowe retorted, shifting the suitcase in her arms to better carry it.

Noctis took a moment to contemplate this. "And what if the Astral isn't in Insomnia?"

Nyx gave his prince an uncomprehending look. "Sir… What do you mean? He's here. They know he's here."

"Yes. But what is he wasn't? If there's no Astral in Insomnia, there's no reason to be in Insomnia. Am I correct?"

Crowe and Nyx exchanged glances before the female Glaive cleared her throat, speaking up once more. "I… suppose that would make sense…"

"But that's only assuming that Ardyn wouldn't still give Loqi the command to torch the city anyways.", Nyx added dryly. It wouldn't do anyone any favors to think so optimistically. He was beginning to catch on to his prince's plan, though; the suitcases, Libertus' order to ready the car, the look of determination in his deep blue ayes as he held his friend close. "Noctis, even if you plan on leaving the city- which I'm pretty sure at this point that you are- it won't make the threat of all those air ships and soldiers any less real and intimidating. We can't risk an attack, especially if our prince is gone. We'll need all hands on deck."

Noctis cursed under his breath, his hand gripping Prompto's more tightly. 'Fuck… He's right. If they still attack, Dad will be left without any help from me…'

It was this time Prompto made himself known, drawing their attention. "Noctisss… I can- h-help."

Noctis quirked a brow, the others looking on in in a practiced stoniness. "…How?"

"M-my… p-p-powerssss…"

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, the humid air of the parking deck hitting their skin. Libertus could be seen just down the way, keys in hand as he leaned against the wall. The man looked tense and anxious, as they all did. Noctis lead the way once more, not even waiting for the doors to finish opening before tugging the blonde along. "No. Out of the question. I'm not letting you get mixed up in all of this."

The blonde frowned, pointing the prince's back with a look. "B-but… I'm aaaalready mixed up i-in thisss!"

"He's got a point, you know, Princess."

"Shut up, Crowe. I didn't ask you."

"Hey- listen to the guy! He's an Astral, for Gods' sake! He's got to have some powers up his sleeves!" Nyx backed the two of them up, open to the idea. Hell, he was open to just about any ideas at this point. "Noctis, we're up Shit Creek without a paddle right now, buddy. Hear him out, yeah?"

Noctis' mouth pressed into a thin line as he turned to look at Prompto, his stride towards Libertus not faltering. "Prompto… are you sure you want to do this…?"

"Yes." The determination and resolve that he saw swimming in those violet-blues was almost enough to knock the breath out of him, beautiful, yet strong. It was as if he could see thousands of years' worth of power there, just begging to be unleashed. Maybe Nyx was right. Maybe using Prompto was the best option.

He stopped, missing the look of confusion that crossed Libertus' face as the others followed suit. "Okay. So. We get in the car, drive to the bridge, and face Loqi- then what?"

Prompto thought on the question for a few moments. "I can… wipe themmmm all… out. Jussst… t-trust… me."

The prince let out a steadying breath, a headache beginning to pound its way through his skull. That wasn't an answer. It wasn't even a hint. "…Okay… Okay, fine." He gave in, seeing no other option. He couldn't bring an army with him, not even so much as Nyx, Crowe, or Libertus. Tt would only let Loqi know of their plans not to hand the Astral over. It had to be just the two of them to go. They would be on their own.

"Oi! What's goin' on over there that I'm not being let in on?" Libertus walked over suddenly, tired of waiting.

Noctis didn't answer, instead offering a hand, empty palm facing upwards. "Keys.", he commanded, and the Glaive complied, frustration written all over his face. When the item was placed in his hand, the prince stared at them for a moment before cutting his eyes towards the man. "Wait. These are the keys to-"

"The Regalia? Yeah." Libertus finished with a smirk, turning his back on the group to continue the path through the parking deck. "King's orders. You're gonna need something with more horse power than that car you got, Highness." The prince pocketed the keys swiftly, following the man to their destination along with the others. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem like you're plannin' on handin' that guy over to the Nifs."

He looked to the man on his arm, giving him a small, reassuring smile that the blonde returned sweetly. "Not a chance." The words made color rise to Prompto's cheeks, coloring them beautifully.

Libertus nodded thoughtfully. "So, then… What is the plan?"

"Looking at this realistically, even if we take out the whole fleet and manage to get out of this mess, there's no way in hell Ardyn will give up. He'll just send more men- more fleets. Insomnia won't be safe for long."

Crowe's brows rose, picking up on the bits of their prince's strategy that was left unsaid. "You plan on leaving Insomnia."

Noctis nodded stiffly. "…Yes. As long as Prompto isn't in Insomnia, he won't have any reason to attack Insomnia. He'll send his men looking for us instead, leaving my dad and everyone else safe. I'll take Prompto and we'll go out into hiding. Only until I can figure out how to return him to the Astral realm, where he belongs. In the mean time, I want all of you to stay ready. As long as we double our border patrol and guard duties, there will be no way in hell his armies can sneak back into our city. We'll be able to see them coming the next time around."

Nyx nodded. "Sounds like a plan… But, Noctis, where will the two of you go?"

Libertus agreed. "Yeah, how the hell do you expect to find out how to get that guy back while you're on the run?"

Noctis shrugged as they approached his father's car. "…I don't know. But I'm going to try." He popped the trunk, grabbing his suitcases from the Glaives and depositing them before closing it.

"If you ask me, this sounds like a suicide mission." Crowe called, standing some ways away with her arms crossed over her chest.

Noctis opened the passenger door, allowing Prompto to slide in and seat himself comfortably. "Don't worry. I'll be back." He took his own seat in the car, cranking the engine. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Nyx smirked. "You'd better not. Wall duty is no fun if you're not there to pick on whenever I let you back in."

Noctis returned the fond look, punching the man lightly on his shoulder. "Save your best insults. I'll be back before you know it."

And with that, Noctis sped off, into the waning sunlight, leaving the Glaives behind.

…

The sun was barely a sliver over the surface of the water now, a thin line of gold splitting the heavens and the sea in a mass of purple and blues.

"Commander Loqi. They're coming." Loqi smirked, turning in the direction of the bridge to watch as the tiny speck that was sure to be their guests coming closer.

The soldier continued to speak through his earpiece from his place in one of the airships high above. "I only see one car. Prince Noctis and the target are riding alone."

Loqi cut his eyes to the tops of the large wall that surrounded the city. Even rom their great distance, he could see the rows of Glaives in mass, standing tall and braced for battle, if there so happened to be one. But the blonde was happy to observe no one stepping out of place. "Good… It seems Prince Charming has decided to do the right thing after all…" With a mock click of his tongue, he put on a playful pout. "And here I thought I'd get a good workout in… Oh, well… King Ardyn will be pleased to have the creature as well as all his men return quickly…"

…

Noctis drove slowly, grip on the leather steering wheel so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers. As he looked out into the distance, out towards the ocean, his heart began to race even faster, sweat rolling down the back of his neck. It was mere minutes until dusk now. They were right on time, but he wished with all his heart that time wouldn't continue to move forward. Cutting his eyes to the Astral in the passenger seat next to him, he licked his dry lips. "Prompto… Are you ready?"

The blonde looked to him and nodded. "Yes."

On the outside, he was all confidence, but on the inside, he was swimming inside a pool of worries, lost inside of his own mind. By nature he was peaceful, hardly needing to come to violence like The Hydraean often did to solve problems. A perfect Yin to her Yang. But as all Gods were, he was omnipotent; able to smite and curse as he so pleased. He had unfathomable, insurmountable power.

But, calling upon that power in such a fashion would be a reckless action. No doubt enough to call the attention of the other Astrals. There was a very high chance of awakening the Tide Mother from her slumber, alerting her of his disappearance.

By unleashing one hell, he'd open the door to another, far deeper one. One that he didn't know if he'd have the strength to counteract. Even so, he would do it. He would do it for Noctis; to stay by his side, to protect him.

Turning his attention back to the road, Noctis took a deep, steadying breath. "…Okay… Here goes…"

…

Loqi stepped forward, distancing himself from his army. They would strike on his command, only awaiting a single word. If Noctis decided to deceive them, there would be no mercy for Insomnia. As he walked, he was pleased to see the car only a few feet in front of him slow down to a complete halt. From his close proximity, he could see the prince behind the wheel, staring at him with cold eyes. Next to him, as offered, was the Astral, a ethereal golden glow seeping out of his skin. Only when the Lucian finally rolled down his window so that they could better hear each other did he talk, giving the foolish prince a shit-eating grin.

"I see you've decided to make the right choice and give the man over to us. Good job, Little Prince…" Other than a scowl, Loqi received no response. He frowned, suddenly growing irritated and impatient. "…Come, now. Hand him over. I haven't got all day."

He watched as Noctis suddenly smiled defiantly from within the car, hands gripping the steering wheel even tighter. "GO TO HELL!", the Niflheim soldier heard the Lucian prince shout, and directly after came the sound of screeching wheels on asphalt as Noctis floored the gas, sending the wheels spinning before speeding right in the commander's direction, not giving one damn about their close proximity.

"F-fuck!", Loqi couldn't help but curse as the car began speeding towards him, and he had to jump out of the way in order to not get ran-over. Even still, the hood of the car made contact with his armor, knocking him and sending his body careening towards the edge of the bridge. With quick hands, he was ably to grasp a rail as his body slid against the asphalt, stopping himself from falling completely off and into the rocky ocean below.

His lungs burned as all the wind had been knocked out of him, and he was seething, practically seeing red as he was helpless form his position on the ground, watching the prince drive head-on towards his rows of soldiers.

"They're not shooting?! Why aren't they shooting?!" He yelled to himself, gritting his teeth as he attempted to stand. It was no use, his ribs burned. Glowering, he pressed the button on his ear piece, connecting himself to all his soldiers. "What the hell are you all waiting for?! Shoot-"

"YOU DARE DEFY THE WILL OF A GOD?! YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO HARM HE WHO PROTECTS LIFE ITSELF?! FEEL THE WRATH OF THE HYDRAEAN, AND SUFFER!"

The words came out as hellish gibberish, a symphony of screams and wails, and it shook the very earth around them. Behind it, just in the distance, came an angry roar from across the sea, somewhere far away. It was as if something was speaking to them from miles and miles away, but the voice itself was searing into their brains. The bridge began to sway with the force of it. Loqi was helpless but to crumple back to the ground, covering his ears as he screamed, but the sounds didn't' stop. They pounded through his skull like a hammer, threatening to split it open, and when the screams and hellish white noise finally faded, he opened his eyes in time to see his soldiers in much the same state, crumpled to the ground, clutching their heads in agony.

He grit his teeth, growling as he forced himself onto his feet ignoring the way his ribcage protested. Noctis and their target were nearly at the end of the bridge now, nearly about to run through his men. "Shoot them, you fools! They're going to get away! Don't you hear me?! Shoot them!"

Through his earpiece, he could hear the voice of a soldier, words broken by heavy static, as if some force was blocking out his signal. "But, Sir-! Behind you-!"

On shaky legs, he turned his body, eyes widening impossibly. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible, wasn't it?!

"SHOOT!"

…

Noctis' ears were ringing, and his skull ached more than it ever had before in his life, but he pressed onwards, resisting the urge to screw his eyes shut as the Astral voice surged through his very soul, shaking him and the very earth. It was hard, incredibly hard, and his bones ached from the effort, from all the tension in his body.

'This is different. This isn't Prompto.'

His eyes flitted to the man next to him, the Astral's expression scared and anxious, but eyes focused on what laid ahead. Something about this was off. "Prompto, what's going on?!" With every passing moment, they were getting closer to the other side of the bridge, closer to running through the flanks of soldiers.

Prompto swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and concentrating. He raised his wrist to his lips, kissing it softly as he called his powers to him. The constellation across his skin began to glow, emitting a light so bright, Noctis had to shield his eyes, driving with just one hand now. The car swerved, control crawling away from the prince as their speed only increased.

She knew.

Gods, she knew now.

And his magic was like a beacon, giving away his location.

With a deep breath, he concentrated, calling forth the powers of the water, drawing the liquid effortlessly to him, shaping it to his heart's desire.

Noctis' eyes widened as he looked through his car mirrors, seeing the waves of the ocean all around them crest and rise, until in a matter of seconds, they were towering over the very city in the distance itself, casting a shadow over everything before the world went dark with the encompassing nightfall, killing all shadow entirely. The water molded and curled, waves melting together, until finally the form of a sea serpent was formed. Glossy, like ice, see-through like the water it was created from, the creature took on a life of its own. It's snake-like body with it's large fins roe from the deep, large maw opening and gnashing watery, sharp teeth.

'Gods, is this Prompto?! Is he making this?!'

The prince had no time to contemplate it further, as suddenly the Regalia was met with a barrage of bullets, making impact with the re-enforced windshield and frame of his father's car. "S-shit!", he cursed, forcing his hand away from his eyes and back onto the steering wheel to join the other. "Prompto, hold on tight!"

The Astral did so, clutching onto his seat and the passenger door tightly as Noctis began to swerve, trying to get out of their line of fire. Even still, the Astral stayed as concentrated as possible, chanting to himself and controlling the actions of his creation, his entire being letting off a bright glow that battled the darkness of the dusk.

The serpent seemed to swim through the very air, curling its way through the towers of the bridge before slamming into the soldiers in front of the Regalia, sweeping them off of their feet and collecting them inside of its watery body, their weapons ripped from their clutches.

YOU MUST COME BACK. THIS WORLD IS NOT FOR YOU. HAVE PAST ENDEAVERS TAUGHT YOU NOTHING?! HAVE YOU NO GRATEFULNESS FOR WHAT I MADE YOU, BOY?! WHAT HAVE THE LAND-DWELLERS DONE FOR YOU?! I GAVE YOU LIFE! I GAVE YOU PURPOSE!

The inhuman fails continued on, and the Regalia swerved further as Noctis struggled to maintain his control, screaming over the sounds within his own mind.

The creature of Prompto's creation looped in the air before surging once more, throwing itself at the airships, seeming to rip right through them, forcing them out of the sky like a helpless piece of driftwood in the crashing tides upon rocky cliffs. It ripped through them all, sending them crashing into one another and swallowing up the bullets they tried counter it with.

All around them, large pieces of metal and machinery crashed, causing large explosions. Fire billowed out, threatening to burn Noctis with its intensity. Finally, the soldiers were wiped out, the threat to Insomnia diminished, and only then did Prompto stop chanting, body going slack in the seat next to Noctis.

"Prompto?!" Noctis called, but there was no response. The man merely laid there, seemingly lifeless save for the glow of his skin, knocked out cold. "Prompto!" He called even louder, risking a hand off the wheel to shake the Astral, frantic and scared.

Just as they were out of the range of falling debris and parts, the serpent shattered, falling to the earth like rainfall, bringing the taken soldiers with it. They fell to the ground like ragdolls, armor clanging loudly behind them. Noctis could barely hear it over the wind ripping through his open window, and he rolled it back up once more.

Again, he tried calling. "Prompto- Hey! Prompto, are you okay?!" As he watched Insomnia begin to get smaller and smaller, disappearing behind a wall of fire and bodies, he let out a shaky breath.

'What WAS that?! What the fuck WAS that?!'

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE WILL HAVE YOU BACK, PROMPTO.

He couldn't think, couldn't make sense of anything that had happened. The screams weren't seeming to stop, barraging his mind like a relentless current, sweeping his coherency along with it. But like the ring of a bell, a soft hand brushed against his own along the steering wheel. Weak, frail, but there. The prince looked over to the Astral, relief washing over him as he gazed into tired eyes through thick lashes. "Oh, thank the Gods!"

"…Noc…tis…?" His words were soft, barely a sound in his ears, and it tugged painfully at his heart. Prompto had given it his all, just for him. They had made it out, but just barely.

Noctis moved to grasp the man's hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. He didn't miss the way the blonde's eyes widened slightly, lashes fluttering and cold fingers twitching in his grasp. "I'm here… I'm okay… We're okay." His smile faltered for a brief second, worry seeping through once more. "…Are you okay?"

The blonde tried moving, but he felt weak, body momentarily laggy and hazy from overexertion. "Wa…ter…" He felt dry, his skin like sandpaper, causing his scales to bristle uncomfortably.

"Yeah- yeah, sure... I got you, don't worry... I'm going to get you some water soon, I promise. Just wait a little while longer… You'll be okay. They're gone now. We're safe for now."

Breathing a deep breath and trying to wipe away his anxieties, Noctis began to floor it once more, determined eyes set straight for Hammerhead. They were going to need help if they were going to keep running like this. And he knew just the girl to get them set up.

…

Loqi stood, gaping in equal parts awe and horror at the absolute destruction before him. His fellow soldiers, all fallen, lying lifeless on the ground. Their airships broken to pieces, like fragile porcelain in a toddler's grasp. Everything was gone. Everything was lost, and it had all happened so fast. Deep behind him, on the opposite end of the bridge, he could hear the Glaives hollering and cheering, happy that their city was not going to be destroyed.

The Niflheim commander grit his teeth, the hand clasped to his side turning wet from his wound. "Fuck… all of you…" The cheers of the enemy made him feel sick; disgusted with himself and his failures.

He couldn't return to Niflheim empty-handed. If Ardyn cornered him, it would be the end. With trembling fingers, he set his ear piece to a different frequency, attempting to hear the other line through the static of his water-logged equipment. "Aranea… I need your help."