"Stay here, okay? Wait for me. I'll come get you in a sec."

They had pulled once more into the place in the middle of the desert, where Prompto remembered them eating earlier. Prompto weakly nodded his head, eyes blinking against the harsh fluorescents of the parking lot lights overhead. Noctis was frazzled, frantic, but the Astral himself couldn't find it in him to do much more than lie there, breaths shallow and much too soft. Their hands were still connected from when Noctis had grabbed his after the escape. His hold was loosening, reluctantly, going through the inner struggle of staying that extra minute or leaving for help right away. Prompto gazed up at the prince's face as the man swallowed, nodding, and hesitated only a moment longer before seeming to find his resolve. He untangled their fingers, exited the car, and closed the door behind them.

Mustering as much strength as possible, Prompto turned his head to follow Noctis as he walked up to the garage. With nightfall also came the closing of many of the shops, and so there were no lights emitting from within the buildings. Not even the restaurant they had eaten at was open. Only the little gas station and convenience store in the center of the two. That, of course, had to be open 24/7 for travelers.

Prompto swallowed, wincing at the pain he felt from doing so. He had overdone it, he knew. It took everything he had to summon a monster that large to suit their dire needs. His heart drummed heavily in his chest as he thought of all those nameless men and women who had perished by his very hands, by his will. They didn't deserve a death like that. But how else was he supposed to save Noctis' home? The sting he felt deep in his chest now would be nothing compared to how it would have felt to see Noctis cry for the loss of his father, for his city, his home. With a grimace, he held his wrist carefully, the star mark twinkling softly and standing out on his skin, yet it burned like fire. Why did it hurt so badly? It never had before, when he was in the ocean.

Huffing a weak breath, he decided to ignore the thought. With every passing minute, the burn was dwindling. Eventually, it would leave him entirely, he hoped. In the distance, he could see Noctis pounding on the door to the shop, calling out something. Afterwards, some lights began to flicker on and the door was opening. 'Oh! It's that woman…', Prompto thought with a tiny smile as Cindy walked out immediately, pulling the prince into a hug so powerful it lifted the man from the ground. He continued to watch as she sat him back down and then began yelling, eyes leaking tears. Prompto frowned, again feeling the pain at what he'd done, of what he had forced Noctis to do.

…

Noctis' feet felt heavy as he walked, boots thudding loudly on the pavement of the parking lot. He could feet his fingers tingling, the numbness slowly ebbing away to be replaced by static. His limbs felt like jelly, his heart still pounding with the leftover adrenaline of what he had witnessed just a little over an hour ago. 'What was that… that voice? It was different… It didn't sound like Prompto… Could it have been The Hydraean…?' Answers eluded him, would continue to elude him, until he got to a safe place. For now, they were on the run. They had to stay undercover, but that required supplies. Money. He hadn't taken but only the essentials before he left. He hadn't thought to take one of his father's platinum cards. He would have to ask Cindy for a loan.

The lights to the garage were out, as well as the tiny apartment that took residence above it, naturally. Everything in Hammerhead closed at nightfall because that's when the beasts roamed more openly and viciously, emboldened by the cover of night. Many a civilian and hunter alike would fall victim to the sabertusks, scorpions, and other carnivorous creatures that roamed the desert. Looking in all directions warily, as if the thought would bring one to him, he readied himself to knock on the door. He did so, loudly, Cid's temper be damned. This was an emergency. He'd understand.

"Hey! Cindy!" Noctis continued to pound on the door, huffing impatiently afterwards when no lights seemed to come on. He desperately hoped that they weren't out of town. "Cindy, are you there?! We need your help!" This time, Noctis smiled with relief, his tense body relaxing a bit, as the lights began to turn on one by one, signaling someone's path through the little apartment and down to the garage.

After a few moments, Noctis could see light spilling from around the door's frame, and he only jumped a little at the speed in which the door flew open, giving way to the image of Cindy, grasping the doorknob tightly and dressed in long, pink sleeping pants and a rainbow tie-dye crop top. Her hat was gone, dense curls swirling and framing her face even more than normal. A bright yellow headband held her bangs out of her bright blue eyes, which were wide upon seeing just who was banging on her door.

"Noctis?! What're you-?" She halted that thought, looking into the house before stepping out and closing the door behind her. "Stop all that yellin', you'll wake up Pawpaw!" Noctis moved to scratch at the back of his neck, and he tried to offer an apology, but it was cut off quicker than it could utter out before he was swooped into a tight hug. "Oh ma gosh, Hun! I saw what happened on the T.V.! I'm so, so glad you're safe…" The slightly taller woman shook as she held him, her frame trembling as her voice did much the same, the beginnings of a sob escaping. Why the hell was his entire life on T.V. nowadays? Noctis frowned at her concern but couldn't help the blush from spreading across his face as her breasts were squished between them, unrestricted by her usual bikini top. They felt soft beneath her crop top. 'Oh, Gods, why? She isn't wearing a bra.' Only a smidgeon of him felt bad for focusing on this, but it was all forgotten rather abruptly when he was set back onto the ground and those same arms that were pulling him in was pushing him away, roughly.

"Are you a fuckin' idiot?!" Noctis' eyes widened. He was taken aback. Cindy's eyes were swimming, glistening in the parking lot lights as tears fell freely. Her brows were drawn down and teeth bared in her anger. Again, she shoved at him angrily, forcing him back a few paces.

"Cindy, wait! I-" He walked forward once more, hands thrown up defensively, but it did nothing to prevent the slap that she delivered to his pale cheek, upset that he would dare to even try and approach her again.

"Just what were ya thinkin', huh?! Fightin' all those soldiers by yerself?! Ya coulda died, ya know that?!"

Noctis rubbed his aching cheek, still attempting to calm her. "But I wasn't by myself, I had an Astral! We-"

Cindy scoffed, balling her hands into fists at her sides. Noctis flinched at the action, worried that she's begin throwing punches next. "You think that's better?! Noct, it's worse! So, so much worse! What if tha little fella got hurt, huh?! Don't ya think before ya do things?!" Noctis swallowed thickly, stepping closer slowly so as not to gain more of her wrath. She took a few steps back instead, shaking her head with a disbelieving look. "Don't you fuckin' touch me, Noctis… You worried me and Pawpaw half to death, you know that?!" She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her arm, the heat of anger draining from her, swiftly being replaced with more sadness. "…When I heard that tha Nifs were threatenin' to attack Insomnia again, I… I got so worried…" The look in her blurry eyes tore Noctis' heart apart. "…What if they took you away from me…?", she sobbed, voice cracking under the dam of emotions she was feeling.

Disregarding the consequences, Noctis lept into action, gathering her in his arms protectively. She protested weakly at first, trying to punch his chest and shove him away, but the longer he held her, the more she crumbled, eventually sobbing into his chest and clutching at his t-shirt. Tentatively, though a bit awkwardly, he rubbed the small of her back in comforting circles. "…I know… Cindy, I'm sorry… Truly… What we did had to be done, though…! They wanted Prompto, and I just…" He sighed, fumbling over his own words. "I just couldn't do that. Ardyn wants him for something horrible, I just know it… I couldn't hand him over… I didn't want to lose him like I lost my mom…"

At the mention of Prompto's name, Cindy pushed away from him just enough to look into the prince's eyes. "…Prompto…?"

Noctis gave her a small smile and a little laugh at how fast she could go from happy to angry to sad to confused, all in the expanse of a few minutes. But, well, he supposed it was warranted. He did act recklessly, after all, and put his city in danger. "Yeah, 'Prompto'… That's his name."

Cindy nodded, taking a few deep, steady breath to calm herself. "That's… That's nice. It's a real cute little name, aint it? Haha…" She actually smiled then.

Noctis laughed again, nodding in agreeance. "…Yeah. It is. I didn't give it to him either, I swear. He came with it… He can even talk now, believe it or not… He's still working around it, so it isn't perfect, but… Yeah."

The woman worked the remaining wet trails off her cheeks with her thumbs. "So… Is he safe, then? I saw that monster gobble up all them soldiers… Was that… him?"

Noctis Nodded, stepping back to give her some much needed breathing space. "…Yeah… He created that- thing- to save Insomnia…"

It fell quiet between them, Cindy processing that information. Yes, Prompto was an Astral, but they had both treated him as nothing more than a boy. They didn't take stock on just how powerful of a being that made him. They didn't take into account the things he could do. "…Can I see him…?"

"Yeah, sure… He's in the car right now. He's… weak right now… Really weak…"

Cindy nodded in understanding before the two headed towards the regalia.

…

Prompto watched the two grow closer to him after they talked and tried to sit up straighter, wanting to greet Cindy with a bright smile, but he could barely do even that. Still, he put as much of a smile on his face as he could muster, the door opening to expose his dry skin to the even drier desert air. Without sparing a single second, Cindy was kneeling next to him, grasping his scaled hands in her soft ones and drawing a surprised gasp from his chapped lips. She looked at him with upmost sincerity and concern.

"Aww, Prompto, Hun, ya look so tired…" He watched with a heavy heart as her eyes began to brim with tears once more. She wiped away a stray drop along her cheek roughly with one hand, sniffling away the wetness in her nose. Even through her anger at their actions and her bottomless worry for her friend, she was soft towards him, smiling through the pain. "I thought I told ya to stay out of trouble, huh?", she teased, and when Prompto felt what little water he had left in his pulsing body spill over his own skin, she ruffled his blonde locks with a careful hand. "Aww, sweetie, don't cry… I aint mad atcha… Just… I was worried, was all…" Prompto nodded at her, not feeling much better. He had not only caused Noctis pain, but Cindy, as well.

"I… I-I'm sorry… a-about… you're clothesss…", he croaked out, hating how rough and exhausted his voice sounded. Still, he had to apologize for something, even if it was only that. He hadn't forgotten who had given him the first opportunity to go out in public with Noctis. "We… didn't… b-b-bring them…"

Cindy's eyes widened, brows raising as she heard him speak for the first time. She smiled, showing off her perfect teeth, and she laughed happily, holding his hands a little more firmly. "Aww, what a lovely voice! It's lovely. And don't you worry yer pretty little head 'bout any silly clothes. I can always buy more."

Prompto blushed, confused. How could she be so sweet? He had done so many things wrong, had messed up so much, and had caused her to be dragged into yet another mess. And still, she offered him smiles and kind words. It was almost too much, causing more tears to fall as he could no longer look at her. "T-Thank… you…"

Wordlessly, she huffed a small, exasperated breath and moved to wipe his tears away. "Hey. None of those tears now, ya hear me?" She cupped his cheek in her hand, bringing him to meet her eyes. "Hey. Listen ta little ol' Cindy, 'kay?" He nodded. "You did great tonight, Hun. I mean it. Please, if it's not too much trouble… I'd like ya to continue protecting each other." She ignored the groan of irritation from Noctis at the insinuation that he needed protection.

"Cindy, come on. I've been trained with a sword since I was, what, like, five?"

"Oh, shush it, Prince. I've had a wrench in my hand since before you were born, yet you don't see me buildin' cars from the ground up, now, do ya?" Prompto chuckled at this, causing the prince to roll his eyes dramatically.

"That's nowhere near the same thing, Cindy."

"Haha… I stand by what I said." The blonde woman spared one more dazzling smile towards the Astral before she reluctantly stood up, stretching her limbs and giving her attention to her friend once more. "So… What's the plan from here?"

Noctis looked to her, face thoughtful, yet practiced and stoic. "If Prompto isn't in Insomnia, then Niflheim also has no need to be in Insomnia… Ardyn is crazy, just like the old king, but somehow I get the feeling that he's smarter than Ledolas… He won't waste time and effort on things that won't give him what he wants. I feel like Insomnia will be safe as long as we're gone…"

"So… you're officially on the run, now?"

He nodded, sparing a soft look towards Prompto. "Yeah… For the time being. I'm still trying to find out how to get Prompto back to the Astral Realm where he belongs… Once I do that, it'll be safe to go back." He frowned, looking at Cindy next. "But… That's the problem. I have plenty of clothes and bath supplies, but that's…" He scratched the back of his head, gazing at the ground. "…kinda all I had in my room. I don't have anything to help us survive outside of the city… I can't just go to another town or outpost. What if someone sees us and tip the Nifs to our location? It'll only make this harder…"

Cindy crossed her arms over her chest, cocking her hip out and quirking her head. "Hmm… Well, that is quite the predicament…"

Noctis shrugged. "I was kind of hoping you'd help us out…?"

"And how am I gonna do that? I can't harbor you boys here, it would be too dangerous. Pawpaw will throw an absolute fit, too."

"Yeah, I know. Um… Actually, I was kind of hoping you'd loan me some money…"

Cindy scoffed playfully, a smile finally upturning her lips once more. "Don't tell me the Prince of Insomnia is flat broke? A mere commoner like his dear ol' friend Cindy?"

Noctis chuckled, flushing bashfully. "Unfortunately."

Cindy sighed, looking to the starlit sky thoughtfully. "Hmm… Well, this girl don't gotta lotta money, ya know?" At the way her friend's shoulder slumped, she giggled. "Don't worry Sweet Pea, I was only jokin'. Cindy's gotcha covered." She gave Prompto a wink and smiled wider when he flushed and smiled back. "It'll dig into my Altissia vacation savings, buuuutt, I suppose it's for a mighty good cause."

Noctis sighed, relieved, and hugged her once more. "Thanks, Cindy. Really."

She broke from his grasp playfully before making her way towards the gas station, leaving Noctis to trail after her. "Oh, don't get me wrong, you owe me big time, ya hear? Like, real big."

Noctis smiled to himself, watching her back as she walked. She had a pep to her step once more. "Oh, yeah? How big are we talking?"

"Hmmm….. Set me up with some hunk from the city? Momma needs a date! And trust me, these country fellas aint doin' it for me."

Noctis laughed out loud, warm and sweet, filling the empty parking lot and echoing off into the starry distance. "Sure. Count on it."

…

"Now, let's see… Tents, foldable chairs, a cooler, big pots and pans fer outdoor cookin', big bag of groceries… anything we're missin'?" Cindy counted off the many things Noctis was carrying behind her in her fingertips, staring up thoughtfully. Behind her, Noctis was blushing, trying not to notice or think too hard about how the man behind the register was watching them with an incredulous look on his face.

Cindy paid the man no attention as she went about her business, waltzing down every aisle and placing anything and everything in the prince's arms. She didn't bother with changing out of her comfortable pajamas before going inside, the thin sleep pants hanging loosely on her hips, exposing a thin, black G-string that Noctis certainly wasn't looking at. Her tie-dye crop top was loose-fitting as well, the tail of it fluttering and swaying as she moved, threatening to expose the underside of her breasts entirely whenever she bent over to read the labels of certain items on the shelves better.

Clearing his throat, Noctis forced himself to rip his eyes away once more. "We'll need water, and lots of it. Prompto gets dehydrated easily."

As it were, they just rounded the corner into the drink aisle and the blonde nodded in understanding before hauling three large packs of bottle water. "Gotcha! Water for tha water baby. Anything else?"

Noctis shook his head, arms aching from the weight of their groceries. He wanted to hurry up and put the things away. "Nah, I think this'll be fine."

"Suit yerself!" The pair walked up to the counter, Cindy throwing down the large packs of water before winking at the man behind the register and pulling some bills out from under her headband to pay. "Heyya, Tim!"

Tim flushed furiously before kicking himself into action, scanning the items as quickly as possible. "H-hey, Ms. Aurum... Isn't Mr. Cid going to be upset that you're out this late and-" He swallowed, eyes darting momentarily to her outfit before focusing once more on his task. "-dressed in your pajamas?"

Cindy winked. "What Pawpaw don't know won't hurt him… But let me tell ya what, Tim. I got a mighty fine punchin' arm and I don't like snitches too well." Her flirty eyes turned hot with her threat, and the man jumped before nodding and scanning their items even faster.

"Y-yes, Ms. Aurum! I saw nothing."

Cindy smiled and Noctis stifled a laugh. "Good boy, Tim."

When all of their groceries and supplies were bagged, they took their items and headed for the car. When the doors to the gas station were closed behind them, Tim still staring incredulously at them as they walked, Noctis sputtered out a loud laugh, his body shaking with the attempt at suppressing it. "Gods, Cindy, you scared the poor guy half to death!"

Cindy shrugged, offering a coy smirk. "What, that? Aw, Tim and I go way back. He'll be fine." She caught his attention with a cut of her eyes. "You know, Noct, all this stuff won't last you more than a few days… What are ya goin' to do after that? Where even are ya gonna go…?"

They stopped at the trunk, sending little waves to Prompto along the way, who was still watching them curiously from the inside of the car. "I'm going to try and get as far as I can under the cover of night... I'll find somewhere to stash the Regalia until I need it. It'll attract too much attention… We'll make camp, and whenever we run out of food, I'll hunt."

"With what weapon, Noct?" He tone was worrisome as she peered into the back seat, seeing nothing to hunt or defend himself with.

Noctis cursed, moving to pop the trunk. "Fuck… You're right… I didn't grab a weapon… Um… Do you have any more money? Maybe we could buy one from a weapon vendor really quick?"

Cindy shook her head. "'Fraid not, Hun. No Weapon vendor 'til sunrise, anyways. He's closed up shop, just like the rest of us."

As the trunk opened, a sparkle of silver caught their eyes, and Noctis smiled upon seeing his father's sword, wrapped in a soft blanket, lying before him. With it, an envelope sealed with the Insomnian crest. He picked up the envelope, tracing over it delicately with the tips of his fingers before ripping it open, pulling out the letter within.

…

Noctis,

I realized today that you are no longer the young boy who would follow me, clinging to my legs and hanging off my every word… You're a man, capable of making his own decisions. I saw that in you, with the way you were going to protect that man with everything you had.

I know that if your mother was still here, she would be so, so proud of you and what you have become.

Walk tall, Noctis. And when you find yourself backed into a corner with nowhere to run, I give you my sword. Use it and defend your hopes and beliefs with all your heart, just as Amaryllis had.

You've become a fine man, Noctis. And, one day, you'll make a fine king. Don't worry about any of us over here. We'll defend the city with all we have. And not in my name, but yours.

Return to us in one piece. I'll be waiting patiently.

Regis.

…

Cindy giggled. "Well, how 'bout that!" She punched him playfully on an arm. "Daddy came through!"

Noctis smiled, tucking the note into his pocket. "He sure did."

"Well, that just 'bout solves all yer problems now, don't it?"

"Noctis chuckled, rolling his eyes. "All except for the one we're currently running from…"

"Yeah, can't exactly help ya there." They loaded up the trunk full of their supplies, Noct ripping open one of the packages of water bottles and pulling a few out for Prompto. When everything was secure, he pulled her in for one final hug. They lingered there, each person reluctant to let go, afraid that they might not see each other again, what with the dangers that laid ahead. When they finally released their holds on each other, Cindy patted his shoulder. "…Come back safe to us, ya hear…? You keep that fella safe, too."

Noctis nodded, eyes full of resolve and determination. "I will. I promise."

Cindy turned, beginning her trek back inside. "Here's to hoping Pawpaw didn't hear all that ruckus you made. He'll kill me if he found out I'm walkin' 'round past dark." She flipped him a cute salute before waving one final goodbye, disappearing inside. Noctis watched until each light turned off, praying to the Astrals for her safety.

…

"Damn, Captain, what the hell happened to you?" Aranea looked down on the Niflheim soldier with a playful smirk, her cutting words not half as jabbing as the click of disgust her tongue made as she took in the sight of all the destroyed airships and fallen soldiers. "Scratch that. What the hell happened to everyone?"

Loqi batted her hand away with a scowl. He didn't need her pity, nor her judgement. That's not why he had called her. "Shut up." His ribs ached with every movement, but he eventually stood up on his own. His legs felt like mush, the soles of his armored boots splashing in pools of deep red. Scraping across the pavement. From his stomach wound, the blood continued to leak, covering his hand, which was trembling from his efforts.

Aranea crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him warily as her silver hair swayed in the ocean breeze. The amount of blood he was standing in concerned her. "Cut the 'overcompensating hardass' crap, Loqi. Do you want my help or not?" When the only response he offered her was a glare, breaths ragged from the excursion it took just to remain standing, she continued. "Cause if you don't need my help after all, I'm outta here."

"Wait- no." Loqi took a deep breath. "I need your help."

The rogue moved to help him to her airship, parked not too far away. She slung the man's arm over her shoulder, ignoring his groan of pain. "Yeah, I got that much… You're gonna need stitches, you know that, right?"

The Niflheim commander allowed himself to be tugged along, insides searing hot with painful heat. "Yeah…"

"You're lucky I know how. Got the supplies inside…" The airship was small, only made for one or two people, so it took no time at all to get the man into the room where she slept, a small bunk bed along the wall. As she laid him down, he cried out once more, practically doubling over into himself in pain. "Hold on, I'm going to grab the med kit."

As Aranea's footsteps faded around the corner, Loqi sighed, eyes roaming uneasily over the space. He hadn't seen the woman or her airship in years, and he certainly hadn't expected fate to bring them together now. Being with her now, after all this time, made him uncomfortable. Uneasy. He didn't know how to act, what to say, so he opted for silence, save for a few heated jabs. He resented her. Still, after all this time.

"Im going to have to remove your armor and whatever shirt you're wearing underneath." The older woman stepped back into the barracks, a little white box with a red '+' on the lid in one hand. In the other, a fold-out chair. She set up the chair beside the bed. Scooting close to him and moving to unclasp the armor on his shoulders.

Loqi tried to contain his cries of discomfort to mere whimpers and grunts. "I know. This isn't the first time I've needed stitches, Aranea- Ow! Hey, watch it!" He weakly made a motion to slap her hands away, but it was ultimately unsuccessful, his arms falling limply to the bed. The room was beginning to spin around him as his breastplate came off next. He could hear the material of his shirt rip straight open and down the middle, exposing his skin to the cool air of the ship. "…You've done this to me once before, remember?"

Aranea grimaced momentarily at the medium-sized gash along the soldier's side before quickly moving to wipe the area off with an alcohol-soaked wipe. As she tried to rid the area of as much blood as possible, she responded, "Yeah, I remember. You were being a little bitch when I did it that time, too."

Loqi winced as the alcohol burned through his ripped flesh. "I was only eight. Of course I didn't do too well." He closed his eyes when he saw her threading the needle. Behind his lids, he could picture that time. The two of them, in the fields, their parents' weapons in their small hands as they played 'soldier'. The smell of the earth and the sounds of their weapons meeting and parrying, blocking and swinging, filled his senses and for a moment it felt as if he was almost back there again. He, so young, so full of admiration for that girl who lived down the road. And her, so confident, so smart, living life every day how she wanted. Gods, they shouldn't have been playing with real weapons. They were too young, too inexperienced, too full of cockiness. All children their ages were, though. "I only needed them because you stabbed me with your lance. Almost in this exact same spot, if I recall."

She was his idol and his only friend. They spent their days roaming the town whenever they weren't working in the fields. He used to hang onto her every word, listening with rapt attention as she went on and on, telling him every way in which she would help their town and their people when she finally became a soldier. It was a big reason why he had wanted to be one, himself.

Aranea began sewing up the wound carefully, ignoring the way Loqi's hand moved to grasp her arm as she worked, nails digging into her soft skin. "Hey, that was an accident. You didn't block me like I taught you." She remembered how he had cried afterwards. How, for a brief moment, her heart had stopped before her body jerked into motion, running into her house to grab a first aid kit. She didn't know what the hell she was doing back then, but she acted strong so that Loqi wouldn't be as afraid. If their parents had found out what they were doing, they would be in deep trouble. She had continued acting as if she knew what she was doing, even when she got out of school and moved on to her soldier training at Gralea, Loqi not too far behind, same as always.

"We had no training! You didn't really teach me anything…" Their parents had found out about the fight anyways. Both were severely grounded for months on end. Still, they would always think back on their little mishap and laugh.

"Eh… Apples and oranges." Now, those memories only brought pain. Those memories, as well as all the others that followed.

She was an idiot. And absolute idiot. She had worked, strived, her entire life to become a soldier. To become someone other kids could look up to, someone to protect everything she held dear and loved. She could never have imagined how mad King Ledolas really was. How soldiers would disappear over the nights, just… missing. How he had enrolled Versteal, to develop new technology and weapons to use in battle. When people from their hometown began to disappear along with the occasional soldier, she had finally put two and two together. They were being used as test subjects. Human experiments. When she brought her findings to the king, he had merely laughed in her face. He was in on it. He knew, in on the whole thing, unwilling to stop it.

She couldn't be there any longer.

A long silence fell over them, both lost to their memories and their regrets. She pulled the final stitch, biting the thread off with her teeth before setting the kit aside. Her hands were red and wet, the blood dripping down to her elbows. Once more, she grabbed an alcohol wipe and smoothed it along his blood-dampened skin. Loqi had gone slack during the last bit of it. So limp, she thought that perhaps he had passed out from the pain. She was wrong.

"…You just… left me." The words were silent, rough, more pain than just from the wound bubbling up to the surface. Still, his eyes remained closed.

Aranea started quietly before wiping off her own hands. Her heart hurt. "…I couldn't be there anymore."

Loqi had never forgiven her. They were not yet graduated from their soldier training, forced to watch from Gralea as their parents were rushed off into battle; a surprise war on Insomnia. Ledolas wanted their land, their prosperity. Insomnia's territory was green and thriving, while theirs had become a barren wasteland long before either of them were born. The Mad King had plundered all their nation had to offer, collecting and exhausting all its natural resources.

In the end, the battle was for naught. Their king died at the end of the Insomnian Queen's sword. She, at the end of his. Their parents were only four of the thousands of casualties during the heat of battle. In a fit of anger and sorrow, she had ripped off her Niflheim armor, throwing it away. She packed her things and stole a small airship. The only thing left to do was to confront Loqi, to take him with her.

"…It could have been different, Aranea..."

"It will never be different, Loqi. You know that! Ardyn is almost no better than his father… I've heard stories about him. And Versteal is still in his position, snatching loved ones from their beds while you sit idly by, playing the part of a good soldier." Her brows furrowed as she spoke, the words spitting out in a barely restrained anger. "You are more his lapdog than you are anything else; a pawn, doing his bidding, no matter who it is you hurt." Including her.

"Loqi's eyes fluttered open, his blue eyes cutting over to look at her green ones sharply. "I am no lapdog, Aranea… I take pride in my position… There is no soldier above me. Everyone treats me with respect."

"Only because you were fortunate enough to have fate spare your life!", she spat. "It could have just as easily been you or I who disappeared, night after night!" Her hands formed fists in her lap.

Loqi grit his teeth. He remembered how she had brought up much the same after the battle had been declared over. How she had told him of her plan to leave, how she had urged him to come along and leave their childish dreams behind. He couldn't. While Aranea wanted to flee from her pain, he wanted to get revenge for it. He wanted to see Insomnia burn for taking away so many who he had loved.

They fought. Her, with her lance. He, with his sword. Through tears, they swung and jabbed, hoping the other would surrender before they were forced to cut each other down. He had been caught off guard, though. She got behind him at some point and knocked him over the head, causing him to black out. When he came to, he was without a single wound. She, though, was gone. Nothing but her discarded armor left behind.

"…I asked for your help because I still care for you, Aranea." He watched her look to him, shoulders tense and eyes wary. There was still so much he felt, so much left unsaid. "…And I had hoped our disagreements wouldn't come between our friendship."

She stared down at him, silence hanging heavily in the air. "…Sleep, Loqi… We can discuss this in the morning, once you're feeling better…" She stood, avoiding his deep gaze as she gathered the first aid kit and the bloodied rags. She left the room, taking her seat in her pilot's chair when she had finally calmed her racing nerves. Insomnia was hardly the place for them to be right now. Even more so, considering their history and bad memories revolving around the large eutopia. She would lead them away from here.

…

"Here. Take this." Prompto blinked, not remembering when exactly he had closed his eyes. When the blurriness at the corners of his vision subsided enough, he could make Noctis out, sitting in his driver's seat once more, a bottle of water resting in his outstretched hand. Prompto nodded before taking it. "Ah- wait." Noctis reached over further, unscrewing the cap for the Astral before taking it off entirely. "There. Now, drink." The blonde did so, hungrily, gulping down the liquid and emptying the bottle in only a few short seconds. Noctis chuckled lightly before offering him another. "Yeah, I figured one wouldn't be enough. Here, down this one, too." Feeling more like himself already, Prompto complied, downing it almost just as fast. He felt Noctis' hand brush some hair from his scaled face as he drank, fingers lingering against his cool skin before resting the strands behind his ear. The feeling was warm and nice, soothing in a way that comforted him to no end, but when he locked eyes with the prince, Noctis blushed and moved away quickly, cranking the car. "S-sorry.", he mumbled.

Prompto shook his head, dropping the empty bottle from his lips and leaning over to grasp the man's arm. "No, Noctis! You…" He hesitated, licking his lips. "I-I'm… the one… who sssssshould be… s-sorry…"

Noctis placed his hand atop Prompto's, gently dislodging them with a shake of his head. "No, Prompto… Don't be. None of this is your fault. You can't help that you're stuck here." The astral bit his lip, brows furrowing as he allowed his hands to take residence back in his lap. He was wrong. He was so, so wrong… "I'll get you through this. Just hang tight." Noctis cranked the car and pulled onto the road. "I'm going to get us some place safe while it's still dark. Some place covered by trees, so the airships don't spot us." Prompto nodded, slowly, moving to look out the window as the desert whipped past. He felt much better after rehydrating himself. Still, his tired eyelids struggled to stay open. Why was he so tired? "You can sleep, if you want… I know I kinda woke you up earlier… Sorry about that."

Prompto shook his head as if to protest, but the action quickly all but disintegrated as his eyes shut entirely, sleep looming over him like a haze. "It's… okay… Thank… you…"

Noctis smiled. "I think I know just the place. I got another friend there, and he won't mind letting us stay on his land for a while. Tourists travel there all the time, so we won't be easily spotted alongside them, either. Well, not if we don't attract attention to ourselves, anyways." He grinned, giving the Astral a mischievous look even though he wouldn't see it in his sleep. He hoped the blonde would like chocobos.

…

It was hours upon hours before Noctis finally reached his destination, pulling off the main road and down a winding, graveled one that took them deep into the forest, only a few short miles from the Disc of Cauthess. He was tired, exhausted even, from staying up half the night. It was almost two in the morning, but he willed himself to stay strong. He couldn't fall asleep now. He had to store the Regalia some place safe and set up their camp.

He parked, carefully so as not to jostle the sleeping Astral in the passenger's seat next to him. He exited the car quietly, making the small walk from the road and to Wiz's Chocobo Ranch. Surprisingly, Noctis was met with the sight of Wiz himself, awake despite the late hour and crouched next to one of his birds. Upon hearing footsteps approach him, he stopped, looking to the prince.

"Well, well, well… If it aint Prince Noctis, back again after such a long time!" The old man stood up slowly, bracing his weight on his knees as he rose and straightening his old bones with a weary smile. "Never thought I'd see you again. Figured you loved the water too much to care anythin' 'bout chocobos, nowadays."

Noctis smiled at him before pulling him into a small hug. "How did you know it was me after all this time?

"Are ya kiddin'? You may not have been here for over ten years, but yer still the crowned prince. Hard not to look at a newspaper or listen to the radio that isn't goin' on and on about ya." Noctis shrugged in response, kicking the dirt beneath his feet. He hated the media. All the rumors, the gossip, their own speculations on what kind of king they thought he'd become. It was all garbage that he wanted no part in. It was a lot of the reason why he'd stayed holed up in his room whenever he wasn't fishing or taking his lessons. "Haven't seen ya since yer father was teachin' you to ride your first bird… Which one was it, again?" Wiz looked around at the other chocobos, lifting his hat to scratch his head beneath.

"Shadow.", Noct supplied. "He was one of the black ones."
"Aaah, yup… How could I forget?" Wiz's smile faded a bit. "Shadow's still in her pen, somewhere out there… A fine bird, just like her favorite customer…" He watched the way Noctis tried to hide the small smile, but his old eyes were still as sharp as ever. Noctis still cared dearly for the chocobo. "What has you all the way out here at this time of the night?"

"I could ask the same of you.", the prince shot back playfully.

"Well, little Gloria here's been sick fer a few days now… I was just now giving her some medicine. Doctor's orders. One dose every four hours, religiously." Wiz stroked the sick bird's feathers, the creature giving a weak "Kweh~!' in response.

Noctis frowned, moving to pet her as well. She was mostly white, with the tips of her feathers bleeding out to the usual yellow. "What happened to her?"

Wiz shrugged. "Not too sure, myself… I think she got into somethin' she shouldn't've eaten. I don't know… Maybe some kid fed somethin' to her… Either way, she's been a mess since…"

"Was she born like this?" The prince picked up a stray feather from the ground around her, holding it between two fingers and admiring the strange fading pattern.

"Nope. 'Fraid that happened pretty recently, actually. Side-effect of the sickness… or the medicine…" Wiz eyed Noctis suspiciously, his body straightening. "Now, don't change the subject, Boy… Why're ya out here at this time a night? …Runnin' from, yer old man?"

Noctis cut the playful banter and frowned, shaking his head. He stood up to lean against the nearby fence. "Nah, nothing like that… Worse, actually…"

Wiz joined him, looking up at the stars with a distant smile playing in his eyes. "Worse? What could possibly be worse than havin' the king mad at ya?"

"…Having another king mad at you...", the prince responded, words bitter. He looked to Wiz, who was staring at him patiently, if a little warily. "…King Ardyn wants my friend. I told him to fuck off. You can… kinda imagine what happened next…" He kept his reasons vague, not wanting to tip Prompto off to anyone unless he absolutely had to. The Astral would stay safer this way. He didn't want to lie to someone who had been a friend of the family for almost as long as Cindy and Cid have, but there was no way around it… At least for now. "I fled Insomnia, hoping to lay low for a while until I can get him back home…"

The old man scratched his beard. "I see…" Luckily, he didn't press further. Noctis let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Would you mind if I hid the Regalia in one of your barns? I don't want an airship to spot it, and if a civilian did, they would automatically know someone important is here…"

Wiz smiled, willing to give the boy anything he needed. He loved Noctis like a grandchild, despite not seeing him for years and years. "Shoot, of course you can. Are you kiddin'? You can have anythin' you want, Noctis."

Noctis returned the smile in kind, easing off the railings to stand straight once more. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Um- do you also mind if I set up a camp somewhere in the woods? It's your land, so I thought I'd ask…"

Wiz shrugged. "Absolutely. Go nuts. Not like I'm ever in 'em these days."

"Thanks, Wiz. You're the best." Noctis waved goodbye and petted Gloria's feathered head before walking back to his father's car. "Remember: I was never here!"

Wiz scoffed, moving to tend to and sooth his chocobo like he had been before ever being approached. "Who the hell even are you, again, boy? What're ya even doin' on my property? Get the hell off my land! It after two in the Gods-damned mornin'!" His playful shouting turned into playful muttering the farther away Noctis got. "…Damned kids… Always tresspassin' on my property…"

The prince stifled a laughed. "Yes, Sir!"

…

Prompto groaned, eyes fluttering open. His body was sore, but the star mark was no longer burning. That was a step in the right direction. He stretched, spreading his limbs out as far as he could before he realized that he was no longer sitting, but laying down. The interior of the Regalia was long gone, replaced now by the feeling of hard ground and filtered sunlight. He sat up with a sudden start, large eyes darting all over the small space he seemed to be in.

He was inside of some form of makeshift shelter. Something thin and vaguely tarp-like shielding them from the elements overhead. Which, from what he could tell so far, was sunlight falling between tree branches, casting shadows that danced along the top of the shelter. The sides were also made with this same tarp, with one side carved into what looked like an exit. Next to him, Noctis was sleeping peacefully, lying on his side and curled into himself. Prompto smiled, immediately feeling better knowing the prince was safe and content.

But, where was he? Where were they?

Prompto sat up on his knees, moving as if to crawl silently towards the exit of the tent, but stopped short as he felt an itch along his face. Whining at the unfamiliar sensation, he scratched along his cheek. Irritation immediately turned into a sigh of contentment, but as he looked down into his lap, his eyes widened when he saw a few of his scales there. They had fallen off. Prompto's brows furrowed as he picked them up, holding them in his hand.

It was happening far quicker than he would have thought.

'Damn… I thought I'd have more time…' Pocketing the scales, he checked himself for others, and when he looked to where he had been laying, he was surprised even further to see more, laying upon the ground. He picked them up hastily, worrying his bottom lip as he did so.

"…Prom…?" The Astral stopped short, staring down at slits of deep blue as Noctis began to rouse, eyes temporarily blinded as he got used to the daylight.

"Sleep…", Prompto commanded softly, running a cold hand up the prince's arm to cup his cheek. He couldn't force him to sleep, it wasn't one of his abilities, but he hoped that his gentle affections would do the trick. He didn't want to worry Noctis with this new problem. He wasn't yet ready to have that conversation, to tell him what it meant.

Noctis groaned sleepily, covering Prompto's hand with his own, and smiled before drifting back off into the realm of sleep, his breaths coming out even and slow. The Astral stayed that way for a few indulgent moments, watching him as he slept. He leaned forward and pressed a cool kiss to Noctis forehead, soft and chaste, before moving away, beginning his journey outside of the shelter once more. He'd have to find somewhere to hide his fallen scales, something to carry them in. Swallowing down the growing panic and unease, his eyes widened as he finally figured out how to get out, his mess of blonde hair emerging out of the tent flap.

Everywhere Prompto looked, there was green. Trees, grass, bushes. All within arms' length and all smelling entirely new to anything he'd smelled so far. Deep, earthy scents filled his nose and lungs as he inhaled, looking at the colorful flowers that were growing sparsely around the camp. Where he stood, where he was sleeping, there was flat rock, explaining why his body had been so sore. The rock acted as a flat surface for them to rest, a small pile of sticks sitting just a ways away from the tent. Prompto wondered what it was for. Overhead, birds chirped lovely little tunes, and he saw the cutest little creature with a long, bushy tail climbing the branches effortlessly, like he had always dreamed of doing.

The Astral smiled, eyes glittering with excitement and wonder as a fluttery, light feeling settled in his chest. He wished for everything in the world to touch it all, to feel it in his hands, but just he took a step, the ground beneath him began to shake.

A small tremor at first, but steadily it grew, until the birds were all flying away, and he could barely stand. He cried out, looking for something to ground himself with, to hold onto, but was sad to find no such thing. "Noctis! Noctis, help!" It was all he could do, scared out of his mind with what could be going on, with what was unexpectedly happening. Tears prickled his eyes as he held his knees to his chest, the rumblings from the earth shaking him to the core and making him feel nauseous. An earthquake? But why was this happening?

"P-Prompto?! Prompto, where are you?!" Noctis was calling from within the tent, no doubt jostled until awake and alert just as he was. With the way everything was shaking, the prince must not have been able to get a good grip on the flap to the tent, because he wasn't emerging. "Fuck!"

Just off in the distance, through a break in the foliage, Prompto could see a faraway volcano beginning to erupt violently, red hot lava rolling down the mountainside on the other side of the continent in thick, scorching rivulets. The sky above them darkened impossibly, clouds moving to swirl around the volcano like a vortex, and right before Prompto's eyes, a beam of heavenly light shot up, seemingly emitting from the very mouth of the volcano itself.

'Oh, no…! No, no, no…!'

Even through the earthquake, Prompto physically shook his head, banning the idea from his mind. But in his heart he knew that no matter what he told himself, it wouldn't stop what was sure to come next.

As quickly as it came, the light disappeared and with it the skies began to clear. The lava that was once trickling down the volcano had stopped, the molten rock already settling and cooling, losing its red color. The world around him settled into place once more, his bones buzzing from the feeling of the earthquake. His head was swimming, his stomach was in flips. Noctis emerged not one second later, busting out of the tent and spotting Prompto before scooping him into his arms.

"Prompto, are you okay?! What was that?! What happened?!"

Prompto just kept his eyes trained to the volcano in the distance, a single worried tear leaving his eye to trail down his pale face. Too many things were happening, now. Too many things were working against him. Against them.

Swallowing the lump of unease that sat in his throat, he looked into Noctis' equally worried eyes, and through tight, scared lips, he uttered, "…Gladiolus."