From atop the mountains, Gladiolus watched as the sky darkened off in the distance, a hurricane brewing far off by the rocky shores of Cape Caem. It was odd. The Hydraean was slumbering, as she had been for many years now. He knew of no such entity that gained her wrath, no man who had been foolish enough to challenge her might or curse the blessings she bestowed upon the sea. So then, why was the ocean becoming choppy and turbulent? Why was there a storm brewing?

He sat upon the rocks, gazing out into the distance with bewilderment until a single, holy beam of light emitted near the shore. Briefly, only but for a moment, and then his brows knit in frustration as everything cleared up almost immediately. The star mark upon his left shoulder seemed to almost burn, making his stomach twist with unease. He could feel the power emitting from that light, even from this distance. Could still feel the remnants of it, even as the minutes passed by and the world seemed to move on as if nothing had happened.

It was an Astral's doing, that much was for certain. But which one?

Certainly not Lunafreya. Her powers rose with the moon, her compassion and understanding light and weightless, just like the very snow she created. There was no ice there. Ravus was out of the question as well. His powers rose with the sun, yes, and his hatred for the mundane stupor of humans was always just beneath his surface, but he would never dabble in the water. He much preferred to create scorching temperatures, drying out the lands until they ignited into all-consuming forest fires. It was highly unlikely for him to be seen near a shore. There was a distinct possibility that it had been Ignis. He controlled the weather, able to bend it to his will. He was no stranger to storms. Rain, wind, thunder, lightning, they all danced with him and bent to his will. Gladiolus had once seen him create a tornado so fearsome that it tore through Eos, wiping out everything in its path. If not Ignis, the only other person it could have been would be Prompto. Prompto was a conundrum, really. Not much was known about him, least by Gladiolus. He was separated from the rest of them by his oceanic barrier, roaming the seas silently and never quite causing any form of ruckus. If Gladiolus had to describe the boy in only a few words, it would be: "behaved", "quiet". and "reserved". Hardly the description of whatever created that outburst.

Just as his mind was reeling, he pushed off of the rocks, standing tall as he stared down upon the earth miles away. A breeze ran through him, the wisps of air moving through his dark strands of brunette hair, messy and unkept. They felt light and warm before feeling almost like a physical touch through his scalp, and that's when he knew he was not alone. Crooking his head to the side, he watched with a sideways glance as Ignis ran his fingers through his hair, braiding in mountain flowers as he went. The man always seemed to have a talent for just… appearing. Especially when Gladiolus was thinking of him.

The party trick was getting old.

"Ignis.", he warned, and the man stopped his workings. "Was that you?"

"Which do you mean, the flowers you so obviously saw me working into this bird's nest you call a mane, or the hurricane by the shore of Cape Caem?" Ignis retorted slyly, a smirk playing on his lips in the most frustrating of manners.

"Gladiolus growled. "You know damned well which I mean."

"Actually, I came here to ask you that very same question." His voice was sharp, seafoam eyes glinting as they met hot amber and he stepped up to stand next to the other Astral rather than behind. His hair seemed to flutter and move against his face, even though there was no wind to be felt. Behind him and protruding from his shoulder blades was a set of glorious wings, almost the size of the man himself, looking much like those of an owl. Mostly brown like the hair upon his head but with a few tufts of white here and there, speckling along the tips. They were beautiful. Much like Ignis.

"You know just as well as I do that I prefer not to leave my mountains." Gladiolus crossed his arms over his broad chest, choosing to speak without actually looking at the other Astral. His own body was much, much tanner, dirt covering it in places, unnoticed and uncared about. He didn't care much for his appearance, sleeping on the ground of caves, resting in the dirt, or creating forests with his own rough hands.

The Son of Ramah tutted, clicking his tongue. "Oh, yes, how could I have forgotten?" As Gladiolus was just about to scold him once more, he spoke up, cutting the Astral off successfully. "Then that only leaves one other likely candidate now, wouldn't it?"

"Prompto?" The Son of Titan supplied, voice hinging on incredulous, a disbelieving cut in his eyes. "I haven't seen that one cause much more than a little high tide, let alone a full-on storm. He's not like The Hydraean at all. Weak. Afraid. Too content."

Ignis chuckled, his wings flapping forcefully as his feet kicked off the mountain floor until he was airborne, floating in front of Gladiolus. Each strong gust of wind from Ignis' wings would be enough to send a man flying, but not Gladiolus. He stayed firmly upon the ground, as if part of the mountain. "I didn't know you harbored such vile feelings for the lad."

Gladiolus growled. "I'm only stating what I know. Do you know him to be any different?"

"…That, I do not.", he admitted with a shrug before using a hand to pull a stray lock of hair from the other man's face and behind his ear. When their eyes met afterwards, he was pleased to see the heat in those amber ones simmer down a bit. Gladiolus' hand covered his own, drawing it back to his cheek and holding it there. Ignis smiled. Through his tough exterior, Gladiolus was still a softy, though he'd never admit it. "I suppose the only way we'd know for sure is to go down there and check it out, now, wouldn't you agree?"

As if a switch had been flipped, Gladiolus frowned, clicking his tongue in disgust. "No." He removed Ignis' hand from his face and turned his back, stretching. "It's none of my concern."

Ignis floated on the wind, following the man as he climbed further up the mountain, trying to physically leave the situation. "While you are not entirely incorrect, what happened down there was nowhere near the realm of 'normal', wouldn't you say?" There was a long stretch of silence, Gladiolus resilient and unwavering in his opinion. The man had always been hard as a rock. The Son of Ramah moved, flying directly in front of the other man once again so that he would at least be seen instead of entirely ignored. "…We've only ever seen something similar to this happen once, don't you recall?"

The Son of Titan stopped in his tracks, eyeing Ignis warily. "…I do." But, as he had been doing so before, he merely frowned and then continued his walking, batting the paler man out of his way easily. "And I didn't go interfering in that, either."

Ignis grunted as he was pushed a ways away, carried farther than intended due to the mixture of Gladiolus' strength and his own weightlessness. "And are you not concerned how this will go? What consequences will be had? W need to talk some sense into the boy. For whatever reason, he has strayed from his fate!" Ignis stopped flying as he spoke, sprinting to catch up to the quick Gladiolus and capture his head in both his hands, urging the other to look into his eyes, forehead against forehead. "You remember what happened the last time this happened. We lost one of our own, forever, to the mortals. Ravus was-"

Gladiolus removed the hands from his face but kept them within his own, grasping them firmly. "Ravus did nothing to stop her, Ignis. What he feels now is entirely on him.", he finished, voice rough.

Ignis frowned, upset by the larger man's lack of will to do what was, by any standard, the right thing. With a gentle whisper of a voice, he asked, "…What if it were me?" If he felt so strongly about this disappearance as well as the previous one, many years ago, then where did that leave him? Where did that leave them?

"Don't be stupid, Iggy, you'd never do that." Even though his words were heated and steadfast, his body language became much the opposite, pulling the other close in an embrace as if to say, 'please don't', rough hands along a slim waist and pale arms wrapping around broad shoulders and tugging their bodies closer.

A sigh. "…That may be true, but, as it stands, that's the question I ask of you…. Now, again, what if it were me?" Ignis ran his hands through Gladiolus' dark hair once more, bunching it in his fists as their breaths mingled, eyes conveying everything left unsaid.

Gladiolus took one of the flowers out of his hair and placed it behind Ignis' ear instead, the bright pink if its petals standing out beautifully next to his pale skin, bringing out the pink in his lips. His eyes roamed over the man, softening as he took in those seafoam eyes and sad, expectant expression. He tipped Ignis' chin up, bringing their lips together in a soft, firm kiss that made his body feel as weightless as his lover. The constellation in the star mark along his left shoulder and Ignis' pec glowed bright. When they broke apart, he sighed. "…You know that I'd never let you go to begin with… You belong here, with me."

Ignis smiled softly. "So, what will you do about Prompto?"

Once again, Gladiolus' expression became hard, his body putting space between them swiftly. "Nothing. As I've said, it's none of my concern."

Ignis scoffed as the Son of Titan began to shift, morphing into a Duplicorn and fleeing the conversation. In his animal form, he shook the flowers from his mane, leaving them discarded along the ground. "You're impossible!", he called, cheeks pink from a mixture of anger and the lingering feelings of love.

Though he was far away now, Ignis could still hear Gladiolus' voice in his head, clear as a bell. "I will do nothing unless commanded to by Titan. I suggest you do the same, Ignis. Leave well enough alone."

…

Regis sighed, staring out of one of the large windows of the throne room. Noctis as gone. He had crossed the bridge and disappeared into the desert ahead, but still Regis stood, waiting, apprehensive and longing for his son's return. He worried for his safety, out in the open with only a sword to his name.

"Your Highness…?" He turned at the sound of Nyx Ulric's voice. The man appeared from the doorway and began walking up. "…It's late… You should ret."

Regis smiled, wearily. The hand upon his cane braced it a little me firmly as he shifted his weight. "I should have left him more weapons… I should have-"

"You did what you could, Sir.", Nyx interrupted, voice quiet but firm. "Prince Noctis has trained with the best of them." He smirked. "Myself included."

The old king laughed. "Sure of yourself, are you?"

A smirk. "You bet I am."

Regis laughed once more before hunching over suddenly, coughing heavily into his hand. Nyx watched on, expression solemn. "He… He also had his mother, for a short time…" When two strong hands grasped his arm, helping to steady him and lead him away from the window, he didn't complain. "He… He was too young to learn from her directly, but… he loved so much to watch her train the Glaives…" Regis smiled, a distant wistfulness in his eyes as they walked down the corridor. He could see his son, little and stumbling, holding that toy sword and making 'whoosh!' noises as he would jump from place to place.

Nyx nodded as they walked along. It was late, and his king needed to sleep. No one wanted to risk his health declining any further. More coughs came and went, some of them causing them to stop entirely as the king doubled over, wobbling on unsteady legs. "I wasn't stationed until after Amaryllis left this world… I heard stories of her power, though. The older men and women said she was a wonder to watch. Said she had some abilities that caught enemies off-guard."

Regis smiled. They finally had reached his bedroom. "That, she did, Nyx." He laughed. A little labored, a little weary. "She used them on me around the time I first met her. It was… amazing."

Nyx helped his king undress before pulling a pair of soft pajamas from his dresser drawers. "Yeah?"

"She never would tell me her secret, you know. Even after marriage."

Nyx assisted his king in getting redressed into his pajamas. "…I'm sure Noctis will prevail. He's smart, like his father. And tricky, like his mother." He smirked at the man, who smiled back. "He's a force to be reckoned with."

The king settled into bed and sighed. "That's what afraid of, Nyx… I don't want another one that I love to die at the hands of a Niflheim king…"

Nyx stood tall, shaking his head. "He won't. And neither will you. The other Glaives and I are patrolling the city and the Citadel more than ever. We will ensure those Nifs won't bust in here uninvited again. I swear to that."

Regis nodded. "Thank you, Nyx… I appreciate all that you and the Glaives do… Truly."

Nyx bowed low. "The feelings are returned, Your Highness." When he straightened, he gave the man a small smile before taking his leave. "Sleep well."

Regis laid there for a long time, staring at the photos upon his walls. All of them family portraits of his wife and son, enjoying their time together along with him. On his bedside table, he had a small photo of Amaryllis holding a newborn Noctis, soft and chubby and pink, wrapped in a soft blanket as she cradled him in her arms. She was looking at the camera with a pride and softness unlike any other look she had ever shown him, hair matted to her sweaty face. She rested in a hospital bed. He had been behind the camera, taking the shot. It was his favorite photo.

"Keep watch over him, My Love…" Regis kissed his fingers before touching the picture. Sleep didn't come to him swiftly, but when it finally did, she filled his dreams.

…

It was just becoming dusk. Gladiolus had retreated to one of his favorite place, The Rock of Ravatogh. It was the warmest there, the ash rich in minerals, and he grasped a handful before letting it go, watching as it floated away on the wind in the light of the lava deep below the mountain's mouth.

It was a strange place, this. The one time he had collaborated with Ravus, and it made something truly unique. The barren trees that peeked between the rocks were twisted and warped, the trunk and branches glowing red as if there was fire in their veins, giving them life. They looked dead but were very much alive. The biggest tree of all of them stemmed from within the mountain itself, its trunk shooting up from the lava and the thick, twisted branches able to be seen from miles and miles away, just like the very volcano itself. Truly, a work of art.

But, as it were, Ravus was not here. He had faded with the sun as it set near Altissia. Lunafreya was dwelling along the snowy mountains of the Ghorovas Rift, now. Ignis had not come back to see him since their disagreeance earlier that morning. So, he was alone, watching the moon rise over Niflheim.

That was fine. For the most part, it's how he liked it. No one to get in his way or distract him. Yet his heart still felt heavy as he thought back to the sad look in Ignis' eyes. He cared for Ignis. Very much so. Although, they weren't always that way. Back when they first me, he felt as though the other man was a show-off. Dancing in the wind with his perfect skin, always clean. While Gladiolus had always been tanned and rough, skin always marred from treading through bristles and pushing at branches as he stomped his way through the mountains and forests. Ignis always talked so smart, like he knew everything, and Gladiolus kept to himself, voice rough and body language tense. He was a lone wolf in more than one sense of the word and Ignis had found his way into his heart like a thief. Sometimes it was still hard to believe.

Perhaps he should apologize properly.

"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!"

Gladiolus' head whipped up, gazing out into the ocean. "The Tide Mother has awoken?" He stood to his feet, watching as the distinct form of a sea serpent was towering over the entire city of Insomnia, its body watery and glistening in the beginnings of moonlight. "Are the humans trying to attack her? …But why?"

"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!"

"That's her voice, but that creature is no Hydraean…", he mused aloud, watching as the watery serpent tore through something in the distance, causing explosions to set fire to the sky as the voice seemed to come from somewhere else entirely. His eyes grew wider as he realized that it must have been created by Prompto. He was fighting something. Killing things. It was entirely out of the ordinary for the boy. The Tide Mother was calling out to him. She had discovered his disappearance. "What the hell is that kid doing?"

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

It was the last message that he heard. After that, he witnessed the watery creation of Prompto's burst into billions of droplets, shattering and dissipating. The explosions were no longer, but the smoke continued to rise and meet the heavens. Gladiolus sighed. "He sure did it this time…" 'What had gotten into Prompto, anyways? Why would he leave his home, his position, his fate, to chance a life in the Human Realm, even for only a few days? What could be so great that it rivals even the thought of being a God?' Gladiolus shook his head, not wanting to think on it any longer. It was none of his concern, and he intended to keep it that way.

He turned away from the scene, looking into the fiery depths of the volcano and feeling its warmth against his skin. Perhaps he'd take a dip.

"Gladiolus."

He turned, eyed widening slightly to see Ravus standing behind him, appearing in a wisp of blue flames. It wasn't every day Ravus spoke to the others. He was closed off, mostly due to his past. It was hard to get close to others. But even without the remnants of past mistakes, he enjoyed solitude. Welcomed it, even. Ravus came off cruel and apathetic, no matter the subject, and just like Gladiolus, he rarely backed down nor admitted defeat when proved wrong. That, coupled with his hatred for humans, made him hard to talk to and get along with, He was a hard Astral to track down, more often than not, that was for sure. "I thought you were in Altissia tonight?", he asked, turning to face the man fully.

Ravus' hair was pure white, a stark contrast to the black horns that protruded from the corners of his forehead to twist and swirl like those of a ram. His eyes were almost as pale as his hair, glowing like fire and mismatched in color. His skin was pale as well, and flames licked along his feet and up his legs with every step he took, searing the ground below. He housed the fire and though it latched upon his skin, the flames did not harm him or scar.

The Son of Ifrit walked forwards a few steps languidly, eyeing his surroundings with the ghost of a smile on his lips and a wistfulness in his fiery eyes as his hands rested behind his back. "I was. But now I am here." 'Curt and to-the-point as always…', Gladiolus mused to himself, watching silently as the other man took a look around, stepping along the rock and reaching out to touch a few branches. They burned, bits of twigs falling to the ground as ash. "It's been a long time since I've been here, hasn't it…?"

Gladiolus gave a smile and nodded. "Yeah, it has… I was just about t take a dip. Wanna join me?"

Ravus smirked wryly but shook his head in protest. "No. Not tonight, thank you. I came here to have a talk."

"Talk?" 'Since when does the Son of Ifrit want to talk…?' Inwardly, Gladiolus grumbled to himself. It seemed his relaxation would be postponed. "Alright, then. Follow me." They walked along the volcano's steep, rocky paths, descending down to where the rock was smooth and flat, overlooking a large gorge that was home to what was quite possibly one of the only Zu left on Eos. Often hunted by the humans for boasting rights, the only other one Gladiolus had seen recently was by Galdin Quay. It made his body ache, to know that such a strong, fearsome, and beautiful creature would soon go extinct. They sat, legs dangling over the edge as their words carried on the wind, watching the creature lay on her eggs and caw affectionately. Putting his own worries aside, he turned to look into Ravus' eyes. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Ravus was silent at first, eyes distant as he gathered his thoughts. Gladiolus let him, waiting patiently. "We have lost another today."

"You mean Prompto?"

"Yes."

The larger man scoffed. "He's hardly 'lost'… He'll be back soon enough, trust me. He's a meek, subdued little guy. He won't defy The Hydraean for much longer."

Ravus looked to him, brows creased in doubt. "And if he doesn't return?"

"Then he's an idiot.", he answered without hesitation, eyes smoldering. A heavy silence fell between them again as they both chewed on that thought. "Listen. I know you're worried about him. I know-"

"You know nothing of what I feel!" Ravus' tone was suddenly hot and venomous, flames rising off his body with his sudden anger. The rock beneath them grew hot enough to scald and even Gladiolus had to fight the urge to wince. "I worry for him not. What he does is his own choice, just like the woman before him, and the fate he creates for himself is his own as well!" Widening Amber eyes searched wild, pale silver and lavender ones. He could see the hurt there, behind the anger. The pain, the sadness. Even the loneliness. He could see it all, despite the wall the other Astral worked so hard to hide behind. "What Prompto does is no concern of mine, and I intend to leave well enough alone." The anger began to dwindle towards the end, his words going quiet and body relaxing, reluctantly. He looked away. "…I just… do not understand why he would do this… Why she had done it…"

Gladiolus frowned. "…You can say her name if you'd like, Ravus… It won't bring her back, but we should at least honor her memory-"

"Honor?" Anger took Ravus once again, more subdued this time around but every bit as hot. "No." He interjected, swallowed, hands balling into fists at his sides. Gladiolus watched as he began to tremble, just the slightest bit, and he doubt if even Ravus knew it was happening. Ravus licked his lips, the wheels turning rapidly in his head almost visible. He was regretting this. He was going to run. "…This was a mistake. I should not have come here." He moved to stand up, but Gladiolus prevented him from doing so with a strong grip upon his arm. The smaller man scoffed, glaring. "Unhand me!"

Gladiolus held firm. Ravus would listen to him, whether he liked it or not. It was time to stop running from his past. It ended tonight. Boldly, he met Ravus' eyes as he spoke. "What Amaryllis did-"

The Son of Ifrit bared his teeth at that name, hissing as he tried to claw his way through Gladiolus' grip. "I said let me go!" The fire burned, scorching red marks upon his skin that began to bubble and blister, but he didn't let go, didn't stop.

"-Why Amaryllis left us is probably something we will never know the reason for. She didn't tell you, she didn't tell me, she didn't tell anyone."

Ravus growled, digging sharp nails into tanned skin, but it failed as the flesh holding him went hard as rock. He was practically breathing fire as he looked to the bigger man. "Damned you, Gladiolus, I said-"

"You can't fault yourself for that." He tugged Ravus' arm hard, binging him to his knees and eye level, shutting him up without much more than a grunt of discomfort. Gladiolus grit his teeth, withholding his own exclamation of pain to only a sharp intake of breath through his flaring nostrils. The burns had travelled up his arm now, going as far as the star mark on his shoulder. The specks of the constellation glowed in protest, fighting the attack. "You loved her." It was no question. A statement, through and through. He had surmised as much throughout the years, watching the man and the way he purposefully shut everyone out. How he had grown to hate the humans more and more as time went on. It couldn't have been just a coincidence.

To this, Ravus stopped fighting, brows furrowing as he refused to look into the Amber eyes ahead of him. His white hair fell, hiding his face from view when he looked down and to the side in defiance. Gladiolus paid it no mind as he continued. "You loved her, and she left." When silence persisted, he sighed wearily, reeling himself in. The grip on Ravus loosened only a fragment. "…You came to me to talk, Ravus…" Hesitantly, that hand let go of the pale arm, dropping to his lap instead. Slowly, the burns that had travelled up his muscular arm receded, the blisters fading away to nothing. "…Now, talk… Don't keep running."

Ravus sat there a long while, still refusing to look at Gladiolus, but after some time passed, he was surprised to see the man shift off his knees and back onto his butt, feet dangling over the edge of the rocks alongside Gladiolus 'once more. Still, though, he did not look at Gladiolus. Only to the steadily rising moon, full and beautiful, and just as lonely as he. "…I did love her… And still, to this day, I miss her… Dearly…" Regret and hurt colored his words, leaving a biter taste on his tongue. "…I never got to say goodbye…"

Gladiolus nodded, looking to the stars. 'None of us did'. The thought muddled through his mind, filling the silence. Still, Ravus had been the closest to her at the time. Or at least the one who was around her the most. They seemed to be the perfect picture of friendship, like two peas in a pod, though it was obvious to everyone how Ravus truly looked at her. Which was why it was so surprising to hear that the Son of Ifrit hadn't even tried to stop the Daughter of Bahamut. "…Why did you not go after her?"

Ravus sighed. He was angry, and most of all at himself. "...I was angry… I let it take me over…" He finally raised his head, and through the corner of his eye Gladiolus could have sworn he saw tears glistening in the moonlight. He didn't dare try to confirm, fearing it would ruin the moment and interrupt Ravus' moment of honesty. "…I thought what she had decided to do was foolish. I thought that it wouldn't last, that she'd come back. But… Hours went by… And then days... And then years… Until, eventually, I could no longer sense her presence on Eos…"

Gladiolus swallowed, lacing his fingers in his lap as he listened. "…She spent so long out of the Astral Realm that she became human…" They all knew the story well enough.

Ravus nodded, solemnly. "…Yes. I tried to seek her out. For quite some time, actually. I searched high and low, far and wide, and I never saw not one glimpse of her. Until…"

A silence occupied the space between them, and this time Gladiolus couldn't help but turn his head, wanting to hear more. The trails of wetness along Ravus' pale cheeks seemed to evaporate into steam, likely due to his high body temperature. It was soon like they were never there to begin with. "…Until?"

Ravus frowned and shook his head. "…Enough about that. I wish to discuss it no longer… What do you think will happen, now that history seems to have repeated itself?" The Son of Titan allowed the change of topic. The wounds were still too fresh. He understood. Ravus would open up entirely when he was good and ready. This was enough, for now. "You heard the Hydraean's words just as we all did. There will be efforts to bring him back, one way or another."

Gladiolus grunted, giving a half-hearted shrug. "Yeah."

"…Will you go?"

Gladiolus frowned, turning the question back at its asker. "Will you?"

Ravus smirked, but there was no joy behind his fiery eyes. "I've told you already. What Prompto does is his own choice. I will not pursue him."

"I hear ya. I feel the same. Would much rather stay on my mountain than get myself involved in whatever he has going on…" Gladiolus sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Hey. Wanna go for a dip?"

Ravus shook his head, moving to stand. "No. It's about time I leave. Goodnight, Gladiolus."

"Suit yourself. Night." He watched as the other man disappeared in a portal of flames, just as he came, stepping into the burning blue and then disappearing, leaving him alone once more. Gladiolus sighed, wearily. 'Prompto, you idiot… What the hell is going through your head…?'

…

Loqi awoke slowly, eyes blinking and squinting against the harsh fluorescents of the lights overhead. The world slowly materialized as he laid there, unmoving.

"…Where…?"

He could see the metal framing and underside of a mattress overhead, just within reach. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he reached up to touch it. His bare fingers traced the metal poles, slowly, as if mapping them out. It felt cool against the pads of his fingers. When had he taken his armor off? His hands were bare and so were his arms. His blue eyes narrowed as they followed the trail of his arm, brows knitting together as the observed that all of his armor was gone. Instead he wore a deep red shirt. He moved to touch it, fingers dancing across the soft, thin cotton. He didn't remember owning this shirt. Loqi frowned, head moving to take in more of his surroundings.

The bed was hardly as comfortable as the one he usually slept in; hard and so, so small. Twin sized, if he had to fancy a guess. There were no windows. The room was small. Cramped almost, even though there was nothing else in the room save for his armor, discarded without care in the corner. Loqi frowned at the sight. That plate mail was worth a good deal of money. He had just had it polished that morning, in preparation for meeting with the Prince of Insomnia, and-

His blue eyes widened, his body tensing as the memories began to come flooding back. "Noctis." The name was like bile on his tongue, and he spat it out like venom. He remembered now. All those soldiers, all those air ships, gone. Noctis had done that. He had practically ran him over, had practically knocked him off the bridge and into the ocean. But the prince had escaped and had taken the target with him. He had to hurry. He had to catch up to him before they were too far gone.

Loqi moved to sit up and sucked in a hiss of pain through his teeth at the way his side ached and protested. Instinctively, he pressed a hand to the point of pain and flinched as hi touch only irritated the wound more. He braced his weight on and elbow and removed the blankets, tossing them side before pulling up his shirt and exposing the wound.

I wasn't all too big. The pain was misleading, causing him to anticipate much worse. Still, the gash decent, as far as injuries went. It was a line marring his skin, resting along the end of his ribcage and towards his stomach, inflamed and red, sewn shut neatly. The skin around the closed gash was bruised, the entire area sensitive to touch. Very faintly next to it was the white remnants of a wound long-passed, healed over time. It was much more jagged, the white scar cutting across his skin almost parallel to the new wound.

"Hey- Don't move yet. You want to tear open your stitches?"

Loqi froze in place, eyes snapping to the figure that had somehow appeared in the doorframe without him noticing. Of course it was Aranea. The memories of her had returned to him along with the others. She was holding a small tray, looking down on him from the other side of the room with a cocked head. Her hair was let down and loose for once, silver strands falling over her chest and down her back. Long gone were the leather pants and fitted black vest. All she wore was a fitted tank top, deep red and matching his own top, and a pair of black shorts. Her bare feet padded quietly atop the floor as she approached.

Her pale eyes looked over him, and it was then that he realized he had only been wearing his underwear beneath the blankets that had once covered him. He reached forward and ignored the searing hot pain that pulsed through him as he grabbed hold of those blankets once more, throwing them over himself. Aranea's lips tugged into a small, indulgent smile as her words stayed aloof and uncaring. "Chill out, will ya? It isn't as if it's the first time I'm seeing it."

Loqi blushed heavily as he worked to keep up his scowl, embarrassed to no end and frustratingly upset over the fact that that he was acting so damned shy in front of her. "W-when?!"

Aranea sighed as she set the tray of food on the top bunk. She took a step back to look down on him as her hands rested on her hips. "Well I had to undress you. Wouldn't have been comfortable sleeping in all that armor, right?"

She was right, but Loqi would never admit as much. Instead, he looked away from her and to the wall, retorting, "It's not as if it made a difference. This bed is as hard as a rock."

"Stubborn, as always."

"Funny, I could say the same about you…"

Aranea sighed. "Here… Let me help you sit up… You need to eat, and I made soup." She helped him sit up, ignoring his groan of pain, and adjusted the pillow behind him to make it more comfortable for his back. He still refused to look at her as she sat the try in his lap. "Go on, eat." Loqi eyed the soup warily. "Don't worry, I didn't poison it."

"My armor."

"What about it?"

"Get it off the floor."

Aranea scoffed, moving to sit at the edge of the bed and crossing one leg over the other. "Not a chance. It's garbage."

Loqi glared, blue eyes like ice. "Not to me it isn't."

"Then make me." She watched on as Loqi made no move, but she could see how he wanted more than anything to do so. Even he knew it wouldn't be wise to overexert himself in his condition. "…That's what I thought. Tell ya what. As soon as you get better, you can pick them up yourself. I'll even let you put it back on. And hey, while we're at it, why don't I just drop you back off to Ardyn?"

"No!" Loqi started as he exclaimed, bolting upright and almost knocking the soup from his lap before doubling over and crying out in pain. His hand moved to his side, clutching his stitches. Aranea's first instinct was to jump to his aid, but one more cut of his eyes had her keeping her distance. He glowered up at her through disheveled blonde bangs. His forehead was damp with sweat. "Don't."

The woman smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "And why not?" She knew exactly why not. "You're respected, right? No one else other than the king himself is above you, right? I'm sure Ardyn won't think anything of all the people who died and the ships you've lost. As a matter of fact, I bet he'd love to see you and congratulate you on your good health."

Loqi stayed silent for a long while before huffing and lying back against the pillow. His side throbbed. "…Fine. You've made your point."

"You're in my care now, and I don't accept Nif paraphernalia on my ship."

"But you're a Nif."

"I'm whatever the hell I choose to be, Loqi. Just be lucky that right now I'm choosing to be your friend and not your enemy."

She was right. He should be lucky. If it wasn't for her, he'd be dead, suspended over the ocean as the crows took him. Either that, or in a heap of bodies as the Glaives burned his remains. He would get no proper burial. "…Thank you… for helping me."

Aranea didn't respond to his weak apology. "…Eat. You need to regain your strength… And for the love of The Six, don't rip open your wound again." Loqi nodded, mutely. He eyed his soup a little longer before picking up the spoon and shoveling a few bites into his mouth. Despite how much he wished not to enjoy it just to spite her, the taste was heaven on his tongue. It felt like forever since the last time he ate. "…Hey." Aranea shifted, uncrossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees, leaning closer. "…What exactly do you plan on doing after you heal?"

Loqi swallowed the soup he had in his mouth. His tongue darted out to lick a stray drop as it tried to travel down his chin. "I'm going to go after Noctis."

"Why in the world does King Ardyn want him so badly? How did that kid take out a small army of soldiers all by himself?"

"It's not Noctis he wants. It's the man who is with him. He's-" Loqi stopped, briefly, unsure of how much was a safe amount to tell. "-incredibly powerful."

Aranea nodded but remained silent as she let her old friend finish his meal. Wen he was done, she took the tray from his lap and roe to he feet. "Well then. If you're going after Prince Noctis, then you aren't going to do it alone."

Loqi's eyes widened in surprise before squinting up at her with a mixture wariness and intrigue. "…Why?"

"Don't get the wrong idea.", she was quick to cut in, "I don't give a damn about your position or your duties. I don't even give a damn about the King, himself. As a matter of fact, if he were here right now, I'd spit in his royal face."

"You'd die for it." Loqi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and managing to only flinch this time at the pain that movement caused.

"It would be worth it." The words came easily, eyes heavy as she stared, completely serious. "…Anyways… I don't want to help you because of that scumbag… I want to help you because you're my friend… And I care about you…"

Loqi softened a bit as she talked. This time it was her turn to look away, pink dusting her face, and suddenly his heart didn't know what pace it wanted to beat. His hands felt oddly sweaty. "…T-thanks…"

Aranea shrugged, turning to leave. "No problem."

When she was gone he stared up at the top bunk once more, thinking on where he needed to start in order to find Noctis. Uneasiness began creeping through his veins as he went over what power the Astral had. He didn't want Aranea getting hurt. But, if he was completely honest with himself, he needed the help. And her tracking abilities were top-notch. Sighing, he closed his eyes. A wave of tiredness began to wash over him and he fell into the world of sleep.

…

"Gladiolus." The voice cut through his mind and body, filling his senses. It was unmistakable. The first voice he had heard after being created.

Dawn had come swiftly. Time meant nothing when you were a God. The days passed like the blink of an eye, melding together into one long, unending existence. Gladiolus hardly noticed it as he worked. The sun rose, followed by bright pinks and oranges across the sky, the morning dew evaporating with the rising temperature. He froze as the words rushed over him. The herd of Saphyrtails that had gathered around, eating from his open palm scattered and shrieked, wary and afraid. The ground was still, yet he could feel the world move as if it was being shaken. A heavy feeling settled in his gut as he replied, "Yes, Titan?"

"Prompto has strayed."

"Yes. I have realized."

"Leviathan wishes for him to be returned to his rightful place."

"And how does she intend to go about that?" The sinking feeling in his gut only grew. Somehow, he knew what was coming. He knew what would be asked of him.

"You will go."

Confirmation. He growled and stomped his foot, anger and defiance welling up within as he created a real tremor that rivaled the ones of his creator's. "And why me? Why not one of the others? Ignis would be more than happy to-"

"I ASK NOT WHAT IGNIS WANTS. I CALL UPON YOU, GLADIOLUS." The voice yelled, the sheer force of it ripping through his body making Gladiolus fall to his knees, breathing hard. His fingers dug into the soil there, attempting to help steady and ground himself. His stomach twisted, and nausea swept through him. "Leviathan has asked for our aid. I have answered her call. You will prove to us all that the Son of Titan will not back down from a challenge when he is presented one. Is that understood?"

Gladiolus gasped a breath. His heart was racing, and his head pounded. Reluctantly, he swallowed down the lump constricting his throat before replying, "…Understood." Brows furrowed, and jaw clenched, he exhaled through his nose. Anger rushed through him, but he remained still. He dared not defy Titan. He knew his place. He hadn't forgotten who had given im life.

"Good. You will go to the Human Realm. Now."

"Now?" He blinked as he slowly attempted to stand, the sick feeling in his body subsiding to be replaced by a growing sense of unease. If he left now, he wouldn't get to tell Ignis goodbye. He didn't know how long obtaining and bringing back Prompto would take.

"NOW."

"…Understood."

"Good." The quakes subsided. "Now, go. Bring back what is ours. And do not fail me."