"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."

…

Noctis' brows furrowed as he looked down at Prompto and then back up towards the volcano, eyes darkened by worry and now confusion as he took note of the cooling red glimmers of lava that left blazing trails down the rocks far, far away from where they currently were. But in the next few seconds he surprisingly smiled uneasily, a shaky hand running through his bangs only to have them flop back into his face. "'Gladiolus?'.", he repeated, and let go a small, breathless chuckle. "…No, Prom, Gladiolus are flowers… That was an earthquake- most likely caused by that volcano. They're kinda very different things…" He knew that the little Astral was originally from a world locked in water and was struggling with identifying things that existed on land. His heart was still racing from the earlier confusion and panic, but the little adorable response had him smiling, wanting for everything to calm the other man down. He just hoped that he didn't make Prompto feel like an absolute idiot for his slip-up on just what exactly had shook the earth not long ago.

Prompto's eyes widened. He forced his grip on Noctis' shoulders to loosen as he watched the man begin to laugh a little more, the worry falling off the prince with every shake of those shoulders as the beautiful sound left his lips. 'He doesn't understand me…'Noctis didn't know what Prompto truly meant. He didn't know what force was moving towards them at this very moment. 'He thinks I don't know what that just was.' It was understandable and certainly not out of left field to assume so. Even still, the blonde's heart sank a bit, eyes blinking up helplessly at the young prince.

Noctis looked around the camp, finding everything relatively in-tact and sighed a breath of relief. "Don't worry. Everything seems to have settled down now… You're okay. You're safe."

It was hard to keep Noctis' gaze as their eyes met once more. That happy, almost adoring look lit Prompto's soul like a candle before the light quickly died in his stomach, twisting and unsettling with anxiety and fear that held the Astral like a prisoner. Prompto opened his mouth to correct Noctis but shut it quickly after a sudden second thought.

Perhaps… Perhaps it was best to keep the man in the dark… for now. Maybe, somehow, he could find Gladiolus on his own before he got to Noctis. Maybe the other Astral could be swayed…? It was a small chance; slim to nothing, but it was the only option other than telling Noctis the truth and causing them to drop everything and move across the continent to escape once more. He didn't want that. The young prince had just finished driving all night and then setting up this camp. He was tired and needed rest… Truthfully, there was no telling if running away would even work. This was dry land. Full of forests and animals and the other Astral knew the whole continent like the back of his hand. There would be nowhere they could hide that Gladiolus would not know existed. The only option they had for a quick, bloodless end to this was for Prompto to confront the man himself. Without Noctis.

So Prompto pretended to go along with it.

For now.

Noctis' smile turned back into that concerned frown as his hand moved to swipe along the Astral's cheek with a thumb, pulling back wet. "…Don't cry, Prompto… I promise, nothing is going to happen to you... Not while I'm around."

Prompto nodded, allowing his eyes to flutter closed and the warmth of the prince's hand against his scaled cheek to spread through his cold skin for a lingering moment. For a heartbeat of time, Prompto allowed himself to believe the words. But deep down, he knew they were anything but accurate. Noctis couldn't withstand the powers of an Astral. He couldn't possibly compare. Guns, Swords; they could do nothing. The only hope they could possibly have was magic, and only Prompto held that ball in his court. Who knew if his own powers would be greater than the sheer force of brute nature itself headed their way?

If it came down to it, and Prompto had to fight Gladiolus… would he be able to hurt the man? He had no qualms with Gladiolus before. They had never even so much as spoken. The other man seemed distant, choosing to stay on his mountaintops. Prompto didn't even know what the other Astral looked like… Would he even know it was him when they eventually met?

Gods, Prompto wished they didn't have to meet…

Noctis shifted, drawing the blonde away to look into his eyes. "…Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Prompto nodded. He'd only had a few bites of human food back at Regis' party the day before. He could feel the unfamiliar feeling that must be hunger in his rolling stomach, gnawing at his insides- it was either that or the dread. But the combination of all the terrible sensations at once made the thought of food seem like a terrible idea. He hoped he could stomach the stuff. They would inevitably need the nourishment. "…Yes, please."

Noctis stood and helped the blonde off the ground as well. "Okay. There's another friend not too far from here. He said he'd get us something when we were ready- but! We can't stay there too often. And when we are there, we have to keep the visits short and sweet. The Niffs will no doubt be looking for us… The less people that see us and know who we are, the better…" He looked the other man over briefly, smiling sadly at the way Prompto's scales glittered rainbow in the sparse light that fell from beneath the treetops. He was so beautiful and unique… It was a shame to have to hide it all. But it was a necessary evil. "…You'll have to cover yourself up again…"

Prompto nodded, looking over a scaled arm with- thankfully- unnoticeably less scales than before. That problem was another issue entirely. Another problem he was less than ready to come to terms with and face. Another thing he could not tell Noctis about. "Okay, Noctis." His other hand fell to the outside of his pants pocket, patting against the scales that were still resting inside. He'd need something better to carry them in. Something that could close so they the scales wouldn't come tumbling out. They were a part of him. And though his body was wrenching them away from him, he didn't want to lose them.

"I packed some clothes for us… Let me pull something out."

…

Aranea sighed as she watched the sun rise over the desert horizon. Already, sweat began beading along her pale skin from the heat, even so early in the morning. Eyes closing, she focused on the feel of the humid wind that tousled her hair, still falling down her back.

"…What the fuck am I even doing…?", she asked herself.

Any sane person would have left Loqi to die. She shouldn't have offered to help a man who was so far gone in his fantasy world that he wouldn't listen to truth and reason. Who chose to ignore the number of soldiers that disappeared in the night, never to be seen again. Of the madness that was Ardyn and the way his bloodline handled things, using any measure necessary to get what they wanted no matter who or what stood in the way. The king cared nothing of his people- only himself. He used everyone under him as a means to an end. To what end, she had no idea. It was anyone's guess. But whatever it was, it wasn't worth all of the bloodshed. It wasn't worth the death of her parents and the loss of the only friend she had ever known.

Why couldn't Loqi see things the way she did? Why was he proud of the man that he is? To sport that damned sigil and swear his life and his blade to the crown? She hated him. Hated everyone like him. Those soldiers that Noctis and the other man killed out there along that bridge deserved their fate. They deserved to die, and Loqi should have been one of them. She knew that. But, damned it, there was still a part of her that cared for him as she had back when they were growing up. She couldn't seem to shake the image of that scruffy boy that followed her everywhere with a grin on his face and determination in his eyes. It followed her like a ghost, reminding her of who Loqi used to be.

She longed to see that side of him again. To turn back time and go a different route, sparing them of their hardships and their past grievances. That last fight they had had, tears streaming down their cheeks as they cried out with each swing and jab of their weapons, made her heart ache deep within her chest.

She laughed to herself bitterly as she opened her eves once more to look at the way dust flew over her boots. "…I couldn't convince him to come with me back then... What the hell is making me hope he will this time…?" She didn't have an answer. All she could do was hope that somehow, some way, he would see the truth.

"Aranea." Loqi's voice sounded out from behind her, hard like the rocks beneath her feet, and she turned to look at him with an even, hard expression.

Loqi stood at the open entrance to the air ship, watching Aranea for a moment before turning his eyes to the horizon. She saw the way he favored his right side and how he seemed to sway a bit on his feet. Such a fool, trying to do more than he was capable and feigning as if nothing was wrong. The sight made her grit her teeth. He ignored it. "…Where are we?"

She didn't answer his question, instead crossing her arms over her chest and tipping her head. "Why are you out of bed? You aren't healed yet."

The blonde attempted to stand straighter and glared. His mouth formed a tight line as he stared down at her cocky posture. She was a know-it-all. Always had been. She thought she was so much better than him… He hated her. Why couldn't Aranea see that she was crazy? That she left over nothing more than baseless rumors and her own turbulent emotions after their parents' deaths? "I'm tired of laying down. It's been a whole day. The longer I wait, the farther away Noctis and that man get. I can't allow that. I have a job to do. A purpose. I can't just-"

"Like hell you can't.", Aranea spat, green eyes squinting up at him in an icy glare. "If you overexert yourself, you'll rip those stitches right open and next time I might not be around to fix you back up. You're in no condition to fight, Loqi."

The man scoffed. "I'll do what I damned well please, Aranea. You said you were willing to help me. Now are you, or aren't you? No matter the choice, I'll be on my way regardless if you're with me or not."

They stared at one another for a long moment, each unwilling to back down, but after a long while Aranea sighed. "…And just what, exactly, is your plan in all of this?"

"To track Noctis down. To find that man he's protecting and bring him to King Ardyn."

"Why does the king want him so badly, huh?" She watched the way the soldier's mouth opened and closed, no answer coming out. But she could see the look in his stormy eyes. She could see the wheels turning in his head. Hell, the man probably had no clue either. He was a puppet, following his master's every command as if led by strings. It made her as sick to the stomach with rage as it made her worried and empathetic. "…Fine. Keep your secrets. It's no concern of mine what that pig-headed man-child wants with them, anyways..." She turned, putting her back to her old friend and looking to the desert once more. "Answer me this, then… If you go back to Ardyn empty-handed… what will happen?"

Loqi's side throbbed and he grunted, frowning. 'Death.' He would only be met with his death; either given to him by the king himself or another soldier. And he would deserve it too, for failing his simple mission and getting his fleet massacred. He should have been better than that… He was the top soldier in all of Gralea! It had to have been a mere fluke… There was no way he would allow it to happen again, he would make sure of it. "You know as well as I do what that would mean for me. Don't ask foolish questions just to make yourself seem right. And if it happens, I will accept it with honor. But, I do not intend to return empty-handed. This hypothetical question is meaningless."

Sighing, the woman nodded, turning the answer that was unspoken around in her mind. '…He's an utter fool… to die for nothing and call it a deserved consequence…' Still, she conceded."…I'm only helping you because I don't want to see you die... As soon as you have that man, I leave… Got it?"

Loqi's heart ached and his brows furrowed at the condition, and it frustrated him to no end to feel it. He hated how he still held a soft spot for his childhood friend like a weakness. But he couldn't shake off that image of who she was before- that lively tomboy that wasn't afraid of anything and had the whole world at her fingertips. He wished more than anything that he could go back and stop her from leaving. She would have been great. Far greater than him. She would have been everything…

He nodded, jaw tightening at the new pulse of pain through his midsection. "…Agreed."

Aranea walked back up the ramp and into her airship, passing Loqi at the entrance without much more than a harsh brush of a shoulder. He followed her to the cockpit and once she sat down at the controls, she asked, "…Do you have any leads? Any idea of where they could have gone?"

The blonde soldier shook his head. "Unfortunately, none."

"Any Allies?"

He scoffed. "Only almost all of Eos. He's the hair to Insomnia, after all. Beloved by all, just like his father and mother before him."

She nodded, mashing a few buttons and flipping a few switches until finally the ship began to take flight. "Lucky for you, I'm an excellent tracker…" She ignored the small, bitter snicker from behind. "…Obviously, the first thing Noctis would need is supplies… No one can stay on the run forever. And the closest place to buy supplies of any kind outside of Insomnia would be Hammerhead. That will be our first stop. We should be able to gather some intel there."

Loqi nodded, taking a seat behind her as the aircraft began to sway, moving through the sky and making his head swim. "Right…" A flash of that watery Astral-like creature and it's open maw shown behind his vision for a split second and his fingers tightened their grip on the chair he sat in. 'Bahamut… Please spare Aranea from that fate.'

…

Prompto's large eyes sparkled, mouth hanging open in awe and wonder as the leaves from the bushes and the branches of the tree limbs overhead and all around them brushed against his open palm, arm outstretched to feel them as he passed. A little breathless giggle of a sound fell from his lips and he felt Noctis give his other occupied hand a little squeeze as he led them through the forest, making his entire body feel weightless.

Finally, finally, he was doing what he had always dreamed of for thousands and thousands of years as he had swum beneath the unending sea. His bare feet crunched over fallen leaves and soft dirt, snapping over small twigs and slapping against solid rock. The Astral had chosen to forego socks and shoes altogether, knowing that whatever he stepped on would not break his skin and hurt him. Not yet. He still had time. He wanted to feel everything. The Astral's toes curled in the soil and he breathed in the scent of the woods deeply, admiring how fresh it felt in his lungs, devoid of salt and fish.

Noctis looked over his shoulder at the other man, brows raising and cheeks tinting a silent pink. Prompto looked beautiful like this, experiencing the wilderness for the first time in his life. It sent the prince's heart soaring in his chest and slowed his stride as he gave the blonde more time to enjoy his surroundings. "…Do you like it?", Noctis asked, lips upturning in a heavenly smile.

Prompto returned the smile tenfold, bending down to pluck a wildflower from the path and scent it delicately before letting it go and watching it float on the wind to the ground behind them. "Yes!" He was so happy, he felt like he could cry. But after a few more steps his eyes widened further as he looked past Noctis. Up ahead, in the distance and beyond a gravelly road, there were lots of feathered creatures, running and grazing and 'kweh'-ing. "W-What are those?!", he asked incredulously with a pointed finger.

Noctis followed the Astral's gaze and smiled, quickening his pace. "Oh! Those are chocobos."

'Chocobos!' The word felt like fluff and happiness in his mind, similar to the feeling that filled him from just seeing the creatures alone. Off in the distance they were running, almost free in the fenced-in plains surrounding a small shack and a few people. "Can I see them up close?!", Prompto practically begged, and rushed up to cling to Noctis' arm tightly, looking up into his deep blue eyes with a hesitant, hopeful grin.

Noctis' blush spread all the way to his toes as Prompto's face became closer to his own, features resonating giddiness and joy. But the close proximity of their lip had a hand in reminding the prince of the moment they had almost shared back in his bedroom. Of silence, save for their trembling hearts and soft breathing. Curious eyes and roaming fingertips. They were so close to something, even now, yet it eluded him still. Noctis found himself curious as well; wanting and more eager than he'd ever thought he'd be for the touch of those cold lips against his own. There was something about Prompto that drew him in. Something soft and delicate and familiar, as if he'd known it his entire life. It filled him with a sense of adoration and the overwhelming feeling to protect. And, in the back of his mind, the image of a dress flowing in the wind and sandals clenched in a pale hand and the pink hues of a sunset over a sparkling ocean had his eyes prickling with tears.

Clearing his throat, Noctis averted his eyes back to the destination ahead of them lest he be tempted to do something he knew he probably shouldn't. "U-um, sure. After lunch, alright? We need to talk about a few things first. And you can't see them long… Remember? We'll need to go back to camp soon."

Prompto's smile faltered for just a moment. The truth was bitter on his tongue, but he accepted it. There was no other choice. He wouldn't bring harm to Noctis if he could avoid it, and he tightened his hold on the prince's hand with a small nod. "Okay."

They walked beyond a wooden fence and up to a group of small tables and chairs sitting in the open air where an old man was sitting, feet kicked up and magazine in hand. "Wiz.", Noctis greeted the man happily, and Prompto let go of him reluctantly. He watched as 'Wiz' looked up and beamed before rising to his feet a little slowly, grasping the table top for support. Prompto eyed his strange attire; pants that came all the way up to his chest, held together by two straps. A checkered shirt laid beneath, rolled up at the sleeves. Around his neck, another patterned piece of cloth. "Is the ranch serving lunch yet?"

Wiz laughed heartily as he took Noctis' hand in a firm handshake. "'Course. If yer hungry for it, that is." Bright eyes flitted to the strange man next to the young prince, looking him up and down with curiosity. "And who is this youngin'?"

Prompto shuffled his weight on his feet, hands wringing together behind his back. Dressed in a white ballcap with the image of a fish on the front, a long-sleeved deep blue turtleneck shirt, black jeans and no socks or shoes, he probably looked just as strange himself. The Astral gazed up at the older man as he was scrutinized. He watched heavy, bushy brows lift as that gaze met glittering scales along pale cheekbones and the tops of his hands and feet. But, instead of asking, he just gave a warm smile and a curt nod before returning his attention to Noctis.

Noctis smiled, resting his hand on a cold shoulder. "This is my friend, Prompto. Please don't ask any more questions about him, though. It's… complicated. He's on a need-to-know basis and, well, nobody else can know."

Wiz nodded. "Incognito it is. Got it. Well, it's nice to meet you, boy." He smiled at Prompto, and the Astral returned it shyly, creeping just a little more behind Noctis' shoulder. He liked this man.

"Well, where's my manners? Sit, sit!" The two younger boys complied, taking a seat next to one another at the table. "What can I get you to eat? I'll go fetch it personally."

Noctis' smile evened out, deep blue eyes flitting over Wiz with concern. After all, the man could barely get up from a table without bracing himself and looking for all the world like he was one strong wind away from breaking. It had been many, many years since the prince had last seen the man and the years, it seemed, had not done Wiz any favors. Life on the farm, working sunup to sundown, had taken it's toll. "Oh, Wiz, you don't have to do th-"

"No fussin'. I'm offerin' 'cause I want to. Now order up." There was no swaying Wiz, and after a long look Noctis gave in.

Prompto floundered for a moment, eyes roaming the tabletop in search of a menu like there was back at Takka's, but when he saw none, large eyes looked to Noctis for help. Luckily, the prince answered for him. "We'll just share one Fat Chocobo Triple-Decker. And we'll take water. Lots of it." He shot the blonde a quick smirk. "This one gets dehydrated easily."

Wiz nodded and gathered up his magazine. "Gotcha. I'll be right on it."

Noctis watched the long-time friend that felt like a distant grandfather to him walk off in the direction of a nearby shack before a flash of yellow drew his attention with a soft smile. From next to him, Prompto's head was whipping all around, grin widening as every direction a new chocobo got caught in his sights. It almost seemed as if the Astral's ethereal glow had become brighter now, happiness bubbling up in soft giggles and excited gasps. The blonde reached for Noctis' hand on the table almost instinctively and Noctis' heart stuttered in his chest as cold, pale fingers wove into the spaces between his own when a babble of baby chocobos raced around their table playfully before returning to their mother in the distance. Prompto watched them but all Noctis could look at seemed to be the man right next to him until large eyes that reflected endless oceans snapped to look at him suddenly, snapping him from his daze-like trance. Noctis almost fell out of his chair at their close proximity. 'When did he get so close?!'

Prompto's heart was beating a mile a minute as he looked at the plethora of bird-like creatures that seemed to have them both surrounded. Their feathers looked fluffy, colored in vibrant radiants of colors that he didn't think he'd see anywhere else other than on the exotic fish where he came from. Fuchsia, cyan, pops of yellow, deep purples, lime green, even the same shade of Noctis' black locks! His fingers tingled, itching to touch them, but he grasped Noctis instead. Almost without a thought. He found the reflex to be natural, and the warmth of Noctis' skin always seemed to comfort him.

"Chocobos! There are chocobos!", he exclaimed, almost like a child learning a word and speaking it for the first time.

It was incredibly endearing, and Noctis nodded, unable to hide the careful affection in his features. "Right." But then that smile faded a bit and suddenly Noctis was grasping the Astral by his frail-seeming shoulders, prying him away so that there was a moderate space between them. "Look- listen- I know you're excited and all, but there's things we need to talk about. Important things… okay?"

The serious, slightly regretful tone in Noctis' voice made Prompto fall still, head bobbing up and down with another nod. "Okay, Noctis. I'm sorry."

Noctis' heart throbbed at the sound of his name in that sweet, beautiful voice. He was still so unused to hearing it. He wished to hear it forever but kicked that thought aside as quickly as it came. He couldn't have that. 'No… Prompto has to go back.' "Don't be sorry, Prompto. You're excited. All of this is new to you, and it's perfectly natural for you to want to experience it more…" As the other man continued to stare at him expectantly, he gathered his thoughts with a sigh. "We need to seriously start figuring stuff out about how you got here and how we can get you back… Do you have memories from your transition from the Astral Realm to this one? …Any memory of how you came to be here in the first place?"

'Oh…'

There is was.

That painful guilt was back with a vengeance, twisting in Prompto's gut, and he physically covered his stomach with his hands in an attempt to make it stop. He remembered everything in vivid detail. The way his star mark had glowed, bright enough to pierce the heavens, with his one and only wish. How his body felt hot enough to melt as his one fin was suddenly two, and then weren't fins at all. How water filled his lungs as he struggled for air, pulling towards the surface with desperation until his hand finally contacted the wet, wooden surface of the dock. He remembered the first touch of Noctis' skin on his own. The first sound of Noctis' voice in his ears, unblocked by water and distortion. The warmth of the sun on his back as he was pulled from the only home he had ever known and swept up into what he could only describe as the only home he truly wanted from then on.

There would be no escaping it. He'd have to tell Noctis the truth… or, at least, part of it.

He swallowed. "I remember wishing for this… I wished to be in the Human Realm. I just wanted to meet you…", he admitted quietly, tears threatening to appear, but he battled them down as best as he could.

He was selfish.

All he had done with his time in the human realm so far was cause havoc. He killed people for this. Put the life of the only human being he had ever cared abut in danger. Lied to him continuously, all just to keep living that fantasy. And now there was another Lesser Astral out there, heading towards them and getting closer and closer with every passing minute. And what was he doing with this precious, borrowed time until the Son of Titan got here? Lunch. Chocobo viewing. Foolishness.

This couldn't go on forever… he had to eventually end this lovely dream and jump back into the ocean before it was too late to do so. Before he ended up like-

Noctis frowned. "I remember you told me that when I first found you. You said that I was the reason you were here… That you had been watching me for years… Why did you want to see me so badly…? Why would an Astral want to see me?" The nostalgic vision of his mother smiling down at him in her arms came to his mind, and he blinked away the memory again before the sadness that always appeared when he thought about her overwhelmed him. 'Shit… Mom was right…? Wait- Mom was right. She could see Prompto! And… and I couldn't? Just how much did she know?'

Prompto averted his eyes. "I… I've been watching you for a while… Ever since you were little… I don't know why, but I was curious… And then, I started wondering how life on the land would feel…"

It was an entirely valid reason, he supposed. Although, admittedly, it seemed like the trouble this was causing was hardly worth the risk. But he couldn't dismiss Prompto's reasoning nor his wants and needs. Prompto may be a literal God, but he was still a person. He had feelings. And if this was a choice Prompto made himself, with no regrets in his heart, he'd support him with all that he had. Even if it meant putting himself in danger. "Okay, so… how did you finally come here?"

"I used my powers- my Star Mark- just like I did last night, with all of those soldiers…" The blonde raised his wrist, ghosting his fingertips over the birthmark that resembled the Pisces constellation and glittered like diamonds. His sharp brows furrowed as his head dipped, hiding his face from Noctis' view. "…Are you mad at me?"

Noctis thought about the question for a moment, taking in Prompto's trembling shoulders. The past day had been a whirlwind. Scary and exciting and dangerous and reckless, but… he didn't regret them at all, surprisingly. If anything, it was fun, almost. Aside from the constant threat of death, of course. He wasn't forced to sit through his boring lessons with Endymion, at least… All jokes aside, their situation sucked. But he wouldn't have changed a damned thing if he could go back and relive it all. He'd still pull Prompto from the ocean and whisk him away. The light that Prompto had brought into his life within the past day or so- the laughs, the feelings, the smiles, and the bumps in the road along the way- it made Noctis realize just how boring, monotonous, and meaningless his life had been before then. He wasn't living before Prompto. Merely… going through a routine.

"Prompto… I'm not mad.", he answered honestly, "I'm glad you're here with me right now."

The Astral's head snapped up, tears leaking freely down scaled cheekbones and mouth hanging open in relief. It almost seemed too good to be true. "D-Do you promise, Noctis?"

Noctis smiled, once again wiping the boy's stray tears away with his thumbs, head moving to lean against Prompto's. He thought the touch of pink that graced the Astral's cheeks was lovely. "I promise."

"Er… Ahem?" The clearing of a throat caught both of their attention by surprise and the boys separated as they looked up at Wiz, who had returned holding their order in both his hands. In one hand, the towering, massive sandwich that had to be half his size. In the other, a large pitcher of iced water. The old farmer stared down at them, his face a mixture of mirth and curiosity. "Am I interruptin' somethin', Prince Noctis?"

Noctis' face grew an impossible shade of red as he shook his head furiously, hands thrown up in his defense. "N-No! Of course not!" He noticed the food in Wiz's hands and snatched it all up, thankful for an out. "T-Thanks for the food!"

Wiz watched on in amusement for just a bit longer, hands resting along the straps to his overalls. "Alrighty then… I'm gonna go check on Gloria. Just holler if you need me for anythin', and come say hi to the old girl when you can. She'd enjoy the company. The other birds avoid her like the plague."

The prince's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the man walk away towards a stable in the distance. He sighed. "Jeez…" Fully intending on continuing their serious discussion, he turned to talk to Prompto once more, but paused as he watched the man pick up the entire pitcher of water and down the entire thing in less than 10 seconds, leaving the ice to melt and clink at the bottom. When the blonde was finished, he set the empty pitcher down with a small 'thump!' and sighed happily. He noticed Noctis' eyes on him and flushed, looking away and thrumming his fingers on the pitcher sheepishly. Noctis merely smiled, laughing a little. "It's alright. I know you get dehydrated easily…" They ate in relative silence for a moment before Noctis attempted again, the entire sandwich demolished between the two. "So you wished to come here… Could it be as simple as a wish to return?"

Prompto frowned inwardly, body tensing as the subject was broached again. His time was limited in this form, he knew it. He wouldn't be able to hide the truth forever. But just… one day. One more day with Noctis, and it would be enough. He'd make an excuse for the two of them to travel to the nearest ocean shoreline and he'd jump in without a second thought. He just… needed this time. Needed this moment… with him…

"I don't think so… Otherwise, I wouldn't have caused you so much trouble. I could have just gone right back…"

Noctis leaned back in his chair, nodding up at the quaint little umbrella that shielded them from the sun. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" He thought for a moment. "Well- I'm not going to give up. If you can't wish to go back, then we'll just have to discover another way. In the meantime, I'm not going to let Ardyn have you..." Suddenly, Noctis sprung to his feet, snapping his fingers as an idea lept into his mind. "The witch!"

Prompto startled a bit, owlish eyes blinking up at the other man in surprise. "Witch?"

Noctis nodded, grinning as if he'd discovered some great secret. "Yeah! Well- I don't know if she's really a witch. That's just how Dad always described her to me in his stories. But she lives far away from here, just outside of the Malmalam Thicket! It's where Mom and Dad met. They always said she was the wisest woman in all of Eos and could communicate with the Astrals! I think- yeah! Kimya is her name!" Deep blue eyes sparkled down at Prompto. "If anyone would know how to get you back, I'd bet all of the gil in the Royal Treasury that she'd be the one to know it!"

Prompto smiled, nodding excitedly. He wasn't sure just how much this woman truly knew about Astrals or if she could communicate with them at all, but he'd give it a shot. "It's the best option we have right now.", he conceded, happy to see some spring in Noctis' step.

"We'll go to see her first thing tomorrow morning. I'll pack up camp and then we'll be off. Until then…" The prince grinned, pulling Prompto from his chair and gesturing over his shoulder towards the chocobos with his thumb. "…Wanna pet one?"

…

Loqi looked up at Aranea from over his menu with a frustrated grimace. "Aranea. What the hell are we doing? This isn't tracking. It's lunch."

The woman merely smirked, refusing to meet his eyes as she pretended to skim over her own menu. Being stuck in such a small space like the airship with Loqi, and with only soup and staling slices of bread between them for meals, had made her want to scream. If it was information Loqi wanted, he'd get it. But not without a bit of good food and a change of scenery. That terrible grimace still rested on the blonde's face across from her, but at least the smell of coffee and good food and the bustle of life that filled the small diner was a pleasant backdrop to accompany it. "It's 'two birds with one stone'. Your body needs more nourishment than just soup if you want that cut to heal. Tough it out, Short Stuff. It's important."

The soldier growled, slamming his menu down on the table roughly and catching the surprised attention of a few people sitting near their table. Leaning in, he whispered, "I told you- the longer we wait the farther Noctis gets away from me!" Her playful and indifferent view on his situation was making him want to rip his hair out. Making him wear civilian clothes instead of his polished armor was one thing, but this. This was another. He had no time to lounge. If it was food she wanted, they could have just as easily picked some up from somewhere and then go back on their way. Clearly, this was her way of trying to piss him off. If he wasn't so injured, he'd be doing things entirely different.

"Not necessarily.", was the only answer he received, Aranea still refusing to meet his eyes like a stubborn Alphagin in a muddy swamp. Just then, a waitress could be seen rounding the main counter where the chef- 'Takka', they assumed- was cooking, and walking towards them. Finally, she looked up at her old friend with a wry smile. "Follow my lead. And don't fuck it up." As the woman got closer to their table, Aranea's hand shot out to grasp Loqi's, entwining their fingers. Loqi's brows raised impossibly as she set her menu down, finally looking into his eyes with a gentle, playful smile that was anything but how she normally acted. It reminded him of who she used to be, and Loqi felt his face heating up despite the cool air conditioning in the restaurant.

"Well, hey there! Welcome to Takka's!" The waitress' eyes flit down to where their hands were joined before producing her notepad with a wide grin. "What can I start you two love birds off today with?"

Aranea giggled and leaned closer, tugging the still-startled Loqi's other hand in her grasp as well, both of their elbows now resting on the table as they held hands in the center. "Aww, you can tell we're together?", she asked, smiling up at their waitress. She dared not look at Loqi but hoped that he was going along with it and not looking like an absolute idiot.

The woman nodded. "Oh, absolutely! They two of you are so cute together, too!" She turned her attention to Loqi then, who probably looked like a carp with the way his eyes were balking and his mouth was hanging open. "How long have the two of you been together? I don't think I've seen y'all around here. Is this a special occasion?"

When no answer came immediately, Aranea glanced swiftly at her 'partner' and she hid her frustrated grimace well. 'Damned it, Loqi, pull yourself together! It's called acting!'

The rough heel of Aranea's boot to the tops of Loqi's shoe beneath the table had the man starting, blinking away his surprise with a small hiss of pain. He shot his 'companion' a cold glare before, as sweetly as he could, he turned to meet their waitress' confused gaze. The smile he plastered on his face made his cheeks hurt with the intensity. 'I'm going to kill her for this. I swear it.' "Yes! We've actually decided to elope! We're on our way to Galdin Quay right now to celebrate and have our own little honeymoon." 'Elope?! What the ever-loving fuck am I saying?!' Loqi mentally kicked himself for coming up with such a thing. It was absurd; stupid and impossible. He dared not look at Aranea. If he did, he'd probably see a shit-eating grin and then he'd probably only end up punching her in her smug face. 'You're lucky I owe you for helping me, Highwind.'

The waitress gasped, holding her notepad and pen to her chest dreamily. "Elope?! Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for the two of you!", she gushed.

Aranea felt Loqi grip her hands a little tighter in his own and her heart thudded heavily in her chest, despite the heavy assumption and understanding that it was purely out of anger. She brushed the feeling off with a small shake of her head and redoubled her efforts to play the part she had created. "If you don't mind me asking, there's a friend that I'm looking for. He was supposed to meet us at the Quay, but I haven't been able to get in contact with him recently. I hoped to see him before we leave Hammerhead… Could you help us out?"

The waitress nodded excitedly, bracing her weight on the tabletop as she leaned in closer to the 'couple'. "Of course! I'll do what I can! What's he look like?"

Still in the dark about that this man looked like, Aranea turned to Loqi, hinting with a dip of her head that it was his turn to respond. He knew what he was looking for better than she did.

Loqi got the clue. "Oh, he's hard to miss! A very unique character, this one!" He chuckled before kicking his partner's leg hard under the table; revenge for her smashing his toes earlier. The little jolt of surprise and pain and then the glare only he caught out of his peripheral made him smirk inwardly before he continued, "Pale and blonde. Blue eyes. Has a very rare skin condition actually- almost makes it look like he has scales, if you can believe it."

The woman straightened and her brows rose to hide behind straight bangs. "You know what? I think I did see him! My, it must have only been a day or so ago… Pretty little thing, he was. Came in with another guy too, if I recall… Had black hair. Looked like a loner with a taste for bad music. Sound familiar?"

'Sounds like Regis' good ol' first-born alright.' Aranea nodded gleefully and gripped Loqi's hands painfully tight. She was pleased by the way his features seemed to twitch for a second before he carefully schooled them back. Revenge for his kick from earlier. "Yes! My cousin! Do you know if they live around here?"

Sadly, the woman frowned, shaking her head. "No… Unfortunately I'm not sure. I didn't really-"

"Maria!", Takka's voice sounded from behind the counter in the kitchen, an order ready in his hands. "Order for table twelve is gonna get cold!"

The waitress shot them both an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back to take your order in a bit. But no, I haven't seen them other than that one occurrence… I hope you find them, though!" With a polite wave, she turned, hustling over to where Takka was setting the hot plates on the countertop.

Loqi ripped his hands away from Aranea's grip with a scowl. "This was pointless."

Aranea was much calmer than she wanted to be as she stared back at him from across the table with a hard look. She kept carefully still so as not to attract any attention as she uttered between tight lips, "No. It isn't. Look- clearly, I was right in assuming they stopped here. We're on the right path to-"

"This path is taking us in circles, Aranea. The woman just said she didn't know if they were anywhere around here. Now we have to continue playing this stupid game with someone else until we eventually gather more info!" Loqi broke away from her icy stare and stood up.

Green eyes widened and Aranea sat up as she watched Loqi produce a pistol and check the magazine as if he wasn't in the middle of a restaurant with innocent civilians. "Loqi-" She looked around frantically, remaining still in her seat, looking around and hoping no one had noticed the weapon yet. "Loqi- what the fuck are you doing?!", she whispered harshly. Urgently, "Put that damned gun away. You're being stupid!"

Sky blue eyes flashed like hellfire as he regarded her, switching off the safety. She always said that to him. It was like that back then, and it was the same now. She still thought of him as a child, acting recklessly and impulsively. Well, he wasn't a child. And he knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted. And if he had to crack a few eggs, well… that was how you made a cake.

"You know, Aranea, I never took you for such a weakling… but I should have." He swiftly avoided her sharp-nailed grip as the woman practically lunged across the table then, trying to grab him and stop him from sliding out of his booth and into the open. "You've grown soft, just like those damned Lucians.", he shot over his shoulder at her as he began walking away. "Watch and learn."

By now a few people had noticed the blonde man, half walking half limping towards the waitress who had just been at their table minutes ago with his pistol gripped tightly in one hand. A few people gasped, some were ushering the person next to them in their booths to move so they could run. A child grasped his father's sleeve, tugging and pointing a finger. "What's that man doing, Daddy…?" One woman holding a baby even began to scream, but everyone noticed far too late. The waitress didn't even notice anything was awry as she was walking towards her other patrons, both hands up to the tops of her arms carrying white plates of steaming hot meals. Aranea shot up from her booth, no longer needing to hide hLoqi's ill intentions to prevent a disturbance. It was already well under way. "LOQI!", she yelled, but the man kept his stride.

Plates clattered to the floor loudly, porcelain shattering and food flying onto cold, checkered linoleum as the soldier snatched up his target from behind with a vicious grip to her frizzy auburn hair, pulling her close. The woman yelped in surprise, and in a matter of seconds the entire restaurant had turned their attention to the Niff soldier. They all watched with mixed reactions as Loqi thrust the gun against the woman's temple. The waitress' eyes widened and she screamed, opening Pandora's Box for the onlookers, who began making wails and pleas of their own like a domino effect.

Loqi clicked his tongue and re-grasped the woman around her arms and chest, preventing her from escaping. Without a word he removed the gun from the waitress' temple and raised it to the ceiling. "LOQI!" Aranea's warning sounded faraway and distant compared to the three warning shots he let off, ringing around the enclosed space like a sharp bell.

"SILENCE!", he commanded, and after one last round of tapered-off screaming the restaurant was silent save for the crying of a baby and child, the sizzling of meat burning to a crisp on a flat top, and the whispered pleas and scared muttering from the patrons around him. Once more Loqi pointed the gun against his hostage's temple, who had begun to sob and tremble, begging the gods for mercy under her breath. He addressed the crowd now that there was relative silence. "I'm looking for Prince Noctis and the man he's protecting. Word is that they've been around here, and recently." He paused, eyes sweeping through the crowd. "If you want your lives, you'll give me the information I'm looking for."

"Please!", the woman in his arms begged through choked sobs, hands coming up to try and pry his arm off her. "I told you all I know earlier! Please, please let me go!" Loqi clicked his tongue again as he watched the customers keep silent. "I don't want to die!"

Aranea growled and began stalking towards her old friend, boots stomping heavily atop the floor and broken plates. 'Where the fuck had he gotten a gun?!' It had to have been hers. She hadn't found any on him. He must have gotten it from the ship somewhere. 'Fuck!' She should have watched him better. She had every intention of ripping the damned weapon from his grasp and kicking him in the ballsack for good measure before icy, blue eyes finally met hers.

With a dramatic sigh, he shook his head in response to the waitress' pathetic begging. That, and the stubborn silence of the crowd around him was causing irritation and anger to flare up in his chest. His fellow soldiers were gone. They died for this cause; drowned in midair, burnt to a crisp, squashed by falling metal and steel- all for one man that got away. All for some stupid, teenaged prince and a fallen Astral. Those brave men and women had all been under his care. They'd all followed him to their deaths. The failures he had experienced and the lives that were lost had been weighing heavily on his heart since then. But, as far as he saw it, the worst was already over... It was just him now... 'What's one more casualty?'

Loqi continued to stare directly at Aranea as he grumbled, "Then it's a pity you have to take one for the team then, eh?" There was no time for a response as Loqi pulled on the trigger. "No hard feelings."

Aranea screamed and froze in shock. The screams and cries of the crowd, terror renewed, swallowed up her own as wide eyes watched the woman who had been so kind to the two of them fall to the ground in a limp, lifeless heap. She didn't feel the tears roll down her cheek as she stared helplessly at Loqi, who merely grunted at the sight of blood flowing from the head wound he had just made, red spilling over the checkers to mix with forgotten food. He stepped over her body before walking up to the counter, next pulling Takka himself over it. The man yelped and struggled, but Loqi's grasp in his apron held firm. The man's bald head was slammed to the countertop once before being pressed against it indefinitely. Loqi held Takka there with his arm against the man's back, gun pointing towards the side of his head.

"I'm not going to say this again! Give me all the information you know!", Loqi warned everyone again.

Aranea shook her head in a pained disbelief. 'Who the hell are you?! You aren't the Loqi I knew.' The man in front of her, terrorizing this restaurant, was a stranger. A wolf in sheep's clothing, just like King Ardyn himself. The similarities made bile threaten to come from her empty stomach as she continued to watch on, the shock from what the soldier had just done keeping her frozen. Through bleary eyes she watched Loki regard the crowd and pause- only briefly- at her. In her mind, the image of a scruffy little blonde brat holding a basket of vegetables amidst a dusty, barren farm field appeared. With a crooked grin and clothes far too large for his thin frame and a laugh that had set her world on a new axis. All of it lost, burning to ash at her feet to be replaced by the man who stood before her now. 'Bring him back, damned it! Bring Loqi back!' She wanted to deck Ardyn. To drive her lance through his chest and spit at his face before kicking him from a tall cliff. Now, more than ever before, she realized that she had lost her best friend.

"We don't know, damned it!", Takka shouted, trembling beneath the Niflheim soldier's weight on his back. "He was only here for a meal, and then he left!"

Loqi's eyes left Aranea's wet ones. Something in his chest pulled tight, almost constricting him enough to lose all air, but he worked through the pain. Before him, the image of a woman he thought to be the strongest in all the world, sobbing and clutching herself close as she laid on a cot in the barracks. That familiar, heart-aching feeling had first arose then as he had sat there, helpless in how to stop it all. The memory blurred away; faded into the woman who stood before him today, that very same look in her eyes.

He swallowed back the feeling and let out a bitter chuckle. "Come on, you can do better than that! How many of you do I have to kill, eh?" As emphasis he dug the gun into the man's skin painfully, making him cry out in fear. "Out with it!"

Takka screwed his eyes shut and nodded. "Okay, okay!" He said a silent prayer to the Astrals for what he was about to say. "Cid- the old man who runs the auto shop- he knows the prince and the king!"

To this, Loqi grinned, happy to finally be getting somewhere. "Oh?" He made himself sound purposefully skeptical. "What if you're lying to me, eh?" He put a little more force on the trigger.

"I-I'm not! I swear it! W-word is that Cid's been close to Regis and his family since they were kids- honest!" Takka began to cry, tears dropping to the cold countertop. For loss of his waitress or fear of his own life, the Niff soldier didn't know. Nor did he care. "Now please- please- leave us in peace!"

At once the crushing weight was lifted and Loqi stepped away with a smile. "Thank you." And with that, he turned on his heel, walking out of the restaurant with a slight limp and a hand still clutching his gun.

Aranea stayed frozen for a few moments more before whispering an, "I'm so, so sorry." To the crowd of strangers and trailing behind him. When the glass door of the restaurant closed with a jingle behind her and the hot Leide sun bore down on her, making her eyes squint, she sped up her pace to catch up to the man. Anger and disappointment filled her heart as she ripped the gun from Loqi's hand. "What the FUCK are you doing?! What the FUCK was that?!" Her voice broke, her words coming out between the threat of sobs, but she held it together the best she could, knuckles white from how hard she was gripping the weapon, her body shaking.

Loqi's eyes widened in surprise as the gun was snatched from his grasp but then he squinted dangerously as he turned to meet her fiery green glare. Again, that feeling of his heart being ripped from his chest returned ten-fold, and he actually had to take a moment to find his words before answering, "That, Aranea, was progress."

"You killed an innocent woman back there! And you would have killed more!"

Loqi smirked. "Correct."

"It wasn't necessary!", Aranea all but screamed, tossing the gun to the simmering asphalt. The weapon shattered, parts skittering about at random.

Loqi shrugged, ignoring the prickling feeling at the back of his neck. "Maybe not to you. But for me, time is of the essence... And I need that man." They stared at one another in tense silence. "I asked for your help earlier. You patched me up and offered to help me, and for that I am grateful to you, Aranea." The rogue flinched upon hearing her name come from his mouth, hands balling into tight fists at her sides. "But it's clear to me now that you'll never be able to get me what I need. The time you've spent out of Niflheim has made you weak. Soft. You mourn those who have no significance to you."

"And you mourn no one! Nothing in this world is precious to you.", she shot back. "Tell me, Loqi… If it were me who stood in your way to getting the man Ardyn wants… would you kill me, too?"

They stared each other down another long, silent minute.

He couldn't. His mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words, but they would not come to life. It was something he'd never thought of before. A fate that wasn't originally a possibility until recently. Would he…? But his silence was telling enough, and Aranea let out a sigh of slight relief. There was still a part of him that wasn't a monster. That hadn't been corrupted by Ardyn. And she would dive into the depths and drag it out of him, even if it ended up killing her.

Wordlessly, she walked, stepping past him and towards the garage. "You'll get your man, but from now on we do this my way… No more killing."

Loqi frowned but followed behind her. He didn't like her conditions, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that it would be far faster to work with her and do things the slow way than to try it on his own with no car or weapon to his name aside from the equipment she was holding hostage somewhere inside of that damned ship. So, reluctantly, he nodded. "…Fine. But as soon as he is in my grasp, we part ways."

Aranea nodded, approaching the auto-shop door. "Deal."

…

"Ah-!" Prompto's voice came out as nothing more than a high-pitched squeak, eyes wide and sparkling as his fingertips buried in fluffy feathers, stroking the chocobo in front of him reverently and carefully. As if he was worshipping a being far greater than himself. The chocobo chirped happily, its wings flapping as he let out a little 'Kweh~!'. Gloria looked far better than she had the previous night. She still wasn't standing like the other birds, but she was able to lift her head and wriggle happily as Prompto gave her attention.

The sight made Noctis feel incredibly light, resting his hand at the small of the Astral's back almost absently as his body stepped that much closer. He reached out himself to stroke the large bird as well, smiling as the chocobo moved its head to nuzzle against the prince's hand. In the daylight he could see her unique coloring more clearly; how the tips of her yellow feathers faded to white the farther they got to the root- an unfortunate side-effect. Either from whatever made the bird sick or the medicine that was helping her to get better, the prince didn't know. And, probably, neither did Wiz. But even still, she was beautiful.

Noctis smiled. The feathers reminded him of Prompto, in a way, and it seemed fitting that out of the few chocobos the Astral has been around so far, this one was clearly his favorite.

"Do you like them? Chocobos, that is."

Prompto nodded his head so fast it almost made him dizzy. "Yes! I do! T-They're wonderful!" In the next instant he threw his arms around the chocobo's slender neck, nuzzling his face in yellow fluff until Noctis couldn't tell what was Prompto's hair and what were feathers.

He smiled. "I'm glad."

"But-" Prompto backed away from the bird with a small, concerned frown. Along the ground there were a few shed feathers, likely lost due to whatever ailed the poor chocobo. Carefully, he picked a few of them up and held them in his hands before meeting Noctis' eyes in a concerned stare. "How come she's colored like this?" He looked around. "None of the other chocobos are like this…"

Noctis frowned. "Oh… Well, Wiz said that she's been really sick recently… He doesn't really know why... The color from her feathers are fading because of it. Pretty soon, she might lose all of the color entirely and just be pure white…"

Prompto frowned and nodded in understanding. He stared at the feathers a few moments before deciding that he'd like to hold onto them, placing them in his pocket next to his fallen scales. They'd be a lovely reminder of the adorable creatures he got to spend time with today. "Oh." The blonde turned back to pet the bird, hand roaming over endless fluff. "…Will she get better?"

It wasn't a question Noctis couldn't answer truthfully. "…I hope so."

Prompto met Gloria's eyes and smiled, hesitantly. "You'll be okay…", he cooed, softly. "I promise." Wordlessly, the little Astral smiled and brought his hands together, palms up and making the shape of a bowl. The Star Mark along his skin glowed, and right before Noctis' widening eyes, water began to pool there from out of thin air, filling his hands until the point of almost overflowing. "Are you thirsty?", the blonde asked Gloria, and was happy when the chocobo bent her head down to drink from his hands. He smiled happily up at Noctis with an adorable little giggle before turning to pay more attention to the bird as it drank, "I get thirsty a lot, too.", he whispered, as if it was a shared secret between just the two of them. With the chocobo so close to his hands, Prompto bent down, placing a delicate little kiss atop of its head.

Noctis smiled softly as he watched the scene, surprised even though by now he shouldn't be at the sight of Prompto summoning water from thin air. But, reluctantly, he removed his own hand from the bird to instead grasp Prompto gently on the shoulder, drawing the Astral from his happy little world. More and more people had begun to flood the ranch and the prince was growing more and more anxious about Prompto being out in the open. Any of them could be a soldier in disguise or- Astrals forbid- one of his own civilians ready to give away their location for a fee.

"Hey… Sorry to break this up, but… we kind of need to be going back to camp now… People might start to realize who I am the longer I stay here…" He frowned, catching sharp blonde brows dropping. "I'm sorry… I'll try to take you back here to see the chocobos again soon, okay?"

Prompto's heart ached as he forced himself to pull away from the chocobo, but he knew that Noctis was right. With a longing sigh, he kept his eyes on the sweet creature as his hand was taken by Noctis and his body was led farther and farther away.

…

Cindy wiped the sweat from her brow with a heavy sigh, unknowingly smearing the grease from her hand along her skin in the process, but she hardly cared. With a smile, she stared down at the engine she had just repaired. "Well, it took the better part o' four hours, but she's a real beauty now!", the blonde exclaimed with a happy little bounce before closing the hood.

Cid looked up from where he was working on changing a tire for a different client, his old eyes crinkling around the edges with his approving smile. It seemed as though every day she was getting better and better at what she did. He looked forward to the day that she took over the business. But, for now, "You oughtta take a break, girl… It'salmost lunch time."

Cindy rolled her eyes, body already moving to walk towards her next project. "Oh, Pawpaw, hush up. I ain't tired."

Cid chuckled. "I know, but you still oughtta. Even a youngin' like you needs to keep 'er strength up."

Cindy's curls swayed as she shook her head fondly, setting down the wrench in her hand to instead grasp a drill. "Don't worry 'bout this 'ol gal. I got more strength in one pinky toe than any man this side of Leide has in their entire body." She flashed her grandfather a playful smirk. With the garage door closed and blocking out the hot desert sunlight and the revving or cars travelling up and down the nearby road it was easy for her to breathe in the strong scent of gasoline and oil. The overhead lighting high in the rafters of the shop bathed the two of them, and she took in Cid's form, kneeling on the ground with a tire in his gloved hands. She loved her Pawpaw. Loved him dearly. But if anyone needed to keep their strength up, it was him. Even from this distance she could see him grimace from the weight of it and his joints shaking. "I'm alright o'er here. You go grab some lunch."

Cid grumbled out a laugh, rising to his feet. "Fine." He stretched, adjusting his cap atop his head. "Takka's? I'll grab you somethin' fer later if you'd like. Maybe one a' those shortcakes you love so much?"

Cindy thought on it for a bit, hands resting along her hips before she shook her head. "Nah, you don't needta be spendin' all that money for little ol' me. Besides, we got perfectly good sandwich meat in the house."

Cid sighed with a nod of his head. "Yer right… No reason to waste perfectly good groceries." He dropped his own tool onto his work table before wiping his dirty hands on his faded, wrinkled jeans and heading out of the shot and towards the door that led to their shared living space. "Might take me a nap while I'm at it.", he mused aloud, and Cindy chuckled.

"That sounds just fine. Don't worry, I got it from here."

"I know you do."

Cindy watched fondly until her grandfather disappeared through the door. She was about to get back to work, but then a loud knocking came upon the closed garage door, loudly.

BANG BANG BANG

"Hey! Anybody home?", a woman's voice called out from the other side, "Is this place open?"

BANG BANG BANG

Quirking a brow, the blonde straightened and called back, "Sorry, we're full up at the moment. But if it's car troubles you got, I'd be more than happy to take care of it tomorrow."

"Actually, I'm looking for something and I figured you can help me?"

To this, Cindy furrowed her brows, quirking her head quizzically. "Lookin' for something?" She hesitated a bit, but ultimately decided that it would be rude to brush this person off. So, she pressed the button along the wall that would open the large garage door and stood in front of it as it slowly raised open. The blonde's eyebrows raised higher and higher as, inch by inch, the form of a woman with silver hair and dark painted lips came into view, a slightly shorter blonde-haired man with a particularly unfriendly scowl standing behind her with a hand resting along his side.

She was about to ask the stranger to elaborate on what she needed help with when, faster than she expected and out of nowhere, the older woman drew a small blade from the calf of her boot and brought it to her throat, less than an inch from her skin. Cindy startled before going deathly still, chin raised so as not to come in contact with the sharp point of the blade in the woman's hand. Instantly, she frowned, raising her hands up in a defensive stance.

"If it's a robbin' you're tryin' to pull on me, you're out of luck. I ain't givin' you shit."

The woman smiled slyly, her dark lips turning up into a devilishly calculating smirk. "Oh, hun, don't worry. I'm not here for your money." Sharp green eyes left hers to roam around the space of the garage behind her, searching. "We're looking for Cid. Heard we could find him here."

Cindy swallowed, eying the two of them more closely than she had before. These people were new. She hadn't seen them here before, but they looked dangerous. And whatever they wanted from her grandfather couldn't possibly be any good. It would be a cold day in Hell when she told them anything. "Well, in that case, you're even more outta luck." She smirked as the blonde man in the distance narrowed his eyes and she met his glare with a look of her own before focusing on the woman once more. "He's out of town."

The intruder woman smiled almost politely, the blade making contact with the skin of Cindy's throat. "We'll wait for his return, then."

Cindy swallowed and flinched at the pain that pulsed along her throat as she did so, the knife digging in. Still, she didn't back down. "I wouldn't. He won't be back for at least a week." In a mock-sweetness, she cocked her head to the side, smiling at the two others brightly. "Is there anythin' I can help y'all with instead?"

The blonde man behind the woman cursed under his breath and approached his partner. "If she isn't Cid, then we don't need her. Cut her down, Aranea."

The woman- Aranea, it seemed- cut her partner a glare. Then, she turned back to face Cindy. "Maybe there is something you can help us with… We're looking for Noctis…" Cindy kept her outward appearance carefully impassive as she heard her friend's name fall from the woman's lips. At once, she was putting two and two together. 'Niffs.' "…Know where we can find him?"

Cindy scowled, unable to hide her anger for those who had attempted to hurt her best friend and steal away the innocent Prompto, along with threatening a war on Insomnia and King Regis himself in the process. She wasn't going to tell them shit. Besides- truthfully, she had no clue where they were, anyways. "Like I know that?"

Aranea frowned and the man at her side growled. "Oh, I think you do. You aren't the stupid hick you look to be. I know you know something, not let's hear it."

Cindy's mind worked quickly to come up with a story. Something that seemed believable. "If I tell you what I know…", she answered carefully, "…you'll go away and leave us in peace?"

The blonde man smirked, devilishly. "A little late for peace…"

"Loki!", Aranea chided him in a warning tone before turning her attention back to the southern girl at the end of her blade. A beat of silence passed before she answered, "…You have my word."

Cindy nodded. "Fine, then... Lestallum. He's hiding out at The Leville."

The man- Loqi, it seemed- clicked his tongue and stepped closer to his partner. "What's to say you aren't lying?"

"What's to say I am?", Cindy shot back defiantly, green eyes sparkling with her smirk. "I'm the only lead you got, Short Stuff. Aint nobody else 'round here gonna know a damned thing." She cut Loqi off as he opened his mouth to say something. "But- and I ain't lying about this- that's all I know…" She watched the two of them stare her down with disbelief. "Noct didn't tell me any more than that. Honest. The less Pawpaw knows about his location, the safer he is. And that includes what he tells us about his locations or his plans." The two intruders turned toward one another, sharing a whispered argument. Cindy smirked, raising a brow. "Better move along, now… He ain't gonna be there forever."

That seemed to register with Loqi, causing him to stand up straighter. "Aranea- let's go.", he commanded, and without waiting for his partner he turned and began treading out towards the desert.

Aranea lowered her blade slowly, keeping her eyes on Cindy as she backed away. "…thanks for the help.", she offered, dryly.

"No problem.", Cindy replied, even more dryly, matching the silver-haired woman in her sarcasm. "Now get the hell outta my town and don't let me see your Niff asses ever again… Or you'll be sorry."

Something flashed in those green eyes before the woman turned with a huff and followed Loqi away.

Shakily, Cindy lowered her hands and took a few deep, calming breaths. 'Shit- that was close. They almost got Pawpaw. Now, they're after Noctis! I gotta warn him.' With trembling fingers, she pulled a cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed the young royal. As she raised the phone to her ear she chewed on her lip, praying to the Astrals that he would pick up.