Chapter 11
***Recap: Hinata and Velcia are on their first mission to a world called Eos. They have found themselves in the company of four men who are Kingsglaive. After much convincing, the men have decided to help the girls with teaching Hinata their powers to use against Thaanix. They made their way to Alstor Slough to make camp, getting ready to take the girls on hunts the following day to see their skill.***
Hinata rolled out of the way of a charging Sabertusk, barely avoiding its snarling bite. She whipped water against its back once she was back on her feet, hearing it howl in response and making her cringe. It stumbled to the ground, black blood falling over its bony gray body, before being shot with a bolt of lightning from Velcia's blade. Hinata looked away from the dying creature and glanced over to the boys standing several feet away, watching her and Velcia battle the creatures.
Both Ignis and Gladiolus expressions were hard to read, Ignis with his hand to his chin and Gladiolus with his beefy arms crossed tightly over his chest. Prompto ran around the edge of the battlefield, snapping shots and waving when he noticed Hinata looking over, while Noct leaned against a nearby rock, seemingly uninterested.
As Hinata got back to the fight, Ignis slightly leaned over to Gladiolus, mentioning with a soft voice, "Velcia appears to be incredibly capable. She could very well handle this hunt on her own if we let her."
Gladiolus scoffed, "Yeah, but I doubt Hinata could take one down on her own, she hasn't taken a single kill shot."
"Is it just me…" Noctis' voice caught their attention as he came up to join them, "Or is Velcia doing all the work?"
"We were just discussing that, actually," Ignis told him.
"This is the third hunt today and she still hasn't done anything to impress me." Gladiolus muttered. "And we're supposed to help her with our powers?"
"Aw, just give her a chance!" Prompto skipped over, showing them an action shot of Hinata. "I think she's just holding back. Maybe we make her nervous."
"Or maybe she doesn't like killing things," Noctis shrugged.
"Yeah, well she's in the wrong line of work then." Gladiolus retorted, nudging Ignis with his elbow. "What are you thinking?"
"I believe she could very well be nervous, something is obviously holding her back." Ignis explained, letting out a sigh. "But if she wishes for our aid, she must break through whatever it is."
Their conversation was stopped as Hinata and Velcia approached, the Sabertusk herd taken out completely. Velcia walked ahead, a smile plain on her dirtied face as she easily placed her Keyblade on her back, while Hinata trailed a bit behind with Ben and Jack floating beside her with her eyes downcast, obviously disappointed.
"How was that?" Velcia asked, just a bit breathless.
"You were marvelous," Ignis smiled at her. "Your spells are quite impressive."
Velcia chuckled, "Thank you."
"Sure would like to see more from Hinata, though." Gladiolus said loudly, sending Hinata a look when she brought up her eyes and quickly averted them.
"She'll get there," Velcia assured them, sending Hinata a smile. "She's doing much better than she was when we first arrived."
"Does she not know how to fight?" Noctis asked, noticing the obvious wince Hinata gave in reaction.
"I can," Hinata spoke up, joining them, "I just… haven't killed anything actually living before, well, other than the Garulas when we first got here."
"Those Heartless things don't qualify as living?" Gladiolus asked.
"They're just Darkness," Hinata shrugged, looking away. "I… wasn't expecting to have such a hard time with the hunts, I'm really sorry." She forced her gaze back to them, noticing the only smiles from Velcia and Prompto as everyone else stared at her with straight expressions. "I'm really trying to get past it."
"Well you're going to have to try harder if you really want our help," Gladiolus told her bluntly. "So far I'm not convinced."
"Y-Yeah," Hinata nodded, clearing her throat, "I will."
Gladiolus let out a grunt in response as he turned away and waved to the others, "Let's go turn in the hunts and get a bite to eat."
Noctis looked between Gladiolus and Hinata before sighing and reaching into his pocket, pulling out a tiny silver flute. He blew into it, a high pitch whistle that sounded almost like a bird came out of it. A slew of "Kweh"s came in answer as the group of chocobos came rushing towards them, each to their designated owner. Hinata slowly got on Chica, her eyes still downcast as the boys already began to lead the way. Jack landed on the front of the saddle, looking up at Hinata with his ears flat on his head and a sad whimper escaping him.
"It's alright, Bud," Hinata assured him, running her hand over his head. "He's not wrong…"
"You'll get it, I know you will," Velcia encouraged her with a soft voice, sending her a smile before she followed after the others.
Ben flew after Velcia, attaching to her hip as Hinata watched them leave. She looked up towards the cloudy sky, taking in a deep breath of the humid air. "I've got to get over this…" She whispered, scolding herself. Shaking her head, she spurred Chica forward and followed the others.
They rode for almost an hour before they made it to the station, leaving their chocobos by the Crow's Nest, before walking into the restaurant to turn in their hunts. Gladiolus entered first, being waved over urgently by the chef.
"What's up?" Gladiolus asked, coming towards him with the completed hunt flyers in his hand.
"There's been an attack by a pack of Coeurl at the farm I receive my supplies from." The chef informed him, wiping at his head with a towel as he sweat and shook. "They've already destroyed half of my livestock and killed one of the farmers. I wasn't sure what to do-"
"Where's your farm?" Gladiolus asked with a hushed voice. "We'll take care of them."
Hinata overheard their exchange as she entered the restaurant, noticing everyone listening intently. Gladio quickly agreed to taking the sudden hunt and turned to leave, without gathering the reward from their recent hunts.
"Here's your chance to prove yourself," he mumbled to Hinata as he passed.
With a nod, Hinata hurried outside with him, getting onto Chica's back. She didn't say a word as the others shared their concerns about the mission and they left the station. Their chocobos sprinted along the road, making their way to a dirt path that led to an old but large farmland. Hinata could see the Coeurls even from the road, making her hands tighten around the leather reigns.
They were large feline creatures, covered with black and brown spots. Beside their sharp fangs were two long antennas that were as long as their entire bodies, sparking with electricity. They were a breathtaking sight, but their beauty was dampened by the blood dripping from their faces and splattered across their glossed fur.
A larger Coeurl appeared to be the leader of the pack, ferociously clawing at an already rickety building that seemed to be the hen house as the rest of its pack ate away at the chickens. Feathers and blood were scattered in every direction, speckling the ground.
Ignis put up his hand, bringing the group to a stop a safe distance away. He got off of his chocobo and turned towards the others, particularly looking to Velcia and Hinata. "Coeurls are incredibly dangerous creatures and will be far more dangerous than any of the hunts you've taken on since being here. It may be wise for you both to stay back."
"We can handle them with you," Velcia spoke up, getting down from Ginger. She walked up to Ignis, grabbing her Keyblade from her back. "Just tell us what we need to do."
The corner of Ignis' mouth tipped into a frown as he thought it over, he glanced up to Gladiolus for a moment before replying. "Very well. The Coeurl acquires charge from particles in the air. If you see it seated on its haunches, stay back."
"It can charge its own electricity?" Velcia asked with intrigue, glancing past Ignis towards the creatures.
"And if left unattended, it is able to heal its wounds." Ignis added, looking up as Hinata also approached to listen in. "So if engaged, it must be taken out as soon as possible."
"Alright," Hinata nodded, standing tall and desperately trying to seem prepared.
"Leave the Alpha for us," Gladiolus told them, summoning his large blade into his hand and resting it on his shoulders.
"You sure you'll be alright fighting them?" Prompto asked, giving most of his attention to Hinata.
Hinata nodded, "I can fight. I'll be fine."
"Then prove it," Gladiolus called behind him, already going forward to engage.
The rest of the group followed suit as Hinata took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I can do this." She whispered, tightening her hands over the hilts of her blades as she ran forward.
Noctis was already warping towards them, stabbing his blade into the back of a Coeurl as it yowled and bucked its back to get him off. Hinata took the opportunity and unsheathed her blades, slicing off the left antenna of the creature, yelping as it shocked her with a current of electricity when it fell to the ground. Her yell caught the attention of another Coeurl and it pounced towards her without hesitation. She gasped and rolled out of the way, pushing it back with an orb of water. It fell to the ground, shaking its head with a growl as water dripped off its drenched fur. It lifted its head, its antennas glowing and floating into the air. Hinata could feel her skin prickling as the very air around her seemed to electrify.
"Get down!" Ignis yelled, running over and pushing her to the ground as a blast of electricity circulated above them. As it dissipated, Ignis got up, scolding her, "I thought I told you to stay back when it does that!"
"I didn't know that's what you meant!" Hinata objected as Ignis got up and ran off to assist with another creature. She watched as he threw his daggers with impressive precision, each one instantly warping back to his hand after they had met their mark.
She shook her head, turning her attention when she heard a low growl from the same Coeurl she had soaked with her water. She swallowed hard, stepping back and readying her blades, ducking as it pounced towards her. It vaulted over her, allowing her to roll on her back and slice at its back legs. It landed with a cry, stumbling as it tried to stand with its back legs deeply cut. Hinata ran towards it, readying her blade for a killing strike, but stopped short as it looked up at her with watery golden eyes. She paused, her breath leaving her as she felt it begging for her to stop.
A blast of bright flames covered the Coeurl, making her stumble back with a scream. Noctis ran over, pulling her to her feet by her arm, his hand still glowing from the fire spell he sent out. "Don't hesitate, alright?" He told her with a quiet, but stern voice. "It won't hesitate for you."
Hinata swallowed hard, nodding as Noctis released her and warped away. She turned and watched him for a moment as he warped to be right beside Gladiolus. He ran towards the back of a Coeurl, grabbing Gladiolus' wrist and was swung into the air. Gladiolus landed his thick blade through the spine of the creature and Noctis sliced down the finishing move through its head. Hinata felt sick to her stomach, while also in awe of their flawless teamwork.
Her admiration was short lived as the Alpha Coeurl caught her scent, realizing she was away from the fray. It lowered to the ground, rushing towards her through the cover of the trees. Hinata still noticed it, readying her blades as she saw it was circling her. It leaped towards her, snarling as she held up her blades, blocking its fangs as they gnashed towards her. She could see its antennas beginning to glow, even as she held it back. She pushed and kicked its chest, making it yelp for a moment in retreat, before it was after her again, this time Hinata's blades sticking in its mouth. The blades were barely cutting into its gums as it clawed at her, getting a solid slice out of her shoulder that made her falter with a cry.
A bolt of electricity from its antenna made her fall and she summoned up an immediate wall of rushing water to keep it at bay as she tried to get back to her feet. She grit her teeth as she stood, the water falling to the ground just in time to see the Coeurl spit out her blades, in pieces. Hinata let out a shaking breath, holding out her hands and summoning a spiral of water beside her. A gunshot fired into the side of the Alpha, making it snarl as it barely stumbled to the side. Prompto was running over with Velcia at his side, leaving the rest of the pack to the others. Velcia held up her blade, summoning a cure spell to Hinata, making her feel immediately rejuvenated.
"Don't worry, Hina! We've got this!" Prompto yelled, firing a barrage of bullets into the creature, before it began to yarl and spun in a sudden circle, surrounding itself with electricity.
It jumped towards Prompto and Velcia, but bounced back from the light shield Velcia surrounded them with, making it turn its attention back to Hinata. She backed up, throwing a barrage of orbs of water towards it, but it barely affected it; until she suddenly felt an overload of adrenaline. Blades of water struck the Coeurl from side to side, slicing through its thickened skin and forcing it back with each consecutive attack. Hinata wasn't even sure what she was doing, high off the power surge as she went forward, almost unable to control how powerful and fast her attacks were.
With a flash of blue, Noctis warped above the Coeurl, a long sharp lance in his grasp. Ignis was already sprinting over, yelling, "Noct!" He threw up his own lance to Noctis, who caught it midair and slammed down on the Alpha, both of the lances impaling its back. It yowled and cried out, its voice quieting as it struggled and bled, before falling silent with a whimper.
Hinata let out her breath, the rush of adrenaline gone, leaving her feeling lightheaded and weak. She looked over, seeing Velcia placing her blade behind her back. "Was that you?" She asked with a near whisper, getting a nod in response.
"I focused my magic into yours," Velcia explained, also breathless.
"That was an improvement," Gladiolus spoke up, coming over as his blade disappeared in a blue mist. He stopped in front of Hinata, blood spattered over his skin and clothes, along with a mixture of water and mud. "But you wouldn't have done as well without your friend helping you out."
Hinata looked back at him, part of her wanting to lash out in reply, but instead she nodded, averting her gaze. Gladiolus patted his hand on her shoulder, noticing her tense from his touch.
"Shall we head back to the haven?" Ignis asked.
"I-um, need new blades," Hinata told him, still out of breath.
"Yeah, that's an understatement," Prompto noted, picking up the hilt with the shattered blade.
Gladiolus let out a breath, looking over to Ignis, having a silent conversation between them. After a moment, Ignis nodded and Gladiolus looked back to Hinata. "I'll take you back to the station, there's a weapon's truck there to get you a replacement." Motioning his head back, he added, "Iggy will take everyone else back to the haven and we'll meet them there."
"What about lunch?" Noctis asked, wiping the sweat on his brow.
"I'm sure I can manage to make something acceptable," Ignis assured him, already turning to lead the way back to their chocobos.
Noctis let out a sigh, following behind as Prompto lamented, "Man, and I was really looking forward to a plate of fries."
Velcia came up to Hinata before leaving. "You sure you'll be alright?"
"Yeah," Hinata nodded with a tight smile. "Don't worry, go get some rest. And Jack?" She looked over to Jack as he floated back from Noctis' and Prompto's side, "You head back with them, alright?" Jack nodded with a bark, going back to the boys.
Velcia smiled to both of them, before making her way after the others. After getting on Ginger's back, she pulled out a journal from a satchel that was hung on her hip. She began jotting things down in a hurry as Ginger followed the group.
"Ready?" Gladiolus asked, getting a nod in return.
Hinata got onto Chica, watching the rest of the group go the opposite way of her and Gladiolus, before looking back forward. A tension began to rise in the air the longer they rode in silence. They went along the road, the occasional car passing by. Hinata watched them drive by, her mind occasionally flashing back to the battle against the Coeurl, making her take in a sharp breath.
"We're here," Gladiolus broke into her thoughts, slowing his chocobo as they reached the station.
He got off his ride and led it over to a black truck, where two men were stationed beside the opened car doors filled with weapons. Hinata followed suit, absently looking over the multitude of weapons as Gladiolus conversed with the owners. Her eyes caught sight of a couple silver guns that she was particularly interested in. Every weapon was engraved with swirling designs, but they appeared dulled and used.
Gladiolus handed her a pair of long daggers, "These will do for now. If you'd somehow prove yourself, we could head to Lestallum to get you better quality ones."
He walked away without waiting for Hinata's response, making her slightly scowl as she attached the new sheaths to her hips. She went after him, a bit of an indignant stomp in her step as he completely ignored her, making the frustration in her gut fester. They went into the Crow's Nest, Gladiolus motioned for Hinata to sit in a booth as he went to the counter to turn in the hunts. Hinata simply looked out the window, trying to calm herself down, but failed as Gladiolus slid into the booth across from her. She tightened her jaw, taking in a breath as she refused to look away from the window.
Gladiolus took the silence in stride, summoning a book and silently reading it until two plates of salmon covered in a thick cheese sauce and peppers came to their table. Hinata looked over the food with a frown, secretly wondering what fish would taste like with cheese and then deciding that she wasn't interested in knowing as she looked back outside.
"You going to pout the rest of the day?" Gladiolus asked, making Hinata bite the inside of her cheek. He took a bite of his food, asking, "Just gonna give me the silent treatment, huh?"
"I can fight," she finally spoke up with a bite in her voice. "I know it isn't obvious with me not immediately going kill crazy on those stupid hunts, but it's-"
"Alright, calm down," Gladiolus put up his hand to get her to be quiet. "You're supposed to be a leader or something right?"
"I didn't ask to be," Hinata bit.
"Most people don't," He shrugged, "But you are one, and that means you've got to be able to make the tough calls."
"I can, I just-" Hinata stopped herself short, taking in a breath to reign in her overwhelming emotions. She finally drew her gaze back to Gladiolus. "I can't get past this mental block about killing things. I know it's stupid and that I'm in a situation where that shouldn't matter to me, but it does."
"Well you're going to have to grow up and get over it."
"Gee, thanks," Hinata leaned back in her seat.
"I'm not going to give you some how-to book," he told her, his expression completely serious and stern when she met her eyes with his. "How are you expecting to take down that Replica thing of yours? You planning on throwing water at her?"
Hinata scoffed, "Why do you think I'm here? I want to get past this so I can handle it when I face her again."
"You don't seem like you do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Gladiolus crossed his arms, resituating himself in his seat as he looked her over. "How badly are you wanting to take this girl down?"
Hinata stared back at him with a blank expression, before her gaze went downcast to the table. "I want her to stop hurting people, it's not that I necessarily want her dead."
"You know, some people don't deserve a second chance," Gladiolus told her, pausing for a moment as he noticed Hinata's frown deepen. "What has she done?"
"I'd… rather not talk about it," Hinata shook her head.
Gladiolus scoffed, "You're way too soft for this sort of thing."
Hinata glared up at him, "Why, because I don't think I have the right to decide whether or not someone should live? I'm sorry, I didn't realize that was a bad thing."
"What happens when that Replica takes out someone you actually care about?" Gladiolus asked her, making Hinata freeze. "You plan on letting her off the hook then, too? Cause that's what happens when you don't make the tough choices."
"I…" Hinata looked back to the window, tears welling in her throat as her last moments with James flashed into her mind. Shaking her head, she abruptly got up from the booth and rushed outside. The cool air stung her eyes as she took in a trembling breath, running her hands along her arms as she felt that even being outdoors was constricting her. She could hear Gladiolus' footsteps approaching her from behind, making her shut her eyes. "You have no idea what I've been through." She simply told him once he was close enough.
Gladiolus scoffed, "Obviously it wasn't enough."
Hinata's heart jumped to her throat as she spun around, glaring up at him. "You have NO right to say that!" She yelled, not even caring at all the heads that turned their way from her outburst.
"If you really wanted to prove yourself, you would." Gladiolus glared right back at her, his arms crossed and voice low. "I don't know what that girl did, but it obviously wasn't enough to kick your ass in gear."
Shaking her head, tears stinging her cheeks, Hinata pressed her hand against her heart, crying, "I have lost everything because of her! Don't you dare talk to me like I don't know what loss is!"
"Then what's holding you back?" He demanded, as if her emotional downpour was having no effect on him.
"I-I don't know!" Hinata admitted, throwing her hands in the air and turning away to pace.
He watched her for a moment, taking notice of the worried glances from onlookers. Taking in a deep breath, he began to calm himself down, lowering his rough attitude as he walked after her. "Look," he spoke with a softer, kinder voice. "You do or don't want to kill, that's your choice. But we aren't going to do charity work for someone that isn't going to take this seriously."
Hinata stopped, her head down as she nodded, "I-I know…" She sniffled, trying to reign back her emotions. "I'm really trying, I am serious about this." She inhaled deeply, looking up towards the sky. "I'm just…"
"Just what?" he pried.
"I'm just scared…" She confessed.
"Scared?" he repeated, his eyebrows furrowing, "Of what?"
"Scared that killing won't make me any different from her…" She whispered, bringing her eyes down, "Or different from any of the people I fight against… It just feels wrong. It is wrong. And being forced to do it… every part of me feels like I should be rejecting it…" She shook her head, laughing breathily at herself. "I know it's stupid…"
"Yeah, it is a bit stupid," Gladiolus agreed, sending her a wry smile when she glanced at him. "But it makes sense." He shrugged, running his hand along the back of his neck. "Look… killing won't make you anything like that chick. Because you kill for a different reason, at least I'd assume so anyways."
Hinata blinked before slowly nodding, "She… kills for the fun of it. And then hates herself for it immediately after."
Gladiolus stared at her, before asking. "She take out someone close to you?" He let out a breath as Hinata quickly nodded in response. "And you still don't want her dead, huh?"
"What I want is to go back in time three months so she never would have been created," Hinata replied, tears obvious in her voice,
"But she was," he pointed out. "And from what you've said, she's hurting a lot of people, including those you actually care about, right?" He got a nod in response, making him pause as he thought over his next words and a way to get through to her. "The person she took out, what do you think they'd want you to do?"
Hinata took in a sharp breath. She brought her hands over her heart, deeply considering his words. "He'd…" she chuckled softly, "Probably say that I shouldn't be living in the past and accept what happened…" She swallowed hard, "He used to say that a lot when we first met… That the faster I accepted the way things were, the better off I'd be."
"Sounds like a smart guy."
"He was…" She choked a bit on the last word, wiping her hand over her cheeks.
Gladiolus stretched his back, letting out a long breath. "Tell you what... " he waited for Hinata to look back to him, before he continued, "I'm going to take you on one last hunt. When you fight and have to go for the kill, think about that guy. Let him and everyone you want to protect be your motivation to get past this and move on."
Hinata blinked, her gaze averting as she got lost in her thoughts. After a moment, she nodded slowly. "Alright… I'll try that."
"Good," he patted her back and motioned his head towards the cafe, "Now let's get back to our cold lunch. I'm starving." He turned and started walking back towards the cafe.
"He's something else," Hinata mumbled to herself, running her hands over her face and taking in a deep breath. Looking up towards the sky, she whispered, barely audible. "You really think I can do this, James? This all seems a bit over my head." All at once, she felt a warmth spread through her, making her smile softly despite the raw emotion still in her throat.
Turning around, she headed back to the cafe, just then noticing all the uneasy stares she was getting from the people around the station. She went inside and slid into her seat, deciding to try the cheesy fish, and realized it wasn't nearly as gross as she assumed it would be. Gladiolus didn't talk much, other than to show her the flyer for the hunt he was going to be taking her on as the last chance to prove herself.
It was a pack of creatures called Yellowtooth. Hinata examined the printed picture of them, taking note of how similar they looked to the Sabertusk she had fought earlier that day. They had long sharp fangs coming up from their bottom jaw and massive claws on their four feet. Dark stripes covered their bony bodies, making them swift, yet easily breakable, as Gladiolus explained to her.
"They basically overran this popular fishing area," Gladiolus told her, "If you aren't prepared or experienced, they can be too much to handle, but you should be fine."
Hinata glanced up at him. "You suddenly have faith in my ability?"
He scoffed, "Hey I know you can fight, I just don't know if you've got the guts to actually take something out. You won't have your little friend helping you out this time though, so it'll be the perfect time to show what you can do."
She sighed, looking back to the poster, "Too bad Prompto won't be there to photograph it."
Gladiolus snorted out a laugh, "That's probably for the best. He can get distracting."
They finished their food and went back out to their waiting chocobos. Hinata followed after Gladiolus, her heart twisting, but not nearly as intense as it had before. She felt numb and raw, but ready to face her problem. They went off the road, riding deep into a forest until they approached a marshy lake. A small fishing hut was near the edge of the water beside a pier, yet not a single person seemed to be present. Surrounding the area was the pack of Yellowtooth the hunt had called them to defeat. Hinata slowed Chica to a stop beside Gladiolus, watching the creatures yelp and fight each other in a way a pack of wolves would.
"They've easily killed at least a dozen people," Gladiolus told her, making Hinata look over at him. "You can put a stop to that, if you're ready."
Hinata took in a deep breath, giving a nod as she climbed down from Chica. She began walking forward, trying to keep her hands from fidgeting in front of her. A warmth encapsulated her heart again, making her pause. Not sure where the words came from, she whispered, "You're fighting to protect the people you love…" Closing her eyes, she felt the essence of the water from the lake, making her fingertips flinch. "You can do this…"
Without opening her eyes, she lifted her hands, summoning a wave of water from the lake. It slammed onto the shore, covering more than half of the pack of Yellowtooth, before dragging them back into the water and forcing them under the surface. A chorus of barks and growls caused Hinata to reopen her eyes, and she saw two remaining creatures stalking towards her. She grabbed her new blades, taking a moment to acclimate them in her grip as they approached.
With a snarl, the left most creature leapt towards her. Hinata kicked it out of the air, slamming her blade down through its neck. The action jumped her heart to her throat as she saw its life drain out of it. She wasn't allowed a moment to mourn as the other was already circling around her, coming in for an attack. It vaulted from behind and Hinata spun around, shooting it down with a stream of water. With a yap, it rolled to the ground, mud covering its bony skin as it scrambled back to its feet. Hinata strafed around it, her blades at the ready as it continued to jump towards her with attacks. She blocked their claws, slicing through its mouth when it snapped towards her face. It yelped, limping and backing away with black blood dripping down its legs. Hinata fought back the tears building in her throat, sheathing her blades and hearing a grunt from Gladiolus behind her. With a whisk of her hand, she summoned a spiral of water, shooting it through the Yellowtooth's head and ending its misery. As it fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, Hinata stumbled back, reality setting in. She saw the bodies floating in the lake, taken without a second thought. Her heart drummed in her chest, the world cornering her and making her feel claustrophobic despite being outdoors.
It wasn't until she felt a rough, yet somehow still gentle hand on her shoulder, that she snapped her attention back and looked up to Gladiolus beside her. "You did good." he simply told her, taking note of the tears caked on her cheeks.
She nodded numbly, turning towards him and leaning her head against his chest, her eyes downcast to the muddy ground. She could feel the rumble of his voice as he chuckled and patted his hands on her shoulders..
"After the bodies get cleaned out, this fishing spot will open back up." Gladiolus told her, looking over the lake. "I bet Noct will want to come fish here a bit to celebrate."
Hinata blinked, silent for a beat, before asking with a meek voice. "Does Noct like to fish?"
A short laugh brought a slight smile to her face. "He's not interested in a lot of things, but for some reason, fishing's always been his thing."
"I can't remember the last time I went fishing." Hinata told him with a soft tone, stepping back and removing her head from his chest. Her eyes were averted, glancing over the Yellowtooth and the fishing hut. "I think… I'd like to go with him."
"He'll happily teach you everything he knows," Gladiolus assured her, crossing his arms and looking her over. His smirk fell to a concerned expression. "You alright?"
Hinata narrowed her brows, as if asking herself the same question. "I… will be." She admitted, looking back to him with a slight smile. "I'm a bit scared at how easy that was."
"Yeah, they were an easy hunt for an experienced fighter."
Her smile tipped just a bit more, "You think I'm an experienced fighter now?"
"Heh, maybe." he chuckled, motioning his head to their chocobos. "Come on, we should be heading back. We'll drop off the hunt so they can get started on the cleanup."
Hinata nodded, giving one last look to the battlefield. She swallowed, feeling a mixture of satisfaction and distaste swirling in her gut. Letting out a breath, she turned and followed after Gladiolus.
They returned the hunt, getting their reward of Gil and a Warrior's Anklet. Gladiolus handed the anklet to Hinata, to her surprise. It was made with small polished rocks that were so dark, they appeared black unless under the perfect amount of sunlight that gave it a tint of blue. Just holding it, Hinata felt a strange aura about it and Gladiolus explained that it was enchanted in a sense, giving vitality to its wearer. They discussed it as they made their way back to the haven and just as dusk was beginning to settle, they slowed their chocobos to a stop beside all the others and climbed down.
"Welcome back!" Velcia greeted them with a cheery voice, watching as both Ben and Jack went floating towards Hinata.
"It's good to be back," Gladiolus stretched as he walked over to Ignis to see what he was cooking.
Hinata laughed as Jack nuzzled her cheek and landed on her shoulder. She tried to answer Ben's barrage of questions, feeling the uneasiness in her gut fading away as Prompto and Velcia came to greet her.
Prompto pulled out his phone, flipping through the screen before turning it around to show a picture of Hinata summoning the wave of water over the Yellowtooth. "This is SO amazing!" He chimed, "Gladi sent us some pics of you while you were gone. We have to do a photoshoot with you and your water powers!"
Hinata chuckled, "Well if you insist. I'm not exactly the most photogenic."
"Ah, you're just selling yourself short." Prompto waved her off, showing her a few more pics Gladiolus had taken of her while she was fighting.
"We also heard that you took on the hunt on your own." Velcia added, smiling softly, yet with a bit of concern in her eyes.
"I did," Hinata nodded, clearing her throat uncomfortably.
"Well I'm proud of you." Velica's smile grew, her hand squeezing Hinata's arm.
"Me too!" Prompto beamed, "We all are!"
"Means we won't have to send you packing," Noctis joined, a weaved flower crown on his head, getting a look from Hinata.
"Nice… flowers?" She laughed.
"Oh, oops," Noctis put his hand on the flowers, sighing, "Wasn't supposed to see that yet."
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.
"Cause it's your Birthday!" Prompto jumped, pulling out another flower crown and placing it on Hinata's head, much to her surprise.
"Wh-what?" Hinata squeaked, her hand running along the flowers.
Velcia giggled, "Ben might have told us it was your birthday after we got the good news that you took on the hunt."
"And we wanted to celebrate anyways, SO it seemed perfect." Prompto added, turning around and grabbing flower crowns for both him and Velcia. "We didn't have enough time to make much, but then Velcia noticed some flowers and taught us how to make these!"
"Oh," Hinata realized, her cheeks warming as she looked at all of them beaming at her with haphazardly created flower crowns adorning each of their heads. Her own smile turned into a grin, "I love it! Thank you!"
Prompto grabbed her arm, pulling her towards their set up camping chairs around the fire as he told her everything they did while she was gone. She listened to him, a grin permanently on her lips as the others joined in and huddled around her. Soon dinner was served, as Gladiolus and Ignis distributed plates of what Ignis referred to as Garden Curry. Hinata eagerly ate the meal, delighting in the savory taste to the last bite. Their conversation went on, all cheery and fun topics, even planning a fishing trip within the next couple days if Hinata could keep up with the hunts and Noctis promised to eat his vegetables.
As they talked, Velcia occasionally jotted down notes and sketches in her notebook, watching intently whenever the boys would summon anything out of the blue mist. A couple times, Gladiolus would take notice, asking what she was doing and conversing with her over how their magic worked. He was slightly vague on some of the details, not fully trusting them yet with all of the knowledge, but it was enough to help Velcia get started.
A vibration from Ben interrupted the conversation as Riku was calling. Hinata jumped up and grabbed him, excusing herself off of the haven to be just far enough away to be easily out of earshot.
"Don't listen in this time, alright Ben?" Hinata asked, giving him a look.
Ben sighed heavily, "I'll try!"
Hinata rolled her eyes with a smile, before answering, her heart fluttering when she saw Riku. He was leaning against the wall, his hair pulled back and sweat gleaming on his skin. "Hey," she greeted, a smile growing.
"H-hey," he gave her a nod, breathless. "Just got done training with Sam for the day." He took in a breath, "Sorry I didn't call earlier."
"No, no that's fine," Hinata assured him, "This was perfect actually." She looked up at the darkening sky. "I won't be able to talk too long though, once the sun goes down I'll need to be on the haven with everyone else." Riku arched an eyebrow, making her explain, "There's these Daemon things that come out at night. Sort of like Heartless I guess, but worse and more dangerous? But they stay away from the havens."
"Sounds… fun?" He said with a bit of a laugh, getting a laugh in return from Hinata. Their conversation fell to a bit of a lull as Riku looked Hinata over, "Nice crown you've got there."
"Oh," Hinata reached up to it, giggling, "Yeah, they surprised me with it when I came back from a hunt."
"Surprised you with it?" Riku asked. "So… I take it you're traveling with those guys you and Velcia mentioned yesterday."
"Yeah," Hinata smiled to herself, looking away for a moment. "It's been… interesting."
Riku smirked, getting lost in her until she brought her eyes back to his and he quickly cleared his throat. "So-uh, why'd they surprise you with a flower crown?"
"Cause it's her birthday!" Ben chimed in, appearing in the corner until he noticed Hinata's warning glare and faded away.
"Birthday?" Riku repeated, his eyes saddening. "That's today?"
Hinata let out a breath. "I wasn't planning on anyone knowing, but Ben found out and has been telling everyone."
Riku was silent for a moment, looking past the tablet in his hands. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Hinata shrugged, "I didn't really have a reason… I mean, no one that knew remembers me. And with everything going on… it didn't feel right to just blurt out that my birthday was coming up and that I wanted everyone to appreciate me even though you all have no idea who I am." She leaned a back against the rocky wall of the haven. "I do remember that yours is coming up though." She looked back at him, meeting their eyes with a smile. "I'm probably going to miss it, I'm sorry if I do."
Riku smirked, but it quickly fell. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't planning on making a big deal out of mine either. Maybe just ask for the day off from training Sam."
"How is that going by the way?"
"Alright, I guess," he shrugged. "She's still got that attitude, and fights against everything I tell her to do. But after what happened in Agrabah, she's getting a bit more involved now."
"That's good," Hinata replied, sighing, "Maybe it was a bad idea bringing her along. This is a bit over her head."
"It's a bit over all of our heads." He reminded her. "But, she brought Velcia to the team, so that will help."
"Yeah…" Hinata frowned, thinking it over. "So what are you training her on?"
"Mostly focusing on her staff. She can't handle people up close, and that's what really needs to change." He told her. "I've been thinking of getting her into other weapons, too. Maybe a rapier."
"I could see her doing really well with that." Hinata nodded. "She's really quick, and it's one-handed, so she'll still be able to use her arm and shield if she needs to."
"That's what I was thinking, too." He smirked. "DiZ is having us practice in that synthetic town he created. He made a huge sparring space in there and can even make his own enemies for us to fight."
"That's… really cool." Hinata sighed. "Of course he comes up with that when I'm not there."
Riku chuckled, "I'll show it to you when you get back." He choked when Hinata's eyes lit up.
"I'd really like that." She smiled softly, looking up to the stars as the sun was beginning to disappear. "I need to get going."
"Oh," Riku realized, his voice giving away his disappointment.
"Um, but, I might be able to send little messages on here." Hinata told him quickly. "This tablet seems to be a lot like the devices these guys have and they send text things back and forth between them. So… would you mind if I told you about what happened today through that?"
"That would be great, actually," he told her, running his hand along the back of his neck. "These calls are supposed to be me getting an update on what you and Velcia are up to. So I'd like to have something to report to DiZ about."
Hinata giggled, "Yeah, I figured as much." She looked at him for a moment, both of them seeming like they had so much more to say. Riku appeared to be much more at ease talking with her than he had before, yet the way he looked at her made it feel like there was something on his mind. Pushing away the urge to ask him about it, she simply said, "Well, goodnight, Riku."
His ears warmed, a soft smile on his face as he looked away. "Goodnight… Hinata." And he cut the call.
Hinata smiled, looking up towards the stars and reveling in the the way her heart was fluttering. "Hey, Ben?" She asked.
"Y-Yeah?" Ben appeared on the screen. "I'm sorry I listened in a little bit."
"It's alright," she chuckled, looking back to him. "Do you know if there's any way I can send a message to Riku through your tablet?"
"Oh! Yeah!" Ben's face went to the corner of the screen, bringing up a texting window that had Riku's name typed along the top. "You can text him here! You can take and send pics, too!"
Hinata's smirk grew. "I'll have to keep that in mind, thanks Ben. Do you mind if I text him for a bit? You can read it if you really want to."
Ben laughed, "Oh thank you. I was probably going to read it anyways, honestly. But of course! Anything to facilitate your budding romance!"
Hinata scoffed, rolling her eyes despite the flush on her cheeks as she made her way back onto the haven. She was greeted with a freshly baked cinnamon-sugar pastry that Velcia and Ignis had worked together on baking. Everyone enjoyed the baked goodies as Hinata went to texting Riku about her day, getting occasionally teased by the others about texting, as Prompto put it, her special someone.
As the night fully arrived, one by one, the others began going to bed. Ignis and Velcia cleaned up dinner and the makeshift kitchen, before they too retired. Hinata stayed out again, sitting by the dying embers of the fire with her knees to her chest. Ben had gone to bed about an hour before, after Hinata had finished retelling her day to Riku. She had been tempted to reread their conversation, but knew with Ben watching, that would only elicit more teasing. Instead, she sat outside alone, finally taking the time to think over everything that had happened that day.
Velcia came out to join her as she did the night before, bringing her the sleeping aid tea. She set it down beside her and silently looked up at the stars with her. "Long day?"
Hinata chuckled, "Yeah, really long day."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Velcia asked.
Hinata shook her head, "Not especially."
"Well then, I guess we could start our first lesson."
"Lesson?" Hinata looked over at her in surprise.
Velcia smirked. "I'm starting to understand their magic and how it works, but if you're going to eventually use it for yourself, you'll need to learn the basics."
Hinata nodded, a bit unsure. "Alright then, what are the basics?"
"Okay," Velcia turned towards her, an excited glow appearing in her eyes, "So the first thing you need to know is that magic is really just a term people use for the basic elemental energies in everything around us. I believe that everybody can feel these, if they know how to feel for them. The problem most people have is that there are so many types of magic energy and it's so subtle that it all sort of blends together, so it sort of gets lost."
The edges of Hinata's mouth curled uncomfortably. "I think I get it, but at the same time, I don't get it at all."
Velcia held her hand out, resting her thumb gently on the tattoo on Hinata's face. "This marking… this isn't really the source of the water magic you've learned. Instead, what it's actually doing is amplifying the energy you can already feel, helping you to focus on it better."
Hinata thought for a second. "That makes sense. When Kida took me down into the sacred chamber I could feel the same feeling I get when I use my water magic. In there, the water came really easily to me and that's why Kida gave me this water tattoo specifically."
Velcia placed her pointer finger under Hinata's ear, keeping her thumb on the tattoo as she did so. "Okay, I want you to look over there at the campfire. Really focus on it."
Hinata did so, and her eyes widened with excitement. "Is that it?" she asked "I mean, this feeling, is that fire magic?"
Velcia grinned, removing her hand. "Yes, it is! I amplified the energy for you like your marking does - but you can still feel the fire's energy, can't you?"
Hinata narrowed her eyes at the flickering flames as she nodded. "It's more subtle now, but it's definitely still here. I feel like, if I focus on it, the feeling gets stronger."
Velcia's smile grew. "That's fantastic! Now, let's try something harder - over there, on the ground below us, are some jagged rocks that are glowing yellow. Those rocks are rich in lightning magic energy. I want you to go see if you can feel it without my help."
Hinata looked over off the camp's plateau, the darkness beyond it thick. She stood up and walked over carefully, peering over the side and quickly seeing the rocks in question. She sat down, hanging her feet off the side, and closed her eyes.
As she focused, it felt like all sorts of new feelings were floating about, and she found herself having a hard time focusing past the water she could sense. In the lake, in the air all around her - now that she was paying attention, it was everywhere. Ignoring that, she kept sifting through, finding herself focusing again on the fire behind her before finally she found one that seemed right. It felt crackling, erratic, like the hairs standing on your arm in a thunderstorm. Curiously, she pulled on the energy like she would with the water, and suddenly she felt herself tingling all over, her hairs on end like she'd built up some static.
"Be careful with what you pull towards you, Hinata" Velcia warned. "It might be better to push it away - just be careful where you send it."
Velcia's voice had distracted Hinata enough that she'd dropped her focus on the electricity entirely, but it didn't take her long to find it again. Slowly, she felt out a spark, pushing it out towards the lake. The spark seemed to grow in intensity the longer she focused on it, but she wasn't sure now what to do with it. "Uh, Velcia? What now?" she asked nervously.
"Electricity doesn't work like fire or water, it has to have another object to travel into. Wherever you put that spark is where it's going to go - and you need to be quick. You're still charging it up."
Hinata's eyes widened in panic, worried now what she was going to do. Out in the darkness, she could barely make out the top of a boulder and sent the electric energy towards it as fast as she could. Immediately upon impact a brilliant bolt of lighting shot out of the rocks below, lighting up the entire area for a split second before striking the boulder with a deafening crack of thunder. Hinata gasped and stepped back, breathing heavily. "What the hell?"
Velcia giggled softly. "You'll learn to control it better, with time. It was an amazing first lesson."
As she said this, Ignis poked his head out of the tent. "Is everything alright out here?" he asked sleepily. "I did not believe we were expecting a storm tonight."
Velcia turned and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sorry, I was teaching Hinata a little bit about magic and she got the hang of it a little faster than expected. We'll make sure to be quiet now."
Ignis yawned. "Very well." he said, retreating back inside.
Hinata walked back over towards the fire, her hands shaking. "I can't believe I did that."
Velcia nodded. "You did, and it's a very good sign. There are all sorts of other energies you're going to need to learn, and you should do your best to become as familiar as you can with how to interact with all of them. I'll be here if you have any questions - and I'll be paying close attention to what you're doing, too. If you're unsure about yourself, or scared, you might make a mistake. You can start by only practicing when I'm nearby. I can help if things start getting out of hand."
Hinata sat down, and rested her elbows on her knees as she thought. "So… how am I supposed to copy those Kingsglaive powers, then?"
Velcia sat down, and yawned. "Leave that to me." She waved her off, "Once I can figure out what they're doing, and how they're doing it, I'll help amplify the energies for you like I did with the fire. With some practice I'm sure you'll be able to learn to use the magic yourself."
"That easily?" Hinata asked skeptically. "I'll be able to copy their powers just like that?"
Velcia laughed. "I wouldn't say it's easy, but I'll be doing most of the hard part for you. I guess you could say it's a little bit like baking. There's so many ingredients, and an infinite amount of ways to combine them. There's a lot of combinations that work, and a lot that don't… but once you know the recipe, you can make anything with enough practice."
Hinata looked at her oddly. "So you're saying… you'll teach me the magic recipe?"
"More or less!" Velcia shrugged. "Even people with a beginner's level of skill can learn new magic spells just by picking up special objects that are imbued with that spell's specific combination. Some might need more knowledge or experience to understand the higher-level ones, but back in Thebes, you can actually buy spells from shops this way. It's a good way to learn new things quickly, if you aren't able to create the combinations yourself."
"So...Magic is like cooking" Hinata said blankly. "I'd have never guessed, but with how easily it comes to Riku I really should've expected it." she drifted off in thought for a second. "And of course, I suck at cooking" she said with playful dejection.
Velcia laughed, and put her hand on Hinata's shoulder encouragingly. "Well, you have a couple things to learn on this trip. So don't give up so easily."
Hinata smiled back at her, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. She could still feel the sensation of static from her encounter with the electricity. With the small amount of instruction from Velcia, she could already sense the overwhelming energies around her and it was swelling into a headache. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she glanced over at the sleeping potion Velcia had made for her. There were questions swirling endlessly through her thoughts, but they could wait until tomorrow. She was ready for the day to end.
The following few days went by in a blur. Every morning they went on a slew of hunts. Velcia stayed back with the chocobos as they all fought the creatures, taking notes and watching everything going on with a keen eye. Hinata was able to keep up, reminding herself of who she was fighting for and why whenever she would feel the uneasiness of dealing a killing blow. Between their hunts when they would travel from one to the other, Velcia would ride beside Hinata, testing her on feeling the magical energies around them. It was difficult for Hinata at first, but it provided a nice distraction from all of the fighting and she soon was able to pinpoint the energies before Velcia would even have to ask or hint.
Hinata would take various pictures throughout the day, getting a few pointers from Prompto once he realized what she was doing. Ben sent a few of his favorites to Riku without telling Hinata, which she would always find out about when she would talk with Riku that night and he would mention them. Despite her embarrassment about it, she never told Ben to stop.
Back at the havens for the night, Velcia would practice copying the boys' magic to summon things at will. It was the first thing she wanted to master and teach Hinata. There were a couple times where she would accidentally summon one of their potions or an ingredient for Ignis' meals, but it would appear in the boys' hands. They were quickly realizing that she knew what she was doing and was going to figure out their powers whether or not they helped her, so Ignis and Gladiolus began taking turns staying back with Velcia during the hunts to give her pointers and explain different elements.
After about a week, Noctis took Hinata on the delayed fishing trip, claiming that they all needed a day off from hunts. The entire crew came along, but Hinata was the only other one that got roped into fishing. She sat along the edge of the pier, her fishing rod in her hands as Noctis plopped down beside her. Prompto's camera shuttered behind them, as he took random pictures of the team and the tranquil nature.
Hinata glanced behind her, seeing Velcia talking with Gladiolus and Ignis, her notebook opened in her hand. The sight brought a smile to her face, Velcia was incredibly dedicated to their cause. She looked back forward, seeing her lure bobbing in the murky water merely a few feet away from Noctis'. He sat silently beside her, a soft smirk on his lips that he was finally fishing again.
Wanting to break the silence, Hinata spoke up with a soft voice. "So… There's been something I've been wanting to ask."
"Go for it," Noctis nudged her, reeling back his lure to shoot it out again.
"What exactly are your Kingsglaive powers?" Hinata asked. "Was it something only people in Insomnia had?"
Noctis' smirk faded as he thought over her words, internally wondering how much he should disclose. "It's… complicated."
Hinata sighed, "Yeah, I've gotten that impression. You're all really tight lipped about it. I don't even know why you're fine just camping out in the middle of nowhere for a week when you have a wedding to get to."
Noctis' fingers drummed against his fishing rod as he let out a sigh of his own. "It's a really long story. I don't really like to talk about it."
Hinata looked over at him, recognizing the loss in his eyes. Her heart sank. "You lost someone…?"
He scoffed, "Lost everything." He motioned his head to the others, "They're all I got left…. Basically." He breathed in deeply. "Like I said… I don't like talking about it."
"Yeah, I get it…" She nodded, absently reeling in her lure to mimic Noctis' actions to recast. "I'm sort of in the same boat… no one knows who I am anymore." She noticed him side glancing at her, and she tried to explain. "When I got captured and those guys… experimented on me, they-uh... " she squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "They erased everyone's memories of me… even when I was rescued by the people I really care about, they had no idea who I was… they weren't even there for me."
"Who were they there for?" He asked slowly, ready to pull back the conversation the moment he pried too much.
"Um… one of my best friends that got captured with me…" She admitted, her eyes downcast to the surface of the water. "He… didn't make it."
"Shit…" Noctis whispered under his breath. "So… that Riku guy…? He doesn't know who you are?"
She shook her head, "He's… trying to remember, a bit I guess…. But before I got captured, we used to be together. Not really sure what we are now…"
Noctis let out a long breath, letting the conversation fall to silence, much to Hinata's appreciation as she got herself back together before she got emotional. Minutes passed as they both recast their lines again and again, Noctis catching a few smaller fish. It wasn't until, Hinata's line caught that their tense silence was broken.
"W-what do I do?" Hinata squeaked, scrambling up as she tried to reel the fish in.
Noctis laughed as he told her to lean with the fish and to only reel in when she didn't feel any tension in the line. He reached over to her rod a few times, helping her aim it correctly. The others gathered around, Prompto making sure to snap a couple pictures beside Ben, who floated and took pictures to show off to Riku later on.
A wriggling fish came out of the water, getting a cheer from the group as Noctis reached down and took it easily off the hook. It was easily the largest catch thus far, large enough for them to eat. Ignis eagerly took it, weighing it before making it disappear in the blue mist to eat later on. It then became Noctis' and Hinata's mission to catch enough fish for their dinner that night.
Everyone eventually went back to their spots, leaving Hinata and Noctis to their mission. They stood at the pier, paying more attention to where they cast their lines so they could catch the larger fish. They each caught a couple more, before Noctis went back to their conversation from before.
"I-uh… grew up in Insomnia." he told her. "I never had to really work for those Kingsglaive powers, I was just born with them."
Hinata looked over to him in surprise, "Was that the case for the others, too?"
He shook his head. "No, only the heirs of Lucis can have the power from birth…" He swallowed, glancing over at her. "I'm-uh, the Prince of Lucis."
Hinata blinked, taking a moment to really set in what he meant. "Wait… you're the Prince of Insomnia? And Lady Lunafreya… is she a princess?"
He chuckled, "Yeah, and an Oracle, like I said… complicated." He cleared his throat and looked back to the lake. "But-uh, the Kings of Lucis, get their power from this crystal. And those Kingsglaive guys you were looking for when you got here, they get their power from the King."
"That's why all of your magic is so similar," Hinata realized, shaking her head. "But… why are you out here? What happened?"
"Niffelheim happened," he shrugged. "They said they wanted to create some sort of stupid treaty by making me marry Luna. So my dad…" his voice trailed off as he took in a deep breath, "Maybe you should ask Gladio or Specs for the rest of the story…"
"Yeah, I will," Hinata quickly dropped it, seeing the familiar look in his eyes. "Thank you for telling me what you did…. Your Highness."
Noctis scoffed with a snort of laughter. "Don't even start calling me that." He pushed her in jest, making her laugh as well.
They continued to fish, their conversation leading on to more light hearted topics. After a few more fish were caught, Prompto started to complain that he was dying of boredom and they started making their way back to the haven. Velcia helped Ignis prepare all of the fish as the others talked around the fire. They had more than enough daylight left as the sun was just beginning to set. After dinner, Hinata went to give her daily report to Riku and when she came back, Velcia and Noctis were waiting for her.
"Come on," Noctis motioned his head towards the field, already walking towards it without waiting for Hinata's response.
She followed behind in confusion as Velcia explained. "I think I might have an idea how to copy one of the spells that Noct does! Where he throws his blade and can call it back instantly?"
"You really think I can do that?" Hinata asked.
"It will definitely take practice," Velcia agreed. "But Noct said he would help with it, so I figured we could at least give it a go."
"Well alright," Hinata smirked, looking up to Noctis, who smirked back.
Getting a safe distance away from the haven, Noctis held out his hand and summoned his blade in a shining blue mist. He waited until Hinata held out her blade as well and Velcia tapped her Keyblade on the sword, muttering something under her breath as it began to glow.
"Alright," Velcia backed up, "Give it a go."
Hinata looked between her and Noctis, "Give what a go, exactly? Like what am I supposed to do?"
Noctis sighed heavily, "Look, just throw the blade." He stepped forward and hurled the blade forward. It flew and stuck straight into a tree. He motioned his hand towards Hinata, telling her to do the same.
"Alright then…" Hinata mumbled, adjusting the blade in her hand before stepping forward and throwing it ahead. It wasn't as straight as Noctis' but still managed to embed itself into a tree.
Noct smirked, holding back a snicker at her lack of accuracy as he held out his hand again, the blade disappearing from the tree and reappearing in his hand. Hinata held out her hand, focusing on her own blade.
"Can you feel the magic I put on it?" Velcia asked, getting a nod from Hinata. "Then focus on it. Try to call it back to you."
Hinata frowned, but closed her eyes, focusing on the swirl of magical energy around her blade. She could feel it loosening from the tree and she mentally pulled it back. A scraping sound of metal against rock, made her squint her eyes open as she saw the blade literally dragging along the rocky ground towards them at a lethargic pace.
Noctis, brought his hand to his mouth, struggling to keep back his laughter as Hinata sighed and resigned to retrieving the blade herself. "You know, for a first try, it wasn't that bad!" She pointed out to Noctis.
"Not at all," Velcia agreed, a light laugh in her own voice. "Perhaps try imagining it back in your hand next time."
"Yeah," Noctis added, still laughing, "Unless you want to wear out your blades by dragging them through the rocks."
"Ha-ha," Hinata pointedly mocked, rolling her eyes as she came back to their side and tried again.
The blade stuck into the tree once again, her aim a bit more precise. She closed her eyes and focused on the magic, but the snickering of Noctis and Velcia didn't help her in the slightest. Groaning, she opened her eyes and glared at them, mostly Noctis, until they backed away.
Holding out her hand again, she focused on the magic, feeling the blade come out of the tree and come towards her. She smirked and opened her eyes, only to see the sharp end of the blade appear in her hand, slicing her palm. Noctis poorly kept in his laughter as Velcia quickly came over and healed her wound.
"This is going to take a while," Hinata mumbled, smacking Noctis on the back of the head when she was healed.
They continued to practice, Hinata beginning to get the hang of it by the time the moon was just beginning to come up. They made their way back to the haven, Noctis promising they could practice more tomorrow during their hunts. He went to bed before any of the others, being shortly followed by Prompto. Soon the only ones still up were Ignis and Gladiolus. Before they could escape into the tent, Hinata approached them.
She folded up one of the camping chairs, handing it to Gladiolus. "I… talked with Noctis a bit today about everything that happened to you guys."
Gladiolus and Ignis both froze and turned their attention to her.
"He didn't tell me everything though, and said I should ask you two for the rest of the story." She admitted, a bit uneasily as she felt their stares.
"What did he tell you?" Gladiolus asked.
"He told me he was the Prince of Insomnia and that he's betrothed to Princess Lunafreya by order of Nifelheim." She told them, feeling Velcia joining in beside her.
"The Prince?" Velcia repeated, looking back to the others. "So you really are his Kingsglaive then?"
Gladiolus and Ignis glanced at each other, before Ignis let out a long sigh and pushed up his glasses. "Indeed we are. It appears his highness is ready to share that information." He sat in one of the remaining camping chairs, his hands clasped in front of him. "King Regis, Noct's father, sent the four of us to Altissia, under the pretense that we were to have Noct marry Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae."
"Things didn't exactly work out like we had planned, though." Gladiolus added, his arms crossed. "All the boats were shut down and we found out only a few days later that Nifelheim had completely destroyed Insomnia. They were supposed to be signing a treaty, and instead…" His voice trailed off and he shrugged, "Well, you saw what's left."
"Did King Regis know this was going to happen?" Velcia asked, kneeling down beside the fire.
"Yeah, he did." Gladiolus nodded, "But he knew what he was doing."
"So… you four are the only Kingsglaive left?" Hinata asked, trying to understand.
"For Noct at least," Gladiolus told her. "After King Regis died, all of his Kingsglaive lost their power."
"What are you doing out here, then?" Hinata asked. "If you can't get to Altissia?"
Ignis and Gladiolus exchanged another glance and Ignis spoke up. "At the moment we are recovering and taking a well-needed break from our… current mission. There are tombs spread over the land of Eos, each one housing a past King of Lucis and a glaive for Noctis to possess."
"There's no clear way to know exactly where they all are, so we have to search for a lot of them." Gladiolus added. "And a few of them are in… less than helpful locations."
Ignis laughed bitterly, "Indeed. A few have proved rather difficult to procure."
Hinata frowned, looking towards the tent Noctis and Prompto slept away in. Her eyes downcast to the glowing stone beneath them. "Your lives were basically thrown upside down, too, huh?"
"Now you know why we felt inclined to help you in the first place." Gladiolus pointed out, getting a nod from Hinata.
"Thank you," she told them, a soft smile on her lips.
Ignis cleared his throat, changing the subject, "How has your training come along?"
"It's… going," Hinata chuckled, running her hand along the back of her neck. "I'm starting to get the hang of summoning the weapon back to me, but I'm not sure I'll ever be as good as you guys are with it."
"Well, in your defense, we've been training our whole lives with it." Gladiolus told her with a shrug. "You'll get it."
"I'm not sure what I'll be learning next," she looked over to Velcia.
"I was considering tackling Noct's warp striking." Velcia informed her, noticing the intrigue that appeared in Ignis' eyes.
"That would be remarkable." Ignis noted, bringing his hand to his chin. "Albeit, dangerous to master."
"I believe Hinata is up for it," Velcia smiled at her warmly. "She's picked up the basics of magic rather quick."
"I haven't had much of a choice," Hinata chuckled, the others chuckling in response. "But-um, what exactly is his warp striking?"
"Oh, it's what I call it when he throws his blade and then warps himself to it." Velcia explained. "You might also be able to master warping side to side as he does to avoid damage."
Hinata smiled to herself, "That would definitely come in handy."
"You'll get to practice here for a few more days, maybe a week if we have enough hunts." Gladiolus informed them. "After that, we'll be headed to Lestallum. I'm late for a meetup with my sister."
"You have a sister?" Velcia asked with a sweet smile.
"Yeah, Iris," Gladiolus smirked. "You both will like her." He motioned towards Hinata. "We'll get you better weapons there, too."
Hinata smiled, "I'd appreciate that." She looked to the dying fire, feeling its warmth and energy with each flicker. "Also… um, I don't know if I'm speaking out of turn or whatever… But I was wondering if after I get the hang of this magic stuff… maybe Velcia and I could help with one of those tombs you were talking about? I'd like to help a bit if I can."
"That's a great idea," Velcia agreed. "It would be a good way to put what you learned into practice."
Ignis took in a breath, adjusting his sleeve as he thought it over. "The last tomb we attempted was Costlemark. It was beyond what we could handle at the moment, however, I suppose with the extra hands…" His voice trailed off. "What do you think, Gladio?"
"I say let them help," Gladiolus shrugged, shifting his weight as he let out a large yawn. "Hinata isn't holding us down anymore and Vel can obviously hold her own with her magic. I think we might have a shot at it if they're with us."
"Holding you down, huh?" Hinata repeated with a pointed look towards him, getting a smirk in response.
"We'll discuss it further as the week goes on." Ignis told them, raising his hand to his mouth as he let out a yawn. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I should be headed to bed for the night."
"Of course," Velcia agreed, helping get the rest of the campsite cleaned up.
Hinata thanked them and said her goodnites, before she went to sitting on the edge of the haven to stargaze, as she did every night. Velcia brought her some tea, before heading to bed herself. Hinata was about to drink it before Ben came floating out to her, informing her that she had a message from Riku. With a smile and slight flutter, she looked and chuckled at the picture he sent her of him and Sam. He had begun taking his own pictures on occasion, only sharing one every couple days, but Hinata loved it. They texted back and forth for the next hour until he went to bed and Hinata drank her now chilled tea. She gave one last look up at the stars before disappearing into her tent, ready for whatever the next week would bring her.
***Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If it isn't already obvious, I'm having a lot of fun here and it's so nice to see that Hinata is, too. She's definitely growing A LOT here in Eos and has a lot more to learn.
We'll be headed to Lestallum next chapter! Which I'm looking forward to! And Costlemark… My second least favorite dungeon in FFXV (Pitioss being #1). BUT it will be an adventure!
I also wanted to make a little announcement! I haven't said anything on here yet, but I'm actually 30+ weeks pregnant! And I should be having my baby within the next couple months! The main reason I wanted to let all of you know is because it's getting to the point where my pregnancy is interfering with my writing. (hence why this chapter took over a month to get posted) And then once the baby IS here, I am unsure how frequent I will be able to post new chapters.
I know for sure that I will continue with the story. The birth of my first son four years ago is what spurred me to begin writing this series in the first place. It helps keep me sane and allows me a chance to escape to my own little world. So don't worry that I will drop the story, but if there is a sudden pause to chapters, you'll know why.
Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were all informed! My husband and I are beyond excited for our new little bundle of joy and can't wait to welcome him into our small family.
Have a great week everyone! ***