Ignis was at a loss. Their King had just been reduced to a helpless child. A helpless child who was huddled up in the Regalia. Noctis had bolted for it the moment he laid eyes on the car, even despite the camouflaging brush.

"I called Dave. He'll come and collect the kids and the two kid-ified hunters," Gladio said.

"Stay here with them. Prompto, make sure His-Noct doesn't leave the Regalia," Ignis said.

"Rodger!" Prompto said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to investigate the cave now that the sun has risen and the cave has remained where it previously vanished," Ignis said.

"Be back in three hours or I'm coming in after you," Gladio said. Ignis nodded.

"Wait!" Prompto opened the trunk and tossed Ignis a rope.

"Thank you," Ignis said, "But there is the path we took out."

"Just in case," Prompto said. Ignis slung the rope over his shoulder, squared his shoulders, and walked into the sinkhole/cave. He turned on his light and inspected the path they'd followed out right back to the cavern where they'd faced the litch. There were still ashes from its destruction. Ignis pulled a spare handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully scooped up a pile and tied it up tightly before tucking it into subspace. He dusted off his gloves and explored past the cavern the children had been in and found other evidence of the litch's past victims. While the bones weren't visible, there were very obvious shallow graves. A final chamber had sunlight streaming down. Ignis narrowed his eyes. He threw the rope at the jagged edge of this hole and climbed up cautiously and emerged inside a rock formation not too far from the sinkhole. He climbed back down and saw a rotted dress on the ground and a very badly damaged photograph. It suddenly became all too clear.

A family had been climbing on these rocks years ago and the hole formed claiming the lives of the members either immediately or after a while until there were none left. He'd heard tales of unsettled dead becoming daemons and that would explain why the litch was obsessed over children. Ignis undid the rope with a flick of his wrist and proceeded to exit the caverns. When he emerged, the position of the sun in the sky indicated he had only been underground for an hour.

"What'd you find?"

"Some ash and evidence that the theories about the unsettled dead are likely true," Ignis said.

"Damn," Gladio said.

"I hope studying the ashes will produce a reversal," Ignis said.

"One problem with that. The only one of us who can make ordinarily not magical stuff react is currently trapped in the form of an eight year old," Gladio said jerking a thumb at the Regalia.

"Pretty lights!" Ignis and Gladio did a double take whenever the air seemed to fill with crystalline lights just like when—oh no. They raced over to the Regalia and saw Noctis was still in a ball on the floor, but a careful look revealed that the child formed king was indeed summoning. The light condensed and instead of one of the six arriving it was a fox like thing with a horn.

"A carbuncle?" Ignis said. Their phones buzzed. They looked down and the message read,

Yep! I've helped Noct before. Let him have his phone and I'll calm him down! Ignis pulled Noctis's cellphone out of subspace and placed it on the ground before Carbuncle. Their phones buzzed again and Prompto ran over and opened the door letting the little summon hop in carrying the cellphone. The next text read,

Thanks! followed by a chocobo emoji.

Noctis heard the door open after calling out for help and in came,

"You?" it was his friend from his dream! Carbuncle! It placed the cellphone down and Noctis picked it up.

Yep! I'm here to help!

"You need to get me back home," Noctis said as he drew closer to Carbuncle. Its ears drooped. Noctis's phone buzzed.

"I can't. Your home is gone. You've been turned into a kid."

"But I am a kid."

You were a kid. You were also an adult. Strong and cool! A monster got the drop on you and turned you back into your kid self.

"But why?"

Because, it wanted to save you, and thought the only way to do that was to make you into a kid.

"So these men didn't kidnap me?"

Nope! They're your best friends!

"Best friends?" Noctis said.

Don't tell me you forgot Iggy!

"That's Iggy?" Noctis said looking out the window. Iggy was boring, sure, but to be the man who threw such a powerful firaga spell? He thought only his dad could do that.

"Where's my Dad if I'm here with my friends?" Noctis asked. Carbuncle's ears dropped further this time.

I…He's gone. There was an attack on Insomnia. He didn't make it.

"No!" Noctis threw the phone and Carbuncle brought it back. "He can't be dead!"

I'm sorry. There was a sad looking chocobo emoji. Carbuncle carefully walked up to Noctis and he cradled the soft summons to his chest and began crying. It wasn't fair!

Dave arrived, finally, and Prompto stood up after leaning against the Regalia.

"Where's the—oh, that what you meant by you were down one," Dave said. He could see the child Noctis through the windows.

"You'll find your two missing hunters are in a similar state," Ignis said pulling the tags out of subspace and handing them to Dave.

"Alright, kids. This is Dave. He's going to take you back to town in his truck," Gladio said, "He's a Hunter and very trustworthy." The eight actual kids got up and shuffled to the truck bed where a huntress helped the kids up into the bed of the truck. The two hunters-turned-kids had to be coaxed and were soon loaded up too.

"There's something else," Ignis said summoning the ashes, "This is what's left of the creature who did this. Would you happen to know anyone who could look at this and figure out a way to reverse this?"

"I know someone, but getting it to her might be a trick. She's located in the Malmalam Thicket and Hunters are prohibited from entering," Dave said, "I know it's a bit much to ask, especially since you're down a man, but do you think you could take this to her?"

"I'll do it," Gladio said taking the packet, "I've been off on my own before. Just get me part of the way there and I'll ride a chocobo the rest of the way."

"You don't have to—." Prompto stopped when Gladio held up a hand, "My job was to shield him and I failed. I need to do this. Keep him safe in the mean time for me."

"I can get you part way after I drop these kids off," Dave said, "Here. There's extra added because of your fourth man's….problem." Prompto took the bounty and nodded.

"Keep in touch," Ignis said. Gladio nodded before he boarded the truck too.

"Now what?" Prompto asked after the truck had vanished.

"We head for Cape Caem. It would do us no good to try to hunt with Noct in this condition. Fortunately, the bonus he added to the bounty means we don't have to worry about gil for a while," Ignis said. Prompto nodded. They entered the regalia and Prompto had to bite back a response to how cute, but dirty, Noctis looked as a kid cuddling Carbuncle. He snapped a pic. Carefully, so not as to disturb either of them, Ignis pulled Noctis onto a seat and buckled him in. Carbuncle resettled on Noctis's lap and Prompto snapped another picture. If either happened to find their way into Lady Lunafreya's hands later, that was none of his business.

Noctis woke up when the Regalia came to a halt. They'd moved? He was on the seat. They were in a really rundown town of sorts. He'd only seen towns like this in video games.

"He's awake! Hey! I'm Prompto!" Prompto said, "and that's—."

"Iggy," Noctis said, "Carbuncle told me about how you're my friends and about my dad…"

"Big you was just as torn up about it," Prompto said, "Anyway, we need to get you cleaned up and get you clothes that fit. All the clothes we currently have are for big you." Noctis still found it hard to believe. He was supposed to be a grown up? It was too weird. Carbuncle wouldn't lie to him, though. So, it had to be true.

"Watch your step, we don't have any shoes to fit your feet just yet," Iggy said opening the door. Noctis undid his seatbelt and Carbuncle followed at his heels. The phones buzzed.

I can fix that! Carbuncle jumped in the air and a pair of kid sized sandals appeared for Noctis to wear.

"Thanks!" Noctis pull them on.

"Noct, it's imperative people think we're your family. Usually two men traveling with a young boy is suspicious unless they're family of some sort," Iggy said in a low tone as he tried to fix Noctis's hair.

"You really are Iggy. You use way too many big words in a row," Noctis said. Iggy stared at him, "I promise."

The only shop was a tourist trap looking place filled with nicknacks and there were some clothes. There was also a bell over the door.

"Someone play a bit too rough?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Yeah. We need to get some new clothes for him, but usually our sister goes shopping for him and we have no idea what size our nephew wears, right Iggy?" Prompto said.

"Correct," Iggy said.

"Looks to be about the same size as my little one," the shopkeeper said. She walked away and came back with a few tee-shirts and shorts. They were a bunch of bright colors.

"Do you have any black?" Noctis asked.

"In Duscae?" the woman said, "I do have some clothes in black. I'd advise against letting him get an all black wardrobe. Your sister wouldn't be impressed."

"We'll take that under advisement," Iggy said, "Aulea knows Noct's tendencies, though, and would understand if we lost the battle of adding color."

"I can understand kids and their favorite colors," the shopkeeper said. They ended up taking three black tee-shirts, two pairs of black shorts, a pair of tan shorts, a pair of dark blue shorts, a yellow shirt with a chocobo on the front, and a light blue shirt at the shop keeper's insistence. They also found a pair of sneakers for Noctis and grabbed the needed underwear and socks too as well as a set of Justice Monsters themed PJ's off the clearance rack. It was the most colorful thing he'd ever chosen but it was so cool. Their next stop was the motel across the street.

"One room for the night," Iggy said. They were given a so-so room with two beds and a couch.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch," Iggy said, "Now get a bath." Noctis wrinkled his nose at the sound of that but, caught a whiff of himself. Ok, so he did need a bath. Carbuncle hopped over onto a bed and curled up. Noctis went into the bathroom alone and took off the icky clothes. before turning on the water. He scrubbed to get all the dirt and grime out of his hair and off his body before a final rinse. He grabbed a towel and nearly tripped over the tub. He dried off and saw during his bath, clean clothes had been set just inside the door. It was the PJ's. Noctis pulled them on, an exited the bathroom. Prompto was doing something on his phone. It looked like a game.

"Can I play?" Noctis asked.

"Of course, buddy! It's already on your phone! It's called King's Knight," Prompto said. The phone was next to Carbuncle. Noctis turned the screen on and swiped through it and found the app. He launched it and the game gave him a tutorial and soon he and Prompto were playing. He was doing better than Prompto.

"No fair! You're better than me at this and you're kid you! I mean big you wins too, but I though kid you wouldn't be as good at this game," Prompto pouted. Propmto's phone buzzed. Prompto sighed and nodded.

"What'd he say?" Noctis asked.

"He said that you're just awesome at this," Prompto said with a grin. Noctis didn't fully believe Prompto, but he was too tired to argue. He crawled down the bed and curled up under the covers. Carbuncle joined him.

Prompto looked at the real message Carbuncle had sent him.

Noctis didn't have any friends when he was this age. Even Iggy was more of a babysitter than a friend. He got used to playing games alone.

"He's asleep already," Ignis said.

"Yeah. I think turning into a kid and crying really took it out of him," Prompto said.

"I'll making sure he has a hearty breakfast to make up for missing dinner tomorrow morning," Ignis said as he gestured to the motel kitchen where he'd made a simple dinner of chicken breast over rice. It wasn't as fancy as some of the versions he knew to make, but he looked really tired and Prompto wasn't about to complain. Food was food. They'd have to set out for Cape Caem in the morning and they'd have to figure out how to explain this to everyone else. Joy.

MP: I promise not all my chapters will have punny titles, just a lot of them. I will also admit Carbuncle is a bit of an Ex Machina but it's what my plot demanded.