Broken Down and Penniless

Nice clear sky, sunny, and boy was it hot you'd think that driving with the top down would be a pleasant experience. The wind wasn't blowing my raven hair all around so it wasn't hitting Prince Noctis's face randomly anymore which he was happy about. I couldn't for the life of me understand how he wasn't sweating most of the ride wearing all black. Whoever made that wardrobe decision for him must've not taken into consideration that there was a desert he had to cross. However, the most he complained about was how we weren't getting anywhere. Gladio was so much larger than both of us so even when the wind was freely blowing my hair his direction it hardly bothered him at all. We all got well acquainted with the mountains and the random wild herds of beasts blocking our way from time to time. Almost everyone was sweating and dirty from the long hall which wasn't in the plan for any of us. Of course, it would probably be more pleasant if the Regalia was actually moving. Oh, it was moving, just not on its own which everyone wanted especially the ones pushing it.

"Any Luck?" Noctis asked hopefully pushing the car on the left side, "Ignis?"

"Just a busy signal." He answered I leant forward and sighed . I was in the back still while Prompto and Gladio were also pushing the Regalia. Prompto on the right side and the latter from behind.

"Ugh – C'mon Mi, time to switch." Noctis said. I shot him a look and huffed.

"Nuh uh we just switched back there." Gladio grunted from behind. I had a suspicion that he was the one doing most of the pushing this whole time.

"But she hasn't done it at all." Noctis complained.

"You've only been pushing for a couple of minutes." I pointed out disinterested, "If you even are."

"He does have a point Amida." Ignis said looking in the rearview mirrior.

I sighed and tied my hair in a loose side braid falling over my right shoulder and grimaced. It's not that I didn't want to help, it's that I couldn't. What was I going to do? Have the Regalia's shadow push itself? I wasn't even going to make a difference just trying to push it using my own strength and I couldn't reveal myself just yet.

"Ah it's my turn Noct." Prompto chimed in slyly, this time the prince grimaced.

"His turn." Ignis stated, Prompto tagged me in as I jumped down off the car. I bit down on my lip as I tried my best to move the car but as I predicted it wasn't going any faster.

"Un-believable." Noctis grumbled clearly annoyed.

"What? She made it clear that she wasn't going to switch with you." Prompto said leaning back against the seat, "At least one of us gets to rest." I heard Noctis grumble from the other side of the car and scoff.

"The map said Hammerhead was right there." Noctis pointed out.

"Literally right next door." Prompto added picking up the map to look at it.

"Looks that way." Gladio stated, "On a map of the world." I laughed breathily.

"Hey, are you two even pushing?" Gladio asked accusingly after a beat or two of silence.

"With everything I got." Noctis replied and somehow I doubted it.

I snorted in response, "I said back there that I wouldn't be of any help and yet here I am."

"Yeah, I feel like I have to push twice as hard now." Noctis teased.

"Just push the car." I said as he stumbled.

"Don't start fighting guys." Prompto sighed.

When we got to Hammerhead a real familiar girl came jogging up to greet us as Ignis and I got out of the car. She looked like she was looking for something as she looked at us, "Which one of you boys is the prince?" She asked curiously, Noctis stood up at the mention of his title.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, "Congrats on your wedding!"

Noctis looked uncomfortable as he replied, "Not hitched just yet."

"Lady Lunafreya's groom-to-be here in Hammerhead." She continued. When she looked away to see what the damage was on the Regalia he made a face scratching the back of his neck. He glanced off to the side and then briefly at me, sighing he brought his hand back down misjudging the distance accidently hitting me in the process, throwing me off balance.

"Apologies for taking so long." Ignis said.

"Best save your apologies for -" She started before turning around noticing me, "Amida?"

"Hey Cindy." I said smiling a little.

"Hey yourself, we haven't seen you around here in so long we started wonderin if a beast got you." She reprimanded me frowning. I could practically see the look of confusion on the boy's faces.

"I should've sent a text." I replied sheepishly.

"Should've. I didn't know what to tell'em folks when you stopped showin up." She said.

"Wait. You two know each other?" Prompto asked confused from behind me.

"Sure, Amida here's been taking care of the odd jobs around here for a couple years." Cindy explained.

"Years?!" Prompto and Noctis exclaimed.

"Hm, so this was your special assignment." Ignis mulled pushing up his glasses.

"Well I'll be." Gladio laughed, "guess you're more personable then you let on."

"Personable." I sighed.

"Anyways I'm Cindy, Cid's grease-monkey grand-daughter."

"Roll-er in while I'm still young." An admitadly old man demanded our eyes followed him as he rounded the car, "Didn't your daddy tell ya. She's a custom classic not some beat up old clunker."

"Prince Noctis" Cid narrowed his eyes as he brushed past Noctis, "Prince. Like they took your old man and kicked the dignity out of him." I wasn't sure what exactly he meant by that and by the look on his face neither did Noctis.

"You got a long way to go son. And that slack jaw's getting you nowhere fast." Cid continued and I stifled a laugh only to get shoved by said Prince.

"Nice to see ya again Amida, was pretty sure we'd find your tags if not your body at some point." Cid addressed me walking beckoning us to bring the car into the garage.

"What did you do out here?" Prompto whispered to me concerned as the party pushed the Regalia into the garage.

"Oh this and that." I replied as the garage door closed behind us all.

"And what exactly is that?" Noctis asked expectantly folding his arms across his chest.

"Classified." I stated simply. I heard Noct scoff in response as Cindy walked up to the group. She handed Noctis a map and told us to take care of some varmints that were causing some trouble. He accepted and I started off when he stopped me.

"What?" I asked turning to look at him

"You're going to fight…in that?" He asked skeptically.

"…What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked.

"Really?" He asked sighing.

"Maybe this is what Cid and Cindy were talking about." Gladio said.

"The Crownsgaurd gave us uniforms, you've yet to change into yours." Ignis observed.

"Ok?" I asked, "It's in the car."

"Amida!" Cindy called bringing something black in her hand, "Saw this reckoned you might need it." She handed me what was the uniform in question. I internally groaned, I was fine in these white shorts and gray blouse.

"Thanks Cindy." I said smiling a little again. I went to go change into this thing and bayed Cindy to go with me to the restroom in the restaurant in case I needed help. Everyone else agreed that they were starving and went as well.

I entered the restroom only big enough for one and tried to figure out how exactly I was going to get it on. It looked possibly like I was wearing even less than I was before and wondered exactly what they were thinking. I had to put my legs through the leg holes that resembled tights that came up to my knees it went at a diagonal and were a little baggy leaving the upper part of my thighs mostly exposed. Basically, everything except for that and shoulders were covered but I was struggling to fascine it on the back.

I stuck my head out when I opened the door and looked around for Cindy. My fringe falling in my face again.

"Hn? done Mi?" I heard Noctis ask a little impatient.

"Not yet, have you seen where Cindy went?" I asked.

"Yeah, she said that she needed to get back to the shop, Cid was hollering." He said, "Need help?"

"Yeah" I admitted deflating a little bit. He sighed and got up and started walking over towards me.

"No! I'm fine thanks." I recanted and closed the door quickly. It took me a second especially since the sleeves flared out in the middle and came down to rest over my hands even though the end part of the actual sleeve was secured around my wrist. I put on my boots that were pretty much skin tight and the top part formed to my leg, stopping a little bit under my knee and the belt with a red stone in the middle which fastened itself around my waist.

Finally done I walked out of the bathroom and over to where the boys were waiting and stood in front of the table.

"Better now?" I asked deadpanning.

"Huh? Oh…yes" Noctis bumbled looking over at me, I could swear his cheeks were slightly pink.

"It looks very nice on you!" Prompto commented cheerfully.

"Now that we're all uniform, let us be off." Ignis said getting up with Gladio and the rest following.

We all filled out of the diner and took off towards where Cindy said the varmints were. I was thankful for the thin design since it didn't wear me down and didn't cause me to feel like I was baking even though it was all black. I kept up with everyone with ease, until we made it to our destination. I hadn't decided how exactly I was going to fight without it becoming obvious that I wasn't really using my weapons. We slowed down and waited until simultaneously everyone charged forward. I took a deep breath and focused on my movements, I knew where everyone was but I didn't think anyone would forgive me for a loss of limb. My daggers manifested and I swung them down on the scorpion looking thing barely making a dent and cursed as I flipped over backwards avoiding its stinger. Another one came at me and then another until I had an idea. I again made to cut it but it's shadow came away from the ground and smashed it down at the same time my daggers hit it. If I was alone like I used to be I would've gone all out and never even touched my daggers but since I was still unable to show what I could really do this would have to work.

I repeated this style repeatedly until we were done with the last group of them. I breathed heavily, my abilities were more powerful in the darkness. It was daylights and there was minimal shade out here so it made sense that I was spent and so was everyone else.

"How are we?" Ignis asked.

"Hangin in there." Noctis responded.

"I'm beat." Prompto sighed.

"Good to go." Gladio said, "Bring on the next one."

"Let's keep it rollin." I nodded.

*Beep* *Beep*

"Wow, a phone call out here." I commented, "Sometimes it's even hard to find service in town."

It took Noct a minute to realize that it was his phone that was beeping and answered it. It was Cindy asking us to find some Dave guy. Again Noctis accepts and begrudgingly heads over to the shack he saw, it turned out that Dave was actually in the shack across the way.

"Who's out there?" We heard a voice and the door opened revealing Dave.

" Amida?" He asked, "Well, I figured you were still out there since we hadn't found your tags."

"Man, are you going to know everyone we meet out here?" Prompto asked surprised again.

"For real." Noctis agreed, "and what tags?"

"Hunter tags." Dave said, "Amida's been taking care of the real nasty ones and some that come out at night."

"At night?" Prompto asked, "But, don't the daemon's come out at night?"

"I'll hunt until dusk Prom." I clarified lying and he nodded.

"Anyways I've been stuck here on a count of my sprained ankle." Dave continued. He asked us to do a job and since he already knew I was capable I couldn't just well refuse. Neither could Noct, well for a price anyways.

We all decided to rest for the night at a campsite not to far away from where the target was. We ate, talked, and eventually everyone retired for the night. I retired early which was a mistake when I heard daemons a little way outside our tent. Ignis had explained that we were only taking one to minimize packing each morning. I got up slowly and went out of the tent sitting in the middle of the campground. Even though this place was safe I didn't want to chance anything. I closed my eyes and focused on establishing my presence, the daemons wouldn't come close if they knew I was here. Not the ones in this area at least, they were weak, weaker than I. Tomorrow I would have to answer the party's questions but right now under the starry sky, the air was crisp and cool.

I could just fall asleep.

Hey guys not sure how proud I am of this chapter *shrug* I tried to be detailed with Amida's Crownsgaurd uniform but it would've been easier just to include a picture haha anyways the look I was going for is similar to what Raven from Gravity Rush 2's outfit. Technically Amida doesn't use a physical weapon so I thought that design would help her move around better :) I'm sorry to those who were hoping for more Noctis and Amida interactions since this chapter is pretty long but there will be in the next chapter!

MCRDanime - I'm glad that you liked the story so far! :)

It's almost 1 am and i should really get to sleep, ahh goodnight everyone! I hope you enjoy the story and I'm sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors.

~ Linbeannie ~