Helloooo! I am currently chilling in a hotel room with terrible Wi-Fi as I suspected. However, having expected this, I prepared a few chapters in advance and am posting them from my phone. Hooray for 4G! ^^
"Quiet now".
They were all crouching behind a tall bush, observing the giant venomous toad from afar.
"We need a strategy" said Ignis, studying the enemy intently.
"We need to make it quick" retorted Gladio, who looked like he couldn't wait to fight.
"We need to try the Quicksilver" Noctis joined.
"…or snap a pic?" Prompto suggested with a mocking smirk.
"Gladio, you're going first. Noctis, you're going immediately after, but make sure you keep your distance and use the stone's power. Prompto and I will cover you. Iris, you wait here" Ignis ordered, with Gladio already on his way to attack the monster.
Iris could only watch as the prince ran after her brother, holding the stone in one hand, and Ignis and Prompto standing respectively on the right and the left side of the battlefield.
Gladio was furiously attacking the giant toad, while Prompto helped from the distance with his twin guns. Iris marveled at the blond boy grinning and telling jokes in the middle of a fight. "How bloody cheeky" she thought.
"Noct, now!" Ignis shouted, while throwing his daggers.
Iris could see Noctis was squeezing the stone with all his might, and focusing as much as possible, but nothing was happening.
"Uh-oh!" Prompto exclaimed "Doesn't seem to be working!"
"But why?" Noctis said through greeted teeth, visibly frustrated.
"It's been idle for hundreds years, Noct. For all we know, the Six might not have destroyed the stone, but they may have depleted it of its powers" Ignis theorized, while taking cover behind a boulder.
"Damn the stone! Just get your ass over here and help, Noct!" Gladio shouted, parrying the attacks that were being thrown at him.
"What? Can't take it down by yourself?" the prince mocked, teleporting by his side.
The four friends took at least twenty minutes to finish the monster off, which had put up quite a fierce fight before succumbing.
"You ok there, sis?" Gladio asked.
Iris nodded, watching the boys brush the dust off their clothes. Noctis was intently staring at the stone with a confused expression.
"I don't think it's inactive" the prince muttered "Look at those globes inside. It seems to me that it still holds some powers".
For the first time in his life, Ignis didn't know what to reply to that. He genuinely had no idea why Noctis, in whose veins obviously flowed royal blood, was not able to use the stone's powers.
"Ah well, at least we completed the hunt! Now all we need to do it to report back and pocket the money" Prompto said cheerfully.
"Uhm, we'll need to drive all the way back to Hammerhead, though" Ignis pondered "But if you want to, Iris, you can join us there and camp with us once we've turned in our little hunt".
The girl's eyes widened instantly and she accepted eagerly.
And so, the five friends sat in the beautiful Regalia and began driving toward Hammerhead. Iris was sandwiched between her brother, who was concentrated on a book, and the sleeping form of Noctis.
Ignis kept his eyes on the road, and Prompto was resting his head on his crossed arms, both placed on the car door. Iris imagined they were all feeling a bit drained after the battle, and didn't say anything not to disturb them. The first to speak, of course, was Prompto.
"So Iris, have you ever been to Hammerhead before?"
"Uhm, not really, no. Jared drove past it on our way to Lestallum, so I didn't really have a chance to explore" the girl answered truthfully. Not that she had wanted to explore, anyway. The area was basically a wide, deserted wasteland surrounded by rocks and dust.
Gladio looked up from his book and eyed the blond party member with an amused expression.
"We all know why you're so eager to come back to Hammerhead, Prom". Ignis chuckled lightly and Prompto blushed. Gladio, seeing his sister's confused expression, grinned widely. "He's got his eyes on a girl, y'know. One hell of a hottie if you ask me, which is enough of a reason why he should give up already".
"Shut up, Gladio!" Prompto complained, gesticulating furiously.
Iris didn't say anything. She was too busy regretting the idea of joining them in the first place. Now she was forced to meet the "Hammerhead goddess" who would lower her self-esteem even more.
After what seemed like an eternity, the car started decelerating and Ignis parked by a large garage at the Hammerhead gas station.
Iris recognized her immediately: the beautiful, fit blond girl from Prompto's picture, still dressed in her revealing yellow jacket, almost fully unzipped to show a pair of solid breasts barely covered by a red bra, and denim shorts.
"That girl doesn't leave much to the imagination" Iris thought bitterly.
"Back already?" Cindy greeted them with a large smile, revealing perfect white teeth "Oh, y'all got company!"
"She's my little sister, Iris" Gladio introduced her, and Iris faked a smile to the other girl.
"Nice to meet ya, Iris. Name's Cindy" the blonde sayd with a genuine smile.
That simple smile made Iris feel possibly even worse: from the picture she had seen of the girl, and the way she dressed herself, she had imagined an over-confident woman that took pride in stealing men's hearts and crushing them. Instead, she had to admit that Cindy looked like a really nice person too.
"H-hey there, Cindy!" Prompto approached the girl, stuttering slightly. Iris could sense his nervousness from miles away.
"Hey there, Mr. Cameraman! Did ya take any nice pics lately?"
The two conversed for a few minutes, and Iris was forced to watch the awkward scene in front of her in which Prompto was lamely trying to flirt, and Cindy either too kind or too blind to notice. Most likely the former, Iris thought.
"I'm going for a walk" Iris said coolly.
"Don't go too far, lil' sis. We're just buying some supplies, fueling and then we're good to go again".
Iris simply waved her hand in dismissal and walked around the gas station, observing the dull view surrounding the area.
What was wrong with her? Why did the thought of Prompto flirting with another girl affect her so much?
She ran a hand through her hair in distress, breathing more heavily. That sassy young man with his stupid puns was slowly making his way to a special room in her heart, where she liked to keep her closest friends as well as her family. However, she would not let this new friendship develop any further. She couldn't, because she knew that the happy-go-lucky joker of the party had the potential to become something more important...No. Noctis. Noctis was the one she had always loved and would forever love no matter what. And yet, she couldn't deny that she had been thinking of the blond gunslinger, his mocking grin, his musical voice, his jolly personality, way more than she liked to admit...
Iris grabbed the sides of her head with both her hands and shut her eyes, in a desperate attempt to clear her mind of all thoughts and her heart of the ache she was feeling.
She wasn't sure how long she had been standing behind the garage all alone, trying to make sense of her situation.
"Here you are!" It was Prompto. "Iggy says we can get going now. The camp's not far from here, so we're walk- Are you alright?"
The boy suddenly stopped when he saw Iris's expression, what looked like confusion and… was that fear he saw in her eyes?
He instinctively approached her, putting one hand on her shoulder but she immediately pushed him away and distanced herself from the photographer. She didn't miss the flash of hurt and confusion that crossed his features.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing, Prompto. Just… go. I'll be there in a second" the girl replied, trying to regain her composure.
"O-ok" the boy muttered and returned to the others to give her time to pull herself together.
When she finally mustered the courage to turn the corner and join the others, they were all sitting at a table with an old man.
"There you are, sis! Enjoying your stay?" Gladio grinned at her.
"Very much". No one but Prompto seemed to have caught the sarcasm in her voice. The gunslinger gave her a sympathetic look but didn't say anything. She was grateful he hadn't told the others he had basically seen her on the verge of crying for no apparent reason.
"Ah well, boys. It was nice talkin' to ya all but I suggest you get goin' before it gets too dark" the old man, Cid, said while standing up.
The others followed suit and, after bidding goodnight to the man and Cindy, they all grabbed their backpacks and started walking to the camp.
"Oi Prompto. Something's wrong?" Noctis asked his best friend.
"Uh? No, why?" the gunslinger replied in surprise.
"You're way too silent, and that's not a good sign" the dark-haired prince explained.
"True. Did Cindy get your tongue?" Gladio mocked him, causing everyone but Prompto and Iris to chuckle.
When they arrived, the sun was setting, casting some color on the dull wastelands. As Gladio and Noctis started preparing the tent, making sure Iris had enough private space for herself, Ignis was already busy with kneading the dough, and she and Prompto were left to take care of the bonfire.
The girl reluctantly followed the blonde, too ashamed to be left alone with him after her outburst. They began picking up wood around the campsite in silence, none of them daring to speak first.
"This should be enough" Prompto said after several minutes, eying the pile of wood they had collected "Let's head back".
They all enjoyed the delicious Italian-style pizza Ignis had made for the special occasion, discussing trivial things before returning to the topic of the mysterious stone.
Noctis had removed it from his left pocket and held it in front of him. Everyone's gaze fixed on the Quicksilver, which was mesmerizing them all with its crimson color, shining brighter than ever in the dark.
"I do believe it still holds some powers in it" Noctis commented "It looks alive".
"I agree" Ignis admitted "But I honestly cannot understand why it won't work".
"Maybe you're not ready to use it, yet. Maybe it senses your insecurities" Gladio intervened.
"Maybe. Or maybe there's more to it" Ignis continued, massaging his chin as he always did when deep in thought.
Noctis sighed heavily and pocketed the tiny stone again.
"Coffee anyone?" Ignis offered, grabbing the thermos before anyone could answer.
Aaaah, our sunshine is making Iris a bit confused, now :) And what happens next will confuse her even more :D
Next Chapter: the Quicksilver chooses its new wielder. Iris becomes the fifth official party member! The five friends meet Titan.