Hey dear readers,

phew, this has been a long ride so far. I apologize for the late update, but I kept waiting for Gamescom, for some kind of information about the villains names or more locations or more story details that would fit inside of my story. But as you all know, nothing significant happened ._..

So I'll try to write this story as good as I can, straying as far as possible from canon because I don't have a clue on how the final story will be like. (they changed so many things!)

I still hope that you like where my plot is going so far. :)

Thank you all very much for your support and reviews so far, I deeply appreciate it!

Have fun reading,

Kamuel

...

Chapter 9: Titan - Noctis POV

In front of us are waiting over one hundred or so Magiteck soldiers.

Disbelief is transforming my sweaty face to a pretty uncool pale mess.

I can feel my midlife crisis approaching, much sooner than anticipated. I don't know if I should look forward to it, or not.

If one would squint both eyes carefullly, there might be a few more or some less dozen splendid specimen of androids sandwiched in between. Entirely depending on one's view of the world - either optimistic, or pessimistic. Right now, I choose to be the latter. That's why I count them up to be around two hundred altogether. All soldiers positioned in strict lines, one after another, packed like sardines in a dose, and each one of them probably waiting for further instructions.

Their airships have not departed yet and I take this to be a very bad sign. They still do hover over us, their artificial lights highlighting our position and the glaring brightness hurting my eyes terribly.

Ignis is taking a step forward to protect me, saying: "Just what we need, this fight is being monitored by Niflheim."

Great.

My tooth starts aching at hearing this and I bare my teeth at our enemies in irritation, hissing with growing annoyance: "Why? This doesn't make any sense if they wanted to eliminate me out of existence."

"Their plans seem to have changed. So, what do we do now?" Prompto is giving me a look full of worry.

Gladio is cursing under his breath, saying: "You need to ask? They'll get to see the best show that they have ever seen of course."

"Should we start to hope, seeing that this is some kind of a live broadcast, that they are mistaking us with some popular boyband?" I joke to lighten up the mood.

A wide grin is appearing on Prom's lips while winking at me. "Yeah, our mud drenched outfits are perfect! They might expect us to start singing and dancing, even the blinding lime light is ready for us!"

Prom and I smirk at each other when Ignis is pursing his lips in discomfort, saying: "The only problem I have with this is, we couldn't practice the choreography yet, as nobody let us inside of this brilliant scheme of theirs beforehand.". His rigid shoulders telling us that he doesn't like to be kept in the dark at all.

"Ha! No problem! Let's just jump around like Prompto always does. Don't know about you guys, but his moves look a hella lot like dancing to me." Gladio is ruffling Promptos hair and instantly they start bickering again like five year olds.

Well, what I can take from the impressive sight before me so far is, that the background dancers are now complete and have arrived in a punctual manner for the music video shooting, their national flags are fluttering imperiously in the wind. A highly dramatic scenario for our debut single.

Two hundred dancers may be a tiny bit overkill in my humble opinion, but this just shows how popular we already are.

Oh, yes. I shouldn't forget to mention the VIP of this evening. Behind us, the global super star Archean Titan, overworldly being extraordinaire, is stampeding his way through the wilderness as we speak, his footsteps loud and clearly visible because of the shaking ground beneath us, as he is slowly but surely closing the distance the longer we are just standing here and gape around in foreboding.

Niflheim is simply loving us to death.

I can feel the lid of my right eye twitching in nervous anticipation. And a slight migraine makes it's presence felt.

What happened to our purpose of only hunting Deadeye this evening? This is really getting ridiculous now. We have neither the manpower on our side, nor the magical energy to defeat not only two hundred android soldiers, no, but a God-like earth elemental creature as well!

I can feel my legs starting to give off some nervous convulsions.

My inner desperation for a solution out of this mess is pushing me to become slightly hysterical and I hope our valued friends from Niflheim don't catch these humiliating moments of mine on camera. I want to look cool, at least in the last moments of my young adult life!

Yes, I'm being aware of talking nonsense in my mind right now. This always happens whenever I didn't get enough sleep, or when amazing sex with Prom made my brain melt (please keep this secret to yourself).

Or whenever I'm being backed up into a corner. As right at this moment.

Prom has placed himself on my right side, the gun inside his hand held tightly, beads of sweat are appearing on his forehead, and I steal a glance into his handsome eyes. He is glancing back at me with a wry smile. Would anyone mind if I tackle him to the shaking ground to quickly kiss his breath away? This might be the last time that we have together ...

Maybe Ignis was right and Prom and I should have had some sensual moments before running up on this hill, to fill up some of my depleted magic power. Summoning Ramuh would have at least permanently wiped all the annoying background dancers from the scene.

Said dancers, who from afar are starting to move now towards us in tandem.

Best if I consult our personal oracle for some kind of miracle. Else I definitely fear that we won't make it alive from this fight at all.

"Ignis, any divine afflatus gracing your intelligent brain yet?" I'm gritting my teeth and summon the Avenger into my right hand, making myself ready to fight and to protect my family with all I have.

Ignis is getting his knifes ready as well, standing protectively before me, his stance changing into one for fighting. "Yes. I'm probably grasping at straws here, but your horoscope for today says: don't get yourself killed. Third try will hopefully not be your charm."

I hear Gladio snorting a laugh at us, the Zweihänder appearing into his hands as he is throwing the heavy weapon high up, for the back of the weapon to lie comfortably down on his shoulder, prepared to strike with it any minute now. "Guys, the one who has the most kills at the end of the day gets to shower first!"

Prompto is pouting. "Oh come on, that's mean Gladio! You know I won't get a chance at that."

While Gladio is teasing Prom, I can't stop myself from asking him out of curiousity: "And what's the reward for defeating Titan?"

Ignis is stepping in with clear amusement lacing his voice: "For you? A whole night alone with Prompto."

Then cute Prom is blushing and trying to stop the dead-serious and heavy bet, by pointing his finger at us: "Oi you two! Quit your dirty business right there!"

My lips are widening into a full grin, my eyes are leering playfully over Prom's figure up and down, while saying to Ignis: "Make it three nights. In the row. And we have a deal."

Prom has his jaw dropped to the ground now, not believing what Ignis and I are bargaining about now, of all times. And I really wish I could just kiss his cute looking face senseless ...

Ignis is smiling in a challenging way back at me. "You'll get a whole week if you manage to defeat the highest number of soldiers AND Titan."

"Deal." Now that's what I call a fair reward! I quickly shake hands with Ignis to complete our contract. Prom and I look at each other intensely, watching him as the wind is ruffling his fair hair around and a sudden pang of deep longing for him is squeezing at my heart. My body is blazing with a new resolve to survive this fight at all cost. It's amazing what the promise of uninterupted and lenghty sessions of wonderful sex with ones soul mate can do to a man.

We get an entire week to spend in intimate togetherness, as soon as everything is over! Uninterrupted! Imagine that!

I suddenly swing the Avenger along my side in a threatening manner, asking everyone: "What first? Soldiers in the front or Titan behind us?"

Gladio and Ignis nod to each other and then shout together: "Soldiers."

And Prom is abruptly crying out in shock, taking a huge step back. "Wait a minute guys! You all seriously want to take on the whole army in front of us? It wasn't a joke?!"

Then Gladio is clapping on his back strongly with his free hand, making him stumble forward. "Yep! Just think of it this way: when we split up their numbers into four, there are only about fifty soldiers for each one of us left to take on. Easy, right?"

"E .. e... easy?" Prom is staring at us pale-faced, whining in imitation of a dead sabertusk and I hide my laughter behind my hand when he says: "Yeah, right, as easy as knocking on Titan's nonexistent huge balls to get them ringing! You guys are absolutely deranged I tell you! You have a death wish or what?! I think the earthquake has jumbled up all your neuronal joints into nice looking pieces of brain prezels-"

"Everyone. I have an idea." Ignis says suddenly, instantly getting our attention with his serious sounding voice. We all step around him to listen and then he is shaking a sudden genius plan out of his sleeve for us: "Prompto, you need to stay for the entire battle outside of the battlefield, careful not to be hit by any of their bullets. If needed heal yourself with potions or call me for my healing ability. Your main focus will be to aim at any soldier within the range of Gladio's position. Shoot your time stopping bullets non-stop one after another at them. This should at least give us a good amount of time to weaken their hard shells and to open the possibility of defeating their mechanical bodies with only two or three remaining strikes." Prom's eyes are growing wide in understanding and we all look relieved at each other, because all of a sudden we can see us winning this fight. And if everything goes well even come off pretty much unscathed.

"Gladio. You are responsible for the weakening of every unmoving android that Prompto is freezing up with his bullets. Noct, you are to rush as quickly as you can at any soldier that Gladio has thoroughly weakened and do the finishing attacks. But first, I suggest for you to unleash your best skill upon their leaders with the Armiger, at least for as long as your remaining magic energy can last, to decimate the strongest ones out of their ranks right from the start."

"Understood. Leave it to me." I say in reply, my eyes already taking in the amount of soldiers, starting to plan ahead and prepare myself for the upcoming battle.

"And my position will be to follow Gladio and Noct to cast Cure whenever it's necessary, this will be my number one priority. Only when there are open opportunities I'll help to keep off their bullets reaching to either one of you. With this, I think we may have a very good chance to survive this."

I take one last look at my best friends, nodding at each other. "Thanks Ignis. Alright, let's do this!"

With huge steps we run forward to the first row of soldiers, Prompto's bullets already hitting the first ones and Gladio starts slashing at them immediately after they have been stunned. I activate the Armiger and aim with a battle cry right at the soldiers in the middle, my swift and strong arial strikes and slashes quickly disposing of their leaders first.

The earth quake grows even more in strength, shaking the ground under me with such a terrible force, that I start to fear for my friends that have no choice but stay on the ground in this battle. But as far as I can see, the android soldiers do not fare any better, their magical armory build around their artificial bodies is not prepared for the shaking ground either, so they stumble a lot and many of them fall down, some rolling down on the other side of the hill - making it easier for us to take them out.

As soon as I turn my attention towards the enemies who were weakened by Gladio, I slash away at them with the highest speed my body can achive, their metalized limbs flying around and disappearing in the air one after another.

But just when I feel the Armiger quickly draining my last energy reserves, a foreign female warrior is landing before my feet out of nowhere and is taking a wide swing with her huge sword, surprising the hell out of me and hitting at my chest with full force, literally blowing me a few long feet away from the battle field.

"Noct!"

"Noct!"

As my injured body rolls downwards the hill, my fingers try to grab and hold onto something to make my fall stop. Thankfully some bushes and small trees are holding me off, blocking my body from rolling any further down and I gasp simultaneously in shock and in relief.

This was close.

Feeling quite queasy and dizzy I take a look around me in anticipation of a second attack. With the drumming sounds of my quick heart beats in my ears I can hear my friends calling after me. I know that they can't help me right now because of their own immediate dangerous situation.

I squeeze my eyes in pain, trying to get some distance between the female warrior and me as soon as she's landing before my feet with a heavy thud once again - the earth quake beneath us not bothering her in the slightest. Her armor must be special to withstand the trembling shocks, its design remembering me of a dragon.

This time I manage to avoid the impact of another deathly strike of her huge sword aimed at my chest and I teleport as far away from her as possible to catch my breath, clutching at my chest that has started to hurt like hell and it's intensifying the dizziness in my head.

What in the world has she done to me? This is not a normal injury.

I can feel her quickly approaching.

Shit. She's dangerous!

Groaning from pain I try to stand upright, summoning my strongest Phantom Sword that I have at my disposal to instantly block off another strong blow at me in time - damn, her skills speak of an immensely high battle experience. Experience that I still need to acquire for myself.

The force behind her attacks are pushing me further and further back into the wilderness, suddenly glad that my powers grand me the ability to see shapes beyond the human spectrum of light. Without this ability she would have defeated me long ago already. When she is pushing me even further back I start to pray that the ground below me is still intact - I'm not too keen to suddenly fall several miles deep down within the earth!

Her attacks are growing more and more aggressive and I curse inwardly, in my current condition I'm not able to fight back as quickly and efficiently as I normally would do, nor can I teleport myself farther away. While blocking off her hurried attacks I look around me for a quick escape. My eyes widen in trepidation when my attention goes to Titan's footsteps that suddenly hall louder than before around us, feeling his enormous presence getting much closer behind me. The heavy earthquake giving the short distance between us away, the shaking ground already making it hard for me to stand on my own feet.

And then I finally understand this womans intention!

Shit! I've been so engrossed in defending myself that I didn't realize that she is purposefully pushing me towards the Archean.

But why?

With her skills and my weak condition she could catch me easily all on her own ... only to let Titan kill me now?!

I thought with Niflheim monitoring us they would want to catch me alive?

What in all seven Heavens is their real agenda?

Once again I teleport my body a few feet away - sadly that's as far as I can get with my remaining energy - just in time when my tired muscles can't keep up with the heavy blows of her immensely huge weapon anymore. I breathe in greedily for fresh air, my chest hurting like hell and my whole body trembling with exhaustion.

What to do now?

I can see from here how my friends are desperately shouting my name, searching for me, their flash lights glowing in the darkness at some distance farther away. They run in my direction to catch up to me, a horde of leftover androids and airships following diligently their tails. I wish I could be by their side to protect everyone ...

The dragon woman seems to notice my distraction and is all of a sudden holding her sword upright in the air, slashing it down into the ground with force and the strength of her attack is pushing me even more backwards. The blown up air and dirt around us is blocking my vision and the pressure behind her skill forces me to teleport once more to move away from it, else it would crush my bones from all sides without mercy.

I don't even get the time to breathe properly, a sudden angry roar is making me jump in my skin, pain all forgotten when I become aware of Titan. The astral being is standing right behind me, his overwordly presence making me shake in fright. It usually would take a lot to make me afraid of something, but the Archeans power alone is downright awe inspiring! I feel my knees giving away from all the strain and I fall down on the ground, panting for breath as the dirt in the air is making its way into my nose and mouth - the dizziness now stronger than before.

The top of the dragon lady's sword is tickling the tip of my nose, surprising me, the sharp blade not even an inch away from slicing me apart and then I hear her shouting in a commanding voice: "Yield, Prince of Lucis. Come with me and your Kingdom shall be spared from destruction."

"Spared?" I snarl in a sarcastic way at her. "Don't make me laugh! What kind of a fool do you take me to be? King Aldercapt is famous for going back on his word as soon as he gets what he desires." As if I would ever let myself get caught by those lunatics!

This time I'm prepared for her next move, my perfectly timed dodge allowing me to teleport directly behind her, catching her offguard and pressing my Blood Sword against her throat, using this chance to drain some of her health to heal myself from the dizziness. I hiss at her: "Stop the Archean and the soldiers immediately and I will spare you from encountering death."

But instead of surrendering, she starts laughing softly at me. "You're brave, I like you. But I fear it's too late for us to stop this one." Then she looks up and my gaze is following her, both of our bodies taut with tension when Titan is about to crush us under his gigantic feet.

"What is he doing?! Aren't you a comrade of his?" I ask her, my mind working with high speed on which spot to teleport without ending up crushed. Damn it! If only my energy wouldn't be almost depleted!

She is leaning backwards on my body, letting her sword fall down onto the ground with a thud. As if she is suddenly realizing something important, she says in a hollow sounding voice: "Niflheim doesn't have a need for comrades."

Seriously, I don't know what exactly I'm thinking, or if I'm thinking at all, but instead of teleporting myself away, in a flash I push the female warrior to the far side to save her life, calling with all my might on the last bits of my energy to summon the Phantom Swords at my side and with the strongest sword out of them I turn my body around with as much strength as I can to parry the Archeans powerful thrust of feet with everything that I have. Crying out from pain, as the pain in my arms grows beyond any level that I ever had to endure up until now, I refuse to give in to my tired body needs and force myself over my limits to push Titan back at all costs.

"Noct!"

Just then I hear Prom's voice calling me from afar, giving me even more strength and reminding me again to stay alive! I don't want to lose my soul mate, I don't want to die and leave him behind! Not now when we've finally found each other again!

I pray to my father with all my might to survive this! I pray to the Phantom Swords that I need all their strength to surpass this Archeans power, needing their help! I need to survive this!

Titan's power is slowly crushing me into the ground, my trembling knees giving away any minute now and I'm baring my teeth in utter frustration at my weak self! I cry out an angry shout! Damn it!

This can't be the end!

There is still so much I need to do!

Not only my friends and family do need me! The people of this world depend on us to expose the truth and for us to cancel those damnable ancient contracts that keep corrupting the God of Life.

I can't give up now!

And as if they heard my prayer, all Phantom Swords disappear from my side to latch themselves on Titan, his huge feet halting in the air as they start drawing and leeching power out of his otherworldly essence and I feel my strength returning with vigor.

What ... what happened?! What is this?

I watch in quiet disbelief as all eight magical swords return to me, only to have them melt back into one huge unique and powerful sword into my hands.

Heaven, what a surprise! The rush of power in my veins feels absolutely incredible! It's the strangest feeling, while the vitality is traveling through every joint of my tired limbs. A feeling of being drunk but entirely aware and awake at the same time.

Thanking the Phantom Swords profusely for their much needed help, with another turn of my body around I hold tightly onto my newly formed magical sword and then strike the blade at Titans feet once more and this time with all the vital force inside of me. While the sword isn't able to slash through the material of his feet, the impact is still strong enough to overcome his thrusting leg and I push the entire Astral Shard backwards, making the gigantic earth elemental stumble and fall down on his mighty behind!

With heavy breaths I watch the colossal being stumbling awkwardly on the ground, everything around me heavily shaking with the force of his fall and with a resolved cry I jump high up, teleporting myself on Titans upper body to thrust the Phantom Sword straight into his chest, aiming for his heart.

As soon as the sword is cutting through and is touching the insides of his beating heart, I can hear Titans voice reverberating inside my mind.

"Wait, mortal being." he says with a rasp sounding voice.

The force of his heavy breaths move the hair away from my face as my head turns with speed to look at him.

My overpowered body is shaking with the need for any kind of release, be it a release of a won battle or a release in form of a sexual intimate embrace. But my shock at hearing the Archean talk to me is making me forget to get embarrassed at finding myself sexually aroused and stimulated thanks to my Phantom Swords and their mighty influence over me.

"Mortal being, of the ancient House of Lucis, I do remember you now."

I glance up to take in Titans whole face, turning my body sideways to have a better look into his uninjured eye that is staring right at me with a sudden clarity.

To make sure that I have the upper hand at all times I'm careful not to pull out my sword from his chest prematurely. Not until he is either dead or ... or what exactly?

"You remember me?" I ask somewhat stupidly, not really knowing what's going on and feeling as if I've been once in a similar situation.

"Yes. You kept your promise to me, mortal being."

I blink inwardly in puzzlement.

But instead of explaining everything, Titan is showing me mentally his memories of our last meeting.

Various images of a vicious battle appear, as my ancestors and me fought against the Archeans at that time. And then I see how my past self managed to defeat Titan and make a new contract out of his free will to join the Knights of Etro.

Feeling utterly baffled at the revelation, I stare speechlessly at the powerful being under me. "What happened to you after my past self died?"

The Archean is sighing. "The Wise ones, they have forced me to obey their commands. They did ... horrible deeds to take control over my spirit. Your past self managed to purge my initial instinct to destroy. I've been on the path that you mortals call as 'self-serving' or 'service to self'. After I met you, I chose out of my own free will to become a being who is serving others like yourself, because your unusual thirst for life and creativity has set my heart free from suffering. My heart wanted to experience the same joy of life as you did, I wanted to be a part of your own growth. For me to be able to do that, I became the earth element to fuel the power residing inside of you."

Completely dumb-struck I sit myself down on the Archeans chest to think over what he just revealed to me.

"Since then I've always been a part of you. Until the day when The Wise ones have forcefully kept me apart from merging with the power of your past selves. But in the end, you kept your promise and came for me. I'm now ready to merge with you once more, mortal being."

"Noctis." I say.

"Noctis.", the Archean repeats as if testing the syllables on his heavy tongue.

And as if something has just been tickling my memories out of an ancient past, I start to remember how I once thrust my sword into the Archeans heart to absorb his essence inside of me.

Wait, that means that my initial reaction to do it wasn't because I wanted to kill him - that attempt would have been foolish in the first place, because as an astral being he is immortal. But then, touching the center of his heart would resonate with my own intentions, with my own will - as the one who defeated him in battle once and won over his ultimate loyality.

I turn to face him again, smiling and feeling like I found a lost friend once again.

Then I say to him full of confidence, not knowing where this is suddenly coming from: "Titan, let's find all ancient contracts and destroy them together."

The Archean is sending me a wide mental smirk. "I see, you haven't changed, Noctis."

I smirk back at him in answer.

Then I stand up to complete what I was set to do before he interrupted me. When I see the Archean nodding his consent, I push the blade of the Phantom Sword fully inside his beating heart and in an instant the whole mass of his astral body is being absorbed inside the magical sword between my hands. The grip becomes so hot that it starts hurting to hold the burning sword in place until it does absorb every last spark of the astral shard straight into my body cells.

Oh hell ... I'm so deeply aroused and out of my mind from everything, all the power too intense, that I cry out in agony when I feel the alien force inside of me taking a hold over my body to ground me.

I'm grateful. Without him taking control I would probably lose my mind, not knowing how to handle everything.

This time I can only watch as my body jumps down from the dull astral shard onto the ground. I see myself running forward to reach my friends in time, summoning forth Titan, for him to help us get rid of all Niflheim soldiers and their respective airships that are still hovering high up into the night sky.

At once I feel the earth elemental being's enormous body drumming under my feet as I steadily run forward, his huge hands and arms breaking out first from below and ripping two long gashes through the ground. They reach out for my friends to lift all of us up to safety upon his shoulders as soon as his upper body is fully visible over the ground. Hiis legs start melting to become one with the soil around him and the earth under all Niflheim soldiers starts tearing apart until each and everyone is falling and being ensnared right into the dark open gashes - and with a heavy trembling sound the gashes close, crushing the androids as if they were mere flies under the pressure, their artificial bodies never going to see the daylight ever again.

Just then Titan is jumping from the ground high up into the sky and with a thunderous clap of his huge hands the whole ground under him starts shaking once more, this time tearing up into several open, red glowing gashes - their form remind me of ancient runes - and then huge lava fountains are gushing out from deep inside the earth. The liquified magma forcefully shooting up and coating all Niflheim airships, dragging and melting them back to the place where the lava came from, until the runes dance a few times in circles as the ground rearranges itself back to normal - not even a stone looking out of place.

With one last look around him, the Archean is helping us down to the safe ground and with a confident smirk he is disappearing, merging back inside of me and making me pleasantly shiver.

So this is what it feels like to have an astral companion fully merged inside of you.

Only then do I feel the alien power letting go of his tight grip on me, allowing me to gain full control over my body once again and I crumble down in front of my friends - completely worn out.

Prom is already rushing to me. "Noct! Oh my God, are you alright?" His trembling arms are embracing me tenderly while he is giving Ignis some room for him to check up on me of any deep or lasting injuries.

"Holy shit!" I hear Gladio yell in shock. "Noct, what was that? Titan is now on our side?! Amazing!"

"Incredible ... " - is the only thing Ignis can utter after he finished his careful inspection. All of us look at each other with awe written all over our faces.

We now have Titan as an ally.

How crazy is that?

Not even an hour ago would we have believed that something like this would have been possible to achieve.

Prom then is fully pouncing on me, knocking my breath out when he is pushing me on my back and starting to kiss me hotly, his frantic movements full of desperation and elation. In between the passionate ignited kisses he mutters: "For a moment I thought we've lost you ... Noct, I was so afraid and worried and ... heaven, to make it short: I love you so much!" I don't even get to reply, his lips now back and fully pressed on mine, making me pleasantly shiver - the previous arousal is still fresh in my mind and groin and tickling at my insides. And in a flash I do remember my reward, for a whole week Prom and I get to spend our nights alone, uninterrupted in blessed togetherness. Having Prom's body in my arms is making me groan out into his mouth in delight, my inner force and I welcoming his tongue eagerly, despite the utter tiredness and I pull his body as tightly as I can to me, to feel his warmth everywhere on my over-fatigued limbs that tangle with his somewhat clumsily to find a comfortable position.

I don't give a damn about the world around us at the moment - as utterly exhausted as I feel right now. All I want at this moment is some peace and quiet, some precious time alone with Prom full of slow burning pleasures and a hot bath and a full night having a restful sleep while holding my soul mate safely inside my arms ...

"Noct! Prompto! Watch out!"

But of course, my life seems to be much more complicated than my own naive wishful thinking to be left alone with my beloved.

Just when Prom is lifting his head to properly look at what's wrong, huge explosions go off in our immediate proximity. A quick glance further back is telling us that Ignis and Gladio went far ahead already to leave both of us alone for some private time.

"Noct, look!" Prom is pointing his finger into the sky.

When we look upwards, to the source of those explosives, we curse simultaneously with incredulity colouring our voices: "Oh shit!"

Niflheim is back! And this time they aren't joking around anymore. Hundreds of airships are arriving and from them several magic infused granates are being thrown off, detonating whenever they hit the ground into green flames. Their intent now clear: to kill me.

Boy, don't I feel special today!

"This way!" Prom is jumping up and pulling me after him, my hand held tightly into his own, but my feet feel too sluggish to keep up with his hurried running steps.

"Hurry up!"

Hurry up, he says. Easier said than done!

First fighting the sabertusk colony, then fighting the mighty Deadeye, the horde of Magiteck soldiers, then the nice dragon lady inbetween and the Archean Titan - AND now THIS?!

Come on!

God damn it all to hell! I'm tired! I'm beyond exhausted! When do I get some peace to finally rest?!

Did we jump suddenly overnight into some kind of a stupid horror survival game or what?!

Prom keeps pulling me after him, careful so that we don't stumble over the uneven terrain under our feet, but his shaking hand against mine is revealing to me how terrified he truly is.

Knowing how serious our situation is now, especially both of us being separated from Ignis and Gladio, we run as quickly as our feet can take us, both aware that the airships are much faster and could catch up with us any time now.

And as I expected, then it happens.

A granate is falling down right above us and we are too slow to evade its fall.

With a quick move, that I never thought Prom to be capable of to pull, he is aiming his gun upwards and shooting a time stopping bullet straight at the granate before it gets to detonate.

Time also seems to stop for us, or this is just my tunel vision created by my fearful state of mind, because all of a sudden he is shoving me far away and I fall down backwards a few feet away. I didn't want to let go of his hand, the staggering fear now gripping at my furiously beating heart.

Right then I can only watch him turning his head to face me and shout: "I'll protect you! Run to safety! Run!"

His words are calling forth such a deep terror clawing at my stomach, feeling myself becoming sick when I remember the exact same scene happening inside of my past dreams!

This always has been the moment, when I woke up drenched in sweat and crying afterwards for the one I love the deepest.

I now know what is going to happen.

Today I know what these dreams were trying to tell me.

They were glimpses of my future - and I failed to change their outcome.

Then everything happens all at once.

The time stopping bubble is disappearing, the granate now surrendering to gravitation and continuing to take its course towards its set target.

I cry out Prom's name in horror, my whole being too terrified, not prepared at all to watch him die before my eyes. Being too weak, any attempts to teleport myself to his side and to push him away are failing.

No! Please! My most horrible nightmare is about to come true!

Prom is smiling reassuringly at me, his handsome eyes not leaving my face as they eagerly watch me for the last time and then he is forming with his lips silently 'I love you' as a tear starts falling down on his cheeks ...

NO! This isn't the end!

"Prom!"

I make a final attempt to try to stand up, summoning any spark of magic left inside of me to spell Aqua over the fire, just when the detonation is taking place, but the heat of its impact is injuring my face severely and I roll my body backwards away from the blazing flames.

"NO! Prom!"

Again I try to throw a water spell in the flames direction, but nothing happens.

Oh God ... please no ...

"Prom!"

This cannot be happening!

Angry and frightful tears are blurring my vision as I crawl around the blazing fire, being careful not to inhale any smoke.

"Answer me! PROM!"

Please. Please don't take him away from me! Not now! Not ever!

The salty tears are hurting the scorched skin on my cheeks, making the raw flesh under them sting and burn and I welcome the pain as I watch helplessly the flickering flames dancing over the ground as if taunting me.

After the green coloured flames die down, at least so far that I can see the burned ground underneath them, I cry out in anguish at the sudden loss of another important person in my life.

Prom has completely disappeared.

Niflheims deathly weapon has managed to erase even his bones and ashes from this world.

And it should have been me, instead of him.

I fall down on my knees and punch the ground in growing rage.

First my father.

Now Prom.

How dare they-

Just then a heavy net of steel ropes is thrown over me and it's startling me out of my blinding frenzy to seek revenge. The magical charged ropes are molding around me and instantly numbing my body into submission. I feel myself getting disoriented and sleepy.

Several human soldiers are landing on the ground, their heavy boots making strange noises as they walk over the ropes and then grab at my shoulders to heave me forcefully up.

The last thing that I can hear, before I shake the enemies off in a futile attempt to teleport my body outside of the net, are the distant voices of Ignis and Gladio calling our names full of fear ...

...

To be continued.