MORE TIME SKIPS! Well, this one won't be as long, but there's definitely a time skip here. We'll get to meet several important characters for later in this chapter, including Gladiolus, Ignis, and King Regis. Basically, we're starting to set up the story now, at least with some introductions.
This story is going to have a whole bunch of OC's in it, mostly because of the nature of the AU I'm planning on having. Also, I am definitely planning on having other stories in a series of this. If that confuses you, don't worry. We'll all be confused when we get there.
Chapter Three: Fight Within
Prompto was far too aware of the hand that was gripping his leg too tightly. Every bump the car went over in the road made Noctis wince again and grip the tiny boy's leg tighter. Even so, Prompto didn't make a single noise in complaint or visibly respond to it. When Noctis closed his eyes and shuddered, Prompto finally allowed himself to wince, which drew Cor's attention from the movement alone. He glanced back, noticing the reason for Prompto's pain, and admiration flashed in his eyes as Noctis looked up at him again.
"Your highness," Cor said simply. "perhaps you should move your hand. You're going to bruise Prompto's leg at this rate."
Noctis looked down in surprise, finally seeming to notice the pressure he had applied to his friend's leg. He quickly pulled his hand away before he did any more damage, guilt flashing on his face suddenly as he noticed the bruise already forming past the edge of his shorts. Prompto noticed how nervous the driver once again looked though he continued on route as he was asked. Cor on the other hand, was watching Prompto quietly, as if trying to read his reaction.
"Why didn't you say something?" Noctis asked. "Are you okay?" Prompto just shrugged.
"I've had worse injuries," he said. "I used to work with Hunters."
"With Hunters?" Cor asked, far more interested now.
"Yeah," Prompto replied. "I couldn't do much. Too small. But I'd work with groups and help those who got lost. I could only help at night at the time, but I've had worse injuries."
Cor's brow raised again, but he turned back towards the front of the car, deciding to spend the last of the ride in silence. Noctis still looked unhappy, but he seemed to accept Prompto's words and didn't seem to think that he was going to lie to him. It was obvious however that he still felt bad for it, but spent a few long minutes of the ride quietly staring out the window, as if he couldn't bring himself to look at his friend sitting next to him in the back seat.
Prompto's attention was quickly diverted however by the large gates and imposing walls that were opening up to allow the car inside. A dome like wall rose high overhead, nearly invisible to his eyes and so most likely not seen by human eyes, blue in color and made of individual disks that helped to protect the city under its wings. This was the Crown City of Insomnia, Noctis's home. And honestly, Prompto was unsure if he was ready to face the people within.
Fascinated as he was by the buildings flashing past and the various shops and such, he slid down in the seat a little, refusing to look out the window anymore and focusing instead at his feet, as if finding the human like appendages far more interesting than he did anymore. He'd had them for a while now and had gotten quite used to them, but it didn't mean that he was at ease in the situation he'd found himself in. Noctis quickly noticed his friend's distress, and offered him a calming smile. Prompto just barely managed one back.
Maybe Noctis thought that he was afraid of being in such a large city, but it honestly was smaller than the citadel that had made up the capital city of the Empire. That being his only experience with large cities however certainly hadn't made it any easier to convince himself to come here. Still, if there was one person here he'd trust, it would be Noctis. He said it was fine, so he was going to trust him and follow him here, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. Still, the car pulled to a stop far sooner than the young MT would have liked.
Cor was the first out of the car, stepping out and motioning the Crown's Guard to push back the various press members and make way for the king. Prompto chanced to look up at the man, who was everything he had probably expected from the king of a place like Insomnia. He was tall and regal, standing with a strong build and a firm hand. His gaze was resting on the black car, but not for his son. He could see the man's cobalt eyes searching for any sign of the creature that the Oracle herself had recommended come with her son. His hair was combed back over his head a dark black color that was slowly fading to gray.
There was strength in him yet, but Prompto's daemon instincts had nearly instantly kicked in. He could see that the king was weakening, though from the strain of what, he wasn't sure. He wore all black with golden chains and beautifully stitched garments. On his hand was a black ring, that to the young creature's eyes seemed to glow in the same pale light that made up the barrier overhead. Whatever it was, it spoke of power. Yet, as the king's eyes finally landed on Prompto they seemed to soften just slightly. Kindness? For him? Prompto slowly slid up out of the seat again, peering more fully at the man who now had his attention.
Cor opened the door for Noctis, nodding to Prompto as well. Everything was largely silent as imposing figures covered the path, pushing the press and curious on lookers back as well as watching the car. No, watching him would be more accurate. His gaze was drawn to the back of the young Prince however as he stood, obviously struggling a little but trying to make it seem as though he was fine. Prompto winced a little as the cheer outside reached his sensitive ears, now that people could see that their prince was finally able to stand again, some calling it a miracle of the Oracle. The Prince turned back to the car however, and motioned the pup to follow him.
Prompto paused, his eyes darting around the large crowd. The last time he had been near so many people...well it hadn't ended well. He was loathe to get out now and be in the middle of the spot light. However he was aware he couldn't hide, and even though he sensed danger all around his prince was beckoning him. He trusted Noctis with his own life. Carefully he scooted over and followed Noctis back out into the street, painfully aware of the sudden silence that had fallen over the crowd, the way the guards were watching him as if he was going to become a raging monster in an instant. Cor motioned one nervous man wearing the black uniform back while shaking his head. Prompto kept his eyes on the ground in front of him.
Prompto could almost swear he heard the light breeze that was blowing through the area and the people around him breathing as everyone seemed to size him up. Someone was making their way over to him, looking down at him. They stopped in front of him, just watching. Feeling eyes on his forehead, but not unkind ones, he finally rose his gaze until he found himself looking right into the eyes of Noctis's father, King Regis. This act seemed to anger several members of the royal guard, though Cor's menacing gaze was keeping them back. For a long while, nothing happened.
"Show me what you are," the king said simply. It was an order, but a quiet and kind one, as if knowing that the pup might spook.
Prompto found himself unable to ignore the man's orders as much as he was unable to ignore Noctis's requests. Nearly immediately he instinctively changed his body's structure, falling to all fours and morphing into the creature that had once been his daemon form. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant looking transformation, though it perhaps gave people the impression of being painful because of the winces he caught several people giving him out of the corner of his eyes. Standing to his full height, the Thunderdog silently looked up at the king of Insomnia.
However, seeing the dangerous daemon now standing in the middle of their city, several protests began to ring out, making Prompto tense. It wasn't to fight, no he'd rather run away without hurting anyone. Despite the cruel was people had treated him upon seeing what he was, he was still fond of humanity and didn't want to hurt anyone. Not that they knew this. Mothers pulled their children to the safety of their arms, fathers stepped forward to protect their family. The king held up a hand, and silence once again fell.
"There's no reason to be afraid of this pup," Cor called in his loud and commanding voice, making several people, including Prompto, jump. "The Oracle herself has deemed him a worthy companion to our Prince. In fact, I saw myself the reason for this. Instead of being full of darkness like others of his kind, he is full of light, which reacted powerfully with the Oracle's own. If he was any danger to us at all, do you truly believe she would have allowed him safe passage?"
His words seemed to spark some sort of conversation, which began to spread slowly towards the young pup as he stood there, listening. Most were disbelieving, others discussing what it could mean. Most were stubbornly silent or shocked. Even the Crown's Guard started to shift uneasily on their feet, looking at one another or towards Cor, who continued to glare at them, as if challenging them. The king however is what held Prompto's gaze.
His eyes looked sad as he watched his son step protectively closer to the pup, even (to the crowd's unease), laying a hand on his neck. Then his eyes turned to Prompto, and he saw the same sadness directed at him. Why was he looking at him like that? The eyes of the MT told Prompto that he knew something. He never missed a single detail, so he was relatively sure he could trust his own eyes. Then, to his surprise, the King raised his hand over the pup's nose, drawing silence again.
"Show me this power then," he told the pup quietly.
Prompto blinked, unsure how to do that. He'd only ever been able to do it the few times Luna had called the power forth for him. Nervously he nodded, knowing that everyone was watching him and waiting for him to do something. He closed his eyes, concentrating on what had happened when Luna had called forth his so called power, reaching for that warmth and softness within himself. Inspiration took him, and he reached his nose up, touching the king's hand, and the cold metal of the ring that sat on his hand.
The king stiffened slightly, not enough to be noticed by anyone but perhaps Cor or any eagle eyed observers, but he didn't pull away from the pup. Reaching far into his own mind, Prompto found the light he was looking for and gently seized it in his jaws, becoming immediately aware of the light that the king and the ring itself held within themselves. The king's eyes turned to the pup in surprise when he felt his mind, and Prompto nearly shied away from him, but the king's gentle mind coaxed him to finish whatever it was he had been doing. Curiously, the pup reached out and touched the light within the ring, noticing that it was connected to something of pure light.
A stone? No, perhaps a crystal was more correct. It felt ancient, full of power far beyond his own, and he could sense that it had...almost a consciousness of its own. It tensed, as if to attack the intruder, before seeming to become curious and flashing forward suddenly. Now Prompto visibly tensed as the crystal combed through his mind in a matter of seconds, looking at all of his memories. Then it was gone in a flash, seemingly content with what it had found. Its light latched onto his own, gently siphoning some of the power away.
It didn't leave him weak, but he could definitely feel it pulling on his strength. He might have been more nervous, if not for the king's assurances and the light's playful twirling, as if happy to be united with the crystal. He reasoned silently that it was most likely not unlike the strength he had when running. While it may leave him weak, unless he pushed himself past his own breaking point it would most likely be no threat to him and return with rest.
He opened his eyes, looking up towards the barrier above him, feeling the crystal moving his own energy towards that very purpose. The king's eyes followed him up, and soon both Noctis and Cor had turned their attention upwards as well, looking for what had grabbed their attention. The ring, just above Prompto's nose, flashed suddenly, before the sound of thunder rent the air. Above them, the barrier that protected the city looked as though white hot lightning sparked over it.
As the lightning reached the farthest walls, the barrier itself glowed a bright yellow, not unlike the color that Prompto's fur was. A surprised cry went up from the crowd as they looked up towards the sky, watching the proud display above their heads as the gentle light of the king met the wild light of the daemon, creating a beautiful show. From beside him, he heard Cor let out a hum of appreciation and Noctis gasp in wonder.
As soon as it had come, it was gone, and the pup took a step back from the king, releasing his hold on the light within him and ending his connection to the king. The crystal seemed to hold onto him curiously for a long moment more, watching him, before retreating as well. King Regis smiled at the pup, nodding his head to him before turning back to the crowd. Noctis patted the pup's neck, which calmed some of his nerves. It was obvious by the glares he was still receiving from many people in the crowd however, that many still expected some sort of trick.
"Rest assured," the king spoke, calming the outright rage of his people at least. "this creature is no danger to us. Even the Crystal of Lucis has accepted his presence here among us, which is why the barrier has reacted in such a way. He will continue to live among us." Lowering his voice, he turned back towards the pup and his son. "Come."
He turned and began walking inside of the palace, its marble steps and beautiful carvings no longer giving Prompto reason to pause. Noctis flashed his friend a grin before grimacing and taking a step forward, leaving his hand on the pup's neck. Prompto immediately followed, as he'd done countless times before, allowing the Prince to press more of his weight into his side if he so needed or desired to. He didn't, but it was clear that the familiar gesture reassured the prince if the way his hand tightened against his fur was anything to go off of.
The two followed the king into the palace, though Noctis seemed to struggle a little with the stairs. Thinking of the light that Luna had given Noctis before to help him heal, he sent his own light through the physical connection they had. For a moment, he touched Noctis's mind, and was surprised by the utterly brilliant light that he found there. As the contact faded when Prompto pulled away quickly however, the light had seemed to do its work because Noctis grimaced and leaned heavily into Prompto, but made it up the stairs without the offered aid of the Crown's Guard.
Prompto worried however of trying to make it up anymore stairs, and was relieved to find that the palace was about as modern as it could get, allowing for them to step into an elevator. Looking tired and leaning more heavily into Prompto's side, but with his face set into a scowl, Noctis continued to follow his father through long hallways. Finally, reaching one of the uppermost floors, they found the throne room. Here, even Prompto paused to look up at the majestically carved stone. Stairways flowed on either side, and reliefs were carved into the sides of it. Paintings of the gods decorated the walls, making Prompto feel small under their unseeing eyes. After collecting his thoughts however, he followed Noctis as he stepped forward and the king paused, turning to them. Cor, just behind, paused a few feet away, and Prompt could feel his eyes boring into his back.
"Welcome," the King said kindly. "to Insomnia. While you are welcome to live in the city, I cannot assure your safety. There are many who are not too fond of daemons, and with good reason."
"I understand," Prompto replied quietly, not seeming to surprise the king.
"Indeed," he replied, glancing at his son, and then back at the pup. "I must thank you for helping my son, as well as the Oracle. I was informed that your presence seemed to greatly improve his health, mentally as well. Things have...not been the same since the death of my queen and Noctis's mother." Prompt saw Noctis's eyes fall at this mention.
"Your majesty," Cor interjected suddenly, almost making Prompto jump in surprise at his sudden voice. "If I may...perhaps it would be in our best interest not the separate the two. As you said, Prompto has an ability unlike any other. If you were to fall perhaps he could..." The king's eyes looked thoughtful, but also sad as he thought about it.
"Perhaps..." the king began reluctantly. "you may be right. The crystal takes a toll on us, and with two that the crystal may share power with it might relieve some of the burden. And Noctis seems rather fond of him. Very well. Prompto, was it? Guard my son well. Within these walls you will be protected from the populace's wrath."
At this verdict, Noctis seemed to forget some of his exhaustion, and his eyes lit up happily at the news that his friend could stay with him as he had originally thought. Prompto had to admit that he was stunned by the strange events, and if his tail would have been long enough it might have been wagging. As it was, his ears flicked forward at the news, and Noctis managed to stand a little on his own again, as if hearing his father saying those words had rejuvenated him a little bit and given him a bit of peace of mind. The king's eyes were sad again as he continued to look at the young MT, though there was a strange sense of hope there as well.
"That's not why you want me here, is it?" Prompto couldn't help but ask. The king's eyes flashed, but he smiled.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "Noctis why don't you show Prompto where he'll be staying. The two of you can share a room, if you'd like. I'm sure you'll be able to get comfortable enough with less space."
"Come on, Prompt," Noctis called happily, tugging on Prompto's fur and trying to get him to turn.
Knowing that the Prince wouldn't make it far now without his help again, he turned slowly to make sure he wouldn't fall and let him use him as a living crutch again as he made his way forward. Prompto carefully measured his pace so the Prince would have a smooth a time as possible and wouldn't farther injure his back, but his naturally smooth gait helped that as well. As they stepped out of the room, he heard the king mutter something behind him.
"Observant little thing, isn't he?"
"Perhaps too much so, your majesty."
A frown touched Prompto's face, but he dutifully followed his young Prince to the elevator again. Pressing a button, Noctis took them down a few floors to where the royal family and various close members of the court lived. As the elevator began to slow, he was aware of the bustle of conversation and activity on this floor, his ears already flicking against the noise. As Prompto stepped out of the elevator, the Prince still leaning into him, he was aware of the silence.
The only thing he heard was doors slamming as people rushed away to hide from his sight, and the angry or disbelieving mutterings that came with them until the hallway had mostly cleared. Noctis was frowning, looking over the now almost completely deserted hallway. His eyes brightened when he caught sight of two people older than both of them standing in the hallway, though they immediately darkened again when he saw that the bigger one was glaring at Prompto and the other looked calculating and brooding. Prompto looked up to take in the two of them, wondering how they seemed to know Noctis but knowing he was about to find out.
One was big for his age, as if he spent all of his time working out and trying to get tough. Various scars covered his arms, which were crossed over his chest. He was by no means massive yet, but Prompto could tell that with enough time and the same routine, he would soon grow to be a rather intimidating looking man. He had long dark brown hair, combed back out of his face, and brooding brown eyes. He continued to glare at Prompto.
The other had glasses, which he had pushed up the bridge of his nose as if doing so would give him more of an idea how Prompto was actually going to act. He had sandy brown hair, which was styled up over his head, much unlike the mop of hair that Prompto usually kept cut around his chin. His eyes were a reddish brown color, like the fire the pup saw burning in his eyes. It was a different kind of fire than the other, since he was small and thin, but a fire all the same.
"Noct," the big one warned. "Step away from that thing, its dangerous."
"He is a MT," the second continued in a strange accent Prompto had never heard before. "which means he is unpredictable. The daemon he was obviously born from is even more so."
"I don't think I will," Noctis growled dangerously in a way that made Prompto immediately bristle at the sound his friend had made. This seemed to put the other two boys on edge. "Gladiolus, Ignis, move."
The two seemed to flinch at the use of their names. Obviously, Noctis was one who liked to give out shortened versions of their names as nicknames. These two were unaccustomed to the young prince, who they were obviously fairly close to, calling them by their formal names instead of their nicknames. They seemed unsure if they should follow the order they had just been given, fighting with two warring instincts; keeping their friend safe from the perceived danger or following their prince's orders. Noctis glared at them.
"Listen, Noct," the bigger one began again. "We just don't want you to get hurt."
"And?" Noctis snapped. "Father already said it was fine."
"The king may have said that," Ignis tried. "However reason shows that this is an unstable being with the ability to-"
"MOVE."
Flinching at the raw anger in their friend's voice, the two finally stepped aside as they had been commanded, turning to glare at the floor instead. Sensing the tension in the atmosphere around them, Prompto couldn't help but continue to bristle as Noctis stepped froward. Still leaning heavily into the creature's shoulder, he didn't say a word as he passed the two of them by and managed to make it to the end of the long hall, where his room was.
The room was large enough to house about six people if Noctis had really decided to, and a bed was set up at the end, along with a desk of some kind and a long row of bookshelves and a char and couch for reading. Prompto really didn't see an issue with the room, though there was only one bed in it. He'd be fine sleeping by the large picture window that showed the royal gardens and the grounds below. Besides, he wouldn't feel safe without doing so. What if someone tried to sneak in that way and hurt Noctis?
"Nice place," Prompto said genuinely as he looked around.
"Yeah," Noctis growled as he let go of Prompto and gingerly lowered himself down on the edge of the bed.
Prompto's ears flicked forward as he saw the prince's sour mood. Noctis didn't even look up at him, instead patting the bed next to him. Prompto immediately stood and joined his friend's side, sitting down facing him so the prince, who wasn't looking, wouldn't cut his hand on the sharp blades on his shoulders. Noctis, frowning, began petting the Thunderdog's face.
"Does it really bother you that much?" Prompto asked with a sigh. "Its not like it matters. People have always been scared of me. I'm used-"
"Well you shouldn't have to be," Noctis snapped, then paused. "Sorry. I just...I don't understand why though."
"Maybe because the only version of me you've seen is a cuddly puppy," Prompto joked. This had the desired effect, making Noctis chuckle. Prompto soon became more serious. "But its not like that for most people. My kind were nearly hunted to extinction because people were afraid of them, and for good reason. We're not that strong, but we can use lightning magic and work in large packs. Some of those people might have even seen friends and family killed by Thunderdogs."
"Then why aren't you like that?" Noctis asked, eying his friend.
"I was raised by humans," Prompto shrugged. "and abandoned by my pack, remember? My personality doesn't really seem to fit either. Maybe the gods planned all this. Who knows?"
Noctis thoughtfully leaned back, wincing as his wore back gave him another pang. He finally seemed content to accept the answer that Prompto had given him, though he obviously wasn't happy about what his two friends in the hallway had said. Prompto's ears flicked before he returned to his human form and sat down on the bed next to Noctis, just watching birds flit past the window opposite of them. For a while, no one spoke, until Prompto finally turned back to his friend.
"Is that all that's bothering you?" he asked.
"Its just," Noctis said with a sigh. "I don't want them to treat you like that. Iggy's smarter than that. I know Gladdio's kind of the muscle but...I didn't want you meet them like that, is all. Well, I guess you did. The smaller one's Ignis and the bigger one's Gladdio." He scowled. "But I'm not sure we'll be friends after that."
"Don't ignore them for me," Prompto quickly said. "They were only trying to be good friends. I'm not exactly the best candidate for friendship." Noctis opened his mouth to speak but Prompto cut him off. "I KNOW you know that, and that you know me. But they don't. So give them a chance to get to know me. All right?" Noctis frowned.
"Fine," he growled. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, obviously trusting his friend to keep watch. As much as that touched him, Prompto couldn't help but chuckle at him.
"You shouldn't nap now," he scolded playfully. "You'll end up getting into the habit."
"Shut up," came the mumbled reply.
The exhausted prince was nearly immediately asleep afterward, making Prompto chuckle yet again. Standing, he carefully turned the prince so he was resting on his side and laying the correct direction on the bed. Then he pulled his shoes off, setting them carefully on the ground next to him and changing into his demon form. Curling up on the ground in front of the bed, he closed his eyes in preparation to taking a nap himself. He couldn't help it that his instinct was still to be nocturnal, or that he needed very little sleep to function at a high level.
It was a strange new world he'd ended up in, but he was willing to walk this path. Besides, it was already a little late to turn back, even if he'd wanted to.
Little bit of foreshadowing there? Yep. Part of the reason Noctis likes to take so many naps is because he doesn't like to leave Prompto awake at night all the time. So he developed some bad sleeping habits because of his nocturnal friend. Or at least, that's why its like this in this fan fiction.
Thanks again for all the reviews and support you guys have already been giving me. While I probably won't continue updating a chapter a day all the time, I really like this story so far and enjoy writing it.
