Hello All! Well, I had wanted to get this out last weekend, but I just never seem to have enough time! So, I'll do it now. Enjoy!
PS. Thank you for all the kind comments and support. You all rock and totally keep me motivated!
Where am I?
Everything was hazy and disjointed.
Throngs of people pelted past Prompto. A heavy vibration of joy and entertainment hung in the air. This place though, it wasn't familiar. There were brightly colored posters and banners and people in costume. Everything was vibrant and bubbling with movement and sound, so much so that Prompto felt overwhelmed and elated all at once.
He scanned the crowded room, relieved to find Noctis by his side, and suddenly he knew where they were.
It was the Darkhouse Comic Expo!
A fleeting burst of disbelief swept through him. There was a reason he wasn't supposed to be here, right? Something had happened… This couldn't be real.
And then that thought dissipated, lost amid the swirl of super heroes, costumes and celebrity guests.
Prompto easily followed Noctis through the crowds, laughing and joking with the Prince as they stopped at various booths.
Then, Ignis and Gladio appeared – seemingly materializing out of nowhere, and Prompto didn't think to question it, to wonder or nitpick over this turn of events.
Together, the little group moved through the expo. There was so much to see, and Prompto felt himself enveloped in happiness.
Gradually, the swirl of brilliant colors all around him seemed to dim, and Prompto's surroundings were suddenly swathed in a sickly, pale green hue.
No, not this…not this…please…not this…
Prompto halted as a bloom of fear overtook him. He knew this somehow. The color…it meant something bad…but, he couldn't remember exactly.
All sound disappeared, so that he was in a vacuum of silence. No one in the crowded room seemed to notice though. They all kept shopping and laughing and talking, leaving Prompto to stand, gaping at the silence and wretched green light that engulfed them all.
He turned to the guys, instantly realizing Gladio was gone. Neither Noct nor Ignis seemed to have noticed, and when Prompto tried to tell them, his voice was lost amid the devastating silence.
Prompto desperately scanned the crowd, looking for the Shield, but Gladio was nowhere to be seen. Turning his gaze back to his other two friends, Prompto soon realized that Ignis had vanished as well.
Only Noctis remained. He looked happy, flashing a brilliant smile Prompto's way, but, as the lights flickered, in the span of those seconds of darkness, the Prince vanished as well.
Prompto felt his heartbeat flutter, his stomach twist and writhe as utter panic set in.
Another flicker of the lights and all the crowds vanished.
Alone, Prompto took in a shaky breath, gaze darting around the vast room, hoping to find one other living soul, but there was no one.
Then, everything went dark, and he couldn't move. He was lying down, trapped somewhere, cold, dark walls looming all around. It was hard to breath. There wasn't enough room. His body ached, wanting to stretch, to move, but he couldn't.
A lingering chill set upon him and he could hear the faint cries of children. Were they children? He thought so, but they sounded so feral, so…unnatural…
The sounds grew louder, more desperate, closer. He whimpered, wanting so badly for the chorus of screams and cries to stop.
Why was this happening?
Prompto woke to screaming – his own screaming.
Heart racing, he sat up, panting, trying to get some bearings on his whereabouts, but before he could, he was suddenly enveloped in warmth. He clung to that warmth, holding it tightly, afraid it might disappear otherwise.
A gentle hushing sound emitting from somewhere near his right ear, and he pressed closer, eager to be near the soothing noise. It was so much better than those screams…what had been happening to those children? It was…it was just a dream…right?
Prompto realized that he was crying. Streams of hot tears were rolling down his cheeks. He sniffled and rubbed his face against the warmth holding him, only to realize it was Ignis.
He drew back a little, embarrassed, but Ignis' only reaction was to help gently settle Prompto back down into the bed. A warm hand rested briefly on Prompto's forehead. He knew he felt clammy, a cold sweat dampening his skin. This was just what the nightmares did to him. It would pass, but, of course, he didn't want to explain to the guys that this was normal.
What would they think of him being scared of dreams? He was too old for that, right?
Prompto scanned the room, seeing Gladio pacing, talking in low, hurried tones on his phone. On the couch across the room, Noctis sat up, wide-eyed and staring at Prompto from a mess of blankets. Obviously, the Prince had been dozing as well.
"It's okay, Prompto. Gladio is talking to Doctor Sharah. " Ignis offered softly. "She's on her way right now."
Oh Six, they think I'm having a bad reaction to the potion…
Prompto blinked up at the Advisor, wanting to speak up, to tell the man that he was okay, that it had just been a bad dream. Honestly, besides the slowly dissipating swell of fear and anxiety, he felt fine.
Before he could say anything though, Sharah burst into the room. With ten great strides, she was beside Prompto's bed, forcing Ignis to shift away. Her strained expression instantly lightened though.
"This," she exclaimed, gesturing at Prompto, "is certainly not a reaction to the potion. Believe me, if he was having a reaction, you'd know."
She leaned down, hand tenderly settling on Prompto's forehead. Her touch was delicate and soft, like the velvety caress of a rose petal. Her eyes scanned him carefully, as if gauging him somehow.
Ignis moved to the couch, bending down and starting to untangle Noctis from his blankets. "Your Highness, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the kitchen? I could use a hand brining our meals here. It would be nice if we all dined together, I think."
Noctis blinked, staying still a moment before he slowly shifted off the couch. The Prince's worried gaze flickered back to Prompto, as if he wasn't quite sure if he should leave his friend.
"Gladio," Ignis said, turning to the Shield. "Noctis and I shall return shortly."
"Yeah, got it…" The big man replied. "…we'll be here with our appetites ready."
At the thought of food, Prompto's stomach gurgled, but it was only loud enough for him and maybe Sharah to hear.
The doctor smiled down at him, but, while she still held an aura of calmness to her, there was something sad wafting off her as well.
"I heard you were a bit restless in your sleep. Gladio said it sounded like you were in pain and that you woke up screaming," Sharah said, pulling her hand away from Prompto's forehead. "That must have been one heck of a bad dream, was it about the fall you took this morning?"
He fidgeted a little, keeping his eyes on his lap. Part of him wanted to lie, to make up something, but, did it matter if he told her? It didn't really mean anything, right?
He waited a moment, watching Noctis and Ignis exit the room, before he spoke.
"It just a dream I have sometimes – since I was little. It's always a little different, but kind of the same, you know?" Prompto shrugged. That was probably a horrible explanation, but it was the best he could do at the moment.
"I see," Sharah replied. "Could you tell me about the dream?"
"Uh…I guess?" He gave a low sigh, uncertain of where to begin. "I was with Noct, Gladio and Ignis at the Darkhouse Comic Expo, but everything kinda turned green, like I was seeing it through some weird filter, and there was no sound. I could see people talking, but I couldn't hear anything."
"That does sound upsetting," Sharah said, "was there more?"
Prompto nodded. "Noct, Gladio and Ignis disappeared, and then the rest of the people at the expo disappeared. I was alone. Then it got dark, and I was trapped somewhere. There were cold walls and I couldn't really move."
Sharah gave a quiet hum of concern.
"And there were kids…screaming…like they were…I dunno…" He trailed off, not wishing to finish the thought, not wanting to admit that the kids sounded like they were being hurt, that they were dying.
"It's okay, though," Gladio pipped up, and Prompto gave a start as he had forgotten the Shield was still in the room. "That was just a dream, and you're safe now. You're here with us, okay?"
A warm flush swept across Prompto's face. He hadn't meant for Gladio to hear about his dreams. Those nightmares just made him feel so small and helpless. It was already hard enough trying not to look like a pitiful weakling to Gladio, the man of pure muscle and courage, but now he'd just admitted that his dreams upset him.
"Yeah," Prompto answered softly, forcing a smile, "thanks."
If they were just dreams though, why did they always feel so real?
Ignis slowed as they neared the kitchen. Noctis had been trailing far enough behind him during their trek as to make a conversation impossible. Whether the boy was simply lost in his feelings or purposefully trying to avoid a talk with his Advisor, Ignis was uncertain.
"Your Highness," Ignis said, watching Noctis shuffle closer. "You've been…quiet this morning. I know events have been a bit more chaotic than what was planned for today, but I'm concerned about your well-being."
"It's nothing," Noctis mumbled, pushing his way past Ignis to get to the kitchen.
Ignis followed, fully unconvinced that this was nothing.
Setting to work gathering their meal, which was a simple, hearty stew, Ignis motioned for Noctis to start slicing some fresh bread. They worked in silence for about three minutes before Ignis let out a low sigh.
"I apologize." He said, not daring to look away from the hot stew he was pouring into a bowl. Of course, he could have halted the task and turned his focus to Prince Noctis, but he didn't exactly want to do that. He wished to save himself the hurt of seeing the young man's reaction. "I shouldn't have put up so many barriers on your friendship with Prompto. I feel that I pushed him away somehow, that I made this situation what it is. I understand if you are upset with me. I'm rather upset with myself."
There was a pause, a few moments of silence before Noctis started slicing the bread again. Ignis listened to the slow pull of the knife across the loaf, waiting to hear the Prince's reply, and, just as he was starting to believe no answer would come, Noctis spoke.
"I'm not mad at you."
Again, silence. Noctis kept slicing. They were going to have far too much bread cut, but Ignis didn't dare stop him.
"I just…" Noctis continued, "…hate seeming him hurt, and I…" He paused, and Ignis looked up to see watery blue eyes staring back at him. "I should have known that he was struggling. I mean, I knew about the diner job but not the paper routes, or how long his parents had been away. I knew they traveled a lot, but I thought they came back every few weeks." He absentmindedly started to gather the slices of bread. "It seems like Prompto and I talk about everything…except…maybe not the important stuff?"
Ignis set the bowl with stew aside and tilted his head at the Prince. "Your friendship is still young, and you've learned a valuable lesson today. There is still time to, as you said, talk about the important stuff."
Noctis nodded sadly. "Yeah, I guess."
There was more, Ignis was sure of it, but he knew better than to press the youth too hard. He would have to be delicate with how he approached the issue.
"If you talk to Prompto about what happened to you in your youth, about why you have trouble facing injury and pain, and why you don't like to visit the medical wing, he'll understand why you've been…" Ignis paused, suddenly unsure of how to proceed.
"So weird." Noctis finished, his voice weary but not tinged with the anger Ignis feared his meddling would stir. "He must think I'm terrible with how I keep avoiding him. I- I don't mean to…it's just…I keep remembering how it was back then, how helpless and horrible it was, how I never wanted to feel that way again, and now, Prompto… He's not supposed to get hurt. I just didn't think this would be something that would happen…I just…I don't know…"
Noctis admission stirred something with Ignis. Rarely did the Prince's Advisor dwell on those dark days in the past – those days when the doctors whispered of nerve damage and loss of function. It had been a miracle that the young Prince had survived the attack, but the aftermath, the nightmares, treatments, physical therapy…it was so hard to endure and keep up the boy's spirits. Repeatedly calling his survival a miracle felt somehow cruel as Ignis watched the boy suffer through each day.
The damage had been too severe for treatment with potions alone. Muscle mass had been ripped away, and without a doctor's hand to carefully craft the proper muscles together, there was no certainty that the wounds would heal in a way that would leave the boy with full mobility. The process was long and painful. Each operation left Noctis looking so small and pale in his bed.
Both Ignis and Gladio had been a mess during that time. Gladio spent every hour he could training, swearing that he'd be the strongest Shield ever, that he'd never let anything like the attack happen again.
Honestly, Ignis had resented Gladio's actions slightly, for it seemed a touch unfair that the Shield had something to focus his grief and anger on – that he didn't have to witness the Prince's pain daily.
Meanwhile, Ignis was tasked with staying by Noctis' side, seeing to his pain medicine regiment, checking his wounds, easing the trouble child's mind, and holding him when he woke from his nightmares.
Eventually, Ignis quelled that discontent, realizing that Gladio needed that outlet, and that his effort would, some day, be of great use to Noctis. They each had to serve Noctis in their own ways. Sometimes Ignis' duties would seem more demanding and other times that burden would fall to Gladio. It was logical.
Still, that past haunted them all though.
Even now, though sporadic, Noctis had nightmares. He woke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, panting for breath. Ignis was not there to witness all the incidents, but he'd find the sweat laden sheets in the morning, and he would know. That paired with the dark circles under the Prince's eyes would hint of a night of disturbed dreams.
"What do you think Prompto was dreaming about?" Ignis asked, his thoughts trailing back to the troubled young blond. Whatever the dream had been, it seemed to have been something traumatic. Prompto's reactions to the nightmare had reminded Ignis far too much of Noctis' nights of terror. It had felt so familiar holding Prompto just as he used to hold Noctis when he was a child.
"I dunno," Noctis answered softly, "but it happened once before…"
What?
"We'd been studying in my room, and Prompto must have dozed off. You were making dinner in the kitchen, and I just decided to let Prom sleep a while. He looked dead tired, but after about forty minutes, he started twitching in his sleep and making all these strange little noises. It was a little funny at first…and then it wasn't." Noctis frowned. "I shook him awake. He was all sweaty and gasping like a fish out of water. For a minute, he looked like he didn't know where he was. He just looked so…scared."
Ignis nodded. "Did he say what it was about?"
"He said he'd stayed up late the night before watching a scary movie," Noctis replied, but his tone, to Ignis' trained ear, was laced with doubt.
"But you didn't believe him." Ignis answered.
"I didn't, but he was really embarrassed and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, so I kinda didn't push it."
Ignis pursed his lips, uncertainty playing at his thoughts. There had been nothing in Prompto's file that hinted of any passed trauma. His medical records were clean. There had been no major injuries logged, but there had been a few prescriptions for low doses of sleeping aids. The boy had seemed a touch hyperactive, so Ignis hadn't dwelt on those prescriptions much, but now…
"Let's get this food back to the room." Ignis said "I fear Gladio's mood may start to shift if he doesn't eat soon."
"Sure," Noctis mumbled as he started to help Ignis place the food on trays.
Ignis cleared his throat. "Also, I've managed to get an advanced copy of the new monster-y slayer game you two are always yammering on about. It will be brought up to Prompto's room in the next hour or so, depending on its arrival to the Citadel."
"What!?" Noctis turned on Ignis, grabbing him by his jacket. "You got the Monster Mayhem IV game? How is that even possible? I didn't know they were finished making it."
Ignis grinned. "I have my ways."
Gently, Ignis pried the Prince's fingers off his jacket lapels and carefully picked up the tray with the four bowls of soup. In turn, Noctis managed to pick up the tray of bread and drinks without spilling anything. That alone, felt like a small miracle to Ignis.
"The best thing you can do for Prompto right now is just being his friend." Ignis paused, turning his back to Noctis as he started for the door. "He's a strange boy, always seeming so happy, but I imagine even he needs some cheering up now and again. I'm sure you're good at that, Your Highness. You seem, to me, to be a very good friend."
With that Ignis started down the hall, barely catching the quiet 'thank you' the Prince had offered up.