Prompto tried to listen, he really did, but though Cor's mouth kept moving, and Prompto was sure there were words being said, he heard nothing.

It was a peculiar silence, as this odd sensation hummed in his head, blanketing his world in a muted buzz of disbelief and grief.

His thoughts repeatedly strayed to the initial news Cor had delivered to him of his parents – those few sentences playing over and over in his mind.

"I believe that your parents are lost in the Boulves Mine. My sources say they've been down there several weeks. We have groups of Hunters and Glaives out searching the mines now, but…" Cor paused, the moment heavy with a sense of impending loss. "I just don't know what we'll find…We need to be prepared."

Entombed in sorrow and a swell of helplessness, Prompto felt sick.

His apprehension had been mounting for weeks, but it had been easy to shake that dread away, to imagine he was wrong, that everything was fine, but now those fears were confirmed.

Internally, he chastised himself, wondering why he hadn't acted sooner. Why hadn't he tried to get help? Why hadn't he done something – anything?

What should I have done?

There was nothing. There was nothing he could have done. He knew that, and yet…

"Prompto?"

He blinked up at Cor, feeling warm streams of tears slide down his cheeks. He'd tried not to cry. He wanted to be strong, to be brave and face this news like a man, but that just wasn't going to happen.

"I-I…don't…I…" He choked back a sob, trying to compose himself and failing wretchedly. "They can't be dead." He managed at last. "They can't. I need them…I-I…" Prompto curled in on himself, hugging his knees tightly. "Mom…Dad…." He mumbled, imagining them in trouble, scared, wounded, maybe already cold and lifeless, lost forever within the mine.

Prompto didn't react as warm arms enveloped him, as he was pulled into a stiff embrace.

Eyes closed, he leaned into the new warmth. Save for that, he didn't reciprocate the hug. He didn't move to embrace the person comforting him. Was it Cor? It had to be Cor, and yet his muddled mind couldn't settle on that fact.

Instead, he cried, listening to the soft, kind hushes whispered as the person holding him ever so gently and soothingly rocked back and forth.

How long he remained frozen in that state, Prompto wasn't sure, but when his senses started to return, when he was able to halt his tears enough so that he could peer up with blurry vision at the man holding him, he was surprised to find Cor the Immortal with tears in his eyes as well.

Cor made no move to hide his face. Eyes rimmed with red, lashes wet, the man stared stoically back at Prompto. It was a weary grief that seemed to pain the man, and he freely let it show.

All the stories Prompto had ever heard about Cor the Immortal somehow seemed so distant and foreign. This man was someone totally different.

"Lillian once took on a herd of Anak with nothing more than homemade stink bombs," Cor whispered and then smiled ever so softly. "I hadn't been there to stop her. I would have never let her do something that dangerous, but," Cor paused to sigh, "Perhaps even I wouldn't have been able to stop her. She can be stubborn at times."

Prompto sat up a little, pulling slightly away from Cor so that he could have a better view of the man as they spoke.

"Why did she…um…take on Anak with a stink bomb? Was she alone? Where was this?" Prompto asked, wiping his face with his sleeve. He'd known his mom could be stubborn but a badass? Really?

He knew the story was a distraction – something to focus and distract him from his grief. It was, perhaps, the kindest thing Cor could have done for him in that moment and he appreciated it greatly.

Cor's smile grew ever so slightly. "It was a long time ago. Lillian and Ulnic had just graduated and were taking on just about any foolhardy, world changing work they could find. They were young, poor and still finding names for themselves in their fields of research. Lillian found herself trying to solve an issue with erosion near the River Wennath. It seems the rock levies put in place to keep the river from jumping its banks during the flooding season kept getting damaged. Apparently, a large herd of Anak was to blame."

Prompto wiped his face once again and blinked back at Cor. "So, my mom went after them with stink bombs?"

The man's laugh was deep but ended too soon.

"Yes, that is pretty much what happened. She didn't have the funds to hire hunters, and she thought she could make something that would mimic the smell of a Behemoth and drive the herd away."

That was frigging amazing!

"Did it work?" Prompto asked, wondering why he'd never heard this story before.

"Not even close," Cor answered with a twisted grin. "You know that large scar on her left arm, near the elbow?"

Prompto nodded. "The one that looks like a big S?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Cor replied. "You see, Lillian didn't take into account that Anak only run away about nine out of every ten times they smell Behemoth. Sometimes, they fight – savagely."

"What did she do?" Prompto asked, starting to realize why he'd never heard this story before now.

"There was a rusty old car in a nearby field. Lillian managed to get to it and climb into the trunk. The Anak eventually gave up their attack on the car and wandered away, but the force of their attacks had fused the trunk lid shut." Cor shifted, leaning back into his seat. "Lilian had to pry the backseat loose, pulling out all the cushions and springs before she could claw her way out of the vehicle. By then, she'd been missing for almost 36 hours." He paused, a wry grin in place as he shook his head. "Your father was beside himself with worry."

Prompto frowned. In all the stories his parents had ever told him of their early research, they had never mentioned anything even remotely as cool as that.

"Wait, is that why all mom's friends give her Anak figurines – as a joke?" Prompto asked. He'd always thought that was a bit odd.

Cor chuckled. "They still do that?"

Prompto nodded, wondering what else he didn't know about his parents. "Why do dad's friends call him…"

"Barry the Bandit?" Cor finished. "That…is a rather interesting story."

Judging by the smirk on Cor's face, it was also one Prompto needed to hear.

"I think I'd like to hear it," Prompto pleaded. "Please?"

For a moment, it looked as if Cor was going to shake his head no, but then the man gave a shrug and started talking once again.

"Apparently, a long time ago, there was a gentleman named Barry who ran a rather seedy ring of business in Lestallum. He and your father were strikingly alike in appearance, and that, on occasion, proved to cause Ulnic some problems when he visited Lestallum," Cor answered. "Eventually, your father was recruited to help put an end to Barry's ways. He was asked to intercept a few of Barry's business deals with some of his less than regular contacts. Enough evidence was gathered to shut down Barry and imprison him. However, for years after that, whenever he was in Lestallum, hoodlums would still come up to your dad thinking he was Barry."

Okay, so that's why he hates that nickname. I can understand that…

"Honestly, besides their looks, Barry and your father were as different as night and day," Cor continued, "Barry was a short tempered, vile man without an empathetic bone in his body, and your father is constantly helping others, calm and friendly. It seemed such a farce that anyone could mistake the two, no matter how closely they resembled one and other."

Prompto remained silent, thinking about how his father had helped bring down a known criminal in Lestallum. Why did they never tell me this?

"It frustrated your father when he kept being approached by people thinking he was Barry," Cor added, his gaze shifted, unfocused and distant, as if he was lost in thought. "The things Barry did…well, they were far from respectable. He was an ugly soul of a man, who hurt a lot of people, and it upset your father immensely when people looked at him as if he were that man."

"Oh," Prompto muttered. That made sense, he guessed. He could understand why that would be a sore subject to talk about.

The longer Prompto thought on the matter, the more he empathized with it. His greatest fear was that people would find out he was from Niflheim, that they would look at him with hate and fear. He didn't want them to see him as the enemy, as someone out to hurt and maim the people of Lucis. He didn't want them to think of him as some sort of monster.

"Listen, Kid," Cor said, his gaze returning to Prompto, "I can't tell you everything is going to be okay, because I don't know if it is, and I'm not going to lie to you. But, I need you to know you are not alone in this. I'm…" Cor paused and sighed.

"You're worried too," Prompto said softly, "You know them pretty well, don't you?"

Cor's answer was no more than a breathy whisper. "Yeah… Long ago they were my best friends, my family."

"What happened?" Prompto asked.

A pause ensued. Cor's expression remained passive save for a sad smile.

"I chose my duty over that life," he answered at last. "They remained together and I faded away from that world." There was a strange ebbing of regret in his voice, giving way to an obedient resolve, as if he had to convince himself once again that he'd made the right choice.

Prompto shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with seeing this vulnerable side to the Immortal.

"What I need you to know," Cor said, meeting Prompto's gaze, "is that you aren't alone. No matter what happens, you aren't alone. I'll be here."

For a few minutes the room was still, silent.

"Did you really want to keep me…back then?" Prompto asked, his voice shaky. It felt like the wrong question to be asking at that moment, and yet, he wanted to know. His whole life he'd thought he was incredibly lucky to have found two people, his parents, who really wanted him in their lives. They knew his horrible secret and yet they still loved him. It felt impossible for there to be another who cared about him as they did.

"Giving you up nearly broke me," Cor replied, his voice filled with a serene, subdued sorrow, "but you were safer with Lillian and Ulnic, and you deserved a father and a mother."

Prompto acted then without thought, flinging himself back toward Cor, wrapping his arms around the man and hugging tight. For a second, Cor tensed and then relaxed before his arms twined around Prompto.

"Thank you," Prompto whispered, "Thank you…"

There was more they probably both needed to say, but the words just stopped. They simply sat there in silence, pulling away from the hug only when a knock sounded at the door.

Gladio hesitantly pushed the door open and peered in.

"I'm back." The Shield's gaze drifted from Cor to Prompto. "You okay, kid?"

Prompto felt his cheeks heat up as he let loose a strangled chuckle. Gladio was only a year older than him and Noctis, but he just had to keep calling them kids.

After quieting down, feeling his grief and worry overtake him again, Prompto frowned. "No, not really, but I think I will be."

Noctis had been hurrying back to Prompto's room when he spied Gladio emerging from the training hall. Rage seeped through him as he stormed up to his Shield

"What are you doing?! You were supposed to stay with Prompto. I told you that…"

Gladio raised a hand. "Calm down. Cor is with him. Where's Ignis?"

Cor was with him? Why?

"Ignis is working on dinner," Noct answered curtly, turning and picking up his quick pace toward Prompto's room once again. "Why is Cor talking with Prompto? Did they find his parents?"

He could hear Gladio's heavy footsteps behind him, following closely. He was sure the man had heard him, and yet no answer came.

Halting and spinning around, Noct almost had Gladio crashing into him.

"What happened to Prompto's parents?"

Gladio took a step back and shrugged. "Cor thinks they're lost in the Boulves Mine."

A cursed hiss made its way from Noctis' lips.

"They might have been down there for a couple of weeks now," Gladio added.

Noctis' heart sank. They couldn't be alive. There was no way. Prompto would be devastated. The Prince's thoughts strayed to his own mother, long since gone from his world. The grief and loss was still there, dulled with time but still there. He hated the thought of Prompto suffering as he did.

"You shouldn't have left him with Cor," Noctis replied, "One of us should have been there."

A grumble of an answer came from Gladio. It was indecipherable and low, but Noctis didn't care enough to question what the man intended. Instead he spun around and continued his trek back to his friend.

As they neared Prompto's room though, Gladio managed to maneuver his way in front of Noctis to block the door.

"How about you let me go in first and see how things are going?" The big man said. His voice was even, calm.

Noct opened his mouth, a jumble of argument and frustration ready to pour out, but Gladio cut him off.

"I know you want to help, but take a minute to cool down, yeah? Prompto's going to need us calm. He gets to be a mess and we need to be his wall, okay?"

After snapping his mouth shut, and glaring at Gladio for a few seconds, the impact of the Shield's word fully sank in. He was right. Darn him, but he was right.

Noctis nodded, sighed and then leaned back against a wall, giving a huffed grunt as his body slammed into the surface a little harder than intended.

"Good," Gladio added, giving Noct a soft smile. "Thank you."

With that, the large man turned and gently knocked on the door. Hearing no answer, he proceeded to enter, shutting the door behind him.

Noctis could hear the murmur of voices within the room, but he couldn't make out what was being said. From the different deep tones, he knew he heard both Gladio and Cor. A softer, gentler tone signaled that Prompto was awake, but that was the most he could decipher.

He waited five minutes and then ten. Every time he felt he had his emotions under control, another swell of angry, grief or guilt would overtake him. The disappearance of Prompto's parents had him dwelling too much on his dead mother, and then he'd slink into a spiral of guilt. This wasn't about him and his grief, this was about Prompto and how he was going to deal with this fresh loss.

Noctis startled as the door to Prompto's room quickly opened.

Cor maneuvered out of the room, swiftly closing the door as he left. The man seemed lost in thought and an expression of surprise crossed his face as he looked up to see Noctis in the hallway.

"Your Highness, I was unaware you were waiting out here. I apologize if I was forcing you to wait, that wasn't my intention at all," Cor said. He sounded and looked absolutely beat – as if he'd just been through a marathon training exercise.

"I was just…" Noctis paused, lost in uncertainty and shame. "…gathering my thoughts."

Cor nodded. "That is a wise move. I had to do the same before visiting Prompto." The Marshal's gaze shifted away from Noctis, so that he was staring absently at the floor. "He is a good kid. I wish I had better news for him, but…" He looked up, fierce piercing gaze catching Noctis'. "There is still hope. I know Prompto's parents, and they are survivors. They may not be the toughest or the most well equipped for this situation, but they have the luck of the Six with them, I swear."

Noctis shifted, but kept meeting that intense gaze. "And what if they are dead?"

The Prince regretted the bluntness of the statement as soon as he noted how Cor's expression melted into sorrow. The Immortal was quick to hide his feelings, returning to his stoic mask of neutral countenance, but it was too late. Noct had seen the man's pain.

Cor really cares about Prompto's parents…about Prompto…

"I'm sorry…" Noct muttered, "that was…"

"A fair question," Cor replied quickly. "They very well could be dead, and, if that is the case, then Prompto will need our support while he grieves. I cannot think of anyone better to be by his side than you, Ignis and Gladio."

"And you," Noctis added.

Even through his fatigue and grief, some semblance of relief flashed across Cor's face. The man obviously wanted to be there to help Prompto, but he would have kept back if the Prince forced it.

Cor shifted uneasily in place. "I should be going, and you should be joining Prompto. He might be a bit tired though from the stress. I apologize."

Noctis nodded, but said nothing more. Already his thoughts were directed back at the room. His body ready and willing to step forward, but his mind still clouded in uncertainty.

The Marshal had already started down the hall when he stopped. From over his shoulder, he said, "I heard from Gladio you were trying to find out about Prompto's birth, about where he came from, what happened to him in his first year."

Noct blinked. "Yeah, I am…"

"I've looked into the matter myself," Cor answered softly, "there was little to find."

"That's what Ignis said." Noctis had pushed his Advisor to his limits with this research, but there had been nothing of merit that came from it. Ultimately, it seemed, there was nothing to be found. Prompto's birth was just an enigma.

"I only ask that you take care when speaking to Prompto about such matters." Cor replied. "Whether he knows it or not, whenever he dwells on this mystery of his birth, his nightmares become worse. Ulnic and Lillian found this out over the years."

"I understand." It felt like a formality to say those words, even though Noctis didn't understand – even though he wanted answers, he wanted to keep searching. He wanted to understand exactly what it was that was troubling his friend so, giving him nightmares. There had to be some piece of evidence somewhere pointing to Prompto's origin. They didn't even know where he was found, or who found him. That initial paperwork was somehow lost.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Cor answered and then was gone down the long hallway, leaving Noctis alone, still struggling to make himself move. Eventually, it was the sound of his friend's strained, soft laughter from within the room that had him moving.

Cor moved down the hallway in a trance. He could still feel Prompto's warmth as he had huddled against his chest. The memory of holding the boy, of resting his chin on the boy's head as he listened to the youth's soft, choking sobs, hung heavily in Cor's mind.

He had wanted to stay, to keep offering Prompto comfort, to be the father figure that he had desired to be so long ago, but…that wasn't his role to take. Ulnic was the boy's father. Cor had given that up. He'd made his choice.

It's been so long since that ugly regret had seized him, leaving him feeling wretched and lonely. He could feel the slow stir of grief and jealousy grow within him, and as always, it was followed by shame and guilt. After all, he had no right to be jealous of Ulnic over something he'd willingly given up.

Unbidden, a fresh emotion surfaced. A wave of anger swept through him, though the target of that ire was chaotic at best.

He felt anger for Lillian and Ulnic for being so foolhardy, for leaving Prompto alone, and for being horrible with their financial planning. He was angry at them for getting themselves lost in the Boulves Mine, for making everyone worry…for maybe being dead.

Then his anger directed itself at Gladio and Ignis as well. How had they not noticed Prompto suffering sooner? How had he gone this long without anyone noticing his loneliness, his struggle?

Mostly though, Cor was furious with himself.

He'd kept close tabs on Prompto from the age of one to about eight, but then, ever so slowly, he backed away.

Work consumed him, and it was harder to find the time to look in on the boy's life. With the King's health deteriorating, and the state of the Eos in general, it felt as if there were far more pressing matters to concern himself with other than how Prompto was doing in school or what his interests were.

It had been a logical choice. The King and Kingdom came first, but…

He'd saved the boy. Prompto's life in Insomnia would have never been if not for Cor, and maybe that should have been enough, but somehow Cor felt obligated to the youth. He felt responsible for his life, for his happiness.

Seeing him hurt, grieve, knowing how he'd suffered…it was too much.

Cor quickened his pace, as he headed for the training hall. He knew of only one thing that would help quiet the unpleasantness distressing him at the moment…a brutal training session. Good thing a group of Crownsguard recruits had one scheduled.