Water Under the Bridge
Chapter 1
After the Crystal
Crossing two continents and battling countless daemons had really taken a toll on the trio. Every muscle in their body throbbed from over-exertion and their feet were bloodied and blistered from their extensive travels. Their clothes were tattered and they were running on little to no sleep. Camping for longer than a few hours was out of the question, especially when the Darkness had made every daemon exceedingly stronger than before.
Prompto, usually the first to whine when things got rough, was so exhausted that he couldn't find the strength to utter one complaint. His gait, once springy and full of energy, was sluggish and hunched. Gladio marched ahead as quietly as he could, making sure the coast was clear as they soldiered on.
Eyesight permanently damaged to the point of blindness from the battle in Altissia against Leviathan some months ago, Ignis had taken to falling to the rear, moving much slower than he did before. His cane would catch in the grooves and roots of the ground and cause him to stumble, but he was past the point of falling to the ground anymore. Sometimes, Prompto would ask how he was doing and Ignis would utter a terse, "I'm fine."
The world of Eos was now completely enshrouded in darkness, made eternal the moment Noctis was absorbed by the Crystal in Zegnautus Keep back in Niflheim. When they all tried to reach the Crystal, they were suddenly ambushed by hordes of daemons. The trio urged Noctis to leave them behind, thinking that by getting to the Crystal, he could banish the Darkness and, with it, the daemons. It didn't work. Instead, the Crystal sucked Noctis in without a trace.
By the time they arrived, Ardyn, the Chancellor of Niflheim and their newly sworn enemy, stood beaming in the glow of the Crystal's light. Angered and afraid, Gladio swung his Greatsword at his head and Prompto fired a well-aimed shot, but it was pointless.
Ardyn was immortal.
The Chancellor picked his fedora up, knocked to the ground by the attacks, and dusted it off on his robes, replacing it on his head without a care in the world. He shot them a sadistic smile over his shoulder-only now, his face was completely disfigured and infinitely more menacing than it had been just seconds before. The whites of his eyes were blackened and his pupils took on a frightening shade of yellow. Black tear-like markings streamed down his ghastly, pale face. With the flick of a hand, he turned on his heels and bid them farewell, wishing them safe travels back home.
That was just under two months ago and they'd been fighting their way back to safety ever since, finally stumbling upon the city of Lestallum. The more miles they walked and the more frantic they became trying finding shelter, the more towns they'd find deserted of people and completely overrun with daemons. Lestallum was looking like the only safe haven for refugees, and that was only due to the power plant keeping light on in the center of the city, thwarting the light-fearing daemons from entering.
That same halo of light was now within sight, just on the horizon above the tree line. Prompto tugged eagerly at Ignis' shirt sleeve, alerting him that they were close. Mildly reinvigorated, they moved at a much quicker pace. Salvation was upon them.
Gladio took a second to wipe away the sweat that dripped from his forehead. They'd almost forgotten that Lestallum-and the region around it-was known for being unbearably hot. If they didn't die from the flocks of daemons that lunged at them every step of the way, then the heat would definitely do them in. "C'mon guys, we're almost home," he hoarsely encouraged from ahead.
"Home away from home, you mean. It ain't no Insomnia, that's for sure," Prompto corrected, referring to the city they originally hailed from, now nothing more than a pile of rubble after the Niflheim invasion almost a year ago.
As they lumbered on, the ground began to quake beneath them, throwing them off-balance. The shaking went on for what felt like forever, but they knew what was coming and braced for it. From the depths of Eos' surface rose a red, muscular, gargantuan daemon, roaring ominously and wielding a fire-blazing sword. A Red Giant.
Ignis froze. From what he could gather, he knew he was closest to the monster, but he wasn't sure where it was exactly in relation to him. When the giant roared, the sound echoed off the trees and mountains around them, making it impossible to accurately pinpoint its location. That didn't stop the Red Giant from spotting him, though. Seeing the helpless man, it raised its sword up high and zeroed in on its prey.
"Look out!" Gladio yelled, having run back suddenly from his position as leader of the group and pushing Ignis out of harm's way. He narrowly blocked the daemon's attack just in time with his own weapon, grunting as he tried to parry it away from them. "Prompto, you take Ignis and get the hell out of here!"
Prompto, already at the ready, fired his gun at the monster, stunning it just enough to send it stumbling backward. This action allowed Gladio to catch his breath for a split second. "Are you kidding me? No way! We're not leaving you! "
"I don't think we have it in us to go toe-to-toe with another one of these guys, again. Just go, I'll be right behind you!" he commanded, swinging the sword at the Red Giant who was sprinting back toward the trio, having regained its composure. Gladio somersaulted in the air to land another hit, but the daemon anticipated the attack and deflected the strike with its own weapon. The force knocked Gladio to the ground, dazed. This thing was powerful.
Prompto tried to divert the Red Giant's attention away from Gladio and Ignis by running behind the beast, a large boulder offering him shelter as he shot several bullets into its back. The tactic worked. The daemon whipped around and stalked away to find the assailant, blindly swinging its sword in their general direction.
Ignis, unable to stand by any longer, summoned his daggers to his possession. He took a step toward the fray, but a feminine hand stopped him, forcibly gripping his bicep. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Instinctively, he jerked his arm away. Though the voice sounded incredibly familiar, he could not put a name to it. "Who's there?"
"Maybe you should let the big kids handle this one," she demanded, ignoring his question and shoving him behind her as she leapt into battle.
Ahead of them, Prompto's bullets tore into the giant's chest. Gladio, now fully recovered, jumped high in the air, bringing his sword down aggressively on its head. The creature roared in pain but the attack also infuriated it that much more. It held a hand, palm out, at the two and a dark, twisted aura appeared. Gravity pulled at Gladio and Prompto and they clawed at the ground, desperately trying to grab hold of anything they could to avoid getting pulled in and further maimed.
"I . . . CAN'T . . . HOLD . . . ON . . ." Prompto screamed, his fingertips gradually slipping from the random branch he was struggling to hold. Just as he lost his grip, the feminine warrior cartwheeled in the air with her spear, poised for an attack. She stabbed the Red Giant in the hand and ended the gravitational pull that it was sending out. Blood spurted from the daemon, landing on the fighters. Another screech-like roar reverberated off the mountains. With one swift motion, she pulled the spear out of its hand and threw it, javelin-style, at its face.
Gladio blinked a couple of times before getting his wits about him. He seized his sword, abandoned in the grass when the gravitational attack forced him to grab the bushes, and followed the woman's lead, kicking off of the large nearby boulder and slicing the monster from the neckline to the chest. Prompto scrambled to reclaim his gun, loading it with more ammo and sending an endless barrage of bullets into every joint and limb the Red Giant had.
Embarrassed and ashamed at his lacking ability to help out, Ignis still lingered on the ground where the woman tossed him aside. In his heart, it killed him to admit that he knew he'd end up being a hindrance, so he remained where he was. As he listened on, the same female voice continued to stand out to him. He was trying to remember where he'd heard her before and it drove him mad that the face and name evaded him. It was on the tip of his tongue. Whoever she was, she definitely knew how to hold her own in battle.
It didn't take long once she joined the fight for them to take down the Red Giant. With a final push, they rushed the monster with all they had. Overpowered and with a defeated scream, the monster toppled to the ground, dead.
Ignis, deeming it safe to move, carefully rose to his feet and felt for his cane in the grass. The woman dusted her hands off on her clothes and eyed her allies with annoyed disdain. "You guys look pitiful," she said dryly.
Prompto recognized the silver hair and the red-and-black leather attire almost immediately as the adrenaline of the battle wore off. He let out a disbelieving laugh, just delirious enough to want to run and hug her. "Holy shit! Aranea!"
His ears perked up and the name to the voice clicked in his head. "Aranea is here?" Ignis asked, approaching the group while trying to make sense of the situation.
Pulling her spear out of the Red Giant's body with a slight grunt, she flicked the blood and matter to the side in disgust. "In the flesh." She waved her weapon haphazardly in Gladio's direction. "Your sister said you'd be here soon enough, so we've been on high alert waiting for you to get here. Took you long enough; we were beginning to think you guys died."
"And here I was thinking we made good time," Gladio said. He ran a hand down his face, frazzled, but explained, "The Regalia was destroyed back at Zegnautus Keep, so we had to hike our asses across Niflheim and Lucis to get here. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park or anything."
"Heh, I figured as much. Well, enough with the niceties. Let's get you guys out of here and settled in Lestallum. Nothing good comes from being outside city limits anymore, as you probably know. We can take the path over this way that we rigged together with lights to keep the daemons at bay," she pointed a short distance away. Prompto and Gladio followed her finger and slightly relaxed, noting how close they were to safety. Resting her spear on her shoulder, she confidently led the way, but not before slapping Ignis on the shoulder in jest as she passed him. "Let's go, Four-Eyes. You're coming, too."
Drained but determined, they followed close behind with Prompto holding Ignis under his elbow to keep pace. As they slashed through the bushes and trees, Aranea looked back and asked, "I noticed there's only three of you; but last time there was only three of you, it was the prince in the group and not blondie." She was referring to when they all last crossed paths in Tenebrae. Prompto had been knocked off a moving train by an unknowing Noct, led to believe that Prompto was Ardyn and Ardyn was Prompto by none other than Ardyn himself.
"Good eye," Gladio confirmed, a hint of melancholy tinging his voice.
"Sooo . . . where's the prince?"
No one was quick to respond. They were just as clueless to Noct's exact whereabouts, only that he was pulled into the Crystal. Aranea slowed down as they reached the lit path, turning around to face them as she continued to walk backward. "Is he coming back?" Again, no one responded. She took the hint and returned facing forward, her pace picking up.
The darkness was mind-numbing and the humidity was stifling. Their clothes were caked in grime and thoroughly soaked with sweat, sticking uncomfortably to their skin. Every few seconds, they were slapping blood-thirsty bugs away from their faces, necks, and arms. What they wouldn't give to be able to rest for more than an hour. Daemons screeched and rumbled far in the distance, but still close enough that the four refused to let their guards down.
At long last, they stumbled onto the paved road toward the lively city of Lestallum. They'd finally made it. As they grew close, they saw that the city was still bustling with energy as it had been before, but no longer for the reasons it was once known for. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of them as they observed the gruesome scene.
People were sitting against building walls: bruised, bloodied, and beaten. Some moaned in pain, begging for relief. Bodies lined the roads with sheets carelessly thrown over them, waiting to be identified. Children, separated from their parents, wailed for help. One man held a piece of cloth to his face, trying to temper the blood flow from a gash on his forehead. Those that were not injured scurried around, trying to assist in any way they could.
"What a nightmare," Ignis rasped. Though he couldn't see, the sounds of anguish and misery told him more than he needed to know.
"People have been pouring in from all over Lucis since the day the world went dark. It has been absolute chaos day in and day out. You wouldn't believe the amount of dead we've had to bury due to lack of care or because they got here too late for help. Honestly, this is a calmer scene than we're used to seeing lately," Aranea explained, quieter than she meant to.
"I thought the deserted towns we passed through were haunting, but this? This is . . . this is hell," Gladio spit out through his clenched teeth, passing another victim of the daemon's wrath whose mangled arm sagged by his side. Prompto's voice caught in his throat and he tried to keep his eyes forward, but avoiding the display of carnage was impossible. Tears burned his eyes but he refused to let them fall. Not now.
"Gladdy! Oh, thank the Gods!" a teenage girl cried out, pushing through the crowd and dashing toward the four as they despairingly staggered within city limits.
"Iris!" Gladio's expression changed from hard and steadfast, to a softer and very-much relieved one. He scooped his little sister into his arms, hugging her close. Her words were incoherent as she sobbed uncontrollably into his shoulder. Stroking her hair soothingly, he held her tighter to his chest. "Don't worry, you're safe now. I'm back and everything will be ok."
Another figure loomed behind, watching. "I hate to interrupt this reunion, but I think it's best we reconvene somewhere a little more private," he suggested. They looked up to see Cor, the Marshal of the Royal Crownsguard, converging on the emotional scene with a small boy, Talcott, by his side. Gladio recovered quickly, pulling away from Iris and standing at attention before him. Both Prompto and Ignis stood tall as well and Cor nodded, motioning wordlessly with his head for everyone to follow him to the Levelle.
As they walked toward the Levelle, a hotel building tucked in the corner of one of the side streets, Iris clung to her brother's arm with tears still falling down her face. They didn't even bother to check-in at the front desk like they normally did (not that anyone was there to check them in), instead heading straight to the carpeted stairs to the second floor. Cor retrieved a key from his pocket and unlocked the first door they came across, opening it and crossing the threshold into a vacant, spacious room. He turned on a lamp adorning one of the nightstands to bring some light into the room.
The rest of the team filed in and Talcott, the last one in, closed the door behind them with a sharp click. The screams and cries from the city streets could still be heard, though they were at least muffled now. They all took a seat on whatever they were closest to, whether it was one of the two queen-sized beds, the couch, or the random chairs that perfectly accented the room.
Cor chose to remain standing as he stared forlornly out the window upon the apocalyptic nightmare below. No one moved or dared to breathe, awaiting Cor's words. He turned around with his hands behind his back. "According to the Prophecy, Noctis is the only one that can banish the darkness and bring salvation to all of Eos," he stated somewhat enigmatically.
Prompto's lower lip trembled uncontrollably at the mention of his best friend. "But, where is he? H-how . . . how can he bring the light back?" All the emotion he'd pent up was now on the verge of spilling out, but he defiantly choked it back. He had to stay strong.
Cor paced the length of the room, his hands still clasped behind his back. His mouth was fixed in a grim line. "Noctis was ordained as the Chosen One by the Gods long ago as a young boy. It is well documented within the prophecy that the Chosen King will one day come forth and save all of Eos. When that day will come, though," he paused, looking out the window again, "is uncertain."
"Woah, wait a second. Hold up. Seriously?" Aranea interjected. "Are you saying that you expect us to sit and wait in this Gods-forsaken shithole for who knows how long, hoping that someday this Chosen King will come back and save us?" her tone was increasingly antagonistic as she rose to her feet in frustration.
"I don't expect you to do anything."
"So, what? Do you want us to go out, guns blazing, hoping one day everything will turn out alright? Does the wise and powerful Marshal even have a plan to save us? Well? We're waiting."
Cor narrowed his eyes and raised his chin. "Sit down, Commodore," he demanded.
"I asked you a question, Marshal."
"And I asked you to take a seat," he repeated. She glared at him extensively before relenting, sinking back into her chair. "Lest you forget, despite our different hierarchies, as Marshal I outrank you. Ergo, I suggest you quiet down and listen."
She turned away, crossing her legs and pouting. Talcott timidly raised his hand as if he were a schoolboy waiting to be called on in class. Cor acknowledged him and he nervously stuttered, "I . . . uh . . . well . . . what do we do now?"
"Right now, we have no choice but to wait for the prince's return," he began. "Until that time comes, however, we will use our skills and wits to protect the surviving citizens. We will save the stranded, guard Lestallum every second of every day, and keep fighting like hell. There'll be times where it will be bleak and hopeless, but we need to stay hopeful and vigilant for the good of the people. One wrong move-one careless error-and we all lose."
Cor scanned the faces of the ragtag bunch before him and exhaled loudly. They definitely had their work cut out for them. With his arms crossed, he noted how weary and tired they all looked, especially the three men that came in just that evening, and decided to call it a night. "We've got a lot to focus on in the coming days, so rest up," he recommended, crossing the room to the door. Talcott followed, understanding that it was time to leave.
Cor opened the door but hesitated, a final thought weighing on his mind. He looked over his shoulder and eyed Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis over one more time. "It's good to have you back, gentlemen," he admitted with a nod, ushering Talcott in front of him and closing the door.
With Cor no longer in the room, they unintentionally began to relax. Something about the Marshal's presence kept everyone at attention. He could be discussing something as simple as how to count to ten and they would still feel the need to remain constantly focused until he was done.
Prompto yawned and stretched. "Well, I call dibs on the shower," he monotonously declared, not even bothering to wait until he made it to the bathroom before peeling his sweaty, dirty shirt from his chest.
"Cute, blondie. You can almost see some muscle on that tiny body of yours," Aranea teased. Prompto gave her the middle finger as he shut the door, the sound of the shower turning on moments later.
Ignis was still perched on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his head bowed. "With all the refugees coming into Lestallum, what kind of living arrangements are we looking at?" he asked.
Aranea moved from her chair to the bed that Ignis occupied, flopping onto it and poking him in the back. "Aw, were you hoping to share a room with me?" she flirted shamelessly. Gladio let out an amused snort, watching Ignis turn slightly red and his posture suddenly go rigid and uncomfortable. Always the perfect gentleman, Ignis wouldn't dare to outright suggest such an outlandish idea.
"Oh, no. Uh, that's . . . that's not at . . . I-I didn't . . ."
"Relax, Specs," she cackled, her hands resting on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling. "I've been bunkin' with Big Guy's sister. We've been having ourselves a regular ol' girl's sleepover and all. Cor took little guy under his wing and they've been sharing a room down the hall. We figured you three would shack up here. We're expecting rooms to start getting sparse real soon as more people flee here; the more we can share, the better."
Gladio acquiesced, still on the couch with a sleepy Iris leaned on his arm. "I think that's smart. We're all pretty used to sharing close quarters, anyway."
Aranea pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked at Gladio. "That's great! I'm so glad you approve. Heaven knows we were waiting on your final say before settling on who's sleeping where," she replied sarcastically. For the second time that night, Aranea received the middle finger, this time from Gladio. "I'm feeling the love from you guys, truly. It's so heartwarming."
"Maybe if you weren't such a sarcastic bitch . . ." Gladio said.
She winked back. "Love you, too."
The water from the bathroom abruptly shut off as Prompto finished his shower. "Hey guys! Are our clothes still around from when we were here last time?" he yelled from behind the bathroom door.
The question hung in the air, unanswered, before Iris snapped her head up from her drowsy state. "Oh! Yes! Your clothes! Yeah, they're still in the closets, untouched. Good thing you guys left them here, right?" she motioned to the two small closets against the wall close to the bathroom. Prompto responded with a "Thanks", emerging with a towel around his waist as he hastily grabbed a pair of comfortable clothes from one of the closets before retreating back into the bathroom. He didn't want to deal with another comment from the Commodore.
As the door shut, Aranea clapped her hands together and jumped up from the bed. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could use a drink. Beer, anyone? I smuggled some into our rooms since it's the end of the world and all and who knows when we'll eventually run out of alcohol."
"Yes, please," Gladio practically begged, following Aranea to the small attached kitchen, taking the beer she offered him. He grabbed another one for Ignis, alerted Prompto that his was on the kitchen counter, and shook his head firmly when his little sister asked for one. Her lower lip poked out slightly, but she understood.
They drank their beers in silence, Prompto having rejoined them back in the common area after getting dressed and retrieving his beer from the kitchen. He was the first to speak, once again choking back pent-up tears and emotions. "It's weird not having Noct here. I-I keep expecting him to walk through the door or something, but I know deep down he's gone. It's just . . . I miss him. It's not the same."
Ignis took a sip of his beer and nodded. "Indeed. We can only hope that, if Cor is correct in his retelling of the Prophecy, he'll return sooner rather than later. Wherever he's at, I just hope he's well."
"The kid was snatched up into some sort of crystal thing. Somehow I doubt that he's 'well'," Aranea jeered, her beer already halfway gone. She stopped and viewed Ignis with concern though as she realized that, even behind his tinted glasses, he couldn't hide the look of despondence on his face. Feeling somewhat guilty for what she said and unable to shake the sadness she suddenly felt upon seeing Ignis' expression, she lifted her beer in a toasting motion, a sorrowful smile on her lips. "But for your sake, I hope he's well, too."
Gladio followed suit, raising his bottle in the air. "Here's to Noct."
Soon, they were all toasting to the missing prince.
"To Noct."
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Welcome to Water Under the Bridge!
The Ignis/Aranea pairing is one of my absolute favorites and I've been very excited to write this story for some time now. This will span the 10 years between chapter 13 and chapter 14 of the game, so I've got a lot to cover. Let me know in the reviews or a PM what you think. Reviews let me know what I need to change and what I should focus more on (plus, they're awesome motivators :D ). I hope you enjoy!
Just a reminder, I've found that I update just about once a week (depending on how work is going, what's going on in my life, etc), so look for chapter two soon!
Also, thanks so much to Delborovic on Tumblr for allowing me the opportunity to use their beautiful fanart as my cover photo. I appreciate it so much!