Chapter 5
When the group made it back to Cindy's garage they were worn, tired, and feeling heavy. Even Prompto's usually reliable enthusiasm had seemed to peter out, and they'd shuffled down the ramp so silently that Cindy nearly jumped in surprise when she returned to the open hangar bay and saw them filing in.
She stood up straight, eyes quickly taking in the defeated expressions they wore, and brushed her hands together with a knowing grimace. "Y'all look like ya been through the wringer. No luck, huh?"
Noctis shook his head. "No, not this time. Every power core I tried to disconnect exploded."
"Shoot, that's no good. Glad to see y'all made it back though," Cindy said, looking over the worn and dirty party. Gladiolus was leaning against a wall staring at Velcia, who was awkwardly trying to keep her distance and pay no mind. She noted that whatever was bothering them seemed to also have Ignis concerned, but Prompto was seemingly in a flighty state of mind and staring off into space.
Cindy rested her hands on her hips with a sigh, choosing not to address the tension just yet. "Don't look like anyone was hurt too bad, though. That's sure a relief."
"We're all a bit banged up, but we'll be back in form for tomorrow," Ignis said softly, turning his attention to her now.
Crossing his arms, Noctis motioned towards Velcia with a quick jerk of his head. "Velcia did find a broken power core that was already disconnected. It looked like it still had a little power left, so I brought it back. Think you could do anything with it?"
Cindy put her fingers to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'd have to take a look at it to know for sure, but depending on what sorta shape it's in we might be able to figure somethin' out. Put it over here on this work bench and I'll give 'er a look."
Noctis held out his hand, and with a quick flick of magic summoned the broken power core from his magic storage right onto the bench. Cindy walked over and began inspecting it closely, holding her breath when she was close to the leaking fumes.
"Phew-eee," she said, holding a greasy cloth up over her nose. "Ya don't wanna breathe in any of that nasty stuff."
"Would have been good to know before I got a couple face-fulls of it," Noctis said with a sigh.
Ignis walked over, followed by Velcia, and the two eyed the device. Ignis waited patiently, refraining from speaking until Cindy took a step back from it. "Do you suspect we'll be able to learn anything from this?"
Cindy retrieved a pair of goggles from her utility belt and was poking at various ports and outlets with some sort of sensor device. "Well, it ain't gonna be of any direct use that's fer sure. I ain't ever gonna be able to repair something like this, but it might be just good enough for me to figur' out how to actually disconnect one proper."
Velcia turned to Noctis and Ignis. "Is there anywhere else we could go that may have more power cores?"
Noctis shook his head. "I'm not sure, unless we want to try attacking the Magitek Airships on patrol."
Prompto perked up anxiously. "And, just to be clear, we don't want that, right?"
A smirk formed on Ignis' face. "It would be… inadvisable."
"Formouth Garrison will have some," Gladiolus said firmly, still standing against the wall at the bottom of the ramp.
"Formouth Garrison? Are you serious?" Prompto exclaimed. "That's way, way up North, past the Adamantoise!"
"As well as being the most heavily fortified Imperial base in all of Leide," Ignis added, holding a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Still… I don't know that we have many other options."
Gladiolus leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "Viewbliss is out of the question now. We're going to have to make the journey North."
Ignis glanced over to Noctis. "What say you?"
Noctis shrugged. "What can I say? We're in a tight spot and don't have many options. We better make this one work."
"I got a good feeling for it, y'all," Cindy interjected. "I'm gettin' some good readings off this machine here and I think I can figure out what yer gonna need to do to remove one of these proper. It ain't no wonder they kept blowing up on ya, this thing seems like it was made to be a right pain to undo."
"Well, there's some good news," Noctis said thoughtfully. "What about travel? It would take days to walk all the way to Formouth, especially if we have to worry about the Adamantoise."
"Perhaps we could borrow a vehicle," Ignis suggested, shaking his head.
Velcia leaned in towards Ignis, speaking quietly. "Did something happen to yours?"
"Stuck on the other side of the Imperial Blockade, I'm afraid," he told her.
"I don't know that I've got anything I'd trust to git ya all the way to Formouth," Cindy told them, tapping her foot. "And I don't 'spect anyone else in New Crestholm will neither. Even if you got something that could hold its own against the wind, I don't reckon any vehicle'd be nimble enough to git you past all them Daemons."
"Damnit," Noctis groaned, shaking his head. "Are we really going to have to walk the whole way there…?"
Suddenly, Prompto began to jump up and down in excitement. "Ah yeah, I forgot to tell you guys! Remember a couple days ago when I wandered off to the canals?"
"And nearly got jumped by a Heartless?" Gladiolus asked gruffly. "Yeah, I remember."
"Yeah, but that made me forget - you know what I saw when I was there?" Prompto asked, hands shaking.
"Heartless," Gladiolus replied simply.
Prompto rolled his eyes with an exasperated scoff. "Them too, but I saw our Chocobo! They were resting under some trees up the hill!"
Ignis held his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "If we can find enough Chocobo, they could make the trip to Formouth significantly easier. We'll have to call for them with the whistle tomorrow and see how many we can find."
Gladiolus raised a skeptical eyebrow, eyes bobbing up and down as he watched Prompto's leaping. "You think Chocobo are going to be able to get through that storm?"
"Sure they can, big guy!" Prompto said, grabbing Velcia's hand with a surprisingly assertive enthusiasm. "Vel here can make one of those wind barriers to keep us safe!"
Velcia smiled. "I would be happy to do so."
"Good thinking, Prompto," Noctis said.
"Chocobo, here we come!" Prompto cheered, dancing around excitedly.
Cindy chuckled. "I guess that's why they were on your mind yesterday, huh?"
Prompto stopped in place, looking towards her with an awkward smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, right. That's totally why I was thinking about them. It's not like they're constantly on my mind. Like, all the time."
Gladiolus stepped forward from the wall. "If that's settled then, I'm going to go turn in early."
"What about dinner?" Noctis asked.
The tall man shook his head. "Not hungry right now. I'll get a snack later if I need one."
Ignis and Noctis exchanged glances. "Alright Gladio, we'll catch up with you in a bit," Noctis said.
Once Gladiolus' footsteps had faded, Cindy came over and spoke quietly. "Gladio doin' alright?"
"It was a rough afternoon," Noctis told her. "We'll figure it out."
Ignis turned to Velcia. "Miss Velcia, shall you be joining us for dinner tonight?"
Velcia blinked, and then looked around thoughtfully. "I… may prefer to retire to my room for the night, as well."
Noctis nodded, and took some coins from his pocket. "How about you pick something up on the way back, just in case."
She hesitated for a moment, but held out her hand and accepted the coins. "Thank you," she said with a small bow. "I'm really sorry abo-"
"Don't be. I'll talk with Gladio and explain things," Noctis said. "Whether he likes it or not, it was just as much my decision as it was yours."
She thought about this for a moment, and put the coins away. "Thank you. I'll see you all tomorrow morning, then. Thank you for the help, Cindy, it has been good to see you again."
"Sure thing, Vel! You get some good rest and I'll see ya tomorrow!" Cindy said cheerfully.
Velcia walked slowly up the ramp, deep in thought, and began to make her way back towards her trailer. As she hit the edge of town, near the food trucks, the smell of all the delicious morsels caught the attention of her stomach and it growled pleadingly. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for food, but walked over to the Crow-2-Go truck anyway and took a look at the menu board.
After a moment of contemplation she pulled the coins from her pocket and tallied her budget, then stepped up to the window and ordered some fish and fries. The attendant seemed accustomed to weary travelers and did not engage further than taking her order, and she sat down on a wooden bench to wait.
As she waited, she took a long and thoughtful look around New Crestholm. The late evening sun's orange hues and dark, purple shadows struck a chord with her and she couldn't help but take in the natural beauty of New Crestholm. Everybody had sort of a transient feel to them, as if fate brought them here until whenever it was their time to move on. As she watched, Velcia found herself thinking how much it reminded her of Traverse Town. She'd only been there a few times now to visit her mother, but it too was one last haven for the homeless.
She sighed softly and was just starting to think back to her mother, still in Thebes, when the attendant called out to her. She retrieved her food box with a heartfelt thanks and made her way back to her trailer, and by time she got there she found she remembered nothing of the journey or her idle musings.
Once inside, she set the box down at the table with a weary sigh and removed most of her armor before sitting down. Velcia opened the box, the food smelled good but her appetite refused to engage. The sun outside was busy setting, and she got distracted looking at the many hues of orange, pink, and red that filled the sky.
Finally the sun sank past the horizon, the last rays of light no longer reaching directly through her window, and when it went it took the warmth with it. Velcia shook her head as her mind came back to the world around her, and looked down at her plate of cold fish and fries. Her stomach ached with hunger after the long day, but her throat was so tight with consternation that she knew there was little she could do.
She closed the box and placed it into the fridge, then went and laid down in her bed to see if she could get some rest.
When Velcia next opened her eyes, she found herself back once more in the glowing blue realm. She looked around, her fists balling up tensely and her breath starting to pick up speed. Her exhaustion was clear on her face, and though at first she seemed to be frustrated with her current situation she quickly found she didn't have the energy for it, and this frustration slowly melted away to a forlorn resignation.
"Not again, not tonight," she whispered sadly as she stood up. "Why do I keep coming here? Why can I not get any sleep?"
The creeping, bubbling darkness around the edges of the platform was there again, but it seemed fairly placid this time. Velcia turned in a slow circle several times, trying to figure out what her purpose was in this place, when she heard a familiar twinkling sound.
From up above, the sparkling little Star descended towards her. It did not glow brightly, but the light was warm. Velcia eyed it with caution, then looked higher up into the sky. It felt as though every time she'd seen this Star Darkness was sure to follow, and she wasn't sure if this glowing harbinger was leading the Darkness or running from it.
Seeing nothing else in the sky, she turned her attention back to the Star as it bobbed softly in the air not far from her face. Now that it was here, chiming softly, Velcia felt much of her trepidation begin to melt away. This little Star lit a familiar warmth inside of her heart and, though she could not begin to explain why, the sense of companionship it brought helped to ease her suspicions and soften her towards it.
Velcia slowly held up an open hand towards it, feeling the warmth of the light against her palm. "What do you need, little one?"
The Star chimed gently and slowly floated towards the edge of the circular platform, occasionally bobbing up and down with great energy as if to beckon her over. Velcia followed it cautiously, finding that it led her to one of the several gaps in the dark sludge that lined the perimeter of the glowing floor. She peered over the side tenderly, the great featureless void below striking a fear in her heart that told her she must go no further.
The little Star chimed once more, and abruptly dropped to just a few inches off the ground and proceeded over the edge. Velcia watched it with equal parts interest and concern, and the small Star lowered down just a bit. It took Velcia a moment to realize that the bobbing, floating motion had ceased entirely, but it did seem like the Star had landed on something solid.
She crouched down to take a closer look and then, just underneath the Star, she could very faintly see a translucent purple surface underneath it. Curious now, she summoned her Keyblade and slowly placed the tip of it down beside the Star. A rush of magic swept through both Velcia and her Keyblade and a rolling wave of light pulsed out from her Keyblade, revealing a beautiful, if ghostly, transparent staircase that spiraled ever higher into the infinite void above.
The small Star seemed to chitter with excitement, and began to float along above the winding steps. Velcia reached out gingerly with her foot, pressing her toes against the supposed surface. Surprisingly enough it felt solid, and by degrees she gradually placed more of her weight upon the step until she was certain that it would support at least one foot's weight.
Velcia looked up at the rest of the stairs, but could not see where they led. In fact, the highest of these steps seemed to fade slowly back into invisibility. She could not tell whether there were more steps beyond that simply needed to be lit, or if that was truly the end of the path; but the sharp interjections of the Star made it clear that she was expected to follow.
"You want me to take these stairs?" she asked softly. "But… where do they go?"
The Star gave no answer, but continued to float up. Velcia took a nervous breath and stepped now with both feet onto the first of these steps. Much to her relief, it did feel just as sturdy and real as the surface she'd just left. Thus encouraged, she held her Keyblade ever more tightly in her hand and continued up the winding path after the star.
The staircase was long and twisting and after a few minutes Velcia found she no longer had any real frame of reference for where she was or where she could be going. She wanted to turn and look back down to the platform where she began, but was so concerned that she would get dizzy and lose her footing that she didn't dare to try it. The Star paid little attention to her discomfort and continued on its way, and as she watched it she began to realize that the dark shadow of what appeared to be another platform loomed quietly above them.
With a renewed curiosity, Velcia made her way along the rest of the path until at long last they reached a destination. The top of the steps led to a new platform much like the one she'd left far below. This one, however, was cracked, gray and covered in the sludge of Darkness. What seemed to be melting husks of Heartless were littered about, not moving but thick with the dark goo that had rained upon Velcia last time.
Velcia looked around at this desolate, desecrated place, a mixture of sadness and disgust welling up inside of her. She still didn't know where she was, but the sight of it was heartbreaking to her all the same. "Why did you want me to see this? What is this?" she asked the star.
The Star twinkled softly, and floated over to the opposite end of the platform. Velcia followed slowly, using beams of light magic from her Key to burn a path clean through the darkness that coated the jagged and fragmented surface, until she finally reached the other side. Once there, she held her key out over the edge, supposing she was meant to reveal another set of stairs, but nothing appeared.
"What now?" she asked.
The Star chimed softly and floated over the side, falling slowly into the void below. With a gasp, Velcia leaned over the edge to watch it, hoping that it would be alright, but found herself quite surprised at the sight that was awaiting her.
Far below, at the base of the winding, glowing staircase, she could clearly see the platform from which she started. Though she'd been there several nights in a row now, she had never been able to discern what the design was that adorned its surface, but from up here it was unmistakable.
"It's… it's a large mural of me…!" she whispered in awe, her eyes darting across the glowing images that adorned the round platform. They glowed and shimmered, and from here the surface did seem to have a slight transparency to it, as if made of stained glass. Around the image of her were several small circles, each of these containing smaller images of familiar and beloved faces. "And… and my family and friends. It looks like…" She paused, remembering back to her Keyblade Masters' teachings before nodding slightly. "This must be my Station of Awakening."
The little Star chimed loudly and floated back up to her, bobbing around in excitement.
"So we're in my heart?" she asked, getting what sounded to be an affirmative chime in response. Velcia then looked around her surroundings at the Darkness and decay that lay heavily over the damaged, lifeless platform on which she currently stood. She wasn't sure why this aspect of her Station of Awakening was in such dire straits, when her platform down below was so vivid. Her attention returned to the little star, still floating out in the aether off the side. "Is there something wrong with me? Why is there so much Darkness in my heart?"
The Star made no reply, bobbing silently. Velcia stared at it, not sure why it would go to such great lengths to show her these things only to leave it at that.
Velcia held her hand out with an open palm, inviting it to come rest with her for a moment. "What are you, anyway? Oh, I wish you could tell me."
The Star did not move, but now seemed to be starting to tremble. Velcia began to feel as though she could sense a great Darkness, though was not sure from where, and she stepped back from the star slowly; though still kept her eyes locked to it.
The Star cried out with an alarmed chime and the next thing Velcia knew she was shoved violently from behind and sent flying over the edge, plummeting towards the platform down below. She screamed in shock as she fell, hoping desperately that she would wake up and find herself back in her bed on Eos, but quickly came to the realization that it wasn't going to happen. Her Keyblade had fallen from her grasp when she'd been shoved and was tumbling through the air out of arm's reach. She reached out instead with her heart and summoned it back to hand - thankfully, it came willingly.
With a frightened, frantic yell she held her Key out as she tumbled and cast a slow falling spell on herself, which instantly began to rapidly slow her descent. Velcia's breath heaved as she turned herself upright, still falling but ready now to land on her feet. She was watching the platform below intently, waiting for her landing, when a cold, thick splotch hit her arm.
Velcia looked up, seeing now a rain of Darkness surging down from the damaged platform up above. She grasped her Keyblade tighter, and quickly cast a barrier spell to protect herself. The viscous, gooey Darkness hit this shield with a sizzle but ran around the glowing orb of light and ran off easily.
Looking back down to the ground below, Velcia's heart sank at the sight of the beautiful mural of herself and loved ones becoming inundated by the cursed rain; the entire platform slowly becoming enveloped in the Darkness.
At last she landed on the stable surface, the shield of light burning away the sludge that was immediately below her. She fell to her knees, panting for air and crying softly. From outside the shield she heard the small Star twinkling once more, and she looked up to it with teary eyes. "Why…? Why are you doing this to me?"
It gave no response, just floating silently for a moment before flying back up into the sky. Velcia looked around at the platform - the rain had stopped, but her Station of Awakening was still coated with Darkness.
"I can't leave it like this," Velcia said to herself as she slowly stood back on her feet. "I don't know what this Darkness is doing in my heart, but I must not allow it to remain."
Her shield dissipated and she raised her Keyblade high, closing her eyes and feeling for the warmth of the light in her heart and her Keyblade, drawing as much of this light magic as she felt she could muster. Once she felt she had enough, she released the magic in a bright flash; the blinding light visible even through her closed eyelids as it seared away the Darkness.
When Velcia opened her eyes again, she found herself laying on her back on the bed in the trailer, soaking wet with sweat and breathing heavily. She sat up slowly, rubbing her forehead as she came to terms with her incredible headache.
She shivered a few times, great consuming trembles that felt like they were just as much from fear as they were the nipping cold. She rubbed her hands along her arms, staring blankly into the distance as she tried to determine what to do next.
Unexpected council was provided by her stomach, which very angrily interjected with a grumbling set of demands.
"I don't suppose I'll be back to sleep any time soon, anyways," she said to herself, and she stood up gingerly to make her way to the kitchen in search of the box of fish and fries.
After retrieving the box from the fridge she inspected the oven. She didn't have anything like this back on her homeworld, but she remembered them well from her travels with Hinata and other subsequent journeys. Each oven she'd seen was different in their own ways, but did all seem to follow the same functional basics. She eyed the control knobs for a moment as the memories came back to her, and set the temperature. She then took the food, put it on a baking sheet, and set it into the oven.
That done, Velcia made her way over to a seat near the window and looked at the sky outside. The moon was still high, and the brightly shining stars of the night dominated the heavens. There was a faint purple tint to everything in the sky that Velcia did not remember being there the first time she came to visit, but thinking back to her arrival remembered that even from space the entire planet had seemed to have a similar hue.
Her sleepy, curious eyes scanned the horizon from one end to the other, as far as she could see out her window. In the very distant north, she found she could see no stars at all because of the great, towering storm clouds created by the Adamantoise. This was not a subject she wished to dwell on and, with a shake of her head, she turned her attention back inside the trailer.
Velcia yawned as she looked around, patting her stomach in an attempt to soothe its impatience. "Soon…" she consoled herself, smelling the delicious scents of her warming food. "And with any grace, I'll be able to get at least a little sleep tonight before the sun comes up… if I don't end up in that Station of Awakening again."
She shivered again as she thought about it, crossing her arms and rubbing them. "It is probably for the best that I find something else to think about," she told herself. "But… I really don't know why this keeps happening. And why now, once I've come to Eos? Is the Darkness affecting me?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead again. It was something, she feared, she would have to figure out later.
Velcia startled awake at the sound of a loud, heavy knocking at her door. She could hear a voice outside, but was still too groggy to know for sure exactly whose it was. "Miss Velcia, are you alright?
"I am fine, just a moment!" she called out. Velcia shook her head and rubbed her eyes, then looked around her environment as she slowly began to remember what was going on. She was on the small sofa in the trailer near to the door, and one of her books was sprawled open face-down on the floor. She must have fallen asleep while reading last night.
She clambered over to the door and flung it open unexpectedly fast, much to Ignis' surprise. He gave her a quick, worried once-over, noticing that her orange hair was quite disheveled and her arms were striped with the texture of the couch fabric. She gave him a sleepy, somewhat embarrassed smile as she tried to hide a yawn.
The worry now gone from his face, Ignis smiled graciously. "Ah, I'm sorry to awaken you. It's nearly noon now and we wanted to make sure you were doing alright."
Velcia blushed. "Yes, I'm so sorry for oversleeping. I know we had important plans for the day."
"Not to worry, we have all been in need of some extra rest today," Ignis assured her. "I also wanted to inform you that we shall be eating in a few moments, and afterwards we were planning to go try to find some Chocobo in the forest. You are welcome, but not required, to join in this endeavor."
"Oh! I would quite like to go help find the Chocobo!" Velcia exclaimed with a smile. "I'll get ready and be along as soon as I can."
Ignis bowed softly. "Of course. We shall see you soon."
Ignis began to turn away, but stopped when Velcia called out to him. "Um, Ignis?"
"Ah, yes?" he asked curiously, facing towards her once more.
"I… I wanted to ask what the best way to apologize to Gladiolus would be," she asked, hands folded in front of her.
"Apologize?" Ignis asked, crossing his arms. "Gladiolus speaks plainly and appreciates it when others do the same, you need not worry about methodology. However, I do not believe there is anything for which you owe an apology."
Velcia bit her lip, her head rolling slightly to the side as she broke eye contact. "I'm not sure about that."
Ignis hummed thoughtfully, raising his hand to his chin. "Are you referring to the disagreement yesterday at Viewbliss?" he asked, getting a sheepish nod of affirmation in return. He took a quick breath, and spoke up once more. "I do not wish to overstep my own bounds and speak on anyone else's behalf, but, do know that there was a rather long discussion on the matter this morning in which it was made clear that the decision was just as much Noct's as it was yours. Though Gladiolus may not like or agree with that decision, I do not believe he will hold it against you."
"That is good to hear, but… I do believe he was correct. I didn't entirely understand the situation and upon further reflection it is something I would like to discuss with him. I would like to try to understand," she told him surely.
A smile cracked at the end of Ignis' mouth. "Is that so? It may be best to give him a little more time before you broach the subject, but I imagine he will be ready before long. I'm quite sure he will appreciate the gesture greatly."
Velcia nodded. "Thank you, Ignis. I hope it hasn't caused too much trouble between you all."
Ignis chuckled. "When you spend as much time together as the four of us have, one learns not to let disagreements become too big of an issue."
"I see. That is very relieving to hear," she told him.
"Glad to be of assistance. Now, if you will excuse me I should make my way back to the others," Ignis said and, after a small but gracious bow from Velcia, he took his leave.
Velcia, still standing in the doorway, looked up at the sky and tutted to herself on seeing that it was quite late in the morning. "I mustn't keep sleeping in like this," she said, shaking her head.
She shut the door and began to prepare for the day. The events of the previous night played in her mind, the realization that this mysterious place in her dreams may actually be the Station of Awakening now demanding her attention.
"If that place really is a Station… It's not just a nightmare… it's an actual world in my Heart," she mused uncomfortably as she changed her clothes. She paused suddenly, eyes moving slowly to look into a nearby mirror. "That means… I must be extraordinarily cautious when I find myself there. The darkness in the Station is just as real of a danger as anything else."
Looking at her reflection, Velcia was disappointed but not surprised to see just how tired she looked. She sighed, put on a practiced smile, and finished her preparations. Once done, she made her way outside and walked over to the area with the food trucks.
Prompto saw her first and waved her over, and as she approached she was relieved to see that everyone was in good spirits; even Gladiolus seemed to be sitting on the cheery side of stoic.
She gave a small wave as she neared. "Hello, everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."
"No problem," Noctis said. "Want anything to eat?"
"Make it quick though," Prompto piped up, "We've got some Chocobo to wrangle!"
Gladiolus reached across the corner of the table with a large hand held wide open, pushing Prompto backwards off his seat. "Lay off, we've got plenty of time," he said, cracking into a half-smile as Prompto fell backwards with a surprised yowl.
Velcia couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of it, and shook her head softly as Prompto jumped back up to his feet and brushed the dust off. Her stomach growled at her, demanding satisfaction. She was hungry, but feeling a bit off from eating something so greasy in the middle of the night.
Turning her attention back to Noctis, who'd also been distracted by the shenanigans, Velcia spoke up. "I would be quite happy to have some food. However… is there by chance anything to be found that isn't quite so greasy?"
Noctis smirked. "No Kenny's today, huh?"
Prompto feigned shock, but Ignis interjected before he could say anything. "There is a small variety of other options. I suggest the one over there with the blue tires," he told her, pointing over to another van.
"Thank you," Velcia said with a small bow, before walking over towards the van. It was old and the paint was faded, but the menu seemed quite new. Despite this, most of the items on the menu were crossed through with a thick red line.
A beady-eyed woman stuck her face out the window. "Anything with a red line is out of stock, hun, and the rest of it's probably going to be missing something or other."
Velcia took a quick glance at what was left, but wasn't sure now what to expect. "What would you recommend?" she asked, turning towards the woman.
"I can put together a grilled sandwich for you. The sauce won't be right since we can't get any decent supply lines set up thanks to those jerks over at Viewbliss, but it'll be better than nothing anyway," the woman told her. Even though her face was sticking out the window, it was still shadowed enough that it was hard to make out any details but her strange, piercing eyes.
"I'll try that, if you recommend it," Velcia said. "How much does it cost?"
"Eh, for you, twelve-hundred Gil," the woman said with a thoughtful tilt of her head.
Velcia nodded and checked her remaining coins, satisfied to see that she did still have enough left. She took them out and handed them to the woman, who grabbed them quickly with her gnarled hands and disappeared back inside the truck.
The next couple minutes were a very interesting, if borderline worrisome, series of noises and minced oaths. Despite these, the appealing aroma that began to saturate the air around the truck assured Velcia that all was likely well inside. This woman was a little strange, but by the smell of it she made good food and Velcia was eager to try it.
"I don't got any vinegar chips, you want sea salt?" she barked out the window.
"Ah, yes, I think that should be fine," Velcia said.
"And that's the last of my salt!" the woman cried out, banging around for another few seconds before revealing a plate with Velcia's meal, which she set on the countertop on the windowsill. "Alright, enjoy it!"
Velcia grabbed the plate carefully. "Thank you!"
"Ah, you thanked me when you paid me!" the woman responded. "Don't let it get cold!"
With a chuckle, Velcia returned to the table where the others were just finishing up.
"That doesn't smell half bad," Gladiolus remarked. "Think you can make something like that Iggy?"
"Most assuredly," Ignis responded, "and I will be delighted to do so once we can restock on our supplies."
Velcia paused for a second, her delicious-smelling sandwich just inches from her mouth. "The woman at the van seemed like she was having trouble with supplies as well. Half the menu was crossed out."
A series of scowls broke across the boys' faces, and Noctis shook his head. "It's been hard to get supplies down here. The only real way to get here by land is through the valley up north, and the Nifs have been persistent in attacking and robbing from any supply convoys that make it this far."
Gladiolus growled. "We've been doing our best to help get 'em through, but anything the Nifs can't take for themselves they just try to blow up. The only consistent supplies we can get are by sea, and those are… really rare."
Velcia lowered her sandwich slowly. "I had no idea. That's… that's terrible."
Ignis nodded solemnly. "If we can take care of the Heartless, particularly the Adamantoise, it should open up many options to help the people here. We have made an attempt or two to procure an Imperial Airship, but…"
"Those things get a little explode-y," Prompto chimed in, bringing his hands together to mime an explosion.
"We'll figure it out," Noctis said surely. "For now, step one is to find some Chocobo."
"Heck yeah," Prompto said with a smile. "Any plan with that as step one? Good plan."
Velcia nodded, picking up her sandwich. "Yes, I'll try to eat quickly so we can go look for them."
"Don't eat too fast!" Prompto warned. "You don't want to give yourself stomach cramps right before a Chocobo ride!"
"I'll keep that in mind," Velcia said, taking a bite of the sandwich. She closed her eyes with a smile, it was exactly what she needed.
Though the others had already finished their food, they were more than content to talk amongst themselves as they waited. Velcia found it incredibly difficult to track any given conversation, as the four would split into smaller conversations, overhear something from a different topic, and then change to that.
Having given up on paying heed to their amusing cacophony, Velcia instead focused herself on fully enjoying the rest of her sandwich. She was surprised to find that she quite enjoyed the chips as well, even though they were a bit over-salted to her taste.
Once finished, her attention returned back to her companions. Prompto and Noctis were lamenting their inability to play a game called "King's Knight". Having come in at the middle of the conversation Velcia didn't have any context to understand or commiserate with their woes, and so she simply folded her hands and listened.
This did, after a minute, catch Ignis' attention. "Ah, how was your food, Miss Velcia?" he asked rather conspicuously, in a slightly raised tone of voice.
"It was quite good, thank you," Velcia said with an appreciate bow.
Prompto slapped his hands down on the table dramatically, grinning ear-to-ear. "Oh yeah! You ready to go look for Chocobo now?" he asked.
Velcia stood up quickly and grabbed her trash from lunch, her own face mirroring Prompto's infectious smile. "I am!"
Prompto pumped his arm triumphantly. "Ah yeah, Chocobo here we come!" he exclaimed, and immediately began to run off in the direction of the forest.
Noctis chuckled. "Prompto sure is excited."
"I'll say," Gladiolus laughed, and the two started to run after him. Ignis, too, simply gave a resigned shrug and dashed off behind them. Velcia quickly followed, dumping her sandwich wrapper in a nearby bin as she did.
While the others were surprisingly good distance runners, Velcia found that she had neither the same speed or stamina and fell progressively further behind as the group made their way down the hill towards the Crestholm Canals. She did not at all mind this, and instead paced herself at a comfortable jog. A day in the forest sounded very nice to her, and the prospect of seeing Chocobo was exciting.
She'd ridden Chocobo on her first visit to Eos, and had fond memories of the copper-feathered bird named Ginger. Velcia wasn't sure if they would be able to find any of the birds, or if Ginger would be among them, but she hoped that they would.
When at last she caught up to the others, they were standing just outside the treeline. Prompto had finally managed to find his shiny Chocobo whistle, and gave it a sharp blow. All was silent, but after Prompto gave a second toot on the whistle a faint, surprised "ka-weeeeeeh" could be heard from somewhere in deep in the trees.
"Guys, they heard me!" Prompto exclaimed. "I'm going to call again!"
"Slow and steady, Prompto. We don't want to irritate them," Ignis warned.
"Got it!" Prompto said, blowing the whistle once more.
"Ka-weeeeeh?!" came the response from the trees, followed by the sound of feathers rustling quickly through the leaves and branches. Only seconds later, a curious lavender-feathered Chocobo's head popped up from the brush.
"Noodle!" Prompto exclaimed, holding his arms out. "You've been nearby all this time?"
The purple-hued Chocobo let out a happy-sounding trill and stepped out from the brush, nuzzling its head against Prompto and looking over the rest of the group.
Noctos stepped forward and brushed Noodle's wing. "Glad to see you're okay."
Ignis nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Indeed. I hope the rest of the flock has fared as well as Noodle."
Velcia was grinning ear-to-ear at the sight of the Chocobo, and came beside it to stroke its neck. "I almost forgot how large they are!"
"Big enough for even Gladio to ride!" Prompto said, brushing his fingertips across Noodle's back in a flurry of scritches. "Where's your friends, Noodle? Are they in the forest too?"
Noodle looked around the group with quick, jerky movements, and let out a somewhat more restrained "Kweh", then turned around and entered the forest.
"I guess we follow her?" Prompto asked somewhat rhetorically, as even before he spoke he'd begun to walk behind her.
"Guess so," Gladiolus replied.
They followed the lavender bird quietly, wondering where they were heading. Noodle seemed to be taking it slowly, as if with an abundance of caution, and stopped regularly. When Noodle stopped, she would stand up as straight as any Chocobo ever could and look around in all directions, tilting her head to listen to the sounds of the forest.
"Do you think Noodle's worried about Heartless and Daemons?" Prompto asked in a whisper, only to be chided by a quick but firm "Kweh!" from their feathered companion.
The others looked at each other with concerned expressions, but kept silent and carried on. They too were now proceeding with much more caution, each one stopping with Noodle and surveying their surroundings as best as they could.
At one of these stops, Velcia closed her eyes and reached out with her magic senses to see if she could detect any Heartless or other monsters of darkness. Much to her relief, there seemed to be nothing of the sort at all.
"I don't sense any Heartless or Daemons," Velcia said in a calm whisper. "Perhaps there's something else that she's worried about?"
Ignis nodded. "There are a few larger beasts that have been known to prey on Chocobo. Whatever the case, I say we follow Noodle's lead. She'll be keenly aware of whatever dangers may be about."
Velcia nodded, then bowed softly towards Noodle, who was waiting quite patiently for her..
"Ka-weeeh!" Noodle replied quietly, picking up the trail once more.
The group traveled along the thick vegetation that blanketed the forest floor, doing their best to navigate the twisted and overgrown brush and the fallen logs. It seemed as if no human had set foot here for as long as the forest could remember, but Noodle was well acquainted with the territory.
A familiar magical presence began to make itself known, and as Velcia and the boys looked ahead through the tall trees they could see the faint glimmer of the magic that protected the Havens of Eos. Noodle gave a small jump in excitement and dashed ahead, and the others followed quickly.
When they made it to the Haven, they found that it seemed to be centered around a hidden lake. The trees grew densely around the water's edge, and there were many islands dotted around the water that were home to great big trees; their canopies shading the water and obscuring it from an outside view.
All around the haven they could see several dozen Chocobo. Some of these were dashing merrily through the brush, and others rested peacefully at the water's edge or stood knee-deep in the crisp lake, cawing almost conversationally between themselves.
On some of the larger islands, great thick nests of sticks and leaves could be seen with some Chocobo roosting peacefully inside. It was clear that this lake was not just somewhere these great birds happened to be passing through, but it was in fact their home.
Prompto stepped forward, mouth agape in wonder. "It's a secret Chocobo lake…!"
Velcia looked around this secluded sanctuary with joy in her heart. "It's wonderful. I'm so glad to see they found somewhere so beautiful in a time like this."
"It makes one a bit hesitant to request their assistance," Ignis said quietly, holding his hand to his chin.
"The Heartless are a threat to them too, even here," Gladiolus said, eyes scanning the haven.
Prompto shook his head. "I don't think so, Gladio. They've got this Haven to protect them."
"Most of the people in Insomnia thought they were safe, right up until the shield fell," Gladiolus reminded him gruffly.
Noctis tensed up, gritting his teeth. "Yeah, we know. But how do you explain any of that to birds?"
Prompto grabbed the whistle from his pocket and looked at it. "Any time we've called them before it's been to ask them for help. I think they'll know what we want."
Noctis looked around pensively. "Worth a try."
Prompto gave a much gentler toot on the whistle this time, so as not to disturb the Chocobo too much. Many of them looked over towards them curiously, but found that they did not much care. Out in the distance along the lakeside they could see Noodle running back towards them with a small group of other Chocobo in tow; among these were one with pure white feathers and another with a shiny copper coat.
The group broke into warm smiles as their old companions returned, and the copper-coated Chocobo came slowly over to Velcia and lowered its head to greet her. Velcia's heart skipped in hope when she saw it.
"Oh my, Ginger, is that you?" Velcia asked, taking the dangling name tag into her hand to read it. "Why, it is you!" She quickly stepped forward and gave Ginger a great hug, feeling soothed by the plush feathers, and Ginger cooed happily.
Velcia stepped back. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you again. Hinata and I talk about you and Chica often."
Ginger cocked her head sideways curiously, and Velcia chuckled. "It has been a while. Let me see…" she reached into her satchel and grabbed her Gummi Phone, and struggled her way through the menus until she found an old picture of Hinata and Chica. She showed this to Ginger.
Ginger eyed the photo for a moment, then with a sudden jump and a loud "KAWEH!" ran back off into the trees.
"What'd you say to that one?" Noctis asked with a chuckle, as his Chocobo happily nuzzled his chest.
"I just showed her a picture of Hinata and Chica, her Chocobo from our last visit," Velcia explained.
Gladiolus was patting his Chocobo on the back fondly. "Well, better hope she comes back or you'll need to find yourself another one."
Prompto sat down, Noodle following along beside him. Prompto pulled out his camera and began to go through some of the pictures he took, showing them to his friend. "Hey Noodle, we need some help. We've gotta beat those monsters that are causing all this trouble. Can you guys help us out?"
Noodle looked at the images as they went past and eyed Prompto, who then pointed over to Velcia. "She's here to help us this time. We can get 'em now!"
Velcia smiled gently, but wasn't sure what to say. Chocobo certainly seemed to be very clever, but she had no idea how much they could actually understand.
Noodle stood up and gave a series of "cooes" and "kwehs" to the other nearby Chocobo, who responded in kind. After their congress concluded, Noodle turned her back to Prompto and spread her wings for balance, eyeing him with an encouraging coo.
"Guys, I think they're in!" Prompto exclaimed, jumping up onto Noodle's back.
The other Chocobo gave a happy call, and as Noctis and the others climbed up onto their Chocobo Velcia's attention was caught by another pair approaching from the lakeside.
Ginger had returned with another golden Chocobo, who was traveling more slowly.
Velcia smiled. "Oh, is that you Chica?" she asked as they approached.
Chica gave a friendly chirp, then stepped aside to reveal a much smaller golden bird that had been following behind - a baby Chocobo that seemed to be at the end stages of coming into its feathers.
Velcia dropped to her knees with a coo of her own. "Oh my goodness, Chica, a baby!" she cried out happily as the small Chocobo came over to inspect her curiously.
"Oh, Hinata would simply adore you. You're beautiful!" Velcia said, taking her Gummi Phone out once more. She found the camera controls and tried to take some pictures, but found herself annoyed with how they turned out.
Prompto, who'd seen the baby Chocobo and had something of a freakout of his own, had dashed over immediately. He saw her annoyance with her phone and patted her on the shoulder calmingly. "I'll get some pictures of this little fella!" he said, lifting his camera and taking several snapshots of the confused but nonetheless delighted little bird.
Velcia stood back up and hugged Chica. "I wish Hinata could be here to say hello to you. She'll be so happy to hear the news."
Chica gave a small "Kweh!" and nudged the Gummi Phone with her beak, causing Velcia to chuckle as she tried to keep her grip on it. "Yes, I can show you too!"
Velcia found the picture of Hinata and Chica once more and showed it to the golden avian, who eyed it carefully with a happy sounding coo. She then turned towards Prompto, who was still enamored with the small one. "Prompto, would you mind taking a picture of me with Ginger and Chica?"
Prompto jumped to his feet. "Would I?! That's like, my favorite question! Alright, stand between them!"
Velcia did so, the two Chocobo turning towards Prompto as well as he cooed lovingly at them. The little chocobo, not knowing what was going on but wanting to emulate its mother, ran over and stood the same as she did.
"Alright, smile!" Prompto said unnecessarily to the positively beaming Velcia, before taking a series of snapshots.
The snaps, clicks, and flashes excited the baby, who couldn't help but take a leap. It flapped its wings furiously as it did, filling the air with feathers and down. Velcia laughed and patted the small bird on the head. "I think that's enough for now, Prompto!" she called.
"Awesome! I got some great pictures!" he said, turning the camera around to show her one.
In this picture, Velcia stood center frame, looking down at the baby chocobo who was just at the peak of its excited jump, wings outstretched as Ginger and Chica looked down towards it with their beaks cracked open in what looked like a pair of amused smiles.
Velcia chuckled at the sight. "It's perfect! Thank you, Prompto!"
"I gotta come back here and get some more someday!" Prompto said.
"But first," Ignis broke in, "We should focus on our mission at hand."
"Aw, phooey," Prompto sighed, putting away his camera. He walked back over to his lavender friend, patting her gently. "Alright Noodle, are you ready to go?"
"Ka-weeeeeeh!" she cried.
Velcia turned towards Ginger. "May I please ask for your help? We have so far to travel and I would love your company."
Ginger looked over at the others and cooed to them, getting a series of various "Kweh!" in response. Ginger then lowered her head, hooking her neck under Velcia's arm as if to try to pick her up.
Velcia yelped in surprise and jumped back with a laugh. "I'll take that as a yes! Thank you, Ginger!" she said, climbing up onto Ginger's back. The soft feathers of the Chocobo were like a plush blanket, and as the bird cooed happily beneath her Velcia found that she wasn't quite so stressed about the long trip north.
Noctis looked across the party with a satisfied nod. "Alright then. Let's get going."
"Finally," Gladiolus said, patting his Chocobo as he fell into line behind Noctis, who led the train of birds and riders through the dense forest.
The moment the travelers crossed inside the magical haven that protected New Crestholm, Noctis took a sharp left and the group traced along the perimeter. The birds and their passengers both found a great relief, as night was not far off and not one of them was keen to run into any Heartless or Daemons.
Velcia, however, found the path that they were taking quite curious. She wasn't sure where exactly they were taking the birds, but it seemed to her that traveling along the edge of the barrier must be slower than a straighter path; a thought that was especially justified given that the terrain here was rougher than the mostly flat open roads that spidered through New Crestholm's center.
The curious woman spurred Ginger gently to speed up and rode up beside Prompto. "Where are we going?"
"I'm not the only mega-fan of Chocobo around here," he replied with a sigh. "Everyone loves the little guys. It's probably best not to draw too much attention to them."
Ignis nodded. "Indeed. There's a nice pen where they can rest in the Southeast, they should be free of disturbances there."
Velcia rubbed Ginger's back, nodding in understanding. "I see. That is quite thoughtful."
Noodle hopped with a quick flutter of her wings. "Ka-weeeh!"
"That's right, Noodle! And we'll bring a nice breakfast for you in the morning!" Prompto laughed as he rubbed his hand along her back.
As they came up to the pen, Gladiolus hopped down from his bird and opened the gate. "Looks like there's plenty of fresh straw here for you guys."
Indeed there was. Many fresh and fluffy piles were strewn about, several of these at the base of the tall, twisting tree near the back corner of the wooden pen.
"Wonder who put these here anyway?" Prompto said as he dropped straight into one from Noodle's back. "This straw is fresh!"
Noctis shook his head. "I don't know. Hopefully they don't mind the Chocobo borrowing it for the night."
"It is a Chocobo pen, Noct," Gladiolus reminded him, pointing towards a sign saying as much near the gate.
"Right. But that doesn't mean whoever put this here wanted us to use it…" Noctis mumbled, voice trailing off as he thought.
"A mystery for another time," Ignis interjected. "It is getting late and we must leave at the crack of dawn if we're to make it to the haven near Formouth before nightfall tomorrow."
Noctis nodded. "Right. We better go check in with Cindy and see if she's made any progress figuring out how to remove those power cores."
"True. We won't have a mission until we have at least that much information," Ignis conceded.
Gladiolus walked out the gate and watched as the others filed out as well, then he closed it tight and placed a latch on it. He shook the gate as if to test the lock, though it was mostly just for show. "There, nobody's getting this open easily."
Velcia looked at the gate, then the fence, then the Chocobo. She'd seen them effortlessly clear obstacles nearly as high as the fence on the journey back from the secret lake, and couldn't help but ask about it. "Couldn't the Chocobo jump out of the pen?"
Gladio patted his hand atop one of the wooden beams. "Easily. The fence is there to keep people away from the Chocobo more than it is to keep them inside.
Prompto motioned his hand out away from the pen. "And, it's good for them to be able to get out and run away if they need to."
Velcia smiled, and gave them a slight bow. "Thank you. That is very good to hear." She turned around and waved goodnight to the Chocobo, Ginger responding with a sleepy caw before laying her head down to rest.
It was only a few minutes walk from the Chocobo pen to Cindy's garage, and down at the bottom of the entrance ramp they could see a gruff old man with a matching red jacket and cap leaning against the wall by the bay door. Velcia wasn't sure who he was, but the others recognized him and they all seemed pleased to reunite.
The man cracked a smile at the sight of them, turning away from the wall and walking towards them with a pleased nod. "Good t' see you again, boys. Cindy pulled me down here to help her figure out how to build one of them cursed Imperial flying machines, guess I have you lot to thank for that."
"Desperate times, desperate measures," Noctis said, shaking the man's hand. "Good to see you up and about again, Cid."
"Well, I couldn't just sit on my ass and leave y'all hanging. If it means helping you guys strike back at that damn Adamantoise, I'd do just about anything," Cid said.
"That's part of the plan, anyway," Noctis said.
Cid nodded, staring out into the distance with his jaw set. "If it's a part I can help with, I'm right pleased to do so. Not a whole lot my old bones can really do to make a diff'rence these days, it feels sometimes." He shook his head, then turned his attention back to them. "Say, how'd that Chocobo hunt go?"
Prompto was eager to take the stage. "Man, you should have seen it! We found a secret Chocobo lake, and talked them into helping us out! They're resting at the Chocobo pens right now!"
Cid couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Well, that's good t' hear. Hope ol' Leroy put enough hay in there for ya, wasn't sure how many birds you'd be bringing back so I just told him to stock it plenty."
"The Chocobo were quite content with their accommodations," Ignis said. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
"Do what I can," Cid said with a quick nod. "I 'spose next thing yer needing is a diagram for removing those power cores?"
Noctis cracked a half smile. He always appreciated Cid's attentiveness. "Yeah, that's just what we were coming to ask about. Is it ready?"
Cid nodded. "Yeup, spent the best part of the afternoon working that out with her. Should have a nice diagram for y'all somewhere in the shop. She's prepping the machine bay to get a head start weldin' this and that together to build yer flying machine, I just stepped out for a quick breather."
Gladiolus smiled. "Thanks, Cid. Glad to have your help."
"Well sure thing, big guy! Can't leave the King and crew out to pasture, even if the plan is a bit nuts. Me and Reggie would do stuff like this all the time…" He trailed off slowly, memories of a long-retired lifestyle flashing back to him. He spoke up slowly now, a tint of melancholy in his voice. "Gotta admit, there's some new perspective to be had on this side of it, watching as y'all go runnin' out into gods know what. But you gotta do what you gotta do."
A clamorous clash of clanking metal components broke out from further inside the shop, breaking into their conversation and grabbing their attention.
Noctis chuckled. "I better go get that diagram before Cindy gets too caught up in her work."
"I'll come, too!" Prompto called out, waiting for no-ones input before he dashed up beside Noctis.
Cid watched them go with a knowing grin, then turned towards Velcia. "I don't believe we've been acquainted," he said, offering his hand. "Name's Cid."
Velcia shook his hand gently, but Cid's grip was quite firm. "I'm Velcia, it's nice to meet you. Am I correct to presume you and Cindy are related…?"
"Granddaughter. Took her in after what happened to her parents, so tragic," Cid said, shaking his head. This dour expression was short lived, as he quickly broke into a proud smile. "She's got quite the knack for mechanics, doesn't she?"
"I haven't seen much of her work, but it is quite impressive. Why, I imagine she could build just about anything," Velcia told him, pausing for a second with her fingers lightly resting against her chin. "She reminds me very much of my friend Sam, in that regard. I'm sure they'd get along very well, if Sam were ever able to come visit."
"I take it ya ain't from Lucis then, huh?" Cid asked curiously.
"Yes, I've come to try to help with the Heartless," she told him.
Ignis piped up, intercepting the inevitable follow-up question. "Those new, more shadowy Daemons are a different sort of beast entirely; with no relation to the Star Scourge. They come from another world, and Miss Velcia here is trained specifically to help take them down."
Cid whistled, adjusting the bill of his red cap. "Well I'll be, you boys have got all sorts of connections now don't you? Well, we're glad to have you here, Miss Velcia. These monsters aren't good for anybody but the Nifs at this point, and well enough we've had of the both of them."
Velcia nodded. "I'll do what I can to help. Thank you, sir, for assisting us as well."
"Anythin' for the kingdom," Cid said. "It's all we can do to make sure it survives anymore."
Suddenly, Prompto's voice could be heard coming from inside the garage. "C'mon Noct, it's not even that late yet. I bet Cindy could use some help."
"Yeah, from someone who knows what they're doing," Noctis jabbed.
"Hey, I can help! I know all about wrenches and stuff!" Prompto argued, grabbing a tool off a nearby rack as they walked out. "Look, see? I don't have to be a mechanical genius to do that."
Cid laughed, taking the tool back from Prompto as he passed. "It's alright, Prompto, it's what I'm here for. Y'all go get some rest for tomorrow, me and Cindy'll see about getting you something airworthy while yer gone."
"Thanks, Cid. You have a good night," Noctis said, the sentiments echoed by his companions.
Cid waved good-bye. "Will do. See ya later, fellas."
As they turned to walk away, Prompto slumped his head between his shoulders and kicked at the ground apathetically. "Man, I can help out."
Ignis patted Prompto on the shoulder. "We know you can, Prompto, but your talents are better served elsewhere. That said, I would have thought you'd have built up an appetite by now."
"Man, have I ever!" Prompto said, face brightening at the thought of a hearty meal.
"Yeah, same here," Gladiolus said. "Let's skip Kenny's tonight and have some cup noodle!"
Ignis nodded thoughtfully. "We should be able to spare some. Good suggestion, Gladio."