11
Prompto's eyes fluttered open, his eyelids hanging heavily over his tired eyes.
Everything was spinning around him, it was hard to get a grasp on reality. Instinctively moving his arm to push himself up with his elbow, he made an important discovery. The wounds that would have debilitated his movement weren't hurting. In fact, they weren't even there at all. His skin was flawless, and the healthy glow had returned.
There wasn't a single ounce of pain left in his body.
"W-What the hell?" He thought, looking over his body as he slowly sat himself up from the cold ground he was laying on. "What's going on?"
"Am I... dead...?"
Taking in his surroundings, Prompto couldn't tell what was going on, or where he could possibly be.
The last thing he could remember was being strapped into that torture device by Ardyn. The pain, calling out for Noctis, knowing that his cries would be in vain. Then there was nothing.
Only darkness.
Darkness, and pain that just wouldn't go away. Ever since he was pushed off of that train, that's all Prompto felt. Nothing but pain and hurt. And through it all, he was alone. Aranea wasn't around anymore to protect him, and his friends weren't there to bail him out. And as much as he hated the feeling, he was beginning to doubt that they would come at all.
"Even if I'm not dead..." Prompto sighed. Curling into a little ball where he sat, he brought his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees as his arms wrapped around his legs, his beautiful blue eyes losing their sparkle as he continued to lament his situation. "He's not coming, is he...?"
It hurt to think that, but it was starting to look like his friends wouldn't ever come for him. Or that they even wanted him back at all.
"I'm sure they're all just fine without me..." Sniffling softly, tears lined Prompto's eyes as he thought back to his friends still.
He missed them, he really did.
But they probably didn't miss him back.
"They're better off without me." He thought, the tears beginning to fall as he reflected on his position. "Let's face it, they hate me. Ardyn was right, all I do is hold them back... that's why Noct..."
"W-Why he..."
"You're wrong."
Whipping his head up at the sound of the voice, Prompto quickly scanned the immediate area around him, but found nothing.
But the voice. The voice he knew.
The warm, kind, feminine voice that could belong to one and only one person in the whole of Eos.
But that was impossible, it had to be. Lady Lunafreya was dead and gone, taken from the world before the two had ever been given the privilege of a meeting. It was impossible for him to be hearing her voice.
Unless...
"Unless I'm actually dead..." Prompto thought, wiping the tears from his eyes as he gave the area another quick scan, but this time something caught his eye. A small shining blue light appeared in the distance.
Widening his eyes for a moment as the surprise took hold of him, the space around the photographer was decorated in blue.
"What?" He wondered, reaching out his hand and grabbing one of the lights, he discovered that they weren't lights at all. "Sylleblossoms...?"
"Noctis does care for you, Prompto."
Whipping his head up again Prompto's eyes widened wider than they ever had before in his life.
There, materializing before his very eyes, was Lady Lunafreya herself. Her golden hair and long white gown flowing in the nonexistent breeze as she took on an ethereal glow, making her even more radiant and beautiful than she already was without it.
The sight of her alone was enough to make Prompto cry again. He had wanted to meet her so badly, to see her and Noct get married and be happy. And to thank her for giving him the strength to push himself to become friends with Noct. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to him in his life, making such a good friend like that... and it was all thanks to her.
But in life, he had never gotten that chance...
"Noctis cares for you very much." Luna said again, a soft yet almost sad smile adorning her face as she spoke to the blonde boy.
"I wanna believe that..." Prompto said softly, averting his gaze from hers. Another wave of sadness hitting him at the thought of his best friend. "I really, really do. But I-I know he isn't coming for me... and besides, isn't it obvious? I'm talking to you... which means... which means I'm dead! D-Doesn't it...?"
The pain on his face and in his voice was clear and strong. It hurt Luna's heart to see him in such turmoil, the Prompto she'd heard about and always wanted to meet was a happy, bubbly ray of sunshine, full of life and always brought happiness to those around him. But the Prompto she saw now... he was a broken man, full of sorrow and nearly drowning in despair.
But there just had to be a way to save him...
"Prompto, he did come." Luna explained, taking a step closer to him as the blossoms continued to fall around them. Reaching her hand out, she gently touched the skin of his right arm, four blue eyes locking as she spoke directly to his soul. "Noctis is here for you. He's worried sick..."
"He is...?" Prompto asked, his eyes widening slightly as he listened to her words.
But how was that possible?
How could Noct possibly be worried about him after all the trouble he'd caused him and the others?
But then again...
"PROMPTO!"
Noct's voice rang in his ears, the last thing he remembered hearing as his feet left the roof of the train. The desperation and fear in his friend's voice was overwhelming.
After that, Prompto's body hit the ground hard, and everything had gone dark.
He had hoped his friends had cared and were on their way to rescue him from Ardyn. Aranea had had her own hand in restoring his faith once, but after spending days being tortured and beaten down, Ardyn had succeeded in stripping away that hope again. Made him feel like he was only fooling himself thinking the others would come for him.
But if what Luna was saying was true...
"B-But I'm dead!" He asserted, convinced as much considering who he was speaking to. "I... I have to be..."
"No." Luna said, shaking her head at her fellow blonde. "Prompto, I assure you, you are still very much alive. But..."
"But?" Prompto asked, raising his eyebrow as he began to feel very concerned about what she could be implying. "But what?"
"You've been gravely injured... and your condition is only worsening by the moment." She explained, a sadness in her eyes as her ocean blue eyes locked onto his own. "I'm afraid that if Noctis can't find your friends soon... there's a very strong chance you could join us..."
"Us...?" He asked again, more confused though his levels of fear were rising exponentially as she basically told him he was still alive but he in fact was potentially slowly dying.
Scanning his eyes around them they locked on a sight he hadn't seen in many a year.
A white dog, poking out from behind Luna, moving to stand beside her owner covered in her own ethereal light.
"Pryna?" Prompto nearly gasped, more than surprised to see the dog there too. "I don't understand... what are you two even doing here? Hell! Where am I anyway?"
"We're inside your mind, Prompto." Luna explained, a soft smile appearing on her face. "In a secure corner of your mind, a safe place where you can hide from Ardyn's evil, where he can't hurt you. That's why your body is not broken, and why you feel no pain."
"Okay, hold up!" Prompto said, shaking his head and waving his hands in front of himself as his brain just imploded on itself for a moment. "Now I'm even more confused. If this is inside my mind, how are you here?"
Luna took that moment to smile bright and soft, a kind smile he thought he would never gain the privilege of seeing up close. Her eyes shined brighter when she smiled, illuminating their dark surroundings in a veil of almost holy light.
"Because Noctis asked me to watch over you." She explained, taking his hand in her own as she continued to speak. "And so I've come. To see that you are kept from harm. But I fear there isn't much more I can do for you than this. I can only keep Ardyn at bay for so long... I can sense his darkness trying to creep in even now."
"Wha-"
"-He's coming back for you. With Noctis away searching for Ignis and Gladiolus, your body has been left unprotected. He knows this all too well..." She continued, sadness covering her expression like a heavy veil.
"Then... Noct left me...?" Prompto asked, his fears slowly surfacing as he took in Luna's words.
Why would Noct leave him unprotected...?
Finding Ignis and Gladio, sure. That was important and all, but still...
"Yes, he did." Luna nodded, not about to sugarcoat the situation, though it really wasn't as bad as Prompto thought it was. "You're in a barrack resting. He thought you would be safe there while he went to search for your friends. And so he called on me, to watch over you while he can't. He cares very deeply for you, Prompto. Deeper than anyone. Even I. Noctis never wanted to see you hurt, I hope you know that..."
"Noct..." Prompto whispered, lowering his head as his eyes slowly closed, trying to fight the tears threatening to fall from his beautiful blue eyes.
After everything Ardyn had put him through, his faith wasn't wasted... it had faltered, and nearly been destroyed.
But still Prompto's faith in his best friend prevailed.
His hope had not nearly died in vain.
It was overwhelming to think about after everything that had happened to him since the train. Everything he had to do, and everything that was done to him, it was all leading to this. To his best friend, his knight in shining armor, risking everything to save him from this hell.
Luna smiled softly as she looked on at the young man, raising her hand to his own free one, taking it into her soft grip and held his hand gently and sportively. Offering any comfort she could to her love's dearest friend.
"How very touching. Even in death, Lady Lunafreya still finds a way to aid his highness. It's a beautiful thing, truly."
"Oh no!" Luna gasped as Ardyn's voice echoed around them, swiftly whirling around and holding her arm out protectively in front of Prompto, with Pryna growling a warning in tandem beside them. "He's here!"
"Ardyn!" Prompto exclaimed, taking a step back as Luna and Pryna quickly moved in front of him, Luna holding her arm out protectively in front of him as her eyes narrowed, scanning the space around them for any sign of Ardyn's dark magic that had broken through into Prompto's mind.
"So, you're protecting him, are you?" Ardyn's voice sounded around them. Chuckling darkly as a purplish black mass appeared around them, Pryna growled and barked angrily as it surrounded them. "I'm afraid I can't have that."
Without a moment's notice the black mass careened towards the three of them, hitting Luna and knocking her to the ground before wrapping itself in a bubble around Prompto, the shadowy mass forming into a cage around the blonde boy as it turned from shadows to metal trapping him inside before they could even think to do anything about it.
"Prompto!" Luna gasped.
Scrambling up from the ground as quickly as she could, Luna made her way over to the newly formed cage around the blonde, wrapping her hands around the bars as she pulled at them, though she knew it was hopeless to try and get it open. Even if it were possible, she wasn't strong enough to pry the thing open.
"Now now, Lunafreya. There's no need to fuss." Ardyn chuckled as the black mass inched ever closer to them.
Pryna backed closer to her master, growling and barking warning at the mass to stay away, but still it kept coming. Arydn's magic wasn't about to stop for the dog's spirit.
"I'll take good care of him."
"Luna look out!" Prompto called out in a fearful warning.
Luna whipped around just in time to see the mass lunge at them once again, her eyes widening as it wrapped itself swiftly around her limbs, restricting her movement before doing the same to Pryna, not letting either of them go free.
Prompto's eyes widened in fear as he realized what was happening. Ardyn's magic was overpowering even Luna herself, and to rescue him his friends would probably have to face him.
And if that happened... they could all end up dead...
"Now, Lady Lunafreya." Ardyn began again, chuckling menacingly to himself on the end of his breath as the shadows contained them all, rendering them powerless against him for the time being before his tone dropped exponentially.
The man's calm melodious baritone almost sounded sharper and with a heavier amount of grit. Almost as if he were channeling a deep seated anger.
"Begone!"
A gasp escaped from Luna's lips, but before anything could be done, Luna and Pryna's bodies became engulfed in a bright, blinding light. And in merely an instant, they were gone. Banished from his mind and nothing more than particles of light floating away and fading into nothing.
Prompto's eyes widened more than they ever had, instinctively throwing himself forwards, reaching his arm through the bars of his confinement in a vain attempt to reach out to them.
"Lady Lunafreya!" He called out in desperation, fearful of what was going to happen to him now that she and Pryna were gone and could no longer help him out of this jam.
"Now now, dear boy, there's no need to worry." Ardyn's deceptive chuckle echoed around him, almost thickening the atmosphere with his heavy malevolence emanating all around. "I'll see to it you're well taken care of while his highness is away."
"Somehow I doubt that." Prompto thought, not even beginning to believe him.
He and the others had been hurt to badly by the man to give any wiggle room on those thoughts. All that awaited him now was even further torment.
Slumping down to the floor of the cage, Prompto pulled his knees back up to his chest, resting his forehead on his knees as he clasped his hands tightly over his ears, trying to block out Ardyn's echoing laughter. Focusing as best he could on what Luna had told him, he sincerely hoped Noct wasn't too far away...
"Please, Noct... you have to help me." The blonde whispered, trembling as the laughter boomed around him, overtaking any other sound around him as tears began forming in his tightly closed eyes. "I need you..."
"Who does that no good bastard think he is!?" Gladio growled as the three trudged back through the corridors, backtracking to the large chamber they had annoyingly just came from. "Goddammit..."
"Stay calm, Gladio." Ignis advised, though through the tremors in his voice it was clear that he was anything but calm. In fact none of them were, they had no reason to be calm. "Anger won't do Prompto any good. If we aren't careful, we could only serve to cause him even greater harm."
"Not gonna happen." Noct snapped, his eyes narrowed sharply as led the way down the halls. "We're getting Prompto away from that son of a bitch and he's gonna pay! Got that? That's the plan."
"Not the most thought out plan." Ignis pointed out, not exactly pleased with the notion of going against the man without a proper strategy. But talking strategy was the last thing Noct was viable to do at that point, that much was clear by his current temperament. "I can't say I enjoy the idea of facing the chancellor, as much as I'd love to show him what for myself."
"Well, Ignis, if you haven't noticed, we don't have time to waste thinking of a plan that'll most likely fail!" Noct growled, less than impatient with their situation. "Prompto needs us now!"
The king's eyes were cold and focused, anger overflowing from him. Emanating from his very soul as he thought about his dear friend once again in the clutches of such an evil and heartless man. It was the most infuriating thing.
Why couldn't he just leave Prompto alone?
Hadn't he done enough harm already!?
"Yes, that's true." Ignis nodded, sighing quietly under his breath as he sensed the anger overpowering his friend.
"Let's just hurry before something even worse goes down." Gladio advised, taking the lead in favor of being in a position to better protect his friends from any potential harm. That was his job after all. "We're getting Prompto back if it's the last thing we do. We didn't come all this way to lose him."
"We won't." Noct nearly growled, his eyes filled with pure hatred and venom as they approached the large open chamber. Luckily for Ardyn, they hadn't been too far away or they would all be exponentially more angry about having to turn right around and go back there than they already were.
Which was saying a lot considering how they were all already extremely angry to begin with.
But nothing in the world was going to take Noct's best friend away from him. Not like Luna and his father, and even Ravus now had been taken from him. Noct had sworn to that a million times by now but now more than ever, walking with Gladio and Ignis ever closer to the man who had stolen Prompto away from him, he truly meant it. Ardyn had stolen his best friend. His brother. And he was gonna pay!
He was gonna pay dearly.
Walking down the platform to the center circle, the air seemed to triple in thickness as the group laid their eyes on him.
Ardyn stood between them and what they assumed was a smaller circular room in the center of the platform.
Noct's blood froze as his eyes made contact with the sight before him.
There on the ground at Ardyn's feet, was Prompto, laid out like he had been dropped carelessly after being carried there by Ardyn. The wounds Noct had been able to bandage on his own looked like they had been reopened, blood seeping through the bandages covering the gash on his forehead. His eyes were still closed, and a pained expression decorated his face as he laid there in a heap at Ardyn's feet, quiet moans escaping from his lips as the pain washed over his unconscious form.
"You son of a bitch!" Noct growled, clenching his fists as his eyes shot daggers at the man. By that point the only thing holding him back was Gladio standing before him, not about to let Noct run at him carelessly in a blind rage to try and murder the bastard.
"Oh, I am sorry about Prompto." Ardyn sighed, the fakest aura of empathy hanging like a veil over his empty words. Gesturing to the broken boy at his feet a dark chuckle surfaced from under his breath, proud of what he had accomplished like the sick and twisted man he was. "It seems he didn't quite appreciate my hospitality. And after all I've done to reunite him with you."
"Bastard!" Gladio shouted, his own anger levels beginning to rise. "You're the one who took him in the first place!"
"Indeed." Ignis agreed, nodding as he took a step up towards Gladio, the unseen glare in his dead eyes burning with a fire hotter than the hellfires of Ifrit standing before the man who harmed his dear friend and caused his king and brother so much pain and suffering. "And why take him a second time? Haven't you done enough harm!?"
"Give Prompto back to me." Noct growled, his own fires of rage surpassing anyone one else's in the chamber as his fists clenched until the skin of his knuckles began to turn white. "Now."
"My, my, my." Ardyn shook his head at the young man, shrugging his shoulders slightly before turning his eyes back to Noctis and the others. "Certainly you haven't forgotten your manners after all this time?"
Nudging Prompto with his foot, a groan escaped from the blonde's lips, causing the blood of his fellow brothers to grow cold in their veins. The sounds of pain exuding from the broken boy were soul crushing, the weak whimpers echoing tauntingly in their ears, anger growing inside of them as well.
"Now then, perhaps if you were to ask nicely I would return poor Prompto to you." The chancellor chuckled, leaning down and taking Prompto into his grasp, gripping the collar of his vest and pulling him up from the ground. Prompto's head drooped down so his chin rested on his chest, his body limp in Ardyn's hold. "After all, your little chocobo isn't looking so good. Is he? After all, you know I couldn't possibly allow you to reclaim the boy so easily."
Moving his free hand behind his back, Ardyn's laughter stilled, the levity in his voice all but disappearing as his hand returned to the forefront, revealing the concealed dagger he now held in his left hand.
"Besides. I was hoping his majesty would be here to witness firsthand, what his betrayal had caused his closest friend!"
Ardyn's eyes narrowing, he rammed the knife swiftly into the stab wound already present on Prompto's left shoulder, tearing the slowly healing skin as blood flowed out of the wound. Painful moans escaped from Prompto's lips as the cold steel cut through his fragile, silky skin.
"NO!" Noct cried, his eyes widening exponentially as his gaze locked on the fresh blood flowing from Prompto's shoulder, a wave of pure rage beginning to wash over him.
"You sick fuck!" Gladio spat, repeating the insult he had already slung at the man before.
There was just no better way to describe the man in his mind, and he was sure the others would no doubt agree with him on that front.
"Let him go, you bastard!" Noct shouted, lunging forwards in an attempt to attack, but Gladio's swift reflexes were good enough to stop him, grabbing a hold of Noct's arm before he could go very far.
He wasn't about to let Noct give Ardyn exactly what he wanted from him.
"Ah, ah, ah." Ardyn said, wagging his finger at the young king as he removed the dagger from Prompto's shoulder, pure condescension spewing from his no good lips. "Violence will get us nowhere."
Taking a step further to the group, Ardyn dragged Prompto along, the blonde's limp, unconscious body like dead weight in his grip, fresh blood dripping down his arm from the newly reopened wound.
The villain's eyes became icy as he looked upon the three friends, his tone darkening as he spoke once more, gesturing to the room around them.
"Now, I assume you know what these chambers are for. As well as this facility."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Gladio questioned, a growl escaping from his lips as well, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold in his anger seeing Prompto injured and in the hands of a merciless madman.
"You see, the infantry units you callously dub 'MTs' all began as babes in this very facility. Imprinted with serial codes and incubated until they were strong enough to fight." Ardyn explained, shaking his head as a sigh escaped his lips. "What a pity. Innocent souls fated to suffer... at the hands of a foreign king."
Anger seeping through the end of his sentence, Ardyn's eyes narrowed, letting go of Prompto's vest and shoving his limp form down to the ground. A pained cry escaped from the unconscious blonde as his broken body made contact with the cold metal ground.
"Prompto!" Noctis shouted. Lunging forward again, though with Gladio still holding him back he didn't get very far.
"Well, not so 'MT' after all, are they?" Ardyn posed, chuckling to himself as Ignis placed his hand gently on Gladio's shoulder, a silent signal for him to let Noctis go.
Nodding in agreement, Gladio released his hold on Noct's arm, allowing him to go free.
With absolutely no hesitation, Noct sprinted the short distance over to Prompto, instantly dropping to his knees beside his dear friend and gently gathered him into his arms. Laying the blonde across his lap, Noct held him protectively in his gentle embrace, placing his hand softly against the blonde's unhealthily pale cheek the pain in Noct's heart grew exponentially.
"The most fascinating tidbit about your dear Prompto…" Ardyn chuckled, taking a step closer to the pair.
Alerting their protective instincts, Ignis and Gladio swiftly moved forward, placing themselves between Ardyn and their young friends as a makeshift protective barrier.
"What." Noctis spat out, tightening his protective hold on his injured and unconscious friend just enough to feel like he was keeping the blonde safe without causing him any more pain.
"Turns out, he's not empty either." Ardyn chuckled. Taking elegant strides past the four friends, he stopped for a moment with his back turned to the brothers, a malicious smile creeping across his face as he turned his head, his cold eyes drifting to the broken blonde.
Looking into the young man's pained face a nearly invisible ring of purple shadows circled around his head, the mark of Ardyn's handiwork and Prompto's continued torment.
"He's got quite the 'skeleton in his closet'." Laughing maniacally for a moment, Ardyn strolled slowly away. "Just some food for thought."
Leaving the brothers to dwell on what he had posed to them, he disappeared from view. Without knowing it, they were playing right into his hands.
Everything was proceeding exactly as he had planned.
"Prompto..." Noct whispered, his rage calming as he felt the weight of Prompto's unconscious form in his arms, bringing him back down to earth. His eyes softened as he looked into his friend's face, his rage replaced with a deep sadness and guilt. "I'm so sorry..."
"Kid's not lookin' too good..." Gladio observed, kneeling down beside Noct so he could get a better look at Prompto's injuries. "We'd better get him out of here and get those wounds patched up. Fast."
"What do you suppose Ardyn meant just now?" Ignis inquired, adjusting the sunglasses on his face as he wondered about Ardyn's previous statement about Prompto. "What was the purpose of this incident...?"
"We can think about that later, Iggy." Gladio said, turning his head to his most distinguished and astute partner. "Right now we've gotta take care of Prompto. He's more than a little worse for ware."
"Of course." Ignis nodded, walking over in the direction of Gladio's voice, feeling around with his cane to be sure he didn't run into either of them. "We'd best get Prompto back to the safe room. There he can rest and we can dress his wounds."
"I'm so sorry..." Noct held Prompto close to himself, holding Prompto's head against his heart. Cradling his closest and dearest friend as his heart filled with sorrow and regret, consumed with guilt for what terrible torment had befallen him. He knew he would never be able to atone for allowing Ardyn to trick him into hurting Prompto so badly, but the least he could do now was help him to heal, and try his best to protect him from now on.
"Here, Noct." Gladio said, extending his arms out to take the blonde from him. "Let me take him. I can carry him easier than you can."
Nodding slowly, Noct reluctantly transferred Prompto's unconscious form to Gladio's strong, protective embrace. Staring blankly at his empty hands, Noct's blood froze once again as his eyes fixated on the fresh blood now decorating his skin from where Prompto had once been, old and fresh blood still staining Prompto's unhealthily pale skin.
Situating Prompto in his arms, Gladio rested the blonde's head on his shoulder, wrapping an arm behind his back and the other under his legs, making sure Prompto would be supported as he laid within his arms.
"We'd better get back." He said, catching the others' attention. "We can deal with Ardyn after Prompto's taken care of."
"Agreed." Ignis nodded, placing a comforting hand on Noct's shoulder as the king rose to his feet, prepared to lead them back once again to allow Prompto to rest and recover. Now under the protective and watchful eyes of his closest friends and brothers, who resolved to keep him safe and out of harms way from then on.
No harm would come to him again if they had anything to say about it, and Ardyn still had to pay for what damage he had already done.
"Come, Noct. We'd best hurry."
"Sure." Noct nodded, trying to rouse himself from his anger and misery. He knew blaming himself and moping around feeling sorry for himself wouldn't do anything to help Prompto, but at the same time he couldn't help but find himself consumed in his crippling guilt, having to see his best friend in such a sorry state because he let Ardyn manipulate him the way he had.
"Prompto's burnin' up, Iggy." Gladio informed, feeling the warmth emanating from Prompto's broken body as they walked back to the safe room, a concerned waver in his voice putting both Ignis and Noctis on high alert. "Noct was right, he's probably got an infection in those stab wounds..."
"Once we get back to the barrack we'll have to track down some first aid supplies." Ignis deduced, picking up his pace, signaling Noctis and Gladio to do the same.
There was no time to waste, not if Prompto really was sick on top of all of his injuries. They couldn't afford to dawdle if they didn't want their attempts at rescuing him to go to waste, which they most certainly did not. If Prompto died, Noct would never forgive himself, much less Ignis and Gladio.
Their only option was to save him. It was just the only thing they could allow to happen now.
Turning his dead gaze to Noctis, Ignis's tone softened, trying to offer some comfort to his dear friend.
"Do not despair, Noct." He soothed, trying to be of even slight comfort to him. "We will save Prompto. He's going to be alright."
"I know we will, Ignis." Noct stated plain, his own gaze locked unwavering on the broken blonde, laying limp in Gladio's arms as they walked on. The only emotion detectable in his voice was a dangerously calm rage. "Because I won't allow us not to."