Hi, everyone. It's only been about two months since my last update, but I managed to finish up this new chapter. It's a bit of a breather chapter, to be honest. No action or anything. But overall, it was fairly easy to write. I've had so much going on that it's been difficult to dedicate time for this! But... alas, I'm still going.

Hope you find some enjoyment in this chapter. Thank you for the follows and the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFXV.

Chapter 27: Gratitude and Mutually Beneficial Alliances

"Ouch! For Gods' sakes, Gladio."

"If you're gonna whine this much, maybe you should just do it yourself."

Lydia grimaced in discomfort as Gladio applied alcohol to her arm in an effort to disinfect her bullet graze. He and Ignis were both well-trained in first-aid, but His Highness's spectacled retainer was busy making something to eat for the group. He was left with few options since they decided not to make a fire after all—just in case they were being followed. And that left Gladio, who seemed to know what he was doing but was far from gentle, to fix up her wound while Prompto shined a flashlight on her arm. And it put Lydia in sour spirits, as if she wasn't already frustrated enough.

"Well, I would if it was easier to reach it," she murmured grumpily.

"Exactly," Gladio replied. "So just be still and quiet and let me finish, huh?"

"You're lucky it was such a small graze," Ignis commented, unhelpfully. "It might have been far more serious."

"Believe me, I've had worse," Lydia said.

Gladio scoffed. "Coulda fooled me."

"Gladdy, would you chill already?" Iris cut in, causing him to roll his eyes. "Some of us are trying to relax and you're not helping." Lydia glanced over to watch her and Rosella as they leaned on each other in the dark. Iris had Noctis's jacket draped over her shoulders, and Rosella was curled up in Ignis's, while Iris gently rubbed her sister's arms in an effort to keep her warm.

Lydia turned away, feeling guilty.

Noctis, meanwhile, was lying flat on the ground looking up at the moon, seemingly ignoring everything that was happening around him. It grew almost uncomfortably quiet, with only the sounds of crickets and their breathing to keep them company.

After Gladio finished cleaning Lydia's wound, he stuck a bandage on it and Prompto pulled the light away. "Thanks," she muttered, silently glad that she didn't require any stitches.

"All right," Prompto said, plopping down between Gladio and Rosella. "Lay it on me, Iggy! What we having?"

"We are having..." Ignis began as he brought over a few plates, "Vegetables." He set down one in front of Lydia, which appeared to be a mixture of uncooked wild crops like potatoes, turmeric, peas, and tomatoes. "Luckily, I carry an extra set of plates with me."

Noctis immediately groaned and sat up, looking at his plate with distaste. "Really? This is the best we've got?"

"If we don't have a fire, we can't cook," Ignis said. "But we still have to eat. So grin and bear it, Highness. You need your strength."

"Well, I, for one, love veggies," Iris said with a smile. "Thanks, Ignis."

"I'm starving, so I'll eat anything," Rosella admitted. "Thank you."

"You're both quite welcome," Ignis said, then took a spot between Lydia and Noctis after handing everyone their plates.

Everyone was hungry and ate quickly, apart from Noctis, who picked around he plate for potatoes while making a face before putting anything else in his mouth.

Lydia's mood started to improve slightly as she ate, but it was quickly ruined when Gladio spoke. "So I know it's been a rough evening for everybody, but I think we need to have a chat about what's really going on here." He gave Lydia a pointed look, and she cast her gaze down. She was so tired of talking about it. About him.

Noctis seemed to be more interested in something else, though. "Lydia, you saw Luna, didn't you? She told me she was with you—um, in one of her letters."

Lydia popped a tomato into her mouth. "Yes, I was with her. Her brother Ravus was taking her back to Tenebrae last I saw her."

To her surprise, Noctis looked horrified. "You're saying Ravus got to her? He's one of the ones hunting her down!"

After he spoke, Lydia understood. Of course, they would think Ravus was on the side of the Empire. They had no reason to believe differently. "I—I wouldn't worry," Lydia said, trying to sound comforting. "Ravus is actually very dedicated to his sister. So dedicated, actually, that he sold me out to Ardyn in exchange for keeping Lunafreya's secret. I don't know if he's planning on helping her to Altissia, but he's certainly not going to let anyone hurt her."

There was a pause. Everyone stared at her. Then Gladio said, "I think it'd be a good idea if you just got us up to speed on what's happened since we last separated—in order."

Suddenly, Lydia felt irritated. What was this, an interrogation? What business was it of Gladio's what she got up to on her own time? He had no right to expect her to provide any information at all, in fact.

But instead of shut down, as she was tempted to do, Lydia cast him an annoyed glance and then turned her attention to Noctis. "I'll tell you what I think is relevant to you. That's all I can promise."

"Then I guess that means you know what's going on with this Ardyn guy," Noctis said, sounding disdainful.

"Maybe better than most." She looked down at her plate and sighed. I suppose I should just get it over with. "I'm not even sure if I should be saying this, but... another chance to stick it to the Gods. What the heck? Ardyn is... well, he's not human. He used to be, but not anymore."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Prompto asked. There was a nervous edge to his voice, as though he was waiting for the climax of a scary story before bedtime. Everyone else was silent.

"It means that appearances are deceiving. Ardyn is darkness personified."

"A daemon?" Ignis asked.

Lydia shook her head. "Not exactly. If that were true, he would never be strong enough to walk in the daylight. Ardyn is worse than a daemon. He controls the daemons. He's the immortal vessel for the Starsourge itself." Gesturing toward Noctis, she continued, "Meaning he's the one you, Prince, are destined to destroy."

After that, there was a long silence. It was difficult for Lydia to make out everyone's expressions in the dark. A moment passed, and no one continued, so she prompted, "Did I break everyone's brains, or...?"

Noctis shifted uncomfortably in his spot and put down his plate, which he certainly had not finished. "I... don't get it."

"What's not to get?" Lydia asked. "You knew this was your job, didn't you?"

"I mean, yeah, but... if Ardyn is the Starscourge, then what the hell is he doing?"

"That's a good point," Prompto said. "He's spent a lot of time helping us out. Kind of bizarre."

"It isn't," Lydia replied. "Don't you see? Ardyn wants you to succeed, just like you said, Noctis. He's playing his part. That's the reason he won't fight you seriously. He doesn't want to get in your way. Not until you've become powerful enough to match him."

"So he's actively trying to ensure his and Noct's destinies are fulfilled," Ignis noted.

Lydia granted a nod. "Certainly seems that way."

"Seems that way?" Gladio prompted.

She shrugged in response. "Well, I can't speak for him. But if that wasn't the case, why would he be doing exactly what the Astrals wanted him to do?"

"Wait," another voice cut in. Lydia glanced over an realized it was Iris. "You're telling us that to stop the daemons and the encroaching darkness, Noct has to fight and kill the Imperial Chancellor?" She pulled Noctis's jacket more tightly around her. "Apparently the Empire's in this even deeper than I thought."

"I'm fairly sure he's been helping them with their technology and weaponry," Lydia said. "Ardyn is cunning and smart—and superhuman. He has many abilities similar to yours—" She jutted her chin toward Noctis. "But also the added advantage of... other things. I'm not sure exactly what all his powers are. I know he can shapeshift—though I don't know what the limits of that are. He may be able to turn into anyone. And I believe he can absorb memories from those he turns into daemons."

Prompto looked horrified. Leaning forward slightly, he asked, "So—you're saying this guy could be anyone at any time?"

"Possibly," Lydia admitted.

"Well, that's not reassuring," Iris murmured.

"I can see through it though. Being half god has its perks, and that's one of them. He can't fool me, at least not that way."

"Um, sorry," Noctis interjected. He had what Lydia thought was a pensive look on his face. "I'm still stuck on—what do you mean when you say he has abilities similar to mine?"

Lydia smiled dryly. "Oh, right. Did I mention you were related?"

"Excuse me?"

"He's one of your ancestors. Been around a very long time."

There was another pause. Ignis, who had finally finished his vegetables, put down his plate and said, "But that doesn't make any sense. Only the Kings of Lucis should have those powers. And the lives and deaths of all Kings is well-documented."

"Ardyn was never a King," Lydia said softly. "But he might have been, under different circumstances. You might all know the name Somnus—the Founder King? Ardyn is his elder brother. He was—well, he was a good and loving brother, once upon a time. But in their conflict over the right path forward for their Kingdom, Ardyn tried and failed to do the right thing, and Somnus betrayed him. Branded him a monster. And Ardyn was cursed by the Gods with the immortal existence he has now and locked away until relatively recently. Now he's back, and maybe with a vengeance."

Prompto cut in with, "Okay, but if he wants vengeance... I mean, based on what you said, wouldn't it make more sense to do the opposite of what the Gods want?"

"Assuming all this is true," Gladio said gruffly.

Lydia turned her head to glare at him. What was his problem? She had to admit, his attitude was getting on her nerves tonight. "Are you accusing me of lying?" she asked.

Crossing his arms, unfazed by her critical gaze, he said, "Well, you're talking like you were there. And if you knew all this, why didn't you say anything before?"

"I didn't know what was going on before," Lydia said coldly. She glanced over at Noctis with a more temperate, but still hardened, expression. "As Lunafreya may or may not have disclosed to you in her letters, I accompanied her to Angelgard. I spoke with Ramuh and he gave me this information telepathically. And to answer your question, Prompto, I don't know. Ardyn clearly knows what he wants, but I don't have access inside his head. I'm not even sure how much he knows or doesn't know. Maybe he's looking for revenge. Maybe he wants to die. Maybe it's both. Ultimately, I don't think it matters. Either way, he's dangerous."

Gladio grunted and she turned her attention back to him. "What is it now?" she asked. She was quickly growing tired of all this conversation and questioning, and all she wanted was to be left alone. But Gladio clearly wasn't finished with her yet.

"So what about you?" he demanded. "What's Ardyn want with you?"

"That's not relevant to discussion," she replied dismissively.

"Looked like you two were getting pretty cozy that night before we traveled to the Disc."

"Gladio, come on," Noctis said. His tone sounded tired and reproachful, and Lydia could tell he'd had enough for one night as well.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job," Gladio said. "Am I the only one who thinks this is weird? She shows up right out of nowhere after the fall of the Capital claiming to be a friend of the King, and since we met it's just been secrets upon secrets. You're clearly being selective about what you tell us, so why is that?"

"Oh, should I be obligated to tell you the story of my whole existence?" Lydia asked. "We would be here a while. I have seen more and done more in my dozens of lives than you could ever dream. You should be thanking your lucky stars that I'm not your enemy."

Gladio's expression darkened in the moonlight. "Are you threatening me right now?"

Lydia pushed her plate to the side and stood abruptly, causing him to lean back. She needed to step away before she blew her top and made the situation worse. "No, I'm making a statement of fact," she hissed. "I'm not answering any personal questions now. I'm going to bed and taking one of the sleeping bags. Figure out amongst yourselves who's taking the first watch." And with a huff, she brushed past the group and crawled into one of the tents, where she promptly curled up in a sleeping bag and crashed from exhaustion.

Everyone was silent for several minutes after Lydia retreated into one of the tents. Ignis began cleaning up the plates and gave Noctis a disapproving look that he hadn't finished everything on his dish, but he said nothing about it.

Prompto was the one to speak first. His voice was hushed, presumably so Lydia wouldn't hear him. But unless she was already fast asleep, it was quiet enough out here in the night that Noctis suspected even the sound of the tiniest breath could be heard in their small area.

"You didn't have to be so tough on her."

Gladio, meanwhile, was steadfast and stubborn as usual. "I was just asking the questions none of you guys had the balls to ask. What do we know about her, really?"

Lydia's sister Rosella had been so quiet this whole time that Noctis, and presumably everyone else aside from Iris, completely forgot she was present. However, everyone turned to her when she finally decided to speak, her voice quiet and solemn. "Lydia is a good person," she said. "I know she can be brash and intense sometimes, but she really is a good person. She just—is really private about some things. She doesn't share a lot, even with me."

"Doesn't seem like there's many people we can trust these days," Gladio said. "I just want to make sure we're not putting it in the wrong person."

Rosella's brows furrowed in irritation. "What, you think she's working with him or something? Ardyn used me to get to Lydia so he could kill her. Maybe take that into consideration."

Gladio made a grunting noise but looked away and said nothing else. Noctis couldn't think of anything useful to say either. His brain was fried.

Ignis, seeming to read his mind as he often did, reached down to squeeze Noctis's shoulder. "I think we've all had a long and trying day," he said gently. "Let's try to get some rest."

"I'll stay up a while," Gladio said, as everyone began to rise to their feet. "Make sure no daemons come lurking. Prompto, I'll wake you up in a couple hours to take over."

"Sir, yes, Sir!" Prompto responded with a salute.

Noctis stood up with a groan and stretched. "Sounds good to me. That was a lot to process but I think I'm tired enough to worry about it in the morning instead of right now." And he was right, for, like Lydia, it took him mere moments after lying down to fall into a deep slumber. And when he woke, the nightmares of demons and darkness he suffered would fade into the fog.

A sense of disappointment overcame Lydia when she opened her eyes and regained awareness. Light from the sun made the inside of the tent glow, gifting her with a pleasant warm feeling. But it felt small and insignificant compared to the disgust she felt at simply being conscious and living.

Slowly, she turned her head to the side and noted the presence of both Rosella and Iris, who were both still sleeping peacefully. Outside was quiet—she heard nothing to suggest that anything was amiss or that the company was awake and moving. She thought about trying to sleep a little longer, but she didn't think she could relax enough again.

As silently as she could, Lydia worked her way out of her sleeping bag and walked on her fingers and the balls of her feet to the edge of the tent. Gently unzipping it, she peered out into the calm morning light. Birds were chirping, and a light breeze was passing by the camp site. If you didn't know better, you never would have guessed that the land's light was slowly being sucked dry.

Lydia unzipped the tent the rest of the way so she could tiptoe outside. It was only when she stood up straight that she noticed Ignis with his back to her, drinking something as his legs hung off a small ledge at the edge of the campsite.

He seemed thoroughly relaxed and lost in thought, and she had no desire to talk to him. So without acknowledging his existence, she made her way past him and took a walk into the woods. She suspected he must have noticed, but he didn't try to stop her.

There was a creek nearby that split off from the river, and sat by it and closed her eyes to take in the gentle sound of running water. She reached down and swished her fingers back and forth. It was soothing.

Still, Lydia couldn't stop images from the night before racing through her mind. Mostly, she thought of Ardyn and that infuriating smug smile he wore while holding Rosella hostage. She thought of his arrogance and the joy he had taken in tormenting her—in bringing her pain. He didn't kill Rosella, but she knew in her heart that he was capable of it and would have done it if she'd failed to give him what he wanted.

She hadn't wanted to face the truth. She still didn't. But the Ardyn she knew and loved was gone—and someone unrecognizable had taken his place.

When she opened her lips, a tortured sound came out, and she felt her eyes filling with tears. "So long," she choked, trying to stay quiet for fear that she would alert the rest of the group. "So long, I wished—you would come back to me. But this... oh Gods..." Lydia held her abdomen and pitched forward with sobs. "This... this is worse.. hah... worse t-than anything!"

She felt the tears spilling onto her cheeks, and she desperately wished she could scream. Seeing as that was impossible, however, she settled for some whimpers and strangled gasps as she wept. Her emotions were out of her control, and the droplets running down her face gradually turned to delicate white snow flakes that fell softly and quietly into the creek. Her abdomen began to ache from the relentless shaking and sobbing after what seemed like an eternity to her but was likely only a few minutes.

Indeed, it was at least another ten minutes before the tears slowed, and Lydia was calm enough to think again. For a time, she simply sat and focused on breathing while running her fingers through the cool green grass. She now had a terrible headache, and she regretted the many tears she had shed.

Finally, Lydia sniffed and reached into the water to splash some on her face. She hoped if she repeated this motion a few times, it would erase the traces of her tears and grant her an energy boost. She felt grimy and gross, and could hardly wait until she could take a proper shower again.

Nevertheless, she couldn't afford to sit and wallow in her own misery any longer. The cry, she thought after some introspection, was just what she needed to put things in perspective and keep moving forward. At least, for today.

After thoroughly washing her face, Lydia also washed her arms and took extra care not to disturb the bandage Gladio had put on her injury. She would take a look at it again later.

As calm and collected as she could be, Lydia made her way back to the campsite. Ignis was sitting in about the same place he was before, and everyone else still seemed to be sleeping.

This time, however, when she approached, Ignis nodded to her. "Morning," he said quietly.

Lydia didn't feel friendly, but she did her best to fake it. "Hi."

Ignis regarded her with a calm expression for a few seconds, then reached down to pick up a small can and held it out to her. "Coffee?" he offered.

Normally Lydia, despite all her travels, didn't care for coffee unless it was freshly brewed. But she supposed this would do in a pinch. She took it with a small "thank you" and sat down next to him. As she was opening it, he quipped, "Don't tell the others, though. Usually I don't share. But... look like you need it."

"That bad, huh?" she murmured, taking a drink of the coffee. It was bitter and smooth—better than she expected.

"How's the arm?" he asked.

She sighed and lifted her arm a bit to glance at the bandage. "It's fine, I think. Sore."

"I imagine."

"... Have you been up waiting a long time?"

Ignis glanced down at his watch. "I've been up since a little before dawn. Prompto had the second watch, but I relieved him so he could get a bit more shut-eye. I didn't sleep very well."

"That's no good, considering you're our designated driver," Lydia said.

Ignis chuckled in response. "Well, I can always have Noct drive if necessary."

"Ah, yes. Squeezing into the back with all the rest of us. Fun."

"Hm, on second thought, maybe I'll manage."

Lydia took another drink and leaned back on her free hand. "If I'd known, I'd have sung you a lullaby. Would have slept like a baby then."

"Pardon?" He gave her an odd look.

Perhaps it was, in fact, an odd thing to say for most people. Lydia shrugged. "It's a combination of telepathy and magic. One of the few spells I'm good for."
"You can make people sleep?"

"Well, it's very difficult to do unless someone is receptive to it, but yes. I've even put myself to sleep a few times." Pause. "So if you're ever struggling, you know who to call."

She could tell Ignis wasn't sure what to do with this information. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time someone was either unnerved or perplexed by her abilities. She'd stopped trying to pretend she was normal long ago, unless she absolutely needed to.

Ignis didn't seem too fazed, however, and simply settled on, "Good to know. You have many rare and intriguing gifts, Lydia."

She huffed. "Sometimes they feel like gifts—other times, not. But I suppose I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I was just ordinary."

"Yes," Ignis said softly. "If... it isn't too forward to say so, having thousands of years of history in your head must be quite the unique experience."

"Well, for me, it's just a fact of life," Lydia responded. She was surprised that she didn't mind him asking—she would have been foolish to believe he didn't have his own questions about her. But perhaps Ignis simply had a way of putting her at ease. "Although, it's not as simple as all that. I don't... remember my past lives the way I remember things from this one."

"No?"

"Not exactly. I remember most of the... shall we say, emotionally resonant, memories very clearly. There are gaps though. And other memories that feel more like peering into someone else's mind than my own. The limits of being functionally human, I suppose. I'm... not born remembering anything. The memories tend to trickle back in over time. I'm fairly sure this lifetime isn't the first I've had to reteach myself to use magic." She laughed awkwardly and then added, "That's rarely ever a pleasant experience."

For a moment, they sat in silence and drank their coffee, staring out at the green landscape. They were at least a mile from the road in an effort to keep a low profile, meaning there were no sounds here other than the ones existing in nature. Though, the more she thought about it, the less she was looking forward to the trek back to the car. They had already wasted more than an hour of daylight, but everyone was so exhausted last night that the extended rest felt mostly justified.

After a time, Ignis began, "I know that Gladio can be rather... intense."

Lydia scoffed in reply. "You don't need to apologize for him."

"I wasn't going to," Ignis said, causing her to turn toward him in mild surprise. "He doesn't need it and he would give me a piece of his mind if he knew I made the attempt."

She shrugged. "I can respect that."

"I only wanted to say... I understand why you were frustrated," he said. Then, after a pause, he added, "I just hope you can also understand protecting His Highness is our first priority."

Lydia put down her coffee and gave a slow nod. Of course she knew. Ignis was more tactful that Gladio, but Specs was likely the most committed and devoted of any of them. He would kill her for Noctis, no question (or at least he would try).

But, she thought, that was a worst-case scenario and there was no reason it had to come to that.

"Yes, I understand that," she said. "Maybe it doesn't mean much, but I promise I'm not looking to stand in your way. And genuinely, I'm grateful. Not just for the coffee, that is. But, for all your help."

"Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but it means something to me," Ignis said. "And we have plenty of reason to be grateful to you as well."

Lydia glanced at him and summoned a small smile. Then she reached down to snatch her coffee and extended it toward him. Despite her earlier desire to wallow in misery as long as she could, she supposed if she had to have company, this man wasn't the worst option. "To gratitude and mutually beneficial alliances, then," she said.

Ignis said nothing, but he clanked his can against hers and drank to it nonetheless. A wave of disappointment hit her when she realized she only had a few drops left. With her level of anxiety lately, however, she imagined a whole can filled with caffeine was more than enough.

"I think I'm going to make a fire now that it's daylight and cook up some breakfast," Ignis said with a sigh. "Maybe that will coax awake the rest of our companions."

As he pushed himself to his feet, Lydia followed him with her gaze. "Mind if I help? Might be good to keep my hands busy."

Ignis's eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion. Perhaps it was uncommon for any of the boys to offer him assistance with the cooking. "Of course, I'd be delighted," he said.

And they got to work.