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Chapter Text

It was a hard battle for the four fighters. A seemingly simple hunt they’d accepted turned into something much more dangerous; none of them were truly aware of how dangerous Coeurls could be.

They were paying the price for it now.

Each of them were barely standing. The large cats were too fast to get a clear strike, and any time they remained still was met with a devastating electric parry, sending their bodies into agonised spasms.

Noctis struggled to keep his balance, daggers held weakly in his grip as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the speeding targets. The air had begun to cool - perhaps from the sun gradually lowering in the sky - but something didn’t feel right.

His breath became chilled, his quick gasps visible as the cold stung his nose and throat. He could almost feel something calling to him, begging him to answer.

A cry from Prompto pulled him out of his thoughts as the gunner fell to the ground. Noctis sprinted over, potion in hand. “Come on, Prompto, stay with me,” he said as reassuringly as possible. The blond hesitantly took the potion and downed it, springing back to his feet, gun readied. They were running dangerously low on supplies. Noct was sure Ignis was kicking himself internally for not being more prepared, but money was low and the bounty on these beasts was too tempting to pass up.

A glance around the battlefield showed that Ignis and Gladio were beginning to tire. The creatures hadn’t even slowed any, yet they themselves all seemed on their last legs. A warp strike to the furthest Coeurl he could find left it in a vulnerable state, a flurry of slashes aimed its way in hopes of killing at least one of them. But in no time at all, it was back on its feet and had headbutted Noctis to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his back and knocking the air from him.

A shiver ran over him as the air grew colder still. Could the others not feel it? He staggered to his feet, rubbing his arms as he could swear he heard whispering over the rage of the fight. A tone as delicate and piercing as the iciness he felt in his very core spoke to him, offering its aid.

He accepted.

The coldness he felt within seemed to pour out of him, cascading over the immediate area. The battlefield grew hazy as snow and fog hung thick in the air. Noct felt like the breath had been ripped from his lungs, an indescribable power flowing ceaselessly through him, his eyes turning a vivid magenta. He held himself tight, all other sounds seemingly gone, as the familiar figure of Gentiana walked gracefully besides him. His vision began to spin as he witnessed her transformation into the Glacian, Shiva.

There were so many of them. They all loomed around him, as if waiting for a command he couldn’t give, before moving forward towards the Coeurls.

Noct couldn’t move, he felt literally frozen in place by the Astral’s power. Where were the others? It was impossible to see anything, but surely they should be close. A strangled sound left his throat as he tried to call for them. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t get any air into his chilled lungs.

His vision was beginning to fail as he forced himself to keep watch of the Glacian’s attacks. Blackness began to take over as he practically clawed at his throat, desperate for air.

Another choked sound escaped his lips as his knees buckled, and darkness took him completely.

He lay there, eyes barely open, still shining their unnatural colour as Shiva flew off into the sky, leaving behind the dead Coeurls, an unconscious Noct and his three very battered but awestruck companions.

His body felt like lead. He was numb, yet stabbing with pain. He could feel something draped on top of his body, adding to the weight he felt all over. There was a faint humming in the background, along with voices, but everything sounded so muddy he couldn’t tell what any of it was. He winced as he forced his eyes to open a crack, immediately regretting his decision as everything swirled around him in the piercing light.

“Noct? You back with us?” He tried turning his head to the source of the sound. A wave of intense cold washed over him at the motion and he automatically hunched over, arms wrapped around himself tightly as he shivered violently. Daring to open his eyes a little more, he was met with Gladio’s concerned face. The shield no longer had his jacket on, opting to wear a tank top instead. The thought confused Noct. Why wouldn’t he wear a jacket when it’s so cold ?

“You really had us worried there, buddy.” Noctis looked over to see Prompto sat backwards on his seat in the car, watching him carefully. “What was that?”

“I believe that was the Glacian, correct?” Ignis spoke up, eyes locked on the road. Noct nodded slowly, pulling the jacket that covered him further over himself in hopes of diminishing the awful chill he felt.

“Y-yeah…” he croaked out. His throat and lungs felt raw. His memory was hazy; he remembered glimpses of Shiva, but mostly the intense cold that concentrated around him. Gladio placed a hand on Noct’s forehead, checking to see if he’d warmed any. It was as if the light touch was burning his skin. Why was his hand so hot? The shield sighed as he pulled away, seeing the grimace on the prince’s face.

“Those Gods sure are dangerous,” Gladio sighed, looking out on the window, a stern expression on his face.

“It would be best if we are increasingly wary from now on,” Ignis spoke bluntly. “We needn’t let this happen again.” Noct couldn’t agree more. He’d summoned Titan, even Ramuh, and had been fine, but nothing had felt like this before; no Astral had landed him in the middle of its attack.

He shuddered hard again, muscles tensing and begging for heat as his eyes grew heavy. Ignis glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “I would advise you to rest, Noct,” he spoke softly. “We still have short while to go.”

Noctis let his eyes drift close; the biting chill within him no longer racking his body as he slept.

It was well into the evening when Noct woke up. He found himself in bed with as many blankets over him as the others could find. But more amusingly enough, he found Prompto had decided to add to the warmth by snuggling up next to him.

The chill had greatly faded, thankfully, otherwise Noct would’ve felt like he was on fire, being so close to his friend. The prince watched him silently for a bit, and couldn’t help laughing as he heard the blond mumbling something about Cactuars with moustaches that were the size of a house.

The laugh jerked Prompto awake. He seemed irritated at being disturbed at first, only to break out into a huge grin upon seeing Noctis awake and no longer shivering.

“How are you doing?”

“Better, thanks to my own personal hot water bottle,” Noct replied, smirking as he playfully nudged Prompto away. “Back up a second, you’re gonna cook me.”

“I’ll take that over earlier,” the gunner replied, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, he turned his head to look back at Noct. He looked nervous. “You were just...there, on the ground. Barely breathing and ice cold. And your eyes …” That caught Noctis’ attention.

“My eyes? What about them?”

“Dude, they were glowing !” He winced as he realised how loud he’d gotten, glancing over at Ignis and Gladio’s still sleeping forms.

“Oh…” the prince replied, somewhat dumbfounded. The thought unsettled him, but was no more unsettling than the thought of his friend finding him near dead after the Glacian’s attack.

“Noct?” He looked to see Prompto had begun to huddle himself close again.

“What’s up?” He smirked at the blond’s clinginess.

“Promise me if you have to do that again, you’ll tell me, yeah?” He snuggled even closer to the prince, as if scared that he’d go so deadly cold again at the lack of contact. “I wanna be nearby to help you next time. I don’t know how I can, but I can’t just find you like that again.” He threw Noct a glance. “ Really hoping there isn’t a next time, though.” He tried to mask his worry with a laugh.

“Sure thing,” Noct replied with a smile, pulling the covers further over them both and wrapping his arm around the Prompto’s shoulder, as they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

It was starting to become a recurring theme that things would go horribly wrong whenever searching for the Royal Arms, and Balouve Mines was not ready to break this newfound tradition. An Aramusha had tried its damndest to dispose of the crown prince, knocking them further into the depths below. Ignis had rushed to Noct’s side, potion in hand as the younger man gauged the severity of the slashes he’d sustained on his arms and chest. They were soon on their way to healing, but that left them to deal with the daemons that had spawned to meet them. It was over with quickly enough, much to their relief, with the advisor finishing tending to Noctis’ wounds before they carried on.

The group trudged their way along the dark walkways, constantly alert for any more threats. Thankfully it was nothing they couldn’t handle, but concern lingered that the daemon warrior would return for another round.

It was a relief when the shaft opened up into a large area, fairly well illuminated with what remaining working lights there were. But there, before them, stood their newfound foe.

“Time to settle the score. Huh, Noct?” Gladio asked, a smirk on his face as he called on his greatsword, itching for a fight. Ignis and Prompto drew their weapons too, keeping a defensive closeness to Noctis.

“You bet it is!” Engine Blade summoned, he locked eyes with his opponent. He probably should have known better than to lunge forward, but he wasn’t going to give it chance to attack first this time.

They’d been trained by some of the best in terms of combat, but were still having a difficult time holding off the Aramusha’s attacks and parrying them successfully. More than a few times, one of the team would be slammed to the ground from the force of the blade the daemon wielded, only for the others to hold off any further attacks until they were back on their feet.

Things were looking bad; the fight wore on and the enemy was still exceptionally fast and extremely hard hitting, leaving them little room to even slice into it. The group were gradually getting worn down and beaten, and Noctis used what little energy he had remaining to warp a small distance away, willing his Arminger to aid him. It was no good though, he was too exhausted to maintain any use of the Royal Arms. He contemplated racing over to an equally exhausted looking Ignis, who held onto the remaining curatives, but was pulled from his plan as he rolled away from a mighty strike down from his opponent’s sword.

The air around him felt like it was beginning to crackle with static. At first he wondered if the electrics were damaged from the carnage, but a quick glance showed him that wasn’t the cause of the newfound tension that hung over him. The electricity in the air seemed to grow stronger, prickling at his skin as the atmosphere all around felt like it was constricting him.

But then he could hear it - the familiar whisper as crisp and booming as thunder, offering his aid. The voice was a distraction he couldn’t afford; a second too long lingering on the whispers and a burning pain seared through his stomach. Muffled screams mixed among a ringing in his ears, and Noct felt himself lurch forward as his feet left the ground, all strength abandoning him in that moment. Forcing his distorted vision to focus, his hands numbly searched for whatever was the cause of the radiating pain from his torso. A pained gasp escaped him as both hands and eyes located the source; the Aramusha’s sword had pierced cleanly through him. His breathing went into a frenzy, he could barely even register the clamour around him as he tried to grip onto the blood-coated blade to pull himself free. Feeling gravity sickeningly pull him further down the sword, he doubled over himself, unsure if a cry had parted from his throat or not.

It felt like an eternity of being held aloft by the warrior, before it finally decided to release him with a swipe of his weapon. The prince forcibly slipped from the blade and crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap. His body was refusing to listen to him, even as he heard Prompto’s worried shout, the blond kneeling next to him.

“...ct? Stay wi…..” Noctis tried to shake his head as his Prompto’s words faded in and out, barely audible over the inviting whispers that continued to echo loudly in his mind. Bleary eyes lay unfocused on his friend as he tried to make sense of what was happening; he felt something pressed into his hand, then a cooling sensation around the burning in his stomach. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough relief to realise the Fulgurian’s offer and accept it.

He couldn’t repress a choked cry as what little energy he had left poured out of him - he could feel Ramuh’s presence in the skies above the mine. He vaguely felt Prompto’s grip on him tighten as blurry images of the lighting around them began to flicker. Drawing in quick breaths, his vision was gradually engulfed with black as Ramuh’s power took its toll on him. A deafening roar pierced through the battleground as his body was near ready to give out.

Gladio wasted no time in dashing over to where Noctis lay and threw himself over the prince, guarding against the rubble that rained down upon them from the attack. Against better judgement, Noct had summoned the Fulgurian enough times in the past while traversing caves. One cave in and a couple of light concussions later, and the shield had hung onto the small hope it would never be attempted again.

The lighting smashed from the sheer force of electrical power, leaving the room much darker as the Aramusha dissolved away, Ramuh’s work done. The newly opened makeshift skylight told them it was well into the night - they didn’t have time to hang around with the possibility of more daemons prowling about.

Gladio hoisted himself from the prince, quickly scanning his now unconscious form for any further injury. His eyes fell on the stab wound. “Shit, Noct…” he said quietly, grabbing a potion of his own and breaking it within the younger man’s hand. Ignis had approached after ensuring there were no remaining threats, shooing Gladio to one side as he inspected Noct’s injury. It was hard to disguise the wince as he lifted up the bloodied shirt and gazed upon the partly healed wound.

“Gladio, what supplies do you have?” he asked quickly, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out some bandages.

“About the same as you,” Gladio replied simply, moving to lift Noct’s upper body from the ground so Ignis could get to work. “Prompto.” The gunner jumped slightly as the shield kept this focus fixed on Noctis. “Make sure no daemons show up. This place is dark as hell and our lights won’t keep them away.”

“Right,” Prompto replied, a slight shake to his voice. He summoned his gun and strained his ears for any signs of life, trying his best to ignore the pained whimpers he could hear from his best friend.

Noct struggled to open his eyes. Why did everything hurt so much? His head was pounding as everything span around him, but finally he locked his eyes onto a very focused but concerned looking Gladio. “How’re you holding up, Noct?” he asked gently. All he could do was let out a low groan in response, looking down at the dimly lit blood that covered both him and his companions.

“We...took a beating...huh?” he asked weakly, trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

“More like you did,” Gladio replied. “This blood ain’t ours, y’know.”

“Oh…” Noct thought for a moment as Ignis finished his work, a gentle smile on his face as the advisor held out yet another potion, helping him drink it. The soothing feeling that washed over him was positively heavenly. “So...you guys are okay?”

“A little bruised and cut, but nothing we shan’t survive,” Ignis said matter-of-factly. He turned to Gladio. “He’s in no state to retrieve the Royal Arm. I recommend we leave as quickly as possible and return when he’s better recovered.”

“M’fine, honest…” Ignis’ frown deepened at Noct’s very weak protest. He made to stand up on unsteady legs, Gladio supporting him as he found his footing. “See?” The advisor couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief at the prince’s lopsided smirk, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was so close to coming face to face with death.

“Very well, but I shall scout the area first to avoid you needlessly wandering.” Ignis adjusted his glasses and set out on his search; it was going to prove a lot harder without the mine’s lighting. Prompto edged his way closer to the remaining two, still armed and on high alert.

“Noct, you should sit down while Iggy’s looking around. You’re looking really pale.” Noctis certainly hoped he didn’t look as bad as he felt, but chances of that were slim. Gladio led him to some stairs, the prince wincing as a sharp jolt coursed through his still healing wound upon slumping down on the steps.

“Shouldn’t one of you guys go with him or something?” he asked, some of the pain still lingering in his voice.

“That won’t be necessary,” Ignis’ voice called down. “I do believe I may have found something.”

“Just stay on your toes and call us if something’s up,” Gladio called back. An affirmative ‘right!’ was called back and replaced with echoed shuffling. After a few seconds, the area descended into silence. “You sure you’re up to this?” Noct’s head turned only a small amount in response. It wasn’t a matter of whether he was up for it or not, it was something that needed to be done, and damned if he was returning once this was all over.

Minutes passed and the atmosphere grew tense. Prompto had nudged another potion in Noct’s direction until he sighed and took it, commenting on wasting all their supplies on him. He still looked rough; his skin deathly pale and looking like he was ready to fall asleep any minute.

“Noct?” He jumped as Ignis called his name. “I’ve found what we’re looking for.”

Gladio placed a firm hand around Noct’s arm as he swayed while getting to his feet. The pain had eased for the most part, replaced by an irritating stiff feeling as he moved.

They finally found their way to Ignis, who pointed them in the direction of a gap in the walls. “It’s a little tight, are you sure you won’t aggravate your wound passing through it?”

“I’ll be fine, let’s just do this.” Noct took the lead, taking care when entering the gap as he slid across. Once past that, he let Ignis guide the way to the Royal Tomb, thankful it wasn’t a long trek.

With the door opened, Noctis entered the room, arm held up as the Bow of the Clever rose from the statue, striking him in the chest to join the rest of the Royal Arms. He heaved a sigh of relief that their work was over, watching the phantom weapons spin around him. He was quick to leave the tomb and make his way back into the open again.

The prince’s eagerness to leave didn’t slip by the others, and neither did the sight of him slumping against the nearest wall. A hand on his shoulder caught his attention. He turned to see Gladio, dimly lit by the moon and his own flashlight. The taller man pointed his thumb towards his back. “Hop on.”

“What?” He wasn’t adversed to Gladio carrying him, but his shield wasn’t usually so out of the blue. But, the way he was leaning so heavily against the wall, he realised he must’ve looked pretty rough. He sure felt it, anyway. After a few seconds, he pushed himself upright and turned to Gladio. “Yeah, sure. Why not?” he said with a sigh. It was more of a relief than he cared to admit as he was hoisted up and onto the shield’s back, ignoring the twinge from his stomach.

Barely seconds had passed before Noctis had succumbed to sleep. The others quietly ruminated about the toll the Astrals took on the young man, and Gladio frowned. This was something he was unable to protect Noct from; a frustrating thought for someone who was born to ensure the future king’s safety. But as he carried the sleeping prince through the mine and finally to the elevator, a smile graced his lips. He could at least be there to pick up the pieces when Noct’s royal calling proved too much.

Chapter Text

Night had long descended across the lush green lands of Duscae. The four friends wished they were surrounded by the safety of civilisation, but a hunt for daemons had left them a long distance away from the safety of the nearest rest stop. Now a simple hunt had led to an onslaught of many more daemons rising from the ground, ready to slow their return.

Lunging an attack at one of the many Bombs that had emerged, Noctis backed up, cursing internally as he stumbled back on the uneven terrain. The moon had long since clouded over, leaving the glow of the creatures and their flashlights as the only way of gauging where anything was. More than a few times, they would wind up crashing into bushes or down pot holes littered around the landscape.

“How many of these things are there?!” Prompto squealed as he ducked to dodge one of the Bomb’s exploding. Great, now there was more of them.

“Our best strategy would be to retreat once their numbers are dwindled,” Ignis called over the roar of the battle, slicing at a Flan that had decided to join in the fun.

“And how do you suppose we do that ?” Gladio growled as he sliced one of the many Bombs surrounding him in half, reducing it to a lump of rock. “Kinda thought that was our strategy already!”

“Everyone, back up!” Noct shouted over, summoning a chill mist around his hand. The others did as they were instructed as the prince summoned an icy blast at the daemons. Some of them were taken out, thankfully, but a few remained, ready for finishing off. They all took their cue to rush the remaining foes before more could show up.

It was some hopeful thinking as the all too dreaded sound of metallic scraping and black ooze rising from the earth made Prompto freeze in place. “Hey...guys?” he said nervously, as the last Bomb he was fighting fell to the ground, its fire extinguished.

“We best make haste,” Ignis spoke quickly, pushing his glasses back up his nose and motioning for them to follow him. Barely a few steps away from the newly emerged Red Giant, their stomachs dropped at the sight of two more climbing out of the ground, forming a circle around them. Flans were summoned to cover the parameters. If the group didn’t know any better, they’d have sworn the daemons had planned this out.

“So, what’s the plan?” Gladio asked, greatsword at the ready.

“Attack, but keep your distance. Try and pick off the smaller foes on the way.” It was a remarkably basic strategy from Ignis, but it would suffice if they could all make it out in one piece.

One Red Giant was bad enough - three Red Giants and multiple Flans was an absolute nightmare. When they weren’t being pulled in by the giants’ gravity attacks, they were constantly at risk of either being bowled over, set on fire or being landed on by a mass of gelatinous slime. Noctis managed to pull Prompto away as a giant sword came crashing down, immediately jumping onto it and attacking the creature with as much magic as he could muster. He crashed to the ground, gasping as he fumbled for an ether.

“Gladio!” he called out. The two locked eyes and nodded as the larger man summoned his shield and slammed it into the ground, a shockwave stunning the daemons nearest to him. He held up his greatsword and Noct took his chance to warp over. Gladio swung him around as the prince cut through the Flans and one of the Red Giants with each spin, before finishing off with one last attack on the giant creature.

Noctis would never usually regret an amazing looking combo like that, but as he landed and immediately felt the world spinning around him, he found himself on his knees, fighting the urge to throw up. Gladio was soon there to hoist the smaller man to his feet, practically shoving him away from immediate attack as he dived back into the fray.

Swaying on his feet, Noct summoned his blade once more and blinked hard to see straight again. He grimaced, realising the sun was still a long way off rising. They were all tired and in desperate need of sleep, but there was no time to dwell on that as he parried a Flan’s attack, finishing it off.

“Guys! Out of the way!” Dissolving his blade and forming ice magic around his fist once more, once the others were away from the immediate blast area, he shot another blizzard spell into the heart of the fray. It thankfully did enough to significantly weaken the Flans, but the Red Giants stood tall. “Damn it…” he groaned. He couldn’t keep this up; as skilled as he’d become wielding his elemancy, it still took a fair bit out of him with each cast.

The coldness he felt in his fist began to creep up his arm, slowly flowing throughout his entire body. He took in a sharp breath at the chill that surrounded him, and the whispers that began to softly resonate in his mind. At the ever looming sight of the Red Giants he almost said immediately, but paused as he remembered Prompto’s words from before.

He couldn’t accept yet, not until Prompto knew. He promised . Racing through the darkness, he searched desperately for the blond, ducking out of the way of one of the giant’s fists as he listened for any sign of him. “Prompto?” he called out over the clashing metal, finding it harder to hear his own voice over the whispers in his head. He scrunched his eyes tight, trying to block them out.

“Noct!” Ignis’ voice rang out, Noctis looking up in time to see a fist fly towards him, sending him hurtling to the ground. He groaned, trying to blink back the coloured spots in his vision and forcing his body to stand again. A glance around left a feeling of relief rushing over him. Prompto was there, meters away, glancing worriedly in his direction as he tried to keep the daemons away from him.

“P-Prompto!” he choked out, finally on his feet. The gunner looked his way, seeing in the dim light a look of desperation in the prince’s eyes, before his eyes widened at the sight of the chilled breath that left him in heavy pants.

Noct had to hope his friend knew what was coming as he accepted Shiva’s help.

Again, that horrendous feeling of cold pouring from him and onto the battlefield and the air being wrenched from his lungs as a thick icy fog descended on the landscape. And again, Gentiana walked by him, as serenely as ever, before transforming into the Glacian, ready to attack with her replicas following to assist.

Prompto sprinted up to Noct, ignoring the chill wind as best he could, searching his magenta eyes for any sign of recognition. It was as if Noctis was looking right through him. Holding the prince’s arms tightly in his hands, he called out. “Noct? Can you hear me? Noct !”

Noctis was so cold he could hardly stand it. His head was swimming and his vision was hazy, vaguely focused on the Glacian that flew before him. But he could hear something, see something, as a warm touch on his arms cut through the iciness he felt. “Prom…” Noct could barely gasp out for his friend before coughing hard. He struggled to get any air to his frozen lungs; any breaths he could draw in were too frantic, his body shuddering and his ears ringing. He felt his knees gave way, but the grip on his arms followed him gently to the ground.

“Noct, you need to breathe with me. You can do it.” Prompto’s voice was firm but gentleness exuded from it. He could hear the roaring of the giants as Shiva did her work, but he daren’t look. He had to focus.

Noct’s hearing was muddy at best, his vision was fast fading. No, this couldn’t happen again, he had to focus. Focus on Prompto’s voice, focus on his face, on his warm steadying hands giving some small bit of relief from the chill that enveloped him. Just breathe . Right. He wasn’t alone. It was so cold, but he could do this.

Prompto grinned as Noct began to gradually breathe deeper and deeper. He gently removed a hand from the prince’s arm and placed it on his back, drawing him in closer. “That’s it, you’re doing great. Keep going, just like that.” He could feel the increasingly even rise and fall of his breaths, sometimes hitching as a shudder coursed through his body. The gunner continued rubbing his hand in circles across Noctis’ back, the roars of the daemons finally dying out.

His head shot up to the dark hazy sky as Shiva made her exit, the three Red Giants reduced to tar-like puddles on the ground. The temporary tundra began to slowly dissolve away into the peaceful night. “Noct, it’s okay. The daemons and the Glacian are gone. You did it.” He sounded so proud as he spoke; they were safe , all thanks to Noctis. Now he had to make sure his best friend would be safe too.

Noctis looked up at his friend, just in time for Prompto to see the shining magenta colour his eyes held for a few seconds before it faded away. His eyelids grew heavy and he slumped forward, head rested on Prompto’s chest. He was still so cold .

Rustling was heard, and Ignis placed his jacket over the prince’s shoulders before kneeling beside the two. “Noct?” His voice was gentle as he placed a hand on his shoulder, moving him carefully to get a better assessment. Noct’s eyes were heavy lidded, but still open. He looked exhausted as he shivered against the lingering cold. It took a few seconds before eye contact was made. “Can you stand?” Another few seconds before he responded with a slow nod. Gladio moved in to assist him. Finding his balance, Noctis pulled the jacket tighter around him as they made their way to the car. Prompto and Ignis each helped Noct keep his balance, while Gladio stayed close, on the lookout for more daemons.

“Are you sure you’re okay walking, Noct?” Prompto asked hesitantly, watching as he was dragging his feet, unsure of his footing.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, a slight strain to his voice. “Car’s not far. It’s warmer if I walk.”

“Can’t argue with that. I think I can see it from here!” the gunner replied excitedly.

After a short while, with thankfully no more daemons, they arrived at the car. Ignis helped Noct into the backseat, Prompto opting to sit with him. Before long, they were headed back to the safety of civilisation. Noctis was slumped against Prompto, taking in his body heat as the blond kept his arms wrapped around him. A tired groan ‘cause Prompto’s attention as he looked at his friend. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Noct’s voice was quiet. He sounded exhausted. “You feel like a furnace.” Prompto laughed a little.

“Well you feel like an ice cube.”

A brief silence hung in the air.

“Hey...Prompto?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For being there, I mean.”

“Well, thanks for letting me know what you were doing,” Prompto replied, smirking. He gazed out onto the landscape, letting out a relieved sigh as the first light of sunrise was peeking over the horizon. “Summoning the gods is pretty terrifying, but we got your back. You don’t have to face all that on your own.”

He looked down to Noct, smiling as he saw the prince had fallen asleep. The drive continued in silence, with Prompto soon joining his friend in slumber as they travelled through the dark Duscaen landscape.

Chapter Text

This was bad.

They had been travelling across Alstor Slough. Noctis said it was to pick up something for one of the vendors in Lestallum, but from his eagerness at the suggestion of fishing when they passed the familiar wooden pier, the others were convinced his initial claim was a rouse.

The young prince was promptly kicking himself for the suggestion now, even though he couldn’t possibly have known what would happen. Now, an MA-X Patria loomed over them, weapons poised and reinforced with several magitek troopers.

Retreating was becoming a less likely option by the second - between the ground burning from the mech’s claws striking the earth, to its bullets and missiles following their every move, just staying alive was proving to be difficult enough.

Noctis winced as a stray bullet caught his arm; he looked over to his companions, who were equally showing signs of wear and injury. Ignis was clearly favouring the dagger in his left hand, fresh blood tricking down his right palm from a nasty gash in his arm, slickening his grip and making movement sluggish. Gladio blinked back blood in his eye; from his focused glare, the head injury he’d sustained was thankfully more cosmetic than anything. Prompto hung back, the least battered of them all. He was sniping at any units he could get within his sights, but with the threat of the Patria hanging over their heads, his chances were few.

This was very bad.

Noct warped into the Patria, hoping to take out its missile launcher, and soon found himself flung to the ground as it spun around and swiped its arm at him. Gladio struck its leg hard, growling as he barely made a dent in it, Prompto aiming for the turrets in the small hope of destroying them. Ignis ran over to assist Noctis, potion in hand.

“You need it more than me, Specs,” the prince said as he rose to his knees, trying to inject some humour into his voice. He sucked in a sharp breath and rubbed his shoulder; he'd landed pretty hard on it. Ignis sighed and downed the potion, much to Noct’s relief. He was usually in such a hurry to argue with the prince whenever he insisted the advisor was in more need of healing then he was.

Finally on his feet, Noctis swiftly took out two more magitek soldiers - his stomach dropped at the red lines that crowded around his body as he warped away from another barrage of missiles, not a second too late. The explosion sent him hurtling back to the ground as he rolled onto his back and looked around dazedly for the others, hoping beyond anything they were clear of the blast as he fought to keep his vision in focus. A relieved sigh left his lips as he saw they were a safe distance away.

It was infuriating . They were fighting for their lives and nearby, the resident Catoblepas rested in the water as if nothing was happening, as if they couldn't get so easily hit by any of the Patria’s attacks. He'd fought the beasts before, they packed a real punch - if only they could get riled up enough to join in the fight. Scrambling to his feet once more, he managed to phase through another torrent of bullets. A dull ache was making its presence known in his head; he was using up far too much magic on simple evasion alone, let alone warping and his previous failed attempts at weakening the enemy with magic.

The air seemed to grow heavy around him; the temperature was by no means hot, but the atmosphere felt humid. Flecks of water began to fall around him, so fine they almost formed a thin mist. Had one of the missiles exploded in the water? Noct wiped his face as the unusual rain clung to his skin, the grip on his sword slick. Damnit, he didn't need this distracting him on top of everything else.

Then the whispers started.

A much harsher whisper than Noct had ever heard before. Its tone was demanding, as ferocious as the raging tides. It echoed in his head, a grimace pulling on Noctis’ face as the dull ache in his head intensified. Accept, weak King , it said, its voice growing louder. Accept!

His head hurt so much. He could barely focus on the giant armour that still threatened their lives, or his friends who were struggling to stay in one piece. The voice spoke so loudly, he had no time to even comprehend his decision. He just needed it to stop .

He accepted. He practically begged the voice to help him, just to make it go away. The roaring in head was quickly replaced by the roaring of water. It swirled around like a vortex as Noctis struggled to stay on his feet. The energy that siphoned away from him as the water rose left his head light and limbs weak. His knees buckled and he crashed to the ground unceremoniously. Heartbeat racing, he forced himself to focus, his attention turning to the enormous serpent that emerged high from the water. The Hydrean herself, Leviathan.

That got those Catoblepas moving, Noct thought sluggishly and somewhat inappropriately at the sight of them backing away. He had barely any chance to catch his breath before the Hydrean raced towards him with a torrent of water. He only just managed to grab hold, clinging on for dear life as she continued to summon her attack. Water serpents formed and circled the area, weaving their way around and preparing to strike.

It was becoming a struggle to keep his grip on Leviathan’s immense form. The effort of keeping his grasp firm through the rushing waters - especially after the toll the summoning had taken on him - was challenge enough, but he now feared the other glaring problem - he was running out of air. Fast . His head began to spin and what little he could see twisted around before him. Scrunching his eyes tight, he could feel the ache in his lungs increasing with each passing second, feeling them protest with each spasm. He just had to hold on. Hold...on…

He didn't even feel his grip loosen. Just the surreal feeling of weightlessness as the currents no longer worked against him. But then he was flung out of the wall of water, and it was soon replaced with the gut churning realisation that he was falling . Gasping for air as only the sky lay above him, he twisted his head, desperate to see his surroundings.

He was so high up . His heart raced at the dizzying heights he didn't even realise he had reached. He thought he could hear his name being yelled, and he could almost see the others if he focused really hard. The water serpents were striking at the Patria as it fired missiles fruitlessly at them. The cascade that surrounded the battlefield exploded, raining down on the area, but Leviathan’s attack remained relentless. Noct drew in a deep breath. If he could just warp, maybe--

A rogue serpent struck him in the back, knocking the air from his lungs as he tumbled mid fall, attempting to adjust into a better angle, against the pain shooting up his spine. There was no time - another flurry of water had crashed into him, sending him spiralling faster to the surface below. Was it water? He couldn’t tell which way he was headed anymore. Still more attacks rushed by - the water goddess clearly didn't care what happened to the one that called her.

A dagger materialised in his hand. He had one chance at this. His eyes barely managed to lock with each of his three friends; it looked as if each of them had panic on their faces. Okay, good, he knew their locations. Vaguely. He could do this, he knew he could...if only his body would listen to him. His arm heavy, he threw the dagger, focusing on his magic to follow it.

The blade dissolved as his consciousness began to wither. He could only look where he thought he'd seen the others before as he crashed hard into the water, pain exploding all around him and a deafening ringing in his ears before everything went black.

The Patria showing up was nerve wracking enough, let alone them having to avoid both the mech’s attacks and additional MT units all at once. Noctis was so lucky, getting to warp away from it all so quickly, Prompto thought as he ducked behind a large rock, picking off another soldier. As the battle wore on, the gunner could tell something wasn't quite right. Slipping from behind his cover, he edged his way closer to the prince. Something was definitely wrong with Noct, he just couldn't tell what.

Then the water rose and everything clicked into place. Noctis was summoning . Prompto felt like he was looking into the watery face of death itself as Leviathan emerged from the lake before his eyes. In a torrent of water, she swooped forward and Noct was nowhere to be found. He raced over to Ignis, his expression panicked.

“Where is he?!” the blond demanded, his eyes flitting around at the water. He held his arms up to shield himself from the raging tides around them.

“Surely he's with the Hydrean,” Ignis called over the din of the surging waters. “We have to hope that he-- move! ” He bowled Prompto out of the way as the Patria unleashed another wave of the missiles. They seemed to be more aimed at the creatures that had formed than them, thankfully, but the danger was no less imminent.

Prompto chanced a glance up, eyes squinting through the spray in the air to see a black figure launch into the air from the cascade Leviathan swam through.

Oh gods, Noct was falling . Prompto rushed to get closer, desperate to think of anything he could do to help. Maybe gravisphere could pull him closer and--

The sight of his best friend facing the full brunt of the very onslaught he had summoned made Prompto freeze. As far as he was able to reach in the lake while keeping his footing, he could do nothing but will his heart to stop pounding as their eyes locked, if only for a second. He felt as if time had stopped as he could only stare into those wild magenta eyes, helpless and panic-stricken.

He couldn’t do a damn thing .

The moment the dagger warp had failed and faded back into the armiger, Gladio was already racing to the lake, ducking and dodging the barrage of snakes, water jets and bullets that screamed by him. The horrific crack of Noctis hitting the water only increased his already incredible speed as he dived in after the prince.

Sparks sounded behind the two that remained as the Patria finally began to break down. Within seconds Ignis and Prompto were racing for cover as it creaked and collapsed to the ground. The explosion rocked the area, a startled whine coming from one of the Catoblepas as it stumbled, the water becoming turbulent from the shockwave. Seconds later, as the Hydrean disappeared into the ethers, ignorant to the fallout she had caused. All was calm once more, except...

Prompto tried to catch his breath as he raced back up towards the edge of the water, eyes skimming over the surface for any sign of life. It felt like an eternity, his heart beating in staccato as Ignis placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to steady him. He couldn't help but notice the grip tighten as time inched along slowly. Still no sign of anything. His eyes stung as he fought back a wave of nausea. This couldn't be happening .

The crash of water as it erupted and rippled outwards caught their attention instantly as they watched the shield emerge from the lake, dragging along the sickeningly still form of the prince. Ignis was already racing over to them, his eyes ablaze with unwavering focus. As Gladio lay him on the grass, the advisor was already hurriedly searching for any sign of breathing.

Nothing.

“ Shit ,” he hissed under his breath, catching Gladio off guard. Ignis swearing was never a good sign. Prompto arrived to the harrowing sight of Ignis performing chest compressions on the lifeless form of his best friend, quietly counting with each press into Noctis’ chest.

“I-is he…?” Prompto managed to say, swallowing hard as he couldn't finish. Gladio held up a hand to he blond. Ignis needed silence. He held an ear to Noctis’ lips, desperate for any sign of life, before he adjusted Noct’s head and performed mouth to mouth. Prompto observed the almost robotic rhythm in his actions - every step etched firmly into his mind, that he would be ever ready for the worst.

As Ignis failed to hear any signs of breathing and performed another set of chest compressions, Prompto had to look away, barely managing to hold back tears as he shook, a hand over his mouth and drawing in deep trembling breaths as quietly as he could as the quiet counting continued.

The coughing that erupted from the previously still body quickly brought Prompto back to focus. Gladio assisted Ignis on his instruction to move Noct onto his side as the poor man hacked up more water and bile than any of them would liked to have seen. “Noct? Can you hear me, Noct?” Ignis said urgently, gaining little response as the prince heaved in whatever air he could before another fit of coughs racked his body, more water being forced from his lungs. His eyelids drooped as his chest rattled with each shuddering breath. “Noctis!”

Noct was trying to talk - Ignis could at least tell that much - but besides a strained whine quickly choked off by his lungs protesting once more, there was little else to be had from him. He went still, his consciousness fading in and out. Gladio rubbed Noctis’ back firmly, frowning at the sight of the young prince shivering.

“We gotta get him out of here,” he said quietly, glancing to the distance and seeing another imperial drop ship. “ Quick. ”

“I’ll take him,” Ignis decided, deeming his charge able to be moved. “Gladio, Prompto, if more MTs are on the way, I need you to fight while I get Noct to safety. I want to tend to him as soon as I possibly can.” Gladio nodded in agreement. As much as he wanted to insist that he be the one to carry Noctis, Ignis was by far the best person to deal with the situation.

Once Noct was on Ignis’ back, he sprinted up the hills towards the gas station, ever attentive to the now rhythmic breathing against his back. It was weak, and far more strained than he would have liked, but it was far better than the alternative.

He was approaching the the stairs, but also fast approaching his limits. The uphill sprint would have been taxing enough on its own, even without carrying the barely conscious prince, straining his senses for any signs of nearby attacks and paying keen attention any minute change in Noct’s immediate health. Ignis had found Noct’s breathing was becoming shallower, alert to his shivering getting seemingly weaker, to the point he was almost still.

He was so close . Sounds of the scuffle behind him were still very much audible, but he needed to keep his focus.

He needed to save his prince - his king .

His friend.

By the time Gladio and Prompto had stumbled their way into the caravan, exhausted and even more battered than before, Ignis had already changed Noctis out of his sodden clothes and raided the remaining bedcovers to keep him warm. It seemed to do little, however; Noct had begun to shivering more intensely again, his breathing becoming increasingly more strenuous.

“How is he?” Prompto asked quietly, afraid to get too close as Ignis sat on the bed, watching Noctis closely. The advisor stood up in silence, grabbing the keys to the Regalia. “Wait, where are you going?!” Prompto’s voice was louder than he intended; he couldn’t help but let panic well up as he tried to grasp what was happening.

“Not good,” Ignis finally admitted. “I believe all the water has been expelled from his lungs, but his condition seems to be deteriorating. Lestallum should have the supplies I need to aid him.” Gladio scowled - Ignis always spoke more formally when he tried to distance himself emotionally from a bad situation.

“I’ll go.” Prompto stepped forward. He couldn’t do a thing for Noct before, now was his chance to be of use. “You gotta keep an eye out on Noct, right?” he continued. Ignis gave him a long look, considering the offer, before pulling out his notebook and writing down a list on items and handing it to the blond.

“Bring these back as soon as possible, and call me if there’s anything you need to know,” he instructed, his voice low. “And please, be careful.” Prompto nodded and raced off, leaving Ignis and Gladio with nothing but the sound of Noct struggling to pull air into his lungs. The advisor paced back over to his bedside, running an ungloved hand through his hair reassuringly. A weak mumble escaped the prince’s lips as he soon descended into another coughing fit, launching himself into a sitting position as Ignis held him steady. All energy left the poor man as his lungs calmed down; he slumped further into Ignis’ hold as he was lay gently back down, blearily looking around. An elixir was placed into his hand, broken as a wave of relief to his aching lungs washed over him.

“Ig..?” he tried to croak out, tensing as a particularly violent shiver ran through him. It was a matter of seconds before his eyes slipped shut and he lost consciousness once more.

A couple of hours passed, and as much as Ignis knew it would be a while before Prompto returned, he couldn’t keep himself from compulsively checking his phone, opting to read through local news articles to pass the time instead.

He hadn’t left Noct’s side the entire time; Gladio was stood in the kitchen area, arms folded as his own phone lay on the counter. Swiftly he picked it up, dialling Prompto’s number and almost slamming it back down. “Shit, why won’t he pick up?!”

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s probably still on the road, Gladio. Calling him repeatedly will only serve to panic him.”

“Like that’s the worst thing to happen today,” Gladio grumbled, picking the phone up once more.

“And if he crashes?” The shield paused at the question, fists clenched and teeth grinding. “I understand your concern, Gladio, but--”

“It’s not just that!” Gladio stepped forward, an intense look in his eyes. “It’s those damn gods Noct summons! They keep pulling this shit and then disappearing like it wasn’t their fault he’s nearly dead!” He glanced at the sleeping prince, a feeling of fear rising up within him at the sight of him so sick. “Iggy, did you see him today? He didn’t look like he could stop it happening if he tried . Does he even get a choice in this mess they put him in?!”

A silence hung in the air, only broken by a small choked whimper as Noct grimaced in his sleep. Gladio let out a deep sigh, sitting on the bed opposite, his eyes lingering on his phone once more before he placed it back down, his focus turning back to the prince.

“How are we supposed to protect him like this?” His voice was quiet, tinged with regret. “Those ‘gods’ made it beyond our control.”

Ignis studied the shield carefully, taking note of his hunched stance; the way his arms rested on his lap, fingers interlocked, fidgeting absentmindedly, the exhausted look in his eyes, lit only by his worry. He knew it couldn’t have been an easy task for Gladio to find Noctis among the waters, with the lake still so turbulent from the assault. Like his charge, Gladio was quite adept at playing off worrisome things concerning himself as if it were nothing.

“Perhaps you should rest for now, Gladio.” Ignis kept his voice gentle. “There is nothing we can do for now.” Gladio thought about it, wanted to protest, but there was an chill still in his bones, even after changing his clothes, and a dull ache that pressed behind his eyes and lingered deep in his muscles. He sighed, shifting on the bed and propping himself against the wall.

“I’m just closing my eyes for a second, alright?” he said defiantly, locking eyes with Ignis. “Anything changes, I wanna know.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle until Prompto returns,” Ignis replied with a small reassuring smile, turning to look at Noctis once more. Within seconds, Gladio’s breathing had shifted, and Ignis could tell he had fallen asleep. He moved to grab an extra cover, draping it carefully over him, before resuming his place on the bed, watching over Noct.

He frowned - there was a light sheen of sweat forming on Noct’s brow, and a hand to his forehead revealed it was definitely warmer than before. Ignis had hoped that speed could have avoided it, but he couldn’t deny the likelihood of Noctis coming down with a fever, or pneumonia. His foresight at least had led him to include any related remedies when making the list for Prompto. He was sure it would be enough.

As he dampened a cloth to place on Noct’s forehead, he just wished that Prompto would hurry up.

Everything was so dark. Noct could hear his heart pounding in his head as he tried to focus on something, anything . He could hear...water? It was a low rumbling that rushed around him. Why did everything hurt so much? The sound got louder as suddenly everything seemed to melt into place. Leviathan towered over him, there were ruined buildings everywhere . He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe . A flash of gold, a beautifully frail figure in white, tainted with crimson.

Water everywhere. Everything was falling apart - he sank deeper and deeper. Oh gods, he was drowning . He couldn’t breathe, he needed to breathe .

Something was holding him down, distant sounds echoing through the waters. He couldn’t get out, he had to get out! His throat and lungs burned as he struggled harder, desperate to open his eyes, to see what was forbidding him from rising to the surface.

“..ct? Noctis!”

Everything was bright. Too bright. Someone was leant over him. Or was it two people? Were they holding him down? The grip loosened and he wanted to say something, but breathing was hard enough, let alone speaking. He closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the cool pressure on his head. He felt so hot, why was he shaking?

“Noctis?” There was that voice again, softer this time, and a lot less distorted and echoey. He pried his eyes open once more, squinting as the world reformed into view. Finally he recognised the faces. Gladio and Ignis were hovering close, their faces covered with worry.

“G-Gla..” Damn, why was talking so hard. It felt like there was something clinging to the inside of his lungs. If he could just clear it…

Clearing his throat was a bad idea. Within seconds he was hacking and coughing hard, his throat and chest aching with every wretched movement. He could hear movement as he was propped upright by Ignis. A glass of water was held before him, alongside another elixir. Noct shakily downed the elixir with Ignis’ help, letting out a rattly sigh as the pain died down somewhat. He was helped with the glass of water next; it was the best water he’d ever had, cool and soothing down his throat.

He looked around the room, trying to get everything back into focus as his vision continued to distort. “Whe...where’s Prom..?” He flinched - it still felt like he’d gargled with sandpaper whenever he tried to make any sound. “I-is he okay?” Panic welled up within him; the last time he’d seen the gunner was before...before what? He couldn’t quite remember.

“Don’t worry, Prompto’s safe. He’s currently getting some medicines for you. I’m sure he’ll be back shortly,” Ignis said softly, guiding Noctis back down to the mattress once more, making sure he was suitably covered by blankets. It was becoming a calming habit to lightly brush his hand through the prince’s hair; with the way the other smiled and closed his eyes contently in response, it seemed Noct was quite content with it also. Ignis was just relieved at how lucid he had seemed. Perhaps his chest problems would be the worst of it, and they’d got off extremely lucky.

As Noct drifted off to sleep once more, Gladio watched out of the window for the familiar sight of the Regalia. He was still tense, keeping himself from speaking with Noct directly, knowing his anger at the situation the prince had been put in would come right out. Ignis was far better at keeping his emotions in check.

“Could you get us something to eat, Gladio?” He looked at Ignis, who was removing the cloth from Noct’s head, pulling a face at how warm it had become, and moved to the sink to cool it once more. “Perhaps...some Ebony, too.” If there was any admittance that Ignis had no intention of sleeping until this entire ordeal was over, that was it.

“Sure, but I’m taking a shift watching him whether you like it or not.” Gladio smirked as a small smile pulled at the advisor’s lips.

“Very well.”

It had been a couple of days since the incident, and Noctis was recovering remarkably well, all things considered. He was sat upright in bed, propped up on a small mound of pillows, with a bowl of soup Ignis had quickly prepared in the tiny kitchen. His face was still pasty, and that rattle in his chest as he breathed seemed reluctant to disappear, making him much more lethargic, but he was awake and alive , and that was the most important thing.

Prompto had found himself almost permanently sat on Noctis’ bed, offering to play co-op games with him whenever he felt awake enough to do so. Or he’d tell some crazy anecdotes that had the others rolling their eyes. “So this one time, I went to visit Noct at his apartment, right?” he said, his voice ablaze with enthusiasm as he suppressed a giggle. “And long story short, what started as a simple trip to buy some milk ended up with us banned from the cake shop and we totally ended up with a stray rabbit.”

“I must say, Prompto, that’s your most implausible story yet,” Ignis said, leaning against the kitchen counter and sipping a can of Ebony as he jotted down notes.

“Uh, actually, specs?” Noct said, his voice still hoarse. “That one really happened. Good thing the animal shelter was so understanding…” He trailed off, downing some pills with water as Ignis stared in disbelief, before clearing his throat.

“Well, regardless of all that,” the advisor said, straightening his glasses. “You’re neglecting your soup. Eat it before it gets cold.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Noct replied with a slight smile, lazily picking up his spoon and scooping up another mouthful.

Ignis sighed, finally putting the pen down and turning to Prompto. “We’re getting severely low on funds. I hate to ask this, but could you find Gladio and take on a hunt or two? It’s just to tide us over until we can move on.”

“I already told you I’m fine to travel,” Noct quietly protested, pouting as he idly stirred his soup around.

“And what if we find ourselves with no other choice but camping?” he asked, and it was clear he’d considered every negative possibility that came with rushing things. “I’m not risking your condition deteriorating purely because we needed to save a few gil.” As Noct went silent, Prompto jumped off the bed.

“We can handle it, don’t worry,” he said cheerily. “Catch you both later!” With that, he left the caravan, humming along the way.

The confined area was quiet for a while, save for the sounds of Noct’s spoon clinking against the bowl. After a few more spoonfuls, he lowered it, his eyes flitting about, thoughts flying through his head. “You could’ve gone too, y’know,” he finally said, eyes low, knowing the advisor’s reaction.

“Absolutely not,” Ignis replied sternly, finishing his Ebony and dropping it into the bin. “Prompto and Gladio can handle themselves perfectly fine - leaving you alone as you are is a ridiculous notion.” Noctis huffed, letting out a short burst of coughs, inwardly groaning as he’d managed to single-handedly prove his advisor’s point.

“Ugh, I just want this to be over already,” he groaned, leaning further into his pillows. “I don’t wanna stay here anymore.”

“I understand that, Noct, but if we were caught in battle on our travels, or even if it rained, we couldn’t guarantee your safety.” Ignis placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder. “Be patient, we’ll be back on track before long.” He could see the prince’s fists clench, the frustrated crease in his brow. There was something deeper than mere annoyance at their impromptu hold up. “Is...something troubling you, Noct?”

Shoulders tensed, Noct’s eyes narrowed. “Y-yeah...I think,” he said quietly, before looking at Ignis. “Iggy, I think something’s wrong, I keep seeing...things. They don’t make sense.” His eyes drifted away as he spoke.

“Noct?” There was concern in Ignis’ voice as he moved closer.

“ Leviathan , Iggy,” Noct started. Ignis cast him a confused look as the prince frustratedly stared back into the remainder of his soup. “How did I--? I mean, how did she appear? She’s sleeping in Altissia, right?” It took Ignis a moment to process what Noct had said. What a curious thought - how hadn’t he thought of it himself? “We haven’t even met with Luna to perform the right, but there she was!” He was sounding more breathless now as his train of thought was moving far too fast to comprehend.

“Luna resides in Altissia at the moment, perhaps she has spoken with the Hydrean to aid you?” It was a weak response, but there was an uncertainty growing, chipping away at the back of his mind that he didn’t like one bit.

“It didn’t--I mean, it doesn’t work that way. I-I think.” He was getting confused, his heart pounding hard as his lungs fought to keep up. “A-and the Glacian,” Noct continued, staring frantically at Ignis once more, a hand gripped around the man’s arm. “She was--she’s supposed to be dead , but...but when I summoned her, she was right there ! And she was someone else before he became Shiva. I can’t remember who, though! Did you see who she was?”

Ignis had no words; Noctis’ concern was completely logical, and yet they’d accepted their situation with no question at all. “I’m afraid not, Noct,” he said, feeling the grip on his arm getting tighter. “Noct, I need you to calm down, you’re still recovering.” He placed a hand to Noct’s forehead - still far warmer than he would’ve liked. “Perhaps your fever has influenced hallucinations of some kind?”

Noct’s head hung low as he let out a weak laugh. “So you think summoning the Hydrean and the Glacian with no covenant is normal?” He released his grip and held his head in his hands. “What the hell is happening?” Ignis pulled him close.

Noct was right, something was definitely wrong - and for none of this to even be brought to light until now was even more unusual. Titan and Ramuh, those were the only two of the Hexatheon they had formed a covenant with; it didn’t make sense. An unpleasant feeling of dread formed in the pit of his stomach. He sighed as Noctis drifted to sleep thanks to Ignis’ rocking him gently.

Certain...images were coming to mind. A city in ruins, hoards of magitek troopers, and then only darkness. Voices and sounds, but just...darkness. He closed his eyes, breathing deep as it lingered longer than it had any right to, before shifting Noctis back to his pillows, picking up his half eaten bowl of soup, and looking through the window, out over the Duscaen plains as the sun shined brilliantly down upon them.

Chapter Text

The car pulled up a short distance from the Three Valley’s parking spot. It meant a longer trek to their destination, but upon hearing the news of a rogue Tyraneant venturing this close to where so many hunters had been known to travel, keeping their ride a safe distance from where they’d be fighting seemed like the best course of action.

They approached cautiously, hearing the roars of the beast before they could even see it as it kicked the sand up, prowling around after the native sabertusk. Peering around the cliff face, Noctis turned to face the others.

“It’s distracted,” he told them. “Any plans?” Ignis considered their options from the previous time they’d fought the beasts.

“It’s a much more enclosed space, so maneuverability will be limited, as will avoiding its attacks,” he said, analysing the creature from a distance. “A freeze spell proved quite effective in slowing its movements before - we can strike it while it’s incapacitated.” Noct nodded and pulled out a magic flask, watching as it shimmered with untapped power. “Prompto, stay back and try to break off any appendages if you’re able to. Gladio and I shall assist Noct up close. If nothing else, one of us can prove a distraction.”

“Gotcha covered Iggy,” the prince said, leaning further forward and readying himself. “I’ll warp out before it can even catch me.” Leaving Noct to play as bait didn’t sit well with him, but he did have a point. If anyone could get out of danger quickly, it was Noctis.

“Everyone ready?” Gladio checked, receiving nods in return.

“Operation Tree Toppler is a go,” Prompto said far too seriously. Noctis let out a groan.

“We are not calling it that.” The gunner spluttered in protest.

“But it’s perfect!” he said, crossing his arms. “You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first.” Rolling his eyes, Noct gripped the flask tightly as the others summoned their weapons.

“ Now! ” He rushed forward, warping to gain distance from the others and hurled the spell at the beast, sucking in a sharp breath at the chill that bit into him. The others were beside him, weapons readied as they rushed forward and began striking the Tyraneant in it’s slowed state. It leapt forward as Noct drew his lance just in time to parry it and stab it in the chest before racing away.

As it began to thaw, Noctis weighed up his options. He had more freeze spells at the ready, but hoped not to exhaust his supply. They were costly to make, and he was pretty sure Prompto was still mad at him for using that limited edition Wind-up Lord Vexxos toy to craft them.

Sacrifices have to be made , he’d told the indignant blond. It was time to put it to the test.

Warping behind the creature, he threw another freeze spell and jumped away once more, before warping in again and striking hard, knocking off a few pieces of its thick spines before being flung to the floor. Gladio was there instantly, on guard as Noctis got to his feet.

“Good to go?” the shield asked, keeping his eyes trained on his target. Lance summoned once more, he leapt into the attack alongside Gladio as they struck on either side.

The fight raged on; the amount of endurance the creature had beggared belief, as did the amount of clout it had with each attack. Even four-on-one, it was still a rough battle, with more potions and elixirs being consumed than any of them would have liked.

Its tail swung around far too fast - Noct couldn’t warp away in time. It crashed into his back, sending him flying into the cliff face. Dazedly, he stumbled to turn around, barely managing to hold off the beast’s follow up attack with a not-too-elegant block and parry. Prompto was by his side, firing off a piercer to force it away.

“Noct? You okay?” Prompto placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder, but pulled away as Noct flinched, brows pinched in worry.

“Y-yeah…” Rubbing his shoulder and sucking in a sharp breath. “Hit my shoulder. Maybe my head. S’fine.” He frowned and shook his head. Big mistake. Everything around him swirled and he blinked hard to right it. There was a tremor running through his body - probably from the sudden impact. Prompto pulled him away before he had time to dwell on it, the Tyraneant’s claws swiping where they’d just stood barely seconds later.

“Are you alright?” Ignis asked hurriedly, running over to meet them. Noct noticed how much more roughed up he was looking than before as he pushed himself away from Prompto, hoping his stumble wasn’t too obvious.

“Fine,” he insisted, lance at the ready once more. He was sure Ignis didn’t believe him, but he didn’t care. The shaking he could feel deep within him was only getting stronger; damn it, had he been harder than he thought? The pressure growing in his head suggested so, but he didn’t have time for the others to be worrying about him. He could still fight, that was what mattered.

Warping in again before anyone could stop him, he managed to skewer the creature in the neck, smirking proudly that he hit his mark, even with his slightly distorted vision. It was short lived as the beast soon managed to shake him off, batting him away with its tail once more. Noct was sure he could hear voices calling his name, but the ache he felt driving into his skull made it hard to tell if it was just the rumble in his ears. So much for showing everyone he was fine.

They’d practically depleted their curatives and the Tyraneant moved as swiftly as ever. Noct scowled - the battle was turning against them. Hauling his uncooperative body upright to his knees. He called another flask to hand, noting the others keeping the enemy away from launching another attack on him. His shoulder felt stiff and protested far too much among the increasing tremble coursing through him, but thankfully was steady enough for the spell to land, encasing its limbs in ice and once more slowing its movements as it launched itself into the air.

It must’ve hit the ground hard if the quake in the ground was anything to go by. Except...it wasn’t stopping. Was it a side effect from hitting his head? At least, he thought he’d hit his head. It hurt too much for him to not have. Over the pain throbbing in his head, he could hear something - whispering - a deep growl like an earthquake itself. He knew the call of the Hexatheon well enough by this point; with their power, he was sure they could win, but he could already feel the pulls of unconsciousness creep around the edges of his vision. Would he have enough energy to summon?

He jumped as a hand touched his uninjured shoulder. “S-sorry,” Prompto stuttered. “Iggy wants me to get you out of here. Come on, we gotta hurry!” Noct couldn’t properly make out what the blond was saying by this point, his words garbled among the cacophony in his head. As Prompto grabbed his wrist, he felt like a sack of potatoes, being pulled along so roughly - shit, was that blood on Prompto’s arm? He could blearily see the limp the gunner had too. How badly had everyone been hurt? He stumbled, vision wavering, the ache in his head too much to take by this point. This needed to end quickly.

Scrunching his eyes tight, he managed to whimper out as an apology as he accepted the Astral’s call.

The ground shook hard. Prompto halted, holding onto Noct as the prince practically fell into him, a cry escaping his throat. Then he saw it, in the distance. The Archaean. Even so far away, it towered ominously over everything in the desert as it picked up a colossal boulder. “Noct?” he asked, voice wavering. “Did you…?” The glow in the prince’s half-lidded eyes said all it needed to, as did the sharp unsteady way he drew in each breath and the pained grimace on his face. “Shit!” Prompto squeaked as the boulder launched in their direction.

Slinging Noct’s arm over his shoulders, he practically dragged him away, hoping to find somewhere better sheltered. His options were few, and Noctis was practically a dead weight as he was pulled along. He was still conscious, Prompto knew that much, but all of his energy was being taken by the Archaean. Swallowing hard to try and alleviate the rising panic within him, he just had to hope that Ignis and Gladio would be able to clear the area fast enough.

The boulder smashed into the cliff faces, shattering and raining down upon the Tyraneant. As much as it tried, it couldn’t dodge the barrage that crashed down upon it, followed by multiple spikes of rock rising from the ground to skewer it, breaking it to pieces and obliterating it completely.

The whole area shook; the rocks that surrounded them were cracking from the sheer force of the attack. Above him, beside him, it was starting to come down piece by piece. Spying an alcove in the rock face, there was no time to think as he launched himself and Noctis into it, the entrance caving in seconds later.

Their lights automatically switched on at the newfound darkness, and Prompto scrambled to get to Noctis’ side; his leg and arm still twinged with pain, but they were pretty manageable, all things considered. The prince was still breathing hard, clumsily reaching for his head as he let out a whimper. The magenta glow in his eyes was striking in the dim light.

“Noct, you can stop now,” the gunner said, a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Noct curled up on himself, as if making himself smaller would help.

“I...I can’t…” he gasped out. “Can’t stop...until they go--” He gasped as he gripped his head tighter, the pressure he felt was unbearable, like he was being crushed. “H-hurts…can’t...s-stop...” Prompto could only see a sliver of magenta now, his heart sinking as he couldn’t do a thing; he’d already used his supplies just keeping himself alive during the battle, and it looked like Noct had too. Placing a hand on Noct’s, all he could do was let him know he wasn’t alone. It was an agonisingly long few moments before the glow faded from the prince’s eyes and his entire body slumped. It seemed that without Titan syphoning energy from Noctis, he could finally succumb to unconsciousness. Prompto’s skin crawled at the thought that his friend was forced to stay conscious as a human battery until the Astrals decided they were done with him.

His fists clenched with anger as his mind raced with worry, only breaking out of his thoughts as he heard a familiar ringtone from Noct’s phone. Fumbling about his jacket to find it, he almost dropped it as he went to answer.

“Noct? Are you safe?” Ignis sounded absolutely frantic, abandoning his calm demeanor in the face of his charge potentially getting crushed.

“Iggy, it’s me,” Prompto said, hoping he sounded a lot calmer than he felt. “Noct’s okay...I think? He’s unconscious right now. Summoning the Archaean really did a number on him.”

“I’ve got your location - we’ll come get you, just stay where you are.” Oh yeah, they had a GPS tracker on Noct’s phone in case of emergencies. He couldn’t help but smile with relief.

“That um...won’t be a problem,” the gunner said with a nervous laugh, his relief fading away as he realised their situation. “We kinda got caved in trying to get away.” Ignis’ voice became too distorted to understand - it soon disconnected, leaving only monotone until he ended the call. It was only then that Prompto realised how small the alcove was. Big enough to stand and walk around a few steps, but it was so confined, so dark. He drew in a deep shaky breath, trying in vain not to think about the ominous rumbles that still echoed around them and how tiny their makeshift getaway was.

A strained murmur brought him back to focus. Noct looked around dazedly, sitting upright and rubbing his head. Prompto was by his side instantly. “Noct? How are you feeling?” The prince blinked hard a few times before looking the gunner in the eyes. Well, as best he could with his vision wavering.

“Okay...I think..?” he said quietly, trying to grasp where he was. “How long was I out? Why’s it so dark?”

“We...kinda got trapped. My bad,” the blond said, eyes darting around him as he kept track of the walls around them. “Iggy and Gladio know we’re here. They should be able to get us out.”

“Right…” Noct was still feeling woozy, the pressure in his head now dulled to a low ache. However, only a few minutes had passed before Prompto became increasingly fidgety.

“They’re...really coming, right?” he asked, voice jittery. Noct cast him a quick look in the dim light.

“You were the one that told me,” he answered non-committally. The gunner began to fidget with his wristband, spinning it around his wrist as a distraction.

“Yeah but...what if they got the wrong place? What if they spend hours moving a bunch of rocks and we’re somewhere else?” He turned his body to face Noct, a hand gripped around his upper arm. “What if we’re in here for days ?” He jumped to his feet and pushed against the blockage. “Hey! We’re in here!” he called, trying to find smaller rocks to move out of the way.

“Prompto, calm down a second,” Noct said, stumbling as he got to his feet, before placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. “They won’t let us down. They’ll find us.”

“And if they don’t?” Prompto’s breath was getting short. “There’s no room - is there even any air in here?!” He took a step back, only to find the cave wall far too close behind him. Far too close in front of him too. He was sure their space was getting smaller. “I-I’m sorry, I should’ve...I should’ve thought, I’m sorry--” he gasped out. It was getting hard to breathe.

“Prompto!” His head snapped up at the sharp sound of his name, but his breathing refused to steady, coming out in stuttered gasps. “Just sit down and close your eyes. Try to focus on your breathing.” He guided the blond to a rock on the ground, big enough to form a seat. Prompto hunched over, keeping his head low as he forced himself to breath deep through his nose.

Noctis closed his eyes and took in a deep breath for himself. This wasn’t any good, he couldn’t just rely on Ignis and Gladio to bust them out; not when Prompto was like this. Focusing on the magic within him, he was relieved to find he had the reserves he needed. The flasks were too volatile, he needed precision.

Hands placed on a particularly damaged stack of rubble, he focused his ice magic to seep into the cracks and spaces. He remembered his geography lessons pretty clearly, especially the parts involving the elements and their effect on the environment. Water would seep into the cracks, freezing it would expand it, and melting the ice would allow for more water and then more ice.

He just had to set everything into place.

Noct could hear the cracking of the ice as he forced it through any gaps it was able to. After a few moments, he had to steady himself, head light from the magic’s use. Willing himself to focus and ignoring the chill that coursed through him, his attention from his task only wavered at the sound of a shiver from behind him.

“Noct..? What are you--?”

“I’m getting us out. Just...bear with me, okay?” If his voice sounded any fainter than it had before, Prompto didn’t let on. Noctis just wanted his friend to focus on not panicking, while he focused on getting them out. It was the least he could do after summoning the Archaean and getting them into this mess, after all.

A fire spell was next. It rose carefully from his palms, controlled through years of practise as the heat spread through the gaps and cracks. Noct had closed his eyes, trying to blot out the dizziness he felt. It did little to help as the fire spell died down, ice once again being called to his fingertips. He just had to focus. Freeze the water, weaken the rocks, then maybe he could--

“Noct!”

Arms grabbed him from behind. It took him a few seconds to realise what was going on; he hadn’t even realised his legs had given out. Letting out a groan, he moved to get upright again, instantly regretting his decision as the dim cave swirled around him.

“Shit Noct, don’t scare me like that!” the gunner practically begged, holding onto him for dear life. Noctis made a poor attempt to free himself from Prompto’s hold. The blond jumped as something warm dripped onto his shoulder. “Is this...water?” Noct’s eyes widened in the dim light. He was losing his chance break out.

“Damn it, just let me go already!” he hissed, finally breaking free and launching himself at the entrance once more. Again, ice poured into the cracks, and he just hoped there was enough there to make a difference. Resting his head against the cool rock, he fought to stay conscious as his magic drained from him bit by bit.

Prompto stood back, hurt and confused by Noct’s outburst. Why was he doing this to himself? He attempted to move the prince away, to get him to stop , thoughts about their confined space thankfully forgotten for now, but Noctis stayed put. “Come on Noct, you’re gonna burn yourself out, stop playing around!”

“I’m not! ” The spell had stopped as he caught his breath, stance wavering. There was a pause as he tried to compose himself. “Just let me do this for you. Please. ”

“But…”

“You don’t like closed in spaces, right?” He was sounding more breathless with each sentence. “I summoned the Archaean. It’s my fault. Let me just...get you out.”

After a few seconds, Prompto held onto him from behind. “I’m okay Noct, honest,” he said, plastering the best smile he could on his face. “I mean...yeah, I’m scared. Like, really scared right now. It’s so small, and what if--” He cut himself short. He needed to stop doing that, it’d only make things worse. Taking in a deep breath and ignoring the area around him, he leaned forward so Noctis could see him. “Just let me know what I can do to help.”

The prince nodded tiredly in response. “When it’s weak, we gotta hit it. I got my sword, that should work.” He brought it out from the armiger ready, just in case he lacked the energy to later. Once it was propped against the wall, the fire was summoned once more. He could feel his grip on consciousness slipping with each passing second. The only thing keeping him grounded was his best friend stood behind him, fighting his fear to help.

He really didn’t deserve his friends.

One more course of ice worked its way through the blockage. Chunks of rock fell piece by piece as he put everything he had into it. His vision began to spot and cloud over; he merely blinked hard and pushed even further. He felt like he was floating - was Prompto holding his entire weight by this point?

Oh gods, he felt like he was falling. But he needed to...needed to…

Everything went black.

Prompto really regretted not opting for sword training. He knew the basics, but he was pretty sure he could pack a lot more punch if he’d worked with blades more.

Still, the rocks were breaking, even despite his injured arm’s protests, and that was what mattered. He looked over to Noct’s unconscious form; Prompto had propped him up against the wall, as far away from the falling debris as he could manage. The prince showed no sign of stirring yet, and it was probably for the best - the moment he was awake, he’d demand to help again. Prompto knew he needed to rest more than anything.

Slamming the sword into the rocks once more, he nearly cried with joy as a small mound of rocks fell, revealing sunlight. “Ignis, Gladio!” he called through the gap. Sounds of alarm where heard from the other side.

“Prompto? Are you both alright?” Ignis asked, focusing his attention on the now exposed weak point.

“Y-yeah! ...I think!” he added, genuinely unsure by this point. “Noct used a lot of magic to weaken the rocks, he’s KO’d right now.”

“Shoulda figured. Idiot,” Gladio mumbled under his breath. Prompto couldn’t help but chuckle; it was hard to argue with, although he was sure Noct would try to if he were conscious.

Together, they managed to clear a large enough hole to climb through. Had Noctis not been in there with him, Prompto was pretty sure he’d have launched himself out of there faster than anything. “I’ll see if I can wake him up.” He moved over to and lightly shook Noct’s shoulder. “Come on sleepyhead, we’re getting out of here.” A low groan was...positive? “Wakey wakey Noct,” he said in a singsong tone.

“Wha..? Whazzappening?” Prompto helped lean the prince forward as he struggled to keep his eyes open against the light of the now setting sun.

“Your magic did it,” he replied, smiling. “See? We can get out.” The realisation seemed to give Noct a bit more energy as he moved to stand upright. His legs didn’t seem quite as cooperative as he found himself stumbling into Prompto’s arms once more. “You just keep falling for me today, don’t you?” Noctis batted an arm in the blond’s direction with a huff, missing the mark by a long shot. Guiding him over to the opening, Gladio helped haul him through, Prompto soon following.

He couldn’t believe what a mess the area was in. Rubble everywhere and cliff faces in ruins. The landscape was scarred beyond belief - it sent a pang of sadness through the gunner as he thought of the creatures who resided here. But they’d adapt to the carnage, he was sure of it.

“You guys okay?” Noct asked sleepily as Ignis gave him an elixir. It didn’t do much to ease the ache he felt all over, but at least his head didn’t hurt as much anymore.

“We’re both fine,” Ignis assured him, handing a potion to Prompto. “Nothing some rest cannot fix.”

“Tha’s good…” Noct wobbled on his feet, Gladio steadying him. He carried Noct back to the car as the prince drifted in and out of consciousness, and placed him into his usual spot in the back seat. They had enough time to get to Hammerhead before nightfall, if Ignis drove a little more daringly. For Noctis’ sake, he was pretty sure the advisor would.

The drive back was quiet. Prompto opted to sit with Noct, and he didn’t much fancy talking about their time trapped in that alcove. He didn’t want to think about how long they were in there, either. He was content with not checking the time and just forgetting about the entire ordeal. The Tyraneant was dead and everyone was safe. That’s what mattered. Ignis would give Noct an elixir or two and in no time at all, they’d be back on the road and ready for the next fight.

Prompto just really hoped that it wouldn’t involve any Astrals. Thoughts went back to the sight of Titan throwing the boulder directly at them, the sight of it’s impending impact, the chaos that erupted from the attack.

“...Prompto?”

The blond almost jumped out of his skin as his head span towards Noct’s direction, seeing a pair of sleepy eyes gazing at him. “Oh! Um, hey Noct. You okay?” A huge yawn from the prince was his first response.

“Just tired. And achy,” he mumbled. “You look tense. You feeling okay now?”

“Y-yeah. Just...thinking, that’s all.” Noct moved to rest on the gunner’s shoulder.

“Sleep’s better than thinking, y’know.” His voice was so quiet now, it could easily be lost over the sound of the engine.

“Dude, we’re like, ten minutes away from Hammerhead.” Noct paused for a moment.

“...And?” Prompto let out a laugh far louder than he intended as the prince drifted off once more.

“Yeah, you got a point,” he said with a sigh, ruffling Noct’s hair with a smile and closing his eyes.