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Gunshots burst forth in rapid succession, exploding with overlapping precision and deafening roars through the steady onslaught of rain that beat down on them. But it was the sound that followed that made Ignis’ heart clench.
“NOOOOOCT!”
Prompto’s bloodcurdling scream stole his very breath as it echoed across the marsh, setting the sodden hair at the back of Ignis’ neck to rise. Cold sweat trickled between his shoulderblades, just barely noticed in the relentless downpour. Beside him, with teeth bared and dripping, godlike build well past the edge, Gladio leapt forward at the sound.
To Ignis’ credit, he managed to finish the job before the sudden distraction made any more trouble in an already trying day. The gigantoad they’d been battling gave a final, rumbling groan, limping instead of hopping as it teetered around. Finally, it fell with a spatter of unpleasant warmth against Ignis’ cheek as he withdrew his blades from its sagging throat. Disgusting creature that it was. He dragged his already stained sleeve across his face as he spun quickly around.
Across the muddy field, Prompto was kneeling, head bent as though in desperate prayer. Gladio was upon him in an instant, massive blade recommitted to the twinkling blue ether with a cursory swat of his hand. His expression was as grim as Ignis could ever recall having seen on the man’s scarred and battle-hardened visage.
Ignis could barely think, couldn’t bring himself to even speak for the moment as he tread closer through the squelching mud beneath his feet. Beside the others, the second gigantoad lay dead, a veritable spray of bullet wounds centered between its grotesquely bulging eyes. He tore his gaze from it at last, schooling his expression to at least resemble detached calculation, ready to assist, as he finally looked down between Prompto’s bent frame and Gladio’s imposing presence. What he saw, however, soon dismantled all efforts to appear anything but horrified.
There in Prompto’s lap, cradled lovingly between his dirtied hands, lay a small, green frog. Except...
The Lucian Prince lifted large, blue eyes towards him, pleadingly, Ignis knew, his mouth falling open to allow his tongue to flick forth towards Prompto’s thumb. Ignis gasped aloud in spite of himself, and Prompto could only whimper for the moment, shoulders positively shaking as he held his beloved prince close, eventually lifting his glassy eyes to face the strategist.
“I wasn’t fast enough- and he was on it . I just saw him go flying and then…” There was no trace of their friend’s usual grinning demeanour here. He looked pale, in a way that had nothing to do with the way his clothes clung, sopping wet and heavy against his skin. A thick silence, save for the constant white noise the rain provided, punctuated only now and again by the nearby river’s ebb and flow and Gladio’s barely-contained angry huffs, followed.
Then Noctis croaked . Loudly. Ignis was sure he recognized the prince’s indignant tone, even like this.
“I-it will be all right ,” Ignis was startled into finding words at last as he knelt down beside Prompto with a hand raised to touch the side of Gladio’s thigh. Better to stop that particular train in its tracks before it went dangerously off the rails. Gladio drew a shaky breath, grunting with thinly veiled anguish as he folded his arms and pointedly avoided looking down at their prince. He likewise managed to avoid snapping smartly back at Ignis.
Prompto was much more earnest. “Do we have one of those Remedies or… something?” His panicked tone was always uncomfortable, brimming with emotion that made everything he said tear at Ignis’ heart. He watched as their freckled companion adjusted his gloved hands around their amphibian charge, careful to spare Noctis the discomfort of crushing him too close to his chest, instead lifting their transformed prince towards the others. Ignis swallowed at how unfailingly loving Prompto was, even in his panicked state. Especially in his panicked state. It steadied the strategist that much more.
“Indeed… though I’m unsure as to whether or not this particular curative will work on its own. If I recall, however, the effects of such an ailment are usually temporary…” All the same, the advisor was already rummaging in the small satchel strapped to his hip, wobbling only a moment as he nearly lost his balance, to be caught at once by Gladio’s firm grip on his shoulder. He smiled gratefully and the prince’s Shield shared in it for a moment before Ignis pushed his spectacles back up his nose and produced a small, glass vial.
It was then that the prince began to struggle, bobbing about in vain as he sought to stretch his skinny, green legs and leap away. Prompto cursed under his breath and held firm, a flash of fear in his eyes as he immediately clutched the prince closer to himself again.
“Don’t drop him!” Gladio couldn’t help but bark, but he was gentle as could be when he dropped to his knees to complete their circle, bracing Prompto as well as Ignis now in the way only Gladio could.
“I’m trying, oh gods … Iggy hurry!” Prompto wailed, and Ignis was already at work, tearing out the stopper and moving to gingerly pinch the prince’s tiny, green chin between his thumb and forefinger. He allowed several droplets to roll down the frog-prince’s throat before he was satisfied that it was a proper dose.
“W-what do we do now?” came Prompto’s inevitable question. The answer of course was obvious.
“We wait,” Ignis announced, peering intensely between Prompto and Gladio from beneath the saturated ruin of his previously well-styled hair. Now that at least some semblance of urgency was abated, Ignis ignored the faraway clenching of his heart once more as he pushed to his feet to survey their surroundings.
“Gather His Highness and your things. We shall make camp for the night down the hill,” Ignis gave the order in Noctis’ stead as he started for the nearby Haven, all the while keeping an eye on Prompto and his charge.
Sometime during the short walk, when minutes had passed in tense silence and nothing yet had come of their curative use, Prompto had decided to roll the edge of his shirt up and over most of Noctis’ delicate body, cupping his hands around him securely in this newfound bundle. It would have been funny, perhaps, had Ignis’ not felt a rush of relief at the sight. He had just been thinking how Noctis was liable to catch a chill as he was.
Upon arriving at the familiar sanctuary, Gladio grumbled something lost on Ignis before he set to work erecting their tent and setting up some semblance of comfortable space in which to spend the night. He was deep in his own head, in the particular way he had, no doubt heaping blame upon himself over his perceived failings as Noctis’ Shield. Another issue to be addressed, Ignis noted, when they were settled and they had figured out this current mess.
Thank the Six, the rain had begun to let up, enough that their resident outdoorsman could build a fire, which seemed to warm his spirits as well as each of their damp and dingy bodies. Prompto had immediately ducked into the tent and stripped out of his clothes, exchanging them for a pair of what appeared to be Noct’s favourite black pajamas- he normally slept only in his undershorts, but that simply wouldn’t do tonight. When he emerged from their tent once more, he also carried with him a small plastic tub, frequently used for storing leftover food from their meals. Deep inside, nestled snugly within the confines of what appeared to be a bed made of socks, sat their transformed prince looking rather alarmed.
“I don’t think he’s too happy about it, but I figured this was the safest way, you know?” Prompto could smile again, at least a little, looking to Ignis as he took a seat next to Gladio by the fire. Gladio stretched his arms overhead, eyes closing with the motion, his mood brightening a bit along with their campsite. He’d opted to simply strip off his shirt and boots, unbuckling his pants in the casual manner he often did in their evenings at rest.
“Too bad his personality wasn’t ‘transformed’ too,” the Shield teased, giving his neck a final crack before he leaned forward to get a better look. Prompto held the plastic tub up for Gladio to see. “M’pretty sure he just rolled his eyes at me, Iggy,” the Shield continued with a bit of a grin. Ignis snorted, sidestepping where the makeshift kitchen set had been placed to make his way towards the others, a pair of Cup Noodle servings in hand.
“You do realize Noct can hear you both. He’s been afflicted with a transformative ailment, not deafness ,” Ignis sniffed, wedging one cup between Prompto’s thighs and palming the other into Gladio’s grasp. “And it’s noodles tonight. I can’t fathom whipping something up proper at a time like this.”
Prompto’s face fell, and he looked down at tiny Noctis in his makeshift bed. “Do you think it’s working?” he asked, and bless his heart it was so silly a thing to say. Ignis knelt down once more, reaching gently as can be towards his small, green charge, only to stop just short of touching him.
Gladio bit his tongue, and proceeded to fill the void with copious amounts of Cup Noodles. Ignis was far more patient, however.
“I can’t imagine it is, if we’ve seen no change as of yet. I’m loath to administer too much more, however, in case it proves too much. Best we wait til morning and if he hasn’t returned to himself by then we’ll make for Lestallum to seek further aid.” Ignis always had a plan.
Prompto hummed a note of agreement, going for the gentle stroke to Noctis’ head that Ignis had held off on, and Ignis found his heart warmed by the gesture. Yes . Yes, of course, they would do their best by Noctis until then.
“Very well. I suppose we should at least attempt to keep His Highness warm and comfortable- thank you for seeing to this already, Prompto. And fed, I imagine. Are you hungry, Highness?” Ignis smiled down at their frog-prince, and Gladio presented Ignis with only a moment’s side-eye before he scooted forward in his chair again.
“What’s he gonna eat, Ig? You can’t give him noodles as he is. What if it fucks with his digestion or something?” Gladio was quick to interject. “Do you even have teeth in there, Noct?”
Ignis had thought of this, of course, and was already making mental preparations. “He is not actually a frog, Gladio. He merely has the appearance and mannerisms of one, for the time being alone. That said, I’ve already decided to err on the side of caution and give him some spoonfuls of broth- nutritious and flavourful enough to satisfy for now. Noctis will not eat insects , nor will he go hungry on my watch.”
As though throwing in his own two gil’s worth, Noctis gave a faint ribbit.
“Nice, Iggy! Give him all of it if you want. I’m too freaked out to eat much,” cried Prompto, again stroking the pad of a finger along Noctis’ smooth back. “Noct’s probably starving though. Just listen to him!”
Ignis and Gladio both had to agree, and so Ignis fetched a clean teaspoon from his supplies, gracefully swooping down by Prompto’s legs to collect a spoonful of broth from his neglected Cup Noodle bowl. Carefully lowering the spoon towards Noctis’ wide-eyed and once again indignant face, Ignis murmured softly. “It’s all right, Noct. Drink up. You’ll need your strength as you recover from this terrible affliction…”
Prompto’s fingers against his prince’s back no doubt eased his fears and discomfort at being spoon-fed by his advisor, and to everyone’s great relief, Noctis’ tongue shot out towards the broth once or twice. Eventually, Ignis resorted to gently pouring little portions into his mouth for him, to save the prince the embarrassment of using his tongue as such.
“Yeah, that’s better, buddy,” Gladio nodded approvingly from Ignis’ right, and the three of them sat back just a little to observe their efforts at work.
“He looks happier, I think. As happy as anybody could be like this, I mean…” Prompto added softly, carefully sliding to his feet and tilting his head as he smiled with genuine affection down at his dearest friend.
“Mm. I suppose there’s not much else to do now but see that Noctis gets some rest. We will have a better idea of what to do come morning, one way or another,” Ignis smiled up at Prompto before looking to Gladio for his thoughts.
“I’ll keep watch for now, I think,” the Shield bowed his head a little, wearing a warm smile of his own as he set aside his empty Cup Noodle bowl and turned his face towards the amber glow of the campfire. Ignis offered a quick squeeze of Gladio’s knee as he stood and placed a hand to the small of Prompto’s back, thankful for the thousandth time that each one of them were there with Noct on his journey filled with so much hardship.
“Very well. I will ensure His Highness is tucked in and safe before I tend to the clean up. Why don’t you crack open a beer for yourself, Gladio?” Ignis offered warmly, peering over his shoulder. Prompto murmured with something like delight as he again stroked along Noctis’ head, only to find his amphibian prince rolling over to enjoy the same along his smooth, green belly.
“...oh, here , let me just get that for you, Gladio,” came a voice that was the embodiment of barely-reined-in annoyance. There was an abrupt scraping as the cooler was yanked roughly open, followed by the clink of bottles as the aforementioned beer was produced. Gladio was only just in time to catch the suddenly airborne beer as it flew directly at his face.
The hair on the back of Ignis’ neck, long since dried into some version of its usual style, rose again at the imposing stare he felt at his back. Prompto all but choked as he spun around as well, and together they spied the figure standing just beyond their campfire, hands planted firmly on his hips, clad in damp, muddy leathers.
“NOCT?” Prompto positively gaped, and it was a second or two before he all but thrust the frog-prince… or rather, the frog?- against Ignis’ chest and bolted across the camp. “Are you serious right now?!”
Noctis sighed the heaviest of sighs, arms spreading to receive the full brunt of Prompto launching himself at him. “Hey…- hey ! Those are my pajamas , Prom! I’m all muddy and-” Noctis couldn’t help but chuckle, if a bit awkwardly, as Prompto buried his face in his dirt-stained neck, nuzzling in against his filthy hair as though it wasn’t currently caked with mud and bits of reeds.
“Noct! I can’t believe it’s you! How did you get back? I mean, what happened back there?! I was so scared for a minute there, dude. SO scared, and then Iggy and Gladio were all-” Prompto was going a mile a minute, and Noctis could barely get a word in besides.
“I was knocked back into the river, and got carried away a bit,” was the sum of what Noctis could squeeze in by way of explanation. He looked pointedly over Prompto’s shoulder towards Gladio, who had eventually just opened his beer and taken a rather large swig, and Ignis, who still stood dumbfounded, clutching a plastic tub filled with socks and one rather pampered frog.
“I...Highness,” Ignis had exactly one tactic for dealing with humiliation in the face of his charge, and that was to defer to his years of experience serving royalty. He bowed deeply, respectfully, still holding the well-loved amphibian in his grasp before looking up with only a trace amount of redness to his well-defined cheeks. “We were so worried. Thank goodness you’ve returned safely.”
“Yeah, I can tell ,” Noctis eventually eased into a smirk as Prompto peeled off him enough to allow the prince to get closer to the warmth of the campfire. Noctis did indeed step closer, slipping out of his dirty jacket before facing outstretched palms towards the flames. “Was that before or after you read that frog a bedtime story?” the prince nodded pointedly towards the tub in Ignis’ hands, and a faint choking noise came from somewhere in Gladio’s vicinity.
“I…”
Prompto cringed. Ignis had paused, and was forced to simply look down at the amphibian… just in time to see the creature leap free of his sock bed and hop off into the growing shadow around them.
Noctis’s snickering soon flowed into the chorus of night sounds competing with the crackling fire, growing until his whole face, smudged with river muck as it was, lit up with the most carefree laughter any of them had heard in weeks. Prompto was quick to join in, draping himself across Noct’s shoulders once more as he all but cried from laughing so hard. Gladio, having set aside the beer in favour of the leftover noodles abandoned by Prompto- and the frog - paused mid-spoonful as he found himself carried away by the sheer ridiculousness of it all. And Ignis, well… Ignis discreetly tossed the gods-forsaken plastic tub aside, lifting a gloved hand to the bridge of his nose.
“It was going to be a lullaby , in fact, but that’s neither here nor there,” he finally offered, throwing himself to the proverbial wolves much to their even further, howling delight. He was happy to join them.
Several feet away from the unbound mirth of the Haven, deep within the dewy grass and sodden earth, a small green frog rolled its eyes and hopped away.