Chapter Text
I stumbled to the ground, dirt flying into my face and my mouth. I coughed and spit, then stood up. I took in my surroundings. There was no civilization as far as I could see, and all around me were rock formations, dirts, and desert plants. I had no idea where I was. I figured maybe Arizona or New Mexico. Maybe somewhere near the Grand Canyon. I whipped around when I heard a distant roar. There shouldn’t have been anything that roars anywhere near where I thought I was. I quickly scanned my area, looking for somewhere to hide. I spotted an elevated rock platform, with what looked like a shallow cave. I took another look around before dashing to the outcropping. I scrabbled up the rocks, reaching the alcove and crouching as far away from the opening as I could. The alcove itself was only about three or four feet deep and maybe four feet high. I took my switchblade out from my back pocket. I kept it closed to prevent light from glinting on it, but I kept my finger on the release button. If anything found me, I would fight like a cornered animal, which I guess I was. I flinched when I heard an anguished howl, my heart pounding in my chest. I had no idea how I got there, but I wanted to leave as soon as possible. I watched as the last bits of daylight slowly faded, and nighttime took over. It was then that I noticed the rock platform had glowing cracks in it. I started to crawl out to investigate when I heard voices and footsteps coming up the rocks. I scrambled back, wondering why anyone in their right mind would be out here. There seemed to be four people, probably men. One had a deep, gravelly voice, one had what sounded like a british accent. One of them sounded like he was maybe a little older then me, his voice still containing the pitch of an adolescent. The last one had a softer voice, but he wasn’t quiet. He sounded slightly regal, although it was the other who had an accent. The one with the younger voice sounded excited, while the other three seemed a bit calmer.
“Dude, we destroyed those voretooths!! They didn’t know what hit ‘em!”
“Yes, it was an adrenaline rush, to say the least.”
I heard their footsteps approach, and four pairs of legs came into view. If they took even just three steps back, they would be able to see me. I held my breath, my heart in my stomach. They seemed to be making camp on the rock. I didn’t know how long I could stay crouched like that. Once I accepted that they would be there a while, I started to doze off. My eyes were closed and my head was nodding when I heard a yell and a loud crash. I yelped, the sudden outburst startling me. I slammed my hand on my mouth as I heard the men stop what they were doing. I shakily took my hand away and grabbed my knife from behind me. As the larger pair of legs made their way towards me, I silently clicked my blade open. When the man was at the opening, I rolled out of there. I jumped up and swung my blade wildly before running off. I leaped off the platform, stumbling and falling flat. I heard their steps racing towards me, so I scrambled up, taking off in no particular direction. I wasn’t in the best of shape, but I could run pretty fast. The problem was, I had small legs and I wasn’t built for endurance. After about five minutes of sprinting, I felt my calves start to burn and my lungs heave. I forced myself on, as I could hear the group right behind me. I jumped a fence, and I only made it a few steps before I was tackled from behind. I tried my hardest to get away, but the man had me pinned. I was convinced it was over. I was never going home, and I was going to die in the middle of nowhere. I saw the others’ feet in my peripheral vision. I kept half-heartedly struggling, but I knew I was caught. I finally gave up, and laid still, conserving my energy for the right moment. I heard the man holding me down say
“Who are you and why were you spying on us?”
“I wasn’t spying. I just appeared here at dusk and I didn’t want to be out at night. I saw the alcove, and I hid. I was going to come out, but then you showed up and I was afraid. Apparently for good reason.”
The man with the British accent stooped down, and I saw his face. He looked noble, with thin glasses and spiky blonde hair.
“You said you appeared here?”
“I was chilling out in my room, and next thing I know, I’ve got a mouthful of dirt in the middle of a desert.”
“Forgive me, but I am having trouble believing that.”
“Please, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t know where I am. I just want to get home. I live in Texas. If you can point me in the general direction, I’ll just leave.”
The one called Prompto seemed confused.
“Texas? Where’s that? Is that in Niflheim?”
“What? No. It’s in the United States. You know, America? Land of Opportunity?”
“There’s not a place called Texas or America. Stop lying, or I’ll force the truth out of you.”
I turned my head as much as I could to glare at the man on my back. He was seriously crushing me.
“Listen here, you fucking boulder. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but I swear to God, you try me, and I will cut you seven ways to Thursday. I really am from Texas, there is a place called America. Where have you been living? Under a rock?”
“No. We’ve been in the Crown City of Lucis.”
I looked up at the regal voice.
“Lucis? We never learned about that in world history.”
“That’s surprising, considering you live in here.”
“I don’t live here! I’m not from here! I just want to get home. I have to take care of my little sister. My mom is gone on a business trip and she won’t be back for three days. She’s all alone. Please, just let me go. She’s only four, she can’t take care of herself. She needs me.”
I felt my voice break with tears. I thought of Hannah all alone in our house. We lived on a ranch, so we had no neighbours within five miles. She wouldn’t last without me.
“You really are not from here?”
I looked at the British man.
“No! My name is Y/N, I’m 16. I live on a ranch in Texas. I’m a junior in high school. I’m supposed to start dual credit classes in the fall. My mom is a horse breeder. My little sister’s name is Hannah. She has blonde hair with sky blue eyes. You don’t understand. I have to get back.”
“Tell me exactly where you live.”
“Uhm, Texas. It’s in the United States on the North American continent on the planet Earth.”
“Ignis, what are you thinking?”
The regal voice sounded on my right.
“I’m thinking he may be telling the truth.”
“Come on, you can’t be serious.”
“Is it really so far-fetched? You know the studies of other worlds and universes. It is widely accepted by astrologists that there could be many other worlds, apart from our own. I think Y/N here may be from one of those other worlds.”
“What? No, there aren’t other worlds. There’s other planets, but not worlds. I can tell you the whole solar system, if you want.”
“Child, you are in a world that is not your own. I assume you did not come here voluntarily.”
“No, definitely not.”
"Then there is a reason you were brought here. And we must find a way to send you back.”
“Iggy, are you sure you believe him?”
“Yes, Noct. This child has an established life in another world, and we must return him. Gladio, I believe you can release him. Though do disarm him.”
My switchblade was wrenched out of my hand, and then I was let up. I jumped up, looking around at the men surrounding me. The one who had restrained me was extremely tall, probably at least 6’5. He was well built, with scars littered across his exposed chest and one on the right side of his face. The one called Ignis was also fairly tall, maybe 6’3 or 6’4. He was of a slimmer build, and he held himself high. Noctis, the one with the regal voice was only a few inches taller than me. No more than 6’1. He had shaggy black hair, and he wore all black fatigues. Prompto was the same height, maybe an inch or two shorter. He was blonde, with a black denim jacket and grey fatigue pants. He seemed to have a nervous energy about him, as he was constantly moving. I took a small step back, uncomfortable with being the smallest. I felt my body tense, going into fight or flight mode.
“Don’t even try running.”
I glared at Gladio.
“I have no wish to be held against my will again. I try to avoid being crushed.”
“Gladio, perhaps we should be a bit gentler.”
“There’s no need for that. I’m not a kid.”
That got me looks.
“You know what I mean.”
I sighed.
“I..I’m really not in my world anymore?”
“No.”
“But.. Hannah. She.. she’s probably so scared right now.”
“I’m sure she will be fine.”
“No, we live on a ranch. The nearest neighbour is five miles away. She’s home alone with my dogs, and my mom won’t be back for three days.”
“You must not worry yourself about that. Perhaps everything will remain the same until you return. It’s not unlikely.”
“God, I hope so.”
I felt my body tire as the adrenaline left me. I stood as straight as I could, and looked at Ignis.
“What am I gonna do?”
“For now, you should come with us. We will work out the rest in the morning.”
“But..”
“Unless you wanna get your ass killed by demons, I suggest you get moving.”
I turned to the owner of the offensive tone.
“You know, you really don’t do well with first impressions. There is such a thing as not being a total dick, you know.”
“You talk a lot of shit for someone so small.”
“I don’t talk unless I can back it up.”
“Then you better shut your mouth. Your mouth is making threats you can’t keep.”
“And you know that for a fact?”
“Are you saying you can take me?”
“Well, you know what they say. The bigger they are,” I stepped closer to him, glaring straight up at him, “the harder. they. fall.”
He made a move to grab me, so I ducked, spinning around behind him. I kicked him in the back of the knee, knocking him off balance. I attempted to follow up, but I was held back.
“I can’t have you beating up my friends, no matter how tough they are.”
I ripped away from Ignis’ grasp.
“Maybe he shouldn’t underestimate people.”
“Perhaps. But for now, we are all tired. If you must, you can continue your scuffle in the morning.”
I shot a glare at Gladio, which he returned. It was a bit more intimidating coming from him, considering he was twice my size. Only slightly. I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
“Alright! Let’s hit the sack.”
I couldn’t help but smile at Prompto’s enthusiasm. He was upbeat even when tension was high. I guessed he helped the group remember to stay lighthearted. We walked for about thirty minutes. I was surprised I had been able to run that far. In the heat of the moment, it felt like I had run about 300 yards, taking maybe five minutes at most. Gladio had tackled me about a mile and half from their camp.
“Why did you keep after me for so long?”
“If you turned out to be a spy, we couldn’t let you go.”
“We started to think we would lose you when Gladio caught you. You run fast for someone with short legs.”
“Well, adrenaline is a hell of a drug. I probably won’t ever run that fast or that far ever again. I only slowed down because I thought I had gotten far enough ahead to rest. I guess no matter how far I am, someone with longer legs is gonna catch me.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re not a spy. We’d have to kill you then.”
I whipped my head around to stare wide-eyed at Noctis. He noticed the bewildered look on my face, and let out a hearty laugh.
“I’m kidding. As mean as Gladio makes us seem, we’re not that bad.”
“I’m sure our enemies would disagree.”
“You guys have enemies? ”
“Yeah, that’s what happens when you’re the Crown Prince of Lucis.”
“What?”
“Noct is the heir to the throne of Lucis. We are heading to Altissia for a ceremony, then we will return for the coronation.”
“Well, shit. Uhm, I mean, shoot. Gosh darn. Sorry for earlier, your highness.”
“Don’t call me your highness. It’s just Noctis. And I’m not five, you don’t have to watch your language.”
“Uhh, okay. I’ve never really met royalty before. Where I come from, almost every country is a democracy. The only country that has a monarch is England, and she’s more of a mascot than anything.”
“The queen is a mascot?”
“Well, starting about 700 years ago in 1300, England had a King, and he ruled as a king would. The royal line kept going and going until around 1890, when England switched to a democracy. The royal family is still royal, and they have the respect and privileges and such, but they don’t really have any say in the country’s politics, finance, or anything. Everyone around the world loves Queen Elizabeth II, though. If she were the ruler of England, they would honestly be much better off than they are now.”
“So, she’s just.. There?”
“I mean, kind of, but she has much more significance than you think. She’s still the face of England, and she has to conduct herself as if she were the sole ruler of the country. She’s there to keep the tradition alive. She also acts as the country’s ambassador on occasion. Sure, she doesn’t run the country, but she is just as important, if not more so, than the prime minister.”
“Who’s that?”
“Not something I want to explain. Partially because I don’t know much, and partially because there is too much to explain. But, long story short, he’s like the public relations dude, who also acts as the head of the council.”
Before Noctis and Prompto could ask any more questions, we arrived at the rock platform. I was apprehensive to approach it. The glowing runes freaked me out. I asked Ignis what they were.
“Formations like these appeared all over Lucis long ago. They are imbued with runes that keep the demons at bay. It is commonly believed that the Six created them for travellers who could not find a safe place to rest before dark.”
“Who are the Six?”
“The Six are the Gods and Goddesses who created our world. But that is a story for another time.”
I stood at the edge of the glowing rock, wary of the strange light.
“Unless you’re gonna stand there all night, I suggest you get over here.”
I glared at Gladio. He was really getting on my nerves. How did the others even put up with him? I walked past them to sit on the far end of the rock, staring out into the darkness. I took out my phone. It still worked, which was weird. I tried texting my mom, but the error message said I was out of range. I sighed, my small hope gone. I opened my pictures and scrolled through. Most of them were of various people and things on the ranch. My friends and I horseback riding, my sister feeding a calf. I stopped on one which stood out to me. It was the first time I got my testosterone shot. Panic gripped me. I didn’t have my vials and needles with me. I didn’t have to have them on me at all times; I only got a shot every three weeks. But I was already a week and a half in my last shot. My body could do some weird shit if I didn’t get my shot in time. I could even get really sick. I felt tears prick my eyes again, but I swallowed them down. I just had to get out of here as fast as I could. I kept scrolling through until I saw a large shadow stretch from behind me. I turned and looked up. It was Ignis.
“Need something, Ignis?”
“I think I could ask you the same.”
“Nah. I’m fine. Just homesick.”
He sat down beside me, crossing his legs in front of him,
“This can’t be easy for you. To be ripped away from your entire universe, everything you know.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. You know, being away from my family isn’t even the worst thing about this. I could always get back to them and if I got lost, I always knew generally where I was. Here, I’m literally worlds away with no known way of getting home, and I have no idea where I am. I don’t know the land or the people. I’m literally an alien. If I had a way to get home, this wouldn’t suck half as bad.”
He didn’t reply for a while. After a few moments, he said,
“We shall find you a way to get home. There was a way for you to get here, which means you can get back. I believe there is most likely a reason you are here and I’d like to know why, but our priority is getting you home. In the meantime, you will have to learn to trust us and follow our lead.”
“I’m not following that asshole anywhere.”
“Gladio tends to come off as.. Harsh. But give him time. Once you prove yourself, he will warm up to you.”
“I don’t have to prove myself to anyone.”
“You will have to prove your trustworthiness. I personally do not have any grievances, and I don’t think Prompto or Noct do.”
“Hmm, I wonder who’s left.”
“As I said, once you prove yourself, he will become less cold.”
“I don’t want to be here long enough for that.”
“I hope you are not, but it will not do you harm to try to get along with Gladiolus.”
“That’s his name? Gladiolus?”
“Yes. Though Gladio is less of a mouthful.”
“He’s named after a flower.”
“I’d imagine he wouldn’t appreciate you sharing that knowledge.”
“That sucks.”
“Is there any reason you are not partial to his name?”
“Gladiolus is my favourite flower. He is not my favourite person. Do you see my problem?”
“Well, perhaps you can try to imagine him as a flower.”
“Yeah. A giant, angry flower that will probably kill me. Sounds reasonable.”
He sighed, giving up on the argument and starting towards the fire. He looked over his shoulder at me before walking off.
“Don’t attempt to leave. The night crawls with terrors. You will not last long.”
His point was emphasized by a conveniently timed howl. I nodded, swallowing a lump of fear in my throat. I took one last look at the pitch black horizon, then I stood up, moving closer to the fire. I positioned myself a few feet behind Prompto and Ignis. The friends stared at me, but I crossed my arms and tensed, making it clear I didn’t want to talk. They continued with their conversation. I looked around at each of them. They seemed a lot more relaxed. I was surprised to see Gladio smile, and he even laughed. Their lightheartedness must have rubbed off on me, because I felt my body loosen. My arms eventually got tired, so I rested my hands in my lap. Later on in the night, they fell asleep. I briefly considered trying to sneak away, but I remembered what Ignis had said, so I decided against it. I looked around at the resting men, and I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping with strangers so near. I crawled into the alcove where I had hidden before, curling up as tight as I could. After a few moments of restless thoughts, I drifted to sleep.