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If the Six descended from the heavens, skinned him alive, attached jumper cables to his ass with the battery on, and kept him prisoner in a snake pit, Gladio would probably thank them. Because if he was rotting in a snake prison with no skin and divine wrath electrocuting his ass, it would still probably be less painful than this.
It’s Prompto's twenty-first birthday, and the world had been dark for quite a few months. Literally and metaphorically.
This means that Prompto is going through his first messy breakup.
Not that Gladio can blame him, it must be traumatic to see your boyfriend get consumed by a crystal why he screams your name. Hell, Gladio still had nightmares about it.
The image is seared into the back of his eyeballs. They ran into the room, and there was Ardyn as cocky as ever. Past him, there was Noct’s face sticking out of a crystal. There was only a moment, a second of recognition. He screamed, barely able to get out the last syllable, “Prompto!” But it echoed around the massive room, and they ran but it was too late. He was gone.
Now he and Ignis are trying to get the poor kid the celebrate the only way you can for a twenty-first, but it’s not turning out as they planned. They just kept hoping that if they kept pouring him glasses, he’d start getting over it. Just for a night, sure, but the kid at least deserved that.
But he’s not crying any less. He’s crying more.
They’re sitting in Cindy’s garage, it’s theirs for a little while. Prompto has his camera in one hand and his glass in the other. He’s looking at the photos of him and Noctis getting drunk over a year ago, at the beginning of their relationship.
Ignis is frowning, whispering to Gladio, “This is not healthy. Should we... put an end to this?”
“Yeah, at this point it’s considered a mercy kill.”
“Not like that,” Ignis says, backhanding him jokingly. It was a newer thing, a side effect of Ignis being blind. He was always looking to feel and touch, and Gladio can’t say he blames him. Even now, the man is pressed to his side to where Gladio had to put an arm on the back of the couch to accommodate.
Ignis clears his throat, “Prompt, you should put down the camera. Maybe we could...” he seems at a loss for words.
“Play a game?” Gladio suggests.
Prompto sets down the camera and thinks. “I remember when Noct and I would play King's Knight.” He starts crying again.
It makes Gladio want to tear his hair out. Prompto hasn’t even been like this the whole time. Matter of fact, this is the first time he’s letting it all out. Up until now, he’s been eerily quiet and spacey. So maybe it is a bit unhealthy, but it’s worse to bottle it up. He misses the old chipper Prompto.
More than that, he just misses his friend.
“At this rate, I’m going to start drinking,” Ignis says under his breath. The man had adamantly denied it when their celebrations began. At the time he said, “I’m positive I do not need my senses dulled. It’d be a nightmare.” Ignis had made leaps and bounds when it came to navigating the world blind, but he wasn’t quite there yet.
Gladio looks Prompto up and down. “Maybe we should leave him alone? Give him some space?”
“I don’t want him to feel as if he can’t speak with us.”
True. Gladio thinks for a moment, “How about this, we leave him to drown his woes. Then in the morning we pick him up, have a long conversation about our feelings, and move on?” Gladio wouldn’t normally go soft on the kid. Mainly because he’s not a kid anymore. But he had been working through it in his own way before getting hammered. So maybe Gladio feels just a tiny bit responsible for this.
“That certainly seems like the best idea.” With that, Ignis stands. “Prompto, we’re going to retire for the night. We’ll see you in the morning?” ‘Morning’ and ‘night’ are meaningless words now, but they still are a way to keep time.
Prompto nods and waves them off, “Yeah, you guy go on. Thanks for the alcohol.”
“No problem kid, happy birthday.” Gladio and Ignis make their way back to the caravan. “That was the right choice, right?”
Ignis nods, “Certainly. It’s not like he can go anywhere.”
~~~
Prompto took a sip from his glass and decided he liked gin. Mix it with seltzer and you can’t even taste it. Drink enough of it and nothing tastes like anything. Brilliant.
He stands up, then sits back down when his whole world wobbles.
Once he finally can get his footing, Prompto pulls a notebook out of his armiger. It’s full of taped-in scraps, messy notes, and poorly rendered drawings. There’s a map in there though, the same one they had used on all their adventures. All Noct’s notes were written on the back, or drawn into the front.
This notebook was Prompto’s only hope. The map had a large red X on it.
For months he waited, every day. He went sleepless for weeks, constantly checking his phone, waiting for a call, and texting Noctis.
It became a habit, texting him.
All of the messages went unread, but it was the only way to let his anguish out in short form. A simple ‘I miss you’ or ‘I had a shitty day today’ took the weight off his shoulders.
Now he texts ‘dude I’m so fuckin durnk.’ And sets his phone down.
But after those miserable weeks, he decided he wasn’t going to wait for his knight in shining armor to come and save him. That’s not how life works. You’ve got to lift yourself by the bootstraps and march on.
So with the image of Noct being trapped in a crystal on the forefront of his mind, Prompto got to work.
He remembers that night like it was yesterday. Ignis and Gladio went scouting ahead while he and Noct sat in some abandoned barrack in the imperial capital. Back from when the Empire had soldiers that needed sleep.
They were back to back sitting on one of the small bunks. They talked about their plans for the future, even though they knew they might not have one.
“This is all so damn crazy. I started this trip off about to get married to Luna. Now
she’s dead, my father was murdered, Insomnia is in ruins, I’m a king, Ignis is blind, you were captured. That’s all just the stuff at the top of my head. What a stupid fucking idea it all was.” Prompto turned and saw Noct, hunched over. His fist is clenched, shoulders trembling.
Prompto draped his arms across them and pulled him close.
Noct tilted his head back as far as he could to meet Prompto’s eyes before turning back down and curling even deeper into Prompto’s arms. “How was any of this your idea?” Prompto asked softly.
“I don’t know. But now look at you. I couldn’t even save you from getting kidnapped by fucking Ardyn-“
“That’s not your fault-“
“We’ll certainly wasn’t yours Prompto!” Noct shouted. They both went quiet. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take it out on you. There’s just a lot of expectations. I’m supposed to, what? Stop the days from shortening? End the onslaught of demons coming from out of nowhere? Rebuild a fallen kingdom? I feel like I have to be some noble brave king trying to save the world, but I feel everything but brave.”
Prompto clicked his tongue. “Oh no you don’t.” He pushed Noct back and turned him around to get a better look at him. Noctis kept his head down to try and hide the anguish in his eyes. “None of that. I distinctly... actually, pretty hazily remember being promised a chocobo farm. If you can’t do me that, then just promise me you’ll never think you aren't good enough? Or that you could have done more? I’ve spent a lot of time in that headspace, and it won’t do you any good.”
Noctis smiled, meeting his friend's eyes. He pressed a fond kiss to Promptos head. “I promise.”
But Prompto pulled him into a real kiss, letting Noct’s hands slowly wander over his chest and sides. It was sweet, but sad in retrospect. At the time it had given him a little bit of hope.
Prompto smiled, feeling thoroughly pep-talked. “Good. No matter where you go, I’ll be there... Unless I’m getting crucified in an imperial base in which case-“
“Prompto!” They laughed because if they hadn’t, they were probably going to cry.
He snaps from the memory, looking at the blinking line in the text bar.
‘Im coming for you noct.’
There are rumors of an old temple. Monster infested, probably.
No one knows because they can’t even find it. A suicide mission by all accounts. But the rumors also say that it was made to honor all the kings who died valiant deaths in battles or war.
As far as Prompto was concerned, that was like, a whole bunch.
Who knows, maybe he could find some valuable information or at least some cool treasure.
No time like the present he decides.
But at the present, he’s very drunk.
And misses his best friend.
He can’t drive like this. So who... no one. No one he knows would let this happen. But maybe...
He makes sure the coast is clear before slipping into the alley outside of Takka’s once diner, now artillery center. There are a few hunters, swapping stories, and kicking back.
Everyone knows of him. It’s what happens when the entourage of the king who is prophesied to bring back that day roles into a base and starts slaying demons left and right.
They see him walk up and go quiet. “Aren’t you that guy? Prompto, was it?”
That’s how he ends up on some stranger's motorcycle going a hundred miles an hour to the Ketteir Highlands. He holds tight to the stranger in front of him. It took him a bit of flirting and offering the man the other bottle of liquor he had gotten for his birthday (it’s a hot commodity, and what else do you get for your twenty-first? Literally nothing). But having a man he’s never met drive him breakneck speeds down a monster-infested highway seemed like a better idea than him breaking his neck before he even got to the highway
They skid to a stop, the mountains looming ominously overhead.
The man passes him a scrap of paper. “Call me when you get outta here if you want a ride.” Prompto, trying his best to look sober, hands the man the bottle, and he takes it. “Maybe we can share it when you get back, yeah?”
Prompto smiles and nods, noncommittal. “Thanks again buddy,” he waves, before letting his gun materialize in his hands. “Wish me luck.”
~~~
Prompto is having fun. Everything feels ridiculous in his state. Luckily for him, not many demons bother facing the sheer cliffs' sides. The demons are probably saner than he is.
He can’t help but giggle and laugh at the ones he does encounter though. Muscle memory makes sure he never misses, but his drunken mind thinks it’s just so damn funny to see the flan jiggle around.
Prompto isn’t sure what he’s looking for.
Mostly because the ‘rumors’ he heard were more... ‘tall tales’.
By ‘heard’ he more meant that he ‘read it from a handful of ex hunters’ journals’.
By ‘ex’, he means dead.
It’s a terrible idea, and he laughs at that too.
~~~
Doors that open only at night. It’s something he’s encountered quite a few times on his adventures. They don’t usually lead anywhere good. Prompto still has nightmares about Costelmark.
He’s reminded of the existence of such doors, however, when he falls through one.
Things were starting to get dicey with a few hobgoblins, and Prompto was remembering he was absolutely plastered, even if he was starting to come down. He should be eating junk food curled up in bed. Not doing this.
So he runs into the woods. Getting out his phone, he’s about to call Gladio and beg for forgiveness, and maybe a ride. It fumbles out of his hands into the underbrush. He turns around to pick it up.
But falls through a pit in the ground.
He lands in ice-cold water with a shout. It’s so cold he feels all of his muscles tense up before he gathers himself. Pushing off the bottom of the pool, Prompto finds it pretty shallow, if not disgustingly dirty.
The lip of it is shallow, and Prompto hauls himself out of the pool on shakey arms. He takes deep breaths, trying to ground himself.
It’s a massive man-made cavern. Looking up, the passageway is almost completely covered by entangled roots and underbrush. The chances of him literally falling into the lap of this thing... a feeling of warmth budded in Prompto’s stomach that he was pretty sure wasn’t just the booze.
This kind of thing reeks of divine intervention.
He’s not self-centered enough to think he’s worthy of such a thing. However, he knows a certain king with who the gods seem to be obsessed. Anything that might help him, could easily fall into Prompto’s lap out of... convenience probably. It could have just as easily been Gladio here.
There are stone pillars and brilliant massive statues of the gods. Nearly every surface is made of Insomnia’s black marble. The area is lit by long glowing blue stalactites that drip water slowly. At the end of the hall is a shrine, with items on it too far away to see.
“Hello?” Prompto calls out. “Anybody home?”
There’s no response, and the cold is starting to sink into his wet clothes. He strips, feeling bashful in front of the judgmental expressions of the statues. “Don’t look at me like that.” Pulling some spares out of his armiger, he moves on.
The hall echos with his footsteps and the sounds have him jumpy. There are hallways to his left and right. Eyeing the table suspiciously, he decides the halls are the safest best for now. Never go to the main objective first, lest a monster fall out of the ceiling.
It's safe, but as it turns out fucking terrifying.
On the walls are dozens of statues, carved from stone in varying states of decay. There are crowned men and women, they all look as if they are peacefully resting on vertical beds. Most are depicted in beautiful clothes and holding a weapon in their grasp. He frowns, one of the weapons seeming oddly familiar.
“Of course!” Prompto’s own voice startles him. It’s the Sword of the Wise! He’s only seen Noct fight with it a million times. But what is this statue of a lady doing with it?
What are these statues anyway?
He gets his answer when he finds one that’s completely fallen out of its holding in the wall. The statue is crumbled, and he peeks into the space behind it.
A pile of fucking bones. Prompto gasps, instinctively taking a step back. So this is all... all of these people are dead? Why were they buried together? How could all of this be lost to time? We’re the rumors true? He makes his way out of the hall, but the other side is much the same.
Prompto sits down in the main hall, gathering his thoughts. “Alright Prompto, let’s think this through. An underground crypt lost to time, full of statues of dead people. Not kings, because you know something most people don’t, that they have their own tombs. But they’re wearing crowns. Princes and princesses? Not really the vibe, to bury your kid in a place like this. Plus all of them were adults. Not Lucius’ bloodline, not children, lost to time... wait.”
He has a sneaking suspicion he knows what’s going on here. If he was right, the rumors were all completely wrong.
He approaches the table, it being the only thing for him to focus on. Atop it there are some old books, the language makes no sense. Plus all the moisture in the cave has completely rotted them with mold and mildew.
There’s a goblet, but it’s rusted, and any liquid in it seems to just be cave runoff. Prompto is drunk, but he isn’t stupid.
The thing that does catch his eye though, is a small band. A ring of gold, with veins of blood-red stone running through it. There’s some engraved on it, but they’re in some language Prompto has never seen.
“Sweet! Treasure!” Drunkenly, he puts it on.
Visions wrack his mind a hundred times over, each time it’s a similar scene. A couple, one bearing the ring of Lucius, slipping the golden band onto the hand of another. Sometimes, it’s a queen is gifting it, sometimes it’s a king. For most grand ceremonies are surrounding them, and in some, it’s a moment of private closeness. He can feel the eyes, a hundred expressions of adoration, love, pain, respect, purpose.
There are so many emotions, and sensations Prompto finds himself collapsing. He starts wrenching up stale liquor and a birthday dinner Ignis had practiced for weeks to make. A scream is torn from his throat, echoing a hundred times over
Suddenly, the images stop. Everything is numb and he feels like he’s floating. His eyes are greeted by an all-consuming soft blue void. In his mind, a woman’s soothing voice. She sounds kind, and she finally says some words he can understand.
“The weight of the world cannot be bared alone, much the same is the weight of the throne. For a thousand years power has been divided between two equally strong parties, out of love and respect. The blood of the convent is thicker than the water of the womb. So love might prevail, even when promised certain death, even against immeasurable odds, even against the will of the gods. On every coin two sides, and for every night...” she pauses, Prompto’s vision blurring. “There is day.”
His vision clears and he sees a figure. They are floating, eyes close, face calm in restful sleep.
“... Noct?”
Prompto sees his lover's eyes snap open, as Prompto wakes up with a gasp.
“Noctis?” He calls. “Noct!”
He’s all alone, but the weight on his finger weighs heavy.
Prompto doesn’t feel any different. Well, he’s nauseous as hell and wants to sleep, but that’s not special. Still, he expected some kind of... something.
This is the tomb of every king and queen who’s ever married into the Lucius line. Up until some point, when it was lost. Someone probably didn’t want to share. Prompto looks at the ring in horror, he fucked up big time. How is he supposed to explain this to Noctis? ‘Hope you don’t mind sharing your ring magic, because, oops!’.
He gets up and brushes off his pants. What was that about a void? A woman’s voice? What was he thinking? Is he possessed?
Suddenly feeling very sober, Prompto cracks his knuckles. He’s got to find a way out of here.
His escape is not as dramatic as he would have thought. It’s facilitated by a staircase that was carved around the pool he fell into, completely dark on account of it being walled off. Of course, why would someone visiting a late spouse want to jump in a nasty pool of water each time?
When he gets to the surface, he finds his phone easily. Because it’s practically blowing up.
Cindy: Gladiolus is freaking out, but I didn’t know where you were when he was askin. Sorry about that hon! :,)
Gladio: 7 missed calls
Gladio: CALL ME NOW SO HELP ME!!!!!
Gladio: 15 other messages.
Ignis: 16 missed calls
Ignis: 3 voicemails
No texts from Ignis?
Oh, right.
“Fuck.” Making sure he isn’t about to get eaten by any surprise demons, Prompto calls Gladio. He picks up after the first ring
Gladio screams so loud he has to pull the phone away from his ear. “WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?”
“Gah! Jeeze I’m fine. I’m at the Kettier Highlands chasing a lead. Listen, I think I Found something big. Just drive that way I’ll meet you by the highway.”
Gladio still sounds pissed, but at least he’s not screaming. “Oh, you won’t be fine once I get my hands on you. Look, tell me some landmarks.” There's faint talking in the background and he answers, probably Ignis. “Says he’s at the Ketteir Highlands, fucking idiot.”
Prompto looks around the gloomy forest, trying to recall. At the time though, he was seriously drunk. Looking at the time, he must have passed out down there, nearly two hours have passed. “Alright so on the way we passed an old billboard for perfume? And then there was this rock the kinda looked like- shit wait I’m getting another call, one second.”
“Don’t you dare hang up on me!”
“I’ll call you back! It’s just-“ he pauses to look at the caller ID. “Holy fucking hell! what the fuck?”
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“It’s, oh my Six, it’s him! I gotta go!”
In bright letters across his screen is says, ‘Incoming Call: Noctipoo’
Prompto stares at it so long, he almost misses the call. He presses the bright green button and pauses.
“H- Hello?” Prompto says it like it’s a question.
“Dude, I have a notification for like, a hundred texts.” Noct’s voice is staticky, but it’s Noct. It’s truly him.
Prompto would cry if he hadn’t already cried himself dry today. “You’re... you’re back? You’re awake!”
“I don’t remember much, has something happened?”
Prompto laughs, on the brink of hysterics, “You have no idea! You’ve been... look, I’ll explain it to you when I see you. Where are you?”
“On that island off of Galdin Quay? The boat is here somehow, let me make my way to you.”
“No! Gladin Quay is demon-infested! But I’m not that far away... I’m actually on the way. Look, I’ll have Cindy grab some hunters to come pick you up, please-“
“Demon infested?” Noct sounds horrified. “What happened? Is everyone okay? Why aren’t you there helping?”
“It was- look, it will take too long to explain, and Gladio is blowing me up still. Just stay put.”
“But-“
“Please, Noct,” Prompto begs. “I get it. I’m so fucking excited to hear your voice, but I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait!” Noct’s voice is frantic, but he clears his throat and his tone is full of an emotion he can’t quite name. “I love you.”
“I love you too, ‘Is.” It takes all his willpower, but he hangs up.
~~~
Dave reaches over and flings open the passenger side of his suited-out truck. “Get in,” he says. Gladio is sitting in the back, with another hunter. “There’s another truck with some more of us, but they went on ahead to scout it out.”
Gladio is sitting on the edge of his seat while the truck starts up again. “So? What happened?”
Prompto looks at the ring on his finger. “It’s a long story. He just... called me.” There’s a bit more to it than that, but he really doesn’t want to have to explain more than once. “Where’d Igi go?”
Gladio scratches the back of his neck. “Well, he went ahead with the other hunters. I didn’t want him to go, but once Ig decides he’s going to do something, he just does.”
Prompto turns to Dave, grinning. “See that face? That means they fought. They bicker like an old married couple.”
Gladio bumps Prompto’s chair with his foot. “Watch it. I’m still going to rip you a new one, but it can wait ‘til after we pick up sleeping beauty.”
The drive there is only about fifty minutes, but you could have fooled Prompto. He keeps fiddling with the ring on his hand and trying to think of what he’s going to say. ‘Surprise! You are actually my chocobo wife now!’ Or maybe, ‘Hi honey, I don’t remember half of it but I did a tomb raider!’. His personal favorite was ‘I may have tarnished a thousand-year-old tradition because I was drunk.’
His phone buzzes.
Noctipoo: awww you missed me (•^_^•)
Prom: Please don’t read any of those texts
Noctipoo: nooooooooo! but theyre so sweet
Prom: They’re kinda sad
Noctipoo: kinda, but not in a bad way
Prom: Sad in a good way?
Noctipoo: yup. also why have I been gone for like... ever
Prom: That’s what we have got to talk about. It’s complicated. I’d rather talk about all my texts tbh
Noctipoo: im kinda mad >:0
Prom: Why!?! (0_0)
Noctipoo: it looks like you got drunk without me
Prom: Don’t be petty.
Noctipoo: :D
Gladio is looking over Prompto’s shoulder. “What are you grinning about?” Prompto tries to hide the screen, but he’s not fast enough. “Aw, texting your boyfriend?”
“Gladio!” Prompto groans.
“Is he alright?”
“Seems alright enough to tease me.” A line of worry Prompto didn’t realize was there faded from Gladio’s face.
“I’m glad.”
Meanwhile, his phone keeps buzzing.
Noctipoo: where are youuuu
Noctipoo: come here soon before I lose it
Noctipoo: eta?
Prom: As soon as you stop spamming!
Noctipoo: my hero!
When Galdin Quay comes within eyeshot, so does the hunter’s trucks. Dave hits a few buttons on the dashboard and speaking into a radio. They form a plan. Drive the trucks up as close as they can. Half of them say at the end of the dock so they don’t get attacked from behind, while the others clear the way forward. They grab Noct and get out of there.
Prompto gives Noct a call to update him on the plan. “Hey, Prom! What’s going on?”
Prompto can’t help but smile, even in the face of fighting demons. “Hey. It’s so surreal that you just... pick up. Anyway, we’re coming to get you. Think you can make your way to the doc?”
“Sure, I’ll see you soon.”
“Yup, will do.” He gives a nod to Dave and Gladio, and they’re on their way.
Gladio, Prompto, and Dave clear the way forward while the other hunters and Ignis cover their six. Prompto would watch the dark speck of the boat get closer and closer, but it’s kind of hard with a fucking Ronan trying to gut him like a fish.
It’s grueling. Made worse by the fact that Prompto is very much sober, with a headache starting to form behind his eyes. The strange effects of the ring are taking their tole too, he gets why Noct was able to sleep for nearly a year. Guess you’ve gotta reap what you sew.
With one last swing, Gladio splits the flan in half. “That’s the last of ‘em.” He wipes the sweat from his forehead. “And look who decided to show up.”
There, at the end of the pier, standing tall and smug-faced is Noctis. Gladio and Prompto run forward, enveloping their friend in a hug. It’s surreal, but he knows when he feels Noct’s hand gripping at his arm fiercely, it’s happening.
They pull back. Noct’s hair has gotten a bit longer, and he had to tuck it behind his ears to get it out of his eyes, but he’s otherwise unchanged. Prompto smiles like a fool on cloud nine. “Come on, we’ll catch up when we get back.”
They run to the end of the dock, when Noctis sees Ignis, he practically sprints. “Ignis!” The man turns, which is good because if not Noct would have just tackled him from behind.
“Noct! It’s good to have you back.” He’s smiling, while Prompto and Gladio rush past them to push the demons back and clear a path back to the trucks. “We’ve missed you.”
Noctis grins, “I’ve missed you too, Specs.”
They turn their attention back to the demons. “We should probably deal with that.”
“You are correct.”
So Prompto is fighting with Noct by his side, and everything feels like it’s falling into place. They make it back to the trucks, all in one piece, and make quick work of driving back to Hammerhead. They had considered going to Lestallumn but decided they didn’t want to cause a scene. At least at the hunter base, they could figure out a game plan.
So they sit in Cindy’s garage, and Prompto gets some serious déjà vu. This time, however, he has Noctis sitting directly across from him. They filled him in on the way over, about the near year of darkness, the death. As hard as that was, here comes the trickier part
“Prompto, you better explain what exactly you did,” Ignis says, stern.
“Well, some of it I don’t remember.”
“Oh my Six-“ Gladio sighs.
Prompto puts his hands up in surrender, “Oh don’t look at me like that! You’re the one who left me unsupervised!”
“You’re the one who needed supervision!”
“Enough!” Ignis says, nodding to Prompto. “Continue.”
“Well anyway, I was following a rumor of an old temple in the Highlands.”
Noctis straightens at that, “That’s a myth!”
Prompto shakes his head, “I thought so too.”
Gladio gapes, “So why would you go?”
“I don’t know! I was desperate!” Prompto takes a shaky breath. “Anyway, I guess the way in was one of those doors that only opens at night, and it was covered in roots and leaves. I fell in, and it wasn’t some mass grave to kings who had fallen in battle.”
Noctis quirked his head curiously, “It wasn’t?”
“Nope. I think for hundreds of years kings and queens of the Lucius bloodline would bury their partners or spouses down there.”
“Morbid,” Gladio chimes in. “But what’s that got to do with anything?”
Prompto fiddles with his fingers nervously. “Well, I guess back then, they would use the marriage to split the power and burden of the ring and the throne.” he points to the one on Noct’s finger. “For one person it can be too much, I guess, so...”
“How do you know all of this?” Ignis asks.
Gladio and Noct are staring at him. He clears his throat. “Um... you see. I found this ring-“
Gladio groans, “Prompto... please tell me you didn’t.”
Noctis on the other hand is shocked to silence, staring at him wide-eyed. “Oh shit.”
Prompto, face flushed in embarrassment, held up a hand, where the ring gleamed even in the dark. Gladio smacked his face in his palms, whispering to Ignis, “He’s wearing the fucking ring.” Which is enough for Ignis to start rubbing at his temple.
Noctis just stares.
When no one speaks, Prompto feels a need to fill that void. “So I heard a lady’s voice! And she was talking about blood, and what it meant, and I was in this weird blue void. I saw Noct there-“
“She mentioned blood?” Noct asks.
They all startle at that.
“What did she say, exactly. It’s really important Prom.”
Prompto frowns, “I think she said, ‘The blood of the convent is thicker than the water of the womb’.”
“Anything else?”
“Uh, yeah. Then she said, ‘So love might prevail, even when promised certain death, even against immeasurable odds, even against the will of the gods’. It was kind of cheesy. I guess as far as they’re
concerned, were blood now. Well, blood in how your spouse is blood. Not that we’re married. Just, as far as they’re concerned.” Prompto is babbling. “But, what does it matter?”
“‘A blood price must be paid,’” Noct mumbles. “That’s what one of the gods told me, in the crystal. So why then, would someone or something tell you that we can defy the will of the gods? With what, the power of love?”
“A blood price?” Prompto asks, heart sinking into his chest. “So... it might all be for nothing?”
“If we get the sun back up in the sky, it won’t be for nothing,” Gladio sighs.
“If we all don’t come out of this alive, then it will be!”
“Guys!” Noctis shouts. “Come on! I brought it up so we could figure it out, not so we could fight about it!”
Ignis chimes in, “So Noct, a god told you, on the bases that you were to bear the weight of the ring alone, that you would have to pay a blood price. However, Prompto, when you found a ring to share that burden, you were told that with its power you can defy the will of the gods?”
“It sounds optimistic when you say it like that,” Gladio says.
Ignis quirks an eyebrow, “I was just stating the facts of the matter. I would say the best case, this means you can both come out of this mostly unscathed. Worst case, both of you die.”
Prompto frowns, “I like the first part.”
“This was always going to be risky. For all we know, you could have woken Noct before his time, and for that, you’ll both pay the price.” Ignis looks solemn and small in his seat. “However our world is hurting. We don’t have time to dilly dally. With each passing hour, more and more of humanity is lost to darkness.”
“I’ve got some stuff to take care of before we head out. I need to take a trip to Lestallemn,” Gladio says, “Ignis, you too, correct?”
Ignis nods, “Indeed. What about you Prompto?”
He looks between them and Noct. “I think The two of us will stay here, we’ve got a lot to figure out with this whole ring thing.”
“Alright, we’ll be in touch?”
“Sounds good.”
So albeit reluctantly, Gladio and Ignis leave Prompt and Noctis to figure things out.
~~~
They sit outside the caravan, silent. Neither of them quite sure what to say, or do.
Prompto tries to break the ice. “Sorry if I accidentally got us like... ring hitched. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Noctis sighs, shaking his head. “There’s no way you could have known. Plus, I couldn’t care less about that.”
“You couldn’t?”
“Nah. As far as I’m concerned it’s just a way of sharing power. Traditionally people shared it with their spouses, but... I guess we’ve never been very run of the mill. I’m also glad it was you, and not some random person.”
A burden lifts from Prompto’s chest, and he sighs in relief. “I thought you were gonna be pissed! Like, I drunkenly desecrated a sacred tradition. Not my brightest moment.” He thinks before saying, “But you’re right, why create an object so volatile? What if it were anyone else?”
“Why do people make bombs? Sometimes the benefits outweigh the risk.”
“Still that’s a lot of risk.”
Noctis laughs, bright and easy. It makes Prompto think that, no kidding. Of course, this would be the man to bring back daylight.
“Say...” Noctis says sheepishly. “Are we still...? Or did you like... move on. Because if that’s so it’s okay I just...”
“Noct.”
“Yes?”
“You’re being stupid.”
Noct guffawed, “They say distance makes the heart grow fonder but, Prompto, you still sound like an ass.”
“Aww, honey don’t be like that,” he pouts. “I like your hair. Without all that dumb fringe in the way, I can see your face.” He takes his hands and pushes the sides back, nodding.
“What was wrong with my fringe?”
“It was fringe, that’s what was wrong with it.”
Batting his arms away, Noctis groans. “So cruel. Anyway, what have you been up to? For me, it feels like no time has passed. Just a couple hours ago we were sitting on steel bunk beds.”
Prompto laughed, “I’ve missed you.”
They’re sitting close now, though he isn’t sure how it happened. Noct smiles, a dangerously coy grin. “Oh yeah? How much?”
Prompto shrugs, pretending like he isn’t picking up on the look he’s getting right now. Like he’s something to be devoured. “Do you want me to show you? Because you’ve been gone for a while, and it’s been pretty lonely... words might not cut it.”
“Aww. You mean you didn’t once look at those photos from that night by the waterfall? Of me a-“
“Alright! That answers that! We’re definitely taking this inside.” Noctis laughs as Prompt drags him into the caravan by his belt loops.
~~~
Prompto wakes up to a kiss on the forehead. “Time to go save the world.”
He startled, looking to his friend. “Noctis Lucius Caelum, how fuck did you wake up before me?”
Noctis rolls his eyes, “I don’t know, maybe it’s because I slept for eight months? Plus, you can’t do that. Use my name like im a kid. Thanks to your misadventures, some would argue you're a Caelum too.” Noctis is pushed up against him, leaning upon his elbow and fiddling with Prompto’s hair.
Prompto checks the time and groans. “We should probably get cleaned up and dressed before Ignis and Gladio get back.”
Noct shakes his head, “Actually, I was thinking of meeting up with them ass naked and smelling like a pig.”
Prompto throws a pillow, and as always, he hit his target.
They wash and dress reluctantly. The two arrive just as they’re finishing up, clean and put together. Gladio gives them a nod. “Are we ready to go?”
Noctis nods, “As we’ll ever be.”
With that, they head to Insomnia
~~~
The streets and broken down and full of debris. Monsters big and small and make the once-thriving metropolis a ghost town. The only thing leading them forth is the Citadel, looming in the distance.
~~~
“I leave it all to you,” Noct says. He turns to walk away but stops. “Prompto...? You coming?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah!”
Prompto runs of the stairs to meet him, leaving Gladio and Ignis behind. Noctis holds out his hand, the Ring of Lucius glimmering despite the darkness. He takes it, and their fingers lace together.
“No matter what the future holds, I’m glad I’ve got you by my side.”
“You know there’s no other place I’d be.”
So they climb the steps and make their way inside.
The throne sits high above them. It’s odd to think that about a year ago, everything started here. It’s a completely different world, and seeing it in this new context is strange.
They ascend to the throne. It has always been Noct’s birthright, but it’s also always seemed so far away. Noct drags a finger across the arm of the chair. “You can still leave. I won’t think any less of you.”
Prompto let’s put a sad bark of laughter. “You didn’t expect that to work, did you?”
Noct’s smile is soft and sincere. “No, but it was with a shot. Are you ready?”
“Yeah.” He doesn’t even know what he’s ready for. But if someone told him he was about to fight a spider in a small dark room suspended over a high cliff, he’d still face it.
There’s no way he’s going to abandon Noct.
So Prompto stands to Noct’s right, holding his hand still as Noct sits on the throne. His ring starts to glow, Prompto’s too.
~~~
They’re dying.
They must be dying.
But when Prompto opens his eyes to a familiar void, he finds Noct’s hand still in his. In front of them, Ardyn.
They let their fury free. This time, backed by a hundred kings, and the ones they loved most in the world.
Determined to bring back the day, they fly.
~~~
Prompto comes too, sill at Noct’s side. He’s not sure how he got on the ground, but he sits up.
Daylight trickles through the windows, lighting the hall in a brilliant golden glow.
He’s dead. They’re both dead. That's the only way this could be real. Prompto grips the arm of the chair enough to hoist himself up to see Noctis. He certainly looks dead.
But Noctis opens his eyes, tired yet blinking. Groaning he puts his head in his hands. “I feel like someone’s driven an ice pick through my ear.”
Prompto goes to pull himself up, but he immediately finds himself too weak to do so. “I think I’m made of jelly. Turns out I’ve been the flan all along.”
“A tragic betrayal! You wound me, Prompto.”
They make eye contact and laugh breathy, exhausted laughs.
“I know we have to celebrate, but I don’t think I can move yet.”
“Since when have you had a problem with a little nap?” Prompto is joking, but his head is falling into the arm of the chair as a make-shift pillow.
“I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you.”
They fall asleep, tired, but very much alive.
~~~
“Rest in peace, buddy.” Prompto suddenly feels himself being lifted. He can’t help it, he screams. The shriek rings out through the hall and triggers a few other shouts. The sturdy arms around his waist slip, and he hid the ground with a thump.
Scrambling into a sitting-up position, Prompto looks around frantically. Gladio looks like he’s seen a ghost, mouth agape, skin pale. Ignis too, though he doesn’t have the benefit of seeing what the hell is going on, so he instinctively assumed attack position. Cor and a few more hunters stand nearby.
“What is going on?” Ignis asks.
Gladio is staring in disbelief. “Prompto isn’t dead?”
Noctis chimes in, “Fucking Six, could you not let us get five minutes of sleep?”
Gladio and Ignis are shouting again.
“Noct?” Ignis asks, reaching out.
Noctis grabs his hand, “Yeah. Seems like we pulled through.”
“And you just decided to sleep it off? We thought you were dead!” Gladio is putting Prompto in a headlock and taking his fist to my hair.
“Ah! My luscious locks! Cut it out!” Promto is hitting and pulling away. Gladio extends a hand, and helps Prompto onto weary feet.
Turning to Noctis, Prompto reaches out a hand too. “Let’s go! It’s been so long since I’ve seen the sunrise!”
Noctis grabs his hand and pulls himself up. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”