#ff crossover

Staring back at Prompto from the caravan bathroom mirror was himself, but more clouded. He only blamed it on having just gotten up and dressed for the day not too long ago, figuring he’d taken care of everything he needed to per his morning routine. The very sight of his dull, everyday mirror reflection made him sigh a tad forlornly, but realizing the time to go was imminent only had him slap two hands to his cheeks once. Putting on his more traditional smile, Prompto gave the mirror two thumbs up as enough motivation to start the day right. No prob! He could do this, he could do this!

Upon going to exit the vicinity for the fresher outside world, Prompto rubbed whatever lingering weariness stuck by away from his eyes to clear his vision. When things still looked slightly blurry as before, he gulped. Fumbling through his smallest bag, he dug for what he thought was taken care of already. Pulling out two connected circles he knew to be his contact lenses case, Prompto opened it to find it empty, to his panic.

“Maybe I’ve still got my spares…?” Prompto hoped, rummaging through the bag to try and find more disposable lenses. He found the source box, but opening it only gave him an empty container and an expectation for a very rough day ahead. “You’ve gotta be kidding me! I’m out already?!”

“Prompto, what’s the hold up in there?” Gladio called from outside. “We gotta move!”

“Be right out! Just— making sure I didn’t forget anything is all!”

“Then do one last good check and hurry. We haven’t got all day either!”

Prompto in response called out a playfully affirmative “Aye, aye, Big Guy!” before going to search what he could of something to counteract his flawed eyesight. There was a definite solution on him, he knew, but the glasses case buried somewhere on his possession was considered a dead last resort. Otherwise, those days of having them as his sole option were over and done with. His investigation was thorough, but unfortunately, his results came up fruitless with no lenses available.

Giving up, he exited the caravan to catch up with the other four and hurry into the vacant passenger’s seat in the Regalia before it finally drove off along the world around it. His only hope now was for supplies to be low enough for warranting a pit stop at the nearest store of some sorts, or at least somewhere he can pick up some new spares. Luckily in recent days, he’d been thoroughly reminded to digitally order replacements by a certain team strategist, but there was no telling when the chance to claim them would come. A gunsman’s aim-precise eyes certainly depended on excellent vision, and in a way, so did the entire team.

“So! Ignis, where’s our next destination?” Prompto asked next to him, knowing subtlety was key in his strategy to get his lens replacements. “Anything we gotta do first?”

“Actually, our first order of business is none too far from the Disc of Cauthess,” Ignis noted. “Seems we’ve run low on a few things, and waiting to get them is out of the question.”

“I couldn’t agree more! The sooner, the better; the more supplies, the merrier! So, no need to wait on it.”

“What’s your hurry for?” Lightning inquired, suspicious. “It’s just a run-of-the-mill supply run. We’ve done them hundreds of times.”

“Oh, I know that, it’s just, umm… you never know what you’ll find there that’s useful. And I’m just curious on what’s ‘in store’ for us.”

Lightning rolled her eyes at the quip and slouched back a bit further in her seat. “I guess. Whatever floats your boat, Prompto.”

Prompto knew the excuse was flimsier than wet paper, but if it got Lightning to not interrogate him any further thanks to her lack of concern, then he wasn’t gonna complain anytime soon. His secret plot was to rightfully claim his contact lenses in the proper place, find a place to hide and put them in, and the others would remain none the wiser without being slowed down in the slightest. Until then, however, he’d be stuck in the car unable to so much as fully enjoy the moving sights around him. And what photographer could be truly happy at being unable to see the full, beautiful world that made their digital easel? So much as thinking about it made him more antsy than usual, Prompto exerting it in the form of impatiently bouncing his leg due to only so much space in the Regalia.

He was too distracted by his hasty need for his contacts that he didn’t notice the sky blue eyes of Lightning staring a hole in his skull from the seat behind him. The only feeling compelling her to stare was her good old friend skepticism. Though definitely none of her direct concern, Prompto seemed up to something. But, what was it? That answer she didn’t quite know just yet.

Ignis pulled the car up next to one of the gas tanks, his suggestion to Noctis and Gladio on filling it up for the road taken without much question from either. Lightning got up to stretch her legs and see if anything was of necessary interest in the Mini-Mart, while Prompto went a little further a distance to see if his guess was correct. To his relief, he found what he’d expected to be in the area’s vicinity. It didn’t let him stray so far from the others that the Regalia was out of sight, but it was still a bit of a walk away on its own.

Okay, en-bee-dee, Prompto kept reassuring himself. Just a little trip to the nearest little pharmacy; in and out, then nothing happened from the others’ perspective. Walking in was a lot easier when only strangers he didn’t feel as self-conscious around were also minding their own business like he was non-existent. They were oblivious to who he was as a person and everything; the perfect getaway, he could say! In and out, then he’s run about!

“Hello, Sir, how may I help you?” the optical center clerk greeted. “Are you here to pick up something?”

“Yeah. I’ve got my prescription,” Prompto told them, surrendering the proof that he was medically approved to be there. “I’m here for my spares.”

The clerk looked it over carefully, nodding once the written prescription was validated and approved. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back out with the brand. It’s the monthly ones, right?”

“Yup! I know they say ‘daily is healthy’, but… turns out it depends on the person.” Prompto let out a laugh under his breath. That was certainly not an agonizing road he wanted to go back down again. Better safe than sorry!

The clerk took about as long as they’d promised. In “Prompto Time”, however, it felt as though every second passed was a minute wasted. He nervously clung to the hope of the others not having gotten done sooner and were presently waiting on their energetic youngest member. Just when it felt like forever had almost gone by him, back came the solution to his trouble of the day. Prompto mutely sighed in relief, thanking them while taking his new supply of contact lenses and handling what he needed to in regards to officially purchasing them.

So as not to risk hitting the road blind as a bat, Prompto hurried into the nearest bathroom to put them in his eyes. In accordance with his process, Prompto removed no more than his fingerless gloves and washed the hands underneath. His studded wristbands got a bit damp from the watery suds, but he couldn’t have cared less. Under the warm gusts of the hand dryer his palms went, rubbing each other all over to eliminate every layer of water.

And now… the harder part he dreaded so much. Two tiny dome-shaped, colorless terrors waiting to torture Prompto until he was to manage in getting them over the two most sensitive organs in his head. Nonetheless, he opened the box and took out the first pair, peeling off their wrapping and concentrating on his reflection. One wrong move, and it’d be over for him and his vision. Spreading his first pair of lids apart with his thumb and pointer finger, Prompto used the other index one to use as an applicator.

“Just a little further…” Prompto gulped, shakily pressing the contact more towards the rim surrounding the stressed lavender-blue of his eye. When it got too close, he wound up giving into fear and setting his finger down to let him blink for relief. “Wait, okay, time out! I need a second…”

“You did remember to wash your hands first, right?” the sudden voice of Ignis asked from behind, startling Prompto into nearly poking his eye out with the younger’s shriek.

“Ignis! Dude, don’t do that! But, yes, I washed my hands, I promise. What— are you doing here, by the way?”

“Tracking down my AWOL friend, who I knew to be running a bit low on his own supplies. Did you find what you needed?”

“Yep! Should be good for a long while!” Prompto looked behind Ignis, even near spots most wouldn’t detect so easily. “Nobody… followed you, did they? Like say…”

“If it’s Light you’re worried about seeing you, then no, she’s waiting in the car. Even if she had followed me, I believe you’d be more than safe in the men’s bathroom.”

“Right, right! Just making sure is all! You never know, you know…?”

“I ‘know’ that there’s also no harm in her finding out about your poor eyesight. I doubt she’d care too much if she knew, anyways.”

“Well, sure, but… let’s just say some things are just better off totally left behind without the reminder. And besides, there’s no harm in not telling her, either! For now, ignorance is bliss.”

“At least, until she gets too suspicious and finds out one way or another. You aren’t exactly among the best at ‘acting natural’, Prompto. Especially when you’re nervous.”

Prompto dismissed the notion, working on getting the first lens into his eye. “I’ll be fine, Iggy. What Light will never know won’t hurt her~.”

“One way or another, something’s bound to happen. But, on the subject. These lenses? They are not meant to be worn to sleep.”

In response, Prompto first let out a mock-buzzer noise while crossing his arms into an X-shape. “Wrong, Iggy! I was sure to get the monthly ones that are a little safer. Besides, that was like one time I did that!” Seeing the raised brow on Ignis’ forehead made Prompto backtrack, knowing he’d been seen right through like glass. “...Plus— okay, maybe two others, but I know that now! Thanks… anyways, though. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“I’ve enough faith in you to uphold that, but also give your eyes time to ‘breathe’ to be at your safest. And, do know that there’s no harm in a certain someone learning something new.”

Ignis left Prompto to finish putting his contacts in peacefully, having no need to tell him where to go afterwards. One down, the other to go. His fingers were shaky, but gripped the lens for dear life to do everything in his power not to drop it. At a snail’s pace, towards the other eye it went until its rim made a perfect contact around the iris. Winking a few times to get the plastic to stick, Prompto moved both eyes back and forth behind his lids, settling on a good enough feel for the new contacts in place.

“Ah, that’s better,” Prompto sighed, happy to see everything clearer than before. “Thank the Six for ‘boneless glasses’ to make my life just a little easier!”

Cleaning out his contact lens case with enough disinfecting solution and putting them in the Armiger’s storage system for ultimate safety, Prompto looked both ways and around on the outside of the men’s room. When the coast was clear, he shuffled out of the store uttering the appropriate “stealth music” as if a spy on a deathly mission. He ducked around some of the aisle shelves to hide himself occasionally, holding a long note once at the entrance before springing out of the building.

“Haha! Completely nailed it!” Prompto boasted, hurrying his way back to the Coernix Station - Cauthess while looking back at the pharmacy he’d escaped from. “And just in time to hit the— ROAD!”

“There you are,” Lightning said, knuckles on her hips and slightly hunched forward to show more of her disapproval at the spooked boy. “Missed you at the shop. Where’d you decide to wander off to?”

“N— Oh, nowhere, Light! The shop just didn’t have what I needed to pick up, so I found someplace else!” Prompto grew even more anxious at the well-known glare being as strong as ever thrown right at him. “I’m telling the truth! I didn’t go too far!”

“You’re up to something, Argentum.”

“Yeah, I am. I’d say about… five-foot-eight? Not as tall as Gladio or Ignis, but you’ve got a little catching up to do—”

“—You know what I mean, don’t be wise. What are you hiding?”

“Me? I’d never hide a thing, ma’am! I’m Prompto ‘Open Book’ Argentum, that’s me!”

“If you’re such an open book, then you’ve got no reason to be so scared of telling me the truth. What is it, already? Spill it.”

Just then, the savior in the form of the Regalia pulled up and honked the horn, courtesy of Noctis driving up front. “You two having fun over there? Whatever you’re talking about can be said in the car, too.”

“Can it, Prince,” Lightning hissed coldly, getting in one of the two remaining seats. “This conversation isn’t over, Prompto. I’m letting you know that now.”

Gulping, Prompto sat himself down in the car, giving Noctis wordless permission to drive onwards again. Thankfully, he was separated from Lightning in the back thanks to Gladio sitting between them. A bit of a tight fit considering how large the man was, but nothing close to “excruciatingly unbearable”. Even with a living barrier between them, Prompto got chills tingling his spine in the worst way possible whenever he was faced the brunt of Lightning’s infamous staredown. Six, if looks could kill, then he’d have been vaporized by now for gazing directly at such a goddess in woman form that had as much beauty as she did perseverance. All he had to do for the time being was work his way around her suspicion until she forgot about it enough, and he’d be home free! After all, how hard could that be to try and get away with…?

The next time they stopped for a while to camp out later on in the day, Prompto sought the opportunity to celebrate his new contact lenses. He did so in the form of, what else, taking advantage of the exquisite outdoor scenery. Letting everyone else know he’d return in due time, Prompto set off to a remote area of the woods with his camera in hand, on the hunt for whatever might catch his eye and become a future memory of the past. Such a moment would be even better with someone else there to also experience the magic with him, but— as much as he’d rather stay far away from the nastier parts of it— nature was bound to have something to tickle his fancy within it.

Prompto took in everything about his surroundings to see what he could do for his little “indie photo op”, as he’d put it before stepping away from camp. Tripod, check. Camera, obvious. Light source? “On fleek”! Angling? Top-notch! Alright, everything was in place and nothing nearby that he could see to mess it up. Selecting his first snapshot spot, Prompto positioned his beloved camera in its standing hold, setting the timer for when it’d go off. Counting down the seconds; three, two…!

“There you are,” Lightning interrupted, scaring Prompto into stumbling into his tripod and accidentally taking a blurred photo of the ground instead of the nice view.

“And there goes my shot,” Prompto sighed, filling his lungs with his breath and exhaling to calm himself enough. “Light, at least warn me first before sneaking up on me like a serial killer!”

“If you’re mad about your dinky little photo, just take it again. This place isn’t going anywhere, but neither am I until you tell me the truth.”

“Oi-vey, there’s just no dropping that, is there? Why do you wanna know so badly, anyways?”

“Because if it wasn’t something worth hiding, you wouldn’t be dodging the question so much. Now, fess up, Argentum. I’d hate to resort to ‘less pleasant’ ways of getting you to talk.”

Prompto found himself sweating in the brow and backing away, one step in reverse synchronized with Lightning’s forward. “There’s nothing to say, already! I’m not hiding a thing!”

“I don’t buy it. Either tell me and let me leave you alone, or don’t tell me and only make this harder on yourself. Make the right choice.”

He’d run out of options, and inner shame prevented him from potentially making for an awkward confession. So, between fighting it or flight, Prompto chose the impulsive option of the latter with his beloved camera in hand. He could always come back for the tripod later once he didn’t have a rosy-haired warrior out for his past. Although it was common sense to know Lightning was chasing after him, Prompto gave into looking back at her anyways and running faster before turning his head around again. When he did, all he received was a faceful of tree bark smacking him right against the face, his camera falling to the soft ground unharmed when his hands went to cover achingly where he got hit.

“Looks like you’re out of options, Argen—” Lightning started to say until she realized Prompto sank to the ground covering his face. Her irritation cooled into an odd sense of concern, now going over to inspect the man more carefully. “Wait, are you hurt?”

“Mmm-mmm,” Prompto got out, something crystalline falling from his left eye and sticking to his upper cheek. When he felt it, he gasped. “Don’t come any closer, okay?”

Lightning grew more worried, especially at the sight of what seemed to be a tear. Did she go too far in pressuring him into injuring himself? That was quite a run into the tree he just did… “I have to make sure nothing’s broken. Are you bleeding?”

“No! Stay back! I’m fine!”

Lightning disobeyed and removed Prompto’s hands from his face. To her relief, he didn’t seem to be bleeding or bruised, but strangely, neither eye seemed damp with any tears. How that could be was unknown to her, but then she looked closer at what was really stuck on a freckle. Against Prompto’s further protest, Lightning picked it up and squeezed it between two gloved fingers while examining it a little better. After a few seconds, she recognized what it’d been if not a salted tear of pain like she initially believed.

“...It’s a contact lens,” Lightning pointed out, still looking at it until Prompto snatched it back from her. “Why do you have a contact lens on you?”

“N— Not important,” Prompto mumbled, trying to slip the lens back into his eye, but to no avail without the proper concentration.

“Sounds so to me. Look.” Lightning knelt down in front of Prompto, getting him to look at the new gentleness her eyes now held for him, not a trace of force to be seen on her. “If this was what everything was all about, you can tell me. Unless you really are somehow secretly conspiring against the others, then I have no reason to get that much on your case over a little contact lens.”

“You thought I was—? No! Never!” Prompto sounded almost offended that she’d think that of him, but in all fairness, he was acting a little off his loop from trying to hide his secret from her. “...I dunno if I can tell you, though. I wanted to make a good impression on— well, someone who’s never met me before this.”

“You’d have better luck by being honest. Trust me, I’ve had my share of bad news, so since you’re not putting anyone’s life in danger, whatever you have in you, I can take.”

Before he could think of any other objection, Lightning sat down next to him against the tree, picking up his camera and brushing off the dirt it’d acquired from the fall. She checked it over to see if it’d gotten cracked or anything of the sort, but was pleased to hand it back to Prompto when it looked as intact as ever. Prompto frowned; there was no way out of this, was there? And it’d be rude to leave a lady unanswered when she’d so sincerely asked, so… time to face the music, it seemed. Astrals, this was gonna suck.

“Well, as you could probably guess, my vision’s not the best in the world,” Prompto confessed, a sheepish laugh leaving his throat. “That’s why I gotta wear contact lenses to— ya know, fix that. Can’t be a photographer or gunsman that can’t see, can you?”

“Then how come you don’t just get glasses?” Lightning wondered as Prompto used his phone reflection to fight the lens back over his vision hole. “It seems harder to put those things in, doesn’t it? One wrong move, and you’d never see again.”

“It’s not so tough once you get used to it and take care of them the right way. And I am never going back to wearing glasses again when I don’t have to! They look fine on Iggy, but count me out!”

“So, you did used to wear them? Why’d you stop?”

“That’s kinda where the whole ‘I’d rather not talk about this’ part comes in. When I was a kid, I didn’t just wear glasses. Believe it or not, I also actually used to be pretty chunky and more of a turtle. Always in my shell and whatnot, you know?”

Lightning didn’t say it aloud, but the revelation did surprise her. Trying to picture a younger, slightly more plump Prompto that couldn’t so much as speak his mind sounded completely foreign to her. But, he also sounded… different in telling his tale. There wasn’t the usual buoyancy to really be heard, or too much of the wise-cracking nature she was more familiar with. No, all Lightning could hear was more of a sadder little boy wearing a sunnier mask to hide a past he wasn’t proud of. She logically kept her full judgement in line, wanting to hear more to see what else there was to it.

“You don’t say?” Lightning commented. “First, on you needing glasses back then, why was that? I’d have figured a noble from Lucis would be able to afford something ridiculous like laser eye surgery, or—”

“—Eh? ‘Noble’, who? If you’re talking about me, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong guy there, Pink,” Prompto laughed uneasily. “I could never be able to pay for that.”

“You’re not a noble? How could that be; you’re travelling with a prince of all kinds of people!”

“I know. I’m as surprised as you are, trust me. But, alack, I am but a commoner in a group of rich men! Even so, I honest to the Six doubt Pop would have been able to afford getting eye correction surgery for me. Shit’s expensive, lady!”

“Fair enough. Then, how did you get into the Crownsguard if you’re just normal?”

Prompto’s face grew even more sullen, looking at the camera between his fingers without a hint of his usual smile. “That’s what I’d like to know. It’d be super nice to think ‘wow, all my hard work paid off, so I got to be worthy of joining’, but… I just can’t believe it’s anywhere close to the truth. Sure, I got in; lost the weight, did the work, yadda-yadda. But really, even with Pop training me to get here today, I just don’t know if I’d have done so well on my own anyways.”

“It… sounds really important to you. Then, why go through so much if you feel this way?”

“To be honest with myself? A big reason’s all because I wanted to be worth something to Noct. Oh, and that’s besides him being a prince dealing with a commoner and stuff, too. My bestie’s kinda my ‘firstie’ too, if you know what I’m saying.”

Lightning scoffed, rolling her eyes more at the mention of Noctis than Prompto’s friendship with him. “Leave it to the little snob of a prince to hold such expectations on you. He’s got two others that aren’t broken, so why rope you into it?”

“What? Oh! No, no, Pink, you’ve got it all wrong!” Prompto’s tone grew more frantic, realizing he’d planted an accidental misconception in the ex-soldier’s head. “Look, I get you and Noct would rather not wanna deal with each other, but believe me. I’ve known the guy since at least high school; he’s a total sweetheart once you see enough underneath the surface! A little crabby, sure, but he’s really not anywhere as bad as you’re making him out to be.”

“More power to you, then, because I’m not seeing it. Whatever, this is about you, not him.”

“In a way, it’s kinda both. If it weren’t for how my friendship with Noct started, then I dunno where I’d be now. Me wanting to both protect him and be a good enough friend to him is what got me started on the road to changing who I was into someone much better. I’m not sure if I’ve totally succeeded yet, but if I’ve been with him this long, maybe I’m doing something okay for once? Maybe you don’t understand what I’m saying, but to put it all simply, Noct’s done nothing but help me all these years. And all I wanna do is do it back and keep doing it for as long as possible.”

...Wow. At that moment, that was the only word Lightning could form in her mind. She may not have understood why Prompto was going to such lengths for someone like Noctis, but if there was something she did get, it was the gunsman’s process. And though Gladio and Ignis she was beyond fine with as people once she’d gotten to know enough of them, something with Prompto resonated with her in a way those two hadn’t quite achieved (at least, not yet to her knowledge). Maybe it was on the fact at not being the only common person after all Now that he’d said that to her, but whatever it was, Lightning was curious enough to know more.

“Let’s just say I wouldn’t go and say I don’t understand where you’re coming from,” Lightning admitted. “To want to change so badly to make someone you care about the most happy… you’re not as off base as you think.”

“Really, now? Anyone back home make you feel that way?” Prompto wondered. “Like a best friend you’ve got yourself?”

“Yes, and no. Just know I’d do anything to see them have a good life. I can only hope I did enough to make that happen, considering every horrible mistake I’ve made.”

“Assuming they’re still around, if they seem to be doing okay because of you, then… well, lo hiciste, you did it!”

“Sh— they’re thankfully alive and breathing, but I can’t help but worry if I ever did enough or not. And even if I did, what now? Will they still need me anymore?”

‘This would be a little easier if I knew how close she was to the person she’s talking about.’ Prompto worded what he wanted to carefully. It wasn’t every day Lightning have off such a vulnerable aura, so the last thing he wanted to do was make her more upset. “If you ask me, just being able to stand by them and know you could help them go far in life sounds like reward enough. Sure, maybe you can’t be together forever and ever, but knowing you made an impact comes just as close.”

“And how would I know if my impact even mattered? For all I can tell, they could be fine without me. Better, even.”

“One way of seeing it? They may be able to live their own life just fine, but it’s hard to forget how they got to that life in the first place. If you impact enough, they’ll be sure to never take that for granted.”

Hardly even realizing it immediately, Lightning felt her heart mellow out a tad melancholically the more she thought about her most cherished protectorate. All the foolish mistakes she’d made along the way she may not have been ready to forgive herself entirely for, but in where everyone from Cocoon and Gran Pulse now were, she’d do anything to keep it how it’d become in the end. Now, of all the people to find that appeared to understand her in that way, it’s Prompto who claims such a spot.

“Those are some wise words coming from you of anyone,” Lightning told him. “Never imagined it’d be from the same person who’s compared gloves to being ‘hand condoms’, either.”

“Light, that’s only the beginning of my endless wisdom,” Prompto said proudly before simmering back down in his tone again. “But, frankly? I’m more surprised you were so willing to listen that easily. I’ve only really said all that to Noct.”

“It’d be ‘pot calling the kettle black’ if I gave you such a rough time about this. But, if you ask me, it really looks like you’re on the right track, even if you think you aren’t.”

“Can’t stop you if you wanna think that, but all I can do is keep trying and see if I can succeed. Until then, there’s no saying for sure.”

“Well, considering you’re already pulling more weight out here than any nobody could hope to, I’d say you’re making the progress you need. Hell, you’d give Sazh a run for his money if he saw how well you work a pistol. And he uses two!”

“Right! Now, for my next question; who the heck is Sazh?” Prompto in asking it sounded closer to his more chipper side, but was just as unfamiliar with the comparison.

“A friend back home. I think you’d like him just fine.” Lightning started counting off a few fingers, fishing out the similarities. “You’re both top-notch gunsmen, wise-cracking even in the tightest of situations, have a fondness for chocobos—”

“—Wait, wait, hold up! This friend of yours also sees the true glory of Eos’ finest creatures?! Do tell, Miss Farron! Don’t keep a guy waiting!”

Lightning couldn’t help but softly laugh at Prompto’s enthusiasm for once. That certainly got his attention. “It’s more his son, Dajh, that’s crazy about them. But, if keeping a chocobo chick in his hair amounts to anything, I’d say he’s a huge fan of them, too.”

“He keeps a chocobo chick in—! Get out! I’ve— that clinches it! I gotta meet this man someday! I just gotta, Pink! I’ve gotta learn his ways! How could I have been so blind?!”

Lightning pat Prompto a few times on the head, appearing to quell his innumerable excitement levels. “Easy does it, Sunspot. I’m sure he’d forgive you for taking a while to do that. But, while we’re on it, how did you get so good at firing a gun?”

“Well, I hate to keep bringing my pop into this, but back when I was still in training, he found my aim wasn’t just top-notch in taking a few snaps. Turns out projectiles are just my calling, too.”

“And I may as well ask this, too, but who is your dad? He sounds a little more than just another commoner. Is he a veteran?”

“You could say that, but you’ve met him already! He’s the same guy who sent you to travel with us in the first place!”

“What? But that was—” Lightning stopped, eyes widening when she realized who Prompto was talking about. She looked at his sunny, almost cutesy-looking mug, then comparing it to the complete 180 of his apparent parentage. “...No way. The Marshal?! Cor Leonis is your dad of all people?!”

“Yes… and no. Obviously, we’re not blood related, but he sorta adopted me as a baby. Then, eventually, he had to give me up to my… other parents. So, I guess I grew up the rest of the way with them.”

“He had to give you up? Why?”

“Guess it had to do with him being leader of the Crownsguard and all. Someone like that can’t balance such a huge responsibility and a kid, so he didn’t have a choice on it at all.”

“Then, how come you still call him your dad if he’s technically not anymore?”

“I try not to when I need to be formal or in front of other Guard members, but honestly, I still pretty much consider him my father even though I had to go somewhere else.” Prompto’s mouth flattened into another frown, this one as wistful as the ones before it. “Hard to admit, but he’s the only older adult figure in my life there enough to earn that title. My… folks weren’t exactly home too much, so I mostly had to look after myself all the time.”

“They left their kid on his own just like that?! Some ‘parents’ ya got there. Actually, I don’t think I should use that word. If they were really your mom and dad, then they shouldn’t leave their kid behind when it’s still in their control. If it wasn’t? Different story. But, that’s not the case here, is it?”

“Well, I— look, Pink, bad mouthing them isn’t the answer. Can’t change how I was brought up, so… what, huh?”

“I don’t care in the slightest. Prompto, you don’t deserve to be practically ignored by the two people meant to be there for you the most. I’m not accepting it, and neither should you, Mister.”

“It’s not like I ‘accept’ it, exactly. It’s— I just wish… you know…”

The words faded on Prompto’s tongue, but were replaced by a quiet gasp at what happened next. Of all the things to get from Lightning for any reason, her arms wrapped around his body in a strangely maternal embrace was definitely not one he expected. But, for once, it simmered his heart into steady, rather sad thumps. He didn’t find it appropriate to hug back, but it appeared Lightning wasn’t going to let go of him just yet. Although it was his primary thought, it didn’t seem to be a hug of empty pity; even at her rare warmest, the woman to him never appeared as the type to go and show something so pointless for another person. Rather, the display felt as comforting to Prompto as it did secretly unearned.

“You’re doing just fine. You just have to not quit while you’re ahead,” Lightning reassured him. “I haven’t been here as long as you four, but I’m sure they’d have said something by now if you weren’t at least close to good enough. Real friends stick by you from start to finish, but also know when you’re falling behind on what’s really crucial.”

“That sounds true and all, but…” Prompto silenced himself, shaking his head without the desire to say too much more. “Nevermind. You’re right; I shouldn’t overreact or turn into a real ‘Debbie Downer’ here.”

“I never said you were. Feeling low’s gonna happen against your control; it’s what you do with it is what makes the difference. I’m nobody to tell anyone else how to feel, but I can at least encourage you not to throw your hopes out the window just yet. Think you’d be able to do that?”

“Hmm, dunno. I’ve already got bad eyesight, so it’s not like I’ve got better ‘future sight’, either. But, man! Would if I could, Light. Would if I could.”

Lightning could feel a delicate little smile tug at her mouth corners hearing Prompto regain the laugh in his voice. “Careful what you wish for. Being able to see into the future might not be as nice as you think.”

“What makes you say that? Having that as a superpower would rock! Unless— yeah, maybe some things are just not meant to be seen before they happen. Is that why?”

“Among… other reasons people wouldn’t like it. Bottom line, I’d rather you waited and saw, and not saw and waited. You got that?”

“I gotcha! Won’t see any ESP from me, lay-dee! But, you mind if we get going? I did say I was only gonna be gone for a little bit. Don’t want everyone thinking I almost became bear chow again.”

“It is a good time to— wait, ‘again’? What do you mean ‘again’?”

“Nothing that’s not best left in the past! It was before you came along, and we’re all fine now! Don’t you worry your pretty pink little head there.”

Having done enough of interrogating Prompto for one day, Lightning left it at that and got herself off the ground. She was about to turn the other way hoping to be followed, when Prompto let out a loud, energetic gasp after looking at his camera again. Without explaining himself, he grabbed Lightning by the wrist and ran in the direction of where she’d originally chased him from. Besides not wanting to leave his poor tripod all by its lonesome, having another person with him in such a great spot was a photo opportunity just begging on its knees for him to take it.

And just who was he to up and refuse it so rudely?

“Really, Prom, we’ve gotta go,” Lightning insisted as Prompto set her up in front of the tripod and camera like a living prop. “Can’t this wait until later?”

“Not a chance!” Prompto chirped, making sure everything on his camera was all set and in position. “Why pass up the chance of a lifetime in getting a nice snap with my favorite photogenic newcomer?”

“If you wanted a selfie, then you don’t need my help with that,” Lightning quipped, hiding her smirk behind a few fingers at the consequent stunned blush on Prompto’s face born from the comment.

“Oh, fair maiden, how you flatter a clown. But, nope! You’ve gotta be in the shot; no way out until this memory’s made!” Prompto set the timer up, running to where Lightning was and readying himself for the shoot. “Smile for the camera, Pink! It loves ya!”

Lightning never really considered herself a “camera person”, but with how little time she had to think about it before the camera went off and captured her appearance in the moment, she did what first came to her mind. Giving off the most modest of her smiles, the shutter went off and immortalized the exact moment and pose the two were in. Prompto went to go look at his new photograph, rather pleased with the almost punkish way he had his tongue stuck out and the peace sign fingers on the hand belonging to the arm he’d wrapped around Lightning’s shoulders without actually making physical contact. As for his female companion in the snapshot, hers didn’t seem like anything to write home about, but nothing of it wiped even a bit away of the smile on his face.

“Another shot gotten! And this one’s the first to be blessed full-on by such a gracious presence!” Prompto beamed, making loops around the moon from how happy he was to have gotten a photo with Lightning. “Hey, why don’t you see how it came out, too? No need to let you miss out on it.”

“Why don’t you show me while we’re heading back to camp?” Lightning suggested, hauling the tripod under her arm and allowing Prompto to follow in her steps. “Nothing against you doing what you like, but we were supposed to head back a while ago.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course! And since we’re doing it now, take a quick look!” Prompto put the camera in front of Lightning’s eyes, the screen still on its most recent picture.

“Easy with— ...oh.” Lightning saw how the photo came out, rather impressed by the expert-level accuracy and the fact that even her more mild expression didn’t lower any of the quality either. “Gotta say, for someone that needs contacts, you’ve really got an eye for the camera.”

“I’ve had two for as long as I can remember. This journey’s not gonna last forever, so I might as well make a way to capture it for as long— WHOA!”

Lightning immediately ducked and caught Prompto by hugging her arms around to his torso, pulling him back up onto his feet hiding her suppressed urge to laugh. “Maybe tell me more on the way back. While looking where you’re going, of course.”

“That can be arranged. See, it all started when…”

Ignis was in the middle of getting the last few minor touches on camp set up, at the same time Gladio and Noctis were preoccupying themselves a distance from him with a harmless sparring match. Their combat reminded him personally to take a good look at his recently acquired Mythril Knives to ensure they were ready for use next time the team was to be under attack by the forces of evil or wilderness. His ears picked up on faint chatter past the sound of swords clashing and a prince rapidly warping, further investigation informing him that the culprits were the previously absent Prompto and Lightning. The ecstatic storytelling from his blond friend was nothing new, but the interested placid smile on his pink-haired one certainly provided some questions on what happened between them in the woods.

“—Then, I got attacked by a horde of angry baboons! As if that wasn’t bad enough, this leopard comes along and tried to take a bite of me in the worst way possible!” Prompto recited to a fascinated Lightning, Ignis recalling exactly the moment in question on one of the detours taken before they’d even officially set out on their current mission. “All because I wanted to snap a pic of this cute little baby monkey I saw, too! Was that so wrong?”

“You might have just scared the thing with your camera,” Lightning guessed. “What’s harmless to people might not be so to a wild animal. It probably mistook you for a hunter.”

“Still no excuse to try and get me killed! The little…” Prompto grumbled, trailing off and ending the bitter sentence in his head. “Any jungles where you’re from, Pink?”

“Not where I’m living now, no. But, where I was born, the closest I can think of is the Sunleth Waterscape. Never been myself; my sister and a few of our friends passed through it, though.”

“Bummer. Was that awesome ‘Sazh’ guy you were talking about one of those people?”

Lightning nodded. “Him and Vanille went at the same time. Speaking of which, you act a lot like her, too. I think you almost have her beat in the ‘perky youth’ department. And… some other more personal things you’ve got in common, too.”

“I won’t make you say things you don’t wanna, but my ‘Light’s friends I just gotta meet’ list is growing!”

“Maybe when I go back home, you can find time to visit. I’m sure they’d get a kick out of you.” Lightning’s voice had a noticeable lightheartedness to it, imagining the sheer chaos of Prompto meeting her loved ones back home.

“It sounds like you two had a good time out?” Ignis inquired, finally getting the two’s attention on him. His glasses-covered eyes were particularly on Prompto asking it, who knew the reason why.

“Definitely nothing I was expecting, that’s for sure. Anything could end a lot worse, but I’m happy this didn’t.”

“That makes two of us, sister!” Prompto agreed, bringing up the new photo of him and Lightning on his camera. “And guess who also finally got the ultimate selfie today? This guy, that’s who!”

“You finally partook in one of Prompto’s photos, Light? I always thought you to be the camera-shy type,” Ignis said, scanning the camera screen with intrigue.

“I’m not much for taking them, but it came out really well,” Lightning admitted. “As long as Prom doesn’t ask me to take too many of them, I don’t mind getting another in for him.”

“Do you really mean that?!” Prompto squeaked, beyond joyous.

“I just might. I don’t have ‘future sight’ either, though. We’ll just see where things go after this.”

Lightning only left it at that after, flashing Prompto another kind glance before going over to request a sparring match of her own with Gladio after Noctis concluded his with him. It hadn’t gone past Prompto’s cleared up eyes at all, the ecstatic shutterbug still feeling his innards doing giddy flips and turns about the events that’d transpired overall. He found himself smiling with his sunny aura after Lightning, freezing when he’d caught the look on Ignis’ face, too.

“Seems you’ve made a friend in her,” Ignis pointed out. “I’d have to be halfway blind to think she isn’t starting to warm up to you.”

“You really think so?” Prompto breathed, scratching one cheek with his pointer finger.

“I’ve more than a feeling. Not as scary as you thought her finding about your contact lenses was going to be, was it?”

“Pish-pish, lucky guess. Turns out, a lot of things that’s bothered me, she’s been on the same ride just as bad.”

“And yet a lot remains a mystery about our newest comrade. However, enough has certainly come to ‘Light’ with her since she joined us.”

Prompto laughed, quickly catching onto the discreet humor. “Can’t know everything about everybody, of course. Especially since there’s some things we just don’t know the answer to.” At the same time he said that, he fixed the black bands covering his right wrist so they wouldn’t reveal anything the mystery mark underneath.

“Which is perfectly fine. Everyone has their skeletons in the closet, big or small. It’s only a matter of how people take them is what makes the difference.”

Prompto couldn’t argue with that, being unable to avoid looking at not just Noctis toying around on a favored game on his smartphone, but also Lightning performing an impressive deflecting of Gladio’s strike. He still couldn’t fully believe what happened today did, nevermind actually reaching this point in his life. And yet, somehow, here he was; still among the Crownsguard of all things, and making a new friend that turned out to be sailing in the same boat as him in a way.

Another person— Lightning, no less, was more than willing to encourage him from her own honest faith alone. She’d joined Noctis in rooting for him, so Prompto had to be a fool to do so much as consider letting her own too because he couldn’t live up to the simplest of expectations. Whether or not he was sure he’d succeed in the end aside from his personal lack of true confidence, nothing was an excuse to stop after every step taken in the first place.

“A prince? You’re asking me to help escort… a prince.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say ‘escort’. What I’m asking you to do is more to accompany him and his retinue until they reach Altissia.”

“Why me of all people? And if they’ve been gone for a while, don’t you think they’re fine on their own?”

“Believe me, I know they are. But after… recent events here in Insomnia, there’s no such thing as being too careful.” Out came a peach colored folder full of photos and official documents, all on her and basic history she was sure a certain ‘new world creation phenomenon’ had preserved and written in for public records even in its neighboring dimension. No other explanation served, so she continued to listen intently with reluctance swallowed. “Says here you’ve had quite a bit of military history as the sergeant of something called the ‘Guardian Corps’?”

“Correct. Since my teenage years.”

“And your superior officer was a man named Amodar?”

“Lieutenant Amodar. That’s right.”

“I see. Keep in mind, I wouldn’t hire just any old nobody off the streets to do the job. Looking it over very carefully a few times, someone with your experience looks to be the right fit. Question is, can you actually do it?”

“Doesn’t matter if someone can or can’t. Some things in life you just do.”

Taking that as a firm agreement, the man known infamously as “The Immortal” closed the folder of the former soldier’s documents and officially sealed her new mission. With everything said that needed to be, directions to the next train stopping near her destination in Duscae, and a formal salute, she was off carrying the needed profiles of the four men she was to meet. He himself at the time needed to leave for a checkpoint in a place known as “Hammerhead”, so when her part of the deal was to come, she’d be ready as she ever would for it.

Or so Lightning so wanted to believe. Truth of the matter was, this new mission she sorely hoped would be her absolute final one was the dead last thing on her mind. From the whole Purge travesty with the long-abolished Sanctum that inadvertently turned her into a “dreaded” l’Cie to waking up from a crystal slumber after five whole centuries only to have thirteen days total to save her loved ones and others from impending doom, to say she was sick and tired of fighting for her life was an unfunny understatement.

But, the forces of fate she lived to fight were, as usual, on the opposing side. Because there she found herself; slumped against the window of her train seat wearing the outfit she’d long dubbed the “Heartstealer” from her first times wearing it, even further away from her new home with the loved ones she once again had to leave behind for the time being. Promises made to come back after her “short trip” she vowed to keep at all costs. And no spoiled little prince or his merry band of bodyguards was going to get in the way of her own decisions.

“Next stop, Alstor!” the conductor announced, the train pulling up at the closest station to where Lightning was asked it go. It’d still be a walk away from the actual spot, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t manage.

‘Where did Cor tell me to go again?’ Lightning wondered in her thoughts, looking at the specific directions given. ‘The “Coernix Station”? Doesn’t sound like much of a waiting area.’

Looking around her while figuring out which way to go after what, Lightning seemed to truly take in how alien the place felt to her. It wasn’t at all like anything she’d experienced years ago back on Cocoon, or even the short time she spent journeying in Nova Chrysalia. No, the Duscae region itself had more of a… retro, much simpler feeling to it. But, whatever it looked like, she had more important things to do than sightsee a place she never intended on seeing again for the rest of her life after she was done.

“Still seems like quite a walk,” Lightning commented, glancing up at the frontmost direction to see no leads on the station. “Best take a shortcut so nobody shows up to a missing recruit. What’s…? ‘Alstor Slough’, huh? I’ll just cut through that.”

Rolling up her navigating directions, Lightning took a turn that led her right along a path going through a grassy area full of pinkish wooden plants growing out from the bristled plains. So long as she stayed on that one path and went the right way, nothing could go wrong for the armed former soldier. Staying on guard was second nature to her, so any mysterious creatures lurking around would have to deal with her first and foremost.

And as if taking heed of a secret cue, the first unlucky volunteers caught sight of her and stepped forward. Well, Lightning wouldn’t say so much stepped as she would a group of pale, sickly-looking mutant wolf-like creatures with teeth sharper than her own blade charging her way.

“Your funeral, not mine,” Lightning stated, unsheathing Blazefire Saber from the case strapped to her body. In the blink of an eye, the gunblade unfolded itself into its sword form, giving its owner the okay to run at the first of the strange creatures to cut right through it.

Lightning didn’t have any sort of clue what she was fighting, but she cared just as little at the same time. The wolf-like mutants in spite of their ferocious appearances didn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight either, considering how easily the woman was cutting through them like a hot knife against cold butter. One tried so foolishly to take her down from behind, only to be silenced by Lightning whipping around and firing a strategic bullet out of her weapon’s giant pistol mode before it unfolded back into a blade to effortlessly take down its brethren.

With one remaining in sight, the beast lunged to try and take a fatal bite of her. Instead of any sort of flesh or muscle, however, it stopped rigged in its tracks when it received a unpleasant mouthful of sword cutting right through the back of its head. Lightning ripped her weapon from the creature, giving it one more cautious slash to ensure it’d truly died. Now surrounded by lifeless carcasses of the pack, Lightning folded Blazefire Saber back into a gun and resheathed it, walking along her way as if uninterrupted.

“Not much of a fight,” she commented, brushing herself free of dust or dirt. “Here’s to hoping the other creatures here are smarter than them.”

Throughout the rest of her trek, Lightning only somewhat got her wish. As she’d consciously expected, more of the same beast tried to make a meal of her, but she valiantly cut her path open again going through each one. By her arrival even closer to her goal than before, Lightning was looking rather scuffed up. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as fights she’d been more used to, but there was still hoping the Coernix Station had some refreshments to give her more of a boost.

‘Here we are,’ Lightning thought, walking uphill and crossing over to the actual rest area across the road. Her stomach growled a few more steps in, the woman knowing better than to ignore hunger and risk collapsing in the most unorthodox way possible. “Let’s see what’s at that ‘Crow’s Nest’ place.”

“Welcome, Miss!” a man she assumed to be the diner’s cook greeted her once she sat down at the bar. “What can I get for ya today?”

Lightning looked up at the menu and its three most prominent choices being promoted. Fries and salmon anybody with a brain could recognize, but the beverage and names of all the choices were absolutely alien to her. “Are you… ‘Kenny’?”

“Who, me? No! The food here’s just named after our mascot, Kenny Crow! I’m sure you’ve heard of him, haven’t you?”

“Kenny who?”

“Oh. A foreigner, are ya? That’s okay, everyone has their first time to the Crow’s Nest at one point! What would you like?”

“A plate of ‘Kenny’s fries’ will do. And a bottle of… Jetty’s? Do you have a mascot named Jetty too?”

“Nah, that’s just the name of Kenny Crow’s trademark mineral water! It’s good, you wanna try some?”

“Sure. A bottle of that too’s good.”

“Comin’ right up!”

As good as the salmon looked, Lightning only had so much Gil on her to spend at the moment, so spending 1,400 of it on a plate of cooked fish wasn’t a smart option. Instead, she paid the 200 Gil owed for her fries and water and waited patiently until both showed up. Since she was able to enjoy the meal, now all that remained for Lightning was for the “royal retinue” to show up and pick her up for the mission. Joy, she thought without a hint of it in her head. Travelling with strangers she didn’t know or care about in an unfamiliar world. Etro knows what could await her then.

The fries digesting in her gut replenished plenty of energy lost fighting monsters in the infested plains, and the quarter-consumed Jetty’s water bottle helped a plenty. While checking out the “Shop & Café” next door to see if she needed anything from it, Lightning saw an unfamiliar, sleek fancy black car parked in front of where others like it would sit to refill its tank. She would have thought nothing of it, were it not for the four young gentlemen in black clothing close to her (physical; how old she really was as a result of her awakening from stasis was something between only her and her loved ones back home) age range inadvertently proving themselves as the owners of said vehicle.

From the shop window, Lightning picked up on all four faces, opening the documenting profiles she was given on one of the small white tables in the shop. Looking between the clear headshots and the men outside, she had a match. Before being given the chance to pack the documents up, she heard a voice belonging to one of them speak up and get closer to her proximity.

“—Here we are! Finally meeting ex-sergeant Lightning Farron!” the rather perky voice chirped, its source a scrawny spiky-haired, blue-eyed blond with youthful freckles and a weird section of flannel hanging out from under his top. “Man, I’d bet he’s this tall, burly, really hairy fella— probably something like Gladio, but even more gruff than that!” He took a look into the shop she was in, catching the sight of her but not yet fully processing reality. “Yeah, and he’s gotta be really strong with his petite figure; soft, luscious lips pink like the rose, breathtakingly alluring blue eyes, wavy pink hair, and—!” The wide-eyed look on his face quickly informed Lightning the realization struck him quicker than her moniker. “—Is actually an extremely beautiful woman?!”

“Run that by me again?” Lightning questioned, folding her arms and cocking her head to the side.

“Err, uhhh… I—”

Another man stepped in before the first could snap fully out of his stupor, this one taller and more mature looking with slicked up auburn hair and viridescent eyes able to properly see through oval-shaped glasses. He saw her too, only holding up information given to him prior to see if it was right. “‘Lightning Farron’?”

“Who wants to know?” Lightning asked, ever-rigid towards the man with the befittingly fancy accent.

“Ignis S. Scientia, advisor to the Prince of Lucis. I trust you’ve been informed of us by a one Cor Leonis?”

Okay, at least she could be sure they were definitely the right people, now by physical appearance and name in the profiles. “Oh. So, you have to be the ‘royal retinue’ I’ve been put on the escort mission with. In that case, yes.” Lightning gave Ignis a formal salute of honor to show courtesy, not minding his stoic expression not moving an inch from its default form. She ignored the blond examining her at several angles, dismissive of whatever was going on in his head. “Former Sergeant Lightning Farron, at your service, Ignis Scientia. A pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Farron.” Ignis on the other hand gave her a formal half-bow, already on her civil side with his polite first impression.

“Uhhh… huh,” the blond one stuttered, unable to fully digest Lightning’s physical form as if she were some ethereal goddess walking among the mortal realm.

“...Can I help you?” Lightning half-hissed, already running low on patience for that one’s brainless nonsense.

“Don’t mind Prompto, he gets easily befuddled meeting new young women,” Ignis warned her. “Come with me. You might as well make yourself more acquainted with the other two while you’re at it.”

Following Ignis with the one named Prompto not too far behind, Lightning saw only one of the missing two men she had yet to meet. This one she figured to be the tallest, the incredibly muscular build pairing well with the gruff long dark chestnut mullet hairstyle and noticeable scar running down one of his rust-colored eyes. Well put together as he was, Lightning remained unaffected by physical appearance alone, though her hands now rested on her hips with the profiles in her grasp rather than be folded in her stubborn arms.

“And who’s this here, Iggy? Don’t think I’ve ever seen this one around these parts before,” the tall and muscular one mentioned, his tone giving off hints of a flirty vibe.

“Our newest recruit for the journey’s course,” Ignis answered.

“Really? You’re Sergeant Farron, huh?” Now his eyes were on her, almost as carefully as Prompto’s were but a lot less clumsy.

“That’s me.” Lightning skimmed through the files until she found a match on the burly one’s features. “‘Gladiolus Amicitia’, I assume?”

“King’s Shield in the flesh. But, calling me just ‘Gladio’ is perfectly fine. Gotta say, wasn’t expecting such a pretty face like yours to go with a name like ‘Lightning’.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Nah. Cor recruited you for a reason, so you’ve gotta have lots of fighting spirit in ya. Otherwise, the Marshal wouldn’t have even considered you.”

“Experience, I’ve got. ‘Fighting spirit’, on the other hand, is what I’m not allowed to get rid of nowadays.” Lightning unveiled Blazefire Saber, flicking her wrist forward to unfold it into its sword form to both the awe of Gladio and Prompto, and the intrigue of Ignis. “So long as I’ve got this by my side, I’m stuck in the battlefield once again.”

“Some sword you got there, Sarge. A little small if you ask me, though.”

“And why’s it have a trigger?” Prompto wondered, running a finger over the rim until Lightning pulled her gunblade away from his reach. “Just for decor?”

“No, that’s real. When I don’t wanna use the blade, I just shoot my targets.”

Prompto let out a loud gasp of excitement at the revelation, starry eyes now glued to Blazefire Saber. “You use guns too?! Ooh, ooh! Show us a demonstration?! Pleeeease?”

“Rather not. Wouldn’t wanna cause a scene at such a little rest stop.” She folded it back and put it away while Prompto’s face fell disappointed. “It’ll be worth the wait once we get moving.”

“That is, as soon as His Highness comes back. He should be just about finishing up his talk with the Crow’s Nest owner momentarily,” Ignis guessed. “Seems a friend of ours required our assistance, and Noct’s asking for directions on where to find the missing dog tags.”

“As in the one for pets, or the one for soldiers?”

“The second one,” Gladio answered. “I’m sure you’ve had some when you were in the line of duty where you’re from, right?”

Before Lightning could answer the question, footsteps approached the group. Turning her head, she’d found the last of the retinue; the Lucian Prince himself. His photo seemed to add up with his appearance; messily spiked hair blacker than the night sky, eyes a shade of navy blue as modest as his current expression. For royalty, Lightning figured, he certainly didn’t dress the part. How he acted, however, was beyond her knowledge and concern for the time being.

“Hi there,” he greeted her politely. “Guys, who’s this?”

“This, Noctis, would be the team’s latest addition that Cor informed us of,” Ignis told him, the prince’s face shifting to a noticeable disappointment at the news. “I’d like for you to meet former Sergeant Lightning Farron.”

“Oh. So this is who’s joining the team the rest of the way? That’s… great.” You’d have to be deaf to not hear the blatant malcontent in Noctis’ tone, especially so when he looked at Lightning.

“I know, right?!” Prompto cheered, he himself elated at the woman’s presence in stark contrast to his standoffish best friend. “Dude! Her weapon? It’s a gun and a sword all in one! It’s like the 2-in-1 of weapons! You should see it!”

Noctis didn’t seem to entirely believe such a silly claim, merely accepting it as the other boy’s typical excitement at whatever. “Thanks, Prompto, but I’ll have to pass. Alright, and you’re ‘Sergeant Farron’, then?”

“The one and only.” Lightning pulled out His Highness’ profile, looking over his name with a raised pink brow. “‘Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV’. Who has their home as their middle name? You don’t see my name being ‘Lightning Bodhum Farron’ or anything like that.” Then again, Fang and Vanille were two exceptions to that, but even that was based more on Oerban culture than nobility.

“You didn’t exactly see me asking for your help either, and yet here we are.”

“Wow, Princess, mind telling me what just crawled up your ass and died?” Gladio scolded, as taken aback as the other two by Noctis’ snarky comment towards the equivalent of a new guest.

“Recently? A lot of things including my home town,” Noctis bit back. “Look, it’s nothing personal towards someone I don’t even know, but you heard Cor; he didn’t have a reason to worry about us anymore.”

“Him not being worried does not equate to rejecting another pair of hands to ease what lies ahead for us,” Ignis reminded him. “Someone with Lightning’s militant combat experience wouldn’t be anything except highly beneficial.”

“Yeah, so quit acting like a rude little punk in front of the new girl and suck it up,” Gladio growled. “‘Cause from here on out, you’re stuck with her.”

“It’s not my problem on whether or not he wants my help,” Lightning clarified to the elder two of the group, her frigid teal eyes making full contact with Noctis’ cooled midnight ones. “Frankly, Your Highness, you’re not the only one who wishes I wasn’t here right now. But, I still have a mission to complete. So, here’s the deal: we go to Altissia and back to settle what you need to, then after, we part ways forever as if you never even met me. Sound fair?”

“Fine by me,” Noctis agreed, shrugging indifferently.

“It’s fine by me too. Now, quit complaining.”

“Great start,” Gladio sighed sarcastically, not looking forward to any possible future discord between one of his best friends and the ex-soldier.

Lightning waved off Noctis getting inside the car, turning her attention to Prompto still inspecting her like she was some sort of murder suspect. “Okay, what’s with you? If you’re not gonna actually ask me something, then take a picture. It’ll last longer.” FLASH! “...Were you seriously waiting for me to say that just to do it for real?”

“Not exactly, but why pass up such a nice photo op anyways?” Prompto wondered, looking at the new photo of the scowling, but otherwise elegant-looking Lightning taken on his camera. “Wow! You are really photogenic! Of course, I wasn’t exactly expecting you to be a girl in the first place, but either way, it’s a good kind of surprise.”

“You didn’t know I was a girl? How?”

“Well, when I heard we’re joining up with someone named ‘Lightning’, I kinda figured you were… a guy? You don’t hear about a lot of girls called that, anyways.” Prompto had his hands up, Lightning’s scowl giving him the impression she was going to react poorly if he didn’t think his words through well enough. “It’s not a bad thing! Boy or girl, we’re really happy to have you aboard!”

“Most of us, anyways,” Ignis corrected, glancing over at Noctis’ apathetic expression as the prince could only be thinking of how much he didn’t want the extra help from anybody.

“Tomato, tomahto, Igster! Give Noct a little time and he might consider lightning up.”

“Prompto, we haven’t even gotten back on the road yet,” Gladio warned with disdain. “Don’t make Lightning already regret having to travel with us.”

‘Wouldn’t say he’s made me do something that’s already there,’ Lightning scoffed internally, flipping to the last profile. “‘Prompto Argentum’, huh?”

“You got it! My name can mean ‘quicksilver’ if you put it together. So, you could say I’m about as fast as ‘lightning’ myself. Coincidence?”

“More like a cruel irony.” Lightning rolled her eyes openly at Prompto’s flirty comment, but the boy didn’t let up all that much.

“Oooh, so witteh. I can tell you’re gonna do just fine with us!”

The honk of the Regalia’s horn courtesy of Ignis in the driver’s seat cut their conversation even shorter, Prompto hopping into the middle seat next to Gladio in the back. Lightning seemed lost in thought while ensuring everything was with her and accounted for. Once she left that station with the other four, Etro knew how long it’d be until she was finally free to go and be back alongside her actual loved ones she’d worked so hard to have a happy ending with after 500 years worth of utter Hell. That in itself would have to wait; for now, there was one last important task she had to put up with and earn herself a peaceful start over for real.

“Come on, new girl! We don’t wanna hit traffic!” Prompto called out to her, waving his hand high to get her attention.

“Be right there,” Lightning sighed, getting into the leftmost backseat behind the driver’s one and buckling in next to Prompto. “So, what’s our first order of business?”

“We’re meeting up with my sister, Iris, in Lestallum,” Gladio said. “She thankfully made it out okay from the attack on Insomnia.”

“But, she didn’t say to come right away! Just when we’re able to get there,” Prompto stated as the Regalia finally drove away from the Alstor Coernix Station and onto the road. “And word on the street is there’s a Chocobo Ranch not too far away from here! Wouldn’t hurt to check that out, would it?”

“There’s no time for that. Lestallum first, chocobos later,” Gladio retorted, far too concerned about his younger sister to agree to partake in a casual visit just yet.

“Maybe we’ll be able to do both,” Noctis suggested. “But whatever’s the most possible right now is what’s first.”

“Never thought visiting chocobos would be one of the choices,” Lightning commented, already dreading where things possibly might go if they stop at the ranch despite she herself liking the creatures just fine.

“There’s never a wrong time to ride some chocobos. Can’t really blame Prompto for wanting to see the ranch; the big things are pretty cute!” That had to have been the first time Lightning heard Noctis’ voice go up an octave from excitement in her presence, something that surely wouldn’t last next time he was to have an actual conversation with her. “I kinda hope we do stop there first just to see and maybe ride a few.”

‘Nice to see our priorities are where they should be,’ Lightning sarcastically commented in her mind, leaning with her elbow propped on the roofless side window as the road wind blew parts of her roseate hair backwards. “Day one…”

Staring out from the car at her surroundings, Lightning recognized the Alstor Slough, having been the only area she’d actually been in on the current route. Aside from that, no place she’d been in long enough compared to the world she was in now. It went without saying that Lightning was definitely not in Nova Chrysalia (or the long-felled Cocoon, but at least her birthplace didn’t have anything comparable to Eos like her closest bet with the former world’s Gothic city of Luxerion) anymore.

No hunt in any sort of world was a clean job. So much as the most minor of beasts and daemons had their share of messes to deal with, everyone (un)lucky enough to face any quickly figured that out. There was always scratches, cuts, bruises, roughing around in the dirt where the creatures lied. Whatever one was encountered, you’d never escape the way you faced them.

That said, of course, going out into the woods in the dead of night to hunt down a daemonic Jumbo Flan bent solely on crushing any opponents to death was a great way to make the mess of a lifetime. One simple warp strike from Noctis quickly made this abundantly clear, chunks of blue ooze flying out and staining his Engine Blade and parts of his body.

“Just what I needed tonight,” Noctis sighed unhappily, at the last minute deflecting another strike from the gelatinous daemon’s arm extension. “A little help here?”

“Happy to oblige,” Ignis responded, using a fire-based Enhancement to power Noctis up a lot better.

“I owe ya, Specs.” Noctis ran to dodge another crushing jump from the Jumbo Flan, also wanting to find a better angle to strike from. “How’re you guys holding up?”

“Not much differently from you over there!” Gladio grunted, using a Dawnhammer strike down upon the creature’s head. He pulled out his greatsword, not caring that it was covered in a blue substance and continuing to move and strike it. “‘Case you haven’t noticed, this thing ain’t dead yet!”

“I think it’s close to being on its last legs, at least!” Prompto interjected, firing his pistol ammo repeatedly at the target. “Lightning, you doing alright?”

“About as good as it’s gonna get!” Lightning shouted back, using her special Blitz technique to get a wider range of damage with her gunblade’s sword mode. “No one’s resting until this thing’s down!”

“Goes without saying, new girl!” Gladio exclaimed, seeing the Jumbo Flan about to attack Noctis and prevented by doing so by the King’s Shield successfully guarding him from the gooey arm being slammed down on either of them. “I’ve got your back, Noct! But, don’t forget to watch it at the same time!”

“Will do!” Noctis took out a flask containing magic he knew would be able to burn and shock the Jumbo Flan out of existence, silently thanking Ignis’ aid from earlier while it still had time to last him. “This oughta do the trick—!”

Before he had the chance to use it, the daemon knocked it clean from his hands in one swipe. Noctis picked himself up from falling on the ground as soon as it happened, but was too late to grab his flask as it soared across the open and landed in Lightning’s grasp. It thankfully hadn’t gone off on contact, but the woman who caught it only had a fairly basic idea on such a foreign type of magic use involving it. Unknown caution wasn’t the only thing Lightning wound up throwing to the wind. She immediately tossed the dualcasting flask right at the enemy with precision that could give Prompto himself a run for his money, but in doing so burned and near-electrocuted a little more than the Jumbo Flan they were all hunting.

Within agonizing seconds, the intense flames followed by unforgiving shockwaves did their damage to the close-in-proximity team. It’d successfully vanquished the daemon they’d been hunting, but everyone found themselves either screaming in pain or frenzying from aftershocks trying to get rid of the consequences dealt to them. Afterwards, the only remnants of the double spell to name were ruined hair and black char marks coating flesh and clothes alike.

“...That settles that,” Lightning coughed, patting the flames away from singed pink locks. She noticed the Jumbo Flan dissolved into a dark ooze and disappear rather than stay only in an expected form of a blue puddle. “Huh. Can’t say I’ve ever seen a flan like that before.”

“Just like I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone that reckless playing with fire,” Noctis scolded, the last small flame dying out and leaving a ruined patch on his sleeve. “You realize we could have all died there, right, Lightning?”

“Would you rather I didn’t throw it and risk us getting our heads served to us fresh on a platter, Your Highness? Be grateful we even beat it.”

“I’m not saying I’m not, but what I am saying is to aim more for the daemon, and less for the ones trying to beat it.”

“Maybe if you stuck to a more practical way of using Fire and Thunder, then this wouldn’t be a problem. What I don’t get is how it even affected us.” Lightning personally was more used to outright conjuring her magic from herself for ease reasons back when she first had to fight to live. Whoever came up with the idea to stuff it all into a little black orb of confusion that no longer only harmed its target really should have thought things through better, she annoyedly believed.

“Weird. It’s almost like fire is hot to touch and electricity shocks us. I know, I’m as surprised as you are.” Noctis was being entirely sarcastic, something which was clear Lightning couldn’t have cared less for anyways.

“Alright, break it up, kids,” Gladio intervened, forcing the prince and former soldier to end their little argument. “The thing’s dead, so get your asses over it and move on.”

“For once, I’m with Gladio here,” Prompto winced, picking off a dried goo slab off his temple. “I don’t know if you guys could say the same, but I could use me a well-earned bath.”

“It would be best to check into the nearest inn for the night while we clean ourselves up,” Ignis agreed, cleaning off any mess from his stained lenses. “Here’s to hoping we can find one that’s affordable, but in equally high quality.”

“So much for a nice campout under the stars,” Gladio sighed, letting out a disappointed scoff. “We’re a little more well-done than anyone’d like, but a little ooze never hurt anybody.”

“It’s only for one night’s stay, Gladio. We’ll bathe, get a good night’s rest, then be well on our way come morning.”

“Assuming these two don’t kill each other by then.” Gladio peeked over at Lightning picking up the empty flask from the ground, tossing it back to an eye-rolling Noctis who otherwise thanked her for the gesture before going to ignore her as best as he could again. “I seriously don’t get what those two’s problem is with each other. And it’s a lot more besides a little magic hiccup.”

“Who’s to say? All we can do is hope Noct and Lightning come around enough eventually and don’t surpass basic civility as mandatory teammates.”

“In the meantime, let’s hit the road!” Prompto chirped, pointing towards the Regalia’s parking spot. “I heard near here, there’s a new bathhouse with my name on it! Come on? What are we waiting for?”

Both at and pardoning Prompto’s hasty insistence, the weary quintet made their return to the car, everyone getting seated and taking off towards where they knew a good enough inn was without going too far. Noctis took the wheel in getting everyone there, allowing him to focus more on the road and cool off somewhat from the events of what’d just went down. They eventually made it to the inn after a somewhat lengthy drive, finding themselves at the nearby area just a little outside of Leide where they wanted to be.

Checking in had been a tad awkward when it’s five people covered in blue daemon goop also finely charred, but using Ignis’ expert negotiation skills (plus a bit of flirting from Gladio may have helped, but that was well after the fact even though the front desk person was thoroughly won over) helped everyone settle into their stay. The first order of business was getting themselves cleaned up after the messy job they’d just finished taking up. Whatever they needed to deal with could wait until early in the morning; hygiene and duty were in no way to be pitted against each other competitively.

“I’ll be seeing you four after I’m done,” Lightning told them, now wearing only a white towel around her body and a smaller one for her head. “You said we’re all meeting together in the sauna, right?”

“That would be correct,” Ignis answered, confirming what was agreed on before. “Do take as much time as you need getting yourself properly washed up, Lightning. It is the reason we all came here.”

“Kind of a shame the five of us can’t bathe and get to know you more, but it’s probably for the best,” Prompto sighed, disappointed at having to wait to speak more with Lightning.

“After the day we’ve all had, the lady at least deserves her privacy,” Gladio pointed out, playfully slapping Prompto on the back and getting a yelp from the group’s youngest. “‘Sides, nothing wrong with being stuck with your good friend Gladio, huh?”

“Eeyup. Nothing beats that, Big Guy.” Prompto saw Noctis already make his way into the bathhouse with Ignis after having said nothing to their newest member, frowning at his slight aversion to her. “So, we’ll see you on the other side, Lightning! Don’t wait up now!”

“Just— ‘Light’ is fine,” Lightning insisted before Prompto left with Gladio, the blond’s pleased thumbs up telling her the words were heard. She gave an almost quizzical glance back, turning and leaving for the women’s bath seconds following.

Inside of the men’s half of the divided bathhouse, the four bare Lucians were much more relaxed now that they were able to wash themselves free of marks and gunk that built up from the relentless forces of combat. The heated temperatures of the soothing water all four of them sat in aided in making for a peaceful environment, even with Prompto snaking around in it like a hungry shark making dramatic music.

“Dude,” Noctis cut in, knowing fully well what his best friend intended to do. Again, did the so-called music continue followed by another pause. “Prompto.” It continued, this time increasing in speed and volume as the prince’s tone went ignored. “Dude, come on! It’s late, of all the times—!”

“DUN-UUUH!” Prompto interjected, half-leaping at Noctis laughing after he stopped making dramatic music. The Insomnian heir only seemed mildly vexed, but found himself chuckling alongside his friend while playfully shoving him off. “Element of surprise, Noct!”

“Not really much of a ‘surprise’ when you’re humming man-eating shark music.” A bit of water went puckishly slapped at Prompto by Noctis as revenge for jumping at him, the former trying to retaliate fruitlessly while the latter only shielded himself. “Come on, knock it off!”

“Need I remind you both that this is a public bathhouse and not a pool?” Ignis interrupted, not needing his laid down glasses to be able to tell the two youngest boys’ tomfoolery when he sensed it. “It’d be an utter shame to get ourselves kicked out before the night comes close to its end.”

“Lighten up, Specs, we’re getting clean,” Noctis reassured him, fixing the towel on his head after it astoundingly survived Prompto’s playful attack. “There’s no wrong way to bathe, is there?”

“You’d be quite surprised on that one, Noct. Especially considering what plenty of people have done in public bathhouses.”

“It’s just us four, so what could go wrong?” Prompto asked rhetorically, catching himself on the exact accuracy of the sentence. “Well, five, counting our newest addition. Speaking of which.” He leaned over to the wall, knowing the women’s bath was on the other side and hoping nobody else was there and caused him to greatly embarrass himself. “How are you doing on the other side, new girl?! Everything okay?”

“She can’t hear you, doofus; the dividing wall’s solid concrete,” Gladio told him, knocking on the hardened barrier. “And I’m sure Light’s fine. She’s just as tough as the rest of us.” He glanced once at Prompto and Noctis, cockily leaning his back against the tub rim with his arms behind his head. “Well, half of us, anyways.”

“Why, I never!” Prompto let out a scoff, slipping into an almost Cindy-like accent at the fake offense before resuming his normal tone. “All I wanna know is whether or not she’s, like… what’s the word? ‘Feeling it’! With us, that is.”

“Right now, I’m feeling a bit of a warm spot,” Ignis pointed out, noticing a sudden increase in temperature. “...Actually, make that a very warm spot.”

“Is someone messing with the pipes?” Noctis wondered, also detecting a change.

“Who knows? I like it!” Gladio boasted, leaning against the faucet shrugging. “Nothing says ‘nice bath’ like testing the hot water limits.”

“Yeah, for a lobster,” Prompto snorted, striding over to Noctis’ side thinking of something. “So, Noct! While we’re kinda still on the topic, what do you think?”

“Of?” Noctis questioned, rubbing away a smudge planted on his small bicep.

“Of Light! You know, as a girl~.” Prompto’s slightly suggestive tone and wiggling of damp yellow brows immediately let Noctis know what kind of question it was, the prince internally scoffing at the notion.

“She certainly is one, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, no! You know what I mean! Gimme a real answer, dude. And be honest!”

“Persistent tonight, aren’t we, Prompto? Fine…” Noctis thought a little bit on the question, scrounging for whatever scarce responses he could tell his best friend. He didn’t feel anything in particular, but none of it was too negative to instill anything strong in that way either. “Well, Lightning… is an okay enough teammate and really shows her work. I can see why Cor picked her to come with us, but I don’t know what else you want me to say about her.”

“Maybe more on the fact of just how strong she is? How smart she is? The fact that she also looks like an absolute pink goddess?!” Now Prompto found himself getting a bit too carried away about what he knew of Lightning, snapping back enough to focus on the interrogation at hand. “Things like that!”

“Well, she’s strong and pretty smart when not mishandling a little magic flask. I’ll give her those at least, but she’s here to do her job until we reach Altissia, and that’s that.” Noctis could see the disappointed feeling in Prompto’s eyes, feeling a little bad but knowing there was nothing he could do to help it. “Sorry, dude, that’s all I really care to say about her. End of story.”

Prompto nudged Noctis with a bare elbow, prodding more into a fruitful possibility. “Then make room for the epilogue and give the lady a chance! For all you know, you and Light might have plenty in common if you got to know her some!”

“Why is it I seriously doubt that?”

“Because you’re not trying hard enough?”

“Yeah, well, right now I’m trying to have myself a nice bath. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll do just that tonight…” Noctis sank a little more into the water, the towel on his head sitting as idly as he was sighing.

Prompto shrugged, giving up on it for the time being since he’d only be putting himself in a time loop of vague indifference. “Alright, dude. You do you, and I’ll do me—” He tried sinking into the water like his best friend, only to shoot up in pain when he realized the water exceeded its comfort zone into nigh-boiling temperatures. “—Trying not to get cooked like a lobster! Is that you doing that, Big Guy?!”

“Could be,” Gladio snickered, blatantly turning the faucet to add more scalding water to the tub. “Can’t take the heat, get out of the bath. Just like the old saying goes.”

“Then my old saying goes ‘turn down the damn water before we get boiled alive taking a bath’!” Noctis butted in, joining Prompto in fighting for control over the faucet, made difficult by Gladio’s strength easily keeping them away despite their persistent struggle. “Come on! You’re making it way too hot!”

“What’s that? ‘Make it way too hot’? If you say so, Princess!” Knowing full well Noctis said the exact opposite, Gladio kept at cranking the heat up to the younger two’s discomfort.

Ignis for the most part endured the other three’s squabble with a grain of salt, only to opt for getting up and concluding his bath early when the water levels got too scalding even for him. Fixing his glasses over his eyes again, he mentally prayed to any Astral willing to comply that the bath would survive the night, nevermind his dear brothers-in-arms causing a scene. Contrary to what Gladio believed earlier, on the other side in the otherwise vacant women’s bath was Lightning, who’d barely finished cleaning her body when she found herself grimacing at the noise she could hear loud enough from her spot in the toasty water. Rolling her eyes, the physically 21-year old wrung out the dampness in her pink hair and rinsed off her body suds despite the commotion.

“Those guys are pretty damn rowdy, that’s for sure,” Lightning scoffed, sinking a little into the water trying to relax to her best ability. “Leave it to them to make even a bathhouse trip feeling long as Hell.”

Nobody thankfully got themselves banned from using the public bath in anymore possible future stays at the inn, but everyone agreed it was best to move onto the sauna as soon as possible. Unlike the bathhouse and showers, it was co-ed and enjoyable for all five of them altogether. Ignis had been waiting patiently for everyone else to finish so as to avoid overheating by himself in the room (how the other three boys were still willing to expose themselves to extra heat after Gladio nearly cooked them alive was honestly beyond him), but nonetheless was the first one in. Following him were the remaining three hailing from Lucis taking their seats in towels only, Lightning joining them last and taking a seat between Noctis and Prompto. The latter was more than eager on the matter, but the former only sighed apathetically.

“What? Does ‘His Highness’ have a problem with me sitting here?” Lightning asked in a scoff, giving Noctis her traditional flinty look.

“Nah,” Noctis responded without lying. “Do what you want; I’m no one to stop you.”

“Good to hear, because I have no plans on moving.”

“Cool. Just sit there and let us both sweat in peace.”

Prompto had to hand it to Noctis in some way. Though he knew the prince not to be the type to feel any physical concern towards the opposite sex too easily (unless it was a certain Tenebraen Oracle he’d been close to for a good decade), he for one felt his stomach doing leaps for gold just by sitting next to such a fine, almost ethereally beautiful young woman in only her towel. It was more out of basic nervousness than anything too extreme, but no one was leaving the sauna after only a few short seconds of sitting, so he was gonna make do while the time was ripe. Clearing his throat, he earned himself a raised eyebrow from Lightning, sheepishly picking up from it so as not to look like a weirdo to the new girl and make the moment good.

“So! Lightning— I mean, Light! You, uhh, feeling it?” was what came out of Prompto’s mouth, immediately regretting it by the skeptical look on the girl’s face.

“Excuse me?” Lightning interrogated.

“No, I didn’t mean anything dirty or whatever by it! What I do mean is… how are you feeling? Right now.”

“Warm and sweaty. How else am I supposed to feel in a sauna?”

“He’s asking whether or not you feel more incorporated among us all,” Ignis translated. “And since the question is at hand, how are you feeling so far on the mission with us, if I might also ask?”

“Oh. In that case, I can’t complain too much. There’s still a lot about this place I need to get used to, but that shouldn’t get in my way too much.” Lightning glanced at Noctis, who wasn’t so much as making eye contact with her, but not out of malice or spite. “I think the prince over here might still be more steamed about your weird flasks than he is in the sauna.”

“I’m over it,” Noctis corrected. “I just think you shouldn’t forget magic’s not a toy is all.”

“Believe me, I’ve used more than my share of spells, for your information. My question is how you can make some kind of bomb out of it that easy.”

“You can use the flask to draw out elemental veins whenever we make a pit stop,” Gladio explained. “Noct here gets what he needs from certain spots, and like that, we’ve got our magic for the time being.”

“Think of it as sorta like… magical apple-picking,” Prompto pointed out. “You can also put together different spells in the same flask to get something really cool!”

“At the same time?” Lightning inquired, getting nods from all except Noctis. “I’ve never heard of that until now. I’m more used to doing magic one at a time. ...And magic that doesn’t affect more than just the target.”

“Why wouldn’t it?” Gladio wondered, unsure of what Lightning meant. “You get caught in a Fire spell gone wrong, you burn. Caught in a Blizzard spell, then you freeze your ass off. That’s common physics there, Sarge.”

“Where was it you said you were from, Lightning?” Ignis inquired, a tad suspicious. “You’ve said it wasn’t a place anywhere near here, but even the most faraway of areas are fully aware of proper magic use.”

“Somewhere you’re definitely not familiar with,” was the only answer Lightning had to give. “That’s all you need to know, so leave it there.”

“Oh, now, don’t be so shy, Light!” Prompto insisted. “We wanna get to know you better, so at least give us a little hint! How else are we gonna learn anything?”

“There’s only so much info you need for me to tell you all about. For now, just leave it at me not being from where any of you are and end it there—”

In the middle of speaking, Lightning felt a sudden weight fall upon her shoulder. Coming back down from her talk did she look and realized Noctis hadn’t just fallen asleep (no surprise there, and that was disregarding how cozy the sauna must have felt to him), but chosen the side of her body as the unfortunate cushion to sustain his exposed top half. Pale blue eyes rolled at the prince’s apparent narcolepsy, trying to shove him off of her to no avail. How in Etro’s name did he suddenly feel heavier when asleep? Or was she seriously underestimating the power of tired royalty that didn’t want to wake up too soon?

“Time and place!” Lightning groused, repeatedly batting her palm against Noctis’ face, getting no reaction from him. “Wake up, will you?” He only muttered in his sleep and slouched more against her unknowingly, Lightning shoving him upwards. “Noctis! That’s enough.”

Unfortunately for Lightning, Noctis only sat upright for a second or two before descending upon her lap and slumbering even harder, if possible. Groaning, she found herself unable to move as freely with the unwanted extra person using her as a human pillow for a poorly-timed nap. She only looked up at the sound of a few camera shutters going off, glaring at Prompto now having some brand new embarrassing photos to hold against his friend later. Gladio was equally amused and openly snickering; even Ignis seemed to be almost smirking behind the side of his fist covering the creased up corners of his mouth.

“I’m not finding this to be anything like a joke, so quit laughing,” Lightning scolded the other three. “How do you guys wake him up?”

“Rather bold of you to assume it’s easy for us to awaken Noct after he’s fallen asleep,” Ignis pointed out, the look on his face unchanged. “Not even the worst of tremors nevermind an alarm clock could get him up and ready to start the day early.”

“Or a huge thunderstorm,” Prompto added, recalling his time in high school with Noctis. “I asked him if he heard it when we got to school that day and he didn’t even have a clue it happened until after I brought it up!”

“Point being, he ain’t waking up anytime soon, so looks like you’re stuck with him like that until he actually does,” Gladio teased. “Besides, this is the closest I’ve seen you two together, gotta say.”

“Not on my watch, it’s not,” Lightning protested, standing up with her towel gripped in one hand while the other hefted Noctis over her shoulder like a giant flour sack. “I’m not sitting here acting like His Highness’ royal throw pillow instead of finishing up my hard-earned bath.”

“And how do you think you’re gonna somehow wake him up?”

“Easy. I’m hitting the showers early.”

Saying nothing else, Lightning carried Noctis out of the sauna room and headed towards where the individual showers were. The towel around his waist seemed halfway tempted into slipping from its host and revealing the indecency underneath, but it was ultimately kept more up by the more free of Lightning’s back wrists. Not caring for the moment that she was trespassing in the men’s shower room, she propped Noctis up so he leaned against the wall. He started to roll and slump to the side, but she caught him in time and readjusted him to her liking.

“There we go,” Lightning decided, brushing her hands off and turning to make her leave. “Simple and— CLEAN!” The victory proved short-lived when Noctis— still in a deep sleep— fell forward and pinned the woman chest-first to the ground. ‘You can’t be serious right now. How is he sleeping through this?!’

Lightning practically slammed Noctis against the shower wall, giving up on having him stand and letting him at least sit upright on the damp shower floor only prevented from touching the rear by the prince’s complementary towel. Close enough, she decided. Turning the shower head towards Noctis’ face and on came the water, spraying him directly in the area at the same time Lightning turned and left for her own shower.

“Hnn…? Morning already?” Noctis yawned, only a bit mildly disoriented when the shower’s rain made him come to. He wiped the water from his face, turning off the water after standing up and looking at where he was by himself. ‘Guess I’m some kind of sleepwalker because I have no idea how I just got here.’

“Oh, look, Sleeping Beauty’s finally awake,” he heard Gladio’s voice pipe in, Noctis turning and seeing his other three friends enter the shower for their cooldown session together. “Guess Light did the almost-impossible after all.”

“She wasn’t in here. Was she?”

“Did you think you simply waltzed right in here on your own?” Ignis inquired, taking Noctis’ soggy, damp towel and hanging it somewhere to dry enough rather than have it interfere with a proper shower. “A lot of things you could be, but a somnambulist isn’t one of them, I’m afraid.”

“But, what you are is an affectionate sleeper, apparently,” Prompto teased, waggling his camera full of promising new snapshots. “Wanna see? You looked cute as a kitten all curled up on Light’s lap!”

“The Hell are you talking about…?” Noctis breathed, not understanding at all what was going on.

“Why don’t you come over and see, mi compadre? Managed to get a few before you woke up.”

Noctis did as suggested and couldn’t believe his eyes. There he was in the photographs clear on Prompto’s beloved camera; sleeping, yes, but right on Lightning’s shoulder?! How in the Six did that happen? He would never! Consecutive pictures only made the prince’s cheeks burn redder, now being shown proof that he’d migrated his way to lying in her lap to her understandable chagrin. He glared at his snickering blond friend, figuring him to be the definite mastermind behind such humiliating snapshots.

“To think I was worried you’d never give Light a chance too!” Prompto laughed. “So happy I was wrong for once!”

“Not funny, Prompto,” Noctis growled, the embarrassed red not letting up even slightly. “You had to have set me up like that. I just know it!”

“Who, me? Couldn’t be! So, it wasn’t.”

“Then who if you say you didn’t? One of you two? Low blow, I gotta say.” Noctis pointed his accusatory finger at Gladio and Ignis, thinking them to be some degree of the culprit if not accomplices.

“More like you did it to yourself, Lover Boy,” Gladio broke it to him bluntly, still finding the situation amusing. “Next time, try not taking a nap in the sauna and this wouldn’t be a problem.”

“And it isn’t as though no efforts were made to awaken you. Light certainly tried, but you simply wouldn’t budge, as usual,” Ignis informed him, feeling a need to subtly tease Noctis on the matter without making it a bigger deal than it ought to be. The rather complacent look hidden in his eyes further said it all, as the flustered prince could tell by examining them. “At the very least, you did look awfully comfortable resting on her. Really a shame she didn’t agree with the notion.”

He’d long stopped looking at the photos that he severely doubted Prompto was going to get rid of anytime soon, but nothing could quell the mortification Noctis felt. Not so much at falling asleep in public; there were very few “wrong” places to nap, but in this case, on the new teammate certainly fit the qualifications for being less than ideal of a rest area. Turning off the shower and grabbing his dewy towel, Noctis excused himself out of the room, wondering if he’d stuck his head long enough in the bath that it’d drown out at least the moment’s shame.

The attempt went unsuccessful, many thanks to the immediate intervention of Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio all grabbing Noctis and pulling him back into the shower room until everyone was done. So much for that, the Lucian heir sighed in his thoughts. At that rate, the only thing to do was cool himself off under the refreshing streams of the shower and hope it’d be enough to wash away all he found burdensome from recent hours.

“So, how’s this gonna work?” Gladio asked later that night in the hotel room, everyone dressed more or less to sleep. “Two beds and five people doesn’t add up.”

“That means one of us has to rest on the sofa for tonight,” Ignis concluded, gesturing to the cushioned loveseat in the corner of the room near the window.

“I’ll do it,” Lightning volunteered without any hint of reluctance in her voice. “Sitting in a sauna with you guys is one thing; it’s another to sleep in the same bed with one of you.”

“Wait a second, Light!” Prompto objected, stopping the woman from setting up shop on the person-sized sofa. “I’m sure it’s not too shabby, but a bed would be a lot more comfy, don’t you think?”

“Trust me, I’ll live. I’ve dealt with worse than sleeping on a sofa. Besides, it’s only for tonight since we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Still, a lady deserves a good night’s sleep on a nice mattress. Tell you what; you and I can switch places for the stay so you can get some shut-eye.”

“You don’t have to do that, Prompto. I’m sleeping on a sofa, not in a spiked coffin.”

“I know I don’t, but I insist! Though…” Prompto glanced at the bed he almost slept in, occupied by one other person. “Looks like you’re gonna have to bunk with Noct for tonight.”

“What?!” Noctis and Lightning snapped in unison, exchanging a glance when they realized they’d spoken at the same time before turning away just as quickly.

“There is no way I’m bunking with him,” Lightning argued, moving Prompto aside to put her things on the sofa. “You’re free to, but I’ve had enough of being used as His Highness’ headrest.”

“Aww, Lightning, it won’t be so bad!” Prompto insisted, still preventing her from moving onto the cushions. “You already know he sleeps like a rock, so it’s almost like you’ve got an entire bed to yourself. Or, more like half the bed since there’s still someone else sleeping in it.”

“Just do whatever you want. I just wanna get some sleep,” Noctis yawned at Lightning, already turning over and getting cozy under the sheets. “Your choice, Farron.”

Sneering at Noctis’ apathy, Lightning’s tired mind and body wound up giving into the plush mattress’ rampant seduction. She went over and dropped her stuff and herself on the side of the bed closest to the door, pulling her share of the covers forward for warmth. Prompto seemed pleased at her choice, making himself as comfy as he could on the hotel sofa and adjusting properly to rest well for the next day.

“I don’t want anymore sudden tricks after earlier, Prince,” Lightning warned Noctis, their backs still to each other but her arm reaching behind her to point to him sternly. “You stay on your side, and I’ll happily stay on mine.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Noctis responded indifferently, stirring a bit so he could get cozy on his half of the bed after the room lights went off. “Night, guys.”

Everyone exchanged their brief goodnight biddings and drifted asleep one by one. Lightning felt the covers slip off her body in her sleep, groaning irritably and reaching back so she could steal them again. In doing so, however, the blankets got caught in the middle courtesy of Noctis gripping them without the willingness to give up even a portion. Both bedmates snarled at a low volume, engaging in a sleepy tug-of-war for nighttime warmth until Lightning proved victorious and balled herself up in her prize.

Though just as tired, Noctis refused to lay idly by and freeze to death in his coveted sleep. Gripping a section of blankets, he yanked them forward to cover himself, Lightning rolling over and into his back in the process. She felt far too tired to fight anymore, going as far as reaching her arm over in a way she believed was grabbing the blanket rim to safeguard it from her opponent. Drifting off further into slumber’s embrace, Noctis and Lightning only shifted slightly and put themselves into positions they weren’t consciously aware of, finding just the right way for both of them to sleep the hours away until the day’s and everyone’s wake.

Incoherently heard the next morning were voices muffled by the prince and ex-soldier’s slumbers. Noctis being too far gone to so much as blink his eyes open, Lightning was the one to step closer to the land of the living. She wasn’t fully awake yet, but could pick up on the words being said around them by their teammates.

“Now isn’t that cute? They look so comfy together,” Gladio snorted, shaking and batting Noctis to resuscitate him for the day. “Rise and shine, Princess. Might wanna take a good look at yourself, by the way.”

“Five more minutes…” Noctis snored, hugging whatever was in his arms close to his chest.

“Let go of me…” Lightning yawned, reaching to rub her eyes when it hit her. “What the…?”

“I’ll be up soon, just gimme—” It hit Noctis too, realizing his embrace snatched a pair of forearms. For once, he snapped awake, looking down at what he was cuddling then turning around stunned as reality set in for him too.

As it turned out, not only did Noctis use Lightning’s arms as a makeshift teddy bear the entire night with her chin on one of his shoulders, but the pink-haired woman herself had said limbs hanging over and under his torso’s side and her right leg arched over his hips in a messy, almost-spooning position neither of them consciously put themselves in. They didn’t even look at each other for a full second before jumping away and scrambling out of the bed as if caught in a scandalous pose together. Both of their cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Lightning gathering her cleaned day clothes and running into the bathroom for privacy while Noctis opted for hurriedly dressing in one of the room corners.

“Why the sudden morning rush, Noct?” Gladio asked derisively, knowing full well what’d gotten the prince’s goat.

“Shut up, you know why,” Noctis growled, agitated while throwing the rest of his outfit on before fighting with his socks and boots.

“Hey, we didn’t say anything,” Prompto joked. “Just that you and Light looked even cozier together than in the sauna. And she fell asleep on you back, too!”

“I don’t wanna hear it. Let’s hit the road already.”

Lightning came out fully dressed and ready to leave, but in one swift motion without stopping did she grab her belongings and rush out the room to meet everyone at the Regalia outside. The boys all followed after, Noctis in no more of a hurry than his friends so he wouldn’t have to face Lightning after that (and that was pardoning his hopes of not sitting next to her in the car either). En route to the front desk for checkout, Noctis swore he saw Ignis secretly glance at him every now and again, the notion more or less confirmed when he spoke after it was mostly the two of them in earshot.

“There’s a chance last night’s incidents wouldn’t have seemed so awful if you’d warmed up a bit towards Lightning,” Ignis suggested. “I’m in no way forcing you into anything, but were you to give her more of a chance, I’d say you two could get along better. Perhaps you might even come to fancy her.”

“Me? Like her? Get real, Ignis,” Noctis scoffed, looking at Lightning in the short distance and believing the thought even less. “I’ll deal with having her as an extra teammate, but that’s where I’m drawing the line.”

“Very well then. A word of caution, though, Noct?”

“Sure, what?”

Ignis’ mouth turned up to a smirk, his matching tone solidifying for Noctis which side his advisor friend was on. “Do try not to sleep too much on the idea. I think you may have done plenty of that in recent hours.”

The minute he’d said that and went off to manage checking everyone out of the hotel like nothing had happened, Noctis in further chagrined disbelief realized what the absolute worst thing about betrayal was:

Yet another afternoon came for the group of five on a mission to set up camp for the approaching evening. Since they were going to be outdoors for the remainder of the late day following a recent, particularly difficult task against the Empire in another part of Duscae, Ignis took the time to get started on cooking the upcoming meal while Gladio and Lightning helped set up the heavier parts of camp. As he was setting up and gathering ingredients for what he intended to cook, Ignis realized he couldn’t find it anywhere. After a bit more searching, the closest he came to any results was finding the container he normally kept it in, only to open it and see nothing inside visible to the naked eye.

“Fantastic…” Ignis sighed in disappointment, hanging his head slightly. “Now what am I to do?”

“How’s dinner coming along?” Lightning asked, walking over to Ignis after camp was done being set up. “Do you need a hand?”

“A little more than that. I’d be happy to accept the offer were it not for the fact that I’ve run short of a very important ingredient.”

“What was it?”

“I needed a small pinch of kettier ginger for tonight’s dish, but it seems it’s going to have to wait until I can acquire some more.” A thought came to Ignis’ brilliant mind, the possibility not one that had any dire consequences to really name. “Light, you wouldn’t mind going to retrieve some while I prepare the rest of the food in lieu of the main dish?”

“I don’t even know what kettier ginger is, nevermind where to find it. And you’re sure you didn’t just make it up?”

“Lightning, I assure you, the spice is as real as can be. I wouldn’t ask you to find something that’s pure make-believe, would I?”

“No… I guess not. Okay, even if it is an actual thing, where was the last place you bought this— kettle ginger, or whatever it was?”

“Kettier ginger, my friend. As for the recent whereabouts of it, there are two places that come to mind. The first is the Furloch Farms shop, but that’s all the way in Lestallum and would take far too long to acquire. And that’s without considering it possibly being closed by now.”

“What’s the second?”

“If memory serves, Takka might have some leftover at the Pit Stop. Maybe check with him?”

“Right, I see. And… who’s Takka?” Lightning scratched her head, the vague instructions not getting through to her in the slightest.

“Oh, sorry, you’ve never met. He’s an associate of Cindy’s grandfather and runs his own diner in Hammerhead. If I entrust you with the directions, there’s no way you could miss it.”

“That’s assuming he even has the ginger to begin with. Besides, maybe it’ll turn up just in time for dinner.”

“I highly doubt that last part, but there’s no harm in asking anyways. Especially considering what I could potentially use it for in the future were someone to procure it for me.”

“Like?”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be anything special. Perhaps a simple rib-eye from the finest of behemoth meat? Cooked medium-rare, even, to tickle the fancy of anyone interested in eating it?”

Lightning froze in her tracks at Ignis’ “casual” mention of the hinted behemoth steak. It’d been over hundreds of years since she’d last gotten to sink her teeth into her favorite dish; medium-rare and juicy, exactly the way she always made it to her liking. Swallowing the drool building up in her mouth didn’t seem to hide how considerably peckish she’d become by the mention alone, something that went easily detected by Ignis. His face couldn’t be seen where she was standing, but Lightning still had the feeling she was right.

“That’s right, now that I mention it…” Ignis brought up, his tone self-satisfactory and utterly baitful while turning his head slowly with a bit of a glint to his eyewear. The smirk now on his face all but solidified his intentions of striking a deal with the woman. “You haven’t yet gotten the chance to enjoy any behemoth steak recently. Have you, Light?”

“I didn’t say that,” Lightning fibbed, unconsciously licking the corner of her mouth. The growl of her stomach that proceeded gave her right away, her eyes glaring irritably at her treacherous gut for doing so.

“Actions speak louder than words, and so it seems your stomach does as well. So, what will it be? You find me more ginger in exchange for the biggest, most succulent behemoth steak of your lifetime? It would benefit both parties, and could be quite the opportunity. What’s say you?”

Damn this man in knowing how to get into one’s head through their hunger. Lightning did not consider herself somebody easy to bribe for any sort of reason. But, the task was relatively harmless, albeit just a little close to tedious in naming a flaw. And like Ignis pointed out; it’d be a win-win situation for both sides. He’d have his precious ingredient, and she one of those days would sink her teeth into the reward of a lifetime. After all, there wasn’t any harm in doing a new friend a favor…

“Where in Hammerhead is this ‘Takka’, did you say?” Lightning questioned, indirectly agreeing to Ignis’ task.

“It’s a diner by the name of ‘Takka’s Pit Stop’,” Ignis instructed, pleased to know a reasonable deal had been successfully made. “I’ll send you off with the directions, but use caution while you’re away.”

“Don’t worry about me, it’s just ginger. I’ll be back before you can say you’ve ‘come up with a new recipe’.” Lightning playfully mimicked Ignis accent and all in saying his infamous cooking phrase, earning a mildly amused expression from the team tactician.

“Cheeky. Now, come back as soon as you have it, and I’ll see you then.”

Promising to do just that on her quest, Lightning waited for Ignis to send her the directions to her new smartphone (not that anything was wrong with the old one she had still from centuries back in Palumpolum, in her opinion, but the “science-fiction film device” had to seriously go according to Ignis himself) so she knew where to go. After that was done, she tracked down Takka’s restaurant on foot, not yet trusting herself enough to drive the “backwards” Regalia they’d just gotten back from the enemy base. Ignis had a feeling the task wasn’t going to go as smoothly as he’d hoped at this rate, but his inadvertent solution quickly came in the form of who was (un?)fortunate enough to walk up next.

“Everything going okay, Specs?” Noctis wondered. “Any clue when dinner’s gonna be ready?”

“Not for a while; it seems I’ve run out of the kettier ginger, which I really needed for tonight’s main dish,” Ignis told him.

“That’s all? You want me to go get some? I think Takka might have some to spare if you’d like me driving back to Hammerhead to check.”

“Oh, no need to do that. I already sent—”

Ignis stopped himself when his brain hatched another idea. In the case that Lightning encountered any speed bumps in running the errand (not that he had a lack of faith in her; it was just him being reasonably concerned, regardless), sending another person to speed up getting the ginger would ensure it got done on time. And who better than Noctis? Of everyone within the group who still had yet to warm up to their new teammate as a friend, he was the only one remaining. He in a way also had to commend his beloved liege for being such a stickler to his own bullheadedness, but keeping his indifferent distance from a girl like Lightning realistically wouldn’t last forever anyways even for someone as timid as Noctis.

It seemed having dinner finished on time wasn’t the only thing Ignis decided to hasten. Why not see how the scenario goes down just once?

“On second thought,” Ignis corrected himself, “I wouldn’t mind if you did find some for me. Takka ought to have some in stock for me to borrow, I’m sure.”

“Consider it done, then,” Noctis agreed easily, wanting to help his glasses-wearing friend out. “How hard could it be to find a little kettier ginger?”

“Be sure not to dally and come back before sundown. And do stay safe, but wary while you’re out; I don’t want you trying to bite off far more than you can chew.”

“I’ll live, Ignis. I know what goes on after dark. Besides, the only thing you’ll have to worry about me ‘biting and chewing’ is your delicious cooking.”

“I assure you, you won’t see anything less. Now, run along, and hurry back in one piece.”

Noctis declared himself ready to set off to do the new miniature quest and got behind the Regalia’s wheel with the keys. He drove away from where it was parked, following the correct way to Hammerhead while the sun was still fairly high enough in the sky to guide him. Along the road, his rearview mirror picked up on something up ahead that certainly caught his attention for once. The black clothes with different modest color streaks and belts were one thing, but the wavy roseate hair on the same body made it click on who was choosing to walk off for reasons Noctis wasn’t aware of. Rolling his eyes rather amused, he pulled over and slowed his driving to match a proper walking speed.

“Need a ride, Miss?” Noctis snickered, getting a surprised head turn from Lightning when she’d heard him. She continued to walk stubbornly, but he wasn’t stopping the car anytime soon or turning to leave her behind. “It’s a ways away from where you’re going, I’d bet.”

“Gonna have to take a raincheck, I’m already making progress,” Lightning scoffed, not even looking at him. “If I don’t stop, I’ll be there within the hour.”

“How about being there within the half-hour or less by car? Where are you going and why didn’t you just ask me for the keys to the Regalia to make your life easier?”

“I’m shocked you’re even asking, but if you must know, Ignis asked me to fetch him something from Hammerhead. I’ve already started getting there, so buzz off and turn back.”

“Hammerhead? It wasn’t… kettier ginger he wants you to pick up, was it?”

“What’s it to ya? I get what Ignis asked me to, then I’ll head straight back to camp with it and myself intact.”

He took that as a yes, then. Noctis had severe doubts Ignis would carelessly send him to do something he’d asked another by accident, so that meant— to the prince’s reluctance— he’d be stuck working with Lightning of all people to retrieve the kettier ginger. Since there was no getting her to change her mind or anything of the sort, either, the piper was getting paid handsomely and Noctis was left with the regrettable debt of it. No matter, he’d just get it over and done with so quickly that both of them could easily forget it ever happened.

“Get in,” Noctis told her, pointing his thumb to the passenger’s seat. “I’ll give you a lift there since we’re both running the same errand.”

“Are you serious? Does Ignis not trust me or something?” Lightning bit.

“Trust me, it’s not that. Just let me drive us there to make it quicker, or do you wanna risk dinner getting spoiled because you took forever to so much as reach the diner?”

“I’m sure I won’t be that long on foot. Directions say it’s only a few miles down the road.”

“Miles that’d be reached faster by car. Or, if you want, I let you walk while I drive and get the ginger, then everyone’s gonna wonder where the Hell you wandered off to when I return. Which sounds like the better option?”

Scowling at her finest with her rosy lips pursed, Lightning huffily stormed over to the Regalia’s other door and climbed into the passenger’s seat before buckling up. Noctis seemed almost smug at having won the argument, laughing a little to himself at how pouty he noticed Lightning now looked sitting next to him. At least on the bright side for either party, the ginger would be theirs, and it was a hearty night of being off each other’s cases for as long as humanly possible.

They arrived at the destination spot in Hammerhead within minutes of silent driving, Noctis mentally rubbing it in Lightning’s face at having once again proved his own point. She ignored his aura without second thought, marching into “Takka’s Pit Stop”, memorable to her only by the obvious sign and windmill towering above it. Noctis followed her inside, a little taken aback by how hasty she’d made her way up to the counter in what felt like only half a heartbeat.

“Hey there!” the bald, dark-skinned man with the Southern accent Lightning could only assume was Takka greeted, waving to both her and Noctis. “Good to see y’all again. Mind if I ask about who the lady here is?”

The question was more directed towards Noctis, but Lightning stepped in first to introduce herself. “Lightning Farron. Temporarily accompanying His Highness until the assigned city. You’re ‘Takka’, I can assume?”

“That’s me, right here in my diner! Nice ta meet ya.” Takka gave Lightning a hand to shake, which she did so briefly and allowed him to turn back to Noctis. “Y’never told me ya added a fourth person to yer retinue. Ya close with ‘er?”

“Not really,” Noctis sighed, reluctant at being asked about his newest teammate. “But once we reach Altissia, that won’t even matter anymore.”

“Aww, buck up! You never know what’ll happen by then. So, what brings you two here, anyways?”

“Ginger,” Lightning answered. “Ignis said you have kettier ginger, and we need some to use.”

Takka frowned at her response, eyes shifting behind the counter solemnly. “Ooh, sorry, ma’am. Afraid my shipments of it won’t be comin’ in for at least another hour. If ya came a little later, then I might’ve been able ta spare some right away!”

“Seriously?” The disappointment was clear in Lightning’s voice, Noctis feeling the same way but not making it known. “How long’s it gonna take for them to arrive?”

“Should be a good hour or two, so it ain’t too bad! Though, since yer both here already, I was thinkin’ y’all could do me a small favor.”

“What’s the task this time?” Noctis questioned, humorous. “Hope it’s a challenge you have in mind.”

“Oh, it’s a doozy! Trust me. If neither of ya mind, I’ve been needin’ ta get my hands on a Catoblepas Brisket for somethin’ I’ve been meanin’ to try. Up for the test?”

Without giving Noctis the change to do anything past opening his mouth to speak, Lightning stepped in front of him with her own bold decision. “We’ll do it,” she agreed without hesitation.

“Eager now, ain’t we?” Takka laughed. “If ya think yer that ready, go on ahead off and find the biggest Catoblepas possible. Just be careful out there, ya hear?”

“We won’t let you down,” Noctis promised, running after Lightning when she’d left without saying much of anything else. He got behind the Regalia’s wheel again, honking the horn once when the girl started going off on foot. “Going somewhere?”

“To hunt down a Catoblepas,” Lightning answered, matter-of-factly.

“And do you know what a Catoblepas looks like or is?”

“Doesn’t matter. Target’s a target, and I’m taking it out.” She really didn’t have anywhere close to a clue on what the beast looked like nevermind where it was, but cared just as little for the love of her goal.

“You’re not the only one doing the hunt, Farron. Maybe try slowing down and actually waiting to find out more about it instead of agreeing to something you don’t know the full details of.”

“If you think you know so much, then how do you propose we find the beast?”

“I think I know where to find someone that might have a clue. But to ask him, you need to get in the car since I can’t drive off without you.”

“Fine.” Lightning reluctantly climbed into the passenger’s seat again, buckling up and pointing ahead. “Drive away.”

And Noctis got to doing just that. It wasn’t a far drive from Hammerhead to the station from whence Lightning came and joined, but the quest itself felt like more of an eternity than usual. Not that he felt any scorn towards her, really, but of all the people to deal with in Eos to be sent on a long errand with (thanks to Ignis; he was SO getting it later for this), it of course just had to be the girl he was trying not to pay any mind to when he nothing called for it. There wasn’t anything that could be done about it, so for the rest of the night, he was gonna man up and take it in as much stride as he thought possible.

But as far as he’d been concerned, that was far easier said than it was done.

“Well, look who it is!” the owner of the Crow’s Nest in Alstor beamed when Noctis and Lightning entered. “His Highness and the nice pink-haired girl from way back when! I didn’t know you two knew each other!”

“We didn’t at the time you’re thinking of,” Lightning corrected him. “Listen, we need to do a favor for someone, and it involves hunting down a… Cato—? Cat, what was it? Name escapes me.”

“A Catoblepas,” Noctis emphasized, leaning against the counter. “Would you happen to know where any are ‘round these parts?”

“I sure do!” The owner took out a wanted poster with a photo of the titanic beast and its death reward. “Big fella’s been causing nothing but habitat destruction, so if you two could take care of that, I’ll make it worth your whiles big time.”

“Not ‘if’. We will,” Lightning swore, taking the poster for its details. “Noctis, we’re out of here.”

“We’ll be… back after it’s dead,” Noctis told the owner as a farewell, running hurriedly after Lightning right after. “Wait up already!”

Noctis and Lightning ventured across the street according to their new lead, hopping over the road barricades and wandering out to the wilderness. From glancing at Lightning’s stone-hard focus on the poster and her surroundings, Noctis could easily tell something was motivating her. Was she really doing it from an apparent kindness of her icy heart? A favor for Ignis was thoughtful, sure, but even the things he asked Noctis to do weren’t taken as if it were a life-or-death situation. Whatever her reason was, she was more than free to do so, no matter how somewhat curious Noctis was of her militant-level focus.

“Any luck?” Noctis asked her, almost jokingly considering it was hard to miss a live Catoblepas.

“No,” Lightning answered seriously. “But I don’t want you slacking behind while we’re out here. I’ll have your back, but there’s no time to waste.”

“Hasty, aren’t we? What? You that scared of the road daemons? I figured ‘Sergeant Farron’ didn’t fear anything.”

“Even if overpowered monsters weren’t part of the reason, there’s a fine line between being afraid and being a coward. And I’m definitely not the latter.”

“Oh, excuse me, then.” Noctis had his hands up pseudo-defensively, pretending to be taken aback by Lightning’s expected curt tongue while using his own sarcastic one. “I wouldn’t dare call ‘the great, almighty Lightning’ a coward. Because she can just do anything.”

“Just like the ‘esteemed, nobility-bred Prince Noctis’ likes to judge people he’s too conceited to bother getting to know. Do me a favor for the next time you wanna make a smart comment without thinking first: don’t at all.”

Noctis rolled his eyes. As if Lightning was one to talk about judging people she didn’t even know. True, he admitted he was partially to blame for turning several blind eyes to her, but it was honestly to him the better option. If she was going to respond like that with nothing but verbal lashings, then getting to know her was the dead last thing he’d rather do. He followed her around the area in search of their shared target, having only business intentions in mind.

“Hold on,” Lightning spoke up, blocking Noctis from moving any further. They both saw an Imperial Airship descend most of the way before them, releasing a squadron of magitek soldiers from its chambers.

“As if I didn’t need anything else making this hunt a pain,” Noctis sighed, summoning his weapon at the same time Lightning did hers. “Get ready!”

“Already am.” Lightning deflected the strikedown of a Magitek Axeman’s weapon, keeping it from so much as touching her while glaring it dead in the eyes. “Guess we meet again. Decided to ditch the guns? Stupid choice.”

Lightning broke the deflection, slicing right across the chest of the MT before piercing her blade clean through its center. But, as it had with previous encounters against the Empire’s robotic minions, the MT fell and short circuited with red electrical sparks. Lightning blinked, still bewildered at such a reaction until her few seconds of being caught off-guard earned her a nasty slash to the back by the Magitek Swordsman that’d snuck up behind her.

“Gah! You dirty—!” Lightning snarled, slicing its head clean off its shoulders. The MT fell like its predecessor, but again did red sparks crackle with no sign of any flesh inside its armor. “What the Hell are these things exactly…?!”

“Dead, hopefully, once we get out of this mess!” Noctis exclaimed, slashing through a few MTs using the summoned Blade of the Mystic. “Don’t get too distracted over there!”

“Remember who you’re— TELLING! That.” Lightning cut through another bunch of magitek robots, firing a lethal bullet into the face of one that tried to go in for another attack. “As stubborn as ever, I see.”

A hoard of MTs restlessly struck at Noctis and Lightning, both of whom deflected a lot of the slashes when they weren’t unlucky enough to gain some of their own. Feeling low on energy not helped by using some of the Royal Arms, Noctis point-warped to the nearest high spot to regain enough strength. Sensing that even Lightning had her limits, Noctis first performed an impressive Warp Strike on an interfering MT before using a Potion to quickly heal enough of his teammate’s wounds.

“Thanks,” Lightning breathed, firing a lethal headshot at an MT trying to sneak behind them. “These guys still don’t quit, do they?”

“Yeah, that’s the Empire, for ya,” Noctis commented, seeing a ring of MTs surround the two fighting them and pointing ahead at the robots. “Lightning, take charge!”

“Try and dodge this!” Lightning used her well-ranged Blitz attack to cut across the surrounding magitek androids with a circular, almost windy swipe of her blade. Doing it again was what felled the enemies, the ex-soldier blowing across her gunblade as if it’d just gotten a little steamed. “Way too easy.”

Noctis had just finished taking down another MT using his selected Royal Arm, calling it back to where it came from to stop losing anymore steam. Just as he was prepared to leave and continue the hunt with Lightning, behind her parrying a Magitek Swordsman’s strikes was a rogue Magitek Assassin raising its blades from behind without her noticing right away. She’d only started to look away after stabbing the Swordsman dead, gasping and moving at the very last minute to defend as the Assassin moved to strike.

“Look out!” Noctis called out, summoning the Bow of the Clever and firing a headshot bolt past Lightning’s shoulder. The MT fell in deathly red short circuits before the former sergeant from Bodhum, never to move an inch again.

Lightning sneered down at the fallen MT, giving it a modest kick to its head and hearing an unusual CLUNK sound against her foot. “Just what’s PSICOM’s new deal here? Replacing their men with… robots?”

“Who the Hell is ‘PSICOM’? You said the same thing the last few times, and you act like you’ve never seen an MT before.”

“So that’s what they’re calling themselves now? It’s shorter, but what’s it even stand for?”

“It’s short for ‘magitek troopers’. What’s this PSICOM you keep bringing up?”

“Whatever the MTs used to call themselves, but probably switched sides now that the Sanctum’s been history. ‘PSICOM’ stands for the ‘Public Security and Intelligence Command’, which is a whole lot less vague than what they are working for the Empire now.”

Okay, he didn’t understand a damn word of that. Noctis had no clue what Lightning was prattling on about, but it wasn’t anywhere close to information on the cybernetic troops Niflheim dished out like disposable candy. Likewise, it was apparent she was on an entirely different chapter than he was, nevermind a simple little page. He’d never heard of any “public security” or whatever, and certainly not with the Empire of all things, so whoever fed Lightning all that wacky info was blatantly just as much off their nut.

“Okay, lady, who ARE you?” Noctis demanded to know, continuing before Lightning could think of a snarky response to an otherwise obvious question. “Or I should say, where the Hell did you even come from?”

“Like I’ve told you before, I’m not from around these parts,” Lightning answered vaguely, setting off from the field of dead MTs with the Catoblepas wanted poster with Noctis following behind. “That’s all you need to know about me.”

“Not if I asked for a clearer answer than that, I don’t. What do you mean by ‘not around here’? You can’t be secretly with the Empire because Cor would have kept tabs on that and not sent you out here with us, so…?” Noctis remembered something Lightning mentioned a while back, digging through his memory as best as he could. “Wait, you said your home was… Boat-something? Bode…”

“Bodhum. And good for you; I’m surprised you even bothered listening to something from out of my mouth.”

Noctis ignored the last part, at least relieved to know he was sort of right on the name. “‘Bodhum’, huh? Not any place I’ve heard of. Where is it?”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t find it. That’s really all I can say.”

“Figures. Your business is your business, so no skin off my nose if you wanna keep being all secretive and ‘mysterious’. The less we have to see each other, the better.”

“Good. Because now I’m gonna clarify something.” Lightning whirled around and pointed a forceful finger at Noctis, who only blinked once but otherwise remained undaunted. “I finish what I have to whether I like it or not, so I couldn’t care less on how many times you complain about me being here. You hate my guts? Great! Suck it up, because that’s not my problem. I’d rather be anywhere in the world right now but with some whiny, arrogant, castle-bred, spoiled little ‘prince charmless’ who can barely cooperate with me for two measly seconds because he can’t act his age towards someone who was just asked to help him when he really doesn’t deserve it. You can curse my existence all you want, and I’m not gonna stop you. But in return, do not stop me, Prince Noctis. Because the mission aside? You’re nothing to me but a stranger with a crown.”

And with that, Lightning turned back ahead and marched in that direction, the traditional scowl on her face deeper than ever. Noctis froze in his tracks for a few seconds before irritably storming in the same direction as her. He couldn’t have cared less that she just talked smack towards royalty, no. It was more that she gave him a verbal beatdown as a person is what ground his gears something ugly. Who in Eos did she think she was?! Making all those assumptions about him when she didn’t know a single thing about the real him! She didn’t see him going and calling her names just because he could only make guesses about someone he didn’t bother really knowing!

...Or. Did she? Noctis’ internal disgusted outrage cooled itself enough to get him start thinking a little. Just earlier, his comment about her being ‘almighty’ and ‘fearless’ didn’t get any sort of agreement, rather a tongue lashing that he didn’t think before talking. And now, Lightning had just called him out on him “hating” her. And did he really? Well… no, he didn’t think so. A little more help than he truly believe he needs, sure. But he’s never called her any names or wished ill of her! Just that she’d go back home after the world’s longest mission was done.

But then again… there really was no way of her guessing that, was there? She just said it herself, too; they were teammates on the outside, but underneath everything, he was really just a stranger to Lightning with a crown. And the only one of the Lucian boys as of recent days who most certainly didn’t make the best of impressions on her, or bother to either. Noctis frowned the more he started to think about it; maybe there was something wrong with how he was going about this…

The sun started its first phase of dimming, but one still couldn’t call it anything like a true “sunset”. Regardless, it was only an aggravating reminder that Noctis and Lightning had been out longer than they should have or intended to. And the entire time since the surprise MT ambush, neither had said a word to each other for differing reasons now. In fact, Lightning didn’t bother to even look at Noctis because of their argument, while he strangely found himself constantly peeking in her direction hoping for something to bear fruit. He knew it wouldn’t coming from her, so when the timing was right, he’d for once attempt something more civil rather than blindly obstinate.

Trying to speak to her after that performance only made him feel like a cat was playing with his tongue every time. Noctis tried more subtle approaches to act as a substitute until the courage was near him. He walked close enough beside Lightning, but she only pretended like he’d turned invisible and searched more of Alstor Slough for their target’s habitat. Then, his next doomed-from-the-start idea was to warp ahead of her in hopes that she’d catch up and notice something, which he aborted after frequent misuse of his magical powers started severely draining him.

Finally, Noctis got what to him felt like the most brilliant idea a guy could have to get a girl’s attention. How it hadn’t dawned on him sooner was beyond him, but it was worth the most shots now!

“...Ahem,” Noctis coughed, pretending to clear his throat in Lightning’s field of sense. Nothing. Okay, if at first you don’t succeed. “Eh-hem. ...Ack-hem? ...Ahem—!”

Rolling her eyes after a few more fake coughs, Lightning took out the remains of a bag of cough drops from her pocket and tosses them right into Noctis’ hands, then turning and continuing her way. “If you have a cold, then you should have said something before you followed me. I’m sure Ignis would ‘love’ to hear that you went out here sick.”

That went about as well as he partially expected. He could practically hear Gladio’s voice laughing at him in his head (“Seriously, Noct? That’s how you try and get girls to talk to you after an argument? Boy, do you have a lot to learn about the opposite sex.”). Noctis stuffed the cough drops somewhere unimportant in the Armiger’s storage capabilities; he wasn’t really sick, but maybe someone could use them later if they were. He was fresh out of ideas on what to do with Lightning except for one, but he wasn’t even completely sure if it’d work in the first place. But then, he’d remembered the wise words of a new friend said to him before they parted ways for what well may be ever.

‘You really ought to be more honest about the way you feel Noct. If you don’t do it now, you might never get the chance.’

‘Yeah… I’ll keep that in mind.’

“...Lightning?” Noctis spoke up, sincerely. “Can I talk to you about something?”

“You? Talk to me for once? Shocking of you,” Lightning commented, arms folded. “Go ahead, but make it good.”

“It’s about what you said earlier, about us being ‘strangers’ and me hating your guts?”

“Uh-huh? What about it?”

“Well… I don’t hate you. I never did.”

Lightning’s glare didn’t soften up one bit at the revelation, in fact growing more skeptical if possible. “Really? You expect me to believe that after you’ve done nothing but ignore me and act like I’m the team load? Which, I may add, is the exact opposite of what I am, actually?”

“No, no, I don’t expect you to believe me. Not after the way I’ve been acting towards you either, you’re right. And, actually, if I had to admit it to myself, you really have been very helpful since you joined us. If you don’t wanna take my word for it, then the others would agree on the spot.”

“So? I know that. What are you trying to get at? It’s a little late to try and use flattery to get yourself out of everything from before.”

“Don’t call it flattery. Call it… a way for me to start saying sorry and maybe start over? We’re only ‘strangers’ because I got us off on the wrong foot, plus we are gonna be working together for a very long time. Might as well soften up the tension a little?”

The only sort of responding look Lightning gave him in response was a rather disgusted one, Noctis tensing up at knowing he was in for it. “And it only takes me yelling at you to realize you weren’t cooperating? Etro, what is wrong with you?! I think it’d have been better if you didn’t say anything in the first place. At least there, it’s a lot less trouble just having each other as teammates. So, just keep your offer to yourself and leave me alone—!”

All of a sudden, the ground beneath them shook with the sound of the mightest stomp they’d ever heard. Upon running closer, Noctis and Lightning stopped behind a rock large enough to conceal them from what towered before them. The wanted poster depicting the swine-snouted tusked creature of a sickly pale color didn’t do it nearly any justice. Creatures that big were abundant on lands traversed by Lightning during her long days spent branded a l’Cie fugitive against a place she once called home. But, getting quite the reminder that another beast could match— perhaps outmatch— the ones on Gran Pulse still blew her away.

“Guess we found our target,” Lightning commented, unsheathing her gunblade and slowly creeping out from the rock. “Be prepared.”

“Already am,” Noctis told her, conjuring the Sword of the Wise from his array of the Royal Arms and Warp Striking to attack first on his prey.

After making contact with the Catoblepas’ snout, the enormous beast trembled back on its hind legs in fearful defense. So started the defensive uproar bound to make the hunt challenging, but it just so happened to be a trial a certain two were willing to take on. While Noctis tackled several parts of the torso and hind using his warping abilities, Lightning used her sheer agility to strike at the legs and wherever her jumping skills could take her on the beast’s sides.

“Now, it’s on!” Noctis exclaimed, conjuring all the Royal Arms he had so far and using the Armiger’s overall power to attack different parts of his mark until its usage had run out. In spite of his efforts, the Catoblepas continued to stomp about defensively as it ever had. “Shoot. Not even a nick.”

“Then try a new strategy!” Lightning suggested, alternating between a few slashes to the creature’s legs and shooting anywhere in the same vicinity. “Otherwise, find a weak point and focus more on that!”

“Easier said than done from how much a big thing like this can move! I don’t even know if it’s got a weak point!”

“All things have a weak point, no matter how mighty!”

With that now in mind, Noctis switched his weapon out for the Swords of the Wanderer; the duality of having two blades attached into one ought to speed things up. Quick to move before the expected weariness of using any of the ancestral battle tools showed up, Noctis warped and struck closer to the Catoblepas’ front area where he figured the brisket to be. Even if they didn’t kill the thing right away, he might as well chip at the meat they actually needed first.

“How long does it take for this thing to die?!” Lightning wondered, charging at the frontal legs to slice at them. When her blade cut through, the Catoblepas tilted back on its other pair of limbs to prepare for a mighty stomp right above its pink-haired attacker.

“Look out!” Noctis called after, warping down to tackle Lightning and himself out of the way seconds before either of them could get squished. He was on her for a good second and a half up to getting up and giving her a hand to help her off the ground. “You alright?”

Lightning ignored the hand offer and pushed herself back onto her feet. “Just fine except for the fact that this thing feels unkillable. We’re getting absolutely nowhere at this rate!”

“That means a new strategy’s just what the doctor ordered. But, what, exactly?”

“It’d be easier with all five of us doing this. So, that means we’re gonna have to give it something that feels like more than two people attacking.”

“Guess we’re working together then.” Noctis still had a lingering bit of reluctance saying it, but was stopped from reconsidering it by his own earlier suggestion of starting over with Lightning. Even if this wouldn’t be what did it, giving it a shot was less likely to kill him than their target.

“Didn’t think that’d be coming from your mouth of all places. You sure?”

“It’s way better than doing nothing and getting flattened like pancakes. Lightning, dare I say it, but…” Noctis rode over the pause on his tongue like a wave, drifting to safe ground when he’d gathered his words back and offered a hand to Lightning. “I really need your help for this. I can’t do this without really teaming up with you. So, what do you say?”

Lightning stared at the hand being extended to her, very hesitant to agree, but took the wiser route of getting her the coveted brisket meat and taking ahold of Noctis’ hand to shake it once. “Let’s do this.”

Releasing the other’s hold, Noctis and Lightning ran forward weapons in hand, the prince deciding on using an upgraded version of his beloved Engine Blade to give himself a moment’s rest from the toll the royal arms took on him. They both leaped high up at where the Catoblepas appeared to take the most damage, provoking the creature in question to swing its head towards them as an offensive shield. Lightning moved faster and used a parry to block it from hitting Noctis behind her, cutting deeper into the creature’s face before falling to her feet below once gravity set in.

It did seem like the two were making more progress after a few combined hits in, a lot faster than earlier in having less enforcement. Seeing as the Catoblepas was starting to lose the energy to persevere, now had come the chance for the final few efforts to be made on ending its life. Noctis and Lightning looked at each other, silently forming a mutual plan and nodding once in agreement. To start it off, Lightning charged in and got a chain of powerful lacerations at the Catoblepas’ side, only for the creature to suddenly use its head to swat at her and knock her gunblade clean out of her hand, sticking out from the ground below. Lightning grimaced at being disarmed, but that only mad the plan get more progress with Noctis warping to claim it and toss it spinning back to her open catching hand.

“Ready, Light?” Noctis asked, standing by her with his own blade out.

“Let’s go,” Lightning answered after a tiny smile crossed her lips directed at him.

Leaping forth at the Catoblepas, Noctis and Lightning raised their weapons back in unison and performed a tag-teamed cross-strike at a weaker spot on their languishing mark. Unable to take much more, the Catoblepas felt the last bits of its energy leave its body and fell onto its side with a loud THUD reverberating through the land around it. Finally, the tough battle was over. Never again was the towering creature to move, Noctis and Lightning beyond relieved on a difficult mission accomplished.

“We did it…” Noctis breathed, leaning against the thing’s foot for a bit of clemency.

“A job well done,” Lightning told him, going right over to the brisket area. “But we still can’t go back empty-handed. Get over here and help me cut out the meat so I can get my own prize.”

That caught Noctis’ attention, now realizing her motive had been material. “Said prize being…?”

“It’s not important. Takka and Ignis are counting on us, that’s what you need to know.” Lightning’s stomach picked a bad time to growl as a reminder of how much hungrier she’d gotten since starting the hunt while hacking away at the Catoblepas’ flesh, her hand covering it to quiet it too late. “That was just from me not having eaten yet, don’t mind it. The sooner I get dinner and my behemoth steak, the better.”

“Behemoth steak? Why would—?” Then it hit him. Of the three people they needed to help at the moment, Ignis was the only one who didn’t ask a favor with both of them present. Before he knew it, Noctis found his body shaking with bouts of laughter taking over, unable to stop himself save for a hand covering his mouth. “Are you kidding me?! Of all the reasons?!”

Lightning turned to him with a raised eyebrow, having stopped for the time being at cutting out the brisket meat. “What’s so funny over there?”

“The fact that all this time, the reason you were so hawk-level focused on taking such a hard hunt was because Specs bribed you, of all things! And with steak, too! Oh, Six, I won’t lie; that’s kinda cute!”

“It’s cute to like steak and do a friend a favor in a win-win situation? I’m not following. What’s wrong with that?”

“No, nothing! To be honest, I’d have probably done the same thing for even a bite of Ignis’ amazing cooking.” Noctis coughed, getting the last bits of laugh out of him while wiping a small tear from his eye corner. “I just wasn’t expecting someone like you to go through all of that for the world’s most simple reason. Seeing ‘Sergeant Lightning Farron’ of anyone get so dead serious just to get some steak around here; I did not see that coming!”

Lightning just shrugged, letting Noctis have his moment for the time being. “What can I say? Girls like their steak. And to be fair, I didn’t see you pulling off such an impressive team attack to finally beat the Catoblepas coming either.”

“Not bad for ‘Prince Charmless’, huh? You’re not the only one highly trained to fight, you know. If you were, I’d have been toast ages ago.”

“Good point there. Speaking of which, I ought to know: the whole warping thing; where’d it come from?”

“Born with the power, but not the control. That itself took even more training so I don’t wind up killing myself overdoing it.”

“Can anyone else do it?”

“If I lend them the power. But again, lots of training to get it right.”

“I… see.” The growl of Lightning’s hungry stomach got her back to the other side of reality, going again to carve out the Catoblepas meat. “Mind lending me another hand?”

“Not at all. Lemme see what I can do.”

It didn’t take the two nearly as long to carve out a fine chunk of the brisket meat as it had hunting its origin, allowing them to report back to Alstor and get a handsome 6,560 Gil reward alongside a handy Blue Choker. Noctis and Lightning hopped back in the Regalia to drive back to Hammerhead and complete the second phase of their long quest, the slowly setting sun in the distance acting as their hourglass until powerful daemons were to flood the streets and doom them. The brisket was packed away safely and brought before Takka once they reached his diner, also pleased to see him bringing in some boxes from the expected stock delivery.

“So, y’all got what I asked for,” Takka commented, looking at the brisket with a smile. “Tell me, now. Any of you like steak?”

“You’d bet! Some more than others, of course,” Noctis snickered, directly glancing at Lightning and only laughing even more when she elbow nudged him in the arm to silence him.

“Good ta hear. Y’all went through so much to help a friend out, so I’m fixin’ a whole new recipe in your honors. A heartfelt token of my appreciation.”

“How flattering,” Lightning commented. “What’s the recipe?”

“Can’t tell ya. You’ll have ta order it next time you stop by here.”

“Guess it’s not on the house then,” Noctis sighed in slight disappointment.

“Anywho, a deal’s a deal. This is yer pay for the hunt. It’s good eatin’; take it from me.”

Takka handed over the promised kettier ginger packs, and a few allural shallots as a pleasant bonus. Having what they needed, Noctis and Lightning left the diner and hopped back in the Regalia to head back to camp. Ignis seemed relatively pleased upon their imminent return, both from having enough daylight back in the retiring day and from giving him plenty of kettier ginger for this time and the next. While Lightning got to helping set up for the resumed meal-to-be, Noctis helped out with preparing some of the key ingredients as Ignis handled the main parts of his dish.

“I take it it went well?” Ignis inquired, glancing over at his friend.

“What? The errand?” Noctis wondered back, turning back to the pestle and mortar to finish his fine paste. “Yeah, it went okay. Why do you ask?”

“Just pleasantly surprised is all considering Light was involved. Is a certain someone starting to reconsider his first impression?”

Noctis gave a brief shrug. “Maybe. We’ll just see where the rest goes.”

Dinner was ready to go in no time, the completed dish once again another masterpiece of Ignis’. While eating and conversing with Prompto about the blond’s insistent claims of having seen a cactuar near camp (and how he’d spent all evening griping about being unable to get a snapshot of it like an upset child), Noctis could hear Lightning a few feet away. His ears picked up on her and Ignis talking on their own about the latter’s “eventual end of the deal”, laughing to himself at Lightning’s subsequent reaction of hungered anticipation. When she did turn her head his way, he quickly regained composure and flashed the woman a noticeably soft glance.

In return wasn’t quite a smile, but compared to Lightning’s default sour expression, it seemed to be a sign of a warmer gratitude from earlier. Noctis saw it only for a few seconds, but it was definitely to be taken as a good sign. Though not exactly at first, today had gone well. Both of them could have their own opinions on whatever, but they could at least agree on that.

The retinue of five decided to pay Takka’s Pit Stop a visit for lunch the next day on their way back to Lestallum. Noctis and Lightning informed the others of a new dish that had been put on the menu for their valiant efforts, both rather curious to see what it was. Looking over the food choices, one in particular caught their eyes. Noctis willingly lent his attention at it, while Lightning had a ravenous glint in her own aqua-colored pair that widened them ever so slightly with her otherwise mild expression.

“So, what can I get y’all today?” Takka asked them before looking over at the two who’d gotten him his rare brisket. “Bettin’ y’all wanna try my new dish?”

“Yes, we do,” Lightning blurted out, pointing to the item in question as she simmered herself down. “It looks promising.”

“Yer in luck, ma’am. Tastes as much, too.” Takka wrote down the orders, checking to make sure they were right with the others. “Comin’ right up!”

Everyone waited patiently for Takka to whip up the new dish he’d mention, anticipating its texture and taste outside of just a preview photo of it. It’d taken quite a few minutes to make each helping, but in no time, served were pieces of what Takka called the “Sizzling Humongo-Steak”. And true to its name it was. The piping hot chunk of meat enticed those near with its delectable aroma, particularly a certain Cocoon-born former soldier who had her eyes and stomach glued to the seductive dish.

“It’s beautiful…” Lightning breathed softly, wiping away the bead of drool peeking from the corner of her mouth. “Well, time to dig in.”

“Way ahead of you,” Noctis agreed, already getting to work on his helping and ignoring the sweet potato sticks served on the side as if they weren’t there. “Mmm! Takka, this is amazing! Is this what you used the brisket for?”

“Can’t tell y’all that. It’s a secret,” Takka laughed, then gesturing to Lightning. “Heard yer just as much of a steak fan. Go on now, don’t be shy--”

Lightning hardly gave him enough time to encourage her before digging right in, the boys rather surprised by how quickly she’d started eating the steak. “It’s--! This is delicious. It may not be behemoth meat, but I’d have to say this almost beats it. Is all steak in Eos like this?”

“Boy, if only. Happy to see yer enjoyin’ my cookin’, though! It’s the least I could do to pay ya back for yesterday’s help.”

“The steak’s more of a huge bonus. It wasn’t that much trouble.” Well, aside from the Catoblepas being nigh-impossible to kill were it not for the help gained in doing so. In mid-chew of a sweet potato stick, Lightning saw Ignis writing in his little booklet, knowing it to mean only one thing. “Let me guess.”

“Correct,” Ignis confirmed already, finishing up scribing the details. “Once again, I’ve come up with a new recipe! And, I think it’s one you’ll most certainly enjoy, Light. It’s not quite behemoth steak, but it’s to be just as enjoyable.”

“Something similar, maybe?” The affirming nod Lightning got in response from Ignis only made her look forward to the result even further, enjoying more of Takka’s steak to soothe the desire for lunch.

Everyone finished up their meals and headed out, showing gratitude towards the chef and owner for yet more delicious food served. After three of the Lucians started to leave to get in the Regalia parked outside, Lightning set her cleaned plate on the counter ready to follow. She threw a dry look at Noctis’ plate, which had everything gone except for the sweet potato sticks, as expected. On the brighter side, at least she got the chance to indulge in some amazingly savory Eos cuisine.

“Lightning,” Noctis spoke up, stopping her from leaving the diner. “Before we get going, I wanna say something to you that I didn’t get to before.”

“What is it?” Lightning wondered.

“About yesterday. I never really got to thank you for it. If it weren’t for your help, I’d have been toast against that Catoblepas.”

“You’re just now figuring out the obvious?” Lightning’s tone was more of a laugh-like snort than a scoff, her leveled eyebrow just as amused.

“I know, I know. Better late in asking for a little help than never, huh?” Noctis’ eyes found their way at where the plates used to be, another curious question hatching in his head. “So, your love of steak. How long and where?”

“Huh? Oh, right. Since… ever, I guess. I’m pretty handy in making the stuff, not to toot my own horn.”

“You cook?”

“In a way. But, asking me to make anything besides behemoth steak is out of the question. That’s really all I can whip up without almost killing anyone one way or another.”

“Boy, don’t I know that feeling. I can make basic things so I don’t starve, but anything beyond that… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I know someone like Ignis.” Noctis grew a little hangdog from saying that, admitting to himself of having burned more food on the stove than he’d prefer to. “Maybe I could try one of your ‘specialites’ sometime. Sounds like you make it mean.”

“And I do, but Serah’s way of making it was always something worth looking forward to when she could do it.”

“Who’s Serah? A friend back home?”

“More than that. She’s my younger sister, and the only one of us that can actually cook.”

“You have a sister.” Noctis stated the fact as a way of showing his surprise. The way she mentioned Serah so fondly let him know the two have a close enough relationship. “Guess growing up for you wasn’t so lonely then.”

Lightning hesitated to speak after that, but found enough words to avoid getting too deep for comfort. “Not exactly. Guardian Corps work took a lot of time from me, so I didn’t get to come home to see her that often. Trust me, there’s plenty I’d rather do over with Serah, but knowing she’s okay back home now makes it a little better, at least.”

“Still, it’s nice to have at least one person to look forward to seeing when possible. If you didn’t, well… it wouldn’t be fun.”

“Now where’s this coming from? You’re practically surrounded by people 24/7 as royalty. Unless it’s one empty palace you live in.”

Noctis frowned. Seemed he had quite a bit to clear up at a time. “First, the Citadel’s more like a skyscraper if anything. Second, being surrounded by staff and guards doesn’t just whisk away a kid’s loneliness. Don’t you know that?”

“Then… who were you around as a kid? Hard to think the esteemed prince of Lucis didn’t have that many friends growing up.”

“Believe me, it’s not that hard. Of course, I’ve had Ignis with me since we were little kids, plus Luna even if I wished we got some more time together. And obviously, Gladio, Iris and Prompto are a big part of the mix too, but they came along a little later.”

“Anyone else? I figured you’d have a bigger circle than that.”

“Nah. Aside from it being hard to be able to really... connect with too many others, I always thought most never really saw past the crown. The ones I did, though, I wouldn’t trade for anything anyone could offer me.”

Well, that wasn’t the story Lightning expected to hear from Noctis. She’d never met anyone coming remotely close to “royalty” before him, but the expectations that came with the word in her mind came with far less… gloomy tales, to pick a word. It certainly explained the guy’s beyond-honest cherishing of his three closest companions, no doubt. But for such a reason to be behind it, it nearly felt like Lightning was seeing a bit of a different person than before. Full judgement still reserved in spite of the new information, but for the very first time, something in her flickered with an unfamiliar intrigue about the Prince of Lucis.

“And you?” Noctis questioned. “Any… Guardian Corps buddies you can name?”

“No,” Lightning answered without hesitating. “Never was the ‘chummy’ type, and neither were anyone involved with the Sanctum. Even if they were, I had better things to foc— err, set my sights on. The friends I did wind up making later on are still waiting for me back home.”

“What changed your mind in playing the lone wolf, then?”

Lightning flashed him a playful smirk, her hands behind her head in doing so. “Being on the lam.”

Noctis’ eyes widened a bit at how casually she’d said it, and the answer he’d even gotten. “What were you all in for? I thought you were a soldier!”

“Past tense, remember? As for what we did, we scared people shitless into thinking we wanted to blow up the world. Can’t tell you much without sounding like a lunatic.”

‘A little too late for that one.’ Noctis was sure there was a much better context involved, but he figured later would be more appropriate to try and ask for it. “Sure sounds like you’ve all been through lots together, then.”

“Understatement of the century.” About five or a full millennium to be exact, but Lightning wasn’t giving that away anytime soon. “I consider myself lucky to have them after all of it. Can’t say where I’d be now if it weren’t for Serah and the others.”

“The people you least expect to have in your life can be a total game-changer. Strangers one day, friends the next. And it can only go up from there.”

“You can say that again, that’s for sure.”

The Regalia’s car horn honked a few times, Ignis’ voice ringing out from the same spot. “Noct! Light! Is everything alright in there? We must be going!”

“Coming!” Noctis and Lightning shouted back close to the same time, looking at each other surprised briefly.

“Ehh, you heard the man,” Noctis stated a little nervously. “Let’s hit the road, Light— ning. Lightning, my bad. Unless, you’re fine with the short version?”

“It’s up to you,” Lightning told him, going out the door with what looked like a rare, tiny smile on her smooth pink lips with hopes that he’d follow.