Archive of Our Own

“Maybe it’s this way? No… maybe the other?”

“Prom, we already went that way.”

“Oh...uh...what about… this way? No, I think, I think we already tried that. Um…”

“Prom… I think we’re-”

“Don’t say it! Please, don’t say it!”

Noctis shook his head, leaned against the tree he was standing near, checked his phone, and said it. “We’re lost.”

Lost. That was the last thing that Prompto wanted Noctis to tell him, right next to ‘Ignis won’t let us buy that soda’ and ‘Cindy is not interested in you’. But it was true and now that the prince was saying it outloud Prompto had to admit it. They were lost. Even worse, they were lost in the middle of a swamp and as Prompto moved around the thick murky muddy water, he found himself feeling defeated and frustrated.

He could not believe he had gotten them into this mess. It was supposed to be a simple shortcut back to town, back to Cindy’s shop, after the car broke down. No need to call her or anything, just a simple hour walk through the swamp. Sure it wouldn’t be the same as walking through a local park, but it was better than the four hour walk on the road back to town. At least that was what he hoped. Now, not only did they not know how to get to Cindy, but they were not sure how to get back to the car to walk the road. Prompto sighed as he looked at Noctis who was still playing with his phone.

“Anything?” Prompto asked.

“No. No signal. Can’t even bring up a map.” He said then jumped and smacked a fly off his arm. He then heard a buzzing noise near his ear and swatted that one away before it could land on him. “Damn flies. Why do they keep coming after me?”

“They must really like your blood.” Prompto said. A smirk formed on his face. “I mean you are the rich and royal type.”

“Funny.” He said. He swatted another away and put his phone back in his pocket. “Well, what now? Do we just keep walking?”

“You’re asking me?”

“It was your idea to cut through here.”

Prompto made a face, annoyed this was being pinned on him. Even if what Noctis said was true. “Yeah, but I got us lost. Come on Noct, you're supposed to be our leader,” Noctis stared at him, wondering where Prompto got that idea, “so you pick. We walk, or we stay here and die?”

“Wow, tough choice.” The prince said putting a hand to his temple. He was starting to get a headache and he was not sure if it was because of the warm heavy air or if the lack of an afternoon nap was catching up to him. “We’ll keep walking for now, alright? Maybe if we find an open area I can send Iggy a text message.”

“Okay sounds good.” Prompto said, “Maybe find a place to hold up for a bit too? I mean we should at least find somewhere dry, all this mud and water is ruining my pants. And we don’t really know what’s out here...”

“Probably should have thought of that before.”

Prompto said nothing as he looked over at the thick trees and bushes that blocked most of their view. Swamps were filled with monsters, mostly the garden variety wolves and hares, but it was also prevalent with fungus and plant-like creatures. The information Ignis gave them was that if they stayed on the main path they would be fine. There was just one small problem; the path in question had eroded away from disuse and flooding. Sure, Prompto and Noctis had started on a clear trail but that trail barely lasted half a mile.

Just as Prompto began to wonder exactly what kind of monsters could be out there with all there fangs and claws, he heard a yelp and something crash on the ground. The blonde jumped and readied his gun, only to find that it was not a monster. Noctis had just slipped and fallen into the mud. “Oh geeze. Don’t scare me like that.”

Noctis made a noise of disgust as he tried to push himself up, only to slip again and land flat on his face. This time Prompto laughed and the prince glared at him. “Stop it.” He said.

“Sorry. But hey look on the bright side, the flies won’t be swarming you.” The blonde said and the prince grumbled something under his breath as he carefully pulled himself to his feet. Noctis looked down at himself, a frown on his face as he saw his clothes were completely covered in mud.

“Just great.” He said as he tried and failed to get some of it off. “This won’t wash out well.”

“We’re lost and you're worried about your clothes being dirty?” Prompto asked. “You have crazy priorities.”

“Weren't you just complaining about the water ruining your pants?”

Prompto gave him a sheepish laugh and shrugged. “Okay, point taken.”

Noctis looked back down at himself and shook his hands. “Can you imagine how Ignis will react when he seems me like this?” The question made Prompto laugh.

“He’ll probably start mothering you or something.” Prompto cleared his throat and put on his best Ignis impression, accent included. ”‘Highness you’re dirty! Get changed out of those immediately, they’ll stain. You’re going to catch a cold if you keep running around covered in all this!’”

The impression brought a smile to Noctis face along with a tired laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Except the accent. Terrible job on the accent.”

“That accent is hard to pull off! Might explain why he hasn’t lost it yet. I mean, how long has he lived in Lucis now?”

“Long enough.” Noctis said as he tried to get some loose mud off of him. He took another careful step as he joined Prompto in wading in the knee high water. Before he could suggest a direction Prompto decided on their course, taking the lead ready to defend his best friend if he needed to. Sounds surrounded them, but not like the ones when they were in the city, or even when they were visiting Lestellum. The noises were not cars or planes, but the sounds of crickets and flies buzzing and splashes as monsters nearby ran through the water. There was at least one group of sabretusks nearby that, the growls gave them away. They were hunting, and he hoped that it was not them they were after.

“Is is just me or do those sound close?” Prompto said.

“It’s not you. I hear them.” Noctis said, his body becoming a bit tenser than normal. “We’re probably close to a hunting ground.”

“Oh that’s just wonderful. Really, really needed to know that.”

“Maybe you should relax a little.” Noctis suggested his voice a little low, “If they hear us, they’ll probably decide we taste better.”

“You certainly know how to make me feel better, thanks.” Prompto said his tone biting with sarcasm. He shivering a little from the nearby sounds. He turned to Noctis who looked uneasy but far more composed than he was. “It’s scary how calm you look.”

“Don’t really have you energy. Or a lot right now.”

“Ah right. Car breaking down meant you missed your afternoon nap. The prince of sleepiness has been denied his throne.” Prompto said. Noctis rolled his eyes but the blonde still had a grin on his face. “When we get to town and the car in Cindy’s hands, you should ask Ignis if we can spend a night in a hotel or something.”

“He’ll say no. Repairing the car is going to put a huge dent in our wallet.”

“Nothing that can be fixed with a little hunting and selling.” Prompto said, “Besides think about it: hotel, caravan, or tent? Small stuffy box like trailer thing or sleeping on dirt? Or a chance to rest in a nice clean queen sized bed, have a warm shower, listen to the tv curled up in some warm blankets-”

“Stop, please. I’m falling asleep just thinking about it.” Noctis said. He blinked heavily and there was a smile on his face. Prompto chuckled a little at the prince's sleepy expression.

“You’re so adorable sometimes.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“No, I am not.”

“You are too. Why else would Luna fall for-oh…”

He stopped and covered his mouth when he realized he mentioned the one person Ignis, Gladiolus, and he agreed not to mention. Noctis stopped in his tracks, his gaze going downward to the water, a painful expression on his face. Prompto bit his lip and moved a little feeling the uneasiness in the atmosphere and cursed his big mouth. “Noct, uh…” He stumbled having trouble finding his words. “I didn’t meant to…”

“It’s fine.”

Prompto watched as Noctis started walking again, moving past him and continuing through the murky water. He turned around. “Noct!”

“It’s fine!”

Prompto sighed deciding it would be better if he stayed quiet for now. He cursed at himself for opening his big mouth and followed Noctis down the path he had picked. He wasn’t sure how long they walked, but as Prompto wiped some sweat off his face he did know it was becoming hotter. The swamp seemed to absorb heat and not want to let it go. Combined with the flies it was quite the unpleasant experience. He looked at Noctis who looked just as uncomfortable as him, if not more so. If one thing made him feel relieved though it was that they would not be traveling through water long, he looked forward to see some solid grassy land with fewer trees. He was able to see the sky, a sky that had gone from bright blue to a dull foreboding grey. “Well that doesn’t look good.” He said. Noctis looked at him then looked up at the sky. Prompto heard him sigh and mutter something he could not quite make out, but he sounded annoyed. He wasn't looking forward to rain either.

Once on dry land, Prompto noted how heavy his legs felt, his pants were soaked from walking in the water. Noctis ignored any heaviness he may have felt from his boots being soaked through and checked his phone. Still no signal. He glared at the phone before putting it back in his jacket pocket. He looked ahead to see they had more water to trek though. Going down this way was a terrible idea. Noctis looked around and frowned when he saw some wood behind some of the bushes.

“What do we have here?” He wondered out loud as he moved some of the brush away to find the remains of an old wooden sign. He reached out and touched it pulled back when he felt something slimy on his fingertips. It was like some kind of saliva or mucus. He made a small noise as his nose crinkled to the smell of something foul. He tried to ignore it as he saw lettering on the sign.

“Hey Prom, look at this.” He said. Prompto came over as quickly as he could and took a glance at the worn down sign. “What do you think it says?” Noctis asked.

“Hopefully directions to get out of here.” Prompto said covering his nose at the stench. Noctis moved away, it was like the smell was getting worse, as Prompto looked the message over. The blonde jumped a little as he heard a growl not to far away, but ignored it and went back to examining the remains of the sign. He brushed some slime off the sign - and gagged at how it felt on his fingers - and squinted as he read it. “‘Beware’, oh that - that’s a good way to start. ‘Beware...Mal...Mal….I can’t read the rest. Mal what? What’s a Mal?”

“Don’t know, don’t think we’ll have time to find out.” Noctis said and Prompto looked behind to see he had crouched into a his combat stance. The sabretusks that Prompto had heard had found them, and sure enough they looked to think the two young men would make a better dinner than whatever they had been hunting before. “We got company.”

“Oh. Wonderful.” Prompto said, laughing nervously as he readied pulled out his revolver. “They look hungry too, you’d think they would have stayed back in Duscae and chased a garula or something.”

“Probably missed us.” Noctis said a confident smirk on his face. Without hesitation he summoned his silver sword and tossed it at the nearest one. Prompto groaned as Noctis warped to his opponent and got ready for combat. He wasn’t sure what was worse; fighting, or trying to fight and not accidentally shoot his best friend. Prompto took aim and fired at one of the sabretusks further away from Noctis. A second rushed at him and lunged. Prompto just barely got out of the way and turned around intending to shoot it.

Except it was faster. Prompto’s shot missed going into the brush as the sabretusk tackled him to the ground. His hands grabbed it’s bony shoulders as he tried to keep the monster from making him it’s lunch. It was then he heard a loud and panic rushed through him telling him to move quickly. He kicked the sabretusk off him and prepared to finish it off when he saw that something else had decided to join the fight. The new arrival enemy was huge, wrapped in green slimy tentacles and as he stared at it he saw it lift the sabretusk up by a tentacle and drop it in it’s huge mouth. Prompto winced as he heard an audible crunch, the monsters sharp teeth stained with blood. Then it’s eyes - it’s multiple eyes - turned their attention to him. Prompto kept staring horror flowing through him. He had seen the creature in Ignis bestiary but he had never seen it in person.

“Noct! Problem!” He yelled getting to his feet and running down the path. “Malboro!”

Noctis heard his friend loud and clear eyes widening as he saw the creature. He had never seen one in person and now was wishing he never had. He followed Prompto’s lead to run as it followed them but it became clear quickly that the Malboro was fast in it’s natural environment. They would have to fight it. He looked around to find a safe place to begin drawing magic and his eyes fell on the tall trees above him. Not the best place but better than nothing. “Stall it.” Noctis told his friend and he threw his sword up into the tall trees and warped out of the monster's path. Safe for the moment he began drawing magic form the crystal.

If he remembered right, Malboro were weak to fire magic. A good strong of a fire spell would hopefully bring it down in a one shot. He looked down as he saw Prompto shoot the monster, his bullets just seemed to bounce off it as it tried attacking him.

“Noct hurry up!” The blonde yelled as he tried to get to his feet and avoid the monsters acidic attacks, liquid squirting from it’s tentacles. The monster appeared to have all it’s eyes on him, having forgotten about the dark haired prince. Noctis could feel the magic growing stronger as he imagined the heat of fire. Prompto slid to the side and the Malboro turned so Noctis could see it’s face. Without hesitating he threw his sword into the monster's head landing on it as he heard the monster let out a loud wail.

“Don’t like that do ya!” He yelled as the monster screamed and thrashed about. It’s head was moist, covered in tentacles but soft. It moved erratically threatening to knock the prince off its body with each movement. Noctis felt his grip become weaker as he tried keep from being sent flying and continue to draw magic from the crystal. One point blank shot in the face was all he hoped he needed. He could already feel his strength draining as he tried to keep a firm grip on his sword.

The Malboro must have sense he was up to something as just before Noctis could make his move the Malboro released a noxious breath engulfing him green mist. Noctis gasped and coughed as he felt his grip loosen, the air around him rapidly degrading and becoming toxic. He felt dizzy, his vision bending around him, and his thoughts becoming jumbled. He struggled to keep control of the magic, he just needed one shot. One shot.

Noctis held his hand out to the Malboro’s mouth and released the spell. The spell hit the air and the flame exploded sending him flying into the bushes near him. He felt his body hit twigs and water, his senses becoming dulled and dazed, his thoughts disconnected as his body went limp.

Prompto watched in horror as he saw the explosion, Noctis fly into some nearby bushes and trees and the Malboro let out an agonizing wail. The monsters fell over and Prompto held his gun up as he saw it collapse ready to shoot it again if it got up. He watched as the flames went over it’s slimy body and it’s eyes became glassy and relaxed and slowly realized the monster was dead. Prompto let his weapon vanish and he rushed over to where Noctis landed.

“Noct!” Prompto yelled as he pushed some of the brush away. He saw his head move, his eyes were half open and listless. “Noct!” His friend made a small groan and Prompto grabbed him trying to pull him to his feet. The dark haired prince stumbled and Prompto wrapped his hands around him to try and keep him steady. “Easy there! You okay?”

No answer, but Noctis’ arm moved a little trying to find something to hit or touch. He kept his head against Prompto’s shoulder making it hard for the blonde to get a good look at him but just by how he was moving Prompto had a pretty good idea that Noctis was not completely with it. He looked like he would fall over if Prompto let go of him.

“Okay! Uh, we should probably get you out of here.” He said. At the very least he needed to get Noctis onto solid ground so he could check him for injuries. Careful to hold on to him he awkwardly moved Noctis around until he had the prince's arm over his shoulder and his own arm around Noctis waist. Thankfully while Noctis and him were almost the exact same height, the prince was much lighter so hopefully he would not be difficult to move.

“You good?” Prompto asked once sure he had a decent grip around Noctis waist. Noctis made no response other than a small noise. He’d take that as a yes. “Okay, let’s go.”

He started walking, but found very quickly that Noctis was having trouble staying on his feet. The boy stumbled and Prompto found himself pulled down a little into the water as Noctis practically fell into it. Prompto forced himself back to his feet and tightened his grip around Noctis’ waist to pull him back up. He continued to walk a little more until his feet hit solid ground and after moving a little further stopped to lay Noctis on the ground. Noctis moaned almost like he was in pain and rolled onto his back and then his side.

“Noct?” Prompto asked wondering if his friend could hear him. Noctis eyes were unfocused, whatever that Malboro had hit him with was leaving him in a daze. His eyes opened a little more and Prompto briefly got a look at Noctis eyes, they had changed from blue to bright gold. Carefully Prompto reached over to put a hand on his friend's head. He opened his mouth to say something to try and comfort him but was caught by surprise when Noctis suddenly moved swatting his hand away. He back away a little to give his friend some air. Noctis make a small noise followed by a loud gasp or sucking sound and Prompto jumped as the prince's body began to jerk violently and convulse. “Oh geeze!" That was not good, what was happening was not good at all.

Prompto had seen Noctis have seizures before. They happened every few months, one of the looming reminders of the accident that almost took their best friend when they were children. Ignis and the healers were never able to figure out if the seizures were because of the accident or because his body still struggled to handle the crystals power. Prompto never really thought much about what caused them, just that they happened and they were terrifying. Prompto scratched his head as he felt panic wash over him and he wished that Ignis or Gladiolus were here. They were good at this stuff, he was not. Noctis would be in better hands with them.

But they weren’t here. Prompto ran his fingers through his hair. He could do this. He could. Ignis had told him what to do many times; call him and time it and when it stopped keep Noctis on his side. He reached for his phone and froze when he remembered that Noctis had not been able to get a signal. How was he supposed to call Ignis if he had no signal? And what was he supposed to do if the seizure did not stop? He felt himself panicking again his heart speeding up. He reached into his pocket...then remembered he left his pills with with Ignis. He took a few short breaths trying to calm his heart rate. He needed to keep it together.

He pulled out his phone to check the time then switched to see if by some miracle he had a connection. To his dismay, nothing. No signal, no internet to look anything up, no way to send Ignis a text message for help. Prompto cursed his luck, swearing under his breath, and looked back at Noctis. His breathing was loud and he sounded like he was wheezing. Prompto kept looking back at his phone and then his friend. Thirty seconds passed. Then a minute. No change. Prompto could feel his heart racing faster as he felt like the world was slowing down around him. Along with panic he felt dread. He had been the one to suggest going through the swamp. If they had taken the road it would have taken longer to get into town but they wouldn't have run into that thing.

Ninety seconds. Then two minutes. At two minutes Prompto noticed Noctis became still and more relaxed, his breathing beginning to sound less choked and more even. Prompto waited several seconds for his friend to calm down before putting a hand on his shoulder. “Noct?” He asked, keeping his voice calm and low. “Noct, are you okay?”

Noctis made a noise that was less a response and more an incoherent mumble. He moved a little and Prompto had to put a hand on his back to encourage his friend to keep laying on his side; he moved his arm so he could rest his head on it and be a little more comfortable. Prompto ran his fingers through Noctis hair to check his eyes, see if Noctis eyes were open. To his dismay they weren’t open enough for him to tell if they were still gold. If Prompto remembered correctly, golden meant the crystal was affecting Noctis in some way, whether that was good or bad depended on the circumstances. Slowly he remembered he wanted to check Noctis for any injuries, make sure he was not hurt when he was thrown across the swamp. Also a good idea to make sure he didn’t hurt himself when they fell over.

Again Ignis would be better at this than he would, but Prompto checked Noctis arms and rolled up his pants to check his legs. He saw some bruising and scratches, and his fingers had some mild burns from when he used his fire spell but those were already beginning to heal. He could feel faint magic from the crystal coursing through Noctis body like it was trying to care for him. Careful Prompto started to try and remove Noctis jacket. His fingers accidentally touched his friend’s neck and he stopped. The skin was rough and puffy. He pulled Noctis jacket collar down to find the veins in his neck had become thick and taken on a garish green color.

“Ewww...that looks bad.” He said. “What did that thing do to you?” Noctis made a small confused noise as he looked up at him opening his eyes a little. They were still gold. Prompto ran his hand across the veins, and felt his stomach churn. He almost thought they might be inflamed, but the color made him think poison. Prompto groaned, his head was starting to hurt. He moved his hand away from Noctis’ neck and up to his forehead. He was a little warm but nothing serious. Prompto sighed and slouched over. “You’re an Etro-damned trouble magnet you know that.” He said desperate to find some humor in the situation.

To his surprise he got a laugh and a dazed grin formed on Noctis face. The reaction made Prompto smile a little, as he hoped it was a sign that his friend was beginning to come around. He looked back out at the swamp. It had gotten quieter after the attack and he was not sure how to take that. He knew they would need to get out of the area soon, but he was hesitant to move Noctis until he was feeling a little better. He leaned back and sat down and tried to relax. He looked at his gun and began checking to see if he had more bullets just in case a stray sabretusk decided to come by.

He was sitting for a good ten or so minutes his thoughts drifting as he played with his gun when he felt something drop his head. He jumped first thinking it was a bug or spider only to feel another wet drop. He blinked and looked up just as he felt water drop on his face. It was raining. “Great, just what we need.” He muttered under his breath. It was like a deity had decided to taunt them or something. More drops and soon it was drizzling lightly but the clouds threatened more heavy rain. He sighed, ready or not they needed to get out of the area and somewhere dry. Carefully he took Noctis arm and pulled it over his shoulder, the prince making a disgruntled noise in protest, and tried to pull away almost knocking Prompto off balance.

“Yeah I know, you don’t want to move, but we can’t stay out here.” He said. Noctis made another noise, like a sigh, and Prompto saw his head move a little like he was nodding. Trying again Prompto pulled him and Noctis to their feet. The prince’s legs were shaky but he seemed to be able to stand well enough. Prompto looked back at the water they would need to go in and sighed before beginning his walk again.

Prompto was not sure how long he walked, Noctis occasionally lost his footing forcing them to stop until he could regain himself. While he found he mostly waded through water, Prompto stuck to dry land whenever he could, it was just easier to walk on. He stopped for a second to shake his head, feeling the sweat dripping off his face, and to move his dampening hair out of his eyes. He was starting to feel tired, and Noctis was getting a little heavy. Sure the dark haired boy was naturally light but Prompto couldn’t carry him forever.

He really wished someone else was here to help. Gladiolus could carry Noctis with no issue.

Prompto walked a little further, his legs aching with each step until he slipped on the mud and fell over with a thud. He cried out as he felt a huge amount of pain shoot through his right leg and he was sure something had snapped. He landed wrong, he just knew it. He could feel it right in his ankle. Something was sprained or twisted, or probably broken, and it hurt so bad. He cried out as he tried moving it to see how bad it was and cried out in pain. Terrible idea. Moving hurt.

“Prom?”

Prompto didn’t hear him at first but he settled down a little when he felt a comforting hand on his back. He looked up to see Noctis staring back at him. He had managed to push himself off Prompto and was trying to pull himself up. Prompto took in his face noticing his eyes were still gold and that they looked a little glassy. “Hey.”

“Hey…” Noctis said moving his hand away and rubbing his face.

“You back with me?”

“Getting there...” Noctis said. He blinked as he felt the rain on his face and sighed. "Fun day..."

“Yeah it’s kinda getting bad to be out here.” Prompto said. Noctis said but looked around trying to sort his head out. He also looked exhausted, his face a little paler than normal. “How you feeling? You got hit pretty hard by that Malboro.”

“Right now, wouldn’t mind sleeping.”

“I get ya, but can you hold off on that?” Prompto asked. “We need to get out of here or at least somewhere safe.” Noctis gave him a slow nod and on instinct Prompto tried to get back to his feet. It was then he remembered quite painfully that he may have twisted his ankle. Putting weight on it was the reminder as he felt like something sharp had cut through him and next thing he knew he was back on the ground crying in pain.

“Prom!”

“I-I’m okay.” Prompto said trying hard to ignore the fact that he felt like someone had cut his leg in half. “Just need to get my bearings.” That was a lie, he could not walk like this, much less help Noctis. That useless feeling was crawling back into his head. Noctis put his hand on Prompto's shoulder and looked around. His eyes fell on something in the distance.

“Hey. Look.” Noctis’ voice sounded a little stronger and it made Prompto look up. He followed Noctis gaze and saw an old rundown shack just a few yards from them. That was a good sign, a house, abandoned or not, meant that they were near the road. They were near people and help. He smiled then jumped in fright as he heard a rumbling noise overhead. The rain was getting heavier and thunder was following it. Again he tried to lift himself up only this time Noctis stopped him. “Prom, stop it.”

“I’m fine really.” He said trying to lie his way through the incredible amount of pain he felt. He put weight on his leg and collapsed again. He felt a jolt not just through his leg but through his stomach. A moan escaped his lips as he tried very hard to not put his hand on his stomach, tried hard not to show that he was in a lot of agony He let his eyes close to try and calm himself, deep breaths to steady his growing panic when he felt someone pull on his arm.

He opened his eyes again. Noctis was pulling his arm over his shoulder, and wrapping a hand around his waist. “Wait wait, you don’t-”

“Prom, shut up.” Noctis told him. Prompto stayed silent as Noctis pulled him to his feet trying to keep Prompto from putting as much weight on his ankle as possible. The prince stumbled a little, but kept his balance as Prompto found his footing. Once sure they would be okay the prince began to take the lead of bringing them both over to the abandoned shack.

When they got closer Prompto could see how damaged it was but with dwindling options and the rain getting worse they had no choice. Trying to balance on one leg, he helped Noctis open the door and hobbled inside. It was empty, a dusty table in the corner, but the roof was holding and no water was leaking in. He shivered as he realized that the inside was cold.

“Guess we’ll just camp here for the night.” He said. Noctis again said nothing just walked over to a corner of the room and laid himself down on the floor. Prompto carefully sat down next to him wincing as he felt pressure put on his ankle. “Thanks.” He said. Noctis nodded, he looked like he was already half asleep. “Tired?”

“Mmm….” Noctis said looking up at him, eyes cracking open a little. “I feel strange...”

“You’ll be okay. We’ll get out of here.” Prompto said and Noctis nodded closing his eyes again falling into a deep sleep within seconds. Prompto sighed, yeah he said that but how much of it was true. On a whim he pulled his phone out and to his dismay once again saw that he had no signal. On another whim he decided out of desperation to try texting Ignis and see if by some miracle it went through. He sent the message then winced as he felt pain in his stomach. He put his hand to his abdomen his breathing short and he looked up at the ceiling as he heard the thunder outside.

“Stay calm, stay calm…” He kept telling himself, closing his eyes and trying to steady his nerves. This was worse than the cave, so much worse than the cave. He tried to breathe listening to the rain to keep himself calm and slowly fell asleep.

He was not sure how long he was asleep, but he woke to the sound of Noctis wheezing. Panic ran through him as he saw Noctis’ lying in another corner of the room. His body convulsed, his breathing almost like he was choking. Prompto tried to get to his feet and stumbled. Again he forgot about his ankle.

He crawled over just as he saw Noctis beginning to calm down. “Noct?” Noctis’ breathing was still heavy but was beginning to settled down and Prompto encouraged him to lay on his side. His eyes were closed but Prompto could guess they were still gold. He pulled his jacket collar away to see that the veins on his neck were still present, his skin having become puffy though the veins looked less green. That should have meant he was getting better but seeing his friend in such a condition made Prompto think otherwise. If Ignis was around he would have had some concrete answer rather than ‘maybe’. He ran his hands through his hair, his breathing that had steadied becoming more rapid. He had no idea what to do.

That feeling of dread and panic that had been hanging over him felt like it was ready to burst. “I’m sorry Noct…” He said as his shoulders began shaking. “I don’t know what to do, I’m sorry.” Going through here had been his idea and now they were paying for it. He could feel himself breaking apart as he felt a panic attack coming on him. He felt like he just wanted to curl up on the floor and cry. His hands went from his hair to the floor and that was when he felt something brush against his fingers. He jumped at first thinking it was a spider but stopped when he heard Noctis mumble, his fingers searching for something. The prince was looking at him, his eyes an intense bright gold. Prompto stared at those eyes and slowly took Noctis hand. The prince squeezed it.

Prompto was not sure what to make of the gesture. He wasn’t sure if Noctis was trying to comfort him or if he was just looking for something to hold onto, but thinking the former brought him some relief. He took a deep breath trying to steady himself, even as he felt like he was slowly breaking apart. With his free hand he brushed Noctis hair. “I’m going to try and get us out of here.” He said. He saw Noctis smile. “I don’t know how but I will okay?”

Noctis said nothing just closed his eyes and Prompto moved his arm so he had some kind of makeshift pillow. He sighed and looked around, it was becoming more obvious that it was getting dark. They had been out here for hours, and he checked his phone to see if maybe Ignis had contacted him. He checked his phone and his eyes widened to see he had a text message. It had been sent about two hours ago. He opened it and saw it was from Gladiolus.

‘are you two alright? iggy called cindy and she says she hasn’t seen you guys? where are you?’

He immediately went to answer and jumped as he heard a sudden loud noise. At first he thought it was thunder but then he heard a high pitched yelp of a sabretusk and then another loud noise. A gun, someone was shooting at nearby monsters. He frowned though as he heard the rain. There was no way someone would be hunting out here in this weather. He was almost hesitant to see who could be out there, at worst it was the imperial army, but at best it could be someone looking for them. He started to move but stopped to look back at Noctis. The prince was sleeping as deeply as he always did. Probably deeper, normally the sound of a firearm woke him up. It was probably not a good thing that Noctis was sleeping through the noise.

Prompto did not want to leave Noctis but if someone was out there that could help them then he needed to find them. “I’m going to see who that was. Maybe they can help us.” He said even though it was safe to say his friend could not hear him.

Prompto pushed himself over to the wall and pulled himself to his feet, trying to avoid putting as much weight on his ankle as possible. He hobbled over to the door and cracked it open. Another shot rang through the air nearby. He pushed it open and hopped out. The swamp had taken on a grey color as the sun began to go behind the trees, but he saw the distinct appearance of a bright yellow jacket and a red hat. He recognized the person quickly, even soaked through and partly obscured by the setting sun he could never forget that face.

Cindy fired on another sabretusk, the last of the group and slouched over her shoulders rising and falling. She looked a little dirty and that told Prompto she had to have been out here for awhile. “Cindy!” He called and she looked up.

“Prompto!” She called putting her pistol back in it’s holster and running over to him. She slowed down a little when she saw him awkwardly. Careful she wrapped his arms around him and Prompto hesitated for a second before returning the gesture. She pulled away after a few seconds.  “Oh thank Ramuh we found you.”

Prompto was grinning then frowned. “Found us?” He asked then the other word in her sentence his him. “We?”

“Yes. We.” Cindy said turning around, flashlight in hand. “Iggy, Gladiolus! I found them!”

Prompto could not believe the words that left Cindy’s mouth until his eyes saw the other two people with him. They were soaked wet because of the rain, and so was she, but he honestly felt like he would break into tears at the sight of his friends. He felt water on his face and maybe he did start crying a little as the two men came into view and Gladiolus got close enough to wrap him into a hug. “Oh thank Etro!” The blonde cried out in relief.

“Are you two alright?” Ignis asked and looked around, “Where’s Noctis?”

Prompto’s face dropped and he lead the three of them back into the shack. The moment Ignis saw the prince lying on the ground he rushed over and began checking on him. He saw the veins on his neck and the mostly healed scrapes and scratches and looked at Prompto demanding to know what happened. Prompto explained, but not before asking Ignis for his medicine which he took quickly hoping they would kick in soon to settle his stomach and stem off the feeling of panic that was practically washing over him.

He told Ignis everything, from them getting lost, to when the Malboro attacked them, and what happened right after. Ignis listened his face neutral as he absorbed the information his gaze not leaving Noctis. When Prompto finished he did not say anything at first and Prompto could feel that dam breaking again. “I'm sorry!” He said loudly surprising the three. "This is my fault. If I hadn't-"

“No it’s not.” Ignis said. Prompto fell silent, “You shouldn't blame yourself for things out of your control.” He looked over Noctis again and stood up. “You handled this well Prompto.”

“Th-thank you.” Prompto said, not sure how else to answer. Gladiolus squeezed his shoulder to steady him.

“Try and relax alright.” He said, “You did good, so we’ll take care of him from here. We’ll get you two out of here and back to town.”

“You guys are free to crash at my place.” Cindy said, “I don’t really use the guest room.”

“That’s very kind of you Cindy.” Gladiolus said.

“Yes, but we wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome.” Ignis said, a brief hint of amusement on his face before returning to serious. “More importantly we should get Noctis and Prompto to the hospital before we decide on our lodgings. We need to get the poison treated, his body can only resist it for so long.” Ignis speculated he was not worse because of the crystal but he really did not need to voice that information out loud. He moved away from Noctis and stopped near Prompto, kneeling down to get a good look at the blonde’s ankle. “I want a healer to look at this as well, since you’ve been on it for a few hours.”

“Okay.” Prompto said. He could work with that. From there Ignis made it his job to help Prompto out of the area. Gladiolus could carry Noctis. The prince stirred a little, opening his eyes and looked up. He took one look at Gladiolus, sighed, and closed his eyes again leaning his head against his brother figures shoulder. At the moment he did not care how and when Gladiolus had gotten to him, just that he was there.

Patients secure the group started up to the road where Cindy’s truck was waiting for them. Only two of them could fit inside the truck, and that would be Ignis and Noctis. Gladiolus and Prompto rode in the back using a tarp that Cindy had to keep themselves as dry as possible. Prompto felt his body relax a little, his stomach was flipping less as they drove down the road It was a combination of his meds and the relief Noctis would be getting help. He fell asleep on the way to the hospital and was woken sometime later. Ignis had Noctis brought into the ER while Prompto was brought into another area to have his ankle looked at.

Once his boot was taken off the healer was able to conclude that Prompto should stay off it for a few days. He was put into a splint to keep it from moving and given crutches to get around. Prompto glared at the crutches, he hated them just as much as he did when he broke his leg in high school. He would only need them for a few days, potions were a blessing, but that was a few days to many as far as he was concerned. When the healer was finished with him Prompto sat in the waiting room with Gladiolus waiting to hear any news from Ignis about Noctis.

Finally after a painfully long wait and a few games of poker that the blonde was victorious in Ignis walked down the hall. “Well?” Gladiolus asked. Ignis looked as composed as ever as he was trying to form words.

“The poison did a number on him, but the healer believes that once it’s treated the seizures will stop and he’ll make a full recovery.” Ignis explained, “You two are lucky, she thinks you got attacked by a baby Malboro.”

“‘Baby?’” Prompto repeated. “That monster did not look ‘baby.’ Trust me I saw it.”

“A Malboro’s breath can mess with the brain and cause a variety of problems. Blindness, mutism, petrification, disorientation, coma, death.” Ignis explained and the color drained from Prompto’s face. Did Ignis have to list all the possible side effects? “The fact he isn’t suffering more ailments means you were either attacked by a young monster or he’s the luckiest man in the world right now.” There was a silence as the other two absorbed this information.

“So what do we do now?” Gladiolus asked.

“He is staying overnight for treatment. The antidote needs to be administered bit by bit over time because of how strong it is and there’s risk of numerous side effects. I’ll be staying overnight to keep an eye on him.”

“Then we’ll stay too.”

Ignis shook his head much to the other two’s disappointment. “You two need to find us a hotel, and you” Ignis looked right at Gladiolus, “need to make sure Prompto stays off his foot.”

“I don’t-” Prompto started then stopped. He did not want to leave until Noctis was feeling better but Ignis would insist he needed to take care of himself too. The glare Ignis was giving him meant he already had that lecture prepare. He sighed. “...okay. But we can come back tomorrow right?”

“I’ll keep you updated on when his highness can receive visitors.” Ignis told him. With that in mind he gave Gladiolus enough gil to help them find a decent hotel. Cindy had already left the hospital to get their car so they had to walk the rainy streets. Gladiolus had to remember to not walk as fast now that Prompto would not be able to keep up while on the crutches, but after awhile they found a decent place. They rented out one room with two queen sized beds and once in the room Gladiolus propped Prompto up using a pillow to elevate his leg.

“How’s that?”

“Good.” Prompto said, but he had to admit the moment he had more energy he was going to hate lying around in bed all day. Gladiolus was in charge of the remote and after the two debated what they wanted to watch the taller man one after twisting him into a headlock. He turned on the tv and switched to one of the stations that was airing a rerun of a police drama and Prompto huffed and sat back and watched. After about a half hour he started to feel bored and desperate for conversation, but not sure where to start. He just relaxed himself into the bed and watched the tv.

Noctis was released from the hospital the next day. Prompto was excited at first until the two walked in and he saw Noctis skin had a green tinge to it and Ignis was red with fury. The royal advisor kept himself levelheaded while he helped Noctis lay on the bed and covered him with a blanket, but the moment he was sure the prince was asleep he blew his top. The healer did what he said he would and treated the poison but the hospital would not keep him longer to monitor his condition. They wanted him out as quickly as possible.

“If this were Lucis or even Lestallum he’d still be in bed and under supervision. The healers here are incompetent morons!” He practically yelled. “They wouldn’t even write me up a prescription to treat the nausea and there’s a myriad of potential side effects caused by the antidote.”

“Hospitals suck….” The sound of there half asleep prince got there attention as Noctis rolled from his left side to his right. “Don’t want to go back.” He had missed half their conversation and Ignis put a hand on his shoulder.

“We won’t be.” He said. Noctis said nothing, the prince had fallen back to sleep. Ignis sighed and straightened. “When Cindy is finished repairing our car and the bill is paid off we’re leaving for Accordo and I pray we will never be coming back here!”

Ignis still looked like he wanted to break something so Gladiolus convinced him to come out and do a little training. Ignis hesitated but since Noctis would probably just sleep today he agreed to it. Prompto promised to call if anything happened. The two left and Prompto stared at the door in silence before moving himself off his bed and onto Noctis’. Once comfortable, he turned on the television and flipped through some channels before falling on reruns of old Spongebob episodes. He leaned back and looked over when he heard Noctis sigh.

“Sorry, is it too loud?” He asked. Noctis opened his eyes a little.

“No…” Noctis said. He sounded very tired. “Can’t fall asleep.”

“You want me to lie down with you?” Prompto asked. Noctis closed his eyes and nodded. With some effort and care not to bend his ankle too much Prompto slid himself down so he was lying next to his friend. He rolled over onto his side so he was facing him. “How you doing?”

“Feel like crap.”

“Yeah well, no offense, but you look like crap.” Prompto said. Noctis chuckled a little before letting out a small moan. “Stomach?”

“I think the antidote was worse than the poison…” Noctis muttered his voice becoming low and quiet. His eyes were no longer gold, just that dull grey they took when Noctis was exhausted.

“Well just try and rest and you’ll be back to normal in no time.” Prompto said. Noctis nodded and closed his eyes. He lay still for a few moments before opening them again and sighing. He was absolutely exhausted but sleep was not hitting him. Prompto gave him a sad look. “Sorry.”

“For what?” Noctis asked.

“That you got in this mess. I mean, it kinda is-”

“Stop.” Noctis said, “What happened happened, no one should be blamed for it. Besides you helped me best you could, I’m the one that decided blasting that thing point blank was a good idea.” He paused and curled up a little closer. “Thank you for being there Prom.”

The words caught Prompto off guard but he found himself smiling. “Of course, you’re my best friend and yeah I was terrified but I'd do anything for you.” His smile faded a little. “I just wish I could have helped you more.”

“You did what you could. Just like Ignis and Gladio... and dad...and….and…” Noctis’ words got caught in his throat and Prompto knew it was not just because he was tired. He could see how Noctis eyes began to water just at the very thought of her. Prompto watched him and wrapped an arm around his friend to rub his back. He wanted Noctis to talk about Luna, they all did, but maybe now was not a good time.

“You don't have to-”

“She would read.” Noctis said and the words caught Prompto off guard. “Books, magazines, song lyrics, after I calmed down and was dozing she would read to me….it was...nice.” Prompto listened and held Noctis close as the exhausted boy looked like he was ready to break into tears. He decided right now would be best to change the subject.

“Well I don’t really have anything to read you, but I have a story about when me and Gladio got drunk at the clubs.” He smirked as he saw Noctis face light up a little, "Yup, Gladio, drunk, this is a true story I swear."

Noctis looked at him a little intrigued at the thought of ‘drunk’ and ‘Gladio’ in the same sentence though he was pretty sure Prompto was exaggerating. Still he listened and found himself calming down as Prompto told his story. His eyes became heavy and he closed them this time really falling asleep. Prompto noticed, but continued to tell his story as he brushed Noctis’ hair with his fingers and when he was done curled up next to him, a protective hand wrapped around his friend. No matter what he would always be there for Noctis, that Prompto was sure of.