The Sole Star (Final Fantasy XV Fanfic)

Chapter L

Lorelai's eyes fluttered open. She blinked several times, clearing her blurred vision. Her whole body felt weak and she stared up at the ceiling above her. After a moment, she shifted a bit, alerting her friends. Noctis, Ignis, and Gladiolus approached her bedside, the prince helping her sit up. She looked around, realizing that they were in a caravan. She immediately noticed Prompto laying in the bed across from hers, unconscious. Ignis held out an elixir to her.

"Here. You'll want to take this to restore your energy and heal your wounds."

Still groggy, she took it, glancing at her bandaged shoulder and side. She gulped down the curative, immediately feeling a bit better.

"Thanks." She rubbed her head, trying to remember what had transpired before she lost consciousness. "Where are we? What... happened?"

"We're back in Meldacio," Gladio answered. "You obliterated Ardyn with your magic, remember?"

"Kinda." The memory of it slowly started coming back to her.

"Don't get your hopes up though," Noctis said. "Ardyn's not gone. He's immortal, he can't die, not even from that." He then smiled slightly. "But look at you, a member of the Lucis Caelum family."

A faint giggle slipped past her lips. "Technically only from heritage."

"That explains your powers," Ignis added.

Lorelai then frowned, her eyes darting over to Prompto. "Is Prompto... okay?"

Ignis pushed up his glasses. "Physically, he'll be alright. But I can't say for certain how his mental state will be."

Lorelai looked at him with worry. "What do you mean?"

"Head injuries can be quite fickle," he explained. "The victim could very well sustain things like memory loss or mental dysfunction."

The girl's heart sank. She placed a hand over her gaping mouth and stared over at the blond with watery eyes. "Prompto..."

She slowly stood and went over to his bed, sitting beside him. "Look on the bright side, he could wake up at any moment and show us what pictures he took in Luminis," Gladio told her, trying to cheer her up.

She only nodded. "Speaking of Luminis, what happened to it?"

"Gone," the prince replied. "Buried under the ground, for good this time. We just barely made it out in time carrying you two."

"The good news is no more rampaging monsters," Gladio added.

"Yes," the advisor agreed. "Seems Luminis's fall corrected the balance. The energy flow has ceased and the fauna are back to normal."

A faint smile tugged at her lips. "That's good." She glanced out the window, noticing the orange tint that signalled it was sunset. "How long was I out?"

"Since last night," Noctis answered. "As soon as we left the city, it was still dark. We camped at a haven for the night and rushed back here this morning."

"No wonder I'm so hungry." She could feel her empty stomach rumble. "But I don't think I could eat, not until Prompto's up."

"You need to eat something," Ignis insisted. "You can't neglect your own needs. In fact, I'll get cooking right now."

The bespectacled man turned and went straight to the stove. Noctis and Gladio mentioned getting some air and left the caravan. But Lorelai was unable to leave her boyfriend's side. She gazed down at him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. She smiled slightly to herself and reached down, brushing his hair out of his face and lightly running her fingers along his cheek. But seeing the bandages wrapped tightly around his head reminded her of the condition he was in. She feared what Ignis told her - that Prompto could have permanent damage from his injury.