Zodiac (Final Fantasy XV)

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Then, the Glacian appeared in the throne room with them. With a sorrowful smile, she shared Zodia's last moment on Eos with them. Before she could speak again, Ignis called out to the goddess. "I beg of you... do not take her from me."

Shiva's smile fell. "The deed has been done. The zodiac blood in exchange for the life of the true King's. An exchange we could not disdain."

Noctis slammed a fist against the wall, more tears falling. "Why... Why did she do it?"

"Before she passed her soul unto me, she had thought of herself as expendable. The princess knew your life was more essential than her own."

Noctis gritted his teeth, refusing to face the Glacian. Prompto stepped away from Gladio and stood in front of the goddess. "Is there any way to get her back?" Slowly, Shiva shook her head. The blonde bit his bottom lip as he stormed out of the throne room.

"Along with her soul, her body with fade," Shiva informs sorrowfully.

Ignis hugged Zodia's body tighter. "We cannot even sanction a proper burial?"

"The body will have vanished before preparations could be devised. For now, I shall send you on your way with her final words." Shiva stepped closer to Ignis as her body began to shift. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis watched with wide eyes as the Glacian transformed into Zodia. Slowly, she sat on her knees next to the bespectacled man and cupped his cheeks. When her lips met his, he knew the familiar sensation from anywhere. Reciprocating the kiss, Ignis leaned forward into her to deepen it.

Morosely, the kiss didn't last long. The two pulled away from each other, Ignis staring into Zodia's gleaming eyes. "I love you, Ignis."

"I will fall adrift without you, my love."

The princess smiled melancholically before she vanished along with Shiva. As Ignis stared at the spot Zodia once stood, he didn't realize how light her body was getting until he went to grab her hand and only grasped at nothingness. Eyes darting down, he realized her body had begun to vanish. Knowing he was powerless, Ignis just watched as his fiancée disappeared from his life and this world. Noctis and Gladio tore their eyes from the sight, refusing to watch.

With no one left to hold, Ignis slowly got to his feet. He refused to meet anyone's gaze as he left the throne room to search for Prompto and inform him of what transpired in his absence. Noctis and Gladio followed shortly after, heading outside to find the two in the courtyard. They could tell Prompto didn't handle the news well as the duo found him in a tearful heap. Ignis placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, feeling the same as Prompto but putting up a façade to conceal it.

Though the sun bathed everything in its golden radiance, they couldn't bring themselves to smile at the new world. Turning their backs from its beautiful rays, the men went to rest.

-Three Years Later-

Repair efforts at full force, the rebuilding of Insomnia took off without a hitch. With help from every corner of Eos, the Crown City was able to get back on its feet. New and returning citizens flocked to the city as soon as they heard the news. Outlying neighborhoods were fully rebuilt, along with a myriad of businesses.

With the Citadel repaired with help from the remaining Crownsguard and Kingsglaive members, Noctis had officially embraced his new title and married Lunafreya. In honor of his late sister, the King and former Oracle decided to hold their wedding ceremony on Zodia's birthday. After the ceremony, Noctis and Luna had gathered Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis in a separate room. "Sorry to have dragged you guys out this late."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it, buddy!" Prompto smiles.

"What's this about?" Gladio inquired.

"A first you have gathered us so late. Has an issue arisen?" Ignis ponders.

"None of the sort," Luna said, her hand holding Noctis' gently. "We have gathered you all here to unveil a new memorial within the Citadel."

The three men tilted their heads in confusion. Noctis and Luna beckoned them to follow as they left the room and headed to Memorial Hall. Prompto gasped as he saw the myriads of paintings of the previous Kings and Queens of Lucis. As se admired each one, Gladio and Ignis noticed one memorial that was new and covered with a black sheet. Noctis and Luna stood lovingly next to each other as the men came to a stop in front of it.

"This is new. Thought this spot was empty," Gladio said.

"Not anymore. Luna and I had a sculptor make a bust for a certain someone," Noctis beams gently. The King grabbed the sheet and slowly revealed what was underneath. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis were stunned at the sight, their eyes widening once they read the name under the beautiful marble sculpture. "It looks exactly like her," Prompto comments with a gentle smile.

"We had the best sculptor make it," Luna informed.

Gladio smiled, his eyes traveling to Ignis. The shield noticed how the man couldn't tear his eyes away from the bust. He knew Ignis still was wounded from losing Zodia three years ago just before her twenty-ninth birthday. If she was still with them, she would've been thirty-two today and celebrating the unification between her brother and Lunafreya.

"Is that why you asked for the picture a month ago?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah, the sculptor needed a good reference," Noctis replies.

"Did a damn good job from just using a photo," Gladio said.

After admiring the marble piece in silence for a few more minutes, Noctis and Luna left with Gladio close behind. Prompto and Ignis lingered for a few more minutes before leaving the hall. As the blonde was heading back to his room, the tactician called out to him. "If I may, Prompto, could I browse your photos?"

"Sure thing, Iggy. C'mon," Prompto smiled.

Ignis followed the younger man back to his room in silence. When the sharpshooter entered the room, he swiftly maneuvered to the bookshelf beside his desk. He pulled out three thick photo albums and placed them on his bed. "These are all the photos I've taken. You can have any photos you want."

"Much obliged, Prompto." Ignis picked up the albums and held them tightly. "I shall return them in the morning."

"Take your time and bring 'em back whenever. I know exactly what you're looking for!"

Ignis carries the heavy photo albums back to his room. Though it was one in the morning, he couldn't sleep and began searching through the plethora amount of pictures. Luckily, Prompto had them organized by date, which made it easier to find the pictures he wanted. The blonde had shown him an abundant amount of pictures of Zodia he had snapped throughout their journey. There were two in particular he was scrounging for.

Finding the first picture, he gently slid it out of the protective film and smiled at the captured moment. It was the day the group returned to Galdin Quay to give Dino the ore he requested. Prompto had snapped a breathtaking scene of the princess deep in thought, her eyes lost in the distant sunset.

Moving to the next album, he searched all the Altissia photos Prompto had snapped until he found the one where he had proposed to Zodia. A few tears escaped his eyes at the memory, both joyful and sorrowful. Claiming the two photos, Ignis set them aside on his nightstand before continuing to skim through the hefty album. The memories came flooding back as he remembered each moment as if it were yesterday. Minutes turned into hours and Ignis hadn't realized how late it had become. Checking the clock, he let out a sigh as it read almost five in the morning. Luckily, the sun had yet to rise and the man welcomed his deep slumber with open arms.