A groan slipped from (Y/n)'s lips when she felt her body being jostled around. Slowly, she regained consciousness and her eyes fluttered open. Looking around with just her eyes, she saw she was in the Regalia. Her head was resting against Prompto's shoulder as she sat in his lap. One of his arms was around her waist while the other rested against her thigh. She blinked a few times and finally realized the sharpshooter was staring at her with an expression mixed between worry and relief. "Hey, you're awake! How're you feeling?"
"Better." (Y/n) lifted her head and looked around in confusion. "Where are we going?"
"Malmalam Thicket, to investigate," Ignis replied.
Prompto looked around at the somewhat dense forest around them. "I don't like the woods. Too many monsters."
"You kidding? What could be better than roughing it out here?" Gladio asked.
"A million other things could be better."
Down the bumpy, narrow dirt road, Ignis parks the Regalia in the designated parking area. Everyone exited the vehicle, closing the doors behind them. Prompto, seeing the color had returned to (Y/n)'s face, allowed her to walk on her own.
The spirit glanced down at the trail. It was too narrow for a car and meant they'd have to continue their way to Malmalam Thicket on foot or via chocobo. Just as she thought of the large birds, Iris spoke up. "Oh! While you guys were gone, I saw a chocobo run past-and it had a person on its back! Have you guys ever ridden one? I bet it'd be super fun!"
Prompto chuckles at the mention of the feathery creatures. "Funny you should ask..."
Ignis glances over at the prince. "Noct, call a bird for the lady."
Noctis pulled out the chocobo whistle and blew it. Five birds came running at the sound of the whistle and circled around the group. Iris noticed the odd number of chocobos and how they would be needing one more. Before she could even say anything, (Y/n) already had a solution. "You can ride the chocobo with the (f/c) feathers, Iris. I want to stretch out a little bit. I might even go on ahead and scope out the area to clear my head."
"Are you sure?" Iris asked, unsure of the decision.
The spirit nodded with a smile. "Yeah." She petted the (f/c) chocobo's head. "Take care of him for me."
The younger girl smiled back. "I will!"
The moment (Y/n) went to transform, Prompto stopped her. He was clearly concerned about her. She usually wasn't one to run off and be alone with her thoughts, which he knew all too well. "Hey, is everything okay? Did Callyx say something to you?"
She lowered her head with a sigh, knowing she couldn't lie to him. "He said something and I can't get it off my mind. Hopefully a small stroll around the area will clear my head."
"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?"
She smiled sadly. "I'm sure. Thank you for the offer, though." Putting some distance between her and the others, she transformed. Once in her fox form, she stretched her legs and tails. After a good stretch, she shook her body with a faint growl before taking off down the path.
Iris, who'd been staring in amazement at the fox, blinked in awe and smiled. "Wow! So that's what a spirit can do. Now I wish I had one..." She watched the guardian until she was out of sight. Climbing into the saddle of the (f/c) chocobo, she gripped his reins tightly. "Let's hurry and follow (Y/n)!"
"Someone's bossy," Gladio commented, mounting his own crimson-feathered bird.
Iris ignored her brother's playful comment and followed Noctis down the trail towards Malmalam Thicket. As they crossed a bridge spanning over the river, the young Amicitia spotted the fox maneuvering through the woods. She stared in amazement as the guardian leapt out from the tree line and attacked a pack of seadevils prowling around the bank of the river. Iris was surprised at how well (Y/n) was able to handle the creatures and kill them before they spotted them.
Passing by the fox, Iris glances at her before focusing on the trail ahead. "If I remember correctly, you guys told me guardians can use elemental magic. So if each spirit is unique, what element does (Y/n) use?"
"Her specialty is fire. I've never seen her use any other element," Prompto answered.
"Wait, spirits can wield more than one?"
The blonde nodded. "Yeah. (Y/n) said there are spirits out their who can use all elements, but it's difficult to master each one. That's why guardians usually stick to one." Just then, his attention was drawn to the tree line when he heard a twig snap. He tightened his grip on the reins of his chocobo, urging it to go faster. "Uh, guys...?"
"Yeah?" Noctis asked.
"I-I think there's-Ah!" Prompto screamed as something emerged from the tree line and landed beside him. When seeing it was his guardian, he pouted childishly. "Hey, that's not funny, (Y/n)!" He thought he saw a smirk on the spirit's face, but he wasn't sure as she took off up the trail before he could check.
At the end of the trail, they had located the entrance to Malmalam Thicket. The chocobos refused to enter, forcing the group to proceed on foot. Leaving the large birds behind, they stroll into Malmalam Thicket. (Y/n) reverted back into her human form with a huff. "I meant to ask, but why are we here?"
"Alleged reports of a royal glaive being unearthed in Malmalam Thicket were being circulated throughout Lestallum," Ignis answered.
"Let's just hope there isn't a giant-ass bird that we'll have to fight," Gladio added.
"A what?" Iris gasped.
While the shield explained what happened to them at the Rock of Ravatogh, they carefully proceeded forward. The vegetation of the thicket was dense. They watched their step to avoid tripping over the large roots of the trees. In the distance, they could see movement but weren't able to tell what creature was waiting for them.
Further into Malmalam Thicket, they saw the creature wandering around was a mandrake. Iris remained on the sidelines, providing support for the others. I didn't take them long to kill the mandrake, but they soon found themselves in a tougher battle with a soldier wasp further down the trail.
After disposing of the creature, Prompto began looking around the area with an excited gleam in his cerulean eyes. He peered behind trees and into bushes for any valuables. When he didn't find anything, he wandered over to Noctis. Knowing his best friend was an expert at finding things, he asked, "Find anything rare or exotic yet?"
Noctis grinned in amusement at the blonde's eagerness. "Slow down. We just got here."
"Y'know, if treasures were easy to find, they wouldn't be rare," Gladio commented.
"We'll see about that," Prompto retorted, returning to his search for treasure.
"Try not to venture too far, Prom," (Y/n) warned. "Wouldn't want you getting lost."
"Will do!" He scampered off a little ways and searches the area.
"You sound like his mom," the shield commented, glancing towards the (h/c)-haired girl. "Pretty sure that's Iggy's job."
"I am willing to pass the title to another," Ignis chimed in.
"I'm more of the babysitter than the mom. You can keep the title of "mom", Ignis," (Y/n) said.
"A shame..." The advisor sighed.
Deeper into Malmalam Thicket, they face off against a rather large shieldshear. Iris used a potion on Noctis when the large crustacean knocked him back. The prince shouted out to Ignis, who used sage fire to fry the enemy. A large explosion of flames erupted exactly where the shieldshear stood. The bright, hot flames consumed the enemy and killed it.
As the flames died down, Prompto's attention was drawn to the path ahead when he heard the sound of flowing water. "That a...brook I hear babbling?"
Gladio focused on the sounds around him and also heard the rushing water. "A regular river, I'd say."
Noctis seemed to perk up at the sound of the river. "Oh, think we have time to cast a line?"
"Sorry, bud. Need to reel yourself in this time around," Prompto replied.
Continuing forward, they eventually come across the rushing river they'd been hearing. On the other side of the shallow body of water is Kellebram Haven. The sharpshooter noticed the faint glowing of the runes and cheered, "Hey! I know those runes!"
"It's a sign. We should set up camp," Gladio said.
Noctis looked over at his shield. "You a fortune-teller now?"
"We can rest up or move on. It's your choice, Noct," Ignis stated.
Noctis looked over at the two girls accompanying them. "How you guys doing?"
"We're fine," Iris responded.
"Yeah. Let's keep moving," (Y/n) chimed in.
"Whelp, you heard the ladies. Let's mosey on!" Prompto chanted.
With no safe side path by the river, the group entered the shallow water and trekked upstream. They could see a waterfall in the distance as they trudged through the river.
"Take care the current doesn't carry you away," Ignis said over the sound of the rushing water.
"I'm not sure my footwear is up to this!" Prompto wailed.
"Don't let yourself get pulled in," Gladio advised, helping his little sister upstream.
The marksman followed behind Noctis, but his foot slipped on the rocky riverbed. He yelped at the top of his lungs as he went tumbling into the water. Luckily, (Y/n) was behind him and prevented him from being carried downstream by grabbing the back of his leather vest. She helped him back on his feet with a heavy sigh. "I swear, you're a klutz."
Prompto smiled with a faint blush. "Thanks for the help, (Y/n)."
"Try not slip again." She went to follow the others, but was immediately stopped by the boy.
"In that case..." Prompto grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together. "You'll have to hold my hand."
The spirit blinked in surprise. She was astonished at how bold he'd gotten around other people. He wasn't as shy as before to show his affection for her. "What's gotten into you lately?"
"What do you mean?" He asked, honestly confused at her question.
"Sitting in your lap, holding my hand..." She held up their connected hands. "What happened to the shy boy I knew?"
"He's, uh...turned into a man!" Prompto answered with a nervous chuckle. Truth be told, he'd only grown confident because of his chat with Geralt. His words struck a chord with him and helped him with his shyness. His eagerness to touch the girl festered after learning just how easily Geralt lost Cynthia. He wanted to show her just how much he loved her through simple gestures. While more intimate moments still caused him to become embarrassed, the smaller actions were now easy for him to perform without hesitation or becoming flustered. He didn't care anymore about who saw them hold hands or exchange a brief kiss. He wasn't even all that bothered by his friends and Iris seeing (Y/n) sit in his lap.
Although Prompto had became more confident, it stemmed from his fear of losing (Y/n). He has already expressed this fear to the girl, but that didn't cause it to go away. He refused to let anything happen to her even though it was her duty to protect him. He'd do everything in his power to protect her, which is another reason why he wanted her to be in reach.
(Y/n), after thinking for a few seconds, tugged on their connected hands. "Well, it doesn't really matter why you've changed. I love you for who you are, shy or not." She helped him up the small incline he slipped down earlier. "Anyway, let's catch up with the others."
Prompto nodded with a small smile. He tightened his hold on the spirit's hand as they regrouped with the others just in time to be attacked by monsters. The couple reluctantly released each other's hand and joined the fray. They were targeted by a group consisted of shieldshears, mandrakes, and soldier wasps. The area was open, but the slippery stones and frigid waters caused small issues during the battle.
Even with the small hiccups during the battle, like Noctis slipping and falling into the river because of the slippery rocks, the group was able to deal with the monsters. When all the adversaries were dead, the six proceeded towards the waterfall. As they did, Noctis was splashed by the water pouring down from the cliff. "Ah! Cold! Cold!"
"Freezing cold!" Prompto rubbed his exposed arms as a few droplets of water splashed on him.
"You oughta stand under that waterfall and let it toughen you up a little," Gladio commented, unfazed by the frigid temperature of the water.
"I don't think that would be good for my camera. Or me."
Iris was also cold due to the water. She followed the boys and (Y/n) up a pathway where they crossed the waterfall. With the guardian's help, she was able to keep from slipping. What she also noticed was how warm the girl was. "You're not cold, (Y/n)?"
"Nope. This cold water is quite refreshing, actually," (Y/n) replied.
"You should've seen short stuff on the Rock of Ravatogh. While the rest of us were dyin' from the heat, she didn't even break a sweat," Gladio stated.
"I'm rather fond of hot temperatures. It makes my magic more powerful," the spirit said. "Of course, the same thing can't be said about a guardian who wields ice magic. They'd most likely prefer a place that's frigid."
"I never expected to learn so much about spirits on this trip," Iris commented.
"Neither did I," Noctis chimed in.
"We all have learned valuable knowledge on this journey," Ignis said.
The conversation ended there. The group, after having crossed the waterfall, entered a large crevice in the cliffside. Noctis was still in the lead and guided them down the path. "Just keeps going on from here."
"Then we keep going, too," Gladio responded.
The ravine was narrow and seemed as if it had no end. No sun shone into the large ravine, allowing no light to brighten their way. Only the shadows of the rock walls provided them company.
Because of their clothes being soaked and the lack of warmth from the sun, Prompto could feel a chill nipping at his bones. The shadows of the gully gave the entire place an eerie sensation. "This place is...cozy," he sarcastically said.
"Well, I wouldn't get too comfy if I were you," Gladio warned.
"Right. We're not out of the woods yet," Ignis commented.
Making their way to the opposite end of the gully, they exit into a clearing of the woods. Prompto smiled in relief when feeling the warmth of the sun's rays. "Man, am I glad to be out of there."
"Don't speak too soon," Gladio said as a large form came into view.
Prompto becomes aware of the large bandersnatch coming toward them, his smile vanishing. "Not so glad anymore."
"Not surprised either," Noctis commented.
"Hey, at least it's not a giant bird," (Y/n) added. "This thing is a somewhat manageable size."
"Oh, definitely," Prompto said.
Ignis summoned his daggers as the bandersnatch closed in on their location. "Let's have it!"
Iris remained on the sidelines and only entered the fight when someone needed help. Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis attacked the legs of the bandersnatch. (Y/n), in her spiritual form, used her body as a ram and slammed into the creature's side. With her weight, she was able to knock it onto its side and make it vulnerable. Noctis complimented her performance before initiating a chain-link attack with his companions. The four boys timed their combined attacks and were able to deal some heavy damage to the bandersnatch. However, it wasn't enough to kill it.
The bandersnatch recovered, getting back on its feet. It roared and barreled towards the boys. Out of the four of them, Prompto wasn't able to dodge in time. He was knocked off his feet and sent tumbling. Before the creature could spot him, (Y/n) dashed over and used her tails to lift him off the ground and onto her back. The blonde thanked her for saving him before asking, "How 'bout we kick this thing's ass?"
(Y/n) growled in response. Prompto adjusted his grip until he had a secure hold on the nape of her neck with one hand. With his other hand, he wielded his pistol. "Let's do this, (Y/n)!" The fox leapt into action and ran circles around the bandersnatch. Prompto fires round after round, confusing and injuring the creature as it tried to pinpoint where to attack.
Using her magic, (Y/n) infused Prompto's bullets with fire. When he fired his last round at the bandersnatch's chest, all the bullets lodged inside its body shattered and bursted into flames. It roared out in pain as portions of its body were consumed with fire. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis stepped back just in time to witness the creature breathe its last breath and topple over. The three dispel their weapons and eye Prompto and (Y/n).
"How the hell did you manage that, blondie?" Gladio asked. "And since when have you two been training together?"
"It's something (Y/n) and I came up with," he vaguely replied. "And we don't need to train! The two of us are the perfect team! Right, (Y/n)?" He bent over and did his best to wrap his arms around her neck.
The fox closed her eyes when feeling Prompto's arms around her neck. Her ears twitched at the sensation of him burying his face into the back of her neck. He chuckled seeing her reaction. "I'll take that as a "yes"."
"I'm not complaining," Noctis said.
Ignis, who looked away for just a moment as the others conversed, spotted something in the distance. It was a royal tomb. Interrupting the conversation, he grabbed the prince's attention. "Noct, you might want to see this."
Prompto lifted his head from (Y/n)'s neck and followed the advisor's line of sight. His eyes gleamed with excitement when seeing the royal tomb. "Score! It's all about that treasure."
The group approaches the royal tomb. Noctis enters and obtains the Scepter of the Pious. When the younger boy left the tomb, Gladio huffed out a sigh. "Feels good to get it done."
Prompto, who was still on (Y/n)'s back, nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Almost makes up for the soaked socks and bug bites."
"Now that that's over, are we heading back to the car?" Iris asked.
Noctis wipes some dirt off his cheek. "Yeah. Let's go. I could use a nap..."