~Zodia's POV~
All was silent as I warned the others of the unwanted presence nearby. Cautiously looking around, my eyes travel to the cave ceiling and spot an Arachne watching us closely. The daemon has yet to notice that we were aware of her presence and waited.
Whispering the incantation of the shadow spell, I tap my staff once and black tendrils target the daemon hanging overhead. As the tendrils break into multiple spikes, it impales the body of the Arachne with precision. The daemon shrieks in pain and its body falls to the ground, motionless.
"How did you-never mind," Noctis stopped himself.
"Glad you held your tongue, brother dearest. I wouldn't have been able to answer that question myself," I exclaim.
"Just another obstacle out of the way," Gladio said.
"Certainty an inessential confrontation avoided," Ignis agrees.
"Time to move forward," Noctis said, leading the way. All agreeing, we follow closely behind. Not far from our last battle did Prompto spot a small ledge we could shimmy our way over. Noctis went first and I followed shortly behind. Ignis went right after me to ensure I didn't slip or fall. Following him, Prompto and Gladio scurried across with ease.
"So much for a "little chill." I got an ice cream headache-without the ice cream!" Prompto chatters.
"Could always get ice cream afterwards and see which is worst," I comment. Prompto shook his head frantically. "I think this freezing place will hold me over for a while." I laughed a little at our small talk.
We broke our conversation when we ran into another dead end. Crossing my arms, I glance at Noctis with a raised eyebrow. Ignis gave him the same expression and lowered his voice. "Noct, if I may..."
"Don't ask," Noctis snappily replies.
"Yep, we're lost," Gladio confirms.
"Don't answer!" My brother hisses back.
"Don't know where we came from, don't know where we're goin'," Prompto added.
"Of course," I snicker. Noctis sent me a small glare, which made me laugh a little harder. "Don't get mad. You were never good at directions. You'd always get lost in the Citadel." He grumbled incoherently under his breath, not denying I was wrong.
"How 'bout you lead?" Noctis questioned. Taking a step forward, I smirked at him. "Gladly." Understanding the layout of the cave allowed us to proceed forward. Noctis refused to say a word as I was able to guide us through with little effort.
"I hope we didn't come here for nothing," Prompto fretted.
"Sure there's something if we look," Gladio reassures.
"Don't worry, Prom. We're not leaving empty-handed," I smile.
We arrived at another ledge. This one also has enough space for us to cross over to the other side. His protective nature kicking in, Noctis goes first to test the ledge. "Watch your step," Gladio warns.
"No more slip-ups," Ignis states. The five of us reach the other side without an accident, only to run into a few Flans and Imps. In a blink of an eye, all the daemons were slain. The temperature dropped even more as we finished off another horde of daemons.
"So, the glaive and ruins are through here?" Gladio asked as we ascended a small slope.
"Most likely," Noctis replied.
"Let's see for ourselves," Ignis joins.
"Hopefully, our little hike through this place doesn't end up just being training," I spoke.
"Totally agreeing with you on that, Zo," the blonde said.
My thoughts wandered to all the zodiacs, trying to figure out who would be located in these particular ruins. Deep within my own mind, I wasn't paying attention until someone pulled me back by my waist. Realizing what was happening, I looked up to see a Ronin's blade only inches from my face. The only thing keeping it away was one of Ignis' dagger.
A gunshot rang out, causing the Ronin to jump away from us. I thanked the royal advisor and tried to free myself of his grip. My escape was futile because Ignis tightened his hold on me and took a few steps away from the battle. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio took care of the Ronin while Ignis kept ahold of me.
"I-Ignis, you can let go," I sheepishly said. Peering up at him, I noticed his demeanor changed when I called his name. It seemed as if he wasn't aware he was holding on to me so tightly until now. Loosening his arm from my waist, I gave him a concerned look. "Are you alright?"
"Apologies, Zodia. I... lost myself for a short while."
Physically, he was alright but mentally-he changed when I wasn't paying attention and almost got hurt. Ignis confirmed my suspicions when he admitted what happened. "A foreign feeling came over me when I saw what could've happened."
"Do you feel fine as we speak?"
"I am well."
Sighing in relief, I place a hand over my beating heart. "That's all that matters. If it happens again, tell one of us." Ignis nods and takes a few deep breaths. The others had slain the Ronin while I was checking on Ignis. They gave him worried glances, but I quickly reassured them. Staying by his side, we follow the others and cross another ledge.
"I'm freezing... what I wouldn't give for a hot bowl of soup. Mmm... soup." Prompto licked his lips slightly before snapping back to reality. "We're almost there... we gotta be. Right?!"
Gladio pats the blonde on the back and pushes him forward once both made it across. Leaving the final ledge behind, we turned the corner and spotted our goal. "Hey! Knock, knock," Gladio chuckles.
"We're there... finally," Ignis sighs. Our joyous moment was ruined when a Mindflayer and Imps crashed our happy moment. "Ugh... great," I groan.
"Can't it ever be easy?" Gladio growls in annoyance. Summoning all our weapons, the battle began. Instead of Prompto beside me, it was Ignis. He threw his daggers at multiple enemies as he stood next to me. Noctis was about to be grabbed by the Mindflayer, but I quickly shot a small fireball at it. The daemon backed away from my brother and concentrated on Gladio.
Imps snuck behind me and Ignis, but I quickly spun around and smacked them with my staff, killing all of them. "Nice swing," Gladio compliments. Shocked from my own actions, I stared at my staff. "Well, who knew a staff could also be used as a melee weapon..."
Our battled trudged on as all the Imps were defeated and only the Mindflayer remained. Thinking of a basic spell, I casted a shadow elemental one. Not as strong as the first one I learned, but it was enough to cause the daemon to become vulnerable. Noctis and Gladio finished the monster and both let out a huge sigh.
"Finally," Prompto heaves.
Noctis headed toward the royal tomb while I found the sealed door to the zodiac ruins. Ignis stood next to me, handing over the pendant I left in his care not long ago. Thanking him, I push the object into a hole in the center of the door. With the sound of stone grinding against stone, the door slowly opened.
"I'll return shortly," I said, smiling up at Ignis. Looking into his emerald eyes, I saw reluctancy pass through them. "Do be cautious, Zodia," he forcefully replied in a deeper voice than usual.
"I will."
Once inside the ruins, a tremendous power flowed into my body. A faint blue glow resonated not far from the entrance. Just as Cor did, I ignored the branching paths and headed towards the light. A strange warmth surrounded me as I got closer to the innermost chamber.
Entering the room, I observed the blue glow was radiating from a small orb that rested on a pedestal. My whole body was drawn to the beautiful crystalline object like a moth to a flame. Gliding a hand over the smooth surface caused the glow to brighten. I covered my eyes from the harsh rays and waited for it to dim. As the light dissipated, I slowly uncover my eyes. Once where the orb was now stood a man whose name rolled right off my tongue.
"Pisces."
A deep chuckle escaped his throat as he smiled at me. "Correct, Princess of Lucis. I am Pisces, the twelfth zodiac. It seems my little tactic earlier proved to be useful."
"Tactic? Are you referring to Ignis' strange behavior?"
"Ah, so the young man's name is Ignis. I saw how much he cares for you the moment before you were attacked. Using some of my power, I possessed his body and shielded you from the daemon."
"That's why he felt strange and confused. He'll be glad to know it was just a spell and he has no need to worry."
"When I possessed his body, he was already running towards you to become your shield. He wouldn't make it in time and that's when I intervened."
"Thank you, Pisces. You saved me from a fatal wound and protected the others."
"How so, my dear, did I protect your friends?"
"You protected them from suffering. No one wants to see a person they care for get injured."
Pisces' smile widened at my words. He kneeled to my level and held out his hand to me. "You truly are the Daughter of the Zodiac. I am delighted to lend my power to aid you in your quest to rid this world of the Starscourge and place the rightful king on the throne. Call upon my name when in need of assistance."
Taking his hand, I thank him once again. When our hands made contact, Pisces vanished in a blink of an eye. When I looked down at my hand, I spotted a small charm that was not mine.
"Pisces must've given it to me."
Clutching the charm tightly, I turn and leave the ruins. My whole body felt much stronger as I left the chamber. All eyes fell on me once I emerged from the darkness.
"How'd it go?" Gladio broke the silence. Showing them the charm, I smiled. "Very well. Also, I learned of what happened earlier with Ignis." Our eyes met and I explained all of what Pisces did. Ignis was relieved to hear it was nothing serious or life threatening.
"Does this mean we can go back outside?!" Prompto hollered. The rest of us nod and we head back to the entrance of the cave. Luckily, it was easier and much quicker finding the entrance than it took us to find the royal tomb and zodiac ruins. As the warm air hit us, Prompto let out a huge sigh.
Noctis suddenly let out a painful grunt and doubled over in pain, gripping his head. "Noct, you okay?" The blonde asked worriedly.
"What did I... where was that?" Noctis confusingly questioned.
"What is it?" Gladio puzzled.
Noctis waited a second before replying. "A hole in the ground... something burning... The Meteor?" Ignis took a step towards him in complete shock. "You saw the Disc of Cauthess?" My brother simply nods and stands back up. I placed a worried hand on his shoulder and gasped in pain from the contact. Removing my hand, I take a few steps back.
The guys turned to face me with concerned expressions. Prompto gasped and took a step towards me. "Your nose is bleeding, Zo." Bringing a hand up to my face, I wipe under my nose to see he was right. Before I could say anything, my body began to stagger and my vision blurred. As if my body was shutting down, my body crumbled to ground. Before I completely fell unconscious, I heard everyone shouting my name.