~3rd Person POV~
"Iggy! Iggy! Wake up!" Prompto shook the man from his slumber. Ignis opened his eyes slowly before sitting up on the edge of the bed. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio stood before him with grins.
"You've been asleep for almost two days. The train just arrived at Cartanica," Noctis said.
"I did not realize how much time had passed," Ignis states.
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. You look brand new!" Prompto chants joyfully.
Not only did he look well-rested, he felt as if he made a small trip to heaven and back. After seeing Zodia in his dream and hearing her soothing voice, he felt a ton of weight lift from his shoulders. The moment her lips met his, that's when his whole being felt bliss-a sensation that melted him to the core. He had never felt such a peaceful sensation before and he hoped he would get to experience again.
Gladio raised an eyebrow and smirked at the strategist. "Dream about someone?"
Ignis couldn't help but put on a small smile. "Is it that prominent?"
"You were smiling like I've never seen before in your sleep, Specs," Noctis informs.
"I suppose I was. A dream such as this one comes once in a few years."
Prompto pursed his lips with scrunched eyebrows. "I wish I could sleep like that."
Ignis got to his feet, his body not even hinting at soreness. "Shall we?"
"Let's go find that royal tomb," Noctis said. In a single file, they exit the cabin and make their way to the nearest passenger car. Prompto had to push past them when he completely forgot his camera. The others decided to wait for the blonde to retrieve his device before leaving the train. Prompto returned minutes later with his camera held tightly in both hands. "Alright, now I'm ready!"
Noctis led the others off the train, their eyes scanning their new environment. Prompto, being the avid photographer of the group, spun to his left with his camera raised. When he focused the lens, the sight he saw made his entire body stiffen. His camera slipped from his hands, revealing his wide sapphire eyes.
A girl began giggling as she picked up the camera and handed it back to him. "You goofball. You don't want to break your camera."
Her name rolled of his tongue without a single thought in mind. "Zodia."
When the others heard Prompto say the princess' name, they turned to see what was going on. At the sight, they all felt their hearts stop. There stood the missing princess. Her clothes were different, a set they had never seen before. What piqued their interest was the white strip in her hair and one of her eyes were golden, but they decided to leave the matter alone until later.
She smiled at them, which was enough to make Noctis snap back to reality. He ran to his sister and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. Then, Prompto jolted from his spot and joined the hug. He had dropped his camera again, no care in the world for the device as he was too enthralled in the joyous reunion.
"Ugh... can't... breathe..." Zodia manages to squeeze out as their hug tightened. Noctis and Prompto heard her meek words and released her so she could breathe properly. "I've only been gone for a week and you boys are already falling apart at the seams," she giggles.
Gladio was next to make his way over. He placed a hand on her head, shaking it lightly. "You had us worried, Your Highness."
Zodia playfully swats his hand away with a grin. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, Mister Amicitia." Gladio smiles at her snappy comeback, happy to see she hadn't changed since he last saw her.
Ignis, on the other hand, was staring at his fiancée with wide emerald eyes. He couldn't budge as the others began to question the young woman.
"Where'd you go?" Prompto asked.
"To the Celestial Court. With the Ring of the Lucii, I was able to enter mentally and physically. There, I took it upon myself to tend to Luna. With only a few complications, I was able to heal all her wounds and left her in the care of the marshal at Cape Caem."
"How'd you manage to get Luna's body into the Celestial Court?" Noctis inquired.
"That... was a little difficult. First, we siphoned her Oracle powers and then placed a spiritual barrier around her body. This allowed her body to enter without being harmed."
"That's good to hear. Glad she's safe," Noctis sighs. "Thank you, Zodia."
"Hey, don't get all sappy on me now, Noct. We've still got to steal the Crystal back. After we do that, you can be as sappy as you want." Zodia smiles, making her brother break out his own.
"Um, guys? I think Iggy's broken," Prompto pointed out. Zodia, Noctis, and Gladio turned to where Ignis was standing. The man hadn't moved in minutes, still petrified at the sight of the princess. Zodia smiles as she approaches Ignis, her hands clasped behind her back. She realized his eyes never left her for a second. "Iggy, sweetheart? Are you still there or should I contact a repair service?"
Hearing her melodic voice wasn't enough to snap him out of his paralysis. Zodia then grabbed one of his hands and threaded her fingers with his. Feeling her hand in his was enough to restart his heart and come back down to Eos. He freed his hand from hers and wrapped both arms around her petite frame.
Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio walked away, allowing the couple to have some time alone. Once they were out of sight, Ignis leaned down and sealed Zodia's soft lips with his own. The sensual kiss ignited his passion, his hunger for her growing. But, Ignis pushed down the feeling and allowed himself to enjoy this beautiful moment. The kiss felt as if it had lasted hours, but it only lasted a few seconds. Both knew they had more important things to tend to.
Breaking the kiss, Zodia took a small step back. "You seem to be back in service," she teases.
"A few bolts seemed to have loosened," Ignis replies with a small grin. Zodia giggles at his response to her teasing before her face suddenly fell. Ignis watched as her hand went to grab something around her neck, but all she grasped was air. The tactician knew exactly what she was reaching for and pulled the zodiac pendant out of his pocket. Zodia's aquamarine eyes widened slightly at the sight of her missing necklace. "You picked it up. I thought it was still in Altissia."
"Prompto was the one who retrieved it," he said, placing the necklace around her neck and snapping it into place.
"Would've been horrific if I had lost it before I met the final zodiac."
"If I recall, Aquarius is the remaining zodiac."
"You are correct, my sweet Iggy. Her ruins are located here, in Fodina Caestino. Libra shared the location before I left the Celestial Court. I never expected to run into you all so soon. I'm glad to have rendezvoused earlier than I planned. I was afraid you would already be in Gralea by the time I reached Cartanica."
"Minor setbacks prevented us from departing Altissia," he said.
"Oh no... did I use too much mana on you? How long were you asleep?"
"Three days."
"It was only meant to last a few hours! I guess I used more mana when I had the ring on," she groans in annoyance at her own carelessness.
"May I inquire something?" Ignis asked, changing the subject for her sake. Zodia nods with a sweet smile. "The dream. Were you the one behind the manifestation?"
"... Maybe..." She bit her bottom lip. Ignis smiled, knowing he, indeed, felt the affects of her soothing spell in his sleep. He leaned forward and laid a kiss on her forehead. It was thanks to her he was able to get a harmonious sleep he had been needing for months.
"We should head into the quarry and find the royal tomb and zodiac ruins. I have a feeling of dread just thinking about what's down there," Zodia shivers slightly.
"As am I."
Ignis and Zodia regroup with the others and descend into Fodina Caestino on an old mining elevator. As they descended, Prompto was examining his camera closely with a small pout. "Any damage?" The princess asked.
"Ugh... it's all scratched up!" He whines.
"You did drop it-twice," she said.
"I-I know! At least it's not broken."
Zodia pats him lightly on the arm as the elevator reaches the bottom of the quarry. Exiting the rusty lift, they made sure to stay close together. "Feeling a little out of my element," the blonde comments.
"We're a foreign species in this environment. Mind we don't end up prey," Ignis said.
"Right, good tip," Noctis nods with a small huff.
Treading through the quarry, the group ran into countless of Gurangatch and Gigantoads. None proved to be too difficult until their numbers began to grow. "This is getting ridiculous. Hey, Sis! How about a spell that wipes them all out at once?" Noctis asked.
"You sure? I don't want to steal your thunder or anything," she snickers.
Noctis warps out of the way of a Gigantoad just before he was hit by its tongue. "Don't care! Just kill 'em!" He shouts with a begging tone. Zodia nods and began a fire incantation. A fireball the size of a large boulder formed as she aimed her staff at the monsters. Seeing her powerful magic, the boys get out of the way just as she releases the spell.
With an intense heat, the flames consume the creatures and burn them to a crisp. Not even the water underneath their feet could help them. Prompto turned his camera towards the princess and snapped a quick picture. "Can you do this for every battle?"
"Nice try, Prom. I'm not going to wipe all the enemies out in one fell swoop. You all need your training."
"Knew she was gonna say that..." Noctis murmurs.
"Like hell I'm losin' the chance to fight some tough monsters," Gladio said.
"Don't wish to dull our skills now, would we?" Ignis joins in.
Noctis rolled his shoulders as he dispelled his javelin. "Yeah, yeah..." He eyed his sister and her fiancé. "You both already sound like a married couple."
"Speaking of marriage-do you still wish to marry Luna?" Zodia inquired.
Noctis' cheeks bloomed with red at the question. "W-Why the sudden curiosity?"
"Well, she's still thinking about it herself. When I took her back to Caem, she told me about her dream to marry you. Do you... do you still want to marry her, Noctis?"
Noctis inhaled deeply before exhaling with a sigh. "More than anything."
Zodia smiles at his answer. "She'll be more than happy to know once we see her again."
"So, what about you and Specs? You still plannin' on ruling beside us?" Noctis asked.
"Actually, I plan to denounce my name after we are wedded."
Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were stunned at the revelation. Gladio couldn't help but smile at the princess. "So, you plan on becoming Mrs. Scientia."
"Mmhm. I believe the Kingdom won't need two families ruling it. Noctis and Luna will do perfectly fine on their own."
Gladio stood next to Ignis and patted the man on the back. "I swear, you're the luckiest man on Eos."
"Are you sure?" Noctis asked.
Zodia could read his expression easily. "Noctis, you won't need our help. You'll become the rightful King. You may still lack certain skills, but you will be ready when the time comes. Also, I wish to free myself from the Citadel. I spent my entire life within those walls. The first time I left was when the empire struck."
"I can't argue with that. You'll still visit, right?" Her brother asked.
Zodia places her hands on her hips with a raised brow. "You do realize the Scientias will still work beside you, yes? Just because I won't be there as a Caelum won't mean I won't be around."
"Ah, forgot about that part," Noctis huffs with laughter.
"Also, the wedding won't be for awhile so you're stuck with me," She sneers.
"Dammit..." Noctis muttered with a grin.
Zodia bends down and splashes her brother with the cold water under their feet. "Says the one who was whining when I said I was denouncing my name."
Ignis watched as the two siblings splashed one another. Prompto was dragged into the fray when Zodia used him as a human shield against Noctis' splash attacks. Gladio and Ignis couldn't help but smile at the childish scene. The shield nudged the royal advisor with his elbow to grab his attention. "You've got your hands full with this one. You sure you can handle 'er?"
"A gem I would not entrust to anyone else," he responds.
Gladio snickered and dropped his arms to his side. "She's definitely easier to handle than her brother. Talk about two sides of the same coin."
"Indeed," Ignis lightly chuckled.
After their water battle, the three calmed down and proceeded down a path to the left of a small control station. When they came across mining machinery that was in their way, the rest of their path was blocked. "Nothing but a giant roadblock," Gladio huffs.
"Ironic for a vehicle," Prompto comments.
"If we get its motor running, perhaps we can move it out of the way," Ignis suggests.
"There was a control panel back up the path. It should move the machinery," Zodia said. Returning back to where they fought the horde of monsters, Noctis tried the control panel, but black smoke rose from the buttons once he pressed it. With a grunt, the prince hung his head in annoyance.
"There's a backup generator next to it," Zodia states as she climbs the metal stairs to stand next to her brother.
Prompto examines the generator and points to a keyhole in the front. "Looks like we'll need a key."
"You don't need a key when you have magic," Zodia grins. She placed her hands on the machine and lightning flowed through her fingers. In a few seconds, the generator was up and running. She sent a grin to the boys and gestured to the path. "Shall we, gentlemen?"