Greetings, fellow FFXV fans!

As much as I love this game, there were a few questions left unanswered about the lore and history of Eos, especially with how magic worked in this universe. As I continued to overthink the magic aspect of the FFXV world, this story was created. It will eventually follow the canon events of the game, starting around Chapter 3, with the inclusion of my original characters and original story arcs. I also plan to add the DLC content, if it fits story-wise.

There will be canon deviation— to what extent, that's still up in the air.

There is no pairing at the moment but that will most likely change as the story develops.

Reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XV or its characters.

Chapter 1

An Eccentric Encounter

In the southern area of the Duscae region, a car as black as night drove into a small town's gas station. The vehicle's arrival prompted curious stares from the local residents. From its sleek black paint job to the elaborate decor on the hubcaps, it was evident that it originated from the Crown City of Insomnia. City-made cars were an extremely rare sight outside of Insomnia's magic barrier, but after the Niflheim attack, not so much so. Nowadays, it was the unfortunate reality to see Insomnian citizens seeking refuge.

The inhabitants of the Regalia were not in that predicament.

Once the luxury vehicle came to a stop next to a gas pump, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Lucis, stepped out into the cold air of the afternoon, along with his retinue: Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia, and Prompto Argentum.

"Finally!" Prompto cried out in relief as a grin spread across his freckled face. "If that took any longer, I would've gone crazy!"

"What makes you think you aren't already?" Noctis nonchalantly quipped, his eyes glinted with teasing mischief.

Prompto ignored the prince's comment and continued to smile as he breathed in the damp weather. Having just escaped the constant shift between cool and warm air blowing in the car, this was a welcomed scent. Bright sunshine would have made this better, but it had been raining since they left that morning. The blonde groaned, stretching his arms toward the cloudy sky to relieve his sore muscles. He deemed it should be illegal to sit in a car for as long as they did.

"So what's our plan?" Gladiolus asked no one in particular, also taking the chance to stretch. "Imperial soldiers are still searching for us."

The four members of the Crownsguard were on the road for hours. In an attempt to avoid Magitek soldiers scouting the land overhead, Ignis was forced to take an unnecessarily long detour through the forest. It was their own actions that caused this in the first place, however. They had infiltrated a Niflheim base, destroying Magitek squadrons and sabotaging the giant machinery whose purpose couldn't be anything but villainous. The mission was successful but now the Empire was on high alert whilst efforts to track them down skyrocketed.

Ignis sighed softly, rolling his shoulders from being the ever diligent driver. "We don't have much of a choice," he began. "We have to lay low." The royal advisor turned toward his liege, who looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up, and motioned to the diner across the street. "Noct, if I may, let us get something to eat. We can decide what to do afterward."

"Sounds good to me," Noctis yawned. "I'm starving."

"Same here!" Prompto exclaimed, already half way to the diner. "Food, here I come!"

The diner's owner and chef was of the friendly sort who loved to chat with all of his customers. He conversed with Noctis and his friends about a variety of topics, ranging from trivial matters to sharing recipes with Ignis. He also shared that people were expressing their concerns about seeing Imperial dreadnoughts flying over their town more often. Noctis glanced toward Ignis, who understood the gaze and quickly changed topics.

The conversation eventually ended up on monster bounties.

"We might as well accept one of these," Gladiolus mused aloud after the owner showed them the available bounties. "We got nothin' better to do."

"Some quick Gil is always nice." Noctis agreed as he finished the rest of the food.

After paying for their meal and thanking the owner, the quartet walked out of the diner with their hunger sated. The prince was appreciative they didn't have to sprint for shelter, as the rain had eased into a light shower, but briskly returned to the Regalia to discuss their next move.

"Are we going monster hunting?" Prompto inquired as he laced his hands on the back of his head.

"But it's raining," Noctis frowned.

A shiver ran down his spine. He did not look forward to trudging out in the wilderness in this rain. Drenched and frozen to the bone, clothes annoyingly sticking to his body, the horror of stepping into puddles that are deceitfully deep... the mud. Mud was a pain in the ass and they all knew it.

"Indeed," Ignis nodded his head once. "I'd rather we wait for the storm to pass before setting out on a bounty hunt."

After straightening his collar, the strategist of the group pulled out a small journal from his blazer's inside pocket. It contained his handwritten recipes and a travel log of sorts to document their journey. The journal also held notes on their inventory, a list of what they would need to buy at their next pit stop and the like. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladiolus all watched their bespectacled friend scan the contents of his journal before snapping it shut.

It seemed they were due for some shopping.

While Gladiolus refueled the Regalia, the other three entered the convenience store. The prince followed his blonde best friend around as he contemplated what kind of junk food he wanted to buy. Noctis wasn't in a particular mood for snacks but he knew he would regret it later if he didn't get anything. He opted for a bag of chips and Prompto mirrored his decision. After Ignis collected the necessary ingredients for future meals, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he spotted the two younger men holding a few extra snacks in their hands.

He added it to the cart anyway.

With their supplies replenished, they exited the store. His mind miles away, Noctis zoned out and failed to see someone approaching him until they were right in front of him. He gasped and froze mid-step, their bodies just inches away from each other.

"Oh, s-sorry," he fumbled an apology as he took one step to the side. "I wasn't paying atten—" The person suddenly reached out and latched onto his hand, alarming him. "Wh-what?"

"You... you have great power," the person mumbled under their breath. It sounded like they were in awe for some reason.

Immediately after those confusing words were uttered, Gladiolus was at the prince's side, snatching the stranger's hand and forcefully pushing them away. The stranger stumbled back a few steps but remained upright. Whoever this person was, they were smart enough to not make any sudden movements. They wore a dark cloak with a hood, obscuring their face which made them even more suspicious.

The Prince's Shield stood protectively in front of the raven-haired man, keeping a watchful eye on the potential assassin. "You okay, Noct?" Gladiolus asked him, never once taking his gaze off the person just a few feet away.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Noctis muttered, still bewildered by what was happening.

Ignis and Prompto followed suit to stand next to Gladiolus, creating a wall between the prince and the hooded stranger. They resumed a defensive stance, just in case the situation turned hostile. While Noctis could definitely take care of himself, his friends would never allow anyone to harm him on their watch.

Imagine their surprise when the stranger raised their arms up in front of them, waving them nervously.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! You've got it all wrong!" they sputtered, their voice feminine.

Using their hesitance as an opportunity, the stranger cautiously moved their hands to the hood to remove it, revealing a young woman with hazel eyes. She looked to be the same age as Noctis and Prompto, perhaps a little older. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail with chin-length bangs framing her round face. At full height, she was just as tall as Noctis, adding a few inches more because of the brown leather boots she donned. Due to her cloak ending at her mid-thigh, they couldn't determine her attire aside from the fact she was wearing skinny jeans.

The woman tossed them a relieved smile after seeing their stances relax a little. "I'm really sorry for startling your friend. I mean him no harm, I swear." She kept the smile on her features as she focused her gaze on Noctis. "I'm just ecstatic to find someone who is also attuned to magic."

The four men glanced at each other, none of them understanding what the hell this woman was talking about. "Sorry, did you say magic?" Prompto asked her slowly.

"I sure did!" she beamed. "And I know you boys are familiar with elemancy." She looked at their befuddled reactions and giggled. "You've seen the elemental deposits that surround campground havens, haven't you?" She noted their realization of the subject before continuing, looking at Noctis once again. "You are able to extract the magic from elemental stones, right?"

Noctis nodded as he scratched the back of his head. "Um, yeah, I guess?"

How did she know he had the ability to absorb elemental energy?

The grin never leaving her face, the woman clapped her hands together in a jubilant fashion. "Great! Then I have a quest for you!" Before she could elaborate on the matter, she reached underneath her cloak for a backpack, rummaging for Astrals know what.

"Why should we help you?" Gladiolus grunted, his eyes narrowing on her figure. He still did not trust this strange woman, especially after that stunt she pulled. As far as he was concerned, she had not yet proved she deserved their trust.

"Because I can help you with your bounty," she replied, unaffected by his bluntness. In fact, it sounded like she expected it. "I overheard you back in the diner. In fact, I was in the booth behind you; sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop." She let out a little victory cry when she pulled out three small empty glass bottles. "I'm a little behind schedule so here's my proposition: you gather elemental energy in these flasks for me and I will make spells that I promise you haven't seen before."

The awkward silence and expressions on the their faces told her that they could not hide their suspicion. Sighing, the woman dropped the bottles into her backpack before clearing her throat. "Okay, let's rewind and try this again." The smile ever present, she gave them a superfluous bow. "Greetings, my sirs. My name is Mia Viridis and I'm an elementalist."

"Elementalist?" All four men repeated together. That was an occupation they were not familiar with.

Chuckling at their shared reaction, the woman named Mia nodded. "Yup! I study the magical properties of the natural elements in Eos and utilize it in various ways."

Prompto, friendly as ever, collapsed the wall between her and Noctis by being the first to approach. "I have absolutely no idea what that means but it sounds pretty awesome! So do you, like, go around making crazy spells and stuff?"

"Something like that and more," Mia replied, elated that someone showed interest in her apparently uncommon work. "With a specific combination of elements and an item, you can create magic with special properties. For example—" She held out a bottle to the blonde that glowed a deep red.

"—The fire element combined with a potion allows you to throw fire at your own feet, escape burn-free, and reinvigorates your stamina. In short, it heals everyone within the blast radius while also harming monsters and daemons."

Mia handed over the flask to an eager Prompto, who voiced his amazement when the bottle felt warm to the touch in his cold hands. "Wow," he breathed in awe, staring at the magic swirling inside. "Guys, look at this!"

Conceding to their curiosity, Noctis, Gladiolus, and Ignis walked over to examine the object in the sharpshooter's hands. From a distance, it looked liquid in state but upon closer inspection it was of dust-like quality, with bright yellow sparkles dancing around the center. Although Prompto held the bottle still, the contents continued to move and shift. It was mesmerizing, for lack of better words. It was definitely a departure from the spells they were currently using.

"So you can infuse elements with different catalysts to create different spells," Ignis hummed, placing a gloved hand to his chin in thought. "This is fascinating."

"I totally agree!" Mia turned and grinned at the studious advisor, who was nonplussed at the sudden attention he received. "Actually, you guys can have the flask."

Noctis and Prompto shot their heads up, eyes widening. The latter showed more joy than the former, but both were equally as thrilled. "Seriously?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, of course," the elementalist confirmed with a curt nod. "Think of it as an apology gift for scaring your friend."

The prince scoffed as he crossed his arms, obviously fighting off the embarrassed tinge of pink on his cheeks. "I wasn't... scared," he pouted. His grumbling earned a few snickers from his friends. Prompto had the audacity to pat him on the back with a mocking grin. In return, he received a light shove from the raven-haired man.

Mia giggled at their antics. "Well, I'm sorry regardless. Also for trying to force my work onto you guys. It's just not everyday I meet someone experienced in my field." Her hazel eyes locked with Noctis's blue. "You are one special person, my friend." He wasn't expecting the compliment because his cheeks darkened more. He turned his gaze toward the ground when he caught her knowing smile. "And now, I shall bid you gentlemen a farewell."

"Wait," Ignis stopped her. "Didn't you have an errand for us?" Noctis turned to look up at his childhood friend with a raised eyebrow. It was surprising that he would insist on taking her request but the prince knew better. Ignis was typically the one who kept them from straying from their goal. If he was pushing for this mission, then that meant he believed it could provide some kind of benefit for their journey.

Whatever plan he was concocting in his strategic mind was shot down by Mia shaking her head. "I appreciate the change of heart but it was unprofessional of me to ask you in the first place. This is my job, and thus I should be the one doing the collecting." The pitter-patter sound of rain falling against the pavement caused everyone to sigh dishearteningly.

It was raining even heavier now.

"Oh, before I forget," she continued with a stern look. "You're probably aware of this already but be careful: experimenting without previous knowledge of the craft can result in disastrous consequences." With her warning heeded, Mia waved them a final goodbye before putting her hood back on and disappearing into the rain. "I hope we meet again! I wish you luck in your future endeavors!"

A brief silence fell upon them after the woman's departure.

"Well, she's a weird one," Gladiolus deadpanned.

"I'd say she's more eccentric," Ignis chuckled, readjusting his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "Although I do believe she's mistaken Noct for someone else."

"It sure sounded like it," Prompto shrugged. "I dunno. She seems pretty cool me." He stored their new magic spell in the safety of the Regalia's trunk with the rest of their magic flasks. They needed to be careful to only use it in dire situations.

Gladiolus slapped the prince's back, causing him to stumble forward, and tossed him a toothy sneer. "Either way, she must be odd. She thinks His Highness is a special boy."

Despite his best efforts, Ignis couldn't keep the smirk off his lips. "Hmm, I cannot begin to fathom what she meant with those words." he remarked sarcastically.

Prompto decided to join in on the fun. "Me neither."

His eye twitching annoyingly, Noctis shot an indignant glare at the assholes he thought were his friends. "I hate all of you."