This is a story that was rolling in my head for a while. If Ardyn was literally erased from history, he never would have absorbed the blight that turned him into the Accursed. Without the blight being tempered all those years ago it would have spread worse than we see it in the game. The story's main pairing is Luna/Noctis with an eventual Ignis/Aranea. Rated M to give me the freedom to write without worrying about violating any terms of conditions. And thank you to my friend Radiklement for beta-reading this along the way!

"Couldn't ask for a nicer day," Gladiolus, the Prince's Shield, expressed his gratitude that the rainy season's storms weren't plaguing them. He and his friends were escorting Prince Noctis to the piers of Galdin Quay to catch a ferry to usher the young man to wed his betrothed in the flood-city of Altissia. The often shy young man had been even quieter than usual, and the shield tried to think of a way to break the tense silence that had been cloaking them since they departed from their home city of Insomnia. The wordless tension was broken by the mad clicking of Prompto's camera shutter,

"Needs some shots of ya buddy while you're still free and single!" the blonde man's cheerful voice announced over the music pouring out of the radio between the blips of static as Ignis, the car's driver, tuned through the various stations until he found one he was satisfied with. "I can almost hear the jingle of your ball and chain inching its way towards you," he gave an exaggerated sniff, running the back of his hand under his dry nose before wiping at a non-existent tear. "Ah, the price of peace,"

"You're gonna scare him off buddy. Don't think the King would appreciate you convincing the Prince here to call off the wedding and bring the Empire raining fire down on us," Gladiolus interjected, leaning forward in his seat to punch Prompto's arm.

"Hey, just kiddin' around! I don't think lover-boy here would call of the wedding with a gal as lovely as Lady Lunafreya! Man, every guy in Lucis would kill to be in your boots buddy," Noctis let his friends tease him, keeping his comments to himself. He was embarrassed to admit he was thrilled that it was his Luna he was betrothed to. He had feared for half his life that he would be given the hand of a girl he never met, rather than the childhood friend he had the fortune to visit twice a year.

"I'd tie him up and drag him to Altissia if it came down to it," Gladiolus quipped back,

"Weird though, the King didn't send us to Cape Caem to take the royal yacht. Taking a ferry to your own wedding? Not exactly screaming 'royalty' if you ask me,"

"That's the whole point. King Regis wanted Noctis to see some of Lucis, see life as an average citizen, and to keep a low profile," Ignis, ever the logical one in the retinue of friends, explained. "He himself took a similar trip before his own wedding to Queen Aulea,"

"Yeah, my old man told me about that trip," Noctis's voice finally joined the conversation. "I think Cor and Cid were with him. Speaking of which, we should stop at Hammerhead see if Cid is still alive and kickin," he added, recalling the stories Regis would tell him about the old mechanic. If was remembering correctly, he was the one who helped restore the Regalia, a classic car older than the King himself. As if the car sensed Noctis regarding it as old, the engine began to sputter as steam hissed out of the hood and the car coasted to a stop.

"This does not bode well…" their driver stated calmly as the rest of his friends began to wine and curse. The car began to smell like burnt sugar, a sign that the car was overheated, a fact that he shared with his friends. Gladiolus announced that it was obvious the car was overheated, which got a glare from Ignis that for a moment Noctis thought would set his shield on fire.

"What do we do now?" Prompto asked, fearing the answer.

"Call for a tow?" Noctis suggested, Ignis shaking his head negative.

"The only tow companies I know are in Insomnia, and none of them will leave the protection of the wall, and we don't have the spare cash for a tow this far into the middle of nowhere." He explained, getting a collective groan from the group.

"You mentioned Hammerhead Noct, why don't we call them?" Prompto suggested,

"I don't know the number," the Prince admitted. "Not that we have service out here anyway,"

"Don't you dare say it," Gladiolus groaned,

"We shall have to push the car the rest of the way. I do believe Hammerhead is the closest garage," Ignis was the one to say it after several painful moments of silence

Stand by Mebegan to play on the radio, and Noctis felt like the car was continuing to mock him for daring think of it as old. Stand by me my ass. You couldn't even get us to the first fuel station! He thought as he groaned pushing the car. His friends were pushing on the bumper on either side of him, but it still felt like he was trying to push the damned thing on his own. After an hour of pushing and endless complaints, the group of friends rested in the middle of the road, too exhausted to even push the car off to the shoulder. Ignis's attempts at encouragement fell upon deaf ears, and it was Gladiolus's threats to make everyone train by pushing the Regalia more if they didn't get up that finally motivated the entire group to get moving again.

"Finally!" Gladiolus groaned, rolling his shoulders, as the Regalia came to a rest in front of the Hammerhead Garage. He sat on the ground between two of his exhausted friends, the group panting for breath. Prompto was half asleep in the driver's seat of the car, it having been his turn to steer rather than push. The others were too exhausted to vocalize their celebrations at managing to bring the damnable car to the garage.

"Seems y'all had some trouble out thar" a young woman's voice called forth, "this car's a beaut, what'd 'y'all do to it?" she walked up to the car, patting the hood.

"Overheated," Noctis explained, standing up and brushing his palms against his pants. His other friends also stood, brushing their palms off as well, Prompto nearly falling out of the car in his attempt at nonchalance. Ignis extended his hand, attempting to introduce himself,

"Can ya pop the hood for me?" she asked, unaware of the attempt at polite introductions. She reached for the Regalia, sliding her fingers under the hood to find the latch after she heard the click of the release. She lifted the hood and peered inside, "well I see yer problem," she announced near instantly, cocking her dusty blonde head. "ya' radiator is a mess!" She began to rattle off the names of car parts, shaking hear head and placing her hands on her hips.

"Can you fix it?" Noctis asked, concerned about the list of parts the mechanic had named, and doubted they had enough money on them.

"I do believe introductions are in order," Ignis attempted again, feeling impertinent discussing services to be rendered before a proper greeting. "I am Ignis," He briefly wondered if it was wise to make Noctis's identity known, but quickly appeased his own concerns recalling that this garage belonged to an old friend of Regis.

"Cindy," she replied simply before striating and extending her oil-stained hand. Prompto took advantage of the advisor's hesitation, and shook her hand,

"Prompto. The big guy over there is Gladiolus, and the cloud of brooding silence over there is Noctis," the youngest of their group proclaimed with enough enthusiasm that the young woman took a step back after he finally released his iron grip handshake.

"As in the Prince? Well, I thought this here car looked familiar," the grin on her face did not bode well for their wallets. "Well, y'all prob'ly heard 'bout my Pawpaw Cid," she thumbed towards a geriatric man sitting in a half-broken lawn chair under an umbrella that looked too warn to be of any practical use. Ignis immediately felt skeptical about the girl and her skill as a mechanic. He firmly believed that what one wore to one's work spoke volumes, and her outfit left far too little to the imagination. The excess of exposed skin made Ignis wonder how the woman worked with machines all day. Her clothes were hardly protective. She wore a jacket that looked made for a child over a brightly colored bra, the shorts she wore were so limited in length the pockets stuck out several centimeters past the hem . Her skin seemed to have more stains on it than her limited clothing did.

"We are a bit short on funds, but if you send an invoice-"

"We ain't gonna be sendin' no invoice," the mechanic cut him off. "if y'all are short on cash, hit the diner. We're always in need of a good hun'er or four. Go see if Takka's got a job or two for ya. Bound to be payin' 'nuff for ya to get yer car fixed," she grinned at the group before returning her attention to the Regalia, "leave this beaut to me, she'll be fixed 'afore ya know it," The four men stood in surprised silence for a moment, not expecting to be told to go earn some cash by the grand-daughter of their King's old friend. Ignis ushered the men towards the diner before any could voice protest.

"I'm starving… can we at least eat before we have to go beat things up?" Noctis requested, but didn't hear his advisor's reply as a tuft of black fur caught his attention. "Umbra!" his mood brightened significantly at the sight of the black and white shiba inu, bearing his trademark facial markings, looking as young as he did when he first met the pup twelve years ago. The dog wore his usual green scarf, a worn red leather bound notebook carefully tucked within its folds. He ruffled the dog's fur, "how you doing buddy?" the dog yapped, wagging his tail. Noctis reached for the notebook, removing it carefully and flipping the pages until he found the most recent message. A purple cactuar sticker took up a large portion of the page, and beneath it in too-neat cursive was Lunafreya's message,

Waiting for you in Altissia, it has been far too long. I miss you, impolite to keep me waiting longer. The words were familiar and teasing, making him chuckle. He thumbed the page, a new surge of impatience running through him. For two weeks every six months for the past eight years, the empire loosened their usual tight border policies to allow the Crystal's Prince to visit the Oracle, his dearest Luna.

Soon we won't have to wait so long to see each other. I miss you too. He wrote his answer in his nearly illegible chicken scratch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sticker of a cartoonish tonberry, frowning at how it had become crumpled from sitting in his jacket pocket for so long. Since childhood it had been a habit to keep a sticker in his pocket at all times so he would always have one available for the spontaneous times Umbra showed up with their notebook. He let his eyes linger on her careful handwriting, reading the short sentence once more before closing the notebook; tucking it into Umbra's green scarf and watching the dog run off.

The group went into the diner and sat at the counter, staring up at the limited menu. Not many options, Noctis thought to himself. He shrugged and placed his order, his friends doing the same.

"So, Cindy says you might have some work for us?" Gladiolus called to the cook as the hiss of meat hitting the hot griddle joined the dim music in the quiet diner.

"Funny you should ask boys," the bald man turned to them, wiping his hands on the front of his apron. "Been havin' some sabertusks causin' trouble for the locals. "Think you can handle it?"

"We can handle anything," Gladiolus boasted, eyes trained on the meat sizzling on the griddle rather than on the face of the man talking to him. He knew he was letting his hunger get the best of his manners, and forced his attention back, "what's this job paying?"

"700 gil," Takka replied,

"800," Gladiolus quipped back, earning an indignant glare from Ignis who felt rude demanding a higher reward with no proof they deserved it,

"740, and I'll comp your meal this time. If you ask for more I'll give this job to someone else," Takka replied, not much in the mood for haggling. Gladiolus looked ready to protest, but a jab in the ribs from Ignis kept his mouth shut, and agreed to the reward price.

"So, where are these trouble-making animals?" Gladiolus inquired,

"The weaverwild fields, just north 'a here. But you best be careful, those critters pack one hell of a punch. You let 'em bite 'ya and ya ain't likely to be doin' much more huntin'" The chef explained.

"We shall be most cautious," Ignis answered to cut off whatever overly confident response Gladiolus would have ready at the tip of his tongue. The chef thanked them and returned to cooking their meals.

"So how far is Galdin Quay from Hammerhead?" Prompto asked, his leg bouncing restlessly,

"About four hours," Ignis replied "Feels like we've already been on the road for two days," Prompto complained. "Man I'm starved," he added, the smell of the cooking food beginning to get the best of him.

"Pushing a car can have that effect," Ignis replied, doing his best to ignore his own hunger. Rather unsuccessfully. Their food didn't take much more time to cook, the plates presented to the retinue of friends. Three of the men immediately began to greedily shove food into their mouths, but Ignis took a moment to study the dish. He used his fork to push around the various ingredients, smelling them carefully. "Hmm…" he hummed, and took a bite to confirm what his eyes and nose had told him. "that's it," he said aloud, recognizing the peppery smell as having come from the local wild leide peppers. They were an extremely common wild forage, but notoriously difficult to cultivate.

"What's it?" Gladiolus asked through a mouthful of food,

"A new recipe," he answered matter-of-factly. "Leide peppers are very hard to get in Insomnia due to the difficulty in growing them domestically. But they are everywhere in this province, easy to forage. Perfect for making a simple camp chili," he explained, letting his pride get the best of him for a moment before he cleared his throat and returned to the task of enjoying his meal.

"If it's even half as good as this bowl I'll definitely never complain," Noctis voiced his approval of their campfire cook trying to replicate this dish. He looked up from his bowl to extend the compliment to the man who had actually made the food, getting a hearty thanks in return.

"So, about this hunt," Ignis began, shifting the conversation away from the subject of food, "sabertusks are large lean canine-like creatures with dangerously long teeth. They're fast, making them difficult to hit with a melee weapon. Prompto, I do believe your firearms will be most effective. Their lack of body-fat makes them quite susceptible to the cold," he explained,

"I have a few flasks, but I haven't gathered anything for elemancy yet," Noctis replied. "If you want me to craft a couple blizzard grenades we'll have to find some elemental crystals,"

"It seems we cannot rely on that tactic. If we come across any crystals we'll call it serendipitous fortune but until then we shall have to rely on our more traditional combat abilities," Ignis admitted. Once their food was finished they left the station to head towards the aforementioned field to find the troublesome wildlife. They were unable to find any elemental crystals to fuel Noctis's elemancy, but the feral beasts were not hard to spot.

The lack of brush made the finding of them quite easy, but a stealthy approach impossible. The snarling and yipping told the group they had been spotted, the tactician announcing to prepare themselves. Noctis called forth his Engine Blade, thrilled to test himself against something other than Gladiolus's sparring challenges. Prompto thumbed the safety on his pistols off, Ignis drew his daggers, and Gladiolous took several practice swings with his greatsword, announcing similar sentiments as Noctis. The animals seemed as anxious as the royal entourage as they charged forth, bearing their teeth. The lithe figures gave the creatures an otherworldly appearance, the shifting bones beneath skin they looked more machine than animal.

"Hell yeah! Time to hit a moving target for once!" Prompto shouted, the sharp bark from one of his guns echoed across the empty plain like thunder. Noctis flinched beside him, slapping a hand over the offended ear,

"Damnit Prompto! Not so close to my head!" his words were slurred, unable to hear his own voice beneath the loud ringing in his ear. The distraction was enough for a sabertusk to impact the Prince. His back hit the hard ground painfully, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. The continuing high-pitched tone drowning out Gladiolus's angry shouts into nothing more than a dull slur, the man's greatsword swung into the animal's hips, throwing it away from the grounded prince. The shield forced a potion into the hand of his charge. Noctis drank it quickly and felt the sharp pains in his ear and back vanish, breath suddenly finding its way back into his lungs,

"Thanks man," he mumbled, his voice clearer with his hearing restored,

"Thank me by paying attention!" his shield snapped, attention turned back to the wounded sabertusk he had knocked away. Noctis rushed to his feet, gripping his Engine Blade tighter,

"Blame Prompto! He shot a damn gun half a meter from my head!" he snapped defensively to cover his embarrassment at starting the fight so pathetically; though he certainly planned to have words for the blonde gunner once these damned creatures were exterminated. The offending shot had felled one of the sabertusks, Gladiolus finishing off the one that had pinned Noctis to the ground. Two down five to go, he thought to himself, four he corrected, realizing Ignis was leaping over the fallen skeletal corpse of a third. Determined to make up for this pathetic start he warped towards the sabertusk that was charging at Ignis's back. His engine blade sunk into the animal; it let out a pained howl and tried to buck against the blade. Damnit, I need to practice warping more, he lamented as he struggled to stay standing with how dizzy it had made him. The brief lapse in focus allowed the animal to kick out its back legs, claws tearing into the fabric of Noctis's pants. He fell back, startled by the pain and the static in his head. The cursing off to his left told him Ignis was struggling a bit as well, his voice somehow louder than the angry yelps coming from the wounded creature that was struggling with Noctis's trusty blade still firmly planted into its back, desperately kicking against the ground. Noctis bit his lip and forced himself to stand, ignoring the way his vision tunneled for a moment, and snatched the blade to quickly dispatch it before rushing to aid Ignis who was pinned beneath a sabertusk as he himself at been.

"Thanks," Ignis nodded, grasping Noctis's hand to help him stand. They turned to count how many remained in the pack to find that Prompto and Gladiolus had finished off the last two.

"Oh thank the Six…" Noctis commented, and sat on the ground, calling forth a potion and poured it onto the wounds on his legs to disinfect them. The bleeding stopped, and the potion's sting left the wounds numb after it faded. "These'll leave scars…" he complained.

"That was pathetic," Gladiolus snarled, coming up behind Noctis and pushing him completely to the ground, knocking the empty can from his hand.

"What the hell was that for?!" Noctis snapped, rushing to his feet, but his shield punched him in the chest knocking him right back down to the ground for his efforts.

"I trained you better than this Noct!" he shouted. He sighed, and reached a hand to help Noctis stand back up. "Since when do you let me knock you down so easy?"

"I guess I am rusty…" He admitted with a sigh.

"Come on, help me get all these carcasses together so Prompto can snap a picture as proof we killed the whole pack of 7 like Takka explained," Gladiolus requested, shifting subjects.

"Speaking of rusty," Noctis mumbled and turned on his heels to glare at Prompto, "why did you fire that gun so close to my head?!"

"I didn't realize how close you were! I just got a little… overenthusiastic to try these things out against a moving target!" he replied defensively, putting his hands up, "sorry man," he grinned, and Noctis rolled his eyes and helped his friends drag the sabers close enough together for Prompto to snap a photo as evidence of a job well done before walking back towards Hammerhead, the walk occupied with Prompto apologizing, and Gladiolus complaining that there was no meat on the creatures.

"Hunt completed!" Prompto announced as he marched through the door of the diner, proudly holding his camera above his head, sitting at the counter to hold the device out with the picture of their job well done on the display,

"Well, color me impressed. Wasn't sure a bunch of city kids would'a been able to handle that," Takka smiled, "guess I owe you boys your payment as promised," he vanished into a back room, and emerged with the promised money. "Y'all seem new to this too, here," he held out a card, "Dave asked me to hand these out to any new hunters. Keeps track of hunts, so folks know how experienced you are. Keeps the green hunters from being given things they can't handle yet," he explained. Noctis was about to shout a retort about not being green until he recalled how terribly this hunt had gone. He pulled out a device from under the counter and swiped the card through it, explaining how each hunt was worth a certain number of points, and after so many points are accrued the hunters in question gain new ranks. "You're still at the first rank, but keep up the good work and you'll be rank 10 'afore you know it,"

"Uh, thanks," Noctis replied, taking the card and tucking it away before turning to his friends, "let's check if Cindy has the Regalia fixed up yet,"

"Agreed, I'd like to reach Galdin Quay before it gets too late," Ignis replied. They walked over to the garage and found the blonde mechanic.

"Sure is," she answered to Ignis's inquiry as to the Regalia's readiness.

"So, what do we owe you?" Ignis asked,

"Twelve hundred gil, but because ya boys are so handsome, I'll give ya a discount and give the keys back to ya for a thousand," she grinned, and Ignis had the distinct feeling that one thousand was the price to begin with, and she lied about the extra two hundred to flatter the group. By the look on Prompto's face the flattery seemed to be effective on at least one of their group.

"Takka only paid us seven-forty for the hunt," Ignis explained. "The Prince here-"

"Can surely do a job for my Pawpaw" she cut him off with a smile, "to cover the last of the repairs," Ignis sensed that arguing would hold no merit and agreed with a reluctant sigh.

"What job is this?" he asked, and she gestured towards Cid, the elderly man who was still lounging where he had been when they first arrived. The group approached the man, and inquired about the job that would let them get back on the road.

"Got some vermin I need takin' care of," he explained.

"If you mean those seven sabertusks, already taken care of," Ignis replied, and was surprised at their luck. Perhaps they would reach Galdin in time to catch the final ferry of the day.

"Y'all thinkin' that those animals are the only vermin we worry 'bout in these parts? You buys sure got some learnin' to do. Life outside that fancy wall isn't as easy as you're used to," he replied gruffly.

"Another hunt?" Prompto wined,

"Yes, another hunt. We don't do repairs for free here, unlike the Citadel some of us out here gotta pay for food and shelter," the man nearly growled.

"Hey-"

"Just tell us what vermin it is you need us to care for," Ignis cut Prompto off before he made a further ass of himself. He knew Cid was trying to goad them, and chose not to humor his hostile words. While life in Insomnia was not as idyllic as Cid was implying, it was far from the hardships faced by those outside of the wall's protection. Out here they faced the scourge, and the daemons that emerged after dark. The city lights had long protected the city's citizens from ever facing that threat. The rest of Lucis was unable to boast such fortune.

"Got some reapertails that've been itchin' to sting anyone who walks so much as a foot away from this station, bad for business, scarin' everyone away. Go kill 'em and I'll consider the repairs paid for. Pay no mind to Cindy teasin' ya about giving us that gil you earned from Takka, do this for me and I'll consider it payment in full," Cid explained, and explained to the confused man what a reapertail is, and where to find them.

"We best purchase a couple more energy drinks, we used our only two potions during that hunt," Ignis suggested,

"Wouldn't have had to if Noctis paid attention," Gladiolus commented, with more levity in his words.

"Wouldn't have needed that first one if Prompto remembered not to fire one of those things next to someone's head!" He passed the teasing onto the blonde,

"Hey I took the first one out with that shot!" he bragged, "I killed more of them than any of you!" he bragged,

"Okay children, settle down," Ignis waved his hands at them and walked to the small shop. The selection was poor, but luckily they carried the necessary cans to have Noctis convert into potions; though they lacked the drinks that could be turned into more potent curatives. "better than nothing," Ignis reassured them, handing the drinks to Noctis.

"Let's get this over with, we're gonna miss the last ferry at this point," Noctis complained.

"You won't miss your wedding by arriving in Altissia a day late," Ignis tried to reassure his friend, giving him a playful pat on the back that echoed Prompto's addition of lover-boy, and Gladiolus's joke about Noctis's anxiety about the night after the ceremony was complete. The oversized insects proved to be far easier prey than the sabertusks. Their enlarged size did not mean they were any more intelligent than any other insect and the job was completed far sooner than the gang expected.

Ignis was relieved to be back behind the wheel of the Regalia, the radio tuned to a station they could all agree on. Noctis had fallen asleep in the back seat, Prompto and Gladiolus playing King's Knight allowing the driver to enjoy the drive alone with his thoughts. Driving the car always felt therapeutic, and he almost lamented that the drive to Galdin Quay wasn't longer. They only stopped once per Gladiolus's request to stretch his long legs after being cramped into the car for so long. After a round of snacks purchased with their minimal funds they were back on the road, and were pulling into a parking spot at Galdin Quay shortly before nightfall.

"Noct… wake up," Ignis shook his friend's shoulder, denying Gladiolus's request to wake the Prince by carrying him over to the ocean and throwing him in. The advisor couldn't tell whether or not the man was joking, as he never could tell with him. Especially when Prompto was seconding the suggestions. Honestly, sometimes I think they're all children. "Noct! Get up!" he shook him harder, finally jogging him awake.

"Ugh…" he groaned, "let's go rent a room and get to bed. All the fighting and driving wore me out,"

"Gotta agree with Noct there. Weird though, you sleep an awful lot for a dude from a city named Insomnia," Prompto teased

"Har har. Haven't heard that one before…" Noctis finally got out of the car, and headed into the small resort to inquire about a room.

"Oh man, you smell that? Can we eat before we get a room?" Prompto asked, enamored with the smell of fresh seafood that surrounded them once they made it up the steps into the Quay proper.

"We don't have the gil for that," Ignis replied. They saw a man standing at a wooden podium that stood as a service desk, the sign on front designating it as the check-in location for the resort's hotel. "Good evening,"

"Evening sir! Welcome to Galdin Quay! Are you looking for a room?"

"Indeed we are. How much for a room?"

"Ten thousand gil," he answerd, his tone as cheerful as if he had answered it only cost ten gil. Ignis nearly choked on his own tongue, and fought to maintain his composure.

"Ten thousand?" He cleared his throat, trying to eliminate the high-pitch it held, "Thank you sir, but I am afraid we're a bit short,"

"There's a good camping spot just a bit that way, just past the fishing piers," he offered, clearly used to guests having to turn down the expensive offer. He walked away to rejoin his friends who decided to sit at the round hightop that surrounded the quay's kitchen. Gladiolus was leaning on the table, giving the young woman tending to the fires his most charming smile.

"Hey Iggy, get us a room?" Noctis asked, and yawned to punctuate his question,

"I am afraid the resort is a touch out of range of what we can afford,"

"Maybe the quay has a hunt we can do to cover the last few gil?" he suggested. Ignis sighed, deciding to lose the delicate wording,

"Far out of range, not something a couple hunts would cover," he explained. "Ten thousand gil," he answered the question before it could be asked, and the look on Noctis's face mirrored the expression he tried to suppress himself. "There's a camping spot just a bit beyond the piers," he explained. "Good thing we packed our camping gear," he added.

"Aw man, I was so looking forward to an actual bed," Prompto complained, giving up on trying to talk to Gladiolus who was clearly too preoccupied talking to the quay's chef.

"Did you say piers?" Noctis asked, interest piqued.

"Yes I did," Ignis replied with a knowing smile,

"Well, there's a silver lining to this after all. We packed all my fishing stuff, right? Why don't I catch us a little dinner?"

"I thought you just wanted to go to bed?"

"I can put of sleep a little longer if it means I can do a little fishing," he smiled. "Comin' guys?" Noctis had stood from his seat, eager to enjoy his favorite hobby. It had been months since he'd last had the opportunity to. Last time I went fishing was with Luna.

"Yeah, anything to get away from listening to Gladio practice his best pick-up lines," Prompto chuckled, following Noctis as he head in the direction Ignis had indicated.

"Coming Gladio?" Ignis asked, having to ask a second time in a louder voice to catch his friend's attention.

"I'll catch up to you guys, just enjoying a conversation with Camilla here," He replied, returning to the aforementioned woman who's cheeks were flushed from whatever the man said to her once she had his attention again. Ignis shrugged, feeling the Prince could survive a couple hours without his shield this close to a well lit resort. He wasn't surprised to find Noctis was already sitting at the edge of a pier with his fishing rod out in the water, a fresh fish lying behind him.

"You didn't waste any time," he commented,

"Plenty of fish in this spot, I should be able to catch plenty for us to eat," he replied.

"Where's Prompto?"

"Scouting for that camping spot you mentioned." He answered. "Relax already Iggy, we've had a long day," he added.

"If you live up to your word and catch plenty of fish I'll get my own relaxation cooking something good, I should still have my spices packed with our camping gear," he paused for a moment, "I'm going back to the resort, see if they sell ingredients," he added after several moments. Noctis acknowledged him and heard the footsteps fade, and switched his attention to the fish that was tugging on his line. Prompto reappeared as he was reeling in the second fish,

"Damn! Look at that thing!" Prompto commented, staring at the fish Noctis was dragging onto the dock with both hands. "I think that thing alone can feed all four of us,"

"Don't underestimate Gladiolus's appetite," Noctis replied.

"Uhh… I wouldn't expect him to join us anytime soon," he replied, "He was pretty chatty with that cook," he clarified. Noctis shrugged,

"How's that camp site?"

"Nice and flat. We won't be rolling over onto any big rocks in our sleep tonight," he explained. "Few elemental crystals too, can get those flasks of your filled up,"

"I hope we won't need them. But I guess it can't hurt to fill 'em"

"Where's specs?"

"Went to get some ingredients for dinner," Noctis contemplated catching another fish, but knew the two he had could feed everyone, even if Gladiolus did join them. No need to kill more fish unless he intended to eat them. They didn't have to wait long for Ignis to rejoin them, and the trio made their way to the campsite, Gladiolus having assured Ignis he could find the campsite later when he was ready to rejoin them.

"Not like Gladiolus to shirk his duty to Noct," Ignis pondered,

"We're not in the middle of nowhere, he's probably confident we're close enough to the resort that I'll be fine," Noctis offered,

"I'm more worried about the wildlife than assassins," Prompto teased, earning a punch on the shoulder for his words. "Ow! Hey, not my fault you nearly got mauled by a sabertusk, twice. In one battle."

"I told you! You deafened me with your gun!" He defended, his cheeks growing hot,

"Sure, sure. Whatever you gotta tell yourself, man, wonder what your Lady Lunafreya would think if she knew a skeletal cat kicked your ass!" he laughed, and took off into a run, closely chased by Noctis, Ignis simply shaking his head at their antics, picking up the fish Noctis had dropped to chase after his friend.

I hoped you find this story off to a good start!