Final Fantasy XV 💖Crystal Heart

10---Endless Night

- Hammerhead Diner, 3 years later-

Prompto sits alone, eating his favorite meal.  wishing she would open her eyes again. He didn't have enough time with her.
He looks out the window," three years of darkness, will it ever end? Noct, where are you?"

The king has been missing ever since and daemons have over run the land. Too many people have been lost, the rest are headed to Lestallum. The last safest city. Though it may be run down, the bright lights keep the daemons at bay.

Hammerhead is where hunters come to rest and eat. It's the last outpost where it's fairly safe to take refuge for a short time.

****He remembers how much she cared about how Noctis was feeling after Luna died. In the weeks before he disappeared.**

Noctis kneels over out of breath after a boss battle. Another day, another kill.

Tears in his eyes he falls to his knees slamming his gloved fist into the ground again and again til his knuckles bleed.

For a few days straight he has run, fighting, pushing, finding every dungeon..without rest. He and his friends are tired and have grown weak.

Sorrow walks up and kneels in front of him, the others watch in fear of what Noctis might do or say.

She rests a hand on his shoulder,then moves it to lift his chin to look into his heartbrokeness.

Sorrow---" You have run till you have no more strength. When will you find rest dear friend?"

Noctis---" I can't, I don't even know what to fight for anymore, with Luna gone..I have nothing left."

She sits now in front of him, looking at him with compassion, "You fight in her memory, keep the memories alive. She is with you in your heart and she desired for you to save this world. Keep standing strong, my King."

Somehow she comforted him, for a moment.

Gladio, Ignis and Prompto look on and they all think the same thing. She reaches people.

*******

It always seemed like she had the right words for him to hear in his darkest moments....

Prompto smiles, but then tears fall. He drops his head to the table. "I miss you, Issa."

A voice from behind, "Hey how ya holdin up?"  Gladio shows walking thru the door of the diner, he knew Prompto would be there.

"As good as I can with all of this." Prompto says sarcasticly Looking  up at Gladio from the table.

"Have you gone to see her this week? In between hunting down daemons and looking for treasure?" Gladio asks.

"Not yet, it's been a rough week." Prompto sighs, "I got my butt kicked this last hunt, but hey I survived."

"Maybe I need to toughen you up some more." Gladio tries to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, sure." Prompto responds unlike himself.

"Let's get you to Lestallum, come on. I have a ride, I know it's not the regalia but it's better than nothing." Gladio says.

Prompto-- "Alright."

They both hop into a pickup truck and head toward Lestallum.

Down the long roads the land has become vast and dark.

The plants once living have withered and died with the lack of sunshine.

Daemons scour the land destroying everything in their wake but The pickup lights shine brightly thru the dark to keep them from attack.

Thru a tunnel road they reach Lestallum. The city is alive with people from all over the country.

Alive? Or whats left of them....

Prompto and Gladio jump out,  thanking the driver, they hand over payment.

Gladio---" let's head to the hotel, Ignis should still be there."

Prompto is silent but follows.

They walk over the the central part of Lestallum, pushing thru groups of people here and there. "When will the sun rise again?" Someone asks another.

"Who knows, the king is long gone and soon we will be too." Someone else  responds.

"For the time being we will all have to make due with what little crop we have left." Another person shrugs.

The market place in the square has become a farming plot, using the lighting they have from the city they are able to harvest just enough to survive.

Prompto--" They've lost all hope. Issa wouldn't want us to give up."

They keep walking thru some alley ways past the square.

Gladio smacks Promptos butt---"we wont give up."

He shrugs it off. Nothing seems to lighten his mood.

Together they  reach the hotel and head in.

"Ah welcome hunters, currently we have no rooms available due to high occupants." The man at the front desks says.

Gladio--"Were here to see Ignis."

"Oh, right this way!"
They follow the man up the winding stair case to the top floor and opens the door for Gladio and Prompto, "Only the best for you all, your the best hunters out there. I'll leave you to it."

The man closes the door behind them and heads back down to his desk.

Upon entering, they find Ignis sitting on a sofa near a bed.
Prompto steps foreward to the foot of it.

"Welcome back my friends, it's good to 'see' you again."
Somehow Ignis hadn't lost his puns, well knowing his eyesight hadn't returned.

Prompto laughs slightly, "Ignis, you haven't lost your sense of humor."
Gladio shakes his head, crossing his arms.

"Someone has to lighten the mood a bit." Ignis states.

"How are things on this end?" Gladio looks down at Ignis.

Ignis--- "No change as far as I can determine."

On the bed lay Issa, A peace is across her face, so soft and elegant. The scar on her chest is ever prominant but healed none the less.

Her hair has grown even longer than before, a sign that her body has been aging normally over the past three years.
Changing slowly, but never waking up from her slumber, but still a miracle that she survived.

"We should leave him be." Gladio says to Ignis.

The two head out to the hall way, Gladio being Ignis guide.

Prompto pulls up a chair, grabs hold  her hand and rests his head on the bed.

"We will find a way to save you... I will keep fighting on...I will never give up."