New World • Prompto Argentum

chapter six

"What is that?" Prompto's voice was heard across the quiet room. Lumina felt her heart reach her throat, she could not move. She averted her eyes to the floor, feeling guilty and ashamed. Yes, she felt ashamed to be who she was. Prompto managed to take a few steps, closing the door behind him and getting closer to the girl. "Lumina--" she cut him.

"It's a L'Cie brand." she breathed, clenching her fists.

"This... this..." Prompto gulped. He breathed in and out. "This is a legend. A story." He protested and Lumina smiled at that. That is was everyone was told after the fall. After Etro died, after the destruction of the timeline.

"Does this look like a story to you?" She asked the blonde who was now standing right before her, his eyes boring into hers.

"I don't understand." His voice was so innocent to her, he was innocent. But she had to explain. She trusted him, she wanted him to know, she needed him to know. All this time, she was alone. Yes, she had Mae. But she had to protect her, she was the protector. For once, she wished to be the protected. She took the boy's hands into hers and led him to the bed, sitting down. He followed, sitting before her, ready to hear whatever she had to say.

"I'm sure you've heard about the crystal pillar that held Cocoon from falling." she began. "Have you ever heard of Grand Pulse?" she questioned and Prompto nodded quickly. 

"When I heard about the legend, I was intrigued by it. I searched everything, every book and every forum, I wanted to learn everything about it. About the three women who turned into crystal to keep Cocoon from falling... on Grand Pulse." the boy explained, slightly shocking Lumina.

  "Nothing of this is a legend, Prompto. Grand Pulse... was my home. I was born there. I grew up all alone, fighting to survive. Then, I heard that there would be a transportation; people from Pulse could move to Cocoon for a new life. I needed that new life. As I was trying to sneak in the transportation airship, I found Mae." She smiled at the thought.  "She was so young, she was alone and scared. I took her with me. Together we managed to sneak in and we went to Cocoon." the girl licked her lips.

 Prompto placed his hands above hers, signaling her to go on. "There, we lived in the streets for a good few years. Until one day, we were being chased by a man who caught us stealing food. And he stopped him." she smiled again.  "Snow. He was our hero. He saved us and took us in, raised us with his gang of weirdos." Lumina chuckled at the memory, tears now threatening to fall.

"But one day everything was turned upside down. Serah, Snow's fiancee turned into a L'Cie... we were attacked by PSICOM soldiers... Serah disappeared and we had to find her." she bit her inner cheek. She took a breath and kept going. "In the process, we were turned into L'Cie ourselves. We were eight people. Me, Mae, Snow, Sazh, Hope, Vanille, Fang and Lightning. At first it was hard, but we worked it out, we managed to complete our Focus and turn into crystals. We were blessed by Etro. She broke the curse and the others were brought back to life. But... me, Vanille and Fang remained into the pillar, keeping Cocoon in the sky." Prompto moved closer to her, his left hand on her back and his right one on hers. She was having a hard time holding herself from crying.

 "Let it out... I'm here." He assured her and she eyed him. She rested her head against his shoulder and breathed in.

 "Hope looked for a solution for many years to save us. But, Etro made a mistake that day, by saving the others. The timeline changed, chaos was about to be unleashed. Serah tried to stop this, to save the timeline... and she did. But in the process, she died. The goddess was killed, and thus chaos was unleashed in the world. Hope barely managed to save us three before Cocoon collapsed upon us, and thus we were released from our curse." she explained. Now that she thought about it, it really did sound like a legend.

 "Snow was nowhere to be found, Lightning was gone and Serah was dead. Everything I knew was no more. Cocoon was vanished and so was Grand Pulse, in their place this world was discovered. I found Mae and we promised to find Snow and Lightning together. But to do that... I had to become a L'Cie again. That's my Focus. To free myself from this torment. And to this day, I still try to complete it." she placed a hand above her brand. 

 Prompto wanted to ask something but he was too scared to ask it. He was afraid of the reply, of the answer, but he had to. "If you fail to complete your Focus... is it true that..." she clenched her eyes shut. "I will turn into a Cie'th." she breathed.

Prompto flinched, he felt his heart hurt at this. Suddenly, his hands were on her shoulders, placing her right before him and his eyes scanned her brand. "I've read about the brands, how they indicate how much time you've got left." he explained. He breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that she had plenty of it.

"I still have time, but there are things I must do alone. I can't bring Mae with me, the dangers will be many. So I have to find Snow and leave her with him, before setting off to find Lightning, and return home." Lumina told Prompto who was listening her words for once again.

He nodded. "I... I will help you." He held her hands in his tightly. "I will help you find Snow, and when that happens we will find Lightning, together." he assured her.

 "Prompto, you have a kingdom to save." she protested and he shook his head from side to side.

"Don't worry about it, I'll help you, always. You can count on me." he flashed her a toothy smile that lightened her whole world. She smiled back and flew in his arms, hugging him tightly. He was taken aback from that but he was quick to return the hug. 

 But of course, he suddenly realised that she was not wearing her top and his face turned a bright red color. He licked his lips and tried his best to calm himself down.

"Thank you, Promp." her sweet voice relaxed him. "Thank you."