New World • Prompto Argentum

chapter ten

"All I ask you is to lower you weapon. Please." He bit his lower lip. Lumina hadn't moved, she was still standing in front of Snow protectively, arms stretched from each side.

"Prompto, they ruined our home! You would kill me for those monsters?!" Noctis almost shouted.

"She's not a monster!" Prompto screamed at the top of his lungs. "She's my everything, can't you see?! I can't let you touch her!" The gunslinger kept yelling, his tears now falling down his freckled cheeks. "You were called a monster once, remember?!" Noctis gasped at the thought. "People avoided you, they were afraid of you! But I stayed by your side! Because I trusted you, I believed in you!" Noctis could feel his whole face burn, he felt embarrassed. "And now I believe in her, and she is not a monster! None of them are!" The prince had never heard his loyal friend so angry before, it was something completely new which succeeded in shaking him a little. "I swear it on my life, friend or not, if you hurt her I will pull the trigger." His voice was much lower but extremely threatening, fear rushed up and down Noctis' body.

He wasn't afraid of death, he could easily bring Prompto down if he wished to, but this was something he would have never thought would happen. His childhood friend with a gun against his head. Threatening to kill him. He gulped as he slowly lowered his sword.

"We will leave. Nobody else will get hurt." Prompto explained as he also lowered his gun, making his way to Lumina. Noctis gasped, staring at his friend. The others were also looking at him dumbfounded.

"You will...leave?" The raven haired man asked, barely making out the words. Prompto nodded. "I can't leave her." He admitted. "I'm sorry." Lumina placed her hands on his back, trying to show him that she was indeed there for him in this hard moment.

"You can't just leave us!" Gladio called from behind Noctis, Prompto now eyeing him.

"Sorry big guy." He tried to pull a smile. He took a deep breath and began. "You've always told me to find my own path, leave my mark on the world. Write my own story." He referred to his tattooed friend. "And so I shall. I've found my path through her, she is my path. I'm gonna write my own story, but you have to let me do so." His tone had gotten much calmer, his heart beats steady. "I want you all to be proud of me. But I also want to be proud of myself. I'll never be proud of myself if I keep living in your shadow." The boys were taken aback by that.

They had never realized he felt that way. "I want you all to be happy but most of all I want myself to be happy for once. I know you might not understand that, you don't have to either." He chocked a whimper before continuing. "I want to find myself, to find who I am. I don't want to be a lifeless machine, but I don't want to be a little kid either. I don't want to be protected anymore, I want to protect. And I have somebody to protect." He eyed Lumina with the corner of his eye. "I finally have somebody who needs me by their side." His eyes were on his friends for once again. "You understand that, don't you Noctis?" The prince stiffened, turning to look at Mae.

He did understand exactly what his blonde friend mean, finally having somebody he truly wished to protect himself. Somebody who promised to remain by his side until the end.

"I know I was always the goofball, the joke machine, the silly one. But things change and I don't want to be just that anymore!" The freckled boy cried out. "So please, if you truly are my friends, let me remember you all with love." And with that, he let his tears finally fall like a waterfall. For a moment, nobody moved. But it didn't take long for Noctis to take a step, then another and another, before he was running to Prompto. He engulfed him in a tight embrace, knowing that it could maybe be the last time he was seeing him.

"I'm sorry, i'm so sorry, brother." The prince chocked on his words as his eyes were teary as well. In a matter of seconds, the other two of the gang were beside them, all sharing a big hug. But nothing lasts forever. Prompto pulled himself from his brothers, staring right into their eyes for one last time. Noctis and the others took a few steps back.

"Don't forget me." Prompto requested, revealing his childish side for once again. Something the boys would surely miss.

"How could we? You don't find a weirdo like you easily." Gladio teased, smiling to hide the pain he felt inside. Prompto silently laughed at that, it was maybe the first time he liked Gladio's constant teasing. And probably the last.

"That's good." He commented. "Ignis, make sure to take care of yourself. Better care." He suddenly said to his friend. He knew Ignis tended to put others before him, and that was something Prompto wished he didn't do as often. "Gladio, you can take the strongest character in King's Knight. I don't mind." He assured his tattooed friend. Oh how he would miss arguing about this game with him, trying to stop him from always choosing the strongest character. "Noctis."

He called.

"You'll make a great king. I know it." The prince swallowed, he felt as if a piece of his heart, a piece of himself, was leaving with Prompto. "And I'll always believe in you." The gunslinger added with a smile. "And so will I. And I know that you will find what you're looking for. You'll succeed. You deserve it." The prince spoke, clenching his fists to keep himself from shedding any more tears. And with a last smile, Prompto turned around.

His eyes found Lumina's, assuring her that he was ready. She took his hand in hers and turned to her friends, before they began walking away all together.  Everything would change from that day.  But remember that sometimes, change is for the better.