Rayne Drops (FFXV)

IX) Return to Hammerhead

~Five years before~

The smell. The smell is horrid. God-awful. Disgusting. I don't know how anyone can breathe this in without gagging. I personally feel sick to my stomach. Ignis's nose is crinkled the tiniest bit in disgust. If this is Noctis's idea of a joke, it's not funny. But he's grinning, and so's his blonde friend. Pronto was it?

"Noct, this is great!" he cries, jumping around and shaking his friend excitedly.

"Let it be said that..." Ignis starts.

"The smell of wet chocobos is aboslutely disgusting," I finish, grimacing.

"Hey, chocobos aren't disgusting," the blonde snaps back. Noctis pushes his friend off him.

"Ignore her, Prompto. She's always in a bad mood." Nope. It's Prompto. Not Pronto. Got it.

"I wouldn't be in a bad mood if I didn't have to be here. Where's that Gladio guy?"

"Sick," Ignis replies, straightening his glasses. "Though he refuses to admit it."

"Pneumonia," Noctis nods. "He kept going out in the rain like a stubborn idiot." Half-smiling, he turns to Prompto. "But Cor didn't bring these all the way out here for us to stare at 'em." Prompto cheers, pumping a fist into the air.

"Let's go!"

"Don't scare them," I huff, following after the two. "Ignis, permission to kill them both."

"Only if necessary."

"Well frick." I reach out to touch the slick feathers of the giant bird to my right. It squawks loudly, stomping on my foot. "GODDA..."

"Language, Rayne."

"SHUT UP, IGNIS!"

"Maybe if you were nicer to it..." Prompto's voice trails off. He clears his throat. "So your name's Rayne? Like, rain falling from the sky?" He laughs nervously when I shoot him a dirty look, quickly hopping onto the back of his bird.

"Yeah, haven't heard that one before," I grumble.

"C'mon, love birds," Noctis calls to us, already waiting at the gate of the courtyard. Ignis's chocobo trots up behind his. The advisor looks back at us expectantly.

"Perhaps another time, Rayne," he calls to me.

"What, it doesn't fit into today's schedule?" I shout back, hopping onto my chocobo and steering the uneasy animal toward the rest of the group. "If anything, it'll clear it up."

"Someone has to clear the evidence," he replies smoothly. Prompto looks between us uncomfortably.

"Noct, what're they...?"

"Don't worry about it," the prince chuckles, motioning toward the gate. "Let's go."

They slip through the gate one by one, leaving only me while they wait. But my chocobo won't budge, stubbornly shuffling every time I dig my heels into its side or snap at its reigns. Prompto snickers as I groan in frustration. "Are you freaking kidding me?" I grit, trying harder. The bird squawks loudly, shaking its feathers while I cling to its neck. Noctis hides his laugh, Ignis suppressing a smile. "How hard is it," I grumble, digging my heels in harder. "To move your @#$ out the door!?"

"Pretty hard when you're yelling at him like that," Prompto points out. I glare at him; he smiles sheepishly.

"Perhaps you should try being kinder," Ignis suggests. I take a deep breath leaning down to whisper by the chocobo's face.