After the Light (FFXV)

Chapter 2

        Iris stood before Gladio, on a campsite in the Nebulawood, within the Duscae region. He had been meditating, just as he had always done after his usual workout routine. He stood with his arms crossed, looking down at her with a very stern expression. Iris kept eye contact with him.
        "This better be a joke, Iris." He said.
        "It's not. That's the plan, and we're going, with or without you." Iris responded sharply.
        "Then what? What's the plan when you get there? Convince the King to turn his back on his people?"
         "No. I don't know what the plan is when we go back." Iris folded her arms.
          "Then drop it. Too many people have lost their lives before Noct. Are you planning on saving them too?"
           "If I can, I will. Going back with the knowledge we have now can make a huge difference. We can create a better future."
         "Or a worse one. Everything happens for a reason. You're not thinking straight, and you need to. This plan is completely selfish."
          "Well this could be my only chance to say goodbye!" She shouted. "You told me when he came back, but you forgot to mention that he was only hours away from death!" She wiped her eyes before the tears could escape.
         Gladio's expression softened. "You wouldn't have been able to handle it."
        She dropped her arms at her sides and balled up her fists. "I don't need you to protect me!"
         "I will when I feel I need to. He was gone for ten years, and came back ready to sacrifice his life."
"...What if we went back far enough to save Insomnia?" Iris asked.
"Not happening." His voice and expression became stern once again.
"Why not?!"
"You'll just end up dying! Let this go!" He jumped off the campsite and started walking. Iris sighed, feeling defeated, but she refused to give up. She jumped off the campsite and chased after him.
"...You already tried, didn't you?" She asked.
"I didn't have to. I know dad and King Regis are the first two you'd try to save. You spent a lot of time at the Citadel before I left the city with Noct and the guys. Knowing what you know now, you would find yourself around the citadel the day Insomnia was attacked. For my sake, don't add yourself to the list of people we've lost." Gladio tried not to sound so demanding.
"Is that you protecting me or yourself?"
"Both. I knew dad was gone after the King's death was confirmed. Beforehand, I suspected it. But he had a job to do. I know what it means to be the King's shield, so I was prepared to lose him. Not you. I couldn't show it, but I was paranoid until I got your message saying you were safe." His tone softened.
"Then we won't go that far back. We should at least try while we have the chance." Iris said.
They stopped in the parking lot, between her car and his truck. Moments later, Prompto pulled his car into the lot and parked.
"At least think about it. Please." She begged.
"...Fine. But think about what I said, and be smart about this. I'll call you later." Gladio kissed Iris' forehead, and then got into his truck as she proceeded to the driver's side of her car.
Gladio closed his door, and seconds later, Ignis entered on the passenger's side and closed the door.
"Iggy-" Gladio began.
"Just drive." Ignis said calmly.
Gladio started the truck and began driving. The ride was silent for a while, as they were both trying to avoid discussing their recent conversations. Ignis sipped his coffee, and was instantly reminded of the many times Noctis would ask if it was any good. Ignis smiled warmly, and then chuckled.
"What's up?" Gladio asked, confused about the sudden laughter.
"I was just thinking about Noct." He began. "What are your thoughts on their plan?"
"It's a selfish act. We've worked too hard to get where we are. We came to terms with his fate, and stood by him till the very end. If he can't be saved, they'll be coming home just to mourn him all over again. Why go back and reopen the wound?" Gladio grabbed his water and drank a good mouthful.
"What if we never came to terms with it? Noct refused to abandon his mission; a decision we promised to support, despite knowing his fate." Ignis adjusted his visor sunglasses.
"Ignis, listen to yourself." Gladio said, irritated.
Ignis turned his head slightly towards Gladio and said, "I'm hearing myself better than you are. I understand what you're saying, but think about it. Umbra isn't an ordinary dog. He's a messenger of the Astrals. Perhaps this plan isn't a selfish act. What if this is our chance to save Noct, because we're going to need him? What if you are the one who needs him?"
"I'm doing just fine. Don't worry about me." Gladio said reassuringly.
"You've been his shield from the very beginning. What is a shield with no one to protect? We spent his entire life keeping him safe, and in the end, we couldn't. I'm honored to have served him, but I can't help feeling that I failed him." Ignis adjusted his glasses again, and then sipped his coffee.
"...Yeah, I get that. Death's a hard one to beat, if you're lucky enough; but it will never be a permanent victory. If there's really a way to get back to this point with everyone alive and well, including Noct, I'm not entirely against going through with it. However, I still think it'd be selfish to go back. We're at peace. That's what Noct wanted."
          "I'm afraid it won't last long. We've lost both the King and the Oracle. Two bloodlines that have existed for centuries, have reached their end. I fear we've been left in a vulnerable position." Ignis said.
           "You think history will repeat itself?" Gladio asked.
          "Perhaps. I'm not sure how soon, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for it." Ignis responded.
         "We shouldn't worry about that right now. This is the future everyone's been waiting for. Keep worrying about something that's all in your head, and you'll never be happy."
         "Are you happy, Gladio? You spend more time training and working, than anything else. I'm guilty of the same. He was gone for a decade, yet when he returned, it felt as if nothing changed. He came home...just to bid us farewell. What happens after we rebuild? Who will rise to power? What if there are others who carry that same darkness as Ardyn?" Ignis tried to rest his coffee into the cup holder, but couldn't concentrate on where it should've been.
Gladio, noticing Ignis' struggle, took the coffee, placed it in the cup holder, and then took hold of his slightly trembling hand. He knew where Ignis was coming from. They'd spent ten years without their king, but during that time, they knew he would return one day. Now they wake everyday, and find themselves in a world where he no longer exists. Without him, their team felt broken, and the damage now seemed permanent. Being around each other, at least in a group of three, was overwhelming.
"Keep it together, Iggy." Gladio said.
        Ignis was strong, had no trouble sharing his thoughts, and usually remained calm when doing so. For Ignis to be in such a panic, something had to be wrong.
Gladio asked, "Are you still having those weird dreams? Do you think it's more than that?"
"I have them occasionally, and I don't want to believe they're visions, but I'm starting to think they are. Especially after Umbra showed up." Ignis answered, resting his fingers on his forehead.
"I guess Pryna never really left." Gladio said. "Tell me what you saw. We'll figure it out."

Several nights later, Iris and Prompto sat in a booth at Takka's Pit Stop Diner in Hammerhead, with Umbra laying under their table. They gazed out the window, pleased to see that Hammerhead was once again running as a service station. With daemons no longer haunting the streets at night, more cars were out on the road. Iris began tapping her fingers nervously on the table, which caught Prompto's attention.
         "Nervous?" He asked. "I am too."
         "A little...maybe a lot. I'm starting to have second thoughts about this. I'm wondering...if this is what Noct would want." Iris answered, still looking out the window.
          "...He'd do the same for any of us. The first time we went back, he tried to warn Lady Lunafreya; tried to save her...but she still died. Apparently it was her fate to die that day, and she accepted it."
          "So this is pointless." Iris crossed her arms on the table, and buried her face in them.
          "If we make the same mistake he did, then yeah, it will be. We can't warn him, or try to convince him to just drop everything. It's all right if you're having second thoughts. I'd be lying if I said I didn't...but ask yourself; are you willing to fight this battle again, to not only bring back the light, but to save your friend?"
           He held out his hand, and then she lifted her head, and soon took his hand. Despite their doubts, they were determined to carry out their mission as best they could.
It wasn't long before Gladio's truck pulled into Hammerhead. Iris and Prompto took a deep breath, and then left the diner with Umbra. Gladio and Ignis approached them outside the trailer.
"So?" Prompto asked anxiously.
"...We've decided to accompany you, as long as we all agree to keep the recklessness to a minimum." Ignis answered.
"And don't give away our position. Keep it cool." Gladio added.
"Got it." Prompto responded.
"Understood." Iris nodded in agreement, as she was the only one who never time traveled.
"How far back are we going?" Gladio asked.
"I guess we'll leave it up to Umbra." Prompto said, before they all turned their attention to Umbra, who sat in front of the trailer.
Prompto knelt in front of Umbra and then said, "Take us back to Lucis."