Zodiac (Final Fantasy XV)

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~3rd Person POV~

Groaning, Noctis opened his eyes slowly. An immense pain shot through his body as he tried to stand, but it kept him pinned to the throne. His vision was blurry, slowly clearing as he blinked them rapidly. Inhaling sharply, the man uses his father's blade as a crutch to help him to his feet. The picture Prompto had given him laid on the armrest of the throne, blowing gently in the breeze. A bright light caused Noctis to wince, his hands covering his eyes.

After his eyes adjusted to the light, they widened once he realized what was emitting it. "The sun..." Gasping at the sight, he basked in the warmth with a sigh of content. From the hole in the wall, he could see the daemons below burning in the sunlight. He placed a hand over his heart, feeling it beat calmly. "How... How am I alive?"

Noctis turned and slowly descended the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he spotted the body of his sister lying on the ground, her skin paler than ususal. "Zodia?" He called out to her. When he received no answer, he dashed to her side and placed a hand on her arm. He flinched as he felt how cold her skin was under his touch. "Zodia!" Pulling her body close to his, Noctis desperately searched for a pulse. "C'mon, Zodia, don't do this to me!"

With no sign of life, Noctis yelled out and cursed the gods. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he wailed out her name and tried to bring her back. "Dammit!Why?! Not you! Not you, too..." Cradling Zodia's body closer to his, he rested his forehead against hers. His tears streamed down her sickly pale skin, not being able to stop them.

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room are thrown open. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis were baffled by the scene as they were only able to see Noctis' back. "H-He's alive!" The blonde cheers. Along with Prompto, Gladio was also joyed at the sight. Ignis, on the other hand, was able to connect the pieces during the intense battle with the daemons in the courtyard. He knew how the King was alive, only being able to realize it was too late.

"Hey, Noct, you okay?" Gladio asked worriedly. Looking closer, the trio saw the King's shoulders were shaking.

Ignis was the first to approach the man, asking the only question he could muster. "Noct, where is Zodia?"

"... Gone..."

Not noticing the sorrow behind his words, Prompto hadn't taken the meaning literally. "We can look for her."

"She couldn't have gone far," Gladio said.

When the three closed in on Noctis, they were able to finally see Zodia's lifeless body. Prompto gasped in disbelief, tears immediately surfacing to his eyes. Gladio's eyes widened as he couldn't tear his gaze from the princess.

Ignis crumpled to his knees beside Noctis, reaching out for one of Zodia's hands. The feeling of her frigid skin against his warm touch made his entire mind and body shut down. The strategist decided to take Zodia's body from Noctis, allowing him to stand and grieve. Prompto was a complete mess as he leaned his back against the nearest wall to support his body.

Ignis knew this was no trip to the Celestial Court. He knew, they all knew, she was not coming back to them. He pulled her closer, burying his face in the crook of her neck. A sob escaped his lips as he begged the Astrals to bring her back. He knew the prayer would be heard by deaf ears, causing his suffering to worsen. He was able to cope with the loss of Noctis but not with the loss of the woman he cherished dearly. In the back of his mind, he kept telling himself that he could've prevented this.

Gladio brought Noctis and Prompto into a comforting hug to help not only them but himself, too. The biggest wreck of the four was Ignis. He kept pleading and pleading, but no one would listen to his wishes.