After the Light (FFXV)

Chapter 7

       Cindy stood beside the replica Regalia, watching the magitek troops invade the manor. After messaging Iris, she sat in the car and started it, and then started driving. With enough speed, she ascended the car as it transformed.

       Iris and Stella were making their way back to the music room, but took another route when they ran into magitek troops. They weren't seen by them, so they did their best to keep quiet. Unsure of what Stella was capable of, Iris decided she was going to protect her. If she possesses the power of the Oracle, it's in our best interest to keep her alive.     
       They were getting closer to the music room when a few magitek troops turned the corner. That didn't stop them. Iris charged towards the troops, remembering all of her training despite losing her additional strength from time traveling. She knew her limits, and was prepared to go beyond it in order to get Stella out of there.
         She ran faster than Stella, so she was ahead. She leapt into the air, ready to drop kick the first troop. Then, as if in slow motion, a rapier flew by her, followed by the gold remains of a warp. Iris successfully completed her drop kick on the troop, and witnessed Stella's attack that struck the other three troops.
         The replica Regalia hovered beside the balcony. Iris and Stella nodded to each other, impressed with each other's skills, and then ran to the music room. Cindy took down the roof of the vehicle, allowing Iris and Stella to jump in. Cindy flew the car away from the manor.
         "Thank you so much...um..." Stella began.
         "Howdy. The name's Cindy."
          "Stella. Nice to meet you."
         "We've got company!" Iris said, noticing the airship that followed them.
          The doors to the airship opened up, revealing several magitek troops and a giant robot. The robot jumped out of the ship, towards the flying car. Cindy started to turn, with barely enough time to get away from the robot. From higher up, Aranea jumped out of her red airship, and landed hard on the robot. With that sudden impact, the robot fell, only hitting the back of the flying car. Aranea pushed her feet off the falling robot and landed on the replica Regalia.
           "Sorry I'm late, kid." Aranea said.
           "Better late than never." Iris replied. "We need to get rid of those magitek."
"Leave them to me. Just focus on getting back to Lucis." Aranea said before jumping up to the airship that was following them. With her spear, she aggressively struck each of the magitek troops.
         Two more airships began to follow the flying car, and the doors opened. The magitek soon opened fire. Cindy turned the car and ascended to avoid the bullets. Without words, Stella stood in the car and warped to one of the ships, striking down three troops. Aranea made her way to the other ship, while the one she'd just left began to descend.
         "Descend a bit and slow down." Iris requested.
         Cindy nodded and did as she was asked. Iris climbed to the back of the flying car, and then jumped down to the same airship as Stella; landing on a magitek troop who was seconds away from striking Stella. With graceful movements, Stella maneuvered around the ship, attacking the magitek, and dodging their bullets and blades.
       Iris, keeping the mindset of her elder self, dodged the attacks and struck the magitek with aggressive kicks. Reentering the mindset of her fifteen-year-old self, she summoned her enlarged moogle doll and tossed it. With the magitek briefly distracted by the doll, Iris flipped over one, and shoved her boots into its back. She then dropped to the floor and ducked, allowing Stella to warp strike the magitek. Iris charged towards the final troop. Before it could shoot, Iris dropped to the ground and swung her leg across the ankles of the troop. As the troop was knocked off balance, before having a chance to fall, Stella warp struck it, shoving it out of the ship.
           Cindy lowered the car, allowing Iris and Stella to jump in. Aranea jumped back to her own ship and then called Iris.
           Sitting in the back with Stella, Iris answered her phone. "Are you okay?"
          "Yeah. Be careful on your way back to Lucis. I'll be right behind you." Aranea said.

         Some days later, Iris walked out of the house at Cape Caem, and sat on the porch. She'd been going back and forth during the last few days, trying to call Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. A couple times she tried to call Noctis, but with Lunafreya dead, she assumed he was just ignoring the calls. It wasn't long before she started to suspect the worst.
         "Go fish!" Talcott said from inside the house. He was playing cards with Stella.
         "You're either really good at this game, or you're cheating." Stella said, playfully.
        Thrilled that they were getting along well, Iris smiled. Just moments later, her phone rang and she answered on the first ring. "Hello?!"
          "Iris?! Where are you?!" Gladio asked. He sounded more worried than angry.
          "I'm at Caem. What happened? I've been trying to call for days."
          "A lot's happened. Wanna tell me why I have a ton of messages saying you're missing?" Now he sounded angry. "Where are you?"
         "I told you, I'm at Caem. Before I explain; is everyone okay?"
          "Yeah...Listen, Noct went into the crystal a few days ago." Gladio's voice was a little calmer.
           "What?" Iris stood, made her way down the steps, and then started walking towards the lighthouse. "Already? What changed?"
          "It might be better to talk about this in person. We should be back a little later. We'll meet you in Lestallum."
          Iris walked around the lighthouse and leaned on the fence. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths as a cool breeze passed. Her mind was elsewhere. Time traveling to the moment the boat left the lighthouse dock. She knew Noctis was going to enter the crystal, but she didn't think it would've been so soon.

         Ignis drove the Royal Vessel back to Lucis. They left from the lower part of Altissia, which was still in pretty good shape. Prompto sat on the back seat, and Gladio stood in the inner part of the boat, still on the phone with Iris.
           "You still there?" Gladio asked.
            "Yes." Iris responded.
"Don't go off on your own again. We'll see you soon."
            "Okay... Bye."
             "Bye." Gladio waited a few seconds before hanging up.
           As each day passed, Gladio wished Iris didn't time travel. He knew she could take care of herself, but he didn't want her going off on her own and being reckless.
           "...She wasn't alone." Ignis said.
          Gladio glared at Ignis. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Prompto, who was completely zoned out, only heard the anger in Gladio's voice. He made his way to the inner part of the boat, and stood behind Ignis.
"You need to stop acting on your own, and fill us in when you have a plan. You almost died. I don't know what Iris was doing, but she has no business doing anything other than what she did the first time." Gladio was ready to snatch Ignis from the driver's seat, but kept his distance.
"What do you mean? What happened with Iris?" Prompto asked.
Ignis glanced at Gladio for a moment, and then turned his eyes back to the water. If he didn't already know that his team would've been against them, Ignis would've shared his plans. Now that he and Iris followed through with those plans, it was okay to tell them. Assuming Iris succeeded.