Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse {Book Three: Pestilence}(Ignis x Reader)

|| Twenty-Five ||

A/n: This part gets a little gory near the end. It's for a short bit, but I just wanna warn everyone in case someone's grossed out by blood. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis didn't make it far into the city before being separated by the wrecked train. The raven-haired boy was forced to trek the innards of Zegnautus Keep by himself while his advisor and shield did the same. Minutes turned into hours as they searched the large stronghold for the Crystal, Prompto, (Y/n), and each other.

Ardyn had taken it upon himself to taunt Noctis as the boy meandered through the halls and rooms of Zegnautus Keep. He tried to ignore the chancellor as he continued his search. At one point, the man teased him by creating images of Prompto. Noctis would chase after his best friend, but in the end, he was always greeted with a mangled body of a magitek. He growled under his breath before setting out and ignoring any other spectral images of the blonde.

While in the deepest parts of Zegnautus Keep after falling down the central shaft from the upper-level catwalk, Noctis discovered the bodies of imperial troopers. Among the corpses, he found Ravus' own lifeless body and his father's sword. Claiming the weapon, Noctis no longer needed to rely heavily on the Ring of the Lucii.

After more hours of traversing through the stronghold, Noctis was able to regroup with Gladio and Ignis. Now that they were all together, searching the Keep proved to be easier.

Eventually, they arrived in the cell block of Zegnautus Keep. There, they found Prompto and freed him from the device restraining him. The blonde falls to the floor once liberated and Noctis bends down to help him.

"Hey, you alright?" Gladio asked once seeing the bruises and scratches across the younger boy's body.

"Are you hurt? Do you need help?" Ignis questioned as he also noticed how battered his friend was.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Noct." Prompto fights through the pain and manages to sit upright. He stared at his best friend with an unwavering gaze. "Tell me. Were you worried about me?"

Noctis was taken aback at the question but didn't hesitate to respond. "Of course I was. What kind of question is that?"

"Of course. That's why you came, like I believed you would," the blonde said.

"Prompto..."

"That's why I told myself I couldn't die. Not until I could see you and hear you tell me I'm not a fake-that I'm the real me."

The raven-haired boy looked away with a guilt-stricken expression. "I'm sorry."

Prompto shook his head. "Don't be. Everything's alright now."

"If you four are done, we better get moving," a feminine voice said.

The boys turned their heads and saw War standing outside the cell with her arms crossed.

Gladio couldn't help but snicker at her appearance, memories of her helping him in Altissia flashing through his mind. "When did you get here, Firecracker?"

The redhead glared at the brute. "Don't call me that." She uncrossed her arms a placed a hand on her hip. "I'm here for my sister. That's it."

"(Y/n) is our next priority," Ignis stated.

Prompto pushes himself off the floor alongside Noctis. "I know where they're keeping her."

"Good," War sighed. She then looked toward Noctis. "Before we search for Pestilence, returning your power should be our next focus. Let's make this quick so we can find my sister."