iwillshieldhim | The World We Fought For [for fieryknowledge]

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The World We Fought For [for fieryknowledge]

It was oddly calm in those last moments, a peace that came over him as he fought purely on muscle memory against the massive giant trying to smash him. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Prompto, not just the sound of gun fire, but it sounded like he was screaming, over and over, as he fought. Wordless angry shouts that if he had the time to think, to care beyond second to second of just surviving, would have torn him apart. The sound of pain, of loss, of anger. He'd lost track of Ignis, always so silent, and he feared the worst. He tried to look anyway, find his love in the chaos. Make sure he was still-

Second to second, he shouldn't have looked away. The giant found its opening as Gladio's eyes scanned the wreckage, trying to spot Ignis in all of it. The fear in his heart settled when he spotted the other, still up, still fighting, even as the massive blade slammed under his guard and sent him flying to hit the ground hard. A spike of pain screamed in his shoulder, but he barely noticed.

They had turned their back on Noct to let him die, walking forward to their fates knowing they would do the same. All they had to do was hold on long enough, just long enough to let him truly become the Chosen King. Gladio had accepted what would come, and while he thought Ignis knew, in a way, he was content with this. He had protected Noct until the end. Ignis might still live.

The giant raised its blade, and try as he might, Gladio couldn't get his own blade to lift. It wouldn't be possible on that broken shoulder. He stared up at his death, then let out a breath. ...I kept my promise.

I love you, Iggy.

Let there be light.

It came across the skies like a needle thrust into the heart of the darkness itself, a shaft of light so brilliant and golden that it hurt the eyes. The giants roar hurt almost as much, stabbing into his head until he was forced to close his eyes.

unconscious

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"...Should it be one with a King, though? Or... should there be something else? Just a council making decisions with no figure head? All depends... I guess on if Noct really wants to be King or not." With the silent because he was never meant to be hanging in the air.

"I want to. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't know." Because it was his home, and he still had to know.

"Noctis never wanted to be King in the first place."

Harsh as it might sound, it was true. In the end, he went to face his destiny and none of them expected him to make it. There were hard decisions to make in the upcoming days and weeks, but now wasn't the time for that. The mind could work out the intricacies of such things once the body had a bit of a chance to rest and recover.

"... well then. Whenever you're ready. I'll be with you the whole way."

There it was, flat out in the open. It was harsh, but it was true, and Gladio found himself nodding in agreement. Noctis had given the Six everything they had wanted, up to and including his own life. Did they really expect him to take on the burden of being King, now? Or was it ultimately his choice?

"...I wanna give him that choice," Gladio said quietly, his face still up to the sun with closed eyes. "He's had shit for choices in his life so far. If he wants to get the hell out of here and never return, I'll be there with him. If he wants to pretend he's someone else entirely and live out his life, so be it. But he needs that choice, this time. He deserves it."

Whenever you're ready. That... might be a little while, though. Ready was so different than willing.

"He deserves far more than that."

Memories of happier days flickered in the back of Ignis mind. Around a campfire, laughing as Ignis chided them all for their language even though he was trying to keep his own muffled. Nights spent sitting under the stars. Gutting reminders of Altissia's beauty before-

They'd been children playing at life.

"In all truth, I'm not sure'll know what to do with that choice."

They had been children. Children caught up in a terrible story that would be told as legends for centuries to come but they had lived it. They had blundered and fought and failed their way through it all and come out on the other side, scarred but somehow successful. For the world, perhaps not themselves.

"...we'll see. No point in thinking any more until we know. First thing we gotta do is wake Noct up. Just had a ten year nap, you'd think he'd be ready by now." ..Almost a joke.

Ignis had never really had much faith in legends save their literary value. He wasn't too sure how he felt about being part of one.

Humming under his breath, he let his mind wander off a bit on that problem. Waking Noct up in the past usually involved physically dragging him out of bed, cajoling or threats when Ignis' mood hadn't been the best. This? This time was proving a challenge.

"He's always loved his sleep."

"He has," Gladio said in a sigh of agreement, but this was well beyond that. He squeezed Ignis' hand before letting go, as his one working arm, that hand coming up to rub the back of his sore neck. "Do we just go in there and shake him? What if it's like what happened in Altissia? ...If we have to go that long without him waking up... we don't have the doctor's and shit to handle it."

Ignis had been up and trying to figure out his changed world before Noct had even woken up. "...we need to find a way on our own, I think."

The moment Gladio's hand fell away, Ignis tipped his head toward him. He might have developed some uncanny abilities since he had been blinded, but a sudden lack of contact was always a bit startling at first. That would likely never change.

"... for now, we let him rest. Go curl up with him and I'll tend to Prompto's injuries. It wouldn't do for him to wake up to us being bloody and battered."

Unconsciously, Gladio shifted his bulk slightly closer to Ignis. Still there. All he'd have to do was reach out slightly and Gladio's good arm was there. His eyes slowly closed against the daylight, comforted by the feeling of it still on his skin. How, he briefly wondered, did Ignis feel this? Was it stronger, in that whole 'other senses get better' deal? Could he smell it? Gladio took a deep breath, trying to puzzle it out.

"...You sure you've got Prompto on your own?" Maybe it wasn't fair to ask, he never knew the line, but he offered to stay awake long enough to get Prompto dealt with. Then either way he was going to pass out hard for a few hours.

If Gladio ever asked what it was like, he wasn't sure he'd have an answer for him. The feeling was inexplicable. Everything was heightened to the point that he could discern if a wound was festering or smell rain in the air long before it ever fell. When he stroked his fingers along Gladio's skin, the lines of ink were thicker now and if he tried, he could probably trace almost every single line of that eagle. His cooking had improved thanks to both his palate expanding and learning to make do with some pretty questionable ingredients...

There really wasn't a way he could explain it all.

"Help me get him up and moving then show me where you've left everything in the bathroom and I should be fine. You need the rest."

Maybe it was nothing he would ever be able to understand, yet he feared to ask it of his partner. A fear of insulting him, or upsetting him, or angering him.. he couldn't even pinpoint the reason why. All he could do was trust in Ignis, something he had to learn over time. Something he should have done when the accident first happened, but at the time, he had been consumed in his fear, his anger, and his desire to protect the three of them... even if one of them had to remain behind.

"...now, or want to stay out for a little while?" Stand in the sun. Let Prompto sleep just a little while long.

There'd been a lot of hurt after Altissia and not all of it physical. It had been a true test of the strength of their bond and they'd all come out of that trial battered. Ignis had lost a lot of trust in himself when his eyes had been taken from him and though he'd adapted, he still questioned himself at times. He never let on, though. Not to anyone, even Gladio.

Huffing a soft sigh, he reached out and settled his hand on Gladio's arm. He couldn't tell if that was a question or a request. They all had ten years of sun to catch up on.

"Is that a hint?"

"Let's give them a little while longer."

In the end, it would be a few hours longer. Gladio was pretty sure he was going to come out of this burnt around the edges but the idea of a sunburn, after all of those years in the darkness, was almost amazing. They would find a piece of rubble and sit there in the silence and the wind, tucked up safely and guarding the front of the citadel.

It had to come to an end at some point though, and eventually Gladio sighed. "Prompto shouldn't miss the sunlight he worked so hard for," he said quietly to Ignis in his arms.

It wasn't until he had a chance to just sit in silence did he realize how loud his life had been for the last decade. Even in the few remaining settlements, he could hear the screams of nearby daemons on the hunt or the general noise of fading humanity giving it one last fight. Even the sound of the electricity in the caravans or the sprawl of Lestallum seemed noisy compared to the odd silence of what was once a bustling metropolis.

He found he liked the silence for once.

"He'll probably need convincing to get him away from Noct."

With a sigh of his own, he tipped his head back one last time, then gingerly eased himself out of Gladio's embrace. A pause, and another deep breath...

"... I think it's going to rain tonight."

Gladio turned his head up to the clear sky and frowned. "You really think so?" he sounded dubious before shrugging. "If you say so." Could Ignis smell it? Could he really? Gladio sniffed a little, thinking of what it normally smelled like but he couldn't pick anything.

"Come on. ...it'll rise tomorrow." There was a soft sort of awe to Gladio's voice at being able to say such a thing, the corner of his mouth lifting. The sun would come up again. They had won that victory.

He wanted side by side into the Citadel with Ignis, back up to Noct and Prompto who hadn't moved an inch since they left.

Ignis would believe the sun was up again when he felt it on his skin the next day and each day to follow. Still, he couldn't help but smile a little when he heard that quiet awe in Gladio's voice. It was a reminder of happier days long ago.

Once they were back in, Ignis didn't need Gladio to tell him that Prompto hadn't awakened yet. His breathing was still heavy and slow, but the first man he checked on was Noctis. Still breathing, warmer than before, but there was no response when he gently shook him once, then again. Prompto came next with a gentle shake even as Ignis murmured that it was him and that they were still safe.

"We need to get your wounds tended to."

Ignis was smart to be speaking softly to Prompto when the other woke, as even with that gentleness, Prompto still started slightly, his eyes snapping open and looking up towards the thing above him before relaxing. Yet for the moment, he actually ignored Ignis to look at Noct, fingers spreading over his chest with the softest sound on his lips, a look in his eyes like he couldn't believe Noct was laying there. His hand moved up to Noct's heart and he sighed when was beating under his hand.

"He's really here," Prompto whispered, his voice rough in his throat but the smile on his lips was almost angelic. His fingers came up and brushed hair back gently, studying this new face of the man he never stopped loving.

He knew that tone in Prompto's voice. They all loved Noctis, but Prompto was different. They shared something that was so incredible and all-consuming enough that Prompto never lost hope that his love would come back, even after a decade of horrors in the dark. Ignis' smile was small and sad even as he reached out to settle his hand in Prompto's hair in a fond gesture.

"He is, but we need to make sure you're ready for when he wakes up. I'm sure the last thing he'll want to see is your handsome face all battered."

"Face-?" Prompto's hand came up to slide over his face, to where the dull ache of the wounds had been as if he didn't even truly realize he had them. In all of the terror and excitement, maybe he hadn't. Really, Prompto looked a mess of bruising and blood that still needed to be washed off where it dried, and when his fingers found the edges of the deep ruts on his face, his eyes went wides, pupils to pinpricks.

Gladio was quick to actually put a hand over Prompto's and speak low, firm. "We've got stuff to fix it up. Iggy's gonna set you right. Come on."

The tone made Prompto look up to Gladio, but to Gladio's surprise, who had been expecting the freak out to still happen, Prompto only gave a tight nod. There was a physical reluctance to leave Noct, his eyes and hand staying on their King until he was too far to keep touching. Only then did Gladio let go and step back, trusting Ignis to lead the way here.

And lead he did. Now that he'd been there, he knew the way without fail and surprisingly enough, a decent portion of the Citadel's interior was free of a lot of the debris that the rest of the city seemed to sport. This told Ignis that he'd thought right about Arydn remaining here while he waited for them. Heavens forbid that maniac get himself a little dirty while he made their lives a living nightmare...

He remained quiet on the way, his brain working through ideas on how to get Noctis up and out of that bed. He long since figured that his old tricks wouldn't work anymore so he would have to be a bit more... creative. Once they'd reached the room he'd been leading them to, he was all business. Feeling his way around to see what Gladio had rigged up at the sink took just a moment before he started 'looking' at what all he'd left for them to work with for Prompto's care.

"First things first. We've got to get it cleaned up."

There were tubes and a jar - the smell would tell him it was the antiseptic Gladio had used on him earlier and what was most likely a strong disinfectant, the needle and remaining suture thread, and as Gladio mentioned, even a butterfly bandage or two. Not a lot, but it was what they had to work with.

"How bad is it, Iggy?" Prompto asked as he watched with hesitation. He'd seen Ignis do a lot of things but... there was something almost eerie, definitely a little disturbing, on the concept of a blind man patching him up. Specially the look of that needle. Still, he could vaguely feel his face pulse with every heart beat and he wasn't sure he wanted to look in the mirror. He only could assume Ignis had felt over it while he was dead to the world.

"How's Noct?" With no idea the other hadn't woken up at all yet.

Each container was sniffed and laid out in a certain order before he felt around for the needle... and thankfully, Gladio had left it threaded. Ignis could do some incredible things for a blind man, but threading a needle was never going to be one of those. That when in order as well, then he took a moment to note the butterfly bandages and a moment later, felt around for one of the potion vials. A quick sniff and a slosh told him it was the one he was looking for, and a little under half full.

"You look terrible."

A joke. A rather dry one from Ignis, but it was clearly a joke. Smiling faintly, he motioned for the younger man to sit himself down before he turned to find a cloth to use, then water to get the dried blood cleaned off. His hands were gentle on the damaged skin, easing off the dried blood cool water and careful persistence.

"I think he's making up for all the times I woke him up early when we were young."

Prompto was capable of threading a needle, Ignis! ...Could have helped if needed. However, Prompto ended up groaning at the terrible joke, pouting towards his friend. "I thought Gladio was the mean one! Turns out it was you all along!" The corner of his mouth lifted, but his attempt at being lighter felt miserable on his tongue. Really, he was worried about two things - Noct, and the fact his vision still felt off.

Still, he sat still as Ignis started to clean his face off, though he flinched slightly when fingers pressed too hard. The heat showed there was the beginning of infection; they had to do this now. "...yeah, course he is." But there was so little mirth in Prompto's voice. Already he wanted to go back there and make sure Noct was okay, not alone, warm. As if letting Noct out of his sight meant he would lose him all over again.

His breathing picked up as anxiety tightened in his chest.

The effort was appreciated, Prompto. Really. In fact, there was a soft huff that might've been a laugh from Ignis even as he let his fingers probe a bit at the damaged skin. The heat he felt there wasn't what he'd wanted to feel, but as long as they could keep the wound clean while it healed up, it should be alright. He hoped-

Ignis' keen ears picked up on the quickening breath and quietly reminded him to be still. He knew why Prompto was so anxious, but for now, he'd have to be patient.

"Calm down. Gladio's staying at his side until we can get you tended to. The more you cooperate, the quicker this will go. Just stay as still as possible while I stitch you up. Once that's done, you can go curl up with Noct again while I keep watch over all of you."

As he spoke, he was reaching for the antiseptic and gently tipping Prompto's head so he could get a decent shot at what he was trying to do.

"Stitch...?" Swallow. "Okay. Yeah. Just- just get me good and numb before hand, okay? ...Six. Stitches in my face. I'm gonna look like Gladio." His babbling was filled with nerves, his hands tight in fists, white knuckled on his thighs.

"It's really that bad?" He did NOT like this idea.

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