The sweltering sun beat down on the Royal retinue. Noctis sat behind the Regalia, Prompto laid down on the ground a couple of feet away on his back, Ignis was hunched over in the driver's seat, and Gladiolus stood beside the car. The shield tried to wave down an approaching vehicle for assistance, but the person behind the wheel simply honks and drives by without slowing down.

Noctis yawns from boredom. He was tired of waiting and wanted to take a nap. He leaned against the bumper of the car and did his best to fight against his tiredness.

Gladiolus, who decided to give up on flagging another car down, lowered his arm. He stepped back and leaned his lower back against the vehicle. "I think we can forget about hitching our way there... Thought people were friendly outside the city."

"You can only go so far on the kindness of strangers," Ignis stated.

"Just gonna have to push her all the way."

"I've already pushed myself...to the brink of death," Prompto dramatically exhaled.

Walking behind the car, Gladiolus smacks Noctis on the back to get his attention then approaches Prompto. "Oh, get up." He kicked the blonde's foot. "C'mon, the car isn't gonna move itself."

Reluctantly, Noctis and Prompto get up. The marksman muttered a "sheesh" under his breath. He was not looking forward to pushing the car. "I thought the car was supposed to move us," he grumbled.

Gladiolus places his hands on the back of the Regalia while Noctis and Prompto get in place on either side of the car. The shield didn't entertain the blonde but the prince did. "Wouldn't that be nice—" He remarked with a hint of annoyance.

"Can it," Gladiolus snapped. He leaned against his hand and prepared to move the car. "Ready..."

The two younger boys got into position and were ready as they ever would be.

"Steady... Push!" Gladiolus started pushing.

Slow and steady, the Regalia begins to move forward. Ignis remained in the driver's seat, keeping his hands steady on the steering wheel to keep the vehicle from veering off the side of the road.

They didn't make it far before Noctis began to complain. "Un. Believable."

"Not exactly a fairy tale beginning, huh, Prince Noctis?" Gladiolus managed to push out between grunts.

"We let ourselves get carried away," Ignis said.

Prompto laughed nervously, knowing they blamed him. "Look, these things happen!"

"Let's just hope this isn't some omen," the shield remarked.

A little further down the road, Noctis felt his hands and arms beginning to ache. "Gladio, do me a favor."

"What?" Gladiolus strained out.

"Push this thing by yourself."

"All by myself?"

"You won't even notice if we just let go," Prompto chimed in.

Gladiolus lifted his head and glowered at him. "Prompto, don't even think about it."

"Save some breath for pushing," Ignis advised the bickering boys.

Noctis wasn't having any more of this and addressed the tactician. "Ignis, c'mon—time to switch!"

The shield was quick to intervene. "Nuh-uh! We just switched back there!"

"And it's my turn, Noct," Prompto added.

"His "turn"," Ignis mocked.

The Regalia made it a little further before Prompto began to whine. "My hands are killing me."

"You rather I kill you with mine?" Gladiolus growled.

"Easy there, tough guy."

Noctis saw Ignis trying to use his phone to contact the garage. "Any luck?"

"Only a busy signal," he replied.

Prompto saw the sign of the outpost in the distance. "Hold the phone—is it just me, or was it supposed to be way closer?"

"I assure you the map is correct."

"The map said Hammerhead was right there," Noctis groaned.

"Literally next door," the blonde added.

"Looks that way on a map of the world," Gladiolus stated.

"Too bad Makina isn't here..."

Hearing his girlfriend's name, Noctis glanced at his best friend. "Why's that?"

"She could easily wiggle her fingers and make a portal to the garage. And then, we just push the car through!"

"Oh, yeah," Gladiolus sarcastically responded. "Let's just get her to use a dangerous power she's worked years on to control so we can get there faster."

Prompto paused for a moment and thought about what he said. "Okay, yeah. Not the best idea I've had."

"It would truly be a waste of her talents," Ignis said.

The four fall silent for a moment as they continue struggling to make their way to the outpost. Noctis glanced down the road with a sigh as he shattered the silence. "The world's a big old place."

"Filled with wonders," the advisor added.

"Tell that to my legs," Prompto whined.

"You guys even pushing?" Gladiolus asked.

"Hard as I can!"

"Still sounds like you're complaining more than you're pushing."

"Dude, I'm totally helping!"

"Then shut it and help more."

༻──── ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ────༺

After what felt like hours, the royal retinue arrived in Hammerhead. They were all exhausted from pushing the car. Prompto was laying on the ground, but he quickly perked up and hopped to his feet when a young woman walked out of the garage.

"Hey there, y'all kept a girl waitin'!" She smiled as she sauntered towards the four. She could only see Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus and looked around. "Now, which one's the prince?"

Noctis stands up into view from the other side of the Regalia. The mechanic recognized him immediately. "Aha! Hello, Your Highness. Congrats on your wedding!"

Noctis winced slightly at the mention of his engagement to Lunafreya. "Not hitched just yet."

She smiled. "Lady Lunafreya's groom-to-be, here in Hammerhead. And here Paw-paw and I was thinkin' you'd be tyin' the knot with that darlin' Lady Valtreus."

"If only..." Noctis muttered under his breath.

Ignis took it upon himself to apologize for their late arrival. "Apologies for taking so long."

"You'd best save your apologies for Paw-paw," she said.

"Well, that makes you..." Gladiolus started.

"Cindy—Cid's grease-monkey granddaughter."

Just then, Cid himself walks out of the garage while shouting out to his granddaughter. "Roll 'er in while I'm still young!" He walked up to the Regalia. "Didn't yer daddy tell ya? She's a custom classic, not some beat-up ol' clunker." He then started to examine the car before eyeing the raven-haired boy. "Prince Noctis."

"Uh, yeah," the prince answered unsurely.

"Prince," Cid reiterated the word with a sour undertone. "Like they took your old man and kicked the dignity out of him."

He was taken aback at the old man's words. "What?"

Cid resumes inspecting the Regalia, leaving the prince baffled. "You got a long way to go, son. And that slack jaw's gettin' you nowhere fast. She's gonna take a while. Y'all get her in and run along." He walks off.

Cindy looks after him and sighs before turning back to the boys. "Y'all heard him! Let's get movin'. Right this way." She motions for the others to follow her and walks off.

Once the Regalia was in Cindy's care, the royal retinue stood outside the garage. Ignis knew there was only one thing they could do. "And now we play the waiting game."

"Never liked that game," Prompto commented.

"Never any good at it, either," Noctis retorted.

As the four were about to split up to explore the outpost, a strange noise caught their attention. It sounded like a mixture between shattering glass and fabric tearing.

"The hell was that?" Gladiolus asked.

Noctis felt like he's heard the noise before. He looked up at the sky to see a fissure. It was located not too far from the outpost. His eyes widen when he recognizes the blue and purple glow radiating from it. "No way..." Without hesitating, he took off.

"H-Hey, Noct! Wait up, buddy!" Prompto shouted as he, Gladiolus, and Ignis followed after the prince.

Noctis ran down the road towards the fissure. Before he made it directly under the tear in the sky, a figure fell from it. Its body slammed into the road, cracks forming along the asphalt. A distorted shriek came from the creature.

Curiosity overtook Noctis. He took a few steps forward to get a better look at the creature. However, he froze when it pushed its body off the ground. As it slowly stood up, he eyed the creature in horror and disgust. Half of its torso was missing and only remained connected to its lower body by its spine. Bat-like wings sprouted from its back and two large fangs protruded from its mouth. The shirt and pants it wore were shredded, but enough remained to cover most of it. Two black horns were located on top of its head. Blood dripped from its exposed, torn organs.

"Wh-What the hell is that thing?!" Prompto shrieked.

"How should I know?!" Noctis yelled back.

"Who cares what it is. We've gotta take it down before it wanders into Hammerhead," Gladiolus said.

As the boys were about to summon their weapons, another figure emerged from the fissure. Blade in hand, they used their weight to impale the monster. The sword pierced its skull and torso, killing it instantly. The person, who had landed on the creature's shoulders, yanked their blade out of its body and leapt off. The monster let out a dying grunt before its body vanished into a cloud of ash. When the monster's corpse disappeared, the person who slew it was revealed.

Gladiolus smirked in amusement when recognizing them. "Well, if it isn't the Princess of Cupcakes."

Makina groaned as the rift she created sealed. The first time she met Gladiolus was at a gala being held at the Citadel. He had found her munching down on the cupcakes that were being served to the guests. She had icing and sprinkles on her lips and cheeks. "You're never going to let me live that night down, are you?"

"Never."

Noctis cleared his throat, grabbing the girl's attention. "Care to explain what that thing was?"

The snowy-haired girl focused her slit pupils on the prince. "It's called a manananggal, a monster from Iona. Even though the planet was destroyed, some of the monsters who inhabited it are still alive. Some have even found themselves in separate dimensions."

"How is that possible?" Ignis asked.

"When Iona's core destabilized and exploded, Valtreus' six disciples were ejected. Zin and Zen, the serpents of time and space, may have caused various rifts. The monsters who survived the explosion could have traveled through these rifts and found themselves scattered across multiple dimensions. I wouldn't be surprised if some have arrived on Eos." She blinked, her glowing eyes and slit pupils returning to normal. "Anyway, I know you four aren't here for storytime. Why are you all here?"

"We may have seen this giant rift in and Noct ran off," Prompto said.

Makina laughed. "Guess a giant fissure would attract some attention."

"You sure know how to make an entrance," Gladiolus stated. "Never expected you to drop out of the sky."

"Never did I expect the rift to lead me to Eos."

"You made a rift without knowing where it would take you?" Noctis wondered.

"When you're fighting a dangerous monster, you tend to forget a few things," Makina stated. She dispelled her sword and wiped off a blood smear that was on her cheek. She looked around and realized they were standing in the middle of the road. "Could we talk somewhere that is somewhere a little safer?"

"Hammerhead is not far. That would be a more appropriate location to discuss matters," Ignis answered.

Makina didn't argue. She followed the boys back to Hammerhead. They walked behind the garage to keep from prying eyes. She sat on a large wooden box and told them about her two months away from Insomnia. She had been improving her abilities, but never did she think she would be gone for so long. She pulled out her phone and glanced down at the various messages and missed calls she had from many people. "Sorry for not answering any of your calls or messages. Inter-dimensional travel doesn't have any cell reception."

"Nah, don't worry about it. We're just happy you're safe," Prompto smiled.

"Have I missed anything while I was gone?" She asked.

One by one, their smiles vanished.

Gladiolus shoved Noctis forward. "We better leave the explaining to Prince Charmless."

Ignis looked away from the prince and princess. "We shall both give you time to speak alone."

Ignis and Gladiolus left. Prompto followed suit, but he glanced at his friends with a sorrowful frown before leaving.

Noctis stood awkwardly in front of Makina. He wondered if he should come straight out with the news about the engagement or try to begin with some small talk. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So, um..."

"Noct, I already know," she smiled in an attempt to ease him.

His brows furrowed together. "Know what?"

"About your engagement to Lunafreya." She held out her phone to show him the message she received from an old friend in high school while she was away. "I would be lying if I said I was shocked. You are a prince after all. It's not uncommon for royalty to participate in arranged marriages. It happened with my parents. An arranged marriage between you and Lunafreya would ensure the safety of Lucis from the empire."

Noctis felt a tinge of anger. He couldn't believe how calm she was about all this. "You're not upset at all?"

"I'm not mad, but..." She hopped off the crate and stored her phone in the hidden pocket of her dress. "I do feel sad. Lunafreya is a lovely, kind, and strong woman who deserves the world. She has shown both of us kindness in a way I wish I could repay her. I would do anything for her, but giving you up is something I don't want to do. However, there is no room for my feelings in your engagement. I...I want you both to be happy, but..."

Noctis witnessed a single tear cascade down her cheek. "Makina..." He whispered her name.

She felt the tear and quickly wiped it away. "S-Sorry. I thought I could handle this without being a crybaby. I really don't want our relationship to end, but...what choice do we have?"

Noctis clenched and unclenched his fists. Fellux was right. This arranged marriage wasn't fair to him or Makina. Closing the distance between them, he wound his arms around her petite frame. One arm hooked around her waist while the other wrapped around her shoulders. He hugged her tightly while she silently sobbed into his chest.

When he felt her grab the back of his jacket vest tightly with both hands, he knew at that moment he had to do something. "You talk like you don't deserve happiness. What if I want to be happy with you instead of Luna? You lost your home, your mom, and your entire world. Haven't you lost enough already?" He nuzzled his nose against the top of her head. "I swear, you won't lose me. I will do something so we can still be together. I know Luna will try, too."

"I hope something can be done," Makina mumbled. She clung to the hope Noctis gave her and pulled away far enough to see his face without breaking the hug entirely. She smiled faintly. "Just don't do anything too careless."

He smirked. "No promises."

Pulling away completely, the snowy-haired girl combed back her slightly unruly hair. "I should return to Insomnia. I promised my father I would see him once I returned."

The moment she began walking away, Noctis grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Whoa, there. You just got back and are leaving again?"

"I'm just returning to the city to see my father. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is you've been gone for two months, pop out of thin air, and are leaving again. Can't you just tag along until we board the ship?"

Makina stared into his azure eyes. She tilted her head while deep in thought. She wasn't sure how long it would take for the boys to board the boat for Altissia. It could be days or even a week depending on any unplanned excursions. Seeing as her father didn't know she was back and she wanted to spend some time with Noctis and the others, she found her answer. "I don't see any harm in tagging along for a little bit."

Noctis was more than ecstatic. He was excited she would be traveling with them for a little bit. He just hoped it would be long enough to satisfy him. He'd missed her dearly in the past two months and now a chance encounter brought them back together. He was pulled from his thoughts when a low grumbling reached his ears. His eyes widen in surprise as they drifted over to the girl. "Was that your stomach?"

Makina laughed sheepishly and hugged her midsection. "I haven't eaten in three days."

"Seriously?"

"Now that I think about it, it might've been four days." She brushed down the front of her dress. "I think I saw a diner next door."

Now that he remembered how hectic the day had been, Noctis too felt his stomach rumble. "I could go for a bite too."

"Then it's settled!" She smiled jubilantly. "It'll be my treat."