After having been dragged through various tunnels by the snake-like daemon, Prompto managed to yank his arm free and conjured his pistol. He shot at the creature that imprisoned him and Makina. Pulling the trigger, the bullet pierced its body. It hissed and shrieked as its scaly tail unwound from around their bodies.

The marksman grunted as his body collided with the ground. Hand shaking as he held his gun, he watched the daemon make a quick retreat. He sighed in relief and dispelled his weapon. The only things he could hear were his rapid breathing and racing heart. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but he wasn't able to calm down entirely.

"This day is the worst..." He muttered to himself.

Getting to his feet, Prompto saw they were in a part of Fociaugh Hollow that was open. It wasn't a narrow tunnel, it was a vast chamber. Seeing there were no daemons around, he then realized that Makina had yet to move. Rushing to her side, he sunk to his knees beside her and checked on her. "Makina?" He shook her gently but received no response. Dread consumed him as he started to panic. He tried to wake her.

It wasn't until he started shaking her shoulders did he notice the streaks of blood cascading down the right side of her face. He gasped in horror at seeing the gash along her forehead that was located near her hairline. "O-Oh, six...!" He patted his pockets to check for anything that could help her, but he didn't have any curatives on him. It also didn't help that the only viable healer in their group was knocked unconscious and the one who needed help.

Prompto removed his vest and tucked it underneath Makina's head to provide her some comfort. He worriedly tapped his fingers against his thighs as he tried to think of what he could do. He thought about looking for the others, but he didn't want to leave the princess unattended in case the snake daemon returned.

While pondering ideas, Prompto heard Gladiolus shouting his name. "Prompto! Are you okay? Where's the princess?"

"No, I'm not okay! This place is literally the worst!" Prompto bellowed. "Makina's hurt and she won't wake up! And why did it have to be a snake?! That thing dragged us all the way over here!"

"We'll find a way to reach you both!" Ignis hollered back.

After having heard Makina's condition, Noctis haphazardly warped across the cavern and wound up being ambushed by daemons. Ignis and Gladiolus were quick to find a way to reach the prince before he was overwhelmed by the enemies.

On the other hand, Prompto remained where he was. He refused to abandon the princess. He feared the snake daemon would return and try to take her if he left her unattended. He watched from a distance as his friends fought against the daemons. His attention was drawn back to Makina when he heard a painful groan.

The blonde scrambled over to her and sunk to his knees. He helped her sit up by placing a hand on her back. "Oh, thank the gods you're awake!"

The snowy-haired girl blinked a few times. Her vision cleared as she pressed a hand against her achy head. "Astrals above... I feel like I've been hit by a truck..." She felt the warm trickle of blood and dabbed her finger against the right side of her forehead. She winced when her finger grazed against the cut along her hairline. "What happened?"

"Some snake daemon dragged us away," he answered. He then helped her up, gingerly supporting her body until she was able to stand on her own. When she was able to stand by herself, he grabbed his vest and put it back on.

She shook her head. Her head was pounding from being slammed into a cave wall earlier. "What a killer headache..."

"Hey!"

Hearing Noctis' voice, Makina lifted her head. She saw him, Ignis, and Gladiolus rushing over to her and Prompto. She was more than relieved to see they were uninjured. "I was worried something happened to you guys too."

"Think you're worried about the wrong ones. We're not the ones bleeding," Gladiolus remarked.

The princess was about to heal herself when Noctis suddenly placed his hands on her cheeks and tilted her head to the side. He glared at the gash on her forehead. "You okay?" he asked.

"Besides the headache and gash, I'm great." She removed his hands from her cheeks so she could focus on healing herself. She lifted her hand and placed it over the wound on her head. Within seconds, the injury was gone. All that remained was the blood that had left trails down the right side of her face. She promptly wiped it away with a huff. "Much better."

"Kinda ironic, don't you think?" Gladiolus asked.

The princess was lost. "What's ironic?"

"Our healer needs to be healed."

She folded her arms with a raised brow. "When did I become the designated healer for our little party?"

"The moment you healed Iggy earlier."

She then held up her hands to stop him. "This healing ability is still foreign to me. Don't expect too much from me until I get a better grasp on it."

Prompto joined the conversation. "Still, it's pretty cool with what you already know how to do. You're like our personal nurse!"

She sighed. "Please do not call me your personal nurse..."

Ignis decided to get them back on track. "Let's cease with this idle chatter and search for the final runestone. We mustn't be too far now."

"Yes, let's find that runestone before that snake daemon returns," the princess said. "Who knows who it'll drag away next."

The royal retinue began their excursion of the large chamber. The layout consisted of various branching pathways, some leading to dead ends where they were attacked by daemons. Because of the various stalagmites and stalactites, it made the area seem more complex in its layout. It was difficult to make landmarks to avoid venturing the same path twice, but fortune was on their side. They found a narrow opening in the wall beside a pile of rubble. Crouching, they enter the tunnel on the other side.

Prompto, as he followed behind the prince down the tunnel, was on edge more than usual due to their frightening encounter with the snake daemon. "She's here-I just know it. Show yourself already!"

"Cool it," Gladiolus hissed.

"It would be better not to antagonize a daemon," Makina added. She too was somewhat shaken up by the daemon that dragged her and the blonde away, but she was relieved to know the eerie sensation she had sensed when they first arrived was due to its presence within the hollow. There was a part of her that wished she would've gotten a better look at the daemon to see what it was. All she knew is it was part snake.

Inside another large chamber, the five searched for the final runestone. The only things visible were stalactites and stalagmites. They wondered how much further they'd need to travel into the hollow just to find the runestone. They had already been in the cave for hours, navigating the tunnels and chambers blindly. Getting lost and turned around were not foreign to them, but they grew tired of both. If only they could find the runestone and leave.

After seeing no runestone in sight, Noctis was growing impatient. He saw there was another tunnel they could travel down and groaned. "How much further...?"

"No idea," Makina muttered. "Too bad you can't ask Ramuh himself. Or better yet, why he couldn't bless you with his power without needing to find these runestones. The Six must enjoy their trials..."

"The gods gotta make sure Noct's worthy," Gladiolus said.

"I don't think sending him to perform dangerous trials is a good way to prove his worth," she stated. "Why would you send the only person who is capable of wielding such immense power into dangerous situations where he could be easily killed?"

"Maybe because, uh..." Prompto had to think for a second. "Gods are...kinda mean? Wait, aren't you considered a goddess?"

"I may possess the blood of a god, but I am not an almighty deity. I am a hundred percent human."

"Who just so happens to be able to manipulate time and basically rip open reality," Noctis added.

"Says the guy who can warp."

"Pretty sure you beat me with all the time freezing and dimensional travel."

Makina didn't back down. "Aren't you the one going around earning the blessings of the gods to use their powers?"

Noctis met her gaze. "Aren't you the one looking for serpents that give you even more cool powers?"

She opened her mouth to remark but realized she didn't have a comeback. She pursed her lips when seeing he had won their verbal battle. "Okay, you win this round."

"'Bout time I won," he scoffed.

As she was about to bite back, a shadow descended from the ceiling. A large snake-like daemon blocked them from proceeding deeper into the hollow. The low hissing and what sounded like a woman's voice were mixed together as the daemon eyed them closely. Its face appeared to be that of a woman's while the rest of its body was a snake.

Prompto gasped and easily recognized the creature. "See?! I told you! There she is! That's her! Do something, Noct!"

Noctis was quick to reply. "Don't ask me. Do it yourself."

Makina watched the daemon closely as its eyes seemed to focus on her. She tilted her head in bewilderment to see it hadn't attacked them yet. "So, this naga must be why this hollow was sealed off."

The naga unfurls its body and raises itself up tall as it spoke in a distorted tone. "My baby... Where..."

The princess blinked in shock. Although its speech wasn't as clear or defined as Pluma's, she couldn't believe there was another daemon capable of talking. "It can speak...?"

"And what's this about a baby?" Prompto asked.

Noctis kept his attention focused on the naga. He wondered if it would understand him if he responded. "A baby, huh? Can't help you."

The naga's relaxed stance morphed. "Oh, you can...by becoming mine!" It lashed forward in an attempt to grab the prince. Noctis was quick to dodge. He and the others summoned their weapons and fought against the hybrid daemon.

Noctis performed a warp-strike and dealt a little damage to the daemon before dodging its tail. Gladiolus swung his greatsword while Ignis used his daggers to attack. Prompto remained at a safe distance as he fired round after round. Makina had yet to attack, but she had her sword at the ready. She watched the naga's movements closely and tried to find a good opening. She found one and froze time for a split second to slash at the daemon's back. It hissed and wailed in pain before diving underground.

Makina wasn't aware of this attack. She didn't know a naga could burrow underground. She and the boys carefully watched the ground to see if they could spot the daemon. They saw the earth rippling, but it was at a rapid pace. They lost sight of the naga when it ceased moving. They were nearly convinced it had fled but were proven wrong when it sprung out of the ground near Prompto. He shrieked in fright and fired another round before being consumed by a strange cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, only a frog remained. Makina was stunned, to say the least. The blonde had been turned into a frog. She blocked a blow from the naga before rushing over to the marksman. While Noctis, Gladiolus, and Ignis kept the daemon occupied, she tended to the frog.

She wondered if her healing spell would revert him back to his human self. She held her hand over the amphibian. However, her healing didn't work. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and searched their stash for a vial of maiden's kiss. She shattered the vial over him and watched as he returned to his normal self. Seeing he was sprawled out on his belly, she pulled him to his feet. "You back with us, Prom?"

"Did-Did I just turn into a frog?!" He shouted.

"Look out!" Noctis yelled at the two.

Makina's head snapped to the right. She saw the naga heading straight for them. Grabbing Prompto's hand, she created a rift behind her and tugged him towards her. They fell through the rift and arrived on the other side of the chamber. Across the way, they watch as the naga crashed into the stalagmites they had been standing in front of.

The naga recovered in seconds and sought out Ignis, who was the closest to it. The advisor took a few hits before being knocked back. Gladiolus swung his greatsword and slashed into the daemon's flesh, gaining its attention and allowing Ignis to recover. Noctis joined him and performed a link-strike, causing the naga to stumble.

With a hiss, the daemon spun in a circle and knocked the three boys back. Makina created another rift. She told Prompto to aim and fire into the fissure and he didn't argue. He pulled the trigger of his pistol repeatedly and watched as the bullets pierced the naga at close range.

The gunfire caught the daemon's attention. Spying Makina and Prompto through the rift, it slithered into it.

Before it could reach them, the princess sealed the rift and severed a small portion of its body. It shrieked and wriggled as blood spurted from the missing portion of its tail.

Noctis performed another warp-strike, which was just enough to siphon the little remaining life the naga had. "Bring back...my baby..." It cried out with its dying breath before vanishing.

"What was she talking about?" Ignis asked.

Noctis shrugged. "Beats me."

"Dunno," Gladiolus said. "Something about her "baby"."

Prompto shivered at the thought of the naga having offspring. "If it's anything like her, I ain't going near it." Being paranoid from what happened earlier, he looked around to search for another snake daemon. "Do you guys see anything?!"

Gladiolus smacked him on the back in a playful manner. "Nothing that's gonna snatch you or cupcake up."

Makina cupped her chin between her index finger and thumb. "That strange presence I felt when we entered is gone. That naga must've been the source. It's also probably the reason why this place was sealed off. I am surprised to come across a talking daemon on Eos. Although less intelligent than Pluma, this naga could speak. It's intriguing yet unsettling."

"Talking daemon or not, it's dead," Noctis sighed. "Let's just hope the runestone isn't too much further."

Proceeding down the tunnel that had been blocked by the naga, they eventually reaches the end and came across what they had been searching for.

Ignis was relieved at seeing the runestone. "That's the last runestone."

"Finally," Prompto sighed.

Gladiolus glanced over at the prince. "All right, you're up, Noct."

Noctis stood before the runestone and touched it. Lightning swarms around him and an image of Lunafreya forging the covenant with Ramuh manifested in his mind. His eyes, which were a searing magenta, turned to focus on the others.

As his eyes returned to their usual azure blue, Makina eyed him curiously. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," he responded. He then held up his hands and flexed his fingers in wonderment. "This is it...the power of the Storm."

Prompto was bored from how anti-climatic the ending of their mission was. "Eh, I expected more fire and brimstone."

"Some gods are friendlier than others, I guess," Gladiolus said.

"But not all of 'em. Poor Luna..." The prince mumbled.

"She does have her hands rather full at the moment," Makina stated. "I hope she isn't pushing herself."

Ignis eyed the two royals. "Perhaps you both had better console her in person."

Prompto smiled. "Just a boat ride away!"

"Lose that scowl along the way," Gladiolus said, his comment directed towards the prince.

Noctis nodded. "Will do."

"Well then, our business here has concluded," Makina spoke up. "Time to leave."

Prompto eyed her eagerly. "We're using the express exit, right? Please say yes!"

She grinned. "Definitely. One rift coming up."

Creating a fissure connecting them to the entrance of Fociaugh Hollow, Makina gestured for the boys to step through. Noctis was the first to cross through the tear in reality followed by Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus. Once all the boys were safely on the other side, she passed through and sealed the rift behind her.

Back at the entrance, Prompto looked up at the sky when he felt no rain drenching him. There wasn't a cloud in sight. "Hey, it stopped raining!"

"Guess Ramuh finally got sick of showers," Gladiolus commented.

"Good, because my clothes are still wet." Makina wrung out the hem of her sleeves to reveal the water that had yet to dry.

Noctis checked his phone and saw no messages from Cindy. "Guess we still have no car."

The princess continued to wring out her clothes. "We could do it my way. Just tell me where you want to go and I'll make a rift as close as possible to that location."

Noctis shook his head. "No, we'll stick with the birds. It might take some time, but-"

Makina grabbed the prince by the chin and forced him to meet her gaze. Her eyes were narrowed in a glare. "We are not traveling across all of Lucis on chocobos."

"But-"

"And don't bring up my well-being," she snapped back. "I know when I push myself too far. In order for me to learn my limit and gain more control of the Ionus Sphere, I need to use my abilities. If I know my limit, I know when to stop. Make sense?"

Noctis continued to stare into her lilac eyes. "Uh...yeah."

Her glare was replaced with a smile. "Good." She released his chin and stepped away from him. "Seeing as Cindy has yet to locate the Regalia, we should hunt down those royal arms. Where will we go first?"

"It would be wisest to claim the one within Balouve Mine," Ignis answered. "Nonetheless, our first priority should be rest. Camping would be most wise."

"What?!" Prompto yelled. "After all that, we're gonna camp?!"

"Seriously," Noctis groaned. "We don't even have camping gear. Let's just stay at a hotel or somethin'."

"Our funds are low and we must use them sparingly. We could rent camping gear," the advisor remarked.

Makina recalled her memory of the eastern part of the Leide region. It was where Balouve Mines was located. "There is Emmelle Haven not too far from Longwythe. We could rent camping gear there and use the chocobos to tote everything to the haven."

"Excellent," Ignis replied. "I would ask those who object to step forward, but I am well aware of who finds this plan distasteful."

Noctis and Prompto groaned in unison with the latter dramatically throwing his arms into the air before slumping his shoulders in defeat.

Makina stepped forward. "Then our next destination is Longwythe."