"A pleasure to meet you again, Queen Makina." Vylen, now confirmed to be Valtreus himself, bowed politely as his black locks turned white. "I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior at the stronghold. I was merely checking to see if the Ionus Sphere was working properly."

Makina's eyes narrowed. "Working properly? What do you mean?"

"When I forged the Ionus Sphere, I designed a safety mechanism. Using my blood, I created a protective seal. If one who is not of the bloodline tries to use or access the artifact, they will be electrified. In your case, someone who tries to take the sphere from your body will trigger the protocol. You will lose control of your body and will be placed in a comatose state. Anyone who tries to touch you will be met with a powerful shock that could prove to be fatal. But fret not. The comatose state is not permanent. The seal will deactivate once it detects you and the sphere are no longer in danger."

"Then...how did you trigger it?" She asked.

"Simple." He gestured to his body. "I am simply occupying this vessel. It does not possess my blood."

"Where is your godly body?"

"Resting in the stars until the time comes for when you need me."

She watched as he took a few steps toward the castle. "What will you do now?"

"Remain in this body and watch you from afar. It would be a tragedy if the Valtreus bloodline ended with you." He slid his sunglasses back over his eyes. "Of course, I will intervene if I must."

Makina had so many more questions to ask him. However, her mind went blank when the ground started to tremble. She looked up at the castle. She watched in horror as the windows shattered and a black substance spilled out. It was quickly coming towards them.

Vylen clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Damn nuisance..."

"What is that?" Makina asked.

"No time to explain. You must leave before it consumes you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Protect the Ionus Sphere and it will protect not only you but the ones you cherish the most as well."

She nodded. "I will."

"Farewell, My Queen."

Just as the black substance was about to consume them, Makina felt a tug on her body and her surroundings changed. She felt like her body was as light as a feather. In the next moment, her world was bathed in darkness.

༻────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇────༺

Makina felt a familiar warmth wrapped around her as she opened her eyes. She inhaled deeply and snuggled closer to whoever was giving her warmth. When her blurry vision cleared, she realized she was still in her hotel room. Feeling a toned chest against her back and two arms wrapped around her waist, she recognized it was Noctis who was holding her. This confused her. "When did you get here?"

The prince sighed heavily in relief at hearing her voice. "Do you not realize you collapsed?"

"I...did?" She muttered confusingly.

"You freaked everyone out. What happened?"

"I don't remember passing out, but now that you mention it...it does feel like I've been dreaming. I met Vylen and-" Her eyes widen with a gasp. She broke free from his arms and got to her feet. "Gods, I can't believe this!"

Noctis, who had been sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the dresser and his legs stretched out in front of him, stood up. "I have no idea what the hell happened, but-"

"Vylen is Valtreus!" She shouted over him. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"H-Hey, hold on!" Noctis grabbed her by her shoulders. "Can you calm down and tell me what happened?"

She inhaled deeply and exhaled. "Right, sorry. I don't know when or why I passed out, but I...I talked to Vylen. He told me a few things and turns out, he IS Valtreus! Crazy, right?"

"I think you're delirious and need some rest."

She pursed her lips and smacked his arm. "I am not delirious! I know what I heard. It does sound crazy, but I wouldn't make something like this up."

He gazed into her lilac eyes and sighed. "I know. It's just hard to believe that creep is a god."

"You've never even met the guy."

"Yeah, but didn't he push himself onto you?"

"He did, but he had a good reason as to why."

"I bet he did..."

She laughed at his childish pout. "Trust me, he did. Let's just say it had to do with the Ionus Sphere. I would go into details, but it'll get a little convoluted."

"Then don't bother. Convoluted things aren't my forte," Noctis said.

"I know," she laughed. "I'm tired, anyway. How long was I out?"

"A few hours."

"It really didn't feel that long..." She glanced out the window to see the sun was beginning to set. "I think I'm going to call it a day."

"You're not gonna join us for dinner?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. I'm going to enjoy a long shower before crawling into bed. Since we have a long car ride to Cape Caem, I figured I'd get a few more hours of sleep."

He arched a brow. "Aren't you the one who said to not go to bed on an empty stomach?"

"I am, but I'm still full from lunch. And, of course, the cupcake."

"You sure that's all? That weirdo didn't say anything...weird to you, did he?"

"That "weirdo" so happens to be the god of my homeworld," she remarked. "But no, he didn't. I really just want to relax tonight."

Noctis gave in. "All right, but if you change your mind, just text me."

"Okay. Have fun."

When the prince left, Makina headed into the bathroom and took a long, warm shower. By the time she dried her hair and changed into her sleeping attire, she was more tired than before.

Leaving the bathroom, she was ready to flop down on her bed when she heard scratching at the door. She opened the door, knowing it was a certain demon. "I was wondering where you went, Pluma."

The kitsune entered the room. "It's good to see you're awake, Makina. I was worried when you collapsed."

"You must've been the one to tell Noct."

"I was," it said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Just a little tired, is all. How about you?"

"I feel great!" It laughed joyfully. "Talcott and I are going to play cards. He wants to teach me something called "Go Fish"."

The princess smiled. "I think you and Talcott will have fun."

"Is there anything I can do for you before I go?" Pluma asked kindly.

"I just want you to enjoy your night, okay?"

The demon smiled sweetly. "Okay! Goodnight, Makina."

She watched the kitsune scamper down the hall toward Talcott's room before closing the door. She wasn't sure when Iris would be back so she left the door unlocked.

Crawling onto the bed, she got comfortable and didn't even use the blanket as she fell asleep a minute after her head flopped down on the pillow.

༻────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇────༺

By the time she woke up the next morning, Makina felt restricted when she attempted to get out of bed. Perplexed, she looked down to see two familiar arms wrapped around her waist. "What the...?" Turning around, she came face to face with the sleeping prince. She had been in such a deep slumber that she hadn't even felt him wrap himself around her during the night.

Makina poked Noctis' cheek. "Hello?"

The boy groaned but his eyes remained sealed. "Why the hell're you pokin' me so early in the morning?"

"Because I wanna know when you got here." She stopped poking his cheek and pinched it instead.

He grabbed her hand to stop her from pinching his cheek. "I'm trying to sleep..." He pinned her hand to the mattress between them. "And you're making that really difficult."

"Then wake up."

"No way..." He released her hand so he could adjust his position. He moved closer to her and tucked her head under his chin. His arm returned to her waist, where it rested lazily with the other. "Just go back to sleep."

She wiggled her arm out from between them and wound it around his torso. "Fine. You win this round." She closed her eyes and attempted to go back to sleep but found it difficult. She opened her eyes with a huff and mumbled to herself. "This is impossible..."

Instead of going back to sleep, she tried to wake Noctis up. She changed their position so she had access to his lips. Pressing her lips against his, she kissed him with enough force to wake him up. She pulled away, smirking when she saw he was awake. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure the prince is supposed to wake the sleeping princess with a kiss."

"I kinda like the roles being reversed," he confessed. He lazily kissed her back but he grumbled in displeasure when she pulled away.

"Now that you're up, let's get ready. We've got a long drive ahead of us." She squirmed out of his arms and got off the bed. She grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom to prepare herself for the day ahead.

A few minutes later, she was done.

She tied the black ribbon around the base of her ponytail to complete her outfit as she emerged from the bathroom. She saw Noctis was sleepily tying his shoes. "So, when did you come in here?" She repeated the question she asked earlier.

"After we got back from dinner," Noctis answered. "Asked Iris if she could sleep in Talcott's room and she was more than happy to give us space. But you were already asleep by the time I got to the room."

"And you just crawled into the bed with me?"

"Yep."

"I must've been out like a light..."

"And you were snoring."

She blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Noctis snorted with laughter. "No."

Grabbing a pillow from the couch, Makina threw it at him. "I swear to the Six and Valtreus himself... If I didn't love you, I'd shove you through a rift and leave you there."

Noctis easily caught the pillow. He tossed it onto the bed and stood up. He was about to retort when he heard his phone go off. He had received a text from Prompto saying that they were waiting for them at the gas station near the outlook. "Guess we're heading out."

"Then we'd better not waste any more time."

The couple left the Leville to regroup with their companions at the Coernix Station.

It wasn't until they were ready to depart did Makina realize there was a problem. "There are seven of us and only five seats. Pluma's small enough to sit in someone's lap, but that still leaves one of us without a seat. How is this going to work?"

Gladiolus patted her on the shoulder, smirking. "Don't worry, we've already figured out the seating arrangements."

Her eyes narrowed when seeing the grin on the shield's face. "What have you all plotted?"

"You'll be sitting in Prince Charmless' lap."

"...Are you serious?"

"You two are dating. There a problem?"

"Well, yes!" She hissed. "Comfort will be an issue. This isn't a short ride down the highway. It's a long drive!"

"Don't worry, cupcake. Iggy's already planned for us to take breaks on our way to Caem," Gladiolus replied.

Makina pinched the bridge of her nose with a defeated sigh. "Fine..."

Iris smiled. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Everyone piled into the Regalia. Pluma was in the front seat with Prompto. Ignis was, as usual, behind the wheel. Gladiolus was in his usual spot in the backseat with Iris wedged between him and Noctis. Lastly, Makina was seated on the prince's lap. She didn't have much leg room and apologized to Iris in advance of she kicked her while trying to shift around.

Leaving Lestallum behind, they set forth to Cape Caem.

Makina wound up tuning out the boys and Iris as she found herself focusing on the sky above. Although she was gazing at the remnants of Iona, her mind was flooded with the images Valtreus showed her of Riahla. She pictured the castle she was born in and the streets she walked down with her parents. Her mother, father, and herself would often pay visits to many people around the city. She then imagined herself visiting the disciples' temples across Iona and the grand temple built in honor of Valtreus.

The images fizzled from her mind when an enormous winged ship flew overhead in the direction of Fort Vaullery.

"Oh, great. Another flying fortress," Gladiolus groaned.

"Let's pull over," Ignis said.

Iris was concerned and looked over at the prince. "Noct..."

"Relax," Noctis reassured her. "We've got this."

Arriving in Old Lestallum, Ignis parked the Regalia in front of the motel. They all climbed out of the vehicle.

"Taking matters into hand?" Ignis inquired.

"Delivering justice for Jared," Noctis replied.

"And for Talcott, too," Prompto added.

Gladiolus turned to his sister. "Iris, I'll need you to wait here."

Iris nodded. "All right."

"I'll stay with Iris," Pluma announced. It hopped off Prompto's shoulder and onto Iris'.

"Careful, Noct-only fools rush in. I suggest we review our intelligence and devise a plan," Ignis advised.

Remaining silent, Makina followed the boys to Fort Vaullery. It wasn't until they reached the outskirts of Old Lestallum that Noctis addressed her.

"You're being unusually quiet," the prince commented.

She snapped out of her daze. "Huh?"

"You feeling okay?" Prompto asked.

"We can stop for a little bit if you need a breather," Gladiolus said. "I doubt this fortress is leavin' anytime soon."

"There is no shame in resting," Ignis stated.

She smiled at their concern. "I'm fine. Just thinking about the past." She then stretched her arms. "And how I could use a good round with the empire as a warm-up exercise."

"A good head-bashing does sound good right about now," Gladiolus commented.

"Definitely!" Prompto agreed.

They continued their trek to the fort.

As they drew closer, Prompto analyzed the exterior of the structure. They had driven by it many times before now. "Looks the same as before."

"Looks can be deceiving," Ignis said.

"Like Makina," Noctis chimed in.

"Excuse me?" Makina spoke up, confused by what he meant. "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, you look sweet and caring, but then...BAM! You turn into this scary, badass warrior," Prompto explained. "You can kick some serious ass, you know that?"

"You could probably wipe out the entire empire by yourself if we let you," Noctis added.

Makina wasn't sure how to feel. "Do you really see me as someone who possesses that much power?"

"I mean, I think you're strong but not invincible. Yeah, you're probably considered a demi-god, but you're not some Almighty being who'll smite anybody and everybody who crosses your path. Pretty sure that's the Six's job, not yours."

She laughed at the last sentence before smiling. "I may possess powers that are foreign to this world, but I do still have my weaknesses. That's what you guys are here for-to make up for those weaknesses."

Out of the boys, Prompto was the one who felt like he needed to hear it the most. He had felt like the weakest out of all of them, but now he understood his purpose. He didn't need to be perfect. He was there to support and help his friends, aiding them by making up for their weaknesses. He smiled back at her. "And we'll be there when you need us."

"We've got you covered, princess," Gladiolus smiled genuinely.

"It would be a terrible slip-up to lose the heiress of Iona this far along our journey," Ignis remarked with a small smile.

"You've saved our asses plenty of times already," Noctis said. "At least let us pay you back."

The princess giggled again. "I will be counting on you all more than ever from now on. I know none of you will let me down."

With their confidence rebuilt after their chat, the royal retinue was more than ready to face what was waiting for them in the fort. They located a watchtower on the outskirts of the grand structure and walked up the stairs all the way to the top. It provided them with the perfect view of the interior of the fort.

"So, what's our plan?" Noctis asked, his mind drawing a blank at seeing the layout of Fort Vaullery.

Being the tactician of the group, Ignis came up with an idea on the spot. "Find the base commander and take him into custody. Targeting metal men will yield little in the way of reconnaissance, but bones bend easily. We'll split into groups of two and three. Prompto and Gladio will generate a diversion."

Prompto was itching for some action. "Aw, yeah-making a scene is what I do best."

"But first, we must learn a little more of the soldiers who occupy the fort." Ignis' gaze turned to the princess, who was leaning against the railing. "I do believe this is your specialty, Makina."

"Infiltrate the fort, learn the empire's movements, and figure out who's in command," she said. "I can do that."

"We shall remain here until your return."

"I'll be back soon." She leaned back and her body tipped off the railing. Falling through the air, she opened a rift and fell through it.

"Show off..." Noctis grumbled under his breath.

"She's so cool," Prompto sighed in admiration.

"Beautiful, is it not?" a voice unfamiliar to the boys asked.

The four turned around to see Vylen leaning against the railing, arms folded across his chest.

"Who the hell're you?" Noctis spat, eyes narrowing into a sharp glare.

"I'm sure Her Majesty has spoken to you about me." He took off his sunglasses to reveal his lilac eyes. His inky locks turned to a snowy white. "This vessel's name is Vylen, but I would prefer to be called by my true name-Valtreus."