Lava spewed from the cracks in ground. (Y/n) continued down the path with Noctis and Gladio a few feet behind her. A bubble of lava popped by her foot, causing a few drops of magma to splatter on her. She casually wiped it off, her burnt skin healing within seconds.

Eventually, the trio reached the end of the path. Noctis clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Damn..."

"Hey, over here." Gladio showed the two what he found. There was a narrow ledge that wrapped around the cliffside. "No room for error here."

"No time to chill, either. Make it quick."

War crossed her arm, her eyes narrowing after hearing Noctis' snappy tone. Her words from earlier must've not struck a chord with the raven-haired boy. She wanted to blame it on the heat but felt as if something else was bothering him. Not being a person to pry into someone else's business, she kept her mouth shut.

Gladio goes first, slowly but steadily inching his way around the ledge. After allowing the shield a moment to ensure the stability of the ledge, Noctis follows. "Just want this to be over," the younger boy whispered under his breath.

(Y/n) was next, bringing up the rear. Halfway across the narrow ledge, more tremors shook the ground.

"Tremors... Hang on!" Gladio shouted. The three press their backs against the cliffside, bracing themselves.

"Ugh... My head..." Noctis winces.

"Again? Of all the times... Let's hurry the hell across."

Noctis' body tilted forward, startling (Y/n). She placed a hand on his shoulder, using her healing incantation to rid him of his headache. He sighed in relief, "Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it," she dryly replied. "I can only keep the headaches at bay for a little while. Just keep moving."

The three continued cautiously across the narrow ledge, desperate to reach the other side. However, they were forced to stop when the tremors intensify.

"What now?" Gladio hissed.

Titan's hand suddenly comes into view as it crashes through a rock formation to reach for Noctis. He glared at the Astral. "Hey! Titan! What's the big idea?!"

"Save it! Get to solid ground first!" Gladio hollered.

(Y/n) stopped following the two and focused her attention on the Archaean. Summoning her crimson-bladed sword, she set her sights on Titan's hand.

"Hey!" Gladio shouted, grabbing the Horseman's attention. "The hell're you doing?!"

"Buying both of you more time," she growled. Jumping from the ledge, she tossed her sword just as the Archaean attempted to grab Noctis again. Her body was consumed by scarlet crystal shards. She reappeared the moment her blade pierced Titan's palm. She held on tightly when the Astral lifted his hand to examine what had pierced his stony flesh.

War came face-to-face with the Archaean. She winced when his booming voice filled her ears. Staring into his eyes, she said, "Bet you didn't expect to see me again, huh?"

Titan responded with what sounded like nonsense, but to her, she listened to him express his shock at her appearance before turning angry at her interference.

"I'm not interfering for Noctis' sake. I'm shoving my nose into his business because of you. You gave me one hell of a scar and I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to pay you back." (Y/n) dislodged her blade from the Archaean's hand and tossed it again, warping towards his face. Swinging her blade, she created a large gash running from the god's forehead to just below his left eye. Flames erupted from the crack, a victorious smirk on the Horseman's face as her body plummeted to the ground below.

Quickly, (Y/n) warped to safety near the Archaean's feet. She turned her back to the god when she spotted a fleet of airships. Recognizing they were of Niflheim origin, she held out her hand and manifested a large fireball. Tossing it, she watched in pure joy as many of the airships were destroyed by the fireball.

All of a sudden, War felt an arm wrap around her waist. She was yanked behind a large shield by Gladio, who was protecting her from the Archaean's large hand. The brute managed to stand strong and protect him and the Horseman from the god.

(Y/n) was shocked to see Gladio. While looking around, she noticed Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were also here. Looking back at the shield, she found herself staring into his amber eyes. "Thank you, Gladio," she said with a genuine softness in her voice. She wasn't angered or cold towards him and actually thanked him with a kindness he'd never seen before.

"Don't sweat it," Gladio replied, unwinding his arm from around her waist.

Noctis used his engine blade to deflect the Archaean's hand. Prompto and Ignis did everything they could to assist the prince against the large adversary. (Y/n)'s gaze traveled up to the only hand Titan could use unless he desired to drop the meteor. She stood up, gripping her sword tightly. She watched the god's movements before her eyes widen. Looking back the shield, she asked, "Think you could give me a boost, Gladio?"

"What're you plannin'?" He questioned, curious to what idea was brewing inside her head.

"I'm going to make sure he loses a few fingers."

Smirking, Gladio nodded. "Just tell me when."

"The next time he tries to grab Noctis will be the perfect opportunity."

The two returned to the fray, fighting against the mighty Astral. War waited for her window of opportunity, which was presented to her sooner than she'd thought. Hearing Gladio shout her name, she ran toward him. With his strength, he tossed her at the quickly approaching hand.

Using the momentum, (Y/n) used her blade to slice off Titan's fingers. All five were severed, leaving the god only his feet to use as weapons. She landed beside the stony fingers, relieved her plan worked. Seeing the Archaean was weakening, the Horseman shouted at the prince. "Noctis, use the armiger!"

Noctis heeded War's words and activated the armiger. Using the various weapons at his disposal, he assaulted the Archaean with powerful strikes. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis supported him by combining their strengths with his.

In mere seconds, Noctis and his companions had caused Titan to crumble to one knee. The god was clearly exhausted as the battle continued to drag on. One by one, the boys hurled blizzard spells encased in glass vials at the Astral's arm. Encased in ice, Titan was unable to move his arm.

"It's over!" Noctis bellows, swinging his sword down onto the frozen arm and shattering it all the way up to the elbow. Titan then collapses as his arm was no more.

Noctis dispelled his sword and looked around at his companions. "Hey, we all still here?"

Gladio nodded. "Yep, still here."

"If a little battered," Ignis added.

Prompto's eyes held glint of hope. "Does this mean it's over?"

"Yes, but-" (Y/n) began, but was promptly interrupted by an strong tremor that shook the ground violently.

Noctis looked around in confusion. "What-what is it now?"

Ignis' emerald eyes locked on the Astral, noticing movement from him. "What is he doing?"

"He's winding up!" Prompto wailed.

"For the big one!" Gladio hollered.

Unlike the boys, (Y/n) was calm and relaxed. She watched Titan closely as he roars. Gold lights begin to emanate from his body, some of which coalesce around Noctis, showing him Titan's memory of Luna standing before the god.

Once the vision fades, Noctis gazed up at the Astral's face. "That was...Luna. You spoke with her. That's why..."

Titan and the meteor suddenly discorporate in a powerful flash that sends all the remaining imperial ships in the vicinity crashing to the ground. Lava spews from the earth as the Disc of Cauthess crumbles around the group.

"Doesn't get much worse than this." Gladio looked at the ground before eyeing War. "You got any tricks up your sleeve, (Y/n)?"

"There's no way I can teleport all five of us to safety. I'm not a miracle worker," she sassed. Her eyes gravitate toward an approaching airship. "We've company..."

Ignis followed the horseman's line of sight and saw the airship encroaching on their position. "The empire! Now?"

The airship's hatch lowers, revealing the one person they'd hoped to not see again so soon. Ardyn offers the group a seemingly innocent smile. "Fancy meeting you here!" Everyone stares at him in stunned silence. Seeing this, the man continued speaking. "It occurs to me I never formally introduced myself. Izunia. Ardyn Izunia."

Ignis couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Imperial Chancellor Izunia?"

"At your service. And more importantly, to your aid." No one moves and only offers uncertain stares. (Y/n), on the other hand, was glaring sharply at Ardyn. She didn't trust him and remained silent. Looking around at their faces, the man said, "I guarantee your safe passage. Though you're always welcome to take your chances down there."

Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis were clearly conflicted. (Y/n) knew the boys wouldn't survive any other way, but she still didn't like the thought of them tagging along with Ardyn. "Damn the empire to hell," she hissed under her breath.

"Buried among the rubble, is it?" Ardyn asked when he didn't receive a response.

Ignis looked toward Noctis. "Dying here is not an option. We have no choice, Noct."

"I know," the prince replied.

The royal retinue climbed into the imperial airship, but (Y/n) didn't budge. Seeing she wasn't moving and the ground was even more unstable, he called out to her. "What're you doing, (Y/n)? Get on."

War remained silent, her fiery glare never leaving Ardyn. Because he was the one she was focused on, he easily detected her mistrust. Holding out his hand, he beckoned her to trust him. "You will be swallowed up by the lava if you do not board, my dear."

"No way in hell am I boarding that ship. I will never trust anyone from Niflheim ever again," she growled. Turning her back to the flying vessel, she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"My, my. What a temper," Ardyn faintly smirked as the hatch closed. "Regardless, the lady seems to be able to carry herself well."

Prompto glanced worriedly at his friends. "You guys really think (Y/n)'ll be okay?"

"She'll be fine," Gladio said. "She's a tough one. I'm sure we'll see her once we land." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out War's summoning orb. He reveled at its beauty before putting it back into his pocket.

Unbeknownst to the shield, Ardyn was eyeing the orb with a crooked grin. "Truly a bewitching jewel..."

<-------------<<<<<

Several days later, the royal retinue and (Y/n) were resting at Wiz Chocobo Post. She and Gladio had returned only minutes ago after failing to locate the missing Regalia once again. She even asked Death, Famine, and Pestilence to help them. However, none of the Horsemen knew where to begin looking for the car.

"I still can't believe it. I mean, shouldn't the car have turned up by now?" Prompto asked.

"We should wait until Cindy's done asking around the local garages before we despair," Ignis answered.

"Sorry my sisters and I haven't been able to help," (Y/n) sighed.

"Nonsense, (Y/n). You and your sisters have been most helpful."

"They'll keep looking, but I doubt they'll find it."

"Let's not fool ourselves. The empire has it," Gladio commented.

"Then maybe we could ask Ardyn to help us out again, right?" The blonde questioned.

"The imperial chancellor," Gladio stated.

"He represents a problem, not a solution," Ignis said.

Prompto's puzzled expression became more prominent. "So where does that leave us?"

"Stranded, awaiting word from Hammerhead."

"In the meantime, we'll have to hoof it," the shield claimed.

(Y/n)'s eyes fell upon the brute, remembering their conversation as they rode back to the chocobo outpost a few minutes ago. "Now, about that nightmare..."

"Still don't wanna talk about it," he quipped with a faint growl.

She scowled at him. "Why? You think it's childish to talk about nightmares? Afraid it'll bruise your ego if someone offered to help you work through it?" Standing up, her glare grew only sharpened when seeing her words irked him. She wanted to hear his rebuttal, but she wasn't finished with her lecture. "It's been a week and you haven't been able to sleep through the night. Find a way to solve this issue so your performance in battle doesn't become affected. If I have to kick your ass in order for you to finally see how idiotic you're acting, I will." She walked away, leaving behind a shocked Gladio and an amused Ignis and Prompto.

The blonde watched the Horseman leave, her crimson locks swaying as she sauntered off. "Looks like beauty tamed the beast," he chortled.

Ignis lowered his head. "She is right, you know."

Gladio hates to admit the truth, but he couldn't deny it. "I know..."

"Then why not go talk to her about this nightmare?" Noctis suggested. "Sounds like she knows a thing or two about how to help you. What's the worst that could happen?"

"She tear his head off," Prompto unconsciously said. "You gotta admit, she's way scarier than you, big guy. I think you've finally met your match!"

Galdio sighed. "Guess I better find the firecracker before she vanishes again."

"Do take your time," Ignis advised.

"Yeah, not like we have a ride outta here," Noctis added.

The shield left the others in search of War. Walking around the outpost, he found her sitting on the fence of one of the chocobo stalls. The chocobo inside was resting its head on the girl's shoulder, chirping happily as it nuzzled its beak into the crook of her neck. A minuscule smile tugged at his lips at the sight. He walked over, grabbing her attention. "Never took you as an animal person."

"Why? Because I have a short fuse?" She scoffed.

"Maybe."

(Y/n) raises her hand and stroked the top of the bird's head. "For your information, I love chocobos. I used to have one as a kid. She had these beautiful (f/c) feathers and was the sweetest chocobo I've ever met." She sighed, dropping her hand from the bird's head. "But you're not here to discuss my past. Are you finally accepting my offer to help you with this nightmare?"

"Guess so," he replied, leaning against the wooden fence. "What's first, firecracker?"

Ignoring the nickname, she questioned him. "First, tell me what the nightmare is about. Don't leave any details out."

Gladio frowned. "No way. That's not happenin'."

"Seriously?" She grumbled. "How bad could it be? You're a tough guy. Is it so scary not even you can handle the gruesome details?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Not for me, for you."

War was more confused than ever. "Why would I be frightened of the details? You're talking to a girl who died and resurrected as one of the Four Horsemen. Tell me, Gladio."

"This nightmare has nothing to do with me. It's all about you."

Her eyes widened. "What...?"

"Some parts are still fuzzy, but one scene is always clear as day-your lifeless body."

She shook her head. "Your nightmare is about me? That's...odd."

"You're tellin' me..."

"Tell me more."

Galdio pauses for a brief second, contemplating if he should keep going. Seeing how eager (Y/n) was to learn the details of the nightmare, he steeled himself and continued. "I've no idea where the hell it takes place, but you're always sitting on a throne. Then, someone stabs you from behind with a sword. I try to reach you, but I'm powerless. All I can do is watch you bleed out." Checking to see her reaction, his eyes widen slightly when seeing War was using her crimson locks to hide her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she quickly replied with an emotionless tone. Hopping off the fence, she kept her back to him. "Give me some time to think about this. I promise I'll help you."

The chocobo squawked sadly as it watched her walk away. Gladio petted the top of its head to reassure it before returning to where he left Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis. Just as he returned, he heard the blonde shout, "Look, it's Umbra!"

They turn to see the canine messenger a few feet away. Noctis approaches him and the dog immediately runs off. Ignis watched the canine scamper off a little ways away from the chocobo outpost. "Someone's sending us a message."

The boys chase after Umbra and catch up to him in the tree line just outside the chocobo ranch. There, Gentiana is waiting for them. Noctis stared at the divine messenger in surprise. "Gentiana..."

"Hear me, O King of the Stone. By the Stormsender's blessing will the path to the Stone be opened. The Oracle goes hence in her King's name," the messenger stated.

"Luna-where is she now?"

"The eye of the Storm. When the covenant is forged, the Oracle and ring shall await their King at the Walls of Water. Stray not from the path." The woman then lifts her head slightly. "The Crimson Queen of Vanaheim walks among thee."

"Queen?" Prompto muttered.

"The Queen cometh from the depths of despair in search of hope." Gentiana opened her eyes, looking past the boys.

Noctis followed the messengers gaze and gasped. "(Y/n)..."

The woman walked toward the redhead. "Queen of Vanaheim, thy shall find what thee seeketh. Heed the signs and thou shall see the light." In the blink of an eye, Gentiana vanishes.

All eyes were on (Y/n). The Horseman refused to say anything. Noctis took a few steps towards War with furrowed brows. "You're a queen?"

"Was," she corrected him. The sky above was taken over by gray clouds and it began to rain. "But not anymore."