The following morning, Gladio woke up and found himself alone in the hotel room. As he freshened up, he replayed the nightmare in his head. He didn't realize how long it took him to get ready until (Y/n) returned to the room.

The Horseman noticed him walk out of the bathroom and refuse to make eye contact with her. She raised a brow in bewilderment at his behavior. "You're acting weird. Something wrong?"

"Nothing," the shield faintly replied.

She crossed her arms with a sigh. "Oh, yeah. That was really convincing. Does it have to do with the nightmare?"

"Something like that," Gladio vaguely responded.

"Okay, you clearly don't want to talk about it. At least you didn't wake up in the middle of the night. You look like you actually got enough rest. Guess something good happened." She turned her back to him and headed to the door. "I'm heading out. Someone in Lestallum spotted the dullahan last night. Hopefully you'll have that stick removed from your ass by the time I get back."

The brute didn't make any comment as the girl left. He sighed heavily, combing a hand through his unkempt locks. "That was one helluva ride..."

The nightmare had ended the moment he tried to escort (Y/n) out of the castle. What he couldn't get over was seeing her broken form wracked with sobs. The image was burned into his mind and he could feel his heart ache. He wondered how he would explain the changes to the nightmare to War or even if he should.

Although Gladio was able to save (Y/n) in the nightmare, that didn't change the past. But now, he understood why she wasn't a kind, cheerful person like she was in the past. The pain and suffering caused by Gaius' betrayal warped her into a cold-hearted person.

Shaking his head, he ridded himself of his thoughts and decided to walk around Lestallum for a little while to clear his head. Unfortunately, he couldn't clear his mind. During his stroll around the town, images of Vanaheim popped into his head. When he gazed at the buildings, he thought he saw the lost kingdom instead of Lestallum. He even imagined the many banners hanging from the buildings.

Gladio cursed under his breath. He headed to the instant noodle truck located on the main road and bought a fresh cup to cure his rumbling stomach and possibly help his mind think of something else. While munching down on the steaming cup of noodles, he spotted a familiar redhead near the outlook. He wondered why War was still in Lestallum after receiving a lead to where the dullahan was last seen. He bought a second cup of instant noodles for the girl, hoping to apologize for his strange behavior earlier.

Making his way over to the outlook, Gladio noticed (Y/n)'s form was hunched over the stone railing. He wondered what was wrong as he walked down the stairwell. "Hey," he said as he approached her. When her form straightened out and she turned to face him, he handed her the cup of noodles.

War peered down into the foam cup with furrowed brows. "What is this stuff?"

Gladio nearly choked on the noodles in shock at her question. He pounded on his chest, coughing a little. "You've never heard of cup noodles before?"

"Have you already forgotten? I don't need to eat and there wasn't anything like this in Vanaheim." She noticed the vegetables floating in the broth and curiously sniffed the noodles. She was taken aback at the smell. "It actually smells good."

"Stop sniffing and eat," Gladio said, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

The Horseman took the chopsticks from him. She shoved them into the cup, stirring the noodles and vegetables around with them. Continuing to stir the noodles, she sighed. "I appreciate the meal, Gladio, but there's something I need to tell you."

"And what's that?" He asked.

She lowered the cup of noodles. "You have to give me my summoning orb back."

Gladio frowned at her demands. "Thought you said you trusted me to hang on to it."

"I do," she snapped back. "This has nothing to do with lack of trust. Hell, you're the person I trust the most."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The summoning orb is the reason why you keep experiencing this nightmare. The orb is a manifestation of my past memories. That's why your nightmare is of me."

"Still not seein' why I need to give it back," he blandly stated.

"I know you're not that stupid," she hissed. "You want that nightmare to go away, give me my summoning orb."

"And what's gonna keep you from disappearing once you get it back, huh?"

(Y/n) blinked in surprise before her eyes narrowed in a sharp glare. "You seriously think I would just up and leave if you gave the summoning orb back?" Her fingernails dug into the styrofoam cup, her temper rising by the second. "You know, I entrusted it to you so you could show me mortals can be trusted. Well, guess what, Gladio? Trust is a two-way street."

Gladio realized what he was implying and tried to apologize. "Hold on a second, I-"

"After all we've been through in the past two months, you still don't trust me. And now you're implying the only reason I'm around you is because of the summoning orb. If you trusted me wholeheartedly, you wouldn't ask such a question. I trusted you with my past, which I haven't shared with just anyone." She tossed the cup of noodles to the ground. "You know what? Keep the damn thing and have fun on your journey to Altissia. I won't be there."

The shield tried to grab her arm before she could vanish, but it was too late. She was gone. He stared at the spot where she once stood with a frustrated expression. He gritted his teeth, angry at himself for not being more careful with his words. He was also slightly angered by War for not letting him explain. Gladio was hoping to apologize, but in the end, he wound up making a mess of the situation. "Dammit all..."

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

Several hours later, Gladio met up with Holly and explained who he was. She then told him about the current situation regarding the power plant. Offering to help, he borrowed a suit and entered the power plant.

Not long after entering the power plant, the shield was joined by none other than Noctis. The prince didn't recognize him and didn't bother to tell him. Pushing past introductions, they fought against the daemons storming the power plant.

Eventually, all the daemons were slew and the power plant was no longer in danger. Noctis and Gladio left the power plant, crossing the bridge to rejoin the others. The two took off the suits and the shield revealed himself.

"Great work in there! As promised, here's your mythril. And thank you for your hard work," Holly said.

"Sure," Gladio replied.

"Hey, big guy!" Prompto chanted.

"So the "hunter" who went on ahead-" Ignis began.

"The one and only. How ya been, fellas?" The brute asked.

"Not bad." That's when Prompto noticed the new scar on the shield's forehead. "Whoa...someone did a number on you, though."

"You should see the other guy. Anyway, I'm back and better than ever."

"What of (Y/n)?" Ignis questioned. "Did she not accompany you?"

Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. "About that..."

"Oh, no..." The sharpshooter groaned. "What did you do?"

"I might've spoken without thinking."

"Lemme guess, you have no idea where she is," Noctis deduced.

"Good guess."

Just then, Iris and Dustin suddenly arrive. "Noct? Gladdy?! I can't believe it!" The young Amicitia shrieked in shock.

"Hey. Thanks for looking after her, Dustin," Gladio said.

"So, Gladdy, did you apologize to Noct for storming off like that?"

Noctis gestured to the power plant with his thumb. "He made it up to me in there."

"The power plant? Oh, so you got your hands on some mythril! In that case, I'll go deliver it to Cid," Iris said. "You'll probably want to freshen up first anyway. Come and meet me in Caem when you're ready!"

The royal retinue headed to the Leville. Since Gladio still had a room, they decided to share it. The four relaxed by playing with a deck of cards. While playing blackjack, the shield had shared the story of his fight with Gilgamesh. In return, Prompto told them about their ventures to the Vesperpool and their encounter with Ardyn and Aranea.

When Gladio lost at blackjack, he stood up and walked out on to the balcony. He stared out across the town as the lights lit up the night. He watched a few people walk by below, one of them being a young woman with red hair. Instantly, his mind was brimming with images of (Y/n). Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the scarlet summoning orb. Even though knowing it was futile, he tried summoning War. He only became more dejected when the girl didn't appear by his side.

Prompto, who had been watching Gladio, joined him on the balcony. "Hey, big guy. How you hanging in there?"

Gladio was taken aback at the blonde's concern. "What's with the weird question?"

"It's not a weird question! You're acting weird and I've a feeling it has to do with (Y/n) not being here. Do you...like her or something?"

The shield chuckled at the question. "What's it to you, blondie?"

"Oh, c'mon! You can be honest with me!"

Gladio ruffled Prompto's hair, messing it up. "I think I'll leave it to your imagination."

"Don't say that!" Prompto desperately tries to fix his hair. "My imagination goes crazy sometimes."

Wishing to drop the subject, Gladio put the summoning orb away and walked back into the room. At the same time, Noctis groaned in defeat as Ignis was the blackjack victor. The brute grinned as the raven-haired boy slumped against the chair. "You really think you'll be able to defeat Iggy in blackjack, Your Highness?"

"I can and will," Noctis proclaimed before adjusting his position so he was sitting properly in the chair. "One more round, Specs. If you win, I'll get up early. If you lose, I get to sleep in as long as I want tomorrow."

"Then we've a wager," Ignis replied, shuffling the cards.

Gladio threw himself down on one of the beds with a huff. He grabbed his book off the nightstand and flipped to the page he left off the previous night. He read through an entire chapter before succumbing to sleep.

*****

The moment Gladio's eyes opened, he realized he was back in Vanaheim. He was still in the spare bedroom in the castle, but (Y/n) was gone. Frantically, he searched for the queen. Seeing the window was wide open, he peered out and looked around. On the side of the building he saw her hanging from her sword. "What're you doing?!"

(Y/n) looked up and met his glare with an innocent expression. "Getting the hell out of here! You promised to be my shield and then you suddenly passed out! I couldn't stay in that room any longer! They'll eventually search it."

"You were planning on leaving me behind?" He huffed.

"There's no way in hell I could've carried you!" She gripped her sword tighter when a gush of wind whipped by. "Listen, get out of that room and head back to the throne room. There's a hidden passage located behind the Crystal. It'll lead you to the docks."

"And what about you, Your Majesty?" He asked. "I'm supposed be protecting you."

"And I'm your queen," she retorted. "It's my job to protect my subjects."

"A queen still needs a shield."

"And I do. It's you," she replied. "I don't know who you are yet I feel like I can trust you wholeheartedly. We will only be apart until we reach the docks. Please, hurry. I don't wish to leave this place alone."

Gladio nodded. "Right away, Your Majesty."

He cautiously exited the room and snuck down the hallway. He listened closely and didn't hear any guards lingering in the area. Hastening his footsteps, he headed towards the throne room.

When he arrived, he saw no one inside the grand room. He made his way up to the throne and behind it to where the Crystal was. Before heading into the secret passage, he admired the Crystal. The exterior was a midnight black while the crystal shards within were a shade of scarlet. He could feel the power emanating from it and wondered just how powerful it made the queen and those who served under her.

Shaking his head, Gladio returned to the task at hand and entered the secret passageway. He made his way down a lengthy stairwell made from stone before arriving in the sewers below the kingdom. He saw light at the end of the tunnel and followed it.

Emerging from the sewers, he spotted the docks and ran as fast as he could. He noticed a crowd gathered around the docks and wondered what was going on. Pushing through the crowd, his eyes widen in horror at the sight before him. (Y/n) was on her knees, being restrained by two soldiers. Gaius stood before her with the sharp tip of his sword pointed at her chest.

"Forgive me, My Queen, but you've left me no choice. Your actions are unjustified and you'll pay for the innocent lives you've taken with your own life," Gaius said with a feigned expression of melancholia.

Gladio didn't hesitate to summon his greatsword and leap at the man. He knocked him away from (Y/n) and loomed over him in a menacing manner. "That's rich comin' from you."

Gaius pushed himself to his feet with a growl. "Damn you to hell..."

"That's where I'm gonna send you, pal," the shield spat.

"You've no idea what this monster has done!" He shouted, jabbing his sword in the girl's direction.

"The only monster here is you." Gladio swung his greatsword a second time, disarming the man. "You're the bastard who manipulated her. I won't forgive you for the shit you've done to her."

Gaius clicked his tongue and quickly grabbed his sword, swinging it wildly at the brute. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you'll die alongside the queen!"

Gladio didn't even bat an eyelid as he easily deflected the man's every strike. He guffawed in amusement when he simply used his elbow to knock Gaius away. "For a Nif spy, you're pretty weak. I've fought goblins that're tougher than you."

(Y/n), who'd been watching the battle, managed to break free from the soldiers and knock them unconscious. While Gaius was distracted by Gladio, she remembered earlier how the man she loved was planning to stab her in the back. Summoning her sword, she approached him from behind. When his blade clashed with Gladio's, she lunged forward and plunged her sword through his back.

Gaius gasps, staggering backwards the moment the sword was yanked from his body. Blood poured from the large gash as his eyes widened in horror at the sight of the crimson liquid. Falling to his knees, he struggled to meet (Y/n)'s stony gaze. "Y-You..."

"I won't let the empire claim Vanaheim," she declared, dispelling her bloodied sword. Turning away from Gaius, she addressed the soldiers and citizens who were gathered around. "I understand you all desire my demise for what I've done, but please listen to me once more. Gather your belongings and leave Vanaheim. Use the boats to get as far away as possible."

"Your Majesty, what're you planning on doing?" A soldier asked.

"Vanaheim's Crystal cannot fall into the empire's hands. Seeing as I am not strong enough to protect it and you all, there is only one thing to do. I won't go into details, but please leave this kingdom. As my final order, I want the entire kingdom evacuated within two hours. Is that possible?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes, My Queen."

"Then please do not waste a second."

The soldiers dashed off as the citizens gathered around the docks heeded their queen's final order.

(Y/n) turned back to look down at the dying Gaius. She kneeled down, staring into his emerald eyes. "Soon enough, Niflheim will realize you've failed once all of Vanaheim is at the bottom of the ocean. I would've loved to send you back to them with a few broken bones, but after what you tried to do to me in the throne room, I couldn't let the opportunity vanish."

"Y-You bitch..." He managed to hiss.

"Curse me all you like. It'll be the last thing you do." She stepped over his body and walked over the Gladio. She smiled at him. "This is the second time you've saved me and I still yet not know your name."

"Gladio," the shield replied with his own smile.

"Thank you, Gladio."

"It's my job as shield to protect."

The two remained at the docks until the two hours were up. They boarded a ship and departed from Vanaheim. After receiving word from one of the soldiers that the entire kingdom was evacuated, (Y/n) thanked him. She stepped forward, eyes glowing crimson as she summoned the Tidemother.

Leviathan emerged from the ocean, heeding the queen's final wish. Using her powers, she summoned a large tsunami and sunk all of Vanaheim. With a sorrowful smile, (Y/n) watched as her kingdom sunk. Her eyes returned to normal once the Astral vanished. As the ship drifted further and further away, she headed to a secluded area of the vessel.

However, she didn't realize she was being followed by Gladio until she heard him call out her name. She turned around and tried to smile happily, but it was impossible. "I did the right thing...didn't I?"

"You saved not only Vanaheim, but the rest of Eos. I know it wasn't an easy decision, (Y/n)," Gladio said.

"What's done is done," she sighed melancholically. "Vanaheim is no more."

"I wouldn't say that. I think Vanaheim is wherever you and your people go."

She smiled at his words. "Yes, you're right, Gladio."

Feeling a familiar sensation tugging on his body, he realized he was on the verge of waking up. Acting quick, Gladio closed the distance between him and (Y/n). He cupped her cheeks in his hands and titled her face upwards so he could gaze into her sparkling (e/c) eyes. He wasn't sure what to say when she stared up at him with a flabbergasted expression. His mouth opened and closed a couple times before he leant forward to press his lips against hers. However, the moment his lips met hers...

*****

Gladio woke up.