A/n: The horses you'll find in this series will all be named after gods or goddesses that correspond with the Horseman presented in the book. Just a little fact for y'all! Also, I know there aren't really any horses in the Final Fantasy world so just go with it! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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"How?" Noctis questioned curiously. (Y/n) continued to smirk as the moon casted down a faint glow. She walked over to the small pond and stared out at the calm water. Then, she placed her fingers in her mouth and whistled. A strange and eerie fog loomed over the surface of the pond as it slowly surrounded Noctis and (Y/n). The sound of hooves and splashing water could be heard, grabbing the young prince's attention. From the fog, a horse with a glistening gray and black coat emerged.

Its creamy mane and tail blew faintly in the breeze as it trotted across the surface of the water as if it were lighter than air. The horse neighed as it came to a stop in front of Death and lowered its head. (Y/n) placed her hand against its muzzle, stroking it gently. "Good boy, Thanatos."

The horse neighed once again before closing his eyes and nuzzling his snout against (Y/n)'s cheek. She giggled at the ticklish and cold sensation before turning to face the astounded Noctis. "Ready to go?"

"Uh," the boy mumbled, eyes still glued to the magnificent steed. "Yeah. Let's get going."

(Y/n) hopped onto Thanatos' back, followed by Noctis. With nothing to hold onto, the raven-haired boy had no option but to latch onto Death, her freezing skin providing somewhat of a strange comfort. The girl glanced over her shoulder, wondering if the prince had a tight enough grip around her waist. "Ready?"

Noctis nodded, his grip slightly tightening. "Yeah. You know where you're going?"

"Yep. We'll be there in less than a minute." The Horseman held onto Thanatos' mane, which the horse didn't mind.

"No way," the boy scoffs, rolling his azure eyes in disbelief. "It takes at least five minutes by car."

(Y/n)'s lips curled up into a smirk. "I'm about to prove you wrong. You better hold on much tighter than that or you'll be thrown off in a heartbeat."

Not wishing to kiss the ground, Noctis tightened his hold on (Y/n) as he was now practically hugging her. "Now I'm ready."

"Alright!" The girl digs her heels into the horse's sides. "We're off, Thanatos!" The steed neighed then took off at an incredible speed. Wind rushed by as Thanatos jumped over the railing and onto the highway. Luckily, it was now nighttime and no one would be on the road due to the threat of daemons.

As Thanatos stormed down the highway, Noctis felt he was squeezing the life out of (Y/n) in the current position he was in. His face was buried in the crook of her neck while his arms were tightly locked around her waist. Due to her smaller stature, his body nearly engulfed hers. Although noticing his actions, he refused to let go as he was afraid of falling. Death didn't complain about how tight he was holding her because it wasn't painful. Also, she wouldn't admit that the position was comfortable or the fact she cherished the touch of another after so many years of wandering in the abandoned tomb with only the whispers of the dead as company.

Just as (Y/n) promised, she and Noctis reached their destination-Cauthess Coernix Station. Before guiding Thanatos into the parking lot, she glanced around to see if there were any prying eyes or busybodies in the area. Fortune was on her side as there was no one around except for Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis. From the back of the horse, she spotted Ardyn inside the convenience store and sighed in relief knowing he wasn't lingering around her new companions.

Thanatos' hooves clicked against the asphalt as (Y/n) guided him around the caravan and to where the others were sitting around a small table. Prompto jolted out of his seat when he saw the rather large horse trot around the corner. "That is not a normal-sized horse."

"I'll say," Gladio spoke up.

"Quite an impressive steed, I must say," Ignis complimented.

Thanatos' neighed in response to the tactician's accolade. (Y/n) patted his neck while rolling her eyes. "Don't let it get to your head, buddy." Noctis hopped off the horse's back and offered the Horseman a hand. She accepted the gentlemanly gesture with a smile and dismounted her steed. "Thank you, Noctis."

Once Death was on solid ground, Thanatos lowered his head and rested it on her shoulder. (Y/n) laid a hand against his muzzle and ran her fingernails gently down his hair, earning a happy whinny from him at the pleasing sensation.

"How'd the hunt go? Any issues?" The shield asked as Noctis joined them at the table.

An exasperated sigh left the prince's lip as he sat down. "Yes and no."

"What do you mean?" Ignis inquired further.

"Four of those damned things escaped. We've no idea where, either," the sapphire-eyed boy responded.

"Or even if they've regrouped and are moving as one unit. It's possible the four are now separated and going in different directions," (Y/n) added.

"And how bad is that?" The sharpshooter questioned.

"Very bad. We were able to slay half of them, but if they decide not to regroup, it'll make them even harder to find and more likely to wander into a town or outpost. It only takes one of them to start a bloodbath and those who survive will demand answers as to how a beast so vicious has not been recorded in any way, shape, or form." (Y/n) stared down at the ground, unable to meet their gaze.

Noctis recognized the look and knew she was blaming herself. "Don't you dare blame yourself. It's not your fault that those things escaped from the Inner Sanctum."

Death was startled at Noctis' words, but hearing them made a small amount of weight lift off her shoulders. Although she felt relief, the guilt was still there. Thanatos even tried to comfort her as he nuzzled his snout against her cheek. She couldn't help but smile when she felt his whiskers tickle her cheek as he showed his affection. "Love you, too, you big sweetheart. You better go before our unwanted guide decides to meander over."

Thanatos backed away from Death and turned. He wandered out of the parking lot and down the road before disappearing in a shroud of mist. Gladio leaned forward in his seat as he stared at where the horse once stood. "What do you feed that thing?"

(Y/n) knew he was talking about Thanatos and huffed with laughter. "He's an udead horse. I don't feed him anything. He's known as a draft horse. It's normal for him to be large and muscular."

"Are they known for their speed?" Noctis inquired.

"Nope. That's just thanks to his ties with me. Death can't afford to have a slow steed or a weak one with all the work we do together in the Inner Sanctum."

"Still, that's one helluva horse," Gladio chuckled.

Their cheerful conversation ended when they heard the sound of shoes scuffling against the asphalt and spotted Ardyn wandering over to the caravan. He smiled creepily as his amber eyes landed on Noctis and (Y/n). "Ah, good to see you both are unscathed." His eyes lingered on the Horseman as he stopped a few inches in front of her.

(Y/n) frowned, not fond of how close Ardyn was. Her eyes narrowed as one of his hands reached out to touch her. Before his fingers could brush against her skin, Noctis promptly intervened and grabbed the man's hand. "You're really touchy, you know that?"

"Excuse my rudeness, but I simply am enticed by such beauty. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, my dear," Ardyn said as Noctis released his hand.

"It's fine. Just... no more touching," (Y/n) sighed. "I'm not fond of strangers touching me at random."

Ardyn just continued to smile as he walked into the caravan, closing the door behind him. Noctis scratches the back of his neck as he returned to his seat beside Gladio. "I can't wait for him to be gone."

"That goes for all of us," the brute replied.

"Indeed," Ignis said.

"Wait," (Y/n) intervened. "He's not spending the night in there, is he?"

"Though unwanted, we diverged the cost of the caravan with our esteemed guest," the tactician explained.

"Ugh..." Prompto and (Y/n) groaned in unison.

"Great. Now we've gotta sleep near the weirdo," the prince scoffed.

"Guess I'll be spending my night outside and away from Mr. Touchy-Touchy," Death stated, walking a little ways away from the caravan.

Noctis shot out of his seat and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Oh, no, no, no. If we gotta be near him, so do you."

"Seriously?!"

The prince dragged the struggling girl back towards the caravan and into their temporary abode. (Y/n) finally gave up on escaping when Noctis forced her to sit at the small table in the very back of the caravan with him. Gladio claimed the couch while Ignis and Prompto sat across from Noctis and (Y/n). Ardyn was relaxing on the bed as Death glared at the man. She rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her palm. "I'm gonna make my escape the moment you all fall asleep."

"No, you're not. You're gonna suffer like the rest of us," Noctis retorts.

(Y/n) turned her glare to the prince as she crossed her legs under the table and crossed her arms in disdain. She slumped back and sunk down in her seat with her cheeks puffed out. "I hate you..."

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

After about fifteen minutes of debate, the boys and Ardyn decided where everyone would sleep. (Y/n) remained silent the entire time as they bickered back and forth like children. The only ones who were civilized during the argument were Ardyn and Ignis. Death remained sitting at the table as the red-haired man claimed the couch. Ardyn had mistaken the relationship between Noctis and (Y/n) due to how the prince defended her twice in one day. Now, they were in the same bed while Prompto and Gladio were given the tiny bunkbeds. Unfortunately, Ignis would have to make himself comfortable at the table where the bench-like seats had thin padding and rough cushions. (Y/n) tried to trade places with the bespectacled advisor, but he refused even though he knew she didn't sleep like normal humans.

Under the covers, (Y/n) stared up at the ceiling. Not needing sleep, she awkwardly laid beside the prince, who seemed to already be fast asleep. Slowly sitting up, Death stared out the window in deep thought and remembered the time she was human. Beside her, Noctis stirred and winced in his sleep. The girl placed a hand on his chest, wondering what could be causing such a disturbance. The moment he felt the hand on his chest, Noctis' eyes flew open. He gasped as he flew up, nearly losing his balance and falling off the bed.

(Y/n) removed her hand and pulled her knees to her chest with the sheets still covering her legs. "Nightmare?" She whispered.

Noctis ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the headboard. "Yeah. It's the same one from last night."

"What's it about?"

The boy glanced at (Y/n) for a brief second before returning his gaze to the sheets. "It's... not important."

"Oh? And what makes you think you're the one to determine that?" She questioned with raised brows.

Biting his lip, Noctis knew she had a point. He didn't want to tell her it was about her, but he couldn't keep it a secret from her any longer. "Fine. You're right. The nightmare is... about you, (Y/n)."