A/n: I leave a small inkling as to who War was in her past life at the end of this chapter. Her whole backstory will be revealed in the next book. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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"Hand over the orb, Ignis," (Y/n) ordered, her form looming over the advisor's as she remained on the stone railing. "I would abhor in reclaiming it by force."

Ignis shook his head, rejecting her strict command. "Enough of this!" He shouted angrily, shocking the Horseman. He lunged forward, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her off the railing. She tumbled from the force, but she was able to keep from falling. Before she could break free and push him away, he released his hold on her wrist and both of his gloved hands grabbed her face.

Shocked to the core, Pestilence took a few steps back and her lower back came in contact with the railing. His hands remained on her cheeks as he followed her movement. Feeling his gentle touch and seeing the turmoil in his jade eyes made all plans of escaping annul. She placed her hands on the railing behind her to keep from tipping over it. The only things she could hear were her thunderous heart and the heavy rain. She bit her bottom lip, rolling it between her teeth before releasing it and finally shattering the suffocating silence. "Why're you so stubborn?"

"You are the obdurate one," Ignis responded.

Without another word, their lips were connected. The kiss felt like it last for hours, but it only lasted a few seconds. (Y/n) was the one to break the exchange, pulling away from Ignis. "A kiss will not mend my past or change my mind. It would be for your good as well as the others to go our separate ways." She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away from her.

"Your unforeseen arrival allowed us to accomplish strenuous feats we would have failed on our lonesome," Ignis stated matter-of-factly, refusing to let go of her in fear of her vanishing out of his life for good. "The annihilation of Silas and his men was necessary and unavoidable. You simply performed the burdensome task of eliminating a threat to us and innocent civilians."

(Y/n) closed her eyes once Ignis' hands fell from her cheeks. She slumped forward, her head resting against his chest. "Answer me truthfully, Ignis. My hands are tainted with the blood of men and will continue to keep killing. Am I a monster?"

"Far from one," Ignis answers without even having to think. "Edric was a hellion. Raiden's blood is on his hands, not yours."

(Y/n) seemed relieved at hearing his answer. She didn't doubt his response and felt the catalyst of her sorrows be quelled. She knew this was her second breakdown and felt ashamed of her behavior. But once again, Ignis was the one who picked the pieces up and put them back together. She was thankful for his patience with her and was overjoyed to know a person like him loves her.

They were startled when the Regalia's horn blared. The couple stepped away from each other and glanced toward the vehicle. Knowing from the horn, they knew the others were growing restless and were desperately wanting to return to Cape Caem.

Without wasting another minute, Ignis and (Y/n) headed to the car. The Horseman ended up sitting in the front seat, both her and the tactician soaked to the bone. The boys in the backseat were grinning as they eyed the two. None of them said a word as they departed from Taelpar Crag.

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

Arriving at Cape Caem, the rain had ceased, but the stormy clouds above remained. While Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio checked in with Cid and Cindy, Ignis and (Y/n) headed to the house to dry off and warm up.

Pestilence's outfit wasn't difficult to dry. It only took a few minutes thanks to her magic to dry her clothes. Afterward, she decided to wander to the room next to hers, which is currently being occupied by Ignis. She, without announcing her presence, pushed the door open and stepped into the room. His back was turned to her as he was now adorned in a striped dress shirt with his hair in the normal spiky style. Her bare feet padded against the hardwood floor gently, the small sound being enough for the strategist to detect.

Ignis turned around at hearing the faint sound. "(Y/n), what are-?" His eyes widen as she suddenly pushed him down onto the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, bewildered and paralyzed at her action. His body began tensing up as he felt her mount the bed and straddle his waist.

Looming above Ignis, (Y/n) placed her hands on his chest as she leant down slightly to stare into his emerald eyes. She searched them for any indication if he wanted her to move, but she found nothing but confusion and shock. She wondered if he was going to say something, but he didn't even mutter a word. Seeing this, she bent her elbows and lowered herself more. When their faces were only a few inches apart, she stopped. "Of all the people you could possibly have, you chose a reanimated corpse. Why would you choose a woman who's past is tainted by the blood of others?"

Ignis reached up, placing a hand against her cheek. "You've displayed no ill intent toward myself or the others. Must I also remind you of when you saved my life?"

(Y/n) leaned into his touch, smiling down at him. "Is that when your infatuation began? You'd only known me for nearly a day."

"No," he confesses. "But I am truly grateful and indebted to you for your brazen action. Our early morning chats were truly the origin of my fixation for you."

The Horseman huffed out a small giggle. "You truly are an honest man, Ignis. I must confess-I'm bewildered no woman has won your heart except for me." She leant down to steal a kiss but froze when she heard the door opening. Looking to her right, she saw Gladio standing in the doorway with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Am I interrupting somethin'?" He asked, eyeing the couple.

"We were just talking," (Y/n) responds casually, still straddling Ignis' waist.

"In that position?" The shield asked with an arched brow.

The ivory-haired girl tossed a grin in Gladio's direction. "Yes," she replies before changing the subject. "Was there something you needed, Gladio?"

He chuckled at her smooth transition. "We're ready to depart for Altissia. The only people missing are you two."

(Y/n) removed herself from Ignis' body and climbed off the bed. "You four were recently captured by a madman. I suggest you postpone the trip to Altissia for a day in order to get some proper rest. The boat will still be there in the morning."

"I must also insist our departure be delayed," Ignis said.

Gladio has no qualms, feeling the exhaustion overtake his body. "Alright. I'll tell the kids," he teased before closing the door and leaving the couple to themselves.

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

The next morning, the boys went on ahead down the elevator while (Y/n) checked on Erra. Once she saw he wasn't in need of anything, she headed to the docking bay below the lighthouse. Before she could step foot onto the lift, she heard a familiar voice from behind her. "You seem to be cozying up next to that fellow with the glasses."

Pestilence spun on her heels and faced War with a stoic expression. "Well, a "hello" to you, too, dear sister."

"What do you plan on doing the moment you defeat the draugr? You have to return to the Inner Sanctum. Death, Famine, and I can't keep all the monsters in line," War stated. "What if those damned things break the seal again? If you're here on Eos, then we won't be able to repair the seal."

"I know where my duties lie, War," the white-haired Horseman sighed. "The draugr is all that remains. Hopefully by the time I slay the creature, my resolve to return to the Inner Sanctum won't be shaken."

"The closer you get to him, the harder it will be to leave," War scoffed, crossing her arms. "Y'know, I expected this from Famine, but not you. Break your ties with him and the others before it's too late."

(Y/n) looked down at the ground between the crimson-haired girl's feet. "You speak as if I know not of the consequences of my ties to these men. All of us deserve a slither of joy even if it is fleeting. When have you ever been truly happy since your resurrection as the Horseman of crusade?"

War fell silent. She already knew the answer to the question, but she didn't want to admit there was truth in her sister's words. In the end, she feigned annoyance and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "Do as you wish. I'm not gonna try and stop you. I know you know what you're doing, but be careful, Pestilence." With that, she vanished into a puff of scarlet smoke.

With a heavy sigh, (Y/n) stared at the spot her sister once stood for a few seconds before heading to the lift. As she stepped off the elevator once it reaches the docking bay, she heard an unfamiliar voice. "Something I gotta get off my chest."

"What's that?" She heard Noctis question.

"I'm sorry," the unfamiliar voice replied. "Sorry I wasn't there for your father. I swore an oath to protect the king, but I wasn't strong enough to uphold it."

"Ain't nothin' nobody could've done to stop what happened," another unrecognizable person said.

"Yeah, I realize that," the ravenette responded.

(Y/n) silenced her bare feet, feeling the cold metal as she walked down the stairs. No one noticed her quiet approach, glancing toward the older gentleman as he spoke up with a southern drawl. "But you need to realize just what you mean to the boys by your side."

Noctis was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "I do."

"Even if they can't solve your problems, you can't hide what's goin' on from 'em. It hurts like hell. Remember-those ain't your bodyguards, they're your brothers. Trust in 'em. Always."

The Horseman clasped her hands together with a smile as she was reminded of her sisters. They may not have been blood-related, but they were her family and she wouldn't trade them for anyone else on Eos.

The younger man of the two strangers turned around and spotted her smiling at them. He bowed his head politely, knowing exactly who she is. "It's an honor to meet you, Pestilence."

"Wait," Noctis spoke up after the marshal's formal greeting. "You know (Y/n)?"

"His late Majesty held the Four Horsemen in high regards," the man responded as he lifted his head. "I never expected you four to be traveling with one of the Horsemen, but I must confess it is an excellent decision. Our king will be needing all the protection he can get."

"They would be perfectly fine without me shadowing them," (Y/n) stated.

"No," the man denied. "I feel even more at ease knowing you are standing beside His Majesty. Who knows what the empire has planned next."

The snowy-haired girl was eased when hearing the man's approval. She peered at him as she thought back to all the times Death had visited Insomnia and mentioned only a few people by name. "Are you Cor, perchance?"

The marshal nodded. "Yes. It seems Death has mentioned me once or twice."

"As her role as liaison between Insomnia and the Inner Sanctum, she has mentioned you on occasion. A pleasure to finally put a face to the name, Marshal."

Cor couldn't help but smirk at her formality. "You truly are the prim and proper one out of the bunch."

"Someone has to be," she grinned in amusement.

After her chat with Cor, (Y/n) headed over to the boat while the boys chatted with the older man, which she learned his name was Cid. Her thoughts wandered to her conversation with War, knowing she would have to severe her bond with the boys sooner or later. She detested the thought of breaking Ignis' heart and cutting loose the others since they were her friends. Her hand slowly moved up, coming to rest over her heart as it ached.

"Waitin' for an invitation? Get your asses on board!" Cid proclaimed, shocking the Horseman out of her thoughts.

She blinked a few times at his sudden proclamation and didn't realize the others were aboard the ship, waiting for her.

"Hey, (Y/n), you comin'?" Noctis asked the Horseman as he peered over the side of the ship and down at her.

The young girl looked up at him with a forced smile. "Oh, my apologies, Noctis. I was lost in thought."

Gladio pokes his head over the side of the boat, smirking down at her. "You better get on before we leave you behind."

She climbed aboard just as Cid started the boat's engine. She walked over to the side, placing her hands on the metal railing that aligned the sides of the vessel. She stared down at the water as the boat slowly pulls away from the dock.

"Hey! Your Majesty!" The boys and girl heard Talcott shout. They glanced toward the small boy as he stood beside Iris.

"What's up?" Noctis asked as the boat began to pick up speed.

"Please come back soon! We need our king!"

Noctis smiled with a nod. "Yeah. Count on it."

Talcott and Iris wave goodbye. Noctis waves back as (Y/n) smiles at the two, standing beside the azure-eyed boy.

"You truly are loved by your kingdom, Noctis," Pestilence comments in a hushed whisper, reminiscing in the time War shared her past with her. The redhead and raven-haired boy were complete opposites, but their positions were nearly the same. She couldn't even imagine supporting an entire nation on her shoulders like her sister once did.

What (Y/n) didn't know was Noctis had heard her. Before he could say a word, she was headed toward the others. Deciding to ignore her seemingly sad words, he followed after her.

The Horseman sat on the plush, leather seat beside Ignis as the boat sped across the surface of the gleaming ocean. She stared out in the direction of Altissia, wondering how much the city has changed since her time on Eos. She placed a hand over her heart. "I pray not too much..."