A/n: Honestly, I think this chapter is utter crap. But I hope someone enjoys it.

EDIT: This chapter has been rotting in my drafts for a while (almost 6 months) and I apologize for this book's long hiatus. I hope you enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Pestilence combs her fingers through her snowy locks as the sea breeze whipped through her hair. She tried to tame her wild tresses but sighed when they continued to be unruly. "Now I remember why I detest boats..."

"Y'know," Prompto spoke up, diverting (Y/n)'s attention from her hair to him. "I've always wanted to go sailing like this."

"Not many opportunities living in Insomnia," Gladio said.

"I'm assuming the lot of you never truly ventured outside the city for a vacation?" The Horseman asked.

"No, we never really found the time to go on any vacations," the sharpshooter confesses. "But out here, it's just us and the horizon! It's amazing-it's life changing! What about you, (Y/n)?"

"I traveled a great extent with my father. Altissia was one of the various places we visited during our archaeological travels."

"Oh, maybe you could give us a tour!" The blonde cheered jubilantly. "I totally want to get pictures of the best parts of Altissia!"

"We've quite a ways to go until we reach Altissia, so keep gushing to your heart's content," Ignis stated.

"So, could you?" The gunslinger begged, smiling at (Y/n).

"I'm not so sure, Prompto. Altissia may have changed since my time on Eos. I only truly explored the city when I first met Raiden," she responded.

"Who's Raiden?"

Ignis' body tensed at the question, which was detected by the girl sitting beside him. She placed a hand over his, which was resting atop his knee. "Raiden was the man I loved before I died. He is originally from Altissia, but I met him in Galahd a year after my father's death. After he passed and before my mother forced me into marriage with another man, we snuck out of my hometown and ventured to Altissia for a week." She looked at Noctis', Prompto's, and Gladio's faces, noticing they wanted to ask more. She sighed with a smile, no longer reserved about her past thanks to Ignis. "He was with me the day I died. Edric, the man my mother chose as my husband, found out about our elopement and chose to end our life together before it could even begin."

All the boys were silent. Ignis already knew of her past, but it still was painful to listen to. He grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. (Y/n) smiled at him before deciding to change the subject for the other's sake. "Altissia should be wonderful this time of year. With the Rite of Leviathan around the corner, the festivities should be in full swing. A few people in Lestallum were discussing the various stalls decorating the streets."

"Oh, man! I can't wait!" Prompto chanted, shattering the suffocating tension.

Gladio glanced around at his companions at the mention of the Tidemother. "What sort of deity are we dealing with?"

"A serpent said to embody the roar and rage of the sea," the tactician answered.

"We'll have to "sea" for ourselves," Noctis said, earning a huff of laughter from Pestilence when she heard the pun he made.

Once the group started chatting about Lady Lunafreya, (Y/n) stood up, disconnected her hand from Ignis', and headed toward Cid. She stood beside the older man, peering through the window and staring at the vast ocean in front of them.

"Y'know, Reggie talked about ya and your sisters a lot," Cid suddenly spoke up.

Pestilence turned her head in his direction. "I never met His late Majesty, but Death spoke well of him. I do wish I could've spoken to him once."

"He believed you four would play a major role in changing Eos alongside his boy." Cid coughed before continuing. "He wasn't wrong. I've seen your sisters around and how they've helped."

"You've spoken will my sisters?" (Y/n) inquired, taken aback at the revelation.

"Yep. Never thought I'd live to witness the day the Four Horsemen returned to Eos. Meetin' ya and your sisters was somethin' I never thought possible. How's the huntin'?"

The young girl sighed dejectedly. "Not well. It seems the draugr has fled and I know not of where to. I joined the group in hopes my hunt would prove to be more successful. How were my sisters when you spoke to them?"

"Death delivered the news of Reggie's death to Hammerhead before headin' back to wherever y'all come from. Famine, too kind and sweet for her own good. And War...don't get me started."

Pestilence giggled at hearing about the redhead. "I'd a brief rendezvous with War at Cape Caem. It assuages me to know they are faring well regarding the current circumstances."

Suddenly, the two heard sputtering. The boat began to slow down, which puzzled the Horseman. She eyed the old man beside her. "What seems to be the issue?"

"Damn engine," Cid spat. "Rusty and needs replacin'. I was hopin' the temporary fix would've held 'til we arrived at Altissia. With the empire runnin' about, securing a new one was out of the question."

"Would a quick jolt be enough?" (Y/n) asked curiously.

Cid nodded. "Might do the trick. How do ya plan on doin' that, though?"

She raised her hands up and wiggled her fingers. "Magic."

As she was about to place her hands on the console, the boys walked up behind her and Cid. "What's going on?" Noctis asked.

"Engine's old 'n rusted. The little lady was just about to give it a jump start," the mechanic replied.

All eyes fell on (Y/n) as she placed her hands on the console. Concentrating, she focused her magic into the palms of her hands and sent a bolt of lightning through the console. When the engine came back to life, Cid chuckled victoriously. "You should come by Hammerhead once 'n a while. Could really use that magic 'o yours."

The Horseman smiled at his words as they continued their journey to Altissia. She turned and saw the four boys smiling at her. She glanced between the four of them in confusion. "What is it?"

"We'd be stuck in the middle of the ocean if you weren't taggin' along," Gladio stated.

"But-"

"He's right, (Y/n)," Prompto said, interrupting her before she could belittle herself.

"Yeah," Noctis nodded in agreement. "Glad you decided to stick around."

Pestilence frowned as she was reminded of War's words earlier. She clasped her hands together, squeezing them tightly. "As am I." Lowering her head, she walked past them and headed to the stern of the boat. She could hear footsteps following her even with the rushing sea breeze filling her ears. She folded her arms across her chest, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as goosebumps began to appear on them. "I know we've only known each other for a short time, but it seems I'm an open book to you, Ignis."

The royal advisor stood beside her, staring at Lucis in the distance. "You are quite the read," he smirked lightly. "What seems to be the issue?"

(Y/n) smiled for a brief second before it transformed into a frown. "I had a brief chat with War. What we spoke of worries me deeply."

Ignis glances at the girl beside him. "What troubles you, (Y/n)?"

The Horseman dug her fingernails into her arms as she decided to not remain silent on the subject. "I fear I've grown too close to you and the others. I never knew I would be given another chance to love again, but it seems our time together is already limited and my dream of love will, once again, be shattered." She inhaled deeply before explaining further. "Once I've slain the draugr, I will be granted passage back to the Inner Sanctum. When that times come, I will be forced to leave you and the others behind. The joy I've experienced since my return to Eos has been phenomenal and I would never trade such dear memories for anything else. You will move on with your journey as if I was never a part of it."

Ignis glances toward the others, who were talking amongst themselves and paying no attention to him or (Y/n). Once he realized no eyes were on them, he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. "Your obligations as a Horseman take top priority. I know all too well how important responsibilities are."

Pestilence felt wounded by his words, but she wasn't surprised. She knew his dedication to Noctis was unwavering and never expected him to stop her, but deep down, she wanted him to try. When she went to turn her back to him in order to hide her melancholic gaze, she was stopped when a finger curled under her chin and tilted her face upward. She stared into Ignis' jade eyes as they exchanged a short, gentle kiss. "Though I refuse to relinquish our relationship so easily."

(Y/n) smiled warmly at him, the wounds created from his previous statement now mending. "I do, as well. Once we arrive in Altissia, I would enjoy some time alone with you. After all, the city is quite a perfect romantic getaway."

Ignis smiled faintly down at her. "I look forward to our time together without interruption."

With her worries set aside for the time being, (Y/n) followed Ignis as he rejoined the others.

Prompto, who was now sitting on the leather seat, groaned slightly after learning how long they'd been traveling across the ocean. "Are we there yet?"

"Didn't you just say you always wanted to go sailing?" Gladio remarks.

"Yeah," the gunslinger admits. "But all this ocean gets kinda bland after a while."

"Last time I checked it was "amazing" and "life-changing"," the shield retorts.

"I find it quite serene and refreshing," (Y/n) spoke up. "You might change your mind once we arrive in Altissia, Prompto."

"As long as I can get the pictures I want," he grinned jubilantly.

After silence befell the group, they listened to the whistling sea breeze. A few minutes passed and Cid decided to spark up a conversation. "So, soon you'll have yer old man's ring back."

"Yeah. When we arrive in Altissia," Noctis replied.

"Good thing. To him, it was his heritage."

Noctis glanced toward the older man. "Is that what my dad said?"

Cid nodded. "Carrying a royal line ain't a task to be taken lightly. For a small thing, that ring can sure weigh heavy. After he became king, I only ever saw his face in the paper."

Gladio's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Wait-weren't you at the coronation?"

Cid shook his head. "Nah, I was long gone from the city."

"Must've been invited at least," the raven-haired boy stated.

"Had a fallin' out o' sorts with your old man. Right at the end of the trip."

Prompto was shocked by the revelation. "You did?"

"I was given to understand you stayed in touch," Ignis chimed in, sitting beside the sharpshooter.

"We buried the hatchet years later, but never talked face to face again," the mechanic confesses. "Shoulda paid a visit while I had the chance. Well, no use dwellin' on it now. Got the Regalia in the hold, but y'all gonna stay in Altissia for a good while, right?"

The strategist nodded. "Yes, we believe so."

"In that case, I'll tune her up for y'all. Not that I'll have much to do, though, what with Cindy lookin' after the old girl."

Prompto grinned like a child in a candy shop. "If you say she's good, she must be great."

"Oh," (Y/n) spoke up after a long silence, grinning toward the young boy after detecting his change in attitude. "Am I detecting a slight hint of adoration?"

"W-What are you talking about?" The blonde tried to feign ignorance. "I think Cindy's amazing because of how dedicated she is to her job."

"Mhmm. I would say I believe you, but I'd be lying," Pestilence snickered. "You're quite an open book, Prompto."

Prompto covered his face as his cheeks turned red. He sunk back into the seat as he couldn't look at the others, especially Cid. Gladio chortled as he smirked at the younger boy. "Looks like even (Y/n) can tell you're crushin' on Cindy."

"Please, stop..." The freckled boy begged.

The Horseman placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "No need to be embarrassed. I've seen the work Cindy has performed. She's excellent at her job."

Cid chuckled heartedly at hearing the ivory-haired girl praise his granddaughter. "She was never afraid o' hard work. Heaven knows she had a hard childhood."

Prompto uncovered his face, lowering his hands into his laps as he sat up. ""A hard childhood"?"

"He means her parents," Gladio cleared up.

"Lost 'em both when she was little. Was big enough to understand, though...an' to hurt. But ya wouldn't guess that, seein' her now," Cid explained.

"Not at all. She's always so cheerful," Prompto said with a sorrowful undertone.

"Well, that oughta tell ya how far she's come."

"Man," Gladio sighed, deciding to change the subject. "You must have seen your fair share of Altissia by now."

"Yeah..." Cid cleared his throat before continuing. "Only done been the once. Stayed a good while, though."

"What's it like?" Prompto inquired eagerly.

"Big ol' city."

"Big," Noctis parrots. "Okay."

Cid decided to explain a little further. "Well, it ain't the Crown City."

"Insomnia and Altissia are different sides of the same coin," (Y/n) chimed in. "While both beautiful cities, they each have their own unique attributes."

"Different. Got it," the azure-eyed boy said, making a mental note.

"You'll see for yourself: foreign lands seldom lend themselves to trite explanations," Ignis stated.

"Change o' scenery oughta do you good," Cid shrugged.

"Well, I'm all talked out," Gladio exhaled. "Can't be far to Altissia now, right?"

"We'll be there in no time," the mechanic replied. "Nice having the wind at our backs."

"Lodgings are our first order of business," Ignis exclaimed.

"All work and no play..." Prompto began.

"Makes Ignis a dull boy," Noctis finishes his best friend's sentence.

"Someone has to babysit you two," Gladio voiced. "But guess that responsibility will fall onto me."

"Why's that?"

"Iggy and (Y/n) can't have a proper date if two kids are breathing down their necks."

The Horseman's eyes widened at Gladio's words. She swore none of them heard the conversation between her and Ignis earlier, but maybe she was wrong. "What gave you such an idea, Gladio?"

The shield crossed his arms, his lips tweaking upward into a grin. "Just a hunch. After all, you two just hooked up and we're goin' to a city that's a perfect place for a date. Why the hell not?"

"Dear Astrals..." (Y/n) sighed, looking away from him.