Several days later, (Y/n) regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open with a groan. She pushed herself up on the bed she was laying on and looked around. She was inside a caravan, alone. Pushing herself off the bed, she sluggishly dragged her body over to the window. Peering through the blinds, she saw the familiar sign that said "Wiz Chocobo Post" in giant yellow letters.

Stepping away from the blinds with a sigh, (Y/n) pressed a hand against her chest. She remembered the intense burning sensation coursing through her body after speaking with Brahma with the Archaean's assistance. She could feel a foreign presence in her body that felt as if it were slumbering deep inside her. Knowing it was Brahma's blessing, she inhaled deeply before exhaling. She would have to tell the boys, especially Noctis since he would need the creator god's power to become the True King. She just wondered how Prompto would react at the news. Although she was still herself, she now was the conduit for Brahma and would be used by the god whether she liked it or not.

Desperate for answers, (Y/n) left the caravan. She walked past the chocobo pens and towards the rear of the outpost. She stood near the clifftop, gazing up at the sky. Her eyes landed on the Celestial Crescent, which was now glowing brighter than ever. "Brahma?"

What do you desire, Child of Pneuma?

She was taken aback at how clear she could hear his voice. She shook her head and questioned the Astral. "Out of all the other spirits on Eos, why me?"

You are pure of heart and hold no ill-will toward others. Only a pure spirit is worthy of my power.

"Now that I'm the conduit, will I...will I...?" She couldn't even bring herself to ask the question. Tears trailed down her cheeks at the thought of having to leave Prompto and never being able to live happily with him.

Once the True King accomplishes his goal, you will be relinquished of my power and shall be free to live your life as you see fit. Do not fret, Child of Pneuma, for I will only take my true form once you are ready. I shall not manipulate your body nor soul. Continue the path you tread. When you are ready to summon me, use this blade.

(Y/n) blinked in shock, causing a few more tears to fall, as a blade appeared in front of her.

She admired the sword's beauty as it floated in the air. Reaching out, she grabbed the cosmic weapon and examined it closer. She gripped it tightly, casting her gaze back up at the sky. "Thank you, Brahma."

Tread lightly for there lies a malevolent force that yearns for your destruction.

"I will." (Y/n) dispelled the blade and looked away from the sky. She stared down at the ground located at the base of the cliff. Brahma's words brought her comfort, knowing she wouldn't have to separate from Prompto. She placed a hand over her racing heart at just thinking about him. She was torn from her happy thoughts of the blonde when she felt something wet hit her forehead. Looking up, she saw the sky was now covered in gray clouds. It was beginning to rain.

Just as she turned around to search for the others, she heard Prompto's frantic voice shouting her name. She mentally scolded herself for not finding him first before speaking with Brahma. She followed his voice and found him desperately searching the outpost for her. She called out to him and he immediately spun around. She witnessed his eyes widen before he dashed over.

Prompto came to a stop in front of her, holding himself back from hugging her. His hands twitched, eager to touch her. He forced a smile. "Hey, you're up! How ya feeling?"

"I'm fine." (Y/n) noticed his jittery movements and giggled. She reached out and took one of his gloves hands in hers. "You don't have to worry about hurting me, Prom. It's okay to touch me."

At her words, Prompto's smile fell. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her smaller frame and hug her tightly. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his body shaking. She heard a few faint sniffles and felt a couple tears splash against her shoulder. She wound her arms around his torso and hugged him back. She rubbed circles on his back to soothe him. In a hushed tone, she whispered sweet nothings in his ear in an attempt to bring a halt to his tears.

After a few minutes, Prompto calmed down. His tears were gone and he no longer sniffled. He did keep (Y/n) in his arms even after he was okay, only pulling back slightly to gaze at her face. "What happened to you, (Y/n)?"

"Well, um..." The girl's voice trailed off. She wanted to keep her status as Brahma's conduit a secret for just a little while longer until she was ready to summon the god. "I'm not really sure myself. All I remember is Titan grabbing me and trying to talk to me. Then I suddenly felt like my chest was going to explode. After that, I lost consciousness."

Prompto, unable to see through her lie, explained to her how Noctis warped to her rescue. He even mentioned her bleeding eyes and nose. Since an entire explanation was in order, he shared with her how they were able to defeat the Archaean and were begrudgingly saved by Ardyn and Callyx. He also didn't fail to mention how both men were working for the empire. When seeing (Y/n) wasn't shocked at the revelation, he asked, "Wait, did you know those two were with the empire the entire time?"

She shook her head. "No, but I didn't trust either of them. Now I know why I had such a feeling. What I don't understand is why Callyx would willingly work for the empire after knowing their true motives."

"He said he made a deal with the empire and is using his position to protect his people."

She scoffed. "I doubt it. There's something else about Callyx that rubs me the wrong way, but I can't exactly put my finger on it. Let's just hope we don't see either of those weirdos again."

Immediately after she expresses her feelings for Ardyn and Callyx, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis joined them. She offered them a smile as she removed herself from Prompto's arms. The three boys express their concern for her, which she easily erased once convincing them she was fine.

Wishing to change the subject, (Y/n) asked what they would need to do next. Noctis mentioned their brief conversation with Gentiana and how their task would be to locate the three runestones of Ramuh. He also didn't leave out the fact they would have to travel through the storm without the Regalia.

"Which means we're gonna have to rent chocobos!" Prompto cheered excitedly. "C'mon, Noct!"

The group walk over to the rent-a-chocobo. Noctis went to rent five birds, but he was only able to obtain three. They wondered why they couldn't get their hands on two more chocobos and approached Wiz. The older man said a large party of tourists had to rent many birds and there were only three rentable ones left. He apologized before they headed towards the road.

"What're we supposed to do with only three chocobos?" Prompto asked. "It's not like two people can fit on one."

"Tis quite a conundrum," Ignis stated.

"Well..." (Y/n) began.

"What's up, short stuff?" Gladio inquired.

"I may have a possible solution. Noctis, could you summon the chocobos?"

"Uh, sure." Noctis pulled out the whistle and blew into it, summoning the three chocobos he'd just rented for the week.

(Y/n) walked out into the middle of the road, putting some distance between her, the chocobos, and the boys. Her body was enveloped in a bright light for a second before it disappeared. Now in her fox form, she lowered her head to show the chocobos she meant no harm. When they "kweh" in response, she lifted her head to see they were not frightened of her.

Prompto stepped forward once understanding what (Y/n)'s idea was. "Does this mean I get to ride on your back?!"

"You sound way too excited," Noctis muttered.

The blonde ignored his best friend and climbed onto (Y/n)'s back. When he was comfortable, he trailed his fingers through the fur along the nape of her neck. "Aw, yeah! I'm totally gonna look badass!" His eyes widen as a giddy grin manifested on his face. "Hey, Noct, take a picture!"

"We've other pressing matters, Prompto," Ignis said before mounting the white-feathered chocobo.

"Yeah," the raven-haired boy agreed, climbing into the saddle of the turquoise-feathered bird. "You can get your picture later."

"Aw, man!" The marksman whined.

Gladio didn't even mutter a comment under his breath as he took the last chocobo, which had crimson feathers. Noctis took the lead, guiding them to the first runestone. Their bodies became soaked in the rain as they traveled through the Duscae region. (Y/n), knowing she was faster than the chocobos, lagged behind to keep up with the others. She listened to Prompto as he expressed his elation while clutching onto her fur to prevent from falling off.

After finding the first runestone, the group searches for the second one. While doing so, Noctis suddenly slowed down when hearing the disembodied voice of Gentiana. "Finite is the Oracle's strength, and great is the toll of the covenant. Without the King, it will be too much to bear."

Ignis, who was riding beside the prince, noticed how he slowed down. "What is it?"

"Apparently all this is taking a toll on Luna, and I should go to her," Noctis explained.

"In dealings with the gods, life is often the currency."

(Y/n) latched on to the strategist's words. Her thoughts ran back to her conversation with Brahma. Had the god lied to her just to earn her trust? Or was he telling the truth? Was Brahma truly a level-headed deity who did not desire her life in exchange to assist the True King? These three questions ran rampant in her head, fogging her mind.

She was torn from her thoughts when she heard Prompto shout about the approaching airships. The group came to a halt as four drop ships and one dreadnought descended on their location. The blonde gasped at the sheer number of imperial forces spilling out of the airships. There were MTs, imperial troopers, and five MA-X Patrias.

"Last time I checked, these guys weren't invited to the party," Gladio growled.

"There's so many of them..." Prompto gulped nervously. "Wh-What do we do?"

The marksman's question went unanswered. Noctis and Ignis exchange glances when a familiar person, one they had thought perished in an explosion, stood by the open hatch in the dreadnought above. The man, Loqi, had survived the explosion at the Norduscaean barricade, but they could see the scarring left behind. "I refuse to be defeated. Kill them!"

The immense number of enemies began closing in on the group. (Y/n), seeing they were in trouble, used her powerful fire magic to create a fiery vortex. She sent it towards the imperials with a menacing screech. Her attack was powerful, but there were still too many adversaries left.

Prompto's grip on the back of the fox's neck tightened. He trusted (Y/n) and knew what he had to do. Looking towards the other boys, he shouted, "(Y/n) and I will keep them busy. You guys get outta here!"

"What?" Noctis gasped. "Now way in hell we're-!"

"We'll be fine! Right, (Y/n)?" Prompto smiled, patting the top of the Fox's head. She nodded her head in response.

"You two better not die on us," Gladio said.

"We will rendezvous with you soon," Ignis added.

Noctis gripped the reins of his chocobo tightly before deciding to trust his friends. He rode off with Gladio and Ignis once (Y/n) made an opening for them to escape. Loqi commanded his forces to go after them, but the fox placed a wall of fire between them and the others. Not even the current downpour could extinguish the flames.

"Oh-ho, nicely done, (Y/n)!" Prompto cheered. He summoned his pistol and killed a few magiteks.

The fox fired spell after spell, managing to destroy half of the enemy forces. Two of the MA-X Patrias were strewn about everywhere after exploding. Even though their numbers were down, there were still too many for the duo to handle. They distracted the imperials for another ten minutes before making a prompt escape.

(Y/n) created an opening and leapt away, running as fast as she could in the opposite direction Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio went. She knew the empire would be hot on their tail and got off the road, weaving through the trees in an attempt to put some distance between them and the empire. Prompto held on for dear life because of how quick she was moving. He was tempted to ask her to slow down because of him feeling slightly nauseous, but didn't knowing how much danger they were still in.

The fox came across strange ruins and leapt up the stairs. She walked deeper into the ruins before coming across a bridge in the middle of what appeared to be a tower. Leaping off the side, she landed below it and hid. Prompto breathed a sigh of relief when she came to a stop and slid off her back. He could hear the imperials in the distance, tensing up slightly.

(Y/n) used one of her tails to pull him closer to her and into the shadows below the bridge. She laid down with a huff, exhausted from the fighting and sprinting. Prompto sighed, flopping down on the ground with his back leaning against her side. He pulled out his phone and groaned when it didn't turn on. "Aw, man..." The fox lifted her head, wondering what the problem was.

Prompto showed her his phone and how it wouldn't turn on. Water was dripping from the charging port. "I should've known this would happen with all this rain. Guess we'll have to find Noct and the others a different way, or wait 'til my phone dries out. But for now..." He reclined further into her side, folding his arms behind his head with a sigh of content. He closed his eyes with a small yawn. "Y'know, you're more comfortable than any bed, (Y/n). I think I might fall asleep..."

The guardian adjusted her position in order to curl up. Her head and tails now rested near the boy, ears lying flat against her head. Prompto reaches out with one hand and strokes the top of her head. "Oh, yeah. There was something I wanted to say to you after we were done with the Disc. So much happened I completely forgot until now." He glanced down at the fox's face, noticing her eyes were closed. He could hear and feel her deep, even breathing. Smiling, he continued to lovingly stroke the top of her head. "Guess I'll save it for another time."

Feeling exhaustion catching up to him, Prompto snuggles up closer to (Y/n). He yawned, having not gotten much sleep since the incident at the Disc because of him constantly worrying about the girl. He stared up at the bridge, thanking the inanimate object for protecting him and (Y/n) from the rain, before falling asleep.

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

After several hours, Prompto woke up. He blinked rapidly and stretched his arms up into the air. Looking towards (Y/n), he saw she too was awake and still in her spiritual form. He caressed her head when she lowered it. He couldn't get over how much he enjoyed petting her because of her soft fur.

The fox closed her gold-slitted eyes and leaned further into his touch. Her many tails wagged behind her, showcasing her joy. She eventually leaned really close to him and nuzzled her wet, cold nose against his chest, making him giggle. This resulted in him to wrap his arms around her neck and hug her. "I always thought chocobos were the best. I take that back."

Suddenly, (Y/n) heard his stomach growl. Her ears twitched at the noise and lifted her head to stare into his cerulean eyes. Prompto cleared his throat in embarrassment, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I...might be a little hungry..."

The fox snorted and urged him onto her back. The blonde didn't hesitate to climb onto her. He gripped the nape of her neck tightly and told her he was ready to go. (Y/n) hopped up onto the bridge and was blinded by the bright sun for a second. She and Prompto looked up at the clear sky. "Hey, it's not raining anymore! Guess that means Noct did it."

(Y/n) carried Prompto out of the ruins. Unlike yesterday, she ran slower to prevent upsetting the blonde's stomach. She sprinted to the nearest outpost, which was the Cauthess Rest Area. Once there, the boy dismounted her and allowed her to change back to her human form.

She looked around the rest area and her eyes landed on the Crow's Nest. "You're hungry, right? Let's go to the diner."

"I could eat a whole garula," Prompto confessed.

"You have money, don't you?"

He nodded. "Yep! Got enough for both of us. Let's go!"

The duo walk into the Crow's Nest and sit down at one of the booths. Prompto ordered for them when the waiter arrived. While waiting for their meal, he pulled out his phone. The screen lit up when he turned it on. He cheered, checking the messages he received from Noctis and Ignis. "Oh, hey! They found the car!"

"Where is it?" (Y/n) asked.

"It's... Oh..." His smile fell. "It's, uh...in an imperial stronghold."

"I'd be lying if I said I was shocked." She leant forward, glancing down at his phone. "Did Noctis bother giving you directions?"

"No, but Iggy did. They're waiting for us at Sothmocke Haven."

"Guess that's where we're going after we eat."

They both fell silent as their meal arrived. As they munched down on the delicious salmon, Prompto suddenly lowered his fork. "Hey, um...about that important thing I needed to tell you..."

(Y/n) ceased eating. "Oh, I completely forgot. Is now a good time?"

"Actually, can we talk somewhere else after we're done here? I-I know the others are waiting for us, but it'll be quick, I promise."

She nodded. "Okay."

They continued eating until there was nothing left on their plates. Prompto paid the waiter before they both left the diner. The moment the blonde went to pull her aside to confess his feelings, his phone rang. Apologizing, he picked up and started chatting with Noctis.

While he was on the phone, she wandered toward the statue of Kenny Crow sitting down. She examined the sculpture, noticing the paint was wearing off and some parts of the wings were chipped. She sat down next to the crow, her eyes never leaving it. Even after so many years, she still had yet to understand some of the things humans did. "What a weird statue..."

The guardian looked away from the sitting statue when Prompto walked over. She gazed up at him and went to ask him about what he wanted to tell her, but stopped when seeing the serious expression on his face. She wondered what was wrong and if it had to do with anything Noctis said over the phone. "Hey, what's-?"

Prompto leaned down and quickly silenced her with a kiss.