A/n: I NEED Y'ALLS HELP! This regards what story I will publish next. PLEASE CHOOSE FROM THE TWO BELOW!!!

•The Hunter (Prompto x OC)
•Descendant of the Crystal (Noctis x OC)

Gladio's story will be last because I'm still working a story around it. COMMENT WHICH ONE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE NEXT!!! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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~Zodia's POV~

Feeling a gentle hand stroking my hair, my eyes slowly flutter open. When I was met with bright emerald irises, I let a small giggle slip and bury my head in Ignis' chest. A rumbling came from his chest, a sign he was laughing.

After another few minutes, Ignis and I sat up and saw the others were chatting away. When I remembered the question I was going to ask, I turned to my fiancé. "Iggy, how did you find a way to kill the Talmoruth?"

"Your minuscule lesson in translating Xylian provided the ability to unearth a sole method of annihilating the wretched daemon."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You were able to translate some of the grimoire with just my lesson alone?"

"Merely only a couple of pages in a span of ten hours."

"That's still impressive! Well, this is you we're talking about. Not even Father was able to translate a single page of Xylian within two years. I'm glad that it was helpful in the end."

Ignis took my hand and laid a tender kiss on the back of it. "If permitted, I desire to have another session in translating such an intricate language."

"For you, gladly. Speaking of Xylian, is the grimoire still on the train?"

"Alas, it is. Apologies, my dear."

"Don't apologize, Iggy. It's a book, not a lifeline. I'm just glad the four of you are safe."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Prompto approaching us as he fiddled with his fingers. "U-Um, Iggy-with your permission, c-could I..." His voice trailed off, his face tinted a light shade of red. Ignis seemed to know what the blonde was going to ask and nodded. "You need no permission on my behalf."

Prompto smiles and his eyes met mine. He sat on the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around my small frame. He rested his head on my shoulder as I reciprocated the hug. "How're you feeling?" He asked sweetly.

"I should be the one asking you that," I remark.

"I'm not the one who was trapped inside a daemon for days."

I smile at his concern. "I'm fine, Prom. Thank you for worrying about me. Have you... did you tell them?"

He nods. "Yeah, and... you were right about everything as usual."

"You had nothing to worry about. You're a Lucian and always will be."

He hugged me tighter and I felt something wet hitting my shoulder. Feeling the small droplets hit my skin, I ran a gentle hand through his blonde locks and allowed his tears of joy to fall onto my shoulder.

"Iggy is so lucky..." he whispers once his tears ceased.

"You'll find someone soon, Prom. Just give it time."

He nods and we break the embrace. Noctis and Gladio stood by the bed while Ignis, Prompto, and I sat on the foot of it. The tactician leaned forward, resting his hands in his lap. "Now then, the Crystal."

"I'm guessing the way is locked," Gladio comments.

Next to me, Prompto leans back and stares at the ceiling with a grin. "Well, I guess it's a good thing somebody has keys to the whole fortress."

"You're no better than a burglar," Noctis snickers.

"Aren't I?" Prompto shrugs.

Leaving the living quarters, the five of us run through the keep, searching for the Crystal. Luckily, our search wouldn't take long for the boys had already checked previous levels when they were trying to find me and Prompto.

Heading further up in the Keep, we found ourselves in a small room. Proceeding through another door, we were stopped when a Foras daemon blocked our path. "The ring... It's mine..."

I couldn't believe the sight before us. The daemon was once Emperor Iedolas. Ignis stares at the daemon in appalling shock, picturing the man before him. "Truly be... the emperor?"

"Does seem kinda keen on the ring," Gladio scoffs.

"So we fight him?" Prompto asked.

Noctis nods. "We take mercy."

"Even if he is a horrendous man, killing him now would be less painful than him remaining a daemon," I said. When I tried to summon my staff, nothing appeared in my hand. "My staff-I don't have a weapon." I stared at my hands, my heterochromia eyes widening slightly. Snapping my eyes towards Ignis, I watched as he summoned my staff. With a gentle smile, he hands the weapon over. "I do believe this is yours, darling."

I beam with joy. "Thank you, Ignis."

He nods, summoning his own two daggers. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis closed in on the Foras daemon while Prompto and I stayed in the back, farthest away from the creature. I glanced at Prompto with a grin and asked him a small question. "How do you feel about explosive bullets?"

His eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Sign me up!"

I nod with a smile and enhance his bullets with mana. With a few rounds of bullets, Prompto fires the explosive projectiles one after another and didn't hold back. Emperor Iedolas shrieked out, the ear-splitting screech causing all of us to take a few steps back. Prompto fires another explosive bullet and it hit its mark-the daemon's forehead. As the explosion was slightly delayed, Iedolas spoke.
"The empire shall span... all the lands... By the Crystal's Light... we shall flourish... I shall arise... as ruler... of the world!"

Finally, the bullet exploded, taking the daemon's head clean off its shoulders. "Nice shot," I comment.

Prompto spins his pistol around with a grin. "All in a day's work."

"Yes, because it isn't a normal day for us unless we've killed at least one daemon," I snicker.

"Ain't that the truth," Gladio chuckles.

"Should carve that into stone and hang it somewhere," Noctis adds.

"A plaque in the most visible place shall do," Ignis comments.

"We should make t-shirts," I giggle.

"We'd get so many weird looks," Noctis snorts.

"But we'd look awesome all together!" Prompto chants.

I smiled at our childish behavior before slipping back to reality. "Once this is all over, I hope none of us have to part ways." The words rolled off my tongue without hesitation. All eyes fell upon me, realizing what I had just said. The boys smiled, nodding at my words.

"Don't go actin' cute right now," Gladio remarks.

"Yeah, Sis. We still gotta find the Crystal," Noctis beams.

"Sorry, I didn't expect to say what I was thinking out loud."

Ignis just grins faintly as Gladio points to Noctis and Prompto. "These two idiots do it all the time."

"Yeah, we-hey!" Prompto shouts with a pout.

After his minuscule outburst, we got back on track and continued our search for the Crystal.

Our path had led us to a large hangar after our battle with Iedolas. Now, all we had to find was the central elevator. "One helluva hangar," Gladio comments as we walk through the vast, open area.

Prompto awed slightly at the size of the hangar. "Look at all this space."

"So, the central elevator's through here," Noctis states.

"And out of the loading bay," the shield responds.

The sound of the doors opening from the far end of the hangar caught our attention, halting us in our tracks. Ardyn's voice resounded from the loudspeakers of the Keep, taunting us once again. "Your Majesty, your precious Crystal awaits you. To liven things up I thought I'd take you on a stroll down memory lane. Of course, memories decay with time."

A frightening sight walked through the open hangar doors. Ravus's body, now grotesque and daemonic, slowly marched in. "Kill me... End it..."

Gladiolus squints his eyes to see past his horrid image. "Is that Ravus?"

"Or what's left of him..." the sharpshooter mutters.

"Dammit...," my brother murmurs under his breath.

I shook my head at the frightening sight. "No... It can't be... I-I promised Luna he was s-safe."

Ignis noticed my sudden behavior change and placed his hands on my shoulders. "You mustn't think this way, Zodia."

I ignored his words, stepping away from the strategist. The feeling blossoming in my chest was the same I felt back in Altissia. The malevolence in my heart was overflowing like a waterfall, the hatred and sorrow clawing a way out of my body through shadows. The pain was unbearable and I placed my hands on my head, letting out a bloodcurdling scream at the top of my lungs. Before I fell into the clutches of darkness, Libra appeared and dragged Ignis away from me.

~3rd Person POV~

Freeing the man, Libra raised his sword and aimed it at Zodia. The princess was now shrouded in the shadows of the Arcane as its monstrous form morphed from the darkness.

"W-What's happening to her?!" Prompto shouts worriedly.

"The Arcane has liberated itself from Virgo's seal. A malevolence conjured from years of hatred and sorrow has consumed the Daughter of the Zodiac," Libra answers.

All were shocked, except for Ignis. Deep in his heart, he knew this was his fault. That day in Altissia, he should've heeded Virgo's warning. Now, the Arcane was much larger and more powerful than before.

"Ignis!" Noctis shouts, bringing the man back to reality. "You know what's happening?"

"Yes. In Altissia, the day of the Rite. I am familiar with this monstrosity."

Noctis then locked his gaze onto the seventh zodiac. "Is there a way to stop this?"

"The only cure for the Arcane is to let it slaughter. Once satisfied, the creature will vanish for eternity."

"That seems simple," Prompto said, his eyes glued to Zodia's shadow-engulfed form.

"You are all in peril. I shall keep her at bay," Libra declares.

"What do you mean? That's my sister! She wouldn't hurt us!" Noctis hisses.

"Your sister-yes. The Arcane-no. In her current state, Zodia sees all as her adversaries. Do not touch her for the shadows will try to consume you, as well."

"Noct, our skirmish is with Ravus. Leave Zodia in Libra's care," Ignis said, summoning his daggers and facing the High Commander.

"Dammit!" Noctis growls as he called upon the Sword of the Father.

Their blades turned against Ravus, the royal retinue handles him while Libra keeps the Arcane from getting close to them. The battle with the High Commander was excruciating, but they were victorious. The companions watched as the man fell to the ground and his body vanish. Feeling a hint of remorse, Noctis turned away to see the progress with the Arcane and his sister.

"Do you think being inside the Talmoruth caused the malevolence to build?" Prompto asked.

"Highly feasible. Although... I am to blame," Ignis admits.

"How're you to blame, Iggy?" Gladio ponders.

"The day of the Rite, as the Arcane's onslaught tore into Caligo, I rebuffed Virgo's exhort."

"You knew it would come back?" Noctis asked.

Ignis nods. "A selfish request upon my part. If I would've heeded Virgo's words, Zodia would not be experiencing such pain."

"No one's to blame! Iggy, you did that because you didn't want anyone else drawn into the fight and you wanted Zodia back," Prompto defends the tactician.

"He's right," Gladio agreed with the blonde.

"Glad to see you can be selfish sometimes, Specs," Noctis grins.

Ignis couldn't describe how joyous he was to hear their words. They didn't blame him and it sounded as if they agreed with his decision. He redirects his attention to the zodiac as it fought the Arcane and pushed it back. Ignis took note of how the shadows engulfing Zodia's body were much thicker than last time.

His train of thought was derailed when the sound of daemons were approaching quickly. "Look alive-company!" Gladio bellows. The room fills with daemons, their attacks relentless.

Realizing their fighting was futile, Gladio clicked his tongue in annoyance. "We're getting nowhere!"

"And they just keep coming!" Prompto shouts, shooting a few daemons down.

"Noct, you must go alone," Ignis said as he threw a dagger.

"What?" The prince questioned.

"If you can obtain the Crystal's power, we may yet turn the tide. Elsewise, we are all likely to perish here."

"Iggy's right. It's our only chance," Gladio said.

"But what about you?"

"We'll manage somehow! Just get moving!" Prompto shouts at his best friend.

Ardyn broadcasts his voice once again, his words directed towards Noctis. "You could still get to the Crystal... if you went on your own. Your friends and sister will have to stay behind."

With no other choice, Noctis heads to the elevator and ascends to the loading bay. The others fight off the swarm of daemons, their energy gradually evaporating as the monsters seemed to have no end. Libra grabbed the Arcane by the neck and faced Ignis. "Let the Arcane feast upon these foul creatures. This shall fulfill its hunger and liberate Zodia of the shadows."

"Understood," Ignis said. "Gladio, Prompto, back away from the daemons!"

"You're crazy, Iggy! If we do, they'll kill us!" Prompto shouts.

"The Arcane will handle them. We must sheath our blades and fall back. If we are in the line of sight, the monster will focus on us and not the daemons."

"Let's go find some cover," Gladio said, dispelling his greatsword. He grabbed Prompto and followed Ignis to a hiding spot not far from the hangar doors. They watched as Libra threw the Arcane towards the daemons before disappearing. With no other enemies in sight, the monster gave the daemons its full attention.

"What about Zodia?" Prompto asked anxiously.

"No daemon will harm her. The shadows shrouding her body will yield their advances," Ignis states.

"How do you know?" Gladio ponders.

"When I made contact with it in Altissia, the substance shielded her and shoved me aside."

The trio heard the Arcane's thunderous roar as it shredded a few daemons at once. Watching closely, they were surprised to witness the monster eating two Iron Giants that were much bigger than itself.

"What a diet," Prompto murmurs.

"A daemon eating other daemons. Never thought I'd see such a thing," Gladio comments.

"Neither I, myself," Ignis said.

The boys couldn't tear their eyes away from the Arcane as it tore through the rest of the daemons as if they were nothing. Ingesting the final Red Giant, the Arcane's body evaporated into the air. The shadow engulfing Zodia's form vanished as the Arcane was finally out of sight. Her heterochromia eyes open, scanning the room for the others. The three emerged from their hiding spot and ran to her, checking to see if she was alright.

"I'm fine. I feel great, actually. Where's Noctis?" She inquired.

"We're on our way to rendezvous with him now," Gladio said.

Ignis meets everyone's gaze. "Let's make haste."