~Zodia's POV~

As the next morning came, Ignis and I woke up before the other three. Since we were low on curatives and forgot to buy them yesterday, the two of us head into the service station and bought enough for our visit to the Disc. Ignis bought himself a small can of ebony as well to make sure he was completely awake. When I turned around to grab his attention, I was greeted by a smiling Ardyn. I unconsciously took a step back and my back hit the counter. A gasp slipped through my lips at the man's close proximity, which was enough to grab Ignis' attention.

In the blink of an eye, he had pulled me towards him and placed himself between me and Ardyn. The amber eyed man stuck an arm up, signaling he had no ill intentions. "We shall depart within the hour. Best be prepared. There are no more stops." With those words, he left the service station. My hand curled into Ignis' blazer as I remembered I would have to be stuck in a car with that man.

"If it is too much—please, do tell me. None of us will force you to bear a car ride with a complete stranger," he said softly. It's as if he sensed exactly what I was worrying about. I'm not shocked to know he could tell what was bothering me. I've known the man for twelve years.

Sighing, I face Ignis and wrap my arms around his torso. His body relaxes at my sudden hug and his arms slowly make their way around my smaller frame. "The Disc is close. I'll pull through for everyone's sake," I mumble into his chest. His arms tightened around me and he rested his head atop mine. Though we've hugged numerous of times, this one was full of love. The usual hugs we gave back in Insomnia were friendly hugs, but our relationship has blossomed into that of a true couple. The only thing we had yet do is kiss. Just thinking about it made my cheeks ignite with heat.

Click

The sound of a camera shutter drew my attention to the front entrance. The one and only Prompto Argentum stood there with a grin, his camera aimed at us. "Before you say anything, I'm not deleting it!" He declares, pulling the camera close to his chest. Rolling my eyes with a smile, I gazed at the blonde. "I wasn't gonna ask you to delete it. I know how much you love your pictures to ask such a heinous thing," I reply kindly. He smiles and dashes to Noctis and Gladio.

Ignis sighs, loosening his arms and letting them fall to his side. I refused to let go and continued to rest my head on his chest. "I need to hug you longer so I can survive this trip with Ardyn. I'll most likely crush you to death once we're done with the Archaean," I giggle. I heard a rumble of laughter come from his chest at my words. One of his hands threaded through my midnight hair, stroking gently and combing through a few small knots here and there from last night.

Before he could speak, Ardyn returned and informed us of our departure. Reluctantly listening to him, we left the store and headed to the cars. I glared at the old automobile that I would be sharing another ride in with Ardyn. Praying to the Six, I hope he wouldn't talk my ear off. Before departing, Ignis made sure I still had his phone. Luckily, I hadn't forgotten it in the caravan last night. We depart Coernix Station and begin our last leg to the Disc.

As the beautiful scenery passed by, Ardyn said nothing. Though my wish was granted, it did worry me a little. It felt as if he was planning something in silence. Arriving at the imperial blockade, Ardyn pulls over and stops the car. "We're here." The Regalia pulls up next to us and I heard Noctis mumble. "Better not be a setup."

"Have I given you reason to doubt me?" Ardyn said, feigning a hurtful tone.

"You don't really inspire confidence, especially since you basically forced Zodia to come along," Prompto replied.

"Yeah, not very straightforward," Gladio grumbles. Ardyn just smiles and turns his attention to the blockade. "Hello! It's me! Be so kind as to open up!" As his voice rang out, the blockade opened. I gasp in shock at the simplicity behind the easiness he had opening the metal doors. "And this is where we part, my dear Zodia." Hearing those words made me so joyous. I gladly hop out of the car and slide in the back with Ignis and Gladio. Being the smallest, I decided to sit in the middle.

"Your audience with divinity lies ahead," Ardyn states.

"You're leaving?" Prompto puzzled.

"I drop you at the Archaean's open door, and with that, bid you farewell."

I slumped back in my seat with a huge sigh of relief. I could hear the four chuckling at my behavior, but I ignored it. Noctis drove through the now open blockade and left the creepy man behind.

"I've met some weirdos..." Gladio said.

"I hope we never meet that one again," Ignis comments.

"Whoa! Little harsh there, don't you think?" Prompto glanced at the three of us.

"Not harsh enough. You try riding with him if we see him again. Hopefully, we won't," I mumble.

"I think I'll pass on that, Zo."

"Smart choice."

With caution, Noctis drove the rocky and windy path. A few miles down, we ran into a dead end and continued on foot. What surprised me as we pushed forward was the presence of no enemy forces. Not far from the Regalia, what we saw shocked us.

"Is that what I think it is?" Prompto questioned.

"Didn't expect to find a royal tomb here," Ignis said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Would be a shame not to grab that power, eh, Highness?" Gladio glanced at Noctis. My brother rolls his eyes at the title and sighs. "Let's grab it and go." While Noctis was claiming another royal arm, a page stuck under the blade caught my attention. Curiosity took over and I stood next to my brother, picking up the page and examining what was written on it.

"A page from the grimoire. What's it doing out here and why is it not in the book?" I mumble to myself.

"What's—" Noctis starts but was cut off by a violent earthquake.

"Here we go again," Prompto whines, trying to stay on his feet.

"This one's huge!" Gladio braced himself next to the blonde as Noctis and I held onto one another. One of his hands grasped at his head and I knew he was suffering from another headache.

"Get away! Quickly!" Ignis shouts at us. I helped Noctis to his feet, but it was too late. The ground beneath us crumbled, taking me and Noctis with it. A gasp of fear escaped me as I felt my body fall. My body hit jagged rocks on the way down, but I was still able to stop my fall when I grasped onto the rocky wall. The sudden halt from falling causes my whole body to jolt in pain. My nails felt as if they would break off if I held on any tighter.

My eyes traveled upwards to see a ledge a few feet above my head. The moment I tried to climb up, my grip loosened and I slipped down the wall further. I stop moving once I knew that the position I was in wasn't a good one.

"Zodia!"

My eyes snap upwards to see Noctis and Gladio on the ledge I was trying to reach only seconds ago. Noctis summoned his blade, but his shield stopped him from warping. "Gladio, what the hell?! We've gotta get to her!" He shouts in protest.

Gladio moved his eyes from my brother to me. He leaned over the ledge and stretched as far as his arm could go. "Dammit," he curses under his breath when he can't reach me.

"M-maybe I could jump and reach your hand," I said in a shaky voice.

"It's highly possible our hands will miss and you'll fall," he said, not accepting my idea.

"It's the only thing we can do. If I fall, then... I fall."

"You're one tough princess." Gladio took a deep breath and sighed. "Alright, let's do it. Whenever you're ready." I nod and prepare myself before jumping. Noctis waited in an anguishing silence, waiting for me to be back on solid ground.

I calmed my racing heart and bent my knees, hoping this would be enough to reach Gladio's hand. As I sprung forward, another earthquake came and knocked the bodyguard off balance. When I thought our hands would meet, I was only grasping at air. My eyes widen as I began to plunge down the cliff.

"No!"

Shouts from Noctis and Gladio were the last thing I heard before my whole body was in pain and darkness engulfed me.

~3rd Person POV~

After watching the princess fall, Noctis fell to his knees in complete and utter shock. Gladio had to support the prince to prevent him from falling over the edge as well. The bodyguard pulled Noctis to his feet and snapped him out of his shocked state. Once free of the emotional shackles, Noctis stood on his own with clenched fists. "Let's get this over with."

"Noct, we'll find her. The fall wasn't long, but I seriously doubt she'll be unscathed once we do reach her," Gladio strongly declares.

"I know. Zodia's tough and that fall won't kill her. The Archaean is awake and—" The sound of airships silenced him.

"What the hell is the empire doing here?" Glaido growls.

"Let's get moving. If they find Zodia, I seriously doubt they'll pass up the opportunity to grab her."

Descending the ruined path was difficult but proved not to be an obstacle for the two men. The real obstacle was Titan himself. The Astral was constantly trying to grab the prince, doing anything with his hands and feet to bring the two to a halt. As the temperature rose, so did tension between Noctis and Gladio. The shield had to snap some sense into the future king, resulting in something resonating within Noctis.

The two were eventually separated as Titan brought the cliff Noctis and Gladio were standing on down with his foot. The Astral wasn't going down with a fight and neither was Noctis. Wishing to end the ordeal and find his sister, the prince readied his blade and brought the fight to Titan. The empire was trying to enrage the Archaean, but were stopped when Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis showed up to stop the imperials and aid Noctis in the struggle against the Astral.

With quick thinking, the four were able to stop Titan's rampage and cause the imperials to flee. Once all was quiet, Ignis looked around for the missing princess. "Noct, where is Zodia?" The prince spun on his heels to look around for his sister.

"Let's go look for her," he said.

"She still has Iggy's phone, right? Why don't we call and see if she answers? It'll save us some time," Prompto propositioned. They all agreed to the sharpshooter's idea. He pulled out his phone and dialed Ignis' number. They all hoped Zodia would answer, but what reached their ears was the sound of the advisor's ringtone nearby.

Ignis turned and looked towards the direction that the ring came from. Dread blossomed in his chest as he slowly made his way over. When he stopped, the device and a pool of blood greeted him. With a trembling hand, he picked up the phone and looked at the shattered screen.

"Hey, you found the—" Prompto stopped mid sentence with a gasp, his eyes widening in fear at the sight of so much blood. What even frightened him more was that there was no body. Noctis and Gladio soon joined them to see what Ignis had discovered.

"W-where is she?" Noctis sputters.

Ignis couldn't bring himself to answer. He was too frozen to even move a finger. The thought that scared him was that she could have been picked up by the imperials in a dangerous state. The other thought that ran through his mind, which was more darker, was that she was dead and her body was taken. Both shook him to the core and tried to free his mind of picturing her mangled body.

The sound of the ground cracking beneath their feet brought them away from the pool of blood and the princess. Magma seeped through the cracks, causing the situation to become more dire. While thinking of a way to safety, an imperial airship descended upon them. The hatch opened to reveal a man they didn't expect to see again so soon.

"Fancy meeting you here! It occurs to me I never formally introduced myself." Laying a hand on his chest, Ardyn continued. "Izunia. Ardyn Izunia."

"Imperial Chancellor Izunia?" Ignis inquires.

"At your service. And more importantly, to your aid. I guarantee you safe passage. Though you're always welcome to take your chances down there." No one replied to the Chancellor, making him question them once more. "Buried among the rubble, is it?"

Ignis gazed at the prince with strong, unwavering emerald irises. "Dying here is not an option. We must find Zodia and ensure her safe return. We have no choice, Noct."

Meeting his advisor's gaze, Noctis couldn't agree more. "I know. We're gonna find my sister if it's the last thing we do."