By the Stars (Noctis x OC)

Those who remain

The silence inside the car was deafening. None of them had said a word since they left Galdin Quay. Aidin kept staring at her phone, still clinging to a little sliver of hope that it would start ringing, that she would hear her fathers voice on the other end, that he was fine and that the news where wrong. All lies spread by the empire.

Noctis on the other hand stared outside the window. It began raining not too long ago, as if the heavens knew how he was feeling. His thoughts where a mess right now. So much hate for the empire, taking away their homes and families. Anger that his father choose to save him over all the people inside the city. And regret, that he wasn't able to give his father a proper goodbye, because of his own stubbornness.

He looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. How was any of that fair? First his mother was taken from him, too early for him to even remember her, and now his father? He wanted to believe that the reports where wrong, that Insomnia was fine, that his father was alive, but he didn't dare hope.

A small, warm hand came to lay on top of one of his clenched fists, but he couldn't look up. Noct knew if he looked at her now, if he would see the sadness in her usually warm brown eyes, it would cause his mask to break. He would not cry, he had to be strong now. He knew that, but why did it have to be so hard?

"I hope everyone's ok...", Prompto finally broke the silence. Both of the ravenettes looked up. "Lotta good hoping's gonna do.", the Prince said angrily, letting out a shaky sigh. Ignis tried to calm him down, "You mustn't lose faith.". "Really? Can faith stop a fleet of imperial dreadnoughts?", he shot back, his anger taking over. "Give it a rest.", Gladio tried to stop him. It was to late, "My old man had plenty of faith..", he started yelling, his voice shaking.

He was interrupted by a hand squeezing his and a whisper next to him, "Please, stop.". He didn't look at her, but he stopped. That's all Ai wanted, stop him before he said things he would later regret. All they had left now where each other, she didn't want them to fight. Not now, not when everyone's emotions where running wild.

As they passed Hammerhead, a few of said imperial dreadnoughts passed over their heads. "It doesn't look like they'll be singing that peace treaty..", the blonde in the front said, as they all followed them with their eyes. There was no doubt they where headed for the Crown city.

After they had run into a blockade, preventing them from driving into the city, they had turned around and taken a little dirt road to the left of it. "Are you sure that's a good idea?", Aidin asked as they got out of the car and looked around. In front of them was what seemed like ruins from an older building. To their right, though blocked by a high metal fence, they could still see the blockade in the distance.

"There ought to be a decent vantage point up ahead.", was Specs only comment before they started walking. "It's our best chance to find out what's going on at this point.", Gladio said, patting her shoulder before he went past her. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips as she started walking, knowing they where right.

Heading up the stairs before them it didn't take them long to find out that even this path wouldn't be as save as they had thought. Sneaking close to the edge of some stones, Gladiolus took a peek around only to inform them that there where indeed MT's waiting for them.

The anger he had held in earlier came back in full force when Noct heard that, "Those scrapheaps are gonna wish they had a treaty to protect them.", was the last they heard, before the Prince threw his blade at one of the robots, leaving only a trail of blue sparkling dust behind where he had just stood. "You idiot.", Ai said before she let her bow appear in her hands.