Zodiac (Final Fantasy XV)

|•XIV•|

~Zodia's POV~

Waking up the next morning, I heard Noctis and Gladio messing with Prompto. Before I left the tent, the blonde shouted the unexpected. "I do still like Zodia!" My body froze at his sudden announcement. Noctis was the next to speak. "So, I was right! That's why you were embarrassed in Malmalam Thicket after she helped you."

"Y'know, your competition is Iggy," Gladio states.

"I-I know Zodia likes Iggy, but... I still never got over her," Prompto admits in a meek voice. Unconsciously, I placed a hand over my racing heart at his confession. Even though I love Ignis, there's always been a special place in my heart for the bubbly blonde. He's always felt like another brother to me. I've never even thought of him in a romantic way.

Taking a deep breath, I exit the tent and all eyes fall upon me. Prompto tensed up, stuttering as he tried to explain. I cut him off with a small wave of my hand. "You don't need to explain, Prom. I... I heard everything. And... I'm sorry."

"I-I know I can't compete against Iggy. He's been by your side since you were little. I just wish... I had beaten him to it."

I couldn't help but smile sadly. Prompto noticed and immediately began cheering me up with his normal goofy behavior. That sad smile soon turned into a joyous one. Suddenly, Noctis placed a hand on his head and groaned in pain.

"Another headache?" Ignis asked.

"This is not normal," Gladio said.

"Let's head back to Lestallum and check in on Iris. After that, let's head to the Disc," Noctis states, shaking his head lightly after the pain finally passes. All agreeing, we pack up camp and set out for Lestallum.

The seething city made me feel a little weak as Ignis parked. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio all stormed off, leaving Ignis and me alone. We made eye contact and I smiled. "Wanna pick up some fresh ingredients from the market?"

"Certainly," Ignis replies with his own brilliant smile. Our hands were naturally drawn together, fingers entwining like beautiful ribbons.

The market was bustling as usual. Women wearing their power plant protective suits were wandering around while the men busy themselves with selling goods. We scanned over tons of fruits and vegetables until we found the perfect ones for our next dish.

An hour passed before we knew it. Ignis' phone suddenly buzzed, receiving a text from Noctis. "We are to meet the others at the overlook in a few minutes," he informed me.

"Alright, let's go put the ingredients in the car before we do," I said. Ignis nods and we head to the parking lot. Accomplishing our first task, we made our way to the outlook. The others were waiting for us, but I noticed a man I did not recognize waking towards the five of us.

"What a coincidence," he said, an eerie grin playing on his lips.

"I'm not so sure it is," Gladio snarls. With graceful steps, he stops in front of Noctis, but his eyes travel over to me. Pushing pass my brother, he made his way over to me. He didn't make it far before Ignis stood in front of me protectively, completely hiding me from the man's view.

"A beautiful and delicate flower blooming in the midst of war. It'd be a shame to see your shimmering petals be plucked, one by one." Something about his small metaphor made me feel uneasy and reminded me of what Pisces said about the dangers of me going to the Disc.