Inner Daemons (Final Fantasy XV Fanfic)

Chapter XVIII

Angelica slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the dark room. The soft snores from Gladio filled the otherwise quiet caravan. The girl slowly sat up, gazing at each of her friends. Being in one of the top bunks, she saw Prompto below her. Across from her was Noctis, with Ignis under him. Gladiolus, being accustomed to rough sleeping conditions, was sprawled out on the floor with a pillow and blanket.

That was the chance Angelica had been waiting for. She quietly climbed out of her bed and to the floor below. She carefully stepped around the shield and took her backpack off the counter. She glanced back at the boys one last time before exiting the caravan.

Ignis awoke abruptly, thinking he heard the light click of a door. He was always the lightest sleeper of the four boys. He looked around, his tired eyes landing on the empty bunk above Prompto. He swiftly snatched up his glasses and put them on, seeing that Angelica was indeed missing. He suppressed his weariness and quietly got out of bed, putting on his shoes and leaving the caravan.

Outside, he looked around, squinting to see through the darkness. The chocobos all appeared to be resting, and no people were present at that hour of night. But Ignis did spot a single person, her red hair in the dim lighting giving her away. She was standing at the Rent-a-Bird with her back turned to him. He immediately began marching over, noticing that she was about to put money in the machine.

"Angelica," he said, now behind her. She stiffened and froze, slowly turning to face him. One thing she admired about Ignis was his ability to sneak up on her. Not many could, and he did it sometimes without even trying. But this time, that skill of his annoyed her. "So, you plan to disobey orders and sneak away in the dead of night on the back of a chocobo."

She averted her gaze. "Well I can't just stay here and do nothing. Someone's gotta act, so it might as well be me. I NEED to do this."

"What you NEED is to get some sleep," Ignis responded, crossing his arms. "Despite what you may think, the world doesn't rest on your shoulders, Angel. And do you really think King Regis and Miss Valerie would want you to act so rash?"

"I don't know!" she quietly snapped. "No one could know! They're both gone!"

After a brief silence, Ignis spoke again, "Angel, I understand that you think revenge is the only answer." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "But do remember that we all care about you. You're burdens are ours as well, and only together can we resolve them. Be patient, work with us now, because I can guarantee that the empire will taste our wrath soon enough."

Angelica stared up into his stern, yet gentle eyes. Though she would prefer to leave now and seek her vengeance, something about Ignis's words got to her. To know that she had friends that were willing to help carry her burdens was more than astounding. But she also didn't want to drag them into danger with her. If it were anyone else, she'd have stubbornly gone anyway, but because it was Ignis, she found it extremely difficult to disobey him. He was one of the few people she'd do just about anything for.

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "You win. I won't go. But if we keep wasting time playing hunter, I might change my mind." She crossed her arms and turned her head away. "I'm only here for you guys, no one else."

Ignis chuckled, seeing that her stubborn, tough side was showing again. "Very well, then. Let us return to the caravan."

The two walked back to their lodging, but before entering the caravan, Angelica paused. "Hey, Ignis, would you mind... keeping this between us? I don't want Noct to know I was planning on... ditching you guys."

He smiled faintly. "You have my word."

They went inside and quietly went back to their beds. The others were still sleeping soundly, oblivious to what transpired outside. Angelica and Ignis both went back to sleep, resting peacefully for the remainder of the night. The following morning after breakfast, the gang piled into the Regalia. With the four men taking their usual seats, Angelica was forced to squeeze in between the prince and the shield.