Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse {Book One: Death} (Noctis x Reader)

|| Nine ||

After another departure from the group, (Y/n) whistles for Thanatos and the loyal steed arrives at her side. She hopped up onto the horse's back and threaded her fingers through his soft mane. "Alright, buddy. Let's find a place where I can clean up. Sorry if I get mud and blood on you in advance."

Thanatos neighed, scuffing his hoof against the soft grass below. Death patted his neck before digging her heels into his sides. The steed took off in a gentle gallop, helping (Y/n) search for a body of water.

After half an hour, they found a small pond that was a few miles down the road from Coernix Station locates just northeast of Alstor Slough. Thanatos had spotted it before her and decided to trot across the wetlands to reach the body of water. (Y/n) smiled at the sight, knowing she would be clean soon. She hugged Thanatos and kissed his neck. "You are a magnificent horse and I love you!" The horse whinnied cheerfully at her affection and bobbed his head up and down.

(Y/n) and Thanatos reach the small pond and both were excited. Death jumped off the horse's back and tugged at her clothes. The steed trotted over and used his body as a shield so the girl could get out of her clothes. Once her outfit was off, she moved to unlacing her boots and yanking them off. She grabbed her clothes and placed her shoes underneath Thanatos before turning to face the pond. The Horseman dipped a single toe into the water, testing the temperature. The water was warm and she didn't hesitate to walk into the pond with her dirty clothes.

When the liquid surrounded her body, a sigh of content left her lips. (Y/n) cleaned her clothes thoroughly and once she was done, she passed them over to Thanatos. The horse gently grabbed the outfit between his teeth and placed it on the ground so it could dry. Then, the girl dove below the surface and cleaned her tainted hair. Once she emerged from the water, her tense muscles relaxed and she floated on the surface before cleaning the rest of her body. Death ran her fingers through her wet locks as she finally was squeaky clean. A few fish swam around her as she peered down into the water with a smile. "The embodiment of Death is enamored by life. How ironic."

A neigh caught (Y/n)'s attention and she looked over at Thanatos. The horse was standing at the edge of the pond, peering at her. She swam over to him and exited the water, noticing the time by where the sun sat in the sky. "Almost nighttime. Better let myself dry off before I put my clothes back on. Hopefully, Noctis won't summon me when I'm still completely naked or changing."

Thanatos lied down, allowing (Y/n) to sit down and recline against his body. In such a position, no one could spot her naked form from the highway. Death stared up at the sky, watching as the sun's rays slowly were being vanquished by the looming night that was ready to cast its shadows across all of Eos.

After fifteen minutes, (Y/n) was completely dry and changed into her clothes. Lacing up her boots, the Horseman was finally ready to go. She patted Thanatos' side with a smile. "Ready to-" Suddenly, she felt a familiar tug on her body. Her surroundings changed and she realized she was now at a haven. "Go...?" The horse had been pulled with her as he stood beside her. Spinning on her heels, she saw Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio sitting down. Ignis was standing before them and (Y/n) felt as if she were interrupting. "Am I... interrupting?"

"It's not your fault. Noct's the one who summoned you," Gladio said, gesturing to the prince that sat beside him.

"Yeah, blame it all on me," the raven-haired boy groaned.

"Who cares whose fault it is? (Y/n)'s here now and we can finally figure out a good plan!" Prompto cheered.

Noctis eyes his royal advisor, knowing the man was full of ideas. "So, any bright ideas, Ignis?"

"A dark one, as it were. A frontal assault would leave us exposed. But, if we move under cover of night, we might be able to infiltrate the base unnoticed," Ignis explained.