Too Late. (An FFXV fanfiction)

THIS FANFIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FINAL FANTASY XV. READ AT OWN RISK!!

This fanfic concept is thanks to the amazing render by the AMAZING Emy-san who came up with the AU in the first place and who I will leave the link to the original source of right underneath. The background image is also hers, so please go follow her Tumblr as well as her Twitter! (Thank you to Emy-san for also allowing me to do this!)

http://emy-san.tumblr.com/post/172564925129/more-ardyn-well-well-look-who-we-have-here/amp?__twitter_impression=true

~♤~

A cold chill was all he felt as the train continued its slow decent through the snow and the dark, cold tunnel. When was the last time the boys had seen the glow of the sun or even felt its warmth? Noctis wasn’t even sure what this area had even looked like with the grace of the sun shining on it. And as much as he may have wished to see it, he had more important business to attend to.

The crystal, the one that had been protecting his home, insomnia; the one that was stolen from his father's chambers; the same crystal he had sworn to protect; Noctis was about to get it back. But on top of getting the Crystal, Noctis had to get something much more important to him: his best friend, Prompto. Due to Ardyn’s trickery using a rift in time, he had tricked Noctis into pushing his best friend off the train. As if adding insult to injury, Ardyn had been playing tricks on the young king; toying with him, taunting him with the thought of Prompto being hurt, even sending hoards of daemons towards the remaining of the group in what felt like another way of making Noctis suffer.

Through all of the pain, the only thing that he kept thinking about was his friend's safety. He just wanted to find him again, apologize for the idiot he was and make sure he wasn’t hurt. That was all he wanted.

Now running through Zegnautus keep, the enemy's stronghold, he had been separated from the rest of his friends, leaving him to sneak around the fortress. However, he kept getting stopped by daemons like crazy.

“Are you enjoying your stay, dear Noctis?” Ardyn's voice would ring through the whole facility, at least that was how Noctis saw it.

“Where’s Prompto? What did you do to him?!” Noctis growled back at the voice.

“Your dear Prompto? Why he’s here, waiting for you. Though he probably wishes he wasn’t right now.” Ardyn taunted.

“Quit with your bullshit Ardyn!” He yelled as he ed through a door, leading to what looked like a big room full of daemons.

“Oh dear, Noct. You better hurry, your friend seems to be in so much pain. He may not even make it by the time you and your retinue make it here.”

“Shut up!” Noctis shouted, the anger clear in his throat as he fought his way through the daemons, one after another. What would he do if he couldn’t find Prompto? At least Ignis and Gladio had each other but Prompto was all alone there, no doubt waiting for his Prince to come find him.

He continued his trek through the dark, dangerous fortress. Something wasn’t right here, however. MT bodies lay about, ready to attack Noctis at any moment. There was something about them that hit Noctis harder than anything. What was it?

“N-Noct…” a familiar voice called to the Prince, stopping him in his tracks.

“P-Prompto? Prompto! Where are you?!” Noctis’s voice rang through the hallways, echoing through. Yet not a single answer from his friend. He felt his blood boiling at this point. His own friend sounded like he’s in so much pain.

“I'm on my way Prompto! I promise!” He shouted into the nothingness that laid in front of him. He continued his way through the fortress, anxiety eating at his subconscious as he ran.

He had finally reunited with Ignis and Gladio, the two managed to save the Prince from the rather tricky situation he was stuck in.

“Any signs of Prompto yet?” He asked his two retainers once all three of them had finally gotten a chance to rest.

“No, no sign of him yet.” Ignis answered, causing Noctis to run a hand through his hair out of frustration.

“Ignis, there’s something very wrong here. We should have found him by now!” Noctis couldn’t shake the anxiousness from his mind.

“I think he’s right Iggy, we should have found Prompto by now. Where would he be?” Gladio reiterated. Ignis rested his hand to his chin in an attempt to make his mind a little more focused. Not being able to see was really hindering this, yet the rest of his senses seemed to be getting stronger to compensate. His own mind was telling him as well that something was amiss, and yet, what would they be able to do?

“All we can do is search more. There’s a good chance that Ardyn is keeping Prompto where the crystal is. We'll just have to head in that direction.”

It was the only reassurance Ignis could provide the two boys, but even he was at his wits end with this mess.

“Oh? Giving up so soon?” Ardyn's taunting voice returned, echoing through the facility. Noctis was gritting his teeth in anger now.

“Enough with your shit Ardyn! Where the hell is Prompto?!”

Instead of an answer from the maniacal man, a scream was heard; one that made all three boys’ eyes widen as panic set in.

“Prompto!!” Noctis shouted as he ran in the direction of the scream. Ignis and Gladio ran right behind Noctis as absolute terror ran through all three boys’ veins.

Noctis and co finally approach what looked to be a big door for a massive storage site. Before he headed inside however, he felt a chill run through him, as if telling him something was wrong here. Yet he heard the cries of his best friend from the other side, finding the strength to push forward.

“My, look who finally came to save you, dear Prompto.” Ardyn was facing away from Noctis, not even turning to look at the boy; Yet it was sending anger through Noctis’s veins. He couldn’t see Prompto, however.

“Where is he, Ardyn?! Where’s Prompto?!” Noctis's harsh voice echoed through the room.

“Well, well. Look who we have here.” Ardyn turned towards the boys, a sinister smile spread across his face as he moved to side, warping away from the being that he was blocking.

Who—

Noctis's eyes widened in horror.

“P-Prompto?” He voice was barely audible now as he started ahead at the boy who was once his best friend, now ridden with wires and machine parts, the way the broken MTs had looked. His left arm was gone and replaced with parts of an MT's arm, wires jutting out of his neck, connecting to the red core that now laid where his heart would have been. He held his gun in his right hand; his human hand. Tears streamed down his left eye, seeing as his right eye was now a red glowing orb of light.

“Holy shit—” Gladio's voice chimed in behind them.

“Prompto—is he here?” Ignis’s voice followed.

“What.. What did he do to you?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!” Noctis yelled out at Ardyn, who was now a ways back from where the show was taking place.

“Him? Oh no, Noctis, don’t worry about him. He's absolutely FINE.” Ardyn laughed.

“Gladio, what’s going on?” Ignis spoke, almost demanding an answer.

“He—” before Gladio could even explain what was happening, the soft voice of the boy in front of Noctis spoke, his voice barely audible.

“N…Noct… P-Please… Kill me—” Prompto's words shook Noctis to the core.

“Prompto? Is that you?” Ignis asked.

“What a heartbreaking moment.” Ardyn taunted.

“SHUT UP YOU SON OF A BITCH!!” Noctis shouted at Ardyn. He turned his attention back to his best friend standing in front of him.

“P-Prompto, answer me, please! I’m right here!” Noctis's eyes pleading for this not to be true.

“I'm… s-sorry… Noctis.” He tried his best to smile at his friend before moving his gun to his head. Noctis panicked,

“W-wait! What are you do—”

“I.. I can’t be with… y-you guys anymore.”

“No… NO!! STOP!!” Noctis tried to run to his friend but soon felt arms around him, pulling him back.

“LET GO OF ME I HAVE TO—”

“YOU CAN’T NOCT, STAY BACK!! ITS TOO LATE!!” Gladio's voice commanded Noctis as the Prince tried to fight through Gladio's grip.

“WHAT’S GOING ON?! WHAT HAPPENED TO PROMPTO?!” Ignis's voice demanded, giving away his panic.

“I'm… sorry….”

“PROMPTO!!!!” Noctis’s final shout broke him down as he heard the gunshot ring through the area. Time seemed to have come to a standstill as Noctis watched his best friend’s body fall slowly to the ground. Why did this happen? What did he do wrong? Why was he losing all the ones he loved one by one?

His body dropped from Gladio’s grip, causing him to fall to his hands and knees, with only his eyes fixated on the lifeless body of Prompto. He inched his way over to the boy, sitting beside his body, looking at nothing but his own hands and knees.

“Why? Why can’t… I just save one person…” Tears fell from Noctis’s eyes.

“I’m not worthy… to be the king…” Noctis cried. He was the reason so many people were suffering.

“Noct—” Gladio was about to go to Noctis but Ignis grabbed Gladio’s shoulder, pulling him back and shaking his head; a sign for Gladio to let Noctis get it out of his system.

“What a pity.” Ardyn's voice interrupted Noctis's cries. Noctis clenched his fists and teeth, looking up to where the man had been sitting watching the events unfold.

“I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you!!” He shouted to the man, his voice a practical growl.

“Oh, I'm so scared!” He feigned terror, turning to get away, but not before giving Noctis one last sinister smile.

“Ardyn you bastard!!!” Noctis cried out, the pain in his chest growing as he looked down at his childhood friend's body. His best friend was gone now, along with his father and his betrothed. He couldn’t protect any of them.

He was crushed, and he knew he would never forgive himself for taking so long.

"I'm sorry, Prompto..."

~♤~