#the igni trio gives me too much joy than i ever thought it would

[ouraniatm]

yet another amazing doodles drawn by MY FRIEND, SEB, whom i will always promote till' the end of time cuz holy fucking shit, the way he draws cora is so adorable. 😭😭😭

pictured on left: ortho taking a selfie with idia and cora after spending the day at the aquarium (they were very, very reluctant but come on, it's ortho, how can they refuse him?) pictured on right: cora using her big brain and wrapping idia's hair around her neck, thus using it as a scarf. also idia crying over how kawaii desu nee this is of her

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter Six

With the Regalia now back in their possession, the royal retinue and the Horseman rode back to Lestallum. It'd been a couple of weeks since the incident with the Archaean and they wanted to check on Iris, Talcott, and Jared.

The moment they arrived back in Lestallum, the gloomy atmosphere hanging over the town didn't go unnoticed. Wondering what was causing such an aura, they headed to the Leville. There, they found Iris who took them up to one of the rooms to talk about what transpired during their absence. She told them about how the empire showed up demanding them to hand over Noctis. The innocent Jared was struck down by the imperials.

During the conversation, a devastated Talcott entered the room. (Y/n)'s eyes widen when she heard the little boy sniffle with tears streaming down his cheeks. Although she was looking at Talcott, all she could see was herself at the young age of twelve crying by her father's bedside as he passed away in his sleep. However, she knew that pain wasn't compared to what Talcott was feeling. The poor boy saw his grandfather be slaughtered by another.

Halfway through the conversation, (Y/n) had to excuse herself. She left the hotel and headed to the outlook. She slumped against the stone railing, becoming lost in thought as her painful memories from the past resurfaced once again. She grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging it with gritted teeth. "Dammit. Why won't they go away...?" Ever since resurrecting as one of the Four Horsemen, this was the first time her past memories came back to haunt her over and over again in such a short amount of time. "C'mon, (Y/n), get over them already," she hissed at herself.

Slapping her cheeks a couple of times, War groaned in defeat. "This isn't going to work..."

"What's not going to work?"

The redhead didn't have to look at the owner of the voice to know who it was. "It's nothing, Gladio. Just...talking to myself."

"And slapping yourself?" The shield remarked.

"Yes, and slapping myself," she mumbled sassily. "It's completely normal."

"No, it's not," he argued.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it's-ugh!" She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Did you need something or not?"

"We were planning on restin' for a bit before heading out on a hunt to clear our heads. You wanna join us?" He offered.

"May as well," she replied. "I still haven't found a lead on the bunyips or the dullahan. Maybe this hunt will give me just what I need."

"Then meet us back at the car in a few hours. If you're not there, I know just how to get you there."

She pushed herself off the stone railing and shoved him lightly. "Shut up and go get some rest. If that nightmare comes back, well...I'm not sure what to do. Maybe punching you hard enough and knocking you unconscious would work."

Gladio guffawed at her words. "You're a real charmer, you know that? Not many women can casually talk about punching someone's lights out."

"Oh, I can talk about more gruesome things," she grinned. "There was this one time I-"

"I was kidding," he promptly interrupted her.

It was War's time to laugh. "So was I."

Gladio patted the top of her head. "Look at you, firecracker. You've learned how to loosen up."

Her grin was replaced with a scowl as she swatted at his hand. "I'm not a tight-ass. I can have fun whenever I want." She gazed into his amber eyes with a raised brow. "Now, you going to go back to the hotel willingly or am I really gonna have to knock you out?"

"I'd rather get some rest in a comfy bed than on the ground," he huffed out a faint chuckle. "See ya, (Y/n)."

Her eyes were glued to the shield as he left the outlook. Once he was gone, she turned to gaze out at the scenery. Her mind soon brimmed with the memories she made with the royal retinue. Although she's only known them for a little over a month, she found joy in the memories she's made so far. It's been years since she felt a semblance of joy. She hoped to create more memories with the group before she has to return to the Inner Sanctum.

Lost in thought, War hadn't realized someone was standing behind her until they spoke up. "Look at you being kind to mortals."

The Horseman spun around, eyes wide as saucers. She blinked in shock when coming face to face with the daemon king, Aeshema.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She shouted angrily.

"Can't I enjoy a leisurely stroll?" He innocently asked.

"No, you can't," she growled. "You know how dangerous it is to leave Hell unattended. Why're you really here?"

"I received a message from Death and some of what she shared with me caught my attention. Are you really traveling with a group of mortals and they know of your past life?"

(Y/n) was silent for a few seconds before answering honestly. "Yeah, I am, but they only know some details of my past."

A joyous smile slowly crept onto King Aeshema's face. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! You're finally giving mortals a chance! I should've sent you to Eos sooner!"

"Oh, drop it! Get back to Hell!" She yelled.

"Now, now, War. I can spend a few more minutes away from Hell. Allow me to enjoy the fresh air before being forced to smell nothing but brimstone for another millennia."

"Fine," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

The two fell silent for a few seconds before the daemon king sparked up another conversation. "How goes the hunt?"

"Frustrating," the Horseman replied. "I've yet to see the dullahan, but I've encountered the bunyips. However, they've escaped me at every turn."

"They are slippery creatures, but fret not. You will accomplish your goal soon enough. Then you may return to the Inner Sanctum, unless something or someone were to keep you here."

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. "What're you getting at, Your Majesty?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied in a sing-song tone. "Well then, I shall be off. Take care of yourself, War."

"You as well, King Aeshema."

The daemon king waved farewell to the redhead before returning to Hell. (Y/n) threw herself onto a nearby bench with a huff. She craned her head backwards and stared up at the sky. She thought back to what King Aeshema said, wondering what or who could possibly keep her from returning to the Inner Sanctum. When nothing or no one came to mind, she scoffed, "He's probably teasing me like usual."

After a few minutes, the (e/c)-eyed girl decided to walk around Lestallum to waste away the time she had until she would need to meet up with the boys. She spent most of her time browsing the marketplace and eavesdropping on people's conversations to learn if anyone had seen her targets. However, none of the conversations mentioned them.

By the time she finished walking around the entirety of Lestallum, (Y/n) checked the time and realized she should head to the parking lot. Arriving at the car, she saw the others were waiting for her.

"Glad you could join us," Gladio said.

"So, what hunt did you choose?" She asked.

"There's been reports of a naga in the area," Ignis stated.

The Horseman's eyes widen a fraction before returning to normal. "A daemon, huh...?"

Gladio noticed her sudden change in mood. "Something wrong?"

"A naga is a powerful daemon. I might have to sit this one out."

"Why's that?" Prompto pried.

"Daemons fear the Four Horsemen and often flee. But there are some powerful daemons out their who do not fear me and my sisters."

"You're still gonna tag along though, right?" Noctis questioned.

"Yeah. I know you four need the money. I'll watch from a distance and will only intervene if necessary," War explained. "Just try not to do anything stupid. Nagas are quite smart compared to other daemons."

"Someone's being nicer than usual," the blonde whispered under his breath.

The Horseman's head snapped in his direction, a sharp glare now being focused on him. "What did you say?"

Prompto swallowed in fright. "N-Nothing!"

The group departed from Lestallum. They traveled a few miles down the road, the sun slowly beginning to set. Arriving at their destination, they exited the vehicle and wandered into the woods in search of the naga. Noctis spotted the daemon the moment it materialized in a clearing as the sun vanished beyond the horizon. "There it is..."

"You've a supply of maiden kisses, right?" (Y/n) inquired.

"I think we restocked them after we fought that naga during Ramuh's trial."

Ignis checked their inventory and sighed. "We've only a couple left."

"Didn't restock like I told you, did you?" Gladio sneered.

"We'll be fine," the prince sighed. "And it's a little too late to stock up..."

"How nonchalant you are about this..." (Y/n) mumbled. "Well then, better get going, boys. I'll keep my distance for now."

Prompto worriedly eyed the daemon. "W-We can do this...right?"

"We handled one before, didn't we?" Noctis retorts as he, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis head straight for the naga.

War watched from the tree line as the group engaged the daemon. They were able to stand their own against the naga, but this one was much stronger than the one they faced against in Fociaugh Hollow. She winced when Noctis was smacked away by the daemon's tail. Gladio and Ignis covered the raven-haired boy so he could get back on his feet. However, the naga turned the two into frogs.

(Y/n) sighed in disbelief. She continued to watch as Noctis rushed over and used the last two maiden kisses on his advisor and shield.

The naga hissed, slithering towards the trio. Prompto kept his distance, firing his pistol at the daemon to grab its attanetion. When that didn't work, he shouted out his friends' names to warn them about the approaching daemon. His eyes widen in horror when it turned all three of them into frogs. Stumbling backwards, he tried to put some distance between him and the naga. When seeing it was slithering towards him, he yelled out the Horseman's name. "(Y/n), a little help!"

War begrudgingly emerged from the wood work. She placed herself in between the daemon and the blonde. The naga recognized the girl, but it was unafraid. It lunged at her, bearing its sharp fangs. Deciding to not waste any of her time, the Horseman opted to use her special ability-inferno corruption. Her (e/c) eyes turned black as she locked gazes with the naga. Its body ceased moving, a painful gurgle emitting from its throat. Gradually, the daemon's body turned into igneous stone. Small cracks formed along the stone, molten lava seeping from them. In the next instance, the naga's stone body crumpled into a pile of ash.

(Y/n) presses her hand against the side of her head with an exhausted sigh. "Damn... Forgot how much that takes out of me."

Prompto blinked in astonishment at seeing the mighty daemon that was now a pile of ash. "Wh-What did you do?"

"It doesn't matter." She scooped up two of the frogs that she believed were Gladio and Ignis. "C'mon, blondie. Grab the prince."

He nodded, grabbing the third frog. He followed the Horseman back to the Regalia. They sat the three frogs down, watching them hop around. After a few minutes, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis reverted back to normal.

A faint croak came from the prince as he recovered from his transformation. "Where'd the daemon go?"

"Dead," War monotonously replied.

"You should've seen her!" Prompto cheered. "(Y/n) didn't even have to touch it!"

"What'd you do?" Gladio questioned.

"It's dead, that's all that matters," she remarked.

"You still holdin' back on us, huh? Well, guess it is better to leave some secrets to the imagination."

She scoffed, "Don't let your imagination run too rampant." Pushing herself off the car, she opened the back door. "Let's head back to Lestallum. You all still need some rest. Your fighting was sloppier than usual."

"Indeed," Ignis confessed.

"Yeah," Prompto yawned. "I need more time to recuperate."

"Then let's go," Gladio said. They hopped into the car and headed back to Lestallum to rest.

Back at the hotel, the boys headed to their room. (Y/n) wandered aimlessly around the lobby, wishing she had a bed to relax on. Her wish, however, didn't go unanswered as Iris walked downstairs and offered the Horseman to use her room after seeing how exhausted she was. Of course, War didn't pass up the opportunity and accepted the younger girl's offer. She followed her up to her room and immediately made herself comfortable on the spare bed. In minutes, she fell asleep.

<-------------<<<<<

The following morning, Gladio was the first to awaken. It was unusual since Ignis was usually the one to be the early riser. However, he was only up so early due to the nightmare. With each passing day, the images were becoming clearer and more details were being unveiled.

Leaving the room, Gladio headed to the lobby where he and the others left (Y/n) the night before. When he couldn't find her, he decided to search the town. He wandered around Lestallum, looking down every street and alleyway to find the girl. His last destination was the outlook, but she wasn't there.

Returning to the Leville, he headed upstairs to his sister's room. Knocking on the door, he waited for Iris to answer. When she did, he asked her about the Horseman. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where (Y/n) went, do you?"

"I invited her to my room last night." Iris opened the door more, allowing her brother to enter. "She's still asleep."

Gladio looked past his sister and saw the redhead curled up on the bed. He was taken aback at seeing her fast asleep. In the time she'd been traveling with them, not once did she sleep. He figured because of her immortality, she didn't require any sleep.

Quietly, he approached the sleeping girl while Iris headed into the bathroom to freshen up. Images of (Y/n)'s bloodied corpse overlaid with her sleeping form as he gazed at her. Shaking his head, he eliminated the images and hesitantly reached out to touch her. He combed a few crimson locks out of her face. As he did so, he saw her chest rise and fall with every deep and even breath. Seeing she was breathing brought him relief from the images that now haunted his mind.

"What're you doing?" A groggy voice demanded.

Gladio realized the Horseman was now awake and retracted his hand. "Never expected to find you snoozing away."

"I was exhausted after taking care of that naga." She pushed herself up into a sitting position. "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Well, you found me. What do you want?"

"Damn. It's only eight in the morning and you're already in a bad mood," he remarked.

"Oh, that's right. I'm trying to be nicer..." (Y/n) thought for a few seconds before rewording her question. "Did you need something?"

"Thought I'd invite you out for breakfast. I know you don't eat, but you could eat a little somethin'."

Her eyes narrowed. "What're you planning, Gladio?"

"What?" He retorts innocently. "Can't a guy get to know a girl better over a delicious meal without having an ulterior motive?"

"They can, but you do have an ulterior motive," she quipped. "Is this about the nightmare?"

The brute nodded. "Yeah, it is. Things're becoming clearer and I wanted to ask you about them."

War threw out her arm, gesturing to the room. "Why not ask me now?"

"Because I'm starvin'."

"Fine..." She groaned, hopping off the bed. "Lead the way."

He crossed his arms with an amused smile. "I thought you'd complain more. Guess you really are changing."

"Hey, I'm trying here," (Y/n) snapped.

"And you're doing a pretty damn good job so far. Still, you have those moments where there's a stick up your ass."

She rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. "I'm pretty sure everyone has those moments where there's a stick up their ass. Everybody's an asshole on some occasions."

"Touché."

She then jabbed a finger towards the door. "Are we leaving or are you just gonna continue calling out my shitty behavior?"

"Right, breakfast. Let's get going, firecracker. I know the perfect place."