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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter XV

Prompto was pacing back and forth nervously, combing a hand through his golden locks. He glanced at Ignis and Noctis as they tried to figure out how the cubes worked. "Wh-What do we do if we can't figure this out?"

"We will not fail," Ignis answered sternly. Out of all of them, he was the most worried about (Y/n). Who knows where she was or if she was safe. The place was crawling with daemons and even though she was a capable fighter, that didn't mean she was invincible. Everyone had their limits and she was no exception.

Noctis, who was kneeling down on top of the cube, continued to search for anything that stood out. A crevice, a small trigger devices...anything that would activate the cube and allow them to follow (Y/n). With a frustrated huff, he stood up. "Dammit, this isn't working."

"This room's huge. There's gotta be another way." Gladio looked around the room and spotted another strange stack of stones located by more cubes. "Over there."

Moving on to another set of cubes, Noctis and Ignis examine them closely. The prince saw something wedged in one of the crevices of the stone. He tried to reach it, but his fingers were too big. Instead, he summoned his sword and used the thin, sharp tip to reach it. He stumbled slightly when the cube beneath him and Ignis was beginning to sink down. Prompto and Gladio quickly stepped onto the cube to join them as it descended into the floor.

Making their way through the passageway, the boys activated cube after cube and fought through many daemons. As they fought a group of bussemands, a memory from Ignis' childhood resurfaced.

•••••

A five-year-old Ignis took his uncle's hand. The older man escorted him to a room he hadn't known was in the mansion. Inside the room, it was decorated nicely. There was a double bed, dresser, desk, and even had its own bathroom. Ignis looked around in bewilderment, wondering why his uncle brought him to a spare bedroom. He was about to question him, but his mind went blank when he saw a small black and white creature curled up on the bed. Instantly, he hid behind the much taller man.

Carefully, Ignis' uncle escorts him towards the creature and reassures him he wouldn't be hurt. At the bedside, he pats the toddler on the back and nudges him forward slightly. "Ignis, this is your guardian. She will protect you and in return, you protect her. You are the first of our bloodline to manifest such a powerful being." His uncle had taught him a few things about spirits, but the boy never imagined he had his own. Even though she manifested when he was only three months old, they separated the two until he was older. This was their first interaction, but the spirit had visited him constantly while he often slept.

Pushing his fear aside, Ignis sat on his knees with his arms on the bed. With one arm, he reached out to touch the small creature curled up in a ball. Gently, he trailed his hand down her back and smiled slightly when feeling how soft her fur was. He continued to pet the guardian until she uncurled her body and woke up from her nap. Ignis was startled when her head popped off the sheets. He retracted his hand a little, watching the creature slowly. A giggle came from the young boy the moment the spirit tilted her head and her long ears flopped to the side. He then found himself mesmerized by her sapphire eyes.

The guardian hopped over to the edge of the bed towards Ignis. Her small form barely made a dent in the sheets. She sat on her hind legs in front of him, squeaking faintly as her nose wiggled. Then, she leans forward and nudged her nose against his. Her whiskers tickled his face, eliciting another giggle from him. Her tail, which was short and fluffy at the time, wiggled back and forth.

Ignis' uncle smiled at him. He was overjoyed to see him growing fond of the guardian. Patting Ignis on the top of his head, he said, "Make sure to give her a name, Ignis." Leaving the room, he allowed his nephew some time alone with his guardian.

Emerald eyes focused on the baby skvader, Ignis pondered on what to name her. He mentally went through a list of names while watching her run around on top of the bed with her wings extended. He wasn't expecting her to actually jump off and try to fly, but that's exactly what she did. The spirit wound up crashing and rolling on the floor before colliding with the wall.

Gasping in horror, Ignis went to her side and checked on her. He examined her small body for any injuries, sighing in relief when she hopped up with a joyous squeak. He sat down on the floor with a huff. "You scared me, (Y/n). Please be more careful." That's when he blinked in realization. The name had rolled off his tongue without effort, sounding perfectly natural. He liked the sound of the name and it suited the skvader well. Carefully, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her gently. "(Y/n) really seems to be a fitting name."

Ignis climbed onto the plush bed with (Y/n) still in his arms. He laid down on his side and released her. She sat on the mattress idly for a few seconds before crawling towards him. Sniffing his face, she memorized his scent. Then, she snuggled up against his chest and curled up into a ball once she was comfortable. Ignis enjoyed her close proximity, stroking her back as she fell into a peaceful slumber. He too fell asleep a few minutes later, unaware of the start of a beautiful relationship between him and (Y/n).

•••••

"Iggy!" Gladio shouted, pulling the advisor out of his thoughts.

Ignis turned around just in time to block the yojimbo's attack and push it back. Noctis finished off the daemon and ridded himself of his blade. Looking towards the bespectacled man, he wondered what had him so distracted. "Never thought I'd see the day where you weren't focused in battle, Specs."

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Apologies. A memory from the past clouded my mind."

"Really?" Prompto was intrigued of the revelation. "What kinda memory?"

Gladio seemed to already know. "About (Y/n), most likely." He dispelled his greatsword and stared at the tactician with a confident expression. "We'll get her back, Iggy."

Ignis couldn't help but feel worried and not even Gladio's declaration made it vanish. "Let's just hope she is uninjured."

"You really think that voice would let her get hurt?" Prompto asked.

"She was almost hit by a car two days ago because of the voice," Noctis remarked. "Pretty sure it doesn't care what happens to her as long as it has control."

"Or perhaps it is unaware of the danger it has posed to her due to its desperation," Ignis suggested. "If this voice wished for her demise, it wouldn't demand her to visit a precise location."

"Do we even know what or who this voice is?" Prompto asked.

"Not even in the slightest."

"Then let's hurry up and find (Y/n) before something bad happens to her," Gladio said.

Proceeding forward, they made their way through the maze of cubes and fought daemons at almost every turn. As they finished off a horde of ereshkigals, another memory surfaced in Ignis' mind.

•••••

At the age of six before he was officially appointed as Noctis' advisor, Ignis was at a park in Insomnia with his uncle. He wasn't interested in what slides or jungle gyms they offered for kids like him to play with. Instead, he was reading a book about guardians. He swung his legs back and forth as he sat beside his uncle on one of the many benches in the large park.

(Y/n), having only been the size of his two palms combined, sat on his shoulder and read with him. She was snuggled up against his neck, something he noticed she did a lot. It was a habit she'd developed. He wasn't bothered, in fact he enjoyed it. He cherished her closeness as it brought him peace of mind.

Ever since he was officially introduced to her a year ago, they had become inseparable. Wherever Ignis went, (Y/n) was with him and vice versa. They both had come to relish each other in such a short amount of time, but Ignis' uncle was happy to see their bond was strong and unwavering. Ignis wore his skull necklace with pride as it held the gemstone of his guardian in its eyes.

After an hour of relaxing in the park, Ignis' attention was drawn to his uncle when he heard him talking to someone. Seeing it was someone from the Citadel, he lowered his book and placed it down on the bench. (Y/n) hopped off his shoulder and landed on top of the book as he was summoned by his uncle. He stood silently beside his uncle before politely introducing himself to the man known as Cor Leonis, a member of the Crownsguard.

After his introduction, Ignis' attention was drawn to a group of kids when he heard a familiar shrill squeak. Turning around, he saw (Y/n) was no longer on the bench and his book was missing. Looking back towards the group of kids, he saw them gathered in a circle around the skvader. His eyes widen in horror after seeing what they were doing to her. The children had her trapped and were throwing rocks at her while laughing. Because she couldn't fly yet, there was no way for her to escape.

Not caring what his uncle would think, Ignis sprinted towards the group of kids. "Stop that!"

The children ceased throwing stones at (Y/n) after hearing his voice. They all turned to face him. One boy with spiky red hair glowered at him. He also appeared to have been the one to steal his book as he was holding it in his hand. "Why? This thing is weird!"

Ignis wanted to yell back but kept himself from lashing out by calmly replying. "She's not weird." Pushing past the boy, he bent down and scooped (Y/n) up into his arms. He examined her body to see if she was hurt by the kids, but he didn't find any wounds. Glaring at the boy, who seems to be the leader of the small group of children, he walked past him and returned to his uncle. He wasn't even going to bother with getting the book back since he wanted nothing more to do with the children. He could always ask for another copy from his uncle.

As he sauntered off, he didn't realize the path of ice the skvader had formed underneath the children. All he heard was them slipping and falling but quickly tuned it out.

Back with his uncle, Ignis caught the attention of Cor. The marshal saw the creature he was carrying and was taken aback. "A guardian?"

"Yes, Marshal," Ignis' uncle replied. "My nephew was only a few months old when she manifested."

As Cor knelt down to Ignis' height, the young boy held (Y/n) tighter. He was afraid the man would take her from him. The marshal held up his hand to show he wasn't going to do anything. "I'm quite familiar with spirits. I knew one personally many years ago. She's sworn to protect you, but she too needs to be protected. Make sure to keep an eye on her."

Ignis nodded his head. "I will, Marshal."

Bidding the boy's uncle farewell, Cor left.

Ignis felt his uncle pat him on the back, beckoning him to follow. He gently leaned his chin against (Y/n)'s head when she snuggled herself underneath his face. Holding her close, he mentally proclaimed to the Astrals he would protect her.

•••••

"Iggy, you're spacing out again," Prompto sighed as they rode another cube down. His eyes then lit up. "Oh, was it another memory of you and (Y/n)?"

Ignis folded his arms across his chest, debating whether to share his memory or keep it secret. Seeing no point in hiding it, he shared his memory with them.

After explaining and leaving the finer details out, Prompto frowned. "Kids can be real jerks sometimes. At least (Y/n) wasn't hurt."

"Seriously," Noctis agreed. "At least it was you, Specs. I wouldn't have been able to keep my cool."

"I think anyone but Iggy would've snapped," Gladio chuckled. "I sure as hell would've."

Ignis fixes his glasses out of habit. "I do believe an issue can be resolved without unnecessary violence."

Noctis activates the cube a second time when it came to a stop. It began sliding into the wall and all four of them dropped down into a long hallway. Cautiously proceeding forward, they began hearing a familiar voice. Throwing caution to the wind, the boys ran down the rest of the hallway and entered a large room. What caught their attention was an altar located on the back wall.

Standing in front of it was none other than (Y/n). She stood before the strange statue of what appeared to be a man with halos around his body. A dark figure made of shadows emerged from the statue, reaching out a hand towards her. The boys sprinted over before the shadowy figure could touch her, but they were shocked when a barrier erected itself around the altar.

"Wh-What do we do?!" Prompto panicked.

Ignis summoned his daggers and attacked the barrier, but his weapons did nothing. He tried his javelin next and ended up with the same results. Gritting his teeth, he even tried using a magic flask. His heart was racing a mile a minute in his chest, trying to figure out a way through the barrier.

"There's no way we're getting through," Gladio said.

"There must be a way!" Ignis seethed. Turning his attention away from the barrier, his eyes focused on (Y/n) as she reaches out to take the shadowy figure's hand. He shouted her name, begging her to stop. He hoped his voice would snap her out of the trance that held her captive, but nothing happened.

The moment (Y/n)'s hand connected with the figure's, its body turned from an inky black to a bright white as if it now was made of pure light. Its body slowly was absorbed into her own and an unbearable pain erupted in her chest as she was freed from the trance. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she clawed at her chest. The gemstone that adorned the center burned, her nails raking across her skin and creating red marks. Stumbling back, she dug her nails deeper into her chest and ripped the skin. Blood trickled from the flesh wounds along with her nose and eyes.

At hearing her bloodcurdling scream, Ignis became even more desperate to break through the barrier. He tried what he did earlier even though he already knew it wouldn't work. Seeing the advisor's calm facade shatter was enough to cause the other boys to attack the barrier with their own weapons. They knew how desperate he was to get to (Y/n) and wanted to help him. Noctis activated the armiger and sent weapon after weapon towards the barrier. It was finally beginning to crack.

Noticing the crack, Ignis threw his dagger directly at it and watched as it expanded. Prompto shot the same area, resulting in the crack to web out even further. Gladio swung his greatsword, which was just enough to shatter the barrier. By the time the barrier was completely gone, (Y/n)'s screaming ceased. She collapsed to her knees before toppling over on her side, unconscious.

Ignis was the first to reach her. He fell to his knees beside her and turned her body over so she was laying on her back. He saw her bloodied chest and the blood that seeped from her nose and eyes. Placing his hands on her cheeks, he wiped the blood from her face and checked for a pulse. It was faint, but she was still alive. Promptly, he took one of the potions from their curative supply and shattered it over her body. The cuts in her chest healed, which was a signal to Ignis the potion had worked. However, he wasn't aware if she was internally injured and if the single curative was enough.

Prompto, having been watching Ignis, gripped his hands together tightly. "Is she...?"

"Her pulse is faint and I am unaware of any internal injuries," Ignis stated.

"Should we head back and forget about the royal arm?" Noctis asked.

Gathering (Y/n)'s body into his arms, Ignis stood up. Although she was unconscious, they'd come too far to turn back. "No, we proceed forth. I shall tend to (Y/n). Will the three of you be handle the daemons if we stumble across more?"

"Hell yeah," Gladio declared. "You just keep an eye on munchkin. The rest of us got you two covered. Now let's find this royal arm."

After some trial and error, the group eventually arrived in the innermost sanctum of Costlemark Tower. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio were able to protect Ignis and (Y/n) from the daemons, but the large beast they encountered a large creature known as a jabberwock. In order to join the battle, Ignis put (Y/n) somewhere safe before jumping into the fray.

By the time they fell the mighty beast and Noctis claimed the Sword of the Tall for his personal arsenal, they'd been inside Costlemark Tower for two whole days. Using the strange mechanism on the floor, they were teleported to the entrance of the tower. Heading back to the Regalia, Ignis asked Noctis to drive and Prompto to sit in the passenger's seat.

Arriving at the car, Ignis gently placed (Y/n) in the backseat with Gladio's help. The two boys then slid into the back, the girl's head in Ignis' lap and her feet resting on Gladio's thigh. Noctis started the engine and glanced into the backseat. "Where to, Specs?"

"Lestallum. It is the ideal place to tend to (Y/n)," Ignis answered.

The prince gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Lestallum it is."

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#final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv x reader #ffxv #ffxv x reader #ignis x reader #ignis scientia #ignis scientia x reader

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 2 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter XIV

At Oathe Haven located just west of Costlemark Tower, the royal retinue made camp. They were waiting for nightfall and Ignis figured he'd make a quick meal to fill their stomachs before descending into the ancient structure. It didn't take him long to make something and he passed out the plates to everyone.

After their meal, Noctis and Prompto dragged (Y/n) into the tent to introduce her to the world of King's Knight. Gladio and Ignis remained sitting in their seats around the campfire. The brute had been reading his book, but closed it when realizing (Y/n) was out of earshot. He focused his amber gaze on the tactician as he seemed to be lost in thought. "So when're you gonna grow a pair and ask the lady out?"

Ignis, eyes narrowed, focused his attention on Gladio. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. When're you gonna spill your guts to (Y/n)? Or are you okay with another guy stealing her right out from under your nose?"

"She has her own concerns as of late. I will not add to it by professing my endearment to her," the tactician declared.

Gladio scowled in annoyance. "That's bullshit and you know it. What's really stopping you? You afraid she doesn't feel the same way? Or are you scared because you think a relationship will cause your duty to the crown to slip? If it's the latter, you're definitely pulling my leg. If anyone can balance a relationship and their job, it's you, Iggy. Besides, you and (Y/n) deserve to be happy."

Ignis' emerald eyes focused on the dancing flames of the campfire. "I refuse to comment on such an absurd topic."

He was fed up. Instead of pissing Ignis off, Gladio angered himself. Standing up, he placed his book in his chair and tried to get more of a rise from the advisor before leaving. "Fine. Be a stubborn ass. But just to let you know, if you don't make a move soon, I will."

Ignis' eyes widen at Gladio's declaration. He stared at his back as he entered the tent to join the others. Would he really try to steal (Y/n) from him? From the brute's expression, he was serious. Ignis gripped the arm of his chair tightly. "Bloody hell..." He couldn't help but find truth in Gladio's words. Somehow, he managed to list all the things that prevented him from making a move. He was afraid of a relationship with her, that is if she felt the same way. He feared he would let his duties slip simply because of finally being with the one person that truly meant the world to him. He didn't want his job to suffer and cause issues for Noctis and the others.

But something nagged Ignis' mind. (Y/n) was aware of his position as royal advisor to the prince. She would understand more than any other person on Eos. Recalling Gladio's words, he could try his hardest to balance a relationship and his duties. He wasn't one to take risks when he was unsure of the outcome, but maybe he would. He didn't want to lose her to someone like Gladio.

His conversation with Jasper was helpful and seemed to have given him more courage than before, but it didn't drive off all his concerns. But for his happiness and (Y/n)'s, he would push them aside and see the unseeable outcome of spilling his heart to her. Now all he had to do was find the perfect moment to confess. His brows furrowed together as he wondered when such a moment would present itself. "Why are these matters so trivial?" He muttered to himself.

"What matters?"

Ignis was startled by the voice. Looking to his left, he saw (Y/n) standing in front of the tent. Her sapphire eyes bore into his emerald ones. Clearing his throat, he shattered their eye contact. "Apologies. An analytical overview of our possible encounters was in order. Costlemark is a treacherous site."

"It is filled with daemons. We will have to be extra cautious," she said, sitting in the chair beside his. "We've plenty of curatives, right?"

"I do believe so," he replied.

Her eyes never left his face as she squeezed her legs together and cupped her hands around her knees. She could see the turmoil of emotions he was trying to hide behind his usual level-headed expression. "We've been together for many years now. You know you can always talk to me, Iggy."

Ignis met her gaze, surprised she was able to detect his inner turmoil. He wondered if this was the opportunity he was seeking, but he kept his feelings under wraps. "I am aware. Although, this may be a topic for somewhat later down the line."

She smiled warmly at him, which caused his heart to skip a beat. "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

A tiny smile pulled at his lips. "I do appreciate your kindliness, (Y/n)."

She turned her gaze to the burning flames. She inhaled deeply before revealing a hint of her true feelings for she wasn't yet comfortable with telling him the whole truth. "I care about you, Ignis. You're the person I care about most in this world. I want to help you in any way possible whether that be a helping hand in the kitchen or a shoulder you need to lean on. You can always preach your concerns to me and I will always listen. That's just how much you mean to me." Slightly embarrassed by her confession, she stood up and walked to the edge of the haven.

Ignis' full attention was solely focused on her. His emerald eyes were wide at hearing the honesty in her voice as she spoke and how her words tugged at his heartstrings, making his love for her blossom more beautifully. His heart was racing slightly, but it calmed down a few minutes later. His gaze was locked on her back, wondering what he could say in response. "(Y/n), I..."

"Hey, are we heading out anytime soon?" Noctis popped his head out of the tent, interrupting his advisor.

The bespectacled man looked up at the sky to see it was nighttime. He'd been so deep in thought and lost in his conversation with (Y/n) that he didn't notice the time. Standing up, he pushed what he was going to say to the back of his mind. "Yes, let's."

Everyone left the haven and trekked to Costlemark Tower. As they walked up the crumbling stairwell towards the tower, they admired the odd architecture and the strange, eerie glow it gave off at night. They passed through what remained of the tower before coming across the entrance that led underground. Strips of blue illuminated the path before them, acting as a beacon in the darkness. Not even the glow of their flashlights compared to it.

"No red carpet, but a stone staircase is the next best thing," Gladio commented as they wandered down the stairwell that led deeper into Costlemark Tower.

On the first landing, Ignis spotted a strange circular object that seemed to be made of bronze. He eyed it suspiciously, wondering what it did. "Huh? What manner of mechanism is this?"

(Y/n) was just as interested and stepped onto the center of the mechanism. She heard a faint 'click', but nothing happened. "Maybe it's broken? This place is ancient, after all."

Proceeding to the next landing, Prompto realized his hands were shaking out of fright. They hadn't encountered any daemons yet, but he was not looking forward to heading underground where there was no chance of the sun to vanquish them when it rose in the morning. The guardian saw how frightened he was and glanced worriedly at him. "Are you okay, Prompto?"

He nodded with a forced smile. "Yeah. I'm not scared. My hands are just shaky."

She could tell he was lying but didn't call him out. "If you say so."

Prompto followed behind her, but came to a stop before descending the final stairwell. He glanced at his friends' backs as they cautiously wandered down the steps. "Well, that was fun! Think we can head back now?"

"The fun's just getting started. Besides, there's a royal arm somewhere down here. We're also here to help (Y/n). You really gonna leave the poor girl out to dry?" Gladio questioned.

"No way!" Prompto ran down the stairs and rejoined the others.

Entering the first chamber of Costlemark Tower, they were ambushed by a group of gelatins. The daemons dragged their goopy bodies towards the group as they conjured their weapons. They easily disposed of the weak enemies before proceeding down a hallway located along the left side of the round room. Gladio looked around the ruins as they wandered down the short hallway. "Well, this place is seriously ancient."

"Indeed," Ignis agreed. "These walls have well withstood the test of time. A stark contrast to the ruins that lie above."

"If this place wasn't crawling with daemons, I would love to explore," (Y/n) commented.

Entering the adjacent room, they were greeted by another horde of daemons consisted of gelatins and galvanades. While the gelatins were easy to handle, the galvanades proved to be more difficult. Noctis and Gladio performed a link-strike on one of the floating daemons, successfully killing it. Ignis, (Y/n), and Prompto exterminated the other galvanades.

They were on their merry way to the next room, only to encounter a group of ereshkigals. They zipped around the stone chamber, dodging the group's attacks and making it difficult to hit them. (Y/n) told them her idea and the boys corralled the daemons into one spot. She then encased them in an icicle prison and Noctis tossed a magic flask. The five watched the ereshkigals burn, dropping one by one. The daemons were all dead.

(Y/n) walked over to the stone railing after the battle was over. She looked around and saw a collapsed column they could cross or a narrow ledge. She wondered which way to go until she heard the voice seemingly whisper in her ear. "This way." Walking to the right path, she was followed by the boys.

"And exactly how do you know the way?" Gladio asked.

"The voice," she answered. "I can hear it."

"You're not gonna wander off like a zombie again, are you?" Noctis inquired.

"That, I don't know. I never get a sign or warning when the voice takes over."

"We'll keep an eye on you, (Y/n)," Prompto said.

Standing near the narrow ledge, Gladio's eyes narrowed as he searched what lied ahead. "I can make out something over there."

"I can make out a ledge ready to give if you breathe funny," Prompto said.

"The risk outweighs the reward," Ignis stated.

"But we're crossing anyway," Noctis replied as he was the first to make his way across the narrow ledge.

Prompto was clearly nervous about crossing. He could see everything else around them was crumbling and doesn't doubt anything else wouldn't. "How sure are we about this?"

"Take it one step at a time," the advisor said.

With slightly shaky leg, the marksman crosses the narrow ledge with (Y/n) behind him. Ignis and Gladio were the last to cross and everyone made it safely to the other side. On the other side, they found a hole in the pathway leading to a walkway below. As they peered down the hole, Gladio said, "Looks like we're good to go."

"Whaddya mean by "good"?" Prompto wondered.

"I believe that would be for Noct to decide," Ignis claimed.

"Not me," Noctis said. "(Y/n)'s the one hearing voices."

"You're just the one with the headaches," (Y/n) stated.

"Exactly."

Hopping down the hole, they landed on another pile of debris. They didn't make it far before being interrupted by a yojimbo. Before it could even swing its katana, (Y/n) froze its feet to the ground. The boys took advantage of the daemon that could barely move. Swinging their blades and shooting their pistols, they were able to fell the yojimbo in less than a minute. She applauded them for making quick work of the enemy before hearing the voice a second time. Listening to it, she took the lead. The four boys followed her in silence through the labyrinth.

Making their way to the floor below by hopping down another hole in the walkway, they passed a room as (Y/n) walked around as if she knew the layout of the dungeon. She guided them through a hallway and into an adjacent room. Turning left, she avoided the room at the end of the hallway and headed towards a collapsed section of the walkway. Before she could leap down, two bussemands jumped up from below.

Noctis was the first to attack, warp-striking one of the daemons. (Y/n) conjured an ice sword and quickly blocked one of the bussemand's attacks. She partied and sent the daemon stumbling backwards towards Gladio. He swung his greatsword and finished it off. Ignis used his javelin to bisect the other bussemand in half, killing it.

Returning to her position as the head of the party, (Y/n) hopped down into a crevice and crawled through a tunnel created by fallen debris. Prompto, who was directly behind her, asked, "So, what's this voice saying to you?"

"Giving me directions to this altar it wants me to find," she responded. "But what is at this altar? I am unsure."

"Guess we'll see when we get there," Noctis said. "Just try not to get too far ahead, (Y/n)."

"Said the pot to the kettle," Ignis remarked.

Gladio scoffed at the prince's remark. "That's rich comin' from you, Highness."

(Y/n) smirked, exiting the tunnel. Pulling herself out of the crevice, she waited for the others. When they joined her, they entered the tower just in time to witness gelatins and a single galvanade spawn. Noctis headed up the spiral ramp to take down the gelatins lingering above while the others dealt with a gelatin and the lone galvanade.

The daemons were annihilated and (Y/n) led the boys up a ramp all the way to the top of the tower. There, they crossed through a hallway and entered another tower with a ramp leading upward. This one was infested with bussemands. Like the previous tower, the enemies weren't an issue and were easily disposed of. Returning to the base of the current tower they were exploring, they jumped down to the floor below via a broken section of the stone railing. It was teeming with daemons, but none they haven't fought before.

Circling around, the royal retinue killed daemon after daemon until none remained. A section of the railing crumbled, granting them access to an even lower level of Costlemark. They dropped down and landed in a large, circular chamber. Exiting it, they take the left path and locate a stairwell descending deeper. With (Y/n)'s confirmation, they walked down the steps and down another hallway.

Through two connected rooms, they fought more bussemands before arriving in a long, downward-sloping corridor. It was crawling with daemons. One by one, the enemies were defeated as they traveled down the sloping hallway. They weren't sure how many daemons they killed by the time the pathway flattened and opened up. They could see something in the distance.

"And what have we here?" Prompto hummed in curiosity.

"Dunno, but it's huge," Gladio said.

Halfway across the bridge-like structure, the blonde began whining as he felt his muscles beginning to ache. They'd been in Costlemark for a few hours and all the walking was causing his body to hurt. "I'm too tired to walk all the way across."

"We'll call it a night here, then."

The marksman perked up at the thought of camping out in a place infested with daemons. "Actually not too tired!"

Coming to a halt in a doorway, (Y/n) gazed out at the narrow bridge they would have to cross. She tried to listen to the voice, but it seems to have left her alone for the time being. Prompto glances at her before looking at the bridge nervously. "We gonna cross?"

Noctis gazed at the girl, receiving a nod. Looking at his best friend, he answered unsurely even after receiving confirmation from (Y/n). "Um, yeah?"

"Knew you'd say that," he huffed.

"Then why did you ask?"

"Just wanted verbal confirmation."

The group hesitantly crosses the bridge. They were halfway across when a yojimbo manifested in front of them and some ereshkigals spawned behind them. They were trapped between the daemons with no way off the narrow bridge.

Prompto looked back and forth between the daemons. "Behind us! And in front of us!"

"The more the merrier. Let's get to work," Gladio said with his greatsword in hand. Noctis, Prompto, and (Y/n) focused their attacks on the yojimbo while Gladio and Ignis kept the ereshkigals busy. In the midst of battle, the marksman was sliced by the katana in the daemon's grasp. Noctis quickly supplied him with a potion when the guardian distracted the yojimbo. She used her ice blade to fight the daemon.

When she pushed it back and its legs hit the railing, she formed a large icicle and sent it soaring towards it. The ice pierced its chest, causing it to topple over off the side of the bridge. Glancing back, she saw Noctis helping Prompto to his feet as Gladio and Ignis annihilated the last ereshkigal.

With the way clear, the royal retinue crosses the bridge and entered another tower. Unlike the other two they'd come across earlier, this one had a spiraling ramp that led downward. However, it wasn't short of daemons. Bussemands were crawling everywhere, swinging their fists and trying to punch one of the group members. They made quick work of them and reached the bottom of the tower.

Sauntering through an archway, Noctis looked around the large room. "Really opens up back here."

Prompto looked around the room and saw the walls were lined with the same strange cubes that they saw at the entrance. He couldn't find any way to move forward and threw out his hands. "Welp, guess that's the end of the road, so..."

Gladio interrupted him. "Not so fast, there might be a way."

"Or there might not," the blonde retorted. He hoped there wasn't so they could finally leave.

"Well, it can't hurt to look now, can it?" Ignis questions. He then remembered how they got here in the first place without getting lost at least once and glanced in (Y/n)'s direction. Seeing she wasn't with them, he felt his heart begin to race with worry. Looking around, he saw she was already on the opposite side of the room. She stood on one of the cubes as it slowly descended into the floor. His eyes widened as a gasp fell from his lips after realizing her mind and body were taken over by the voice. "(Y/n)!"

Ignis sprinted towards her, but he saw he wouldn't make it in time. "Noct!"

"On it!" The prince summoned his sword and warped. The blade embedded into the floor near the cubes, Noctis appearing by it in the blink of an eye. Although he had been quick and precise with his movements, he was too late. The passage had been sealed with a separate cube, separating (Y/n) from the boys.

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 2 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter XIII

Entering greyshire glacial grotto, the boys noted just how right (Y/n) was. The temperature dropped dramatically and the cave was covered in ice. The deeper they went in, they could see just how thick the ice was that coated the walls. Noctis and Prompto rubbed their exposed arms, puffing out a breath as their teeth chattered from the cold. The blonde blew into his gloved hands, trying to warm his exposed fingertips. "This place gives me goose bumps. Double back for our coats?"

Gladio, who seemed to be not cold at all even with only a simple leather jacket on, replied with, "What's the point?"

The marksman continued to trail his hands up and down his arms. He was desperate for warmth, but knew he wouldn't be getting it until their business in the cave was done. "Well, looking on the bright side... Maybe the cold keeps the daemons at bay?"

Gladio scoffed and sarcastically replied, "Yeah, because monsters like warmth. Guess (Y/n)'s magic will protect all our asses from any daemons."

Prompto glanced at the shield for a split second before realizing he was being facetious. "Ah. Sarcasm. Hmm... But what if they're frozen?"

"Encased in ice... Waiting for something warm to pass by..."

"And then they jump out!" Prompto's body shook violently as he shudders at the cold and thought of daemons emerging from the ice.

"We'll just have (Y/n) refreeze them," the shield stated.

"And let you guys miss all the fun of battle? No way," (Y/n) remarked. "Besides, my ice spells are temporary. Any daemon I freeze will thaw out by the time we have to leave."

Not far into the cave, a trio of flans spawned. The gelatin-like daemons blocked their path and prevented them from going any further. Prompto sighed and groaned at the interruption. "And there's our warm welcome."

Noctis was the first to react. He summoned his engine blade and performed a warp-strike, but he scowled after seeing his attack did hardly any damage. Prompto conjured his pistol and shot the flans, only seeming to nip away a small portion of their health. Gladio joined the two younger boys, swinging his greatsword around. His attack also did a minuscule amount of damage.

Ignis gripped his daggers tightly. He had analyzed his companions' attacks and saw how futile they were. It was as if the flans were absorbing most of the force from the physical attacks in their gelatin bodies. "(Y/n), use magic," he commanded.

She nodded, holding up one of her hands. Three large icicles formed around her, which she aimed at the flans. She swung her arm to the side and sent the icicles flying towards the daemons once Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio were safely out of the way. Each icicle hit its mark and sent the flans flying backward. They were pinned to the icy wall, their bodies dissolving due to the attack being enough to kill them.

Prompto blinked in surprise. "Seriously? It was that easy?"

"Did you forget already?" Gladio sighed. "Her magic's amplified because of the cold."

"Oh, right..." Prompto strolled over to her to ask a question, but he slipped on a patch of ice. He screamed out as he fell on his back. Groaning in pain, he weakly glared at Gladio when he heard him laughing at him. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, keep laughing, big guy! It's always funny to watch people slip and fall!" He seethed.

(Y/n) helped him back to his feet. "I told you to be careful when walking near me. I don't have complete control of some of my magic."

He blushed lightly, remembering what she said before entering the cave. "O-Oh, right. Totally forgot that already..."

She stared into his cerulean eyes with her sapphire ones. "You're not hurt, are you? Not dizzy or feeling nauseous?"

"Um, no. I'm perfectly fine. Why?"

"Just making sure you don't have a concussion. You did hit your head, after all."

"Nope. I'm right as rain!" Prompto appreciated her concern. He thought she had the same motherly presence as Ignis when it came to injuries and couldn't help but grin. They had more in common than he'd thought.

Hearing Noctis groan, the blonde caught up with his best friend. The prince stood at the top of an icy slope that led deeper into greyshire glacial grotto. The sharpshooter was amazed at how far down the slope went. "Heading down a slippery slope... In slip-sliding shoes. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Don't jinx us," Noctis muttered.

"Hey, at least we're not wearing high heels like a certain someone," Gladio said, eyes trailing over to (Y/n).

"Is there a problem with my footwear?" She narrowed her eyes at the shield.

"Not at all. To be honest, watching you run in those things without tripping at least once is impressive. Think you'll be able to handle the icy slope, munchkin?"

She smirked confidently. "Wanna bet?"

"A thousand gil says you fall on your ass," he wagered.

"Two thousand says I remain on my feet the entire way down."

Gladio's own smirk came forth. "You're on." He then gestured to the icy slope. "Ladies first."

"How kind," she sarcastically replied. Stepping onto the icy slope, she kept her balance as she slid down deeper into the cave. Gladio and Noctis were next, both of them falling on their hindquarters not long after they begin sliding down. "Wh-whoa!" The prince shouted as he built up momentum.

"Down we go," Ignis said as he and Prompto followed suit.

At the bottom of the icy slope, (Y/n) landed on her feet. She looked up just in time to witness Gladio and Noctis ungracefully land on their hindquarters in front of her. Prompto landed on his stomach while Ignis landed perfectly on his feet just like her.

"Damn..." Gladio grunted as he got to his feet, rubbing his rear end. "Pretty sure I cracked my ass."

"Doesn't it already have a crack?" Prompto mumbled, pushing himself off the ground.

Dismissing the blonde's question, the brute glanced between Ignis and (Y/n). "You two are the only ones who kept their balance."

The guardian threaded her fingers together as fond memories of her childhood with Ignis resurfaced, smiling faintly. "Iggy and I would often go ice skating when we were younger. There was this pond located in his family's mansion's garden. I would freeze it and teach him how to ice skate from time to time. I think our favorite time to do it was during the summer on his days off. It was refreshing on those hot days." She blinked away the memory and huffed out a sigh. "You owe me a thousand gil, Gladio."

The shield clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. "I swear, you and Iggy are the worst people to bet against..."

"It's not our faults you suck at gambling."

Prompto and Noctis snickered at her comeback. They laughed even more when Gladio opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Even Ignis was smirking in amusement at her smart remark.

Their joyful moment was interrupted when a small horde of imps appeared out of nowhere. The daemons circled around the group, earning a frustrated cry from Noctis. "You things love deep pits. Let's get it over with."

The boys summoned their weapons while (Y/n) created a bow and arrow from ice. She fired the single arrow, which was quickly replaced with another. Her ammo was unlimited as long as she could cast ice magic. She fired arrow after arrow until the last imp was dead. The bow in her grasp shattered, the icy shards falling to the ground before vanishing.

After the battle, Prompto ridded himself of his pistol and shook his head when he felt a small tinge of pain. "So much for a "little chill." I got an ice cream headache-without the ice cream!"

"Isn't the more appropriate term a "brain freeze"?" (Y/n) asked.

"Yes! That! I've got a brain freeze from how cold this place is!" He placed his hands on either side of his head and groaned. "I hate brain freezes!"

"Same here," Noctis agreed with his best friend.

Proceeding forth, they venture around the icy cave. They encountered a few dead ends before arriving at another icy slope. (Y/n) snuck a glance at Gladio, smirking sinisterly. "What? No wager this time?"

"I think I've learned my lesson," he replied.

"What a shame," she sighed. "And here I thought I was going to become a thousand gil richer again."

Unlike the previous icy slope, Noctis decided to be the first one down. He slipped the second he got on the ice and rushed down the slope. Seeing a side path with a possible route to the royal tomb, he tried to alter his course but was having issues. Fortunately, (Y/n) saw what he was trying to do and acted quickly before he slid by. Casting a spell, she formed a large ice wall that kept him from sliding any further. The prince was in shock at the sudden appearance of the wall as he slid into it, but was grateful nonetheless. "Thanks for the assist, (Y/n)."

The girl, who stood on the side path, helped Noctis. "Glad I could help." She grabbed his hand and slid him across the ice until he was safely on the path. He stood with her assistance and released her hand when he saw the other three boys manage to slide directly to the side path.

The ice wall she created vanished as they searched around the new area. Noctis spotted a small opening in the ice that was big enough for them to crouch through. As he passed under the ice, Prompto cackled. "Your tips just got frosted, dude!"

"Really? How's it look?" Noctis curiously asked.

"I could frost your hair even more," (Y/n) grinned. "All you gotta do is ask."

The prince glanced at her as she emerged from underneath the icy overhang. "Why did that sound evil?"

"Maybe you need to get your hearing checked."

"Oh, he definitely does," Gladio agreed with a chuckle.

Ignis smiled faintly at their banter. He was happy to see (Y/n) interact with the others and see just how close she'd grown comfortable around them. He also was glad to hear the other boys talk to her like they were old friends. Although they've known her for years in her spiritual form, her human appearance was still new to them, but they treated her with respect and playfully bantered with her from time to time. Even he would mess with her on occasion just to see what reaction he would get. She was a colorful person and never ceased to amaze him with the various reactions she had. It was another thing he loved about her.

Taking a few steps forward, Noctis immediately took a single step back when another group of flans appeared. Remembering what (Y/n) did earlier, he grabbed a random magic flask from his pocket and tossed it at the squishy daemons. The glass flask shattered and flames consumed the flans. The single spell was enough to kill them.

Following the path, the group search for another way forward that didn't involve backtracking. They looked around and eventually located a narrow ledge that wrapped around one of the icy walls. Noctis eyes the ledge suspiciously before pressing his back against the frigid wall and slowly making his way across.

"Watch your step," Gladio warned the prince.

"No more slip-ups," Ignis said.

(Y/n) looked over at him, a single brow arched. "Was that another one of your puns, Iggy?"

Deciding to mess with her, he kept his expression neutral. "I couldn't possibly understand what you mean, (Y/n)."

She purses her bottom lip. "Acting innocent, huh?" Reaching out with a single hand, she poked him in the side. "That won't work on me. I know you like to crack off cheesy puns every now and then. It's one of your favorite pass times."

He adjusted his glasses, his expression still stoic. "Nonsense, (Y/n). Icy not what you speak of."

"You just did it again!"

Ignis could no longer keep his smirk at bay. It spread across his face as he gazed endearingly into her sapphire eyes. "Come now, ice forward."

She shook her head. "I can't believe you're making ice puns..."

"Hey," Gladio called out. "You two done flirting? Get your asses over here or we're leavin' you guys behind."

Ignis was unfazed by the shield's remark. He proceeded across the narrow ledge with (Y/n) lagging behind a little ways. They both safely make it to the other side where the others were waiting for them. Looking around, they all saw how the cavern opens up scenically.

"Well, this is new," Noctis mumbled.

Gladio looked around with a hint of amazement in his voice. "You can say that again."

Walking around the new area, the royal retinue debates between many paths. They set their sights on an icy incline that leads to a pathway up above. (Y/n) lagged behind to avoid freezing more of the slope and cause one of the boys to slip. Prompto tapped his foot against one of the patches of ice and saw it crack under the weight of his foot. "Well, this seems perfectly safe."

"Focus on walking," Ignis scolded the marksman.

Carefully, they make their way up the icy incline. Once at the top, they were startled by an arachne daemon as it descends from the ceiling. Gladio readied his greatsword with a sarcastic remark. "I did not see that coming."

Fighting against the daemon, (Y/n) used her bow and managed to knock it back. Noctis performed a warp-strike and caused the arachne to end up sprawled out on its back. Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto finished off the human/spider hybrid with their combined efforts. Dispelling their weapons, they continued deeper into the cavern as if nothing had happened.

Following another path upward, they trekked across a walkway that overlooked the large chamber they were currently in. Like with other areas of the cave, daemons littered the pathway. A ronin and some flans seemed to have been eagerly awaiting their arrival and attacked.

While the boys focused on the flans, (Y/n) set her sights on the ronin. She conjured an ice sword and attacked the daemon that towered over her. She ducked under its katana when it swung it at her and jammed her own sword into its abdomen. Feeling the surge of power, the blade morphs and turns into multiple icicles. The ice pierced the ronin's body multiple times, sending it to its knees. Forming a single throwing knife from ice, she aimed for the daemon's head and threw it. Just like the sword, it morphed into an icicle and impaled its head. That was the final straw for the daemon. Its body keeled over and fell lifeless to the icy ground before dispersing.

Prompto had taken a few shots of her battle with the ronin. He admired them with a grin. "Oh-ho, these are amazing if I do say so myself!"

"Maybe if you stopped taking pictures, you could learn a thing or two from (Y/n)," Gladio said.

"Doubt it," Noctis sneered. "She's like a video game character with stat bonuses in this place. Totally not fair."

"She's like a five-star King's Knight character! Like, only one you can get from a special event!" Prompto added excitedly.

"(Y/n) is standing right here and can hear everything you're saying," the girl spoke about herself in the third-person, earning a faint chuckle from Ignis.

"Sorry..." Prompto apologized sweetly.

"Putting video games aside," Gladio began, his greatsword vanishing from his hand. "The glaive is through here?"

"Most likely," Noctis replied.

"Let's see for ourselves," Ignis said.

Walking to the end of the path, Noctis located another narrow ledge that wrapped around the cave wall. Gladio followed right behind the prince while Prompto was the third one to cross. Halfway across, the blonde's teeth chattered again. He thought he would've gotten used to the cold after they'd been in the cave for two hours. "I'm freezing... What I wouldn't give for a hot bowl of soup. Mmm...soup. We're almost there... We gotta be. Right?!"

(Y/n), who was behind him, spoke up. "I could always scout ahead."

"Nah, it's fine," Noctis replied. "Gotta feeling we're pretty close."

As the prince had predicted, they discovered the royal tomb after crossing the ledge. On the other side was a large, open room covered in ice. The walls reflected the sun that managed to seep in through a hole in the back wall.

The door to the royal tomb came into view and Gladio smirked. "Hey! Knock, knock."

"We're there...finally," Ignis sighed.

Just as Noctis searches his pocket for the key Cor gave him, several daemons manifest. Among their ranks was a mindflayer and a horde of imps. Gladio huffed out a groan as he conjured his greatsword. "Can't it ever be easy?"

"Never," Noctis responded, using his sword to warp-strike one of the imps.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ignis sarcastically asked, throwing one of his daggers and impaling another imp.

(Y/n) decided to use her bow and kept away from direct combat. She nocked three arrows and aimed them all at the mindflayer. Releasing them, they pierced the daemon but didn't kill it. Prompto saw it was stunned from her attack and fired bullet after bullet. He cheered when his final bullet plunged into the daemon's head and killed it.

Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio dealt with the imps. When there were only two left, flans and more mindflayers manifested. (Y/n) kept her attention focused on one of the mindflayers and morphed her bow into a sword. Deciding to switch tactics, she charged at the daemon. Teaming up with Ignis, she performed a link-strike with him. Switching to his polearm, she infused it with her ice magic before he tossed it at the mindflayer. It impaled the daemon and its body becomes crystallized in ice. As the javelin vanished, the ice cracked and shattered. Chunks of ice fell to the ground in a pile, the mindflayer dead.

"Wha-?!" Prompto gaped, having watched the entire thing after killing the other mindflayer. "What was that?!"

"A simple enchantment," (Y/n) blandly replied. She manifested a large icicle and impaled three flans.

"Simple yet effective," Ignis stated.

Noctis finished off the remaining flans with a single magic flask. When all the daemons were dead, he rolled his shoulder with a groan. "There. They're all dead, finally..."

Prompto's eyes glistened with hope, his gun vanishing from his grasp. "Does this mean we can go back outside?!"

"Still gotta visit the royal tomb, remember?" The prince took the key out of his pocket, approaching the crypt of his ancestor. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and claimed the Sword of the Wanderer. Unlike the first two times, he felt a strange power course through his veins. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was eager to find out.

Returning to the others, Noctis tugged on his jacket. "Let's get the hell outta here. I'm gonna need a hot bath after this is over."

Prompto cheered. "Aw, yeah. We're heading back outside! Let's go!"

Retracing their footsteps from earlier, the five return to the entrance of the cave. As they stepped out into the light of the sun and felt the warmth, the chill in their bones defrosted. Noctis took a step forward, but suddenly hunched over in pain. He grabs his head with a painful wince. Like when they first arrived in Lestallum, images flashed through his mind in a flurry.

Prompto took a few steps towards him when seeing his painful expression. "Noct, you okay?!"

A few seconds later, the pain and images fade from Noctis' mind. "What did I... Where was that?"

Gladio was mystified and asked, "What is it?"

The prince tried to make sense of the images that flickered through his mind. "A hole in the ground...something burning... The Meteor?"

"You saw the Disc of Cauthess?" Ignis inquired with a puzzled tone.

Gladio patted Noctis on the back. "Let's make our way back to Lestallum."

However, the raven-haired boy shook his head. "Not yet. We're going to Costlemark next."

"That wouldn't be wise, Noct," (Y/n) chimed in after her long silence.

He lifted his head and met her gaze. "I can deal with headaches for a little while longer. We need to stop this voice and the only thing we can do is visit Costlemark before you wind up in another trance. You almost were hit by a car yesterday because of this damned voice. At least I don't lose control of my body when I get a headache. We're going and that's final." Noctis took the lead and walked down the cliffside path.

Gladio and Prompto followed after him, but Ignis and (Y/n) remained behind. They exchanged uncertain glances before following their companions and leaving greyshire glacial grotto.

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 2 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter XII

At Tostwell Grill located in the back corner of the marketplace, Ignis and (Y/n) sat across from one another. They ordered two bowls of offal stew and chatted about their time with Jasper and Luca until their food arrived. They were enjoying their alone time together, but it didn't last long.

"Well, well, well," a gruff voice chuckled. Gladio sat down beside Ignis while Noctis and Prompto sat on either side of (Y/n). The shield grinned, "You two on a date?"

"We are simply enjoying a meal together," Ignis replied before correcting himself. "Were enjoying."

"Ouch, Iggy."

"You two were gone this morning," Prompto pointed out. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing of the sort. (Y/n) and I decided to have a chat with Jasper and Luca," Ignis answered. He left out some major details, but still told the truth nonetheless.

"Anything good to tell us?" Noctis asked.

"There are a couple of things, actually," (Y/n) spoke up. "I asked Luca about Costlemark. According to the rumors he's heard, the daemons that inhabit Costlemark Tower have a royal arm in their possession. Hunters believe they ransacked a royal tomb and took the sword back with them to Costlemark."

"Oh, wow! Talk about a coinkydink," Prompto chimed in. "Talcott told us about a legend that mentions a sword behind a waterfall. Noct thought it'd be a good place to check to see if there's a royal tomb."

Noctis turned his head in (Y/n)'s direction as he leaned back in his seat. "What's this other thing you learned?"

She had almost forgotten what else she wanted to tell him. "Oh, right. Luca knew about the conduit. He told us they're a spirit chosen by Brahma to be his vessel."

"Who the hell's Brahma?" Gladio inquired.

"The forgotten Astral," Ignis replied, recalling the ancient text he read many years ago. "The seventh god, known as the Creator. Unlike the other Astrals, he no longer has a presence on Eos. Not many scholarly texts mention him by name, only title."

"Aaand how do we find this conduit? Did Luca happen to know how?" Prompto wondered.

"We are still on our lonesomes in those regards."

The blonde huffed out a groan. "Too bad Luca or (Y/n) isn't the conduit." His head then snapped in the girl's direction. "You're...not the conduit, are you?"

"I don't think so, and I doubt a god would choose me as his vessel," she responded. "I'm pretty sure his standards are very high."

Gladio leaned forward, folding his arms atop the table. "Trust me, munchkin, you're as top-shelf as they come. I'm sure we all agree on that."

Prompto nodded his head with a smile. "Oh, definitely!"

She glanced between Gladio and Prompto. "What makes me "top-shelf" material?"

"You're completely selfless, kind, and can kick some serious ass. Your looks are just a bonus. You're the embodiment of purity," the shield stated as if everything he was saying were facts from a textbook.

Her brows furrowed together. "I think more than one of those things you listed has nothing to do with purity..."

"You know what I'm getting at."

"Well, when everyone's done eating, let's get this show on the road. We've gotta visit the waterfall and Costlemark," Noctis said.

"Before we depart, I do wish to browse the marketplace. We are in need of more ingredients and curatives," Ignis spoke up.

"Do what you wanna, Specs. Just keep the vegetables to a minimum. The less we have, the better."

The tactician was going to buy what he needed for his recipes whether that be vegetables, meat, or grains. Of course, he would need tons of vegetables for the dishes he wants to try cooking, but that would be his secret. "I will see what I can do to...lessen our vegetable count." That was a lie.

After everyone ate, even Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto, the group left Tostwell Grill and browsed the marketplace. It wasn't until a few minutes in that Ignis and (Y/n) had taken the lead and wound up in their own little world while exploring the marketplace. They were walking side by side, Ignis having slowed his stroll due to her stride being smaller than his due to their differences in height.

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio lagged behind, deciding to leave the shopping to Ignis and (Y/n). The marksman was taking pictures left and right. One of his pictures ended up being of the tactician and guardian. Realizing he took their picture, he examined it closer. Ignis and (Y/n) were looking at each other, smiling as they seemed to be chatting about what to buy next. The blonde looked back and forth from the picture to their forms as they browse the marketplace. He began pouting like a child and groaned, which caught the attention of Gladio and Noctis.

"What's with the weird noises?" The shield questioned.

"Why...?" Prompto muttered, eyes falling to the screen of his camera. "Why do they look so good together? It's not fair!"

"The hell're you talking about?" Noctis looked over his best friend's shoulder and saw the photo of Ignis and (Y/n). "Oh..."

Gladio noticed the prince's bland expression and also took a glimpse at the camera. He smirked when seeing the rarest thing Ignis did-genuinely smile. Smacking Prompto on the back, he chuckled. "You're jealous."

The sharpshooter wouldn't deny it because his jealously already slipped out without him knowing. "So what if I am? This is totally unfair! Just look at them!"

"What's unfair about two good-looking people who care about each other? It's not their fault you can't get a girl. And besides, Iggy and (Y/n) aren't together."

"No, but they sure as hell are clearly made for each other! Just...look!" Prompto shoves his camera into Gladio's face. "Not once have I've seen Iggy smile like that! I want someone to look at me the way he looks at (Y/n)! Why is it so hard to get a girl?"

Noctis shook his head with a sigh. "Definitely jealous..."

"Little guy's got it bad," the shield grumbled, placing his hand on the camera to push it out of his face. "Maybe you should try talking to girls. They're not just gonna fall into your lap. Be a man and make the first move, pipsqueak. That's what I'm tryna get our uptight advisor to do."

The prince scoffed at the idea of Ignis with a woman. "You seriously think Speccy will actually hook up with a girl on this trip?"

"Hell yeah I do, and the perfect girl is standing right beside him. He just needs a shove in the right direction and I think I know just how to do it."

Prompto, who had calmed down after taking a few deep breaths, questioned him. "Really? How're you gonna do that?"

"By pissing him off."

Ignis and (Y/n) finished shopping a few minutes later. They carried a few bags, which they took to the Regalia with Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio close behind. They placed the bags in the trunk with the rest of their stash before climbing into the vehicle. Leaving Lestallum, they venture to where the waterfall was located.

Ignis drove the Regalia all the way to Burbost Souvenir Emporium, a small outpost near Callatein Falls. He pulled over and parked the car in front of the gas pumps. Because of no direct route via road, the car wouldn't be able to carry them all the way to the waterfall. Wandering down the road on foot, they located a stairwell leading to a dirt path along the river's edge.

As they were about to descend the stairs, Prompto suddenly shrieked at the top of his lungs. "(Y/n)!" Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis all turn around at the sound of his shrill cry. They saw the blonde, but what had their attention was the guardian that was aimlessly wandering down the road. Her heels clacked against the asphalt as she paid no mind to the boys as if they didn't exist.

"Shit, it's happening again," Noctis commented.

"Think we should let her walk and follow her?" Gladio suggested.

"A plan such as that is far too dangerous," Ignis said.

"Then let's snap her out of it," Prompto stated. "You did it before, didn't you, Iggy? Do it again!"

Ignis caught up with (Y/n). He placed himself in front of her and grasped her shoulders to stop her from walking any further. She did just that and froze. Slowly, he removed his hands from her shoulders. Peering into her eyes, he saw her slitted pupils were blown out just like the night prior. She also wasn't blinking and her eyes were slightly narrowed. "(Y/n), can you hear me?" He repeated himself from last night. Unlike then, his voice wasn't reaching her. She stood on the side of the road, her dilated pupils focused on something in the distance.

Prompto hesitantly approached, eyes scanning over her body. He saw she was still breathing, which was a good sign. "This is really freaky. It's almost like she's a doll. Any idea what might be doing this to her?"

Ignis' eyes trailed off slightly in thought. Should he tell the others about the voice (Y/n) hears? Or should he keep it a secret? Would she be mad at him if he told them? Seeing as she was in need of help, he decided not to remain silent. "Since our departure from the city, (Y/n) claims to hear a voice on occasions. She spoke of hearing this voice last night before falling into this stupor."

"And we're just learning about this voice now?" Gladio asked, scowling. "Why the hell were you two keeping this a secret?"

Ignis glowered at the shield for his snappy behavior. "She did not wish to worry you all and I respected her decision to remain silent on the matter."

"Is this voice the reason she wants to go to Costlemark?" Noctis pondered.

He nodded. "Indeed, it is."

"And you think whatever is talking to her is doing this?"

"There is no other plausible rationale."

All of a sudden, (Y/n) collapsed to her knees. Her upper body was slumped forward, her head hanging. It was like someone had snipped the strings used to control a marionette. Prompto has taken a step back as he was startled by her sudden collapse. Ignis was the complete opposite. He kneeled down and reached out to touch her. He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward to peer into her eyes. Her pupils were still large with no sign of returning to their normal slitted appearance. He wondered if the voice was still talking to her as he idly touched her.

"She won't snap out of it. What do we do?" Prompto clearly was concerned about (Y/n). His tone of voice was slightly higher-pitched than usual and held a worry tone to it.

Ignis removed his finger from her chin, her head falling limply against her chest. He then carefully maneuvered her body into a position where he could pick her up in his arms. "We wait." Once she was safely in his grasp, he walked back to where they parked the Regalia. With Gladio's help, he put her in the passenger's seat where she usually sat. Her head lulled to the side and allowed everyone to see her blown pupils.

"Are you sure waiting is a good thing to do? We could try a potion to see if that'll help," the brute said.

"It would be a waste of a curative for she is uninjured."

"Think we should give her a little shock? That'll probably snap her out of it," Noctis suggested.

The advisor hated the idea and showed it in the glare he sent towards the prince. "Harming her is out of the question."

"Chill, Specs. It was just an innocent suggestion..."

"How about we throw some water on her? That usually wakes people up," Prompto said.

"She's not asleep," Gladio remarked.

"Still, it's better than Noct's idea. All she'll get is wet."

"And possibly sick," Ignis retorted. "Her body temperature is already abnormal. With the addition of water, it could drop even more."

"Maybe we should just leave her here for the time being. Once we're done with this waterfall business, we can check on her," Noctis said.

"Bad idea. What if the empire shows up or if she wanders off again?" Gladio glanced at the prince, wondering why he ever thought that was even a plausible thought in his head.

Ignis cupped his chin between his index finger and thumb, delving into his mind to search for a solution. He began pacing back and forth, desperately trying to come up with an idea to help (Y/n). However, he was torn from his thoughts the second he heard her melodic voice.

"Wait, weren't we just...?" (Y/n)'s pupils returned to slits as she sat up. She looked around in puzzlement. "When did we get back to the car?"

"Iggy carried you back here. You were in that weird trance again," Prompto answered. "He tried to snap you out of it, but it didn't work."

She pressed a hand against the side of her head. Her (h/c) locks gently blew in the breeze. The cool, crispy air allowed her to think clearly. "The voice said there's an altar I must visit in Costlemark." She gasped, realizing what she said. "I-I mean..."

"You don't have to hide it anymore, (Y/n). Specs already told us about this voice you hear from time to time," Noctis said. "Is this person or thing hurting you?"

She shook her head, denying it rather quickly. "Not at all. I think whoever the voice belongs to is desperate for me to visit Costlemark. It somehow takes over and tries to guide me there. I...can't remember what happens when I'm in that state, though. It's...blank."

"Then maybe we should head to Costlemark first."

"No," she denied, climbing out of the car. "We're already here and the entrance to the tower doesn't open until nighttime."

"Are you sure you're up for this, (Y/n)?" Prompto worriedly asked. "We'd understand if you wanted to stay behind. You're looking pale."

"I'll be fine. It'll pass soon."

"If you feel even a diminutive bit of ailment, do speak up. It would be unwise to proceed if you feel ill," Ignis said.

She smiled weakly. "I will."

"Then let's be off."

Returning to their task at hand, they returned to the stairwell and walked down to the dirt path below. They followed it all the way down to the water's edge, where they came across a midgardsormr. It slithered along the rocks, its scales reflecting the rays of the bright sun above. Its low hissing and flickering tail sent a chill down Prompto's spine. "Th-That's a big snake..."

"Tread lightly," Ignis advised. "We shall sidle alongside the cliff to avoid drawing its attention."

Noctis took the lead and quietly snuck around the midgardsormr. He was then followed by Prompto, (Y/n), Gladio, and Ignis. They were successful in not engaging the large creature, but they had no choice in the matter when they stumbled upon a group of shieldshears. The guardian was the first to react. Feeling an unfamiliar surge of power in her body, she held out her hand and casted a simple ice spell. What happened shocked her and the boys.

Her simple spell was magnified and killed the shieldshears instantly. She lowered her hand, gaping in surprise at her handy work. The large ice spikes shattered and the shards danced around them before disappearing.

"Dude, talk about overkill!" Prompto slightly yelled. "Are you sure that voice didn't do anything to you?"

"I'm positive. I don't understand what came over me." She then looked up at the waterfall and noticed the side path leading up the cliff and behind the cascading water. "Unless..." She hastily made her way up the cliffside path.

"What? Unless what?" Prompto quickly chased after her, wanting to know what she was going to say. He caught up to her, but forgot why he pursued her when he saw what was hidden behind the waterfall. "Wouldn't you know it-an entrance!"

Gladio, who had follow them up, was somewhat surprised that there was a hidden entrance. "Looks like the legend checks out."

Ignis and Noctis caught up. All five of them stopped at the entrance, feeling a frigid breeze gingerly blowing from the cave. (Y/n) inhaled deeply at feeling the coldness and felt the same surge of power course through her body. Taking a few steps forward, she stood in front of the boys with her back facing them. She peered inside the entrance to the cave as she felt another frigid breeze blow across her body. It was an invigorating sensation and she could feel her connection to the mana flowing through Eos coursing through her blood with a buzzing sensation. The sensation was enticing and almost made her addicted to it, but she pushed the thought aside.

Taking another step forward, (Y/n) stood inside the cave. The ground underneath her feet was beginning to freeze. The ice crept towards the boys, causing them to back away.

"Hey, (Y/n), can you try not to freeze us?" Noctis asked.

She turned around and saw the ice on the ground. She didn't realize what she was doing, but she immediately stopped. "Sorry. My powers become magnified in cold places and sometimes can go out of control."

"Y-You're not gonna skewer us on icicles, are you?" Prompto fearfully questioned.

"What? No, my powers never get that far out of hand. Just...be careful where you step near me to avoid slipping on any ice."

"Whew!" He wipes his forehead with a relieved smile. "That's a relief. Being skewered on an icicle would totally be a terrible way to go, and probably really painful."

Gladio nudged the blonde forward. "Enough about icicles. Get movin', pipsqueak."

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 2 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter XI

The following morning, (Y/n) dressed herself in her attire. Because of her lack of clothes, she washed them in the shower last night to get rid of the dirt and grime before hanging them to dry. Luckily, the dress and tights were completely dry by the time she put them back on. Strapping her heels on, she left the Leville and headed to the outlook in search of Luca.

Although it was only eight in the morning, Lestallum was already bustling. She passed by many women dressed in jumpsuits heading towards the power plant to begin their workday. The men, who mostly worked the stalls around the city, were readying themselves for the busy day ahead.

Arriving at the outlook, she looked around for Luca. She found him standing beside a chubby man who was fanning himself with his hand. He too had a camera just like the guardian standing beside him and wore a Meteor Publishing t-shirt.

Inhaling deeply to calm her nerves, (Y/n) approached the two men. She swallowed hard before speaking up. "Good morning, Luca."

The silver-eyed man looked up with a smile. "(Y/n), good morning. I wasn't expecting to see you this early in the morning."

"I can be an early riser sometimes, and I wanted to take you up on your offer."

Luca looked toward the man next to him. "I'll be back soon, Vyv. Hopefully those photos I gave you were good enough."

"What're you talking about? They're amazing! You're one of my best photographers, Luca. Take all the time you need. Hopefully you'll show me the finishing product of your personal project," Vyv replied.

(Y/n) and Luca walk a little ways down the outlook. They sit down on a bench located on the overhang with the stationary binoculars. They gazed out towards the Disc of Cauthess for a few seconds before igniting a conversation. "I'm glad you decided to do this, (Y/n)," Luca said.

"I think what you're doing is admirable and if I can help, I want to," she replied.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to do a quick photo shoot with us as the subjects. Jasper will tag along to help because I wanna get a few shots of us together in our spiritual forms. We could do it today if you're free."

"Sure." She glanced down at the ground before looking towards her fellow spirit. "There is something I wanted to tell you. It's more of a warning than anything else."

"What is it?"

"The empire's hunting down our people and killing them. I want you and Jasper to be careful."

Luca gripped his camera tightly. "So it isn't just a rumor..." He stares into her sapphire eyes. "Thank you for telling me, (Y/n). Jasper and I were planning to head to Altissia soon for our pre-wedding trip, but we might wanna reschedule."

"That's also what I wanted to talk about. Your relationship with Jasper... Did you ever question it because of your status as guardian and master?"

The shaggy-haired man smiled. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She nodded with a faint blush. "Very much so, but I'm afraid."

Luca's smile fell. "What're you scared of?"

"Many things. Because of Ignis' position, I know I'll always come second. Another reason is because I'm his guardian and he's my master. Can a human and guardian truly love one another?"

"No one wants to come second in the heart of the person they love. I would talk to Ignis about it and express your feelings on the matter. And now for your question..." Luca placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Of course a human and guardian can be happy together! Jasper and I are the perfect example of a human/spirit relationship. We're on the road to our wedding and both of us are extremely happy with our decision to be with one another. We're happy to be spending the rest of our lives together. But the first step for you is to organize your feelings. Confess when you're ready. You don't have to rush into these things. Who knows? Maybe Ignis already has a game plan on how he plans to confess to you. Just keep holding your head high and don't worry about a thing. I believe things will work out for both of you."

(Y/n) latched on to Luca's words. They weighed heavily in her heart and mind and she felt the hope they brought. "I don't how to thank you, Luca."

"Seeing that gleam in your eyes is a reward in itself. Besides, you already promised to do a photo shoot with me." Luca stood up, dropping his hands from her shoulders. "Let's go find Jasper and take this photo shoot out of Lestallum. I could use a break from this hot town."

"I never really noticed how hot it was here," (Y/n) commented as she got to her feet.

"Really?" He reached out and touched her arm, feeling just how cold she was to the touch. "Oh, wow, your skin is freezing! I can't believe I didn't notice that before. Is your element ice?"

"That, and lightning."

He gasped in shock. "You wield two elements? Damn, I wish I would've learned a second element. I use lightning, too."

"What other element would you like to learn?" She inquired.

"Definitely fire."

"I wish I wielded fire instead of ice sometimes..."

"I think all guardians feel that way about their element from time to time. You wish you knew a completely different element, but in the end are happy with what you've already mastered."

She giggled. "I agree."

The guardians left the outlook and searched Lestallum for Jasper. To their surprise, they found him enjoying a cup of coffee with none other than Ignis. (Y/n) couldn't believe she was seeing the advisor meeting up with Luca's fiancé. The shaggy-haired man leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Talk about a major coincidence. Maybe they were talking about what you and I were."

The girl's mouth opened and closed as if she were a fish gasping. She quickly closed her mouth as they approached Jasper and Ignis. Luca threw an arm around his fiancé's neck and smirked. "Whatcha two gossiping about? Are there some dirty secrets you can't share with me and (Y/n)?"

"Well..." Jasper leant over and whispered something into Luca's ear. The photographer bit down on his knuckle with a smirk threatening to form on his face.

"Oooh, I see. My lips are sealed."

(Y/n) glances between the two. "Secrets, hmm?"

Luca grinned knowingly in her direction. "If I were to tell you, it'd ruin the surprise!"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Well, it is none of my business." Turning her attention to Ignis, she tilted her head. "I'm surprised to see you with Jasper."

"There were important matters I wished to discuss with him," Ignis replied.

"All right!" Jasper shouted, grabbing their attentions. "Let's get this photo shoot rolling. Are you gonna tag along, Ignis?"

"If you'll allow as much."

"There's no problem. It's the least we can do since we're borrowing your lady."

Ignis' stoic expression didn't falter. He kept his emotions in check like the professional he was. Although he had discussed the same with Jasper that (Y/n) did with Luca, neither one of them knew the truth. Only the loving couple they'd spoken to knew the secret of both their rendezvouses.

"All of us should be able to fit in my car," Luca said. "We'll take a short drive to kelbass grasslands and take a few pictures of (Y/n) and myself. It'll be a short trip, possibly between two to three hours."

"Should we tell Noct and the others?" The female guardian asked Ignis.

"A few hours of relax and reprieve will do them no harm. It will be my good deed for the day," he answered with a small hint of a smirk. "Noct may even still be fast asleep by the time we return."

"He does love his sleep."

Luca checked his camera and his pockets. "Good, I've got everything we need. Let's go."

The four headed to the parking lot and climbed into a blue and white truck. Ignis and (Y/n) sat in the backseat while Luca was behind the wheel with Jasper in the passengers seat. They departed from Lestallum and arrived in the kelbass grasslands a few minutes later. Luca pulled the truck over to the side of the road and they all exited the vehicle before making their way down a nearby concrete stairwell.

Entering a section of the grasslands where there were very few trees, Luca handed Jasper his camera. He then walked over to (Y/n), grabbed her hand, and escorted her a little ways away from Ignis and Jasper. Once he thought it was the perfect spot, he stopped and grabbed both of her hands. "You've no idea how excited I am to see your spiritual form."

She grimaced. "You might be disappointed..."

"Oh, there's no way I'll be disappointed! All guardians have unique spiritual forms. No two are alike! So please, don't be shy and show me."

Nodding, she took a couple steps back before transforming. Her small form sat on the ground, tail swishing back and forth. Luca gaped in shock as he kneeled down. "By the gods, you're adorable! I've heard guardians with smaller forms possess more powerful magic."

"Luca, sweetheart, are you going to transform anytime soon or continue to swoon over (Y/n)?" Jasper called out to his lover.

"Oh, damn, that's right," he laughed. "Forgot this was a photo shoot for a minute. Lemme just..." He backed away from the skvader, revealing his own spiritual form. As expected, he was larger than (Y/n) and resembled that of a deer. Long, curvy antlers adorned the top of his head. His fur was a combination of silver, blue, and yellow. Unlike normal deer, his tail was long and flowed gently. His hind legs were slightly thicker than his front ones and he had black hooves.

Luca released a gentle, high-pitch grunt. (Y/n) squeaked in response, spreading her wings as wide as they could go. The deer lowered his head and nuzzled his snout against the top of her head. She pushed herself onto her hind legs and placed her front paws on his snout. She gazed into his silver eyes, admiring how beautiful they glimmered in the sun. Luca also thought the same of her sapphire eyes.

Jasper was snapping away on the camera. His smile grew by the second as he watched the two guardians interact. He chuckled when (Y/n) climbed onto Luca and perched herself on one of his antlers. He listened to them exchange what almost sounded like a conversation with only grunts and squeaks.

Ignis was amazed at how they seem to easily communicate with each other. "Fascinating," he mumbled in awe.

"They truly are," Jasper said, continuing to take pictures. "Guardians are majestic, mythical beings. They deserve better treatment in this world. Now with the threat of the empire wiping them all out, it just got even tougher to be a spirit. I know you'll do everything in your power to protect (Y/n), but just remember there are two ways a guardian can be killed. If you're careless, it'll cost not only your life but hers. And knowing the guardian law, she'll do everything in her power to protect you. But even if that wasn't the law of her people, she would still take a bullet for you."

The royal advisor glanced at the older man. He was slightly taken aback at his words. How could he tell? "A simple observation, perhaps?"

He chuckled, lowering the camera slightly. "Anyone can tell how much you two care for each other just by looking at you both. You guys might try to hide it, but some emotions are harder to suppress than others."

The two look back towards their guardians just in time to witness them playfully chase one another. Luca ran after (Y/n) while she flew around. She eventually landed on his back and enjoyed the breeze as he ran between the trees. He then came to a stop and craned his head to look at her. With a grunt, he nuzzled his snout against hers. Her tail flicked back and forth as she squeaked happily in response.

Two hours passed before Jasper had enough photos of the guardians. Luca was the first to revert back to his human form and before (Y/n) could do the same, he scooped up her small form in his arms and held her close to his chest. "You are way too cute. I am so jealous! You can even fly!" He then held her out at eye level. "Y'know, having a large spiritual form has plenty of disadvantages. You shouldn't be ashamed of your small size, (Y/n). There are plenty of advantages to it."

Luca put the skvader down, allowing her to transform. She couldn't help but smile at him. "Thank you, Luca."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I just hope I've helped quell your doubts."

"You have. I feel much more confident."

He smiled widely, placing a hand on his hip. "That's what I like to hear!"

The guardians returned to their masters and peruse the pictures Jasper took. Satisfied with them, Luca pecked him on the cheek and announced their departure. They returned to Lestallum a few minutes after eleven. As they all stepped out of the truck, Luca thanked (Y/n). "Hey, thanks for doing this for me, (Y/n). It means a lot. If you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to talk to me."

"Actually, there are a couple more things I wanted to ask you," she said. "I figured your job as a photographer has taken you to various parts of Lucis. Are you familiar with Costlemark?"

"Oh, definitely. I took a few pics of the place per requested by Vyv. Apparently, there's a rumor going around that daemons infest the place and now possess one of the royal arms. The hunters believe they ransacked one of the tombs and took the sword with them back to Costlemark Tower."

Ignis and (Y/n) both went wide-eyed. The girl's expression quickly reverted back to normal. "I didn't realize it was that dangerous."

"If you do plan on visiting, I do have to tell you the entrance only opens at night." Luca twirled his camera strap around his finger. "Can I be nosy and ask why you're so curious about that place?"

Jasper elbowed his fiancé. "Luca," he hissed.

"I know it's rude! Just really curious, is all. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I've a feeling it has to deal with Prince Noctis."

Ignis adjusted his glasses. "I wasn't aware you knew of Noct's identity."

"I've taken a few jobs that had me travel to Insomnia. But you don't have to worry. We're not gonna tell anybody. I really was only after (Y/n) yesterday," Luca said. "Anyway, we're getting off-topic. What else did you want to ask me, (Y/n)?"

"The conduit-have you heard of them?" She asked.

Luca's hand slipped from his camera. He freaked out slightly before remembering it was secured around his neck. "That's the spirit the empire's searching for. You're not familiar with the conduit?" She shook her head and he continued. "I'll tell you what I know. The conduit is a guardian chosen by Brahma himself to be his vessel."

"Brahma..." Ignis felt as if he heard the name from somewhere.

Jasper stepped in to clear up the confusion. "Brahma is the seventh Astral. He's no longer worshipped like the other six gods. Time eventually forgot about him and so did most of Eos. He's more commonly referred to by scholars as the forgotten Astral."

"Legends passed down by guardians say his consciousness lives in the Celestial Crescent and he can only take physical form once he's chosen his vessel," Luca said.

"How would a guardian know if they're the conduit?" (Y/n) inquired.

"That is something I'm afraid that I don't even know. Sorry, (Y/n)."

"Don't apologize. I'm grateful for you telling me all that you knew."

All of a sudden, the sound of someone's stomach grumbling caught their attention. All eyes fell on (Y/n), who was hugging her waist with a blush. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize how hungry I was until now."

Images of dinner last night flashed through Ignis' mind. He remembered she hadn't ate much and seeing as how early it was when they left, he figured she never ate breakfast and it was nearly lunchtime. "I believe a visit to Tostwell Grill is in order, if you wish."

"Oh, yeah! Benny's food is amazing!" Luca cheered.

Jasper grabbed him and pulled him back, whispering in his ear. "Let them have their fun, sweetheart. This'll give them some alone time."

The silver-eyed guardian nodded with a knowing expression. "Oh, good idea." Luca adjusted his camera strap as he glanced at Ignis and (Y/n). "You two go without us. There's a few things we have to do before we can grab a bite to eat. Hopefully we'll see you two again before we leave Lestallum."

"When're you leaving?" (Y/n) asked.

"Tomorrow. The empire's been snooping around recently and we're gonna lay low for a while. We've got a vacation home in the Duscae region. It should be a good place to hide until everything calms down," Jasper said. "If you ever need us, Ignis has my number."

"We appreciated your company and invaluable information," Ignis replied kindly.

Luca stepped forward and "accidentally" bumped into (Y/n), causing her to stumble into Ignis. The male spirit grinned at them. "You two have fun!" He then grabbed Jasper's hand and dragged him away.

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 2 years

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To my lovely followers (and non-followers) who love FFXV, I have been working on a Noctis x OC for the past few months. It is posted on my Wattpad, but would you like for me to post it here? Or I can link it to my Tumblr.

#ffxv #final fantasy xv #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #noctis lucis caelum #ignis scientia #Noctis x OC

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 3 years

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Book Two: Sapphire has been released! The first ten chapters are available on tumblr and Wattpad. I hope you all enjoy!

Mythological Mayhem (Final Fantasy XV series) Masterlist Updated 8-31-21

|| Prompto Argentum x Reader || (COMPLETE)

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Chapter XXIII

Chapter XXIV

Chapter XXV

Chapter XXVI

Chapter XXVII

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter XXIX

Chapter XXX

Chapter XXXI

Chapter XXXII

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter XXXV

|| Ignis Scientia x Reader || (In Progress)

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

|| Noctis Lucis Caelum x Reader || (Coming Soon!)

|| Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader || (Coming Soon!)

#ff15 #ffxv #ffxv x reader #final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv x reader #ignis x reader #ignis scientia #ignis scientia x reader

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 3 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter X

The royal retinue reach the courtyard outside the Leville just as the ground beneath their feet began to shake. At the same time, Noctis grabs his head and winces. Images flash through his mind, but he couldn't make sense of them. Shaking his head, the pain and vision subside. Gladio, who was the closest to the prince, noticed his painful expression. "What's wrong?"

"My head just started throbbing," Noctis replied, hiding the details of the vision he witnessed.

"You all right?" Prompto asked worriedly.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"A headache at the exact moment of an earthquake," (Y/n) hummed. "I would say it isn't a coincidence."

"Indeed," Ignis agreed.

"Doesn't matter. It's gone," Noctis said.

They enter the Leville and stand in the lobby to wait for Iris. Gladio crosses his arms, tapping his foot impatiently against the tiled floor. He wasn't sure what was taking his sister so long, but she descended the stairwell a few minutes later.

"Gladdy!" Iris chanted, hurrying down the stairs.

Said boy looked up and smiled at his sister. He was relieved to see she was uninjured and safe from the hell raised by the empire in Insomnia. Although he lost his father, at least he still had his little sister. "Iris."

The young Amicitia glances around at the faces of the boys. She had yet to spot (Y/n) due to being hidden behind Ignis' tall, lithe body. "Look at you guys, holding your own out there."

Prompto smiled with slightly red cheeks. "What can I say? You look good."

"All things considered," Iris exhaled heavily. "You guys are staying here, right?"

"That's the plan," Ignis said, taking a step to the side and revealing the girl hidden behind him.

Iris noticed the fifth member of the group and blinked in surprise. She searched her memory and tried to remember seeing someone as beautiful as her before, but she couldn't recall anyone. She hastily took a few steps towards her, signaling the beginning of a throng of questions. "Who's this? Is she a crownsguard? But that outfit is way too nice." Iris circles (Y/n), examining her appearance closely. Reaching the front, she saw the slitted eyes and gemstone. "Wait, you're a guardian! But I don't remember any of the guys except Ignis having one. Now that I think about, I don't see her here."

Gladio stopped his sister after seeing how uncomfortable (Y/n) was becoming. "Take a breather, Iris. You're freakin' the girl out."

Realizing what she was doing, she gasped and promptly apologized. "I-I'm so sorry. It's just...I've never met someone so beautiful before. If I had, I would definitely remember."

"Oh, um...thank you, Iris," (Y/n) shyly replied.

"Pretty sure you've met (Y/n) before, Iris," Noctis stated. "But you've never seen her human form until now."

"That name..." Iris' voice trailed off before her eyes widened. "You're really (Y/n)? That little bundle of white fur is you?"

She nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Oh, wow. This is... You look amazing!" She praised. "I never imagined you were this pretty. I mean, I imagined you to be a little more than average, but I am blown away!"

The guardian did her best to analyze her appearance. Without a mirror, it was difficult to examine her entire body. She glanced down at her dress before lifting her head. "I really don't see what's so special about me."

"You're kidding, right?" Prompto spoke up. "You didn't notice all those people staring at you when we first got here?"

"And not just here. Wherever we go, people stare at you," Noctis added. "Can't believe you haven't noticed."

That's when (Y/n) started to worry. "Am I drawing too much attention to us? If that's the case, I can always change forms and-"

Gladio held up his and silenced her. "Slow your roll, munchkin. We drive a super fancy car that already sticks out like a sore thumb anywhere we go. With you taggin' along, no one even looks twice at Noct."

Noctis glanced at his shield with a scowl. "Am I supposed to be offended by that?"

"Take it as you will, Highness." Gladio focuses his gaze back on his sister. "Putting all that aside, when you have time we have catching up to do."

Iris nodded. "Sure. I've got time now if you guys do. We can talk in my room." She leads the group of five up the stairs and into one of the many hotel rooms. As they got comfortable, they were joined by an old man and a young boy. Gladio easily recognized the two. "Jared and Talcott! Is it good to see you."

Talcott smiled sweetly as he addressed the member of royalty among them. "Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me!" You could tell the young boy admired Noctis just by the gleam in his eyes.

Jared patted Talcott on the shoulder, smiling apologetically to the prince. "Please excuse my grandson. He has yet to learn his manners."

Noctis smirked. "I like it."

The older man lowered his head in a slight bow. "Your Highness is very kind, but we shan't impose. A very good night to you, Your Highness." Taking his grandson with him, he left the room so the group could talk. Iris closes the door behind them as they leave before taking a seat alongside the others.

Noctis was a little hesitant to ask, but he wanted to know some details of the invasion. "So Iris, what was it like inside the Crown City?"

Iris winced slightly as she remembered the day of the signing clearly. "Not pretty. The Citadel took a beating. But a lot of outlying neighborhoods made it through in one piece."

Ignis' eyes narrowed as he gazed at the carpet. "The empire had tactical targets in mind."

"If they incapacitated the Citadel from the inside, it would make it difficult for the crownsguard and Kingsglaive to deploy," (Y/n) said.

"Think they had a man on the inside?" Gladio wondered.

"A possibility we cannot dismiss," Ignis stated.

Iris glanced around at the dejected faces of the group. She clasped her hands together in her lap and focused her gaze on Noctis. "You know if there's anything else, you can ask me."

Noctis lifted his head, slightly taken aback. "Yeah, uh, thanks."

"So...about Lady Lunafreya. I keep hearing she was in town. Apparently she left right away, but at least it means she's okay."

The prince wasn't sure how to feel about Lunafreya. He wasn't sure if she was alive or dead and he was worried about her. However, Iris' words did provide a small amount of relief. "Good to hear. Thanks."

Iris then stands, brushing off her skirt. "Yeah, well, get a good night's rest." She then leaves the room.

Ignis stood up as well. "I shall procure rooms for us."

(Y/n) glances at him. "That was plural."

"I shall ensure you get your own personal room, (Y/n). It would be ill-suited for a lady to remain in a room with four men."

She watched him leave the room, blinking in surprise. She uncrossed her legs with a huff. A grin tugged at the corners of Gladio's lips. "You seem disappointed."

"No, just surprised. We had no issues sharing a room in Longwythe or Galdin Quay. What's changed?" She pondered.

"You think it has to do with the fact you spend more time in your human form than your spiritual one now?" Prompto asked.

"Or maybe Iggy wants you to have your own room so he can make a surprise visit to you in the middle of the night," the brute said.

She glowered at him. "Why do you think Iggy would have an ulterior motive?"

Gladio looked away, trying to act innocent. "No reason."

Her eyes scrunched up in an accusing manner. "You know something that I don't."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But it's not my place to tell. Hopefully us guys can snap some sense into his uptight ass and get him to tell you."

(Y/n) wanted to question him further, but held herself back as Ignis returned. She accepted the key he offered her and read the number attached to it before heading to her room. It was only a few doors down from Iris' room. She entered the room and looked around. There was a small couch, a coffee table, and a double bed with a nightstand beside it. It was decent, but she felt lonely. Why had Ignis suddenly wanted her to have her own room? Was it really because she's been spending more time in her human form like Prompto said or was there another possibility?

Her shoulders sank while trudging towards the bed. She sat down on the edge with a huff of frustration at her busy thoughts. She pushed them aside by remembering the intimate moment she shared with Ignis earlier that day. It was nice to be in his arms, a sensation she's enjoyed ever since he first hugged her when he was only five years old. As the years passed, the hugs became scarce in number due to his duties to the crown. He became more prim and proper, meaning casual hugs were deemed inappropriate. She had watched the boy grow into a man, his personality changing from sweet and caring to reserved and stoic.

Of course, he had his moments where he would show her how much he cared about her. Those were few and far between. However, that somewhat changed after they left the city. Even with Noctis as his first priority, his time with her had grown as if they had reverted back to their younger years. It brought a smile to her face, but it quickly vanished. She wanted to be his first priority. Was it a selfish thought? Perhaps.

Hanging her head, she hid her face behind a curtain of (h/c) tresses. She mentally scolded herself for thinking in such a manner. All she wanted was Ignis to love her with all his heart just as she wanted to do the same for him. But there was another thing stopping her-their roles. She was his guardian and he was her master. Was it appropriate for a human and spirit to be together?

That's when her eyes gleamed with hope as she recalled Jasper and Luca. They were clearly in love with each other and are engaged. She lifted her head and glanced out the window, coming to a decision-she would meet Luca tomorrow and discuss how he and Jasper overcame such obstacles or if it was only her self-doubt that prevented her from confessing her feelings.

(Y/n) was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. She went to answer it and saw Prompto was visiting her. Noticing he was alone, she wondered what he wanted. "Is there something I can do for you, Prompto?"

"You're gonna join us for dinner, right?" He asked.

Checking the time on the clock located on the nightstand, she saw it was a few minutes past five. "I didn't realize it was that late already."

Prompto grabbed her hand with a smile. "C'mon, the guys already left to make sure we get a table."

(Y/n) was taken aback at the sudden sensation of his hand on hers. "Prompto, your hand."

He looked down at their connected hands and blushed. He had unconsciously grabbed hers. "S-Sorry..."

She couldn't help but admire how kind and gentle he was. In order to smooth over the situation, she offered him a gentle smile. "It's fine. Let's go."

They left the Leville and headed to Surgate's Beanmine near the main thoroughfare. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis were sitting at one of the tables and had already ordered for everyone. The eatery was packed and only a couple tables were left vacant. Sitting in between Noctis and Ignis, (Y/n) glances across the table when Gladio kicked her lightly in the foot. "Took your time, munchkin."

"I was thinking about a few things and didn't realize how late it was," she explained.

He took a brief glance at Ignis before looking back at her. "Like what?"

"Luca. I want to help him with his dream project. Spirits could use a good reputation. I also want to warn him about the empire."

"Y'know, all the people I've talked about guardians with adore them," Prompto said. "I can't believe people discriminate against your people, (Y/n)."

She crossed her legs, placing her hands gently in her lap. "I can't even imagine what it's like to be a masterless spirit in a society like this. It must be very difficult for them to live normal lives."

"Oh, yeah. Specs mentioned that rite of annulment," Noctis chimed in.

"I do hope I did not overstep my bounds," Ignis said, glancing toward the girl sitting beside him.

She shook her head. "Not at all. The rite of annulment has been used in both good and bad ways. Guardians have undergone the ritual to escape their abusive masters and humans have used it to get rid of their guardians. If the threat of corruption wasn't high, it's possible the rite wouldn't be so bad."

"What's this corruption you're talkin' about?" Gladio pried.

"Masters act as buffers for guardians when it comes to mana flow. If a guardian cannot control the flow, it builds up in their body and they soon lose themselves. Some spirits have massacred humans in such a state, but most of the time they commit suicide once it's too overbearing. A guardian's risk of corruption goes down if their master is still alive. But once that soul vanishes from Eos, the risk of corruption is extremely high. There are spirits who have learned to cope through the madness to keep their minds intact while others have never suffered from corruption."

"Okay, yeah, none of the books I've read mention any of this..." Prompto mumbled.

"Neither do the vast collections I've perused," Ignis said.

(Y/n) stared down at the table. "Not everything is written down in books or documents. If the rite was vastly known, I fear my people's reputation would be even more soiled."

"Let's just hope Luca doesn't know about it," Gladio stated. "And if he does, he'll leave it out of his book."

Their food arrived as their conversation ended. (Y/n) stared thoughtfully at her serving of bird-broth rice with curry before picking up her spoon to enjoy the meal. She listened to Noctis and Prompto as they exchanged playful banter while eating.

Once everyone was finished, they left the eatery and headed back to the Leville. As they passed through one of the alleyways, a disembodied voice reached (Y/n)'s ears. He body became stiff while listening to it.

Come...of Pneuma... Heed...call... Costlemark...altar...

A strange sensation overtook her body. Feeling a trance consume her mind, she no longer had control of her body. Listening to the voice, she wandered aimlessly down another alleyway and wound up separated from the boys. Unaware of her surroundings, she was heading straight for the road.

As she was about to step off the curb and into the street, the sound of a blaring horn bounced off the buildings, but it didn't snap her out of her trance. It was only when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to safety before she was hit by a car that caused the trance to fade. The sensation of hands on her cheeks resulted in her to blink a few times. Her vision cleared and all she could see was a pair of familiar emerald eyes behind a pair of glasses. As the faint ringing in her ear ceased and she could hear the sounds of the bustling town, she realized Ignis was her savior and was trying to get her attention.

"(Y/n), can you hear me?" Ignis asked as her slitted pupils narrowed.

She looked around as best as she could and saw Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto standing behind him. "What happened?"

"I was hoping you'd clarify."

"Weren't we on our way back to the Leville?" She asked.

Prompto stepped forward. "You...don't remember what just happened?"

"No."

"You just suddenly walked off. We tried to get your attention, but you weren't listening. You wandered out into the middle of the street and was almost ran over by a car. Luckily Specs saved you before you were flattened," Noctis clarified. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." (Y/n) took a step back when Ignis removed his hands from her cheeks. All she could remember was hearing the voice and then they were standing by the side of the road. "Maybe I just need some more sleep."

"You looked like you were in some kinda trance," Prompto said.

Ignis examines her face and noticed she looked sickly. "You've become pale. Let us make haste back to the hotel."

"Need a piggyback ride, munchkin?" Gladio offered.

She shook her head. "No, I can walk."

Ignis placed an arm around her shoulders and escorted her back to the Leville. He took her to her room and asked her to sit down on the bed. When she did, he kneeled down in front of her and took her gloved hands in his own. "What truly happened tonight, (Y/n)?"

"I-I honestly don't know, Iggy," she answered sincerely. "I heard that voice again and then realized we were standing by the road. I did feel something come over my body, but I don't know what. I'm sorry..."

Ignis raised one of his hands and caressed the back of his fingers against her cheek. "You need not apologize, darling."

She was shocked at hearing the term of endearment, but welcomed it. "I just hope visiting Costlemark will resolve this and put an end to the voice."

He removed his hand from her face and gazed deeply into her sapphire eyes. He loved how they sparkled just like the gemstones in his necklace. It was like getting lost in the ocean. "Will you be all right by yourself tonight?"

"Yes. I'll probably turn in early after a shower."

"If you need me, you know where I'll be. Please, do not hesitate to call upon me."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Good night, Iggy."

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 3 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter IX

As the sun peaked over the horizon the next morning, (Y/n) left the caravan to get some fresh air. She admired the rising sun as it gradually rose into the sky. She watched the light vanquish the dark before wandering over to Wiz. From what she learned yesterday, the man not only ran the outpost but also managed the eatery here.

"Howdy, lass!" Wiz greeted her with a smile. "What can these ol' bones do for ya?"

"You wouldn't happen to sell ebony, would you?" She asked.

"We do. Would ya like a freshly brewed cup?"

"Please. How much do I owe you?"

Wiz shook his head. "It's on the house! Consider it a small apology fer our chicks yesterday. My stablehand told me what happened."

"That's very kind of you, but the chicks really weren't a bother. They were a welcomed distraction," she smiled.

"Still, lemme get ya that cup o' coffee. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Wiz sauntered off and returned a few minutes later with a warm cup of ebony. She thanked him for the free coffee and returned to the caravan just as the door gently opened. She placed the styrofoam cup on the table and smiled at Ignis as he joined her outside. "Good morning."

"It truly is," Ignis replied. "You are up earlier than usual. Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't realize we were sharing a caravan with a snoring behemoth last night," she sighed.

The tactician chuckled lightly, knowing exactly who she was referring to. "A cacophony only possible by Gladio. He can be quite clamorous while slumbering."

(Y/n) grabbed the cup of coffee off the table, handing it to him. "I figured you'd be up soon and went ahead and secured your morning dose of ebony. Wiz was kind enough to give it to me for free, even though I insisted on paying for it."

Ignis accepted the cup with a gracious smile. "I do appreciate this, (Y/n)." He took a sip of the warm beverage before lowering the cup. "Would you indulge me for a bit?"

She nodded. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"Remember our talk yesterday before departing to dispatch the behemoth? I do believe scavenging would be a tranquil undertaking on this placid morning."

The guardian gasped, remembering their conversation from yesterday. "I completely forgot. But yes! It is a lovely morning to search for ingredients. Let me grab the basket from the car and we can take the chocobos."

She ran over to the Regalia, Ignis watching her as she did so. He figured they could save some gil if they located some ingredients in the wild and it would also provide him some private time to talk with (Y/n) without the fear of being interrupted by the other boys.

Returning with the wood-knitted basket, (Y/n) called their chocobos while Ignis finished his coffee. She hooked the basket to the saddle of her bird before climbing onto its back. The advisor did the same, allowing her to take the lead due to her senses being more enhanced than his. She could practically sniff out any ingredients that were nearby, which made her an excellent scavenger.

It wasn't long, maybe a few minutes, before they discovered a batch of wild onions. (Y/n) dismounted her chocobo and immediately picked a few, placing them gently in the basket. They moved on to the next location, where they discovered some beetroot. They added it to the basket and proceeded to their third destination. There, they found various nests filled with eggs. The girl giggled as she picked up a few of the birdbeast eggs. "You did mention eggs yesterday, Iggy."

"A fortunate guess on my part," Ignis responded with a hint of a smile at hearing her melodious laughter. "Alas, your comment was what led to such a thought."

(Y/n) gently placed the eggs in the basket. That's when she realized it was full. "We should probably head back. The basket can't carry anymore."

"Before we depart, may we speak of our conversation in Keycatrich Trench?" Ignis asked, hopping off his chocobo and approaching her.

She combed a hand through her (h/c) locks with a small, sorrowful sigh. "I was wondering when we were gonna have this talk..."

"What you said... Is it true?" He inquired.

Without hesitating, she stared into his emerald eyes. "Yes. My happiness does not matter, only yours. By guardian law, I am bound to protect you and do what makes you happy no matter what that may be. Many of my people deem the laws to be unfair and choose to undergo the rite of annulment, but one risks corruption doing such a dangerous act."

Ignis has been an avid learner of all things guardian ever since he was blessed with (Y/n). He read numerous of books and articles in regards to spirits to learn all there was about them, but not once had he heard about this rite she spoke of. "Is there a possibility of you sharing more about this "rite" you spoke of?"

"The rite of annulment is a ceremony a guardian can undergo if they wish to separate from their master. It unbinds their souls and lengthens a guardian's lifespan. However, the ritual has proven to be dangerous. Guardians risk corruption once their soul is severed from their master's. Those who suffer from corruption lose their minds and eventually...kill themselves. Some masterless guardians have also been known to slaughter humans once they've been consumed by madness." She hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms. "It's a dark side of my people that very few humans know about. The rite is still performed today, but the practice isn't known by many spirits. I only heard about it when I met a much older spirit in Insomnia one day while you were busy at the Citadel. He went through the rite himself and was happily living his life."

Ignis couldn't help but be curious. "Have you ever desired to undertake this rite yourself?"

Her eyes widen in horror at the question. "Never." A dark thought crossed her mind as she recalled the rest of her conversation with the elder spirit. She took a few steps back as fear courses through her veins, causing a chill to ricochet down her spine. "H-He also mentioned some humans have used the rite to get rid of their guardians once they've learned of it. Are you thinking if we went through with the rite, I could pursue my own happiness? Do you wish to get rid of me, Ignis?"

He felt a pang of guilt strike his heart at hearing her questions and watching her retreating form. He could see where the misunderstanding was and quickly tried to remedy the situation. He closed the distance between them and gently placed his hands on her cheeks, cradling them gently. His thumbs caressed her cheekbones, wiping away the few tears that had trailed down them. Peering into her sparkling sapphire eyes, he gently spoke. "I could never conceive the idea of your absence, (Y/n). The mere thought alone is enough to wound me."

She stepped closer to Ignis and collapsed against him the moment his hands were gone from her cheeks, winding her arms around his waist to hug him. "Thank the Six... I know I said I would leave if it meant your own happiness could be achieved, but I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope you can find your own happiness with me by your side. If you find someone you love most in the world, I hope I won't be in the way." Her cheek pressed against his chest as she clung to him like a child in need of love.

"Nonsense, (Y/n)," he whispered, snaking one of his arms around her waist as his other hand came to cradle the back of her head. His gloved fingers entangled in her (h/c) locks and raked through them gently. The motion was enough to ease her and release the tension from her body. "Although my duties to the crown may prove to be a hindrance, I do yearn for your own merriment and hope to provide such. You deserve your own jovial life."

She nuzzled her face against his chest, inhaling his scent. It was a mixture of his favorite cologne and blend of coffee, ebony. "Thank you, Ignis."

He held her in his arms, praying to the Six she too could find happiness. He didn't care whether it was with him or another man as long as she was content with her life. He just hoped he could preach his true feelings soon to prevent the latter from happening.

They remained in each other's arms until Ignis' phone rang. Reluctantly, he pulled away from (Y/n) and accepted the incoming call. Before he could even greet the person on the other end, they cut him off and demanded they return to the chocobo ranch.

The girl watched in amusement as he rolled his eyes and hung up. "Who was that?"

"Gladio," he replied, putting his phone away. "It seems we've been scavenging for quite a while and lost track of time."

She looked up through the trees and saw the sun was almost directly overhead. "Well then, we better get back."

"Undoubtedly."

They both mounted their chocobos and returned to the outpost. They hadn't ventured far, but it did take them ten minutes to get back to the chocobo ranch. As they returned, they spotted Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio waiting for them outside the caravan. Ignis went directly to their companions while (Y/n) stored their ingredients safely in the trunk of the Regalia with their other supplies. He dismissed his bird after he dismounted it and adjusted his dress shirt. Unlike previous days, he was wearing his crownsguard fatigues without the jacket.

Gladio, who was smirking like a child who learned a new secret, eyed him. "You and munchkin seem a little closer than usual. Did something happen?"

Ignis was already all-too-familiar with the way Gladio functioned. He knew why he was asking and wouldn't provide him the satisfaction of the truth, knowing it would only cause relentless teasing. "Nothing of the sort. We simply enjoyed each other's company while scavenging. (Y/n) did educate me on something quite eye-opening in regards to her people."

"Really? Like what?" Prompto, just like Ignis, was interested in learning about guardians. While he wasn't as invested as the tactician was when he was younger, he too had read plenty of documents and books about spirits.

"The rite of annulment, a ritual where the souls of a guardian and master are severed."

"Oh, that's pretty cool!"

"Something else happened. I can tell. You really gonna leave us to hang out to dry, Iggy?" Gladio sighed.

"My lips are sealed," the advisor replied with a hint of a grin.

"Lame."

(Y/n) walked over after storing the new, fresh ingredients and her chocobo returned to its pen. "Now that everyone's up, we should make our way to Lestallum. I think if our side trip lasts any longer, we'll worry Iris."

"Might be too late for that," Gladio muttered. "She started blowing up Noct's phone this morning. I don't even have a single message from her, and I'm her brother. Can you believe it?"

"You...don't want me to answer that."

Before Gladio could retort, Prompto hopped to his feet. "To Lestallum!"

The group piled into the Regalia and left Wiz Chocobo Post. (Y/n) sat in the front with Ignis at Prompto's behest. She wondered when the seating arrangement would be ideal so everyone was comfortable. She appreciated the marksman's kindness, but she felt as if there was another reason why he no longer rode shotgun.

Halfway to Lestallum, Noctis shattered the silence in the car. "Hey, (Y/n), Specs said you wanted to visit this place called Costlemark. What do you think you're gonna find there?"

From the prince's question, she figured Ignis hadn't mentioned the voice. She wondered how to respond and fabricated a lie on the spot after remembering what Ignis told her. "Costlemark Tower was once part of the ancient civilization known as Solheim. I was hoping to check it out and see if my people happened to have any presence in their ancient society. I figured what better place to check than Costlemark. I want to know more about my people." She turned around in the seat and met Noctis' gaze. "Is this a selfish request? If it is, please don't worry about it."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it," Noctis reassured her. "If you're that curious, I don't see why not to visit. We can visit after we're done in Lestallum."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you, Noct."

The rest of the drive was practically silent until they reached the outskirts of Lestallum. Prompto was chatting with Noctis as they traveled through the tunnel leading to the town. Gladio and Ignis didn't join the conversation until they exited the tunnel and Lestallum came into full view. The boys expressed their awe whereas (Y/n) looked around silently in astonishment. She was looking forward to see what the town had to offer.

When the Regalia was parked, everyone exited the vehicle. They made their way up a small spiral staircase, crossed the road, and wandered into the main thoroughfare. At that moment, Gladio called Iris and learned she was staying at the Leville. Now all they had to do was locate the hotel.

As they were walking through the main thoroughfare, passing the various food carts offering a variety of items, they were suddenly stopped by an energetic voice. "Hold on a moment!" The group turned around and spotted a man with shaggy sable locks, silver eyes, and glasses. He even had a beauty mark on his left cheek that stood out against his pale complexion. A camera hung around his neck, swinging back and forth as he approached them.

Noctis looked around before pointing at himself. "Uh, us?"

"Yes, you! Well, more like her!" He pointed at (Y/n).

Gladio eyed him suspiciously. "And who're you?"

"Name's Luca. I work for Meteor Publishing." He raises his camera and aimed it at the girl. "I may be a photographer for a major publishing company, but I've got my own dream project I'm working on in my spare time."

Prompto wasn't cautious like Gladio and was excited to meet another person passionate about photography. "What's your dream project?"

"To photograph my people."

"You're a guardian, correct?" Ignis asked after analyzing his appearance.

"I am," Luca smiled, rolling up the sleeve of his t-shirt to reveal the silver gemstone located on his upper arm. "And your friend here is the second spirit I've met since moving to Lestallum. Guardians are few and far between, which kinda makes us a minority no one really understands even with all the formal text across Eos. You'd be surprised how little those books cover. Most of them are repetitive and do us guardians no justice. I want to photograph the various guardians I meet so I can write a real book about my people in order for humans to truly understand us."

"This dream project of yours sounds admirable," Gladio confessed.

"It'll be a lot of work, but I know it'll pay off. I'm tired of people discriminating against spirits."

Noctis' brows furrowed together, displaying his bewilderment. "Guardians are discriminated against?"

"We are," (Y/n) chimed in. "There are many humans who see us as secondary citizens and have no real contribution to society. There were some establishments in Insomnia that banned spirits from entering."

"There are some here in Lestallum, too," Luca said.

"Why would people do such a thing?" Prompto asked with a frown.

"It's the fear of the unknown," the sapphire-eyed girl answered. "While guardians are vastly documented, many people still fear us for what we're capable of. It's mainly due to our connection to the mana that flows through Eos."

Luca nodded. "Exactly. People are afraid we'll walk into their establishment and use our magic willy-nilly to blow things up. But we work just as hard, maybe even harder, than humans to achieve our goals."

"You should've told me about this, (Y/n)," Noctis said. "If I'd known crap like that was happening in the city, I would've done something about it."

She lowered her head. "I would never use Ignis' position as your advisor to change politics. Even if I had told you and you did do something to change that, it's impossible to erase people's fears."

"Luca!" A voice shouted. A man with slicked back blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a pair of sunglasses on top of his head came bounding over. He placed his hands on Luca's shoulders before glancing at the others. "I hope he isn't causing you guys any trouble."

"Not in the slightest," Ignis said.

"Thank the Six," the man sighed. As he looked around at the faces of the group, he noticed (Y/n) and gasped. "Another guardian!"

Luca nudged the man. "Why do you think I ran off like that, Jasper?"

"How was I supposed to know you saw another guardian?" Jasper smiled at the girl. "It's nice to see another spirit wandering these parts. Luca's been hunting left and right for his own kind."

(Y/n) glances down at Jasper's hand, seeing a ring with a silver gemstone on his finger. Just below it she saw what appeared to be an engagement ring. "You must be Luca's master."

"That, I am. And who is...?" He looked around and spotted the skull necklace with sapphire gemstone eyes around Ignis' neck. "Ah, you're her master!"

One by one, the group introduced themselves to Jasper and Luca. The silver-eyed spirit snapped a few pictures of (Y/n) before lowering his camera. "Whenever you have time, I'd like to talk to you in private, (Y/n)."

"I would love to," she giggled.

"You can find me at the outlook. My boss and I usually hang around there and chat from time to time."

Jasper linked his arm with Luca's. "But for now, we're heading to lunch. You're paying this time, right?"

Luca groaned. "Fine..."

The two men walked off. Prompto glances between them. "Are those two...?"

(Y/n) smiled ear-to-ear. "They are. Jasper was wearing an engagement ring."

Gladio then smacked Ignis on the back and whispered to him, "Maybe you can ask that Jasper guy about your doubts."

The tactician adjusted his glasses. He had thought of the idea before the words had even left the shield's mouth. The main reason he had yet to confess his feelings to (Y/n) was because of their status as guardian and master. Jasper could shine a light and help him. "A course of action I am willing to take."

"That's the spirit, Iggy." Gladio shoves his hand into his pocket. "With that pushed aside, let's go meet Iris."

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter VIII

Deeper into the Nebulawood, the royal retinue was greeted by more fallen trees. They littered the sides of the somewhat narrow path while some proved to be obstacles blocking their way. They crawled over a few trees to proceed forward and eventually enter a clearing. A pack of voretooths who were nearby ran past them as they fled from the other direction.

"Whoa! Look at 'em go!" Prompto chanted as he watched the creatures flee without noticing them. He was amazed at seeing such dangerous beasts flee without fighting. "So, exactly how big are behemoths?"

"Roughly around 70 feet in size and typically weigh around 174 ton," (Y/n) answered.

"Oh, uh...that's a lot bigger than I thought. Maybe we should rethink this..."

"What, you chickening out?" Gladio inquired. "Don't understand why. You've fought big daemons before."

"Yeah, but none of them are able to shove me in their mouth!" Prompto wandered over towards the spirit amongst them. "Maybe you could scare it away, (Y/n)?"

"My spiritual form is small and fragile. How do you expect me to scare away a beast that's twenty times bigger than me?" She retorted.

"Aren't there some beasts out there that are frightened by smaller ones?"

"And you think a behemoth is one of them?"

"We could always test that theory."

She combed her (h/c) locks over her shoulders. "I'll think about it."

Continuing to make their way through the Nebulawood, the area becomes blanketed with mist. They soon make their way to an abandoned stone structure with an opening and passage through which they can crouch. Noctis begins to lead the way the moment they hear growling again.

"Noct!" Gladio grabs the prince and gently pulls him back before stepping forward. He turned back and held out his hand to indicate that he would take point himself instead of Noctis. The brute crouched down and entered the passage. He slowly and quietly makes his way forward a few feet, then turns back to motion for the others to follow. Noctis was the next to enter the passage followed by Ignis, (Y/n), and Prompto. As they crept forward, they could hear the occasional growl from the beast they were hunting.

They didn't make it halfway through the passage before Gladio stopped and turned to face them. "Hold up!" He ceased moving, eyes drifting upward towards one of the many holes in the metal structure that roofed the passageway.

With a growl, Deadeye comes into view through holes in the structure. Its right horn was missing and right eye was foggy. The skin around the eye was mauled and only a horrendous scar was left behind. Although it was blind on its right side, its nose wriggled as it sniffed the air. (Y/n) winced when realizing the beast smelt them, but couldn't see them due to its blindness in its right eye. Her heart was beginning to race due to her anxiety rising. She feared the behemoth would find them in the small crawlspace and crush them with its large form. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled the moment the beast seemed to overlook their hiding spot and walk away.

With Deadeye gone for the moment, Gladio looks at his friends, holds up a finger, closes his right eye, and taps it with his finger. ""Deadeye"-the name says it all."

At the sudden sensation of feeling a hand over hers, (Y/n) looked down and saw she had unconsciously latched onto the sleeve of Ignis' suit jacket. He had placed his hand on hers when her grip tightened. Mumbling a small apology, she released his jacket. She then peered past the advisor to meet Gladio's gaze. "The beast knows something's amiss. We best make haste before it finds us here."

The shield nodded in agreement and motioned for them to follow. "Let's move."

A few seconds later, Deadeye wandered back into view. It was still sniffing the air and searching the area for them. (Y/n) kept the beast in her sights as they crawled forward. She tried to even her breathing and calm her racing heart, but it was difficult since the threat was only a few feet away.

It was only mere seconds later when Deadeye suddenly detected their presence. (Y/n) saw the beast heading straight for their hiding spot and lowered her body closer to the ground. The boys did the same just as the behemoth shoved its snout into the narrow passageway through one of the larger holes in the metal structure. It releases a thunderous roar, earning a shriek from Prompto.

(Y/n) prayed to the Astrals the behemoth would give up, but she gasped when it started to claw at the passageway. Noctis held out his hand to summon his sword so he could pierce the beast's snout, but he lowered his hand when hearing a familiar squeak from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw (Y/n) had transformed and was crawling past Ignis. He wasn't sure what she was planning until she hopped on his back and flew out of one of the holes in the structure.

Deadeye took notice of her small form and ceased clawing at the passageway. It chased after her and they both disappeared into the fog. None of the boys could believe what she just did. They quickly exited the passageway and searched for any signs of the behemoth or the skvader.

"I-I can't believe (Y/n) just saved our skins," Prompto muttered in shock. "I hope she's okay."

"Her minute form will prove to be an advantage against a behemoth. So too will her flying ability. The beast can only jump to a certain height," Ignis stated. Although appearing calm on the surface, he was worried about her. She was a strong fighter, but even she had her limits just like the rest of them.

"We can't let her have all the fun," Noctis said. "Let's find this thing and kill it."

"It's weak on the right-no eye, no horn," Gladio responded.

"We'll stay in range until we can exploit its blind spot," the tactician added. "Let's do hope (Y/n) wears our target down before we have to engage."

Meanwhile in another part of the Nebulawood, the skvader was flying through the fog in an attempt to escape Deadeye. She was able to dodge its claws left and right before darting off deeper into the dense mist. The guardian was becoming exhausted from the persistent behemoth and took shelter in one of the trees it had yet to destroy. She curled her small form atop a branch to hide her presence. Her sapphire eyes radiated through the fog, but they weren't visible to the beast as it prowled the foggy area below.

From her perch, (Y/n) had a perfect view of Deadeye. She watched it search the fog for her, scraping its claws against some of the rock formations in the misty clearing. Its nose wriggled like earlier and she knew it was trying to sniff her out. However, it wasn't able to locate her. During their previous chase, she had spread her scent around the area to make herself harder to detect.

The behemoth roared in frustration before giving up the search. (Y/n) lifted her head and stood up, watching the beast closely as it seemed to head in a certain direction. Soaring from tree to tree, she followed Deadeye from a safe distance. When it hopped over a large rock formation and left the area, she continued her pursuit.

Exiting the foggy area, the skvader was more than joyous to see the sun again. The warm rays heated her white and black fur as she soared through the sky.

Coming across the skeletal ruins of what looked to be once a building, she watched Deadeye hop onto a cliff and lay down. It closed its eyes and seemed to fall asleep. Perching on top of the ruins, she stared at the behemoth as it slept. She figured this was its den and looked around the area. Oil drums lied around the ruins and a tattered windmill loomed across the way. Crawling through the ruins, she peered across the way and saw the boys on a cliffside. She didn't hesitate to fly over to them. Landing in front of them near the cliff, she reverted back to being human. "Deadeye's asleep. I suggest we attack."

"Nice to see you, too," Noctis sarcastically replied.

"At least you didn't become a snack and leave us to be the main course," Gladio added.

"Guess we can mark off behemoth from our list, huh?" Prompto smiled innocently at the girl.

She crossed her arms with a wry smile. "Your question from earlier is why I did what I did. Even though behemoths aren't scared of smaller creatures, they sure enjoy chasing them."

"We do appreciate what you did, (Y/n)," Ignis said. "Your quick wit prevented us from being mangled."

"I wouldn't have let any of us become chew toys."

Gladio rolled his shoulder, popping it in the process. "All right, time to take this thing down. Any ideas?"

"I do have one." (Y/n) turned her back to the boys and gestures to the oil drums scattered about below. "We could lure Deadeye to the oil drums and ignite them. That should do some heavy damage and there's more than one we can utilize."

"Lemme guess: you want me to trigger them," Noctis said.

"You've the elements at your disposal. Use those magic flasks you filled up a couple days ago."

"So do you."

"My specialty is ice. That won't help ignite oil."

Noctis looked away, slightly embarrassed that he forgot she didn't know any fire spells. Although guardians had direct connections to the mana of the world and could wield all the elements, they usually only mastered one type. "Right..." He scratched the back of his head.

"The rest of us will do our best to draw Deadeye to the oil drums. You just focus on igniting them."

"And what if we run out of oil drums before we've killed it?"

"Then we do it the old-fashion way: attack the beast head-on."

"Can't argue with that plan," Gladio commented.

"And it's the only one we have," Prompto added.

"I do believe it will suffice," Ignis spoke up.

"Then let's get this over with," Noctis sighed tiredly.

Entering Deadeye's lair, the royal retinue set the guardian's plan into motion. Noctis readied the magic flasks while the other boys summoned their weapons. (Y/n) held up her hand and conjured a large, sharp icicle. She flung it at the behemoth's head and rudely awoke it from its nap. Smirking, she watched as the beast roared and hopped down from its perch. Taking a few steps back, she put some distance between her and Deadeye in order for Noctis to ignite the first oil drum right underneath its belly. He aimed the flask at the oil drum and threw it the moment the beast charged forward.

The oil drum exploded and set Deadeye ablaze. The beast roared, jumping around wildly. It rammed into the second oil drum and the flames from its body ignited it, resulting in its body to be engulfed in fire.

"Aw, yeah! Two-for-one special!" Prompto cheered.

The group repeated the process over and over again until there were no more oil drums. Deadeye's skin was severely burned and large blisters were scattered across its body. Its other eyes was bloodied and the beast could no longer see anything. Its movements were slow and labored as it clung to the small life it had left in it. It tried to fight, but it was useless. It could only weakly swing its claws and tail a few more times before its body tipped over. It slammed into the ruins, knocking a few stone loose.

Seeing no point in dragging out Deadeye's suffering any longer, (Y/n) raised her hand and conjured a bow and a single arrow made from nothing but ice. She aimed the sharp, icy tip of the arrow at the space between the behemoth's eyes. Steadying her aim, she fired the arrow. It hit its mark and killed the beast. Its body slid down the side of the ruins before slamming against the ground, completely lifeless.

"Whoa!" Prompto ran over to the girl. His eyes examined the bow. "I knew you could make a sword from ice, but a bow too? That's pretty cool! Can you make anything else?"

(Y/n) glances at the boy's pistol before morphing the bow into an exact copy. "I can do guns, too."

Prompto, with her permission, took the ice pistol. He compared it to his and noticed the details were all there. He raised it into the air and pulled the trigger. He blinked in surprise when a bullet exited the barrel. "It even shoots bullets?!"

"That is what a gun does."

"But it's made of ice!"

"And so are the bullets."

Prompto dispelled his real pistol and pretended to aim with the ice handgun. He cackled as he continued to be in awe at her creation. Gladio, who still had his greatsword in hand, looked toward her. "You a magician?"

"It's a simple ice spell I like to call mimicry. With just enough concentration, I can fabricate an exact copy of a weapon using only ice," she explained. "Some functions are limited, but I mainly only use swords and bows. I can make guns, daggers, javelins, halberds... Pretty much any weapon as long as I have memorized a schematic."

Noctis watched the exuberant Prompto wave the ice pistol around. "I don't think you're getting that back."

"No need. It'll melt soon enough."

"Now then, shall we return to Wiz and inform him of Deadeye's vanquishing?" Ignis asked.

"Yes, please!" Prompto shouted. "Then we can ride the chocobos!"

Leaving the Nebulawood, the group returned to Wiz Chocobo Post. They spoke to the man himself and told him of Deadeye's defeat. Now, they could rent chocobos whenever they wanted. The moment Wiz told them the birds were at their disposal, Prompto grabbed Noctis and dragged him over to the pens. At the blonde's bubbly command, he rented five chocobos.

At Prompto's begging, they headed to the racetrack. Gladio, Ignis, and (Y/n) remained on the sidelines and watched Prompto and Noctis race. The two boys standing on either side of the spirit were making bets on who would win. The shield betted on the marksman while the advisor placed his gil on the prince.

When Noctis was the victor, Gladio forked over a small amount of gil to Ignis. (Y/n) glances between the two in confusion. "What's the point of betting when all our funds are combined?"

"Don't ruin the fun for us, munchkin," Gladio remarked. She shook her head with an eye roll.

"Hey, (Y/n)!" Noctis shouted, grabbing her attention. "You're next!"

She blinked owlishly. "Excuse me?"

"I wanna race you next!"

She really didn't want to race, but decided to indulge the prince. "All right." Her chocobo, which had (f/c) feathers, trotted over to the starting line as she joined Noctis. Prompto left with a defeated pout plastered on his face and stood with Gladio and Ignis.

As the girl was mounting her chocobo, the brute elbowed Ignis. "A thousand gil says Prince Charmless wins again."

"Truly a thoughtless bet," Ignis replied. "(Y/n) will be the victor."

"You just sayin' that because you're head-over-heels for her?"

"I place 3,000 gil on her due to her handling of a chocobo to be more precise than that of Noct."

The shield arched a brow. "And how do you know that?"

"By simply examining them," the advisor coolly replied. "(Y/n) has a sturdier grip and straight posture, allowing her to control her chocobo more effectively. On the other hand, Noct is slouched over and handles the rein of his bird loosely, which will result in less control."

"You're on, Iggy. We'll see who the victor will be and tell if your observation really is true. Who's got your bet, blondie?"

Prompto hummed in curiosity as he thought about Ignis' words. "I wanna bet on Noct, but maybe I should put some money down on (Y/n) instead. Iggy sounds really confident she'll win. I think I'll put 1,500 gil on (Y/n)."

Ignis slightly smirked. "Then the wager is set."

The three boys watched as the race between Noctis and (Y/n) began. The prince immediately took the lead and was ahead during the entire first lap, but he lost his lead in the middle of the second one. He tried to overtake the girl, but he couldn't. In the end, she was victorious.

Gladio was shocked at the outcome while Prompto cheered. Ignis' smirk festered as he adjusted his glasses. "I do believe Prompto and I are the victors of this wager, Gladio."

"Damn..." The brute mumbled, handing over a thousand gil. "Girl's got skill, I'll give her that."

After a couple more races and bets, they left the racetrack. Seeing as it was becoming nighttime, they decided to use some of the funds they earned from the hunt to rent the caravan. Noctis and Prompto were inside the trailer playing King's Knight on their phones. Gladio was sitting at one of the many tables located around the outpost reading his book. Ignis and (Y/n) were sitting at the table located outside the caravan, chatting away.

When they both fell silent after talking for nearly an hour straight, she asked him a question. "Iggy, are you familiar with a place called Costlemark?"

"If memory serves me, there is an ancient structure in the Duscae region known as the Costlemark Tower. It is rumored to be remnants of the ancient civilization known as Solheim," he answered. "What spurred such a question, (Y/n)?"

"On our way to Deadeye's den, I heard the voice again. Only a few words were clear and one of them was Costlemark."

"Is this something you wish to pursue?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. I know it's careless, but something tells me I need to listen."

"If you believe it so, then I shan't question it. I will discuss matters with the others on the morrow."

She smiled gently at him. "Thank you, Iggy."

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter VII

At the Alstor Coernix Station, (Y/n) was inside the convenience store perusing the many items they had for sale. Ignis has entrusted her with enough gil to buy them some curatives. Their supply was low and needed to be restocked. Glancing out the window of the convenience store, she saw Ignis putting gas in the Regalia while Noctis was chatting on the phone. Prompto and Gladio were eavesdropping on the phone call.

Looking back to the items in stock, she searched the shelves for Ignis' favorite canned coffee-ebony. What caught her attention was a small sign taped to one of the shelves.

*****

Due to road closures, we are SOLD OUT of Ebony Coffee for the foreseeable future.

*****

"Uh-oh..." she mumbled.

"What's "uh-oh"?" Noctis asked as he overheard her when entering the store with Gladio and Prompto in tow. She stepped aside and allowed him to read the sign for himself. His eyes widen and nearly popped out of his head as he read the small piece of paper. "Oh, crap. They're out."

Gladio shook his head in disapproval. "Can't let him see this."

"He'd be crushed." The prince glanced outside to see Ignis finished filling the gas tank and was heading their way. "Shit, he's coming this way."

"What do we do?" Prompto asked panically.

"Nothing," (Y/n) replied. "Iggy will be fine without his ebony for a few days."

"Weren't you the one who said, "uh-oh"?" Noctis asked.

"I was, but it's not the end of the world."

"For you it might not be, but for us..."

"Mama Iggy gets cranky when he hasn't had his ebony," Prompto added. "And he gets really irritated in battle if we don't listen to him."

She crossed her arms. "I'm pretty sure he gets irritated not because of the lack of ebony but the lack of listening you three do in battle."

"Damn, no need to call us out like that," Gladio chuckled.

"Still, Specs isn't gonna like being out of ebony." Noctis looked at the (h/c)-haired girl. "You tell him the bad news, (Y/n). The rest of us will try to get a running start to avoid him. And if you survive, we'll come back for you."

She sighed. "Iggy's not gonna lose his mind and go on a rampage because they're out of ebony! And why do I have to tell him?!"

"He is waaay nicer to you than the rest of us," Prompto responded. "If it comes from you, it'll cushion the blow! You make him...gentle."

"What are you talking about?"

"Listen, Iggy's got a soft spot for ya," Gladio told the petite girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all can see the way he looks at you, but it looks like you're the only one who can't see it. Sorry to say this, but you're a little dense, sweetheart."

(Y/n)'s eyes narrowed in an icy glare. Her jaw tensed as her slitted eyes focused on the shield. She clenched her fists tightly by her side as her gaze bore into his amber eyes. She watched in anger and satisfaction as Gladio released her shoulder and stepped away from her out of fear. He swallowed in fright when feeling a chill creep through his body. He held up his hands in defeat. "Now hold on a sec, (Y/n)..."

Prompto and Noctis rubbed at their exposed arms, fighting off the chill in the air. They stepped away from (Y/n), their teeth chattering slightly. The two best friends exchanged glances before looking back at the angered guardian. They were too frightened to say anything and kept their mouths shut. Without saying a word, she walked out of the convenience store.

Ignis, who had just entered the store, saw her furious expression and looked towards his friends. "It seems one of you has infuriated (Y/n)."

Noctis and Prompto jabbed their fingers in Gladio's direction and said, "He did it," in unison.

"Shit..." The brute mumbled, eyes focused on the girl who was now outside. "Thought she was gonna tear me into tiny pieces."

"Dude, you called her dense. Don't you think it was a little rude and insensitive?" Prompto asked. "I mean, I would be pissed off too."

"What could possibly insinuate her to be "dense," Gladio?" Ignis pried.

"Oh, please," the brute scoffed. "Don't tell me you're unaware of how differently you treat her from the rest of us? Or the way you look at her? That'd make you dense too, Iggy. Probably even more than her. Do you realize how often I've caught you staring at her when she isn't looking in the last two days?"

Ignis didn't know how to respond. He was aware of his own infatuation with (Y/n), but he never realized how often his gaze would drift in her direction. He must've been doing it more than he noticed in the past two days.

"What? You've got nothing to say?" Gladio retorted after seeing Ignis fell silent.

"Is there a response you're wishing to hear?" Ignis replied.

"Just tryna see if our straight-laced tactician really does have a heart and actually can fall for a woman."

The bespectacled man pinched the bridge of his nose. He decided not to entertain Gladio any longer and left the convenience store. Outside, he found (Y/n) near the Crow's Nest, her attention focused on a wanted poster of a behemoth that was causing trouble in the Nebulawood. The reward was large and tempting for any hunter that was eager to test their strength and earn a pretty gil.

Ignis joined her and analyzed the poster. "Tis a feat fit for royalty."

"Aren't you the one who said to keep the trouble to a minimum?" She asked. "I'm pretty sure a behemoth is a large serving of trouble."

"The large sum of gil is not tempting enough?" He asked.

"I'd rather not be skewered by a behemoth even for a large amount of gil."

"A shame, truly."

She snorted with laughter. "Since when are you the reckless one?"

"I am the most cautious of us all," he remarked. "Regardless, we are in dire need of funds and such a tremendous feat would fill our purses."

"You really think the five of us could take down a behemoth?"

"I believe with our combined skills the beast would still be a formidable foe but one we could eliminate."

(Y/n) looked back at the wanted poster. "You certainly have confidence in our skills, Iggy. Maybe too much..."

"Or perhaps you lack the confidence in our combined strength as a group," Ignis stated, peeking at her from his peripheral vision.

She placed a hand over her chest. "Ouch... That one hurt." She then smiled. "I actually believe we could handle anything that comes our way if we stick together, but even a behemoth could cause issues. And it's not like I'm some large, mighty spirit that could match the size of such an immense beast."

""And though she be but little, she is fierce,"" the advisor quoted. "Such a quote describes your spiritual form well."

"Tiny but mighty, huh...?" She looked back at the image of the behemoth. "Still, we might be biting off more than we can chew with such a large target."

"As per words provided by Noct: only one way to find out."

She laughed. "Yes. His carefree nature truly does suit him well. Let's just hope his carelessness doesn't get him or anyone else killed..."

"Which is why we are accompanying him-to prevent such calamity."

Just then, the two heard a familiar 'click'. When they turned around, they saw Prompto with his camera aimed at them. He lowered the device and smiled innocently with slightly red cheeks. "Just takin' some sweet pics. Don't mind me!"

"Are we ready to depart?" Ignis asked.

"Yep! We're going to the chocobo outpost first, right?" He remarked with eyes glistening in excitement.

"It's up to Noct."

"What's at the chocobo outpost for us to do?" (Y/n) wondered.

"Chocobos!" Prompto squealed. "What else?"

"Don't we have royal arms to find?"

"Well, yeah, but this'll be a quick detour! Once we've ridden the chocobos, we can go back to searching for the tombs. And, of course, see Iris in Lestallum."

The girl sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear she's safe."

"Me too. Guess we forgot to mention the phone call to you." Prompto lowered his camera. "Now then, let's go!"

Ignis and (Y/n) exchanged glances before returning to the Regalia. The three other boys were already in the backseat, waiting for them. The girl climbed into the passenger's seat and peered over middle console at the blonde in the backseat. "Maybe I should sit in the middle seat, Prompto."

"And let you be squished by these two?" He pointed to Gladio and Noctis. "No way!"

The shield wrapped an arm around Prompto's neck and used his other hand to drive his knuckles into the top of the boy's head. "You sure 'bout that, pipsqueak?"

Prompto struggled against the brute. "H-Hey, you're messing up my hair!"

Ignis started the car and pulled out of the Alstor Coernix Station. At Noctis' command, he drove in the opposite direction of Lestallum and headed to Wiz Chocobo Post. Prompto was able to break free from Gladio and giddily bounced up and down in the backseat. His excitement only escalated as the distance between them and the chocobo outpost shrunk.

The moment Ignis pulled the Regalia into Wiz Chocobo Post, Prompto climbed over Noctis. His excitement caused him to move faster, but he tripped on his own feet as he climbed out of the car. He quickly recovered and ran over to the empty pens.

Noctis readjusted his jacket from where he was trampled by Prompto before exiting the vehicle. Gladio closed the door behind him as did Ignis and (Y/n). She leaned against the car and looked around the outpost. "For a place with chocobos, it's eerily quiet."

"Think this side trip was for nothing?" Gladio asked.

"Best we find the owner of the establishment before drawing any conclusions," Ignis said.

(Y/n) wandered around the chocobo outpost while the boys spoke with the owner, Wiz. She browsed through what the store was offering before departing with a smile. She continued walking around until she was stopped by a large chocobo chick. It pecked at the heels of her shoes before rubbing its feathery body against her legs. Her brows furrowed in confusion as to why it was acting somewhat like a cat. Squatting down, she hugged her knees and poked the top of the chick's head. It 'kwehed' in response, fluffing out its feathers.

Smiling, she petted the top of its head. She had only seen pictures of chocobos and was flabbergasted at the size of the chicks. "You are one big chick, but adorable. And your feathers are soft." The chocobo chick bumped its plump body against her legs and caused her to lose her balance. She fell on her hindquarters and blinked in surprise when the chocobo chick hopped onto her lap. It flapped its tiny wings with another 'kweh' before nuzzling its head against her stomach. "Guess I have to add friendly and cuddly to the list."

While petting the chocobo chick that was curled up in her lap, she spotted movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw three more chicks heading straight for her. Their chubby bodies bounced as they trotted towards her. Even a few loose feathers were knocked free and sent spiraling in the faint breeze that blew through the outpost.

The three chicks reached (Y/n) and tried to join their sibling. However, there was only enough room for one chocobo in her lap. The other three opted to snuggle their bodies against her sides and back before taking a nap. The girl sighed through her nose when seeing the predicament she was in. "What do I do now...?"

"Oh. Em. Gee!" A voice squealed. The spirit looked up and saw Prompto with his camera aimed at her. Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis were standing behind the blonde as he took pictures of her. "The chocobos love you, (Y/n)!"

"Where did these guys come from?" Noctis asked the spirit.

"They came out of nowhere and ambushed me," she said, continuing to pet the chocobo chick in her lap. "As you can see, I didn't stand a chance."

Not even a minute later, a woman with a yellow apron ran over. "I'm so sorry about this, miss! The babies escaped their pen. I hope they didn't cause you any trouble."

(Y/n) offered the stablehand a kind smile. "They were no trouble. They're quite friendly."

"They really are," she giggled. "This hasn't been the first time they've escaped. I've tried to come up with ways to stop them, but they're amazing escape artists."

The guardian managed to lift the chubby chick out of her lap so she could stand up. The three other chocobos that were snuggled up against her plopped against the ground when she was back on her feet. The stablehand rounded up the four chicks and escorted them back to their pen. (Y/n) brushed the dirt off her dress and tights before asking, "Did you learn why most of the pens are empty?"

Ignis stepped forward. "Remember our early discussion of the behemoth?"

She froze, eyes widening. "Don't tell me...?"

"It's a beast known to the locals as Deadeye. If we desire to use the chocobos, the behemoth must be dealt with."

Her sapphire eyes drifted over to Noctis. "Let me guess, you took the hunt."

"Yeah. Is...that a problem?" The prince questioned.

"Not at all. Just try not to get you or anyone else killed."

Noctis' opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "Wha-? I..."

"You are audacious in battle, Noct," Ignis stated. "Which, mind you, has resulted in the injury of others."

"I am not that reckless," Noctis tried to defend himself.

"Sorry, buddy, but I've gotta side with Iggy and (Y/n) on this one," Prompto said. "You kinda are reckless in battle."

"So are you, blondie," Gladio remarked. "The only ones here who aren't reckless are myself, Iggy, and (Y/n). You two would be skewered meat if it weren't for the three of us watchin' your backs. Maybe you kids should leave the beast slaying to the grown-ups and stay here to play with the birds."

"We aren't kids!" Prompto screeched.

Noctis nodded. "Yeah!"

"Then prove it," Gladio shoves past the two younger boys. "Let's go take down a behemoth."

Noctis and Prompto dashed off with Gladio following close behind. (Y/n) clasped her hands together in front of her as she watched the three take off. "Gladio sure does love to egg those two on."

"Speaking of eggs, I do believe a scavenge for ingredients is in order once we've dealt with the behemoth," Ignis said.

The girl glanced at him in disbelief before laughing. "You would think about ingredients at a time like this. I'll see what I can do once we get back. We better catch up with the others. They won't be able to take down Deadeye without us."

"Yes, let's. Our assistance is always invaluable."

Ignis and (Y/n) left the chocobo outpost and caught up with Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio. They hadn't made it far down the dirt trail located just on the outskirts of the chocobo ranch when they regrouped with the other boys. They skirted around the Nebulawood in search of the entrance, but froze when the sound of snapping trees came from within the stone walls. The ground shook slightly with each tree that fell. It was like a domino effect where one tree would fall and then it would immediately be followed by another.

(Y/n) was pulling up the rear of the group when she suddenly heard the voice that had been haunting her ever since they left Insomnia. Stopping, she looked up at the sky and listened closely to the disembodied voice.

Vessel... Costlemark...

Her eyes narrowed in bewilderment. "Costlemark...?"

Ancient... Worship...

"I don't understand," she whispered. Her attention was drawn away from the voice when the sound of a threatening growl emitted from the Nebulawood. When it faded, she looked back up at the sky in hopes the voice would speak to her again, but it was silent. She promptly caught up with the boys just as they managed to locate the entrance to the Nebulawood.

Before they took another step forward, (Y/n) questioned the boys. "So this is Deadeye's prowling grounds?"

"That's what Wiz said," Noctis replied. "Why? You worried?"

"Not at all. Just do be careful. We don't need a dead prince on our hands."

"Hey, this'll be a walk in the park for us."

She sighed. "You say that now..."

"Wait 'til we actually face the beast before drawing any conclusions," Gladio finished the girl's thought. "Just try not to be an idiot and get your ass handed to you. We can't always be there to save you from all the trouble you put yourself in."

"Okay, I get it," Noctis groaned. "I'm reckless. Damn, you guys never learn how to drop anything..."

"We're simply here to watch your back, Noct," Ignis stated.

"Not to babysit you," Gladio added.

The prince threw his head back with another dramatic groan. He wanted to drop the subject and did so by ignoring his companions and entering the Nebulawood whether they were with him or not. Once a little ways into the rocky, windy structure of Deadeye's prowling grounds, he slowed his pace as he followed the path forward. They were surrounded by downed trees, possibly the ones they heard snapping earlier. From the damage done to the trees, it appeared something large had struck them down.

(Y/n) approached one of the fallen trees, her nose scrunching up when receiving a whiff of something that smelt awful. Gladio noticed her slightly disgusted expression. "What's up, munchkin?"

Ignoring the nickname, she responded with, "I've never encountered a behemoth before, but beasts and daemons all have distinctive odors. From the scent, I'm going to assume Deadeye caused all this damage."

"Behemoths have been known to stroke their bodies against trees and other structures to mark their territory, leaving their natural musk as a warning to other creatures," Ignis informed the group.

"Oh, nice to know," Prompto mumbled.

"Behemoths are territorial beasts. If we're not careful, none of us are coming out of this unscathed. We need to be extra careful in this area, especially since Deadeye has marked his territory," (Y/n) said.

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess this isn't gonna be a walk in the park..."

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter VI

After speaking to Monica and learning of Cor's plan to dismantle the Norduscaean Blockade, the sun had set. Deciding to head to the rendezvous point the next morning, the royal retinue departed from Prairie Outpost. They were stripped of funds and couldn't even afford the caravan. Instead, they opted to camp out at Lepellieth Haven nearby.

Once the campsite was established, Ignis went to work on dinner. While he was deciding what to cook, (Y/n) grabbed a wood-knitted basket lined with a pale blue fabric. She examined the basket before nodding in approval.

Prompto, who's been scrolling through the pictures on his camera, lifted his head when he heard her hum faintly. "What's with the basket?"

"I'm going to take a short stroll around the area and search for ingredients. The basket makes it easier to carry whatever I find," (Y/n) explained.

The photographer hopped to his feet. "Lemme go with you!" He put his camera down in his chair. "I-I know you're badass and all in a fight, but you really shouldn't be walking around at night. Y'know, with all the daemons..."

She smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine, Prompto. If I'm not back in an hour, that's when you should start worrying. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Do tread lightly, (Y/n)," Ignis spoke up as she left the safety of the haven.

Gladio watched the guardian leave before glancing back at the advisor. "You're not worried?"

"Unlike you all, (Y/n) knows her limits. I have confidence she needs not a hand to hold whenever she pleases to explore," he replied as he began chopping vegetables.

"Damn, Speccy," Noctis spoke up. "Sounds like you trust her more than us."

"To be fair, they've been together pretty much their entire lives," the shield remarked. He leaned back in his seat. "So tell us about (Y/n), Iggy. The rest of us have no clue what it's like growing up with a guardian."

"What could I possibly convey that she could not?" The tactician retorted.

"And why're you so curious?" Noctis mumbled. "Pretty sure they taught you the basics in school."

"I think spiritual beings was the only class I passed," Prompto chimed in.

"Some of us didn't go to a school where they could learn about guardians," the shield stated.

"Now that I think about it, the books mentioned each guardian is unique and their timings vary. When did (Y/n) come into the picture?"

Ignis kept his attention focused on cooking while answering the question. "(Y/n) manifested when I was merely three months old, but our unification didn't come until my fifth birthday. As you may know, spirits are born unto this world via a soul which they are sworn to protect. Just as we, they are brought in with an innocence and pure form. Guardians, unlike us, are stunned at growth and only develop their human form after their masters have reached certain ages. Their spiritual form can also change once development has begun."

Noctis blinked in realization. "Now that you mention it, (Y/n)'s tail was really short when we first met."

"Our first meeting was a time when (Y/n) had yet to develop her human form."

The prince smiled at the memory. "She was really small, too. All I remember was seeing a white fluff ball curled up on your shoulder. She was fast asleep and didn't even budge when I poked her."

"When did she develop her human form?" Gladio asked.

"The day I turned eight," Ignis answered.

Prompto gasped, eyes wide as saucers. "Now I remember!"

"Why're you shouting?" Noctis groaned.

"The reason why guardians take so long to develop is because their human forms are determined by their masters deepest desire!"

Gladio smirked when understanding what Prompto was getting at. "So (Y/n) looks the way she does because Iggy's deepest desire was a beautiful woman. Nicely done. Better make sure no one else tries to take her from you."

"Isn't that a little extreme? Y'know, for an eight-year-old?" Prompto muttered. "I thought maybe it was because Iggy may have been lonely..."

Prompto was indeed correct. Ignis' deepest desire at a young age was someone who would be his friend and someone who would care for him. He had his uncle, but he wanted someone else important in his life to care for him. (Y/n)'s physical appearance was not the result of his desire but simply how well she took care of herself. And now his newest desire was her. He cares deeply for her not because of her beauty, but her heart. What he adored most about her was her kind, caring nature and how selfless she was. She always put everyone else first, just like he did with Noctis. Although he was duty-bound to the throne, he wanted to put her first. However, his job prevented him from doing just that. His duty was to Noctis, not to (Y/n). He couldn't neglect the prince simply for love. He had a job to do and there wasn't any time for any thing or anyone else. Being an advisor was the one thing that was keeping him from professing his true feelings to the one variable that was constant in his life.

Once completing dinner, Ignis handed everyone their dishes. Noctis immediately groaned when he saw the chunks of vegetables floating in the broth, but he ignored the prince and enjoyed what he prepared. As he was about to scold Noctis for not eating, (Y/n) returned with a basket brimming with ingredients. Curious as to what she brought back, Ignis stood up and returned to the cooking station.

With a smile, the guardian showed him what she found. "I found some sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, chocobeans, and tomatoes."

Noctis had overheard and sighed dramatically. "You didn't find any meat?"

The girl placed a hand on her hip while Ignis examined the many items she brought back. "Meat doesn't grow on trees or bushes, Noct."

Suddenly, all eyes were on Ignis as he shouted, "That's it!" with a sweet potato in his grasp.

(Y/n) turned back around and began putting the ingredients back into the basket. "Some new inspiration, Iggy?"

"Indeed. I've come up with a new recipe."

"It better not have vegetables in it," Noctis grumbled.

"I look forward to trying it," (Y/n) smiled at the tactician, ignoring the prince's complaining. "Maybe I could even help prepare it."

"Yeah, right," Gladio scoffed. "Iggy never lets anyone help him cook."

"On the contrary," the advisor spoke up. "(Y/n) is quite the delight to have as an assistant when I am in need of aid in the kitchen."

"Wha-?" Prompto gaped. "You're treating us like curbside garbage compared to (Y/n)! We could totally help you in the kitchen!"

"Your cooperation in the kitchen would be fruitless for you, Noct, and Gladio are ghastly cooks."

The sapphire-eyed girl bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She couldn't help but agree after tasting some of the dishes Ignis prepared with help from one of the boys. They always either tasted burnt or half-cooked. Even the cookies Noctis tried to help make weren't cooked all the way through. The center was still doughy because he made them too big and didn't set the oven temperature high enough for the cookies to bake properly. She wondered if the prince had done it improperly only because he wanted to eat the cookie dough raw and not bake it into cookies.

"Oh, c'mon, Iggy! Give us a second chance!" Prompto begged.

(Y/n) placed the basket down beside the grill and listened to Prompto continue to plead with Ignis. She took her portion of dinner and sat down around the fire. She enjoyed the simplistic soup, savoring each and every bite. As she was almost finished with the soup, she looked down at her bowl when she detected movement. Noctis was scooping the vegetables out of his bowl and placing them into hers. "Noct, why...?"

"You know I hate veggies," he said, continuing to remove what he hated from his bowl. "You take 'em."

She inhaled deeply before exhaling. "How old are you again?"

"I don't care if I'm 5 or 50, I'll always hate veggies." When all the vegetables were gone, Noctis ate what remained of the broth.

Deciding not to argue, (Y/n) finished what was left of her serving and Noctis' vegetables. With her bowl clean and her belly full, she offered to do the dishes in Ignis' stead. The advisor tried to protest, but she snatched up all the dishes before he could grab one. "You four should get some rest. I'll deal with the dishes. It won't take long."

Noctis and Prompto crawled into the tent to play a few rounds of King's Knight before going to bed. Gladio followed suit with his book in hand while Ignis lingered in his seat by the fire. He stared into the flames for a few minutes, delving into deep thought. When he looked away from the campfire, his eyes traveled over to (Y/n). She had finished with the dishes and neatly stacked them on the preparation table by the grill. Now she stood at the edge of the haven, eyes casted up to the night sky.

Pushing himself out of the chair, Ignis wandered over to stand beside her. He followed her gaze to see what had her attention. When he couldn't find what captivated her, he wondered if she too was lost in thought like he was a couple minutes ago. "(Y/n)?"

She blinked rapidly a few times before humming in acknowledgement. "Hm?"

"Are you feeling unwell?" He asked.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I'm fine, Iggy. Guess I was lost in thought again."

That's when he remembered what she told him at Galdin Quay. "Has the voice returned?"

She hung her head. "I...was hoping you'd forget about that." Looking back up at the sky, her eyes glistened as she focused on the cluster of stars only spirits could see. "I never told you before, but there's this mass of stars only guardians can see. It's called the Celestial Crescent. I would often gaze at it back in the city, but the lights and barrier prevented me from getting the perfect view. Out here, I can see it perfectly. And now whenever I look up at it, I hear the voice. With each passing day it becomes clearer, but I still can't make out what it wants."

"Is there nothing I can do to ease your concerns?" Ignis offered.

"Just talking to you about it is enough. I am grateful for you listening to me ramble on. It does put me at ease having someone to talk to this far from home."

"It puts my own harrowing thoughts to rest knowing you decided to accompany us. I fear our time together would've been cut short if you had desired to remain in the city."

She clasped her hands together behind her back. "I don't know what I would've done if I stayed behind. You and I are connected no matter how far apart we are. And if I had perished in the city when the empire struck..." She moved one of her hands from behind her back and placed it over the gemstone embedded in her chest. "I'd rather not think of the gruesome outcome that could've happened if I had decided to remain in Insomnia and wait for your return."

"Neither do I," Ignis confessed.

(Y/n) finally looked away from the night sky and focused her eyes on Ignis' tall stature. "It's getting late. We should call it a night. We've quite the day tomorrow and wouldn't want to be sleep-deprived. It'd be awful if one of us were to slip-up in battle and wind up injured." Without skipping a beat, she transformed into her spiritual form and flew into the tent. Ignis followed after her once extinguishing the campfire.

Inside the tent, the three boys were already asleep. Ignis laid down on the opposite side of Prompto. Once lying comfortably on his side and turned away from the others, he felt a familiar furry presence curl up near his stomach. Unconsciously, he reached down and stroked (Y/n)'s back as she slumbered. Even in the darkness of the tent, he could see her snowy fur clearly.

Eventually, Ignis felt sleep tugging at his being and he soon fell into a deep slumber.

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

The next morning, the group ate breakfast and packed up the haven. Ready to leave Lepellieth Haven, they set their destination to be the Norduscaean Blockade. They rendezvoused with Monica, who instructed Noctis to join Cor up ahead while she and the others remained behind to be a diversion.

Monica, (Y/n), Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto approach the blockade from the front. The imperial troopers on duty aimed their weapons at the group as more poured out of the blockade with their own guns drawn on the group. The guardian raised her hand and formed an ice wall made from large icicles around her and her companions to protect them from the gunfire. When there was a break in the firing squad, Ignis, Monica, and Gladio emerged from cover and attacked the soldiers. Prompto and (Y/n) remained behind the ice wall and used projectiles to attack any imperial forces that scurried their way.

After some time, soldiers stopped pouring out of the blockade and the grand metal gate slid open to reveal Noctis and Cor on the other side.

Prompto bounded over to his best friend with an excited squeal. "Noct!"

"Marshal. It's good to see you again," Ignis said.

Noctis glanced at his companions. "All right on your end?"

"Right as rain," Gladio replied. "The Niffs couldn't take their eyes off us."

"Thanks to you we were spared their attention," Cor stated.

(Y/n) went to speak up, but held her tongue when she heard the low humming of an engine. Looking around, she spotted an imperial drop ship approaching them. It hovered in the air as the imperial officer aboard addresses Noctis and the others. "Stay right where you are. Well, well, if it isn't Cor the Immortal. So you survived the Citadel. But you won't survive what I have in store for you. It's past time your legend came to an end." The officer, known a Loqi, spotted the guardian among the group and cackled. "And it seems a lowly spirit has ranked itself among this band of misfits. It'll be another one to mark off the list." Loqi enters the cockpit of his MA-X Cuirass magitek armor, then deploys to the ground.

"Say, Marshal, how 'bout you show us how it's done?" Prompto asked nervously.

Cor unsheathes his katana. "No wimping out. Let's move."

Alongside the MA-X Cuirass was a horde of soldiers and magiteks. Noctis focused on the large mech while everyone else dealt with the smaller enemies. After slicing through one of the MTs, the marshal glanced over at the spirit. "I'd like to see your specialty again, (Y/n)."

The girl glanced towards the magitek armor. "Who am I to deny a request from the marshal himself?" She broke away from the soldier she was attacking and ran towards the MA-X Cuirass. Ducking under its arm when it swatted at her, she trailed her fingers across the mech's arm. Ribbons of lightning course across its exterior before entering its metallic body and alter its coding. Loqi noticed his mech's strange behavior and how he was unable to control it any longer. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The MA-X Cuirass fires missile after missile at its own allies. Soldiers and MTs were blown to smithereens, leaving only Loqi and his out-of-control magitek armor. He screamed out when one of the mech's missiles hit the cockpit, causing it to crumble to a single knee. Noctis went to finish it and Loqi, but (Y/n) stopped him by grabbing the hem of his short-sleeved black jacket. She met his gaze just as the MA-X Cuirass self-destructed with Loqi still inside the cockpit.

Noctis looked back to the magitek armor and watched in awe as it exploded. He dispelled his blade at the same time (Y/n) released him. Turning to face her, he complimented her ability. "Nicely done."

"You can thank the empire for installing a self-destruct sequence. My magic only activated it when there wasn't another imperial enemy detected within a certain vicinity," she explained.

"Still, it's pretty damn cool."

She smiled. "Then maybe I should work on more surprises to keep you on your toes in battle."

Noctis blinked in excitement. "Wait, really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. There's been a few more things I've been wanting to try over the years, but never really got the chance. Now that we're all the way out here and we have to fight for our survival, it makes for the perfect opportunity to try the many other tricks I've stored up my sleeves."

Cor sheathed his katana and walked over to Noctis and (Y/n). "Impressive. Seeing you both in action puts my mind at ease. It's clear I don't need to worry any more. I'll return to watching the Niffs. 'Til next time, take care." The marshal leaves with Monica.

A moment later, Noctis and his companions move toward the open gate of the blockade. Ignis, who has retrieved the Regalia, slowly drives alongside the others. Gladio rested his greatsword on his shoulder. "Ain't so bad out here once you get used to it."

"Still a lot we haven't seen, though," Prompto stated matter-of-factly.

"And a lot for us to do," Ignis added.

"Yeah."

"Buck up. We're just getting started," Gladio said.

Noctis smiles, but it fell when he realized (Y/n) wasn't following them. Turning around, he found her staring up at the sky with a stoic expression. "Hey, (Y/n), you coming?"

Ignis stopped the Regalia and glanced at her. Gladio and Prompto turned around to also gaze at the girl. She blinked a couple of times before looking at them. Her heels clacked against the asphalt as she walked towards them. "Yeah. Let's see what other trouble we can get ourselves into."

"Do try to keep the trouble to a minimum," Ignis remarked.

She giggled. "No promises."

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter V

While exploring Keycatrich Trench, (Y/n) kept her lips sealed as she listened to the boy's banter back and forth. She walked a little ahead of the group, curious to learn the layout of the area and locate the royal tomb as quick as possible.

After having located a generator and activating it, the guardian overheard Ignis scold Prompto. "Tis impertinent to ogle, Prompto."

The younger boy blinked, not realizing he'd been staring at (Y/n). "I-I, uh...was staring?"

"Quite intently," the advisor said.

"Can't blame the kid for staring," Gladio said, meeting Ignis' gaze. "It's your fault, Iggy."

"Do pray tell."

"For hiding (Y/n)."

Said girl rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'm standing right here." She placed a hand on her hip. "And nothing's Iggy's fault. He wasn't hiding me from anyone. He was simply respecting my wishes. I'm...very shy and get embarrassed rather easily."

"We can tell," the shield chuckled. "Your cheeks are turning red."

She quickly turned away, scrunching up her shoulders. She nibbles on her bottom lip, wondering how to retort. However, she didn't need to say anything because Prompto came to her rescue. "H-Hey, that's okay! There's nothing wrong with being shy! I mean, even I'm shy from time to time."

(Y/n) pushed past her shyness and smiled kindly at the marksman. She was thankful for his intervention. "I appreciate your kindness, Prompto."

His own cheeks turned red. "Y-Yeah, of course."

Continuing through the tunnels, they tried different branching paths. Many of the metal doors were locked and resulted in them to travel deeper. Exploring one of the main tunnels, Prompto suddenly shouted in fright when the faint echo of 'clinking' could be heard. His eyes bounced around in desperation, trying to locate the source of the sound. "What was that?!"

"My bad. Kicked a can," Gladio explained with a faint smirk.

Prompto glared at him. "You are killing me here, big guy! Are you trying to give me a heart attack here or somethin'?!"

"It is rather dark in these tunnels even with the generator on," (Y/n) commented.

"Think there's something in here with us?" Noctis asked her.

"It's a dark, musty system of tunnels. Of course there's something in here with us."

"Can you two please stop?" Prompto whined.

The prince shrugged his shoulders. "Not like you haven't fought daemons before."

"No, but I don't wanna think about what's in here with us! My imagination will go wild and freak me out even more!"

Noctis continued to lead them through Keycatrich Trench. (Y/n) walked behind the prince with Ignis beside her. The two could feel Prompto and Gladio staring at them, but they ignored the eyes boring into their backs. The guardian was tempted to transform after becoming uncomfortable because of the boys' staring and scrunched up the hem of her dress in her fists.

Ignis noticed this when she unconsciously took a step towards him. One of her shy habits is to walk closer to him when she felt uneasy. He adjusted his glasses and peered over his shoulder at the two boys walking behind him. "Is something the matter, gentlemen?"

"Oh, I've got tons of questions," Gladio remarked. "And none of them are for you, Iggy."

"Same here," Prompto muttered.

"I'm positive (Y/n) will answer any and all questions you so desire to ask," Ignis replied. "Gawking will get you no answers."

The sapphire-eyed girl glanced over her shoulder at Prompto and Gladio. "Yes, ask me anything. But do cease staring. It's making me uncomfortable."

"Sorry," the shield apologized. "Still in shock at seeing what you really look like after all these years. I'm not used to seeing a woman hanging around Iggy, only a white fluff ball. Now I understand why he refused to let me set him up with any woman. He had you all to himself."

(Y/n) pauses her stride and turned to face the brute. "Iggy and I aren't an item. Perhaps your taste in women is why he refused to let you set him up on a date."

"So you'd be okay with him being with another woman?" Gladio came to a stop directly in front of her. He couldn't read her stoic expression and was trying to figure out if what he detected between the two was indeed unspoken feelings.

She lowered her head with a sigh. "If he's happy, I don't care who he's with. If he ever needs me, I'll be there. And if I prove to be a hindrance for him and prevent him from doing what he wants, I will leave so he can be happy."

All four boys stopped at her declaration. Ignis and Prompto were wide-eyed while Gladio and Noctis only blinked in surprise. The marksman stepped forward and nearly stumbled over his own feet. "B-But what about your own happiness, (Y/n)? I know you're Iggy's guardian and all, but don't you deserve to be happy too?"

"A guardian's duty is to protect the soul that which gave them life and ensure their happiness. If Ignis can only achieve happiness when I'm gone, then so be it. There's no room for my own happiness." She hung her head, hiding her face with her (h/c) locks. "May we drop this subject? I don't want to talk about it anymore." Walking ahead, she left the boys behind.

Prompto stared sorrowfully at her back as she disappeared deeper into the tunnels. He then looked over at Ignis. "You wouldn't ask her to leave, would you, Iggy?"

"Not even for a moment," the advisor declared strongly, eyes focused on her retreating figure.

Gladio folded his arms across his chest with a smirk. "I'm sensing something between you two. If it's what I think it is, you better get your ass movin', Iggy."

The tactician sighed. He wanted to drop the subject and leave the turmoils of his own heart for another time. His duty was to Noctis and that was all that mattered at the moment. "We've idled too long. Let's proceed forth."

"Right..." Noctis muttered. He glanced at Ignis and saw his cool composure was still intact as always. There wasn't even a crack. The prince knew his advisor all too well and how he never broadcasted his feelings. He was too occupied with his own duty to him and wouldn't allow his emotions to come into play. Noctis was grateful for what Ignis' has done for him over the years, but he wished he wasn't a robot programmed with one function-to watch over him. Even a straight-laced guy like Ignis deserved his own happiness and Noctis didn't want him to dedicate his entire life to him. One day he will find someone who truly makes him happy and Noctis would be more than overjoyed for him.

The prince wondered if (Y/n) was that special person and all Ignis needed was a push. Maybe this journey wasn't just for him, but for the strategist to finally stop acting like an emotionless robot and see there's more to life than being a royal advisor. From that moment, Noctis decided he would help both Ignis and (Y/n).

Unbeknownst to the prince, Prompto was thinking the same thing. He could see how much Ignis and (Y/n) cared for each other just by watching them together. Even when the guardian wasn't in her human form, he could tell how the two really cared about each other. Alongside his best friend, he would help them find happiness in each other.

Pushing their thoughts aside, Noctis and Prompto went after (Y/n) with Gladio and Ignis close behind. They followed the tunnel until they entered a room with a metal door. Looking around, they didn't find the girl anywhere. Prompto approaches the metal door to open it, but he screamed and retracted his hand when something beats on the other side of the door and leaves a large dent.

"What is it?" Ignis asked.

Prompto shook his head with a shaky voice. "I-I don't know. Maybe it was (Y/n)."

"Doubtful," Gladio scoffed.

"You never know!"

"What would be the point in her trying to scare us?"

"Maybe you pissed her off."

"(Y/n) would never pull such a petty stunt if she were angered," Ignis stated.

Gladio chortled. "Sounds like you've experienced her anger first-hand."

"On a few occasions I have witnessed her fury."

"Oh, yeah? What's she like?" Noctis pried.

"A frigid, silent anger that strikes fear in your being with a single glance from her. It's as if she freezes your blood from inside your body."

"Damn..." Gladio mumbled. "Now I wanna see her pissed off."

"She did frighten one of the parliament members quite terribly to the point of him retracting his proposal and resigning from his position," Ignis said.

"Wait, are you talking about Councilman Tenmus?" The prince asked.

"One and the same."

"I hated that guy..."

"Who didn't?" Gladio asked. "(Y/n) did all of us a favor. She must've been really pissed if she showed herself to him."

Ignis smirked at the memory. "She was quite livid with the man for his taxation statement. His sudden resignation was a welcomed surprise."

Noctis' chuckles. "I'll say. We better find her. We might need to scare off even more people..."

Eventually, the boys stumbled across a collapsed tunnel. They crouch to proceed through the small opening from the partially collapsed tunnel off to one side of the main tunnel. "First time through here, right?" Prompto asked.

"Looks it," Gladio responded. He followed behind the blonde and felt something cold on the wall. Looking towards the spot, he saw a patch of ice. "Seems munchkin came this way too."

"Think she handled the daemons already?" Prompto asked.

"She can kick ass without us. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already wiped out most of the daemons in these tunnels."

Exiting the small opening, the boys turn right at the next tunnel and follow it to the end. Ignis looked around with a huff. "A dead end."

"I could've sworn this was it..." Prompto mumbled.

Suddenly, the lights powered by the generator go out. Gladio looked around in confusion. "The hell?"

"Somebody...turn on a light!"

The four turn on their flashlights to find themselves under attack by goblins. The small daemons launches themselves at the boys, but each one screamed out in pain as a barrage of icicles pierced their bodies and killed them instantly. They each fell to the ground before their bodies vanished into nothingness. From behind the dead daemons, a figure emerged from the darkness. "The generator ran out of gas," (Y/n) stated. "Looks like we're stuck with only flashlights."

"Where'd you run off to?" Noctis inquired.

"We are here for a royal tomb, are we not?" She remarked. "I was looking for it."

"So you really weren't trying to scare us earlier?" Prompto asked.

She arched a brow. "Scare you? Why would I do that?"

"N-No reason!"

She eyed him curiously before shaking her head. "Anyway, I think I found another path. Follow me."

The boys followed the guardian down the opposite end of the tunnel. There, they pass through a narrow opening between two nearly closed blast doors into another tunnel. With a new path revealed, they located another generator. Noctis started it and deactivated his flashlight when he saw the lights in the tunnel flicker on. More goblins manifest and attack, but they were weak and stood no chance against the group.

Proceeding forth, the group comes across a pair of unlocked metal doors at the other end of this tunnel and heard a sound like a faucet turning as they walk through. Prompto looked around at his friends. "Wait. Hear that?"

"I didn't hear anything," Noctis replied.

"I heard it," (Y/n) said. "Are we going to check it out?"

"I think you two are just hearing things."

"Dude, we're not paranoid," Prompto remarked.

Walking through a door on the other side of the room, they find what appears to be a locker room with showers, but there's no one else in the room. "Nothing," Prompto muttered.

"That's weird," Gladio commented.

"I do believe we are being toyed with," Ignis said.

"You sayin' daemons are messing with us?"

"Smaller daemons, especially goblins and imps, have a somewhat playful mannerism and tend to toy with their prey before attacking," (Y/n) said.

"Well, that explains why we're hearing all these weird noises..." Prompto murmured.

Returning to the previous room, Noctis and the others are ambushed by a group of tarantula daemons. Prompto summoned his pistol and shot at the adversaries. "These are not the type of bad guys I like to fight."

Gladio swung his greatsword while asking, "What type do you like to fight?"

"None, now that you mention it."

(Y/n) killed the last tarantula daemon with a minuscule ice spell, pinning its body to the wall with an icicle. Gladio, who was standing beside her, grinned. "You trying to redecorate the place?"

"With daemon corpses? They don't last very long," she replied. "Besides, this place is gonna need a little more than redecorating to get rid of this dreary atmosphere. Maybe some ice could help."

The brute huffed out a chuckle at her playful banter. He was glad she was working past her shyness and joining in his playfulness. He dispelled his greatsword as he and the others approach another pair of metal doors in the room. Prompto eyes the doors with a slightly giddy grin. "Ooh, this looks promising."

"In an ominous sort of way," Gladio said.

"Stay sharp," Ignis advised.

After passing through the doors, then a short tunnel, and then yet another pair of metal doors, they enter what appears to be a wide, open storage room. As they step across the middle of the room, an arachne daemon descends from above and attacks.

"No way we're taking that thing on!" Prompto wailed.

"No turning back," Gladio said.

Noctis summoned his sword. "Nope."

The arachne daemon proved to be no obstacle. The group easily slew it and continued through Keycatrich Trench. They locate another small passage that requires them to crouch. After crouching, moving through the small passage into the next tunnel, and making their way to the next intersection, Gladio takes notice of something down the path to the left. "Huh? The hell?"

(Y/n) looked toward what had the shield's attention and spotted the doors to the next royal tomb they'd been searching for. Noctis also saw the royal tomb and makes his way over. He unlocks the doors to the Tomb of the Conqueror and they slide open. Stepping inside, the prince claims the Axe of the Conqueror. When he stepped out of the royal tomb with his newly claimed ancestral arm in his arsenal, Prompto asked, "So, Noct borrows the old kings' powers?"

"More or less," Ignis replied. "At this rate, he'll soon rival his father's legacy."

""The Copycat King"," Gladio mocked.

Noctis glared weakly at the brute. "Out of line."

"Well? What's it like?" The sharpshooter questioned.

"Hmm..." The prince glanced down at his hands and flexed his fingers. "Like I've got some tricks up my sleeve."

Gladio stuck his hands up in the air. "No need to put on a magic show for us."

"But it never hurt to practice," Ignis added.

"Guess not." Noctis tugged on the fringe of his hair. "Any idea on this conduit we're supposed to find?"

All eyes fell on (Y/n). She bashfully blinked and looked around at the boys. "Wh-Why're you all looking at me?"

"You're the guardian here and Cor said the conduit was one of your people."

"Th-That doesn't mean I know who or what this conduit is capable of..." She cleared her throat. "But I will do my best as a guardian to help you find the conduit. It's easier to speak to my people if I'm with you. The only humans spirits trust are their masters. Luckily, my people are easy to pick out in a crowd. Let's just hope the empire hasn't gotten to the conduit yet."

"Wait, if the empire doesn't know who the conduit is, won't they come after you, (Y/n)?" Prompto asked.

She nodded calmly. "Most likely."

"Eh, she's got nothing to worry about," Noctis said.

The marksman nodded with a wide smile. "That's right! You've got us, (Y/n)!"

"Pretty sure the lady can handle herself in a skirmish, Casanova," Gladio stated.

"I know, but we'll be there for her too!"

(Y/n)'s eyes widen in shock. She glanced around at the boys and saw them all smiling at her. She didn't expect to fit into their merry band this quick, but she was happy to already being closer to Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio. She was already tied to Ignis with the red string of fate and was looking forward to growing closer with the other boys after knowing them for years now. Smiling back, she giggled. "And I'll be here for each and every one of you."

With that, the group left Keycatrich Trench. Back at the entrance to the tunnel system, Noctis' cell phone rings and he promptly answers. "Yeah?"

"Finally picked up. Thought I'd lost another king," Cor responded on the other end.

"Just busy building my arsenal."

"Good to hear. I have a task for you. The empire's begun construction of a new base, along the road west to Duscae. I need you to put it out of commission. If left unchecked, it will cost us access to the west-and all the royal tombs that lie beyond. I believe you've met Monica. She can fill you in on the details. Go see her."

Noctis hung up, putting his phone back into his pocket. Prompto glanced over at him, wondering who called. "What's up?"

"People to see, bases to burn. Let's go see Monica at the outpost," Noctis replied.

"Come to think of it, we did spy a large structure," Ignis said.

"Yeah, hard to miss an ominous thing like that."

"Ain't gonna be easy takin' down a whole stronghold," Gladio claimed.

Prompto fiddled with his gloves. "Can we really do this?"

"The marshal believes we can, or he wouldn't have asked us. But first things first," the advisor started.

Noctis nodded. "Right. Let's head back to the outpost."

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter IV

The next morning, (Y/n) found herself to be the first one up. Carefully and quietly, she flew over to the door and used her small body to open it. Exiting the hotel room, she flew out of the Mother of Pearl and headed to the beach. In her small form, she sat on the white sands and admired the view just like she did the day before.

As the sun slowly rose above the horizon, her attention was drawn to a man who was also enjoying the beach at such an early hour in the morning. Taking a closer look, she realized it was the spiky-haired man who was accompanying the other oddly-dressed stranger yesterday. He was laying on his back, arms folded behind his head with his eyes shut.

Without thinking, she transformed into her human form. She figured he hadn't seen her, but that thought was quickly dismissed when she heard him chuckle. "So that's what you look like." He opened his eyes and pushed himself off the sand, brushing off whatever he could. "You're that guardian with those guys, right?"

(Y/n) remained silent with a stoic expression. She wasn't fond of strangers, especially the ones who kept odd company and were difficult to read. The man noticed her sealed lips and sighed. "Not much of a talker, huh? That'll make this easier then." Her eyes narrowed as he took a few steps towards her. He held up his hands to show he wouldn't hurt her. One of his hands gravitate towards the hem of his shirt, where he lifted it up and revealed the emerald gemstone embedded in the flesh of his abdomen. "I'm a guardian just like yourself."

Now she could no longer remain silent. "Then what's with your eyes?"

"Contacts. My...master insists I wear them due to how dangerous it is to be a guardian."

She crossed her arms, popping a hip out. "What do you mean "dangerous"?"

"Guess you haven't heard," he said. "The empire's been on a massive hunt to kill spirits. Now that Insomnia is destroyed, it'll make their hunt much more easy."

Her eyes widened in horror. "What?"

"Oh, damn. You didn't hear about that either?" The man handed her a newspaper. "This'll be able to tell you more than I could."

She took the newspaper and read the headline.

Insomnia Falls

Her eyes darted back and forth as she skimmed over the details. She couldn't believe what she was reading, especially when it came from a complete stranger. Tossing the newspaper, she transformed and took to the sky.

Flying as fast as she could, she left Galdin Quay and landed in the Longwythe Rest Area. She transformed and searched for the local newspaper. It had the same headline as the paper the man showed her. Still in disbelief, she transformed once again and few in the direction of Insomnia. She tried to convince herself the papers were lying and it was only propaganda, but she couldn't. Flying as high as she could, she hovered in the air.

When coming as close to the city as she possibly could, her sapphire eyes soaked in the image of the burning, smoking remains of Insomnia. Plumes of smoke rose into the air, fogging the sky above. Imperial dreadnoughts flew to and from the city.

Eventually, the sky was overcome with dark clouds. (Y/n) flew down to safety near the city checkpoint, which was occupied by imperial forces. She hid behind a concrete barricade as it began pouring down rain. Looking past the imperial forces, she saw the Regalia turn down a side road. Sneaking past the imperial forces, she followed the car. From a distance, she watched as they made their way up the hill that provided a perfect view of Insomnia. They fought through imperial troopers and magiteks, clearly angered by what the empire had done to their home.

The guardian knew the boys could handle the enemies without her and remained on the sidelines. She stopped briefly when the voice she heard from her dreams echoed around her.

Chosen...vessel...

She transformed in the spot she had been hiding and looked around. "Who are you?"

Creator...

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. The voice was almost like an echo in the distance. It was unclear and she couldn't understand its broken speech pattern. She shook her head, casting the voice aside. "Maybe I really am going crazy." Looking up, she squinted her eyes to prevent the rain from falling into them. Through the storm clouds, she could see the familiar cluster of stars that radiated brilliantly-the Celestial Crescent. It was a grouping of stars only spirits could see. The darkest clouds couldn't obscure its bright brilliance of various hues of colors, not even the sun could wash it away with its warm, bright rays of light.

(Y/n) tore her gaze away from the Celestial Crescent at the sound of the boys walking past her hiding spot. She overheard them talking about her. They were all worried about her, even Gladio. She had taken off without telling them and they feared the worst had happened. Inhaling deeply, she followed after them back to the car. She no longer wished to hide her human form from Prompto, Noctis, and Gladio. The charade ended today.

Just as (Y/n) caught up with the boys, an imperial drop ship found their location. Magiteks poured from the hatch and surrounded the boys. It wasn't something they couldn't handle, but Noctis was being more careless than usual. He was fueled by his anger and wasn't thinking straight, failing to deliver the finishing blow to one of the MTs. It dragged its body off the ground behind the prince and raised its axe to finish him off. Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio were too occupied with being swarmed by other magiteks that they didn't see the single one that resurrected.

The guardian morphed a blade from pure ice and joined the fray. She charged towards the MT and pierced its body from behind before it could hurt Noctis. Sparks emitted from the hole in its back and abdomen as the sword shattered.

Noctis heard the dying shrieks of the MT and turned around. He watched it collapse, eyes widening when he spotted the girl behind it. He recognized her from Galdin Quay and was able to easily piece together the puzzle. "(Y/n)."

She smiled at him, her heart racing as she tried her best to keep her shy nature in check. "Sorry for keeping it a secret for so long." She took a few steps back before looking towards Ignis. "I also want to apologize for running off like I did. The news was overbearing and I wanted to see it for myself."

"I am simply relieved you are safe," the advisor replied, smiling faintly.

Noctis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, especially after what that weirdo told us."

"Weirdo?" (Y/n) mumbled.

"That spiky-haired guy we met yesterday."

She knew exactly who he was talking about. "He's the one who told me about Insomnia, and how the empire's hunting down spirits for some reason."

"We feared the empire had apprehended you," Ignis said.

The guardian's cerulean eyes drifted over to Gladio and Prompto, who had yet to say anything. She saw they were shocked at her appearance and couldn't say anything. She immediately looked away, feeling her shyness break through. "W-Where to now?"

"Hammerhead," the strategist said. "The marshal will be waiting for us. We best make haste."

Back at the Regalia, Ignis was about to hop into the driver's seat when he noticed (Y/n)'s discomfort. He spoke up on her behalf and addressed the photographer in their group. "Prompto, do be a gentleman and relinquish the front seat to (Y/n)."

The marksman nodded with flushed cheeks. "Y-Yeah, sure thing." He quickly climbed into the backseat with Gladio and Noctis. It was a tight squeeze, but the boys were more than happy to give the girl some space.

Their ride to Hammerhead was silent. Not even Ignis or (Y/n) spoke to each other. What happened to their home lingered in their minds and they couldn't think about anything else or what to say to each other.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the outpost and quickly departed again after learning from Cid that Cor was waiting for them at Prairie Outpost. As they drove to their next destination, (Y/n) kept her gaze on the passing scenery. She still hadn't built up the courage to speak to Prompto or Gladio just yet. She folded her arms atop the window sill and rested her chin on her forearms. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the feeling of the breeze tousling her (h/c) locks. She didn't open her eyes until they arrived at Prairie Outpost.

Exiting the vehicle, the group walked up to a woman. She greeted Noctis, clearly relieved as she spoke. "Your Highness. I'm glad you're safe."

Gladio recognizes the woman before them. "Monica! Where're all the others?"

"Most of the Crownsguard didn't make it. It was all we could do to escort Lady Iris out of the city. Dustin is with her as we speak, seeing her the rest of the way to Lestallum."

"I owe you guys big time."

"Head for the royal tomb. The marshal awaits."

As they headed to the tomb and walked by many hunters, (Y/n) tensed up slightly. She could feel the eyes of many on her as she followed behind Noctis. She had fallen behind without realizing and grabbed the attention of the prince. "You, uh...okay there, (Y/n)?" He also wasn't used to seeing her human form, but at least he was talking to her unlike Prompto and Gladio.

She nodded. "I-I'm fine."

The raven-haired boy tugged at his messy fringe. "Specs did say you were shy."

"I-It's not just that," she said, looking around at the hunters. She caught a few blatantly staring at her while others immediately looked away when she caught their eyes on her. "People are staring. Maybe because my kind are rare to find."

Noctis' eyes raked over the girl's form. Her beauty rivaled that of Lunafreya's and Cindy's. He cleared his throat and immediately looked away. "Yeah, we'll go with that..."

Continuing down the dirt trail, Prompto eventually asked about the woman they recently spoke to. "So who is this Monica person?"

"A servant of the Crownsguard, like Gladio and myself," Ignis replied.

"She's one of my father's best," Gladio added. "Along with Dustin-who's guarding my sister."

"Good to know we still have people we can count on outside the city," Noctis commented.

As the royal retinue continues making their way for the Tomb of the Wise, the boys began talking about Cor. (Y/n) listened to their conversation, remaining silent. She had met the Marshal the day they left Insomnia, but she hasn't properly been introduced to him. She remembered Ignis talking about him from time to time, which made her understand he was a man held in high regards by many.

Once their trek ended, they arrived at the Tomb of the Wise. The entrance was wide open and there was no sign of Cor. Walking into the tomb, they found the marshal waiting for them, standing beside a sarcophagus that bears a sword in its hands.

"Marshal," Ignis addressed the man.

Cor's gaze focused on the prince. "At last, Your Highness."

Noctis was clearly irritated as he spoke. "Yeah, wanna tell me what I'm here for?"

"The power of kings, passed from the old to the new through the bonding of souls. One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebears' power is your birthright and duty as king," the marshal explained.

"My duty as king of what?" Noctis hissed through gritted teeth.

"Now is not the time to question your calling," Cor remarked with a hint of anger. "A king is sworn to protect his people."

"And yet he chose to protect only one prince. Was that his calling? Forsake the masses to spare his own son?"

Cor's eyes narrowed. "How long will you remain the protected? The king entrusted the role of protector to you."

""Entrusted" it to me? Then why didn't he tell me that? Why did he stand there smiling as I left? Why-Why did he lie to me?"

"That day, he didn't want you to remember him as the king. In what time you had left, he wanted to be your father. He always had faith in you, that when the time came, you would ascend for the sake of your people."

"Guess he left me no choice." Noctis holds out his hand over the sarcophagus. The sword embedded in the stone phases through the casket's hands and floats into the air. It then flies into Noctis' body, being absorbed into him and added to his arsenal. He now had the power of his ancestor.

Cor spoke again after witnessing Noctis successfully absorb his ancestor's power. "That's not the only power your forebears left you. Your journey's just begun. Another tomb lies close by. I suggest you head there next. There are tombs scattered across the land. All are on dangerous ground. I'll go with you, for the time being. Not only to help, but to get a measure of your strength."

"So just how many of these "powers" are out there?" Noctis asked.

"There are thirteen known royal arms, each enshrined at a royal tomb, though we know the location of only a few. I've enlisted the Hunters. They comb the land in search of the lost tombs."

"Where's the one nearby you mentioned?"

"Keycatrich Trench. We know there to be a crypt deep inside the tunnels. Before we set out, there's another thing I must tell you."

The prince crossed his arms. "And what's that?"

"The empire's hunting down guardians and killing them to prevent you from obtaining the conduit. Find this spirit and obtain their blessing."

Noctis glanced over at (Y/n) for a split second before looking back at the marshal. "Why do I need this blessing?"

Cor sighed. "That, I'm afraid I don't understand." He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. The jewel adorning it was black, cracked, and had a silver phoenix wrapped around it. (Y/n)'s eyes widen in shock, which didn't go unnoticed by the marshal.

"What're we looking at, Marshal?" Gladio questioned.

"Seems the guardian amongst you is already aware."

All eyes fell on (Y/n). She couldn't tear her own gaze away from the necklace. "A guardian gemstone. When we pass, the gemstone cracks and turns black." She took a step forward. "Marshal, who does this necklace belong to?"

"Me," Cor replied. "I lost her years ago. She's the one who told me about the conduit, but she never mentioned why the prophesized King would need them. Only that he would require their blessing. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

She hung her head. "I'm afraid not. Forgive me, Marshal."

The man put the necklace back into his pocket. "Minor change of plans."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Noctis asked.

"I want to see (Y/n) in action. The rest of you will stand on the sidelines."

"Marshal, I can assure you," Ignis started but was promptly interrupted by Cor.

"It's more to satisfy my curiosity than an evaluation. I'm well aware of the power possessed by guardians. I'm more interested in her unique abilities." The marshal looked over at the (h/c)-haired girl. "Let's depart."

The group left the royal tomb and headed to the next one in Keycatrich Trench. They were all silent until they spotted imperial forces in the distance. Among the soldiers were two mechs, which is what (Y/n) had her sights set on. She snuck off without telling the others and infiltrated enemy ranks.

Prompto was the first to notice her absence when they came to a stop. "Uh, guys? Where did (Y/n) go?"

Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis looked around for her, but couldn't find her. Cor went to make a remark, but he held his tongue when they heard the imperial soldiers screaming and shooting. Looking towards the troopers, they saw the two magitek armors were targeting their fellow imperial soldiers.

When all the soldiers were annihilated, one of magitek armors turned to face the other and fired a single rocket. The second mech exploded into pieces while the first one was suddenly speared with large shards of ice.

The men were in awe and shock at what they had witnessed. Carefully, they approached the remains of the carnage and found an innocent-looking (Y/n) standing among the remains of the exploded magitek armors. She combed her (h/c) locks over her shoulders as the others approached her.

"I don't know what you did, but well done," Cor complimented.

"I only performed a minor lightning incantation on the mechs to manipulate the coding and turn them against their own allies," she explained.

"You made it look like a walk in the park," Noctis commented.

"The way to Keycatrich Trench is clear. We shouldn't linger too long or more imperial forces will show up."

They arrived at the entrance of Keycatrich Trench and Cor took a key out of his pocket and tossed it towards Noctis. "Here's where we go our separate ways. Take this key. It unlocks the doors to the other tombs. Seek them out and lay claim to the power they hold. You'll need it."

Noctis examines the key before meeting the marshal's gaze. "And what will you do?"

"Keep an eye on the Niffs and see if I can dig up more information on this conduit. But you should focus on your own task."

"I will."

Cor turned and left. With the marshal gone, the group proceeded into Keycatrich Trench.

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter III

The next morning, Gladio dragged Noctis out of bed so they could leave. Ignis finished dressing himself and looked around the motel room. He couldn't find Prompto or (Y/n). Having no doubt the boy had taken the spirit again, he walked out of the room. Scanning the area, he immediately found the two. What shocked him was Prompto's position. He was laying down on the ground on his stomach, his legs swinging back and forth. His camera was trained on the skvader as she laid down on the ground.

"C'mon, work with me here, (Y/n)!" Prompto begged. "How about you hide behind the motel and transform? And when you're ready, you can call me."

The spirit yawned, her nose wiggling slightly. She flopped down on her side with a faint grunt. Lowering his camera, Prompto nibbled on his bottom lip. "Okay, that was really adorable, but not what I was looking for."

"Prompto," Ignis called out, stepping off the porch of the motel. "You'll soil your clothes laying on the ground in such a manner."

"Aaand Mama Ignis has appeared," he sighed. Pushing himself off the ground, he held his camera close to his chest. "Morning to you too, Iggy."

(Y/n) shot up at hearing his name. She dashed over to the advisor and climbed up his body until she was situated on his left shoulder. She threw her long tail around his shoulders, nuzzling her body against the side of his neck. Once she was comfortable, she flopped down and allowed her hind legs to dangle from his shoulder.

Just then, Gladio and Noctis exit the motel room. Ignis glances at his other companions before deciding it was time to leave. "Let's see ourselves to Galdin, shall we?"

"Might as well," Noctis mumbled tiredly.

The group climbs into the Regalia and departs from Longwythe Rest Area. (Y/n) remained on Ignis' shoulder as he drove, enjoying the sensation of the wind blowing through her fur. She looked around as they passed through a ravine of sorts as the radio came to life. The station was broadcasting the news of the upcoming wedding between Noctis and Lunafreya. She could hear Gladio teasing the prince slightly when the broadcast ended, but tuned them out and continued to enjoy the scenery. It was her first time outside of the Crown City and she wanted to enjoy every second of it.

When Galdin Quay came into view from the highway, Prompto stood up in his seat in excitement. "Hey! I see the sea!"

"I "sea" it too," Noctis replied, eyes focused on the clear waters of the ocean.

"That's Galdin Quay," Ignis informed the group.

"Kinda wanna go for a dip," Gladio commented.

Noctis noticed the strange rock formation in the distance. "That a big mountain behind it?"

"No, it's an island," the strategist answered.

"Nobody goes to Galdin for an island, though," Prompto stated. "They go to kick back and get massages!"

"And savor the seafood. It's famously delicious."

"Sounds great," Noctis said.

"Somethin' to look forward to," the shield claimed.

(Y/n) couldn't tear her gaze away from the beautiful beaches of Galdin Quay. The water was clear and the sand was pure white. She already knew what she wanted to do, even though it would risk revealing her human form to Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto. She was going to relax on the beach and nothing was going to get in her way, not even Ignis.

Arriving at Galdin Quay, Ignis backed the Regalia up into a parking spot located by the gas pump. Everyone exited the vehicle and headed towards the Mother of Pearl. Walking across the lengthy boardwalk, they reach the entrance of the restaurant/hotel. A member of the staff greeted them, bowing politely with a hand over his chest. Their destination was the docks, which were located in the back.

They didn't make it far before two men approached them. The taller one had unkempt hair and was cladded in multiple layers of dark clothing. The other man had spiky black locks and wore a faded green jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. Below the waist he wore matching combat pants and black boots. Around his neck swayed the dog tags of what appeared to be his identification as a hunter.

The auburn-haired man was the first to speak. "I'm afraid you're out of luck."

"Are we?" Noctis asked, slightly bothered by the men's presences. He wanted them gone as soon as possible and he had no idea why.

"The boats bring you here."

"What about 'em?" Prompto wondered.

"You're not leaving anytime soon," the spiky-haired man answered. "Better get comfortable."

Gladio crosses his arms, glancing between the two strangers. "And what're your stories?"

"We're impatient travelers, ready to turn ship. The ceasefire's getting us nowhere," the auburn-haired man replied. He then gestures to his companion, who tosses a coin at Noctis.

Gladio snatches it out of the air before it can hit the prince. He examined the coin before looking back up at the strange men. "What's this? Some sort of souvenir?"

Prompto saw the coin and gaped. "They make those?"

Noctis also saw the coin and shook his head. "What? No."

"Consider it your allowance," the taller gentleman remarked with a small, unsettling smile.

"Yeah, and who's allowing us?" The shield scoffed.

He bowed slightly. "Men of no consequences." He then patted his companion on the shoulder. "Come, dear friend. Let us set off."

The spiky-haired man stood still as if her feet were nailed to the floor. He didn't budge as his emerald eyes dwelled on the skvader resting on Ignis' shoulder. Her sapphire eyes locked with his, earning a smirk from the stranger before turning to follow his friend.

"Yeah, right," Noctis sneered under his breath.

Prompto fiddled with his fingers in wonderment. "You believe what those guys said about the port being closed?"

"I'm skeptical, though I won't discount the possibility," Ignis replied.

"I say we go check it out for ourselves," Gladio said.

Walking through the Mother of Pearl, they pass by numerous of people who were enjoying what Galdin Quay had to offer. (Y/n) jumped off the strategist's shoulder and flew to the docks ahead of the boys. She sat near the edge of the docks and gazed out across the ocean. There were no boats in sight.

When she turned around, her eyes landed on a well-dressed young man who was sitting on one of the benches with his legs crossed. She realized he was staring at her with a wide-eyed expression. Carefully approaching him, she sat down a few inches from him. Her tail swished behind her as she squeaked at him, startling him.

The young man, having never met a guardian before, leant down and outstretched his hand to pet her. He was hesitant, but he pushed his fear aside when she stood up on her hind legs and nudged her head against his hand. "Well, aren't yous a friendly one."

(Y/n) looked away from the man when she heard Prompto groan out, "Aw, man. Not a ship in sight. What gives?"

The guardian turned around to see the boys were searching the docks for boats. The young man who was petting her stopped and addressed her companions. "According to my sources, the empire, giving strict orders not to let any vessels leave the docks of Altissia. Real shame if you were late to your own wedding-right, Prince Noctis? Name's Dino, by the way. Pleasure. The crown prince of Lucis, bounty hunting in his fancy car... Surely you didn't think it'd go unnoticed-at least not by this reporter? Lucky for you, this reporter has integrity. If you wanna remain incognito, I'll respect your wish...in exchange for a favor."

Noctis glared at him and kept himself from lashing out in anger at the man's threat. "What do you want?"

"Hey, I knew you'd come around!" Dino cheered. "Lemme see your map."

Reluctantly, the prince hands over the map. Dino pulls out a pen from his pocket and circles an area on the map. Putting the pen away, he handed the map back to Noctis. "Marked where you need to go on your map. All you gotta do is find me some rough gemstones-like this one. Do this, and your ship'll come in. Don't, and the papers'll run you outta town. Capisce?"

(Y/n) stared Dino down as the boys walked away. She didn't blink, which frightened him slightly. Although he was trying to hide his emotions behind a mask, she could tell from his silver gaze he would never truly blow Noctis' cover.

Satisfied with her analysis, she let out a final squeak before flying off to rejoin the others. She caught up with them just as they were stepping off the boardwalk. She wound up crash-landing on Noctis' head. She hung limply from his head with a faint huff. The prince tensed slightly when she collided with his head, but this wasn't the first time she's done so. He grabbed her small body and held her at eye level a few inches from his face. "Don't think I didn't see you with that reporter. You on his side now?"

Outstretching her front paws, (Y/n) made sure her sable claws were retracted before placing her paws on Noctis' cheeks. She squeaked, tapping her soft paws against his face lightly. A smile blossomed on the prince's face. He couldn't help but find her actions adorable. "Yeah, I know you would never betray us. You and Specs are attached at the hip."

The skvader climbed across Noctis' arm the moment he released her. She perched herself on his shoulder as he entered the backseat of the Regalia. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto followed suit and it wasn't long before they left Galdin Quay to find what Dino requested.

Not far down the road, Ignis pulled the car over to the shoulder and parked. Everyone stepped out of the vehicle and followed Noctis up a stony path. They crossed over a rocky overhang that spanned across the road below. The prince, along with (Y/n) who was still on his shoulder, carefully examined the map before putting it away.

Eventually, they reach an outcrop where they find an enormous bird slumbering. It ruffled its feathers in its sleep, burying its beak against its puffed out chest. Prompto gasped at the sight of the immense beast. "Oh em gee. We're supposed to get near that thing?"

"Pipe down before you wake it up," Gladio hissed just above a whisper.

Crouching, Noctis took the lead and carefully maneuvered around the bird. The others were close behind him, eyes focused on the creature as they held their breath. (Y/n) flattened her small form against the prince's shoulder as they circled around the front of the bird. She could sense just how powerful it was due to its size alone.

Successfully making it past the zu, Noctis stalked over towards a mineral deposit. He grabbed one of the loose pieces of garnet stone and put it into his pocket. He glanced at (Y/n) from the corner of his eye once receiving a soft squeak in response to being able to find and secure what Dino wanted. "Better get it back to him," he whispered to her. She nodded her head in response.

Turning around, Noctis proceeded back the way they came. Ignis was by his side as they rounded around the zu. Unfortunately, the large bird was awoken by a seemingly unknown force. It unfurls its wings, flapping them as hard as it could and creating a powerful gust of wind. (Y/n) dug her claws into Noctis' jacket in a desperate attempt to keep herself from being blown away. Morosely, it wasn't enough. Her small body was sent sailing through the air as the zu took off.

Luckily, Ignis was close by and saw what happened. He snatched her body out of the air and held her close. He loosened his grip on her after the wind died down and the bird was out of sight. "Off it goes..."

Noctis inhaled deeply to calm his racing heart. "Oh, we made it out alive."

"Barely. I seriously thought we were at journey's end," Prompto whimpered.

"But that feat was fit for a king," Gladio commented.

"We've acquired what we came for. Time to return to Galdin," the advisor said. He released (Y/n) and watched her fly around without the fear of being blown away. She went ahead of the boys and returned to the Regalia.

Prompto had also been watching her until she vanished from sight. "You're not scared she'll fly off and never return, Iggy?"

"Not in the slightest," the tactician answered without hesitation. "The bond we share is unquestionable."

"In other words, you both like each other so much you stick together," Gladio smirked with a chuckle.

""Like" is not a plausible word to describe the bond between (Y/n) and I," Ignis corrected the shield. "What we share is far beyond "like"."

"Just saying how I see it."

The advisor's eyes narrowed at him. He wanted to question him, but he walked off before he could. With a sigh, he shook his head and followed after his friends.

During the car ride back to Galdin Quay, (Y/n) was in the backseat with Noctis and Gladio. Descending the windy road leading to their destination, she shoved her head into the prince's pocket, startling him. "H-Hey, (Y/n)!" Looking down, he saw her head pop out of his pocket with the fragment of garnet in her mouth. He wondered what she was going to do with it until he watched her fly out of the car and towards Galdin Quay. "Someone's impatient..."

The skvader was indeed impatient. She was eager to relax on the beach and that would only happen as soon as she could sneak away from the group and transform. She thought delivering the garnet to Dino herself would speed up the process. Why? She wasn't exactly sure.

Landing on the bench beside Dino, she placed the stone down and nudged it towards him with her nose. He picked it up, examining it closely to ensure it was what he asked for. A mix between a smirk and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Would yous look at that? Just what I asked for!" He immediately got to work creating his newest piece of jewelry. (Y/n) watched in amazement as he turned the small stone into a beautiful bracelet with what supplies he had with him. Once he was done, he admired his craftsmanship. "Gotta say, this is my best piece so far."

Just then, the boys arrived. Dino reveals his newest creation to them and handed it to Noctis. "Nice work, kid! Sorry for giving you such a hard time. I just had to get my hands on this, even if it meant blackmail. You understand, don't ya? Y'see, I'm a reporter by day, and an amateur jeweler by night. This elusive little beauty's gonna become a masterpiece. To make it up to you, I'll share a little scoop. That special coin you got-it commemorates the Oracle's ascension. That guy was tossing 'em out to everyone. Musta picked 'em up back in Niflheim. And speaking of freebies, here's one from me. Come back if you wanna buy more!"

Ignis eyed the fine piece of jewelry as Noctis accepted it from Dino. "I doubt a souvenir like that could make its way into the hands of an ordinary citizen."

"Well, it's our pocket change now," Prompto commented.

"As promised, I'm in the process of securing your ferry tickets right now. Told ya, I'm a man of integrity. Should be smooth sailing from here, so lemme know when you're ready to ship out," Dino stated.

The prince crossed his arms. "We've been ready."

"Guess I should've expected that," the reporter cackled. "The ship won't arrive 'til tomorrow! How 'bout you find a place to spend the night?"

Prompto glanced around at his friends. "Do we even have the money to spend the night?"

"We could always go camping instead," the brute spoke up.

"We do have the funds to secure a hotel room. Although, it will be the only one for a while until we procure more funds," Ignis explained.

"No way I'm camping if we can afford a hotel room," Noctis said. "You guys go do that. I'm gonna do some fishing."

"Can't let His Highness go alone," Gladio stated. "I'll go with you."

"Me too!" Prompto waves his hand in the air. "I wanna take pictures of the beach!"

"Then (Y/n) and I shall make arrangements," the advisor informed the others. Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto left the docks to head to the beach. Ignis and (Y/n) headed towards the rooms available inside the restaurant and paid 10,000 gil for one. They entered the large, beautiful room where the spirit changed forms. She sat on the edge of the bed for a few seconds before flopping down on her back. Her (h/c) locks fanned out across the sheets as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Feeling enervated?" Ignis questioned as he had been watching her.

"A little," she confessed. "Sleeping has been difficult to do ever since we left the city. Even napping is difficult."

"Something plagues your mind?" He inquired.

"Nothing like that, but..." The sapphire-eyed girl sat up. She placed her hands in her lap, staring at the floor. "I hear a voice in my sleep, and even sometimes when I'm awake. I've tried to push it aside as nothing, but something tells me I need to listen. Maybe I'm finally going crazy."

"Shall we investigate this voice?"

She shook her head. "No, don't worry about it." Standing up, she walked over to the windows, which made up one entire wall of the room. She admired the beautiful, glistening ocean for some time. She then focused on her reflection in the window. Alongside herself, she saw Ignis sitting down in one of the chairs. He was flipping through the book that held all his recipes. With a huff, she spun around. Her heels clacked against the floor as she walked towards the door.

Ignis looked up the moment she strolled past him. Looking over his shoulder, he called out to her. "(Y/n), where are you heading?"

"The beach. I've been dying to relax ever since we first came here. It'll also help me sort out my thoughts," the guardian replied.

"What of the others?"

"They won't know it's me." She opened the door. "I'll be back soon, Iggy."

Stepping out of the room, she closed the door behind her. Walking through the Mother of Pearl, she could already feel eyes on her as she sauntered by many people. She tried her best to ignore the stares, knowing not many people have seen a guardian due to their scarcity. She clamped a hand over the sapphire gemstone embedded in her chest. She held her breath and sped up her pace so she could reach the exit quicker.

(Y/n) exhaled heavily. She dropped her hand from her chest the moment she was walking across the long boardwalk. She thought she was in the clear, but her eyes widened when she saw Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto were already on their way back. She thought they would've been gone longer. Pushing her thoughts aside, she looked away from them and prayed to the Astrals they would simply stroll past her. However, her prayer went unanswered. The moment her eyes locked with Prompto's, her body tensed. She immediately looked away and continued walking. As she walked past the blonde, she did force herself to look back at him and offer a kind, shy smile.

What she didn't see was Prompto's wide-eyed expression. His jaw was unhinged, hanging in disbelief. He nearly dropped his camera because of the shock he was in. Gladio also took notice of (Y/n), not recognizing who she was. He crossed his arms with a smirk as his eyes watched her head to the beach. "Now there's a woman."

Wondering who his friends were staring at, Noctis looked at the guardian. Just by looking at her, he could feel a sense of familiarity but pushed it aside since he didn't recognize her. He looked away and saw Prompto and Gladio still had their eyes focused on her. "Why're you guys staring?"

"Dude, are you seriously that blind?" Prompto gasped. "We just came across another goddess! That's two in two days!"

"If you're so interested, go talk to her."

"M-Me?"

Gladio smacked him on the back. "Go for it, pipsqueak. If you fail, I'll take over."

"I'll try...."

Meanwhile on the beach, (Y/n) took her heels off and walked across the sand. She didn't mind the sand sticking to the bottom of her tights since she could easily brush it off later. She admired the lapping waves and the various fish swimming around. The salty breeze blew through her (h/c) locks, a sensation she came to enjoy. Even the sun's warmth against her skin felt different. She wasn't sure what it was about the beach that made the sensation different from anywhere else.

A few peaceful minutes ticked by before (Y/n)'s attention was drawn by a small 'click' and a flash. Looking to her left, she saw Prompto with his camera raised. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing him. She could even see the faint blush on his cheeks, not sure if it was from the sun or embarrassment.

"I-I'm so sorry!" He quickly apologized. "I-I should've asked before taking your picture."

The guardian smiled, desperately trying to suppress her shyness. Morosely, she wasn't successful. "I-It's okay. Is, um...is there something I can help you with?"

The boy shook his head. "N-No, I just thought y-you were really beautiful and it's my job a-as a photographer to capture everything beautiful."

Her smile widened at his pure heart. "That's very sweet of you."

Prompto quickly looked away, his blush deepening. "S-Sorry to bother you."

Before she could reply, he stormed off. She watched him run all the way to the Mother of Pearl, blinking in surprise at how fast he was sprinting. She hadn't expected Prompto to say such a kind, sweet thing to her. Now it was going to be awkward when she would introduce herself to him and the others in the near future.

Sighing, she combed her slightly disheveled hair behind her ears. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, listening to the waves as they lapped against the white sand of the beach. Just like before, her blissful moment was cut short when sensing the presence of another. This time, she was all-too-familiar with the presence and knew who it was before even looking. "Come to join me, Iggy?" Turning her head, she met his emerald gaze. Unlike with Prompto, she didn't stutter. Ignis was the only person she wasn't shy around because of how long they'd been together.

"I have," the strategist answered. "Although under false pretenses."

(Y/n) looked off in the distance and saw Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio watching them closely from the parking lot. They were trying to hide themselves behind one of the vehicles parked. "Oh, no... Is this their plan?"

"More of Gladio's than Noct's or Prompto's."

She placed her heels in the sand. "Is this another bet to see if you can get a woman?" It wouldn't have been the first time the boys had forced Ignis to speak to a woman to see if he did have any charm.

He pinched in the bridge of his nose. "Indeed..."

(Y/n) reminisced in the many memories she's made with him. "Now that I think about it, you never did bring home anyone. I know you're really serious about your dedication to Noctis, but that doesn't mean you don't have time for your own life. Your happiness matters, too."

Ignis casted his gaze to the ocean. He already knew why he hadn't brought home anyone, not even during his high school years. While he had been occupied with juggling school and his duties to the Crown, he always found time for himself in order to keep his sanity in check. Unlike many people his age who were bringing home a special someone, he didn't have to go search for someone who captured his heart. The young woman beside him already captivated his heart without her knowing. He'd been infatuated with her for many years now, but he kept his true feelings bottled up. He was frightened she wouldn't want him in return and even if she did, he was worried he couldn't commit himself fully to the relationship being the advisor of the prince. He didn't want her to feel as if she came second because of his duties.

What Ignis didn't know was that she already felt second in his heart. Ever since formally becoming Noctis' advisor, she was no longer first in his world. She was placed on the back-burner, knowing her life wasn't as important as Noctis'. In her mind, she was disposable. The prince wasn't. Just like Ignis, (Y/n) kept her deepest emotions buried in the darkest corner of her heart. She admired his conviction to his position, not angered in the slightest when she was no longer the most important person to him.

"Ignis?" The guardian gently called out his name after a prolonged silence.

The advisor reconnected his gaze with hers. "Yes?"

"You will find your own happiness, won't you?"

"I will in due time. As should you, (Y/n)."

She didn't care about her own happiness, only his. Faking a convincing smile, she nodded. "I'm sure I will find that special someone soon." It was a bitter lie on her tongue. She clutched the hem of her dress, bunching up the fabric before releasing it. Bending down, she grabbed her heels. Her eyes drifted over to the other boys, smirking slightly when seeing their flabbergasted expressions. "I think we can safely assume you win this bet. Make sure Gladio pays his dues. I'll see you back in the hotel room." She went to walk past him, but stopped. She decided to add a little spice to the mix and kissed him on the cheek. With a prideful smirk, she glanced one last time towards the trio hiding behind a car. "That'll give them something to talk about."

Ignis watched (Y/n) as she slipped on her heels and left the beach. He placed a hand on his hip, remembering how soft her lips were against his cheek. She'd kiss him like that many times before, but this time it felt different. He wasn't sure why, though. From where he stood on the beach, he could hear Prompto's wails of disbelief. He could hear him complaining about how he was able to score a kiss on a cheek from the girl before she left. His own smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, but it never came to fruition. (Y/n) truly did stir up the pot with such a simple action. Now, he would have to spin a tale to prevent the others from figuring out who she truly was.

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echoes-of-the-clockwork · 3 years

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Book Two: Sapphire (Ignis x Reader) Chapter II

Closing in on the second shack that was much smaller than the previous one, Ignis suddenly grabs Noctis' arm and turns him around before he could warp-strike one of the sabertusks. (Y/n), who was on the prince's shoulder at the moment, was startled by the advisor's sudden actions and flew off. "Not yet! I've got a plan," Ignis said.

Gladio joined them and formed a huddle. Prompto went to join them, but stopped when the skvader landed on his shoulder. He gasped, "Am I the chosen one?"

"Get your ass over here, pipsqueak," Gladio said, grabbing the front of the boy's shirt and dragging him into the huddle.

"What are we looking at?" Noctis asked.

"This creature is known as a "sabertusk." It skewers prey with its tusks, extracting game from the safety and comfort of burrows," Ignis informed his comrades.

Prompto cringed at the information. "That's...a bit heartless."

"Yeah, don't think we'll be befriending any," Gladio said.

They then discussed how Noctis would warp to the windmill and strike the pack of sabertusks from behind while everyone else distracted them. Prompto interjected before they could initiate their plan. "Why don't we just send (Y/n) to kill them all at once like she did in the barn? It'd save us the hassle."

"You're not getting outta this one, string bean," Gladio remarked. "Get ready to attack from the front."

"Aw..."

(Y/n) remained on the marksman's shoulder as they broke from their huddle and acted out their plan. Noctis warped to the windmill while the others attacked the pack of sabertusks. Once they had the creatures' full attentions, the prince joined the battle and attacked from behind. Within minutes, the beasts were dead and there weren't anymore in sight.

After clearing the area, a voice came from the shack. "Hey, who's out there?" A man opens the door and steps out. He leans against the doorway with a grimace.

"And look who's in here-the man of the hour. Dave, right?" Gladio questioned. "Been looking for you."

"Didn't mean to cause y'all any trouble. Been stuck here on account of my sprained ankle. Somethin' funny 'bout them varmints. I gave 'em hell, but couldn't finish the job. Still one mean mutt about. Y'all don't look much like hunters, but whaddaya say? Put that puppy to rest for me?"

Noctis nodded, deciding to not ask for a reward if they completed the mission. "Oh, yeah. We'll take care of it."

Dave smiled gratefully. "Y'all got guts, that's for sure. Lemme tell ya where I last saw him."

The shield patted Noctis on the shoulder. "Way to show some spunk. Now let's get ready to kick some tail."

Before they could leave to hunt down the mutated dualhorn, (Y/n) flew off Prompto's shoulder. She hovered a few feet from Dave and squeaked. Ignis could understand what she wanted to do and nodded. "Of course, (Y/n). Do escort Dave back to Hammerhead."

She landed on the ground and watched the boys walk away. When they were no longer in sight, she did her best to push away her shyness in order to help Dave and transformed.

(A/n: Everything minus the wings and halo. Feel free to change the outfit, especially if you aren't a fan of dresses. The reason I include them is because this series was originally going to be an x OC series. It also helps me to work visually with the story so you know which article of clothing I'm referring to. Credit for drawing goes to Popza10CM on deviant art!)

(Y/n) brushes down the front of her dress with a smile. "I want to offer you my help. You're injured and it would be awful if you were attacked by creatures on the way back to Hammerhead." She mentally praised herself for not stuttering.

Dave smiled gently. "I'd 'preciate the help. Thank ya."

The guardian took one of the hunter's arms and slung it across her shoulders, allowing him to lean on her. Although she was much shorter than him, it proved to be no issue. Gingerly, they left the shack and made their way towards Hammerhead.

As they were walking down the road, Dave sparked up a conversation. "So yer a guardian, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am."

"You're the second one I've met. First one was a young'un lookin' fer trouble. His master was a top-level hunter at the time. He wanted to be jus' like 'im."

"What happened?" She asked.

"I whipped him into shape. Now he's a proud hunter just like myself," Dave chuckled proudly. "I have to say, you bunch are a marvel. We could use more like y'all in the ranks of the hunters. It's a damn shame guardians are few and far between."

"Indeed, we are. But hopefully that'll change some day. It can be lonely being a guardian even if you do have friends."

"So, which fella out of the bunch is yours?" Dave pried.

"The bespectacled one," the spirit answered. "We've been together for a long time now."

"I can only imagine. What a lucky fella."

After an hour, they arrived in Hammerhead. (Y/n) handed Dave over to some hunters who'd take care of his sprained ankle. Cindy saw the scene and walked over to the guardian. Seeing the sapphire-slitted eyes and gemstone embedded in her chest was all she needed to confirm who she was. "Well, look at ya, sweet pea! You're prettier than a peach!"

The (h/c)-haired girl was taken aback at Cindy's sudden appearance and compliment. The shyness she worked hard to push aside returned. "I-I...um... Th-Thank you, Cindy." Remembering they hadn't properly met, she cleared her throat. "I-I'm (Y/n). A pleasure to formally meet you, Cindy."

The mechanic smiled kindly at her. "No need to be flustered, darlin'! The pleasure's all mine. Lemme call the boys and tell 'em the good news." She pulled out her phone and dialed Noctis' number. "Hey! Dave just arrived in Hammerhead with (Y/n). They're both safe. Thanks for findin' him."

"'Kay," came Noctis bland reply.

"Nice work, y'all. By the way, the old girl's lookin' good as new. She'll be waiting at the garage. And don't keep a purdy little thang like (Y/n) waitin' now, ya hear?"

The guardian, who was eavesdropping on the phone call, could hear Prompto shouting in the background. He must've been listening in on the conversation as well. She smiled in amusement when he asked Cindy to describe her, but she hung up on him. "What a lively bunch, they are," the mechanic said.

"Some more lively than others," (Y/n) stated.

"I heard," she giggled. "You just rest now. Thanks again fer bringin' Dave back, darlin'."

The guardian walked behind the garage in order to avoid the gazes of strangers. She cupped a hand over her gemstone with a sigh. "We haven't been gone for a day yet and things are already going crazy..." Sensing a familiar presence approaching, she turned around and spotted Ignis. "You're back. It must've been a successful hunt."

"Indeed, it was," he said. "Although the trek back was horrendous."

She was taken aback at the news. "Did something happen?"

"Prompto was rather bewailing in the fact you revealed yourself to Cindy and Dave. He was adamant on letting us know the entire way back."

A smirk made its presence known on her face. "I heard his complaints over the phone. He can be loud sometimes."

"Is our charade still in effect?" Ignis asked.

"It's very entertaining to see Prompto squirm. Our game's still on." She peered around the side of the garage and saw no one had followed him. "You best head back before the others get suspicious of your long absence."

"A shame, truly."

(Y/n) tilted her head. "And why's that?"

A gentle smile she hadn't seen in a while crept onto Ignis' face. She was even more shocked when he took one of her gloved hands into his own. His fingers curled under hers as he lifted her hand up towards his face as if he was going to kiss the top of it, but he stopped just before he could. "Speaking from the heart, I would much prefer seeing you like this. It makes conversing easier."

"Didn't you tell me earlier today our little game was entertaining?" She arched a brow.

"I did. However, that does not mean I condone this whole charade. While it keeps Prompto querulous, I also suffer from such unwarranted treatment."

"Says the man who's lived with me for the past twenty-two years..." She mumbled. "Besides, I doubt I'll keep it up much longer. I just...have to push my shyness aside. Give me more time, Iggy."

"As you wish, (Y/n)." Ignis presses his lips against the top of her gloved hand. He could feel her frigid skin underneath, but he was welcoming to the cold sensation as it was quite hot in the Leide region.

The spirit pursed her lips and removed her hand from his. "You're trying to butter me up..."

"Nonsense, (Y/n)," he retorted, hiding his smirk behind a stoic facade.

She crossed her arms with a huff. "Oh, please. I can read you like a book even when you try to hide your true emotions." She uncrossed her arms and poked his side repeatedly. "You want me to melt in the palm of your hand so I'll change my mind. I won't let you get your way this time, Iggy. Your sweet talk and gentlemanly gestures won't deter me. My game, my rules." Transforming, she flew away and headed back to the front of the garage.

Ignis remained where he stood, staring at the spot his guardian once stood. He crossed his own arms with a minuscule smirk. It was only around her did he ever feel complete and could act like a normal man. He felt as if his duties to Noctis prevented him from being himself around the others. Whenever he could get a break from his line of duty, even though for only a few minutes, he was glad to be able to relax. (Y/n) was the only person to see the relaxed and playful side of him. It was her who kept him afloat all these years, even during the times he was at his lowest point and ready to shatter from the stress of his duty to the crown. She was always the one who was by his side. She comforted him and kept his sanity intact, which is something he's very grateful for. It's thanks to her he's been able to push through all the tough times and find a solution to all of his problems.

Ridding his head of his thoughts, Ignis returned to the others. Cindy had pulled the Regalia out of the garage and showed them the finished product of the repairs. "Sorry 'bout the wait. Ain't she purdy?"

Gladio admires the vehicle. "She's almost too pretty for the road."

"She's back! We should all get a picture with her!" Prompto cheered. He hands his camera to Cindy. (Y/n) sat on the ground, her tail flicking back and forth as she watched the four boys get into position in front of the Regalia. Before the mechanic could snap the photo, the marksman stopped her. "Hold on!" He stood up, rushed over to the skvader, scooped her small body up into his arms, and carried her over to the front of the car. Kneeling down where he was before, he smiled at Cindy. "Now we're all here. Take the picture when you're ready, Cindy!"

(Y/n) was being cradled like a baby in Prompto's arms. Her wings were furled up against her back, her tail hanging limply. Her paws were sticking up in the air and her long ears were pressed against his upper arm. She turned her head to the camera just in time for Cindy to take the picture.

Prompto put her down so he could get his camera back from the mechanic. While Noctis continued to chat with Cindy about all she did to the Regalia, (Y/n) was tempted to fly around the outpost. Nonetheless, any plan she had was ruined the moment Ignis picked her up and cradled her small form against his chest. Her right side was pressed against his body, one of his hands cupping her hindquarters while the other was situated on her left side. His slender fingers curled just below her front left paw and caressed the soft white fur of her belly.

She looked up at him for a brief second before one of his fingers crept upward towards the underside of her chin, where he scratched her. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed his ministrations. Although she relished his touch, she mentally cursed him since he knew it was her weak spot.

When she opened her eyes after Ignis ceased stroking under her chin, she realized they were inside the Regalia. Prompto and Gladio were also in the car. Cindy, who was still speaking to Noctis, said, "All the more reason to ride with care. Oh, and before I forget- Would y'all mind makin' a little delivery for me?"

"No, not at all," the prince replied.

"Perfect! Thought you'd say yes, so I already put it in the trunk. There should be a motel on your way to Galdin. If y'all wouldn't mind giving that to the owner, that'd be swell."

"Grandpa, like grandkid," Noctis muttered as Cindy walked away. He entered the backseat of the vehicle, ready to leave Hammerhead.

Ignis released (Y/n) to start the engine. The skvader crawled over the middle console and jumped into the backseat. She sat in the middle seat as they departed from the outpost. Once they were further down the road, she maneuvered across Gladio's lap. She mounted the arm rest on the door panel, placing her front paws on the window sill. Her fur blew in the breeze as she casted her sapphire gaze towards the desert-like landscape. Her attention was drawn to a large rock formation, which they had trekked by during their earlier mission to kill the reapertails.

Feeling a pair of eyes on her, (Y/n) hopped off the door and landed in Gladio's lap. She saw Prompto was the one staring at her as he leaned over the middle console. He drummed his finger on the leather of the seat. "So, (Y/n)..."

"Here we go again," Gladio sighed in annoyance.

The blonde ignored the brute's comment. "Now Dave and Cindy know what you look like. That means you're gonna show us next, right?" She shook her head with a disapproving squeak. The boy gasped in shock. "Wh-What? Why not? Cindy and Dave were complete strangers! You've known us longer than them!"

"You really won't drop it, will you?" Noctis groaned.

"No! I, Prompto Argentum, solemnly swear I will find out what (Y/n) looks like! It's the greatest mystery that has ever come my way!"

"Detective Argentum, huh?"

"You betcha!"

Gladio rolled his eyes. He looked down at the skvader who was occupying his lap. Lifting his large hand, he gently placed it on her head and patted it before trailing his fingers through her velvety fur. "Who knew munchkin here could cause quite a stir? Well, except for Iggy."

(Y/n) tilted her head slightly, guiding the shield's fingers to behind her ears. She pushed her body up onto her hind legs to increase the pressure of his fingers. Gladio saw what she was trying to do and obliged. He applied more pressure and scratched behind her long ears. He continued to pet her until they arrived at Longwythe Rest Area.

Ignis pulled the Regalia into the motel parking lot. They hopped out of the car and sought out the proprietor of the establishment. They found him not too far from where they parked. Noctis told him about the package in the trunk of the car, receiving a thanks from the man. The proprietor then took the package out of the trunk and went on his merry way.

Seeing as it was becoming late and the sun was setting, the group decided to spend the night at the rest area. As they were heading to the front desk, a soot-colored dog suddenly walks up to them. It sits on the ground in front of the prince.

"Umbra." Noctis kneels beside the canine and scratches his head.

"Bringin' us stuff, atta boy!" Prompto cooed, praising him.

"That dog can really track a scent," Gladio commented.

Ignis couldn't help but joke and replied with his own wordplay. "Certainly "nose" how to find us."

"How do you always know, boy?" Prompto wondered, receiving no answer.

"Just a sec." Noctis took the notebook out of the bag tied around Umbra's body and flipped through the pages. While he read Lunafreya's message and wondered how to reply, the dog turned his attention to (Y/n). The guardian was sitting on the ground beside Ignis' feet and didn't realize the canine was staring at her until he barked. She met the dog's gaze, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

When Umbra trotted over to (Y/n), he raised his paw and waved it. She wasn't sure what he wanted and squeaked in surprise when he licked her face. She leapt onto him in a playful manner, her smaller form clinging to his back. Their little meeting eventually turned into a small play date. They chased each other around the boys until Noctis was finished with the notebook. He placed it back safely inside Umbra's bag and pets the top of his head again. "All set. Take care out there." Umbra walks away.

Prompto watched the dog trot away with crossed arms. He then glanced at his best friend. "I know. You're not gonna tell me."

"Then don't ask," Noctis remarked.

The marksman went ahead and asked anyway. "What was that about?" All he received in response was a groan and he teasingly replied with, "Ya don't say?"

(Y/n)'s ears flopped against her head. She was sad her play buddy left. Ignis noticed her dampened mood and wanted to remedy it, but Prompto beat him to the punch. The younger boy picked the skvader up with a wide smile. "Aw, don't be sad, (Y/n). Let's look around together!"

"Do be doubly sure you return with her," Ignis said before Prompto could walk off with the person he cared about the most in the entire world.

"Have a little faith, Iggy. I'm not gonna lose her. I'll bring her back."

The advisor sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he watched him saunter off with (Y/n). Gladio chuckled at him. "What? You don't trust pipsqueak to bring your special lady back? I doubt he would with how desperate he is to see her change."

"I don't know," Noctis spoke up, expressing his doubts. "Prompto has a tendency to forget where he puts things. Wouldn't be surprised if he put (Y/n) down and left her somewhere."

Ignis hooked one of his fingers through the chain of his necklace. The skull that hung from the chain glimmered in the setting sun, revealing the two sapphire jewels resting inside the eye sockets. Even if Prompto were to misplace (Y/n), she'd be able to locate him via the gemstones. "Regardless, I shall let him has his fun for the time being."

Noctis let a yawn slip and blinked tiredly. "Yeah, may as well. Can we hurry up and get a room? I'm beat..."

"Yes, let's."

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