Mythological Mayhem (Book Two: Sapphire) [Ignis x Reader]

• 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.