The Far and Distant Light

Part One: Partners

Lestallum was getting crowded. Though he couldn't see it, Ignis could tell the difference in the increased difficulty he had in sensing his surroundings. There were now too many voices, too many smells, too many bodies around him. As he stood as close to the wall as he could, waiting for Gladio and Prompto to pick up ingredients at the market, someone tripped on his cane. He felt something bubbling up inside him in reaction, but he quickly snuffed it out and instead contemplated how he'll manage with dinner this evening.

Evening—how funny, he thought. It was evening, but apparently it had been complete darkness for over a month now, since Noctis disappeared into the crystal. The thought of it hit Ignis with a fresh pang of pain; it hasn't been the same without Noct. He felt almost like he lost his purpose. Gladio could fend for himself just fine, and even Prompto didn't seem to need much assistance. And with his sight still gone, Ignis knew he was the one everyone had to look after.

At least Gladio and Prompto still encouraged him to cook, but Ignis felt like he wasn't contributing enough otherwise. The world had become too chaotic, too dangerous, and he was still getting used to his condition. He had been keeping up somewhat, but lately he felt like he was turning into what he feared most: a liability.

"Hey Ignis, they were all out of Leiden Pepper." It was Prompto coming around to his left. "I got Schier Turmeric instead. Think you can manage with that?"

It wasn't even close to being right, but he didn't dare say so. "It will do just fine."

"Phew! I was worried for a sec."

"Where's Gladio?"

"He heard something about Aranea Highwind landing nearby with some refugees from Tenebrae. He went to go talk to her, see if he can get any new information on the situation there. Told me to come get you."

"Sounds promising. Give me a hand, will you? It's rather crowded here."

"Yeah, of course!" Prompto put a hand on his back and helped lead him through the crowd. Even sighted, Prompto had difficulty navigating. He couldn't imagine how it must be for Ignis.

—

Aranea landed just outside of Lestallum, close enough to the lights of the city to be safe but far enough away to avoid the worst of the crowds. Her ship had been so packed, she spent the entire ride standing trapped in a corner and was in a mood. Still, she waited for the refugees to exit first—she knew they weren't any better off than her.

As she exited the ship, she could pick out the silhouettes of the three boys from the crowd: Gladio still looking imposing but standing a little less tall, Prompto lacking the usual pep in his step, and Ignis walking with great apprehension. So it must be true then; the king was gone for now.

"Hello, boys," she said, trying to muster that slight bit of mockery in her tone, but finding she just sounded tired.

"Aranea," greeted Gladio. "It's good to see you took care of all those people in Tenebrae."

"I told you, they were in my capable hands."

"What is the situation in Tenebrae?" Ignis asked.

"Straight to business, are we? Can't a girl grab a beer first?"

"Apologies. It must have been a long trip for you. Why don't we make our way to our hotel room? It will be more comfortable," Ignis replied.

"Yeah, and you're going to love this," piped in Prompto. "I still have some beer in the cooler! They're getting harder to find, but I'll gladly share my stash with you."

"Oh, Prompto," Aranea said, winking at him. "Always thinking of a woman's needs."

Ignis could almost feel the heat on Prompto's cheeks next to him as he blushed.

"Heh heh, yeah…" Prompto stammered. "Always being thoughtful, that's just me."

"Shall we then?" Ignis said.

—

As they walked, Ignis wondered if Aranea found it irritating to have to wait for him. He knew he was slowing everyone down, but Gladio and Prompto were used to it. He wanted to apologize, but he was also tired of constantly apologizing. Then he wondered if he had enough ingredients to serve them all. At worst, he could cut his portion down. If only there had been some Leiden Pepper available.

Ignis tripped on something and fell forward a little. Prompto grabbed him, and he could feel another figure on his right reaching out as well. A much smaller frame than Gladio's, but strong hands. Must be Aranea.

"You okay?" she said.

"I'm fine. Just a stumble." His pride was a bit hurt, and he could feel that thing bubbling up inside him again, but he quickly pushed it down before it could manifest in any way. "Pay no mind to it. It happens."

—

Back at the hotel, Ignis parked himself on his bed. He needed a moment to recalibrate his surroundings. The kitchen was about 20 paces to the right of him, the washroom about 5 paces to the left. Gladio's bed was to his right, and Prompto's cot was folded up across the room to make it easier to walk around. It was a small room, but they had to make due with whatever they could get, considering the overcrowding.

Gladio took a seat on his bed, and Prompto offered Aranea a beer. He opened a few more bottles.

"Here you go, Iggy." Ignis reached up so Prompto could put the beer against his hand, and he grabbed hold. He didn't much like beer, but with the alcohol supply running out fast—an apocalypse sure brought out the drinking in people—it would have to do. The cold fizz even felt pleasant in this heat.

He felt Aranea move near to him, given away by the clanking of her boots and a not unpleasant scent of sweat mixed with something sweet.

"Mind if I sit here?" She said to him.

"Of course." Ignis moved up the bed to give her space. He could hear Prompto plopping onto the bed across, next to Gladio.

"So," said Gladio. "What's going on in Tenebrae?"

"Completely overrun with daemons," said Aranea. "We could barely hold out the month. But everyone was so reluctant to leave their homes."

"Yeah, that would be tough," agreed Prompto."

"I tried to get everyone out earlier, but they wouldn't budge. What can I say, I'm used to being persuasive in less… verbal ways. But all I could do was help fend off the daemons until they had some sense knocked into them. Took a few losses, but we got there…"

"It must have been difficult," said Ignis. "And you? Are you all right?"

Aranea sounded surprised by the concern over her well being. "Yeah, you know me. I can look out for myself just fine. And hey, what about the king? I heard he disappeared…"

"Yes," replied Ignis, an unmistakable sadness in his voice. "He was absorbed into the crystal. So now, I suppose all we can do is wait."

"What will happen when he comes back out?"

"Hopefully an end to all this darkness."

"I see… So you don't really know."

"We can't be sure. All we know is that he's gathering his powers in there, but we have no idea for how long or where he'll even show up."

"Great. So we get to wait here in this smoldering heat for his kingly ass to grace us. I love this plan," Aranea said sardonically.

"Long trip?" Gladio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you could say that." She took a swig from her bottle, then another. Then Ignis heard her chugging down the rest. "Listen boys, I hate to do this but I'm beat and I don't have anywhere to stay tonight. Mind if I crash here?"

"Not at all!" Prompto said, a little too enthusiastically.

"You can take the cot," added Ignis. "Prompto can share the bed with me."

"Wha—?"

"I'll prep some dinner first."

—

Ignis was getting better at navigating the kitchen, as long as everything was put back in its place. He insisted on prepping dinner on his own, promising to ask for help if he needed it. As he started chopping the carrots, he got the feeling that he was being watched.

"Someone there?"

"Just me," said Aranea.

"I didn't hear you coming."

"Took off my boots. Sorry if my feet stink. I can't wait to have a shower."

"I cannot tell. Can I get you something?"

"Nah."

"All right then."

He continued chopping. He could feel she remained standing there, watching him. Several seconds passed before she spoke again.

"Need a hand? I'm not much of a cook, but I'm pretty good with a knife."

"Sure. Why don't you chop the potatoes?"

"Sounds good. I like to earn my keep."

She got to work in silence next to him. Ignis didn't know if he should attempt small talk or not. She made him a bit nervous. He was impressed by her fighting skills when they first met, and even more so when she was on their side, looking for mythril. But he didn't know how else to dissect her. She had fought for Niflheim, yet defected and helped the citizens of Tenebrae. She was clearly smart, but put on such a casual exterior that he wondered what she was hiding. He moved his face in her direction for a moment, an ingrained instinct to catch a sight of her curved figure, but found only darkness. So instead, he imagined her standing next to him, knife in hand and cutting potatoes, her head stopping at his chin's height—just the right angle to catch a glimpse of her cleavage. He could smell her still, a long day mixed with that innate sweetness he caught a whiff of earlier.

"All done," she said.

Ignis shook off his vision of her and realized he had stopped chopping. "Uh… thank you for your help."

She dusted off her hands. "Better get a move on there, Ignis. I'm starving."

"Yes, apologies. Almost finished."

—

The stew had come out quite well. The Leiden Pepper would have added just the right kick, but the Shier Turmeric turned out to be a surprisingly satisfying addition. Everyone had gone to bed after, and Ignis lay next to a snoozing Prompto, trying to fall asleep but finding it too cramped on the double bed for his liking. He hadn't shared a bed with someone in a long time. He wondered whatever happened to her…

She had been his first love. She was adventurous, exciting, and beautiful to him. They met in high school while he tutored her for extra credit, but tutoring sessions soon got heated. He felt some guilt over wasting precious studying time, but how could he say no? It was too new, too exciting.

They stayed together after high school, even as Ignis took his duties to the royal family more and more seriously. She, on the other hand, was a free spirit. She wanted to see the world. Ignis would have liked to as well—but he couldn't shirk his duties, and he felt a strong allegiance to Noctis. After all, who would look after him if not he?

She left one day, leaving him with only a note. It said he was too serious, he was too devoted—but not to her. He was heartbroken inside, but he carried on as normal, cooking for Noct, briefing him on politics, picking up after him. He never regretted his decision.

Unable to fall asleep in the hot room, Ignis got up and went into the washroom to splash cold water on his face, only to bump into a figure by the sink, followed by a yelp.

"Ow! Ignis!" Aranea exclaimed.

"Apologies, I didn't see…"

"The lights are on—"

"Yes, well… I wouldn't know."

"Oh, right… I was just finishing. It's too hot. Needed some cold water on me."

He pictured her in some light, wispy fabric she wore to sleep, with water dripping down her front, outlining a nipple.

"Good thing you can't see," she laughed. "I'm not exactly decent."

His picture of her no longer wore the wispy fabric; she wore nothing at all. He could feel himself blush.

"No need to get all flustered," she said as he heard her getting dressed in something. "I'll get out of your way."

He still couldn't find any words. She left and closed the door, leaving him alone in the bathroom. He turned on the sink, splashing cold water on his face, fingers trailing over his scars. For a moment, he wondered if they made him look bad. They felt bad. He tried not to concern himself with such trivial things, but it was at the back of his mind nonetheless.

And then he thought of her again, standing by the sink, splashing cold water on her bare, pale skin.

—

When Ignis woke up the next morning (if it could be called that, dark as it was), Aranea had already gone. Gladio and Prompto were planning on going on a hunt and invited him along. It was more of a courtesy than anything, but he agreed nonetheless.

There had been reports of daemons getting too close for comfort to the reactor, and Gladio had volunteered to take them out. Even Iris joined, eager to get her hands dirty. It was going to be a fairly easy job with so many of them—until Ignis got taken by surprise.

The goblins had swarmed the place and he was ready to throw a fireball at a group of them.

"Iggy, now!" Gladio had shouted.

As he was about to throw, a couple of goblins came out of nowhere and grabbed Ignis from behind, pulling him onto his back. He threw the fireball but missed the target, just as one of the goblins bit into his neck, hard. It hit something bad, and warm blood came streaming out. He heard gunshots as the creatures went limp, but he was feeling too faint to react, staying flat on the ground instead. Soon, the world went even darker.

When he awoke in the hotel room, Prompto was by his side.

"Iggy!" He exclaimed. "We were so worried about you."

"It's just a scratch," he replied. "I'll be fine."

"It was pretty bad actually. You lost a lot of blood."

"Never let that stop me before."

"Yeah, 'course not. But… you know, Gladio thinks it might be best if you take it easy for a while."

"What?"

"Well, you know…"

"I'm more used to the darkness than the rest of you." He knew there was a bit too much sting in his voice, but he didn't want to be forced to sit out.

"Ignis… You promised you would step down if you needed to."

"I really don't think this qualifies as such a situation."

"Look, it's not up to me. And Gladio's only looking out for you."

Ignis felt that thing bubbling up again, stronger than usual, but he wouldn't have it. He shoved it down hard, with greater force than ever. He knew he wasn't winning this argument, but he wasn't about to give in either.

"I'll take some time to rest," is all he could manage.

—

To feel more useful, Ignis took to busying himself by making everything his business to know. Aranea had seemingly disappeared since their run-in that night, but he heard she was back, giving instructions at Lestallum's main square to a group of her soldiers.

Ignis found his way over, having been left to his own devices now that he was better. He worked his way through the crowd somewhat clumsily, letting the wall on his left guide him, his cane in his right hand. He could hear her voice now, authoritative and confident, addressing a group of respectful listeners.

"We need to get more fuel here. The airships have run dry, and we need them to transport refugees."

"But Lady A, we have no way of getting fuel with the daemon situation blocking the roads near the sources at Hammerhead, Ravatogh, and the Vesperpool," a soldier said, most likely Biggs or Wedge by the sound of the accent.

"I see. So we have absolutely no way to refuel as of now?"

"Affirmative. We barely have enough juice left in the cars. We don't have the resources to send a squadron to clear all three areas. We're so low on fuel, we can realistically only send two cars, and then there's the problem of manpower. Most of our soldiers are busy keeping the Lestallum area secure. "

"No, you're right, we can't send too many hands out. What about the motorcycle? Could we spare some fuel for that?"

"It's got low consumption, so I suppose. But it'd be a pretty tough job for one man with all the daemons around."

"I can do it."

"Lady A—we cannot let you go alone!"

"Biggs, please. You know I can take care of myself just fine. Okay then. Biggs and Wedge, you'll each take one man with you to Hammerhead and Ravatogh to clear the roads so that the fuel trucks can make their way through. I'll take the motorcycle to the Vesperpool area. It'll be a few days' job, so prepare appropriately. Campsites have been fitted with extra lights to keep daemons at bay, but be sure to build a substantial fire as backup. We move out tomorrow morning. For now, let's enjoy this event they've got cooking up at the lookout. It's been a hard month. You all deserve a break."

The crowd cheered, relieved to have a night off. The city had decided that, despite the grim circumstances, the refugees should be shown a warm welcome with a party at Lestallum's lookout over the meteor. They had also hoped it might help ease some of the tension growing in the crowded city. Ignis hadn't been keen on attending, but Gladio and Prompto insisted they all take a breather, and Iris was so excited that she wouldn't accept a decline from any of them. But now, he had another idea too.

"Ignis." Aranea took him by surprise. She was very good at approaching stealthily when she wanted to. Luckily, it was perfect timing for him. "I thought I saw you lurking in the corner here."

"Not so much lurking as listening. I'm glad to see you have returned to Lestallum."

"Yeah, I was out clearing the periphery for a few days with the squadron, but a girl's gotta get her beauty sleep eventually."

"It sounds like you have quite the conundrum with the fuel."

"Not the most convenient thing, but we'll sort it out."

"And you plan on going alone to take out daemons all the way in the Vesperpool?"

"It's nothing I can't handle."

"Of course. But I was wondering if you would care for some assistance?"

"From you?" She sounded surprised, cautious even.

"Now, no need to say it like that."

"Ignis, don't get me wrong. I've seen you're very handy with a set of daggers. But—"

"But I'm blind. A liability."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I admit, it's not… ideal. But I loath to stay here, doing nothing."

"Why don't you go with Gladio and Prompto?"

"They've benched me following a minor incident." He moved his collar to give her a glimpse of the bandages still on his wound. "But it could have happened to anybody, with those horrendous goblins."

"Tell me about it. One almost took my eye out."

"Hm. I'll be frank Aranea, I need some practice. But I know I can do it. And from what I've seen, you and I have similar fighting styles. I would be indebted to you if you provided me with some training. In return, I have some useful strategies for taking daemons out."

"A little brawn in exchange for a little brains. I could see the benefit in that." Her voice seemed to have softened.

"And I can ensure you eat something better than Cup Noodles."

"Now you're really selling yourself."

"So what do you say?"

"Well, there's room on that bike for two riders… But one thing. I'm not having your blood on my hands and dealing with the wrath of your boy band. So you better stay alive."

"That was always my intention."

"Good. Then we have a deal. Partner?"

She held out her hand to shake, but then realized he probably couldn't see it. Yet just as she was about to drop it, he grabbed hold.

"Partner."

—

The party exploded with great excitement. Everyone was ready to shed the constant living in fear of the last month and let loose, pretending the world hadn't gone so painfully wrong—if only for a night. A popular brass band had ended up in Lestallum from Galdin Quay, and they were only too happy to play to such an enthusiastic crowd.

Ignis and Aranea had walked over together, agreeing to set out the following morning. As soon as they arrived at the lookout, Aranea was whisked away by adoring refugees from Tenebrae. While she listened politely to their outpourings of gratitude, Ignis heard Gladio's warm, deep tone and followed it, finding him and Prompto at a table they managed to secure.

"How're you feeling?" Gladio asked.

"Better," Ignis replied, sitting down. "I'm setting out with Aranea tomorrow morning to clear some daemons that are blocking a fuel route in the Vesperpool."

Gladio grunted. Ignis could sense his disapproval. Prompto started to say something but stopped mid-word—Gladio must have given him a look.

"I thought I told you to stay put for a while."

"Now Gladio, I'm not a child."

"You wanna go on a suicide mission to prove something? Fine. But what about Noct?"

"What about him?" Ignis still couldn't contain the sting in his voice at the mention of Noctis.

"He'll be expecting us to be there for him."

"And I will be. But better."

"Iggy…" Prompto finally got up the nerve to say something. "For what it's worth, I think it's great that you want to, you know, figure things out. We just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"It's already happened, Prompto, in case you didn't notice." His voice was too harsh—he knew Prompto meant well. "Apologies."

"It's okay. I know, it really sucks. All of this sucks. And we're all struggling in our own ways… But hey, it's a party tonight. So let's try to enjoy ourselves a little, okay?"

"Fine," Gladio huffed. "We'll talk about this later."

"Hey, Aranea!" Prompto shot to his feet as he saw her approaching, then tried to play it cool. "Didn't know you'd be here."

"Hello boys. So who's gonna take me to the dance?"

"Me!" Prompto evidently gave up on playing cool really fast.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?"

Ignis heard them shuffle away into the crowd. He was grateful to Aranea for agreeing to let him come with her, but now he remembered another minor setback: he couldn't dance anymore either. Not in a crowd like this at least.

"Remember those nights we'd all go out in Insomnia?" Gladio said.

"Yes," Ignis replied, glad to be off the topic of his upcoming mission. "You'd insist you didn't dance, but if we got enough drinks in you, it was a sight to behold."

"Ha. I preferred to leave the dancing to you nut jobs. But the girls sure did like it, the prince and his consort."

"Those were the days…"

—

Prompto had finally tired Aranea out after several songs, and she collapsed in a chair next to Ignis. Gladio had been dragged to the dance area by Iris, and Prompto joined them. Aranea laughed quietly to herself as she watched something. She leaned in toward Ignis, and he could feel her breath on his cheek.

"Prompto's trying to dance with Iris now. You should see the look on Gladio's face. I'm afraid you might be a man down by the end of the night!"

Ignis let out a little laugh at the thought of this. "Prompto knows full well what he's doing. Anything to get a rise out of Gladio."

"You know, sometimes I envy you guys. I wish I had this much fun with Biggs and Wedge."

Ignis smiled to himself. As annoying as it was to have Gladio telling him what to do, he knew it came from a place of caring.

"So… I haven't seen you dancing," Aranea said after a moment.

"No… I used to quite like to dance. But it would just be a disaster now." He hoped he'd hid the bitterness in his tone at least somewhat.

"I don't think so. You just need a partner who'll look out for you."

She took hold of his hand.

"Aranea, I appreciate the offer, but—"

"We're going to be working together from tomorrow, aren't we? This is good practice. For teamwork, y'know."

Ignis hesitated a moment, then reached for his cane with his free hand.

"You won't need this."

Aranea pushed the cane away and took his other hand too.

"Come on. I'll be your eyes."

The brass band was just starting a new number as she pulled him up from his seat and lead him deep into the crowd. She moved confidently, keeping a firm hold on his hands. Ignis could feel a hundred bodies around him.

Aranea stopped, facing him, and moved in closer so he could hear her.

"Ready? Cause I've got some high expectations after seeing your pole arm moves."

Ignis took a deep breath in and out, and suddenly felt like he could sense everything with greater clarity; the space around him, the rhythm of the crowd and the music, and Aranea mere inches away. He could feel the heat from her body, her hands firmly planted in his.

"Well, I loath to disappoint a lady."

In one swift move, he pulled her close against him. One hand went to the small of her back, and he realized she was wearing a backless dress as his hand traced her bare skin. He almost shivered; little details like this affected him more now that he relied on all his other senses.

As the music swelled up, he dipped her dramatically, and, taken by surprise, she threw her head back and laughed. He swung her up and gave her a small, mischievous smile. He took control, leading and spinning her, his muscle memory kicking in. He pictured the way she was moving around him, and the crowd no longer mattered. If she was ensuring he didn't bump into anyone, she hid it well whenever she subtly steered them in a different direction.

As the music shifted to a slow dance, he gently pulled her against him. She placed her hands around his neck, breathing heavily. His hands ran down her back, feeling her smooth, wet skin. Her breasts rose and fell against his chest. Her breath felt so close.

Ignis had to speak before he did something that crossed the line. "How'd I do?"

"I've had better," Aranea teased. And then he felt her head rest on his shoulder a moment before the music swelled to a grand finale and everyone cheered and they reluctantly moved apart to clap.

—

Ignis couldn't sleep. They had parted ways after their dance to rest for the next day. Gladio and Prompto dutifully walked Ignis back to the hotel—though Gladio was unusually silent, even for him. Aranea had a spare bed to sleep on so she didn't return to their room this time, but they agreed to meet by the gas station the next morning, fuel up with what they could, get supplies, and ride out.

But the thought of their dance wouldn't leave Ignis' mind as he lay in bed. Her body curved so naturally next to his. She felt small and compact, yet strong at the same time. She smelled intoxicating. He resisted the thought at first, trying to keep a professional mindset, but finally gave in to imagining her body against his, but this time naked, and how he'd run his hands over her breasts, over her behind, down the outside of her legs, and back up on the inside.

Then he shook the thought away.

This wasn't the time for such things, and he knew it. After his first love and the consequent heartbreak, he had become very guarded—a trait that remained. Sure, there was a tryst here and there, but those left him feeling too empty. Yet in that brief moment, Aranea felt different somehow…

He pushed the thought away again. He had no idea if she felt anything anyway. She was a flirt and most likely humoring him like she did Prompto—and like she humored him by agreeing to let him join her mission.

Which he was determined not to fail. He had to get better. He had to learn to live with his condition and be effective. He had to be there for Noct, whenever he came back. This mission was his best chance to get on the right path. He had to remain focused.

As Ignis finally drifted off to sleep, confident in his resolve, his mind once again danced with hazy images of Aranea moving around him in her backless dress, hair sticking to the beads of sweat on her forehead and steely eyes softening as they met his gaze.

Part 2: Coming soon...