"She's... beautiful, Ray," Ignis hesitantly said, as the other firefly presented the love of his life to her. It was a star. In the sky.
"Ma Belle Evangeline... I love her so," Ray quietly said. "She always listens to whatever little ol' thing I have to say. There's no one else out there for me. I'm knowin' it for sure."
I wonder what world his 'Evangeline' really is... Ignis thought to herself. She knew the truth about Ray's "girlfriend", though she didn't know exactly what world "she" was. Even if Ignis could talk about other worlds, she didn't think she would have the heart to inform Ray of the truth. And she couldn't criticize. Was she even better? She pushed away her chance at love. It seemed so impossible for her back then, but seeing Ray's love for something that couldn't love him back seemed to put her feelings into perspective.
"Somethin' wrong?" Ray asked her, noticing her expression grow a little distant.
"Yes... But it's complicated. If you really love someone, don't let them go. Okay?" she said to Ray with a slightly pained smile.
"Of course. And you, too, my darlin'," he said with smile, able to at least figure that there was someone special to Ignis that she was upset over. "Well, we best be gettin' a move on." He said his goodbye to Evangeline, then flew in the direction of Mama Odie's home.
Before going to follow, Ignis looked up to the star. Maybe she would be able to visit this 'Evangeline' someday, somehow.
.x.X.x.
They soon arrived at Mama Odie's home. Ignis looked to it in surprise, wondering how a boat got up in a tree. What if it fell? "This is it? Is it safe?" Ignis asked, looking a little confused. With how much Ray had told her about Mama Odie's abilities, she expected something more luxurious...
Ray chuckled a bit. "Of course it is! Let's head in," he responded, leading the way again. Ignis followed, trusting him. They headed into the boat to meet the resident of this strange place, where she could hopefully get some help.
"Mama Odie! Got a visitor for ya!" Ray called out. Ignis flew up higher in surprise as they were first met by a snake. But it was soon joined by Mama Odie herself. He headed in the direction of his voice with a smile, feeling her way over.
"A visitor Ray? I hope it's not another cousin wanting to run off and marry the first pretty, bright behind that he meets," she joked with a laugh.
Ray laughed in response. "Oh come on, that was only four times! And they're very happy now. But I have for you a stranger. But she ever so nice, and could use some helpin'. Iggie! Get on down here," he bid her.
She smiled a little and rejoined Ray, not feeling in danger despite how big this woman was compared to her firefly self. "Hello, Mama Odie. I'm looking for some help," she nervously said, getting to the point.
"I can tell. A young lady like you has so many things to do, but no idea how to do them," Mama Odie responded, able to tell somehow.
"Y-yes! Exactly! I need to know where Isa is, and how to stop the darkness in me, and what happened to my homes before, and-" she blurted out.
"Slow down, girl! Slow down! Mama Odie knows what you need, and might be able to shed some light on your path," she said, going to rummage through some of her things.
Ray smiled at Ignis encouragingly. She felt hopeful that she would get help, after how the woman seemed to somehow understand her plight. Though, she soon grew worried as Mama Odie started a fire in a large bowl. In the middle of a wooden boat in a tree.
"Oh my dear, so many questions and so many answers... Yet I see the path for you illuminated in the flames," Mama Odie said. Ignis approached, wanting to know more. "Oh darlin', you didn't have such a great start to your journey, did you? And it's only going to get harder! Trials and tribulations I see for you, things that will both shape and break who you are!"
Ignis felt a little frightened at the sound of that. She didn't expect things to get easier, but she didn't want to outright hear that things would get worse.
"Well now, I see hope for you. I see someone you care for, someone you hold close to your heart. That person isn't fully gone. But to regain him, you'll need to sacrifice your salvation for him, or else you'll lose him forever!" Mama Odie predicted.
Isa? Is that who she's talking about? ... And what salvation? she thought to herself, confused. "I don't understand... What do you mean I have to sacrifice? And salvation? From what?" she asked.
Mama Odie chuckled. "So many questions, but I can only say what I see, not answer what I hear. It's up to you to figure out the road to your happy ending," she replied. "Oh, but I see something else. Dearie, I see a desire for revenge. And I must persuade you not follow it! It's out of your hands! You can help and support, but someone else's destiny is already shaped around it. In fact, your fate is intertwined with his, and you'll meet him. But sure to remember your role, and what you hold precious. You can't have everything."
Lingering feelings of unrest from being possessed by darkness and sealed away still occupied Ignis' thoughts sometimes. She didn't think of herself as a vengeful person, though she knew she wanted some sort of retribution from what she suffered. But she would remember Mama Odie's advice. "Okay... I'll remember that when the opportunity comes up..." Ignis said.
"Now, here are some things clearer to me. You have a stranger out there who needs you. Someone who seeks a lost friend, just like you. I see him in a castle, capable of leaving but trapped by worries. You need him, and he needs you. Find him, travel with him! Seek him out, as soon as possible!" Mama Odie continued.
"Okay," Ignis said with a smile. That was definite advice she could easily follow right away. It was just specific enough to where the Star Shard would help with that.
"And one more thing. I'm sorry to say it's a bit more puzzling than anything. It appears to me that you have stumbled upon the beginnings to salvation, though you haven't realized it. The time will come, when keyblades unite, truths are realized, and understandings are reached. When you experience this, think of the first guiding light you found on this journey, and you will find the true key to what you need most of all the things you're wanting," Mama Odie said. With that, the fire in the bowl suddenly blew out, leaving nothing but ashes and smoke.
"I'll try to remember all of that. It seems so confusing to me now, but I'm sure it will be clear later," Ignis said, with hope. She knew where to generally go next. "I'm sorry... I don't have anything to repay you for helping me..."
"Honey, it was an honor meeting a 'traveler' like you. We don't see too many of them in these parts," Mama Odie chuckled as Ray nodded in agreement. The woman seemed to know that Ignis wasn't from around her. By now, Ignis wasn't surprised.
"I'll repay you someday. I will," Ignis promised. "Thank you so much, Ray. I owe you, too."
"Of course, anytime! You be careful on your way, okay?" he asked with a smile.
"I will! Thank you both!" Ignis said happily. She flew up and out through a hole in the ceiling towards a light. She reached an area in Mama Odie's home where lights shone brilliantly through glass and bottles. Ignis couldn't help but stop and admire how beautiful everything was.
And... there was something else. Ignis felt her heart flutter in excitement as she spotted the world's keyhole, its glowing form practically hidden by everything else shining. Ignis remembered Master Eraqus telling her everything about this, and the duty of the keyblade wielder. She summoned her keyblade, proud to accomplish the duty that she had been trained to do, but never got to. Until now.
Ignis raised her keyblade to line it up with the keyhole, ready to lock it and secure this world from falling to darkness.
... But it didn't lock.
Ignis hovered there in shock. Why wasn't it locking? She quickly approached the keyhole and tried to touch her keyblade to it. Still, nothing happened.
Is it... because I don't have my Mark of Mastery? ... No, that shouldn't make a difference. This should work! she thought to herself, trying again in vain to lock the keyhole. But nothing happened. This world was obviously being attacked by Heartless. If she left it behind, would they find the keyhole? What if this world became corrupted, or disappeared?
But Ignis was already on her way towards her goal. She had left Traverse Town, and Mama Odie told her future. She couldn't afford to stay here, in a world she could never fully protect.
Ignis thought of telling Ray what was going on, but she couldn't meddle too much. He was already fighting off the Heartless on his own, so maybe the world would be fine for a while. At least until she was able to come back with a functioning keyblade.
Is it the keyblade... Or the darkness inside me? Ignis shook the thought out of her head, not wanting to think about it. She had no way of knowing right now, and there was no use dwelling on it. It was time to move on. Ignis had stalled enough in her life. It was time to find Isa and set things right. Ignis escaped the keyhole's room, finding herself under the starry sky again. I have to keep moving...
With that thought in mind, Ignis raised the Star Shard, and thought of the stranger in a castle that Mama Odie told her to find. She was swept off into the stars, to another destination.
.x.X.x.
Max walked out into the courtyard, thumbing through a book given to him about the properties of worlds in the universe, and what formed them. Boring. Very, very boring. With an annoyed groan, he sat on the edge of the courtyard's fountain, tossing the book to the side in defeat.
"Study, study, study... That's all I do. Nothing useful," he grumbled with a short sigh, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on his knee. If he was seen slouching like this, someone would correct him. But he was alone right now. In fact, he was all alone. "PJ... Where did you disappear to?" he mumbled worriedly.
All of a sudden, there was a flash and a bang, and the flowerbeds almost seemed to explode in dirt!
"Yes! Better landing- oh no... Oh no, oh no, oh no..." a girl's voice sounded out from the settling dust. There she stood, someone from another world, standing in the ruined flowerbed and fretting about the flowers she had crushed as she had come skidding to a stop on her feet. "This is the worst... Oh, I ruined it..."
"H-hey! Where are you from?" Max hurriedly asked, rushing over to meet her.
"Eh?! Um... I'm visiting... From somewhere else..." she nervously said, avoiding details.
"Cut it out with the vague answers, I know you're from another world," Max said smartly. "Who are you?"
"... I'm Ignis... Traveling the universe with a cracked Star Shard in hopes of finding someone who's apparently sort of gone, but not really," she tried to explain, looking overwhelmed. "It's all kind of a jumble that I'm trying to make sense of, right now!"
"You're traveling the universe? ... Oh, this is perfect! Wait right here, I'll be back!" Max said, realizing the opportunity in front of him. He went to run off to his room.
"Wait up! I don't want to stand here and be caught!" Ignis worriedly whined, running after him and away from the damage she caused.
They reached his room after taking a few confusing turns in the castle. He instantly started packing up some of his things in preparation.
"I don't even know who you are. What are you doing?" Ignis asked, looking a bit exasperated at this point.
"I'm getting ready to go with you. I can be a good sort of guide, and defend you if danger comes at us," Max said, having decided all of this already. "Oh, my name is Max."
"You see, danger is always coming at me. Always. Because I think I'm heading right into it. So... I'm sorry, but I can't bring you with me..." Ignis tried to gently let him down.
"You won't regret bringing me along! I have to get out of here, and this is just perfect," Max insisted, almost finished packing.
"But... Max, there's just too much danger... And you're sort of... young. I don't want to drag you into this," Ignis said.
Max turned to look at her. "I may be young, but I know what I'm doing. I've studied and I've trained, and I really want to get out there and actually do something useful," he explained, though he kept out the fact that he had trained more than studied. "I need to move on out of here... There's someone I have to find..."
Ignis felt a little jolt through her as she remembered what Mama Odie said. A stranger in a castle who is looking for a friend... You need him, and he needs you, the words echoed in her head. She really didn't want to put him in danger, though... But when she thought about it, wasn't she also learning how to fight from a young age? She was only fourteen years old when...
Ignis sighed. "Who are you looking for?" she asked.
"A friend of mine... We used to do everything together. We had so much fun, and he made being stuck here slightly more bearable. But then stars started going out, and he and his dad disappeared... Now my dad is gone on a mission for the King. And I'm stuck here, just waiting for something to happen. But now, something has happened. I met you. We can help each other. Please, give me a chance..." he explained.
Ignis sighed, thinking about it and reasoning things out. It matched Mama Odie's prophecy... And Max was saying that he could help. He did seem to know more about what was currently going on in the universe than her. And she was young when she began her training.
Hoping she wouldn't regret this, she sighed, "Okay..."
Max jumped up in victory, excited and happy to be going.
"But if things get too dangerous, I reserve the right to bring you back here! Okay?" Ignis made clear.
"Alright, alright," Max said, almost ready to agree to anything. He thought he would just have to prove how useful he could be to her. If she saw how strong he could be, everything would be fine.
Ignis smiled a bit, pleased to see him so excited, despite her worries. "Let's get going, then. Before someone discovers the flowerbed..."
. . .
(( THIS IS THE END OF ME CONDENSING CHAPTERS ALREADY WRITTEN. Although there are 8 chapters on here, it is up to chapter 14. So if you want to go to my DA account to look at the chapters, it will seem like it's 6 chapters ahead, but it's not. Just a warning! lol
So yeah, Ignis has found her traveling partner, like Sora with Goofy and Donald. Max is probably the age he was in the A Goofy Movie. I know he's not exactly a big main Disney character (even though he first appeared in cartoons a long while ago), but his personality and stuff matched up with Ignis the best. Besides, Huey, Dewey, and Louie are in the games, so yeah~ lol ))
