Water Under the Bridge
Chapter 8
"Marshal? Marshal, are you there?"
Somehow, the connection between Gladio and Cor had been dropped and Gladio was talking to silence.
"What's happening?" Ignis asked, acutely aware of the darkness that befell the city. The people of Lestallum screamed, their cries carrying into the night sky. The echo of the barking continued to stand out to him and Ignis turned back to Gladio who was still standing behind him, attempting to reconnect with Cor. "Do you hear that?"
Gladio looked up from his phone and turned his head uncertainly. "What? The people?"
"No, that barking noise. You honestly can't hear that? It's faint, but I hear it and it's getting louder," he paused and held a finger up to keep Gladio silent, listening intently. "I believe . . . it's reminiscent of . . . Cerberus?"
Gladio balked. "You mean the daemon canine of the underworld? That's impossible. How the hell would he get here?"
Ignis listened for a fraction of a second longer and frowned. "Cerberus is a strong daemon. It is my understanding from my previous studies that light can only hold it back so long. It's . . . possible . . . that it gnawed at the main power lines into the city, but that is merely a theory. Either way . . ."
Gladio clenched his teeth. "Are you confident that's what it is?" he asked, though he secretly hoped that Ignis would shrug it off and say he was joking.
Ignis nodded. "Fairly certain. That barking is quite distinctive. It also doesn't sound like just one bark, either, which would coincide with the three head that Cerberus is rumored to have."
Of all the daemons throughout Eos, this was not one that anyone was looking forward to meeting. A long sigh, then: "I need to go," Gladio looked at Ignis' outline wearily, his eyesight adjusting somewhat in the dark. "You get back to the Levelle and wait there until the all clear is sounded. I'll come get you when everything is safe."
As Gladio tried to walk around Ignis, he was impeded when Ignis sidestepped right in his way.
"No."
The large man drew back at the refusal. "What do you mean, 'No'? Have the last five minutes of our conversation meant nothing to you? I need you to stay safe and I can't have you running into battle just to prove something to yourself!"
Ignis angled his chin up slightly, standing tall. "No, Gladio. You need me. Out of everyone, I'm the only one who's used to the darkness." He hesitated before stating his next words, knowing he was heading into sticky territory bringing up old wounds. "I know you're distraught over what happened in Altissia and I know you still place blame on yourself for not saving me, but you can't let that stop me from fighting. You have to let me go. Let me show you that you have nothing to worry about."
Gladio's face was full of anxiety and worry. He pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes and snarled under his breath. He moved his hands from his eyes and ran them through his hair and interlocked them behind the back of his neck, exhaling loudly. After a moment, he looked up again and stared at Ignis. Although there was no light, Gladio could easily see a fledgling confidence in Ignis' stance and it scared Gladio deeply. He'd already lost the boy he trained to be a King—he didn't want to lose his best friend, too.
Finally, he reluctantly ceded his position on the issue. "Well, I guess we have a city to save," he muttered, defeated, as he turned the dial of the flashlight on his shirt to 'on', reaching over and doing the same for Ignis. It wouldn't help Ignis, per se, but it would provide another light source for Gladio and, right now, he'd take all the light he could get.
Ignis nodded once and stepped out of the way, extending an arm in front of him. "Lead the way and I'll follow."
Gladio grumbled again, hoping he wasn't making a huge mistake but knowing he really had no choice in the matter anymore. As he walked ahead, he stopped and turned around, realizing something was missing. "Wait, your cane?"
A humble smile spread across Ignis' lips. "I've been learning to get by without it. One of Aranea's requirements in our training," he replied casually. "I just ask that you walk ahead so I may listen for your footsteps. I trust you won't lead me astray. That is unless you secretly lead me back to the Levelle under the guise that we're seeking out Cerberus."
Gladio blinked, gathering that there was so much he'd missed out on when it came to Ignis since they first came back to Lestallum. "If we make it through this, we'll definitely have a lot to catch up on."
"Well, we better make sure we fight as though tomorrow is promised."
"Sounds like a plan," Gladio agreed. He gestured for Ignis to follow, knowing he'd be privy to the motion. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
As Gladio blindly raced ahead, the dark proving to be somewhat of a challenge to navigate through, Ignis tried hard to keep up by listening to Gladio's steps. It was a lot more difficult than he originally thought, especially without his cane to guide him from any errant obstacles. He slowed tremendously, his heart pounding and his head swimming as he started to doubt himself. Was he so stubborn that he couldn't just accept that things wouldn't ever be the same? That, no matter how long he trained with Aranea and no matter how hard he tried to get by without his cane, it didn't change the fact that he'd forever be blind and half the fighter—or, in the greater sense, man? —that he used to be.
He remembered when he tried his hand at taking on danger on his own and it landed him in a failed fight against a hobgoblin with Aranea coming to his aid at the last second. That fight happened ages ago, but it didn't feel that far in the past at all. Ignis hoped he'd come far enough from that day to avoid another similar scenario.
A hand on his forearm jolted him from his reflections. As if Gladio had read his mind, he returned from where he'd ventured briefly up ahead and pulled him along. "Giving up already? After that rousing speech of yours to come along? Not on my watch," he heartened. "C'mon, don't make me regret giving in to your demands."
Ignis stumbled along, dragged by Gladio into Lestallum and through the streets. He adeptly navigated them both through the throngs of people as they stampeded the opposite way that Gladio and Ignis were headed. The city devolved into a hysterical madhouse.
"Gladio! Over here," Cor called out, standing on a small stack of crates with both hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. Gladio and Ignis both turned to Cor and Gladio pulled Ignis along. "Gladio . . . and Ignis?" the Marshal trailed off, confused.
"Marshal." Ignis stood at attention with his arms fixed firmly by his side, Gladio having let go of his arm upon their approach.
"I trust you understand what we're up against?" Cor inquired, still skeptical. It was unusual to have Ignis around lately, but Cor knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't come unless he was certain of the risk he was taking.
"Marshal, what the hell is going on?!" another voice—Aranea's—demanded over the roar of the stampede. She pushed through to where Gladio, Ignis, and Cor were gathered. At first, she didn't notice Ignis standing with the other two, but her eyes flickered upon seeing him when her flashlight caught his figure standing to the side. "Ignis, how . . . what the . . ."
Cor snapped her attention back to him. "Commodore, we have a situation."
"Well, no shit! I think the masses running through the streets was my first clue," she retorted, motioning to the scene around them.
Prompto ran in from behind with Talcott and Iris in tow. Iris had a flashlight in hand while Prompto had led the way with his own light source pinned to his shirt. "Got here as quick as I—oh hey, Iggy! What are you doing here?" Even in the midst of danger, Prompto's voice was always cheerful, even if he had to strain sometimes to show it.
As Cor opened his mouth to explain everything, he was cut off by Ignis stepping forward. "Marshal, if I may?" he addressed Cor, turning everyone's eyes to him.
The Marshal crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "We don't have much time, but yes, please."
"I believe we may be facing Cerberus, the daemon of the underworld—an extremely large, three-headed canine that tends to favor fire spells." Although Ignis was unable to see everyone around him, he still spoke to each one as if he could.
"Go on . . ." Cor pressed for Ignis to continue.
"This could be a straightforward match if we use the elemental spell it is weakest against. Do we have any blizzard spells in our repertoire?"
Iris shook her head, always one to keep track of the magic and the items within their ownership. "We haven't had any magic in our stock for a while now. It hasn't been something on the top of our things to grab when we go on missions," she explained.
Cor nodded stoically and Ignis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Shame. Then it looks like we may have to stick to physical attacks. I remember reading that their hind legs are particularly vulnerable, but that'll be a hard target if Cerberus remains engaged, eyes forward, as they usually do."
Gladio had his eyes closed as he listened. "So, what do we do?"
Cor stepped in. "First of all, we need to get the people to safety. I'll take Iris and evacuate everyone to the outskirts of the city. The rest of you work together. Focus on keeping the daemon contained within a certain area. The less damage we have to deal with, the better. Ignis, you seem to have a good idea of what we're up against, so I leave the delegation to you."
Everyone, including Ignis, started to protest. "Enough!" Cor commanded, bringing instant silence to the team. "We don't have time to argue about this. Let's just focus on taking this thing down. Iris, come with me. Everyone else, move out."
Cor stepped off the crate he was standing on and disappeared into the crowd. Iris reached forward and gave Gladio's arm a squeeze. They smiled at each other before she followed. Then, all eyes turned to Ignis. He stood, paralyzed.
Just an hour ago, he was arguing—no, fighting—with Aranea. Then, he was debating with Gladio all the reasons why he should be allowed to fight alongside everyone again. And now, just because he had spent a great deal of time studying daemons in school and throughout his life, everyone expected him to dole out directions?
Before his injury and before Altissia, Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto always looked to him for guidance, so this shouldn't feel like anything new. Did he really need the ability to see in order to guide everyone, especially when he was confident in his abilities to recall Cerberus' strengths and weaknesses? With the city plunged into darkness, was he not on the same playing field as the rest of them, all blind and ready for battle?
"Ignis?" Gladio prompted, his confidence in the man starting to, regrettably, wane the longer the silence stretched.
I've trained for this.
Ignis took a deep breath. "Yes, right. Prompto, you and Talcott will hang back and use your firearms to attack the head. Talcott, you will be there to use potions and elixirs if anyone goes down, understood?"
He faced Gladio's direction next. "I don't think I even need to begin to tell you where you'll be necessitated."
"Hack and slash. Got it," Gladio gave a thumbs-up as the growling of the daemon dog intensified. Cerberus was on a rampage, thirsting for the blood of the people. They were running out of time.
Finally, Ignis turned to Aranea behind him. He hesitated, unsure of how she'd react to any instruction he'd give her. Was she still mad at him? Would she take kindly to his commands? She was, technically, a high-ranking official in an apocalyptic world where rankings weren't even necessary, but kept around for familiarity's sake. Then, there was the whole fight they'd gotten into, still fresh in his mind. "Aranea—"
"I'll just follow your lead, Specs." There was no reluctance in her voice. She trusted him completely and Ignis felt relief.
He heard the sounds of weapons materializing into everyone's possession and he, too, called his own weapon to his hand. He planned to start out with his lance, but his daggers were also there for him when the time came.
Ignis didn't need to dismiss everyone because they already knew their places. One by one, they fell in line behind each other and ran into battle just a couple of blocks away. This time, Prompto lagged and jogged together with him, keeping one hand on his shoulder and cracking jokes along the way. It was Prompto's way of easing the tension and fear. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but Ignis found himself smiling while still trying to remain focused on the path before them. Luckily, the citizens of this block had cleared themselves out already, fearful for their lives, so there was no one for Ignis to smack into.
Aranea slowed down as well and ran alongside the pair, letting Gladio and Talcott take the lead. "Think you can handle this, Four Eyes?" He didn't want to answer her, so he kept jogging in silence.
Ahead, there was more commotion and a loud bang. "Guys! Heads up!" Gladio yelled as he pulled Talcott into a side alleyway behind a dumpster. A fireball lit up the area and rocketed right for the team. Prompto pushed Ignis, who in turn fell into Aranea, against the wall, narrowly avoiding the attack. The building behind them took the hit and erupted into flames, sending a blast of heat radiating past them.
"Shit, where did that come from?" Aranea asked to no one in particular as Prompto shielded both her and Ignis.
Ignis, pressed against the brick wall, tried to hone in on where he heard the most noise. He shut out everything else, or at least tried to, and listened for Cerberus. "It sounded like it came from— "
He didn't get to finish his sentence because there was a deafening crash just yards from them, close to where Gladio and Talcott had taken shelter. Cerberus now towered over the entire street, separating them from the open lot. It sounded like it had jumped down from a rooftop above. At ten—maybe fifteen—stories tall, with three heads and razor sharp teeth dripping with drool and saliva, Cerberus was raring to go.
Cerberus must have heard movement coming from behind the dumpster because every head abruptly snapped over and rammed the container forcefully. There was little resistance against the weight of Cerberus' thrust. Even Gladio wasn't strong enough to hold it back for long.
"We need to draw that thing away from Gladio and Talcott!" Prompto insisted, aiming his gun precariously at one of the monster's head.
Aranea, barely able to make out the beast in the dark but sharp enough to understand its head from its tail, threw her spear into the beast's belly. It howled in anguish and rocked back onto its hind legs and, as it slammed its front paws back onto the ground, it turned its fury on the trio, snarling and snapping at them menacingly.
"Great job, genius!" Prompto exclaimed sarcastically as they sprinted away, running right back into the city where they came from.
"We need to get Cerberus as far away from the citizens and the bulk of the city as we can," Ignis stopped them and turned to Aranea on his right as Cerberus was right behind them. "Take us down some back roads so we can circle back to Gladio and maybe to that lot."
Almost instantly, she seized his forearm and pulled him down the next side street they came across as Prompto chased after them. There was a loud crash as Cerberus skidded around the corner and it was back in pursuit. Keep the daemon following them and it won't feel the need to go after any innocents in the city.
"Are we just letting him chase us until one of us gives up?" Aranea shouted, bearing right down another street. Prompto stumbled but recovered quickly. He shot a few bullets heedlessly over his shoulder and heard the daemon growl as one, or a few, bullets hit it, but it did little in the way of slowing it down. The three had a hard time running in the dark, but Ignis fared much better and it did not go unnoticed.
"I guess the darkness hasn't affected at least one of us," Prompto pointed out, barely tripping over a pallet thrown precariously in the middle of the alley.
Another street and one more and they found themselves emptied right into the same lot that Ignis and Aranea used to practice in early in the morning. Gladio and Talcott called for them and they hastily convened in the middle as Cerberus barreled out of the alley and right toward them, another fire spell leaving each of the mouths and spiraling in their direction. Ignis dove to the ground, bringing his hands up behind his head as the fireballs only just missed him.
He felt the ground reverberate and knew Cerberus was charging at him. Ignis rolled numerous times and scrambled to his feet, throwing his daggers in succession in the direction of the monster. He smirked when he heard a howl, his daggers having hit their target. Aranea's target papers and practice were paying off.
"Ignis, back here!" Gladio called from behind a slab of concrete that had been knocked from a nearby building.
"Stop standing around and get moving, Specs!" Right then, he felt Aranea's familiar hand grab his arm again and start to drag him away to where Gladio's voice originated.
She urgently pushed him and he skidded behind the protective slab, sliding a bit more than he anticipated as his shoes could not grip well enough against the layer of dust and debris that coated the stone ground. Aranea returned to the battlefield without a moment's rest.
Gladio slapped him on the shoulder supportively. Ignis recalled his daggers to his control. "Where are the others?"
Gladio peeked over the top of the barrier between them and Cerberus and immediately ducked back as more flames were headed their way. The fire could be used to their advantage as it lit up the lot, turning everything into a literal inferno. "Talcott gave Prompto a Phoenix Down. He got hit with the last round of fireballs so they're to our left."
"And Aranea?" Ignis questioned, a hint of worry in his tone. He knew she'd bolted as soon as she pushed him behind the concrete, but he was unable to distinguish her voice or the sound of her weapon clashing in the fray.
"She's fine. She's up on the rooftop and— " Gladio was cut off when a battle cry careened down from the sky and a shockwave pulsed from near Cerberus where Aranea landed a vicious attack "—never mind, she's back now."
Ignis peered from the side of the rock and launched a few more daggers at the canine before switching to his lance, feeling like the daggers weren't damaging enough against the muscular daemon from this distance. Gladio watched briefly before chuckling in amazement. "How are you—?"
Ignis pushed his glasses up as sweat caused them to slip down his nose. "One skill I've honed is my ability to hear and sense the enemy." A grunt and another carefully aimed throw of his weapon. "I listen." Another throw. "And I wait." He threw another lance but wildly missed. Gladio hummed his displeasure and Ignis rolled his eye. "Well, I can't always be expected to make a perfect shot."
A few gunshots were heard from the other end of the courtyard—Prompto back in the fray—and Cerberus set off to find the source of the shots, barking and growling the entire time. Gladio and Ignis heard Talcott begin to scream in fear, but was immediately silenced when someone—probably Prompto, or maybe Aranea—brought their hand up to his mouth. Gladio shouldered his greatsword and yelled behind him. "I'll take that as a good indicator to get my ass out there."
Ignis heard him hurdle over the slab of concrete and dart toward Cerberus. He used the loud howling and barking as a guide for where to aim his next attack. Ignis knew his throws could use some work, but anything was better than nothing at this point. Another loud breath of fire overtook the entire quad and Ignis, once again, ducked for cover with his hands interlocked over the back of his head in a feeble attempt to protect himself.
Someone slid next to him, barely crashing into him and knocking him over. "Hey, buddy! How we doin'?" Prompto's ever-cheerful voice asking over the roar of the flames around them. Right behind him came Talcott, who scooted close to the two men and allowed Prompto to pull him close with an arm around his shoulders, fear evident on his face.
Ignis stayed low, his back firmly pressed against the concrete. "I suppose I could be better, but nonetheless— "A bark and Aranea's frustrated screams gave Ignis pause before he finished his sentence. "It feels good to be here."
"You're nuts," Prompto said as he loaded more bullets into the chamber of his gun, unloading round after round until a click told him he needed to reload again.
Another person ran behind the shelter with them and gasped for breath. "Hey, Little Guy," Aranea panted, "want to throw a hi-potion my way? I'm kinda bleeding out over here."
Talcott, still so unaccustomed to a battle of this proportion, shook uncontrollably as he reached into a bag slung across his chest for a hi-potion. Aranea, bleeding heavily from a gash across her chest, immediately took the potion and felt instant reprieve, though it was obvious the injury continued to cause immense discomfort. She looked at Ignis and patted him on the shoulder. "Still alright?"
"Doing my best," he replied, waving her off. "And you?"
She noticed he was gesturing toward where he assumed she'd been hurt. "Oh, yeah. No, this is nothing. Don't worry about me."
"I always worry about you," he smirked, earning a shy, yet slightly annoyed, smile in return from her and a knowing glance from Prompto.
"Well, stop. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself," she reassured. Before Ignis could say anything else, she left him and the other two behind, using her spear as leverage to vault her back into action as Gladio nimbly moved under the paws of the monster, using his greatsword to hack at its legs and underbelly at every opportunity.
Prompto, Ignis, and Talcott remained behind, using their weapons and distance to their advantage. Prompto began to call out directions to Ignis when Cerberus moved too much and he learned when the daemon was about ready to turn the lot into a literal hell with his fire spells by the way it began to rear its three heads high into the night sky. He'd call out for Ignis to get down and, soon enough, Ignis was able to hear for these cues without Prompto's warning.
Every so often, Gladio or Aranea would return for another potion and, once, Prompto had to grab a Phoenix Down and run it out to Gladio as he'd nearly been crushed to death when Cerberus stomped down on him unexpectedly. While it seemed like they were making some progress, everyone worried because the longer Cerberus stayed alive, the more wreckage it caused as it raged on and on. Luckily, they were keeping the beast away from the heart of the city and contained to the lot.
Whenever Cerberus fell vulnerable, everyone would swiftly deal as much damage as they could before it could rise back up and riot again. As it grew weaker, it became more desperate to kill. At one point, after another bout of vulnerability and after everyone had already backed off to safety, it whirled around and brought a large paw out, sideswiping anyone and anything in its path. Ignis happened to be right in the middle of its track and was thrown, rather easily, through the air and against the wall of a nearby building. The power of the blow nearly knocked him out and he laid there, unable to find the strength to move a single muscle.
He faintly heard Aranea call out to Talcott to toss her a Phoenix Down as she was closest to Ignis. Talcott complied and soon Aranea was by the advisor's side, dragging him to the nearby alleyway so she could administer the concoction as she knelt and pulled him into her lap. It took a minute to settle in, but Ignis felt life return to him and he moved sluggishly on her lap, slowly sitting up.
"And you're worried about me?" she teased, helping him to his feet and examining him for any grievous injuries, but only finding superficial cuts and scrapes for how hard he hit the wall. She steadied him before letting go.
He brought a hand to his head, a little dizzy but still good enough to stand on his own. "How much more life do you think it has left?"
Aranea peered out from the corner of the alleyway, the heat from the fire causing her to swelter. "I'm not sure. I feel like we get it down on the ground, but it's not enough. Something's not right. There has to be another part of it that is weak because that thing should be dead by now."
Aranea was right; for how long the battle had raged on, Cerberus should have been dead by now. Ignis tried to recall more about Cerberus from what he learned back during his studies. He was undoubtedly forgetting something. He remembered how to get it at its most vulnerable with attacks from behind, he remembered its penchant for fire spells, but there was one major piece to the puzzle he was having trouble remembering. Why on Eos was that one tidbit of information so elusive?
More gunshots rang out in between Gladio's yelling and Ignis knew Aranea was staring at him. Suddenly, he snapped his head up. "No, I've had it all wrong," he said, mentally chiding himself for overlooking the most obvious. "Aranea, I've got an idea, but we need Gladio here as well."
Aranea raised an eyebrow but didn't question Ignis' sudden scheme. She lingered until Gladio was close enough before running out and grabbing him, yanking him into the alleyway. Gladio looked confused until Ignis began to reveal his new plan. "I was mistaken before. It's his heads. In order to effectively rid ourselves of Cerberus, we need to take out the heads."
Gladio wiped blood and sweat away from his eyes. "Great idea, but how can we do that when he barely lets us run behind him for a blindside attack?"
Ignis shook his head. "We're not blindsiding him anymore. We're going in for a direct assault."
Aranea flicked her regard back and forth between both men as Gladio faltered. "Oh, hell no. No, no way. That's a death sentence waiting to happen. He's so large that I'm having a difficult time as it is trying to attack his body. There's no way I can run in and slit his throats or whatever while he's outright staring at me."
Aranea threw her stare back at Ignis and her eyes widened as the realization of his plan was dawning on her. "Wait . . . you're . . . "
Ignis' daggers appeared. "You're not going in. I am."
If Gladio wasn't shocked before, he was beyond alarmed now. "How the hell do you— "
"Your link strike with Noct, yes? I'm going to need you to pitch me directly onto Cerberus' back. We'll hold off until it's immobilized once more, but when that moment strikes . . ."
"Ignis, come on. You can't be serious. You're being ridiculous; there's no way!"
Aranea almost stepped in between the two. "Do we really have a choice at this point? We're running ourselves ragged right now and it's getting us nowhere. Let's try this plan and see what happens from there," she reasoned. Ignis hid a smile at her assent and could practically see the wheels in Gladio's head turning, trying to search for a way out of this stratagem. Once again, he found himself between a rock and a hard place—follow Ignis' lead as he charged into danger, or attempt to talk him out of it?
Gladio looked to Aranea for some sort of backup, silently pleading with his eyes for her to take his side, but she was firmly on Ignis' team. He growled his dissent. "So, I'll just throw you in when Cerberus is down again?" he verified wearily to a confirmatory nod from Ignis.
"Prompto will remain behind and continue to shoot from afar, should Cerberus decide to go rogue and buck the routine it's somewhat created for itself. Otherwise, yes; I'll attempt to use my daggers and slice at its most susceptible point at each neck." Ignis then directed his attention to Aranea. "I'll need you to be ready as well to attack the heads."
She nodded. "Sounds good."
There was silence between the three until Aranea cleared her throat. "Alright then. Plan settled? Then let's get this show on the road before Blondie dies again before we get a chance to save him," she suggested. The two men nodded and Aranea and Gladio returned to the battlefield, with Ignis dropping behind to keep a safe distance as he continued his tactic of throwing daggers and lances, alternatively, at the daemon. He heard the sound of gunshots pause as either Aranea or Gladio informed Prompto of what was going to happen.
Ignis knew this would be a risky move on his part, but he had to take the chance. One false step and Cerberus would smash, devour, or catapult Ignis to his death. Gladio could certainly be the one to lob the heads of Cerberus off, but Ignis knew his daggers were much sharper and he was confident in his abilities at this point to stay agile and nimble on his feet to slice each neck quickly, particularly with Aranea by his side to assist.
With every passing moment, Ignis felt the fear in his chest mount considerably, but he swallowed that emotion and reassured himself that this would work. It had to. There was no other way.
He heard Cerberus fall once again and felt Gladio charge to his side. Ignis braced as Gladio's hand tentatively wrapped around his bicep. "Ready? Going up!"
Gladio spun Ignis around for momentum and flung him high into the air with Ignis pleading with the Six to let this plan work. Prompto fired off several more rounds but stopped on the off chance of landing any friendly fire. Aranea called out to Ignis and he arbitrarily threw a dagger her way, yelling for her to attack the head closest to her, whichever one that was, as he landed on the neck of another head.
A roar cut through the night and thunderous flames around them as Aranea ripped the dagger from one end of the neck to the other and Ignis could tell she attacked the far right head, judging by the sounds.
Deducing that he was on the far-left head, Ignis reached down and he, too, forcefully stabbed his dagger into the neck of the monster, feeling the blood gush angrily from the wound and seep through his clothing.
Then, the plan went awry.
Ignis knew Cerberus was up on its feet, much faster this time than it had ever been before when it fell defenseless. This wasn't supposed to happen. Cerberus was usually sentient for at least a few more seconds, but that was before they knew to attack its heads and necks. It whirled around and kicked Aranea away and Ignis dug his fingers deep into its fur so he wouldn't get thrown off. More sounds of crashing. More destruction. Cerberus had gone berserk.
Suddenly, Ignis lost hold of his grasp as he was hurled from the base of the Cerberus' neck. Ignis reached for anything he could as he spiraled through the air, knowing it was all in vain. Amid the calamity, one final thought came to him and, figuring he had nothing left to lose, he willed his lance to his possession and calmly listened for the cries of the monster. He knew he'd have to nail this shot as Cerberus made it clear it was ready to put an end to this. If he missed . . . well, he didn't want to think about what would happen if he missed.
Ignis waited for the right moment when he was facing the daemon in mid-air and he launched his lance at the—what he hoped was—the middle head.
He fell to the ground on his back, kicking his feet in front of him and skittering backward. Everything slowed infinitely. It was almost like time had stopped and he waited, praying for the weapon to hit.
Waited.
Waited.
And then . . .
There was one more final howl as the lance landed right between Cerberus' eyes. A revolting crunch sound of the sharp point meeting its skull. The stumbling of the daemon as it tried to remain upright and alive, rearing its middle head in agony.
Where was everyone? Was he the only one in the midst of the ruins? Ignis tensed up, waiting for imminent death as Cerberus, in its dying hour, would surely step or fall on him.
But it didn't. After what felt like forever, the ground around Ignis shook as the monster collapsed. Finally, everything stilled, save for the crackling embers and fires surrounding them.
There was no breathing or movement coming from the monster.
Nothing.
Ignis had delivered the final blow to end Cerberus.
The dust began to settle and there was a deafening silence, punctuated by the fires and everyone coughing and wheezing among the debris. Ignis rose to his feet in the middle of the destruction, the corpse of Cerberus just inches from him. He panted but realized things were not over yet. With the power off, any daemon could just waltz right into the city via the hole that Cerberus chewed into the chain-link fence.
Ignis went back into a leader-type role. "Talcott! Get to the power plant and see what can be done to salvage the wires of the lines. We need to restore power as soon as possible to prevent any daemons from entering. Take Prompto with you. Hurry!" he delegated, his voice carrying farther than he realized.
"Yes, sir!" Talcott nodded and saluted the man giving him directions, still shivering in fear. Of everyone, Talcott was the one who would know the mechanisms of the power plant and the damaged wires the best, so Ignis trusted him with successfully completing the task the most.
As Talcott scrambled to his feet, Prompto, not too far away, was visibly stunned. All he could do was stare through the fire and darkness at the outline of the advisor. He only moved when Talcott tugged at his arm, forcing him to get up. It took a moment to shake the shock he was reeling from, but when he did, he allowed Talcott to help him up and followed him to the power plant building. Prompto patted Ignis on the back, uttering his sincere gratitude as he passed by.
From behind, Gladio's eyes remained wide with shock. He could barely keep his grip on his greatsword. "Holy shit," he whispered, though it sounded so loud among the silence, "you did it."
Aranea's jaw was dropped as she pulled herself out of the rubble around her. She stood up and refused to tear her eyes from Ignis on the opposite side of the lot from her. "You did it," she repeated Gladio's words, but then she laughed in excitement. Her laughter rose in volume as the entirety of the situation registered with her. "You actually did it!"
Not so weakened from the kick she received from Cerberus that she would remain debilitated, she leaped over the rubble and ran to Ignis, unable to contain her emotions any longer: excitement, happiness, elation, joy, and pride. Ignis expected a congratulatory hug or high-five from Aranea the closer she got but, when she reached him, in one swift motion she grabbed both of his arms and pulled him close, planting a hard kiss on his lips.
Ignis was so taken aback by the action, he couldn't find it within himself to kiss her back. Even if he did, he thought, would she even appreciate the reciprocation? Instead of finding out, he remained stiff and still.
The kiss didn't last long at all and Aranea was quick to pull back. She was astonished at the inappropriateness of her actions and pushed him away, fumbling for an excuse for what she just did. When she couldn't think of anything, she took several steps back and fidgeted with her hands. What on Eos had she just done? She awkwardly stammered out something to end the tension. "You . . . ah . . . you did . . . great job, Specs."
Ignis couldn't wrap his head around what just happened. Was she acting on hidden emotions and feelings, or did she just get caught up in the moment? "Uh . . . yeah. T-thanks . . . I have you to thank f-for all of this—err, yeah," he sputtered, a red-tint washing over his face. He was unusually rattled, his mature character reduced to that of a blabbering idiot. He'd never felt his heart bang so hard in his chest and, once again, confusion and uncertainty clouded his thoughts. In the recesses of his mind, he almost wanted to reach out and grab her to kiss her again, but he didn't. Something inside of him stopped him from doing so.
"Sorry . . . uh, about . . . you know. I just . . . sorry I got carried away."
"Oh yeah, of course," he quickly responded, waving a hand in agreement. "I know. This is . . . ahhh . . . yeah, a lot going on. I understand."
"It meant nothing."
"I wholeheartedly concur."
"Good."
"Agreed."
Aranea kept her stare on Ignis and he couldn't force himself to turn away. His tongue felt too big for his mouth, but he tried to remain outwardly composed.
What is this woman doing to me?
Gladio cleared his throat behind them. "Hey, guys? Stiiillll here."
Aranea rolled her eyes and turned around, searching for Gladio in the dark. "What, do you want a cookie? I mean, there's nothing going on. Sooorrryyyy that I'm excited for Specs," she said cynically, though Gladio could almost see through her veiled attempts at denial.
Ignis nodded, almost too eagerly, but he couldn't ignore the tingle on his lips from where Aranea so freely planted hers. He blushed and looked down at the ground to hide the smile that wanted to appear on his face. "Yeah. Gladio . . . it's . . . um . . . it's fine. Just the heat of the moment. Right, Aranea?"
"Right. Yup." Then, she glared at Gladio. "Now, get off my back, alright?"
Gladio chuckled. Their disconcertment was almost endearing.
Without warning, the whir of the power plant sounded and power was restored to Lestallum. Aranea and Gladio squinted at the sudden influx of light while Ignis looked around, understanding that Talcott and Prompto had managed to complete the task he ordered of them.
Gladio looked relieved. "I'm going to find Iris and make sure she's ok. I'm sure she is . . . but, you know. Big brother instincts and all. Oh, and I guess I'll tell Cor that everything is good to go."
As he walked away, careful over the rubble and smoldering debris, Aranea turned back and looked at Ignis, moving slightly closer to him. Somehow, he knew and looked back at her, too.
She was gawky and uncoordinated again. "So . . . our fight earlier . . ."
He held a hand up. "Already forgotten."
"No, stop. Listen," she insisted, pulling his hand down. "I . . . I snapped and I took it out on you. I know you're doing your best, I really do. Please don't think I meant it. I mean, you know . . . at least I hope you don't."
Ignis was amused. "Should I take that as an apology?" he reacted in jest, vaguely aware that she was still holding his hand. Aranea realized it as well and let go, bringing her hand up to nervously play with her hair. He had no idea the power he had to turn her into a shy, tongue-tied little girl and she was getting good at snubbing whatever emotions he brought out in her.
She ignored his good-humored jab at her pathetic apology and nudged his upper arm with a closed fist. "For real, though; you've come a long way. I'm . . . I'm really proud of you. Cerberus never stood a chance against you." Then her tone changed from soft and kind to something a little more assertive. "But don't think this gives you a reason to slack off at our practices. You still have a lot of ground to cover before you ever measure up to me."
He smirked, rubbing his arm where she softly bumped him and savoring the sensation that still lingered on his lips. Between the butterflies he felt from Aranea, the defeat of Cerberus, and finally getting out onto the battlefield and proving himself a worthy fighter capable of holding his own, it had been more than he could ever ask for.
"Aranea, I can hardly wait."
Author's Note: Well, that was way longer than I anticipated, but I really hope you liked it and I can't wait to hear what you all thought of it. I didn't plan on getting that carried away with the fight.
Also, I've been going back and forth on upping the rating for some future content coming up. I hope that's ok with everyone, but let me know your thoughts on it. :) Oh, and I will be going back and naming my chapters soon as it has been mentioned that the way I have them right now is slightly confusing (with Prologue looking like it's Chapter 1, Chapter 1 looking like it's Chapter 2, etc), so don't be alarmed if you open this and see chapter titles eventually!
Finally, I seriously have the best readers. You all continue to blow me away with your comments, your suggestions, your messages . . . seriously everything (especially after the week I had, man you all made my day every day)! You have no idea how much I cherish each and every word from all of you. When I started this story, I never expected so many of you to enjoy it as much as you have. I hope I continue to exceed your expectations with every chapter I write. Without you guys, I wouldn't be here. So again, I know I say it a lot, but thank you thank you THANK YOU!
