Wow! It seems to me that some people enjoy the prospect of the whole Seven Deadly Sins theme that's gonna happen in this fanfic! Of course, it's only exclusive in Ignis' story, so, you know. I know Darksiders 3 had that theme going on for their own bosses, which is where I got the idea from. Plus, Kingdom Hearts had that theme as well in the form of the Foretellers, so yeah.
I cannot wait to divulge into this new world! I've been awaiting to use it for a while now! And now you all get to see it! Luckily, it's not within the official worlds within Kingdom Hearts, so I can exploit it to the best of my ability!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, only the OCs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own any Disney songs!
'Wow, I arrived at a lively world,' thought Ignis, skipping about and humming to the various types of jazz music being played on the streets of New Orleans.
After leaving the world of Camelot, Ignis realized that she truly didn't know how exactly to get home. In her defense, she was kidnapped, tossed into a different, unknown world for a short while, escaped said world, and then tossed into another unknown world before she lost consciousness due to her injuries. Then she spent several days in that world before leaving, only to come to the conclusion that she had been utterly lost.
She had no idea how far away she was from home because of the circumstances she had to face, and to learn about the existence of the Unversed, monsters that fed on negativity, was a new discovery! Something she would have to inform Eraqus about when she got back home...which she didn't know how long that would take.
During her trip to finding home, she was starting to grow both exhausted and hungry after hours of roaming around in space. Luckily for her, she spotted a world and decided to take a short detour and some rest before leaving. So far, she liked the new world she was exploring, though she did get a few glances at her way due to her odd armored clothing, but then again, from what she saw, there were a lot of foreigners and odd-looking people around, so she figured that was pretty common. There were street dancers and singers everywhere in the busy streets of the city, New Orleans.
Ignis knew she had money to buy a decent breakfast due to her Munny being converted to the world's Munny through magic, so she asked around for any cafes nearby, and some folks were kind enough to point her to a good café that sold a popular breakfast dish called beignets; Duke's Café.
Upon entering, the bell chime attached to the front door signaled her arrival for the first time inside the café. Several of the tables were full, and a young woman who had just finished serving food to one of the tables spotted Ignis and walked towards her.
"Welcome to Duke's Café! I'll be your waitress, Tiana!~ Please follow me and I'll get you seated! How many people are in your party? Or is it just you?" asked the waitress named Tiana.
"Just me, please!"
"Alright, right this way!" Tiana escorted Ignis to a free table and handed her a menu. "Would you like me to give you some time to order both your food and drink or would you like to order now?"
"I definitely want milk for my drink!" said Ignis. "Um...I'd like some eggs, and what are these uh...I heard that there was some sort of infamous breakfast food here...?"
"Oh, you mean this cafe's special beignets? Yeah, they're a real popular dish, sweetie! I guarantee they'll make your day!"
"Ooh! Then, I want milk, some eggs, and some of those beignets!~"
Tiana wrote it all down on her sketchpad in a flash. "Scrambled or fried eggs?"
"Fried, please!"
"Is that all? Do you need anything else?"
"No thank you! That's it for me!"
"Your order will be coming up shortly! Please wait patiently, sweetie!~"
"Okay!"
The tasty smells coming from the café kitchen caused Ignis' stomach to grumble hungrily. She hadn't had much rest after leaving Camelot, and she knew that her friends must be awfully worried about her, but at the very least, she had a pretty good excuse for leaving, and this was a good opportunity to explore the different worlds. Overall, her kidnapping did have some side benefits, even if the intention was pretty bad at first.
"Order up!" said Tiana, arriving a few minutes later as she laid Ignis' breakfast order down on her table.
"Ahh! It looks so good!~" said Ignis, deciding to dig in the sugary treat that she figured to be beignets. "Mmm!~ So tasty!~"
"I'm glad you like it! Enjoy!"
After finishing her breakfast, Ignis decided to take a few beignets to go before leaving with a satisfied look on her face. Maybe, when she becomes Keyblade Master, she might visit the world again to try out the beignets.
Deciding to stick around New Orleans for a little bit more before leaving, Ignis began to explore the musical city, sightseeing everywhere she went. She spent the entire morning, singing alongside some street performers, exploring around, and taking her time to enjoy the views while happily eating her beignets.
Entering into a dark, shady alleyway, Ignis decided that she had enough fun and that it was time to leave the world of New Orleans. Just before she could activate her Keyblade Armor, she spotted a bunch of Unversed popping up in front of her, causing her to summon her Keyblade.
'Oh, shoot! I was so into the city that I forgot about the Unversed! Hmm...I'll have to see how many are in this world later with that special invention,' thought Ignis, preparing for battle. "Enfire!" she shouted, coating her Keyblade with fire magic, thus increasing any fire-elemental damage she would give to her enemies, as well as slightly illuminating the alleyway.
She charged forward and slashed at one of the bigger Unversed, taking it out within a few slashes as its body burst with fire as it dissipated. Some of the quicker Unversed leapt at her, prompting her to jump back, only to hit the wall in a painful manner.
"Gah!" she cried out in pain, rubbing her back before ducking in time; the wall behind her receiving a slash mark. "Man! These guys are actually a little tougher! Thundara!" Having generated an orb of lightning above the palm of her hand as she raised it up, Ignis built up thunder magic within the orb before firing jolts of lightning towards all Unversed she could see. Several remained while the others disappeared in defeat.
"Tch! Still more? Then, this'll finish you off! Darka!" Manipulating and taking advantage of the dark environment that was within the dark alleyway, Ignis stabbed through the remaining Unversed through sharp spikes of darkness from the ground, defeating them all. "Huh...I'm getting a little bit better at controlling darkness magic. Much more than I thought..."
Hearing slow clapping, Ignis looked around and saw a slender man with a hat and a skull-theme cane emerging from the shadows and into the light. "Bravo! What a magnificent performance you've shown me, little lady! Here, from me to you!" Swiftly whipping out his business card from his hat, the slender man handed it to a curious and unsuspecting Ignis.
"'Tarot readings, charms, potions. Dreams made real,'' read Ignis. "Doctor Facilier.'"
"Tell me something, little lady!" said Dr. Facilier. "Those spells you just cast...I'd wager that...you're a fantastic magician in the arts of both black and white magic, correct?"
"Yup!" chirped Ignis. "I'm still learning magic, but I'd say I'm pretty good at it! Eh...But there is a friend that's way better than me. Too bad, she's kinda far, far away."
"I see! Well, little lady, I can see you're a curious little button! I can tell you're not from around here, so you spent your time roaming around the sweet city of New Orleans, yes?"
"Yup! It's so much lively here!"
"Then, I'm afraid you haven't seen all the good parts of this city," replied Dr. Facilier. "You see, I'm a...man of all trades. I can do my own sort of magic that helps people, sort of like a witch doctor, and if you haven't experienced my fortune telling business, then I'm afraid you haven't experienced all the good parts, then. So, what do you say? Wanna give my business a try?"
"Uh...Well, I dunno," said Ignis. "I just met you, and while I don't mind spending a little bit more time in this city, I really should go..."
"Don't you worry a thing, little ladyyy!" sang Dr. Facilier. "You'll be amazed and surprised! You're in my world now, not your world! And I've got Friends on the Other Side!~"
"He's got Friends on the Other Side!"An unknown unison of voices came out of nowhere, surprising Ignis as Dr. Facilier led her to the inside of his special business workshop; Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Emporium.
"What was that?" wondered Ignis.
"That's an echo, little lady," assured Dr. Facilier, allowing her access inside to show how much of a gentleman he was. "Nothing but a little parlor trick in Louisiana, don't worry."
Snapping his fingers, a light shine in the middle of the workship, revealing a table with a set of chairs all around.
Friends on the Other Side
Composed by: Randy Newman
Sung by: Dr. Facilier (Keith David)
"Sit down at my table!
Put your mind at ease!
If you relax, it'll enable me to do
Anything I please!"
As Ignis walked closer towards the table, she was about to walk up the short steps when a shadow-like man figure offered a hand towards her from the shadows. Though a bit hesitant, Ignis did relax she the shadow man's hands clasp gently on her fingers and escorted her up to the stairs, even assisting her to her seat and pushing it forward to make her comfortable.
Little did the young red-haired girl know, the shadow man's gentleman-like movements were just a hoax to get her to slowly grow more comfortable and trusting towards both him and Dr. Facilier.
"I can read your future!
I can change it 'round some, too!
I'll look deep into your heart and soul!
(And dare I say, you've got an interesting one, little lady!)
Make your wildest dreams come true!"
To impress and amaze his one-of-a-kind, rare customer, Dr. Facilier showed various items from his witch doctor's collection, from voodoo dolls, magical-like items, and even a small box that seemed as though it came from the underworld.
"I got voodoo, I got hoodoo,
I got things I've ain't even tried!
And I got Friends on the Other Side!"
Unknown to her, totem-like masks that stuck to near the ceiling of the emporium echoed out, "He's got Friends on the Other Side!"
Taking a seat in front of her, Dr. Facilier hypnotized Ignis' curiosity through performance of his skillful hand tricks with his cards.
"The cards, the cards, the cards will tell!
The past, the present, and the future as well!
The cards, the cards, your Fate I see!
Take a little trip into your future with me!"
Curiously, Ignis watched as Dr. Facilier began shuffling and then placing several different cards onto the table. Why was she given the opportunity of so many cards instead of one?
"Now you, young lady, are from a world far away!
You battle monsters and demons day after day!
(You're starting to make an impressive track record, aren't ya?)
With your skill in the arts, you'd make a fantastic Magician!
But you're stuck as Fate declared you as a Fool!
"It may sound harsh, but don't feel bad! The Fool is actually a tricky character, as anyone who's declared as the Fool may be a novice, but it just goes to show the unlimited, unexpected potential they have that'll surely help them out in their journey later on!" answered Dr. Facilier.
"Whoa, that definitely sounds way better than the Magician!" said Ignis excitedly. "I mean, I wouldn't mind being the Magician, but I think someone else deserves that position!"
"Ah, that blue-haired friend of yours, Aqua, was it? Yes, yes, because you're quite proud to admit she's better at magic than you," said Dr. Facilier.
"Uh...how do you-"
"I told you, my own fortune-telling skills never fail me, my dear! I can see into your past, all part of my charm! Now let's see...Seems like you'll be quite the busy bee in your future!"
"It's the obstacles and disasters
A Fool like you'll face!
And when I look into your future,
It's your fate that I've seen!"
"Because you've been such a kind and polite customer to me so far, I'm willing to send some spoilers into your future!" Dr. Facilier offered.
"Ooh! I love spoilers!" said Ignis. "I'm the type of person who goes to the last pages of a boring book just to see the ending!"
"Excellent, excellent! Now, let's see..." Dr. Facilier flipped through one of the cards and explained, "This card's quite special, as it's called the Seven of Cups! Thus, that means you'll face 7 main obstacles on your journey back home! Luckily for you, you've already accomplished one of them! Congratulations!"
'I think he's referring to my time back in the Camelot world,' thought Ignis. 'But which obstacle did I face that I already accomplished?'
"If you're wondering, let the cards explain everything," assured Dr. Facilier, flipping over one of them. "In your first journey, you've met with someone who represents the Hierophant, who's almost like the Hermit. The Hierophant acts like a mentor, a trusted one, guiding you and encouraging you away from a corrupted path of enlightenment."
'The Hierophant, huh? That might be Merlin,' thought Ignis. 'Corrupted path of enlightenment...that reminds me of when Merlin said something about an equal balance and not to rely too much on the darkness or light. From the way Dr. Facilier was saying, it was almost as if light is evil or something.'
"Now you've come across another obstacle within your main obstacle that you've been forced to face," said Dr. Facilier, flipping over the reversed card of The Devil. "This...is the Devil card. Reversed, of course."
"...Yikes."
"Now, now! This may spell misfortune, but sometimes, misfortune leads you to fortune. Did you know that all tarot cards have meanings within their upright and reversed positions? Well, you now see the Devil card in reverse, which holds a sacred meaning. This means that your last obstacle has been forcing you to confront your inner fears and free yourself from any restrictions to grow stronger!"
'Ah...maybe he's talking about when Merlin tried to continuously get me to see that both light and dark aren't bad, and that I'm constantly still scared of the darkness,' thought Ignis. 'I mean, I kinda still am, but...not as much. I'm...actually growing a little comfortable. No negative effects, no evil spirit possession thingy, nothing.'
"Which brings us to your first main obstacle of your journey, my young Fool!" said Dr. Facilier, flipping another card. "The Suit of Swords! It deals with anger and strength, and quite the...wrathful tarot card at that! It mostly focuses on anger and can be a double-edged sword. If one is too blinded with rage, they may find themselves the other end of the sword. Right at their heart. Specifically at their heart!"
Ignis winched upon those words. 'Yeah...I think I get it. My first real obstacle was dealing with that huge dragon Unversed right before I left. It did host some...anger negativity, and Madam Mim really was pissed when she found me and Arthur. I mean, I didn't want to kill her, it was just out of self-defense! Still, that doesn't excuse the fact that I did kill someone.'
"Your second obstacle is just right around the corner, yet so far, far away!" said Dr. Facilier. "The Knight of Cups is what represents this obstacle, because the reversed version of it is moody and frustrated at a lot of things, like not being given the chance to do something and allowing their own emotions to get in the way."
"...Kinda sounds like someone with anger issues," said Ignis.
"Perhaps so, but only time will tell," replied Dr. Facilier. "The third obstacle revolves around the Empress, a card that's quite popular with the ladies. Elegance, femininity, and so on, represents the Empress, someone that you will meet. But the third obstacle will be represented by the reversal card; the Hanged Man. This is quite the confusing opposite card, as normally, the reversed Hanged Man means for you to slow down when you become hasty, and if you surpass your limits, you may end up crashing in a very, VERY deep position."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Unfortunately, this is the best I can grant you at the moment, but let's move on the fourth obstacles. Or rather, what becomes after the third, but before the fourth! You'll meet someone with a hidden fire within them, represented by the Magician. Perhaps that someone will impress you enough to consider giving up something of value later on?"
"Something of value?" wondered Ignis.
"Moving on!" said Dr. Facilier. "Alas, once again, you come with a variety of cards that's already been decided for you! The Judgement, the High Priestess, the Emperor, and the Tower. Oh? What's this? TWO Magician cards; one reversed, and one upright!"
"Wait, I thought you said I would already meet the Magician before?"
"One card can represent so many more people instead of just one single being," explained Dr. Facilier. "You'll be reunited by your three friends who represent different tarots; the Emperor, High Priestess, and lastly the upright Magician!"
'Okay I can definitely see Terra being the Emperor, but Aqua...she has to be the Magician, right? But, then that would Ven the High Priestess! Yeah, I-I don't see that happening. I think Aqua might be the High Priestess, but that would make Ven the Magician?' wondered Ignis. "Wait, you didn't mention the reverse Magician. You said there was two. What's the reversed magician?"
"You'll see..." whispered Dr. Facilier sinisterly. "But, I'll give you a hint. The reversed Magician...represents someone of manipulation and trickery. Whether or not you view that person as friend or foe is entirely up to you, and will decide your fate. But before you met this destined person, you shall be judged for your actions under the Judgement tarot, viewed by your three friends."
'Judged for what?' thought Ignis.
"I suspect you might be quite tired of your long reading, so I'll wrap things up real quick! Your next four obstacles come in order of these cards: Temperance, Wheel of Fortune, Lovers, and finally, Chariot! With these 7 tasks completed, you'd finally be able to go home! Congratulations! You've won! But..."
"But what?" wondered Ignis.
"All of these obstacles have been prepping you for something of vital importance. Something will utterly change your life; an event involving the Moon, Star, and Strength cards. Afterwards, it comes down to...Death and The World."
"I'm gonna die?!"
"No, no, no! I would never tell my customers any death at the end of their fate," said Dr. Facilier. "In fact, you're quite the lucky lady! Death is actually a positive card. It means to let go, an acceptance over the new and improved you. But that's really confusing to even me...are The World cards that appear after the Death. Never in my career have I encountered someone whose fate ends in both the reversed and upright cards of The World."
"What does The World cards mean?" wondered Ignis.
"The Upright World card represents the completion of a journey, causing you to reflect on your actions and the person you've become at the end of all this," explained Dr. Facilier. "But, the reverse card...suggests that you are unsatisfied. Not finished. You cannot find closure. Completion and non-completion at the end of your road...You are quite the rare specimen, aren't you, little lady?"
"Eh, I'm told I'm quite unpredictable," Ignis giggled. "Uh...So, how much do I have to pay for your services?"
"Oh, this time, I'm not asking for money payment," said Dr. Facilier, extending his arm out. "All I want from you...is a handshake. Come on, won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?~"
Confused, Ignis decided she couldn't pass down a simple discount like that and decided to shake his hand.
"Yes..." Dr. Facilier slid across the room as the totem-like masks enlarged themselves and started floating around. Dr. Facilier threw down magic in the form of pink-like smoke, thus making a large horned mask appear in the center. "Are you ready?"
"Are you ready?"chanted the totem-like masks as snakes appeared and restricted Ignis to her seat, causing her to panic and try to break away. She watched as Dr. Facilier was waving and moving his arms around in a sort of ritual manner.
"Are you ready?
Transformation Central!
(Transformation Central!)
Reformation Central!
(Reformation Central!)
Transmogrification Central!"
Ignis was in the process of casting magic, ready to use a spell to escape when she started to feel all her magic draining away from her body. Her consciousness was growing dimmer and dimmer as the magic draining process was filling up Dr. Facilier's body, enhancing his magic. Not only did she feel her magic being drained, but she felt her body growing smaller and smaller, if that was even possible in her own opinion.
"You're changing, you're changing!
You're changing all right!
I hope you're satisfied!
But if you ain't, don't blame me!
You can blame my Friends on the Other Side!"
(You got what you wanted!)
(But you lost what you had!)
The last thing Ignis saw before she lost consciousness was her hand, which was rapidly transforming into something else...
Hey, guys! So, how was the chapter?
So yeah, the tarot fortune telling cards foreshadowed a LOT of what's gonna happen in this story! I already explained some to you all, so you'll have to figure the rest as time goes by! Don't worry, when an obstacle has already passed, I'll explain the meaning behind each obstacle at the end, in case you guys get confused!
As for what happened with Ignis, well, she didn't know what sort of payment she was going to give to Dr. Facilier. He was interested in her because of the display of magic she just performed, so naturally, as payment for his long services of fortune telling, he drained her magic and transformed her into something. What is that something? Yeah, it's not a frog, so don't worry. It's something else.
Next chapter might be longer, but I'll do my best! Read and review!