HELLO, PEPS! I. AM. BACK! And, just as I promised, after season 2 of my Gender Generation was over, I was going to come back to this!~ Here is a rewritten version of Inherited Flames! I do have a question for all of you at the end notes of this chapter, so stay tune until the end!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own any Kingdom Hearts series, only the OCs!
"EXPLOSION!"
BOOM! Hearing a large explosive sound not too far from his location, Terra stopped swinging his Keyblade and ceased his training. Shaking his head and sighing in disbelief, he took a towel hanging from a tree branch and used it to wipe the sweat off his forehead before placing it around his shoulders. He jogged towards where the source of the explosion was, or rather, followed after the sight of smoke rising in the air.
When he arrived, he sweatdropped and sighed once more. There was only one person he knew that would cause such a huge mess while experimenting with magic, and that person was currently lying on the ground with dizzy, swirly-like eyes and completely covered from head to toe smoke-colored dust and dirt from yet another one of her failed experiments.
"Ignis, what did you do this time?" asked Terra in exasperation, watching the young girl coughing and then getting back up while brushing the dust and dirt off her body.
Ignis was a young, slim and petite girl with lustrous, gorgeous, and long scarlet red hair that reached down to her back with a red and yellow headband-like hair accessory. The rest of her clothing was covered up by heavy, black and silver metallic armor over a black tunic and a red windswept skirt with black shorts underneath. Her heavy armor covered her chest, shoulders, parts of her skirt, and in addition to her body armor, she wore armored boots and gauntlets with black fingerless gloves. Her Keyblade Armor pauldron was located on her left shoulder, just like the rest of her friends.
Her bright, child-like eyes resembling a deep, chocolate-brown color met with Terra's own blue eyes as she started to explain herself. "It's not my fault! I tried to combine both fire and wind magic to create a bit of an explosion! ...And a bit of earth magic, but the spell blew up on me! Again! And I was trying to aim for that thing!"
She pointed her finger at a tree not too far from her location. What was quite unique about the tree was that it had a goofy, childish drawing of Terra with random doodles all over his face, drawn by Ignis herself for both target practice and for fun.
While seeing Ignis' awful drawings were fairly common, given that he's known her for a little more than 10 years, it still irks and annoys him a bit to see him portrayed in such a silly manner. "...My hair isn't that tall!"
Ignis pouted. "Awww! You guys are always criticizing me over the smallest details! 'My hair isn't that tall!' 'My chest isn't that big!' 'I'm too short!' Jeez! make up your minds, why don't ya?"
"So, why are you here in the forest anyways? Here for some extra training?" wondered Terra, deciding it was pointless to further address Ignis' poor drawing skills.
Ignis happily perked up. "Well, yeah, that and, I wanted to explore the forest again! Exploring the forest is always one of my favorite pastimes!"
"Yeah, and we sometimes have to track you down every time you don't get home on time," Terra reminded bluntly.
"I can't help myself! The forest is always such a fun place to explore!~ Home is always great to explore, but I find the forest a lot more fun! I knows the ins and outs of this forest like the back of my hand!" bragged Ignis, puffing her chest proudly with her nose in the air. "Seriously, you, Ven, Aqua, and Master Eraqus should explore the forest with me! I always invite you guys, but you never come!"
"Ven comes. Me and everyone else aren't really that interested or we're too busy," pointed out Terra.
"Yeah, he comes sometimes, though! Most of the time, I'm just exploring by myself! Though, he probably doesn't like coming after the mud incident, or how he almost drowned, or that time he got chased by those skunks that one time!"
Terra sweat dropped, but nodded. "Yeah, that's probably it. Well, it's going to get dark soon. It's going to be dangerous at night in the forest, so we should be heading back home."
"Okay!"
Ignis bounced towards Terra and offered her hand to him, waiting for him to take it. Unable to deny her simple request, which was highly emphasized by her bright, sparkling eyes and smile, Terra chuckled and took her hand, allowing the energetic and cheerful girl to swing their intertwined arms back and forth as they made their way back home.
"Hey, Ter-Ter? Terry? Baguette Dad! Hellloooo!~"
"Hmm?" Terra perked up, hearing the familiar nicknames Ignis gave him. "Ignis, what's wrong?"
Ignis grinned. "Oh, nothing! It's just that you seem pretty down! I get that tomorrow's yours and Aqua's exam and all, but you should relax a bit! Being all stressed and a bit grumpy won't help anyone!"
Terra sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he looked up at her. Ignis always did look at the positive of things, didn't she? That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because usually, her way always cheered him and everyone else up, though it can be a bit tiring due to how undeniably energetic she was. "Yeah, thanks. Hey...if it's alright with you...could you...sing? At least until we're back?"
Terra didn't believe that Ignis' eyes could sparkle anymore than they already could, until he was proven wrong just now. "A rare request from Terry himself asking moi to sing? Gladly! Ooh! What kind of song do you want me to sing?"
"Anything is fine." Terra immediately winched at his words, realizing that he should be careful about his words. "A-Actually, no scratchy or really loud songs. Maybe just a soft one will do?"
"Okay!" As Ignis took the lead, she opened her mouth to sing a soft melody that rang across the forest.
Although he felt bad, Terra couldn't help but drown out Ignis' voice to ponder in his own thoughts. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was officially the Mark of Mastery for both him and Aqua. Tomorrow was the day when it was decided whether one of them or both of them would be chosen to become Keyblade Masters. All these years of training have led up to this moment, and Terra knew that failure was absolutely not an option if he wanted to become a Keyblade Master.
Ever since they were kids, he, Aqua, and Ignis have all trained vigorously to become Keyblade Masters. He and Aqua were the most prepared, and while Ignis received the same amount of experience and training as them, it was decided that she would take her own Mark of Mastery Exam several months after them. Terra has a suspicious feeling that it was possibly and mainly due to Ignis' childish and naive attitude that detached her from the exam that he and Aqua were taking, but there could also be the factor that a maximum limit of two Keyblade wielders could take the exam.
Either way, it doesn't change the reality that only he and Aqua will take the exam tomorrow.
"Terra!~ We're back home!"
Looking up, Terra saw the land he viewed as his home for more than 10 years, illuminated by lights that automatically lit up during the nighttime. Come to think of it, he barely noticed that some time had passed ever since he and Ignis were exiting out of the forest. Back then, it was sundown, but now, it was nighttime.
A gasp caught Terra's ears as he turned and saw Ignis with a surprised expression before she snapped her fingers. "Crap! I just remembered! I left my super secret diary at the training grounds!"
"...Why would you leave something as important as that in the training grounds?" questioned Terra. "Actually, why would you even bring that during training?"
"My super secret diary is practically my baby!" bragged Ignis, hugging herself as though imagining herself embracing her diary. "It contains all of my precious secrets and..." A huge, sinister grin formed on her face as she eyed at Terra mischievously. "It even includes some of my dirtiest fantasies!~ Like, you and Aqua!~ I'm thinking of calling this shipping Terr-"
WHAM! A fist pummeled itself on top of Ignis' skull, causing her to wail out a cry before she knelt down in pain, cradling her head. An irritated, slightly twitching Terra, who secretly had the faintest of red on his cheeks, stood over the red-haired with his clenched fist, as though threatening to hit her again.
"First of all, you keep calling your diary your 'super secret diary,' but it's worthless calling it that if you just spill your secrets so easily," started Terra. "And second, I told you over and over. Me and Aqua are JUST friends! That's all there is to it!"
"You say that now..." pouted Ignis quietly, yelping when she saw Terra raising his fist to deliver another bump to her head. "Eep! Okay, okay, okay! But I seriously do think you guys would make a good couple! I mean, you're pretty hot, and she's beautiful! You're tough! She's smart! You two totally compliment each other!"
Terra sighed and lowered his fist, placing his hands on his hips. "Even if you think so, Ignis, now's...not a good time for romance. I mean, there's even more important things to consider. Tomorrow's the Mark of Mastery, after all. I plan to concentrate on that and do my best 100%. Maybe, in the future, and I do mean, in the FAR future, I might consider...something new in my path."
Ignis perked up with a smile. "Ah! That wasn't a no!~"
"Do you really want me to hit you again?"
"Gah! No! Your punches hurt like hell! I don't want another beating!" cried out Ignis, shielding herself with her arms.
Terra chuckled, fishing his hands into his pockets. "Fine, fine. And if we're talking about romance, what about you and Ven? Seems like you get along with him better than me or Aqua."
"Ven? Ew! No way! He's super cute and all, but he's like a little bro to me!" said Ignis, sticking her tongue out. "My ideal type is totally different! I want someone tall, dark, and handsome! You ALMOST fit the requirements, Ter-Ter, like, you're pretty hot, but you're not it for me. Besides, you're reserved for-"
"Finish that sentence, and you'll be asking for it. Again," threatened Terra, raising his fist to prove his point.
"Aaaand threat acknowledged. I will shut up now."
"Good. Now, don't you have a diary to look for."
"Oh! Right! I kinda forgot! Thanks for the reminder, Terra! Be on my way!" Bouncing to her feet, Ignis took off, skipping a bit with a smile on her face as she made her way to the training grounds.
Terra sighed, but smiled as he relaxed his shoulders, deciding to take a walk for a bit before heading inside to call for the night. After spending some time with Ignis, he just now realized how much more...eased he is. Before, he felt all tense and stern, mainly because he was so-no, too focused on what's to come tomorrow.
But now? Thanks to Ignis, he found himself enjoying the moments before the exam tomorrow, and honestly, it was quite the refresher. Certainly, he was still a bit irritated and annoyed at Ignis due to her over-energetic tendencies such as pairing him and Aqua, but then again, she's never had any bad intentions cheering people up. At most, just mischievous ones.
It was entertaining, pure, and somewhat annoying. But that's how Ignis always is. Always chirpy and trying to cheer everyone up even if it gets everyone annoyed at her at times.
As he was walking, it came to a surprise for Terra when he spotted Aqua and Ventus together. Both of them were sitting down on the edge of a cliff, gazing up at the stars in the vast night sky. As he got closer, he could hear their faint conversation until he was close enough to hear them the closer he approached.
"Aqua," spoke up Ventus, causing the young blue-haired woman to look at him expectantly.
"Hmm?"
"Y'ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?"
That...was a difficult question for even Aqua to answer. Ventus wasn't the first to wonder about that, as Terra himself shared the same mindset as well. In fact, he still does wonders himself, but he was older, thus wiser than Ventus. Plus, he, Aqua, and Ignis have actually explored out into the stars before. For Ignis, it was one time, and that was when they were all still kids. For him and Aqua, however, Master Eraqus entrusted them more to do simpler tasks the older they grew, so he allowed him and Aqua to leave for very specific tasks for a small period of time.
Thus, it would fall to Terra to answer his friend's answer.
Aqua was still trying to muster up an answer to Ventus' question. "Hmm...Well, they say-"
"That every star up there is another world."
Surprised, yet familiarized by the deep, clear voice behind them, Aqua and Ventus turned to see Terra walking towards them. He came to a stop and glanced up at the stars as well.
"Yup, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own. The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."
Ven tilted his head. Even though he received an answer to his question, he felt as though he had more questions than answers. "What? I don't get it."
"In other words, they're just like you, Ven," replied Terra in a nonchalant, teasing manner.
Getting up from his spot, Ven walked up to Terra. "What does that mean?"
"You'll find out someday. I'm sure."
"I wanna know now!"
"You're too young to know now."
"Quit treating me like a kid!"
Aqua couldn't help but start giggling at Terra and Ventus' lighthearted squabbling. To her, it was both hilarious and cute, akin to seeing two siblings arguing with each other.
Hearing her giggle, Terra turned to Aqua. "Hey, what are you laughing at?"
"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers," giggled Aqua some more.
Ventus crossed his arms and pouted, something both Aqua and Terra found cute. Aqua couldn't stop giggling, especially from seeing Ventus' cute pouty look, and Terra broke into a fit of chuckles as he ruffled Ventus' hair. Before Ventus could brush Terra's hand off, he felt a few jabs to his side, his vulnerable, ticklish sides, which caused him to laugh.
Trying to get him into the laughing mood, Terra proceeded to continue lightly jabbing him as Ventus was half-laughing, half-attempting to get him to stop. Eventually, all three of them started laughing at their own childish antics, enjoying the moment while they can.
After all, tomorrow was going to be a big day.
"Aha! Found it!"
Picking up her diary that was lying on a bench in the training grounds, Ignis then hugged her personal belonging to her chest. A giggle and a grin made her day as soon as she opened up her diary and re-read the contents within that she herself personally wrote. One of her favorite hobbies was constantly re-reading, writing, and drawing all over her personal diary, so naturally, she cherished her diary heavily.
After placing her diary inside her bag, she hummed a tune to herself as she skipped around, wanting to do a perimeter around the Land of Departure before turning in for the night. Actually, that was an excuse. Ignis simply loved exploring outdoors, and even doing a perimeter was like enjoying a walk for her.
Ignis was quite the cheerful young girl, differing from her friends and yet sharing several similarities in various ways. Clearly, she was a fellow Keyblade Master-in-training just like her three other best friends; Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. But, out of the group of friends, Ignis was quite easily the most energetic and cheerful one of the bunch, and while her cheerful attitude and attempts have caused quite the number of headaches for her master, Terra, and Aqua, they have also lifted their spirits and distracted them from several stressful scenarios.
Spirit feeling down? Ignis will sing as much as possible to lift up one's own spirits. Frustrated because one lost a fight? Ignis will happily train and work with that person to help them improve. Feeling hungry? Well, Ignis isn't allowed to even go near the kitchen anymore after accidentally blowing it up and setting it on fire, but she'll do her best to get that person some food. Just...NEVER let her cook again.
Ignis is stubborn like Terra, girlish like Aqua but slightly more tomboyish, and she's a hell of a lot cheerful and energetic like/than Ventus. She's not physically tough like Terra, but she has demonstrated other kinds of strengths. Like Aqua, she's magically gifted, but she struggles with all elements other than her speciality: fire. Plus, she makes up her lack of control over the other elements with her creativity, which is why she constantly trains and even tries to experiment using different kinds of magic. It's debatable whether or not Ignis or Ventus are more cheerful and energetic than the other, but one thing's for sure is that because of this common trait, Ventus shares the closest relationship with Ignis more than Terra and Aqua, making them quite close like brothers and sisters.
As the days passed, Ignis grew more and more excited. Why? Because her two best friends, Terra and Aqua, were qualified to take the Mark of Mastery; every Keyblade apprentice's dream test to officially become a Keyblade Master!
While Ignis was a bit disappointed and pouty that she herself wasn't quite qualified yet despite sharing around 10 years of training with both Terra and Aqua, she had an inkling as to why that might be. She was a bit too cocky and confident in herself, and much more mature, tougher Keyblade apprentices would suit better as potential Keyblade Masters. As much as she hated that logic a bit, she did agree with its principle, though she did cheer up when Eraqus informed her that while Ventus needed more training, she was very close to being qualified for the exam; at least a few more months qualified, so Ignis was willing to prepare and train herself for that day to arrive.
But for now, she'll do all she can to cheer on her friends when the Mark of Mastery begins.
Skipping down a pathway from the hills, it didn't take long for Ignis to spot her friends, all sitting around and laughing with each other. Grinning, an idea popped into her head. Why not surprise them...with a surprise attack? Like those ninja characters she read in one of her master's old comics, where they appear out of nowhere with such precise speed and accuracy?
"Aero!" said Ignis, casting a wind spell on herself. Manipulating the wind with her hands, she caused gusts of wind to lift her in the air until she was high above her friends. While proficient in fire magic, she struggled heavily with the other elements, especially with water spells. But, casting a simple wind spell was such a...breeze for her, pun intended.
Drawing closer to her friends, she then cancelled out the spell and descended down on her friends, landing right behind them. "Ninja!" she shouted, startling all three of them.
"AAAAH!" screamed Ventus, nearly falling off the cliff if it weren't for him gripping onto Terra's shoulder and only falling on his back in the grassy plain. Shaking his head to get over the surprise attack and sitting up straight, Ventus cried out, "Okay, there is no ceiling above us or anything! Where did you even come from?"
"Flying spell!" boasted Ignis proudly with her hands on her hips.
"I thought you were out of magic power," said Terra bewildered. "I mean, you did cause that explosion in the forest back then."
"What do you mean?" asked Aqua, being a bit skeptical. Ignis was practically unpredictable with her imaginative ideas, and mixing her up with her love for magic spells for a natural disaster. ESPECIALLY destructive spells.
"Nothing!" Ignis said quickly. However, her swift response only made Aqua more suspicious as the blue-haired woman turned to Terra for clarification.
"She was practicing magic again. And yes, she was trying to experiment her 'inventive' spells again."
Ignis whirled towards Terra and pointed accusatedly at him. "Traitor!"
"Hey, you never said anything about keeping this one a secret. Besides, everyone already knows about you experimenting on magic at every chance you get."
"Yeah, but-!" Ignis yelped when she felt her ear being pulled by an irritated-looking Aqua.
"IGNIS! Did you break your promise again?!" shouted Aqua, placing her other arm on her hip. "I thought I told you, no more magic practice during the evening times!"
"T-Technically, I was at it during the late afternoon, but-OW OW OW OW OW! I'M SORRY!" cried out Ignis, feeling her ear being tugged further back as she frailed her arms around. "I just wanted to work on the Fireworks spell! That's all!"
"Ignis, you already know that spell! I've seen you perform it a million times just for fun!"
"No, I mean IMPROVING the spell! I wanted to try and make something memorable with the Fireworks spells! You know, because tomorrow's the Mark of Mastery and I wanted to set off the new spell as a sort of congratulatory gift for you and Terra!"
Aqua's face fell and her tight grip on Ignis' ear faltered, touched by her consideration. "Ignis..."
"Plus, I was trying out some new spells anyways, and I wanted to improve a new explosion spell, but I got carried a bit and I think I might have accidentally tore down some trees and-"
"SO YOU WERE FOOLING AROUND!" growled Aqua, now pulling on both of Ignis' cheeks and causing her to squeal in pain as she frailed her arms even more rapidly.
"NYAH! I'M SORRRRRRYYYY!"
"Apology not accepted!"
Terra and Ventus sweatdropped as the two boys watched Aqua punishing and yelling at Ignis. "S-Should we stop them or...?" started Ventus.
Terra sighed and shook his head, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Ven. It's pointless. We both know there's no hope for Ignis whenever she makes Aqua mad. And besides, she deserves this. Or at least, most of the times."
"I...don't know how to respond to that."
After everyone calmed down, it didn't take long for them to sit down and continue gazing up at the stars. Soon, they broke into small conversations, talking about various kinds of topics to pass the time until they couldn't think of anything else to discuss. Breaking the silence, Aqua stood up and turned to her friends. "Oh, yeah! Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow! So, I made us some good luck charms!"
She pulled out four glittering objects that came in different colors. It was unclear whether they were star-shaped or flower-shaped, though they could be both; five petals linked together to resemble a star for each object.
A loud squeal tore through the air, and half a second later, Aqua's hand was deprived of one blood-red colored lucky charm. Aqua blinked in surprise before she and her friends stared at Ignis, who was grinning wildly as she was bouncing up and down at her lucky charm.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! I LOVE IT! IT'S SOOOOO CUTE!~ THANK YOU, AQUA!"
Ventus stood there, stunned. "Wow. I didn't think she could move THAT fast. Now I just feel ashamed of myself." He pouted, due to the fact that out of his friends, he was the fastest. The fact that someone else was able to move faster than him though, even if for a moment, was a bit of a blow to his pride.
Terra shook his head. Just another one of Ignis' antics. "If only she contributed that much speed in training..."
Aqua, once again, blinked in surprise. "W-Well, I was going to be handing them out normally, one-by-one, but this works, too."
She tossed the orange-yellowish-colored lucky charm to Terra, the light green one to Ventus, and kept the blue one for herself. She didn't even need to give the red lucky charm to Ignis, considering the energetic girl already had it and that the red one was meant for her anyways.
After examining their own lucky charms, which Aqua named them as Wayfinders, the four of them decided to show off their Wayfinders towards each other. All four stars in a row.
With the blue Wayfinder in her palm, Aqua explained, "Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit, and the fruit forms an unbreakable connection. So, as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever break you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other."
"Mmm! Star-shaped fruit! When I become a Keyblade Master, I wanna go to that place with star-shaped fruit and eat one!" declared Ignis.
"Me too!" said Ventus. "Ignis, let's share one together!"
"Sure! It's gotta be delicious if it's star-shaped!"
"No, I don't think it works like that," protested Terra. "Ah, whatever. If I find some, I'll bring some back to you guys, okay?"
"Wow, really?"
"Thanks, Terra! You're the best!"
Terra smirked before ruffling both Ventus and Ignis' heads a bit roughly, but affectionately. "You two are just saying that because you just want the fruit. I know both of your tricks now, you two little rascals."
"Hey! That's not true! We do love you, Terra!" complained Ventus, pouting. "And we're not rascals!"
"Yeah, that's right!" agreed Ignis. "VENTUS here is the only rascal! I'm best girl! Blame him instead of sweet little ol' me!~"
Jaw dropped, Ventus turned to Ignis. "Hey! Traitor!"
Ignis responded with a mischievous grin. "I have no idea what you're talkin' about!~"
"'Sweet little ol' thing' my butt! Pinning the blame on...on sweet cinnamon roll ol' me!"
Ignis dramatically gasped, placing her hands on her hips as she faced Ventus. "How DARE you use my cute little nickname for you as both an insult AND to defend yourself!"
"That makes no sense whatsoever," muttered Terra, though nobody heard him or paid any attention to him.
Ventus stuck his tongue out at Ignis. "Bleh!"
Ignis, in turn, did the same. "Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
As annoyed as she was at Ventus and Ignis' childish banter, Aqua remember a very interesting fact about the star-shaped fruit tale that she told and smirked. "Ven? Ignis? You two still want to find that star-shaped fruit someday, don't you?"
Both ceased their tongue lashing at each other and chirped at Aqua simultaneously. "Yup!~"
"And, if given the chance, you two want to share the fruit, yes?"
"Of course!"
"Well, it just so happens that there's another interesting thing about the fruit," Aqua began to explain; her smirk beginning to widen more. "Apparently, if two people share the same fruit, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what."
After Aqua's explanation, three simultaneous reactions occurred. Ventus' deeply redden face, a confused look on Ignis', and Terra's smirk widening like Aqua's as he quickly caught on to what she was doing.
"Ah, I see. Yes, you're definitely right, Aqua," agreed Terra, crossing his arms. "Ventus and Ignis will DEFINITELY be a part of each other's lives if they eat that fruit. Together. Alone. And forever a part of each other's lives in more ways than one."
Ventus' jaw dropped, mortified, before his redden face continued to turn into a very deep red color. "N-n-NO! I-I mean, I-I wouldn't mind that, b-but not in that way! I-I-I-! Oh, come on, guys!"
Terra and Aqua shared a look before chuckling to themselves. Ever since Ventus arrived in their lives as Master Eraqus' newest apprentice, it didn't take long for him to form bonds with not just them, but especially Ignis, due to her cheerful and eccentric personality, their close age, how they nearly share the same likes and dislikes, and more.
It also didn't take long for him to develop a crush on Ignis.
Ignis blinked and looked at Ventus obliviously. "Eh? Why not, Ven-Ven? I think it would be a good idea if we shared our lives together forever!"
Ventus' eyes widened as he turned to Ignis'; his face transforming more and more of a deep cherry red color. "Ignis-!"
"So, we just have to find a fruit and have all FOUR of us eat it together!"
"...Heh?"
"Huh?" Terra and Aqua's smirks dropped rapidly when they stared at their red-haired friend in confusion and disbelief.
"Yup!~" chirped Ignis, raising a finger. "Someday, we'll all-or at least, one of us, will find that place with the magic destiny star-shaped fruit, then we will all share it by eating it together! That way, we'll be together forever!"
That...wasn't a bad thought at all. Aqua, Terra, and secretly but not so surprisingly, Ventus, actually only wanted Ventus and Ignis to share the fruit together. Just the two of them. But...Ignis' suggestion wasn't a bad thing either, because, they all wanted to forever remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" gasped Ignis. "We have to include Master Eraqus as well! So, that'll be like, five of us! And since it's a star-shaped fruit, we'll each take one part of the fruit! You know, since stars have five sides! It's absolutely perfect!~"
Once again, not a bad thought. Just thinking about the possibility of all FIVE of them sharing the same star-shaped fruit made Aqua, Terra, and Ventus even more motivated to one day discover where the fruit is to share it amongst themselves.
"ANYWAYS!" Ignis' cheery, loud tone snapped them back to reality. She held up her blood-red Wayfinder before hugging it close to her chest. "I absolutely love my new lucky charm!~ Thanks so much, Aqua!"
Aqua nodded. "No problem."
"Seriously, I would never have thought to make these things! Actually, I'm pretty sure I'd screw up big time."
Ventus shook his head. "That's not true, Ignis! I'm pretty sure you'd do an amazing job if you put your heart into it!"
"Awww, thanks, Venny!" Ignis giggled, patting him on the head. "Seriously, though, I really WOULD screw it up. I mean, I'm a bit...bad with arts and crafts."
'Oh, that's an understatement,' both Terra and Aqua thought, sighing in exasperation. They could recall their childhood days, where a younger, even more childish Ignis would play around whenever it was free time, whether it was exploring, doing arts and crafts, or something else. But, every time she tried anything art-related, she always made a HUGE mess. Honestly, nobody could blame Eraqus for growing more gray hairs during their childhood.
"Still, I'm kinda impressed by your work, Aqua. You really outdone yourself this time," said Terra, poking at his yellowish-colored Wayfinder. "Glass, huh?"
"Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells, but I did the best with what I had," said Aqua.
"Well, I love my good luck charm!~" said Ignis, hugging it close to her. "It's so pretty and cute!~"
"Oy, sometimes you are such a girl," Terra teased to Aqua.
"Thanks for the compliment, Terra!" giggled Ignis.
"Er...I was talking to Aqua."
"HEY!"
"What do you mean, 'sometimes?'" questioned Aqua. Both she and Ignis quickly cornered Terra as he began to back away from the two, fumbling around with excuses for what he said earlier. The two girls did not look amused.
Ventus stared down at his own Wayfinder. "So...is good luck really going to help you and Terra pass the exam tomorrow, Aqua?"
Diverting her attention away from Terra, Aqua walked towards Ventus. "Well, that's yet to be seen. But, I did work a little magic on it."
"Really? What?"
"Yeah! What kind of magic did you put in it?" asked Ignis, eager to know.
Aqua smiled and raised her good luck charm skyward. "An unbreakable connection."
"...Come on! You can't just end it like that! Don't be so vague! Explain!~" whined Ignis.
Aqua chuckled, lowering her arm. "Alright, alright. Basically, no matter where we go, no matter how far away each of us are from each other, we'll never truly be apart. The power behind this unbreakable connection will see us through, no matter what."
"...!" Ignis gasped, snapping her fingers. "Oh, I get it now! The power of friendship! It all makes sense!"
Terra stared at her. "Uh...what."
"Yeah! Aqua mentioned an unbreakable connection! Which means friendship between all of us! It's like in the comic books and stories me and Ven-Ven read! Friendship always triumphs for the good guys! So long as we all share a bond, we'll totally be OP in all of our fights against future enemies once we become Keyblade Masters!"
"Whoa, really?!" Ventus' eyes sparkled. "That's awesome!"
"I know, right?!"
While Ventus and Ignis were chatting animatedly at each other, Terra turned to a rather exasperated Aqua. "Please tell me that's not how the magic really works."
"It's...It's not."
"You know you were pretty vague about what you said, right?"
"Yes. Yes I was."
"You know you caused this disaster, right? You know that if you don't explain this to them properly, they're going to charge into more fights recklessly, right?"
"Yes."
"You're going to have to explain to them later what the magic really is and break two poor innocent hearts in the process, right?"
"How many more times are you going to make me say 'yes?'" Aqua glared at Terra, who shrugged.
"Eh, I'm done for now."
"Ooh! Ooh! Terra! Aqua!" called out Ignis, waving her hand to them. "Before I forget anything, I just want to say this! I hope you two do real good in the exams tomorrow! Master Eraqus always told us that they're not easy!"
"Come to think of it, after us, you'll be next in line for the Mark of Mastery exams, too," Terra pointed out.
"Huh? What do you mean?" wondered Ventus.
"Oh, that's right. Ven was only here for...I think 4 years now? Yeah, that has to be it. 4 years. Anyways, we three all have more experience than him."
"Come on! What are you talking about?"
"Allow me to explain," spoke Aqua. "Normally, to take the Mark of Mastery exam, one has to go through at least 5-10 years of training under a master. However, if a Keyblade wielder was more experienced and stronger, they can take it in under a year or so. Even a prodigy could do it, though that's really rare."
"And I've been with Blueberry Mom and Baguette Dad for about 10 or so years, so I'm almost ready!" said Ignis happily. "I talked to Master Eraqus, and he told me that I'm nearly there, but I need more experience and training, as well as more maturing for my attitude! He estimated I would be ready in about...a few months or so. At most, half a year. I'm so excited!"
"Oh, I just thought, we could take the Mark of Mastery exam together, Ignis," admitted Ventus sadly. "I thought, since Terra and Aqua are going first, we would be going second. I guess I kinda forgot that you're my senior since we're close by age."
"Don't worry, Ven-Ven!" assured Ignis, patting his back. "You heard what Aqua said! If you work really, really hard, then you might be able to take it the same time I am!"
"Although, truth be told, that's extremely a low chance," said Aqua.
"Are you encouraging him, or trying to crush his soul more?" Ignis asked, glancing at her blue-haired friend.
"No, no, Aqua's right," said Ventus. "I know I have a lot to learn before I'm ready, so I can wait a bit longer. Ignis, when your turn comes, I'll be cheering you on!"
"Awww! My little cinnamon roll boi is growing up! Cheering on his cute senior!~" cooed Ignis, hugging Ventus close to her.
"Hey! Don't treat me like a kid!"
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Yes!"
"Awww! You didn't deny it!~ You love being hugged like this!"
"What?! Gah! No! You tricked me! I don't like being hugged like this! Yup! I said it!"
"Nope! Too late! Cuddle time!" giggled Ignis, hugging him more.
Chuckling once more, Terra faced the open field and announced, "Well, tomorrow's the exam. Anybody wanna spar?"
Ignis and Ventus slowly looked at each other...before pulling away. "Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me! Me! Me! ME!" shouted Ignis, waving her arm around and jumping around.
"No way! I can take ya!" challenged Ventus.
"Hmm..." said Terra loudly, rubbing his jaw line as he pretended to ponder on his choices; two of which were yelling at the top of their lungs and jumping around to get his attention. "If only there was someone out there...Someone who would volunteer..."
"ME ME MEE!"
"NO! ME!"
"Hmm...someone that's mature enough...Someone that's real kind and not screaming at the top of their lungs..."
"ME ME ME! MEEEEE!"
"NO! HE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE PICK ME! TERRA! PICK ME! PICK ME!"
'Guys, I said 'not screaming at the top of your lungs.' What don't you get about that?' thought Terra, sweatdropping. He felt a hand touch his arm and saw Aqua trying to comfort him with a sympathetic look on her face.
"Look, there's an easier way to settle this," announced Aqua, turning to Ignis and Ventus. "Why don't the both of you spar? The winner gets to spar with Terra next."
Both Ignis and Ventus stared at each other. In a split second, they zoomed away from each other, maintaining a safe distance before summoning their Keyblades and assuming their fighting stances.
It still baffled both Terra and Aqua when they saw that in a split second, both child-like teens had armed themselves with their Keyblades, ready to fight one-on-one. How they both have so much energy, they'll never understand.
"You ready to die, dude?" Ignis taunted.
"As if!" said Ventus, twirling his Keyblade. "How about a bet? Winner gets the loser's desserts for a month!"
"Bring it on!"
In both Ventus and Ignis' hands were their trustworthy weapons that could be considered their partners-for-life weapons; Keyblades. And, their Keyblades bore names befitting of their appearances as well as traits of their owners. For Ventus, his Keyblade was named Wayward Wind, whereas Ignis' was Phoenix Fairy.
Ventus' Keyblade, Wayward Wind, was very peculiar, as its design was meant to be wielded in reverse. It held peculiar colors as well, having black, gold, and grey colors as well as a wing-like design on the teeth portion, befitting the wind element that Ventus seems to possess, as wings are associated with the wind elemental attribute. In addition, the keychain on Wayward Wind was a green gem with two silver winds flurrying around it.
Ignis' Keyblade, Phoenix Fairy, wasn't a reverse-wielding Keyblade, but was more jagged-edged. The blade itself is a glowing, translucent streak of yellow-orange colors at its base, which slowly darkens to red as it nears the tip. The handle is black with a round guard that resembles a plume of fire, leaving a circular gap where the handle is. One side of Phoenix Fairy is straight and smooth like a blade normally would be, whereas the other side is jagged, resembling sharp flames. The keychain attached at the end of her handle has the image of a metallic-like fairy with phoenix-like wings sitting on a ruby gem.
Ventus charged first, taking the initiative by leaping up and taking a swing at Ignis, who blocked with her Keyblade; a resounding sound echoing throughout the training grounds from their clash. Placing one foot against her Keyblade, Ventus launched himself off, flipping once while in mid-air before landing safely on his feet. Not willing to give Ignis the chance to retaliate, Ventus lunged forward and continued his assault with a barrage of quick slashes that barely caused a dent in Ignis' defense as she deflected each one with her Keyblade. However, because she had to constantly defend herself, she had to keep moving around, trying to keep up with his pace. When she saw an opening, she swung her Keyblade at Ventus, who intercepted by jumping back, dodging her attack.
Ventus landed safely just as Ignis rushed at him, bringing his Keyblade up to guard. Just when it looked like Ignis would attack with her Keyblade, she swooped down, grabbed a random rock, and threw it at Ventus. Instincts kicking up, Ventus brought the blunt side of his Keyblade, realizing too late that it was not a sword attack but a feint rock attack as Ignis rushed in the moment the rock left her fingers.
Panicking, Ventus hastily swung his Keyblade around clumsily and all over the place, as though trying to deflect whatever incoming attack Ignis had in store. As he did so, the back of his foot accidentally tripped over a rock. As he was falling backwards, Ignis took this lucky opportunity to strike back by delivering an uppercut clash, knocking the breath out of Ventus as he was sent flying upwards.
Ignis bent down and leapt to match the same aerial grounds as Ventus...only to not get that far and only managing to jump a small distance. That granted Ventus to recover as he flipped to regain his momentum, landing on his own light feet gently on the ground.
It was clear that both Ventus and Ignis had their strengths and weaknesses. A major, primary strength that Ventus held was his speed and agility. In fact, when it came to speed, he regained supreme over his friends. Although, high speed came at the cost at a lack of defense for him, making him what could be best described as a fragile speedster. At least one heavy hit or a few could spell the end of Ventus, assuming that the enemy could manage to hit him to begin with.
Ignis was the exact opposite of Ventus, prioritizing defense over speed. Out of all of her friends, she was the best when it came to defensive maneuvers, both physically and in magical terms. In fact, she could be considered the tank of the party. Although, there were multiple times where she wished that her speed and agility were just as great as Ventus. In fact, the only thing weighing her down was the exact same thing that served as her primary strength; her armor.
Her armor covered most of her body and was more heavily defended than the rest of her friends, who had little armor besides the Keyblade Armor pauldrons on their shoulders. Plus, she had extra defense if she activated her own Keyblade Armor herself. However, while her armor kept her heavily defensive and kept her onto longer fights, it was also heavy. To her constant dismay, she couldn't perform many evasive or acrobatic maneuvers so long as she kept the armor on. Plus, removing the armor would take a while, and not ideal in a real fight. However, without the armor, Ignis always found that her body would be light as a feather and speedy; an effect from wearing such armor for years.
Despite the benefits she would have in battle without her armor, she preferred having the armor on at all times. She found it best to stay in battle more than be taken down in one blow without the armor. Plus, if need be, she could always use enhancement spells to boost her speed.
"Goddamnit! I really hate this!" complained Ignis, trying to jump up and down in an attempt to reach higher, or to fail and receive the same results as before.
"This is kind of the reason why we don't completely coat ourselves with heavy armor!" called out Aqua. She huffed and crossed her arms. "We keep telling her that over and over through the years, and yet, she still has the galls to complain?"
Terra shrugged, leaning back against a tree. "Eh, I think it's alright. It's her choice, remember? Plus, having some extra defense isn't so bad."
Aqua glared at him. "...You're just saying that because you like to take advantage of that whenever she spars with you."
"...True, true."
Both Aqua and Terra turned back to the fight, where both Ventus and Ignis continued to engage in combat. Ventus still continued with a flurry of attacks while Ignis held her ground and continued to deflect them. However, because of his constant assaults, even Ventus was starting to grow tired by his panting and short breaks in-between his attacks as well as some sweat dripping from his body. Meanwhile, Ignis had barely attacked and had mostly remained on the defensive, though she couldn't block all of the swift attacks as Ventus managed to get a few lucky hits in. The more the battle continued, the more disadvantageous Ventus grew due to growing more tired than Ignis. This was a common tactic between Ventus and Ignis' duels sometimes, where Ignis would defend herself against Ventus' attacks and wait it out until he was tired enough to leave an opening.
In fact, just when Ventus thought one of his flumsy blows would hit her in the chest, Ignis playfully deflected it as though swatting a fly. Suddenly, Ignis moved in close at a speed that surprised Ventus, and before he could do anything, Ignis slashed at his chest a little, injuring him a little before he was forced to retreat and recover his breath.
Panting, Ventus shouted, "Quit goin' easy on me! You're not gonna win unless you stay on the offensive!"
Placing a hand on her hip and leaning forward, Ignis grinned. "Well, you know what they say: The best offense is the best defense! We might be 1 year apart, but when it comes to experience, I'm still superior to ya!~" To prove her point, she moved in and forced Ventus to guard as she struck, swinging a strong slash that sent Ventus' Keyblade knocking out of his hands. She then raised her Keyblade and brought it down...
"Aero!"
Suddenly, a burst of wind from Ventus' palm shot forward and sent Ignis flying back, rolling around the ground until she came to a stop. Groaning, Ignis tried to stand back up, still slightly winded by the surprise magic attack, no pun intended.
"No fair! I can't use magic and yet you're using yours against me? Cheater!"
"Ignis, you used up your magic power from training and experimenting too much today. That fault's all on you," pointed out Terra.
"Yeah!" agreed Ventus, grinning. In truth, he actually had only a little magic left due to excessive training earlier. Still, having a little magic remaining was better than having none at all.
Unfortunately for Ignis, this was going to serve a problem for her, especially since she has no clue how much magic power he has remaining. She can currently deal with his physical attacks, but it'll be a challenge overcoming his magic attacks with just her physical skills alone. If she had some magic remaining, she could easily deflect using her defensive magic, but sadly, she has none remaining.
Ventus summoned his Keyblade back to his hand and pointed it at Ignis, firing off two Aero spells simultaneously. Ignis leaned back to dodge the first spell, but was thrown back by the second, unable to dodge fast enough due to her slow pace. He moved in quickly just as Ignis raised her Keyblade in a defensive stance. However, Ventus leapt and catapulted off her Keyblade. Ignis tried to swing at him but her reach was too short. Ventus lunged forward and slashed at her, only for his blows to be deflected once more.
However, he was prepared this time as once he was in close-range, he unleashed one last Aero spell that used the remainder of his magic. Unable to dodge the magic spell, Ignis found herself flying in the air and then plummeting back to the ground roughly. Jumping high, Ventus prepared for one last attack as he raised Wayward Wind. Quickly, Ignis threw Phoenix Fairy as hard as she could before rolling away as fast as she could, successfully dodging Ventus' attack as he brought down his Keyblade, although he narrowly also dodged her Keyblade. Just as he was about to attack once more, Phoenix Fairy diverted directions and flew back to Ignis' hand like a boomerang, only after hitting Ventus hard from behind. The blow was just enough to knock him out.
"...I won?" panted Ignis before jumping up to her feet. "I mean, I WON! WHOOO! Yeah! I did it!"
"Huh, and without magic this time. Nice," spoke Terra, impressed.
Aqua rushed over to Ventus with a Potion in her hand, helping him sit up as he started regaining consciousness. "Ven, are you okay?"
"Uhh..." groaned Ventus before taking a sip of the Potion offered to him. He then gratefully took it and gulped the contents down his throat before wiping the remains off his lips. "Ow...Did...did I win...?"
One finger gesture from Aqua had Ventus turning his head to see Ignis dancing in her victory while Terra stood with his arms crossed and an amused look on his face.
Ventus hung his head in shame. "Awww man! Now I gotta give Ignis my desserts for a month!"
"That's right!~" sang Ignis, dancing her way towards Ventus. Now she was just mock dancing right in front of him while still savoring the aftermath of her victory over him. "Mmm! I can just taste the extra chocolate chip cookies in my mouth now!~"
"Ease down there, Ignis," Aqua lightly scolded, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, thus ceasing anymore dancing.
Walking over, Terra ruffled Ventus' hair to cheer him up. "Don't worry, Ven! I'll give you my share of the desserts. Not really a sweets guy myself, anyways."
Ventus immediately brightened up. "Wow, thanks Terra! You're the best!"
"Ooh! Ooh! Terra! Terra! Now that I've won, now you've gotta face me now!" reminded Ignis, raising her hand wildly.
Terra raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure...? I mean, you're plenty exhausted, and we do need all of our strength for tomorrow."
"Honestly, a little extra training wouldn't hurt," spoke up Aqua, stepping forth and summoning her Keyblade. "Ven, you're with me."
"Whaaa? Can't you give me a minute?" groaned Ventus.
"Is that what you're going to say to an enemy in the future? Remember, nobody is going to give you time to rest in a real fight, so think of this as practice," lectured Aqua.
The extra training and spars between all four of them lasted for another hour as they held 1-1 matches, tag team matches, switched partners, and more. Eventually, all four had grown tired and ceased their sparring, having enough for a day.
"Trust me, you guys are ready," Ventus said to both Aqua and Terra once everyone put away their Keyblades. "You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow."
"I hope it's that easy," said Terra, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"It's like the Master said," Aqua said. "Power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself, and you'll find it there."
"Yeah!" agreed Ignis as Ventus nodded. "Man! That was some great extra training! But, we all know the truth."
"What truth?"
"I totally kicked your ass in that last match."
"Oh, you did not!" said Ventus. "I won!"
"No way!"
"Guys, guys! Let's not make this into another fighting session between you two," said Terra, placing his hands on both their shoulders. "We ALL won. There were no winners or losers. Okay?"
"It's getting late, so we should turn in for the night. Wouldn't want to collapse all the way back home, especially when we have an exam tomorrow," suggested Aqua. Everyone nodded at her suggestions and began to walk back together as a group.
Ignis spoke up next. "Hey, Aqua? Terra? If you become Keyblade Masters, what kind of apprentices will you take?"
"Hmm? Isn't that a bit early?" asked Terra. "We've got plenty of time. I mean, we're the first apprentices Master Eraqus took in, and he seemed...pretty elderly."
"Is that your way of saying, when he got old, he decided to take in apprentices?"
"Careful, wouldn't want the Master to hear you say that to him. Remember the last time he punished you? Made you clean toilets for a month."
"Ugh, don't remind me. But, I figured out what kind of apprentice I would take in when I become a Keyblade Master!"
"Oh?" wondered Aqua. "What kind?"
"The adorable kind!" squealed Ignis. "She has to be a child! So that I can squeeze her squishy cheeks and cuddle with her whenever I want! Ooh! And if possible, I want her to be interested in magic, like me! Ooh! And she has to be a girl! I can handle boys, but if possible, I want my first apprentice to be a girl!"
"Jeez, it's almost like you're describing a little girl version of Ven," joked Terra.
"Oh, no! She already thought up of different kinds of versions of me!" said Ventus, shuddering. "Cat me, rabbit me...I don't need her to go over a new level!"
"Ooh! A cute little Venny would be neat! I wonder if his genderbent version would be called...Vena! No wait, would Ventus still be considered a girl name if Venny here got turned into a girl?"
"Nice going, Terra. She's already come up with ideas."
"Sorry, man."
"No you're not!"
Aqua giggled. "Now, now, you can think all about what sort of apprentices you'll have once you become a Master, Ignis. But, you also have to remember the Bequeathing, remember?"
Ignis then summoned her Keyblade, raising it to the sky. "Oh, yeah! And when you appoint someone of pure light as an apprentice, there's this weird incantation you have to say! Now, what was it again...? Uh..."
"Ignis!"
"Look, I'm sorry! That incantation is really long and a bit difficult to memorize!"
Terra placed his hand on Ignis' shoulder, reciting the incantation for her. "In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be."
Finishing the rest of the chant, Aqua continued, "And you will find me, friend, no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."
"Ohh! So that was it! That's a really neat chant!" said Ignis. "I wonder who made it up in the first place?"
"Probably one of the earliest, first Keyblade wielders, but I guess we'll never know," answered Aqua. "Now do you know the chant?"
"Of course! If not, I can always just look through my notes again. Sorta like a cheat sheet!"
"Hey, you can't always rely on your notes. Or cheating, in that matter! If you really are serious of being a Keyblade Master, you have to memorize that chant."
"Alright, alright, but I've got plenty of time!" Ignis yawned and started walking off. "I'm heading to bed..."
"Yeah, we should all get some sleep," agreed Ventus. "I'm just so excited, though! I can't sleep!"
Ignis smiled and turned her head towards him. "Want me to cast a Sleep spell on you, then? I mean, I could, but I'm kinda out of magic right now."
"No way! Last time you did that, I was late for training, and Master Eraqus scolded me!"
"Hey, you asked me to cast that on you!"
"And it'll be the last time you do that!"
"Regardless, having a good night's sleep is good, so let's go," said Terra before the four of them headed inside the main building, where their sleeping quarters were.
Upon reaching her bedroom, Ignis removed her armor, feeling all the stress and exhaustion wave off her body before collapsing onto the bed. Before she could think of falling asleep, though, she wanted to write down an entry in her diary. Therefore, she got her pen out and began scribbling down her day.
Dear Diary,
Today was yet another day of training! As usual! Well, a little bit more unusual than usual if that made any sense!
Actually, today was less unusual and more of a special thing! That's because today marks the day before the Mark of Mastery for both Terra and Aqua! That's right! Tomorrow is when Terra and Aqua both take their Mark of Mastery exam! Ooooh! I'm so jealous of them! But, Master Eraqus told me that my time to take the exam is coming up soon! At most, maybe a few more months, but he definitely ensured that I'll be next in line! I can't wait!
I asked before why I couldn't take the Mark of Mastery exam around the same time as Terra and Aqua, and I was told that I needed more training, plus some attitude adjustment. Grrrr! That just means that everyone wants me to mature more! I'm mature! I'm 17 years old! One more year and I'll be 18, an adult! I'm basically Ven-Ven's senior!
But...at the same time, I can understand what Master Eraqus is saying. Well, one good thing's coming out of me not taking the exam tomorrow. I can see Aqua and Terra's exam, and then get a general idea of what to expect! That way, I'll be prepared when it's my turn! Yeah! So, maybe it's not all completely bad!
I only wish that Venny could take the same exam as me, but he's only got like, what? 4 years of apprenticeship? Meanwhile, me, Terra, and Aqua has had like, 10 years, so maybe Ven needs to prove himself more.
Enough being sad and moody like an emo, though! Time to relay what stuff I did today! Hmm...I did training, ate lunch, training again, and once our training with Master Eraqus was done and over with for today, I went to the forest again to practice my magic! ...And magic experimentation and invention stuff. What? I can't help it! I've got so many ideas to convert to magic, but they don't seem to be working!
This time, I was trying to make an improved version of the Fireworks spell, with some explosions involved. Actually, yeah, there was that, and I was trying to improve and enhance my Explosion spell, too. But, I ran out of magic, and Terra caught me and scolded me! The jerk!
On a side note, I just got myself a super cute, brand new, awesome KEYCHAIN! Made by Aqua, my bestest female friend EVER! And it wasn't just me either, because she gave one to Terra and Venny, too! She even made one for herself! Honestly, she's so great at everything! There's no way I could craft this super skilled-looking Keychain myself! I'd just mess it up!
Anyways, the Keychains are actually called Wayfinders! That's like, an awesome and cool name! And, she said that they were gifts, and, well, good-luck charms! She said something about them supposedly being made of seashells or something. But, I still like this version of my Wayfinder still cute and cool! From now on, it's going right around my neck for safe keeping! Especially since Aqua said that so long as we have the Wayfinders, that'll form an unbreakable connection!
Speaking of connections, Aqua mentioned something REALLY interesting! Apparently, there's a fruit out there, in some other world! And, if you eat this special fruit with someone, you stay together forever, or something like that? I don't remember the full details, but that sounds like such a romantic thing! I hope that Aqua and Terra find this fruit and eat it together! I totally ship those two together! Terrqua for the win! Hmm...I wonder if I should name it like that shipping name? Aquaterra just doesn't roll the tongue, you know?
Anyways, that's all I have for today, Diary! Tomorrow is a special day, so you betcha that I'll definitely be writing in this diary once again! Ciao!~
~ Ignis ~
"Aaaaaand done!" giggled Ignis, clasping the diary shut before stuffing it back into her bag. She threw her blanket covers over herself before dozing off for the night, wearing a peaceful smile on her face. Just like her, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus were in deep slumber, hoping for a happy conclusion for the next day.
What she and her other friends didn't know was that that very night would be the last night they ever spent right beneath the stars.
FINAL EXAMS ARE FINALLY COMPLETE FOR ME! WHOOO! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
And, with my semester ending, I can now focus more on this fanfic, as well as the other fanfics I have, but mainly this one for now. Please read the notes before for what I plan to do for the rest of this fanfic!
- I still plan to put in Ignis' singing, but it's not like I'm going to have her sing all of the time. And from now on, if I'm going to have her sing, not only will I credit the origins of the song, like the original singer, but I may or may not change some of the lyrics as well. I already have a plan for what I plan to do for the songs. But, they shouldn't take up too much of the chapter anyways.
- After every world arc is ended, like, after Ignis finishes a world or something like that, I plan to put in flashback chapters, as in, Interludes, or OVA chapters, depicting Ignis' childhood days and her days as a Keyblade apprentice. That way, you all get to see what sort of person Ignis is, her motivations, and her relationships with others. I feel like we should have gotten more backstories from Aqua, Ventus, and Terra's Keyblade apprentice days, and no, the light novel for Birth By Sleep doesn't count! Anyways, I think after next chapter, you'll be able to get a taste of what I mean for flashback chapters.
- This is a rewrite to my original Birth by Sleep fanfic, so once my chapters for this rewrite fanfic have caught up to the current chapters of the old Birth By Sleep fanfic, I'm deleting the old fanfic. It's a decision I've thought long and hard of, so yeah. Of course, there will be major changes between this rewrite version and the old version, which you can easily clarify until the time comes for me deleting the old fanfic.
- I've decided to put in diary entries from Ignis' perspective, because later on, her diary is going to play a key role.
- I redesigned the detailed description of her Keyblade, Phoenix Fairy! Originally, I thought of changing her Keyblade's name from Phoenix Fairy to something else, but nah, I decided to keep it because Phoenix Fairy is something that rolls on the tongue, and I've just gotten used to proclaiming that Phoenix Fairy is Ignis' default Keyblade name.
- As you noticed, I tried to point out the strengths and weaknesses of not just Ven, but Ignis' as well. Before, in my old fanfic, I made her too OP, but now, I've lowered her strengths, so yes, her armor is weighing her down, and so long as she has it on, she'll have low speed, but lots of defense, just like a tank would have. Oh, and I decided that even though she loves magic, she can't use any of her creative, inventive spells, but she will still have a creative mind. I'm having her stick with fire, healing, and defensive magic as her main spell set, but there's another elemental attribute that she's been practicing that you'll all see in the next chapter!
I can't really think of anything else at the moment, but if there are anymore notes or anything I'd like to address, I'll inform you all. Anyways, if you have any questions, PM me or anything in the review comments! Anyways, read and review!~