Chapter 17
The atmosphere of evil that had been so oppressive in Lestallum seemed to permeate even the Station of Awakening. The moment Velcia awoke in this ethereal realm she could sense that the Darkness infecting the Star's heart had been growing stronger, as if it were feeding off of the vile magic energies that had been so nauseating to her in the physical world. She had no doubt that were she to encounter the Bear it would be more powerful and more dangerous than before.
It was with great haste, then, that she raced up the jewel-like staircase that led to the platform of the first Star. The faint light of its form seemed to have taken a subtle purple hue to it, and the darker spots in the swirling mist composing it seemed more solid than before. She rushed to its side and quickly began her usual regiment of healing and protection spells, noting with some disappointment that the darker aspects of the form still remained despite her efforts. She cast her protective barrier spell around her sleeping friend, and was watching it tentatively when she heard the familiar sound of forming Darkness behind her.
Velcia whipped around to face the sound, Keyblade held up defensively, and much to her horror saw the Bear had already manifested. It sat there, eying her, and then stood up on its hind legs. Darkness swirled around it, then began drooping over its features like a long cloak and a hood. Soon, all that could be seen of the Bear's face were its long snout, razor-sharp teeth, and glowing orange eyes beaming out from deep inside the hood.
The Bear spoke, its voice booming and rumbling through the Station as if it was coming from all around Velcia at once. "Why do you bother?" it asked tauntingly. "You cannot keep him from the Darkness, it is all that he knows. He craves it, needs it…"
"I don't believe that," Velcia said bitterly. "I've felt the powerful light inside of him."
The Bear began to walk slowly, pacing around the edge of the platform. "There is both light and darkness in every human… it is up to you to choose which to embrace. Why rob him of his choice?"
"If you truly care so much for his freedom, why do you constantly torment him so?" Velcia demanded.
"I am helping him," the beast replied coarsely. "He's stuck on his failures, his struggles, his losses… these unfortunate events befell him only because of the weakness of the light in his heart. He knows the power that Darkness brings, it is all he knows. He merely needs to take the final step towards becoming his true self…"
"I've seen what happens to those who give in to Darkness. There's nothing good to be had for him on that route," Velcia bit.
The Bear walked up to the shield, holding out a paw against it, head lowered. The darkness of its form sizzled and cracked against the light energy, but the Bear paid it no notice. "You can do nothing to change his fate. You, and your kind… the eternal war you wage against Darkness cannot be won, and you, Velcia Anthes, your efforts…" The Bear reared back his arm, and with a quick thrust shattered through the shield of light.
The bear raised his head slightly, the glowing eyes peering from under the rim of the hood. "Are entirely useless."
Velcia stepped back slowly, realizing now that the Bear had positioned himself between her and the next set of steps. Her hands quivered slightly, and she looked on in horror as the Bear knelt down beside the Star's body.
"The Darkness in his Heart grows… he pulls it to himself," the Bear said.
Velcia looked on in horror, then clenched her fists tightly. A bright burst of magic enveloped her hand, and with a shout she rushed forward towards the Bear slinging spells of fire, thunder, and holy beams of light from both hand and Keyblade as fast as she could manage.
The Bear cackled and sunk away into the ground, then reappeared beside her. Velcia had only the time to gasp in shock as she saw it leaping at her from her peripheral vision before she was tackled to the ground, once again finding herself rolling through the dust and dirt.
She scrambled quickly to her feet, finding herself in the same nightmare she'd seen before. Out in the distance, atop a rock, she saw a young man standing with his arms out low by his sides, wisps and swirls of Darkness flowing gently into him from the aether.
The Bear whispered from beside her ear, voice low and dripping with malice. "You see? He desires it. With this Darkness he can rebuild himself once more, become his true self…"
Velcia glanced beside her, seeing the snout of the great beast hovering over her shoulder from behind her, and trembled. "I don't care what lies you tell me, or him… I won't let this happen!" she said.
The Bear rumbled with laughter. "You? You cannot stop me… he will grow powerful despite your efforts and once he has been restored… then, Wielder… then it shall be your turn."
Velcia, teeth grit, began to turn towards the Bear as her Keyblade flickered to her hand; but before she managed to spin even halfway she was violently shoved forward to the ground. She coughed and gasped, spitting out the dirt from her mouth.
She propped herself up on her elbows and raised her head, opening her eyes with furious determination, only to see the dark headboard of her bed in the hotel. "No, no!" she yelled in frustration, smashing her fist against the soft pillow.
Cindy stirred awake, sitting up quickly. Velcia's gentle sobs caught her attention, and she turned on the lamp with haste. "Aw, what's wrong, Vel?"
Velcia's face was buried deep in her pillows, and though she heard Cindy she couldn't manage a response. Cindy came over and sat on the bed beside her, running her hand soothingly along Velcia's back. "It's alright, yer safe. E'erything'll be okay."
The two stayed this way for several minutes before Velcia finally managed to take a deep breath. She turned over and sat up, wiping her face with the back of her hands.
Cindy watched with concern. "D'ya need to talk about it?"
"No, no…" Velcia replied with a sniff. "It was just a nightmare."
Cindy pulled her legs up onto the bed, crossing them. "I understand. Things've been right crazy and stressful for awhile now, I ain't been sleeping too good neither."
Velcia nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"But hey, you got all of us here for ya, alright? Let me know if I can do anythin' to help ya,'' Cindy said.
"Thank you, Cindy. I've already been talking a bit with Ignis about it all… it's something I'm trying to work through already. I'm sorry to wake you up," Velcia said.
Cindy smiled. "That's good t' hear. That Iggy's one smart fella, I'm sure he'll be able to help ya. I guess that explains why you two've been stuck at the hip, huh?"
Velcia blushed slightly, eyes now locked conspicuously on the sheets. "Um, yes, I suppose so."
"And here I thought it was just the two of you gettin' sweet on each other," Cindy said with a chuckle. "Guess my imagination's just been a little haywire."
"I… can see how you might get that impression," Velcia reached a hand up to her shoulder, pulling a strand of hair between her fingers and twirling it around slowly.
Cindy chuckled again, but cut it short with an enormous yawn. She stretched, and looked back to her bed. "Well, if you wanna wait and talk to Iggy about it in the mornin' then I oughta get back to sleep; iff'n ya don't need nothing else."
"No, I think I should be fine… thank you, Cindy," Velcia said.
"Sure thing, Vel," she replied, jumping back atop the mattress and nuzzling into her blankets.
Velcia leaned back against her headboard, trying her best to avoid thinking too much about the nightmare that awoke her. Like the night before, she found herself fighting against the impulse to go try to talk with Ignis about it. She was sure he wouldn't mind, but she also knew that with their upcoming battle against the Adamantoise everyone needed as much rest as they should get.
She sighed, and slunk halfway down into her bed, the small of her back resting on the pillows. She thought about what Cindy had said about her and Ignis being 'sweet' on each other, and couldn't help but crack an embarrassed smirk. She wasn't sure that was the way she wanted to think about it, but then again she also was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that she was starting to think about him quite a lot.
She sat there, mulling it over. The answer, she thought, was that as Ignis was the one primarily helping her out with her personal problems, of course she couldn't help but to focus on these conversations. She sighed a wistful sigh of relief at this simple explanation, then stopped and squinted slightly at the feeling of creeping disappointment inside of her.
"I must be going mad from the anxiety," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. She slid down all the way under her blankets and stared back up at the ceiling, watching the dancing lights until she fell back asleep.
Early the next morning, there was a sharp knocking at the door. Velcia and Cindy both heard it, but Velcia was the first to leap out of bed and go look through the peephole. There was a well-dressed man out in the hall with a strange metal dome-shaped object that she knew she'd seen quite recently.
"Is it breakfast, Vel?" Cindy called out with a yawn.
Velcia turned back from the door, wide-eyed and confused. "It looks like an explosive to me."
Cindy's sleepy eyes shot open and she sprung out of bed, making it nearly to the door in a single bound. "A bomb?!" she exclaimed, shoving Velcia out of the way and slamming up against the door so she could peer through the peephole. She'd looked for only a second before she doubled over, laughing hysterically.
"Is… everything alright?" Velcia asked.
"Oh, Vel," Cindy said, shaking her head and opening the door.
The attendant outside bowed slightly, doing a quite admirable job of hiding his amusement at the stray tidbits of the conversation he couldn't help but overhear. "Hello, ma'am. Your breakfast," he held out the covered tray, which Cindy graciously accepted. The man turned around and pushed his cart to the next door and grabbed the next tray, and with another chuckle Cindy closed the door and brought the tray to the small table between their beds.
Velcia watched sheepishly as Cindy removed the spherical metal lid from the large round tray, revealing a pair of plates with eggs, bacon, toast, and several bits of fruit. She blushed and flashed Cindy a truly embarrassed grin. "I suppose it was in fact breakfast."
Cindy shook her head in amusement, and picked up one of the trays. "Iggy told us last night he'd ordered breakfast to be delivered this morning, how could you think it was a bomb, Vel?"
Velcia sighed in defeat. "It looked like the special shaped explosives Monica showed me yesterday, I've never seen a food tray like this before."
Cindy nodded her acceptance as she took a bite of her toast, speaking before she'd finished swallowing it. "Guess that's fair 'nuff. Plus, I 'spose we did just wake up, and ya had a long night. Sorry I laughed at ya."
"It is rather amusing, to be fair," Velcia admitted, taking a bite of her own toast once she'd finished.
"Well don't you worry, I won't tell the boys about it. Yer secret's safe with me," Cindy said.
Velcia smiled, thinking about the sort of teasing she'd heard the others give each other. "Thanks, Cindy, I appreciate that."
The two happily ate their breakfast. It wasn't as complex or deeply flavored as Ignis' meals, but Velcia found it to be quite hearty all the same.
Cindy let out a satisfied sigh. "So, ya ready to go take out that Adamantoise?"
"I'm certainly ready to try," Velcia told her.
"What with all the new tricks we've got up our sleeves, I reckon we've got a fightin' chance this time," Cindy said confidently.
Velcia nodded cheerily in agreement, but inside she felt all knotted up. She wasn't sure if it was because of the Adamantoise, the looming threat of the Bear, or the ominous presence that now permeated the city; but as she realized the myriad options she suddenly found that her anxiety seemed well justified, and so with a determined sigh she set to putting her apprehensions aside and moving on.
The rest of the morning flew by in a frantic blur as everyone prepared for the long journey. Plans were discussed at length, the supplies were checked several times over, and Velcia and Cindy meticulously checked the Enchantment Drive aboard the airship to make sure it was working properly. Gladiolus attempted to swap out the partially-emptied canisters of potion for ones that were completely full, but found this difficult due to his injured arm and was relegated to merely sulking nearby as Noctis and Cindy replaced the canisters together.
As Ignis closed the doors, Velcia and Noctis performed the final task of once again stowing away the Keyblade. It did seem more difficult this time, if only slightly so, but the experience the two had gained from the previous times meant that it ultimately did not take long to subdue it. Velcia, for her part, was quite eager and relieved to take to her seat as she dealt with the odd shock to her senses - this was something that she found she had not become accustomed to.
Once the others were satisfied, everyone found their seats and buckled in. The airship's engines started up with a deep, thumping hum, and slowly lifted into the sky. Velcia peered out the window as best as she could from her seat in front of the Enchantment Drive, watching as the taller buildings of Lestallum and the mountains around it slowly slid from view. The ship started forward smoothly, and quickly began to pick up speed.
"You're getting good at piloting this thing, Cindy!" Gladiolus called out.
Prompto bobbed his head. "Yeah, that was smooth!"
"Thanks fellas, but it ain't all me. I tried turning on that Feather Fall enchant real low to see if it'd help cushion the speed; seems to be workin' a treat," she called back.
"Man, that's clever," Prompto said, smiling in admiration.
"Indeed. Cindy certainly has a knack for getting the most out of her machines," Ignis replied.
They flew for a short while, though there was nothing much outside to look at from where Velcia sat. Cindy and Noctis periodically called out their location, referencing various landmarks or towns, but she had no frame of reference for what this meant for their progress until, at last, they called back to announce their arrival at the Imperial Blockade.
Velcia couldn't help but grip her seat tightly, squirming in anticipation. She knew the IFF Beacon had been turned on long ago in their flight, but the severity with which their ship had been battered last time left her with a continued sense of unease. The others seemed to be nervous as well, though nobody said anything for fear of looking too closely at the looming threat past which they snuck.
It was only a matter of minutes before Cindy called back once more with great relief. "Phew! We're past the blockade, fellas! Next stop, that dern Adamantoise!"
"Now we'll see if the Heartless remember us," Gladiolus said in a low voice.
Prompto chuckled nervously. "I hope not. Too bad we can't get a beacon to trick them, like we did with the Nifs."
Ignis hummed curiously. "Such a device would be quite helpful."
Looking at her hand ponderously, Velcia spoke up gently. "As it is, I'm grateful that stowing the Keyblade seems to be enough to lose their interest."
"Quite fortunate, indeed," Ignis agreed with a nod. "With any luck, it will not be something you'll need to do again."
A hopeful, but refrained, smile tipped the end of Velcia's lips but she said nothing, turning her attention back outside. The peaks of the mountains adorning the Adamantoise's shell came into view out the window, catching everyone's attention as Cindy slowly circled the craft around behind the unfathomably large monstrosity. The swirling clouds of dust seemed thicker and higher than before, and several flying Heartless could be seen swooping along through the top layer of the storm. The Enchantment Drive clacked and began to hum, and the various protective enchantments it controlled swirled to life around the craft at Cindy's command.
As they began their descent to land, several loud shrieks could be heard outside. "Shoot, they're after us!" Cindy called out.
Indeed, several flying Heartless had flown up to the barrier and were bashing uselessly against it in a vain attempt to get inside. These were smaller monsters than the large Heartless Roc that had chased them away the last time, however, and their attacks seemed to have a negligible effect on the magic barrier.
"We'll take care of those guys when we land," Gladiolus said. "Let's just be quick so we don't get the attention of the bigger guys."
The ship continued to lower, and Cindy saw one of the larger cracks in the rock shell and began to veer towards it. Several smaller Shadow Heartless seemed to be crawling out of and around it, but this too was something they'd expected and so their landing continued unabated.
Finally, the airship touched down, and Cindy spun around and poked her head through the cockpit doorway. "I'm gonna stay in the ship and keep it ready for a quick getaway."
Noctis nodded, standing up and entering the passenger compartment with the others. "Alright then, everyone ready?" he asked.
"Just a moment, Noct," Ignis said, handing out the small magic lanterns Cid had provided. "We mustn't forget these."
Everyone took their lanterns and clipped them to their waists, turning the small devices on. Each of them became encased in a swirling magic bubble, though these were not solid and could be easily walked through.
"These should help protect us from the toxins and the wind," Velcia reminded them, "But they don't have the barrier enchantment, so we must keep on-guard."
Noctis nodded. "Right."
With that, he slid the door open and the group carefully stepped out onto the brown, rocky mountain. The Darkness was heavy in the air, and the swirling purple clouds of toxin could be seen blowing gently through the valleys and around the peaks. They came up to the barrier around the airship, the flying Heartless now hovering nearby and gnashing their teeth in anticipation. Gladiolus turned back to the cockpit windshield and gave Cindy a thumbs-up, to which she dropped the solid barrier.
Unfortunately for the Heartless, their anticipation did not provide them with any preparedness and they were quickly hacked to ribbons almost before they could salivate. The group stepped forward outside the boundaries of the shield and continued on towards the crack, and Cindy re-activated the luminous dome behind them.
"Not too many Heartless here," Noctis said with a confident nod. "We'll take care of these guys, and you start blowing the shell open. Do you need your Keyblade back?" he asked Velcia.
"I'm afraid so," she said, hands clasping together nervously. "I will almost certainly need the extra magic strength and endurance it provides."
Ignis pulled his gloves tight. "Let us know if you need any assistance, Miss Velcia. I suspect that things will become much more lively around here once your Key has returned."
Velcia nodded. "Thank you, I'll be wary."
Their plan set, Noctis returned Velcia's Keyblade, and it snapped to her hand in an indignant, crackling flash. Velcia couldn't help but soothingly tut at it in a hushed tone, but the screeches of the Heartless demanded her attention and she quickly began to make her way towards the crack, swiping away any Shadows who came too close. The arrival of a Keyblade Wielder did indeed seem to draw quite a bit of attention, and the Shadows began to yowl and screech at the sight of her.
Thankfully, Noctis and his party were well-versed in group battles like this, and so Velcia found herself well-insulated from the fervor of the monsters of Darkness. She looked down at the crack, seeing the dark muck that filled it, and held a hand to the charm from Lunafreya. Her Keyblade glowed brightly and swirled with magic, and the spell shot into the muck. It bubbled and, after a moment, began to flow more freely and run down the side of the mountain. Once enough had cleared out, Velcia summoned a half-dozen magic mines into the opening and cast a barrier spell around them.
"First blast is coming!" Velcia called out to the others, and together they retreated back a ways.
The mines exploded violently, shaking the rocky shell underneath them. An ear-piercing roar blew through the mountainside, and a great quake rocked across the Adamantoise's back that nearly knocked them off their feet.
"Sounds like it's working!" Gladiolus called out.
Velcia looked back to the crack, happy to see that the shield seemed to have worked just as hoped. She ran back to the side and looked into the hole. The mines seemed to have cleared out a deeper hole here than they had in the stone slab near Lestallum, but this craggy pit was quickly filling in again with more of the dark sludge. The determined wielder wasted no time, and immediately cast the spells for the next round of blasting.
The next explosion ejected a plume of dark muck from the sides of the crack which, mercifully, was prevented from reaching the attacking party by their wind barriers. The Adamantoise roared furiously once more, and then the mountains themselves seemed to come alive with the sounds of enraged Heartless.
Velcia peered back down into the hole, and though it had grown deeper yet again they had not made as much progress as the first blast.
Swarms of Heartless now began to descend on the group, and Noctis called out to her. "No time to waste, Vel! As quick as you can!"
Velcia nodded, and began again. Mines, shield, explosion, mines, shield, explosion. Her Keyblade glowed bright with magic energy, and her chest heaved with exertion as she cast her explosive spells as quickly as she could. Tiring though it was, she found herself coming into a rhythm with it, the magic flowing freely around and through her and she produced wave after wave of magic mines.
The sounds of the steeped battle behind her began to fade as she fell deeper into her magic fervor, a rush of exhilaration coming over her. She almost felt that she could see the magic energies flowing around her, in the air, through the environment…
"Woah, Vel, you're glowing!" Prompto called out.
Velcia's mind snapped back to attention, looking down at herself to see that her whole body was engulfed in a luminous energy. She startled in shock at the sight, dropping her Keyblade in surprise as she shook her hands furiously, as if trying to shake it off.
"What's wrong, Velcia?" Noctis called out.
"I don't know what's happening!" Velcia cried out.
Ignis ran quickly to her side. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," Velcia said, voice shaking. The glow was fading quickly from her body, and her mind was coming back from its haze.
Ignis eyed her with concern for a moment but she shook her head at him as if to head off further inquiry. A resigned frown flickering across his mouth, but he dropped it and instead peered down into the hole. "It is quite deep now, but filling quickly. What can we do?"
Velcia, panting deeply, looked into the trench she'd mined. She couldn't see if they'd made it through the rock or not on account of the dark ooze. "I'm not sure if we've gone deep enough, but I suppose it might not hurt to try some damaging spells."
Ignis nodded, and began throwing Elemancy Potions down into the crevice as Velcia crushed a Mana Potion in her hands. The fire from the potions burned away enough ooze for them to see that they did indeed breach the rocky layer down below, but it was filling again quite quickly.
Velcia recalled her fallen Key to her hand and held it high, bolts of lighting raining down from the sky. Many of these struck the rock harmlessly, but a few of the more powerful streaks crashed deep inside the crevasse. There was a great snap and a plume of foul smoke sprayed out from within. The Adamantoise roared and shook violently, knocking everyone off their feet as it began to violently rock and sway.
The ground beneath them lurched sickeningly, tossing them about as if they were small boats in a terrible ocean storm. The rocky shell of the Adamantoise would fall away only to rise up quickly again to batter them, and even the Heartless that sought to defend the Adamantoise couldn't help but be flung away.
Velcia flailed around, desperately trying to find something to grab ahold of in fear that she would be launched from the Adamantoise's shell and into the swirling maelstrom of death that lay beneath the beast.
The flying Heartless, who were not so disoriented by this thrashing, took advantage of the group's disabled state and began to swoop towards them with renewed vigor. Velcia screamed in surprise as she saw them coming towards her, quickly casting a shield around her and Ignis, who had been bounced very close by.
The others could be heard shouting as they fought desperately to maintain their grip on the mountain and fight off the Heartless at the same time, and with a sudden loud shout Noctis threw his blade up into the side of a rock face and warped to it. He hung for only long enough to take two deep breaths, then his entire body began to glow with a ghostly aura as the weapons of his ancestors spun to life around him. Blade, spear, and glaive flew every which way as Noctis warped around the area with blinding speed, smashing and crushing the Heartless that were swarming them.
Velcia, bouncing violently across the rocks inside her shield, held her Keyblade tight to her chest and closed her eyes, a wave of magic rolling out from her body. Immediately, she and Ignis found their metaphorical seas had calmed. They both remained encased inside the solid spherical barrier, but this was now bobbing gently above the ground thanks to the effects of a powerful dose of Feather Falling.
Ignis shook his head to clear his daze, then looked further up the hillside to see Noctis' Armiger attack in full force. His attention was quickly drawn to Gladiolus and Prompto, who were still bouncing harshly across the stones and down towards the edge of the Adamantoise's shell.
"Velcia, quickly!" he called out, pointing towards them.
She looked over towards them and dropped the barrier, throwing her Keyblade towards the two with all her might. It stuck in the ground not far from them, and Velcia warped to it quickly. Retrieving her blade, she held it close to her chest and shortly a wave of magic rolled out from her which cushioned her friends from the violent rocking of the Adamantoise.
Prompto looked towards the deep crevice with wide eyes. "Nuh-uh, no way!" he called out, kicking himself back up the hillside. Gladiolus, likewise, took advantage of his more floaty state to navigate further away from the lethal drop.
A new rumble came pulsing through the air above them, and they looked up to see Cindy's airship floating at a safe distance with the side door wide open, Cindy herself standing in the doorway as she frantically waved them in.
"How are we supposed to get up there?" Prompto asked, before Noctis appeared beside him and quickly whisked him up to the ship with a Warp Strike. Prompto stumbled a bit on the ship as Noctis dropped him and returned to the land below to retrieve Gladiolus.
Velcia saw this and quickly grabbed Ignis' hand, raising her Keyblade and zipping the pair of them along the next streak of Noctis' warp magic. The group crashed against each other in heap aboard the ship and fell to the ground in an exhausted daze, but Cindy quickly slammed the door shut and ran back into the cockpit. Scratching, tearing sounds could be heard outside the hull as the airship accelerated away.
"Some of 'em are hanging on and tearin' us up!" Cindy shouted back to them.
Velcia, still feeling unsteady, stumbled over to the side door and pulled uselessly at the handle. She growled and gave one more final yank, and the door gave way and jerked open with a thud. Velcia stumbled a bit, but grabbed the safety rail tightly and peered out. Several Heartless had indeed latched onto the airship's hull and were busily scratching away at it. She held out her Keyblade and began shooting arcs of lightning towards them.
The Heartless screeched and sizzled from the jolts, and one by one fell away from the hull. Once she could see no more of them, Velcia held her Keyblade tightly to her chest and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the loud noises around her to focus and sense if any more Heartless remained. There seemed to be no more on the ship, but she could sense several large Heartless approaching rapidly.
"There's more coming from behind!" Velcia called out.
Cindy reached over to the Enchantment Drive console and slammed the shield slider to full, and only moments later the ship rocked and the shield flashed brightly as something large impacted it. Velcia hung out the side door as far as she dared, and much to her dismay she saw that once again the Heartless Roc were in pursuit.
"I can't get a clear shot at them from here!" she called out to the others.
"We'll see if we can get them from the back!" Ignis called, grabbing the side door and straining hard to close it. Gladiolus came up beside him and grabbed the door with his good arm, throwing his weight into it with a yell. The door slammed back shut, the latch clacking firmly in place.
Ignis nodded his thanks to Gladiolus, and ran to the door at the back of the crew compartment. Velcia followed along as he made his way through the engine bay. The Magitek engines hummed and whined, glowing hot as Cindy pushed them as far as she could bear. Ignis made it to the door at the back of the ship and lifted the handle, stepping back as the hatch folded up against the roof inside the bay.
Velcia could see the Heartless Roc clearly from here, each of them taking turns gaining altitude and then diving beak-first into the shield at the back of the ship. The shields crackled and flickered with each hit, and Velcia wondered how long the enchantment would be able to sustain such abuse.
"I don't think the shield will be able to stop them for long!" Velcia said, nearly yelling to Ignis to be heard over the cacophony of the wind, engines, and monsters.
The two startled momentarily as the shields shrieked and fluctuated from another strike, and Ignis furrowed his brow. "Agreed. Can we do anything about it?"
"If Cindy can turn off the shield, I may be able to chase them off with a few Thundaga spells!" Velcia called.
Ignis nodded, and ran back up to the front of the ship. Velcia gripped her Keyblade nervously, eyeing the shield with a frantic anticipation. She knew that, should one of the Roc be about to hit the shield as it was turned off, she would have only seconds to stop it herself.
She held tightly to one of the rack shelves beside her, and held her Keyblade straight out towards them. She breathed deeply, magic energy flowing into her and her Keyblade. Suddenly, the shield dissipated in a flash and Velcia sprung into action.
The blade shone with a brilliant light, and with a flurry of thunderous cracks Velcia began launching a storm of lightning bolts towards the ramming Rocs. Ignis, just returning from the cockpit, couldn't help but hold his hand up to block the blinding flashes from his eyes. He'd never before seen Velcia attacking with such fervor.
The spray of bolts struck the fearsome Roc, the electricity crackled along their bodies and they screeched furiously, wings twitching. Their lack of control left them plummeting to the ground and out of sight. Velcia, not knowing how many there were and unable to see past the intense light of her Thundaga, grit her teeth and continued to cast with wild abandon.
Velcia wasn't sure what happened. The next thing she knew, she found herself suddenly being swept up in Ignis' arms. She was only vaguely aware of being brought back to the passenger compartment, and set down gently into her seat. Her head was cloudy and her eyes felt dark, a chilling ache washing over her body. She sat there, leaning limp against the seat, breathing heavily as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
She stared blankly into nothingness, a little disconcerted at the realization that she should be feeling quite alarmed; but she was altogether too exhausted to muster even that. A rather grim familiarity came over her, the understanding that she'd experienced this type of fatigue before.
"Oh, no…" she whispered softly to herself, "I've done it again…"
Though their spirits were crushed, the flight back to Lestallum was mercifully calm. Ignis stayed by Velcia's side, keeping a vigilant watch over her so as to be available should her condition worsen. Over the course of the flight Velcia was surprised to find that she started to feel a bit better, and sensation began coming back to her limbs and her senses returned to her slowly.
After some time, she managed to sit up a bit straighter. Her friends sighed with heavy relief at the sight of this, and the group exchanged relieved smiles.
"What happened?" Velcia asked softly.
"I wanted to ask you the same thing," Ignis responded. "One moment you were casting your spells, the next I was catching you as you fell out the back of the airship."
Velcia nodded weakly and silently averted her eyes, not sure how much she wanted to explain. "I pushed myself too far. I'm really sorry."
"The important thing is that we've all made it away safely," Ignis said with a nod.
Prompto was sitting backwards on his seat, legs straddling the backrest. He shook his head and sighed. "After the Adamantoise started rumbling us around, I thought we were done for."
"That thing really kicked our asses," Gladiolus growled, rubbing his shoulder.
Prompto nodded in agreement. "It's a good thing Noct and Vel were able to get us out of that mess before we fell into that storm, huh?"
"Yeah," Gladiolus groaned, leaning his head back against the headrest with a sigh. "Live to fight another day."
Velcia turned her attention back to Ignis. "Thank you for catching me."
"Of course," Ignis said.
She sighed, the events of their excursion flashing back through her head. It had gone so fast that she found it difficult to recall, at first, but once her mind began to focus the memories of the afternoon returned. She glanced around at her friends, who sat quietly stewing in their thoughts. Both Gladiolus and Prompto were heavily bruised and covered in scrapes and cuts, both from the rocks as well as the attacking Heartless. Ignis was also quite battered, though not as badly. Velcia sighed, thinking how fortunate she was to have fared better before looking down to see her own purpled and bleeding body.
She leaned her head back softly, closing her eyes in exasperation. She strongly suspected that adrenaline and her own magic burnout were the only things preventing her from feeling the deep pain that was sure to present itself soon.
The ship swayed softly as it slowly descended back down to the hill beside Lestallum. It made contact with the ground smoothly, bobbing on its short landing gear, and the engines fell into a dying whine once Cindy cut the power to the ship. Shortly, Noctis and Cindy entered the passenger compartment.
Noctis sighed and leaned against the wall behind him. "So, that didn't go well. Everyone alright?"
The others piped up in turn, the varied responses all indicating a 'bruised but fine' variety of sentiment.
Velcia undid her safety straps and sat up straight, supporting herself on her own accord. She stood up slowly, legs shaking uneasily at first but she found them to be more reliable than she anticipated. This was a great relief to her, though she still made sure to lean against the back of the seat for stability.
Nobody seemed to have much to say, a fact that they all realized as they looked around to each other, waiting for someone to say something; but the only sentiment to be found was gleaned not from words, but the disheartened expressions each of them wore on their battered faces. Cindy was the closest to chipper among them, but even her indomitable spirit was taking a breather.
Ignis eyed the dour party with a sigh. "No more work for today, I think. Let us head back to Lestallum and recover from our loss. We have yet more chances to succeed in our goal another time."
Noctis nodded. "Right, thanks, Iggy." He walked over to the sliding door, and yanked at it a few times before it finally came loose and rolled free.
One by one, they stepped back out into the open air. The fresh breeze and clear light of the beautiful afternoon was a welcome refreshment to all, and following Noctis they began to walk down the hill.
Cindy, who'd stayed behind at the back of the group, called out. "Y'all go on ahead, I'm gonna tinker around with the airship a tad 'fore I head back."
Prompto looked back at her quizzically. "What?! Hey, Iggy said no more work!"
Cindy sighed. "Ain't work, Prompto, just need to clear my head out fixin' something."
"Cindy knows how to take care of herself, Prompt," Gladiolus said, bumping him playfully with his good shoulder.
"Alright, I get it," Prompto said, waving good-bye and continuing down the path.
Velcia breathed deeply as she walked, her head still dizzy and her eyes aching for sleep. She didn't pay attention to where she was walking, only following behind Noctis directly ahead of her. It wasn't until the ground underfoot changed to the stone bricks at the entrance to Lestallum did she find her attention returning to her surroundings, at which point she began to look around and take note of things.
Lestallum was bustling and busy, the people of the city pressing on with their day unaware of and unaffected by Velcia and company's defeat at the Adamantoise. This left Velcia with a mixed sense of both relief and discouragement, in a way it softened the blow. Still, the thought that this sort of casual tranquility was still ultimately in jeopardy gnawed at the back of her mind. She turned and looked out into the distance, towards the mountain range and great crater in the center of Duscae.
"I'm going to go sit at the benches for a while," Velcia said to the others over her shoulder. "I just need some fresh air for a while."
"Alright, let us know if you need anything, Velcia," Noctis said with a small wave.
She nodded, and made her way over and sat down on the bench closest to the overlook, staring out into the distance as the breeze blew over her. She was tired and exhausted, but her mind was racing and she did not give in to the calls of slumber. After some time, she summoned Love's Inheritance to her hands, looking it over blankly. She turned it around, blade pointing towards the ground, and gently lifted the medal at the end of the keychain between two fingers.
Velcia lowered this for a moment, then reached for the chain's clasp and removed it from the Keyblade. It shone with a bright light, reverting back into its original Divine Rose form. She looked at this, closing her eyes with a broken sigh before resting the weapon end-up on the ground, leaning against the bench. She grabbed the Medal once more, staring at the image of her Ancestor cradled in the arms of the Heartless Angel. Eventually, this too was set aside on the wooden planks of the bench and her gaze returned to the distant mountains.
Slowly, the blue sky blushed with a deep pink, which began to break into orange as the sun set behind her. Long shadows started to creep along the ground, until eventually she herself was shrouded in the shade of one of Lestallum's towers. The breeze grew colder, nipping at her features, but she paid it no mind; so engrossed in her thoughts that she barely registered the evolving evening around her.
Velcia had sat so peacefully and so still, that even the birds and some smaller animals ceased to pay her any mind at all as they hopped and pounced for bugs around the parking lot and across the fence before her. Any observers would have found it to be a picturesque scene of tranquility.
Eventually, a set of footsteps could be heard approaching. The birds fluttered away with cries of indignance, the tiny ground creatures scuttled into the brush with startled chirps.
"Miss Velcia, are you alright?" Ignis asked as he came up beside the bench.
Velcia's mouth cracked open slowly, her dried lips stuck together. She pulled them in for a moment, freeing them from each other with her tongue, before shaking her head. "No."
"Do you mind?" Ignis asked, motioning towards the open spot on the bench beside her.
She shook her head again, shuffling to the side a bit in a small sort of bobbing motion, and Ignis sat down. He leaned forward, resting his elbows upon his knees and his chin upon the back of his interlaced fingers, staring out into the valley as Velcia did.
"I'm sorry, Ignis," she said at last. "I've been here nearly two weeks, and haven't been of any help to you at all. Worse, I'm not even able to return to my ship to call for help from someone who might be able to actually do something… I'm entirely useless to you all, and you're… you're stuck with me," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"That isn't the case at all," Ignis said softly.
Velcia bit her lip. "Isn't it, though? I've tried so hard, learned so much, but have come up so woefully short. I'm not powerful enough, I'm not smart enough, to help beat the Heartless here. Worse still, my own Heart is filled with a powerful Darkness I can't hope to defeat. Master Aqua, Master Yen Sid, Riku… they trusted me to be able to come to Eos and help you, to make a difference… and the only thing I've done is waste your time, and steal your one chance to get a real Keyblade Wielder who might have been able to actually do something."
Ignis shook his head. "Without your assistance, we wouldn't have been able to make the progress we have. I am grateful to have had you here with us… and I am certain that we will prevail."
"I'm out of ideas, Ignis… and the Bear lurking in the Station of Awakening grows stronger by the day. I fear that it won't be long before the Star falls to Darkness and it comes for me. I won't be able to fight it," Velcia said sadly. "I am too afraid to even sleep now, every night I find myself in the Station of Awakening sitting idly by as the Bear grows more powerful. It spoke to me last night, Ignis… the Star's heart has nearly fallen, and the Bear is coming for mine next."
A look of shock came across Ignis' face. "I'd… I'd assumed that things had been proceeding positively. You've said nothing of this."
Velcia held her hands to her face. "I know, I'm sorry, I'm so dumb… I didn't want to bother you, I was too…" she sniffled, lowering her hands and taking a deep breath, restoring her composure. "I understand that I should have said something sooner. I have a responsibility to let you know when I become a liability, and I shouldn't keep it a secret and let you become blindsided if I fall."
"Responsibility-!" Ignis repeated indignantly, reaching his hand out to Velcia's chin and gently turning her face towards his. "Velcia, my concern is not for the mission, it is for your well-being! You must not so readily allow yourself to suffer alone and in silence!"
"I-i-" Velcia stammered, taken aback.
Ignis furrowed his brow. "Adamantoise or no, I am here for you. I have not thought of our relationship as merely some transactional item of business, and neither has Noctis. Nor the others, for that matter. You've come to Eos in our time of need to provide assistance to us, I assumed, out of compassion and care. My care and assistance in return is not some thing you've earned in exchange."
Velcia shook her head, crying softly. "I'm so sorry, Ignis, I didn't mean it that way, I just-!" she stopped, choking on her words. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, until at last she was able to speak again. "I'm so bad at this. Not the Keyblade thing… friendship. I didn't stop talking with you because I thought I hadn't earned it, I stopped because… because I'm just too scared to open up to anybody. Because, out of every single thing on the long list of my failures… the one thing I can't bear is to grow close to someone, and lose them again."
Ignis's face softened, and his shoulders loosened. "I'm sorry to have misunderstood," he said.
Velcia shook her head, rubbing a tear from her cheek. "No, don't be. It's something I've struggled with, and done my best to hide, for a long time. I've made so many stupid mistakes because of it… Like today, when you stopped me from falling out of the airship. That's… not the first time that has happened."
"You've fallen from an airship before?" he asked in surprise.
Velcia chuckled sheepishly. "No, not an airship… back when I traveled with Hinata, we went to a world where time itself was stopped. Magic didn't flow in this world, and I was left almost entirely powerless. I was so worried, so desperate to help… in my desperation, I nearly killed myself fueling my spells with the energy from my own body. I'm lucky I fainted before pushing myself so far today."
"Indeed!" Ignis said, shaking his head slowly. "But, Miss Velcia, you must remember that you are not alone here. None of us expects-"
"It's not about what others expect of me, not really," Velcia interjected. "It's just me… the thought of losing a friend or a loved one… it's so hard for me to bear that I lose all sense. I don't know what I was thinking, accepting the Keyblade like this."
She picked up the Medal from the bench beside her, looking once more at the picture. "I'm trapped between my desire to help and protect others and my inability to accept even the idea that I might fail, and it does nothing but endanger and hurt those very people when I lose myself."
Ignis peered over at the Medal, and Velcia tilted her hand towards him. "Would you like to look at it?"
"May I?" he asked, taking the medal and turning it over in his fingers before inspecting the picture. "A relative of yours?" he asked, pointing to the girl.
"Yes, my ancestor. She was the original Wielder of this Keyblade," Velcia said, picking up the Divine Rose and showing it to him. "My family told me stories about her heroism and bravery, how she battled against swarms of Heartless monsters before escaping certain death during the ancient Keyblade War. She was only a child, but she did all that…"
Ignis nodded. "Quite an impressive young woman. What is this monster behind her, do you know?"
Velcia chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she blushed. "That… that's me, actually."
Ignis' face scrunched in disbelief. "Miss Velcia, this is not an occasion in which I'd expect humor from you…" he trailed off thoughtfully, then glanced back to her sheepish grin. "Which means, as odd as it is, it must be-!"
Velcia nodded. "In yet another display of my foolishness… shortly after my Grandmother passed I inherited a set of diaries passed down through my family. One of these, which I had never seen before in my life, had somehow been locked by one of my own spells for hundreds of years. One thing lead to another, and next thing I know I'm stepping into a pod in Ansem the Wise's castle so he could destroy my body and send my heart back through time to save her."
"You what?!" Ignis exclaimed.
"It's true, as ridiculous as it seems," Velcia insisted. "My Heart went back and took form as this Heartless Angel you see in the medal, and I somehow managed to save her from the Keyblade War and bring her to Olympus. When my Heart returned and rejoined with my Nobody, I didn't keep any of my memories of that time, so I have no idea what actually happened… but from what I read in her diary, I have little doubt that the Heartless Angel was me."
"Miss Velcia," Ignis said, handing the medal back to her, "If you are able to do that, I have no doubt that you will be able to overcome our current challenges."
"Thank you, Ignis, but the truth of the matter is that everything I've done that's actually succeeded has been because I had the help of people who were in every way more competent than I. I would never have been able to save Velcia if it weren't for Ansem the Wise," she told him, noting a sudden look of confusion on his face. She held up a finger. "Ah, yes, I was named after the very Ancestor I helped to save."
Ignis raised a finger, bouncing it back and forth through the air as he thought. He shook his head, lowering his hand. "Regardless of whether or not you needed help, Miss Velcia, you have overcome these hurdles all the same. You are not alone, we are here to help you as you are here to help us. We may not yet know how to proceed, but if we stick together and press on we will find a way."
"With the Adamantoise, perhaps," Velcia said. "I just hope that we will be able to take it down before I fall to the Darkness in my heart."
"Why are you so assured of your destruction?" Ignis asked with a scoff. "Is this Bear truly so indomitable that you have no hope against it?"
"It's too fast and too powerful for me, and it knows it," Velcia said. "Every time I've confronted it, it's done nothing but taunt and toy with me."
Ignis nodded softly. "There must be a way. What of Lunafreya's spell?"
"I'm not sure I know how to use it effectively," Velcia said with a resigned sigh. "If I do use it, it may rip the Darkness from the Star's heart, but that won't destroy the beast. It may not be able to possess me, for a time anyways, but that likely will not stop it from using its powers to trap me in a nightmare until it can do whatever it pleases anyway."
"You mentioned before that you've done battle with a Heartless with similar powers in the past. What did you do to defeat it then?" Ignis asked.
"That was when I was traveling with Hinata and Sam," Velcia said. She closed her eyes as she thought back to the journey. "Hinata and Riku went to a…" she paused thoughtfully as she tried to remember the word, "Ah, a Halloween world, where they were attacked by the Nightmare Heartless, and Sam and I were sent to help. A very strange man named Dr. Finklestein built a machine to allow me to enter their nightmares and help them break free."
"Aha!" Ignis exclaimed. "And so you must have succeeded?"
"I really did very little," Velcia told him. "Each of them had to break out of their Nightmares on their own. The Heartless used their own power to trap them in their traumas. The only thing I could do there was to help them to realize that they were in control, not the Heartless…"
"Then, perhaps that is the way forward. Is there any way to do the same for the Star?" Ignis asked.
"No, I don't think so. He's entirely unresponsive. In the Station of Awakening he's stuck in a deep sleep as his Heart repairs itself, and the Bear has such power in the Nightmare that I couldn't hope to get close to him," Velcia said. "From what I've seen, the Bear has such complete control over the Star that he will likely never be able to recover of his own accord."
Ignis removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That is unfortunate, indeed. If only there were some way to get through to him…"
Velcia nodded. "If only the Bear were in a heart that wasn't so wounded and overrun, perhaps I could stand a chance, but it…" she trailed off slowly, stiffening as a thought crossed her mind.
"Miss Velcia, are you alright?" Ignis asked, watching her locked eyes intently.
Velcia, eyes still stuck staring into the distance, lowered her hands. "No, I'm not alright… I'm a fool. I… I'm going to make my stupid mistake again."
"What do you mean?" Ignis asked desperately, grabbing her hand.
She blinked, and looked into his eyes. "Lunafreya's spell. I need to rip the Darkness from the Star's heart and bring it into my own. My heart is not so infused with Darkness as the Star's, and my light is strong. If the Bear does make it to my Heart when weakened by Lunafreya's spell and brings me to a Nightmare realm, I won't need someone else to come tell me how to break free… The Bear will be trapped in there with me. I-if I can do that, and catch it off guard, I may be able to defeat it before it can steal too much of my power."
Ignis' face paled and he sat back slowly. "If you do this, and it doesn't work…"
Velcia nodded, looking back down to her Keyblade. "I know… I will put it off as long as I can, see if we can beat the Adamantoise first. At least then, if I die, I'll know I won't let you all down when you still need me."
"I-" Ignis stammered, shaking his head. "Miss Velcia, I must confess, the Adamantoise was not the cause for my concern."
Velcia glanced up at him, noting the redness in his complexion and his eyes staring at her intently. Her heart skipped a beat and a lump grew in her throat. "I-Ignis, I…"
He turned his head away quickly, taking a deep breath and straightening his posture. "Do you truly believe you can defeat this Heartless, or… is this another desperate sacrifice?"
Velcia's breath escaped her, and she sat winded for a moment as she steadied her heart to the emotional whiplash. "... I really, truly believe that I can do it."
Ignis nodded. "Very well. Do not delay on our behalf… strike when you feel the time is right, and let us know if we can do anything to assist you."
"I… tonight. When I find myself in the Station of Awakening tonight, I will study the Darkness and see if I think the plan may truly succeed, and if so… I do not want to give the Bear the chance to suspect anything," Velcia said.
Ignis nodded reluctantly, rubbing his fingers across his chin. "Are you sure you have the energy to accomplish such a task, given your current state?" he asked gently.
Velcia froze for a moment, looking down at her gently-trembling hands. It was at this point that she truly remembered the damage she'd done to her body that day. Still, she shook her head slowly and returned her attention to him.
"I believe I can," she told him. "This state of magic burnout afflicts my body, not my heart. I will still be sure to take care inside the Station of Awakening, but I do not believe my form in that realm will be suffering the same effects."
Ignis cast her a concerned glance. "Please, take the time to be certain of this before you engage the Bear."
"I will," Velcia reassured him.
"Is there anything I can do to assist you?" Ignis asked.
Velcia looked back towards the hotel, her stomach fluttering with several distinct anxieties as she thought it over. She glanced back towards him furtively. "I know it may be an unusual thing to ask, but… I would appreciate it if I knew you were with me," she said, her throat drying as she spoke.
Ignis turned towards her with an immediate nod. "Absolutely. Let us speak with Noct and Cindy after dinner, and we will work something out."
A great pressure built in Velcia's chest, and it came out as a heavy breath through trembling lips as she shivered in anticipation. She reached up, grabbing the charm around her neck and rubbing her fingers across the smooth stone as she stared out into space. "Well, I suppose I should get ready."
"And I, as well, should be on my way to prepare said dinner," Ignis said thoughtfully.
Velcia nodded, and picked up her Divine Rose Keyblade and set it down on her lap. She took the Medal from the bench beside her and began to pull the Keychain through her fingers for the latch, when a thought struck her. Velcia set the medal back down and then grabbed the metal chain around her neck, removing Lunafreya's charm and looking at it curiously.
She undid the clasp and set the charm aside for a moment to prop the bottom end of her Keyblade up between her knees, and leaned forward to better see the Keychain loop. She took the charm and carefully wove the delicate chain through the loop and locked the clasp, then picked up her Keyblade and held it out in front of her.
The Keyblade began to glow brilliantly, a bright luminescent yellow, and started to change shape. Both Velcia and Ignis watched in awe as the glow faded, revealing the new Keyblade form underneath.
Velcia gripped the gold-ringed handle tightly, eyes running along the Keyblade. Just above the handle was a trio of dark metal spikes like a trident, with the middle spike splitting open around a long golden blade. At the end of the blade, hanging to the side, was a large glowing blue ice crystal; and in the center of the blade about halfway up was a cutout in the shape of a flower filled with this same blue ice.
Ignis shook his head in amazement as he looked across the Keyblade. "When did you learn to do this?" he asked.
"Just now… I had the thought to put Lunafreya's charm on, I don't really know why. It's beautiful," Velcia said, turning the Key in her hands to show Ignis the design in the blade. "Look at this."
Ignis gripped the blade gently, turning it towards him to get a better view of it. "This Keyblade form certainly seems to have been influenced by Lady Lunafreya," he noted, running his finger beside the flower. "This is a type of Tenebrean flower, the Sylleblossom, that has been associated with Oracles since antiquity… and this crossguard reminds me of the Oracle's ceremonial spear that's been passed down through the generations."
Velcia took the Keyblade back, holding it tightly in her hands. "What an honor…" she whispered, gazing upon the shimmering blade with awe. "It… it feels as if the Keyblade itself is imbued with Lady Lunafreya's enchantment."
"Miss Velcia, you don't think…?" Ignis said curiously.
"I am curious… It is possible that this Keyblade can apply her enchantment to any spell I cast with it. I won't really know until I try it, but if so… I believe I will have a much better chance against the Bear," Velcia said softly, running her fingertips across the icy Sylleblossom in the blade.
She set the Keyblade down into her lap, looking up into the night sky, her green eyes shimmering. "Thank you, Lunafreya," she whispered softly.