Return to Eos

by Curryfury13

After receiving an anonymous plea for help, Yen Sid sends Velcia back to the planet Eos to help Noctis and his friends break free of a Heartless invasion before their world is destroyed; but after her arrival Velcia finds herself cursed with horrifying nightmares of a darkness lurking in her heart.

19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After leaving Enchanting Artifacts, Velcia and Prompto made their way back to the marketplace and began to peruse the stalls and shops that lined the streets. Velcia found herself still quite weak and easily fatigued, but was able to get plenty of rest on various benches along the way.

Upon arriving, Velcia all but shooed the excited boy off to get to his shopping and, without much convincing, Prompto dashed deeper into the marketplace in search of the perfect presents. Velcia made her way into the heart of the bustling stalls and booths gradually, and at one of her rest points the enticing aroma of a strong herbal tea wafted over to her on a gentle breeze. She stood up slowly, following the delightful scent upwind until she found the stall from which the aroma originated. There were several kettles of various sorts, stacks upon stacks of boxes of various blends of tea, and a few kettles which were boiling away to produce steaming hot water for samples.

After some brief discussion with the stall owner, a kind young woman in a long pink dress, Velcia used a little bit of her money to buy a warm glass of tea. It was not a kind she was accustomed to, but it was very nice and she found it soothing and refreshing. She stayed for a few minutes, looking at the wares, her attention eventually drifting to a small round metal cage on the end of a gold chain.

"Excuse me," Velcia asked politely, "What is this little cage for?"

"Ah, yes, that's a tea infuser. It lets you brew tea with full leaves, and with some practice can help create much more exact and deep infusion," the woman explained. "This particular one was made to go with the electric kettle set next to it. It's small, and will only make at most two cups at a time, but it is battery powered and good for traveling."

"Oh, may I pick it up?" Velcia asked curiously, doing so once permission was expressed with a small nod. Velcia turned the round kettle over on her hand, looking over it with great curiosity. It was black with a mirror sheen, with dark gray metal ringed around the bottom and the top, and a small spout. "Could you please tell me more about it?"

"Well, certainly. The battery is detachable," the shopkeeper reached over and twisted the bottom metal ring, taking it off to demonstrate. "This has enough power for about three or four boils before it needs to be recharged, but it can also be plugged into an outlet and used without the battery. It has a very efficient heating mechanism and can bring the water to a boil in just a few minutes, and with the infuser it is very quick to get you a complete cup."

Velcia smiled as she continued to look over it. "Have you any of the tea leaves that would be proper to use with it?"

"Indeed I do. The tea you've purchased already is available, as well as many others," the woman told her kindly, bringing out several baskets to show her.

Velcia looked over these, listening carefully to the explanations and enjoying the aromas. She also took the time to hold each of the different types of leaves, carefully inspecting their magical energies. After some time, she picked out nearly a half-dozen types and purchased the infusion kettle, as well as one more cup of tea before she left.

She began to make her way back to the bench she'd left earlier, drinking her tea contentedly. It did wonders for her stamina, she felt, and took the edge off the fatigue that had been plaguing her. As she walked, she saw Prompto up ahead at the bench, looking around for her. He spun around quickly, sighing with relief when he caught sight of his lost friend.

"Oh, good, there you are, Vel. I wondered where you wandered off to," he said.

"I'm sorry to worry you," Velcia said with an apologetic bow of her head, "I was entranced by the aroma of a wonderful tea." She lifted her cup gently to demonstrate.

"Ah, no worries, sorry I was gone for so long. Can't blame you for getting bored, but hey, I got gifts for both Noct and Cindy, so uh, that's a win huh?" Prompto said, motioning towards the bag on the bench.

"How exciting!" Velcia said, lifting the small bag with the teas. "I believe I've found something for Ignis, as well."

"Oh, sweet!" Prompto said, looking at the bag. "What is it?"

Velcia held the bag out for him, and he pulled the top a bit wider open to peer inside as Velcia explained. "It's a little tea infusion kettle that is good for traveling, and I found some different types of tea leaves to go with it. Ignis and I have been sharing tea some nights, when I've needed help, so it's something I was reasonably sure he would like."

"Yeah, he's going to love that for sure," Prompto said with a smile. "Wanna see what I got for Cindy?"

"Oh yes, and Noctis as well," Velcia added.

"Right, him too!" Prompto grabbed the bag, and first lifted out a small yellow object, holding it out for her to see.

It was a small statuette of a Chocobo, but its head was rather large and out of proportion, with enormous round eyes. The head shook and bobbled as Prompto's hand swayed out towards her, and she couldn't help but giggle as she poked its beak and watched the bobbling continue. The little black pupils in the eyes shook about as well, further amusing her.

"This is quite a charming and silly little thing," Velcia laughed.

"Yeah, I know Noct'll get a kick out of it, and it's got little sticky pads under the feet so it can stick to the dashboard of the Regalia. It'll just bob away wherever we go!" Prompto told her with great amusement.

"I love it. Did you get one for Cindy as well?" Velcia asked.

"No, I got her something kinda different," he said, pulling a larger box out from the bag and turning the front towards her. The box had a cutout with a plastic window, and inside was a pristinely detailed and painted model car. Prompto chuckled. "Guess it turns out I could buy her a car after all. What are the odds, huh?"

"This does seem like exactly the sort of thing she would like," Velcia noted, looking over the car.

"She's got a couple other ones from the same manufacturer, or at least did before that stupid Adamantoise smashed up Hammerhead," Prompto said.

Velcia nodded, watching Prompto put the gift back into the bag. "Then it should be extra special to her," she said. "Is that it, then?"

Prompto looked up at the sky. "Probably should be, it's getting kind of late in the day. Don't want to leave Gladio alone too long."

The two made their way back to the hotel. Velcia still needed to stop for rest occasionally, but not as often as was needed earlier in the day. It was a short journey, all things considered, and Velcia was quite glad to soon be back inside the hotel.

As they approached their rooms, they could hear Noctis and Ignis talking with Gladiolus about the scrapyard. Prompto, in his usual style, simply burst through the door once he made it to his and Gladiolus' room, waving cheerfully to his friends.

"Hey, look who's back," Noctis said.

"Likewise!" Prompto exclaimed, holding his fingers like guns and pointing to Noctis and Ignis.

Velcia had quietly come into the room, and was now standing off to the side. She smiled and waved as she did, but the conversation quickly moved on.

"So where'd you end up going, Prompto?" Gladiolus asked.

"Oh, I had Velcia take me to that magic shop she was telling us about. And then, we went to the market for a bit!" Prompto told them. "That magic shop is super cool, by the way, you'd like it."

Ignis cast a disapproving glance between the two of them. "I thought the point of staying behind was to get some rest."

"Don't worry Iggy, we took it easy," Prompto said flippantly. "We stopped every time Velcia started to feel bad, didn't we Vel?"

Velcia nodded. "Yes, I was very careful. Truth be told, I do believe the fresh air and the tea did me a lot of good."

Noctis elbowed his bespectacled friend. "See Iggy, everything's fine."

Ignis shook his head and crossed his arms with a sigh. "And quite fortunately so. Still, it wouldn't hurt our group - all of us - to be more mindful of tending to our recoveries."

"I only left the room to go fight the Adamantoise," Gladiolus said as a matter-of-fact. "I think I've been pretty good about it."

"A gold star for Gladiolus, then," Ignis said wryly.

"Damn right," Gladiolus said with a snicker.

Noctis glanced over at the shoppers. "So what's in the bag, Prompt? Get anything good?"

"Oh yeah, Vel and me picked out gifts for everybody! Figured we could all use something to help lift our spirits, you know?" Prompto said.

"Yes, we each picked out two gifts," Velcia said happily.

Prompto lifted his bag a little higher, crumpling the top of it closed. "But you don't get to see them yet, we have to wait for Cindy to show up. Where is she, anyway?"

"I don't know," Noctis said, crossing his arms. "She said she was going to lock up the airship and be right along, but that was over a half hour ago."

"Oh man, you don't think something happened to her, do you?" Prompto asked.

Gladiolus shook his head. "She can take care of herself. Probably just got caught up working on the airship. Speaking of, we still need to think of a way to take out that Adamantoise."

Noctis groaned. "Ugh, yeah. What did you do to it that ended up pissing it off so bad anyway, Velcia?"

Velcia shook her head. "Well, it looked like we'd made it through the shell so Ignis and I began trying to attack down inside of it with magic. It started to thrash about almost as soon as we did."

"If it reacts like that the moment we start dealing any actual damage, it's going to be pretty hard to make any kind of sustained effort," Gladiolus said gruffly.

Ignis crossed his arms. "In addition to that, we must keep the enormous size of the monster in mind. What Velcia and I were attacking would likely have been equivalent to the sort of tissue just under its skin, I sincerely doubt our attacks had any sort of deeper effect."

Noctis rubbed his hand on the bridge of his nose. "We might have to re-think the shell approach. If it takes this much work just to scrape the thing…"

"Unless Miss Velcia can find a spell powerful enough to protect both us and the Airship from the caustic toxins around the head and the legs, I'm afraid that notion is a non-starter," Ignis reminded him.

"Aaaagh," Noctis growled, knocking the back of his head against the wall. "So we're right back to square one."

"I'm sure something will come to us, Noct," Prompto said, patting his shoulder encouragingly. "We just need to get some rest and clear our heads a bit."

Gladiolus sat forward. "Right, let's all just think on it. What we need to figure out is a way to breach the shell easier, a way to inflict a deeper damage through the breach, or some way to survive the toxins and the storm to see if we can find a softer target."

Ignis sighed. "Should be simplicity itself," he said quietly.

"Well, we've got time," Gladiolus told him, lifting his slung arm demonstratively.

There was a quick knock at the door, and Cindy entered. Everyone greeted her, and though she noted their dour expressions she refrained from asking.

"Well fellas, sorry to keep y'all waitin', I got distracted fixin' up some wiring underneath one of them damaged panels. Figured it'd be better to take care of it while my mind was engaged, y'know?" she said.

"No problem, thanks for the hard work Cindy," Noctis told her.

Prompto straightened up, clapping his hands together. "Oh yeah! Now that Cindy's here, it's time for presents!"

"Presents?" Cindy repeated. "What in the world are you talkin' about, Prompto?"

"Well, Velcia and I thought that getting everyone a fun little gift might help raise our spirits, you know? So we went out to the marketplace today and found some!" Prompto explained.

Velcia smiled. "I really can't take credit for the idea, Prompto's the one who thought of it. But I did help select a couple of the gifts!"

"Alright, who's first?" Prompto asked. "No, wait, we'll start with Noct. You're going to love this thing!"

Prompto opened his bag, and quickly produced the Chocobo bobble head, which he presented proudly.

Noctis' face broke into an amused smirk. "What the…?"

"It's a bobble head for the Regalia!" Prompto explained proudly, shaking it from side to side. The head bounced wildly and the black spots in the eyes careened around in their small transparent domes. "Look at it go!"

"Heh, thanks bud," Noctis said, taking the offered gift and giving the beak a small flick.

"Great, I can't wait to see what you picked out for me," Gladiolus said sarcastically.

Velcia stepped forward. "I do hope you like this," she said, handing the small box of cards to him.

Gladiolus took it curiously, looking over the box. "Solheim, huh?"

"Yes. It's a set of playing cards I saw at Heston's store. The dark red box and gold lining reminded me of the book you loaned to Ignis, and Heston said it was possible there was a connection there," Velcia explained. "If you don't like it, I'd be happy to go find something else…"

Gladiolus glanced up at her. "Dark red on the book?"

"Oh, well, I thought so. Unless I'm mistaken there was some left in the stitching pockets on the cover," Velcia told him.

Ignis snapped his fingers, summoning the book to hand and offering it to Gladiolus. "Indeed, she is correct."

Gladiolus squinted, looking closely at the seams and shaking his head with an impressed whistle. "Wow, that's a pretty small detail to catch and make a connection like that."

Ignis leaned over towards Velcia. "You were correct, by the way, the book is strongly believed to have been an early Lucian translation of a late-period Solheim work. It is a part of Eos' history that we have both been curious about in recent months."

Velcia looked over to Gladiolus, who had opened the box and was looking through the deck and bobbing his head approvingly. He looked up at her. "You know, this is actually pretty cool. Thanks, Velcia."

"Your turn, Cindy!" Prompto said excitedly, taking the model car out of the bag and handing it to her.

Cindy's eyes widened at the sight. "Well I'll be… I didn't know this thing was even out yet."

"The guy at the store said it was just released today!" Prompto told her. "So I kinda figured that meant you probably didn't have it yet."

"Well, you were right," Cindy told him, turning the box over. "What with everything goin' on it completely slipped my mind to get down to the store and preorder one, I totally missed the preorder window."

"Preorder?" Noctis asked.

"Well sure, these things are sorta an exclusive sort of collector's piece," Cindy explained. "Unless yer lucky 'nuff to find one sold second hand, only way to get one is to preorder it."

"Wait, wait," Noctis said, shaking his head. "And Prompto just so happened to find one available brand new, the day it came out?"

"Heh!" Prompto chuckled forcefully. "Uh, must have been my lucky day! Guess someone just decided they didn't want it anymore…?"

Gladiolus' eyes narrowed. "Yeah, that sounds about right. You go with that."

Prompto, blushing now, turned to Velcia. "So, uh, that just leaves Iggy then, huh?"

"Oh, yes," Velcia said, handing the bag to Ignis. "I found this for you."

Ignis opened the back and peered inside, the scent of the various tea leaves wafting out to him. He smiled warmly and took out the infusion kettle. "Ah, I have heard of these."

Gladiolus leaned forward in his seat to take a look. "What's that? Doesn't look like our usual brand," he said with a heavy application of mock criticism to his tone.

"It's an electric travel infusion kettle," Velcia said slowly, so as to make sure she didn't miss any pertinent words as she spoke. "It has something inside it called an infusion basket that I was told allows for a more fine control over the strength and quality of the tea, and has a battery so it can be used when traveling."

Ignis nodded with satisfaction as he removed the various components to look at them more closely. "I've heard they are capable of boiling the water rather quickly," he said, turning to Gladiolus. "It may not be your preferred brand, but it is something I have long considered picking up."

Gladiolus waved a hand dismissively. "Bah, I guess I'll allow it."

"Thank you, Miss Velcia, for such a thoughtful gift," Ignis said. "I am rather eager to try the new teas. Perhaps you would like to join me for some after dinner?"

Velcia nodded weakly, and sat down in the chair behind her. Though she insisted to the others that this bout of lightheadedness was merely another wave of the fatigue that had plagued her that day, the throbbing heart in her chest and the tightness in her stomach ensured that the truth of the situation was not lost on her.

---

That evening, as the stars were coming out, Velcia and Ignis made their way back to the now-familiar bench overlooking Taelpar Crag. Ignis had brought his kettle and a small selection of the tea leaves and prepared some for the two of them. They sat together, enjoying the time and talking about little things; deliberately avoiding discussions of Heartless, Darkness, and such looming topics as the Adamantoise.

Ignis took another sip of his tea with a satisfied sigh. "So, Miss Velcia, after all of this has been taken care of, what shall you do next?"

Velcia cupped the mug in her hands. "Well, I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I believe I've mentioned that I left my mother in Olympus before I came here, and I do need to go help bring her back to her home in Traverse Town. I will also need to meet with Master Yen Sid to let him know how things turn out here… however it is that they go. After that, I suppose I will have to see what happens."

"Ah, I see. You've mentioned that you live in Thebes, correct? Is Traverse Town nearby?" Ignis inquired.

"Goodness me, no," Velcia laughed. "Traverse Town is an entirely different world, one meant as a haven for people whose worlds have fallen to Darkness."

"I see. So how is it that your mother came to live there?" Ignis asked curiously. "From the sounds of it, your world is alive and well."

"That's… a long and painful story, to tell the truth. Not long after I was born, my Grandmother attempted to manipulate Zeus into killing my father. Her deceit did not go unnoticed, but as the events unraveled my mother ended up accidentally learning that I would eventually become a Keyblade Wielder; and so Zeus moved her to Traverse Town to prevent this knowledge from endangering me. Nobody knew what really happened to her, we all thought she had died."

Ignis nodded solemnly. "That is a difficult situation to be in. Noct lost his mother at a very young age. He and his father never really seemed the same afterwards, but it was especially hard for him when he was young. I'm very sorry to hear that you ended up in a similar situation. I cannot fathom why your own Grandmother of all people would do something like that to you."

"Bitterness… a lust for power and control," Velcia said tersely. "It was difficult at times, but my father… he was always there for me. He missed her dearly, but worked so hard to take care of me. I'm very sorry to hear that Noctis lost his mother, too. I'm glad he's had you and the others to support him after losing his father as well. If I hadn't had my Aunt and Uncle…" she shook her head angrily. "Well, I don't want to think about how I might have turned out under Acantha's influence." She glanced over to Ignis, then added, "Ah, Acantha was my grandmother. It may be perhaps a bit spiteful, but I have a hard time thinking of her as family after all she's done."

"Understandable," Ignis said. "They say we can't control who our families are… but I find that to not always be the case, in practice. A blood relation cannot be undone, it is true, but beyond that it is thankfully rather more malleable."

Velcia took another drink. "Yes, that is how I have tried to look at it."

"Changing the subject a bit," Ignis started, "I find it fascinating to imagine your current occupation. Do you usually get so little advance notice for your travels as you did for this current mission?"

"I suspect that will be the case," Velcia said with a chuckle. "This is my first real assignment as a Keyblade Wielder, but back when I was traveling with Hinata it was a lot like this in many ways. In that case it was because we were either chasing down Keres, which was a very reactionary affair, or taking orders from DiZ, who tended to keep details about the larger picture to himself."

"I see. What an interesting way to live… although, I must admit our lives have been rather similar since we left Insomnia - everything seems to happen rather abruptly these days. Even when we have had plans, there have been quite a lot of surprises and detours thrown our way. I do hope that, once we finally make it to Altissia, we can find a way to end this incursion quickly and begin to rebuild," Ignis told her.

Velcia turned her mug around in her hand, glancing inside of it with a disappointed sigh to see that it was empty. "I wish I could help you with that," she said quietly. "I have so enjoyed seeing Lucis and it's been so disheartening to hear about all the terrible things that the Niflheim empire has done. I do hope you are able to put a stop to it."

"I hope so, as well. Worry not for us, however, as much as I am sure we would love your assistance I am equally as certain you will be needed elsewhere. Once the Heartless are under control, we should be able to handle the rest," Ignis encouraged.

"I don't think I'd be allowed to stay either way," Velcia told him. "In my training, there's been quite a bit of emphasis on a concept they call the World Order. Essentially, it simply means that Keyblade Wielders are not meant to interfere with the natural order of the worlds."

"Interesting. And what justifies the exception in cases such as ours?" Ignis asked.

"The Heartless, and their associated Darkness, is not natural to your world; it is an ancient evil that has spread from elsewhere. Our oath is meant to be merely to assist in fighting and protecting against this threat; whereas any threat or Darkness that is natural to each world, we must leave for them to deal with on their own," Velcia said with a sigh. "It's… I understand many of the reasons why, but there certainly are cases where it is harder to accept."

Ignis rubbed his hand against his chin. "I can see the importance of such precautions. It would not do to end up allying with one faction over another, potentially the wrong one, and jeopardize the relations with a world to a point where it may prevent a Keyblade Wielder from coming back and fighting off the Heartless later," he paused for a moment, thinking some more. "I am sure there are many more nuanced cases and situations, of course."

Velcia smiled. "That is, basically, how it was explained to me. You would make a fine Wielder yourself, if you ask me."

"Hm. It sounds like such a scenario would preclude me from my duties to the Crown. I cannot forsake my loyalty to Noctis," Ignis told her.

"I-i… I wasn't trying to suggest that you-" Velcia stammered.

"Ah, sorry, I did not intend to imply that I took it as an invitation," Ignis told her. "I thank you for your confidence in me."

"Of course," Velcia said with a small bob of her head. She gazed out into the distance. "I… I am going to miss Eos," she said softly.

"Oh?"

"I do believe I will," Velcia said thoughtfully. "I've come to find it so fascinating and beautiful here, and the little bits I've learned of the history and the culture have left me so curious to learn more."

"I must say, given our current situation in Lucis, that does come as a bit of surprise to me," Ignis said, glancing down into his now-empty cup. "Many in Eos are finding it harder to see a bright future."

"But you do," Velcia said.

"I do. I must. I believe in our cause, and I trust Noctis. I can not afford doubts," he told her. He leaned down and picked up the kettle, holding it for her to see. "Would you like to try another blend?"

"Yes, please," Velcia said with a nod. "I am glad that Eos has you four to fight so hard for it."

"It is not only us, do not forget. Even though they are not always with us, our allies and loved ones work towards our common goal. Lady Lunafreya, Gentiana, Monica, Cor, and many others all fight towards the salvation of our Kingdom… and our world, where such a thing is applicable. None of us are ever as alone as it may sometimes seem," Ignis said with a confident nod.

Velcia blushed warmly. "That's very encouraging… thank you, Ignis."

"Of course," Ignis told her. "But, let us return to speaking of less heavy topics, shall we? We have some time yet in Lestallum before we make our next effort against the Adamantoise. Is there anything you would like to do before then, while we have the chance?"

Velcia smiled, holding her finger to her cheek and trying not to stick her tongue out, as she tended to do when thinking. This effort was distracting, however, and she found she could not focus on both tasks at once. After a moment, she brightened up. "Ah, yes, you know, that turtle I found in the underground caverns has been on my mind since I left. I have been worried for it, hoping that the Heartless have been leaving it alone. And, though I suppose it may seem a bit of a silly thing to be concerned about, I have come to realize that I did not see any sort of plants or even signs of other animals down there. It must have something to eat, I am sure, but for some reason I feel uneasy about it."

"Ah, I have been rather curious to see this supposedly-extinct turtle for myself. Perhaps, if you are feeling well enough tomorrow we may go and pay it a visit," Ignis told her.

"I would love that," Velcia said, face beaming with a warm smile. "Do you… do you suppose the others will want to come along as well?" she asked shyly.

"Gladio will probably not be interested in navigating tight caves for now if he can help it, though were he in better health he would likely be happy to come along," Ignis said, thinking things over for a moment before continuing. "It is hard to say for the others, but after his shenanigans today I rather think that Prompto is going to continue to be found by Cindy's side at the airship… and I couldn't say for Noct."

"What do you mean, shenanigans?" Velcia asked.

"Did you notice anything odd about his story earlier? Somehow, supposedly by coincidence, he managed to buy precisely the model that Cindy has long wanted; a model which can only be obtained by ordering it well in advance? Gladio told me that Prompto's excursion came up rather suddenly out of nowhere," Ignis said with a sly smile.

"You mean, you think…?" Velcia asked with a chuckle.

"Indeed. Gladio and I both suspect that Prompto's been planning this gift for some time now, and the others were meant as a disguise of sorts," Ignis told her, preparing the next set of tea leaves as the water in the kettle was near to boiling.

Velcia held her finger to her cheek once more. "That would make sense to me. I did think that Prompto's gift for Noctis did feel a bit more… impulsive. But, I did not know what he was up to, if indeed he was up to anything…"

"Your gifts for both Gladio and I were very considerate," Ignis said with a small bow of his head. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness once again, Miss Velcia."

"You're quite welcome…" Velcia said, feeling warm inside despite the cold air.

Ignis leaned down to the kettle and opened the lid, lowering the leaf-loaded infuser cage inside.

A thought had been stuck in Velcia's mind, one which she'd tried to put aside but now found that she could not. She spoke up slowly. "If, tomorrow, no-one else does end up interested in going to the cavern… would you still like to go, just the two of us?"

Ignis paused for a moment, noting a certain hopeful tone in her voice, then closed the kettle lid and sat up. "Of course, Miss Velcia," he answered, folding his hands in his lap and looking out into the distance. "I am quite looking forward to seeing this cavern as well as the turtle."

Velcia nodded hesitantly. "Oh, well, so am I. It is good to know that we can go either way," she said.

She'd gotten an answer, yes, but Velcia found that asking the question had been more frustrating than helpful. Now, in place of the one that had been stuck there before, one final question loomed in her head, surely doomed to never be asked out loud - were those the only things about it that he was looking forward to?

---

After a hearty breakfast prepared by Ignis the next morning, the group split up. Cindy and Prompto went to work on the airship and Noctis, Ignis, and Gladiolus stopped outside for a meeting with Monica, who was working diligently to keep them up to date on the state of affairs across the kingdom.

Velcia returned to her room and began to prepare for her journey to the cave. She was still feeling weak and fatigued, but propelled by her excitement she pushed past it with very little attention paid. As her battle dress had complicated moving through some of the tighter passages of the cavern and she was concerned about her robes getting too wet and unmanageable, she found herself more deeply reviewing her magically stowed wardrobe. Inside, she found an outfit that had been bought for her in Twilight Town, during her travels with Hinata. It had been some time since she'd worn her old gray pants and green jacket, with matching knee-high boots, and she found herself smiling and awash with nostalgia. This outfit would be perfect for their journey to the cavern.

Once dressed, she looked in the mirror to make sure she'd put everything on correctly. It had been some time, and it was a style of clothing she was not altogether casually familiar with, and she found she had some adjustments to make regarding how the different layers of the shirt sat. One more glance, and she decided that if she was going to wear this she may as well do her hair in the same style that she wore when traveling with Hinata, and quickly pulled it up into a messy but functional bun.

Shortly after, there was a knock at the door. Velcia went over quickly to answer it, smiling to see Ignis. He seemed surprised to see her dressed so differently.

"Ah, hello Miss Velcia. I take it this means that you would still like to go to the cave?" he asked.

She tilted her head. "Of course. Did I do something to make you think that I had changed my mind?"

"When you did not mention it during breakfast, I did wonder if you found yourself feeling unwell today," Ignis told her.

"I'm sorry, everyone was so busy talking about their plans for the day I didn't think I should interrupt," Velcia said timidly.

"I see," Ignis said with a nod. "In any case, it does appear to be that it shall be just you and I for this little journey."

Velcia averted her gaze, looking vaguely down towards the door handle. "I do hope you don't mind."

Ignis bowed his head softly. "Not at all. I will be delighted to share this adventure with you."

"Oh, that's good. I mean, me as well," Velcia said, turning around quickly to close the door behind her and hide her blushing face. She took her time with the lock, biting her tongue to try to distract herself, and once done spun around once more. "Well, then, are you ready to go?"

"Indeed," Ignis said, a subtle but warm smile teasing at the ends of his mouth.

The two left the hotel, and Velcia led the way to the small rocky path she'd found around the crater lake of Lestallum's Power Plant. Ignis was very curious as to how she managed to find such a place, and as they went she explained what had led to it before.

Once they arrived at the dark crack that led inside the mountain, Velcia clambered up onto the rocks above the entrance once more. The magic that had sustained her old tether had long since dissipated, and so she held up her hand, fingers curled gently as a small swirling ball of magic energies concentrated in her palm. Once ready, she turned her hand over and left the small bobbing magic orb to serve as their guide.

Ignis watched this with quite some curiosity. "What is the purpose of this spell?"

"It's sort of a modification of Noctis' warp strike," Velcia explained. "It's a very concentrated little instance of magic that I can sense from some distance away and warp back to it when needed. I don't really know what else to call it, so I usually just call it a tether."

Ignis gently touched a fingertip to it. "It does seem to feel similar to our warp and summon magic. Fascinating. How far are you able to travel with one of these?"

"Hm, it does seem to change a lot depending on where I am at. Back home at Olympus, with the powerful magic there and my Keyblade, I can go quite far. Here on Eos, I lost my ability to detect the last one I placed in this spot somewhere just before I made it back to the paved sidewalks of the city."

Ignis looked out into the distance. "Still, that does seem a quite useful sort of distance to be able to cover."

Velcia nodded. "I agree, and it is very helpful to make sure we cannot get lost in the cave. So long as I make sure I don't go further than I am able to detect this tether, we have a way out."

"Very good," Ignis said. "Shall we venture inside, then?"

The two went back down to the entrance, and sidled their way carefully through the long thin crack that led inside. As Velcia hoped, moving between and around the rocks was much easier in this outfit. Once they made it inside, they stopped for a quick breather, Velcia sitting on a small rock ledge.

Ignis looked around the dimly-lit area, and brought out a gas-powered lantern. With a whoosh and a small roar, the fire inside sprang to life and the orange flickering light danced across the rock walls. He looked around the space attentively, making note of the orientation of the two exits from the stoney chamber.

"I had no idea there were caverns like this so close to Lestallum," he said.

"It's quite fascinating. There's another larger section further down that is especially interesting, I'm eager to see what you think of it," Velcia told him.

Ignis looked over towards the passage leading deeper still. "Are you ready to move again?"

Velcia stood up and walked over to him, making sure to emphasize the pep in her step. "Yes, very!"

The two continued on down the winding rock descent, the sounds of their footsteps echoing throughout the hollowed stone passageways.

Ignis glanced over at Velcia, who'd been doing her best to stay directly beside him where the cave allowed. "Ah, if you don't mind me asking, how have things changed in your Station now that the Bear has been destroyed?"

Velcia stopped abruptly, crossing her arms with one hand to her chin. "You know… now that you mention it, I didn't actually wake up there at all last night! How strange that I wouldn't even realize…"

"You had become quite accustomed to it being a rather more grisly affair, I believe it is a good sign that you were able to rest without it bothering you. Do you know what, if anything, this may mean for the two Stars?" Ignis asked.

Velcia pondered for a moment, and the two began to walk again. "I cannot think of any reason to be concerned about it. If it was the Bear pulling me there, then it does seem like a good indication that he was gone; and if it was the doing of one of the two Stars, then I suppose my hope is that they are at peace once more and no longer need my help."

"You truly do not believe that your travel to this realm could have been your own doing?" he asked.

"I… I truly doubt it, but I suppose there is quite a bit about the whole thing that I do not know. It's certainly not an ability I would be able to replicate intentionally. It will probably have to be something I will have to ask the Masters about," Velcia told him.

"Ah, look," Ignis said, pointing to the edge of their lit area. "The cave floor seems to be flooded."

Velcia nodded, but as she did a look of concern crept upon her face. "It was flooded last time as well, but I hadn't seen any water until I was further in."

They came up to the water's edge and Velcia leaned over, peering in. Down beneath the surface were the same round stepping stones she remembered from before, but they were indeed deeper.

She looked up and around the large, pillar-filled room. "It is the same room, but the water is deeper. Last time I was here, it only just covered my toes. There are pathways of round stones, like shorn stalagmites, under the water that are quite safe to traverse."

Ignis stepped cautiously into the water, shivering as the chilly liquid sloshed around his legs. "What say you? Shall we press on?"

"I would like to, if you are still interested," she told him.

The two carried on, single-file now with Velcia leading the way across the stones. There were a few times their feet did not land cleanly on the smooth platforms, as the water was now nearly knee-high and hard to see through, but even when their footing was not ideal the gravel that filled the spaces in between kept their footing manageable.

"Ignis, what do you suppose could have made paths such as these down here?" Velcia asked.

Ignis hummed thoughtfully. "It is hard to say for sure, but I find it likely it was the work of smugglers."

"Oooh, that would make sense," Velcia said, an air of excitement coming over her. "Do you think that we may find some sort of treasure, like they do in stories?"

"Perhaps. It is also possible that there is some other object or formation of value down here that some group has chosen to study or worship in secret. It really could be anything… even, perhaps, nothing at all," Ignis mused, the subject quite entertaining to him.

"The next chamber has a great lake that I saw no way to pass," Velcia said, motioning towards the opening up ahead of them. "If there is something to be found deeper inside, I suspect we will need to find a way to cross it."

Ignis nodded. "Is this where you saw the turtle?"

"Yes," Velcia said, stepping to the side as they entered the chamber to let Ignis ahead of her.

Like last time, the light was not strong enough to see all the way across; especially now as the water was deeper and they dared not step too far out. It was here that Velcia noticed that the water in the room seemed to be flowing gently, coming from the chamber of pillars and into this underground lake.

"The whole place is much more full with water than last time," Velcia said, looking down to her waterlogged boots.

"Good news, perhaps, for the turtle," Ignis said, glancing hopefully across the water's surface.

Velcia knelt down carefully, making sure that she didn't accidentally dip her behind into the chilly lake, and ran her hand through the water. A small rumble reverberated through the water, and she smiled up at Ignis. "I believe that is who you've come to see."

The water in the lake began to ripple not far ahead of them, the turtle's head slowly rising into view. It eyed them cautiously for a moment, but seemed to recognize Velcia. It swam forward towards her, lifting its open beak into the air and making a sad sort of moaning sound.

Velcia's smile faltered, and she bit her lip. "It does seem like something must be wrong, it didn't make such a pitiful noise the last time I was here."

Ignis looked around the cavern again. "I don't see anything unusual, other than the higher tide."

"And I don't sense any Heartless down here, either," she said, leaning over and running her hand across the end of the turtle's beak. "I wonder what is wrong with it."

"It could be that whatever is causing its distress is on the other end of the lake," Ignis said, staring deep into the darkness ahead.

Velcia, still rubbing the turtle's beak, glanced out into the void. "I'm not sure I know any way to travel across it to check," she said. She looked back down into the turtle's eyes, feeling as though she could sense an exhaustion behind them. She motioned out towards the lake, speaking gently. "Is there something out there that's troubling you?"

The turtle watched her hand with interest, turning partially to watch where she was motioning. It opened its mouth once more, a weak squeak crackling out. Velcia stood up straight and turned to Ignis, pointing across the lake. "There must be something over there."

The turtle slowly sank once more beneath the surface, and after a moment a great rush of water bubbled up and shot out like a geyser, spraying the both of them. They coughed and shook their arms in surprise, but when they looked at where the splash had come from they saw the turtle floating on its back. The bottom half of the shell, across its stomach, was nearly perfectly flat across aside from a series of ridges. The turtle's eye wandered lazily between them, and after waiting a moment for them to get the picture it clumsily slapped a flipper against its chest.

Velcia's eyes grew wide and she looked over at an equally astonished Ignis. "Do you suppose… Does it want us to ride on it?"

Ignis looked over to her, hardly believing the situation in which they'd found themselves. "Miss Velcia, do you know how to swim?"

"Uh, yes, but not very well," she admitted.

Ignis swallowed, then reached out towards the turtle with his foot. It was too far away, a fact which the turtle took note of and it began to slowly push against the water with its flippers to come in closer to them. Once it seemed close enough, Ignis stepped out cautiously onto the turtle, wavering back and forth as he tried to balance on the damp, smooth surface.

He looked over towards Velcia with an uneasy, yet exhilarated grin. "I suppose this is how we shall proceed," he said. "I believe we should be able to make effective use of your tether should things go wrong."

Velcia nodded, reaching out towards the turtle with her foot. The turtle tried to come closer to her, but was unable to as its shell was hitting the rocks on the lake floor. "Ignis," Velcia said softly, "My legs are not long enough to reach."

Ignis scooted over towards the side of the turtle shell, bracing his stance as best as he could and leaning out towards her. "Here, take my hand."

She leaned forward, grasping his hand tightly, and after a quick count she leapt forward as he pulled her in. Her feet slid as she tried to land, but Ignis' arms wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against his chest. Velcia exhaled sharply at the shock, and stayed perfectly still as she waited to see if she was going to fall or not. Ignis lowered her to her feet slowly, and lifted his arms away.

"Ah, Miss Velcia, I believe you should be able to stand on your own now," he said, looking down at the tightly-clinging woman.

Velcia, who hadn't realized that she'd wrapped her arms around him, found herself breathing heavily in a lightheaded flurry of emotions. She furrowed her brow and grit her teeth, silently chastising herself.

"Miss Velcia, are you alright?" Ignis said, a hint of concern now in his tone.

"Y-yes, I am. Just… um, just a little light-headed again, is all," she told him.

"Perhaps we should sit down then," Ignis suggested.

Velcia let go of him slowly, and sat down on the turtle's stomach alongside Ignis who did the same. The turtle chirped, and began to row across the lake with gentle, measured strokes of its flippers. Ignis lifted the lantern, looking around the cavern until his eyes landed on Velcia once more. She'd been staring at him, and quickly averted her eyes the moment he turned towards her. The corner of his mouth turned up in a half-smile as he restrained a chuckle.

"Miss Velcia, I do hope you aren't feeling too fatigued. Your complexion has become rather flush," he said.

Velcia paused, and couldn't help but wonder if this comment was out of concern or if he was teasing her. Either way, she could feel her face become red-hot. "I will be fine," she said tersely.

Ignis froze for a moment, and spoke up in a more reserved tone. "Please, do let me know if you need anything."

She couldn't bear to look at him, and merely nodded. After a moment, she reached a hand down into the cold water and cupped some in her palm before splashing it against her face, gasping at the sudden chill. Still, it seemed to work, and she could feel the lightness in her head and the blush fading.

Still keeping her eyes straight ahead, she spoke up. "What do you suppose we will see?"

Ignis raised the lantern, looking up at the rocky ceiling above them. In the rest of the cavern, much of the roof had been smooth but here it was badly cracked and quite rough, as if a large amount of it had tumbled down. "I don't imagine that we shall have to wait too much longer to find out."

Indeed, the opposite wall of the cavern soon began to come into view. There was a large pile of stones ahead, which appeared to have fallen down into the water from the shattered surface above them. The turtle swam over to a nearby stone bank, which seemed large enough for both of them to stand on comfortably. Velcia stood up uneasily, but once she felt she had her footing she jumped across onto the bank. Though it seemed smooth before, it was actually quite muddy and her boots stuck into it with a mucky squelch.

She looked down at her mud-splattered boots, then back over to Ignis. "It is better than falling into the lake," she said with a resigned shrug.

Ignis seemed to agree and jumped over as well, landing beside her with a similarly squashy sound. They pried their feet from the mud and shuffled around back towards the turtle, who had flipped itself upright once more. It bayed sadly at Velcia, then swam over towards the stones. With some effort, it managed to grab one with its beak and toss it out into the lake; but many of the stones were too large for it to get a handle on and the task seemed to take an extraordinary amount of effort.

Velcia turned to Ignis. "He seems to be trying to find something underneath the rocks," she said.

Ignis walked over to the very edge of the bank, staring intently at the water as it met the rocks. He stuck his hand down, feeling the current, and glanced over his shoulder. "Or something past them. The water is flowing through these rocks, I'd wager there is some form of underground river beyond them."

Her eyes opened wide. "Oh, no, do you suppose he's been trapped in here?"

Ignis stood up, shaking off his hand. "It is quite possible. If this is indeed the result of a cave-in, it could explain why the water level has risen so dramatically since your last visit."

Velcia looked back down to the turtle, who was alternating between trying to remove more of the stony debris and baying at them sadly. "Is there some way we can help?"

"Hm. Perhaps. Do you have any sort of magic that could help more easily remove the rocks?" Ignis asked.

"My mines!" Velcia said, face lighting up eagerly. "They should be able to clear out these rocks easily."

Ignis shook his head. "I'm afraid that would not be wise. Explosives may cause more cave-ins and make the problem worse, not to mention the shock waves through the water may harm our friend here."

Velcia sighed, crossing her arms. "Oh dear…" She thought for a few moments, casting an encouraging smile towards the turtle whenever it turned towards her.

Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "Why, I could try ice! I've seen ice break through rocks before. Do you think that might work?"

"It's certainly less risky than explosives," Ignis said with a nod, stepping back and motioning towards the empty space.

Velcia summoned her Keyblade to hand, looking across the golden blade. "Well then, let's try it." She stepped slowly through the sticky mud until finally she was at the edge of the bank by the rocks. She held up her Keyblade to show it to the turtle, and gently waved him away. The turtle bayed at them once more, but slowly slunk backwards.

Turning back towards the rocks now, Velcia held her Keyblade tightly with one hand and rested the tip of it in a gap between some of the larger stones. A swirl of magic spun around the blade, culminating in a burst of frost between the bits of debris blocking the passage.

The rapidly expanding ice crystals exploded out from the gaps, sending many of the rocks flying into the cavern behind them and crushing many of them into smaller particles, but it seemed to have made a very small amount of progress overall.

Velcia shook her head dejectedly, turning back towards Ignis. "It does seem to work, but it will be quite slow going. It almost seems to be packing the gaps in more tightly… I'm not sure we'll get through like this."

Ignis sighed, crossing his arms. "That is quite a conundrum."

Velcia stooped down, placing her hand into the water and feeling it flow past. She didn't know how far it went or how thick the blockage was. "The ice does seem to be on the right track," Velcia muttered to herself. "If only there were a way to get it further in."

She stood up, glancing around the dark cave as she tried to think. "I do wish I knew how Heston set up his water trays to freeze them all at once. If I could treat the water that way, perhaps I could wait until the water flowed through the rocks and then freeze the whole length simultaneously."

"Heston?" Ignis repeated. "Ah, yes, the 'people's magician'. From what I understand of the physics behind that trick, I do not believe we will be able to replicate it here as it requires quite a thorough filtration and careful temperature control of the water. It is quite an inspired thought, however."

Velcia looked back down to the flowing water, certain now that her mind was on the right track. After a moment, the ends of her mouth curled into a grin and her eyes lit with inspiration. She turned her Keyblade over in her hand, carefully removing Lunafreya's charm from it. The flash of light as the Keyblade reverted to its Divine Rose form caught both Ignis and the turtle's attention, and they both came in closer to see what was going on.

The crafty wielder clipped the charm to a ring on her backpack, which also had the keychain for Love's Inheritance as well. She removed the vine-like chain, the gold medallion swinging as she swiftly began to clasp it to her Keyblade. She glanced over at Ignis as she did, explaining. "Different Keyblade forms help to augment my abilities in different ways. When I use Love's Inheritance, I am able to combine different spells together much more easily than I would be able to otherwise… I think I have an idea."

The Keyblade flashed brilliantly once again, the familiar glowing stained-glass book shimmering beautifully at the end of the twirling vines around the blade. Velcia took a deep breath, holding the handle tightly with both hands with her eyes closed. Streams of magic swirled around the blade, and Velcia opened her eyes with an assured nod. "Yes, I believe I can combine these… Let's see if it works."

She stepped forward again, dipping the end of her blade into the water as far out as she could reach. The water that flowed past it took on a faint, shimmering glow, and Ignis watched this with fascination.

Velcia watched this intently, speaking up without turning her attention. "How far do you suppose the cave-in goes?"

"I'm not sure," Ignis said.

"I hope it's made it far enough…" Velcia said, removing her Keyblade and stepping back. "Now we wait…"

"For what?" Ignis asked.

The ground rumbled and shook, and a surge of water shot back out through the rocks with great force. The pile of debris shifted, then began to collapse in, opening up the tunnel partially. Water from the lake began to crash violently across the top of the rocks, and the turtle chirped in surprise and began to swim to the other side of the bank.

Velcia and Ignis watched the water, then looked into the revealed passageway. It was still obstructed, but they could now see that there seemed to be an underground river on the other end.

Beaming, Velcia turned towards Ignis. "It worked!" she cheered.

"Indeed!" Ignis said. "What did you do?"

"Well, I was thinking about how Heston was able to freeze the whole tray of water at once, instead of the way my magic freezes water and spreads out. His way seemed like it would work much better, and I had the thought that if I could delay the freezing effect of my magic…"

Ignis' eyes lit up. "Ah, and the flow of the stream carried this enchanted water deep through the obstruction!"

"Yes! I mixed my frost spell with a powerful slowness enchantment, and let the stream do the rest. I'm so happy that it worked," she said.

"As am I. It does seem to have done a good job so far," he said.

Velcia stepped back over to the edge, placing her Keyblade into the stream once more. She held it there for much longer this time, and as she did she breathed heavily with exhaustion. Ignis came over, placing his hand gently against her back to help steady her.

She lifted the blade from the water, turning towards Ignis with a smile. "We should probably step back again," she warned.

The two did so, and just in time as no sooner were they pressed up against the cavern wall did the passageway burst forth with flying chunks of stone and ice. The ground rumbled and the water began to rush furiously into the opening. Velcia tip-toed over to see that the underground river, while still having plenty of debris, seemed very much opened. She glanced back towards the turtle. "I wonder if he can fit through now," she said.

The turtle saw her looking back at it and swam over to see. It began to get swept up in the current and pulled into the passageway. It cried out in surprise, but as it floated into the underground river its calls began to sound more joyful.

"I think we ought to follow him," Velcia said to Ignis, stepping out gingerly onto some of the loose rock that remained at the sides of the tunnel.

"We can try," Ignis said with a nod. "It would be good to ensure it can make it to whatever it needs on the other end. How much further can we go before you lose track of your tether?"

Velcia held her hand to her chin. "I am not sure… I am already feeling it more weakly."

"Could you perhaps place another one here as a waypoint?" Ignis inquired.

"Oh, yes! Then we can simply hop from one to the next!" Velcia exclaimed, quickly setting to the task. Once the new tether was placed, they began to enter the underground riverway.

The water current was strong, and the turtle did its best to fight against it so as not to stray too far from its land-locked companions. Velcia and Ignis worked their way across the more shallow debris with great vigilance, but there were sections where there was nothing to be done but jump into the water and clamber up onto some rocks further down to continue on foot.

At some points, there were still too many rocks for the turtle to swim past; and at these places it would take a swift approach and throw itself out of the water and onto the top of the obstruction, where it would scrape across the top with a quite pathetic set of moans. Once the turtle was safely enough downstream, Velcia would use her ice magic in these spots to dislodge the debris.

After some distance, the mess in the river petered out and the water began to flow much more freely. The turtle splashed with its flippers as if cheering, and with quite an energetic display flipped once more to its back. Velcia and Ignis, who had come to the end of the line as there were no more rocks for them to stand upon, both shrugged to each other and leaped upon its stomach.

They sat down, breathing heavily from their exertion and watching the cavern walls pass by as the turtle floated lazily across the river.

Ignis glanced over at Velcia, who was running her hand through the water with a blissful smile. "Who would have thought we'd find all this?" he asked.

"I didn't expect it. How could I have?" Velcia asked. "I'm very glad to have been able to help this turtle. I have had this worry deep inside that perhaps I might have been the cause of the cave-in," she said sadly.

"You? How could you have done something like that?" Ignis asked.

"Well, Monica and I did experiment a lot with explosives not far from here, including using shaped charges on a stone slab to see how deep we could blast…" she said, shaking her head sadly. "I didn't think there might be some place down here like this that we may damage. I ought to be much more mindful."

"Hm… while it is possible, it is quite hard to say how likely it is. Regardless, you need not worry about it too much. Whether it was your doing or not, we have managed to help solve the problem," Ignis told her.

"I suppose so…" Velcia said reluctantly. "Still, I do feel like I should be more considerate of how my actions may affect an unfamiliar environment in the future."

Ignis nodded, leaning back on his hands. "Miss Velcia… I feel I have something I must apologize for."

She glanced over at him. "Oh?"

"Indeed. Earlier, when we were riding the turtle for the first time and you were feeling unwell-"

Velcia sat up straight, shaking her head and blushing yet again. "Oh, no, I am sorry for snapping at you. You weren't… I mean, you didn't…"

Ignis' cheeks filled with air, and he puffed it nervously out between his lips. "I… In such times, when you are not feeling well, I… it is rude of me to tease. Especially on a subject that we are… hesitant to address."

Velcia froze in place, motionless but for the rush of air that escaped her lips. She sat in silent shock, not sure how to continue the conversation, if indeed she should. "I… I see. Apology accepted. And… though I am not sure I would be ready yet to address such a subject…" she paused, glancing over at him again. Ignis' eyes were locked to hers and he waited patiently for her to finish. "I-it is a bit of a relief to know that it is not just my imagination."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, not even sure if they were ready to speak more as the winding underground river opened up into a large, grand underground cavern the size of which neither of them had ever seen before. The sounds of more turtles calling excitedly in the distance came out from the darkness, and with very little warning Velcia and Ignis were unceremoniously dumped into the chilly body of water as the turtle flipped upright and rushed off towards its friends.

Velcia's head burst up from the surface of the water, gasping and sputtering as she furiously paddled to tread water. Ignis bobbed calmly nearby as he watched the turtle go, then turned to see his struggling, shivering companion. "I suppose we're about done here, then," he laughed.

"Yes," Velcia spat out more water, "I do believe-" she coughed, "that seems to be the end of the ride."

Ignis swam over beside her, looking out into the cavern. It was quite dark, but not pitch black, the space lit by a luminous algae that crept along the rocks and pillars. Not far away, he spied a boulder that stuck out not far above the surface. "There," he said, pointing towards it.

Velcia scrambled through the water, every bit the opposite of Ignis' graceful swim. Still, she made it over and gladly accepted his hand, climbing up onto the boulder with his assistance. She rubbed her hands across her arms, shivering severely. "Y-you'd t-think it would b-be more gratef-ful," she stammered, looking back out towards the happy sounds of the turtles.

Ignis chuckled. "I suppose they are animals, afterall," he said. "Are you ready to return to the surface?"

Velcia, still shivering, nodded and held out her hand. "C-come along, th-then," she said. "I'll b-bring us a-along the tethers."

Ignis grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, and for a brief moment Velcia nearly forgot the cold. She bit her lip and gently squeezed his hand in return, then took a deep, teeth-chattering breath. "B-back to the s-surface, then."