[Direct Journal Entry]

5th of October, M.E. 760

I thought I may not get anything accomplished while about the homestead, but it turned out that the opposite has been true. Between the changings, the late-night feedings, and the mid-day naps, Leya and I have translated and written a compendium on our findings at the royal tombs. While we have much still to discover, and have yet to learn of an actual date of Noct's return, we anticipate it will be a bit longer. The translation indicates the chosen king will return when the masses turn against him. While many are becoming hopeless, I would say most have not "turned against him". I think it's inferring their hopelessness turns to anger, and they will shift blame. Moreover, it speaks of the 'turns of divine cycles', and a half turn of passing. I read a book once about the original time markers being much longer than ours. I still have much research to do, but it may be a couple of years before Noct makes his formal appearance.

All the better. I'll have time to return to training, and be at proper peak proficiency before our King returns.

19th of October, M.E. 760

Ignis woke up with a slight start at the sensation of something pressing against the side of his face. He jumped, instinctively scooping his arm under Caela's bottom, making sure she was still there. She was, and now, so was Aleya.

"Hey there, Lover." She slid her hand through his hair affectionately. "Did I scare you?"

"I fell asleep, didn't I?" He asked, a bit ashamed. He indeed had. He had put Caela on his chest and began taking notes with his other hand, telling his daughter everything he was writing. It tended to calm her when she was fussy—whether it was lying against his chest or the comfort of his voice, he wasn't sure. Next he knew, however, he had woken to Leya's gentle touch. His pen was still in his hand, Caela still at his chest, but his notebook was lost; It had probably fallen at some point.

She smiled. "I didn't want to wake you. I could have stared at that beautiful sight for hours."

"Think I'm handsome?" He quipped.

"Of course." She set her hand on his, and he took it, now abandoning the pen to whatever abyss the notebook had fallen into. "You're such a good dad."

"Technically, no. It's irresponsible for a parent to fall asleep while caring for their child."

"That must be why she makes sure to only sleep during the day. You must be exhausted; You've been up with her every night."

It was true. If she was fed and dry and still irritable, Ignis would take her outside and walk circles around the ranch, talking to her and bouncing her softly on his shoulder until she fell asleep. He had started the tradition when she was newly born so that Aleya could rest and recover from childbirth. But both he and Caela had come accustomed to the tradition and the bond. He smiled softly as he ran his hand over her tiny back. "Just like Noct, I suppose. I never could get him to go to bed on time, and so he slept all day—even before his powers took such a physical toll on him."

"She likes you better than me."

She had said it in jest, but Ignis was concerned it could actually be hinting at her true feelings. "That's not true."

"It's okay. I understand. I've fallen asleep on your chest many times myself. I know how comfortable it can be."

"Well." He wasn't sure what to say in reply. Receiving a compliment from her still caused him a bit of boyish excitement, sometimes. "Thank you."

"Let me put her to bed. Here. I brought you a cup of coffee."

"Wonderful!" He traded her the baby for the warm liquid. He sipped it for a while, watching the outline of light that crossed the room and put a smaller blob of light in the crib that sat at the end of their bed. From the moment Caela had been born, he could see her as a tiny blob, just as he could see the outline of her mother. It was true that he could see those that were tied so closely to his heart, but only in shapes and shadows of light in the dark. What he wouldn't have given to lay real eyes on his daughter! It troubled him deeply; More than he could ever let on. It was times like this that he often tried to visualize the scene—the perfect picture of his beautiful wife putting away their perfect daughter. Though his imagination was vivid, he knew all too well it wasn't real. And the wounds that he thought he had healed—the despair of losing his vision—had started to reopen little by little, day by day. It was indeed a 'cruel world', as Aranea had once said.

"You okay?"

Her voice snapped him from his musings. "Of course."

"You look irritated."

"No, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

He had never lied to her, that he could recall. If he had, it had been so long ago that he couldn't remember. He wasn't about to start, now. Still, best to not cause her concern or worry. "Oh, you know how I am. I'm always thinking about something or the other. It's nothing for you to be troubled about."

"Hmm. Really?"

He took her hand again as she neared him from across the room. "But of course."

"Well, I've been thinking, too." She sat in his lap. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. She had done so often after they were married, before she got well into her pregnancy. Since about five months along and thereafter, she had not done so. He supposed she was most likely concerned about her weight. Maybe if he had a form like that of Gladio, she wouldn't have been so self-conscious. But Ignis was well aware he was considered far more slender and she worried she could cause him discomfort. Vain though it may have been, it had bothered him. He was welcome to have her share his seat again. Perhaps her self-consciousness was wearing off as well. "I think you and I are getting soft."

His brow furrowed. This was not going the direction he thought it had been when she sat on his legs. "In what way?"

"You're going a bit stir-crazy. I can tell. You want to start training again. You're not used to sitting still. And I'm still working on getting the baby pudge off. I remember being in peak condition when we got married. All that walking and fighting and rock-climbing…I was firm. Do you remember?"

Oh yes, he did. He remembered every detail of every moment with her, and the more intimate memories still set his heart out of rhythm, and drove him to seek her out. Still, he refused to acknowledge as much. She would think he was implying he wasn't satisfied with her in her current state, even though he was perfectly as happy now as he had been. "Life is change, Leya. Neither of us are what we used to be. For example." He gestured at his face.

She ran a thumb over his eyelid. "What do you mean? It's different, but it's still good."

He drew her closer to his chest. "My point exactly."

They both sat in silence for a moment, happily smiling, as if they were once again newly-weds; Giddy simply being in the presence of the other. "Still," she finally said, sliding her fingers back and forth over his knuckles, "I liked it when I was in shape. It felt good to be active. I remember hauling two inch cable bundles over my shoulder, climbing ladders; I remember feeling tough—even back when I was training for the Crownsguard and got wrecked."

He scowled at the memory of bruises and cuts and limping. "Why in the world would you enjoy such a thing?"

"Because I enjoy feeling like I'm in top shape. And so do you. Don't deny it."

"I can't very well serve the crown if my physical performance is not up to par."

She leaned in closer to him, her lips brushing his ear. He felt a sharp chill of excitement run up his spine. "Then let's do something about it," she whispered, as if keeping secrets.

Perhaps this was going where he had thought, after all. He felt the rush of adrenaline as every synapse suddenly fired to life. "What do you have in mind?" He whispered back, turning his head to try to meet her mouth.

Their lips brushed for the briefest of moments, a whisper as low and secretive as their voices. And then suddenly, she grinned and gripped his hand tightly. "Let's go jogging."

Ignis had begun to run a hand up her back. He paused. "Pardon?"

"Let's go jogging! You and me, like we did back in Insomnia."

Sometimes he wondered if he repeatedly mis-interpreted her naïve actions or if she simply just enjoyed getting him flustered. She never laughed as if she were teasing him, so he assumed perhaps he was the one who most often misunderstood. Her innocence could be a burden at times. "You—want to go jogging?" He echoed in a bit of disbelief. She had no idea how quickly she could still make him unravel, and it wasn't easy to suddenly switch his mindset.

"Yeah, I do. Remember? We felt good jogging back then."

Yes, he remembered feeling very good, but it was never because of the physical exertion. Physical exertion had only served as a welcome distraction regarding the girl who bounded next to him: Ponytail swinging, glistening with sweat, panting with effort. He had grown used to it after a while, but those first two weeks had been a strain, especially as back then, he was trying his best to not be attracted to her. "I remember."

"We had the best conversations back then, too."

"To be fair, we always had good conversation. And we were always together. We were together when we were jogging; Therefore, we had good conversation."

"You don't want to go?"

"It's…Are you sure you're up to it? It's only been a month."

"I'm fine. I feel better than I have in a year."

"What about Caela?"

"Wiz offered to watch her."

"I see." There was silence as he considered.

She stood, obviously disappointed. "If you don't want to go, that's fine. When Noct comes back, and you can't keep up with him, I'm sure he'll understand."

"No, no." He quickly scrambled to his feet. That stung his pride. Besides, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, and in truth, he would enjoy a little time alone with her. "I was just considering Caela. What if she were to wake while we were away? Wiz might not be able to soothe her as I can."

She crossed her arms. "You know, I think I'm beginning to get a little jealous of our baby."

Again, a jest, but a tinge of truth mixed in. "Leya." His voice took on a soft rumbling chide, almost a low growl. "None of that." He pulled her snug against him and gave her a kiss. As he pulled away he lingered, noting the slight tremble in her lower lip against his. He still had the power to make her unravel as well, it seemed. And if it had truly been her intent to tease him with her affection earlier, he could offer her a taste of her own medicine. He grinned slightly before leaning in again, moving his mouth up, parting her lips slightly. She fell against him, losing cognition. And as the coup final, he ran a slow hand up her back, tracing her spine with his fingertips. He heard the soft grunt of pleasure, signaling he had accomplished his mission. He pulled away slowly, listening to her flurried breathing. "Have you forgotten how we got Caela in the first place?"

"N-No…" Her voice was almost frail as she stood on tiptoe, expecting him to continue.

He smiled at his own cleverness and gave her a quick peck on the forehead, patting her hip. "Now we can go for that jog." He moved to the door and opened it, gesturing out. "After you, my love."

26th of October, M.E. 760

Ignis was growing frustrated. They had worked on deciphering the archaic gibberish written on the media collected, and they had tried to compile by aging date. And still, they were no closer to the answers, no matter how often they reviewed it. On the bright side, access to media was becoming easier, as the Marshal now had a group of Glaive stationed inside the city of Insomnia. The information they had collected and submitted to Ignis had been a true treasure trove of valuable information. Delightfully, he had managed to procure three books in Braille so that he could read them personally: 'The Complete History of the Lucis Lineage', 'The Duplicity of the Starscourge Phenomena' and 'A Deep Dive into the Cosmogony.' It was delightful to read again, even if it were through his fingertips. He found it someone gratifying to finally be able to read something aloud while Leya was finally the one to take the notes.

Leya had been right about those jogs. He felt far younger and more energetic, and the exercise kept him from sulking over their lack of data. Though he found that he was still far faster than her. He thought it often as they jogged about the slough, but he would never tell her.

Prompto had perfect timing, and neither Ignis or Aleya thought it was by chance. He happened to show up to the ranch on the exact date of his birth. Ignis had taken the subtle hint and prepared one of his favorites—a meat pie. Aleya tried to participate and be cheerful that day, but she was now a mother, and Caela was becoming particularly needy. Ignis tried to assist as much as possible, of course, but there were certain services to their daughter that he simply could not provide.

As for Prompto, he was amazed that Ignis had matters with Caela well in hand. Ignis accused him of watching too many movies when he supposed all fathers to be witless and non-competent, especially first-time fathers. Ignis simply quipped back that he had plenty of experience after looking over they three on their journey.

Furthermore, Prompto informed them that a raiding party was discovered in the Saxholm area. They were slow-moving, these hunters, but consistent. They had left a trail of destruction and thievery everywhere they had been. They seriously injured several men. Prompto stated they had somehow raised a Behemoth from birth, and had used it to sniff out and render inert any potential target. It seemed they were content to destroy what was left of that dark world. The Marshal was hot on their trail, and Prompto optimistically expected them to be put down by the end of the week. Ignis hoped it would be sooner than that. Since Alvor, he simply had no patience for troublemakers.

In fact, he asked, but Alvor did not seem to be among them. It was a pity, thought Ignis. He would have offered to hunt them down, myself.

12th of November, M.E. 760

"Don't tell me you don't enjoy the attention," Leya panted as they jogged along. "A senator's daughter, and she was gorgeous, too."

Ignis hadn't broken a sweat, and rarely took a deep breath. It was just the way it had been back in Insomnia—having to slow his pace to accommodate her. They were rounding the furthest bend of the slough, and the wet bank sucked at their footwear, making the effort a bit more intense. She didn't want to admit she was at her breaking point, but he could certainly tell. She was panting like an over-heated voretooth. "I never looked at her more than twice," he informed her, "And that was only in the same sitting. I happened to have my eye on a certain administrative assistant by that time. All other women ceased to exist."

"Uh-huh. And then…there's Aranea…." She blew out a breath noisily.

"What about her?" He replied, as if he were enjoying a crisp autumn day in the sunshine.

"She likes you. I….can tell. She's always…" She huffed loudly, "making those…flirty comments…and gets angry…whew!...when we're together…"

"Leya, slow down." He pulled at her elbow, slowing to a loping trot. "You have nothing to prove."

She stopped for a minute, doubling over with her hands on her knees. "And…she calls you…'Lover Boy'…"

He chuckled in amusement. "That's a reference to you and I; She's not making an effort for me."

"Why? What's the…reference?"

"It started when she caught us together the first time." He paused when she didn't reply, listening to her swallow breaths like a man in a hot desert devours water. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Fine. Getting my…second wind. Let's go."

He chuckled again as she lit off. He did admire her tenacity, even if she wouldn't have the energy to lift a toe by the time they made it back. He wouldn't be surprised if he had to douse her in elixir and carry her in the end. "Besides, you're a fine one to talk; All that flirting you did with Gladio."

She glanced at him in startled offense. "I didn't flirt!"

"You most certainly did." He frowned. "I thought there would be a wedding in the works."

"Hey! Gladio flirts! He flirts…with everyone! I…do not…flirt!"

"Oh, contrare. I know from personal experience that you do."

"When?!" She clamped a hand to the cramp in her side.

He grabbed her elbow in mid-stride. She lost her balance and spun, and he caught her easily. "All the time," he told her with a devilish smile, holding her. "I quite like it."

"Oh. You mean…with you. Not with…"

He pulled her closer, feeling her breath on his throat as she panted for air; felt her ribs heaving against him. "You could flirt now. I wouldn't mind. You're working me up very well with all that labored breath."

She shoved away from him. "Now look who's flirting! I'll remind you we're here to jog, not make out."

"I'm fairly certain I can do both in one session," He answered, reaching for her chin.

She grabbed his wrist. "Ignis Scientia! There's Catoblepas' staring at us…"

"You're worried about making a scene in front of the Catoblepas?"

"It's just that he's really close."

Ignis chuckled. "Take a deep breath, my dear. Else you won't make it back to camp." And he made her stand still for a while as she breathed deeply for a minute or so. "There," he told her, running his thumb over her lower lip. "That's better." And with that, he dove in to kiss her again.

She moved away. "Ignis Scientia! What has gotten into you?"

It turned into a playful wrestling session; They were laughing and carrying on loudly for a time. But suddenly, Ignis paused. "Shhh." He told her, turning his head slightly as if perking his ear to a sound, still holding both of her wrists behind her. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" She complained, offended slightly that his attention could be derailed from her so suddenly. Times like these, she pretended to reject his advances, but was surprised and pleased to find Ignis knew exactly how to win her over. For a man who claimed he had no practice with women other than her, he certainly found a way to be charming.

"That…rumble…" He spread out his other hand to his side, hovering over the ground as if he could feel something rising from the soil. "Blast!" He cried suddenly. "Leya, run!"

She was never stupid enough to waste time asking him what was going on or why she should do what he asked her. She had absolute confidence in his ability to know and react to things she never saw, felt, or heard. They had traveled and lived long enough for her to know that their survival depended on her following his directions to the letter, and in haste. So she immediately took to her heels with urgency. He grabbed her hand as he raced forward. If he could just get to the haven rock on the other side of the slough…

"Keep running; Don't look back!" He grabbed her shoulders and half-way pushed, half-way dragged her as the rumbling grew nearer and nearer. The muddy bank began to quiver under their feet. To this point, he hadn't been absolutely certain what was coming, but he knew it was no tame herd of garula. And sure enough, he could now hear the angry bellowing and snorting, the feet that sounded hard and bony, rather than padded. It was a herd of kujata; he was sure of it.

To his dismay, Aleya vanished suddenly from his hands as she dropped in the mud, tripping over a rock along the way. "Get up!" He commanded, dragging her back to her feet. "Get going!"

"Ignis…" She looked back just for a moment. "Ignis, we're not going to make it!"

They were not, indeed. And there was nothing else he could do. Instead of helping her run, he suddenly shoved her knee-deep into the waters of the slough. "Swim!"

"But…the catoblepas…!" She hardly ever questioned him, but he could understand why. They were trading one aggressive giant for another.

"Quickly!" He urged her, "Quickly!" He gave her another swift shove, and she plummeted into the water. The kujata were nearly on top of them, raging, heads lowered in an attempt to skewer them. Ignis leapt as far as he could, and landed with a slight splash where the bank dropped off. He swam quickly towards what he figured might be the middle of the body of water as the kujata buck leading the pack waded in after him, pounding at the muddy bank furiously. "Keep going!" He cried to her.

He needn't have worried. She had grown up on an island, and was an excellent swimmer. Suddenly, breathing didn't seem to be a problem for her at all, and the buoyancy of the liquid seemed to relieve all the cramping pains she had before. While he outpaced her by a mile in jogging, she could swim absolute circles around him; And he was no weak swimmer.

At least he hadn't been, when he was sighted. Now he had a hard time getting his bearings. He hadn't had much experience in water since going blind—just that one rescue mission with Aranea, and he had a safety rope the whole time. The swirling mix of hydrogen and oxygen flittered around his limbs, removing the ability to feel vibration or differing textures. He just kept swimming backwards, praying he was headed towards the center of the slough rather than the opposite bank.

Suddenly, he heard Aleya's voice as she swam back to him. "Uhhh…Ignis?!"

He backed into her abruptly, and there was a brief flailing of limbs as they got tangled.

"Catoblepas!" She yelled.

He groaned audibly. "Bloody hell…" Things had gone from bad to much worse. He could now hear and feel the braising breath of the catoblepas as it bore down on them from the opposite direction. They were being sandwiched between an angry bull kujata and an angry bull catoblepas.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Dive, Dive, Iggy!"

He really had no further option. His bobbing head was a prime target for both wild beasts, and the only way to possibly survive was to conceal it. He did as he was told, just before the catoblepas' padded toes descended angrily, creating a swirling whirlpool of lake water.

He panicked as he felt himself being sucked the opposite direction of his destination, sucked by unseen hands and then whirled about like a vegetable in a soup pot. Blind, covered in water, every sound muffled, distorted and distant; He felt completely disoriented. And when things began to settle a bit, he had absolutely no idea where he had wound up. And already, before he could make up his mind to swim somewhere, anywhere, there was another foot stomping down, trying it's best to smash him into the lake bed. In fact, if it hadn't been for the muddling force of the water, he would have long been dead.

He thrashed, trying to escape in any way possible. And then—light. Glorious yellow-green, in a shape he knew so well, approaching rapidly. She grabbed his wrist, pulling, until he was facing her (was he on top? Bottom? Were they side by side? He couldn't tell), and then she put a hand behind him, shoving him forward. As she had always trusted him, he now must trust her. He wheeled his arms and kicked his legs as hard as he possibly could in the general direction she had indicated. She kept a light hand on his back—she apparently didn't need it to swim at all. She was nearly like a mermaid, gently roaming about in the waters that hindered and disoriented him.

After a few more moments, the burning pain began to set into his lungs. The pressure screamed for release with an intensity louder than any siren. He let out air in spurts—hoping to relieve the pressure. But when all air was expended, he craved a new supply. He attempted to ascend to the surface—if he could find it—but Aleya gave him another slight push. 'Keep going' she was telling him. But his lungs were desperate for air, and the psychological state of being buried alive in murky liquid became too much. Leya skimmed under him, tugging at his waist band to urge him along. He thought, though, that he could struggle no longer, and halted, moving in the direction that he thought might be up.

Aleya's hands grabbed the shoulders of his vest, pulling him back down. Was she mad? Didn't she understand he was about to drown? He tried to pull away in the natural instinct to survive, kicking and twisting for her to ease her grip. And then, she pressed her mouth to his, moving her lips to make him part his own. Only a slight drizzle of lake water entered before she created a perfect seal, her top lip over the left corner of his mouth, and her tongue and lower lip cordoning off the right. Simultaneously, she pinched his nose shut. He halted in surprise as he felt warm air rush over his tongue and down his throat. She wrapped her other hand around his back to hold her position as he drank in her breath greedily. And then, she released his nose, and he knew to shut his mouth. The only water he had taken, he easily ingested with a slight swallow. She gave him another slight tug on his waist band, and he followed her direction.

Shortly afterwards, she pulled up, guiding him to the surface. They bobbed in the water for a moment as Aleya surveyed the area. She panted loudly. "We're safe. I don't think they can see us. I think we're far enough away."

Indeed, now the catoblepas and kujata had a new battle to fight, as they tangled with one another. She moved toward him, grabbing both sides of his face. "Are you okay?" She swallowed and took another gasping breath of air.

"How on Eos…?" He touched his mouth absent-mindedly. "You were out of breath when we were jogging. How did you manage it?"

She moved forward, bumping into him briefly. "You need to learn how to breathe in the water. All I needed was one gulp. I can go a kilometer on that, easily."

He coughed a bit of water impolitely near her face. "And…how did you give me air when you were so depleted yourself?" He wiped a hand over his face. He couldn't see, of course, but the water pouring from his lengthening bangs was distracting.

She shrugged and then pushed him again, towards the safe end of the bank. "Practiced, I guess."

He stopped suddenly, turning to her. "Practiced?! With whom?"

"Keep moving!"

When they finally flopped onto the bank, pining like fish without water, they were both worn completely out. Ignis lay flat on his back, feeling the burn in his arms and legs, but mostly in his lungs. "Oh gods," Ignis complained melo-dramatically, "I've brought this on myself. The beasts are seeking revenge after I traded their hides for a caravan back then."

He felt a hand on his chest; Heard the mud suck and squelch as she rolled over to his side. She put her wet head on his equally soaked shoulder and patted his chest. "That was a little scary."

He was happy to be alive. Truly. And he was also equally happy that she was alive as well. He closed his arm around her and took her hand as they lay there for a moment, panting with water blowing in a misty spray with every breath. They were covered in algae and mud and who knew what else; But they were alive, and they were together. She had saved his life. She had done it before, and she would most likely do it again. He ran a hand over her wet scalp affectionately. "Let us catch our breath, and then we'll be on our way, shall we?" He paused thoughtfully. "And then you'll inform me at once who you 'practiced' that form of resuscitation with."

Her laughter lit up the chilly, damp, dark air, bringing instant sunshine into his world.

17th of November, M.E. 760

Aleya and Ignis had both been sick. Wiz had been on permanent baby-sitting duty until they were better. Ignis wasn't sure what distressed him more during that time: Feeling deathly ill, knowing Aleya was also feeling deathly ill, or hearing his daughter scream in misery without him being able to do anything about it. Aleya, of course, had to tend to the feedings regardless of her condition, and by the time she was done, she always collapsed back into bed and was instantly asleep. Ignis thought he might have felt guilty that he was getting the better end of the deal, but he knew he wasn't. He lay awake in torture hearing his daughter cry for him. It was for him, after all; He was the only one who could comfort her when she was so truly distraught.

The determined the slough was the most likely culprit. "This could be viral, of course," He had told Aleya while they sat cuddled together shivering through their fever. "I'm sure lying chilled and sopping wet on the bank did nothing for our immune systems. Then again, it could also be bacterial. The slough has no reliable source of fresh water intake. Who knows what we were swimming in? I shudder to think about it." Aleya had never responded, but she didn't seem as if she really cared one way or the other. For once since Ignis had known her, she was too miserable to try to think.

But at last they were on the mend! Once he was finally able to hold Caela again, he was over the moon. He had heard her cry nearly three days straight.

"She sure looks happy to see you," Wiz commented, sounding as exhausted as Ignis had been sick. "She's got a bond with you, for sure."

"I'm not certain who suffered more—she or I. I'm not certain who is happier at the moment, she or I. I only know I am all too happy to have this little loaf back in my arms." She had fallen asleep happily at her usual station of her father's chest. Ignis fell gravely silent for a moment. "It's endearing how close we are, but also troubling. I'll be on the road again, soon. Will she suffer in my absence?"

Wiz scratched his head. "Well, I'm sure her mama can take care of her. But I reckon she will miss you, that's for sure."

Ignis appeared wistful as he rubbed her tiny back. "I will certainly pine for her."

5th of December, M.E. 760

Ignis tried his best to attempt a romantic day on their first anniversary. It was difficult to achieve in that environment, to be sure: Absence of light, a bit of precipitation, a rustic wooden table, an absence of all the niceties he would love to have provided.

Were they back in Insomnia, it would have been much different. He would have taken her to that fancy restaurant on the corner. They would have dressed up. They would have taken in a concert or an opera of some kind.

Alas, their world was not the grand city, where he had originally planned their lives together. Their lives were confined now to darkness, a rustic chocobo ranch, and the looming shadow of urgency. However, he did his best. He thought she appreciated the meal, the dessert, and the dancing. The dancing hadn't been planned—they were both a bit swept away in the sweetness of the moment. But it worked in Ignis' favor. He had sorely missed such an experience. He always was taken back to their first dance in Insomnia; The lucky man dancing with the most attractive woman in the room.

It was hard for him to believe he had been married a year, when he thought he would never settle down in his life. Indeed, he had railed against it for quite a while, and feared it for much longer. But now, he felt he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world—not even his eyesight. For who needed eyesight in the dark, when one held such luminescence in his arms?