#fieryfantasy

“Where’s that godsforsaken celery?” Ignis threw a punch onthe table as his frustration got the better of him.

It had been almost a year since Altissia. Since the King ofLight got lost in the Crystal and the sun had hid itself from the face of Eos.A year of Ignis trying his best to regain some of his old self back.

Cooking was a second nature to him. Smelling and tasting allthe goods wherever they went didn’t help. He needed to cook again. To know hecould do it by himself.

“Here, let me –“Six said as she moved to get off the lawnchair in front of the fire.

“Just tell me where it is, Six.” Ignis raised his voice in frustration.His pride not allowing him to accept her help once more.

Six stood there for a couple of seconds, staring up at him. He’dnever acted like that before and she couldn’t but blame herself for not beingable to do or say something that could calm him.

“Couple of clicks to the left, next to your spatula.” She saidsimply while taking her seat once more.

Ignis felt the counter for a while, feeling the cold metalof the spoons and the forks helped him find his way.

Soon, he found what he was looking for, feeling the weightof his manners right away, a dark cloud covering his heart and brain as hefocused his hearing on her.

She was standing still, watching as the fire danced andlistening to the sound of her cigarette burning.

She had been unusually quiet for the past couple of days. Likeher mind was bent on something. Like she was getting darker.

He’d seen it before.

“I’ve gotten better at this, believe it or not.” He huffed alaugh, trying to break the unbearable ice between them.

Six had given up on everything this past year. Trying desperatelyto stay close to Ignis; help him, guide him through the darkness that surroundedthem, as well as his own.

“My perception is –“

“Your perception is crap, Iggy.” She sighed, tired ofkeeping the knowledge of the reason behind him going blind buried deep insideher.

“Six –“

“You’re an idiot, you know that? You thought you could hideit from me?”

“Six, please.” Ignis tried to calm her, listening at howuneven her breathing got the second her voice was raised.

She was crying.

“I know what happened in Altissia, Ignis!” there it was, hisfull name. She was about to unload on him and all Ignis could do was hang on tosomething while she let it all out. Everything that was in her mind.

What Six had come to realize though, was that she and Ignisweren’t so different when it came down to it.

It was the reason she never scolded him.

The reason he was her stepping stone. The one who couldbring her back to reality when things got dark. The one to slap some sense intoher when she was mad or had done something wrong by Gladio –every single time.

So she wasn’t surprised when he was the first one to speak “Therewas no other way.” His voice was stern and strong. Knowing exactly what he wassaying. Believing it with all he had.

“We could’ve –“

“What, Six? Sacrifice a part of you? Again?” This time itwas Ignis, raising his voice, scolding her like a little child. Putting herback in her place again.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you trusted me.” Her lipsmoved to spit the words faster than her mind could process them.

“What’s it going to take for you to realize: Not everythingis about you! You do not always have to be the one to make the hard decisions,or the sacrifices to keep us safe! Sometimes it is us, taking one for the team.Taking one for you!”

“You lost your eyesight!” she pointed out, frustrated aboutthe truth in his words. She’d never thought who hearing them would make herfeel.

Loved, sure, but at the same time so vulnerable. She was supposedto be their protector! And yet, she’d found herself saved by them, frommonsters, as well as herself.

“And I would undergo the same trial over and over again ifit meant I could keep you and Noctis safe.” He answered sincerely, placing hishand on her shoulder and bringing her closer to him “We are a family. This iswhat families do.”

Six moved her arms around him as he stroked her long ravenhair “Thank you, Iggy.”

“We might be far away, but the five of us will always beone.”