"...a king pushes onward, always, accepting the consequences and never looking back…"

The sound of Regis' voice stirred Ignis from a deep, but not peaceful sleep. He half expected to see when he woke, but he clearly wasn't in the realm of his dreams this time-he was in the dark. He slowly sat up and put on his glasses—as was his habit. He stretched his arms and felt a sharp twinge in his left shoulder. He tried to massage the knot out to no avail-it was going to be one of those days. Coffee was a necessity. He would have been making breakfast by now, but that wasn't an option for him. Not yet anyway.

He crawled over to the small bag of supplies they always kept near the entrance and tried to feel for a can of Ebony. The rustling must have woken Prompto.

"I hope you found something edible in there because I'm starving," Prompto said as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"I just want some coffee," Ignis said as he fortuitously chanced upon a can of Ebony. He opened it and took a healthy sip. He could already feel the caffeine jolting his brain awake.

Prompto started to fish in the bag himself. He was disappointed to find a limited range of breakfast options. He finally produced a loaf of bread—almost stale—from the bag. He stared at it hopelessly.

"Stale bread. Mmm, Can't wait."

"If you stir the fire a little, you could toast that bread," Ignis noted.

"Good idea, why didn't I think of that?" Prompto said and walked out of the tent. Ignis decided not to answer that question and followed his friend outside.

Ignis briefly explained how to place a grate over the fire and cook the toast. Prompto followed the instructions and, in short order, they had some flame-roasted toast. A little fresh butter or preserves would have made it much better, but it was nice to have some warm food. Prompto ate two pieces by the time Ignis had got halfway through his first.

The smell of food roused Gladio—and even Noctis.

"Toast, Ignis? Not your finest work," Noctis joked. He was genuinely happy to see Ignis cooking anything—even that.

"I'm just the sous chef today," Ignis answered. None of them knew what that was, but they were all glad to be having a simple meal together. Once the toast feast was complete, they packed up and started to leave the haven.

"Hey Ignis," Noctis said just before his adviser started down the path, "you should put on your jacket."

"It's a little warm this morning," Ignis answered.

"Yeah, but it looks like it's going to rain," Noctis replied, but he was really considering how it might give Ignis a little more protection in combat. Ignis was touched by the consideration. It was the sort of thing he'd usually do for Noctis.

"If you insist," Ignis said as he untied his jacket from his waist.

"I insist," Noctis said with mock gravitas and fell into stride next to his friend.

"Maybe you should hang back." Noctis' words ricocheted in Igns' head as the party trudged through the maze-like mine. He was the dependable and capable one-he never needed help. Ignis had been Noctis' adviser and confidante since he was 6 years old. Not once in the 16 years since, had Noctis ever doubted Ignis' competence. For Noctis to now see him as a liability was an indescribable feeling. He was both angry and crushed, but he had no time to indulge those feelings.

"Don't let it get to you," he repeated silently to himself as he often did in such difficult situations. His internal monologue had distracted him enough to make him forget his surroundings briefly. He was startled when Gladio gripped his shoulder firmly and pulled him back a few steps.

"One more step and you'd be taking the fast way down that ladder," Gladio said. Ignis reached forward with his cane and could clearly feel that there was a large drop off. He felt a little embarrassed.

"This is proving to be a challenge," he admitted a little somberly.

"What'd you expect?" Gladio shot back-not angrily, but Ignis could detect annoyance and frustration in his voice. He decided not to respond.

"Noct-slow down," Gladio said testily, "Ignis can't keep up." Ignis was beginning to discover that one of his biggest challenges would be enduring humiliation. He didn't think of himself as a proud person before his injury, but now he felt each slight keenly.

Eventually, they found the lowest chamber of the mine, but the entrance was blocked by a giant piece of drilling equipment. They quickly discovered they needed to turn on a power generator in order to move the machine. That meant another long and treacherous trip through the labyrinth of the mine. Ignis dreaded every second; he had to be at peak concentration not to get tripped up. The persistent drizzling amplified his despondent mood.

"Did you hear that?" Noctis said as the giant drill sprang to life.

"Sounds like we're clear!" Prompto said excitedly.

"Grand," Ignis added.

"Then let's move," Gladio grunted. Noctis sprinted down the stairs from the generator and headed for the blocked path. Gladio growled his disapproval and Ignis followed along behind-feeling like he was slowing the party down.

It wasn't long before they re-discovered the entrance to the lowest chamber. The path down was slippery and steep. Despite his best efforts, Ignis stumbled and fell. The foul smell of the water that splashed in his face nearly caused him to be sick. Prompto reached down to help him, but Ignis waved his friend off. He wanted to take care of himself. Prompto took a couple of steps back and walked into the cavern.

"This cave is huge!" Prompto exclaimed.

"The tomb's further in?" Ignis asked as he tried to follow the sound of their footsteps. His voice sounded a little hesitant.

"You wanna wait here?" Noctis asked-misinterpreting the trepidation in Ignis' voice.

"Alone? Here?" Gladio asked incredulously.

"Not what I said," Noctis replied curtly.

The party continued on, with Ignis trailing a little ways behind. He was carefully trying to avoid falling into the fetid water-as Prompto had wisely advised him to avoid. Once they were near the center of the cavern, Noctis could see something that looked like the entrance to a royal tomb nestled in the trunk of the large tree, but he stopped in his tracks when a giant, angry Malboro sprang from the depth of the swamp.

"That looks like a mouth. Is that its face!?" Prompto screeched in terror as he whipped out his pistol.

"What? What is it?" Ignis asked, the anxiety obvious in his voice. The giant Malboro attacked too quickly for anyone to respond. Gladio took two giant swings at its long, vine-like arms but nothing happened. Noctis went for a warp strike and was immediately swatted away like a gnat. Prompto fired round after round but it didn't even seem to annoy the monster. Ignis kept his distance at first, concerned that he might actually impede their progress against the enemy.

"It's useless!" Gladio shouted as he retreated slightly.

"This might be a good time to panic," Noctis replied only half-jokingly. Ignis' heart rate was increasing. It was his duty to protect Noctis and he was just a spectator. He had to do something.

"No! There must be a way," Ignis replied, partly to himself. Think, Ignis, Think. He thought back to the ship and the book Cecily had read to him. Malboro. He remembered hearing her words describing the foul creature...but what was its weakness? He focused, his pounding heart made it difficult to recapture the memory. Fire. That's it!

"Noct, I have an idea. If I may…" Ignis took the flask of fire that Noctis had prepared the night before into his left hand. He listened as intently as he could to monster's hideous grunts and threw the flask with as much force as he could muster towards the creature's mouth. In moments, the monster ignited and screeched in pain as it perished.

"Ah, as I suspected." Ignis said, very pleased with the result.

"It really worked!" Prompto shouted.

"Iggy, you saved us." Gladio said with real gratitude and a touch of guilt. He had been adamant that Ignis stay behind ever since he'd been injured. Noctis didn't say anything-which annoyed Gladio-and headed for the tomb's entrance. Ignis, Prompto and Gladio followed him in and remained at a distance as Noctis collected the Katana of the Warrior.

"Now let's haul ass," Gladio said abruptly and turned to leave. Ignis was finally fed up. They weren't working as a team and he could no longer stand the open hostility between Noctis and Gladio.

"A moment?" Ignis signaled that he wanted to talk.

"Is everything OK?" Gladio asked, suspecting that their wounded friend needed to rest.

"It bloody well isn't. And I won't suffer this pointless bickering any longer," Ignis said with conviction in his voice. It surprised Noctis and Prompto to hear him curse like that.

"Let's be frank. My vision hasn't improved and probably won't." His voice was steady but he felt a lump form in his throat-it was the first time he had said that out loud to them. Noctis turned to look at him. He'd been telling himself that one day Ignis would wake up with his vision healed. That hope was taken away all at once.

"...yet in spite of this I would remain with you all-" he paused to steady his voice, tears were genuinely threatening now, "-till the very end."

"Sorry. But I object-war is a matter of life and death," Glaido interjected brusquely.

"But we'll be there!" Prompto shot back, a little heatedly. He very rarely stood up to Gladio.

"It's not about us looking out for him!" Gladio returned.

"Well, then he should be free to choose," Prompto insisted-refusing to give ground.

"There's more to it than just what he wants!" Gladio was losing his temper. All the emotion that had built up since Altissia was boiling over.

"I know full well!" Ignis shouted. That silenced them all-he never raised his voice. "I won't ask you to slow down," he continued, " If I can't keep up, I will bow out." It was humbling for him to say it, but liberating at the same time.

"What says 'his majesty'?" Gladio said with mock deference. Noctis couldn't respond, it was all too much to bear.

"Noct, you are king," Ignis said in a soothing voice. In that moment, Ignis vividly recalled, King Regis' words. "One cannot lead by standing still. A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back." Ignis could see Regis perfectly in his mind's eye as he said it-and so could Noctis. Ignis paused and walked closer to Gladio. It startled Gladio a little-Ignis was already adjusting to his lack of vision.

"Gladio, Noct will take his rightful place, but only once he's ready," Ignis said with gentleness and authority. It was the kind of leadership they had been desperately lacking ever since Ignis had been injured. Gladio knew he'd been defeated.

"Have it your way," he said as he turned to leave, "We're still taking a big risk. We better all be ready. Prompto took off after Gladio, hoping he might be able to smooth things over with the angry giant. Noctis couldn't really move. He was still reeling from the news that Ignis might be permanently blind. After a few moments of silence, Ignis began to walk slowly towards the sound of Prompto's quickly vanishing footsteps.

"Specs, wait." Noctis said. Ignis stopped in his tracks. "What happened….what happened in Altissia?" Ignis didn't turn to face Noctis. He felt a surprising amount of anxiety at the question. His throat went dry and his heart started beating fast enough for him to feel it against his chest. The drizzle of the rain took him back to that moment on the altar, lying flat on the ground. Rain pouring. Ardyn's malicious smile. For a moment, Ignis couldn't catch his breath.

"Nevermind," Noctis said with disappointment, but not anger. He understood Ignis may not want to talk about it. When he started to walk away, Ignis spoke.

"I recall," he began shakily, "when the Hydraean raged-in the midst of the empire's retreat-one conspicuous craft remained behind, the chancellor's." He paused for a few moments to collect his thoughts. The soft rain filled the silence. "The last thing I remember seeing was his ship heading for the altar….I fell unconscious and was powerless to stop him." It was part apology, part confession. Noctis walked in front of Ignis and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're alive," Noctis said-intentionally stopping Ignis from saying more. He wanted to make it clear he didn't blame his oldest friend for anything that happened that day. Ignis nodded, but clearly was still shaken.

"Because I can't do this without you," Noctis said. It wasn't his habit to give hugs-in fact he almost never did-but he decided to make an exception. He put his right arm around Ignis' shoulders and pulled him close for a brief hug. He couldn't stop the tears from welling in his eyes and neither could Ignis. After a few moments, Noctis stepped back and started to walk slowly towards the entrance of the cavern. His usual swagger and light demeanor had returned.

"Got my back?" Noctis asked over his shoulder.

"Always," Ignis replied and started to follow his king. He smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. The road ahead would not be an easy one, but he knew now for certain that nothing could shatter the bond he shared with the king and the Crownsguard.

Author's note: A number of the lines in this do appear in game, but I rewrote the setting of the last scene. In the game, Ignis says his brief comment about Altissia at the start of ch. 11. I felt it made more sense for them to have a heart to heart right after that speech. I can't wait for Episode Ignis so we can find out more. This has been so much fun to write! Thank you for all of your lovely comments and support. There is a lot more I want to write about Ignis, but I plan to set that in the WoR (with Comrades launching today/tomorrow I hope to get lots of new background info). I hope you enjoyed!