Old Wounds - FFXV fanfic
Summary: Ignis works to figure out how he can incorporate befriending a maralith into his busy schedule. Noct may have something to say about it, and it might not be good.
Work Text:
“You can’t be serious?!” Noct all but yelled. “He’s dangerous, you can’t go back. One of those things almost killed me, remember?”
Ignis took a deep breath through his nose and waited to make sure Noct wasn’t going to say anything else. “I understand that highness, but there is a chance he may come looking for me if I don’t make an appearance soon.”
“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt, I – I don’t know what I would have done if something --,” Noct paused and looked away. “I just can’t bear the thought of you around that thing.”
“Understood,” Ignis replied with a forced smile. After his ordeal with the maralith, Gladiolus, a month ago, Ignis wasn’t in the mood to push things. He’d had enough nightmares to last him a lifetime already, he didn’t really need to add to them.
Gathering his paperwork he stood and exited Noct’s private meeting rooms. Talking about the incident brought back all the memories like it was yesterday. Ignis thought he was going to die out in the field that day. No one expects to come back from being captured by a maralith, especially one that takes you to his cave where no one can attempt a rescue.
Shoving aside the emotions it stirred, Ignis made his way to his next meeting. He’d become a bit of a celebrity since his return. The crownsguard that had survived a maralith attack and lived to speak of it, that’s what people said. The chatter seemed to follow him through the halls, but Ignis was getting tired of hearing it. Noct had been attacked and barely survived. Ignis didn’t hear anyone at the citadel talking about Noct in awe. It didn’t seem fair in a way, the prince deserved recognition for his plight, and he’d been closer to death’s door than Ignis had.
Though nearly drowning and freezing to death hadn’t been a fun experience either, shuddering at the memory Ignis hurried along the corridor. The sooner he could put this all behind him the better. Though, he did feel a small bubble of guilt for having lied to the monster. Offering to go back and see him made sense at the time. Ignis hadn’t wanted to anger the maralith.
No matter how bad it made him feel, Noct was resolute in his opinion. The prince didn’t want Ignis to see Gladiolus again. Praying that the monster would forget him was wishful thinking, Ignis had a feeling the maralith wouldn’t stay silent forever. Sighing heavily Ignis tried to clear his head, he had work to do.
It was one week later that Ignis received a frantic summons in the middle of a meeting. The guard who came to collect him was practically running as they made their way to the kings’ office. All Ignis had been told was something had happened that required his immediate attention. Most of his fears were laid to rest when he was ushered into the space and saw Regis and Noct in attendance along with Cor and Clarus.
“What’s happened?” Ignis asked once the guard left.
“The maralith has made an appearance,” Cor offered as he stepped forward to hand Ignis a tablet.
“Is this security footage?”
“Yes, from the nearest outpost to his cave,” Cor replied.
“Oh dear, has he hurt anyone?” Ignis couldn’t bear it if the maralith had killed someone due to his actions.
“No, he’s been blocking the road though, and yelling your name, loudly.”
Groaning Ignis ducked his head, this wasn’t how he’d hoped his afternoon would go. Looking over at the prince revealed the young man staring resolutely at the floor. “What would you have me do?” Ignis asked glumly.
“It’d probably be best if you could talk to him, you were able t--.”
“No! I won’t let Iggy go back out there, he could get hurt, like me,” Noct lamented.
Ignis chose to stay silent; he’d already had enough arguments with Noct over this very subject. The battle was not his to win anymore.
“Highness, with all due respect to your past history, this maralith isn’t like any other I’ve seen,” Cor tried with a sad face. “We don’t know what it’ll do if he doesn’t see Ignis.”
“What if it’s a trick,” Noct uttered softly. “What if he just wants to hurt Ignis this time?”
“Son, have you heard Ignis’ account of what happened?” Regis asked.
Noct turned towards his father and shook his head. “I couldn’t, I didn’t want to think of Ignis being attacked like I was.”
“His situation was different than yours, perhaps if you hear what Ignis has to say on the matter you may change your mind. Not all things are in black and white,” Regis finished.
“I know that!” Noct hissed but he still had a hard look on his face.
Ignis was stunned to hear that Noct still hadn’t gotten all the details of what had occurred. The prince had always left the room when he was retelling his story, and Ignis had figured he would at least read the report later. Apparently, Noct had done nothing of the sort and instead remained fearful. It pained Ignis to no end that his friend and liege couldn’t even stand to hear his account due to the suffering it caused. “I’m so sorry Noct, I didn’t think my struggles would cause you such grief,” Ignis added after a moment of silence.
“Whoa! I’m not upset with you Ignis! Shit, no, um – gah!” Noct gave up trying to finish his sentence and threw his head back into the sofa cushion.
“Might you be up for hearing what happened?” Regis asked quietly.
Noct took a few minutes to respond, “fine.”
Without pause, Ignis retold the one part of the story he assumed Noct would care about, the moment where Gladiolus had saved him, first from drowning and second from hypothermia.
“Wait? The snake man actually saved you?” Noct asked incredulously.
“Yes, and I do understand your reservations about me seeing him again, but I fear he may get violent if I don’t make this effort,” Ignis pleaded.
“I’m not sending you out there alone!” Noct proclaimed.
Ignis could hear Cor sighing heavily in the background, along with Clarus. The two were not happy with this new development, but what choice did they have. If Ignis had been unable to win an argument with Noct over this subject then they certainly weren’t going to fare any better.
“I suppose we should get a move on, the longer we keep this maralith waiting the more agitated he could become,” Regis announced as he stood up slowly.
“Hold on, you aren’t going!” Clarus sputtered indigently.
The king laughed humorlessly as he grabbed his cane and began walking towards the door. “If you think I’m going to let my son go anywhere near a maralith without sussing out the situation first, you’re crazy Clarus.”
--
Ignis could feel his adrenaline spiking as he got out of the car nearly an hour later. They’d made it to the checkpoint and Gladiolus was clearly visible on the other side of the fence. It was obvious he could have smashed through easily. For him to hold back was promising.
As he approached the gate Gladiolus saw him and rushed forward, knocking over the guards in his way. In a surprising move, the maralith vaulted his long body over the fence and landed with a significant thud directly in front of Ignis.
The monster didn’t wait for permission this time as he scooped Ignis up and glared at him. Thankfully, this time the hold wasn’t tight and Ignis’ arms were free. The distant cries of people shouting things about being on standby and hold your fire made Ignis heart beat faster. Before he could think of what to say Gladiolus offered his opinion.
“Liar!” he accused while reaching out a hand to lift Ignis’ chin slightly.
“I’ve got a job to do Gladiolus, I can’t come out here all the time.”
“Liar,” he grumbled again.
Sighing heavily Ignis wondered what he could say to appease the giant temperamental snake man. “I’m truly sorry for not coming sooner.”
“Why?” Gladiolus asked as he removed his finger from under Ignis’ chin.
Honesty was the best policy, right? Ignis felt a little bad at having to resort to tattling, but this maralith was too smart to be trifled with. “My boss forbade me from coming.”
Gladiolus scrunched up his face and curled his lip slightly. “Non scitis sermo.”
Thinking fast Ignis understood that Gladiolus probably didn’t have a need for the word boss in his life. “Uh, master? King?” When the maraliths’ frown turned into a smirk he knew he’d figured it out.
“Maneat?” the maralith asked as his shoulders relaxed.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay, my master gets nervous with your kind.”
“Why?” Gladiolus demanded.
“He was attacked by a maralith and almost died when he was younger,” Ignis replied in a soft voice so Noct wouldn’t hear. The king and his son were only a few yards away. Regis had adopted a somewhat familiar fighting stance, and Noct was visibly shaking.
“Dicite mihi in nomen! Ego nocere esi,” Gladiolus fumed, his frown was back.
Ignis wasn’t sure exactly what the maralith had said, but he was quickly trying to translate. His refresher course in ancient solheimian over the past few weeks hadn’t been for naught. Going out on a limb Ignis repeated what he thought Gladiolus had said. “You want the name of the maralith, right? The one that hurt my friend?”
Gladiolus nodded and balled up one of his fists, shaking it around towards the sky. “Ego nocere esi!”
“You want to do something to them?”
“Malum, hurt,” he finished with a pout.
“I think it might help for him to hear that, do you think you could put me down for a moment?” Ignis tried to resituate himself, but one of his legs was bent underneath a massive hand and the other was sticking out in between Gladiolus fingers. He must have looked ridiculous fidgeting in the monster's grasp.
“Maneat?”
“Yes, I’ll stay this time, I’m not leaving.”
Gladiolus nodded and then gently lowered Ignis to the ground. His hands remained bracketed around him until he stood up straight. How this monster knew his knees were pudding was a mystery. Carefully pushing the maraliths’ hands to the side he approached Noctis.
“We’re leaving!” he spit out.
Ignis held up his hand, “highness, may I please just ask you to be patient with me? I’d like to tell you what he just said.”
“You can talk to him?”
Nodding Ignis waited for Noct to look directly at him. “He’s just offered to go hurt the maralith that attacked you.”
“Why?!” Noct asked in surprise.
“Would you like me to ask him?” Before Noct could answer Ignis turned around and looked up at Gladiolus. “My friend wishes to know why you would offer to hurt the one that attacked him.”
“Et nocuerunt tua, familia. Non est bonum.”
“What’d he say?” Noct asked quickly as he walked up to stand nearby.
“I believe he’s saying that the other maralith hurt my family and that’s bad.”
Noct looked slightly stunned by that comment. “He doesn’t know me at all, why would he say that?”
“Ignis amans mei,” Gladiolus offered calmly like it was the most reasonable explanation.
“Huh, what does that mean?” the prince asked innocently.
Of course, this was the exact time that Regis decided this maralith wasn’t a threat and strode forward to answer his son’s question. “I believe the maralith thinks Ignis is his lover.”
Ignis could feel heat pooling in his cheeks at the admission. He didn’t know why it would be so embarrassing to hear spoken out loud. It wasn’t like he felt the same way back.
“Um, what? How the hell would that even work?” Noct asked risking a glance that wasn’t anywhere near Gladiolus' face.
“Don’t continue that train of thought Noctis Lucis Caelum. Or I will cook you nothing but vegetables for a solid month.”
Noct clamped his mouth shut and scooted closer as if to say sorry.
“Dicere illud nomine!” Gladiolus requested suddenly as he bent down to look at them better.
“This is my friend Noctis,” Ignis replied as he put an arm around the princes’ shoulder.
“No, nomine alio.” The maralith looked a little desperate.
This time the king stepped closer and repeated their family name. “We are of the family Lucis Caelum. I am called Regis and this is my son Noctis.”
Gladiolus furrowed his brow and squinted at Noctis. “Vultus amo Somnus.”
“Yes, he does look like the founder king, it’s true,” Ignis said calmly.
“No, est Somnus,” Gladiolus energetically replied gesturing towards Noct’s face. “Est Somnus.”
Ignis could feel the blood draining from his face, if he understood Gladiolus correctly that would mean he’d actually seen Somnus in his lifetime. Since the maralith seemed to think Noct was Somnus.
“Er, Somnus died several thousand years ago Gladiolus. This is his descendent.”
The maralith furrowed his brow and began silently counting on his many fingers. “Milia?”
“Yes, thousands, have you lost track of time?”
Gladiolus nodded and frowned. He seemed deep in thought until Regis broke the silence.
“Perhaps we could move this meeting to someplace more comfortable?” the king suggested kindly.
The maralith immediately straightened up and pointed back toward his cave in the mountains. He seemed excited by that prospect.
“There is a perfectly good outbuilding near the guard station. I believe it would be spacious enough to fit you.”
--
Trying to teach English to a two thousand-year-old maralith was easier than Ignis expected. Mainly because he understood the language already and simply hadn’t known how to pronounce things. Surprisingly Regis and Noct had stayed during the impromptu language lesson. The outbuilding had been large enough to pull their car into so the king had opted to take a nap in the front passenger seat. Noct meanwhile sat in the backseat with the window rolled down staring at them.
Ignis could tell Noct was still nervous, but he hoped it would help to see him interact with Gladiolus in a good way. The maralith had been on his best behavior. It probably helped that Ignis let Gladiolus hold him during their lesson. The maralith’s tail was curled around them both protectively as he sat on Gladiolus' hand like some giant warm squishy bench.
Soon enough the sun had fully set and Ignis knew they’d need to get back home. “I’m afraid it’s time for us to go back to the city.”
“No.” Gladiolus pouted.
“Come now, it can’t be that bad when we leave?”
“Lonely,” the maralith answered.
Knowing he couldn’t promise to come back until Noct had given him his blessing, Ignis thought of what he could say to help make Gladiolus feel better. “Shall we ask the king if I can come back to teach you more?”
“Yes! I want that,” Gladiolus agreed with a hopeful look.
The sound of a car door opening caused Ignis to look over, Noct was carefully walking closer. “Do you promise not to hurt anyone?”
“Et iusiurandum dant, I give oath.”
“No tricks, right?” Noct questioned seriously, looking very much like his father in the process.
Gladiolus shook his head and smiled. “I will see Ignis again, this makes me happy.”
“Okay, I’m alright with you coming out here to meet. Just please be careful.” That last statement was directed towards him and not the maralith.
“Curam, tutum,” Gladiolus added earnestly. “Ignis safe, I no hurt.”
“I won’t hurt,” Ignis corrected.
The maralith beamed at him and nodded.
“Very well, do you think you could tell the guards at the station that you wish to see me without blocking the road next time?”
“Yes, bring me Ignis,” Gladiolus offered with a grin.
Unwilling to correct the maralith Ignis nodded and stood up. “I’ve got to get home and rest, perhaps in a few days you can come to ask for me?”
“Yes, I do that, tomorrow.”
“No, let’s make it three days from now.”
“No lie?”
“No I’m not lying, three days from now I’ll be ready to come back here, just be kind to the guards.”
“I will, go safely Ignis.”
“And you as well,” he offered. Then in a move that would surely be his downfall later, Gladiolus bent down and kissed the top of his head. Momentarily stunned by the action Ignis didn’t do anything as the maralith uncoiled his tail and slithered off. Complete with a devilish smirk. The tricky bastard even turned back briefly just to say ‘amans mei’ before disappearing.
“Ignis, did the snake man just kiss you?” Noct asked a little breathlessly.
“Veggies, Noct, lots of them if you tell anyone.”
“Tell them what?” Noct answered before rushing back to the car to wake his father.
Cor was by his side a moment later, “How are you holding up?”
“I’m – I – shit, Cor I don’t know, this is all very overwhelming.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Take things a step at a time. Not sure what you can do if he tries to kiss you again though.”
“Marshal, six help me, don’t start.”
“I would never dream of it Ignis. I’m here to help. Might I suggest a trip to the archives to see if anyone else has been caught in the sights of an amorous maralith?”
Now that idea Ignis could run with, this had to have happened before! Hopefully, someone wrote down their life story and Ignis would find it. Though he wasn’t sure his luck would run that way. For now, he had a budding friendship with a maralith. Noct wasn’t stopping it and Gladiolus seemed to behave well enough. Time would tell what happened next.