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“Sania Yaeger, August 1st 756:
The little Tonberry I found a few days ago injured at the river bank is still with me.
Dave and my old professor would certainly kick me for treating this little guy like a wounded animal.
I tended to its wounds, which seemed mostly bruises and scrapes from a rough ride in the river.
The little guy seems to prove my theory that Tonberries are no demons, but some kind of Monster. Though it had pulled his hood deeper in his face, it’s out in the daylight.
No signs that the sun is affecting it worse than other amphibious and in the
underground living creatures. I’m occently pouring some water over it to prevent him from dehydration. It seems to smile when I do it.
It also seems to understand what I say to him. So I’m not sure if it lived near human settlements or maybe it was hit by a status effect. Though I have no car or potion at disposal, we have to wait until the hunters deliver my supplies and the ordered remedy. If it’s a status effect maybe it wears off before.
….”
______
“Oh, Hi Buddy.”
Sania looked up from her journal, as the Tonberry climbed up on her table.
“Can I help you with something?”
She asked while she observed the big eyed creature waddling over the table to her can of Ebony. It stopped before the can and pointed at it. The round face somewhat managed a asking expression that made Sania snigger.
“I don’t think that’s good for you. I assume you’re amphibian and this stuff dehydrates you too much.”
Not sure how to react, as it started to whine and looked at her with wet big eyes, she decided to dare the experiment. The happy noises the Tonberry made while hugging the can of coffee, made her giggle.
“But,” she pointed up her finger. “Afterward you also drink two bottles of water.”
It nodded vigorously and made her wonder again, if this was a status effect. There was something she wanted to try, it was a little bit unorthodox, but a scientist should close their mind before new findings just because they were theories from a fairy tale.
“Hey Buddy, can you come over here, I want to try something. Just a little experiment it won't hurt you, I promise.”
The Tonberry looked up in surprise from its now empty can of coffee, then put it at his side and waddled over to her.
She gently took the little guy from the table and sat it in her lap. She could feel her face turning red.
‘No turning back, it’s only an experiment. And maybe it helps.’
She swallowed down her doubts and took its face in her hands and kissed the round snout.
She can’t say that there was a flash of light or something else. Just that she felt dizzy for a moment, it felt like something drains some strength from her. But it was gone as fast as it had come.
The weight in her lap seemed now heavier and when she opened her eyes, the cute little Tonberry was gone and a grown, handsome man was sitting on her lap. Only the remains of the Tonberry’s cloak was covering him.
“Oh” was the only thing she could say to the slightly confused and visibly embarrassed man.
She knew him, Ignis, one of the four guys she recently asked for help with her research.
He quickly stood up and looked like he would flee any second.
“My ap .. apologies Sania, I didn’t .. I... .”
“Hey please, don’t panic. Ignis, right? I'm back in a minute with something to wear for you. Just… Just sit down, and stop panicking.”
She found a jumpsuit that she normally wears when she repairs something, it was still too small for his long limbs, but better then nothing.
“I called Dave to inform your friends, though I have no phone number for them. I said that they were worried and had asked him to search for you.”
He still looked somewhat shaken and simply nodded, so she gave him another can of Ebony and while she set about to cook something.
She was about to cut some veggies for a stew as he appeared beside her.
“May I? Cooking calms my mind and I need something to do.”
She handed him the knife and the cutting board and tended to the pot on her camping stove.
The silence was at the same time calming and unnerving, but she just didn’t know where to start, what to say.
“Thank you, Sania.” Ignis finally broke the silence.
“Huh?”
“For breaking the curse. I started to doubt that it would wear off and I had to stay in this form.”
“Haha, Maiden kiss, I never thought it really would work.” She turned red.
He looked up in surprise, but he had no time to say something as she continued.
“Don’t look so surprised. Yeah, you are the first person I ever kissed. It’s not that there were no boys and girls who tried their luck, I just was not interested.”
“So it took a frog … ahm, Tonberry to get you out of your shell. Interesting.”
“Hey, I’m not weird. As much as I see myself as Ace, I love romantic fairy tales and you were cute as Tonberry.” She pouted at him.
“I don’t judge you. I never would.”
“I … . Thank you. I think beside the scientific interest, I like to be involved in field research because people out here don’t bother me with this topic. And as you see you learn more every day. I think it’s status effect 25 I heard of and I’m the first one who can write a report about it.”
The smile on her face became slightly devious.
“So I’m your guinea pig now?” He started to chuckle.
“I must seize the opportunity while it is offered.” She said with a straight posture, like she was speaking before an auditorium. Then she opened her eyes that she had shut while she was speaking and started to giggle herself.
“Still thank you.”
“Your welcome, Ignis. But I still wonder how this happened.”
_____________________________________________
The sun began to set, when a car approached the haven where Sania had set up her current base camp. A little too fast for Ignis’ taste, but he didn’t blame the driver.
Prompto was the first of them who reached and hugged him. He was crying and bubbled some half comprehensible apologies, while Gladiolus just tried to press the air out of his lungs.
“We thought we had lost you, good to have you back. At one moment I saw you get hit by a spell and the next you were gone, washed away by the river. We could only find your glasses.”
When the tall man released him, Ignis had the chance to look at Noctis, who hadn’t approached yet. He could see that his prince was fighting with his emotions, so he approached him. But before he could say something, Noctis took his glasses from the Armiger and put them on.
“Perfect, where they belong.” Noctis fixated him with his eyes. “Don’t do this ever again.”
“I’ll try, I promise.”