hi, im back
-
Dead grass crunched beneath Aaralyn's combat boots.
Unsteadily, she hobbled over a fallen tree branch and used one hand to hoist herself up over a small boulder. Her phone's flashlight shone into the darkness and a few imps scurried away from the light, hissing at her. Silently, she scanned the coast of Galdin Quay. The dim lights from the former resort glittered behind her.
"See anything?" Libertus called from above.
"No," she answered, squinting into the darkness. She aimed the flashlight a little higher, sweeping the beam along the dead flora and dry dirt below her. "Nothing yet. I'm gonna jump down to get a closer look."
"Be careful!"
"I will!"
Aaralyn gingerly braced her free hand on the rock and hopped down into the little alcove. Dirt and rocks crunched beneath her boots. Ducking beneath a tree branch that was missing its leaves, she straightened up and scanned the area for anything even remotely resembling what she was looking for. There didn't seem to be much of anything as she made short work of a few imps that were hiding from the light of her flashlight and turned around.
Then, an odd lump caught her eye, hidden to her right, half hanging in the ocean. It was swallowed in dead leaves and yellowed vines that looked brittle to the touch. Reaching out, she brushed them away. Beneath, she could see a coat of black and white paint, chipped and tarnished with time. She couldn't help but grin, looking up at the rest of the dead reeds covering her prize.
"We owe you big time, Talcott," she muttered before raising her voice. "Libertus! Over here!"
"So the boat was really there?!"
Talcott's excited voice cracked as he spoke, tottering eagerly behind Aaralyn, Cor, Nyx, and Libertus.
"Sure was," Aaralyn smiled over her shoulder at him. "I'm willing to bet she'll still run after a little tuning. I couldn't see much, but it didn't look like the damage was too bad. At least on the surface level, all there was were a bunch of scratches on the coat."
Cor hummed, looking pleased. "Good to hear. I'll get a team out there to bring it around and dock it. Nicely done, you two. You're all dismissed."
Aaralyn and Libertus both nodded and gave Cor salutes, watching as he strode around what used to be the car towards the docks. Talcott was still hot on Cor's heels, discussing potential ways to get the boat back to shore. Libertus smiled fondly after him.
"Kid's turning out to be pretty useful," he remarked.
"No kidding," Aaralyn agreed. "How many connections does he have to be hearing about a rumor like that?"
"Apparently one of them's Dino Ghiranze—y'know, the sleazebag reporter who just wrote a bunch of gossip pieces back in the day," Nyx said. "Dunno if we should be worried about him being a bad influence on the kid but...if he's giving him info like that, I can forgive it."
"Yeah," Libertus nodded. "Especially since it got us one huge step closer to Angelgard." As he spoke, he turned his head out towards the ocean. Aaralyn followed his lead, her gaze falling on the elusive Isle of the Gods.
Angelgard looked ominous. Now that daylight had all but gone from the world (nowadays, it was an hour at most before it was back to the darkness), it looked like nothing more than an oddly-shaped shadow on the horizon. Aaralyn could barely pick it out amongst the dark seawaters, though she didn't need to. The island was embedded in her head regardless—the headaches and the visions made sure of that.
"Yeah," she murmured quietly. Then, the sudden reminder of what she'd promised her time to today hit her and she straightened up a little, glancing at her two companions. "Actually, uh, speaking of which, I gotta head out."
Libertus raised an eyebrow at her, turning his head to watch as Aaralyn made a beeline for the dock leading out of Galdin. "What's got you in such a hurry?"
"I promised the others I'd do something with them today!" she called over her shoulder. "I'll meet up with you guys tomorrow—we have a supply run early, yeah?"
Nyx's grin was knowing as he called out for her. "Sounds good, kiddo! See you then, tell the others I said 'hi', and I'm sorry for missing it. Be safe!"
Libertus squinted at his best friend. "Well clearly, there's something I'm missing."
Nyx laughed. "I'll tell you later."
Aaralyn turned briefly to wave at them and then picked up the pace. The dimly glowing lamps illuminated her path as she headed down the dusty dock towards the parking lot. It was lit up with floodlights and car headlights, with Glaives and Hunters alike loading and unloading trucks. Those already carrying boxes were either heading up to the Quay or were walking along the beachside, using them to set up barbed fencing along the coast. They hadn't encountered any sea daemons yet, but they didn't want to find out what they could do if they did show up. They'd already found way too many fish that'd been infected with the Plasmodium to take any chances.
Aaralyn ducked her way between a few chatting Glaives and down the stairs to jog along the beachside. The haven on the opposite end of the beach was bioluminescent in its glow. The tents were already pitched there—it appeared Aaralyn was the last of the group to arrive. She could already see Ignis hard at work on dinner (or breakfast? Time had lost meaning) while Cassielle and Gladiolus were lounging in chairs around the fire they'd gotten started, chatting amiably with Prompto. Autumn was at a separate table, counting out items and making sure they had everything they needed for tonight.
Aaralyn made her presence known by deliberately making her footfalls on the stone of the haven a little louder than she needed to as she climbed the slope. Heads turned to meet her. Cassielle's expression lit up in delight.
"Orange!"
"Hi," Aaralyn said, a bit breathless from her jog over. Cassielle shot up from her chair and rocketed into Aaralyn to hug her. Prompto and Gladiolus followed her over, the latter of which made a show of looking Aaralyn up and down with an amused grin.
"A year doesn't change you much, does it?" he remarked, smirking at her as she untangled herself from Cassielle to climb into the safety of the haven.
"I've changed a lot more than you did," Aaralyn shot back.
"Comes with my good looks," Gladiolus said flippantly.
"Yeah it does," Cassielle smirked at him.
"Alright, tone it down there, you two."
"Never."
Aaralyn pretended to scoff, but was unable to hide her grin. She sank down into the camp chair that had been left for her while Cassielle plopped herself in the one beside it. Gladiolus sat beside her, looking around his girlfriend to observe Aaralyn.
"How'd your reconnaissance go?" he asked.
"Really well," she said brightly. "Turns out the boat really was there. Now all we have to do is get it free and get Cid or Cindy to do a quick repair check and we'll be on our way to Angelgard. Gotta admit, Talcott's resourceful as hell. I'm surprised he knew enough people to get that tip."
Autumn looked proud from where she was pouring something from a kettle into several mugs. "He gets it from his grandfather."
"More like his grandfather knew a buncha people and Talcott's using that to his advantage," Gladiolus corrected with a laugh. "Resourceful little stinker."
"Well, one of those sources he made all on his own, and goes by the name Dino Ghiranze," Aaralyn said.
"The reporter?" Prompto asked.
"I feel like we should be worried about that..." Ignis mused from his pot.
"That's what Nyx said," Aaralyn said. "He says sorry about being unable to make it tonight, by the way. Cor's got him on patrol and he couldn't get out of it."
"It's alright," Autumn said. "Gods know our schedules are hectic enough to not line up perfectly all the time."
"No kidding."
"Oh, right, speaking of resourceful little stinkers," Cassielle turned to Gladiolus. "Will Iris be able to make it?"
Gladiolus sighed, shaking his head. "Nope. 'Iris the Daemon Slayer' is too busy escorting the last of the refugees out of Longwythe."
Prompto's expression fell. "They weren't able to save the outpost?"
"Doesn't look like it," Aaralyn said quietly. "The daemons came in force and tore out the lighting fixtures. Even if people were able to stay there safely, we don't have the means to repair the powerlines right now. It's best if we just abandon it and cut our losses."
Prompto sighed and slumped back into his chair. Beside him, Autumn gently tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see the mug of warm hot cocoa she held in her hands and was offering to him. He lit up.
"Oh, thanks!" he said, carefully taking the mug in both hands and sipping.
"You're very welcome," Autumn said, turning back to the table she was taking mugs from and passing them out one by one. "Careful, they're hot." No sooner had she finished speaking then Gladiolus sputtered, choking a little as he burned his tongue. Cassielle gave him a bemused smile. "I'm glad almost all of us were able to come together for today."
"Yeah," Aaralyn said, accepting her mug as Autumn offered it to her with a soft smile. "Me too."
Conversation flowed easily. It had been a long time since everyone had been together like this, after all, and they needed to catch up on lost time. Aaralyn quietly listened to every one of her friends' many stories and all of the events she'd missed out on, good or bad. It made her happy as she listened to know that there were still moments of peace and hope in this world of ruin. Though it was harder and hard to come by, people were still pushing forward regardless. They chose to believe that, one day, things would end up working out for the better. Though, she would admit the King of Light prophecy did help people endure, even if it turned her thoughts darker. Any reminder of Noctis's looming sacrifice made her antsy and wonder if she was doing enough to harness her powers as a Fatewalker.
Dinner was served soon after she arrived—it was one of Noctis's favorites. It was piled high with rice and deep-fried Chickatrice chicken, with a delicious sweet and sour sauce poured over it. The meal melted in her mouth, and she was sure to give her compliments to the chef with everyone else, several times over. Ignis preened from the praise.
After the dishes had been cleaned up, the true celebration could begin.
Autumn ended up passing out lanterns and teaching everyone how to unfold and properly set them up. Aaralyn eyed the wick on hers with a certain amount of trepidation, wondering if she would be better off risking accidentally lighting hers on fire with a spell or she'd be better off with Gladiolus's lighter.
Eventually, she decided she was better off not setting anything on fire with volatile magic, turning her head to watch her friends playfully bicker over who got to light their lanterns first.
"Ah, come on! I'm his best friend!" whined Prompto. "Don't I get best friend privileges?"
"Yeah, but only until you've known him as long as Iggy and I have," Gladiolus teased.
"Okay, okay," Autumn cut across with a laugh, deftly scooping the lighter out of Gladiolus's hand before he could light his lantern. "I'm settling this by nominating someone. Okay?"
"Oh, please pick me," Prompto said, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.
"I pick..." Autumn dragged out the word, scanning the group until her eyes landed on Aaralyn. "You."
Aaralyn blinked in surprise. "Me?"
"Of course," Autumn extended the lighter to her with a warm smile. "I mean, this is for Noctis, after all. Who better to start than the girl he's in love with?"
Aaralyn's cheeks flushed bright red. She didn't deny it, though, knowing that her feelings for Noctis hadn't waxed or waned in the year he'd been gone. Silently, she stepped forward to take the lighter from Autumn's outstretched hand.
Prompto cat-called her. "Let's go, future Queen!"
Cassielle swatted at his arm. "Oh, shush!"
Aaralyn shook her head fondly at the two of them, glancing back at Autumn. "So I just...light this thing here, right?" She angled the lantern in her hand to show the wick to Autumn, who nodded.
"Yeah," she said gently. "Go for it."
"Pass it to me next!" Cassielle said. Prompto groaned in faux despair.
Aaralyn smiled, looking down at the lighter in her hand. She put her thumb onto the wheel and turned, lighting it. She lifted the flame to the wick, letting it ignite. The lantern seemed to inflate in her hands and she kept it from floating away too early by holding onto it.
She let the flame on the lighter go out and passed it to Cassielle. She lit her lantern and then handed it to Prompto. One by one, everyone got the chance to light their lanterns until they were standing in a circle, holding lanterns that threatened to float away the moment their attention waned.
They turned to Aaralyn as they stood there, faces washed in warm, orange glows. Aaralyn looked back, glancing between each person. Her cheeks hurt from smiling.
"Just say the word," Ignis told her. His expression was an odd mix of melancholy and content.
"Right," Aaralyn readjusted her grip around her lantern to make it easier to launch. "Three, two...one." As soon as the last number had left her lips, she eased her hand beneath the lantern and pushed it gently upward. It spiraled up into the sky, followed quickly by five others. Together, they floated up, lighting up their dark world if only just a fraction. Two of them bounced off each other.
Aaralyn smiled, feeling more content than she had in a very long time. She was finally with her friends—even though Nyx hadn't been able to attend and there was a large, very obvious hole in the group—and they were together, celebrating the one person that joined them all with a common cause.
And, as the lanterns spiraled up in the Scourge-blackened skies, Aaralyn found herself smiling. She reached up as if she could snatch the specks that the lanterns made on the horizon right out the sky, splaying her palm against them.
"Happy birthday, Noct."
Later that evening, Aaralyn sat in her camping chair by firelight as everyone winded down to head to bed for the night, full of hot cocoa and delicious chicken. She had her black journal in her hand, the leather on the outside picked away from use. She was starting to run out of room in this one, too. Idly, she wondered if she could badger Nyx into getting her another one the next time he was in Lestallum as she put pen to paper.
Noctis,
We all got together for the first time in a bit today for your birthday. Ignis made your favorite meals and we drank hot cocoa and celebrated you. Autumn brought lanterns with her to light in your honor. You would have found the whole thing corny as hell, but I know you would have secretly loved it. The lanterns looked really pretty, rising into the sky tonight. I wonder what it would look like with more—a lot more. We should go to a lantern festival when you're back.
Tomorrow morning I'm off on another supply run with Nyx and Libertus. Cor will probably have us escort Cid and Cindy to Galdin, since we found your dad's boat today. It didn't look too bad, just needs a touchup here and there. Maybe a few parts need replacing. Then, we're finally off to Angelgard Island and maybe Bahamut will leave me and the other Glaives' heads alone. The headaches are getting annoying at this point and we're losing more people out on the field to them by day.
You're twenty-one today, right? Legally able to drink and all. Gladio said he let you sneak some of his beer sometimes before the city fell and you hated it. Me too, honestly. It tastes like straight up piss. Nasty. Don't tell Nyx I drank underage though, he'll lecture me for the rest of my life if he finds out.
Hope you're safe wherever you are. Happy birthday, Noct.
Love,
Aaralyn
Another splitting headache woke Aaralyn the following morning.
She hissed in pain, the usual spiel of the King of Light needing her age and the last traces of the now-familiar image of Angelgard island fading from her consciousness. There was already movement from outside; someone was taking down a tent. It was hard to see through the darkness and carefully, she hefted herself to her feet and poked her head outside her tent.
"Off already?"
Gladiolus turned from where he was stuffing tent poles in a bag. Cassielle was not far off, making them coffee in to-go cups.
"Yeah," he grunted. "We wanted to see if we could make it to Longwythe to meet up with Iris and help her escort the refugees to safety."
Aaralyn nodded, watching Gladiolus sling his and Cassielle's bags over his massive shoulders. "Be careful."
Gladiolus shot her a crooked grin. "Am I ever not?"
"Do you want me to answer that?" Cassielle asked him, raising an eyebrow as she handed Gladiolus his coffee. She turned to Aaralyn. "Don't worry, Orange. I'll keep him out of trouble."
"Thanks," Aaralyn said. "You be safe too, y'hear?"
Cassielle nodded. "I will, I promise." She waved as she clipped her flashlight to her front then to Gladiolus's, and then the two were making their way down the haven. Aaralyn watched them until they were swallowed up in the darkness, and even then made sure she kept an eye on them until the distant wobble of their flashlights vanished as they got into his truck.
Everyone else woke up not long after Cassielle and Gladiolus left. No one was too surprised to hear that they'd packed up and left. Gladiolus was the most recluse out of all of them ever since Noctis went missing and wherever he went, Cassielle went. As a result, no one really batted an eye and went about taking down their tents as Ignis made breakfast like normal. He served them all gourmet omelets and Aaralyn devoured hers before bidding farewell to the others. She was late enough to meet Nyx and Libertus as it was.
She clipped a flashlight to the front of her jacket and set off across the darkened beach.
Aaralyn's suspicions were right—Cor did have her, Nyx, and Libertus safely escort Cindy to the Quay to take a look at their boat. It took a little bit of creative maneuvering to free and dock it, but once it did, it was only a matter of time until they got it running again. Upon arriving, Cindy went marching down the dock with her toolbox in one hand and a socket wrench in the other like an instrument of war.
She spent at least ten minutes ogling the boat's innards before taking one look at the boat's engine and declaring it "rustier than Pawpaw's favorite wrench". She got to work not long after, putting in an order for a new engine and beginning to swap out fraying wires and parts that had also rusted over.
It took another week for Cindy to finish the repairs, but the moment it was, Cor summoned every able-bodied Glaive in the area to report for duty. Aaralyn, having been in the area with Nyx and Libertus already for a daemon hunt, responded immediately.
"I'm sending a small team out for reconnaissance," Cor said. "Nyx, are you comfortable leading?"
"Always am, sir," Nyx nodded.
"Good," Cor nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Aaralyn, Libertus, you two go with him. Call for immediate backup if things look sketchy."
"Yes, sir," Libertus nodded. Aaralyn saluted him, unable to stop her gaze from drifting to the boat. Excitement welled in her chest.
Finally.
The ride to Angelgard was surprisingly swift with Libertus at the controls. He spent a good chunk of it bragging about his days in Galahd where he captained a little dinghy to ferry fishermen in and out of the best waters for catching fish.
Aaralyn mostly tuned him out, as she'd forgotten about something very pivotal in her desire to get to the island: water. She was immensely grateful for Nyx, who steadied her just like he always did, with a hand in her own and reminding her to squeeze it when she got nervous. She did so, trying very hard not to think about the dark waters and the potential daemons that could be hiding underneath. Daemon sharks sounded like her living nightmare.
She was all too glad when the ship moored at the incredibly old dock on Angelgard. The wood was mostly rotted from time and age and Aaralyn hoped against hope it would hold—at least until she got onto solid land. She didn't care if it fell to pieces after that.
Carefully putting her boots on the wood, Aaralyn made sure it would hold her before booking it onto solid ground, leaving Nyx and Libertus behind to dock the ship properly. She could have sworn she saw Libertus laughing at her for it and she flipped him off accordingly.
Before long, they set off, hiking up and along a well-worn path. Angelgard was built of solid black stone, the angle of the arches looming over them and casting strange shadows through the gloom. The stones looked like sharp fingers, reaching up to pierce the Scourge clouds.
After a few minutes of hiking, the path opened into what looked like an enormous arena—pillars surrounded them at all angles, each one engraved with unfamiliar sigils and signs from an age long past. The entire air trembled with something Aaralyn was familiar with—it was the same energy she felt in the presence of Leviathan, not to mention the figure in her dreams.
Then, the air split apart with a loud slice of a blade cutting through the air.
Aaralyn turned around to see what it was, tense and already reaching for a weapon. She immediately spotted the figure hurtling for them, using its sword as wings. It came to meet them, landing at the north end of the clearing. Dust and small rocks scattered in its wake. It regarded them through a cold, draconian mask and Aaralyn realized with cold dread, she recognized its presence.
"You," she breathed, thinking of voids and cryptic words.
"Bahamut," Nyx said. "I knew it."
Aaralyn curled her hands into fists as Bahamut's sword wings turned translucent and combined into one enormous blade with a curved pommel. He regarded the group as he took the sword in hand, keeping it level with his body. Slowly, his head turned to look directly at Aaralyn. A chill chased up her spine.
Child of Fate. We meet at last.
Every muscle in Aaralyn's body coiled in unease. She felt nauseous. It was one thing having her suspicions confirmed, but another entirely to be recognized by the object of her dreams.
"You know this guy, kiddo?" Libertus had his fingers curled around an invisible sword, ready to summon one at a moment's notice.
Aaralyn couldn't find the words to answer him. Bahamut, however, could.
I have been with her, always.
Shown her the path when she needed guidance.
Given her the push to use powers hitherto unseen on this Star.
Aaralyn found her voice. "Guided me," she scoffed. "As if you've done anything but give me cryptic bullshit and no answers!"
And yet, you have always found your way.
"No thanks to you!" Aaralyn shouted. Bahamut did not react.
"Wait, Lyn," Libertus said. "This the same guy that keeps showing up in your dreams?"
Aaralyn nodded. "He's the bastard who stopped me from saving Lady Lunafreya."
Nyx's eyes narrowed—the pain of that wound was still fresh for him. Almost immediately he drew his remaining kukri and pointed it at Bahamut. The Draconian was not impressed.
Sheathe your blade. We have no quarrel with each other.
Nyx scoffed. "That's a funny way of admitting you're a murderer."
The Oracle has a role to play yet.
Sheathe your blade, Fatewalker.
He recoiled a little bit, grip tightening around the hilt of his blade. He wasn't used to being referred to by such a title. "Don't call me that. Luna is dead, you hear me?! You killed her! Don't you dare tell me she still has a role to play!"
Even in death does someone have their uses.
Aaralyn felt sick from Bahamut's words. Death was of no concern to the Astral, he still could not let Lunafreya fucking rest. She had no idea what his enigmatic plans were, but if they included a dead woman, she didn't think it was anything she would like. She glanced at Nyx and Libertus on either side of her and, judging from their expressions, they felt much the same way.
"I would have given my life to protect her," Nyx's voice trembled with rage. "Treat her with some godsdamned respect."
Bahamut lowered his head to look directly down at Nyx. To his credit, he didn't back away, just glared back at the Draconian with as much rage as he could muster.
Your life is not yours to give away.
You exist at the mercy of Fate now.
You and your new Captain are anomalies inside of created anomalies.
Aaralyn was used to Bahamut's cryptic bullshit—but this was up there. She'd already known she'd accidentally turned Nyx and Cor into Fatewalkers, but that last bit? Anomalies inside of created anomalies?
"The hell does that mean?" Libertus demanded, voicing her thoughts for her.
You exist outside of the Star's design—Fate's design.
Fate is a cogwheel. It performs independently of all things.
Even we Astrals are slaves to it.
Though this is not always the case with humans.
Fate is a machine—it is imperfect.
While we Astrals are bound, you mortals are not chained down so tautly.
A human may slip through its machinations undetected.
Provided they have the correct push, that is.
"Push?" repeated Nyx.
Instead of answering, Bahamut lifted his sword and drove it into the ground. The sharp blade dug into the dirt, cracks spidering around it. They began to glow with multicolored light, one that Aaralyn recognized almost instantly. Dark purples and pinks and blues, the same colors as the abyss she kept visiting.
Around them, the stone pillars began to glow with the same eerie light. Fog began to pour out of them, gathering around their feet. It flooded the clearing in a matter of seconds before billowing upward, creating a dome with them at the very center.
Set on edge, Aaralyn took a step closer to Nyx and Libertus.
Bahamut lifted his head but did not pull his sword from the ground and he didn't release his grip around it, either. Instead, shimmering light emerged from the cracks anew and the fog began to take form into shimmering, ghostly figures and shapes. Around them, a phantom village began to form. Cobblestone paths appeared from the fog beneath them, translucent and glittering.
Aaralyn recognized the scene immediately. She heard Nyx and Libertus take sharp breaths beside her as they did too.
"This...this is Galahd's capital city," Libertus said, hardly daring to breathe. "See, look, there's the general store." He pointed to a wooden building Aaralyn recognized at once thanks to its log pillars framing the front doors—one of her mom's friends had worked as a cashier there.
"And the bar we used to run," Nyx added, pointing. Aaralyn followed his finger to a small building with its doors flung open welcomingly. She could see taps and glass fridges filled with drinks and sodas and waters.
Aaralyn felt floored with uncertainty and shock. The recreation of Galahd was shimmering but perfect. She recognized every inch of it. The road she took to a friend's house, the convenience store she and Charlotte used to go to for snacks before their brothers were born, hell, even the lake her father fished at was there, the same one that turned a beautiful orange in the sunset.
Nyx, Aaralyn, and Libertus looked around at their recreated home—complete with phantasms of people that went about their days. One of them walked through Nyx and he made a face like he'd just been dunked into an ice bath.
"Holy shit, Nyx, that's us," Libertus said after a moment, turning his gaze back to the bar. Aaralyn leaned around him to see better and saw immediately what he was looking at—they were younger, sure, but it was unmistakably Nyx and Libertus, standing behind the bars, juggling drinks and shakers. They were merely phantoms, but the grins across their faces were genuine and carefree—it was the happiest Aaralyn had ever seen them.
"Why are you showing us this?" she directed the question at Bahamut. Her voice felt tight.
Bahamut did not answer. He seemed to be waiting for something and Nyx and Libertus seemed transfixed by their counterparts.
Then, very quickly, the scene began to shift and change. Screaming started from the conjured townspeople, the buildings erupting into glittering flame. Aaralyn could see an army marching on their hometown, the peppering sounds of gunfire popping in the distance. Magitek soldiers moved in with their axes and swords.
It was the invasion of Galahd—the night they'd lost their home to the Empire.
"Aaralyn," Nyx said sharply.
She glanced at him, only to realize he wasn't looking at her, instead at a fleeing family. Her breath caught in her throat. She recognized them. That was Charlotte at the front. Then her mother, holding her brothers, scrambling to grab the hand of the little girl behind her—her.
And the man behind them, bringing up the rear and urging his family forward—it was—
"Dad," she whispered, her breath catching in her throat.
Bahamut lifted his head.
For a Fatewalker to be born, they must defy Fate—their Fate.
But they cannot do that on their own.
For one to defy Fate, they must be conscious that Fate exists at all.
Otherwise, they must be given a push.
Your Fate that day was to die.
But Fate does not yet command mortals.
All it takes is to emphasize a point—an emotion.
A father's love for his daughter.
And the push is given.
Aaralyn watched in horror as her biggest childhood nightmare played out in real time before her. She watched herself trip, remembered the pain of her chin scuffing the cobblestones. Watched the MT behind her lift an axe to cleave her in half, her father diving in the way. The blade punctured his throat, nearly cleaving him in half. Blood spattered all over her younger self's face. Her mouth opened in a scream.
You stand by virtue of an offering made in your name.
An offering I influenced him to make.
Something I've done time and time before.
Aaralyn could only stand there, shocked as the scene in front of her froze on the moment her father sacrificed himself for her. Her hands curled into fists, nails biting into her skin painfully. She could feel herself trembling as the blossoming rage in her chest suddenly became an inferno.
"You killed him," she said. "If you hadn't gotten in the way, my dad would still be alive!" Her voice swelled into a cry of rage and agony. It cracked horribly as she spoke, turning to face Bahamut still standing at the forefront of this terrible illusion.
But then you would be dead.
Would you prefer to die and let your father live in your stead?
To surrender to Fate's machinations?
Aaralyn hesitated. She thought about the bonds she'd made—her friendship with Cassielle and the others, how much she trusted her fellow members of the Glaive. How deeply she loved Noctis. She felt guilty. "I..."
She couldn't see Bahamut's face, but knew it was triumphant.
"So you're the reason there are Fatewalkers at all? Why we're forced to deal with Fate's corrections in order to just live?!" Nyx demanded, narrowing his eyes.
Naturally. I am the Bladekeeper, the master of mortals.
Your lives are in my hands.
"I don't understand—why the hell are you doing this?" Libertus demanded.
Bahamut tightened his grip around his blade. The horrible vision of Galahd crumbled to nothing around them, turning into mist that settled back into the fog.
That is not for you to know.
But it is for the betterment of the Star.
"So you ruin lives because you think it'll help?" Aaralyn was in disbelief. "For what you think is best?! We're supposed to bank our lives on that—Fatewalker or human?!"
There is a give and there is a take.
With each Fatewalker, something is gained and something is lost.
It is the price for living.
Though not all can carry such a burden.
Around them, hundreds of people sprouted up from the fog. As empty as the others, each one depicted the different ways hundreds of people had become Fatewalkers.
To be a Fatewalker is to live in suffering.
To be subjected to countless Corrections to be set upon a rightful course.
Few can resist, fewer still can live.
To find a Fatewalker is to find the weeds amongst thousands of flowers.
To find the most tenacious of mortals and pluck them from the Passage.
A path of unknowables, a walk without rest, a life doomed to suffering.
Bastard, Aaralyn thought as she looked over the hundreds—thousands of lives Bahamut had uprooted for his own mysterious ends. For the good of the Star, my ass.
To defy Fate is not just to defy death.
Death is merely the easiest Fate to subvert.
Sometimes, a Calling may be to become one thing, but to become another...
That is what it is to defy Fate.
In front of them, the people Bahamut had conjured began to speed by them and vanish until it abruptly stopped on a familiar figure, thousands of years younger, without the vitriol in his eyes. Ardyn.
The Accursed.
His Fate was to become the first King of Lucis—the Founder.
But for my plan to come to fruition, I had to transform him.
The first step was to give him the ability to absorb the Scourge of the Star,
To isolate him from his brother.
Then, I told his beloved to name his brother the Founder King over him,
He is a Fatewalker not because he was to die,
but because of her betrayal and his brother's actions.
All for the sake of the Star.
Bahamut let the illusions fade. He pulled his sword from the ground and at once, the fog began to recede. The dome fell around them, washing them in the half-glow of the Scourge-covered sky again. Aaralyn blinked hard to adjust her vision, trying to keep Bahamut in her sights.
You, Child of Fate, are the strongest Fatewalker I have ever made.
Not one of you has been able to subvert Fate the way you can.
You have wormed your grip around the Passage itself.
Now you manipulate it to your benefit.
I have been waiting for you for millennia.
"Why tell us any of this?" Aaralyn asked him. Her voice trembled. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask him hundreds of questions or if she wanted to punch him. Probably both.
To encourage you.
Endure. Expand your control. Force Fate itself to bow to you.
You may yet save your beloved King.
Her breath caught in her throat.
You're aware of his Fate—his Calling.
Get stronger and you may yet save him.
Protect this place. Grow your powers, rely on your comrades.
Go forth and protect your King.
Such is the revelation of the Bladekeeper.
She swallowed thickly as Bahamut moved aside, revealing a set of stairs that he'd been guarding. He stared at her for a moment longer. Then, he let his grip on his sword go and it grew in size to the wings they'd seen when he'd landed. With a single mighty flap, he took off, sending pebbles and dirt scattering before him. Aaralyn lifted her arms to protect her eyes from it as Bahamut soared between two thick clouds and vanished.
In his wake, he left silence. Aaralyn, Nyx and Libertus were reeling from what they'd learned, and none of them liked what they'd heard. It shed more light on the nature of Fatewalkers, but left more questions.
Mostly, where the hell did they go from here? Bahamut had been vague as hell about his plan, but seemed convinced it was for the good of the Star. Though Aaralyn wasn't too sure he knew what was best for humanity if he saw them all as science experiments—a flower garden, as he put it. Find the weeds and nurture them into Fatewalkers.
"You alright, kiddo?" Libertus was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
Aaralyn's mouth felt like it was packed full of cotton when she opened her mouth to speak. "Yeah. I think so. If...nothing else, this makes a whole lot more sense."
Libertus nodded, shifting his attention to his best friend. "...Nyx?"
Nyx took a moment longer to respond. His gaze was rooted on where Bahamut had just been standing, hands curled into fists. His expression was dark before he finally decided to respond.
"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'm good. C'mon, we...should see what he meant by 'protect this place'."
He strode forward. Aaralyn and Libertus exchanged looks—Nyx was doing the 'put emotions in a box where I can pretend they're not there' thing again, they just weren't going to call him out on it. Bahamut's revelations had shocked all three of them.
They climbed the stairs up to the heart of the island. The higher they went, the more the jagged rocks smoothed into plates stacked on top of each other. Dead bushes and yellowed grass grew from the cracks of a few of them. Aaralyn got the feeling they'd been dead a lot longer than the Night had been around.
Aaralyn's legs were burning with exertion by the time they got to the top. Waiting for them was a familiar dog—Umbra—who barked excitedly upon seeing her. She knelt down to pet him, noticing that Noctis and Lunafreya's notebook was still tucked safely away in his little pouch. It made her sad to look at.
He barked again, turning his head and wagging his little tail. Aaralyn lifted her head to see that the four of them were no longer alone, and there was now a woman standing before them. She had long straight black hair and was wearing ceremonial robes—she gave off the same energy Umbra did, only stronger, if that were possible. She was beautiful and terrifying all at once.
"They set foot on sacred ground," the woman spoke. "It was here where the Oracle once forged a covenant with the Stormsender."
Aaralyn got to her feet to look around silently—she knew the legends already. While Ramuh's worshiping grounds were in Galahd, this was the seat of the gods, where he passed judgment against offending mortals.
Behind the woman was a series of arches, made of crystal and rising in diagonal edges that intersected with each other far above their heads to make an enormous crystal that hung above a stone passageway carved into the rock.
The woman continued, oblivious to Aaralyn's wandering eye. "And it is here where the Chosen King shall receive the revelation of the Bladekeeper."
"Noctis?" Aaralyn couldn't help but blurt out, her attention snapping back to the woman. She nodded once with a knowing smile.
"Yet he cannot awaken the power slumbering in his breast while darkness's blight threatens this purest of places." The woman said. She inclined with her head, opening her eyes to regard the tainted sky above them. Even though the gloom, Aaralyn could see what she was talking about. Daemons swooped in from the skies, ducking between clouds and fogs of Scourge high above them. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"So...you want us to defend it," Libertus guessed, glancing from the sky back to the woman.
She nodded again. "It falls to the Sword to safeguard the Light."
Libertus's expression took on something strange as he looked around.
"Safeguarding the Light does not only fall to defending hallowed ground," the woman added. Aaralyn glanced at her. "The Bladekeeper bids the Swords to the ruined city, where the Accursed lies in wait."
"Why's that?" Nyx asks. "Does that bastard want us to...clear the path or something? Make sure Noctis can get to the Citadel in one piece once he's back?"
The woman nodded again.
Libertus sighed, already looking weary. "Looks like we got our work cut out for us."
"Yeah," Nyx agreed. "We should head back to Galdin. Let Cor know about what Bahamut said and what he wants and...go from there."
Libertus nodded in agreement to start making his way down the stairs. Nyx was not far behind. Aaralyn gave pause before she followed, turning to look at the stone archway dug into the rock. Something potent and magical was tugging at her from inside. Something familiar—she'd felt this before when Noctis channeled his magic.
"Is that where he is?" she asked.
The woman followed her gaze. "Yes."
"But I can't go to him," Aaralyn guessed. "Can I?"
"No," agreed the woman. At her feet, Umbra barked. She looked at Aaralyn, her eyes open and a brilliant shade of green. Her expression was no longer quietly serene—it was serious, almost stern. "The Fatewalker would do well to heed her coming warnings," she said. "Things are not as they seem."
"I could have told you that," Aaralyn said, but the foreboding chill down her spine did nothing to help her unease.
"Be wary," the woman warned her. "The Fatewalker's role in this is far greater than she imagines."
Aaralyn opened her mouth to ask her what she meant, but Libertus called her name from halfway down the steps.
"C'mon, kiddo!" he shouted. "Let's get the fuck off this stupid island!"
"Coming!" Aaralyn yelled back. She turned her head to see if the woman was still there—to see if she could ask her what she meant, but she was gone, along with Umbra. The only thing that gave any indication that they were there at all was a puff of frozen mist.
Cor took the news of Bahamut and Angelgard very well. He was even told of the Fatewalker bombs that had been dropped on them and, despite looking solemn, took it in stride.
"I am a Fatewalker too," he said. "I owe Aaralyn my life—I'm not about to throw it away thanks to some stupid corrections. Thank you for letting me know."
After they were finished giving him their report and the duties they'd been given, Cor called all the members of the Kingsglaive off-duty to the Quay. Once everyone had arrived (after a few days of waiting) Cor unveiled his deceptively simple plan. He'd split the Glaive up into teams of four that would defend the island from daemons. Each team would remain for a week before swapping out with a new one, using the boat to get to and from the island. Everyone else would pick up shop and move to Insomnia to establish a base there as soon as they got power routed up there. Until then, if you weren't on the island, that was your main priority.
Aaralyn was put in a team with Nyx, Libertus, and a recruit she remembered was named Elea, who introduced herself with a confident smile.
Not long after, the first team was sent to Angelgard after a briefing and everyone else split off to do what they could to get power routed to Insomnia. As everyone broke ranks and the first team got on the boat to head to Angelgard, Aaralyn couldn't help but watch them go, eyes on the enigmatic island.
Heed the coming warnings, things are not what they seem, she thought, thinking about the woman that had been waiting for them.
She wasn't sure why the advice felt so foreboding.