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Prologue - A Shard of Hope - A FFXV and FFXIV AU Crossover
A Shard of Hope - Prologue
Author's Note: The main story takes place after FFXV's Chapter 9 (Altissia). It also has spoilers for Heavenwards patches of FFXIV and a lot of hints of what happens in Shadowbringers, although Ardbert's keeping his mouth shut about most of that.
After he heard about what happened in Altissia, Cor Leonis made a call to an old friend. The blockade was still in place, and he was needed in Lucis. That didn't stop the need of Noctis and his retainers after Ignis was blinded. They needed an extra set of arms. Cor thanked the gods that he had a solution nearby them: a man known as Ardbert.
He called himself a Warrior. Ardbert called himself a Warrior of Light as well. There had been report of a man in strange, old-fashioned armor with "a giant bloody axe" that "absolutely wrecked the shit out of a horde of daemons", saving a family stranded with a broken down car a few miles from Hammerhead. Three Kingsglaive, Nyx Ulric, Libertus Ostium, and Crowe Altius, were sent out to confirm the sighting and retrieve him. They found, then convince Ardbert to come back with them while they held onto his axe for safekeeping, and smuggled him back into the city to prevent additional sightings.
The world wasn't ready for aliens from another planet that just happened to be human. An alien that had his own source of 'magic', his own 'aetherial pocket', and his own crystal—all of it separate from the Power of Kings. This Warrior of Light who inconveniently gained relevant memories of others they didn't want to share through this 'Echo' of his. This man from a world known as the First, one of many 'reflections' of a formerly whole star. No, the public couldn't know about his existence.
The three Kingsglaive, realizing the monumental discovery, had gone around their upper command and brought the man in to see Clarus Amicitia. Who, after speaking with Ardbert, had been convinced that King Regis Himself needed to speak to the man. Ardbert then proceeded to convince Regis that he wasn't only a threat but that he didn't want to be tied down by joining the Kingsglaive or the Crownsguard, instead preferring to remain as an 'adventurer' and travel this new world. In exchange, he offered letting Lucis's scientists run some limited experiments on him and providing weapons training to a select few soldiers that could keep their mouths "fucking shut" (as Clarus put it)—so long as he was taught how to navigate this new world.
What had probably really convinced Regis, however, was how Ardbert had treated Noctis after the boy had burst in to see his father after the unplanned meeting had stolen his father from dinner one too many times. Regis could only describe it as "heart-warming" with the way Ardbert apologized to the boy and then shooed Regis away to be with him all without letting the boy catch on that something more than usual was amiss. And wait he did with nary a complaint, eating dinner with guards to keep watch. Poor Regis had to fend off questions from Noctis about the "cool looking cosplayer" for weeks, and then deal with his son enthusiastically diving into cosplay (with Ignis forced to help him make them) years down the road.
Cor was only informed of these details because he had been one of those who benefited from the training and had taught Ardbert a new thing or two himself. The man was highly likeable, personable, mature, reliable, and a natural-borne leader. He earned his freedom to roam as he pleased. Cor had also helped him in adjusting to this new world, enjoying his company as he learned about things such as the wonders of modern cuisine, entertainment, and technology—and learning way, way too much about memes and anime (that was self-study; Cor refused to have anything to do with that). (Surprisingly, he already knew how to fist bump.) Everyone in the know about the 'deal' thought it insane—up until they spoke with Ardbert; that man's ability to connect with people was a force of nature.
When Ardbert finally left, he kept in touch. Although it hadn't been part of the deal, he sent back information about new developments regarding anything he learned about Niflheim's troop movements as well as any new daemons he encountered (after killing them, of course). Sometimes, the information he sent helped save lives. Cor appreciated it. He felt guilty that he truly couldn't pay that favor back, or help Ardbert get back to his world (Ardbert said it was impossible, but he never explained why). The only thing he could do was tell Ardbert about the fall of Insomnia after it was already in the papers, explaining the details that he knew. Ardbert had kept in touch with the Kingsglaive, and Cor had only found out about it then as Ardbert wept on the phone about what Libertus had told him regarding Nyx and Crowe.
"Ever since I got my body back, tears come to me more easily now." Ardbert had said in apology, and Cor knew he couldn't ask him to explain what he had meant.
After the fall, keeping in touch became even more important. Cor knew Ardbert was close enough to Altissia to get to Noctis and his retainers quickly. They needed the extra pair of arms--but more importantly, they needed Ardbert. He had a good head on his shoulders and an even better heart, and they needed someone to guide them during one of the darkest moments in their lives. Cor had barely even asked the favor before Ardbert agreed to it.
"Noct was a good kid, and he's a good young man now. What kind of Warrior of Light would I be if I didn't help him and his friends? They've got the fate of the entire world on their shoulders with Noct supposing to be this 'King of Kings' from this prophecy I keep hearing about, and if there's anything I can do to share their burden, then count me in."
"I'm not sure why I'm even feeling remotely surprised right now," Cor replied with a sigh. "You're not even going to consider this a favor, are you?"
"Ha! Aye, you shouldn't be by now. And, no. It won't be the first time I've helped save a world, and it probably won't even be the last at the rate I'm going." Ardbert lightened his voice. "This is what, the third time? Or more times than that, depending on how you do the counting."
"Someday, you're going to have to tell me everything, you know," Cor meant it friend to friend
"Fine, fine—someday. Let's save the world, first. Tell me everything I need to know, and then let's get in contact with them. There's no time to waste, not when they're already this vulnerable." Ardbert's voice was firm, determined; he had already made his decision.
"Right. I'll start at the beginning." And Cor did for the better part of an hour.
They moved on quickly to the next step: a three-way phone call of introduction between Cor, Ardbert, and Ignis (with Prompto helping). It wasn't long before they had a plan for Ardbert to meet up with them on the train. Two stops before Cartanica. Only a few hours, but Cor knew that it'd be enough to get Ardbert settled into the group's dynamics. In many ways, they were still kids, and they needed a trusted 'adult' to help shoulder their burdens.
Cor was certain that Ardbert was a better choice than he was for such a thing, anyway—Ignis even sounded a bit reinvigorated by the end of the call after Ardbert briefly derailed the discussion to suggest that the Power of Kings might allow Ignis to sense aether well enough to get around by himself with practice, recalling knowledge from his "previous life" on the First and his time on the Source and from some of the experiments conducted with him in Insomnia. He reasoned that Ignis sounded as intelligent as any mage he had known, and if anyone would figure out how to do it, it'd be him. When they met up, he'd help Ignis start testing things out. There was also a long inspiring speech about "even if it doesn't work", but Cor had only half-listened to that, such was his relief that Ardbert was exactly the man they needed in just this moment. He knew and understood emotions; he knew and understood loss. Ardbert was both the man those kids needed and deserved.
They planned to cut communication for a while after Ardbert met up with Noctis and his retainers as an added security measure. Ardbert's last message was a simple Found them. See you Space Cowboy. Which brought both relief and irritation to Cor, because he knew he'd end up searching online for what godsforesaken anime Ardbert was quoting now just so it would stop it from bothering him. (Which was the entire point of it, really; a parting gift to annoy him into amusement.)
Cor couldn't have picked a better man to watch over Regis's son and his friends.
Author's Note: The main story takes place after FFXV's Chapter 9 (Altissia). It also has spoilers for Heavenwards patches of FFXIV and a lot of hints of what happens in Shadowbringers, although Ardbert's keeping his mouth shut about most of that.
After he heard about what happened in Altissia, Cor Leonis made a call to an old friend. The blockade was still in place, and he was needed in Lucis. That didn't stop the need of Noctis and his retainers after Ignis was blinded. They needed an extra set of arms. Cor thanked the gods that he had a solution nearby them: a man known as Ardbert.
He called himself a Warrior. Ardbert called himself a Warrior of Light as well. There had been report of a man in strange, old-fashioned armor with "a giant bloody axe" that "absolutely wrecked the shit out of a horde of daemons", saving a family stranded with a broken down car a few miles from Hammerhead. Three Kingsglaive, Nyx Ulric, Libertus Ostium, and Crowe Altius, were sent out to confirm the sighting and retrieve him. They found, then convince Ardbert to come back with them while they held onto his axe for safekeeping, and smuggled him back into the city to prevent additional sightings.
The world wasn't ready for aliens from another planet that just happened to be human. An alien that had his own source of 'magic', his own 'aetherial pocket', and his own crystal—all of it separate from the Power of Kings. This Warrior of Light who inconveniently gained relevant memories of others they didn't want to share through this 'Echo' of his. This man from a world known as the First, one of many 'reflections' of a formerly whole star. No, the public couldn't know about his existence.
The three Kingsglaive, realizing the monumental discovery, had gone around their upper command and brought the man in to see Clarus Amicitia. Who, after speaking with Ardbert, had been convinced that King Regis Himself needed to speak to the man. Ardbert then proceeded to convince Regis that he wasn't only a threat but that he didn't want to be tied down by joining the Kingsglaive or the Crownsguard, instead preferring to remain as an 'adventurer' and travel this new world. In exchange, he offered letting Lucis's scientists run some limited experiments on him and providing weapons training to a select few soldiers that could keep their mouths "fucking shut" (as Clarus put it)—so long as he was taught how to navigate this new world.
What had probably really convinced Regis, however, was how Ardbert had treated Noctis after the boy had burst in to see his father after the unplanned meeting had stolen his father from dinner one too many times. Regis could only describe it as "heart-warming" with the way Ardbert apologized to the boy and then shooed Regis away to be with him all without letting the boy catch on that something more than usual was amiss. And wait he did with nary a complaint, eating dinner with guards to keep watch. Poor Regis had to fend off questions from Noctis about the "cool looking cosplayer" for weeks, and then deal with his son enthusiastically diving into cosplay (with Ignis forced to help him make them) years down the road.
Cor was only informed of these details because he had been one of those who benefited from the training and had taught Ardbert a new thing or two himself. The man was highly likeable, personable, mature, reliable, and a natural-borne leader. He earned his freedom to roam as he pleased. Cor had also helped him in adjusting to this new world, enjoying his company as he learned about things such as the wonders of modern cuisine, entertainment, and technology—and learning way, way too much about memes and anime (that was self-study; Cor refused to have anything to do with that). (Surprisingly, he already knew how to fist bump.) Everyone in the know about the 'deal' thought it insane—up until they spoke with Ardbert; that man's ability to connect with people was a force of nature.
When Ardbert finally left, he kept in touch. Although it hadn't been part of the deal, he sent back information about new developments regarding anything he learned about Niflheim's troop movements as well as any new daemons he encountered (after killing them, of course). Sometimes, the information he sent helped save lives. Cor appreciated it. He felt guilty that he truly couldn't pay that favor back, or help Ardbert get back to his world (Ardbert said it was impossible, but he never explained why). The only thing he could do was tell Ardbert about the fall of Insomnia after it was already in the papers, explaining the details that he knew. Ardbert had kept in touch with the Kingsglaive, and Cor had only found out about it then as Ardbert wept on the phone about what Libertus had told him regarding Nyx and Crowe.
"Ever since I got my body back, tears come to me more easily now." Ardbert had said in apology, and Cor knew he couldn't ask him to explain what he had meant.
After the fall, keeping in touch became even more important. Cor knew Ardbert was close enough to Altissia to get to Noctis and his retainers quickly. They needed the extra pair of arms--but more importantly, they needed Ardbert. He had a good head on his shoulders and an even better heart, and they needed someone to guide them during one of the darkest moments in their lives. Cor had barely even asked the favor before Ardbert agreed to it.
"Noct was a good kid, and he's a good young man now. What kind of Warrior of Light would I be if I didn't help him and his friends? They've got the fate of the entire world on their shoulders with Noct supposing to be this 'King of Kings' from this prophecy I keep hearing about, and if there's anything I can do to share their burden, then count me in."
"I'm not sure why I'm even feeling remotely surprised right now," Cor replied with a sigh. "You're not even going to consider this a favor, are you?"
"Ha! Aye, you shouldn't be by now. And, no. It won't be the first time I've helped save a world, and it probably won't even be the last at the rate I'm going." Ardbert lightened his voice. "This is what, the third time? Or more times than that, depending on how you do the counting."
"Someday, you're going to have to tell me everything, you know," Cor meant it friend to friend
"Fine, fine—someday. Let's save the world, first. Tell me everything I need to know, and then let's get in contact with them. There's no time to waste, not when they're already this vulnerable." Ardbert's voice was firm, determined; he had already made his decision.
"Right. I'll start at the beginning." And Cor did for the better part of an hour.
They moved on quickly to the next step: a three-way phone call of introduction between Cor, Ardbert, and Ignis (with Prompto helping). It wasn't long before they had a plan for Ardbert to meet up with them on the train. Two stops before Cartanica. Only a few hours, but Cor knew that it'd be enough to get Ardbert settled into the group's dynamics. In many ways, they were still kids, and they needed a trusted 'adult' to help shoulder their burdens.
Cor was certain that Ardbert was a better choice than he was for such a thing, anyway—Ignis even sounded a bit reinvigorated by the end of the call after Ardbert briefly derailed the discussion to suggest that the Power of Kings might allow Ignis to sense aether well enough to get around by himself with practice, recalling knowledge from his "previous life" on the First and his time on the Source and from some of the experiments conducted with him in Insomnia. He reasoned that Ignis sounded as intelligent as any mage he had known, and if anyone would figure out how to do it, it'd be him. When they met up, he'd help Ignis start testing things out. There was also a long inspiring speech about "even if it doesn't work", but Cor had only half-listened to that, such was his relief that Ardbert was exactly the man they needed in just this moment. He knew and understood emotions; he knew and understood loss. Ardbert was both the man those kids needed and deserved.
They planned to cut communication for a while after Ardbert met up with Noctis and his retainers as an added security measure. Ardbert's last message was a simple Found them. See you Space Cowboy. Which brought both relief and irritation to Cor, because he knew he'd end up searching online for what godsforesaken anime Ardbert was quoting now just so it would stop it from bothering him. (Which was the entire point of it, really; a parting gift to annoy him into amusement.)
Cor couldn't have picked a better man to watch over Regis's son and his friends.