radioactivepeasant:

Fic Prompts: Final Fantasy Friday

This is a piece of an au of mine related to this drawing where Ardyn becomes a Knight of Etro rather than Besithia’s lab assistant and eventual chancellor (and therefore avoids a lot of problems for himself and everyone else)

Ardyn: Etroverse au

Nobody saw him coming.

Between the confusion and the chaos, that was somewhat logical, but Regis still couldn’t help the instinctive thought that the stranger had warped into the road.

Had he come to help? To save them? Or was he an enemy?

Regis dragged himself forward. Noctis was up there, alone with the marilith. Alone. He’d heard the nursemaid scream. He knew death when he heard it. He already had his Armiger ready, preparing to warp, when the stranger beat him to it.

“Odin!” shouted the raggedy, flamboyant figure, “Give me a boost, won’t you?”

Odin?! Regis felt his mouth drop open as the ancient messenger of the Astrals was suddenly just there. Not that he materialized, or stepped out of some fold in space; he was simply there where he had not been before.

The horned warrior lifted the raggedy man, and Regis glimpsed armor beneath the long coat. Odin launched the man at the marilith, and the man plunged a gleaming red blade into the daemon.

“Best get your little princeling to a doctor, young man,” the warrior called nonchalantly, even as he ducked so that Odin could jab at the daemon with a monstrous spear. “I don’t like the look of those wounds. I’d heal him myself but- Oopsie-daisies!”

He dodged so quickly that his hat was left behind, then just as rapidly reached back to snatch it back to his head.

“As you can see, I’ve just the teensiest bit of a full schedule at the moment.”

Regis gathered his son into his arms. He’s too still- he’s much too still! Please, please, I can’t lose him too! He gritted his teeth.

“Hold on, son,” he whispered, “Just hold on.”

Seconds before warping away, he looked up at their rescuer.

“Who are you?”

Not that he truly expected an answer when the man was in the midst of a life and death struggle.

“Oh,” the man made a slightly bitter laugh. “Just a man of no consequence.”

Fic Prompts: Final Fantasy Friday

(The worst uncle in Lucis, out causing trouble in Dissidia)

“Sothis is the young rascal who’s been giving you the runaround.”

Ardyn leaned down to prod Cloud’s cheek and almost lost a finger for his trouble. He laughed, high and merry, and crouched to meet his eyes.

“Oh, I like you!” Ardyn chuckled. “You look like you’re much more fun than this dour angel, hmm?”

Cloud glowered at them. “This is the world of Respite, Sephiroth. You can’t hurt me here.”

“Not physically, no,” Sephiroth answered blandly.

Ardyn stood up and offered Cloud a hand. “Come on then, young sirrah, up you come. Do tell me, why does this great turkey of a man fret all day about chasing you down?”

Cloud shrugged with a sullen look. “Wish I knew.”

Sephiroth arched a haughty brow. “He’s a failed clone of mine.”

Ardyn squinted at Sephiroth, then at Cloud. “Hm. I see what you mean. Really only got your eyes, didn’t he?”

“By clone he means extension,” Cloud snapped, “Just another walking avatar of Sephiroth.”

Ardyn considered this. Then he turned back to Sephiroth. “I don’t think you’ve quite got the idea of how cloning works, old boy,” he said.

Sephiroth looked, overall, nonplussed. “I’m not the one making clones. That would be Hojo.”

“Well this Jojo person, whoever they are, is a bit rubbish at their job, aren’t they?”

Let it never be said that Cloud Strife passed up an opportunity to needle Sephiroth. He scoffed. “Hojo is the reason Sephiroth exists. He’s either his old man, or just the weirdo who rewrote his mitochondrial DNA to be the child of a sentient plague.”

“Cloud-” Sephiroth’s placid front flickered for just a moment. But it didn’t intimidate Cloud the way it used to.

Ardyn counted out a few fingers as though trying to follow Cloud’s explanation. Then he curled his lips in distaste.

“Goodgods man! And I thought my family was messy!”

This Week’s Prompt Schedule:

Wednesday: Wars Wednesday

Friday: Final Fantasy Friday