Get in time traveller

[warmgaze]

[Altissia. The ring, burning into his finger, burning into his skull, and he knows the price without asking, knows before it's paid. The thing you value most, isn't that always how this works in fairytales?

Ravus. Noctis. Ardyn, and that little revelation barely enters his mind at the time, the familiar glowing signature of a warp in an unfamiliar color. The prophecy, the visions that hang in his mind, a last wish from a woman who spent her life to ensure it, Lunafreya's final message to ensure that Noctis would survive.

The last clear words he can remember clearly, You've a calling to fulfill, and then Prompto and Gladio's voices, concerned, in a blur...

And then nothing. Just the feeling of a ring's power, setting him alight from fingertips to crown -

It's still in him, that power. The ring of the Lucii binds to its wearers for life, knotting strands of light into their souls, be they kings or anyone else.

(He had expected to die. Living is harder.)

And in the depths of his unconsciousness, in the place where he knows the things that he hasn't had time to consider, Noctis and Ardyn and prophecy and all of that terrible weight -

From there, from the connection of the fire in his soul that will never go out, that can only be smothered and locked away in the dark, a voice says, what would you give to change fate?

And, of course, he answers, Anything.

----

In another world, Ignis Scientia wakes in Altissia, his face scarred, his vision burned away, and continues on.

In this one, Prompto Argentum enters the room just in time to see a flare of purple flame lick along his friend's body and leave nothing behind, not even a char mark on the wrinkled sheets.

And Ignis?

Ignis wakes, with a groan and a hand pressed to his face, in the back of a cart that trundles to a stop to pick up another passenger, a young healer with cheeks not yet sunken by pain and eyes not yet yellowed by plague. He wakes bereft, on some fundamental level, of the touch of magic that bound him to Noctis, the hum of energy that bound retainer to prince...

He wakes with the imprint of a ring on his finger, the memory of agreeing, and not the damnedest idea where he is.]

Comments

[burninglight]

Hm...will you tell me?

[cuddling all up next to him, of course, because late night storytime]

[warmgaze]

[Cuddles are good and Ignis appreciates them.]

If you'd like to hear. Though I think in retrospect my least favorite was recovering that very sword you carry now from practically up the Archaean's nose.

[burninglight]

I'll listen to anything you want to tell me. Although I might like to hear that one.

[warmgaze]

You also might not, considering the story involves our dear Chancellor.

[You'll need the Blade of the Mystic to cut through that sarcasm if nothing else.]

Most of the others were tucked away at the end ends of various underground ruins, but there was also one perched up on the side of Ravatogh of all places. I suppose someone liked the view.

[burninglight]

Hm...s'not a bad place for somethin' like that, really.

[His voice had that vague sort of half-asleep tone to it, head comfortably tucked against Ignis' shoulder.]

[warmgaze]

I take it you haven't climbed the mountain yourself.

[At least the lava probably wouldn't be in the same place in this era, right?

[burninglight]

Haven't needed to--don't really have mountain climbing as a hobby.

[warmgaze]

All I can say is that, as ridiculous as it seems, I am exceedingly grateful for whoever decided it was appropriate to put a haven up there.

[burninglight]

...could always use a few more of those.

[Ardyn's clinging hold on Ignis seemed to start relaxing as harsh lines of tension left him; hazel eyes slid closed in favor of that almost surreal peaceful look he wore when asleep.]

[Kind of like he'd found a haven of his own.]

[warmgaze]

[Good. If he's settled enough to finally get some rest, Ignis certainly won't object.]

Perhaps someday I can show you that view myself. It's worth seeing at least once.

[burninglight]

Mm...it'd be nice, to go with you.

[warmgaze]

Then perhaps we'll find the time to make a trip.

[He leans into the pillows, nuzzling gently into Ardyn's hair.]

Sleep well.

[burninglight]

[The next morning...well, 'morning' saw them taking chocobos about half a day's journey to a nearby town built in stone structures not yet dilapidated, and a massive tower not yet reduced to a skeletal structure.]

[It wasn't remotely resembling the Fallgrove or its scattered plantlife, but they stood before what was unmistakably Costlemark Tower.]

[Ardyn, meanwhile, held out his hand for Ignis to take once they arrived, smiling.]

Shall we?

[warmgaze]

[It's amazing how much two thousand years can change an area. Ignis had occupied his usual place just a bit to the front, until the tower came into sight, at which point his ride slowed to take in the details.

How very different it all is.]

Let's.

[burninglight]

[The inhabitants of the town had the usual awestruck-in-hushed-whispers reaction to Ardyn passing by, more because of the healer himself rather than the fact that he was holding hands with his new shadow.]

[Instead of descending, there were above-ground floors perfectly intact; Ardyn led Ignis through a library with walls lined by countless tomes and records. It was, as Ardyn had said, largely deserted--while a few official-looking people milled about here and there, the libraries and the labs further in seemed largely empty.]

There's a laboratory downstairs they let me take up space in when no one else is using it. Have you ever used a teleporter before?

[warmgaze]

I daresay I've used these specific teleporters before. Of course, they're in a bit better condition now.

[His gaze keeps drifting over the books, though his hand remains in Ardyn's and he doesn't touch anything. To think that magitek could be like this, instead of the Niflheim weapons that destroyed his home...]

[burninglight]

Oh, good. Come on--there's one back here that leads straight to the lab. [He gently tugged Ignis along, letting go just before stepping onto the circular panel and vanishing in red light.]

[When the adviser followed, he'd find himself in a room built in the same stone and green lighting of the future Costlemark dungeon, but brighter and far more well maintained. A few more shelves lined the walls, some arranged with books and the others with varying magitek devices in varying states of repair. It felt more like an office workshop than anything resembling a laboratory, oddly comfortable even in its windowless solitude. Ardyn himself sat at a desk, balancing his chair on its two back legs with a smile.]

What do you think?

[warmgaze]

[SCHWOOP it's weird, he might hate teleporters a little but at least these get him to the destination instead of leading him on a 'where's Noct this time' chase.]

I think you'll fall over if you lean any further.

[Teasing smile, as he comes over to look at the desk in more detail.]

Truthfully, I don't know nearly enough about such technology to make heads or tails of it.

[burninglight]

It's not all that difficult. [Among the scattered papers on the desk under a lamp, the focal point seemed to be a blueprint for something vaguely reminiscent of an imperal dropship; far more streamlined and built for passengers, but some of the design elements were there.]

...I like building things. Especially when they're things with the ability to help people.

[warmgaze]

[They are indeed, and they would probably be even more familiar if Ignis had the faintest idea what he's looking at in regards to the engines. He comes over and leans on the edge of the desk.]

And designing things too, clearly.

[burninglight]

Occasionally, when I've the time.

[He tilted the chair a little further back, giving Ignis a small smirk.]

It's a sham, really...all this is rather falling out of use. I hate to see it go to waste.

[warmgaze]

It is. Most of it disappears in the next three centuries or so, if I recall my history correctly. It's simple electronics, rather than magitek, that are used in my time.

[He flips a page over, but it's all too advanced to make much sense to him.]

[burninglight]

Hm....well, I suppose it's just inevitable, really. [The chair dropped back onto all four legs, Ardyn sighing slightly.]

[warmgaze]

Far better to see it like this, I think.

[He'd rather never see another weapon of war again. At least these times are peaceful.]

[burninglight]

I should at least think this place to be far better as it is now. So I'm glad I could show it to you.