Work Text
Ignis found himself lost in thought one afternoon as he made his way back to his room. The meeting that took place a little bit after lunch ran longer than he expected and he was in dire need of a cup of Ebony. Upon putting his hand on the doorknob, the door swings open only to an overzealous Gladiolus.“I was just taking these before that little terror takes all of them.” In his hands was a tray of macaroons that were decorated in the style of a moogle, carbuncle, chocobo, tonberry, and behemoth.Ignis stared at him for a moment and then the plate before adjusting his glasses, “Sorry to disappoint you Gladio, but Terra is out on reconnaissance and won’t return until later next week. She did tell me to deliver this note to you, however.”Gladio set the plate of macaroons down, taking one from the plate before opening the note. As he started to read the note, he went to take a bite out of the treat only for his eyes to shoot up in surprise. He jumped when his teeth made contact with the treat- only to find out it wasn’t real.
Gladio-
I see you’ve finally made your way to Ignis’ room. There are no sweets as I have taken them all and replaced them with these cute mascot macaroons I sculpted from clay the other day. Aren’t they just so cute? I hope you don’t try to eat them before reading this- Give the moogle one to Iris when you get the chance.
-Terra
P.S. 2/5
Gladio slowly crumbled up the paper as he brought the imitative dessert that was made to look like a behemoth down from his mouth and scowled at it.Ignis had made his way to the kitchenette, setting up everything to prepare for his overdue cup of Ebony. When he checked where his usual stash of coffee was and found there was none. He hesitantly checked his emergency location and cursed under his breath.Gladio turned to see Ignis who was now hunched over the counter, gripping the edges before raising his eyes to meet his. “Don’t tell me… you’re out of Ebony aren’t you?”Standing up straight, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before clearing his throat. “It would seem as I’ve miscalculated when I needed to replenish my stock.”Gladio’s mind went into overdrive trying to figure out what he should do to rectify this situation. He wanted to avoid going through the five stages of Ignis’ irritability at all cost. Ignis had skipped level one of disbelief and went straight to level four of accepting that he’s at fault.When Gladio felt all hope was lost, he felt a light bulb go off in his head. He could just go get him some and avoid the inevitable. That way he could avoid Ignis’ ‘bitching’ and save everyone else from the hell that was a coffee-less Ignis.Just as he was going to start talking, there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get that,” said Gladio as he jumped to save the poor sap who chose the worse time to knock on Ignis’ door.“Thank you,” Ignis said curtly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.Gladio slowly opened the door to see a man in a glaives uniform. He looked out of his element with the pushcart full of packages. “Got a package here for an Ingus… Sent- sent…”Gladio stared at the glaive as he continued to butcher the name, “Iggy, you got a package!”Ignis’ was already on edge, cursing to himself for making an ‘such incredulous error’ to replenish his own stock of coffee. Gladio’s eyes stayed on Ignis and he turned his head to speak to the Glaive, “Any idea who’s it from?”The man flipped through pages, “Don’t know. I’m just delivering these since Amor is out. Sign this will ya?” He handed over the clipboard and then traded the box for it, “They get pissed when I don’t get signatures.”Gladio curiously examined the box as he turned away from the closing door, walking to the kitchenette in search of a knife, “Would be crazy if this box magically had Ebony in it.”“I could do without your humor right now, Gladiolus,” Ignis commented dryly, now biting his bottom lip as he tapped his foot in irritation.“Too soon? C’mon Iggy! Every time this happens, you get all-,” Gladio began, taking a butter knife to the packaging tape.“Don’t you dare say it-,” Ignis snapped, already knowing where he was going with the statement.“-bitchy that everybody walks on eggshells. You know what you need Iggy? You need some- Well I’ll be damned…,” Gladio marveled. He had finally got into the box and had strewn the packaging everywhere. “It looks like you did put in an order for some Ebony! You’ve been working so hard that you’re forgetting things again.”Ignis turned to see that there was indeed his favorite brand of coffee in that box. While he felt relief wash over him now that he could soon enjoy a cup (and another spike of irritation to Gladio’s quips), he knew for a fact he did not place an order for more. Nonetheless, he took the box from Gladio and swatted him away as he set to work to prepare his brew.Gladio laughed as he offered to take the discarded box from his friend when a piece of paper detached itself from the bag of coffee. “Must be the receipt- want me to throw it out?,” Gladio asked, his hands slowly starting to crumble the piece of paper.Ignis quickly turned and plucked it from his hand before it was crushed, “I need to verify when I placed the order,” Ignis said, trying to sound convincing. “If it is as you say, and I’m ‘forgetting things again’, I’ll make note of this so I won’t forget to place the next.”Gladio laughed as he sat down, “You might as well place it now since we’re talking about it!”Ignis gave him an icy stare before turning his attention to the invoice. It was indeed addressed to him, but the pricing where there was usual thank you from the supplier for purchasing from them, it read:
It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.
-St.Thomas Aquinas
Just in case you’ve forgotten how to relax, use this.
T.A.
Ignis stood there for a moment reading the note, a small smile playing on his lips, “You didn’t chip any teeth when you tried to tear into the poor thing?”Gladio who had been examining the macaroons wasn’t expecting to be asked a question, fumbled with one of the mascot-shaped treats. “So you knew and STILL let me bite into it?!”Ignis brought over a tray that was beautifully arranged with different snack cakes and two steaming cups of Ebony. “Miss Amor asked me not to say anything and as I didn’t see that it would do any major harm-”Gladio double checked to make sure the cakes were real before he picked it up, “Gee, thanks Iggy.”Now with his brew, he was starting to relax. He let out a light chuckle, “you’re not the only one who’s been tricked by those treats. I can tell Miss Amor her experiment was a success.”Gladio let out a groan, “As my best friend, I thought you would have my back.” Gladio feigned hurt.Ignis took a long sip from his cup before addressing Gladio, “If I remember right, you’re her ‘best friend forever even if you don’t want to be.’ I’m simply an observer. And I do my best not to step on toes.”This conversation went on for a bit longer until Ignis lifted his cup to his lips and noticed it was empty, “Ah- it would seem I’m in need of a refill. Gladio?”“Nah, I’ll be up all night if I drink another cup,” Gladio said, his cup still half full.Ignis nodded as he headed back into the kitchenette, “Did you meet Miss Amor in primary school?”“Middle school…,” Gladio started, looking down into his cup, “she was- I mean she is a family friend. Her grandmother is friends with my pops and the king. She was just there and Iris took a liking to her.” He started to smile as he recalled the memory, “Even with another girl around, it didn’t stop Iris from making me play dress up and tea parties. I honestly think they liked to tag team me.”Ignis leaned against the counter, raising his cup to his lips, “Huh? I do remember you complaining about such a girl… is she the-”Gladio groaned, “One in the same…”Ignis lowered his cup after a pregnant pause, “I guess I imagined someone different. Someone more… Terra- fying . ”Gladio groaned, “That was terrible and you know it.”“Do you mean, terra ble?”Another groan from Gladio and Ignis burst out laughing.“You think it’s punny?! I mean funny? There’s a reason they call her ‘The Terror’- and don’t you dare!,” Gladio pointed at Ignis who was on the verge of making another pun.Ignis made his way back to his chair after refilling his cup for a third time. He felt much more relaxed now he had his Ebony and a good laugh.“Do tell, Gladio. Do tell me why they call her, ‘The Terra r’.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Citadel was in full panic when reports came in about the attack from the Daemon Marilith.
Prince Noctis was one of the casualties of its attack and was currently in critical condition. Many people were lost that night to the due to the daemon’s rampage.
The Crownsguard was responsible for contacting the families of those who had been affected, be it injured or killed in action. This was one of the things Cor Leonis didn’t look forward to when this it came to his position.
Going door to door to let parents or spouses know that their loved ones were killed in the line of duty. Watching the new widows cry and children not understanding why their mommy or daddy weren’t coming home. His heart broke, again and again, every time but he maintained his military bearing l, though it got harder with each home he went to.
He hated to admit it but being the one to make these house calls made it hard for Cor to think of starting a family of his own. Sure, people joked with him saying ‘The Immortal’ can’t be killed and shouldn’t be afraid of starting a family- but the ideas of ‘what if’ didn’t bode well with him.
He shook his head when he realized his hand hovering over the door knocker. This was his last home to visit on the list- though it should have been one the first had he gone in alphabetical order.
The name of the fallen was Atlas Eros. He knew this person and his primary next of kin personally, and even though each visit was harder, this one would truly break him.
He hoped when he’d knock on the door that his 10-year-old daughter would not answer the door. Despite being told to leave it to the housekeepers, she made it a game to see who could get to the door first. This time she beat them to it.
“Cory!,” she said excitedly, clearly out of breath from sprinting to get to the door first. “Gram didn’t say you were coming to visit. Do you have a surprise?”
The housekeeper bowed in apology as they ushered him in. He denied them taking his jacket, feeling his heart constrict as the young child bombarded him with questions. He put his hands into his pockets and averted his eyes as he spoke. “Not today Terra, but I promise to bring you something soon.” He tried to smile to hide the sting of tears that started to fill his eyes.
“More manga, please! My mom doesn’t buy me them and I can only read them at Gram’s…,” Terra said with an air of annoyance, “says it’s the ‘devil’s work’.”
“Terra, girl. Let your dear ‘Cory’ have some space. You can show him your Kungfu tricks later,” a voice called from the dining room.
“It’s ‘ninjutsu’, gram! Not Kungfu-,” Terra said, pulling Cor towards the room by his sleeve, “I’ve told you this before!” She said this with a huff, but her tone was playful.
‘Gram’ chuckled as she reached for Terra, “You must sit down and finish your dinner or you’ll not get dessert. And yes- that includes your broccoli. There’s cheese on it so it should be delicious!”
Terra turned up her nose as she sat, but she didn’t complain as she picked up her fork, “Yes, ma’am.”
"Mrs. A-Amor,” Cor said abruptly, not meaning to sound rude.
“What did I tell you about calling me that, Cor. Freya will do just fine,” she gestured her hand, telling him to sit. “Would you like something to eat, dear?”
'Always playing the motherly role,’ Cor thought as he took his hands out of his pockets and placed them on his thighs, gripping to an item in one hand, “N-No thank you. I don’t have m-much of an appetite tonight.” He started to squeeze his hands, bracing for the impact his words were about to carry.
Freya watched him knowingly as she shakily set her fork down. When she felt a surge of magic return to her the night before, she knew something had happened to her son. She felt deep remorse for Cor, who with much practice maintained his bearing. Atlas had been like a brother to him during his time with the Crownsguard and ‘Immortal’ godfather to Terra.
Cor’s eyes bore into the food on Terra’s plate. Here he was with news about her father on her name day- the day they should be celebrating. His stomach churned with bile when he looked to the girl.
Terra didn’t take much notice as she was happy to find out the cheese did make eating the broccoli much easier.
Freya took in a deep breath before holding her hand out to Cor, clearing her throat to get his attention. She did her best to keep her hand from shaking. Terra had just finished her broccoli and was about to proudly announce it when she realized how tensed the two adults in the room we being.
Cor swallowed, facing Freya before straightening his back and handing over the item in hand. It was a clear crystal void of any color. Dropping it into Freya’s shaky hands and he spoke, “I-I have been asked to inform you that your son has been reported dead at 2015 on June 10, 744,” he clasped her hand with his, “There was a daemon attack that we believe was aimed to kill his majesty. On behalf of King Regis who sends his deepest regards. Please accept my deepest sympathies in your family's loss.”
The plate slipped from Terra’s fingers, causing a clattering sound as it hit the table. She sat rigid in her seat, eyes wide.
Cor continued, “He died protecting Prince Noctis who was injured during the assault. He’s currently in critical condition and requires a blood transfusion...”
Freya squeezed her hand tightly around the crystal, taking in a deep breath, “S-surely there are others out there who can be of assistance?” Her eyes flickered to Terra, who’d still not move. Tears started to build up in the corner of her eyes as she continues to absorb the news.
Cor sighed, “His Majesty would not be asking especially with current circumstances, but the Eros-Amor line is the last of the Crystal Bearers. And with Atlas-,” he took in a deep breath, refusing to say more on the subject and then continued, “there’s only you, whom his majesty fears will kill you both in the process. Charon, whom we’ve failed to locate, and Terra.”
Cor hated himself at that moment. Here he was not only delivering the news of the death of this child’s father but also to commanding she give her lifeblood to save another.
“You can use a Phoenix Down, right?” said Terra, her voice just barely above a whisper.
Cor moved quickly to her side and took her hands within his. He didn’t know how to comfort one in this type of situation but he’d be damned if he’d done nothing.
He looked into her eyes, seeing himself in their reflection. When did he start tearing up?
“Did you try to use a Phoenix Down on my papa?” she asked as her own tears started to flow.
How he wished he could reverse all these deaths with a Phoenix Down.
Many men had died in this war. He’d gone to too many doors delivering the news to families. How he would rather tell families their loved ones were hurt but are alive and recovering.
He looked to Freya who clenched the crystal to her heart, hand over her mouth as she cried silently. They made eye contact and he knew he could only tell her the truth.
“We tried to save him, but it was too late. He was already gone.”
He was then startled when Terra wailed and threw her arms around him. Unsure how to respond he shakily patted her on the back as his tears silently fell.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Everything was a dull blur for Terra after Cor had delivered the news of her father’s death. She had cried so much that she thought she’d be all out them forever. That was up until she’d been stuck with a needle to start taking her blood for the transfusion. She’d told herself that she had to be brave. That’s what her father would have told her if he were there. If it meant helping someone in need and if you had the means to do so, help them the very best you can. Prince Noctis had been hurt and needed help that only she could give. Her father’s words echoing in her mind, she clawed the armrest for the next couple of moments while the nurse finished her tasks. She’d gotten used to finger pricks and shots as a child and thought that this would be the same, but she was sadly mistaken. Her tears started to flow freely once again. “These babies are too young for so much to already happened in their lives,” Freya said to herself as she watched from behind the one-way glass. With her back straight and expression neutral, she made no effort to turn when she heard she was being approached. “How ails the young prince, Regis?” she said softly, her hands gripping tightly onto her cane as she watched her granddaughter tremble as the nurses worked around her. King Regis paused instep for a moment, bowing towards her, “There’s nothing in the world that could express how sorry I am for your lost, Lady Freya. If there’s anything within my power that-,” he began, his voice filled with deep sorrow. “The young prince,” she deflected, “he remains unconscious…” This was said in a matter-of-fact manner. The crystal that was once her son’s now hung on a chain necklace that she wore. It glowed briefly. Regis rose his head to see she still faced the glass as she spoke and sighed, “It is as you say. The healers are hoping the transfusion will stabilize him and he’ll awaken. From there we’ll move him to Tenebrae so he can recuperate.” She took that moment to turn to him, finally seeing they weren’t alone. With Regis was his shield, Clarus Amicitia. She nodded her head to him in acknowledgment and he brought his fist to his heart in response. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss, Ms. Freya. Atlas’ presence will be one that will definitely be missed.” She sighed deeply and returned her attention back to the window, “I never thought I’d see the day where I would have to bury any of my children.” Both Regis and Clarus looked through the window as well. Clarus’ brows furrowed, “Cor said Terra was with you when he delivered the news. Not that it makes it any easier. I’m just happy knowing she was in your company and not Charon’s when the news was delivered.” There was a pause before Freya responded, “I’m afraid to think of what would have happened had she not been with me, Clarus…” Regis and Clarus exchanged somber looks. Freya’s body didn’t give any evidence about how all this was affecting her, but her words were laced with anxiety and defeat.Regis motioned for Clarus to pull up a chair and both men coaxed the elderly woman to sit. She scolded them for their stubbornness, and they had to bite their tongues. If anyone was being stubborn, it certainly was not them. Clarus turned on the charm in hopes of calming her down and helping her relax. “You boys should know better than to make me sit down. Who do you think you are?! Reggie! Boy if you don’t get your brother-” Regis did his best not to chuckle as he watched his best friend try to calm the woman down. Clarus’ tactics were working, and Freya’s once defeated demeanor was gone just as quickly as it came. It wasn’t going to be a long road of healing for sure, but Regis vowed to do what he could to make it easy for the woman he and his brothers considered as a mother when they were away from their own. She’d served his father, the late King Mors when he was in his early teens. As a crystal bearer, she served the crown as a tutor to the heir.The Crystal Bearers consisted of four warriors who served the crown and accompanied the future kings in obtaining the astrals blessings. They're bestowed a shard from the Crystal that allowed them to use magical abilities similar to the king. Some called them the Four Heroes of Light, but over time the name changed and their purpose re-evaluated.Though King Mors knew Freya was trained for combat on the battlefield, he thought it would be better to put her in a position to train and teach others, specifically Prince Regis.She was not only in charge of his education in academics but also harnessing his magical abilities. While she was strict in her lessons, she cared for him as if he were her own up until Clarus completed his shield training. At that point, she’d been arranged to marry to ensure the Amor-Eros had a successor.Shortly after Atlas was born, Freya and her husband tried to make their relationship work for their son but ended their relationship on a mutual agreement. King Mors moved her and the newborn to Insomnia thinking it safest from the growing daemon population across Eos. She sought work and became a teacher and later the headmistress at the royal academy. Atlas grew up alongside with Regis and his friends and that’s how he and Cor crossed paths and eventually became best friends.Though they were polar opposites, you’d rarely see the two apart. Where Atlas was friendly, charismatic and overly gullible, Cor was guarded and standoffish- mostly around people he didn’t know. Over the years, both personalities rubbed off the other and Atlas became less gullible and Cor more approachable. Years passed and just like his mother, he’d been arranged to marry.Charon Styx was a high-class woman who demanded much out of Atlas, who happily complied. She had a strong disdain for Cor who was Atlas’ voice when he had none. He wished he could do more for his friend, but everyone had their roles. Everyone had to do what they needed to support the True King, so he kept silent. Shortly after their marriage she became pregnant and bore a healthy baby girl who Atlas named Terra. Atlas was so ecstatic and proud that named Cor the ‘Immortal Godfather’, mostly as a joke. When word of this title got around, the few who thought it would be funny to say it out loud suffered a merciless punishment. Regis and the others teased that Cor’s stern expressions would scare the baby, but they found her mimicking his expressions one day, which brought everyone to hysterics. At that moment, he knew that little girl would have him tightly woven around her tiny fingers. Shortly after the birth, Charon started showing signs of what the family thought was ‘Postpartum Depression’. She had a hard time adjusting and bonding with Terra. Atlas tried everything he could to help his wife who he loved dearly, but it was for naught. Feeling trapped in a relationship based on procreating a successor and not love, Charon found it hard to care for the child. Years later she threatened to file for a divorce under duress, feeling that people around her were pressuring her to stay in the relationship she had no interest in. Instead of communicating her feelings to Atlas, she left Terra with a caretaker and never returned. Atlas was oblivious of his wife’s feelings and was heartbroken to learn what she had done. He’d thought of himself as an easy person to talk to and if she had said she wanted out of their arrangement, he’d happily part ways just as his mother and father did for him. It didn’t bother him that she rejected his feelings, but she had rejected their child’s by abandoning her.Seven years passed before he found out what happened to his wife.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Before leaving work for the day Atlas had to drop off the glaives recruitment report to the registrar, when he was called over by Titus Drautos, Captain of the Kingsglaive. With him was a man Atlas hadn’t seen until he got close, “Yes, Captain?” “You saved me from having to look for you, Eros,” Drautos said with some amusement, gesturing to the man beside him, “Secretary Letum had asked about you. He wanted- ah, I’ll let Mors speak for himself.” “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Atlas.” Mors reached his hand out and Atlas instantly reached back to shake. Atlas tried to control his facial expression, but one could see he was clearly confused. “I’m not sure how to respond to that, sir. I’m sure this is the first time we’ve met.” He started to feel a nasty ball of anxiety form in his belly as he felt a shift. Mors chuckled, withdrawing his hand to cover his mouth. “My apologies. I have this habit of speaking as if people already know what I’m talking about.” Atlas chuckled nervously, looking to Drautos who seemed to be smirking. Did he know the hidden meaning behind Mors’ words? After a moment, Mors continued. “My wife, she’s told me stories about you. You have a little girl named Terra, I believe- she’s about six or seven? Maybe eight? Time surely flies when you have children.” Atlas tensed as the mention of his child’s name. He did a mental check of the women he knew, most of them from work. None of them had the last name ‘Letum’, and those who didn’t carry the last name were married to a man with the name. He looked into Mors’ eyes searching for a clue, but all he saw was glee as the man spoke broadly about his wife. Drautos watched as Atlas tried to figure out the meaning behind Mors’ words and chuckled, “You’re doing it again, Secretary. I guess I’ll just say it plainly or else we’ll be here forever, and Eros will be late submitting his reports.” There was a moment of silence and when no one objected, Drautos continued, “I’m sure you remember your wife- well she’s no longer your wife. Well, Charon and the Secretary go way back before she was made to fulfill that whole forced marriage thing so you could have an heir for your crystal or whatever.” “We were soulmates,” Mors said with an edge of tease in his voice, “but with the crown and its laws, I had to let her go. It was the right thing to do. The honorable thing to do.” Atlas stood stonecold for a moment as Mors went on about how Charon came back to him wanting to continue where they’d left off before she was wedded to him. Their little boy who would be turning five soon and how happy Charon was with her little family they had now they could be together. ‘Why the hell is he telling me this?’ Atlas thought, taking in a deep breath before cutting in, “I’m sorry Secretary Letum, but I need to turn these into the register before they close for the weekend. It was,” he paused for a moment, not being able to find the right word to use. This wasn’t a nice talk nor was it a pleasure. How he felt at that moment was far from ‘good’. He felt nauseous, dejected and wanted to get far away from this man as possible. “-talking to you,” he strained to say after a pregnant pause. He’d taken only one step before Mors stuck his hand out to stop him. “One more thing before you go,” Mors quipped, “We should get the kiddies together- since they are siblings after all.” Atlas clenched his jaw tight, nodding stiffly in response before he side-stepped the hand and made his way swiftly to the registry.---Hellfire might as well broken loose when Atlas told his mother and Cor what had occurred at work. Freya was beyond livid, going on a long rant about the ‘audacity of that woman’. “She ups and vanishes- leaving a baby without a word.” “Mom… she could have done worse. She could have killed herself and the baby. The depression-,” Atlas started. Freya turned to him, pointing one finger to silence him. “Don’t you even start with that again, boy! Or did you forget that I watched as you worried yourself sick trying to help her?” Atlas shriveled back, the mention of the past hitting his psyche hard. The memories flashing in his mind quickly, causing his eyes to burn with tears. Cor saw his friend struggling and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder squeezing it in support, “We can only focus on the present and the future,” he said as he looked into his eyes. Atlas brought his forearm up to shield his face, his body quivering as he finally let himself breakdown and sobbed.