Shadow of the Crystal, Part 2: Penumbra

"When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way."

― Fred Rogers

Queensguard

In the early morning hours when the air was crisp and bright with moonlight, Aranea returned to her hideout. She slipped onto the balcony as she often did, just because she enjoyed sneaking into her own home like a burglar. The door was slightly ajar to let in air, but she'd need to slide it just a bit to get inside.

Through the glass doors she could see Izunia, sitting at the big table, writing in a notebook. He had laid out some pieces on a large map. Working hard on some plot? As it was dark outside, she was certain he couldn't see her. He poured himself a shot of some sort of liquor and downed it. There was a nearly-empty bottle sitting beside it.

Suddenly, a woman with long black hair and a kimono swept out of a dark corner. Aranea's eyebrows flew up. There wasn't a hallway or a door or even a damn window in that corner. She had to have appeared literally out of nowhere. The elegant woman seated herself daintily next to Ardyn. He looked over at her with maximum scorn.

"Oh, have I got your attention now? What's it been, eight or nine centuries? Long time no see," he said. Aranea surmised from the sound of his voice that he'd been drinking scotch. Not the good stuff, either.

"We wish to know if it is true," said the woman, cryptically. Without waiting for a response, she placed a hand on his forehead, as if taking his temperature. "Ah," she said. "So it is."

He pushed away her hand irritably. "Yes, Lunafreya succeeded in removing my curse. So what will you do with her? Will you punish her for defying you?"

"No. We shall leave the Oracle to her duty and ask that you do the same. Corrupting her is not a kindness. You above all should know that."

Ardyn scoffed. "Explain yourself, ice witch. Was I not a faithful servant? Did I not wage your wars? Mop up your plague? I was a good person once. Good enough, anyway. Why did you do this to me?"

Besides the obvious resentment, Aranea could also detect notes of sadness and resignation in his voice. So that's what was lurking underneath that theatrical manner.

The woman frowned. "You chose to sow the wind. We did nothing but allow you to reap the whirlwind," she said coldly.

"No, you led humanity off a cliff and expect the survivors to be grateful they weren't smashed like all the rest. You've learned nothing - you're still doing it!"

He conjured a sword into his hand and slashed at the woman, who promptly disappeared into thin air.

"I hate you!" he shouted at the shadows. "All six of you! I'll see you dead, do you hear me!"

With that, he got unsteadily to his feet and wobbled off towards the bedrooms.

"Whoa," said Aranea to herself. "What the everloving crap did I just see?"

#

The following morning, Aranea found Ardyn sitting outside on the balcony, looking rougher than usual. She brought out two mugs of hot coffee and sat down next to him.

"Hey, Chance."

He rolled his eyes elaborately over to her. She pushed the coffee closer.

"Well, what should I call you? It's pretty obvious at this point that you aren't the Chancellor of Niflheim."

"Au contraire. I most certainly am the Chancellor of Niflheim. The question before you is, what elsemight I be?"

Aranea pressed her lips together in annoyance. "You know, you're right. 'What kind of a person barfs wasps, Aranea?' That's what I've been asking myself."

"It's a long story," he said recalcitrantly, sipping his coffee. "We have bigger problems now."

"The daemons in Tenebrae, you mean," Aranea said, dropping the subject for the moment.

"Now that they hold the power of the dark crystal, there's no reason for them to check their ambitions. Already they have begun turning the fauna, as you've seen. They are led by a creature known as Uzuloth the Usurper. Want to make any guesses why they call him that?"

"Probably not because of his fabulous fashion sense," muttered Aranea.

"I'm not entirely sure he has a body to clothe. It will make stabbing a challenge," said Ardyn, scowling into the distance.

Ravus and Lunafreya were inside finishing up their own breakfast, peering curiously at the map Ardyn had laid out the previous night. Aranea waved Biggs and Wedge over and sat down.

"We were just discussing the situation in Tenebrae," said Aranea. "It's like I've explained to all of you: Fenestala Manor has been taken as headquarters by an enormous mass of daemons. They commandeered the power of the dark crystal, which is…" she scratched her head. "What, again?"

"It is the lesser-known sibling of the one kept by Lucis," said Ardyn. "Nevertheless, Lucis will of course oppose this usurpation, or would if they had any resources. They only have one person who matters, unfortunately." He tapped a finger on the top of a lone figurine. "Four if you include his little friends."

"Meanwhile," said Ravus, pointing to a mass of figures on the map, "On the Empire side, we have a huge army ready to move. The problem is that our armaments are facing Lucis."

Aranea nodded. "We need to get the army pointed at the real enemy."

Biggs asked, "Why's that, then? I thought the Lucians were our sworn enemy."

Ravus looked pointedly over at Ardyn in anticipation of the answer.

"Because," said Ardyn, "the daemons are attempting to blot out the sun and bring night eternal unto Eos. If such a cataclysm occurs, there will be few survivors. The living shall envy the dead." He arched an eyebrow at Ravus and Biggs. "Say what you will about the Lucians, they probably won't do any of that."

Biggs whistled. "Then it's well we have the Chancellor and the High Commander right here in this room, innit?"

Ardyn nodded. "That's an advantage, yes...but there's another problem. The upper levels of the Empire are completely infested with daemons. In the best case, they will busy themselves with infighting like crabs in a bucket. In the worst case, they will join Uzuloth and our little war will expand to two fronts."

"Whoa up there, buddy," said Aranea, alarmed. "What do you mean infested?"

"I will go into greater detail later, but suffice to say that every single one of them is host to at least one of the parasites we are endeavoring to defeat. Including Lord Ravus."

"Me?" said Ravus, taken aback. He thought for a moment, flexing his magitek arm. "The gauntlet…?"

"Eh, you told us that magitek was bad business, didn't you, Lady A?" said Biggs.

"Yep," she said grimly. "I don't allow it in my squadron. So there's a few normies, anyway."

"I don't feel any different," said Ravus skeptically. "Aside from stronger, of course."

Ardyn said, "Do take my word for it: they are changing you, even if you can't feel it. The length of time differs for each individual, but the daemon will inevitably take over. At that point, the human is well and truly lost. We therefore have two choices: either separate the humans from the daemons before that happens, or destroy them after the fact."

Aranea turned to him thoughtfully. "Separating the daemons from the humans...is that what Lunafreya did to you back in the cavern?"

"Correct. They exited my body and left me quite as mortal as all of you." He held up his bandaged hand to demonstrate. "Thus, it is very much in my interest to stop them."

"Serious question, though," said Aranea, "How many of those dudes is really worth saving? I mean, present company excluded."

"Thank you," said Ravus sardonically.

"All of them," said Lunafreya quietly. "We cannot, and will not, pick and choose whose life is worthwhile."

"It may not be possible to save them all," said Ardyn, taking his usual flamboyance down a couple of notches and into the realm of sincerity. "But we shall try."

Aranea regarded the Oracle with a new respect bordering on awe. No wonder the people loved her so much. As a mercenary and now a military woman, Aranea had always accepted that casualties were a risk in any operation, and she doubted Ardyn and Ravus felt any differently. Yet they were both clearly willing to follow Lunafreya's wishes here.

"I don't like this," Ravus objected. "Lunafreya is not a combatant. She cannot go behind enemy lines."

Ardyn said, "She must; there is no other way to use her power. That does not mean, however, that she should take unnecessary risks. Firstly, Lady Lunafreya is crucial to our success. If she doesn't make it, we're all doomed. Secondly…" he grinned, "...I don't believe in heroic sacrifices."

"Glad we're on the same page about that," Aranea said.

"Indeed. I have plans for you," Ardyn said. "If we are able to bring the leadership of Niflheim around to our cause - in one way or another - we still need Noctis to perform his role as the Chosen King. He must reach the crystal of light, but his path cannot be too smooth."

"Why not?" asked Lunafreya.

"Because he isn't ready. The prince cannot become the King of Light if his friends do all the work for him. He needs to ripen."

"Like an avocado," said Biggs.

"Yes," said Ardyn, nodding emphatically. "Noctis is an unripe fruit. That's why he's traveling around collecting the blessings of his forefathers. However, there are some important stops he should make. That's where you come in, Aranea."

"Travel around, see the sights, meet interesting monsters, and kill them," Aranea summed up. She tapped the table, thinking. "Then we all meet up at Tenebrae and bring the battle to the daemons."

"If our mission in Gralea has gone well, we will able to transport the light crystal to Tenebrae," Ardyn continued. "Then Noctis can use its power to defeat the daemons and end the Starscourge once and for all."

"Really? Um, does he know that?" Aranea said doubtfully.

"What he thinks is irrelevant. He is the Chosen King. No one else is qualified."

Aranea let out a long whistle. "That doesn't seem like a lot to hang your hat on." She had met Noctis, and this really seemed above his paygrade.

Ardyn sighed. "If Noctis cannot rise to the occasion, then see my previous point in re: doomed. The burden will ultimately be on his narrow shoulders."

"How shall I help him?" asked Lunafreya. "If I am not to form the covenants, I am unsure what my role is."

"Why, you don't have one anymore," said Ardyn. "Unless you make one for yourself, that is."

Lunafreya went even more pale than usual.

"This is good, sister," said Ravus encouragingly. "You'll live to see the peace you usher in." He put a hand on hers and squeezed it.

"At the very least, now she shall have a chance," said Ardyn.

Aranea crossed her arms over her chest, thinking. "You know…the prince has three other guys backing him up. If you're sure Lunafreya is mission-critical, shouldn't I go with her instead?"

"I would prefer it if Aranea came with us as well," said Ravus. That was an unexpected vote of confidence.

Ardyn tilted his head at Lunafreya questioningly. "What say you?"

"Oh!" said Lunafreya, sounding very surprised. "Um...I would like it if Aranea joined us. If she is willing."

"Interesting," said Ardyn. "Then you've assembled a Shield, a Glaive, and a friend...a crownsguard just like your prince. Perhaps we should teach you how to use that trident properly, too."

Aranea looked around at Biggs and Wedge. "How about you two? Want to save the world or do you have a better offer?"

"We're in, Lady A," said Biggs.

Ardyn nodded. "Very well. There are other ways to direct the lads. Now, then...the daemons are not hasty, but they are single-minded. They will not hesitate in their task."

"Okay, but let's take a few days if we've got 'em," said Aranea. "We have no idea what we might be walking into."

Biggs, Wedge, and Aranea split up to begin travel preparations.

"Lord Ravus, indulge me for a moment if you would," said Ardyn, holding out his hand.

Ravus gave him a look, but offered his own hand. Ardyn clasped it in both of his, closed his eyes, and concentrated. After a moment, he let go. "It seems my old talent is lost. I cannot remove the scourge from you," he said, although as was his habit, it was difficult to tell what he felt about this turn of events.

Lunafreya nodded and held out her hands to her brother. But this time, Ravus hesitated.

"What is it?" she asked.

He looked down, not meeting her eyes. "...Not yet. When we're finished."

"Ravus! You heard what Ardyn said. It's only a matter of time before that thing takes over. Let me heal you."

"You mean disempower me," he growled. "I will not have it."

"It is a false gift," she pleaded. "It will only destroy you in the end."

"Then that is my choice," said Ravus, a hard edge to his words. They were the same words she had said to him when defending her decision to give her life summoning the Astrals. He turned away and stalked out.

"What is he thinking? My actions as Oracle only fulfill my calling - he has no such destiny!"

"Ah, but it hurts his pride to hear it," said Ardyn. "It must be difficult to stand so close to the events that move the world, knowing you have no power to intervene, always watching others do the work and receive the glory."

Over the years, Ardyn had come to conclude that this was the seed of Somnus's quarrel with him. He made a mental note to keep an eye on this sibling rivalry.

Lunafreya slumped unhappily. "Even when we were children, he always thought of himself as the prince, the knight, the eldest son. He was never happy just being Ravus."

"Let him prove himself, then. His will is strong enough to withstand the daemons for now." She didn't look particularly convinced, so he added, "Consider this another reason to come home alive, Princess."

Just then, Aranea popped her head in. "Hey, you guys want to pack up some clothes? There's spares in all the wardrobes. Men's down the hall to the left. Ladies with me."

Before she could respond, Lunafreya was pulled into another room. Aranea threw open a door and revealed an enormous closet inside, filled to bursting with women's clothes for all kinds of conditions and occasions.

"We need to get you some practical gear, my girl," she said. "Those heels are not gonna cut it."

Lunafreya looked like her mind was elsewhere. "Aren't you going to guard me, though?" she asked absently.

Aranea laughed loudly. "Yeah, but - oh boy, how can I explain this to someone who's spent her life in a castle? It's a big, big world. Somewhere out there is something that would make all these princes and kings run like their asses are on fire. And when you meet that thing, you do not want to be wearing five-inch stilettos."

Lunafreya suddenly imagined Ravus and Noctis running around waving their arms, smoke pouring off them, and burst out laughing.

Together, they picked out a traveling outfit for Lunafreya consisting of light blue denim pants, a lined white leather jacket over a cotton t-shirt, and a set of leather boots and thin gloves. They weren't expecting to go anywhere especially cold, but Aranea believed in being prepared.

"Even in my old jeans, you still look like a princess," Aranea sighed.

"I absolutely adore this," said Lunafreya, admiring the back of the jacket in the mirror. The white leather jacket had an elaborate red rose embroidered on the back, with an elegant pattern that repeated on the cuffs and lapels.

"Yeah, me too," Aranea grinned. "Tell ya what. When this is all over, you and me are gonna hit up the boutiques in Altissia. I've heard they're amazing."

"You've never been?" said Lunafreya, surprised. "It's just - I suppose - I thought you'd been everywhere."

"Ha, no. Everywhere that pays the bills, maybe."

"Oh! I didn't think - I'm so sorry!" Lunafreya looked stricken, but Aranea just shook her head in amusement.

"Look, we're going to be traveling together, so let's make a deal. You forgive me for all the times I'm going to stick my foot in my mouth, and I'll do the same. Cool?"

Aranea stuck out her hand and Lunafreya shook it.

"It's a deal. And...Altissia is magnificent. I would love to show it to you someday." Lunafreya smiled, a bright, genuine smile that made Aranea smile too.

"Thanks, Princess. You're okay."

"Oh, dear. Don't you start calling me that, too. Please call me...Luna."