Post-canon FFIII feels like it'd be an interesting time, what with the discovery of a world underneath you that's existed for centuries/a continent that's 1000 years ahead of you (and, if you're playing the remake, now floating).
In a similar fashion as Ingus, the main Sasune soldiers in this fic are based NPCs from the actual game along with a dash of the manga for good measure (try hitting it up: The designs for the soldiers there are the ones I picture them as here).
Also, while not required reading, a bit of this (as in, the crux of this fic) references FFIII's unused text strings. See at the bottom for a bit more.
The guards of Sasune Castle were up and about long before the sun was. The early schedule was, in some ways, a formality; It was rare for monsters to approach the castle in the wee hours of the morning. Even so, t'was better to have wasted time with no threats than to be left unguarded when danger arrived.
These days, however, there was a greater purpose to the schedule; There was much more work to be done. The earthquake that unleashed the Djinn from his prison had only been the prelude to something with far greater consequences.
Within a few months, it was discovered that the Floating Continent was but a fraction of the entire world.
With that revelation, it was only inevitable that contact would be made. Saronia reached out first, their engineers making airship development trivial. Talks began occurring and eventually Sasune commissioned two airships: The Crimson Blade and the Scarlet Scepter .
Even then, there were still many more things that needed to be done. Advisors needed to watch over development of the airships, a crew would be needed to man them and said crew needed to be capable of fending off the creatures on the surface; The reports the kingdom received about the wildlife in the area suggested that monsters on the surface far outclassed the monsters on the continent. As such, the guards were put under fiercer sparring sessions, in hopes of giving them some idea of what to expect.
Tomok's training began when he was very young. It was not much; the boy had quite a few years left before he would enter service proper, but the boy was still getting gentleman training and was being taught how to wield a wooden sword.
There was much pressure on Tomok to perform well. His father was one of the most well regarded soldier's in Sasune's army and Tomok was expected to be of similar quality.
Then one night, something unexpected happened. A crash off in the distance alerted the castle. Before a search party could be organized, a man covered in soot and clothes in tatters arrived with four children in tow. While the king could not accept all of them, he did pick the oldest one to serve in the army. And thus, the four-year-old boy was off to the barracks.
Tomok had no idea of any of this at the time however.
In the field outside of the castle, two of the guards faced each other down. One of them had silver hair that reached to the bottom of his neck. The other had short black hair that stuck out at the sides of his head along with a slight point down the middle. Both wore the usual Sasune guard outfit: A blue tunic with shoulder pads and boots. The key difference was that the short-haired man had red shoulder pads while the other had a blue matching his outfit.
"Begin!"
At once, the two guards charged at each other. The short-haired guard raised his saber to parry a strike and tried to retaliate. The long-haired guard effortlessly dodged. Channeling the energy in his blade, the long-haired man created a curtain of ice to separate himself from his opponent. The short-haired man looked at his saber in grief.
"Come on Wedge!" One of the guards on the sidelines heckled.
"I don't have a Salamand Sword, Biggs!" The short-haired guard, Wedge, shot back. "Lightning can't do anything to ice!"
Wedge became aware of a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to witness the long-haired guard leaping over the ice wall, Freezing Blade at the ready. Wedge raised his blade cautiously and prepared to counter the expected strike.
However, the strike never came. The long-haired guard stumbled on his landing and Wedge, unsure of how to react, dropped the blade onto the other guard's shoulder. The soldier growled as the blade cut into his opposite elbow. Wedge, for his part, was just as surprised.
"S-Sir Tomok! I didn't mean to cut you that hard-ah!"
The long-haired guard, Tomok, used Wedge's hesitation to his advantage. Channeling the Freezing Blade's power once again, he casted Blizzara right under Wedge before kicking Wedge in the gut. As the rest of the soldiers, Biggs included, went over to see if Wedge was alright, Tomok walked back towards the castle with little more than a hand to the shoulder and the memorized words of a cure spell on his tongue.
Tomok lay on the floor, too furious to even hear the Captain call for the end of the sparring match. His opponent, a boy with blonde hair, red clothing and a green pendant gave a simple nod before walking off. Around Tomok, the other soldiers made indecipherable noise. Tomok almost could have sworn he heard Princess Sara cheering.
Tomok was helped up by one of the handmaidens. He sullenly made his way to the barracks, trying to ignore how the princess seemed eager to get the blonde boy's attention.
The blonde boy.
Ingus.
It is said that first impressions are the most important, but Tomok was unsure about that; His first impression of Ingus had been the night he appeared at Castle Sasune. It was not uncommon for orphans brought into the castle to look sad or nervous about their new arrangement. It was rare, however, for an orphan to be brought in with such a traumatized expression. Ingus spent the first couple days at Castle Sasune in a state of shock, rarely responding to anyone or being responsive in general. Eventually though, it passed; Ingus' haunted gaze slowly morphed into a permanent frown, which only grew more aloof over time.
It was that same aloof frown that stared at him time and time again, standing above him as the victor of their duels.
Tomok arrived at the barracks. He tried to ignore the murmurs around him, the talk of how the son of such a highly regarded soldier could lose to an orphan who came out of nowhere. Tomok climbed into his bed and stewed in frustration.
"You were sloppy today."
Tomok did not look up at the speaker.
"With how much pride you take in your training, it's unthinkable that you would make such mistakes."
Tomok remained quiet. Captain Vicks' normally steely gaze softened.
"In fact, you have been different for quite a while, Tomok. Is it concerns about the surface? Or something else?"
Tomok tried to avoid Vicks' gaze as he muttered something under his breath. The captain seemed to be aware of what the situation was, but refused to be the one to bring it up.
"What was that?" Captain Vicks asked. Tomok hesitated before speaking quietly.
"I feel, I have unfinished business, sir."
"Unfinished business? In what manner?"
Tomok did not respond.
"...Perhaps it would be best for you to talk to the Princess. She has been acting withdrawn lately, which is concerning. Even if some feel that it is an improvement over her usual behavior." Vicks said. Tomok gave the idea some thought.
"Yes. Perhaps I should…" Tomok stood up and began to walk out before the captain said something that gave him pause.
"Remember Tomok: You have nothing to prove. You are already one of Sasune's most elite soldiers. You've already done your family justice."
"...I'll try to keep that in mind, sir."
The celebration was appreciative, but brief. Not only did the villages need to be visited to ensure the Djinn's curse did not cause any particular trouble, but the Warriors of Light needed to leave to fulfil their destiny and save the world from destruction.
And Ingus was one of them.
Tomok's emotions roiled within him. On one hand, this likely explained Ingus' constant victories over him. On the other… his pride no longer stung, but burned. It was bad enough that Ingus just so happened to have left the castle on his own to train alone and thus was the only soldier who could do something about the Djinn. But he's also a so-called 'Warrior of Light'?
Just who is he?!
While Biggs and Wedge gave the Warriors of Light a standard farewell, with Biggs trying to cover for his earlier boasting and Wedge entertaining the idea of working under a blacksmith, Tomok merely walked up to Ingus and gripped his hand.
"Ingus… Ever since we were little, you've always bested me…"
Tomok broke off and left, lest his resentment made him say something he would regret.
Tomok found Princess Sara on one of the balconies overlooking the castle. Commonly, it was quite hard to find Sara; The princess' restlessness meant that she could be anywhere within the castle at a moments notice if she had no business to take care of and that was generously assuming that she wasn't trying to slip out and visit somewhere in the surrounding area. The only common indicator in where Sara was was that she would occasionally go to watch Him in one of His lessons or duties. As of late, however, the Princess was far more predictable with her movements; Now, she usually kept to her room, waiting for and reading letters from Him while occasionally coming down to check on the airships or, simply looking at the lands surrounding the castle.
It made for quieter times. A far cry from the impulsive princess that steals weapons from the armory.
At the present, Sara wasn't doing much of anything really. She merely admired the view from the balcony.
"Lady Sara, are you alright?"
Sara flinched and turned to the speaker.
"Oh, Tomok!" Sara put on a soft smile. "I thank you for checking in on me. I am doing well. You may leave now."
"Are you sure?" Tomok asked. "You have been acting quite differently as of late."
"Oh. That is nothing to worry about! I'm just waiting for the airships to be finished so that we can travel. Honestly, I do not understand why everyone must-"
"You miss Sir Ingus, do you not?"
Sara became quiet. She coldly turned away from Tomok and looked into the evening sky.
"He promised to stay by my side 'until the end of time'. Did you know that?" And yet, he leaves once more so soon."
"Your highness, Sir Ingus had a very personal reason for leaving." Tomok argued.
"I know, I know. Is he the one being selfish for leaving? Or am I selfish for wanting him to stay?" Sara said before giving a thoughtful pause. "I suppose it is fair. I envied him for being able to travel while I had to remain here. Maybe I didn't want him to stay; Perhaps, I just wanted to go with him. Perhaps, I wanted him to take me to the surface again, like in those stories Mother used to read to me."
"Have you been to the surface already, Lady Sara?" Tomok asked.
"Yes." Sara replied. "But only briefly. It is so big! There is at least one other continent that's even bigger than our own! And the city on that continent, it's so big that it has four separate districts!" Sara turned her attention back to the sky with a dreamy look. "I need to go there, Tomok. With him or without him, I need to visit the surface."
Tomok did not answer. In truth, his own feelings on the surface were conflicting. To imagine, an entire world that the floating continent was merely a fragment of… It prodded at his curiosity as much as it made him concerned. What was it like down there? Is it anything like life on the continent?
Suddenly, Princess Sara spoke again.
"Are either of the airships nearing completion?"
"...I believe one of them is…?"
"Good. I shall accompany you on its maiden voyage."
"L-Lady Sara!" Tomok said, his calm composure shattering with incredulity. "You cannot be serious!"
Sara turned and gave Tomok a mischievous smirk in response.
"I am going on this journey one way or another, Tomok. Would it not be better to accept it now and not force me to sneak onboard later?"
Sara left before Tomok could answer.
Perhaps she really hasn't changed that much.
"You know Wedge. I've been thinking."
Wedge looked up from the cargo he had lifted onboard. "What say you, Biggs?"
"The reports say that time on the surface was frozen for a thousand years. So people that were on the surface are a thousand years younger than we are."
"...That's true." Wedge replied. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't know. Thinking about it doesn't sit well with me. If somebody's friend was on the continent when it went up, would they be meeting their great great descendants today? How many of us have the blood of those on the surface within us and we simply do not know it?" Biggs mused.
"...It's not like you to be so thoughtful, Biggs."
"Yeah? Well I can be!" Biggs said a little too defensively. "And I suppose Sir Ingus was bothered by it too."
"Really? What makes you say that?" Wedge asked.
"Think Wedge: Ingus has made Sasune a part of himself even more than anyone else. He's not like us. He wasn't born in these castle walls and the king never said where he came from, unlike any of the other orphans he brings in. As far as we know, he has no known family. Yet, he decides to go live on the surface for a while? After being away from Sasune for so long?!" Biggs brought a hand to his chin.
"...Are you suggesting that Sir Ingus is a thousand years old?" Wedge asked in confusion.
"Maybe I am." Biggs said cryptically.
Wedge was rather unimpressed by that answer and went to get another box.
The two were standing on the Scarlet Scepter , which was docked at a hanger close to Castle Sasune. The Scepter was the larger of the two, a battleship built both for carrying large amounts of people and for combating potential threats (namely, monsters). The Crimson Blade , while not yet finished, was intended to be a smaller, more maneuverable craft. The Scepter's priority was due to a consideration made by both kingdoms to allow residents of the surface to visit the floating continent, and eventually vice-versa.
As the selected soldiers and staff began to board, the Captain approached Biggs and Wedge.
"Alright then. We'll take a brief spin around the continent, and then travel to Saronia. According to the reports, the town of Amur has creatures closest to that of the continent, so we'll head there for training tomorrow. Are there any questions?"
"Can some of us stay at Saronia?" Wedge asked.
"You plannin' on goin' AWOL?" Biggs asked jokingly.
"I just want to see what it's like." Wedge muttered.
"Perhaps sometime down the line." Captain Vicks said. He turned to Tomok.
"Sir Tomok. You have been particularly bothered as of late. Are you sure you want to accompany us now? You can remain here longer, if you need to."
All of the soldiers turned to Tomok, who seemed to be considering the idea.
"Tomok."
"Ingus."
The two soldiers held glances. It had been a couple days since Ingus returned to the castle, and it was quickly apparent that he had changed. Ingus was not the most relaxed person on the continent, but nowadays the occasional joke or remark would come from him, or so was rumored. A few even swear that Ingus smiled , a possibility so improbable that it was impossible for Tomok to even imagine.
All of those paled to his combat skills, however.
Spending the past few months fighting for his life more often than not had more of an effect on Ingus than he cared to admit. He commonly had to restrain himself while sparring and the monsters around the castle no longer phased him.
When Ingus left, he and Tomok were on equal footing. When he came back, Tomok had no chance of catching up.
"Well? Have you got something to say?" Tomok asked, sounding harsher than he meant to. Ingus seemed hesitant to speak, although Tomok could not tell if it had to do with his reaction.
"...There is something I need to tell you." Ingus replied
"Is there some issue you have with me?" Tomok asked. Ingus shook his head.
"No. It is a personal matter of mine. I intend to announce it soon, but I feel I must tell someone first."
"Are you and Princess Sara not close? Can you not tell her?
Ingus looked as if he really did not want to answer that question.
"I fear that she will not like what I have to say."
Tomok was intrigued. Ingus made sure they were alone before continuing quietly.
"I am leaving Sasune."
Tomok blinked.
"...What?"
"I am leaving to pursue personal business. While on the surface, my allies and I came across the village of Falgabard, a village for Dark Knights. While there, I was struck with a sense of nostalgia… like I had been in that village a long time ago…" Ingus seemed to fall deep in thought as he remembered his impression of the village.
"And you think that that village is where you were initially born?" Tomok asked, dryly. He knew that he should have been skeptical, but given Ingus' appearance in the castle, him dodging the Djinn's curse and him being a Warrior of Light, Tomok felt unsurprised by such a revelation. Oh, Ingus is from the surface world that neither of them knew existed until a couple months ago? It's to be expected at this point.
Ingus gave a curt nod.
"Yes. I wish to go back there, to learn how to wield the blades of Dark Knights. However…"
Tomok turned to Ingus, an eyebrow raised. Ingus' face grew concerned as he continued talking.
"The king… Lady Sara… There is too much work to be done here. I cannot afford to leave now. The king will want to establish communications with Saronia and the weapons we have brought back need to be catalogued."
"Go."
Ingus looked at Tomok in confusion. Tomok sighed in response.
"You are trying to convince yourself not to leave. The king will be fine. The princess… I'm sure she will understand if you tell her why you are leaving. You can write down whatever information you feel we will need and give it to the Captain. In all honesty, we all need to get stronger."
"Be that as it may, I cannot just-"
"Ingus, as long as we have known each other, you have given yourself to Sasune. Even moreso than I, and I have a heritage to live up to. I have never seen you desire something that wasn't in some way beneficial to Sasune. The very fact that you wish to leave duty tells me that this is something you feel you must do. And it is, is it not?"
"...It is."
"Then do it! You've already saved the world. "
There was a silence that crept upon the two soldiers. Tomok held Ingus' stoic gaze evenly. Ingus' eyes slowly closed and he exhaled, as if he had been holding his breath.
"Thank you Tomok. I believe I can tell them tomorrow." Ingus said finally. Tomok nodded in return and Ingus began to walk off. Then, he paused.
"I am sorry."
"...Excuse me?"
"I am sorry for defeating you in our sparring matches. If I had known the effect it would have had on you…"
It took Tomok a minute to process what Ingus was implying. Gritting his teeth, he stormed up to Ingus.
"And you think letting me win would have been better?!" Tomok snarled, taking Ingus aback. "You think I need pity?!"
"M-my apologies, Tomok.I did not realize."
"Clearly, you did not!" Tomok snarled. "How do you think I would feel if I were to find out? If I were to learn that I am not that skilled, but instead you were holding back?! I do not care if you are a Warrior of Light or if you came from the surface! It is better to lose to you and have a standard to work towards than to have my ego coddled. You would be doing both of us a disservice otherwise."
Ingus was initially shocked at Tomok's proclamation, but appeared to be quickly understanding.
"Yes, you are correct. I did not intend to insult you. I'm afraid that that is another thing I need to work on."
Tomok was somewhat intrigued by Ingus' words, but brushed it off.
"So go ahead. Learn how to use those Dark Knight blades or whatever. Just understand that I will want another bout in the future."
Ingus gave Tomok one last look.
"Very well." He said before walking off.
"Ingus may be a Warrior of the Light, but he is still human. He is still fallible." Tomok looked at the sky and clenched his fist. "If he's training on the surface, then so will I! When we meet again, I want to fight him as an equal! I want to prove myself as his superior!"
"And if ya can't?" Biggs asked, somewhat mockingly. Tomok snorted.
"If I can't beat him entirely, then I'll give him a run for his gil. Fighting a Warrior of Light to a standstill is no easy feat. Even a fraction of a bother is probably significant for those not chosen by the crystal."
"If you say so…" Biggs muttered.
"If everyone is settled, then shall we be off?"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Tomok couldn't help but feel amusement at the horrified expressions of all the other soldiers. Standing there, below deck, was none other than Princess Sara herself. In her hand was the fabled Wightslayer, which should have been locked up in the west tower. Sara smiled innocently.
"Captain Vicks, I'm sure you would do fine as a representative of Sasune. However, would it not be better to bring someone who has already met the Saronia King?"
Every one of the soldiers turned to Captain Vicks. The Captain recovered from his shock and tried to think.
"...I don't suppose anyone would be willing to stay behind and return Princess Sara to the castle?" He asked. Nobody stepped forward. The captain sighed. "Very well, Lady Sara. You do have a point."
Sara tried to hide her giddiness as she settled onboard the ship. Most of the crew were exasperated or bemused, but Tomok simply shook his head and chuckled.
Back at the castle, the King watched the airship ascend into the air from the castle balcony with the rest of the remaining soldiers and servants. Off in the distance, a tiny speck flew through the air, that being a moogle. While most of the moogle's correspondence was with the princess directly, the king still received a monthly letter, letting him know how things were going. Granted, the Covert Village was not the most accessible of places, but the King still felt fit to send a letter out about the airships anyway.
The musing on the letter made the king realize something. He turned to look at the rest of his followers.
"My daughter is on that ship."
The castle staff looked amongst themselves and realized that he was right: The princess was nowhere to be seen. The king's hand met his head and was shaken as he watched the airship glide off into the clear skies.
Ingus being from Falgabard is indeed implied in the unused text for the remake and he does indeed say that he wants to return and learn how to wield dark blades (you know, for realsies).
Additionally, in case it isn't clear, each of Tomok's memories take place at different intervals. I considered adding his age in the second one, but I figured to keep it ambiguous to match Ingus.