FOREWORD
With my newest Halloween oneshot, I had considered another Bloodborne crossover, albeit with Final Fantasy XV. After the major disappointment of the thirteenth game in the main series, I had been reluctant to come back to the series. But the fifteenth game was a revelation with its mixture of technology and fantasy, interesting characters and combat, and an intriguing villain in Ardyn Izunia, who is easily one of the more complex villains since Vayne Solidor in Final Fantasy XII. But doing oneshot crossovers with Bloodborne seemed too easy, and I wanted to do something different. And then, I thought of Stephen King.
Years ago, I had a minor obsession with The Dark Tower, Stephen King's dark fantasy/Western novels. I never got beyond the third novel, The Waste Lands, unfortunately. However, the characters struck a chord with me, including the arc villain of the first book, Walter O'Dim, aka Marten Broadcloak…aka Stephen King's recurring villain, Randall Flagg. I later read The Stand, and was entranced with Flagg. When I was thinking about a possible novel crossover to have Ardyn Izunia in, I realised that he resembled in some regards Randall Flagg. This, then, is the result. A chilling vignette of what might happen if these two ever met.
Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. First, there will be spoilers, as well as references to dark themes.
Finally, the following is a fan-based work. The Dark Tower and Final Fantasy XV are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Randall Flagg will make you wish you were dead...
2 MEN OF NO CONSEQUENCE
The road to Tull was a long and dusty one, the country arid and tired. The world had moved on long ago, little more than a shambling revenant of itself. Even the man, standing at the side of the road, realised this, and he was a newcomer to this domain.
He had the strange paradox of looking both unremarkable and yet remarkable. His clothes had a strange regality to them, and yet were shambolic, topped by a battered fedora, seemingly too hot for this prairie, but he didn't seem to mind. His hair was unruly, framing careworn, stubble-marred features that nonetheless showed a sardonic mirth, and yet a nobility.
Once, long ago, he had gone by the name of Ardyn Lucis Caelum. But he had been stripped of his birthright long ago, by cruel gods, and a monster of a brother who dangled on their strings. For some time, he answered to Ardyn Izunia, and he preferred the latter name. He despised the bloodline his brother had spawned with Ardyn's stolen birthright.
Ardyn didn't know how he ended up here. His last memory was of that foolish boy, the puppet of the accursed Astrals, striking him down. At least that Noctis brat would not live to savour the victory pre-determined for him by those puppeteers, especially that bastard of a dragon Bahamut. Then, he awoke in this hot and dusty land. For a time, he had thought that he had somehow ended up in some forsaken part of the Leide prairies, or somewhere near the Rock of Ravatogh, where Ifrit once dwelled, but he soon dismissed either option. Indeed, he believed he was not on Eos anymore. He had woken here in the night, and seen no familiar constellations.
And there was something in the distance, calling to him. No, calling was not the right word. Rather, it was as if something was drawing him to it, as if gravity had a subtle inclination in that direction. And there was a sign, old and almost worn away, indicating that some place called Tull was there.
Ardyn was sheltering near the sign, under a rather scraggy shrub. He wasn't sure if he could die, given what he had become, but hunger and thirst were still part of him, reminding him of the vestiges of humanity left within him, despite the infestation he'd taken on himself. True, he had spent centuries wanting nothing more than to die, which, along with spite for his brother's legacy, was the only reason he went along with the plans of that detestable dragon. But now, assuming he was free from that destiny, and free from Eos, he found existence perhaps a little more bearable. He wondered if he should try his luck travelling instead of waiting for a possible ride.
To his fortune, something did eventuate.
There was a wagon with a tarp over it, broken down and shambolic. The man driving it was dressed in dark robes with a hood. Ardyn sniffed a little at the ostentatious nature of the outfit, as if the man wanted to appear sinister, but decided to chance it. He emerged from beneath the shrub, and put out his thumb in what he hoped was the universal symbol of someone desiring to hitch a ride.
The man in black halted his horse, and then looked at Ardyn. All Ardyn could see clearly of his face was a rather horrific-looking smile. Horrific, at least, to anyone who hadn't endured the horrors Ardyn had gone through when he had been usurped and imprisoned. Ardyn was simply impressed at the ratio of teeth to good cheer.
Still, he could sense the power coming off this man in waves. Ardyn wasn't quite certain whether this man was more powerful than he was, but he didn't get where he was today without being prudent. Diplomacy was key here, not raw power.
"Can I help you?" the man in black asked, his voice smooth and pleasant.
"Indeed you can," Ardyn said. "I'm afraid I am stranded without means of transportation, aside from my own feet. Going forth in this…arid wasteland seemed imprudent, lest I exhaust myself. Can I trouble you to take me whither you go?"
The man in black peered at him from beneath his hood. Eventually, he said, "And who are you, may I ask, Stranger?"
"Merely a man of no consequence."
The grin, impossibly, widened. The man in black had seen through the lie, and, to Ardyn's astonishment, his smile and words showed approval. "Why, what a coincidence! So am I! But I actually meant your name, Stranger. I care little if it's not your real name, I have many names myself. But I would like to have something to call you by."
"…Ardyn Izunia."
"Ah. Well, please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste," the man said. On Ardyn's sceptical look at his shabby robes, the man sighed. "Oh dear, you don't have Sympathy for the Devil in whatever realm you once called your own. Did they at least have Hey Jude? What about Stand by Me?"
"…They do have Stand by Me," Ardyn said, bemused by the man's question. "You do mean the song, don't you(1)?"
"Ah, good, and yes. Before you ask, I'm more than aware of the presence of other worlds. Indeed, I have been to more than a few, and have as many aliases. Normally, I go by the names of Marten Broadcloak or Walter O'Dim in these lands…but you may call me…Randall."
The name resonated with Ardyn. It may not have been the man in black's birthname, but it was one that he had chosen, one that was feared. He spoke casually of other worlds.
Ardyn wasn't sure whether his destiny lay with this man for long. For all the atrocities he had committed on Eos, he wasn't yet certain what he wanted to do with his new lease on life. Did he want to go back to becoming a healer, as he did before everything went so wrong? Or even when free of Bahamut's chains, did he intend to cause more chaos and havoc?
But like it or not, this man was a kindred spirit of sorts. And he had offered a ride. It would be rude of Ardyn not to accept it for now.
As Ardyn clambered into the cart, Randall said, "I think we had best get going now. I am…being pursued by a most tenacious man."
"Oh? I assume you did something to anger him?"
"Well, I bedded his mother and brought about the downfall of his kingdom," Walter said casually. "I get the feeling you have experience with undertaking the latter, at least. In any case, he was a touch upset by what happened."
"I wonder why," Ardyn remarked sardonically. "Then again, vengeance is a most efficient spur."
"It's not just vengeance he seeks me for, but answers," Randall said. "And he will get them, but in a time and place of my choosing. So then…shall we be off?"
Ardyn, after a moment wondering if he had made yet another diabolical pact, nodded. "Let's."
And so, the man in black and the usurped Founder King of Lucis left that lonely patch of road. And, far behind them, the gunslinger followed…
THE END
ANNOTATIONS:
A bromance made in Hell, isn't it?
That being said, I think Ardyn, now that he is free of his destiny, might yet turn over a new leaf, which is why I put in that little bit of thought at the end. Ardyn was screwed over by his brother and Bahamut. He'll still be self-centred, but will he be the same man who wanted to end Eos out of spite? I dunno.
Still, the thought of Ardyn Izunia and Randall Flagg teaming up is a chilling one, no? Hope you guys agree.
1. Hey Jude is said to exist in the world of The Dark Tower, and Stand by Me plays over the opening sequence of Final Fantasy XV. I thought, why not have Randall Flagg remark on this?
