Lots of people are pretty sure Haurchefant is coming back on the First Shard, and look, I absolutely completely 100% want husbando #1 back, I do. However, there are plenty other npcs, alive or dead, that would be amazing to explore in a world completely unlike Eorzea.
How about, maybe, Ysayle, never caught in the snow by dragons?
The woman laughed, bright and clear, “Lady Iceheart? Is that what you called me? Goodness child do you see any ice here? Where would you get a title like that?” She shook her silvery braided hair over her shoulder as she stood, picking up her basket of greens from the carefully cultivated garden plots under the glass roof of the Crystarium.
Despite the confusion and unsureness on the Warrior’s face, the Elf’s easy grin didn’t falter, not until she glanced into the warrior’s eyes, and with a gasp she staggered. The pain and pressure etched deep into her features as it seemed the echo rolled through her even here, “Who-” she gasped, and twelve forfend they hoped she dare not say too much as they were so hoping to slide under peoples noses here, “What are you?”
Or a Zenos not born and bred to massacre?
“He’s really the best fighter we got, the Captain!” the young Hume chattered, dragging the Warrior along by the wrist as if they were a skittish child, and really, they did not have time for this.
“He’s not got any aether abilities but he still runs circles around everyone!” They swore this girl had stars in her eyes talking about this Captain, why were they meeting him again? Oh yes, Ysayle said he controlled the gates, right, best they did get this over with then. “Ah, ah! Here he is! His sword’s nearly as big as me oh!” She giggled nervously and as the Warrior turned the corner, quite suddenly, they felt their stomach drop and blood boil. No, how? Did Garlemald even exist here?
The blonde turned from the wartable laid out to him, to the clatter of the Warrior’s weapon being drawn, eyebrow raised as he looked over the newcoming pair with a critical, and slightly confused eye.
Twelve, he looked almost... normal. Gold hair was chopped short and slicked back out of his eyes, plate armor near plain, his sheer height was all he needed here it seemed. Well, that, and the large gunblade strapped to his back.
“Can I... help the two of you?”
Or Estinien, life likewise not ruled under the threat of claws and scales?
The Warrior wasn’t going to be able to get used to this. A glance to Thancred told them, at least they weren’t the only one. This younger Minfilia from the First of course seemed unperturbed.
“But I thought you took care of that monster last month? Wasn’t that that big big fight?” Minfilia needled, turning to Thancred to with and excitable grin. “There were a bunch of explosions! Pow! Boom! Lights and yelling and-”
“Focus Minfilia.” The gunbreaker sighed. The Warrior hadn’t expected Thancred to take on the mantle of ‘dad’ so easily. It was a bit cute.
Captain Zenos sighed, “Yes, well. We had been able to turn back most of the tide, but he... no. There’s no rest for him yet.” He looked almost... forlorn. Zenos shook his head and picked up a spiny looking figure from the map spread across the table, turning it over in his hands. “No, he was our best lancer, even though he fell to the sineater’s appetite, he’s not any less skilled now than he was then. My brother in arms, it should still be my duty to kill what’s become of Estinien.”
Or hey, technically, Dalamud never fell on this shard, now did it?
“This is ridiculous, what scholar would risk life and limb for the mumblings of a primal? Especially with the state things are in here.” Alisaie huffed, voice and steps echoing across the crystalline caves like tinkling bells.
“Well quite frankly, we apparently don’t know the first thing about primals, considering. Who knows what could be deduced from ancient scriptures of summons?” Alphinaud shot back, turning the scribbled map the Captain had given him with a tired grimace. They’d been bickering over the same points the entire way, even the Warrior was tiring of this.
“Not knowing what they are is all the more reason to not trust it!” She insisted.
“Trust is not quite necessary to learn something. Is it?” A pleased hum came from around a bend, and the Warrior trotted up happily to the cloaked figure, sorting through tattered rolls of vellum on an long abandoned altar. After all, that meant the quest was done, on to the next, likely, bringing this old man back to the Crystarium. It’s not until the Warrior turns that they realize the twins hadn’t followed completely. They seemed stuck, almost horrified, at the mouth of the chamber, Alphinaud falling to his knees, blinking and shaking his head as if he couldn’t understand what was happening, only Alisaie seemed to manage to push out a single word with a sob-
Or how about another soul taken from us far too soon?
The twins were out of commission, and hells, when the Warrior figured out why, they understood. Well, they hadn’t actually thought they’d meet Louisoix, all things considered, but the First Shard had been a mixed bag of strange occurrences. The scholar had pointed them to a band of researchers looking for hints on elder primals, it seemed prudent to bring Urianger along on this one, in that case.
“In truth, what doth thou make of this blighted plane? Fair time hast passed since your arrival to us, stubborn as your struggle to remain to the source was.”
The Warrior grumbled and glanced at the Elezen, er, Elf? See, this too, gods they were just tired. Too many whiplash twists and turns, little details to try and keep track of.
“Ho there travelers!” A bright, strong voice carried over the rocks and sun bleached logs. “What brings two strapping adventurers all the way out here?” The Galdjent woman laughed loud and clear, pickaxe slung over her shoulder and silver-blue hair tied up in a bun out of her way.
Oh not again, the Warrior couldn’t bear to think, but they looked over at the heartbroken Astrologian beside them and they knew all the scions were bound to find this hurt here, at some point, weren’t they?
But Urianger, ever stoic and collected, only seemed to swallow and mumble to himself. “Oh my Moen, my beating heart, rendered and repaired. How cruel this fate...”
So SO MANY awful options! It’s an au angst paradise, I tell you. Please for the love of the primals, give it all to me! Sadu? Magnai? Hien? Tsukiyomi?! Lucia! Livia!! Ilberd!!! PAPALYMO! I need, ALL the shard au ideas, gimme gimme.
