Final Fantasy XIV: The Winter Calamity

While a few members were missing, supposedly still holed up in Sharlayan, sat at this very table, were the characters of XIV that I had come to know and love. I knew their backgrounds, their personalities, their abilities...and their fates.

No one in this room would get a happy ending.

Louisoix would sacrifice himself to save the realm from Bahamut.

Thancred would become a shell of a man after failing himself, and those he held dear, one too many times.

Yda would be killed before 1.0 even started. An errant trip to help a friend in Ala Mhigo escape.

Papalymo would likewise sacrifice himself to forestall another potential Calamity, just as his Master did.

Y'shtola would wind up half dead and blinded thanks to her time in the Lifestream. Constantly trading her lifespan for the ability to see for just a bit longer.

Not a single fucking person in this room had a good end. Not a single one. I could feel my teeth clench. I understood that for the sake of drama, terrible things had to happen. The story wouldn't have been as interesting or as tear jerking if we never thought that the characters would die.

I slowly let my breath out.

But as I had already resolved myself to save Minfilia, I knew that I would have to change the fate of the people in this room as well. Some tragedy was needed to develop them. Without fire, steel cannot be forged. However, I had no intention of sticking to the script from end to end. Perhaps the only inevitable within this building was Louisoix. I could save everyone else. Couldn't I?

"Little Winter?"

Thancred whispered to me. I looked my brother in the eyes. His concern was evident. Seeing all the keys to the future in one place was slightly fraying my nerves, and without my storm, I was a bit too raw to pull myself immediately together. I would have to bear the burden of these stories. But it was already a lot to change the Word of the Mother. Should I, or rather, could I save these Scions? I couldn't stop myself from asking. My anxiety got the better of me.

"Thancred... if you knew what the future held, would you try to change all the... bad parts... and keep the good parts?"

Thancred stared at me for a few seconds, then gave me a straight forward answer.

"I would probably try, but the future can be obtuse to change. Scryers across this star's history have witnessed, then failed, to halt the results of their sight. If it were me, I suppose I'd try my arse off and hope that my luck would hold for just another round."

"And if it didn't? What about the good parts that you wanted to preserve? Would you be scared of them changing along side the bad?"

Thancred glanced down, shifting slightly.

"...Of course I would. I would be terrified and paralyzed in mind and body. But in the end, I would still try to change what I knew must be changed. If I didn't, I'd be torturing myself endlessly wishing that I did... Even if it doesn't end the way that you want it to, you should still try, Little Winter."

I seized up slightly as Thancred made smiling eye contact with me. Somehow, I wasn't as surprised.

"I can see the fear in your eyes. It's haunted you for a long time has it not? To know something terrible is coming, but not having the power to stop it?"

My big brother put both hands on my shoulders and faced me head on, looking me dead in the eyes. He was always too good at reading me. 

Could I stop it? I couldn't stop Bahamut. That wasn't possible. Could I stop him being summoned? I didn't know how it happened. I didn't know the story. Could I stop the Garlean Empire from attacking? Of course not, this wasn't just a simple state or military force. The Garlean's influence spanned half the star. So, no. No I couldn't stop anything. Yes, something terrible was coming. Something that would ruin the world.

"Don't fear the future so much, little brother. I know not what you've seen, but you are indeed equipped to handle it. You're intelligent, flexible, well-spoken, brave, and far stronger than you know. If there was anyone tasked with changing the future, I'm comfortable aplenty with it being you. Have faith in yourself. Don't let the star write your story for you."

Thancred patted my shoulder with care and walked further in, sitting down for a drink with the rest of the Circle. Catching up and sharing stories over the slight scent of tea and wine.

I was a bit stunned. Did he always have so much faith in me? Without a question or doubt, he was okay with leaving this to me? Shit, but if it wasn't me... Then who else could possibly pull this off? The protagonist didn't even exist yet. 

'Hehehe...Fuck. Yeah. What am I getting so scared for all of the sudden?'

I repeated Thancred's words and engraved them. Perhaps, I would need to take more drastic measures. All for the future I wanted to see. But I would. And while I was at it, I had to fix my nerves. The poker face was bad enough, but this was the SECOND TIME SOMEONE SUSPECTED MY CLAIRVOYANCE! IT'S GETTING RIDICULOUS! 

---

"Papalymo, at your behest."

"Ehem. W-"

"clapclapclapclap Woooooo! Go Papalymo!!"

"Shut up!... For our report, we have confirmed the Aetheric balance of the Shroud. It is worrying, but not quite on the level of panic. Not yet anyroad."

"Just how bad is it?"

Thancred spoke while keeping his head down and arms crossed. A pose he says kept others from seeing his eyes, and by proxy, his intent. 

"Well... Garuda has been relatively tame considering that she has been summoned for, oh how many summers now? Naught has changed. She still swirls unabated."

"Twirls too!!"

"Ydaaaaa!!!-"

In short, she hasn't been upsetting the balance by flooding the entire forest with her Wind Aether. A rare thing. Some Primals weren't interested in enthralling subjects and gaining power. Some just "are". They were Primals by Circumstance.

My favorite band in Eorzea.

"Oh-oh-oh! Don't forget that the Twin Adders are being rebuilt!"

`How the hell did she know that? Did she hear me speaking with Papalymo? How the hell? Her hearing is too sharp!`

"You managed? Pray tell?"

"Better than that bloody Syndicate..."

That's my cue.

"The Seedseer Council had a bout of introspection. They realized that they could not handle these threats alone. Though, reformation is slow going yet."

"Hmm. Though imperfect, as all things tend to be, I daresay that is worth the title of utmost success. Well done you two."

Louisoix handed out thanks and moved on.

"Then, Thancred? Pray tell your findings."

"Not good at all. Y'shtola was right for once."

"Again, you mean."

She spoke up next to me.

"Ifrit's-"

And Thancred ignored it.

"summonings have basically ruined the Aetheric balance across all of Southern Thanalan. From what I've been able to confirm, the Amalj'aa have not only been feeding their Primal several helpings of Crystal, but also another several helpings of unwilling participants as well."

"Where on earth did those fiends learn to summon a Primal with Crystals? Did someone publish a book?"

"Wah! They can read?!"

"An erudite Amalj'aa. How quaint."

"..."

Papalymo was astounded. I knew the answer already, but I was curious as to how the Circle would find out. It had to be Louisoix right?

"If I may, I've seen similar results when inspecting the battlegrounds of Titan and Leviathan. For as much as I may see, the balance is execrable. I was unsure as to why it was so bad even after the Primals were slain, but after the Company of Heroes recently bested Leviathan, I mayhaps found an answer."

The room eyed Y'shtola, awaiting her next words.

"It seems that the Aether from the defeated Primals ascend to the skies rather than back into the star. As a direct result, Aetheric balance takes quite a while longer yet to return."

Did they learn about Dalamud this early? Or perhaps they already knew. The purpose of the Circle was to be the salvation of Eorzea. That could mean, what I assumed at first, which was breaking the Sharlayan stance of neutrality. Entering Eorzea to save her from the Empire's campaign. But perhaps there was more. I knew Urianger predicted the Calamity. Did he say anything to anyone? Did anyone know?

"..."

Louisoix remained silent for a time then filled the air with his words. His tone was stranger. Colder.

"You two have done excellently..."

"Master?"

"Pray tell, who amongst you recall your studies within the categorical nominations of Eras? In particular, the Prophecy of the Seventh Umbral Era?"

...

The room was silent. The elder's voice was grave, heavy with forewarning.

"Master, surely you don't mean-"

"But I do, young Y'shtola. I'm oh so afraid that I do..."

So they studied it in Sharlayan? It was a topic of research? And this is the very meeting when the possibility came up. I felt eyes looking at me and found them to be Thancred's. I was sure I could read his questions as his pupils slightly shook. Questions that I simply could not answer. I knew how this ended, but that was all. No one can stop Dalamud. But I couldn't say that. They needed hope, else they'd collapse. They needed to believe that-

"But it can be stopped."

See? Even on the brink of a world ending prophecy, Louisoix could be counted on to lead the way. He alone carried this Circle upon his back. He called them friends, but the rest of the circle combined could not match his authority.

"I must return to Sharlayan and investigate the celestial movements. Perhaps they would correlate with your findings of Aether dispersing beyond Eorzea. My friends, it is even more imperative, now more than ever, that we gain the confidence of the city-states. Their Grand Companies are needed far more now than they else have been before. Not just to stop the death and destruction wrought by the Empire, but also to halt Dalamud's descent, before it is too late."

I held my silence and listened to Louisoix make a plan. It was flowery, but in truth, no different than what they were already doing. There was still time before Dalamud became visible. Half a decade at least. In these years, all this work would have been for nothing. But it's good that they would stay busy. I still had my own preparations.

---

The members stayed within the room and talked amongst themselves while Louisoix casually opened the letters while drinking his tea. He had told me to stand by as we had much to talk about.

"Little Winter."

I glanced at Thancred who spoke so softly. A voice that I did not hear from my brash and braggadocios brother often. I didn't know how my face looked, but Thancred's eyes shook and he looked away. I knew he had questions. I wasn't afraid to answer them, but I couldn't say everything.

"PFFFFFF cough cough!"

Who the hell...? Louisoix????

Louisoix Leveilleur, the strongest mage in the world, savior of Eorzea, was staring at the thicker packet, that was basically a book rather than a letter, and directly spat out his tea.

"Wahahaha! Master got shocked!"

"Heh, I knew he'd get you."

Yda and Thancred expressed themselves freely.

Louisoix spun his head around with a speed that looked unnatural on the elder Elezen.

"Young Winter. Is this-"

I didn't bother to listen to the rest.

All powerful mages wanted the same thing and it was disgusting.

Well, not quite so. A demonstration of my ability was a common sense desire. And I had no qualms of showing it off.

I pointed my finger up in front of my face and cast.

[Fire]

A small blue flame, the culmination of my experience spawned in front of me. It hovered above my finger and it's embers floated into the stilled air. It was nowhere near as strong as the Thaumaturge spell of the same name, but my Fire had a unique use-case. Above my head, a floating sphere of glowing blue flame spun fast enough to create a burning sapphire crown.

Astral Fire.

Rather than making spells from scratch, I found that it made more sense to modify what I already knew. Cold Snap was unique in that way, and I of course had made more than that since, but the Astral Fire above me was an undeniable boon that I could gain for playing by the rules. When I could, I wanted to channel what I believed to be true. And that comes from my knowledge of the classes. How they worked, their strengths, their changes through the patch cycles, and their abilities.

A pin drop silence, one that I was growing used to, filled the halls of the meeting room. Even the white stone walls seemed to be looking at me with a mixture of disbelief and indigence. Well look as much as you please! Gaze upon my magic's majesty! My cheat! My golden finger!

"Th-th-th-t-t-t-that's IMPOSSIBLE!"

Or rather, Papalymo did. Rather than explain further I decided to run the full course.

I waggled my finger-

[Transpose]

The Astral Fire above my head became a brighter blue, something chillier. Colder. Astral Ice.

I waved my finger again, making it do a little dance and watched as Fire dissipated. I kept my finger held out. My will was made manifest.

[Blizzard]

Three snowflakes blew from the space above my fingertip, piercing the air above the table, and floated leisurely before slowly beginning their to descent.

[Cold Snap]

snap

VEWSH VEWSH VEWSH THUNKTHUNKTHUNK

The snowflakes turned into small daggers, all three stuck into the hard wooden table that had been marred with the stab wounds of many before me.

I was nowhere near done.

[Levitate]

thump

I slapped my hand on the table lightly and the ice daggers popped up and began to spin wildly. I couldn't do this with anything heavier than a kitchen chair without it failing. But I would learn in time. I flicked my finger and-

poof

They exploded into a flash of snow. I reached my hand out, tracing the pathway of which I had become so familiar.

crack - vwooooooosh

Aether rushed back into me. For the second half of the demonstration, I decided to keep it more to the point.

[Stone]

Crrrrrrrrckkkckkc

A cylinder of stone transmuted from thin air, and began descending down, hovering just above the top of our, very much frightened, and snow-topped table.

[Water Jet]

Fwiiiiisssssshhhhh

An small astral attuned stream of water spun and twisted as it swam from my palm and wrapped around the cylinder, it's centrifugal rush eroding the stone and leaving behind what looked like the blade of a glaive, it's back edge straight and blunt, but it's front edge sharp and curved. As it spun and grinded against the stone, the water evaporated into a light mist.

In the center of the table, sat a steel foundation. It's what they used to secure the wooden tabletop. I dispelled the water with yet another wag of my finger, then performed my final trick.

[Magnetize]

snap

CRRRRZZZZZZZAAAAAP

TH-CRACK

The pillar of stone, that had been sharpened by water to a point embedded itself halfway into the table. Small snakes of astral lightning crawled along its surface. None of my spells alone could make a fully suited Garlean flinch, let alone a Primal. However, when used together, they showed their might. 

My power was only just now coming into form. I sat back into my chair and felt the stares. Well except for Thancred, who seemed to have his nose in the air. A fit of brotherly pride.

"Is there anything else, Little Winter?"

"Sure. For this one, please put on those bronze gadgets."

I waited for my audience, then manifested my domain.