Ardbert Week Day 9(Extra): Credits

Ardbert Week Day 8: Tomorrow & Tomorrow

"You're ridiculous you know that?"

Ardbert Week Day 7: Who Brings Shadow

One brings shadow, one brings light

Ardbert Week Day 6: Tears in the Rain

"Why did you spare me? Why? What have I done to deserve this mercy!?" Ardbert shouted in loss...in rage. A hundred years of isolation, a 100 years of loneliness. Doomed to watch his world end a second time, only for it to be a slow creeping death. Perhaps this was his punishment for his failure.

"Forward! Forward! If you can still hold a sword, follow me! Wounded, to the rear! Weapons at the ready! Let's make this count!" A stern voice shouted from the distance. Ardbert's head snapped up in surprise as he looked to where the voice came from.

Coming down the road was a squad of the Crystarium's guards lead by the Warrior of Darkness himself. They marched with grim determination- cutting down any sin eater in their path and gathering survivors. The feeling of hopelessness slowly faded bit by bit as he watched them making their way through Lakeland. In it's place was something different. Something he hadn't felt in a 100 years. It was small, yet everyday grew a bit more as he spent time in the Warrior's company.

He remembers...he knew the man before. Even before they knew each other as the Warrior of Light and the Warrior of Darkness. Back when they were pretending to just be two adventurer's named Maxwell and Arbert. It still surprises him that the man forgave him for what happened on the Source. Surprised even more that despite everything that happened friendship bloomed between them.

Ardbert Week Day 5: Insanity

Ardbert paced back and forth- hands clenched and teeth gritted- trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. What had been allowed to happen.

He glanced over at the form of the Warrior of Light, his former enemy, his friend, his...Maxwell. His expression grew pained as the memory came unbidden again as if to torment him for his failures.

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Ardbert had told himself that he would stay back-that he would leave Maxwell to do what he does best as a hero. He knows the other man well enough that he could handle whatever was thrown at him, but the moment he saw that Ascian heading for where he last saw the others going-his instincts told him he should follow. What awaited him was straight out of a nightmare...

Emet-Selch stood over the unmoving form of the Crystal Exarch as the Scions faced him with their weapons drawn. And Maxwell....Gods Maxwell. The man was on his knees writhing in pain and coughing up light as it was tearing his very soul apart. His panic turned to rage as Emet-Selch began to speak.

"A hundred years ago I entrusted my comrade Loghrif with the task of increasing Light’s sway over this world. This we sought to do by manipulating heroes."

It was him. It was always him. The mastermind behind every horrible event that befell his world...his friends.

"Hm, you still retain your form and your senses…but you have all but become a sin eater."

"Shutup." Ardbert bit out as he trembled with anger.

"Whether you will it or no, your mere existence will serve to engulf the world in Light."

"Maxwell don't listen to him!" Ardbert shouted as he drew his axe. The moment he looked at Maxwell's face his anger turned to fury. He knows that expression. It mirrored the one he once had as his world feel apart around him. He hoped he'd never see it on the other man's face.

"Those  in your company will likewise turn into sin eaters, and in time you will succumb to your base instincts and hunt innocents to feast on their sweet, sweet aether. Those few with the will left to fight may rise up against you. But before your absolute might, they will quickly know despair."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!" Ardbert shouted.

“There is no hope! We are finished! Mankind is finished! Ahhh, the irony. What Vauthry achieved through bliss, you will achieve through despair."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU GODSDAMMED BASTARD!!!!" Ardbert roared as he swung his axe bringing it down on Emet-Selch. The axe passed right through him. Blinded by his own rage Ardbert, turned and swung again. The axe passed through the Ascian again, doing nothing.

Save for a minute twitch of the man's body as if instinctively bracing against something seen out of the corner of his eye.

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Ardbert shook the memory from his head and let out a heavy sigh. There was nothing to be done about what happened now. The Ascian had eventually taken his leave, taking the Exarch with him, and the others had brought Maxwell to safety. For now.

The sound of movement on the bed caused Ardbert's head to snap up. Sheer relief washed over him as Maxwell began to regain his senses. A sharp stab of pain lanced through his heart as Maxwell opened his eyes...revealing gold instead of blue. He shoved it down and smiled to keep the other man from worrying more than he needed to.

"Good, you're finally awake."

Ardbert Week Day 4: Unchanging, Everchanging

"I told you you should have checked with the Skywatcher before we left." Ardbert lightly chided while watching his partner wring the water out of his shirt. The auburn haired man gave him a slightly annoyed side-eye before smiling and flicking water at him.

"So I may have gotten a little overeager for our trip and forgot. A little water will hardly kill us." Maxwell replied as he finished laying his top out on a rock to dry and took a seat next to his partner by the fire. Ardbert gave him an amused look before a glint from a drop of water caught his eye slowly rolling down Maxwell's chest and across...

"My memory might not be the best, but I don't remember you having that when we were last..well...together..."

Maxwell's eyes followed Ardbert's gaze to the large scar cutting him across his chest from shoulder to hip. His hand unconsciously rose to cover the large scar in a vain attempt to hide it from the other man's sight. "Well, that would be because I received it after you left. A thoughtful gift from the Crown Prince of the Garlean Empire on the day of our first meeting." Maxwell replied his voice dripping with sarcasm. Memories of the man filled his head and the depth of the man's obsession still made his skin crawl.

Ardbert gazed at him for a moment not saying a word.

"Bad sort I take it then? Maxwell snapped out of his uncomfortable thoughts giving Ardbert an incredulous look before letting out a huff of laughter.

"The absolute worst." Maxwell replied with a laugh.

Ardbert smiled before turning back to look at the lake where Voeburg once stood.

"Well, for what it's worth you're still as handsome as you ever were. No amount of scars could change that." He admits to his current partner and once lover. (His lover again if he has anything to say about it. He just needs to get the man to stop putting himself second and just admit his feelings to Ardbert already. It's not like he doesn't know what lies in the other man's heart after their souls merged.)

"You're not so bad yourself for a man over 100." Ardbert's eyebrows rose as he looked at Maxwell in bemusement.

"Not much has changed from what I can tell...well, nothing other than that Elidibus shaved you for some weird reason."

Neither of them mentioned the scar on Ardbert's throat.

"Aye, perhaps he was trying to make me look like I did before I traveled to the Source. It was only then I grew it as part of a guise." Ardbert rubbed at smooth chin trying to wipe away the disturbed feeling he got at the idea that an Ascian went to the trouble of shaving him.

"Shame really, I liked the feel of it. It suited you." Maxwell sighed.

"Did you, now?" Ardbert gave the other man a smug smirk.

"Oh, yes! I especially liked the feel of it when you..." Maxwell leaned in to whisper the rest in Ardbert's ear causing the man to flush red and gently shove Maxwell away causing him to burst into laughter.

Ardbert Week Day 3: Sands of Amber

Ardbert Week Day 2: Full Fathom Five