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aetherstorms · 5 months

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When Sycrus Tower sank beneath the ground, Amon knew the Allagan Empire had fallen at last, and with it, his will to resist the Ascian’s promises. He had felt the faintest trace of magick as the Tower had sank, and he knew his clone had done something, but since new memories did not flood his mind he knew whatever it was hadn’t killed the clone. That fragment of his apparently sundered soul was never to be returned to him.

But though he resigned himself to never knowing what had happened within, he still saw it from without, floating high above the ground with the Ascian who had come with honeyed promises. Statements that he was one of them, that his ‘rightful seat’ was that of Fandaniel. The faintest wisps from his persistent dreams told him to listen, which was one of the reasons he had left this fateful day to his clone.

“Come.” Amon turned his head when the Ascian Emet-Selch spoke. “This is only the beginning. The destruction will continue for some time, and there is no need to subject yourself to it further. There is much we must discuss.”

Throat tight, Amon could only nod. All of his hard work for naught. His Emperor lost, the Empire he had worked so hard to save, gone. What was left for him now but to follow?

It was only later that he understood his folly. He had been born a slave and clawed his way to freedom over the body of his own master. Had become not only a highly respected technologist, but considered perhaps the most brilliant mind of the modern age. He had been infamous, and yet now….now he was reduced to nearly nothing once more. He had been promised equality among this ‘Convocation’, only to discover that as a sundered soul he was considered less than the three whose souls had never been torn apart. They were equals only in theory rather than fact.

To add insult to injury, he was encouraged to give up his true Elezen body or reshape it into a Hyur. Even his name was taken from him, forever more to be referred to as ‘Fandaniel’. Indeed, there seemed few benefits to this new life. Oh, there were some to be sure; learning how to pluck his soul from one body to occupy another was a handy trick, as was their utilization of the void to travel from place to place, or hiding in plain sight by using no vessel at all, only able to be perceived by those with the ‘Echo’. But he didn’t feel these benefits really outweighed the downsides of his lessened existence.

There were however also the answers to the questions which had plagued him all his life. Who was Hermes? What was Elpis? When he had grasped the crystal that held fragments of memories, it had triggered the return of the rest and he had finally been able to fill in the blanks, learn the full truth. XHermes–his prior self, or first self he supposed–had tried to erase the memories that had plagued him night after night. He had tried to erase the memory of what he had created, what he had, in his cowardice, done. Meteion. The Final Days. The Song of Oblivion. Zodiark.

With these truths came the sobering realization that his yearning for the stars beyond, his desire to explore the heavens, was a futile desire. Even if the stars that twinkled yet remained, the worlds that had orbited them held no life and no answers. But then had there ever been? Meteion’s report had indicated otherwise….

But that no longer mattered. If all beyond was dead, then….

Oh Emperor Xande. What you failed to do in your bargain with the void, I will see fulfilled with the song of the Meteia!

But he needed to be patient and play along with the Ascians plan until the right time. Besides, creating the perfect plan to destroy Zodiark and open up the world to the Meteia would take much time and thought. There could be no room for error and he would need contingencies. But it was alright, he was immortal now. He had all the time he needed, and then finally every lifetime of pain and regret would be ended for good.

Crawling on my belly like a snake, dancing to the tune of these ‘unsundered’. My soul may be less, but not my mind. They don’t know the cause was the coward Hermes, but when the Final Days come again it will be the name ‘Fandaniel’ that they curse!

Five thousand years he waited, schemed, and planned. Slowly did he put his plan into motion, siphoning aether to gather in strategic locations, the devices he made for the task much smaller than what had been needed to rise Azys Lla into the sky since he did not need anything to fly. The unsundered didn’t notice, fixated on Hydaelyn’s latest champion as they were. With every death of his ‘comrades’ he quietly celebrated, though he had to admit he may have been a bit overly excited when he realized that Elidibus had followed Lahabrea and Emet-Selch to the Lifestream.

But really, could he be blamed for his enthusiasm? It couldn’t possibly be more perfect! He had a Garlean fool who thought himself clever, though ‘lord’ Zenos certainly wasn’t the first to think so and wasn’t likely to be last before the Final Days engulfed the star. Indeed, the champion of Hydaelyn seemed to think much of themselves, even when standing before him in one of his own towers.

“I have it on good authority you’ve poked your nose into an Allagan ruin or two, yes? Then I expect you’ve heard of me. The old me. Amon, at your service.”

While he lamented at being thwarted, things in truth continued more or less to plan. He let them think they were winning and positioned them exactly where he wanted them. He fell back onto almost every contingency, and in the end was perfectly positioned to take the prize.

“Do you remember when I told you that I wanted to die and take everyone with me? I meant it.”

He fell with a smile, his magnum opus finally coming to completion. Fusing with Zodiark, the last nail in the coffin was hammered in with his final breath.

The man I was would weep for what I have become. The all-consuming contempt. But I’ve the wisdom of ten millennia to justify my answer to the question. No value in their existence–not a whit. For all that I looked, none that did I see.

A final chance then, for Hydaelyn and Her faithful. In cataclysm prove me wrong, I sneer. All shall return to nothingness. As was your will, Emperor Xande. I, the star, and every living being…consigned to your oblivion.

He thought this truly would be the end, and it was not until Hydaelyn’s beloved champion faced him in the Aetherial Sea was he given any reason to doubt his course. To think after five thousand years plus five thousand more of other lifetimes haunting him, that it would come to the final chapter…and he would find himself questioning.

“After all these years….is this the answer I was hoping for?”

But still, what difference did it make? Whatever his doubts might be, the Final Days were still here. Oblivion loomed, and with it the cessation of all pain and suffering. He allowed the pitiful worm Asahi to drag him deeper with this knowledge dogging his heels. It would all be over soon.

Except he waited and waited, and it didn’t end. Curiosity drove him to float back up, to leave those souls content to fade, including the irritating worm whose body had once served as host, to find out what was going on.

He found….hope. He found….life! Against all odds, against despair personified, the hero had prevailed. He stared through the veil of death in awe and wonder. How? How had they done this? How when the Meteia had ended all other worlds, had they managed to prevail?!

A song of joy and life and hope rang through the universe now, carried by one small voice, but one that believed. What miracle had brought this about? What had turned this Meteion against the others? Why did she live? Why had she been spared?

He watched for quite some time afterward, and he found himself smiling slightly in spite of himself. So the test Hermes had placed before mankind had finally been answered. Life prevailed, even though it didn’t deserve to. Well, maybe this was its second chance then. Maybe….maybe it would all be worthwhile.

Next time, we will find the answer together.

Yes, that’s what the champion had told him. He found himself reaching up toward the light, found his mask, his very form, fading away as he gave in.

Very well. I’ll hold you to that…hero….

#Fandaniel #Amon ffxiv #fanfic #drabble

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shimosu · 4 years

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Hermes headcanons

~~~

You were some sort of helper, like a maid or attendant or something, he was supposed to train

Shiva said something about how Hermes probably never gets a break with the others, so with the idea of Hermes and someone else playing the same role but alternating on days, Zeus chose you

Hermes has to train you though, before he can share his "shifts" (and get time to himself)

He doesn't really know who you are until you arrive

Zeus said he would pick whoever it was, and Hermes wouldn't know who until the day he was supposed to train you

When Hermes sees you, and sees that Zeus already dressed you up in a uniform,

Hermes, internally: Of course Zeus-sama has to go and pick a cute one.

Zeus: Hermes, this is... Well, they can introduce themselves.

So you did, and Zeus told him to show you around first

Zeus: Have fun, you two!

It was a bit awkward, since both of you were silent and the first bit of conversation began with Hermes just introducing himself

He showed you the rooms, where cleaning supplies were(some were hidden in the actual floor), and answered your questions

Days passed of just practice

Zeus told Hermes to focus on you, because a) he's not so old that he can't get up himself, b) "You should focus on that cutie!" And something about how he's son and how he raised him and that he didn't raise him to ignore a cutie in need.. c) It's for the future convenience

Zeus really was watching to see if Hermes would take an interest in you, as anything other than enemy, friend, or co-worker

No, Zeus was looking for the love connection!

So Zeus told him to keep a close eye on you, because there's more than what meets the eye

Hermes would realize himself when he has a crush, though

From watching you take everything in, becoming more comfortable and showing more sides of yourself, he did enjoy seeing you like that

It was super fun and amusing to watch you, with the excuse that he was supposed to watch over you (it gave him a feeling of needing to make sure you were okay) and the fact you drew attention to yourself anyway

He got to watch you get mad over something not being done right, headbutt multiple people on multiple occasions, end up pinning Ares down with his arm twisted behind his back at one point, become all excited and begin skipping, and way more stuff.

Some running gag that kept happening would be you not knowing if a door was push or pull, and then someone from the other side would open the door and either hit you in the face with it or make you fall to the ground

So Hermes had ice packs and a first aid kit on hand, and literally multiple just hiding in the walls and floors

Soon, your training was done and you got days off, sharing shifts and stuff

Though you two would still watch the others because it was something you were used to at that point, and did it without much thinking

You also spent a lot of time in the library on your days off, but still helped handle stuff

Hermes would find himself smiling at literally nothing when he thought of you

Maybe it started when you got more comfortable, dragged him out and declared very loudly in the perfect weather they always have, that you would be a good substitute and learn everything

"... I see. But, why did you need to bring me out here to tell me this?" Hermes inquired.

"Because we need WITNESSES! You saw that, right, Heimdall?!"

Aphrodite loves the whole idea of this, especially with this development, so she goes and talks to you to watch for Hermes

You caught on when you saw him smiling at you while you were doing something you needed help with(a smile different from what he showed others, if you had to describe it, you would use Aphrodite's words of "lovestruck"), his eyes were sparkling and soft, he helped you and took his time, and his eyes reflected literally only you..

Plus, Aphrodite pulled you aside out of nowhere while you were with Hermes to tell you he liked you

Aaaand then it seemed like you weren't used to someone having a crush on you, because now you were acting like you were the one with a crush, and had no idea on how to act, which only made it obvious

You, holding a clipboard: Looks like the flour will go out soon..

Hermes, looking at the clipboard from in front of you and having to lean closer: I can go get more.

You, looking up and seeing him close up: *remembers what Aphrodite said moments ago when she pulled you away*

You, suddenly bringing the clipboard up to hide your face and almost smacking him in the face: Okay, you can go get more! I'll handle the sugar!

Hermes: ..?

Aphrodite was still there and watched it

Told Zeus about it via text

When you were gone and Hermes was with Zeus, he just patted his back

Zeus: Good job, Hermes. I knew you had it in you

Hermes: ... Pardon?

Days pass, you do nothing about Hermes

Though you did notice him watching you more than what was probably needed

Then he just lets it slip that he likes you and he didn't even seem to be intending to do that

You were asking him why he was spacing out so much, and still not really paying attention, he just mumbled that

You, knowing you two worked together all the time now: ... DAMMIT THAT MAKES THIS SO AWKWARD!

Then he seemed to realize what he said

"... Oh."

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