Celestia’s plan had been perfect, or at least as perfect as someone was capable of getting. She had found someone more than able to use the element of magic, saving her sister from a thousand year slumber. Discord had been subdued, though she admitted that she got slightly more involved than expected. The one small blemish was Chrysalis’ appearance and near sabotage of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence’s wedding. She had also misjudged how powerful her enemy was, something she would not let happen again.

That, however, was a problem that had now presented itself. The people’s faith were turning away from her and onto others, all because she had been beaten that single time. The citizens had seen her as weak and they now saw her niece, student, and brother-in-law as more feared. The faith that remained was that of obligation. Obligation for a princess that had kept them safe for a thousand years, but had grown weak with either age or peace. Celestia hated to admit it, but she certainly felt that way.

The throne room was empty today, not because no one had anything to ask of her, but because she needs the day to think. A look at the windows, the stain glass telling of the victories and tribulations of the past year… and those of many years ago. Back then, she felt like she could be there, help her student if push came to shove. Now, knowing what might come next, she no longer felt that way. That was what she needed to think on: the ever changing, quickly altering minds of the masses.

“To be with them for so long, and see how easily their mind can change,” Celestia replied. “I now understand what they meant… what she meant.”

“You’re still here right?” Celestia turned to Luna, masking her surprise at seeing her younger sister stand so proud. “They still believe in you, isn’t that what matters?”

“True, but it interferes with so much,” Celestia raised a hoof as she spoke to her sister. “I always worried about what might happen if she fails, but now? Now I fear that I can’t be fast enough, that I can’t reach far enough, that before that day comes she won’t have the knowledge to survive and-”

“She told you of the mirror, right?” Luna responded. “I’m sure that we should be able to reach someone able to train or defend them till you are restored fully.”

Celestia pondered what her sister said. She knew about the mirror, but it had been a long time since she had ever even thought of it. It was true, she knew of a place that might be able to help with what is to come, but still. Surely she had time still. There was absolutely no way that the next threat could arrive so quick-

“Your highness!” A soldier burst through the doors to throne rooms, the guards on the inside to slow to react. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I have grave news.”

“Don’t worry, you are not interfering with anything too… secretive,” Celestia lied before waving her hoof. “What do you report?”

“Nothing good, your highness, princess Luna,” The soldier replied, receiving a snort from the younger sister. “I'm afraid to say it but… he has returned.”

“They are here,” Luna whispered, just loud enough for Celestia to hear. One look at her sister, however, told her that she already knew what this meant.

The two shared a look, nodded, and then turned their attention back to the poor soldier who had no doubt see the horror they had expected.

“Send for Captain Shining Armor, tell him he is needed,” Celestia told the guard, who quickly saluted before running off. She then turned to her sister. “Luna, set the mirror for Hydaelyn, get me the best you can find.”

“Sister-”

“We have no time for discussion. Every minute we speak, more are tampered.”

She hated to believe it, but her sister was right. After a quick hug, Luna left from the back of the throne room, leaving Celestia to summon a scroll. She wrote quickly yet carefully, but left her interpretation of the “other” that would be with her vague. She had no idea who Luna would find, or if she would find anything at all. It all came down to if they had the right time, because as much as she hated to admit it, she would not be able to protect Twilight for a distance.

Not this time, and possibly, not long into the future.

“Luna, whoever it is you find, they need to be better than the best,” Celestia said, knowing that her sister wasn’t there to receive her worried words. “We need the very light itself.”

Steps of Faith, Ishgard

Between the Central Coerthas Highlands and the grand city state of Ishgard laid the Gates of Judgement, and between them, the Steps of Faith. Crossing over what seemed to be a bottomless canyon, this bridge had once been the fortress keeping all of Eorzea from Ishgard. That was before the Warrior of Light had slayed Archbishop Thordan and stopped the man’s plan to wipe out the dravanians. Yet, now, it felt like it had all been for not.

A giant tower had crumbled, leaving two separate battles on each side of the Steps of Faith. On the side closer to Ishgard, acting Archbishop Aymeric de Borel fended off wave after wave of dravanians from the brood of Nidhogg. While the battle was nothing new to him, the cause had become far different. One side sought peace from a thousand year old war whose origins had been deluded to the eyes of mortal man, while another seeking to continue it and bring neverending torment to those who had killed his dear brood sister. Aymeric was lucky to have such dependable allies at his side of the bridge, from his second in command Lucia goe Junius to Alphinaud Leveilleur, a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He only wish that that of their strongest ally had someone else to aid her.

All alone, watching as Nidhogg clashed with his brethren Hraesvelgr, was the so called Warrior of Light. Her outfit was made up of white and blue, her coat falling so big it almost touched the ground. Her gloves nearly covered her entire upper arms, one side a few inches shorter than the other. Her blonde hair was already grey slightly from everything she had been through in the past many months, ears much like a rabbit sitting at the top of her head. On her back slept a scepter, crystals on every tip save the middle. In her head, she could hear the crowd cheering her on as she looked up to the swirling vortex in the sky, waiting to see which dragon would emerge first.

Then, she saw something land in front of her: the eye of a great wyrm. It visibly pulsed with power unimaginable, magic in it’s most feral form, nearly uncontrollable. Where one would have quickly called victory, one look at the eye told her the opposite. Nidhogg’s eyes were dark, while this one was a sort of pale yellow. Plan A: the more optimistic plan of the two, had failed, which meant that her mind swiftly got ready for plan B as she saw Nidhogg fall out of the vortex. Have gotten so used to things ended up in the hands of her and her friends, the Warrior of Light raised a finger to her ear and pressed on the small device attached to it, known as a linkpearl.

“Hey Darling,” Came the gruff, bass voice of someone else sound in her ear. “How are things going with that whole-”

“Shinji, tell Corinne I might be late to the company dinner tonight, things just got-” the Warrior of Light paused as Hraesvelgr was slammed into the bridge, having been forced down by Nighogg in a matter of seconds. “- typical.”

“Got it, can’t wait to hear the stories,” Shinji replied from the otherside. “Oh, and Alun says hi.”

The Warrior of Light could help but laugh as she heard that, taking her hand off her linkpearl and turning back to the sight before her. Nidhogg held in his mouth a wing, torn from his own brother’s skin, roaring in triumph. He held Hraesvelgr’s head down with one claw as he through the wing away. This was the moment that Nidhogg would believe he had won, to prideful to see the eye two inches from the Warrior of Light.

“Thou art weak, Hraesvelgr,” Nidhogg boomed out. His words were in that of dragon, but the Warrior of Light had known from her past… “meetings” with Hraesvelgr she could understand them. “A slithering wyrm who fawneth on the vermin who should rightly be prey. For a thousand years have I fought without cease - and thou didst think to prevail against me?”

“Glory not in victory, shade,” Hraesvelgr told his brother, eyes closed to hide what he had done. “The battle… is not yet won. My power - and my hope - have I entrusted to another...”

That was the moment that Hraesvelgr finally opened his eyes, or eye rather. Though one was still placed firmly in its socket, his right eye socket was empty, nothing but darkness filling the area inside of it. The Warrior of Light couldn’t see if Nidhogg was shocked by this, the dragon’s outward appearance remaining unchanged, but the words that came from his mouth told her that her dramatic touch had done wonders.

“Thine eye! What hast thou done!?”

It was at this moment that Nidhogg finally remembered her, the lone viera who had rode on Hraesvelgr. Before her was his brood brother’s eye, and as its power glowed heavenly, she stepped forward. As she did, the eye drew itself to her, a ray of aether connecting the two as they drew closer to each other. She smiled, sticking her tongue out for a moment and contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to mock the wyrm’s old-fashioned way of talking.

“Fool! Thou would trust a mortal with thy strength!?”

“I think you are forgetting who it is he trusted his strength with,” the Warrior of Light replied. “I’m sure someone oh so powerful as yourself would remember the white mage that laid you low on the Aery?”

Nidhogg didn’t respond straight away, telling the Warrior exactly what she had thought.

“Of course, I know thee...” Nidhogg replied, doing his best to hide the fact he actually had to think about it. “Twas thou who didst intrude upon my lair and best the half of me. But now I am whole, and naught in creation shall deny me my vengeance.”

“Better hurry up then,” The Warrior stated, having fully absorbed the eye’s power. “Unless you want to be added to the list of things that have fallen before my mighty stick.”

Nidhogg would not be mocked like that. The smug expression she carried, the skip in her step, the way she talked to him like prey. He would have none of it! She had no armor, no sword, not even an ally to step in and take the blows for her. She would die painfully, as no mortal mocked a great wyrm like him. Nobody!

Author's Note

I feel like I'm just a whirlwind of ideas that never get finished at times. I started a Nep thing because I was in the mood for Nep at the time. I tried a Pokemon thing some time ago because I was in the mood for that at the time. Now, here we are with Final Fantasy XIV Online, but I feel a bit more confident in this one.

Not very confident, but still.

Either way, writing a story to it's fullest is simply a matter of writing it and seeing if you manage to get to the end. I guess this is just my next attempt at that. I still have one story I want to finish here, but like I just mentioned I need to be in the right mood for these things.

So, here we go, Primal Harmony.

Also, for those wondering, most of the FF XIV characters here are not going to be from the main story, but there will be characters based on people that I play with on a daily bases. Shinji is one of those, and as you probably expect the Warrior of Light is my actual in game character. Come say hello on Exodus if you play the game, it's always fun playing with people.

Anyways, like, comment, all that stuff. Have a good night!