Fanfic Recs / Final Fantasy XV

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth waiting ten years for here:

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Final Fantasy XV, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

Do warn when a fanfic may head into sexual or non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.

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Written Pre-Release

Stories written in the ten-year time gap between announcement and release. Be warned, given the very nature of these fics, they are all non-canon.

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CODE: Birthday Business by The Jasper Raven

• Recommended by Graveminder
• Status: Complete
• Also available here.
• Synopsis: A very serious series of palace shenanigans. [connected oneshots written for #ffxvweek]
• Comments: The summary doesn't reveal much, but basically it is a record of various characters trying to prepare a party for Noctis' birthday. Though written pre-release, the characters are wonderfully in character and it is one of the funniest things this troper has read in a while.

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The Improvisational Method by JosephineSilver

• Recommended by Transistor_Blue
• Status: Complete
• Can be found here too.
• Synopsis: Trapped in a Niflheim base with no hope of a rescue, there's only one thing left for Prompto to do: Improvise.
• Comments: This one-shot may not be canon, but with the slightest few tweaks to the plot, it could be. An affectionate parody of the traitor!Prompto theory that has been floating around the fandom for years, this fic is a deep insight into the main four characters of Final Fantasy XV - particularly Prompto, who was written so accurately in-character this troper almost has to wonder if JosephineSilver somehow managed to play through the game months before release. One of the best Prompto-centric fics in existence, if not the best one altogether.

Authors, and Websites

Mayoki

• Recommended by Graveminder
• Mayoki has written many stories for Final Fantasy XV, focusing mostly around the relationships between characters (particularly the four party members). Though all the stories Mayoki currently has up are fics written pre-release and thus not canon, they are still very much worth a read if you want a peek at the best this fandom has to offer.

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JosephineSilver

• Recommended by Transistor_Blue
• They don't have many fics up for the fandom - only three at the time of writing this rec - but every single one they do have up is absolutely amazing, and they have stated that now the game has released they will be writing more for XV. An author well worth keeping an eye on.

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

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Another Butterfly Effect by ScribeOfRhapsody

• Recommended by Draconic
• Can also be found here.
• Status: In Progress
• Synopsis: Having woken up with the flu the morning they were supposed to leave Insomnia, Ignis is forced to remain behind while the others journey to Altissia. Perhaps it was fate because he was exactly where he needed to be to help Lady Lunafreya escape the city. Luna/Noctis. Minor Ignis/Aranea.
• Comments: This charming story is a canon divergence fic in which Ignis accompanies Luna instead of Noctis due to mundane but understandable circumstances. Scribe Of Rhapsody's best quality in writing this story is how accurately they portray the characters, while still having them adapt to the new positions they find themselves in, Ravus and Prompto in particular, as both of them have their roles dramatically shifted and play considerably different parts than they do in the game.

1 Review

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In which two ten-year-olds manage to save the world and turn the actual living scourge into a dad by [1]

• Recommended by Boa Hancock
• Status: Ongoing. Possibly Dead.
• Synopsis: Noctis is the paralyzed Crown Prince of Lucis whose only friend is his fox-like guardian. Prompto is a child soldier from Niflheim who doesn't want to kill sent to assassinate the Prince. Now the two of them are on a journey to save the world with the help of the twenty-four messengers through the power of cute. Also, Ardyn's here too. And accidentally acquired the dad feels. Send help.

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Somnus Ultima by The_Asset6

• Recommended by T-chan, Adept
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: King Regis and Queen Aulea’s desire for a child has finally been fulfilled, as well as their kingdom’s need for an heir to the throne. However, when a dark mage with a vendetta against Lucis blesses the young prince with a deadly curse, they realize that no sacrifice is too much when it comes to someone you love. But too much, it turns out, is never enough.
• Comments: An interesting take on a Sleeping Beauty AU, with a hell of a lot of worldbuilding done. May drag a little for some but I found it to be an overall good time.

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Poor Wayfaring Stranger by lithos_saeculum

• Recommended by agreenware
• Status: In-progress
• Synopsis: Out on a mission, Cor Leonis finds a teenager, lost and sick and partway to becoming an MT. Against the advice of all and sundry, he brings him back to Insomnia. There's not a lot of love lost for M Ts in the Citadel, but some of its inhabitants may still be young enough to put aside their prejudices.
• Comments: A long, mostly slice-of-life story with lots of internal description. Emotionally realistic and grounded—Dad!Cor feels perfectly natural and believable in this situation. Takes some liberties with MT lore, but the details and pacing of Prompto's psychological growth make this story well worth it.

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there's a divinity that shapes our ends By NinthFeather

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: “Why didn’t anyone tell me that people pray to my ancestors?” Noct asks, and really, it all snowballs from there. [Or, an exploration of how religion might work on Eos.]
• Characters: Ignis Scientia, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia
• Comments: Interesting World building! Also nice (read sad) end scene with the chocobros and their bond.

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Benchstone, Waterstone, Whetstone By gooseberry

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Dormant (last updated July 2018)
• Synopsis: "Ignis raised to be a tool for Noctis."
• Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia
• Warnings: Emotional Manipulation, purposeful child neglect, Politics, politically motivated codependence,
• Comments: I really love the writing style.

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cyclone By FifteenDozenTimes

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "The hardest-working teens at the Citadel steal themselves a lazy Saturday afternoon."
• Characters: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
• Comments: Given all that canon loads on their shoulders it is nice to see both of them (Iggy too!) just be stupid teens.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

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We Were Chased Off the Lake by a Catoblepas by Azkas19

• Recommended by ArchmarschalVonLowen
• Can also be found here.
• Status: Completed.
• Synopsis: A royal wedding documentary is in the works, and Noctis needs an exceptional director to oversee it. Fortunately, there's one. Unfortunately, it's someone Ignis does not want to meet again...not after that fling he had with her years ago.
• Pairings: Ignis/Aranea (main), Noctis/Luna
• Warnings: Sexual references and mature content, strong language, mentions of sensitive topics, and major AU/Canon divergence

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cum gladio et sale by AccursedSpatula

• Recommended by ankhadu
• Status: Completed
• Synopsis: Ardyn's backstory set in time before his downfall.
• Pairings: Gilgamesh/Ardyn Izunia
• Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Character Death
• Comments: Brilliantly written, detailed story with a lot of worldbuilding and great characterisation. Definitely a recommendation for Ardyn fans as well as everyone who's looking for a more mature fic.

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it's a dark road (when you walk it alone) By dustofwarfare

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "Aranea and Iris find common ground as daemon slayers in the World of Ruin, and Aranea learns maybe it's okay to have someone to want to survive for."
• Pairing: Iris Amicitia/Aranea Highwind
• Warnings: Sex, Age difference (Iris is 21 at the first sexual encounter, Areana is 37)
• Comments: The voices for them are great and I specially love the respect/love the writer has for Iris kind of strength (as I have seen lots of characters like her being mistreated by fandom).

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Astra Inclinant By thekindmagic

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: AU: “Look,” Aranea laughs, shaking her head. “I’m not trying to shit on your destiny. But the way I see it? A lot of the time, there’s no big mystery. You either keep going, or you don’t.”
• Pairing: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Aranea Highwind
• Comments: Beautiful writing style and wonderful characterization.

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Dawn Child By ohmyfae

• Recommended by Bee 123
• Status: Dead; last updated June 2019
• Synopsis: AU: "Summer has always followed Prompto Argentum."
• Characters: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia (Technically this is an OT 5 if you include the god sharing Prompto's body)
• Comments: Interesting concept, nice writing – with great chocobro bonding and banter, and the promise of a healthy „fuck you destiny“ approach.

Crossover Fics

Destinies Aligned

• Recommended by: santos32
• Crossover with: RWBY
• Pairings: Noctis/Luna
• Status: Dormant; last updated April 2018
• Synopsis: Under mysterious circumstances, all the members of Team RWBY are transported to Eos as children, with no memories of their past lives. The Astrals have foretold that when the Chosen King comes of age to save the world, these four girls would stand by him and his friends, possibly knowing more of their past lives in the process.
• Comments: From the offset, this fic is a slightly altered retelling of XV's main plot with the introduction of the RWBY girls. The biggest example, by far, is having Ruby and Yang being taken in by Regis, becoming Noctis' adoptive sisters in the process. The banter between the Chocobros and their new companions along the road trip is very natural-sounding and akin to the dialogue from the game, and it does a good job of reinforcing the bond between Noct, Ruby and Yang as siblings. The decision to connect them this way also makes it unique from other fics which would rush ships off right away.

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Of Crystal Shards and Dust

• Recommended by: santos32
• Crossover with: RWBY
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: To prevent a dangerous future from coming to pass, the Kingdom of Lucis is transported into the world of Remnant, becoming its fifth kingdom as it establishes a deep history with their new surroundings. Millennia later, King Regis sends his son Noctis and his friends to Beacon Academy as part of a transfer program between Lucis and Vale to build ties between them. This leads to a reunion between the prince and childhood friends Ruby and Yang after several years, as the newly dubbed teams RWBY and LAPI make the most of academy life. Despite the fun and games, Regis soon discovers that some of their problems from Eos have followed them into their new world...
• Comments: After several chapters of well-done exposition focused on Lucis' integration into Remnant, the fic properly starts as an modified retelling of RWBY, with XV's plot soon to follow. The writer is able to mix up the Chocobros' presence very nicely, allowing them to play off not just the RWBY girls, but JNPR as well. The chapters where the XV boys enter Beacon tend to be more or less word-for-word recreations of RWBY's first few episodes and follow similar beats, but even those are given unique twists that the authors promise will lead to a different beast that merges the series' stories together and will go into uncharted territory for the RWBY/LAPI supergroup.

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FF X KH

• Recommended by: KettouRyuujin
• Crossover with: Kingdom Hearts III
• Pairings: Noctis/Luna, Sora/Kairi, Aqua/Gladious, Riku/Iris, Ventus/Rikku
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and the Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness. (Spoilers for KH3 and FF XV)
• Comments: A well-written tale that feels like it was ripped right out of a Kingdom Hearts game, Sora and co. end up crashing on Eos as it’s slowly invaded by the Heartless, leading to them teaming up with the Chocobros to drive the creatures of darkness off while collecting the royal arms.
  It feels like I can't sing the praises of this fic enough. The relationships are written believably (and aren't the focus of the story but still get time to shine), and Yurosoku masterfully weaves the plot of FFXV into Kingdom Hearts III, leading to wide-reaching ramifications on both sides like Ardyn slaying Bahamut, Noctis getting a Keyblade, and Kairi gaining Keyblade armor. The FFXV crew does feel underpowered at times, but the author runs with it to give some extra depth to the story and enable extra development. They do eventually catch up, especially as the story goes beyond Eos, and they never feel like they shouldn’t be part of a fight they’re in unless the author wants us to feel that way. All the characters feel well-written and IC (I haven’t played XV before so I don’t have the best ground there, but from what I know everyone feels right on-target).
  If I had any gripes, it would be that there are occasional spelling/grammar errors throughout and the story reads like the author’s relatively new at first( It does get better over time, although nowhere near perfect). Also, the Master of Masters might be slightly out-of-character, it's hard to say for sure without knowing their plans for the future, and while I did approve of the relationships earlier, the Ventus/Rikku one feels more forced on the Ventus side...that or I missed cues. Nevertheless, the story is gripping and thrilling enough to overcome these flaws and has become a favorite of mine after just one reading. I'd say it's worthy of being my first proper recommendation on this site.