|| Requested By ||
storyfan09

|| Information ||
This story takes place in modern times. I didn't want to make it our world so I could keep the fantasy elements (I hope that was okay) so I decided to write this story with a futuristic Valisthea. I'm hoping I didn't make this short story too weird.

|| Plot ||
Centuries have passed since the fall of the Mothercrystals. Valisthea, now in the year 1285, has advanced with the times alongside those who call it home. Magic is still absent, but the people rely on mythril for power. Lyra, although she had once given up her immortality, is reborn in the heavens as Gaia. With no knowledge of her previous life on Valisthea, she descends to the world below to see how it is thriving. During her time in Storm, she meets a face from her distant past.

Clive's Age - 33
Lyra's Age - 34

PS—I did not proofread this chapter for any grammatical/spelling errors. So sorry in advance!

••••••••••••

|| Oriflamme, Holy Capital of Sanbreque ||
|| Year of the Wyvern - 1285 ||

With a sigh of reverie, Lyra sauntered through the streets of Oriflamme. Her Emerald eyes scanned the bustling streets and the buildings that aligned it, wondering which place to explore first. The city, which was thriving with life, was beautiful and breathtaking.

Being a year into her travels across the Twins, the goddess of life was visiting the various cities and villages across the continents of Storm and Ash. So far, she has visited Rosaria and Dhalmekia. Now, it was time for her to explore Sanbreque. She had already visited Lostwing and Northreach with a few stops in between to admire the scenery and wildlife before arriving in the Holy Capital of Oriflamme.

Lyra's travels had been well so far, minus a few exceptions. She was experiencing constant headaches and strange flashes of images whenever she would visit certain locations. She didn't understand what was happening and tried to dismiss her odd symptoms.

Pulled from her thoughts by a horn, she looked to the sky and saw a mythril-powered airship soaring above. She watched it head in the direction of the castle before her attention was drawn to a flower shop. Excitement gleamed in her eyes as she walked up the stairs to the shop and stepped inside. She was greeted by a lively young woman who offered her some help.

The goddess browsed the beautiful flowers for a few minutes. She made up her mind and selected a few flowers, two vases, and an assortment of seeds. Using the gil she had, she bought everything and left the shop.

In the streets, she gazed lovingly at the flowers. She decided not to keep carrying everything and headed in the direction of the inn she was staying at. She entered her room and sat everything down on the coffee table.

She reorganized the flowers in one of the vases and poured some water. Using her magic, she gave them the nutrition they needed to keep their beauty for much longer. Sitting on the couch, she gazed at the flowers and was suddenly overcome with a headache. Wincing, she pressed a palm against the side of her head with a heavy sigh.

"These headaches are becoming worrisome..." She mumbled to herself. Once the pain faded, she stood up and left her room. She wandered down the hallway, only to stop when she heard giggling. Looking down the hallway, she saw a young woman with a man. They were both smiling as they entered one of the rooms.

Blurry images flashed through Lyra's mind. Accompanying the images were muffled voices. She leaned against the wall, waiting for it all to fade. She was tempted to return to the heavens due to what was happening, but she wanted to keep traveling across Valisthea. Hoping the strange images and headaches would leave her alone soon, she departed from the inn.

Lyra debated on what to do next. Even though she didn't require food to survive, she still enjoyed the tasty food of this world. She wondered what good restaurants were close and wandered down the street.

While wondering what to eat and where to go, the goddess heard a shout. She turned around just in time to see a man running toward her. In his hand was a mythril pistol, a rare yet illegal firearm. Her eyes widened in horror when realizing he was pointing the barrel at her. Her mind and heart were racing, trying to decide if she should use her magic or accept what was coming. In other words, she could either expose herself or let herself get shot.

At the same time the deranged man pulled the trigger, Lyra felt two arms wrap around her protectively. She was then tackled to the ground as the gunshot echoed through the street. To her surprise, the arms around her prevented her from feeling any pain as they rolled across the ground.

"Grab him!" She heard a man shout.

Still in her savior's arms, she found herself lying on top of him. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself up. Her long golden locks spilled over her shoulders as she stared down at the man beneath her. His black hair was a little shaggy and it made his sapphire eyes stick out. There was a scar on his left cheek, one that seemed to be created by a sword or another sharp weapon. The white armor he wore was that of the White Wyrm unit of the imperial army.

However, that wasn't what surprised her. It was the sense of familiarity his appearance possessed that shocked her. Unconsciously, she reached out and touched the scar on his left cheek. It took her a few seconds to realize what she was doing. She quickly removed her hand from his face. "Forgive me. I-I do not know what came over me." She didn't realize the knight's hands were on her hips until she tried to climb off of him.

Like her, he was quick to apologize and released his hold on her. "Apologies, my lady. Are you all right?" He too was experiencing a strange familiarity sensation from seeing and touching her.

"Only because of you. Thank you." She got off of him and helped him to his feet. She glanced toward the man who tried to shoot her to see he was being dragged away by two other knights. "May I ask what happened?"

The knight glanced at his fellow White Wyrms as they dragged the dangerous man away. "We received word of a man wielding an illegal firearm and pursued him. He already shot two other civilians before we were able to apprehend him. You would have been his third."

She smiled at him. "Thank the heavens you and your fellow knights arrived just in time to keep my name off the list of casualties. Once more, thank you."

"Of course, my lady," the knight replied with his own smile.

Before an awkward silence could befall them, Lyra tried to excuse herself. She wanted an explanation behind this sense of familiarity, but she doubted she would be able to find one. "I best allow you to return to your duties. Farewell, my lord."

The goddess spun on her heels to leave, only to take a few steps before her hand was grabbed. Looking over her shoulder, she gazed at the knight.

"A moment more, if you grant me such," the man said, his sapphire eyes gazing into her emerald ones. "Is this our first meeting?"

Her eyes widen in shock. "Yes, but...do you feel a sense of familiarity as well?"

"I do," he confessed. "Are you certain we have not met before today?"

"Well..." Lyra thought for a second. "No, truthfully. Perhaps learning each other's names shall aid us. I am Lyra. May I know your name, my lord?"

"Clive," the knight replied, releasing her hand.

Hearing the name, another headache plagued Lyra. She pressed a hand against the side of her head with a wince. More blurry images and muffled voices entered her mind, blocking out everything and everyone around her. Feeling overwhelmed, she closed her eyes and turned away from Clive.

Taking a few deep breaths, the goddess pushed past the images and voices to return to the real world. She didn't notice Clive's concern until she turned back around to face him. "I-I am terribly sorry, but I believe I need to get some rest."

"Allow me to escort you," Clive offered. "Are you a resident or visiting?"

"Visiting," she answered. "I have a room at the Snowy Chocobo Inn. It isn't far from here. I know you must be busy so please do not feel obligated."

"Nonsense. It's the least I can do."

Lyra gave in and allowed him to take her back to the inn. It was a short walk and took only a few minutes. She opened the door to her room and stepped inside. "Thank you, Clive."

"How long will you be in Oriflamme?" the knight asked.

"A week," she responded.

Clive was more than eager when he asked, "May I see you again?"

This puzzled the goddess. "You...want to see me again?"

He smirked in amusement. "You sound surprised."

"I am," she spoke honestly. "You wish to discover the reason behind this sense of familiarity, don't you?"

He nodded. "I do."

"I have no major business in the city considering I am simply traveling for fun so my schedule is wide open. Whenever you wish to see me again, come to this room. But please, do not allow me to distract you from your duties. I wouldn't wish to cause you any issues."

"You will not be a distraction, I assure you," Clive said. "A few days away from my duties has been requested by the Lord Commander."

She smiled at him. "What a most wondrous surprise. Shall I see you tomorrow then?"

He nodded with his own smile. "Indeed, my lady. Until then, do get some rest."

"I shall. Thank you, again."

. · : · . ✧ • ✦ • ✧ . · : · .

While waiting for Clive to arrive, Lyra busied herself with growing the seeds she bought. Placing one seed in her palm, she infused her magic into it and watched it grow into a beautiful red amaryllis. She smiled and repeated the process until the second case was full. She filled it with water before setting it on the coffee table beside the other vase.

She admired the flowers until a knock came from the door. Walking over, she opened the door and smiled at the man on the other side. "Come in, please."

Clive entered the room, his eyes immediately locking onto the flowers. He walked over to the coffee table and gently cupped a hand underneath one of the flower's petals. Like Lyra, he felt overwhelmed by blurry images and muffled voices. However, he could faintly make out the woman's voice among the cacophony. He snapped back to reality and looked over at the blonde. "You enjoy flowers?"

"Very much so. I can never pass a flower shop without visiting it."

"Do you grow them at home?"

She nodded. "I do."

He turned his entire body to her. "Where is home, if I may ask?"

She couldn't tell him the truth. It only took her a second to come up with a convincing lie. "Rosaria. Eastpool, to be more precise."

"Eastpool..." Clive muttered, another blurry image passing through his mind. "I don't believe I have visited."

"I am not surprised," she laughed. "It is a rather small village. But that is enough about me. Let's solve this familiarity mystery."

Clive and Lyra left the Snowy Chocobo Inn. They walked the streets of Oriflamme for hours upon hours, chatting as they went along. They learned much about each other in hopes of discovering something about this strange sense of familiarity, but the images and voices were still indecipherable.

Being familiar with the city, Clive took Lyra to the places he thought she would enjoy as someone who wasn't from the Holy Capital. He also kept in mind her love for flowers and showed her the areas that had the most beautiful blooms this time of year.

To end their day together before it got too late, Clive escorted her to one of the oldest churches in the holy empire. It wasn't far from the inn she was staying at and figured it would be the perfect place to end their day, especially since there was something at the church he needed her to see—the statue of the goddess.

Walking into the grand church, they passed a few people who were on their way out and found themselves to be the only ones inside.

Lyra glanced around the church until her eyes landed on the statue that was on display across the room. Her eyes widened in pure shock and her entire body froze. It was a statue of her. From the strange material it was made from, she knew it had to be at least a few centuries old. However, she could sense it was much older. The blurry images and muffled vices returned tenfold, resulting in her drowning out everything and everyone.

Clive noticed her petrified state and grew concerned. "Lyra?" He reached out to touch her shoulder, only to stop halfway when he saw strange green orbs floating around her body. The moment one made contact with his hand, it was absorbed into his body. He felt a strange sensation wash over him.

As more particles were absorbed into his body, the once blurry images and muffled voices became all too clear. The life he had lived over four centuries ago came flooding back. He remembered everything. From when he was just a child to the very last breath he took. He could recognize the faces and voices of all the ones he loved, including his son Edric. The memories caused tears to cascade down his cheeks.

Clive's mind cleared as he remembered his past life. He blinked a few times, eyes focused on the statue of Gaia the Fallen had made millenniums ago. After his first life ended, the statue was discovered and brought to the newly reborn Oriflamme. And now, Greagor wasn't the only one worshipped in the Holy Empire. Gaia, the goddess of life, was a deity many people across Valisthea worshipped.

Clive's head snapped to the right in hopes of telling Lyra the truth of their past together, but she was gone. Panic set in and he frantically looked around the church for her, shouting her name. When he didn't find her, he stormed out of the church. His heart was thundering in his chest as he searched for her.

Not seeing her in the crowded streets, he asked a few people if they had seen the goddess. There was one woman who pointed him in the direction Lyra had run in and quickly took chase. He was able to receive more help from another person and learned she had left the city. He didn't hesitate to pursue her.

Leaving Oriflamme, Clive didn't know exactly where Lyra went. He wondered where to look first and recalled one of her favorite things—flowers. He recalled the large patch of flowers that was growing on a plateau not too far from the holy capital. He didn't stop running until he reached the plateau. To his relief, he found her.

Standing on the other side of the flower patch, he stared at her back. He watched her long golden locks flutter in the breeze, wondering if she had stormed out of the church because she remembered. Just as he was going to approach her, he ceased all movement when she turned around to reveal her tears.

"Over four centuries ago, we had a life and a family together." Tears continued to trail down her cheeks. "W-We had a son named Edric, and...and..." Words failed her as a sob erupted from her throat. She covered her mouth with both hands and turned away from him. She tried to keep her sobs from getting too loud as she cried.

Unable to stand the distance between them any longer, Clive walked through the flower patch and took her into his arms. He held her shaking form against him, burying his nose into her golden locks. He couldn't believe they both found each other after being reborn centuries later. "We can have another life and family together."

His words caused Lyra's tears to dry. She slid her arms that were resting between them around his torso and hugged him back. "I would love that, but...is there no one in this life who has come along for you to love?"

"No," he answered, squeezing her tighter. "There is no one else. No matter how many years have passed or how many lives we live, you will always be the one I love."

She rested her head on his chest. Closing her eyes, she gripped the back of his armor. "It seems the heavens are allowing us to recreate our happy life. I would never say no to that."

"Will you stay in Oriflamme with me?" he asked.

She smiled gently. "I wouldn't wish to be anywhere else."