A/N: This story (draft-wise) is complete! However, I will still have an updating schedule because of classes due to me wanting to proofread the chapters before I post them. From the two stories below, which one would you like to see next?

•Across the Stars (Joshua Rosfield x OC)
•Rift in Time (Dion Lesage x OC)

Each story has the same formula as this one where a goddess wanders Valisthea. The stories have no connection and will each contain a unique and different goddess. I'll probably name the series the Divine Chronicles. Comment, PM, or post on my message board which story you would like to see after this one! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Clive, Lyra, and Torgal left the warehouse. They followed the path down to the harbor and stood near the edge of the pathway. Seeing all the boats left in the harbor, they knew many had perished.

"These poor souls weren't even able to flee," Lyra mumbled sorrowfully. "Just how many were slaughtered?"

"All we can do is look for survivors," Clive said.

That's when an idea popped into her head. "We'll need all the help we can get." She held out her hand and called out to the beasts that dwelled within her. "Rhea, Cronus, Theia. Heed my call."

A dragon, wolf, and deer appeared.

Clive glanced at the beasts before looking at the woman. "What are you planning?"

"The beasts shall scour the city for any survivors and aid in their escape. Seeing as our movement is limited, it would be best to have them search other parts of the city as they can easily move freely." Lyra glanced at the three beasts before issuing a command. "Search the city for survivors and do what you must to ensure their safety."

Rhea, Cronus, and Theia all lowered their heads to bow to her before dashing off in different directions.

"Will you be all right in their absence?" Clive asked, knowing the four winds were fragments of her.

She nodded. "Yes. I have survived centuries without them. A few more hours shall do no harm. I have faith that they will do their duty as we will do ours. Let our search begin."

Clive nodded. "All right."

Focusing on finding survivors, Clive, Lyra, and Torgal were ready for anything. It was only a few minutes later did they come across city guards running for their lives from a pack of orcs across the bridge.

"They don't stand a chance against those things..." Clive mumbled, helplessly watching the scene unfold.

The trio listened to the screams of the frightened men as they attempted to flee. Before any of them could react, the orcs had cut down the city guards.

"We shall fare better," Lyra declared.

The trio made their way to the bridge. Clive drew his sword and Lyra summoned her spear. Torgal followed them into battle after seeing the city guards were dead. They killed the orcs, only to realize they were followed by Akashic soldiers.

Clive noticed something about the Akashic soldiers as they faced off against them. "They're wearing Waloeder armor..."

Lyra impaled one enemy with her spear, delivering a killing blow. "There is no aetherflood in the city nor were there Akashic on the outskirts."

Clive swung his blade and killed the last Akashic soldier, who so happened to be an Akashic Tognvaldr. He sheathed his sword once the enemy's body disappeared and turned to the woman. "Are you implying the Waloeder army was turned Akashic at someone's behest?"

"It's a possibility we shouldn't dismiss," she replied, her spear vanishing. "However, we don't have time to deliberate the possible causes of the corrupted Waloeder army. Let's keep searching for survivors."

He didn't argue.

With Torgal in tow, Clive and Lyra ran through the streets of Kanver. They had yet to come across any survivors as they arrived in an abandoned marketplace across from the water. The area was littered with orcs and Akashic.

It only took them a few minutes to clear the market. The quietness of the area returned, having not seen a single soul. The goods at the abandoned vendors were toppled over and much of it was destroyed. It was clear those who were trying to sell their goods had run for their lives.

Just when Lyra was about to check for any survivors possibly hiding in the area, she was overcome with more images of the future. She could see Joshua supporting an injured Clive while Jill transformed into Shiva. The goddess recognized the scenery from the previous vision she witnessed before Indra appeared. She easily pieced together the entire vision and knew what the future held.

As the images faded, Lyra saw a worried Clive standing in front of her. She blinked a few times before shaking her head.

"You froze like this before we arrived in Tabor," Clive said. "What's wrong, Lyra? Are you ill?"

"I am fine," she replied, placing a hand against the side of her head. "A vision... Images as clear as day..."

His eyes widen in shock. "You saw the future?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. One that must be altered."

"What did you see?" he asked, eager to know what was in store for them.

She turned away from him with a guilty expression. "Forgive me, Clive, but I cannot share what the future holds. If altered even the slightest by you or another party, the events would unfold differently than what the stars have shown me. If even the slightest detail is off, the odds of my chances of changing the future shrink." She then turned back to him, determination replacing her guilt. "I shall see to it the events that are supposed to unfold will be altered to ensure your and everyone else's protection."

Clive stared at her back as she walked away. He was tempted to touch her after noticing something he hadn't realized until now. Like him, she carried a weight on her shoulders. It was much different from what he carried, but he wanted to help shoulder that weight for her as she had done for him. He didn't care if she was an almighty goddess. She was still a woman before anything or anyone else and he refused to allow her to be crushed by the weight of her burdens.

"Lyra," Clive called out to the woman. He gazed into her eyes when she turned around to face him, her long golden locks blowing in the faint breeze. "Regardless of what the future holds, know you can lean on me as I have leaned on you. If there is any way for me to help you, I won't hesitate to do so."

She smiled gently at his words. "I know. Alas, there are some burdens only I can shoulder and this is one of them. If I could lean on you, I would."

Clive clenched his fists tightly by his side. He was afraid of this, but he didn't argue as he knew the duties of a goddess would be out of his reach. There were only things she could do that he wouldn't be able to help with. "If only I were a god..."

"Remain mortal," she spoke from the heart. "I would trade my immortality for a normal life. All this power... It is unnecessary. Once this world has been healed, it will no longer need the gods. The time for divinity shall end and this star will thrive of its own accord. It will live for as long as I can with the aid of those who call it home."

Clive felt uneasiness wash over him at her words. "What of—?"

Suddenly, they heard men screaming at the top of their lungs.

The couple turned to the large gate across the way and knew they needed to save the chitchat for later. They looked back at each other before rushing to the gate to push it open. Torgal was right behind them as they passed through the gate just in time to see more members of the city guard being batted away by an Akashic Sveithvaldr. They were killed and the royal mastiffs chewed on their corpses.

Torgal pounced on the other dogs while Clive and Lyra fought against the larger enemy. Once their canine companion joined them, the Akashic Sveithvaldr was swiftly taken down.

Further down the street, they fought against more Akashic soldiers and orcs who were preventing them from going any further. Although there were many enemies, the trio wiped them out.

Proceeding through another gate, their attention was drawn to a large explosion in the distance. A plume of smoke rose into the sky.

"That sounded big. Joshua and Jill must be busy," Clive commented.

"Shall we make our own grand explosion?" Lyra asked with a hint of a smirk.

"Perhaps we will," he replied as more enemies appeared. He drew his sword and was ready for battle.

Lyra summoned her spear and they got to work on clearing out the area. They killed the weaker enemies, believing it was safe until an orcish warlord appeared.

The large enemy was tough but stood no match. Its large form toppled over as its body vanished into nothingness.

Clive and Lyra lowered their weapons to see that the area was cleared out of enemies. He sheathed his blade and she dispelled her spear. Torgal shook his body as he stood between the couple.

The man looked toward the large building located on the other side of the gate. "This is the Agora...where the cities' leaders gather. There may still be survivors inside." He then glanced over at the woman. "What of the beasts?"

Lyra placed a hand over her heart. "Although they are part of me, they have wills of their own. It seems they are all still busy scouring the city. None of them have yet to reach out to me, which means there are no problems so far. Let us search the Agora in the meantime."

The moment Clive pushed open the gate leading to the courtyard just outside of the Agora, Lyra sensed a familiar presence. Her eyes widened in shock at feeling Crius' presence. She didn't understand how or why the last beast was in the Free Cities. She started to become worried about him as she followed Clive and Torgal into the courtyard.

Clive looked around the courtyard, shocked at the silence. "Where are they?"

"Perhaps we only need to walk through the front door to find them, but..." She too scanned the area. "If the cities' leaders are truly inside, where are the guards?"

"Killed, perhaps. Regardless, we should—"

Suddenly, Ultima's forces materialized in the courtyard. They were surrounded by wraiths.

Clive was more than ready to wipe out the enemies. "These creatures... Does Ultima's reach extend this far?"

"It would be no surprise," Lyra replied, using water magic to kill one of the wraiths before infusing her spear with the same magic. "Ultima is a powerful entity who has been manipulating the world for too long."

"We need to cut the strings of this madness," Clive replied. "Starting with them!"

Torgal lunged at a wraith and swiped his claws at it. Clive and Lyra followed with their own attacks and the three were able to take out more of the enemies. The courtyard was slowly but surely being cleared of the wraiths.

Eventually, the courtyard fell silent as the last enemy was slain. As they were checking to make sure no more wraiths would appear, the doors to the Agora opened.

The man they had seen take Hugo away in Rosalith was revealed. This time, he was wearing silver armor and carried a helmet with him. "You've both caused quite the commotion. But then I would expect no less from either of you, Mythos, Gaia."

Clive glared at the heavily-armored man. "You again. I don't believe we've been introduced. You were in my family's crypt, and now you're here with an army of Akashic thralls."

"Manners, Lord Rosfield... They are men, like you and me." He began descending the steps. "Albeit ones unburdened by the wills that drive our kind to madness. They are pure. They are...divine."

"These creatures are not divinity," Lyra remarked. "They are mere puppets extending from a mind that is drowning in darkness."

His eyes drifted over to Lyra as he smirked. "Divinity of another standing, my goddess."

The statement confused Clive. "What...?"

"And they are all that remains in this once raucous city."

"You'll pay for what you've done!" Clive growled.

He stopped once descending the stairs. "As you wish. I confess, I have been very much looking forward to this. Pardon me this indulgence, Your Majesty. The vessel shall not be spoiled." Placing the helmet over his head, he drew his sword and pointed it at Clive and Lyra. "I am Sleipnir of House Harbard. And you will yield. Or not..."

Sleipnir suddenly vanished before reappearing in front of Clive. Lyra acted quickly and used her spear to deflect the man's blade before it could strike him. Because of her nimble movements and swift attack, Clive was about to avoid being stabbed and put some distance between himself and the enemy.

"This is dark magic," Lyra said as her spear returned to her hand. "Be careful, Clive."

Their fight against Sleipnir began.

The armored man teleported across the courtyard in an attempt to get behind Clive and Lyra, but they were quick and dodged his blade. Using magic and their weapons, they were able to slowly wear him down. Torgal aided them by attacking whenever he saw an opening and providing small healing to both of them.

Sleipnir was a tough opponent and the trio wasn't able to dodge all of his attacks. Even when he was able to deal a few powerful blows to Clive, Lyra was quick to heal him. They both returned to battle and stood their ground against the strong enemy.

Continuing their assault, the trio gained the upper hand.

Suddenly, Sleipnir vanished and reappeared behind Clive.

Clive easily detected the dark magic from behind him. "That old trick?" He swiftly turned around and met the man's blade with his own. He exchanged a few blows with him before being able to disarm him.

Sleipnir vanished in a cloud of darkness before reappearing across the courtyard from Clive. "You will forgive me if my performance seems uninspired. It is just that I expected so much more from our chosen one. Perhaps this will...kindle your flame." With his hands, he manipulated the darkness and a void was created.

"What now?!" Clive hissed.

From the darkness, Sleipnir conjured a large blade. "A gift from my liege lord's armory—Gungnir. Watch closely, Mythos." He turned his attention to Lyra and fired a powerful burst of dark magic at her.

Horrified, Clive turned to the woman. He saw the darkness consume her form, making his heart race with fear. He didn't hear her scream or cry out in any way.

The moment the darkness vanished, not only was Clive surprised but also Sleipnir when they saw Lyra was unharmed. She had protected herself with a barrier consisted of light magic.

"Oh?" Sleipnir voiced his surprise. "It seems targeting Mythos' heart will be more difficult than I thought. Though you are a goddess, even divinity has its fragility."

Clive cast a glare at the man, his blood boiling with anger. "You...!" He charged at the man and exchanged blow after blow. Although his blade was smaller than that of Sleipnir's, he was able to use his strength to deliver a few powerful blows and knock him back.

Sleipnir vanished and reappeared halfway across the courtyard. Clive was about to attack him again when he noticed the man was gathering aether. He kept his distance and watched closely as spears composed of darkness appeared around him.

"One is seldom enough, would you not agree?!" Sleipnir shouted as he unleashed his power—dead man's bier.

"Actually, I wouldn't!" Clive shouted when he saw an opening in the man's attack. Torgal followed him and they attacked him. Lyra kept her distance, using her magic to protect both of them from Sleipnir's attacks. She then protected herself with a barrier when the enemy's attacks grew in strength and spread outward.

As the dark magic faded and Sleipnir landed on his feet, Lyra used her magic to manipulate her spear. She sent it hurtling toward the enemy and caught him off guard due to his full attention being on Clive and the transformed Torgal. Gungnir was knocked out of his hand as he became staggered.

Conjuring a vortex of wind and flames, Lyra trapped Sleipnir in the middle. The flames and winds cut through his armor and weakened the man. As the vortex vanished and he was getting back on his feet, Clive didn't let him. Using his sword and magic, he delivered the final blow.

Gungnir vanished as Sleipnir stumbled. "The vessel is strong..." He fell to his knees as the helmet fell off his head, a smirk present on his face. "My...Liege." He collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Lyra dispelled her spear. She and Clive gazed at Sleipnir's corpse until they heard a familiar voice.

"Clive! Lyra!" Joshua shouted as he and Jill ran over to the couple.

Jill sighed in relief. "You're both all right!"

"As are you, I see," Clive said.

Joshua glanced at Sleipnir's body before responding. "We are, yes."

Jill's relief was replaced with sorrow. "I'm sorry, but...we couldn't save them."

"It was over before we arrived," Joshua clarified.

"Well...you did what you could," Clive replied. "I fear we were all too late. What of the beasts, Lyra?"

Lyra listened to the three beasts. She shook her head with a regretful smile. "I'm afraid they found no survivors."

"Beasts?" Joshua asked. "We saw a mighty dragon fly across the sky moments after we discovered the bodies, one of which I have never seen."

"Theia," Lyra replied. "That is her name. I shall explain all once we rejoin the others."

He nodded. "All right." He was about to follow Clive, Lyra, and Jill, but stopped to eye Sleipnir's body a final time.

Clive noticed this. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...I hope."

Turning their backs to the Agora, they were ready to depart. They didn't make it far before they were startled by what sounded like a blade slashing through stone. Turning around, they were horrified to see a portion of the Agora had been slashed by dark magic. The magic caused a portion of the building to explode, causing it to crumble before their very eyes. They covered their faces to protect themselves from the dust caused by the crumbling rubble.

Once the cloud of dust settled, the party noticed a figure walking out of the Agora. It was Barnabas Tharmr, King of Waloed.

"Leaving so soon, Mythos?" Barnabas asked smugly.

Joshua couldn't believe his eyes. "It's the king!"

"Indeed. You may kneel before Barnabas Tharmr..." the king said coldly. "Warden of Ash and king of Waloed."

Clive stepped forward and pushed Joshua, Jill, and Lyra behind him as the man approached. "Get back."

The three were hesitant but did as he commanded.

Before Lyra could follow Joshua and Jill, she sensed Crius' presence. Turning to look at the king, she saw he pulled out a green crystal from his pocket. Her eyes widened when she realized the beast was trapped inside. "Why...?"

Clive glanced at the crystal before looking back at the woman. "What's wrong?"

Lyra's full attention was on the crystal in Barnabas' possession. "Crius is confined in the crystal. Release him!"

The King's smirk widened. "I do naught for a god such as you. The beast is mine. Unless...you were to come willingly to my side."

Clive glared sharply at the king. He placed himself in front of Lyra to obscure her from his gaze. "Release the beast," he hissed.

Barnabas ignored Clive's demands and put the crystal in his pocket. He picked up Sleipnir's sword and prepared for a one-on-one with the man.

"Stand back," Clive told Lyra. "I shall retrieve the crystal."

She was hesitant but did as he commanded. She joined Joshua and Jill just as the battle began. She nervously watched Clive fight against Barnabas. From the few blows they exchanged, it was clear the king was more skillful than her beloved. It was all too clear Barnabas was playing with Clive due to the way he would shove him with his shoulders and kick him with his feet.

Barnabas aimed his sword at Clive. "Wild and impetuous. I expected more of the boy who bested my lord commander. Yet I see why my master covets you so. The power within you, Mythos. The potential."

Clive and Barnabas exchanged a few more blows. The King managed to knock Clive to a single knee and rest the sword against his throat.

"Stop calling me Mythos!" Clive hissed, feeling the sharp blade against his skin.

"But Mythos is everything," Barnabas replied. He kept his blade against Clive's neck as the man slowly got to his feet. "The cornerstone of all creation. The Lord's vessel. Your purpose."

Clive swiftly swung his blade and knocked the sword away from his neck, allowing him to put some space between himself and the king. His sharp glare never left him. "My purpose?! To surrender my mind and body to that thing?" He slowly took a few steps forward, his sword aimed at the man. "No, Your Majesty. My purpose is my own. I made a promise to my friends... To my people... And nothing is going to stand in my way."

Barnabas had lowered his sword. "You would allow this delusion of free will to bar your path to greatness? Truly...your volition is a cancer. One that must be excised." He dropped the blade and lifted his hand up, summoning Odin's sword.

"Try it!" Clive shouted. He screamed out in rage as he semi-primed with Ifrit. He charged at the king, only for him to be kicked in the abdomen and sent rolling across the ground.

"Men..." Barnabas sneered. The moment Clive got back on his feet, he used Odin's sword to send a powerful blast of darkness toward him. It sliced through his body, causing him to choke out in pain before collapsing. Blood poured from his wound as he laid on the ground.

"Clive!" Joshua shouted.

"No!" Jill shouted.

Lyra stared in horror at Clive's bloodied body. She felt a sense of deja vu and she knew it was because this was the vision the stars had shown her. Frozen, she watched Jill and Joshua rush to him.

"You are as weak as all the rest," Barnabas said.

Jill stood in front of Clive. "Joshua!"

Joshua picked up Clive's body off the ground. He was barely conscious as he desperately dragged him away from the powerful king.

Lyra snapped out of her frozen state when she saw Jill transform into Shiva and create an ice wall between her and the others to ensure their escape. She knew she needed to change the future for the sake of the ones she loved. "Theia, Cronus, with me! Rhea, help Joshua!"

Lyra ran as fast as she could the moment she saw Barnabas swing Odin's blade a second time with his target intending to be Shiva. She transformed into Gaia and flew toward the Eikon at the same time the powerful attack sliced through her ice. Flying in front of Shiva, the magic sliced through her body and she screamed at the top of her lungs before her body fell out of the sky.

"No!" Shiva shouted, her voice ringing in the goddess' ears as her bloodied body slammed into the ground.

All Gaia could feel was Shiva's frigid touch and the blood seeping from her body. As her body grew cold, her world was consumed by blackness and her consciousness faded.

|| The Ironworks ||
|| Old Kanver ||

At the hidden cove, Mid and Joshua were eagerly awaiting Clive to regain consciousness. The faint glow of a lantern radiated in the darkness and lit up the bed he lay in.

She glanced worriedly at him. "Will he be all right?"

"The Phoenix can mend flesh, but the spirit must recover on its own. I'm afraid the rest is up to him." Joshua then glanced over at the grand ship in the distance. "This place is remarkable. Outfitting it must have been no small feat. But why go to such trouble?"

Mid was smiling as she gazed at the Enterprise. "That beauty's belly is filled with wonders the world in't ready for. If the guilds caught wind of what we were up to, they'd all want a piece..." Her attention was drawn to the stairs when she heard Byron's arrival. "All right."

Byron glanced worriedly at his youngest nephew. "And? How is he?" He saw the look of shame on his face and was quick to reassure him. "Do not blame yourself. He was barely breathing when you brought him here. We would have lost him if it were not for you and that beast."

"No. Barnabas may have severed nigh every sinew in my brother's body..." Joshua confessed, his voice lower than usual at the thought of losing his brother, "but he made certain the wounds were not fatal."

Byron was utterly shocked and horrified. "Nigh every sinew?!"

Gav, who had been accompanying Byron, tried to lighten the atmosphere by changing the subject. "Allow me...your lordship." He ran up to the older man and took the jug from him. "Don't know what I was thinking, putting you to the trouble like that."

The lord shook his head. "Hah! 'Tis no trouble carrying comestibles to my ailing nephew."

"I know, but..." Gav turned his back to him, holding the jug with both hands. "You've already done so much for us, pouring your gil into the hideaway, and now the ship. I don't want to take the piss..."

Mid lowered her head to gaze at the unconscious Clive. Her voice shook with sorrow as she spoke. "You risked your life, and for what? Some girl you hardly know..." She grabbed his arm. "Why'd you do it? Are you lot mad or something?"

"I...wouldn't go that far," Clive's voice weakly rang out, shocking everyone.

Mid smiled happily. "Clive!"

"You're awake!" Joshua shouted joyfully.

Byron was more than happy to see his nephew awake. "My boy!"

"All I want to do is help. And the world won't save itself. It was Cid..." Clive gently grabbed Mid's arm. "Your father who taught me that."

She smiled at hearing her father's name. "Sounds like him."

Gav stepped closer to the bed and scolded the man. "Don't you dare do that again."

Clive glanced at the scout. "What of the royalists?"

"Fucked off, the lot of them. Along with the Galleon. With the king on board, no doubt. The Einherjar wouldn't sail without him." Gav paused for a brief second before he told him about the two missing women. "Clive. Jill and Lyra...didn't come back."

Clive was shocked and confused. "What do you mean?"

"They kept the king busy while the others dragged you out with help from a beast," Mid explained.

He was worried about both of them, but he kept his emotions in check. He needed to focus so they could bring both of them back. "It's all right, Mid. Jill is fine."

"The aether of her Eikon endures," Joshua said in realization. "And as long as it does, we can be certain she is alive."

"What 'bout Lyra?" Mid asked.

"This beast..." Clive began. "Where is it?"

"Down by the ship," Gav said. "It's the same beast we saw at Cid's grave."

With help from the others, Clive sat up and got to his feet. With the others behind him, he made his way down the stairs and to the ship. He found the deer curled up on the ground, her eyes closed as she slept. The moonlight bounced off her white wood antlers and made the pink blossoms appear even more vibrant.

"Rhea..." Clive called out gently.

The deer heard her name. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. When she saw it was him, she slowly stood up and approached him. She carefully lowered her head as he held out a hand toward her. She eyed his outstretched hand before nuzzling her snout against his palm.

Clive smiled as he petted the deer. "Lyra is alive."

Joshua gazed at the beautiful deer. "This... This is one of the beasts you mentioned."

"The Guardian Beasts of the four winds," Clive explained. "They are part of Gaia. Rhea is her name. If she is alive, so is Lyra." He then turned to the others. "We must pursue the Black Galleon. Jill and Lyra will be with the king. I'm sure of it."

"Well, good luck catching them, 'cause my ship's goin' nowhere," Mid said. "It's the mythril engine. She's got a kick like a wild chocobo, and a mind to tear the hull in half."

"But you have an idea."

"Well, of course I do. My dad'll have seen this coming a league off. If I had his old writings..."

"If you had his old writings, you'd be sitting under a fuckload of rubble. The ones Otto didn't save, anyway. I s'pose he might still have a few pages in his stores," Gav stated.

"We'll have to hope it's enough," Clive remarked. "Do what you can to ready the ship. I'll speak with Otto."

"In your condition?! You really are mad!" Byron shouted.

Clive met his uncle's gaze. "Perhaps. But the world really won't save itself."