Time is a valuable thing.

A/N: Hey Everyone! Here's another challenge I accepted from Dark Blaziken!

A warm summer's day in the markets of Caelin's humble castle town, birds sung, and townsfolk laughed, the sun shone brightly upon every smiling passerby's face.

Many merchants from out-of-town would come here to sell their goods, making large profits every summer. Two knights from the castle were seen shopping, one wearing a fiery crimson armor, the other wearing forest green. The latter stopped every so often to chat up with the women shopkeepers while the orange-haired knight watched in embarrassment.

"Oh, come off it, Kent." The one in green exclaimed to his companion. "No one said I couldn't meet any lovely ladies while we were here."

Kent stopped walking to speak. "Sain. We are merely here for supplies, not to court women…"

Sain scoffed and gave him an odd look.

"You're never any fun…"

Soon they passed a small stand, sprinkled with rose petals and the like. A woman stood behind the stand, she was dressed in velvet red robes with gold tassels and trimmings. Her beautiful, bright green eyes glistened off the sunlight and her red hood covered most of her face, save for her eyes and a long, brown curl of hair near he neckline.

Sain stopped, awestruck by the women's beauty.

"May I help you?" She asked suddenly, snapping the green knight to his senses.

"No." Kent said flatly, yet politely.

"Oh?" The woman held out her hand slowly, placing something into Sain's hands.

He took the small item in his fingers and examined it closely. It was a glistening silver ring, adorned with a violet gem placed in the middle, with beautiful gold markings regally sparkling on the sides.

"A… Ring?" The woman nodded.

"It gives the wearer great power to undo mistakes and change the future."

Kent looked skeptical.

"I'll take it!" Sain exclaimed, smiling widely as he reached for his coins.

"You can't be serious…" Kent sighed.

"I'll give it to Lady Lyndis!" said Sain, admiring the ring's features.

"… Do you mean to say that Lady Lyndis makes many mistakes?"

Sain scoffed again. "N-no, not at all… I just thought she would love the ring…"

Kent smiled now.

"Speaking of which, Lady Lyndis wanted us back soon. Shall we get going?"

"Of course," Sain slipped the ring into his pouch of coins before mounting his horse.

"Take care of that ring, it can be quite powerful!" The woman in red waved as they took leave.

Kent brought his voice to a whisper. "Powerful… Could that be a bad idea to hand that to Lady Lyndis?"

Sain shook his head. "I just held it, I felt nothing wrong." he shrugged.

"Mm, you'd better be right…"

-x-

When they finally reached the castle, Lyndis came out to assist them in putting the supplies away. Carrying the food into the kitchen was all Kent would let her do, however, as he didn't want her handling all the new weapons they had purchased.

She sighed and replied with, "Kent, you forget I'm the one who helped defeat Nergal."

"I know…" Kent assured her; he still felt the need to protect her.

After everything was put away, Kent, Lyn, Sain and Florina decided to go out to the lush, green castle gardens to relax. The summer breeze blew lightly, causing the greenery to sway. Kent plucked an apple from the tree after Florina asked him to, without any shyness left for him. She and Kent had been spending much time together lately, looking like lovebirds in spring.

"It is a nice day…" Kent sighed, sitting down on the marble bench next to his lavender-haired sweetheart.

Lyn nodded, "summer always was my favourite season…"

She sighed, remembering her days back on the plains of Sacae. The cool breeze sweeping the oceans of grass, the endless blue skies, the songs the birds sung-

"Lady Lyndis?"

She suddenly snapped back into reality with a blink, at hearing Sain call her name.

"Y-yes?"

"I've got a present for you."

She blinked. "For me, why?"

Sain shrugged, finding the ring in his pocket and showing it to her.

"For being a wonderful leader of Caelin, I suppose…" he handed her the ring and she took it in her delicate fingers, holding it to the light and watching it sparkle.

"Sain… It's so beautiful…" she couldn't even take her eyes off it.

"It was nothing, my Lady-oof!" She nearly knocked Sain off of his feet in the lunging embrace she gave him, making Sain turn deep red.

"Thank you, Sain!" She exclaimed, letting him go, slipping the ring on her left-middle finger.

Florina giggled at the scene before taking another bite of her apple, Kent even chuckled as well.

"I love it!" Lyn exclaimed, holding the ring in the sunlight and watching it glitter and shine.

Sain smiled, he was more than happy to bring her such joy.

"My lady, a message from Marquess Pherae." Everyone looked up to see the messenger soldier, holding a scroll. Lyn walked over and took the scroll.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked the soldier, opening the creamy white parchment.

"No, I believe it's an invitation," Lyn nodded to him as she read over the first paragraph.

"Very well, thank you." She smiled; the soldier bowed and stepped back towards the castle.

Sain, Kent, and Florina huddled around Lyn to look at the parchment.

"Dear Lady Lyndis and company,

You are cordially invited to the Grand Ball held this next full moon at castle Pherae.

Please dress formally and be sure to have a date with you.

P.S. - Lord Hector will be waiting for you to meet him there; I wouldn't want him to be disappointed!

Signed, Lord Eliwood and Lady Ninian."

Lyn cringed, she couldn't tolerate Hector, and he annoyed her to a great extent, however… The constant arguing seemed to feel attracting…

"My, oh my, Lord Hector seems smitten with you!" Sain proclaimed.

"Sain!" Lyn cried, turning a rosy pink colour. The green knight laughed at her.

"Lady Lyndis, a piece of advice, if I may?" Kent started.

"Yeah?"

"If you were to marry Lord Hector, Caelin would be ruled under Ostia, which could prove useful in the future,"

Lyn thought for a moment.

"You're right, Kent, but… I… I'm not sure I love him…"

"It's your choice, my Lady." Kent nodded, heading back to the castle with Florina following close behind.

Sain shrugged. "I suppose its time I head back into the castle," he waved to her as he turned to leave. "good day, Lady Lyndis."

Lyn just stood there, reading the last paragraph of the letter over and over again.

"Ugh!" She groaned, throwing the message on the ground and heading inside.

-x-

Lyn retired to her room after she had dinner that evening, though she had hardly eaten any food, her mind was too clouded with thoughts of Hector.

She sighed to herself as she lay on her bed, what will she do about this?

'I don't love him… Or do I?' she actually couldn't tell for sure.

She held her ring up in the moonlight spilling through the window; it glistened and sparkled like earlier.

'I don't want to be rude… But it's just…' the ring on her finger changed colour.

Lyn sat up with a shock. "What the-!"

The once violet gem in the middle turned a deep black. Lyn stared; rings don't normally do this, do they?

She gazed at it more, it felt hypnotizing, she felt happy, confused, upset, all at once.

"What is this…?" she felt lightheaded now, and it was getting the best of her.

She fell backwards onto her bed, fainting, as the ring emitted a black mass of energy into the room.

-x-

Darkness.

It was so pitch black; she couldn't see her own feet in front of herself.

But it felt warm, so warm… It felt familiar, like back when…

Light. It appeared quickly and grew, enveloping her body in warmth.

'Where am I…?'

And then she awoke, however, when she didn't see her room, Lyn gasped.

"W-what happened!?" She cried. "Where am I?"

And then she saw her. Lyn saw her mother, Madelyn.

"… Mother?" Her eyes filled with tears. Had she died and gone to the heavens above, to father sky?

"Oh Lyn, you're awake! Did you have a nice nap?" Her mother called to her.

'This is a dream; this HAS TO BE A DREAM!'

"Your father is out hunting now, if you want to find him." Said Madelyn, seemingly oblivious to Lyn's disbelief.

Lyn gasped. "I remember this!"

Her mother looked at her. "Hm? What are you talking about, dear?"

"This! This happened already! Mother, you were here and then father-"

Lyn looked off into the distance to see her father riding back towards the tribe,

"-And then father comes back, see?!"

Madelyn stared at her with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

Lyn shook her head in disbelief, looking around herself.

The tribe, the gurts, the horses, the plains…It was all so familiar.

"I've gone back in time…"

To be continued…

A/N: So, what do you think? I'm not sure when I can update this, but I'll do my best. There should be around three chapters to this. So review! Or you might not a see an update for awhile, reviews make me happy, and a happy author makes for quick updates! XD