I finally figured out what I wanted to do with this story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 Belongs to Square. Elora belongs to me. Kriel belongs to MercuryKnight.

A Memory Never Erased

The last few months of her life never happened. Or that's what she's been lead to believe. She honestly didn't remember a thing about what had happened. She just knew that it had changed her. She stands in the middle of the alter in the Forgotten Capital with head bowed and eyes closed. She couldn't help feeling she had lost something very dear to her. Golden eyes slowly open and her gaze fixes upon the white feathers of the wings she now possesses. Day after day she would stand at the alter, just stand there, and listen to the now quiet murmur of the Planet. It was slowly killing her, despite what she's become, but that's what she wants. No memory and the feeling of loss has consumed her to the point she wants to end it all but she goes on living, protecting the sacred grounds of which she was born. She finally leaves the alter and goes outside of the entrance. She gently kneels by the lake side and looks at her reflection. Gold eyes fade until their pitch black and her black hair losses its red tints. The wings on her back move a bit as she watches her reflection, noticing how haggard her appearance has become and how thin she looks. Out of no where, she slaps the water and looks away, curling up in a tight ball and wrapping her wings around herself.

"What happened to me! Why do I feel like this!" She cries to no one, tears streaming heavily down her cheeks.

She cries by the lake side, her tears causing her dark eyes to turn red and her body to shake with her unrestrained sadness. For weeks she had stood at the alter, trying to piece together her life. All's she knew was her name, Elora, and that she had lived in the city all of her life. She also remembered most of her life until she almost turned 14. After that it's a blank and she cries harder, feeling her heart breaking. Eventually, she ends up crying herself to sleep, still curled up as tight as she can be.

Dream

"Please! I beg of you! Kill me! I don't want to live anymore!" Her mind screams in agony to the darkness.

"You are the last...Do you wish to end our bloodline?" A unknown voice asks.

"No! Why is it I feel so sad when I can't remember what happened!" She cries.

A gentle hand is placed on her forehead and she looks up to the gold eyes that smile gently down on her.

"Are you ready for this, Elora?" She is asked.

"Please! If I cry myself to sleep every night, thinking I've lost someone I love, than I have to be ready!"

The smile placed on her is bittersweet at most and before she knows it she's shown the final battle.

Flashback

She remembered it...She remembered how tense everyone was and how scared she felt...Even being near Kriel hadn't stopped that fear from eating at her. She remembered trying to help as best as she could with magic and summons, trying to contribute to the cause of saving this Planet from destruction. But as the battle continued, one by one her friends had been struck down. Her determination had given way to a terror and sadness so keen, when Kriel had got struck down, she had went insane with grief. She had attacked for all she was worth. But it hadn't helped. Sephiorth had struck her down as well. She had landed next to Kriel's blood soaked body and there she had stayed as the battle continued, holding his cold hand, as her blood slowly drained from the slash down her chest. Bit by bit her vision had dimmed until the last thing she saw before she blacked out was Kriel's still face.

End Flashback

"How did I survive?" She questions.

"Holy saved you...It knew it was in the hands of a young child and it didn't want to see you die...So it saved you..."

"But why not him! I love him! I'd rather die than live as I do now!"

The gold eyes smile gently to her again and her wings rustle a bit as she shakes until that gaze.

"Elora...You are a guardian angel now...You protect the city now...You just have to wish it and he will come to you..."

"But he's a dark elf...A drow..."

Again the gentle smile and again that shiver courses through her body.

"Has that ever stopped you from protecting or helping him?"

"No!"

"Than it will not stop you from getting your wish..."

Again her wings rustle as she shakes, this time in barely contained joy. Her love might return to her! The thought sent a thrill of exuberance through her that's only quenched by the thought of the others whose memories had returned to her.

"What of...?" She begins.

"I'm sorry...They can't return...She can't return..."

Now she shakes again, this time in sadness. The gold eyes smile gently again as she slowly looks up again.

"Do not worry. She will still be here to visit you."

"As I've come now."

She turns in shock, her wings flapping in her sudden turn as her black eyes land on vibrant emerald green eyes.

"Your here!"

"And this is where I'll stay. All you have to do is come find me."

She smiles brightly, looking between them before her wings rustle again.

"Go...Bring him back..."

End Dream

She wakes up with a loud gasp, slowly looking around her in confusion before remembering her dream. She could revive Kriel! She gets up and runs towards the Forgotten Capital. Down the stairs and across the pillars until she stands at the alter as she has been for weeks. She had a feeling this would not be easy or fun, but she would give up everything, including her life, to see Kriel again. She closes her eyes and concentrates on the new power stirring within her. It questions her, unsure of what she wants, and she answers, with a picture in her mind that she wants to revive him. The magic shoots through her, happy to answer but as the revival starts, execrating pain shoots through her body. She doubles over, her arms wrapping around her stomach but still she concentrates on the magic going through her.

"I'd give anything...Even my life...If it meant getting him back..." She whispers.

Little did she know what she was doing. Hearing that, the magic doubles in effort and she collapses to her knees with a soundless cry. The pure white wings on her back suddenly burst off and as the white feathers float around, she looks up through rapidly dimming vision to see someone standing at the entrance to the alter. The magic settles and so does she. She falls forward, passing out as the last of the magic drains from her body, leaving her weak and drained. For a month she stays unconscious, her mind in a settle coma while her body was healing from the wayward magic she used. She was never told she'd give up her status as guardian to revive him. But than, she had said she'd give up anything and she had meant it. As the month draws to a close, her comatose mind slowly exits that state, tentative and unsure. But before long, she's settled back into the realm of dreams. A dangerous place for her to be for her dreams can turn into vivid nightmares of time long past. As it does now. She dreams about the final battle with her enemy that had killed those she cared for. In her dream she sees them, one by one get struck down, slowly dying as their life's blood drains from their body. She remembers the grief that had driven her to attack without thought. It had consumed her in a matter of seconds after she had seen him fall without a sound. She remembers the pain she felt when her chest had been cut open, exposing her heart, ribs and lungs as her blood poured out of her. She dreams of slowly, painfully, moving her head to look at her love. Unmoving, his once beautiful eyes, now closed in death's embrace. She had slowly moved her hand until she had enclosed his and there she had died, a look of anguish on her face that wasn't eased as death's cold hands came to take her.

She wakes with a sharp gasp, sitting up and curling up a bit defensively, not quite remembering where she is or what happened. As her panicked state gives way to calm, she notices its night. The full moon sends a gentle glow throughout the city, shimmering faintly along the animal bones that lay around and the lake she sees in the distance through the window next to her bed. Out of no where she yawns loudly and rubs at her, once again, gold eyes before looking around her. Something was very off. No longer did she feel the erratic magic that had once coursed through her veins. No longer did large white wings brush up against her cheek whenever she sat up. As she looks outside to the full moon, a sudden sense goes through her head. Someone was in the city. Someone was intruding on this sacred grounds. She had always been teased by her protective nature by two that had been killed in that battle, but she didn't care. No one was to walk this grounds, not while she still drew breathe. She gets up from the bed and walks through the city and down to the Forgotten Capital, walking slowly down the stairs. As she walks, she can see someone kneeling at the alter. From how far away she is, it's impossible to tell features but the anger grows within her. Who dare intrude where innocent blood had almost been split? Who dare intrude on her people's holy ground? And yet...she doesn't quicken her pace. Her bare feet make no noise against the crystalline stairs. No wind disturbs the harmony of the Capital. Peaceful, as it always has been, even when the others came. Slowly she walks down the stairs until she finally reaches the pillars. Only a short distance away from the alter, she still cannot see who is kneeling there. Silently, she jumps across the pillars until she stands at the alter entrance. A beam of light shines down and illuminates the kneeling figure. Her breathe catches in her throat, seeing the greenish-blue hair shimmer faintly. No one she had known, throughout her life, had that colored hair, no one but one person.

"No..." She whispers.

The head jerks up to her whisper before slowly standing up. Standing a good head and shoulder length taller than her, but strangely she feels no fear or intimidation. Dressed in a simple outfit, more similar to this world than what he wore previously, he slowly turns to face her. Lavender eyes sparkle a bit in the light and she steps back in shock, her fingers from her left hand covering her mouth as she gasps.

"Kriel...?" She whispers, afraid to break whatever spell has come over her.

A little smile lights the dark face she had quickly become used to seeing.

"I'm so happy to see you've awaken, Elora..."

The charming voice she remembered so well. Calming her and her companions, yelling in anger when she was hurt...Tears come to her now blue eyes and fall slowly down her cheeks.

"I succeeded than...You're not just a fragment of my imagination?" She questions, taking a step forward.

Without a word he walks closer to her and gently touches a hand to her cheek. Warmth spreads through her from his touch and the tears come harder.

"I saw you die...I watched you bleed...You never once got up..." She whispers, lowering her head as tears go down her cheeks.

She starts violently as she's embraced, his arms unknowingly circling around the large wounds on her back that she's just now noticed.

"I'm here...No need to cry Elora...I will always be here..."

His hand gently traces the large scar on her chest after he lets her go, than the wounds on her back. The warmth spreads further and she smiles, her eyes turning back to gold, as she feels whole again. She knew the others would never come again, for no one had survived. They had succeeded but with a terrible price. But she knew, once she closed her eyes, she could visit them. And talk to them in what her people considered the Promised Land. They were there, with her. She had allowed them in, and it's where they would go when their turn came. Without warning, she rises on her tipytoes and kisses Kriel on the lips. Shock is soon replaced with love at her own boldness and he returns her kiss just as gently. She moves back and smiles gently before gently taking a hold of his hand. Across the pillars and up the stairs to the entrance of the Forgotten Capital. The sun has just begun to rise and she smiles up at her love who gently returns the smile.

"Until the day we die...This will be our home. This is where we will spend our days, guarding this sacred ground and keeping it safe from those who wish to cause harm to it." She says with a faint tone of questioning in her voice, unsure if he wishes to stay here.

He smiles at her and nods, looking across the lake.

"Yes...We will stay to protect it...Together...And with our love..." He answers.

Both look out across the lake as it shines with the coming of the sun. She hears a little laugh on the winds and smiles brightly, curling her fingers in his hand. Neither says a word as they watch the sun rise over the City; brighten the sky from its passage of night.

"This is where I'll stay...So all you have to do is come find me..." A faint voice whispers.

She smiles brightly again, nodding in agreement.

"And this is where I'll stay. Where we both will stay...So you can find us." She answers.

He says not a word, knowing its private as he smiles at her. She smiles back and leads him further into the City, laughing out loud the whole way.