Alphen had died.
He knew that. He'd lived out a good, happy life.
But something even greater than Chronos wanted his friends and him, and for what, he didn't know.
"What happens now?"
Chronos took a step forward, the clock behind him spinning rapidly. The numbers etched upon each sphere glowing with a reality-bending light.
"Now…" Chronos raised a hand at them, a beam of light building within his palm, "…you start over."
Time-Travel Fix-It AU
AN: Lemme know any spelling or grammar mistakes and I'll get around to fixing them.
Chronostasis – Chapter 3
The two new Lords moved from the Civilian Park Zone and away from prying eyes. They ended up relocating themselves to a private building set aside for new Lords preparing to leave for Dahna, making it the perfect place for them to speak in private while also being inaccessible to most of the populace.
"You…" Dohalim began, eyeing his friend quizzically as he took in her unnaturally happy expression. Shionne seemed lively in comparison to how he last remembered her. She'd certainly become more expressive and lively following the removal of her Thorns and marriage with Alphen, but he didn't remember her being this lively, a bright energy to her eyes that was unfamiliar to him.
"You seem livelier than I recall you being…" Dohalim eventually settled on, "Sprightly, I would even go as far as to say."
"Do I?" Shionne tilted her head as she held open the door to a private room, Dohalim accepting the offer and entering before she closed the door behind the two of them. "I don't think I've changed… then again, you have missed out on a lot Dohalim."
"Ah, yes…" Dohalim conceded to that, "I suppose I did perish earlier than the rest of you. However, this is an acceptable opportunity to catch me up on what I have missed, is it not?"
"It is," Shionne smiled, moving over to a cabinet filled with chilled refreshment and instruments to create heated beverages if they so desired. After situating themselves, Shionne with a chilled glass of juice and Dohalim with a small pot of green tea, the two began to talk.
"So, where should we begin?" Shionne asked.
Dohalim thought it over for a moment. As much as he wished to know of what he'd missed out following his death, something which was hard to reconcile, the present was much more important. "Perhaps we can discuss your status as Lord of Ganath Haros and the situation regarding your Thorns? Then we can end on a high note with what I've missed in my absence." He offered.
"I understand," Shionne nodded, that mischievousness in her eyes settling down to a hardened seriousness. "I'll begin with my Thorns then."
Dohalim placed down his tea and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees despite the lack of decorum in order to listen to her with his full attention.
"What ever happened to us… how we're here now in the past," Shionne began, "It also affected my Thorns. They followed me even though we helped the Great Astral Spirit and fused the Twin Worlds."
"…I see," Dohalim nodded understandingly but gave her a look. "Earlier you touched me and I felt the Thorns quite painfully, however… I was able to physically contact you a second time without being struck. Why is that?"
"Do you recall what Rinwell mentioned about the Great Astral Spirit being like an animal? Scared and full of fear?"
"Fear of death before uniting the Twin Worlds. Yes, I recall. Why?" Dohalim tilted his head, red locks
"Whatever occurred with Chronos, sending us back here, the Great Astral Spirit followed, or at least its memories did. I don't know why, but what I do know is this…" Shionne's blue eyes bore into Dohalim's dark-red, almost brown, eyes, "…It remembers what we did."
Dohalim's mind stalled for a moment, the hand that was reaching for his tea to whet his parched throat pausing in its tracks before pulling back as he processed that information. "Normally, one would think that would be a… problematic may I say, turn of events," Dohalim said slowly, cautiously, "However, your tone suggests otherwise."
She nodded. Instead of saying anything, she held out a hand across the small table that separated the couches they were sitting on opposite each other. "Will you trust me?" Shionne asked resolutely, holding out her hand for Dohalim to take.
The red-haired Lord hesitated for the briefest of moments, his mind bringing him back to naught but an hour earlier where the thorns pierced his body like lightning. However, he remembered the promise that Alphen, Rinwell, Law, Kisara and himself had made within Saxleoh Temple. They'd always be there for Shionne, come shine or rain, they would not abandon her.
Dohalim was done adding to his mountain of regrets.
His hand grasped hers, Thorns lashing out and wrapping around his hand like a rabid beast made of lightning and thorns in the form of Rena's dark astral energy.
Yet there was no pain.
Dohalim's eyes widened as he saw the Thorns wrap around his hand as they would anyone else when they touched Shionne before she'd been rid of her curse, yet he couldn't feel a thing. His eyes shot up to meet Shionne's who only gave small smile that belied her joy. "It really is like an animal… and it remembers that we helped it fulfil its purpose before it could perish, that we helped unite the Twin Worlds…" Shionne explained as she let go, the dark thorns receding from their hands.
"It trusts you… it trusts all of you. Alphen, Rinwell, Law, Kisara, and you…" Shionne's smile didn't hide the sheer relief behind her eyes, "I-I don't know what I'd have done if I couldn't touch you all again."
Dohalim sympathised with her plight, more than understanding of the struggles she'd suffered through in the past. The trials and tribulations all of them had gone through just to help her rid herself of her curse and how having to go through that pain of no longer being able to touch anyone would once more affect Shionne.
Her explanation while riding many of the questions he had about the return of her Thorns did raise prominent ones in their place.
"Why did your Thorns harm me then earlier? Furthermore, what does the return of your Thorns raise regarding the Twin Worlds we merged? Will the great Astral Spirit return?" Dohalim asked.
Shionne shook her head, a sheepish grin on her lips. "My Thorns only harmed you because I wished them to, even then it was reluctant. Tarnigen and Fahria were trying to get your attention, but nothing was working, so…"
"So, you used your Thorns to break me out of my thoughts," Dohalim finished, an understanding light dawning on his face shadowed by a small shade of exasperation. "Understandable. Thank you. As much as it hurt at the time, it was… needed," he admitted, lowering his head.
"You're welcome, Dohalim," Shionne hid a giggle behind her hand before focusing once more on the matter at hand, only taking a short amount of time to sip from her peach juice. "About the fact that my Thorns followed me back… I don't believe it followed me back so much as it always was with me," Shionne said, but her words only caused confusion to flutter across Dohalim's face.
"You must understand Dohalim, that we are in the past, and all that entails," Shionne explained, "That means the Crown Contest has yet to happen, Elde Menancia has yet to be reformed under your rule, Alphen has not yet woken or at least I assume so, and I have yet to rid myself of my Thorns."
Dohalim nodded, showing he was following along so far.
"The Thorns we merged with the planets in the future are gone, but the Thorns I had in the past, now, still remain. They remember the future, however, they also won't- …well, we needn't worry about what problems they may cause regarding the united world," she finished unsurely.
Dohalim let out a deep sigh, processing the new depths of information before picking up his now cold green tea and took a sip. "I won't begin to say that I fully comprehend the situation regarding your thorns, Shionne, however I do trust your judgement on the matter," Dohalim stated, "And that is more than enough for me to keep my peace."
"Thank you..."Shionne gave a shuddering thanks and a watery smile.
"Now, about your status of Lord of Ganath Haros and Lord of Water? What caused such a change?" Dohalim prompted startling Shionne, the seriousness pervading their conversation fading from her countenance in lieu of that energetic sprightliness she seemed to carry.
"Oh, right," the pink-haired Lord began, "Well, I woke up around two weeks ago being experimented for my Thorns." The words that were said were outright strange to hear in the nonchalant tone Shionne used.
With more important things at hand than studying the dichotomy of her words and tones, Dohalim focused and recalled her explaining this some time ago, just before they took Alphen's starship to Lenegis in search of the Renas Alma.
"I'm following so far," the dark-skinned man nodded, "but how exactly does that correlate to becoming a Lord?"
"I was getting there." Shionne gave him a stink-eye to which Dohalim wisely shut his mouth and motioned for her to continue.
"Well, I realised that if I'm back in the past, then that means everyone else is as well, including Alphen," she explained, "and I needed a quick way down to Dahna. Fortunately-"
"-the Crown Contest Candidacy was just underway. If you won, you'd be brought straight to Dahna to fulfil your duties as a Lord," Dohalim finished as he realised her plan.
"That's right, I joined the Crown Contest Candidacy." Shionne nodded. "I fought against Urwagil Hildris in Astral Artes combat and won, they couldn't cite my rifle-use against me either since I only used Artes. Once I'm down on Dahna, I'm going to go to Berg Volcano and wake Alphen."
Dohalim nodded along. Only once she was finished talking did he deign to raise three fingers that grabbed Shionne's attention. "There are three problems with your plans that I foresee and that I must mention."
Once he had permission to continue, he did. "The first is that you won't be able to search for him immediately. As a Lord, you have a responsibility to ensure the oversight of the Renans and, I hope, Dahnan slaves under your purview. I can't imagine Alphen would have positive things to say if you left the situation in Ganath Haros unattended."
His words did cause a small amount of grumbling, but Shionne did nonetheless agree. They'd fought against Renan oppression, and she was sitting on a golden opportunity to create a repeat of the Elde Menancia they once had in the future/past in Ganath Haros. A change from the oppressive and fearful nature that the Land of Water had once been under Vholran and the previous Water Lord's rule.
"Second, you will require permission from Lord Erwolsey Tildilys, Balseph as you know him, to roam his realm," Dohalim leaned forward, "Unless of course, you plan to sneak in and out of Calaglia without any Renans noticing a foreign Lord inside their realm without their own Lord's permission?"
Shionne let out a huff as she sagged in her seat, both points that the Earth Lord raised being valid. "What about the third? You said you had three points?" she asked.
Dohalim nodded, a sigh leaving his lips as he brought up the one point he felt may severely influence Shionne's plan. "It would seem that the two of us have significantly regressed in age, yes?" he asked, more as a rhetorical question than anything.
"Did you consider how this may have affected Alphen? He is, and will be, twenty-three years old until he awakens from his slumber. Should you wake him now, you must be prepared that there will be a significant difference in age between the two of you. Your age gap will not be as it was so long ago," Dohalim said, carefully watching his friend's reaction.
Shionne froze momentarily.
"Of course, given that only the two of us have reverted ages, there may be some extenuating circumstances with Alphen, Law, Rinwell, and Kisara. I may very well be incorrect in my hypothesis regarding our age regression," Dohalim added, never one to shy away his own mistakes. "In addition, that age gap will shrink as spaceflight is only allowed at the start of the Crown Contest to Dahna, therefore there is a six-month period between now and when we leave for you to grow once more."
Silence brewed between the two. One of them deep in thought while the other quietly sipped his cold green tea.
"I-I'll address that bridge when I get there," Shionne eventually decided. "But I won't be leaving him stuck in that pod. I-I can't."
If Dohalim noticed a slight tremble that wracked her voice or the minor shake of her shoulders as she hiccupped, he remained silent on the matter. "So long as you are prepared for what may come to pass, then I shall do my utmost to assist you however I can," he stated resolutely, placing his tea down with a clink of porcelain against porcelain, signaling the end of their discussion.
"Now… I do recall that you'd bring me up to speed about all that I had missed?" Dohalim asked, sending out a line for her to grasp and change the topic at hand. Shionne was all the more grateful to do so, the tremble in her voice gone as she almost seemed to… dare he say it… gush.
"Well after you passed Alphen and I had two kids, a boy and a girl," Shionne's eyes gained a reminiscent gleam. "They were in their twenty's when I passed, but oh they're still children."
Truly, a lifetime without her thorns and motherhood had done Shionne wonders in truly tearing down the walls she'd once built so high.
"Little Do and Naori, we planned on having a third but that never happened unfortunately, too much to take care of," She continued, unaware at the boggling stare Dohalim gave her at the mention of her son, "If they turned out to be a boy, we were planning to name him Zephyr and have Law be the Godfather."
"M-My apologies Shionne," Dohalim scrambled to interrupt as carefully as possible, a reminiscent mother was truly a terrible being, dropping such bombshells at his feet. "You named your first born after me?" he wheezed.
Shionne gave him a smile. "We did. Do, short for Dohalim. Alphen wanted to name him Zephyr, but I had first pick when it came to our son. I ended up choosing to name him in memory of you."
"I-I'm honoured. Truly, it heartens me to know even after my passing you would do such a gesture," Dohalim couldn't stop that small bit of warmth that bloomed in his chest, not realising just how much that gesture ended up meaning to him until it hit him in the face.
"Yes… Kisara near demanded to be his Godmother," Shionne stifled the smile behind a dainty hand, something that now that he thought about it, was strange to see on a teen rather than the young woman he'd known her to be. "Of course, since I chose out firstborn's name, Alphen was given the choice to choose our secondborn's name, and well… Naori was the name he chose. A bit on the nose since she took after me in every way except for her hair, she has Alphen's white while Do has a slightly darker shade of pink."
Dohalim smiled, a bit saddened now to realise how much of his friend's lives he'd truly ended up missing. A child named in honour of him. Too much had been missed, and it was high time to catch up on it all. "What about everyone else? What happened to them in my absence?" he asked curiously.
A sly smile grew on Shionne's lips.
"Well… It took a bit, and some of Hootle's help but Law finally ended up proposing to Rinwell."
Indeed, it looked like there was much he needed to catch up on.
The sun had begun to set on Lenegis, the artificial lights outside dimming in favour of allow the citizens of Lenegis to begin turning in for the night.
"What do you wish to do now?" Dohalim asked as he stood up, stretching muscles that had grown stiff from lack of movement so he could continue to listen on all that he'd missed.
Shionne didn't say anything as she raised both of her hands, a Sclopetum Rene, a Lenegis standard rifle appearing in her arms, the muzzle pointed directly at him. Dohalim only raised on eyebrow as she chambered a round before flicking the safety on. "How about a training match? I don't know about you but the last time I fought aside from during the Candidacy was well over thirty years ago. I'm feeling a little out of shape compared to how I used to be, besides…" she offered but trailed off.
Her eyes glowed, the sign of a Lenegis-Renan using an Astral Arte, blue lines carving their way across her forehead out of water-element astral energy into the shape of a blue flower. The symbol of the Water Lord.
"…I need to get used to this before we go to Dahna."
Dohalim thought it over.
Even before now, during the ten years after fighting the Great Astral Spirit, the Lords, Eizen and Edna, and Chronos; his skills had declined in comparison to their glory days. Right now he felt about half-as-strong as he had been when they'd all fought against Chronos, the strongest being they'd faced aside from perhaps the Memory Shade of Law's father. Getting back to their old strength certainly wouldn't hurt, especially if they were going to be changing things like they already had and face off against old-enemies.
"I do believe you may have the right idea," Dohalim nodded as his Pulque Shaft slipped out of his hammer-space into his awaitinggrasp. "Perhaps, however, we relocate to a training room so as to not cause unnecessary damages."
A/N: Wehlp... here's chapter 3. Nothing witty from me this time around. Also, to that Shionne simp in reviews; I'm right there with you.
Current Clothing for Characters
Dohalim –
Hair: Natural Wavy Hair (Default Hair)
Body: Principal Coat B (Black Suit)
Attachments: None
Weapon Skin: Pulque Shaft
Shionne –
Hair: SW-IVY
Body: SW-EQ02F
Attachments: None
Weapon Skin: Sclopetum Rene
Current Chapter – 7 1/2 years before start of Canon, 1/2 year before the start of the Crown Contest
Dohalim – 22 years old
Shionne – 16 years old