Hey guys, another update here.

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Chapter Twenty-Six

Shadow of the Past

In another dimension from the world of Pulse and Cocoon, was a world of crystal. It was beautiful, and the soft crystal was twinkling. Anyone who was watching could see that this place would say that it wouldn't exist for such places only exist in fairy tales or myths.

In this crystal world, was a large building, completely made out of stones, the brown color clashing with its crystal surrounding. In within the building, a lone figure was seating upon the ground both of her eyes closed.

The figure had long golden hair, a tanned skin. She was dressed in a tribal outfit with a tattoo upon her arm. The woman frowned slightly, turning her head slightly to the side as if listening to something.

Breathing out, the woman opened her eyes, her eyes a bright gold before fading, leaving a pair of normal gold eyes behind. The woman stood up from where she was seating before walking forward, out of the room she was in.

She walked through a corridor, her footsteps echoing through the large place until she stepped toward a large double door which opened as she got closer. She makes her way through the door which had given way to a large balcony. A cool wind was blowing softly as the woman arrived toward the balcony railing, her gold eyes looking at the crystal world around her.

W…What was that feeling? She thought.

Then the woman turned her head back toward where she had come from finding another woman there. She had long silver hair and was dressed in white robes which were giving a soft white glow.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" the golden haired woman asked her.

The woman gives a soft chuckle.

"I have sensed your troubled dreams," she said as she approached.

The golden haired woman smiled at that.

"You wouldn't be the Fal'Cie of Dreams if you couldn't, Seraphelim," she said.

Seraphelim approached the golden haired woman until she was standing beside her.

"What is it that troubles you sister?" she asked.

The golden haired woman returned her gaze toward the crystal world.

"I've felt…magic," she said, slowly, "It is not strange upon itself, but I have felt some sort of familiarity, almost like a fleeting thought. I do not understand how it would be possible."

Seraphelim frowned a little at that.

"You are right, it is…impossible," she said, "All of who we knew before is all long gone."

"One still lives," the golden haired woman told her.

Seraphelim didn't glance at her.

"She is in her crystal sleep and finally at peace," she said, thoughtfully, "No more torments will be laid upon her."

A flash of guilt crossed the golden haired woman's face.

"Torments which I am held responsible for," she said softly.

"She had forgiven you Ragnarok," Seraphelim told her.

"She may have Seraphelim, but that does not relieve the guilt of all the peoples that had lost their lives by my hands," she said, "I…I tried to live past it, but I can't. Every time I close my eyes I see their faces and hear the screams."

Seraphelim put a hand upon Ragnarok's shoulder.

"I can help you if you would let me," she said.

Ragnarok shook her head.

"No, this is something I must overcome alone," she said, "But thank you for the offer."

Seraphelim nodded.

"If that's what you wish."

The Fal'Cie of Dreams turned her eyes toward the vast crystal world in front of them. In the distance, she can see thousand of stars extending as far as they could see but Seraphelim knew that Gaia was just out there.

She then closed her eyes, sending out her magic to the world her kind had once called home sensing out the life she can feel before a sense of familiarity caused her to gasp slightly. Frowning slightly, the Fal'Cie of Dreams focused herself upon the familiarity she had felt.

Ragnarok was right.

They were magic upon Gaia…and she can almost taste it…but something about it remind her of…

"Éclair," she whispered.

Ragnarok focused her eyes upon her.

"What is it? What did you sense?"

Seraphelim opened her eyes.

"I…For a brief second, I thought I've felt…Éclair."

"Your Protector?"

"Yes," Seraphelim said, her blue eyes showing a light confusion, "But…I don't understand how it is possible. I've freed Éclair of the burden of an l'Cie."

Ragnarok frowned slightly at the news. She had not known Éclair very long as herself, but her other personality had. The Yun Fang personality and she had felt that personality's feelings toward Éclair, a feeling of genuine concern and love.

"She is meant to wake from her crystal sleep one day," Ragnarok told her.

"She is meant to wake up as a normal human," Seraphelim said, "I do not understand why she would have magic."

Ragnarok didn't say anything.

Seraphelim didn't seem to be waiting for an answer for she suddenly spun around walking back toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to Gaia," Seraphelim said, "I must figure out why Éclair is an l'Cie."

"That is not the wisest decision Fal'Cie of Dreams," a voice said.

Seraphelim stopped as a figure appeared in front of her. He was a man, dressed in a hooded robe. His face was hidden in the shadow and Ragnarok approached him her hand bursting with magic.

"Who are you and what brings you to the land of the Fal'Cie?" she growled.

"I am not your enemy Ragnarok," he said, "I am a Messenger of the Goddess of the Crystal."

Seraphelim frowned.

"Why had she sent you to us Messenger," she said, "Why not come to us herself?"

"I am a Messenger," the man said, "It is my duty to carry out her will."

Ragnarok approached.

"What is your message?"

"Do not interfere," the man said, "Those are the words of the Goddess to you Ragnarok and Seraphelim. The decision you had made to go to Gaia would have resulted in complete annihilation of both Gaia and Cocoon. She sends me to prevent that from happening, if either of us wants Cocoon to be saved."

Ragnarok frowned.

"Éclair had been awoken by the Goddess to complete a new Focus," The Messenger continued, "She had foreseen the fall of Cocoon from the sky and the extinction of the Human race. But the opportunity to save Cocoon was found when the sleeping crystal form of Éclair Farron was brought upon Cocoon. She was once again made into an l'Cie."

"Éclair was my Protector," Seraphelim said, not able to keep the anger out of her voice, "I should have had a say in what was her fate."

"When you removed your brand upon the woman Seraphelim, her fate had no longer your decision. She is now a Warrior of the Goddess Etro," the Messenger said, "I have already played my part in those events; you must do the same as well and believe in Etro."

The two Fal'Cie stayed silent, mulling over what the Messenger had told them.

"I have done what I was sent to do," the Messenger said as his form started to disappear, "Even if you doubt the Goddess's actions, believe in Éclair to achieve what she was tasked to do."

With that the Messenger disappeared.

"Éclair is an l'Cie once more," Ragnarok said softly, "She saved us Fal'Cie from extinction and now, she have to save what is left of humanity."

Seraphelim tightened her fist.

"Éclair…"

Pulse

The group had found a passageway through the cliffs. It was old probably older than anything they have ever seen before, all built in stone which were covered with leaves and flowers.

"Pulse really did have people living upon it," Zack said, as they walked.

"Well, at least we know those things didn't build themselves," Paine said.

Tifa gives her a hard shove.

"What?" she said.

"You don't remember anything of all of this Éclair?" Zack asked, cutting through the argument that was about to happen, "Nothing of all of this seems familiar to you in any way?"

Éclair who was walking in front with Lightning and Vaan shook her head.

"This is the first time I see a place such as this," she said, "The things I remembered is vague tall buildings."

"Well, maybe this path leads to a city or something," Tifa said, "I don't think anyone would have bothered to build a path here if there isn't a city nearby."

Éclair seemed to be thinking about it.

"Maybe you're right," she said.

"Even if there is a city," Lightning said, "I don't think we should expect to find anyone."

Zack sighed.

"You don't have to be so negative you know," he said.

Lightning gives him a backward glance.

"I'm not negative, just being realistic," she said.

The young man simply stared at the soldier's retreating back.

"Okay…you know what…just never mind," he said.

Beside him, Paine let out a light snicker.

Tifa shook her head a little at their antics. Vaan had stayed quiet during the entire exchange. His mind going back to a happier time…

Flashback

"You're really going to join the Army?" Vaan asked him.

Basch was filling out a paper and he looked up at Vaan's exclamation. His hair was not as long and he had a light bear.

"Yeah," he said, "The pay is good, so I might have enough money to be able to send you to College once you graduated from high school."

Vaan looked at him.

"B…But, what about AVALANCHE?" he asked.

Basch sighed.

"Barrett and Zack will take care of the group," he said, "Hey, don't worry, I'll be back with you in no time. Once I go through the training, I will have enough money to ensure both of our futures."

"A…Are you really going to sacrifice your marriage for me?" Vaan asked, "I mean, you were going to get married right with Ashe."

Basch sighed, putting a pen down.

"Look, I promise Dad that I will look after you," he said, "That's just what I'm doing, and I'm getting a kick ass career out of it."

Vaan laughed a little.

"Yeah,"

"So don't you worry about the future okay," Basch told him with a wink, "You let me do the worrying; after all, I'm the big brother."

End of flashback

Vaan let out a sigh. He was now regretting not having talked to Basch when Paine had told him to. He was just too stubborn, and that stubbornness had taken away his only chance to reconcile with his brother. Paine had been right in a way.

The path they had been following went straight through the mountainous cliff, and the group had been glad they didn't have to climb all the way to the top of it. They came out of a large unto which the stone path they had been walking on ended…

"Whoa," Zack said.

Whoa indeed.

In front of them was a large ruin. It was really old from the look of it; the stone works seemed to be decaying for the lack of better words but it's no words that it was once a majestic view in the past, but now the plants overgrowing the surroundings.

"Is…is that a city?" Paine said, her eyes wide.

"What's left of one by the look of it," Lightning said.

"Let's go check it out," Tifa said, "Maybe something will come out of it."

The group walked into the city, all of them looking around at the massive statues that were covered in vines. The road was darkened as if it was burned but, as they walked through it, they were no bodies…no skeletons of the remaining people. Everything was deserted around them.

"It had been abandoned by the look of it," Paine said.

Éclair was frowning.

"I…I have no memory of this place," she said.

Lightning glanced at her.

"What do you mean?" she said, as the rest of the group moved forward.

"The structure…it's all…wrong," she said, "It's not the place I grew up in."

That drew some attention.

"I thought you said you don't remember anything about your past?" Tifa asked.

"I don't," Éclair said, "But…even if I didn't, I would still have an emotional attachment to the place I was born and raised. But this place…I feel nothing."

Before anyone could actually say anything the sound of thunder echoed across the sky. They all looked up to see that the bright sky was darkening.

"W…What is going on?"

"Is it going to rain," Tifa asked.

Éclair was glancing around herself not understanding what was going on before a large seal appeared in the sky, lightning the surrounding in a purple glare.

This is…

"It's a spell," Éclair yelled.

Just as she yelled that out, large black sphere were sent flying down toward the ground.

"Everyone, run," Lightning yelled.

They all started to run as the ground around the shook from the spells and they can hear explosion as the surrounding around them starting crumbles from the spell that was send after them.

"What's going on Éclair?" Vaan yelled.

"I don't know just keep running," Éclair told him.

They came to a stop when the spell had ended, noticing the carnage behind them and the ruins were burning in flames.

"Who will do this?"

Éclair pull out her sword, looking around herself.

Who could have done this….she thought.

Then she felt it, a magical presence. Not Lightning's but this one was filled with malice which caused her to feel the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

And it was coming closer.

But they was nothing around them so where could he…

Above.

As soon as she looked up, she found a blade coming straight down toward her head and saw a glint of black before she brought up the side of her sword…

The echoing clang startled the group that was standing around her, all of them shocked to see the man who had come from nowhere…

Then the man spun in the air before landing back on the ground in a crouch.

"Impressive," he said, his voice smooth, "You have managed to sense my presence and managed to block me. You haven't lost your instinct for battle Éclair Farron."

Éclair stared at the man across her.

"You…You know me? W…Who are you?"

A mysterious enemy who known Eclair? What history lay in between the two?

Next time: Battle for Fate

Seraphelim and Ragnarok returns in this chapter...thought not for long and as you can see Ragnarok still feels the guilt of destroying Zanarkand.

R&R.