Chapter Text
Using the last ounce of strength he had not thought possible, Clive finished dragging Joshua’s limp form, letting him drop beside Dion in the sand. The dark, churning waters lapped at their boots as Clive collapsed between them, gulping for air.
He lifted his eyes once more to the clear, starry sky, Origin nothing but shards that still floated down like falling stars in the moonlight. He held a hand up, fire struggling to spark from his fingers, but he could still feel it. The immense, overwhelming power crackling uncontrolled beneath his skin. Lightning in his veins. The power that had foolishly led him to believe he could restore life.
“I can do something, though,” he said to himself, unaware that Dion moaned softly and twitched at his words. “I still have time for one last spell.” He did not think, he simply did, and magic swirled around his hands. It looked like multiple loops of a brilliant pale pearly yellow, all tilted at different angles rotating around his hand. Deep down, he was shocked that he could do this, or even realize he could. “If I cannot save you and give you the lives you deserve now, I will send you back in time. To save yourselves and live the lives you should have had.” The rings grew wider, rotating swiftly around the two forms sprawled on the beach, highlighting them in their strange glow. He could swear he saw runes of pure light on the sides of the rings. But how could he create runes he did not understand? “Please… just this one last time…” he begged, sweat dripping from his face and body feeling like it was ready to fly apart.
The rings of magic did fly apart, some settling into Dion and Joshua while the rest vanished into the distance. Clive collapsed between them like a puppet with cut strings, struggling to roll himself onto his back and see the stars, as darkness claimed him.
Some time later, when the sun shone down from high in the bright blue sky, Clive awoke to the sound of Jill’s voice calling his name.
He was alone.
Dion jerked awake with a sharp intake of breath, eyes snapping open to stare up at a clear blue sky. He allowed himself about five seconds to gaze up at it in wonder before rolling over in an attempt to stand. Two things surprised him.
The first was that he found himself on grass. Consciousness had been very touch and go prior, but he was quite certain he had not been laying on grass. Sand featured heavily in his memory.
Second, and most prominent in his awareness, was the complete lack of pain in a body he distinctly remembered being in poor shape. Dion easily rose to his feet, feeling himself for breaks and cuts and bruises, finding none. A bit of grass stain on the whites of his ensemble was about the worst of it. A distant roar filled the air and Dion glanced up to spot a large bird or dragon of some sort flying past high above; he ignored it for more pressing matters.
“Ifrit?” he said, looking around at the small field. Black, smooth stone roads lay on either side of them. “Phoenix?” He remembered hearing Clive’s voice at some point as he drifted in and out of consciousness; he must be there!
But he saw no sign of Clive. It was Joshua that lay nearby, right beside where Dion had awakened. He supposed he was lucky he had not rolled right onto him upon awakening, which was… an interesting thought. “Phoenix?” he said again, kneeling closer. He was alive, wasn’t he? Aside from missing his scarf and sword, he seemed perfectly healthy. Unusually healthy, in fact. Dion reached out to place a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, quickly drawing back when he jerked upright with a gasp.
Joshua stared at Dion with eyes whose perfectly round wideness would have been comical in any other situation. They roamed upward to take in the lack of purple in the sky, then snapped back down as he grabbed his chest with both hands. Dion was about to avert his eyes, but the perfectly unmarked skin drew him back.
“Are we dead?” Joshua asked, and it seemed like a fair question.
“I don’t know,” Dion realized he was forced to admit. “I find myself surprisingly uninjured, when I distinctly remember quite the opposite happening.”
“The last thing I remember…” Joshua ran a hand through his hair, turning his eyes to the sky once more. “I was fairly certain I was dying.”
Dion nodded to himself. “That was my assessment of my situation, as well.”
“Clive?” Joshua gave a cursory glance around, but of course they were alone. “So he is still alive?”
“Clive,” Dion murmured. “Oh.” He gripped Joshua’s shoulders and they stared at each other. “I heard his voice. While I was barely conscious and in pain still, before I awoke here. I heard his words.”
“What were they?” Joshua said, practically begging for news of his brother.
Dion cast his mind back, hunting for the faint memory struggling to resurface. “He said… that he had time for one last spell.” Dion frowned as the words came back to him. “He said, ‘If I cannot save you and give you the lives you deserve now, I will send you back in time. To save yourselves and live the lives you should have had.’ I am fairly certain.”
“Back in time?” Joshua said, scrunching his face in confusion and disbelief.
They finally both stood, looking around, as if their surroundings could hold some clue. It was quickly apparent they were in Sanbreque, for Whitewyrm Castle rose in the distance, but…
“No Mothercrystal,” Joshua said, noticing the same time as Dion. “We could not be far back in time.” He thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “He must have done something, though, even if only teleportation.”
“Those other shapes are new.” Dion stepped closer, as something raced along the black road beside them—Dion did not focus in time to see what, but assumed a chocobo or similar. He had other things on his mind to investigate. Surrounding the distant castle were multiple rectangular towers that could not possibly have just appeared in a short time.
On the other road beside them, a strange metal carriage raced past, decidedly faster than chocobos, and they both stared after it in shock. Another followed, this one gleaming red.
“Phoenix,” Dion said in a voice barely more than a whisper. “What has your brother done?”
“Sanbreque does seem rather different.” Joshua focused on the horizon once more, and the strange clusters of boxy towers soaring into the sky. “I really have no—”
“Hey!”
They both turned to see one of the carriages, a shiny black monstrosity with thick black wheels, stopped on the road beside them. A woman in a tight leather bodice and flower crown atop her head was smiling at them from within the coach, window rolling down.
Dion had about nine thousand questions for her, but the best place to start eluded him. “Greetings, my lady,” he said while trying to collect his scattered thoughts.
“Well, that answers that!” The woman laughed, accompanied by her companions within the coach. “You’re definitely going to the fair, too. Need a lift? Your car break down?”
“Something like that,” Joshua said, offering her a smile that brought a rosy blush to her cheeks. “We would be honored to accompany you to the fair, my lady.” Dion gave Joshua a questioning look, and his answer was a shrug. Apparently, for now they were just going along with… whatever this was.
“Come on in!” A door opened and they slid inside the coach, onto a row of leather seats behind the other occupants. It was surprisingly cool within, and music filled the air, as if a tiny Orchestrion were tucked away somewhere. They attempted to settle themselves comfortably, Dion trying to arrange his armor, when they were jerked back in their seats as the coach sped forward.
Dion and Joshua exchanged baffled looks, something Dion predicted would be happening often.
“You two look lost,” the woman that had first greeted them said. “I’m Anne, that’s Jane, and that’s Arthur driving.” She pointed out her companions. Jane was wreathed in layers of gauzy greens and pinks and had pointed ears for some reason. Arthur wore what had to be the worst-looking chainmail Dion had ever seen. A light sneeze could defeat him in battle. “Here, have a look at a brochure and map, we’ve got plenty! We go multiple times every year.”
“You have my thanks,” Dion said, and for some reason that elicited more laughter.
“You just don’t turn it off, do you?” Anne said.
Dion had no idea what that meant, so he looked down at the map in his hands, Joshua leaning closer to do the same. “Sanbreque Age of Eikons Recreation Faire,” he murmured, frowning at the flowery script. The name was quickly forgotten as he read the dates this fair was taking place. “1878.”
“1878,” Joshua repeated in a hushed voice, eyes a little wild when Dion glanced over at him.
“Right? I was hoping there would be something special this year,” Jane with the pointed ears complained. “It’s a thousand years since the Age of Eikons ended! That deserves something.”
“We came opening weekend, but there was nothing different from last year,” Anne said with a sigh.
“That is truly unfortunate,” Joshua said. They found their attention drawn to Jane, who was holding up a small, sleek device, thumbs tapping away on it. Words appeared on the screen, then she swiped at it and pictures replaced the text. Then to Arthur, who was moving this fast coach with his hands on a wheel, panel lit up around him. Joshua leaned closer to Dion. “I am not sure if I should thank Clive or murder him.”
The scenery they passed by on their journey had been fascinating. Joshua had often found himself wanting to ask if they could stop and explore, but this trio was on a mission. Steel structures and towers that pierced the sky, bright signs everywhere, lights and cords and just metal aplenty.
But now they pulled into a rocky field, where other metal carriages waited; beyond the field, the strange lights and sharp angles and gleaming metal that had taken over the world ceased to be. The structures looked very much like the wooden framed buildings and stone castles he was used to, just… miniature. Colorful pennants snapped in the breeze, and the sounds of music and merriment could be heard.
“Here we are!” Anne said, stepping away from the enclosed booth she had been conversing at, holding up small slips of parchment. “I have accumulated so many free passes, so don’t worry about paying me back.” She handed a pair of the small slips to Dion, and he stared down at them with a frown before handing one to Joshua. “Since you boys claim to have lost your phones, poor things, how about we just meet up here after closing?”
“That sounds most agreeable, my lady.” Joshua took her hand to kiss the knuckles, and she broke into giggles once more. Dion did the same for Jane, while Arthur laughed and bowed awkwardly in his strange fake armor.
The gate they approached was topped with Sanbreque flags and colorful welcome signs in fancy lettering. Several nobles stood atop it, waving to the crowd below, including what appeared to be the current emperor and empress? “Dion?” Joshua whispered, pointing up at the happy, elaborately garbed couple.
“I do not know.” Dion did seem completely lost about everything.
“Well…” Joshua held up his… brochure? “This speaks much of reenactment and actors, so… I suppose we can think of this as one large play we get to participate in.”
“Not true royalty, then.” Dion slowly shook his head, either awed or disgusted, Joshua was not sure. “If this is truly a millennium in the future, and your brother succeeded in eliminating magic, it seems they still think fondly of that era.”
Joshua, having surmised that some time ago, simply nodded. They handed their passes to the man in charge of collecting them, and strode into the vastly populated fairgrounds and its miniature city that was a strange combination of Sanbrequois and Rosarian architecture. In fact, for supposedly being a Sanbreque town, it really leaned more heavily into Rosarian design.
The people seemed to be having a great time as they walked around, smiles on their faces. The outfits were strange, to say the least. Inspiration was seen from every land in the realm, often all at once. Colors were on display Joshua had rarely seen on clothing, leather bodices and pointed hats were much more popular here than in his own time. Wings and pointed ears were often worn for some reason, along with animal tails and horns. Fancy caps and crowns were everywhere. It seemed at the fair, everybody could be royalty. Many men and even women were dressed as knights, including a number of dragoons.
Dion was receiving quite a few stares as they paused to look around. Joshua was beginning to feel underdressed, and wondered where he could acquire a cloak or wings.
“It smells of food,” Dion said.
“That it does.” Joshua noted the nearby booths that seemed to be purveyors of meals and snacks. “We have had nothing since before leaving the hideaway…”
Dion’s mouth set in a grim line as he considered the words. It certainly felt like a lifetime ago. “That should be our first stop.”
“Smoked chocobo legs?” Joshua eyed some of the carts, which seemed popular enough for he saw several otherwise noble-looking fair attendants wandering around gnawing on enormous drumsticks. “Behemoth Burgers, Pirates of Pizza… I am not sure what most of these are.”
“The Dragoons’ Pub,” Dion said, smirking as he gestured to the appropriately decorated beverage stand.
“Inebriation either sounds like a terrible idea, or a wonderful one.” But now that they were speaking of how long it had been since last they ate, Joshua found himself famished. He stepped into one of the lines, not particularly caring which one. His view was partly blocked by the tall conical hats of the princesses ahead of him.
“It is this hunger that is telling me all of this might just be happening,” Dion said as they waited. Joshua turned to take in his haunted eyes; he visibly swallowed. “We are not dead, nor dreaming. I cannot recall my stomach rumbling in a dream before. Whatever is happening seems to be real.”
“It is a lot to take in,” Joshua agreed. “Neither of us expected to leave Origin alive.” Dion flinched slightly, pain in his eyes, and Joshua remembered that he had tried to display only optimism before they departed. “And perhaps that is the case; our lives likely ended there before Clive attempted to send us elsewhere.”
“He meant for us to fix the past, even if just for ourselves,” Dion said. “Create a timeline where we could be happy.”
Joshua couldn’t help but laugh. What in the name of the Founder and all the hells had Clive managed? “Maybe we can,” he said, and Dion blinked at him. “If our lives back there are truly over and there is no way home. Maybe we can find happiness here.”
Dion seemed doubtful, but they were next in line and Joshua approached the merchant. “Greetings, kind purveyor of… pizza.” Joshua peered at the menu. He quickly decided he did not wish to have to decide. “I would like to try one of each, please.” He held up a hand. “Wait. Are there carrots on the… veggie lovers?”
The merchant gave him a puzzled look. “Who would put carrots on veggie pizza?”
Perhaps he could be happy here. “Wonderful.”
Joshua fished some gil from its pouch and lay it on the counter, where the man’s eyes were drawn. He slowly turned back up to frown at Joshua. “Very nice replicas, but we take real money here.” When Joshua was unable to provide more satisfactory gil, he was shooed away.
“Understandable,” Dion said as they slunk over to a table to sit and ponder their options. “Just as one of our merchants would not accept currency in use a thousand years prior.”
“Perhaps a collector will recognize the true value of our gil and purchase them,” Joshua mused, pulling out his map to see if such a place existed. It seemed likely in this particular fair.
“Wait here, please, Phoenix.”
Before Joshua could correct his name usage, Dion had disappeared into the crowd, which was an impressive feat given his very distinct size and profile. Joshua shook his head before returning to his study of the brochure. “What could he possibly have in mind?”
As he waited, Joshua tried very hard to just relax. To not dwell on his impossible current situation, and certainly not dwell on those he was leaving behind. He really had no way of knowing if he would ever be able to return home, but thinking on Clive and Jill and Jote and everybody else would not do his mental well-being any good just now.
One problem at a time. If he occupied his mind pondering on how to acquire local currency and food, he would fare much better.
Although… would Clive know his magic worked? He would miss Joshua, but at least his mind would rest easier knowing he had been sent through time and was not dead. Knowing that Clive was not mourning his loss was at least some small comfort. And he would be welcomed home a hero. And explain what happened. Possibly doomed to be murdered by Jote.
Joshua was still entertaining himself with the more amusing possible futures in store for his brother when Dion returned. He carried a plate of food, red butterfly wings that he handed to Joshua, and a stack of small identical slips of paper. Upon closer inspection, they all bore designs and numbers similar to gil coins.
“Why in Greagor’s name did they adapt to easily ruined paper currency?” Dion shook his head in disgust. “Is everybody so wealthy they needed to make their money as light as possible?”
Deciding not to question the wings, Joshua slid the straps around his arms so the gauzy red decoration hung on his back. “Thank you. Where did you get the gil?”
“Selfies,” Dion said in a tone that implied he was done with questioning anything and just accepting confusion.
“What?”
“I posed for selfies.” Dion settled himself back onto one of the chairs. “And the good people gave me money to do so.” He gestured to the plate he had set down. It contained various wedges of some sort of flatbread covered in melted cheese and toppings. “Our variety of pizza.”
“Thank you, Dion.” Joshua picked up the piece that seemed the least suspicious, covered in slices of possibly sausage. “I suppose whatever happens, we are in this together.”
“It seems that way.” Dion selected what must be the veggie lovers. Its toppings looked mainly red, yellow and green, but one could never be too careful, whatever the merchant may claim.
“So you can start with calling me Joshua.” He took a tentative bite, blinking in surprise that the flavor combination was actually rather good. Greasy, but not unpleasantly so. Sausage mildly spicy. “I would ask that of you even if our Eikons remained.” Another thought best not to dwell on.
“Of course,” Dion said, reaching over to place his free hand atop Joshua’s. “Joshua.”
They remained in that position, pizza slices unmoving in their other hands as they simply looked at each other. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that they really were both getting a future—the fact that it was literally in the future was beside the point. What would they do once they left this fair and had to acclimate to a very strange new world? That was definitely something to worry about later; one step at a time lest they overwhelm themselves.
And at least they would not be alone.
Suddenly aware of how long they had been holding hands, they both pulled away—heat was absolutely not rising to Joshua’s face—and resumed eating. Judging by his looks of approval, Dion liked the food as well. They each tried a different flavor; Joshua’s plain cheese was simple but still complex and very good. There was one left after that, and Dion declined, so Joshua swooped in. He was not even finished before he was eyeballing the Behemoth Burger stand and wondering how good those were.
“Let us not make ourselves sick trying everything,” said Dion, ever the pragmatist. They stood, wondering where to start now that hunger had been dealt with. “Joshua.” Dion almost sounded like he was tasting the new form of address. “Do you think that we will ever—”
“Don’t,” Joshua said, keeping the warning gentle. Dion frowned at him, and Joshua could swear the battle-hardened soldier was looking reminiscent of a kicked puppy. “Let us not think about anything related to home. Let us focus on figuring out our current situation and not falling apart just yet.”
“I was not falling apart,” Dion said stiffly.
“Oh, come now. Torgal used to look at me like that when I denied him treats when he was a puppy.” Joshua winked at Dion. “I promise. Much later, when we find ourselves dealing marvelously with our situation, and we have some amount of privacy, we will talk about everybody and everything left behind and break down.”
“Very well.” Dion’s eyes landed on something behind Joshua and his frown deepened. “Hold that thought close.”
“What?” Joshua turned toward the row of vendors, looking to each in turn. All seemed popular, a pair of dragoons, a princess, and what was possibly a blacksmith approaching the stall of leather goods. Beside it was jewelry of woven flowers, which brought an ache to Joshua’s chest and he briefly wondered how Dion knew about that, before he spotted the next booth. “Eikonic Treasures?”
They stepped closer to the little outdoor shop and its signs featuring the assorted Eikons. They were drawn in a very comical and exaggerated style in some, more realistic and noble in others. As they approached, Joshua beheld a collection of paintings, glass figures, toys both wooden and plush, of all the different Eikons. Minus Ifrit, of course.
“Most… interesting,” Dion said as he picked up a plush Bahamut. It was anybody’s guess what adjective had truly been on his mind.
“Indeed.” There were so many!
Joshua suddenly realized he wanted everything. Imagine if he did find a way back home, and bore gifts for everyone of Titan, Garuda, Odin. Joshua’s smile grew as he picked up a Ramuh plush, little fabric lightning bolts fastened to his little fabric staff. And were those bags of snacks on display? “Titan’s Treats,” he snorted. “Leviathan Lollipops.” Joshua’s smile finally fell when he noticed the price sticker on the toy Ramuh in his hands. He very gently set it back down with an exaggerated thoughtful look at the man in blue makeup seated behind the stall. “I will ponder on your fine wares, good merchant, and return anon,” he said with a bob of his head. Dion gave his Bahamut toy a curious look, then joined Joshua in retreating.
“I would suggest outlandish prices are merely a sign of the times,” Dion said as they began venturing further into the fair and its cheerful, colorful crowds. “But the prices of food were nowhere near as bad.”
“Speaking of.” Joshua found his gaze drawn to a cart labeled Shiva’s Sherbet. He fought down another wave of sadness as Jill flashed in his mind, even as he wondered just what sherbet might be. The illustration on the side of the cart showed blue rectangles on wooden sticks, which seemed very futuristic.
“I have known soldiers like you,” Dion mused.
“Oh?” Joshua had a feeling muscles and stamina were not going to be brought up.
“The smallest ones have the biggest stomachs.”
“Fair enough.” Joshua passed the cart for now, but vowed to return. And perhaps one of those enormous chocobo legs later…
“Come.” Dion turned to smile at him, and Joshua nearly stumbled. “Let us find some fun activities at this fair to—”
“I’m so sorry!”
They turned in surprise to the pair of young women that had approached. One had dragon wings affixed to her green dress, while the other had a tight corset paired with a low-cut gown that left Joshua seeking a safe spot for his eyes. Her face. Her face was safe.
“Can we take a selfie?” the dragon asked. Dion nodded, and so Joshua did as well, and the women crowded around Dion. Taking stock of the situation, Joshua stepped aside as the three of them grinned for the device dragon woman held up. “Thank you so much!” She pressed some paper gil into Dion’s hands, and with some merry giggles the pair hurried away. Joshua could only stare after them in confusion; at least they seemed happy?
“You simply need more accessories,” Dion said in an apologetic tone, casting his gaze about.
“What are you talking about?” Joshua had to laugh at such a ridiculous suggestion. “I am hardly envious about… selfies.” But Dion was already marching off, back toward the vendors they had just investigated. When he returned, his newly acquired money was gone and he placed a red flower crown atop Joshua’s head. “Now,” he said as if the matter were settled and Joshua did not look ridiculous. “As I was saying. Let us find some proper amusement at this fair to forget about everything else.”