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Chapter One: Green Ocean

The cobblestoned street I traveled upon was deserted and sapped of life by how the air restrained my natural breathing--and the warmth I had been feeling ever since I stepped into the settlement slipped away from my bowels. It was eerily quiet, and even more so when no drop of snow plagued the street. All I saw around me were shabby, rectangular buildings that ranged from two to three floors with waning cracks along the pale surface that added to its downfall in the near future, but also polychromatic tattered pieces of cloth that took the place of windows and uneven roofs were mashed together with careless nails and wood. I pondered if people could even live in such conditions due to the weather, for the houses were unprotected and looked to have been abandoned. My thoughts were proven wrong when a child gently pushed aside one of the tattered clothed windows on the second floor to a building on my right and stared at me in awe.

My heart softened as I gazed into his big, aquatic eyes that sparkled with gullible hope. He waved quietly with a crooked smile, but it was only then did my face drain of color as I noticed the child was missing his left arm. It was all gone—only his shoulder that would usually be attached to his arm remained. I dug my nails into my palm--feeling an unknown, but familiar fury rise from my gut. Surprisingly, the boy understood my expression clearly--turning his bare body away to hide his invisible arm. I furrowed my brows while staring at him, but rejected the idea of remaining quiet. Words formed in my mind and I spoke them without hesitation, “Don’t be ashamed of yourself. No matter what, I will see you for who you are. Hold your head high, child.”

The boy grabbed the jagged, stone frame of the window in utter surprise, “S-Scarlet?!”

As if I stabbed my foot into an enormous ant hill—people ranging from children to elderly appeared near the many windows and even some stuck their heads out of the nearby alleys. It would have been a happy reunion if I personally knew the people, but instead, it was a somber meeting. There were those among the people dressed in rags who had lost their limbs and a few who seemed to be suffering from sickness due to their rambunctious coughing. It was only when their eyes were glued to my hair did their defeated expressions change.

Scarlet?!

You mean…THE Scarlet of Tempest?!

Our savior!!

We still have hope!!

I found myself being charged at by the citizens of this settlement abruptly, and I was simply overwhelmed with hugs of appreciation from children while the men and women chanted and danced to the tune playing in the wind. I didn’t even need to utter a word of confirmation, for the people knew of their savior’s hair and voice. I would have danced and chanted alongside the people, but hesitation oozed from my heart because of the fact that I had no idea about myself and my accomplishments.

If only…I knew…

The tear-shaped crystal I had been holding suddenly gave off a warm lime green light that swallowed my hand, but it continued to grow into a dazzling source of divine power. All of a sudden, my brain was tickled by the faint presence wafting in the air, and such warmth released from the item washed over the hesitation inside me. The citizens directed their eyes to me, and as they did so, the crystal’s light filled the whole street and transformed our setting into an ocean of lime green. No one’s speech could be heard within the ocean because huge bubbles took form instead, but everyone was perfectly fine and not struggling to breathe. However, the strange part relied in the figures that swiftly dove and circled around us. They were completely foreign to me, but some of the older members among the citizens perked up as tears ran down their face. I looked closer at the figures swimming around us that had a silver body that shimmered like diamonds in the sun and big, circular pupils—along with a flapping tail and miniature fins underneath.

These are…

The crystal in my hand resonated with my thoughts and its light rushed over my body like fire. The right word came to me momentarily.

Fish!

A small portion of my memories were unlocked as I remembered that the sea’s inhabitants was one of the miracles taken from us. They were the embodiment of freedom by how they swam the ocean and made their own paths. It all came back to me…

My memories called out--ripping me away from settlement and into familiar lands between dreams and reality. I sat on the edge of a extended pier, gazing out at the vast, deep blue ocean that overwhelmed the little body I was placed in. I opened and closed my little hands in bewilderment and waved my skinny, child-like legs over the water. I almost believed I had went back in time or everything beforehand was a wild fantasy, but when I looked behind me and saw a man and woman—life hit me with a brick and tears streamed down my cheeks.

The man’s rich smell of coffee traveled to my nostrils and the slim woman with her radiant crimson hair pulled back in a ponytail struck a familiar chord deep within my memories, and like usual, words came from my mouth, “Papa! Mama!”

I had expected them to turn towards me, but they walked away—farther and farther by the seconds that past. I tried moving myself, but a hand latched onto my ankle, and dragged me into the ocean. I was slowly enveloped in a thick darkness while a fierce current of water ran amok through my clothes and over my skin. There was only silence. Even though the citizens of the settlement were amazed by the sight of fish, it was an omen for me, for when I fell into the sea in the distant past and rose back to the surface filled with dead fish—the world had changed. All life had stopped, and at that moment, I became Scarlet—abandoning my true name. I haven’t seen my parents since.


When I came to, I shot upright in the booth I had been laying in and grabbed hold of my neck as if I were unable to breathe. My anxiety calmed after I took a few deep breaths, but it lingered when I scanned my surroundings. I was sitting in a restaurant-styled booth at the edge of the building I was in. I decided to leave the booth after a while, and as I surveyed the polished tables and floors along with the winding designs flowing over the walls—I heard footsteps come from the swinging door nearby the building’s long counter, and a small group filed out of the room. Shock stretched over their faces, but I was cautious; however, relief settled in once I saw that Noctis was among the group of three.

“First day back and you’re passing out in the street? You gave everyone a good scare,” Noctis sighed, but he gave a reassuring smile afterwards. “Besides that, it’s good to see you alive. The last mission was a huge bust. We feared that…we wouldn’t see you again.”

I turned my gaze to the grand windows beside the many booths, “I nearly did outside. I don’t know how I managed it.”

“I don’t think anyone can survive out there, but I guess you proved logic wrong like usual,” said the girl beside Noctis.

The girl who spoke had to be younger than myself due to her small stature and fresh facial, but her tone was somewhat lackluster and rimy. Her light amber brown hair cascaded past her shoulders—her cheeks flushing with color, and her beautiful midnight eyes resembling a pair of gems in the night. From my position, I could sense a hidden intensity in her personality, but my thoughts were disrupted when she spoke lowly, “How reckless. Still, our leader has always been that type of person with traits of kindness, flexibility, and—”

“—Honesty,” the man standing on the other side of Noctis with a cavernous voice stated. “Judging that honesty lets us know that you are you. The future of the people in Barren Lands depend on it. So, I ask you, was it me or her that saved you alongside Noctis earlier?”

The man crossed his umber burly arms over his chest and stared down at me with his keen chocolate eyes. His black dreads had been pulled back past his ears and down to the nape of neck. Everything about him was meant to represent fortitude—from his exposed arms crawling with bolstering veins, cleaving jawline, stony neck, and Imperial beard.

I remained silent momentarily, not knowing which answer would be correct. My body took over in response like earlier—raising my head to give a hard stare at the three, “If it’s honesty you want, then you have it. All what I said earlier is true for the one who was with Noctis. I don’t remember much, but I do know that Scarlet is simply a title I go by. If I had to guess…it’d be her. The size and swiftness of the soldier with the blade fits.”

“Nothing gets past you. That’s something that hasn’t changed,” Noctis chuckled, but a grim expression cloaked his face in a matter of seconds. “So…NOVA got to you.”

I massaged my forehead, “NOVA...”

“Well, to ease your confusion, the big guy is Eldo and the chick is Aria,” Noctis explained. “You said Scarlet was just a title…does that mean you remembered something from coming here?”

“The crystal…” I said, searching my pockets, but it was nowhere to be found.

“Looking for this, lass?”

From behind Noctis, a man appeared with a glimmering lime green light in his hand, but his unique right eye earned my attention. The majority of his eye reflected the appearance of a clock, for there were black hands snapping at the roman numerals around the gear winding clockwise at the center as he blinked, and a golden glow trailed the outside of the gear when he relaxed his grip on Noctis’ shoulder. He was dressed for an occasion—striding up to me in a brilliant golden and black tuxedo while tipping his thick, jet black top hat. Just as charming as his smooth smile that he flashed at me, he spoke with a purpose, “God’s Tear…I’d say you’ve found our best way to turn the tables on NOVA and the Enforcers.”

He opened his bawled up hand to reveal the tear-shaped crystal, but there was a difference. It was properly wrapped in gold at the skinny end while diamond-like tails of light blazed over the sharp edges, but ultimately, the crystal was linked together with multiple, small golden chains to form a necklace. My face brightened when the light accepted my gentle touch, and like my touch had initiated a weird incantation, the necklace dissipated—remnants of light taking its place. I hardly realized it had transported around my neck until the crystal dangled over my bosom.

"Woah," Noctis gasped.

“God’s Tear? That’s what you were goin’ on about, Balthier?” Aria questioned, thoroughly interested.

“The one and same, Ria,” the man grinned, but all of sudden he opened his arms wide as if he were beginning to give a grand speech. “People believed the Holy Grail was simply a legend before humanity got their hands on it. From the greed spilling out of the souls of mankind, we filled the cup with our wishes and forcibly moved God’s hand into releasing the Well of Souls upon his creations. Those whom wishes relied on greed were swallowed whole while those patient and appreciative of their lives lived on in this lifeless world, but common things such as animals and trees died. There was that legend, of course, but there was another lingering close to the Holy Grail. The crystals along the rim of the chalice cup are God’s Tears, which are meant to seal the uncontrollable wishes that could fill the cup. These crystals granted powers to those chosen by God and exposed the truth of many things—including realities of oneself.”

“So…that flashback I had earlier was…” I began.

“A reflection of your heart! I was off in the distance, but the calming, lime green ocean had reached me. I was taken aback when there were fish swimming about. Without a doubt, God’s Tear reviewed a situation in your life that connected to the ocean and fish. I will not ask what, but it’s highly likely.”

Noctis asked, “So, she can regain her memories this way?”

“In theory, but even I don’t know of the extent of it,” Balthier smirked coolly while stroking his shaven, inclined jawline. “However, the important part is that God’s Tears need to be brought together to maintain the desires within the Holy Grail, but problem is…the damn cup disappeared along with the crystals soon after the destruction occurred fourteen years ago.”

“I’ll hold onto this then. If it’ll help me remember anything, I’ll protect it,” I reassured.

“Well, it’s not like we can take it off your hands either. God chooses his saviors after all, and you are one of them,” Balthier solemnly announced. “Hold it with care, Scarlet.”

I frowned, “Um, I hate to ask, but…you all are responding quite naturally to my…amnesia.”

“Well, this isn’t the first time friends of ours have been brainwashed by NOVA,” Eldo mentioned. “Hell, if you had your memories, you would understand the naturalism.”

“And…where are they now?”

Noctis answered, “Up in Chalice somewhere more than likely. The clockwork city flying above the clouds of our barren home—Grimwald.”

A not-so-distant memory sparked in my mind—taking me back to the explosion in the room I was held in as I was hounded by NOVA. Someone had either came to my assistance or luck was merely on my side. I must have dropped from the city, but even then, it wouldn’t be normal for a regular human being to survive a fall like that. The only explanation I could come up with was that God’s Tear was protecting me.

“Come, friends! Loosen up and enjoy the moment. This is supposed to be a reunion and the revival of Tempest!” Balthier grabbed my hand. “You’ve been gone for almost a full year. I believe for now, you should focus on your memories, but don’t tell anyone else but us about your condition. We will keep it under wraps, too.”

“I agree.”

“Sure.”

“Take your time.”

The others voiced their opinions, but I shook my head in response, “I’m afraid that I won’t be enjoying my own peace…not when there are those suffering. The civilians deserve peace. It was amazing seeing them dance and chant when the light from the crystal and my appearance brought joy to their souls. I want to do what I can for them.”

“What do you suppose we should do then? We held down the fort while you were gone but...” Aria said bitterly—a spark of fury crossing his eyes.

“Aria,” Noctis sternly replied for me.

Tch,” she clicked her tongue against her teeth and sighed. "There’s no reason to avoid the truth. We lost everyone in that last stunt we pulled together."

“She has a valid point,” Eldo intervened. “We could charge the walls of NOVA and end up getting you captured again like last time, or rally in the transit streets of Chalice and bring people to our banner, but either way, defeat and death of our supporters will be the answer.”

“Then we change up our strategy,” I grabbed God’s Tear as the words being formed within my mind were spoken proudly to my comrades. “I’ll speak to the people of Chalice and Grimwald alike—bringing together those of different backgrounds to witness the truth of the power I hold in my hand. With this, we have a chance. Second wind—second chance—another opportunity to strike back.”




Next Chapter: Forgotten Stories(Noctis)