A/N: Since it's 2018 I guess it's time for a new story (even though there's others that need to finish and should've finished a long time ago. My bad!). Think of this as something new to fuel the imagination as well as to keep me writing. So without further ado, Future Savior begins now.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Regalia: The Three Sacred Stones belongs to the rightful owner.
Note: Not sure if there's a particular pairing I wanted this story to revolve around, but I'm sure that the bonds between both the Regalias and their partners should be obvious.
Prologue
2000 years into the future...
Flames upon torches lit the hallway, illuminating shadows along the off-white walls. The sounds of chains slithering along the carpet echoed as a hooded figure was escorted towards the throne room by three armored guards. The hood lowered to cover the face while the hands and feet were shackled. No one seemed to be in the mood to exchange pleasantries or small talk, which was fine for the prisoner since he didn't want to talk to either of his captors.
"Halt." One of the guards finally spoke, bringing the procession to a stop in front of very decorative and robust double doors. Knocking three times with a knuckle, he pushed it open to reveal the glorious throne room suited for a queen. Gesturing with a hand he led the group in, their footsteps reverberating along the scroll covered walls. Once they approached the foot of the stairs, he turned to the prisoner and said gruffly, "Kneel before Her Majesty, Stella Sigil, Queen of Kraeneian."
"O honorable Queen, to grovel at your feet is perhaps...a wet dream for the males living their lavish lives behind the walls." The prisoner, a disheveled male with unkempt hair once the hood was pulled back, drawled out slowly like it hurt to speak. He also didn't bother holding back the absolute distaste in his voice. "However, what kind of qualities do you have to persuade those affluent within your country? We both know you are anything but a queen sitting upon what was supposed to be mine."
"I'd watch your tongue if I were you, scum" A young maiden with dark violet hair spoke up from where she stood by the queen, narrowing her eyes at him. She donned a tight fit shirt underneath an armored chest piece that's held together with leather straps, leaving her stomach exposed. Gray-colored trousers were her choice for bottoms while a silver trimmed, black cloth was attached around her waist by a belt; it was ankle length and flows out like a cape. Silver armored boots don her feet while similar colored gauntlets are set around both her forearm. On the outer edge of her left ear were two small rings, a gift from the queen herself. "You're speaking directly to Her Royal Highness."
"So the mutt still yaps, the mongrel blood within just can't stay quiet." The man laughed, rearing his head up with a smirk on his face. "A loyal lapdog for the queen aren't you? You won't hesitate to defend her, you bleed your own blood for her, you'd even fight to the death for her. But tell me, did you ever get any...services from her in return for your heroic deeds?"
"You!"
"Arryn, don't." Stella held up her hand, stopping the woman from leaping forward and slaughtering the kneeling male right then and there. Glancing over she said, "You'll just be playing into his hands and give him the satisfaction."
"...as you wish, Milady." Arryn replied immediately and stood at attention, her smoldering glared fixed on the male. "But should he flab his useless tongue to degrade your status or your family name, I must beg your forgiveness in advance."
"I wish you'd lose that nasty habit of belittling my personal guard and other loyal subjects. Your jousting words can come across as crass, no one other than us understand that playful streak of yours." The queen sighed as she returned her attention to her guest, leaning one cheek against a hand as if she had seen a particular script multiple times.
"That's so like you, cousin." The man turned his head to address the blonde, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Only you were able to see through my playful insults like glass. Consider it an achievement since no one else here are...intelligent enough to perceive so." The guards all bristled with fury at the insult but they dare not move without approval or command.
"And same to you, my dear cousin. You seem to have understood my feelings far better than the rest of the family ever could." Stella directed her attention to the guard who escorted the group and said, "May I please hear the verdict?"
"We the members of the Council as well as majority of the citizens of Kraeneian hereby condone Riev Lyon to death. For attempted sabotage of the throne and threatening the life of our imperial queen Stella Sigil." He read out loud from a scroll parchment in hand, making his voice loud and clear. "Any and all opinions may be stated now."
"Well then, do you have anything to say, Riev?" Stella questioned, one eyebrows raised in wonder. The male in question hadn't said a word during the entire reading of his verdict, keeping his gaze on the floor. "You are after all, an extended member of the family, so I'll give you a chance to defend yourself."
"...I don't need to defend myself in front of you." Riev suddenly spoke menacingly, straining against the cuffs around his wrists. His demeanor threw both the queen as well as her subjects into a spin; it was as if something clicked inside his head like a switch. "If I can't have the throne..."
"Milady!" Arryn jumped in front of the queen immediately in a defensive stance as a massive amount of power swirled around the convict. The guards stood at the ready, their weapons lowered and awaited orders from their superior. "What are you planning on doing you bastard?!"
"...Then I'll have to prevent you from ascending in the first place!" There was a strong burst of light that forced a lot of eye cover followed by a really loud noise. It sounded like an explosion yet there wasn't a heat wave that followed, so once the light died down everything came to an eerie silence. There was a burnt hole in the tiles where Riev once knelt but he simply vanished into thin air.
"That conniving bastard, I couldn't even see a thing." Arryn growled once her eyes adjusted to the sensitivity of the room before noticing how the guards were all slaughtered and painted the floor red with their blood. "And he took out a good chunk out of our elite forces. Just what kind of trick was that just now...?"
"Your Majesty, what happened?! We heard a commotion from the outside!" A couple of soldiers that had been stationed elsewhere around the castle came flying into the throne room when they heard the noise, their eyes roaming around and assessing the damage with horror. "By the gods, it looks like a war zone has occurred."
"This is bad...oh this is very bad."
"Milady?"
"We don't have much time...Arryn, follow me please." Stella got up and turned swiftly on her heels, disappearing into the back without another word. The expression on her face was enough to trigger her personal guard to follow suit after she barked out orders to those around her. Once she caught up she found the queen pacing frantically about. "I was hoping it wouldn't have come to this...oh, why didn't I notice this sooner? The signs were all there before my eyes!"
"Milady, what seems to be the problem?" Arryn asked her, sliding up to her queen's side. She didn't get an answer right away, instead she was ushered into a massive underground chamber none of the other personals have ever seen. The young guard wondered around with her mouth slightly open. "What...what is this place? Where are we?"
"This was Riev's secret workplace whenever he wanted to escape his parents, as well as working towards figuring out something revolutionary." Stella brushed past her, walking up to what can be described as a really large chamber hooked up to a bunch of electrical energy units. "As a brilliant engineer, his equipment building skills are on whole new levels and he built what you see here a mechanism that can send people into the past."
"I-I beg your pardon, but sending people back into the past sounds pretty phony. Something a parent would say to kids to jog their imagination!"
"I assure you that this machine will do what it was design to do, whether you decide to believe or not." Stella replied, her blue eyes filled with worry. "We have no more time to waste, for that is what Riev aims to destroy."
"Excuse me, but destroying time? How can someone destroy time?"
"My dear...he plans on destroying our timeline...my timeline to be precise." Stella nodded her head in confirmation when she heard the sharp intake of air. "It's unclear how far back he can actually reach because even I don't know how much power he inhibited, but the ancestor of my predecessor could have her life in danger."
"Can't our predecessors deal with him on their own since they have more power in their realm than he does?"
"That won't necessarily be the case. As it is, we have more robust equipment and if he were to unleash his creations into a past time...there would be no way of dealing with them. He would be an utter God in their realm."
"Then...what can we do?" Arryn asked, slightly feeling like she already knew the answer.
"It pains me to say it but...you have to go after him. Follow him to the past and do whatever it takes to stop him."
"Milady..."
"Arryn, please..." Stella grabbed her guard's hand, holding them firmly within her own. "I can't fathom what horrendous destruction my cousin can do once he reaches his intended target. If not me than I have placed my utmost faith in you."
"Then what will happen to this timeline whilst I'm gone?"
"I will use my power to stop time from flowing, it'll prevent anything from happening later down this line. However, time would probably branch off in another line once you get into the past. I'm unclear of the possibility of the lines ever crossing, so to error on the cautious side it's of utmost importance to subdue him as quickly as possible."
"Say I do go back into the past and you bring this current time to a standstill...how am I able to use my power? Will I be able to use only a fraction of my power? How can I help subdue him in a realm where I may not be able to rely on my own strength?" Arryn watched as the queen slipped off one of her many rings that graced her fingers. Raising the object to her lips, her mouth moved as though she were saying a soft incantation under her breath. The ring flashed twice before a gentle green glow surrounded it, giving off a miniature halo.
"This ring will handle those problems, however it doesn't have infinite supply of power. The aura will dim down to let you know when it is about to run out of energy; when it goes completely out that's when everything ends. If you use up all of its power you'll be brought back here without question. It's imperative you do everything you can to deal with Riev before that could happen." Pulling a silver chain from her pocket, Stella attached the ring to her guard as a pendant. "Don't pick fights you know can be avoided. If there's no other choice then rely on your physical prowess because I know you can be hard to beat just as you are. Promise me you'll be careful when using your power because I won't be by your side."
"...yes Milady, I promise you." Arryn gave her word, gazing at the ring that hung off her neck. She felt something warm touch her forehead and she realized that it was the queen's lips. It wasn't the first time she's felt the velvety skin against her own, however the queen never gives out intimate gestures unless absolutely necessary.
"For good luck and fortune. Try to enjoy your trip while learning about the other world, I wouldn't want it to be a bad experience for you." Stella whispered before she made her way over to the control panels. Turning on the power and punching in buttons that held no meaning to the puzzled guard. The whirring of gears and charges of electrical currents caught their attention and a weird opening appeared. "So that's what he meant by a 'portal' in one of his many notebooks I've browsed through. Amazing..."
"And I have to walk through that?" Arryn questioned as she gazed at the multicolored dimensional portal. A part of her was scared of not knowing what would happen, but a part of her knew that things could become much worst should she allowed the demented psychopath do what he wants.
"I understand how you feel...and I wish it didn't come to this. If I had more time to prepare, I would've done more planning to come up with a more plausible solution."
"No, it's quite alright." She turned and looked at Stella with a determined expression. "To be honest I am scared of walking through that because I'm unsure of what lays beyond the light. But, knowing that your life is in danger is all the more reason for me to go."
"Before you leave..." Taking her guard's left hand Stella placed it over her beating heart and held it there. The two of them stood in silence, blue colored orbs gazing into lilac colored orbs. "Know that I'll be sitting on the throne waiting for you."
"I believe that, we've been together ever since you asked me to be your personal guard. That was the best day of my life and I swore to serve you forever." Arryn smiled before pulling away, making her way towards the portal. "I promise I won't fail you. I'll come back victorious, so wait for me."
"...You know I will." Stella whispered but she knew her guard could hear her. Being around the dark-haired woman the queen was able to pick up on small quirks here and there. Over time she was able to read any and all body language or expressions from her dearest friend.
"Then I'll see you later." With that, the dark-haired warrior strode into the portal and disappeared. The portal shimmered before vanishing out of sight, leaving the queen standing by herself. Releasing a breath she never realized she had been holding she turned on her heels and walked out, closing the door behind her with a 'click'.
Back in the throne room...
"My liege!"
"Your lordship!"
"Lady Sigil!"
"The Queen is back! Huzzah!" The soldiers that were left all turned their attention towards Stella as she returned, her hands folded daintily in front of her.
"Your Highness, what's the news?" One of the men asked out of curiosity. "Where is your personal guard? You are almost never seen anywhere without her."
"Now what I'm about to say may sound very farfetched. But it is something that is true." Stella took a seat on her throne and took a very deep breath. Her mind was starting to hurt and she felt as though her heart was hammering against her chest. "I have sent Arryn off on a mission, one that none of us should follow. In order to prevent any damage to this time, I have decided to use my power to freeze our world."
"My liege!"
"What would happen later?!"
"Isn't there any other way of preventing this catastrophe?!"
"It is said that anything that happens in the past could change whatever occurs in the future. However, I am unsure about what happened back then to bring us to where we are now. There could also be a chance that this timeline will cease to exist."
"Have you consulted your plan with the other queen? Her Majesty, Queen Itsuki in the southern realm?" Just as the queen was about to reply, a button on her throne went off indicating an incoming call.
"That'd be her...I bet. She was always the one who triggers the call button more than I do." Stella pressed the button and sat up a bit straighter. "This is Stella Sigil of Kraeneian speaking."
"I hope I'm not interrupting you, but Arisa's informed me that she can't sense Arryn anywhere. Her life form isn't even in this universe, it's like she simply vanished or never existed in the first place." A blue monitor popped up, displaying an irked Queen Itsuki. Her silver hair tumbled down her pear-shaped face, accentuating her pale skin. The weather down south was quite warm in comparison to the north, so she wore what seemed to be a two piece bikini. Quite unfitting for royalty, but she preferred comfort over social norms. "Explain to me what's going on over there this instant!"
Leave it to Arisa to be very perceptive, her power is something to not trifle with. "It would seem that our future is in jeopardy. I believed sending my personal guard was the perfect option."
"Not because she's a Regalia right? Much like Arisa is." Itsuki questioned, arching an eyebrow as if to goad her fellow queen to refute it. "Really now, how bad can it really be? You are leaving your entire kingdom in the mercy of enemies when they realize that your core power is gone. You're leaving your citizens open for a potential siege!"
"Guards, please leave us." Stella ordered, noticing the group still present in the room awaiting orders. Sometimes private matters can't fall on multiple ears. "Spread the word to the citizens. Tell them to close up their shops and be with their love ones...and you boys do the same as well. You've served me so well all these years and for that I can't thank you all enough. Please let the other staff members know as well."
"Yes Ma'am!"
"As you wish!" Giving their queen salutes the group of soldiers marched their way out to fulfill what might be their final duties. Once the doors closed shut, the blonde leaned back against her chair and sighed deeply.
"Severe headache or just a normal headache?"
"How about something in between...you'd have one too if you realized that your cousin leap through time to destroy your entire family line. Just so you know your lineage wouldn't escape either. To be honest, Riev has harassed you as well back when we paid you a visit."
"Well fuck...why am I not surprised that it was Riev to stir up trouble? That little shit." Itsuki groaned out with annoyance, rolling her eyes for added effect. "I swear your extended family is full of nutjobs."
"You have no idea, and it's obligated duty to attend family reunions. My parents and I were often on our guard whenever they come around."
"Itsuki..."
"Hmmm? What is it Arisa?" The silver-haired queen glanced off to the side when her name was called, making room for a smaller girl to settle on her lap. "Oh you just want to cuddle, alright then. I'm just talking with Stella, would you like to say hello to her?"
"Hello Arisa, I'm glad to see you!" Stella smiled, watching as the newcomer all but snuggled closer against her queen. "I'm guessing you're upset that Arryn isn't here...my apologies."
"You must forgive her, she isn't normally this down and quiet." Itsuki smiled a little bit as she cuddled her guard. It's said that the queen of the south smiled only when her guard was around. "Although I'm holding you somewhat responsible."
"I understand and I will hold responsibilities for my actions. Back to business at hand, I can only assume the worst. Riev going back in time is a major threat to both of us." Stella told them, her mouth forming a thin line of worry. "Therefore my plan is to bring the entire world to a standstill. Any and all further events will not happen, but even I can't foresee into the further future."
"Stella, do you honestly believe that your plan will work? The repercussions could be astronomical..."
"Whether my plan works or not all depends on Arryn. Should she fail then our world will perhaps still exist with him in power, and myself out of the picture. I simply can't allow that to happen. He's only interested in preventing me from ascending to power after all. Itsuki, Arisa, forgive me for what will happen as well as what could happen if things don't go well."
"Hey, don't kill yourself over not knowing what you can't control. Focus on what you can control." Itsuki replied gently. Known only to a few she has a small soft spot for Stella and is a fellow friend who also happens to be a queen. "Listen, whatever happens Arisa and I will still be here to help you if you ever need us."
"And I wouldn't want it any other way. Thanks so much you two. Once this call ends I'll begin the process, please prepare before then; the ice will take awhile before it reaches the south."
"I'll address my kingdom immediately. Don't you worry about that."
"God speed to you both." Stella grinned before ending off the call with the swipe of a hand. Closing her eyes she began to unleash her powers, feeling the build up grow stronger and stronger. The atmosphere slowly became ice cold, and her breath soon came out in puffs of smoke. As the waves of ice continued to grow and spread across the world, one final thought crossed the queen's mind before she was fully encased in her own power.
The fight for this future begins now.