Nokiya
Meditating is easy. Its meditating on what you're trying to connect with that's the hard part.
Aria was very kind to lend me her living room for the hours it would take for me to meditate. I've practiced it before so although it was difficult to connect to my past life, I was able to do it quickly.
I met my past self in a field of flowers that stretched farther than I could see.
She was much more battle hardened in body, but her face was unscathed, and soft. She was an adult, so probably in her millions, or even billions. She was wearing leather pants that looked hand made, but they also looked soft and comfortable. She was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with a brown vest over it that was buttoned up making her look almost professional.
She smiled softly at me when I got there. "It took you long enough." She smiled as she crossed her arms.
I pretty much just stared blankly at her, unsure of my next move.
"Hello to you too." She laughed.
"How did you die?" Was the first thing that came out of my mouth. My past self stared at me for a moment before rubbing the back of her head.
"I guess it was Ari who made you talk to me then. Um... how is she?" My past self looked broken, knowing Ariadne had met me.
"She's doing well, but when she showed me your ashes, she tried to hide the pain of your loss. She really misses you." I explained.
She sighed. "Y-yeah. I miss her too. But I'm stuck in purgatory until we either merge or you pass on."
"Merge? That doesn't sound pleasant."
"Its just me teaching you all I have to know. So our memories merge." She explained.
"Oh... would that make me fall in love with Ariadne?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I guess so. I'm your first life, so it's not as though I have practice getting my predecessor's memories." She smiled. "But if you two do end up together... please take care of her, and try not to die."
"How did you die?" I asked again.
"Olexious's son poisoned me."
"Mortimer?"
"Mortimer? I don't think he was born yet. Olexious's first born." My past self explained.
My eyes widened. "He has another son?"
"He sent his son to kill Ari because she knows things only Gods can know. Ari knew all of Olexious's plans and hiding places because she can hear everything the plants do. So I protected her." My past self waved her hand behind her as she turned slightly.
The image came up of her gripping a normal sword and facing a black dragon. Ariadne stood behind her, almost cowering in fear. This told me that Ariadne was not familiar with combat.
The black dragon roared and charged at Nokiya- my past self- and kept slashing at her. But Nokiya was easily able to dodge and block as if it was nothing more than a simple game.
This "dance" lasted almost ten minutes before the black dragon brought its claws down causing Nokiya to side step with a smirk, only to wail as the dragon slammed its tail into her back.
The wound sizzled as soon as the tail was removed. Nokiya dropped to her knees and Ariadne cried out.
"No one left to save you!" The black dragon bellowed as Nokiya fell onto her face. Then the image faded as my predecessor slowly died.
"Is that dragon still alive?" I asked.
"I don't know if Krivalar is alive. I don't know if Ari killed him or sealed him away. That's something you'd have to ask her." Nokiya said.
"I will when I wake up." I nodded. "How did you meet her?"
"She was in the Dragon Realm at the time." Nokiya smiled softly as she waved over the faded image again to change it to her and Akiya running through the woods together. This time they looked like they were my age.
They were neck and neck, darting through the trees with ease. No matter what obstacle crossed their path they never lost any speed.
Till Akiya crashed into Ariadne and Nokiya lost focus and crashed along side them, causing the three of them to pile up.
"Ow." Akiya groaned.
"What hit me?" Ariadne asked as she pulled herself away from Akiya. Nokiya stood and helped Ariadne and Akiya up with a guilty smile on her face.
"We should have looked where we were going." Nokiya said. "We're both sorry."
"Agreed." Akiya bowed respectively and Nokiya followed her example.
Ariadne looked so confused and she bowed back. "N-No it's alright. I should have sensed you coming through the forest."
"Sensed?" Akiya questioned.
"I'm a Nature Guardian. A Nymph." Ariadne explained.
"Are you protecting the forest now?" Nokiya asked.
"Well... no." Ariadne shrugged slightly.
Nokiya smiled and took her hand. "Then would you like to go swimming in the river?"
"The Alvar river? We'll get into trouble!" Ariadne complained.
"We're Alvars." Akiya smiled.
"W-What?" Ariadne looked like her mind had just exploded.
My past self waved her hand over the image and made it vanish before she looked back up at me.
"So you showed me how I met her, and that we have a new enemy I have to keep an eye out for. Is there anything else?" I asked.
"Well, besides merging, not really." my past self shrugged.
"Then get on with the merging thing please." I narrowed my eyes.
"It's not that easy." My past self sighed. "If it was I would have done it while I was explaining that stuff to you."
I groaned. "Akiya is probably shitting herself worried about me."
"You're so not as fun as I was." She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Oh, don't worry. I am actually fun, just not right now." I shrugged as I crossed my arms. "I just really want to get this over with, you know?"
"I know. Let's begin shall we?" My past self asked. She walked towards me and her body vanished into mine. The world around me faded into blackness before recollecting itself with me standing in front of Ariadne who looked sad like there was so much she wanted to say and not enough to say it.
"Do you really have to go?" Ariadne asked as she watched me with sad eyes.
"I'm sorry Ari." My mouth said as I took her hands softly. "I have to go help Vaporous."
"Your sister and parents can handle it." Ariadne said. "Please stay with me."
I looked over at Akiya who nodded, telling me it was okay for me to stay. I looked back at Ariadne and smiled guiltily. "I can't stay Ari, I have to go help my family."
Aria frowned and she looked down at the ground. I raised her chin gently, still holding my smile. "Maybe there's something I can do when I come back?"
"What if you don't come back?" Aria asked.
"I thought you had faith in me?" I laughed a bit.
"O-Of course I do!" Aria stuttered.
"I'll make you a deal."
"I'm listening."
"'If' I come back, we'll go get married, right away. Deal?" I asked.
Ari's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-Yes! Absolutely yes!" She squealed before hugging me, pressing her lips to mine.
The whole while I watched this memory, the other ones came rushing into my own thoughts. I remember that life's childhood experiences, and growing up with Akiya the entire time.
That life didn't have any other siblings besides Akiya, and I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. We had different parents than Vultorus and Chandra, which made it even more unique.
But most of all, I remembered Ari. I remembered all the time I spent with her, and all the love we shared. Our kisses, our companionship. Just being near her filled me with joy. And all those emotions my past self had, now spread into me like a wild fire.
All the pain I had from losing Kira was gone in a second, and was replaced with the love and compassion I had once had for a Nature Guardian that was so close, and already loved me.
As soon as my eyes opened, and the morning sun stung them, I jumped to my feet and rushed into the kitchen to go find her.