(A/N): Hey readers! This is my first story on any fan-fiction site, and please don't stop reading just because I said that... XP This story is set about three thousand years before the first Tales of Symphonia game, so it is about 1000 years after the Kharlan War (with Kratos, Yuan, Martel, and Mithos). I created my own characters, and Cruxis has had plenty of time to get set in place, but rest assured, our favorite people who are alive at the time will make an appearance soon enough. o.O I wonder what will happen... Please read and tell me what you think! (Yes, both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will be included!)

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the rights to ToS, but... *sighs* I JUST DON'T OKAY! So please don't sue!


Chapter 1: Impossible Circumstances

Akane picked up her sword off of its place on the training wall. She wouldn't be returning here again. Turning to face the familiar room one last time, she was strangely overcome with nostalgia. It was here where she had spent endless hours perfecting and adapting her techniques, always wishing that she could leave the creaky floorboards and battle dummies behind for a bigger adventure. Though, this was exactly what she was doing. There was nothing left for her here anyway. Everyone who she cared about could only be hurt by her presence now. Sheathing her long crisply cut iron blade at her side, she marveled at how new it still looked. It would be stained with blood soon enough, but after years of hard work, the sword still shone without a scratch. Akane always took special care of her possessions, aside from the fact that they needed to last, she had a personal philosophy that somehow what she owned reflected herself. Spending arduous time after each day training to clean her blade thoroughly was never pleasant, but it helped her order her mind.

The memories of her past sixteen years in this cramped building flooded her mind with random flashes. She shook them off, trying to snap her mind from the unexpected sadness. She never imagined such despondency would manifest itself when she finally left her childhood home. Picturing this moment a thousand times over, she had left without looking back, and she continually reminded herself that she would do just that.

Knowing that she already had spent far too long in her muddled thoughts, Akane turned to the door, an old weak oak one that moaned when it was shut. Swiftly opening it she lifted it up slightly, edging some of the weight off of its complaining hinges and shut it behind her without a sound. She learned that trick ages ago the first time she snuck out, torn between the taunts of adventure and the then frightening concept of breaking the rules. The night was the only thing that greeted her, and a cool one at that. Breezes softly set the tall grass in motion, and the full moon loomed overhead, though the stars were a much more spectacular sight as they sparkled in enormous clusters thrown across the sky.

Taking in a deep breath, Akane turned right to the immediate border of the village and the start of the wilderness. Most of the squat, low buildings to her left were dark, but a few glowed with light through the windows and she wouldn't risk saying goodbye to anyone. Not with what she had to do. Avoiding the paths, the forest that isolated the town was the best place to hide as well as escape. The woods beckoned her forward and crossing the threshold seemed symbolic, in a way. Placing a right palm on the nearest tree, she traced the whorls of the bark as her mind teetered on the brink of uncertainty. She knew that if she crossed this point, she would find the willpower to go anywhere. This was probably going to be the hardest part. Briefly shutting her eyes, she was shocked that for the first time clearing her head wouldn't work. It wouldn't make the choice easy.

Quickly looking back on her list of options, however, made her mind up for her. She took a first step onto the gnarled forest floor, so different from the gravel paths inside the village, layered with leaves and the pungent odor of pine. And walked forward silently in the dead of night.

She never looked back.


Diving under the nearest bridge, Nariko clasped her hands together to minimize the splash. Ripples would give her away in this clear, blue water. The midday sun flashed brightly on the water's surface, but below the narrow wooden planks was dark and noticeably colder. She swept the wet black locks of hair from her eyes and tried to steady her ragged breathing. She desperately had to be quiet.

Nariko kept herself as composed as she could, and hardly flinched when thundering footsteps rained down on the bridge above her. Sounding hollow and menacing, they threatened to expose her as they echoed through the base of the overpass. The footsteps stalled slightly, and Nariko was certain that her pursuers had lost track of her. Peeking up through the narrowest of slits in the old wood, she could only catch shadows passing over accompanied by softer tread. They were conversing quietly, and she couldn't decipher the murmurs above over the gentle lapping of the lake against the bridge struts. Just keep walking, she mutely implored them while holding her breath.

After a moment that felt like eternity, the footsteps receded farther across the bridge, but she didn't dare leave her safe haven until long after they were gone. Well now, they're actually pretty serious about this 'disavowing' thing! Nariko ruminated in silence. To be truthful, it didn't surprise her much. The idea was quite a change from her easy lifestyle, though. Judging that enough time had passed, Nariko shifted from her stony immobility and swam to the edge of the water. People bustled to and fro across the bridges and minded their own business, completely ignoring her. What she really loved about Luin was that you could just walk straight out of the water, soaking wet, and into town without anyone giving you a second glance. The double-swords sheathed at her belt were damp, causing their familiar weight to increase slightly. She hated when her weapons got wet.

Though she was dripping, Nariko made way for one of the town's entrances. She found herself caught at a fork of three bridges branching to all sectors of the city. She considered her odds. It was doubtful that the Church of Martel had already dispatched enough guards to cover all three exits. If she acted quickly, maybe she would get lucky. Doing a double-take, Nariko realized that if she was lucky, she wouldn't be in this mess right now. Throwing luck out of the equation didn't leave her much. Would they expect her to avoid the larger crowd at the eastern end of Luin? Or would they think she could try to blend in and slip away? She was unsure on which route her tails had taken on their wild-goose chase, but she was positive she couldn't risk being held up by running into them again. When strategy came into play, she found the most important aspect was decision making. Keeping in mind that she was losing valuable time, she gave up on contemplating which outlet was the smartest choice and picked a road at random. Luck might have to do for now. Encouraging, wasn't it?

Despite her situation, Nariko smirked at the irony. Like they could take her anyway. She knew she was only sixteen, and lacked what some of her teachers would call 'experience', but she recognized that her skill was undeniable. Or was that just arrogance? She hardly cared after all, if it was over-confidence it would end up hurting her, but if it was confidence that was rightly placed, there wouldn't be any consequences. She learned by trial and error, so she was gaining 'experience', right?

But she admitted that she wasn't lucky. Blocking the end of her path stood five armed guards from the Church. They already had spotted her. Leaning forward in anticipation, she drew her swords as they called out to each other in warning. She'd have to fight this time.


(A/N) So that's the first chapter... Yes I know it's a cliff hanger, but I'll upload the next one right away! Please tell me what you think, criticisms and plot ideas are excellent, thought I kind of already know where I'm going with this... I appreciate anyone who took the time to read it, as this is the first document I've posted online. XD