Disclaimer: This ought to really be obvious, but I don't own Fable 2 or any of it's charaters.
One of my first fics, just to let you know. I may change some things slightly from how they happened in the game. Also, I'm not going to bother writing out scenes that are exactly as they are in the game. We all already know how they go. No one needs me to rewrite them out. So if there is a scene from the game I'll probably breifly summerize it at the beginning of the chapter and then just pick up after that scene.
Chapter One
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Sparrow sighed to herself, leaning against the prow of the ship. Home. It seemed like such a foreign, distant concept now. She tried to picture the little house in old Bowerstone, with the little garden. Tried to see her husband's face, his dark hair and deep brown eyes. But there was nothing. Just a swirling, grey fog in her mind. She could remember so many things that she'd had before she'd left for the Spire, and yet, she could envision none of them. Their images had been erased from her mind. Even her daughter, her little Hannah, had no face in her memory. No voice. Just an awarness of her existance. Sparrow glanced to the broken Spire collar in her hand and cursed under her breath. She'd done the right thing. She hadn't killed Bob. She'd fed the prisoners. Always the right thing. But still, she was paying for it.
Faint foot-steps snapped her from her thoughts and Sparrow glanced up as Garth took his place on the prow beside her. Garth. He was another problem. There was something about him, something in the way he carried himself, in the mystery that surrounded him. Something that intruiged Sparrow. A feeling that was more real than the distant memory of her husband, the swirling grey fog that would show her nothing. But she was a good person. Always doing the right thing. And she pushed away any thought of what it might be like to be held in Garth's arms, to trace the will lines the crossed his arms, to-
"You seem deep in thought." Garth's words interupted Sparrows thoughts, but she reminded herself that this was a good thing. She had a husband. A faceless, swirling grey fog, husband. She sighed again.
"I'm just... thinking of home. I know I have one. In old Bowerstone, with a nice little garden. I know about it, but I can't see it. That damn collar..." She trailed off into another sigh and looked up into Garth's eyes. "It doesn't feel like going home. Not that it feels bad, just... odd." She thought that maybe another person might have placed a hand on her shoulder. Might have smiled and told her not to worry. But not Garth. He just looked at her, his eyes unreadable, always unreadable.
"When you see it, it will feel like home." He told her. Sparrow nodded. She didn't need to say that it wasn't the home she was most worried about, that it was her husband and her daughter. The thing about Garth was that he gave off the impression of knowing what the silence behind your words meant. And even if he didn't, she couldn't very well ask him whether or not she would still love her husband when she saw him. So instead of saying anything else on the subject she looked out to sea, where Oakfield was only just visible now on the horizon. Hammer's face suddenly filled her mind and she let the faintest of smile touch her lips. Hammer she still remembered completley. And she couldn't wait to see the hero of strength again.
It was about an hour later that they finally reach Oakfield. Theresa was waiting there, a light colored dog at her feet. At the sight of the dog something pulled at the edge of Sparrows mind, a memory trying to make itself known, but the feeling quickly vanished. Sparrow frowned. Theresa didn't seem like a dog person, where had the animal come from?
Sparrow walked next to Garth to the end of the dock, realising that it might be the last chance she ever got to walk beside him. The life of a hero was dangerous, and they would be parting for some time once Theresa got her hands on Garth. The seeress looked up at them as they approached and Sparrow nearly jumped upon meeting her white, sightless eyes. Theresa was blind. But... she had the odd sensation that this was not knew information. That maybe it was only one more of the many things she'd forgotten.
Garth and Theresa spoke. He was persuaded to hear what Theresa wanted to tell him, but Sparrow had always known he would. He took Theresa's hand and the two disappeared. Sparrow sighed and looked into the bag that the seeress had left for her. It contained a lot of gold, some books, some potions, various articles of clothing and some assorted weapons. My old stuff, she realised suddenly. The material things she'd left behind. She smiled. First she would go see Hammer. Then she would change. And then she would go home. If it was still home.
As it turned out, seeing Hammer was the biggest relief of Sparrow's life so far. For some reason she'd never forgotten the hero of strength. She was too big to forget. The reunion was brief but heartfelt. Hammer urged Sparrow to visit her family. For the other woman's sake, she pretended to be looking forward to it. It seemed to be so wrong to be dreading it as much as she was. But once, she'd loved him. And now... he was a stranger.
As Sparrow was about to leave, Hammer frowned suddenly.
"Where's Shadow?" Sparrow just looked at the other woman in confusion. Shadow? Was that supposed to be a code? Was she supposed to understand? Hammer looked back at the hero, her frown becoming deeper. "You know, your dog? Shadow. Where is he? I thought Theresa was going to give him back to you..." Sparrow suddenly thought of the dog at the end of the dock. Was that... her dog? Had she had a dog? She couldn't remember him at all. "You don't remember him do you? Theresa said that might happen. I'll bet he followed you hear though." Sparrow nodded slowly. She had thought it weird that the seemingly stray dog had followed her, but now it made sense. She sighed.
"I'm sorry Hammer, you must think I'm an idiot. But I've forgotten so many things. There were these collars and if you didn't do what you were told..." She trailed off into a shudder. Hammer nodded.
"It's alright. But look after him, won't you? He hasn't forgotten you." Sparrow nodded. She left the tavern and found the dog waiting patiently outside for her. She kneeled next to him and scratched his head. She'd always liked dogs. She hugged the animals neck and pressed her face to his fur. Nice to have a companion.
"I'm sorry I forgot you boy." She whispered into the dogs fur. "But I back now, and I won't forget again." The dog gave a little bark and Sparrow smiled. She stood up. "I'm just going to go upstairs to a room and change, and then I'll be right back and we can get going. That okay boy?" Shadow barked again and Sparrow laughed. It was nice to laugh. She hadn't in at least ten years, not since she'd left for the Spire. She gave the dog another pat and then quickly headed for one of the tavern's room.
A few days of traveling later and Sparrow found herself standing in front of her house. She'd changed into her old outfit – a croped jacket, a corset, some hot pants and her thigh high boots. A master cleaver and a steel flintlock rifle were slung across her back. It felt odd. Ten years ago she'd been dressed exactly the same, standing in the exact smae spot, but looking back one last time before leaving. Now she was coming back, but the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach was the same, the sensation of stepping into the unknown. She took and deep breath and pushed the front door open.
The house was small but pleasent. It smelt faintly of oak and lavender. But regardless, as she stepped inside, Sparrow couldn't help but shiver. There was something oddly tomb-like about it to her. Quietly, she made her way to her old room and paused outside the door to listen. It was very early morning, and inside she could hear her husband's snores. Gathering all her courage together, Sparrow pushed the door open.
The light through the window shone on him, giving him a strangely angelic look, accented by his fair hair. The blankets were half off him, exposing his nicely tonned chest. His snores were gentle, quiet. Sparrow felt a sudden longing for him, a sudden desire to be beside him. She took a step forward, but quickly stopped again as a voice startled her. A woman's voice.
"Who the hell are you?" Sparrow wondered how she could have possibly missed the woman in bed beside her husband. Maybe she simply hadn't wanted to see her. The woman was pretty, slightly younger than Sparrow. Thin and soft and delicate, with long fair hair and bright blue eyes. A perfect contrast to Sparrow in nearly everyway. And on her finger, a wedding ring. Sparrow's heart sank, though perhaps not as much as it would have had she remembered all the night's she'd speant with her husband, what it was like to love him. It was like losing something she hadn't really had.
"I... used to live here. I'm sorry to bother you." She wanted to just turn around and leave, but of course, James stirred then, waking up slowly.
"Sarah whats going- Sparrow!?" Upon seeing her he sat up suddenly, eyes going wide. "Sparrow I thought you were... I never thought you'd...." He couldn't seem to say what he'd thought. Sparrow sighed. In a way, she'd really expected this. Ten years was a long time to wait.
"It's alright James. I understand. It's been ten years. To be honest... I don't remember much. There were these collars and... well anyway, it's a long story. I just had to see you. Tell me one thing before I go though, okay?" James nodded slowly. "How's Hannah? I can't even remember what she looks like... is she pretty?" James smiled a little.
"She's as beautiful as her mother. She behaves well but... I don't think she remembers you. She was only a baby. Sparrow... I'm sorry... Do you want to see her?" The hero shook her head.
"No. If she doesn't remember me... it might be better that way." She turned to look at her husband's new wife. "Be good to him. And my daughter." And then she turned and left the house without a goodbye or a look over her shoulder. She wasn't crying, but she felt like she ought to be. She was leaving her daughter behind. And yet... she didn't remember the little girl. If she saw her in the street, she probably wouldn't recognise her. And as for her husband... well she felt nothing for him. There had been a fleeting desire, but she didn't feel the lose. She lost so many memories, so many people... It was like a fresh start. Except for Shadow. But Sparrow was glad he was still with her. And now, it was time to return to Theresa. Time for the next quest. Time to move on.
Sparrow did have on last personal thing to attend to though. Before entering what had once been the Hero's Guild, she stood in the middle of Bower Lake. She slowly removed her wedding ring, the most expensive one she'd been able to afford at the time. She clutched it tightly in her hand for a moment, trying to remember what she could of her marriage. Of being happy and in love. But nothing came to her and she hurled the ring with all her strength into the lake. Time to start over. Time to move on.