I don't own the Legend of Dragoon, blah blah blah, but that game so totally ROCKS!!! * cough * Anyways...um, I think that about covers it.. Original chars, but the settings are taken from the game...hope you enjoy!!

Dragoon Destiny Chapter One

Blood...there's so much blood...

A small, black haired boy was standing in a dark, moonlit room. There were several shadows on the wall, big, looming things, making the most harmless things seem more deadly and nightmarish, like things from a bad dream. And this was a bad dream.

"M-Mommy?"

The small boy's sapphire blue eyes scanned the room for any sign of his mother, but there was no response to his fearful plea. He moved his head this way and that, stepping towards a darker shadow in a corner. His hands clasped the front of his shirt nervously, as he took more and more steps towards the darkened corner, noticing for the first time the splashes of dark liquid along the walls, and the stench of death.

".... Mommy?"

He waited in silence for several moments, and then felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the comforting voice of his mother.

"Rue...honey..."

He could not see her, but the voice of his mother was enough to soothe his soul, despite how tired and weary it sounded. He took a step closer towards the darkened shadow, his face brightening somewhat at knowing that he was no longer alone in this nightmarish room. But his mother's voice sounded again, stopping him in his tracks.

"Rue...my son...you must leave this place...you are in danger here...they will come back...."

"Who, Mommy? Who will come back? Are you okay? You sound...hurt.."

The thought of his mother being in pain, and suffering, brought tears to his eyes. He loved his mother more than anything in the world. He didn't want anything to hurt her, or for her to be in pain.

"Don't worry about those things...you will find out when you are older...but, Rue, I have one last thing I need to give you..."

The small child quickly shielded his eyes as a bright flash of violet light illuminated the room, dimming to a soft glow and illuminating the body of his mother. He drew in a sharp gasp, and felt the tears start in his eyes at the sight of his mother's bruised and battered body. She had a cut on her lower lip, and various cuts on her face and arms. Her clothes were stained with blood, and her right hand was clutching her side, where the most blood showed.

Her left, however, was stretched out to him, palm up, holding a marble- sized object out to him, glowing with an inner light.

"Rue...take this, please."

Slowly, the small child reached out a hand and took the large marble-like item from his mother's palm, clutching it tightly in his small hand. The light grew brighter, then slowly receded. In the shadows, his mother smiled, wincing slightly at the pain she felt.

"What is this?" The child asked, looking at the shadows and trying to pick out his mother's figure. There was silence for several moments, while the mother thought of an answer. After awhile, she decided to just tell him the truth.

"That is the Dark Dragoon Spirit."

"'Dark Dragoon Spirit'?"

"Yes...do you feel its power?"

"...Yes...Yes, I do..."

"Good...you are the new master now... There will come a time when you will understand the meaning of your spirit... But know this: You can always accomplish something...if...you...try..."

His mother's voice was growing weaker now, and the child had to listen hard to catch her next words:

"Rue...when the time comes... the Spirits of Light and Darkness must come together as one...remember that...you must...be one with the light...Rue..."

Rue waited for more, but the words did not come. Instead, it was silent, very silent, only the sounds of cars and police sirens cutting through the night. He called out her name one last time, called out for his mother, as the tears began to spill down his cheeks.

"Mom? Mommy?"

Again, there was no response, as before...but now, there was no feeling of reassurance, just a hollow, deep emptiness. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew, somehow, that his mother was dead.

Rue sat down on the floor, hugging his knees tightly to himself and keeping a firm grip on his Dark Dragoon Spirit. It was, after all, the last thing he had of his mother's. He would keep this safe, along with her last words....

These thoughts drove him to the breaking point, and he started to cry, the tears spilling down his cheeks, mourning the loss of his mother, the only one left in this world who was important to him. He was alone in this world, completely, utterly, alone.