Author's Note: This fic has been written based on the information given in the PSP port of the game. If Sting's released any additional info concerning the game's backstory, I'm sure I've gotten it wrong. My aim has been to have this story mesh with the game itself.

Disclaimer: Yggdra Union is the property of Sting and Atlus. Rating is for language, suggestive themes and strong violence. Thanks to my beta for his invaluable help.

Scarlet
1.

Emilia looked up guiltily from the silver chess set, but the heavy, hurrying footsteps passed down the corridor without pausing. She clinked the knight back onto its square, then ran to the door, peeking around its thick stone edge. Sounds didn't carry well through Castle Bronquia, but she could hear shouts - loud, overlapping. After a moment, she stopped trying to distinguish words, instead listening to tell if the voices were angry or frightened.

Someone hooted, and there was a long, spiraling whistle. Shoulders relaxing, Emilia ventured out of her mother's room into the corridor, running down a flight of stairs and crossing outside to a rampart that overlooked the main courtyard. She scrunched her nose at the smell the breeze brought her - that must be all the blood - then searched the boisterous crowd. The first thing she saw was the bear they'd set out to hunt, suspended by its limbs from a pole between two draft horses; its dark pelt shone with blood-trails. Movement at the edge of the crowd caught her eye next - men hurrying stretchers inside. She leaned forward, gripping on to a crenelation for safety, curious what would happen if her brother were severely wounded. But no, there he was in the middle of the crowd, talking to that Leon jerk. Gulcasa had a splash of blood across his right arm, and the older boy moodily held a thick cloth to his jaw.

By the time Emilia had skittered down the many stairs to the ground floor and out into the open, her parents had sauntered outside, the Emperor Alkimus striding forward to judge his son's first kill. Empress Thrasia didn't hurry, and when Emilia ran forward, she was restrained by the mere pressure of her mother's hand.

All of the knights but the Captain of Dragoons had dispersed out of respect. The captain determinedly circled the kill, his tone dry. "You certainly aired it out, my prince." Gulcasa's smile slipped, but he made no other move. "It is altogether better to kill in a single stroke, rather than bloodlet your opponent by degrees. You won't always have soldiers backing you."

Alkimus rested his hand on his heir's shoulder, his grin bright in his crimson beard. "You're over-particular, Darian. Backup or not, this is a fine first kill for a boy of ten. For anyone!" He smacked Gulcasa's shoulder, and, after a moment, the prince's smile returned.

After casually dismissing Darian, Alkimus examined the bear, his big, battle-scarred hands checking the wounds. "Excellent workmanship. Got you in the arm, did he? Glad to see he didn't weaken it. What do you say, Gulcasa? A stuffed trophy, a new winter cape, or fried bear pancakes for the rest of the week?"

"Let's mount the head," Gulcasa said after a moment's thought. "And keep the pelt for a cloak."

"And pancakes?"

"Of course pancakes."

By then, Thrasia had allowed herself and her daughter to approach the corpse. Her green eyes tensed slightly at the blood, and she folded her hands over her long skirts.

Which meant she let go of Emilia, who bounced forward until she'd come within a foot of the bear. She no longer noticed the smell of blood.

"What d'you think, Emilia?" Gulcasa asked, flicking her a look. "Nice and cuddly?"

"It's all messy."

Gulcasa stepped close to the bear. "Yeah, I guess it - it's - Crap, it's still alive!"

Emilia shrieked and reflexively clobbered the bear's snout as it swung towards her -

- and then noticed Gulcasa laughing. "Rawr! Princess pancakes for dinner!"

Emilia stamped her foot and ran back to her mother. "That was mean!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't punch bears. They have low self-esteem."

"There now, calm down." Thrasia gently extricated Emilia's hands from her skirt.

"Dummy-wad!" Emilia stamped her foot a second time, but returned to the bear.

Thrasia delicately rubbed her left temple, pushing back her brown curls. "Gulcasa, kindly show some restraint and stop teasing your sister. Emilia, Gulcasa's not a dummy-wad."

Emilia stuck her tongue out at the bear, so her mother wouldn't see. "S'okay," Gulcasa said under his breath. "We're half siblings, so we only have to get along half the time."

Emilia glanced up, not entirely clear on fractions, but decided to stroke the bear's fur instead of ask for an explanation. She pressed her fingers in, admiring the way the hair covered her hand all the way to the wrists.

"A few more kills and I might just trust you with a dragon," Alkimus said. The entire family - in fact, much of the court, most of the soldiers, and several of the enemy spies - knew Gulcasa longed for a dragon the way other children long for puppies. "This is quite a step."

Emilia looked up again, eyes shining. "I want one!" Her father and brother gave her similar blank looks. "I wanna bear hunt!"

Gulcasa rolled his eyes, but the emperor laughed. "When you're older." Emilia pouted and gripped the bear's fur. Noticing this, Alkimus stepped around the bear and swept Emilia up. "Here now, I'll get you a plush bear. Will that tide you over?"

"She's too old for bears," Thrasia answered. "And put her down, Alkimus. Four is also too old to be bundled around all the time."

"She hardly weighs a thing. There's no harm."

Thrasia's frown went from cursory to troubled. "You are small, Emilia."

Emilia glowered - then was hit by inspiration. She put on her most effective cute face. "So I'm still small enough for a bear?"

Thrasia gave her a reproachful look and turned. "Come, Gulcasa. We need to have that arm cleaned."

Alkimus winked at Emilia. "A plush bear with big button eyes."