Broken Memories
By Whiteweaver

Main Pairings: Aera/Loki, Ryouga/Lynn, Orin/Nina, Toumei/Tatiana, Gabriel/...um, I don't think I'll be revealing who just yet ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Summonknight stuff. If I did, I'd create a kickass weapon and p*wn everyone just for the sake of it.

This is my first story and I'm a pretty terrible writer but please bear with me anyway!

He was crying. I remember the way his shiny tears dripped onto my face and how much I wanted to reach up to his face and brush them away, to tell him that everything was going to be alright. Unbidden emotions rose up in my mind, churning and twisting painfully into my burdened heart into feelings that I'd rather not remember. Regret. Sorrow. But the most overwhelming of all was the guilt. The relentless panging of guilt that knocked itself against my mind over and over again. The feeling tore at me as I struggled to recall what I had done and how much pain I must have inflicted to have been in an anguish such as this. But I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I could only watch him weep sorrowfully as everything slowly turned white. After that, I never saw him again. It was so painful to see someone cry like that and I kept wondering why he was so sad. But I couldn't ask him. I couldn't remember him. I couldn't even remember his name.

Chapter 1: Discovery

Gabriel wiped away the sweat trickling down his face with the back of his hand. In his hands he held the sliced parts of a large log that had fallen across the forest clearing.

'Are you done, Gabriel?' a ray-like machine hovered enquiringly. The wolf-like beast smiled wanly at his mechanical friend.

'Yeah.' He glanced thoughtfully at the pile of logs still waiting to be severed, considering the possibility of continuing. But it was getting dark and the Wind Brigade was expecting him to be back soon, so he tucked the pieces in a bundle under his arm and, slinging a dropped bag of collected fruit over a shoulder, he joined Xeride back to the Wind Fortress.

'Gabriel!'

The creature was met by a young sand-haired boy running joyfully towards him from the gate. Instead of jumping into them like he usually did, since noticing his full arms, he bounded in circles around Gabriel happily. The wolf-beast laughed at Rocky's radiant expression whereas Xeride tried to fix the best disapproving face a droid of his mechanism could possibly have, inwardly concerned that the clumsy youngster would knock the logs out of his companion's hands.

As if to trigger this thought, a girl emerged from the entrance considerably more ceremoniously than her brother, her indigo plaits swinging from her head.

'Be careful!' she warned reproachfully. 'You might make him drop the logs!' In answer, Rocky scowled at her, but took to skipping beside his team mate, bombarding him with questions.

'So did you get the fruit? Was it hard chopping down the logs? Can I come with you next time? I promise I won't get in the way like she always says I would. Kara's just jealous since girls can't come along, being weak and all that.'

'Well, excuse me!' his sister retorted haughtily. The albino Maetropan smiled at the two as they argued on the way back to the fortress. Seeing happiness in this way brought relief and joy to him. When he had first found himself on Earth, he was dismayed by the battles, hate and deceit he came across. But then, he discovered the children, leading himself to all sorts of other discoveries, one of which included meeting Aera.

Gabriel's smile widened at the thought of the strange, cheerful girl he met in the Wind Fortress several months ago. It was in finding her that made him realise how much his Wind Brigade needed him there and the joy that could be seen amid the darkness. It was because of this he was still remaining on this dreary world and bore with the troubles, and delight, that came to pass day by day. He felt indebted to her because of that.

'Gabriel?' Xeride's anxious voice broke into his thoughts.

'...Uh, what?' he replied absently.

'You were spacing out, Gabriel.' The robot stated.

'I was?' he questioned, startled. 'Ah, sorry.'

His friend simply nodded understandably before gliding his way towards the young siblings who were waving enthusiastically to him. Gabriel shook himself one last time, before walking over to join the others for lunch.

**********************************************************************************

A blinding whiteness scarred the emptiness of the forest clearing. Animals and beasts fled from the sudden light, leaving it to shine momentarily in the centre of the tall trees. A moment later, the light evaporated and sank into darkness, leaving behind a crouched figure lying on the grassy floor.

'I-' she whispered faintly. 'I am-.' The words faltered as they left her dry lips before her frail body refused to lift her and she fell, collapsing with exhaustion. At the exact time her body hit the ground, Gabriel had laughed.

*********************************************************************************

What am I doing here?

Loki inwardly groaned with self-sympathy as he trudged after his master with a sword slung lazily over one shoulder. The two had just arrived in the forest from visiting Nina, their violet-haired novice Summoner friend, who had not yet gotten used to living out in the open and was still often found wrapped in her own thoughts in a cave built on the outskirts of the outer forest. Orin, who had offered to come with them, trying unsuccessfully to conceal his anticipation, was still staying with Nina. Loki had been quite eager to go back to the village and have something to eat, until Aera had a sudden impulse to visit the Wind Brigade on the way back home.

The Guardian Beast kicked aside a bush in frustration as he watched the Craftknight's pink hair dance as she practically bounced her way along the path, munching on a ripe berry as they went. Aera glanced at the angry oni, and, noticing his wistful expression, offered,

'Would you like me to pick you a berry too, Loki?'

He glared irritably at her and retorted, 'I can get one myself thanks!'

'I was only offering!' she replied, offended. 'Honestly...'

'Hmf,' he pouted, turning his head to one side. Aera watched his stubborn expression a few moments longer before bursting into undisguised giggles.

'What are you laughing about?!' Loki demanded furiously.

'You look so funny when you're pouting like that!' she answered amusedly.

'P-pouting!?'

'You look comical when you're flustered too!'

'I-I..!' the white haired beast stammered agitatedly, causing his master to laugh even harder. They had reached a forest clearing, the grass slightly dampened by the small shower of rain that had come to pass during their stay in the cave. The trees were clustered with copious amounts of fruit, sending Loki to near-fits of delight as he tumbled into them, reaching out a hand to grab one and stuff it into his eager mouth.

'Loki!' reproached Aera, trying, and failing, to sound reproving.

'What?' he questioned protectively. 'You try listening to the Chief's ramblings for hours without eating and you'll know what it feels like.'

The Edgefencer gave him one last reprimanding look, although she secretly saw that he had a point, before turning away from him. She glanced absently at the gathering of trees, seeing a flicker of colour from the corner of her eyes. Ignoring the noisy sound of food being scoffed into a certain mouth, she stared wonderingly into the trees, searching for the flicker that she had seen earlier, and found it.

Aera walked a few steps towards it, warily taking out a slim, light spear. Loki called out her name questioningly, and, reluctantly glancing at the armful of berries he had gathered, dropped them and followed her. An injured figure could be seen lying, unmoving among the trees, bruises beaten all over her body and raven hair, splayed over her closed face. Aera gasped and immediately sped through the trees towards her. Her unconscious form flinched a little as the concerned girl leaned over her.

'She's hurt,' she stated to her companion urgently.

'I've suffered more bruises than that,' he grumbled.

'We've got to help her, all the same,' Aera shot back.

Sighing grudgingly, he compelled, laying a palm over her arm where the injury seemed to be the worst, allowing a shining blue nimbus to envelop it. The glow continued to flicker for a long time as Loki's brow furrowed in concentration. Sensing a disturbance, his master looked up at him.

'What's wrong?' she questioned worriedly.

'The wounds-won't-heal,' he forced brokenly and eventually gave up, the spell fading from his fingers. Aera inspected the scars, her mind calculating and solving the problems forming in her mind before she exhaled deeply and stood up.

'The Wind Fortress isn't far from here, so you shouldn't have to carry her for too long,' she said thoughtfully.

'W-wha?' he protested profusely. 'Why do I have to-?'

'Come on Loki!' she ordered, already walking abruptly away. 'You don't want to be left behind, right?'

Muttering curses under his breath, he lifted the injured girl to her feet none too gently, and, slinging one arm over his shoulder, he hurriedly hauled her towards Aera before she went out of his sight.

**********************************************************************************

The droid seemed anxious as he glided towards Gabriel who was chatting animatedly with the children. The wolf-beast took note of this as he looked up enquiringly.

'Gabriel,' his mechanical voice sounded. 'Aera has arrived.'

'Aera?' Gabriel couldn't hide the enthusiasm in his voice. Xeride, however, only watched him apprehensively as he rose and almost ran towards the back entrance where a patient Aera was waiting. Loki could be heard complaining loudly, his thunderous voice echoing in the marble hallway.

'Why did we have to stop by anyway?' he was demanding. A pink-haired girl sighed exasperatedly.

'We haven't seen Gabriel and the Wind Brigade for some time,' she replied, her voice creeping on to the borders of impatience. 'It's pretty good to visit from time to time, don't you think?'

'No,' he snapped bluntly. 'Couldn't we come back after we'd eaten?'

'No, Loki.'

'But-!'

'Aera!' Both companions swung round to see a delighted Gabriel sprint towards them. The Edgefencer had grown since the sword fighter had last seen her, despite the wide, innocent way her juvenile eyes expanded and her childish cheerful composure. His smile widened as he registered her familiar sweet smell.

'Hello, Gabriel,' she grinned, just as happily. 'It's been a while, hasn't it?'

'Yeah,' he agreed. 'How are things going back at the village?'

'Everyone's quite-.'

'Food!'

Loki had burst in between the two, clutching his belly with his face creased painfully as if he was going under some invisible torture.

'Do you have any food?' he groaned. 'I'm dying...'

Aera shot him a rebuking glare which was almost subconsciously ignored by her Guardian Beast. Gabriel only chuckled.

'Actually, Xeride and I just went to gather food from the forest this morning,' he supplied helpfully. 'If you ask Kara where they are stored, you might be able to-.'

The oni child only nodded meekly and sped down the hall to find the droid before Gabriel could say another word, leaving the Swordfighter and the Craft knight to talk on their own.

'Loki hasn't changed much,' he remarked.

'I wish he would,' answered Aera ruefully. Gabriel smiled at her gladly, simply thankful that she could be here, talking with him as she had done all the time before she had defeated Goura.

'You know, Gabriel,' she said. 'I'm happy that I came here. It feels really good to be talking to you again.'

'I-it is?' he stammered, laughing slightly to cover his embarrassment. Aera smiled laughingly at him, unaware of the slow flush that was creeping up the Maetropan's neck. He was in torment in what he was meant to do with himself and was saved when Aera's eyes widened with alarm.

'Oh no!'

Gabriel looked up, startled.

'What is it?' he enquired.

'The girl!' she exclaimed. 'I completely forgot-!'

Without giving an explanation, she sped into the direction of the back entrance, muttering self-curses involving words such as 'idiot' and 'irresponsible' as a confused Gabriel followed closely behind her. Reaching the small bedroom fitted to one corner of the large chamber, she threw the door rather brusquely open to find a quite disgruntled droid hovering dutifully over the bed.

'Ah, Xeride!' she said with surprised relief. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's fine,' he replied with dignity.

'Has she-Is she-?'

'I've dressed her wounds already. Nothing's too serious so there shouldn't be anything to worry about.'

'Thank goodness,' she breathed.

'Aera, what's wrong?' Gabriel put in, now thoroughly baffled by what was going on.

'Looks like I've been apologising a lot lately,' she confessed sheepishly. 'We were just on the way here when we found her and we kinda didn't know what to do so-'

She trailed off guiltily, causing him to draw his eyes to the figure sleeping inside the cotton sheets, the centre of all the fuss. Despite her mature expression, her slight form and size in height informed him that she was quite young and in her teens. Midnight hair spread across the pillow, resting lightly on her slight shoulders and tied back in a very loose knot. Her draping, graceful clothing suggested that she must be some dancer of some sort, although what seemed to be the most noticeable about her was the curious brass bell that hung in colourful ribbons across her forehead, although no sound rang out as she turned her head.

'I think it's best if we take her home,' explained Aera apologetically, void of the horrified way Gabriel stared at the girl. 'Blaire might know what to do and those wounds weren't healing very well.'

'Where did you say you found her?' he asked hoarsely.

'She was in a clearing in the deeper forests where there are lots of fruit trees.' He nodded dumbly, his eyes fixated on the mysterious child in a hidden scepticism and shame. Gabriel clenched his pawed fists in agitation, unbidden thoughts racing in his mind as the information leaked into his brain, surfacing memories that he really didn't want to have to think about. Loki, who had instantly ran over to where Aera had cried out, stood beside the doorway, still holding armfuls of fruit, watched his guilty expression curiously and without comment, although many thoughts raced in his mind as he observed an appearance that he didn't think he'd see from Gabriel in such a short time: loathing.

**********************************************************************************

Well, there's the first chapter. I hope the next one will be a lot better considering my opinion of this one-which is pretty low. Anyways, please be kind if you are going to review since I'm not the best of writers and I'd like to improve!

Whiteweaver ^^