A/N: Hello, and thank you for reading. This story takes place fifteen-ish years before the events of the game Tales Of The Abyss, and focuses on the characters Saphir and Jade. Please note that there are original characters in significant roles in this story; however, I will keep the canon characters as close to their original personalities as possible.

And now we begin…

***

Chapter 1

"See you tomorrow!"

The door shut.

Jade turned away from the window. He always refused to look back when he dropped Saphir off at his house after coming back from the lab. It was a matter of body language, really. If he looked back the little snot might think his company was actually appreciated.

"Gagnon. Drive."

One of the good things about the special project, the military gave him free chauffer service. Gagnon clicked to the horses and they trotted off again, and Jade rested a hand on the window and watched the rain and wondered what Dr. Curtiss wanted him home for. The foster parents rarely called him home, and Dr. Curtiss almost never – usually it was the Major who called for him, asking about some fluctuation in his grades or how the appointment with Dr. Volund went and did she need to refill his medicine?

Funny how the tough military one cares more than the doctor, Jade thought – and then, funny that either cares at all. Of course, neither knew about the events of ten years ago, so perhaps he couldn't blame them.

***

He knew Jade wouldn't see him, but Saphir always turned back and waved on the off chance that somehow, Jade was looking out the window.

But as usual, Jade wasn't looking.

Saphir sighed almost inaudibly and opened the double doors, stepping inside onto the cold stone floor. His house was possibly the only building in Grand Chokmah cleaner than the military base, but what the base lacked in cleanliness it more than made up for in warmth and feelings of safety.

"I'm home," he announced to no one. His voice echoed off the walls and grand staircase.

"Welcome home, Young Master Saphir."

Saphir flinched as the butler continued his habit of appearing out of nowhere. "H-hello, Keiran."

Keiran bowed slightly, tailcoat rustling. "Mistress Neiss is waiting for you in the upstairs drawing room, Young Master."

"Really? Why?"

"She has something of importance to tell you, Young Master."

"… okay. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Young Master. Now if you will excuse me, I will return to the kitchens."

Keiran bowed again. Saphir nodded to him, and Keiran turned and marched smartly away.

Saphir looked up the staircase, then slid off his shoes and placed them beside the front door. The floor was cold through his socks. He turned back and climbed the staircase, wondering not for the first time why his parents had decided to make the stairs so steep, and took the left side of the staircase when it split.

The upper drawing room was the only bright room in the house. Its windows faced west, and the light of the sunset crept through the window and the rain. The door squeaked as Saphir opened it, and his mother glanced up at the noise.

"Saphir!"

"Hello, Mother."

Lady Carmine Engel wyon Neiss stood and crossed the room to wrap her only son in a hug, smothering him in red velvet and dyed black hair. "You spend so much time at the lab these days, Saphir! I've missed you!"

"I – I'm sorry, Mother, I – you're squishing me – thank you, I have work to do. Jade and I have to finish our project for the Malkuth military."

Lady wyon Neiss raised an eyebrow. "And you still can't explain to me what it is?"

"No, Mother."

She sighed theatrically and went back to her couch. "Oh well. If it's for the good of the country, right? Anyways, I shouldn't complain, as I'll likely be seeing even less of you. I've been speaking with the heads of the Vartanian family, and they have agreed to arrange a marriage for you with their daughter. She's quite a nice girl, not as pretty as I'd have liked and nowhere near your intelligence, but –"

"Wait, can we go back to the part about me getting married?" Saphir felt the shaking start in his hands, the tension that came with fear.

Lady wyon Neiss' eyes narrowed, just a bit. "Saphir, House Vartanian holds great prestige, especially the members from Hod, and –"

"I'm seventeen! I can't get married now!" Moments ago the blood had drained from his face; now it came rushing back so quickly that he felt a little dizzy. "I have the project to work on, and – and Jade –"

"Saphir, you're not getting married now."

"… oh."

Lady wyon Neiss gave her "how can my wonderfully gifted son be so stupid" look. "You are to meet her tomorrow morning. If you truly dislike each other, the marriage will be called off. Otherwise you will be married in a few years."

Saphir barely hid his sigh of relief, and felt a small smile come across his face. It would be child's play to scare her away – just go on about the manufacturing machines in Belkend or the like. And if anything went wrong, call in Jade.

"All right, Mother." Then he remembered. "Does she have a name?"

"Clairessa Lunis Vartanian. She calls herself Clair."

It seemed like everyone from Hod was required to have a ridiculously long name. But Clair was manageable – a generic name for a girl he'd see all of once. It fit. Probably she had a line of suitors anyways, drawn by the prestige that came with the Vartanian name – those that weren't going after the Gardios family anyways.

Something clicked in his head. "Wait… why me?"

"Why you?"

"If she's from a family like that she could have her pick of guys, right? So how come her family needs to arrange a marriage for her?"

His mother's smile changed subtly. Now it looked painted on. "Apparently she's very choosy. But don't worry, Saphir, you're such a sweet boy I'm sure she'll love you." She stood up and crossed to the window. "Aren't you hungry? You might want to go eat."

And now she's trying to get rid of me. "One more question." Saphir stood too, but turned to the door instead.

"Is this just a mad attempt to regain some of the influence we had when Father was well?"

He felt the air grow tense.

"Of course not, Saphir," said his mother.

Saphir paused, nodded, and opened the door. "All right then. I suppose I'll go eat now. Thank you for telling me, Mother."

And for not consulting me or asking if I wanted this or even making an effort to lie.

***

It was still raining when Jade reached his house. He exited the carriage, saluted Gagnon, watched the horses drive off, and entered the house.

He didn't announce his presence – the Major and the doctor just knew. Or at least the doctor did, sitting in the parlor off the entry hall. Even then, he didn't show that he knew of Jade's presence until Jade had begun ascending the staircase.

"Jade."

"Father."

Alexander Curtiss didn't look up from his book. Jade Balfour didn't look away from the staircase.

"Dr. Volund called earlier to confirm your appointment for tomorrow."

"Yes."

"The fluoxetine isn't helping?"

"Not in the slightest." Possibly because he'd stopped taking it. "Did you call me home to talk about drugs, or did you want to discuss something important?"

"Yes, actually." The doctor finally put down his book – White's Anatomy – and crossed the room to the staircase. Even though Jade was on the second step, he and Dr. Curtiss stood eye-to-eye. Physically, at least.

"Command is cutting your funding."

Jade felt every muscle tense.

"Five years with no results, research conducted in utmost secrecy, money pulled from the state put into projects that never show with no budget shown to command. Jade, I understand you have the heir apparent's favor, and I have no doubt that your project is dedicated to the good of Malkuth, but the higher-ups are not happy. Your funding is being cut in half, and unless you can produce something quickly it's being pulled altogether."

Jade forced his body to relax. "And the higher-ups sent you to tell me this?"

"You'll get official notice tomorrow. I didn't want you to be startled."

Because of 'unpredictable reactions'. Because of 'major depression, possible hints of obsessive-compulsive and schizoid, sociopathy, family history of borderline'. "Thank you for the advance notice," said Jade, trying to hide the bitter cold in his voice. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

He resumed climbing the stairs.

"Wait."

He did so.

"The adoption papers have been finalized. We know it's very late, but you're Jade Curtiss now."

The doctor nodded curtly and went back to his book.

Jade added a snarky congratulations in his head. Adoption papers finalized half a year before I become a legal adult. How long have they been in the works? A year? Once again Jade resumed climbing the stairs, and this time he made it to the top without interruption. From there he crossed the hallway to his little suite and entered, locking the door behind him.

The bedroom was almost sterile, the bed perfectly made. No surprise – he rarely slept in it. Still, that didn't mean it was useless. Jade reached behind the headboard and pulled out the half-full bottle of red wine. It glowed oddly in the rain-filtered sunset light.

Here's to the destruction of my life's work and the loss of half my name, he thought sarcastically, and drank straight from the bottle.

***

A/N: Although there was a lot of Jade in this chapter, this story is going to turn more towards Saphir soon. And he's not going to have fun. Then again, neither is Jade, if that listing of mental disorders and his apparent teenage alcoholism are any indication.

Thank you for reading. Until next chapter...