I've been playing Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 recently and became interested in Asch again as a result. I also dug back into some old comic anthologies and found some cute ones involving Asch and the Dark Wings… As a result, this happened.
It'll just be two chapters, no biggie. Pre-game, but with plenty of spoilers. Beware!
Tales of the Abyss: Orphans and Thieves
Meeting the Orphan
Confetti flitted through the air as the sound of music and laughing rose from an enormous crowd of people. Tents and performers filled the city as a well-known circus entertained them. Food and drink were supplied in abundance, and an assortment of smells carried on the wind. The city was bursting with life.
Standing at the entrance to the circus were three adults accompanied by a child. One was Legretta the Quick, a woman with blond hair bound in a ponytail, a firm look upon her face. Beside her stood Largo the Black Lion, a massive man with solid features and spiked gray hair. And just off to the side of both of them was another; a man with pink hair who sat upon a mechanical chair capable of floating through the air as he commanded. Bespectacled eyes shone, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Now Asch, I know it will be hard to resist the urge… but we didn't come here to play," he said in a mocking sort of way.
Dist the Reaper directed his statement toward the boy with them, a child clad in a red and black uniform with medium-length crimson hair and turquoise eyes. His words caused the youth to turn on him with a sharp expression. Asch gave him the most poisonous look he had.
"As if I would!" retorted Asch, bitterly. After saying as such, he growled and then turned away, folding his arms over his chest.
"The Commandant must already be inside," Legretta said. "Our only responsibility today is to ensure that things run smoothly and that Fon Master Ion is able to enjoy the circus."
"Keep your eyes open for anything amiss," Largo told the others.
"Asch," began Legretta, turning toward the then 13-year old boy. "The Commandant brought you along to shadow us. If there's trouble, you're not to engage. Understood?"
"I know that," Asch replied, not looking at her. "Not like there's likely to be trouble in a place like this."
The child's eyes wandered to a group of nearby performers who entertained people on the street with flips and twirls and fire. Dist sneered.
"Did you want us to take you to enjoy the circus after our work is finished?" questioned the scientist. "Perhaps some snacks and a show—"
"Shut up!" Asch yelled, turning and kicking Dist's chair before scampering off into the crowd by himself.
"Report to the gate at sunset!" Legretta called out after him. "Asch, if you see anything, find one of us immediately!"
"I know!" retorted the youth, heatedly.
After the boy had disappeared, Legretta turned and gave Dist a look.
"Must you antagonize him so?" she questioned, setting a hand on her hip. "He's troublesome enough without you aggravating him."
"I can't help it that he's such an easy mark," Dist replied with a haughty smile.
With a sigh, the blond woman turned and split off from the group.
"Let's go," she started. "We have work to do."
Asch made his way through the crowd, keeping a keen eye out for anything out of the ordinary. As he anticipated, it was only a simple circus full of ordinary citizens and cheerful performers. He had kept his hand on his sword for a while, but he eventually dropped both arms to his sides and let his guard down.
It had been a long while since he had been to the circus. The smell of the food and the boisterous noise brought memories to the surface that he had tucked somewhere far away. The last time, he had been permitted to come with his mother, Guy, and several servants…
Shaking his head at once to take captive his wandering thoughts, the redhead aimed for the largest tent in the circus. Most people were there, and any trouble would likely occur in a place like that, or so he thought. It took a while for him to even get inside because of the amount of people gathered there.
Within, an audience was held captive by performers on a tall platform. The circus performers twirled through the air in a dramatic display of colors and lights. Explosions occurred every once and again, causing the audience to "ooh" and "aah." Costumes of every sort were donned by the performers, from elaborate designs to rappigs. Everyone was mesmerized by the display.
Asch gave only a second's glance to the stage and then used his small size to navigate through the masses. He searched for anyone wielding weapons or who might pose a risk to others.
Perhaps he was the only one looking, or perhaps it was because he was at just the right height, but his eyes did finally land on something. It was so brief that he questioned he really saw it; a short man with a spiky brown beard and green top hat slipped a wallet from someone's pocket.
Turquoise eyes narrowed. The redhead pursued the culprit and saw it again, and this time he was certain. Now he had witnessed the man stealing twice.
Asch really did not see the need to drag the God-Generals here. After all, the man hardly looked dangerous. Not to mention that he would likely slip away before reinforcements arrived. As such, the boy took matters into his own hands despite the orders he had received.
The thief called Urushi swiped another wallet—and then abruptly had it stolen out of his hands in a flash of red and black. He frowned at first, and then he looked around in bewilderment at the people crowding around him. There had to be some sort of mistake! He was good at this and never got caught. And yet…
His eyes wandered over and found only one person not awed by the circus performance, and in that person's hand was the wallet he had only just stolen. The boy with red hair gave him an icy look that could kill, then dashed aside, disappearing into the crowd.
"H-hey!" Urushi gasped.
The man began to pursue the boy but immediately lost sight of him. He huffed and then turned his attention back to thieving; one wallet was nothing, after all. However, the moment he snatched up a woman's purse, smaller hands snatched it from his. Urushi staggered back and glared at Asch.
"Y-you little-!"
Urushi took a step forward as if to go after the boy, but Asch jumped back. Only, he found himself against a wall; another man stepped up directly behind him and blocked his escape. The newcomer had light brown hair hidden under a pirate's hat, and one eye was covered by a patch. York appeared with a smile on his face as he took hold of Asch's wrist and lifted the boy off the ground, then snatched the purse out of his grasp.
"There's more of you!?" Asch growled.
"Nice try, kid," York jeered.
"Tch!" replied the redhead, coldly.
Asch swung his body and used York as a stepping stone, pushing off him with both feet and effectively freeing himself from his captor's grip. The tall thief staggered as the youth flipped through the air and then landed gracefully on the ground. Before either Urushi or York made another move, Asch disappeared once more into the crowd.
Thieves went back to thieving thinking nothing of the child who had interrupted their business. York swept away another wallet with a wide grin on his face, aiming to tuck it into his gray jacket. It never made it that far; Asch flipped over the man's arm and landed a solid kick on his wrist, swiping the wallet. Then, the redhead abruptly put the wallet back where it belonged.
"You again!?" York started, bewildered. He grabbed his sore wrist and staggered back.
And then Asch was gone in the crowd again, using his slight size to his advantage. York began the pursuit. Meanwhile, Urushi stole a pocket watch from a man nearby, casually tucking it into his own back pocket. He was trained enough to feel it when the new weight of the watch vanished from his possession. Spinning, the thief turned in time to watch the redhead direct a kick at his leg. What had been intended to strike behind the knee hit the front of his knee instead. Urushi crumbled and watched as Asch returned the pocket watch before dashing off into the crowd.
"Hey!" Urushi started, flinching as he got back to his feet.
"Get back here!" York called out, joining Urushi.
Now the thieves had enough. With determined expressions, they went back to work stealing as much as they could in as little time as possible. Asch, not to be outdone, chased after them with the intention of stealing everything back. Redhead and thieves began a game of cat and mouse in the audience, and Asch did not hesitate to flip, kick, and punch to gain an advantage over the men who had him outnumbered.
A pair of deep magenta eyes trained on them from the staging area. Leaning against a post with her arms crossed over her chest was Noir of the Dark Wings. Her deep pink hair was partially concealed under a black hat, and she was clad in a magenta dress that left little to the imagination.
Truthfully, she had only been looking out to see the crowd as they enjoyed the circus. She had caught a glimpse of York stealing—and then being pounced upon by a redheaded child. Before long, she was unable to look away from them as she watched her team being ceaselessly harassed by the boy.
"Aha!" Urushi began, stealing a wallet.
Asch took it at once. Before he made his escape, York appeared on the other side of him and managed to snatch the boy's arm, twisting it around his back.
"Got you, you little nuisance!" he jeered.
"L-let go of me!" Asch growled, trying to break free.
Urushi took the wallet out of Asch's hand and held it up with a smirk. Unbeknownst to him, the victim he had stolen it from reached down and found nothing in his pocket.
"H-hey!" began the man, bewildered.
And then the performance ended, and the crowd erupted in a chorus of cheers. York and Urushi both looked around, first at the man who realized he had lost his wallet, then at the people crowding around them and making a ruckus.
"Uh-oh," York commented, casually spinning Asch around and tossing the boy aside into the crowd. He turned to leave. "Looks like we better move."
"What a waste," Urushi grumbled, though he turned and began rushing off as well.
"Wait!" yelled Asch, angrily.
He went to grab his sword but stopped immediately when people began pushing and shoving to leave the tent. This time, his small size was to his disadvantage as they nearly carried him away with them. York and Urushi both gave him a grin as they made their escape.
"Come back!" called out the boy one last time. "You're under arrest for—Ah!"
Asch toppled backwards in the crowd pushing against him, disappearing in the masses.
York and Urushi rushed to the staging area, finding Noir watching them. Both followed her gaze back to the crowd, but the redhead was nowhere to be found.
"What just happened out there?" questioned their pink-haired leader. "Did you get out-thieved by a little boy?"
Rather than hear an argument in their defense, Noir only received nervous laughs from her comrades. She looked toward the exit of the tent, the corners of her lips curling up in a smile.
"Interesting…"
Sunset fell upon the circus. Legretta, Dist, and Largo waited at the gate for their youngest comrade.
"Let's go," arose a young voice from behind them, causing three pairs of eyes to turn.
"What happened to you!?" Dist snorted, and then he burst into boisterous laughter.
Asch returned to them covered in dirt and with hair frazzled. The boy walked as though trying to conceal a limp, and one of his cheeks was red as if he had been struck. He did not look them in the eyes. Dist laughed, but Legretta and Largo both looked at him with some concern.
"What did I say about not engaging anyone," began the woman, firmly. She folded her arms over her chest. "What happened?"
Turquoise eyes went to the ground and did not look up again. Several thoughts ran through Asch's mind as he attempted to give a suitable explanation for his current sorry state.
"I fell down," he told them, closing his eyes.
"Into a 20-foot pit?" questioned Dist in disbelief, releasing another laugh. "Onto someone's fist?"
"S-shut up!" Asch snapped at him, angrily.
Despite his injuries from being trampled by the crowd, he rushed forward to kick the man's chair again in the hopes that he might fall out of it. Before he had taken more than a few steps, Largo grabbed the back of his uniform and pulled him back. This was fine, because honestly, walking hurt.
"The Commandant told us not to let anything happen to you," Largo reminded. "When you cause trouble like this, it's bothersome for all of us."
Asch was set aside by Largo, and he looked up at the man briefly before closing his eyes. Legretta sighed, then started toward the exit.
"Let's head back," she told them.
Asch began limping after them. Dist drew closer to him in his hovering chair, leaning against an arm and smirking at the boy.
"Did you want some cotton candy—"
"You-!"
Asch aimed for his sword and began after the man who hastily fled. The boy had only taken a few steps before, once again, Largo grabbed him and hauled him back. With ease, the powerful man lifted the child under one arm.
"Put me down!" Asch hollered, thrashing in a vain attempt to escape.
"You're already injured," Largo reminded him. "Anything more and we'll be reprimanded."
Dist was now far ahead of them, but he turned back and laughed at the boy's predicament. This only made Asch more angry, and his thrashing increased.
Meanwhile, standing at a distance watching were three individuals. Noir, Urushi, and York kept a curious eye on them, stepping out of the shadows when they knew they would not be seen.
"Weren't them Oracle Knights?" Urushi commented. "The kid was wearing a uniform like that, too."
"I believe those were God-Generals," Noir informed them, smiling and tapping her foot on the ground. "I heard that the Fon Master was making an appearance here today. But what's a boy like that doing with the likes of them?"
"Good riddance," York shook his head. "If they're here for the Fon Master, we shouldn't see that brat again."
Noir smiled at his words.
"I have a job for you two," she began, jovially. "I want you to go figure out who that child is."
"W-what?!" came two unified voices in response.
Turning her back to them, she smiled at them from over her shoulder.
"The two of you were bested by a little boy," she jeered. "He might make a valuable ally if we can find the right price."
"You can't be serious…" Urushi began with a groan.
"What, is this too difficult for you, too?" she questioned, turning and walking away from them seductively. "My, is there anything useful that you two are capable of?"
Both men sighed. As always, they submitted to the will of their leader and set off on their next adventure.
