Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is the spin-off of "Star Light, Star Bright" that I mentioned in my profile! This is really a fanfic of memories that Gale and Anna share. Chapter 1 is a long chapter, so please bear with me, but it is an important one because you get to read my version of Gale's background! Also, the only thing that I do not own in this story (so far) is Gale's character, Natsume owns him. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Happiness

"Get over here you, disobedient runt!" An angry voice screamed at a poor, defenseless child.

"No! Stop hurting me!" The boy curled up and prayed the pain would end.

The man kicked the boy once more to hear another agonizing scream. However, this scream would not be met by someone who would rescue him. No one ever came to help him and no one ever will.

The man drug the boy by white hair through the hall and threw him down the stairs. A boy screamed as he hit the cement floor below hard below him. The poor child whimpered and cried in agony. Blood dripped from his head to the hands and onto the floor. His body was beaten and battered. He did not want to live anymore.

"Come here, my dear child…" a soothing, quiet voice called out to him.

The boy recognized the voice, but was in shock because it was not one that he has heard in several months, "Mother…?"

"Yes, sweetheart…" the woman coughed, "It's me…"

The boy scrambled as best as he could to find his mother in the darkness. He was terrified of the dark, but he was more terrified of that abusive man: his father.

"Mother!" The boy shrieked as he crawled across the floor, "Where are you?"

"By the steps, my dear child…" His mother continued to cough.

Once he found her, he curled up on her lap and bawled, "Why does he do such terrible things to us, mother?"

"I do not know my dear child…" His mother rubbed her child in a comforting way and spoke in a reassuring tone, "But do not fear my child… I see a bright future ahead of you; one that does not involve me or your father."

"But mother…" he sobbed, "I love you…"

"I love you too, Gale…" his mother coughed harder. She heaved up blood and it soiled through Gale's clothing.

"Mother…?" Gale asked, "Mother… what's wrong!?"

No response.

"Mother! Mother answer me!" Gale cried harder. He placed a hand on her heart. Nothing. "No… no… you can't do this to me! MOTHER!"

XXXXX

Three weeks later, after his mother was buried, Gale vowed to avenge his mother's death, even if it meant that he would have to kill his own father.

"Get down here boy!" A drunken voice called up to Gale.

Without an answer, Gale ran down the stairs and into the room where his father was.

"Get me another keg, boy, "His father threw some coins at his feet, "and another gal too." He gave Gale an evil smirk.

"Yes… sir.." Gale mumbled and ran out the door.

He walked through the alley ways to find a wench that his father would like. As if Gale's prayers were answered, a serving girl dressed in red stumbled out from a home. She was a fat brunette with dark blue eye-shadow and bright red lipstick.

"You suck my tittie, sweetie?" The revolting women pinched Gale's cheek.

"Follow me…" Gale deadpanned.

The chackling harlot followed him obediently while Gale picked up a keg of British Navy Rum.

"Aren't you a little too young to be drinking, sugar?" The wench teased Gale and played with his hair.

"It's not for me…" Gale sighed and grabbed the woman's arm. He led her the remaining of the way home and threw her towards his father.

"You're late…" his father snapped and took the keg from his shoulder. His father forced the harlot into his room and Gale ran upstairs.

Gale pitied the woman because not only was his father going to rape her, but then he was going to kill her.

XXXXX

The next morning, Gale walked out to the river and disposed of the body. He walked as the body traveled downstream and out of site. He then walked along the edge, further upstream, and took off his sandals. Gale waded in the water and cleansed his body and hair of the girl's bloody remains. He stared at the blood that was rinsing off of his hands and watched it snake through the river bends. He wished he could do what the blood did: disappear.

"Excuse me, young lad!" A gentleman called out from behind Gale.

Gale spun around and froze at the man wearing a purple cloak and black clothing. How much did he see!?

"Would you be so kind and escort me to the nearest town? It seems that I may have lost my way!" The man politely asked Gale.

Cautiously, Gale approached the man. He saw that the man had a polite smile and was clean shaven. He had deep chocolate eyes and auburn colored hair. The man wore a multitude of heavy trinkets and supported only one small black travel bag.

Without saying a word, Gale nodded and headed towards town. For some reason, this man made Gale feel at ease, and for once, happy.

XXXXX

"WHAT DID HE SEE!?" Gale's father screamed at him as soon as Gale walked through the door.

"Did who see?" Gale asked. Suddenly, Gale was punched in the face, on the bridge of his nose, by his father.

"Don't be smart with me, boy!" Gale's vision was hazy from the punch, but he could see that his father walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glistening, silver object.

Gale's eyes grew wide and he scrambled up the steps. He flung himself in his room and hid in a corner.

"You know you can't hide from me boy…" His father's heavy footsteps stood right outside out his door.

Sadly, Gale knew that his father was right: Gale couldn't hide because his father would always be there to haunt him.

"Now…" Gale's father twirled the knife between his fingertips, "Since your eyes aren't working properly… why do you even need them?"

Gale's heart quickened and face paled, "No… No… NOOOO!" Gale screamed and suddenly, the sight in his right eye was gone.

XXXXX

"Wake up child…" a comforting voice called to Gale.

"Mother…?" Gale groaned painfully.

"No child, my name is Charles and you are under my care now."

Gale's eyes fluttered opened and he stared out in front of him. Where am I?

Gale was in a room full of books and intricate designs. He looked down and noticed that his clothes were not of the brown, dirty rags that he wore at home, but the clothes he wore were of a white linen that was two sizes too big for him. He also noticed that the blankets the covered him were of a royal violet silk.

"Where am I?" Gale asked his question aloud this time.

"You are at my school, a school of magic, and this, my dear child, is be your room." Charles smiled.

It's the man from before. "How did I get here?" Gale touched his right cheek and felt a cloth covering over his eye, "My eye! What happened to me!?"

"That man…" Charles stood up and walked over to a bookshelf, "He took the gift of sight from your right eye, and if I wouldn't have barged in at the time I did, he would have took your left eye too."

"My father…" Gale whispered, and then spoke up, "What did you do with him?"

"I bought you from him…" Charles' voice grew dark as he aimlessly looked at the spines of the books, "You will never have to hear from him again."

"You bought me!?" Gale yelled and felt a tear slide down his left cheek, "Why?!"

Charles picked up a book and walked back over to Gale's bed, "Because I see a bright future ahead of you child, and if it pleases you, I would like for you to become my apprentice."

My mother spoke those words to me… Gale grew quiet and watched Charles put the book at the edge of his bed, "I don't know any magic though."

"Don't you worry child," Charles wiped away Gale's stray tear, "I will teach you everything that I know."

Gale thought for a moment and then willingly agreed. Gale knew that there would be nothing for him if he went back home and he also knew that he wanted to learn what was with this man, Charles, to make him feel happy.

Charles smiled and walked away from Gale. He headed towards the door and stopped before leaving. "What is your name child?"

"Gale…" he spoke softly, "my name is Gale…"

"Gale…" Charles said with a smile in his voice. He then chuckled, "Read page 182." Charles then left Gale in silence.

Gale picked up the book and glanced at the title. The meanings of names? Gale flipped opened to page 182 and read, "Gale- happy, joyful, and cheerful."

Author's Note: I will be only updating this story per every few or so reviews. So if you like it, please review! If you have any great ideas or memories that Anna and Gale should share, just let me know (either through a review or a PM)! I will give credit to where credit is due! Also, another point I should bring up, this story does not have a set chronological order, mostly because they are memories.*SPOILER ALERT* Some memories that will be mentioned in here, will appear in "Star Light, Star Bright", but I will not publish those until they have appeared in Anna's story. =) Thank you for reading and your support! REMEMBER! PLEASE REVIEW!