The Double Edged Sword, a tales of the abyss fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss… But if I did, you'd be sure that Guy and Natalia would be the main characters and… -shot- Oh well… At least I can write fan fiction, this being my second in two days; I really have to stop being inspired at random points in the game.

Spoilers if you haven't reached Yulia City yet.

The Double-edged Sword

By: Dragnotchi

Life was like a double-edged sword, Natalia had decided.

One day, you could be working towards saving your people as the slightly bewildered princess of Kimlasca, and the next; you could be thrown into a conflict with not only a villain, but also your heart. She couldn't help but love Asch, the Luke she had known when she was growing up, the very same Luke that had proposed to her, but then again… There were her other feelings…

It wasn't until the group had arrived in the Belkend Harbor that things really began to ignite, and how Natalia wished she hadn't thrown the sword up just to prove she could catch it, for when it came down, instead of the hilt she caught the blade.

It was another argument.

Anise and Jade watched from the sidelines as Guy ran off down the street, Natalia starting after him before Asch caught her arm. "Don't bother with him," he said, though the princess wrenched her arm away.

"I have to help." She insisted, taking off down the road. Asch didn't bother to follow as he watched her leave, muttering under his breath about how their quest for information kept getting interrupted.

It didn't take Natalia long to spot Guy in the crowds waiting for their boats to depart from the harbor. She stuck to the side of the road while he stayed in the center, shoving through the crowds. He never once glanced back, but somehow, she would always wish he would, just once.

Her mind flew to Asch, though she shook the thoughts of the black-clad swordsman as Guy stepped into the alleyway. No, her friend needed comforting, and Asch was far too uncaring at the moment to supply it. After all, Guy was one of her citizens as well, and she could supply comfort as princess of his country.

"Guy?" She called softly into the darkness of the alleyway. She couldn't see the form of the swordsman as she moved into the abyss-like surroundings, boxes barring a good field of view, numerous crates stacked against the walls. "Guy are you here?"

But as she moved forward, a hand caught her from behind, and as she turned around with a smile on her face, it fell as she looked upon a grimy face. Of course, that was before another man behind her hit her over the head, and she fell into darkness.

When Guy walked back down the alley later, he tripped over something on the ground. Cursing, he rubbed his head, looking at what had tripped him. A chill went down his spine as he betook it. Natalia's bow was on the ground along with her quiver; arrows scattered all over the ground.

Picking one up, Guy frowned. Natalia would never leave her arrows on the ground. It was then he saw her scarf, wedged on the edge of a fence, spots of blood on the yellow satin.

Drawing his sword, Guy picked up her bow and quiver, clipping the latter to his belt with the few remaining arrows before he followed the trail of blood spots leading farther into the alleyways that crossed behind the small harbor.

He knew that he was on the right trail when, up ahead, through the darkness and grime, he could hear a voice he knew quite well, despite the fear dripping through the words.

"I demand that you unhand me at once, do you know who I am?" Good old Natalia was at it once again, and Guy could feel a smile come to his face as he moved forward through the

"We honestly don't care," came the reply from a male as a smack rang through the alley. Guy grit his teeth as no more conversation came from around the bend.

Running as fast as he could without making a noise, he managed to turn the corner to see the unconscious form of Natalia being carried on the back of a large man before they moved into a run-down shack of a house on the side of the street.

Tightening his grip on his sword and placing Natalia's bow around his shoulders, Guy barged into the room with his shoulder, catching the thieves as they began to loot the unconscious form of the Kimlascan princess. "Stop now!" He said, getting into an offensive position as the males looked at him.

They charged, and Guy wasn't used to fighting with a bow and quiver weighing him down, nor in such close quarters. He was fencing with the little one, when the larger male rapped him smartly over the head with the hilt of his dagger.

Guy knew darkness before his body touched the floor.

"Guy…!"

The dismembered voice haunted his dreams as he chased after Natalia through the streets of the harbor, a smile on her face.

'You have to run faster than that!' she teased as she darted out of his grasp once more. Guy could feel himself grinning now as he ran after her, all fear of women forgotten at the time as he tried to embrace her.

"Wake up Guy!"

He ignored the voice as Natalia darted down an alleyway. Grinning to himself, he took a shortcut around, waiting at the end of the passageway for her to come through. He'd get her for sure this time!

But as he waited, he could swear he could hear a scream, and bounding to the entrance to the alleyway, he could see Natalia slumping to the ground, an arrow piercing her breast. He ran over to her, taking her in his arms, and feebly her hand reached up to touch his face before it dropped, the light leaving her eyes.

"Guy! Wake up!"

Something hit his face and his eyes shot open. Trying to get to his feet, he fell onto his face, his arms and legs bound with a thick rope. Looking up, he could see Natalia's concerned face hovering over his. "Are you alright Guy? You were having a nightmare."

"What'd you do to wake me?" He asked as he attempted to get to his feet. "Slap me?" The blush playing across her face was all he needed to confirm his suspicion. He didn't bother to comment as he continued trying to get up, though it was much harder than he expected - he'd never tried to sit up while bound before.

"Here, let me help," Natalia said as she pushed him up. He could feel a cold sweat break out around him, though she decided to ignore it as she helped him sit up straight.

"T-thanks." He said sheepishly, hoping she didn't see the shakes he had now. It was then that he noticed the bloody welts on her wrists, and looking at her in question, she smiled wryly.

"I couldn't stand being bound to one place… So I eventually managed to get out of the ropes."

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"I really haven't had time to think much about the pain. I was trying to untie my legs when you started having that nightmare."

Guy blushed a deep crimson as he looked around the room. Hopefully he hadn't said anything too revealing about his dreams. The room they were in was small, with a single window high up, spilling the golden rays of the sun into the small room.

He could feel hands touch his own, and he was about to shout in fear when Natalia shushed him. "You don't want them coming in," she said, before turning her attention to the bonds on his hands. Feeling queasy, Guy focused his attention on her face, or her shoes, or the window… Anywhere but where their hands were touching.

Soon the bonds fell away from his wrists, and flexing them, he smiled at the princess. "Thanks," he said, looking to the binds on his feet. A few savage tugs got the ropes off, and standing, Guy lifted his arms over his head as he stretched.

"Not going to offer any help to me?" A disgruntled Natalia asked. Chuckling sheepishly, Guy removed the bonds from around her feet.

"Any ideas on how to get out?" He asked as he helped her up. Natalia propped her chin on her hand, looking at the door with a scowl.

"I've attempted to open it, but it's latched closed on the outside. The only way we could possibly get out is if Asch, Anise, and Jade helped. I don't think that you breaking through it would be such a good idea."

Guy frowned at the mention of Asch's name, but he managed to smile for her. "I still have a bruise on my head from when I attempted that last. The big one caught my head with the hilt of his dagger."

Before he could react, she had found the bump on his head with her fingers, and using the arte heal, made his bump go down. He jumped back when she had finished. "Y-you know you could've done that without touching me!" He said, now shaking visibly. Natalia stepped forward; he took a step backward.

"You really have to get over your gynophobia, you know," she said with a frown.

"S-sorry… I can't help it."

He relaxed as she moved to an opposite corner of the room, looking quite offended. He would make it up to her later, he decided, but for now, he had to find a way to get them out of the room.

There were crates stacked against the walls, and Guy was about to open one when a racket happened from outside the door. "Get the prisoners!" One of the rouges that had taken them shouted. Natalia darted away from the door, standing next to him as he pried the lid off of the crate, holding it as though he would a sword.

"Stand back," he said grimly, knowing that if the thieves had weapons, they were done for. "I'll take care of them."

"Guy…" Before he could think, or react, she was between his arms, and placing her hands on his chest, she stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against his.

He could feel himself begin to sake, though, quite unwillingly, he was certain, one of his hands left the board, coming to rest on the back of her head as her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. It was a beautiful kiss, one that his gynophobia accepted, and his shakes died down as the voices outside the door increased in intensity.

The voices of their companions shouted out as a battle was waged, but to Guy and Natalia, nothing else was happening at that moment, and nothing in the world could ruin it. Except for Asch breaking down the door.

They jumped away from each other in an instant, Natalia reaching for the arrow in the quiver that wasn't there, and Guy taking a battle stance with his board.

"Don't stand there, let's go!" He shouted, ushering them out. Natalia ran after him as he ran out the door, and Guy followed at a trot, feeling slightly crestfallen that the magic was lost in the small room, certain to never return now that Asch had returned to the picture.

It wasn't soon after that Guy left the group.

Natalia was behind herself as she confronted Asch about letting the other swordsman go. He seemed indifferent about it, and Natalia could slowly feel her world come apart as the blade cut her hands when she caught it wrong. Asch… He was different than the Luke she remembered, and now without Guy, she felt as though her life had become even unstable.

Steeling herself, Natalia sheathed the double-edged blade, never to draw it again. She had lost both halves of her heart in that single miscalculation, and she was almost certain that she would never gain it back.

End.