Fomicry

"I think he is just lonely…" Duke Fabre shook his head at the information one of the maids was trying to tell him. His son was acting so strangely because he was lonely?

"A little brother or sister wouldn't hurt." The Duke scowled without answering the curious maid. She was speaking out of place and he truly wasn't in the mood. His son, Luke, had insisted he wasn't Luke anymore, but Asch. The change of name also came with a change in behavior, which went remained unexplained, even by Baticul's greatest physicians.

He quickly dismissed the maid, who was replaced by the Lady's physician. Today was a scheduled routine check-up

He had grown reclusive, and fiercely independent. Asch would lash out, and proclaim that he was alone, and would like to remain that way. His new mannerisms had even managed to fill Natalia, the King's daughter with concern.

Lady Fabre would have none of it though. She was sicker by the day, and the news of her son's behavior only broke her weak heart more. She longed for a big family, but shortly after Asch's birth, she was unable to bear another, and sometime the Duke could hear her crying about how it was her fault.

"It's my fault he is alone, isn't it?" The Lady let a tear slip, but her position to her husband's left hid her sadness from him. She wanted nothing more then her son's happiness, but her fragile health had left her unable, and although deep down she knew it wasn't her fault, she still wished she could just give her son a brother or sister.

"No dear." The Duke responded, rather angry with the events that composed his morning. "It's not our fault, but the doctor's will figure out what has caused this change, I'm sure of it."

The Lady nodded sadly, before following the physician into her chambers for her check-up. The throne room wasn't far, but the walk left her out of breath, which only deepened the frown the doctor had worn from his arrival.

Asch paced around his small room, the small seven year old appearing much older then he let on.

He was incredibly intelligent for his age, which his parent's slightly attributed to his anger, but they didn't understand what truly made him angry.

The young Fabre, who could find an explanation for everything, couldn't explain the way his dreams made him feel.

"Why is there another me out there? Why is he out there!" Asch threw himself down onto his bed, tangling his hands in the unmade comforter. His lumpy sheets hadn't been made in awhile, since he had holed himself up in his room. His parent's had told him dreams really didn't mean anything, but the way the other him would play with him until morning, and how he could sometimes still hear his voice after he had awoke still bothered him.

"Either I'm going crazy, or you are out there somewhere…" Asch would never admit, but his insistence on calling himself Asch had sparked from his doppelganger in his dreams. The look-a-like had told him a story once about the light of the sacred flame, and how the ashes of his glory were where the true power laid. He had taken the name, because he thought that maybe if he gave his friend something of his, he would come to see him when he was awake, but the look-a-like always told him there was something he needed to do before it would be possible.

"But what did he say about Fomicry? What is Fomicry?" The young Asch cursed his ignorance, a rare occurrence. He had never heard of what his companion exclaimed as the only way to ever meet him in the real world. He had also said he wouldn't be the same, but Asch didn't care. He wanted to see the one who looked like him in real life, because perhaps it would hide how lonely he really was.

There was always Natalia, but she was a princess, and had many duties to attend to, even at her young age. Asch hadn't truly made any real friends, being the son of the Duke. He wasn't supposed to fraternize with the servants, but the other nobles didn't have kids his own age. They were all quite boring as well, Asch reminded himself. At least his look-a-like would play games with him, games Asch liked, and he would talk about anything, anything Asch wanted.

He would have to ask his parent's about this Fomicry once the physician left, perhaps they would know something about it…

"Have you ever considered Fomicry, sir?" The Duke's brow furrowed at the mention of the science, but couldn't think of an outburst appropriate to properly display his distaste for the subject.

"I don't believe you have the position to suggest something of that nature." Duke Fabre had known the name of this servant at one time, but the news of his wife's declining health had truly scattered his thoughts. "Besides, that science has been used by certain companied for very ill reputable practices."

The servant bowed, and offered his apologies.

"I know you may not wish to hear it sir, but I know of a company. They created a younger brother for me and my mother after my father passed away. His caretaker also helped lessen the burden of my father's death; my brother took quite a blow to my family's finances."

The Duke knew that Fomicry could be disgusting, he had heard the reports of poorly made products and inept caretakers robbing families and causing rampage, but he had never heard of this company the servant spoke of.

"I'll discuss our options with my wife, but thank you, you are dismissed."

Duke Fabre hoped with all of his might that Asch wouldn't dive so low that they must turn to Fomicry, but the option was still in the back of his mind. "A custom made human being… Who would have guessed we would even consider this, ha."

The Lady was standing in the side door to the throne room, listening to her husband as he spoke with the servant. She wanted another child, more then anything, and Asch would defiantly appreciate someone to play with, someone his age…

"We should discuss it with Asch." Lady Fabre calmly stated as she took her seat next to her husband. "I too desire another child, but I can't have one."

"It's dishonorable though! It's like picking out a toy at a shop, and then waiting for it to be delivered. Do they even age?" The Duke was angry with his wife's calm outlook towards Fomicry, but she was right. It seemed like all Asch and her wanted was another child, and Fomicry was the only way.

"But think about it!" She exclaimed. Her desire for another child was ever growing, alongside Asch's detestable behavior change. "No one would have to know he was created using Fomicry, and you know that we can't adopt. The King wouldn't object, he knows how I yearn for another child too."

"I still think it is a bad idea. I believe we should let Luke decide. We are only in this situation because of him anyway." The Duke tried to hide to obvious annoyance at the complication's his son was causing, but everyone in the manor was aware of how the Duke was taking his son's change. Even young Asch himself was aware of his father's displeasure, but to the young boy, the boy who haunted his dreams and caused him to doubt his intelligence was more important.

"You mean Asch." The Lady corrected coolly. She herself was annoyed as well, but not with her son. Her husband's stubborn pride was what was eating away at her.

"We named him Luke, you know that. He is Luke no matter what he calls himself." The Duke frowned before summoning a servant to retrieve his son. "I still can't believe we are even considering this..."

The Lady only audibly sighed. She knew that Fomicry wasn't as disrespectful as they said it was, it just mattered what company the child was created from. There were many out there abusing the technology of the Malkuth Colonel, ravaging families for their money, or creating war machines, but without proper care, one of the created human's could easily malfunction.

As much as the Lady wished to believe it was just like adopting a child, she couldn't help but remember the cold eyes and the metallic voice a pre-made model drew her attention with. The way his appearance begged to be adopted, but the cruel treatment of his kind dictated that he would forever live alone.

Most models are customized to order, and put through strict obedience and personality programs, and the thought made the Lady's stomach turn.

'I'll never forget the sadness on that model's face…' The door to the throne room, the Duke's audience chamber with a fancy title, opened slightly and the blood red hair of her son poked through. 'Perhaps… I want another child… to spare my son the pain I saw on that model's face…'

At the mention of Fomicry, Asch's eyes instantly widened. He nodded his head furiously, wearing the first smile the Lady had seen in ages.

'And perhaps… when my sons grow older… they can prevent that kind of pain from existing…'

No more broken models… no more flawed programming… The Lady smiled and returned the hug her son had given her. The Duke said he would speak with his brother-in-law later that day about the possibility of acquiring a child through Fomicry, and if everything went well… there would be a new child in the manor within two months.

A/N: It's going to be very confusing, this is a mystery story. So keep in mind that here in Auldrant, there aren't replicas, but created human beings that companies create and sell for profit. It's very important to remember that they are created, and thus very different then you and me.

review! I've been working on an original story and I got this story while I was writing nd decided to try and get it out. Oh well. Let me know if I should continue or not!