A/N: Wow, it's been such a long time since I've written anything for this fandom. To be honest, I feel a little guilty…oops, I guess? Anyway, I'm here to bring you 'The A to Z of Jibral Castle'! A few things before you start to read: these one-shots shall be set in the game, not the anime. The anime, on the whole, was a major let down for me. You can guess why; after all, Zola was my favourite character. The other thing; the pairing for these one-shots is going to be Zola/King Jibral. Just putting it out there if you hadn't read the summary. Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 1 - Abandoned

Even in the beginning, she had always felt so alone.

Her life was nothing special; she was just another soul trapped in the cruel wheels of fate. She wasn't rich, she wasn't poor. She grew up like any other normal child would. She had studied and trained hard in the hopes that someday someone would notice her. But no one ever had. Not even for a second.

Maybe it was this harsh truth, or the sudden tragic deaths of both her parents, that persuaded her to join the army. These milestones in her life had planted the seeds of bitterness in her heart, and with every soldier she saw die on the battlefield, those seeds grew. With every life that she had taken by her sword, those seeds were fed; fed and nurtured until only the tangled overgrown mess that was her heart remained.

In truth, it terrified her. She had worked her way up the ranks, and after many years of training and killing, she had reached the top. But now she was there, she asked herself:

"Was it worth it?"

She tried to forget; forget her parents who died so suddenly that fateful summer's night. Forget her friends who she had watched die before her very eyes. Forget the countless lives that she had taken in cold-blood. But even she wasn't that heartless.

They came to her every single night; came and tortured her until she felt as if her head was going to burst. They did nothing but watch as she tossed and turned in her sleep; a look of pure terror on her face as they invaded her dreams.

And then the screaming would start; the calling of her father and mother, of her friends and fellow soldiers. Her lonely bitter cries echoed throughout the night; morphing around her like some horrid piece of cloth wrapped around a tree branch.

Before her nightmares forced her awake, she would always say the same thing; the same words that continuously tugged at the tangled vines of her heart.

"Why did you abandon me?"

For many months she endured the strain. She never complained; she was a soldier, she wasn't permitted to complain, or even voice her opinions for that matter. She couldn't allow herself to fall victim to the enemy due to her weakness. She was nothing more than a mercenary; a sacrificial pawn used in the bitter fights between countries for power.

But it was then, in one of those many fights, that she truly saw the destruction she had caused.

It had been a simple mission; destroy a small village on the outskirts of enemy territory, leaving no survivors. Others frowned upon this job, but she didn't mind; she was exceptionally good at keeping her emotions at bay when working.

They had raided the village the very same day; her and her fellow comrades slashing down ones who weren't afraid to fight and die. Once the few had been disposed of, they set to work killing the remainder of the miniscule population that were hidden in their homes.

She had rushed into the first house she saw; a tiny building with faded light blue bricks and a roof made of straw. She didn't even need to think; her actions were instinctive. She knelt down to the ground and picked up two stones; walking over to the home and cracking the two against each other. Soon, she had lit a flame, and the fire lapped hungrily at the roof; slowly burning the home and the people in it. She braced herself, and kicked open the door; not wasting her time to bury her sword into a young woman who had run towards her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what the woman had been trying to protect; a young boy was curled up in the corner of his home.

She walked up to him slowly; raising her sword above her head and narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. The boy looked up at her, and her soldier-like persona had fallen for the shortest of seconds.

The way the boy had looked at her; there was no fear in his eyes. And the way his bright blue gaze pierced her own; it was as if he was trying to speak to her. Doubt began to cloud her mind, and her features softened ever so slightly.

And then she buried her sword deep into his chest; stabbing through his heart and killing him instantly.

Sadness filled her heart as she withdrew her blade; wiping the blood off of it and exiting the home swiftly; doing nothing but listen to the sound of the burning building collapsing behind her. She had never wanted to take a child's life, but she had no choice. She was just following orders.

She and her team had returned to base soon afterwards, only to be thrown into the midst of another battle. The remainder of the rebels from the village had somehow escaped, and were facing off against them. She struck without mercy; not even giving the men a second thought as she slit their throats.

The chaos that ensued was catastrophic.

It was then, in the aftermath of the battle, that her true nature was really revealed.

She was standing amidst the chaos; her chest heaving as she pulled her sword from another of her victims when, out of her peripheral, she saw a shadow move. She turned and struck; slicing through skin, muscle and bone as she connected with her enemy. He let out a groan, and fell to his knees; clutching at the sharp blade of her sword; desperately trying to yank the weapon out of his body.

It was then that she made the fatal mistake of looking into his eyes.

Realisation hit her like a bomb as she absentmindedly dug the sword deeper into his body. That face; those eyes. They…were the same.

A wave of ice cold shame crashed down upon her as she realised the extent of what she had done. Her entire body began to shake from the shock, and pained gasps wracked her frame.

"I'm sorry," she whispered; her eyes widening in horror as she realised that her target was already dead. Suddenly disgusted with herself, she lurched away from the body; leaving her sword embedded in his skin. Her exhales brought with them proof of her horror; for the screams that echoed the area were dripping with fear.

Her heart ached so much; why? Why had she done that? Taken away not only the man's life, but his wife and child's as well? Taken them away and crushed them into tiny pieces with no hope of repair?

Without a second thought, she departed from the battlefield; not returning to her post like she had been ordered. No. Instead, she made her way into the forests; desperate to be rid of the scent of death. She knew that she would have been reported as Missing In Action by now, but honestly, she couldn't care less anymore. She just wanted to be away from the people that reminded her of her actions.

Even in the beginning, she had always felt so alone.

Yet now, as she stood at his side; debating on the right path to take to better their kingdom, she barely remembered the feeling. She idly pondered to herself what had made that feeling disappear. She didn't have to think too hard to figure it out.

The one who had taken away all that hurt; taken it away and replaced it with feelings of love and longing. The one who had welcomed her into his kingdom with open arms. The one who had admired her skill and her beauty from afar, and had helped her slowly untangle those vines of her heart. The one who had never even thought of abandoning her. Even the people around her knew. After all, they all served him.

With him by her side, she never felt alone.

~Fallen~