Legami de Grazie
Rated: T for violence, swearing, and the fact that the actually game is rated T.
Pairings: None shall be decided until the Adult Phase. As such, give me feed back on what pairings you think there should be! Also, like all my stories unless the main genre is romance, the Pairing will not be the point of the fic.
Warning: Vague spoilers? Isbel/Asbel is 6 here. 11 in the Child Phase, and then, 18 in the Adult Phase. Yeah...
Disclaimer: Not Mine~ Just thought you ought to know. Ya know, so you don't sue me? I don't have any money either...
AN: Title is in Italian just because. Also, in English it means Bonds of Graces...or that's the best translation of the title. Hn. Lastly: Little kids can have wild mood swings. Remember that.
Prologue
Have to get away have to get away
Bushes rustled and twigs snap. Blood splattered the ground from an uncovered wound.
I don't want to die…
Blood stained paws thumped across undergrowth. A large wolf-like figure flee`ed between the trees.
…I have to…
The figure slipped to the ground. Paws fell to the side and the wolf like being heaved. Its breathing was slowly fading, sight darkening…
…live on…
Isbel Lhant stomped her foot. "What do you mean, I have to take etiquette lessons? ! And Dance Lessons! What about my Sword lessons?" Her father, Aston Lhant frowned down at her.
"You must learn to be a proper lady before you earn your right to the sword back. Once you do, I'll give you back your lessons."
The young girl stared blankly at her father for some time before straightening. "No." Her father froze, her mother gasped softly. Hubert Lhant, Isbel's younger brother, hid his face in his hands. He didn't want to see the fight that was to come.
"Isbel Lhant. You will do as your father tells you or else...!"
"Or else what? You're going to send me to my room? I stopped being scared of that threat a long time ago!" The man rose up.
"I will take away your right to be a Lady of the House of Lhant."
She froze. Her mother gasped once more. Hubert's hands fell from his face and he stared in open mouth shock at his father. Isbel's lips trembled and tears formed in her eyes against her will. He...would take away everything she had worked for? Everything she had truly worked for, not that stupid 'proper lady' crap?
As she stared up into her father's eyes, Isbel knew he was telling the complete truth.
Isbel stiffened in a splite econd decision.
"Fine! Fine! I'll just leave now, then you don't ever have to worry about it again!" She shoved past her father and out the front doors, tuning out her startled mother's cries.
It only took seconds for her to get pass the guards and into the forest near the town. With an angry sob she threw herself off the well-trodden path of the forest and into the overgrown tendrils of the unknown...
She was beginning to regret this.
Isbel had been in here for what felt like hours. It was dark, cold, and she was getting very hungry. But she refused to go back. She wouldn't, not ever...
Okay, maybe she would.
But only for Hubert.
The young girl hear distant calls and, without chancing them hearing her even from this distance, Isbel rushed deeper into the undergrowth. Leaves crackled under her feet and the bushes shuddered as she shoved past them. Branches scratched her legs, leaving behind lines of red criss-crossing her legs. Isbel began to slow to a stop.
She had no idea where she was.
In fact, all Isbel was certain of was that she was very far from Lhant at this point. She bit her lip and passed a clear-water spring. Oddly, the appearance of the spring niggled in the back of her head. She had a feeling she should know what and where she was. Isbel stepped up the path, overgrowth and dried leaves cracking beneath her feet as she did so.
Isbel paused at the end of the path, her mouth falling open in awe.
Before her was field of flowers. The flowers came in a large variety of colors: Reds, blues, yellows were the most common. Small dainty flowers of purple decorated the far edges and beautiful shades of orange vine flowers crawled up the trunk of the large tree that stood on the cliff's edge. But, while this was all beautiful, the thing that caught her attention in the end was a large mound of matted white fur that was stained a dark crimson.
The normally rather innocent girl had a feeling she knew exactly why the white was stained red. Even so, Isbel stepped forward. Her first steps were tentative, almost terrified, but soon she gained confidence enough to get close. Isbel stepped around the thick legs and bloodied paws, instead making her way to what she assumed was the head. The beast had a vaguely wolf-like quality to it. She tilted her head to the side before kneeling down next to it. "Um...Are you okay?"
Out of all the outcomes, she didn't expect an answer.
"Depends...on what you mean by...okay..."
With a light squeak, Isbel fell backwards and onto her behind. "E-eh? You can actually...talk?"
The beast shifted slightly. "Again...it depends on...what you mean by...'talk'..."
Isbel frowned at the creature's evasive actions. "Can't you be more...specific?" She crossed her arms and legs. "I mean..." The brunette girl coughed into her hand as she realized how rude she sounded. "Can't you tell me if you're hurt? So I can help."
"Help?" It seemed confused by the notion.
"You know." She waved her hand in the air. "Make it so you don't hurt anymore? Um...Look. If you're hurt, I bet there must be something I can do to make the pain go away?" The creature seemed to consider this...or so she thought, as it had perked its head up to observe her.
Silence cloaked the duo as they stared into each other's eyes. Finally, the creature sighed. "There is...one way...But it means...a sacrifice on your part..."
"Sac-ri-fice?" The weight of the word was similar to the way her father had always said 'responsibility,' except...It had a nicer feel to it. Perhaps because it was something she'd finally have a choice in. Isbel nodded lightly to herself. "Okay then, Mr. Lupo."(1)
If the beast was confused by his title, he didn't show it. Instead, he struggle to his paws and laid his head in her lap. "Open your heart to me."
A light, confused frown graced Isbel's lips. "What does that mean?"
He sighed. "Merely...Look into my eyes...and open up..."
She didn't quite understand, but even so, Isbel plucked Lupo's head into her arms, allowing his front paws to drop onto her lap. "Hm...okay. So I've just gotta share my feelings with you, right? That'll work...right?" Her sky blue eyes met the purple-red of the wolf-like animal when the two felt a tug. Lupo became light against her body. There was a flash and the next thing the young girl knew, it was dark.
"Isbel? Isbel, please say you're okay!"
The desperate plea made the girl groggily glared at the speaker. "Shsssh, my head hurts." Isbel paused for a second. Come to thick of it, my stomach aches too...
Hubert sniffed loudly. "I-I'm sorry, Sister, I was just really scared when you ran off like that..." The elder closed her eyes after assuring the younger that she was fine...up until the point that she realized where she was.
Isbel jerked up in place.
'Be gentle, you're still healing, Isbel.'
"Oh, Sister! You're still hurt bad, so be careful!"
'See? What did I say?'
She just blinked in confusion. Mr. Lupo? Where are you?
'In your head. When you opened your heart to me, it allowed me to seek sanctuary with you. Don't worry, I won't try anything.'
I wan't worried about that.
"Sister?" The brunette girl looked up into her brother's eyes. She sighed at the worried look in them.
Isbel leaned forward and dragged the younger into a hug. "C`mon, don't look like that! I'm fine, okay?" Hubert sniffed and sobbed before returning the hug. The two held each other, taking comfort in each other's mere existence. A light tapping knock on the door jerked the two back into reality and the siblings called for whoever it was to come in.
It was their mother, whom rushed over and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Oh thank the Heavens!" She sobbed. "I thought the worst, especially when they said you had wound on your stomach!"
Wound...?
'A Cut or Injury to a specific area where you bleed. Also, I must apologize. I did not foresee the possibility of any form of my own injury transferring over to you...'
It's fine. The girl assured both Lupo and her mother that she was perfectly fine and not about to keel over any time soon. Once she had, the rather sickly woman that was her mother let her go and allowed her to be fussed over by the doctors and nurses who arrived not long after. Briefly, Isbel wondered what exactly had happened after she had passed out, but knew she wasn't going to get the answer any time soon.
Prologue
END
A young woman stepped out into a far off clearing. She frowned lightly. "Target: Lambda...Split? Two signatures..." Her twin pig tails swayed slightly as she tipped her head towards the sky. "...Dormant Signature...Far away. Active Signature...nearby."
Thee girl turned towards the thick forest once more. "Pursuit of Dormant Signature Terminated. Beginning Pursuit of Active Signature." The young woman dashed into the greenery of trees...
(1) This guy's permanent title, given to him by Isbel. Means 'Wolf', basically, in Italian. Lupo is also similar in being to Lambda...and you'll see how and why later. Also. He is definitely not an original character.
Please let me know what you think, hm?
