Disclaimer: The characters come from Final Fantasy, owned by Square Enix, not me. Inspiration comes from the fabulous Song of the Lioness Quartet by the equally fabulous Tamora Pierce. I LOVE HER WORK.

Author's Notes: For those of you who don't know, Arc is one of the characters from Final Fantasy 3. Not 6, but 3, on the Nintendo D.S. He's so cute, look him up! This story is really a cross-over, featuring characters from as many Final Fantasies as I can squeeze in.


Summary:

Two twins, locked into paths not of their choosing, will take their fates into their own hands, and in doing so, change their world forever.

When her home was attacked by raiders, young Aeris of Shiva's Valley never felt so helpless and useless. Due to be sent off to Gaia's Garden, Seminary for the Training of Young Ladies, while her twin brother Arc is to be sent to page training, Aeris feels trapped in a future she doesn't want. She and Arc conspire with their nursemaid Elmyra, and their guardian Vincent, so Arc is sent to the City of the Cetra to study magic, and Aeris, taking the name Aeric, disguises herself as a boy and takes Arc's place in page training. But when bullies, tough training masters, and Aeris's own body gain up on her, will Aeris be able to keep up her façade, and her spirits, long enough to survive page training?

Prologue:

There was a pleasant spring breeze in the air, warm and caressing, and it made the wildflowers and long blades of grass bend and flow. Two children wandered in the long grasses, hand in hand, picking flowers and talking quietly together. Though one was a boy and the other a girl, their appearances were similar enough for people to accurately guess that they were twins. They both had brown hair with cinnamon and honey highlights. They both had button noses, stern chins, high cheekbones, and pouty lips. Their biggest difference was found in their eyes. Arc, the boy, had a dreamer's hazel eyes with golden tones. Aeris, the girl, had eyes of stunning emerald.

Aeris paused in front of a vibrant orange tiger lily, and Arc, his hand clasped in hers, stopped with her. Aeris stared at the flower, seemingly mesmerized in the way it bobbed and weaved. Arc watched her face, knowing she was about to say something.

"I can't believe today is our last day together," she finally said, her voice tight as she resisted the urge to cry.

"I know." Arc replied, turning to face her. "We've always been together, from the womb to the cradle. I guess I always allowed myself to hope it would be to the grave, too."

"Ten years." Aeris said. "We've never even spent a night apart in ten years. A proper lady's training takes six years, a page's four. But by the time I'm finished in Gaia's Garden you'll be a squire, assigned to a knight."

"Don't remind me." Arc said, making a face. Arc was a shy boy who would choose a book over a sword any day. He was laughable with a bow, horrible with a sword, barely passable with a staff. And he was allergic to chocobo down. He was one of the lucky few to be Gifted in Omnimagic, meaning he was capable of every type of magic. His dream was to go to the City of the Cetra, the magic capital of the world, and study to be a sage.

"Like lady training will be any better." Aeris laughed bitterly. Aeris had a Gift of Healing Magic, which was deemed lady like and she would be trained to use it. However, Aeris was afraid of her magic, and didn't want to use it. She also had no interest in dancing, sewing, or husband hunting. She wouldn't mind the gardening or singing, but that wasn't enough, not nearly enough, to make up for the rest.

"I want to stay here, at the manor, to take care of Papa," she continued in a small voice, and Arc wrapped his arms around her in comfort. Since their mother had died in childbed, delivering the two of them, their father had lost his will to live. He left the rearing of his children to his housekeeper, Elmyra, and their protection to his man-at-arms, Vincent Valentine.

Lord Gast of Shiva's Valley had once been a robust man, fond of chocobo riding, and desperately in love with his beautiful Lady, Ifalna. Now his was sallow skinned and underfed, with thinning hair and a perpetual scowl. He buried himself in musty tomes rather than face the present, and if it wasn't for the constant needling from Elmyra, he wouldn't eat, sleep, or shave.

"There you two are!" came a shout from the edge of the clearing. Aeris and Arc gave each other guilty looks before turning to face their guardian, Vincent. He sat on the back of his formidable black chocobo, Maelstrom, his crimson eyes glaring at them, a sight to chill the hearts of grown men, let alone two heartsick ten year olds.

"How dare you put me to sleep with your Gift, Arc? How could the two of you be so stupid as to come up here, so far from the manor? Now that the snows have melted the passes to the Northern Crater raiders could come at any day. You two are the heirs to a fief of the kingdom, and you're out here unprotected. I've never been so disappointed." Vincent said, his tone low and matter-of-fact. The children would have felt better if he'd yelled.

Before Aeris and Arc could answer, the warning bells of Fief Shiva's Valley began to sound the alarm. Aeris and Arc clung to each other in fear. The bells rang the warning for raiders, as if Vincent had summoned them with his words. Vincent turned back to the south, where the fief was, facing a hard decision.

The raiders were already at the town, perhaps the manor itself. If Vincent brought the children back, he'd be taking them into danger. However, the raiders obviously came from the north, and if more came, or those in the fief retreated, there was no way he could protect the children out here in the middle of a field.

"Come you two," he said, urging his mount over to them. "We've got to get you somewhere safe." Aeris and Arc didn't dare disobey him, and hurried over to the chocobo. Vincent reached down and grabbed Aeris's hand, pulling her up while Arc helped lift her. Then Vincent and Aeris both grabbed one of Arc's arms and pulled him up behind Aeris.

"Hang on." Vincent ordered, nodding grimly as Aeris wrapped her arms around his waist and Arc sneezed. Vincent kicked his feet into Maelstrom's sides, making him wark loudly and tear off towards the fief. He decided to take the children to an abandoned store house on the edge of the fields, where he could hide them and head back to the fighting and help the other men-at-arms.

He reached the storehouse and hopped down, lifting first Aeris then Arc down off of Maelstrom. Arc sneezed again.

"Get inside." Vincent said, opening the door to the storehouse and ushering them in. He looked around and quickly discovered a pair of old pitchforks. He handed one to each child. "Stay hidden, make no noise, and if anyone comes, use these and your Gifts to fend them off. I am heading back to the manor to help the other soldiers. I'll come back for you when it's all over." Vincent said, going back to Maelstrom.

"Vincent! Don't leave us!" Arc cried, running back outside.

"You start your page training in a week Arc." Vincent responded as he remounted Maelstrom. "We leave tomorrow. It's time you faced that fact." Vincent's voice softened and he gave the boy a rare smile. "I've taught you and your sister well Arc. I know you don't believe that, but I know it to be true. Now get back inside."

Arc reluctantly backed into the storehouse, and Vincent shut the door. He then shouted a command to Maelstrom and they were off, racing back to the fief in all haste. Arc returned to Aeris's side and they hid behind a few old bales of hay. Arc opened his palm and a tiny burgundy fire burst into life there.

"Arc!" Aeris hissed quietly. "Vincent told us to stay hidden! You shouldn't be making magical fire!"

"The raiders are all ready in the fief itself. Nothing will happen to us here." Arc replied. Aeris shook her head sadly then leaned it on her brother's shoulder. He transferred the flame to his other hand so he could wrap his arm around her. The two sat in silence for over an hour, listening to the warning bells and hoping that their friends and family would be alright.

They had dozed off when they heard the telltale wark of a chocobo and Arc leapt up.

"Vincent!" he shouted, peeking his head out of a broken window.

"Arc!" Aeris called to him, even more alarmed than when he'd made flame. "It might not be Vincent! Get down!" She crawled over to him, tugging on the back of his jacket. He fell down with a thud.

"'Ey Gustav! Did ya hear anything comin' from that shed over there?" a gruff voice asked from outside. Chocobo harnesses creaked as chocobos were pulled to a halt, and Aeris gave Arc her best 'I told you so' look.

"Dunno Leazles. D'you think we should check it out? Might be sumthin' of value in there." another voice, apparently Gustav's, answered.

"I doubt it, worth a shot though." the first voice said.

"We shouldn't wait." a female voice replied in a cold tone. "My brother will be waiting for us."

"Aww Miluda, ye always spoil all our fun." Gustav whined.

"Fine, you stay to investigate, but the rest of us ride on." was Miluda's reply, then she 'hupped' to her chocobo and Aeris and Arc heard the sound of retreating chocobos. They also heard, to their horror, someone dismount and walk towards their hideout.

Aeris and Arc ducked down behind their hay barrels and tried not to breathe. They heard the door swing open on its creaky hinges and a heavy pair of boots thump around. The raider Gustav examined all the old farming equipment, breathing heavily through his nose as he did so.

"Useless junk." he finally muttered, and he headed back to the door. It was then that Arc sneezed. "What the…" Gustav asked, walking back over to the bales of hay. He knocked the top one over with his sword and saw the two children huddled there.

"Bratlings." he said as he grinned down at them with a mouth full of broken, rotting teeth. He hauled Arc up by his collar, as if he weighed nothing, and looked him over. "Wealthy bratlings. Probably the offings of his lordship back there. You two'll fetch a nice ransom."

"Arc! Do something!" Aeris called. "Use your gift!" But Arc was too afraid, too afraid to call up any of his Gifts. He dropped the pitchfork he'd been clinging to, as Gustav reached down for Aeris.

"Hehe, pretty little things. Maybe we'll keep ye. Some men like pretty little things like you." Gustav said, grinning lustily down at Aeris. Her green eyes narrowned and she brought up her pitchfork, hitting him upside the head. He dropped Arc with a scream and brandished his sword at her.

"Little bitch! I'll teach ye to hit your betters!" he screamed, swinging his sword at her. Aeris blocked with the handle of the pitchfork and brought the fork up, scoring his face. Gustav howled in pain and kicked Arc out of his way, swinging at Aeris again. She backed up until her back was against the wall, holding the pitchfork in front of her like a staff in the defensive position. Gustav hacked at it, sheering the fork off. Aeris swung for his knees but he parried with his sword and reached down to grab her with a dirty hand.

"Game's up Girlie." he said, and then he fell down at her feet. Aeris looked at him and was shocked to see a crossbow bolt sticking in his back. Aeris looked up to see Vincent in the doorway, his trusty crossbow in his hands and his expression unreadable. Arc and Aeris ran to him, hugging him around the middle. He knelt down to hug them back and then looked them in the eyes.

"Are you two alright?" he asked. When the children nodded he lifted each of them back onto Maelstrom and headed back towards the fief.

"How bad is it?" Aeris asked as Arc sneezed dejectedly. Vincent didn't answer, and the rest of the trip back was silent save for Arc's occasional sneezes.

As they rode back into the village Aeris could not believe her eyes. The thatched roofs of some of the houses were smoldering. A few of the houses were destroyed beyond any repair. Cows, pigs, and goats milled around aimlessly, though in far fewer numbers than the fief actually owned. Chickens pecked around and got under people's feet.

The worst sight, however, was the sight of the bodies lining the street. Anyone with healing magic was running around, checking each body, and some of them were being covered with white sheets. There was Mora, the pretty little miller's daughter, a terrible gash on her neck. There was Luzzo, one of the men-at-arms, who liked to give all the children in the village piggy-back rides, with his head placed on his stomach. There was Rinoa, the village beauty, with an ugly slash marring her features.

Aeris suddenly thought of something horrible. "Elmyra! Papa!" she screamed, jumping off the chocobo's back and running towards the manor.

"Aeris!" Vincent called, swearing quietly and urging the chocobo to follow her. But the streets were too crowded, and Aeris ran like one possessed. She flew up the steps of the manor house, screaming for Elmyra and Papa the entire time. She found her Lord Gast in a heap at the foot of main stairs. He'd been run through.

"Papa…" she cried softly, turning him over so she could face him. Putting her fingers on his lips she could feel he was feel he was still breathing. She rolled back her sleeves and pressed her hands to his wounds as his eyes flew open.

"Don't!" he hissed, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from him. "You know how I despise magic. If it couldn't save your mother, it won't save me." he growled.

"But Papa… what will we do without you?" she asked as Arc and Vincent hurried to her side.

"Grow up to be a fine lady and knight. There is nothing I could have done to help you along with that. I haven't been a good father. My…" he stopped, his voice growing weaker. "my heart died with your mother. Now my soul gets to join her. My… my children… I do love you…" he gasped again, coughing blood. "Ifalna… forgive me…" he choked out, and then he was gone.

Elmyra hurried in from another room, her hands bloody from healing others.

"Milord Gast! Oh no!" she cried. Aeris threw herself on top of her father's body, weeping violently. Elmyra gently pried her away, pulling her and Arc into a fierce hug. As Vincent gently reached over to close his lord's eyes Aeris buried her face into Elmyra's skirts and vowed to herself. Never again. Never again will I stand by and do nothing. Never again will I be helpless to defend myself and others. I will take Arc's place in page's training, and he must go to the City of the Cetra to learn to control his Gifts.


Thanks for reading! Please review! And if you like the premis, go ahead and look up the source, mentioned above. It is obviously tweaked, but I read the Song of the Lioness, FOUR BOOKS, in TWO days. It's that good.