Author's note: Leesa's age isn't indicated, so rather than being sixteen like hero during the main story, I'm having her be ten years old to Kiefer's eighteen years old. I do not own Dragon Quest VII!

The Truth Behind The Seal

Prologue: And So It Begins

Anise cried in pain as she felt the bond with her husband fade slowly. Something had gone terribly wrong as she feared! "Sharkeye… I'm sorry my love, it's too much to lose you too! Even as the darkness encroaches on our land, I know I cannot live knowing you are gone."

The brunette haired woman climbed out of bed in her chamber. She was the daughter of the king of the kingdom of Coastal. Dressed in her sea blue gown, a tribute to the Aqua Spirit, she made her way to the balcony of her room. A female spirit stood there, with sea blue hair, dressed in a pure white gown that flowed as if made of sea foam. "Are you… are you the Aqua Spirit?"

The female spirit nodded with a gentle smile, "I am. I have felt your pain for many days. This isn't my true appearance because many humans can't comprehend how I truly look. I have spoken with the sea king and we have found a way to ease your suffering without your children being lost as a result…"

The princess gaped, "Children? I was told it was only one!" She now felt worse for her fear of what would happen to her children if she gave up the will to live.

A male spirit formed next to the blue haired goddess, "Child, fear not. I am the Sea King. I will cocoon your children in your form while you remain in stasis for the length of the pregnancy. Once they are birthed, we will spirit them to the far future where a childless couple will raise them. They are destined to lift the darkness and free your husband who has been encased in a mystical ice by the demon lord. Once they free him, I will release you from your stasis to be able to rejoin him. Would that help you my daughter?"

The princess looked at the man; she didn't need to think about it. The pain of losing her other half had been enough. Still, it would be hard to not see her children grow up. But it would be worse, she knew, if she gave birth to them and raised them for surely one or both would bear resemblance to the man she loved. "I'll be glad for that dear Sea King."

He nodded as the Aqua Spirit waved a slim hand to encase the princess in a special foam and the trio departed to a special land beneath the water where she would sleep until at last the day would come that she could be reunited with her family.

Far into the future, childless parents Borkano and Mollie prayed in the Rainbow Cove to the Aqua Spirit for help in conceiving a child. They had tried many times to conceive, yet it never took hold for them. The island had been the only one in the entire world, surrounded by a sea of water. They had never prayed to god because being surrounded by water, it felt more appropriate to pray to an Aqua Spirit for safe trips, and for fertility.

As they did their prayer, a soft blue light began to glow from the cove blinding them until a woman with pale skin and sea blue hair appeared wearing a white dress that flowed like the sea foam. Borkano, a tall and stout man looked at the woman. "Are you the… Aqua Spirit?"

She smiled with a nod, "I am. I have been trying to help you both conceive a child for many a year. However, now – I must ask you this. I need you both to trust in me. I have two children in my care who were wished to me because the parents couldn't take care of them yet. Would you be willing to help raise them as your own?"

Mollie stood, her eyes shining, "What do you mean wished to you? The parents couldn't take care of them yet?"

The spirit nodded, "Yes, the father fell into danger and is currently suspended within ice that has yet to thaw. Because my currents are constantly moving, it is why you have never seen it Borkano. The mother fell ill because of the burden of childbirth. She will recover, but I fear if I didn't help her, the children would die because of the delicate nature of children just being born."

Mollie didn't think twice, nodding in acceptance to it immediately. "I'll do it!" She turned to her husband and gave him a pleading face, "Borkano, this is our only chance to have children. Something is wrong with me that I can't give birth I'm sure. Please my love!"

Borkano nodded, "We'll do it Aqua Spirit. Please, let us help these two children."

She smiled and waved her hand as two children emerged from the ocean, obvious that they had been kept in suspended animation with the special sea foam around it. "I have woven a series of spells with my magic. One spell is that the parents age as they do – and another that the mother will be able to see everything while she heals in her slumber. Another spell is that others will accept them without question. The last spell I wove was that both children have the birthmark that their father had. Each will have half of it so that the parents will recognize them immediately without question."

Mollie's eyes shown with both pain and understanding at the situation the parents had found themselves in. She had felt the same pain one night when Borkano went out to fish and a storm hit them. He had barely survived thanks to the drunken actions of his brother. If he had died… she might as well have died that night.

The spirit's voice drew her from her thoughts as she spoke, "I wouldn't be surprised if either child ends up hearing me, though I honestly don't know. It is the only potential backlash of my magic as my magic can only heal – never harm."

Mollie took the two children without question and smiled at them. "What are their names Aqua Spirit?"

The woman smiled as she responded, "Alistair and Airlia."