Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco Bandai ltd.

Notes: I'm really worried. I had skipped school the past week because my mother forcefully took me to Egypt and now, when I have the weight of one week's undone homework on my shoulders, I decide to submit this story. I must be going crazy. Oh, and please tell me if I need to write an epilogue. I've been thinking of a small part in the end, but I'm not so sure about it and I don't have much free time lately (busy watching the walkthrough for TotA - I don't have a PS *crying*). So, the only thing I depend on now is are your thoughts. Please be nice to me !

Edit: Homework's long done, but now that I think of it, the epilogue doesn't seem so nice to me as it did before, so I most probably won't be writing it. Sorry for mentioning it in the first place XD

- Asch! Margo! Asch! Jeez, those kids… - a woman's voice rang through the hallways of the Duke's manor, making the pigeons in the garden fly off, scared. Sounds of sharp footsteps echoed under the ceiling, stopping from time to time, only to be replaced by one more call. Sometimes the steps broke into a little more frequent ones, signalling the woman's anxiety. Her long, pale hair, glistening in the warm morning sun which was going freely through the large windows, flew in the air as she was going down the long, wide stairs. The carpets seemed to soften the sounds of the heels, but it still could be heard pretty well. A loud squeak flew throughout the territory as one of the heavy wooden doors leading to the inner garden shot open. The pretty well kept garden was in charge of only one servant, who has been serving the house of Duke for many years, if not decades, but it still was a very nice place. The other garden was kept by the woman herself, filled with gorgeous selenia flowers which bloomed only on clear nights when the moon shone. The servant was there even now, buried in flowers and dirt.

- Ah, Pere, have you seen Asch or Margo? They're gone once again. – her voice was trembling lightly, giving her off, no matter how hard she tried to keep, or at least seem calm.

- Sorry, but I haven't… I'm sure they just ran off to the city and are safe and sound… - his last words hung in the air as the woman had already left, dedicated to one of the benches in the centre. As she sat down, a young redheaded man approached from the doors on the other side of the yard, a slight frown on his face. He sat next to the woman, sighing heavily as if too tired to speak and hoping to transfer the news, or better, their absence, without words.

- How it went, Luke? Do you have any clues? – apparently, she seemed to have enough energy left to still worry for the two children.

- Nothing. Their rooms are empty, the whole left wing is. And you?

- Just a load of apples disappeared from the kitchen. Well, that may explain something, I guess. – she smirked a little, a smile finally appearing on her lips. - Since it's all about apples, it's surely just a simple runaway.

- Tear, how come you know them better than I do? – Luke could only smile back on her, knowing that he had just asked a stupid question.

- Because I'm their mother, right? – her smile just became more radiant, shining alongside the sun.

At the moment somewhere in the streets, two kids were making their way down the hill to the port, slipping on the cobble-road, the rocks still wet from the night rain. An apple, the one at the top of the bunch, has been continuously falling down to the ground from the girl's grasp. Her hair was the same colour as the apples, even though, luckily, missing the Kimlasca's emblem on it. Her dark red locks barely reached the shoulders, and as she walked, they bounced slightly in tact with her steps. Her bare hands were clutching to the cargo as for dear life, obviously too big for a six year old girl to handle.

- What are you doing there, Margo? C'mon, speed up! – irritation was enough in the boy's voice to make it sound arrogant.

- But the apples are heavy… And there're lots of them… - the little girl just didn't know yet how to oppose her brother to its fullest due to the lack of experience. She basically still spent most of her time with parents while her brother not only had everyday lessons, but ran off right after they ended, sometimes even before they did. Asch has never bothered with his little sister, and never wanted to be. His short spiky light-red hair displayed his personality the best. Oh, he was sooooo hellish short-tempered and non-patient that even Tear has been having troubles with him, even though he didn't dare to oppose his own mother as frequently and aggressively as he did with others when his position was shaken. Even Luke couldn't make him brush his teeth in the evening. Tear, surprisingly, had great influence on both children, always managing to calm their arguments.

- Stop whining, you little girl! I stole them, for you, to mention, and you carry them. It's the logics, right?

It was his favourite phrase, even though even Tear couldn't understand the logics he mentioned from time to time. Of course Margo didn't get it well too. No one knew where he'd got this phrase from.

- You could carry at least one… - she was already ready to cry. Sometimes, her brother was way too mean.

He sighed a little.

- It can't be helped, right, huh? Lemme have one. – with this, he grabbed an apple from the bunch, only to bit around a half of it at once. By all means, eating an apple was much more pleasant than carrying an apple; and Margo's cargo would also be lessened. The action, though, had quite an unexpected for Asch effect.

- Hey! These are my apples!

- They're ours, if not mine, so stop screaming. It was me who stole them, right?

Let me just give you a notice that every one of Asch's lines is spoken in an irritated tone.

- Huff… *whimp* Let's go home…

- What are you saying? We're not even at the port and you already want to go back. I shouldn't have taken a kid with me after all.

A few leaves, matching by their colour with Asch's hair, fell on his head. He irritatedly shrugged them off as they were already wet and sluggy and it was surely not a nice feeling to have some organic mass on your own head. Suddenly, a small giggle escaped Margo's lips. Sometimes her brother could be very funny too after all. Asch shot a glare on her, but got a smile instead of a scared scowl. This made things totally complicated. How could someone be possibly so unaware of what came after such a glare? But as soon as he opened his mouth to start one more quarrel, he suddenly got paralyzed with what he saw inside his sister's eyes. They were just the same as Tear's.

The thing Asch adored the most about his mother was her eyes. Clear blue, shining with wisdom, comprehension and love, those which could dissipate any depression or anger with only a blink of their sapphire glow. When looking into them, it felt like soaring the sky for Asch. And the reassurance came by itself. Mother will always come and pat your head if something's wrong. If you don't understand something, she'll explain. She doesn't need much power to be better than you. That's why Asch obeyed her unquestionably and fully. Mother would always support him, that's the way it has been up till now at least. And now he saw his mother's eyes on Margo's face. That just didn't make sense.

Autumn has sure come quick this year.

Immediately, he shot his head back to its original position. He wanted to study his sister's eyes properly without her knowing about it. Only eight years old he was, little did he know it was barely possible if you're not invisible. The thing that Margo's eyes looked exactly the same as the ones he loved so much was slowly, but surely getting on his nerves. Asch only quickened his pace, trying to calm down a bit.

- C'mon, stop space-outing over there! Hurry already!

- Uuh, wait! Nii-sama! – Margo hurried as she could, pouting all the way. 'Idiot nii-sama!'

- Hey, kids over there! – a soldier was approaching them quickly. Something in his look made Margo worry. Not that she was afraid of her own soldiers, that one just didn't get under her liking category. Something was in his movements... Something scary...

- Ne, nii-sama... – she had finally caught up with Asch and tugged him weakly onto his sleeve.

- What's up again? – usually, his irritated face was enough to stop all the chase which could have appeared. It should have worked this time too, but there was a nuance that made Asch's whole body shiver. The soldier, or more exactly, knight, or even more exactly, one of the White Knights, was from the division that served house Fabre. In other words, one of Asch's own bodyguards that guarded his room. Obviously, Asch's unique "fonic arte" "Death Glare" didn't have any effect on those. The thing that confused him a little was that the knight was wearing a helmet while he knew every one of his knights by face, but that didn't quite get through his mind the current second. 'Shit, if they're sent by parents, we'll be taken back to the manor if we're caught! I've got to do something... Gotta do something... Come on, think, you thickhead!' Suddenly Asch straightened up.

- What? – the girl asked, not getting what's happening.

- If it has come down to this... then we run, Margo! C'mon, take my hand! – with this he grabbed the hold of her wrist and shot down the street like an arrow from a bow.

- Waah, apples!

- Forget 'bout that, just run!

Margo looked at her brother with those big eyes she used to do when parents were doing something strange and out of her understanding, like those heated kisses Luke and Tear shared a few times while not noticing their kid in the room. At moments like those, Asch usually took her to her room and went stray again. The thing going on now she understood just as well as those times, in other words: it was strange, new, exciting, interesting and scary at the same time. No one dared to interfere into the kids' rush under the danger of being blown out from the way, some of the bypassers shook their heads and some just smiled. A few other kids tried to join them in futile try to escape the parents' tight hand. The wind blew in Margo's face and back, waving her short dark-red hair around, her cream and blue dress flapped like flags in the morning, feet barely reaching the ground. It almost seemed like she was flying, pulled by Asch who ran with all his might. It was scary for sure, but... She had to admit it, it was great fun.

- Elevator! Wait! – Asch's panicking shout filled the air, making the group of citizens in the elevator flinch. One of them only shrugged his shoulders as the elevator started to move down. The boy cursed aloud, only speeding up.

- C'mon, Margo, we'll do it!

And then he jumped. Over the border. Into the elevator, lucky the people there were to free some space. With an astonishing 'thump', he landed right onto the centre with both of his feet, leaving a small sagging in the metal. But his 'coolness' that could be seen in the boy a moment ago, dissipated as soon as Margo flew from behind, pulling him down with her weigh and the impact. He was a fool to not let go of his sister's hand. The next second Asch was buried into the metal floor with his face. Cursing, he rose up, a strain of blood finding its way to his mouth, and turned around to make sure she was looking into his eyes while making the scariest face he could. But then his anger just disappeared: she was looking into his eyes just like that time, making everything sap away for a moment. Even though it all vanished the moment she blinked, the prince just couldn't be angry anymore. And so, when she began laughing, he couldn't help but smile. There was something in his sister that made him relax... Just like in his mother. And running around was fun after all.

Margo couldn't stop laughing. She tried to stop a few times, but the sound still spit through her, starting trembles and giggles again in her body. And then, she saw something unbelievable: Asch was smiling. Truly and honestly smiling, not like on those boring receptions the royal family and not only them held from time. To say she was awed was to say nothing.

- Wahaa! Nii-sama is smiling!

- What? Something wrong with that? Shut up already! Jeez...

That little idyll didn't last long, though. The first thing the two kids saw as soon as the doors of the elevator opened were two soldiers standing right in front of them. For a second, each of the sides stared at each other. Then Asch sighed wearily, standing up and soothing his clothes.

- There's no helping it, huh? C'mon, stand up, Margo.

- Wise decision, kids. Now come with us. – one of the soldiers grabbed Asch's hand and pulled him forward, out of the elevator and down the street. – You better get your portion for stealing old Nera's apples.

- What do you mean, 'stealing old Nera's apples'? We took them at our own home!

- Apples? The ones nii-sama stole? Who's old Nera?

Asch gritted his teeth. She just had to say it right now, hadn't she? What a pain... It all seemed like one big misunderstanding, but thanks to Margo, they wouldn't be listened to any more.

- Oh, girl, you come too, since you're this one's sister. If your parents are somewhere in the city, they'll come to pick you up.

Asch simply moved his legs, thinking brainboilingly about how to escape this problem. He twitched at the 'parents' word, but then came to realise that it would be better to spend some time with soldiers than being scolded by Tear.

She usually magically let by all his tricks, escapes and aggression. All she did was smile and say that 'he'll be out of this age someday'. She even calmed down Luke and everyone in the palace and then went to Margo's place. He often heard how they sang those hymns together; sometimes it was only mother's voice. When he heard it, he closed his eyes and just listened, melting in this sacred sound. The only bad thing about it was that when Margo began howling, it suddenly became irresistible to run away and hide his head into a pillow or two. Dad only laughed when Asch did it, but little he knew about the difference between mother and Margo's voices, or so Asch himself thought. But as long as mother sang, it was enough for him to bear even with his sister and his whole crazy family. Even though it wasn't something blood-related in case with the high-pitched-voiced aunt's family, it was taken as usual by him that they were one big family after all. And he never questioned himself whether he should count them as family or not; it was the way he was raised after all.

- So, you sit here until your parents come or until your charge time ends, got it?

- Tche.

In the end, after being dragged around the half of the city, made apologise in front of old Nera who, when asked whether it were really Asch and Margo who stole her apples, only said that she couldn't see the faces well, being laughed at by a few not so nice people and humiliated to the ends, both royal-blooded walking problems were put into jail with no hesitation or name-asking. The cell was cold, wet and the conditions inside didn't differ much from the street. Margo has been sneezing frequently, given that the stone didn't give off much warmth. A few timid attempts to find some at Asch's side were stopped dead in tracks by Asch himself, even though he also didn't feel nice. Currently, he has been trying to get something useful out of the soldiers' talk or even from the soldiers themselves, failing considerably at understanding even half of their word which were way too far from the language spoken on the upper levels of Baticul.

- So, waddya gonna do to the brats? Leave them rot down there?

- Nah, I dunno. Just forget the case. Got beer?

- Got, captain!

- Good. You'll be promoted soon at this rate.

- Dat's great, captain!

- Okay, let's go wreck the downs, gotta get some from the ship.

At last, only one soldier was left there to guard the kids, who was drunk and was nearly sleeping. That's when Asch decided to act. With a swift hit to the back of the soldier's neck which sent him unconscious, the prince, with some help on Margo's side, grabbed the keys and finally got out of the cell. His sword, though, was taken by the captain, considered as 'not a child's toy'. The sword was good, new and was Luke's present on Asch's 8th birthday. He really didn't want to think about the moment father gets to know about this.

- Margo, search for my sword.

- Eh?

- C'mon, I saw it, that commander didn't take it with him! It's somewhere here and we must find it.

Stone blocks, dusty corners, spiders' webs, full, empty and broken bottles with a really disgusting smell, strange wooden boxes, tables, chairs and even dead drunk soldiers. They searched through the whole room, only to find the sword hanging on the wall next to the cell's door.

A few minutes later they were already walking in the street, happy as never to feel fresh air again. The leaves under their feet ate all the sound that could have possibly appeared, stocked in extremely thick bunches. Margo couldn't help running into those which were already cleaned up and toss them all around the street, finding great happiness in just seeing how they flew down bit by bit, the colour always different. Sometimes it was like Asch's hair, sometimes like Margo's, sometimes like daddy's and sometimes even like mommy's. A few times she saw bright-yellow like auntie Natalia's. After a few steps, she stopped, amazed by the leaves' dance around her, back and forth, left and right... It felt like being wrapped into colourful leaves. She was sure if she fell back now, she wouldn't get hurt. But something slipped through the leaves: a picture of a few boys hitting a smaller girl.

- Ne, nii-sama...

- What? We need to be to the port by six, what's your problem?

Instead of answering, she just pulled him to the other girl's side, trying her best to get over Asch's stubbornness with brute force which didn't boil in a six year old girl. Even pushing herself off limits, she could only move him about a metre to her goal.

- Please, nii-sama! Come there, quick!

- Why the hell should I? We're in a hurry, remember?

Only then he noticed the girl on the other side of the street.

- Please! Save her!

- Asch, remember this well. You're the Duke's son, his main heir and the secondary heir to the throne. You must put yourself as a Duke should, if you want to keep that title, if you want to remain my son. The main thing you should do is protect those who can't protect themselves. That's what the royal blood in you obliges you to do.

That time, mother's eyes sparkled really bright.

Margo nearly fell down due to the sudden lack of resistance. When she finally realised what was happening, she was already dragged down the way herself while still clinging to her brother's sleeve. Releasing it momentarily, she followed Asch quietly, a little scared of the unexpected change in his attitude, but also glad that he had listened to her words. Asch by the way was trying to figure the best way to get those brats flee. 'Death Glare' was the best and easiest option for now, but if it didn't work, he would fight, and then he doesn't care what happens to them. He's not going to hold back, at least to fulfil his promise to mother. He didn't want to think of other reasons. He didn't want to become soft. While approaching the boys, he was recalling the most irritating memories he had to give the 'Death Glare' more place to grow. The boys gulped as they got to see Asch face. By the time he looked into their eyes, he was really horrific. Even trembling, they refused to run away. He had to pay them off for this.

- Shame on me if I use the sword on you. You look like you're only good to scare girls. So I'll beat you with fists. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Without further hesitating, he dashed forward. One of them dared to punch the air – let the kids have fun. One bend and a trained fist shot with full force under the insolent one's chin. The fear on the other one's face only drove Asch mad. It has started to irritate him on its own. One turn and a leg flies to the behind of the still standing youngster's knee what made him fall helplessly onto his butt. In the end, Asch was standing over two perfectly beaten wretches, his anger calmed down only a bit by the fight.

- Let's go, Margo. We've got no time to waste.

- Nee, nii-sama, why do we need to be at the port by six?

- Because the ship sets off ten minutes past six.

- But that means we have only 15 minutes left to board... Is it alright?

- What'd you say? Hell if we got even the least bit of time! – he dashed forward, pulling his little sister after him. 'The second time for today already. Jeez...' Only now he noticed how much time they spent in the jail or dealing with those kids. When he got a moment to avert his eyes from the road under his feet on the last elevator, he looked at the clock. 18:05. They could still make it in time to the port. Only if they were to buy the tickets, then they could buy another five minutes.

- So, do you think we should go pick them up around the port? - Luke's red hair turned orange in the light from the fireplace.

- Why? They won't be able to get away anyway. Only if they decide to go by foot... But Asch certainly wouldn't stand Margo's whines in that case, so they would go back anyway.

- But still, they can surely get into even more trouble if we just leave them be.

- Just believe in Asch. He's mature enough to understand what's best in this situation.

- You say that an eight-year-old kid is mature and ask me to believe in him?

They both kept silent for a moment before Luke finally gave up.

- Okay, okay, I'll believe in him. Someday. But now let's go pick them up. He won't be able to handle tired Margo.

- I guess you're right about that. But I still think we should take them there at least once. – she bended down to hug Luke from the behind of the chair. –It's the starting place after all.

- Alright, just stop this teasing and kiss me already. – he smiled and reached out for Tear's lips, sealing all her upcoming words off.

- Sorry, we don't sell tickets to those younger than 16.

- Whaaat? – Asch screamed like the world was going down. What the hell? The port rules said nothing about it, even though he read them all through. There was no way something like that could have been added in one day. Anyhow, that sucked. Tired, he sat down onto the one of those mooring wires put alongside the pier's border, sighing heavily. Really, was there nothing to do now? He'll surely get yelled at at home, and even mother's anger could be taken on if he managed to get where he was supposed to. But now, exhausted and mentally broken, he didn't really mind if he got scolded or not. He just didn't want to move. The ship's honk sent unpleasant trembles through Asch's spine, making him shiver from cold. Only now he noticed just how cold it was already, and Margo's sneeze only confirmed his own feelings. He had nothing left to worry about anymore, had he?

- C'mon, wear this. I'll get in trouble if you catch a cold. – with this, he pulled his upper shirt off and covered his sister's shoulders. It was a warm one, with some wool under the collar. He didn't really care; all Asch now wanted was to get some rest and not be shaken by parents all the evening.

The sun was already setting, colouring the sea into its own colours, similar to autumn's. Soon the sea will freeze. Asch hoped for snow to drop soon. At least Margo would stop wasting the cleaners' work. But then again, he guessed she would just switch onto the snow for the time being.

- Margarita and Asch fon Fabre! You both are under home arrest for the next two weeks!

The Duke was really mad. Luke himself wondered where was that from, but he was seriously mad. Every time he was angry at their children, Tear just told him it was because he loved them. He knew that without her saying it, but still he couldn't help scolding those pests. He knew she was worried and angry too, but Tear somehow always managed to keep her face calm. Now, seeing how they looked at their own parents as if they were some kind of ghosts, he couldn't help but stiff the laugh. It wouldn't be good to laugh in their face right now.

- Asch gets three, for stirring up this whole thing. – Tear got into the scolding now too.

- What? – the prince looked like going to explode, though it was visible how hard he tried to keep calm in front of mother. If Tear wasn't here, he would have broke up and do something. In some way, the duchess was his short leash.

- I should take your sword for that time too, Asch. – she looked right into his green eyes. They were just like Luke's, with a hint of something more wild in them. 'He would make a great battle commander someday' He looked like he was going to cry. Tear didn't think he would actually, not in front of her. – You understand what's that for yourself, right?

Asch has been looking into his mother's eyes for quite a time already. Even so, when she was confiscating one of his most important things, there was still that great warmth within her eyes, just like always. Slowly, he undid his sword and gave it to Tear, something resembling confidence showing through his posture. She only smiled, perfectly seeing him through. It seemed he had finally understood one important thing.

Smiling, she returned to Luke's side and clutched the upper button of Margo's coat before taking her hand.

- Let's go home now, won't we?