A.N.: doesn't own anything but my over active imagination!


Gailardia Galan Gardios. In this name, he shall take revenge upon Duke Fon Fabre, cold blooded murderer of his beloved family. It was his aim, his last string, anchoring him to this miserable life. It was all that was left for him: this feeling as he couldn't even remember the last moments of his family, his sister, his house hold…

For such a feat to be accomplished, and even if it meant the death of him, he would use every and any means possible. He had deeply thought about it, and his answer had come unexpectedly: from his long time friend and servant, Van.

'Revenge in the simplest form will bring you nothing but regret, if you just kill the Duke, wouldn't that actually be a blessing for him? In revenge, you have to make sure, that the culprit suffers the same fate, the same pain and sorrow, the same deep and bleeding wound he has inflicted you!' those were his words of hope.

So he had planned, with the last remains of his family's glory: Pere and Vandeldesca, his servants and friends; with them he had planned the downfall of Duke Fon Fabre. Under the guise of a poor orphan accompanied with nothing more than an elder member of his destroyed village, he had infiltrated the Kimlaskan's grand noble family. Upon his arrival he had first set sight on the apparently gentle and caring lady who taken him in without a second thought. Though, Guy had reminded himself that she was nothing more than a murderer's wife.

He met a few time with a said 'Luke' or 'Holy flame', heh, who were they expecting to kid with that stupid name anyway? But he had not been of his interest at first. Besides, even as a very small seven years old, the thing was very much on his guard.

But then, his friend and mentor reappeared, he was older, and had successfully made into the Oracle knights; he even became one of their highest members. Yet, Van had remembered him, and yet again he had counseled him: 'The lady is weak, too weak: the Duke is probably already a little prepared for her departure at any signs of worsening. However, that young Fabre, HE would be perfect: the Duke seems to have great expectations from him… in many ways' he had first said with a dark, unreadable and looming shadow over his features, like he had known a deep secret that he could not yet reveal. 'The more he improves, the more the Duke grows attached to him, and when the right time comes… His loss would truly be terrible for that man…' he had deviously whispered to him one of those days.

The young 'Guy' (as he neither wanted to use his real name, nor get rid of it entirely) had been a little scarred to go up against such a young child. But his long time friend's next sentence got rid of any of those thoughts.

'After all, the Duke DOES expect his child to become a great warlord, and exterminate more of the Malkuth defenseless families… I am after all, here to teach that young monarch to battle with the sword. Though, all the Duke really expects me to teach him is to kill people before they manage to defend…' he had explained. And Guy had blanched at the prospect: that was it, the Fon Fabre was nothing more than a family of murderers who just intended to kill people in their sleep!

So the next day, Guy Cecille had switched targets. To get closed to his goal though, he had to suck up to the lady so his duties (that really were random helping, associated with a few chores) would make him closer to the young Luke Fon Fabre. It hadn't been easy, as the lady had questioned why he wanted to be in charge of the young master's teachings. He had managed it with his (well proven) gynophobia and by explaining that he dearly wished to learn himself, and that since he was closer to the young master's age, he might be able to help him better.

Yet, the ordeal in itself had been a very load of trouble… First, Luke had asked why this meaningless servant had to be assigned to this post; of course, the Duke had to agree with his dear son. To that, the lady had managed to make it past by saying how the poor boy would never have a chance in life if he didn't get to that post, and how this would benefit Luke, to have a boy close to his age to hang around.

Second had been, the little bitch himself… Clearly he didn't trust him in the slightest. It's not like the little monster had any intention of denying it either. But then, he himself had had little self control, some times, when his memories got the better of him, he would openly glance at the Duke's son with all the murderous intent he could muster…


"Why the hell should I accept YOU, to help in my studies? You're nothing more than a lowly servant! I swear, that if, at any time, you prove to be useless in the matter; you'll be thrown out of there! So, you better be a little genius and surprise me! I shall never allow trash to help or command me!" he had haughtily said.

"Luke! Don't be so rash and mean and vulgar! I mean, you might be right to want the best, but if you act like that, how do you intend to keep our promise?" the young blond princess argued. Guy had soon learned that she would be sticking to the Fabre noble's side like glue wherever he went, though that didn't seem to truly bother him. Considering that Natalia was his little soft spot (which would have been cute if Luke hadn't been that little (to be murderer) asshole).

Not so long ago, the young servant had heard some fervent gossip about how the redhead had officially (and cutely) proposed to the princess (to which he would have been wed any way), by saying that they would change their country. For better or for worse, Gaillardia could have cared less.

"Master Luke, I AM truly conscious of the honor of that promotion, and I shall prove worthy of your trust, master." He had replied, making sure he was showing off his best innocent smile and sparkling eyes, as he remembered winning many people's hearts with it. Though, his charm must have worn off since the noble looked relatively disgusted.

"We will see how you fare with my studies in due time…" and with that he had been dismissed.


The following days were hell on manor… or whatever. The little twerp had been more than good with his studies, and Guy was sure that the brat was so earnest in his work just for the hell of annoying his 'babysitter' as the maids had so 'squeakingly' put. He really had to wonder why those maids always scarred the shit outta him with their giggles over the young Luke.

"I'll never consider you as a friend, much less a mentor! You're so stupid!" the little snot had defiantly told him as he had tried his best to look like he was truly trying to get friendly to his master.

"I… I would never dream of such a thing, master Luke…" he had sheepishly told him.

'Who the hell would even WANT to be friend with you, you little_! GAH! When the hell is he going to be grown up enough so I can strangle that little shit? No forget that! I'll gut him, then make him eat his very own intestines, then I'll spin his fucking head off and shove it up his ass; right next to that stupid imaginary stick!' he angrily thought as he fought hard not to show his true emotions on his face, which was hard, especially for him…


In the end, Luke managed to catch up to him in his lessons in Hispanian, their separate (and secret for Guy) training with the sword, being uneven in time length, had allowed Luke more space for him to study and now he was even left for the task of teaching a few things to Natalia… And as such, Guy had been dismissed from his teaching duties after only a few months. Though, for one reason or another, the young master had remained silent about his sideway murderous glances and had even proposed that Guy should still remain around his own domain.

The lady had (of course) misunderstood her son's decision and foolishly thought that her dear Luke had finally managed to make a friend. But guy thought it had more to do with the fact that, the young master wanted to keep an eye on him…

That suspicion also lead to great difficulties for Guy: he couldn't find an opening in his enemy's defense and therefore, his vengeance was postponed. It was by a few years even, and Van almost seemed exasperated with that, though Pere looked more relived by it: he didn't want his original master to dirty himself with revenge and the blood of an innocent child.


Then one day, everything changed. He thought of himself as such a weak and useless man at that time: someone else had managed to find his 'young master's' opening, or so it seemed. The household was thrown upside down to try and find the young master. But to no avail, he had indeed been kidnapped within the night, the mess in his room and in the garden being undeniable proof of the youth's tries to fight back.

For the weeks that followed, search parties were sent all over the kingdom to find the vaporized child. It was only much later, when the lady was almost ready to write her dying wishes, as her sickness had terribly worsened, that a letter from Kaitzur arrived. It stated that a child, much resembling the Duke's son, had been found in Choral Castel.

The new had been the household's ray of hope, even Guy had breathed a sigh of relief at that, though he didn't know why. Maybe because he could have his revenge himself this way… But their relief was short lived: all had soon discovered that the 'child', if it indeed was Luke, was now no more than a blank slate. He couldn't remember anything: not his parents' faces, nor speech; damn, he couldn't even walk!

But what had shocked Guy beyond all this, was the Duke's reaction. It was like the child didn't even deserve to live anymore, he would always look at the helpless ten years old with a face that screamed 'THING' or 'useless'. Lady Suzanne had been much gentler, just glad that her child was back. Nonetheless, the rules of the house had hardened: Luke would now be forbidden any sort of freedom: he would not go outside, even some rooms of the manor were deemed off-limits for him, his room was separated from the rest and would be heavily guarded.

To his horror, Guy realized that the Duke would probably send him flowers if he killed his 'disgrace of a son' now… poisonous flowers sure, but flowers nonetheless…


For some time the child was therefore left by himself, or sometimes his mother or Natalia would come to try and convince him to walk or talk. But most of the time, it was just some servants being asked to move him from one spot to another until the youth had found out that he could crawl away from them and get on his merry way.

Though the first to be bothered by the kid's new discovery just happened to be… Guy. As foolish as it sounded, the young heir had some kind of obsession with him: anytime he was given the chance he would follow him around. Of course, being on his feet, Guy could easily distance the four legged devil's beast. That was how the teen had suddenly developed sheathing skills: he would hide, he would hide well, and wait for his unsuspecting prey for fall right into his lap, and it wasn't a complete figurative way of putting it.

"GAH!" Guy screamed as 'something' suddenly sneaked around his legs and threw him to the ground.

"AH!" was his answer as the small child seemed particularly happy someone spoke his 'language' for once.

"M-master Luke? What the fu-Err- What are you doing?" he asked the smiling redhead. And Guy had to slap himself hard before the 'cute' thought had a chance to form in his head.

"HEH!" the other exclaimed happily has screams of 'master Luke' in very feminine voices began to register in the servant's mind.

"You know I can't help you to hide from those… maids…" well 'scary beasts with breasts' was more like it, but the redhead wouldn't understand that, even if his comprehension level kept rising every day.

This time his answer was a pout and the grip on his right leg tightened further. All indicated that he would not let go for a while.

Luckily, or unluckily, the maids found them. To Guy's horror they went very close to him in order to take the leech off of him.

"Ah, there you are, master Luke! Teehee, I see you're still having fun with Guy!" she said happily as she neared her charge's form. It was then that Guy snapped.

Quickly he took the child by the collar while said teen was busy barring his teeth at the maid, and together they fled.

"Damn it! Why are you doing this to me?" he said to the bundle in his arms, when he finally managed to catch his breath somewhere female free.

"Mmhn!" Luke responded as he gently rubbed his head against his servant's chin in a display of affection. And all Guy could do was let out an exasperated sigh.

"Why the hell are you doing this? I'm not even nice to you! And I don't like you!" the servant complained.

His only answer was a big smile, one, he was sure, took the whole half of the little merciless beast's face.

"Of course. You don't even understand a single shit of what I'm talking about, don't you?" he warily questioned. As expected his answer was for the grin to look ever brighter, the youth only being happy that his 'friend' was speaking to him.

"What am I gonna do now? The maids are only going to jump me alive if I get out now, but I can't just ignore their search: you'll have to go back to them y'know?" he pointed out to the little villain. Said little pest made a cute show of sudden sleepiness, giving a big yawn before curling up in the strong arms of his reassuring servant, hugging the other teen's neck contentedly.

"Right, just ignore me don't ya?" Guy sighed.

After a moment of Guy looking defeated and ignoring Luke's head rubbing against his chest like a cat asking to be petted, the young Fabre decided that whatever his blond guardian's problem was, it annoyed him! The kid didn't like to be left aside, that much he knew. Even so, the man from whom he wanted the needed attention had decided to play hard to get.

"Gah!" Luke cried, trying to get attention through making noise, which usually got to most other people.

"Stop pestering me!" Guy whined holding his left hear as the sudden noise had almost blown his eardrum.

His only answer was a wide eyed look from his 'master', the ten years old's head slightly tilted to the side.

"You can try the puppy dog eyes, but it's useless on me…" the servant deadpanned, to which the child merely pouted, which was amusing. "So you understand me now?" Guy questioned.

Of course, he received no answer. The teen merely returning at his previous activity: hugging the blond's windpipe to death.

"Aaaah! Enough!" the servant raged, pushing the boy off of him and standing up from the ground where he had slumped. No one was around to accuse him of mistreating the boy after all, so he felt free to just let the little shit on the ground.

He took a few steps away from the young redhead, turning back just to make sure he hadn't injured the kid enough for questions to be asked about it. A few bruises would probably pass for carelessness on Luke's part, as he tended to bump into many things, sometimes even getting cut, mostly from crawling in the garden.

Luke, who had landed on his back, quickly recovered to a sitting position, looking a bit disoriented. Finally, his eyes settled back on the form of his blond servant.

"Ah!" the redhead cried surprised, just a tinge of anxiety staining his voice at the sight of the other male being so far from him. He quickly got on all fours to crawl after his escaping prey. However, Guy quickly caught on and had no intention to wait for the little monster to catch up to him. He hurriedly started walking away, his long legs easily distancing him from the ten years old.

"Nah! Nnnngh! Nay! Gah!" Luke desperately tried calling out to his servant, but being unable to close their growing distance. In the end, he only managed to face plant into the hard stone floor in a desperate attempt at raising his speed.

The noise made Guy look back, and when he saw the child no longer pursuing his chase, he slowed his pace a bit, now he was barely a few steps away from the door leading outside, Luke being at the other end of the corridor, near the junction that would lead to the entrance hall.

Luke looked up, alarmed at having the blond boy so near one of those damned wood planes which only adults seemed able to operate (a door), he started to cry. Fat tears fell from his eyes as he started to wail in a very last attempt at keeping the servant from leaving him alone.

On the other hand, Guy only saw this as another reason for him to escape his current location: he didn't want to end up having to hold a crying child and explaining to scary maids and hated masters why Luke was so devastated.

His hand on the door's handle in an instant, he was already turning it when a cry from his young master froze him in place.

"GUY!" Luke cried, the tears flowing to the point the child couldn't even keep his eyes open. "Guy! Guy! Guy! Guy!" he repeated over and over again, which made said servant quickly stop his escaping action, in favor of banging his head against the door, hard.

"Damn it! Why me! Why me! I knew my lack of imagination would come back to bit me in the ass!" the youth complained as the wailing behind him persisted.

"GUY!" Luke cried once more, forcing the servant to part from the door and reach the redhead. There was no way he would be able to explain why Luke was crying alone in the house, repeating his name over and over again.

"Yeah, yeah! I heard you the first time! Damn it!" Guy complained as he crouched in front of the wailing teen.

"Guy…" the redhead still repeated as his tears finally calmed down now that the servant was so close to him. He expectantly reached out to the blond with both arms, his still wet eyes looking at his servant with unprecedented hope shining in their green depths.

Guy's eye twitched in annoyance as he couldn't resist taking the snotty thing in his arms, carrying the brat once more. Really! The child was too big for him to just carry around like a baby! Even if, he was atrociously light, which had left more than one servant to wonder about their young master's health.

"Really! What would you have done if my name had been more complicated, like… Petraowsky… or something?" the servant complained, Luke only giving him a curious look, though it was still wet with tears.

"Ow-ow?" the ten years old answered, his gaze wondering.

""Petraowsky"…" Guy repeated, finding the child trying to process such a difficult word amusing. "And don't just say "ow-ow": you sound like a dying lyger!" he joked, making the redhead in his arms puff his cheeks out in annoyance.

Finally, he decided that he should calm his young master down some more, and a little stroll sounded good enough. He walked down the long corridor back and forth a few times before going to the entrance hall, where there would be higher chances or bumping into guards or other servants, which he hadn't wanted to do with a weeping lord in his arms.

The entrance hall, however, was strangely devoid of people, except for Pere who was currently tending to the few potted flowers sitting in corners of the room. The Duke especially disliked flowers at any other place than the gardens, but lady Suzanne had managed to convince her husband to let a few around, at least so the guests could feel the warmth of their welcome, instead of just the cold and impersonal one given by the Duke's many war trophies exposed there.

"My, my! Look at you two! Making such a peaceful picture! I wish a painter could just drop by and witness this! I'm sure they'd be more than happy to immortalize this moment!" the gardener smiled contentedly as he turned to the intruding youths. The two really made a nice pair, especially when you knew about their lineages! He could just imagine: the house of Gardios and the house of Fabre, here reunited! All it lacked was a statue of Yulia blessing them and maybe a fonic hymn-

"Don't be ridiculous! Besides, a fonictographer would be a better choice if you're talking about direct impression! It was in Belkend's fontec magazine number 407… And we're NOT making any peaceful pictures!" Guy finally argued once he realized he had gotten lost in his fontec passion again, without realizing the horrendous thought that had formed in Pere's head.

"I'm sorry. Seeing him being so attached to you, and you holding him, I thought something good had happened." Pere apologized, though the idea of his old master, no longer thriving for revenge, felt much too nice to abandon so quickly.

"I'm just keeping him around to avoid problems: he started crying and saying my name, so I couldn't just let him alert the whole household." Guy deadpanned, not realizing the impact of his words.

Pere raised a dubious, but amused brow. The young master had forgotten everything, even how to walk and talk, yet the blond was saying that he had called out to "Guy", even as he still couldn't say things like "mama" or "papa"? Granted, "papa" might not come anytime soon, if ever. And the redhead teen's mother had been so sick recently, even as she had improved with her son's return, that Luke had spent more time fraternizing with the servants, or even Ramdas the butler, than receiving affection from his parents. It was kind of sad too.

The gardener observed the couple (it was too much fun to think of it that way to keep oneself from considering it), as Guy brought his charge to the Hall's exposition column. The old man's eyes surveyed as the blond stared hard at the sword, like he was trying to recharge his determination, like he forced his memories and hatred in once more. Then the blond's eyes turned back to his charge, the redhead being silent as he got more comfortable in his servant's hold.

"If you need to force it out of you… If you are no longer plagued by this hatred. Wouldn't it be better to just let those feeling be washed away? You'll only hurt yourself more in the end with this." Pere stated, he didn't want this child to taint himself with the blood of an innocent, even less an innocent child, and even lesser with the blood of an innocent child whom he had good feelings for.

"Are you saying that I should just forget it? Forget what was done? Forgive this-THIS Monster? I can't! I CAN'T! How can you even suggest it? My revenge! My hate! I hate! I HATE them all!" Guy cried, his fists clenching, his hold tightening around the child in his arms painfully, his face contorting in a terrifying expression.

"Can you really say this in the face of the child you're holding? Can you calmly just spit it in his face? Can you even grasp the whole matter?" Pere argued, something he rarely did against anyone, much less Guy, but it seemed necessary at the moment, before the blond decided on something terrible.

"I can!" Gaillardia growled back.

"Then do it. Look at him! And imagine him lying dead. His blood on your hands! His crying mother next to his lifeless body. Imagine raising your blade against him! Can you kill him when he looks at you like that?" Pere pointed out, forcing Guy to look directly into the green depths of Luke's eyes, forcing him to immerse in this trusting stare, forcing him to grasp the innocence lying there, the radiant life shining in them. And Luke just looked at him in confusion. Yet, the confusion didn't push the young Fabre away from his servant, he just looked at Guy like he was the only person in the world that mattered.

"What am I? Your mother?" Guy complained with a bitter smile as he looked at the child. The redhead even dared to look worried. Guy couldn't take it. Even less when the ten years old amnesic extended a reassuring hand towards his servant, petting the angry lines of his face as though he wanted to smooth them away, gently calling out the name he had learned to say moments ago.

Guy tried to do as Pere said. He lowered himself to the ground, Luke a bit away from him.

And he imagined.

He imagined those vibrant greens dead, he saw them dull and almost black as death glazed them over. He visualized that blood red hair sprawled in every directions, listless. He pictured this ever agitated child lying down, still; without the slightest bit of movement, as breathing no longer agitated the fragile chest. He thought of Luke covered in drying blood, blood, like his hair, blood that would stain his hands and whatever object that would have served the exaction of his revenge.

He lost himself in the vision, until Luke called out to him again, called out from those lifeless lips, those still lips, dry and pale and so very dead, lips that could never utter another word, another plea, another smile, ever again.

"GUY!" Luke called, annoyed and uncomfortable as his servant's fingers were digging painfully into his ribs, plus he was out of hugs way, which displeased the affection carving child very much.

Guy only answered by sitting his young charge's down, replacing his hands so they would squeeze the redhead's throat tightly. There would be no blood like that, no, just marks… Deep bruises shaped exactly like his own fingers, and a phantom feeling of supple soft skin under his fingertips, the feeling of taking away life, slowly, painfully.

"Gai-!" Pere began, watching sad and powerless as his ex-master exacted his revenge on the child.

"Gh!" Luke let out a dry and chocked cry, staring into the crazed blues of his servant.

"Die… Just, die!" Guy pleaded, staring into the jade eyes. "Stop looking at me like that!" he screamed, as Luke only kept on looking at his servant, they held hurt, physical hurt, and nothing more as he looked at his murderer.

In the end, Guy couldn't take it, and he just released the fragile neck, leaving the child to cough his breath back in.

Pere let out a sigh of relief, glad his master's hands didn't get tainted today. Luke just tried to get his breath back. Guy let himself slump ungracefully, looking up at the exposed sword above Luke's shaking form.

"I hate you. I really do. Why can't you just die? Can't you understand I don't want you around?" Guy accused, looking back down to the red-haired teen.

Luke flinched a little at Guy's listless stare, then shoot the servant a reproachful glare which almost filled the blond with hope. However, the reproach stayed at that, and the child was quick to just let go of his first grudge ever experienced. Guy found himself in the depths of despair once more as Luke crawled back into the blonde's waiting lap, leaning comfortably against Guy's chest as he let out a tired yawn.

"I just hate you so much…" Guy reminded the oblivious teen.

For a moment, he caressed the long red tresses, which obviously pleased the affective bundle in his lap.

Guy looked back at the sword, hanging there, above them. He imagined his father's face in place of it. Would he be disgusted? Annoyed? Displeased? Hateful? Or maybe just curious. What would he think of his indecisive son now? What about his sister?

The blond teen tried to think of a solution. How could he weight his two opposing feelings? He couldn't just ignore one of them, both were much too heavy, too present.

He sought answers in the cold, expressionless steel of the blade; but it merely reflected his image along with Luke's on its well polished surface. It was so ironic. The representation of his violent thirst for revenge, glaring back the picture of him with his sworn enemy, in a content and loving embrace; its very opposite. As if war reflected peace. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

'Irony, huh?' Guy silently observed, smilling sadly as he lowered his gaze back down on his sleepy charge.

And he smiled

"Heh? How about making a bet with me, you little monster?"


A.N.: Wow, the idea was just sitting there for so long! I had started it, like, a year ago (at least), and just decided to finish it now. When I started this fic, I had imagined a much different development, but I forgot most of it.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!