Disclaimer: Trinity Blood is owned by Sunao Yoshida. I only fell in love with the story.

Note: This story is told by an OC, Aran Fortuna. He is a minor character in the story Divergent Path and the Winter Rose and a major character in Past Hidden in a Frozen Gaze. If you have read any of these stories then you will know who he is and if you have read Past Hidden in a Frozen Gaze you will know how Abel fits into this story. Also this entire story is meant to take place in early to late December, so the dates at the top of each part or within do have some meaning to them.

I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Also, I request feedback. Feedback helps me get motivated to write and helps me grow as a writer.

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Trinity Blood: A Brighter Night
Part 1: Encounter

December 7, 2208:
Aran shivered. A cough escaped him, rash and ragged, ripping at his throat. The night was freezing and what little he wore did nothing to keep out the cold. "Do you see anythin'?" Aran shouted over the howling wind at his brother. He could barely make out Azul's grimy hair just in the dumpster. The color of his brother's hair had dimmed, making it hard to see what color it was and Aran could barely remember. It had been too long since they had actually been clean. Aran suppressed another cough. He couldn't worry Azul, they didn't have room for such worry.

"Nope," Azul clambered out of the dumpster, his bare feet hitting the ground. Azul was several inches taller than Aran, his blue eyes clouded with worry and hunger. Like Aran he wore only rags. The clothes had once been Azul's warmest, but now they were covered in holes and ripped. His brother had so much dirt on his hallow features it was hard to see the paleness of his skin under it. Aran figured he only looked a tad better and that was because Azul wouldn't let him help look for food in the dumpsters.

"Let me help in this next one," Aran's teeth chattered as they started to walk. The pavement bit into his bare feet with every step. The freezing ground only added to the cold of the night.

"No," Azul shook his head. "I'm the eldest, what kind of brother would I be if I put my little brother in danger." Aran sighed, his shoulder's slumping. "Hey," Azul place a grimy hand on Aran's shoulder, "I'm sure we'll eat soon. So don't worry about it." Azul started to walk again, but Aran remained where he was, staring at his brother's bloodied feet and hands. How long had Azul been injured? "You coming, Aran?" Azul shouted, waving at him and smiling. Slowly Aran started off, glancing up at the cloudy sky. It wasn't cold enough to snow, but there was a defiant hint of moisture in the air.

Aran shivered, turning his gaze back on his brother. "It isn't fair," he muttered, shivering still. "Why are we the ones being punished?" Aran pouted, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Punished?" Azul looked at him in question. "We're not being punished," Azul stated, "but no one wanted to adopt us even if the agency would let us in after what mother and father did. We're too old, remember?"

"Too old!" Aran stopped and glared at his brother, "You only just turned eight and I'm five and a quarter, how's that too old?" The tears slid down his face, leaving a clean streak behind. "If mom and dad hadn't been trying to return to bein' human none of this would of happened!" Aran shouted pain and hurt spilling out of him in great waves. "It's their fault we're being punished!" He coughed again, a hacking, hard cough which made his shoulders and body shake from the force of it.

"Aran, calm down," Azul took hold of Aran, drawing him into an embrace. "There's nothing either of us can do about it. Mother and Father made their choice even if it had nothing to do with us." He looked Azul in the eye, trying to stop crying. "There will be a brighter night soon, brother, remember? There will be a brighter night." Slowly Aran nodded and wiped his eyes on what was left his sleeve. "Come on; let's find a place to sleep before the sun rises. People are heading home now, I doubt we'll get much out of them and you look tired." Aran nodded, letting his brother guide him into an alley which was joined to the larger one they had just been in. "Look here!" Aran looked up and saw there was a wooden box which had old rags in it. "Someone must of dumped it," Azul said excitedly, as he inspected the box and the rags in it. "Come on, Aran, we'll both able to fit and use the rags to keep warm," Azul walked back over to him before pulling him over to the box.

Azul pushed over the box and began to make two nests out of the rags in it. "Are you certain of it, the box could belong to someone. What if they come back?" Aran asked nervously. He couldn't stop shivering. It was so cold.

"The sun will be up soon. No one's stupid enough to risk their lives for a box," Azul said, but Aran could hear the note of worry in his brother's voice as he said this. "Besides, it someone owns it then the worst which could happen is we'd be arrested and dragged before Emperor Nightlord."

"Which Emperor?" Aran asked, only knowing a little about their rulers.

"The insane one, of course," laughed Azul, "I don't think the true emperor would have time for two street rats, do you?" The true emperor? Aran blinked in confusion. He'd been too young to go to school when their parents had died. He'd been only four and two quarters, while Azul had been in school well over a year. To Aran it was like his brother knew everything in the entire world. "Come on, the bed's ready," Aran walked over the box and crawled in beside his brother. The two of them curled up side by side. "There will be a brighter night soon, brother, I promise," Azul muttered, sounding more than half asleep already.

Soon the gentle breathing filled the box. Azul was fast asleep, seeming to find no difficulty sleeping in these strange places. On the other hand, Aran was wide awake, his eyes locked on the clouds. They turned for a frightening black to a light gray. At one point the clouds thinned allowing array of sun light to shine through. It struck the box Aran and Azul were in. Filtering in through the holes and large cracks, the sunlight touched Aran's hand, forming a perfect circle. Aran breathed in wonder at the warmth of the light and moved his hand, watching how it lit up every detail of it. Slowly he looked at his brother. The sunlight was covering Azul from head to toe. His normally black hair appeared bluer in the light.

"Care to explain why we're out here, brother?" the sound of a girl's voice jolted Aran from his awe. Peering through a rounded hole in the box, Aran could just make out a tall adult, standing in the alleyway. His long white coat seemed to stand out from the rest of the surroundings. He wore a heavily armored cape, the hood of which was up. Beside him was a girl who couldn't have been more than a few years older than Azul. Her face was also hidden by a similar cape to that the male wore.

"We're not allowed to be out during the day, since when?" demanded the male.

"Since our guards could get killed," the girl retorted hotly as several people clad in heavy clothes appeared. Even though they were covered from head to toe, Aran felt ice forming in his gut. Those were y-yen-yeniçeri, the most elite out of all Methuselah. Aran would have recognized the red of their uniform anywhere. Azul had told him they would have to avoid these people no mater what.

"You're the one who said that armor would be enough," retorted the male, but Aran was only half listening as he moved.

"Azul," Aran shook his brother's shoulder, casting fearful glances out of the peek hole. "Azul, wake up," he hissed.

"Ah?" Azul blinked open his eyes and winced. "It's the middle of the day, Aran, go back to sleep," Azul grumbled, curling up tighter and putting his arm over his head.

"It's the yen people you told me we had to avoid," Aran said hurriedly.

"Yen people?" Azul groggily asked. Slowly he looked through the hole in the box and sat bolt upright. "Ah-oh, the yeniçeri," he looked scared, his features pale. "Come on, Aran, we have to get out of here." Azul took Aran's arm and pulled him from the box. "Stay low and wait for my signal." Azul had released him and was crawling away.

"Where are you going?" Aran asked nervously. He coughed lightly.

"Don't worry about me," with that Azul vanished. Aran shifted, his heart hammering. He was amazed the yeniçeri couldn't hear the sound. A shadow passed overhead. Looking up, Aran clapped his hands over his mouth to stop from crying out. What was Azul thinking? His brother was on the rooftop, looking down at the yeniçeri. A sharp whistle from his brother made the yeniçeri and other two look up. "Hey, ugly, this way!" he gestured before racing over the rooftop. The yeniçeri started after him, shouting about a terran defiling the Imperial family. Aran saw Azul leap over the small gape between the buildings and slip before he regained his balance, vanishing from sight.

"Aren't you going to call them off?" asked the girl.

"Aren't you?" her brother countered. "The yeniçeri were your idea besides that boy won't get caught."

"Of course you're worried about the child," the girl shook her head, "though," she giggled, "he wasn't a terran." The girl's brother had started off. "Ah?" she raced after him, "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"The adoption agency," he replied, "I want to know why that kid is living on the streets and not in a popper home." Whatever the girl's reply was didn't reach Aran for he leapt to his feet and raced forward. The only way out was going through those two. He saw them turn and slipped past them, stumbling and hitting the wall.

"Aw – aw – aw," Aran rubbed his noise before he raced off in the directions his brother had gone, muttering, "This isn't funny, Azul." Aran was freaking out, what would happen to them if Azul was caught? He was the only reason Aran had made it for the past year!

"Hey, kid," Aran ran as fast as he could. He hoped he could find his brother and that the man wouldn't try to follow him.

xxx

Abel was ready to race after the boy when Seth grabbed his wrist. "Wait, brother, we have to stay here until the yeniçeri return," Seth warned. Abel hesitated, watching as the boy stumbled again before whipping around a corner and vanishing from sight. "They could just be trouble makers after all," Seth counseled.

"Trouble makers?" Abel shot a glare at his sister, "I have never seen 'trouble makers' look that way, Seth. They aren't trouble makers," he said firmly. Both boys had looked starved and the one who had struck the wall looked a little sickly. Besides Abel had nagging suspicion he knew who they were.

"Come on, brother, let's go home," Seth pleaded, but she also looked worriedly in the direction the two boys had gone. It seemed Abel's words had an effect on her. "You can head out again, but you should at least leave your coat and current cloak at home and take a few guards."

Abel hesitated before he allowed Seth to pull him in the direction of the palace. Silently he declared he would discover who those boys were and wouldn't return with a guard. There was just something about the way the boys had acted which made Abel feel they were more nervous about the guard than Abel or Seth.

(Author's note: This story is for Crusnik O2: No matter how hard life may get, there is always something to look forward to, a reason to continue. This story is for you, as a thank you and as a reminder life can take a turn for the better no matter how dark it may seem.)