Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Tales of the Abyss...though a little sister of mine bears a strange resemblance to Anise--even in name.

Summary: AU. In another place in time, Asch is still the cranky loner everyone makes himself out to be, but a little chance encounter with a mythical being is about to change all that. It doesn't help, however, that his new friend happens to look like his mirror's reflection.

Siren Song

"Its very important for my plans. Find it!" shouted Van, his eyes alight with a calculating glint. "Or do you want to remain a coward? You have yet to prove otherwise."

He growled at the insinuation and stepped forward defiantly, his green eyes frigidly glaring at him in rage. "I'll prove to you that I'm not! I'll find the damn jewel even if it kills me!" Van looked taken aback, his prominent eyebrows raised higher than they had in the whole conversation.

"What?" Asch grumbled. He crossed his arms sullenly and looked up at the man before him expecting an answer. "I'm not stupid. You sent all those other grunts and no one's found it yet." Van bowed his head and his shoulders shook. Asch clenched his fist before releasing the tension in it slowly and bowing his head as well, knowing what his Master's condition was, and hating it all the same.

Van burst out laughing, his breath catching occasionally, causing him to grip the desk behind him to keep him steady. His student stood in the center of the room taking every laugh like a bullet, but he did not react save for the occasional clenching of his fist and deep breathing he had taken up. The laughter soon stopped, and Van wiped his eyes of the tears that had began to build up in his fit, but composed himself in instant and returned to his seat without a word.

The young boy turned to leave, his teeth grinding silently against one another, but stopped at the older man's call. "Asch! A final word please?"

He flexed his fingers and jerked his head to the side. "Yes?" he barked shortly.

He saw Van steeple his fingers and looked at him with the most serious face he had ever seen grace the man's sharp features. "You must come back alive, so, under no circumstance will you—"

"It isn't much." He sighed. Sweeping his red hair back and over his shoulder, he surveyed the island on which he had been left.

Trees grew here and there, only outnumbered by the various plants and shrubbery that had dominated almost all of what he saw. The wildflowers took on every color and shape. Some where so strange that he had to blink twice; to him it seemed that even some arrangements had been purposely made, having an almost methodical placement. The sun shone brightly on the small isle, appearing as a bright ball of yellow that ignored his every swipe at the sky. Rem was definitely against him, he thought, so it would be best if he searched for a shaded spot and then created a proper base.

It took quite a while to even accomplish his first objective. Despite its large population of trees, there were scarcely any properly positioned to give enough shade without ending up with the soles of his black boots melted. He shuddered as the temperature seemed to rise, and unfastened his black tabard, tossing it over his shoulder as he continued to search for the perfect shelter. His uniform proved to be more of a burden than he'd originally thought. He cursed as he thought of all the supplies he'd been offered by the naval officer.

"You may need it!" the woman wheedled, looking nervously from side to side as he prepared himself to exit the sailing vessel . "You never know what you'll find." He glanced at her suspiciously and worked with the buckles on the pack he was going to shoulder .

"I don't need anything more. It's my assignment, and I'll do what I want." The woman's hands shook and with one final burst of courage, she grabbed him by his shoulders and forced him to look at her closely. "You're still a boy." He tried to jerk away and proclaim the opposite, but the look she was giving him was filled with both fear and extreme concern. He felt fixed in place by both, since it had been a long time since both emotions had been expressed by another person for him. "Do not listen to the call!"

Call? "What are you babbling about?" he questioned, as the woman's strength left her and he managed to jerk away from her hold.

"I had a brother." She whispered, lifting her dark eyes to look the island he was to stay on. "He never came back."

He felt his stomach flip as the danger of the assignment he had taken on became more of a reality, but he couldn't leave now when he said he'd risk his life to find the artifact that his Master had told him to find. He took his first steps off of the boat away from the officer, but stopped a few feet away to look back and wave. She frowned and waved back hesitantly, before turning quickly and back and disappearing from sight.

The sun was falling quickly, its light creating a string of light highlighting the horizon against a dark backdrop. He grimaced as he sat down under a tree he had found earlier that day, and gazed at the at the stars that were rapidly appearing. It seemed he had forgotten to count the short days and long nights on this island. The very reason that he had decided to bring a flashlight he had commissioned to be made to be powered by the users fonons. He twitched as he thought of the supplies he had left it with on the ship. The next time he saw that woman—she'd pay.

He cocked his head to the side, hoping to hear a sign of any sort of life he could prepare as dinner, but he was slightly unnerved when all that met his hearing was silence. All that could be heard was his breathing, which he found to be happening at a quicker rate than what he considered normal. He stood up and nearly jumped when he heard a twig and leaves crackle, but when he looked to his feet he saw that it had been he who had caused the disturbance.

Shaking off his panic, he vowed to find something—anything else that was living. It wasn't for food anymore, but for peace of mind. He had heard of soldiers who had been driven crazy when put into situations where their solitary was assured. They hadn't lasted long without something to converse, at least, one-sidedly with .

He picked up his tabard and slipped it on quickly, remembering that the places with the hottest days often had the coolest nights and gripped his short sword's scabbard for reassurance. Setting out, he found, was easier than sitting around and waiting for things to happen.

Whispers invaded his hearing and he scowled at the crowd of soldiers who had congregated in the center of the hall. They were gossiping, he was sure, and in typical fashion forgot that any of their superiors could turn the corner at any second.

"I heard that not more than one can be there at a time!" One soldier announced, proudly his knowledge to one of the newbies. "And nobody's ever made it back." Some of them gasped predictably and some of the exceptionally young ones recoiled in childish horror.

"I 'eard that i's bad luck t' even think o' steppin' foot on it." Another man said, shivering dramatically. "And 'at its rumored to 'ave nothing livin' on i' in the first place."

Asch stepped forward, tired of listening to their blathering, and shouted. "The Commandant's coming, you'd better split!"

The rabble burst apart in seconds as each person tried to look as if he'd been doing something entirely different from passing on rumors earlier. He noticed faintly that one of them was a reading a training manual upside down before leaving the room with a satisfied smirk. That would teach them for ruining his (somewhat good) mood.

"Nothing here, and nothing there dammit!" he stopped his foot and refrained from bristling at the sudden noise. It wasn't doing him any good being in complete silence. Never had he missed his chatter box dorm mates so much, which was saying something. It had been hours since the sun had fallen and the moon had taken its place in the sky. Luckily, the moon was full and provided him a complete view of his surroundings. On the down side—there was nothing other than trees to see. Interesting trees that he'd never seen before, granted, but they weren't proper conversations material. Asch wasn't desperate enough to seek assistance from a tree in matters other than seeking shade or shelter.

The moon cast an eerie light on the inhabitants of the island, giving each a glow that had not appeared in full daylight. Some of the flowers that had appeared budded and closed upon his arrival bloomed and opened invitingly—as if feeding from the sunlight itself. He was sure Dist and the other scientists back at his base would have a field day with trying to find out precisely why the flowers acted as they did, but he paid no attention to them. He only tried to mark where they were in his memory just in case he had to resort to a purely vegetarian diet during his stay. These seemed to look the least poisonous of the bunch.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he almost didn't come to a stop before he fell into a small lake. He couldn't see the bottom, so it definitely wasn't shallow, and it didn't carry the look of salt water. He tossed his gloves aside and kneeled down to taste it. It felt cool and before long he was nearly lunging forward in an attempt to consume as much water as he could. He hadn't realized that he was thirsty in his single-minded attempt to find life, and he was glad. Had Asch realized earlier that he was so thirsty, he would have most likely never found the lake in the first place.

Sighing in relief he lay down on his back and looked up at the sky again. The stars twinkled and he saw one streaking across the sky in a fiery arc. He shrugged to himself and closed his eyes as he thought of a wish to make.

"I wish there was something else—someone else here that I could talk to."

A faint tune struck up at his declaration and he could swear that words accompanied it. His eyelids strained to close, but he felt some need to listen.

"Rei Va Neu Kuroa..."

"Don't listen to the call!"

"Toue Rei Rei…"

"Don't listen to—"

His fight with Shadow was lost, and he drifted to sleep with the tune stuck ringing in his head.

"Rei Va Neu Kuroa Toue Rei Rei…"

He woke up later with a slight headache, and proceeded to get up when his head collided with what seemed to be a large stone.

"Argh!" he shouted

"Ouch!" a voice exclaimed.

He bristled when he heard the other, and flipped around to his side before jumping to his feet and reaching instinctively for his sword. Asch's hands met thin air and he cursed inwardly while trying to identify his enemy.

"Who are you—" his voice caught in his throat as he looked down and met tearful green eyes—his green eyes. His eyes sought out the lake, trying to make sure he hadn't hit his head so hard that he was mistaking his reflection for another person, but he saw it behind him. So, he waited for the other boy to stand up and introduce himself as he stood by dumbly. The boy shook his head and brushed off ornate white garments before looking up at him.

"You're mean!" Mirror, as he would dub him, pouted, and said. "I was trying to see if you were all right, and you go and attack me." Asch pinched himself as he saw his face pout (of all things!), and was slightly disappointed when he found it was not at all some strange narcissistic dream.

"What—" Asch inwardly noticed that he still couldn't vocalize his concerns and bit his lip when he found himself as good as mute. Mirror noticed this and smiled while putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I know? Isn't it cool? We could be twins!" he took his hand back and smiled sheepishly as Asch still stood frozen. He frowned and flicked him in the forehead.

"What was that for!" Asch snarled, still bemused by the whole situation.

"Well," Mirror said, "You weren't doing anything. I was worried that I'd killed you."

"Killed me?" he questioned hesitantly, "Why?" The other boy smiled, glad that he was participating in the conversation this time, and answered.

"Whenever your kind comes here (and you're the youngest by the way) they end up dying whenever I talk to them. I don't know why though." He sat down and grimaced. "I don't think I have that much of a hideous voice, do you?"

Asch was unable to answer at first, not sure what not to say in this situation that would end up in his death, but trusted his instincts, though he distinctly remembered the heavenly voice that had sung the last time he had been awake.

"Of course not!" he huffed, crossing his arms and looking at everywhere but Mirror. "It's worse." He ended sneering. When Mirror didn't reply immediately, he flinched and awaited his demise, determined to die proudly with his defiance clearly seen. Mirror, however, didn't seem to agree with those thoughts. A burst of laughter broke his image of meeting a heroic end, and he turned his head slightly to the side to see the other boy.

He was hunched over and holding his knees in a death grip while alternating through hearty laughter and giggling. Asch flinched, unnerved at seeing himself doing so. He just didn't giggle, and his supposed twin was doing it right in front of him. It was one of the most frightening things he had ever seen.

"I—I'm sorry, but that was funny." Mirror gasped, his laughing at an end. That threw Asch for a loop, other than his commentary on his voice, what had been funny? "That image of you going up against a dragon—as if I could ever be one, and dying. However do you think of these things?" he asked inquisitively.

A dragon? Asch stepped backwards quickly and stared slightly fearfully at Mirror who looked on curiously. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I saw it." He answered simply tilting to his head to the side in confusion. "Is there something wrong?" Asch shook his head and relaxed. The way this boy acted, there was no way he'd kill him now if he could take a direct insult so easily.

"How did you see it?" he asked tiredly. This whole affair was taking too much out of him. Mirror looked up to the stars and answered without pause.

"You were thinking it, so I saw it. Just like I heard you before." He responded quietly. Asch waited patiently for him to explain. "I'm a Siren." He offered with a small smile.

"A Siren?" Asch felt he was getting repetitive, asking questions again and again, but it was necessary. If he could befriend this person, he could possibly find the jewel and escape with his sanity intact. He grimaced and looked over Mirror again. That is, if his sanity was still intact.

Mirror looked at him with understanding and began a lengthier explanation. "A Siren is a creature of sound. We both manipulate it and live with it in a way that humans have yet to grasp. The song you heard earlier was one of our summoning songs. Though—" Mirror stopped and looked over with a speculative glance, "I don't know how you were able to live through it. Humans usually can't process the sound, and if they do hear it, they die. You're really lucky." Asch nodded while trying to get around the whole concept. A creature of sound, like a Sylph was a creature of wind? It was like walking into a storybook, and finding yourself as the main character.

"Do you know why you look like me?" Mirror shook his head but smiled.

"No, but I think it's cool anyway. Its nice to talk to someone for a change." Asch frowned as Mirror look distant, as if in a daydream. He didn't like being ignored, no matter the circumstances. "Sorry." Mirror said, "Kinda got lost in a thought there".

"I assume you don't live here with others." Asch stated, taking note that the other boy spoke as if he never talked to anyone else.

"I did something really bad before." Murmured Mirror, "And I'm the only one here now. But, I'm fine now that you're here." Asch felt slightly guilty at his previous thoughts of abandoning the bright Siren, but quenched that thought with the thought of proving Van wrong. "I'm sure you understand as well." Asch's head snapped up at that and sent a silent query, slightly tired of his constant questions. They made him seem stupid.

"Your eyes are like mine. And your heartbeat's rhythm seems kind of off compared to all the others who came here before." Asch's eyes widened, but his teeth clenched.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He ground out stubbornly. How dare the dreck assume he was lonely! Mirror looked a him sympathetically and it was all Asch could do to stop himself from wringing his neck.

"You do, and that's why I'm making you my friend." Mirror said lightly, and stood up before disappearing in a flash of light. He stood up quickly and spun around trying to see where he could have gone, but he had disappeared without a trace. Asch attempted one more final sweep of the area with his eyes, but it was for naught. He found himself slightly disappointed by his leaving, but pushed the emotion away and began his return to the tree he had decided was to be his main base.

He made it back under the starlight and moonlight and was slightly surprised to find his sword. It was propped up against the tree along with a small pouch tied with rope around the mouth of the small bag and around the hilt of the sword. Asch gathered a pile of leaves and sat down heavily before returning the sword to his scabbard, gripping it for a second to assure its authenticity. He then picked up the pouch, tossing it up to see if he could guess what it was before opening it, and sat contemplating it as he watched it in his open palm.

Perhaps it was a gift from his self-proclaimed friend? He was slightly disturbed to find himself hoping it was. Hoping that he had not been forgotten by that one strange person who had expressed a genuine interest in him, but he shook his head of such thoughts. He could as well open it.

With slight trepidation he eased the mouth open slowly and nearly gasped when he saw a gem of magnificent luster twinkling up at him. The moonlight reached underneath the boughs of the tree and gave the gem an ethereal look. If he had been a more pious person, he was sure to have thought it blessed by the gods. A leaf fluttered to the ground, and Asch in a strange mood, grasped it without a thought. Putting the gem back into the pouch, and then placing the pouch beside him he flattened it out on his knee and stared at it when he realized there was writing on it.

Friend,

To show that I didn't forget you, here's a gift. I'm sure that Van person will exhibit an expression that will result in your happiness.

I know it's nice to know you can talk to someone when you're down, so sing when you feel like there's nothing else to do. It helps me, at least.

I'm with you—you can call anytime.

—Luke, though "Mirror" works as well.

Nothing ran through his mind for a moment, because he hadn't ever felt quite this way before. He wasn't sure whether he should curse Mirror, or Luke as he was apparently called, or perhaps actually fall to the strange urge rising within him to smile. He settled for both, grumbling obscenities as he fell asleep, but entertaining a mental smile that he was sure Luke could see if he were paying attention.

Asch had returned several days ago, to the amazement of most of the 1st division's staff. The gossiping soldiers from a week or so ago were wary and careful around him, as if he would drop dead at any moment. He would just smirk as if hiding a secret and walk away with an air of superiority.

The aura surrounding him was what he believed to be well earned though. Just as Luke had predicted, Van's face had been enough to send him into peals of laughter even days after the incident. He just wished—it would have been—Luke would have been happy to be present at the event. He did not miss the presumptuous dreck, it was just boring not being able to share his triumph with someone who understood…somewhat. He sighed and moved towards an open window just at the end of the hall. He was in the process of closing it, but the sunlight that he found was directly hitting the window had somehow enchanted him and he just stood there with gazing out at the city of Daath.

It was a cool day, and his wish to leave the base and mingle among the inhabitants of the grand city growing stronger every minute he gazed at it. He snorted at the thought and moved to turn and leave the window for someone else to close. Words came unbidden to his lips as he strode away, and by the time he realized what he was doing, it was too late to stop.

"Rei Va Neu Kuroa Toue…" A flash of light blinded him and he fell back as a weight slammed into his stomach. When he regained his sight propped himself up with his elbows and looked down, determined to shout at the person with all he was worth, but he stopped as green as bright as the gem caught his eye.

"Rei Rei?" Luke said with a smile. Asch found that his voice had left him again, and a smile had taken the place of all that he was going to say.

A/N- It's been awhile since I've posted anything because I was seized with a major bout of sloth (deadly sin! Oh noes!). This was for a contest on Devart that centered around creating a piece of art based on "Karma" (the best song to play when writing a fic in my opinion!). At some points it seemed a little too fluffy for my tastes, but I think it turned out pretty good. Oh, the italics stand for things that have happened previously in the past, while the normal font generally means it follows the main timeline of the fic.

Its also an Au with no replication, and I think I can assume that my plot bunny meant for Asch to be a normal boy who joined the ranks of the Order of Lorelei. They had Anise who was probably younger, so I don't see them discriminating against children.

I got the siren idea after going to wikipedia and searching for Lorelei. Wikipedia, I salute you, though I wish I could count you as a source for school projects sigh.

Hope you liked it! You know the drill. Leave a review and you days shall be bright. Forget to do so, and you may find yourself on the recieving end of an Indignation...One from mana and one from fonons!