A/N: I was thinking of creating a side story, like "The adventures of Sora and Seira", but that sounded dumb....
Just to note: i'll be using some of the Japanese suffixes to express importance of some people.
nii/onii = older brother
nee/onee = older sister
-san/-sama/-chan (eg. nii-san/nii-sama) = added behind title, or name to show importance. -san is for someone you aren't very familiar with, or someone you respect. -sama is for someone who is above you in status and you respect. -chan is basically like someone you're close to, you find cute, etc.
Songs from the Past
Faite Leingod stared at the black and white keys of her piano. Something about music made her feel safe, whole. Faite never saw her father, ever. She only had pictures, and a couple of holo-videos to remember him by. But even those felt unrealistic. It was like there was a gaping hole in her life. One that can never be filled by anything but her father. It felt odd, sometimes, that she was the only one who had never seen her father. Almost everyone else has. Faite was the youngest in the family, and within the 'extended' family. She wasn't even born when her father disappeared. And even for that, she wasn't told why.
None of the kids were told why the famous Fayt Leingod had disappeared, nor telling them where he disappeared. But everyone else, besides her, had seen Fayt. It was odd, that even though he was her father, she doesn't even know him. Farin had been nice enough to try to act like her father, but it felt odd, unusual. It was a feeling that she could not really explain well. Faite leaned back in her chair, looking up at the roof of the glass dome of this music room. This room was created for her to feel at ease and play. Faite had been learning the piano since young, as it was something her grandmother did. Her mother encouraged her to learn, and she just went along with it. After all, she doesn't know what she wants.
When everything that she could ever want was already provided for her, what more could she want? Her ears perked when she heard shouting from down the hallway outside. Even though this room was meant to be sound-proof, Faite could pick up sounds from afar, mainly with the help of a certain symbol. It sounded like her mother. Most likely it was about Sora. So the scolding yesturday was stretched out to even today. Faite heaved a sigh. Her brother seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble. A knock came from the door, before it slid open. Seira poked her head in, smiling to Faite, before entering, and closing the door behind her.
"Seira nee-sama..."
Faite wanted to stand up, but Seira just smiled, and shook her head.
"I was just told to get out of the room while mom scolds Sora. Sorry about the concert, we only managed to listen to the second half."
Faite shook her head in reply. No, she wasn't angry. Disappointed, sure, but they did come in the end.
"It's alright. Seira nee-sama and Sora nii-sama are always so busy. It was wrong for me to force you two to come and watch my concert... it wasn't even that good."
Seira smiled sweetly, going up and giving Faite and good tight hug.
"It was terrific. You shouldn't look down on your own performance. Have more confidence in yourself."
"... But somehow, i feel like there was something missing..."
"Like?"
"I... don't know."
Seira looked at Faite, before smiling again.
"Say.... why don't you play something now?"
"Huh?"
"I want to listen. Play anything."
"Erm... but i-"
"Don't worry, i won't criticize you. Anything that my sister plays is bound to be perfect!"
Faite smiled softly at that. Seira and Sora really doted on her. Seira was always so cheerful, like Sora, but she had the more calm personality. Seira had also worked hard, and put a lot of effort into what she does, earning respect from many. Faite looks up to Seira and Sora, more than them being her older brother and sister. They were out-going, friendly, kind, and seemed to know what they want. Seira wasn't in her uniform, but when Faite first saw Seira and Sora in their uniforms, she immediately stopped and stared in awe. They could do anything they wanted.
Now that Seira wants her to play anything. But Faite hardly played 'anything'. It was usually a piece her tutor, her mother, or her grandmother would pick out. She guessed she could play a piece from those. But it felt like she wasn't being honest. Then a thought went through her mind. There was a tune that was stuck in her head for quite some time. She couldn't remember where she heard it from, but she was sure that it was an old tune.
"... Okay... but erm... don't expect too much from it, okay?"
"Okay!"
Seira grabbed a chair, and sat down on it, waiting for Faite to start. Faite felt nervous now. Seira, a person she looks up to, was now going to hear her play a tune she had never practiced before. A tune that was simply in her mind. Faite slowed her breathing. Her mind paced the tempo. She placed her fingers delicately on the keys, and let the music take control. The tune was simple, yet complex. The melody flowed through her mind, translated by her fingers. It seemed like everything didn't matter as Faite continued to play her song. Everything now seemed to focus on her, and her music.
This song was unlike many others. It hard to figure out what type of song was it. It was like every single song was melded into one. It wasn't rough, but smooth. Hearing such a tune made Seira mesmerized. It wasn't unlike anything she had ever heard before. If one word could describe it, one word to tell how she felt in the presence of such a tune. It would be 'perfect'. But suddenly, Faite stopped. Seira snapped out of her trance like state, and noticed that Faite had tears in her eyes. Faite just sat there, frozen, as tears swelled up in her eyes.
"... Faite?"
Seira's calling jolted Faite back to reality, and the younger Leingod seemed to be surprised at herself.
"Huh? Oh... erm... i'm sorry. I don't know what happened... I-..."
Seira looked on worried at her sister, who tried to wipe away her tears, only have them replaced by more tears. Seira didn't like to see Faite like this, and pulled her into a hug, soothing the youngest with soft strokes to her head.
"It's alright... You did nothing wrong."
"It-... it was like.. i felt something so sad... that i couldn't help myself... why... why am i crying?"
Seira did not know what to say. What could she say? She could only hold onto her sister and let her cry till she was done. Once Faite was done crying, Seira took a handkerchief, wiping her sister's face.
"Are you alright now?"
Seira checked her sister, who nodded in reply. Seira smiled, getting up from her seat.
"It was a beautiful piece, where did you learn it from? Gestav? Vow langrian?"
Seira asked, as she walked over to the shelves nearby that held all of the musical scores for songs that the Leingod possess. Seira started to look through the scores, in hopes of finding the song Fait just played.
"... That... that wasn't a song i learned..."
"Huh?"
Seira turned to Faite, who was fidgeting with her shirt.
"I... i had this song... in my head just now. I thought that if i played something i learned from others... that Seira nee-sama would feel bored."
Seira stared at Faite for the moment. Something that she didn't learn? But came up on her own? Seira was shocked and amazed. Such a beautiful song was only created on the spot?
"... Did Regen teach you?"
Faite shook her head in reply.
"Regen didn't teach me this song... she's sleeping at the moment."
"Oh, i see.... So... the song isn't complete? Is that why you stopped?"
"... I... don't know... The song just... stops."
Seira noticed that Faite was feeling extremely uncomfortable, and Seira knew that Faite usually did her best to impress others. The youngest of the Leingods had always seen herself as someone who needed to prove to others that she could meet their expectations. But no one actually wants that. No one sees Faite as someone who has to meet the tough expectations of the Leingod family. Seira smiled softly, walking to Faite, and hugging her close. Faite was just too cute.
"It's alright, Faite... maybe one day you'll be able to finish this song. So cheer up, okay?"
Faite nodded her head, but still felt as though she had let her sister down.
"Hmm, you know, it's been awhile since we went out together. Why not we head towards the Jakson's, i heard that there's a new album from the 'Deskret Dancers'."
Faite's face lit up at that. The Deskret Dancers were one of her favourite bands, and though her mother, and grandmother doesn't really approve of that music (more so from her grandmother, than her mother, who just thinks she's too young to listen to heavy rock).
"Erm... i... i also want to buy new clothes."
"Sure! I was just thinking about getting some new clothes myself. Well, we'll have to wait till Sora gets out of mom's scolding.... Say, do you know where Rey went? I haven't seen him the entire day."
"... Rey nii-sama was in the garden..."
"Again?... sigh, i swear, that kid is just odd. Depressed and mischievous at the same time. One day, he's going to cause one heck of a problem."
She wanted to shout more at her son, but Seira managed to get in, and grab her twin away. Well, it wasn't like she wanted to keep shouting. Her throat was feeling parched already. She adjusted her glasses, leaning back in her chair in her study. Rubbing her temples as she collected her thoughts, the mother of four turned to her computer console, pulling up her research work. She had worked long and hard, as the chairwoman of the Eternal Sphere Federation, as the lead researcher of the Leingod research centres, as a mother. She was tired. Tired of all of the work that she had gone through. But she worked hard. She could not forget the day 'he' left. Her heart was torn, broken, shattered. She could still remember the days when she would seem dead to everyone, even to her children.
She had neglected her own kids, something that she had vowed never to do when she realized she was abandoned as a child. Abandoned wasn't really the right word, as her mother had clearly explained to her before. She had tried to forget the pain, raising Faite carefully, and focusing everything in her work. Her friends had tried to get her to rest multiple times, but she felt like if she didn't work, that everything he did would be in vain, that his disappearance would amount to nothing. Her research had to continue. She had find a way out. Every single one of her kids had them. This was one thing that she didn't understand. Why did he do this? For what purpose? Wasn't it over? She had wondered if it was true, that it wasn't the end of the battle against those demons. But even so, she didn't want her children to face such dangers. She could protect them. She had the ability. She could protect all of them.
'Do not push yourself, mistress.'
"I'm pushing anything, Veskrat.... I have to find out a way to prevent the same thing that happened to my husband, happening to my children."
Exactly, the part of losing control over their symbols was a threat that she knew all too well. She had to find a way to restrict, control, and eliminate all 'bugs' from their genetic symbology. Unlike hers, her husband's, and Sophia's, her children had symbology that were considered 'sub-par'. Their power levels were less than the original three in pure raw strength, but that didn't mean that they were weak. They were based off the original three symbols, but not perfect, so that meant errors, problems, and even a higher chance of the hosts losing control. Or worse, death. Her husband had hastily constructed these four symbols in secret, and implanted them into his children before they were even born.
Thanks to the children growing up with the symbols, the symbols are more or less stable if unused. But being used meant that the risk of the symbols going berserk would rise. A call alert from her console shook her thoughts. She looked at the caller, and answered, smiling slightly. A screen appeared before her, and a silver haired woman smiled.
"Good to see you're well, Karin."
'"Well, of course i'm well. Though i wish that your son would stop causing so much trouble for me. Do you know how much paper work i had to go through just because he decided that using his symbol would get the job done?"'
She sighed, shaking her head. Her son, again. Karin had aged quite some bit over the years. Though she still had that spark she held many years ago, it was evident that she wasn't as active as before. She's now a fully grown woman reaching her forties. Her eyes were beginning to show her tiredness, and her face was now having now wrinkles. The matriarch of the Loid family had definitely seen better days. Once Karin was known to complain about being too bored, and just be unable to sit still.
Now the matriarch is complaining about getting tired too easily. It was a common sight. All of her friends, who once fought by her side, so vibrant, filled with youth. Now they were older, slower than before, and assigned to desk jobs. They weren't old the point where they were useless. No, they still had many years left in them, but when you stand them next to their old selves, or even their own children, it is evident how much is different.
"I've already lectured him for two days straight. I don't think he would listen to anything i say anymore."
'"Sigh, kids grow up so fast. It seemed like just yesterday that they were always craving for your attention, and would do anything you ask."'
Karin shook her head at that thought.
"Did you call only about Sora?"
Karin suddenly became serious after she said that. As though something was troubling her.
'"... No. Recently, there have been an increase number of sightings of... 'demonic dragons'."'
That caught her attention. And not in the good way.
"... Pictures?"
'"None. Apparently, all evidence were destroyed before our fleets could go in to find them. Either someone is helping them, again, or they're getting smarter."'
"Either way, there's going to be a problem."
She leaned back, rubbing her temples once more. Things were getting complicating, and she already had enough to deal with. She took off her glasses, placing them on the table as she reached for a single item. A solid photo. It was one of the rare photos the house still held, as 'he' seemed to like them. 'He' had once told her that the best thing about a solid photograph, was that it had a 'touch' to it. A sensation, and feeling that one could never have with a holo-pic, or a digital one. At that time, she didn't understand him, but now she does. This photograph was the one they took on their wedding day on Elicoor II. It was just him, and her. Did he foresee this problem? Was this why he had given his children the thing he didn't want to?
"... We need to mobilize the fleets. Of course, i'm not saying that we should abandon our duties to those in the ESF, but-"
'"I understand. We shall mobilize all fleets, and while patrolling, i shall get them to send us all information."'
"... Thanks."
'"Hey, that's why we're here... Looks like Sora and Seira would be kept busy for awhile."'
"That may be a good thing."
'"I wonder about that.... oh yes, it seems that my daughters have gone down to Earth... I think another one of those 'races' are about to begin."'
She raised her eyebrow at that. As well as raising her agitation.
"Oh?... Thanks for the tip. I'll need to have a word with my kids."
'"Try not to scare them too much. Well, i need to start the organization of the fleets. Take care, Maria. "'
"You too."
The line was cut, and Maria tapped her temple. Race. It was something that her two eldest seemed to take a liking to. She would need to stop them, but no matter how many times she tried, they always seem to get out. A knock on the door made her look up from her thoughts.
"Come in."
The door slid open, and an elderly woman walked in. She wasn't too old, but she was frail, and the eldest in the house. Ryoko Leingod didn't change much over the years, despite having grey hair now, and wrinkles covering her face. She was still relatively fit, and active for someone of her age. Maria smiled at her mother, but she could not hide her anxiety from the news she had gotten from Karin, and Ryoko could tell.
"Is something the matter, dear?"
"Well.... Mother, i have some bad news."
Ryoko looked at Maria for the moment, before nodding, grabbing a seat and facing her daughter.
"We have reports that 'they' have returned. It isn't confirmed, but the chances are high."
Maria explained, and Ryoko seemed to take it in pretty well.
"And... you will have to go back into space?"
Ryoko asked. But Maria did not really know. Should she? Could she return to space, to her fleet, and meet 'them' head-on? Nothing was clear or certain for now.
"I'll have to wait for the initial reports... but for now, i have another problem... It would seem that Sora and Seira are going to those 'races' again."
Maria was now starting to grind her own teeth as she thought about it, while Ryoko simply chuckled at her daughter's reaction.
"Oh dear, just let them do what they want. They aren't little kids anymore."
"Mother! You can't spoil them! Those races are dangerous!"
"I'm sure they can handle themselves."
"... Whose side are you on?"
"My family's."
And with that, Ryoko Leingod has once again managed to escape a difficult argument with only a chuckle as her daughter fumed off towards the kitchen in frustration. More than likely to grab something to sedate her fury.
"... Larni, Shizuka."
Two figures appeared from the shadows, one dressed in dark clothes and having a runic pattern run down the arm, the other in a typical maid dress.
"You called, madam?"
They asked in unison.
"Yes... Let us do our own investigation of this situation. That, and i think my grand kids may need some extra... protection."
"As you wish."
The figures disappeared, leaving Ryoko alone again in the room. But maybe not always alone.
A/N: Those who forgot.... Larni was one of the three rune guards from Elicoor II who were suppose to be guards for Fayt and Maria, but somehow or rather, Ryoko became their boss. Shizuka is one of the 'ninja' maids of the Leingod household.
