I don't own Skies of Arcadia

=Prologue=

Ten years. Ten years since she had last heard her father's voice. Ten years since she heard her mother's laugh. Ten years of never really getting to know them or understand them. Ten years of coming home and never getting any hugs or kisses or talks like other children. Ten long years ago, her parents had met their end, and she was still alive. Somehow, it all just seemed unfair.

She looked up from the crook of her elbow in which her eyes had been resting the entire time. Shivering slightly, she pulled the blanket that was draped around her shoulder's just a bit closer. She hadn't felt like dragging her butt to the crow's nest and taking up watch in her best friend's ship, especially on this day, but what else could she do? Sit in her bed all day long…or rather all night long. Hell no! She wasn't like that. Then again, she wasn't the type to get all bleary eyed over anything like she was doing now.

She brushed madly against the nearly invisible tears. She didn't want to reminisce about the past, but it somehow had a way of coming back to her, claiming her in it's vise-like grip (A/N: Sorry, couldn't help myself).

It was long ago, but she could just remember snippets of it. She could remember her mother's hands as they set her down and pushed her away. She could remember hearing her father's pain filled cries. She remembered the cold wind, the feel of the rough wool being thrown around her body…wait, did that happen? She stopped in mid thought. Weren't her parents killed some other way? Her best friend's father, Captain Dyne had always told her otherwise, so what were these memories???

Quickly, she shook herself out of her reverie as she heard a soft scuffling sound just behind her. Her hand snaked it's way out of her blanket and grabbed onto her boomerang. In one fluid movement, she had twisted around and shoved the bladed end of her boomerang just underneath the intruder's neck.

"Lawrence?" Her voice sounded loud on the nearly empty ship. Her eyes raked over her old crewmate, taking in the slightly long brown hair that fell over his eyes, the slight scar, the forever downturn of his lips and his clothes. "Love the pantaloons," she murmured as she dropped her boomerang to her side.

"It's for a job, Aika."

"…" She pointed to the overly large orange tunic and neon green pantaloons. "And who in their right mind would make their employees wear such a thing?"

"Mail deliverers." Lawrence met her disbelieving eyes for a moment then said, "They had the right amount of money so I couldn't turn down their offer." He dug into one of the pockets and pulled out a large package that looked to be very old. Being the man of few words and already reaching the limit of words he says through one day, Lawrence tossed the package at Aika and climbed out of the crow's nest. He then entered an unidentified flying object and disappears from Aika's view point.

Aika's eyes soon drop to the package in her hands and, like a starving wolf tearing into it's first meal in three weeks, she quickly tore the paper off.

Bound within the paper was a book or a diary. She couldn't tell. She thumbed through the last few pages and read:

It wasn't that long when I decided that I should leave her behind. My Aika, my little love. I knew that this time I would never come back…miss the chance to see her grow old. I'd never see her fall in love or see her first real raid…but to save her I had to leave…we had to leave…

"Mom?"

Aika shut the book almost immediately. Should she be reading this? This was finally a way to know what went on in the past…to get to know her parents…to understand. This was the key to her past. Should she risk unlocking it?

Of course. She was Aika and she loved taking risks.

A/N: I'm not sure how the game portrays the death of Aika's parents. I don't remember if it said it specifically or what. I also don't know if the game said anything about names, including that of Vyse's mother. It's been awhile since I played, so if there are any helpful hints please feel free to tell me.