A/N: Well I've decided to introduce a few concepts about this story before it gets too confusing.

Firstly, the boy before he'd lost his memories had some knowledge of Spell Synthesis, an ability to combine spells at an incredible cost to mana. The first spell he cast, Cleansing Fire, was a combination of Heal and Fire Arrow, producing a fiery aura about himself.

Secondly, Dawnbreakers as Yue knows them are merely one form of the Balrog. 300 years into the future, evolution has given many of these creatures new powers; like becoming invisible, or psychic strength (as you'll see in this chapter)

Thirdly, I've just realized that the asterisks I've been using to indicate subchapter breaks all this time has been ignored by the thingy. Phooey. So I'm adding rulers now.

And fourthly... if you're reading this, please review. I'd like to know if anyone actually find this interesting. It's all prewritten; I've got about 60 chapters, but only a few are mine and related to this branch in the story. If there's an interest, I'll rewrite the rest. As I've stated in the summary, there are eight Children of Fate; and I'm going to do four parts; each with two different characters.

My Chapter – Cutting Shadows –

Carefully he watched the darkness.

It had something to do with the strange mark on his arm, he knew, but the darkness had never really frightened him. It was a part of his existence, after all, and a side of himself he was ready to discover.

As he accepted it, so it accepted him; like a friend it had revealed its secrets to him; attuned to the darkness and the sound of silence, he knew.

Something's here...

He looked over at the girl who lay before the smoldering remains of the fire. Concentrating, he reached into her mind.

"Yue..."

She murmured in her sleep, but did not respond. Shrugging his shoulders, he remembered to gently push her dreams aside. Without looking at them.

"Yue...

"Please wake up..."

This time, she stirred. Slowly, she lifted herself up with her elbows.

"Wha--"

Before she could finish speaking, he was beside her, a hand over her mouth.

"Not now."

And then, in response to her unfinished question,

"There's something; watching... watching us."

All at once, he felt a surge of emotions well up in her. Through the link, he felt her anger, her sorrow, her pain.

But clearest of all, he felt it resonate with an emotion that they both shared.

Fear.

His was a fear of the unknown, but hers was a fear of something worse. Her past...

A past I don't have.

As if waking from a dream, he finally realized his hand was still over her mouth.

"Sorry."

Hastily he released her and then stood up. She stood up a little more cautiously, her hand stealing into the satchel she constantly kept by her side. He looked up among the trees again.

So then.

At least I won't have to climb.


She woke to his hand over her mouth.

"Wha--"

"Not now."

Carefully her eyes surveyed the darkness.

Light of the Abyss

Like a void in the world, it yawned; a gaping hole which reached for her... to take her into its folds...

Don't be afraid.

It was his voice, but this time it sounded different. Somehow, the feel of his hand gave her some reassurance.

You're not alone.
It won't take you.
Not without me.

She moved. If she had to endure his hand on her mouth another minute, it might as well have been in a comfortable position. But as she did, it was as if she had broken his trance.

"Sorry."

He released her, getting to his feet. His voice in her head quieted. Slowly, ever aware of the danger, she rose as well, reaching a hand into her satchel and fingering the patterns of warding carved onto her flute.

But it won't help now.

The night air was clean and fresh as it always was, but under it she could sense an undertone of something foul and defiled; that reeked of rot and decay. The darkness seemed more oppressive than ever now.

"The Darkness is not your enemy."

She remembered his voice now. But she didn't feel quite as assured.

After all, it wasn't the darkness she was afraid of, but what it hid.

Like a Balrog, for instance.


"I know you're there."

The darkness shifted; he sensed the creature's movement.

It was big.

He looked across at her. She had seen it too. Not in the same way, but she had. Her hand withdrew what looked like a flute from her satchel. Hardly a time to play a song, but he had an idea that that wasn't its only purpose.

"Not yet."

She was skilled, he admitted. No normal human could have ever executed such feats of dexterity and strength with such grace; in spite of himself, he admired her for that.

But that's no excuse to be rash.

He turned once again to the dark mass in the trees.

"What is your purpose in coming here?"

Beside him, she fidgeted. As if unable to stop herself, she let loose an urgent side-whisper.

"Obviously, he means to kill us. What more do we need to understand?"

Before he could reply, a resounding note of laughter sounded.

"I'm afraid your little girlfriend is correct."

Tensing, he realized for the first time what he was up against. The mindvoice of this creature was far stronger than any he had ever heard. While keeping an eye on the shadows, getting ready to act the instant it revealed itself, he chanced a glance at her.

"Uhhh..."

She groaned as she swayed; her mind had no resistance to offer against this. Quickly, he grabbed her by the hand, willing her pain to subside; to fade into his. He didn't know how it'd work, or even if it would.

But he had to try.


"I'm afraid your little girlfriend is correct."

Before she could respond, she felt a wave of nausea sweep over her.

I'm afraid...

The darkness washed over her, leaving her shivering.

... your little girlfriend...

Her vision swam. She blinked, shaking her head; but it refused to clear.

Her knees buckled as she swayed. Wave upon wave of dull throbbing pain. In the back of her mind, she marveled at this.

Is this going to be my defeat?

Its mindvoice. She remembered his mindvoice. It had given her an inexplicable sense of comfort; of understanding and warmth. But this voice was the exact opposite. Cold; dark and evil to its core. To think that she would lose to this... A mere voice in the darkness...

She let herself drift away.

Out of nowhere, she felt his hand close on hers.

"Don't give in."

His voice sounded unsteady; as if it cost him a lot of effort to speak. She could feel his mind in her head.

Shielding her.

And then she heard it again.

"Mageling... You presume to stop me?"

Through his mind she heard the voice; she felt no pain but his. Urgently she willed some of her strength into his mind, but he refused it.

Save it.

"I... I presume nothing."

A low rumbling that could have passed for laughter sounded again.

"No..."

The monster's voice took on a menacing air. Waves of dark energy pushed against the barrier of his mind; she could feel him weakening, herself helpless against it. And then it spoke.

"On ThE coNtRAry... YoU PReSumE ToO MUcH...!"

From the shadows it emerged.

She was filled with a sense of revulsion.

It was a Dawnbreaker, but one unlike any she had ever seen. It exuded an aura of rot and decay; of things gone bad under the soil. Its eyes were two red pinpoints in the darkness, its skin a mottled green.

As it landed on the platform, she realized that its wings were almost completely torn away. Nothing was left of them but two ragged stumps. It lumbered towards them on all fours, each limb powerfully developed and ending in three wicked, sharp claws.

It drew breath with a rattling noise that belonged among the bones of the dead.

It looks... hideous.

Too late his mind screamed a warning. Too late she realized that it could hear her thoughts.

With a roar of rage it swept both of them up in a single movement; she gasped for air as it crushed the two of them against each other.

You can't die yet!

She had no idea which of them voiced the thought, but as it made itself heard, she felt his presence appear in her mind; stronger than ever now.

"We're not gone; not yet."

"Not ever."

Images flashed before her eyes, places. Some she knew, some she didn't. Unsure of what was going on, she wondered if she was watching her life flashing before her eyes.

Trust me.

Her - No, their minds finally focused on a single image. She had only time to see a curved, smooth dome and a set of white sails.

We'll be safe there.

The pressure around her chest lessened; a blue light engulfed them as she slipped, blissfully, into unconsciousness.

See you soon.