Author's note: I don't own Star Ocean Til The End Of Time!
The True Nature Of All
Chapter 1: Who… Who Am I?
Glou Nox had taken his son, Albel Alistair Nox out to the mountain side to train. The boy was merely six years old, but he had grown competent enough to learn how to wield a katana. Glou wanted to give him a lesson in real world applications of the blade. And yet, this day would be unlike any other as a strange item fell from the skies, and with it… their world would forever be change.
Albel had been the first to see it, "Father! Look! What's that?" The lad asked as he pointed up, his crimson eyes sparkling.
Glou frowned, "I'm not sure son, but we should take cover!" He scooped up his son and quickly hid behind some rocks as the thing crashed into the mountainside, exploding on contact.
The pair emerged to see fire and strange debris. Albel ran ahead – his shoulder length black hair trailing behind him, the golden tips a gift of his mother. Glou pushed his own raven hair behind his ear as he heard a faint wail. "Albel wait!" The man pulled his son behind him, as he listened again.
Going to the remains, he found small girl, seemingly untouched except for a few nasty gashes along her head and right arm. He picked her up gently, cradling her to his mesh clad chest. He had been grateful Nixie talked him into wearing leggings that day rather than his usual sarong. The tall man turned to his son, "Albel, pull my sarong out of my bag please. We need to bundle her tightly and get her to a healer right away!"
The tiny boy nodded, coming up only to his father's hip. Finding the gold and black fabric, he handed it to the man. "Here father… is she okay?"
Glou shook his head, "I don't know. There's some nasty cuts on her and she's freezing right now. We'll do what we need to in order to save her though."
Wrapping her up, he ran back into town with his son hot on his heels. Hurrying to the healer who lived near the castle, he found the man wasn't home. "Damn…" He swore under his breath as he tore into the castle, hoping to find the sage within its walls.
He didn't like what he was seeing though, as he growled. "Vox, what the hell are you all doing?"
The older man sneered, "Well we felt the earth shake, and saw that thing crash near where you were training with Albel. We wanted to make sure that you were okay."
Glou shook his head. "As you can see, we're fine. Is Melampus inside? I have a young child who needs healing, immediately."
Healing wasn't quite the way he had wanted to put it, but it would suffice. The child was bleeding badly and he didn't want to frighten his son. Vox nodded, his armor glistening in the little light they had in their perpetual overcast skies. Glou needed no further prompting, as he rushed inside to see his wife waiting for him anxiously. "Glou, Albel, are you two okay?"
Albel nodded as he turned to his father, "Father found a young girl injured and needs the healer."
Nixie, a petit framed woman with long shimmering golden hair and crimson eyes looked at the young girl and felt ill. "She's very weak just judging on her breathing. He's right upstairs tending to the king."
Glou took the steps two at a time as he found his way to the throne room where the two men were. "Melampus, I need your help… This girl, she's very weak and frighteningly cold." He had tried to insulate her from the frigid temperatures, but sometimes there just was no protecting someone from it.
The sage nodded as he looked at his king, "Your Majesty? May I take a look at her?"
Arzei nodded as he said, "Yes. We'll take her in what would have been the queen's rooms so she can be comfortable."
The trio went into the room and Glou laid her on the bed. Melampus paled. "She's so tiny to have these kind of injuries." He felt for her pulse and withdrew his hand immediately. "She's still alive, but as you said, she's so cold. Please, get some warm blankets for her. I'm going to stitch up the wounds and then use my healing runology to ensure that she doesn't have scarring."
When Glou fled, Melampus turned to the king. "I fear that she may not recall who she is. This cut in particular, and this bump back here… Too many inflictions on the head can result in memory loss. Best to seek out through your people and the neighboring kingdoms on whom she may be."
Arzei nodded as he took her tiny hand into his. Something about her just innocently took his heart. He didn't want to wish it, but he hoped no one might claim the child as theirs.
Glou returned with several heated blankets and his wife was on his heels with a bucket of hot water. With her wounds treated and her body warmed, all they could do was wait to see if she survived the night.
The girl awoke with a groan and put a hand to her head. "Where… where am I?"
Arzei rushed to her side. "I'm glad you're awake. Do you know who I am little one?" It was a hope that she did not, it would mean that she was possibly not of his kingdom.
She shook her head. "No… but… I can't… I can't remember anything." She began to cry, her blue eyes welling with tears as Arzei kneeled down to soothe her.
He murmured into her hair, "It's okay little one. We'll find your parents for you if we can. I am King Arzei Bohnleid of Airyglyph. Now we can't have you going around without a name for now… Would Airlia be alright?"
She nodded, wiping at the tears on her face. "Yeah, but I'm worried. I don't even know where to start for my family… I mean… I must have one, right?"
Arzei nodded, "Somewhere my dear you do. I will send messengers out to every village with your description. If someone knows you, they will surely step forward. For now, why don't you stay with me?"
Airlia smiled further and nodded. "I would love that Uncle Arzei!"
He gave her a lopsided smile as he stroked his chin. It would have to do for now until he could find her family. If he didn't… he would broach that topic later on.
Two weeks later, the last of the messengers had come back. No one knew who the girl was. Arzei had wanted her to have her family, but for there to be none, he had to wonder who she really was. He knew what he had to do next.
Airlia had taken a shine to young Albel. They had deftly become thick as thieves as the young man showed her around the kingdom of Airyglyph. During the two weeks, Arzei had ordered a full wardrobe for her, because he had to be prepared for if she had no family.
So he sat her down in his office as he looked at the young woman. Her wounds had healed nicely, but her memory remained obscured from the injury. Melampus had given him that his inner fear is she might never recover her memory and it would be best to make a clean break. "Airlia, how do you like my kingdom so far?"
She smiled, "It's beautiful. Was there any word on if my family had been found?"
That was one of the things he admired about the young child before him. Always to the point. "Sadly, they haven't. We had the last of the messengers return today with no leads. However, that brings me to my next point."
She looked up at him, startled. "Next point?"
He nodded, "Yes. I would like to see about adopting you as my daughter."
The blue eyed girl blinked. "Adopt? Really?"
He grinned at her. "Of course my dear. You're so sweet and gentle. You'd make the perfect princess for Airyglyph. And sadly I'm not getting any younger and I haven't met anyone who would make the right queen. So why not adopt a child and make them my heir?"
Airlia nodded. "I would be honored father." The title rolled off her tongue easily as he smiled.