Familar Faces
A/N: This and the next chapter are not two of my favorite. I think my favorite is the one before this, but they are important, no matter how forced they sound, hopefully some people are starting to unravel the mystery :D
P.S. I'm not getting any e-mails to my e-mail address, none at all from so if i replied to one of your reviews, and you replied back, I'm not going to get it. Probably not for a very long time until fixed the problem, I sent them an e-mail and have yet to get a response there too
Guy's arrival into the Fabre house could not have been more appreciated. The Duke was glad he wouldn't have to admit that in the one day Luke had been among them, his own son was happier and more youth (aside from, the Duke reminded himself, how Asch tried to act way too mature way too hard), and Luke brought a youthful and energetic vibe with him wherever he roamed.
Lady Fabre also felt like she had been given a new lease on life, the exercise and constant laughs her two sons provided her with in that one short day had been the talk of the manor, the buzz of good news still humming with Guy's arrival. King Ingobert was even spotted joining the family for afternoon tea, after the news of his sister's new son reached his castle.
Young Luke hadn't understood the customs of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, although he appeared seven, it was obvious that he was far from acting seven. The Impostor greatly enjoyed the colorful dress robes the King had worn, and instantly set forth to examine them closer. Asch winced when Luke's hands picked up the hem of King Ingobert's robes, but instead of being reprimanded, the King only laughed at Luke's innocence.
The visit of the King was still a source of great entertainment for the manor's staff, and an upbeat note for Guy's arrival. In the blonde's pocket were Luke's new tags, as it was customary for a new caretaker to personally engrave the new tags. The bond between a caretaker and an Impostor was very important, as a caretaker was the only reason an Impostor could live, and Impostor's lived for their caretakers.
The white knight left Guy in the entrance hall while he called for the noble family to report to the audience hall. There was the unmistakable laughter of his new charge coming from outside, as he no doubt attempted to avoid capture. Anise had told him everything she could to prepare him for this unusual case he was assigned to, but still he felt like nothing could prepare him for Luke's unnatural ailments.
The door to the audience chamber opened, and a servant beckoned Guy in, a faint flash of red hair caught his eye as it ducked behind the Lady's throne.
"Welcome Caretaker of the Order." The Duke's voice was gruff, no doubt unhappy to be thrown into this situation. "We welcome you into our home."
Lady Fabre smiled and nodded, but sighed when her sons were not where she left them.
"Have you seen Asch and Luke?" Suzanne looked carefully around the audience hall, before the flash of Luke's sun kissed hair to her left caught her eyes.
Guy was infinitely curious about the behavior of the noble children; it appeared to him that Asch was, for some reason, insistent on continuing his games with Luke, even though the child's walking ability was something to be desired.
It is as if… he fears Luke isn't here to stay…
"Asch! Now is not time for playing!" The Duke was obviously growing uncomfortable with the situation, and hoped that it would end soon, so he could speak with Guy in private and return to his own schedule.
The noble child with his blood red hair groaned in defeat, and emerged from behind his mother's throne, Impostor in tow. He muttered an apology to his father and unloaded Luke to his mother, before turning to face the caretaker.
"Hello." Asch said innocently, smiling slightly in Guy's direction.
"Hello Asch. My name is Guy." Guy bowed, which was customary towards nobles, before straightening up and producing Luke's new tag from his pocket. "I won't be long, I promise- once I give Luke his new tags, you can resume your games."
"Okay… Guy." Asch retreated to his mother's side, but Suzanne had already stood to deliver her son to his caretaker. Once she handed him over for his ID, the adoption would be complete, and Luke would truly become a member of the Fabre family.
Luke didn't struggle against the stranger as the Duke feared he would, though he didn't truly understand much about Impostors and their behaviors, other then a brush he had with an ID-less model, instilling within him his distaste for Luke's kind.
Guy kneeled down once Suzanne had delivered to him his new partner, and set Luke down upon the soft carpeting. The child watched curiously as Guy removed his current tag, the blank and plain one he had been found with, and replaced it with Luke's new ID.
"Luke fon Fabre, model number DFN 000, I am Guy Cecil, your new caretaker." Guy watched Luke carefully as the boy struggled to remember what to do, but he wasn't expecting the proper response. Obvious signs of some sort of recognition were apparent in Luke's soft green eyes, but the child was unable to uncover his memories after what Anise told him had happened, and for that, Guy knew he must worked harder then he had ever worked before.
But something was nagging in the back of Guy's mind, that he had seen this Impostor before. The memory of his family's death was hazy, just as the face of the War Machine that had been ordered to carry it out was. But something Guy couldn't forget was the cruel laughter that accompanied the Impostor's torment- the man that forced the child to kill was laughing while Guy's family ceased to exist.
Guy was brought back by Luke reaching upwards, alternating curling his fingers and straightening them, until Guy got to hint and picked up the fragile youth. Suzanne cooed how adorable her new son looked with his golden tag, and Asch was begging to go back outside with his brother… only the Duke was unfazed with Luke's moment of acceptance into the family. Suzanne collected her son from Guy, before excusing herself and Asch from the audience chamber.
"Do you have your Order identification?" The Duke flatly asked, it was hardly a question, more of a bored statement, but Guy knew that not everyone was accepting people like him, whose lives were dedicated to Fomicry.
"Of course Sir, I also brought Luke's model design so that I may help him regain his memories." Guy bowed his head as a sign of respect, but the Duke still appeared off, as he examined the papers Guy produced.
"So you are a swordsman? What made you desire to become a caretaker, for Luke nonetheless?" The Duke returned Guy's papers, and lifted himself from his chair. He seemed rather interested in a portrait on the wall of the audience chamber, a baby portrait of young Asch, back when he was still Luke.
"I was a swordsman a long time ago, then something terrible happened, and I've joined the Order to prevent it from happening again."
"You must shed your old name in the event the murderer returns, your old position in life, your family, none of them belong to you anymore… got it? I'll do my best to keep you safe, but you have to try as well." Guy removed every outward bit of his previous life that he could, into a safe in the office he was standing in. The door slammed shut, and a comforting hand landed on his heavy shoulder.
"Thank you… Yulia…" The woman behind Guy smiled, before pulling the boy into a hug.
"My brother was lost as well then… wasn't he?"
The Duke mulled over something, his eyes still fixed on the portraits adoring the walls, before calling a servant. "Take Guy to his room, I'm sure he has responsibilities to attend to." And with that, Duke Fabre left the audience chamber, leaving Guy alone with the servant.
His appointed room wasn't too small; it was a double room, although he would occupy it alone. He could hear Asch's laughter, as well as Suzanne's cries to be cautious with Luke through the open window in the middle of the outside facing wall, and set to unpacking his things.
Still, Guy couldn't understand why the memory of his family's murder was resurfacing itself now, with only Luke's innocence as a trigger. Guy gave up on unpacking and decided instead to go and find his new charge.
After many failed attempts at finding the courtyard, Guy finally made it (although he was rather embarrassed it was right next door). Suzanne nodded to him in greeting, with he returned with a slight bow, before examining the location he would undoubtedly be spending a great deal of time.
"You can't use him to protect you Luke! That's not how you play tag!" Asch emerged from one of the gardens, after chasing his brother from its confines.
Luke only yawned in response, before sitting down on the ground and looking upwards at the taller people around him.
Lady Fabre laughed softly from her position on a nearby bench. Her doctor had told her yesterday that the fresh air was good for her, but the stress of a child needing constant attention like Luke wasn't.
"Is he done playing?" Guy questioned, watching Luke intently to try and access what portions of his memory had been spared.
"Yeah, Luke has a lot of energy, but it doesn't last for long." Asch settled himself on the ground next to his brother; he had earned the Impostor's attention at the mention of his name.
"But he is learning at least, I can gather he knows his name now?" Guy felt strange standing while Luke and Asch regarded him from the ground, so he joined them.
"He knows he is Luke, and I am Asch, and he knows mom and dad. He still won't speak though, he hasn't even tried really." Asch didn't seem bothered when Luke laid his head on his brother's shoulder, and made no motion to remove it.
"He also knows you are family." Guy stated, amused that Luke showed no embarrassment for his affection.
"Yeah…" Asch agreed idly. "How old are ya Guy? You don't look much older then me and Luke!"
Guy knew he was young, but Anise was younger, which made him a bit better about his age. "I'm eleven."
"You are quite young." Suzanne commented from her distant position. "How did you come about joining the Order?"
Luckily for Guy, who didn't desire to explain his past again, Luke seemed to sense his discomfort and cried out for his attention. "I apologize Lady, but I almost forgot what I came out here for! I have to complete a preliminary inspection of Luke's well-being so we have grounds to improve upon."
"It's quite alright Guy, you may take him inside." Suzanne called for Asch to come join her for a walk in the gardens, since Luke could be busy for some time.
As the red-head and his mother disappeared, Guy collected the content Luke in his arms and headed back inside the manor. He asked a servant to direct him to a room where he could complete Luke's first real examination, as Guy doubted any caretaker at a dealership would have completed a documented assessment.
"Be careful with Luke, okay Guy?" Anise seemed particularly worried about Luke's condition when she handed over her observational paperwork. "Something is defiantly still wrong with him, even though his physical wounds may have closed…"
Guy wished he had looked over her report more thoroughly, but now wasn't the time to be regretting past actions. Instead, he deposited Luke onto the coffee table of what appeared to be a sitting room, and started to prepare his medical supplies.
"You know Luke… You remind me of my family." Guy spoke to the child, even though he knew he couldn't understand. He pulled out the blank examination report, and briefly scanned over what tasks needed to be completed.
"Heart rate… Blood pressure… Reflexes… And I'll need to find your distinctions. This won't be so bad, now will it Luke?" Luke smiled, obviously enjoying it when he received attention.
Guy decided to start with reflexes, before Luke started to get antsy and he couldn't accurately get the measures he needed. Luke watched with intense curiosity, and Guy couldn't help but laugh at the Impostor's awe when his lower leg would kick out, from the small tap Guy gave him.
Guy felt awkward because of his young age, but he knew he must complete the inspection. His heart went out to Anise, who was much younger then her Impostor's physical appearance, although he couldn't have existed for any longer then two years. "Do you have any idea where your distinction is?" Guy combed through the top of Luke's hair for any signs of under developed ears, and checked his back for signs of a tail, but Luke's elusive mark was nowhere to be found.
"Even Ion had a mark, now where in the world could yours be?" Guy remembered that in some, although rare cases a mark can appear on the skin, and perhaps Luke's was hiding somewhere on his skin. But upon closer inspection of Luke's arms and legs, there was still no sign of only distinctive mark separating Luke from any other human.
"I'll just leave that space blank for now." Guy helped Luke stand up, making a note on the examine sheet about how unnaturally light Luke was, like a feather.
"I think in about two days of trying we can have you as mobile as Asch, and maybe we can get you talking a bit by then too? It doesn't hurt to try!" Luke smiled at the mention of his brother, but he still showed no signs of complete comprehension.
Guy brushed some of the strange golden tips of Luke's hair out of his face, checking for one final time for any signs of abuse along his hairline. A small white scar, from a shallow cut, was all that remained from whatever Luke had been subjected to in his previous life. The Impostor's green eyes shine with inquisitiveness when Guy stepped back to examine the boy once more before retuning him to the courtyard.
There was a flash of something inside of Guy's mind, something stirred within him when he looked into those innocent pools of emerald.
"Guy Cecil, I accept you as my caretaker, and I vow to live for you and my family."
Guy could hear a voice that was strangely similar to Asch's, but it was different at the same time- softer, less used. His first instinct was that Luke had spoken to him, had accepted Guys position as caretaker… but it wasn't possible.
"Luke…?" Guy noticed that the young boy's eyes were no longer green, but a warm orange, but as quickly as he had noticed it, it was gone.
The Impostor was asking for Guy's attention once more, silently announcing his desire to be carried instead of walking.
Guy tried to talk himself out what he had just seen and heard, blaming it on the overnight voyage he had taken to reach Baticul, but still, even as he carried the boy back out into the courtyard, he couldn't shake the feeling that Luke's memory loss just might have been intentional.
A/N: Not the best, we can do better. Let's try harder two chapters from now, okay? SEND ME YOUR LOVE!!!