A/N: Theme number two - Unknown Past. It came from the RoyAi one, yes.

I tried to make this one longer, since my last one was really short. I found this one to be okayish. And you're going to have to get used to me bashing my fics, because here's the thing: Artists and writers (I'm both) usually hate and criticize themselves a lot. It just happens. So bear with me D:

It had started out as a simple game.

It was Ling's favorite game out of the dozens of games he had made up. He was curious about everything: bugs, food, music, alkahestry, and more. He wanted to learn about everything.

So he had a game that he played with Lan Fan. He would ask her a question, and she would have to answer it. In return, she could ask him a question, and he would have to answer. It was completely straightforward and uncomplicated, but Ling enjoyed it.

It had been Lan Fan who had first asked about his family. "Then, Young Master...is your mother kind to you?" She didn't even look at him, for her hands were busy cleaning her kunai knives free of dirt and blood with a scrap of cotton cloth. She had asked a simple question, but she was careful not to ask any questions that would pry too much into his personal life.

"Yes." Ling answered. "I love my mother a lot. I haven't met my father because he's the emperor, but my mother has always been very nice to me. She played with me before I met you, talked to me, and more. Now that I think about it...what about your family, Lan Fan? I've only seen you and Fu. Don't you have a mother and father? Lan Fan?"

Silence. Lan Fan's hands stopped moving, and the cloth fell to the ground. She lowered her head, and her black hair dropped down to cover her face. Her mouth opened, and a small word came out. "Dead."

Ling's eyes widened. "Dea…Lan Fan…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No. It was not your fault, Young Master. It is no one's fault. You were curious about it. I will tell you about them, if you like." Lan Fan set her half-cleaned kunai on the ground before starting to speak.

"I was only a baby at the time. My parents were also guards of the Yao Clan. They were the best guards out of the entire clan. They said my mother was able to hit a man's eye with a knife ten feet away, while my father could take out an entire gang of men in a moment. They were truly amazing."

She paused momentarily—whether she was catching her breath or lamenting her parents, Ling didn't know. But Lan Fan pushed on. "They took their guard job very seriously. They almost never left their lord or lady's side. My mother even stayed in guard service for almost five months while she was pregnant with me. When she gave birth, she went back to protecting her lady very soon after. And then…" She swallowed. "Someone...it was a month after I had been born. My mother must have been still weak. She couldn't defend herself. My father took the blow instead. And…she herself went in a second. The lord and lady were safe, though.

"Grandfather took me in. He did everything for me. I couldn't ask for a better guardian." Lan Fan gazed at the surrounding plants. "I didn't have any friends to play with. I stayed with Grandfather the whole time, learning how to fight. It was lonely sometimes, but I was fine with it. But I wonder if it's too much to wish that my parents came back alive."

"Lan Fan…"

"You do not need to worry over me, Young Master." She picked up her knife and quickly rubbed the blade of it with the rag. She flipped it between her fingers and slipped it back into her belt. "I miss my parents. But everything I need is here. There is a job I must do. There is no time for me to waste." Lan Fan stood up, brushing any dirt off her black attire. "I have to protect you."

She glanced at him, her expression suddenly brisk and serious. "It must be close to our next lesson, Young Master. We should go."

Ling rose off the ground after she had taken a few steps toward the palace. He followed her, and then suddenly stopped. "Hey, Lan Fan."

She twisted her head. "What is it?"

"Thank you for sharing your unknown past with me."

Words: 697

Additional Notes: A kunai is the type of knife that Lan Fan fights with. It has a leaf-shaped blade, with a thin handle and a ring at the pommel.

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