Disclaimer: I do not own Odin Sphere and the characters.

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The Day the Forest Glow

Do you know?

The wind blew his blond hair. He inhaled the fresh air of the morning forest, enjoying the chilling sensation of the breeze.

The forest was once radiant, shining with a mysterious, magical glow.

He rested himself against a big tree, drawing in the peaceful atmosphere around him. He could hear birds chirping and some small animals rustling around. He let out a peaceful sigh.

Even though rare to human eyes, there was once a race living in one with nature.

He didn't have to worry about being attacked by some wild animals. He never had. He always found a spot where he could just lay around, unnoticed by other lives in the forest.

The race was so beautiful, so graceful, as if they weren't from this world.

And every time he came to this place, he would always remember, of one of the tales her mother used to tell him every night. A tale of the lost race.

They protected the forest, lived in harmony with it.

He didn't know whether his affection to the forest was because of the tale, or the other way around. All he knew was that he was attracted to both.

They were... The Fairies.

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"Ingway, are you there?"

He could hear his mother calling him from afar. He quickly ran to the source of the voice, swiftly passing through the forest. As his mother came to his view, he slowed down his pace, silently sneaking behind her. His hands were just a few inches away...

"Taking a stroll in the forest again?"

He jumped back, unconsciously pulled his hands back. He was sure that he didn't make any sound. His mother turned to face him, frowning as she did so. He gulped. His mother in a bad mood was never good news.

"You skipped your magic lesson. Again." She crossed her arms and glared at him, demanding reasons. He turned his eyes away, unwilling to meet her glare.

"I was just… getting some fresh air. Besides, I can use transformation magic just fine." He reasoned to her. But her glare was only getting more intense.

"Having power from the beginning doesn't mean you don't have to learn how to use it. You need to learn the responsibility that comes with it, and learn how to carry it well. You never know when you'll repeat the same—" She quickly close her mouth with her hands, stopping the words from keep flowing out of it. He raised an eyebrow, expressing his confusion. But his mother quickly pulled and turned his body around, pushing him towards their castle before he could raise any question.

"A-anyway! Run along now, and start reading some of those history books I gave you. And I don't want to see you running away from your study again!" She said as she kept pushing his back away.

"Okay, okay. No need for the pushing anymore, okay? Seesh..." And he walked away hastily, avoiding another push from his mother.

Velvet sighed. How could she carelessly lose herself like that? To think that she had almost revealed the darkest memories of her son, which he probably didn't even remembered. She watched his back as he ran toward their home.

It sure felt strange to see how the one she used to call brother had grown to be her own son. She knew that his soul was definitely Ingway, but she never expected him to grow to be exactly him. His looks, his magic skills, his way of talking, and even his pick of clothes. It was all so... him. The only difference was that he now didn't remember even the slightest of his past life, and that he was now her son. Years had passed and every day he had grown even more and more to be him, her one and only brother.

She was scared. Afraid that one day, his dark past would come and haunt him again, wiping out the smile from her beloved son's face. She had discussed this with Cornelius, and he would always hugged her, telling her that everything will be okay, and that they'll both be there for him, shall he really come back to be the Ingway they once knew.

And she knew, that day would come, sooner or later.

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He took another glance at his surrounding before making another dash towards the forest. He hid under the thick shadow of a big tree and rested his back against it. After making sure no one noticed his absence and came after him, he continued with a slower pace, going deeper into the forest.

"As if I'd spend the whole day behind a desk..." He grinned as he walked away, not caring to even look back.

Soon, he found himself back at his peaceful little world, surrounded by a vast sea of trees. His surroundings were very quiet, nothing but the sound of the wind rustling between the leaves could be heard. He closed his eyes, listening to even the slightest sound around. The gentle wind's whisper was soothing, almost like an enchantment, calling to him...

I've... always been... waiting....

His eyes widened. He looked around, but found no one. He stayed still, searching for the small sound he was sure had heard. A few moments passed yet he heard nothing. Maybe he was only getting sleepy...

"Find...me... "

He stiffened. The sound was very faint, but he knew that he wasn't imagining it. He unconsciously started to wander around, searching for the source of the sound.

"I..am he..re.."

He quickened his step as the voice got a bit clearer and clearer. He wasn't sure where he's going. Yet he kept on walking, as if he was guided by the forest itself.

"Remem..ber...our promise..."

As he arrived at the feet of an enormous tree, the voice stopped. The tree at where he had stopped was, by far, the tallest, the largest tree he had ever seen. Its branch stretched up to the sky, and its leaves overshadowing many trees around it. Its roots were very large and unyielding, holding it firmly to the earth.

He was observing the gargantuan tree when he saw something red flashed. He blinked, unsure of what he'd seen. He bent down to where he thought he'd seen the red flash. And there, stuck between the roots, he found it, a red crystal glowing dimly within the roots. He reached and pulled the crystal, but it was stuck rather hard to the tree. It took him quite some time before successfully pulling it without broking any of the roots. What he got was not what he had expected.

It was a black crossbow, with a red crystal stuck at the edge of it. He examined it, amazed to see the unusual weapon. The dim glow of the red crystal caught his attention the most. He touched the crystal, wiping it carefully. He was almost sure he had seen it before...

Suddenly, the crystal shattered into pieces, and countless phozons was released to the air. He jumped back at the sudden phenomena, unconsciously dropping the bow. He watched as the phozons swirling around on the air, slowly gathering into a sphere, until finally flashing a bright, blinding light. He shielded his eyes with his hands, and a different voice came to him.

As one has wished, with these phozons, the Fairy Queen shall once again return to this land.

And the light was gone with the voice.

Confused, he opened his eyes slowly to see what had just happened. And there, right at where he had dropped the bow, stood the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. But it wasn't her unique clothes, or even her teal wings that had surprised him the most. It was the first word that escaped her small lips.

"Ingway..."

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A.N: Very sorry for the very long delay of update!! _ So... What do you think of this one? This is an utter failure of my futile attempt of making the story make sense. I had but the vaguest idea of how fairies are born. Oh well... Please tell me how you think about this chapter. The next should be the last (and romance-filled!! Yay!!), unless I decide to write more about the love of Ingway and Mercedes. ;D