Alright everyone! I'm here with another story. While my poll on World Fury cooks for a while, I decided to take the opportunity to start a project I've I've been wanting to start for a while.

For those of you who are curious, I am a big Breath of Fire fan. Alas I've only played 1-3 so don't judge me too harshly. Anyway, I'm rambling again, so, here we go; I present to you all:

Breath of Fire: Silver Reign

Also, before you pass judgement on the first part, please read the whole prologue before you cast any stones. (plus repair bills on this type of computer are expensive, so I'd appreciate it if no stones were actually thrown) Thank you. Please review and let me know what you all think.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING IN THE BREATH OF FIRE UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

PLEASE ENJOY THE STORY.

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Part 1: Ryu, The Child

Prologue: Innocence Lost

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"Y-You don't understand! I thought you were dead! DEAD! You were missing for three years after fighting in a war you were forced into! How was I supposed to know you still lived?!"

A woman cries this as her husband, long thought killed in the war on a foreign shore comes home, his once brightly polished armor dull and dirty, his bright blue cape faded, soaked, and torn. Even his blade now lies in its scabbard, ignored and forgotten. The man stares at the swell of his wife's belly. She is pregnant with a child that he knows is not his.

By all rights he should be angry, yet he cannot be angry with her, only himself. What possible anger could there be towards his beloved? She thought him dead, she moved on. The man had vented his anger years ago against his enemies and then his captors. In place of anger was regret and sadness. He loved her, of that there could be no doubt. But now, seeing her like this, he is grateful his helm's viser obscures his face so that she cannot see his tears.

His mouth is dry. His voice refuses vehemontly to speak. He gazes at his daughter, who he last saw four years ago when she was but a baby, asleep on her bed, unaware her daddy had finally come home. But the home is broken.

With a hole in his heart, the man turns and leaves, hoping to escape before anger takes the place of his sadness. He looks back at his wife one last time.

"Do not follow me Aurora. I still love you, and it is because of that love I must now leave. Perhaps, when my blood is cooled and my memories of the war are but distant memories, I shall return. Until then, I leave this for the child, should he be a boy, so that he can protect you and his sister."

The man unbuckles the sword, and lets it fall away, landing in the mud outside the home. He then departs into the pounding rain. Even with her unique gifts, she can only see so far into the rain. His outline blurs, fades, then is gone. The woman closes the door, craddling the infant within her.

"Forgive me."

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(ten years later)

With a yell, the boy plunged through the bushes, only to sigh in annoyance as he heard his sister's laugh echo from elsewhere. His face reddening in embarrassment, he cupped his hands and yelled.

"Sara! C'mon, you know throwing your voice is against the rules!"

Laughter echoes again, this time much closer. The boy looks around until he feels something tap his shoulder. Looking around, he sees his sister, in her other form. He pauses, dumbstruck as she grins, baring some of her fangs, and roars loudly.

The force of the wind blows the boy backwards and into the shallow stream that flowed by the house. The boy shakes his head, his blue hair falling over his eyes then shaking it clear.

"N-No f-fair! That's cheating!" His sister reverts to her less frightening form and smiles.

"Now, now, Ryu, don't start crying again. Mother says that the only way to transform is to rely on instinct. When we dragons are startled in our human forms, we naturally want to take on our dragon bodies to defend ourselves. So it's not cheating if I scare you with a roar."

Ryu pouted and looked away from his older sister.

"I think you just like scaring me!" Sara grinned and helped her baby brother out of the stream.

"Well, you're partly right. The other is that you scare too easily. What would our ancestors or other dragons think about a dragon who scares at the sound of a pin drop? Let's face it, you can't even hold Father's sword properly yet." Ryu wiped the silt off his breeches and then looked to the house, instinctively picturing the old sword hanging on the wall. His mind quickly went to another topic.

"Though not for lack of trying. When will Mom be back? She went flying some time ago." Sara shrugged.

"I don't know, Ryu, she's been in a slump since this morning. I think today's the day Father died all those years ago. It's no wonder she took off flying." Ryu looked to the sky, watching the clouds roll by.

"Sara, what was Dad like?" Sara placed her hand on her chin, it was her tell that she was thinking.

"I don't really recall his face. I only saw him once or twice but whenever Mom talks of him, she speaks of him with pride but with regret. I know she loved him dearly but she never told me why he went to war." Ryu looked at his sister and was about to speak when a growling noise interrupted his thoughts. Sara immediately looked around, then laughed.

"Ryu, for such a kid you certainly have a dragon-sized appitite. Let's go inside, it looks like it may rain soon." Ryu blushed a bit but then glancing at the sky, he nodded.

"Yeah, I hope Mom gets back soon."

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She noticed the sun beginning to drop below the horizon. Judging from the skyline of the Dragonia Mountains, she must have been somewhere close to Nettali. It was getting late and the storm was approaching. Unbidden thoughts came to her mind of that night ten years ago, her husband, her mate, leaving in the middle of a storm and never being seen or heard from again. The day after, she had flown to the port city of Hiro and inquired after him. All she had learned was that he had booked passage to a foreign land on a ship heading east. She had went back home only for a few days later to learn the ship her mate had been on had been lost at sea near the Island of Mists with no hope for survivors. Every year on this day she made the trip to Hiro and placed flowers on the grave that had been built for the ship's crew and passnegers.

She had been there today and was now returning home. A satchel tied around her neck bulged with food and other things she had bought while in town. Her gaze sharpened as she sensed something coming. Without warning, and with no time to evade, a large object came flying up at her.

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Lightning flashed and thunder rattled the windows of the house as Ryu and Sara sat at the table eating warmed up leftovers from lunch. In the middle of swallowing a bite, Ryu glanced out of the window and watched the rain fall. He looked to his sister.

"I'm worried. She hasn't come back yet." Sara looked out the window and sighed.

"I know, you've said as much several times already. Listen, a storm like this is no problem for Mom, when she comes back it'll be all right, you'll see."

A loud noise outside got their attention. Ryu immediately recognized the sound of his Mother landing. Without waiting, he leapt from the table and ran for the door.

"Mom!" Sara smiled gently, but then she smelled a scent, a pungent, coppery scent she had smelled whenever Mother would go out hunting or whenever she, Mother, and Ryu would go the the marketplace in Nettali. This time though, the scent was mixed with her Mother's scent. She rose from the table, color draining from her face and called for her brother even as he flung open the door. Then, she heard Ryu let loose a blood-curdling scream. A child's scream of terror.

Sara ran outside into the rain and beheld a sight that scared her worse than anything. Her's and Ryu's Mother lay on the ground, a large ballista bolt protruding from her body. She lay panting and growling on the ground. As Ryu came closer, Sara heard her Mother speak.

"Sara! H-Humans! Dragonslayers! Get Ryu to safety! Now!" Sara shook her head, not understanding. Then, she saw lanterns and torches in the distance.

"Ryu! Over here quickly!" Ryu looked at her as if she was crazy.

"No! Not without Mom! C'mon Mom shift! You can hide with us! Please!" Ryu heard his Mother sigh softly.

"Would that I could my son. Alas I am too weak. This-This wound is a mortal wound. At least I can protect you and your sister one more time. Now go."

Sara grabbed Ryu by the shirt and clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him to the hidden door to the den below. The house served as a home and for appearances, the door marked by a stone however, was the door to the den. It was into the den Sara carried Ryu and then sealed the door with her magic. Huddled together, they awaited the danger to pass.

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The rain fell upon her scales. If it wasn't for the current problem and for the bolt in her abdomen, Aurora would have enjoyed the sensation. She remembered the first time she met the man who would become her mate. It was a day like today; she had overexerted herself against a monster that was killing humans from a village on the other side of the mountains. She was just about to be struck down by the creature when a powerful lightning spell struck the creature. When the spots vanished from her eyes, she saw a human clad in simple cuirass and hefting a broadsword and shield. She never forgot how he cleaved the monster in half with one swing of his sword, the very air split the creature in half and the ground was rent asunder.

At that moment, her strength failed her and she reverted to her human form to save her remaining strength and try to repair the damage done. Then, as she began to slip into the unconciousness, she felt a warm light engulf her. She felt her wounds closing and felt strong hands pick her up and begin carrying her.

"Why? Why are you healing me?" She had asked. Her savior chuckled as he walked.

"It is not in my nature to allow such a strong and beautiful woman to die. Furthermore, I saw what you really are, and I cannot let such a wonderous creature perish like this. Most see dragons as monsters, as agents of doom, but not I. My life was saved by a dragon once and I always intended on finding he or she and repaying my debt. I don't know if you were that dragon who protected my hometown of Balthan years ago but nevertheless, I cannot let an innocent suffer. That's just the kind of man I am."

She had thought him a fool, but...he was an honest fool. Over the next year or so they had traveled the world helping villages and slaying monsters. With him by her side, she had no qualms about revealing her true self to the people and indeed the people had noticed. Her warrior had become known as the 'Silver Knight'; a champion of the just, she had become known as the 'Silver Tempest' due to her affinity for lightning magic. The two of them were unstoppable and eventually, their bond grew so deep that one night, under a dazzling shower of stars, they had joined and a few days later, she told him she had conceived.

They were wed a month later and came to Rotheschild to escape public notice. With his own two hands, he built this house and helped her excavate the lair. When their daughter was born and war came to Rotheschild, he was called to train the militia and then he fought to keep them safe.

Aurora's nostalgia was interrupted by the sound of laughter, even before that though, an awful stench befouled the air. The stench of death, no, of undeath. She looked to see a man clad in black armor striding toward her. The stench rolled from the figure like a tide. Even in dragon form she felt herself getting sick.

"I...I don't know what manner of creature you are...but if you think you can kill me with a simple bolt from a poorly aimed ballista you are sorely mistaken." The figure made a rattling, rasping sound, muffled by the helmet, sounded like he was trying to breathe but was actually laughter. The figure spoke, a low and lisping noise as if his tongue had been the first thing to rot away.

"Lethsh not be to hashty, my dear. I wouldth indeedth be ashamedth ifth you were asth easy to kill asth that. Asth you have no doubt guesseth, I am shuffering from a dark cursh. One that I believe you can help me be rid of."

"I don't help the undead, but I'll be glad to send you back to Hell!"

Aurora let loose a powerful lightningbolt that split the ground where the armor clad figure stood. The bolt knocked him back onto his subordinates who then got up and ran at her, weapons drawn.

Using her tail, wings, and claws, she cut down the men left and right, her fury unmistakeable, her wrath unquenchable. An archer hastily fired a burning arrow at her. He misssed her but the pitch-soaked arrow went through the window. Sparing a glance to the house, she saw the fire had caught and was already burning. Turning back to the fight, she bit the archer who had fired the flaming arrow in half and flung his remains at his fellows. Then, turning back, she saw another archer dipping an arrow into a small pot of some sort. He was out of range but these other fools weren't.

She focused on rending those closest to her and even landing a good hit on the armored undead, sending him back towards the archer who was now drawing the bow back. To her surprise, the figure stood and held a hand towards the archer, his command coming too late as the archer released the bowstring.

"No!"

The arrow flew straight and true, piercing Aurora in the chest over her heart. She immediately felt the poison on the arrow taint her blood, and used the last of her magic to fire one last bolt of lightning at a retreating enemy. As her head laid down on the wet grass and her eyes dimmed, she saw the undead disembowl the archer and yell a string of curses to the high heavens. The undead then uttered a dark spell and vanished in a wisp of smoke as the sun broke thought the clouds and the rain stopped. Her dimming eyes looked towards the heavens and she heaved a great sigh, too weak to say anything.

(My love, my Knight, I am coming. I fear for the children but know they will survive. Together, we shall watch over them.)

Aurora took one last rattling breath and was still, while in the distance, the house, her home burned to the ground. A few hours later, the stone door sealing the lair opened. Allowing Ryu and Sara to bear witness to the horror unleashed, and their Mother's final act of love.

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Whew! How about that? Prologue is complete and is ready for your eyes to read and enjoy. Again, please review the story and let me know how I'm doing. While working on World Fury I will try to split my time evenly between World Fury and Silver Reign. Your reviews help give me the push I need to write the next part.

Anyway, thanks again for reading, and you all have a nice day."