Hi, all! This is supposed to happen just before my ongoing series, "Fatima". It's the first of two prologue fics that should have been written before I started "Fatima"... but ^^;;

Btw, I was searching for a good name and noticed that almost all of the Fatimas in the manga have names based on moons, but I couldn't find a good one to name Totchi. Sooo, I came up with the idea to translate his role to Greek and voila, Tychi was born ^^;; It IS close to "Totchi" too, ne? Tychi and Toshiya are the same person... Tychi means fortune in Greek.

PS: Also, Allen Braford (one of the Mirages in the manga) has a fatima called Kyo... the only difference with our Kyo is that his Kyo is a girl fatima ^_^ Our Kyo, in the meantime, is male =P

AU, sci-fi/fantasy, based on Nagano Mamoru's "The Five Star Stories", very light shounen ai, C&C is begged for.

Prologue: JC 2986 - Bastogne

"What have I done to you, my dear son? Created like the famed Fates, I hope you won't hate me for the tragic destiny that awaits you."

Dr. Chrome Ballanche peered at his latest creation while turning the amnio supply off, grabbing a washcloth to erase the tell-tale markings on the young Fatima's body.

Number 50. Tychi. The doctor shivered as the prophecy came back to him with all the intensity of the Four Winds.

"You do remember, the role Lachesis wove for you in this world and in the space beyond, don't you? From the moment of your conception, your future has been determined," he continued, "Toshiya... do you understand its significance?"

"Tychi... Fortune... it's my destiny, isn't it? I've never asked for this--- never asked for any of this, father. But I will accept it, for no one has ever succesfully shunned ones fate. Will it hurt? Will I be like Atropos? Alone and angry and confused?"

Ballanche shook his head sympathetically and bade for him to follow. They stood on the balcony together, watching avidly as the last dying rays of the sun finally disappeared into the horizon. Ballanche raised a hand and pointed at a lone star shining so brightly across the dark expanse of evening sky.

"Delta Belun. That is where you should seek the end of Joker and the beginning of Will."

The new Fatima looked up to contemplate the far-away planet and silence reigned over them until pinpricks of light appeared over the distance, and a servant rushed in with news.

"The Grand Duke has sent men to retrieve the latest one, Doctor. Word has it that he will withhold the rights to a Fatima debut at Bastogne and keep this one for himself."

Panic erupted all over the house as servants hurried back and forth to do his bidding. Toshiya was clothed in a dark robe and shoved out the backdoor hastily.

"To Betolca you must go and find Morard Carbyte. If the Grand Duke has his way, he will make your destiny into certain doom."

Last minute instructions were given and Ballanche closed the door firmly on his face. A slight second of hesitation, but Toshiya shook his head clear and ran away from the compound. He was a mile or two away when an explosion rocked the ground and he was forced to look back with apprehension. A dust cloud now hung over where Ballanche's house once stood, and he could barely make out the silhouette of a massive air doorey beyond the hazy atmosphere.

"Father."

One: JC 2988 - Betolca

War. The news spread like wildfire among the people of Addler and it was no coincidence that he was there to hear it. On the third week prior to Toshiya's debut, news of Hagooda's invasion of Trio de Colus alarmed the doctor greatly and, upon request from the capital city of Colus, sent almost all of his Fatimas to assist the various headdliners in the field.

"But why can't I go with them? I'm as much a Fatima as they are!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You have no experience... and this war is no place for you."

Carbyte paced back and forth in his laboratory, grim-faced after being harassed by Toshiya over and over again. Jun looked worriedly, but stayed in the background as his companion begged and argued his case. The doctor merely turned a deaf ear and returned back to his work, tuning out Toshiya's voice and all-in-all ignoring him.

Stubborn and determined, Toshiya stomped out in a huff, hauling his companion after him as he ran to his room.

"Pack your bags, Jun. We're going to Jarth."

"Wha---"

"We'll leave tonight when everyone else is asleep. I'm a Fatima and so are you... we were made to fight battles and to a battle we must go," Toshiya ordered impatiently.

"But Toshiya, the doctor is right! We both don't have any experience. Sure we're Fatimas, but not all of us were programmed to handle MHs. I'm a servant Fatima, you know? Looking after stuff and making sure you don't do something as reckless as this."

Toshiya stopped packing and glared at him, "Fine. I'll go by myself."

He shoved the startled Jun out of the room and slammed the door firmly behind him, taking a moment or two to inhale deeply and calm himself.

"How will I have experience if I don't try?," he asked himself, still miffed at both the doctor and Jun.

As night finally fell on the quiet town of Betolca, he took his bag from where he'd hid it and prepared himself to sneak out when someone knocked on his door. Cursing slightly, he hurried to conceal the bag and opened the door a crack, surprised to see Jun standing there with a bundle lying by his feet.

"Ano, I know I'm crazy to be doing this, but I've decided to go with you," Jun whispered as he was pulled inside.

Toshiya led him to the double set of windows on the other side of the room, "This is crazy, but I feel that I must do this, you know? I'm glad you're coming with me... and I'm not mad at you anymore. Sorry about earlier."

Jun laughed and shook his head as he helped Toshiya open the windows and scout for anyone who might see them go out. He reached for their bags and dropped it to the waiting bush below and sat gingerly on the ledge.

"Don't worry about it. At least I'll have peace of mind if I'm with you... to make sure you'll be okay. Come on. If we hurry we might be able to catch the shuttle and won't have to wait for the one leaving tomorrow."

The two silently snuck out the compound and, with a sudden burst of speed, were on their way to the shuttle port that will send them to a battle that will drive them forward to their destinies.

Two : JC 2988 - planet Jüno

It was a little past midday when they finally arrived at Jarth, and they marvelled at the teeming number of men ready to join the Colus army and lend their king all the military might they could to drive the invaders out of the country. They hung around for a while, gathering information about the current state of affairs, until Toshiya found an ad and read it off to Jun.

"It says here that they're looking for someone with medical experience to help wounded soldiers. We'll be perfect for this!"

"--- report at Gate 7. It should be on the other side of this building. Toshiya, you don't have any medical experience."

"But you do, silly! Let's just say that I'll be your assistant."

Toshiya dragged a somewhat reluctant Jun with him to the designated gate and fell in line with the other volunteers. Jun was none too thrilled when the both of them got assigned to a troop close to the battle front, but Toshiya merely shrugged and stepped into the van that will drive them there.

Jun settled himself comfortably by the window until Toshiya pushed him aside and took his position, pressing his nose against the window in an attempt to get a clearer view of the area as the van drove by. His childish exuberance at things made the other passengers smile, their spirits lifted even when the stress of the ongoing battles seemed to beat harshly down on the citizens.

"Ooooh, look at that Jun! Have you ever seen an MH made of pure gold?"

"The Knight of Gold... I wonder how much it cost to build that thing. But money is no problem for the Emperor of Delta Belun," an elderly man replied from the back.

"We are lucky to be assigned to the AKD resistance. Amaterasu commands the finest line of warriors in the whole Galaxy," another announced.

They passed by several magnificent looking mortar headds, all of which belong to the Mirage Knights, and Toshiya was enraptured by the last MH that stood a little far off from the others. By the engravings that adorned it, the owner was most likely Amaterasu's right-hand. He felt Jun excitedly lean out to get a better look and he gave the other a questioning look.

"I know who pilots that MH and suddenly, I'm glad to have been assigned to this troop," he answered Toshiya's unspoken question with a relieved smile.

They got off and lined up to be briefed by one of the soldiers stationed by the medic tent, when something caught Toshiya's eye. It wasn't the intimidating garb of a Mirage Knight that called out to him, but the sweet sound of laughter and bright red hair. The soldier broke off in mid-sentence and followed his line of sight, taking in the blush that lit Toshiya's cheeks. He hid an amused grin and called out to the one who'd caught Toshiya's attention.

"Commander, these are the people who had been assigned to the medic tent."

Jun took a step back and subtly positioned himself a little behind Toshiya, but eyes that were trained to take in everything swept over the group until they landed on him. The person approached him with a grin.

"Jun-chan, what in the world are you doing here?!"

"A-ano, Die-sama... eto, you see---"

"Nevermind. I'm glad to see you. Didya give the old man too much trouble convincing him?"

He stood there uncomfortably, all eyes on him, as it was obvious he was a friend of a very distinguished man.

"He doesn't know, actually. We ran away. But it wasn't my idea!" he added hastily, casting Toshiya a sideway glance that Die didn't fail to notice. He turned his attention to the blushing young man standing next to Jun and quirked an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Your little brother or boyfriend," he teased. His smile widened when the boy blushed even harder and looked at the ground.

Jun made a tiny deprecating sound in his throat, but nudged Toshiya gently and cocked his head to the side.

"Ballanche Number 50. Toshiya, sire," he introduced himself and gave a bow, fidgeting slightly from the weight of Die's stare.

Die let his eyes sweep over the Fatima and gave an approving nod, "So, you're the mastermind. Toshiya, huh? How about Totchi? Has anyone ever called you Totchi?"

Toshiya shook his head, eyes still trained to his shoes.

"Well then, let me be the first one to call you that! I think it's cute... as cute as you," Die teased as he patted Toshiya on the head lightly.

When Die left to attend to some other matters, Jun turned to his blushing companion with a raised eyebrow. Toshiya looked like he was going to expire from all the attention, awed.

"He--- he called me Totchi," he whispered, eyes sparkling.

The rest of the group just smiled in amusement and the soldier carried on with his task, showing them the tents they will be sleeping in. They helped each other settle down and was led to the medic tent where several wounded soldiers lay in agony. For the rest of the afternoon, all was busy and Toshiya was separated from Jun, having been stationed to a different area. It wasn't until dinner time that he was able to go and look for his missing friend. He checked the tents and asked everybody, but it seemed that none had seen Jun. As he approached the group sitting around the fire, he noticed the same Mirage Knight who'd given him the nickname and he hesitated for a moment. His momentary indecision was solved, however, by none other than Die himself.

Die waved at him to come closer and introduced him quite loudly to the others, boasting on the fact that he had met the cutest Fatima ever. The young boy next to him pouted and proceeded to pummel him with his fists. Toshiya smiled shyly, but he wasn't prepared for the little display Die and the boy showed them.

"You're not cute, Shin-chan, you're pretty... beautiful. Neeee, are you jealous?" he teased after breaking off the kiss.

The one called Shin-chan blushed, much to the amusement of the others gathered around. Die gave him a quick peck on the cheek and turned back to Toshiya. He was made to sit next to a rather short-looking boy who was studying him carefully, until Toshiya couldn't take it anymore and asked what was wrong. Embarassed at being caught, the other apologized for staring and introduced himself.

"Sorry. I'm Kyo, Ballanche Number 49. That's Shinya over there. He's Number 47."

"To---"

"Hey, that will make Totchi here your little brother! He's Number 50," Die interrupted.

"Jeez, Die, it looked like he wanted to introduce himself," the man sitting next to Kyo complained before smiling at Toshiya, "Mirage Knight 25, Nikkura Kaoru. Ignore that loudmouthed idiot over there."

Shinya cocked his head to one side, thinking, as he secretly studied Toshiya from the corner of his eyes. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before, Toshiya instilled in him a deep and unexplained fear... it was as if his whole life flashed in front of him like film in slow motion. He noticed Die looking at him in confusion.

"You okay?" Die whispered, running a hand up and down his back. Shinya nodded distractedly.

Moi, je suis Fortuna. Que cherchez vous?

Whipping his head to the side, Shinya tried to place where the voice came from, ignoring the odd stares he got from the others.

Les traces de la vie humaine sont lancées en l'air, le sang fond dans l'eau...

"Shinya? Shinya, are you okay?"

... et la sueur se mélange avec le ciel, jetant de petites flammes.

"What's going on? Shinya, can you hear me?"

"Go away. Please go away."

"Dammit, Shinya!"

"Enough, please. GO AWAY!"

Everyone froze and stared as Shinya broke down. He sat huddled around himself, sobbing and rocking and muttering, unable to see or hear his friends' concern but only the dreaded Moriae beckoning silently to him.

"Is he sick?" Toshiya asked Kyo innocently.

"Shinya?"

Die carefully approached the shaking Fatima, relieved to find that he had stopped crying. Shinya buried his face against Die's chest, "I'm tired, Die."

He nodded in understanding and scooped him up in his arms, muttering "good-night" to the others as he made way to their tent.

Toshiya followed them with his eyes, looking up sadly at the disappearing form, "Shinya..."

... peiné...

A week after Shinya's arcane outburst, he and Toshiya met again when Die was brought in injured after a confrontation with a Boowray headdliner. Shinya stood at the doorway, watching quietly as Toshiya tended to his headdliner and lover with unmistakable affection. The effects of his earlier visions still lingered in his mind and the dread he felt towards the other Fatima stopped him from asking.

"Shinya?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts to find Toshiya looking at him, unsure.

"I said he'll be fine... he should wake by dinnertime. Are you okay?" Toshiya repeated.

"Ye-yes, I'm fine. Thank you for---"

"You are afraid of me."

Toshiya plopped himself on the empty cot next to Die's and patted the space to him. When the other silently refused his offer, he sighed and shook his head. Silence reigned for a while, neither knowing what to say to the other, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Finally, Shinya caught his attention and looked him in the eye.

"I saw horrible visions. Y-you were there and you were calling me."

"I'm so sorry, Shinya. That must have terrified you. I have no control over this and even I don't understand. I am merely Fates' puppet, controlled by Lachesis' strings."

Toshiya stood up and surprised Shinya by hugging him, putting all of his apologies and concern in that, slowly feeling Shinya relax in his arms. He pushed him at arm's length and smiled, "We are all puppets having one common goal. Now that Fortune is born, I will make sure to embrace all of the hopes and dreams held by Fatimas everywhere."

"The first I saw you, you scared me very much, Toshiya. But you are no longer frightening, little brother. Mysterious, yes, but no longer terrifying."

[I am Fortune. What are you seeking? The traces of human life are launched in the air, blood's essence in the water... and sweat are mixing together with the sky, throwing themselves to the little flames.]

End of first prologue

additional notes: the French was taken from Lachesis and Morard's eerie conversation in Vol. 6. The translation is what you see at the end... I'm not fluent in French so it might not be accurate. If anyone has a better translation, let's hear it!