This is a collection of one shots about Florian and his experiences with the other characters. Needless to say, spoilers abound since some of it will have to do with post ToA. None of this goes in a particular order and there will be very little continuity since it's not really meant to flow together. Just some excerpts from Florian's life. Honestly, I was just inspired and threw this together without proof reading. May be revised later if I feel like it.

*~The Innocent One~*

Why did he go with them?

He had nowhere else to go.

Were they good people?

They seemed kind. Kinder than those before.

What is kindness?

He wasn't entirely sure.

The boy's dark green eyes surveyed the stuffy, cramped airship warily. Even though he had limited experience with the world, he could tell it was a small, personal craft at best. It barely held band of adventurers tucked closely together behind the pilot and offered the most minimum of comforts. Not at all like the first ship which had individual rooms, red carpets and a distinct floral smell. The Daath ship had more creature comforts than he ever knew existed. However, despite its luxurious appearance, it had not been comfortable. Rather, he had been terrified through the entire ordeal as his obviously flustered and angered handlers had barked orders at him or roughly dragged the green haired child about. His arms were still sore from the manhandling and no doubt would form a bruise.

A voice in the back of his head mused over the inconvenience of his frailty and imagined most boys his size would not bruise so easily, but he had more pressing concerns at the moment. He placed a shaking hand over the bruise as if to physically push the matter from his mind for the moment.

"Are you ok?" The voice was high pitched, female and was so sudden it caused him to jump. There was no gentleness to the statement but he could tell there was genuine concern behind it. He ducked his head before anxiously sparing a glance at the speaker sitting next to him.

The girl wasn't looking at him and as far as he could tell she had yet to turn her face in his direction since they first sat down. Somehow she seemed to have been able to read his movement just from the shifting in his seat or arm brushing the air against hers. From the extremely brief time they had spent in each other's company, he had quickly deduced she was very experienced in translating the faintest hints of his body language. Somehow he imagined such a skill would only come from time spent in close contact with someone, but that didn't seem to be the case for her.

She kept her gaze from him and seemed to be making a point of it. He took the opportunity and studied her closely. Her pigtails were high, dark brown and held up by two small yellow bows that contrasted sharply against the wave of her curls as the trailing ribbons hung straight along the length of her hair. He had yet to get a good look at her face, but imagined it was tan like her shoulders that were uncovered by her pink sleeves. His gaze trailed the embroidered collar and design of her over vest then rested on her yellow doll. A small shiver went up his spine at the wide, toothy grin it was giving him and he ducked his head again.

"Mm," he finally replied softly in confirmation. He gripped the brown, gritty fabric of his gown anxiously as he waited for her response. No words were said, but that didn't bother him. He preferred her silence to making her angry. Although, he would have at least understood anger better than the obscure mood of her and the other passengers. Meekly he raised his eyes to survey their current state.

Directly in front of them a young man with short, crisp blond hair sat in the aisle seat, arms folded across his orange vest. He also hadn't moved since he sat down. Despite his relaxed posture, the boy could tell he was tense. The girl across the aisle from the blonde man seemed distracted by what was outside the window much like the girl sitting next to him, but he could get a glimpse of her delicate and dignified face from this angle. It was veiled by a soft sadness, almost pity, as her thoughts drifted through the corners of her mind. She idly toyed with one of her short, blonde curls.

Another girl sat in front of her. This one with straight, light brown hair that gathered in her seat at the point where her lower back pressed against the chair. Her clothes were more formal and dark, but left few curves to the imagination on her voluptuous body. He couldn't see her face now, but remembered getting a look at her when entering the ship. The expression had been an odd mix of gentle and cold as she stared at him with one eye. He hoped she had another one under the hair that had fallen over her face. Despite the fact she was so quiet and serious, he thought she was a beautiful woman. It would be a shame if her face had been damaged and lost an eye. He watched as angled her body ever so slightly to lean into the aisle and speak lowly to the boy sitting across from her.

This boy was particularly strange and even the green haired child couldn't go without taking notice of him. His voice was loud, his white and black clothes were obscure at best, and he had the most striking color of orange for hair. He held himself awkwardly yet without hesitation as if he was both uncertain yet determined of his actions at the same time. He didn't walk with the same confidence as the others, but he stubbornly held himself high all the same. Even though the child wasn't sure what the older boy's resolve was, he hoped that the redhead would pull through. The older boy was the only one out of the group who had looked at him with a gentle, reassuring smile. Somehow he was confident that the redhead understood him on some level the others couldn't.

A soft cough alerted him to another presence nearby. Across the aisle from the green haired child, an older man sat comfortably in the only other two passenger seat. It seemed a bit odd no one else would dare intrude on his space in the cramped cockpit, but he did give off a formidable air. Although not in the way the Oracle Knights had where he didn't look particularly threatening physically, but the man's clever gaze seemed to miss nothing and analyze everything behind his glasses. The uniform he wore also implied he was a soldier of some sort and a high ranking one at that. If the boy remembered correctly from his training, it was Malkuth in design. Political factions were important for the replacement of a Fon Master to recognize. His dark jade gaze suddenly met with the sandy blonde's burgundy eyes and he quickly averted his gaze to the front again. He didn't like the look he had been given. While not harsh, it was horribly calculating as though he was being internally dissected by the man.

A sudden roar of the motor caused the boy to cringe and hunker down in his seat, arms folding over his head in a protective shield against any oncoming danger. The airship gave a lurch that nearly made his stomach turn. He quickly realized the lurch had not been forward or backward and instead rose vertically into the air. Paling despite his already ivory skin, he folded his upper body into his lap as best he could around the seatbelt, knees coming up to try and meet him half way. A tremble wracked its way through his body as he gripped anxiously at the short ends of his green hair. Even when the plane ceased its ascent he refused to move.

"Calm down," the pigtailed girl commanded next to him, pausing as if reconsidering her tone before speaking in a softer, yet strained voice, "We won't fall out of the sky. Noelle is a great pilot."

"I don't… like it…" he said softly, words broken and hesitant. He was unfamiliar with his own voice. Not because he hadn't heard it before. Having seen other replicas like him, the voice was not an unusual sound, but using it himself was odd. The vibration of his throat followed by the sound he heard was so similar, but different in his ears than what he knew it sounded like.

"Well, I don't like a lot of things, but I don't complain about it… much," the girl said, her voice tensing as if trying to summon some sort of emotion or front to use against the boy before it suddenly dropped barely above a whisper, "Ion didn't complain about anything…"

He was silent to that, but had lowered his arms to look at the girl and relaxed his posture slightly. His lips twisted into a small frown as he regarded her back with a quizzical expression. She shifted her shoulders uncomfortably as if she could feel his eyes on her. The girl straightened herself and pushed back from the window in one jerky motion, looking forward at her companions and still avoiding his direction.

"So, what will happen to Mohs?" she asked loudly, referring to the crazed monster the maestro had been reduced to. The thought of that creature sent a small shiver up the boy's spine again as he dully listened to their conversation, but didn't pay attention to it. He folded his hands around his knees for comfort and stared at them as if they were vastly more important than anything else going on. As he became accustomed to the motion of the aircraft and roar of the motor, it became more comforting than frightening. Without thinking, he hummed a soft duet with the engine and was pleased by the vibration of his throat synching to the faint buzzing motion of the plane itself. Eventually he felt a pair of eyes on him and looked at his seatmate again.

Her eyes were just as dark as her hair and, as he thought, her sun tanned face was framed by more wavy locks. The expression she wore was blank as she chewed on her lip thoughtlessly, but he could tell she was thinking very hard from the way her eyes focused on him. He felt his cheeks grow hot and couldn't imagine why. He lightly brushed a hand over the flush on his cheekbone as if it could be whipped away and was puzzled when he brought his fingers in front of him and saw no strange substance. But he definitely felt hot. Having no other source for answers, he timidly glanced back at the girl.

"You're embarrassed," she said evenly to answer the unspoken question. She seemed to have reached some sort of resolution to her earlier thoughts. "You don't know anything, do you?"

"N… Not enough…" the boy admitted cryptically, glancing downwards when he spoke. Words still felt unfamiliar in his mouth.

"No one really knows enough." She rolled her dark eyes with a scoff. "Everyone thinks they're so smart. That they know what's best… Well, they don't. Don't you ever think you know what's best for everyone, got it?" There was a sudden forcefulness in her voice that took the boy off guard. He could only nod mutely, eyes wide as he watched her body movements for any hints of aggression. The pigtailed girl sat back, satisfied by his obedience. Her elbow propped up against the seal of the window and she folded her arm back to rest her cheek on her fist. Thoughtfully her eyebrows knit and she chewed her lip again before looking back at him once more.

"You are not Ion," she said sternly. The statement startled him. Of course he knew he wasn't the Ion, but Ion was who he was supposed to become. It was his purpose to replace Ion as far as he knew. "You are not Ion," she said again, this time more gently and he thought he saw some moisture in her eyes, "You can never be Ion. Do you understand?" He only nodded, not wanting to face her wrath and was relieved to see her sigh and discretely rub a sleeve over her eyes. This time when she looked back at him she smiled. The smile was strained and forced, but it was a smile, and she held out her hand to him. "I am Anise," she said, "Anise Tatlin."

"I am not Ion," the boy stated, not having a name to give her in return. He looked down at her hand warily and regarded it as though some sort of trap. He was rewarded by a chuckle.

"No, you aren't," she agreed, voice soft and the smile became more relaxed at his naiveté, "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Shaking hands is how you make friends."

The boy gave her a look somewhere between confused and worried. "I do not… wish to make anyone," he said.

"Making people is a bad thing," Anise said, trying to keep herself from chuckling again at him, "But making friends is different. You don't literally make them. It's like…" She glanced upward as if Yulia herself would descend with the answer. "You meet someone and, if you like them and they like you, you become friends," she said slowly before nodding to herself as if confirming she was making some sense.

"Do… I like you?" the boy asked.

"That's for you to decide," Anise said, "But it would make me happy if you do. Being liked is better than being hated for sure…" Perhaps naïve wasn't quite a strong enough word to describe the boy. Ignorant came to mind, but somehow that seemed unfair even if It was true. It wasn't the replica's fault he didn't know anything. It wasn't his fault he had Ion's face, either…

"You aren't scary," the replica said after some thought, "You… smile at me." He glanced at her to make sure he hadn't said anything offensive before continuing. "I… like that. So, I must like you." He heard a faint snort behind him that sounded vaguely like someone muttering, "Logical." He turned his head to look back at the sandy haired man that was making a point of looking forward. When it didn't seem to be a threat he turned back to Anise again, blinking at the disapproving glare directed over his shoulder.

"Anyway," Anise said, turning her attention back to him and smiling again, seeming more energetic all of a sudden as if the burst of irritation had revived her somewhat. He noticed a tune to her voice even as it trailed off thoughtfully and he felt warmed by it. "Ignore the colonel. He's just a bitter old man."

"You wound me," the man said dryly from across the aisle. The boy turned in time to observe a faint smirk on his face, seeming a bit more lively now himself.

"I'll do more than that if you make fun of my new friend," Anise challenged, "Don't pick on him. He's been through a lot already!"

"Pick on a child? You seem to have me confused with some sort of bully," the colonel said, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, "Laughing at someone else's expense is…"

"One of your favorite past times, colonel?" Anise interjected. The boy fumbled nervously at the tension he assumed was between them.

"Don't mind them," the blonde in front turned in his seat, folding his arm over the back of it with a pleasant enough smile, "This is just how Jade and Anise get along. It's all in good fun."

"Guy," Jade said, voice suddenly serious. Guy winced slightly before warily eyeing the colonel.

"Yeah?" he asked cautiously.

"I do hope you are prepared to fetch me some tea when we arrive," Jade said, "I am quite thirsty."

"You're kidding?" Guy gawked, "Where in Daath would I go just to get you some tea?"

"I'm sure a clever, young lad like you can manage," Jade said before sighing gravely, "My old joints just aren't as spritely as they used to be. Making it to get some tea and back in time for our departure would be far too great of a hassle."

"Then go without tea," Guy tried to reason, hoping to avoid Jade's obvious hazing.

"Oh, and I thought you were a kind young man, too," Jade said despairingly, "To think, your chivalry is but a show... I must report this to Emperor Peony as soon as possible."

"Ugh, alright already!" Guy groaned as he turned back in his seat with a huff, "I'll get you your tea."

The boy was quiet as he watched the bantering, uncertain what to make of the adventurers. Anise's snickering, though, told him that this was humorous for some reason. He glanced at her and couldn't help his lips tugging upwards.

"Do you like me?" he asked as if their conversation had never been interrupted. Anise was caught off guard by the question and looked up in time to see the smile on his face. Her heart briefly lost its rhythm at the familiarity of his face. Despite the sadness and guilt that immediately followed, she smiled at him.

"Yeah," she said, "I think we're going to be good friends." She reached over and took his hand. "I won't let anyone hurt you. That's a promise I won't ever break as long as I live." Now that she was free to keep her promises. He felt his smile broaden into a grin as his fingers curled around hers.

"I believe you," he said, voice soft but stronger than it had been. The world he had been introduced to so far was frightening and cruel, but maybe with a friend it wouldn't be so bad. The rest of the flight was uneventful enough and passed quickly now that Anise was talking to him. He didn't understand most of what she said, but was content just to listen to her explain where they were going and why. Just to be spoken to was a comfort to him. It allowed him to focus on something specific rather than his scattered thoughts and confusion over the outside stimulus of the plane and people around them. He refused to look at the window even when Anise wanted to point out Daath to him. Everything was so confusing and there was so much of it that he felt dizzy. His ignorance frightened him more than anything. He had no idea what was a threat, what was normal and what he should do about it without direction. Anise was the only direction he had and gripped her hand tightly when he felt their decent.

"Noelle is a great pilot," Anise assured him again, chuckling despite herself as he pressed himself back against his seat as if somehow he could help stabilize the plane with his frail body. Only when they were on the ground did he slump down in exhaustion, but didn't have time to rest. The tug on his hand let him know it was time to stand and he obediently followed Anise to the door. He kept his head down until he came to the ramp and glanced up at the city gates.

His eyes widened as if trying to drink in the full sight entirely at one look. Suddenly his pupils dilated and he reeled back against the overload of sensations, nearly jerking Anise back in the process.

"H-Hey, calm down!" Anise objected, tightening her grip on the boy and leaning to prevent the taller child from retreating into the plane, "We need to get you to the cathedral. You'll be safe there." When the only response she got was a quivering whimper she frowned and shifted her stance to roughly tug him out. The frail boy, despite being taller, was easily yanked away from his shelter by the battle hardened little girl. He stumbled off the ramp and cringed at the feel of grass beneath his feet. His heart beat wildly as he tried to make a blind run for safety, but Anise still hadn't let go of him. She tugged him close and locked his upper body against her with both arms. "Stop it," she commanded, waiting until his struggles ceased and he twisted to cling to her. She sighed at his whimpering and gently caressed the boy's back. "It's ok… I won't let you be in any danger. Remember? I promised to protect you."

The replica clung tightly to the smaller girl, shudders running through his body again. "I-I'm scared," he said meekly in her ear.

"I know," Anise said, pulling back just enough to give him a confident smirk, "But, trust me, Tokunaga and I can smash any creep that would try to get you. We're super strong."

"T-Tokunaga?" the boy asked soggily, only then realizing his eyes had teared up, but didn't know to try wiping the moisture away. Grinning, Anise removed the doll from her back and held him out.

"Tokunaga," she said proudly, "He can keep you safe from anything."

"Really?" the boy asked, eyes going wide in awe at the doll's power.

"Really," Anise confirmed with a nod before stuffing the doll into the boy's hands, "I'll need him back, but you can hold him for now, ok? Just keep your eyes on me and Tokunaga and everything will be alright." The boy looked from the puppet to the puppeteer before nodding quietly and obediently taking her hand, comforted to know the magic doll would keep him safe.

Anise gave him another confident grin before partially dragging him down the street. The replica winced at the sounds and smells of the town as they passed, clinging tightly to Anise's hand and keeping his eyes to the ground. The soft gasps and hushed cries of a ghost being among them were no comfort. He closed his eyes tight until he noticed something brush up against his side and winced, chancing a glance to see black, baggy pants tailed by two long strips of white clothe whipping about the owner's legs purposefully. He didn't risk looking up, but knew it was the orange haired boy from the plane flanking his side. He twisted his head to the other side when he noticed Guy saunter up next to him on the other, closely followed by the long haired girl's dark boots and others fell closely into step behind the timid replica. The child clutched Tokunaga closer, unable to help feeling grateful for the human shield around him. If he knew how to, he would have liked to say thank you.

Anise hurried them through the streets, only letting go of the boy's hand to burst through the cathedral doors. The small group dispersed to a more comfortable and relaxed position yet he remained the nucleus of their formation.

"Tritheim!" Anise called, dropping her superior's title in her urgency, drawing more attention to them than the replica liked. He quickly ducked behind her and clung to her shoulders as he buried his face behind her pigtails. Anise flinched at first, not being the greatest fan of unplanned physical contact, but ignored it for the moment. It wasn't long before the aged maestro came shuffling down the stairs to meet the group and froze at the sight.

"I-It's…" he started, his mouth thinning into a line at the pitiful sight of the creature cowering behind the Fon Master Guardian.

"I believe Yulia City already sent a report, but this is Fon Master Ion's replica," the long haired girl stated matter of factly from the boy's left. The boy's trembles increased as he clung tighter to Anise's shoulders.

He didn't want to read the Score again. It had hurt so badly when Mohs forced him to before he thought his fonons would burst apart at any second. Surely that was what they would want him to do here. He hadn't recognized the city of Daath, but he knew what this church was. Mohs had told him his purpose was to read the Score for the sake of Auldurant according to the order's wishes. His mouth went dry, knowing all too well that he had only been created because the other replica had died. That was the only reason why he would be useful and he knew he would be used until he died as well. Suddenly, his grip on Anise's shoulder was lost, but before he could panic, two small hands were around his.

"Don't worry," Anise said as she smiled up at him, "The people here won't force you to read the Score." He was shocked into silence briefly when she seemed to read his fears. He bit his lip when he realized the implications of her words.

"You aren't staying… Anise?" he asked softly, eyes filling with fear again.

"No, I have something I need to do," Anise said. The resolve in her voice and hardness in her eyes stopped his protests before he could start. He hated the thought of his friend leaving him alone, but she had promised to keep him safe. So here must be safe and he had no reason to believe she would lie to him.

"Don't worry," the loud voice of the redheaded boy said reassuringly, "Anise will be back when it's all over. I'm sure she'll come see you." The replica was startled enough to actually look at the boy, taking in his full appearance at once. His clear, blue-green eyes were steady and he regarded the smaller boy with that same, understanding smile that made him feel like the redhead knew. Simply knew, and it was oddly reassuring. Somehow, the boy knew he wasn't being lied to. "And I will, too, of course."

The boy hesitated before blushing and ducking his head again, wondering what that meant, but feeling strangely happy. He would like that. He had a feeling he liked the older boy very much already.

"By the way," Tritheim entered the conversation carefully, "What should we call him? Ion would be…" The maestro let his concern die, knowing the others would understand without his explination. The boy looked back to Anise anxiously, hesitating at the flicker of emotion in the girl's dark eyes. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he got the impression that the name Ion bothered her deeply from her earlier lecture.

"Hmm…" the redhead mused, but it was hard to tell if it was an agreement or actual thought on a name.

"Why don't you name him, Anise?" the long haired girl said, this time her tone more at ease when regarding her ally and out of respect for the delicate subject, "He has grown attached to you, after all." Anise stared long and hard into the boy's eyes as if the answer was buried deep within the dark green hues. He knew he should feel nervous or anxious, but was strangely calmed and stared back into her dark gaze.

The trust in his expression nearly broke Anise's heart, remembering when Ion had looked at her that way even as she betrayed him time and time again. Even as he had lain dying in Luke's arms, that same trust had never wavered from his gaze. He was stupid not to have hated her. Hate would have been easier to accept than his gentle understanding and willingness to sacrifice his life. No one as kind and innocent as he was should have ever suffered the way he had. No one should have died the way he did.

"Florian," she said after a few moments, keeping her expression even as she spoke. Any emotion, even a smile for the replica, would be too painful for her at that moment. She ignored the others discussing the name and its implications. "The innocent one…" she whispered its meaning softly to herself, hoping his innocence could be preserved. Perhaps naming him so was a futile, silly hope, but she wanted him to remain pure and untainted like Ion had been. For now, Florian would be her hope that, despite all of their suffering, something good and innocent could be born out of the blood and sacrifice. "Florian, I'll come back to see you later, ok?"

Florian felt himself blush at being called by a name. He gripped her hands tighter, not wanting her to leave him, but was unable to help being happy. Florian was his name. His name that had belonged to no one previously. He was now an individual and would not be inheriting the name that had been originally planned for him.

"Ion…" Anise whispered softly, gazing deep into his eyes again, but this time she wasn't looking at him anymore. He nearly reeled back at being called by that dreaded name, and felt an unpleasant stirring in his heart. Neither noticed the long haired girl approach them until she was at Anise's side, a hand lightly touching the small girl's shoulder.

"Anise," she said in her gentle commanding voice, "Let's go." It was simple yet profound enough to snap Anise from her stupor. The little girl was the one who reeled back this time as if she had just been rudely awakened and let go of Florian's hands in a hurry.

"Oh… Right," she said, dazed and quickly putting on a bright, cheerful smile for Florian, "I'll be back to play with you as soon as I can. Be good for Maestro Trithiem. He's kind of a stick in the mud, but he means well." The older man made a soft, coughing noise in agitation to remind the girl he was standing nearby and could hear her. Anise only laughed whimsically at her intentional blunder.

"Got to go!" She tried to run past Florian, unsure she could stand looking at his face any longer. His hand was suddenly fast and strong, grabbing her wrist and stopping her with little effort. Alarmed by the solid grip of the fragile looking boy, Anise whipped her head around to face him. "F-Florian?"

Florian was pleased to hear her call him by his name again, but pushed the thought to the side and held out Tokunaga quietly from where he'd been holding it at his side. He released her hand and ducked his head shyly. "You're going somewhere dangerous," he said softly, "You need something to protect you…"

Anise was quiet for a moment before smiling and taking Tokunaga back. "Thanks," she said, feeling true warmth in her heart for the first time since Ion's death. Florian just smiled meekly, pleased that Anise seemed happy at last and watched passively as she turned to continue her adventure with the others falling into step behind her. He stared at the door long after it had shut before slowly turning and looking up at Tritheim, meeting his gaze unflinchingly and mimicked Anise's cheerful grin as he held out his hand as she had to him before.

"I am Florian," he said, "And I am not Ion."

So, it's been a while since I played this game, and I'm not sure of all the details, but whatever! This is also my first time uploading something on , so not sure if this will come out right… A for effort. :P