Disclaimer: I do not own Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny in any shape or form, I only own Farrah and Azel.

It happened so long ago. But, it probably felt like only yesterday to him.

From that day he could never talk about her, only staying quiet and trying to avoid it, running away and turning his back on the facts, the truth. Wanting to live in his own world of make believe, of lies. But, the truth of that day stayed engraved into his mind, in his heart that felt emptier than it should have.

The day of reckoning came though, shattering his world like the fragile colour-tinted glass fragments of the church windows. He knew deep down it would happen one day, but his illusion had caused him to forget all of those who really cared about him, who worried and wanted to help but couldn't save him from the darkness within himself. Everyone had noticed that he was a shadow of himself, of the sure business man he used to be. His store had nearly been foreclosed but had managed to be saved by his own sister and a few friends.

'It's alright.'

'I'm sorry.'

'If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.'

There assurance and unneeded apologies though would never help heal him. They would never be able to wipe the image from his eyes, from his memory, from his hands that once held her close. It had all been too much…Why, why was fate so cruel? They had all been so happy, so loving, and kind. It just wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! It all had been taken, snatched away without warning or reasoning. It almost seemed surreal, like a persistent nightmare but, there was no waking up.

Over and over it replayed, again and again, and again, never ceasing.

"Are you heading out, again?"

"Yes, but I should be back by late evening if it goes well."

"Alright, be safe."

"Don't worry so much, I'll be fine."

If only he had stopped her, had insisted that she stayed, or….Anything! Why hadn't he? Was he still that pitiful coward who couldn't stand up for himself? He was so stupid, whatever could she have seen in him? He was nothing like Aden, James, or Joe who all have confidence in themselves and are stronger than he is. Aden had been like her brother, always there and helping out on the islands. He was strong, so why couldn't he have stopped it from happening?

Why was he blaming Aden? Had he really fallen so far? Had he…?

The front door slowly opened, just enough that someone small could fit through.

"Daddy?" A tiny voice called out, hesitantly half way through the door. Upon seeing him, the small girl walked in a bit further, "You home now?"

His body was frozen in place, his mind trying to retreat into himself, leaving his shadow self to act. "Yes, why?"

She stepped further into the room, "'cause Auntie Sierra and Odette said you weren't."

"Oh, they did?" His shadow self asked, playing perfectly along.

She turned her head to look at the wall calendar, looking upset, but he didn't care to ask why. He didn't care. Turning back to stare at the table he willingly let the rest of himself retreat into the protective cage inside his mind, pretending to be there.

"Yeah, we played lots of stuff but Azel was being mean an' wouldn't let me play house." She continued, "But Lily played me a song and Odette let me help make salad, but-"

He remembered how much she loved to listen to Lily play the lute and sing, always asking for another song, or how her and Odette could spend hours talking about recipes and other trivial things. Violet would sometimes be there and they'd talk about plants or how everything was. Those days had always been so bright and lively…But, they were gone now.

"I should be back by late evening if it goes well."

But it hadn't gone well.

It had ended badly.

"Don't worry so much, I'll be fine."

A lie, it had been a lie. And now that's all he had left. A lie he wanted to believe.

He could still remember it clearly…The memory restarting, again to torture him.

It had been a sunny day, typical late-spring weather for Fenith Island. He had been working in his store, going through shipment orders like he did every Monday. The clock on the wall read 10:57 when she stopped readjusting some of the products.

"Are you heading out, again?" He had asked, looking up from his work in worry.

She only smiled, "Yes, but I should be back by late evening if it goes well."

"Alright, be safe." He replied, not as worried as before, knowing that she was tough and had been going into these dangerous places for a long time, but was still worried.

"Don't worry so much, I'll be fine," She assured, pecking him on the lips before turning around to leave, stopping to say something to him that he couldn't really remember, before the door lightly closed behind her.

The rest of that day he had worked in the Gemini store he'd so proudly started long ago, selling items to travelers and striking up deals with bargainers. All in all, it had been a successful business day, but as he glanced at the clock on the wall he couldn't stop the worry that arose. It was already six o' clock, and she hadn't returned.

He had felt that something was off and went around, asking others if they had seen her, but it had been futile. No one had seen her all day.

"Ymir isn't back so she's probably still out, you know how she loses track of time. Give it another few hours."

And he had, waiting with a heavy feeling that wouldn't let him sleep. It was nearly one in the morning when he couldn't wait anymore. He'd left to get Aden's help, surprised to find him already up.

"I have a bad feeling." Was all Aden had said, but it was enough for him to become afraid. "I'll go and find her; she said something earlier about going to the Wind Spirit Shrine."

"I'm going with you," He stated, not going to take no for an answer.

Aden had stared at him, unsure but nodded in understanding, "Alright, but we'll need to borrow a boat from Joe."

The two headed to the docks, waking Joe up. The red head had been pretty angry with them, but had calmed and agreed to help after finding out why his beauty sleep was being interrupted.

The three headed off, navigating their way through the night by the light of the moon to the Shrine. It had been strange; the amount of monsters had dwindled as they moved further up. "Hey Bismark, check the altar would you?" Aden asked, Joe and he walking around that floor, calling her name.

He had nodded and headed up the stairs, but as he moved up further the sinking feeling in his stomach grew. His whole body had frozen when he neared the top of the steps, the words dying in his mouth.

A delicate hand lay half off the last step.

Her name came out in a whisper as he slowly moved upwards while shaking as the body attached to that limb came into view. He said her name again.

Her head moved a fraction, her fingers twitched, and a small intake of air could be heard. He called again, louder as he ran towards her, gently turning her over.

"What are you doing h-here?" It had been weak, every word a strain to get out.

"To get you of course." He replied, "Aden and Joe are here too."

"I-I'm sorry, but-" A pained sound escaped and his eyes shot towards her chest. Paling he looked back at her, tears welling in his eyes, "No." He choked out as she smiled sadly up at him, her delicate pale hand coming up to cup his cheek.

"Shhh, it's alright. It'll be okay."

"But, y-you…you're…"

"Bismark, I really love you, I'm so happy to have met you."

"Don't talk like that! You're going to be alright." He ordered, placing one of his hands over hers. "We'll get out of here and have Violet take a look at you, and she'll put you on bed rest, but you won't listen and..."

At that point he was met with a small, strained, loving chuckle.

"That w-would b-be n-nice but I-I'm sorry."

"You can't leave me, I love you."

"I love you too and we'll meet again…someday."

He could remember that they had talked a bit more, but the words were lost on him. All he remembered clearly, like crystal, was the final string of words she had breathed before death had snatched her away.

After that things were all pretty blurry but he could faintly remember Aden and Joe finding them like that, of getting back on the boat, and Violet's voice, "I'm sorry, but I can't do anything." The burial past, so many cried and offered their condolences but he had been too far away, unable to believe that it was true. How could it of been? She was strong, defeated the masked man with Aden, and fought her way through dungeon after dungeon even after she got her body back. It was unrealistic that something had cut her down like that, that she was gone…Gone.

His mind faintly processed that his pants leg was being tugged on, but his shadow self moved his eyes sluggishly down to see the cause. The girl stared up at him with tearful eyes that threatened to overflow, "Are you listening?"

His only response was to stare with a blasé expression, who was this kid anyway? Was she someone he had also forgotten?

The girl began to cry loudly and he could feel something tugging at him in the back of his mind. The cries began to subside, her breathing erratic as she attempted to wipe the remaining tears away, her lower lip trembling.

It remained like that for a few minutes, her attempting to stop crying while he felt something, but faintly.

"Where are your parents?" His shadow self asked, wanting to get rid of this girl quickly.

She looked up at him again, lip quivering. "Here, but I dunno where Mommy is."

He continued to try and process her words as something began to faintly click.

"Daddy…Don't you see me?" She began to cry again, taking a step back before falling down.

He didn't get it, why did she address him as her father? He never marr-the memory forced its way back into his mind, and with it came more fragments that his mind tried to halt but they slipped through.

A pink haired girl was turning to face him. He held a bouquet of flowers and shoved them into her hands with a blush. Her face lit up, her green eyes sparkling as she looked at them, then up at him, saying 'Thank-you, they're beautiful.'

Another was of him and her holding hands while walking on the beach.

More memories he had tried to erase flooded back into his mind. There was their first date, the time they spent together, and continued. There was the news of her being pregnant, of picking out baby clothes and preparing, of trying to keep her inside while she was ready to head out to fight, and that final day when their baby had been born. Their baby had been so tiny that Violet had worried at first, but decided that it was okay.

That had been only the start, when he had seen her and their daughter he'd been near joyful tears. Now the question was what to name her. "How about Farrah?" She had suggested and he'd instantly agreed. For the next four years they were a family…He, Bismark, and Sonja.

Sonja.

Bismark blinked, eyes leaking tears as he remembered. Standing up he moved towards his daughter and sat down of the floor as he pulled her towards him, hugging her and apologizing. He had been a terrible father. He had pushed everyone away and tried to erase all his memories of Sonja to avoid the pain, but along with those memories he had forgotten the good ones. He'd forgotten that he wasn't the only one in pain.

How long had it been? How long had he left his daughter alone, confused, and afraid? For how long did he ignore her very existence? Her hair, a chestnut colour, was longer than he remembered and she was a bit taller too…Had she already turned five? He could faintly remember Aden try to tell him something regarding her but hadn't paid attention then…How long did Farrah stay with them?

"W-where's mommy?" She sniffled into his shirt, turning her head to look at him with her large green eyes.

Bismark gave her a sad smile and ran a hand through her hair, "Mommy…She had to go very far away but she loves you very much."

"When will she be back?"

He couldn't stop the tears from escaping, but it was time to stop hiding and face reality, "Mommy can't come back, but we can visit her whenever we want."

"Why isn't she coming back? Why can't she? I miss h-h-her…" Tears lightly began to fall from her eyes again, the tears streaking her face again. He held her tighter, "Shhh, I know, I miss her to and I know that she loves us and will be watching us from Heaven."

The two remained quiet for a bit longer, not saying anything.

"A-a-re you h-home now?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I left, but I'm here now," He replied, wiping some stray tears with his thumb, "I promise."

That had been the first time I ever saw my Daddy cry, but he had come back and slowly made progress into recovering. I know he still misses you, Mommy, but he can say your name now without breaking down. He even told me all he knew about you and how you came from the past. I really miss you, even though I know you're watching over us. I hope you're happy in heaven. Well, I'm off Mama, I'll visit you again.

Bismark stood with his daughter quietly, staring sadly at the grave of his deceased wife. This was always hard on him, coming to terms with the fact that he would never see her again in this lifetime. He looked down at his daughter as she slipped her hand into his and smiled up at him. Still, he could see Sonja in their daughter and even though it was a reminder of her, it wasn't painful. He was genuinely glad that he hadn't forgotten Sonja, Farrah, or anyone else. They were his past, present, and future even if they all would eventually depart. Each one of them was tied together by bonds. Besides, Sonja wouldn't want to see him like this.

"We should head back before it gets dark." He stated, placing the bouquet on the grave. Farrah nodded, "Okay, but can we have eggs for dinner?"

He smiled as they began to walk away, "Sure, but you have to eat the vegetables also."

Farrah casted one last glance back, halting when she saw the faint outline of a woman with pink hair and eyes like her dressed in white, "…M-" But she stopped, turning to look at her father who had halted when she did.

"What is it?" He asked, but she shook her head with a smile and held his hand again, "Nothing, I just thought I saw something."