Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Muv-Luv series or Schwarzesmarken. Everything belongs to their respective owners.

Kerzenlicht

~ (1) ~

Lise could clearly remember the day that Theodor had come to stay in their home. The morning sky was clear and bright, the sun's rays filtering through her small bedroom window. As she sat on her bed with her hands folded in her lap, she pondered what it would mean to have a brother.

For the eight years that she had been alive, Lise had no siblings, being the only child of her parents. The void that existed because of this was filled by her family's love; it wasn't as if she lacked that. Sometimes, though, when she would lay awake at night, a small feeling persisted. It started as a small ache, one that would cause the near-constant smile on her lips to transform into a frown. The feeling would only last until she was taken by sleep, but - as the girl's conscience would slip away – a small voice would whisper in the back of her mind.

Why is there only me? Why am I alone?

Sometimes the questions would keep her up at night, causing her to stare long and hard out the window on the opposite wall. The leaves would turn from green to red and the snow would fall, but her feelings on the unanswered pleas wouldn't change. She knew in her heart that the questions were unreasonable: she wasn't alone because she had her parents and her friends at school. She shouldn't have felt lonely and, then again, she was.

Two months before her eighth birthday was the day that her parents had broached the subject of adoption. The idea caused excitement to bubble inside her small body: a sibling at last! The process would be long and there wasn't a complete guarantee of success, but that didn't stop her mind from dreaming. What would her sibling be like? Would she be a good sister for them? The lonely questions had been replaced by idealistic ones.

The morning that her father left the house to pick up her new – official – sibling from the orphanage was the day that Lise began to grow nervous. The idealistic questions turned doubtful. Would she be a good enough sister for their new family member? Would he – for her parents had informed her that her new brother had a slightly troubled past – even like her at all?

All too soon, her mother walked into the room, a calming smile on her face. The words that she said next were expected. Her new brother had arrived with father, which now meant that it was time for her to meet him.

The young girl followed behind her mother as she exited the bedroom, careful to close the door on her way out. The sound of father's familiar voice reached her ears as she walked down the hallway. Her little brown shoes made echoing clicks across the room and her heartbeat sounded very loudly in her head.

When her mother continued to walk into the entrance of the house, Lise stayed hidden behind the corner, unsure of what to do. Stage fright was common for actors – even her, for as much as she practiced – but meeting her new brother seemed even more terrifying. She peeked her head around the corner, catching a glimpse of messy red hair and narrowed green eyes, as though deep in concentration.

The girl kept the image in her mind as she took a deep breath, still shaking but moving one step at a time, inching her way into the entrance. Her voice came out hesitant and smaller than she would have liked.

"Are you… the one who's going to be my big brother?" She asked with a small tilt of her head, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. The boy's eyes locked with hers, an unrecognizable emotion in them. No answer came from him, so her father spoke.

"This is our daughter, Lise. Lise, this is Theodor. You both are the same age, but he's a few months younger." Father's words registered in her mind. Her brother was technically younger than her, but for some reason, he still seemed like he was her big brother. The thought filled her with warmth.

Theodor – her new brother – stood still, not saying anything. Maybe he was shy? It seemed like that could be the case, considering his past. Father's hand rested on the boy's shoulder, startling him a bit with something that Lise couldn't quite hear.

The air in her lungs finally adjusted to a more comfortable level as she rushed up to him, the happiness that she felt finally taking over. Her hands reached for his as she smiled.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Lise Hohenstein. I hope to get along with you from now on, big brother!"

~ (2) ~

"Leave me alone!" Theodor's angered shout came as he slammed the door, the lock to the knob clicking a moment later. The tone he had used, coupled with the fact that she had clearly caused such a change in him, was enough to make tears spring to her eyes. She wasn't sure why he had gotten so upset; she had just wanted to know how he liked living with them, how he was adjusting to school when she wasn't with him, if he had made any friends…

"I…" the fragment came from her lips, breaking as soon as she tried to form a thought. Some part of her wanted to apologize, while the other was very, very hurt.

Lise made her way to her room, feeling as though the wall separating them was growing too thick. Had she really messed up? Did he not care for her anymore? Would he even want to see her after this? The questions coupled with the hurt she was feeling made the tears fall from her eyes, leaving multiple streaks down her face and tangling with her blonde hair.

"Theodor has been through a lot. He will need time to adjust to life here, but we know that you'll be patient with him, Lise."

"I'll help him! He'll love it here, won't he? With the three of us?"
The fragment of a memory came back to her as she repeated wiped the tears away. There was an intense ache in her chest that squeezed her lungs painfully. It was similar to the feeling she got when she messed something up and was afraid that her parents would get mad at her.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered to the air, wishing that she would have listened to her head and stopped asking her brother so many personal questions. If she would have, then maybe he wouldn't have snapped at her. Maybe they could have continued the afternoon peacefully. If only she wouldn't have rushed ahead, wanting to put the days of being an only child behind her, wanting to know more about her new sibling.

Even if I'm ready, it doesn't mean that he is. The thought only intensified the ache in her chest, forcing her to try and take deep breaths. She hated feeling this way, like she had done something so unspeakable that she wouldn't be forgiven. A small hum came from her mouth – the beginnings of a tune – but it broke off quickly as she was unable to center on the joy of the song.

Papa was at one of the local theaters working and Mama was downstairs, but she didn't want to bother either one of her parents. She had started this mess, so she would have to resolve it. Knowing her brother though, it would have to wait a bit for him to cool down. The clear plan formed in her mind, giving her some peace as she dried her tears.

Several hours later, the sun was just starting to set. Theodor had yet to come out of his room, despite the fact that dinner was almost ready. Her mother had come into her room and, once Lise had finished explaining the situation, allowed them time to sort things out. The blonde girl now stood outside her brother's door, once again feeling nervousness. Tear streaks were probably still evident on her face, but she hoped that she hadn't caused her brother too much trouble.

"Big brother…" she knocked on his door, trying to raise her voice so that he would hear her. A shadow appeared from the bottom of the doorway, so she knew that he must have been near the door either way. It made the fact that she had a hard time raising her voice easier. "I didn't mean to hurt you… I was just curious about…"

She trailed off, not quite sure how to continue. Having a sibling was harder than she initially thought. The time that she had spent with her brother was time that she cherished, but she often wondered if she was doing a good enough job of helping him. Their conversation from earlier came to mind as the door opened a small amount, revealing half of Theodor's face. From his expression, she could tell that he felt bad too.

"I… shouldn't have yelled at you." His voice had faltered a bit at the start, but his words sounded genuinely. His tone caused a small smile to appear on her face as the door fully opened. He seemed awkward – unsure like herself – as he shifted uneasily where he stood.

Lise knew that he didn't know what to say next, so she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, shaking a little as she tried to contain her emotions. "I'm sorry…" the words slipped from her lips as she trembled, hearing something she couldn't quite understand come from her brother.

She smiled either way, knowing that whatever he had said made the ache go away.

~ (3) ~

The air had taken on a chilly nip as the months passed. When the air filled her lungs and was exhaled in a puff of white, Lise found that the feeling left her refreshed. She couldn't say that Theodor felt the same way; the boy often kept his thoughts to himself, shivering slightly as they would walk to school. He seemed to be adjusting to their home well, but they had a long way to go before she could talk to him openly.

She found that her big brother had some troubles in school, stumbling over some words that seemed foreign. It gave her the chance to teach him some, her heart hoping that he would talk to her more. He seemed much more reluctant to say that the feeling was mutual. Big brother just needs some time to adjust; she often whispered to herself, ignoring the fact that months had passed.

Lise would rise for the day, walk to school with her brother, and often came home in the evenings doing her same routine. They would all eat dinner and then her parents would go to their study, looking over play manuscripts. This gave her time to try and get to know her brother, as well as her nightly activities.

It was on such a night, when her room was lit by a single candle in the window, that Theodor had peeked his head into her doorway, watching as she glided across her room in a rose-colored nightgown. An ornate music box – one she had been given for her previous birthday – played a simple tune, one which was engraved into her heart and to which she moved in time.

Her blue gaze had glimpsed him in the doorway, hesitant in his entry – she had heard a slight knock before he had appeared – but didn't stop her routine. Once the notes ended, she was facing the window, but turned around to look at him. The boy was still standing in the doorway, his gaze on her.

"Come on in," she invited with a smile, moving to sit on her bed. Theodor took a step, closing the door silently behind him. From the sounds of footsteps on the floor below, she knew her parents were hard at work – just like they always were.

The music started again once her brother started to speak. "What were you doing?" he asked, seemingly mildly curious. He hadn't moved from his spot by the door, but him even coming into the room was a start.

"I was dancing," the girl answered simply, swinging her legs a bit as she fiddled with the blanket beneath her. It seemed as though he might have vaguely known what she was doing, but not fully understanding it. An idea came into her mind, causing her to voice it enthusiastically. "I could teach you how to, if you would like."

Theodor remained silent to her offer, causing her mind to go blank. What would he prefer to talk about? She wondered, her eyes trailing to the music box beside her bed. The notes played slowly and she knew she would have to wind it up again soon. Her brother's gaze seemed drawn to the object as well. He didn't voice what he was thinking, but the fact that he continued to glance at the box when he thought she wasn't looking prompted her to speak.

"It's a music box." Her tone grew softer as she smiled again, motioning to the spot beside her. "Mama and Papa gave it to me as a present."

He seemed to accept the hint that she gave, walking slowly to sit beside her. She grasped the music box in both hands, her small fingers tracing the designs on its side. The color was a light blue, and the tune thrummed against her hands through the wood. His presence near her made the room a bit brighter.

"What do you put in it?" his question showed that he understood the basic concept as he observed her actions. His words also hinted at something more, some sort of yearning to know her personally as well. At least, she hoped so.

"I don't have much, but…" Lise's fingers lightly traced the design on top of the box before she opened it, revealing several slips of paper. Theodor leaned closer in order to see better, and his gaze was quickly filled with confusion.

"Paper?" the word was spoken softly. He quickly became aware of the color on the slips when she picked the top one out of the box and brought it up to his face.

"They're photos." The girl answered with a smile, choosing another from the box. The memories contained in each photo reminded her of each event that surrounded her small family. She quickly came to a realization: they hadn't gotten a photo with Theodor in it. It wasn't as though her parents were too busy to do such a thing, it just seemed like her brother wasn't too keen on the idea. She decided to suggest it anyway. "Next time we go to town, we could ask Mama and Papa if we could get a photo together."

"Erm…" a small noise of slight protest came from his mouth, solidifying her guess. In fact, it seemed like Theodor didn't really like to go out much. She hoped that she just had the wrong idea; it would be depressing if her big brother would rather stay inside than experience the world outside.

The boy put the photo he had been looking at back in the box, standing up and making his way to the door. She knew that he was going to leave now and – she would gladly follow him if he didn't need his own personal space – gave a small wave.

Theodor turned slightly when his hand rested on the doorknob. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but no words came at first. His green gaze was cast at the ground as a small mumble came from him. "Thanks for showing me."

The door closed behind him promptly after, leaving her alone again. The room was now silent; the music had ended and all that was left were the soft breaths she gave. The warmth he left behind stayed as she put the pictures away and placed the music box back on her nightstand.

It's alright. Even if you don't feel comfortable enough to get a picture taken now, you will someday. And that's the one I will hold the dearest, big brother.

~ (4) ~

It happened on one of the nights that Lise couldn't get to sleep: a muffled scream came through the wall. It was just loud enough for her to hear, yet she knew it wouldn't reach her parents' room. The girl hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was doing the right thing, before her bare feet hit the cold floor.

Back when Theodor had joined their family, Lise would have gladly shared a room with her new sibling. Even after figuring out that her sibling would be a boy, she wasn't hesitant to share – it would have been awkward, but if they needed to, then she would. There was a spare room that her parents had stored some work equipment in, which they then converted into a room for their newest member of the family. The room was situated next to hers and was generally the same size.

This same room that once held spare items was where her brother now rested, or at least, he should have been resting. She could only guess what was keeping the boy up at night.

As her feet padded across the hallway floor and to the short distance between their bedrooms, she briefly wondered if she had heard such a scream many nights before – almost repeated – as though this wasn't the first time. If so, then she chastised herself on her ignorance of her brother's nightly suffering.

The November air outside left frost marks on the window adjacent to her brother's door. The small nook where she would often read was now almost inhospitable. Cold and lonely, it no longer seemed inviting. Maybe big brother would like to read books with me in the spring. The thought was projected far into the future, to when the cold months passed and the flowers bloomed, but such a time wasn't now.

Her feet barely made a sound as she crept into her brother's room, silently closing the door behind her. His small form was huddled into a ball on his bed, blankets wrapped tightly around him. She was reminded of a similar time when she was younger as she stared at him, knowing that he was awake.

"Big brother…" she whispered softly once she had walked to the bed. Her hand shook as she reached for his guarded shoulder; the air around them had become quite cold at night. Her hand rested on his shoulder, but he didn't give a reaction to her touch. His body seemed warm, but he was shivering slightly, although it most likely wasn't from the cold.

"Big brother…" she shook his shoulder a bit, wanting to make sure he was alright. She couldn't see his face since it was hidden by the darkness of the room. The idea of lighting a candle came to her mind, but she thought against it, not wanting to startle him with the bright light.

Did I make a mistake? Did I dream that he screamed? The thoughts rang in her mind, causing her to almost turn away. A hoarse voice stopped her.

"Go away." Theodor's mutter was so soft that she had almost missed it. His words were a request, one that she had almost acted out, but the fact that he had said them strengthened her resolve to stay. More than anything, he sounded upset.

"Did you have a nightmare?" the girl asked gently, knowing that the subject would be a sore one. She often had nightmares when she was younger, but her parents had always made them better. Often they were of the strange creatures that existed at the frontlines of the war.

Her brother didn't answer her, but his form seemed to freeze up again. He leaned forward so that her hand wasn't touching him, a sure sign that he wanted to be left alone. She knew that if she pushed him too far, he might snap at her, but he was clearly hurting. From what, she wasn't sure, but she knew that she wanted to help him.

"It's alright. Everyone has nightmares from time to time." Lise whispered as she brought her hand to the blanket beneath her, not sure of what to do. She couldn't very well grant his request because it would only make things worse, but she couldn't necessarily act on the feelings that were strongest at that moment.

"I'm fine." Theodor insisted, although he sounded anything but. A rare frown appeared on her face as she leaned back on the bed. Her mind made up, she scooted back to the floor, making her way to the other side of the bed. The boy was staring at the wall and didn't even flinch when she appeared in his view.

Lise's problem, at first, was that he sounded upset. When she looked at his face, however, she quickly realized that her problem had changed: yes, the nightmare had scared him, but there was no emotion on his face. He was staring at the wall, his eyes blank. The sight caused something in her chest to squeeze painfully.

What did they do to you? What did you have to go through? She thought with some fear, feeling as though she might cry for him. Mama and Papa had hinted at the terrible things that Theodor had to go through when he was at the orphanage, but they never went into specific detail. The horror that he must have experienced… she suddenly didn't want him to bear that burden alone.

"Lise, go back to sleep." His gaze lingered on her shivering form, a small change in his pale green orbs. Suddenly desperate to change them even more, to invoke more emotion into him, a rare streak of defiance burst from her.

"Please let me stay." She whispered, staring down at him. His gaze grew somewhat frustrated, causing him to turn around on the bed so that his back was now facing her.

"Go away," he repeated, his tone a bit more harsh this time. She shook her head despite knowing that he couldn't see her. The fact that her footsteps weren't making their way towards the door should have been enough of an answer. I don't want to leave you alone. I don't want you to feel so lonely. No matter what you experienced, we're together now. You don't have to feel sad alone.

The words echoed in her mind despite her young age. A sudden act of bravery pushed her forward, causing the girl to climb onto the bed and wrap her arms around her brother, resting her form against his back. He clearly froze again in her embrace, but she didn't care.

"It's alright. You don't have to be scared anymore." Some tears leaked from her blue gaze as she rested her head against his back. She felt bad for violating his personal space, but she felt better this way, even if it were a selfish act. This way, she could feel his heartbeat fast against her hands; she didn't have to worry about him being taken away. It was an irrational fear, one born from the nights when she realized just how lonely she had felt. She didn't want to feel that again.

His breathing eventually slowed as she continued to lie there, not wanting to leave. She took solace in the fact that his heart was still beating strong.

~ (5) ~

April 13th was a day that Lise vowed she would never forget, so when said day came, her excitement boiled over to the point that she almost ruined the whole surprise. If her mother hadn't sent her father and brother on an errand running mission that "only the two men of the household could accomplish" (despite the fact that Theodor was turning nine and had quite some time until he became a 'man'), then Lise knew that she wouldn't have been able to keep a secret. Of course she wouldn't come out and say everything, but Theodor would have picked up on her heightened mood.

The weather was perfectly ideal for the day, causing all sorts of ideas to run through her mind. Her mother pretty much had the whole surprise planned, considering the fact that they had brainstormed creative ideas the week before, but Lise was still excited to get started.

"He's going to be so surprised!" she shouted in delight, clapping her small hands together as they set up decorations for the small, family-sized party. The other two occupants of the family would be out of the house until the late afternoon, so they had lots of time to prepare. It would just be the four of them, but she figured that Theodor would like that better, being that he was still a bit 'shy.'

Her mother smiled at her obvious excitement as she hung up a banner. Both of her parents were fully supportive of the ideas that the young girl had suggested. Now Lise just had to hope that her brother wouldn't guess before they got home…

Several hours later, the nine-year old girl was practically bouncing in anticipation as the time grew closer to when her father and brother would come home. The decorations were all in place and they had just finished making dinner, with a small cake as a treat. They couldn't afford much so it wasn't like the elaborate ones sold in the higher-end bakeries, but Lise took pride in the fact that she had helped make it.

When two forms – one taller and the other having distinct red hair – could be seen through the window, her heart began to beat faster. She shared a bright smile with her mother and made her way to the entrance. As soon as the door opened, a shout left her mouth.

"Happy birthday~!"

Theodor's reaction could be described in many ways, but the most distinct emotion that she could see reflected in his eyes was shock. It wasn't at all like the surprise that she had expected to see. There was an awkward silence as they stood around, waiting for some sort of response from him. Father's voice reached her ears as he started to talk with her brother, while mother's smile seemed more sympathetic and strained than it had earlier this afternoon.

What's wrong? She was half-tempted to ask, especially when Theodor bolted from the entrance and towards – where she guessed he was going – his room. All three occupants of the room stood still as Lise tried to process what had happened. Her legs instantly led her up the steps and towards her brother's room, the door now tightly shut.

The girl was hesitant in opening the door, but the handle moved without much resistance. He hadn't locked his door; that was a good sign. She opened the door slowly, looking inside the room almost like she wasn't supposed to. Theodor was sitting on his bed, staring hard at the ground with – what looked to be – confusion filling his green gaze. She had been around him enough to somewhat start guessing what the problem was.

"Do you… not like the party?" The blonde girl asked in a small voice, wondering if she had done something wrong. Maybe a decoration had reminded him of something from his past, something unpleasant that made him upset. But why would he look so confused then?

"No… it's not that." He shook his head, still reluctant to speak. Whatever it was, the subject bothered him. It was almost as if he didn't know what to say. Had the party been such a surprise that he hadn't been expecting it?

"April 13th is your birthday, right?" she asked the next thing that she could think of, wanting to make sure. Now that the day was engraved into her mind, it would be bad if they had gotten the date wrong. Once again, Theodor answered her with a nod. The final idea that she had come up with was more depressing than she had first thought, but made sense from her parents' reactions.

"Have you… never had a party before?" When her brother didn't confirm nor deny her question, she looked towards the ceiling. Lise knew that her brother's life before coming to their home had been complicated, but the idea of never celebrating your birthday… it was something she couldn't understand. Papa and Mama have always celebrated mine, and I've celebrated theirs'. To not have that…

"What exactly am I supposed to expect?" Her brother's question came with a small amount of embarrassment that he was willing to let show. His response this time, however, caused her to smile in relief. At least he was still interested. Lise became so interested in answering all of his questions that she didn't notice her parents had crept up to the room, ready to help with the issue. Their explanations weren't needed, however, and the night continued to be one that Theodor would hopefully never forget: his first and best.

~ (6) ~

With the coming of another spring, Lise found that her spirits were bright again. Theodor, as well, also seemed a bit more relaxed in their home, letting some details slip from his past. He didn't have much to say in regards to that, considering the fact that most of the information was either hard to remember or negative, but it seemed as though they would fill those gaps with happy memories. Ones we are making together.

It turned out that, by some chance, her big brother was interested in books. One trip to the library in town confirmed the suspicion, to her great delight. Maybe it was some undiscovered love for the stories or some lack of books when he was younger, but she hoped it was the former. The little reading nook in the hallway window now had two cushions for their daily reading time.

While Lise mainly read books on fantasy and acting, Theodor seemed to take interest in the German military books on the past and advancement. Some part of her was struck with a slight fear; her brother was reading books on the machines that fought with the creatures from her nightmares. His mild interest in the books was a good thing, considering the fact that he got out of the house more, but the fear of losing him again caused a slight nagging at the back of her mind.

Her brother had come from a military orphanage. The fact that he would probably have to join the German frontline forces when he turned eighteen was a constant reminder of the fact that she wouldn't be with him forever. Lise tried to turn things upbeat; she didn't have to worry about that for a few more years. There's a possibility that the war could be over by then.

The optimistic thought allowed her to continue to bear the thought when he continued to rent books. Of course, he tried other types of books, but always seemed to come back to the manuals.

"You seem to like reading a lot of technical books, big brother." Lise commented one day while they were browsing the new books in the library. She had already read most of the fantasy books that the small library had to offer, so she would have to find a new genre to read. Maybe romance?

"What makes you say that?" his reply was slightly distorted from the fact that he was on the other side of the bookshelf, making her wonder if he sounded that disinterested in the conversation. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"You're always renting books on projects you can do with your hands." And military training books. She refrained from saying the second part, keeping her mouth shut as she started to read the summary of an interesting looking novel.

"I like to keep busy." His answer was short once again, somewhat sounding like an excuse, but he continued nonetheless in a slightly more teasing manner. "Besides, I wouldn't want to read the novels that you like."

"How come?" Her question came as a half-hearted one, considering that she was focusing her attention more on what the book was about. She had just flipped to the first page in order to see if she would prefer the writing style when a mop of messy red hair framed the book's edges.

"Ah!" A small gasp of surprise left her as the book was taken out of her hands. Theodor, who had at some point made his way over to her side of the bookshelf, was now reading the back cover of said stolen novel. Her face lit up in embarrassment, already knowing what he was going to say – or more like, what he would think but not say.

He handed the book back a moment later, giving her a pointed look before walking towards the entrance leading outside. She placed the book back on the shelf, figuring that it might be a bit too complicated for her to read at the moment. In fact, what sort of book could categorize the exact feelings of love? The thought brought a deeper shade of a blush to her face, causing her to quickly follow her brother out the door. Maybe they would take a break from their reading today…

~ (7) ~

Lise twirled in front of the full body mirror in her room. She then smiled, curtsied, and took a step forward. The light blue dress swirled around her with each movement. She didn't stumble because of her hours of practice, but even still she felt nervous.

A familiar knock at her door caused her to turn towards it. She didn't answer right away, but took one last look in the mirror. When she was satisfied with how she looked – such an absurd and selfish notion – she called the person in.

"Come in~!"

Unsurprisingly, the knocker on the other side of the door was her brother, whom she smiled at when he entered – still hesitant. She hoped he hadn't been nervous about walking in on her still getting changed, but the idea that he cared so much to possibly think such a thing made her feel warm.

The small amount of candlelight that lit the room cast shadows on the floor: one smaller, longer one and another further off, both human in appearance, but almost appearing as though in a dance. Her brother didn't seem to know what to say at first, but overcame his hesitance quicker than she did.

"Are you nervous?" It was a simple question, one that should have been answered with a 'no,' but things were never that simple. It caused her to take a deep, calming breath before she could answer. After all, Lise always had a bad case of stage fright.

"Yeah," she nodded, sending waves of long golden hair waving with the motion. The golden locks distracted her for a moment, forcing her to wonder what she would do with them.

Theodor already seemed to have an answer for that as he walked over to her nightstand, grabbing two white bows off of it. She had laid them out earlier that week in order to wear them to school, but never got the chance. The thirteen-year old continued where she had left off.

"It's the school play and I know it isn't my first one; I've done this before so I shouldn't be nervous, but…" she continued to ramble on, hoping that the excess talking would get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Maybe it was just another form of her acting – she couldn't be sure.

Her brother stopped her without saying a word, instead making his way over to her and tying the ribbons on either side of her head, just like she had worn them when she was younger.

"There," he muttered to himself, stepping back and taking one last look at her before he walked out the door. His next reply was slightly harder to hear, but gave her courage nonetheless. "Ready to get going?"

She stood in place, speechless for once at his actions. A genuine smile made its way onto her face as she twirled once more in the mirror. He's normally the soft-spoken one.

As she raced out the door and then outside, eager to catch up with her brother, she gave one last look at the house. They would return home once the play was done, but for now, she would do what she loved the most. It wouldn't be her last time acting; she knew that, even if the days that were to come were uncertain.

So, this is my first dive into the Muv Luv archive, but it's based on the three translated chapters that I have read from Schwarzesmarken's novels, so I apologize if anyone is OOC or if I got a few things wrong. I figured doing a prequel backstory of sorts would be nice, so I decided to focus on Lise since not much is known about her. I have some more story ideas to come, but they might be a bit slow in coming since I'm a newcomer to the franchise~ Either way, I hope you all enjoyed and please leave your comments and suggestions in a review! (Who knows, they may inspire more for this fanfiction~)

-AnimeWolfGirl9