Random Kirby Headcanon #5
Zan Partizanne was 14 when she first met Hyness. She came from a very, very abusive home and as a result tried to take her own life via lightning strike; however the priest found and saved her.
Initially, he had no plans to take her in, but when he heard her story and realized she had practically nowhere to go he offered to let her come with. Hesitantly, she accepted. At the time she did not trust him at all, but it was a better option than the alternative.
It took her a long time to start trusting him… trusting anyone, but seeing as how this was back before he was completely consumed by his hate, Hyness was very patient with her. He didn’t really understand what he was doing— he never intended to become a parent, and so he was a little bit awkward, but he tried his best to support her and offer her comfort, even when she was deeply suspicious and even afraid of him.
Eventually, she warmed up. Slowly, he coaxed her out of her shell and she realized all adults weren’t bad. After that, she became very, VERY attached to him, and very dedicated to Void, who he taught her about as well.
Once she asked him, crying, that if Void loved her why it let people hurt her. Hyness said it was only because it was sealed away and couldn’t protect her. Surely when it was freed it would make everyone who ever hurt her pay.
He found Flamberge about six months after he met Zan and on complete accident. He’d been researching something to do with Void (as he had been doing when he found all of then) when he stumbled upon a burning home and heard screaming inside. He rushed in to help, but by the time he extinguished the fire it was more or less too late. All of the family inside was dead.
Or… well, everyone except for one little girl. She was eight and on the brink of death. When saved, she was terrified and heartbroken, having been very close to her family.
Hyness took her in afterwards, as she also had nowhere to go, but she was distant with him at first as well. She had no interest in bonding with him or Zan at all, and often acted out in anger and grief. She said a lot of cruel things to them and spent most of her time alone.
Everything changed, though, when three months later Francisca came into the picture. Zan poked her head into Flamberge’s room and told her to come see something. Flamberge had no interest, but when Zan hissed it was “important” she grumpily relented.
Zan led her to Hyness, who was kneeling down to comfort someone— a crying child who could’t have been older than three. He was telling her that everything would be alright… that she was safe now.
She’d been found alone, half dead in a blizzard. To this day, no-one knows if her family left her there deliberately or if she was merely separated from them. Francisca herself has no recollection of the incident or her life before her induction into the cult in general.
Flambege was… shaken by the appearance of the young child. Still not trusting Hyness or Zan at the time, she was terrified they’d hurt the poor girl. And so it was then she made a vow. She’d protect Francisca and make sure nothing bad happened to her. Just like her family (including two big sisters) did for her when they were alive.
Of course, being eight years old and all, she wasn’t actually able to care for Francisca much. She was fiercely protective of her and kept her company, but it was Zan Partizanne and Hyness who took care of the majority of her needs as well as taught her to harness her magic. Because of this, cautiously, Flamberge began to warm up. She realized that they sincerely loved Francisca and wanted the best for her, and that they must have wanted that for her too.
It took her a long time to consider them family, but she does nowadays. She wishes they could have gotten to meet everyone else.
For a time, things went well for the four of them, but inevitably things took a dark turn. In his quest to summon Void and get revenge on the world that had exiled his people, Hyness was swallowed by the hatred in his heart. He began to act more and more erratic as well as care less about the Mage Sisters. By the time Francisca and Flamberge were young adults (and Zan was a little bit older), there was a lot of strife between them.
Zan was still fiercely dedicated to Hyness, and would do anything he said regardless of how terribly he treated her. Flamberge, in contrast, was frustrated by it and would argue with her a lot. Francisca honestly barely knew how to feel. After all, this was the only life she’d ever known. It’s not like she could just leave.
She and Flamberge definitely drifted away from Zan during this time. They’d always been codependent and had a special bond with each other they didn’t quite share with her, but now there was a deliberate air of avoiding and resenting her.
After Heroes in Another Dimension, the Mages began working on repairing their relationship with both each other and their father. It’s been a long, complicated process, but they’re making progress. Slowly but surely Zan is bridging the gap that formed between her and her sisters and Flamberge is learning to trust Hyness again.
He really sincerely feels bad for the way he treated the three of them. He loves them a lot and is trying his very best to make it up to them for what he did when he was in the throes of madness.
A very long time ago, before all of this went down, he used to call them “miracles that Void sent him” since he found all three of them while researching the dark god.
Nowadays, he just calls them “his miracles,” no Void necessary.