Hey, my first story. Inspired by a PA in SO3 where Woltar tells Nel about her father's death. I haven't got access to the game right now, so I went off memory. Please tell me if any of my details were wrong. Read and review. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or the characters, or cities, or castles mentioned here. Not sure who owns them, but I know its not me.


An Immense Sense of Peace

Fayt was so happy to be in Kirlsa. He looked around. The temperature was perfect, and it was a beautiful day. Everything a person could want. He ran his fingers over the stray cat's fur.

"Such a cute little kitten." He said absentmindedly.

"Bah. You'll get fleas that way, maggot. I wouldn't do it if I were you."

"I will not. That is such a myth."

Fayt ignored Albel and continued petting the cat. It was so bad to abandon an animal. Maybe he should take it home with him when he left for Earth.

"Why are you like that, anyway? I've never seen anyone touch that cat."

"Well, some kids were chasing it around earlier. I'm not sure if they were playing with it or trying to torture it though. Anyway, the reason I care about animals is because most people in my country do. It's just how I was raised."

"Interesting. Fine, it has nothing to do with me."

Fayt was too annoyed. He left the cat alone and started walking to Woltar's house. Maybe he could discuss politics or something interesting with the aged man.

Fayt walked up the stairs and was about to enter Woltar's office when he heard voices inside. He stopped to listen and was stunned. Woltar had killed Nel's father in combat? That would make her angry. He peeked in. Her stance had not changed. She seemed frozen.

He opened his drawer and pulled something out. He handed the bundle to Nel.

"Your father wanted you to have these when you were old enough. I felt it necessary to honor his last wish. He was a noble fighter."

Nel took the bundle from him, turned on her heel and walked out.

Fayt panicked. She was coming his way and he had to find a place to hide quickly. He ran across the hall and entered Albel's bedroom.

"Shhhhh. Don't tell her I'm here." He pleaded. "I don't want her to think I was eavesdropping. That's the second time I've walked in at the wrong moment on a conversation."

He realized then that Albel was not even there. It was only a maid that he was talking to. "Ignore me; sorry to disturb you." He said quickly and left the room.

Nel had already passed by and slammed the door on the way out. He assumed that she was going to his grave to tell him she knew the truth of how he died and that his final wish had been fulfilled.

Fayt knocked and waited for Woltar's signal before opening the door. "Hey. I just overheard you telling Nel that you killed her father. Are you sure that was wise? The peace between your two countries is already tenuous. Nel and Albel want to rip each other's throats out. Are you sure you want to risk ruining that?"

Woltar looked a little surprised. He had not pegged Fayt as the kind of person that would eavesdrop.

"Well, I thought it had to be done. As I told her, he was a noble fighter, so I felt that I must obey his final wish. I felt bad for orphaning his child, but war is war, and Nel seems to have turned into a fine young woman."

"I bet she went to visit his grave just now. She probably needs to be alone after what you just said."

"I agree that she probably needs to be alone, but not at his grave. As far as I know, they never found his body."

"What? Where did you put it when you killed him? Surely you didn't just leave him there. With no proper burial, and no friends or family around to be with him? You left him all alone?"

"Relax, will you? I buried him in a wood box in the field where he died. It was the best I could do. And we don't make it a habit to bury the enemy dead either. That was a high honor I afforded him."

"Everyone deserves to be buried. Let's go get him. There's no way I am letting him stay there a moment longer. It is important that people be buried properly. Not in a box in an unmarked grave where their family can never go and pay their respects or visit."

"Well, all right."

Woltar got up from his chair and followed Fayt stiffly. He really did not want to go, but he knew that Fayt would never give it up. The kid wanted what he wanted, and he was going to get it. Fayt kind of reminded him of Albel when he was a child. He did suppose that Fayt was right though. What would Albel do if he could not visit his father's grave? What if there was none? If he was Nel, he would want a grave to visit, so he would do that for her. It only seemed fair.

Fayt kept walking. Woltar pointed left, so he went left. They walked in silence. When they got to the end of the street Woltar pointed right. Fayt turned right and went to the end of the road. The street ran into a stable. It was obvious that Woltar wanted to rent some lums for their travel. He could live with that.

"Two lums please." Fayt said politely to the pregnant attendant. She smiled. The price was 40 fol a piece. He smiled back and gave her 1,040. "Keep the change, sweetie. You might need it with a baby on the way."

"Thank you very much. Enjoy your travels." She smiled as he walked off. Yes, she would need that money soon. People were seldom that generous around here. She wondered where the strange boy was from. Somewhere in Aquaria she guessed. She had never seen him before.

"That was very generous." Woltar remarked as soon as they were out of earshot. "I must admit, I was surprised. That never happens."

"I like to help out where I can. Where I am from, the money I just gave her would hardly cover a pack of diapers for her baby. Here it can do much more. Something insignificant for me is substantial to her. She needs it much more than me, and I'm capable of doing some good."

They rode on until Woltar slowed down and came to a stop. He got off the lum and walked a little bit.

"This is the tree that he's buried under. You're going to have a hard time getting him out of the ground though."

"Not really." Fayt took out a little contraption as he spoke and turned it on. It cut straight through the hard soil easily as he went around the spot in the approximate shape of the casket that Woltar showed him. He began cutting out patches of dirt, and after 20 minutes, he had the entire casket out of the ground and on the wagon they brought with them. They rode back to town.

Fayt went to look for Nel. She needed to know what had happened. He found her sitting on the steps of a building on the far end of town, the stray kitten Fayt had been playing with earlier sleeping in her lap. She looked depressed.

"Nel, there you are. I've been looking for you. Don't get mad, but I overheard you and Woltar talking and I thought that something had to be done. I convinced Woltar to show me the location of your father's body. We rode out and brought it back, and thanks to the box Woltar put him in so many years ago, he's totally intact. We want to know where you want to give him a proper burial."

"He should have a proper grave. I want to bury him in Arias. That way both Clair and I can see him. Thank you for providing me with my father's body. Although, I should be angry that you disturbed his body after so long."

"I know I should have asked you first, but it made me so mad that he was not buried properly, and I got in Woltar's face about it, and before I knew it, he took me to the place where your father was buried. Anyway, now you can have a funeral and bury him where he should be."

"Okay."

Nel gave her father a beautiful funeral. Many people showed up. Woltar, the King of Airyglyph and his new wife, the Queen of Aquaria, Elena, Clair, and of course, Adray. All had a story to tell about how Nevelle had touched their lives, and Woltar got up to speak last. He told the story of Nevelle's last minutes, and the respect he had for him.

After the funeral, they all ate at the banquet hall in Castle Aquaria and went their separate ways. Nel went to visit her father's grave. She was very grateful for all the transporters that Fayt had had put in on their planet. It was sure nice to use his technology now that they knew he was from another planet. She could get to certain places fast if she wanted to.

She knelt down at the side of his grave and felt an immense sense of peace. He was finally home where he belonged.