Author: Whispering Hope
Summary: AU Fayt used to live in Aquois, but the King took him
away and raised him in Airyglyph. Now, the Queen of Aquaria wants him
back, and the King has sent with him on the journey an old friend who
had always chose to avoid him. But when monsters and people alike try
to stop their journey, the two of them will realise that Aquaria wants
them back for a very good reason… And that is?
Pairings: AlbelxFayt
Warnings: Slash, might contain possible spoilers from the canon storyline.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 and the characters within
the story. However, I do own some of the plot, and created character
used only for the purpose of the storyline.
Prologue
Fayt lifted up the sword, the familiar weight light in his arms, whereas they had weighed him down so long ago, when he had only just started. How long, he would have stopped and mused to himself, but his opponent was rushing for him already. It had been barely five seconds that the battle was announced to begin, and he already had trouble dodging the first move. Silently, he cursed himself for not paying attention while his opponent was Count Woltar. Despite his age, Woltar was actually a far better fighter than the King himself and…
Fayt leaped instinctively to his right just as the Falcon – Count Woltar's prized sword – came crashing down on where he stood moments before. But even as he retreated further and further with each blow, Fayt felt no fear towards the older man and waited for a chance to strike back.
He didn't have to wait long as Count Woltar tried to launch a long-range strike, which Fayt avoided almost easily – something that always happened once he got into the rhythm – and did a quick turn that caused the older man's back to face him. This was the chance he was waiting for and they both knew it. The older man tried his best to move, but speed lessens with age, and Fayt managed a light blow on the man's shoulder.
The match was over.
"It was a good battle," the elder man acknowledged, and Fayt felt his heart soar. The Count did not often give up praise, but Fayt was a good student. Yet, there was someone who could constantly best the Count, and that someone didn't like coming down to the training grounds. That someone was…
"Lord Fayt!" A knight of the Dragon Brigade entered the grounds hurriedly. Without even turning, Fayt knew who it was – Corie, one of the knights he had grown up with. Corie had been one of his closest friends in the city of Airyglyph, but when Corie had went on to earn his dragon, Fayt was told by the King that he wasn't one of the Airyglyph citizens, and he wasn't allowed to take any of the tests.
Disappointed as he was, Fayt had gathered himself up from the dumps to cheer Corie on and the latter had returned with a friendly small dragon called Stonewing. But he wasn't the only one disappointed. There was someone else… Someone else Fayt no longer thought much about these days, ever since that incident… It was a great disaster and –
"Lord Fayt, the King requires your presence in the throne room!" Even when he held no rank among at the nobles, he was rather well liked by the citizens of Airyglyph and it was a few years ago that the King placed the title of 'Lord' upon his shoulders, and it was also that year that the Black Brigade captain was replaced by… somebody. Fayt could no longer bring himself to speak the name – the name of a friend from so long ago.
"Thank you for your message," he replied, as he lay the sword down to rest on one of the tables that had been placed in the training grounds. He looked at Count Woltar, who nodded, and said, "You must go then." It was only out of respect, and for show. Outside of the work of ranks, the elder man respected the younger one for his battle ability, and formalities were dispensed.
Fayt followed his friend into the castle, where the knight turned to Fayt nervously. "Have you heard? Aquaria and Airyglyph have been negotiating, but for what, nobody knows. The envoy is still in the throne room with the King, and earlier on she was denied entry because the guards didn't know who she was –"
A female envoy, Fayt thought and sighed, no wonder the guards thought she was joking. He felt pity for the guards who faced the brutal techniques of the envoy. Aquaria was well-known for her female fighters, and the most men in Airyglyph had a wife or sisters who were terribly scared of everything. They were just not built for females who could fight back. "And they got beaten up?" he asked lightly.
Corie shook his head, his face grim. "They barely made it. The envoy healed them."
Brutal, Fayt thought, yet a healer in disguise. Such were the people of Aquaria, and he used to be among them. He remembered the streets, and all his friends. He remembered a dare… and how he was taken away by the King and raised as a surrogate son. He had much to be thankful for to the King, but he kind of missed his childhood home…
Fayt stopped and watched his friend knock on the door. "My King, Lord Fayt is here."
"Enter," the King called from within the throne room. Fayt nodded his thanks to his friend before he opened the door, entering the room. "Close the door, Fayt." He followed the King's instructions, and then his eyes wandered to a red-haired female whose eyes stared at him. "Fayt, meet Nel Zelpher… Lady Nel, meet Fayt, my surrogate son."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Fayt. We have heard much of your battle abilities and how you fought bravely when Airyglyph was invaded a few years ago."
The same few years ago when the Black Brigade leader was replaced, the year when he realised that whatever was happening would never change – the year when some stupid neighbouring country decided to attack Airyglyph for more territories. No, he wanted to argue, he wasn't the one who fought the hardest. It was… His throat got stuck. Again, he found it impossible to speak a name. One name. He threw that thought away.
Instead, he replied with the usual. "I thank you, Lady Nel, but it is also in my pleasure to meet a high-ranked fighter like you. Aquaria must be blessed with skills such as yours." Fayt saw Nel's face arrange into what seemed to say 'Flattery gets you nowhere' before it became the expressionless face he had saw moments ago.
"Your Majesty, is it not time we move on to the serious matters?"
Fayt's eyes narrowed. Serious matter - in front of him? What was happening?
"Yes," the King started, after a moment of hesitation. "Fayt… you remember the time I took you from your home and raised you here?"
How could he forget? He had been thinking of it minutes ago, and every night, he would remember all his friends – the friends he had been forced to leave behind. "Yes, always," he answered bitterly.
Nel's face was still, while she spoke. "The Queen has requested for Fayt to be returned to where he belongs."
Quickly, Fayt looked towards the King in shock but the King did not react. He knew then that the two of them had already discussed this beforehand when he wasn't here. Silently, he repeated the words again and again in his mind. The Queen requested him back? In his memories, he saw the Queen agreeing that Fayt could go with the King… Why would the Queen want him back after she had sent him away?
"If the demand is not met, Aquaria will war against Airyglyph, and a greater threat will overwhelm us all."
"Why?" Fayt suddenly demanded, and it shocked the other two occupants of the room, and it shocked even himself. "I don't understand; as a child, I was sent away, and now they want me back? Why?"
"Fayt," the King's voice was weary. "Listen to Lady Nel."
"The details are a guarded secret. My instructions were to get you to agree, and prepare you for a journey. The Queen herself will greet you once you've reached Aquios," Nel explained. "It is up to you whether or not to trust us – but you will come if you don't want everyone in this city to die because of you." Her voice was suddenly cold.
Fayt felt cold anger towards the envoy. No one threatened the people he loved… not the King who took him in… not his friends… "Give me one good reason–"
The door burst open, and a shadowed figure entered the throne room, crimson eyes observing all three of them. Fayt stared into those eyes, eyes belonging to the one person he was never able to name. The one person who had been everything – his best friend, the one who understood – but ever since a few years ago, no contact was made unless necessary; the one person whose name he could never say. In the background, he heard some poor knight screaming, "My Lord! The King is in a private conversation…"
"Welcome back," the King said, a weak smile on his lips. "Albel."
"Humph," the warrior snorted, acknowledging the King.
Fayt said nothing, but Nel looked dubious. "Is he going to sit in?" she asked, her voice sounding disgusted.
"What I do is none of your business, maggot," the warrior shot back.
"The matter at hand is top secret," Nel muttered through gritted teeth.
"Whatever," the warrior replied. "But you don't threaten death to the country I live in, and live, you know." Fayt's eyes widen.
Had he been listening?
"Albel," the King said in a warning tone. "The Lady Nel is here as an envoy from Aquaria, and on peaceful terms."
"Bah."
Focus returned to the original topic. "I will not stay any longer. The decision has to be made, Lord Fayt. Will you come with me?"
Fayt turned to his surrogate father, where glances exchanged. The King was worried for his safety. The King coughed, and the shadowed warrior in a corner snorted. "Of course not, you maggot." In shock, all three looked towards the man whose only reaction was "Tch."
"…Albel is right, Lady Nel," the King said suddenly. "Fayt will not go with you." Fayt was shocked and Nel looked as though she was going to oppose, but he cut her with his next statement. "He will go, but accompanied by Albel instead."
This time, even the warrior hissed at the King, but Fayt thought it sounded rather half-hearted. Yet, the warrior's face was full of anger. "What makes you think I want to go with him?" Weary, Fayt decided to think that it was his imagination. The warrior would not care. The warrior lived only for himself.
The King smiled. "It is settled then, Lady Nel?"
The warrior was livid that he was ignored. "Are you listening?"
Nel was silent for a while. "I think so, your Majesty. I will begin my journey to inform the Queen now."
"I'm saying–"
"Will you not stay?" the King asked nicely. But Fayt knew that everyone knew the answer.
"-that I don't want to-"
"I'm afraid not, since there was a major change of plans, your Majesty."
"-go!"
Nel took her leave, and the warrior glared at the King.
"Don't look so angry, Albel. Moments ago, I thought you wanted to go visit your hometown again."
"I do not live in Aquios."
The King laughed. "I meant Kirlsa, Albel. But you're welcome to follow Fayt to Aquios."
"I do not want to go," the warrior hissed.
Fayt scowled. "I don't want you to go either." His words seemed to have caught the warrior off-guard, because Fayt swore he saw something else besides anger… Something he couldn't place.
"That's good," the warrior sneered.
"And you're welcome to leave Fayt to die which will then lead the whole country to fall into ruins, if you want," the King said, shrugging.
Both Fayt and the warrior turned to stare at the King, who was smiling as his trump card.
There was silence and then the warrior replied grudgingly, "I will think about it when we reach Kirlsa."
The King nodded. "Very well, I leave you two to discuss the details. Set off as soon as you can." He got up from the throne, and before Fayt could oppose – he walked into his room.
For one minute, no one dared to speak. The next minute was spent staring at each other's eyes, but Fayt gave up and looked away. He was afraid. He didn't dare work with the warrior. He couldn't even say the other's name. After five minutes, Fayt gave up entirely. "Al-" His throat choked again, and he coughed. Damn it, why can't I ever say his name? It's just a name!
But sometimes, memories lingered with a name. Painful memories made a name hard to speak. Fayt tried to take a deep breath, but he still couldn't get it out.
"Leingod, listen."
Fayt looked up, trying to swallow the tears that were in his eyes. Everything seemed so shaky and blur…He couldn't focus on anything.
"We will set off two days later, in the morning. Get everything you need before then."
He could only nod, but even thought he heard the words, he could make no sense of them. Everything turned white, and his legs gave way. He knew he was falling, and he braced himself for the floor, but it never came. And then he couldn't think anymore.
-TBC-
Footnotes: Written while listening to a song with lyrics "Kindness is something I don't want, don't need." See the connection? Fayt's fall came quite by accident. Tiny bits of Alfei all over maketh a happy author. Feed the author. Ask questions. Critique. Comment. More to come, really.