Sirius: Hey everyone this is my first fic that I've posted up. I wrote many others but I really like the Albel and Nel pairing and my sis said I should post this story on cause she liked the storyline. So here it is! And if you think the characters are a little ooc I'm truly sorry, but it's for the sake of the story….. pst, I own star ocean

Siren: no you don't

Sirius: yea? Well you don't either

Siren: I never said I did

Sirius: ………………

Siren: ooooooook, well she doesn't own star ocean. Enjoy the story! -

THE BEGINNING OF ETERNITY

After the day Fayt and company defeated Luther, Fayt and Sophia decided to return home and asked Maria to come with them. She agreed. Cliff and Mirage returned to Quark and now with Maria gone, Cliff became the leader of the Organization once more. Albel and Nel stayed on Elicoor and went their separate ways. They all agreed to visit each other once they had the time. Almost three years had passed and things have changed dramatically. A certain blue haired man asked Maria for her hand in marriage and they happily wed soon after. Sophia found her own romance with one of the boys attending her school. Cliff and Mirage were also married and had a two month year old baby. Yet to add on to this strange scenario Albel and Nel were seeing each other. Strange, how when two countries unite it would bring two very unlikely people to fall deeply in love with one another. Everything was going great or so they thought until that one horrific day when Greeton attacked, robbing Nel of her life and Albel of his one and only true happiness. This is where the story truly begins...

Ch. 1: Recalling the Past

Albel knelt down upon a green grave running his hand over the name inscribed on a stone slab at the base of an angel statue:

NEL ZELPHER.

A light breeze bounced along his black-blond hair. As his crimson eyes roamed to the angel before him, he noticed her hands cupped together as if in eternal prayer. Her wings spread wide and pointed to the heavens where his own angel now resided. How long has it been...a decade? No, not even close but it sure did feel like it. In actuality it was only bordering four months. Four miserable months had drifted by since her murder. Four months of suffering alone without her by his side, without her smile giving him a reason to cherish life. How cold it was without her here with him. Ever since they got together, there was never a day when he didn't laugh and never a moment when he questioned his existence.

I miss her

Nel was everything to him but she wasn't here now and it only enraged him because the reason for this was his entire fault. He, for the second time, wasn't strong enough to protect the person he loved.

He was too weak.

Albel felt himself snap. His eyes burned with tears he would not let flow and grew red from anger as images from the past flashed before him.

"Albel."

The slim Glyphian man turned to see the captain of the Secret Legion standing before him.

"Nel."

"You wanted to see me what is it?"

Two figures stood under the starry night sky on the Moonlight Bridge, just outside the city of Aquios. The three sisters Irisa, Erinia, and Palmira watched from high above lighting up everything they caught sight of. Sound of rushing water from beneath the bridge filled the air along with little voices creatures from nearby made. The trees rustled their leaves as the night breeze came rushing by offering to play for awhile before the sun came up. What seemed to be a long path of stars crossing over a shimmering river, one end leading to Irisa's Fields and the other leading to the Sacred City, was in fact the illusive Moonlight Bridge itself, sparkling wildly from the midnight dew.

Albel watched as the young woman took a step closer to him. Looking back he had hated the "Aquarian wrench" that stood before him.

Nel Zelpher

She was always causing him so much trouble when they were enemies, always getting top secret information and reporting it to her damn Queen so she could send out her soldiers to kill his. But it's not like he cared if his men died because if they did it only meant that they were weak. What was the point in having the weak live and waste precious air, they'd be better off dead. In this world the weak perish and the strong survive.

Or so he though.

Even after he decided to join Fayt's little group the blasted women still caused him trouble. She was always getting herself into sticky situations and he always seemed to be there to save her. She was so hard headed, serious and always tried to act independent. The stubborn fool nagged incisively, but despite all that, these were the many reasons why...

He loved her.

Nel stood in front of him looking like an angel who fell right from the sky. Her milky white skin glowed as it reflected the moonlight making her look like a single diamond surrounded by dirt. A golden halo seemed to form on the top of her dazzling red hair covering her malicious horns with its light. Her jaded eyed glazed over as it stared into his trying to pierce through to his soul. Albel couldn't help but notice her goddess like body as he quietly examined her. Because he had pulled her out of bed and demanded he needed to talk to her, she had no time to change. She wore a pure white strap nightgown that flowed inches away from the ground. It wrapped tightly around her hourglass figure but still, amazingly, left her room to breathe. The only thing that covered her from the cold was a thin long sleeved mesh cloth that she wore atop her nightgown. Albel wondered if the thing was even worth wearing, it obviously didn't cover anything and didn't even look remotely warm. Unlike her he was up trying to summon the courage to ask the important question. He wore his usual outfit consisting of the black top, his black armor, a purple sarong, followed by his long fur cloak. At least he was nice and warm he wasn't sure he could say the same for her, though, when a chilly wind passed by.

"Are you cold?"

Nel frowned placing her hands on her hip and answered sarcastically, "No I'm not I only just got pulled out here while I was in my nice comfortable bed, I didn't have time to change into appropriate attire and it's about what below zero out here?"

Albel was taken aback by her response but hid it well under his apathetic face he usually donned. He had no idea that she'd be so annoyed but then if someone were to wake him at this obscene hour while he was in deep slumber, he'd see to it that this person would cease to exist.

The redheaded woman smiled and crossed her arms, "of course I'm cold."

Albel smirked and with a swift movement he shifted Nel and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Better, fool?" he whispered into her ear.

Nel closed her eyes and leaned into him, placing her hand on top of his, "Much better, worm."

Albel smiled at this, the woman had started to mimic him ever since they got together but he didn't mind, in fact he kind of enjoyed it.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Nel asked interrupting Albel's thoughts.

The sword man took a deep breath and started to fidget with the small object in his right hand.

"Nel, how long have we been together?"

Nel looked up at the night sky and answered with a smile,"About two years now."

"Have you been happy?"

"Very."

"Good then you wouldn't mind me asking….." Albel turned Nel around to face him as he took her left hand and got down on one knee "…will you marry me?" he asked slipping a circular object on to her ring finger.

The crimson eyed man looked up when he heard a gasp coming from the Aquarian. Nel had her hand covering her mouth as her green eyes stared wildly at the golden ring that had been planted onto her finger. Albel got up, his gaze fixed on her and her on his.

"Dear Apiris, yes!" Nel nodded wrapping her arms around his neck.

With this Albel leaned in pressing his lips onto her soft ones. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her closer deepening the kiss. He wanted this moment to last forever. The happiness he lost so long ago was found in this woman he now held in his arms. What seemed to have lasted for eternity ended quickly when a loud noise echoed into the endless sky. The two lovers broke apart and looked toward the sound and gasped when a bluish light irrupted from the roof of the castle.

"Her majesty!" Nel exclaimed, grabbing her two daggers she hid under her gown, before rushing toward the castle. Albel now with his sword in hand followed closed behind.

They raced past the people who stood outside watching and questioning the source of the light that came from the castle, worried painted on the men's faces, children began to cry, mothers hushing their little ones telling them that everything was going to be okay. Upon entering the castle they made their way to the throne room but stopped suddenly when one of the Aquarian guards stumbled out of the room.

"L-Lady Nel...Lord...Nox…" The soldier in red gasped collapsing on the floor.

Nel quickly ran to his side and knelt over him, "What happened?"

"Gr-Gree… Greeton is…attacking…the…Queen…" the soldier took a deep breathe before his body went limp.

Albel's eyes grew wide, "Why would Greeton be attacking?"

Nel not knowing what to do quickly got up and entered the throne room.

"You're Highness!" Nel yelled, her body suddenly froze in place as she watched the scene in front of her.

Albel was next to witness the gruesome event. The light that he'd seen before was coming from the queen, who stood at her throne using her runology skill to create a shield around herself. They watched as soldiers dressed in green dissolve into nothingness when they got near the shield. The whole throne room was like a war zone, soldiers wearing green and red clashed against one another, bodies lay unmoving on the floor along with many dismembered body parts, the ground and walls were painted a dark red, hardly leaving any white that once was.

"We have to protect the Queen," Nel's voice came, "she can't hold out for long, that shield is taking to much energy out of her."

Albel looked towards the Queen and as Nel said the Queen was beginning to wade the shield she had formed around herself, grew smaller and smaller. With a silent nod they both ran into the battle. Hacking and slashing all the Greeton soldiers they caught sight of. 10…20…30…40…Greeton soldiers fell in the hands of the two warriors. Albel and Nel felt like they weren't getting anywhere they were still far from the throne and yet the green soldiers kept attacking. Everybody's attention soon fell upon the Queen when the blue light suddenly disappeared. There stood the Queen with a sword upon her neck and a Greeton soldier standing behind her.

Nel's eyes widen but before she could do anything the Queen collided with the floor, a pool of red forming around her lifeless body. The soldier smirked as he bought the sword to his mouth and licked it. A satisfied smile appeared on his face before he turned making his way towards the White Dew Garden. Without a word the Greeton soldiers quickly followed. Albel stood a bit away behind Nel who stood there transfixed like a statue. Without words Nel slowly began to walk forward than broke into a run.

"YOU'RE MAJESTY!"

"Nel, wait-!" Albel began but was cut short when a war cry went off behind him. He turned quickly his sword clashed with a Greeton soldier. A sudden movement caught his eyes. An unknown figure stood in the back of the room dressed in a white hooded cloak wearing a feline mask with a bow and arrow in hand…pointing towards him.

"Oh no you don't, maggot," Albel snared laying the soldier he fought to waste and dashed toward the unknown figure.

About a few feet away from the mask man, Albel stopped in his tracks when the arrow moved suddenly and shot. With no time to react, Albel watched as the arrow whizzed past him. The mask man placed a hand on the feline mask and started removing it revealing a smirk but before he could see anymore Albel quickly turned around as his crimson eyes widened.

"NEL!"

Nel who was making her way to the Queen turned around and saw Albel in the back running towards her with complete horror on his face.

Albel ran to Nel as fast as he could but stopped when an arrow plunged into Nel's stomach making her fall back. At that moment time stopped in his head, he felt cold, pain, sadness, and anger sweep through his body as he watched the woman in front of him fall. Regaining the strength in his legs he rushed towards her. Kneeling beside her, he scooped her up in his arms and examined the wound. It was horrible, her dress that was once white was drenched in her own blood; the steel arrow that pierced through her went in deep, he felt the sharp end sticking out of her delicate back.

Albel glance to the back of the room to see if the unknown figure was still there but nobody standing remained.

"Albel…," came a faint voice.

Albel looked at Nel whose face was twisted in sadness and pain.

"Don't talk you'll have to save your energy," he demanded.

"I'm going to die, I can't heal myself, and I already used too much energy."

"Shut up woman, you're not going to die."

Albel clenched his fist as the blood from the wound ceased to stop flowing.

"I love you, Albel."

"Fool, why are you-" Albel stopped when he noticed tears falling from Nel's eyes.

This was the first time he had ever seen her cry. She confessed that years back when the war was still raging she'd laid down in bed at night and cry herself to sleep sometimes.

"Don't start with the whole last-word-before-I-die crap, you still got until you're ninety, when you get all you're wrinkly and old."

Nel gave a small giggle before wincing in pain, "Albel, I don't know if you noticed but you've changed, when I first met you, Apiris, how I hated you, you were so arrogant, cocky and a smart ass," she manage another small giggle, "I guess you still are though, back then you seem to be chained by something but now when I look back at you, you're more free." Nel's eyes met his.

Albel knew he changed somewhat. Back then he was always thinking about his father's death and how it was his entire fault, he hated himself. But after joining Fayt's little group he learned what it meant to have partners who would risk their lives for you and learned more from Nel when the others left. She had said 'you're father saved your life for a reason, he wanted you to live, to protect others like he did for you, become a man he could be proud of, and most of all because you are his son, a parent would never want to see their child hurt no matter how rebellious or arrogant the child is because no matter what you are still his child. He protected you so that one day you'll be able to protect the things that you love, I think he truly believed that you would grow up to be the kind of person.' Those were her word before they got together and he held on to them ever since.

Albel glanced at Nel when he noticed her left hand moving to his right one squeezing it slightly.

"I don't want to die, I wanted to live and share the rest of my life with you!" Nel cried, tears once again poured out from her emerald eyes." I never thought I'd find anyone who I could love and care for but then…" Nel looked into crimson eyes, fingers now entwined she continued,"…you showed up, I was so happy when you first held my hand and even happier when you asked me to marry you."

Albel felt his heart break once more as he sat beside her dying body, feeling useless as he did when he was fifteen. Lifting her up a little Albel leaned over and kissed her for the last time.

"But the greatest happiness of all is that "Albel the Wicked" fell in love with and protected me through all these years and truly became the person his father could be proud of." Nel smiled and spoke her last words, "I'll forever be in love with you, Albel Nox."

Albel felt Nel's body go limp in his arms, her pale face held a peaceful smile.

"Nel," he whispered, throwing away his pride as tears rolled down his face, "I love you too." he leaned in hugging her lifeless body.

Albel's eyes snapped open he gave an angry cry as he stood up, grabbed his sword and held it over his head.

"Whoa there, man, are you really going to destroy the one beautiful thing left in this world?"

Albel coming back to his sense of self looked at the angel before him, was he really going to strike down this angel?

"Hmmm I thought you weren't yourself," the voice came again.

Albel turned slowly and was shocked to see the two people who stood in front of him. Cliff Fitter and Fayt Leingod.

"What are you doing here, maggots?"

"Jeez, touchy as always," Cliff announced raising both hands and shaking his head.

"We came to visit Nel," Fayt answered.

A moment passed and the three stood upon Nel's grave.

"Man this place is a total wasteland," Cliff stated the obvious while observing the present landscape of Aquios.

"Yeah, I know, and just in four months too, now all of Elicoor II lies in rubble," Fayt agreed looking around.

Buildings lay in shambles; the roads were deserted and strewn about were articles of clothing that, once in happier times donned rich owners, now lay about forgotten along with the souls of the departed. An air of silence and unhappiness filled the void of the scarce city. With the Queen gone, an apocalypse seemed to have bestowed itself upon the land. Gone were the birds and trees. Even the once brilliant blue skies are now a looming depression of gray.

"Humph, I don't think you worms came here just to enjoy the view," Albel declared from behind.

Both Fayt and Cliff turned around with serious expressions.

"You're right we didn't," Cliff closed his eyes.

"Then why did you come?"

Fayt shifted closer to Albel, "We know a way to bring Nel back."

Sirius: Thanx everyone for reading! I'm truly happy, please review so I could be even more happy! Really though, I need to know if it was good or not. Sorry if the first chapter was so BLAH but it was for the sake of the story but I promise you much better chapters ahead. Oh and be on the look out for my other alnel fics:

Kurenai Denshou (Crimson Legend)

Another Life, Less Ordinary

A Fallen Angels' Love Song (working title)

Coming soon! You all better review before i-

Siren: You can't threaten the readers

Sirius: ………………………..

Siren: sigh hope you enjoyed the story and please review!