Yippee! My new Alnel story. This one's gonna be more tragic and dramatic than Unheavenly Match. No flames please. Again, go and bitch at someone who cares.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean or La Califfa. Rovel rovel
Chapter One
"Nel."
Hm, the grass is so green this time of year.
"Nel!"
The red-head finally escaped her day dreaming to see Clair, trying to perform a lecture. Despite the topic being very serious, Clair was making it the one of the most dull topics in the world. It was about a recent series of disappearances from Aquaria, the disappearances meaning people.
"Nel, please pay attention."
"Sorry Clair."
The girl continued. "Due to the recent events, the population of Aquaria has decreased drastically, and not just because they are being abducted. People are leaving for their own safety and no one can really blame them. And with the population going down, the economy has done the same. The important thing is that we locate said missing persons."
She took a roll of parchment from the table by the wall. "Missing persons: current number is forty-seven in counting. Targets are always the same: female between the ages of twenty and thirty who are capable of using Runology. Anyone and everyone in this room is a possible target, so we must excercise caution at all times, including during investigations. Am I understood?"
"Yes." said at least twenty or more voices.
After their oral acknowledgment, all the women in the room left. Nel rose and was about to follow when Clair stopped her.
"What is it, Clair?" asked Nel, waiting for a reply.
"Nel, I want you to be very careful. This mission is dangerous, and we have no leads on what happens to the women after abduction. Just, please..."
"I'll be alright, Clair. Don't worry."
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Nel was walking to her room at the inn when she bumped into her least favorite person: Albel Nox. She had no desire to see him at the moment, for she knew she would recieve nothing but insults.
"Watch it, scum."
Yep. Insults.
"Sorry, Albel. I'll be more careful next time."
He shook his head before walking downstairs, muttering something about how she was such an idiot. She scowled and then entered her room, the third door on the left.
There was a glass sculpture on her bed, carved into the shape of angel wings. There was also a note by it.
She was flattered by it, thinking it was from a secret admirer. Who could it be? Was it Albel? He had just come from here when they had collided.
She picked up the wings and examined them. They were beautiful, with so much detail. It seemed like every fiber of every feather was carved into it. She began to read the note.
Tu no credere perche
questa crudelta di padroni
ha visto in me
solo una cagna che
mi mett' anch' io alla tua catena
Se attraverso la citta
questa ipocrita, tua citta
il corpo mio
che passa tra di voi
e un inventtivea contro la vitta
Tu ritroverai con me
la pi splendida proprieta
un ttimo di sole sopra noi
alla recerca di te
Number Forty-Eight
She gasped and dropped the wings, the delicate glass shattering as it made contact with the hard floor. Its shards were everywhere, and Nel stood in shock.
Number Forty-Eight
'...current number is forty-seven in counting...'
"Oh my God."
This person was targeting her.
The door opened and in walked Fayt, Cliff, and Mirage. They had obviously heard the glass breaking and came to see what was wrong.
"Man, there's glass everywhere." mumbled Cliff.
Fayt looked to Nel. She seemed to not have noticed them at all, her eyes blank and her hands crumpling up a piece of paper as they trembled.
"Nel? Are you okay?"
He tried to see what was written on the paper, but then Nel jumped back and tore it to pieces.
"No! G-get out!"
They all looked surprised at her sudden rash behavior, and then did as she told them. Cliff closed the door and then Nel found herself locking the door and windows.
She had no idea how she could be this paranoid. She could fight. Then, all the other kidnapped women could, too. What could she do? She didn't want to get anyone involved. What if this sicko hurt her friends?
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Midnight.
Albel's eyes shot open. He could distinctively hear weeping from another room. He got out of bed and slipped on a robe so he could go tell that person to shut the hell up.
"Do you know what-"
He stopped when he saw that it was coming from Nel Zelpher's room.
I didn't think that Aquarian scum could've become weaker.
He tapped on the door and a weak voice replied, "Y-yes? What i-is it?"
"Will you shut up! It's one in the morning, fool!"
"S-s-sorry, Albel."
He groaned. "Can I come in?"
He nearly slapped himself for saying that.
"Yes. Go ahead."
He rolled his eyes and then entered. Shards of glass were all over the floor and Nel was sitting by the windowsill, her eyes were red and blankets were wrapped around her.
"Got pissed off, did we?" commented Albel at the sight of the glass all over the floor.
"Albel, this isn't funny."
Carefully, he stepped over the glass and took a seat on the end of her bed. He rubbed his eyes which were heavy with exhaustion, then asked, "Okay, maggot. What's got you all depressed?"
She glanced at him, and he rolled his eyes.
"Just tell me so you can shut it and go to bed."
A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at him with eyes of anxiety. "Albel, tell me: do you know about the recent disappearances around Aquaria?"
"Yeah. What about them?"
"I've been targeted. That guy's gonna come after me, and I don't know what'll happen."
"Finally I can get you out of my hair."
She sniffled and buried her face in the blankets. He shuddered when he saw her cry that way. It was uncalled for. "It was a joke, okay? A joke, Zelpher."
"Albel, this is no time for jokes. I really don't know what'll happen to me. He might actually kill me!"
He ran his fingers through his hair was his good arm. "How about this: if this guy comes along, I'll kill him myself. Would that shut you up?"
"Albel, I wish it were that simple. We have no idea what he's capable of."
"I'm not called Albel the Wicked for nothing, fool. Now are you going to trust me or not. Right now, it doesn't really seem like you have much of a choice."
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A/N: Ooh, the suspense! I'll try to update soon, it's just difficult because school work is interfering! I'm going to finish Unheavenly Match soon, it's just that I have writer's block for that particular story. Sorry! But, my little minions, never fear! Mighty Baka-sensei299 is here! (ok that was really random and stupid) 3