Disclaimer: If I owned Saga, it'd be rated X, If I owned Saga there'd be much more sex. If I owned Saga, life would be a blast, but I don't own Saga, so don't sue my ass!

A/N: My first serious Xenosaga fanfic. Or drabble. Whatever it is. It may or may not be R/A, whatever you decide. R&R is of course very appreciated! Enjoy!

"Changes"

The changes started so small, he almost didn't notice. At first it was something so minute, so simple, anyone else would have overlooked it. But he knew his own body better than anything else. Nothing escaped him. His fingernails needed a trim.

Rubedo sat in his chair in the men's cabin, his eyes glazed over in thought. His fingernails slowly grazed the tattoo burnished into the smooth skin of his upper arm. So U-DO really was gone. He almost hadn't wanted to believe it. The hope was so fragile; surely it was too good to be true. But the burden he'd felt lifted from his chest at that last moment, and now this…

A feeling of warm amusement that was not his own came bubbling up within him. 'You know, anyone else would think you strange, so excited about fingernails,' Albedo chuckled. Rubedo's hand came to rest on his heart and he smiled at the stirring he felt within it.

'Well, well, Sleeping Beauty,' he chided, but his heart wasn't in it. He didn't even bother to hide his joy at hearing his twin's voice again, uncorrupted and coherent. 'Anyway,' he added, 'It's been fifteen years since the last time I trimmed them.'

Albedo snorted. 'Since you cleaned under them too, probably.' The insult elicited a small, wistful smile from Rubedo.

'I never could understand you and Nigredo's fascination with hygiene.' He paused thoughtfully. 'Though I might have to start worrying more about that in the near future…' He bit his fingernail absently.

'Puberty all over again. Oh, goody,' Albedo smirked. Then, in a sing-song voice, 'My little boy is growing up so fast!'

Rubedo smiled a genuine smile. Some things, despite all those years, never changed. 'At least you're here to enjoy it with me.' Albedo said nothing in response, but his mirthful laughter pealed like a bell and lingered in Rubedo's mind long after he'd sunken back into the recesses of his consciousness.

After a long pause of contented silence, Rubedo got to his feet and rummaged through his belongings, giving a small, "Ah!" when he'd found what he'd been looking for. He sat down once again with a smile, and began to trim his fingernails.