All or Nothing

By Hikero

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Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean. All I own are my characters and this block of cheese.

Author Notes: This is the revised version of chapter 1. My first two reviewers both said the same thing when it came to the second part of chapter 1 so I decided to write it. So this is the new version. Everything's basically the same only some differences so you'll just have to read to find out what. Oh and the dream sequence that was at the beginning of the first version is still there, so the people who read the first version can just skip over it if they want. Also Echo looks the same as before and I'm not going to get really descriptive about her clothes again. Bare with me I'm a newbie.

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Chapter 1

Run!!!

Daddy! Don't leave me!

We'll meet again, Echo. You must survive, be strong.

Daddy, NO!!!

"Aha!" A girl sprang up in her bed. "It was just a dream. Will that memory ever go away?" She lied back down drifting back into sleep.

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The wind blew fierce across the country of Airyglyph. Snow was dancing around in its powerful gusts. A lone figure walked through the Traum Mountains. The villagers of Kirlsia thought her mad to go out in such weather but she had to get back. Short gray hair flew wild in the wind, her violet eyes search through the storm for any sign of an enemy.

I hate the cold! Echo thought to herself. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her mouth and nose. They better be happy about this! I almost got my throat ripped out getting it! I HATE THE COLD!!!! She stopped, made sure that the scroll was still there, gave a sigh and continued on to the Royal city if Airyglyph.

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Echo ran down the castle's corridors till she came to the closed door of the conference. In one swift movement her black boot hit the door knocking it down and the back of the door collided with Vox's face.

"I've got the blueprints!" She proclaimed as walked into the room. Echo unrolled the scroll and laid it on the table in front of the king. The door creaked as Vox closed the door from behind a thin trickle of blood coming from his forehead. "It wasn't easy but –"

"What do you think your doing? Just barging in here like a psychopath. And look at you you're a mess! What the heck happened?" Vox yelled at her.

"I didn't know you cared Vox. And what do you mean a mess? Oh..." Echo looked into the long mirror across the room. Her reflect was very different than the normal her. She had blood all over her shirt, mud on her face and clothes, and her hair was sticking out in every direction imaginable. Echo's normally black pants had been turned brown; her white tank was stained brown from the dried blood, mud and dirt. Her long black jacket were a mix of brown and red. "Shit, I am a mess. Oh well I'll clean up later, the blueprints are more important. By the way, Vox, what happened to your forehead?"

"What happened is the door you kicked open hit me that's what!"

"Learn to dodge. So any who-" Echo continued explaining the blueprint and how from the Aquarians had gotten on making them. Vox walked off and sat in a chair farthest from Echo with an indigent look on his face. "—And that's about it."

"Good work. This will help us greatly. Did you find anything about their other weapon?"

"No milord. There was nothing on it. It's probably in the queen's chambers but I didn't have the time to get in there."

"Alright. You are to return with Albel to your posts and await till I tell you to go back to Aquaria."

"Yes, sire." Echo said as she bowed. She turned and followed Albel out of the room.

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"What the ruddy hell happened to you?"

"I got in a tangle with some Aquarian guards okay Matthew." Echo said to her friend.

"Well it looks like you got in a fight with a mud puddle and lost." Matthew smirked his green eyes shinning with mischief.

"Go jump of a cliff."

Matthew laughed. The two best friends had known each other since they were in diapers. Their fathers both were soldiers in the Strom Brigade.

"Look why don't you go get cleaned up and in fresh clothes, then when you're not covered in mud and blood I'll fix you up, K?"

"K."

Echo walked to her room in the back corner of the living quarters. Unlike the other soldiers she had her own room and bathroom. Had there been any other female soldiers it would have been different but she was all alone in. She grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom. One of the few servants that lived here had already drawn up her bath and had placed clean clothes near by. After stripping she jumped in the tub enjoying the warm water on her skin.

An hour later, she returned to Matthew clean and in a much better mood.

"I was starting to think you drowned."

"Shut up." Echo sat down and Matthew summoned his healing powers, his eyes closing. Both of them had study the Aquarian art of runeology. After a few moments Matthew opened his eyes.

"Done."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"See ya later." Echo walked down to the entrance of the training facility. She settled down on a rock a little ways away. Night was approaching. A light wind blew tonight.

"Um...excuse me?'

"Huh?" She turned to a young boy standing not to far away.

"Is this the Kirlsia Training Facility?"

"Yes it is."

"Um I have a message for Sir Albel." The boy's voice shook as he said Albel's name. "Is he here?"

"Yes he's here. Would you like me to give it to him?"

"Would you?"

"Yes don't worry."

"Th-thank you." He handed her the note.

"Don't worry about it. Hurry home it's getting dark."

"Yes ma'am!" The boy turned and ran back towards the village.

Echo looked at the note in her hand, the king's seal was barely visible in the dim light. A concerned look came across her face. She shook her head, turned back inside, and headed to Albel's quarters. When she reached his door she knocked.

"Yo, Capt. got a message for you."

"Well come in you fool." Echo opened the door to see Albel leaning against the window frame across the room.

"You want me to leave it on the desk?"

"Give it here, maggot." Echo scowled but she was use to being called maggot, fool, idiot and things like that by now. It was just how Albel was. She gave him the note and left. After she was halfway down the hall she heard quick footsteps from behind her.

"Capt.?" Echo asked turning. She stepped out of the way just in time to keep Albel from colliding into her. He turned the corner without a word. Echo didn't bother calling after him, something was obviously wrong but she wasn't going to ask. Albel would say something when and if he felt like it.

Echo returned to entrance in time to see Albel head over a hill. "I wish you'd tell me what's troubling you. There's nothing wrong with confiding in another. I just want you to trust me. But that's not possible for you is it, Albel?" She asked the fading form of her captain.

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So how do you like it? And to the people who read the first version: what do you think of the change. The main problem with the first one is that I really didn't think much about it I just winged it. This one I sat a thought about what I wanted to happen and things like that a little more.

To Eike and Illusionized: thank you for your reviews. I hope you like the new version.

To Haku and Ryu: You guys like?

Hope you peoples will stay with me through the end of the story. Catch ya'll later!

Hikero