Mirror, Mirror
Silver beams of moonlight filtered into the dark room. The gothic design welcomed the eerie illumination, the black twisted sculptures and statues casting dark forbidding shadows on the walls. The room was as dark as its owner.
A man, the sole occupant of the room, stood in front of a large ornate mirror. His cold, empty eyes stared lifelessly at his reflection. The room was cloaked in silence, until his raspy voice bit through the ice.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall…"
His hand reached forwards towards the glass, the claws grating against the surface with a sickening scratch. Deforming his reflection, a dark smirk briefly danced across his lips before disappearing into the night.
"…who's the fairest of them all?"
He cocked his head to the side, studying his thin, almost fragile form. His blonde-tipped hair fell across his pale face, and graced his shoulders and back. The two long wrapped braids dangled delicately near his feet.
His crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, as he drank in and scrutinised every part of his body. To him, each and every feature was more disgusting than the last. From his unruly double-tinted hair, his manic blood red eyes, his pale almost translucent skin…and his metallic clawed arm. The scars that ran over his body, concealed by his clothing; out of sight but definitely not out of mind.
Nothing was ever out of Albel's mind for very long; he could remember every last imperfection that he carried. Every physical and emotional defect.
"…Not me."
His eyes lost their manic gleam for a split second, and shone over ever so slightly, capturing his soul's tortured pain. The sadness passed in an instant, and the homicidal rage returned. His left fist clenched and smashed against his reflection, as if destroying the mirror could destroy his imperfection.
The smirk returned, and he stood tall and proud once again, the image of his defective body once again out of sight of others.
"Beauty isn't everything. Strength and power are what ends the lives of those who are undeserving." Albel flexed his claw and glanced over at his katana. He stepped through the shards of glass, confident as ever.
The pain was his own, and while it was never out of his mind it was all too easy to hide it out of sight every other fool in Airyglyph. No one would ever know of his imperfections, to them he was their feared leader.
He turned back to the shattered glass, his crimson eyes flashing wildly.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall…who's going to rip open the bodies of them all?"
Owari
Please review.
Just for the record I don't think Albel is imperfect; I love Albel. He's sadistic, cruel and too cool for words. He's just fun to write angst for; he has it coming to him.
As this was my fist Star Ocean fic, reviews are really appreciated. Did I totally mutilate Albel's character? I hope not…
Completed: 29th December 2005
Dagger