This is my first published story on this site...wow! took me long enough. I really had some flushing out to do with this and hopefully I'll be able to get more stories up. I'm not promising to update soon but I will when I get a idea for the next few chapters. till then I'll be working on another story for a while until I get over this weird writers block.

DISCLAIMER: I'd like to say the that I in no way own or have any rights over Star Ocean or any of the characters in this story except for the oc's. I hope thos ethat read this enjoy it! Please R&R!

"Albel!," A childish voice called to the fifteen year old boy who was busy on the practise field, preparing for his soon to be Accession of Flame. He'd been quite busy with his practising and the ten year old orphan girl who was under the care of Glou Nox had become quickly bored without her usual play mate so she had resorted to playing with other village children.

Albel was particularly fond of the little girl who had come running to him and he had treated her kindly ever since she appeared mysteriously four years ago. Well not so mysteriously, it had appeared that she had fallen from the sky and turned up in the mountains near the Urssa Lava Caves. She'd been found by Albel's own father and had also taken her in. The little girl had quickly earned the title of "Dragon Princess" as she was often found in the dragon housing with the few dragons that weren't out on patrol. It seemed that she could under stand the beasts form of communication, and they could likewise understand her. It was one of a few strange features the girl possessed. She had a natural disposition for battle, and was amazingly intelligent for a ten-year-old little girl. She looked to be a regular Glyphian girl save that her hair was as red as Albel's own eyes and her eye's more gold then the dragon's she enjoyed communing with, and a distinctive green tattoo wrapped around her neck to form three green lines. But she was adorable in all aspects to the soldiers that strode around the castle where the Dragon Brigade dwelled.

At this moment the little girl who was running to Albel had tears streaking down her face and seemed so distressed that the young boy put down his practice sword and leaned down to comfort her. No matter how formidable she was in battle this was still a little girl.

"Payne, what's wrong," he asked as she wiped the tears away from her face.

"A-Albel…. B-Brandon said that I wouldn't s-see you once you join the b-brigade!" she cried.

Albel couldn't help but laugh a little at the cause of the little girl's distress. She seriously believed a brat from the city, a brat that teased her everyday since she was first allowed out of the castle. "Payne calm down," he chuckled "We'll see each other I won't be gone all the time."

"Really?" she questioned sceptically, but her tears had stopped and she was only left with a slightly runny nose.

"Really," he promised patting her head. He was only a foot or so taller than her but she still seemed so short next to him, he doubted that would ever change.

The little girl seemed to feel a little bit better so Albel invited her to spar with him for a little while. Payne seemed to be over taken by joy and agreed immediately, though she had little chance of ever beating him…ever. He was much too strong but he'd humour her by prolonging the fight a little longer then he usually would. After a few hours of watching Albel train and having him beat her a second time that day, Payne decided that it was time for her to go see her winged friends in the dragon's den before she was forced to head to bed by the man Albel called father.

*Nine Years Later*

Payne was no longer the adorable little girl you could see trotting around the castle on the heels of her idol Albel Nox or his father. No ever since Albel's Accession of Flame Payne was found wandering alone more and more often looking so lost it caused hardened warriors to feel bad for her. She had lost the only being that she had ever considered a father and was separated from her hero by a cold rift that had begun growing the night Glou Nox died to save his son. Now Payne was on the brink of womanhood and had become a rather pretty young girl. One that would kill you without a second thought if you so much as tried to make a pass at her. She was still warm and kind as the young girl she had once been but with a more hardened and cold attitude. It was what had earned her a place in the Dragon Brigade, along with her uncanny ability to communicate with the huge beasts. She was constantly mocked by Duke Vox on her position as a woman in the military and made every excuse to make her life in the brigade a living hell. It didn't put her out any; she had only joined the brigade in place of Glou because his son had all but given up on taming a dragon. Payne had hardly spoken to Albel in the years after his father's death and her strange idolization of him had dwindled into blame then was pushed to the brink of hatred. The girl couldn't stand to be around Albel by the time she had turned thirteen. For lack of people to blame for Glou's death she had settled on pinning the blame on the man she had once run to in tears over a mere bully.

Payne held her head high as she made her way around the castle looking for the current leader of her brigade. The longer she searched the more annoyed she became so when Payne had finally located Vox her mood was much worse then what her normal bad moods were.

"Vox!" she shouted when she spotted him deep in a heated conversation with Woltar. He ignored her at first but was forced to give her attention when she shoved her way into the conversation with a furious scowl.

"What is it girl I'm busy," snapped Vox. He glared down at the girl with the look of disgust her usually saved for Albel. It only served to fuel her anger more.

"I DEMAND to know why Demetrio isn't being punished for incapacitating another soldier's dragon to purposefully take said soldier away from the battle front." Payne hissed. Vox looked extremely smug if anything, because the dragon that had been injured was Brazen, Payne's dragon and close companion.

"You have no proof that Demetrio wounded the beast on purpose, surely your dragon's injuries aren't severe enough to take you from the fight," Vox growled and received a disapproving look from Woltar.

"Demetrio deliberately intimidated Brazen then almost cleaved the beasts arm and wing off; I was there, the bastard did it on purpose." She snapped taking a threatening step toward her captain. She was stopped when Woltar put a comforting and restraining hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to him with an expression of high annoyance.

"Girl, Demetrio is my second in command I suggest you speak about him with more respect. He would never intentionally take a warrior out of the ranks" Stated Vox with a vicious air about him the almost said he was happy to have her out of commission.

"You bastard" She growled but allowed Woltar to lead her away toward the airy tower when her dragon now rested to recuperate form his wounds.

"Surely you can heal him with that runeology you know from your time in Aquaria during our time of peace."

Payne sighed and scratched the huge beast's scaly chin and received a contented growl in response. "The beast won't let me; his wounds will heal best with time he says. Even if Brazen isn't able to fight, I want to, I have the skills"

"I would offer for you to join my brigade but-"

"But I'm hopeless at riding the Lum that I would be required to mount as a knight in your brigade." She concluded quickly, she was really hopeless at any kind of riding besides her dragon.

"You could always apply for a position in the Black Brigade" Woltar suggested and wrongfully so, for Payne's expression darkened considerably and she turned her back to him pretending to busy herself with examining Brazen's wounds.

Woltar sighed audibly and shook his head in disappointment. "You've changed since Glou died Payne…You and Albel both, it wasn't anyone's fault that Glou threw his life away…If only you'd see that perhaps you both would heal" and he left with out another word to her.

Payne continued her façade for another few minutes to hide her sudden distress at his words. Why. Why did everyone say that, why did they want to take away her purpose. It was her hatred of Albel that had driven her to prove her worth against his, and become stronger. She had once aspired to be as strong as he was and now she was determined to defeat him. Though she wasn't sure how she would ever accomplish that. But everyone seemed intent that she shouldn't blame him for Glou's death.