(A/N: I'd like to thank Sorceress Myst for all her help and Yuna for owning Utah. Somebody had to take it. I also must thank Blue Trillium for correcting my spelling. Sadly, I'm working out of 'Wordpad' and I have yet to discover a spell checker program that goes with it other than my own brain. I'm big on spelling and grammar too, pouts.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or it's characters... however... Once Sorceress Myst takes over the world she promised I could have Square-Enix as long as I make an AlNel game. (As if there was any chance I wouldn't!) I also get Ireland...

It had been almost a year since a small band of heroes from assorted corners of the universe had saved their beloved world and learned the surreal truth about their existence. Nel Zelpher, one of the heroes responsible for the salvation of her reality, was too busy to even spare a thought to all she had been through. When she had returned to her home planet, Elicoor II, she was greeted by utter chaos. The rival kingdoms of Airyglyph and Aquaria had made peace with each other and were preparing to draft a treaty that would give all ruling power to a single governing body consisting of a king and queen. Her Majesty, Queen Aquaria the XXVII, was readying to step down from her royal title and give all her responsibilities over to the upcoming queen, Elena Frahm. Elena was to wed King Arzei of Airyglyph and rule the conjoined kingdoms by his side when all was said and done.

The majority of the people were glad to settle their differences and start life anew. Both sides had faith in their elected leaders and the holy union of their monarchy. However, there were some bitterly opposed to the idea of making peace. Terrorist groups had formed and were commiting violent acts againgst the Aqui-Glyph union. Several innocent bystanders had been killed during protests, and the time to act was at hand.

Nel Zelpher was the leader of the queen's Secret Legion. The legion was originally established to spy on Airyglyph, but was now appointed the essential task of weeding out the terrorist factions and making it safe for Airyglyph and Aquaria to become one. Nel slowly entered the audience chamber and bowed before her queen.

"You may rise, Nel Zelpher." the queen said. Her voice was pure and soft, but Nel had been around her queen and heard her voice enough to decipher the inkling of strain as she spoke. Nel rose and looked Queen Aquaria in the eyes. She could see that her majesty was indeed feeling stress, though the queen would appear to almost anyone else as though she were as pristine as ever.

"You required my presence, Your Majesty?" Nel spoke with the formality that now came naturally to her. The queen smiled softly and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Nel once more.

"Your kingdom needs you again, Lady Nel. I am confident that you are aware of our current state of unrest caused by the violent objections of several individuals in regard to the marriage of Aquaria to Airyglyph. Action must be taken to quell these outbursts so that our motion for overall peace may be initiated. I have conversed with King Arzei and we have come to the conclusion that a unified effort is the wisest approach." She paused, studying Nel's response to her announcement. Nel shifted uncomfortably; The idea of working with a Glyphian was not overly appealing to her.

"Therefore..." The queen continued, " Albel Nox has been chosen to accompany you and support you in your mission to silence the rebels".

"WHAT!" Nel blurted out instinctually. She automatically regretted her outburst and bowed her head in shame, knowing what was to happen.

"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION HER ROYAL MAJESTY!" The queen's advisor barked. Nel had to resist the overwhelming temptation to roll her eyes. She hated Lasselle, and she had a hunch that he returned the feeling.

"Calm yourself, Chancellor. Lady Nel has every right to voice her thoughts." The queen scolded her second-in-command softly and looked at Nel with an almost invisible frown. "Although it would've been appropriate that she voice her thoughts with a little more restraint."

Nel cursed inwardly before looking at the queen apologetically. " A thousand pardons, Your Highness. I was merely caught by surprise. Please continue."

The queen's frown was replaced by a gentle smile and she began to speak again. " Seeing as you and Lord Albel have worked together before, such a pairing seemed acceptable. I expect you to treat him as an equal and respect his place in your mission. I know I need not tell you twice, and that you will not fail me."

Nel bowed and began to exit, but the queen had one last thing to say. "Perhaps something productive will arrise from such a partnership. May the grace of Apris be with you."

Nel's head was spinning as she entered her chambers and sat on the edge of her bed. Albel Nox. She said his name in her mind and tried to conjure up the image in her brain of Airyglyph's ex-captain of the Black Brigade. She and Nox had been bitter enemies when he first joined the rag-tag assembly of heroes destined for greatness. The man never had a kind word to say and referred to everyone as "maggot" or "fool". That was... at first. As they battled together, the two Elicoorians found common ground and developed an unspoken truce with each other. Aside from the group's leader, Fayt Leingod, Nel was the only other that Albel would treat with respect. She echoed his respect and even admired the handsome ally. Something about him had intrigued her almost to the point of obsession. She was always near him, watching him and secretly needing to know what thoughts plagued his tortured mind.

Nel shook her head sadly and scolded herself for being such a fool. Of course she would confuse respect with attraction. No man had ever really had her respect, aside from her father and perhaps Count Woltar. Still, she never felt her chest get hot and tight whenever they locked eyes with her. She pysically shuddered from the memory of Albel's ruby gaze trapping her. He was frighteningly beautiful. His form was thin but muscular. He was only slightly heavier than her, but Nel's armor covered up her thin figure. His hair was a wild and untamed mane of ebony roots tipped with gold. Two long braids poked out from the nape of his neck, wrapped tightly to the end, where the remaining hair puffed out. And his eyes. Those haunting crimson orbs that glowed from beneath his shaggy bangs. Nel's chest felt tight again and she banished all thought of her new partner.

She donned her bedclothes and settled into her bed, trying to calm her restless mind.

Albel the wicked sauntered up the steps that led to the gates of Castle Aquaria. He smirked to himself at the thought of what Zelpher would do when she saw him.

"Probably shit herself." He muttered to himself, his smirk becoming a grin.

The sentries at the gate looked him up and down. "Maggots." He sneered. The gurads grumbled and did their best to ignore his comment as they fumbled with the controls to the gate.

"Please proceed, Lord Albel, the Lady Nel awaits your arrival." One of the guards said with obvious malice. Albel ignored him and stepped through the gates, taking in the sight of the magnificent castle. As he walked toward the castle he was pleased that the people occupying the grounds were giving him a wide berth. One demanded such respect when "Wicked" was an official title linked with your name. A familiar redhead noted his presence and walked forward to meet him.

Albel couldn't help but look Nel up and down. She was a living, breathing, temptation for him. He loved her violet eyes, so expressive and bright. Her magenta hair, styled to frame her face perfectly, called out for his touch. Her sumptuous figure, a medley of curves and muscles, put him in a trance with its lithe grace. He swallowed hard when his eyes fell onto her long legs, decorated with colorful runes that dared him to trace them with his fingertips. Albel's own body screamed to be pressed against her, but his mind lashed at him for even considering her as worthy.

"Nox." She greeted him cooly.

"Zelpher." He responded with an equivalent tone. His claw-arm flexed involuntarily and the sadistic looking shell that engulfed his metal gauntlet shifted loudly. Nel looked at his arm and Albel bit his tongue. She was the only person he'd ever met that didn't even flinch when they looked at his claw. He would never think to admit it, but such a small guesture spoke volumes to him. His heart skipped a beat as she reached out and actually touched his claw.

"What are you doing!" He inquired with an inflection of mild panic. She simply wiped at one of the ridges in his claw with the cloth of her wrist-guard, then pulled away, looking startled by her own actions.

"You... had some blood caked on. I figured you wouldn't be much use if you were rusting." She said, thinking fast.

Albel was taken aback. He recalled the battle with a gaggle of Bogles he'd encountered on his journey to the castle. They had ambushed him, and he'd been forced to shove into one that was poising to strike at his flank while he cut down three that were attacking head-on. He'd remembered to wipe his katana, but had completely forgotten his claw. It was slightly embarassing, and Albel was forced to look away from Nel's prying eyes as he felt his cheeks twinge red.

"I'm sorry. I should've just pointed it out." Nel's own cheeks flushed and she brushed off her wrist-guard.

"Bah." Was all Albel could bear to say as he swept past her, toward the castle.

Nel smiled and whispered "You're welcome", teasingly.

Nel wound up leading her new partner to the kitchen to find a tub large enough to clean Albel's claw in. She boiled some water and poured soap into the tub.

"Okay... I'll just go fetch some rags." She said, nervously. She dashed out into the hall and leaned against a wall, clutching her chest. Albel hadn't taken his eyes off of her the whole time she'd been busy, and she could feel his gaze burning into her. "Apris, keep me strong." she whispered, before getting some rags and returning to the kitchen. Once again, those blood red eyes were on her, and she shivered.

Albel tried stubbornly to unhitch the locks for his shell. There was no way he was asking an Aquarian for help, especially Nel Zelpher. The sudden warmth of her chest against his back startled him enough to cause him to dart his hand over the hilt of his katana.

"Calm down." she ordered as she played with the clasps of his claw. He could feel her breath against the back of his neck and her fingers brushing against his bare skin. It was torture not to reach out and grab her, though he wasn't sure what he would do with her if he did. She was finally at the last lock, located at the top of his shoulder. Nel's fingers brushed his hair aside and the electricity that overcame Albel was breath-taking. Before he even knew what he'd done, Nel's tiny wrist was clamped in his gauntlet's fist and he'd whipped around to face her.

Nel's eyes were wide with shock and Albel realized just how close their faces were to each other. "Don't... touch... my... hair." He managed to growl, and Nel nodded her head rapidly. Albel made no move to release her, he just searched her deep violet eyes for any hint that she was feeling the same way he was. Her cheeks flushed deeply, and he finally let her go.

"I can handle the rest of this myself, wench." He spat as she clambered to her feet.

"Suit yourself..." She said, her eyes becoming filled with rage. She stormed out and Albel finally was able to breathe again. He washed his shell in silence, still seeing the image of Nel's face so close to his and feeling the warmth of her soft body.

Nel stepped out onto the balcony of the palace that had the best veiw overlooking the royal gardens. The roses were in full bloom, and their fragrance scented the air softly. Nel's favorite flowers were lillies, but she still enjoyed the fragrance that played through her senses. It was a beautiful morning, devoid of the usual gray mist that came at daybreak; something Nel appreciated. The morning mist tended to make her sneeze for some strange reason. After a good amount of time had passed, Nel returned to the kitchen.

She was surprised to see that Albel was actually cleaning the tub he had used to wash his claw in. She'd assumed he'd have left that errand for her. His claw was laying in a patch of sun under a nearby window so it would dry. She could tell he'd already gone over it with a cloth to absorb most of the moisture; a tactic well-known for combatting rust. She walked over to the sinister piece of metal and studied it with interest. It was much more detailed than she'd imagined. Several plates were piled atop each other, carved with designs of dragons and wolves. The corners of each plate were pointed and sharp like spikes, and it dawned on Nel that this wasn't the same claw as the one she'd seen Albel wear before.

Albel turned around and saw Nel examining his claw. Probably pitying me for being so weak, damnable wench. He had made sure to wear his "good" claw for this trip, after all, he was representing Airyglyph. A small smirk crossed his lips as Nel timidly began to reach out to touch the imposing accessory. He silently crept up behind her and waited for the right moment. At the exact moment the very tip of her fingers grazed the metal he barked "Zelpher!", causing her to jump and pull out both of her daggers, prepared for instant combat. Albel smirked as she figured out what had happened and shot him a nasty glare as she tucked her daggers back into their hilts.

"Not bad, for Aquarian filth." He taunted.

Nel rolled her eyes and let out an exhasperated sigh. Apris keep me strong. I get the feeling this is going to be a long mission.

Albel had a few guesses as to what the Aquarian was thinking of him at that moment and almost laughed. He didn't know why, but riling up his former enemy was almost... enjoyable. The thought stunned him for a moment. What am I thinking? She's nothing to enjoy. He tried to convince himself that the woman before him was nothing special, but something deep within him wanted to disagree. Albel pushed all thoughts about Nel to the back of his mind when he realized she had been speaking to him.

"-round soon enough with the map, okay?" She finished.

Not wanting her to realize he hadn't heard anything that she'd just said he simply turned his head to the side and grunted. She seemed to notice his lack of attention, however, and decided to teach him a lesson.

"Are you sure that's okay with you, Nox?" She said, fighting back an evil grin.

"Of course I'm sure, woman." He spat.

"Okay then, if you're sure you want to pledge your loyalty to Aquaria..." She said, nearly losing her composure at the sight of his shocked expression.

"WHAT?" He coughed, grabbing Nel by the shoulders and glaring at her with malice. "I agreed to no such terms!"

Nel finally was forced to smile wickedly. Albel raised an eyebrow with suspicion and she burst out laughing.

"You don't know what you agreed to!" She said between fits of laughing.

"Enough! Tell me what I agreed to, and stop your foolish antics." He said, obviously highly irratated, letting go of her shoulders and stepping back to give her air. She shook her head and looked at the floor, still trying to regain herself. She was finally able to look him in the eye without laughing and began to explain.

"Tynave and Farleen are going to be here soon with the map to the headquarters of our first mark. Luckily, we've been there before, so we aren't going in blind." She stated.

"And where is this familiar maggot's nest we're to infiltrate?" He asked, though it sounded more like a demand for an answer.

"Kirlsa Training Facility" she said. They both sighed. The facility was actually a rundown version of a prison, with twists, turns, and secret passages reminiscent of a labyrinth. Albel broke the akward silence with another well-placed grunt.

"My sentiments exactly", Nel said.

They had been waiting at the Aquarian city gates for nearly four hours with no sign of Tynave and Farleen. Albel's patience was wearing thin and having Nel so near to him had him thinking uncomfortable things once again.

"I'm going now, map or no map" he growled. Nel looked at him with surprise before grinning and nodding.

"I was about to say the same thing".

It was amazing just how much power a simple smile from the Crimson Blade had over him. He felt his heart speed up and his chest tighten as a blush threatened to tint his cheeks. Luckily she was distracted by the sound of an approaching wagon and Albel was able to catch the breath he hadn't noticed he'd lost.

"Something isn't right", Nel said in a barely audible whisper, but it was loud enough to shake Albel from his discomfort and watch the wagon approach.

Indeed, something wasn't right. The wagon, which he recognized as the same manner of wagon all of Zelpher's maggot comrades drove, was jerking from side to side and nearing them at a dangerously high speed. He momentarily wondered if all women drivers, at least Aquarian, were this bad. Suddenly the harness on the lum snapped, leaving velocity and inertia to do the lum's work for it. Unfortunately that meant the wagon was going to crash... into him and Zelpher!

(A/N: I just love how I made that cliffhanger all the more exciting by addint that retarded exclamation point. You think it's really necessary? That's going to bug me now.

Some of you may dislike the fact that I used the hair and eye color from the Nel artwork instead of the game. I like her look in art form and prefer the coloration, myself. If it really bugs you that bad you can always pretend I used the game colors. Use the power of imagination!

Anyway, please review. This is a big step for me towards a writing career and I need all the hints, tips, tricks, critiques, and support I can get. I hope that the majority of my readers really enjoy this fic, since I'm already very fond and proud of it. Let me know what you think! Also, a HUGE thank-you to all who have reviewed and shared their enthusiasm.

Love,

Lor)