Disclaimer: Star Ocean and all characters involved belong to Tri-Ace. As for Xenosaga characters, they belong to Namco.
Author's Notes: When I think about it... I really should've had this ready by March 14th. White day in Japan, it's a pretty cute thing. If I recall well, it works like this. Valentine day in Japan, girls give the chocolate to the guys. On White day, guys give the chocolate to girls. For couples that express themselves with actions more then words, it could mean a one-month waiting and anticipation as well as build-up to what could be a most beautiful or dramatically sweet or tragic moment on the 14th of March.
Enough about other country's culture, on with the show!
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She fell from the sky...
By: Knight of Paradox
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There it was, a pair of red eyes staring upon him. His hand upon his blade collapsing to the side as if momentarily entranced by them. They remained still, as if the only light piercing through the darkness.
The red eyes of a demon of flesh and the red eyes of an angel of steel.
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The end of the Prologue: Red Eyes
Let us commence the next chapter in this story
Of a demon of flesh and an angel of steel.
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Chapter 1: Connection
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The sudden chain of events that ensued left all whom witnessed it speechless. Within the strange metallical egg was a young woman, metal pressed against her skin and clothed in such a manner that none had ever seen. Though nevertheless, these events unfolded in the midst of a war. A moment of weakness had appeared; the captain of the Black Brigade had dropped his guard as if he were in trance with the woman within in question. "Attack!" A cascade of screams ensued soon thereafter, as wave after wave of Aquarian soldiers rushed forth with their arms brandished high, charging in from all fronts.
-SYSTEM REPORT-
-ERROR-
-ERROR-
-REBOOTING SYSTEM-
Though he would react, it was all too late. His blade would not unsheathe itself fast enough to meet the steel of his opponent, his steps would not be swift enough to drag his own self out of harm's way, his body would not be strong enough to resist the strength of his enemy's foe. The man could see it, his downfall caused by nothing more then a moment of distraction upon which his many foes took advantage of, without a moment of hesitation.
-REBOOTING SYSTEM-
-REBOOTING SYSTEM-
-REeeeee
"Hostile lifeforms detected. Re-establishing energy output accordingly."
-...-
"R-Re-establishing energy output... to 8...8...80. Now charging."
-...-
"C-C-Charge complete. Firing"
The mist had covered her from the sight of all, save for the piercing eyes of one lone man. But his eyes turned about, his attention now changing towards that of his enemy rushing to decapitate him. With her fingers running down her body, the many plugs and cords which connected her to the pod began to disconnect one after another. Her stomach opened slowly, as if a metallic flower blooming whilst it's roots would grow upon her back. A blue light would begin to shine brilliantly, the shockwave of energy clearing the mist about, as all would turn silent once more.
Blue beams of light, as if a rain of a thousand arrows, began to rush forth from the woman's body. Each of these shifting rays seemed to move with a will of their own, curving about and moving through the air as each one whom were struck with it began to melt away before disappearing in mid-air. Before anyone could react, the light had faded away, the blow devastating to the land and to the living beings within as well. Those struck had turned to ashes. The survivors could only tremble in fear as a true terror had landed on the field; one much more dangerous then the one that was dubbed Albel the Wicked.
The light began to grow once more, the same words repeated by the girl in an almost religious manner. "What in the world is she saying?" One man would ask another, both of them serving the leader of the Black Brigade. Unable to hear the faint whisper, all would only imagine it to be a chanting, an incantation for the same runological miracle of war the woman had given form to. All began to flee once more as the light returned to the woman's body. All fled save for one man whom rushed forth instead. His blade thrust true, planting deep within the stomach of the woman before half its length shattered to pieces itself.
The shock though seemed to hold no effects whatsoever upon this strange woman. Silence grew, as some had given up the idea of fleeing. All had given hope and readied themselves to their fate eventually, yet it seemed as if their gods had decided that this was not their time. The woman looked forth, her red eyes dimming lightly, as her body collapsed down upon the man whom stood before her. Relief returned to all present, all of whom were knights under the man's order. Their enemy, the Aquarian soldiers, all had escaped long ago whilst many more were burned to death by the light of the woman from the steel egg.
"S-sir... We should dispose of this woman, immediately!" Soon, many of the soldiers began to chant and preach the same words, all agreeing as luck had given them a chance to survive and none would wish to miss it. "Silence, maggots! I will decide the fate of this woman." With this, he rose himself to his feet; the limp body of the girl now rested upon one of his shoulders.
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Slowly, her eyelids parted. The dim light of a crudely built bonfire, as well as that of the many unknown stars and constellation from above, coming into sight. A barren land with but a few trees about, as well as the many figures of humanoid beings, were in the immediate entourage. All responded in the same manner, tensing up at the sight of the waking woman. All except for one man whom remained seated to her side, acting as a safeguard if anything were to go wrong. Everything was silent, save for the crackling of the wood underneath the flames. Looking down upon herself for a moment, she came to assess the situation and finally broke the silence. "It would appear that I have been damaged. There is trace of internal damage, as well as data loss. There are recorded errors in various systems. My estimation is that I have lost 98.2 of the content within my secondary hard drive. My energy reserve seem to be dangerously low, I am in need of refueling. My external frame has been sullied as well. My aesthetic appearance has dropped by an estimated 15. I am in need of maintenance and a shower."
The silence was broken, a moment of contemplation arose upon all present and all began to laugh quite uncontrollably. Even the cruel man whom remained seated at her side would smirk with a slight sign of entertainment. "I do not comprehend what seems to be the cause of your laughter." A short silent pause followed soon, as each tried to contain their laughter in vain. "You're quite a strange one... First you come and annihilate nearly everything on the field, now you claim you don't remember a thing... And to top it off, you demand a shower? I'll never understand women." The man at her side could only shake his head, from right to left and left to right, in disbelief to what his ears were hearing from what seemed to be the harbinger of death that they had met only moments ago.
"Judging from your appearance, positions, mannerism and speech pattern, you appear to be the leader of these men. I would ask you to acquiesce to my demands." The same monotonous voice emerged from the blue haired angel at his side. The demon could only turn about, with the same wicked smile upon his lips. "I'm not obliged to answer to any of your demands, woman. I would suggest you remain silent now, or else I'm not sure I could guarantee your safety." Raising his claw up, in the same motion as he would within any regular speech or response he would muster, towards the young lady by his side who looked upon him intently for a short moment. "Understood. I will comply to your demands." With a light nod, the woman returned to her previous position, motionless like a discarded doll. The only sign of her being even remotely alive were her blinking eyes and her heaving chest, which indicated she was still breathing and conscious.
"Just what the hell kind of a woman is this? What did we land on, some sort of princess?" The soldiers were starting to gossip, talking to one another with wild theories after another about the nature of this girl they had taken away. "One thing's for sure, she's not from Aquaria. Did you see how she just disintegrated them like that? I've never seen any runology capable of doing that." All sort of wild speculations began to grow, but each were silenced swiftly with the scolding eyes of the captain. He who seemed to disapprove of his men chatting away like bored housewives on a midsummer day.
The fire was kept burning bright, as two third of the survivors turned in to rest. All whom remained awake could not help but glance at the woman from time to time. Her attire left little to their imagination, whilst others feared that she would strike them from behind. "Still awake at this hour? If you were planning on escaping while we were asleep, you'll find yourself disappointed... You should go rest. I'm not carrying you again. You're quite deceivingly heavy for a woman, and I wouldn't want to tire myself needlessly." Imparting these words, what appeared to be pieces of dry meat and bread were tossed at her feet. "You haven't eaten anything all day, and I would just hate to have you faint on us again..." Speaking with the same high and mighty tone, the man looked down upon the seated woman, as he stood tall, looming above her.
Nothing though, silence was all that filled these fields, save for the sound of the crackling wood. Silence remained until finally the man understood. "Bah! Speak up! When I ask you something, you're supposed to answer. Haven't you been taught any manners at all, woman?" Irritation grew upon the man's every words. "From the information database within my internal system, such supplements will not refuel my energy bank efficiently. Though I am capable of tasting these items as well as separating the proper protein to burn into a fuel source, I would rather that you guide me to the nearest maintenance port instead. As for my silence, I was simply following the instructions I was given. It seems it has hampered upon a form of etiquette I am not accustomed to, I would ask for an update on my system as well as repairs."
A light trail of confusion ran through the man's mind. Truthfully, it wasn't the most pleasing of things. "Listen now... I really couldn't care less about your personal preference. Eat, or you won't have anything else to feed upon, for the rest of the trip. I, for one, won't feel any guilt from watching a prisoner starve to death." These cold words thrown at the woman were caught with a moment of contemplation. Shifting her stare up towards the man, she nodded lightly as her voice came in the same calm manner as it had during the entire night. "Understood." Looking about, the woman turned to the food and began feasting upon it, with manners that would make the men surrounding her seem like barbarians, something which brought a desperate sigh at the captain's lips.
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It appeared as if the woman in question had turned in for the night, slumbering away silently on the corner, as if a corpse left aside. Having decided to conserve her energy reserves, the woman of steel had decided to place herself upon standby though, as she did so, a strange series of events began to unfold. Light buzzing noises, as well as a vast multitude of sparks and an unmeasurable amount of data began to travel within her internal systems. Eventually, her eyes opened wide as the red eyed woman rose to her feet abruptly, alarming quite a few people as well as the man whom remained seated nearby.
His claw at the ready, the man rapidly grasped the blue haired steel angel by her shoulder, pushing her against the bark of a nearby tree, the demon's claw ready to strike at the first sign of danger. "You do not appear to be familiar. Please state your designation and rank." Her red eyes upon him, the man fell silent for a moment as he looked at her with disbelief. "...I've never met a person quite strangely as rude as you, woman. Don't you know it's proper manners to introduce yourself first?" Nonchalantly, the man spoke with his claw risen lightly in the same mannerism, which he had always possessed. "Please answer my query, state your designation and rank." Frustration began to grow within the man, as it appeared as if the moment would erupt into violence at any given moment. "Tch, no common sense either. Listen now, woman. You are my captive, a little prize I've captured with my own hands. Therefore you're the one who's to answer to-" Interrupted abruptly, the woman spoke with a clear voice. "It appears you will not comply, then I suppose I shall humor you. Please redefine what you mean by captive."
Almost breaking into screams, the man pushed the woman violently against the bark of the tree resting behind her. "It means your life belongs to me! Now, will you-" Her eyes shifted for a moment, as if noticing something as, within her system, the data was slowly accumulating within her. "Understood, I will comply. Your initial command was too vague, please clarify." Irritation began to brew within the man, but still he exerted some patience, which was quite unlike the captain's normal behavior. "I've been saying for you to introduce yourself first. Perhaps that blow to your stomach affected your brain too, as well as any amount of decorum you possessed."
The silence was broken once more as the woman began to speak again, uninterrupted as the majority of the men under the captain's order were resting, slumbering away. "There appears to be a malfunction in the retrieval of persistent data. From what I can gather, I appear to be an experimental fighting model, serial number 00-00-00-00-1. Development name KP-X. Abbreviated name KOS-MOS." Those that were awake approached the captain; each with questions burning on the tip of their tongue. Each questions were received with some consideration, as they had turned curious. The woman was a strange one, some thought that she was affected by a form of amnesia, others thinking that she feigned ignorance. One thing was clear though, to all the men still awake, was that from what they could gather it appeared that the woman in question was a fighter.
"So you say you've been bred to fight... Then from what company do you hail from?" Referring to the military term of a company, as in that of a subdivision of a military regiment or battalion that constitutes the lowest administrative units, was not something that everyone seemed to be aware of. "Vector Industries are responsible for funding my manufacturing." With her words, the men began to speak to one another with greater confusion. "...Bah, fine." With this, the man began to turn about, abandoning the sudden period of questioning as he readied himself to rest once again. But before he could get far, the woman spoke once more. "Judging from your reaction, it appears my answer has proven itself unsatisfactory to your liking. A majority of this information cannot be altered, though if my designation were to the roots of the problems, then you may input a different designation."
"What the... What is it with this woman? Listen now, I'll call you woman and let's keep it at that or else I won't be able to guarantee you'll still have those pretty lips of yours on your face at the end of the night." It appeared as if the man had given into the frustration and irritation that was building within him from the beginning of the discussion. "Woman is a common name and may cause confusion, I ask that you choose a different designation for my being." With these words, the man came with heavy steps, shoving the woman against the bark of the tree once more. The violent shock came abruptly as to bring a few of the leaves to sway lightly before falling down towards the ground below. "Listen you... I'll call you whatever I wish and if you don't like it, then that's just too bad..."
"Understood." With this, the questions had halted, as all became silent once more. The wind blew gently and peace had returned finally, as the men became quiet. Wishing not to risk their small pleasure in gossiping about this newfound woman with their own health. Turning about to depart once more, he was halted yet again by the voice flowing from behind him. "I have introduced myself. My part of the exchange is complete, so I ask of you to fulfill your own part. Please answer my previous query, state your designation and rank." With a dispirited sigh the man turned about, a light twitch on his face showed the restraint that kept him from turning into a blind frenzy upon the woman before him. "...Fine. The name is Albel Nox. Though I suppose the name 'Albel the Wicked', Captain of the Black Brigade, is a more popular name... Now be quiet, you're testing my patience."
"I ask for confirmation of the following before completing the registration of the previously acquired data. You are Albel Nox, titled Albel the Wicked. Your rank is Captain of the Black Brigade. You own my life and I am to answer to any designation that may refer to my being. Is this information correct?" Irritated at the situation, the man answered with nothing but a nod, the man's need for a moment of rest seemingly saving her life. "Understood, then I will serve you to the best of my abilities." With these words, an overwhelming feeling of confusion and surprise came across the man. The eyes of the demon of flesh landed upon that of an angel of steel, as the wind blew the leaves gently across the lightly lit sky, heralding the dawn of a new day.
-RE-WRITTING PRIME DIRECTIVES-
-MAIN OBJECTIVE: TO SERVE THE CURRENT OWNER OF THE EXPERIMENTAL FIGHTING MODEL, SERIAL NUMBER 00-00-00-00-1: ALBEL NOX-
-SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: NONE-
-TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: NONE-
-RE-INITIALIZING SYSTEMS-
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End of Chapter 1: Connection
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Author's Notes: Hey guys, I just needed to tell you all that I've been struggling with this a bit. First of all because for a moment I had to pause myself and recollect my thoughts on how to make this work. I had to break a bit of what I had planned because of the reason that I had difficulty finding proper titles to match with the story itself.
I'm trying not to pace myself too quickly on this and try to keep the characters as In Character as possible, but it's kind of hard to do. My excuses for KOS-MOS' behavior is basically that her memory databanks are wiped clean from the electrical shocks that went through her internal system. Her black box is being rewritten from the inside by an electrical surge within her body as well as within her entire pod that would kind of act like a gigantic magnet due to a few of the wiring and etc, etc. Basically wiping her memories clean since she'd be part of said magnet. There's actually quite a few more reasons as to why her memories are gone and undergoing a certain process, but let's not get into that. As for Albel's attitude, this is a year or two or so before the start of Star Ocean: Till The End of Time. So basically, this is one or two years before he meets Fayt Company. There's a few more reasons but let's forget about that for now.
Oh yeah... I didn't double check a good part of what I've written, so I'm not 100 certain of the quality, but I do feel this is complete, and thus feel it's time for me to post it down. No, I haven't been working on this for days on end, I've only worked on this for less then a week and less then a day's time in hours or so.
Well... Looks like I gotta go, so I'll be writing later. Hope you're enjoying the story.