Title: Drag

Coupling: Vox x Albel, Cliff x Albel

Disclaimer: Star Ocean is the property of Squeenix.

Summary: Vox returns from the dead. Albel Nox is less than pleased with this development, to say the least.

Rating: M (or R) for violence, language, non-con, character death, and weird shit. Lots of the last one.

Notes: Not too much to say here, except maybe to say that each chapter is written in a particular character's perspective. I could say that it's so we can get a more 'in-depth' look at someone's thought process, but I think it's really just 'cause I totally forgot how to write in any other way… eep.

Oh, and this is the chapter where everything starts to go to hell in a hand basket. AKA, why there's a rating for 'weird shit'. Although on a completely different topic, I am wondering if I should have made it clear that it's one-sided Vox x Albel. Hmm...

And again, many thanks to Sahara-sweetie. And to the reviewers as well, for enduring this mess.

two

He has not even had time to mourn before he finds himself dealing with a rather complicated situation.

There is something about seeing one's wife and son killed only moments before that makes it hard to think as clearly as one should, but he somehow manages to keep a calm expression as Vox enters the throne room with an air of victory that is painfully deserved. The man behind him is carrying Count Woltar's head, and it takes everything in him not to flinch at the loss of one of his most important allies. He cannot let his face show too much concern though, although he wants nothing more than to turn away from the sight. He knows already that his nightmares will be haunting him for months, if he gets to live that long.

Even without the image of Woltar's head, there is the chorus of shrieks that remain in the back of his head. They're the sounds of Rozaria being cut down, and their son following the same path shortly after. He was barely six months old and his life has already been so quickly snatched away, although at least his death had been quick. Rozaria's death had been slow and ugly, and he had not been able to do anything to ease her passing. He had not even been there to witness it, escorted out of the bedroom before she was completely gone. The heavy door had muffled the sounds, but there was no way to completely block her death screams.

There probably never will be.

He should have mourned. He should have been sad. But he cannot even muster up anger as he watches his uncle stand before him, a sort of deadness overruling the majority of his emotions at the moment. Or maybe not deadness, but simply practicality. He cannot deal with Duke Vox if his mind is shattered; breakdowns will simply have to wait until after negotiations.

Negotiation is a kind way of putting it. Usually negotiation with Vox involved a certain 'shut up, listen, and do everything I say' mentality, which is really the opposite of negotiation if one stops to think about it. But Vox often seemed to inspire a lack of thinking, which might explain a lot of things about the way the war had ended up, and perhaps the madness of what is happening now. After all, the man is supposed to be dead, blown to bits by an alien force, but he seems remarkably spry all things considered.

Arzei Bohnleid has never hated him more.

"Vox," he manages to get out with enough courtesy to make his etiquette teacher proud. Then again, his etiquette teacher had always been chasing skirts, so perhaps that is really not much of a compliment. Anyway, there is a pause as he tries to figure out the best question to ask. It seems a waste to ask Vox why he is still alive because the fact of the matter is that he is, and what is the point of wondering about it? Arzei has always been a practical man, and he doesn't think it wise to waste his words right now. He can ask Vox what he is doing but it seems obvious enough, and besides that he does not really know what else to say or ask.

It turns out not to matter much; he is spared the task of asking when Vox gives him that nasty little smile which patronized him when he was young and continues to patronize him to this day. It really is not fair considering how the man should be dead, but it seems that even the dead have rights that the living cannot question.

"Your majesty." The words are mocking but he is in no position to point them out as such. In fact, he's not in much of a position to do anything but stare, although staring is still marginally better than any of the other things he wants to do right now. "It is good to see you again."

"I cannot return the sentiment," he replies flatly. "What do you want?" It seems reasonable to just get to the point, rather than have to listen to Vox flaunt his victory. But knowing his uncle, he does not really have much of a choice in the matter, although it does not stop him from attempting to lessen the blow as much as he can.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Enlighten me." He needs to hear something right now. He needs to hear anything to forget, for a single second, the last gasp of a dying woman.

"I wish to finish what we started, nephew," Vox says, putting an emphasis on that last word. He slips and grimaces, but recovers quickly.

"You refer to the war with Aquaria, I assume," he says.

Vox smiles, "You always were quite bright."

It is as close to a compliment as he will be receiving, but he does not think he needs compliments from a madman anyway. The problem with that is that Vox is not quite mad, but rather ruthlessly tenacious. Once he latches onto a plan there is no letting go, and it should not seem at all surprising that the man will return from the dead simply for the pleasure of finishing his war.

He closes his eyes and tries to think, but what is there to think about anyway? What Vox wants is what he will get right now, unless he has a hidden trump card. But Vox has tact and he doubts any such thing exists. Woltar is dead, and although Albel Nox is still presumably alive because his head is not likewise rolling around on the carpet, Arzei doubts the young captain will be in any position to act. Knowing Vox, his uncle has tied up all the loose ends, and that is surely what Albel is.

"There are… other considerations as well," Vox suddenly says, and he looks over at him slowly. There is no need to ask what those 'other considerations' are; his uncle will not keep him in suspense for long, he thinks.

Vox opens his mouth to continue, but before he can there is a high-pitched shriek from outside the door. At first he thinks that it's a maid who has found some of the bodies—which granted, Arzei does not know actually exists but considering Vox's temperament it's hard to imagine otherwise—but there is something strangely familiar about that voice. There is also the matter of the curses being issued. The castle servants were always very respectful, and he had never seen any of them curse even during that incident with the dragon dung. Anyway, there is only one person who has such an extensive vocabulary, and the fact that certain familiar catchphrases are being thrown in every four words is another clue as to whom the interrupter is.

The door slams open with a bang, and Albel Nox comes flying through in a rush of violet cloth and pale skin, two guards on his heels. The captain of the Black Brigade is screaming curses as he rushes at Vox with a definite intent to kill, only to be finally restrained by the men protecting the duke before he can even get within ten feet.

"I'll kill you!" Albel screams, his voice higher-pitched than normal yet softer all the same, although the screaming masks that to the point that Arzei has to do a double-take. "I'll kill you, you fucking bastard! What the hell did you do to me?! You fucking, fucking bastard!"

Arzei is about to ask exactly what is going on, but then he gets a better view of Albel and not only is he instantly distracted from the death of his loved ones, but he believes there is going to be a little mental scarring involved too.

Surprisingly enough, the first thing he notices is… no, not that, but the fact that Albel's left arm is perfectly intact. Where there should have been the metal claw or at the very least a scarred stump, there is instead smooth, perfect skin leading down to what would be an equally perfect hand if it was not currently clenched so tightly that blood is dripping to the ground from where nails have broken skin. Arzei is so amazed by this change that it takes him a moment more to realize that the arm is connected to a body that is rather different, and that the badly ripped top is revealing more than just a chest, or really more than a man's chest because men do not have breasts and he is not looking there anymore.

If Albel is at all embarrassed at being so exposed, he does not show it. He does not even seem to notice it, nor the fact that he is in the presence of his king, although Arzei is under the impression that he does not hold that title any longer. Besides, considering Albel's personality, he doubts that the captain will hold back even if he realized that Airyglyph XIII was watching his every move.

Considering how it is three on one, Albel is holding up rather well as he snarls and tries to eviscerate one of the men holding him back. He comes pretty close but not close enough, and upon recognizing his failure, turns his anger back to Vox whose nasty smile has risen in intensity twofold.

"What the hell did you give me?!" The smile is now at threefold, and Albel screams in rage. "Answer me, you fool! What the fuck did you do?!"

"I would think it obvious, Nox," Vox replies pleasantly, causing the younger man-now-woman to bristle. "The potion I gave you is a new invention. It heals wounds—even old ones—at remarkable speeds, but as you can tell it has an interesting… side effect."

"Side effect?!" Albel spits back. "You wanted this, didn't you? Bastard. No matter. I'll still kill you!" With those words, Albel launches her-himself at Vox again, only to be dragged back by the guards. "Tell your fucking dogs to let go, Vox! Or are you scared that I'll kill you with my bare hands?!"

"You should be grateful. It's thanks to me that you have more than one now."

Albel responds with a furious litany of opinions on Vox's manliness, and Arzei finds himself struck with the disturbing urge to laugh. It is really not that funny. His wife and son are dead, his mentor's head is lying on the floor, and his other captain is now a woman. This was not to imply that he has anything against women, but Albel was originally a man and sudden changes such as this were simply not desirable in any gender. Still, he had wished for something to help quiet the demons in his head, but this as a distraction is so insane that he is not sure what to do anymore. All signs of coherency have simply gone away, and he knows for a fact that they will not be coming back for a very, very long time.

Vox is not of the same opinion, however. The insults are starting to get to him, evidenced by a slight flush as Albel proceeds to insinuate—and not in a very subtle manner—exactly what Vox had to do in order to pass the Accession of the Flame ceremony, and it was not by actually defeating the dragon but rather, "The only way you could get it to obey you was by fucking it, wasn't it?!" Enough is enough, and Vox steps forward in quiet fury but Albel does not seem to care as he starts getting more detailed. A part of Arzei wonders if the captain is enjoying this, and considering Albel's rather disturbing personality it is more than a possibility.

But he should have been paying more attention. Vox gestures at the guards to let go, and Albel is so surprised by the motion that he fails to take advantage of his sudden freedom. The split-second hesitation is enough for Vox to backhand him, stunning Albel long enough that Vox can grab the newly restored left arm to throw him against the wall. A second later Vox is pinning the thin body to the wall with his own before Albel can recover, something that is going to take a few more moments considering how dazed that captain looks. But as soon as he has Albel snarls and starts to struggle against the weight even though the feeling of rough armor cannot be comfortable against bare skin, especially considering the new additions. It goes without saying that Albel is hopelessly outmatched. Albel's advantage, after all, has always been more in speed and skill than brute strength, the latter of which he sorely lacks compared to Vox. Surrendering was never a word in Albel's vocabulary though, and the curses continue to rain down until Vox covers Albel's mouth so that the words are now muffled.

"Know this, Albel Nox," Vox says darkly, even as Albel tries to gnaw at his hand, "you are no longer in control of your fate, and it might do you well to remember that before you insult me."

The insolent glare is response enough to what Albel thinks of that, and Vox's expression darkens. But Arzei, tired of watching Vox flaunt his superiority, decides to takes matters into his own hands by asking, "What is the point of this, Vox? I understand your ambitions with the war and the kingdom of Aquaria, but what could have possessed you to do something like… this to one of your fellow captains?"

Never mind the fact that Vox had already killed one of his 'fellow captains'. That was beside the point, although it does beg the question of why Vox had not simply done the same to Albel instead of doing something so insane.

His question hangs over the two as Albel and Vox glare at each other. Finally, Vox snorts and pulls back, hands reaching down to restrain Albel's wrists before letting up. Albel has no choice but to stumble after him as Vox steps towards Arzei instead, dragging Albel with him.

Albel remains silent for the moment, at least, perhaps finally aware that his king is standing before him. The more likely explanation though is that he has simply run out of insults for the moment, or perhaps it is something else. He seems more stiff in his movements than before, and Arzei is fairly certain that this is not only from any pain that Vox might have caused him.

"Perhaps it was simply to teach him his place," Vox says coldly. Albel looks ready to explode in another series of insults, but manages to hold his tongue as Vox looks him over. "It is funny how you look no different as a woman than a man, Nox. Although now you can't go spreading your legs to anyone like a common whore. Is that how you kept your men in check for all those years, even though they never truly looked to you as a captain?"

"Why you-"

"Albel!" Arzei interrupts sharply, and to his utmost surprise Albel actually listens. Well, it had to happen eventually, he thinks grimly as he turns his attention back to Vox. "You have made your point then. Or is there something else?"

"Perhaps," Vox purrs, and everyone knows that this is the moment he has been waiting for. "We will work out the plans for the control of this kingdom later. You will continue ruling as a figurehead only. I will be telling you what to do. My first proclamation, of course, will be the abolition of this… peace, and the declaration that the war will be resumed from where we left off. And my second order is to ready the palace staff for a wedding."

"A wedding?" Arzei blinks, completely thrown off by this sudden… change in topic. "But to whom-?"

He does not need to finish that thought as Albel comes to the same realization at the same exact time and shrieks, "What?!"

"Why?!" he asks, or really he sputters it because really he is in just as much shock as Albel is, and he is not even the one who is getting married.

"Because the Nox family is one of the only remaining noble families left," Vox explains simply, as if this all should have been obvious. "After you exiled most of the others, Glou Nox was one of the few who kept his titles and standing. His heir is privy to the power that was given up by those other families, even if this young idiot never bothered to take advantage of those things."

Albel spits on the ground before hissing, "I would rather die than marry you, Vox."

"I know," is the cold reply as Vox smirks slightly. "I know that very well, Nox, but that is no longer your choice, is it?"

"I'll kill you."

"You've already said as much quite a few times, although I have yet to see you even try, let alone come close to succeeding. But you are still welcome to continue in your endeavors, my lady." At that Albel snarls, but he is unable to do much else as Vox continues, "You will learn to accept that your place is beneath me, Nox. Even if I have to resort to more crude methods to prove this to you."

End Notes:

Just as a note, the real reason why I chose to write this fic was to write that scene where Arzei is trying his best not to laugh at the situation. It's sad how very, very serious I am when I say that.

I am fairly certain I will update every Sunday, unless something happens so that I can't reach my computer (or stops working...). I don't think that will be a problem though, although here's to hoping anyway!

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