A/N: Let me tell you now, EVERYONE has a dark side to them. It implies heavily on a certain someone in the beginning, which means OOC, but not REALLY BAD OOC. 'Kays? Umm, kinda angsty in the beginning, too, like ink links of it…And I'm listening to happy music, what a deranged mix~ xD Heavy suggestion (and totally out of place) anyone likes Breathe Carolina? Listen to the 'Birds and bees' on youtube~ It's totally addicting to listen, I lurve the beats! Buy their CD (It's classy, not classic) if ya like 'em, they are marvelous~ -starts screaming like a deranged fan girl while being restrained by mother's fingernails and my sister slapping my head- :3
Summary: What are the odds of a noble swordsman with a self-absorbed egoism to be swayed by such a frail boy in the cold streets of Airyglyph? .:Albel/Fayt:.
Extra Notes: 'Thoughts' are gonna be written in italics. I'm gonna remind everyone again. THIS IS SLIGHTLY AU-ish. ;D This chapter has been broken up into two parts. My reasons: it was too long to be on one whole thing. Once I finished it all in one-kinda thing, I'm like…"UGH, NO, NO, NO! This will not do!" And two – it felt rushed if I went over one little scene. And that's it. The thing is gonna have different titles but will mention the part. So next is Two (part II)… lol. XD
Dedication: Maiyoko Iwagashi. Seriously, go on and read her fics!
Disclaimer: Erm, don't own.
Song of choice/Playlist: I have two in store for each chapter, one 'instrumental/classical', and one that is 'normal'. Go ahead; you're free to choose which one~! Just in case you have different preferences! Artist first, song next. Got it? Good.
~.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.~
Every Avenue –Between You and I
Linkin park – New divide (instrumental)
~.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.~
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Serendipity
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Recollections
(Part I)
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The prison cells were as isolated as the day Fayt left; it felt monotonous staying in a cell without extra warmth and food. Her blanket did sustain enough heat for the night, but since it was a closed-off or restricted part of the castle, the decaying body from the soldier gave the chamber an awful smell that can match the carcass of a dead animal. Nel raised her scarf to her mouth and nose, wrapping it around tightly to at least block off most off the scent - the odor was combined with blood and made it a very horrible mix. Nel snuggled deeper in the blanket, trying to get shrug off all reminiscences of Fayt's word.
Everything resembled a horrendous nightmare coming true - the prime objective was Fayt to sneak inside the city of Airyglyph and claim the attention of a soldier—even a worker would've been fine—but no, the blunette had to choose the harsh reputation of the captain of the Black Brigade. She mutely laughed, and now the lad thinks he's in love? The red shook her head, 'How absurd.'
From the murky corner of the cell laid darkness engulfing the part of the unit, she crawled over the fetch a small leather bag—light-weighted when held—with several hand-written documents and chalky photographs of the blunette and his various progresses during his missions. Nel edged back to her original spot, relying on the torch lights to read over the documents, her eyes skimmed towards Fayt's hand-written notes, scrawled messily for the rush he was always in. Some photographs included team-worked accomplishments with Cliff, others were just the objectives.
Nel sorted out the documents and photos, leaving the unimportant bits out or just stuffing them back inside her bag. Her emerald pools widened, finding a piece of paper—faded into a dark yellow after age—stuck on the back of a document: her writing.
And this note read:
"Has it already been three months since I found the two of them? I still remember it clearly when the two of them looked beat-up, injured all over. How they ended up Duggus Forest is beyond me, and their clothing was especially strange. When they finally stirred hours later, they had no other memory besides their names and that the two of them were close friends. Beyond that logic, they are not part of us, although they willingly listen to Clair and the orders for an assignment. They have no other place to go, so maybe that's why they settled. Regardless, they are a fine addition and a humorous quarreling team. Cliff is remarkable with his strength and ability, that's why I guess this place is still in shape from enemies. As for Fayt, I've never met an individual willing to take anything for a challenge, despite the consequences how risky or impractical it may seem. It gives us some relief - I would like to add - since most of are females…He does come in handy with male and female situation: toy with them or fool, he makes every predicament feel like a normal situation. And from all his victims, he is never ashamed of seducing in order to get his way—it somehow always works—but there is something that irks me about him…
I can't point it out, but Fayt just can't take anything serious. When he comes across someone, they typically become instantly or slowly infatuated.
Will Fayt always think that type of logic?
He even said they were all playthings.
I speculate the day he will be perfectly be serious about someone, nonetheless I have a feeling it will all be an illusion of liking the idea instead…
Heh, when was I actually concerned about such a topic?
Might as well call it a day for now."
Nel remembered the day clearly, too.
--
The redhead exit the mansion with a sigh of relief, now would be just right time to loosen up after researching and collaborating the ideas for a new mission. Her emerald orbs examined the village as everything seemed in harmony. Her lips formed a warm beam at the chickens crossing with little chicks following the mother in a straight line. Her ears perked on account to giggly laughter, Nel walked around the mansion and noticed a bunch of village girls fawning over Fayt - perky and asking questions as usual.
Nel crossed her arms, shaking her head with the smile still on her lips, "Popular as always."
Fayt bid a farewell to the villagers who moaned in disappointment, once he turned his heel and approached Nel; he had a deep scowl on his face. Sighing, he was relieved to get away from those crazed girls; never had they bothered him this much.
"How annoying."
Nel leaned again the tree, looking and the drifting female teens, "Just get yourself someone and they will renounce the idea of pestering you. There must be someone in particular that you've grown attached to."
The blunette casts his verdant orbs on the redhead, eyeing her eccentrically from the statement. Anyone in particular? The teen turned around chuckling, "Are you kidding, Nel? They're nothing but playthings, something to just amuse my time for the meanwhile until I eventually get bored of them." He shrugged, and then continued, "Attached? Never have, never will."
Nel: "Fayt, you shouldn't think like that…"
Fayt furrowed his brows, tossing a piece of paper over his shoulder and then leaving the scene in silence.
She caught the crumbled paper and opened the ripped hinges with her delicate fingers.
It read: "Anyone I 'like' is just for a benefit."
--
Nel stuffed the rest of the insignificant issues in her leather bag, all photographs of those who became the victims of Fayt's mission, his notes, the crumpled paper; everything that was necessary was systematized in a perfect pile. She bit her lip in anxiety as her silken hands trembled violently, her nails dug into some documents but she calmed herself enough to preserve them. As she visualized a mental image on the previous Fayt, he has softened ever since this encounter – he lost that cruelness, something that could've never been detected by a random stranger or a normal entity.
Nel shook her head, as much as he changed over the time of his absence, Fayt has been slacking off. The two nations are near the brink of the beginning stage of war, and it's time for Nel to take dire measures for the sake of Fayt to not hesitate on the extermination.
Her mind could picture the cold war between the nations, the blood-shed and gore fight between the two with countless of lives entwined. Her emerald eyes grew half-lidded and her pale cold lips deepening the frown at the photographs of the blunette, "Fayt, you will kill Albel Nox."
Nel contemplated deeply, her eyes drifting back to the papers in her hand, 'This is for your own good, Fayt…'
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Fayt covered Albel's thin frame with the blanket, kissing him lightly on the cheek as it was time for a good night's sleep. Day one has been complete, what now?
Fayt walked over to a mirror, flinching at the pain on his bruised lip that he bit just a while ago so harshly. More than that, once the clock strikes twelve will commence day two, as well by nightfall the blunette must see Luther: the man that rushed the time left before this dreaded war begins.
The blue haired teen considered visiting Nel, but decided against it after claming this relationship is a 'mistake.' He lightly clunked his head, up until now he bears in mind he had to get the blueprints from Vox and at this very moment because – the clock is five minutes away from midnight – tomorrow night is the last night and will feel riskier than ever to snatch the blueprints by then.
The teen stepped out of the room, eyeing the corridors with a sense of vigilance. His every step echoes the long hallways as he popped his head into any room. Fayt quickly got out of one room when his ears picked up the sound of scuffling feet.
He panicked and attempts to look as casual as possible, pretending to be half-sleepy and wearily walking the halls. His emerald orbs looked forward, slightly tenser from the sight of Count Woltar.
"My, my. What are you doing up so late?"
Fayt nervously laughed, "Couldn't sleep." There was a pause, and Fayt decided to add on, "And something worrying me is getting me a bad cause of insomnia."
The senior tilted his head, "And what is that, if you do not mind me asking…?"
Fayt nervously tried to come up with an excuse and from then on an idea sprung in his head; the blunette leaned closer to whisper the following into Woltar's ear, "D-Does Duke Vox hate me?"
The teen stood up straight, hoping Woltar would take that question.
Woltar: "Oho, do not worry of something as trivial as that! Go on, get some rest now." The old senior said, he went past Fayt and departed somewhere else while Fayt just stayed in his spot until it was finally harmless to keep roaming.
Fayt entered one room that screamed of a higher ranker, he busily searched everywhere until he found the needed. He placed everything back in perfect condition - maybe Vox was away for a few days since he only intended spending a few days in the castle. The lad scurried out of the room, descending speedily down the staircase, his green orbs searched around when finally entering the prison chambers.
The cold gave him a shiver, his nose scrunched up to the horrible smell of a dead body – he assumed correctly that it was the soldier. He approached Nel's unit, both were wordless as Fayt slid the blueprints between the bars of the prison.
Fayt tensed to the silence, deciding best to be the first one to verbalize, "Tonight—seeing as it is midnight—we'll leave. I still have the keys and Luther will be done with by the time I come down here. Keep the blueprints for the time being."
Nel nodded, taking the diagrams by hand and folding them into her leather bag whilst Fayt leaving the cells.
Everything is soon coming to a close…
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"What?! I don't see why I can't come along!"
Albel strapped on his fur-trimmed robe, examining himself in the mirror to see if everything he needed was in check. His katana was safely within the scabbard, but he was quickly growing annoyed and would do anything to clunk the blunette on the head with his constant complaining. Albel ran his hand through his hair, easing his gory thoughts and saving it for any enemies out in the mountains.
"The King sent me—although it suits the job a messenger boy—to accomplish this quick task. You'll only be a nuisance."
Fayt flinched; nevertheless it didn't seem to matter much to the swordsman.
"At any rate, I'll be back in few days."
With that explanation now through, Albel took his steps out of the castle, yet his arm was grabbed and pulled backwards. Fayt's eyes were shaky from what the man could perceive, "Albel, take the dragon. Please!"
"Let go, worm."
"Albel, please…take the dragon…! I…want you to be here by evening…" The blue haired teen uttered silently and desperately, his head dolefully looking down at the ground.
Albel's arm was released, but the elder male quirked an eyebrow at the teen. He sighed and gave in, "I don't know understand what the rush is for." Finally he muttered one last thing, "I'll try."
Fayt smiled vibrantly, having a deep urge to tackle Albel down with hug. When he left Fayt, there was a sound of a dragon roar much later, giving the emerald hued a vast amount of relief. He didn't think he could handle a few days when this night is the last night. Fayt felt a tug on his pants, seeing the redhead girl smiling at the teen.
"Nice to see you again." She said.
Fayt nodded, still curious about the girl's name.
"You are one-of-a-kind. You got Sir Albel on a dragon not once, but twice!"
The blunette titled his head in bewilderment; did it imply to something extraordinary for Albel to get on a dragon?
The little girl continued, "Y'know, he actually hates those creatures more than anything. Haven't you wondered why he has that gauntlet on his left arm? Or why he chooses never to remove it? Or even why he doesn't mention anything about it?"
The blunette crossed his arms, placing his index finger on his chin. It was an excellent question beyond most things, Fayt knew nothing about the swordsman, nor did Albel ever mention about the past or talk about it in general. His emerald orbs widened, considering that whatever happened might've affected Albel attitude thus far. 'Then again, he's always thinking lowly of others with that ego of his…superiority complex…?'
The small girl shook her head in exasperation, reflecting it was best to just answer before the blunette strains himself thinking, "He suffers from self-loathing, Fayt."
"…Really? He has everything he wants; compared to most, his life is the very definition of perfect."
"No, not at all." The girl professed. "Come with me."
Both stepped out of the castle, unlike the past few days – it was not sunny, snow was rather coming down in chips of hail. The girl was unaffected and Fayt shielded his head with his arms, having a troubling time keeping up to the small girl's pace and jogging even quicker to keep track.
They stopped every now and then, both sets of eyes gazing into the windows of poor but happy families sharing a meal: giggly, warm, optimistic.
Then the pair stopped at children in the grimy corners: neglected, cold…hopeful? More children came over with robbed food; they all applauded each other and ate. Fayt looked down at the redheaded girl; she was already out of sight and waiting in the corner for the blunette.
'How…the hell?'
He shook off the feeling, walking over despite his whole body already freezing from this assumed solstice, "S-so…? W-what was th-this s'pose to sh-show m-me?" Fayt said, even with his teeth chattering to the frosty winds.
Again, this felt like an everyday thing to the redhead, she was still unaltered by the weathering.
"From what you've seen, what do they all have in common?"
Fayt shook his head, honestly he replied back, "I don-don't k-know…"
The girl picked up a smile, "They have someone. They feel loved one way or another. Compared to Sir Albel, all those 'haves' are now 'had.'"
"Had?"
She nodded solemnly, her little feet strolled toward another family's window - sharing a bubbly dinner, parents and children, "I'm surprised myself he is still managing." Her fingers traced the window sill, "Fayt, have you heard of the Accession of the Flame?"
"Not really."
"It's a very special ceremony in Airyglyph when a solider is privileged to be deemed worthy enough to be full-fledged dragon knight. The judge being a dragon…"
Fayt's arms slid off his head, the hail plummet his head roughly as they increased in size from little specks to miniature cubes the size of an adult's male thumb. Fayt took a step back, his hand gripping his shirt roughly; more stress was added when his mind was in a swivel and calculating the worst possibility. The blunette let his green orbs droop to the snowy platform, his lip quivered when all he could say: "No…"
The girl's fingers pushed away her cherry-red fringes, finally showing her pale amber eyes. She sighed, letting her hand slid back in the pocket of her little white apron, "Sir Albel was not accepted by the dragon, he actually should've been dead."
Fayt didn't have enough courage to sprout any words, his hand clutched harder on his shirt. From this signal, her amber eyes glanced back at a small wilting rose next to a healthy one. She kneeled down, placing her small hand over the wilted flower, "His father, Glou Nox—someone Sir Albel greatly respected—saved him. And because he saved his son, Glou's cause of death was being burned alive. Now you could probably guess why whom ever Sir Albel meets is in a safe proximity of distance."
"…And the gauntlet?"
"Although his father shielded him, it did not mean he was able to escape unscratched. The remains are just deep scars and burns, the rest--"
"Stop! Please…" Fayt cupped his ears; his legs were unable to support his quavering body as it collapsed on the snow – right on cue.
The redhead was unsurprised by Fayt's reaction; she stayed near the wilting rose and never looked back to comfort the blunette. "Face it, Fayt. Not everything is sugar-coated into a happy ending like storybooks. Sir Albel believes the death of his father is his fault."
Fayt was going to open his response, but the little girl stopped him, "You may think, 'It was an accident, he has no reason to think that.' Yet his rash decision on a powerful dragon made him fail, and he even reflects on such a failure. Sir Albel keeps everyone away to prevent that incident from happening again – the feeling can only lead him isolation in the end." She spoke the end with a casual shrug.
Fayt picked his body up, letting the hand clutching his shirt fall back on his side; both hands were fully clenched as Fayt's knuckles became white, "He's not alone! Those 'haves' are no longer existent!" His emerald green eyes glared deeply into her amber hues, "He has someone, and Albel has every right to feel loved--"
Her amber eyes narrowed, "And how are you so sure?"
"I'll prove it, that's how!"
He turned his heel and confidently strides back the path of the castle.
The little girl picked up the wilted rose, letting it lay on her small palm. Her finger followed the lines of the dried up petal with a smile, "I know fully well you can prove it."
Her amber orbs grew softer in tone.
A little shine of green radiated from her hand, the petals blossomed to gorgeous red – giving the rose life again, "I hope you make your happy ending a beautiful one." She placed the rose right next to the other.
She giggled at the two flowers; the healthy one as Fayt, and the wilted one finally coming back with blooming difference as Albel.
The girl turned around, watching Fayt's body drifting away so quickly it became nothing more than a mere dot.
'Will it wilt again?'
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A/N: The girl's name will not be revealed yet. On the next chapter? Definitely. She is actually a little twist and her name has been mentioned every now and then (if not, once.) And it makes me wonder if it was alright for her to refer to Albel as 'Sir.' Considering who she is and how she is seen as, there needs to be RESPECT. So there, done and done. Anyway. I had to stop it here; it made feel like it was rushed if I continued. This may not be everyone's favorite kinda thing of a chapter, but I promise ya the next chapter is something you'll find superb (or cool. XD Hopefully… if not, I might as well sulk in my wee corner with my iguana looking down at me if I was a freak or something) angsty, too. Whatever floats yer boat. The next chapter will be up tomorrow – if not…the latest is this Wednesday. ;D Overall, this is actually really short. Review if ya want ;3
Also, my bad…
becauseimthefavorite – Since I decided to split this in the last minute, the next chapter –might- be a good read enough for ya ;D Sorry about the mess-up. :p