Challenge of the Heart
Chapter 2
By: Yeu
Comment: Thank everyone for their support by reviewing the last chapter. Anyway, here's chapter 2 . It was suppose to be out sooner but the day I sat aside for working on it, I spend nursing a hang over. Please keep up with the comment and suggestions, I'll work hard to write a atory that everyone will like
Again, I own no part of Star Ocean. I wish I did, I need the money.
Any good spy knows that in order to accomplish a mission, you must research ahead of time. It doesn't matter how little information there is, but every last piece will come into use sometime or another. But you can't let others be aware that you know, so you have to secretly look up everything and only reveal your hand when the time comes.
That is the reason why Nel is currently in her room, her door lock with three deadbolts, surrounded by books. Not just any books mind you; romance novels, poetry, psychological analysis on the effects of love had on one's mental stability… you name it. During an unplanned trip back to the Aquios Castle, the Crimson Blade found time to excuse herself from the rest of the party to do a little studying. Stopping by the castle library, Nel took out all books that are even remotely related to the subject of love. Jotting down notes and high points on the pieces of spare paper, the daughter of the Zelpher house carefully goes through each page, word for word when a loud knock breaks her concentration and snaps her out of her task.
"Yo! Nel!" Cliff's loud voice is only slightly muffled by the door. "What'cha doing?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Nel replies, slumping back in her chair. Taking the chance to let her eyes wonder and her muscles to relax.
"Well, mind opening up?"
"Why? I can hear you perfectly like this. Just as I'm sure everyone in Airgylph can also hear you."
Silence. "I just want to talk to you… you know… privately."
"Well, with that volume I don't think it's possible, but hold on, I'll open up." The woman begins to put the books away, making sure the titles and covers of the novels and poetry are hidden either by the wall or books above them.
Cliff tries the knob after a bit of waiting. "It's still locked, is it stuck?"
"That's because I haven't open it yet, hold on, I'll be right with you." Nel sighs, wishing Cliff can have as much patience as his voice volume.
The man waits a bit longer before trying again. "It's still stuck, hold on, I'll fix it."
How can he fix something that's not broken? … Oh no. "Cliff! Stop!"
Too late, a loud bang signal an impact that sends Nel's door flying through the room, almost hitting her and sending the pages of notes that she has been taking tediously raining down the room. The Kalusian stands at the doorway, smirking as if he had done something great, and continues to smirk until he meets Nel's death glare through the storm of paper.
"What in Apris' name do you think you are doing?" The woman almost screams in response to the tearing down of her door.
"Fixing your door." The man replies with a shrug. "See? It's okay, you should thank me."
"That's because it was locked you oaf!"
"Oh." It takes Cliff several moments to connect the dots together. "Sorry, but… can we talk?"
"Talk? Privately right?" Nel can feel a vein in her temple bursting. "How many people do you think that stunt you just did will attract???"
Almost in response to the woman's words, many rapid footsteps echoing on the hallway quickly approach them. In no time, the formerly empty hallway is filled with people, all asking questions.
"What happened?"
"Was it a sneak attack? By who?"
The Crimson Blade glares ice daggers at the blond man still standing idiotically at her doorway and bends down to retrieve her notes.
"Nel!" The voice of a young man suddenly rings above the other chatters. "We heard you are under attack! Are you okay?"
The woman looks up to see Fayt and Sophia pushing through the crowd. Albel is behind them, but the man didn't need to push, his glare opens up a path for him.
"I'm fine." The redhead nods. "No thanks to him." She glares at a nervously smiling Cliff.
While the Quark agent explains to everyone else what happened, Nel quickly gathers up her pages of notes and tucks them in a safe and out of the way place. The last thing she needs is for people to find a page of it and get the wrong idea; the whole situation is complicated enough as it is. The crowds begin to disperse now that there isn't anything interesting going on anymore, soon only the party members are left behind.
"Is that what happened?" Fayt asks with a goofy smile on his face. "We heard that a assassin attacked Lady Nel and killed her."
"The rumor mill is too eager to get to work." Cliff complains. ("I doubt nothing less than a stampeding horde of house-sized dragons can kill off a fool like her." Murmurs the all-friendly Albel the Wicked.)
"No, it's your fists too eager to do the thinking for your head." Nel said as she approaches the group that is gathered outside her what's left of her door, giving the blond-tipped man a very hard glare to notify him that she heard his little comment. "Next time, when I ask you to wait, it means wait."
"I thought the door is stuck and you were to proud to ask for help." The Klausian shrugs. "Otherwise why would it take you so long to open up?"
"Because I was in the middle of putting my things away." The woman continues her death glare.
"Oh."
Sophia suddenly notices something at the edge of her vision, a piece of paper that had slipped halfway behind a piece of furniture. Good naturally, she walks over and retrieves the paper. "Nel, is this …" Before she can even finish her sentence, the woman has ripped the paper out of her grasp, leaving the girl stun and very surprised.
"I'm sorry." Nel murmurs after she realizes how harsh the action seems. "It's just that… this is secret document." She lies.
"Oh." Sophia's face brightens up. "Okay, I wasn't about to read it anyway."
"Thank you for finding it through." Nel nods at the girl. "I would be in trouble if it goes missing."
"Now that you fools are done babbling, can we please get a move on?" The Airglyph captain finally speaks. "Preferably sometime before our universe gets deleted?"
"What's the big hurry? Didn't we already decide that we'd be staying here tonight?" Mirage asks, still surveying the damage done by Cliff's impatience.
"I know that maggot." Albel sneers as he walks up to Maria. "Come on, I want to get it done with."
The 'invitation' shocks everyone. The notion of Albel the Wicked doing anything with anyone is ridiculous, but here he is, asking Maria in front of everyone. Nel sneaks a peek at Fayt and swears she can see a sudden dark shadow overcastting itself on the youth's face. This does not bode well…
"Alright." The young woman nods calmly. "But shouldn't we get one other person? It usually works better with three…"
"I don't have that much tolerance for fools…" The swordsman begins to answer.
"I'll go! What do you need help with?" Fayt volunteers almost way too enthusiastically, and Nel catches a flash of anger across Sophia's face.
And the drama just doesn't end…Nel thinks to herself, all the more reason to finish that plan she's working on so they can actually concentrate on the fight ahead, not the hormones overloading.
"Well," Maria looks over at Albel. "It's your call."
"Whatever fools." The man growls as he begins to walk away. "Just hurry up."
Maria turns and follows Albel, Fayt makes a move to catch up with the pair but his childhood friend has taken a firm possession of his sleeve.
"Fayt!" Sophia complains. "You promised you would go shopping with me!"
"But we already did!"
"We weren't done!"
"Fayt, you coming?" Maria's voice echoes off the hallway.
"I'll make it up to you another time!" The youth says to his friend and quickly takes off, leaving Sophia looking like she is about to cry. Nel rolls her eyes at the drama before her, add a few more plot twists and she thinks they might have a future best seller.
"Alright everyone, get out." The Crimson Blade said as she begins to push everyone out and orders a servant nearby to fetch a piece of wood big enough to serve as a door until it's gets fix. "I still have word to get done and I can't do it with you people standing like statues outside my door. Cliff, I will send you the bill after the door's fixed."
Cliff grunts but says nothing, probably the best idea he came up with all day anyway.
After a few hours of relentless organizing and reorganizing, Nel is finally done putting together her notes and plan out the course of action. She looks over at the plan of engagement, making sure each part of the plot is consistent with her finds from the romance novels and other sources. Making some last minute changes, the Crimson Blade carefully tucks the top secret document inside a hidden compartment on the inside of her chest protector. Stretching a little to loosen her muscles, she is ready to carry out the mission.
As she leaves the room, a paper that's accidentally left behind rests patiently on her desk, on it are many writings. It reads…
Nel's Lovey-Dovey All-Purpose Fool-Proof Plan (tm) Version 1.0
Step 1
A couple that kills together, stays together
Participants – Max of 2
Albel Nox (Whom will be referred to as A)
Fayt Leingod (Whom will be referred to as F)
Non-Participants
Sophia Esteed (Whom will be referred to as S) and others
Summary
According to the research, people often find those who share an interest with them to be more attractive and through shared activities can be drawn to each other. The plan is to use A's only known hobby and put A & F into a situation where the participants can share something that A likes and hopefully promotes bonding between A & F.
That or F finally realizing how dangerous A can be and get the hell away.
Warning
This step is designed for use with A in mind, who has to be one of two participants. All other combinations may cause mental stress that can lead to mental illness, paranoia, and other forms of after-effects in the participants. If severe enough, one shall report immediately to a doctor.
This step should be used in a controlled area, as A has a tendency to be unable to differ between friend and foe when A gets too involved with his actions.
Emergency procedures should be kept on hand at all times during the carrying out of this step. Recommendations: Anything that causes paralysis/sleep/immobility temporary. Items/methods that causes confusion shall not be used under any conditions. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to restrain A's movement by rendering him incap.