If Only I am the one…
A Star Ocean -- Till The End of Time Fan-fiction
By: climax

Disclaimer: None of SO3 is mine. Except the game save I am playing and of course, this fanfiction.

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Phase 03: Going Home
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Fayt entered the 506 numbered room; and found Sophia was sobbing in sleeping position. Her back was facing the door. "Uhh… Sophia?" he asked carefully.

Sophia's body tensed. Why she didn't notice that Fayt entered the room? She quickly wiped her eyes and turned her head. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" he asked. Actually, he didn't need to ask. Her teary eyes told everything. But he didn't know what to say either.

"I'm okay…" she said as she felt her tears coming up again and turned her head so Fayt couldn't see her crying. It was more than enough already that she was separated from her parents. She didn't want make somebody felt disturbed or sad because of her. Luckily, only she and Fayt that signed into this room; so she didn't have to worry about privacy.

"But you are crying…" Fayt walked to the bed beside Sophia's.

"I'm not." Sophia denied stubbornly. Her voice was slightly higher.

"Then why there are tears on your eyes?"

"The dust got into my eyes."

"But Hyda IV's air is the cleanest thing in the planet beside the water. How could there's dust in the air?" said Fayt. Unfortunately for Sophia, he was right. Hyda IV's reputation as the cleanest planet that known; was not for nothing.

"Maybe you are right… I'm crying…" then the girl didn't hesitate to sob. Fayt sighed. He took a seat on the bed beside Sophia's. He actually wanted to embrace her and said that it was okay, but… he is a boy. And boys tend to not understand what girls feel. So he decided to wait until she calmed a bit.

Not long, the sobs reduced. Fayt decided that this was the perfect chance.

"Sophia, I know this is not the right time, but… can we just talk? I mean, to ease your feeling a little…" asked Fayt. Sophia looked to him with an unreadable expression. He quickly added. "But if you don't want to, it's okay!"

Sophia stared Fayt with a look that was likely wanting to say: 'you have dog ears'. But then she smiled.

"Thank you, Fayt. So? What are we going to talk about?"

Fayt smiled in relief. His tactic was a success.

:--:-:--:

"Well then, Peppita. See you for next time," said Fayt as Peppita prepared to go.

"See you next time too! Just wait when our troupe has a show on earth!!" she chirped happily. Fayt smiled as he placed one of his hands to his hip.

"So, is the ticket you give me still useful?" asked Fayt.

"Don't worry! That ticket you've got has my father and mother's signature! I'll say to the locket keeper to grant the permission to enter to whose ticket has that signature!" Peppita chirped happily as she spins like a ballerina.

"Peppita! We have to go now! Or we'll lose the transporter!" Dulcinea's voice interrupted their conversation.

"See ya!" Peppita said as she ran to her troupe place.

"Goodbye," Fayt replied even he didn't sure if Peppita could hear him.

They had backed to earth thankfully safely. Sophia was a bit cheerful now. There was a new that said the attacks on Hyda IV has stopped and the attackers were identified as Vendeen. Meanwhile the reason was left in a question. But it was no matter for Fayt and Sophia now. What matter was where Sophia's parents. If they were safe and sound, they should be able to contact Sophia now. But it was too early to worry. Maybe their transport ship was a bit late.

Fayt walked towards the airport's cafeteria where Sophia was waiting for him. She left him at the earlier time because her stomach was grumbling. Honestly, so was Fayt. But it was rude to not say goodbye to Peppita. He entered the cafeteria and found Shophia right away. She sat at the corner of the place as her mouth was munching cold soba. When Fayt entered the cafeteria, she noticed him and waved happily to him.

"Fayt! I'm here!"

Actually there was no need to say that because Fayt had found her before she found him. Fayt walked towards the table and took a seat in front of Sophia. The soft chair was a relief for his tired legs.

But when he looked to the table…

"Sophia, what are these plates?" Fayt asked; Don't tell me you ate all of those… he added mentally. He didn't and wouldn't want to believe the worst case possibility.

"These are used to be pasta plate, these are chocolate cakes plates, these are…" Sophia said it as she pointed her index finger to the piles of plates one by one. "…ramen bowls, these are—"

"SOPHIA, how do you put all those foods in your stomach? You didn't eat all of those, right?" Fayt interrupted.

"What if I did? These foods are delicious, you know…" she said as she shoved another fork of soba.

"Talking about eating way too much, how could her body remain slim?" mumbled Fayt with a hint of fear in his tone.

"Fayt, what did you said?" asked Sophia, clearly didn't know what Fayt said.

"Nothing! Really!" Fayt replied quickly. Before Sophia went suspicious, Fayt quickly changed the topic.

"By the way, what are you going to do after this? It's still a long time before our summer vacation ended."

Sophia looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she placed the empty plate to the table. "Well, I certainly don't have any other plan besides spending time at Hyda IV. But since most of the planet's surface has turned into rubbles, I don't have any other plans…"

"Then why don't we go to the summer festival? I heard the autumn comes early this year so they made the festival comes earlier too," suggested Fayt. Sophia smiled.

"Good idea. It's been a while since we go to a traditional festival. My parents surely will—"

A sound interrupted Sophia.

"Wait a second," she said as she dug her hand to her jeans'. She took her cell phone that has a cat face on its cover and the ears as the antennas. She answered the call when Fayt looked curiously at her; wondering who was on the line.

"Hello …… oh, it's you mother …… what? Oh, yes …… yes, I understand …… I know; I am not a kid anymore …… I love you too, mother. Goodbye and good luck."

"Who is that? Your mother?" asked Fayt as sudden as the call ended.

Sophia nodded. "Yes. She said she and father won't come back until the holiday end. A very important business she said."

"Is it about your parents' job?"

"Yes, although she didn't give much detail I think it is."

Fayt stared at Sophia. Though she didn't show it, Fayt knew that she was disappointed. Terribly.

"Ah, speaking about festival, should we find a yukata(-)? I doubt either yours or mine is too small for us now…" said Fayt. He was trying to distract Sophia from her sadness. Beside, he had promised to her parents to take care of her.

(yukata: traditional Japanese cloth; to make a simple explanation, a kimono that's special for summer)

"You are right. Okay, let's go!" said Sophia as she stood up.

Fayt left dumbfounded. "Go? Where?"

"Of course to a cloth store! You said we should find a yukata, right? So what are we waiting for?" said Sophia energetically.

Of course, our tired Fayt hesitated. "But we don't have to find it now! Beside, I haven't eaten anything!" As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly.

"No worries! You can buy a hamburger or something and eat it while we are walking!" she said as she took Fayt's hand and drag him out of the place.

In his heart, Fayt was glad that Sophia backed to her cheerful self. But there was something wrong…

"Sophia, you said I can buy something to eat. So why we exited the cafeteria?"

Uh oh.

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Cliff Fittir was using a binocular to spy on his target. When Sophia and Fayt were talking, he too, was talking to Mirage through his communicator.

"Mirage, do you smell something fishy?" he asked while his eyes didn't move from his target.

/Yes. Do you think the same as me?/ replied the young woman.

"If what you think is why the Vendeen didn't grab her before she reached earth, yes I am," the blonde man said as he faced his communicator for a second, then back to his binocular.

/You're right. Why they didn't capture her before she reached earth? It's much easier if they attacked the transport ship while it was on the space, vulnerable to all sorts of ambush. If the girl is already on earth, it will be way too hard for breaking through the Panagalactic Federation's defense line—or troublesome at least if they don't think that it's hard,/ Mirage confronted her thoughts.

"Unless they are planning to invade Federation's Main Headquarter, it would make sense." He noticed Fayt and Sophia were preparing to leave the airport.

"Uh, I gotta go. I'll call you later."

/Good luck. And do not seduce ANY women. Focus on your job./

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Just after he said it, his eyes on binocular caught something. "Wow! That one over there is really a hot chick! I wonder; who's her name…"

/Cliff./ Mirage voice sounded dangerous.

"I'm just kidding! Bye!" he quickly turned off his communicator before Mirage could say anything else. He sighed in relief.

"Geez, I gotta watch my mouth more carefully before I face my creator…"

Then he remembered something. "Where's the target?" he said as his eyes traced the airport. Not long, he gave up.

"Shit! I lost her!"

"HEY!! Who are you and what are you doing here??" a man's voice brought him to alert. It looks like he was the security.

Cliff decided to play dumb.

"Huh? Are you talking to me?"

"YES! Who else do you think?!"

But as soon as the security said his words, Cliff prepared to jump off.

"Wait! What are you going to do??"

"You can say, run from you."

"But this is the THIRD FLOOR!!"

Too late. Cliff had jumped. The Klausian landed gracefully on the hard ground.

"Oh, my God…" the security said before he fainted.

Cliff sighed. "Phew! Luckily that building only has three floors. More than that; I'm done for."

His eyes suddenly found Sophia was dragging Fayt out from the airport. "Ah, there you are my young lady. Huh? Who are those guys?"

He spotted five or six men in black were following the young teenagers.

Cliff narrowed his eyes. "I doubt they are some mere stalkers…"

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Sorry! I have a holiday in Bali orDewata Island and my mother wouldn't let me bring my beloved laptop and wouldn't be able to update till I'm home. But don't worry! I wrote this before I departed so it was just a mere 'couldn't update' reason. See you later in other chapters!