A/N: My inspiration to this chapter was…the great and mighty image song of Xenosaga 2 and the song "Strain" which is Jin's mighty song. Its so cool….-hugs soundtrack- totally worth the money. I bet you're all wondering WHERE IVE BEEN –catches your attention- -cough- Well…grade 11 sucks. And I had…for three weeks three projects. And I didn't do them until the last minute…
Not only that but my Gaignun (I dubbed her that she's cosplaying him) moved to my area so I've been rpying with her a lot more. Which also gave birth to this insane yet adorable fic. Kinda reminds me of Arc the Lad and its two different sides of how Deimos (sp?) and humans see each other. Yes a xenosaga fic. Jin needs some dedicated to him : (
But that's not the point here. The point is, that I actually DID finish this chapter. And the next one –crosses fingers- will be right around the corner. Its just…hard to keep in it when your mind is thinking Gnosis ;
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean 3 or anything related to another game because we all know a sixteen year old couldn't do that!
Sphere Prison
Chapter Five
AlbelThat Klausian should know when to keep his distance! He's lucky to still be standing after all that. Had it been one of my own men, he'd be coated in blood and thrown out into the snowy paths and left there to freeze to death. Or be eaten by one of the various monsters. Of course, disarming came at a price. I feigned sleep. I couldn't remember what time it was or if it'd been one day of hell or not. Thing's like that didn't seem to matter much.
Turning my head I cracked open an eye, staring at the figure that had insisted on me being bed ridden. He himself was fast asleep, but I knew better. He wasn't a heavy sleeper. If he had been, I would be pacing. Damn him! Who does he think he is? I'm not like those weak foolish beings that let themselves get cut down like pitchforks to hay. I'm not like anybody else! I sacrificed everything to attain my position! On my world or not I deserve the respect just as much as the next person.
Laying down though, with a comforting pillow fluffed to the maximal capacity, between my head and the mattress made thinking a whole lot easier. "Hmph…" I faced the opposite direction, my cheek brushing against the apparent bruise. Ignoring the trifling pain that stabbed through my being, I focused on the far wall. Replaying the conversation between Lucifer and me. He was a formidable person. He lacked the physical looks and qualities, but he was a genius.
And knew far more about ways and other means of crushing his opponents. Using strategy rather than pure raw force.
Going one on one with a man like that. I would have been easily put down. Hell, Cliff may have the brawn but he didn't have the brain. And Fayt. He's far too emotional. But, he has my respect. Because he is what I would have been had I not been so foolish. Had I not been so pitiful and weak to fail the accession of flame! That one day had things gone smooth…
"You still up Albel? You're not mad at me are you?" I opened my eyes slowly, one hand automatically brushing away my bangs. Making the ceiling a bit easier to visualize and look at. "Of course I am fool. I don't forgive so easily. Keep your hopes up maggot." A sigh echoed through the room. Than silence. These people. All from one place or another looked out for one another. Even though, in the beginning known knew each other. How could they trust so quickly and face everything hand in hand. Breaking down deaths doors with a smile?
I break down deaths doors, but they keep blocking my path. Every time. I've tried suicide a few times. After the ceremony that I failed. Hoping to burn in that burst of fiery breath. But it wasn't me. My father paid the price. Ever since then I changed my attitude, the way I dressed, begged to the dragons to train me like no other. And singe my arm so much that it was too gruesome to behold with the naked eye. Then replaced most of it with a metal claw, telling everyone it was an accident.
No one questioned my authority and I rose like a eagle. Picking off the food one by one, hailing to the top of the greatest ranks on my home planet. Back than I thought myself as a god. Someone that could not be beaten. When a kid just five years younger than me, with little experience with a sword. Hardly fit for battle. Bested me like I was nothing. Like I was nothing better than monsters!
Raising my head as the door unlocked I released a suffering sigh. All this nonsense of world and gods and what not made my head hurt. If I'm data than gods are grass. Both are insignificant in the role of time. Yet it's there forever. Sitting upright I draped my arm over my knee, glaring coldly at the being that entered. That jerk… Lucifer was it? The pretend god of our universe? Hmph.
"Greetings" Cliff waved from his bedside. With the dresser in the middle I couldn't exactly see his face but the body language told me he too was thinking hard. Together, if we had our weapons. We might have brought him down. I had been looking forward to it ever since planet Styx. But now I tried to look at this whole change of events in a different perspective. Nothing has come of it though. More waste of time than anything else.
"Ah; at least one out the bunch is friendly. Unlike the hassle you gave me, dear Albel Nox." My spine straightened as a shiver ran down my back. Passing through the coldest depths of my veins and blood vessels. The way he said things was entrancing. It made me want to believe what this pathetic being was saying. The only person that ever had that authority to make me feel like a child is not of this world anymore!
I scoffed, turning my head.
He can think, talk, and move all he wants. If he thinks that I would ever lay down at his feet he has a few things to reconsider…
"Yeah, yeah, we know Albel always has a stick up his ass. It's nothing new…" My eye twitched.
"Just whose side are you on anyway you moron!?"
"Uh…..my own?"
A ripping sound filled the air as I scraped the pillow beside me with my claw. The metal digging into the soft fabric to spurt out a fury of feathers. Take it as a sign, or as a vision of what is too come and you'd see Cliff's head soon to be ripped off and fed to Crosell. "You just going to listen to this pathetic mortal!?" I tore the pillow apart, sending every single bit of white everywhere in the air. Like snow back in Airglyph it drifted slowly to the ground. "How can you be so stupid?"
Taking a brief second to look at Lucifer I was enraged possibly more so with the look I was getting from the oh-so-high-and-mighty. He was smiling! The girly man was smiling, smiling like he was enjoying it all! And that ape…was doing nothing to defend himself! Nothing to fight back…what had become of this sad excuse for a team?
Cliff sighed and placed his feet on the ground, ever so slowly getting out of the comfortable position to yank me down by my arm. I hadn't realized I was standing and cursing at everything… "Look, chill out okay? Just enjoy it now before you regret any further actions. Because it'll be reflected on everybody" I gritted my teeth as he continued, for once not looking so happy or relaxed moments ago. "If you act up. Sophia or Fayt could get hurt. Would you be proud of that?"
I shoved him away, rubbing my arm like it had some sort of traitorous disease. Frankly I couldn't care any less about them. They just happened to be strong enough to save a universe, which I am part of. I have no obligation to be 'concerned' or 'caring' to these individuals. They were just a bunch of misshapen worms…
……
"Oh please. Voice your concerns, and I'll make sure they are 'accommodated' to your liking." Lucifer drawled out 'liking' with a superior tone, immediately getting Cliff's attention as well as my own. "Furthermore, should you have any complaint about how you are treated…please. Complain all you want." Opening my mouth to retort a long string of unheard curse words, it was covered in an instant.
"No, we don't. It's really nice. Were happy." Cliff chuckled nervously keeping my mouth shut with his hand "right?" he gave me a pointed look, which I flatly ignored. Why was he spouting lies? It's just how the creator was trying to manipulate us to be his personal pawns to be used in any way he wants!
Bringing up my arm, I made a tight fist and slammed it into Cliff's gut. The Klausian doubled over clutching his gut. Panting like a kitten refused the pleasure of milk. Now free of everything that could stop my own opinions I gladly voiced them. Maybe if I had thought of other things like Cliff had said I would have been left off the hook. But, I had honor and a long grudge held against this man. He was the cause for everything that ever happened.
"I have a complaint about…just about anything in this sad excuse for a building." I narrowed my eyes, standing to my full height, ignoring the words spoken in-between light gasps by Cliff. "Your face is hideous to behold. It makes me cringe whenever I see it. The rooms are all too…pretty and girly. It's no wonder you look like one." It wasn't hard to pin point when the 'Creator' was going to blow. The look on his face as the smile dropped and the brow lowered said all I needed to know.
If I were smart I would have stopped. But, this might be my only chance to trash talk Lucifer right back.
"The people here are all maggots, weak in appearance until a weapon, like the 'guns' are bestowed to them. Giving them an even sadder image." I threw my head to the side, the yellow bangs flailing up, before comfortably sliding back into their original place. "No wonder you wanted to create another world. A different place where you could escape your own pathetic reality." After all, who would want another world if one was happy with what had been originally given to them in the first place?
"Is that the only complaints you have? You have to come up with better excuses to get me riled up. But considering how low you are compared to me; it's no wonder…" He stepped forward, closing the space between us in a painfully obvious manner. Taking his sweet time. "You're a lowly organism. A piece of data, just made to amuse me and my so called pathetic reality," he reached up, his hand grazing the side of my face. But not touching.
"So that makes you more pathetic…"
"….That's stupid logic."
"It's logic for you." Lucifer sighed in an almost blissful manner as his sleek fingers ran through my hair. It took me a moment too late as my brain registered the fact that he was, not even inches apart. HE was INVADING my personal space. And touching me! One of the many things I never allowed anyone to do if I could help it…
"Our logic is one and the ….oomph!" I smirked as I drew my clawed-fist back from the minute ago connection with his face. The once what could be perceived as beautiful was now bruising considerably. The blonde hair flopped forward as he groaned, mirroring Cliff's reaction, clutching his face like it would have fallen off if he didn't.
"One and the same?" I boasted, craning my neck to survey the worm before me. Really, why did I let him get the better of me last time? What a disgusting thought… "I hardly think so 'creator' if anything. Logic is neither needed nor wanted where I'm from. Created or not, it doesn't matter." His position gave me a great temptation to kick him down. Just to prove how low and weak he was, and it would have worked had he not grabbed my leg and pulled me down.
What's with people and yanking and pulling me? I'm not a bloody stuffed animal…
I winced as my head smashed against the floors surface, a sickening crack heard as my shoulder popped out of its socket. That wasn't a good sign, and apparently neither was this worm on top of me… "Than, pleasure is needed?" he whispered, an inch away from my ear. Growling I realized I couldn't do anything, he had faked innocence! Faked his weakling status and used that to his advantage so I would over see it. Than get me when I was most confident and pin me…
Well, two can play at that game.
"Hmph. Anything of pleasure that you perceive would never satisfy me," I uttered equally as huskily, crimson eyes lighting with a different kind of light. If he thinks this will win me over in his demented little peanut sized mind…
He has another thing to reconsider…
Because nothing can tamed the wicked…
My eyes widened a fraction as his hand brushed past my skirt, (go with it, I don't know what it is.) soft fingers rubbing against my thigh delicately like some sort of precious object that no one saw the value off. Wait…what am I thinking? I'm Albel the wicked…the WICKED! Eyes narrowing I used the metal part of my body to my advantage, easing the weight off one side of my body.
Then rolled over to the side he, the so-called creator, was favoring and reversed the pin. Smirking defiantly as my hand dug into the folds of his clothes, pinching the skin underneath as hard as my muscles would allow. "Who's wanting pleasure now?" I asked him, my cool gaze unwavering as rolled one of my shoulders. The one that had popped earlier, haring a sickening crack that only made me smile more.
Ah, that face he was giving me didn't seem much like terror, or fear, it was…hmmm…
"What are you so happy about you pansy? Finally found your place?" I leaned my head down, so low until I was nose to nose with him, able to feel his breath against my face. Tickling my skin as I stared into his eyes. They weren't much of fear, nor were it the power hungry soul I had thought at first. It seemed more…of…hurt and regret? Bah, His eyes are playing tricks on me…
"No. You were just how I programmed you to be. Now please get off. I do have some business before I play with you." Blood ran cold in my veins as my body reacted without my consent, moving off before I sat my butt on the floor, watching him stand up. What had my body just done? I could have ripped his throat out right then and there! Than…why…? Why?
"Don't worry…your time will come….Albel…" Lucifer brushed back several blonde locks of hair as he stared at me with such a stare it might have been able to read my soul. My mind, my anger, hates…everything that I've been able to hold back. But….every time he fixes me with that gaze I find it hard to react with that anger, to spill his blood, to kill him in such a manner that it has no effect on me whatsoever.
Yet…
Why do I feel like if I did…I would feel the regret and unhappiness…?
"Ouch…you hit hard man. I really should hit you back but…I'm not that kind of guy." Whatever Cliff said went in one ear, and out the other so fast my brain couldn't comprehend the gibberish he spoke. Instead I just sat there, shamefully running a finger along the same spot he had touched. He…that worm. The one that made a world because of a reality he could not face. Yet…he…
"Come on, get up. The guys are taking us to the lunchroom. Man I'm starving!" I stopped the tracing of the thigh and shook my head, standing up with as much grace as I could. Tch. He's trying to bend me to his will and I'm letting him! Yet…why do I feel like I know him in a way? Like I knew Fayt…how he reminded me when I was young and innocent when the world was shielded with innocence. Seemingly to shove all the horrible mistakes of mankind in the shadows.
Than… it happened.
The world did a roll and I saw it for what it really was. How everything was just made for war, pawns to kill each other to amuse the gods, back before I knew of the creator. Before I knew the real truth. Back…when my father died in place of me. And Fayt too. Has seen that as well, and continues to strive to save it. Not just a world, but also a whole galaxy…universe of people that may not deserve to be saved. A self-sacrifice for millions of others…
What makes a man...child or otherwise make such a decision like that? And sacrifices himself and people that tag along with him, yet obey his every decision…?
"Come ON! You're so slow. Its hard to see you standing like a statue, yet when the mention of 'battle' or 'war' comes up your as swift as a snake!"
I let out a long hiss as an arm wrapped around my neck in a firm hold and dragged me to the door where a guard stood. Raising a gun at us with a cautious look. "Teme! Let go! I'll slice you to pieces you fool!" I had half the mind to bite something…anything of Cliff's that would send him howling down the corridor. Than if so happens luck would be in my favor he would get shot somewhere too and then my goal of revenge back in Airglyph would be fulfilled.
That stupid snowball…
"Yeah, yeah, I'll kill you, blah blah blah. You know. It does get old Albel. Hey, thanks for opening the door" Cliff remarked cockily to the guard who merely grunted in response as he stared back at us. Another two guards beside him guided us toward where our food was. Of course, it was quite a long ways. And being in a headlock with Cliff a majority of the way made it highly uncomfortable.
I would have complained, fought back, maybe even gotten him in the side. But I couldn't muster up the…rage to do it. All the hate had been flattened by the meeting with that pansy creator. Like he just struck a mirror in front of me, shattering everything. Leaving me vulnerable, with years and years of bad luck…
Bah, wives tale. Never know what those women will come up with next.
"Cheer up Alby…errr…don't give me that look…"
"Let go you stupid worm! I'll kill you! Teme…!"
It might have hurt with the guns slamming into my back but I didn't care if it gave me one chance…
To tear that blasted blonde's head off!
A/N: To be continued… Seriously I worked on this one day…than I dunno I just…died : ( not in the literal sense. But the passion for it, disappeared. Than XENOSAGA came and now I'm hooked on that. But just for the measure –opens word- I'm working on the next one ASAP so I don't have to re-read the strategy guide again ;
Next chapter: Maria 3 (hate, hate, hate, hate ; )
Nami The Time Traveler: Glad to see you liked it Hope you do read more once I write more. Problem is, writers block (I swear I had it planned out!) and then not writing for a while. Trying to get back into the flow : (
ShadowSilence: Read it all in a sitting? I did that with a fic like a hundred chapters long. It kept me busy for two days bad memories xD. Yes hate all the girls, well I don't hate them. They're just….you'd expect something more like Nel. Not a stereo type or cold person. Nel actually kinda changed xD. Cleanse your mind –wallows in Lucifer/Albel- 3
Shartae: Yes, yes it does. And I'm going to replay that game and scene once I get the courage too. Wonderful game. And I'm glad you like the character interaction (I thought it was in character, but then again, you never know right?)
Wonderful Failure: (oO; ) Your name I'm sorry XD it was just like. A laughing fit to me cause "wonderful failure" could correspond to my laziness in writing an updating which I'm "wonderful" at. Well I'll try fitting some character interaction and hints for you at least. ; Albel is very submissive (yet people seem to think he's some kind of like seme…HELL NO XD) Uke, uke, uke, uke –jabs Albel- It was SO there xD
Luna: I'll see what I can do to please you ;D
Kawaii Mimi-chan: Your praise touches my heart. Really it does. Actually when I read your review I was like "OH my story XD" and did a huge brainstorm in it. Well, technically it was a very good told story itself (the game I mean.) but I'd say in terms of my fav game. Would truly be Xenosaga (star ocean 3 comes close. Both tell a wonderful view on humanity and have so many twists you can t help but stick your ass on a seat for hours on end)
Kanika: That's what I thought. I was actually kinda unhappy a bit with the answer (torture the characters! XD) And well. Azazer is very cool (his VA is Wilhelm from Xenosaga –hearts-) And well…yeah I didn't know how people would reply to such a story. That's not completely impossible. You never know. It could have happened…although we know it wont (cause then the story wouldn't make sense. But doesn't mean it could have happened and then escape and save the world –hmm's-) I dunno I'm rambling XD ignore me.