The Girls All the Bad Guys Want

Episode 4: A Moment Like This

Part Two of Two

So here I am, running around this damn town trying to find a suit last minute so that I can get a suit for a stupid dance. Yes…A dance, and who the hell I am actually going to dance with? I have no idea…Maria…or Angel. Gah, Angel probably wouldn't dance with me…She probably has someone…And Maria will probably have no one since Fayt has Sophia, Cliff has Mirage, Roger has Nel and no matter how I think about that it is always disgusting…Adray is probably running around trying to get Clair to dance with someone. Woltar probably won't dance and the King has his queen…Disgusting it is…How filthy love is, I can't see why anyone would enjoy being in love.

"Albel are you even paying attention to what we're looking for?" Cliff said as he tied a red tie around his white collared shirt.

"Oh, right…I should be concentrating on what we're doing." Albel said as he reached in and picked out a black suit with indigo pin stripes. "This looks good, I guess."

"Albel, do you know anything?" Cliff said as he took the suit, grabbed a collared shirt, a pair of boxers and paid for it.

The two walked behind a few houses and paused for Albel to change.

"About what, maggot…" Albel said as he quickly took off his armor and clothes behind a house.

"About Maria and Angel…" Cliff said as he handed Albel the white shirt and a pair of boxers, trying to avoid eye connection with the younger man's revealed body.

"Why? Angel's a replacement, and Maria's just a friend that seems to like me." Albel said as he snapped the boxers against his skin and quickly threw on the shirt.

"That's not all…Angel has a man." Cliff said as he handed the rest of the suit to him.

"Really? That would surprise me, seeing as how she was stalking me earlier!" Albel said as he finished putting on the suit.

"Stalking you?" Cliff said as he quickly picked up Albel's clothes and armor and went into the inn and placed them on Albel's bed.

"Shut up and forget about what I said…Let's go the others are waiting." Albel said as he shook his hair and then swiftly ran towards the castle.

"Angel…Is there something that you would like to talk about?" Maria said as she slowly glided across the dance floor over to the gloomy temporary replacement.

"No, not really except I want you to ask Albel to dance with you." Angel said as she placed her head against a pillar.

"What?" Maria froze and stopped in her tracks unsure about what to do. Did her 'rival' for the man that she loved just give up?

"He's all yours Maria, I have nothing more to say. Besides, I have my own man." Angel said as she turned and walked towards the front door of the castle waiting for a man.

"Maria." Mirage walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, Mirage…Why of course I am alright." Maria shook her heads dispelling the thoughts of what had just occurred.

"Is Angel waiting for Albel?" Mirage asked as she turned her head towards the front door to see Angel leaning against a wall.

"No…At least that is what she said Mirage. She says that she has someone already." Maria said as she took a quick look around the room. "It doesn't seem that she is from Elicoor either…"

"How is that possible, there were no reports about a craft crashing or any other ships around this region." Mirage was curious about this. How would a girl be able to get to Ellicoor unless… "Maria, do you think that she could be from 4D space?"

"But how could she? She has no way to connect like Sophia does through dimensions, and she can't alter her genes to make her way into this world." Maria said as she turned her head to see Angel bow towards Albel as he entered and then resume her waiting for her man.

"She didn't hold on to his arm. Maybe she was meaning what she said, Maria." Mirage nodded her head at the thought.

"What's talking you so long Krylan-." Angel said as she tapped her head into the stone walls.

"Were you awaiting for me, madam?" The man from the store that she had shopped at earlier this evening was standing there next to Angel in a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up slightly with a loose brown shirt and a pair of black jeans.

"You know this was supposed to be formal, Umbra." Angel said as she looked around the room.

"Hey, at least I showed up." He said as she walked into the castle and did a little twirl around her.

"True, not as bad as the other times you stood me up when I needed you the most." Angel said tilting her head in the opposite direction trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"Don't bring up that whole mess with you getting into a fight with those three knights."

"That's all that you care about. If I had picked a fight with anyone else you would have helped, but you didn't since they were knights." Angel said while snapping her head around and glared directly into his eyes.

"I'm sorry." The man said before giving her a hug and then whisking her off towards the others.

"It is alright…I suppose." Angel said as she stopped and bowed again towards Albel. "Maria, did you."

"Oh no…not yet." Maria said as she blushed and turned towards Albel. "Albel, could I speak with you for a moment?"

"What now, maggot. This better be good." Albel said as both walked off towards one of the sides of the castle.

"I was wondering if…" Maria looked down at the ground and dragged the tip of her shoe in front of her. "If it would be okay with you if you could so much as be my escort tonight."

"That's all that you wanted to talk about?" Albel said as he turned his head and looked out a window, the stars were clear that night.

There were no clouds to cover their beautiful light, the moon was a crescent and had shed its beautiful light upon the dance floor through the encased opening above the dance floor.

"Yes." Maria said as she sighed with a little bit of disappointment.

"So, there's nothing more?" Albel continued to speak even though he didn't pay attention to Maria's actions.

"Yes, Albel, there's nothing more." Maria said as she began to get frustrated at his cold words, not even answering her question.

"And why would you even ask me a question like that, Maria." Albel said finally turning his head towards her.

"Be…because…I." Maria stuttered and turned to look at the floor.

"So, how do you think its going, Mirage?" Angel said as she walked up to the blonde woman.

"It seems that it might be going well, but then again. You never know Albel." Mirage shook her head as Cliff placed a hand on her arm. "Please excuse me, Angel."

"Go on, and have fun now, Mirage." Angel said as she sighed and turned around to see where the man she called Umbra had gone off, she had a gut wrenching feeling about what was going to happen next. "Sometimes, I wish moments like this would last forever..."

Cliff and Mirage were dancing together, Fayt and Sophia near the refreshments stand. Roger was near Lady Nel, Clair with her father talking about something. Woltar was standing next to and talking with the King and Queen, and the queen of Aquaria talking with one of her servants.

Everything seemed to be perfectly fine, but why didn't she feel that way. She felt cold, sickening chill go up her spine. Something was definitely wrong…Where had Umbra go?

Nani-Shiyami: Moooooo…

Cast of Star Ocean: She's finally snapped hasn't she?

Nani-Shiyami: Moooooo….

Cast of Star Ocean: R&R please.