I corrected the errors - I will try to slow down - hehehe - I just get carried away! Keep letting me know when I mess up so I can improve.

Disclaimer: Not mine. (short and sweat)...I do, however own Albel's second journal now. :D – just wish I could get a hold of the first one…

If anyone read my own review – hehehehe – yes I know I misspelled insane - INSAIN! But a perfectly crazy person can't be right all the time. XD

Boy, seems these two have that 'I love you, I hate you' type relationship. Seems Albel's a little more willing to go for it – who would have known that Nel was the most stubborn between the two?

Let me just take the time to thank all the reviewers! YOU'RE all so wonderful! And let me warn you right quick – this next chapter might get a little psychological. Freud would have a field day.

-

Chapter 4

Nel tried to sit up, but her head was still fogged with sleep. She got halfway up before she felt herself fall. No, she wasn't falling, Albel was pulling her down.

Head on lap again, she looked at him. He appeared to still be asleep. She tried to sit up again. This time she was able to sit before his right arm tightened around her, pulling her close. Now, her head was on his shoulder right under his chin. Her left arm was against the wall and at his side.

He mumbled something and leaned his face to rest on the top of her head.

She considered her options. She could easily free herself, but…should she? She was comfortable and it wasn't like she had anywhere to go.

Wait…was she comfortable? This was not something she ever expected. Albel, comfortable? Maybe she was still asleep.

She scanned the room, not moving her head. If she moved her head too much then she would wake him. She held her breath. Why didn't she want to wake him? She could make him explain himself. Why had she woke with her head on his lap? It was unlikely that she put it there. He must have moved her after she passed out.

-

He sat at the table and ate his breakfast. He thought briefly through the events of the night. He should have just let them be, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Things were going the way he planned until Nel tried to leave. At that point, he had to do something. He didn't mean to almost crush her. He just wasn't accustom to that type of device and it took a while for him to detonate it.

He could feel her stare on him. He put his bread down and noticed she hadn't touched her plate at all.

"Not hungry?"

"I just can't believe you! That stunt is truly your worst yet! And what about them? Here you are stuffing your face and they are trapped with nothing."

He waved his hand. "Naaahhh, don't worry. When they were distracted I threw Albel's bag in. They have his supplies."

She raised her eyebrow. "And what makes you think he'll share with her?"

He let out a hardy laugh. "Oh, you should have been there. Of course he'll help her. He already healed her once and I think he's going to make the first move anyway. No, wait, he already made the first move. Hehehe… Anyway, they're fine."

She sat silently for a minute. "I've been meaning to ask you something. How did you get them there in the first place?"

He quickly stuffed bread into his mouth. "W…um..see…I…gur…and…then…"

She stood up. "I'll talk to you later…when you decide to act your age!" She walked out of the room.

-

Albel knew he was dreaming. Though reality could be a mystery, dreams never make sense. Or, at least, that was what he thought.

He was in a dark room. On each wall was a full length mirror. In each mirror, he saw himself looking out. Each 'other' him was completely doused in a different hue.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked red Albel.

"Humph," was his only response.

"What does it look like," blue Albel said from behind the swordsman. "He has emotions that he won't even allow himself to fully feel."

"It's more like he has issues." Purple Albel spoke in a sinister voice from his right.

"Oh, just let up on him." That was green Albel this time.

Albel turn and looked at each figure. Everywhere he turned, he confronted himself.

"He needs to just kill her," red spoke.

Purple nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but do it quick and be done."

Red scowled at purple. "Quick and painless you mean. You're weak. Make her scream!"

Blue started to laugh. Everyone turned to look at him. "Yeah, he wants to make her scream alright!"

Albel closed his eyes. "What is the point of this?"

"You need to face the truth," green spoke. "You need to just admit what you feel."

"I don't know how I feel, you maggot. If I knew how I felt then I wouldn't be here!"

"You hate her."

"You respect her."

"You are angry at her…and yourself."

"You love her."

Albel turned and hit the first mirror he came to. Green shattered.

"That's it! Yes! Let in to your hate!" red yelled hellishly.

Albel ran his fist through the red mirror. "Shut it worm."

Albel turned to the other two. Both remained silent. He was left with purple respect and blue love. Albel flinched. This really didn't make sense…but somehow he understood.

"You've held it all in for so long." Purple spoke cautiously.

Blue nodded. "Yes, you need a release. The past is done and gone. No use beating your self each and every day. Time to risk again. Time for you to let go and move on."

Suddenly the purple mirror shattered on its own. Albel looked to the blue mirror which wasn't blue anymore and no longer showed another Albel.

The mirror cleared. The figure of his mother formed like a phantom. Her image shifted and changed to be his father. Then his father was taken over by Wolter. Finally, Wolter changed to Nel.

Nel looked at him, sorrow in her green eyes. He moved to the mirror. He couldn't find any words. He stood in silence, staring at her.

She was speaking to him but he couldn't hear her. She appeared to be pleading with him.

He touched the glass. It was cold. Her image mimicked him and she touched her hand to his. The glass grew warm. Then it cracked. Her image was separated into many pieces.

In a panic he grabbed at her hand. He closed his hand on a shard of glass. He squeezed, causing his palm to cut open.

"Nel!"

-

Nel let her muscles relax. She focused on his breathing. Her thoughts wondered through the events the night had resulted.

The dreams were freaky enough. The fight earlier was what she had expected. Then back to freaky. She healed him, he healer her, they argued. Okay, arguing with him was not freaky. But the kiss…that was something she really needed to confront. She had enjoyed it. That was obviously what led to her latest dream.

His arm tightened around her. She noticed his hand flex and ball into such a tight fist that his knuckles turned white. He started breathing heavier and his heart raced.

"Nel!" With that his eyes flung open. He breathed through his mouth. She could feel his hot breath on her head.

Acting as if she was not there, he raised his right hand to his face. Now his arm was squeezing her shoulder as he examined his palm. Nel was in such a position that she found it hard to breath.

"Al…bel."

"Huh?" He finally noticed her. "Bah." He lifted his arm over her. Releasing her, he put his right hand in his lap, palm up.

She looked curiously at his palm. The only thing she noticed was four slightly red marks from where he had dug his finger nails into his flesh.

She shifted her gaze to his face. He was covered in sweat. She knew that his dream – what ever it was – had not been as…pleasant as hers.

She leaned her back on the wall beside him. She drew her legs up, hugged them, and rested her chin on her knees. She couldn't get images of the kiss and her dream out of her head. She smiled as she looked at the wall across from her. She didn't see the wall at all. She was lost in thought. She felt like a teenager again. She almost giggled, but didn't.

Albel tilted his head slightly and looked at her. She just sat there, like a child. She reminded him of a kid lost in a daydream. Normally, Albel wouldn't pass such a chance to let her know how childish she looked…but he couldn't say anything. A hundred insults swarmed his head, but not one found its way to his mouth.

"Bah." He looked around the room. The first thing he noticed was the increase in light. Looking up, the small window confirmed his suspicion. Day had arrived. The second thing he noticed was his bag.

He stood and crossed to the blocked doorway. Just to the left of the rubble, his bag leaned against the wall. He knelt and examined the bag. He could tell by the way it sat that it had been placed there. He remembered retrieving the cloth and canteen, but he had left the bag in its hiding place.

Someone had been here. The cave-in was not an accident. He had never suspected it was anyway. He had seen the flash. When Nel had said she was leaving, he wanted to protest. He wanted to tell her to stay, but he couldn't bring himself to say such. Instead, he followed her. When the flash had appeared, he knew what was happening. A sick feeling had sunk into him and he did the only thing he could think of…he grabbed her.

He grunted as he opened the bag and withdrew two small loafs of bread. He left the bag where it was and started across the room. His canteen was where he had left it. It was still halfway full. He looped the strap with one clawed finger and went to reclaim his seat beside the still dazed Nel.

He lifted one loaf in front of her. When her view of 'nothing' was suddenly block, Nel snapped back to reality.

"Huh?" She lifted her head and looked from the bread to him. She met his eyes.

"I'm not going to feed you. So you either take the bread or don't eat. Simple."

Not looking away from his eyes, she took the bread. She leaned back against the wall and let one leg slide straight out.

She nibbled on the bread, refusing to look at him.

He swallowed his first bite. He kept her in his field of vision but didn't look directly at her.

"You're…quiet." He spoke softly before taking another bite.

She continued to look at her bread. "Just…thinking. That's all."

"About?"

She was silent for a while. She quickly reminded herself that she couldn't lie to him. "I don't want to talk about it. I just need to sort through it all."

"Understandable."

She almost didn't believe what she heard. He just agreed with her. I guess there's a first time for everything, she thought.

They sat in more silence as they ate. Albel finally broke the silence. "So, who do you think is behind all this?"

"What makes you think someone is behind it?"

He was surprised with how calm he was. Though he thought her question completely stupid, his tone did not reflect it. "The flash before the cave-in clearly identifies the use of an explosive device of some type."

When she didn't respond, he continued. "That and my bag was not in this forsaken hole before, and yet it is now."

"Bag?"

"Where do you think the bread came from, fool?"

"So, there's an outside force behind this. And a motive. What's the motive here?"

He finished his bread and opened the canteen. After taking a sip he handed it to her. She only paused briefly before accepting.

Will wonders ever cease? After everything, he takes care of her while she sleeps, then feeds her, and now offers her some of his water. She eyed the canteen. It was his and he expected her to drink after him? She almost protested, but memories of the kiss flooded back. After a kiss like that, drinking after him was no different.

She took at sip. The water was warm but refreshing.

"Perhaps we have a common enemy?"

She nodded. "Could be. But not likely an enemy would trap us. Why not just kill us and end it?"

He grunted again. "If we don't find a way out then we're as good as dead."

That was one reality that had not crossed her mind. He was right. They would die here if they didn't get out.

She closed the lid on the canteen and sat it down between them. She stood and looked at the blocked exit.

"Looks like we need to find a way out first. After that we'll find out who's behind this."

Ignoring the canteen, he stood and crossed his arms. He was doing his best to mock her usual 'in charge' stance. "And you expect me to work together with and Aquarian?"

She looked at him shocked. "You want to live? Really, Albel. Don't tell me you're so eager to die."

"Though not eager, that option never frightened me."

She turned, slightly angry, and went to examine the cave-in. "You're impossible, Nox," she puffed.

He chuckled. "And you're cute when you're angry, Zelpher."

-

He found her at the northern exit of the village. "There you are."

She looked at him but wouldn't reply.

"What?"

"I'm going back to help them out of there. I don't like the idea…not at all."

She turned to exit the village but he stopped her. His hand gently caught her arm.

"Wait…I'll explain everything. Just, leave them be for just a while longer."

She frowned as she looked at him. "This better be good."

-------------------------------------------------

WOW! Did Albel really call Nel cute? Looks like Mr. Mystery man is about ready to spill it all.

Now, I'm off to find Amanda. She can be my eyes and ears in Airyglyph. All I need is someone to work for me in Aquaria…I know, I could always bribe Roger.

Roger: Hey! You can't bribe me!

B.P.: Oh really…and what if a certain two toned haired, purple wearing girl just happen to find your best hiding spots?

Roger: NO! I mean…at your service m'lady.

B.P.: That's more like it.