Umm...Hi everybody! This is my first story, go me! Rock. Yes, this is a FaytxAlbel...no nothing particularily slashy about it yet. And forgive me if I'm not up with the "fanfiction lingo"...or whatever. Anyways, please read, review, and enjoy!
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Sophia didn't have any particular thoughts running through her mind at the moment. Actually, for about the past three months Sophia's mind had been bereft of most intelligence. She could barely remember what she had eaten for breakfast, and had the most difficult time remembering the names of the people that she had saved the galaxy with.
Maneuvering her way through the crowded streets of Tokyo, Sophia continued to hum to herself. Where exactly she was going, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was supposed to tell someone something… Sophia abruptly stopped, causing some people behind her to slam into her back. The people, after much cursing, fought the forever present rush of human activity to get around the small girl.
Sophia glanced up at the tall skyscrapers, the sharp metallic buildings shining in the bright afternoon sun. What was she supposed to be doing? Sophia put a hand to her forehead and closed her dark green eyes, as if these small acts could bring forth the eluding thought. After standing in the river of people for five minutes, her hand still pressed to her forehead, Sophia's eyes snapped open. She couldn't remember. A feeling of panic and worry fell over the young brunette, making her break out into a cold sweat.
"Fayt…?" she thought to herself, her eyes widening when she realized what she had been told to do. Mirage, or at least she thought it had been Mirage, had told Sophia to tell a girl named Maria something about a boy named Fayt. Sighing, Sophia knew she didn't remember what exactly Mirage had told her to tell Maria, but at least she could tell Maria to contact Mirage. Shrugging, Sophia continued onward, humming softly to herself once again.
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It was his fault. Fayt groaned and turned onto his stomach, pulling a pillow over his head. He pushed the pillow up against his ears, attempting to drive away the accusing voices that had been his conscious as of late.
It's all your fault. It's your fault she's like that. Why do you always have to screw up? Why can't you just be normal like everyone else? You've ruined all of their lives, especially hers. You're always so damn stubborn. It's your fault. It's all your fault.
Grunting, Fayt threw the pillow off of his head and stood up quickly, instantly regretting it. Wobbling, Fayt tried vainly to regain his balance, his arms waving in the air like a bird.
"Woah!" Fayt yelled, falling back onto the floor. Fayt forgot he hadn't been getting much sleep lately, which always upset his sense of balance. Putting his head in his hands, the blue haired boy waited until the ground stopped spinning. Once it had, Fayt looked up. The hut that he had been staying in was bare of all furnishings, except for a small fireplace in the center of it. A hole was cut into the top of the hut so that the smoke could escape. The embers were still red from the fire Fayt had made last night. It wasn't chilly on Elicoor II, but Fayt had felt more protected somehow with the cheery glow of the flames taking the darkness from the hut. Watching the strange shadows that the fire had cast on the wall, Fayt had felt somehow peaceful.
This morning, however, was a different matter. Fayt's mind was in an uproar. Of course Fayt blamed himself for what happened to Sophia, how could he not? It was he who wouldn't allow Sophia to find out for herself how to come back to the Milky Way Galaxy. It was he who thought for her, pushing images of how he remembered the cheerful young girl into her mind, selfishly begging for her to come back. When she did come around, however, what was left was the fragmented mind of a girl he might have come to love.
Sophia couldn't remember anything that had happened, except for the fact that her name was Sophia and she had helped save the galaxy. She hadn't remembered Cliff, Fayt, Nel, or any of the people she had worked and struggled with for the past year. Slowly, Mirage and Maria had tried to piece her shattered memories back together, but it was slow progress. After almost three months, Sophia could barely remember who Mirage and Maria are, even though they were the two who spent the most time with her.
Fayt had stayed with Sophia for the first month, trying to coax the young girl to remember him, to remember anything, but hadn't been able to succeed. Meanwhile, Cliff and the others had been telling him that it wasn't his fault, that he wasn't the one to blame. Fayt knew the truth, though. Fayt knew that if it wasn't for his stubbornness at letting someone go, that his "nobility" to make sure none of his friends got hurt, Sophia wouldn't be like she was. After a month of hell, watching Sophia as she stared blankly at the people she had been so close with in the past, listening to all the excuses others made for him, Fayt had left.
He was sick of how everybody had tried to make him feel better when the bitter truth was that it was his fault that Sophia couldn't remember anything, no matter how they tried to cushion it. He couldn't stand to be around Sophia anymore, and he hated himself for leaving her, but he just couldn't stand to watch her as she tried to put the right name to the right face. Every time he watched the brunette attempt something and fail, it crushed him. It killed him to see what he had done to her.
By running away, Fayt knew he wasn't solving the problem and it would still be there when, and if, he went back, but at least he could try to sort through his own conscious. He wasn't helping Sophia by blaming himself, and he knew that in order to bring back the real Sophia, he would have to sort through his own problems first.
Fayt sighed and stood up, slowly this time, and walked languidly out of the hut. He made sure to grab his broadsword on the way out, and strapped it across his hip. Squinting into the bright light of the sun, Fayt slowly looked about him.
The village that he was staying in was nice enough, but the lack of technology on Elicoor II was taking its toll on the 19 year old. Sure, he had brought his own things, but he couldn't exactly use them, unless in privacy. Still, he didn't even get the luxuries of a television or a washing machine.
Running a rough hand through his bright blue hair, attempting to untangle it somewhat, Fayt started towards the center hut. The village consisted of 24 huts in all, which made it a rather large settlement. The people here were nice enough, but Fayt was starting to grow tired of waking up to the same village every morning. He didn't like it when there was nothing new to do, because that gave him time to think about Sophia.
"Sophia…" Fayt grimaced, mentally kicking himself for bringing that subject up again. Shaking his head, Fayt continued on his way. "We really should leave this village soon, though." Fayt thought to himself, glancing around, "The villagers here are nice, but I think they are on edge after having two outsiders in their village for such an extended time."
They had been here for almost a week, which was strange considering how they had usually only stayed in a village for three days. Fayt and his traveling companion had been wandering Elicoor II, visiting some of the larger villages. What his companion's purpose was in all of this, Fayt didn't know, but never questioned him. Fayt was actually glad for the seemingly sporadic way they had been traveling because it had taken his mind off of Sophia and the crushing guilt that he knew he should be feeling.
Fayt paused outside of the central hut and took a deep breath. He remembered the last time he had barged in on one of his traveling companion's "discussions" and was rewarded with a bump the size of an egg on his head. Wincing at the memory, Fayt decided to wait outside until the chief elder and his companion were done with their discussion.
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"Hello, Mirage? It's Maria." Maria had called Mirage quickly after Sophia showed up, wondering what the problem was. Sophia had mentioned something about Fayt, even though the confused girl still had no clue who Fayt was.
"Oh, Maria? Did Sophia make it there all right? I was so worried." Mirage replied, second guessing her decision to send Sophia out on her own.
"No, no, Sophia's fine. She did, however, mention something about Fayt. Is something the matter? Have you located him?" Maria asked, not being able to hide the anxiousness from her voice.
"Yes, Cliff and I have found out where Fayt has been all of this time. Surprisingly, he's been on Elicoor II…" Mirage continued, trailing off to let Maria come to her own conclusion.
"Elicoor II? Why would he go there…?" Maria frowned, thinking of all the possible reasons that could have lead the young boy to Elicoor II. Fayt didn't necessarily like the planets with lesser technology, so why would he go… "Elicoor II?" Maria repeated, her frown deepening, "You don't think he could have followed…him…do you?" There was a short silence on the other side of the phone, before Mirage spoke again.
"Why else would he go to Elicoor? He has no family there, nor any purpose or intent that we know of. He must have gotten depressed staying around Sophia the whole time, you know how he is. He'll snap out of it in a few more weeks and come back home." Mirage's voice had a finality to it that left no room for argue, typical to the Klausian race.
"Yeah, but…" Maria started to protest when Mirage cut her off.
"Maria, we aren't doing anyone any good worrying about Fayt. He's almost an adult and can take care of himself. We know that Nox isn't the nicest guy in the galaxy, but what else can we do? Go and rescue Fayt from the one person he might feel comfortable with? You know Nox. He wouldn't judge Fayt for what he did to Sophia, even if it was his fault. He'll probably just ignore Fayt like always, and that's probably why Fayt wanted to travel with him in the first place. If you're worrying about his unpredictable demeanor, don't. Even he wouldn't kill Fayt. The worst he could probably do is give Fayt a fat lip, since Fayt is, after all, the embodiment of destruction."
Maria stayed silent for a while, then sighed into the telephone.
"Fine, Mirage, we'll do this your way. I still don't like Albel, though. That man was always a bit too sadistic for my peace of mind. Listen, though, I should get going. Sophia's making a pot of tea and I have to make sure she's doing it right this time. I'll keep in touch. Call me if Fayt's location changes." And with that the blue haired girl clicked the phone into place. Turning towards the kitchen, Maria went to help Sophia with the tea.
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Fayt woke with a start. He had fallen asleep outside of the hut waiting for Albel, and was now cradling his side. Albel had jabbed the younger boy in the side with his boot, none too lightly, either.
Fayt winced and grumbled groggily, "What the hell was that for?"
Albel smirked in reply and simply said, "Nothing in particular." He then turned sharply on his heel to leave. Fayt scrambled to stand up, and almost fell over again, the dizziness coming over him. The edges of his vision were spotted with black. Fayt put a hand to his head and tried to lean up against the side of the hut, but missed by a few inches. Instead, Fayt fell back to the ground, the world spinning around him. Groaning and curling his knees up to his stomach, Fayt stayed on the ground for a few minutes, waiting for the dizzy spell to pass.
When his vision cleared, Fayt sat up and looked to his left. Albel was watching him, his arms crossed over his chest and a condescending smile on his face. Fayt glared at the swordsman and hurried to catch up with him. Once he was even with Albel, the two started walking to their huts.
"That was quite possibly the most amusing thing I've seen all day." Albel said, grinning wickedly, "I congratulate you, maggot."
Fayt fought to remain calm, but it was a very hard thing to do, since he hadn't gotten much sleep.
"Be quiet, Albel. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, that's all, so wipe that stupid grin off of
your face." This only made the arrogant man grin all the more, his crimson eyes flashing in the fading light.
The two weaved their way through the village until they got to the huts that they had been staying in. Their shelters were across the path from one another, and as Fayt turned to walk into his, Albel stopped him.
"Wait, maggot. I'm leaving this village tomorrow. I've found what I've come for. I still don't understand why you've been following me for the past couple months, and quite honestly, I don't care to know the reason. Stop following me, fool. I don't need your company and I sure as hell don't want it." Albel walked briskly into his hut, leaving Fayt in the middle of the path.
Fayt walked into his own hut and smiled to himself. Albel had told him to leave before, using stronger words even, yet Fayt just couldn't bring himself to part ways with the cold warrior yet. Fayt felt that there was a reason to all this madness of following Albel around.
Yawning loudly, Fayt crawled to the ground where he had left his sleeping bag, not yet ready to fall asleep because he was a little frightened to. He knew that the nightmares would be back along with the guilt, and he wasn't ready to face that just yet. Sitting up, Fayt grabbed a thin log from the nearby pile of fire wood that he had collected earlier in the week. Quickly taking out a book of matches, Fayt struck one and put the flame to the log, the dry wood igniting quickly. Fayt threw the stick into the fire pit, adding more to the pile. Hugging his knees to his chest, Fayt stared in silence at the fire's unpredictable movement.
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Albel stood in the middle of the hut, his head lowered. He was growing impatient. If that worm hadn't shown up, the swordsman was almost certain he would be done with his preparations, but as it was, he was hardly halfway through. He had been to most of the villages surrounding this one, but this was the only one that had ever heard of the King of the Dead, and most of it was just legends. Albel growled in annoyance.
"Damn Fayt," Albel thought bitterly to himself, "I don't' care what he does or thinks. I'm leaving tonight and if that maggot tries to follow me, I'll gut him myself."
The swordsman turned sharply and began to gather his things, shoving them roughly into a sack. Once he was through packing, he grabbed his metal gauntlet and strapped it to his heavily bandaged arm, acknowledging the familiar weight that came with it. Albel then left, only slowing down briefly to grab the sack that contained the very few things he owned.
Once out of the hut, the swordsman walked quietly past the hut where Fayt was sleeping, then continued at a very fast walk down the hill that led to a forest. Albel sighed raggedly and ran his hand through his hair, the brown and yellow strands falling back to their familiar places around his face.
"Albel?" a boyish voice asked, followed by quickening footsteps.
"Damn." Albel thought angrily, turning to face his green eyed foe. Albel stood, his hands on his hips, the sack at his feet, and glared threateningly at Fayt. Fayt stopped walking, just staring at the fuming swordsman.
"Listen up, maggot, because I'm only going to say this once." Albel hissed, his red eyes taking on a dangerous glint. "Stay away from me. Never come near me again. I pray to the gods that I will never have to look at you again in my life time. You sicken me, worm."
Albel bent to pick up the sack again, hoping that that would be enough to keep Fayt away. He had no such luck, however, as Fayt walked closer to Albel, glaring at the swordsman.
"Now it's your turn to listen, Albel." Fayt growled, his eyes turning cold, "You think I actually enjoy your company? Don't you ever wonder why I would submit myself to your verbal abuse every day?" At this, Albel smirked and started to reply, but Fayt held up a hand, silencing the cocky swordsman, "Wait, don't interrupt. The reason I sought you out is because I deserve to suffer. It's all my fault…" Fayt trailed off, looking to the grass and angrily biting back the tears that he would refuse to show. Fayt snapped his head up again, making Albel's crimson eyes widen a bit with surprise as he saw the expression of loathing stamped upon the young boys face. "I knew that you wouldn't judge me or try to sympathize with me. The others all tried to make me feel better by assuring me that it wasn't my fault. Well, I hated them for trying to make this sin I've committed any less than it is! I knew that, had I stayed, I would have withdrawn. I would have become even more screwed up than I am now! I couldn't allow that to happen, so I came to you because I knew you wouldn't try to tell me it wasn't my fault. I knew you would, with your biting comments, bring me back to reality. I knew I would be able to sort things out if I just could get away from the others for a while." Fayt stopped, panting from lack of breath.
Albel stared uncertainly at the young boy, raising an eyebrow. "Are you through forcing me to listen to your prattling, worm?" the blue haired boy bobbed his head up and down, the anger he had felt a short while ago dissolved.
"This could be fun…" Albel thought, wanting to know the rest of Fayt's story out of sheer curiosity. It sounded as if it put the young boy in pain just remembering it, which engaged Albel. The swordsman realized that he wanted to know what was so terrible that it would put the usually happy-go-lucky boy in such a foul mood. Slinging the sack over his shoulder, Albel walked to stand next to Fayt.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, maggot, so you'd better be packed." Albel growled, unable to hide the amusement in his voice, "I'm looking forward to our travels ahead." He whispered. Fayt shivered, feeling Albel's warm breath on the nape of his neck. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the retreating back of Albel the Wicked. Putting a hand on his neck where Albel's breath had brushed his skin, Fayt shivered again.
"What the hell was that?"