Disclaimer: I don't own SOTET, it belongs to Square/Tri-Ace.

A/N: Hah! I got this part up fairly quickly. I also have part 14 done and a bit of 15. Go me! This reached four pages anyways so it turned out ok. Hm.. warnings... There's a part on Mirage and a memory of Cliff and some SxF a little bit.

PART 13

"Sophia! You should see the pretty dress that Mirage got for me. And it's so cool and it makes me feel like I'm performing the part of a princess!" Peppita said at the nearly eaten dinner plate.

"Yes, it is quite beautiful." Mirage said, "Peppita picked out a formal dress for myself that is…one of it's kind, putting it nicely." That last phrase, muttered to Sophia.

She laughed, "Yes, when we get there tomorrow, everything will be so beautiful, and Clair in her wedding dress. She will be the star of everyone. Though I do wonder about Nel. What will she be wearing?"

Peppita cried out, "It's bound to be really nice looking because she always picks out the best things and especially since Clair is a really good friend of hers for a long time."

The evening was cool and the starts were slowly peeping through the blanket in the sky.

Mirage took a sip of her drink; "I think we best get to Aquois right now so that we may have more time in the morning and will not have to travel the road filled with attackers."

Peppita yawned, "I just wanna go to sleep…I'm tired and really excited all at the same time."

She took Peppita on her shoulders, "Sophia, will you please pay? Peppita spent all my Fol earlier."

Sophia nodded, "You two go on ahead, I'm just going to drop by and tell Albel that we're leaving and to see if he wants to come, too."

Sophia knocked on the door but no answer came from within. She opened the door and saw the beds neatly made and a small note upon the one, which Albel slept.

'Wench, if you've come to check on me as I've assumed you would have done so, I am obviously gone. I've written this note to deter from your worry or concern, which is very irritating; I am merely at the Castle Aquois for time being until the events of tomorrow. The Wicked One.'

She huffed, "Oh that's nice. He just leaves me this note. He should have come told me he was leaving himself."

She left the room, gripping her staff, making her way toward Aquois.

Albel was strolling the marble halls of the castle. His iron foot coverings softly bang against the hard material of the floor. A claw was kept limply above his katana; his hand gently brushed away his hair occasionally.

"Lord Albel Nox!" A voice rang through the hall, coming from the other end. The male voice was urgent and rushed.

He rolled his eyes, "What is it that you want with me, fool?"

Lias approached him cautiously, "As you may have remember faintly, someone may have mentioned to you that you are being offered the position as my best man. Do you still accept?"

Albel turned away, "Leave me maggot, I do not care for your pitiful affairs."

"But the King-."

"The King and you can let me do as I wish."

"You see, I mentioned this to the king and he allowed this. So please, I would be very grateful if you were to do this duty for me."

There was no way to convince him into doing such a task.

"If you will not do it, I might have to ask someone more worthy, Fayt or Cliff perhaps."

He spun on his feet, "You would allow such fools to take such a position, a Glyphian inviting scum like that to the wedding is already a stretch but that is an outrage."

"Well, if you are not to take that place, I would have to ask someone else… For Clair will accept no other and you were my first choice of course."

"Weak, you don't even have control of your woman."

"So I assume you are to do what I've so humbly asked?"

There was a mumble underneath his breath of which Lias took as a yes since he had not turned away yet.

"I will have the right attire delivered to your room within the Aquois Castle by this evening so that you may try it on and have it fit-."

Albel stepped away from the Smith and left him standing there in mid sentence.

Mirage set Peppita upon her bed, who was already snoring. She sighed softly, staring out the darkening blue skies, seeing a faint outline of a figure walking calmly towards the castle. Long brunette hair was clearly seen against the shadowy surroundings as well as the softly lit familiar staff held within the hands.

'Cliff…where are you?' She thought to herself as she watched the closed the streets, nearly empty. They had only the occasional person crossing to return home where they belong.

'I remember Cliff working on something really intently one night. He kept yelling to himself or at least whatever he was working on at the time after peace had fallen.

I went to look over his shoulder and there he was, writing something. He saw him and tried to hide it from me, giving me the words, "It's not done yet so I can't have anybody take a look at it.'

There was something really different about him right then, he just didn't seem like himself, actually working and caring about what he needed to say instead of using force or just letting me take a minuscule peek. He was completely stern, which surprised me but I just passed it off as nothing.

'Cliff, are you going to tell me what's wrong?' I remember asking him.

'Nah, I'm ok. Just ya know, everything's crazy now. I still got so much work to do and all the dang paperwork.' He grumbled. I could see his face was filled with annoyance and frustration. Sweat already forming on his forehead.

He slammed his fist against the table then and everything fell to the ground, the wood of the table broken into pieces.

I picked up the piece of paper, tinted pink and flowery. I questioned it, staring at him. He hadn't noticed what I had done but I opened my mouth out of habit, "Cliff?"

He turned around and saw what I was holding in my hands. He snatched it away immediately.

I was only able to see a few things, my name, Nel's name, and the phrase 'I love you.' I didn't think much of it then but if I think about it now, maybe…

Where did those feelings inside Cliff go? Were they ever real?

I remember I used to have a massive infatuation with him as a child since he came to my father's dojo all the time and he seemed so much older. He never really did grow up but that was why I felt like I needed him around to have balance. I don't know, I'm probably over looking these things.'

Mirage stopped reminiscing for the moment, setting a book on the bedside table. She had volunteered to share a room with Peppita at the time, never figuring that it might cause any trouble for she seemed more leveled headed then currently.

She sighed once more, thinking more to herself, reveling in her memories of Cliff, drifting slowly into slumber.

The castle was dormant as well as all the inhabitants until the excitement of the next morning. Even in the quiet sleep, there was much anticipation and anxiousness though it would not come truly alive until they would awake at dawn.

Sophia roused from her sleep, smiling inwardly. She felt giddy and excited, jumping right out of her covers into the cool morning. She put a simple overcoat over her clothes, making a decision to watch the morning sunrise in the quiet just before the entire kingdoms arose to rejoice loudly.

She stepped quickly outside towards the main flow of water into the city. The patch of grass was perfect as it situated just off the direct course of the sun, allowing her to gaze fully into the beautiful warming glow of the sky.

She grinned, "I feel just like a princess, sitting outside of a beautiful castle watching the sunrise."

She let her feet dip into the water, sending shivers up her spin as she continued to speak, "And now my hero would come up behind me and gently hold me…"

As if command there was ruffling of sound behind her, walking out was Fayt, the hero of whom she had come accustomed to long ago.

Sophia turned her head, more surprised then she would have normally been since she had been absorbed in her fanciful thoughts.

"Sophia?" Fayt questioned, not sure it was really here sitting down by the bank in the early morning just before the rise of fingertips across the sky.

"Good morning, Fayt," She said softly, her cheeks tinged rosy.

He stumbled close to her, sitting beside her, wearing an odd attire not of his normal, smiling at her.

"Fayt, what are you wearing?" She asked, quite amused.

"Clothes, what else? I left my other outfit…somewhere else." He spoke slowly, not intending to tell her what he had almost done with Maria. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him, giving him a similar answer in response to his vague one, "Because everyone else is. The wedding's today, you know?" She giggled softly at her second phrase.

Her laughter burned within his eardrums, the sound so sweet to him made him cringe but didn't allow him to turn away, "Yeah, I mean, why are you sitting here so early in the morning?"

"I'm playing the part of princess from a fairy tale, sitting and watching the sunrise, just waiting for her prince charming," she said simply.

There was a shuffling just behind them but it was ignored, merely being the wind, blowing the branches of the bushes to scratch against the castle walls.

Fayt's lips longed to be pressed against those that always expelled sweet laughter and soft words of concern. His hands trembled beside him to wrap tightly around her but he moved them from her view. His heartbeat quickened and his face tinged hot when she looked at him.

The first lines of dawn started to spread across the sky and to his relief she stopped watching him and became absorbed in the sight of the morning's glow. Her face lit up, reflecting the warm rays of sun.

He wanted to turn away but he couldn't, the urge boiling in the light of the sun, flames lit his fingertips. And he would fall pray to the bit of desire that fought against his restraint and logic.

Fayt lunged toward her, gripping her tightly from the side. He let his arms snake around her small waist as he leaned his head upon hers. He held her and he was complete, there was nothing more left in him, not even the bitterness he had felt.

Sophia was surprised, but didn't push him away. She just relaxed, closing her eyes and leaning into him, wishing this for so long. She blushed but she couldn't help but smile even more. Even though her eyes were closed the warmth from inside her was making her happy, not the sun at all.

Her imagination started to get the better of her…

'His strong arms are wrapped around me…I don't ever want to worry or be afraid ever again, I just want to be protected forever. I don't want you to ever let go of me…'

Fayt felt a dark tugging at his heart and still Maria was there. He couldn't be here holding Sophia while he still promised himself to Maria. He wanted to but he couldn't and even now Maria had a grip upon him like no other. He shoved Sophia away, rising to his feet and leaving her alone.

He mumbled, "Sophia, I love you. I'm sorry, please forgive me…"

And with those words he left quickly.

Sophia questioned her ears, finding them to be only wishful thinking that she had wished so hard that she had actually heard him.

He had once again dashed her heart, leaving her in circle of her broken hopes. The sadness had risen once more and not even the sunrise could heal. She stood up, rushing inside to her room so that she could force herself to cry out all her tears so that she would not act this way at the wedding.

Albel was standing there when he saw Sophia pass him. He growled under his breath, "Ignorant vermin has done it once again. Does he seem to take amusement in manipulating that girl's heart?"

'Right after that night, Sophia seemed quite well, it could even be said she was back to normal in a sense. But all that lowly worm has to do is come in to see her for a few moments and she in tears once more. Both of them are weak, he for hius idiocy and her for her childish fantasies.'

He had soon found himself, hating Fayt more then he would have Cliff. He had been watching the two from outside the window, the scratching sound being his own feet dragging across the castle's floor. An unconscious anger and fury boiled silently within him at the scene and even more so at the blue haired earth male.

A/N: Well, the next part is 14 and there's action there. And AlbelxSophia is finally "announced" in a way that makes it really obvious of the coupling. Do you mind if I skip the entire thing about the wedding and those details? I really didn't feel like actually writing. And now that I'm at a certain point, I'm not sure where I'm going because this entire time I was leading up to this and I had all the details and I'm probably gonna have a writers block but I'll put up 14 if I get 15 done quickly and if not 14 will go up no later then a week.

Thank you my faithful readers and please review.