Author's Notes: Hm… I guess I do want to write about Albel and Peppita. But do not be stricken aback! In the next chapter I shall write about a couple without Albel in it!

And Anarchy Sky suggested the ever unpopular Albel and Evil Demon Toaster. I might write about it, but it might only be a page long…. It does seem interesting enough.

Well, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine ya fools. Refer to chapter one.

Albel and Peppita

Albel finally sat down, putting one of his arms on his knee that he had propped up; the other arm was used to support him while he sat down; his other leg stretched out. Panting and huffing; the thrill of a battle was what he was looking for and an endless amount of enemies was just about right for paradise to him.

"This Battle Simulator is really something…" Albel told himself as he had just defeated another one of his enemies. The music in the background was also pumping him up; a song that Fayt had put on for him.

"Are you sure you just want to battle?"


"Of course fool!"


"How about I put some music on?"

"Music? What music could possibly appeal to a battle?"

"I have one called 219 Cutting Edge of Notion…" (1)

"Haha! This is great!" Albel roared into the simulator, spreading his arms out as if yelling to the sky.

Suddenly, a beep could be heard and the game stopped.

Albel looked away from the roof of the room and looked towards a screen that had appeared before him.

"Albel? Are you okay?" squeaked the voice of one of the youngest member of the team, one that got on Albel's nerves, Peppita.

"Well I heard you yell…" Peppita stated, looking away from the screen, a little embarrassed to have worried about someone like Albel. Come on, who would?

"It was a yell of joy, maggot!" Albel thundered happily, laughing manically.

Peppita felt the sudden urge to run away from the screen.

There was a moment of silence, only filled with Albel's insane laughter which, evidently, wasn't really silence.

"Do you need any healing potions? It seems that you don't have any and you've been in there an awfully long time," asked Peppita, showing Albel a potion in the monitor to prove her point.

"No! I need no potions! I have my own!" Albel interrupted as he brought out his bag that he had brought with him, only to find that he was out of… Everything.

There were a few moments of silence again.

"Well, what are you waiting for fool! Bring me more potions!" commanded Albel as he glared into the screen, which disappeared after his command.

A few minutes later and Peppita had made her way to his Battle Simulator. The other ones were being occupied by Fayt and Nel. Fayt was inventing and Nel was doing exactly what Albel was, but both of them being bitter enemies, she decided to do it without him there to bother her.

Peppita had bothered both of them, Fayt and Nel, but couldn't seem to find a use for herself in what they were doing.

Peppita was about to open the door when Albel suddenly appeared in front of her, the door sliding open quickly to reveal him and his angry scowl.

"Worm, what took you so long!" Albel hissed as he snatched the bag that Peppita had in her arms and was about to walk back inside the simulator when a small hand grabbed his arm, hindering him from turning around.

"What is it fool?" Albel asked, quickly getting aggravated.

Peppita really didn't have a thing to do and she was bored enough to even bother THE Albel the Wicked. She gulped.

"Well, I was wondering if I could-"

"No fool!"

"But-"

"Fine. Just stop talking," growled Albel, pushing the girl into the simulator so that she wouldn't speak again. Her voice annoyed him to no ends, especially when used for long periods of time.

She was about to say 'yay' but she was surprised at his aggressiveness so she wasn't able to say anything and tumbled into the game room.

"Owieeee," Peppita whined in pain, her head had hit the floor… hard, so she put her hand on it to try and make it feel better.

"Quit complaining fool. So what difficulty are you on?" Albel instructed, walking over to a keyboard at the end of the room.

"I'm… Around the same level as you," Peppita hesitated. She knew that he would most likely take that as an insult, but said it anyways. After all, she didn't want to get stuck fighting weaklings because she wanted to appease him.

"Good, wasn't going to change it for you anyways," Albel drawled, making Peppita make a raspberry at him as he pressed the 'enter' button.

"Game start!" Peppita exclaimed with the computer into the room as their surroundings changed, forming into a battle arena.

Albel groaned. This was going to be one long battle.

Peppita collapsed. She had been fighting with Albel for, what, 3-5 hours? She knew even if she had quit there wouldn't be anything to do so she decided to just keep fighting instead of leaving once she got tired.

"Wow… I didn't know… I could fight this long," Peppita told herself smiling, catching her breath while sitting on the ground.

"Bah, I could fight longer than that, weakling!" growled Albel, taking a sip of a potion. Peppita started to reach for a potion as well, but Albel suddenly fell backwards towards the floor, halting her movement.

"Wha-? Albel!" scoffed Peppita, glaring at the swordsman for blocking her.

"Game pause," was all Albel replied with as he lay back on the floor, using the bag full of potions as a pillow.

There were a few moments of silence as Peppita pouted. She knew Albel had done it on purpose. He had been doing it on purpose since they started the game. Every once in a while Peppita had to drink a potion because she had worn herself down, but because Albel was a 'bully', as Peppita had said it, he always laid down on the bag and acted as if he was asleep.

The first time Peppita had fallen for his trick and Albel had pulled her hair when she had gotten too close to the bag and was reaching for a potion, but she had found ways to get back at him (like pulling his hair back 'accidentally' while in battle).

"Albel! Get up! I'm seriously tired! ALBEEEELLLL!" cried Peppita, pounding her fists onto her knees as if that would get his attention.

Albel twitched and opened his crimson eyes angrily.

"Augh, shut up worm! Have the stupid potions!" hissed Albel, sitting up from his position on the ground and tossing the bag at her face.

Peppita caught it quickly, but still fell back at the weight of it.

"Gee, thanks Albel," Peppita thanked sarcastically towards the swordsman.

"No problem fool," Albel responded in an even more sarcastic tone.

Peppita pouted once again, but before she could even drink a potion Albel had already started the game.

"Wha! Albel wait!" exclaimed Peppita angrily, chugging down the potion and jumping away from an on-coming monster.

"Your enemy will never wait for you on the battle field fool!"

"Yeah, obviously…"

"Less talking and more fighting!"

…

A few minutes later, Albel finally gave into Peppita telling him to go take a shower and go to bed.

"Nighty night Albel!" Peppita squeaked as she walked towards her room. Albel's room was a room away from Peppita's so he had to follow her. After all, there would be no other reason he'd hang around her long enough for her to say good night otherwise.

"I hope you have a nightmare worm," growled Albel, stalking away towards his room, happy to abandon the girl.

…

Peppita smiled with glee. She was happy to have had a nice warm shower after a long workout. After all, it wasn't nice to go to sleep sweaty and icky.

Peppita walked in front of her sink, looking at herself in the mirror, she had changed into a pair of pajamas and started brushing her hair after using her towel to try and dry it.

She then started to reflect her day, as most people do when they're about to go to sleep. She then noticed it was really boring, except the part with Albel.

'Heh, who would have thought I would have fun with Albel?' Peppita laughed to herself, putting her hair brush down on a counter somewhere in the bathroom.

She then started to brush her teeth.

…

The next day was not very different for Peppita.

Nel decided that she would rather train alone without anyone bothering her, so she declined Peppita's offer to train together. Fayt was busy helping Sophia with chores on the Diplo and Maria, Mirage and Cliff were doing things that didn't interest Peppita ("Boring, smart people stuff") so she followed Albel for the rest of the day, which, as you might know, was not a very good thing for Albel.

"Stop following me worm!"

"But there's nothing else to do!"

"Why follow me! Follow that stupid squirrel child or something!" (2)

"But he's boring compared to you!"

"I don't care! Leave me be fly!"

"Isn't it maggot?"

"Shut up! Its fly if I say it is! You have mutated to the next level of annoyance for me!"

"Meanie!"

…

After following Albel around for a few days Peppita noticed his routine.

First he went to the replicators and got some coffee, and then he stalked off towards the battle simulators.

After fighting a few enemies he went back to the replicators and commanded one of the girls (usually Sophia or Maria) to make him breakfast because he had no clue how to do so (If he asked Sophia, she usually made him some pancakes, bacon and eggs with some orange juice, even if he asked rudely. However, if he asked Maria she would sometimes rant at him about manners and give him cereal or toast. Other days Maria gave him waffles if she was in a hurry and didn't have time to tell him to ask her nicely).

Then after finishing his breakfast, he would go back to the simulators and invent for a while then fight some monsters after.

After that he would stalk back towards the replicators and command Sophia or Maria, once again, to make him lunch (Sophia usually had a wide variety of things she made so every day he got a different food, but Maria usually made the replicators make a sandwich or a hamburger or something).

Then he would read a book while eating his food, something that surprised Peppita. She never expected Albel to be a reader, let alone be able to read. But he was from a noble lineage; she should have expected he would be educated.

After he finished his food, he would usually leave the plates there because he didn't know where they were supposed to go ("Aren't you going to put the plates away?" "Shut up! I don't know where they're supposed to go. Besides, they're always gone when I get back.").

He then went back to the simulators and fought monsters until he was hungry, usually around dinner time. The whole group usually gathered to eat at that time because Sophia took it upon herself to make food without the help of replicators and made it by hand. No one complained because her cooking skills were exceptional. Sometimes she got help from Nel when she started late because Nel didn't want Sophia to do everything by herself ("I'll help you every day if you want." "No, no, it's not hassle! Although I wouldn't mind having a hand once in a while.").

While eating dinner, Albel usually just ate. He didn't read his book while eating dinner because he knew Roger or Cliff would make a comment on it. Sometimes though he would argue with Nel and almost start a fight, which was quickly subdued by Mirage and Sophia (usually with the help of Cliff to pull either Nel or Albel apart if they actually did start fighting while Mirage and Sophia talked some sense into the other).

After dinner, Albel fought till he got tired and went back to his room to go to sleep, only to wake up and start the routine over again the next morning.

After a few days of following Albel around, Peppita had many questions for him. She usually reserved these for lunch because he didn't really do anything then except rest, eat and read.

"Hey Albel?" Peppita asked, sitting across from Albel on a small table. He was eating something Sophia had made which Peppita couldn't identify. She deduced that it was foreign food because she didn't recognize it. She was just drinking some soda. Not really hungry from a big breakfast.

"What is it fly?" replied Albel, looking up from his book and glaring at the girl. He didn't like being interrupted while reading his book. He wanted to find out if Christina was really having Joshua's baby even though she loved Max.

"Doesn't it get boring?" Peppita remarked confusing Albel and making him raise an eyebrow.

"Doesn't what get boring?" responded Albel, putting his book down. If he was going to answer questions, he didn't want to read. He wouldn't get into his book if he did.

"Your routine?" Peppita stated, making Albel look at her like she was an idiot.

"Stop speaking in riddles you stupid girl, what do you mean?" Albel hissed. He wanted to get back to his book badly.

"Well, you do the same thing over and over again every day, doesn't it get boring?" squeaked Peppita as she took a sip of her soda. Making Albel look at her again; it looked like he was thinking.

"Well, now that I think about it, it is boring. Thanks for making me think I'm boring you idiot fly!" snapped Albel as he pointed a fork at the girl, making her flinch.

"Well sorry, Mr. Meanie," Peppita said sarcastically as she took another sip of her soda. After a minute or two she glanced at Albel, only to see he was still deep in thought.

"What's wrong Albel?" asked Peppita, a little worried she had done something wrong. Albel looked at her for a second before responding.

"It was pretty boring before. But now that you bother me everyday it's not that boring anymore," Albel said uncharacteristically. This made Peppita wonder if Sophia had drugged the food.

"Ooookay…"

"Means my life is more interesting now. Maybe. Or more annoying."

"Hey!"

…

Author's Notes: Wow, that was hard. I guess it's only mildly implied Peppita and Albel, but it's close enough.

Sorry for taking so long to update! I had a course on Creative writing, and I wrote 40+ pages for that class! I was only supposed to write 20 or less, but I love writing… It took all my time and I couldn't really write much (actually, that's a lie… Maybe) until it was over.

Even after it was over I got lazy and couldn't find inspiration to write in this story. I finally brought myself to write. Yep.

Hope you enjoy. I have no clue what to write about next. Suggestions anyone? No Albel in it because I want to write a couple without Albel in it.

Maybe I already have on in mind. Maybe Maria and Fayt? Or Sophia and Fayt? Sophia and Maria? Hm….

Oh yeah, I'm such a dork. I forgot to put what the numbers meant.

(1) Cutting Edge of Notion is one of the many battle music in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. Yep.

(2) "Squirrel Child" is referring to Roger S. Huxley for those of you who do not get the joke. I also stole this from Anarchy Sky… I think.

Adios!