VANISHING POINT
A Star Ocean 3 Fanfic by Ender
Chapter Two: Ripples
The door was nothing out of the ordinary.
The wood was a dark, if muted, brown, the grains visible to the naked eye, the knob made of burnished brass, positioned at a place of easy access to anyone of average height. Of course most 'doors' where Fayt had grown up were very different – sliding metal panels, airtight access barriers, solid-light field projections... But Fayt had spent enough time in medieval worlds, both imagined and real, to know what it was. The boy looked to the right, and to the left, and was somehow unsurprised to find himself in a corridor peppered with doors that were twin to the one he had before him. Briefly, he wondered why he was here, but soon he felt his eyes drawn back to the door in front of him. Surely, he must have come here to open a door – what else could be done in this place? Thinking that one would be as good as any other, Fayt reached out his hand to the doorknob and twisted, pushing outwards as he stepped into –
- the strangest party he had ever seen.
"Fayt!" the revelers greeted him, showering him with laughter and confetti as the door closed behind him. There were easily over a hundred people crammed inside a room which he could hardly see because of the sheer press of bodies – but he was somewhat surprised to realize he recognized them all. Over there were his University friends, busy cajoling the strange craftsman Vanilla to drink more beer than was probably advisable. Over there Ursus the Strongman was engaged in an arm-wrestling match with Crosell, and winning quite handily. Just to his right a group a group of reformed henchmen of Norton had broken out into song, and were being hushed by an irritated-looking Belzeber.
The boy felt a hand on his shoulder. "Glad to see you could finally join us son," said his father as he smiled down at Fayt. Beside him stood Sophia, Maria, Mirage and Nel, all wearing somewhat diaphanous looking gowns of brown, blue, yellow and red respectively. His Father had one arm each around Maria and Sophia,."What took you so long?"
"Dad..." Fayt replied, a trifle confused. This felt... wrong, somehow... Yet everyone around him seemed to be having so much fun.
"Dad," Fayt asked, "What are we celebrating?"
Professor Leingod laughed. "Oh Fayt, how could you even forget? We're celebrating your victory... Or have you forgotten that we saved the universe as well?"
Fayt turned away from his father and looked around him at the various creatures laughing, eating, and dancing. The universe... Yes, yes they'd saved the universe. He couldn't quite remember how, but... Yes, he was sure of it. They had won!
Hadn't they?
There was a flicker of darkness at the edge of Fayt's vision. The boy turned back swiftly, but all he saw was his Father's smiling face. Except... was it just him or were there less people than he remembered?
His Father shook his head, still smiling. "Fayt, Fayt... Have you forgotten everything? You mustn't let your attention wander too much- "
Another patch of shadow moved across the corner of his sight – the boy turned his head swiftly to catch it, but it stayed just barely out of reach. But wait... Hadn't Ursus and Crosell just been having a match at that table over there? Now the only one Fayt could see was a rather despondent looking Commodore Wittcomb.
"-otherwise, we lose our existence..."
Fayt blinked, and now, there was no trace of Wittcomb, or even the furniture – just a... an emptiness in space, like something had been erased. Deleted.
"No... No, this isn't happening," Fayt said as he turned back to his Father. Only Nel and Sophia remained with his Dad... but Nel was wearing her usual battle gear, and a stern expression, while Sophia looked more like Ameena than anything else.
"We won... We survived!" Fayt exclaimed. "Everything was okay!"
"Of course you did son," Professor Leingod said in a patronizing voice. Why did Fayt only just now realize how much his father looked like... Like the Creator? "You found the chink in the armor, the loop in the equation – as long as we think, then we exist, is it not? But then tell me Fayt..."
Fayt tried to keep his eyes open, but he found them growing heavy. He blinked once. Ameena disappeared. He blinked twice. Nel disappeared... All he could see was Luther's smiling face.
"... What happens when you go to sleep?"
Nel Zelpher stood rigidly at attention outside the door to her room at the Palace of Aquios, her arms crossed tightly in front of her, but ready and able to sweep her twin blades out of their scabbards at a moments notice. From within her room came the sounds of runological magic being cast, and the muttered consultations of experts in the medical arts. They were the best in the nation, maybe the best in this world, at what they did, and Nel knew they were giving this their best...
... But it was all she could do to keep herself from breaking down the door and screaming at them to do their job.
"Stop worrying," Claire told her. The Commander of the Shield Legion was seated nearby, looking – to Nel at least – to be much too calm given the circumstances.
"Who said I was worried?" Nel replied, a tad too hastily, "Besides, even if I were, you are the last person from whom I'd take advice on this subject. Don't forget, I know how you get when you send anyone out on a mission."
"That's true," Claire admitted, "But then, as you say, I'm an expert at worrying about other people. You on the other hand..."
Nel was hurt. "I worry about my people, you know that..." she began, but Claire held up a hand.
"When you have to, but you tend to avoid the matter entirely by trying to do all the dangerous things yourself ... so, in this matter at least, I think I'm qualified to be giving you advice."
The redhead made a non-committal noise... Claire was much more agile with words than Nel would ever be and arguments with her were usually an exercise in futility. The silver-haired woman stood up and put a hand on Nel's shoulder.
"He'll be fine."
The red-haired woman allowed herself a small smile. "Of course he will. He's saved the universe... He's indestructible."
Claire didn't answer. Both of them knew all to well Nel's words were more wish than fact.
But what could have done this to him?
The last time Nel had lain eyes on Fayt Leingod, the young man had been bidding her farewell. The Diplo had stopped at Elicoor II in order to discharge those who called it home. It had been a bittersweet parting, moreso for Nel than she liked to admit: For most of their time together, they had clung on to survival by a thread, and it was not until after the victory that it had truly sunk in any of their minds that their time together had abruptly come to a close. If the Crimson Blade closed her eyes, she could still summon up the image of Fayt as he said his farewells to each of them, finally approaching her with a smile on his face, deep blue eyes unreadable, but far too old for his face.
"I never did get to apologize properly for not being an Engineer from Greeton did I?"
"That's alright," she had replied, her throat feeling dry, "Forgive me for threatening to kill you on more than one occasion, and we'll call it even."
"Oh that's quite alright Lady Nel," Fayt had replied mock magnanimously, "I'm sure you didn't mean it."
The red-head had smiled. "Well..." she said, and they both laughed. For a moment, he looked as if he was going to say something more, but then he had surprised her by engulfing her in a deep hug. It was a full three seconds before she recovered enough to hug him back.
"Take care of yourself Nel," he had said. Then he was gone, returned to the stars from whence he came. Nel had wondered if she would ever see him again.
And now he lay, not five meters from her, lying on the edge of death.
The door to her room opened and a ragged looking Elena stepped out. Instantly Nel was beside her, a thousand questions springing to mind, but the senior Runologist held up a hand.
"Give us a few seconds," Elena said, as another pair of Runologists emerged from Nel's chambers, "It was... more difficult than we'd expected."
Nel began to count to five, then gave up at three. "What's wrong with him?"
The white-haired Head of Aquaria's First Runological Weapons Division shook her head. "He's famished and exhausted. I don't think he's had a bite to eat or a wink of sleep in the past fifteen days."
Claire blinked once. "That... That's it? It seems so... anticlimactic."
Elena stared hard at Nel's closest friend. "It's a serious matter. Food deprivation is one thing, but a normal person can only go around twelve days without sleep without permanent damage being done to his system. His body was filled with some foreign substance that was keeping him at a minimal level of awareness far beyond what is safe and proper for a human, hero or no."
"Poison?" Nel asked immediately, but Elena was already shaking her head.
"Well, it certainly isn't a healthy substance, but I don't think it was ingested as such. I remember Fayt telling me about certain substances that people on his planet sometimes inject into their systems to fool their body into thinking it was healthy and well rested – a benign effect, but as with anything, it could be poisonous if taken in too large an amount."
The red-haired woman pondered this for a moment. She had seen some of the crew of the Diplo engaging in such practices during her time on the ship... But surely Fayt knew the dangers in the substances – why then would he subject himself to them? Nel found it difficult to believe that Fayt himself was to blame for his condition. No – it had to be someone else.
And Apris help them when she found out who they were.
"Nel?" Claire said quietly, interrupting her friend's vengeful thoughts. "Are you alright? Perhaps its time you yourself turned in... You've had quite the night."
Nel waived away her concern. "I'm fine," she said swiftly, before turning to Elena. "May I see him?"
The Weapon's Division Chief hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Go ahead. Don't expect him to wake for another few hours though... We hit him with enough soporific spells to down Crosell."
Nel nodded and entered her room, followed quickly by Claire. The two women took opposite positions by Fayt's bedside, and gazed down at his restlessly sleeping form.
"Oh, my..." Claire murmured, but Nel kept silent, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. She couldn't really find the words.
Earlier, when she had been carrying him on her shoulders, racing towards the Dragon Knight Garrison stationed near the Training Facility, she had kept her mind occupied with curses at her inability to recognize him sooner. No however, even in the dim light of her room, she began to think it was a miracle she had recognized him at all. By the end of their adventures, Fayt's physique had been forged by battle and necessity into a tool of war, lithe and athletic and – while no Klausian – powerfully built. Since they had last seen each other though, it appeared as if the blue-haired boy had lost at least forty pounds, leaving him looking as fragile as the last leaf in autumn. And his face... his eyes were imprisoned in dark circles, worry lines furrowing his brow like a well-tilled field, even in his sleep. Nel felt her hands clench into fists.
Fayt... who did this to you?
Just then, Nel heard a slight noise, and turned to see Claire looking out the doorway, her mouth turned slightly down.
"Lasselle is coming this way," Claire said, in a voice that was carefully devoid of any hint of her feelings towards that man. Not that Nel needed any reminder – she shared Claire's opinion.
"Bar the door," Nel instructed one of the runologists who remained inside the room, before stepping outside and placing herself squarely in Lasselle's path, Claire at her side.
"Good morning to you, Magistrate," Claire greeted the man, who merely grunted in reply. His heavy-lidded eyes and rumpled clothing proclaimed that he had but recently been roused from his sleep.
"What is all this ruckus about? What are you three still doing up at this ungodly hour?"
"Ah..." Claire began, throwing a clandestine look at her friend. Nel shook her head slightly – Lasselle had never trusted Fayt, and the Crimson Blade was loathe to give the Magistrate more information than he needed to know.
For all his faults however, Lasselle was not stupid, an his information network rivaled that of the Crimson Blade. "So it is true..." he said, "He has returned hasn't he... And brought another fresh calamity down upon our heads I'm certain." The Magistrate tried to sidestep Nel and Claire but the red-head calmly moved to block his path.
"I'm sorry Magistrate, but Fayt is currently in delicate condition. We can question him as to the purpose of his return after he has recovered."
Lasselle raised an eyebrow. "He is injured?"
"He is fatigued to the edge of endurance your Excellency," Elena answered. "With care and our spells, we should be able to have him healthy again after two weeks or so-"
The man broke in. "Completely unacceptable."
"What?" Nel snapped coldly, rank forgotten as her eyes narrowed dangerously. If Lasselle noticed, her tone, he ignored it.
"The very presence of this man brings about calamity. He is a danger to the realm – nay, to our entire world. He must be removed from the palace at once."
"Fayt is a savior of our world," Nel responded, trying to keep a rein on her temper, "Nay, savior to our universe – if that word means anything to you. Exactly how many times must he prove that?"
"Saving us from dangers he himself brings upon our heads," Lasselle scoffed. "He is a danger to all those around him – amongst whom, thanks to your thoughtless charity, we can now number, the Queen you have sworn to serve!"
"If you think I will leave him out in the cold to die," Nel replied, in a voice that could freeze hell twice-over, "After all that he has done for us... then you are sadly, grievously, mistaken."
Lasselle's brows came together like snarling dogs, his voice rising into a shout. "You will stand aside Lady Nel Zelpher of the Crimson Blades, or so help me I'll- "
"You really don't want to mess with me Lasselle," Nel interrupted. "Not today. Not over this- "
"Enough!" Claire's harsh shout cut through their argument like an axe cleaves a tree. "This is senseless, and unbecoming of us all." Nel's friend was all business, her eyes raking both parties first before softening, and settling on the red-haired woman. "Nel, your father left you a sizeable rest-house just outside of Paterny did he not? Once Fayt has been stabilized, it might be better to move him there... You can use that Dragon Knight you bullied to bring him here in the first place. It will certainly be more restful at the Estate than it would be staying in the Castle's guest room." Claire then turned her gaze to Lasselle. "That should be enough to address your concerns about the Queen's safety your Excellency. I understand your concern about the possible threat Fayt's presence poses, but you must not close your eyes to the benefits as well – his reputation is fearsome enough that his mere presence in the country will be enough to give our enemies pause."
Both Nel and Lasselle seemed displeased by Claire's solution, but both grudgingly accepted it.
"I suppose I have little choice in the mater, unless I want a rebellion on my hands," the Magistrate said accusingly, but Nel ignored him, turning instead to Elena.
"How long before we can move him?"
"Anytime you're ready," the older woman replied. "The spells should ensure that he's deep in sleep, no matter how bumpy the ride gets."
Nel nodded, and made her decision. Part of her still wanted to press the issue, even raise it to the Queen if need be, to place Lasselle in his place. His ingratitude over all Fayt had done for them rankled the Crimson Blade. But, as always, Nel kept her focus on the task at hand. All that mattered now was getting Fayt somewhere safe, where he could regain his strength, and the Estate would be perfect for that. Time enough to settle scores later on...
"Then I'll meet you in the courtyard – we leave at once," Nel spared one last, cold, look for Lasselle before sweeping past him and heading towards the stables. Maybe it would be better to let Fayt recover away from the Palace... At the very least, her Estate didn't have any over-bearing Magistrates.
Fayt awoke, a half swallowed cry in his throat, his arms reaching out to grasp something, anything – to make contact somehow with what he had thought was real.
Instead, it was he who was grasped, his shoulders pushed back gently until he was lying back down on a soft bed.
"What..." he murmured drowsily, "Where...?"
"It's alright," Fayt heard a voice, a familiar voice, reassuring him. "I've got you. You're safe here."
His eyes were already trying to close of their own accord, but not before he could make out the lithe form silhouetted above him. "...Nel?" he whispered.
"Yes," she answered, dabbing a wet cloth against his forehead. "Don't try to talk... just rest. Sleep. You need it."
Sleep? "No..." he objected, "Mustn't... sleep... Mustn't..."
"You must," Nel insisted. "Your body can't take anymore of this. Rest now and I'll watch over you."
His hand found hers then, and gripped it tightly. For a second he managed to open his eyes, and his words, half-filled with his delirium, spilled desperately from his mouth.
"No... You'll go... You'll disappear... Just like everything else... Deleted... Gone..."
She shushed him gently. "I won't. I promise. I'll be right here when you wake."
Fayt's breathing calmed slightly. Runology induced sleep was claiming him once more. "You're... you're sure? You promise?" he asked, the world spinning slowly but dizzyingly.
Slowly, yet firmly, her hand enveloped his own.
"I promise Fayt. I will keep you safe."
From another person, those might have just been words. But, even half-asleep as he was, Fayt knew this was Nel talking... And Nel never, ever broke her promises.
That night, for the first time in two weeks, Fayt Leingod slept... But did not dream.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Wow... Twice as long as Chapter One. I hope I don't fall back into the habit of long chapters...
Most of the 'action' here is on an internal level, and I hope that didn't put off too many of you. I had to deal with the (immediate) reason why Fayt is in such a sorry state, and with Nel's feelings seeing him as such. It was also cool to actually have a bit of confrontation with Lasselle – I kept hoping I would get to slug him during the game :P I actually do think he's a good man... A jerk, but a good man :P
Now, comments to some of the reviews:
Lightgazer: I hope some of your questions about the 'direction' of the story got answered here, but in all honesty, the' real' driving force of the events of this story will be revealed fairly slowly. I don't think its until we reach halfway that you'll really understand the full extent of what is going on... sort of like in the game itself :P
Dark Drow: Actually I saw a couple of Nel/Fayt fics on site before I uploaded mine. Chronologically though, I may be the first to upload a series... But hopefully not the last. There can't be too many good Nel/Fayt fics!
Obsidian Ideals: Man I hope you keep reviewing my fics... Ive seen your reviews, and they're very, very helpful I'm not trying to show a changed Nel so much as showing Nel in a bad mood – from the way people seem to equate "Nel in a Bad Mood" with a fleet of Celestial Ships, I wanted to show how scar-ee Nel indeed can get. Now that Fayt's here, maybe we'll see a bit of improvement in her disposition (Note I said 'maybe'... No one can get under our skins better than the ones we love...)
Next Chapter: Some physical conflict to go along with the mental. Plus: Nel gets domestic :P