A/N: Albel's plans start to come together in this chapter… It wasn't easy for me to write…
Disclaimer: I (very tragically) do not own Star Ocean or any of the characters, places, or anything else related to it! I do own Meor, Alkyza, the plot of this story and… the Cat Doll! If you want to use any of it, please ask.
Chapter 7: Albel's Challenge
Sophia was walking back towards the town square with a million thoughts buzzing around inside her head. "What should I do? … Should I tell the others that a cat talked to me inside my head? But they would think I'm crazy… And then what should I do with this doll? Throw it away? Destroy it? But Albel gave it to me, I can't just get rid of it…" She was completely undecided on the matter and before she realized it a voice was calling to her.
"Hey! There you are Sophia!" It was Peppita and she full of sugar, "Why were you just in that back alley? Are you ready to go back to the Moonlight? Why do you look so confused? What are you thinking about?" Peppitas constant questions were not really helping Sophia's already muddled thought processes. Sophia looked up and saw the whole shopping group, minus Albel of course, about ready to head back to the ship. Cliff was paying for their drinks, Adray, Nel and Mirage were laughing about something. Well, Nel was smirking… And Peppita was bouncing towards her like a spring. Everything appeared so normal…
"Uh, sure Peppita. Are we going to have your baking for lunch?" Asked Sophia, hoping she could distract Peppitas questions with the thought of baking. She was in luck.
"Yes! We just have to bake them and then we can all have lunch. If we leave now, we should be able to eat them at about 12:30." Peppita said excitedly. She promptly grabbed Sophia's hand and dragged her towards the group. "C'mon guys, lets go now! Albel will catch us up, I'm sure." And led by that cute ball of energy, the group headed back towards the Moonlight.
0o0o0o0
Albel could see the group approaching him. He was at the transporter point, unfortunately he wasn't quite sure how to use it to get inside… He had been chatting with his two companions, although, not about anything serious. He looked out over the river to his right, "Its still hard to believe that our ship is right there… And I can't even see it." He whispered to himself.
It seemed that Meor overheard his musings. "Yes, that is quite advanced technology, but you know that stealth isn't the best tool when it comes to battle." Albel looked over at the grey cat sitting lazily on a nearby rock while enjoying the sun. He thought it odd how much he appeared like a normal cat, excluding his fur, it was a grey that bordered on dark silver.
"That's true, I know how to fight. And you will see what I can do on the battlefield." Said Albel proudly. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the group was quite close now; this conversation wouldn't be lasting much longer.
"I know how you fight." The cats voice was lazy as it stretched, yawned and got up, "I've seen it before."
Albel was shocked. He had no idea that Meor had been watching him, but before he could ask, whether mentally or verbally, what he meant; the group had arrived, "Hey! Albel, what's that cat doing here?" It was Peppita; of course she had already started stroking it before he could answer.
Albel decided to tell them half of the truth, "It followed me from Peterny… I guess he's staying with us now…"
"It's Meor…" Interrupted Sophia with a look of surprise on her face. All assembled stared at her with a questioning look on their faces. Albel was practically speechless, yet no one was looking at him so he was able to compose himself.
"Well yes I am." Meor's voice floated through Sophia's mind again, "Glad to see you remember me…"
"How do you know that?" Cliff ventured in a suspicious voice towards Sophia. Before anyone could say anything more, Meor spoke aloud.
"Meow!" He said simply. The distraction gave Sophia time to think of an answer and she quickly offered an explanation to the others.
"Albel introduced me to him before… Back in Peterny…" Sophia felt a little flushed and hoped no one would notice that she was lying. She was a terrible liar.
"Look, I can't help it if this is how I have to speak. But I promise I'll explain why only you and Albel can hear me later, sound reasonable?" Meor's proposal was, in fact, very reasonable. Sophia simply nodded her consent, and Meor added, "And Albel will be looking after me. You can find me in his room." That didn't sit so well with Sophia.
Meor suddenly leapt up onto Albel's shoulder, "Whoa!" Exclaimed Cliff, "Watch out kitty, he'll get ya!" Both Albel and Meor gave Cliff a look that said, 'Oh really? What do you know?' Cliff rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish, "Oh… Alright… Are we ready to transport up guys?" A nod of everyone all round, Meor included, which served to further unnerve Cliff, signalled to transport them all.
"Hey everyone! Lunch will be served at 12:30; it's chocolate slice and chocolate chip cookies… Go tell everyone else!" Peppita announced once they had all appeared in the Moonlight's transporter room. The departing crowd grumbled in acknowledgement, "Hey! You guys had better be there!"
0o0o0o0
"Now, you guys promise to let me do this? You wont interfere Meor, and you wont back down?" Albel's last thought was directed towards his katana. He needed to calculate this specifically; it wouldn't be easy to take down the blue-haired wonder.
"Look Albel, in my opinion, I would prefer it if you killed Fayt…" Replied the Crimson Scourge bluntly. Albel was a little shocked at that comment, he thought that the sword would be hard to convince of anything that involved possible harm to the saviour of the galaxy.
"Seriously! You are just so blunt sometimes!" This latest outburst from Meor, "It's not surprising, despite your high and mighty attitude, you are a sword after all…" Meor sighed and shook his head as Albel turned another corner, yet managed to keep his balance on his bearer's right shoulder.
"Well, it would simplify the problem. But anyway, I agree. Albel, do as you wish. I'm with you on whatever you decide!" The crimson scourge replied happily, the intended pun had missed it completely. Albel always felt like the third shoe in these conversations…
"Someone's just a little too bloodthirsty if you ask me… Haven't you been feeding him Albel?" Meor teased. Albel practically swerved around the next corner as a comeback, yet the cat easily retained his position.
"His balance is unnerving… even a real cat couldn't keep this up…" Albel thought privately. He had recently learned to do that; he'd had to. You could talk freely or privately with people, or rather, swords and cats, when using mental speech. It was quite useful. "It's not like I've had the chance to kill a lot of things recently…" Albel sourly replied.
"Fine! Everyone hate me! But we'll go with your choices Albel, we're almost at the dining room, get me a biscuit!" Meor ordered Albel, yet he was only teasing, and Albel was beginning to catch onto his weird sense of humour.
Albel rounded the last corner and found everyone lounging around in the dining room eating and talking. He grabbed some baking from the table and gave a biscuit to Meor before meandering over towards Fayt's general direction, although Peppita, who promptly wanted to play with the 'Kitty cat', cut him short. Meor jumped down and wandered off with her. "Maggot. There's something you should know." Albel said to Fayt, but loud enough to make sure Sophia heard, she was sitting near Fayt and she went white as a sheet.
"Really? What is it Albel?" Inquired Fayt curiously, he really had no idea what Albel was talking about.
"Well… You still don't know why your girlfriend is avoiding you, do you?" Asked Albel in return, his voice full of false sweetness. Sophia gasped in the background, yet luckily, no one noticed.
Fayt stood up right in Albel's face, "What are you talking about? I don't know what you want, but shouldn't we talk about it in private?" Fayt was doing well keeping a clear head despite his rising anger and the awkward situation, yet Albel had planned this well.
"Simple, a fight… To determine whom really is the strongest person in this universe. You versus me, or you can choose anyone you deem to be stronger to take your place…" Albel stated simply as he began to walk towards the door, grabbing another biscuit on his way.
"I don't… Want to fight you Albel… Lets just talk this over… Like adults, shall we?" Fayt was really struggling to maintain his composure now. Albel could tell he would lose it soon, unless someone stepped in. But he knew no one would, they were all too stunned by the sudden turn of events.
"Well… If you lose, decline or forfeit, I will tell Sophia why you are avoiding her…" Said Albel calmly, yet he could see Fayt about to explode and he threw one last small line, and the final step of his plan, at Fayt, "Relax, have a cookie…" With that Albel threw the biscuit towards the unsuspecting and enraged Fayt. Fayt's eyes began to glow. The moment hung in the air for the whole room, the biscuit slowly spun through the air and just as it reached the halfway mark… It exploded into hundreds of pieces, which flew all over the room. There was a ripple in the very substance of the room, and everyone felt a shudder that shook them to their very core.
"I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING BISCUIT!" Thundered a completely and insanely enraged Fayt, if everyone was stunned before, they may as well have been stone statues from another dimension now.
"Muahahahaha!" Came the mocking laugh from Albel, "Very nice, you concentrated far too much energy on a simple cookie… Disrupting the very physical laws of this world over that? Feel tired now? This time I know my enemy. Meet me in 3 hours outside the ship, and get some rest cause you'll need it worm…" Albel simply walked away and out of the room, a grey shadow silently slipped out after him with a few biscuits in its mouth.
"Fuck… You…" Uttered an exhausted Fayt as he collapsed to the floor. The room suddenly sprang to life as everyone rushed around, mostly attending to the collapsed Fayt, yet an unnoticed Sophia slipped out the door after Albel…
"C'mon man! We got to get you into bed for some rest before this fight!" Urged Cliff as he hoisted Fayt up and began to carry him towards his room.
"No! Fayt is not fighting!" Implored a sentimental Maria; her eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to spill at any moment. She tugged on Cliff's shirt and tried to stop him in vain.
"Hey…" Cliff said in a much more soothing tone, "If he allows me, I'll fight in his stead. I'm physically stronger anyway, I'll give Albel a smacking!" Cliff gave Maria a confident thumbs-up as he continued on out the door.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible Cliff," Stated Mirage coolly, "Albel knows your weaknesses, the only person well-rounded enough to take him on is Fayt, plus he has the destruction gene." She was calm and collected despite the situation. They were all headed towards Fayt's room now.
"She's absolutely right, there's no way anyone else could win…" Added Nel, in response to Cliff's bemused look she elaborated, "Both you and Mirage are susceptible to mental attacks, and both Maria and myself cannot get inside Albel's sword range nor escape him long enough for ranged combat…"
"Not to mention…" Added Adray, before Cliff could speak again, "Sophia and I could not get enough time to cast symbology, and my katana is being upgraded in Peterny, so I cannot swordfight… And don't even think about Peppita or Roger, they would be thrown around like rag-dolls, they're too small!" Put in Adray as an afterthought. Peppita was about to protest but she looked at the tower of Adray above her and decided against it.
"Awwwww, whatever! I can handle it!" Bragged Cliff, though his usual cockiness seemed a little less apparent, "It's up to Fayt anyway…" The group retreated into silence as they approached Fayt's room; they were all lost in their own thoughts.
0o0o0o0
Sophia's mind was, once again, awash with thoughts. She didn't know how to stop Albel's plan, but she did know that she was the only one that had a chance. She rounded the last corner and looked down the corridor that housed Albel's room, "There are actually a lot of empty rooms on this ship, and Albel's is quite far away from anyone else's… Hey, there's Meor!" Sophia hurried down the corridor, as she advanced it began to feel colder, despite the fact she had frozen it over two days ago…
"Hello Sophia, I'd offer you a biscuit but I've already had all these in my mouth…" Meor chuckled inside her mind. As he looked up at her with amusement clearly displayed in his golden eyes, he crunched a piece of chocolate slice. "I might as well explain to you now… The reason that you can hear me is because of your connection gene, you have the power to talk to anyone mentally if you practice. The reason Albel can is because he wields the Crimson Scourge. It can talk too you know…"
"Oh, really?" Questioned Sophia, she'd have to think about this later, "Um, why are you outside Albel's room?" She thought it odd that Meor would eat in the hallway.
Meor chuckled mentally, "He wanted me outside so as not to intrude on your conversation with him, and be quick, he wants to take a nap before the fight…" Meor went back to eating his chocolate, Sophia found it obvious she should go in now; before she opened the door she briefly wondered if Meor should be eating chocolate…
"I knew you'd come to see me," said Albel smoothly as he switched off her UMD, "My terms have changed, as you know I've made other agreements…" He spoke calmly and Sophia knew he had it all planned out, it would have been better if she had of agreed with him before…
"What do you want?" She sighed, she felt like resistance was futile, in fact, she knew resistance was futile. "I hope his terms aren't too harsh…" She prayed to anyone that would listen, although she had already defeated the God of their universe, she prayed anyway.
"Well, I keep the UMD, although I will let you borrow it. And during night hours, you must do whatever I say. And no, that doesn't mean constant sex. In return, I wont tell anyone that any of this ever happened… Unless Fayt beats me, I already promised him… Sorry." Albel remarked casually, he could see the despair on her face, "She is going to accept!" He inwardly screamed in joy. He suddenly realized that inwardly screaming in joy was something definitely new to him …
"On one condition…" Albel's heart skipped a beat, "If Fayt loses, declines or forfeits… You wont humiliate him…" Sophia finished with pain in her eyes.
"Agreed." Stated Albel calmly, despite the disbelief raging within, "No one will know of this deal, including your one condition, until it's over. I don't want him giving up, I want a real fight, okay?" Albel couldn't believe she had said that! "That stupid girl! If she had heard what Fayt did, they would have reconciled their problems and forgiven then gotten back together. She's sealed her own fate…" Albel smirked inwardly.
"Okay… I'll let you get your rest, I guess I'm actually cheering for you now…" Said Sophia quietly as she made to leave, yet just milliseconds before the door automatically slid open she felt a light touch on her arm. She turned and saw Albel looking at her with a neutral expression on his face.
"Could I… Please have… One, good luck… Kiss?" He spoke slowly and appeared uncomfortable with the situation. Sophia could tell he was scared she would reject him, as it wasn't yet dark… But, despite herself, she leaned in slowly and gave him a gentle and soft kiss on the lips. It was only brief, but as she walked down the hall, she turned and saw him standing in the doorway. She knew that the look of serenity on his face would be imprinted her mind for a lifetime.
A/N: I decided to finish it on a very… romantic note, considering that the next chapter will be full of violence… Who will really fight Albel? Will everyone stand by and watch, Meor included? What are the rules of the fight? Is it a fight to the death? What tricks does everyone have up his or her sleeves? Why does The Crimson Scourge want Fayt dead? Why have we not heard of Alkyza? If you can think of any more questions, then ask in a review!
