Well, I already finished chapter 6 now, yay me! Anywho this chapter seemed to come easily for me for some reason, hope you like it!

Disclaimer - I own only the characters/items I create. I do not own Star Ocean.

Chapter 6 Bonding

I didn't sleep much that night, not only was I worried about Albel, I had both of those nightmares in one night. They were exactly the same as before. When I woke up Albel was still sleeping. I couldn't help but stare at him. He was at ease for once, without such an angry expression on his face. I noticed his sword leaning on the chair right by him, next to my own. I reached out to take it, but I found myself stopping, looking back at him again. I sat down on the side of his bed, he never even moved.

"Heh...must be a heavy sleeper...that could be the cause of his death someday..." I thought about his curse again...and again I started to cry.

"Why do I care about this so much?" I took his hand...without even thinking about it. I instantly let go again. Shaking my head.

"What am I doing?" I stood up, took my sword, and left the room. I closed the door behind me. Looking at my hand. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I decided to go for a walk to take my mind off him. I wanted to test out my new sword on the monsters around the outside of town anyway. It worked perfectly. I was killing everything that came at me. I decided to go after something stronger than what I was used to. To see just how much the sword increased my attack power. That was a mistake on my part. I shouldn't have tried to do it alone. The creature knocked me on the ground, I could tell it was going to use another one of its wind attacks. And I didn't have any time to run from it... I was flown into the air again and again. I finally hit the ground. Then to my surprise the creature disappeared right before my eyes. Revealing Albel behind it, sword in hand. He saved my life... yet again.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Albel asked calmly. Offering his hand to help me up. This surprised me, I took it, but then I suddenly remembered what I had done earlier. Without thinking, I let go and fell backwards. Albel tried to stop me from falling, he grabbed my hand, but that only caused him to fall right on top of me. After we hit the ground, Albel sighed.

"Why did you let go?" He asked, never moving. He was looking at me... puzzled, he looked slightly irritated too. I had a sudden vision back to the night Albel and I first met. His gauntlet around my throat. Then in an instant it was gone.

"I... I don't know." I felt myself going red in the face. He never once broke eye contact.

"You're a poor liar, you know that?" He said, getting up. He offered his hand again.

"I'm... not lying." I said taking his hand.

"I think you are, now are you going to let go again?" He asked.

"No, I won't. I'm sorry about that. And I am not lying." When I was up I realized for the first time how tall Albel was, he was taller than me and I was almost six feet tall.

"Well then, why is it that you did the exact same thing back at the inn?" He asked cooly. With a smirk on his face. My mouth fell open... he was awake?! All that time...he must've heard everything! Albel was smiling, and laughing a little.

"You were awake... weren't you?" I asked quietly. Though I already knew the answer to that question.

"I'm actually a very light sleeper, just so you know." I buried my face in my hands. I wanted to run from him. Never look back. Just keep running till I knew he could never find me. But I didn't, half because of my promise and half because I didn't want to. What was I so embarrassed for? I had nothing to hide, I not like I loved him or anything... right?

"Get a hold of yourself, fool. Let's get going, I'd like to get at least to The Mountains of Barr by nightfall." I looked up at him. The mountains of Barr? I remembered my dream. I couldn't go there. What if we saw an Air Dragon? I would die, just die.

"Now what's the matter with you?" Albel asked rolling his eyes.

"It's nothing." I said as I turned away from him, heading back to Peterney.

"You really are a horrible liar." he said as he walked up next me. I didn't say a word. I just kept walking. Neither of us said another word all through Peterney or Arias. We were in the middle of the mountains when nightfall hit. We found a safe place to stay for the night. Albel started a fire. I was staring at it. As I was looking around I realized I was at the exact same place that I was at in my dream. I was having visions of Albel's father dying, him crying, telling me to protect those that I care about. But I had already failed there. I let my own brother die when I could've saved him. If I had only been a little stronger, or a little smarter... I could have saved him, stopped him from falling off that cliff. I was starting to cry thinking about it.

"Fool, you cry too much... now what's wrong with you?" Albel asked. It wasn't till he said something that I remembered he was even there. I took a deep breath, stopped crying. I asked him something that I thought he would never answer.

"Albel, tell me... how did your father die?" I wasn't even sure if his father was really dead, but I had to get some answers. Albel just looked at me. You could tell that he hadn't thought about his father in a long time.

"How do you know... if he's even dead?" He asked. Now I had to tell him about my dream... it was only right, answers for answers.

"Remember those nightmares I told you about?" I asked. Albel nodded his head, not looking at me.

"Well... they were about you... and your father." I said. Albel turned his eye's to look at me. He looked a little sad, I think. I can't say for sure though.

"Go on. What about me and my old man?"

"He was here... this exact same spot. He was fighting an air dragon and... he was losing to it. Then you came up... you were just a boy. You ran to the dragon, sword in hand, to help your father. The dragon was only after you now... ready to kill you but... your father... your father ran in front of you. Saving your life... by sacrificing his own. Then the dragon just left you there... you were crying. Looking at your father, your arm was burned badly. Then you told me to be able to protect the people that I care about most. And... that's all." I looked over at him. He was just sitting there, staring into the fire. At first I thought it was my imagination but... then I knew... I could tell his cheeks were wet from tears. I suddenly felt horrible... I actually made him cry. Ever since I first met him he never once cried... or even looked like he wanted to, not once. I stood up and went over to him. I knelt down beside him. He didn't even seem to notice. I went to put my hand on his shoulder, but he grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"How many times... have you had this dream?" He asked, still gripping my wrist.

"Twice." I said. Then he let go.

"Why you? Why are you dreaming of my fathers death? It's...it's almost exactly the same as... what really happened." He sighed, "I was fifteen. About to perform the ceremony to become a member of the Dragon Brigade... The Accession of Flame, but I failed... I couldn't express my feelings to the air dragon... I should be dead. But it's just as you said, he ran in front of me... killing himself. That's also the reason for this..." He held up the arm with the clawed gauntlet. "I lost my arm in that incident." He looked at the ground. "I watched my father die... right in front of me. You have no idea what that's like."

"I do... know what that's like." I said. Albel looked up at me.

"I watched my older brother fight a Cockatrice, unaware that he was drawing close to the edge of a cliff. He fell off, I ran to help him... but I was too late. He was dead. I didn't know how to fight back then. So I took his sword, and used all the strength I could have ever used and killed that horrid creature, and he has been my motivation ever since."

"Heh... it turns out were a lot alike. I never would have guessed." Albel said. Looking back down to the ground. I couldn't stand it anymore... he looked so sad. I leaned in towards him and hugged him, and, of course, he resisted.

"Let go of me, fool!" he was trying desperately to get free. But he never once tried to hurt me, like I thought he would. I refused to let go, the harder he struggled, the tighter I held him. Slowly he stopped struggling, and he put his arms around me, loosely returning my embrace. I think we were both crying. It seemed like ages before we released. We stared at each other for a while, I was blushing a bit, so was he. I stood up and went over to get my blanket, I laid it out not too close, but not to far away, from Albel's.

"Goodnight, Albel" I said

"...Goodnight..." he waited a while until he thought I was sleeping."...Akina." He whispered. Though, I wasn't sleeping. I couldn't believe it. I stayed awake for a while. I was just thinking about everything tha't happened to me in these last few days. Then I fell asleep.

Hehe, this chapter was fun to write. Again, please review! I'll update soon! Promise!