Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean or its Characters.
Note: Here's where I'll deviate from the original script just a bit, but not much. Actually, there's not much of the script in this chapter.
As for Roger, Peppita and Adray. I know Peppita and Adray will be (as I'm thinking now) because I am pretty much following the game. I might have to throw Roger in, he's fun to write about (of course, my other story's the only one I've wrote with him in it). That's the way it stands right now unless there's a big twist thrown in. Right now I can only see up to the start of the second disc.
Thanks for the reviews and for reading my stories. :)
Star Ocean: The Untold Story
Chapter 8: Challenges and Realizations
In a trance, Sophia vaguely remembered her bath and breakfast. Things seemed to be happening so fast. Her crash, her time as a prisoner, helping Airyglyph, seeing Fayt, and then Albel's imprisonment. Before she realized it, she was seated across from Woltar in his office in the castle.
"Are you feeling any better my dear?"
It was good to hear his voice. "Yes, a little."
He smiled and leaned forward. "Good. Now let me get on with the reason I requested your presence here. Do you see that portrait on the wall?" She followed his finger and looked at the picture that hung on the wall above a decorative table.
It was a painting of a girl seated in a chair. She had long flowing black hair and bright green eyes. She wore a smile that was as elegant as the sea green gown she had on. She was young, no more the Sophia's age and very pretty.
"That was my daughter, Josephina. She was a good child. When that was painted, she was only sixteen."
"She's very pretty."
Sophia turned away from the portrait to find Woltar looking at her with an expression of deep sentiment. "Yes, she looked just like her mother. I met Kyrina twenty-five years ago. We fell in love, but things were not meant to be. She was already promised to another, but we didn't care. We took advantage of the time we had until she moved away to be married. A short time after, she gave birth to a girl. Her new husband could not stand the fact she was not pure for him and hid the fact that it wasn't his child."
"That's so sad," Sophia responded. "To be unable to be with the one you love."
He sat back in his chair. "Yes, but sadder days were to come. Three years after, I received a visitor at my door. That's when Josephina came to live with me. Her mother had passed on from an illness. Kyrina's husband decided that he wanted nothing to do with her illegitimate daughter. The girl was three and had just lost her mother and was sent away by the man she thought was her father. It was hard on her, and me; but we made it through."
He rose from his chair and went to the table on the opposite side of the room from the picture. Sophia let her eyes take in the image of Woltar's daughter. When he returned to his chair he sat a glass of water in front of her. He took a sip from his own cup before continuing.
"At that time I was close to Glou Nox, Albel's father. His family would come over regularly for dinner events and such. Young Albel was also three at the time. Albel and Josephina became close and played together often. But, as the years went by many tragedies struck us."
"When Albel was ten, his mother went into a hard labor. She was pregnant with a girl and Glou was thrilled, but the labor didn't go well. The results were devastating. Both mother and child were lost. In one night, Albel lost both a mother and a sister."
"Oh, how sad." Sophia did her best to restrain her sorrowful tone, but failed.
"It was at that time Albel started to slip from us. He was always a rambunctious child, but his feelings of lost were becoming a dominating trait in his personality. Josephina did her best and it seemed she was bringing him out of sorrow for a while. It took her a while and a lot of effort, but she was persistent. Then tragedy struck again. This time it took away Glou; leaving Albel parentless at the age of fifteen."
Woltar stopped briefly. Sophia could feel the lump in her throat, but she was able to swallow it back down.
"The death of his father was particularly tough on him. Albel failed the Accession of the Flame ceremony and that was what cost Glou his life. Albel was unable to commune with the spirit of the air dragon and the penalty was death. Unable to watch his son die, Glou took the punishment. That day left a scar on Albel's heart that cut deep. Once again, Josephina set to work at helping him. He pushed her away at first and it wasn't an easy task for her. But she wouldn't stop and after a year he was starting to listen to her. They had grown up together and I'm guessing you know how a relationship like that can be?"
She nodded, turning her thoughts briefly to Fayt. "Yes. It's almost like having a sibling, but it's not. It's a friendship that's like no other and it's special."
Woltar took another sip of his water and cleared his throat. "Josephina had just turned seventeen when she fell victim to the same illness that had taken her mother. For months she was too weak to leave the mansion. She spent her free time making the outfit you wear now. She claimed it to be her crowing achievement. Albel would visit regularly and each time she would show him her progress on the outfit. When she had it done, she put it in the chest and claimed that it would be the first thing she wore when she was able to leave the mansion."
He paused. Sophia wondered how hard it was for him to tell this story. So far his voice had been soothing and even. She had to wonder how he could tell her this without crying. She sure wanted to cry.
"She never left the mansion before the illness took her. She was your age when she passed."
Sophia held her hand in a loose fist at her heart and set her eyes on her lap. "Sir Woltar, if you want you can have it back. I know it must mean a lot to you."
He chuckled lightly, causing her to look up at him. "No, my child. You are very much like Josephina. You and she share the same kind spirit and the same determination. As fragile as you seem, I see the same fighting spirit in you she had. The instinct to aid those you see who need it and the courage to take on tasks that others would find hopeless. She never failed at those hopeless tasks, and neither will you."
She forced a smile at him. Then something occurred to her. "And Albel? When she passed how did that affect him?"
Woltar's face became slack. "That was when he stopped caring. That day was when he became what you see now. He has a heart somewhere in there, but he hides it. He's suffered more then any man should."
"Do you t-think I could help? Even just a little or would I be overstepping my boundaries?" She was hesitant. She couldn't help but to wonder if she would be able to do anything. It was obvious that she reminded Woltar of Josephina, so she must also remind Albel of her. Would she help, or just push him further down? She didn't want to take Josephina's place. She was Sophia, and her want to help was her own. Still, she didn't want to do anything that would only make the situation worst.
"That, my dear, is exactly what I know. You might be the only one who can reach him."
"Then, can I see him?"
"I will arrange it, but let me warn you first. He won't like anyone seeing him in the state he's in now."
She nodded. "Okay."
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That morning, Mirage had woken early and set immediately to Aquaria. She had made it to the castle with little problem, but getting into the castle was another story. The entrance was guarded.
She didn't want to force her way in; not while she didn't know exactly where Cliff was. Her best option was to walk the town and gather what information she could. Throughout that morning, she had gathered enough to know that they had not arrived yet. She must have beaten them there or missed them along the way.
She went back to the entrance to wait for them when she was met with a sight that confused her. Walking slowly toward the entrance was Sophia. She blinked once before meeting the girl half way.
"Sophia?" she asked as she approached the girl. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. Sophia appeared to be ill.
"Oh, no. Sorry, but I'm Ameena. You're the second person to call me Sophia." Ameena took another step toward Mirage and fell. She was unconscious.
Reacting quickly, Mirage was able to catch the girl before she hit the ground. She rested her softy on the stone pavement and checked her pulse. The girl was alive, but clearly ill. Mirage was so distracted with Ameena that she didn't recognize the voice that spoke from behind her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes... But we'd better get her to a doctor immediately." She turned and was shocked to see Fayt standing right behind her.
Following the boy was Cliff. "Well if it isn't Mirage."
"Mirage?"
She felt a certain relief overcome her. "Cliff, Fayt. Reunited at last."
"What have ya been up to?"
Mirage smiled. "I've been tracking you down. It was easy enough, with all the stories you left in your wake. I just arrived here-only to see this girl collapse in front of my eyes. We need to get her to a doctor, quick."
Fayt looked around Mirage to see who she was talking about. "Flowers...? Ameena?"
"What is she doing here?" Nel asked in concern.
Mirage noticed that Fayt seemed to panic a bit. "How should I know? We gotta get her help!"
"Take her to the inn and I'll go summon the doctor."
Mirage nodded at the Aquarian's words and lifted the girl off the ground. She followed them back into the streets and to the inn. Once everything was settled the doctor had left. Mirage met with Cliff while Fayt and Nel went in to check on Ameena. They talked. First Cliff shared his experiences and then she took her turn.
"So, she is in Airyglyph. That's what I thought when I heard about this Venus Witch."
"Yes, she has been in the care of one named Albel Nox," Mirage replied.
"Huh? Not that jerk? He's got a bad rep. He aint hurting her none is he?"
"No, actually it seems the two get along just fine."
He caught the hidden message in her eyes. "Wait, you mean 'Albel the Wicked', as it's put, gets along with someone like her. She hasn't changed since she got here has she?"
"No, she hasn't. And yes, he has a reputation and it is well earned but for some reason he's civilized with her. Speaking of getting along, how are you and what's her name? Nel? How are you two getting along?"
He chuckled lightly. "You know me too well."
Their conversation was cut short when Fayt and Nel left the room Ameena was in.
Fayt shook his head. "Damn, why'd she have to go and pull a thing like this?"
"Hey, keep it cool." Cliff responded.
Mirage nodded. After what Cliff had told her, the results of him getting too upset might prove to be unpredictable.
"But...!"
"I said relax." Cliff said with a little more force.
"But Ameena... She's running out of time!"
"I know. But what can we do?"
"I'm sorry." Nel said, trying to hide any emotion from her voice. "We're running out of time ourselves. Her Majesty has summoned both of you."
Cliff looked at Nel. "Is something wrong?"
"You'll hear all the details inside the castle. It looks like Airyglyph's invasion is not far from starting. Their troops are gathering and will depart for Arias with a day or two. Not only that, we have information that indicates this time all three of Airyglyph's brigades are taking part in the battle..."
"Oh man."
"I think they are going to try and wipe us out before we can complete the Thunder Arrow. Duke Vox is commanding them."
Fayt shook his head in disbelief. "So they're trying to end it all in a single blow?"
"It looks like that. At any rate, Dion will head to Arias with every completed weapon at our disposal. I don't know how much he'll be able to accomplish."
"Dion...?" A weak voice caused everyone to look at the door way. Ameena stood hanging to the door frame. Her breath was heavy. The task of getting up was hard on her.
After Fayt got the girl back in the bed, they all learned that Dion was the one she had come to see. Apparently Fayt would not proceed further until he was able to see Dion and tell him about Ameena. The decision was made. Cliff went with Fayt to retrieve Dion, Nel stayed with Ameena and Mirage set quickly back to Airyglyph. If a war was about to start, she needed to be able to keep an eye on Sophia.
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Sophia followed Woltar through the corridor. She carefully balanced the bowl of water she carried with both hands. She pinched the rag between the fingers of her left hand and had a small cup tucked under her right arm.
He led her through the dungeons and stopped in front of a cell. Having the key, he opened the door and turned to her. "I will leave you to it, my dear." He gave her a quick smile and walked past her and back the way they had come.
Well, that was odd. Sophia couldn't help but to wonder why he would open the door like that and leave. Sure, Albel had gone willingly but to just leave the door open without concern was something she didn't expect or understand. When she finally drew the courage to look inside she understood. Not only was he locked in the room, but he was also chained to the wall.
She restrained her shock and managed to enter the room silently. His head was hung and she couldn't see if his eyes were open or not, but if they were open then his vision was set to the floor and not at her. She set the bowl down and gathered some water in the small cup.
She approached him, but he still didn't move. "A-Albel?" She spoke softly, her voice just over a whisper.
She saw the muscles in his arms twitch slightly, but he didn't look at her. At least she knew he wasn't asleep. Woltar had warned her that he wouldn't want her there, but she had felt that if she didn't see him then she would be the one who was abandoning him. She couldn't explain it and she didn't care too. This was something she just had to do.
"I've got some water. Um, I'm sure you're thirsty."
He lifted his head slightly and opened one eye to look at her. He grunted disapprovingly. "What are you doing here, wench?"
"I-I wanted to see you." She took a step closer. Because of the way he hung, she was able to look at his face without having to look up much. She held the water up. His eye dropped from her face to the cup. He grunted again and turned his head away from her.
She knew he didn't like to depend on others. She had already prepared herself for a struggle. She knew he wasn't going to give in and just accept the fact she was there. She had to work at this and she expected nothing less then an argument from him.
"Please, Albel. I know you're thirsty."
He didn't look at her. "Just leave."
"No."
He turned his head toward her again and looked at her through his hair. "What, you think me pathetic? This," he shook his arms to make his chains rattle. "This is nothing and I don't need your help."
"I didn't come here because I thought you were pathetic. I came here to see how you were doing. I came here because I was worried about you."
He let out a dark chuckle which made her shiver slightly. "Worried about me? You? And what did you hope to accomplish? What did you think you could do? You don't seem to be of much use. Your energy would have been better set on getting yourself home. That's what you desire, isn't it? To get home and see your family? Why worry about me?" His tone was harsh and indicated that he didn't really expect her to answer him.
"Because I care," she blurted. Why she said that, she wasn't sure. All she knew is that her answer had been swift and honest.
"Care?" he laughed. His laugh was cruel. "That is useless. A wasted emotion."
She pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face and looked him in the eye. She wished his hair didn't hide his eyes; she wanted to look at him directly with no obstacles. "Caring is not useless. And really, how would that affect you anyway? My feelings are my own and they won't change based on how you feel or what you say." She waited, but he didn't respond. "Regardless, why not just take a sip of water. It's not like the water cares so you shouldn't have a problem with it."
He grunted at her again. He remained as he was and didn't move. She swallowed and stepped closer. She held the cup up slightly. He responded by closing his eyes and turning away from her again. He was more stubborn then she thought.
She stood her ground and was determined not to move until he came around. She wouldn't have moved if someone hadn't grabbed her arm and pulled her back. In response, the cup fell from her hand, spilling the water at Albel's feet.
She gasped as she was jerked forcefully back. She swung to see who it was and paled when she came face to face with Vox. She pulled her arm but he wouldn't let go. Then she used her other hand to try and pry his fingers off of her, but he was too strong.
"What's this? I see the little witch has come to check on the traitor. He is un-reputable, sweetheart. You would be best to stick with me."
Sophia could hear Albel growl behind her. She ignored him and put her full attention on the man in front of her. "Let go!" she demanded.
"Oh, now come, come. I leave soon for war." He leaned in close to her and smiled evilly. "Why don't you come and see me off?"
Albel let out another deep growl. His chains rattled slightly. Vox moved his head so his cheek was beside Sophia's ear as he spoke. "Oh, don't worry Nox. I've had her kind before. Yes, fresh meat. I know how they act when cornered. I won't damage her…much." He pulled back and gave her a devilish look.
She was repulsed and angry. She didn't get angry easy, but there was something about Vox that sparked an emotion as close to hate in her as she was able to muster. She pulled back and put her full force into slapping his face. The sound of the impact echoed through the small room.
"I said let go." Consumed with anger, her voice was harsh and demanding.
He rubbed his cheek and grinned. "Heh, the girl's got spirit." He pulled her closer and grabbed her other arm. He had her pinned just like the time he had her in the kitchen. Her anger toward him churned in her gut as he leaned forward again. She knew he was going to kiss her. Did the man have no decency? Did he expect her to just stand there and take it? He leaned closer and Sophia did something she never thought once she would do. She spit in his face.
He had driven her past the point of integrity. She didn't care if she angered him. She wanted to anger him. She wanted him to feel what she was feeling. At that moment, all she wanted was to hurt him. And hurt him bad.
He released her arms and returned the slap; only his slap was more forceful and sent her to the floor. She landed hard on her knees. Her eyes teared up from the pain as she held her cheek. Her face felt like it was on fire.
She felt him hover over her and a new determination set in. She stood up defiantly and looked him in the eye. She balled her fists and held them at her sides. "Back off," she said through her teeth.
"Oh, and what if I don't? You won't be saved this time."
His glare penetrated her and she clenched her fist tighter. She could feel her fingernails digging into her palms. "If you don't, then I'll show you why they call me witch."
She was ready to take him on with a fire she had never felt before. She used her anger as a weapon and was ready to use her symbology to teach him a thing or two. She had left her staff in her room, but that didn't matter. The staff only amplified her spells and she could still cast them regardless.
"That is quite enough!" Woltar said from the cell's entrance. His voice was raised in anger.
Vox turned his whole body to face the door; exposing his back to her. "Keep out of this, Woltar. It doesn't concern you. This is between me and the whore."
Sophia found that her anger grew more then she ever thought possible. She'd always ignored being called names in the past, but for some reason she couldn't ignore it when he did. And never had she once been called a whore. She felt her symbology working through her. His back made an appealing target.
"Sophia!"
Her symbology abruptly stopped when she heard her name. She looked at Albel. Her anger had become shock at the sound of his voice.
Woltar stepped into the cell. "She has the King's permission, Vox. It is advisable that you leave or I will be forced to report this incident."
Vox matched out of the cell, but turned one last time and looked at Sophia. "You got lucky this time, but you can take me at my word. I will have what you can give." With a smug look on his face he left the room.
Woltar shook his head and moved to Sophia. He put his hand on her shoulder and inspected her face. The whole left side of her face was red and already slightly swollen. "We should get something on that."
"I'm f-fine," she replied meekly.
"Humph. You're not fine. You nearly cost yourself a permanent stay in the dungeons."
Woltar nodded in agreement. "Albel's right. If you had attacked Vox then you would have been imprisoned."
"But he attacked me."
"It doesn't matter," Woltar said calmly. "We are still at war and he's a captain. He leaves tomorrow and it is best advised that you do not venture out much before then. Do you think you can do that?"
She nodded, unable to speak. Despite the life she had led, she was now in a different time and the rules had changed. She suppressed her symbology, saving only enough to heal her face.
"You have quite a temper." She lifted her gaze to Albel. He smirked.
Her face became red from embarrassment. "I-I don't know what came over me. For the first time in my life I really wanted to hurt someone. I…"
"It's okay, dear. Let's get you back to your room. A nap is just the cure you need right now."
She followed Woltar out after giving Albel one last look. He continued to smirk at her but there was a hint of pride in his eyes. She smiled wearily at him before leaving.
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(A/N) As you can probably guess, I never liked Vox much. And I really don't think it's out of character for her to react this way. In a situation like that, there's no telling how someone would react. I was always shy and people used to walk all over me when I was 17, but at that time I was confronted (not like in the story, but similar) and before I knew it I was in the guy's face and he backed down. Of course, I was scared half to death but I was so angry also. If I had known symbology then the guy would have walked away with a few burns.
And now we know about Josephina. Not a past lover, but the childhood friend.
Points I would like to draw attention to:
1 – I do believe that the eyes are the door way to the soul. I think that people tell more with their eyes and body language then anything else.
2 – Notice the similarities in the name I chose for Woltar's daughter and Sophia. Josephina – Sophia. Similar but different.
3 – Remember, Fayt changed in the game and grew up some. I'm trying to pull the same stunt on Sophia so you might notice she starts to take charge more and more as this story goes on.
4 – In actuality, Albel wanted to see her hit Vox in the back with a spell, but he didn't want her imprisoned. And yes, he shocked her by calling her name for the first time.
5 – I don't see Mirage as the jealous type so she's picking on Cliff in this chapter. I can see her cheering him on; even if only silently so that does leave it open if I can worm it in to have her play matchmaker.
And finally, I'm sure it's known but just for reference I'll explain the connection I hoped to achieve with using Venus. Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, springtime and flowers and the planet is the brightest one in the sky. In mythology Venus (Roman name)/ Aphrodite (Greek name) had a thing with Mars (Roman name)/Aries (Greek name). Mars was the god of war and destruction – um, wait, does that sound familiar? Also, you know what they say – women are from Venus and men are from Mars.