Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean or its Characters.
Note: I got this chapter ready and went on FF to see what was going on first, and saw another story with almost the same title (actually - it's the same title with the number 3 added in it. I read it and it's really funny so I'm not complaining too much - just seems that my title got stolen). I was going to change the title of this – but now I'm not sure if it will confuse people or not so for now I'll leave it as I originally have it.
Also, I hope the pace of this isn't too fast. The last thing I want to do is bore you readers (and myself) by putting in every detail…it would take forever to write and read if I did that.
Star Ocean: The Untold Story
Chapter 13: Flutes and Sprites and Dragons – Oh My.
Most of the morning was spent in a workshop where Fayt made a Dragon Bone Flute. Afterwards, the time was spent battling dragons that appeared when Fayt would play the flute wrong in order to open doors.
The first thing that came to Sophia's mind was that it was odd to see doors that opened in response to a flute. The flute imitated the sound of a dragon – fair enough. If this was a way for the dragons to enter and exit then that was fair enough also. But she felt like she was more in a puzzle then on a mission to ask for help from the Marques.
The second thing that weighed on her mind was she had noticed a trend develop while battling. Almost immediately; Fayt, Cliff and Albel would charge the monsters. Nel would stand back and hit the enemy with her runology when there was a clear shot. Mirage and Maria would fill-in for one of the guys if they got hurt too bad. Like always, Sophia just stood to the side and healed when required. Only on rare occasions would she actually get a hit in. All this wasn't what got her attention. Her attention was drawn to the fact that if a monster got too close to her, the creature almost always died thanks to none other then Albel.
The Ruins of Barr were one door away. They stopped for a short rest. There was one more door to open and the group needed to be prepared for Fayt to once again play the wrong tune. He surprised everyone when he played it right the first time.
"Oh great," Nel said standing at his side. "The last door and you finally get it right."
"I'm just glad we don't have to fight again," Sophia said softly from the rear.
"Bah," Albel spoke. He stood at the rear and by her side. Another trend she had noticed.
They had finally made it to the Ruins of Barr and a unanimous decision was made to rest. The prior battles had put a dent in their supplies and it was only wise to rest before facing the Marques.
First, the area was explored to be sure of an undisturbed rest. A room was found and the group gasped upon entering. The shelves were lined with dragon parts preserved in jars of various sizes.
"Live together with dragons? Is this what that means?" Cliff asked turning a complete circle to inspect the room.
Fayt shook his head. "They entered the dragons' lair, hunted them down, and then performed all kinds of experiments on them."
"Seems so. If they were really living together, they wouldn't mercilessly slaughter them like this."
Sophia gasped again. "How terrible."
"Hmph."
"Something wrong?" Sophia asked looking up at the man at her side.
"Do you realize how many dragons we've killed so far?"
"But we--!"
"'We had no choice,' is what you were going to say, right? Either way you look at it, there's really not much of a difference."
Sophia shivered and hugged herself defensively. He was right. She hadn't thought of it that way. She looked up to see that Nel also shared her feelings.
The group made a hasty retreat. Further investigation provided another puzzle that was easily figured out. With the help of the dragon's cranium and Fayt's newly mastered skills with the flute, the final door was opened.
When a winged boy appeared, Sophia's instinct was issuing warnings like crazy. She should have known that things wouldn't be easy – but did they have to get harder?
"What the--?" Fayt said as the boy flew circles around the group. "Who's that?"
The boy stopped and hovered in front of Fayt. "Hello there! It's been quite some time since anybody's come this way! It's gonna be fun having somebody to beat up again!"
The battle was the toughest they had dealt with so far. The boy was small but extremely fast. His wind attacks kept Nel out of the fight. Nel was needed to fill in for Sophia who was too busy casting Cure Condition on anyone who was 'confused' thanks to the small sprite. Sophia would cure and Nel would heal. Mirage provided her best cover for the two, though there were times all three had to duck and avoid a head on attack.
The sprite was almost finished when he released his last attack in desperation. As soon as his attack was thrown, Cliff managed to deal the last blow. Sophia darted her attention frantically from Cliff to the wind attack which shot straight at her. She blinked and threw herself on the ground. She closed her eyes and waited.
When she felt pressure on her, she twitched instinctively and waited for the pain. The pain never came. It was then she realized that the pressure on her was too heavy to be an attack.
When the pressure finally relieved itself from her, she was able to see that Albel had used himself as a shield – taking the attack in her stead. She shuttered as she watched him sit back, breathing heavily. In the process of trying to avoid the attack, she had dropped her staff. She quickly glanced around, but was unable to find the missing object.
Sitting up on her knees, she reached out and placed both hands on his chest. He flinched and started to move away.
"Just hold still," she mumbled before starting to chant under her breath.
He noticed her motivations and sat as ordered. Though he cursed himself for not giving in to his first instinct to leave her touch, he found it slightly amusing that he didn't mind her hands on him. He scowled at himself as her symbology went to work.
When she was done, she placed her hands on her knees and smiled at him. "Better?" she said too cheerful for his taste.
He grunted and was surprised to see her smile widen. "Good," she said standing and dusting herself off.
"Sophia," Maria said approaching her. "Here, you dropped this." She held up the staff. "You might want to be more careful."
"Thanks, Maria."
"Well now, shall we," Cliff said indicating the Urssa Lava Caves.
Everyone groaned when they entered. The heat made it hard to breath and the monsters in the area made life just that much more difficult. One thing Sophia couldn't understand was that they followed Fayt. She had confidence in him, but she couldn't help but to wonder why he was chosen to lead. He wasn't even from this planet.
After a series of dead ends and one locked door, they discovered a statue of a bunny.
Sophia giggled softly, drawing Mirage's attention. The woman simply smiled back. "You think it's cute don't you?"
"Yeah," Sophia responded. "But there's something about it that makes me wonder."
"Wonder what?"
"Give me a second," Sophia said holding up a finger to the blonde. She stood in front of the statue and examined the figure from top to bottom. Then she rounded to the back, leaving the group to wonder what she was up to.
When she surfaced from the other side, she smiled. "Just as I thought," she said holding up a key.
"Sophia, how did you know?" Fayt asked.
"Easy, this whole day has been nothing but one puzzle after the other. I only assumed that the statue held some importance and was another puzzle."
She passed the key over to Fayt who inspected it closely. "A key with rabbit ears..."
"Let me guess," Maria said picking up on Sophia's comment about a puzzle. "This must fit that door we found earlier."
By the time they found the door, Sophia was exhausted. The almost unbearable heat did little good for the fact they were low on supplies and she was low on energy should her symbology be needed. When another room was found, Sophia involuntarily cringed and wondered what they would have to fight this time.
To her pleasure, there was no fight. Just a humanoid rabbit who called himself Vanilla. He was nice and offered to make a ring they would need to get pass the volcanic rock blocking the path to the Marquis. To her displeasure, they were headed back to Airyglyph to retrieve the item needed to make the ring.
She wanted to scream at someone – anyone, but it was no one's fault. She hated the idea of backtracking in order to move forward. She did her best and looked on the bright side; at least they would be able to restock on supplies.
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It was the next day before they were back in Airyglyph and night was fast approaching. The decision was made and the group split up. Sophia, Mirage and Albel headed to the castle where each had a bed to sleep in. Fayt, Maria, Cliff and Nel would stay at the inn in town.
The plan was for Fayt, Maria and Cliff to go to the Aqueducts in the morning and get the stone Vanilla required to make the ring. Nel would send a message to the Queen and inform her of their progress. Albel would inform the King.
Sophia was thankful for the short break. After she was done with dinner she parted from Mirage to wander the halls of the castle. As much as she hated to 'backtrack' she had missed the castle and was glad to be back even if it was just briefly.
During her walk, she found a door she had not noticed before. Giving in to curiosity, she opened the door only to be confronted by a winding staircase. She climbed the stairs and stood in awe at what she found. It was a tower overlooking the castle. The scenery was breath taking. She stood at the rail's edge and watched the snow fall in the moon light.
She heard the footsteps behind her just seconds before her intruder spoke. "What are you doing here?"
She turned to come face to face with Albel. She smiled before resuming her previous position at the rail. "It's beautiful."
He moved to stand beside her. "It's just snow."
She giggled and looked up at him. "Just snow? No, it's much more. The whole scene is beautiful. The castle, the moon light…and the snow is like something out of a book. It's so peaceful up here. Almost like you can just get lost in this moment and forget about everything else."
A cold wind blew, causing her to shiver. "You're cold. Stay up here too long and you'll get sick."
She nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She followed him down the stairs. When they reached the door, a question came to her.
"Albel?"
"Hmm."
"What were you doing up there? You weren't looking for me were you?"
He stopped and glared down at her. "Don't be ridiculous."
She couldn't help but to show her disappointment. "Oh, sorry. I guess it was a silly question."
"Go to bed, girl. You need your rest."
He parted ways with her and she sulked on the way to her room. What had she expected him to say? She wasn't sure, but she definitely felt she was growing closer to him. The realization saddened her. She knew she would have to leave Elicoor behind. And that meant leaving him behind.
But it wasn't like he shared her feelings. That was just a silly thing to think. Sure he was nicer to her then when she first met him, but she was sure that was only due to the fact she reminded him of Josephina.
She had just reached her door when she noticed Mirage walking the hall in front of her. The woman gave her a brief smile. "I was looking for you."
"Sorry about that. I found a tower and lost track of time."
The two entered the room. "Did you see Albel along your way back?"
"Yeah, he found me in the tower."
"Oh good. Then he knows where you are."
Sophia gave her a curious look. "What do you mean?"
Mirage smiled. "He didn't tell you did he?" Sophia shook her head; causing Mirage to chuckle lightly. "I ran into him a short while back and asked him if he had seen you. It was getting late and you need to rest. He gave me a typical 'no and what do I care' answer. I asked him to keep an eye out if he should spot you. I guess he did more then that since he was headed to bed himself."
Sophia collapsed on the bed. "So he was looking for me."
"That would seem to be the case."
Sophia covered her face with her hands and smiled. He had been looking for her. She couldn't help but to feel the pit of her stomach leave her. He acted like he didn't care, but she knew differently. She would have to pay more attention to him. She was sure there was a way to tell when he was showing affection or not – though he would deny it.
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The return trip was easier then the first time. Thankfully all the doors remained open and no new monsters appeared to make life harder. They made a brief stop by Vanilla's workshop.
Suddenly backtracking didn't seem like a bad idea. Sophia was glad for the break and felt refreshed. She still dreaded facing the dragon, but at least everyone was ready for it. She only hoped he wouldn't fight them. She would fight if needed, but she hated doing so.
The volcanic rock was easily removed with the new ring designed by Vanilla. The passage led to a large room. Sophia studied the room intensely as she followed the others. She never imagined such a large open space would exist inside the caves.
"It's huge..." Fayt said, stopping the group.
"Now that's just too big."
Sophia peered around the two and gasped. The dragon was larger then she had imagined.
Cliff cocked his head to the side; chin in hand. "I can see why they call him the Marquis. Impressive."
Nel shifted uneasily. "I really hope he'll go along with our proposal..."
"It won't be that easy, fool."
Nel shot Albel a murderous glance. "What did you call me?"
Their argument was short lived. The dragon moved his arm, drawing the attention of the whole group.
"Huh? It moved!" Sophia gasped. She took a small step back.
The dragon moved more; raising his head. "Who dares disturb my sleep?"
"Whoa! The dragon talks!"
"...Another ill-mannered human, I see." The dragon said raising up some more. "Do you believe you are the masters of all creation? Why are you so surprised that other creatures can speak? You act as though you know everything. Ages pass, yet you humans never learn."
Nel approached the dragon and knelt down. "I'm Nel Zelpher, agent of Aquaria. We've come to request the Marquis's aid, Your Excellency."
"A maiden of Aquaria? Speak your purpose."
"Yes, Your Excellency. A great threat is menacing these lands. We need Your Excellency's help to stop it."
"Hmph. I sensed the restlessness outside. What would you have me do?"
"We'd like you to bear the runological weapon we developed, so that we can deal with this threat."
"Imbeciles! You would have me bear on my own back something made by human hands? Do not insult me, humans. I am great and ancient, and you are nothing. How could you think I would acquiesce to such a foolish request?"
Sophia stepped to Fayt's side. "We meant no insult. We need your help."
The dragon grunted at her, blowing hot air out his nostrils.
"Even so," Nel responded. "We cannot leave until you agree!"
"I could not care less!"
"Nel, forget it," Cliff said approaching her. "Turkeys like this need to be smacked around a bit before they'll listen."
"Now that's a first. We're both of the same opinion."
Sophia gave Albel a short glance. She could feel the fear swell in her gut. Out of all the things they had fought, nothing had been that big.
Maria put her hand on her hip. "I agree that humans are nothing special. But I wonder if you are as great as you say you are. Perhaps you need a lesson in humility."
"Your Excellency... Is there no way you'll agree to cooperate?" Sophia asked, desperate to avoid a fight.
"None!"
"Oh well. We'll have to force you to listen!" Fayt said removing his sword.
Sophia instinctively drew her staff as the others drew their respective weapons.
"You are free to try," the dragon laughed. "Convince me of your worth and I shall listen to all you have to say!"
"We'll hold you to your word, Your Excellency!"
"It is a promise I shall not have to keep!"
The dragon charged the group. Keeping up with their routine for dealing with enemies, Sophia was surprised that the fight didn't last long before the dragon had backed down. She had only had to heal a few times and the group was barely out of breath.
"Not bad for mere humans." The dragon eyed them as he spoke. "And an even better challenge than that man who subdued Tempest. This shall be the first time in ages I have had to really earn my name!"
The dragon charged again, only this time he seemed to have gained new life. Nope, life never was that easy. Sophia ran quickly for the corner.
She had made it halfway when the dragon flew a short distance into the air; flapping his wings furiously. The waves hit the entire party, including Sophia. She was knocked down and immediately noticed her energy reduce. It was clear that they were facing another foe who dealt mental attacks.
She popped a berry in her mouth as she stood. She darted her gaze frantically over the group; only slightly relieved to see them all standing.
The first one up and ready to attack was Mirage. She managed to get a hit in before the beast flung her away with his tail. She landed on the ground near Sophia.
Sophia tried not to panic as she approached the blonde. Normally Mirage would have moved by now and attempted to stand. The woman remained still, causing Sophia's pulse to quicken.
She knelt down and turned Mirage over to her back. The sounds of the fight in the background took second on her list of priorities. Her first priority was to inspect Mirage and to help her.
Tears flooded Sophia's eyes when she noticed the woman was not breathing. Mirage couldn't die…she just couldn't. Sophia shook her by her shoulders, calling her name between sobs. It did no good – Mirage didn't respond.
Just when the pain had become so great Sophia was sure she would cry endlessly, a familiar pressure settled in her gut. It was a feeling she had grown accustom too; the feeling of her symbology growing. Acting on instinct she let her newly aquired power flow.
"Restoration!"
The symbological light surrounded Mirage. Within seconds the woman gasped loudly for breath. She coughed and blinked. "Sophia?"
Sophia wiped her face. "Mirage! You're alive, thank goodness. I thought you died…" Sophia went pale. She had died. Finding strength in a rush of adrenaline, she pulled the woman into a seating position and hugged her fiercely.
Mirage returned the hug before nicely pushing Sophia way. Both of them stood to check on the others just in time to see the dragon fall to the ground.
It was over. They had won.
"Arrr... To live 700 years only to suffer at the hands of mere humans."
"You'll keep your word, right?" Maria asked approaching the dragon.
"Though it is humiliating to serve your kind, breaking one's word is a despicable act. I have no choice."
"All right then."
"You may ride on my back, small but powerful humans. I shall bear you wherever you desire."
Sophia reluctantly followed the others as they mounted the dragon. Thoughts of her first dragon ride hung like bad reminders in her head.
A low chuckled drew her out of her thoughts. Sitting beside her she found Albel smirking. "Aren't afraid of flying are you?" he teased.
"N-no, it's just I…" She was cut off when the dragon took flight. The sudden shift was unexpected and she felt her seat leave her. She was falling. She clinched her eyes shut and yelped.
Her fall came to an abrupt end when she hit something. She didn't need to open her eyes to know what had just happened. It had become a routine she wasn't sure if she liked or not. She would get herself in trouble and Albel would get her out. She liked the fact he was looking out for her, but she feared looking week.
Why did she feel this way? It was irrational and unexplained. All she knew is that it was the way she felt and she couldn't change it no matter how hard she tried.
"Next time watch what you're doing." he said sitting her back down.
She blushed. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting to take off that suddenly."
The ride itself was peaceful. The dragon had told them his name. After the fight, he seemed a lot nicer and Sophia was happy he didn't act too reluctant to help. She knew with his help they would be able to carry the Thunder Arrow.
The only thing she hated was that someone else had to get involved in the whole affair.
Once they had arrived back at the castle in Aquaria, Sophia simply listened to the plans. It would seem that Crosell wouldn't allow anyone but them to ride him. She cringed at the though of yet another dragon ride, but she had grown to like him some. He really didn't seem all that bad once he stopped acting superior.
He vaguely reminded her of someone else she knew.
The group split up to allow time for the Thunder Arrow to be put in place. Sophia chose to walk the garden for a while before setting out to find Albel. She had something she wanted to say. She only hoped he would listen.
When she couldn't find him in the castle, she searched the streets. She found him pacing the main road of Aquios. She approached him and waited for him to see her. She was greeted with a neutral expression.
"Hey."
He grunted at her.
His stare suddenly made her nervous. She took a breath. "You know, it won't be long before we leave and I just wanted to be sure I was able to say goodbye first. I don't know what's going to happen, but I wanted to thank you for all you've done to help."
"It was an order, nothing more."
She gave him a smile. "Not just that. I mean for everything."
He rose and eyebrow to question her. "Like?"
"Well, first you saved me from that tree. Then there was Vox, not to mention all the battles we fought just to get the Marquis. I know you've been looking out for me and I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."
"Do you do that often?"
"Huh? Do what?"
"Take the blame for everything."
"I-I don't know."
"Well, stop," he said bluntly. "Not everything is your fault."
"Okay." She gave him her best smile. "I'm really going to miss you when I have to leave. Maybe I can come back and visit when this is all over." She had made the statement, but meant it as a question.
"Bah, doesn't matter to me," he said walking toward the castle.
She trotted to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see if those fools are done yet. I tire of waiting."
They had just approached the castle when Cliff greeted them at the front door. "There you two are. Fayt's been looking for you."
"Bah."
"Is it already time to leave?"
"Yup. So, let's get the show on the road."
Sophia walked behind Cliff. She could feel Albel following her. She knew he had meant more then he said when he told her it didn't matter to him. She had learned to notice his quirks over the time she had spent with him. He had responded with unconcerned words but had walked away at the same time.
A sure sign he wished to change the subject. She almost smiled and would have if she had been able to forget the fact she was about to leave the planet – and him along with it.
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(A/N) I couldn't help but to add the part about Fayt's bad flute playing skills. I was reading the script and could recall vividly all the trouble I went through to make the thing play the right way. So, this way I had someone to blame – Fayt! Yes, sometimes I can be mean.