Title: Make Your Peace

Author: Ari

Warnings: Shounen ai, Character death, violence, swearing, M for language and violence.

Disclaimer: Fayt and co aren't mine.

Summary: Journeying together, Albel repeatedly lashes out at Fayt, trying to get the smaller man to unleash his power and allow him a challenge. In the mean time, Fayt is wasting away from mental anguish and repeated abuse from the one person he can't seem to leave behind.

Part 3 of 4

Memories of Days Gone

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//They say

I have to be aware

That one day

You wont let me go//

XXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm…staying here this time."

Albel eyed him warily. There wasn't a single time in the four or five years after Luther's defeat that Fayt had stayed behind. Albel Nox wasn't sure how he felt about this, but Fayt was keenly avoiding his gaze, so he huffed and stepped into the transporter alone.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Fayt sat in his room, staring at the gray metal walls and sigh. He was bored. There was absolutely nothing to do here. Why he let that girl convince him to stay was beyond him, he probably wouldn't see Albel for months now, especially without him to force him to meet back up with the Diplo. Hell, he might not ever meet back up with them…

"Fayt, I insist you stay here for this duration." Nel stood squarely in front of him, blocking the door.

"I don't want to. It's boring here, and Albel needs someone to spar with."

Nel glared. "That excuse is getting old, Fayt." She shook her head. "I don't care what you say or how much you protest, you're staying here for this duration. You need to heal up completely. Do you want to die?"

Fayt rolled his eyes; it was a stupid question. "Of course not."

"Then stay here. We're all worried about you. Besides, you shouldn't be around Albel so much, for you own good."

"What does that mean? He's never betrayed us."

The woman sighed and sat down on the desk, her eyes down cast. "Fayt…you don't want Albel to…get attached, I suppose…"

Fayt stared at her dumbly, not understanding exactly where the Aquarian woman was going with this.

"Look." She tried. "I've…heard…that when Albel gets attached to someone or something…he thinks of it as HIS, a possession. Eventually he'll just stop letting you come back. He'll stop letting you talk to us. You'll be like a slave, and if you don't listen, he'll kill you." She stared at him seriously. "You wont be a person to him, you'll be a trophy of sorts."

"Right…Good one, Nel…" but he wondered slightly if she was telling the truth, Albel was insisting on longer and longer stays each time.

Seeing that he didn't quite believe her, Nel quickly decided to strike a deal. "Look, stay here and heal up for one duration. You'll be away from Nox for awhile and allow your body to heal so you'll be in tip top shape for the next time."

Fayt hesitated but he really did kind of want to catch up with Sophia and Maria.

"Okay, but only for three months, then I'm telling Albel to rendezvous with us."

Nel agreed quickly. Three months was better than nothing.

And so here Fayt was, sitting happily on his bed and staring at the wall, just as he'd done for the past month. Each day Maria forced him to the medic room to weigh him and give him shots and take test and such and such. It was irritating. Then he'd go and talk with Sophia, who was suddenly ecstatic and giddy that he was staying for a while. She was a little clingy and it was wearing on his nerves.

How much longer till he got to meet up with Albel again?

He dropped back to stare at the ceiling and decided to get some sleep. Days seemed to go by much faster when he slept through them.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Maria sat staring at the computer screen, her brain not really believing what her eyes told her. Mirage stood silently behind her, a hand on the back of the chair, leaning over and also looking at the screen covered with charts and numbers and rates.

Mirage straightened up with a sigh. "It really is confusing, I'll say that."

"It's impossible is what it is." Maria snapped. She clicked a few keys and brought up a few new pages and reloaded a few old ones. She typed in some new numbers and refreshed again. "Proper nourishment, good living condition, proper sleep, and positive company, and yet, Fayt is getting worse?" She shook her head and leaned back, rubbing at the bridge of her nose.

"He really weights less than he did before?" Mirage questioned.

"Yes."

"He's sleeping more?"

"Yes."

"Eating more?"

"Yes!"

"Has he been talking to Albel?"

"No." Maria sighed. "For some obscure reason, Nel wont let him for two months."

Mirage thought for a moment, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well then, let him talk to Albel and see what happens."

"What has that…man… got to do with anything?"

Mirage stared down at the smaller woman, a look of disbelief covering her face. "You're kidding right?"

Maria scowled. "No."

Mirage chuckled a little, and without explaining left the room, yelling 'Just let him call him' over her shoulder. Mirage wasn't one hundred percent sure it would work, after all, the boy had been in pretty bad condition even when with Albel, but if he was getting worse than there wasn't much more to do.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Albel Nox sat cross legged on his bedroll, poking at the tiny fire in front of him every once in a while. Every so often, he'd glance around, trying to catch any movement, but it was always still.

He was bored.

Albel Nox wasn't used to being bored. All his clothes were mended, all his gear was fixed. He had no need to cook or create anything, and killing small animals was getting dull. They just didn't fight back enough, all they did was run and squeal.

He wasn't sleeping either.

Sleep eluded him like a plague. Albel hadn't slept for more than half an hour a night for over a month. His head hurt and he was irritated. His patience was wearing thin; he was just about ready to use Fayt's do-hickey to call Maria back so he could get his sparring partner. It would be a record; he'd never gone back so soon before. Why the boy had stayed was beyond him.

The Wicked One stared lazily as the last tiny flame died out in his fire. He didn't care or bother to light it again. Maybe something would attack him in the dark…

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Fayt, do you remember when we-"

"Remember that time when-"

"When we were little, remember how you'd-"

"Your Mom used to make that for dinner. Remember that time-"

"I used to love-"

"Didn't you used to like-"

Fayt sat silently, his mind spacing out as Sophia prattled on and on about the past. Yeah, he remembered all those time when they were younger, but he really didn't care. Why talk about something so trivial that happened so long ago? Who really cared if his Mom used to make spaghetti on Sundays?

"Fayt! Are you even listening to me?" Sophia stood defiantly in front of him, hands on her hips, glaring down.

"Yeah, I'm listening, Sophia."

"Then what did I just say?"

"Uh…" Fayt really couldn't remember.

"That's what I thought!" she yelled. "All you ever think about is him!" and she stomped out, slamming the door behind her.

"Him? Him who?" Fayt had been spacing out, he wasn't thinking of anyone. He just got too bored listening to her babble.

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Albel stood over the dead bodies of two Lizard Warriors. They'd ambushed him on his way through the Sanmite Steppes to reach Peterny. He was back in Aquaria, hoping that maybe Clair knew how to use the talker thing to call Maria back.

It only took a few more moments to reach the town and he headed directly for the Inn. Traveling for a few days had exhausted him, and Albel seriously needed a nap. He could admit these things since no one was here to see.

He sprawled out on the bed, hoping to get some sleep, yet knew it was futile. The Wicked One decided to let his mind wander a little, thinking back to his first night in Peterny, fondly remembering skewering Fayt's pillow in the dead of night. After a rather irritated boy told him that 'No, he didn't hate him, he just wanted to sleep' he and Fayt got along just fine. Now that Albel thought of it, this was probably where their friendship started, though no one would have been able to tell.

Albel called up more recent images of the blue-haired youth. His thin arms holding up that huge sword, blood dripping down his face and neck and legs.

Albel grinned to himself. "You're so stunning when you bleed, Fayt…"

The Inn in Peterny was their favorite, and he and Fayt stayed there whenever they passed through, regardless of whether they needed to stop for a night or not.

Albel pulled out the rectangular, mechanical object and glared at the many buttons, screen, and dial. That this small thing should out wit Albel The Wicked was horrendous. He considered smashing it, out of pretext, but decided against it. If he wanted to get Maria's ass down here he'd need the contraption.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Fayt was letting his mind drift, and his thoughts landed on their first journey together. To say they'd argued would have been an understatement, but they'd worked well together, and their sparring partnership had started there.

Fayt watched as Albel strolled confidently a head of him on the beaten dirt path. The Wicked One stopped and Fayt came to stand beside him, a little wary though, still unsure how Albel Nox would react to him.

"Hmph. Not a reliable person around for leagues!"

"So? Did you find the road to town?"

Albel scoffed. "No roads, no towns, no villages. Not even a single person around to ask for directions."

Fayt sighed, crossing his arms and trying to keep himself from getting irritated. "Oh well. If we don't find anything, I guess we'll just have to camp out tonight."

"Surely you jest! Not again. I'm tired of being kicked and woken up every night."

"You know, Albel, say what you will, but you're the one who keeps crying out in your sleep with all those nightmares." Fayt leveled a glare on the man. "Look to your own faults before you find faults in others. I dunno what kind of dreams you're having, but you scream all night long, and it's annoying. And you know, it's your fault we're wandering around here in the first place. If you hadn't gotten into that brawl with the lord of the last town, we could've just bought a map and we'd be in the next town already!"

Albel whipped his head away, growling out and clenching his clawed fingers in a fist. "Look to my faults? Mind your business!" he snapped. "If you're done prattling, perhaps I shall be spared carving the tongue from your mouth! I suppose I should just stop sleeping then?"

Fayt watched without a trace of fear as Albel ripped his katana from its scabbard and crouched into a fighting stance, glaring at him. Fayt then glanced around at the trees surrounding them.

"Six of them, right?"

Quietly, Albel replied, "No, there were five."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than five well-armed and well-dressed nobles surrounded them, all barring crude swords at Fayt and Albel.

Fayt sighs and draws his sword. "Well, that's a minor detail. Still, just because you didn't get along with their lord, don't be too hard on them."

"It would be a good lesson for them. Fools thinking that nipping at the heals of the strong makes them stronger."

"Oh man…" Fayt groans. "I feel sorry for the two I don't fight…"

Albel crouches even lower as three of the men rush him. With a few quick slashes and not even moving from his spot, they all go down, several vital organs lying spread on the ground around them. The last two stare in horror before scampering off into the woods again.

"Gah…" Fayt cries, slightly nauseated. "Didn't I tell you to go easy on 'em?"

"Lessons cannot be taught by a gentle hand." Albel stood and began wiping the blood from his blade with the end of his skirt. "These types won't learn anything unless you lay them up for a week."

"A week? They're dead, Albel!"

"A minor detail."

As horrible and squicky as the memory was, Fayt couldn't help smiling at it. After that, Albel had been much more accommodating to him, and they'd sparred everyday after. The young man couldn't help rolling his eyes; Albel's speech had been so medieval back then. Thankfully, traveling with him had taught The Wicked One the use of slang, and now Albel was more sarcastic than proper.

And he really had stopped sleeping after that. Fayt could count on his fingers the number of times Albel had fallen asleep around him after that, not counting recently of course. Yeah, he missed that. Albel was much more open with him than with any of the others, and Fayt found himself slightly pleased with that.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"You don't know how to use it?"

Clair sighed and set the communicator on the table. "I haven't a clue. This isn't from our world, why would I know how to use it?"

"You talk to Zelpher." Albel stated, as if that fixed everything.

Clair shrugged. "Yes, but that doesn't mean she gives me high tech gadgets from Fayt's world." She eyed the machine for a moment considering a possibility or two. "Have you tried to figure it out? Tried pushing any of the buttons?"

"No." Albel scoffed, sitting back in the chair. "I'd probably break the damn thing. I didn't touch it."

"Well," Clair called cheerily, sitting up straight and picking it back up. "Lets give it a try. I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"There's an incoming transmission, Maria. Should I connect?"

"Yes, go a head Mirage."

The Klausian tapped a few keys and accepted the connection, eyes going wide as a face blinked on to the screen. "Clair!" she cried in surprise, her mouth dropping open. "How did you get a transmitter?"

The grey hair woman clapped her hands in glee. "Albel! I figured it out! Come and look! Mirage is on this tiny screen!"

Mirage and Maria watched as Albel's head shoved Clair's out of the way and took up the video screen. "Oi, is that really you two? I don't have time to mess around with morons if it isn't."

"Yes Albel, it's us." Maria sighed. "Is everything alright? We weren't expecting a call from you."

"I bet you weren't!" his eyes narrowed and he bared his fangs. "Next time you give me some high-tech do-hickey teach me to use it first!"

Maria frowned. "Fayt never showed you?"

"I don't know, why would I care?" Albel sat back, allowing his shoulders to come on screen. "Anyways maggots, I'm in Arias. Come and get me."

"Are you low on supplies?" Maria was a little baffled. It had barely been over two months, normally Fayt had to goad Albel in to coming back after at least four. She watched as Albel's face flushed slightly. Whether it was in embarrassment or anger she didn't know.

"I was mugged during the night." Was the simple answer The Wicked One gave. It took a lot of will power not to snort, since he'd never been mugged in his life, but this little moron didn't need to know that.

Maria eyed him carefully. She seriously doubted Albel Nox had been mugged. She glanced over at Mirage whose face was conveniently neutral and not helping one bit. Finally, after figuring it didn't really matter, she sighed. "Alright, Nox. We'll be there shortly, don't leave Arias, we'll be landing in the Kirlsa Hills." Albel watched as the screen blinked out.

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The Diplo was still relatively near the Elicoordian Sol, and it only took them a little over three days to reach it and another day to actually reach Elicoor 2. As they hovered within orbit, Mirage spoke up the thought that Maria had been avoiding.

"Shouldn't we tell Fayt we're picking up Albel?"

Maria shrugged. "I figured it'd be a surprise."

Mirage nodded and began their landing.

Mirage activated the transported and one Albel Nox materialized in front of them. He gave them both a relatively polite nod before turning and leaving the bridge.

"W-Wait! Albel!" Maria called after him.

"I'm tired." He snapped back to her, not even slowing his stride.

Maria raised an eyebrow and turned to see if Mirage had understood. The other woman shrugged and went back to manning the ship.

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Fayt was sprawled on his bed like normal when Albel pushed through the door. The man hadn't even bothered knocking and Fayt was so startled he almost fell off. A quick grin spread across his face and he jumped up after gaining balance back.

"Albel! What in the world are you doing back? It hasn't even been-"

A large hand shoved him back onto the bed cutting off his words. Fayt blinked up in surprise as Albel towered over him, a scowl on his face. "I'm tired. We're going to sleep."

Fayt did notice the darkish circles under his eyes and the intense scowl proving his patience was shorter than normal. "Alright then." Fayt smiled. "Close the door and we'll sleep."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Why'd you come back so soon?"

Albel heard the soft voice in the dark, and he blinked slowly, trying to get his eyes to adjust. They'd been lying there sleeping and relaxing for hours and he still couldn't see very well. He could barely make out the thin frame of Fayt curled next to him.

"I was bored."

The bed shifted and The Wicked One was surprised that Fayt was still so tiny. One would think that after three months of mother-hening from Maria and Mirage would have given the boy some extra pounds.

"Bored? Since when do you get bored, Albel?" Fayt gave an impish tug on a piece of Albel's hair.

The man swatted at the hand and growled. "It's boring without you."

"Aw! You missed me!" Albel frowned as Fayt wrapped arms around his torso and nuzzled him a little.

"I missed my sparring partner." Albel felt Fayt freeze for a moment and then pull away, settling back next to him.

"Oh." For some reason, having Albel say that to him made his stomach drop like a rock.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" he mumbled.

"Oh come off it. I was kidding. That wasn't the only thing I missed."

"That's good." Fayt smiled softly and leaned in a little closer. "I was bored too. I spent most of my time wishing I hadn't stayed. There is nothing to do out in space."

"What pleasure do you get in traveling with me anyway?" Albel propped himself up on an elbow, leaning over to stare at Fayt lying on his back.

"I dunno. You're nice to me, and you have a pretty wicked sense of humor too." Fayt considered for a moment. "It can be pretty dry and rude sometimes, but it's still funny. Why wouldn't I like staying with you?"

"I'm a killer Fayt. You hate that; I know it. I've spilt so much blood I'm surprised I don't smell like it, and sometimes, I can see splashes of red across my hands and clothes, only to have it disappear a moment later." He leaned back again to stare at the ceiling. "I can't understand how you can stand being around me."

"I've killed people."

"On accident, Fayt, that's different."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not at all. It was war."

"Then there you have it. You didn't have a choice."

"Fayt, you know I enjoy killing. I did have a choice. I could have taken war prisoners."

Fayt sighed. "True, but you don't kill people for no reason anymore. That's how I can be around you." Fayt tossed an arm across Albel stomach. "You only kill if you have too now. Or animals."

"You're so confusing, fool. I still don't understand you."

Fayt ran thin fingers through blond hair. "You don't have to, Albel."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Albel woke a few hours later to someone knocking on the door. A voice almost shouting an insistent 'Fayt! Hey Fayt!' was starting to become irritating. Albel growled and carefully prided off the young man wrapped around him and then stalked over to the door and yanking it open.

"Oi Fayt, you know…where…Albel…is…?"

The Wicked One watched in amusement as Cliff's eyes drifted down his form. Taking in the loose pants, bare chest, and tangled hair left in waves down his back.

"Wake him up, and I'll kill you." He hissed out, glaring down at the blond man.

"What are you doing here?" Cliff questioned, eyebrow raised, and pointedly ignoring the way it looked.

"Sleeping." Albel responded. "Now go away." And he slammed the door shut in Cliff's face and went back to bed.

"Who…was it….'Bel…" Fayt mumbled out, still pretty much asleep.

Ignoring the abbreviation of his name, Albel buried his face in pillows. "Blond ape." He managed before passing back out.

XXXXXXXXXXX

//I wanted freedom

But I'm restricted

I tried to give you up

But I'm addicted

You will be

The death of me//

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So this chapter was a little different than the last two, mainly cause Fayt and Albel aren't together through most of it. The flash back from Fayt and Albel's first journey together is taken right from their couple ending in the game, with only a minor addition or two to the end to make it funnier.

The song at the top is called, "Aquarius" by Within Temptation, and it's actually one of the two songs that inspired this fic. The other song will be in the next chapter, as it's pretty much the ending. The bottom song is "Time Is Running Out" by Muse. I thought the song fit the chapter well, and also gave a nice bit of foreshadowing if you listen to the whole song.

If anyone noticed, I'm really trying to stay away from over used bands like 'Linkin Park'(Which I'm so sick of seeing) and 'Evanescence' They're great bands and I personally love Evanescence, but there are other wonderful bands out there that need more use!

I didn't really like writing this chapter, it was a little dull for me since Fayt and Albel were separated, but I wanted to stick that in there, how possessive Albel could get. Does anyone actually see this relationship growing? Can anyone tell they're falling 'in love' I guess? Cause I highly doubt they'll sleep together, it really wouldn't fit. I'm eyeing a nice kissing scene, but that's probably it. I hope no one's too disappointed that they're growing through words and talking instead of making out and sex…

Okay everyone; the next chapter will really be the last one! I'm serious! I wont add any more, I know almost exactly what's going to happen.

Please review everyone! I'm so happy that you're all liking this so much, and I've become attached to it too, so review and make me feel all loved inside.