The Other Side of the Coin
Written by: Somnion
Very sorry for not updating in awhile, I just received a place in a university and have been caught up with all the registration procedures. But now I seem to have a little time on my hands, so I'll try to finish this fanfic soon. Sad to say it'll probably continue for another two more chapters, but don't worry, there's still the second and third installment of the trilogy. I received a lot of reviews, thanks yet again. Strangely enough, a lot of the reviews mentioned about Albel making Nel cry. I don't know if that's a good thing but I figured that showing Nel's more sensitive side would make it a little more interesting. So guys, please don't hate Albel for making her cry. He's just a sad man who lost his daddy, who just happened to have a bad hair day, that's all. There will be a vote later on whether Albel should receive a pair of guardian angels, just like Nel, so please send in your votes, and tell me what you think. So without further ado, I present the fifth chapter of this fanfic. WARNING: May contain OOCness. Lots of dialogues and monologues. All mixed with a perfect blend of fluff, a dash of philosophy with a hint of lemon.
Chapter 5: A Bath and an Apology
The fire was slowly dying out. Albel threw a piece of wood at it, so that it may continue produce a steady blaze. Leaning back on a wall, he resumed to counting the many cracks in the cave's ceiling. He was down to 583 already. As he continued to count the cracks, he heard that voice, the same irritating noise, whisper in his mind once again.
"I need to be alone for awhile."
Her voice kept echoing in his mind, never leaving him, granting him no respite from the guilt that slowly seemed to engulf him. Albel had done the impossible. He was actually able to make Nel, the leader of the Crimson Blades shed tears. Yet, he felt no sense of accomplishment or victory in his actions, save only the guilt that was now enveloping him. That voice, heavy with grief, guilt and pain, seemed to be gnawing its way through the deepest recesses of Albel's tortured soul.
"Damn, lost it," he said as he lost count of the cracks. "What a trouble that woman is," he muttered to himself.
Albel then began to recall, back to when he was at Airyglyph. There he came across Elena Frahm, now the new Queen of Airyglyph. After a short conversation, she began to relate to Albel, the story of Nevelle Zelpher, one of Aquaria's finest warriors. Albel had heard of him, of course. The man was a legend, a legend that his daughter had idolized and had always dreamed of walking in his footsteps. Finally, Elena told him the reaction of Aquaria, at the news of his disappearance and possible death. Despite the many wailings and tears shed by the many masses of the Kingdom, Nel did not shed a single tear. No one understood why, but there was a without doubt, a reason to her actions. Then, the thought of Fayt recalling the events that took place at Woltar's office came to mind. Despite Woltar admitting himself as Nevelle's murderer, Nel stood her ground, not losing her temper, never flinching.
"I have to admit, she must be rather good at suppressing her feelings. I'd probably had strangled he old coot had I been in her shoes," he thought to himself.
An entire day had passed, and darkness was now beginning to envelop the interior of the cave. Albel's eyes traced the halls of the cave and strangely, they settled on the breakfast that Nel had prepared for him, still untouched. Albel did not seem to have any appetite today, partially because the foreboding feelings of guilt that washed over him like the flow of the tide. He began to recollect all that had happened between the two of them. Normally, he would never had wasted his time over such worthless thoughts, but somehow he was now plagued with, as much as he wished to deny it, remorse.
"Could it be," he thought hesitatingly, "that I had overdone it?"
Suddenly, two figures popped up on his shoulders. One his left was Vox, clad in devilish red armor, brandishing a menacing-looking trident. On his right, there stood Woltar wearing a white robe and carrying... (Oh, screw it. This is getting old. Don't I have any other good ideas?)
As he picked up the food, despite having lain there for so long, and started to eat it, he began to think, "Despite how distasteful it is, I guess the least I should do is ask for an apology."
After finishing his meal, he began to pick up a strong smell that surrounded him. He had sweated much while he was recovering, and the smell that now hung over him would be more than sufficient enough to gag any living creature to death.
"Apology can wait," he thought. "I need to take a bath. No point in suffocating the woman while apologizing."
He picked up the towels which Nel had given him earlier and headed to the hot spring she told him about. Upon reaching the hot spring, Albel began to undress himself. After removing his clothing and his iron claw, he wrapped himself in a towel around his waist, and then carefully proceeded into the hot spring. As he waded through the water, he caught a glimpse of a rock in the distance. "That would be a perfect place to lean on while I wash myself," he thought. He steadily continued on towards the rock, and to his great surprise, found that it had already been occupied. To his even greater surprise, the one who now occupied the seat was none other than Nel Zelpher, whose back was turned towards Albel, completely unaware of his of his presence.
Albel stood there stunned, as if his legs had suddenly frozen themselves on to the ground. He could not believe what he saw before his eyes, and could do nothing but admire the young maiden's silky, smooth skin glistening as the water from the spring trailed all over her naked body. His eyes scanned her beautiful body from top to bottom, eyeing Nel's curves which were eye watering. She had the most beautiful back, strong, yet gentle and smooth. His eyes trailed downwards till they reached her buttocks. They were perfect. They were small and cute, yet displayed their curves in all the proper places.
"This is a whole lot better than those porno videos that Cliff and Fayt used to watch," he thought to himself. "It's a pity I can only see her back. Come on, Zelpher. Turn a little to the right."
Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Albel felt a shiver run up his spine. "What the hell am I doing?" he yelled in his mind. "At this rate, I'm no better that worm, Roger. I better get out of here before I get caught."
As he slowly made his way out of the spring, Albel accidentally lost his bearings, slipping on a loose rock, falling head first into the water. A loud shout was heard, followed by a deafening splash.
Nel, alerted by the sudden noise, quickly pulled a towel across her body to protect her modesty, and then turned to see who had tried to sneak up on her. She noticed a head surface out of the water, gasping for air. As quick as lightning, she dashed towards the figure, her hand grabbing his neck. She then recognized the face of her captive.
"Albel!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Albel, apparently, could not find the words to answer that question. Partially because he was completely caught by surprise, and the other reason was because Nel had not realized what her other hand was holding hostage. Nel, finally catching on, grew red at the face and withdrew her hand at once.
"So…sorry about that," she stammered. "It's ...um… part of our training as Crimson Blades to aim for the vitals."
Albel, however, was still in shock. It's not every day that such a vital area is assaulted without warning. Finally, as the awkward air had cleared up, Nel resumed the previous matter of discussion.
"So, Nox," she said finally, as she eyed him suspiciously. "What were you doing here? You weren't trying to sneak a peak, were you?"
"Oh, for the love of…." he retorted in disgust. "That is probably the last thing on my mind."
"Then, what are you doing here?"
"Why do you think I came here? To have a bath, but it seems you cast first dibs on my spot."
Suddenly, Albel felt a strong surge of pain run through his shoulder. Clutching his shoulder, he jerked backwards slightly. Blood began to wet the bandage around his shoulder.
"Oh no, the stitches are coming loose, the wound is starting to open up," Nel said, as she noticed the blood stained bandage on Albel's shoulder.
She waded up to Albel, who was still clutching his shoulder, trying to still the flow of blood from his shoulder. Nel slowly undid the bandages to inspect the wound. "I need to remove these stitches. Then instead of stitching it up again, I can use my regenerative runology to heal the wound."
"Why didn't you do that in the first place," asked Albel, as he tried his best to avoid noticing Nel, who at the time was still clad only in a bath towel. It was a difficult job not noticing her, because the towel was wet, and therefore clung to Nel's body, revealing every contour, every line, and every curve of Nel's perfect body, leaving little to the imagination. Only through pure force of will was Albel able to keep his brain from overheating.
"I was too tired after the fight," replied Nel, answering Albel's earlier question. "Using runology was not an option at that point."
Nel motioned Albel to follow her as she walked over to get her tools. "Wait here," she said, upon reaching the bank of the hot spring. "I'll just be a minute."
As she left the hot spring, Albel's eyes trailed, falling once again on her darling buttocks. He watched with great interest the way they moved as Nel walked on. Then quickly shaking his head, he removed the thought from his head. What on earth was going on? Why were his thoughts now constantly drifting to Nel? Seating himself on the shallow end of the spring, he waited for Nel to return. Yet, his mind defiantly kept returning to only one image. Nel's body. Try as he might, he could not stop not thinking about it. This was the first time he had seen her naked. Then again, Nel was also the first woman that Albel had seen naked, and as much as he tried to deny it, he was completely captivated by her beauty. He began recall the scene he had just witnessed. Visions of Nel lifting her hands to wash her red hair, baring her armpits in his view, allowing her pheromones to do their work, inciting him, calling to him, pleading him to come closer. Then she used her towel to wash her face, dabbing it ever so lightly, while exposing her vulnerable neck in a sign of submission for Albel to take her then and there. Then, slowly she ran her hands sensually over her body, spreading a thin layer of water all over her glistening skin, as if she wished to know the feel of his strong hands running across her wet, naked body. (Albel's a guy after all)
Yes, the morning may have begun with an argument and bad start, but it was steadily getting better and better. Waking up from his fantasy by a painful tugging on his ear, he turned around, only to find Nel looking at straight at him, rather unpleasantly.
"What were you fantasizing about just now?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Fantasizing? Whatever do you mean?" he replied, feigning ignorance.
"You know, if it were not for your wounds, I'd probably have given you one hell of a trashing for even thinking it," she said as she released his ear.
"Oh, that's harsh, Zelpher," said Albel in a rather mocking tone. "Do you trust me that little?" He smiled at her sarcastically.
"Maybe," she replied, as she roughly pulled out one of the stitches, causing Albel to let out a scream of pain.
"Now, if you'll be a good boy and keep your smart remarks to yourself, I'll make this easy on you," she said, giving Albel a menacing grin.
"Bah."
Nel slowly began to remove the stitches on Albel's shoulder. Even though the process of removing stitches does result in some pain, Albel didn't flinch at all. Nel was impressed with his restraint and endurance. She moved closer to him in order to remove the stitches. As she did, she felt her thigh rub against his, which suddenly made her heart beat faster and a blush crept across her face. Slowly, she moved away slightly, giving herself a little distance, thinking it would stop the strange feelings that started to manifest once again. But she was wrong, the feelings didn't leave her.
After removing the stitches, she cleaned her tools in hot water, and then proceeded to cast a healing spell on him. Then she bound up the wound.
"Just to be safe," she said, "incase the wound opens up again."
Feeling the pain subside, Albel got up to make his way out of the spring.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Well, you were here first, so I guess it is fair to let you bathe first. I'll come back later."
Nel looked at him for a moment, and then away from him.
"I don't mind you being here," she said.
Albel stopped dead in his tracks. Did she just say what he thought she said? Did Nel just, although indirectly, ask him to stay with her? To have a bath with her? Part of Albel wanted to leave, disgusted that she even tried to seduce him in such a pitiful manner. Yet, there was a part of him that kept telling him that Nel was not that kind of girl.
"Just so long as you stay on the opposite side of the rock," she said, waking Albel up from his thoughts. "You just got in here, so I feel quite bad if I asked you to leave, just as soon as you got in."
So Albel took his place on the opposite side of the rock, while Nel sat on the other.
Albel, for the first time, was actually feeling nervous. This is the first time a woman had asked him to bathe with her. Although Nel didn't actually say it, he got the implication that Nel was trying to charm him with her wiles. Shaking the thought aside, he thought, "No, she wouldn't. It's not her style to be so easy. She must have a reason." Then he began to think, "Perhaps, I should apologize now. It's a good time."
Nel was also feeling just as nervous as Albel was. "I can't believe I just did that," she thought. "Not only did he see me naked, but I also touched him so," she gulped at the thought of the word, "sensually on the thigh, not to mention that I groped his…" Nel cut herself off as a red hue swept across her face. "And now I just asked him to have a bath with me. But, I have no choice, now is the best time to say it. I just hope he doesn't see this entire situation in the wrong light."
"You know…" they both said at once, resulting in giving both of themselves a fright.
"Um… you go first," Nel offered. "Alright, Nel, calm down," she told herself.
"It's okay, I'm in no rush, you first," replied Albel. "Okay, Albel, get a hold of yourself."
Biting her lip to calm down, Nel took a deep breath.
"Albel, I guess I said some rather horrible things to you earlier, calling you names when I was no better myself. It's ironic when you think about it. When two forces clash on the battlefield, each fights for their own individual believes, never realizing their foes fought to defend their ideals as well. With every foe they cut down, they feel a sense of accomplishment to themselves and their country, never realizing that they have taken away an existence who like them, killed for the betterment of their nation. It is only when we lose something dear to us that we finally realize how important it is to us. And in losing that, we begin to understand the pain we caused to the many others, who had lost those important to them, fallen by our hand. It is only then do we understand the pointlessness of the war and the inerasable damage left in its wake. So what I'm trying to say is Albel, is that you were right. I am sorry for my earlier outburst. I guess you can call this an apology. Do you accept?"
Albel remained silent for awhile as Nel waited patiently for a response. She apologizing to him was most unexpected, for it was gesture he was not accustomed to. He always received gestures of contempt and hate from others and it seemed to make him feel a little guilty about what had happened between him and Nel.
Nel hung her head down. It was as she expected. He was not going to answer. She tried her hardest to try to patch things up, but it was not enough. She was just about to give up, but then heard Albel say.
"Well, I guess if you get to say that, then I owe you an apology as well."
Nel's eyes began to widen. An apology from Albel was rare. She had not expected him to apologize to her. Then again, she had no idea what he was apologizing for, for it seemed that there was nothing for him to apologize for.
"I guess I may have been a little harsh earlier," he said, resuming his usual calm and collected demeanor. "And I guess you do have a good deal of reasons to call me those names."
Nel could hardly believe her ears. He was not only apologizing to her, he was also taking the blame for it. "This has got to be a joke," she thought. But a nagging thought kept playing in the back of her mind, convincing her of Albel's sincerity.
"I guess you must probably hate me for murdering so many of your friends."
This time, it was Nel's turn to be silent. That last statement Albel made started to stir up a question in Nel's mind. Did she hate him or not?
Thinking back when they traveled with Fayt and the company, despite spending a lot of time with the others, Nel actually spent most of her time with Albel. Although they never said much to one another, just being around him, somehow, made her feel at home. They were always left out when Fayt, Cliff, Maria and Mirage talked about the many complicating things that was taking place in the universe. It was all too difficult for her to comprehend completely.
Adray and Roger were of no particular help to her. They were always peeping and prying, sticking their noses in places it could have gotten broken, like women locker rooms. Nel didn't have the patience for all that nonsense. Apparently, neither did Albel.
The two even ended up sharing a room on the Diplo, as they journeyed from the Planet Styx, back to Elicoor II.
"You're right Albel," she said finally, her voice stern. "I don't like you."
"No surprise there."
"But," Nel continued, her voice now softer, "That doesn't mean I hate you, either."
Albel was starting to get pissed. What the hell is she doing, talking in riddles? Was it so difficult to give a simple yes or no answer? But Albel held his tongue, choosing to let it slide instead of griping over it.
"However, I could ask the same question of you. Do you hate me?"
Another silence loomed over them. Albel was now the one on the defensive. Why should Nel bother if he hated her? But then again, this was the first time anyone had asked him how he felt about them.
Nel had always been rather reliable during their travels with Fayt and company. She never held them back, unlike some of the other members. Adray and Maria had lousy speed and stamina, and therefore were unable to catch up with the team most of the time. Roger and Peppita were even worse off. Albel began to recall the many times Cliff and Mirage had to carry them on their back, because they were too tired to continue on walking. Compared to most of the crew, she was extremely reliable. She also had, despite their many differences, taken care of him and healed him when he was hurt, through the usage of her runology. In fact, he would allow no one else to heal him except Nel. In other words, he had no reason to hate her. His eyes traced to the bandages Nel had applied to his wound. It was then, that Albel realized that she had gone through a lot of trouble, sacrificing her time and efforts, solely for his sake.
"I guess I do owe her quite a bit," he thought to himself. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her for once," he said, as he sighed to himself.
"Not really," said Albel answering Nel's question.
Nel let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know."
"I guess I do owe you a lot, Zelpher. Despite how distasteful it is to have to be treated by you, I guess I still owe you my gratitude. So what I'm saying here is thanks, for all your help."
"Now this is new," Nel thought to herself. "It's not everyday you see Albel being so polite like this. He seems to be a lot more bearable than when we first started this mission. It has even come to the point that he is almost, in a strange way, pleasant. Maybe hell froze over or something."
Nel pulled her legs closer to her body, as she clutched herself, she murmured, "But then again, if he's like this most of the time, it would be quite nice."
"Why did you stop me?" Albel asked suddenly.
"What?" asked Nel, as she tore herself away from her thoughts.
"At the forest, why did you stop me?"
Nel clutched herself even tighter. The question Albel had just posed, also had been haunting her as well. "Why did I stop him?" she thought. She began to recall the bloodbath that had taken place the day before, the screams of agony, the throes of pain, the merciless slaughter. It seemed strange because during the war, she had been exposed to all these horrors, yet she never flinched, not even once. Perhaps the reason lay in the fact that she never supported the idea of merciless and unnecessary killing, and had endowed and instilled this value in her subordinates and companions. "Could it be that," she thought, "that I think of Albel as one of my partners?"
"If you don't know," Albel interrupted, "then forget about it. Not that I care, but I was just curious."
"Well," Nel said after a long pause, "you're different now. You've changed so much since last we met, that sometimes I'm not even sure I'm speaking to the same person anymore. Although your rudeness and stubbornness have not left you, you are more approachable than before. I guess seeing you go berserk back at the forest, I guess I just lost myself."
Albel remained silent. Although he felt that he should have lashed back at Nel, ordering her to mind her own business the next time around, he found that he couldn't bring himself to. It had been a long time since anyone had complimented him so sincerely and as much as he hated to admit it, he was quite touched by Nel's words.(Albel is human, after all.)
"I should get going," Nel said, as she got up from her seat. 'Dinner isn't going to cook itself."
"Stay with me for awhile," Albel said suddenly. "There's no need to leave so early."
Nel stopped dead in her tracks. She could feel her heart rate speeding up. Did Albel just ask her to stay with him?
"What does this mean?" she thought. "Why does he want me to stay? Could it be?"
"No, no," she said in order to stop herself. "You're taking this to an extreme. Maybe he just wants company."
"But if you think that it's just going to be a burden, then forget it."
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Nel smiled and said, "A few more minutes wouldn't hurt."
Then she took her place on the rock once again. Although not many words were exchanged, she felt comforted by Albel's presence. It was like they were on the Diplo once again, traveling through space and stars.
Chapter Five ends.
Man, this one was most tiring. It's now 12.30a.m and I have just finished it.
Now, for the vote. There are two choices A & B. Choose either one and tell me on your reviews. Any other suggestions or ideas to contribute to this fanfic is greatly appreciated.
A)Albel receives two guardians, which are Vox and Woltar
B)Albel does not receive anything.
I hope that all of you will continue to support this fanfic with your wonderful reviews. Thank you all once again. Somnion signing off.