Title: Believe in Me, O Dancer Girl

By: Aina Song

Fandom(s): Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time

Genre: Yaoi

Rating: NC-17

Warning(s): Language; Direct & Altered Quotes; Spoiler Alert; Slight OOC; Much Angst; Mention of past-NCS (Hell, where'd I put that Fluff? This one's gonna need some Fluff…)

Pairing(s): Albel(Peppita) x Fayt (Not the way it sounds, I swear!)

Reviews: Yes, please.

Author's Note: Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money.

Another Note: Hate me for this all you want, but in my own little world, Adray does not exist. Useless old coot in battle, and socially inadequate everywhere else. And, even after he joins the party, he's never included in any of the major movie scenes - you don't even see him hanging around in the background! *blows raspberry* Italics = dreams, sword telepathy, and flashbacks. Do tell.

Teaser: It was a secret he had protected for as long as he could remember. And, without even realizing it, she was a part of it.

Epilogue - Ask

The hunt was over. But Blaire's voice droned on, listing galaxies as they were deleted, confirming their greatest fear. They had been too late. Soon, the black destruction would eat up every corner of their universe, until only this small space was left. And then there would be nothing.

Peppita's hand slipped into Albel's, and in her eyes he saw an echo of his own quiet worry.

But Fayt, casting his gaze about their small number, declared his defiance. He refused to let Luther win so easily, not after all they'd overcome. Soon Maria, and even Sophia were voicing their agreement. The Creator had forfeit his control of their destinies; it was their right to choose for themselves. And, as urged by Fayt himself, they would…

"Choose to live!"

~o~

Mackwell Nox gave a sorrowful sigh, watching as yet another star blinked out. He had known their mission was a dangerous one. Had known that, if failed, it would mean the end of those he cared about. Of himself. Everything. And he had been watching the skies every night, memorizing the position of the stars, relentlessly counting as many as he could and praying no more had gone missing since the night before.

But tonight… So many stars had begun fading out together, that only a handful of those closest to Elicoor remained.

His heart tore. He was, of course, disappointed that he would now never meet Elayne's daughter. But he mourned that he would never see his brother again. After everything they had been through to protect one another through their childhood, to think they would be parted like this…

A faded memory then pushed its way to the front of his mind with new clarity. When Elayne had disappeared, he and his brother had tried to continue her tradition of watching for shooting stars to wish upon. But the only wish either had wanted granted at the time was for the return of their beloved mother. And then, after Albel had convinced Mackwell to run away to Aquios to continue his studies away from their father's drunken wrath, they had both confessed in their first letters that they had never stopped making those wishes - this time for the safety of each other in their absence.

Mackwell gave a sad smile, even while his heart broke at the memory. Casting his dark red eyes upward, ready to pretend for the sake of one last wish, his breath caught as he glimpsed a spark of blue light stream across the sky. And in its wake… He stared. All at once, every star that had blinked out reappeared, lighting up the night skies with their inexplicable return.

"Searching for someone?"

Heart leaping in his chest, he took a slow breath and turned away. He let his eyes scan the public courtyard until his gaze fell upon two shadows near one of the stone monuments. And suddenly he believed in miracles. "A-Albel?"

The dark warrior's mouth lifted in a very familiar smirk, "I gave my word, didn't I." He turned his head to the side, and his expression softened considerably. "Go on, angel."

Mackwell's gaze shifted, and his heart swelled within his chest.

She was a younger replica of the woman that had disappeared so long ago. Garbed in silver-lined black, silver bells ringing from the ends of triple-coil ropes that dangled from bangles as her wrists, she was a delicate yet haunting beauty. A tiny golden bell hung from a slim silver chain around her neck. Her hair was white, the very shade that shimmered in the dust-grey strands of Maxwell's own hair on a bright summer day. But he had not inherited Elayne's silvery blue eyes.

She seemed to linger a moment, but then she stepped closer with a shy smile and offered her hand forth. It was not the greeting he expected, nor even the tradition of shaking another's hand after introduction, which had not yet officially happened.

Mackwell tossed an inquiring glance toward his brother, who answered it with another crooked smirk. "You have no idea how long she's prepared for this."

"Please," the girl herself whispered, eyes never wavering. "Dance with me?"

Swallowing a sudden tightness in his throat, he stepped forth and let his hand slowly catch her reaching fingers. Her hand lightly clasped around his, and she brought herself within the hesitant circle of his arms. "Albel," her voice murmured.

"Do you need my help, angel?" The dark warrior offered in a tone far gentler than any Mackwell could recall from his brother. "What shall I conjure for you?"

She smiled, and her silvery blue eyes glistened with what Mackwell hoped were happy tears. "I think… the stars."

Some few paces away, Albel gave a soft chuckle. He lifted his good hand and, with a muttered symbolic incantation, orbs of light the size of a babe's fist illuminated the night around them. They hovered in the air like so many pyre flies, some even pulsing with a wavering glow that dimmed once in a while to offer a haunting ethereal effect.

Her tears now streamed down her cheeks, and she began leading Mackwell in a very slow and simple spinning circle. The young and promising alchemist marveled that his feet seemed to instinctively find where next to fall. Music that only she could hear seemed to flow from her and into him, and eventually she sped their dance, confident that he would be able to follow without falter.

~o~

Albel watched his only family enjoy their first moment together, no small amount of relief swelling in his chest that they had at last been given the chance to do so. And he found he liked that thought - his family, reunited.

Turning away, giving their moment due privacy, the dark warrior paused upon discovering a new shadow among those of the public courtyard. Swiftly, he cut across the grass and trapped that shadow against a tree.

Fayt Leingod's jaw clenched with the tiny tremors of pain that scaled up his spine, and a sharp grunt escaped his lips. "Damn it, Albel," he groaned, blinking passed a bit of dizziness to glare at his lover. "I didn't survive Luther to suffer a migraine from a tree."

The dark warrior sneered, garnet eyes agleam. "Sore, are you?"

His own glass-cut green eyes narrowing, the young swordsman fisted the broken chain of Albel's collar and tugged until their faces nearly touched. And he quipped, "What's a little pain, if it comes with the right reward."

Growling appreciatively at the obvious double entendre, Albel caught that suggestive mouth with his own. As was his habit, he lightly bit down on the other's lower lip, seeking permission before allowing his tongue to invade the slick cavern beyond. Fayt tugged harder on the chain of his collar, as always willing to remind the dark warrior that he was not vulnerable by any means and could stand a little rough play.

Long minutes passed before they broke away, their breaths mingling as they both fought for air. "Your team has been disbanded," the dark warrior hissed. "Our contract - had there been one - is broken."

"I know," Fayt panted, arguing none of it.

"What're you going to do now?"

Fayt tipped his head back with a great sigh, watching listlessly as one of Albel's bespelled pyre flies floated amongst the branches of the tree. "After everything I've seen and done," he uttered, "I know I can never return home." He fell silent for a moment before adding, "On my way here, I ran into Nel Zelpher. She offered to recruit me."

"You lead others," Albel slowly interrupted, careful to keep his tone neutral. "Not the other way around."

"I'm tired of leading," his blue-haired lover stated, not unexpectedly. "I'm tired of having everyone come to me for answers. I'd rather… I'd rather work with people who can think for themselves, who might even counter my orders if they discover a better or safer way to carry out the mission."

"Someone with nerve enough to defy you?" The dark warrior smirked, "Don't you have enough experience with that?"

Fayt lowered his eyes and met Albel's gaze directly. And his mouth quirked. "No. I don't think I have. I wonder…"

"Yes?"

"Would it be wrong of me… to ask whether I could borrow Peppita a while longer?"

With a low growl, Albel took Fayt's shoulder and pinned the younger warrior once more against the tree. His dark red eyes glinted with mischief and just a hint of danger. "I will not permit you to split up the remainder of my family."

"Huh," the other swordsman muttered thoughtfully, though his grin never wavered. "Well… I suppose I could ask one of her brothers to come along to keep an eye on her." He shifted his gaze to the side, glancing over Albel's shoulder. "I wonder if Mackwell-"

"Fool!" The dark warrior swiftly caught that mouth with his own, silencing his young lover before the rest of that thought could be vocalized. "Why must you always complicate everything," he hissed as he pulled away. "I will recruit you, to the Black Brigade. Peppita will study alchemy as Mackwell's apprentice. Her skill in symbology should make it easy."

Fayt stared. "Is that what she wants? I know how attached you are to each other."

"I'd already discussed it with her." Sighing, Albel glanced over his own shoulder, watching a moment as his siblings continued dancing together. "I will return to Airyglyph. Take on an assignment or two for my king. Give them their time together, before I convince my king to let me extend my services to Aquaria's queen."

"Like an ambassador?"

"Exactly. Because the position would then lend me every opportunity to visit my brother and sister." Albel caught his young lover's glass-green gaze, "I believe I made you an offer. What is your answer?"

Fayt pretended to think back, "An offer…?"

"Fool," he growled lightly, knowing the game his lover was playing. Stepping back, he jerked the other away from the tree and pulled him close, good arm locking around the small of Fayt's back. Their mouths clashed together hungrily, before Albel broke away to give his young lover a mock-glare. "I should kill you for making me say it aloud…"

The blue-haired youth only smirked, which prompted the dark warrior to roll his garnet red eyes. "Fine," he groused. Releasing his lover, he took a prominent stance and spread his arms wide, feeding more drama into the moment than it called for. "Fayt Leingod, savior of Elicoor and worlds beyond, I am addicted to you. You are under my skin. You swim in my very blood; my heart pumps your name through the whole of my being. Stay with me. Stay with me, that I may at last know what it is to be complete."

The silence that followed his speech was gently broken by a quiet fit of giggles behind him, and the long forgotten sounds of his brother's attempt to stifle his own laughter. Yet, ridiculously simple though he felt, he did not glance over his shoulder. He did not let his gaze wander from that of the man before him.

After a frustratingly long minute, his blue-haired lover smirked again and stepped forth. Catching the broken chain of Albel's collar, he jerked him forth for a hard kiss that rivaled those the dark warrior would often give him. And as he pulled away, he let his teeth graze Albel's lower lip.

"All you had to do was ask…"

The End