To actually find that some people out there still read and wait for this story, I am truly touched :")

Special thanks for those who reviews, as always. And I want to apologize for the veeeeery late update, but I'm sure you're not here to read useless reasoning so, here's chapter 9! I might not be the best writer, but you guys sure are the best readers ;)

Well then, less talk, more story!

Disclaimer: I own no Odin Sphere. How sad.

Of Feelings And Thoughts

"So we meet again."

Mercedes could almost feel the grin in the male's tone, even though she didn't bother to turn to look at the voice owner. Leaves and branches of the tree she currently sat on rustled, telling her that her new company was climbing closer. Her heart beat faster with every step the blond male took, though she tried to look indifferent. As this 'coincidental' meets of theirs were getting even more frequent, she seemed to get better at hiding a racing heart.

"I see you've stopped running away." The man's voice once again heard, this time even much closer than before. Mercedes pouted at the words 'running away', glanced once at the man before returning her gaze to the clear sky.

"As I say many times before; it was only your imagination. I did not run; you think too highly of yourself sometimes." She reasoned, though it was true that her second reason of why she spent most of her time in the forest was to avoid him. The first was simply because she felt more at home in the natural site compared to anywhere else in the Valentinians' castle.

"And that the tears from when we first met were a mere trick of my own vision? I think not." She blushed at the mention of the short yet eventful meeting, while he simply chuckled.

"T-those tears were…" She paused; a sudden pang of pain struck her heart as she remembered. "…not…meant for you."

At her second denial, his expression darkened.

"'That so…"

Awkward silent filled the air, as she once again refused to look at him. She wondered, after a moment of silence, if she had said a bit too much. And yet, her stubbornness kept her from turning around, and so the unwanted silence continued for some moment.

Amusement now gone from his expression, Ingway frowned at the fairy's fluttering wings, now pissed at her too often silent treatment.

"This 'Ingway', the me that I had yet to know about," He spoke up again, and could almost swear that fluttered a bit faster at the mention of his name. The sign of a reaction brought back his playful grin. "How did he—I used to be? Perhaps I could remember faster if you tell me."

And just as he wanted, the fairy finally turned around, though with an expression he couldn't quite read. The two now stare at each other, one with an expectation for an answer.

Mercedes now honestly didn't know what to answer him. The casual mention of the topic was all she needed to remember the short moments they had spent together a century ago, and gazing at the same—yet different—eyes only helped the memories and feelings got stronger. His egoistic and demanding self, his sometimes-cold, yet encouraging words that had helped her countless time before, his own way of showing his care, his effort to protect her even in the form of a helpless frog…everything. There were so many things she could—wanted to talk about, but in the end, she decided to choose different.

"No." She finally answered, though not with the answer he had waited for. "I won't tell." She refused, sticking out her small tongue as she did so.

Ingway's eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected reaction before changing into an annoyed look, but her decision didn't seem to waver at his change of expression. "Hmph," he sounded his disappointment, and was about to turn away before he felt a pair of small hands on both his cheek, holding him in place. Before he realized it, her face was just an arm length from his.

"But I shall give you this one small hint." Her words were clear as crystal, yet his focus could hardly gather at the sudden touch. "I love you, then and now. I always do."

Her eyes now glassy with tear, as feelings that were built over her lost years now overflowed her. In this world where she had no one else to hold onto, she knew that her only reason of coming back was her feelings for him. Try as she might, she could no longer fought her own feelings. And this time, she had decided to tell him before everything was too late; one lifetime regret was more than she could handle.

"I'm so sorry. Even if…Even if you ended up hating me for making you remember, I couldn't help but pray that you will."

He was stunned at first, at loss of words at the sudden confession. But as he felt the hand that lightly caressed his cheek began to tremble, he soon snapped out of his daze. In one swift movement, he cupped her hands in his.

"Don't worry," he said; gently pressing the small back of her hand to his lips. "I will."

oOo

"How are Ingway's lessons going, dear?"

A heavy sigh answered Cornelius' question, as he smiled lovingly to his beloved wife's tired look. Velvet took another sip of her tea, and put down her cup gently before staring of to the distance, sending a worried look the forest that faced their balcony.

"He's more than often missed them deliberately, and went off somewhere in the forest instead. Like today." Another sigh came from the same lips. "I wonder from whom he inherited such playfulness."

A short, delighting chuckle came from the husband, and Velvet could feel a warm squeeze on her hand. Cornelius had warped his hand around hers, before he continued with his comment.

"Let him have his freedom. We both know that he deserves much happiness that he had missed in his previous life." He said reassuringly, yet the mention of her late brother only added grim to her expression. He gave another reassuring squeeze to her hand before he continued, "And I guess that is what had been bothering you so?"

Velvet turned her worried look, and finally met with her husband's dark blue gaze.

"I cannot help but worry, Cornelius. Especially since…" Her voice trailed off, leaving her words hung up in the air. The end of the sentence was never spoken, but both knew well what the Valentinian Queen had meant; the return of the Fairy Queen, a trigger that had seemed to fasten the awakening of the late Ingway's memories.

"He once told me of his dream, dear. A dream of events he didn't remember ever occurring, and yet it felt so real, he said. Mostly nightmare that he didn't remember much, but now they are getting more and more frequent, it seems. He never told me again ever since, but I just knew he still had them even now."

Words of worry just kept flowing out as she started. Velvet was scared, scared that her son would suffer from sins that he had not done, scared that her brother would still shrouded by regrets and darkness even in his new life shall the memories did come back. She had failed to protect him once, and the thought of repeating the same failure torment her so.

"…I'm scared, Cornelius. What if…What if we should have prevented him from remembering?"

And with that last question, she bit her lower lip, preventing more dark words to flow from it. More than a hundred of years had she lived, yet no wisdom in such long age could help her ease her motherly worries.

"That, my dear, is not for us to interfere." Cornelius decided to speak up; offering words of comfort as he always do whenever the same subject came up. "It is only for Ingway himself to decide, whether he wanted to remember or not. He will be alright. He is strong, and stubborn, like he used to be. And more importantly, unlike before, he had us, and Mercedes."

Velvet gazed back at her husband's soft eyes, silent for a moment before finally giving a small smile of approval. She gave a small nod, and returned her gaze towards the vast forest, this time with a look of hope instead of worry.

"Yes, and we shall pray for his—their happiness."

oOo

"…frogs."

"What?"

"Frogs. You know, those green, four-legged little creatures. Do you, uh, fancy them?"

The winged female raised an eyebrow, sending a curious look at her blond companion. A moment of silence filled the air as her hazel eyes stared; her mind trying to figure out where this random question was leading to before giving her answer. A result of his returning memories? Her mind wondered as her eyes brimming with glints of hope.

Cool breezes blew between the leaves, sending pleasant chills to the two different creatures that sat next to each other on the tall tree, but none gave attentions. It was another day spent in the forest; a routine that just naturally became frequent to both. None said any promises to meet between the trees, and yet they always managed to find each other there.

"No. I hate them." Her answer was honest; she was never fond of those slimy, possibly-poisonous creatures but one. "Why ask?"

Now it was the male blonde's turn to fall silent as—though he had expected the curious young-looking fairy would ask back—he wasn't quite sure of the answer himself. There's a reason behind the seemingly random question, of course. He just didn't know how to put it into the right words—without having her giving him strange looks, or even laugh at him.

"Nah," He finally said. "Just a random thought."

This one felt more like random cuts of different chapters put into one, but I just had to fit these bits in. Yeah, I have no idea what I'm talking about. It's 4 in the morning and I haven't slept at all. I can't think straight. Your nice reviews are what kept me going with the story; I can only say that much. Criticism will, of course, be loved. For now, I need my sleep x_x

P.S: on a special note for Prinx; sorry for the lack of action in this update. Another chance in the next chapter, perhaps? *winks* Let's just hope I could fit some actions into this (hopefully-not-)getting-way-too-fluffy story...