An Airyglyph Interlude

By Nicolle

1st Note: This story stems from the first thought I had when I saw Sophia. Dear gods help me. I am completely nuts.

2nd Note: OOC-ness ahead.

Disclaimer: Star Ocean 3 belongs to Tri-Ace/Ubisoft/Square-Enix.

Milly's Disease

There's a moment in everyone's life when they are scared beyond all belief. It's a moment when all rational thought leaves and you are left with the automatic fight or flight response. Fayt, Cliff, Nel, Sophia, and Maria watched in abject fear as the twit of a hostess continued to hit on Albel. Albel, for his part, merely glared at her whenever she got too touchy. The entire affair came crashing to hell when, in a flirtatious twist, the girl accidentally bumped Albel and ended up spilling soup on him. All froze in fear, except Albel and the girl.

Albel sighed. "You know, for all the years you've been doing this, you think you'd at least have some grace."

The girl shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, Sir Albel."

"Go flirt with someone else for a while."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone sat stock still as Albel excused himself.

Nel reached out and touched the girl's arm. "You're still alive. I thought he was going to kill you..."

The girl blinked and then laughed. "Aquarians, huh? Well, you may call him Albel the Wicked, but he is only Sir Albel here in Airyglyph. He may have perfected the glare of death, but he never actually follows up on it."

"And how would he feel about you telling us this" Cliff asked.

"Telling you what, fool" Albel asked as he sat down.

"All your secrets" Nel said.

Albel glared at the girl, who merely smiled. "Her inability to keep her mouth shut aside; there is nothing she could tell you that most of Airyglyph did not know already."

The girl nodded enthusiastically.

"What did I say about flirting with someone else?"

"Going, sir." The girl pattered off.

Fayt nodded once. "Tomorrow we go back to the firewall. So we should all get some sleep. Mirage and Adray are already in bed."

Everyone nodded and stood to leave, with the exception of Albel. "Sophia? Could you wait a moment"

Sophia sat down as the others stopped.

"Why would you be needing Sophia" Cliff asked.

Albel glared. "She's a little young for me, fool. I have something to say to her that doesn't involve the rest of you."

Fayt shrugged and patted Cliff on the shoulder, coaxing everyone away with a worried backward glance.

The Next Morning...

Mirage and Albel sat at the table with breakfast untouched in front of them. They both stared at Sophia. Sophia looked, for all the world, like she was concentrating very hard on something. They stayed that way all through breakfast and when everyone was ready to leave, they were still sitting at the table.

"Uh, guys? Firewall" Fayt looked at them.

Mirage and Albel shooed him off without looking away from Sophia. Sophia, for her part, didn't even notice Fayt standing there. Fayt and Cliff shrugged and they left the inn for the firewall. Not making any further progress than they had the day before, Fayt and his companions returned to find Albel, Mirage, and Sophia still sitting exactly as they had been that morning. Sophia looked like her head was about to split open she was concentrating so hard.

"You know, we really could have used your help today..." Fayt started.

Albel waved him off.

The Next Morning...

Sophia stared at the table, biting her lip. Mirage whispered something to Albel and he nodded.

"Try the other one."

Sophia nodded and continued to stare at the table.

"Are you guys done...?"

Mirage shooed them off without looking away from Sophia.

Fayt and the others went out.

"What in Apris' name are they doing" Nel asked.

Cliff shrugged. "I don't know, but they aren't hurting anyone, so maybe we should let them be."

"Excuse me" Maria interjected. "We're on a mission here. Now, I know Mirage wouldn't just leave a mission and from what I know about Albel, he wouldn't just leave us to fend for ourselves. Something must be going on."

"Do you think they're helping Sophia develop her power" Peppita asked.

Roger snorted. "I don't know about Mirage, but the girly man doesn't know a thing about runology."

"Correction. Albel knows and uses the six common symbols. Gusto carved them into his metal arm" Nel said. "Fayt taught him."

Roger looked at Fayt and the young man nodded.

"Phooey."

"Let's just see how far we can get in the fire wall today. We can get the skinny from them when we get back" Cliff said.

That Evening...

Sophia sat at the table looking tired, but very happy. Albel and Mirage were busy congratulating her on something and patting her back.

"Hey! Nice to see a you're all alive" Cliff said. "What the hell where you doing?"

"We were helping Sophia with her problem" Mirage said. "If you'd paid any attention, you'd have realized that Sophia was suffering from a life threatening disease. In fact, I'd have missed it too if Albel hadn't noticed it."

Albel nodded. "It's a common disease here in Airyglyph. I wasn't sure if Sophia had it or if she was born that way, but they grew noticeably in size since we left the Diplo."

Fayt looked back and forth between the two and then rushed over to Sophia. "Are you okay"

Sophia smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. Albel and Mirage helped me. I always thought something was wrong, but now I'm all better."

"I don't get it," Maria said. "What grew bigger?"

"My eyes," Sophia said.

"What?"

"We call it 'milicandril' or 'Milly's Disease' in Airyglyph" Albel said."

Nel gasped. "You don't mean!"

"Yes. Her eyes were eating her face."