Prologue

Fayt stood on the outskirts of Peterny and looked out toward the monster-plagued fields. Albel sat on the grassy hill sharpening his metal claw. They had come to the end and it seemed as though it was time for everyone to part. Fayt knew he didn't want to really go back to Earth with Sophia. That much was clear to him; nothing there could ever hold any value any longer for him. Not even the company of his family and Sophia.

Everyone else appeared to have a plan. Except Fayt. Fayt and Albel. Fayt noticed that he seemed to be the only one who cared. Fayt granted that most of the group had a reason for not liking the cold warrior, but he'd fought with them until the end. Even when he didn't have to. Fayt gravitated toward Albel and didn't know why. He remembered when he'd first met the Eliccorian he was slightly intimidated but his irritation and anger won out when he noticed the severe arrogance. The uncaring swordsman never ceased to get under Fayt's skin.

Fayt felt the setting was strangely cinematic with the blowing wind and setting sun. He looked out to it and thought, we've could've been blown away just like the bits of data Luther claimed we were, but our perseverance and compassion won out. When he thought of words such as compassion, fierce, love, hate, anger, struggle he always saw the color red being associated with them. Red is action. Action is red. Fayt vaguely wondered why that was.

"Are you going to stand there all day looking as though you've never seen a sun set before, fool?"

Fayt's green eyes snapped down to Albel who still had his back towards him. He walked next to Albel and sat cross legged next to him.

"Did I tell you I wanted company, worm?" Albel said moodily, with his eyes still towards the sun.

Fayt sighed, he didn't feel like arguing with the moody Eliccorian. He made to move to stand up when Albel's hand whipped out like lightening and yanked his arm making him sit painfully down.

Fayt yanked his arm from Albel's steel grasp and glared at him. "What was that for? I thought you said you didn't want me here?"

"I only asked why you assumed I would want your company. I never said I minded you enjoying being in the presence of a superior." Fayt could just feel the smugness in his voice.

"That wasn't what you implied!" Fayt said, as he frowned at Albel.

Albel chuckled. "Do you always go on implication?"

"I…" Fayt was flustered and he knew Albel loved to mess with people's minds.

"If you do, you're just like those maggots and that Aquarian wench." Albel's face hinted disgust at the thought his other team mates.

Well, not team mates, people who assisted him in saving the world as he so eloquently put it back at the inn. Fayt shook his head and figured he'd never understand Albel because Albel didn't want anyone to understand him.

"No, I don't," answered Fayt, choosing to ignore Albel's insults about his comrades. Albel insulted everyone. "I usually go with my instincts. And being around you for as long as I have, it sounded as if you didn't want me here. So I would've left if you asked me to."

Finally, red eyes were on him. "You are so naïve. Too trusting and easy to deceive, fool. It's a wonder you've lived as long as you have," Albel sneered.

Fayt shouldn't have been angry but he was. After all they had been through and suffered Albel remained pessimistic about everything. It always grated on Fayt's beliefs. Who was Albel to make him question everything he believed in? Wasn't it enough his world had been turned upside down and he was the embodiment of destruction? He'd just almost died saving their world that was supposedly made up of only numbers and variables. Didn't Albel ever think to cherish life, to be glad he lived to see another day?

"You are too suspicious. You kill everything that has a beating heart and sneer at everything that doesn't involve violence, death, and blood. War destroys people and kingdoms, what will you have left if you continue to destroy? It's a wonder you haven't died yet." Fayt had said every word bitingly, he was just about sick and tired of Albel raining on his parade.

Albel glared heatedly before saying, "Are you finished your little tirade?"

Fayt had it. He desperately wanted to cause some bodily harm to Albel. However, he was thwarted with Albel's metal claw grabbed his collar and yanked him close to his face.

"Though you have traveled to hell and back you have seen only little of the world. Though you have experienced much you have not experienced everything. You know nothing of life and death," hissed Albel, breath skimmed over Fayt's lips.

Fayt shook himself violently from Albel grip. "I know that many people died. That planets were nearly annihilated. My father died damn it! How can you tell me I know nothing of life and death!" Fayt burned on the inside. All the emotions that he had to pent up because he had to save the world were started to get the best of him.

Albel calmly stood up and regarded Fayt with a bland expression. "So you think I'm just a warmonger? Well, there is some truth to that." He slowly appeared to circle Fayt. "But as you already know it isn't my only reason for doing the things I do. It continues to irritate me every time you speak of things you do not know about. Things you do not feel."

"What?" Fayt was confused, it actually seemed as if Albel was trying to shine some light on his dreary world he lived in.

"You speak of wars that destroy, everyone dies eventually don't they?"

Fayt shook his head as he reached for a reply. Albel always twisted everything that came out his mouth.

"Silence!" snarled Albel, surprising Fayt that he was behind him. "I don't care for your prattle when I'm trying to answer your questions. Or do you want me to leave?" He turned back towards the village.

Fayt found himself reaching out for him before he knew it and shouted, "No!" He sounded desperate and it annoyed him that Albel always managed to best him. Albel knew it too because he turned around slowly with that infuriating smirk in place.

"So you want to hear what I've got to say?" asked Albel, with an eyebrow raised.

Fayt gritted his teeth before the other man. "Yes."

"I've grown tired of this conversation. I'll speak with you when I feel like it." He turned and continued to walk back into town.

Fayt felt the heat of anger and humiliation rise in his cheeks. "But you just said-" He stopped and calmed himself down. He should've expected it. It was Albel after all. He sat back down and decided he would cool off first before going to sleep at the inn. He was never any good at verbal chess and Albel was several years ahead of him that department.

He looked back at the horizon to see the last of red disappear. He thought about how Albel always seemed so fiery. He knew that even when swordsman closed his eyes to sleep they still burned red, ready to set whatever they looked at on fire. Fayt felt burned.