Star Ocean (All Series) Fan Fiction ❯ Far From a Fairytale ❯ And They All Fall Down ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter Fifteen: And They All Fall Down

 

A/N: Hey there everyone, I don't have that much to say, except that this is going to be a double post and sorry that this chapter took so long to get up. It took me forever to write it, I think, I wanted to make sure that each and every sentence I wrote was perfect, because this is the last actual “chapter”-next is just the epilogue and then this fanfic is over. Oh, and thanks to any and all readers and reviewers out there! You mean a lot to me, and now, onto the story. : )

 

(-)-(-)

 

-/\-

 

Ring around the Rosie,

 

A pocket full of posies,

 

Ashes,

 

Ashes,

 

We all fall down…

 

-/\-

 

Sophia listened to Peppita as she sung, a rather twisted song, to a pleasant tune. The teenager, who still acted like a child, sat at her desk in her room and the song continued to slip from her lips as her head moved back and forth to the beat. She seemed happy enough, yet, the brunette couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine every time the song finished its verse. Nevertheless, Sophia continued into the younger females bedroom, for, she had wanted to ask Peppita about how she felt about Albel and herself, a thing that needed to be known before they left for the future.

 

But, first, she wanted to know about that song that scared and entranced her at the same time. “What's that song that you're signing, Peppita, I never heard it before?” She walked into the reasonably sized room and made her way over to the said person.

 

“Oh, it's a song that I heard in school.” Here Peppita paused, “Really, I can't even remember how we got onto the topic, but some of my friends started to talk about a song called Ring around the Rosie, and I guess it's some kind of game too. So, I asked them what it was and how the song went and all that kinda stuff, they looked at me like I was crazy, but they explained it to me anyway. Practically every kid in this time era knows the song, which happens to be about the Bubonic (or Black) Plague that occurred in England hundreds of years ago (or so, that's what I was told by the kids in my class, my teacher told me something different.) Did you ever learn about that plague in school, Sophia?”

 

Dark green eyes scrunched up in concentration as she pondered over what she had learned in school. She couldn't recall a time when she learned about the Bubonic Plague, then again, it had been hundreds of years ago in this time era…so that meant that this was so ancient in the future that history books, most likely, no longer had any records on it. “No, I never learned about this in school. At least, I don't remember ever learning about it. Anyway, how does the song relate to the Black Plague anyway, and why would children sing it?” That was the part of this whole event that made no sense to Sophia.

 

“I didn't get that part at first, either, but then the kids started telling me all this stuff; like: `ring around the Rosie' was suppose to describe the rash that people got from the plague and that `we all fall down' had to do with all the dead bodies that were caused by the plague. But, my teacher told me something else; she said that `ring around the Rosie' described “play parties” (something started in the nineteenth century in Britain because dancing was banned by the Protestant church). Basically, “play parties”, or so my teacher said, was when people (mostly children) dance around in a circle and hold hands. She also said that `ashes, ashes' is a variation of `husha, husha', which was to tell everyone to stop the song and let go of their hands, and `we all fall down' is just when all the kids let go of their hands and fall to the ground at the end of the song.” Peppita paused after her long, and rather detailed, explanation. Then she asked, “Which one do you believe is true, Sophia, I want to say that my classmates are right…but my teacher's reasoning was more logically correct.”

 

The eighteen-year-old just stood there, her eyes glazed as she thought over the two reasons behind a single song…which one did she believe in more? The one that told a children's song hinted at death and despair, or the one that told of an innocent children's game used in place of dance. The long haired female thought of the way the said song made a chill run up her spine and, though it saddened her to come to this realization, which was that the song told of death and despair. After all, no matter how innocent the world may look in the eyes of a child, the tainted touch is all around them…they just can't see the stains of maturation. Almost how, something that glows in the dark is never quite as brilliant in color when the daylight is upon it, compared to how the color shines through hurtfully when the light is all but gone.

 

Only a child could sing such a disturbed song so happily.

 

(-)-(-)

 

A father and someone very close to a mother; that had been the answer she had given to Sophia, whom had just left. Peppita watched as the door trailed shut behind her. It had been a rather…odd….conversation at first, but, Peppita was happy that the conversation had occurred nonetheless. A conversation on family…

 

“Peppita, I didn't come in here to talk to you about that song you were singing, but I-no-we wanted to know…Peppita, how do you see me and Albel? How do you see family?” Sophia sat down on the blond haired girl's bed, at which, the younger girl turned around to look at the older.

 

A look of immense concentration was on Peppita's face; after all, deep thought would be needed for this answer. She wanted to make sure that what she said was true and to the point. “Well, I never had a father before, but I had a mother so…I can see Albel as a father figure in some way. He'll look out for me, even if he doesn't want to or notice, but…I can't look at you like a mother. I'd feel guilty. My mother, I can remember her so clearly; from her touch to her voice to the way she use to smile at me. I couldn't replace her completely like I could with my father. But, Sophia, you're definitely the closest thing to her.” A soft smile slid onto her face.

 

Sophia just gave a few giggles.

 

“What's so funny, Sophia?” The fifteen-year-old asked, with slight scorn, since she believed that the older female found her humorous in some way.

 

“Nothing, nothing, I just think that giving Albel people who rely on him…will be good for him. I can already see it happening, he's starting to like himself again.” The laughter faded away only to turn into a kind smile and her eyes gave off a calm glow, instead of the gleeful twinkle they held moments before. “Albel…he has a lot to thank us for, doesn't he? But, then again, he's done so much for me-that, I think, is thanks enough.”

 

Sophia walked over to the door, her hand wrapped lightly around the door handle, her back to Peppita, “We're going to be leaving in about two hours, make sure ready, okay.”

 

Peppita nodded her head and made a small sound to tell Sophia that she had heard her and agreed. Then, Sophia walked out of the room, her brown hair swung just slightly behind her, as she shut the door lightly…

 

Yes, Peppita concluded, what an odd and yet wanted conversation that had been.

 

(-)-(-)

 

Electric, the way her lips felt on his, that was the only way Albel was able to explain how he felt, almost like sweet and slow torture. The way his heart, which he had thought was made of dry ice, seemed to have thawed and now pumped viciously against his chest. And the way his desire to stay in such a state forever sped through his veins, but, the moment there bodies released their intertwined lock on each other, his heart froze over again…though, recently his heart only seemed to be covered in regular ice, a kind of ice that could be melted with a single touch.

 

Oh, how he longed for more than a simple kiss. Yet, they were about to depart for the future, they had more-important-matters at hand. That thought alone annoyed him. For, Albel didn't see the point in this “test run”. He knew, Sophia knew, and Peppita knew that they were not wanted back in the future. That the moment they returned any worry the others felt would disappear, and then they would be forgotten about all over again, it didn't bother him…but it upset the other two…and that made him aggravated.

 

After all, Sophia had informed him of what Peppita had said that he was like a father figure to her. Thus, no father wants to see their daughter unhappy, right?

 

Yet, even though they all knew it was pointless, there they all stood. Sophia and Peppita in their old outfits that made Albel see nothing but pink, and he just had on a shirt and pants, an outfit he had grown more accustomed to. He glanced at the book that Peppita held in her hands, his own fingers interwoven with Sophia's, and watched as the said book went into Sophia's grasp.

 

Then, in a flash of light, the world disappeared around him.

 

(-)-(-)

 

Blair looked down at the computer screen: they were back, but, the files were only temporary.

 

-/\-

 

Ashes

 

-/\-

 

Over the past three days, Sophia came to the conclusion that Albel had been right. They had been forgotten, all over again. Just like that…

 

When they first got back to their original time period, they found themselves by the arcade. Why? The only reasonable explanation came to Sophia in a memory, a memory of Fayt as he told her that the arcade had the last video game system from the 21st century, thus, since the system existed in both era's they were transported near to it. Really, it made sense.

 

From that location they were easily able to make their way back to Sophia's home, the sight of the city around them was vastly different from the Tokyo they had only just came from, here the buildings were so high up-so large-and they had an almost surreal look to them. They looked fake not the realistic like brick and cement of the buildings from the 21st century city.

 

When they entered the house, Sophia felt the warmth of her parents as they embraced her tightly, the cheers of happiness from her friends, and could taste the salty tears that dripped from her own green irises and slid over her quivered lips. In that moment she was so glad to be home, in that moment any thoughts of a permanent return to the past was forgotten. The wonderful muse that she was not forgotten made Sophia feel as if her whole body glowed with happiness; yet, that dream soon ended.

 

By the next day all three were, once again, forgotten…even by Mirage. Mirage who now had Fayt, Fayt who now had Mirage, Cliff no longer gave some sort of banter to any of them-no tease-for his teases were always centered on Nel, and Nel normally gave a rather cold tease back. And Sophia's parents, well, they went back to work. Thus, that was how the second day went, and she was able to sense the sadness in her own eyes, see her disappoint in Peppita's, and almost touch her own anger as it poured out of Albel's eyes…eyes that looked as if they contained burned coal…so hot and fierce. And so, today, their third day, they were to go visit Blair and find their way back.

 

Their way back home…

 

-/\-

 

Ashes

 

-/\-

 

Green eyes glanced over at the stairs, for; the sound of footsteps could be heard. The sight that greeted Fayt was none other than Sophia. Her hair pinned up in a rather fancy bun, a pink tang top adorned her upper body, and a pair of pants covered her legs. Fayt noticed how she seemed unaware of his presence there and noted how she called up the stairs, “Hurry up Albel! I'm going to wait outside. Do you have your communicator?”

 

“For the thousandth time, yes, woman!” Fayt could hear Albel yell from the upstairs landing.

 

“Jeez! What's he doing that's taking so long?” A sigh made its way into Fayt's ear. Just what was going on anyway? Why would the two of them need a communication device? Only one would be needed for the two of them to be able to understand each other. His thoughts were halted by a shout of, “Peppita, come on, you too! Are you ready to go yet, do you have your communication device?”

 

A loud, “Yes!” could be heard throughout the household as Peppita rushed down the stairs. Her hair, down for once, bounced into her pale green eyes, and her normally flamboyant outfit was present.

 

“Great, let's wait outside for Albel.” A grin shone on both of their features as they headed for the doorway. And thus, Fayt watched as Peppita skipped out the doorway, yet, he got up when Sophia neared the said spot.

 

Once he was right beside her, he asked, “Sophia, where are you three going?” He watched as his childhood friend stopped any and all form of movement. Her head bent downward as hair trailed over her shoulder only to fall once it reached the other side.

 

With her back still turned, Fayt listened intently on the almost whispered response, “We're going home, Fayt.”

 

Shock riddled his body, “What do you mean, `going home'? You are home, aren't you?”

 

“No, Fayt, we aren't. We're going to go see Blair and get her to reactive the book. It's simple enough. Then, we are going to go home and stay there.” Her voice was the most emotionless that Fayt ever heard. There was no hint of a joyful tone and her eyes were shadowed away from him, so any idea of her facial expression was lost onto him.

 

“Wait, what do you mean, this is your home! You can't leave me!” The hopeless tone that Fayt used sounded pathetic, even to him, but he knew no other way to show the emotions that he felt at her words.

 

Sophia turned around to look at Fayt. “All of you forgot about us, only one day did it seem as if you guys remembered, then you forgot. It's just like what happened when we were on our journey to destroy the Creator. Plus, now you have Mirage, you don't need me anymore. Nel has Cliff and Maria can have her independence back. You always took me for granted, always picked your video games over me, and I use to accept that because I had nothing to compare it to…but now I do.”

 

“What, Albel! You're saying that Albel treats you better than I do?” Fayt let the surprise consume his voice.

 

“Yes, Fayt, Albel listens to me…something you never did.” Here she paused and Fayt noticed the melancholy look upon her face, “Do you remember that conversation we had, about princesses and knights?”

 

Fayt could only nod his head in the affirmative.

 

Her Sophia gave a sad laugh, “I found my knight, Fayt, someone to be there for me and always protect me. Because, you see, once upon a time I always dreamed of me being a princess. Once upon a time I fell in love with a prince and once upon a time I believed we would live happily ever after. But…Once upon a time, I realized that life is the farthest thing from a fairytale, good-bye Fayt and can you tell the others that as well. And, I'm sorry, but, not all things end with happily ever after.”

 

Fayt was speechless.

 

Not another word was said, for, Fayt heard footsteps come down the stairs yet again. They were the sound of Albel's heavy boots, yet, Fayt was shocked (once more) by the older man's outfit. He wore black pants with a white strip down either side, a long black shirt that had a zipper in the front and was edged in red, armor adorned his shoulders (silver and red), and a new red and silver collar fit snug around his neck. Fayt also noted that he had his claw back on and the Crimson Scourge in his hand. Fayt could only ponder over the fact that Albel…

 

“Oh, wow, you look like a knight, Albel!” A bout of short laughter escaped Sophia's lips as her irises lit up in amusement and a grin shone brilliantly upon her features. “But, really, once we get home you're going to have to take off that claw of yours and store away your sword. Hey! Do you know what would be the perfect job for you? You could become a martial arts teacher, yeah!”

 

Albel just walked over to the overly excited female and took her hand in his, “Humph, whatever Sophia, just shut the hell up and let's get home.”

 

Her chatter ceased immediately, “O-oh, right.”

 

Fayt watched as they walked over to the door, saw it open and heard Peppita as she shouted out their names; the door closed. Yet, through the open window Fayt was just barely able to make out the words, “Sophia, back home…everyone thinks…that we're husband and wife, so…” He blocked out the rest. Knew where it was to go and didn't want to hear her say yes to Albel's proposal of marriage. And so, as Fayt stood there all alone, he finally knew what they had felt. He finally felt the pain of those forgotten.

 

-/\-

 

We all fall down.

 

(-)-(-)

 

A/N: And so, the end of the final “chapter”. Please, tell me what you think of it in a review and so, onto the epilogue.

 

-LilyGinnyBlack-