Xenosaga 1. Chapter 1

**. | B i t t e r S w e e t | .**

**[[…Re-Take…!]]**

**P**

**A**

**R**

**T**

**O n e**

**The Great Escape**

**[[ . I n f o r m a t i o n :::**

Faith is a Realian with a deep, dark secret that resides in her innocent eyes. When the nineteen year old is freed of the pain of living with an abusive, mad man, her secret unlocks while in the care of her lover; a secret that can destroy all those around her, even the world eventually, or can she find her place before such a thing is to happen?

**[[ . C o m m e n t s :::**

**DON'T READ THIS UNLESS YOU'VE READ BITTER SWEET THE ORIGINAL XD**

I shouldn't _really_ be doing this, I should be creating new fics, or at least writing original ones but hey, here I am! I know I planned to Re-Take Flowers Taste of Blood but I have to admit, Bitter Sweet means a lot to me; its one of the few stories I've carried on for longer then a month, no joke. It's the only story where I've carried it on and on, determined to finish no matter what. When I was scanning over the first few chapters of Bitter Sweet I hated myself; it was so out of context, and the writing was positively awful, and things don't add up in it (for instance, chaos had been a MAJOR part of Faith's life, yet he doesn't feel affected at all at the sight of a Kirshwasser that has her own thoughts and feelings and calls herself Faith? I mean come on, at that point chaos shouldn't a little freaked out and needs to at the very least leave the bridge to bring his emotions back together when he realises the past has caught up on him and he sees the state Faith's in after Albedo's relentless assaults on her). Gaignun was a little, laid back, shall we say about Faith's murderous ways, which is what I aimed for but I think he's a little _too_ laid back, if you get me. They fall in 'love' far more easily then they should have done (Faith's supposed to be a shy girl until about chapters twenty/twenty-one where she meets up with Gabriel for the second time, who helps her bring out her fiery side, which is when she begins to properly step out of her Kirshwasser shell), and by that chapter I had sexual hints between them. I want the relationship to be just as strong but a little more realistic. Each time I read through Gaignun/Faith moments its like a page from Twilight, and its kinda weird that way. Plus I think, well a lot of people said, Faith's a direct copy of me (from her taste in colours/music to her actions in certain social situations, favourite drinks etc) and I think I need to change a few things around a little with her. She'll still be fiery and feisty and won't take sh*t from no one (yeah she does sound like me T_T) but a little less like me xD I was disappointed in how chaos came across too; he wasn't as thoughtful as I needed him to be, not as calm and whatnot; I made it so the 'love' he felt for Faith overcame everything else and I shouldn't have done. There were a few chapters out of place, which didn't flow with the storyline properly and weren't explained, and frankly all the lovey stuff just really bugged me. PLUUUUSSS I always, always think Gaignun wouldn't have had a proper relationship since Faith (and this is NOT my fangirl thing going 'Gaignun's heart will only be stolen from me!~') it's because of his past and lack of seeing girls, and quite possibly lack of interaction between his brothers (like me and Ashy have discussed, he's more of a third wheel kinda thing) plus he's a workaholic and he's just ALWAYS busy, since when the hell would he have time to be a pimp? His personality from what we see doesn't seem to be like that, at least that's what I think, so WHHHYYY ON EARTH I put in the story that he kissed her like after knowing her a few days is BEYOND me…So many things gone wrong xD

Anywaayy ENJOY 8D (oh yeah, one more moan, in the first chapter I made it look like Albedo loved her, which was when I didn't know where the storyline was going, hence why the first chapter was inspired by Gunzablaze. This story, in affect now, is in no way inspired by anyone and just a creation I came up with that I need to change around Dx).

Big fat juicy edit: I learnt another meaning of Albedo 8D I wonder why its not in my word dictionary then :/ oh and this chapter sucks and is short because well…I get bored of Albedo throwing Faith around like a rag doll :/

**::: D a t e S t a r t e d . ]]**

4th March 2011 (Friday)

**[[ … C h a p t e r … ]]**

**~ O n e ~**

**.. Y o u L e f t M e D r o w n i n g ..**

The panicked, small voice echoed through deaf ears. "I didn't mean to Sir, really-" she wanted to say more to the grown, frightening man in front of her but she was prevented from doing so. All that left her throat after that was a sharp squeak as his claws scratched against her neck, not wasting a second to wrap their way around her small flesh. While he brought his strong, un-gloved hands around her neck, she shivered as his cold flesh touched hers; his skin like ice. Tightening those strong fingers, he constricted them around her lick a snake, preventing her from the pleasure of breathing by blocking her small, child-like neck. Panic struck her; adrenaline pumping its way through her body as she looked up at the terrifying man that was causing her pain. This time, instead of hints of bliss in his mauve gems that he morbidly got from harming someone, they were filled with resentment; his thin lips pursed hard as he squeezed tighter from their eye contact. The expression frightened her more then the other look he would normally give to her. He was _just_ furious from a mistake she didn't even make; utterly _livid_, meaning the chances of him letting go of her neck were most likely slim. Weakly, she brought her fingers around his, using both her hands; one wouldn't even be able to cover his due to how large they were. Wrapping her fingers around his, she tugged as hard as she could, feeling tears silently caress her cheeks, though she didn't feel like crying. Feeling numb in her face, she finally let go of his fingers, giving up just after a few minutes of attempting getting free. Her eyes glazed across his face; her lids wanting to shut as she became weaker from the lack of air. It seemed her heart and lungs were aching from lack of oxygen; her mind finally realising her fate. After what had been a year and a half of pure hell, she was finally going to get the same outcome as the other Realians that were in the white headed mans care; death.

But instantly, just as she was about to fall, the bones of his fingers snapped straight; opening her throat once more. Instead of the feeling of relief she expected to feel, it felt as if a wave had crashed into her lungs, causing her to choke. As if her body had forgotten how to breathe she struggled to grab mouthfuls of air; her lungs unsure of what to do with the oxygen for a few moments. As she panicked, thinking she would drown on water, pain surged through the side of her face. Her sight blurred as she lost her balance, stumbling to the ground like she had just been caught in a gust of wind. The side of her left knee, arm and hand smacked against the hard, almost pavement, like floor that was so cold she felt like she had landed in a pile of snow. Tensing, she felt her heartbeat speeding up again, much to her dismay; she needed it to pump slowly so she wouldn't have to pant so quickly, which was still hard to do as her lungs weren't pumping the air suitably. With her head against her left arm, she shut her eyes tightly, attempting to calm herself. She had been in situations like this one many a time before but regardless of the experience she still hadn't trained her hear to be composed.

Unknown to her, the white headed pain was staring down at her weak body with disgust; those mauve gems glowing with both anger and slight joy. Clenching his fists, his body began to tremble as he leaned foreword; casting his overgrown shadow over her body like it was to engulf her in one. Staring, he watched her body trembling from fear; heard her panting in his ears; all signs that would give him delight but the anger towards her was too strong. There was only a small space in his emotions that allowed him slight delight and a smaller amount of common sense; the common sense having stopped him from either snapping her neck like a twig or strangling her. From where the Kirshwasser uniform had revealed her skin that was as pale as his hair, he could see the scars laden on her flesh like veins on marble. All the scars actions from him, of course. They ran from her thighs to her legs, to her arms and even on her neck. How he wished to inflict more pain upon that bratty, little girl! But he couldn't; he knew that he couldn't. Instead, he turned around like a child and headed for the door; the pain filled Kirshwasser watching him wordlessly through blurred eyes. On the ground she flinched as a bang echoed through the room from him punching the wall beside the door; the bang so large it sounded as if a roll of thunder crashed within the space.

Once the door slid open, allowing thin lines of light from the empty halls to seep into the room, he left without a second glance to even check she was okay. When the door closed again, the room dimmed; the Kirshwasser staying on the ground for long minutes. All she did was blink, feeling her heart begin to fall back to its normal rhythm. Her lips had shut, meaning she was breathing calmly again through her nose and the blurred haze in her vision had disappeared. But of course, the pain hadn't. As fear subsided, pain overcame her senses. Pushing her weak body foreword, she slipped onto her knees, leaning foreword on her hands that were pushed against the navy coloured flooring. Her silver locks draped over her shoulders, brushing against her colourless cheeks as she lowered her head. Feeling tears run down her cheeks, she couldn't contain her fearful shivering as she searched her mind, trying to figure out what had irritated the man this time. No matter how much she tried to think, she couldn't come up with the answer. He had just come back to the room in a rage, and instead of taking it out on the other Kirshwasser's, she was his target. Wrong place, wrong time, kind of thing that had resulted in the usual feeling of pain. But despite having harmed her, she knew he wasn't satisfied and had most likely gone out to kill one of her sisters. Though she knew his anger was no where near her fault, a pang of guilt came into her mind that spread to overcome all the emotions of fear and hurt. Lifting her head, she looked to the door, blaming herself that in a few moments another one of her sisters would be being hurt; the reason being hers and hers only because she couldn't get the anger out of him.

Ignoring the line of blood running down her lip to drip to the floor, she watched the door carefully, wanting so badly to run out there and stop him from harming one of her sisters, but the only thing that prevented her from doing so was fear. Coming out of the room, raging at him would make him utterly _furious_; something she couldn't afford to happen. Either he _would defiantly_ kill her, or harm another one of her sisters, which again would be her fault. Whimpering, she lowered her head again, squeezing her eyes shut to stop tears from uncontrollably spiralling down her face to the ground. Lifting her right hand, she wiped the blood from her lip, finally managing to open her eyes to see how much there was. Not enough to be concerned about; there was only a thin line of blood, along with her blue lipstick that she had most likely ruined. Not that she cared much; she _hated_ the colour blue. When she felt more blood run from her mouth, she wiped it away, not letting it drop onto the floor; he hated all manner of bodily fluids. If there was blood on his floor he wouldn't exactly be happy or forgiving about such a thing.

Like a neglected child, she brought her injured knees up to her chest, cuddling them in her bone thin arms as she leaned her head on her chin, staring at the door yet staring at nothing at all. In her peripheral vision she could see the mess of his dark bedroom; the stench of blood mixed with gunpowder lingering in her nostrils; a scent she had grown to know her whole life, which despite her looks, seemed to be only a year and a half. A year and a half ago she almost 'awoke' in the world of Albedo, with a mind full of knowledge about the craziest things from religion, to languages, to maths and science and she even knew what she was; a Kirshwasser. The only thing missing from her mind was how she became to be apart of Albedo's possession but because she knew she was just simply a doll she figured he took her from somewhere and flicked a switch and there she was. But unlike her other sisters, other models like herself, she had an interesting ability to be able to speak against her Master; to talk what she wanted and to feel what she couldn't help but feel. She even came with her own name and that was Faith. The others didn't have names; she knew she was special; a special doll for her Master, even though she detested her Master with all her might. Regardless of loathe and abhorrence, she would never go against him, always being loyal even if he was damaging her or her sisters. Such loyalty angered her at the best of times.

Letting a long sigh out of the back of her throat, Faith shut her eyes momentarily; collecting all the remaining energy she had left in her mind. With all her might, she tried to push out the feelings of pain in her bones and focused on more appealing thoughts. Not that there was anything appealing to think of. After some moments she resulted in thinking of the colours she liked; those bright pinks, lilacs and beautiful blues that reminded her of the images of the ocean she had in her mind (wherever they were from was beyond her), eventually managing to cheer herself up. With her eyes still closed, she carefully moved her arms from being wrapped around her legs, setting her small, bruised, hands upon the floor. "Come on Fay," she muttered to herself; her voice soft and quiet from Albedo's squeezing of her throat. "No use sitting around being pitiful of yourself; one step at a time," as soon as she finished, she pushed herself up using her bare hands. Almost stumbling down, she took a step foreword, wondering what to do with herself. Eventually, she managed to push herself into the dark bathroom, coming face to face with her reflection almost immediately.

When she set her eyes on her reflection, disgust welled within her gut. In a snap decision, she had pulled her silver locks from her head, revealing it was nothing but a wig; underneath was her natural hair of should length, bright pink and fiery red locks.

Shortest

Chapter

EVARH. XD


	2. Chapter 2

**.{**_ They said they don't exist. Even mentally stable I still think that they do._

_They gave me love. They gave me pain. They adjusted my life._

_They broke me down and built me back up. For the rest of my life I will always believe in fictional characters. Depending on who finds them they will live. They will affect life. For me, it was for the worst thing that ever happened to me. But I want to come back. Not a vulnerable teenager. As a mentally stable young woman. Plus, I want to test my strength. And what a better way to do it then go face to face with your demons? _**.}**

**If any of my old "friends" that I haven't bothered to get in contact with, don't bother with me. I don't need you anymore.**

But then, she fell down to her knees in sheer despair. Her bruises ached from the fall caused by her anguish yet she didn't care. It felt like nothing but the tickle of a feather compared to the ache in her heart. This wasn't how she was meant to look; she needed silver hair that grew in thick, beautiful strands. She needed the hair of her sisters that reminded her of freshly woven spider's silk; elegant, gorgeous and stronger then steel. Yet, at the same time she didn't wish to look like that. She lived in a world clouded with just their faces; their need to be perfect yet she noticed that as she aged with Albedo she was driving away from that ideal. She was enjoying her different appearance although she had been devastated when her hair began to grow from silver to red followed by those strange hues of rose pink that reminded her of a pale burgundy. Unlike Albedo who had weirdly not given a second though. He simply purchased a wig, stating nothing on the matter. Gently, her mind began to strengthen again as she sat there. The tears had only just begun when she decided not to shed anymore; wiping her face clean dry with the sleeves of her tattered shirt. It stained with her black makeup, though she couldn't care. Sniffing, she pushed herself back up and proceeded to discard her skin of the clothes she wore. The cold bathroom bit at her dark olive skin, leaving lumps on her scarred flesh. Once bare, as she did every night, she held her arms out in front of herself. It was a struggle to straighten her left arm she had stained. The inside of it was a deep purple, almost black hue, with the vein and muscle both protruding in pea shaped lumps. It didn't hurt, oddly enough. What hurt was her finger, which hadn't a single mark on it at all. She never really understood her body.

It was weird. When she first gazed upon it she thought that those scars were normal. Perhaps Sakura had them. But no. When her golden eyes would gaze at others arms, they were completely clear. Whilst hers were covered from wrist to shoulder in large keloid scars; going from one inch to five inches long. She asked Albedo about it once. He walked away from her. She counted them too. All seven hundred and fifty two. They were itchy, red, raised and sore. And she never knew where they came from. So before her bath, she would gaze at them in vain; hoping and praying for the answer to appear out of thin air though the logical side of her brain that just about functioned knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. A hard sigh escaped her throat roughly, before she turned to the bath frustrated. No answers for those worm like things lining her flesh. Again.

. . . . . . . . .

"You look like an idiot," she spoke clearly and strongly though detached from any emotion. Faith's tired eyes locked onto his sharp lilac ones confidently. They were a void of nothingness; distant from any kind of emotion, cold and menacing. They would only flicker when something went within his favour, usually from giving some form of pain to another being and even then no one could ever understand what he felt from those frightening gems of his. Over time she had learnt how far she could go with him. And over time she had felt her personality grow stronger and stronger; from the fragile bird she once was to the lioness waiting to escape her cage. Although she broke from time to time she knew she held strength. She wasn't a Realian like the others. She may have shared the same eyes but certainly not the same heart. And she would strike whenever she could. If she wasn't so weak she would strike him physically but even though she had a physical life, her muscles never grew. She put it down to those deep scars. They must have damaged her muscles.

Albedo had been, before she intruded, dipping his long fingers within the locks of another Kirshwasser; blood lingering on his wrist, clots beneath the silver strands. When she had first gazed upon the sight disgust touched her heart. He was seated in the dark quarters quite calmly; his lips curled into a menacing grin. The atmosphere was darker than the space surrounding them. The silence was cutting; sharper than razors. But she bit her tongue, swallowed the wish to scream and make a scene. She had only just emerged from the bathroom – shoulder length hair in messy curls and makeup off her face, showing rose blemishes. Her supple skin wasn't sore and she wasn't planning on making it. It wasn't her fault those dolls didn't have the ability to defend themselves (and she mentally slapped herself for that thought).

He didn't even bother to keep eye contact with her. He dropped his gaze back down to the doll, looking almost like a disappointed child before throwing the soulless shell to the ground. It lay limp. Lifeless. Pointless. "It's death is no difference to its life," he couldn't help but smirk. "Though, I suppose that is the problem with most of life, is it not? You trail along doing nothing. Accomplishing nothing," he raised his hand, squeezing it in a fist as he spoke. "You take all life has to offer and destroy it."

Faith's brows furrowed in confusion, her eyes scanning up and down his body. His speeches unsettled her, coupled with the strangely calm tone in which he spoke. If he was even slightly more frantic she would be happier. She would feel safer; it would show he had a weakness. Yet his collective self showed nothing but strength. And she had to mimic that as best she could, otherwise it would be another beating and she wanted to function. "And what are you doing to differ your life from death?"

And although it was just a simple question, she regretted it the moment it left her lips. Though for the first split second he made no reaction, one thing did change; the look within his eyes. They flickered slightly; brows inevitably frowning from his emotions. The atmosphere seemed to change again and she felt more alone then ever before. No one would pay heed to her screams. No one would come to help her. Her heart skipped a beat, and then a laugh left his lungs. It sounded like it came from the depths of hell; belonging to an empty hall of a Mental Institute. It echoed around her body, sending chills up her spine and causing her to take a step back before she froze from his ice. He lowered his head as he laughed, placing a hand on the arm of the chair in an attempt to regain himself. He had shut his eyes during his laughter, but abruptly opened them just as he stopped; finding hers instantly. They stuck at her like knives, freezing her in her place. She was overcome with a sensation of wanting to die; for the earth to swallow her hole. For the window to smash open and suck her out into the vacuum of space. Anything and everything!

"Oh my precious," spite lingered on his tongue that slithered in his mouth like a snake. His voice was bitter, ominous yet hateful. It was a whisper, so unlike him. Suddenly, he stood to his feet, the wings of his clothes flowing from his sides as he raised his arms similar to that of a prophet of old times. A grin shot across his face as he looked down at her, making her feel like an ant compared to his height that was extended thanks to the steps to the mid layer of the room he was at. "I can _not_ perish!" she furrowed one eyebrow, while the other raised in sheer confusion. Everything died. Everyone died. He was utterly insane . . . "I am life. I am this world. My purpose is infinite; obsolete. And while those creatures flutter about the place, performing needless task after task, dying and losing everything, I shall always be here. The alpha, the omega," he smirked proudly. "I am what the world needs. I will bring it to its former beauty. I will destroy it."

For but a moment they shared a silence before Faith spoke; "That is nice, Master, but everyone dies," her voice was quiet, almost like it didn't want to speak. "You can kill as many of us as you see fit," she pulled her arms behind her head and began to tie her hair back with a ribbon wrapped around her wrist, as if nothing were really going on. "You can continue to allude yourself in this fantasy that you're untouchable but you are not. If you walk around like this someone will get you and you won't even notice."

Just as she did not notice the corner of his lip move into a smirk. She turned, hair back, and began to look over the young Kirshwasser on the floor; checking her wounds even though it was pointless. Human life was pointless after all . . . .

He breached the silence within seconds. "Ma espoir," and she shot her head straight to him, wondering whether she had heard him wrong or not. His eyes were shut, his arms still out with the wings flowing slightly. She stared, waiting for him to speak; she knew he could feel her gaze. He didn't even need to look into her eyes to feel her emotions. "Pick up the knife."

For barely a moment she stared, before moving. She walked, heavy legged, to the coffee table he had between book shelves. The small room aboard the ship she could never remember, held the smallest library, a few chairs, and storage for clothes for Albedo. She kept some things, though she owned practically nothing in her existence. The shelves were filled with religious books, philosophy wrote by the greatest minds in history and lessons on ancient languages. The one he spoke often was French, and she often had to sit at the coffee table investigating the words to find what he had said. Still though, she didn't understand the meaning to her nickname (she bet it wasn't even French so she never knew what he was calling her).

With the tips of her fingers she barely held the silver handle of the sharpened butcher's knife. She wished she hadn't even needed to use it earlier in the day . . . . Was he about to punish her? Why did she have to ask that question? She was regretting everything! Why did she even have to venture in that room? She could have done something on the ship. She could have moved boxes, found someone to talk to . . . She could've done anything. Those thoughts filled her head to the brim, distracting her from her minute walk to Albedo. It was when she began to climb the five steps that she snapped back to reality. He had opened his eyes, gazing down into hers. Emotionless. They weren't the eyes that were going to hurt her, but he could snap like no tomorrow. And she thought, then and there, she wasn't going to see tomorrow.

Wincing, she came face to face with her 'Master'. He smiled, knowingly and whispered gently; "Inflicted pain upon me," and he grabbed her left wrist with his hand. Suddenly he yanked her, simultaneously digging his nails into her flesh; allowing her to feel the stab through his gloves. Her already pained muscle strained under the pull, and she cried out in agony. She silenced, biting her teeth together as he twisted her arm. She attempted to twist her body with him, yet knew it was inevitable. She looked at him; tears to the rim of her eyes. She glared through her tears, threatening him through her mind. She challenged him with her thoughts, and as if he could read them he pulled harder. In her mind she whispered; 'I warned you,' and stabbed him straight in the chest.

It was harder than she thought, though she was amazed at the strength she had used. She felt the blade penetrate the ribs; cracking them under her pressure. And the moment the blade began to enter his body; she felt the pain disappear from her arm and her body free. His body folded as she drew the blade in ever so slightly, and she felt it begin to get caught around his bones. But with a little more force, she felt it slide through soft flesh. And then it came pouring out like a river; splattering across her body like she had popped a water balloon. Suddenly, she looked up, not at his eyes before quickly letting go. She practically jumped down the stairs, moving to the door to get from his reach. She had destroyed him; though she couldn't quite comprehend it just yet. She wondered though, that as he moved, did he whisper "That feels good,"?

Heart pounding and breathing fast, she watched the blood leave his body. Yet he was calm. The smile still lingering upon his face as if nothing were happening. She didn't understand and then he looked across the room at her. He smiled wide; teeth on show. And she felt like she had been stabbed in the heart herself. He wasn't going to die.

Placing her wet hand on the door, she stared at him; shaking furiously as the blood rolled down her hot skin like melted wax. Its thickness stuck to her; and the scent lingered in her nostrils. He began to laugh hysterically again, causing her to whimper ever so slightly. She wondered whether she should run, but where to? No one cared for her. No one apart from the mad man in front of her and that caused her for just a moment to hope he couldn't die otherwise she was going to live a lifetime of misery, of neglect; of hatred for being just a Kirshwasser; just a doll. His chest began to glow a hue of lilacs, mixed with blue; a light so beautiful yet eerie like the shade of his eyes. It wrapped around the wound; so bright she couldn't see his chest beneath it. And when it eventually disappeared it was as if nothing had happened. The blood had disappeared, the wound too. The only sign of something was the hole within his shirt but that was clean.

The corner of his mouth came up. "And you are granted the honour of being witness to my greatness. I will give you the right to say that you are 'alive'."

. . . . . . .

Elegantly (which was something she rarely did) she twisted herself between the mechanics of the E.S, slipping her slender frame into her seat. The curves of her hips and chest grazed into the machine, luckily missing buttons, and as she twisted her left arm screamed in agony. It had grown darker since the prior day, spreading down her forearm. The lump was much larger, and it didn't stay in a single place. She wondered whether something had broken but it didn't matter. She wouldn't receive medical attention for anything anyway. She had donned her typical attire; the only piece of clothing she owned save for her nightwear and another pair of underwear. It was the typical uniform; to show the world what she was, though she needn't have done that. She didn't even need the wig that itched on her head; her eyes said all. Only Realians held the signature gold eye colour. And no one in the world would respect her for that. No one in the world would care. They hadn't yet, not in the years she had been around. She didn't care. All that truly bothered her was the previous nights events. They had scarred her mind; burned forever into her soul. He would not die. He could do whatever he wished to her, yet he couldn't die. And that frightened her like no tomorrow. And she couldn't help but thank she had made it to tomorrow, as from the night before that feeling she was going to die was still fresh.

Albedo was already waiting in the machine for her, watching as she struggled. When she was seated, he turned it on before gliding them smoothly out of the docking area and into vast space. He inputted the co-ordinates and she gazed over at them through the screen. As if he could read her confusion, he began to speak; "We're visiting my younger brother," he purred out the words elegantly. "This, ma espoir, is the beginning," and he shut his eyes. "Listen, do not speak."

A little noise escaped the back of her throat as her vision blurred painfully; her mind twisting. A haze drew across her, as if someone wormed their fingers around her brain, wracking it mercilessly. She lowered her head, a flash of light engulfing her vision while at the same time they sparkled a hue of ice blue; just as Albedo's went lilac. The haze lifted, though she shut her eyes. Her mind felt calm, her head fell back to rest on the seat and she felt odd. He had opened a link again, something she too could do, though she never understood how or why. He never mentioned it into conversation so she simply assumed it was a Realian thing of sorts. She had listened to many conversations, though was not allowed to speak. Not allowed to think. She had many gruelling sessions with Albedo, training herself to get into a meditative state whilst he conversed as no matter what, he couldn't push her from the link. She had listened to many things between him and a boy called Rubedo, and an older man called Nigredo. She still knew very, very little of them both.

As soon as the link was established, she heard the foreign voice flow through her mind; "I haven't the time for trivial games," Nigredo.

Albedo replied, both in thought and reality; "Oh dear brother you always have the time for me," he couldn't help but tease brashly.

"I'm busy, make this quick," he demanded abruptly; frustration lingering in his voice. She listened carefully, concentrating on their voices; their voices and her breath. That was all she could think about. She would wonder about the words later . . . .

"Busy doing what?" he retorted. "Your job at the Foundation or your _real_ duty?" he hissed the word violently. Faith felt the link falter but she tightened her fist. Instinctively, she restored the little bit of distance Nigredo had made, pulling him back to them – or just Albedo as he thought. She felt his irritation, heard him sigh from the inside but then she felt him settle. He knew not to bother anymore; it would just waste time. Faith felt the burning eyes of Albedo upon her, yet concentrated on nothingness. "I have something you may be interested in, Nigredo. A little present of mine. A Kirshwasser."

He scoffed. "We don't need more Realians," he replied. "I'm surprised you're giving your toys away,"

'But, we're not,' Faith began in her mind before quickly cutting herself off. Hands shaking, she waited, wondering whether either members of the link had heard her thoughts but neither responded. She breathed, relieved, yet still shaken.

"You don't understand though, Nigredo," he began his words slowly; meticulously and that frightened her. "She's injured. You couldn't leave her to die now, could you?"

Don't be shocked, don't think, their voices, your breath . . . She breathed louder to hear it.

After a pause that lasted too long, he replied; "You stay where you are. Do not approach the Durandal. If we suspect anything suspicious, I will have to use force, Albedo."

"Kind choice, brother," and before she knew it, her whole world engulfed into darkness.

If it had been anything else, he would have left it. If it had been anything but a Realian it would have been long forgotten about in his mind, yet a strange dedication tugged at Gaignun Kukai. They were replicas of the girl he had shared so little time with, yet she had impacted Rubedo's mind; his heart, so he had always felt obliged to protect them in ways. Not for his own memory of Sakura, but for his brothers. For the rest of his life he would be connected to those. And though he knew it to be unintelligent as they held no emotion, no life or anything, he followed that though like it was a law. Heck it was the only reason they even chose to have Realians on the Durandal rather than any other A.I but he wouldn't admit that to anyone apart from his older brother. He feared momentarily, as he changed the Durandal's course towards Albedo's co-ordinates, whether it was a trap. Something kept him from acting upon that slight emotion of fear though. During the link he had felt something soft, something waver between them. It was warm and though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, he felt as if he knew that feeling. It was a sudden drift of something that reminded Gaignun of his childhood; the nicer memories of it. He wondered, for a moment, whether he had felt Albedo's heart. Or someone else's. But of course that was indeed _impossible_ . . . .

When the E.S reached their sight, Master Kukai demanded instant communications with Albedo. When the screen flashed on, reaching over the Durandal's Bridge, was the live image of the Kirschwasser he had just been speaking of. Her body was limp, eyes closed; sprawled over her chair. Her silver locks covered the side of her face, barely hiding the thick maroon blood that dripped from her forehead down her chin. It had pooled at her lap; brushing over her chest in horrific thick clumps. The Bridge fell deathly silent for a moment before a voice yelled out breathlessly;

"Wh-what the _hell_, Albedo?!" Jr. had been observing in the corner, back against the wall; angered at Gaignun's decision. He had folded his arms across his shoulders, acting like the child he so looked like; sulking almost. But from the image, he was pushed foreword a few steps out of shock; arms flailing to his sides. The long black jacket he wore nearly fell from his shoulders in such a quick movement and his scarlet brows furrowed in anger. He took a few more steps towards the ramp, below where Gaignun stood beside Mary and Shelly, who had looked away in disgust mixed with anguish for the child. "You sick _bastard_!"

Before Albedo could retort, Gaignun put his right arm out, grabbing Jr's attention. "Jr., go," and with those words, Jr. instantly turned and stepped onto the elevator without another word. He drew out his guns, muttering to Gaignun in his mind; just a precaution. When he had left the Bridge, Gaignun stayed calm, almost emotionless yet his voice was full of resolve. "Weapons, lock onto Albedo. Don't be afraid to use full force if needs be."

"So, we're playing that game, are we dear, brother?" Albedo's voice purred through the speaker; utterly entertained by the events. He could see him in the background, grinning menacingly.

"Just hand her over and leave."

Faith was drifting in and out, rolling about consciousness; asleep, awake, asleep awake. The pauses between both states were so quick it was almost instant. She could barely hold onto her thoughts and feelings. She felt her lips moving, thanking those in the white room for being so kind. Her dizzy eyes saw busy things; people moving about her, running; panicking almost. They were all above her, and once or twice she tried to pick up her hands to reach out yet someone held them down gently each time. Her head felt heavy, rolling about from side to side and as time grew during the confusing state, she wanted to go home. She wanted to be back in Albedo's room, where she didn't feel so lost and so confused. As time lengthened, so did the lapses of being awake. The people around her began to slow their paces; rarely looking over her. She was beginning to recall who she was, perhaps not where she was, but could just about make out her surroundings. The foggy feeling that had been cast about her head was beginning to subside and eventually she muttered her first coherent sentence to those about her; "Where am I?"

Those strangers weren't looking down at her anymore, so she rolled her head to the side; feeling cushions beneath her yet not understand why her body felt so soft. She still couldn't contemplate why she was lying, or what she was even lying on. When she turned her head, her eyes met with a figure; clad in black. It was like a sore thumb compared to the light background he was sat against where everything seemed almost angelic in colour. He stuck out like nothing she had never seen before. Between him and the bed she lay on, she saw a small cream cabinet; set upon it a jug of water and a glass. She was thirsty.

Reaching out, her body felt like it didn't even belong to her. It was numb, from toes to head, yet usable. Her mind, however, was not connected to it at all, and the instant she grabbed one of those glass with her thin hand, it knocked straight to the floor. She didn't realise she hadn't even managed to grab it with her flimsy hand and had instead knocked it clean off with her wrist. On its way down to the floor, the water spilt on her arm, causing her to snatch it back instantly. And when it shattered; the noise echoing through the room, the figure jumped in its seat. The man sat their brought his head quickly up, and she looked to him, though her sight was still blurred for her to make out what was going on. He calmly placed the small tablet he had been holding on the small cabinet and removed his black jacket. Draping it on the chair, he bent down onto the floor; beginning to pick up the shards. She heard a person speak yet didn't understand the muttering, and she watched him wave his hand to the person.

"S-Sorry," she whispered, beginning ever so slightly to understand what she had done.

"Its fine," she managed to understand him say. She watched as he placed the glass into the bin behind his chair, and as he returned with blue paper towels. She dropped her head, literally, back onto the pillow; hearing the fabric crease. Her hand dropped over the edge of the bed; a deep red wire pulling at the tube in her hand. Seeing this, the man put her hand on the bed; stopping the tug of the wire. He placed the wet towels in the bin, and poured another glass; a lemon dropping from the jug into it. "It's just the aesthetic, it will wear off soon."

He gestured for her to push herself up, which she struggled heavily to do. In assistance, he placed a large hand on her back; feeling her bones lean against him through the hospital gown. He frowned inside at the bones, mentally noting the fact the Realian had been malnourished. Another thing to keep track of… Leaning on her one elbow, she took the glass from him with her spare hand, though he wouldn't let go of it. Once the rim of the glass had touched her lips, and the water cascaded down her throat, she then realised how thirsty she was. It was as if she hadn't drunk for days upon days. It was refreshingly lovely, helping to ease off the cloud that had been upon her mind. When she swallowed the last bit, he took the glass away from her and let her ease back onto the bed.

For long moments she lay there, feeling a breeze run over her body. He returned to his chair, though didn't return to the tablet he had been on. A leg folded on the other and he observed her carefully; a brow furrowed. He tried to enter her mind; he tried to listen to her that way yet he couldn't. It was as if her mental stronghold was made of steel. He could feel one though; he could feel a consciousness, whether it was man made or human. And as he sat there, watching her carefully, he realised it was the same consciousness he had felt during the mental conversation with Albedo. Her eyes looked over to him and she managed to see his facial features. He looked identical to Albedo, save for his dark skin and emerald eyes. And of course, raven coloured hair. She wondered, for a moment, whether she had entered another reality but that though quickly left her mind.

Softly, he leaned towards her a little and smiled. A smile completely different to her Masters; that was for sure. "My name is Gaignun Kukai. We've brought you here to care for you," he assured her softly; his voice softer than silk to her ears. He still sounded like Albedo, yet was the complete polar opposite of her mad Master. She wondered whether he was Nigredo, but of course shrugged that off with the knowledge of his name (which through the aesthetic she struggled to remember).

"Everyone's really kind," she smiled through the drugs. He could tell through her joyful expression, even though she had been heavily sedated, that she was filled with genuine amazement. From that tiny little glimpse into her eyes he knew she had never been shown kindness in her life. And how would she have been? Living with Albedo would have been a hell that he couldn't even imagine. He didn't even want to try to imagine the despair she must have been living with throughout her few years. From the idea of his people having shown her kindness, he couldn't help but smile. And when her golden eyes gleamed with innocently true gratitude he smiled wider (though believed no one should have been grateful for compassion). "I like lovely people. My sisters try to be lovely to me. But they don't know how to be it. Though I can tell that they try…" she began to pull at the thin bed sheets; the realisation of being in a hospital room becoming clearer, though she knew why; from the injury Albedo said he was going to cause to her. "I like to think that they _can_ try…"

"I'm sure that they can," he told her softly. He watched her little fingers pulling; noting the cuts on them, the scars on her arms, and her emancipated look. He wondered how underweight she was. He wondered how she could have even gotten underweight . . . "What is your name?"

And that little statement made a sentence fly vividly around her head; _'Never, ever tell anyone that name of yours. You're just a Realian. That's our little secret, espoir…'_

After a lengthened pause, her voice peaked."I don't have one," she replied quietly, not looking at him; almost ashamed.

"Everyone has a name," he began to tell her in his soft voice still. "Even Realians have names. Your sisters do, don't they?"

"Kirshwasser," her voice was as quiet as a mouse and she sunk herself further into the bed. A throb began at the front of her head though she ignored it as best as she could.

"Is that your name?" he was granted an answer the second his sentence had ended; a swift shake of her head. "Then what is it? It'll be a secret, I promise."

Gently, she looked over to him again; looking into his eyes. Uncontrollably, she used the power that they shared and opened a link. When he felt her enter his mind, his eyes widened. She rolled onto her side, looking at him sleepily before whispering through the link; '_Faith_.'

And then, abruptly she closed it. Almost as if nothing had happened she shut her eyes, rolling over with her back to him. He stared, silenced from the event. His mind whirled with possibilities. Was she a Realian created using Dmitri's technology as well as Sakura's father? That could have happened . . . . Their timelines and lives were of course shared . . . That was possible . . . . But what it didn't explain was something else that had been playing on his mind since she had arrived.

His green eyes looked over to the other cabinet she had not noticed, where not only her clothes lay but her wig as well. And, despite being a Realian, she hadn't noticed she was hooked up to a blood bag rather than a machine. Gaignun realised then that he had been given something special; a lost creation that Albedo must have found fourteen years ago before his disappearance. A Realian of a completely different series. Yet that emotion; it was _human_ . . .


	3. Chapter 3

**.[ Chapter Three : **

Transition

_Strange infatuation seems to grace the evening tide. I'll take it by your side. Such imagination seems to help the feeling side. I'll take it by your side._

.[ its me again . . . . Can I point out that I haven't written in like, two years? Hence why the writing is utterly terrible! Since I met my fiancé (who I creepily call my Nini =_=. He will never see this site!) I've been distracted with, well, life! But I've got a lot of free time between now and –hopefully- moving in together so, hello! Here I am ^^ Please try to bear with me! I know this is really bad! ].

Confused and bewildered, Faith's mouth pushed down without her minds consent, feeling something crunch beneath her teeth. It crumbled into on her dry tongue, tasting sweet and chocolaty at the same time. Quickly, her back teeth pushed down on what she realised to be food as she began to blink herself into consciousness. She shook her head with her control as more of the food was pushed gently into her mouth, which was eating it quite contently. With that movement, it was taken from her and in her blurred blinks she saw the figure of a young nurse move from her. "It's okay," she told her softly as she began to swallow what she soon realised to be a cookie. "You were complaining that you were hungry, you've been sedated for over a day," and Faith began to frown. It felt like it had just been an instant since she had woken before, even if her mind was sleepy and clouded. She knew where she was from that early awakening, despite the fact she had been drowned in drugs and it made her transition into reality easier. She hadn't dreamt during any of her slumbers. It just felt like moments had flown by, rather than hours just as the nurse said.

"I've upped your dose of morphine," told her as she checked the wire in her hand that had changed from red to clear. Faith watched her carefully; taking in her pretty face, chestnut hair and lovely smile. She hadn't seen such kindness, and she recalled stating how great it was, embarrassingly enough! "I'm just going to go inform Master Gaignun that you're awake now. Is that okay with you?"

Faith looked up at her and nodded, though she was already out the door. Engulfed in the silence that came with isolation she moved slowly; calmly. She pushed herself up, twisting her back behind her so she was able to push the white pillows up against the cold metal bars of the bed. She pushed her bum back, straitening herself as she sat up. Her gold eyes glanced down at the attire that she donned; a simple white dressing gown that had to have been two sizes too big; falling off her shoulders. She pulled it up, fearful of showing too much pale skin. Her eyes began to look around, curiously exploring her surroundings. The room was simply furnished, with a few cabinets along with a chair to her left where she could barely recall seeing Gaignun sitting, though it felt like it had happened years ago; the medication had really played with her head. There were a few machines monitoring her, along with a mobile tray that she assumed to be filled with first aid equipment. Curiously, she glanced on top of the cabinets; water as she remembered on the one and then on the other . ...

Instantly, her hands shook. Abruptly, they moved up to her head, brushing against something rough though she didn't pay heed to that; instead she cared for grabbing a bunch of fluffy curls. They were tied back, irritatingly enough, but she ripped the ribbon from her head, letting them drop down her shoulders. She grabbed clumps between her fingers, bringing it to her face. Red and pink . . . . _They all knew._ They all knew she wasn't a Kirshwasser; that she wasn't 'right'. They all knew she was useless, destined for the bins. Destined to be thrown away for eternity, and she didn't even know whether or not her Master was going to come back for her. And then she screamed; louder than anything; more pained then ever. In the background her machine beeped faster with her heartbeat, though was drowned out by her noises. A life she feared had just come true; a life of hatred and loneliness. All she ever had in her tiny being was Master, and now he was gone. She couldn't even hide in her persona anymore; she couldn't hide as a Realian and Faith wasn't good enough. Faith was a nothingness; a mangled person that didn't have anything special about her. She wasn't good enough for society. She wasn't good enough. And she bawled, deep into her hands.

Deep in her sorrow she hadn't noticed the door slide open, the Master of the ship entering her small quarters. It was only when she felt large hands grabbing her wrists to pull them off her head did she notice him. She cried hysterically, not noticing the pain as she grabbed the wrapped wound across her head. Completely shocked by the sight, Gaignun tried to enter her mind in order to soothe it yet he was blocked off, yet again. He tried as hard as possible to keep her hands from her head, where the bandages had begun to seep a colour of crimson yet she fought with him through her frenzy. "It's okay, it's okay," he kept saying, over and over to her yet she wouldn't listen. He wondered whether she could hear underneath her sobbing. "What is it? What happened?"

"I want him _back_," she screamed roughly; tearing at her throat with but her voice. Gaignun's brows furrowed, but thankfully her hands loosened her grip slightly, allowing him to keep her from touching the wound accidently. "I want to go _home_!" she screamed in his face. "Let me go to my Master!" she began to shake her hands in his, trying to get his grip off her. "_Let me go_!"

He couldn't comprehend the situation, yet he understood her. Despite the abuse, he was her everything; her world. He understood this simply from looking into his distraught eyes. He had beaten her down into nothingness, into the obedient Kirshwasser like the rest of them. She was a puppet to him; his doll; his slave. A little ragdoll he could play with whenever he saw fit. At least from this episode, Gaignun could tell she posed little to no threat to the Foundation, at least not at that moment in time. The only thing he would have to be weary of was Albedo, not her. And he was thankful for that. The last thing he wanted to do was lock up the young woman in solitary confinement in fear of terrorism to his Foundation.

"He's gone," he told her, pulling her arms apart so he could see her damp, reddened face. "He left you here, Faith," and her heart sank that hard he could see it smash in her eyes. He'd never seen this pain since he was a child… And then, he felt like the empathetic child he once was rather than the detached adult he had turned into. "It's okay," a smile came upon his face. "He wanted me to look after you. No one is going to leave you."

Despite the fact her sobbing had stopped, a few more tears rolled down her cheeks. "What happened to me?" she asked after their silence had passed for a moment.

He looked at her compassionately before letting his brows return; creating the typical emotionless expression to appear on his face. He did it for himself. He had to detach from yesterday. He let go of her wrists, moved from the bed before taking the chair beside it. She waited, painfully, before he began to speak. At the beginning of the sentence, he struggled, ever so slightly, before gaining himself. "Yesterday morning, early hours, Albedo contacted me to take you off his hands. I've little knowledge of what happened to you, but when we found him in Miltian space, you were already unconscious and bleeding heavily from your forehead. We attempted to use Nano Technology on you, yet you had allergic reactions to it. We then had to proceed with a more traditional route and put you under anaesthetic. We had to relieve fluid from your brain, check for actual brain damage before we were able to skin graph your forehead and stitch you up," he explained it as if choosing his dinner that night. "However," he cleared his throat. "In order to attempt a skin graph this early to retain as little scarring as possible, we had to take skin from the back of your thigh," Faith's face screwed in disgust. She pulled the sheets down a little, lifting the gown up ever so slightly to see another bandage on her left leg.

"But I'm okay?" she asked quietly and he nodded. She began to wipe the tears away with her arms, feeling the bumps of her scars against her face. "Who are you?" she asked, shaking her head. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"No one should be around Albedo," he simply answered, ignoring the first question. "Do you know what you are?" he asked, and when confusion welled on her face he elaborated on it; "Model. What model are you?"

"A…" she paused, frowning slightly as her eyes drifted. She didn't really know the model name correctly. She only knew about the 100 Series MOMO. And of course Kirshwasser. A little bit of relief entered her heart; he still believed her. Though she wasn't a Kirshwasser, he still believed she was some sort of Realian. Maybe she wasn't going to get thrown away after all… "I'm unsure."

For long moments he stared at her, a brow furrowed. He was trying to figure her out; wondering and wondering why she bled, wondering why she had a conscious. It meant that she was human yet other things said otherwise. For starters Albedo was interested in her yet she held absolutely no resemblance to Sakura, nor did she really speak highly of her 'sisters'. From this he could tell she had no connection to any other Realian. He had even attempted to ask a Realian onboard to try connecting with Faith, yet to no avail. But she was able to perform a task that linked her to him and Albedo – and he figured Rubedo and Citrine too and perhaps the entire consciousness of the U.R.T.V's. And then her eyes were gold; a colour impossible to obtain without being a Realian. He had yet to scan her body, he hadn't wished to without her permission. But they had checked her eyes and whether they had been dyed with synthetics or not, and of course they were real. He was utterly bewildered by her; completely astounded. Her body was the age of a twenty year old, though her facial features looked young and that didn't help in his answers. She was the strangest Realian that he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Faith felt uncomfortable with his stares, feeling as if her body was a window to her heart; as if he was seeing everything and anything about her. But just as she began to pull the sheets back over her legs, he finally spoke again; "My colleague, Mary, visited the Foundation early this morning," he reached under the chair, picking up a white plastic bag that she hadn't noticed him put there (she figured it was during her crying that he had placed it there). "She picked you up a few things," he began to fish them out of the bag, starting with a small black hair brush, some toiletries, underwear, a small yellow dress, which was short sleeved; obviously going mid length on her thighs, and decorated in vintage pink and red flowers along with a thin brown belt to go with it. She admired it for a moment; netted frills along the edges; sophisticated yet cute at the same time. And then he pulled out two more things; a dark cream, knitted jumper with purposely large gaps between the slightly glittered thread and shinny maroon, ankle length, boots. He placed them all on top of the cabinet neatly for her, while she sat; astonished. "I do have a proposition for you. For a short time I would like to you train in assisting me, alongside Mary and Shelly," she didn't realise he had a plan for her beneath his words, though he didn't realise how his life was to soon turn out from the simple offer; "You will be paid, of course, accommodation included onboard the Durandal. You will sometimes be drifting between me and my son, Jr. onboard the Elsa. But this will all be explained to you clearer in time."

For a moment she stared. She was tempted to ask whether she would be going back to Albedo yet she knew this was not going to happen. Had he truly just abandoned her for little to no reason? Had she become that much of a nuisance to the white haired man? Gaignun had her trapped. She wouldn't have anywhere else to go, and though she feared why he wanted her so close (the idea of him keeping an eye on her due to her connections with Albedo didn't cross her mind; she simply feared he would abuse her just like his brother). Carefully, she nodded her head.

"I will leave you with the nurses then. They will have to assist you in bathing, as the anesthetic won't have worn off properly just yet," he stood up, messing with the cuffs of his jacket as he did. "If you feel well enough, please inform the nurses, and they will call for me again."

Faith watched as he walked to the door, lips parted. Her hands shook a little as she played with the bed sheets in nervousness, and just as she was about to pull them off, he looked at her. He spoke two simple words before sliding the door open and leaving, though they impacted her more then he thought; "_You're safe_."

When the nurse had left the small bathroom that was joined to her room, Faith couldn't help but stare at her reflection in the full length mirror. She had never felt so . . . pretty before in her life. She had been fully washed, smelling sweet and feminine; something she hadn't done before (she had always been forced to use Albedo's musky lotions and gels). Her long hair had been dried; allowing the curls to flow like ringlets and the nurse had been sweet enough to style it for her. She had pulled it into a side parting, creating a loose plait over her right shoulder; leaving thick curls to fall on her left side. She had even cut her a side fridge, which waved down her forehead; covering the majority of her bandage. She admired the colour of her hair, which she had once despised, as it curled around itself in hues of reds, oranges and faint pinks. Her makeup had been done; foundation creating an almost matte look while her lids had been painted white and drawn upon in thick black eyeliner were what the older woman had called "cat eyes". She even had put deep maroon lip gloss on her, and coral blusher. The older nurses had played with her looks happily, treating her with respect and kindness. They put the makeup they used on her in her small satchel and she felt as if she had made her first friends. Never, ever had she felt so grown up; so individual. The dress fit perfectly; flowing over her bony curves, to the midpoint of her thighs. All of her scars, from arms to legs, were on show, yet she cared not. Nor did she care for her emancipated figure. She just couldn't get over looking 'pretty' for once. She wondered whether Gaignun had wanted to hide the fact she was a Realian from the world and wondered if anything would happen to the shade of her eyes.

When she focused back into reality, finishing the vain admiration of herself, she turned out of the bathroom; boots scraping against the floor. The wound on her thigh stuck to the bandages with each step, painfully, though she knew she would grow used to it and forget soon. Before she had been bathed she showed the nurse her left arm, which had a lump in the crease of her elbow. After being bathed, the nurse had wrapped that for her too; taking away the strain. She gave what was going to hopefully be a final glance of the hospital room, before pushing the button at the door. It slid open elegantly, showing her the halls; busy with people, yet placid at the same time. They were so much different to the walls of that horrific ship she was once on . . . The walls were vibrantly coloured of silver blues; welcoming and professional simultaneously. It was lit with clear white bulbs, smooth and elegant. Her eyes darted about, nervously, until they met with Gaignun Kukai. And that still did not relieve her nerves.

She had recalled, while being helped with bathing, that she had communicated with him through her mind. She hadn't even knowledge of why she could do that. She and Albedo spoke little of it, save for him teaching her how to control herself in the situation. But of course, that medication (which was still lingering in her body, causing her legs to feel numb) hadn't allowed her to think clearly. Thankfully, though, he hadn't said anything to her. And then she wondered, perhaps it was normal? Perhaps everyone communicated in such a way! And the reason Albedo wanted her to keep quiet was of course so he could keep his veil of control over her. And that was when she felt the weight of the world lift over her shoulders. A wide smile gleamed across her face; brighter than the stars themselves. No more abuse! No more. There was so much about his world she wanted to understand; U-TIC, U.R. , that thing called the Y-Data and the terrorist attacks U-TIC performed against Miltian Government but that didn't matter. For those fleeting moments, the fear dispersed. He wouldn't come back for her. He had abandoned her and this man was looking out for her. Maybe not for that long, but long enough for her to get on her feet. And though all of that frightened her, and again apart of her wanted to desperately go 'home' that was it.

As Gaignun approached her, she parted her lips; speaking clearly; "Have you heard from Albedo?"

He stopped, a few feet in front of her. She didn't seem this tall to him whilst she had been sitting on the bed; she could have rested her chin easily on his shoulder (okay, maybe if she were on her tip toes). For a moment he hadn't recognised her, but with her clear skin, neatened appearance and brighter face he could tell she was no Realian. She looked nothing of the sort. No matter how much a Realians creator tried, their skin always look artificial to him. Especially to him. "No, though the Miltian government have reported him appearing in our Space from time to time," he couldn't help but look at her for a moment; searching.

"I," she started; stumbling over her words nervously. "I don't really understand why I'm here. I mean, it … He said that it was going to mark the start of a new beginning," she pushed her brows together and began to ask; "Is me being here a danger to someone?"

For a moment, Gaignun didn't reply to her. His mind reeled like clockwork. But after a moment he held out his arm to her. "Please, allow me to give you a tour of the Durandal." And though the gesture was something he sought kindly, she stared at him like he offered her a snake to hold.

Immediately a blush formed upon her face. She hadn't touched people before, apart from Albedo of course, and that was usually during a fight. Or that time she wanted to see whether she could punch down his muscles when he said they were steel or something (her single happy memory she treasured like gold). She took a step to the left, away from him, letting her busy hands play with the hem of her dress. She didn't understand the gesture, and Gaignun couldn't help but frown ever so slightly. He had been raised under the eye of Helmer, who had taught him good manners. And he believed it was good manners to walk a woman around; it showed to the others he held respect. It wasn't just Mary and Shelly who got the "special treatment". It was absolutely anyone. It looked . . . almost more professional if he guided someone around rather than let them walk, willy nilly. Still, he respected her decision, though slightly fazed by her unease.

Lowering his arm to his side, he began to walk down the hall, Faith following close to his side.

On practically the other side of the Durandal, situated on the Bridge, Jr. conversed quietly with his colleague and friend in the corner, near the elevator. He donned what was a recently purchased outfit, though collaborated uncoordinated; the clothes not really going with themselves. And his jacket, a shade of such deep purple it looked black, was far too big for him. The tails touched his ankles, while the sleeves rarely did as they were meant to and often fell down his fingers (that seemed to happen the most while he was equipped with a weapon, unfortunately). His trousers were a jade green, whilst his shirt was a sky blue. Patterns adorned all of his clothes, and messily he had unzipped on zipper on his knee; leaving the other sealed. It was almost as if he had raided a thrift shop and shoved on the first things that met his eyes. His friend too wore unusual clothes; a full body suit of blacks and oranges. Gently, he curled a stray strand of white hair behind his ear before speaking softly;

"Did you find anything else about the Realian?" he asked curiously, his eyes drifting around the Bridge momentarily.

"Not much," Jr. replied quite casually, leaning back on the wall. He lifted his hands behind his head; the jacket beginning to fall off his shoulders. He looked over to chaos, eyebrows raised. His eyes looked almost uninterested though that was due to lack of sleep; he was bothered about the Realian but not as much as Gaignun. He had his own to worry about; MOMO. "Gaignun can't figure out what Model she is. Don't think she even knows," his voice trailed slightly in confusion about it, though it perked up again; "She calls herself Faith though."

Instantly, chaos' eyes snapped to Jr.'s, though he was looking away. Thankfully so! He didn't notice the look of confusion in the white headed boys eyes and he concealed it before he did look at him. "I would just assume…"chaos muttered lightly; his voice like a feather trailing against Jr's ears. "That is a name Albedo gave to her, rather then something she came up with herself," and he looked to Jr., almost for reassurance on his proposal though he still stayed detached. Jr. shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably," he scoffed a little with a swift roll of his eyes. "I guess that wouldn't surprise me."

Cautiously, Faith followed Master Gaignun across the glass floor panels situated in the Park. Her boots clicked loudly on the reinforced glass, and she wondered weather she could break through it or not. With her hands brought to her chest, the sleeves of her jumper falling to her elbows, she gazed down, slowing further behind him. A loud, yet peaceful, humming emitted from the lit panels that gently flickered in shades of iced blue. She realised, through her staring, that beneath her was water, with light of course below the marked glass. The park was a different area entirely to the rest of the Durandal that she had been shown. The bright colours and busy people were long forgotten about in the serene area. As they went further in, the humming grew louder coupled with the sound of running water. From the centre of the vicinity she could see a viewpoint to vast space though she paid little attention to that before sitting down from Gaignun's gesture. She struggled to get comfortable on the wooden bench, the planks digging into her thigh painfully. She had sat as far as possible away from Master Gaignun. He had shown her what she thought to be the most important areas of the Durandal from the Hospital Ward to the Residential Area to the Docking Station. If this was going to be here home, she knew she was going to struggle during the next couple of weeks when it came to finding her way around. She didn't even remember how to get out of the park but she knew she'd learn. It wasn't as complicated as Albedo's ship that was for sure.

"Who are you?" Faith suddenly asked, looking over at him inquisitively. Her brows twisted up, her lips pursed like that of a curious child. When he heard the question he looked at her, wondering momentarily what she had meant by that until he realised he'd told her nothing about himself. He wondered how she had managed to come this far with a stranger, though from the cruelty she had been shown in her life, she would cling to any sort of kindness. Especially as his was genuine.

Before he answered, he almost felt honoured that she had placed trust in him without knowing anything. "I'm the Chairman of the Kukai Foundation," he began softly, moving his body to face hers as much as possible whilst keeping the distance that she wanted. "I have a young son, Gaignun Kukai Jr," he paused, momentarily. He hadn't really much to say. Of course, when it came to his true life and upbringing he had many stories yet he couldn't talk to her of that. He had no idea as to what Albedo had told her about him.

Carefully, she reached her right hand out to him. For a moment he watched, blinked and held out his hand, albeit a little confused. She only touched the tips of his fingers delicately, the whole thing so monstrously huge it could eat her whole! She encouraged him to flip his hand over, palm up to reveal the red numbers plastered on his skin. "Albedo has these too, but it says six six seven," she let her hand drop to her lap. "One time he got really insane. He got a knife and began to stab into his hand. He kept scratching away at it until he was ripping out tendons and bones," she shivered ever so softly and paused for a moment; eyes hovering on the floor as she recalled the horrific memory. "The next day it had completely healed. The numbers were still there," she looked again over at Gaignun; his face still. "I used to think it was a trick. Or perhaps I dreamt it. But he . . . Two days ago, I think…" she paused, wondering about her timeline and assumed it was that long ago. "He taught me he couldn't die."

For a moment, Gaignun stared at her. He recalled, through her expression, his emotions when he found out that Albedo could never die. And though his would have been completely different, their power would have been the same; it would have almost destroyed her. Quietly, he asked; "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," her face didn't change yet he could tell that she wanted to. He didn't pry anymore. He knew he would be getting to know more of her very soon, and would rather wait until she felt ready. "Will you live forever too?" her voice was so innocent, so lovely and he couldn't help but smile ever so slightly.

He shook his head. "No. I haven't anything special about me, unlike him," he told her softly. "I'm nothing like him though, Faith, I can assure you."

Faith paused, biting her lower lip. "Is your name Nigredo rather than Gaignun?" she couldn't help but ask softly. "Whenever I would hear you speak he called you Nigredo."

A quick, yet somehow awkward laugh left the back of Gaignun's throat. He looked over to her, a smile spread across his face. "Albedo's mind has sadly begun to deteriorate," and the smiled fled. "Most of what he says is false, so please, pay no heed to his words," he wondered, for a moment, what she truly knew about him. She wondered whether she even knew anything, but he had to make sure to clear her mind from the truth. Not even those close to him knew all of his past and if she was going to take this position in the Foundation she couldn't know. _He didn't want her to_.

A small silence passed between the pair before Gaignun spoke again; "There is something I would like to ask, if you don't mind," and she looked at him curiously. "Would you mind if we scanned you in order to find out what you may be?"

For a moment her blood froze over her. Fear struck her like sharp lightning, stinging every particle of her body. Her mixed feelings once again came about her; the fear of finding out truly what she was. Yet, she was unsure of what she feared most. Was it the idea of being condemned to being a Realian and not being human? Or was it the idea of being human and not being good enough? She knew so little of herself, yet she knew so much of the Kirshwasser Albedo had desperately wanted her to be. To her, Faith was a terrible person. She had to be beat daily from words or fists; she was shattered into nothingness. She had been growing though, somewhere inside, as Albedo's torture strengthened yet she was still frightened. Something about being human scared her more than the horrific cackle of her previous Master.

Kindly, his left hand reached out to her right one. He encased it beneath his palm, trapping her inside with his fingers. Swallowed whole, she simply let her hand rest there. The tender heat of his skin was something she was not used to. She hadn't realised a touch could be anything but painful. And though a little fear had touched her heart, it was soon swept away.

"Whatever the answer, it will be okay," he promised her; emerald eyes meeting with hers. "I understand your current distrust in me, but you will learn overtime that things will get better from here on."

Another smile danced across Master Gaignun's face before he stood to his feet; taking his hand back with him. For a moment she stared at him, bewildered by the fact he had accepted her silence for an answer! She didn't want to do it, of course, but supposed she must. She couldn't live the rest of her life teetering on being two different people. She had to find out. Yet, she knew the answer would be a Realian. How would it even be possible that she were a human? No, indeed impossible! She retained no human memories at all, and she was told since she awoke that she was a Realian. Her eyes were gold. Realian coloured. So even if she had human blood and perhaps well developed artificial emotion that was the furthest that it was. She was simply not human, no matter how much she had prayed she was. If it was her lucky day she was simply not a Kirshwasser and something individual. That was the greatest news she would receive. And that troubled her.


	4. Chapter 4

**. [ Chapter Four:**

Without You, I'm Nothing.

_If I only could make a deal with God and get him to swap our places . . . _

{_wavering thoughts_} : : : : : This is just..madly awful! Sorry Dx

As the lift brought them to the bright colours of the busy Bridge, Faith didn't notice the heat of his hand on the base of her back. Gently, he pushed her foreword with his steps, not moving his hand. It was the closest he could get to her holding his arm and looking as polite as he could. Despite the layers that she wore he could still feel the protruding bones of her spine, and realised, through his ticking mind, he'd yet to have her eat. A little pang of guilt touched him, but it disappeared when they approached a small group of people. They were stood at the bottom of the ramp in the centre of the Bridge, quietly conversing with one another. Faith's eyes were darting about the place, from the usual human workers on their left and right to seeing the Realians at the front of the Bridge. Everyone stared back at her curiously, though she had gotten used to the looks. Throughout her small tour, people looked at her from all angles; trying to decipher who she was and how she could be important to the chairman. These people didn't look at her quite as curiously, and she assumed they had been informed of her. It felt weird being the centre of attention; she had gone from being nothing to being talked about by so many people. She knew if her emotions hadn't been dulled out by the medication she would have fainted from the extreme nervousness that would have taken over. The Bridge was certainly the busiest place she had been to before. People spoke from left to right, moved about quickly; it reminded her of honey bees darting to and from. Though within the hectic space the small group he had brought her to was calm. There were five people, all but one taller than Faith. All had hushed at their arrival, greeting Master Gaignun enthusiastically. His hand slipped from her back, returning to his side.

Faiths curious eyes glanced from person to person, absorbing their looks as if she was never going to see them again. Throughout the day she had taken in every little detail, either from excitement of seeing such new things or fear for never seeing them again. The first person she saw, directing opposite her, was a young woman; perhaps a year or two older than her. Unlike Faith though, she looked her age. Her skin was a porcelain shade, too light to match her chocolate brown hair. Her face was without makeup, blemishes marking her skin along with deep black rings underneath her eyes, which were covered by rounded, thick framed, glasses. Her hair was a mess, clipped back here and there with her fringe looking that messy it was as though she had just woken. Despite her weary appearance, her eyes were bright; shinning a pure colour of emerald green. She wore the uniform of Vector, something Faith recognised. The second person she looked at she knew instantly to be a cyborg. He had, however, retained some of his human features such as his face and what she thought to be his torso, yet everything else seemed to be carbon and nothing more. And the third person she saw she knew was carbon too; another man made machine with locks of ocean blue hair though she knew not was it was. It looked at her dully for a moment through sharp red eyes before looking away, uninterested.

"This is Jr.," Gaignun suddenly introduced to the only person of the group smaller than her. Swiftly Faith swallowed a small capsule of fear down her throat, which had emitted from his face. It looked like a younger version of her Master, yet almost kinder. She focused herself on the kindness in his eyes before thinking of Albedo once more. They may have all been family yet she couldn't connect them all as the same people. They wouldn't treat her the same way she had been treated by Albedo. Or at least Faith prayed. She shook his hand politely, before learning the name of the other boy; chaos.

From a habit that Faith didn't know the origin of, her eyes connected with his before they even drifted on his body. For as long as she could remember (a time span of sadly only two years) she made eye contact a first priority of meeting people. Usually their eyes weren't looking back into hers; they were travelling over her face or her body before settling at the truest part of her. Yet, this time, his were looking directly into hers and had been before she even learnt of his name. Time stopped from their contact and she felt as though she were sharing her soul with him. She was startled by the beauty of those crystals. They radiated colours of deep greens and iced blues – mixing into a hue of opaque turquoise. For some reason she had seen that colour before, though couldn't recall who had owned such magnificent eyes! Even the lights of the Durandal changed about the colour; the lights reflections pulling out the ocean blue while in the shade they darkened to green. They stood out against his tanned face, which was a lot more awakened then the woman's! He was practically clear of any blemishes and his complexion looked as though he had just been basking in the Miltian sun! Yet despite the darkness of his skin, his hairs had been flushed of any colour whatsoever. His shoulder length locks were that of pure white; fluffy like the clouds in the sky. She wondered for but a minute how he had gained such exotic colours on his body. Somehow, despite all of their contrasts, they matched and reminded her briefly of the colours of Miltia.

Within moments, though it felt like minutes, he had enthusiastically walked across to her. From the first step that he took, he held out his gloved hand to her and when he was close enough to stop she held out her own. Her eyes had torn from his as she followed her hand up to meet his. When her firsts touched the soft fabric engulfing his hand, she returned her look, though to her surprise he had looked elsewhere. She could feel the burn of his eyes on her injured forehead. For a moment she saw a little sorrow flicker in the lights of them, before he looked back at her. The corners of his brown lips curled into a kind smile.

Chaos' fingers ever so slightly tightened their grip as she was about to pull her hand away. A little bit of surprise lingered in her from that, but he quickly released his grip. They passed no words from the moment they met to him returning back to where he stood; between Jr. and the cyborg. She felt perplexed yet not to a degree of alarm. He was the first person she had met in her years who she actually felt truly safe around. His presence was almost angelic to behold. Strangely soothed by their encounter, she snapped out of the haze they shared as Gaignun became to talk once more. He along with the others were utterly oblivious to their lengthy interaction.

Master Gaignun raised his left arm, gesturing in the direction of the blonde headed cyborg. "This is Ziggorot 8. He bravely saved the 100 series MOMO from U-TIC," Faith was the first to hold out her hand to the cold shrouded man. She knew if she hadn't made the move first he wouldn't have bothered. Nothing about him seemed rude yet his aura was closed off. He almost reminded her of those at the other ship she lived at. Their history was dark, menacing, which she assumed was the reason they were so closed off from the world. Yet the cyborgs eyes held a slight human kindness in them. She wondered how long he had been a machine and whether any part of his mind was actually human or not. Did he have memories?

The tight vice of his grip took her from her thoughts. Quickly, he shook her hand, speaking in a deep voice; "It's nice to meet you, Miss," His hand returned to his side, as did hers, and she smiled slightly. "You can call me Ziggy if you'd prefer."

"It's lovely to meet you too," she smiled a little brighter than before and nodded a swift; "I will."

Between her finishing her sentence and being introduced to the last human, her eyes drifted again to chaos. He almost emotionless looked back to her before she moved her sight away. The brunette already had a smiled plastered completely across her face; the brightest she had received in a long, long time. Her kind eyes met hers, dancing joyfully from their simple meeting. Instantly, the woman Master Gaignun named Shion took her hand in both of hers, not shaking it, but holding it. Enthusiastically, she spoke; "It's such a pleasure to meet you! I've never seen a Realian that looks quite like you before," and Faith's brows raised. Shion eyed her intrigued, up and down her body. "I've heard so much about you. Is that synthetic blood or animal?" slowly Faith pulled her hand from Shion's, looking up at Gaignun. Silently she began to plead for help through her gaze. She was unsure how to answer the barrage of questions or even where to begin!

He didn't even need to look at her before he interrupted Shion. "Perhaps we should leave these questions for later. She's a little overwhelmed," his right hand slipped from his side to the base of her back. This time she noticed the touch, feeling all the muscles in her back contract.

"My apologies," she quickly replied, bowing a little to Faith.

For but a moment a small little bit of sadness came over her. From the words that Shion spoke she couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. She had always prided herself on her blood, which flowed differently to the Kirshwassers. They had cold blood. Thin blood. Hers was thick; it was hot to the touch and tasted ever so metallic. Whereas theirs tasted like plastic (once, during a fight, some had landed in her mouth, disgustingly enough). It made her different. It was what was inside…and that wasn't hers? Her brows furrowed sorrowfully a little, and her eyes drifted across everyone around her; who were talking to Master Gaignun. They were their own person, yet she was still nothing but a simple Realian. That was the first thing Shion cared about. And Shion was the first to care enough to ask her something. Faith didn't even want to imagine what anyone else was thinking about her. Through the curls of her fringe, she looked over at chaos once more who again had been watching. Ever so slightly his brows softened a sympathetic look drawing across him as their shared contact yet again. For a moment she wondered what he thought of her. He looked at her differently to the rest; that was all she knew.

Sharply, his eyes turned to Gaignun and she followed them. He was directing his next sentence to chaos and Jr., rather than the rest of the group. "As I've already explained to you, Faith will be training with the assistance of Mary and Shelly to eventually over take their jobs so they can pursue other careers," his voice reminded her of Albedo's; meticulous and calculating yet it was completely opposite. There was no malice to him whatsoever. "I am of course saddened to see their leave, yet glad they're finally doing what they've wanted to do. I'm sure you both feel the same on the matter."

Before Gaignun could say more, the mental link between him and Jr. was abruptly opened. His voice strung through as if he were really speaking; '_Can you trust her?'_ Gaignun looked him straight in the eye seriously before nodding his head ever so softly. Still, Jr. persisted to him; '_Why have you given her this job? We don't even know who or what she is.'_

'_She has nothing,'_ he replied quickly. _'This way we have the ability to keep an eye on her. She's of no threat yet I know she needs to be close to us, Rubedo. There's more to her than meets the eye.'_

'_If you're sure…' _was his final sentence before closing the link. For a moment he eyed Faith, wondering himself what or who she was with a frown. When the voice of Gaignun entered his ears he turned away, thoughts shattered within a second.

"Could someone, perhaps, give Faith an introduction on weapon use?" Gaignun asked politely, glancing at them one by one. She was shocked by this question, frowning ever so slightly beneath her hair. She couldn't fight! She could barely use a knife the other day. "Though be delicate with her, so Jr. maybe you shouldn't be her mentor just yet."

The red headed boy pulled a face and just as he was about to speak, perhaps whine rather than talk, chaos interrupted; "I will," he simply said, looking from Faith to Gaignun. She felt a little wave flicker uncomfortably over her heart. He hadn't even been willing to speak to her, yet he was offering to give her an introduction on weapons! She was bewildered yet curiosity grew in her. No one had noticed him gazing at her almost profoundly curious of her presence. As she looked from Master Gaignun to chaos, her eyes met with the soft ones of Shion again and once more they shared a quick smile. However, this time Faith's smile didn't disappear.

"Thank you," Gaignun smiled slightly in appreciation. "I've work to do for the moment, Faith, but I'll meet with you in a few hours. Would you mind, chaos, making sure that she eats sometime this afternoon?"

"Of course not," he moved over to Faith before asking; "Are you ready to come with me?"

That moment she more than ever wanted to yell out 'No, no I'm not!' but no words left her mouth. She knew that this wasn't something she could hide from, she had to face it. Knowing how to defend herself would be a valuable ability. Even Albedo had made sure she knew basic self defence, though he rarely explored her offensive abilities. Faith could do nothing but sheepishly follow chaos. Before she stepped foot on the elevator she looked over her shoulder; the plait falling across her shoulder blades. A hand rose to her chest and for a moment she paused. The chairman was watching, and she felt a barrel of nerves overcome her. Pushing them aside, she stood beside chaos, waiting in silence for the elevator to take them down. Her eyes didn't meet his again, nor did her lips even part. They dried together, pursed ever so slightly in a pout. Her muscles shook with her nerves as she followed him in trepidation.

In the area of the ship that he had taken her to, the uniforms had abruptly changed from brown and red to simply pure scarlet. All of the people, who she assumed to be part of the military, were armed with weapons ranging from pistols to even tradition swords. As they walked she had fallen behind him; her golden eyes exploring the area. Her head twisted behind her shoulders; watching every person that she saw. Some of them acknowledged her, looking back at her with identical looks upon their face, while some busily went along their way.

As they turned a corner, he gestured to her a door on their right. She stopped, waiting for him to open it before following him.

The room that she had been taken to in silence was perhaps the blandest room that she had witnessed all day. Or perhaps all her lifetime! The metallic walls were of a dull white, along with the lights on the ceiling. To the left of the room was a small machine, yet of the same colour, causing it to blend in. The only thing that brought her interest was a small section of the right wall. There was a layer of reinforced glass, behind being a selection of weapons ranging from guns to elaborate swords. She stood nervously, watching as chaos closed and locked the door behind them. His boots clicked on the floor that was made from glass, like the flooring of the Park and calmly he headed for the showcase of weaponry.

Finally, he spoke his first words to her; "I understand that you're ill and injured, yet with what we have to face you need to know how to fight, no matter what," he began to type something into a panel. His voice was soft, despite the words that almost frightened her. "You need to make yourself strong during your weakest times, as that's when the enemy will strike," the glass slide open, disappearing into the wall. He didn't even hesitate before taking a weapon out from its resting place. He closed the glass again before returning to her. He held the weapon in his left hand and showed it to her. It was a traditional sword; the blade long and thick, edges deathly sharp. Along its ever so slightly rose coloured blade was a maroon pattern of small roses lining its centre. The handle was wrapped in ruby red silk, which extended to hang off the pommel with a small golden chain. The guard was white and red, hanging on the sides of the sword. Gently, he offered the weapon to her.

For but a moment she stared at it hopelessly before managing to speak; "I…I can't use this," she protested, looking up at his eyes. Her hands shook slightly and she wondered how she could even swing a sword! Why did she have to have such a thing? She would have preferred a gun instead. At least then all she needed was aim. This thing required strength and despite its elegant appearance it frightened her to the core. She had very little strength, especially in her weakened arms.

"You can," he reached for her right arm, taking her wrist in his hand.

He placed her hand on the handle of the sword. The silk felt soft to her palm, and gently her fingers tightened around it. Despite her first fears the weapon didn't feel that foreign to her; it felt right to hold it again. It certainly wasn't as frightening as she thought. Through her eyes he could tell the fear was slowly leaving her heart, and he felt the muscles on her wrist cease to shake. Slowly, to assure himself she had hold of it, he retracted his fingers from the weapon; allowing her all the weight. Curiously, she tested it; swinging it down as he began to walk away from her. Its weight felt right under her command, and oddly enough it was a familiar feeling. She wondered whether the Realian within her was a combat unit of sorts. Perhaps they were programmed to know how to use a weapon. Was this how the machine in her worked? Or was all of her a machine? She felt confused from then on, and instead looked to chaos.

He was typing into a screen joined onto the machine. His fingers moved quickly, thought for a moment he paused with a frown before pushing one more thing on the panel.

Suddenly, in the centre of the room, a Gnosis appeared in the form of a deformed human. It was grey, folding in on itself as it made distressing cries. It looked just as emancipated as her, bones protruding from every part of its dead skin that was wrapped around it like melted plastic. Yet it was huge; larger than any human could be! It constantly twitched, as if it were having a seizure. She could just about see the tips of its fingers were clawed like razor blades; scrapping across the glass. Before she could even react, though her heart thudded against her chest uncontrollably, chaos quickly spoke; "It's a simulation," he moved to be between her and the creature. Not one part of him looked fazed as he looked her in the eye, giving her a slight bit of strength. "It won't go easy on you. I'll assist you if you need me to though I think that you'll do just fine."

He took a step back, and she held her breath. For a moment she felt hopeless, frightened and weak. The negative feelings instantly overtook her. She had allowed her strength to falter, and that had caused her to crash down emotionally. One little crack in her hard exterior broke her; she hadn't strengthened herself properly. The Kirshwasser inside of her took over . . . She wasn't good enough to fight, as Albedo had said many times before. She was frail. She was weak. He made her that way. He kept her starving; he kept her in pain because that was all she was worth. She wouldn't be able to do it. The white headed stranger would simply ridicule her for trying. He would return to the bridge, laughing at her weakness. They would throw her away…Her useless body destined for the trash.

Just as she was about to throw the weapon onto the floor she looked up at him. What she saw clicked her back into her stronger self within an instant, though she hadn't realised it as instinct took over her. The Gnosis had clambered over to him, its mangled arm high in the air. The blades attached to its fingers extended to well over ten inches long.

Quickly, she took a few steps foreword, calling out his name powerfully. Just as he turned his head to her, confused from her sudden call, she lifted the sword across her chest. In a swift motion, she swung it down to the ground and a veil of pink light shrouded chaos' body. The rose coloured hue was identical to that of the roses laid on her sword, and when the Ether had been used opaque petals appeared from thin air. They danced around the shimmering circle protecting him, and he turned to see the Gnosis strike down. Its claws recoiled as they smashed against the field and it was thrown straight onto its back from the force. Faith instantly closed the distance between her and the enemy, standing close to chaos. She put her back slightly to him, shielding him as much as she possibly could. Determination strode over her body in a way that she had never felt before. This was it; the lioness prowling out of its cage after so many years of lying dormant. This was it. She was going to turn all of her weaknesses that Albedo had brought upon her into her strength. She had fought with her pain for so long and this was the person it had turned her into; she wasn't going to let herself down. The light around chaos shattered like glass, though neither of them paid heed to the sparkles around them. They soon disappeared along with the petals, and she watched as the Gnosis pushed itself back up.

"Are you okay?" Faith quickly asked as chaos straightened himself out; ready to fight alongside her. She held the sword up across her chest, her left hand near the top; practically touching the blade. She knew how to use the weapon. It wasn't just a case of swing, swing; she needed to use the Ether inside of her that she had been forbidden to use for so many years.

Chaos nodded with a slight sigh of breath. He wondered for a moment that perhaps he had chosen an enemy a little bit too difficult for the both of them! Faith's small fingers began to glow a hue of rose yet again, petals emerging from the air about her. The light brightened, before she collected enough of the energy within her palm. Quickly, she moved foreword and swung her weapon; letting go of the energy she had collected at the same time. The pink Aura Blast entered the body of the Gnosis as the blade slid into its body. The light faded into its dark skin and she drew herself back. It countered her faster than she thought it would have done; claws scratching across the bottom of her legs. It caught her off guard, knocking her back onto the ground. The fall pushed all the air out of her lungs as she dropped her sword. Pain shot around her body though the adrenalin rush subsided it as much as possible. The next few movements that she shared between her and chaos were made so elegantly it was as if they were dancing a familiar dance within one another. He stood in front of her, performing an attack on the Gnosis to send it back on the ground and within a second he was directly above her; reaching down for her hand. She took it with her left one, feeling the strain of her muscle at his pull though ignored it; snatching her sword as she stood.

Her one foot landed between his, and her face was instantly to his. For a moment as she clutched his hand she felt alive; she felt almost home. Their movements were fluid, and she felt the tips of her fingers tingle from his own Ether. She pulled from his closeness, pointing her weapon to the Gnosis. She knew exactly what to do, strangely enough, and she absorbed the power that chaos was handing to her through his holding of her hand. When she had taken what she knew was enough, she clutched her sword with her left hand too, which sparkled with the turquoise colour. The petals that came from her had changed to the colour of his Ether. She performed her first attack yet again on the already injured creature. It stood, abruptly, though weakly and she tutted under her tongue.

And then it collapsed to the floor like a wet peace of paper before abruptly disappearing without a sign of its existence. For a moment she stared at the space it had once existed in before she too folded, dropping to her knees in exhaustion despite having done so very little. During her slight collapse she had dropped the sword to the ground, though cared not for it. She could feel a damp liquid against the bottom of her legs; blood from the attack. Carefully, chaos watched as she struggled to gain her breath. Her jumper had fallen from her shoulders, showing her protruding bones through her dress. He hadn't realised how truly weak she was. And yet she fought like it was second nature to her and he was more than impressed. Slowly, he bent down beside her with a smile drawn across his face.

One of his gloved hands reached foreword, gently pushing a strand of hair from her head so he could see her face clearer. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, a little frown upon her face from his touch. He returned his hand to balance on his knee, not even noticing his movement.

"Thank you," his voice was soft against her left ear and she couldn't help but smirk.

"Don't mention it," she breathlessly replied. "I was about to give up," and a little laugh left the back of her throat. "What did I just do?" she asked, recalling the petals that had come from her. She looked down at her hands, wondering where it had truly come from.

"Ether," he replied. "Very few people have the ability to use it, and you can."

"Is that the reason I can talk to people through my mind?" Faith asked, her breath evening itself out. For a moment chaos stared at her, emotions bubbling in the pits of his stomach. Eventually he managed to reply;

"Yes," and he smiled. "Though you can only do that with a few people."

"So it's normal?" he nodded. "Is it human?"

"Somewhat," and the smile strengthened. "What do you think you are?" his eyes softened ever so slightly and suddenly water appeared at the rim of hers. She turned her face away from him, slipping to sit on her bum properly. Her legs splayed out in front of her; blood dripping slowly from the claw marks on her leg.

"I don't think," she finally replied. Her voice had become eerily emotionless to his ears and a though he frowned on the inside he wouldn't let it show. When she spoke again he could hear the struggle in her tone; h could sense the pain inside of her without even having to look at her eyes. "I'm a 99 Series Realian. I'm programmed to act the way that I do. I can't think."

Though he didn't show his emotion, the shock was evident from his lack of response. Before he knew it she had begun to cry into her hands, and impulsively he moved onto his knees to crawl and break the small space between them. Soothingly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her face into his chest in a soft embrace. She welcomed it slightly, though her body stayed stiff against his. Slowly, she cried harder, dampening his jumpsuit with her salty tears and eventually clutched him with her hand. Ever so slightly he rocked her, hushing her under her sobs. Hiding beneath his form, she felt somewhat different to normal. Her emotions were different to that she had normally felt in the presence of Albedo. Was this what it felt to be cared for, perhaps? Even though she couldn't pinpoint where she had experienced the feeling before, she knew she had. It was familiar; the entire thing. Even touching chaos felt familiar. He clutched her like he knew her too, or was this the kindness shown by others? Perhaps, she wondered, she was thinking too much of slight gestures.

Eventually, he heard her muffled words; "I don't want to not be human. I don't want to be like _them_."

Pained, he shut his eyes and almost held her tighter. "I know…" he paused before speaking again; "You won't go back there, Faith. Master Gaignun will care for you, I know that. Here…" he pulled back, away from her, and she let go of him. Through her slightly swollen eyes she looked over at him as he pulled a glove off his right hand. For a moment she looked at it, a little taken aback. Along the dark skin were white scars. It reminded her of the veins on marble; so delicate and thin yet stood out almost dreadfully against the normal colour of his skin. Softly, he reached foreword and wiped her slightly black tears away. "You're smudging your face," and she laughed a little.

Faith watched as he wiped the tears away, and spoke quietly; "Do machines cry?"

"They can," he replied. "But you're not one. You think. You thought earlier, didn't you?"

"But," she protested ever so slightly. "That…couldn't that be programmed into me?"

"No, you chose to trust Gaignun, didn't you?" and she nodded. He smiled ever so slightly before standing to his feet. "Let me teach you one last thing before we leave?" he seemed to ask her this rather then demand. When he placed the glove back on his hand he offered it to her and she took it instantly with her right one. As she stood, she straightened out her dress before reaching down to lift up her sword once more.

He moved into the centre of the room, not breaking eye contact with her once. He gestured for her to follow, which she did before stopping a few feet directly in front of him. "This is called a Double Attack," he began to explain to her. "Though you don't need your weapon for this," and so from those words, she bent down to place it gently on the ground. When she faced him again, he clicked his fingers and in an instant the area around them had changed. Darkness had engulfed them, the change so abrupt she couldn't help but jump ever so slightly. From the darkness his hand began to glow a hue of gentle white. It trailed from the tips of his fingers like smoke, and in the background faint lights of greens brushed about the darkness like ocean waves. They flickered delicately about their faces and her eyes joyfully looked about. "Through a Double Attack, the pair performing it is taken to a shared part of their domain that the Ether brings out into reality. At this moment in time, Faith, time has ceased to flourish. We do, however, have a limited time within this space."

Faith nodded and he took her hand within his glowing one. She felt a power draw from her body and before she knew it, they were overwhelmed in a blinding white light. When she was finally able to part her lids, she found herself back in the simulator, standing opposite the calm chaos. Her body felt refreshed, and he nodded down to her legs. When she looked they were clear from their cuts inflicted on her, though the leftover blood still hung around. A smile swept across her face and she quickly pulled the bandage off her left elbow. The skin was flat and clear, free of purple lumps. And when her fingers trailed up on her forehead, she felt nothing under the bandage. Amazed, she asked; "How did that happen?"

"It was a type of Medica," he replied to her. "Any damage we will take during battle will be healed during that move. Though, I can't do it that often, I'm afraid. So we will need to preserve that for when we truly need it. Shall we have a break?"

For the long hours after their training, chaos stayed with Faith in the small canteen of the Durandal, which was in identical colouring to the rest of the ship with tablets made from glass. He told her the stories and adventures he had shared with Jr. since he had been hired by the company, teach her many things she was curious about – U-TIC, Miltia, and more along with buy her a coffee. She had insisted to him many a time that he could leave her alone yet he seemed almost obliged to stay there with her and she couldn't understand why. She hadn't a clue where his kindness, and almost fondness of her, had stemmed from. It was only when Master Gaignun did appear that he left, shaking her hand kindly as he did as such and promising to see her the next day. When he had left, Gaignun asked her one simple question first before anything else;

"Have you eaten?" and she quickly shook her head. With that and nothing more he stood to his feet, before she could even attempt to protest. When he had returned to her, he sat opposite her. "I've ordered some food, after we've eaten I'll take you to your room. You look exhausted..."


	5. Chapter 5

**. [ Chapter Five : **

Serenity of Nights Grace

_Strange infatuation seems to grace the evening tide . . . . ._

It had already been a long night, despite the chimes of time only just hitting midnight. For what had felt like hours she was tossing and turning in the sheets to firmly staying still, hiding deep within them. She had tried to sleep in the dark, in the light; had checked every corner of the small room that Gaignun had given her and had even tried to sleep with her sword in her bed yet nothing worked. It was simply too eerily silent; too disgustingly horrible and too little like her old room. There was no voice about her, no person, no Kirshwasser and even no Albedo. She had grown so used to the presence of someone and to that one room that anything odd was utterly obscure. She felt like a child, or assumed it to be how a child would feel. She had only been in that room for about half an hour. And that time included her readying herself for bed, let alone just being in bed! And she found herself in the halls of the Residential Area, wearing nothing but a pair of white shorts and a white top with pictures of cherry blossoms along the side. She had put a small jumper on top of that shirt, fearful of anyone seeing through the thin material. It didn't take her that long to find herself face-to-face with the door of Gaignun Kukai's quarters, where emitting from it she could hear faintly soothing music.

Faith's heart jumped through her chest, shooting up her throat. She could feel the firm vibrations deep in the pits of her stomach as it pounded harder in her rib cage. It was almost like there was an iron fist beneath her ribs, hammering at every part of her body. Her fingers uncontrollably shook, trembles shooting down her hand, up her arms and over her shoulders. For but a moment she stared at the large door in front of her though it felt like an eternity. The darkness of the hall looped its way around her, engulfing her in her own little world of nerves. The jumper fell off her shoulder as she raised her right hand, revealing her shoulders and part of the shirt underneath. She hesitated before knocking on the door. In the silence her knocks seemed louder than she thought, and she couldn't help but bite the bottom of her lip in anticipation. When the door finally slid open, just a few moments after she had knocked rather than the minutes she first thought, she was greeted by Master Gaignun, clad in a long black silk robe. She was too dumbfounded for a moment at what she had actually done to notice the background behind him. She had awoken the Master of the ship! This was the first day that she had actually properly known him, without being high on drugs. And she was at his door at midnight, wearing nothing but pyjamas and looking like a lost sheep.

Master Gaignun looked sleepier then normal. The scent of coffee was long gone from him, instead replaced with fresh musky scents. On top of the smell of clean, she could tell he had been drinking from the slight wave of whisky coming from him. He didn't seem as surprised as she expected him to, but for a long moment they stared at one another. She didn't realise how hopeless she must have looked in the pyjamas far too big for her in the dim orange light coming from the door. Both exhaustion and the alcohol fazed Master Gaignun for a moment before he shattered the haze like glass. His eyes lit up, and he pursed his lips together for a moment before speaking;

"Is something wrong, Faith?" his voice was but a whisper, as if the doors in the hallway were made out of paper rather then metal. A blush formed instantly on her face and she stood still stunned. She still hadn't contemplated properly what she had done. She was shocked he hadn't even yelled or hit her! And then, of course, she realised he was nothing like Albedo. That was something she was struggling to get used to.

A shiver coursed over her from being out in the hallway, though she didn't even feel that tired. She put it down to being so simply exhausted… She licked her lips for a moment, eyes beady in the light; cute like that of a tired cat. Eventually she whispered out; "I'm scared," and with that her eyes began to water slightly. That, coupled with how swollen they had become from her lack of sleep, made her look as if she was about to cry at any moment. And when Gaignun looked at her he was reminded of his older brother in their former days. How often did he go to Rubedo, frightened every night? Practically every time . . . And every time that occurred 'Nigredo' was left alone, unneeded from either brothers who looked at each other for support. And for once, someone was asking him for help; something he had longed for a very long time.

Another silence was shared between the two of them before he offered his hand out to her. The silk of his robe rested on his wrist, reflecting the light like the ripples of the water. For the first time, without even hesitating, she moved a step to him and took his hand with her three fingers and thumb. She didn't hold his hand properly, instead just the tips of his fingers. Despite the slight touch, he was still happy with her trust. In truth he hadn't expected any improvement in the Realian and her trust with anyone (chaos hadn't told him about her crying earlier in the day and looking to him for comfort) let alone him. He made no move to get closer to her and instead began to walk back inside of the room, the tips of her fingers holding onto him. Slowly, she followed him behind; bringing her other hand up to her mouth nervously, chewing the tips of her nails.

As they entered the room, the door slid silently shut behind them. Faith's eyes glanced around curiously, admiring what was his home onboard the ship. It was just as beautiful as she could have imagined, or perhaps even more so! Unlike her own room, the quarters he had were made up of adjoining rooms; the first being the living room. The walls were painted an alluring shade of deep green, lined along the top with Victorian themed spirals in a noir hue. It wasn't as large as she perhaps imagined it to be, though on the right side were two deep black sofas directly opposite a freshly lit fire. The fireplace, too, was old fashioned, black and brown coloured; the hissing of the fire heard above the music. Each sofa had a small coffee table against it made from glass, and right by the main door was a glass bar, filled to the rim with any drink that she could imagine, though only one bottle had been opened. She couldn't help but wonder how long the others had been there, waiting for a guest to open them and be shared… She could see against the same wall as the fire, a square grove in the wall, where she assumed an entertainment system rested. And beside that was the silver speaker, which was emitting the classical music to dance around the room. Nothing seemed touched in the room though, which was almost saddening. She already knew she must have been the first guest he had…

Master Gaignun took her to the leather sofa, closest to the fire. He gestured for her to take a seat, letting his fingers slip from hers easily. She smiled a little, pulling the sleeves of her jumped down past her fingers as she settled, though still a little tense. Her eyes still explored the new place, trying to learn more about him yet the lack of items was preventing her from doing so! It was completely unlived in. In the corner of her vision she witnessed him moved to the bar, pouring a drink for himself. And then he spoke; "Can I get you something?"

Faith turned to him, blinking dumbfounded before replying; "I've never drunk alcohol before."

A little smile spread across Gaignun's face. He was already enjoying her company, oddly enough. "I'll make you something I think you may like," and he began pouring drinks. She watched, played with the ends of her jumper.

As he was finishing both their drinks, she spoke out gently. "I'm sorry I've disturbed you. Should I not talk to you outside of work?" her eyes seemed a little bit panicked. "B-because I … I don't know anyone else but you and chaos and if you don't want me around unless it's during work hours I do understand."

"Faith, it's fine," he couldn't help but firmly tell her though kindness still lingered. He handed her tumbler full of deep brown liquid that smelt like coke mixed with cherries and some sort of alcohol to her. While he sat in the chair close by, she smelt the liquid in the glass. "Of course I want professionalism about us during work hours, yet outside of work I will be here for you. If there is anything that you ever need you can come to me. Not as a colleague but as a friend. I'm here for you."

A little smile spread across her face and she reached down to sip some of the drink. It tasted nice to her and the alcohol – whiskey she assumed from the smell and taste comparison – wasn't strong at all. "Thank you."

She leaned her head back on the couch, legs up against her, and she stared off into space. It took her a few moments before she registered Gaignun's voice; "Why are you scared?"

Faith wasn't sure in the slightest as to how to reply to him. She had never been asked personal questions before, nor had she been shown care. She had learnt to deal with her emotions, her thoughts, feelings, all alone in the pits of her mind, which had become an awful mess of course! The only reason she had become so reliant or trusting of Master Gaignun was simply his face. If he looked any less like Albedo she wouldn't have even been there. He reminded her of the only thing that she had in her life, and though she despised and fear Albedo with both sides of her heart and mind, he was still a consistency in her life. She never thought she would actually find _comfort_ in him.

She took another drink, not actually realising she shouldn't have been drinking the alcohol like a normal beverage, and spoke; "I don't…" cutting off, her eyes glazed over the drink, watching the ice cubes knock against one another. "I'm not used to being alone," she looked up at him. "Is that stupid?"

Master Gaignun shook his head. "It isn't stupid at all, and you're not alone," his voice was like a slight whisper to her ear; softer then she could have imagined. She could feel the alcohol beginning to affect her ever so slightly, and she enjoyed the sensations. Her stomach warmed, while her legs felt as though they were floating. It relaxed her muscles, her mind, slowly but surely. "I know it gets quiet in the ship but no ones left you. And there are always people working," she nodded, feeling a little stupid with needing to come see him. Faith felt herself sinking into the sofa, feeling embarrassed. "But if you ever need anyone or get scared, I want you to come to me. You're one of my priorities at the moment, Faith."

A frown engulfed her face. She sat up properly, bare feet touching the wooden floorboards that were warm against her skin. "How am _I_ one of your priorities?" confusion lingered and the frown deepened before she shook her head. "You don't even know me."

"I could say the same for you," he unexpectedly opposed. "You don't know me at all yet you've chosen to trust me, to be here."

Faith couldn't help but turn her frown into a slight glare. "I don't trust you," she whispered defensively. Her heart began to pound underneath her rip cage.

"Yes, you do," Gaignun's face softened as he leaned foreword on his chair slightly. Though he found it impossible to penetrate her mind, he could see the emotions dancing around her eyes. The anger she was showing was fear; fear of him taking advantage of that trust, which he assumed his brother had done. He put his own raw anger aside, residing in his calm self. She finished the drink, looking away from him; lips pursed. For a moment he watched her before placing his drink on the coffee table and standing to his feet. "I won't be a moment."

Faith seemed to ignore him as he left her sights and she sighed hard. Why did emotions hurt so badly? Was this them not working properly if she were a Realian? A shiver ran over her spine. No thoughts about that tonight… She hadn't even thought to herself about how much she had put trust in the stranger. How come she had done that? Why? He looked like her abuser. Yet, he was the exact opposite. So far, at least. The only thing that she could think allowed her to trust him was his mind. When they had connected she felt every emotion within it, none being that of insanity. He was kindness, calamity and sad solitude. Nothing about him seemed happy within him, so pity lingered for him. Perhaps that was it – knowing he had felt some sort of pain in her life helped her get closer to him. Or maybe she was being a stupid child, clinging onto whatever she could…

It didn't take minutes before Master Gaignun had arrived back in her sights. She looked at him in the corner of her eye as he began to tenderly kneel in front of her. She could feel the silk of the gown brush against her bare legs, and her heart skipped a beat. She turned to face him properly, clutching the cold empty glass to contain her nerves. The confusion left her for but a moment as tension took over. In the tips of his fingers he clutched the ends of a silver chain. Dangling from the end was a silver pendant, about the size of a two pence piece. The silver was dulled, showing it age, and she could see faint scratch marks upon it. It was shaped in a circle before turning into a slight hourglass shape at the bottom where it looked like a tear drop. Where the top of the circle was she could see a small knob, and she realised it was a capsule to something. On the front rested a simple clear gem, still sparkling in the light despite the age; reminding her of the sharp reflections of sunlight against crisp ice.

Faith's eyes met with his, and her lips parted slightly before he spoke; "This is the only precious thing I have in my possession," he told her tenderly.

For but a moment sorrow glistened deep in his emerald eyes as they grazed so carefully over the pendant as if just a glance could shatter it to pieces. To anyone else, that necklace would have looked cheap but the way he admired it was as if it held his heart. Compassion shone through her gold eyes as his hands began to tremble ever so slightly. Before water could overflow the rims of his eyes, he contained himself. Though he hadn't tightened the lid on his emotions too well; when he looked back at her she could see it all dancing sorrowfully. She wondered what memories lay behind the item she was looking so carefully at.

"May I?" his voice broke her from her daydream.

Gaignun leaned foreword slightly, folds of fabric lying on her knees. She was utterly taken back from his movement, but managed to nod through the haze. Beneath her flesh and bones, in the cage of her body, her heart fluttered like the wings of a dove. It was tense, anxious, yet happy. The emotions made it want to fly away, swoop out of her chest and the alarming situation to somewhere with peace. But she settled it, trying her hardest not to panic from the sudden wave of sensation. Never had she felt such a mix. Usually it was pain and fear, or fear and pain. The dark cloud of his shadow overcame her tiny, frail, frame as he leaned down and she couldn't help but hutch her shoulders. A breath hitched in her throat and a tiny whimper escape it as she tried to even her breathing out again. As his arms wrapped around her neck, she lost thought of the rest of the world. Each of her senses was taken over by him, and though she had found herself in many situations with Albedo and losing herself, this was utterly different. Rather than feeling agony and fright, she felt protected. A shiver ran through her as she felt both of his hands slip between her thick curled locks. For a moment her body reacted on its own accord, leaning her neck a little to her right, attempting to close the small space between them. As if he could see the minuscule movement made he stopped moving his left hand. His thin lips parted, silently drawing in a breath as he looked deep in her eyes. An expression overcame him; something she had never seen on a person before and she didn't quite understand why he had made such a face. His eyes had melted and he almost looked as nervous as she felt.

Tenderly, a movement softer then a strand of silk, he grazed his knuckles against the side of her neck. Once more his eyes met with hers, questionably, and she looked down again at his hand. He took that little move as an answer before firming the touch; allowing her to know that he hadn't mistakenly touched her skin. His hand moved foreword slightly, grazing just below her chin and she leaned her head to the side; closer to him. Despite the fluttering in her heart that was harder then she had ever felt before, something about him relaxed her. The heat of his hand, the gentleness of a human touch was a new experience; a wonderful experience. Delicately, he moved higher; over the bone of her jaw. She could feel the chain he still held tickling her skin, though it was long forgotten about within a second. His thumb separated from the rest of his fingers, releasing part of the chain. When he rested his knuckle upon her blushing cheek he began to stroke her skin with his thumb. Beneath his hand he could feel the heat of her blush and a smaller one appeared upon his own face, and when she leaned her even more against him, she made their eyes meet. He had been carefully watching himself, mouth ajar from his move. Faith could tell, from the look in his eye, this was something he was just as inexperienced about as she was. And that tiny little fact, helped with her anxiety ever so slightly, though she still couldn't understand precisely what was going on.

Though he hesitated greatly, Master Gaignun moved his hand back down her face again. He used the same care, same softness he had putting his hand there, and Faith straightened her neck once more. He clipped the chain together behind her neck in one swift movement, and let it go lightly. She felt its delicate weight fall upon her skin; the silver cold to the touch though she hardly minded at all. The pendant settled perfectly between her collar bones, and they both admired it for a moment. It looked feminine against her skin, yet she could tell the item was meant for a man from its size. A little smile wrapped around her face, and again she looked at him; thanking him silently. For long moments he rested his hands on her shoulders, the tips of her curls tickling against his skin. She didn't feel the need to hide away like she did when she first met him. She wasn't sure whether it was the alcohol in her system or from the simple bond they were sharing that she felt a little more confident than normal (she would assume later it to have been the alcohol).

Finally, he spoke, though his voice was quiet as if he had forgotten how to. "If I am ever to break your trust, Faith, you empty this and destroy it," the soft tickle of his voice seemed to be that of a feather, dancing about the drums of her ears; delicately soothing her yet tickling her at the same time. The tickles rushed through her body, stopping at the depths of her stomach yet unexpectedly strengthening. The tips of his right hand fingers pushed gently on her skin, yet firm enough he could feel the bones beneath her flesh. They moved like her skin was as smooth as ice, sliding to the pendants new resting place. His left hand wrapped around the nape of her neck, and for but a moment cold fear rushed over her. Her heart skipped a beat and she was thrust back to the memories of Albedo's hands resting there before he strangled her into unconsciousness. But she forced herself to relax. She forced the bad memories away, no matter how hard it was. Trust, she needed to learn to trust.

Looking up at him, she firmly shook her head as his request. "I can't destroy this," she protested. "I wont."

A little smile came across his face as his left thumb began to soothe over her again. "I know," he whispered. "Because I won't ever break the trust you've given me."

Faith wanted to wonder why he was being so kind to her. She wanted to know where it had come from; what she had done right and then she wondered, perhaps Faith was good enough to be kind to. But she left her thoughts before they could even swarm about her. The entire form of her body finally relaxed within his touches and she rested the back of her head against the cushions of the sofa. He couldn't help but lean a little closer, ignoring the ache of his knees from the awkward position. He moved his face, eyes sticking with hers, to her right. His lips were close to her ear and the whisper he made caused butterflies to flutter; "Are you still scared?"

A buzzing feeling zapped its way around her like sparks of electricity. For a moment she couldn't even answer but managed eventually to purse her lips together. "No," she replied, speaking just as lightly as he had done. She wasn't sure to the extent of what she was doing, but her right hand slipped from the glass she was holding with the left one. As she moved it up, she felt strikes of lightning flash over her. She grabbed the wrist of his left arm, feeling the large bones tense ever so slightly from her touch, confirming his nervousness as well as her own. They realised then, without looking or speaking with one another, they both were dancing an unfamiliar dance that was known perfectly by most of society. They were both bewildered to their movements, to their reasons behind it. And that, whether they knew it consciously or not, brought them closer within moments. The subconscious knowledge of having such a thing in common eased some nerves.

Faith copied his moves with her hand, soothing over his skin. She could barely wrap her hand around the thinnest part of his wrist, and could feel the start of his tensed muscles. An audible sigh left his throat, his breath brushing against her ear. His head turned, ever so slightly, closer to her face and she could feel the slight tip of his nose brush against her skin. Her fingers, wet with the condensation of the glass, tightened as she felt his face grow closer to her own.

Abruptly, before she had a moment to gather what had actually happened, he pulled away from her. The closeness they shared was instantly severed, and the glass she was holding was taken from her. Faith wasn't sure whether she sat there taken aback by the impulsive movement or the event that had occurred before then. For long moments she felt her body trembling, catching up with what had happened before she managed to even her breath and her heart settled. Her fingers grazed against the capsule, curious as to what was within it though praying she would never find out. A little smile wavered over her face uncontrollably from the joy in her heart. For the first time ever someone had actually placed their own trust within her, and she felt utterly honoured. Before another thought could flutter in her mind, Master Gaignun returned with another drink for them both in either hand. Silently he handed hers to her, which she took in both hands before he took the seat beside her. He had sat as close to the arm of the sofa as possible, knowing to give her space (he actually felt guilty he had overcome her space with his just moments ago). Surprise came over him as she pulled her legs up on the sofa, sliding them to her left and tucking them under her body. She leaned on her right side, and though it broke little contact between them, it showed her interest in him.

"It's beautiful," she told him and he smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he sipped the drink, eyes never leaving her. After a moment he asked; "Can I ask you a personal question?" and she simply nodded. He couldn't help but pause before speaking again; "What's your earlier memory?"

She barely needed a moment to think before answering; "Albedo hitting me in the face," there were no emotions to her tone, and everything drained from her face again. She didn't wait for Gaignun to ask another question, knowing what it would be. "Apparently I woke up when I shouldn't have done," and she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. He knew why she was acting like it were nothing; if she allowed the feelings to overcome her then she would break done. He wasn't that stupid though he wanted to see her sad; he wanted to help her come face to face with the feelings so hopefully she could move on.

"How long have you been with him for?" he asked. "Were you ever with anyone else?"

Faith shook her head, taking another drink. "Two years," she couldn't help but smirk, and a little laugh escaped her throat. "God knows how I'm even alive…"

Gaignun's brows furrowed sadly. He didn't wish to know anymore about her past with Albedo, selfishly, and he knew not to ask her anything in regards to being a Realian. The silence passed over them, before he spoke again; "I know you're human."

And those words caused her to shoot her head to him; eyes open. The shock from his sentence was more then evident in her face and she couldn't help but slip onto her knees. He watched as the liquid shook in her glass from her sudden movement, but stayed at ease. She had turned her body to face him properly and slid over the leather easily thanks to her bare skin. She closed the gap between them, knees still under her body, just about touching the side of his thigh. Excitement shone in her face, something he never expected to see. Her little heart pounded happily, and though he could tell she was around the age of twenty, her excitement was childish. He had never witnessed such a thing before and his heart fluttered ever so slightly, joining her. "How?" she asked, finishing off her drink. She leaned over him, placing the glass on his side table; the alcohol having completely relaxed her now.

Gaignun placed his glass next to hers, before pushing himself to sit up properly. His adjustment of heavy weight (from his muscular body, of course) caused the sofa's cushions to move under her ever so slightly. Without even hesitating this time he took her right hand in his, and pulled the sleeve of her jumper up. He revealed her thick scars, running a finger over them gently. He felt all their bumps beneath his skin, along with the twitch of her muscle from another touch she wasn't yet used to. His eyes were saddened, though she couldn't understand quite why and then he spoke; "Where did you get these?"

"I don't know," she couldn't help but answer honestly. "I … woke up with them. They've just been there."

Gaignun's eyes lowered, pained, before he managed to look her back in the eye. Never had he been so emotional with anyone before and he couldn't quite understand why he had suddenly begun with a girl he never had met before. Yet, when he looked at Faith he was overcome with pity for her – from her skin, to her weight to the abuse his brother had put her through. He realised just at that moment he wasn't helping her anymore because of the 'Realian' reason. That was the reason why he had collected her in the first place. No, the real reason why he had stayed in the hospital room, went out to buy her clothes (that was an act he had performed, not Mary or Shelly) and gave her that job was unknown to him. As soon as he had seen her face he felt compelled to help her. And even when she had awoken with those gold eyes looking into his, he didn't see anything Realian about her. And now, he had his first clue to prove the human within her that he knew of from the beginning.

"These are cuts you have inflicted upon yourself," he told her carefully, little emotion again to his voice. He could sense the bewilderment before her brows furrowed.

"That's stupid," she couldn't help but shake her head, frustration coming from her mixed with embarrassment. She tried to no avail to get her arm from him, to hide it away. "I've never hurt myself. That's weak. It's…pathetic."

Gaignun shook his head. "It's not. Its human nature," and she let the frown disappear. "The scars deepen as they come inwards, meaning you struck yourself with your left hand. Realians, machines and even cyborgs are programmed to not inflict pain upon themselves, or others," he couldn't help but clear his throat, pushing a thought from his head. "Humans, through nature, are too yet our minds are far more complex then that of a machine, no matter how great Artificial Emotion may be now. If a Realian were to break that much they harmed themselves, they wouldn't be able to function. And they would most likely continue until they were incapacitated," his fingers ran down her arm, settling on her wrist. "Even if a person breaks they can be fixed again. Something in their mind prevents them from going all the way. You had a moment of self-injury, and you functioned after it. You healed."

"What if someone put them on there, as a design?" Faith couldn't help but ask. Gaignun shook his head before his hand moved to the centre of her arm, along the thickest of scars.

Between his finger and thumb he pinched a small piece of her skin, though she felt nothing. He applied more pressure, enough to know that if her nerves were working correctly she'd be begging him to stop by now. "Do you feel anything?" and she shook her head, allowing him to release. He rubbed the red skin softly, for little to no point. "They're real. You've damaged your nerves."

Faith's eyes looked down to the scars. She had longed for years to know their origin yet this knowledge wasn't as received as greatly as she thought it would be. She knew, unfortunately, in her heart that he was right. And for some reason it felt as though she had known all along. As her eyes glazed over in ashamed thought, she didn't notice Master Gaignun raising her arm with her wrist. It was only when he had bent his head down did she jolt from thought instantly. Her eyes widened as he delicately brushed his thin lips against her scarred skin. Her heart stopped point blank and she just simply stared like a deer caught in headlights. As he rose his head to face her again, he whispered; "You're beautiful," and she wondered why such kindness frightened her! Was she just a constantly scared person or something? Albedo's evil scared her, Gaignun's kindness scared her. Within that moment she just wanted to crawl in a corner and hide, so her heart could settle. But why? Why was she so nervous? He was only being kind, just kind and lovely. Yet her heart pounded like it did with Albedo. And when she realised it wasn't the same sort of fear she was even more confused!

Carefully, she began to pull her hand away from his, though she could feel a slight resistance. When she was finally free, she tucked her hands between her thighs, smiling shyly at him. The blush seemed to brighten on her face and Master Gaignun sighed ever so slightly. "I do apologise."

"What for?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Making such a defined move," he looked away. "I don't know what came over me. I haven't drunk that much this evening either. I do apologise, sincerely."

Faith smiled as brightly as she could, to remove any embarrassment for Gaignun. "It's okay," her hand, riddled with wriggling worms woven from nerves, reached to squeeze his that was resting on his lap. He returned her smile in gratitude. "Are you lonely?"

Master Gaignun was taken back by that question, and it showed in his face. She ignored it, looking down sad. "I could tell, every time I listened to your conversations with Albedo," she lifted her head to look at him. "I'm probably only confident enough to say this, but you're not alone when I'm around," and she giggled a little. "The way you look is the way I feel too. And that feels really bad. So I'll make sure to make you happy, like you make me happy."

The corner of his lip curled inwards and he couldn't help but mutter; "How did he hurt you?"

It wasn't even half an hour before Master Gaignun offered her his bed. He had put out the fire, turned the music completely off to engulf them in a shared silence and finished his fifth drink, as she finished her third. She was well into feeling the effects of the alcohol, from how she walked to the happiness in her. Though, she wasn't sure whether it was the alcohol or just the simple time that she spent with Gaignun. She had learnt a few things of him, not of his history or family, but of his likes and dislikes. He had shown her the book collection he had, which Jr. apparently knew nothing of – and couldn't know anything of. It was a lot more elaborate then Albedo's, though filled with things that she could barely understand to do with Science and some on psychology. They shared music taste, Faith knowing little to none, and even had a game of chess – which didn't end very well. He learnt in that simple game how much of a sore loser she truly was! And she learnt how logical his mind was, even after drinking. He led her to the door on the opposite side of the room, and turned off the lights to the living room before sliding the door open. In the darkness she could make out the outline of a queen bed, with posts reaching up to the ceiling with fabric made of silk hanging from them. The dim light came from the large window on the left side of the room, allowing her to look into the beautiful dark cloud of space. The flickering stars were bright enough for her to see the rest of the room; a simple wooden wardrobe opposite the window along with a dresser beside it. She could just make out the colour scheme was identical to that of the other room and after they had entered, Gaignun shut the door behind them.

Inquisitively, her childish eyes glanced from side to side of the room, taking in every little detail. It was, sadly, another room that should have been laden with his things yet there was nothing to prove his existence in there. Apart from perhaps the clothing, which she knew would be nothing more then white blouses and simple black trousers. She could have guessed even his underwear was either a plain black or white. There was no personality to him, despite the fact she had seen it throughout the night. He owned not a single photo and the only sentimental thing he had was wrapped around her neck. He hadn't even a placed to hide things; not a cupboard or even a keepsake box. It was like being in a hotel room, yet she knew from what he had told her about his work he had been here for many, many years. As she ventured further into the room, she truly established there was nothing about him on show. She wondered what lay inside of him, realising that was his keepsake box; his heart. And she doubted he had ever opened it before.

Gaignun's soft voice touched her ears, and she turned to face him slowly. "You may have my bed, Faith," and he had begun to undo the belt of his gown. She found herself frozen, for some reason fighting the urge to watch him perform such a normal task. She felt tension come over her, though he was oblivious to it, and she hadn't even a reason for it! She felt a little nervous, and was actually thankful for being in the dim light of the bedroom! He wouldn't have noticed as her cheeks began to deepen into a rose shade. Breathing in deeply, though feeling her air catching on her throat, she turned away from him. She stripped herself of the thick jumper, folding it with her arms before placing it on top of the bare dresser. As she did, he spoke gently; "I'll be sleeping on the floor." And a little guilt hit her heart. As the guest shouldn't she have been the one sleeping on the floor and missing out, rather then him? Although part of her knew he wouldn't mind. He would just be happy to share time with someone.

As she moved across the room, she felt the cool air dance over her skin; causing goose bumps to appear along it. Carefully, she began to pull down the sheets from where they were tucked in beneath the pillows. They were heavy underneath her small wrists; one thick duvet below a thick silk blanket that she assumed was simply for show. They smelt freshly washed, and she found herself excited to get beneath them and snuggle in their warmth! She certainly felt better about going to be now then she did a few hours ago, thankfully. She couldn't help but give herself a quick sneaky peek at Gaignun, but what her eyes met with caused the glance to be a lengthy stare. He was stood, wearing just a pair of black boxers (she was too stunned to congratulate herself on guessing right), the gown having been hung at the back of the door. He was busy, taking a spare blanket from the dresser to even notice she was staring at him. He looked precisely like Albedo, and she couldn't help but wonder for a moment how two brothers could look so alike yet act so polar opposite! He certainly wasn't what she was expecting. He looked like he belonged in the military rather then the chairman position that he did hold. But neither of those things were what had shocked her. No, instead it was the thick scars that were lining his body. She had first noticed his back, where illuminated by the stars; she could see half a dozen straight lines going from his shoulder blades to his waist. They were half an inch thick, some overlapping the others. She could tell they were stretched with age and wondered when they had been inflicted upon him but they certainly weren't the worst he held. When he turned, allowing her to see his bare chest, three more were there. These were vicious and she wondered how he had survived such brutality! They were from proper gashing, spanning in inches wide. There were fourth perfect circles dotted about his skin, from shoulder to chest to stomach and finally his waist. She knew what they were from; gunshots.

Master Gaignun could feel the burn of her eyes upon him, and though he himself felt the urge to hide away, he stayed; skin on show and acted as though nothing were there. She had done the same earlier, allowing him to gaze at her scars and now it was his turn. It wasn't just her that had been struggling to trust, he had been too. And he knew she knew this. He held a thick green blanket between his hands and begun to walk across the room.

"Where are they from?" she finally asked as he lay the blanket down on the floor between the bed and the window.

Faith slipped herself in the heavy blankets, which were absolutely divine to her body though she paid little attention to it. She ignored the heavenly sensations of the bed, and looked over to him, awaiting a response. She was as far away from him as possible, choosing the side he wasn't planning on sleeping against, yet still felt close. From where he stood, the light was brighter; allowing her to see those horrific scars with even more clarity – something she didn't exactly wish for. Eventually he answered her question; "I was abused myself," and his voice was so quiet she had to strain her ears in order to hear him through the darkness.

Those simple words caused daggers to shoot in her heart. For a moment she stared at him before reaching to the other side of the bed and pulling the sheets down. She knew that even if she were sober or not she would have done it, perhaps not as confidently but she would have at least tried to attempt what she was about to do. Never in her life had she felt such a bond with a stranger before, and though she feared their shared presence wouldn't last that long – she had never experience anything good so simply assumed it would go away in due time – she still felt obliged to act in ways she never expected herself to.

He hadn't noticed her movement so in the darkness she whispered out; "Gaignun," and he immediately turned to her. He deep green eyes gazed at the space she had shown, and then he looked to her. She was completely under the covers, sweetly; the sheets engulfing her tiny frame up to her shoulders. He could see in her eyes the kindness of her soul, the sweetness that she was and he felt so lucky just to have known her. He hadn't even felt a connection with anyone, not even his brothers who he felt rejected by. And as he placed the blanket he held onto the floor, he felt like the child version of himself once again. He felt wanted, cared for. He didn't feel alone anymore. For the first time in twenty-four years he didn't feel alone…And that was all thanks to this person he had found deep in space just two days prior.

Carefully, as if disturbing Faith even ever so slightly would make her disappear, he slipped under the bed sheets. Both smiled at one another, happily and nervously at the same time. He adjusted the sheets on them both, reaching over to make sure that she had enough. He left the space she had made between them, which was big enough to fit a third person in. Sleepily, she lay her head down on the pillow. Her left hand went between them, palm in the air, just touching either pillows. He watched her for but a moment, before placing his right hand on top of hers, a movement she barely even noticed through her sleepily haze. "I like you," she whispered just a second before her eyes shut and she entered dreamland. For a long time after she had gone he admired her sleeping form contently.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six : The Material World is Evil**

It was almost as though the world had begun to end. When something had aroused Faith from the deep slumber that she had, she struggled to part her lids. In the first few moments nothing but blurred monochrome shapes covered her visions. Her mind was still riddled with the remains of the dream she could not remember, fogging over her. Her bare legs brushed against the sheets, though she could only feel their weight upon her. The sensations had been numbed, but that only dawned on her when her vision had cleared. Drawing a hand over her face, she rubbed bits of dried tears from the inner corners of her eyes. She felt the piercing coldness of the silver chain that Gaignun had given to her fall beneath her shirt while she moved, sending shivers down her. Though she couldn't recall having been given that necklace, or even going to sleep at all, nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her. Even in the shades of the room that were literally something that belonged to a doomsday, she was utterly bestowed with harmony. She stared, briefly, at the plain grey walls. Her left foot curled to the edge of the single bed, feeling the breeze in the room yet feeling nothing at all. She was numbed, inside and out, fogged over in sleep.

Eventually she managed to motivate herself, pushing against the mattress she lay upon. Though her wrists were weak, she used the strength that she could attain. She gazed down at them, bound in perfect white bandages yet thought nothing of it. As if something else controlled her being, she continued to sit up, unaware entirely of the peculiar difference. Neither was she aware of the room that was nothing like anything upon the Durandal. She cared not for how the room looked and didn't even notice anything about it. It was, of course, normal to her.

A gentle voice swirled its way around her like magic. Her heart flickered in its place enchantingly, as if the voice was made from spiders silk; tickling her insides. "_Forgive me_," the whisper enticed her instantly to face the direction it had come from curiously.

The figure stood against a wooden door to her left, hardly a couple of feet from the bed where Faith sat. It was the friend that she had only recently made, yet as she stared at chaos, something about him in her mind was peculiar. Though she couldn't understand the reason to why, she knew him better than a few hours of his company would have allowed. He had hunched his back slightly, leaning his weight against the door though a foot rested on the frame of it to help with his balance. His arms crossed in front of his chest, while his head was hung. The fingers of his left hand supported his hung head, while the crossed right arm supported that arm. She watched his arm curl tighter around his chest while his shoulders sunk down. Between the strands of his white hair and partially hidden from his hand, his face was utterly distraught beyond belief.

"_I tried to help you_," he began to whisper in the darkness. His frame started to tremble, from shoulders down to his knees. Even the ends of his sentence had quaked in raw emotion and that unnerved Faith. Though she found her mind in some peculiar haze, this was not like chaos. Never had she imagined to see the young man teetering on the edge of his emotions. The strength he had about feelings was overwhelming just to think about. He could manipulate any given situation in a calm manner, as if he had predicted it from the start.

'_Reaching the state of Gnosis…'_

Yet here he was in front of her; struggling, crumbling underneath the weight. His heart had dried from its strength, splitting under his agony. A waging war had started inside of him, and the more Faith stared at him, the more the feelings in her awakened. Suddenly she was becoming aware of her surroundings. The wooden floorboards, the coffee coloured walls to the pictures plastered upon them. This wasn't where she had fallen asleep. This wasn't apart of the Durandal…Though her mind was whirling, her physical body was dormant. She was forced to sit there, even though she so desperately wanted to talk to chaos; to ask him what had happened. To comfort him even.

"_I was,"_ the tips of his fingers tightened against the skin on his forehead. _"I was selfish,"_ he was forced to cut his words when his voice abruptly croaked in high pitched pain. Faith's lips parted as her brows turned, feeling his pain. His shoulders quivered as the emotions took their toll. In the monochrome darkness, tears sparkled like crystals as they rolled down his face; dropping to the floor. His body tensed as she contained his feverish sobs, though the tears fell one after another like a ravenous waterfall.

Unable to take the weight of his pain, chaos dropped to the floor. His back slowly slid down the door; knees up to catch his weak arms that had finally released their grip on his face. Agonised, he threw his head back; banging it painless against the wood. With his chin pointed in the air she was able to see his face clearly. White strands of hair had matted to his reddened skin from the salty water, his lisp were parted as he made noises like he had never cried before. It seemed so foreign to them both, yet distressing to Faith. Even though he was almost defeated, he still tried to fight; putting up a feeble and vain resistance.

Through his weeps, words escaped, though barely audible; _"I'm so sorry,"_ his voice hitched for a moment, and a hand reached up to wipe the bottom of his jaw. _"I'm evil. I destroyed you. I didn't know what to do, I tried, I tried, Faith…"_ the sobbing had increased, and Faith's legs twitched beneath the sheets of the blankets. Slowly, slowly, she was waking herself up properly. _"And I'm still being evil…I want you back."_

"_Please come back, please."_

* * *

The smell of the coffee beans were that riddled with caffeine Faith was getting a high simply by inhaling it. The heat spun up her nostrils, awakening the cells in her brain. Her nose twitched as she brought the plain white mug to her face, eyeing the brown liquid with trepidation. The steam caressed he freshly painted skin gently, and she dared to take a sip. The moment the hot liquid touched her tongue, Faith's face screwed up. She could hear air push out from Gaignun's nostrils as he smirked, and her brows frowned ever so slightly. She pulled her legs up on the leather couch, trying not to fall back to sleep. Big black socks that belonged to Gaignun covered her tiny feet, which wiggled hastily. She had showered, changed into the same dress she had worn the other day – cleaned of course – though her legs were colder than ice. Having little to wear save for the rags of her old uniform, she was forced to take Gaignun's clothing until they arrived in the Foundation where she would be able to purchase something. She had managed that morning to copy precisely the makeup the nurse had taught her, even in her sleep deprived state. Sitting there, she began to glaze her eyes, wanting to touch the bed again.

"Did Albedo let you sleep in?" Gaignun couldn't help but joke as he buttoned up his jacket; playing around with it. His eyes shot at the time; half six in the morning, though he needed to get work done. He was already a few days behind of his schedule, and with her in training they needed as early a start as possible.

"No," she dully replied, taking in another sip of the atrocious drink Gaignun had promised her tasted good. "He never let me sleep…"

His emerald eyes set upon her for a moment before he looked away, collecting his phone and cardkey for the room. Faith's eyes were raw, hindered from the real world from the visions she had in her dream. Those images of chaos, howling, begging, and horribly breaking before her were almost too much to handle. When she had awaked she was still in her nightmare, confused, clinging onto the bed sheets for sheer life. Gaignun had held her wrists as she calmed her pace, heart slowing down to its normal rate. She never told him what she had dreamt. Or how real it was. Faith knew he must have thought it was about his brother and nothing more. And he knew he hadn't a place on the matter. Despite the closeness they had shared that night, their friendship remained normal in the morning. He had slept well away from her; though unknown to her he hadn't released the grip on her hand.

"Faith," Gaignun moved over to the living area where she sat, standing in front of her. It took her a few moments before she could muster up the energy to meet his gaze. "What skills do you possess?"

She blinked. "In regards to what…?"

He crouched down in front of her, hands placed on his knees. "There are many things I'm going to need you to cover for me, from simple things such as answering phone calls and tidying to preparing and maintaining finance records, sorting emails, writing letters, and arranging appointments or meetings. Are you literate in IT, and can you write, use mathematics well?"

"At this very moment in time," she began to talk, for once speaking with little care in the world. "No. In about ten minutes or so, yes. I can do that."

"Thank you," he smiled softly. "If you can come with me, we'll get started. I apologise for the early hours though," he heaved himself up, reaching down to take her half full mug for her as she too stood. "I brought your sword for you while you showered. chaos had kindly left you a holder for it at your door."

A smile grazed across Faith's face as she looked over to the door, where her sword stood against the wall; blade covered by an identical styled scabbard. Folded up on the floor was a large piece of material, made from silk and dyed a simple off white, whilst decorated with beautiful cherry blossoms. Confused, Faith strode over to it and lifted it with her hands. Gaignun moved over to her, placing the mug on the floor before taking the fabric from her with a small "My I?".

From behind, he opened out the material before wrapping it around her waist. As he applied it tightly to her, she tickled underneath the pressure though sustained her reactions. He tucked the sword beneath one layer of the fabric before folding over it a number of times to assure it was tightly secured. He knotted a small bow at the base of her back before letting go with a smile. From the way he had tied it she would easily be able to pull the sword from behind, leaving the scabbard held in place; again for ease to rest it again. Faith reached to the floor to pick up her coffee, thanking Gaignun graciously.

* * *

The morning had dragged horribly. Throughout it Gaignun taught her mercilessly boring tasks, though she had learnt faster than he expected her to. And before it touched midday, they had accomplished more than he thought. She had already proved her worth in the role he had given her, though for some reason he felt her presence wouldn't be long lived. He prayed that it was a simple fear rather than a feeling of intuition. Though why he feared that he wouldn't know. When it had hit midday, he allowed her to begin training with chaos again, who met her in the small emerald office they had been sharing.

In the training room Faith drew her blade from its resting place, the symbol of her ether simultaneously flashing behind her body in her hues of pale fuchsia and silver. The glow hovered in place for but a moment, spirals of light in such a comprehensive pattern she knew she wouldn't be able to recall it to detail danced about her. As chaos had taught, it was the activation of her powers that lay within her. He compared it to her drawing her blade; though she had it in person, holding onto it would allow her to react with faster reflexes in an enemy were to catch her off guard. He'd advised her to have her Ether activated whenever really possible only due to her weak physical strength. When it did activate, flowing through the veins of her body, she felt reenergized; ready to fight. Never had she actually felt so strong within herself. Though it was only her third day away from Albedo she had felt her mind grow, whether it was from food or lack of abuse, or the both, she felt so much better within herself. Peculiarly, it felt almost like she was waking from a long, deep, slumber.

When the two hour period that Master Gaignun had asked her to spend training with chaos had passed, chaos turned to Faith with an ever so slight smile. She looked to him, expectantly, while placing her sword back into its holder. After a moment had passed, though it felt like a felt minutes he had been burning her with his eyes, he asked; "How did you sleep last night?"

For the first time in days, Faith glared hard. Her breathing hitched as her fingers tightened around the handle of the sword. Taken aback by the question, she couldn't help but retaliate; "Why are you asking me?" Although it was impossible she felt as if he had searched within her mind and found that nightmare she had experienced. She felt exposed all of a sudden.

He either didn't notice the tension in her body, which was obvious, or he simply ignored it. Casually, he began to turn the computers in the room off. "I was curious, sorry, it was rather personal."

Faith blinked, hand slipping from the holder to her side. Placidly she watched him, reminiscing uncontrollably about the crying fit that he had. It felt so raw, so real to her mind yet she knew it could not have been. Though she knew so very little of him, she couldn't imagine him crying so uncontrollably; especially to her. It was so out of the ordinary, so spectacularly strange it had to have been conjured from the depths of her mind. Yet she could still see it as clear as day. And real or not, it would take some doing to get that image from her mind.

He turned to her once again, this time with a slight smile on his face. "You're becoming quite the swordswoman."

Faith smirked before flashing a wide grin, pride shimmering in her eyes as the remains of the dream feld from her mind. "Well, I have my mentor to thank for that."

Chaos laughed a little, placing a gloved hand on the metallic desk to lean on. "I can't take all the credit. That's talent, Faith. There aren't many people that have the ability to wield a sword like you."

* * *

The deep, usually calm and welcoming voice of Helmer, bounced itself around the small office. Yet rather than its usual upbeat tone it held confusion and ever so slight frustration. As he was speaking through the monitor he himself had to check with his words, wondering whether he had heard the request of Master Gaignun quite clearly. Master Gaignun was a man of sense, or at least Helmer believed, and the most down to Earth, intelligent, person he had come across. He hadn't given him the power that he had otherwise though this was one moment where he hoped he himself was wrong with hearing, and not the Foundations Chairman. "You want me to check Government papers to find a Realian activated two years ago, and you have no model number, little to no information on the mechanics in her and that has a fully functioning, or so you believe, cardiovascular system?"

In the dark emerald room, alit simply by the few computer screens, Gaignun Kukai hunched over his desk with his back to the screen where Helmer's confused face was projected. His face was stern with concentration, his right hand clasped tightly around a mug of black coffee. Stress emitted from him like a stench, and even Helmer could feel the tension Gaignun felt as he struggled with his work. Since the dismissal of Mary and Shelly the pressure had mounted on him like nothing he'd felt before. He had forgotten how much he needed an assistant, someone to at least help with the little things, until it had gone. Though he had Faith he needed her to train, he needed her strength to be built up. Space wasn't safe, and he knew that – as bad as it sounded – without her at least somewhat trained she would be nothing but a burden. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was already doing her a favour. He could have done with hiring an experience assistant, rather than her. But then, he reminded himself, there was something about her; something he needed to know. He was desperate for answers. Why was she able to touch their way of communication? Was she somehow apart of U-DO?

And then his mind faltered momentarily to the night before…

But he cut that off. Emotions were a no go area. He couldn't believe what he had done; the line that he had crossed. As desperate as he was for some sort of emotional connection, he knew it was not the smartest thing to do at all. He needed to continue fighting against emotions, though he found it so ironic he could control others so easily and yet not his own.

After a moment of silence, Helmer spoke out; "What is this about, Gaignun?" his voice was quiet, though he knew no one would be able to hear. "What's actually been going on?"

Knowing he wouldn't be able to continue with the work he was attempting to push through whilst multitasking, he prioritized for a moment. Turning the chair around to face Helmer, he let out a long, tired sigh. "Albedo," he began, speaking roughly as he struggled to actually recall it all. It was simply insane. The last few days had been so peculiar. Things had finally begun to calm themselves down in the Galaxy, yet something had popped up, yet again. Their calm just after meeting Shion and MOMO had been blissful. And yet Faith appeared. Simply out of the blue. In a place where Albedo could have easily tried to steal the 100 Series, yet he was dropping one off instead…

Gaignun could see the disgust well on Helmer's face just from the simple mention of his brother's name. Ignoring it, Gaignun continued; "Albedo has provided us with a Realian though she had been disguised as a 99 Series Realian. She even believes that she is one, though she doesn't look like any Realian that I've seen before. She looks simply _human_."

"Where is she now?" Helmer asked, though Gaignun pursed his lips together, shamefully looking away from the screen. Helmer frowned ever so slightly. "Is she in custody?" and Gaignun shook his head. Even he knew the stupidity of his decisions. Even he knew how idiot, pathetic even, he had been to choose what to do with her. Growing impatient, and obviously annoyed by the dramatically different decision making Gaignun was going through, Helmer asked again; "Where is she now?"

"I hired her," Gaignun hastily replied. He returned his gaze back to Helmer, showing slight resolve. He had to own the decision, no matter the consequence. It was his job after all. After a tension filled moment passed, Helmer probably swearing internally at him for his stupidity, Gaignun added; "She'll be taking on the role Mary and Shelly had."

"So you hired this….'Realian' given to you by a madman," Helmer began, realising what Gaignun had originally asked him wasn't that stupid anymore. This was certainly one of the most…unusual things the Chairman had done. He wondered whether it was a practical joke or the minds of Gaignun and Rubedo had somehow swapped. "You don't know what she is, who she is, or where she's from. And you've not even taken her into custody? You'd better have a damn good explanation for this, _Nigredo_, or I'll be taking her into my custody and well away from you."

"I understand how the situation seems," Gaignun began strongly. "I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the safety of those onboard the Durandal or those within the Foundation. You know this. I have a feeling, Helmer; she's nothing to fear."

A gruff sigh escaped the back of Helmers throat and he shut his eyes, holding back. "I _want_," he gritted out as calmly as possible. "In the next hour you _will_ send me a blood sample along with a full report on her scan. I want photos taken, all profiles, body included. Everything. Custody report included. You _cannot_ put people in danger like this. I'm sure you understand what the consequences could be if she isn't what you think."

Gaignun opened his mouth to reply yet the screen cut straight to black before he was able to. He took a moment to himself, staring at the darkness in the room before placing a finger on his temple. Within moments he had opened a link with Faith, something he felt so unsure about doing as if she were able to poison his mind – and he felt quite bad for feeling that – and whispered to her; '_You need to come to my office immediately,_' before disconnecting.

While he waited for her, he had turned back to the computer screen, attempting to get some sort of work done that day though he knew it were to all be in vain. Anything that he would be able to get done in the ten minutes before she got there would be wrong. It would be something he had to go over again, and as that realisation dawn on him a headache seeped its way through. Sometime after he had stopped working to massage his temples, the door began to knock. Without moving, he spoke out, 'Come in,'.

After a moment he parted his eyes, looking across the darkened room to chaos and Faith. Feeling the stressed emerald eyes of Gaignun upon him, chaos explained his presence; "Faith wasn't sure where to go."

Nodding, he gestured as kindly as possible to the door with his right hand. "Thank you, chaos."

Faith could feel there was something wrong the moment that she entered the room. So as chaos left, she had to bite her lip to prevent herself asking him to take her. The tension was so thick in the air not even a knife could penetrate through it. She watched, longingly as chaos left, before slowly turning to Gaignun with trepidation. Though she felt the differences between the pair, they had physical similarities so who was to tell her some mental similarities between Gaignun and Albedo weren't existent? He had transformed from the kind man the night before the almost frightening one in front of her. She wasn't used to someone emitting feelings as he did without there being a beating with it. So maybe this was it. Maybe this was finally her time to be hurt…

Nodding to the chair opposite him, Gaignun spoke; "Sit," and she obeyed immediately.

She sat on her hands, watching him carefully though she didn't want to. Her heart began to twist in her chest and she so desperately wanted to go back down to the other floor, learning about the funny times between chaos and Jr. He avoided eye contact with her at all costs, knowing what it would do to his emotions. He needed, for a moment to treat her like a Realian. To treat her like . . . . . A terrorist. It was his job.

"Hand me your weapon," he demanded, eyes going straight to the sword.

Faith held her posture, breathing in the nerves as they tried to shake about her veins. She clutched her breaths in her lungs for long moments, reaching down to the handle of her sword. She was confused, bewildered. What was going on? She knew she had been treated so fantastically well since her arrival, so well she thought it were to be a dream though she didn't expect it to come to this. As she relinquished possession of the sword to Gaignun she slowly understood he wasn't planning on hurting it. It was then she realised he couldn't look her in the eye. This was his job; he needed to do this. And that calmed her, ever so slightly. He leaned it against the desk, watching her hands tie the material back around her waist again.

"Lift your hands out," he said as she was done. She wasn't sure what to do, so took a moment before holding them straight across. His eyes glazed over her scars, reminiscing about the prior night. And when they hit the necklace she still wore, the emotions exploded. He couldn't do it. For once he couldn't hold himself together and in sheer frustration he growled out a hard sigh. "I didn't act accordingly," Gaignun began, looking down to the ground in shame. "I didn't react to your arriving properly. I nearly endangered everyone, do you understand?" and Faith nodded silently. She was unsure of what to say or do, and her arms were beginning to ache. "Don't take this to heart," and he smiled sadly at her with his eyes; the last bit of emotion he would show to her in the next hour or so. And she knew, this would be the last bit of kindness for awhile.

When the smile disappeared, instantly after it had been shown, he closed the curtain to the window of his soul. His jaw clenched into place as he suddenly stood to his feet. A right hand opened a draw beneath the desk, and he pulled out a pair of iron cuffs. Faith's heart trembled and she felt sick to the stomach. Closing her eyes, she solemnly straightened her back against the chair. He took her movements as his cue yet struggled to simply reach down to bind her wrists. He had been so black and white over the years, obeying every command like there was nothing to be done about it. It was in his heart; to follow rules, and regulations to the dot; no holding back. Helmer wanted him to take precaution against the Realian, and thus he had to. And this was a way of doing so yet something held him back.

Clenching his jaw together, he gripped onto his heart. Controlling another human was easier than breathing in air yet holding himself was the greatest task he had ever dealt with. Reaching down he managed to bind her wrists with the iron cuffs. As he strapped them together he ignored the tips of her fingers trembling. He left a tiny gap for her to move yet the chilling metal still stuck to her olive skin. Without looking away from him, Faith lowered her hands to her lap. To her surprise, Gaignun reached to her stomach, and snatched the stash from her in one swift movement.

"Stand," he demanded in a quiet tone and she wasted barely a second before she was face to face with him. She gazed at him calmly though inside she quivered in fear. Her heart was pulling, her stomach doing summersaults. What was going to become of her soon? Kindly, he took the stash and wrapped it around her wrists to hide the cuffs; saving her any shame. "I need to get you examined so we can understand what you are. Albedo is evil. He wouldn't give you to us unless it would benefit him."

* * *

In the Medical Ward, the answers that the pair was given only provoked more questions. Little information was given about Faith for one simple yet complex reason – she was a human, inside and out. She wasn't just two years; she was around the age of twenty according to the Doctors who had scanned her cells. There was nothing Realian within her, though the only Realian thing about her – those golden eyes – could not be explained. All the Doctors and Scientists could get from her cell structure was that her eyes were not as old as the rest of her body. The cells had only been copied a few times, showing their freshness in her self, so what was there prior to the golden shade was beyond them all. Gaignun's hunch was indeed correct, but what was Albedo doing with a human? And why was he dressing her up like a doll? Though her being a human had not truly answered their questions, he released the cuffs upon her wrists. Knowing nothing was programmed within her – as impossible as that was – to harm Gaignun or the Foundation, he was able to go upon his intuition. He knew her heart was well, he knew her feelings were true. And Helmer would take his word on that, simply thanks to the U.R.T.V's powers. He retrieved the information that Helmer wanted on a small USB stick, which he had given to Faith, while he had a hold of her blood sample.

When the ordeal had passed, Faith was still silent. Though inside she danced with the knowledge she was indeed human, the question of who she was had a more frightening aspect than what she was. She was a person. She was born from a mother and a father; had grandparents, came from a town and that was overwhelming. Being a Realian was simple. She was made and woke up – she already had a purpose. Now she had to find it and earn her life and that was scary. Gaignun could feel her fear and as they strode down the abandoned area of the Medical Wing (a far faster route than the other) he reached over to touch her arm.

Grazing over at him, Faith smiled ever so slightly though he knew it was fake. His hand slipped from her skin, returning to his side. Pure human . . . An unhealthy, underweight, anaemic and sickly human but one at that. What had Albedo wanted from her? A toy? But why was she here? Had he grown bored of it? So many questions, so little answers. He thought the same as her – the fact she was a human created more problems than solutions.

Drowned by questions, he almost missed her voice trailing in the darkness; "I feel lost."

Gently, he looked over to her with a small, kind, smile on his face. "You're not. I'm here." And his hand reached to clasp onto hers. It caused a smile to trail over her face, to his slight joy.

At least he wouldn't have to face the wrath of Helmer now . . . . .

"If you could, contact Helmer for me and send those files," Gaignun asked of her as they turned the corner.

His green eyes glanced from her to straight down the almost pitch black hall, ensuring nothing would be in their way in. They focused to the end, where the darkness had begun to grow against the walls, seeing something flicker. Curiosity shot through him, though he put the flickering light to be an abandoned piece of machinery, reflecting the light from the other hall. A few steps into the darkness however, the flickering began to get sharper. And it was certainly nothing he was causing from his movements and sight placement. The flickers had a life of their own; rippling and growing from the pit of darkness. Until, finally, he could make out a wobbling shape coming closer to them slowly. The glowing colours were of burnt sienna mixed with startling yellow. Deep within the colours that were almost transparent, were empty spaces of nothingness. And when the shape became apparent to the chairman, he acted almost instantaneously.

Gaignun promptly cut in front of Faith, causing her to silently stumble slightly. Yet before she could complain he spoke with her in his mind; '_There's a Gnosis, as quietly as you can move back around the corner where we were,_' and with that she said nothing in reply. As quietly as she possibly could, she led Gaignun to the other part of the hallway where they were hidden from the creature. Her little heart began to race as her fingers grazed the handle of her weapon. This would be her first real fight, and despite her training that completely unnerved her.

With trepidation, Faith edged her way to the corner of the wall as Gaignun walked a few steps from her; hands on his phone. Curiously, daring to touch upon her fears, her gold eyes looked down into the darkness. For a moment she struggled before they fell upon the figure of _it_. The Golem Gnosis floated in a distortion of yellows and greys, utterly oblivious to their presence, curiously enough. It looked nothing like that frightful thing that was brought up in the simulator so many times. Instead, when she looked to it, the fear drained from her heart. Without thought, her fingers dropped from the handle of her weapon, moving to the cold wall. She had heard of the Gnosis, their horror stories, yet she felt nothing coming from the creature. It was placid, almost curious itself of what was around it.

In the background, Gaignun's voice was almost deathly silent as he spoke; "Sector C, Medal Ward, a Gnosis has been spotted. It's docile for the time, but do not activate Hilbert Effect immediately," he ordered calmly though she knew inside he trembled – even if it was just slightly. "Allow the ship to prepare as silently as possible. Wait my orders," and without hearing a word in reply, Gaignun hung up the phone. As he slipped it into his jacket pocket he turned to Faith. Deep within the pits of his mind he beckoned for the immediate presence of his older brother.

"It'll see you," he whispered quickly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Back down," and she shrugged it away, returning to her spot. Knowing causing a fight between them would be the least useful thing, he allowed her to continue though kept a heavy eye upon her.

"It's acting like a person," Faith whispered, looking over her shoulder to Gaignun. "Why are we hiding?"

"We need to wait for Jr.," Gaignun replied to her quietly. "We need to establish whether there is only one creature or more before we make a move. The abilities of Ether that chaos possesses allow us to inflict damage upon it."

"Why would you do that?" Faith gasped, fully turning to Gaignun. "It's a human."

"Faith," Gaignun frowned deeply at her, more than utterly bewildered by her misunderstanding of the creature. "Gnosis are monsters that instantly kill a human. They appear for one thing only; to harm us for goodness knows what reason. I understand," he began as she turned away to look down the hallway once more as curiosity loomed within her. She felt an uncontrollable urge to tell him he was wrong or better yet to _show_ him. "You have led a sheltered life but this is dangerous. They linger in the shadows, waiting silently."  
"There's only one," she solemnly informed him. Her voice was out of sorts to his ears and he stayed silent.

Gently her feet trickled foreword; movements so small that they weren't even noticed. In the shins of her legs she felt her bones pushing, pulling, and pleading with her to simply move. As she stared at the Gnosis, a darkness drew about her; the lights in their hallway flickering until they simply went out without a sound. The Gnosis seemed to glow brighter, illuminating the shapes in the hall with a dull white. The creature, as horrifying as it was, drew her in. In her mind it pleaded silently, and her mind pleaded with her brain and her heart and her limbs. And then they eventually moved at their own accord.

At the same time as Faith had began to move, cutting the corner and disappearing from Gaignun's sights, everything to him seemed to happen at once. Within that instant she disappeared from his visions, two steps of hurried footsteps could be heard from behind him along with the yell of his brother;

"chaos! Wait!" Jr.'s voice echoed as he called out in the darkness. Their footsteps hardened as they approached behind Gaignun.

Yet none of this stuck within Gaignun's mind. It entered the way it went in, leaving not a trace behind. All he cared for at that moment of time was the safety of Faith as she foolishly walked from his reach. He cut the corner, eyes meeting her hallway down the hall and just as he was about to push a sprint from his legs, a figure dashed past him faster than light.

In the air he heard a hard sigh and instantly the small figure of chaos stood directly in front of him. For a second their eyes met; Gaignun's furious emeralds and chaos' calm turquoise ones almost engaging in war. Jr. had caught up with him, yet stayed beside of Gaignun, guns out and ready but stunned from chaos' move. Just as Gaignun took a step foreword, ready to brush his away, chaos swung his arms out to the side, stretching them as far as he possibly could. The tips of his navy fingers touched either side of the halls walls, and he whispered out; '_**No**_,' to Gaignun. Sheer determination shot through his eyes and Gaignun knew he wouldn't get past the young man.

_**But what the hell was he thinking**_?! Shaking furiously inside, the anger in Gaignun rumbled like an active volcano. Never had he felt so frustrated within his life! He was allowing her to go face to face with a Gnosis! Was this some stupid test? And within those few seconds, as he gazed over chaos to Faith, he forgot about the knowledge chaos had within his heart. And it was only when he glanced back down to the all knowing chaos, meeting his eyes, did he remember. They spoke, silently, with just eye contact. From the peace looming in chaos he stood down, taking a step back from him. The anger washed away from Gaignun's heart, and though he felt concerned for Faith, something from chaos' extravagantly assuring eyes toned it down. From Gaignun's slight movement chaos lowered his aching arms.

Turning around chaos faced in the direction of Faith, who was barely a few feet from the Gnosis. It had recognized her presence just as they all laid their eyes upon them, though it seemed not to acknowledge their existence. It swayed side to side momentarily as Faith scrapped her feet on the ground until they halted. For heart wrenching moments to Gaignun, who was slowly beginning to panic again in his heart, he watched. The arm of the Golem slowly began to rise, causing Rubedo to involuntarily lift his guns to the air; pointing them straight to the Gnosis. Yet, it stopped, mid way, as if it was holding its arm out to Faith.

Inside, Gaignun pleaded with her. He strained, opening the mental link that they shared yet unknown to him she could not hear. He begged her to leave, begged her to run, and while he did, he could feel his heart racing under his chest. The only thing that kept him from moving was that simple 'No' chaos had given to him. It was so strong, so determined; he knew he wouldn't allow him to go over to her. Though questions formed. _Why_?

Before any more questions could linger in Gaignun's mind, time instantly began to freeze over horrifically. Silence engulfed him as his heart ripped straight from his chest from a movement Faith had made. It was a sight Gaignun had never witnessed before in his life, yet something that chaos had experienced and Rubedo had seen. Her hand touched the tip of the Gnosis' arm, seeping within the light. Yet, from this touch, the Gnosis froze within itself. The rippling of its light suddenly subsided, as if it had turned straight to stone. Straining his eyes through his fear, Gaignun could just about see the other hand of Faith fidgeting ever so slightly. The edges of the Gnosis began to glow faint hues of Faith's ether, which begun to eat it up. Her ether had wrapped its way around the creature, dragging it into the tips of her fingers; a move identical yet the polar opposite to what chaos had done. Rather than pushing the energy of the Gnosis away, she drew it within her, straight into her body. It didn't take long before it had seeped inside of her, leaving nothing as evidence of its existence.

Long moments passed between the trio as Faith stood silently. A large bang echoed throughout the hall as Rubedo's guns dropped the ground, so utterly stunned he couldn't even clench onto them for much longer. His thin lips parted, wanting to speak yet only air escaped. Tension loomed about the brothers, though it passed straight over chaos and Faith. It was as if Gaignun and Rubedo were the ones who had been frozen into salt by the Gnosis, which was what should have happened to the girl they barely knew.

Stumbling backwards, Faith's awkward body twisted to face those watching her. In the air, blindly, her hands reached for some sort of support; wavering furiously. Within moments they touched the wall, though twitched against it. Her back staggered hard into the wall, enough for an audible bang to echo through the hall followed by her horrific breathes. They were haggard, as if she could barely clutch onto any oxygen at all. The men could feel her straining against her throat horrendously. Her head lifted up weakly, using the last of her energy that was furiously being sapped from her to look directly over to chaos; forgetting of the others existences. The gems of her eyes flickered like static to a hue of iced blue. Against her salt-white face that was coloured death, they stood out like daggers. The life in them was there, active and well despite the way her body was acting. For long moments they stared at one another, time freezing around them. Beneath his chest, chaos' heart raced furiously. And then he heard in the silence a croaked whisper come from her bluing lips.

"…_Yeshua…"_

It was a plea rather than a simple call and it tugged at him. Before he managed to even take a step, she instantly dropped under her weight. Gaignun stepped foreword, yet chaos cut him off, racing to her. Inside it was like something spoke to Gaignun; telling him to stand down again for but a moment as chaos took to Faith's side. He put his knees on the ground, sitting on his folded legs, as his gloved hands gripped onto her arms. He pulled her light weight up onto him, laying her on her back. Her body twitched and he held her head up, looking down at her. The other hand rested on her right arm, soothing over her bare skin kindly. The colour was beginning to slowly return to her face, though only ever so slightly, but those eyes were dancing with life. As they looked up to chaos they danced like butterflies; beautiful and vivid and full of such sheer bliss he hadn't seen in the girl in days. But then her eye lids began to slowly shut, her body cutting her off.

Shaking his head in denial, chaos gently whispered down to her; "Stay awake, Fay," and as the weakness drew over her stronger than before, her eyes began to flicker from gold to blue. "Don't leave," he pleaded under his breath quickly. "Did you hear anything?" he asked as one of her hands reached to hold onto his arm. Despite her weakened state she clutched onto him as if for life.

Parting her dry lips, she looked up to him with her sorrow filled blue eyes. She swallowed nothing before whispering back to him; "It said . . . . The material world is evil . . . ." and just as Gaignun appeared on the floor to her side, her eyes flickered back to Realian gold.

Looking over to the chairman, chaos enclosed the emotions in his face once more. Becoming the figure of calamity in a moment so chaotic once more, he gently relinquished his hold over Faith. As she was passed from his arms into Gaignun's, she passed into unconsciousness at some point. When Gaignun had a firm grip on her limp body, chaos spoke; "She's experiencing a salt overdose, Master Gaignun. The Gnosis that she touched hasn't and can't kill her but she needs water otherwise she could go into a coma."

Standing to his feet, the stunned chairman's eyes did not leave the body of Faith. Questions riddled within him. She was a human, yes, yet her eyes were of gold, she was able to communicate with U.R.T.V's and could somewhat withstand the touch of a Gnosis that would otherwise kill anything else. Yet, the simple knowledge that she needed medical attention stopped those questions in their tracks and he became solely focused on attending to her needs. Without saying a word, he went towards the medal bay, disappearing into the darkness and leaving the pair behind.

The young men shared a silence for well over a minute or even two. They were both stunned, obviously from different things. Rubedo was the first to speak, looking down at chaos as his words struggled to find a voice; "What …" and he paused for a moment. "What the hell?"

Chaos' eyes glazed over, though Rubedo hardly noticed, too wrapped up in his own world. In a dull, uninterested and rhetorical voice chaos simply muttered; "_Everyone has a least one skill that they excel in over all others. It's something that defines who we are_…"


End file.
