Game Six- No friends.

Fayt wiped away the tears on his face with his sleeve and sniffed again. He couldn’t find any cookies anywhere- he was so small that he couldn’t remember any of the things about the shop they’d been into from the outside.

Usually he went by the things in the window or the display outside, but as Albel had held his hand and lead him around, he found that he couldn’t now remember what the shop looked like. Fayt plopped down behind a tree in the south west corner of the town and sobbed into his knees.

It was like radar. She was inside the lower workshop making a cutie fire homunculus when a single strand of hair poked up from her head nearly making Mackwell fall over in amazement. She looked up… the hair strand shifted round to the right like an antennae, and then pointed north- Fayt- upset- crying. And just before Mackwell could get closer to her head of perfectly brushed hair to examine the loose strand, she had pounced from the room.

Albel’s blade crushed the earth- that taught it for all the times it tripped him over, and that, and that! But something was crushing him too- like a conscious nightmare that wouldn’t leave him alone. This feeling was even more unbearable than when the kid was annoying him.

“Damn it,” he cursed to himself, slotting the katana away; and he stood still- this was his answer to every non violent confrontation- that or get violent- which in this case he couldn’t.

And then something amazing happened, he moved. He walked into the kitchen, and then he left the house and walked around outside. He found his eyes searching the streets for little people. No, he wasn’t a pervert… at least he hoped not… but every time he found one, he moved on. He was looking for a particular child; he was looking for a blue headed, white shirted, green eyed boy.

“I… didn’t do anything wrong…” Fayt wept to himself, head in his knees, his tears seeping down his legs on to the ground.

“Fayt?” a feminine voice cooed from behind him, and Fayt looked up, sniffing away tears. But at the sight of her caring, nurturing face and her sympathetic eyes, they came once more in floods. At first he was hesitant, letting out a small sob as she sat close. “Why are you so upset? Do you want to come over here?” she asked again.

“S-Sophy?” Fayt cried, as her arms opened, and he went to them, hugging her and burying his face into her pink blouse as her arms drew around him close too. “Sophy…I’m sorry…” Fayt gasped, and she felt the tears soaking her. “I was mean and now… everyone hates me…”

“Oh Fayt, we don’t hate you- its okay… you weren’t mean, this isn’t your fault, okay? We both know who’s to blame here,” she added, and he remained silent, “he’s always saying horrid things and doing mean things… I don’t think that man is capable of even a single kind or selfless act- he’s completely inconsiderate!” she scowled. “Just don’t even think about him!” she told him- when by coincidence- good or bad- the man himself appeared.

The sight of the sweet pinky girl holding Fayt as he cried made his stomach lunge- great- he’d just had lunch. Yet it wasn’t necessarily because it was sentimental garbage, but it was the look of censure she gave him as she spotted him- of disapproval. Her thoughts were as clear as always- and his as usually unclear. Why did he even come here anyway?

“What are you doing here?” Sophia’s cheeks flushed indignantly, yet he noted the look of pleasure on her face. She finally had what she wanted, and it wouldn’t be hard for it to stay that way. “Haven’t you done enough?” she added. “Upsetting a little child- you’re the lowest of the low!” she huffed.

“I came here to talk to Fayt, actually,” Albel shrilled.

Sophia held on tighter, apprehensive. “Oh no you don’t! Fayt’s very upset right now and I don’t want him talking to you- you’re a malicious person who doesn’t have the right to have an influence over any child! Besides, with how you upset him, Fayt knows just how mean you are, and he doesn’t want to talk to you anymore, do you, Fayt?” Sophia looked down.

Fayt was still crying, he felt both adults looking at him. No matter what he said, Albel knew Sophia wouldn’t let Fayt speak to him, and yet he still waited. Did this mean that Albel wanted Fayt to answer? “I don’t know…” Fayt shook his head, holding on tighter too.

Sophia looked back up, she had taken this as a no. she rose a single eyebrow to helpless Albel, who opened his mouth as if to say something- but why should he revert to this kind of sentimental foolishness in front of her- why should he explain himself and talk privately in front of her?

He didn’t want Albel to go, but if he said something, wouldn’t that upset the man more?

“Bah!” he let out carelessly, turning and leaving; another feeling sweeping over him that was not anger. Regret, sympathy, and now this?

“It’s okay now Fayt, he’s gone!” Sophia claimed triumphantly.

“He hates me…” Fayt sat up sadly, trembling.

“That man hates everyone!” Sophia scowled, really! What was he thinking in coming back?

“But… I thought we were… friends…” his eyes welled up again.

“Pah! He hasn’t got any friends!” Sophia scoffed.

Fayt blinked. “No friends? Then he must be so sad and lonely…”

Sophia nodded. “But it’s entirely his fault, Fayt. In this world there are many people. Some people, like you and me, try to get along with everyone and be nice to everyone, we hate confrontation and we like to enjoy life, we’re friendly and pleasant and make things like that for everyone else to- we’re nice people.

Other people are different, they hate being with others, and are mean and don’t understand anyone’s pain but their own. They’re selfish, rude and hate everything; these are the people who will never be happy. There’s only so much you can do to try and accept them- after that it’s just best to leave them to be unhappy and unpleasant- thoroughly disagreeable people like Albel Nox never make any friends and spend their lives sad and lonely,” Sophia explained.

“That’s so sad…” Fayt’s eyes welled up again.

“But there’s no need to feel sorry for them, unless you want to end up like that yourself- most people can be helped if they’re treated with respect and kindness, but that man has never returned one ounce of our kindness so we all decided to leave him in his own little world- if that’s the way he likes it that’s his business, but he has no right to make you so sad, after all, you’re only little!” Sophia proclaimed boldly, standing up.

“Sophy?” Fayt stood too.

“Fayt, do you want to go have some fun?” Sophia asked suddenly, and Fayt’s eyes lit up.

“Fun?” he repeated.

“Yeah, we could buy Kirlsa cakes and sandwiches and go to the park, I’ll lay out a mat and we can eat together!” Sophia suggested alluringly.

“Like… like a picnic?” Fayt gasped, in excitement. Sophia nodded. “Okay!” he took he hand as she held it out, and she led him over the shot patch of grass towards the cobbles of the street.

Albel watched them go from behind one of the buildings. Well, at least the bluenette was happy again, even if he was with Sophia… which made him frown. Little bitch, making him out to be the bad one without letting him try to talk to the brat… why was he so uncomfortable saying that kind of thing? But Fayt needed to be happy, and Albel hated children… if Fayt ever changed back- and something else tugged at his chest again. Worry? What if he never changed back? Albel scowled at this thought and stormed off in a bad mood.