A/N: Sage: Ah yes….yet another story from the infamous Sage Kaley.
Kaley: Yep and it's even another muse dedicated story! This time it's for the super cute, ultra timid little Lord Elk!! (does salute) ALL HAIL LORD ELK!
Elk: (blushes deeply) Um, um K-Kaley…
Bakura: What a pansy…anyways, about the story. It's pretty much a what if story so it's kinda hard to pin down when it happens so just use your imagination.
Sage: The pairings are…Ryoko/Elk, Tsukasa/Elk, Balmung/Elk, Sora/Elk Kite/Elk so yeah they are big what if's. But hey, isn't that what fanfiction is for? This story goes out to Elk and all his rabid fangirls, like Kaley who pulls an Excel when he's around.
Elk: (still deep red) S-so please, en-enjoy the story and r-review it…and if she gets the servers names wrong, then don't be too mean when you correct her…
Kaley: NOW START THE FIC!!!
A white-haired swordsman stood utterly alone in the charming little server of Carmina Gadelica. He wanted badly to go on a quest but today was slow and there was nothing to do. No events to do, not even a good random dungeon to occupy his time. He shifted his weight and ruffled his angelic feathers. He hated not having anything to do. So he decided it'd be a good idea to call up some of his friends. No one was online though, not a single one.
"Damn…" He muttered, leaning against the wall. "Today is so slow…" He watched the other players forming their parties before going off on their adventures. Suddenly, the chaos gate shone and a long arm by the name of Nuke appeared. Balmung groaned, for he found Nuke to be very annoying.
"Well hey there Balmung!" Nuke grinned and ran over to him. "What's up? Were you waiting here on the off chance I'd come?"
"Well, actually…" Balmung began but Nuke continued his rant about autographs. That was another thing Balmung hated. The man had the largest ego that the Blademaster had ever seen.
"Ah, silly Balmung! We're friends now! All you have to do is ask me for one!" Nuke grinned and started rummaging through his inventory. "I got some in here somewhere…" Just then, a small, quiet voice worked its way to the two men's ears.
"Um, Nuke, I don't think Balmung wants…I mean, I don't think he…" The two turned and saw the timid Wavemaster Elk fidgeting behind them.
"Wha~t?! You think Balmung doesn't want an autograph?!" Nuke cried, giving Elk a hurt look. The mage shook his head quickly.
"No! I mean…um…um…Balmung is your friend so…he doesn't need one because he already has the real thing…um, right?" Elk looked nervous but Nuke's face brightened.
"Hey, you're right Elk!" Nuke laughed cheerfully. "And so do you so I don't need to give you one either! Well, I'd better be off! If the commoners see us talking, they might start stalking you to get a piece of me!" Nuke grinned and ran off into the chaos gate, disappearing. Balmung shook his head in disgust then turned round to view the boy properly.
"Elk, thank you." Balmung sighed. "That man is so annoying."
"Oh, I-I didn't do…" Elk blushed and cleared his throat. "Um, Balmung?"
"Yes?"
"Have you seen Mia?"
"That illegal cat woman?"
"…Um, I guess so…"
"No, I haven't seen her today."
"…Oh…" Elk bowed his head in disappointment. "I guess she's not on then…" He started to trudge off to the gate when Balmung had a sudden idea.
"Say, Elk, where are you going?"
"I'm going to go check the other servers then if I don't see Mia log off I guess…" Elk shrugged. The angel-winged man smiled slightly.
"Well, I have a better idea…I know this dungeon that's a bit tough and I need a Wavemaster." Balmung looked Elk over. "I was hoping for Wiseman but I feel that you will do. Besides, I hear there is Aromatic Grass there and you should never go to a woman empty-handed." Elk stared at the Blademaster for a moment. He'd never been with him alone but…if there was Aromatic Grass there…
"Well, um, ok…" Elk said quietly. "But only if you really think I can help you…"
"Yes, I think you can." Balmung smiled. Finally, his boredom would come to an end! Sure, Elk was quiet and such but better adventuring with him then Nuke or someone equaling annoying. "Anyways, want to go now?"
"Um, sure." Elk and Balmung went up to the gate.
"Let's see…" Balmung frowned. What was the name of that area again? "Oh yes, Lambda Bitter Sage's Messenger." (A/N: If you go there it's nothing special I just like the irony of the name since it applies to my life…plus it's a water area, I like water areas.) The Gate glowed, there was a flash and the two found themselves standing in a dark, snowy field. Balmung grinned, for he loved the snow and this area was always kind of beautiful to him. However, he noticed Elk looking around with a bit of a frightened look.
"Um, I don't think there's any grass here…" Elk said, his eyes following a snowflake down to the ground.
"Hm, I'm sure there is." Balmung pulled out a Fairy's Orb and sighed. "Odd, not many portals to open…anyway, let's go…" Balmung led Elk around the field, pausing to open the portals and kill the monsters inside. Elk stood away from the battles like usual, healing while Balmung used his sword to destroy the enemies. After what seemed like an hour they finally got a field-cleared message.
"Oh good…" Elk smiled nervously. "I was running low on mage's souls…"
"Well, we could just wait for your SP to recover." Balmung sat down on the ground. "Let's do that." Elk sat down as well, looking exhausted. "Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh no!" Elk said, quickly shaking his head. "Nothing's wrong…"
"School?"
"Huh?" Elk looked up in surprise.
"Well, Kite was saying yesterday that he wouldn't be on today because of homework." Balmung said thoughtfully. "Blackrose also has the same problem. I thought maybe you also had homework."
"Oh well…I-I do but…" Elk started drawing circles on the ground with the point of his staff. "It's not much…I can do it later…I just wanted to talk to Mia for a bit before I did…"
"Hm, school is the bane of a rpg player's existence." Balmung noted. "Elk, don't put off your homework for too long, it's important you know."
"Um, I-I will…I'll do it soon…" Elk blushed and Balmung found himself frowning. Had he just lectured the boy…on homework?!
"Well, I mean, it's important but make sure you have fun too. Go to a friend's house or something and do your homework with them."
"Um…I…um, can't go to a friend's house…" Elk said, staring intently at the ground. "But I'll do my homework…"
"Er, ok…" Balmung's frown didn't leave. He had a hunch that he had just hurt Elk's feelings somehow. "Well, anyway…" Balmung felt strangely awkward. Usually he didn't mind silence but this was odd to him. He sensed that he needed to talk. "So, why do you collect Aromatic Grass anyway? It has nothing to do with drugs I hope."
"Drugs?" Elk looked up at him. "No, it's not about that…Mia likes it a lot…I can get it easy off the other players because they say it's useless…so I give any I find to Mia…she's looks so happy when I give her some…"
"Oh, that's nice then…you seem to like that girl a lot."
"Oh, I…" Elk blushed and went back to drawing circles. "Mia's my friend…but she…she makes me so happy…I don't have many friends…so Mia means a lot to me…" Elk's face had turned a brilliant shade of red by this point, which made Balmung smile. Well, more at the fact that CC-Corp had put blushing in the game but still, the boy was cute when he was embarrassed. Wait…cute??
"Well, you seem to be a nice person, it's a shame other people don't see that." Balmung knew that answer was stupid but he wasn't sure what else to say. Elk smiled and looked back to the winged man.
"That's alright…Kite's my friend and so is Blackrose and Mia so I'm ok." Elk said, trying to sound happy.
"…And so I'm not your friend then?" Balmung asked.
"Huh?! Oh, yes, you're my friend too Balmung!" Elk said swiftly. The two then sat in silence as Elk's SP finally reached it's max. "So, um, my points are back so…we can go now if you want…"
"Alright then…" The two got up and Balmung noticed that the circles on the ground formed a vague picture of that cat woman but Elk ran ahead of Balmung.
"Come on Balmung…I have to do my homework remember?" Elk smiled at him and Balmung laughed nervously.
"Er, don't forget to have fun too though! That's important too!" Balmung groaned as he caught up with Elk. 'Must think I'm a workaholic…' Balmung thought.
After roughly another hour of battling, Balmung and Elk finally reached the lowest level of the dungeon. The Gott Statue in front of them gave off a cheerful glow and the treasure chest called to them. Balmung kicked it open to reveal a good sword for himself, a pair light boots and a single blade of Aromatic Grass. Balmung put the weapon and armor in his stash, then handed the blade of grass to Elk.
"Here Elk, thank you for coming here with me." Balmung said kindly. "I didn't really feel like going it alone today."
"Um, you're welcome…thank you for this." Elk smiled and put the grass away. "This will make Mia really happy!"
"Hm, you're welcome." Balmung grinned at how delighted the young wavemaster looked as he talked about Mia. "So anyway, let's go back ok?"
"Alright!" Elk pulled out the sprite ocarina and the two were teleported away.
"That was really fun." Elk said once they were back onto the field. It hadn't changed of course, it was still dark and still snowing.
"Really? You had fun?" Balmung asked. Elk nodded.
"Yep!" Elk turned to him. "Next time you need a Wavemaster, call me ok?"
"Of course." Balmung said. "You performed wonderfully."
"Um, Balmung…we really are friends right?" Elk asked suddenly.
"Elk, when I pledge something to someone I mean it. I give you my word here and now that you and I are friends." Balmung answered. Elk blushed again and smiled.
"Thank you Balmung…" Elk said in a barely audible voice. Just then, a familiar twin blade with long green bangs ran up to Elk. Both Elk and Balmung were surprised to see another person in the same area as them. The twin blade was smirking confidently and grabbed Elk's arm.
"Elk! Here you are!" The twin blade turned the Wavemaster round and held his blades to the boy's throat. Elk gasped and froze up. "Now give me your member address…or…" The twin blade smiled and cried in a singsong voice. "I'll have to kill yo~u!"
A/N: Sage: That's all for now, not very interesting yet huh?
Kaley: Oh no!! Is Sora gonna kill Elk?!
Elk: (sighs) Just when Balmung is becoming my friend too…
Kaley: (grins) More then friend…
Elk: ….
Bakura: Ha-ha! Yaoi rocks!
Sage: (frowns) This story isn't all yaoi and what are you doing here again?
Bakura: Err, I'm a muse?
Sage:…oh yeah…anyways, next chapter we find out what Balmung does when Elk is taken somewhere 'private' by the notorious Sora! Plus, more homework!!
Kaley:…homework?…(gears turning slowly) AH CRAP I HAVE HOMEWORK!!!
Bakura: In my time we didn't have homework…
Sage: Anyways, review and we'll see what becomes of this story…
Elk:…wait, I get kidnapped?!