There he was, a confident, relaxed boy with a mane of wild hair the colour of fire only checked by a few little sprigs wrapped in white cords, in addition to the cluster of belts and other trinkets that jangled by his wrists and waist every time he took a step. He looked totally self-assured, carefree…that is, until a girl roughly his age began pulling on his miniature ponytail.

"Elsword! I told you to stop leaving your stuff lying around the house!" Aisha scolded, catching herself in time from tripping. Behind her floated her faithful bat companion, Angor. "How many times have I told you to clean your room?"

"Shut up, Aisha." he responded idly, fidgeting with the handle of his sword. "At least I have the sense not to trip over my own feet."

"Augh! It's these…shoes! These clothes!" She huffed. "It's not like I like wearing them, it's just…"

The bat sidled up to her, its golden eyes glittering ominously. "Princess does not want to wear these clothes? Has Princess forgotten her contract already?" It flew into Aisha's face, flapping its wings frantically. "Princess has no right to violate the contract!"

"No, no, of course not!" She waved her arms, trying to calm the bat. "I promised to be your Void Princess, didn't I?" She reached up and squeezed Angkor into a hug. "Don't worry, you'll stay in the human world forever, and I'll always wear this!" With a shudder, the creature finally calmed, snuggling into the princess's arms. "So cute~"

"Yeah, unlike you. I think I'll take a nap by the tree…" He grumbled. His eyes naturally followed to her chest, which was barely covered by a purple and pink tube top with a small cross in the middle. "Even with all that, you know Rena-Noona still has bigger ones than yours." He yawned.

"What? Rena-Unni's…" Following his gaze, she instantly realized what the Rune Slayer was talking about. "YOU SHAMELESS IDIOT! Angor, attack!" She jabbed her wand at the pervert and prepared to whack him with her staff when–

"My what? What are you two yelling about?" A soft, mature voice piped up. Within a few seconds, a tall golden-haired elf stepped out from the house into the field, looking at them wearily.

"Ah, Rena-Unni!" Aisha straightened up immediately, giving her best smile. "We weren't talking much, we were just talking about your…" she stomped on Elsword's foot.

"Uh, yeah, that's right!" They were treading on dangerous waters now; an army of monsters was better than a seething Rena. "We were talking about your bow, which looks really awesome, and…we'd like to spar with you!" Aisha's not-so-subtle punch told him that he'd said the completely wrong answer. The two cringed, waiting for further questions and probing.

However, they never came. Instead, Rena gave a slight smile, said, "Maybe later…I have some unfinished business to take care of.", and rushed towards the forest that stood just near the edge of the field without a backward look, leaving the two confused and bewildered. The sometimes-too-motherly elf would insist on getting down the root of every issue no matter the significance, and now she'd just brushed them off when they were talking about…

"She's been going to the forest a lot lately, hasn't she?" Aisha mused quietly.

"It's an elf thing. The forest has always been her home, I guess." He shrugged. "Noona's probably just uncomfortable with living in a human home for so long."

"Yes, but still…"

"Princess, do I still attack this human boy?"

"Hm? Wha..? Oh yes, I've forgotten! Thank you, Angor!" She petted him fondly before turning back to Elsword with a devilish grin. "Attack him till he is brought to his knees! Maybe then he'll learn how to properly treat a lady!" She readied her staff. "Hell Drop!"

"Ha! You're anything but a lady!" He gracefully jumped back, his hand ready to fire. "Exploding Rune!" Magic clashed against magic, which meant a lot of mana pointlessly wasted and the beautiful grassy field turned into a warzone. Rena was not going to like that…at all.

Thankfully, the Nasod happened to be floating from the market; it was her turn to bring in groceries for the week. Her servants trailed behind her, carrying bags of food in their arms while Moby and Remy droned about. She looked upon the battle with distaste.

"No one," she murmured quietly, "is to engage in such senseless and vulgar behaviour in the presence of an empress. Oberon, Ophelia, stop them at once. Give me the groceries, I shall carry them." Oberon hesitated, as if he didn't want his queen to carry such a heavy load. "Oberon, your system must have malfunctioned; you do not seem to respond to my command. Shall I run some tests?" At that, Oberon quickly handed over the bags, and scrambled after Ophelia towards the field.

The Nasod was able to carry the bags for a time, but her arms quickly tired as she dragged them into the house, with Moby and Remy attempting to help their mistress by tugging on some of the shopping bags. She considered calling back her servants for assistance when Chung waltzed in from the basement. "Hello, Eve!" He called out cheerily. "I don't want to bother you, but can you take a look at my Freiturnier? The main power source is acting all funny again…"

In truth, Eve was not bothered at all, but a Queen always had to retain her dignity. "As you wish. But first you must– I mean, I require that you first place these foodstuffs in a convenient place for the others to locate, cook, and consume at their leisure. Then I will have the time to repair your weapon."

"Thanks, Eve!" The Paladin smiled, which made Eve's Nasod Central Core flare up briefly before he turned to the groceries. "Gee, you've sure bought a lot. Now where does Rena-Noona put the milk…? Hey, Hyung! Do you know where the milk is supposed to go?" He shouted upstairs. He shouted louder, "Hy-u-u-u-ng!"

"Your voice does not need to be at its maximum level. Shall I retrieve him?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll just put everything where I think it goes." Having little experiences with cupboard and refrigerators as he had grown a prince, he started stuffing everything into whatever spaces he could find: the pork in the top cubby, potatoes in the freezer, baking flour in the freezer…

"Chung."

"Let's see…I think this goes in the fridge...?"

"Chung."

"No, wait…Hyung said that this was some preserve-thing…so the freezer!"

"Chung, I believe that is the incorrect place." The Empress stepped in, and started re-arranging the food to their proper places. "This animal flesh does not last in normal temperature, and these hard lumps will be deemed inedible by humans if placed in a freezing temperature. I am unsure about this 'milk'…but my sensors indicate that it will garner an unpleasant aroma if left in normal temperature."

"Then freezer it is!" He stuffed the carton into the freezer. "You're really smart, Eve."

She smiled; an expression that popped up often as a result of being with everyone. Even if she was the last Nasod, she wasn't alone. There was Chung, Elsword, Aisha, Raven (Even if he still didn't completely trust her), Rena…

"Have you seen Rena? Her absence is…perceptible." Indeed, there was rarely a day when the elf didn't barge out, welcoming everyone with her hugs and laughter.

"Rena-Noona? No, I think she went to the forest, though." He scratched his head. "But I'm sure she'll be back in time for dinner. Does this go in the cupboard?"

"I…believe so. Few substances that are in powder form require a low temperature."

As the two were arranging the food in their rightful places (or so they believed), Eve's Nasod servants came in, dragging in a battered Void Princess and a Rune Slyer, the latter yowling noisily as Ophelia firmly restrained him. "Damn it let go! Let go, you stupid Nasod! I thought you're supposed to be with Eve!"

Irritated that the hot-headed boy continued to create such a fuss, Eve put down the bread and slapped him in the face.

"Ow! Damn it Eve, stop slapping me!"

"Your temperamental behaviour calls for such comeuppance. I will not tolerate rudeness to my servant as well as for myself. Ophelia, Oberon, you may release them." Aisha and Elsword tumbled to the floor, grumbling. "If you wish to hone your combat skills, the practice field is at the back. You are aware the side field is not part of the combat zone, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah." He got up, dusting off the sides of his pants. "I might as well– oh, Hyung." He nodded at Raven, who had come down the stairs with his typical impassive expression.

"Mm. Anything I miss?"

"Unless you regard the childish brawl of these two children important, nothing of significance has been missed." Eve assured before turning to her Nasod servants, commanding them to arrange the rest of the groceries. Moby and Remy must have found the two 'ears' on Chung's hair a profound oddity as the two whizzed around him, nipping at them playfully.

"Ouch!" he squeaked when Remy pulled one too hard. "Please, be careful." Gently pulling his 'ear' out of its grasp, he patted the little Nasod.

Sternly Eve stopped that. "Moby, Remy, cease that at once!"

"Haha, it's okay Eve. They don't mean any harm." He laughed. "If you're still busy, I can…"

Her lips twitched into a slight smile. "No, I will take a look at the power source; it is possible that the Freiturnier's processing unit is jammed. Come." With a wave, she walked towards the left hallway, where the Lab Room stood at the fifth-right room.

"Yeah, coming…yow! Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Chung hurried after her, with Moby and Remy yanking on his 'ears' to quicken his speed. Oberon and Ophelia even left the kitchen counter squeaky clean before zooming after their empress.

"…Remember what Eve said before?" Aisha sighed dreamily.

"Uh…'you insolent fools, know your place in front of a queen'?"

"No, what she said after!"

"'I am the Queen of Nasods'?"

Aisha smacked his head. "Idiot, she said, 'Nasods do not have emotions. My race is incapable of childish feelings.'" She squealed. "Now look how she is with Chung!"

"Yeah…I don't see any difference."

Aisha gave him the Are-you-seriously-that-stupid-to-not-notice-such-things? look before stomping out with Angkor.

"Girls…" he muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Raven, "What did I do?"

He ruffled the boy's red hair with his human hand. "Give her time. You two are still practically children."

"Hmph."

Raven chuckled; the two were so cute together. "Don't stress about it, kid. You've got–" He stopped off as a familiar pain began to throb in his other arm. &#$%, why was it acting up again so soon? He tried to suppress it using his calming techniques. "Where's Rena?"

"Out in the forest again. Guess the house's too stuffy for her."

His eyebrows creased; it had been like that for a while now. Even a month ago the longest she would disappear was for half a day, usually for a mission. Now she would disappear for almost a whole day, looking grim and worried, but she'd always put on a cheerful smile saying, "I'm just a bit tired." or "It's nothing important." She didn't even care about things that happened as much as she used to, responding with an "Is that so? That's great." But perhaps it wasn't as noticeable to the others, who all agreed that Rena could be a bit too maternal sometimes. After all, she still beamed and hugged them like they were her favourite people in the world, and cooked lots of food (that had no meat, of course…)

"I see. I'll be heading out, then." Raven first headed to his room, where he downed a few pills and attached a couple of power cores to his Nasod Arm that acted as sedatives, calming his Nasod Arm. For now. Even as a Reckless Fist, his arm was so often wracked with pain that it was getting harder and harder to keep his control. But he had to. Maintaining sanity was essential.


There was no need to hack his way through the thick forest; even the trees seemed to recoil from him in fear of his arm that wasn't really his arm. The arm was now a living part of him, and it certainly wasn't happy being mindlessly used like any other limb. It wanted control. Raven could feel it fighting him, taunting him. His rage was its fuel. It was up to the little part in him that was still human to keep it at bay.

She was standing in front of a little spring, engaged in a serious and intense conversation with another person that Raven couldn't make out. Careful not to make the slightest leave rustle, he leaned slightly forwards to catch the words.

"…and you cannot delay this any longer. I have been too lenient; the Council is becoming restless."

"But…but…"

"Rena." The voice was that of a male's but it was soft and pleading. "I have seen how you have changed with your friends. You feel it your duty to fight with them, to care for them. I assure that the council has everything set; they will send in another elven warrior to take your place, one that is as capable as you."

"Then surely that elf can also replace me in what they want?" Her voice was bitter.

"Lire is a skilled Archer, but she does not wield the wisdom and power you have acquired through your years. She is hardly fifteen in human years! It is also a good opportunity for her. Do not make this harder than it already is, Rena."

Silence.

"You…have a special bond with the Nasod Hybrid, do you not?"

Her head jerked up, startled and defensive. "He is not a hybrid!"

Overhearing all this, Raven resisted the urge to crush Rena's less-than-polite companion, but at the same time felt a twinge of gratitude for Rena. After all, they did have relationship that was…special. 'Passionate Lovers' sounded too ridiculous, 'Dating' sounded silly. But whenever they were together, Raven would feel his rage replaced by a warm feeling that he believed he'd never feel again after Seris's…well, the past was past. Now, Rena was the one most precious to him; the best times were when the two of them would lie out in the fields quietly enjoying the morning sun. Not that they did it much anymore.

"As you wish. But that is unimportant; this is enough. You have been ordered to return to the Elven Dimension, which is also your home to take part of the High Elven Guard as a Grand Archer. Your absence will not cause any harm. Lire is a competent warrior who, like you, have a high tolerance for humans. The deadline was last week, and we can delay no longer. Tomorrow sunset, we will escort you home."

"My home is here." Raven could tell from her voice that she was furious. "I am a Grand Archer of Elrios and I refuse to leave!"

"Fool!" Now he was angry as well. "The El may have been restored, but the current state of our world still hangs unstable at the balance! You have already learned the cost of being careless with important matters such as these! If things are taken lightly, everything may naught and all of us, including you, will disappear permanently!"

"I don't…" she began uncertainly.

"…You have one day to pack your belongings and say your farewells. I shall see you soon, Grand Archer Rena. You are dismissed." he said curtly.

Raven peeked from a tree in time to see an image of an older male elf hovering just above the pool in a misty form with a disapproving and pitying look. Rena waved her hand, and the misty image dissipated, leaving her alone.

From her face, one would think she'd burst into tears. However, Rena kept firm, her sadness only betrayed by the doleful light in her eyes that she could not banish. After staring at her reflection in the pond, she stood up, her expression unfathomable. The wings of her Grand Archer uniform fluttered restlessly.

"How long have you been there?" She asked the figure standing behind a tree not too far away from her.

"Not much, but enough." The Reckless Fist stepped out, wondering why she hadn't called him sooner. "That didn't seem like a very happy conversation."

"No, it was not." She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "I have been called to return to the elven world, where I am to become an Archer of the Royal Elven Army."

"…So you're leaving?" No…she couldn't. Everyone needed her here. He needed her. Who else could help keep his sanity intact? He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "Look at me. You said your home was here. You've already been here for so long, so why are they making you go now?"

"The El…dimension instabilities…a lot of things." She attempted to free herself from his grip, then gave up when he didn't budge. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, what's with that look?" She gently lifted her hand to his scarred, callused face. "Don't be like that…you never do smile much, Raven. You always look better when you smile…I wish I could see more of it."

"Don't change the subject."

She sighed, and said, "The Forest has many insidious ears." Her winged circlets fluttered faintly to emphasize her words. "It is not the best place to talk about this."

Exhaling deeply, he let go. "Later, then. Don't forget."

"Sure, sure." she responded in a placating tone as she put her arms around him briefly. Raven did the same, savouring the warmth. When they parted, she beamed again at him, but Raven knew her well enough to know that it was not wholly genuine. With a little twirl, she lightly skipped towards the way she came.

Alone again, Raven quietly surveyed the little pond which Rena had used to communicate with the other elf. Seeing his own reflection, he tried to smile, which resembled more of a pained grimace. How did it make him look better?


I just took a shot at making this Fanfic. If you like it, great!

If you don't like it, still great! You can tell me how to make it better :) You can try flaming me if you want xD

*Noona = what a younger boy says to his older sister
Hyung = what a younger boy says to his older brother
Unni = what a younger girl says to her older sister
Oppa = what a younger girl says to her older brother -This is how Koreans address each other :3