Hey guys! This is a one-shot based on another prompt from the official forums. What happens after Ara defends Ran in the Halls of Water in the Hamel clear video? Well...
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of splashing water and crumbling stone. His shout had already faded in the ruined halls, swallowed by the torrents. No one spoke; no one moved. Not Chung, who stood at full height, glaring at the spot Ran stood in only moments before. Not Ara, who was on her knees staring at the floor like it was most interesting thing in the world. Not their friends, who stood a small distance away, stunned at what had just transpired.
Everything was still.
That is until the Iron Paladin turned his piercing glare at the girl in the floor. Her fallen form flinched and curled into itself, as if she could feel his gaze on her. Then he took a step forward, to which one of his other companions made an effort to stop him.
"Chung, wai-" Rena was cut off by a metal claw crossing her path. Looking to the limb's master, she was met with a pair of worried golden eyes. He didn't speak, but Raven's slight shake of the head was enough to get his thoughts across.
Leave them be, she interpreted. But seeing as how the air was so tense you could cut it with a knife made her very uneasy. She had never seen the young Guardian so angry before, so she had no idea what he would do in his rage.
But she found out soon as Chung took two heavy steps towards the Sakra Devanam and raised his Destroyer over his head. Gasps from the onlookers were drowned in yet another raging cry, and then a subsequent crash brought silence to the halls once again…
Chung was sitting on his meagerly cushioned bed in one of the many inns of Hamel, his cerulean eyes blankly scrutinizing the floor boards. His Destroyer rested at the foot of the bed, the scratches on the muzzles a silent reminder of earlier events.
Though his mind was still blank, he could still remember the look on her face when he brought the cannon down. There was, of course, the surprise and fear that came with being attacked, but at the same time there was a yielding light in her eyes, as though accepting her punishment. Yet, despite her silent submission he still –
Knock knock.
The raps on his door were much louder inside his head than they actually were, and he hopped slightly on the covers, grating the taut bedsprings. His mind now one with his body again, he stood from his seat and made his way to the door. As he wrapped his armored hand around the handle, he silently prayed it wasn't who thought it was.
Opening the door, he took one look at his visitor and heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, Sir Raven, it's you…"
The Blade Master in question cocked one of his eyebrows quizzically. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"No, no. Sorry, I was just…" he trailed off, his eyes taking cautious glances out into the hall. The person he dreaded was not there.
"May I come in?" the elder swordsman asked in a polite tone, to which the young Guardian slightly nodded.
"Of course, please." Chung stepped aside and gestured for his comrade to enter. With a small acknowledging nod, Raven stepped inside and made his way to the foot of the bed where the Destroyer laid.
A few moments of uncomfortable silence followed once the Iron Paladin shut the door, but Raven soon broke it. "Have you calmed down?" he inquired, squatting so he could stroke the hefty weapon on the floor.
"More or less, I suppose. I just…" Chung trailed off before taking in a deep breath and continuing. "I don't understand what came over me. I was so angry when Ran escaped, and I… Lady El… I…" A reassuring hand found his shoulder, but Chung refused to meet its owner's eyes.
"It's okay, Chung. In the end, no one was hurt. No harm, no foul." At that, the Guardian threw off Raven's hand.
"TWO STEPS! IF I HAD TAKEN ANOTHER TWO STEPS CLOSER I WOULD HAVE CRUSHED HER!" he shouted.
The hand found its way to his shoulder again, this time giving the Iron Paladin a hard shake. "Chung, the fact you didn't go through with it means it's okay! Trust me, I would know." That last bit snapped Chung out of his self-depreciation.
The Blade Master was absolutely right. Chung joined the quite a while after Raven had, but he heard the stories of his new comrade's anger from Elsword, Aisha and Rena. He had lost much, and in his sorrow, he lashed out against the world with the power of the nasods until he was stopped by the previously mentioned trio. He had succumbed to rage before, and since then he had sworn never to walk that path again, as evidenced by his swordsmanship.
"I have done many things I regret when I was lost to my anger. You were able to stop yourself from doing something you would have regretted the rest of your life. How would you have been able to make up for her death if you had gone through with it?" His words were soothing, but Chung set his jaw and continued to look away.
When Raven was about to speak again the Guardian said, "But… when I was training, we were told to reserve our anger for our enemies. Those that would hurt the people we loved and held dear would feel our wrath, and all others would be treated with respect, humility and kindness. But I…" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I broke that vow. When she protected the Dark Earl, and then after he escaped, I turned my rage towards her. It was so… wrong. Years of training only for that single moment to undo it all…"
The Blade Master let out a small sigh, and the grip on Chung's shoulder was released. "You know, I am not perfect, Chung." Raven strode to the window and gazed out through the pane pensively, watching Chung out of the corner of his eye.
When the Iron Paladin gave a questioning look, he continued. "You know that little core that I summon sometimes in battle?" He watched for the Guardian to nod in affirmation. "That thing is fueled not by any internal reactor or something fancy like that. It is powered by my rage."
Chung was stunned at this revelation. He had always thought Raven was the pinnacle of calm and decisiveness. To hear that he was using his rage as a weapon would mean his path as a swordsman was for naught, that his quest for redemption was foiled by his own demons.
Sensing the Guardian's thoughts, Raven turned to face him. "I still get angry, merciless even at times. That little gizmo actually helps me temper my wrath, acting like a sink for me to pour my rage into. And then I turn it against my foes and defend my friends with its power. What you did was no different. You took your anger and frustration and took it out on the floor instead of Ara. I remember you saying that your armor has a state called Berserk. Am I right?"
Chung nodded, and Raven continued. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are a bit irritable when you activate that. It might have something to do with that Guardian Stone you have, but I think it takes that anger and uses it to heighten your power. But you know what?" Raven walked up to his companion and lightly bumped Chung's chest plate his human fist. "You use it to protect us and smite our enemies. What you did in the Halls of Water is the same thing; you took that anger and directed it somewhere other than your friends. I'd say that you are still in the clear with your vows."
"No, I genuinely wanted to hurt Lady Ara. I wanted her to pay for what she had done. That is breaking that vow." Raven scratched the back of his head awkwardly, but carefully, with his steel claw.
"Well, you could always renew that vow, right?" Raven cocked his head. "When things like this start going sideways, it is usually best to take a step back and start over."
"Start over…" Chung muttered thoughtfully. "But that sounds… too easy."
"Sometimes the easiest solution is the best one. You're reading into this way too much." Raven chuckled and patted the Guardian's shoulder as he brushed past him. "Give it a shot and see how it works for you. No harm in trying, right?"
The Blade Master stopped at the door and turned to the Iron Paladin, his white gloved hand resting on the handle. Chung remained silent with a pensive stare directed at the floor boards for several moments. But soon, a small smile crept onto his lips and he met his friend's golden eyes with his cerulean orbs.
"You know Raven, you could easily be the father figure in this group. You always have good advice to give me and the others." At this compliment, the half nasod gave a nervous cough. "But thank you Raven. I will try it out. I will renew my vow as a Guardian, but I will say it to her personally."
The Blade Master gave a small smile. "Now that sounds more like the Chung Seiker we know. I'll show myself out then." And with that he pushed the door open, stepped out and let it shut silently behind him.
Now Chung was alone. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, clearing his mind. Once he released his breath, he opened his eyes again, and for some reason everything seemed to be so vivid. So clear.
He knew what he had to do, and he pushed the door open and left for the city, leaving his Destroyer behind.
She was staring at the window to the city outside, her body curled up on her bed and her mind swirling with a torrent of pitiful thoughts.
She remembered the angry countenance on Chung's face when he looked at her. She felt absolutely guilty for what she did.
When they first encountered the Dark Earl, the young warrior of course tried to reason with him, reaching out for any shred of humanity that she knew – no, wished – was there. And, to her despair, he tried to kill her and laughed as he did so. If not for her friends jumping into the fray she would probably be dead. Chung was the first to her side and held off Ran while the rest of the gang formed up around the demon.
What followed was an intense battle that ravaged the Halls of Water and left Ran weakened. That was when Chung attempted to finish off the Dark Earl.
And she stopped him. Everything was a blur after that, from when she tried to reach out to the demon general one more time, to when he cast her aside like an unwanted puppy. And then when Chung tried to stop Ran from retreating, she once again found herself throwing herself in harm's way to save what she still believed – no, wished – was her brother.
And then Ran escaped. Her friend, who had to watch his home be razed by demons only to be halted from carrying out his deserved vengeance by someone he called his friend.
She felt terrible after the adrenaline wore off. She had betrayed him; she betrayed her friends; she betrayed the people of Hamel. Despite the clear evidence that Aren was but a phantom face wore by Ran, she still rushed to his side.
"Aren…" she whimpered, a single silver tear tracing across her cheek.
Knock knock.
The raps on her door seemed so distant that she thought they were coming from down the hall.
Knock knock.
"Ara-ssi, are you in there?" The knocks came again, but this time a gentle voice sounded from the other side of the door. Ara recognized the voice of their resident archer, but she made no move to let her in.
"I'm coming in, okay?" With that warning, the door creaked open to reveal the Grand Archer, who upon noticing the girl curled up on the bed, made her way in and shut the door gently behind her. Ara did not make a conscious effort to look at her friend, but she felt the mattress shift as Rena sat herself beside the Sakra Devanam.
"Ara-ssi, everyone is worried about you. You should at least let them know you're okay," the Grand Archer's voice was tender, like a loving mother, and her hand stroked the girl's sable hair lightly. It was soothing to know everyone was worried for her, but…
"How can I face them all after what I did? How can I face Sir Chung? I…" She swallowed a sob that was inching up her throat. "I betrayed his trust in me."
She heard a small sigh leave Rena's lips. "Dear, what you did was-" She could not take it anymore. Her hands shot up and grabbed the archer's shoulders and she pulled herself to her knees, looking into Rena's eyes with tears shining in her own.
"What I did was not only betray him and his trust, but I turned my back on the very reason I followed this path!" she cried and the Grand Archer gasped at the sudden change in demeanor, but she didn't stop. "I swore to uphold justice and see that it was served to all who would dare to oppose it! How can I still call myself a Punisher of Shadows when I readily cast aside those ideals for my own selfish devices!? HOW!?"
That was it. She broke down into a fit of heaving sobs and ragged sniffles, burying her head in Rena's shoulder. No one spoke for a while as she cried into her friend's arm, but Ara eventually felt a pair of hands gently pull her into an embrace.
"Let me tell you something, Ara-ssi. Justice is a very… difficult thing to define. Everyone has their own way to give it meaning. There are as many forms of justice as there are people. Your sense of justice is just different," she soothed, her hands once again stroking the girl's hair.
"But… then everything I have been fighting for would be meaningless if that were the case. How can I serve everyone's justice if I can't even uphold my code?" she sniffled. A thoughtful hum sounded in the archer's throat.
"Ara-ssi, what makes you think that justice is a perfect system?" It was such a difficult question to answer that Ara found her tears drying up so she could think clearly. "Humans, elves, demons, everyone; we are all imperfect beings. And the justice systems that we create are crafted in an image we see fit. How can a perfect system be made from imperfect hands?"
Ara thought about it. It did seem absurd for justice to be perfect when those that applied and created it were imperfect in themselves. And if she thought about it further, that extended to herself. She was not perfect, and therefore an imperfect avatar of justice.
But this did little to ease her dim mood. "But then, if I cannot embody justice perfectly, what do I do? I swore to uphold justice, but if I can't because of flaws that I cannot fix, how can I call myself a Sakra Devanam? What am I then?"
She finally looked to Rena's face with sullen eyes, and the Grand Archer tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, how about this? If you see a thief trying to steal someone's ED on the streets, what would you do?"
She didn't even hesitate. "I would give that thief a beating. You should never steal from another." She was satisfied with her answer, but Rena didn't stop there.
"Okay. Now let's say the thief is stealing ED in order to pay for their sick child to go to the doctor?" She pointed out.
"What? But that's…" she trailed off, so Rena finished for her.
"Not fair, because it is no longer black and white? Ara-ssi, the world is not black and white. The concept of justice itself is to establish absolute boundaries, but people are not absolute. But back to the question; what would you do with that knowledge?"
Ara thought on this for a long while. "… Well, if I knew that beforehand, I would stop them, maybe lecture them along with a whack on the head, and then I would give them whatever I could to help their child."
A satisfied giggle bubbled from the elf's throat. "You are a truly kind soul, Ara-ssi. And that's why I think it should be less about following 'justice' and more about following your own heart. I think that is your justice; to do what you think is right."
"In my heart…" Ara murmured. She thought back to the Halls of Water, to when she tried to defend the Dark Earl. What she felt in those moments. What she felt was that her brother was hidden away, deep within the confines of the demon general. That is why she refused to give up on him, despite the cruel remarks the demon threw at her and his rejection. In her heart, she felt that Aren could still be saved.
This was her wish.
No, her belief.
"Miss Rena, thank you. I have been foolish, but your words have given me the strength to renew my vows to my core beliefs. I will no longer dread what comes, I will let my heart decide my course. My new… no… the justice that I believed in before but forgot." Ara pushed herself off the elven archer with a bright smile. "I must find Sir Chung and explain my position. I only hope he will understand."
Rena noticed the girl shift on her feet nervously at the mention of the Guardian. "I wouldn't worry too much, Ara-ssi. Chung is not the type of person to hold a grudge. He is far too kind for that. Now go on and find him." She nudged her head towards the door, urging the Sakra Devanam to leave.
"Yes, thank you." With a polite bow, Ara turned to the door and began to push it open when she paused and turned back to the elf. "Miss Rena, you have always been a great friend, but… lately, I have come to see you in a more matronly light."
Rena giggled. "Matronly light? Are you calling me a mother?" She was honestly flattered.
"Not that I am saying you're old or anything! It's just that you always have a way of pulling us all together no matter how dire or silly the case. It feels like having a mother."
"My, Ara-ssi. Thank you, but I think you best be off. I think I just heard the door to Chung's room close. He is probably going out to the city, so you better get after him quickly." Now Rena was resorting to a wave of the hand to urge the girl to leave.
"Yes, thank you!" With that, Ara turned back to the door and threw it open and vanished around the corner, the sound of her feet pounding the floor boards in the hall. Rena thought she should call out to her to be careful, but she thought better of it.
As she stood from the bed, she heard the young warrior's voice down the hall. "Oh, e-e-excuse me, Sir Raven. H-h-h-have you seen S-S-S-Sir Chung?"
"Hm? Yes, he just went downstairs to the lobby. If you hurry you should be able to catch him."
"Thank you, Sir Raven. I-I-I must be going!" Rena just turned the corner at that last bit, just in time to see Ara sprinting for the stairs away from the Blade Master, a red blush on her face that she could see from all the way on the other end of the hall.
As she reached the top of the staircase, Ara called out, "Sir Chung! Please wait! I have to talk to you abou- KYA!" And just like Rena feared, the poor girl somehow slipped and tumbled down the stairs in a spinning mass of limbs, hair and cloth.
"Miss Ara! Hang on! I'll cat- OOF!" Rena winced at the sound of two bodies colliding and hitting the floor down below, but a chorus of other voices soon joined.
"Chung! Ara! Are you both okay!"
"I'm telling you, it's because of that chest! If it was smaller she would have an easier time keeping her balance!"
"That is unlikely, Aisha. If that were the case, you shouldn't be having problems staying on your feet when you land from floating around. Isn't that right, Ophelia?"
"Yes, my queen."
"Shut up, you fucking gnats! I am trying to focus on this project! Keep it down!"
"Add, you need to loosen up. I know, come out to the Red Knight garrison and we'll do some training! That will get your endorphins going!"
As Rena smiled at the humor taking place downstairs, Raven made his way to her.
"Looks like everything is back to normal. Honestly, they're still kids after these past two years," Raven mused, earning a chuckle from the Grand Archer.
"You sound like their father when you talk like that, Raven," she laughed, to which Raven brought a hand to his face to hide his blush.
"What does that make you? Their mother?" he snapped back. Rena stood still for a moment before quickly walking past the man, hiding her own flushed cheeks in her long hair.
"Well, if we are the parents, I would consider myself lucky. That would mean I'd be married to that handsome smile you have." At this, Raven sputtered, but he quickly composed himself and brushed past the elf with a light pat on her shoulder.
"Then we'd best get back to parenting, Rena. Let's make sure the kids don't break anything."
"Right behind you."
A bit angsty, but I couldn't really think of any other way to do it. And I couldn't resist adding in a little RenaxRaven. Anyways, please Read and Review. Until next time!