A/N: The story I'm writing here is based on true events, which really took place in the game. Yup, in the game I use a male character (male priests are the bishiest ).Oh and everything that happens here is true and the characters really exists. I just changed the names slightly for some privacy. Anyway I play mRo but I won't be playing RO for the next three months because of exams.weeps bitterly
This story was written the fateful night when I was talking to him, and he told me he was getting married. SO I guess I'm writing this to vent my emotions and to end that chapter of my life once and for all.
Disclaimer: RO belongs to Gravity and err to the people who created it. The name Sakura Romance belongs to the cd which implements the marriage system. I hope Gravity don't sue me for using it . I'm just a very poor studentstruggling to pay to play RO.
Sakura Romance
Chapter 1: Reminiscence
Distant bells chimed merrily, as cherry blossom petals fluttered in the slight breeze. The city of Prontera was a busy place, filled with merchants and adventurers of all jobs and classes from dawn to dusk. Its mornings were misty and the morning light would be filtered by the mist into a pearly sheen, and the sunset would bathe the majestic city with a golden light, as the colorful Pronteran flags flew high and free in the breeze. And on a strategic plot of land in the city, stood the Sanctuary, better known as the church to many. The once quiet church was now bustling with life, as people of all jobs crowded inside and outside of the church, witnessing the wedding that were about to take place.
A loud blast of the horn and the sea of curious onlookers parted and bowed with respect, allowing their majestic ruler, King Tristam the Fifth to ride through on his great Peco Peco, who was flanked by his many Knights and Crusaders. The King stepped lightly down from his Peco when he reached the entrance of the church, and adjusting his pristine robes slightly, he strode into the church.
By the time the fifth bell chimed, the seats of the church were filled with many, especially with the guild members of the bride and bridegroom. Excited chatters filled the air as the King strode to the front of the church. He nodded warmly at the bridegroom who stood nervously, waiting for his beloved to arrive. It was indeed a day to be excited about, as this was the first official marriage held by the King himself, for the bridegroom was also no ordinary person. He was a powerful wizard, who has contributed a lot to his guild and to the safety of Prontera.
As the guests settled down to witness this joyous occasion, no one noticed a figure slid into the room and stood quietly in a corner. Though the person was wearing the garb of a male priest, he, or for the matter, she was actually a female. She gazed at the bridegroom, his handsome features taking her breath away just like he had always did. Longish chocolate brown hair framed his flawless face, with a lock of hair covering the left side of his face. His one visible eye shown with undeniable excitement. They were as she had remembered them, a breathtaking ethereal blue, the color of the sky just when the sun was about to set into the horizons. Just that single eye could make her drown in its depth, as she gazed into it. Now he stood there, beautiful and elegant in his well pressed tuxedo, with an angelic band on his dark head.
But to the irony of it all, she was not the bride. Without any emotions, she looked on, as the doors of the church burst open. Gasps of wonder and amazement arose from the onlookers as they admired the bride. The bride, delicate and angelic in her snow white gown stepped into the church, led by the guild leader of their guild himself. Her face flushed with happiness, she walked down the isle towards her waiting husband to be. The girl, hidden in the shadows gazed on wistfully, as she noted the tenderness in the bridegroom's eyes, the transparent love on his face. Forcing down any emotions struggling to resurface, she silently congratulated the couple.
King Tristam stood before the couple, and cleared his throat, preparing for his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here to witness the wedding of …"
The girl shut her eyes, trying to block out the deep, smooth voice of the king. Come on Raine, you can face this…she told herself, but memories of the past flooded her mind, and she could not help but succumb to them…
…
A young girl dressed in the clothes of a male acolyte raced across the sandy plains of Morroc. She increased her speed as she spotted the pyramids in the distance. Panting slightly when she finally arrived at her destination, she made a quick check with the Kapra Lady outside the entrance; to ensure that she would be brought back outside the pyramids should she faint inside. Getting her Morning Star ready, she went into the pyramid. What met her was the familiar sight of large walls that formed a maze, and vision was only to the extent of a few meters, as the only light available was from the flames by the side of the wall that illuminated the maze with an eerie glow, throwing shadows around. The pyramids of Morroc were certainly not a place for the faint hearted. But to Raine, it was almost a second home to her, as she spent most of her time fighting here.
With a quick teleporting skill, she disappeared from her spot and appeared somewhere else. Checking her surroundings to note her place, she teleported again. This was repeated till the young acolyte was at a satisfying distance away from the next portal. Whipping out her worn out map, she then started walking for the next portal, her Morning Star swinging by her side, ready to use on whichever unfortunate Familiar that tried to attack her. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she checked the map again to ensure that she was on the correct path, for she was known to have no sense of direction.
"Hey dude!" a cheerful but significantly male voice caught her attention. She looked up from her map towards the sound. A young, handsome wizard standing a distance away from her gave her a friendly nod.
"Hey brother! Wassup!?" he grinned. The girl smiled, this was not the first time people mistook her for a guy, since she was dressed like a male acolyte. She decided to play along with him and replied, "I'm going to train. What is it about me that caught your attention?"
"Oh it's nothing much, Just looking for a friend to chat with. We're from the same guild anyway, just different branches" he answered, smiling warmly at her. She nodded, noticing for the first time that they shared the same guild emblem, which was a medallion that she hung by her neck.
"Cool. In that case, would you mind tanking me?" she asked, trying to grab a chance of getting a tank by a wizard.
"Sure. Anything for a fellow guild mate. What do you want to hit? Mummies?"
"Fair enough. Thanks a lot!" She grinned happily at her tanker.
"By the way, what's your name? Gotta know the name of a fellow brother" the dark haired wizard asked.
Without hesitation, the acolyte replied "Kain. You?" That was the name she always used when interacting with people who did not know her real identity.
"Cool. I'm Erique." The wizard replied smoothly. "Meet me at the entrance of mummy level ok?" he said and disappeared into the portal.
With some difficulty, the young acolyte dashed past the numerous, annoying Soldier Skeletons and Archer Skeletons who tried to mob her. After a short scuffle and a couple of heals later, she managed to stumble into the third level of the pyramids where the mummies roam, feeling slightly bruised. The wizard who had offered to help her stood by the entrance and gave her a friendly smile.
"Here we go!" he said as a couple of Mummies staggered towards them, their outstretched hands covered with rotten bandages. With a wave of his hand, and a yell of ice" wall", pointed towers of ice rose from the ground. With well practiced movements, the acolyte cast healing spells and heal bombed the mummies. However, to her horror, a mummy managed to get through the ice wall, its bandaged hands groping for a victim.
"Run!" the wizard shouted as he dashed away. The acolyte stood stunned for a moment before she too turned and tried to escape, but it was too late. Hot white pain seared throughout her body as the mummy hit her between the shoulder blades. Casting a healing spell on herself, she continued to run, but tripped over a small rock jutting out of the ground. (Tripping is equivalent to the lag in the game . ) She could only gape as the mummy loomed over her menacingly. And all she saw at that instant was a bandaged hand coming close to her, before the world gave way to darkness.
When she woke up, the sky overhead was turning dark. In the distance, the flaming ball of fire that was the sun sank slowly into the horizon, as shadows lengthened and lights came on.
"Hey buddy you're alright!" a familiar voice brought her to her senses. She turned and saw the wizard grinning at her sheepishly.
"Sorry, I'm not a very good tanker. Luckily some hunter managed to get rid of the mummy. Anyway I sincerely apologize for not being much of a help. I'd love to continue helping you but the guild leader's calling me to Al De Baran now. I'll see ya around!" with that, the wizard walked off towards a priest and together, they disappeared into a warp portal.
Shaking her head slightly, she stood up and brushed her cream colored acolyte robes. "What a lousy tanker" she muttered. But even as she was cursing him, she could not help but remember the intensity of those deep blue eyes, his fair skin, dark brown hair, and the cheerful, overconfident voice.