Raven- Blade Master

Elsword- Infinity Sword

Aisha- Elemental Master

Eve- Code Empress

Rena- Night Watcher

Chung- Deadly Chaser

Ara - Sakra Devanam

So I got around to rewriting it, and not much changed. There's a new chapter, a shitton of implied pairings, and now, Ara :D I've seen that alot of people don't really like her, but personally, she's great XD I love how she has a second personality-type thing in En, and that her brother is the one responsible for Hamel's downfall... Hopefully you guys get as much joy out of this story as I did writing it!

A small group of travelers camped in a dark forest. They sat in a small clearing, covered by trees. It shielded them from rain and wind and let their small fire stay ablaze.

The Elgang was quiet. They had had a non-stop day of travel, eating, fighting, and breakdowns while traveling from Altera, through Bethma, and finally past Feita to Velder. They still had another day's journey to the Capital City, so they were going to rest while they had the chance. Eve had stumbled upon this small space, before promptly crashing. According to Ophelia, her system had shut down from over heating, and all she needed was some charging and a little rest. Ara stumbled in after her, her hair returning to black and her tails fading, before collapsing to the floor with a pained groan, and passing out. Rena was third to drop, her legs weak, tired, and bloody. After Raven and Elsword dragged the two girls over to a pair of fallen logs, Aisha bandaged and treated Rena's battered legs and Ara's torn body. The magician sighed in exhaustion. Her mind hurt from the effort of casting so many spells, and she felt drained. Collapsing next to the Elf, she was out cold. The Guardian from Hamel was out next. Dropping his guns to the floor, he collapsed in a panting, tired, hot mess running a high fever. He was too tired to even ask for help, and just curled into a shivering ball.

"Ah... I guess I'll take the first watch..." Elsword had said, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"No, it's alright. Go and get some sleep." Raven urged to his friend. The red-head glanced at him with concern. "You sure?"

"It's fine. Just go get some rest. You look like you need it." Raven insisted. The Lord Knight sighed, but did as he was told, laying down across from Rena and Aisha after setting up a fire and organizing Chung close to it under Raven's heavy coat.

Raven sighed tiredly. As cold as the night was, he wasn't shivering. His skin wasn't cold in the least, and he didn't feel like he needed sleep at the moment. He glanced through the small patches in between the tree leaves and branches. He only could see one or two stars, but they weren't the ones he used to guide himself with. He thought back to the old times, with his Crow Mercenaries, how they guided each other and used the stars, sounds, visuals, and other indicators.

Raven pressed his hand to his chest, where he traced the outline of the necklace through his shirt. The small metal cross felt so flimsy and useless, a mere ornament, but it was so much more. It was a powerful relic from the past, something his fiance, Seris, had died protecting. Her and her mother, and her mother's mother and many family members before them had passed the Destruction Particle down through the ages. If used correctly, it could destroy the entire universe.

Now it was his to protect. Seris was supposed to give it to a child, but they had never had a chance to have a child of their own. It was a sad tale and a painful memory for Raven, and it bothered him to think about.

He pulled the small charm out from it's protected place near the center of his chest, and his breath hitched at the small locket that was hanging next to it. With slow, delicate fingers, Raven opened the locket to see a picture of his fiance. She was a beautiful woman, with long, flowing blonde hair and pure green eyes. Raven remembered her well, it was as if she was still with him. She was a slender, petite woman, and though the portrait had her portrayed as fragile and weak, but she was exactly the opposite. The frilly, orange dress that adorned her small frame looked a bit over sized on her, and he remembered the day they had the painting done.

"Raven, are you sure about this?" Seris asked me, twirling around in the dress. It flared up around her knees, her skin still pale as ever. "Honestly, I don't think I look that good..."

She examined herself in the mirror, turning this way and that, adjusting her jewelry, and touching her hair to keep it in place. "I think you look like an angel, Seris."

Seris blushed, her whole face going red. I don't think she's ever been good at taking compliments, but that's what made her cute. "Wh-what?! Th-that's not..."

I laughed at her and ushered her over. She took light steps, always on her toes. Usually, she had her long hair down and it flowed behind her, but today, it was up in braids that were pinned in a bun behind her head. I sat her down in my lap and kissed her cheek. "You always look beautiful."

Seris' blush started to fade a little as she stared me in the eyes. I think the hardest thing on her to read was her eyes. They always burned with a ferocity that caused intimidation, but also inspired awe and kept people loyal to her. The pure green color reminded me of polished emeralds, and I always felt that she could get whatever she wanted with those beautiful eyes.

They were how she stole my heart.

"Raven, before anything else happens, I want to give you something."

"Okay? It can't wait?" I asked, letting her pull away and move to her drawer. "Well, I was going to give it to you when we got married, but I fear it might be in danger."

This caught my attention. What could have Seris so concerned on such a light hearted day? "Here. Raven, Come over here."

I stepped over to my fiance as she turned, her face contorted with seriousness. "No matter what, never lose this."

"What is it?" I asked, as she took my hand and placed it in my palm before closing my fingers around it. It was small, a cross with a black gem in the middle, and a pure black ribbon to hold it in place. "It's called the Destruction Particle. My family has protected it for generations and has never trusted anyone outside of our bloodline with it until now."

"Why are you giving me something so important to you? I can't possibly take this!" I told her, trying to hand it back. She pressed my fist and both her hands to my chest, glaring into my eyes with a ferocity and fire I had never seen before. "Someone is after it. They know I have it and are trying to take it from me. I have to give it to you because they won't know you have it, and thus, it will be safe. Trust me, I was a little skeptical of this idea at first, but I know I can trust you with this. Do you swear, Raven, to protect it with your life?"

I gulped and nodded. "I swear on my life. I will never let it out of my sight."

Seris sighed in relief, her shoulders loosening and the tension in her body exiting with her breath. "Thank God. I am forever in your debt, Raven."

I smiled and kissed her chastely. She blushed again but didn't complain. "If it means that much to you, I'll protect it without demanding a charge. I love you, Seris."

"... I... I love you too, Raven."

Raven stared at the cross and the picture. How long had it been since he'd last seen her? Since he'd been betrayed? Since he-

"Raven, come over here."

The Blade Master snapped out of his dream and stared over at the small group with wide eyes. He relaxed when he realized it was only Rena, and not Seris. The fire was brighter than before and everyone looked well-rested. Rena's legs still looked like they were in pain, so she was sitting on a log close to the fire. Eve sat next to her, Oberon and Ophelia cooking something. It smelled delicious. Raven's stomach gurgled loudly, causing multiple people to laugh.

"Ah, I guess you've already eaten?" He asked, sitting down in between Rena and Elsword, across from Chung and Ara, who were both hiding under the jacket.

"Nah, we were waiting on you." the Guardian chirped, snuggling further into the soft jacket. Ara laughed good naturedly, pulling the soft cloth around her shoulders. "Thanks for lending us this, by the way."

"No problem. I don't get sick easily anyway." Raven replied. Chung nodded, before sneezing loudly.

"Bless you." Rena smiled at the blonde. He nodded again, taking a stick with two Mickies resting in the ground near the fire. He bit into one, giving a purr of appreciation. Ara sniffed at the stick, and he jerked it away, making her stick her tongue out at him. "So Raven, we were just discussing our pasts. Do you want to join us?" Rena asked. "It was Aisha's idea."

"Yeah. I was curious, because I don't know everyone as well as I want to." The Magician smiled, staring at the fire. "... And I have something I'd like to get off my chest too."

"Okay then, I guess we can tell stories for a while..." Raven smiled to himself. He grabbed one of the bats from the fire, taking a bite of the juicy meat from the side.

"So who's gonna start?" Elsword asked, half of a Micky in his mouth. The gang fell silent, Chung didn't even sneeze.

"I guess I will..." Raven finally broke the silence, rubbing his neck. He took a bite of his bat before starting.

"As you all know, I was once the leader of the Crow Mercenaries. People envied me for reaching that position at age twenty-two, but followed me loyally anyway. The Crows were my family. I had lost my parents in a raid when I was younger, so finally being surrounded by supportive people who were older than me, I felt like I was home.

The Crows had everything: Friends, food, lodging, and even love. I met my fiance, Seris, amongst my fellow mercenaries. She was one of the few women involved in the entire thing, but she was one of our best tacticians and strongest fighters.

Seris was a petite woman. She was small, skinny, and very pale. Her hair was long and always flowed out behind her when she walked. Her eyes were my favorite thing about her though. They were pure emerald green, and always burned with a determined flame. Her eyes inspired awe and intimidation, and once you met her, she was impossible to forget. Part of that was her powerful personality as well. She was strong-willed and stubborn, and not afraid to speak her mind. Ever.

I had a very close friend among the Crows as well. His name was Alex. He was one of my most trusted friends... No, my most trusted brother. He was always there for me, and supported and stood by me for everything.

He was jealous though. When he heard Seris and I were engaged, he started trying to separate us. He was always dragging one of us away from the other, making sure we couldn't talk as often as we wanted to. I don't know who he was jealous of, weather it was me or Seris, but I knew something was up.

I followed him around our camp one day. Alex wasn't much of a fighter, but he had the brains of one of the finest Velder Scholars. His hair was silver and always braided down his back, and he blue eyes were always calculating. He was our head tacticion, so when he went into Seris' and my tent, I figured it was just to discuss a plan.

Before I knew it, I heard Seris yelp. A crash and a clatter sounded from inside the tent, followed my numerous, "Mmphs-!" and gaging sounds. Alex's voice came from inside, yelling, "Where is it?!"

Worry consumed my very being. What was Alex doing to her?! I ran into the tent, a loud bark of, "Seris!" tearing from my throat. Alex was pinning her down, her daggers haphazardly tossed to the side. He held her hands above he head and was trying to cover her mouth with something. Her shirt was ripped open, exposing the pale skin of her chest and breasts. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Alex, tackling him off of her. Seris scrambled away, retrieving her daggers and holding them threateningly at his chest as I held him in a headlock.

"What were you trying to do to her, Alex?" I hissed, gripping his neck tighter.

He gagged and coughed, before elbowing me in the side and running. I was about to get up and chase after him, when Seris grabbed my arm. "Raven, do you still have it?"

I nodded at her, pulling the tip of the Destruction Particle from under my shirt. A small, round, copper locket was attached to it, and it hung of a black rattail. "Seris, are you alright?" I asked. She nodded, pulling me close. "I was afraid. I though he was trying to kill me at first, and then I though he was going to rape me. I didn't realize he was that strong."

I held her comfortingly. She was shaking, tears coming to her eyes. "I think it's best if I stayed with you at all times for a little while. Or should I watch Alex instead?"

Seris shook her head. "I want you to stay with me. Please don't even think about leaving my side."

The next few days passed peacefully. There was no sign of Alex. Seris had cheered up and was back to her usual, stern self. She was ordering the men around and joking playfully with them like she usually did, and she pretended to flirt with them whenever I was around. For those few short days, it was all bliss.

But paradise never lasts. Velder soldiers raided our camp, driving us into the forest. Alex was at their head, and he glared down at me as he stabbed my back and turned me in. Everyone else but a few people got out safely, but Alex dragged the rest of us back to a cramped, dingy, crowded jail. It smelled of urine, blood, bile and other disgusting things I would never be able to name. We were thrown into separate cells in completely opposite corners of the jail. Two of us five were dragged off, never to be seen again.

I was in that cell for four days. I still held the Destruction Particle, and Alex still didn't know I had it. He came by three times every day, once with each meal, and interrogated me about the relic Seris had given me. I didn't know how he knew so much, or why he wanted it, and I probably won't. But he made it apparent he wanted it. He went so far as to unlock my cell a beat me until I stayed silent or passed out, but I would never tell him more than I knew about the item I held.

Finally, my fourth day rolled around. I was battered and bloody, curled up lamely in the back corner of my cell. My lip wouldn't stop bleeding, nor would the tooth I lost when he punched me. I felt like I was going blind in my left eye, and I think I might have had a few bruised ribs.

I was getting ready to pass out before he came in to interrogate me again when I heard clanging and confused yelling. There were a few loud explosions, followed by more confusion. I pushed off the wall, fully alert to the confusion around me. I watched a guard come flying by my cell, before seeing some arrows fly by. I ran to the door and looked through it, trying to see who the attackers were, when my forehead was kissed lightly.

"We'll need to get this eye looked at later, it seems you've gone completely blind." Seris said. I had never been happier to hear her voice. She unlocked my cell and untied my arms. I rolled them around for awhile, multiple pops and cracks echoing all up and down my limbs. Immediately after, she collapsed into my arms. We shared a passionate kiss, conveying all of our pent up emotions. "God, I missed you..."

"Hey! Lovebirds!" Someone shouted over the crowd. We pulled away from each other to stare at one of our mercenaries. He was smirking and held two swords in his hands. "You two can do that elsewhere, we need your passion for battle right now!"

Seris and I blushed and pulled away, but grinned anyway. "Fine then. You got me a sword?"

"Right here." He replied, and tossed me one of his. "Now c'mon, everyone's heading out."

Seris and I followed our gang, slicing chains and opening locks. The inmates cheered loudly, charging the guards and busting the doors down. In the confusion, we snuck out of a small hole leading to a sewage tunnel under the city. We took the under-city out to the edge of the forest, where we retreated.

With help from the mages, we treated all of our injuries. Except for me and the other two who were taken hostage with me, everyone got off virtually unscathed. I got most of my vision in my eye back, but the mage treating me said the only thing I could do was wait for it to heal, and even then it would never be back to one-hundred percent. I sighed disappointedly, but thanked him anyway.

Everyone was just getting settled for a need sleep when two of our scouts came running in to the camp. They looked frightened, so I held one of the boy's shoulders to steady him. "Woah there. Breathe. What's wrong?"

"Th-the Velder guards... Alex is back... We have to-" He stuttered, before bolting.

I couldn't blame him for being scared. He was just a boy. And if what he said was right, then Alex was back with a vengeance.

"Quickly, we need to mobilize. Ready your weapons, They'll be here any sec-"

Arrows rained down from the sky. I froze mid-sentence as a good majority of the mercenaries were dealt fatal blows. Everyone scattered in random directions, screaming out in pain and confusion. Seris grabbed my arm and dragged me to the left, narrowly avoiding getting both of us speared. "What a cowardly move..." Seris hissed. Troops marched into our camp. They rounded everyone up in a circle, taking away all their weapons and mercilessly severing the limbs of anyone who tried to run.

I was getting ready to try to get them out when a swarm of guards swamped me. In the confusion, I fought off as many of them as I could, dealing fatal blows to their necks and stomachs, but more and more kept coming. Eventually, they overwhelmed me and tackled me to the floor, keeping my head down and my eyes pinned behind my back. Seris was in the same situation, but still desperately struggling. The soldiers holding me down pulled me up to my knees and bound my hands behind my back.

"So Raven. I know you have the Particle. Give it to me!" Alex yelled.

"I don't have it. What gives you the idea I do?!" I yelled back, stuggling under the hold of the soldiers. They slammed me into the ground, knocking the wind out of me.

"Kill one." Alex stated.

"Wait, what?" I asked. Seris gasped as they brought one of the mercenaries forward. They gripped him roughly and threw him to the floor. As he tried to get up, a soldier came from behind him and kicked him in the stomach. With a sick grin, he slit the man's stomach open in a splatter of blood and gore. I screamed out a loud, "NO!" as Seris ended up getting physically sick next to me. "Why did you kill him?!"

"I'll kill one mercenary for every lie you tell to me." Alex hissed. "Now, where. Is. The. Particle?!"

I glanced at Seris, but she offered no shake of the head. I could hear her crying quietly, so I finally sighed, "I know where it is."

"Good." Alex purred, a content smirk on his lips. "Where is it?"

"I refuse to say." I replied, looking down. He kicked me across the face, before snapping, "Another!" to the guards.

They brought one of our few women forward, stabbing her quickly in the chest as she tried to rush forward to help us. I yelped again, anger rising. Alex was so consumed by his greed, I didn't believe he understood what atrocity he was committing. Her kneeled down and grabbed my collar, growling. "Where is the Particle?!"

"Ask anything else about it!" I growled back. He pulled back, kicking me in the ribs with a snarl. "Why not take four of them?"

The guards brought four more of our mercenaries forward and killed them all off. I choked, and Seris started sobbing. It was the first and only time I had ever seen her cry.

"I'll tell you where it is!" I finally screamed as they brought forward one of our youngest members. She was screaming and crying for her mother and father, and out of desperation throwing weak punches. "I-I'll tell you, just let the kid go..."

Alex stared down at me with apprehensive eyes. "Fine then. Let her go."

They released the little girl and she ran back into the crowd. I took a few deep breaths, before smirking up at Alex. "The Particle is just around here. Hell, you might be staring right at it."

Alex's face contorted in anger and confusion. "You mean you're it?!" He bellowed angrily.

"Something close. I swallowed it before you raided. Maybe you should have been a little more cautious and tried to call me out to talk before being consumed by your own greed." I explained. Alex's face was red with anger. He snarled and kicked me, hard enough that I could hear one of my ribs breaking. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Seris gasped loudly, yelping, "No! Why not let them go?!"

Alex reared around and backhanded her across the face. She fell to the floor, spitting blood. "SILENCE, WENCH."

Slowly, they killed off all of the Crow Mercenaries, one by one. Decapitation, stabbing, slashing, blood splattered everywhere. The soldiers were so completely covered in blood when they came for Seris and I, I could only stare with wide eyes. They looked like some sort of demons, ready to steal our souls. Just before they could deal a finishing blow to Seris, Alex stepped in.

"Wait. These two bitches are mine. I want them to die slowly." He stepped forward, taking a sword from one of the guards and lazily slashing it a few times. He stepped forward, towards Seris, and before I could do anything, he slashed her across the chest. She yelped, falling to the floor, her blodd forming a small puddle around her and being absorbed by the ground.

"SERIS!" I screamed, staring at her. As Alex advanced towards me, I was actually preparing to die. In a swift movement, he slashed across my chest, and then made two more deep cuts by my sides. I groaned as I hit the floor, a dizzy feeling overtaking me. "Alright, let's go. I will come to claim the Particle once you are dead."

I blacked out after that. It felt like months before I woke up again. I was blinded by bright lights, and my left arm felt heavy and cold. Wires were attached to my back and neck, and A good majority of my chest and abdomen felt like metal. "Ah, you're awake!"

I gasped. Alex stepped up next to me, in a white lab coat, his hair in a ponytail. "Raven, it's good to see you awake after all that happened. I hope that you recall everything, and I hope you know the Particle is safe-"

I didn't even let him finish. I was so afraid and angry, pent up frustration and rage came out as pure power. I broke out of my confinements, ripping wires off myself and slashing angrily at anything near me. Using the explosive capabilities from of my arm, I busted out of wherever I was and started destroying whatever ended up in front of me. Somehow, I ended up in outside, where they shot me in the back and I blacked out again.

"In the end, I woke up on the Black Crow and hijacked the ship which is when I met you all." Raven finished.

He looked around. Rena was crying, Eve comforting her. Aisha was close to tears, and a few dripped down Chung's cheeks. Ara stared with wide eyes at the fire, her cheeks glistening with tears. "I can only hope that the something similar to what happened to me happened to Seris, and she's alive and well somewhere out there."

"I-I hope so too, Raven.." Rena sniffled, drying her eyes. Eve gave her another comforting squeeze, saying, "So do I."

"So, I guess it's someone else's turn-"

"I want to go!" Aisha said, jumping up. "Raven's story was so incredibly sad! It made me want to get mine over with so I can cry freely for the rest of you!"

"You were holding it in?" Elsword asked, wiping his eyes.

"Y-yes... Well, I guess, I couldn't stop thinking. So I need to get this off my chest, right now."

Aisha sat back down, getting ready to begin her story.