SL: Here I am with an update for GBOAF, since this break actually gave me time to write! :D
Raven: Didn't you have homework to finish...?
SL: Eh, I still have time. Besides, all the immediate work is done.
Aisha: But school starts again tomorrow.
SL: That doesn't matter at the moment. RIGHT NOW, I AM GOING TO ADD ANOTHER CHAPTER TO THIS STORY =) Because I made some people wait way too long for this...
Rena: Good girl. Now start the chapter.
SL: Yes, ma'am.
Chapter begin!
Chapter 4: I Steal the Moon
Several days passed since the Siegharts took me in. Elsword sparred with Lowe, Elsa kept the house in order, I watched. A few times, she asked if I could help her with some of the household chores. That was code for: come here and hang out with me while I do all the work.
I watched as she washed the plates from the previous meal.
"So," Elsa said while keeping her eyes on the dishes, "You've been in the world on your own for seven years, correct?"
"Yep."
"Man." She whistled. "That must've been tough. How old were you? Ten? Eleven?"
"Nine," I stated. She took her eyes off the dishes to scrutinize me.
"No way."
"It's true," I said.
"Wow. A nine-year-old alone. Didn't you ever come face-to-face with bandits or monsters while you were traveling?" Her attention was back to cleaning the plates.
"Eh." I thought back to when I was stopped on the road by Banthus, that annoying "leader" of a group of bandits. "I had magic to help me. So many people in these regions act like they don't see it often." I saw Elsa furrow her eyebrows.
"It's because we don't."
"What?"
"Magic isn't used so much in the north," Elsa explained. "People here are more bent on using a sword or some other kind of weapon to help them in combat, but... One magic user will come along and suddenly, everyone will be in danger. That's why I learned to use magic."
"Wait, you can use it?" I stared at her, curious. "What kind?"
"Ah, I don't really know magic to a great extent," Elsa admitted. "Just simple spells that make little flames come up from the ground or make my weapon longer. It's nothing compared to what I've seen other people do."
"Does Elsword know how to use magic?" I wondered. She sighed, seemingly exasperated.
"I tried teaching him a couple times, but he couldn't do it. Eventually, he gave up trying to learn and worked on improving his sword fighting skills instead." I nodded. Some people just weren't compatible with magic.
Elsa dried the dishes. When I moved to help she shrugged me off, saying she could handle it. Did she always do everything by herself? Later, we set the table for dinner and Elsa prepared some fried fish and grilled meat - ahem, bear meat. Everything was peaceful until Elsword came in.
Barging through the door, he tried to go up to his room quickly, without his sister noticing. It didn't work.
Crash. The plate Elsa had been holding was now in pieces, strewn all over the floor.
"Elsword!" The guy flinched at the sound of her voice. "W-what happened to you?!" He turned around. His clothes were tattered, covered in blood, and his face was streaked with dirt.
"Nothing," he lied. He proceeded to go up the steps, but Elsa made her way through the debris on the floor and grabbed his shoulder.
"I want an answer, young man, and I want a proper one," she growled in his face. I didn't want to watch this, so I began picking up the broken fragments of the plate Elsa dropped, from the floor, throwing them away. Even as I busied myself with this menial task, I could hear Elsword's voice yelling,
"It's nothing! I just... tripped and fell on the ground, okay? Geez, just leave me alone!"
"You can't rip your clothes and bleed all over them just from tripping-" There were no more broken pieces on the floor. I stood and walked slowly to the siblings. "-and I can't leave you alone. I'm your sister, for Lady El's sake!" I could see Elsword's stubborn face and the back of Elsa's head from where I stood.
"What do you mean-" the kid spoke in a low but obviously infuriated tone, "-you can't 'leave me alone'? You've been doing it pretty well this past week, cooped up in the house with miss-prissy-Aisha and making me spar with Lowe by myself. Can't you see? You're spending more time with that girl than you are with me." I blinked. "Aren't I your brother? She's a stranger. She's not even part of our family."
"Elsword..." Elsa sounded hurt. "I-"
"Save it," he grumbled. "I know what you're going to say: 'She's been alone for seven years! She lost her parents!' Well, think about it like this," he spat out vehemently. "The girl doesn't 'know' her surname, she claims bother her parents are dead, and now she's here draining all of our resources. Maybe she does know her name, but she's not telling us." I didn't. "What if her parents aren't dead?" I saw them die. "She could be lying, to take advantage of us. Or her parents could actually have abandoned her. Haven't you given a thought about that? Maybe, she wasn't wanted! And I don't blame her parents if they didn't want her. They have good reasons not to." Somehow, this hurt more than anything else that happened to me. It cut deep into my chest, and the words pounded into my head over and over again. Didn't want me?
I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I ran as Elsa turned around and both of the siblings noticed I was there, realizing I had heard everything. I bolted out of the house. I sprinted straight into the forest. My feet were bare, but I didn't care. Five minutes passed. Trees, shrubs, and shadows surrounded me. My feet were sore. They ached with pain, but pain was just a message to the brain. I was currently putting all the messages on hold. Twenty minutes, maybe. Who knew? I lost track of time. Air hissed through my parched throat and pebbles on the ground embedded themselves in my feet. I had to keep going. I had to. But, I couldn't.
I slowed down, my energy sputtering out like the broken engine of an airship. A part of my mind processed the fact there was a huge tree in front of me. Stars showed themselves in the sky. I kneeled down on one of the tree's large roots, then collapsed, falling on my back. The sky loomed far above me. Now I spotted the moon, an enormous full moon. My mind must have been playing tricks on me, because it appeared purple.
A purple moon... I thought, almost as if in a trance. It's... beautiful. The stars seemed to wink at me, one by one, and the moon stared down from the sky. That was the last thing I remembered before becoming unconscious.
Pure magic, a gentle voice resounded in my head.
Huh? I looked around. Only trees. Only the sky. But it was missing its moon.
Pure magic, the voice repeated. I whipped my head around. No one.
Wh-who are you? I asked in my mind. The voice stayed silent for a moment, before answering,
A friend. I am a friend. That didn't exactly make me feel better. Sure, everyone wants a friend in their head, but I was pretty sure most people didn't have voices in their heads to begin with.
O-okay... So I guess you're a friend? I sensed quiet approval coming from my new buddy. Then, she - the voice sounded female - spoke again.
You must get magic in its purest form.
Wait, why? What the heck was that?
It is the only way to defeat the murderer of your parents.
Wait. Hold on a minute... I had a feeling this friend wasn't perfectly sane. Me? Defeat... the headmaster?
Correct.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I put my hands in front of me before remembering this person was only in my head. Okay. First of all, the headmaster is in the south. And second, I'm not nearly as powerful as he is. Third, I am not seeing that monster again. Never. The voice seemed to sigh.
But you must, she insisted. Your parents were not the only victims of the headmaster.
Yeah, I'm sure.
He, the voice spoke patiently, has killed the Siegharts' parents as well. I froze. Okay. Now I was starting to get a bit suspicious.
How do you know this? The voice stayed quiet. Okay, fine. I huffed. Then... How do I get this "pure magic"?
It is... The voice paused. Closer than you might think. I looked around. Where... Then I saw it. Hovering behind me, in front of the enormous tree, was a miniature moon. I mean, probably not an actual moon, but it was a mini-sphere, purple just like before, that gave a faint glow. Slowly, slowly, I reached forward. My hands closed around the thing. It was smooth, cool, and in a few seconds, gone. I opened my hand.
Where did it go? I thought real panicky.
It's in you, the voice said calmly.
Yeah, okay, I said sourly in my mind. that totally makes me feel better. What now?
Wake up, said the voice.
What?
You are asleep. Wake up!
My eyes snapped open. The forest was still, the sky was sprinkled with stars, and the moon was still there. Whew. It wasn't purple either, just white. Everything was back to normal.
"Just a dream," I said to myself, relieved. "So I don't have to see the headmaster." It must have been my own imagination, thinking he killed the Siegharts' parents. I pushed myself up from the tree root, then spotted the difference.
"Kyah!" Eyes wide, I stared at my clothes in disbelief. White?! Pink?! Why were they different? I touched my hair. Two, tight pigtails curved out from the top of my head. "What. The. Hell?!" I cried out. This wasn't right. I looked down at my feet. Shoes. I could've sworn I was bare-foot when I ran into the forest. This wasn't normal. This wasn't-
"Aisha!" I froze. "Aishaaa!" Elsa's voice called worriedly. "Are you there?! Can you hear me?! Aisha, please! Answer me!" She was getting closer. I answered,
"Y-yeah! I'm here." A gasp.
"Aisha!" I heard her running, then she showed up, coming in view. "... Aisha?" Her red eyes flashed with concern. "What... Happened to you?" Inhaling slowly, I admitted,
"I don't know, exactly..." Elsa examined me for a minute, then shook her head.
"Whatever, that doesn't matter." She sighed. "I'm just glad you're safe." I looked up and studied her closely.
"Really?" I couldn't hide the doubt from my voice. Elsa came closer and bent down.
"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly. "I didn't think Elsword would be such a jerk to you..." I shrugged.
"It's fine. I don't like that guy, either, so I don't blame him for hating me." Elsa pursed her lips.
"He doesn't hate you." I scoffed,
"Fine, 'strongly dislike'. Same thing."
"No..." She looked down. "I don't think he dislikes you, either." I threw my arms up in the air.
"You'd have to be really ignorant to think that."
"Aisha," Elsa spoke quietly now. "I promised my brother I wouldn't tell you this, but I think you have to know." That caught my attention.
"Know what?" I stared at her inquisitively. She took in a deep breath, then let it all out.
"The first night you were here, Elsword told me he knew you from somewhere."
"Impossible," I cut in. She held up a finger.
"Hold on. He said he remembered seeing your face and hearing your name before."
"Probably on a 'wanted' poster."
"No, not there. Elsword said he couldn't tell why, exactly, but for some reason, you're important." I rolled my eyes.
"Very likely."
"Aisha." Elsa's solemn gaze bore into me. I shifted uncomfortably. "My brother was so sure the night you came that he knew you. Do you remember meeting him anywhere?"
"No." That was true, but false at the same time. I knew the Siegharts from somewhere, but what I didn't know was where or when I'd seen them.
"Are you sure?" Elsa must have known I was hiding something. I looked to the side.
"O-of course I'm sure." No, Aisha! Why are you so bad at lying?! When I looked back at Elsa, she was frowning skeptically.
"Okay, then. Maybe he just thought you were someone else."
"Sure." Exactly how many purple-headed Aishas were out there in Elrios?
"Well," Elsa stood up and held her hand out to me. "Are you ready to go back?" I sat there, clueless.
"... Back?"
"To the house."
"But what about-"
"Don't worry," Elsa assured me. "Elsword won't bother you, or he'll hear from me. I made sure he went to bed before I came to look for you." Her smile was strained. Had anything else happened between her and her brother after I left? My insides were hollow from guilt. I was ruining their relationship, wasn't I?
"Come on." Elsa grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "Hey... What's that?" She was looking at the ground behind me. I turned around and saw it: my staff. Only, it wasn't my staff. Instead of being topped with tiny jagged stones, the stick was topped with a winged star. I bent down and picked it up.
"It's mine, I think," I said.
"You think?" Elsa questioned. I nodded, pretty sure it belonged to me. I was almost certain that my old shoes and staff would not be waiting for me at the Siegharts' house. Somehow, my belongings had disappeared and been replaced.
We hiked through the woods, back to the house. Apparently, I had run fairly far away. When we reached the house, Elsa ordered me to go to sleep. I didn't argue; my head was pounding from exhaustion... and confusion.
Aisha: OAO...
Elsword: o-o . . .
Rena: *kicks Elsword in the head*
Elsword: Ow! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?
Rena: For being a jerk to Aisha. -_- You two should be nicer to each other.
Elsword: ;-; Blame SL for writing it like that. She's the author.
Rena: Oh yeah! *turns toward SL with loaded bow* =D . . .
SL: o-o
*Rena has been kicked from the room*
SL: Writer's power ftw. Anyway, I'm thinking of putting DD:EL on hold and working on this story more, since it should be shorter than DD:EL. Though, any future updates probably won't come out until after January.
Aisha, Elsword, and Rena: EHHHHHH?!
SL: Personal reasons. Anyway, let's move on to the reviews! :D
to Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: Interested... Sounds legit! Nah, this world should have more of you :D Hm, an army of Tsu-chans... TIME TO WORK ON THAT! And a rule when playing games: don't pay money for them, because at some point you will ditch that game. Torches... Light them with Greek fire! =) And yes, I use torches when no better options are available. MAGIC! Magic solves everything, except math. What if the headmaster is like Arceus, though? WHAT IF HE'S IMMUNE TO EVERYTHING? Hm... What if... You cut them and pasted them together and combined them? o_O Yuki-Onna. I like the name Yuki :3 I always picture snow all over the place when I hear it...
to Rosamanelle: Maybeeeeee... OR MAYBE NOT! OwO I actually confused myself with my own plot, so I'm trying to piece it together XD . . . Ahem, today we may be friends, tomorrow we may be enemies. Though I don't foresee that happening in the future, you never know~ I wonder if Eve still has Heaven's Fist.. I haven't played Elsword in so long, so I don't know what they took away in the ST update ;-; And Elsa is like a sister figure... Well, the good kind, not the evil kind. I wonder what it's like to have an older sister. I wish I could have one, so I could call her onee-san whenever I see her owo . . . AND NO, ONE IS NEVER TOO OLD FOR A CLASSIC! *stands up defensively*
to Cloudy Rabbit: Cloudy Rabbit... Why does that name remind me of Minecraft's Aether mod? XD And thanks! Aisha will blow your mind in this story. She's going to be at point A: the Siegharts house, then she'll be at point B: beating the you-know-what out of Lord Wal- I MEAN THE HEADMASTER! o-o; *totally not suspicious*
to Ephemeral Sanity: IKR? *gives high five* Erza Scarlet ftw! Now if only Scarlet was "Elesis"'s real last name _ They should have made it that in Elsword. And katakana? Is that... Japanese? (sorry for my ignorance) And thanks! =D Yeah, I'm still not liking the 1st person thing, but it's working, so yeah. And wow.. I gotta give it to you for that word choice. As for the classes, Elsa is... *quickly googles to check if the classes changed* Pyro knight. Elsword is a sword knight. Aisha was base class, but in this chapter she became a battle mage :3
to Light15XV: Connections~ It's probably the connection with Elsword and Elsa and you and your siblings XD
to HelloKitty55443: Quick story: Hello Kitty has always scared me in my childhood because of this one episode I watched where an old lady tried to kill her and her sister. Moving on, YES, THE CHAPTERS ARE SHORT. I should make them longer *slaps self* But I can't think of enough things to write ;n; And.. maybe. I'll say right off-the-bat that Chung will be in this story :D
to FlamingPotato: WHAT. ELSWORD IS AMAZING! Though, he does have some moments that make me wonder if he's the same person... And good4you. Elsword is an awesome character, despite the preferences of my friends... And thanks!
SL: Alright, this is going to be it for some time.
Aisha: WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WRITING THIS STORY ABOUT ME?
Elsword: A lot of things, you grape-headed idiot.
Aisha: *hurls fire at him*
Elsword: You missed~ *runs away*
Aisha: COME BACK HERE D= *chases after him, hands ablaze*
Rena: So... what're you up to? *sits on a chair and sips tea peacefully*
SL: *also sipping tea* It's a secret c: But... *whispers in Rena's ear*
Rena: O_O *drops her tea* YOU!
SL: Heh..
Rena: WHY?!
SL: Well, you see... I'll tell you later. Bye! =D
*SL has left the room*