Trying to test some writing styles. This story will be primarily Raven x Rena from now on.
Ashamed as he was to admit it, Raven had given up hope.
Not that Rena had a heart of emotion and warmth, contrary to popular belief. He saw rare glimpses of it, however subtle. He saw her dive in the way to protect an elven boy from a stray bullet. He watched her toss an apple she picked to a hungry phoru.
Yet these small acts contradicted her behaviour and words that constantly dismayed and shocked the rest of the team. She callously suggested torching besieged towns to halt the demonic invasion. Saving one village while the demons corrupted the rest of the world was "a waste of time".
Elsword yelled, Aisha pleaded, Chung shook his head, and Ara couldn't look her in the eye. Elesis and Eve sided with Rena—when they were present.
The internal conflicts persisted, but when the team was engaged in active combat, no one could refute that Rena was an invaluable asset.
Elesis found Rena to be one of the more tolerable companions as the elf always guided the brunt of the monsters towards for her crimson blade to feast upon. The Crimson Avenger—as much as she liked anything anymore—liked being paired with Rena on ambush and raid missions, for it was then that her thirst was thoroughly quenched.
What Raven had given up was that Rena would show them—or him—anything more than an extra blade in battle. She avoided all of them when no mission or battle was to be accomplished.
Few weeks had passed. The team were on foot again, travelling to their next destination. Elsword, Aisha, and Chung were squabbling over whatever and Raven was—well, regardless of what he was thinking, his train of thought became derailed as he sensed movement a few feet above his head.
"Aah!" A feminine scream quelled him from drawing his blade as he swung to the side, catching a humanoid figure in his arms.
"What the…" Elsword turned. "Hyung, who's that?"
The figure, once the glimmer of light and dust faded, was barely feminine. The tumbles of shimmering emerald hair made Aisha think of a willow tree.
"Ow…I am so sorry…" Her pointed ears twitched. "Where…where is this place?"
Raven eased her onto the ground, where she dusted herself off and twirled with easy grace. "This is…"
She caught sight of Rena, who always lagged behind by default. But Rena froze in place, her eyes wide with unusual surprise. She didn't even have her weapons drawn.
"You're…!"
"Rena…? Rena! Is that you?" The girl, whom now everyone recognized as elven, dashed up to Rena in a running hug. She was a bit shorter than Rena, but that hardly stopped her from tackling Rena with a bright smile.
What the others found equally astonishing (if not more) was that Rena was not hostile. Her expression was of amazement as she was unceremoniously sent to the ground flat on her rear.
Uncertainly she ventured, "…Rua?"
"Yes, Rena, yes! Oh, it is truly you!" The elven girl named Rua laughed. "I didn't think I'd see you here, of all people!"
Rena said nothing as Rua continued to hug her, pressing against her bosom. The others continued to watch and Rena finally put the elven girl at arm's distance as she got back on her feet.
"Why…are you here? How…are you here?"
"Who is this?" Chung asked. "Do you know her?"
"Oh, I…" Rua looked around, perhaps only now realizing that there was an audience. To Raven, she bowed her head, "I am sorry for landing on you. I beg your pardon, human—you are human, yes?"
"Uh, yeah." Raven coughed. "Raven is fine."
"A raven? Why would a human be named after a common bird?"
"Rua!" Rena interrupted sharply. "What happened? How did you come to be here?"
Rua looked sheepish, but also worried. "It was an accident. You've been gone from home for a long time, Rena."
Had Rena her way, she would've taken Rua and solve this issue as she did with all others—contained, discreetly, and swiftly.
Fate deemed otherwise. In no time did Rua introduce herself as "Rena's best friend" and befriended the other members as they headed to the nearest town, which was still several hours away.
Ara had little interaction with elves other than Rena, who always said the cruelest things despite Aisha assuring her that she was nicer, once. With Rena as her only example, she had assumed all elves were as cutthroat and ruthless.
With Rua, she was a wonderful sunshine of warmth that soothed Ara.
Eve and Elesis ignored Rua entirely after exchanging greetings. But that was not wholly Rua's fault. Elven culture was not affiliated with machinery much, and the Dark El coursing through Elesis' veins unnerved the elf who had only lived among pure El.
Elsword was of a similar condition, but he seemed more human, and not nearly as consumed by the dangerous influence. Rua thought he had a nice laugh, and told him so. He coughed a bit, but didn't look offended.
"So this…this is the world of humans? This is Elrios?"
Aisha liked her immediately. Rua was cheerful, endearing, and genuinely happy that she was meeting "Rena's Elrios friends". She and Elsword took turns describing the customs and sights of Elrios to her and explaining to her why they used aqueducts and filters when they could just "ask the water spirits nicely."
The first time Rena tried meat, it rested in her stomach like lead. It felt very much like that now.
"Rena is so lucky to have you guys as friends!" Rua chirped, oblivious to what that meant and what reality was.
"Yeah, about that." Elsword muttered.
Rena coughed. Her hair was now too short to hide her face.
"…Rua, did you come here from your home dimension?" Aisha jumped in.
"Ah…I suppose so. Truthfully, I fell through a wormhole."
This sobered Rena. "A wormhole?"
"The demon invasion isn't affecting Elrios alone." Rena knew this, but…! "Other dimensions and worlds are struggling against them. We're resisting, but…they're trying to wear us down by opening cracks and holes so we get lost in the Amn-Heuk."
"The what?"
"What we call the space of Henir." Rena interjected. "The endless darkness, where death becomes a mercy."
"Yes, yes." Rua nodded. "I was scouting when we were ambushed. The other scouts managed to escape in time, but I thought I was done for. I guess even the demons can't control the wormholes."
You reckless fool.
"I need to get you back home."
She pouted. "But Rena—"
Could Glaive assist her? Rena thought about it briefly, and then shook her head. He was a wild card, having thrown ridiculous challenges at them for his own amusement. She couldn't trust him with Rua.
Then…her fellow Night Savers? The leader? She cringed internally; it would seem trivial, but it would remind them further of the predicament of their home world. And then…
She didn't even realize that Rua was still talking.
"The El Lady herself must have watched over me. I know I should return home but oh please, do let me stay for a while!" She looked at Rena, eyes pleading. "I—I can shoot, and help fight!"
"This isn't the right time." Rena tried to reason.
"Um…" Ara timidly sided with the other elf. "While we look for her way home, she can still stay with us. You...you don't mean to cast her aside?"
"No!" Rena's voice came out sharper than usual. "I only meant that I will take her, alone. There is no need for the entire team to involve themselves."
"Rena!"
Rena stared back evenly, the tiniest glint in her eyes betraying something more.
But Rua hadn't been Rena's childhood friend for nothing. "You—"
"She can stay with us." Elsword stepped in. "We still need to get to a rest area where she can rest and contact the elves."
He remained defiant as the elf's gaze pierced him, unwavering as he met her solid disapproval yet again. She would deem this another waste of time from their "true goal", another one of his childish and naive antics.
Aisha tried, too. "It won't take too long. And...you're part of this team. We help each other."
Rena's gaze shifted to the girl. Ara seemed ready to intercede on Rua's behalf, however softly, and even Raven was inclined to put in a word.
"...very well, if that is what the consensus is."
Her capitulation, however begrudging it seemed, brought a grin to Rua's face. "At-ssah! Thank you, humans! I mean, Elsword and Aisha! I promise I won't be a burden!" She trapped them both in a tight embrace, beaming all the while as the two humans squirmed.
Eve was wondering why everyone was lagging more than usual. Having drifted to the scene and hearing most of the conversation, it was only logical of her to point out: "If we have a new companion, how is she to defend herself? I see no defensive equipment."
"I must've left my bow behind…" Rua scratched her head, not meeting the mechanical eyes.
The Seraph had long ago lost the ability to feel concern or irritation. This new elf wasn't anyone to escort, and she seemed ambitious to 'help' when she clearly didn't seem half as competent as Rena. "Please ensure that you can protect yourself or remain out the way."
"I…"
"I will make sure of that, Eve." Rena nodded.
Elesis grunted when the team finally started moving again.
It was Rua's "dream of dreams" (her words, not mine) since childhood to be an explorer. She wanted to go on quests beyond the comfort of her community, and make friends with humans she saw so little of back at home.
Rena understood her. Together they ruled the forest, hollering and whooping as they went on imaginary adventures through creeks and atop trees. Their bruises and scrapes were their battle scars.
"We could be anything here, Rua." she had told them gleefully, "and someday, not just here."
Rua adored her, desperately wanting to be like her. Rena smiled as if a piece of Solace resided within. Her strong will and capable accuracy as an archer, earned her the admiration and respect of their peers and elders alike.
As if that wasn't enough, Rena could communicate with spirits on a level few could hope to achieve, let alone master. Her gifted ability was what earned her the eye of Elder Branwen, one of the most influential and revered figures in their society.
"Can we still play together?"
"Of course, child. But Rena has a powerful gift that, if misused, can cost her dearly. She collapsed trying to revive your flower. For her sake, and yours, she must train. Remember that."
More friends came to be, perhaps by Rena's will, and Rua found playmates in those such as Amelia and Lime. They were like Rena, but not Rena. Rena had a special path to walk,, or so the elders said.
From a wistful distance, Rua saw Rena undertake everything they had whispered about in their early youth, everything Rua confided to Rena over candied El fruits, everything that Rena assured her was possible and encouraged her to pursue.
"What cannot I journey to the world of the humans?"
"You are too young, sweet."
"But Rena is one of the candidates!"
"She is under the tutelage of Branwen jan-rho(Honoured Elder). She has the special gift."
Rua tried so hard to listen to the spirits. She could sense them—all elves could—yet when she tried to talk to them, or reach out to them, all she got as silence and disappointment.
It made her feel ugly things, feelings she didn't want to confront, thoughts that mocked her and made her feel like she didn't deserve to be Rena's best friend.
But she loved Rena, and Rena loved everybody.
"I wish you could come with me. They won't notice."
"...it's okay. Just don't forget me."
"Never."
...and now, against all the odds, she saw her again. But the elven warrior seemed only a hollow shell of the Rena she remembered. Why didn't she smile? Wasn't she glad to see her? How was it that the humans, whom her elders warned of being irrational and selfish, gave a warmer welcome than her?
But how she grew! Why did she cut her hair? Did she remember everyone back home?
"Yes, I have. I had to cut my hair to save a teammate. I remember everyone. How is the elder?"
It wasn't like Rena ignored her—which, to the rest of the team was not an unwelcome peculiarity. She answered Rua's questions, albeit reluctantly, as if she didn't want her human companions to know.
But Rua talked on and on, asking questions, talking about back home, mostly in the common tongue she seldom got to use in real situations till the present.
"So all of you are going to save the El?"
"That's the plan." Chung smiled.
"All of you are heroes then?"
"...sure?"
Rena ran a hand through her hair, wondering if yanking her short locks would alleviate her internal turmoil. She remembered a homeworld, long left behind to fight for its continued existence.
She remembered being much younger, lighter, and chasing Rua through the foliage. The spirits around her she summoned for combat were playful friends and pranksters, once.
"Do the spirits see me? What do they say about me, Rena?"
"They think you're a dear, but can't understand why you can't see them."
She was supposed to have left it all behind in order to protect it, committed to her duty alone. Was her focus too fallible that a single remnant from her past could shatter it?
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Carefully unclasping a push from her side, she opened it with a flourish. "Rena! Do you remember these?"
The smell reached the elf before the words; how could she forget? One of the few things Rena had accepted she would never find in Elrios...
"What is this? It smells sweet, but...it's shiny?"
"Try one!" Rua dug into the pouch, splaying out a handful in her hands.
Human-made confections did not glow on its own. But this was candied pieces of El Fruit, picked from the Trees of El that were respected and cultivated with great care. The ones tinted red popped and sizzled in the mouth, while the blue dissolved in rich sweetness (probably due to some influence of the Fire and Water Els respectively, but Rua didn't pay attention in History.)
Elsword, Aisha, and Chung each popped one in their mouths; Elsword had the decency to not spit everywhere when the red candy fizzed in his mouth.
"Oh, wait, that's Rena's favourite." Raven had picked up a silver slice. "She would always hog those for herself. That's the biggest one, too!"
The others turned to Rena with interest, Aisha stifling a giggle.
Rena coughed and looked away, coughing again. She could not deny Rua's claim but to be outed so made her feel like the very spirit of Rosso was kindling her entire body.
For her sake, Raven retained a calm expression, but seeing Rena flustered, seeing her expressing an emotion, made it difficult for him to smother a smile. He held out the candy for her.
Rena glared at him, heat rising to her face, but muttered a "thank you" as she took it and then glared at Rua, saying in an almost inaudible whisper—
"At least I didn't pee on the bed from eating too much."
Now it was Rua's turn to blush, yelling indignantly as Rena walked away with a brisk "We need to keep moving, I'll be scouting ahead."
Those behind burst into laughter, with even Raven giving a light chuckle as the candy melted in his mouth.
Feedback is welcome.