YAY! I HAVE A REVIEW! *hugs Kitty Riku and SW almost to death* Thank you so much! I knew someone out there would like this fic...^^
Oh, and by the way, updates are most likely to be on weekends or on mondays or fridays...Although I will try for the rest of the week. Homework sucks...And I'm eternally sorry for all the spelling mistakes in here...I'm having to do this fic in Wordpad since my Word's broken, so no spell check for me...
I'm a lover of fluff. So beware me, from here on out most likely. Probably not the fluffiest of fluff, but fluffy. Wow, I used a lot of f's...
Anyways, back to the story!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Warnings: Again, there's shounen-ai. Boy's love. Nya.
~~~~~ = Entering new areas, or time change
~~blah~~ = System Message
italics = Thought
~~~~~
As Kite stepped into the dungeon, the first thing he could feel was a sense of emptiness, like the place was an anchient ruin for the gods, not to be disturbed or touched by any other than holy hands. Moss grew in patches on the dungeon floors and walls, giving it an ever-growing sense of abandonment. Then, he heard the sounds of combat in the room just ahead -- undoubtably Balmung already fighting. Unsheathing his daggers, the boy rushed in to see the white-armored man deftly parrying and blocking a Chicken Hand, not letting the creature lay a single scratch upon his skin. He seemed to be doing it like it was just a past-time, paying little attention and instead speaking to the green-haired boy who just entered.
"Do you swear by the Twilight Dragon that you did not intend to spread this virus, kill any, or destroy this game?" Balmung said quietly, looking reletively calm at the moment.
The twin blade merely nodded. "You can trust me..."
He was rewarded with a slight hmph from the man before being addressed again.
"Whatever you say. Remember, I have power here. I can get you suspended..."
And end any chance of finding Orca... Kite thought with a shiver.
"Kite. Use your ability on this creature. Do what it takes, and no more." he said, seeming a bit haughty, and with a bit of distaste at the obvious spread of the infection of the dreaded virus through the game he loved. Taking one great, bounding leap backward, he landed behind Kite, and let the boy do his work, all while watching carefully and recording any data spasms or fluctuations, arms crossed coldly. He obviously did not like the data drain Kite wielded.
The young newbie took a deep breath as the winged monster set its sights on him, clearing his mind before running forward. In a flurry of leaps and slashes, done in the very obvious beginner style of hitting any avaliable spot without caring for strategy, he slowly whittled the bird-creature's HP down, waiting for the familiar message of protection break that only he seemed to be able to see. After a while, with much HP lost on both sides (although Kite had used Repth once), the crackling sound echoed through the tunnel dungeon, signalling the weakness of Kite's opponent. It was a reletively small time frame -- The creature would recover soon enough. Behind him, Kite could fear Balmung shift, as if he had sensed the nearing of the skill's usage, moving in for a closer look.
"I'm gonna use it now..." he said warily, before accessing the command he knew would throw him in cyberspace once again.
It was like his spirit, his real self, was tugged from his body, into the pure whiteness of cyberspace. Where ever his body was, all he could see now was his target and himself; nothing else existed for the time. Kite didn't scream like the first time he had used the move, suprised and un-aware, but it still gave him a shock every time he used it. Pulled upwards by the overpowering force of the bracelet, he was surrounded by its raw data and was used as a gate for the creature's own, as the numbers flowed through his soul. All at once, it was over. It always caught him by suprise, the sudden lapse into reality -- Oftentimes he fell, but lately he had gotten used to the sudden, slightly acrobatic move he had to pull to land on his feet and not on his face.
However, even a boy such as him had not accounted for the fact that the floor might not appreciate such antics. Much like the slickness of ice, a small dingy and dirty patch of old moss was caught under his foot, and it slid. Not again... was his thought, moving in lightning speed. It was always his thought, every time he knew he was going to fall, as it often happened. Prepare to lose hitpoints in 3...2...1...
Instead of that painful fate that he would have prefered, Balmung, standing behind the boy, caught him as he stumbled backward, gently pushing him upright, lingering for only a fraction of a second. It would not even have been considered lingering, if Kite hadn't thought about it the moment he realized he was being held securely, by the only other man in the cave.
Balmung quickly dispensed of the enemy, a tiny level 0 Pippy while Kite re-oriented his train of thought which had suddenly de-railed. He could feel it, that same feeling pulsing at the back of his mind...He wasn't stupid, he knew it was Balmung. Before he could think any more on the subject, Balmung was just suddenly there, behind him, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. ...Spaced out again...He must think I'm wierd or something...
"I'm going to leave now...I got what I needed. Thank you for your cooperation. And this is for you." Without any notice, Balmung just warped out...Even though he probably shouldn't have wasted a Sprite ocarana for such a hasty getaway. Where he was, there was a small, silver scarab like those you find in treasure chests. The only difference was, its eyes were a mysterious ruby color, its wings a shimmering opal. And unlike the ones you traded, this one was alive, already running along his hands. Although in Kite's subconcious, he knew he shouldn't touch anything he wasn't sure of, but it was still fun to watch the little bug skitter and run about. Before long, the scarab seemed tired and was content to sit on Kite's shoulder...And as it sat, its limbs became lifeless, and a small cord appeared around the boy's neck, holding the beetle in place.
Apparently Balmung didn't hate him so much anymore, if he was giving such a special present to him.
He smiled.
~~~~~
He didn't hear from Balmung for the next week or so. Although the man was constantly on his mind, what he would do the next time they met, what the scarab was for, all of it -- Balmung of Azure Sky didn't show up again. Kite also didn't show anyone the scarab, doubtless that Minstral would try to trade for it and BlackRose would eye him suspiciously like she had been ever since that day with Balmung. Jealous, perhaps?
But the strangest thing was, he couldn't think straight. Not in straight lines, but slightly wavy that took longer to get to the point. Even stranger, he didn't even care, and was instead compelled to go through his daily online life without thinking about it. Just battling, leveling up, talking and trading...The little things. All while thinking of the mysterious winged man.
He knew that only BlackRose had noticed the slight change in his actions, the glazed look he got more often while thinking, but the girl didn't show it. Everything was normal again, and by that Friday, he had given up on Balmung and assumed the man was watching him from afar or plotting to assassinate his avatar.
Later the next day, while he was off on his own leveling in a sunny field, Kite was resting upon one of the many stones that littered the landscape, playing with the beetle. By now, it was like a familiar -- although it did nothing, the scarab was a comfortable warmth against his chest, and a constant companion that didn't fade away like all others did. This time, the ruby stone eyes glittered and the bug looked up at the twin blade with sudden intelligence in the middle of running along his hands.
"So, I see...Innocently used, I suppose. Wait, I'll be right there." it said, the little message forming between its antennae before zapping to nothingness again. The insect resumed its play while Kite looked down strangely, the light fog that washed his life thus far suddenly cleared. 'I'll be right there'? ...Balmung?
The sound of a player warp confirmed his belief -- He turned and there he was, standing tall in all his glory, white wings catching the light and cascading around his figure. Suprisingly, Kite was caught in a sudden rush of hostility directed towards the man standing before him. Leaping up, he pointed one of his daggers towards Balmung, looking wary.
"What did you do to me!" he said. In his mind, he knew it, but it had been covered by that thick fog which had only just let up. Balmung let just the tiniest twitch of his lips betray a would-be smile.
"I regret having to do that, Kite. The only way to see your true intentions was to use a minor charm spell on you and just watch...But you've proven at least reletively trustworthy." his look, however, obviously told that he still didn't trust completely, but at least a little more. It was a start...The anger Kite had felt washed away as he reasoned out what the man had said.
Kite knelt and picked up the scarab again, watching it come back to life in his hands. This must be the cause... As if confirming his mental thoughts, Balmung answered.
"Don't worry, you can keep the beetle. I took the spell off, although I might add that what it sees, I see. Oh, and you can call me for your party...It's easier than watching through a bug." He seemed a bit irked that he had been reduced to spying, but satisfied at what he saw. Kite nodded, and slipped the beetle back under his shirt where it couldn't be seen.
"Ok, I will."
The Descendant of Fianna smiled for once, and then nodded a small goodbye. "Until we meet again, then."
As he was gating out, Kite just spoke a few words, half quietly, half eagerly wishing he could hear, although he couldn't be sure.
"Thank you...Balmung. Thank you."
~~~~~
Ah, yes, I hate it when I get the feeling chars are OOC. So...I think I'm making Balmung a bit too lenient and relaxed enough to tell, and Kite a bit too...Ah...Smart? Oh well, please review! ^^ Updates when I can, sped up by the influence of reviews.
Oh, and by the way, updates are most likely to be on weekends or on mondays or fridays...Although I will try for the rest of the week. Homework sucks...And I'm eternally sorry for all the spelling mistakes in here...I'm having to do this fic in Wordpad since my Word's broken, so no spell check for me...
I'm a lover of fluff. So beware me, from here on out most likely. Probably not the fluffiest of fluff, but fluffy. Wow, I used a lot of f's...
Anyways, back to the story!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Warnings: Again, there's shounen-ai. Boy's love. Nya.
~~~~~ = Entering new areas, or time change
~~blah~~ = System Message
italics = Thought
~~~~~
As Kite stepped into the dungeon, the first thing he could feel was a sense of emptiness, like the place was an anchient ruin for the gods, not to be disturbed or touched by any other than holy hands. Moss grew in patches on the dungeon floors and walls, giving it an ever-growing sense of abandonment. Then, he heard the sounds of combat in the room just ahead -- undoubtably Balmung already fighting. Unsheathing his daggers, the boy rushed in to see the white-armored man deftly parrying and blocking a Chicken Hand, not letting the creature lay a single scratch upon his skin. He seemed to be doing it like it was just a past-time, paying little attention and instead speaking to the green-haired boy who just entered.
"Do you swear by the Twilight Dragon that you did not intend to spread this virus, kill any, or destroy this game?" Balmung said quietly, looking reletively calm at the moment.
The twin blade merely nodded. "You can trust me..."
He was rewarded with a slight hmph from the man before being addressed again.
"Whatever you say. Remember, I have power here. I can get you suspended..."
And end any chance of finding Orca... Kite thought with a shiver.
"Kite. Use your ability on this creature. Do what it takes, and no more." he said, seeming a bit haughty, and with a bit of distaste at the obvious spread of the infection of the dreaded virus through the game he loved. Taking one great, bounding leap backward, he landed behind Kite, and let the boy do his work, all while watching carefully and recording any data spasms or fluctuations, arms crossed coldly. He obviously did not like the data drain Kite wielded.
The young newbie took a deep breath as the winged monster set its sights on him, clearing his mind before running forward. In a flurry of leaps and slashes, done in the very obvious beginner style of hitting any avaliable spot without caring for strategy, he slowly whittled the bird-creature's HP down, waiting for the familiar message of protection break that only he seemed to be able to see. After a while, with much HP lost on both sides (although Kite had used Repth once), the crackling sound echoed through the tunnel dungeon, signalling the weakness of Kite's opponent. It was a reletively small time frame -- The creature would recover soon enough. Behind him, Kite could fear Balmung shift, as if he had sensed the nearing of the skill's usage, moving in for a closer look.
"I'm gonna use it now..." he said warily, before accessing the command he knew would throw him in cyberspace once again.
It was like his spirit, his real self, was tugged from his body, into the pure whiteness of cyberspace. Where ever his body was, all he could see now was his target and himself; nothing else existed for the time. Kite didn't scream like the first time he had used the move, suprised and un-aware, but it still gave him a shock every time he used it. Pulled upwards by the overpowering force of the bracelet, he was surrounded by its raw data and was used as a gate for the creature's own, as the numbers flowed through his soul. All at once, it was over. It always caught him by suprise, the sudden lapse into reality -- Oftentimes he fell, but lately he had gotten used to the sudden, slightly acrobatic move he had to pull to land on his feet and not on his face.
However, even a boy such as him had not accounted for the fact that the floor might not appreciate such antics. Much like the slickness of ice, a small dingy and dirty patch of old moss was caught under his foot, and it slid. Not again... was his thought, moving in lightning speed. It was always his thought, every time he knew he was going to fall, as it often happened. Prepare to lose hitpoints in 3...2...1...
Instead of that painful fate that he would have prefered, Balmung, standing behind the boy, caught him as he stumbled backward, gently pushing him upright, lingering for only a fraction of a second. It would not even have been considered lingering, if Kite hadn't thought about it the moment he realized he was being held securely, by the only other man in the cave.
Balmung quickly dispensed of the enemy, a tiny level 0 Pippy while Kite re-oriented his train of thought which had suddenly de-railed. He could feel it, that same feeling pulsing at the back of his mind...He wasn't stupid, he knew it was Balmung. Before he could think any more on the subject, Balmung was just suddenly there, behind him, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. ...Spaced out again...He must think I'm wierd or something...
"I'm going to leave now...I got what I needed. Thank you for your cooperation. And this is for you." Without any notice, Balmung just warped out...Even though he probably shouldn't have wasted a Sprite ocarana for such a hasty getaway. Where he was, there was a small, silver scarab like those you find in treasure chests. The only difference was, its eyes were a mysterious ruby color, its wings a shimmering opal. And unlike the ones you traded, this one was alive, already running along his hands. Although in Kite's subconcious, he knew he shouldn't touch anything he wasn't sure of, but it was still fun to watch the little bug skitter and run about. Before long, the scarab seemed tired and was content to sit on Kite's shoulder...And as it sat, its limbs became lifeless, and a small cord appeared around the boy's neck, holding the beetle in place.
Apparently Balmung didn't hate him so much anymore, if he was giving such a special present to him.
He smiled.
~~~~~
He didn't hear from Balmung for the next week or so. Although the man was constantly on his mind, what he would do the next time they met, what the scarab was for, all of it -- Balmung of Azure Sky didn't show up again. Kite also didn't show anyone the scarab, doubtless that Minstral would try to trade for it and BlackRose would eye him suspiciously like she had been ever since that day with Balmung. Jealous, perhaps?
But the strangest thing was, he couldn't think straight. Not in straight lines, but slightly wavy that took longer to get to the point. Even stranger, he didn't even care, and was instead compelled to go through his daily online life without thinking about it. Just battling, leveling up, talking and trading...The little things. All while thinking of the mysterious winged man.
He knew that only BlackRose had noticed the slight change in his actions, the glazed look he got more often while thinking, but the girl didn't show it. Everything was normal again, and by that Friday, he had given up on Balmung and assumed the man was watching him from afar or plotting to assassinate his avatar.
Later the next day, while he was off on his own leveling in a sunny field, Kite was resting upon one of the many stones that littered the landscape, playing with the beetle. By now, it was like a familiar -- although it did nothing, the scarab was a comfortable warmth against his chest, and a constant companion that didn't fade away like all others did. This time, the ruby stone eyes glittered and the bug looked up at the twin blade with sudden intelligence in the middle of running along his hands.
"So, I see...Innocently used, I suppose. Wait, I'll be right there." it said, the little message forming between its antennae before zapping to nothingness again. The insect resumed its play while Kite looked down strangely, the light fog that washed his life thus far suddenly cleared. 'I'll be right there'? ...Balmung?
The sound of a player warp confirmed his belief -- He turned and there he was, standing tall in all his glory, white wings catching the light and cascading around his figure. Suprisingly, Kite was caught in a sudden rush of hostility directed towards the man standing before him. Leaping up, he pointed one of his daggers towards Balmung, looking wary.
"What did you do to me!" he said. In his mind, he knew it, but it had been covered by that thick fog which had only just let up. Balmung let just the tiniest twitch of his lips betray a would-be smile.
"I regret having to do that, Kite. The only way to see your true intentions was to use a minor charm spell on you and just watch...But you've proven at least reletively trustworthy." his look, however, obviously told that he still didn't trust completely, but at least a little more. It was a start...The anger Kite had felt washed away as he reasoned out what the man had said.
Kite knelt and picked up the scarab again, watching it come back to life in his hands. This must be the cause... As if confirming his mental thoughts, Balmung answered.
"Don't worry, you can keep the beetle. I took the spell off, although I might add that what it sees, I see. Oh, and you can call me for your party...It's easier than watching through a bug." He seemed a bit irked that he had been reduced to spying, but satisfied at what he saw. Kite nodded, and slipped the beetle back under his shirt where it couldn't be seen.
"Ok, I will."
The Descendant of Fianna smiled for once, and then nodded a small goodbye. "Until we meet again, then."
As he was gating out, Kite just spoke a few words, half quietly, half eagerly wishing he could hear, although he couldn't be sure.
"Thank you...Balmung. Thank you."
~~~~~
Ah, yes, I hate it when I get the feeling chars are OOC. So...I think I'm making Balmung a bit too lenient and relaxed enough to tell, and Kite a bit too...Ah...Smart? Oh well, please review! ^^ Updates when I can, sped up by the influence of reviews.