A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reviewing my fanfic, it really helped me keep my hopes up! Sorry it took so long for me to upload a new chappie, it was our exams this week. Anyway, to the people who liked my previous story, Runaway Princess, I'm sorry I won't be continuing that for a while… I'm having writer's block! BTW, this new chapter is dedicated to the LokixLidia pairing, it looks cute! Less humor today, it's a serious chapter
Disclaimer: I do not own Ragnarok Online or even Ragnarok: Into the Abyss. (I wish I did though… TT) I don't even own Mulan. Note: the song in this chapter is entitled Reflections… sung by no other than the Filipina Lea Salonga (I'm soooo proud!).
Chapter 2:
Aldaria
"What do you keep under there, rocks?" Miko whined as he dragged the bag across the coral-white streets of Alberta.
"Sometimes," Mayah shrugged, "I trust it's your first time in Alberta?"
"Yeah," Miko stared at Alberta's whitewashed buildings and then turned to Mayah, "How'd Kafra Therence know I like Artemis?"
"The Kafras know everything," Mayah shrugged, walking straight to a shack down at the docks.
Mayah knocked at the weather-beaten door. Clashes, clangs and a cat's pained meow were heard inside.
"Calm down, Sessy! I'll be right there!" a voice of an old woman called out.
The door opened to reveal a rather messy house with only one room. Pots, pans and other things were scattered randomly on the floor. A strange-looking black cat with three tails was going berserk on the floor.
"What d'you want?" a gray-haired old lady clutching a bag of foul-smelling substance peeked outside.
"We're here to make some trades Miss Lidia," Mayah smiled at her courteously, "If you have some time to spare of course. You seem – er – busy."
She turned her glance at the crazy cat.
"I always have time for you, Mayah, dear," Lidia softened once she figured out who it was, "Well, don't just stay out there… come in! Let us have a look at you."
Lidia beckoned them to sit on two makeshift chairs which she fashioned out of two crates marked with "Alberta Pickled Hydra Tentacles Factory". She began fussing about and put bigger crate in the middle. She took out three terribly chipped mugs and poured hot liquid which the pair assumed to be tea.
"Anyway," Mayah tried to take a sip, but found something slimy slithering in it that made her green, "Urgh… um… well, as I said we came for some trades."
"Let me see your list, then," Lidia held out her hand.
Mayah bit her lip and reluctantly handed the parchment. Lidia squinted to see the writing and her eyes suddenly grew large. She began shaking her head and muttering swear words under her breath.
"You're one brave kid, boy," Lidia told Miko, "I know it's you since Mayah's too sensible to ever produce a potion as complex and dangerous as this one. Who's the lady and what's your name?"
"Miko Kaiser of Lutie, madam," Miko answered indefinitely, "I'm a swordsman on training to be a Crusader."
"You're avoiding the question, Miko," Lidia said, "Who's the unlucky lady?"
"She's… She's…" Miko thought twice, "Artemis Shroomer of Payon…"
"I know her, she's quite the party girl," Lidia sighed, "I trust you never heard of Aldaria's story before?"
"I've heard of Aldaria's Draught from Mayah though…"
"And Mayah's the girl to tell you all about it too," Lidia said, "Every polished Alchemist knows about Aldaria. Would you do the honors, Mayah?"
"Before the advent of the Age of Men… Before the dawn of the Holy War of Gods and Mortals… Before the hand of the Valkyries… There was a time when all of the young women of Alberta had to marry…" Mayah began fantastically…
FLASHBACK
"Aldaria, dear, you have to pick someone out…" a tall man told to a very beautiful girl with golden locks and sea blue eyes sitting on the windowsill of the house.
"Daddy, haven't picked anyone yet…" Aldaria told him as he left the room.
"Well, what're we worrying about?" Aldaria heard her mother say, "She's known as the most beautiful girl in Midgard. She's an excellent Alchemist and a smart and graceful young lady. There's nothing to worry, she can find a husband in time."
"I don't know," her father told her mother, "Nothing would bring our family honor than to see Aldaria married. But at this rate… I don't think so…"
Aldaria sunk into misery. It wasn't her fault she was like this… There she was, the kind, smart and graceful lady of forlorn beauty… Yet, she was only admired… never loved…
"Look at me…
I will never pass for a perfect bride, or a perfect daughter.
Can it be I'm not meant to play this part?
Now I see that if I were truly to be myself,
I would break my family's heart…
"Who is that girl I see,
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Somehow I cannot hide…
Who I am, though I've tried…
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?"
"Nice song…" a disembodied voice called out to the young soul, "But not good enough…"
"Haven't you caused me enough trouble already, Freya?" Aldaria snarled, "You might be a Goddess, but I don't care…"
In a flash of light, the Goddess Freya appeared in front of the youth. She glowed radiantly in a robe illuminating the colors of the Aurora Borealis. The Goddess was a sight no human had ever seen before, yet, Aldaria's beauty seemed to be more eye-catching.
"I've decided to give you a chance, proud youth," Freya told her, "You're the most accomplished Alchemist in the whole of Midgard. No one, not even in Asgard can beat you. So, I've given you a week to come out with a potion to make somebody fall in love with you. If you cannot, I will personally send the Valkyrie Himmelmez and her Deputy Bijou to take care of you. Consider yourself lucky, mortal; no one has ever been lucky enough to survive my fury."
With that parting message the Goddess disappeared into the air.
For the past week, Aldaria labored in her tiny workshop, alone in the dark, she tried every formula possible. Finally, she came up with the perfect potion to make the man she adores so much to fall in love with her, a burly Blacksmith named Hermes.
The day they were wed, Freya came again to Aldaria, this time, in a blaze of fire.
"You might have won the battle, but you haven't won the war!"
Freya's curse wrought its fury at her. Aldaria one day found out that she didn't love the Blacksmith. She was too kind to ever admit the truth to her husband. For the rest of her life, she wandered in loneliness… Searching for her one true love…
FLAHSBACK
"Are you absolutely sure you're going to do this, Miko?" Lidia asked him, "You don't want to find out in the last minute your true feelings…"
"I'm sure I my decision, Miss Lidia…" Miko looked out into the window, "I love her…"
"If you say so. I'll go get the ingredients," Lidia sighed, "But this one's on the house, I don't want to cause any more trouble for you."
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
As Mayah added the last ingredients, Miko rocked nervously back and forth on his chair. It was deep in the night in Prontera. The pair was working in the abandoned belfry of the Sanctuary, the safest place in all of Midgard for them to be working. No one knows the passage to the belfry except the two of them and Father Andrei Rubalkabara, a priest that offered the room for Mayah's workshop.
"It's ready," Mayah said as clouds of purple smoke simmered from her cauldron, "Drink just one drop and think really hard of Artemis."
"Hold on to your lucky rabbit's foot, Mayah," Miko muttered.
"How'd you know I own a lucky rabbit's foot?"
"The Kafras know everything."
"Just be careful, Aldaria's Draught is known to turn people into monsters if not done properly…"
Just then, Mayah let out a horrified scream…
A/N: I've done it finally! Thank Odin! Thanks to my Ma'am Dabuco, if not for her assignment I wouldn't have the heart to finish this! Anyway, what caused Mayah to scream like that? Keep tuning on to the next-
Kafra Therence: Mommy! Akune is being mean again! ( )
Akune: But Daddy, she started it!
Pristine Harbinger: Why do you guys keep showing up at my fic and causing more trouble? (0o;) Feathertop, would you keep those kids down? I'm trying to end my fic! Anyways, keep your review coming guys, I really appreciate them! Where was I? Oh yeah, keep tuning on to my lousy fic! See ya!
Feathertop: Riiiight…