Disclaimer: Okay, the standard disclaimer here folks. I don't own Ragnarok Online, Gravity does and I don't own Mageknight either, Wizkids does. So save yourself the trouble of trying to sue me, I don't have any money. Seriously. Now that that's done with, let's get on with the fic.

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Stolen Destiny

By: Midnight Blue Eyes

Prologue

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I see the end coming . . .

A vast, endless river of black mist poured out of a stone archway flowing in one direction as though it knew where it was going.

I feel the cold touch of darkness closing in from the horizon . . .

Metal turned into rust, trees withered, rocks crumbled and water turned black at the slight touch of the tainted mist.

An oath long since abandoned . . .

The flowing black mist came upon and surrounded four pillars of light, which radiated a color different from the other.

A vigil left unfinished . . .

The light emanating from the pillars started to grow dim as the black mist that surrounded them closed in on them.

Destiny never waits . . .

The black mist finally engulfed the four pillars before spreading in eight directions, no trace of the pillars were left.

The Gate is now open.

A visage of a tree came into sight with symbols hovering at its base, followed by a flash of blinding light.

Kastali's eyes immediately snapped open, her body now sitting upright on her bed; her flowing red hair fluttering in the wind as a strong breeze blew through her open window. The images that flashed through her mind were as vivid as the setting sun. The words in her dream echoed hauntingly, lingering, warning, reminding. Her hand immediately sought her final connection to her past, the last reminder of something lost forever. Her fingers gently trailed the cold outline of her mask, as though its texture spoke more than a thousand volumes of books could tell. She thought it was all over, that they'd left it all behind, but in her heart she knew this day would come. The day that the past they'd left behind would come back to haunt them.

'How long has it been?'

'How long have I dreaded this day to come? How long has it been since I've last felt the eye's pull?'

'It has remained dormant for years, but now . . .'

'It is time. At long last it is time'

'What would happen now? Would we run again?'

'Do we really stand a chance?'

'What chance do these people have against something magic, technology, technomancy, and might can do nothing against?'

Immediately Kastali got up from her bed and strode through the lonely cobblestone corridors, her destination set. Arriving at her destination she stood before a wooden door with a gothic looking C symbol etched upon it. Silently she opened the door and peeked inside. There she found him sleeping peacefully as if the events a month ago have never come to pass. She silently watched his chest rise and fall, listened to the sound of his rhythmic breathing, and found herself slightly more at peace. She smiled inwardly at the thought.

'Back then if I tried to foresee what my future would be like, this life that I lead now would be at the bottom of my list.'

She'd only met him a month ago yet somehow she felt connected to him, as though she already knew him, as though their meeting was supposed to happen. She saw that the fire in his eyes were akin to her own, the raw anger, anguish and determination that once shone brightly in her eyes flickered within his. Perhaps this was the reason she took him in.

Or perhaps it was simply the fact that they were two of a kind.

'He seems to be recovering well from the tragedy… physically anyway. However there are some things time cannot mend.'

She knew that after what happened he could never be the same and return to his normal life. The past three days were a testament of how he slowly realized this fact. He spent those three days crying.'

He cried. He cried for his parents, cried for Lina, cried for Raven, cried for the rogues who deserved their being sent to the hospital, cried for his own life.

'And now the time is upon us, where all of those bound by the threads of fate must now weave this last chapter, the final act long overdue. The Destiny once forgotten, which they had run from, had now caught up with them.'

'All the more reason more to continue his acolyte training.'

She walked closer to him and sat in the chair adjacent to his bed, noting that he had cried himself to sleep again. She brushed a few silvery blond strands of hair from his face before giving a quick kiss on his forehead. She then quickly stood up and made to leave the room but abruptly stopped at the room's entrance.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, shedding a tear before finally leaving the boy's bedroom.

'I'm so sorry.'

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A year had passed . . .

And during that year things went from alright to awry. Reports from all the major cities poured into Rune Midgard's capital city Prontera. There had been rumors of the thieves' guilds in Morroc feuding with one another at night, covering the city in a shroud of fear and violence. Food ran scarce in the cities of Geffen, Alde Barran and Payon. Alberta's once bustling merchant city now mellowed down as some shops didn't open for days, their shopkeepers hardly leaving the house. Also reports of thievery incidents have increased in the satellite city of Izlude, baffling the already tapped authorities.

Each city of Rune Midgard's inner sphere seemed to be preoccupied with each of their own problems that they never saw the dawning of a new age. The time of the messengers has come.

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It was raining. Hard. A lone figure was standing under an archway, watching as the rain continued to pour from the dark clouds above. His chestnut brown hair swayed in the wind's direction as it blew through the archway, his ruby eyes watching the raindrops falling upon the garden, making the flowers sparkle in the moonlight. He seemed mesmerized at the way it fell upon the earth, washing away its impurities. How he wished it could be done for him as well.

As he stood there transfixed his hand drifted to one of his weapons, a golden long sword, and grasped it by the hilt. It was one of the few things constant in his life. He'd already spent six months traveling from city to city, traversing mountains, sleeping in forests, constantly wandering. He lived by relying on his crafting skills. His aimless exodus fueled only by two words.

'Arciellant. Maren'kar. I wish I knew what exactly these two words mean to me. What or who are they? They're the only lead I have to my past, as well as my future.'

He drew the sword from its sheath and examined it. The pale moonlight reflected off its golden surface, making it gleam slightly. The single-edged sword was almost entirely gold, the exceptions being the handle and the cylinder attached on its blunt edge. Also noticeable about it was a small curved notch protruding on one side of the handle. He regarded it thoughtfully, reminiscing the events that lead to his possession of the sword.

Or more precisely he wished he never got it.

'The rain is finally stopping. Maybe I can find lodging for the night.'

He then proceeded further into the heart of the vast capital, he decided he would rest for the night before running through the local rumor mill in the morning. He ducked into the nearest inn and quickly checked in. The night grew deeper and soon the wandering blacksmith finally found himself lulled by the sweet embrace of sleep. His mind drifted into the void realm where all minds go to when asleep, be it another dimension or simply a world existing in our minds.

He opened his eyes and found himself in a ruined courtyard. Castle sections and pillars were strewn about, forming a makeshift coliseum. He stood once more under an archway staring at the rain once more. His attention shifted when he heard a roar echoing in the night sky. At one side of the arena stood an gigantic shadow its features resembling something close to a bull standing on its hind legs wielding an enormous scythe. It seemed to be glaring at something . . . a figure at the other side of the arena.

It was a person in full-plate armor; someone with red hair arranged into a spiky pony tail. . . It was a girl.

"Alright," Said the armored female, pointing her sword at her opponent, who was easily thrice her size.

"It's just you and me, one on one."

The shadow lifted its weapon over its head and charged at her. She also lifted her weapon over her head and brought it down too soon…or so he thought. A pillar of light erupted and disintegrated the shadow, the last of its fragments forming a small gem which she took.

"Un…believable"

The winds picked up with increased force and blew the band, which held the girl's hair, releasing, making it flow like silk in the wind. It seemed now that she was staring at him with her violet eyes. He gasped fearing that she might think him that he was slaking her, but in reality she was only watching her hair band fly off to his direction, not once noticing him. He found his stare lock with hers. She seemed so strong when he first saw her…but…her eyes…they seemed so gentle, so vulnerable. He reached his hand out to her and…

A flash of lightning made him withdraw his hand, and brought him back to his room. He slowly sat up on his bed.

"It was a dream…?"

But his hand still felt wet, and much to his surprise, it was. He quickly checked under the sheets to make sure it wasn't what he thought it was. He was definitely too old for that. Satisfied that he hadn't wet his bed, his thoughts drifted back to his dream, or so he thought it to be.

He found a towel and dried his hand. He lied back down on his bed and stared at it. He reached it out towards the ceiling as though he was reaching out for the girl in his dreams again.

"Weird" he muttered.

His last coherent thoughts lingered on her cool violet eyes, before succumbing to a dreamless sleep.

He never knew that his dream was the last seal, the last barrier holding back the flood of destiny. It would begin soon, and Rune Midgard would be torn asunder.

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Author's note:

Alrighty, there goes my first chappie for my very first fanfic. I feel so blessed. My beta-reader said thatMY fic, was alright. sobsShe said that it was alright . . . . .

Ok I'm fine now.

Knowledge pertaining to both games I'm splicing together is not needed, I'm trying to make sure of that. Though it would sometimes help in ruining my surprises. There's also a scene in this fic, which I "borrowed" from an anime, kudos to anyone who spots it. I put it there for a purpose. Hopefully it would serve as a basis for some fluff later. And lastly read and review please. Constructed criticisms are welcome, while flames will be put out.

Midnight Blue Eyes signing off.