And Then There Was Two...
 By: Teejay Nichols

This is not a happy story, not for the likes of some. This story contains the love, hurt, and troubles of a small family. Who no matter how much the pain took, they would make it through their troubles and find light into their paths. This story is based upon truth and some fiction. The trials this family faced was horrible, but somehow they made it through with just a few scars. Based upon the story of Devon, Gladys and Teejay...the small family...this story took place in the 2D game of "Maple Story" and is dedicated to that small family.

The sun was blazing in the 2D online game, there was the young and mischevious mage who would never settle for "no" as an answer, and then there was the tall beautiful cleric, whos eyes were amber in the sun, her hair down to her back and a small wand clutched into her pocket, and there was a tall dark skined theif, whos stars were always into his nuckles ready for action. This is the family who never gave in, whos love for one another would never end...until one day...but let us not rush the story. One day the beautiful cleric was going shopping in the small forest town Ellinia. The sun was blazing on her soft pale skin so she put on her fairy skirt and rolled up her sleeves. "Ughh...I don't know what to buy! So many things! I guess i could buy bro some new stuff...he wears that stupid black cap all the time! Lets see..." She said while climbling a vine to the route of the 'Ellinia Clothes and Defence Shop.' As she opened the door of the shop her boy friend, Devon bumped into her comming out. Her boy friend was the dark skined theif inwhich I told you about earlier. "Oh hey Gladys, i was just buying bro some new things, i'm sick of him wearing that hat!" Devon pulled a green wizard hat out of his small bag and showed it to Gladys. "Uhhh..Bro said he wouldn't wear that thing even if he was forced too..." Gladys said while giving a soft giggle and pulled out her purse. "I'll get him something that matches that...hat. That way he might accually wear it!" Gladys said while holding Devon's large hand and walking through the door.

Teejay was sitting on a bench in the town small town of Henseys. He was looking at his wooden staff that had a small scratch upon the wooden handle. He groaned and put his head on his lap. "Sissypoo is going to have my head..." He said while giving a deep sigh. "Well i wouldn't cry about it all day!" He knew this voice, it was the voice of the woman he loved; Jea. Jea was a warrior for the town of Perion. She had a pair of 'Ice Pants' on and a white tee shirt. Her golden shield was on her back and her sabre was at her side. "JEA!" Teejay immeditaly got up and gave her a hug. "Where have you been...? I got in a fight with a Golem and it left a huge scratch on my staff! Err..well Glady's old staff" He said while still hugging her in his arms. "Haha well don't whine over it! Go to her, she won't be mad...er...i hope not!" Jea said while she sat on the bench and examined the staff. Teejay looked near the entrance to the town and seen his brother and sister coming into vision. He took a gulp and braced himself for the worse. Jea quickly looked at Teejay and proclaimed she had to go to Perion for new armor. "Nooo! You can't leave meee! She will have my headddddd!" Teejay whined as he quickly hid the staff under the bench. Slowly Gladys approched him..and the closer he got..the closer hell was to him. A large cloud passed over the small town at that moment, and Teejay sat there playing with his black hat. "Hey bro, I see you took your hat off for one minute! We have a surprise for you!" Gladys said grabbing the bag from Devon's hand. "Oooh yeah...and just so you know...Devon bought the hat! Not me! I had nothing in the hat!" She quickly said handing him the bag. Teejay slowly opened up the bag and seen the ugly green hat that made him want to puke. "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Oh My God how could you buy me this thing?" He said while putting the hat in the bag quickly and pulling out a new set of robes. "HAHAHAHAHA! I TOLD YOU HE WOULDN'T WEAR THAT THING!" Gladys said while trying to stop laughing. Since she didn't notice the staff mark he just went on like nothing had every happened to the wooden staff. "Thanks guys, both of you, i can just sell that hat for good money now! So thanks!" Teejay said hugging them both. "Has Jea been here? I thought i seen her pass...I wonder why she would leave...hmm oh well" Gladys said while a breeze passed, blowing her black hair in the wind. "Lets go..ermm..lets go kill some things! I wanna become stronger!" Teejay said while much enthusisum. "Alright, we shall go to...Perion?" Gladys asked the family. "Oooh yes! Jea is there, and i missses her..." Replied Teejay with a frown on his face. "Oh pull yourself together! Shes just a girl." Devon said while arranging his stars. "AHEM! Is that all I am to you? Just a...Girl!" Gladys said while glaring into Devon's eyes. "No No! Thats not what i mean! err...lets just go." Devon said while getting up and walking away. The small family walked out of the town, and went on the route to the large town Perion.

Many clouds filled the afternoon skys, and it seemed like it was just getting hotter as the moments passed. The small family was walking along a small rocky route, there was little bushes along the sides and a few flowers here and there. "Hey there fellows, Would you be interested in buying some-" Said a man being interuppted by Devon. "NO, we do not want anything" Devon quickly replied. Gladys looked down at her feet and had a small frown. She walked over to the man and apologized for Devon's wrong doing. "Bro you don't have to be so mean...I might have wanted what ever he was selling." Teejay replied to his brother. "You want everything you can get." Devon looked at his brother and said. Teejay backed up a little and held his staff in his hands. "I sence a monster..." Teejay said. Gladys took her wand from her pocket and Devon got his stars ready. All of a sudden the skys turned dark and the clouds started to twirl. "Whats going on?" Teejay asked loosing his balance. The ground started to shake and a huge swarm of monsters fell from the sky. Immediatly the small family, was ready for action. Gladys started clicking the end of her wand while orbs of light came flying out of the end of her wand. Devon started throwing stars at any monsters he seen, and Teejay started casting magic that attacking the monsters twice and with extra power. More monsters started turning into dust because this small, but strong family worked together as a team...so that they was unstoppable. When all the the monsters were defeated they all sat down resting. "Wow...what the hell was that about?" Teejay asked his brother and sister. "I don't know...i never seen so many monsters in one area..." Gladys replied while glancing over at her brother. "Bro..you're...you're...glowing...you...you can become a stronger wizard!" She said in a state of awe. "I-I AM! I CAN! I WILLL!" Teejay said while jumping around. "Lets go back to Ellinia! Sissypoo didn't you buy warp scrolls?" Teejay said while glancing at her with a sparkle in his eye. Gladys got her purse and pulled out three warp scrolls that would take them to Ellinia. "Ok here, use these now so we can get to the head wizard before dusk!" She said while passing out the scrolls. At the count of three they all used the scrolls magic to go to the forest of Ellinia, and from there to the head wizard.

They all ended up in the small forest village of Ellinia. The climbed the small vines to the top of the forest to the highest tree, where there stood a small hut, the hut of wisom as Gladys called it. The small family finally got to the top and went into the hut. "Ahh welcome, welcome, I see you have gotten much stronger Teejay, and how do you do Gladys, and forgive me for not knowing your name brave theif." The head mage said. "Hello Head mage, how are you today?" Gladys asked with a smile on her face. "Oh i'm just one more day older i suppose, and how are you my dear Gladys?" The wise mage asked looking deep into her amber eyes remembering the first time she had came to him. "I'm just as great as ever, but enough about me, my brother wants to become stronger. The wise mage hadn't said a word, he just stood there looking into the golden eyes of the beautiful cleric. "Gladys...ahh..yes..i remember the first time you came to me..you was just a young little tike, full of joy and laughter, i couldn't say no to such a beautiful face, i granted you your first spell...ahh yes...energy bolt...then you always would come to visit, for more advice on how to do your skills correctly...then you came to me wishing to be a cleric, ooh was i amazed on how much you grown...ahh yes..and it seems like you are healing anyone who needs it, such a kind heart you have, so pure and rich full of life...and now you come to me about your younger brother...yes..another fine mage he will make...will he follow upon his great sister's footsteps and become a wonderful cleric?" The old mage relied slowly to Gladys. Gladys turned to her brother "How about it? What do you wish to become bro? A cleric who heals and wields holy power, or a strong fighter mage who can take down any monster with ease?" Gladys asked her brother. "Bro become a mage and take down monsters, don't become a cleric and heal people, be a fighter!" Devon said while leaning against the wall and yawning. "Are you done yet? I'm getting bored..." He said as a second responce. "And just who do you think you are to say that a cleric is weak young theif? They contain great power in the arts of life." The wise mage replied to Devon's responce. "I mean, Gladys is the best cleric i know..and to me all the others are weak..because they are not the woman i love with all my heart..." Devon replied while looking into Gladys' golden eye rims surrounding her pupil. Gladys smiled and looked down at the floor, her face was flushed with red and she didn't know what to say. Teejay slowly decided "Mr.Wise Mage sir, I wish to become a cleric, like my wonderful sister, and so that I may become the second strongest to my bro." Gladys' face lite up with a big smile and hugged her bro and Devon. "Lets never part...ok?" She said. "Never sissypoo...never..." Said Teejay, "Yeah we will always be a family...always..." Devons aid while kissing his Gladys' soft black hair that shined from the light. The wise mage chanted a few words and Teejay's auro started to become pure, he started to feel like there was no sin anymore. A holy light shone from him and he was now, an offical, Cleric.

"Now young Teejay, you are now a cleric, Gladys i trust you will show him how to conjure a nice heal and a holy arrow, Please do check back in with me to show me your wonderful progress, good day to you all, and Gladys I hope you will come visit me again." After the wise mage said these words he disappeared, not to be seen by anyone. "I-I'm a cleric! FINALLY!" Teejay shouted with glee. "Bro, sissypoo look! I am strong!" Teejay slowly sat down and tried to cast heal. "No no no bro, you move your wand upwards, then rise the energy above so it feels like the sky is comming down to you, then you will see the holy heal auro surrounding yourself." Gladys said while showing her brother the correct movements. "So uhh...where do i come in on this 'Holy Training'?" Devon asked the two. "Well i don't think you know how to work a wand...so i'm not sure you would be much help, but you can teach him steath so he doesn't die so much." Gladys said while moving his hands up. "Oh-kay..? What does a mage have to do with steath? You done lost me Gladys." Devon said while grabbing his claw out and polishing it. "Well...I'm not sure but it SHOULD help him in some kind of freak of nature way..." Gladys replied. Devon creeped out the door and done a few vines to the 'Ellinia Attack and Defence store'. Gladys knew what Devon was up to so she tried to keep Teejay occupied the other way. Devon had bought all the things a cleric needs such as a new wand, new robes, a pinter hat, and many magic potions. When Teejay finally conjured the 'Heal' spell Devon came back with a large bag of items. "Bro...turn around" Devon stated with the large bag in his hands. Teejay turned around and to his surpise found his brother with a large bag of Cleric items ready to give him. "Are those for me!" Teejay asked in shock. "Yeah, and you better use them! Those cost half of my mesos." Devon said with a big smirk on his face. "And bro don't sell those for money, those cost alot!" Gladys said with a lecture comming along.

After a few days in the 2D game things were changing...It was like the family was growing apart...The love between the beautiful cleric and the tall brave theif was growing weaker...and weaker...until the day the rained poured, the thunders roared, and the lightning lite the sky up...That day tears were shed...and so was blood...the pain was so intence...the family was breaking apart...Devon and Gladys broke up, and the youngest of them all, Teejay was devastiated...the online 2D game family was no more...there was just the love of the brothers, and the love of a beautiful sister..."Bro...don't go..." Teejay said as a tear rolled down his soft pale cheek. "Devon...i'm sorry..." Gladys said while taking her brother up into her arms. It was a small narrow path with autumn leaves on the ground, the trees had different shades of red, yellow, and a small amount of green. Devon walked upon the small path...and never looked back...And then...there was two...

The End

"Its a small family...but its ours..."

Dedicated to: Devon, Gladys and Teejay