Disclaimer: The name "Ragnarok" does not belong to neither I nor my friends.

Another chapter done! I hope you like it!

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Chapter five: Awakening

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I groaned and painfully sat up, massaging my temples as my vision finally cleared a bit. I didn't even bother to look around, my head hurt so much. Then suddenly I remembered what had happened and looked around for Aiko, desperately hoping she would be there. My heart sank when I couldn't see her but then I heard a weak moan. There she was lying in the untamed grass just a few feet away from me. I stumbled over and gently shook her, "Aiko, wake up," My voice sounded raw and sandy, but at least I had managed to get it to work.

Aiko groaned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up straight, "Where are we?"

"I…I'm not sure," I answered as I helped her up to her feet, although she hardly needed any.

Sometimes I admired Aiko's energy; she could recover from a serious wound faster than anyone I know. But I was disrupted from my thoughts as I turned and saw a sight that made me speechless.

Gone were the childish walls of Aiko's room, we now stood facing a town filled with busy people spilling onto the streets in a thousands directions.

"Hey! Out'ta the way! What'd'ya think yer doin'?"

I jerked my head up and saw a huge wagon charging their way. A chestnut horse was pulling an old and battered looking wagon at a fast speed and I could see a portly looking man sitting on the small wagon. The ground shook with every step the wagon's horse took and a foul odor filled the air. I quickly scrambled to my feet, almost tripping over Aiko in my haste, and managed to drag my friend off to the side as the dusty wagon narrowly missed hitting us.

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She was laying face down the mud, with one thought going through her head. MUD? I don't want to get up, I don't want to know where I am, and I'll just stay here, on the ground. Safe, safe ground….with my face buried in mud…..

She lay there for what seemed like forever, but finally, impatience won and she pulled herself off the ground, surveying her surroundings.

Wasn't I just in an Arcade before? She groaned, where am I now? I swear, if my parents paid the government to turn me into a "lady" again, I'll kill them personally.

Evergreen trees surrounded her, and a cheerful sun was shinning through the cracks in the blanket of leaves above.

A VERY inappropriate and un-lady like word ran through her mind. SHIT! She swore with the burning anger her parents disapproved of and didn't stop until she was sure her face has turned the faintest of blues.

Gasping for breath, she rose to her feet unsteadily and began to walk. For an unknown reason, she was going to a place she knew she must to go, and yet she did not know where the place was. The trees all looked the same after a while but she was not panicking. She was not lost. She knew exactly where she was going…almost.

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Midori, a fifteen year old girl at Ragnarok High, was currently standing open mouthed at the scenery before her. She knew she was forgetful but not all the forgetfulness in the world would have gotten her to where she was right now. Speaking of forgetfulness, is that a word? She mused over the silent, and very random, question and for a short moment all the troubles were pushed aside for more…urgent matters.

She was smiling faintly to herself, still pondering over the silly question when a flash was seen out of the corner of her eye. "What the?" she muttered and jerked so quickly around her head protested and her vision swam.

Then the chaos came. One by one, they came, whoever they were, whatever they were. The flash came again, this time in the opposite direction and Midori whipped her head around again, without thinking. A sharp pain in her right arm and another jolt to her left arm a few seconds later came. The flash again, her head turning and the pain continued. It was a whole vicious cycle.

A flash by the base of the huge maple tree, a pain on the opposite side and the swimming confusion in her head were all that Midori knew for a moment. As the blurs moved around her, always in the opposite direction, she was busy thinking. She withdrew into her mind, where countless of random thoughts were surfacing and thought. Why was the sky blue? I really want to fly. Have you ever tried eating soap? It tastes like…well soap. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep! Fuzzy sheep!

She pushed away the thoughts that were not helpful in this situation and concentrated on her options right now.

One: Scream

Two: Scream louder and try to fend off the blurs

Three: Run

Four: Run…NOW!

Ah, she thought dazed over the pain that has spread now to everywhere on her body, that's the right thing to do. And so she ran. She listened to that little voice in her mind screaming and shaking her to run for her dear life. Now! She bolted and ran faster than she ever thought possible, for her anyway (actually it was considered slightly above average speed, but that's not the point right now).

Unfortunately the painful little blurs must have thought it to be really run to follow her because the pain continued to come. The buzzing in her ears dimmed for the first time since the beginning of the attacks and she heard the sound.

She thought it was pretty quiet but it was actually somewhat loud. Somehow everything seems stranger in her mind; more distant, but that's not the point right now either. (Let's face it though; this girl does not know how to handle a real life threatening situation. I mean really! RUN should be the first impulse someone has…).

It was a "quiet" banging sound. It was the sound of someone tapping two metal objects together every few seconds or so. She noticed, through her head filled with random thoughts, that the blur came first and then the sound. The pain came last.

Maybe, she thought, smiling to herself and no one else, this idea isn't so crazy after all. But our crazy girl never got the chance to think or let alone tell the idea she has in her random mind. Because at that same moment, something happened, something that should have happened a long time ago but was late, like Midori.

A blinding flash of dazzling pale green spread throughout the forest (oh yes, did Midori fail to mention she was in a dense forest? Seriously, you simply cannot give this girl any task you want completed) and inside Midori, the something was finally happening.

The only word that came to her mind was; right. That and warm, fuzzy, complete. The list goes on but the strongest word was right. Whatever was happening, it felt just right. It felt as if it was just waiting to happen (well, actually it was late but that's not the point right now either, is it?) for such a long time. She felt complete.

The warm feeling was strongest in her head. She felt a pale green surrounding her mind and a sudden moment of clarity settling in. Then, as sudden as the warm feeling came, a pain coursed through her cheek. The pain stopped under her left eye and she flinched. The pain also felt right, somehow. But she could not help flinching. It did hurt, after all. The burning sensation stayed on her cheek for some time while the warm feeling returned to her mind, stronger than ever. She could not help but smile in her usual day-dreaming way. She was silently musing over another pointless question because she knew. She knew that time was the only thing in control now; she had to wait.

The pale green light faded gradually, but it burned ever so strongly around Midori. The forgetful girl was still pondering over her question and smiling, as usual. The changes in the area did not go unnoticed by her though; it managed to get through to her mind filled with random thoughts. A small frown graced her lips and her brows furrowed with confusion. Well, she thought, that was suppose to happen. Something's not complete yet. Something else has to be here.

And yes, our crazy girl is right. Something has happened to her body, but the item that she needs now is late. (Again with the lateness, really, does anything Midori must own ever arrive on time?) Midori smiled, or rather smirked, slightly as she waited once more. It'll get here soon, she decided. Time is only of the essence. I can afford to wait.

Her mind raced faster than before, clearer and sharper. Her thoughts came whizzing and buzzing annoyingly. More random thoughts came as well as useful ones. It was now a whole mixed jumble of thoughts but somehow Midori remained calm. She sorted out the thoughts as they came in the frenzy and waited. Whatever the glow was and the changes it did to my mind, she decided, isn't all too bad.

Then it happened….again. The last piece of the puzzle, as you may call it, has finally arrived. Fashionably late, as usual, but it came nevertheless. The green glow that never really faded around Midori suddenly flashed with renewed energy. It shimmered and rippled with power.

A shape was beginning to form close to Midori's head and the pain in her cheek pulsed. (Don't ask me how a pain can pulse, it just did) It was slender and from the looks of it, sleek. It was not at all fancy; it was simple and plain. It was a wand, no longer than half your arm's length. It can also be called a VERY short staff, if one wants to. The rough looking wood was carved with complicated designs. A round periodic jewel sat near the top of the wand, gleaming in the dull pale green glow. Midori could have sworn it just flashed on its own. She could have sworn she just saw a fire like liquid moving around inside. But, our forgetful girl forgot about the accident and concentrated on what was happening again.

The glow really faded away this time. The ritual was complete, finally, and the changes are done. (Not really a ritual, if you ask me, because the events were late. Really, magical events being late...) It withdrew into Midori and the pain in her cheek drained away. She felt lighter, somehow, more complete.

The pain came again, a few seconds after the glow faded. (You haven't forgotten about the blurs, have you?) Another pain followed and then another. Soon, the persistent little flashes were aiming anywhere they could reach. They gave jolts of pain to Midori's leg, arms, stomach and hands. She still could not see what they were and how they looked like. However, she did feel their anger and twisted amusement. They were toying with her.

This time, the little voice inside her mind did not have to tell her to run. She ran on her own. Her legs were carrying her away again, but this time she had a plan. (Don't ask me where or when the forgetful girl thought up a plan, but I suppose the Something had changed a lot about her)

She dodged tree roots sticking out from the forest floor and weaves between thick trees. She was hoping to lose some of them. She knew this crazy plan of hers would not work against too many of these devilish creatures.

The tapping of metal against metal grew even quieter and she was positive some of those things could not keep up. It must have been too difficult for them to maneuver around the thick tree trunks. It must have been too tiring for them.

The event that has been leading up to is about to come soon. Midori's plan is going to work, she was sure of it. But, surprises show up at the last minute and strike you in the face, literally. Serendipity was the only word on Midori's mind as she tripped on a huge tree root jotting out from the ground. The wand in her hand was flung backwards, over her head and a powerful jolt pushed Midori into the mossy floor even deeper. She managed to cling onto the wand as waves gushed out of the tip. Midori had her face pushed up against the mossy floor and so she could not see the brilliant show of light when the waves of power met the painful little blurs. The tiniest of shrieks reached Midori's ears, but our forgetful girl simply dismissed it as the same buzzing in her ears as before.

She sat up and leaned against the trunk of a tree. (There are so many to choose from, really, in this dense forest.) Her face felt cool from the moss and her body stung. There was still a faint warmness in her mind and on her forehead. The pain in her cheek was replaced by the same warm feeling and Midori closed her eyes. She was smiling in her day-dreaming sort of way again. Midori was musing over another random question in her head, as usual, except this time things were different than before. This time, the questions are so much clearer and sharper. This time, no detail was missed by the question clouded mind of hers.

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Yes, this chapter was VERY random, but I couldn't think of anything else. Well, I really have no idea where this story is going, to tell the truth, but the plot bunny attacked me during the writing of the Midori part. This fanfic is really going no where, but if you like to read completely random stories…

I might redo the chapters for this fanfic, if I have the time (which I rarely do, sorry), so that it moves a lot faster than this,

I hope you enjoyed reading the randomness of the plot bunny!

xMoon-Lightx