A/N: Poor Lightning, the young lady just can't seem to find a guild that doesn't make her hurl. Well, I don't blame her. I remember a few guilds back in my day in World of Warcraft who are full of insane people. Of course, the most annoying part was when I was guildless and a bunch of strange guilds just spam invite me. Each day after the tenth spam invite, I wanted to rip my hair out. Well mostly cause my hair is often long and I need it to get cut.
DECEMBER 1ST, 2022. FLOOR 4, EASTWIND VILLAGE
That day when I hung out with that Fuuinkazan guild was nothing but a living nightmare. I've tried so hard to forget the whole thing, but it just haunts me like a ghost living in my attic back at home. Those morons in the guild, except for Klein, were eyeing me as I was sleeping. Some tried to attempt to sleep with me, but I give them harsh lessons. Luckily being an orange player only lasted for a day, I was able to return to sleeping peacefully in a town Inn.
I'm having zero luck with finding a guild to join. I just can't seem to find one single guild that doesn't make me upchuck or irritated. I guess I'm meant to be a solo player like Hope mentioned. Maybe I don't really need to be in a guild.
It's now morning and I'm just leaving the inn. I have been getting some gears and it's changed my appearance. I'm now in a sleeveless midnight purple turtleneck with a black sleeveless vest, a silver plate shoulder-pad on my left shoulder, fingerless black and dark blue gloves, that Crypt Cape from the Shado-den Soulstealer boss, black ripped tights with silver plate armor hanging from the wrists on my thighs and combat boots.
I walk right out of the inn, yawning and stretching. I'm just waking up after a long sleep. I was up all night trying to farm some items to sell at an auction. Now I wonder what to do. How is Hope doing now that he's with those NORA idiots? He's still alive that's for sure, but I still don't trust them to keep the boy alive.
I take a walk around town until I arrive at the poster board. I open its menu and browse at the forums. I search in the guilds list. All I could find are forums from the guilds I rejected. I grunt in irritation seeing them, so I slide the menu away and browse through these mission quests other players made. I'm still surprised that we players could make quests.
I browse through the list until one of them caught my attention:
'Rescue team for a guild team' made by someone named Rokel (Pronounced: Row-kill)
"Let's see what's up," I say as I push the quest.
A window opens and there's a log that explains everything.
'My guild team has gone into the Elite Dungeon on the 5th floor. It's been three days since they left and they still haven't returned. They're still alive, I know they are but I'm really worried. Someone, please help. I'll pay you for every item I have in my inventory. I'll be waiting at the Owlnight Tree on the 5th floor.'
And now there's only two buttons underneath the log, one that says 'I accept' and another that says 'I decline'. I don't click on any of them, I wonder about this Rokel guy. I don't want to end up with another Snow or Klein...well, maybe not Klein, if anything, those morons in his guild.
I close the window and take my leave for this tree.
FLOOR 5, BLACK WOODS
Floor 5 is a dread zone. The whole floor is always dark, with small hills and the ground is either bluegrass or black dirt, all the trees are mostly dead and leafless. There are very few trees that have leafs. The mods around here are flying insects known as the mantid and those crawling creatures, only they are purple and red and they resemble fear. This is the highest floor we've gone so far, we still have to clear this floor's boss to move on. Hopefully, it's nothing like that 4th-floor boss: Fury Rage.
I walk on the path in these woods to find this Rokel guy and learn about this mission of his. In my experience so far in this world: Guys are morons. I rarely run into good ones like Kirito or Jude. I never got to know Kirito well, but from the time I've spent with him back on the first floor, he never gave me the urge to beat the crud out of him.
The Owlnight Tree comes within my sight. As I move clear, I see a single-player standing in front of it. It's a boy. He looks about fifteen years of age, a Wavemaster. He's wearing a gray wool hat, covering most of his silver hair, a robe in a color is fog blue and gray with fingerless black gloves, wielding a staff. On his face, there are light blue linings just under his cheeks. I wonder if that's how he looks in real life, a young boy getting tattoos.
I approach the Owlnight Tree to the boy. "Are you Rokel?"
The boy flinches and quickly turns around. "Oh, uh yes! I am Rokel-" The boy turns speechless the moment he looks at me. "Uh...umm..." I can tell from that shocked expression, speechlessness, mouth wide open, he's hitting on me. Amazed at my beauty.
By the time the kid is drooling, I slap him in the head, causing his mind to return to reality...sort of. We are in a virtual world. "You're staring, and that's rude," I tell him.
"O-oh. I'm sorry. I-I couldn't help it." Rokel says.
I cross my arms. "I get it...you're another one of those idiots who just crush on every girl you see."
Rokel shook his head. "N-no. It's not like that at all!" I just raised an eyebrow hearing that. Just then Rokel gets in my face. "Would you be my girlfriend?" He suddenly says, then instantly afterward he looks horrified and covered his mouth. "I-I. I didn't mean that."
"Save it. This was a waste of time." I turn around leaving. "I'm out of here."
I only make about three steps then I suddenly stopped when I feel something grabbing my feet. I look down to see it's Rokel on his stomach, gripping on my feet for dear life.
"Please! Don't leave! I really do need some help!" Rokel says. Obviously, he does, this is just pathetic begging at my feet like that. "My guild, they're trapped somewhere in the dungeon and I have to help them. But I can't do it alone. So please..."
"Find someone else." I jerk my leg out of his grip. "Now leave me alone!"
I walk away, I can hear Rokel calling out to me, but I shut him out.
DECEMBER 2ND, 2022. FLOOR 1, DAWNS BLOSSOM
It's evening now, ever since that time when I left Rokel, I've been getting a ton of messages from that boy. All about how he's begging for help and a few other messages I'm not interested in. How the hell did he get my character name? The last time I checked, he wouldn't know it unless I told him or if we joined parties, both of which didn't happen. Only the first five, I've replied in saying 'leave me alone' or 'not interested'. After those he's still messaging me, he obviously doesn't get the idea of taking 'no' for an answer. After about twenty messages, I've had it. I found an ignore list on my menu and put him on it.
The ignore list must work really well cause the messages from Rokel finally stopped. I don't get why he's so fixated with me. I mean, I know why cause he's a little boy and to him, I'm just some beautiful woman. I've seen that kind of thing in cheap comedy shows and frankly, they are now starting to become offensive to me.
As I wander into town, I look at the poster board. There are a ton of forums, none of them saying anything about an Assault Team working on the next floor boss. However, one of them catches my attention.
There's a message forum titled 'To Lightning'. I look at the author. Surprise, surprise. It's from Rokel. I roll my eyes sighing, what is it this time? I open the message and read it. All it says is: 'If you're reading this Lightning meet me at central fountain in the Valley of Peace floor 1. And please remove me from the ignore list during the time.'
I groan and exhale, he still doesn't know how to leave me alone, does he?
I make my way to the Valley of Peace. None of the monsters on this floor doesn't bother to fight me. I'm level 24, nearly 25, they should fear me. I put on a serious anger look on my face. Whatever it is Rokel wants, I'm gonna make sure he gets the message and never bothers me.
I arrive at the Valley of Peace, where I see Rokel on the fountain. As I approach, he spots me and stands up. I stop right in front of him. The boy speaks but no words come out. I'm still having him on my ignore list, so I can no longer hear his words. If only something like this could happen in the real world, then I wouldn't have to hear that moron Snow ever again.
"Don't bother, I'm still ignoring you," I say, which causes the boy to stop talking. "I don't know what the hell you're problem is and I don't care. If we were in real life, I would have you arrested for an act of harassment! I am not interested in you or anything you have to say, so stay out of my life!"
The boy looks hurt, hopefully, that means he gets it. I turn and start to stop, but Rokel quickly gets in my way and speaks. He's now on his knees, fingers lock together. I can't hear what he's saying, but his lips read 'please'. I sigh annoyed. I open my menu to my ignore list and remove Rokel. Then I close the menu and look at Rokel.
"There's something I want to tell you. Please just hear me out and I promise I'll never bother you again." Rokel says.
I cross my arms. "I'm listening. Don't make me regret it." I say.
Rokel stands up then gives a bow. "Th-thank you." Rokel stands straight. "I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything like that. Which reminds me, I'm especially sorry for the way I acted back there when I saw you. I have an impulse to do that with girls, especially pretty girls." Rokel looks worried like he just said something stupid. "N-not that you are pretty, I'm...I'm just saying you look good. No. That's not what I mean, what I mean is you're not ugly. Not that I think you are, it's just-"
I put my hand over Rokel's mouth, silencing him. "Stop. Talking." I say. Rokel nods then I remove my hand. I wait for the kid to speak, but he doesn't. "Is that it?"
Rokel looks confused, putting my hand near his mouth. "I...I thought you want me to stop."
"I wanted you to stop saying stupid stuff like that," I say.
"Oh...right," Rokel says. "Anyways, about all those messages...I'm sorry for sending you those. It's just...what I wrote on my forum, I'm asking for help to rescue my guild from the dungeon, and...you're the only one who responded. Everyone else who read it always messaged me saying to forget about them or I'm an idiot just thinking about them. But I couldn't do that. The Lunar Twilight are more than just friends...they're my family."
I was about to speak but Rokel keeps talking. "I know. It's stupid having strange people I only met on an online game to be like family, but they're all I have left." Rokel looks down in sorrow. "You see...I...I am..." Rokel doesn't say anything else. I bend down a little to get a view of his expression. He seems very sad, trying to hold back the tears. I can feel myself saddening, I have a feeling this kid is living a painful life in the real world. Rokel shook his head then faces me. "No. Forget it. I've already bothered you enough, I don't want to pour all of my sorrow on you."
A voice in my head is telling me that he should tell me what's wrong or the problem. But I don't have the voice to speak it. I don't know if it's cause I'm not interested, I don't want to make him relive the pain from telling his story, or perhaps it's considered rude to talk about anything from the real world in MMO games.
Rokel wipes his eyes with his hand, trying to wipe away his tears I guess. "Well...that's it. That's all I have to say...Listen, my guild...they're still alive and I have to go help them...I'll do it alone if I have to, even if I end up dying." Hearing that surprises me. Thinking of a kid risking his life in a death game just to save other people. "I really am sorry for everything. I'll never bother you again."
His tone was hollow on that last sentence. Rokel turns and walks away. I just watch the young boy leave. I'm starting to think, he doesn't seem to be anything like the other morons I have endured in this game. He was annoying, yes, but he did realize his mistakes and apologize...I guess I'll have to give him credit for that.
On the other hand, the boy...he suddenly reminds me of Hope. The silver hair, the age, the sorrow, and worry. I wonder if they really are alike, but the only difference would be the shyness. Well, Hope is shy sometimes, but Rokel seems shyer the way he gets nervous or worries with every word he says like when he was telling me I was pretty. 'I have an Impulse to do that with girls', I don't know what he means by that. Is he really into girls? Crushing on every single one he sees? Or perhaps he's like that cause he's desperate to have a girlfriend.
I remember a time when Hope was like that. When he was 12, he's been crushing on other girls. Me and Serah were the only ones he wasn't it. I'm guessing it's cause he only sees us as sisters or guardians, or as a mother in my case. He tries to have the guts to get a girlfriend but it ends up in failure. People normally grows desperate over multiple failures. Hope was like that towards Vanille, tried to plan the perfect way to ask her out. But when he did, it went downhill. He's lucky Vanille is very carefree and free-spirited, 'all smiles and sunshine' as she mentioned.
Maybe Rokel is feeling the same way...What am I doing?
"Rokel. Wait." Rokel stops and looks back at me. "Just this once...I'll help you save your guild."
Rokel's eyes light up and he turns to face me. "Re-really?"
I give a nod. "Sure."
The rest of his smile lights up, smiling and gasping. Rokel rushes towards me and I become astonished when he grabs me in a tight hug.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" He's pleased and excited for the moment, then suddenly worries and lets me go. "Sorry, sorry. I-I was just...excited, that's all."
I cross my arms looking at Rokel. "I'll let that one slide." Rokel and I walk to the teleporting plaza in the town when I suddenly remembered something. "Hey, how did you know my character name?"
"I was asking people around town for the character name of a certain pink-haired Swordswoman," Rokel says. As soon as he's done talking, he suddenly looks worried. "I probably shouldn't have said that."
"You probably shouldn't have," I say.
We stand in front of the plaza and we both say: 'Teleport: Kor'Vess Village!' and the large stone tower in front of us teleports us to the 5th floor.
