Boy, school is a pain. At least it's starting off slow. I might have a bit of trouble writing later on, but I may be able to pass this off for something in English. Or as English homework. Ok, I noticed something; in the earlier chapters I called Searchman a magic knight, when he's really a red mage. Sorry about the mix-up.
Ben-Oni Saito- i'm glad that you like the story so far!
LemmingRebel- yes, poor Rock indeed
Rose- yes, forte will stay. it seems that everyone agrees on the "poor Rock" thing.
Begin Chapter
"This is just what I was afraid of," King Charles sighed as he rubbed his temple. Team one had returned from Bastok the day before, and both teams, military leaders, and the king were in the planning room planning their next move. (A:N- Gasp, they're planning in the planning room!) "Are you comfortable Lucio?" Rock was laying on one of tables trying to think.
"I'm just trying to think," he sighed. "Why did they attack? All we did-"
"All you did was question their power," The General sighed. "You may have not done it on purpose, but you did." Rock sighed again and hit his head on the table. "What else went wrong in Bastok, Lucio?"
"Yeah honey," Caitlin asked. "You've been really depressed lately."
"My friends and family are in Bastok, they must have just arrived, and I didn't get to see them," he said quietly. "I haven't seen them in a month." Caitlin put on a sad face, and she walked over to him with every intention of giving him a hug. "Back off."
"But."
"But nothing. Listen, I have a major headache, I'm going to pop a few pain-killers and go crash in my new room," he said as he walked out of the room.
"Poor boy," the king sighed. Rock walked around the castle and to the stables.
"Orinda, could you fly me up to our team's tower?" he asked.
"Sure," the dragon replied. Orinda stretched, and allowed Rock to mount. Orinda spread his wings, and flew Rock to the top. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you what happened, how stupid of me. After team one returned from Bastok, the king decided that it would be a good idea to move his high-ranking people to the castle. Team one chose to take the top three floors of the tallest tower. When the king asked why, Rock told him that they would be able to keep watch easier. The real reason was because they didn't want visitors. They re-did the floor right below theirs so that the stairs would stop. They also changed part of the floor to come down like an elevator. Also, on the top of the tower, they had a balcony, so they could dismount. Rock jumped off of Orinda and walked inside, after saying thanks, of course. He went to the bathroom, grabbed two extra-strength pain killers, and popped them dry.
"Why am I all of the sudden getting so sick?" he asked his reflection as he walked down one flight of stairs to his room. Each of their new rooms were decorated like their element. Rock's walls were black, and had fire swirling around. Min had black walls as well, and blue lightning striking. Tabor's walls looked like water, and Lykaios had a forest for wallpaper. They each had matching carpet. Rock sighed as he threw himself on the bed. He had a wonderful view of the outlying areas of BMC, and he always looked for any sign that someone was coming. (Wow, this is a piece of crap paragraph). "What is going on?" He started to feel dizzy, and he lay back down and went to sleep.
---
"Everyone ready to go?" asked Netto that same day.
"Everyone ready to go," Forte mimicked. Roll rolled her eyes and picked up her ever-so-trusty bag of scrolls.
"Yes," she said as she walked out of the house. Blues, Searchman, Laika, and Enzan had left a few hours ago to buy supplies for the trip and sell the house while everyone else packed up. They agreed to meet at the market, where the larger group was now headed. "So, do you know what your 'races' are?"
"What do you mean by 'races?" asked Deako.
"She already explained it once," Meiru sighed. "I'm a white mage too, right?"
"Yep," Roll smiled. "Deako, you are a berserker, Netto, you're a black mage. I think that whatever you navi is here, that's what you are."
"I don't know," Blues said as their groups met up and started towards the gates. "Enzan is a fighter, but Laika is a sniper."
"Great, two fighters," Forte sighed, and he walked over to Netto. "Ok, I'm going to tell you this since Rockman isn't here. All fighters think about is swords. Black mages usually don't like them, and I don't think that fighters like black mages. I have a feeling that all we will be hearing about this trip is swords. And I bet that every town we come to, 'oh, is there a sword shop here?'"
"Sounds like you don't like Fighters either," he replied while cocking an eyebrow.
"I agree with most black mages, that's all," he smiled. Netto shook his head as they reached the gate. Everyone was allowed out, until Netto tried to go through.
"What's the holdup?" he asked.
"You're a black mage," the guard said.
"Thanks for noticing, now let me go," he sighed.
"We can't allow that," the other guard said. By this time, Searchman, Gutsman, Blues, and, after being told that he can beat the crap out of something, Forte had walked back.
"And why the hell not?" asked Forte. "I thought that you wouldn't want a weak and puny mage in this city."
"All black mages are to be taken to the king."
"Are you a robot?"
"No."
"Are you stupid?"
"No."
"Yes you are."
"Why am I stupid?"
"Because you don't know who you're messing with." Blues sighed as he slowly led Netto out of the line of fire, followed closely by the other two. All of the sudden, Forte whipped out a black sword, which was pulsating with dark energy.
"You are under arrest for threatening a guard of the Royal country of Bastok." Forte rolled his eyes and sliced both of them in half. The ops stood their flabbergasted as Roll put her head in her hand and shook it. The other three guys sighed.
"I think that we should start running," Forte said calmly as he re-sheathed his sword. "I don't think that the fighters will be too pleased to see two of their bumbling idiots dead."
"Y-you just killed them," Enzan stuttered.
"Yes, you can do that when you're as strong as me. Now let's go on our merry way." Roll sighed and encouraged Meiru and Netto to move. Enzan and Laika had started to walk on their own accord, as did Meiru and Netto once they got moving, but Deako had to be carried by Gutsman. "So, which way are we supposed to be going?" Netto pulled out the device, and pointed toward a forest.
"That way, but I don't like the look of that forest," he said in a shaky voice.
"You need to get used to that kid," Forte sighed. "That forest is full of baddies. That's a kill or be killed area."
"Isn't everything here like that?" asked Searchman.
"I think that it is," Roll said as she looked back towards Bastok. "But I think that staying off of the roads would be a good idea, at least until we get out of Bastok's controlled area." Meiru gulped as she held onto Roll, and they started towards the forest. After walking for a few minutes, the Ops got more comfortable, and they allowed their navis to walk on their own. Forte had been bringing up the real, and Roll went to talk to him. "Are you going to keep watch over Netto?"
"Well, since he'd get a warped world view with anyone else, I guess so," he shrugged.
"Warped? How so?" she asked.
"Blues would teach him all about swords. Black mages hate Red Mages, so Searchman is out. Gutsman would probably crush him, and you're too soft. I'm the one who knows a lot about black mages."
"What do you know and how do you know it?"
"On the ship, and in bars, I'd hang out with the bad-ass black mages. It's amazing what a drunk black mage can tell ya," he laughed. "So I'll teach the kid the basics, and leave the rest to his navi. It looks like Gutsman and Deako are getting into a fight." Sure enough, the two berserkers were glaring daggers at each other.
"I'll go get Netto and Meiru away from them," she said as she ran up to the two, who looked like they were going to try and stop the inevitable. "Leave them to me." They gave her a questioning look, and she walked over to the two of them. "Touch of Serenity," she smiled as she touched both on the neck. Instantly they both fell over.
"What did you do to them?" asked Meiru.
"Well, I did the touch of serenity spell," she smiled.
"I think that you put too much serenity in it," Blues smiled. "We need to get them up now. We have to get out of Bastok by nightfall."
"How're we going to do that?" asked Enzan.
"Netto, can you do a water spell?" asked Searchman.
"I can do an ice spell," he answered.
"Can you do a fire spell?" asked Forte as Roll hit him on the head. "What? He can melt the ice with it." Netto formed an icicle, held it over the unconscious berserkers, and melted it. Both bolted upright as soon as the freezing water hit them. "Told ya."
"How long was I out?" asked Deako as he rubbed his head.
"A minute tops," Searchman replied as he helped both up. "Now let's get going."
---
As the group of his friends made it through the forest, Rock had a dream.
begin dream
Rock opened his eyes, and saw the blue grid of the net. He stood up and looked around. "Rock-kun!" Roll yelled as she tackled Rock. "I missed you so much!"
"Me too Roll-chan," he smiled as he hugged her back. "How did we get back to the net?"
"Back? What do you mean? We never left," she said.
"But we were sent to that weird place with the monsters, and I couldn't find you," he replied as Roll giggled.
"Rock-kun, you dreamed all of that up silly," she smiled, but then she sighed and let her smile fall.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's just that I thought that I had lost you," she said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Roll sighed as she fought back tears.
"When that dragon started his final attack, you jumped out and took it on one on one. You took many direct hits, but you finally deleted it. But it did something to your data, and you collapsed. We all thought that it was because you were exhausted from the fight, but the next morning, you were still out cold. Netto took you to Hikari-hakase, and he said that you were about to be deleted. The dragon had some sort of poison, and it had bitten you." She paused as she kept fighting the tears. "So we had to find the anti-venom. It took so long. We almost lost you. I almost lost you." Rock sat there in shock.
"How come you can remember it but I can't?" he asked.
"Dr. Hikari said that that might happen because of the venom," she said, tearing up. Rock pulled her into his lap, and rocked her as she broke down.
"It's ok, I'm here. I'm back," he whispered as she cried. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the net was gone, and he was flying over Bastok. Flying over Bastok without a dragon. "What the-?" He looked around the map, and saw a forest. Suddenly, his body flew to the forest, and he saw a freshly beaten path. Curiosity got the better of him, and he started down it.
"Good job Netto!" he heard someone say. Hearing his Op's name being called he ran towards the source. As he came to the clearing, he saw Meiru, Enzan, Laika, Deako, Netto, Roll, Blues, Searchman, Gutsman and Forte walking away. "What's going on?" he thought as he followed at a safe distance. "One second I'm in the net, the next I'm in a random forest following my friends like a thief would." Everyone was chatting, and not watching where they were going. All of the sudden, a band of five thieves jumped out.
"Hand over everything, and you'll live," one snarled. Rock could tell by looking at them that they were high level, a few higher than him.
"Why should we?" asked Forte. One of them pulled out a huge sword. All of the Ops were back behind their navis, except for Netto. The one who had spoken grabbed Netto and held a poison blade to his throat. This angered Rock, who jumped out from behind the tree and started to advance on the thieves.
"Let him go," he commanded in a low and dangerous voice.
"F-f-fire demon!" the blade wielding one yelled as he dropped Netto and backed up. "Leave us alone! We were just kidding!"
"You threatened them, so you're going down," Rock snarled as he pulled out a fire sword. The thieves pulled out their swords as well, and started the attack. Rock handled the sword superbly. And when he thought that he was about to be overwhelmed, he ignited a fire-aura. Whenever one of them got too close they got severely burned. After a few minutes of this the thieves ran for it. Rock turned around and started towards his friends. "Are you ok?" he asked as he tried to help Netto up. But as he got closer, Blues and Searchman got in front of him.
"What are you and what do you want with us?" Blues growled. Rock was taken aback.
"Very funny Blues," he laughed as he started towards Netto again, but Blues stopped him with his sword.
"How do you know my name?" he asked. Rock looked around confused.
"How could I not know your name," Rock answered. By this time, Netto had gotten up and looked at the being in front of him.
"Rock?" he asked. Rock shook his head yes. "Why are you on fire?" Rock looked down at himself, and saw that he was basically fire in the shape of a human.
"This is new," he said as he sat down and put his head in his hand.
"Rock, what's wrong?" asked Roll as she came over and sat down in front of him.
"I have no idea what's going on. One second I have this huge head ache, and I'm asleep in bed, next I'm in this weird dream, and now I'm here, and made of fire," he replied.
"Maybe if we drench you in water, you'll wake up and figure out what's going on," Forte said. Roll threw some Pure white magic at him. "Ouch, it was just a suggestion." Rock smiled.
"How did everyone get here?" he asked.
"Well, I think that we were taken by the dragon," Roll said. "And Hikari-hakase built something that sent our ops here." Rock shook his head, and heard someone call his name.
"Who said that?" he asked.
"What?"
"My name," he replied as he heard his name again. "There it is again. It sounds like Min. I'm still asleep," he said suddenly. "And they're trying to wake me up. Ok, I don't know if this is a dream or not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Come to BMC. That's where I am. Tell the guard at the gate that you're there to see Lucio, or that you're there to see Elite team one. That is, if I'm not there. See ya soon."
"Rock wait," Roll yelled as he woke up soaking wet.
"What was that for?"
"I told you that if you didn't wake up that we'd pour freezing water on you," Min replied. "It's time for dinner." Rock sighed as he fell back onto his bed, and sighed.
"Just my luck," he thought as he got up and changed into dry clothes.
---
"That was probably the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life," Blues said. Roll was still sitting in the same spot, staring at where Rock had vanished from. "It looked like someone poured a bucket of water on him, and put the fire out."
"We need to get going," Searchman replied as he started to walk again. "We still have a ways to go." Everyone sighed as they started towards BMC and their final destination.
End Chapter
Lol, final destination.