"Strawberry . . .? What happened to you?" asked Midnight as he stood up slowly, taking out a health potion and he drank it. On the other side of the field, Yumi was doing the same.
Her smile wavered for a moment, then she frowned. "Strawberry! This zone is cleared!" Called out the voice from before. A man who looked around three years older then Berry walked up to them. He nodded his head to Midnight as he stood next to Berry.
"Who . . .?"
The man chuckled and said "I'm Crow, Strawberry's friend. Also according to her I'm really edgy." Berry giggled at this tapped her hand on his back. She leaned up to his ear and whispered 'Crow that's my friend Midnight.'
"Ah I see. Hello Midnight." Crow offered a friendly greetings, Midnight however, did not accept the greeting and simply dusted himself off. "Oh yeah, and you don't have to worry about the Raven Mercenaries anymore . . . They're . . . Gone." said Crow sternly.
'That's not a good way to put it.' Strawberry signed, while smiling and sweat dropping. "Yeah . . . Uh . . . We scared 'em away."
Midnight let out a sigh of relief. Oh thank goodness! Strawberry didn't kill them!
He scowled at Crow and said : "Where have you been Strawberry?! You've been missing for three days!"
Thunder rang out overhead. "I know that this is a happy reunion, but I would rather not BE FRIED ELF." Yumi yelled from across the field.
Strawberry laughed and ran over to the older girl. Midnight looked at Crow as he chuckled at her. "How did you meet her?"Midnight asked.
"I already knew her. She was a childhood friend . . . However-" "Woah woah! Hold up!" Midnight cut in,"How does she know you from her childhood?! Berry was apparently alive 100 years ago."
"No, she's from a different dimension. I became an apprentice before her, I didn't see her often but when I did, we sparred or played tag or somethin'." Crow responded.
He sighed. "Well. Don't you have a camp we could all get to?"
"That we do. Follow me." said Yumi as she approached.
"Where's Berry?" Midnight asked.
She shoved her thumb over her shoulder.
Crow and Midnight looked where she was pointing.
Strawberry was salvaging one of the nasod shields, when she caught them looking at her she smiled and waved. She signed something but Midnight didn't see it, darn his horrible eye sight!
"Okay! We'll see you there!" Crow called across the field and Strawberry nodded and went back to work.
"That settles that. Let's head to your camp."
"What about Strawberry?"
"She'll teleport to one of us when she's done."
Crow shrugged it off as if it was nothing.
"Lead the way."
~0~
Strawberry continued to dig through the shields with vigor once the gang left.
She needed something from here . . . Ah! There it is! The last Nasod Chip she needed!
What she needed it for though . . . That was a secret only she and her father knew. Strawberry tilted her head at this thought. Her father was dead, but she seemed to know his job class. Huh. It's even stranger because she never knew her father, Apple had pretty much raised her . . .
Strawberry shook her head to clear her thoughts. Hn. She had been practicing her swordsman ship longer than she'd like to say.
To take her mind off of her family mystery she hummed a song under her breath.
The clock stopped ticking forever ago.
How long have I been up?
I don't know.
I can't get a grip, but I can't let go
There wasn't anything to hold on to though.
Why can't I see?
All the colors that you see?
Please can I be,
Colorful and free?
What the hell's going on?!
Can someone tell me please?
Why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV?
I'm black, then I'm white,
No!
Something isn't right!
My enemy's invisible, I don't know how to fight!
The trembling fear is more than I can take,
When I'm up against
The echo in the mirror!
Echo!
I'm gonna burn my house down into an ugly black.
I'm gonna run away now and never look back.
I'm gonna burn my house down into an ugly black.
I'm gonna run away now and never look back.
What the hell's going on?!
Can someone tell me please?
Why I'm switching faster than the channels on TV?
I'm black, then I'm white,
Something isn't right!
My enemy's invisible, I don't know how to fight!
She focused mainly on those lyrics. It should be the song she would sing tonight, it is almost sundown after all.
With those final thoughts she stuffed the chips in her backpack and teleported back to camp.
~0~
Strawberry stumbled back into camp just as Crow finished cooking dinner. The dynamos steadied her as she stumbled around for a few seconds.
Once she could walk straight, Strawberry walked up to Crow with the makeshift plates and gave everyone a serving of . . . er . . . meat? He got it from an alchemist, so it may or may not be real meat.
The whole gang sat down on logs, Strawberry and Crow on one, Yumi and Midnight on the other.
"This is actually good Crow. Good job." Strawberry whispered into Crow's ear. He chuckled and bowed, "Thank you. I try my best."
She laughed at this and took another bite. Midnight scowled at the friends while Yumi ate her fill in a flash, how the heck does she do that?
Strawberry stood up, bowed and walked away. "Where is she going?" Yumi asked, her mouth full of her third bowl of beef stew.
"Who knows." Midnight responded while staring at the place she walked to. "Who knows."
~0~
Strawberry struck downward with her sword. She was going to train all night if she had to. She'd train like this until her body and soul were ready to contain Dark El.
Strawberry swung to her right. She didn't care if it was one of the last things she did! She wouldn't give up! No matter what any Ponggo says about how 'Absorbing Dark El is suicide! No one had ever done it!' Idiots.
Strawberry elbowed the air behind her and spun around to swing her sword straight through the air, then she jumped over the 'air being', using her sword as leverage to jump and hit any targets behind her.
She thought of a skill Elsword had taught her long ago. Would it work now? Now that she was a Dimension Witch? Training to be even stronger?
"Sonic Blade!" She called out, loudly as she could and spun around, swinging her sword with her. Nothing happened. Strawberry huffed, of course nothing happened! She was insane! Trying to use a Lord Knight skill?! Strawberry was such a disgrace.
She pouted and plopped herself onto the ground, what she thinking? She's never thought this low about herself. Even when the kids in Velder didn't let her play with them, even when they threw rocks at her. Strawberry figured it was because she didn't have an anchor anymore.
She could tell Add. He understood her.
Rena was always helpful and kind. Strawberry thought of her as a motherly figure.
So then who did she go to when they couldn't help? Ah. That's right she went to Chung. Honestly, she just liked poking fun at the trap. Strawberry laughed at the memory and looked up at the beautiful night sky.
It was speckled with stars and Strawberry could remember when she and Add would come out to the field on the outskirts of Velder.
He would work on something while she stared up at the stars. Occasionally asking Add about one of the constellations, or simply just making small talk.
Strawberry heaved herself up to come face to face with Midnight. Their heads hit together with a painful sounding 'thud'.
"Ow ow." They repeated, almost synced up, both teens clutched at their foreheads.
When they pain subsided, they looked at each other and laughed.
Midnight extended and hand and she took it. He lifted her up from the ground and she smiled at him.
"You seemed to be occupied so I decided to not bother you."
'It would've been fine if you did. I'd rather not fall asleep on the ground!'
"Have- Have you sung yet?" he stuttered out and drew patterns in the dirt.
Strawberry shook her head and signed,'I have a song that you may like. Elsword taught it to me!'
"Really now? What's it called?"
She smirked at him and opened her mouth.
Well, hell sees her shadow in my backseat
And her friends are standing right in front of me
World wide from the Cimmaron to Turkey,
Open up said, "Everybody loves me!"
And you don't have to make a sound
'Cause they got what you need (what you need)
Oh oh oh oh
Got love for the people that have warned you
God love all your sentimental virtue
Eight balls with the takers that'll make you
Late calls with the lovers that'll hate you
And you don't have to make a sound
They got what you need
What you need
Make ya say
Oh my!
Feels just like I don't try
Looks so good I might die
All I know is everybody loves me
Head down,
Swaying to my own sound
Flashes in my face now
All I know is everybody loves me
Everybody loves me
Well, I play the music don't stop till I turn gray
Stars forever like Don Suzan never fade,
He had a beautiful child, named her Desiree
Hope I'm remembered for the things that I never made
'Cause you don't have to make a sound
When They got what you need
Make ya say
Oh my!
Feels just like I don't try
Looks so good I might die
All I know is everybody loves me, everybody
Head down,
Swaying to my own sound
Flashes in my face now
All I know is everybody loves me
Everybody loves me
Everybody
Everybody
Oh
Everybody
Everybody
Don't need my health
Got my name and got my wealth I
Stare at the sun
Just for kicks all by myself I
Lose track of time
So I might be past my prime
But
I'm feeling oh so good
YEAH!
Oh my!
Feels just like I don't try
Looks so good I might die
All I know is everybody loves me
Get down,
Swaying to my own sound
Flashes in my face now
All I know is everybody loves me
Everybody loves me!
Oh I said
Everybody
Everybody
Don't you know you wanna
I said Everybody
Everybody
Everybody
Whoa!
"Haha very funny." Midnight said rolling his eyes. "Can I try a song?"
Strawberry waved her arms at him as if a maid was introducing some sort of royal.
She paints her fingers with a close precision
He starts to notice empty bottles of gin
And takes a moment to assess the sins she's paid for
A lonely speaker in a conversation
Her words were swimming through his ears again
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
He senses something, call it desperation
Another dollar, another day
And if she had the proper words to say,
She would tell him
But she'd have nothing left to sell him
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Mona Lisa wear me out
Pleased to please ya
Mona Lisa wear me out
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
You're guaranteed to run this town
Whoa, Mona Lisa,
I'd pay to see you frown
Say what you mean
Tell me I'm right
And let the sun rain down on me
Give me a sign
I want to believe
There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for
He huffed to himself proudly. "Beat that."
She raised an eyebrow.
That's what they did all night, if you were to ask them what they were doing that night, they'd simply respond with a happy smile and silence.
~0~
Midnight yawned as he woke up for the morning. He looked around to see Yumi still asleep, however Crow and Strawberry were nowhere to be found.
He stood up, shaking off the sleeping bag to look for the missing team mates.
As Midnight walked through the forest he thought about how everyone in the gang got along- expect him and Crow.
He grunted as he continued to dodge rouge sticks threatening to stab him or to tangle themselves in his hair.
Midnight soon found Crow and Strawberry. They were in the field from last night, either of them sitting on one side of a stump and they were playing cards.
Strawberry put away the deck of cards and stood.
She waved to Crow then walked off. Crow in turn waved to her.
Once she was out of sight, Crow simply said, "Midnight I know you're there."
Midnight huffed and crossed his arms.
"Where did she go?"
"Hn. That. Would be none of your business, besides . . . You wouldn't like it even if I were to tell you."