The poor acolyte was in DISTRESS

The poor acolyte was in DISTRESS. He had not only seen the history's worst terror attack in Prontera but also had to coincidently find his captain's body in a bloody mess before fainting on the hard wooden floor. Camus paced in front of the door waiting for the High Priest he dragged here to come out, hopefully with good news.

" I should have healed her when I found her!! Then maybe it would have been…less serious!!"

Camus hollered banging his head on the wall, making a swallow dent in the stonewall. It was a miracle that the wall was taking the damage and not the acolyte's head. This course of action went on repeatedly as the spectators began to wonder if one of them should even risk themselves into stopping the frenzy acolyte.

"Calm yourself young acolyte. Banging your head into the wall will not making anything better."

A cool voice approached behind Camus, as the cute (?) head-banging acolyte turned around sharply, ready to retort to the person who dared to interrupt his stress relieving time.

"Just who do the hell you think you are." The cute little acolyte who no one doubt was pure and innocent was replaced with a angry little devil, which one could imagine see flames coming out of his mouth.

"I think you should watch what you say young man." A gunslinger stood in front of the furious acolyte. Blonde hair pushed back giving him a regal and bold look along with a navy green beret. He seemed to tower over the petite young adventurer as two golden guns hung from his belt.

"I am Captain Siegfried Fondre Von Manfre Douglas of Einbroch. I've came upon hearing that Ms. Douglas was in critical condition. I wish to see her at once."

One would think 'Who is his pompous guy?' clearly he wasn't a guild member and by his name, a noble. Camus, putting one his cute innocent face smiled.

"Oh she's in this room, but you can't go in unless your someone SUPER special because High Priest Mister Mekil is in there saving her life. SO unless you're her long lost brother or something-"

"I'm her stepbrother."

…

…

…

"WHAT?!" Camus yelled his eye's wide open.?! Stepbrother?! He never heard anything about that!!

"I think that is a good enough reason on why I should be permitted to see her. Now if you'll excuse me…"

The acolyte quickly went in front of the door putting on a nervous smile as Siegrfried gave him a quizzling look. There was a VERY good reason on why Julian's step-brother shouldn't go in the room right now.

The truth is High Priest Mekil had done his healing over an hour ago. He had healed all of the wounds but it was still unknown if she'll wake up. If she doesn't…well we all know what happens. Usually it wouldn't be a problem to let the gunslinger inside just to visit her, except the fact that a certain high wizard was in there right now……

Inside the room…

"Julian……"

Yes it is Xeonhart that is now sitting beside the lord knight. He had woken up hours ago and came straight to her anxiously waiting for Mekil to heal her. Needless to say, he wasn't very pleased with the outcome.

Mekil had explained that there is still a chance, but by the slight waver of his voice, a very slim chance. There was nothing else he could do but pray for a miracle. The high wizard sat beside the unconscious lord knight ever since his icy blue eyes never leaving her.

A miracle…a false light of hope that has no meaning.

The High Wizard felt helpless for the first time in his life. He was able to achieve anything that came in his way. Earning the top rank of all high wizards, a wide known reputation and being in the top guild. But none of them mattered now, for nothing could save the desperate situation Julian was in. Even though he could use the highest level of magic, it was useless, for it could not to anything to save her.

It was all hopeless…there was nothing that could change this…

"Just sitting there won't solve anything you know."

A voice cut into the high wizard's thought. Xeonhart flinched at the voice, for it belonged to none other than the carefree Assassin Cross. How in the world did he get in the room when there was a psychopathic acolyte guarding the door?

"And if you were wondering how the hell I got in here. The vents"

Question answered.

"What do you want Griever." Xeonhart replied in an icy tone, of all the people he wanted to talk to it had to be this stupid assassin.

"Do I need a reason to see someone who is in critical condition? Thought I'd see her you know, because she's a position where it's not weird for her to die."

In a split second the high wizard grabbed the assassin by his scarf and pinned him against the wall. Griever didn't change a single expression as Xeonhart glared at him with menacing eyes. In return Griever gave him a blank stare, no smile and certainly no regrets of what he said.

"How DARE you say that you stupid, air-headed, idiotic, selfish assassin cross. How could be so carefree when she is about to d-"

"So you were thinking that death was her only option left. Your stupid than I thought you would be." Griever interrupted his rant; with one swift movement the assassin was behind the wizard, one hand on the back of Xeonhart's neck now pinning him onto the wall. The situation was the exact opposite now.

"What the hell do you think you are doing Griever…"

"You're the one the biggest idiot I ever met in my life Xeonhart. Right now you're just sitting there in remorse and acting as if it's already her funeral. Don't you have any thoughts that she'll be able to make it through?"

"…there's nothing that I can do…"

"…Don't you love her?"

That one question made the high wizard quiet. After a long moment of silence, Griever let go of Xeonhart and quietly made his way beside Julian. The wizard stared at him, what was he trying to tell him?

"If you love her…shouldn't you make an effort to save her? No matter how hopeless it may seem that doesn't mean all path had been destroyed. If you lose hope, what is there left for her to depend on?"

This left the magic user very confused. Why was this stupid assassin telling him this? Griever sighed at the dumbfound expression that the wizard had. Xeonhart may be an expert in studying and magic but when it comes to love, boy is he thickheaded.

"……I'm not good at saying these stuff but what I'm trying to say is. What she really needs right now is someone to be beside her. And it would be the best if it was you."

Griever put a hand through his hair as he tried his best to put his thoughts into words. Moreover it was hard for him to admit that the most likely person that would be able to do that it the jackass wizard he had always had a bit of hatred to.

"I thought you despised me Griever." Xeonhart said quietly after the 'put my thoughts into a speech' by Griever, ended.

"I do. In fact I can't understand why Julian can be in good terms with you when you're the most coldest, distant, and expressionless wizard I met in my entire life."

"Why you little…"

"But……I guess there's some good side of you."

What?

"Did you just admit…that I'm not that of a jackass that you thought I was?"

"SO I DID! JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT WOULD YOU?!" The navy haired assassin shouted, mostly embarrassed that he honestly admitted that. Now he was starting to regret that he said anything at all. "I-I'm not good at saying these feeling stuff! I only admitted that there are some good side of you! That doesn't mean that I think you're a nice person!"

With that he stormed out of the room, scaring the living daylight out of the acolyte who managed to come up with 101 reasons on why the gunslinger shouldn't enter the room. At reason 58 the gunslinger gave up and left leaving Camus with his little victory dance and addition maniac laughter.

A few minutes later, the guild members were wondering why Griever was hastily walking down random corridors mumbling something among the lines of "…not admitting" or "he's still a jackass."

A week passed since the terrible incident. Prontera was slowly becoming what it was before the terror attack. Lion's Pride along with help from the other sub guilds of Eternal, worked on rebuilding structures and houses that had been destroyed. Everyone, from novice to assassin cross, worked together to rebuilt Prontera.

Even a certain high wizard helped (on how…let's leave that you the readers imagination) Each day was hard and busy even for Sir Xeno who ended up taking all of the paper works on reconstructing Prontera and most often took the entire day to finish.

While this busy hour there was one high priest who was cough hiding cough from everyone else. Mainly because he DIDN'T want to do any work especially anything that was laborious.

"Yue, if you don't get off your ass and start working I'll throw you into pit full of golden dragons."

Richard said as he kicked the high priest making Yue tumble off the roof and land on the courtyard with a loud Oomph.

"But Richard! I worked so hard treating the injured! I want to rest now!" The blonde idiot moaned, as he was miraculously uninjured from the fall and now sitting up dusting dirt off his hair.

"Now now you two. I don't think it would be good idea for you two to be injured at a time like this."

Keiki now walked up behind Yue with a serene smile on his face. Richard just sighed; spoiling the idiot high priest won't do any good.

"Stop being easy to this idiot. You're going make him more lazy than he is now Keiki."

" What can I say? Beside right now we need people who can to power work and I don't think Yue or you qualify for that."

The scholar said with a smile. Although Yue brushed it off laughing thinking it was a good comment, Richard on the other hand saw the meaning behind what Keiki said.

What was really meant: You two are so weak that you can't even help with a little power work.

Ouch

"You know, you certainly have a way of saying comments Keiki." Richard said with a hint of anger in his voice. Keiki just simply smile.

"I wonder what you're talking about."

"…………………"

What is just him or is Keiki acting a little differently since the terror attack? Maybe…nah he must be thinking too much...

"Camus, I need you to break down that wall over there."

"Okay!"

Various people just stared at the duo breaking away walls and boulders. It wasn't uncommon to see a champion break down walls but an acolyte?

"Hiyaah!" A carefree innocent voice rang out as the poor wall crumbled down onto the ground with just one hit from his Morning Star. The helpers, seeing this, all took one step back from the little angel.

The destruction continued until a new voice called out to them.

"Kai! Camus!!"

A Creator ran down the path pulling his cart behind him. Soft blonde hair put up in a ponytail and wearing a Ph. D Hat above it. If it wasn't for his uniform one could have easily mistake the creator for a woman. Kamyu Henfrien. Older brother of Camus and the captain of the alchemist team. One of the top scholars from Juno and also has the title of the miracle creator.

Wait a sec…doesn't this appearance seem a little bit similar to an acolyte we all know too well?

"Brother! It's been so long!!" Camus ran up to the creator embracing him with a big bear hug. After a few seconds the creator began to turn blue.

"C-camus…I can't breathe…" The creator barely managed to say as his little brother let go of him quickly.

"Sorry brother! It's just that it's been such a long time since I last met you!"

"Kamyu. Report." Kai replied in a monotone voice, breaking up the lovely brother moment.

"I've finished on fixing the compounds in the new potion. Now it shouldn't cause any after effects after one drinks it. While coming here I picked up some whitesmith and blacksmith from Bull Rage. It should be a help in rebuilding Prontera."

"And your health."

"Oh that." Kamyu's expression went down a bit at that question. "Well the doctor said I should be fine for about 3 month…but I have to check back every other week."

"Do not push yourself Kamyu. Even though Sir Xeno has ordered all guild members to help as possible your body cannot handle such stress." The champion said, not having any change with his tone. Kamyu put on a smile.

"Kai……your worried about me?"

"I think…I am…" Kai answered hesitantly. "I am not all familiar with what you call feelings yet."

"Well…it's a good start. Next try smiling. If you do I'm sure people won't think your such a cold person as they think you are."

"……I will try…"

"Psst…isn't that stalker the betrayer?"

"Shh! Don't say that! It hasn't been decided!"

"But still…he is the number one suspect."

Random guild members murmured among themselves as the purple-whitish haired stalker walked down the hall of the guild castle. There was a quick flash of light as a small knife whizzed past right beside one of the gossipers nearly hitting his ear.

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess my hand slipped." Night said with a sly grin as the poor guild member fainted right on the spot. This sent shivered to the people who were unlucky enough to see this. All of them quickly went into a random room or go out the window leaving the stalker alone.

"Inferior humans…" The stalker vampire growled as he pulled the knife, that almost took out the guild member ear, out of the wall. Ever since the terror attack he had been forbidden to leave the guild castle. At night he was locked up in his room with Oscar guarding the door. It wasn't surprising for him to be vented up with stress.

"When in anger you shall see nothing Night."

"I don't really need one of your wisdom phrases right now Clef."

On the window sill sat a Minstrel strumming his lute gently. Pale green hair held together by a low ponytail that went behind his back. The bells of his Jester hat softly ringing at each movement he made. Clef Mithes, Captain of the bard team and the one of the most well known singer/musician of Comodo.

"Don't worry, I know you have nothing to do with this terror attack?" Clef said as he softy began to play Song of Lutie.

"Heh, how can you say that Clef." Night asked as the Minstrel continued playing his song. There wasn't any response until the song was done.

"You and I know that I know you the best. Even better than your own brother. We've been friends for over ten years haven't we? I can see through your lies."

"……guess I can't hide nothing from you."

"But…there is one thing I still do not understand." Clef put his lute away and looked straight at Night. "Why do you purposely take the blame and scorn that clearly isn't yours? You act this way to have all suspicions fall upon you. You even took the blame of Seras's death…"

"………………………"

"Night…I think it would be the best if you tell your brother…Sir Xeno the truth."

"Can't do that."

"Why?"

"Cause I don't want to see my brother suffer anymore."

"I can't believe it's already been a week since that terror attack."

"……………………"

"You think Captain Douglas will wake up soon?"

"…………………"

"Hey Edward! I'm talking to you!"

"I know you idiot."

The hunter finally gave a replied as Orpheus laid on the green grass looking up at the sky. Most of the monsters were taken care of and all of the reconstructions were done by the upper class. There wasn't very much to do for them.

There was a long silence between them as Edward finally decided to bring up a subject.

"What do you think of Captain Douglas?"

Orpheus gave the hunter a weird look from the unexpecting question. Edward simply looked away waiting for an answer.

"Why that all of the sudden?"

"Just answer the god damn question."

"Well……" The blonde swordsman pondered for a moment. "A big sister I guess…she's strict most of the time but when I do well she praises me. She's only being harsh because she wants me to be a good knight……how about you Edward?"

"Why should I answer that?" Edward gave a cold glare at the swordsman.

"I answered yours, you answer fine. Isn't that fair?"

"………"

"It's not like you love her or anything right?" Orpheus said jokingly as he looked up at Edward to see his face slightly red.

"…………………………………………………"

"…wait a minute…you're in love with our CAPTAIN?! I know she's pretty and all but…aw man are you serious?"

He stared wide-eyed at Edward as the hunter suddenly became interested on the green grass he was standing on. This was slowly becoming one of those sappy romance novels that he found under the romance section of the library. (He never knew there was a romance category in the library but what ever)

"I didn't know you were interested in older woman Edward…"

"She's only two years older than me!" Edward retorted back. "Beside! I heard other stories of men falling in love with a woman five to ten years apart!"

"Sure okay…I'm not going to ask where you heard that but…are you sure its 'love'? I mean it might be something different."

"It's love."

"Well it can b-"

"I'm sure."

"Haven't you given a thou-"

"I'm POSITIVE."

"……sure whatever you say…"

Review time!!

Steel heart: It's the power of love my friend. And…I CAN'T SEE YOUR PIC THAT YOU SENT ME!! I WANT TO SEE IT SO BADLY!! (goes cry in the corner)

Attic-window: I updated!! Um…can you put away the pitchfork and torches now?

Deathalive: Within one chapter :P

Yuleen75: Yeah I know I went a bit overboard on the first part of the chapter. You see it kinda goes like this. I wrote the very first part of the chapter after watching this one horror movie…forgot it was called…and went all into dark mode. Then I wrote the rest on a regular day…so yeah…blame me for writing after watching a horror movie.

Yumi Sakura: The whole kiss thing is gonna be a while my friend! And Mekil Gunter isn't one of the people who is romantically involved in this story. He's a character from my other story (currently on hold) "Onegai Sensei".