NAA: I'M SO SORRY Q.Q

Eve: Why?

NAA: Because, as explained in the last chapter, the new house doesn't have wifi, so I either have to go to the library(Just down the road :3) or to my dad's house and what with starting public school FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE and other stressful situations(not to mention my terrible laziness) I have not gone to the library with a laptop. And I only get to come to my dad's house every other weekend.

Eve: NAA does not own Elsword.

NAA: And I'm being ignored...

Chapter Twelve:
School Trip~!

Elsword's PoV

"You do remember your fencing lessons, right?" Elsa had questioned, seeming rather anxious.

"Yeah, you practically engraved them across my head!" I exclaimed, exasperated that she would even have to ask such a question. Elsa's lessons(yes, she was my teacher) were brutal. Emotionally scarring, and very traumatizing. I could here her boisterous, but terribly cruel, shouts of encouragement. Encouragement that included death threats.

"Good, good." And she handed me a cloth-wrapped bundle. I frowned, curious, but also very wary. What would appear once I undid the unnecessarily tied knot of rope from around this, for lack of a better word, bundle.

I took the package tentatively, wary of every second ticking by. Surprise gripped me by the throat as the cloth fell away, revealing a very shiny, and very sharp sword. The blade was enchanting, and the balance perfect. I was marveling at how Elsa could afford such a fantastic gift.

"Where'd it come from." I spoke quickly, my tongue sharp as the blade in my hands.

"It's a... Family heirloom. Mom and Dad would've wanted you to have it." I looked at her, shocked. She hadn't mention our parents for years. I didn't even remember them.

"Yes, indefinitely." And then I shrieked like a four year-old girl who's hair had been invaded by a spider. Elsa, as expected, burst out laughing, slapping her knee and holding her stomach for 'extra emphasis'.

"Whydidtheswordtalk?" My words were garbled, coming out in a short streak of what was a mixture of terror and interest.

"This sword is no normal sword," Elsa beamed, a proud smirk on her lips. "His name is Conwell, and he is your knew best friend!" At this, she grabbed me in a head lock and proceeded to give my hair a very rough ruffling(Heh, "rough ruffling").

"That's nice and all, but WHY DID IT FREAKING TALK?" I spoke just slow enough for her to understand my point, and not be offended at the same time.

"Why, because he's a demon sword." Once again, she began her guffawing, some more slapping on her knee, and clutching her stomach as if it was in excruciating pain.

And that was the day I first met my new "Best Friend".

"-And don't forget Conwell; he gets lonely." Elsa finished listing things off to me, as if I needed to be reminded for the TENTH-THOUSANDTH TIME. Today was that stupid school trip to the Hope Bridge.

As if I haven't been to that d*mn bridge enough. I swear, the public school facilities around here get less and less creative.

"I know, I know. Where is the d*mn thing anyways?" I wondered aloud, glancing around as Elsa frowned at my foul mouth.

"Do I need to wash your tongue off with soup?" She inquired sternly, hand on hip.

"I think it's 'mouth', sis." I corrected, feeling very proud of myself for being right in the face of my sister. She was always right. Always.

"Whatever, just take your lunch and grab him, he's wherever you last left him." She spoke with a roll in her eyes. I shrugged, ignoring the packed lunch she had made, and heading to my room. Our one-story apartment was small, but quaint, I guess. As quaint as a mad-woman and teenage boy could make an apartment.

"Ah, Master Elsword, wonderful that you come to retrieve me. I've been collecting dust in this corner for a good week-and-a-half." Conwell's voice rang with sarcastic gratitude, which I scoffed at.

"Would you like to continue collecting dust there, like the crappy antique you are?" I threatened, pointing at the gleaming sword as it fell from it's position; propped in the corner with a nice cobweb, and loads of dust. I refuse to call a sword(especially this sword) 'he'.

"No thank you, Master Elsword." I groaned at that 'Master'. Who calls anyone 'Master' anymore?

"Alright, stop calling me that." I demanded, grabbing it's hilt, and heaving it onto my shoulder, making sure not to cut myself.

"Calling you what?" It responded bluntly, and I imagined it with a straight face- er, hilt(?).

"'Master', it's freaking annoying." I looked at the sword as we left the room.

"So then, just Elsword?" Nodding, I returned to the kitchen, grabbing the packed lunch and heading to the door.

"See you later, sis!" I called over my shoulder while trying to figure out how to hide Conwell.

"Where do I put you anyways?" I questioned over Elsa's shouting voice behind me. To answer my question, the sword disappeared, leaving behind nothing in remembrance.

"The hell?" I muttered, looking behind me, then above, and below.

"You cannot see me at the moment, but I am most certainly here." The sword's deep voice echoed through my conscious, startling me into dropping my lunch.

"What the-?" I again looked behind me, confused out of my mind.

"It's really quite complicated, so I'll simply say it involves spatial magic." My jaw dropped. Magic?

"Magic isn't real." I shook my head, denying the proof stubbornly.

"You'll see one day, perhaps even this fine one." I rolled my eyes mentally at the sword's formal way of speech. Loosen up, will ya'? I slammed the door behind me, heading to the stairs; there was no elevator in this building, this very crappy building.

I sighed when reaching the school bus stop, dreading the ride. Velder High School buses were just like your typical school bus, dirty, smelly, filled with annoying teens, and the seats were extremely uncomfortable. You can imagine why I wasn't looking forward to the bus ride ahead.

As a bus painted in the school's colors came screeching to a stop in front of me a few minutes later, I sighed again. And thus, the torture begins. I heaved my body up from sitting on the curb, looking at the automatically opened door leading to misery.

I skipped all but the first step, and glanced around. All the kid's from my class sat helter-skelter. Some not even in their seats; on the floor, or not sitting at all. I internally shook my head at their carelessness, though, as my sister would say, I was no better.

I searched briefly for an open seat, spotting Chung easily. The grape-head sat with him, but there was still room. I trudged to them, plopping down on the ratty cushion facing the two.

"Hey." Chung greeted with a cheerful smile. Aisha just grunted, her nose(along with the rest of her face) buried in a bag.

"What are you trying to do Aish, burrow like some sort of ferret?" I smirked as her head jerked up, her amethyst eyes drilling into my own ruby ones.

"Shaddup." She hissed before returning to her previous, heh, burrowing. Very suddenly, Chung shouted in pain. I snapped my attention to him, eyes wide. A silver headed girl, who always wore rather large blue gemstone on her forehead was yanking on the dark spots in his hair from the seat behind.

"Chung, what is a 'Pikachu'?" She asked innocently, her face unnaturally emotionless. Aisha looked startled, making me snicker.

"Go ask Lime, Eve." Chung was scowling, directing his gaze out the window(he got the window seat). Chung suddenly seemed to realize something.

"How the heck did you even get in here, Eve?" He asked incredulously.

"I sneaked on at the last stop." Her fave didn't leave it'straightness as she adjusted one of intricately braided buns perched on each side of her head.

"You don't even go to Velder high anymore." He sighed in exasperation, his forehead finding rest in the palm of his hand.

"But I wanted to see you... And him." She vaguely pointed in my direction, and this time, Aisha was the one snickering. I glared heatedly at her, but that soon died when I saw her smiling so big. I was still sort of aggravated though.

"So, Eve was it? I'm Aisha." Said purplette turned in her seat to hold a hand to the poker-faced girl behind.

"I'm afraid I haven't properly introduced myself, I am Eve Argentum. Daughter of the CEO of NASOD industries." Eve ended with a curt nod. Aisha gaped at Eve, presumably in a "new light".

"Why in all of Elrios would you go to Velder High if you have such 'higher up' parents?" Elrios? The hell was an Elrios?

"I have my reasons." And silence pursued, not an awkward one, just speculative. The bus came to jerky stop, the door opening with a squeak.

"Off everybody!" Stella ordered from the front, standing with an air of authority. "Before I beat your toss your a**es into the River!" She pointed out the door, where the bridge, and beyond, the River lay. The next few minutes were filled with the panicked scurrying of a very frightened crowd of teens. I didn't even remember getting up from my seat, but still I found myself outside.

"Now, according to the 'rules'," Stella imitated quotation marks while saying 'rules' "You have to have a 'buddy' so you won't get 'lost'." She repeated the gesture at 'buddy' and 'lost'. Everyone caught her drift, and rushed to find a friend.

"I feel like a kinder-gardener." I heard Chung mutter as Eve clung to his arm, viciously staring down anyone who dared near him, including me. Before long, the only person left was the grape-head, who still had her head engulfed in that bag. I only now notice her muttering to herself.

"Hey, Aish, who're you talking to, yourself?" I smirked as slowly removed her head from the confines of her bag, face red.

"N-no."

"Alright Kiddies, time to get going. Move yer a**es!" Stella allowed each group of two, sometimes three, file through a booth where they went through the usual procedure. Since the Hope Bridge was considered an important historical landmark, it was open to tourists and students as a way of understanding our illustrious history better.

All you had to do was show a visitors pass, or student Id, simple enough.

"Guess we're 'buddies'." Aisha mimicked Stella's little finger gestures, her shoulders slumping.

"Hey, got a problem with it?" I felt slightly insulted. Ok, a little more than slightly.

"Nah, I just wanted to go alone." She turned her head to look at the River. Soon our turn came to show Ids. The awkwardness of it all faded soon after that. I couldn't believe this crazy girl next to me.

This girl, who took every chance she had to insult me, and who was so easily aggravated, was absolutely enraptured by our little 'tour' of the bridge. It almost made me laugh as she gasped at great stone arches, and how every now and then we would pass through little gate-houses, the guide having to talk into a little device on her blue vest before the great wooden doors would swing open.

Of course, I was bored as I had been through this process a thousand times, and probably would another thousand times before I would escape my school years. As we once again reach another gatehouse, I noticed something I hadn't in all the years I've visited this place.

A set of stone stairs at the very edge, right near where the bridge dropped off into water. My sense of curiosity soon took over, and I grabbed my 'buddies' wrist. She cried out a bit before realizing that it was me who grabbed her, and suddenly started dragging her away from such an enchanting lecture on how the bridge was made, and crap.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Finding a way to kill my boredom." I explained, leading her to the stairs.

"Let's go." I declared with a broad smile.

"Only if you let go of me." I glanced down, and sure enough, I was still holding her wrist, though my hand had slid and was now clasping her fingers.

"Oops." I muttered, using the hand that had been holding hers to scratch the back of my neck. Though I did find it odd how her face was flushed. Eh, probably from heat. But wait, it was almost October, it shouldn't be that hot.

"Idiot." I growled at Conwell, wherever it was.

"Go away." I hissed, scowling.

"Who're you talking to?" I turned back to Aisha, who was looking at me suspiciously.

"I'll only tell if you tell me who you were talking to earlier." I saw her visibly flinch, and smirked in triumph.

"Whatever, let's just go." And without me needing to shove her, she started down the stairs. I skipped a few to catch up, stilling feeling like a winner('cause I was one).

We reached the bottom before long, where, oddly enough, the stone suddenly dropped off. So we really had no way of getting to the other side. Aisha, looking a little pale, sighed, and turned around.

"Why'd I even let you drag me here anyways?" She mumbled, preparing to trudge back up.

"Wait, what if we-"

"'What if we' what? Flew across?" A tone of sarcasm rang strongly in her voice as she returned to my side. Before she reached it however, her foot caught on a loose stone. And she was falling, the klutz.

I, being the hero I am, caught her before she fell headfirst onto the stone. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears on the corner.

"Psst, Aisha." I said softly. Her eye cracked open, and her face turned red. Again.

"I'm not dead, am I?" Her voice cracked a bit, telling me she was completely sincere.

"No, you fell to your death. Right off the edge, five feet away." And she scowled, pushing herself away, and standing up straight. She scrubbed her eyes, once again turning briskly to leave.

"To Limbo with your arrogance." Limbo?

"Where the hell is Limbo?" I questioned, but before she could answer, a weird grunting noise coming from somewhere across the gap. "What was that?" I breathed, whirring to look behind me.

"Limbo is in hell." She said quickly, what, was she trying to distract me?

"Shh." Now to find a way across.

"I believe your solution is behind you." Conwell's d*mn voice was starting to make my head hurt. I turned, scowling. The scowl disappeared when Aisha came into view.

"What're you staring at, ElBaka?" My scowl returned with the nickname.

"The hell does that even mean?" I questioned, temporarily forgetting my desire to explore.

"Would you prefer ElDork?"

"That doesn't answer my question." D*mn she was annoying.

"It means El-Stupid, now answer my question."

"I don't wanna be called either." The grunting again, but I ignored it. Aisha looked visibly frustrated.

"Let's head back already, I'm bored." She sounded like she was forcing herself to relax.

"Why, sick of being alone with me?" I casually diverted my eyes, crossing my arms.

"No, I just-" She froze, cheeks flushed. I smirked.

"So you like being alone with me?" She looked mortified.

"Wh-what? N-n-no!" She stamped her foot. How immature. And another grunt. That f**king grunting was getting on my nerves!

"Who the hell is over there, d*mnit?" I called across the gap. I barely noticed a figure in the shadows, but still; I noticed it.

"Hey, did you see that?" I turned. "Grape-head? Where'd you go?" Shrugging, I looked over my shoulder, trying to find the figure again. "Aisha?!" Purple pigtails bobbed away, down the cobbled stone. I growled, how'd she get over there anyways?

Aisha's PoV

"I hope that ElBaka isn't too suspicious." I mumbled to myself, distraught that he was able to fluster me so much. But no matter, I could sense some form of evil nearby. A scraping behind me caught my attention.

"Who's there?" I called, turning swiftly. A disgruntled thing, heaving a giant shield. I cocked my head, was someone beating them up without me? An image of the ElDork flashed through my head.

But he's just a normal teenage boy! Probably hasn't had any training, whatsoever. Oh well, maybe it would lead me to the El. So, I tailed it silently, barely daring to breathe, but not able to cast any kind of spell to camouflage my approach. I was saving my mana.

After several minutes of tramping after the thing, I realized it really had no idea where it was going. I sighed, deciding to put it out it's misery. It took one last breath before it lurched off the underside of the bridge.

Disappointed, I backtracked. It didn't take long. Only then did I notice the very neon green trail of demon blood on the ground. I frowned, how oblivious could I get? I sighed, accepting the fact that my instincts were starting to fade.

However, I lifted my chin high... Until I realized I needed to look at the ground to track demon's blood as it has no odor. So, I followed the trail of gloop further under the bridge.

"What a pain!" A woman shouted. I stopped, looking up the stairs before me. The blood led up to the top. I took a deep breath, ignoring the tingling in my chest. I don't know why I would be so nervous. Or perhaps, this was nervous guilt?

No, no, it's not like the ElBaka would care. I shook my head, acting as if doing a physical action would help the mental troubles go away. Then I started up the stairs, creeping as quietly as I could.

"You there! Get me something cool to drink!" The same voice exclaimed, then a grunt and the scuffling of feet emit from above. I practically held my breath as the footfalls came closer to where I was.

"No, not from over there, imbecile!" A sharp 'twang' and the glitter grunted again, this time in pain. I furrowed my brow, trying to figure out what was happening above.

"Maybe you'll learn from your mistake." The woman hissed just loud enough for me to hear. "Now hurry up and get ready, the El will be here any moment!" El? So this woman worked under Ran? I let out a quick huff of breath.

My mistake became apparent in less than three seconds. Another 'twang' made me jump as it was much closer than before. I looked down at my feet, next to my left foot an arrow wedged itself in between the cement holding the stone together.

"Lookit what I found!" I looked up to the owner of this drawling voice. A scantily clad woman, with dark skin, and hair of pale rose looked down on me, judgmental and smirking.

She held a bow in her hand, her other one plucking the string in a relaxed fashion. I gulped.

"A little girly, all by herself. She got herself into some nasty business, didn't she?" The woman looked back at her demon underlings, making a pout so as to mock me. I noticed now that her ears were strange; pointed. An elf?

"Well, she'll just have to face the punishment. How does skinning like a rabbit sound?" Enthusiastically sadistic grunts came from the glitters. I scowled, relaxing my shoulders.

"Now then, let's get started." A grotesque grin spread across her lips, white teeth gleaming in the sunshine. Scoffing, I summoned my staff, just barely casting an aqua shield around my body.

An arrow bounced away as I twirled my staff, transporting next to the dark elf. Her reflexes were good, as she managed to duck as I horizontally swung my staff at her head. Her eyes flashed to mine, a glint in them. I gasped as this dark elf aimed a swift kick, sweeping me from the ground.

My eyes became watery with terrified tears as I felt the ground disappear. Before I collided with the stone below, I caught my senses, and whipped my staff so as to teleport. I collapsed to my knees, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

A whizzing in the air, and a knife bounced from my quickly depleting shield. I whirled my head around, slinging a fireball behind me. The woman flipped into the air, landing a few feet away, and springing from the ground to me.

"Get her!" She demanded, and almost immediately, the glitters were upon me. I took a quick breath and screamed.

"Wormhole!" Glitters were pulled away from their charge, being sucked into a swirling mass of energy. They were either tossed to the ground, bloodied, or disappeared altogether.

"Mistress Chloe, help us!" So the was the woman's name. Chloe just gave a look of disdain, kicking a glitter's half-dead body away. Her gaze found its way to me.

"Let me deal with this little girly, twirling her little wand around like some kind of toddler." Her voice was low, dangerous, and very frightening. I kept myself from shivering though, narrowing my eyes at her as I did so.

She suddenly dashed forward, snatching the knife from it's place on the ground. I sent a chain of quick fireballs, ending with a glowing orb of energy. A starball. She dodged all but the starball, pausing momentarily as a shock ran through her body; up and down her spine.

I took my chance to pull myself from the ground where I still knelt.

"Little b*tch!" Chloe shrieked, still jolting from the shock. I didn't look at her, but I could still sense the arrow coming straight for me. My reaction time was just slow enough for it graze my side. She still wasn't aiming for anything vital, unless she planned on me bleeding to death. But I didn't see that happening.

I growled, stumbling a bit from the pain. Once again, Chloe bounded towards me. I lifted my staff just in time to deflect a slash from her knife. It made a notch in the handle, right near my hand.

Chloe wrenched it away, immediately kicking high and hitting my hand. I cried out, tears coming swiftly as my hand began to throb. I could feel my heart pounding. My staff clattered to the ground, and Chloe's knife flashed to my neck.

"Bye-bye, little girly-"

"Sword Blasting!" I blinked, in one moment, a flash of scarlet and three swords appeared. Chloe screeched as one pierced her stomach, the other two landing in her shoulders. She continued to scream in pain as I once again fell to my knees. What just happened?

"How come I always find you beaten up?" I looked up slowly, disoriented.

"Elsword?" My voice was just a whisper, but I'm sure he heard it. His ever present smirk was proof enough that he was real. "Why-?" And the shock consumed me, so I fell. Unconscious.

NAA: Special apologies to Rinkushido 'cause I had gotten his/her hopes up. This is a really long chapter as reconciliation.

Chung: ...

NAA: I guess it's to make up for not being able to update as of late.

Chung: H-how?

NAA: What?

Chung: Well, in all your other stories, the longest chapters are usually only like 1.5k-2.5k words.

NAA: WELL SO-ORRY!

To Rinkushido: Again sorry, but anyways. I'm very glad you liked the chapter, and I give you my thanks! Another apology for the lack of ElsxAi. I really suck at romance, as you probably have noticed(and it's ok, I ship like crazy. If someone so much as has one little accidental encounter, it becomes like, my OTP(partially because of all the fanfiction I read about it))! Yes, I will try, I really love tension in a story(not the bad kind, the kind that makes you want to flip a table, but also scream with joy). And here's another "sorry"! I'm sorry for the bad "romcom", as stated before, I'm terrible with romancy stuff. AND DON'T YOU DARE FEEL SORRY! I APPRECIATE EVERY REVIEW WHETHER GOOD OR BAD(not that it was bad, it was very helpful, thank you!)!

To Rosamanelle: I just had to put it, just a little comedic relief ^.^. And now you make me jealous because you went to Disney Q.Q MWAHA, I surprised you, gihihihi(I'm giggling, by the way). The only question is, where is the Elsa from Os...? Anywho~ Thank you! I'm all settled by now! For the first two weeks I just sort of slounged(slob+lounged) around on my bed.

To Awakened Hades: Thank you, and you're welcome! I'm super happy that you liked it so much!

To Look-It's-Your-Honor: I really dislike you at the moment. I DON'T NEED YOUR FREE REVIEWS!

NAA: Yup, was the ChungxEve/Cheve ok? I really like them(but not as much as some), and it was fun to write Eve's personality :)

Chung: ... *blush*

NAA: You know you like it Pika-Chan.

Chung: Pika-Chung is bad enough, but now you don't even add my name.

NAA: *pats Chung's head sympathetically*

Toodle-Loodles,

~Not-Alone-Anymore

(E.A.N(Extra Author's Note): You can just consider this chapter 4k words, as the rest is A.N.)