New chapter's up!

This chapter title describes me since I wrote most of this in the middle of the night though my eyes are just so tired... of course, I post this up during the night as well...wow.

Just to completely make sure, this is set in the alternate timeline (Tail) that had been introduced in What Do You Think of Me Now? Things are probably slow for the beginning chapters but I'm setting it up right now.

And again, each chapter features a different character's story and how it lead to where they are now.

For those who reviewed, I have responded through private message but thanks for reviewing!

Though for the guests...

Guest - Bingo. Your explanation was way more simpler than mine and it got the point through too XD (You forgot Chung too but he's not in there yet)

GirlyTurtle - Thanks! I'll try to update frequently but there's no guarantees so... ^^'

If any of you have further questions about this story, I'll gladly answer to the best ability that I can - seeing I have already gain some confusion through last chapter.

Sorry for future grammar mistakes and misspellings. If someone would point them out, that would be nice.

Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword.

The mountains stood proud and high throughout the land of Elrios. The sun barely rising out of its slumber and slowly taking the moon's place as its bright lights cause the night shed away.

The trees that settled into rich soil rustled their leaves as the wind brushed past them, but that wasn't the only cause for the rustling of the leaves.

Swift blurs traveled from on branch of the tree to another, so fast that even with trained eyes, one would have a hard time distinguishing who or what it was.

A fire figure leapt across a rather large gape between two woody perennial plant, letting tresses of lime-blonde hair sailed behind along with the black cape with the air current. The morning dew that the leaves shook off gave the hair a beautiful sparkle against the warm sunlight.

Successfully landing to the other side with black heeled boots scraping against the bark, the figure repeated the process with several others behind her.

"Lady Rena!" One of her companions called to the attention to the one leading.

"What is it Agis?" Rena inquired without inclining her head back to face the male elf.

"You have not rest at all for three days and three nights straight. Should you not rest?" Agis questioned with a lace of concern for the Leader of the Night Savers.

"Agis has a point." A female elven warrior supported. "You are our leader. It is important that you are in good health to lead the Night Savers."

"Faelyn, Agis," Rena voiced calmly, her green eyes glancing over behind her to see her squad following her without problem after a night's patrol. "I appreciate your concern but I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

She then gazed forward once more, focusing on the trees ahead while going deep into thought. How long was it since she had accepted this role? It felt like a long time since the time she spent in Ruben Castle and how things fell apart.

She was at a lost when she had came too late to help after hearing the frenzy that was taking place. What she saw shocked her into silence. Elesis dead and Elsword being engulfed in dark El.

"Elsword! What happened?!" She'd asked, rushing to Elesis's side to check her pulse, in hopes of finding one. To her horror, Elesis's hands were cold and there was no pusle at all.

She looked over to Elsword, detecting to dark El and the feral look he was making at the wall. He then threw his sword against the ground and screamed at the top o his lungs, catching the elf completely off guard.

"DAMN YOU HAANS! I WILL HUNT EVERY LAST OF YOU UNTIL MY LAST BREATH!"

It was a little later when Elsword was finally able to speak somberly that she learned of the tragedy. She couldn't believe who the murder was and even further, who had help the murder escape. She felt both concern and disappointed, but not as much as what Elsword decided upon.

"An invasion on Sander?" Rena'd queried incredulously to check if her hearing was still good. She was in the conference room with Elsword and the other high ranking generals in a discussion about warfare.

"Do you have something to say, Rena?" Elsword said with little regard.

"... Are you sure about this Els?" Rena's question had gained a glare from the redheaded king.

He stood up from his seat and growled. "Do not. And I mean DO NOT ever call me by that ever again."

The Night Watcher flinched at the Infinity Sword's sharp tone, leading to an intimidating silence chilling the atmosphere after that. The other generals did not think it wise to speak up so they prudently kept their mouths shut.

Rena leveled a gaze with Elsword but was unable to recognize him anymore. Where had that lazy little boy gone off to? The one who wanted nothing to do with political affairs but to play pranks? She searched his ruby eyes once more just to make sure but the red haired king that she was serving under had changed completely. She knew that there would be changes after that fateful day but she had underestimated how much.

Although she did close her hands into fists, she steeled her eyes upon the decision of obeying king of Ruben. "Very well, My King and deepest apologizes for upsetting you." She bowed in apology.

She then straightened her spine as Elsword suddenly became a stranger to her. He was no longer a friend that she could a approach, but a king that was to fear."As for the battle ahead, it is a sudden advancement. Are the soldiers ready for it? I dare say there hasn't been too many foreign conflicts."

Elsword chuckled amusingly, looking down at the map with battle palms written in blood red ink. "It'll be a quick one, that's for sure."

Rena had been one of the commanders of the army along with Elsword who marched towards Sander. She was reluctant to go into battle with Sander. After all, it was her friends' homeland but... she did what was commanded.

"Destroy the place until they surrender and the Haans found. Got it?" Elsword ordered with a crazed thirst in his eyes.

Rena casted a hesitant glance over while riding on her horse, then closed her eyes, knowing that it was too late to turn back. "Of course, Your Majesty."

Like the Infinity Sword had predicted. The invasion was over within the blink of an eye. It appeared to her that the Sanderians were not at all prepared for an attack.

Rena struck with grace at her heels, slashing away the enemy soldiers that came at her that she would regret slaying after. But her traps and Erendil were nothing to match with the thousands - perhaps even millions - of swords that Elsword summoned. It stunned her how he'd killed everything in his path with not a sweat visible on his skin. Where exactly did he get all that strength?

It was a anticlimactic battle, really. Rena and Elsword cleared away most of the path before the Ruben soldiers could lift a weapon. It was a war that was over before it even started.

After those events, Rena began to question her loyalty. Elsword was completely tainted by the dark El. As an elf, she was everything opposed to such a thing, but he had been a longtime friend since he was little and Elesis was a dear friend to her as well. She could not leave Elsword's side after the death of his sister. Who else was supposed to be there to support him when all he's doing now is making enemies?

Chung wasn't an option sine she hadn't seen him in years. After Hamel had fallen, mainly due to the demons but also partly because the the corrupted king delcared war of Altera, the Prince of the country had disappeared without a trace. He may as well be considered dead.

Aisha wouldn't be able to either because she had her own problems and well... she couldn't do anything when she saw how much he had changed.

"I think this conversation is over. If this is all you're here for, then leave." Elsword'd decided absolute authority after a short talk with Aisha when she visited. "Rena, show Princess Aisha the exit."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Rena duly bowed and escorted Aisha out.

"But that's not what I'm here for..." Aisha'd muttered under her breath and her elven hearing had caught it. Her eyes trailed over the purplette then looked back to Elsword at the corner of her eyes before the double door to the throne room closed behind them by soldiers.

"Aisha," The Night Watcher placed a comforting hand on the young magician's shoulder. "Elsword's..." she trailed since she didn't know what she was going with it. Say that he's corrupted? To Pardon for his coldness?

"... changed." She had settled lamely.

Aisha kept her gaze downcast as Rena guide her down the hall. "I-is he really... Elsword?"

The elf gave the magician a look of sympathy. So Aisha couldn't recognize the redhead as well.

"Sadly."

The Dimension Witch hugged her elbows and trembled. "That... that can't be him. He seems so unapproachable." she then turn her gaze to the Night Watcher. "How are you holding up?"

The elf mulled over the question, knowing that Aisha noticed that she had changed as well. "I'm... fine."

"You're lying."

Rena laughed bitterly. "I guess so. But..." her eyes glazed over. "Elsword needs someone by his side. After Elesis's death, he's unstable."

The two of them fell silence, knowing not what to say.

"Your letter. Is it true?" Rena decided to venture.

Aisha's eyes began to become teary and nodded. "Rena... I think you need to come to Velder."

That time, Rena watched as Aisha started to break down in front of her. The purplette had written down the events that had happened in Velder but from her hand writing, the elf could tell that she was trembling when she had wrote it. The situation was bad as it was but hearing more deaths horrified Rena even more.

When she had went to Velder - Elsword didn't have a care about it - she was faced with who became known as the Ice Queen.

"Hello Rena, is there a reason behind your visit?" Noah'd queried with a icy tone.

"Ah, nothing important." Rena tried to smile but it came out rather awkward. Again, she could not recognize the person in front of her "Just dropping by for a visit."

The new Velder Queen sighed, rubbing her temples. "I appreciate the thought but I am quite busy with my work so I would advise you to not 'just dropping by for a visit' unless it's for a business."

"I... see..."

Rena couldn't believe just how much her friends had changed. It was as if the happy days were nothing but a dream and reality had just came knocking on the door to wake them up. She had hoped that it was just a big phase that everyone was gong through and with time, things will return to normal.

That was the last optimistic thought she will have in her mind as things turned into chaos and she was left to watch.

"Hi Raven!"

Golden orbs met with lime green ones and the Veteran Commander silently wave the elf a wave.

"I haven't heard from you for a long time, how have you been?" Rena tried to strike up a conversation. She had known the man for a while for his silence so she had always tried to get him to talk more, albeit her attempts leads to failure most of the time for Raven tend to end the conversation early.

"I'm sure you'd heard." He replied curtly.

"Ah... sorry." Rena immediately dropped her cheerful facade in favor of staring solemnly at the ground; her hands balled into fists. "I wish.. I had been of help. To anyone." She truly wished for that. Out of the two crisis, she wasn't present for either and it frustrated her that she couldn't do anything at all.

Raven spared the self-inflicting elf a look. "There's nothing you cou - Gah..." he grimaced suddenly, his posture slack as he held onto his Nasod arm.

Rena immediately became alert. "Are you okay, Raven?!"

That was the first sign of Raven overusing his Nasod arm. He assured her that it was nothing and she was convinced at that time. Again, she felt helpless in the situation as everyone around her suffered through some type of pain.

In the following year, she watched as Elsword became a tyrant and ruthless put down any rebellion that faced him. She found nothing to be happy about anymore as more blood was shed around her. She started to waver on her decision to support Elsword, for this wasn't what she wished for. Not at all.

Before two years were over, she made another visit to Velder, but she had not expected to see someone there.

"R-Rena...!" The Asura had uttered, her voice laced with fright.

"Ara...?" Rena blinked. "What are you..."

Though Rena didn't have any particular grudge against the elbony woman, she did have her suspicions from what she had heard. And for that reason, she automatically into a fighting stance, ready to withdraw her Erendil at any given moment.

Aisha quickly stepped in between, telling Rena to stop. "Rena! She's our friend remember?"

The elf blinked for before realizing what she was doing. She straightened up and place her head in her hand. "Sorry. It's just that... His Majesty has a grudge against Ara and it just..."

Rena leveled a gaze with the Asura. "Would you explain your actions back then and where you have been?"

Ara sat down in a chair and cover her face with the palms of her hands. "I-I'm sorry Rena... It's true that I helped my brother escape but he was the only family I had left. I just couldn't believe he was taken over by a demon!"

Her figure trembled as tears welled up. "After I escape from Ruben, I tried searching for my brother for an explanation but he wasn't anywhere. I thought maybe he returned to Sander so I decided to return home but... but when I got there, everything was in ruins! I c-couldn't believe E-Elsword did that to m-my h-homeland!"

Rena's hardened eyes soften with pity. She knew that there was a story behind what Elsword had told her, which was just Aren killing Elesis and Ara helped. Protecting one's family is one of the top priorities and she was doing just that.

"I see." She wasn't sure if she was happy that she was given the full story or not. The fact that Ran was still alive and there was a high chance of Ara wanting to protect him from Elsword's death grip again. That brought up the fact that Elsword was chasing after Ara as well and since she knew Ara was here... she was debating whether or not she should report this.

"Please don't tell anyone." The Dimension Witch interrupted, then motioned for Rena to come closer before she opened up the curtains behind her. The elf widened her eyes, seeing two infants sleeping soundly in a crib.

"They... resemble Ara and..." Rena found herself saying.

"Please take care of Yin and Yang." Ara pleaded with a bow. "They're still so young. I don't want them to be involved in this."

"Ara," Rena started, facing said girl with a motherly glare. "What is the meaning of this? First His Majesty said your brother had murdered Elsa and you helped him escape and now, what is this? I thought you had feelings for His Majesty!"

"I..." Ara averted her gaze. "I don't know anymore..."

She had learned that Aisha had been giving the Asura shelter but she questioned if the purplette knew what she was doing. Then seconds later, she questioned herself if she was going to hide Ara's existence from Elsword as well, now that she knew that Ara was just trying to do what any human would do. And that would be to protect their family.

Her doubts began to built up even more from then and especially after having that conversation with Aisha and Ara. She had realized that she no longer address Elsword by his actual name but by a formal title whenever his name came up. It was a sign of their ever distancing friendship, something she had fear to happen.

It didn't help that once she returned to Ruben, she received a letter. A letter from the secret order, Night Savers. In it was a request for her to become the leader of the order.

Rena had initially been in the Night Savers before she entered into Ruben Castle to serve under the Siegharts and now, due to the last leader no longer able to continue, she was to succeed as leader and it seems that she was needed gravely.

This sent her into an internal conflict and she didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what to do." She sighed as she leaned against the wall. "So I came to you."

Raven skimmed the letter, resting against the true in the courtyard of Velder. "It's really up to you. But it sounds like they need you. Do they not have anyone else that's suited?"

Rena shook her head. "Apparently not. Last time I visited, many were still inexperienced Trapping Rangers. I just don't want to abandon Ruben or my people...

"How is His Majesty faring?"

The Night Watcher heaved a drawn out sigh. "I don't think Elsword's ever coming back."

"..." The Veteran Commander merely averted his gaze to the sky as the wind ruffle his hair. "Stay by his side for now and give more time to think about this. Think about this as well; where do you think your presence will affect the most? Where do you think you could do the most?"

Rena stared at Raven for several long seconds before break into a fit of laughter, something she hadn't done for near two long years.

The Veteran Commander raised a questioning brow.

"N-nothing," Rena wheezed, calming down and wiping away a tear. "Thanks Raven. I knew your the only one can talk to about these things."

She had decided then what she was going to do. Yet, her resolution was crushed a few weeks after what Elsword had done to Ara and when Elsword declared war on Velder. She just couldn't believe what Elsword was going to do. And when she had voiced her reluctance to participate in the upcoming war, Elsword had brushed it off coolly with terms such as 'silly ties.'

That was the final straw as she excused herself from the conference room.

That was also the last time she saw Elsword or have a close-to-normal chat with Raven.

Rena arrived at a clearing surrounded by the forest. The Night Savers had temporary camps so that if there was an emergency, they would just move. But at the moment, they have been stationed near Velder for longer than usual. Mostly because Noah and Rena had made an alliance and from then, her people had been patrolling around Velder's borders in case of an attack from a foreign country. In this age, no one could be to relax lest they want to face the consequences of being off guard.

She herself don't often stay in the campsite since she moves from fortress to capital for her patrols. This was just one of the days that she would return to camp to rest up for a bit and take care of business within the Night Savers.

"Lady Rena!" One of the elves of the camp greeted with a bow. "Welcome back!"

"I trust your patrol went well, Lady Rena?" Another said.

Rena nodded to them before retreating into her tent. She sat down behind her desk and massage her temples, though she didn't rest for too long for the image of a raven haired man crossed her mind.

She quickly sat back up and slipped out of her portable shelter in a rush.

"Lady Rena, where are you going?" Agis shouted after telling some elves off to train. "You haven't rested yet!"

"Don't worry, I'll get some sleep later!" The Night Watcher hollered back, making a nimble dashes out of the encampment. She had done this more often than not, always visiting Raven since's his health has been deteriorating during and after the war against Ruben.

"Raven, I'm coming in!" Rena exclaimed, slamming the door open. "I heard from Aisha that you weren't feeling too well!"

Once inside, she saw the man sitting on the side of his bed while clutching onto his Nasod arm in a hail attempt to calm it down. Sweat trailing down from his face as he faced Rena with a pained expression.

"H-hey Rena." Raven greeted though his voice was strained. "How's the Night Savers?"

The Night Watcher made large strides to close the distance between them. "I don't think it's the time to discuss that. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Raven assured though his face betrayed him as another automatic wince cross expression.

"Is there something wrong with your arm?" Rena ventured, ignoring the fact that he just lied right now.

"It's fine, really Rena. You don't need to -"

"But I been worried!" The elf interjected, a bit louder than she had intended.

Raven stared at her while she widened her eyes and clasped a hand over her mouth, blushing slightly."A-ah... i-it's just that... we're f-friends right? I-I'm supposed to worry."

The Veteran Commander seemed to pause for a moment in though before chuckling rather weakly. "I'm blind..."

"What?!" Rena exlcaimed in shock and then grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Are you really?! Can you see me? How many fingers am I holding?!"

"R-Rena...!" Raven tried to stop the elf from becoming too frantic."I didn't mean that I - GAH!" He yelped as another surge of pain coursed through his arm.

"Ah!" The Night Watcher immediately pull her hands away. "I'm so sorry Raven! Did i hurt you anywhere?"

Raven gasped for breath while clutching his arm, his head aching as well. "It's... my arm. It's been bothering me... for a while. I... must have... must have... over used... it..." His voice became faint as he slowly lost consciousness to the blaring pain in his brain, causing him to fall forward.

Rena made to catch and shook the commander. "Raven? Raven, wake up! RAVEN!"

More signs shown up that lead to Raven being hospitalized in his bed. None of them knew what the consequences of Raven overusing his Nasod arm so they thought nothing of it. However, it only lend to detrimental results as Raven's life slowly slips away from reality, something Rena refused to accept, but what could she do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Again, she found herself not being able to do anything.

"You can what?" Rena voiced when Aisha had proposed a theory. She too, did not want Raven to leave them just yet.

"I can prolong his life span with my time magic."

Raven had accepted Aisha's help but Rena wasn't sure about this unorthodox method. What was it going to entail for Aisha? The elf knew that performing time magic takes a great deal out of the caster so how does it affect the caster when using magic to that bends nature's flow?

When she had learned - from Add - of what Aisha was actually doing to herself in order to help Raven, both of them agreed that Aisha should stop.

"Aisha, that's enough." Raven'd told the Dimension Witch when she was about to recast another time spell. "You shouldn't waste anymore of that time magic on me."

"But -"

"Aisha," Rena interrupted sternly. "We know that your intentions are good but you're risking your own health for Raven. Your own life span in dwindling right now."

Raven nodded in agreement. "I rather not have the princess I have been tasked to take care of harming herself because of me."

"But..." Aisha balled up her fist as she looked down, yet she didn't cry. "You'll die. You'll leave us just like Ara! I don't want that Raven!"

Somehow, they were able to convince Aisha, but now Raven was back in what would possibly be his deathbed. It was something Rena didn't want to think about.

"Almost there," The Night Watcher muttered absentmindedly as she reached Velder Capital, where the royal castle was. Once reaching the large castle, she quickly made her way through the castle, having memorized very corner of it since she's been their many times already.

Once she made it to the quarter where the Veteran Commander was resting in, she knocked on the door. "Raven, it's Rena. May I come in?"

"Do I really need to answer that every time?" came his response, though it was weak per usual.

She would have found it funny but she had forgotten how it was to be lighthearted. She bore a serious look when she opened the door, an expression that seemed to have forever made its home on Rena's once cheerful face.

"It's a way to make sure." Rena replied vaguely as her gaze soften. She didn't want to admit that hearing his voice often relaxes her since she knew that he was still there.

She made large strides with her legs as if it was natural to take such big steps and pulled a chair to seat by Raven's side. "Have you been moving?"

The Veteran Commander put down the book he was reading while leaning against the bed frame and offered the elf a grateful look. "Not as much as before."

Rena inclined her gaze down at the hands balled up against her lap. "I see..." she then looked up, trying her best to smile but it was forced, like usual. "If you need anything I'll -"

"It's fine Rena," Raven assured. "I been doing just fine, especially with you coming to visit me everyday. Are you getting enough sleep?" He added after, seeing the dark circles under her eyes and how her complexion had paled significantly.

Rena nodded, trying to hide her stacking fatigue with a reassuring look. "I do. And I'll take a short nap in a bit."

Raven's gaze became skeptical, knowing that she wouldn't. He knew that telling the elf to stop visiting him and get some sleep would be fruitless since he had tried that several times yet he couldn't let Rena develop insomnia - if she hadn't already.

"Rena."

"Hm?"

"Close your eyes for a minute. Don't open them in the middle though."

"Huh?" The Night Watcher blinked, nonplussed by the request.

Raven's face was stoic as per usual as he grabbed Rena's left hand from her lap. "Just do it."

She looked down at his grip on her wrist, tilting her head to the side. Was he going to check her pulse? "What's the point in -"

"Rena." Raven interrupted, giving her a stern gaze.

The Night Watcher sighed in defeat, knowing that she couldn't argue when Ravel gave her that tone. "Fine." She slowly closed her eyes, counting the time mentally.

One. Two. Three...

Raven watched as she slowly doze off upon completely closing her eyes. Before her body fall due to sleep, Raven gently caught her by the shoulders as her head landed against his chest.

The commander grimaced as his Nasod arm smarted, adding to his already weaken state, but ignored it as he set Rena's upper body on his bed, with her head resting on his lap, book already placed out of the way.

He sighed softly as his human hand stroke Rena's silky smooth hair. "How long has it since I seen you smile?"

A little change in perspective in the end but hope you wouldn't mind that XP. I was having trouble deciding whose perspective to write in next and I settled for Rena. It went on longer than I expected...

... Maybe I should let the randomizer decide who will be next.