Chapter 78
"Women need reason to make love. Men only need place"
Billy Crystal
This chapter contains some adult materials which wouldn't be proper for this story, which is originally rated T. So, if you feel uncomfortable reading this chapter, I apologize. And there will be no bonus chapter for this chapter, because some lack of storyline material.
If you're not down with that, I have two words for you: I apologize!
By the way, Ragnarok Online isn't mine. But, this story is. After this chapter is released, I will redo chapter 74 first then do chapter 79, please understand.
There are several things that would make our lives brighter then we could ever think of. Coincidentally, love is one of those things. When you fall in love, you would either feel so happy, so awkward, so confused, or so many else. It is often that love born from the tiniest of things in our hearts, which we refer to as feeling. A 'feeling' appears inside you and then it grows; before you notice it, that feeling has become bigger than ever. That 'feeling' will conquer your heart, then it will conquer your brain, and then eventually it will conquer you as a whole. That's about the time your logic would no longer control your body. The only thing control your body is your emotion. You would move according to what you feel, not what you think. That's why love can make you stupid, that's why love is incurable. Because it's not a disease from the start, it's a desire; a genuine one on that.
At first, the problem with Elraven Sinclair is quite foolish; he is totally insensitive of what other feels about him and vice versa. But along with time, he starts realizing what he does affect himself in one way or another. Especially the thing related to a certain lord knight. The old Elraven wouldn't give a crap about sleeping among thousands of women. The old Elraven wouldn't give a damn about sharing a bed with Miss Universe. But, Elraven isn't the same old Elraven anymore, he is the new Elraven. Don't get me wrong, he is still the most insensitive man alive in The Knightfall universe; he is just…not that insensitive anymore. That's why; sharing a bed for the next thirty days with a certain girl named Fiorentin Adler bothers him just as much as it bothers Fiorentin.
The two couldn't enjoy their afternoon, their bath time, and now they are at their dinner in the dining room of Terrace Inn. Wanting no problems with each other, the two pick a separated table while enjoying their dinner (tempura). El shares his table with Emilio when Fio shares hers with Sasha. Gen Ed has finished his dinner earlier than everyone and now on his room. Putting the tempura using the chopstick to his mouth, Elraven still couldn't help himself not to glance at the lord knight several times all along, and his doing catches Emilio's attention.
"So, any progress about tonight?" The Sphere of Death opens the conversation, "I heard you will share the bed with the princess?"
"Uh….yeah" Elraven pretends not to care and continue eating his dinner.
"You're one lucky man, buddy" Emilio talks in a teasing tone, "You got to spend the next thirty nights with a beauty when I got to fight an emotional brat in thirty days"
"This isn't luck at all! This is trouble!" Elraven adamantly disagrees, "I don't want to sleep with another woman other than Frea! I think I would rather sleep in the floor instead!"
"Oh, come on. You sound like a sissy!" Emilio 'encourages' his best friend, "Didn't you tell me you and her are just friends? Friends wouldn't bother sharing the same bed, right? Hm? Right?"
"Well, yeah…but…she's still a girl!" The arguing continues, "It wouldn't be right if I share the same bed with a girl who isn't my girlfriend! That would be immodest, improper! What will people say?!"
"Mi amigo, since when you care about what people say?" Emilio hits the jackpot, "The Elraven I knew wouldn't be bothered with trivial things like this"
"Uh…" Elraven stops right there. He knows Emilio is 100% right.
"It's not like you would do something to her if you sleep together with her, right?" The Ropera Squad Captain continues, "Or…maybe you would do 'something' if you sleep together with her?"
Sometimes, having a sharp minded friend would suck, especially at times like this one. Elraven starts sweating cold sweat while Emilio starts grinning.
"Buddy…" Emilio brings his face closer to El's, "Am I right? Would you do something if we leave you together with her?"
"Uh, no…" Elraven eyes' starts traveling to avoid his mind being read, "But…I'm just afraid…I might…"
And since his brain is quite sharp for things like this, Emilio understood what's going on just by looking at El's composure. "Great. This is really great" Emilio leans back on his chair and claps, "You feel for her"
"No!" Elraven loudly denies, "I don't feel anything for her!"
"Right, and Ty isn't a pervert" Emilio lets out an obvious sarcasm, "Just admit it, El. You're never good at lying. You like her"
"I don't like her!" Elraven still tries to deny, "It's just…I…"
"Hm? If you have something to say, then spit it out. I'm not going to tell anyone"
"Uh…I…I don't truly understand, but…" Finally Elraven admits the truth, "It's different. At first, I just view her as another girl. She's just a brat who hates insensitivity. But now, it's different…it's like she is…it's like…I don't want her to get hurt. I'm afraid of losing her. I don't know why, it's not love or….things like that, but that's just how I feel"
At first, Emilio couldn't help but raising his eyebrows. Surprised of what have become of his best friend for the last six years. "That's why I said, you feel for her" Emilio explains to his closest friend, "It's not necessarily love. Maybe that's what we called sympathy"
"Sympathy?"
"Yes, you sympathize her. You want her to be alright, to be healthy, and to be fine. That's more like a brotherly love rather than an actual love. That's why you feel it would be wrong to sleep together with someone you don't want to hurt. It's only normal for you not understanding this, you're…insensitive after all" In a rare occasion, Emilio sounds like an understanding friend.
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe that's about it" Elraven feels some burden on his shoulder has been lifted thanks to Emilio. Feeling comfortable now, he drinks a glass of water.
But, Emilio isn't Emilio if he is that sincere, "That's why; you should do her tonight"
Elraven spurts the water he just drank to the table as his reaction. He couldn't believe what Emilio just told him, "Uh, I think I missed an important point. Can you tell me what did you say to me just now, amigo?"
"I said you should do her tonight" Emilio repeats with an innocent face, as if nothing would happen if Elraven really do so.
"Do?" Elraven tries to clear his friend's point, "You mean do her a favor, right? Like helping her to find the legendary whitesmith, maybe?'
"No, I mean you and her should get laid" Emilio repeats his shocking point for the third time, "Get laid. You know, making out"
Elraven drops his jaw until it touches the floor. If the one who told him to make out wasn't his best friend he would have pull out either Tristan or Lancelot and shoots that person right away; but since it was Emilio, maybe that would be a bad choice.
"You want me to make out with her?" Elraven speaks really slowly so Emilio could hear every letter he said, "Are you on your right mind, amigo? Did something just hit your bonehead so you could say a horrible thing like that with such an innocent face?"
The brown haired gunslinger shakes his head quietly, "No, Elraven. I mean it. Do her. Tonight"
"This…is a joke, right?"
"No, I mean it" Emilio grins just got more evil, "Please her tonight. Make tonight an unforgettable night for her in years to come"
"Emilio, I'm serious! Tell me you were joking!"
"No. I mean it. She's immaculate. And it's about time she gets some…experience. I believe she wouldn't mind getting that experience from you"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"No, and I see no harm in that" Emilio tries to make his point even clearer, "I mean, she's the heir to the throne. Think about it, if you build a relationship with her, you may be the new King of Prontera once this war is over. You dig?"
"You know what, Emilio? I'm outta here" Elraven rises and attempts to leave the dining room, but Emilio jumps to his front and blocks the door, stopping Elraven.
"Calm down, El. This is very important for you to know"
"Well, it's important for you to not forget that I got a girlfriend, OK?"
"Since when has that stopped other people before?"
"What is your point?!"
"This is a matter of life and death, Elraven!" Emilio puts both his hands on El's shoulders, "You got to help me!"
"Let me guess" Suddenly Elraven becomes sensitive, "You and your father made another bet. You bet I would do Alexandria tonight, but Gen Ed bet I wouldn't. Am I right?"
"Hey, you figured it out!" Now, Emilio sounds just like Emilio, an annoying glory hog that only cares about himself and money, "How did you do that?"
"Simple, I happen to have an annoying glory hog that only cares about himself and money as my best friend for the last six years. Or so it seems" Elraven grabs Emilio's hands and lower them, "That is so low, amigo. You're going to lose another bet"
"You don't understand! I didn't bet 500,000 zenny like the usual! I bet 5 million zenny!" Emilio admits the truth behind his cunning plan, "That's a very big money! You got to help me this time, buddy!"
"You want me to help you by putting my testicle on a pure girl's separation, amigo?! And the girl happens to be the leader of a certain group in an ongoing war?! Forget it! I have better things to do!" The Angel of Darkness harshly refuses.
"Better things to do?! Like what?!"
"Like improving my ability to stop an intercontinental juggernaut named Ifrit!"
"You can do that later! The make out is a priority!"
"Since when getting laid is a priority?! You start sounding like Ty!"
"I'm not sounding like Ty! You're being unreasonable!"
"Look who's fucking talking!"
"Come on, you're 21 and she's 19. I'm trying to give you a pep talk here!"
"And I'm trying to get some fucking sleep! So fuck off, Em!"
"With a little luck, you won't be getting any sleep tonight!" Emilio's voice is still resounding behind him. Although El doesn't want to admit it, Emilio's right. What Emilio said bothers him in a way or another.
Seeing the boys has just left the dining room, now Sasha takes her chance to ask Fio, who has been quite all night long.
"So, princess…any progress for tonight?" The gunslinger opens the conversation.
"What progress?" Fio pretends like nothing is going wrong.
"You know, you will share a bed with vice captain, right?" Sasha starts hitting the jackpot, "And on top of that, for the next thirty nights"
"What are you trying to imply? Get to your point" The lord knight doesn't waste her time asking the real deal.
"Well…sharing a bed with a man for the next thirty days surely creates an emotional atmosphere, isn't it?"
"Oh, I see. So, that's your point. Sorry to disappoint you, but we all know Elraven isn't a man like that, don't we?"
"He isn't, princess. But due all respect, what about you?" The Silver Sniper digs the problem even deeper.
"Me?" Fio tries not to take the bait Sasha is giving her, "No way. I'm not going to start 'that'."
"OK, putting that possibility aside…" Now, Sasha gives bigger bait, "What if he asks for it?"
Sometimes, it's hard to conceal your true feelings; especially if the blood in your body goes to your face and turns it red. Exactly like what happened to Fio, just by thinking about it makes her face as red as a tomato.
"Did I hit the jackpot?" The yellow haired gunslinger grins, "The superpowered Alexandria is a curious woman after all"
"What does that suppose to mean?!" Now, the lord knight starts to act cool with that red face of hers, "I'm not that kind of woman! If I have to do 'that', I would do it with my future husband!"
"And who do you hope as your future husband, o mighty lord knight?"
That's it, Sasha hit the jackpot. Bulls eye; but that is understandable, she is a sniper after all.
"Uh…that's…" Fio tries to avoid being 'defeated' by thinking as hard as she could, but her brain couldn't find the right words, so she gives her best shot, "I…don't know…it…yet…"
"Don't know or don't want to tell?" Sasha continues pressuring her, "You know what, Alexandria? You look so cute with red face like that. A woman would say that, let alone a man. You show vice captain that face and he will fall for you"
"Stop it!" Fio's face is getting redder and redder each second, "Stop talking nonsense!"
"No, this isn't nonsense. This is a fact, yet you don't want to admit it"
"Why are you doing this to me?!" The lord knight tries to retaliate, "Please, stop pressuring me like that! I just want to sleep quietly tonight, that's all!"
"Sleep quietly?" Sasha knows no back down, "I don't think you can do 'that' quietly"
"That's enough! I'm outta here!" Fiorentin rises and quickly leaves the dining room before Sasha had the chance to say anything anymore. Unknown to her; Sasha laughs as hard as she could afterwards, feeling content of teasing the princess.
Still with the tomato colored face, Fio goes to her (and El's) room with many thoughts inside her head. By the time she opens the door of room 314, she finds Elraven already prepares the futon.
El: "Damn! Why does she have to come now?! Now, she must think I'm preparing to do 'it' tonight!"
Fio: "Oh my god, El! Do you really want to?! Do you really want to do 'it'?! Good god almighty, I'm not prepared!"
"Uh, Alexandria. Please don't get me wrong!" El tries to explain the reason of the futon, "I…I just want to lie down a little, that's all!"
"Get it wrong?!" Fio attempts to maintain her cool composure (still with the red face), "Oh…I get it. There's no need to apologize, El. Who else would have thought of another think, right?!"
"Yes, yes! Who else would have?!"
And then everything is still. Both of them don't know what to do other than smirking at each other…foolishly.
Meanwhile, in the Sinclair family residence…
The Sinclair family is ready to execute the grand 'get laid' plan they have been planning all afternoon long.
Dana shows her pink potion to everyone, "This is the usual love potion. We will make them drink this; but only after I mix this potion with the tea. Just like always, whoever drinks this potion will be charmed by their couple to its fullest"
"Good job, honey. Mom will deliver that tea pot to room 314 as room service, they won't suspect me at all" Helen praises her daughter and makes clear what she has to do.
And then, Edward shows his harmonica, "And just like always, I will play the love song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" in the hollow space behind the ceiling using the harmonica. This song will encourage them to get it on"
To finalize the plan, Howard shows everyone their ultimate weapon, the 'Baby Maker Powder', "If the entire plan fails, I will blow this powder from behind the ceiling. This family art never fails us in 999 occasions. Any man and woman sip this powder wouldn't stop making love until they create a baby"
And so, the four Sinclair shakes hands together while reciting their oath, "We are The Sinclair! The four soldiers of love! We will provide our guests with any service possible to feel their love! Tonight, it will be our 1000th success!"
The Sinclair is also secretly known as the four soldiers of love. For the last five years, they have successfully made 999 couples make out all night long, resulted in more than 999 babies. If they successfully make our best couple to do the deeds, they will reach the new world record, 1000 couples.
Will they successfully make it to extend their streak?
At the same time, not far from Terrace Inn's main gate…
Hikari and Kenji could be seen sneaking quietly in the shadows, attempting to infiltrate the inn.
(The following conversation is being spoken by whispering)
K: Tsukihime-sama, this is too dangerous! We should stop this at once!
H: Silence, Kenji! How dare you tell me what to do!
K: No, it's just…why would you attack Emilio-sama right now?! Didn't you want to face him in thirty days?!
H: Hmph! Who would want to face a traitor in a fair match?! I will sneak to his room and kill him tonight!
With that in their minds, the two sneak in the hollow space behind the ceiling to further sneak inside Emilio's room.
At the same moment, inside Emilio's room…
Emilio could be seen wearing his gunslinger uniform and a black mask. Preparing his night vision and thermal goggle scope, he left his room by entering the hollow space in the ceiling.
(To know what he is thinking, read this monologue below)
"Heheheh, I knew what I said earlier will bother El. He's a man after all; being together with a beautiful girl all night long will arouse him one way or another. I'm not a big fan of live sex, but I want to see my glory as close as possible. Lucky for me, the hollow space behind the ceiling connects every room in this inn. Just wait and see, dad. Tonight will be my first night of many victories to come against you!"
At the same minute, in Sasha's room…
Sasha could be seen wearing her gunslinger uniform and a black mask. Preparing her night vision and thermal goggle scope, she left her room by entering the hollow space in the ceiling
(To know what she is thinking, read this monologue below)
"Fufufu, I knew what I said earlier will bother Alexandria. She's a woman after all; being together all night long with her crush will surely arouse her somehow. I don't hate the princess at all, but I really dislike her act of being so high and mighty in front of everyone although she is crazy about vice captain. She would jump to his embrace if she is given the chance. I want to see her falling for her own lust tonight!"
At the same second, inside Gen Ed's room…
Gen Ed, the most respected and feared gunslinger on earth, is seen enjoying Felicia's pictures (the copyright belongs to Ty), "Hm, these pictures are good. Felicia is a real knockout; she should consider being a model"
Noticing several people are moving on the hollow space of building B thanks to his aura power, Gen Ed tilts his head before enjoying the pictures again, "Hm, some people are planning to do something? Up theirs, I better watch Felicia's videos before going to bed. But, something inside me tells me that tonight will be a night full of love"
The last but not the least, in the silver castle located in Panorama…
The man in white could be seen finishing his painting in the garden. His wife comes from behind bringing some cakes as snacks.
"Cookies? I'm sure they are delicious" The man takes a cookie and eats it, "See? I was right all along"
"The kids told me the same thing" The woman sees the painting, "It's good, just like always. I wonder if I could paint like you do"
"You can, my love. You teach me how to make a beautiful poem in the first place, right? I can do the same thing to you" The man encourages his woman.
"My hair is already white, unlike yours. It would be hard for me to learn"
"Not if I can help it"
The two shares a small laugh, but stop after the woman remembers something, "Oh, I almost forgot. It seems that Rune Midgard's beloved little princess is going to…have her first experience with a man tonight"
"For real? She's only 16, right? Isn't that a bit too early?" The man puts a questioning look on his face.
"That depends on how you see it. Her time will eventually come" His woman wisely tells him.
"You're right. With whom she is going to do it?"
"With the gunslinger she's been crazy about for almost a year"
"Oh, that gunslinger. He's a good man, but if I remember correctly he already has a girlfriend" The man in white takes another cookie.
"A girlfriend, but not a true love" The woman gets some of her cookies and tastes them, "Love isn't something you can find just like that in a matter of second. Love is something mysterious; love is something deeper than that"
"Well, regardless of how we see it, they will eventually learn what they really desire"
"True"
"By the way, just in case they really do it tonight, do you think they will have a baby boy or a baby girl?" The man continues enjoying the cookies, letting his love search for an answer.
"I think…" The woman finally replies, "A triplets"
Back to the grandest stage…
The night just grows darker and colder, no stars could be seen on the sky. But that only adds more mystiques to this one night stand.
Both El and Fio are sitting on the floor without looking at each other. They somehow feel awkward being together in their room. Repeatedly, they look at the bed before turning their attention on something else. They afraid if they stare too long to the bed, they might think of 'unnecessary' things more than they already have.
El: "This is so weird. I'm supposed to be insensitive, aren't I? Just sitting here like this together with her has bother me more than thinking on how to kick Ifrit's red ass! I always curse my insensitivity, but at times like this, I really hope I'm the most insensitive man on earth. O God who art in heaven, please help me putting away this feeling by your help, anything will do"
Fio: "Uh, these unnecessary thoughts are really torturing me! I don't know that I'm so dirty minded all along?! I should have read the Bible more often! And this is really not good. My heart beats so fast, El might listen! If he finds out, I'll die of embarrassment! O God, the merciful, please help me putting away this feeling by your help, anything will do"
"KNOCK, KNOCK"
"OK! God's help is here! Thank you, God!" The same mind crosses their minds at the same time. The help from God to erase this weird atmosphere has arrived…or so it seems.
"I'll open it" Fio rises and opens the door, revealing Helen with the tea pot and two cups, "Miss Helen? Do you need something?"
"Room service" Helen politely enters with the tea, "This is Terrace's Inn special tea. I hope you will enjoy this, sir and mam. Have a good time"
Helen excuses herself, leaving Fio and El together again in the room, but the tea provided by the supervisor of Building B has erased the weird feelings in the room.
"Would you like to drink the tea? I'll pour it for you" Fio sweetly offers the tea to the gunslinger.
"Uh, ok. Thanks" Elraven replies with a smile, feeling happy for the new atmosphere.
But really, if only they know what's inside the tea…
Without any suspicion or whatsoever, both Elraven and Fiorentin quietly drink the tea together. From behind the ceiling, Howard and Edward are witnessing. "Khuhuhu, your mom and Dana did a terrific job, Edward. Now, we shall we wait until the tea do its job" Howard evilly grins.
Finish enjoying the wonderful taste of the tea, Fio sincerely comments, "The tea tastes good. Terrace Inn really has a good service, don't you think?"
"I second that" Elraven nods.
And that moment is the moment when the love potion inside the tea works. Suddenly, both El and Fio feel something weird is growing inside their minds. They couldn't help but passionately look at each other, no matter how much they want don't want to.
El's POV:
"Ah? Why…I cannot get my eyes off her! What is this weird feeling?! I know Alexandria is cute, but now she looks cuter than ever! Her charming face suddenly looks so…gorgeous! Her wavering hair is so…different! I want to sway this feeling away, but I can't! Or is it that I don't want this feeling to go away from me?! Ukh, she shouldn't have worn that bathrobe of hers! She looks so…inviting! No, no! This is wrong! This temptation…I have to fight it!"
Fio's POV:
"Eh? What…what is happening?! Suddenly, my eyes feel like they are glued to El?! El is quite good looking, but right now, he looks like the most handsome man in Rune Midgard! Ow, I don't want to surrender to this weird feeling but…but, I…don't mind it at all. His deep black eyes, his soft black hair…I couldn't help but wanting to hold him. Why does he always wear that formal shirt and long black trousers of his on his free time? But nonetheless…he looks so tempting"
It is quite clear El hasn't lost to the potion yet, but Fio already has. "Ukh, Alexandria? It's getting late isn't it?! Maybe it's time to get some sleep!" El tries to break the magic of the spell by quickly turn the lights off so he cannot have a good look on the lord knight or else he might be seduced too, "You can sleep on the futon! I will…sleep on the floor!"
"Who said you can sleep on the floor?" Fio suddenly says with an ordering tone, "Don't you think it would be improper, Elraven?"
"What is happening to her?! She sounds so…seducing!?"El still tries not to lose to the spell despite the attack from inside and outside.
From behind the ceiling, Howard and Edward are celebrating the potion's success, "Yes, that girl has fallen for the potion! It's only a matter of time before the man's turn!"
"Listen to me, El" Fio rises and slowly approaches the 'battling' gunslinger. Elraven is totally cornered. When the lord knight is approaching him, Elraven could easily tell that the looks in Fio's eyes are so evil. It's as if El is her prey.
Before Elraven realize it, Fiorentin has already standing before him. Reaching her hand slowly to him, Fio slowly plays it on his face, "I cannot let you sleep on the floor. That would be cruel, don't you think?"
"Cruel?! No, no! That will be alright for me!" El nervously answers. He couldn't help but letting Fio plays her hand on his face as she wish. Her voice has done enough attack to his control.
"It's your country who pays for our living expenses here, right?" Fio continues her attack.
"Y,y,y,yes! But…"
"What will people say if I let someone who support me sleep on the floor when I sleep on the bed, right?"
"Well, it's…"
"That's why…" Fio launches the final attack, "Sleep next to me"
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Elraven feels like being hit by a direct hit when Fio said the magic words, "Nooooooooooooooo! This is so wrong! I cannot do this!"
"You won't refuse a woman's request right?" Fio advances again by putting his hand neatly on El's face, "The Elraven I knew of would say yes"
"Ukh!" Elraven suddenly remembers what Emilio said to him earlier. Now, his fear has grown to its biggest. He fears if this keeps on going then he might do 'that'.
"Or it might be that you hate me so much that you don't even want to share a bed with me?" The seducing voice attack by the lord knight continues.
"No, no! I don't hate you, Alexandria! I could never hate you!"
"Is sharing a bed that much of a sin for you?"
"No, it's not like that!"
"Then, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Uh…what to say?!"
Without waiting for El to finish replying, Fio circles both her hands on El's right arm and slowly drags him to bed.
"Aaaaaaaaah! Alexandria?! What are you doing?!" Elraven couldn't (or perhaps doesn't to be exact) fight back at all. The next thing he could remember is both himself and Fio have been sleeping on the same futon, covered by a warm blanket.
From behind the ceiling, Howard and Edward are busy cheering. "Yes! The first step is a success! Now, it's your turn, Edward!"
"Alright, here comes the song!" Edward readies his harmonica, waiting for the right time to play it.
Down below, both Fio and El couldn't sleep at all despite lying together in the futon. With a very nervous face, Elraven glances at Fio one or two times. The lord knight is still holding his right arm with a very content face; no signs of her letting it go. Elraven realizes just by looking at her face, they will advance to 'it' if he doesn't stop this soon.
"Uh…Alexandria, it's time to get some sleep don't you think?" Elraven starts the operation of freeing his arm.
"Hm?" Fio sounds too busy holding his arm even only for replying his question.
"Say, what about…letting my arm go? I want to get some sleep…if possible"
"I don't want to" She finally replies, again with that seducing voice, "I don't want to let go of you"
"Oh my god!" El screams inside his heart. This is one big trouble for him.
"Say, I have a better idea than sleeping" Fio moves her body closer to El's arm. So close that Elraven could feel something soft is touching his arm.
"Aaaaaaaah! This soft sensation in my arm! Could it be?! Could it be?!" Elraven's mind is running everywhere the moment he realizes what is the soft 'thing' touching him.
Fio reaches her right arm to El's red and nervous face to slowly turn it so she could have a good look on that face and vice versa. And right at that moment, Edward plays his song, adding a romantic atmosphere in the room 314.
"Why do you look so nervous, El?" Fio strikes again with the seducing voice, "Do you hate sleeping next to me that much?"
"No…no…" El is in lost words and by this time, the potion starts to take effect on him, "I don't hate you…I hate nothing about you"
Silent but deadly, that is how one could describe Edward's song. The music starts entering Fio and El's minds, encouraging them to get it on.
El: "What is this…slow and melancholic sound ringing in my ears? This sound…it's as if…this sound is telling me…to give up…to stop fighting my feelings…my desire…my heart"
Fio: "What a beautiful sound. This melody…sounds like…as if it…encourages me…to…turn myself…even deeper than…I already did…"
And finally, El has been defeated. Without anything stand between them, El and Fio moves closer to each other. From above, Howard are grinning, "Yeaaaaaaah! They will get it on! Keep the music up, Edward!"
With the music being the only thing encouraging them, Fio and El's lips are growing closer and closer each second. The moment when it's only one millimeter away before their lips met, they heard an explosion.
DUAAAAAAAAAAARRR!
"What is that?!" Edward stops the music that very second.
"I don't know! It's coming from our right side!"
Howard and Edward quickly run to check what is going on in the hollow space of the inn. They are surprised to find Hikari and Emilio are fighting, with Kenji and Sasha behind them.
"Useless, Emily! Your fire blast is nothing but crap compared to my sword!" Hikari readies her refined Muramasa to strike back.
"Not so fast, saruhime!" Emilio shoots another fire blast only for Hikari to cuts it again.
"What is going on in here, Kenji?!" Howard asks the scared thief.
"Uh, I and Tsukihime-sama were infiltrating this hollow space to surprise Emilio-sama! But he popped out at the same place and the rest is history" A quick explanation from the thief.
Howard shakes his head seeing the two, "We have to stop them"
"Dad, they will ruin our mission! Those two won't get it on with this mess!" Howard reminds his father. But his notification attracts the attention of Emilio and Sasha.
"What?! El and the princess were about to get it on?! Ukh, I was so close on winning the bet!" Emilio curses the fight, "This is all because of you, saruhime!"
"The princess was about to surrender herself?! Oh, this sucks!" Sasha follows.
"What are you blaming me for, Emily?! Prepare to die!" Hikari doesn't want to take the blame of course.
"Tsukihime-sama, please stop this!" Kenji persuades her with his bawl.
"Stop this at once! All of you!" Edward interfere the fight.
Knowing this mess is going nowhere; Howard opens the Sleeping Powder and throws it right to the battlefield, "I'm not going to let a mere battle stop my mission! Take this all of you, Sleeping Powder!"
It only take a second for the powder to burst all across the space.
Hi: "Ukh, what is this powder?!"
Em: "I feel weird!"
S: "My head is drowsy!"
K: "Aaaaaahhh!"
Ed: "Dad, how could you do this?!"
"Go to sleep, all of you! You're getting annoying" Howard, using a gas mask, runs off. He heads right towards the above of room 314, leaving the five youngsters slumbering for the night.
Howard quickly peeks from above room 314, to see El and Fio are now sleeping with their backs facing each other, "Damn! What happened?!"
Let's get back to several minutes ago. After the explosion, inside room 314…
"Huh?!" Both Fio and El were released from the clutch of the love spell thanks to the explosion.
"What?! What happened?" Fio starts looking around the room.
"What was that sound?!" El rises and turns the lights on, to see nothing is going on inside the room.
"What happened to us, El?! What were we going to do?!" Fio starts regaining her composure like a normal person. Her voice has returned back to its normal tone.
"I…I don't know, Alexandria" Elraven is just the same, couldn't clearly remember what happened, "I don't know"
But seeing the condition of their bed, Fio and El's faces quickly turn red. They realized they just shared their bed.
El: "We just shared bed?! Oh my god!"
Fio: "Aaaaaah! I hope we haven't done anything immodest!"
Feeling that adding more problem would be a no-no, Elraven takes an initiative to do something, "Alexandria, I don't know what we have done, but seeing how things going, I would rather sleep on the floor now. You can take the bed"
"Well…that's not actually necessary…you know" A rather surprising reply from the lord knight, knowing that the love potion is no longer controlling her.
"What? I don't catch you"
"You see…I don't mind sharing a bed with you" The answer only makes her face (and his face) even redder than before, "As long as…you don't do something…unnecessary…I guess"
Tonight has been tiring; they just want to get some sleep. And El doesn't have the heart to refuse after she personally permitted. But to ensure nothing weird will occur again, the two agrees to sleep with their backs facing each other.
But, love is still in the air. The story isn't over yet. With Howard returns and five other people having a fivesome, nothing can go right anymore. Not to mention the atmosphere between the two hindering them to get a proper sleep.
"El? You're still awake?" Fio, who couldn't sleep just yet, starts another night conversation.
"…Yeah" The gunslinger shortly answers.
"Tonight has been weird, don't you think?" The lord knight carries the conversation on with a lively voice, "Do you think we were really going to do something back there?"
"Perhaps…but something inside me tells me that…" Elraven chuckles, "It wasn't a bad thing"
"And I supposed to hear that from the most insensitive man on Midgard?"
"You're mean, Alexandria"
"I'm saying what I think is right"
"Meanie"
Despite they have their backs facing each other, the small laugh they let out pretty much tells them that both of them are enjoying their time tonight.
"No man has ever called me a meanie before, El"
"Now you got one"
"That's mean, Elraven"
"I'm saying what I think is right"
"Meanie"
The last word results in another small laughs from the two.
"You're mean, Elraven" The jokes still continue, "Now, because of you I cannot sleep tonight. I'll get insomnia"
"Well, haven't you always had insomnia?" Elraven recalls the conversation they had during the bed times before this, "We talked a lot at night, right?"
"Right" The lord knight forced a little smile although El obviously cannot see it, "But, rather than calling it insomnia…that's more like... fear to me"
"Fear?"
Fiorentin doesn't reply right away, she is trying to find the exact words for herself to voice her mind. And she finally finds it, "What do you think is scarier than being alone in the dark, Elraven?"
"Huh?" The gunslinger insensitively doesn't catch her point, "What is scarier than being alone in the dark? Well…I don't know"
"You really don't know?" The lord knight feels discontent, but she explains anyway, "Knowing that you're not alone in the dark. That is scarier than being alone in the dark. Because you never know, what is the other one going to do to you? Is the other one a friend? A foe? Just thinking about it makes me shiver"
Elraven curses his insensitivity at times like this. He couldn't express how much he feels wanting to comfort her, but he just can't. He doesn't know what to do. The only thing he can do at times like this is being a good listener, and listen to what she has to say.
"Ever since the night when my mom was killed, I have always been afraid of dark" The former princess carries the story on with a sad voice, "I could remember that night like it was yesterday. That night was so dark; I could barely see my own hand, let alone another thing. I could remember it so well; a sound of gunshot, my mom was badly wounded, and the silhouette of the murderer. He was laughing…that man….was laughing seeing my mom dying…"
The night suddenly feels quiet. Not even the wind makes a blowing sound when it should do. But in all honesty, Elraven could hear her sniffing. Thank god they couldn't see each other faces, because El doesn't have the heart seeing her cry.
"The last thing I remember was…he shot me. How I survived was a miracle. I got shot right in the heart, but I didn't die. That wasn't my turn. But ever since that day, I could never sleep peacefully" Fio continues, still with the sad voice, "That's why I'm afraid of dark. Whenever I close my eyes, I can hear that man laughing. This sounds crazy, but…maybe, until I see him again….maybe, I will always be like this. I'm afraid, because I know; I'm not alone in the dark. That man is still there, waiting for me. He is waiting for his chance to seize me. Elraven, I can hear his laughs. I can even imagine his smile. I'm not alone in the dark, he's still there. I can see him...looking at me"
Not only Elraven, but also Gen and Howard listening from above sympathizes her. Who would have thought she had that kind of fear inside her.
"Poor girl" Howard mutters.
But different from Howard, Gen Ed was thinking, "I heard the queen was assassinated around six years ago. A gunslinger? That could be anyone, but I don't remember anyone from the military got my permission to go to Rune Midgard by that time. Then it must be…Rekenber Corporation"
Fiorentin doesn't say anything afterwards; Elraven could only hear sniffles. But just like always, Elraven is full of surprise. Although he doesn't know what to say, he always knows what to do.
"Alexandria?" He calls for her attention, "Look at me"
Without any suspicion, the lord knight swipes away the tears on her eyes before turning his head to see Elraven. Before she even had the chance to ask why he called for her, Fiorentin already feels something warm on her forehead. Elraven kisses her.
One second feels like an eternity to everyone attending. Gen Ed and Howard were amazed by the progress, their mouth couldn't even comment. For the young girl, it is all seems like a dream. She doesn't know if it's a second or a minute has passed, nor she dares to ask why to the gunslinger. The kiss feels so warm, soft, and genuine at the same time;calming her heart down, conceal it from what she fears. And so, she closes her eyes' realizing that he is trying to comfort her.
Breaking the kiss, Fio opens her eyes when El looks at her. "Here. Remember this?" The gunslinger firmly caresses the feather on her headband, "This is a part of me. You always have it with you, right? You're not alone anymore in your fights...and in the dark. I'm there, with you. He is still there? So am I. If he is your foe, then I will be on your side. Whenever you feel afraid or scared, just look at this feather and remember my words. That man, whoever he is, isn't looking just at you anymore. Just for tonight, sleep peacefully. Even if it's just for one night, because you're not alone in the dark...anymore"
The moon is shied away by the clouds, closing the moon's path on shining its light, darkened the earth than it already has. And in that very moment, the sight of someone staring at her that Fiorentin has been feeling for the last six years suddenly gone. Even if it's just for tonight, it's gone. And she realizes, maybe someday...that feeling will be eternally gone from her.
That night, Fiorentin had the most comfortable and peaceful sleep she ever got in the last six years of her life. That night, no one was laughing at her dream, nor staring at her in the dark. No one. It was just her...and someone else beside her. That night, an angel wrapped his wings around her and guard her from all kind of fear in this world.
At the same night, in the president office room in Juno...
President Jose Martinez is enjoying a wine along with his company, Red Valdes. Being the president of the Republic of Schwaltzvalt surely put him and his minions on a great place. Red Valdes couldn't stop staring at the dark sky, catching Martinez's attention.
"Is the moon looks that beautiful tonight, Valdes?" The president puts a bit tone of mocking on his question.
"It's quite the opposite, Senor President" Valdes sips his wine, "The cloud is confiding the moonlight. It brings back memories"
"What memories?"
"Six years ago" The Vampire of Einbroch looks at the president with a grin, "Don't you remember it at all?"
"Oh, that night" Martinez remembers, "What a memorable night wasn't it? Both for you and for Prontera"
"Too bad, I left an unfinished job" Valdes is pointing at something.
"Alexandria, huh?" Martinez hits the jackpot, "She isn't quite troublesome at the moment. But she gave our side one hell of a fight for almost a year"
Tiling his head as if he is trying to remember something, Valdes evilly smiles. "She...has beautiful eyes" Valdes proudly mutters, "Those eyes of hers are very...expressive. Her eyes showed me what she feels by that time. That's why...although I didn't get the order to kill her...I shot her. No one deserves to see those fearful eyes of hers other than me. No one. Those eyes...are mine"
"What are you talking about?" The president lets out a little chuckle, "Are you drunk?"
"Hardly, senor" Valdes finishes his drink in one sip, "I'm spirited...to see her again"
"You're in love?"
"Not quite" Valdes shrugs, "I cannot forget her, though"
"That's stupid"
"No, I'm being honest" The gunslinger looks at the sky again and contently saying, "Something inside me tells me that...she thinks of me just as often as I think of her. She and I...we cannot forget each other. We...share the same feeling. Don't you agree with me, senor?"
OK, thx for reading this chapter! I will redo ch. 74 first then I will do ch. 79. Chapter 79 will tell u about how things go in amatsu, Unbala, and Millennium!
C u next chapter! (^^)