Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction ❯ Where Fate Turns ❯ Chapter 9: Fear... ( Chapter 9 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Splash 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 390 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 7 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 390 | Status: Completed
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Where Fate Turns
Chapter 9: Fear...
****
Mm... 9 chapters and this fic is almost larger than The Bishounen Boys... oh well. TBB is uber condensed. xD
Well, in my personal RO world... it's... over! XD The private server I was playing on (pRO) closed, and I won't be joining another server unless I get full compensation (or GM role), and I doubt either will happen soon. It's fine, at least it helps me find an ending point for this fic. ^^
Dragi: Sorry, Takuya's not in this one, but he'll be in the next. He had quite a lot of highlight in the previous chapter, didn't he? ^^ Thanks, dearie =D *huggles*
Lady Moon: Yay, you figured it out, it's a good sign that I'm not completely out of the loop! *hits herself* This chapter... err... *runs*
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: It's okay if you don't play the game, and I'm very glad you enjoy this fic. ^^
Linnda: *sweatdrop* I'm sorry I can't write faster... If I could, I would write/draw much more than I do currently. |3
kawaiidark: Hehe, the winces are amusing. Hope you like!
KawaiiKaren: Night time is the best time to read yaoi fics. x3~ This being from the person who was up reading SasuNaru at 1 am on a school night >>;; They're going to catch up to be when I hit... menopause or something. XD
Rave~n: Hehe, I don't play iRO, I played private server, but I did play iRO before it went pay-to-play. ^^ Ooh, the innocent days... Digimon pwns~
Keiito Ishida (Sora~): Lol, I wish I could find out the viewpoint of reading this fic without prior knowledge of RO, it would help to know how much of it actually makes sense. It's VERY addictive, yes o.o; I can just pray that it doesn't scar you as much as it did to me. RO makes my control-freak tendencies pop out of no where. I never find it worthwhile to do anything unless I excel in it to my own satisfaction.. *eats her Asian-tainted standards*
Beware a slight overhaul of original characters. The curse of plot did it, I swear...!
2-2 classes will be introduced here, so refer to the first chapter if you need any info.
RO facts!
Doppelganger card : Attack speed +33%
Phreeoni card: Hit +100
Baphomet card: Splash damage every hit, Hit -3
Mutant Dragon card: Attack +50
Whisper card: Flee +20, +50% damage from Ghost element
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~Attention: Keyboard not detected. Press F4 to continue~
****
" God DAMN we rock for Archers."
Taichi fell back against the wall of the great pyramid, a bead of sweat traveling down his cheek. They were clearing mobs of Mummies when 2nd classmen were running for their lives. They rarely gave their thanks, naturally... who would want to admit that they were saved by those supposedly weaker than them?
Excellent progress... Yamato considered Taichi to be close to his level, now. He himself had improved quite a bit.
" I bet I could be a Hunter by now," Taichi observed as they went back to their inn for the day.
The blonde Archer next to him visibly stiffened.
Not noticing, Taichi continued. " And then I could rent my own falcon... use traps and all that..."
" Do you want to?" Yamato said, almost inaudible.
Taichi looked at him, oblivious. " Hu?"
" Become a Hunter." His voice was calm, conserved.
Taichi gave off an air as if the answer was supposed to be obvious to the blonde. " Not until you are, of course!"
Yamato didn't reply. A familiar feeling saturated his gut.
The previous night was still clear in his mind. The warmth he had never felt before, a settling comfort calling him...
But Taichi seemed to be unaffected, or he was ignoring the situation altogether. Yamato could guess the latter, but it didn't mean it gave him the ability to bring it to his vocal chords. For one thing, it didn't seem to be an appropriate time... or era. The world was in chaos... his personal problems were piddly excuses for living... right? There was no way he could have a "normal" life with everything going around him.
And the other, the more heart-wrenching reason... he lacked confidence. He lacked a lot of things...
" Hey, when are we ever going to that other place near here? Sphinx, it was called?"
Yamato was slightly grateful for a subject change. " Let's go there."
The brunette blinked, not expecting such a sudden confirmation. They exited the grand structure of the sandy store. " We could take a break first... I'm a bit tired."
Yamato stopped in his tracks. He hadn't even noticed the sweat on his face. " Um, yeah. A break... a break would be nice. We'll go tomorrow, okay?"
" Okay."
****
They wandered into town and were immediately surrounded by the busy activity of the Morroc streets. Taichi found an intriguing merchant store and went over to investigate.
" Mink Coats..." he murmurred, lost in his own world. Yamato smiled faintly; it was so typical, yet so welcome.
This area was a rare open area in the town, with just a few Merchants and 2nd classmen hanging around.
" Hmm... we have a few uber 1sts with us," a deep voice verbalized behind Yamato.
Dark purple robes, bandages... Yamato tensed. But he took a second look... no, it was a different Assassin.
" Stop scaring them, Salamis," another said.
Yamato stared as if his vision was deceiving him. The females here... the two of them had blue, ponytailed hair. One of them was an Assassin, and the other...
" Are you women related to Sakura or Menchi?" he asked, sitting down within their vicinity.
" Yeah, I'm Mrs. Gates, and the 'sin here is Tsunade."
Yamato glanced at Mrs. Gates' dark red robes, high laced boots and the fancy flower cart behind her.
" I'm an Alchemist, if that answers anything," she noted, smirking.
" Yeah..."
" Don't mind Salamis," Tsunade said, her arms crossed, " We just came back from Sphinx."
Normally, Yamato wouldn't have bothered to speak further, but business was essential... " How was it?"
The female Assassin grinned widely. " Great. We got another Pharoah card."
The blonde was almost at a lost for words. " An MVP card..."
" It happens. Hey, is that Archer who's staring into my cart your friend?"
Taichi's Kittyband did a traditional perk. " Hm?"
" Hell," the Alchemist added, " What are your names?"
" I'm Taichi!" the brunette piped before oogling at the cart again.
" Yamato... sorry if Taichi's a bit intrusive..."
" I don't mind. Wanna buy anything?" Mrs. Gates grinned this time.
" We don't have much use for Mink Coats... they're heavy and expensive," Yamato mused, " Have any cards for sale?"
She took a glance behind her, staring x-rays into her cart.
" Whisper, Khalitzburg, Kobold, the works... want to buy a Doppelganger card?" she asked lightly.
Yamato's voice escaped him. " You... have that? Doppel? An MVP card?"
" Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you how many I use myself," Mrs. Gates said, still grinning. " Want one? The price is high, but it's sure as hell worth it."
Yamato concurred, much to Taichi's lack of attentiveness. The Doppelganger card was massively difficult to get, and its powers were awesome-- almost beyond imagination.
" I'll sell it to you for 10 mil," she said as he thought.
" 10 million? It'll take me forever to make that much," Yamato replied, almost angrily. " No one asks for that sum of money."
" No one asks that," the Alchemist corrected, " because the middle economy hasn't been tainted with these beasts lately. I could sell this for over 20 mil easily."
" We know more than you may think, we sisters," Tsunade commented. " Ymir, Ragnarok... we know of it."
For the umpteenth time that day, Yamato was at a loss for words.
" We may be able to kill MVPs over and over, but we'll never be able to seal them for good," Tsunade said with a hint of remorse.
" That responsibility goes to those with the same blood as those who did the job 1000 years ago," Mrs. Gates said. " One of them would be you, Yagami."
Taichi, who did not seem to be paying attention, suddenly made a serious expression. He didn't seem to be surprised that she knew her last name. " I know."
A deep silence hovered over the group. It was a sad fate... a fate... and Yamato felt slightly ashamed that he had hardly considered Taichi's reaction to the sudden burden. Sure, he knew that he himself was somewhat doomed, since he was Taichi's mentor, but...
" My god, these feelings," he began stroking Hawke's proud breast, who crooned in response. It was just one of the ways for him to release stress... Every time he glanced at Taichi, something would turn inside him... and he knew why...
" Take it, Yagami," Mrs. Gates finally said. " You'll need it more than some random rich fellow, anyway."
" ...You would give me such an expensive item?" the Archer in question asked.
" Not for free, of course," Mrs. Gates responded, a slight smirk coming back to her face, " You may have it under the condition that you will only use it to save Midgard. You have many choices ahead of you, Yagami. Follow the best."
" The best... what?"
" Just... the best," Mrs. Gates finished.
Taichi seemed thoroughly confused. " I'm not sure if I should accept this..."
Yamato wanted to say something, to say that it was all right to accept it... but Mrs. Gates stood up first.
" Mou," she growled. " I'll do it for you."
She dug through the cart until she found the card, then grabbed the Crossbow on Taichi's side. Peering at it for a bit, her scrutinizing eye caught the bow's previous compounds. " Critical Crossbow of Verserk!"
The bow flashed brightly, enough to make everyone in the area close their eyes temporarily. When Mrs. Gates handed the Crossbow back, it didn't seem any different.
" Hmm... I expected some kind of massive power surge," Yamato said plainly.
" Oh... that comes when you actually start attacking with the thing," Tsunade remarked. " EVERY time. But you get used to it."
Mrs. Gates nodded, then cast her gaze on Yamato's bow. " Want a better weapon? No zeny for you, either."
" Uh..."
" It's Sakura's old bow, a Scythelike Critical Arbalest," Mrs. Gates continued, " Even though it still doesn't compare to what you could have, it's better than that Dexterous one."
" Hey, I've used this bow for quite a while... It's quite reliable..."
" Well, it sucks."
Yamato wanted to be angry... he really did... but Mrs. Gates spoke with such flair that even Yamato's pride had to give in. That, and he knew Mrs. Gates was more concerned with their safety...
" I'll take it... thank you."
They traded bows, and Yamato was surprised to find how comfortable the new bow was. In fact, it was better...
" Can we kill something yet? I still need to finish my quadruple Atlas Gladius," Tsunade half-moaned.
" Yeah, yeah, let's call Menchi," Mrs. Gates said. " You guys have fun with your new weapons."
" Sweet," Taichi said, a smile sprouting out of his saddened face. " Can we try Sphinx? Please, please?"
" You sure you want to? It's tough. It hurts to get hit there, not like those slow dead things in mids."
" Oh yeah," the Alchemist stopped, then grabbed a few more things from her cart. " Take these and call out Mocking Muffler! It'll help you out in most situations."
****
" Who might you be?" Yamato asked the Crusader in front him. Taichi was staring at her unusual PecoPeco and the fancy decorations on it. The Crusader smiled and more brightly.
" Um... I don't like my real name," the Crusader replied, cocking her head innocently. " Just call me Chari. I'm going to be your meat tank for today."
On her head was a gigantic Angel helm, shaped like a dragon's head with wings on the side. Her green-blue cape dragged over her back as her Peco trotted around. Of all of the blue-haired sisters, she was the most peculiar...
Mrs. Gates had called her and asked her to tank the monsters in Sphinx. She didn't seem to mind being monster meat. " Let's find Pharoah! Until you find out how to seal them, it's best to get some practice pushing some MVPs around."
The sickly tall Pharoah was pretty speedy for its appearance. He took a LONG time to make trash of-- not only did magic have little effect on him, he had high physical defense as well. The only thing to compensate these difficulties was that he had no minions or devastating attacks... but that was hardly a trouble for Chari anyway.
****
" So, how was it?" Came the familiar Alchemist's voice. Chari had brought the two Archers back after tiffing with Pharaoh several times. They had run out of arrows rather quickly.
" It was nice. We got some Elunium for upgrading," Taichi said, high-spirited. " Thanks, Chari! I've never upgraded before."
" Hmm... upgrading," she murmurred. " Gotta go to Prontera for that."
" It's not worth making the long trip for just a little upgrade yet." Yamato noted. He wandered to a nearby reposing Merchant, whose cart was packed with silver arrows.
" Greedy Mutant Dragons," Tsunade pouted, " Nothing but scales this trip. Maybe I should just save up money to buy a card... at least I'd be getting more experience with other monsters."
" Hunting drags... are such a drag." Salamis added. Tsunade glomped him for the pun, much to the strange looks the pair received.
Menchi, newly dressed in silver-pink robes, greeted the boys warmly. Randomly, she reached out her hand and called out, " Blessing!"
Shining blue auras hovered over the Archers' heads. Taichi looked at Yamato in question, who just shrugged as the blue faded.
" Yagami, wanna look in my cart some more... I have a lot more than Mink Coats," Mrs. Gates offered as she sat down on the streets of Morroc.
" Woo!" Taichi gave a wild shout and raided her giant flower-decorated cart.
Yamato's expression contorted in slight exasperation. " Aiya, Taichi..." Oh well. They had done quite enough for the day. He watched the brunette happily shuffle through Mrs. Gate's collection, occasionally pulling out a unique headgear or reading the information off a card. " So eager..."
Something seemed extremely angelic about the brunette, even if Yamato was the one wearing the Angelband. Yamato found himself caught in Taichi's presence.
" Special, isn't he?" Chari uttered quietly behind him, only enough for Yamato to hear.
" What?" Yamato snapped his head back before pausing. A decent comeback completely escaped him...
Chari stopped smiling for the first time since they met.
" Want my advice? Not sure you'll appreciate it, but... catch him while you're still young. Opportunities are rare. Especially in your situation and time."
Yamato went back to observing Taichi, who was swallowing information like a snake, and he reflected on his past thoughts. He had been the one to say that close feelings such as these were a hindrance during war...
So why did meeting Taichi change his beliefs so dramatically?
****
Taichi shuffled a little as he usually found it difficult to settle at first. Yamato stared up at the ceiling, the words of the day still occupying him.
" That was a fun day," Taichi said sleepily, moving to put a ritual arm over Yamato. Out of the blue, Yamato stopped the arm, then gave Taichi a clear look.
" Will empathy work the other way around?" the blue-eyed Archer asked.
" Yes," Taichi answered openly, hesitating to move his arm away or closer. " As long as there's physical contact..."
" Then let me do it this time."
Without further confirmation, Yamato turned towards Taichi and coiled an arm around his side. Taichi stiffened, glancing at Yamato unsurely, before settling in.
The words danced in his mind again. " Opportunities are rare..." Staring into calming chocolate, he moved a bit closer... closer until he could rest his chin on Taichi's hair. Hair so soft, so comforting...
He heard Taichi's snore that indicated he was asleep already. Yamato retreated his arms, turning away from Taichi to stare at the ceiling again. And... strange... completely aware of it, he fell asleep without the aid of empathy. He HADN'T needed it since the kiss...
****
Several days went by in the same fashion. Charizard would tank Pharoahs for them while the other sisters hunted Mutant Dragons (after some thought, Tsunade decided she really didn't want to go anywhere else until she got her cards). Eventually, Tsunade found the cards she needed.
" Well, our business here is done. We're heading to Comodo next," Mrs. Gates announced. " Wanna come?"
Yamato's eyes widened. " Uh... you joining the rush?"
Mrs. Gates chuckled, a childish chuckle that adults used around small children. " Rush? That's been long over... as long as a couple days lasts."
" Already? But it's hardly been..."
" That's how it is. It didn't take too long to get there, actually. And there aren't too many new renovations to the world with Comodo."
" Glast Heim was a lot better," Tsunade added.
Mrs. Gates shrugged her shoulders. " There's still money that can be made in Comodo, at least. See you later, guys. Good luck!"
" Any last-minute warp requests?" Menchi asked.
" Prontera, please," Yamato said after some contemplation.
" One Prontera warp, coming right up!"
****
" Ack! Can this place get any more crowded!?"
" Probably..."
Despite his natural bit of claustrophobia, Yamato found himself smiling at Taichi's observation. Usually, he would be scowling at the massive crowd and searching for an unoccupied area. Hawkes ruffled his feathers needlessly, unaccustomed to his surroundings.
Yamato introduced Taichi to the weapon and armor upgrader in the center of Prontera, who was constantly busy taking requests for upgrading. Upgrades were quick; people were getting successful upgrades here and there, while others were failing.
" What happens if it fails?" Taichi asked.
" The equipment is completely destroyed."
Taichi reflexively held his bow closer to himself.
The other Archer laughed. " Don't worry, upgrading is safe to a certain point, and we won't upgrade past that point for your Crossbow."
" And upgrades help because..."
" On weapons, it increases damage, and on armor, it makes them more sturdier, so it takes more damage."
" ...Good stuff."
After upgrading, Taichi suddenly started dragging Yamato to a certain Merchant.
" Look at this headgear collection! Majestic Goat! Elven Ears! Striped Bandana! Ah... a Poring hat!"
Yamato gazed over the selection. The Merchant was selling nothing but headgear.
" Can I try them on?" Taichi asked the Merchant.
" Yesiree!" the female Merchant replied. " Try the Poring and Panda hats especially! They're so cute..."
The brunette lifted the bubbly pink hat shaped like a Poring and replaced it with his Kittyband.
Yamato burst out laughing. He had never seen anyone wearing a Poring hat before, and it looked exceptionally silly on Taichi. " It looks like.... it's sucking you up!" he said between chuckles. " It's looting you."
" Ooh? But it's quite comfortable."
" Mm... try the Panda..."
As soon as Taichi took off the baggy Poring hat, Yamato plopped the black and white object onto his head.
" Ooh, this one is comfy, too..."
Yamato took a step back to get a better look.
" Cute..."
" ...Hm?"
Yamato's eyes widened. The word had slipped out before he could stop it.
" Yama, what did you say?" Taichi said, quite oblivious of the blonde's suffering.
" ...Nothing." He turned away slowly as to not give suspicion for his blush.
Taichi shrugged and went to try some of the other hats. Yamato stopped paying attention, for he knew that looking at the brunette would just increase the pain...
It seemed too soon ago that they were in Prontera Church fighting the Baphomet Junior. They had gone from struggling with minions to conquering MVPs in such short a time, and the bond between them had become much closer... and Yamato feared how close the bond could be. How close he WANTED it to be...
Out of the blue, he could discern someone's voice carrying above the huge crowd in the city. A female practically shrieking... something vaguely sounding like " Taichi! Yagami Taichi! Is he here?"
Taichi had a Joker Jester hat on him at the moment, but he had heard the voice, too. " Who is that?" He quickly exchanged headgear and attempted to walk toward the voice as he adjusted his Kittyband.
Yamato stepped in his way, causing the other Archer to run into his chest. " She could be after you, Taichi. Watch it."
Hawkes listed off Yamato's shoulder and went to inspect. Taichi still looked eager to follow the voice, so Yamato grabbed his arms.
" Curses, be still." He gave Taichi a firm stare.
Hawkes returned after one small swoop and nudged Yamato's chin gently.
" All right. It's safe," Yamato said, releasing Taichi reluctantly. He still had an urge to protect the brunette...
To their surprise, an Acolyte and Swordsman emerged from the crowd in front of them. Panting heavily, the Swordsman was the first to speak.
" Hey... we just came from Payon."
" I... don't know who you are," Taichi said.
" Oh, I'm Sora, this is Mimi," she continued, " Your mother... She's d-"
The next few moments passed by in a flurry. There was a certain glint in Taichi's eyes as Mimi cast a Warp Portal, then he was gone... Yamato found himself following him, along with the two females, and he was greeted... by the open coffin within the graveyard next to the Archer's guild.
" Mother..."
" Moonlight came out and got her last night..." Sora explained sullenly, " She left behind a Ninetail to leave a message."
"' This is the beginning of the killings,'" Mimi recited, "' Unless you wish to turn yourself in, Yagami Taichi."
" Where does Moonlight reside again?" Taichi asked.
" Deep inside Payon Dungeon," Yamato reminded him.
Taichi crouched down in front of the coffin, tall grass surrounding his knees. " Thank you for the information, and for bringing me here," he said gently, staring into the coffin. His mother had a peaceful expression, but nonetheless, lifeless. It was the first dead human he had ever seen.
" Will you please leave now, Sora, Mimi?"
" But..." Sora interjected. She had just met up with them again, she wasn't prepared to leave after the small favor.
" PLEASE." Taichi sounded like he was about to crack.
It was enough to make the two girls make haste. Silence reigned the graveyard once more. Taichi simply stared at the coffin, at his mother whom he had been happily having dinner with not long ago. And now...
It seemed to be pulling him in. His mother's pure, innocent face, his mother's radiant spirit... gone. He was an orphan now, without a mother, without a father. Instead, he was with the world's fate...all of Midgard. The coffin-- no, the BODY-- was calling for him... Taichi... Taichi...
' It's your fault!'
No... no, it couldn't be.
' Who would respect you after knowing death revolves around you?'
No one. No one.
Not even Yamato... not him...
Why did this have to happen?
" I'm going to turn myself in."
" Huh?" Yamato said, moving out of a daze.
" Whoever this Moonlight is, she can have me. I don't want anyone else getting killed because of me."
" IDIOT!!!"
Taichi snapped a bit, but he continued to stare at the coffin.
" If you do that, it's all over for us anyway! Don't you remember what the sisters said? We need your help to seal the MVPs again!"
" My mother said something, too. Maybe Ragnarok HAS to happen! Maybe I was chosen to be the one to make it happen! I... I want to know..." Taichi hugged himself, beginning to shake from an invisible coldness.
" Taichi..." Yamato said softly, " You have a choice, and I know you don't want to do this."
" Don't try to convince me, if it's my choice, then I can decide for myself. I'm going." Taichi stood up, hiding his eyes from his mentor's view.
" The fact that I'm trying to convince you should say enough," Yamato said, turning away as well. It was just too hard to face Taichi without breaking, especially at that point. " Think about all the lives, all the people who would be ashamed of your decision."
" I don't care what other people think."
Yamato almost laughed, but it came out as a dry huff instead. " That sounds like something _I_ would say. You DO care... you're just not allowing yourself to."
" What do you know!?" Taichi barked.
Yamato was not to be deterred. " You still have Hikari to protect."
" She's with Takeru."
" ..." the mention of his brother set him back. His comment just backfired on him.
" Goodbye, Yamato. Thank you... it was nice meeting you."
He started to move, but once again, Yamato blocked him. Taichi tried to shove him away, but Yamato wouldn't budge. The brunette was shocked; he thought he was physically more fit...
Yamato himself wasn't completely sure of what he was getting into, but he didn't want to give up now that he had started. He cared too much to give up...
" Let me go, Yama."
They avoided each other's gaze.
" Not until you admit you care."
He realized he would HAVE to face the brunette to convince him. He had to get over his personal feelings for the moment...
" Do you not have any sense of hope? No reason to live, to hang on? Or are you cowarding? Take some responsibility, Taichi."
Something on Taichi's face twitched, an instinctive reaction to the new words.
" More people are depending on you, much more than believe."
Taichi growled, an almost animal-like feature on his canines. " Of all people... I didn't expect YOU to go this far for me."
Yamato's expression softened ever so slightly. " I would... I do..."
Taichi's mother called in his head once more.
The brunette smiled solemnly, and just when Yamato thought he had done it... he started to move closer to Taichi, to reassure him that things would be all right from then on. And then... an object vaguelly shaped like a weapon smacked him dead on the face, and he was out cold.
****
The fox lady grinned. " Ah, something arises from these jejune days. Too bad this one is the easiest one to find."
She examined the Archer before him, standing in the open area of the Payon Dungeon where he was first kidnapped. Moonlight had not made her appearance before him yet, antiicipating some sort of trap from the slippery fellow. " I didn't think you humans would be this cunning..."
Taichi set down in the center, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Clearly, he was waiting for Moonlight...
" All right. Let's play."
She spawned in front of Taichi, allowing the boy to see her soft, padded feet.
" Your guardians must have abandoned you if you were able to come here on your own will."
Taichi's contempt was more than apparent. " I don't have guardians... Hurry and get it over with."
Moonlight smiled childishly. " I can't until all of the other MVPs give me permission. But now that I have one of the four, my contribution to initializing the death of all humans has soared beyond my dreams."
" Death to all humans? Is that Ragnarok?" Taichi asked emotionlessly. " And the gods? The beasts? You?"
" Ah... that's where things get a bit more complicated. With Ymir, the holder of Midgard, in pieces... the giant whose eyebrows created the border between Midgard and the outerworlds... with that gone, we beings from the outer world are able to take haven here. After Ragnarok, Midgard will be the only sanctuary remaining."
" Why Midgard... why not another outside world? Why is this place the sanctuary?"
" Because fate brought us here. Fate, again."
" ..."
" Now it's my turn to interrogate. If those weren't your guardians defying me, who were those humans?"
Yamato... " Party members. We're fighting comrades." That's all...
Moonlight raised her arm, allowing a glowing to surround her hand. A large stick with a golden bell materialized in her grip, which she brought above Taichi's kowtowing head. " It's been a dull thousand years since I've been with a human like this..."
****
I'm not going to describe some of the next events on purpose. Don't expect the worst, please, for everyone's mentality... XD I just want to get to.. the... yaoi...! >>
Just to be factual because reviewer asked, here are Yama and Taichi's current stats ^^; I won't state levels or upgrade levels because I feel it makes the fic too statistical, even though it already is in some places. Darn game crossover. =X
Yamato -
Bow: Scythelike Critical Arbalest (Baphomet, Soldier Skeleton)
Head 1: Angel Band
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)
Armor: Tights
Shoes: Boots
Accessory: Gloves x2
Taichi -
Bow: Critical Crossbow of Verserk (Soldier Skeleton, Doppelganger)
Head 1: Kitty Band
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)
Armor: Tights
Shoes: Boots
Accessory: Gloves x2
Don't forget to check the gallery for some doodlings pertaining to this chapter ^^ KTHXBAI...!!!!! PLZGIVEZENY! Are people still saying that in iRO? o.o;
Splash
Where Fate Turns
Chapter 9: Fear...
****
Mm... 9 chapters and this fic is almost larger than The Bishounen Boys... oh well. TBB is uber condensed. xD
Well, in my personal RO world... it's... over! XD The private server I was playing on (pRO) closed, and I won't be joining another server unless I get full compensation (or GM role), and I doubt either will happen soon. It's fine, at least it helps me find an ending point for this fic. ^^
Dragi: Sorry, Takuya's not in this one, but he'll be in the next. He had quite a lot of highlight in the previous chapter, didn't he? ^^ Thanks, dearie =D *huggles*
Lady Moon: Yay, you figured it out, it's a good sign that I'm not completely out of the loop! *hits herself* This chapter... err... *runs*
Crystal Ketchum Darklight: It's okay if you don't play the game, and I'm very glad you enjoy this fic. ^^
Linnda: *sweatdrop* I'm sorry I can't write faster... If I could, I would write/draw much more than I do currently. |3
kawaiidark: Hehe, the winces are amusing. Hope you like!
KawaiiKaren: Night time is the best time to read yaoi fics. x3~ This being from the person who was up reading SasuNaru at 1 am on a school night >>;; They're going to catch up to be when I hit... menopause or something. XD
Rave~n: Hehe, I don't play iRO, I played private server, but I did play iRO before it went pay-to-play. ^^ Ooh, the innocent days... Digimon pwns~
Keiito Ishida (Sora~): Lol, I wish I could find out the viewpoint of reading this fic without prior knowledge of RO, it would help to know how much of it actually makes sense. It's VERY addictive, yes o.o; I can just pray that it doesn't scar you as much as it did to me. RO makes my control-freak tendencies pop out of no where. I never find it worthwhile to do anything unless I excel in it to my own satisfaction.. *eats her Asian-tainted standards*
Beware a slight overhaul of original characters. The curse of plot did it, I swear...!
2-2 classes will be introduced here, so refer to the first chapter if you need any info.
RO facts!
Doppelganger card : Attack speed +33%
Phreeoni card: Hit +100
Baphomet card: Splash damage every hit, Hit -3
Mutant Dragon card: Attack +50
Whisper card: Flee +20, +50% damage from Ghost element
****
~Attention: Keyboard not detected. Press F4 to continue~
****
" God DAMN we rock for Archers."
Taichi fell back against the wall of the great pyramid, a bead of sweat traveling down his cheek. They were clearing mobs of Mummies when 2nd classmen were running for their lives. They rarely gave their thanks, naturally... who would want to admit that they were saved by those supposedly weaker than them?
Excellent progress... Yamato considered Taichi to be close to his level, now. He himself had improved quite a bit.
" I bet I could be a Hunter by now," Taichi observed as they went back to their inn for the day.
The blonde Archer next to him visibly stiffened.
Not noticing, Taichi continued. " And then I could rent my own falcon... use traps and all that..."
" Do you want to?" Yamato said, almost inaudible.
Taichi looked at him, oblivious. " Hu?"
" Become a Hunter." His voice was calm, conserved.
Taichi gave off an air as if the answer was supposed to be obvious to the blonde. " Not until you are, of course!"
Yamato didn't reply. A familiar feeling saturated his gut.
The previous night was still clear in his mind. The warmth he had never felt before, a settling comfort calling him...
But Taichi seemed to be unaffected, or he was ignoring the situation altogether. Yamato could guess the latter, but it didn't mean it gave him the ability to bring it to his vocal chords. For one thing, it didn't seem to be an appropriate time... or era. The world was in chaos... his personal problems were piddly excuses for living... right? There was no way he could have a "normal" life with everything going around him.
And the other, the more heart-wrenching reason... he lacked confidence. He lacked a lot of things...
" Hey, when are we ever going to that other place near here? Sphinx, it was called?"
Yamato was slightly grateful for a subject change. " Let's go there."
The brunette blinked, not expecting such a sudden confirmation. They exited the grand structure of the sandy store. " We could take a break first... I'm a bit tired."
Yamato stopped in his tracks. He hadn't even noticed the sweat on his face. " Um, yeah. A break... a break would be nice. We'll go tomorrow, okay?"
" Okay."
****
They wandered into town and were immediately surrounded by the busy activity of the Morroc streets. Taichi found an intriguing merchant store and went over to investigate.
" Mink Coats..." he murmurred, lost in his own world. Yamato smiled faintly; it was so typical, yet so welcome.
This area was a rare open area in the town, with just a few Merchants and 2nd classmen hanging around.
" Hmm... we have a few uber 1sts with us," a deep voice verbalized behind Yamato.
Dark purple robes, bandages... Yamato tensed. But he took a second look... no, it was a different Assassin.
" Stop scaring them, Salamis," another said.
Yamato stared as if his vision was deceiving him. The females here... the two of them had blue, ponytailed hair. One of them was an Assassin, and the other...
" Are you women related to Sakura or Menchi?" he asked, sitting down within their vicinity.
" Yeah, I'm Mrs. Gates, and the 'sin here is Tsunade."
Yamato glanced at Mrs. Gates' dark red robes, high laced boots and the fancy flower cart behind her.
" I'm an Alchemist, if that answers anything," she noted, smirking.
" Yeah..."
" Don't mind Salamis," Tsunade said, her arms crossed, " We just came back from Sphinx."
Normally, Yamato wouldn't have bothered to speak further, but business was essential... " How was it?"
The female Assassin grinned widely. " Great. We got another Pharoah card."
The blonde was almost at a lost for words. " An MVP card..."
" It happens. Hey, is that Archer who's staring into my cart your friend?"
Taichi's Kittyband did a traditional perk. " Hm?"
" Hell," the Alchemist added, " What are your names?"
" I'm Taichi!" the brunette piped before oogling at the cart again.
" Yamato... sorry if Taichi's a bit intrusive..."
" I don't mind. Wanna buy anything?" Mrs. Gates grinned this time.
" We don't have much use for Mink Coats... they're heavy and expensive," Yamato mused, " Have any cards for sale?"
She took a glance behind her, staring x-rays into her cart.
" Whisper, Khalitzburg, Kobold, the works... want to buy a Doppelganger card?" she asked lightly.
Yamato's voice escaped him. " You... have that? Doppel? An MVP card?"
" Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you how many I use myself," Mrs. Gates said, still grinning. " Want one? The price is high, but it's sure as hell worth it."
Yamato concurred, much to Taichi's lack of attentiveness. The Doppelganger card was massively difficult to get, and its powers were awesome-- almost beyond imagination.
" I'll sell it to you for 10 mil," she said as he thought.
" 10 million? It'll take me forever to make that much," Yamato replied, almost angrily. " No one asks for that sum of money."
" No one asks that," the Alchemist corrected, " because the middle economy hasn't been tainted with these beasts lately. I could sell this for over 20 mil easily."
" We know more than you may think, we sisters," Tsunade commented. " Ymir, Ragnarok... we know of it."
For the umpteenth time that day, Yamato was at a loss for words.
" We may be able to kill MVPs over and over, but we'll never be able to seal them for good," Tsunade said with a hint of remorse.
" That responsibility goes to those with the same blood as those who did the job 1000 years ago," Mrs. Gates said. " One of them would be you, Yagami."
Taichi, who did not seem to be paying attention, suddenly made a serious expression. He didn't seem to be surprised that she knew her last name. " I know."
A deep silence hovered over the group. It was a sad fate... a fate... and Yamato felt slightly ashamed that he had hardly considered Taichi's reaction to the sudden burden. Sure, he knew that he himself was somewhat doomed, since he was Taichi's mentor, but...
" My god, these feelings," he began stroking Hawke's proud breast, who crooned in response. It was just one of the ways for him to release stress... Every time he glanced at Taichi, something would turn inside him... and he knew why...
" Take it, Yagami," Mrs. Gates finally said. " You'll need it more than some random rich fellow, anyway."
" ...You would give me such an expensive item?" the Archer in question asked.
" Not for free, of course," Mrs. Gates responded, a slight smirk coming back to her face, " You may have it under the condition that you will only use it to save Midgard. You have many choices ahead of you, Yagami. Follow the best."
" The best... what?"
" Just... the best," Mrs. Gates finished.
Taichi seemed thoroughly confused. " I'm not sure if I should accept this..."
Yamato wanted to say something, to say that it was all right to accept it... but Mrs. Gates stood up first.
" Mou," she growled. " I'll do it for you."
She dug through the cart until she found the card, then grabbed the Crossbow on Taichi's side. Peering at it for a bit, her scrutinizing eye caught the bow's previous compounds. " Critical Crossbow of Verserk!"
The bow flashed brightly, enough to make everyone in the area close their eyes temporarily. When Mrs. Gates handed the Crossbow back, it didn't seem any different.
" Hmm... I expected some kind of massive power surge," Yamato said plainly.
" Oh... that comes when you actually start attacking with the thing," Tsunade remarked. " EVERY time. But you get used to it."
Mrs. Gates nodded, then cast her gaze on Yamato's bow. " Want a better weapon? No zeny for you, either."
" Uh..."
" It's Sakura's old bow, a Scythelike Critical Arbalest," Mrs. Gates continued, " Even though it still doesn't compare to what you could have, it's better than that Dexterous one."
" Hey, I've used this bow for quite a while... It's quite reliable..."
" Well, it sucks."
Yamato wanted to be angry... he really did... but Mrs. Gates spoke with such flair that even Yamato's pride had to give in. That, and he knew Mrs. Gates was more concerned with their safety...
" I'll take it... thank you."
They traded bows, and Yamato was surprised to find how comfortable the new bow was. In fact, it was better...
" Can we kill something yet? I still need to finish my quadruple Atlas Gladius," Tsunade half-moaned.
" Yeah, yeah, let's call Menchi," Mrs. Gates said. " You guys have fun with your new weapons."
" Sweet," Taichi said, a smile sprouting out of his saddened face. " Can we try Sphinx? Please, please?"
" You sure you want to? It's tough. It hurts to get hit there, not like those slow dead things in mids."
" Oh yeah," the Alchemist stopped, then grabbed a few more things from her cart. " Take these and call out Mocking Muffler! It'll help you out in most situations."
****
" Who might you be?" Yamato asked the Crusader in front him. Taichi was staring at her unusual PecoPeco and the fancy decorations on it. The Crusader smiled and more brightly.
" Um... I don't like my real name," the Crusader replied, cocking her head innocently. " Just call me Chari. I'm going to be your meat tank for today."
On her head was a gigantic Angel helm, shaped like a dragon's head with wings on the side. Her green-blue cape dragged over her back as her Peco trotted around. Of all of the blue-haired sisters, she was the most peculiar...
Mrs. Gates had called her and asked her to tank the monsters in Sphinx. She didn't seem to mind being monster meat. " Let's find Pharoah! Until you find out how to seal them, it's best to get some practice pushing some MVPs around."
The sickly tall Pharoah was pretty speedy for its appearance. He took a LONG time to make trash of-- not only did magic have little effect on him, he had high physical defense as well. The only thing to compensate these difficulties was that he had no minions or devastating attacks... but that was hardly a trouble for Chari anyway.
****
" So, how was it?" Came the familiar Alchemist's voice. Chari had brought the two Archers back after tiffing with Pharaoh several times. They had run out of arrows rather quickly.
" It was nice. We got some Elunium for upgrading," Taichi said, high-spirited. " Thanks, Chari! I've never upgraded before."
" Hmm... upgrading," she murmurred. " Gotta go to Prontera for that."
" It's not worth making the long trip for just a little upgrade yet." Yamato noted. He wandered to a nearby reposing Merchant, whose cart was packed with silver arrows.
" Greedy Mutant Dragons," Tsunade pouted, " Nothing but scales this trip. Maybe I should just save up money to buy a card... at least I'd be getting more experience with other monsters."
" Hunting drags... are such a drag." Salamis added. Tsunade glomped him for the pun, much to the strange looks the pair received.
Menchi, newly dressed in silver-pink robes, greeted the boys warmly. Randomly, she reached out her hand and called out, " Blessing!"
Shining blue auras hovered over the Archers' heads. Taichi looked at Yamato in question, who just shrugged as the blue faded.
" Yagami, wanna look in my cart some more... I have a lot more than Mink Coats," Mrs. Gates offered as she sat down on the streets of Morroc.
" Woo!" Taichi gave a wild shout and raided her giant flower-decorated cart.
Yamato's expression contorted in slight exasperation. " Aiya, Taichi..." Oh well. They had done quite enough for the day. He watched the brunette happily shuffle through Mrs. Gate's collection, occasionally pulling out a unique headgear or reading the information off a card. " So eager..."
Something seemed extremely angelic about the brunette, even if Yamato was the one wearing the Angelband. Yamato found himself caught in Taichi's presence.
" Special, isn't he?" Chari uttered quietly behind him, only enough for Yamato to hear.
" What?" Yamato snapped his head back before pausing. A decent comeback completely escaped him...
Chari stopped smiling for the first time since they met.
" Want my advice? Not sure you'll appreciate it, but... catch him while you're still young. Opportunities are rare. Especially in your situation and time."
Yamato went back to observing Taichi, who was swallowing information like a snake, and he reflected on his past thoughts. He had been the one to say that close feelings such as these were a hindrance during war...
So why did meeting Taichi change his beliefs so dramatically?
****
Taichi shuffled a little as he usually found it difficult to settle at first. Yamato stared up at the ceiling, the words of the day still occupying him.
" That was a fun day," Taichi said sleepily, moving to put a ritual arm over Yamato. Out of the blue, Yamato stopped the arm, then gave Taichi a clear look.
" Will empathy work the other way around?" the blue-eyed Archer asked.
" Yes," Taichi answered openly, hesitating to move his arm away or closer. " As long as there's physical contact..."
" Then let me do it this time."
Without further confirmation, Yamato turned towards Taichi and coiled an arm around his side. Taichi stiffened, glancing at Yamato unsurely, before settling in.
The words danced in his mind again. " Opportunities are rare..." Staring into calming chocolate, he moved a bit closer... closer until he could rest his chin on Taichi's hair. Hair so soft, so comforting...
He heard Taichi's snore that indicated he was asleep already. Yamato retreated his arms, turning away from Taichi to stare at the ceiling again. And... strange... completely aware of it, he fell asleep without the aid of empathy. He HADN'T needed it since the kiss...
****
Several days went by in the same fashion. Charizard would tank Pharoahs for them while the other sisters hunted Mutant Dragons (after some thought, Tsunade decided she really didn't want to go anywhere else until she got her cards). Eventually, Tsunade found the cards she needed.
" Well, our business here is done. We're heading to Comodo next," Mrs. Gates announced. " Wanna come?"
Yamato's eyes widened. " Uh... you joining the rush?"
Mrs. Gates chuckled, a childish chuckle that adults used around small children. " Rush? That's been long over... as long as a couple days lasts."
" Already? But it's hardly been..."
" That's how it is. It didn't take too long to get there, actually. And there aren't too many new renovations to the world with Comodo."
" Glast Heim was a lot better," Tsunade added.
Mrs. Gates shrugged her shoulders. " There's still money that can be made in Comodo, at least. See you later, guys. Good luck!"
" Any last-minute warp requests?" Menchi asked.
" Prontera, please," Yamato said after some contemplation.
" One Prontera warp, coming right up!"
****
" Ack! Can this place get any more crowded!?"
" Probably..."
Despite his natural bit of claustrophobia, Yamato found himself smiling at Taichi's observation. Usually, he would be scowling at the massive crowd and searching for an unoccupied area. Hawkes ruffled his feathers needlessly, unaccustomed to his surroundings.
Yamato introduced Taichi to the weapon and armor upgrader in the center of Prontera, who was constantly busy taking requests for upgrading. Upgrades were quick; people were getting successful upgrades here and there, while others were failing.
" What happens if it fails?" Taichi asked.
" The equipment is completely destroyed."
Taichi reflexively held his bow closer to himself.
The other Archer laughed. " Don't worry, upgrading is safe to a certain point, and we won't upgrade past that point for your Crossbow."
" And upgrades help because..."
" On weapons, it increases damage, and on armor, it makes them more sturdier, so it takes more damage."
" ...Good stuff."
After upgrading, Taichi suddenly started dragging Yamato to a certain Merchant.
" Look at this headgear collection! Majestic Goat! Elven Ears! Striped Bandana! Ah... a Poring hat!"
Yamato gazed over the selection. The Merchant was selling nothing but headgear.
" Can I try them on?" Taichi asked the Merchant.
" Yesiree!" the female Merchant replied. " Try the Poring and Panda hats especially! They're so cute..."
The brunette lifted the bubbly pink hat shaped like a Poring and replaced it with his Kittyband.
Yamato burst out laughing. He had never seen anyone wearing a Poring hat before, and it looked exceptionally silly on Taichi. " It looks like.... it's sucking you up!" he said between chuckles. " It's looting you."
" Ooh? But it's quite comfortable."
" Mm... try the Panda..."
As soon as Taichi took off the baggy Poring hat, Yamato plopped the black and white object onto his head.
" Ooh, this one is comfy, too..."
Yamato took a step back to get a better look.
" Cute..."
" ...Hm?"
Yamato's eyes widened. The word had slipped out before he could stop it.
" Yama, what did you say?" Taichi said, quite oblivious of the blonde's suffering.
" ...Nothing." He turned away slowly as to not give suspicion for his blush.
Taichi shrugged and went to try some of the other hats. Yamato stopped paying attention, for he knew that looking at the brunette would just increase the pain...
It seemed too soon ago that they were in Prontera Church fighting the Baphomet Junior. They had gone from struggling with minions to conquering MVPs in such short a time, and the bond between them had become much closer... and Yamato feared how close the bond could be. How close he WANTED it to be...
Out of the blue, he could discern someone's voice carrying above the huge crowd in the city. A female practically shrieking... something vaguely sounding like " Taichi! Yagami Taichi! Is he here?"
Taichi had a Joker Jester hat on him at the moment, but he had heard the voice, too. " Who is that?" He quickly exchanged headgear and attempted to walk toward the voice as he adjusted his Kittyband.
Yamato stepped in his way, causing the other Archer to run into his chest. " She could be after you, Taichi. Watch it."
Hawkes listed off Yamato's shoulder and went to inspect. Taichi still looked eager to follow the voice, so Yamato grabbed his arms.
" Curses, be still." He gave Taichi a firm stare.
Hawkes returned after one small swoop and nudged Yamato's chin gently.
" All right. It's safe," Yamato said, releasing Taichi reluctantly. He still had an urge to protect the brunette...
To their surprise, an Acolyte and Swordsman emerged from the crowd in front of them. Panting heavily, the Swordsman was the first to speak.
" Hey... we just came from Payon."
" I... don't know who you are," Taichi said.
" Oh, I'm Sora, this is Mimi," she continued, " Your mother... She's d-"
The next few moments passed by in a flurry. There was a certain glint in Taichi's eyes as Mimi cast a Warp Portal, then he was gone... Yamato found himself following him, along with the two females, and he was greeted... by the open coffin within the graveyard next to the Archer's guild.
" Mother..."
" Moonlight came out and got her last night..." Sora explained sullenly, " She left behind a Ninetail to leave a message."
"' This is the beginning of the killings,'" Mimi recited, "' Unless you wish to turn yourself in, Yagami Taichi."
" Where does Moonlight reside again?" Taichi asked.
" Deep inside Payon Dungeon," Yamato reminded him.
Taichi crouched down in front of the coffin, tall grass surrounding his knees. " Thank you for the information, and for bringing me here," he said gently, staring into the coffin. His mother had a peaceful expression, but nonetheless, lifeless. It was the first dead human he had ever seen.
" Will you please leave now, Sora, Mimi?"
" But..." Sora interjected. She had just met up with them again, she wasn't prepared to leave after the small favor.
" PLEASE." Taichi sounded like he was about to crack.
It was enough to make the two girls make haste. Silence reigned the graveyard once more. Taichi simply stared at the coffin, at his mother whom he had been happily having dinner with not long ago. And now...
It seemed to be pulling him in. His mother's pure, innocent face, his mother's radiant spirit... gone. He was an orphan now, without a mother, without a father. Instead, he was with the world's fate...all of Midgard. The coffin-- no, the BODY-- was calling for him... Taichi... Taichi...
' It's your fault!'
No... no, it couldn't be.
' Who would respect you after knowing death revolves around you?'
No one. No one.
Not even Yamato... not him...
Why did this have to happen?
" I'm going to turn myself in."
" Huh?" Yamato said, moving out of a daze.
" Whoever this Moonlight is, she can have me. I don't want anyone else getting killed because of me."
" IDIOT!!!"
Taichi snapped a bit, but he continued to stare at the coffin.
" If you do that, it's all over for us anyway! Don't you remember what the sisters said? We need your help to seal the MVPs again!"
" My mother said something, too. Maybe Ragnarok HAS to happen! Maybe I was chosen to be the one to make it happen! I... I want to know..." Taichi hugged himself, beginning to shake from an invisible coldness.
" Taichi..." Yamato said softly, " You have a choice, and I know you don't want to do this."
" Don't try to convince me, if it's my choice, then I can decide for myself. I'm going." Taichi stood up, hiding his eyes from his mentor's view.
" The fact that I'm trying to convince you should say enough," Yamato said, turning away as well. It was just too hard to face Taichi without breaking, especially at that point. " Think about all the lives, all the people who would be ashamed of your decision."
" I don't care what other people think."
Yamato almost laughed, but it came out as a dry huff instead. " That sounds like something _I_ would say. You DO care... you're just not allowing yourself to."
" What do you know!?" Taichi barked.
Yamato was not to be deterred. " You still have Hikari to protect."
" She's with Takeru."
" ..." the mention of his brother set him back. His comment just backfired on him.
" Goodbye, Yamato. Thank you... it was nice meeting you."
He started to move, but once again, Yamato blocked him. Taichi tried to shove him away, but Yamato wouldn't budge. The brunette was shocked; he thought he was physically more fit...
Yamato himself wasn't completely sure of what he was getting into, but he didn't want to give up now that he had started. He cared too much to give up...
" Let me go, Yama."
They avoided each other's gaze.
" Not until you admit you care."
He realized he would HAVE to face the brunette to convince him. He had to get over his personal feelings for the moment...
" Do you not have any sense of hope? No reason to live, to hang on? Or are you cowarding? Take some responsibility, Taichi."
Something on Taichi's face twitched, an instinctive reaction to the new words.
" More people are depending on you, much more than believe."
Taichi growled, an almost animal-like feature on his canines. " Of all people... I didn't expect YOU to go this far for me."
Yamato's expression softened ever so slightly. " I would... I do..."
Taichi's mother called in his head once more.
The brunette smiled solemnly, and just when Yamato thought he had done it... he started to move closer to Taichi, to reassure him that things would be all right from then on. And then... an object vaguelly shaped like a weapon smacked him dead on the face, and he was out cold.
****
The fox lady grinned. " Ah, something arises from these jejune days. Too bad this one is the easiest one to find."
She examined the Archer before him, standing in the open area of the Payon Dungeon where he was first kidnapped. Moonlight had not made her appearance before him yet, antiicipating some sort of trap from the slippery fellow. " I didn't think you humans would be this cunning..."
Taichi set down in the center, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Clearly, he was waiting for Moonlight...
" All right. Let's play."
She spawned in front of Taichi, allowing the boy to see her soft, padded feet.
" Your guardians must have abandoned you if you were able to come here on your own will."
Taichi's contempt was more than apparent. " I don't have guardians... Hurry and get it over with."
Moonlight smiled childishly. " I can't until all of the other MVPs give me permission. But now that I have one of the four, my contribution to initializing the death of all humans has soared beyond my dreams."
" Death to all humans? Is that Ragnarok?" Taichi asked emotionlessly. " And the gods? The beasts? You?"
" Ah... that's where things get a bit more complicated. With Ymir, the holder of Midgard, in pieces... the giant whose eyebrows created the border between Midgard and the outerworlds... with that gone, we beings from the outer world are able to take haven here. After Ragnarok, Midgard will be the only sanctuary remaining."
" Why Midgard... why not another outside world? Why is this place the sanctuary?"
" Because fate brought us here. Fate, again."
" ..."
" Now it's my turn to interrogate. If those weren't your guardians defying me, who were those humans?"
Yamato... " Party members. We're fighting comrades." That's all...
Moonlight raised her arm, allowing a glowing to surround her hand. A large stick with a golden bell materialized in her grip, which she brought above Taichi's kowtowing head. " It's been a dull thousand years since I've been with a human like this..."
****
I'm not going to describe some of the next events on purpose. Don't expect the worst, please, for everyone's mentality... XD I just want to get to.. the... yaoi...! >>
Just to be factual because reviewer asked, here are Yama and Taichi's current stats ^^; I won't state levels or upgrade levels because I feel it makes the fic too statistical, even though it already is in some places. Darn game crossover. =X
Yamato -
Bow: Scythelike Critical Arbalest (Baphomet, Soldier Skeleton)
Head 1: Angel Band
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)
Armor: Tights
Shoes: Boots
Accessory: Gloves x2
Taichi -
Bow: Critical Crossbow of Verserk (Soldier Skeleton, Doppelganger)
Head 1: Kitty Band
Robe: Mocking Muffler (Whisper)
Armor: Tights
Shoes: Boots
Accessory: Gloves x2
Don't forget to check the gallery for some doodlings pertaining to this chapter ^^ KTHXBAI...!!!!! PLZGIVEZENY! Are people still saying that in iRO? o.o;
Splash