Flare

Disclaimer: Don't own Ragnarok Online, etc.


Flare
by TensaiMan


Everything around them was red. Just like how Kiel wanted it.

In front of him stood the man he admired most in the world. The man who was now currently staring back at him, eyes wide in disbelief, hatred pouring from his gaze.

Kiel never had that gaze directed at him by that man, Grail. He never thought the day would ever come. But he knew it was going to come anyway.

The man whom every knight of Prontera looked up to, the young genius who mastered sword and spear skills with the greatest of ease, the prodigy, the man who was only a handful of years older than he was. Like most of his followers, he only looked at the man on the surface instead of the man underneath. He blindly followed him, strived to be like him. He learned the ways of the sword, made himself to be a proper knight, just for him.

It was only a few months ago that he stumbled across the man's hidden history. He saw the blood, the bodies of the man's family scattered across the house, a lone boy in the middle of it all. Staring up at a man, katars in hand, telling him to become strong so that someday Grail could kill him and avenge his family.

At that moment, he realized it.

And that was why he was here.

"What did you do?" Grail demanded of him, hands reaching for his throat. "Why are you doing this?"

"While others could only see a tragic genius who had lost his family, I see something else."

Kiel's voice was calm, almost cold. His brown eyes stared back at the other man's green orbs, never breaking eye contact, even as hands clamped down on his windpipe.

"I see a lonely little boy, whose only reason for living is revenge."

The flames gave Kiel's silver hair a tinge of crimson, while it accentuated Grail's reddish-brown hair. The younger man took note of this even as his hero strangled the life out of him.

"I see this house, the place he has stayed in for years. I know he still sees the walls covered in blood, the bodies still littered all over the room. I know he still sees that man, the man who took away and gave him a reason to live."

Flames flickered down the hallway, and a support beam collapsed just behind Grail. But neither man paid it any heed.

"That's why you never saw anyone else but that man. To you, only he mattered. To you, only he existed."

Kiel smiled. It was amazing that he was still able to talk, much less breathe, while being choked to death.

"That's why I'm setting you free. This house won't torment you any longer."

In surprise, Grail let go of his subordinate's neck. Kiel stepped back and started coughing, so hard that blood flew from his mouth to splatter on the wooden floor.

Then he began to laugh.

He laughed long, loud and hard. He laughed, throwing his head back, looking up at the ceiling, smiling. He laughed so much that he began to choke and spit out blood again.

Grail looked back at him, the emotions from that day coming back. No! He could not! HE swore that he would not make that expression again. Slowly, his face started to contort to that abject look of fear he displayed that one night. The look that he gave that man, the man who killed everything he lived for.

And he was giving it to someone beneath his notice!

Kiel abruptly stopped laughing and held the other man's gaze again.

"I saw you one day, standing in this house. I saw the little boy, in a sea of blood and confusion. And I saw a monster say to that boy, 'Live, live only to hate me. Live in this empty house. Live all alone with the blood and violence I leave behind. Live only to kill me.'"

Kiel turned around, and walked slowly towards the front door.

"So the boy continued to live. But, the truth is, the boy died that day. He kept coming back to the house, even when he made friends and studied swordsmanship, even when he actually lived somewhere else. Everyone forgot about the house, the monster, but he never did. Nobody saw the boy who could not forget the past, who continued to torture himself over it, and the thing that replaced him that day."

Grail's eyes were wild, crazy. He slowly followed the other man outside, his body barely responding to what he wanted it to do. His hand looked for his sword that wasn't there. He had to make him stop, but his body would not answer.

"His eyes kept looking backwards, and the only thing he knew was pain and hatred. The only thing he looked forward to was power, power to kill the monster. He never looked at the present."

Kiel looked at Gail over his shoulder, the flames making his knight armor glow with an eerie light.

"Look. Look around you, Grail. This is the present. Look at everything burn. Do you finally see it now? Do you?"

"Y..." Grail could barely speak, his voice raspy and lacking any power. "You're insane..."

"No." Kiel smiled, and stepped out into the open. He could hear people starting to investigate the place, alarmed at the sudden fire.

"Do you even remember what it means to live, Grail? You're still in that house. Still kneeling on the floor, bathed in crimson. You never left it. You're still there. So, how will you save yourself?"

Kiel took one more step and looked up at the night sky.

"The lost, little boy in the house filled with blood. He made a decision that day. Revenge or life. The former was less scary than the latter, so he chose that. It was also what the monster told him."

Grail looked at the man he was now seeing for the first time again. The man who was for him, fire itself, the pillars of black smoke and the burning cinders that permeated the air.

"And when this is all over, the only thing you'll have left is ashes."

In the growing crowd, the flames, the shadows, the smoke, Grail was truly and utterly alone.

"Look, Grail."

And burn.

Kiel Hyre Quest Guide

Kiel Hyre Quest - pRO version (Complete)
by TensaiMan

This guide may not be reproduced anywhere else without my permission. Please please ask permission first, as I have worked hard to confirm every step of this guide. If given permission, please host all images at another location to save on my photobucket account bandwidth.

Note: This is one long quest. Long long long. Be prepared to kill an afternoon.

The Kiel Hyre Quest is available with Episode 10.4 (14 in pRO), Hugel.

Level Requirement: Level 70 or higher

Item Requirements:
2 Cheese - Evil Cloud Hermit in Kunlun Dungeon 2 and 3
7 Milk - Prontera Milk Merchant
5 Cacao - Yoyos
10 Raw Fish - Buy in the Restaurant in Amatsu (215,116) for 350z/10pcs

Quest Rewards:
700k base exp (first part)
1m base exp (second part)
1 Taming Gift Set
1 Old Card Album
Access to Robot Factory 1 and 2


1) Go to Juno and enter the bar (51, 105). A dialog will open. Talk to the Pub Master by the entrance and hear him out. Help him, and you'll be tasked to deliver some Culinary Wine to Lecollane in Kiel Hyre Academy. I recommend saving at Juno because you'll be forced to go back there soon. Make that often.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh01.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh02.jpg)

2) Go to yuno_fild08 (SEES from Juno or NNW from Aldebaran) and make your way towards the middle. Talk to one of the security guards and tell him that you're there for a delivery. Answer Lecollane then Culinary Wine, and he'll let you in.

3) You'll over hear two students talking. Go to the stairs down at the lower right part, and you'll meet Lecollane. Deliver the wine.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh03.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh04.jpg)

4) After the dialogue, go a bit southeast to find Elly.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh05.jpg)

Ask her what happened, and offer to help. You'll have to bring the following:

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh06.jpg)

1 Wine - go back to the bar in step 1 and get another bottle for 1000z.
7 Milk - You should already have these by now.
5 Cacao - Ditto.
2 Cheese - Ditto.
1 Egg - next step
1 Bag of Flour - next step

5) Go to 217,114 in Juno and talk to Cezu. Tell her you're there for Elly, and she'll tell you to go to Lighthalzen for the egg and flour.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh07.jpg)

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6) In Lighthalzen, go to the upper rightmost part of the slums. Talk to Mills (365,300) near the windmill. You'll get a Delivery Package.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh08.jpg)

7) Return to Cezu and give her the package. She'll make a second package for Elly.

8) Make sure you have all of the ingredients. Return to Kiel Hyre. The guards should let you in freely at this point. Give Elly what she needs and she'll give you some of her cookies.

9) Talk to her again. Accept her request to deliver cookies to her Grandfather at Kiel Hyre's Cottage, which is one map north of Kiel Hyre Academy.

10) Talk to the guard at (93,210). You should be at yuno_fild02. Tell him you have an appointment with Kiel Hyre. You won't be able to enter.

11) Go back to Elly and she'll give you a Cottage Key. Go back to the cottage and use the key to open the door at (75,218).
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh09.jpg)

12) Once you're inside, do not move. Face the southwest and walk six tiles forward. Then walk three tiles to your character's left, then three towards the southwest again, and four to your character's left. You should get a letter.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh10.jpg)

13) Return to Elly with the letter. After she reads it, talk to her again and ask her about the academy, and them about the strange incidents. Talk to her again and she'll ask you to investigate the cottage.

14) At the cottage, enter the door you previously unlocked. Check out the bookshelves on the wall repeatedly until you hit a switch. You should see a warp portal animation to the upper right. Go there and investigate the wall. Enter.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh11.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh12.jpg)

15) As soon as you enter grab some pet food from a box behind you for 1100z.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh13.jpg)

Enter the portal you see and you will be in the main hall. Go a bit northwest and check out the map on the wall. Examine when prompted.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh14.jpg)

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16) Go back to the previous room and examine the pot.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh15.jpg)

With this, go back to the map and examine it once again. You'll find a poem. Take note of this poem, it will be important later.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh16.jpg)

17) Enter the southwest portal and examine the green jar in the room. Look inside and you'll get an Old Bronze Key.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh17.jpg)

18) Head south from here into the garden. Check the pool and you'll see two handles. Use the left handle first, and examine it further. Push the button.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh18.jpg)

19) Head to the portal to your right. You'll be in the main hallway. Hug the right wall and go up until you see another portal. Inside, go up the stairs. A dog will be guarding the path. Give him some Pet Food so you can pass.

20) Enter the second room you see (no portals here) and check the desk piled with documents.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh19.jpg)

21) Check the box at the bottom of the room to get a Green Key Card.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh20.jpg)

22) Go to the library (the last room) and examine the bookshelf to the right. Keep examining it until you see two keyholes. Insert the Cottage Key first and the Green Keycard to the second. You'll get a Grey Box.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh21.jpg)

23) Go to the first room in this area (with a bed) and check out the drawer to the right of the bed. You'll get a Yellow Key Card.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh22.jpg)

24) In the same room, check out the cabinet with the potions. Use the blue liquid on the documents to reveal another poem. Take note of this poem, it will be important soon.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh23.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh24.jpg)

25) Head back downstairs. Check out the decoration with four swords east of the stairs. You have to insert the swords in the correct order. Remember the poem in the map and in the document? Use them to figure out the order. For me, the order was Second, Fourth, First, Third. It may change for other people, so be sure to take note of the two poems. I've gotten news that the correct order may also be reverse of what I have. (Third, First, Fourth, Second)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh25.jpg)

26) You'll be teleported somewhere. Press the button on the right test tube. Input 'a little lost devil' and the voice will give you a code. 4772961.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh26.jpg)

27) Return to Elly. She won't be in the school. Go behind the school at the dormitories and check the window. Climb the pipe until you get in.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh27.jpg)

28) Talk to Elly inside. She won't answer. Check the cookie basket on the table. Talk to Elly again and this time yell "Time to wake up, Elly!" without the quotes. She'll drop a Golden Key and a Luxurious Button. Talk to Elly to use the key on the box to get the Blue Key Card.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh28.jpg)

29) Leave the room through the window and check the nearby graves. Investigate the lower right one. Type in Yellow Keycard first, then 4772961. A secret path will open, giving you entrance to the Robot Factory.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh29.jpg)

30) Make your way to (235,49). I suggest bringing a small party along just in case you can't handle the aggressive monsters here alone. To open the door, type Blue Keycard.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh30.jpg)

31) You'll see five NPCs here. Talk to them. Show her the Golden Key to confirm that you're Elly's friend. At the next room, talk to Allysia and she'll give you the Red Key Card. You'll be teleported back to near the entrance.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh31.jpg)

32) This time go along the uppermost path to the blocked area. Click the Mechanical Device and type Red Keycard to access the blocked area.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh32.jpg)

33) Approach the rightmost door. You'll get a Metal Fragment. Use the portal nearby to exit the area, and make your way back to Allysia.

34) Talk to Allysia and she will take your keycards. She'll also ask you to go to the Kiel Hyre Mansion in Lighthalzen.

35) Go to (188,203) and enter the building. It's just above the item shop building.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh33.jpg)

Talk to the steward and show him the Golden Key.

36) In the room, talk to Kiel Hyre and ask everything. Talk to Allysia and ask everything. Talk to Kiel Hyre again and he will give you 700k exp (confirmed) and a Taming Gift Set.

37) Exit the mansion and you'll be knocked unconscious.

38) When you wake up, you'll automatically talk to the mysterious woman when you try to leave. Tell her nothing, but you'll end up telling everything anyway. She'll introduce herself as Mitchell Layla.

39) Talk to her again. You now have to go to Juno. Talk to her again and you'll be warped to the entrance to Juno's Airport.

40) Go to (254,135) and you'll see an Odd Grandma and an Old Lady.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh34.jpg)

Talk to the Grandma first, then the Lady. Ask the Lady about the Grandma, and ask about Allysia. In the end she'll give you The Rosimier's Mansion Keys.

41) Enter the mansion to the right of where you are (270,139). Go upstairs at the end of the hallway. Go south and right a bit and enter the room with many portals.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh35.jpg)

Head to the end of the hallway and enter the portal to the left. Open the second drawer of the desk and you should get a letter. Check the bookshelf in the same room for another letter.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh36.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh37.jpg)

42) Head back downstairs and enter the second portal you see while going down the hallway. Check the shelf near the portal and use the key on it. Check the first drawer to get a Woman's Portrait.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh38.jpg)

43) There is another portal in the room. Enter it and check the table in that room to get the Family Portrait.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh39.jpg)

44) Go back to the Old Lady and she'll tell you to go to the fisherman south of Kiel Hyre Academy.

45) Head one map south of the academy (yuno_fild12) and go to the fisherman at the longest peninsula (232,222). He'll ask for some Raw Fish. Afterwards he'll tell you to visit Kiel's old hut.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh40.jpg)

46) Kiel's hut is two maps north of Aldebaran (yuno_fild09) and is in the middle of the largest plain area (around 155,217). Check the Wooden Board at the south of the house to get Man's Portrait.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh41.jpg)

47) Return to Lighthalzen and talk to the steward to return to Mitchell. Talk to her and you'll be asked to interrogate Kiel Hyre. Use the steward again to go to Kiel Hyre and confront him. Accept his request and you'll get the Power Device. Talk to him once you're ready for the next area, and he'll open a portal for you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Only a player in the middle of the quest can open the portal. Also, only one player at a time may finish the quest, aka get Allysia's Ring. Have that person initiate all the dialogue. You will also need three Black Key Cards per run. One person can open each door and the rest can go in without using Black Key Cards.

48) In the new room, check the Receiver next to the bed, and an Alicel and Aliot will be summoned. Defeat them and a Black Key Card will drop from the receiver. Note that you can do this repeatedly for more Black Key Cards. You will need three.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh42.jpg)

49) Check the vase at the room's upper left corner. Turn it over when prompted and read the message.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh43.jpg)

50) Check the box right below the receiver. When prompted, say 'open the door' and you will get a Toy Key Card.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh44.jpg)

51) Examine the door to the right and open it by typing Toy Key. As long as you've opened it with the Toy Key before, it will open when you click on it even if it's not in your inventory, unless you've already finished the quest.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh45.jpg)

52) Click on the door and enter 'Black Keycard' when prompted. Enter the door and you will be in another passageway. Make your way to the next door.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh46.jpg)

53) There will be another door at the end. Click it and type 'Black Keycard' when prompted. The door will open and you'll be in another passageway again.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh47.jpg)

54) Make your way to the fourth door and open it with the Black Keycard. You will only need one for this door. (Doddler's Guide says two.) If you need keycards, click on the tubes at the left part of the room to summon more Alicels and Aliots.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh48.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh49.jpg)

55) At the fifth and final door, you will need to force it open. Do this four times. Each time monsters will spawn. Now, you need to pry open the door. Any piece of metal will do, like Metal Plates, but the Solid Iron Piece dropped by the Alicels and Aliots are the most effective. Four of these will open the door. Note that you can still go in the door after the one who opened it has gone inside.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh50.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh51.jpg)

56) Once the door is open, you will be in a large room. A large amount of monsters will spawn. Head to the center of the room and talk to Kiel.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh52.jpg)

57) He will disappear and summon more monsters. Kill them and he will reappear. Talk to him again, and after the dialogue, he will transform and attack you. Kiel is a Boss-type monster with 523000 HP, is Formless, and is Dark 2. Acid Bomb should do good damage as his vit is 78, just make sure his Pneuma isn't on. He does not summon any mobs.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh53.jpg)

58) Defeat him, and talk to him again. After the dialogue talk to him again and he will give you Allysia's Ring. A portal will appear behind him. Make sure you have the ring, then use it to leave. Be sure to leave fast as the building will detonate after three minutes.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh54.jpg)

59) Return to Kiel Hyre in the mansion. He will give you 1m exp (confirmed), an Old Card Album, and a Luxurious Key Card to access the second level of the Robot Factory. The quest is complete.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/khkeycard.jpg)



To enter the second level of the dungeon, go near the red spot on your minimap near the entrance. Enter Luxurious Keycard at the panel. Now, try to MVP Kiel-D-01. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh55.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/tensaiman/Kiel%20Hyre/kh56.jpg)

Kafra Chronicles

Original can be read here.

I've decided to rewrite this story. The first-person perspective I used in the original limited this story's full potential, and made it hard for me to describe certain things. Also, the original moved at a sluggish pace, and got boring to read, as well as revealing too many details in the first series. Hopefully this new version will be better. I've also changed a few major plot points which will hopefully make the story more interesting.

Well, enough rambling.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ragnarok Online and all related concepts.


I put to paper this long tale. A tale of a young woman who went on a long journey and faced many hardships and many challenges. A young woman who struggled against her own destiny, refusing to accept what she didn't want. A young woman whose personal strength moved the world itself away from darkness.

I write this story lest she be forgotten.


Kafra Chronicles
by TensaiMan

Act I - Kafra Days

Chapter 1 - A Simple Life

Amelia Tidsyne smiled at the mirror in her room, removing the creases in her immaculate Kafra uniform. The silver-haired girl had been working as a Kafra for a month now, and she was loving the job.

Giggling, she pulled her waist-long hair into the familar twin ponytails, humming as she did so. It was a fine day, and it could only get better. Admiring her handiwork, Amelia stepped out of the room and into the dining room. Her father was already there, eating his egg breakfast quickly.

"Morning, Amelia. Sorry, can't talk, have to go." The man downed a glass of milk in one gulp and ran out the door, mumbling something about being late. and an important project.

"Here's your breakfast, dear." Her mother appeared from the kitchen, her eyes meeting Amelia's amber ones. She carried a plate of food. "Your father left already?"

Amelia nodded, taking the plate and setting it on the table. She was hungry. The girl sat down and started to eat.

"How's work?" Her mother took out a rag and started wiping the kitchen counter. Amelia swallowed another mouthful of egg.

"Fine. It's been great." she said cheerfully. "The head Kafra said I was doing a really good job, and that she was thinking of giving me a better position."

"That's good." Amelia could hear her mother's smile. "But don't you have to get going, too?"

"Oh!"

Amelia stood up and ran out the door, towards her post, hair flapping behind her.

"Really, those two." Amelia's mother sighed. She tied a kerchief on her short brown hair, and set to work on the household chores.

--------------------------------------------------

"Thanks."

Amelia nodded in acknowledgment at the huntress, smiling as she did so. It was turning out to be a pretty ordinary day for the young Kafra.

The huntress looked really beautiful, she thought. She gazed down at her modest figure with a small frown. At nineteen, she hadn't grown out as much as she wanted to. Her height of a little over five feet and her soft facial features, including her small nose, made her younger-looking than her real age.

"Amelia?"

"Eeep!"

The girl quickly straightened her posture, bringing her face-to-face with the Prontera Kafra Head.

Make that face-to-chest. The woman was tall.

"Uhm, what can I do for you ma'am?" The Kafra greeted her superior with enthusiasm. Maybe she's checking in on me, she thought.

The 40-something lady smiled at the young girl. Amelia was one of her most promising employees yet, and she was about to give her an opportunity. She deserved it.

"Well, I'm here to inform you that a spot in Aldebaran is open." The woman smiled at Amelia's wide-eyed look. "Working there will give you a better chance to be promoted. The pay is higher, too. So..."

"I'll have to ask my parents." Amelia tried her best to sound calm, but she was almost jumping around in joy. Being in a new place meant more experiences, and she wanted a change of scene. She hadn't left Prontera all these years.

"Just tell me when you've decided."

The older woman turned around and left, back to the head office. She smiled as she went along.

"That girl will be great, I can feel it."

--------------------------------------------------

"Take care, honey."

Amelia smiled at her mother, the latter starting to tear up. Her parents had agreed to the transfer, because Amelia would grow from the experience. The girl turned her back and started walking towards the Kafra HQ in Prontera.

As she walked, she took in the sights of the town. She would not be here for a while, and she wanted to imprint the city into her mind before she left.

Amelia was now at the main avenue in the southern part of the city, where a purple-haired kafra was giving service to a tall swordsman. The silver-haird girl sighed quietly. In her childhood, another woman had stood on that spot, a redhead everyone called Miss Jean. Compared to the other kafras who were almost robotic, even when smiling, Miss Jean was bright and lively. She was the cause of Amelia's desire to be a kafra, a career choice not many young women found attractive.

Maybe she's in Alde Baran, Amelia thought. Or she could have retired...

Lost in thought, the girl suddenly bumped into a post and fell down, whimpering. Rubbing her nose, Amelia looked up at the smiling face of the Kafra head.

"I see you're here. One hour early, I may add."

Amelia blushed. She was excited, who could blame her?

"Anyway, maybe it's better if you're early. Stand over there and let me warp you."

The woman took out a special blue gem from her pocket and crushed it in her hands.

"Farewell, Amelia. Hopefully we'll see each other again soon."

With a wave of her hand, the woman threw the dust at Amelia's feet, and the girl was gone.

When The Heavens Cry

Disclaimer: Ragnarok Online is owned by Gravity and such.

Author's Note: This is my first time attempting a long story of this genre. Please feel free to comment. Story is rated PG-13 due to implied mature events.


When the Heavens Cry
by TensaiMan

Chapter 1 - Descend


"I hate myself."

Sayo Thorn cradled the drink in his hand, his blue eyes staring at the ice in the glass. A sigh escaped his lips as he sipped the bitter liquid.

"It's always like this."

Indeed it was. She was so confusing. She would love him one moment and loathe his presence the next. He would be kissing her, then he would suddenly find himself pushed outside her door, with her locking it and not speaking to him for days.

And he would always come back. Because he truly loved her with all his heart.

"That Julie..." Sayo mumbled, taking another sip. Maybe she hated him. After all, he was only moderately attractive with his ordinary short spiky brown hair, his forgettable facial features, his mediocre swordsmanship, his slightly weak-willed personality, and his ordinary unknown family.. It was a miracle that they were even in a relationship. If you could even call it that.

Finally deciding to go home, the young man stood up and paid his tab. He was a bit tipsy, but level-headed enough to go home. He had picked a bar all the way on the other side of Prontera, so perhaps a cab was in order. He had enough money on him for a ride.

Walking towards the door, he ran into a face he never expected to see. A woman stopped in front of him, clearly about to head to the stools.

A woman whom he knew as Julie's elder sister.

The two stared at each other for a moment, before the woman spoke.

"Sayo, do you want to drink with me?"

Of course, he could not possibly refuse the sister of his girlfriend. He smiled at her and led the way to the bar. The two quickly placed their orders.

"So, er, Miss Yondell..."

"Please, Sayo. I've told you to call me Amy." Mirth was dancing in the woman's eyes. At that moment, Sayo saw the same beauty that the two sisters had. Both women had long, flowing black hair and sparkling amber eyes, and had the same gentle facial features, as well as a beautiful figure, currently hidden by a simple white blouse.

"Yes, Miss Amy."

"Now, now. Just Amy."

"Well, all right...Amy."

Their drinks arrived, and each took time drinking theirs. Sayo drank slowly, not wanting to give a bad impression of himself to who may he his future sister-in-law. Already being here was already a bad impression, and he didn't want to make it worse.

"Sayo, do you come here often?"

The young man looked startled at the sudden question, but decided to answer truthfully. Maybe she could help with his problems with Julie, after all, she was her sister. She probably knew why her sibling was like that.

"Sometimes." Sayo started. "Me and Julie have been having problems."

Sayo them proceeded to tell her everything. The sudden change in personality, the clues which did not make sense, how irrational Julie was acting. For a moment he was afraid that Amy would defend her sister, but she merely listened all the way through. Drinks came and went as he continued to speak, and it was an entire half hour before he was done. Amy continued to stare in front of her, seemingly gazing at nothing.

"I'm sorry for rambling like that, but it's how I feel. Am I not good enough for her? Maybe that's the truth." Sayo lowered his head onto his hands, feeling lower than dirt. Why had he ranted anyway? Maybe she didn't even care. Maybe it just felt better to get everything off his chest.

"It's not your fault."

Surprised, the young man looked up at the older woman's face. She looked sad, he thought.

"She's loves you, I'm sure of that. It's just that she can't respond properly to your advances." Amy sipped from her drink, then continued. "She's confused on how she feels, and she has a fear of being used. Like her first relationship."

"She never talks about it."

"Basically, the man left her for another woman once she gave her virginity to him."

The two became quiet, with Amy busy remembering and Sayo stunned to silence.

"Give her time, Sayo. Give her time. She may overreact, she may act stupid sometimes, but please give her time. I know you are a noble man; you don't force yourself on her, and you always remain with her even though she treats you like that."

Silence once more. There were only a handful of people left in the bar, a small place lined with light brown wood. Sayo wanted to break the tense silence that suddenly came between them.

"Amy, you live at the other district. Why come all the way here?"

It wasn't really the best of questions, but it was all he could say. The woman to his left looked at him with troubled eyes in response.

"Sometimes, things become too much to bear, so I run away."

Amy stopped speaking, her eyes clouding over.

"It's my husband." The woman took another sip of her drink. "I had to get away from him."

Sayo remembered that Amy was married. "What...what about him?"

Suddenly, Amy stood up and laid money down on the table. "I'm going."

Laying money down as well, Sayo stood up in time to catch the dizzy woman. She seemed to he a low tolerance, he thought. He was dizzy as well. Perhaps it was indeed time to leave.

Half-dragging Amy, Sayo stepped out into the open night air.

"Sorry, Sayo. I normally don't drink that much."

"It's fine. Besides, I feel kind of good..."

"You won't like it in the morning."

Amy giggled at that. "I suppose I won't. Thanks for helping me."

Sayo wondered what to do. Amy was the same height as he was, and she was also light, so it wasn't all that hard carrying her, even though he was intoxicated himself. But what to do? They were far from each other's houses, and he did not have enough money for a cab now. Just to spite him, a pecopeco-drawn carriage sped by.

A few drops fell on Sayo's head. Rain. Just what we needed, he thought. And it was picking up fast. Soon the rain poured down, drenching the two.

Thinking fast, the young man dragged the woman to the closest hotel he saw. It wasn't hard, since they were in that sort of district after all. Quickly getting a room on the ground floor (no way he could drag her up stairs), he brought her to the bed as fast as he could. He felt the need to void his bladder.

After doing his business, Sayo stepped back into the bedroom and gave the room a once-over. Simple twin-sized bed, small night table, a closet. Everything looked cheap, but it would do. Sayo sat down on the edge of the bed, back turned to Amy, who was now sitting on the soft surface.

"Just rest and sleep here. I paid for the room beforehand, so you can leave anytime you're ready. I'll sleep on the floor."

Amy smiled, wavering slightly. "Thank you. But why do this for me?"

"Well..." Sayo laughed a little. "I can't refuse anyone who needs help."

A few minutes passed in silence, as each person was left to his or her own thoughts. Sayo gave a yawn, and turned to face his current companion, about to tell her that he was going to sleep.

At least, that was what he intended.

Without warning, Amy had wrapped her arms around his neck and collided her lips with his.

A million thoughts exploded in Sayo's brain. No! She's Julie's sister! She's married! She's drunk! What is she doing?! Stop! He tried his best to pull back, but Amy had a powerful grip on him.

He continued to struggle, even when the woman slipped her tongue in his mouth. To his horror, his body had started to react like a healthy male would.

Desperation giving him strength, he mustered enough force to move his face away from hers. "What are you do--"

It didn't last long as Amy had quickly flipped him onto his back, and her lips once again found his. She held his wrists over his head and laid her weight on top of him, preventing his escape. Her being physically strong didn't help, either. She slowly ground herself to him. Sayo's mind was now on full-blown alert, screaming at him to get the hell out of there. He had to get away. Now.

Amy's lips left his only to land on his neck, her warm breath tickling him. Despite his objections, his body was starting to give in.

"We should stop, this isn't right, you're drunk..." he mumbled, in a last-ditch attempt to ger the woman to stop. He mentally begged her to stop. Before...

"My mind has never been clearer."

Those were the last words that registered in his brain before the combination of alcohol, shock, repeated rejection by the girl he loved, and the presence of a beautiful woman overwhelmed him.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, drowning out the sounds the two made. It alone stood witness to the moment that could never be taken back.

--------------------------------------------------

Sayo slowly opened his eyes, before sunlight impailed his eyes, forcing them to close again. A few minutes passed as his mind gradually restarted.

"Where am I...?" he mumbled, eyes still shut. His head felt like a grossly overweight man was tap-dancing on it. Yawning, he stretched.

And his hand came upon something soft and warm.

Immediately his eyes opened, his head cleared, and he stood up and stared at the source of the warmth beside him. His mind froze, his muscles tensed and his jaw dropped.

"We..." he gulped. "I guess it did happen." He suddenly felt dizzy again.

Amy started to stir, mumbling something about eggs and bacon for breakfast. Her movement produced interesting ripples in the sheets, which in any other scenario would have gotten a reaction from Sayo.

In a flash, the young man was running towards the bathroom. He needed to clean himself. But he knew that no amount of water would make him feel clean.
He had betrayed her. He had done something unthinkable. He could never be forgiven.


When he came out, a towel around his waist, Amy was already up and sitting on the bed, sheets covering her figure. She looked like someone who had been punched in the gut. Wordlessly, she stood up and entered the bathroom, sheets still around her. Sayo picked up the clothes scattered all over the place, wearing his and laying Amy's down on the bed.

Staring into space, he jumped when Amy laid a hand on his shoulder, the latter already fully dressed. With an unspoken gesture he stood up and the two left the room.

This is tense, Sayo thought. The air around him felt heavy and oppressive. It was a miracle that he could even breathe. A man passing by the hall gave them a strange look.

He probably thinks we did something, he thought. I guess that what it looked like.

"Let's get coffee."

Amy's words were spoken in a whisper, but the young man picked up on it nonetheless. He nodded. Amy led the two of them into a nearby cafe.

Once they had ordered, Sayo bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I should have just taken you home..."

"No." Amy said, looking at Sayo in the eye. "Both of us are at fault. You just wanted to get me out of the rain quickly. And frankly, I didn't want to go home. You're a good man."

"I slept with a married woman, my girlfriend's sister." Sayo stated the facts quietly.

"You may be a better man than my husband. My husband is kind and strong. But his words can be sharper than blades. And he doesn't even realize it. While you are..."

Sayo could clearly see that her issue with her husband was tearing her inside-out.

"I...it's hard to explain. He is kind, but when he wants to say something, his words hurt so much..." Amy's voice was shaking. "And it's becoming more and more common."

The coffee arrived, and the two started to sip from their respective containers. Silence reigned again as the two drank.

"I'm going home." Amy stood up, leaving enough money for both of them. Sayo stood up as well.

"Me too, I guess."

"This never happened." Amy's voice was strangely calm.

"Yes."

"But I'll still never forget it."

As he watched the back of the woman he had made love to the night before, Sayo had the feeling that things were never going to be the same again.

Ficwriter's Guide to Rune-Midgard

WARNING. THIS FICTION CONTAINS THEMES NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND SENSITIVE PEOPLE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. NO, THIS ISN'T A LIME OR LEMON. WE JUST PUT STUFF THAT MINORS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

Collaboration with Karasawa Rui, since two insane minds produce more chaos than one.

If this story sounds familar, it's because the authors posted the original version under a different account. This is a massive rewrite of that.

First Arc - The Awakening of RB-tan

Chapter 1


There is a mystical land, far away from where we are, where human and monster struggle for dominance. Majestic cities, harsh deserts, blinding blizzards, high mountains. Lots of people from all walks of life. Adventure. Mystery. Romance. This place almost had it all.

If you sign up now, you get a 5-hour free trial.

Sitting outside the southern gates of the majestic city of Prontera, is a young novice girl. Nothing else could go wrong for her today. Her Daddy had kicked her out of the house *again*, being drunk, as usual. Her Mommy had been missing for three days. Maybe that job as a man-servicer or whatever it was called didn't go well. She would have to find her again and bury her in the ditch along with the six other mommies. Daddy also cooked her pet for soup. Again. He also changed her name, again, but she still liked RB-tan the most. It sounded fun.

But what really infuriated her was that her father refused to pay his taxes! The nerve of that man. You always paid your taxes. Not doing so was bad. Very bad.

She had packed her most essential belongings, which was a really hard decision. Eventually, she threw out most of her food and clothes to make space for candy and income tax forms. And the pasties. It was a present from her first mommy.

She stood up and started whistling merrily. Yes, she could start anew. Maybe that little town of Eislood or something is a good place to visit first.

Suddenly, she felt something smack into her face. White sticky liquid spread all over her face, hair and clothes. Mommy number two would be angry. Daddy would be proud. Wait, was it number two? Or four? It's hard to keep track of sometimes.

The white stuff slid off her black hair and her surprised face, and slowly started to form a figure.

???: Yo.

RB-tan: Wha...

???: Sorry. Had to do that to stop flying. You're different, though. Most girls would be running away screaming by now. And that's without the shotgun.

It should be mentioned that RB-tan didn't know any skills. Save one. The Blind-people-with-how-cute-I-am attack.

RB-tan: Hi, Mister Blob of White Gooey Stuff! ^___^

???: Whoa!

The blob of white goo--er, sorry, the thi--wait, don't shoot me...uh, the being, yeah, that's it, rolled around on the floor screaming something about the sun and how it burned. At least, it looked like it was rolling.

The being eventually took on the form of a fairy fifteen inches tall, wearing a white sundress. She had long blue hair almost reaching down to her feet.

RB-tan: How are you flying?

???: [dusts off her dress] It's the power of EC.

RB-tan: EC? What's that?

???: Let's just call it that. Since this work is relatively worksafe, after all.

RB-tan: I like porings!

???: [stares] You know what? I'm not even going to bother to ask why you said that. Bye.

RB-tan: Wait, Mister Blo--

???: I'm a girl, dammit! And don't call me a blob!

RB-tan: Uh, Miss Question Marks?

???: [silence]

RB-tan: Um...

???: Bukkake-chan.

RB-tan: Huh?

???: Call me Bukkake-chan. It's my name, sort of.

RB-tan: [jumps up and down] Yaaaaay!

It was then that a beautiful friendship was forged, under that pixellated blue sky. The first day for the adventures of two beings, an overly happy girl with a fetish for taxes, and a mysterious fairy made out of...stuff.

Many still claim that the wheels of Ragnarok started to turn at that specific moment in time.

We could do the heroic angle, of course. This work isn't geared at telling you about the exploits of two socially-inept misfits romping around Rune Midgard and going about their happy way - no. Just to show you that we mean business in racking up pageview counts and reviews and inquiries on whether one of us could participate in a threesome with you and your sister (if you're both half-chinese, half-japanese lesbian twins with a fetish for peanut butter), this fanfic will now segue into the adventures of GM Hiro and his gay life partner, Skyflakes.

Hiro likes to act like a pompous little prick and be high and mighty.

Hiro likes to fuck Skyflakes in the ass but does not even have the slightest common courtesy to give him a reach around.

Yes, this fanfic will center around these two young, stalwart warriors.

Since we all know chicks dig the gay stuff.

...and now, here's something completely different.

Bukkake-chan: [chanting, sitting on top of RB-tan's head, cradling her shotgun]
This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of my enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

RB-tan: [giggles] You're funny. You're like my dad when he leans over me while I'm sleeping.

Bukkake-chan: Is that right?

RB-tan: [nodding, almost causing Bukkake-chan to fall off her head] Un! I try not to make too much noise unless it really starts to hurt, but then he covers my face with a pillow so--

Bukkake-chan: Stop it, stop it. Before I eat my own gun and air my brains out to dry. [bonks RB-tan's head lightly with the shotgun's stock] And stop moving so damn much. I have a vantage point to secure.

RB-tan: Well, we just met, and Mom number three didn't want me to talk to strangers UNLESS they paid her up front, and you seem kind of nice for a stranger, so I don't want us to be strangers any more, that's why I'm--

Bukkake-chan: I GET YOUR POINT.

RB-tan: [cringes] I'm...I'm sorry...

Bukkake-chan: [cursing underneath her breath] Okay. Let's not consider ourselves strangers. I'm Bukkake-chan, you're RB-tan or whatever you call yourself. I'll stick by you, you stick by me - since I kind of believe in Fate myself, and I KNOW there's no way in hell some dick in a jumpsuit waving a hammer around would want for two people like us to meet without no good reason.

RB-tan: [sniffs] R-Really? You won't...You won't leave me for dead? Or sell me away for beer money?

Bukkake-chan: Well, now that you mention it...

RB-tan: [makes the sound a mouse makes when it is violently stepped on]

Bukkake-chan: I mean, no, of course not. I'm not much of a beer person anyway. I like wine better.

RB-tan: MY FIRST FRIEND! [snatches Bukkake-chan up from her head and cuddles her with enough force to cause crib death] I'm so happy! This is the happiest day of my--

Bukkake-chan: Hands off, bitch. Easy with the emotional outbursts.

RB-tan: [lets go] Okay. But I'm happy you're sticking with me. ^__^

Bukkake-chan: [climbs back on her perch atop RB-tan's noggin] Don't be too glad. I'm not one of those twinkletoed tinkerbell asshat faeries Mom tells you about just to keep you optimistic about growing up. I'm one of those 'rebel' faeries. I got kicked out of the kingdom years ago.

RB-tan: That's mean! Why did they kick you out?

Bukkake-chan: [lights a cigar] Because they didn't believe me when I told them I was hardcore.

RB-tan: Did you at least pay taxes?

Bukkake-chan: [snorts] Of course I-- [notices RB-tan's maniacal gaze] Uh, yeah, I did. Of course.

RB-tan: Good! [smiles like the sun again]

Bukkake-chan: Where are we going again?

RB-tan: My Mommy number four always tells me to go to a brothel when you enter a new town.

Bukkake-chan: Tell you what. I won't lobotomize myself with a shotgun shell if you stop following what your mommies say. Deal?

RB-tan: [lip trembling] But...

Bukkake-chan: [sighs] Let me make it clear, just in case your little retarded brain can't handle it. Your mommies give you advice, right? Which they also follow?

RB-tan: Of course they do! [smiles wider]

Bukkake-chan: Where are they now?

RB-tan: [blank expression]

Bukkake-chan: Exactly. So you better listen to me if you want to stay in the world of the living. I should get paid for this or something.

RB-tan: We're here! [runs into Izlude, arms flailing]

Bukkake-chan: DAMMIT, SLOW DOWN, WOMAN! I'M GONNA CENSORED FALL OFF!

RB-tan: Don't worry, the power of love and friendship will keep you on my head!

Bukkake-chan: Are you high, or do you need to get out more? Where was I? Oh yeah. SLOW DOWN, DAMMIT!

The two figures entered the sattelite town, one deliriously happy for no explicable or comprehensible reason and the other cursing at the top of her lungs.

Citizens of the town would look back to that day as the Day Of Paralyzing, Endangering and Shocking Absolute Terror, more commonly known as DOPESAT Izlude.