Light Within

The Dance of the Annihilator Swan

"I hope Noir is okay in there."

            Astral murmured under her breath when both she and Ritsu were sitting casually underneath a big tree. She continuously draws something on the ground to ease her mind about worrying Noir and been together with a random boy. Ritsu, noticing Astral looks completely anxious, tries to engage a conversation with her, "So, are you and Noir, like super close in real life too?". Astral startled when she heard Ritsu's voice, "Huh, ah, yeah. She, um, yes, my friend. We grow together, sort of". Ritsu chuckled, and they both remain, silence though he really wants to chat more. Fidgeting by her action, Astral finally continued, "Um, I was not a bright person nor socially person. Because of that, I don't have many friends either", Astral paused for a while. And then, she continued, "But one day, in our park, Noir stands up for me, when I'm being bullied. You know she looks like one of the superheroines in the movies". Watching Astral finally relaxed a bit, made Ritsu smiled. He actually was too charmed by her sweet smile when she happy. He kept staring when Astral did not realize what he did. 

            "Still, Noir doesn't bother with my weird looks or random personality. She chooses to be my friend, until now", she paused, "That's why this time, I want to protect her too." Realizing Ritsu had been silent for too long, she quickly glanced to see his response to her story, made he caught his guard off. She noticed it, and they both avoid each other contacts. "So, how about you?", concerned Astral, "What's your story, Ritsu?". Ritsu rubs behind her neck after he listened to Astral's request. "Nothing much. Just ordinary guy, playing games, levelling up, going solo. Nothing interesting I supposed", described Ritsu. He felt likes a loser, because all of his life, he did not achieve anything. He thought that he will never get Astal's attention, but surprisingly, Astral likely wants to hear more about his character. "Well, you did look amazing in the battle earlier. Your skills, Flamero...Flamero s***h? Where did you learn that?", asked Astral, amazed by his skills. Ritsu's eyes suddenly enlighten by Astral's word. "I'm a swordsman, but I prefer to have a few Fire Magic. That's why I infused the fire magic and swordsmanship skills...and boom! That skill", explained Ritsu. Astral looks in disbelief, later on, they both laugh together. Enjoying the company, both of them continue to chat, completely forget about Noir's battle.

Meanwhile,

"I hope Katherine doesn't feel so shy out there."

            Noir, wandering around in the dungeon just before she been stopped by a pool, with shining sparkles on it. "Just great, a lake IN a lake". Noir looks around, to see if there were other paths that she can go through, but it all fruitless. "Guess, it was only down under from here". Noir takes off her shoes and puts them aside where the water cannot touch it. She takes a deep breath and dives into the lake. As she sinks deeper, she realizes that the water is a bit chilly on the surface, but it gets warmer down below. "Hmm, maybe the door is here somewhere", guessed Noir, as she returned back to the surface to catch some air. "This is going to be a long one to finish."

"Oh, a message from Noir."

 Astral quickly opened the message while she and Ritsu in the middle of their chat. 

'This is going to take some times. Why don't you and Ritsu doing something while waiting for my return?'

 Astral replied:

'Okay, but if you're in danger, immediately message me. I will be there soon'.

            She then thinks about something, and finally, "Ritsu, lets train for a bit". She quickly stands up and looks around to find if there is any area that she did not explore yet. Ritsu, on the other hand, looks confused, but he too catches up to Astral. "So, you mean training, like only two of us? In the forest, two of us, right? Alone?", asked Ritsu, playfully. Astral realized that it would be like a date, but she quickly came up with another reason, "B-because we need to get new skills or anything if we want to help Noir. If she needs one". Ritsu enjoyed watching Astral getting flustered, but he quickly brushed it off. They wander around, to see if any chances, a dungeon might appears somewhere. Astral walk further to a thick bush, until, "Eh?" she suddenly falls to a deep hole. "Astral!", shouted Ritsu, as he quickly grabbed her hand that pulled both of them into the deep hole. 

Meanwhile,

"That should be enough for mapping."

            Noir finally finish drawing the dungeon's door in the lake, where it located at the bottom of the lake, surrounded by green vines. She swims back into the lake and bolts to the dungeon's door.

"This must be the boss's lair."

            Carefully, she opens the door, just to found out she was being teleported to a green grassland but surrounded by water barrier. She observed her surrounding, but well assured that there is no sign of monster in the land area. "So that's means...", before she can continue her thought, the ground was shaken vigorously. Suddenly, a figure behind the water barrier caught her eyes. "Whoa, this game is something", fascinated Noir, when she found out, Loch Ness is swimming circles around her. At first, the monster just swam, gracefully, in the water, without any harmful intentions. As it turns it heads towards the land, suddenly it becomes aggressive, and preparing to attack. "Okay, here we go!" 

"I think the training could be a little bit intense here."

             Ritsu jokes around as Astral was laying on the top of him. Astral, who finally get what had happened, quickly stands up, and help him out, "Sorry, my fault". Ritsu took her hand and replied: "Well, it is not a fault to me, more like chances". Ritsu thought Astral would blush again, but she actually did not hear him. Instead, she is focusing on the narrow tunnel. "Do you hear that?", asked Astral as her eyes were attached to the narrow tunnel. Suddenly, a hoard of undying bats flew toward them. "Run!", shouted Astral, but Ritsu already grabbed her hand and ran as fast as they can. They ran and ran, but the bats are speeding fast, and nearly caught to them. "We need to slow them down, somehow. Any idea?", asked Ritsu, as he is sure that the bats would not stop any sooner. Astral draws out her staff, and pointed towards the bat, "Multiple Holy Bits!". Multiple light arrows darted to the bats, and they fall down to the ground. Astral wants to scream Yes!, but the bats once again arise, and chasing them back. "I think you need to cast spells that can pierce through that one particular bat, that carries a heart", Ritsu quickly shows the bat, with the heart, "There, behind them". Astral chanted the same spell, but it can never get through the bats that protected the heart. "Urgh! It is too difficult. The bats keep arise again and again, and cover that heart", claimed Astral, as she now both tired and frustrated. Ritsu manages to clear any obstacles in their path, but he barely managed to keep himself in good shape. "No, wait. I don't want to be saved anymore. Ritsu, too, is working himself by clearing the path. I need to do something", thought Astral to herself. While still running, Astral steadily pointed her staff in the same direction where the heart is located. She is focusing and trying to imagine a sharp, long arrow, pierced through the bats, straight the lone-bat. "Focus, focus", repeated Astral to herself. Ritsu, who looks weary, begins to slow his steps. Astral keeps focusing until, "Now!". A bright, white light, looks like a spear formed at the edge of her staff, launched straight to the lone-bat. The attack penetrated through the bats, and destroy the heart, that been held by the lone-bat. Finally, all the bats are gone. They both finally stop running and laying down to the ground.

             "I thought that my legs will wear off if I keep running", joked Ritsu. They both laughed until they realize the air around them is suddenly different. They began to wander around when they find an ancient ruin, with special locks carved on it door's surface. "Hmm, another dungeon?", wondered Astral, but as she wanted to open the door, a message popped up: Access denied. "Maybe, this is an unfinished area by the developer. Let's go back, I found a stair to the surface back." Astral nodded, and she quickly followed behind Ritsu, ignoring the ruin. The stair led them back to where they had fallen. "Oh, Noir. We should get back."

 Astral ran as fast as she could when she realized it had been an hour passed since Noir entered the dungeon. "Where is she? Why didn't she message me?". She began to worry until she arrived at the lake. "Took you long enough". Noir, now, looks stylish than ever before. "Omg, Noir! That's looks beautiful, but seriously, why don't you told me you were already out?", pouted Astral, as she hugs Noir. Ritsu arrived at the exact moments when Noir wants to reply: "Because of him. I don't want to wreck your date". She winked at Astral that made both Astral and Ritsu blushed. Noir realized something is wrong when both of them look as red as they can ever be, chuckled. "Oh my, what did I miss?", asked Noir playfully. Astral suddenly ran off to the Ludea's path, shouting: "I'm going to the cafe, to eat! Bye!". Ritsu follows closely, "Me too!”. Noir giggled, as she too, is chasing after both of them, "You guys~ Tell me~". Astral smiled when she realized, this moment, it seems perfect. She is having fun now, really fun, with her friends, new and old.

"This is embarrassing, but it is fun. Can't wait for the upcoming event!"