Terra's Orbs

[Achie-san]

Um... Hi, everybody, if you're an old member then you might remember this story just a little. It kind of got eaten when the boards were hacked or whatever happened and I was too lazy to even attempt reviving it. But now I'm going to try since Neko-chan dragged me out of the bowls of the internet.

Warning: I don't know how often I'll update or not. It would be awesome if people liked it, but don't hang off the edges of your seats for the next installment. I've gotten very rusty and lazy when it comes ot fanfics... <.<; I'm trying to get better, I promise!

Info: This story is basically about the EXE characters in a medieval setting with mages, knights, monsters and ancient runes of legend. I'd never seen an EXE fic with this idea before, so I figured I'd go for it. Hope you like it. ^^;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PROLOGUE

Mornings were always clear and bright in every small village. The warm rays whispered through sleepy clouds to tenderly caress the land, traveling soundlessly across the grass to peek into slumbering windows. Every day it was the same routine. As soon as sunlight kissed the villagers’ cheeks it was time to rise and ready themselves for their individual tasks. While most were content with their simple, humble lives one particular boy in couldn’t help finding himself horrifyingly bored with an average life.

The young brunette yawned as he watched the sun slowly climbing higher into the sky with his equally brown gaze, shifting to scratch an itch on his side. He tugged slightly on the dark green cloak he wore over his worn brown clothes which were already dirty from sitting on the old stone wall. The wall was the best place to stare blankly at the nothingness he called his home town. For the most part he kept his gaze on the horizon whether he was looking at anything in particular or not, sometimes absently counting the number of cows he could see in the far pastures to keep himself busy.

“Netto!” a female voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts. The boy blinked before shifting to glance down at a young girl with pink hair and blue dress.

“What do you want, Meiru-chan?” Netto asked bluntly then winced when he saw her similarly brown eyes narrow at him.

“What do you think? It’s time for school,” Meiru scolded, “You aren’t going to skip again, are you?”

“Of course I am,” Netto said with a soft snort, “I don’t need to go to school. I’m already better at magic than most of the adults around here.”

“That’s still no excuse to skip,” Meiru said, “Aren’t you worried about your future? You’ll never become a High Wizard like your father if you don’t at least graduate. The king would never allow it.”

Netto frowned at the thought of his father. While he loved and adored the man, he did have a small issue with how his job kept him away from home all the time. Of course being the High Wizard meant that one had to work and live at the castle all the time and the castle wasn’t exactly near by. Especially due to the fact that his father had sent himself and his mother to live out in the country, wanting Netto to have as normal of a childhood as possible.

“What do you know?” he finally said more than asked, “I’ll show you and everyone else. I’m going to be the greatest wizard ever! This village is so smothering I could die... I’ll never get to show what I’m made of here.”

“Well, you might get an opportunity in school,” Meiru offered.

“With the puny tests they give?” Netto scoffed, “I could pass those tests without breaking a sweat. I need a real challenge...”

“You’re so full of yourself,” Meiru said, clutching her books tighter to her chest in frustration, “If you’re so high and mighty, why don’t you try taking on the Forbidden Woods?”

Netto blinked, having never even considered that before. His eyes slowly turned in the direction of the tree line that surrounded one of the village borders. The trees rose ominously like a dark shadow waiting to suck in anyone who wandered too close. It was a sharp contrast to the sunny, warm hearted meadows and fields the farmers worked in, but the forest was easy to over look for those who had grown up with it. They were called the Forbidden Woods simply for the fact that they were forbidden to anyone under the age of eighteen due to the dangerous creatures and bandits that lurked inside.

“Not a bad idea,” Netto mused after a few moments, smirking to himself, “I bet if I could use my skills in a real fight that’d show everyone how great I am!”

“You’re kidding,” Meiru gasped, eyes going wide with shock, “Netto, you can’t! What if you get hurt? You’re great at black magic, but white magic is another story...” Which she could blame entirely on his lack of studying. Black magic was tricky, but it was one that mostly involved talent and instincts to control. Many of the darker spells couldn’t be taught at all, but white magic basically involved intense concentration and hard work. Something that Netto often lacked.

“I won’t get hurt,” Netto snorted, “I can take care of myself.”

“Netto, please, don’t do this,” Meiru begged, “You’re one of my best friends. If something happened to you...”

“Ugh, don’t get all mushy on me,” Netto said, both blushing and wrinkling his nose at her words, “I’ll catch you later, Meiru-chan. Wish me luck!”

“Netto!” Meiru started, but didn’t get a chance to finish before the boy had shifted and hopped off of the wall. The soles of his boots hit the dew soaked ground with a wet thud and he grinned as he straightened himself. Without so much as a second thought he propelled one over enthusiastic leg in front of the other towards the Forbidden Woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you guys liked the first installment. I almost have the first actual chapter done, but I figured if I put it along with this then it would be too long since there isn't another good stopping place for a while after this. <.<;
_________________
Friendship is a promise made in the heart
Silent and unwritten
It's unbreakable by distance
and unchangeable by time.

() ()
(*¬*) \/

(Thanks to Marisa for my Avitar. I love it. ^-^)

[Imagine.EXE]

Ooooo the forbidden woods! Can't wait to see how Netto can handle this situation :]

[Midnight]

Oh my.

I do believe that you are right in saying that this is one of the only fics so far written that places the characters in a time much different than their own--in the world of medieval magic. The parallels that you draw while transplanting the characters into this new world work rather well.

As this is only the first chapter, I'll hold judgment until more of it is written, if any. And I'm sure Neko will ensure the continuation of this fic--and I as well, if I can help it.
_________________
Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Achie-san]

Heh. Thanks for your comments. ^^ I'm going to try and keep this fic going as best I can.

If there are mistakes, I'm sorry, but due to the apparent destruction of the edit function what ever is wrong with this fic, stays wrong. <_<; (I must say for this very reason I have the highest contempt for this rule, but I understand there was a reason for it... <--My own little blurb. Feel free to ignore it.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crossing over the fields were proving to be much more of a journey than Netto had predicted. While he had stared over them morning after morning he had underestimated how big they truly were. The boy was out of breath by the time he finally reached the other side of the pastures and crops. Netto doubled over, his hands sliding down to rest over his slightly bent knees. He gulped down fresh air before glancing up at the sun, surprised to find it was late in the morning by now, perhaps nearly noon.

“Should of brought lunch...” he muttered to himself, feeling sore with himself for not thinking to bring food of any sort. He had been so enthusiastic he never thought about how long he might be in the woods or what supplies he might need. “Oh, well, this shouldn’t take too long.” With that in mind he turned to face the forest ahead.

The trees seemed to have been thrust through the ground by nature, sending them high into the sky. Netto couldn’t help staring at the trees in awe of their height and width. He assumed that he couldn’t reach all the way around the trunk and touch his hands together no matter how hard he tried. With wide eyes he opened his senses, taking in all he saw. Although he had lived near the forest all his life he had never actually gotten close to it before. The elders would of turned all sorts of colors at the thought of a child getting near the woods. Not that he was a child, of course.

“Here goes something,” he mused to himself before closing the final eight yard gap between himself and the shadowed threshold of the forest. Netto felt a shiver run up his spine as he crossed the final entrance, feeling as though he had stepped into a completely different world. The boy stumbled inside, gazing up at the canopy in awe and for a few moments he thought he had gone death from the silence. However, as he grew used to the calm, secretive forest he began to hear whispers of animals and birds filtering through the trees and bushes.

With a grin Netto began to meander through the woods, wondering to himself why the elders thought it was so horribly dangerous here. In fact, he found the atmosphere to be rather relaxing. The young mage internally began to run through what sort of spells he could use and what types of beasts he might encounter. Never once did he consider how much danger he was in, not being one to doubt his abilities for a second. Whether it was healthy to be so self confident or not was still unknown.

SNAP.

Netto jumped at the sudden sound, spinning on his heels as his heart instinctively leapt into his throat. He swallowed hard in an attempt to get his fear under control and heart back in the right place, telling himself it was probably just a small animal... or a hungry monster.

Another bush nearby rustled softly in a hushed warning that he was not alone. Netto frowned and tried to get a hold of himself, clenching his fists as he kept the incantation on the tip of his tongue.

“Help!” a small voice suddenly barked loudly from behind. When Netto pivoted around he was momentarily confused before his eyes fell on a small, brown dog.

“Heh, a puppy?” Netto laughed softly at his own fears as he knelt to pet the animal. “What are you doing here, boy? I could of sworn I heard a voice...”

“You did,” the puppy said, “My voice!”

Netto froze at that, eyes going wide with shock. “Demon!” he cried out in alarm, trying to stand before his legs registered it was time to move, causing him to tangle his limbs and fall flat on his bottom.

“I’m no demon,” the dog objected impatiently, “Quit freaking out and focus! If you don’t then my master might die!”

“Your... what?” Netto said thickly, having a hard time so much as comprehending that the dog was speaking. What was actually being said was somewhat lost on him.

“Please, you have to help me,” the dog pleaded, “He was ambushed by thieves while traveling with a caravan.”

“Why don’t you find your caravan friends to help you then?” Netto finally managed to ask, “I’m kind of busy... and I don’t like talking to strange things.”

“You’re awfully strange yourself,” the puppy shot back irritably, “I’m just lucky some kid was stupid enough to stumble into this dangerous place.”

“I’m not a kid and I’m not stupid,” Netto objected, “Listen, mutt, one day I’m going to be a High Wizard so you’d better bite your tongue.”

“If you can’t even help my master, then you’ll never be a high or great anything,” the dog snorted, “I guess you’re too weak to be of any use to me...”

Netto scowled at that. “I’ll show you,” he growled, “Take me to your master and I’ll prove to you how great I am.”

The pup grinned happily at that. “Great,” he said, “Follow me!” That said he began padding off into the forest.

Netto blinked, wondering if somehow he’d been tricked, but he ignored it for now, following after the talking animal which lead him further into the forest. The boy stumbled over branches and cursed when he cut his legs on a bush of thorns, but didn’t once stop for fear of losing sight of the dog. “Hey, dog, how much further is it?” he called.

“Not far,” the animal said, “and my name is not ‘dog’, it’s Rush.” Netto just rolled his eyes at that, irritated that the talking beast would get offended when it was his own fault for not telling the boy his name.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when they stepped out of the foliage and onto a dirt road that was smooth as if it was often traveled. Netto hesitated and gave it a dumbfounded look as if he had never seen such a sight.

“What’s this doing all the way out here?” he asked, “I never knew there was a road.”

“Country people...” Rush muttered with a sigh, “So amused by such simple things.” The dog chose to ignore the sharp glare Netto sent in his direction.

“I don’t have to help you, you know,” he growled out.

“If you don’t then my master will die,” Rush said, “Can you really live with yourself knowing it’s your fault a person lost their life?”

“Well... I,” Netto started then sighed with frustration, “Just show me where he is already.” The dog only nodded before disappearing under a nearby bush.

“Hurry,” Rush called, “There’s a small cave in here. Come quickly before anyone sees you.”

“Who’s going to see me way out here?” Netto snorted.

“Just do it!”

Netto grumbled, but did as he was told, stealthily slipping inside of the small cave. Internally he began to wish he was smaller where he couldn’t even stand inside of the enclosure. However, when he saw the lump of a person Rush was sitting next to he muffled any complaints, only then aware of the irony stench of blood that hung in the air.

The wounded boy’s skin was pale and flushed at the same time, his dark hair matted with sweat from his fever. The clothes he wore consisted of a simple white top and brown pants normally warn by apprentices or kept under armor in order to prevent chaffing against a warrior’s skin. His eyes were shut tightly against his pain as he laid doubled over on his side, pressing a hand over his bloody ribs that still contained half of an arrow protruding from his torn flesh.

“What happened?” Netto breathed out, subconsciously lowering his voice.

“I told you, the caravan he was traveling with was ambushed by thieves,” Rush said, “Everyone else managed to escape, but he was left behind.”

“How could they just leave him like this?” Netto demanded, “These wounds must already be infected. He could seriously die.” Rush said nothing to that, though tail lowered between his legs.

“Please, help him,” was all he could say.

“I don’t really know any healing magic...” Netto grumbled, for once wishing that he had taken school a little more seriously, “We need to get him back to the village.”

“But you’re so small and scrawny,” Rush said, “You can’t carry him.”

“Well, it’s not like a pipsqueak like you could do it either,” Netto snapped, not happy about being called scrawny, “First I think we should get the arrow out and put a bandage or something on it...”

“If we take out the arrow he’ll bleed even more,” Rush said, “If he loses too much blood he’ll die even if we do make it to the village.” The human boy frowned softly at that. It looked like they didn’t have too many options.

“Whatever, let’s just get him to the village,” Netto said, hesitating for a moment before trying to maneuver the wounded boy onto his back, grunting from the effort. He jumped slightly when the boy let out a soft moan of pain, but otherwise didn’t stir. “Ok... I’ve got him,” he said, “Dog, you’ll have to lead me out of this place.”

“Fine,” Rush said, deciding to ignore the fact his name had been neglected. The dog scrambled out from under the shelter and stood guard, ears raised for any signs of danger as Netto did his best to heft himself and the boy out from the small cave. Just as he was starting to climb to his feet, already out of breath from the effort, an arrow slammed into the ground next to his foot with a silent thud.

“Hold it right there, brat!” a deep voice snarled.

“What the?” Netto started, eyes going wide with alarm.

“It’s the bandits!” Rush cried out before quickly darting behind Netto’s legs for safety. Netto cursed softly under his breath and took a small step back, narrowing his eyes as he tried to spot their enemy.

The young mage didn’t have to wait long before a tall figure jumped down from the trees, landing on one knee with a dull thud. His eyes were hidden by the steel grate of a visor that covered his face, but Netto could feel his harsh gaze locked onto the threesome. Slowly he rose with a deadly calm and grace that reflected his self confidence in his skill. His armor was a dull white with red marks that resembled flames someone had welded on his shoulder pads and chest plate.

“Hand over the brat and his mutt,” he rumbled out, hoisting his thick bow over his shoulder as he reached for his blade simultaneously.

“W... What do you want with them?” Netto challenged with a scowl.

“That is none of your business. Now hand them over...” The man pulled his sword from over his shoulder, the blade seeming twice as wide as his thigh was thick. “Or am I going to have to hurt you?”

Netto cursed softly under his breath, feeling a cold sweat break out against his forehead as his heart leapt into his throat and refused to return to his chest. The boy almost felt sick from how nervous he was from the adrenaline and fear coursing through his veins.

So this is what it’s like to face an enemy... he internally whispered to himself as though even his thoughts might provoke the warrior into attacking.

“I’m growing impatient,” the man growled, “Make your decision. Fight me or give up!”

“I...” Netto started before gulping and looking down, having a hard time finding his voice, “You can have them... Just don’t hurt me, ok?”

“What!?” Rush exclaimed, glaring at Netto, “How can you just abandon us like this?”

“Hey, why should I risk my life for you?” Netto asked, “You’ve never done anything for me and I’m not going to get myself killed for some random strangers. That’s just stupid.” Rush’s eyes went wide with fear and hurt at that, knowing that he and his master were certainly doomed now.

“Wise boy,” the man said with a dark chuckle. Netto said nothing to that as he eased the wounded boy down on the ground and stepped away from them, clenching his fists with shame.

“My boss will be pleased,” the man said, replacing his sword as he moved over to claim his new captives.

“Please, don’t...” Rush whimpered, clinging to his master’s body as though trying to seek shelter from the boy and trying to protect him at the same time. The only response he got was a merciless chuckle as he pulled back his hand to bat the dog away.

“Back off!” Netto suddenly snapped as he brought his hands in front of him, “Fira!”

“What?!” the man started, alarmed that such a young child was capable of an intermediate spell. He didn’t even have time to scream as the blazing heat and flames wrapped around him, cutting the warrior off from his prey.

“Dog, run for it!” Netto snapped as he ran over and quickly hefted the injured over his shoulder then shuffled off as fast as he could with his heavy burden.

“You did save us,” Rush cheered as he followed after the young mage, “I knew I could count on you! Never doubted you for a second!”

“Shut up,” Netto said, “and find us a hiding place. That fire barely even phased him. He’s going to be pissed when he gets out of there...” Rush paled at that and nodded before quickening his pace next to the boy.

“There’s a ditch that curves under an old tree not too far ahead,” Rush said, “we can hide there.”

“Sounds good to me,” Netto agreed, already out of breath from the added weight of the other boy. The rest of their escape went without words as the young mage followed the puppy towards the ditch he had mentioned, only stopping once they had secured themselves so they wouldn’t be spotted.

Hours seemed to pass as Netto hunkered himself against the soft earth, holding the other boy tightly against him as if doing so would somehow keep a veil of invisibility around them. Unable to help trembling from fear and adrenaline, he concentrated on controlling his breathing so it wouldn’t give them away and calm himself down.

The young mage had a bad feeling that the same trick wouldn’t work twice on their aggressor and he doubted the man would lower his guard again. Chances were if he found them they would be as good as dead. At the thought he held the wounded boy closer for his own comfort.

He began to wish he had listened to Meiru even though he’d never admit it to her or anyone. If he was smart he would of stayed at home or even gone to school where it was safe. At the moment anywhere was better than here. The boy let out a shaky sigh, wishing his father was there. Definitely his father would know what to do in this situation... Not that his father was ever there when he needed the man most.

“Hey,” Rush whispered, startling Netto out of his thoughts, “I think the coast is clear...”

“Good,” Netto said with a nod, “Let’s stay low just in case. We really need to get back to the village before that guy can get to us...”

“If we follow the ditch, it’ll take us to a stream,” Rush offered.

“Does the stream have yellow and brown rocks?” Netto asked, perking up at that.

“Um... Kind of, I guess,” Rush said slowly, “I wouldn’t exactly call it yellow, but...”

“Close enough,” Netto said, “That stream goes past the wheat fields.”

“Then let’s get going,” Rush said with a nod, staying low to the ground as he began to slink through the ditch. Netto shifted and positioned himself under his burden, frowning at the unconscious stranger.

“I don’t know who you are,” he said, “but you’d better be worth all this effort...”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before anyone asks, yes, I'm probably going to use the names of Final Fantasy spells in this fic because I'm not good at making stuff like that up off the top of my head... My first thought was to use Latin words/chants but unfortunately I don't know any Latin. ^^;

Thanks for reading and sorry this update is so long.
_________________
Friendship is a promise made in the heart
Silent and unwritten
It's unbreakable by distance
and unchangeable by time.

() ()
(*¬*) \/

(Thanks to Marisa for my Avitar. I love it. ^-^)

[Imagine.EXE]

Yay! Rush can talk!!! ^_^
I wonder who the person is... :/

[Kitty-Chan]

This is a really cool story, Achie-san. I can't wait to see how it will progress.
_________________
Need more Zero/X, Netto/Rock, Rock/Netto, Forte/Netto, & Blues/Netto. PLEASE!
Ano sa...could someone please make me a Zero/X, Blues/Netto, or Forte/Netto avatar/banner? I would greatly appreciate it...
Thanks for the avatar, Mandi!
People! We need more Blues/Netto & Forte/Netto on the net. Come on; help me out here! *gives everyone her Super-Adorable Irrisistable Sad Kitty Eyes(TM)*

[Neko]

Did I ever tell you how much I loved this story?

Awesome, Achie, just totally freaking awesome. Great job :D
_________________
Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF. All my base are belong to you.

Avatar, credit Yakitate@devart

[Midnight]

Not a problem.

Anyway, this was a good continuation of what you have going here. I did notice a few usage errors, most of them of the genre of "[word] of" when you mean "[word] have." Other than that, you keep with the detail that you have presented in the previous chapters, and this mysterious wounded child seems to be a little more than meets the eye...

Other than that, great little fic here.
_________________
Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Achie-san]

Heh. Thanks for the comments. It's always nice to get some feedback. And thanks, Midnight, I'll try to be more careful about my word ussage. I'm not very good at grammer and I don't trust my spell cheker to figure that stuff out for me either... >_>;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was starting to get low in the sky by the time Netto and Rush had sloshed their way into the stream. Every now and then they had to stop so the young mage could rest from carrying the injured boy. It was slow going where Netto didn’t exactly have the upper body strength for the heavy load nor the stamina to carry it very far. Learning magic required only a small amount of physical strength, and even then it was only so one wouldn’t run out of stamina while spell casting.

“It’ll nearly be sunset before we make it back...” Netto panted out as he forced his feet against the current of the stream. Normally the flow of the river felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze of water, but with how exhausted his legs were it might as well have been a flood torrent trying to drag his feet right out from under him.

“Surely that bandit has given up on us by now,” Rush said, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as he was forced to hop through the shallows against the soft current.

“Remind me to ask you... what he wanted... when I’m no longer too tired to care,” Netto said, having trouble breathing around his words as he shifted his feet to make sure he didn’t slip on the yellow-brown rocks below the water. Rush didn’t answer as he continued making his own path through the stream.

“Do you have a doctor at your village?” Rush asked instead.

“Of course we do,” Netto said almost indignantly, “We aren’t some little backwater hick town.”

“Whatever you say, kid,” the dog said with a soft snort.

“I’m not a kid, dog!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, brat!”

“Mutt!”

“Scrawny-as--”

“--I’ll drop him,” Netto threatened, motioning too the wounded boy over his shoulders. Rush’s eyes went wide at that.

“You wouldn’t dare...” he said slowly.

“Just try me,” Netto said with a smirk, knowing already that he had won. Rush cursed softly under his breath before trudging along. “You sure have dirty mouth for a dog...”

“Oh, shut up.”

``````````````````````````````````````````````````

As if to aid the setting sun and stars, a soft wind ushered in the night. It breezed through the crops and wheat, forcing the long stalks to sway back and forth.

Netto sighed gratefully when the wind tussled his hair with cool night air. At the moment anything to comfort him was a blessing. He was so tired he didn’t think he had the strength to complain or even let his mind wonder. Every step required the utmost concentration or he might falter and take an accidental dip in the stream.

“How much further is it?” Rush groaned out, panting heavily as he clung to a small rock for support.

“I don’t know,” Netto admitted, “Maybe we should just get out of the water and take a break...”

“Fine with me,” Rush said as he forced himself to the bank with Netto wading behind, “I need to check my master’s wound and put some bandages on him anyway.” The brunette blinked at that one.

“How does a dog tie bandages?” he asked, “You don’t have any thumbs.”

“Very carefully,” was all Rush had to say about that as he finally climbed out of the stream and shook his body free of any excess water. Netto would have pressed the matter if he wasn’t so tired, but decided he didn’t care enough to waste energy on arguing. With a grunt and a few failed attempts, he hoisted himself and the injured boy out of the stream bed, carefully easing the wounded down before rolling onto his own back with a relieved sigh.

Rush moved over to his master, trying to make sure the injuries hadn’t gotten worse. “It... It’s infected,” he said softly in dismay, “And his fever is worse.”

“Well, it’s not like we thought moving him around all day would make him better,” Netto muttered, but frowned as he looked over at the injury, “This guy’s lucky it isn’t in deeper...”

“His armor protected him a little,” Rush said, missing the shocked look on Netto’s face.

“Why would he be wearing armor?” Netto asked, “Who is he and who or what are you really? I mean, dogs can’t really talk... There has to be some sort of reason. A curse or something? And what about that weird guy who was chasing us? What was up with that?”

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” Rush partially snapped.

“Don’t change the subject!”

“Look, kid,” Rush said with a sigh, “I appreciate your help and everything, but right now I can’t answer any of your questions. My master needs medical help and fast...” Netto hesitated before looking down, his cheeks flushing with shame when he realized how insensitive he was being.

“Sorry,” he muttered, “but... um... If you think he can hold on until we get to the village, I have a friend who might be able to help even better than a doctor.” He didn’t miss the curious glance Rush threw his way. “Her name is Meiru-chan and she’s really good at White magic. She’s probably learned lots of healing spells...”

“This Meiru must be a great magician,” Rush said, eyes flickering with hope.

“Well... She’s still in school with me and she doesn’t have as much talent as I do,” Netto said, “but Meiru-chan studies a lot so she knows those text spells...”

“And I take it you’re one of those lazy kids who never studies and never learns any truly useful spells,” Rush said bluntly.

“Hey, that fire spell saved our lives!” Netto objected, “I’d say that was pretty useful.”

“Black magic is good for fighting, but not much else,” Rush said with a soft snort, “White magic can actually help people by curing diseases and aiding those in need.” Netto fumed silently at that for a few moments before turning away.

“Fine, then you take care of the next monster or bandit that attacks us,” he said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner, “Obviously you don’t need my help.” Rush started to retort when he froze, ears perking up.

“Netto, did you hear that?” he asked quickly.

“No...” Netto said, sitting up with a frown, “Is it a bandit?”

“I don’t think so...” Rush said, “I hear voices... I think they’re calling your name.”

“My name?” Netto muttered, giving Rush a funny look before his eyes went wide, “Wait, Meiru-chan must have sent out a search party or something. I bet she thinks I can’t handle myself in the forbidden woods... She has no confidence in me at all.” He narrowed his eyes at the thought as he sulked.

“Who cares? We’re saved,” Rush cheered, “Thank goodness she doesn’t have faith in you! I know I wouldn’t. She really must be a smart girl.” The small dog chose to ignore the death glare Netto shot his way.

“Netto! Netto-kun!” The boy‘s attention quickly snapped back to the matter of being rescued when he heard voices in the distance. He quickly sat up to peek over the tall grass, recognizing the outline of men and torches as residents from his village. With a grunt he forced himself onto his feet and inhaled a deep breath.

“I’m over here!” he shouted, waving his arms in the air frantically at the small search party, “Here!”

“I see him!” a faded male voice called as several torches and heads swiveled in Netto’s direction. A small chorus of similar shouts followed this and the search party didn’t take long to hustle to Netto’s aid, sighing cheerfully with relief when they found the boy unharmed. While most of the party surrounded Netto, several of the men broke off and moved to the injured boy’s side, checking his injuries and muttering between themselves over his condition.

Netto tried to fend off a few ruffles to the head from some of the younger men and ignore his scowling elders while he watched the men work, feeling strangely frightened for the stranger’s health.

“Well?” he finally asked after a few moments of silence.

“Netto-kun, I think it’s time you went home,” one of the older men, a fisherman Netto knew well from the village, said grimly, “We’ll handle this boy ourselves.”

“No way,” Netto objected, scowling at that, “I worked really hard to get this guy out of danger and I want to make sure he’ll be ok.”

“Do not argue with me,” the elder snapped, causing Netto to jump, “You’re in enough trouble as it is!” The young mage stood there numbly for a few seconds before finding his voice.

“What’s your problem?” he growled, “I get it that I broke the rules, but why are you so uptight about this guy, Masa-san?”

“Netto-kun... Just go home and leave this to the adults,” Masa said before turning his attention back to the wounded boy. Netto scowled defiantly, angry and concerned over how Masa was acting. The fisherman he knew was normally laid back and cheerful who rarely took a stern tone with anyone unless scolding them for not eating enough calcium.

“Masa-san, I’m not leaving,” he finally said, “I’m not going to abandon this guy because... because... He’s my new friend. Friends don’t abandon each other.”

Masa turned his face to give Netto a critical glance, not happy with the boy for being so persistent, but he knew from the look on the young mage’s face that he would find some way to defy them unless he worked with the kid. “Alright,” he finally relented, “You win... But, know this, if anything happens, then it’s your responsibility.”

“I understand,” Netto said with a nod, still unsure why Masa was so serious about the young stranger, but, at the moment, he wasn’t too sure of anything. However, he wasn’t about to quit now that he was this involved with this the boy and his dog. There were too many questions that hadn’t been answered and Masa’s attitude only made him all the more curious.

Rush sighed softly, relieved that Netto was turning out to be a valuable ally. He gave his master a sheepish glance. “I know you won’t like involving this kid,” he said under his breath so no one would hear, “but thanks to him it looks like we‘ll survive this after all... Just hold on a little longer, Rock.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meh. Not the greatest update in the world, and it's a bit shorter than I meant it to be, but I have to stop there since it'll be a while before I find another good place. :/

I'm probably going to be a little slow with the next chapter too where the story hasn't quite picked up yet, but it's coming. Slowly and steadily.
_________________
Friendship is a promise made in the heart
Silent and unwritten
It's unbreakable by distance
and unchangeable by time.

() ()
(*¬*) \/

(Thanks to Marisa for my Avitar. I love it. ^-^)

[Imagine.EXE]

YAY! U UPDATED! U UPDATED! =]
AHA! I knew it was Rock! =p

[Kitty-Chan]

I think it's fine. I like how you portray everyone.
_________________
Need more Zero/X, Netto/Rock, Rock/Netto, Forte/Netto, & Blues/Netto. PLEASE!
Ano sa...could someone please make me a Zero/X, Blues/Netto, or Forte/Netto avatar/banner? I would greatly appreciate it...
Thanks for the avatar, Mandi!
People! We need more Blues/Netto & Forte/Netto on the net. Come on; help me out here! *gives everyone her Super-Adorable Irrisistable Sad Kitty Eyes(TM)*

[Midnight]

But of course it would be. What upstanding piece of fiction in the EXE universe does not involve Rock or Saito in some way?

I do have to agree it was a little short, but the quality of the writing makes up for it. There are still a few errors in usage that I noted, but I cannot recall them off the top of my head. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing when Rock does come to.
_________________
Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Neko]

YEY! God I love this fic :D

*sings* I know what's gonna happen~

X3 Keep up the awesome work Achie
_________________
Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF. All my base are belong to you.

Avatar, credit Yakitate@devart