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[F4-PP] A small Reunion (Stryder, Atzo) <<1 Yui's Grace>>


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The cold air swirled around Atzo as he slowly walked through the frozen forest to Frostbite Lake. As he walked he watched as the small ice crystals fluttered around him, the soft sunlight reflecting off of every one of them. Atzo wondered if they were all unique in this world as they were the old world. He smiled softly, and knelt down looking at the sparkling, untouched snow in front of him. He was at the edge of the forest now. The Kings Cloth draped around him. The white shimmer of snow accenting the lush emerald greens of his clothing. The Broken Crown sat on his head. Its intricate design lost to him. Atzo looked to the frozen lake, the deep blue of a long deep frost had given it some semblance of life. 

 A thought crossed his mind, a long faded memory of Eatos. ‘I wonder what she is doing right now’ He asked himself. ‘Her house is somewhere near here right? Maybe I will stop by… then again I am not sure she would want to see me. It has been so long’ He walked to the tree that they used to talk under and sat against it. The cold here no different than on the mountaintop where he had spent so much time. He smiled to himself as he remembered the long talks they would have and the adventures he went on with Eatos and Stryder. A tear fell down his cheek. ‘I was so naive, wasn't I? Or perhaps I was just a jerk. I hope they dont hate me for the time I was gone, but I wouldn't blame them if they do.’  He looked at the lake, the thoughts of Eatos’ snow fox familiar dancing in his mind. It had been a good run, and Atzo hoped more than anything that both of his old friends had kept up the fight. 

The snow and wind had started picking up, but it was strange. The sky was completely clear, Atzo felt calm and relaxed. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. He remembered a gift that had appeared in his inventory, he wasn't sure where it had exactly came from. He went ahead and used one. After all, they didn't have a description. Then, slowly he let the serenity of the area envelop him as he closed his eyes and rested.

Items Used

Spoiler

Yuki's Grace

@Stryder

Edited by Atzo
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  • 2 weeks later...

It had been awhile. He hadn't come down to this floor in.... Well, probably a month. He couldn't. It hurt him... So much. He had failed the last promise he made to her, the last promise he had made to Katherine. He failed it, he had let her death break him. He had promised her he wouldn't.... Well, he hadn't actually. But her last wish was for him to protect everyone. He wished, more than anything, that he could go back in time. Fix his mistakes. Maybe even save her, though, he was unable to. Now, sitting in front of her 'grave'... He saw the picture of her, the one that had been placed on the table, along side the sword and armor he had made her.... Well, she made the sword, but he had made the armor. Guardian....  

I wish that i could move on, be stronger then i am. I am getting there Katherine, i'm getting stronger... I'm moving on, when i can. I'v met someone, she reminds me a lot of you, her name is Alisea... She's special, she is like you, she is managing to pull me out of my shell.... I want to do what you asked of me... But... I don't know if i can, i'm not strong. I'm weak..... I can't lose anyone else... One day, maybe i can honor you.... But i'm sorry... I can't right now" 

He sighs, still kneeling in front of her image. He had lost so many people. Atzo, Pinball, Katherine, Damien... So many had vanished from his life. He had made enemies of Hestia, the whole of the first floor of Aincrad. They all saw his outburst.... He was stupid, so, SO stupid.... So many choices he couldn't take back. He couldn't take back trying to kill Kyoto on that floor, when Atzo had gone awol. He couldn't take back attacking Pinball when he was trying to kill someone he loved... He couldn't take back yelling at Hestia for simply wanting Aincrad to be a safer place... So many choices he couldn't take back... And he knew how many more mistakes awaited him down this road... He just wished...

I wish you were still here to guide me....

@Atzo

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It had been a good amount of time sense Atzo closed his eyes. He could feel the subtle icy growth creeping up onto his hands. It didn't feel too cold, his survival skill did a good job of keeping him from feeling too cold or taking cold damage after all. And so he layed in the show, feeling the cool nip of the wind flowing quietly above him; reminiscing on the past. It wasn't long before he realized that he missed the friendships he once built. Thinking back to the three of them, Stryder, Eatos and himself. They really had been a bunch of troublemakers. That was all in the past now though, wasn't it. Atzo knew the likelihood of meeting up with them again was little to none. Not to mention that, while he didn't want to think about it, he couldn't even be sure they were still alive. It dawned on him that he should go to check the memorial stone for names. Though he couldn't be sure of how up to date it was. 
 
He didn't bother to check how long it had been. Suddenly, he felt something… fluffy one his face. He slowly opened his eyes to see an Arctic Fox brushing past him. It was so unique, Atzo could only think he knew it from somewhere. Instinctively he got up, the fox seemingly was waiting for him to get up and swiftly took off. “So this is a game to you, huh?” Atzo said with a playful glint in his eye. As quick as he could, Atzo geared up and began to chase the fox, his muscle memory proving much more reliable than his actual memory for the layout of the floor.
 
Atzo was so focused on catching up to the fox that he didn't pay attention to how long they had been running or where he had been going. Though that didn't last long as a familiar building came into view. As he realized that the building belonged to Eatos. Atzo came to a screeching halt, almost falling over as he did so. He watched as the Fox, which he now believed to be Angel, enter the house. Atzo froze for a moment, his warm, panting breath coming out as clouds. Slowly he approached the house. ‘I am not sure this is a good Idea’ he thought to himself, ‘after all I left her out of nowhere as I did everyone else’ He approached the door, slowly and precisely, almost as if he had large weights on his feet. He raised his had in a fist, The Kings Cloth shimmering with snow. Then, for the first time in almost a year, Atzo knocked on the door of his former friend.
 

@Stryder

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He could remember... Her voice. It was calm, happy, relaxed. Worried often, about him and his stupid antics. It was comforting... She always held him back, kept him in line. His familiar, Silver, put her head on her masters lap, looking up at the picture. Seems she missed their friend too. Of course, why wouldn't she... They had all gone on so many adventures. They had been partners since the game started, since they had grown the balls, and gotten the courage to leave the town they had traveled together. Why wouldn't she miss her? They were good friends, and Katherine was one of the few people that Silver actually liked. The others so far being himself, and Jinx... Or Alisea. 

He knew she was gone... He wished it wasn't true, but he knew it. She was gone. His old life, was gone. Kyoto, the emerald Harbingers. It was in the past.... And soon, who knew what else would be also. It was all confusing. His mind flashed with Atzo... He really hadn't seen him in ages.... He turned around, looking back at the shop his friend had worked so hard to keep going, the shop that had made him... Actually most of what he was wearing now, or had in his inventory. And he saw something strange. 

Someone was knocking at the door. Stryder owned the surrounding area, so they wouldn't get in... He had allowed people to walk around without being part of his guild, but, you had to be in the guild to enter the structure or remove any of the objects in the area. He didn't recognise them, they were covered in snow. 

"Building is locked to non guild members, who are you?" He asked, aggressivly. He turned around, standing up. His hood pulled over his face, hiding the tears and his eyes.

 

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Atzo held his hand in the air, frozen. The fact that there was someone whom he had not noticed was unsettling. Not to mention that the building was restricted to guild members only. Atzo gave an old sly smile. Though he didn't turn toward the person talking to him. He felt challenged, though he wasn't going to do anything rash. “That's interesting, I admire you all for having players to guard the property of other guild members. I must say it is very noble of you. If this was a year ago it wouldn't have mattered that the building was guild restricted. I can only blame myself, if I hadn't disbanded the Harbingers and left back then things may have been different.” He sighed, realizing that he was zoning out a little bit. He shook his head and continued “Well, I will take my leave then. If you don't mind, let Eatos know that Atzo would like to meet up. I… I may have some apologizing to do.” Atzo turns towards the man talking to him, looking at his face. He pauses for a moment, thinking that he has seen this man before, but his face was too obscured for Atzo to be able to recognise him, even though their eyes met for just a moment.  Atzo put his hand on the man’s shoulder as he turned away. “Oh, and, Thank you for keeping an eye on her. And who knows maybe after I talk to her, I might even join y’alls guild as well.” Atzo smiled somewhat. It bugged him that he couldn't talk to her, though it wasn't like he had messaged her. Not to mention that with his friends list cleared off he really couldn't message her. Maybe he should visit Stryder’s shop and see if he would be willing to set up a meeting

@Stryder

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  • 2 weeks later...

The voice... it was strangely familiar to him. Something of a relic to the distant path, something he hadn't even heard in his imagination for a few years. He admired it... Something about him. Noble? A year ago it wouldn't have mattered? Everything he was saying was... Herasy. Until he said it. Harbingers. That... THAT was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. He was a part of that guild... Wait, if he was the one who disbanded it, that would mean... Its Atzo? How? How could it be... Last  time he had seen him.... All Sky could remember was that hell that was that mountain top. Absolute, crap up there... Then he said he wanted to meet up with Eatos, and saying that he was Atzo... Sky listened to everything he had to say, feeling the hand on his shoulder, familiar... Keeping an eye on her... He had failed... He had failed. As Atzo put the hand on his shoulder, he would feel the kids entire body tense up, and heave a little as if letting out a wimper. 

"I'm sorry.... But, I can't do that... Eatos..." He said, wiping his face for a second. "Katherine, is gone... She jumped off Aincrad.... Atzo, i'm sorry i couldn't do what you asked of me..." He said, almost collapsing, falling onto his hands and knees, and straight after he punched the ground as hard as he could. "I couldn't be strong enough to save my friends.... And those i care about...."

@Atzo

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