[PP-F4] The First Search (Kiru)

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius stood, his all black and azure colored suit lifting and falling as the cold winds of Floor 4 rose and fell. The Azure Brigade was only a whisper now. Zelrius had meant to disappear with the rest of them, but knew he couldn't leave everyone else with Mari, No matter how selfish Zelrius thought he was. The Blood Buccaneer always disliked most everyone else, but was far too kind on the inside of his heart to let them go, or to truly hate them. Now, that he is back, it was brought to the Boy's attention that Keith went missing. And the Commandants of the Brigade did not report Keith going to the hide out spot. That means one of two things: He left on his own accord, not wanting to have any ties with the world at all. Or the one Zelrius feared; Keith's death. That was what Zelrius hoped was not the case. It seemed nigh impossible for any of the Commandants of the Brigade to die. All Five of them armed with only the best gear, grandest wits and wisdom, and what seemed to be the highest levels. Those five select people were by far the most powerful group in SAO, mix them in with people like Baldur, Tyger, Kiru, Kosan, and Ariel, You got the Azure Brigade, The guild that had no boundaries. That was no more. Baldur and Tyger ran away. Kosan died at the hands of Mari. Ariel ran off to different loyalties. The old Council is long split up and gone. Things were different. Zelrius was a solo player now. He had been such many times before, but now it saddened him. Now he stood in the snows of Floor 4, Waiting for one of the few people left that he can trust, hoping that they can find their lost friend; Keith Yudai.

[Kiru 0]

I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my dress and exhaled deeply. It had been only a few days since the mysterious PM and the return of Zelrius but it had been the stressful days of my life. Worrying about the outcome of this whole situation kept me awake at night, leading to having zero sleep. So, there were dark circles cast under my dulled eyes and contrasting to my porcelain skin. My hair had also gone astray and I had no intention of fixing it. I left the white strands to mix with the black ones and my bangs to be pulled back behind my ear. My eating schedule was also screwed up, I couldn't bring myself to eat anything with the pit that remained in my stomach. My figure had gotten significantly smaller due to all the mix of emotions I had felt for the short amount of time I spent by myself, reviewing the PM and creating crazy explanations to Keith's disappearance. This caused the straps of my dress to slip off every now and then and my clothes to just hang akwardly on my frame. I sniffled at the cold air that wrapped around my and tugged on the blue scarf that Keith had given me around my neck. This was the very first thing he gave me, this was also given to me the night I had joined Azure. Looking back now made me smile. 

 

But that smile quickly diminishing from my ghostly face. The strange and frightening words rang in the back of my head again, refusing to let my have a peaceful thought. "Keith is dead." I shook my head and remembered the words that Zelrius had told me. He said that Keith might have just left without telling anyone, that he might have not died. In the back of my head I knew that there was almost no way of him still being alive at this point but the fact he might be alive kept me going with a purpose. It gave me hope. The chances of him still walking in Aincrad were low because of his personality and unwavering confidence, if anyone had challenged him he would be sure to win. But something was right, if he was so strong then how could he just perish? Just trying to think of it gave me a headache. 

 

Zelrius was the one to suggest looking for him, he also gave me the slightest hint of where everyone had went. He was also the very reason I had left the Inn I was staying at. He convinced me to crawl out of bed, keep my head held high, and look for him. Also to look for the person that could have killed him, if he was indeed dead. I breathed out again and looked in the cold air that formed in front of me. I stepped forward and went on my way to meet up with Zelrius. My feet seemed to move on their own because before I knew it, I was standing in front of Zel and his signature suited appearance. Just standing next to him made me look even worse. I offered a weak smile and waved. "Hey Zel, read to go?" I asked, attempting to keep myself together around Zelrius. He and I felt the same thing right now, and it was probably sadness or hesitation. I didn't want to find out if he was gone as much I wanted to find out if he was dead. But, I knew there ws no going back now. There was one thing I would find out before leaving here, and that was: if Keith was dead.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius gritted his teeth. There was something holding him back. And he knew full well what it was. Fear. Actual Fear. The same thing he felt in his first few boss fights. The sensation that clouded over his days and nights during and after his first and only kill. But this kind was slightly different. He didn't fear for his own life, He feared for his friend's. Keith was one of the last people in SAO that Zelrius would trust. The list was small, and now minus will be nonexistent. Or practically, it is, given Kiru is the last person on said list. Everyone else was, in The Blood Buccaneer's Opinion, Too Stupid, or Too Weak, to have anything to do with. Or they were Mari. Those were the Four categories he split the world into:

Stupid

Weak

Trust-able

Mari

Mari got her own one because she didn't fall into any of those listed above. Zelrius was never able to trust her, Though he knew not why. But the pink haired girl certainly was not any kind of stupid. And even now, Zelrius estimated that she may be stronger than he. All beside the point. Zelrius already knew the answer to the world around him. Keith was dead. The Brigade had not reported him in, and Keith would have begged Kiru to come with. But something inside the Arrogant boy didn't want to believe that. No, that something also kept him from his narcisstic smile and swagger as he walked about and spoke to Kiru. "Let us be going. We have time not to be wasting. If he is alive, I fear it will not be for long. Or, the longer he stays away, the more he'll want to be away. I know that last bit because that is how I felt. Every day I spent away, just made me want one more day alone."

 

That reminded the boy of his great leaving of his own. He had walked away from the meeting of the 10th Floor boss, The note dropped behind and those attending left in wonder. And once he had left the building, The boy checked off of Duty from the Roster, and was gone. That was the breaking point for him. The small number that were able to participate in saving lives because The Azure Brigade wanted to see if they'd beg them. In a way, The Brigade itself reminded Zelrius alot of himself: Seclusive, Arrogant, Two-face, and most of all: Selfish. Yes, Zelrius himself was these things, and it was those traits that actually made up the original council. Miaki, Shanok, Keith, Daeron, Garou, and... Except for Clarence. The sudden thought of his friend burst into his mind. The boy was anything but those things. He had joined the Brigade thinking we were a frontlining Guild here to help the World. He had taken so many funds to buy food and better gear for some of the lower players who were falling behind. Everything that boy did was altruistic in the purest sense, and he was clouded by the Brigade. Now Zelrius truly hated them, and himself, and it showed on his face.

[Kiru 0]

I took my hands out of my pockets and leaned forward, examining my feet as he spoke. This was mostly to hide my face from Zelrius. It was a strange thing to do but I truly did respect him, and thought of him as a friend. Him seeing me as the mess I was just wasn't going to satisfy me right now. If he said anything about it I would become ashamed as well. I Judging from his tuxedo and fresh face, he wasn't changing his normal schedule. From his clear speech and arrogant smile I could tell that Zelrius was handling this a little bit better than I was. I tugged the scarf around my mouth and nose and looked up at Zel while nodding. "You're right. If he's out there, and I know he is, then we should get going before he gets too far from humanity." I spoke, my words a little bit muffled due to the mask of fabric. I took in a deep breath and thought about what the blonde boy had just said to me, about his absence. He literally disappeared off the edge of Aincrad without a trace, leaving Keith and I to believe that he died. Now that he was back, spending his precious time to help me search for Keith, I could understand what he was getting at. The more time you spend away from something, the less you miss it. "I understand. The more time I spent out the towns and safezones, the more I realized that I actually hated towns, as the annoyed me to the point of leaving as soon as I dealt with my business." 

 

 

After a few moments of silence I looked up, raising my eyebrows a little bit. The never ending chain of snow continued to fall around us, not piling up of stopping. This occurred to me before but the snow was always constant. Everything else moved, changed, evolved, but the snow stayed the same, falling forever without an end. In a way, the snow was like me. I stayed the same while everyone around me seemed to have moved on. Ariel had her own guild now, Mari was the most feared player killer that couldn't be trusted, Arek was no where to be found, and the rest of Azure abandoned the rest of us. Yet, I stayed the same. Sarcastic, egotistical, rude, strong, mean girl that everyone avoided because of my spoiled attitude. But that didn't bother me. In fact, I preferred they stayed away. I chuckled at myself for getting way off topic. My laughing soon turned into a cough. 

 

After recovering from my small coughing fit I stuck my hand out, motioning for Zelrius to being the hunt. "Lead the way Zel." I said quietly and prepared to follow him wherever he went.