Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction ❯ Where Fate Turns ❯ Chapter 4: I Miss You ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Splash 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 481 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 481 | Status: Completed
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Where Fate Turns
Chapter 4: I Miss You
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Lady Moon: I hope you didn't lose anything in your review because the cartman smiley cuts off the rest of the work, since FF.N thinks it's HTML. T_T Sakura's partially a main character, but she won't be hanging around Taichi and Yamato all the time, and she'll become more of a comical relief, kind of... o.o; She's powerful but not all powerful, basically following the sidelines of my own character on cRO. The powerful ones in this chapter, on the other hand... we can all dislike them together!
The Takouji in this chapter hints at lime but I don't know how many people want to see it, and I haven't done one yet... @_@;
The patio mentioned in this chapter... it's pretty pretty (copy/paste, fateback doesn't allow offsite linking): takouji.fateback.com/Ragnarok/Hunterism01.jpg
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~One misplaced grain of sand can topple a mountain, but the regret will be met in opposite proportions~
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" Well, we made it to Prontera. Now what?"
Takuya was a little too dazed to hear what Kouji had to say, so he kept walking through the crowds to see everything. Kouji sighed as he found himself having to follow the boy constantly.
Finally, they arrived at the fountain in the middle of the city, and they settled on one of the benches surrounding it. The scenary was lush and beautiful, but there was a strange bundle of people ruining it, looking as if they were preparing to kill someone. Kouji sat closer to Takuya, unsure of his surroundings.
One of the Swordsmen in the group approached them.
" You Thieves look fit enough to join us. Come on!"
" Huh?" the two said in sync.
" We're going to Geffen Dungeon. We've been ordered to organize a party to control the Poison Spore invasions in the tower. We have Mages, Acolytes, Archers, Merchants, the works. You guys will complete the set. Let's go."
Confused, Takuya just let the Swordsman drag him away into the group of foreign people. A spark of possessiveness ran through Kouji, and he stood up and followed the Swordsman's tracks. The Swordsman stopped in front of a male Acolyte. The Acolyte introduced himself, the first person to actually do so. He had medium length black hair and strangely blue eyes like Kouji. The low tone in his voice was similar as well.
His name was Kouichi.
" Peculiar..." was Kouji's first response. He had never seen anyone who had the same features he did. Even what memory he had of his parents... they didn't have the same colored eyes as this stranger. He was sitting down in his ivory robes, hands clasped neatly on his lap. He wore a biretta hat, a common symbol of the Acolyte class.
After some chatter in the group, Kouichi stood up. " Warp to Geffen! Everyone follow into the portal before it closes." He focused his powers on the person nearest him, which happened to be Takuya. In one hand he held a blue gemstone. The gemstone levitated out of his hands, glowed and disappeared. A pillar of white light surrounded Takuya, and before he knew it he was gone.
Kouji followed, wanting to know where Takuya went. As he stepped into the portal, he felt his head getting lighter, his ponytail defying gravity. The sensation didn't last long, and a moment later he found himself pressed against Takuya's back.
" Whoa..." Takuya said, although he was referring more to the new surroundings than was what was behind him. Geffen town was empty, hauntingly so. Everything was a pale gray, brick material with patches of vegetation here and there.
Kouji took the opportunity and wrapped his arms around Takuya, similar to what Takuya did not long ago.
" Takuya, I'm not liking this, and I don't think it's going to get better," Kouji said, hanging on for that sense of security.
" Kouji, relax. We're just finding new places to explore! Don't you find this exciting?"
Kouji didn't say anything, although he wanted to. He couldn't find the right words to say, but the concept of what he wanted to get out was there. He just couldn't...
All of a sudden, the couple was pushed forward from a weight behind. Takuya almost fell over, but Kouji's hold kept him in place. They moved to the side as other people appeared in the warp point.
They stood around, disorganized, near the benches surrounding the area. Finally, the male Acolyte appeared and gathered everyone's attention.
" The townspeople have already taken refuge in their homes, so we're free to go straight in and slaughter Poison Spore," Kouichi said.
The group followed the acolyte into the center of the small town, and some of the mages took the opportunity to talk about this place, their homeland, like tourist guides. " And in this corner shop you can find many wands to raise those magic powers, wooo..."
" My Wand of Occult is stronger than your Arc Wand..."
" It's a Dexterous Arc Wand for God's sake... I can cast spells faster with this baby..."
There was a tall tower in the centre, the same light gray as the other buildings. " Inside this tower," Kouichi announced, " is going to be a challenge of endurance. We have to keep these Poison Spores away from the townspeople until backup parties arrive."
The moment they stepped inside, they were overwhelmed by the boinging sound of the large purple mushrooms. They had innocent faces, these monsters, but their spikes spoiled their appearance.
" Let's get going!" a rather plump wizard declared. Several Swordsmen stepped forward to face the Poison Spores head on and the mages, including the wizard, cast spells on the distracted monsters. There were two female archers with them... one of them pushed the two thieves ahead. " Hey thieves, get up there and tank!"
Takuya and Kouji looked back at the girl, annoyed, but she just grinned righteously. " Nobody disagrees with Izumi the archer. Don't worry, we're here to watch your back."
Takuya and Kouji now looked at each other meticulously before approaching some Poison Spores who had been unoccupied. Kouji raised his Damascus and slashed across a Poison Spore's face, standing quite tall. It winced in utter pain. These monsters were a joke...
All of a sudden a flash of spikes went toward his direction, but Kouji dodged. Another Poison Spore was ramming its head in his general direction. Although they were slow and had bad aim, those spikes looked deadly...
Takuya stepped in to help, warding away the Poison Spore that was attacking Kouji. He slashed its spikes off in anger, then stabbed it in the face. " Nobody touches my Kouji."
Kouji looked back at him and blushed, although glad to know Takuya was there for him. Another couple of Poison Spores came after them, but they had only come a foot nearer before arrows slaughtered them. Behind them, the two female archers waved, giggling.
Kouichi was nearby, healing a wounded Swordsmen. After the swordsmen went into battle again, he placed his hands together and shouted, " Blessing!" The dark haired boy became shrouded in a sky blue light, which quickly disappeared. He pulled out a rather dangerous looking mace from his side-belt and proceeded to whack Poison Spores with the swordsmen.
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Takuya and Kouji continued to slaughter oncoming Poison Spores for 3 endless hours. The work wasn't too hard, but troublesome. Kouichi's healing powers allowed the party members to stay juvenated in their battle, so the other members watched over him carefully. They were finally allowed to take a break when the lead swordsmen made the order. Several smaller groups of fighters had entered the premesis at long last. Takuya and Kouji's group stepped out of Geffen Tower and sat around the "lounge" before what was now a dungeon.
Takuya and Kouji staked their private area from the other classmen near a wall. They sat down, Takuya immediately yawning. " Told you it would be an adventure, Kouji. It feels so nice to know that we're protecting people," the goggled one said.
" Yes, but what is the point of all this? Do people here come only to control these monsters from overpopulating and terrorizing the townsfolk, or what?"
A Mage nearby heard them, and politely offered to explain. He was a small boy for a magic user, his robes lined in green. He was intelligent to the extent where it seemed he was as old as Takuya or Kouji. He told them of the search for Ymir, the strange occurences and of the prospected Ragnarok. But... another person from the group went up to the green-clothed one.
" Tomoki, you should know better than to be socializing with Thieves," the newcomer said, trying to ward him away. His golden yellow lined robes were much fancier than the little Mage's.
" Hey, we're not going to steal from you, if that's what you're thinking," Takuya said in defense.
" Not like we'd be interested in your crap anyway..." Kouji added calmly, in the midst of cleaning his Damascus.
A blue glowing arose from the other's hand, immediately causing Kouji to regret his actions. He had little defense against magic...
" Cut it out, Junpei," the lead Swordsman called from the other side of the room. " Don't pick on people just because you're the only advanced class in our group."
The blue magic withered away at the command, although hesitantly. " Che," Junpei muttered, swinging his robes as he stalked off.
" Don't mind him, a Thief robbed him of almost everything not long ago. His rare Bone Wand was taken. People in this world assume that all Wizards are too rich..." little Tomoki ran off after that to console his older friend.
Takuya had a look of guilt, as if he was the one to blame for Junpei's loss. Kouji sympathized with him, carefully placing an arm around Takuya's back. " You shouldn't let that get you down, Takuya. We've never taken anything of high value, and only from truly rich braggarts."
" Yeah, we're like... Robin Hood," Takuya added, leaning on Kouji's shoulder, dozing off. Kouji was tired as well, and the two fell asleep at the dungeon's waiting room... as the other classmen chattered quietly, as the battle continued inside the dungeon, as the world turned around them...
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" I did it!" a shouting voice woke them up. The first thing they saw the little mage... who was no longer a Mage. Tomoki wore new robes similar to Junpei's, although they were green instead. " I'm a wizard now! Wahoo!"
He urged everyone into the dungeon so he could show off his new power. Takuya and Kouji watched sleepily as a Poison Spore immediately came up to them. Tomoki shouted "Cold Bolt!" and out of his he shot two small icicle-like objects. It was barely visible, however, for within the next second it hit dead on the Poison Spore and knocked it out solidly.
" Let's go to the next level, I can't display much here. It'd be such a waste," Tomoki said. " Let's beat up those gigantic spiders everyone in Geffen's afraid of."
" Hey," Kouichi suggested, " There's a second class party that needs some accompanying through the second level of this tower. We can be that party."
" All right! Let's go," Tomoki said excitedly.
The Swordsman who had previously dragged Takuya into the party earlier dragged him up once again, following the rest of the party through the dungeon. Kouji snarled, almost more annoyed that Takuya was allowing him to be dragged along more than at the swordsman.
They blew past crowds of Poison Spores with Tomoki jumping every monster in sight. Eventually, they found the second class party, which consisted of only a single Knight, another Wizard and a Blacksmith.
" This is it?" Junpei said, raising an eyebrow.
" Most of our members aren't with us," the female of the second party said, brushing some dust off her Wizard robes.
" We've received news that you wanted another party to accompany you through the second level of Geffen Tower? We would like to help," Kouichi said courteously.
The Knight turned his mouth to one side. " Actually, we were asking if any first class parties wanted a tour of the second level. WE'RE the ones helping."
The Knight was sitting on a PecoPeco, which was silenced by the muzzle on its beak. It was common for Knights to tame PecoPeco for transportation. " So are you guys still coming?"
Tomoki nodded enthusiastically, unphased by their words. " Yeah!" he answered for the party. Not an extra word was said as they continued onto the next level, since nobody wanted to verbally refuse. Except...
" So, basically we just hold off the little guys while the second classers kick butt. Perfect," Kouji muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
" Yep," Tomoki replied, ignorant of Kouji's mood.
" Aie..."
The leader of the coalition party was the Knight named Sefirot. He was a proud spear-using Knight, and while he attacked slower than sword-using knights, his attacks were much more powerful. He had a habit of smirking vainly, which was quite apparent as he introduced himself to the first class party.
" I'm not going to attack most of the Whisper ghosts, so Archers with Silver holy arrows or magic users are free to jump them," Sefirot said quickly before going down the stairs to the next level.
" Hey guys," Kouichi said, holding back the first class party, " If you guys want to back off after we get past the next level, I'll make a warp portal back to Prontera or Payon. I'd recommend this for the Thieves and Swordsmen, since the elemental users are best fit in the deep levels."
Takuya nodded, and Kouji silently felt gratitude. He was pretty tired of this place. They went down the stairs to be faced with the Knight with three ghosts on him.
Izumi and the other Archers killed the ghosts rather quickly, and Sefirot immediately rode ahead. The party struggled to catch up with his PecoPeco, and couldn't help but fear the giant spiders they noticed closing in on them.
" Um, Sefirot," Junpei said... but the Knight didn't hear him. While a nearby Swordsman guarded himself from the of the monsters, Junpei slew a large ball of thunder under it, then quirked when three other monsters took its place.
" Argos!" It's an Argos mob!" someone shouted, who knows who. The first class party did an all out attack on the spiders, with Junpei and Tomoki assisting. As Takuya and Kouji went up to face one, an arrow hindered it, and Takuya could see the venomous orange hairs on its abdomen and sickly rotating eyes.
They viciously cut up the oversized monsters (Tomoki was having a blast), but Sefirot was long gone by then. " Can't the guy just WAIT a little?" Takuya growled.
All of them ran in the general direction of where the Knight was last seen, but couldn't find him again.
" Damn, we completely lost him..." said Kouichi, his Buckler shield holding the souvenir of cobwebs from an Argos. Even the Wizard and Blacksmith from the second class party were lost. They did manage to find Sefirot eventually, but he had at least five Argos on him. The first class started to help him, but then...
" Spear Brandish!" Sefirot's spear gave a flash of radioactive green, puncturing every monster... and killing every single one of them.
" Hemph, you guys didn't need to help," Sefirot said, instantly going through his path again. " I had it under control."
No one in the first class party said anything, but Tomoki noted that they had reached the third level entrance.
" We won't need any of you guys up here, but you're more than welcome to commit suicide if you want to join us," Sefirot said as he twirled the cobwebs off his spear. Without another word of warning, he stormed ahead, leaving the female Wizard and the Blacksmith to trail behind.
" That's it... if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna show that we're better than that Sefirot guy..." Takuya said, clenching his fists, " Just you wait..."
" Takuya..." Kouji said, worried.
" I hate him, too," Kouichi admitted, " he orders Acolytes and Priests to heal him when he's low on health even though he recovers quickly, but he won't admit his weaknesses. Some Priests have the ability to solo well in these dungeons, but he thinks they're all weak. Worse yet, he tries to 'help' them without asking if they need it first. It's his silly prideful duty... he thinks all Acolytes and Priests need 'protection.'"
A couple of Poison Spores made their way toward the trio. Takuya's anger continued to well inside him, and he found the mushrooms' presence as a source of release. He lunged at them to relieve his stress. He completely annihilated them in one blow.
Kouichi gawked, impressed. " If you guys are at the same level of fighting ability, you could duo up in Payon Dungeon. They really need people there."
" Payon?" Takuya chimed, his mood swinging from contained anger to his usual cheerfulness.
" I can make a warp portal to Payon town for you if you need it."
" That would be great, Kouichi."
" Wait a second, Takuya," Kouji interrupted, holding onto Takuya's shoulder, " Are you sure about this?"
Takuya gave him a smile. " No need to worry, I bet together we're better than that Sefirot Knight. We've got to let everyone know that!"
" Free ride this time, guys," Kouichi commented, pulling out a Blue Gemstone. " Otherwise I charge 1000z for every warp. Have fun, guys."
" Wait. I'm not so positive about this..."
Kouichi and Takuya both looked at Kouji in query. Kouji pulled on the back of his bandana idly, looking between the two boys. Why was he getting such a bad feeling about Payon?
Takuya had a pleading face, one of the few things Kouji had trouble resisting. Kouichi was calm and complacent, unusually so. While he was a stranger to Kouji, it seemed as if there was something more... or perhaps it was just the overal dark aura around him that made other people seem similar, or... he was confusing himself. He needed to get out of the stuffy tower...
" Nevermind. Let's go to Payon, Takuya."
****
The HUGE ancient Chinese-style buildings in Payon were amazing sights. There was a peaceful aura surrounding the town, probably from the old fashioned fire lamps that were used to light the town at night. Speaking of which, there was a celebration in the middle of the town they could hear upon their entrance into the town. They were surrounded by townsfolk who didn't find it unusual to see them pop out of nowhere. Warps were a common sight nowadays...
" What's going on here?" Takuya asked no one in particular.
A middle-aged woman at their side answered. " Today's the opening day of the Falconry Festival. Falcon Hunters from all over the world join together in Payon to celebrate all week long, and every night this week they show off their talents. Oooh, look at that!"
She pointed high in the dark sky above them, " Those three falcons are flying in sync!"
Takuya and Kouji looked up just in time for the falcons to swoop down at them. Takuya was frightened for a moment, shuffling closer to Kouji, but laughed as the birds swung by.
The brunette smiled at his Thief comrade. " Shall we check this out tonight, Kouji?"
Kouji watched the falcons flying toward the center of town, and smiled himself. " I'd like that."
In high spirit, Takuya bounced ahead to get a better look at the show. Several falcons were flying around randomly with ribbons on their talons, others with different sorts of glowing ornaments. They were like giant fireflies in the night sky, catching the attention of many audience members. There were tables and tables full of Hunters, chatting casually and gaily. Tables full of free food covered various areas of the festival, awaiting any hungry people. Takuya and Kouji helped themselves to the food, watching the falconry show as they ate. The Hunters near them were engaged in a rather heated topic (at least to them).
" Ah, I just train my falcon, let him own everything. Falcons know how to get past defense more than our arrows."
" You can't be completely dependent on it, there are a lot of monsters that can't be hit with physical attacks, and when your elemental arrow attacks are weak, what will you do?"
" There aren't THAT many physical-resistant monsters..."
" Well, have fun getting a Whisper card. If you can hunt them, they cost 20 million zeny... that takes years to earn. And then you have to find someone who is actually willing to SELL it. They're too useful..."
" Oh, I can get that in a few months..."
Feeling overwhelmed by the numbers, the two Thieves wandered away from the Hunters and away from the festive crowd. There was a Chinese style patio across a small strip of land hovering over the river circling the town. Surprisingly, there was no one else on it, which was a shame; the view was beautiful at night. The river seemed to flow as the reflections from the five lights hit off the surface of the water.
Takuya and Kouji took a seat at the tip of the patio to look at the festival from a distance, enjoying the scenary. The aqua blue aura enveloping the patio comforted them, and even more as Takuya sat back against Kouji. Kouji put his arms around the brunette, sighing in contentment.
Kouji wanted to curse Takuya's curiosity at most times, but he had to admit this time his curiosity had nice results so far...
They stayed at the patio for what seemed like hours as the festival passed on all throughout the night. Eventually, the boys could barely keep their eyes open, so they wandered the town for a place to rest. One of the traditional buildings was an inexpensive hotel, of which the boys were given kind hospitality.
****
Kouji was the first to wake up, a small smile developing as he saw Takuya in his arms. He enjoyed these miniscule moments with the other boy, just being with him in the flesh.
He peered around the room they were staying in, taking memory of the heavenly sheets and surroundings. He didn't quite understand why Takuya was so worked up about proving himself strong. Was Kouji of less value? Did Takuya not consider his feelings at any priority?
" Damn," he muttered, feeling a sickness in his stomach. He held onto Takuya tighter, savoring his pure moments of security.
The other shuffled in his hold, blinking his eyes open.
" Morning, Kouji," he greeted sleepily, smiling into Kouji's chest. " I can't wait to start whacking those Munak. I wonder what they're like..."
Kouji sighed, his eyes nearly hitting the back of his head. Fed up, he lurched forward and planted his mouth on Takuya's. Takuya jerked in surprise, but was soon overwhelmed by Kouji's passion. He kissed back lightly, but Kouji kept pushing, as if wanting more...
The darker haired boy's hands wandered from Takuya's back to his bottom, Kouji squeezed once, emitting an involuntary squeak from Takuya.
" K-Kouji..."
Their breathing grew deeper together as Kouji continued his minstruations, but Takuya couldn't help but have his mind wander. ' I just woke up...'
" Kouji, please..."
Kouji slid his hand beneath the material of Takuya's pants, responding to the plead. His breath heated in anticipation...
" Don't..."
Kouji stopped his movements halfway, suddenly confused. He gazed long and thoroughly at Takuya. The brunette didn't look back, and something inside Kouji gave out. He leaped out of the bed and clutched his ribcage right beneath his heart. Takuya shot up and tried to go up to him, but Kouji cried out, pushing him back on the bed.
Kouji dashed out of the room before Takuya could stop him. The brunette was still dazed and sleepy, however. He just plopped back onto the bed and fell asleep, completely unaware of what he had just done...
****
For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to cry as he ran aimlessly. He ignored the trees on either side of him, he didn't admire the traditional Chinese buildings he passed. No, why confide in such lifeless things when you doubted your own life...
The only thing he could feel was his insides piercing his skin as his emotions tore apart. Was leaving Morroc supposed to make him this lonely? If only he hadn't returned Takuya's affection when he proposed to leave...
He came across a large gathering of people, each one looking more like a stranger than the next person. A heavily clothed Swordsman charming a female Acolyte, a stout Merchant selling supplies to a crowd of Archers, more Swordsmen...
He wasn't used to these sights, and couldn't figure out why he couldn't embrace them, these new enlightments. Or perhaps he did know, but he didn't want to accept it... He cursed to himself, attracting the attention of some passerbys. He paid no heem of them and arrived at a desolate cave gap bordering the city. Desiring the isolation, he stepped inside.
He growled as he saw numerous people slaughtering monsters inside. He didn't want this at all... it only reminded him of the dull Geffen tower. He ran past all of the fighters, all of the zombies, all of the snakes, the bats... farther and farther. Even the sight of the giant over-easy eggs holding frying pans didn't amuse him. Finally, he found a lonely crack in the dark cave, absolutely no one else around.
Catching his breath, he stared at the peculiar torch lighting the gap he had chosen. He wasn't concentrating on the torch, however, but found it hard to focus his eyes at all. He wanted to shout out in frustration or burst into tears, but he couldn't... Instead, he crouched down to a pathetic fetal position, putting his head between his knees. He just stared blankly, wondering where his place in life was when Takuya didn't seem to be the answer... If he wasn't needed, why was he being a burden?
All of a sudden, he felt an incredible warmth, causing him to immediately stand up. He was covered in a strange glowing green light. As he turned around, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw an arrowhead meet his nosetip. It disintegrated as it passed through the radioactive green substance, leaving him unharmed.
When the green substance faded away, he saw a skeleton in front of him with ragged clothes and an ancient bow in its bone hands. It was obviously hostile as it raised an arrow to the bow and aimed it at Kouji...
Out of no where, the skeleton collapsed from the rib bones and clattered on the floor. It was as if something had imploded from its insides. What was THAT all about?
" I thought I'd find you here, Kouji," a voice came from the depths of the caves. " Careful of those archer skeletons, they're extremely difficult to dodge."
Kouji adjusted his bandana and looked around him, but couldn't find anyone around him.
" But I didn't expect you to be alone... where is Takuya?" The voice was so familiar...
" Takuya..." the mention of the name made him wince slightly as his insides pained. " I ran from him..."
There was a strong silence, allowing more emotions to churn through Kouji. Then he spotted a hint of yellow ahead of him. A light of flame, flickering in the distance. He could only gaze at it, and the voice spoke...
" My pneuma spell disables long-distance attacks, that was what saved you. As long as you're here with me, how about we partner up? I can help you in many ways."
Kouji turned around again, trying to follow the voice. " What ways...?" Even in his situation, he felt somewhat irritated to be considered in need of help.
Abruptly, arms coiled around his waist, and Kouji felt more solemn when his first instinct was Takuya... but it definitely wasn't Takuya...
" Many ways... many ways, Kouji."
Now the voice was clear, and he knew who it was...
" Kouichi?"
Kouji was forced to turned around to meet face to face with the one he estimated to be the Acolyte he had met in Geffen. However, there was something different about Kouichi's eyes. He seemed to have exchanged a certain sparkle for a different one, but Kouji thought it was just the lighting in the cave. The Acolyte also wasn't wearing his biretta hat...
His thoughts were cut off when Kouichi tottered forward-- it was like déjà vu from something before... Kouichi's hand moved from the ponytailed boy's waist to his shoulders. In a ghost-like movement he caught Kouji's eyes, almost trapping him. And then Kouji finally noticed... Kouichi was kissing him...
Kouichi closed his eyes, a strange flare of passion in his movements. Kouji could do nothing but give in, his emotional state already tarnished...
Kouji shut his eyes, and suddenly the whole world seemed to turn upside down. His last desire was simply being in Takuya's arms... of Takuya wanting him, loving him...
A flashing image of the one he fell in love with appeared in his mind before it distorted into oblivion.
****
*waves hands frantically* I'm not making Kouichi out as a bad guy, seriously!!! There is explaining to come if thou reviewith. Gah, I dun like doing papers on Shakespeare... I have to do 5 for the Tempest, one for every act. X_X;
Splash
gottaito.cjb.net
Where Fate Turns
Chapter 4: I Miss You
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Lady Moon: I hope you didn't lose anything in your review because the cartman smiley cuts off the rest of the work, since FF.N thinks it's HTML. T_T Sakura's partially a main character, but she won't be hanging around Taichi and Yamato all the time, and she'll become more of a comical relief, kind of... o.o; She's powerful but not all powerful, basically following the sidelines of my own character on cRO. The powerful ones in this chapter, on the other hand... we can all dislike them together!
The Takouji in this chapter hints at lime but I don't know how many people want to see it, and I haven't done one yet... @_@;
The patio mentioned in this chapter... it's pretty pretty (copy/paste, fateback doesn't allow offsite linking): takouji.fateback.com/Ragnarok/Hunterism01.jpg
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~One misplaced grain of sand can topple a mountain, but the regret will be met in opposite proportions~
****
" Well, we made it to Prontera. Now what?"
Takuya was a little too dazed to hear what Kouji had to say, so he kept walking through the crowds to see everything. Kouji sighed as he found himself having to follow the boy constantly.
Finally, they arrived at the fountain in the middle of the city, and they settled on one of the benches surrounding it. The scenary was lush and beautiful, but there was a strange bundle of people ruining it, looking as if they were preparing to kill someone. Kouji sat closer to Takuya, unsure of his surroundings.
One of the Swordsmen in the group approached them.
" You Thieves look fit enough to join us. Come on!"
" Huh?" the two said in sync.
" We're going to Geffen Dungeon. We've been ordered to organize a party to control the Poison Spore invasions in the tower. We have Mages, Acolytes, Archers, Merchants, the works. You guys will complete the set. Let's go."
Confused, Takuya just let the Swordsman drag him away into the group of foreign people. A spark of possessiveness ran through Kouji, and he stood up and followed the Swordsman's tracks. The Swordsman stopped in front of a male Acolyte. The Acolyte introduced himself, the first person to actually do so. He had medium length black hair and strangely blue eyes like Kouji. The low tone in his voice was similar as well.
His name was Kouichi.
" Peculiar..." was Kouji's first response. He had never seen anyone who had the same features he did. Even what memory he had of his parents... they didn't have the same colored eyes as this stranger. He was sitting down in his ivory robes, hands clasped neatly on his lap. He wore a biretta hat, a common symbol of the Acolyte class.
After some chatter in the group, Kouichi stood up. " Warp to Geffen! Everyone follow into the portal before it closes." He focused his powers on the person nearest him, which happened to be Takuya. In one hand he held a blue gemstone. The gemstone levitated out of his hands, glowed and disappeared. A pillar of white light surrounded Takuya, and before he knew it he was gone.
Kouji followed, wanting to know where Takuya went. As he stepped into the portal, he felt his head getting lighter, his ponytail defying gravity. The sensation didn't last long, and a moment later he found himself pressed against Takuya's back.
" Whoa..." Takuya said, although he was referring more to the new surroundings than was what was behind him. Geffen town was empty, hauntingly so. Everything was a pale gray, brick material with patches of vegetation here and there.
Kouji took the opportunity and wrapped his arms around Takuya, similar to what Takuya did not long ago.
" Takuya, I'm not liking this, and I don't think it's going to get better," Kouji said, hanging on for that sense of security.
" Kouji, relax. We're just finding new places to explore! Don't you find this exciting?"
Kouji didn't say anything, although he wanted to. He couldn't find the right words to say, but the concept of what he wanted to get out was there. He just couldn't...
All of a sudden, the couple was pushed forward from a weight behind. Takuya almost fell over, but Kouji's hold kept him in place. They moved to the side as other people appeared in the warp point.
They stood around, disorganized, near the benches surrounding the area. Finally, the male Acolyte appeared and gathered everyone's attention.
" The townspeople have already taken refuge in their homes, so we're free to go straight in and slaughter Poison Spore," Kouichi said.
The group followed the acolyte into the center of the small town, and some of the mages took the opportunity to talk about this place, their homeland, like tourist guides. " And in this corner shop you can find many wands to raise those magic powers, wooo..."
" My Wand of Occult is stronger than your Arc Wand..."
" It's a Dexterous Arc Wand for God's sake... I can cast spells faster with this baby..."
There was a tall tower in the centre, the same light gray as the other buildings. " Inside this tower," Kouichi announced, " is going to be a challenge of endurance. We have to keep these Poison Spores away from the townspeople until backup parties arrive."
The moment they stepped inside, they were overwhelmed by the boinging sound of the large purple mushrooms. They had innocent faces, these monsters, but their spikes spoiled their appearance.
" Let's get going!" a rather plump wizard declared. Several Swordsmen stepped forward to face the Poison Spores head on and the mages, including the wizard, cast spells on the distracted monsters. There were two female archers with them... one of them pushed the two thieves ahead. " Hey thieves, get up there and tank!"
Takuya and Kouji looked back at the girl, annoyed, but she just grinned righteously. " Nobody disagrees with Izumi the archer. Don't worry, we're here to watch your back."
Takuya and Kouji now looked at each other meticulously before approaching some Poison Spores who had been unoccupied. Kouji raised his Damascus and slashed across a Poison Spore's face, standing quite tall. It winced in utter pain. These monsters were a joke...
All of a sudden a flash of spikes went toward his direction, but Kouji dodged. Another Poison Spore was ramming its head in his general direction. Although they were slow and had bad aim, those spikes looked deadly...
Takuya stepped in to help, warding away the Poison Spore that was attacking Kouji. He slashed its spikes off in anger, then stabbed it in the face. " Nobody touches my Kouji."
Kouji looked back at him and blushed, although glad to know Takuya was there for him. Another couple of Poison Spores came after them, but they had only come a foot nearer before arrows slaughtered them. Behind them, the two female archers waved, giggling.
Kouichi was nearby, healing a wounded Swordsmen. After the swordsmen went into battle again, he placed his hands together and shouted, " Blessing!" The dark haired boy became shrouded in a sky blue light, which quickly disappeared. He pulled out a rather dangerous looking mace from his side-belt and proceeded to whack Poison Spores with the swordsmen.
****
Takuya and Kouji continued to slaughter oncoming Poison Spores for 3 endless hours. The work wasn't too hard, but troublesome. Kouichi's healing powers allowed the party members to stay juvenated in their battle, so the other members watched over him carefully. They were finally allowed to take a break when the lead swordsmen made the order. Several smaller groups of fighters had entered the premesis at long last. Takuya and Kouji's group stepped out of Geffen Tower and sat around the "lounge" before what was now a dungeon.
Takuya and Kouji staked their private area from the other classmen near a wall. They sat down, Takuya immediately yawning. " Told you it would be an adventure, Kouji. It feels so nice to know that we're protecting people," the goggled one said.
" Yes, but what is the point of all this? Do people here come only to control these monsters from overpopulating and terrorizing the townsfolk, or what?"
A Mage nearby heard them, and politely offered to explain. He was a small boy for a magic user, his robes lined in green. He was intelligent to the extent where it seemed he was as old as Takuya or Kouji. He told them of the search for Ymir, the strange occurences and of the prospected Ragnarok. But... another person from the group went up to the green-clothed one.
" Tomoki, you should know better than to be socializing with Thieves," the newcomer said, trying to ward him away. His golden yellow lined robes were much fancier than the little Mage's.
" Hey, we're not going to steal from you, if that's what you're thinking," Takuya said in defense.
" Not like we'd be interested in your crap anyway..." Kouji added calmly, in the midst of cleaning his Damascus.
A blue glowing arose from the other's hand, immediately causing Kouji to regret his actions. He had little defense against magic...
" Cut it out, Junpei," the lead Swordsman called from the other side of the room. " Don't pick on people just because you're the only advanced class in our group."
The blue magic withered away at the command, although hesitantly. " Che," Junpei muttered, swinging his robes as he stalked off.
" Don't mind him, a Thief robbed him of almost everything not long ago. His rare Bone Wand was taken. People in this world assume that all Wizards are too rich..." little Tomoki ran off after that to console his older friend.
Takuya had a look of guilt, as if he was the one to blame for Junpei's loss. Kouji sympathized with him, carefully placing an arm around Takuya's back. " You shouldn't let that get you down, Takuya. We've never taken anything of high value, and only from truly rich braggarts."
" Yeah, we're like... Robin Hood," Takuya added, leaning on Kouji's shoulder, dozing off. Kouji was tired as well, and the two fell asleep at the dungeon's waiting room... as the other classmen chattered quietly, as the battle continued inside the dungeon, as the world turned around them...
****
" I did it!" a shouting voice woke them up. The first thing they saw the little mage... who was no longer a Mage. Tomoki wore new robes similar to Junpei's, although they were green instead. " I'm a wizard now! Wahoo!"
He urged everyone into the dungeon so he could show off his new power. Takuya and Kouji watched sleepily as a Poison Spore immediately came up to them. Tomoki shouted "Cold Bolt!" and out of his he shot two small icicle-like objects. It was barely visible, however, for within the next second it hit dead on the Poison Spore and knocked it out solidly.
" Let's go to the next level, I can't display much here. It'd be such a waste," Tomoki said. " Let's beat up those gigantic spiders everyone in Geffen's afraid of."
" Hey," Kouichi suggested, " There's a second class party that needs some accompanying through the second level of this tower. We can be that party."
" All right! Let's go," Tomoki said excitedly.
The Swordsman who had previously dragged Takuya into the party earlier dragged him up once again, following the rest of the party through the dungeon. Kouji snarled, almost more annoyed that Takuya was allowing him to be dragged along more than at the swordsman.
They blew past crowds of Poison Spores with Tomoki jumping every monster in sight. Eventually, they found the second class party, which consisted of only a single Knight, another Wizard and a Blacksmith.
" This is it?" Junpei said, raising an eyebrow.
" Most of our members aren't with us," the female of the second party said, brushing some dust off her Wizard robes.
" We've received news that you wanted another party to accompany you through the second level of Geffen Tower? We would like to help," Kouichi said courteously.
The Knight turned his mouth to one side. " Actually, we were asking if any first class parties wanted a tour of the second level. WE'RE the ones helping."
The Knight was sitting on a PecoPeco, which was silenced by the muzzle on its beak. It was common for Knights to tame PecoPeco for transportation. " So are you guys still coming?"
Tomoki nodded enthusiastically, unphased by their words. " Yeah!" he answered for the party. Not an extra word was said as they continued onto the next level, since nobody wanted to verbally refuse. Except...
" So, basically we just hold off the little guys while the second classers kick butt. Perfect," Kouji muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
" Yep," Tomoki replied, ignorant of Kouji's mood.
" Aie..."
The leader of the coalition party was the Knight named Sefirot. He was a proud spear-using Knight, and while he attacked slower than sword-using knights, his attacks were much more powerful. He had a habit of smirking vainly, which was quite apparent as he introduced himself to the first class party.
" I'm not going to attack most of the Whisper ghosts, so Archers with Silver holy arrows or magic users are free to jump them," Sefirot said quickly before going down the stairs to the next level.
" Hey guys," Kouichi said, holding back the first class party, " If you guys want to back off after we get past the next level, I'll make a warp portal back to Prontera or Payon. I'd recommend this for the Thieves and Swordsmen, since the elemental users are best fit in the deep levels."
Takuya nodded, and Kouji silently felt gratitude. He was pretty tired of this place. They went down the stairs to be faced with the Knight with three ghosts on him.
Izumi and the other Archers killed the ghosts rather quickly, and Sefirot immediately rode ahead. The party struggled to catch up with his PecoPeco, and couldn't help but fear the giant spiders they noticed closing in on them.
" Um, Sefirot," Junpei said... but the Knight didn't hear him. While a nearby Swordsman guarded himself from the of the monsters, Junpei slew a large ball of thunder under it, then quirked when three other monsters took its place.
" Argos!" It's an Argos mob!" someone shouted, who knows who. The first class party did an all out attack on the spiders, with Junpei and Tomoki assisting. As Takuya and Kouji went up to face one, an arrow hindered it, and Takuya could see the venomous orange hairs on its abdomen and sickly rotating eyes.
They viciously cut up the oversized monsters (Tomoki was having a blast), but Sefirot was long gone by then. " Can't the guy just WAIT a little?" Takuya growled.
All of them ran in the general direction of where the Knight was last seen, but couldn't find him again.
" Damn, we completely lost him..." said Kouichi, his Buckler shield holding the souvenir of cobwebs from an Argos. Even the Wizard and Blacksmith from the second class party were lost. They did manage to find Sefirot eventually, but he had at least five Argos on him. The first class started to help him, but then...
" Spear Brandish!" Sefirot's spear gave a flash of radioactive green, puncturing every monster... and killing every single one of them.
" Hemph, you guys didn't need to help," Sefirot said, instantly going through his path again. " I had it under control."
No one in the first class party said anything, but Tomoki noted that they had reached the third level entrance.
" We won't need any of you guys up here, but you're more than welcome to commit suicide if you want to join us," Sefirot said as he twirled the cobwebs off his spear. Without another word of warning, he stormed ahead, leaving the female Wizard and the Blacksmith to trail behind.
" That's it... if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna show that we're better than that Sefirot guy..." Takuya said, clenching his fists, " Just you wait..."
" Takuya..." Kouji said, worried.
" I hate him, too," Kouichi admitted, " he orders Acolytes and Priests to heal him when he's low on health even though he recovers quickly, but he won't admit his weaknesses. Some Priests have the ability to solo well in these dungeons, but he thinks they're all weak. Worse yet, he tries to 'help' them without asking if they need it first. It's his silly prideful duty... he thinks all Acolytes and Priests need 'protection.'"
A couple of Poison Spores made their way toward the trio. Takuya's anger continued to well inside him, and he found the mushrooms' presence as a source of release. He lunged at them to relieve his stress. He completely annihilated them in one blow.
Kouichi gawked, impressed. " If you guys are at the same level of fighting ability, you could duo up in Payon Dungeon. They really need people there."
" Payon?" Takuya chimed, his mood swinging from contained anger to his usual cheerfulness.
" I can make a warp portal to Payon town for you if you need it."
" That would be great, Kouichi."
" Wait a second, Takuya," Kouji interrupted, holding onto Takuya's shoulder, " Are you sure about this?"
Takuya gave him a smile. " No need to worry, I bet together we're better than that Sefirot Knight. We've got to let everyone know that!"
" Free ride this time, guys," Kouichi commented, pulling out a Blue Gemstone. " Otherwise I charge 1000z for every warp. Have fun, guys."
" Wait. I'm not so positive about this..."
Kouichi and Takuya both looked at Kouji in query. Kouji pulled on the back of his bandana idly, looking between the two boys. Why was he getting such a bad feeling about Payon?
Takuya had a pleading face, one of the few things Kouji had trouble resisting. Kouichi was calm and complacent, unusually so. While he was a stranger to Kouji, it seemed as if there was something more... or perhaps it was just the overal dark aura around him that made other people seem similar, or... he was confusing himself. He needed to get out of the stuffy tower...
" Nevermind. Let's go to Payon, Takuya."
****
The HUGE ancient Chinese-style buildings in Payon were amazing sights. There was a peaceful aura surrounding the town, probably from the old fashioned fire lamps that were used to light the town at night. Speaking of which, there was a celebration in the middle of the town they could hear upon their entrance into the town. They were surrounded by townsfolk who didn't find it unusual to see them pop out of nowhere. Warps were a common sight nowadays...
" What's going on here?" Takuya asked no one in particular.
A middle-aged woman at their side answered. " Today's the opening day of the Falconry Festival. Falcon Hunters from all over the world join together in Payon to celebrate all week long, and every night this week they show off their talents. Oooh, look at that!"
She pointed high in the dark sky above them, " Those three falcons are flying in sync!"
Takuya and Kouji looked up just in time for the falcons to swoop down at them. Takuya was frightened for a moment, shuffling closer to Kouji, but laughed as the birds swung by.
The brunette smiled at his Thief comrade. " Shall we check this out tonight, Kouji?"
Kouji watched the falcons flying toward the center of town, and smiled himself. " I'd like that."
In high spirit, Takuya bounced ahead to get a better look at the show. Several falcons were flying around randomly with ribbons on their talons, others with different sorts of glowing ornaments. They were like giant fireflies in the night sky, catching the attention of many audience members. There were tables and tables full of Hunters, chatting casually and gaily. Tables full of free food covered various areas of the festival, awaiting any hungry people. Takuya and Kouji helped themselves to the food, watching the falconry show as they ate. The Hunters near them were engaged in a rather heated topic (at least to them).
" Ah, I just train my falcon, let him own everything. Falcons know how to get past defense more than our arrows."
" You can't be completely dependent on it, there are a lot of monsters that can't be hit with physical attacks, and when your elemental arrow attacks are weak, what will you do?"
" There aren't THAT many physical-resistant monsters..."
" Well, have fun getting a Whisper card. If you can hunt them, they cost 20 million zeny... that takes years to earn. And then you have to find someone who is actually willing to SELL it. They're too useful..."
" Oh, I can get that in a few months..."
Feeling overwhelmed by the numbers, the two Thieves wandered away from the Hunters and away from the festive crowd. There was a Chinese style patio across a small strip of land hovering over the river circling the town. Surprisingly, there was no one else on it, which was a shame; the view was beautiful at night. The river seemed to flow as the reflections from the five lights hit off the surface of the water.
Takuya and Kouji took a seat at the tip of the patio to look at the festival from a distance, enjoying the scenary. The aqua blue aura enveloping the patio comforted them, and even more as Takuya sat back against Kouji. Kouji put his arms around the brunette, sighing in contentment.
Kouji wanted to curse Takuya's curiosity at most times, but he had to admit this time his curiosity had nice results so far...
They stayed at the patio for what seemed like hours as the festival passed on all throughout the night. Eventually, the boys could barely keep their eyes open, so they wandered the town for a place to rest. One of the traditional buildings was an inexpensive hotel, of which the boys were given kind hospitality.
****
Kouji was the first to wake up, a small smile developing as he saw Takuya in his arms. He enjoyed these miniscule moments with the other boy, just being with him in the flesh.
He peered around the room they were staying in, taking memory of the heavenly sheets and surroundings. He didn't quite understand why Takuya was so worked up about proving himself strong. Was Kouji of less value? Did Takuya not consider his feelings at any priority?
" Damn," he muttered, feeling a sickness in his stomach. He held onto Takuya tighter, savoring his pure moments of security.
The other shuffled in his hold, blinking his eyes open.
" Morning, Kouji," he greeted sleepily, smiling into Kouji's chest. " I can't wait to start whacking those Munak. I wonder what they're like..."
Kouji sighed, his eyes nearly hitting the back of his head. Fed up, he lurched forward and planted his mouth on Takuya's. Takuya jerked in surprise, but was soon overwhelmed by Kouji's passion. He kissed back lightly, but Kouji kept pushing, as if wanting more...
The darker haired boy's hands wandered from Takuya's back to his bottom, Kouji squeezed once, emitting an involuntary squeak from Takuya.
" K-Kouji..."
Their breathing grew deeper together as Kouji continued his minstruations, but Takuya couldn't help but have his mind wander. ' I just woke up...'
" Kouji, please..."
Kouji slid his hand beneath the material of Takuya's pants, responding to the plead. His breath heated in anticipation...
" Don't..."
Kouji stopped his movements halfway, suddenly confused. He gazed long and thoroughly at Takuya. The brunette didn't look back, and something inside Kouji gave out. He leaped out of the bed and clutched his ribcage right beneath his heart. Takuya shot up and tried to go up to him, but Kouji cried out, pushing him back on the bed.
Kouji dashed out of the room before Takuya could stop him. The brunette was still dazed and sleepy, however. He just plopped back onto the bed and fell asleep, completely unaware of what he had just done...
****
For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to cry as he ran aimlessly. He ignored the trees on either side of him, he didn't admire the traditional Chinese buildings he passed. No, why confide in such lifeless things when you doubted your own life...
The only thing he could feel was his insides piercing his skin as his emotions tore apart. Was leaving Morroc supposed to make him this lonely? If only he hadn't returned Takuya's affection when he proposed to leave...
He came across a large gathering of people, each one looking more like a stranger than the next person. A heavily clothed Swordsman charming a female Acolyte, a stout Merchant selling supplies to a crowd of Archers, more Swordsmen...
He wasn't used to these sights, and couldn't figure out why he couldn't embrace them, these new enlightments. Or perhaps he did know, but he didn't want to accept it... He cursed to himself, attracting the attention of some passerbys. He paid no heem of them and arrived at a desolate cave gap bordering the city. Desiring the isolation, he stepped inside.
He growled as he saw numerous people slaughtering monsters inside. He didn't want this at all... it only reminded him of the dull Geffen tower. He ran past all of the fighters, all of the zombies, all of the snakes, the bats... farther and farther. Even the sight of the giant over-easy eggs holding frying pans didn't amuse him. Finally, he found a lonely crack in the dark cave, absolutely no one else around.
Catching his breath, he stared at the peculiar torch lighting the gap he had chosen. He wasn't concentrating on the torch, however, but found it hard to focus his eyes at all. He wanted to shout out in frustration or burst into tears, but he couldn't... Instead, he crouched down to a pathetic fetal position, putting his head between his knees. He just stared blankly, wondering where his place in life was when Takuya didn't seem to be the answer... If he wasn't needed, why was he being a burden?
All of a sudden, he felt an incredible warmth, causing him to immediately stand up. He was covered in a strange glowing green light. As he turned around, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw an arrowhead meet his nosetip. It disintegrated as it passed through the radioactive green substance, leaving him unharmed.
When the green substance faded away, he saw a skeleton in front of him with ragged clothes and an ancient bow in its bone hands. It was obviously hostile as it raised an arrow to the bow and aimed it at Kouji...
Out of no where, the skeleton collapsed from the rib bones and clattered on the floor. It was as if something had imploded from its insides. What was THAT all about?
" I thought I'd find you here, Kouji," a voice came from the depths of the caves. " Careful of those archer skeletons, they're extremely difficult to dodge."
Kouji adjusted his bandana and looked around him, but couldn't find anyone around him.
" But I didn't expect you to be alone... where is Takuya?" The voice was so familiar...
" Takuya..." the mention of the name made him wince slightly as his insides pained. " I ran from him..."
There was a strong silence, allowing more emotions to churn through Kouji. Then he spotted a hint of yellow ahead of him. A light of flame, flickering in the distance. He could only gaze at it, and the voice spoke...
" My pneuma spell disables long-distance attacks, that was what saved you. As long as you're here with me, how about we partner up? I can help you in many ways."
Kouji turned around again, trying to follow the voice. " What ways...?" Even in his situation, he felt somewhat irritated to be considered in need of help.
Abruptly, arms coiled around his waist, and Kouji felt more solemn when his first instinct was Takuya... but it definitely wasn't Takuya...
" Many ways... many ways, Kouji."
Now the voice was clear, and he knew who it was...
" Kouichi?"
Kouji was forced to turned around to meet face to face with the one he estimated to be the Acolyte he had met in Geffen. However, there was something different about Kouichi's eyes. He seemed to have exchanged a certain sparkle for a different one, but Kouji thought it was just the lighting in the cave. The Acolyte also wasn't wearing his biretta hat...
His thoughts were cut off when Kouichi tottered forward-- it was like déjà vu from something before... Kouichi's hand moved from the ponytailed boy's waist to his shoulders. In a ghost-like movement he caught Kouji's eyes, almost trapping him. And then Kouji finally noticed... Kouichi was kissing him...
Kouichi closed his eyes, a strange flare of passion in his movements. Kouji could do nothing but give in, his emotional state already tarnished...
Kouji shut his eyes, and suddenly the whole world seemed to turn upside down. His last desire was simply being in Takuya's arms... of Takuya wanting him, loving him...
A flashing image of the one he fell in love with appeared in his mind before it distorted into oblivion.
****
*waves hands frantically* I'm not making Kouichi out as a bad guy, seriously!!! There is explaining to come if thou reviewith. Gah, I dun like doing papers on Shakespeare... I have to do 5 for the Tempest, one for every act. X_X;
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