[center][b][u]Reiko, Princess Rainbow[/center][/b][/u]
[hider=Back again][b][i]Goodbye, Princess Rainbow.[/b][/i]

Reiko woke with a start. She was still reeling slightly, from what she saw. She was also feeling a little disoriented, having used Rainbow Rush so much. She had also left Taro in Deep Ground although she had left him a message telling him to log out in 1 hour after the message was sent and meet her in the library. She said 1 hour because she needed some time to find out about the day’s events.

Browsing the forums, she tried to find out what had happened but it was a little difficult. There were many people like her who were asking what had happened to the Green City. There were many theories flying around as well which didn’t help her any.

Sighing, she leaned back onto her bed. She was a little bit tired but she had an appointment to meet and she couldn’t exactly go to sleep now. She lay in bed, head buzzing with a storm of thoughts. She tried to pin one down, but they refused to comply and as she tried to grasp a coherent thought, she felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier and before she knew it, she was sound asleep.[/hider]

[center][b][u]Keith, Eclipsed Tower + Lucy, Tender Fern - Green King[/center][/b][/u]
[hider=Collab with Arrayah]Keith slowly opened his eyes.

[i]I’m back.[/i] He thought wearily. It was the first time he’d died in a long time. Of course he had deaths, but ever since he had gotten to level 3, his deaths dropped off due to the fact that he had gotten his first disruption ability. You wouldn’t get hit if your enemy couldn’t attack, and his disruptions had carried him through many levels afterwards.

He had only been in trouble when his disruptions weren’t effective and the fight against the Dragon was a good example of that.

In the end he had won, but he hadn’t survived the battle. Even so, he had gained a level and all of the people he fought had died. He had been satisfied with his performance, but he had been left wanting. He had fought and won, but the achievement had been practically for nothing.

It didn’t amount to anything and it made him feel empty again. Like the time he found out that he was truly alone for the first time. It wasn’t like Deep Ground filled anything in particular. It was more like he felt his emptiness more acutely when he realized that his efforts essentially came to naught.

He had learnt not to dwell on it, and eventually he had come to forget about it. But once you start thinking about something you know you were supposed to forget, it’s difficult to stop yourself. 

[i]I should study some more.[/i] He thought to himself.

Studying was a good distraction, it required him to focus on what he was doing. He did it often enough, he always distracted himself with work, regardless of whatever class he was in.

[i]I already have enough for the rest of the week.[/i] He noted, looking around the stacks of books and paper piled on top of his desk. [i]Well, there’s always next week.[/i]

He picked up a few exercise books and text books from his table. He opened his door, intending to head to the library to study, before promptly running straight into a hurried student.

He'd come out of [i]nowhere[/i]. There was no way Lucy could have predicted some boy just opening his door and walking straight into her path, and as such, she could not stop herself in time. Instead, they'd collided and though she was the one that found herself falling hard on her behind, Lucy was still the one that ended up aplogizing.

"I'm sorry!" She looked up and exclaimed, finally getting a good look at him. The boy looked younger than her, not in her class, and she didn't recognize him, but Lucy saw something that intrigued her. He had two different colored eyes. 

"I should have seen you coming. You're okay, right?" She asked while she began to try standing up. 

"Yes, I am alright." He said, extending a hand to help the unfortunate girl up. "But I am curious as to why you're in such a hurry." He also noted that she was wearing some rather unusualy clothing for this time of day. "Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

Lucy took the hand grateful for his help and pulled herself up. She was quiet as she spent a few moments brushing herself off and trying to think of how to respond to the boy. The truth was that she wasn't really sure why she'd been rushing down the hall. There [i]wasn't[/i] anywhere she needed to be really, but she wanted to check on her guild members. That was a reason, she supposed. 

Her voice was quieter this time when she spoke, a little nervous. It had been a month since the King's were murdered and all tha time she'd kept her identity a secret, not even disclosing what guild she belonged to. But, Lucy had made a decision, and she was sticking to it. 

"I need to check on my Rangers." Her use of [i]my[/i] instead of [i]the other[/i] along with her clothing made it clear just who she was, or at least she hoped.

He stared at her for a few seconds. [i]The Green King?[/i] He thought. The Green King, who had recently lost almost all that she had worked for in the recent battle, previously unknown, and now making a statement of herself? There must have been a reason for it, one big enough to warrant exposure of her identity. Or perhaps, she was just that kind of person.

Thinking about it on his own wasn't going to help much, he decided to just ask.

"If you truly are who I think you may be, do you really think its such a good idea to reveal yourself like this?" He asked cautiously.

A sigh escaped Lucy's lips as she shook her head. "No. I don't, but what else can I do? They took everything, [i]destroyed[/i] everything. All that I have left are my guild and its members, and this is something I can do for them. If I let everyone know who I am, if I show them that I'm still around and I'm proud to lead the Rangers, then perhaps they'll realize that we're stronger than they think."

For a moment, she thought quietly, and then added. "We're low in numbers, but we're a family. I would do anything for them, including risk myself, if it meant that more people might join, or take us seriously despite what we lost today."

And then she looked at him, asking a question of her own. "Do you think I'm crazy for doing it?"

He thought for a moment. Some people would say that her actions were the height of madness, that no King under any circumstances should reveal themselves especially considering the recent deaths. But people say a lot of things, and he stopped caring about people a long time ago.

"I'm not the right person to ask for this kind of thing." He said finally. "I stopped caring about the opinions of others a long time ago," he continued, "But if you truly are willing to risk yourself for the sake of your guild, then I think you should just do what you need to do. The rest, whatever it may be, will follow in your wake."

His words caused her to smile even though Lucy wasn't sure why. They weren't really very encouraging, but she liked them nonetheless. "You're right. Thanks."

Here, she held out a hand to him, and finally introduced herself. "My name's Lucy Hall. I don't think we've met before."

"My name is Keith Knight." He said, grasping her outstretched hand. "Good luck, with whatever you may do." Shaking it firmly, he let go of her hand and walked off to go find the library.

[i]Keith.[/i] She'd have to remember that name, she thought. As he left, so did she, once again rushing off to see her guild members. His words had helped her even if he hadn't really intended them to. They'd let her see that if it was necessary, she needed to do it, regardless of what others would think or how it would affect herself. 

Lucy was just thinking about what she would tell the Rangers when she ran into yet [i]another[/i] student. This one she knew, as he was in her class. Sten.[/hider]