Maple fanfic: Main Project Chapter 1
Now, finally…the project that I’ve been waiting to post…my ‘main’ maple fanfic (probably) that’s currently nameless. Enjoy!
Maplestory fanfiction: Main Project
Chapter 1
It was a bleak and hopeless future that they faced.
Damien closed the door gently behind him, careful not to slam it. It was late in the night, and nobody would be too happy about being waken up. Recently, everyone was on the edge, any small disturbance enough to cause one to jump. A lack of proper rest didn’t help either. He wasn’t about to break the extreme silence in the Resistance headquarters.
He felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around to face Ulrika. The girl, no, young lady was looking at him with her azure blue eyes, asking him to follow her. He nodded and she turned, short chocolate brown hair swaying as she did. He walked with her from the resting area of the base to the central administrative part, where all operations were planned and carried out. Usually, it was bustling with people, everyone busying themselves with whatever they had on hand. But currently, in the dead of the night, there were only a few still awake.
There was Aidan, busy with his machines at a corner. It was literally a rule for him to spend half of his day with his machines. Unless he got to mess with or upgrade Xenon’s circuitry. In those scenarios, he would just spend the whole day on them.
Cutie was leaning on her jaguar, sleeping soundly, long lavender hair sprawled carelessly. She had fallen asleep on her jaguar countless times, so much that her jaguar was literally her bed. Not that her jaguar minded.
Luka was in another corner, next to a giant apparatus, with a huge floating crystal in the centre, reading through something on his laptop. Seeing them, he looked up from the screen, serious amber eyes boring into theirs through his half-rimmed spectacles.
“You shouldn’t be up. Go back and sleep.” He reprimanded in a hushed but harsh tone, like a discipline master scolding little children.
“I’m just having a walk, is there a problem with that?” Ulrika snapped softly, not wanting to wake Cutie or disturb Aidan.
“You need rest. So don’t think of going out or anything.” Luka said.
“I just want some fresh air. To allow for better sleep.” Ulrika huffed, displeasure on her face.
“Well, I’m not helpless and Damien’s here, what are you worrying about?” she replied indignantly.
Luka turned to face Damien.
“Why the hell are you following her out anyway? Go get some rest, you’re useless if you end up collapsing from fatigue.” Luka said.
“I was planning to go out, she just happened to have the same sentiment. And I did get some rest just now, just wanted a walk. I believe we have the freedom to do that right?” Damien answered, his tone still retaining its slight haughtiness from his years as a Black Wing commander.
“You two…whatever, do as you like. If you get killed, then so be it.”
Luka went back to his laptop. Ulrika sighed slightly at Luka and continued to walk, Damien following beside her. Ulrika’s pace was a bit slow for Damien as usual, but he didn’t particularly mind. They walked away from the administrative area, towards the medical bay. Wendelline nodded to them as she passed, preparing to turn in for the night. The two smiled in response, Ulrika’s sweet and Damien’s looking more like a smirk. After she left, a door nearby opened as Jun exited that room. Seeing the two, he frowned and asked.
“Ulrika, where are you going?”
“Out for a short walk.” she replied cheerily.
“Ah, first Luka and now you. Don’t be such a spoilsport.” Ulrika replied, a slight scowl overwriting her smile.
“Not you too! I ain’t that helpless!”
“What’s up with you people, we’re just going to get some fresh air. Besides, even if we get attacked, chances are those people will be invading the base. And we both can deal quite a number in a fight. If it bothers you so much, just walk off and pretend we’re patrolling or something. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Damien retorted.
“Jun, I just want some time outside the base, anything wrong?” Ulrika snapped.
“…I guess not…” he replied reluctantly.
“Wonderful! Now you can go back and sleep while we two go out. Should have just done that from the start. Things would have been so much simpler. Now goodbye and have a good night!” Damien said, walking off while dragging Ulrika.
Jun opened his mouth to counter, but was left staring at their backs as they left quickly. He sighed to himself, mumbling under his breath, and walked off towards the resting area. Once Jun was out of sight, Ulrika whispered.
“Why did you drag me off like that?”
“Because darling Ulrika’s heart is so soft, I was worried she would be upset.”
The two passed the medical bay and into the training area, various training rooms on both sides. The two didn’t visit the area for any reason other than to go outside. They had long outgrown the training machines, despite the fact that the machines were of rather formidable levels.
“I always don’t understand why I have a prick like you as my friend.” Ulrika huffed.
“Prick? Oh, Ulrika, I neve-” Damien teased.
“Shut up! Just keep those innuendos to you and your dirty mind, I don’t want to hear them!” Ulrika cut Damien off, disgust filling her tone.
“But you know what I mean, so your mind is as dirty.”
“And who was the one who taught me all those things?”
“You were the one who instigated me! It’s your fault!”
“Hush, people want to sleep.” Damien replies wryly.
“You are so annoying at times.”
Ulrika fell silent. The two quickly reached the dead end of the corridor, and Ulrika was just about to touch the wall when it opened before them, causing Ulrika to jump.
“Xenon, you scared me!” Ulrika said.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that, I truly didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t expect anyone to be behind the door, I am truly sorry.” Xenon replied formally.
“After so many years and you’re still the same. Always so formal. And there’s no need to apologise that much, I know you didn’t mean it.”
“Apology accepted, mind if we use the lift?” Damien asked.
Xenon quickly stepped out of the passage, allowing Damien and Ulrika to enter. After Ulrika and Damien had entered, the wall closed back into one piece, no trace of it ever being present. Ulrika felt about the wall to her right, a panel lighting up when she touched it. After keying in some commands, the lift vibrated slightly before smoothly ascending, making nary a sound. Very quickly, they reached their destination, one of the four walls surrounding them opening silently. The two exited the lift and the wall closed behind them. Before them was an open space, with many other concealed doors all around. Habitually, the two entered the third door from the left, another lift bringing them up further. They reached another open space, one which had a door at the end. Crossing the space, they exited the base and were greeted by the fresh mountain air.
“Yes! Don’t need to be all quiet here anymore. One reason why I can’t stand being in the base. In the day, no one can hear you and at night, you can’t speak.” Ulrika sighed happily.
“You sure no one can hear you? Then I believe half the successful missions we have had would have failed.” Damien corrected.
“It’s not like we have that many successful missions…ever since that incident…” Ulrika said, starting to walk.
“Successful missions? Let’s just say we’re rather successful in not having lost anyone so far in the recent missions. Especially since the lovely and smart Ulrika decided to join in the wonderful operation overseeing team.” Damien smirked.
“Can we ever have a conversation void of snarks on your part?” Ulrika shot back.
“If you’re waiting for one, then keep waiting, keep waiting.” Damien replied.
Ulrika resisted the urge to hit him, opting instead to clench her fists.
“Argh, you’re so annoying! How the hell does your brother bear with you?”
“He doesn’t. He’s hardly around nowadays, always doing a mission or something along those lines.” Damien said, tone slightly quiter and more pensive.
“He’s still that intent on revenge, I guess.” Ulrika said.
“Can’t blame him. Every day, I feel like rushing in and rending those bastards.”
“Knowing very well you would be the one being rent. Get that thought out of your head, there’s no way we’re letting you kill yourself. Wait till we’re more prepared on a whole.”
“A few years have already passed since that incident and frankly, I’m getting tired of waiting.”
“Hey, don’t go doing something stupid okay. It’s not as if your sister isn’t going to wake up.” Ulrika replied with caution.
“She’s been in coma all this time, it’s been so long I don’t know if she’ll wake up! And it’s because of me! Do you know how it is for me, knowing that I was the cau-“
Damien cut himself off quickly, realising what he had just said. He could see Ulrika’s eyes cloud over some and regret assaulted him.
“I didn’t mean that okay, I swear, it just slipped my mouth, it’s just…” he blabbered, trying to explain himself.
“It’s alright, I know how you are, you just talk without using your brain. I’m okay.” Ulrika replied.
Despite her saying that, she was looking away and had stopped smiling, biting her lip gently as she played with her fingers.
“It’s not okay, it was very insensitive of me to say that…sorry…” Damien apologised.
Ulrika smiled slightly at that, looking up directly into Damien’s wine red eyes.
“Is this the only thing you would spontaneously apologise for?” Ulrika joked, though her tone was still heavy.
“I’m not that bad, stop making me seem like some heartless jerk who goes around stepping on everyone.”
“Hmm, I wonder…” Ulrika jested.
Damien let out a small sigh, as Ulrika’s smile reappeared. He didn’t like it when Ulrika didn’t smile. He was used to her smiling all the time. Any expression that wasn’t cheery, serious or one of varying levels of anger just felt weird to him.
“Ah, what a pleasant sight! Seeing two pairings in a row~.”
Cutie approached the two from behind, a blithe smile on her face.
“What?” Damien said incredulously.
“Cutie! Quite shipping me with people! First, Von, then Jun, and now Damien? Who are you going to ship me with next?” Ulrika exclaimed.
“Well I could ship you with Luka, a teacher-student rela-” Cutie replied airily.
“I don’t want to hear about it.” Ulrika cut in.
“Wait, am I hearing things correctly? You’re putting me together with her? Hahaha! Sorry, too young for my taste.”
Damien laughed.
“Young? I thought you understood that I’m no longer a kid!” Ulrika exclaimed.
It was one topic Ulrika was very sensitive about. She hated it when people treated her like a child. She was very well above the intellectual capacity of a child and she had definitely grown up a lot. However, it was as if others couldn’t break out of the idea that she was no longer the little girl from before and still talked to her like they did before. In their minds, she was always ‘Claudine’s baby sister’.
“I didn’t mean it that way. Yeah, you’re no longer a kid but the age gap is still gigantic. In case you haven’t realised, I’m hundreds of years older than you are.”
“Well, you certainly don’t act that way.”
“I apologise for being so youthful at heart.”
“Ah, a lover’s quarrel~.” Cutie sang buoyantly.
“What lover’s quarrel? I wouldn’t want a jerk like him!” Ulrika exclaimed.
“I wouldn’t want to be with a flat-chested tom- what the f- what did you hit me for?!”
Damien stopped talking as Ulrika’s fist crashed down on his head.
“For being an extremely irritating bastard!”
“I guess I shall just leave you two alone to your own business and check on my other pairing~.” Cutie said casually, looking on lightheartedly as the other two bickered.
“Well, I was just about to leave so I’ll leave with you, Cutie!” Ulrika half-shouted, still fuming.
“No, you can’t leave first. I was planning on leaving too so unless you plan on leaving together with me, you’ll have to wait.” Damien rectified.
“Oh, what can you do to stop me?”
Ulrika narrowed her eyes at him, walking towards the entrance, where Cutie was already waiting. Damien followed behind quickly. He was about to enter the base when the door slammed shut in his face.
“Oh? Locking me out? Now that’s harsh.” he questioned.
“To hell with you!” Ulrika declared, her voice muffled by the door.
He could vaguely hear the voices of Ulrika and Cutie, words not clear but intonation there, getting softer until her could no longer hear them. He then tried the door.
“She really locked me out? Shit.” Damien cursed under his breath.
He sighed and began walking towards town to enter by the main entrance to the base.
Okay, Chapter 1 finished! How was it? I hope it’s good! I know there are question marks everywhere in this (it’s supposed to be so) so feel free to guess.
Many thanks to Luminouslie for reading through it once for me! And my real life friend who pointed out quite some grammar/sentence structure mistakes I had.
So…yeah…let me go off for practice…
