Just like the water is ever moving and the wind is always blowing, people's meetings and people's goodbye flash by in the blink of an eye were the thoughts of the young alchemist as she stood in front of a steam oven in Taillteann. She looked upon sad eyes upon her friend who was standing just a few feet from her near Eabtha.
Why was she feeling this? Because the person in front of her was a beloved friend and partner. A person whom she met early on when she was new to the world of Erinn, when her eyes were still clouded by fantasy and her heart as white as snow.
Even now, she still remembered their meeting. His bright shining moon light armor that he bravely saved since Bangor was opened and how he was the first person to introduce the claymore and its massive swing to attack two goblins at once in front of her. While he was a powerful person in her eyes back then, he was kind and ever since their first run of Ciar Dungeon, he was a reliable partner who was always with her, no matter the generation, the season, or the chapters. He was her role model in this world, and she chased him every day and fought with him every day.
She remembered playing songs at the campfire with him and telling stories of the world around them and of the world they originated from, and it was thanks to him that she learned important core values of the other existence in Erinn and to respect others, no matter how powerful one be. She thought the days of wandering Uladh and Iria would always continue and that they would be allies in all future endeavor.
As time passed on and she was took on the studies of Alchemy, she slowly started to drift apart from him. Unlike the old times in which she wandered from dungeon to dungeon with him, she was content with the Shadow World and the city of Taillteann, where the seat of Alchemy was situated. But she believed in her heart, no matter how far they drifted, they would always be there for each other should they required help...
Now today, her beloved partner and friend now stood silently in front of her and all she could do was stand there with her hands on her hips to look back at him. Not a word was said for a moment as the sun of Erinn slowly sank in the background, but the words he spoke to her suddenly broke not only the silence but her heart:
"I'm quitting."
In her mind, a million thoughts came crashing down, each with their own words but none of it giving birth to coherent sentence. She didn't know how to handle it. For sure she didn't talk to him very often, and she thought she would never hear those words. She didn't know how to handle it... She lied to herself, saying this was an online game and online friendship was never meant to last and it was foolish to expect someone to stay online forever... but even if she said that, she was hurt... hurt to see a friend leave, yet she forced herself to numb her feelings by lying to herself.
"I am sorry."
She felt anger rise... sorry...? Sorry for what? Leaving? I'm not angry at all about that she thought. He can do whatever he wants, it's not like she had a saying in his life... and that was what bothered her... she had no saying. She cannot make him stay in this world of Erinn forever, and she knew deep down that it was his decision, whether she likes it or not. She shouldn't be thinking of selfish things but... wasn't it okay? As long as she doesn't act out her selfish wish... at least let her think selfishly, even just a bit... just a bit... to herself... just this few seconds.
"It was the best time ever. I remember when we met we had so much fun. But it's time I moved on... You were always there for me, and even if we never meet again... I will always cherish this memory of fun we had together, even if I were to become an old man. Even if the world we play in is an illusion, the fun times we had and the memories we shared playing together is real, and that is the most valuable."
Idiot, don't say that... if you say such things, I won't be able to stay angry... she thought to herself. But she smiled to herself and replied.
"I wish you the best in whatever you go into. Even if you forget me, I will always remember the happiness we shared when playing. Real life or not, happiness is happiness, and I am glad that despite the bad experience we may have had in this game, we equally had a good time... thank you, my friend."
She felt foolish, like a girl who was breaking up with her boyfriend, but she was witnessing a friend leave. She forced herself to adopt a "meh" and "stoic" attitude. She didn't want him to leave with any regrets, so she tried to act as if she was indifferent, but he probably knew what she was trying to do and smiled.
"Good bye, my friend..."
And with that, her partner and friend from long ago disappeared from the world of Erinn... and any proof that he lived there, gone, except for the memories he left with the inhabitants who still exist.
Sad and depress inside, but filled with a philosophical resolve and wearing an indifferent mask still, she turned around, her brown long coat flying behind her as she decided to focus on growing stronger, so that she could at least carry on of trying to be strong...
And she said one last time, deep in her heart... a farewell to her partner and friend.
---
A year and a half later, she received a mail in the mailbox. She did not understood who would send her mail, for she had not purchase anything from anybody, and most people nowadays don't use mail to send simple messages.
She flew to the bank in front of Tara, dropped down and checked the mail... and what she saw made her tears flow out as millions of memories flooded from her mind.
Though the sender she did not recognize, it wasn't the sender what was important... what was important in the mailbox was the content... what was inside the mailbox was...
... a Dragon Blade, with a strange upgrade path and only 7 durability left on it, with a cheap Fox Raven enchant on it... While it may not be a strong weapon, for she had numerous weapons which far outclassed it, it was a weapon of importance...
... for this weapon was the prized weapon in which her friend carried. The blade whom he fondly named "Ravenily", which he joked was his "real" spirit weapon...
She felt happy to know that Ravenily has come to her possession. While she may not know the sender, this item... if it was truly Ravenily, was an important relic of her past, a sentimental weapon that represents not only her newbiehood and her role in the new world of Erinn, but of all the fun memories she made with her long gone partner.
She kept that weapon, for it contained many memories. She remembered that a philospher once said that "sentiments are for the weak," but on the contrary, she believed that it was because sentimental feelings exist, that one always kept their heart and humanity... and Ravenily not only expressed those feelings of sentiments, but...
... of memories, which is much more priceless than any gem in the world.
~ Mabinogi Memorial Tale Collection No. 002