"Name?" I typed it into my computer screen, "Ayame…" I pressed enter, and the acceptance icon came up, "All right, cool. It's a popular name, so I didn't think it would go." I let the keys slick against my fingers to get in my password and design for my character, "All right! Well, Ayame, welcome to The World!"
I warped into the sunset Mac Anu. Born anew, I had long black hair with electric blue highlights on the roots, a light blue tube top that showed my midriff, bluish black well-fitted shorts, and a black half skirt kind of thing hung down from my waist. I had pure, bright blue eyes.
"OK now, so where do I go?" I strectched my arms and looked at my money, "NO GP?! Ugh…" I wanted money for items, spells and weapons, but apparently, I didn't have nearly enough money to buy any of that, "Wait! Assist guilds! I can ask them for help!" I placed my fist on my palm, impressed by my good idea. But as I walked through the guild postings, I saw there were only assist guilds with… Noobies.
"What's the point of having a support guild with only people who need support?" I and another person said dully in unision in unision, "Huh?"
"You having the same problem?" a boy asked me. He had white hair that was held back in a little ponytail.
"Yeah, basically. I heard there's a lot of PK's online lately, so I wanted to find someone I could trust.
"If there's someone you want to trust, then you need to pay them in this game. Mercenaries."
"Great. Money. The one thing I don't have."
"None of us do when we start. You have to start doing quests, or jobs…"
"That's it!" I exclaimed.
"Um..."
"Just follow me!!!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the center square.
"Wait, I don't even know your name…" He told me as I made it to the shops. I spun around and gave him a warm smile.
"It's Ayame! Nice to meet you."
"Takeru." He said.
"Got it," I jumped on top of a vacant store stand, "Hey everyone!!!" I yelled, "I'm Ayame. I just joined the World. I want to make lots of friends, and this concert is to commemorate that!" I said sweetly.
"Eh? Did you hear of a concert?" a voice asked in the big crowd I had brought in.
"Listen to me. I hope my feelings reach you."
As I awake, from dreams untold…
I'll reach my hand, for you to hold…
If all of us could be drawn to…
One place with the exact same strength
I'll be able to take on the pain, I know…
I'll just face it with the memories of you.
If we care just a little bit more now,
This wall will surely crumble on down…
Before the dawn!
As I awake, from dreams untold
We have no choice but to run straight forward
Even if there's, nobody there
Towards the very next dream in our sight.
Even though we, may be lost
This gravity of ours will bring me surely
Back to you
Someday!
"Wow, she's actually really good…!" a guy told his friend.
"She's so cool!"
"So cute!" another said. Takeru watched me as I sang many requested songs, all with my heart, but he didn't seem as moved as everyone else.
"I'll take one more request!" I told the crowd as I heard their disappointment of the last song.
"Eternal Snow!" a girl called.
"You got it." I gently said.
How long has it been since I fell in love with you?
My feelings only increase
Will you notice them
Even though I've never once put them into words?
Like the snow, they just
Quietly keep accumulating
Hold me tight- if this is how it feels
I didn't want to know
What it was like to be in love with someone
I love you- my tears won't stop
And so I wish
That I had never met you
"Wow…" Someone in the crowd awed, "It's different from the previous songs…"
"Thank you for your business!" I smiled as the crowd dispersed, and many people put in their money, "5,500 GP! Score!" I smirked to Takeru, "Fufufufu…"
"Honestly… Acting all sweet to the people and singing just to earn money…"
"Well, yeah… But… I didn't do it just for money… I feel that songs can let a person understand another. I put all of my heart into them so my feelings would come across.
"Yeah…" he smiled, "To tell the truth, I felt it. Especially in the last song."
"Eternal Snow?"
"Yeah." I looked at him and sat down on a bench.
"Well, that's no surprise," I sighed, "That song is very special to me. I always sang it to express my sadness and lost love."
"Lost love?"
"It's nothing," I brushed off my shorts, "Shall we go?"
"Where?"
"Duh. To hire a mercenary, of course." I took his hand and dragged him once again, this time to the alleyway.
"Look at that girl! She's perfect!" I pointed to a beautiful wolf girl who had mostly human features except for her ears and tail. She had bluish silver hair. She had a ninja outfit outfit, complete with black pants and a black tshirt with fishnetting on the chest area. Cool character!
"How can you trust her just by looking at her character…?"
"Excuse me, miss?"
"Ah, talking formal?" The wolf girl looked at me.
"It's a habit. I would like to ask you to bodyguard us as an assist for a period of time."
"How much you got?" she asked, "This kid won't have any money." She smirked in her head.
"How much do you charge?"
"5,000 GP per run."
"Oh, all right." I took out the money, "Here."
"F… Five thousand GP… From a newbie…?"
"I have talents." I giggled.
"O-Obviously…"
"I'm Ayame, and this is Takeru."
"I'm Lupa."
"Oh, like the word lupe, right?"
"You know French?"
"Oh yeah. I took 4 years of French, 3 years of Spanish, 1 year of German, fluent English, and I'm in my 3rd year of Japanese.
"Wow…" Lupa awed at me. Takeru just looked over.
"Let's go. Where's a good area?" I asked.
"Tragedy's Hidden Cat's Eye," she told me, "It's a good area for beginners, and there's also a rumor I want to check out."
"Rumor?"
"Yes. They say that when you go inside a secret area there, you hear a call for help. If you can hear it, it means you're blessed."
"Sounds interesting… But I don't believe in all that hocus pocus stuff." I told my friends.
"It's true, you know." Takeru said. Lupa and looked at him in surprise, "No, I just… Never mind."
"By the way, you're near our level." I noticed when looking at her stats.
"That's true, I'm only 3 levels above you, but it makes all the difference."
"Then we could have gone to the support guilds for free…" Takeru whispered to me.
"No, it's fine. I trust her."
"All right, let's go." She lead us to the portal, "Do you know how to use the warp gates?"
"Yeah. I read the manual."
"Who reads the manual for games…?" Lupa asked in disbelief.
"I was bored, OK? We're learning all the same stuff in class."
"What grade are you in?" Takeru asked.
"12th."
"Me too."
"Sweet."
"Can we go?" Lupa looked at us dully.
"Yeah." And so we stepped through the warp gate.
"All right, so first, attack the monsters." When the arena wall rose around us, we took out our weapons. I took out my battle fans, I was a macabre dancer, and Takeru took out his steam gun, he was a steam gunner. Lupa led us through all of the steps to become great fighters. By the time we reached the Beast Temple, we were level five, and Lupa was level six. She used a broad sword when she fought, and I thought it was so amazing how she swung it around.
"So, why did you guys start The World?" Lupa asked us.
"I started 'cause my brother got me into it."
"I… Was forced…" Takeru looked away.
"Forced…?" we both stared at him.
"But now it doesn't feel like I am. We're going to start a guild, right?"
"Yeah. Water Mirror, a rescue, assist, and PKK guild."
"A rescue AND PKK guild?"
"Yes. Everyone always bitches about how PKK's are so bad and everything, but they're really saving people. That's why I want to become one."
"I was PK'd before… If only there were people like you…"
"Lupa…" I said quietly.
"All right, go get the treasure." Lupa told us as we entered the inner doors.
"Cool, a simple bracelet!" I smiled, "You want it, Takeru?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, definitely!" But then… "Hey…" I perked my ears up, "What's that sound…?"
"Help me…!" I heard a faint cry.
"I mean, I hear it a little…"
"You too, Takeru?!"
"Well, isn't that great?" Lupa laughed, "There's nowhere for you to run."
"Lupa…?!" I whispered in horror as she struck my friend holding the bracelet with her sword, "Takeru!!!"
"You OK…?" he asked me.
"I'll heal you, just a sec…!" I casted repth on him quickly, and he stood up.
"So… You're a PK?" Takeru took out his steam gun.
"Wait! Lupa, you have a reason for this, right?! You were PK'd, weren't you?!"
"Exactly!!! I want others to feel the fear I did when I joined!!!"
"Lupa, I-"Suddenly there was a bash through the doors. Two oddly dressed people walked in.
"Oh, wouldn't you know it… It's the little Lupa, the one who was so desperate to find friends…" One of them laughed, and she flinched in fear, "You fell for us SO easily! You can't ever become a player in the world!"
"Stop it!!!" I yelled at them, "She may have been PK'd back then, but she helped us level up! She's a good person! People like YOU don't deserve to be in The World!"
"Why you…!"
"Lupa!" I reached out my hand to her, "Help us beat them!" she almost gave me her hand, but hesitated. Then, she clasped on.
"All right!" Our weapons were taken out, and I heard a small chime.
"Sweet! An awakening!" I laughed, "This battle is ours!"
"Shit…" one of the PK'ers cursed, "Let's get out of here!"
"No way! Not yet!" We attacked all together, and their bodies vanished away with most of their items lost.
"Cool! A new steam gun!" Takeru equipped it.
"Fans, fans!" I spun around with the fans the girl left behind.
"Why?!" Lupa yelled, "Why did you trust me?!" I turned around to look at her.
"Because we're alike," I told her sadly, "A few years ago… I lost all of my friends that had taken me so long to make. They all moved away, and so did I. When I talked to them later, they were all happy and I was unhappy, being hurt by people. So you see… I wanted them to suffer with me. Even though I said, 'Even if I'm unhappy, I'm happy just knowing you're happy,' I lied. I wanted them to feel the sadness I did, to feel dragged down with me. But this place, "The World"…Is amazing. It's a way I can get away from the harshness of life. Most of us here come here for that reason, right? Then it's up to all of us to try and prosper together. That's why I'm creating my guild. I want everyone to work together to have fun, and get it into the heads of those PK's that one shouldn't suffer for another unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm no admin or anything, but I think it's all right for all of us to exist. Regular players, PK's, PKK's… As long as they understand the other player's feelings." She looked at me, and tears streamed down her digital face. She understood as she hugged me. She was just afraid and angry. If only more PK's listened to this true reasoning…
"I've decided." She said as we walked towards the warp gate, "I'll atone for my sins of PK'ing and help out newbies. And when your guild is established, I hope you'll take me in."
"We'll be watching to see if you're qualified." I smiled.
"Fair enough," she laughed, "You'll become strong, Ayame. Stronger than most of the players in this game, mentally and physically."
"Thank you." I waved goodbye.
"So…" Takeru walked with me, waiting for the warp gate to get us back to Mac Anu, "What do you wanna do now?"
"Train up, and then make a guild," I looked at him, "You'll come with me, won't you?"
"Of course." And we started our journey together, although we didn't know how complicated it would get.