Chapter #1 (November 6th, 2022)
"Link start!" White flooded my vision, and my consciousness was pulled into a vortex of swirling colors. I could no longer feel my body sprawled out on my bed, nor the weight of the NerveGear pressing against my forehead. White nothingness. That's how I'd describe it. A virtual sign up screen appeared, and for a second, I panicked. How on earth was I going to type without a keyboard? It didn't take long before I realized the key was mind-control.
After I 'typed' in my username and password, the screen disappeared and a person took its place. I suddenly had a momentary brain freeze. It was me. I was standing before myself (or before my mind, for those of you who have to be so technical). Frizzy brown hair, dull blue eyes, pale skin... right down to the very last freckle. This.. identity thief was wearing a simple green tunic, leather chest-plate, dark brown pants, and a fanny pack around its waist. Two bold words then materialized in the white void: Character Creation. It made sense now. I was using myself as a building block. Alrighty then, time to set to work.
The finished piece was a work of art... in my opinion anyway. Long, beautiful brown hair pulled into high ponytail, with a curl hanging in front. Bright, shining blue eyes and a lean body with a sharp angled face, hinting gracefulness and cunning. She was practically my dream self, but was missing one little detail. I wondered... would it work? There was a long stillness, and then, nothing. Looks like pointy ears weren't part of the package.
Soon after, the program asked for my name. I mind-voodooed in, 'Gwendolyn'. Of course, this was not my real name. (I have learned the hard way to never use my real identity in a game. You never know when you might meet a slobbering, pervert psychopath who believes he's the slenderman.)
Now that my account and character had been created, I started over, only this time it was a log-in screen. After finishing that process, I selected the new character slot named 'Gwendolyn(F)', and was barely able to read the words, "Welcome to Sword Art Online!" before my world went spinning out of control into a bright blue mass of confusion.
Suddenly, I was on my own two feet, no longer floating around in my own little world like I was a god. My vision was blurry, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I blinked slowly, and when my sight cleared up, I couldn't help but drop my jaw. From what I could see, I stood in the middle of a huge square surrounded by columns. There was a large silver/metal type building in front of me that had perfect symmetry and five spires that stood taller the closer to the middle of the building they were placed. Behind me was a very wide road lined with perfectly clipped hedges. Halfway down, a body of water seemed to block further advancement, but I wasn't quite sure.
A sudden blue flash to my right made me jerk in surprise. A space which had just been recently vacant was now occupied by a person I did not recognize. Several more of those flashes occurred before I realized they were caused by new players entering the game. Stop just standing there and staring, do something. I took a few steps forward, preparing to leave the starting area, when I noticed that my body felt weird. I felt lighter than normal, a slight spring to my step. Looking downwards, I realized that I was now Gwendolyn, not my real self. I took a few more steps, relishing the feeling of the movement. Was this the feeling of virtual reality?
I knew the moment that I exited the spawn area, and into Floor 1: The Town of Beginnings, that I was going to love this new world. It had a complete medieval setup, and just by glancing at the buildings, I knew there was many secret passageways and alleys. Booths selling weapons, herbs, jewelry, and food lined the populated streets. There were all sorts of players around. Some were checking out the booths, others were trying to make parties, and I even caught a 'couple' making out in the darkness of two buildings. Many people were wandering around like I was, trying to figure out what to do first, but there were a few people who seemed to know where they were going. I would fall into that group soon enough.
There was a sudden whoosh of wind, and, almost in slow motion, I saw the streak of a dark blue figure rush past me. I froze in surprise. In the few moments that I could see the man's face, I noticed that he was smiling. And man was he CUTE! Time quickened once again, and him turning into another street left me stunned and staring. In my temporary stupor, I barely noticed a red-haired man, who wore a bandanna, seem to follow him.
The sensation that this smiling man was somehow very important brought me back into the world of the living, and I started to run in that direction.
"Jillian?" The call of my real name filled me with horror and stopped me in my tracks. No... NO! The slenderman finds me again! My terrifying days of running and hiding from a killer-clown maniac return!
I spin around. "Ahh! I can't take this anymore! Stalk someone else you pig-headed freak who can't even clean his own..!." I halt mid-sentence. The familiar face before me was twisted in laughter. "A...Al..Allison!?" I sputter her name.
"Oh no, don't stop now. Apparently, I'm a stalking freak who can't clean his own... what, exactly?" Allison smiles.
Blushing, I mutter, "I..I thought you were somebody else..." A realization pops into my head. "Hey, wait a sec! How did you know I was Jillian?" I knew that wasn't the name next to my health bar.
"Hmm, let's see. First of all, you told me you were going to make your name Gwen, and second, you are the only person I know who would make their character look like that." I scowl at Allison's attempted criticism.
The first detail I noticed about her was that she looked exactly like she did in real life. Short blond hair, blue eyes, that tall, skinny demeanor. Second, "I see your name is Morgana. Heavy, much?" We both laugh. These were the names we always used in RPG games. This was definitely our first virtual reality world though. My friends and I had camped out in front the store for two whole days to buy five copies of this game. I tell you, we were extremely lucky to get that many. "Have you seen Lori, Renee, or Emma yet?"
"Nope. I think they changed their names and how they look, like you did. We will probably have to ask them when we logout and go to school tomorrow."
"Guess so. For now, Morgana... can I call you Mo?" She nods. "Let's check out the city, maybe we can buy ourselves a little gear."
"I know just where to start." Mo grabs my arm and starts leading me around, pointing out all of the buildings she had already checked out. My earlier interest in the man is tucked deeply into my mind, forgotten.
(A couple hours later)
"I still can't believe this is a game!" Mo exclaims while we were walking along a path in middle of a plain, searching for monsters to kill.
"I can."
"I don't understand you, it just feels so real."
"Mo, we're carrying swords and there are floating islands in the distance. What part of this seems real to you?" And there was the fact that we didn't feel any pain, which I kindly found out for Mo when we were fighting a mere boar. (Never attempt to be a badass and play chicken with a charging boar. The boar WILL win) I shivered from the thought.
"Are you cold, Gwen?" Mo asks.
"Can you even get cold in this game?"
"I guess not."
There was a long silence. "Am I the only one who thinks this is awe..?." An ear-breaking gong suddenly rang out, making me jump out of my boots. "What the?!"
"Is that a bell? What's going on?" Mo questioned, startled. My vision started to get fuzzy, and the landscape before me disappeared, only to be replaced with a familiar scene. We were back at the spawn, and based on the fact that I could smell the person's hair standing in front of me, every single other player was too. Almond cream... with a hint of butterscotch. THE HELL?
The bell, which had been constantly ringing, went silent. There was so much muttering and confusion that I couldn't pick out any individual voices. Although, I do believe I heard one person say, "A forced teleport?" Forced teleport? What on aincrad would cause that?
I saw a few hands point into the sky, and others started to join them. Curious, I used my hand as a visor and looked up. There was a single flashing red hexagonal light in the sky, with the bolded words WARNING written upon it. Suddenly, originating from that single light, thousands more began to appear. In seconds, the once calm blue sky had turned blood-red. A strange crimson liquid started to seep from a section of lights... was that blood? The amount of blood quadrupled and separated into four waterfalls, which turned on one another and formed a writhing, bloody mass.
I wanted to close my eyes, to turn away, but I felt drawn to the figure beginning to take shape. First a hood, and then a large red cloak. Purple smoke started to seep from where the head should be, and pale, withered hands protruded from the cloak's sleeves. I recognized the figure, and mutters from the crowd confirmed it.
"A Game Master?", "Why doesn't he have a face?", "Is this an event?"
The echoing voice of the Game Master silenced the crowd. "Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko." Kayaba Akihiko? That name sounded very familiar...
"As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." I remembered now. He was the very man who created SAO and the NerveGear. Was that really him? There was some gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu." What?! I quickly swiped my finger to open my menu. It was true. Maybe that's what this announcement is about...
"But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect in the game." Eh?
"It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You can not log out of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."
"What?" Mo exclaimed beside me. I looked around, trying to grasp the situation. There was movement on the other side of the square. It seemed a couple was attempting to leave, but were blocked by some sort of invisible wall. Trapped? Others in the crowd were thinking of it as a joke, saying, "Come on, enough already." But my intuition knew better. I wish I didn't, but I believed every word this GM said. This place was about to become a mad house, and fast.
"Gwen, this is crazy! Do you really think it would happen?" Mo seemed doubtful.
"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning and attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world." I glanced at Mo. Her eyes reflected the same rising hysteria I was feeling. Did I really believe this?
Several screens appeared and starting floating around the GM. "As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal.
"I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But, I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone in the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will forever be lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain." Those last words rang out through the square, leaving everyone in a still silence. Realization hit me like a soccer ball to the face. I could die here. Simultaneously, Mo and I grabbed each other's arms for support.
"There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game."
There were shouts from the crowd. "Y-You're just making that up!", "The beta testers never made it anywhere near that high!" Mo poked my arm and I looked at her. To my surprise, her face was hardened into confidence, eyes glinting.
"Look at how many people there are here. There's got to be some insane gamers. It might take awhile, but I think we could do it." I wanted to tell her this wasn't a game anymore, that great gamers always required several tries. I couldn't. But, her quick change in behavior and positive forward insight was astonishing. Frankly, I considered myself lucky to still be wearing a clean pair of pants.
"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves." I swiped my finger in the air, and opened my item storage. Inside was a mirror. When I selected it, it materialized in my hands.
"Hmm... there's nothing here." I heard Mo mutter, confused.
"Look clos-" I was cut off. My body had suddenly become a glowing blue light. When it disappeared, I stumbled back in surprise. Everything around me suddenly looked slightly different. What was it? It was right off the tip of my tongue... did Allison seem taller? Another soccer ball hit my face. All around me, people's appearances were changing. Height differences, face differences, even gender differences. Quickly, I looked in the mirror. Dull blue eyes stared back at me. I had changed back into my real self.
"Jillian?" Allison seemed confused. I turned and looked up at her (now with a significant difference in height). I smirked.
"What?" She asks defensively.
"This world has just become slightly more realistic. Congrats."
"On what?"
"You are probably the only person who didn't get a mirror, since you've looked like yourself from the start."
"Oh.."
Yet again, the GM's voice rang out. "Right now, you're probably wondering, 'why?'. Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this?"
"My goal has already been achieved. I created SAO for one reason... To create this world and intervene in it. And now, it is complete. This ends the tutorial for the official SAO launch. Good luck, players." The GM dissolved in a cloud of red mist, which then proceeded to seep back into the cracks in the sky. All at once, the warning lights disappeared, leaving the world looking as if none of it had ever happened.
There was a long stillness, and I could feel the upcoming mad house in my bones. The slightest trigger could set it off. I glanced sideways at Allison. She did the same. We knew each other well enough to communicate without speaking.
We should get out of here. I can smell crazy in the air.
Are you sure that's not you?
If everything that was just said isn't a scam, we need to pull ourselves together and start right away.
How?
No idea. Let's just get out of the spawn for now.
Agreed.
The sound of a mirror cracking on the ground resonated throughout the square. A small, "No!" followed. The trigger. It was almost as if a wave crashed through the mass of people. I could almost hear the sound of brains exploding. One word: madness.
"Time to go." I grabbed Allison's arm and we both made a mad dash for an 'exit'. Did we make it before we were trampled by the angry mob? Was the invisible wall gone? Did the streets stay empty for a few minutes? Answer: All of the above, thankfully.
"Wait a second, Jillian!" Allison suddenly exclaimed. She pulled my arm and we both halted in the middle of an alleyway. "What about Emma and the others? They must have been in there too! We have to go back and find them!" She started, but I pulled her back. I had already thought about this.
"Allison, we don't know if any of them logged on today. They could still be safe at home for all we know."
"We have to check."
"I'm sorry. We can't."
"Why?!" She sounded as pained as I felt.
"It's too crazy in there right now! Even if we could find three specific people, we wouldn't be able to get out without being followed by maniacs with their brains' fried!" My voice had risen to a shout. I took a deep breath, and continued calmly, "Anyway, we can look for them, but we should do it during daylight. Perhaps we can get better grasp on the whole situation first, OK?"
Allison nodded. A tear slipped out from underneath her eyelid. I could feel them coming, too. It was going to take a while to recover from this. We both stood there for what seemed like hours, restraining our emotions. When we were ready to move on, we straightened our shoulders and proceeded with a new confidence to our stride.
Just as we were about to step into the alleyway, there was a sudden whoosh of wind, and, almost in slow motion, a teenage boy with dark hair and a blue tunic dashed past. In the few moments that I could see his face, I noticed that his mouth was set in a hard line. His eyes looked fierce, but it seemed like there was some intense sadness residing behind that emotional wall.
Deep within me, something stirred. Why, I wondered. I had never seen this boy before, so why... did I recognize him? Time quickened once again, and the last thing I saw was his back being swallowed up by the darkness.
This is my first attempt at a FanFiction! Please R&R. If you have any ideas for a future plot, please share it with me. Any help in this regard would be fantastic. Look forward to my next chapter! Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters, only my OC's.
