Chapter 4: Strange New World

Looking around me, the Virtual World seemed oddly familiar… Oh. My. God. This was Midgar! I looked down at myself, and I was in the outfit I had chosen before entering the system. This had just hit a new degree of creepy. I continued looking around, moving like I would in real life, till I found a treasure chest in front of me. Oh why not! It must be here for someone to open might as well be me. I casually opened the chest, a flood of warmth and love invaded every part of my body. I've never felt so good before! When the feeling eventually passed, I found a potion inside it. Taking it caused it to disappear into an invisible inventory. The feelings in here are astronomical! If anything I would enjoy the intensity of feeling in here!

this was no fun by myself though, I needed to find my friends! We came together so we could play together. So I started to search for them.

"Tifa! Tifa!" Reno called to me.

He was lazily dressed in a navy suit with a metal rod he held over his shoulder. He actually looked really official.

"Reno!" I ran to meet him.

He was looking around, "This place is very… realistic…"

"Have you opened a chest yet? I can't even begin to describe the amazing feeling I had opening one!"

"I knew I wasn't imagining things when I felt a breeze…"

I was really enjoying this place, with all its intensity, "We should go find the others, don't you think?"

"Yeah, wonder where they are…?"

Without thinking I took Reno's hand. Holding someone's hand had never felt like this before… the gentle contact was overwhelming. I could see Reno felt the same thing I just did.

"Woooow…" he was lost for words.

Not wanting things to get awkward I pulled him along.

Luckily the others had found each other; everyone had spawned into three small groups and managed to find each other, slowly making the small groups into the familiar large group we arrived in.

"Alright! Now that we have everyone together we can form a party!" Zack exclaimed, "We are seven total which is the maximum party limit… that's a good thing! Let's see…"

A strange feeling came over me. Was this making a party? I felt ties to everyone around me, strong as steel. This was definitely the amplified feeling of comradeship.

Zack smiled, "Now we are a party! Don't worry, we can go off on our own and still be part of the party… Who wants to go monster hunting and gain some levels?"

Everyone except Cloud, Reno and I followed.

This world was exciting, bright colours everywhere! Everything in real life is dulled in comparison. This was spectacular!

Reno broke me out of my daydream, "Tifa?"

"Yes?" it took me a moment to pay attention.

"What would you like to do?" he asked me.

"Can we go look for more treasure?"

Reno smirked, "Treasure hunting? Alright!" He looked in Cloud's direction, "You coming, Cloud?"

He silently followed us.

I felt like a little kid again in a magical world. Behind a wall was a treasure chest.

"Open it!" I said, bouncing a little. I wanted Reno to feel what I felt.

"You sure?"

"Just open it already!"

He carefully opened the chest; the look on his face told me he had just felt the sensation of the treasure chest.

"That. Was. Amazing!"

I giggled, "I told you!"

"What time do you suppose it is in the real world?" Cloud asked.

I looked at Reno having no idea, he shrugged, "I'm sure there's a way of finding out…"

Cloud pressed a button on his wrist watch, and there displayed the time in the real world.

"Looks like the system works on real time, every minute spent in here is a minute in reality. At least we won't get jet lagged when we logoff." Reno explained.

We continued walking around town. The similarities between SEVEN and reality was crazy!

"There's even the inn! But, what would you need one of those in here for?" I asked them.

"Regain your hit points…" Cloud said.

"That's like your life, Tifs." Reno used baby terms for me.

"I bet you could buy items in there…"

"Oh, and upgrade weapons and armour!"

"And I'm betting it has the same use as a bedroom in real life…"

"Wait… hold the phone!" I've never seen Reno in confused mode before, "You're trying to tell me people would actually do that in here?"

"What I said is that it's possible and can happen in here…"

Reno remembered what it felt like for skin to touch in this world and immediately began to blush.

"That just isn't cool!"

I was only half listening to the boys' conversation because down the path something caught my attention. A party of two, a young girl and strong looking boy, were engaged in the first battle I have seen in this world. A giant, I would describe as a wolf looking thing with bull like horns, towered over the young party.

Cloud smirked, "Looks like they found themselves a Behemoth…"

"Aren't they a little on the weak side to be taking one of those on?" Reno questioned.

"Who knows, it'll be interesting to see what happens when they get defeated…"

That didn't sound interesting at all to me. I didn't want those two to get hurt, even in a virtual world. It didn't look like Reno or Cloud were going to do anything about it either, I'd have to do this alone if I wanted to help them at all.

Oh well done, Tifa, the one who doesn't believe in violence and chose to have no weapon, now you want to go to the rescue.

I pulled my gloves up and cracked my knuckles. If they thought the party was going to be interesting to watch, they were sure as hell going to find my joining the fray even more so.

As the Behemoth was about to come down on the two, I launched forward and pushed the girl out of the way of the giant claw a split second before contact would have been made.

"Are you alright?" I asked her as her partner came to where we fell.

"Y-Yes! Thank you!" she sounded generally frightened.

I looked to the guy who was beside her, "You two get out of here!"

"Are you sure? It won't disappear until it's defeated…" he informed me.

Then it was up to me to allow their safe escape, "Leave this to me! I'll take care of it!"

The two fled before I could change my mind. Alright Mr Behemoth, it's just you and me now. I ran straight for it, fists raised, making direct contact with the creature's jaw. A force seemed to power every muscle in my body; all I wanted to do was defeat that enemy. My blows kept coming, pounding into the virtual creature one after the other. I was crazed with power, relentlessly attacking. My mind fought this whole concept, what was I becoming? The adrenaline pumping through my veins was turning me into an uncontrolled monster. Amplified to the point of madness. I forced myself to become aware of what I was doing; I stopped fighting the monster immediately and stood instead helpless, gaining my sense of self back.

This was not me. I am not the violent type, I refuse to be! I was helping those two escape! Not looking for a fight.

"Tifa!"

Reno's voice brought me back, as the monster was about to unleash his finishing blow of his limit. I quickly turned to deal a final sucker punch to the Behemoth, rewarded by seeing its huge form disappear in a gust of smoke and dust. A victory fanfare sounded in my ears, the boys looked around meaning they could hear it too. A translucent screen appeared before me, showing some strange items the monster had dropped, Gil (which must be the currency this world had) I had gained, and the experience earned from the battle. Apparently I am now a level 4, whatever that meant.

Reno put an arm around my neck, "Did you seriously just take down that Behemoth all by yourself?"

Pushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear, "Looks like I did…"

Cloud came over to us, "How did you manage to do that with no weapon on a newcomer's level?"

I shrugged, not being a big video game playing, I assumed it was possible. Hearing the curiosity in his voice, I must have assumed wrong.

"Why wouldn't I have been able too?" I was generally interested to know the answer.

Cloud seemed annoyed by my ignorance, "Because a Behemoth is extremely strong and we've just entered the system making us very weak."

"So? I needed to help those two! They looked scared!"

"Tifa, you really should be more careful…" Reno said gently, "You were just as strong as they were, if not weaker! What if you got defeated in their place?"

That did actually make sense. This isn't the real world; everything you have relies on states. How had I defeated that monster? Now I was very confused, but refused to let them see it.

"You guys worry too much! It was just beginners luck!"

"Must have been…" Cloud mused.

I could hear battle music approach, was this the system's way of warning players of incoming battles? The music grew louder and louder... There was no denying it, something was coming...

Another Behemoth had appeared, same as before.

"Another one?"

"They must travel in packs, being wolf like and all..." Reno's crazy theory made sense in a strange kind of way.

"Guess I'll take this one down too!" No way would I leave this monster here for some unlucky victim to run into.

Reno smirked, "Well I'm ready to take him down..." He casually patted his shoulder with his rod which he called an EMR.

I nodded in response; backup would help me get through this faster and with higher success rate.

"I'll help too..." Cloud said drawing his giant sword.

Now I felt motivated. Between the three of us, we would definitely be victorious in this battle.

Our full on assault began, leaving no room for the Behemoth to retaliate. Blow after blow we battled against him, defeating him in record time. Like before, the victory fanfare began, and transparent screens appeared before us again. We had received a battle bonus for the Behemoth's swift defeat.

"Sweet!" Reno seemed happy by this bonus.

Cloud was just being quiet as usual. I don't remember him being so quiet to be honest... Was this something he developed as he got older?

I looked down at my watch, wanting to avoid the subject. It was nearly nine in the evening.

Even though our previous battle had been very quick, it had in fact taken a bit of time to complete.

"I think it's about time I logged off…"

"I'll go with you… there must be a save point somewhere nearby." Reno said.

I smiled at Reno as I turned to Cloud, "Are you coming with us, or playing a little longer?"

"I'll go meet up with Zack and go through a dungeon or something…"

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Cloud."

Reno and I left to find that save point. It was a shining bluish-green crystal that was floating slightly off the ground. It was very pretty I must say. We held our hands over it.

"See you outside!" Reno smiled as we both disappeared.

My world was spinning as I re-joined reality. As the head gear came off and retracted back into the ceiling, my body fell to the floor. Being in the system must really take it out of you in reality. Grunting, getting to my feet I thought about this. Having it physically draining would keep the players from spending days at a time on the system. So where it may seem cruel it actually makes sense. And they said the system is directly tapped into your brain so it would tire you out.

I stretched my stiff muscles before I made for the exit of my room.

'Farewell Tifa Lockhart… Until next time…'

Exiting the ShinRa building, as I leaned up against the wall I waiting for Reno. He showed up eventually stretching.

"Wow, being in the system really takes it out of you…"

"I know! I'm actually really tired…"

"And hungry!" he added, "Want to grab a bite to eat before we set back to Nibleheim? And some coffee…"

His offer was too good to refuse, "That's the best thing I've heard all day! And I know where all the great places in Midgar are!"

"I keep forgetting that you used to live here," he thought for a moment, "Okay! Where is the best place to get some burgers?"

I took his hand, "Follow me! It's just down the road from here!"

We walked a bit faster than usual, Reno was starving I could tell.

"SEVEN is really cool!" he said, trying to distract himself from thinking about food.

"It's very intense… you feel so much more in there than you do out here…"

"That adds to the whole experience! I can't wait to go back and fight some more monsters!"

I only smiled at him remembering our experience with fighting.

"And you looked so cool! I mean, you didn't even have a weapon!" he was impressed.

"I really didn't have any intentions of fighting…"

He laughed, "Really? It looked like it happened so naturally, I'm surprised to find out you're not a big gamer from what I saw!"

"None of the friends I ever had in Midgar were interested in video games…"

He smiled, he must have had an idea, "Well how about some time you come over to my place and I'll introduce you to the world of gaming?"

"Alright, maybe I won't be so ignorant after a gaming lesson." I smiled.

"Great! It's a date then!"

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me reviews, it's really had me motivated to keep writing and hopefully updating more often than usual. I always return to old chapter and correct typo's and improve them where I get constructive criticism so never think it's over! If you want to see something feel free to tell me!