TASOO: Chapter 4! YAAAAAAAAAAY!
" Thank you, Aced." Ava nodded, turning to face the players. " I am sure all of you are confused as to why you are here, or rather how you can get out," Ava explained, Gula sighing.
" I don't understand why we have to lie to them. There is no way out." Gula told her, the murmurs beginning once more, this time with panic.
" Ahem." Aced coughed rather loud, glaring daggers at the players, them quieting down once more.
" Thank you." Ava thanked once more. " As I was saying, this world of Unchained X is parallel to your world, Earth. The only thing separating it is the fourth wall, an invisible wall that separates the mortal from the immortal, reality from magic. There was only one way we could share our story with you, by hacking into the system that created the fourth wall and broadcasting the information in a small digital app. We even created a fake company to serve as creators for this app as well as many other games. This maker you may know as Square Enix." Ava explained, Gula nodding.
" At first, it was only for sharing information. However, a time had come where we were faced with a problem." Gula explained Ava nodding.
" Yes, as I am sure some of you may know from the world of X, a secret database was created as a simulation for the original players of Kingdom Hearts X. Each of you played as a Dandelion of mine, and your training was a part of this simulation. However... the simulation isn't stable. Our players from our side on the fourth wall were in danger, so we took them out and induced them into a coma. We fixed a few bugs, and we are mostly sure the simulation is safe, but we want to do a test run to be sure. That's where you come in." Ava explained, Aced crossing his arms.
" Think of yourselves as our Guineapigs. Complete the simulation, and you will return to your original lives. However, we had to go to desperate measures just to get you here. As I am sure you have already seen with the Reality Imaging or Second Screen some of you call it. You are all dead. The gift we had sent through the fourth wall is the cause of this." Aced explained, Ava nodding.
" The boys received a pin while the girls received a barrette, it is designed to seep into your skin once put on, and to slowly extract you soul and store it inside the pin or barrette. By doing so, it also stopped your breathing and heartbeat. Everyone on Earth thinks you are dead. If you beat the game, then the object will break, causing your soul to be released and you will awaken back on Earth. However, if you die in the game, the object will never be broken." Ava explained.
" At first, we were skeptical of going to such extreme measures. But later we realized that if we never did, then none of you would take this seriously." Aced added, Gula nodding.
" That's right. We even took the matter of ensuring your safety when you return based on how you remained. Let's say you were buried, then your body will disassemble itself and reassemble itself above ground. Same goes if you were made of ash, each ash would assemble itself together, recreating your original body. Due to security reasons, everyone who knows you, their memories will be erased if you ever reach the outside world. That includes yours as well." Ava explained.
" One last thing," Gula mentioned. " This is the last you will ever see us, next time you see a foreteller it will be simulated. Nothing but ones and zeros. We want to do this least amount of interaction with you mortals as much as we can. The same goes for your Chirithy's and the side players needed for the quests. There nothing but ones and zeros as well. You can do just about anything to them, and they won't have a care in the world. However, interacting with them in a positive way is advised, so then you can complete the quest easily." He explained.
" In each of your party's dimension, there is a request board needed to select quests. Just pick one of the flyers up, and it will take you right where you need to be. Only one person is allowed per quest, however, there can be more than one person if you want to fight a raid boss. The chat in your menu can be used to contact other players in your party while each of you are out on quests." Aced added, Ava and Gula nodding.
" I believe that is all." Ava breathed looking back at the countless players, who seemed to be to shocked to say anything. " We all believe in you, and hope that enjoy your time in the simulation! Good luck!" With that, the three foretellers vanished in a puff of smoke.
Everyone stare at the spot where the foretellers vanished. Everyone could hear their own heartbeat. Finally, after what seemed like forever, a girl screamed. Then a guy. Everyone felt pure terror, falling to their knees, tears streaming down their face. Heather took a tempted step back, looking over to Maya who was too shocked to mumble a word, to shocked to even move.
This place was a living hell, die in the game, and we will never be able to return to the world we called home. These people they stole our lives like we didn't even care to have them. We were their guinea pigs, their slaves. Who would even care if we never made it back anyway? Pfft, like they would. After all, were useless mortals compared to them.
Heather jumped a little and cast a horrified look behind her when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Bael frowned at her, casting a worried glance toward Maya.
" Let's get out of here," He mumbled to her, Heather nodding as she quickly grabbed Maya's hand, the three leaping through a corridor of light Bael created, only to see a sickening sight in their party's dimension.
" N-no way..." Maya whispered, her eyes wide in horror, Heather putting a hand over her mouth. Right next to the fountain, was a billboard size request board, thousands upon thousands quests sticking to it.
" Thought so." Bael sighed as he crossed his arms as he closed his eyes. He reopened them as he grabbed Quest 1's flyer, a portal opening up in front of him. " We might as well get started."
" You really think we can do this?" Heather asked, motioning to the flyers. " There's gotta be at least a couple thousand up there! No way we'll ever be able to take care of them all!"
" Then that's it?" He glanced back at her, with a frown. " You just gonna give up then? Just accept that we'll never be able to see our parents again?" Heather frowned, looking at the ground.
" I-I want to see them again... Not just my parent's, but my friends too..." Maya whispered, before looking at Bael. " So count me in! I'll do whatever it takes to see those smiles again!" Bael smirked at her, before looking at Heather.
" I'm in." She whispered, hugging her arms. " I just hope all works out in the end," Heather whispered.
" Bael." A hard voice came up from behind him, Bael turning around as he raised an eyebrow at the pink haired girl.
" Noa, your back." Bael crossed his arms, a soft smile on his face. " Where were you?" Noa frowned, grabbing his ear as he pulled him to her house, Bael dropping the flyer as the portal closed.
" You're coming with me." She ordered, Bael doubling over as he bent down to her height, being practically dragged over to her house.
" Ow ow OW! Noa! Your fingernails are sharp!" Bael complained as Noa pushed him into her room, an extra bed popping into life as Bael stepped inside, Noa slamming the door in front of Heather and Maya's faces behind her, the two trying to sneak in to listen in with what was going on.
" Well, crap," Heather mumbled as she tried to reopen the door, the door seeming to be locked.
" Think Bael will be okay?" Maya looked at Heather, Heather smirking as she fell backward, looking back up at the sky.
" Of course, they were pretty close when it was just the chat. Noa can be scary if she wants to be but she would never hurt Bael." Heather told the brunette, Maya nodding as she fell backward with her, her long dark brown hair entangling with Heather's white.
" So who would win in a fight?" Maya asked, Heather, raising an eyebrow.
" Bael and Noa?" Maya nodded, Heather, sighing with a smile.
" If those two were to spar, this whole square would be in shambles." Heather shook her head. " Seriously, there both two strong for their own good. Sense Bael's a strength boost skill and Noa's a defense boost skill, they would probably just cancel each other out and fight till they get tired." She explained, Maya frowning as she looked at the sky.
" You ever think we'll get that strong?" Maya asked, Heather, looking at the girl with a frown.
" Maybe..." She said half doubtingly. To be honest, she had no idea whether they would get even close to their strength. Even if they were to work hard and reach past their level, level their skill to the max and use their type to their full potential- there was still something they lacked. Something Noa and Bael had that they didn't.
" That was a little harsh." Bael sighed as he crossed his arms. " You could've just let them listen in, their apart of the part after all."
" It's not about that." Noa sighed, opening her menu as she accessed her items, a soda materializing in her hands as she sat on the ground, back against the door as she opened the can and took a drink.
" Okay then, what is this about?" Bael asked, Noa, frowning, hesitating to answer.
" When was the last time you saw your Chirithy?" Noa asked, Bael walking over to the bed as he slumped down closing his eyes for a moment.
" I only saw him for an hour my first day, and a half an hour my second. I've been feeling better since then." Bael answered, Noa, swishing the soda in her can as she looked at it.
" I remember when I first arrived, it was just me and you. You looked so... empty." She sighed. " How the hell did you end up with a dark Chirithy?"
" Simple, I'm a being of darkness. At least that's what this program classifies me as." Bael frowned. " It sucks. That stupid dark Chirithy keeps trying to manipulate me, making me think killing is okay and friends will just hold me back, that this party will just hold me back. When I refuse- I get these headaches, like my head is gonna split open. If I give in and agree, I lose a part of my sanity and begin to loose control."
" But that's stupid! You're just as human as the rest of the players. Why did you have to be picked to be the bad guy." Noa objected, Bael shrugging.
" Not sure, it might not have been their idea at all. Maybe it's a bug or a glitch or something. Maybe my Chirithy's corrupted." Bael sighed. " All I know is that soon enough I'll turn completely dark, one way or another. I thought it finally stopped when my Chirithy never turned up. I never felt so free these past few days. But I guess that's not the case, once he comes back, it'll be hell all over again."
" Bael..." Noa frowned, getting to her feet as she smacked the back of his head. Bael gripped his head and cursed under his breath.
" What was that for?" He yelled, looking up at her. She crossed her arms with a huff. Bael's gaze softened when he looked at her, it looked as if she was holding back her tears.
" Don't talk like that! It only makes you even darker. You wanna stay in the light right? Then act like it! The Heaven's Knights doesn't have any room for downers!" She grabbed the collar of his shirt, Bael looking away as she looked hard in his face. She quickly released him, walking back to the door.
" You're Chirithy's over in the foreteller's study. You should rescue him soon. Stupid or not, if he dies you die too. I'm sure you already know that." She told him, Bael nodding solemnly as she put her hands on her hips.
" So then, now that that's taken care of. What are we gonna do about Maya and Heather?" Noa asked, Bael coaxing his head to the side in a mocking way.
" Whatever do you mean, Milady?" Bael asked. " All we gotta do is give them each a couple of the easier quests to take care of and we take care of the harder ones." Noa sighed.
" Good plan." She replied sarcastically. " Just expect them to waltz without knowing how to summon a keyblade or use medals. I'm sure they'll be able to defeat the target heartless easily." Noa snorted, Bael laughing.
" Okay okay, I get it." He sighed. " A training lesson is in order. After all- He got up, walking over to the door, as he stopped right next to her, whispering in her ear. " Remember you promised a spar against me, Milady." Noa's eyes widened, as Bael smirked, grabbing his black cape and swinging it in the air as he walked away, through the door and into the night, the room, shrinking, and the bed disappearing as if it was never there.