UltimateHeroEric: So this is the boss?

SakurAssassin: Yes.

UltimateHeroEric: Okay. How are we going to take him down? I'm ready! This will be too easy...

SakurAssassin: Sorry, I misunderstood. This is our boss, not THE boss. He's going to hire us to take down some other boss.

There were many shogunates in the country of Japan. Each shogun boss recruited players to do their dirty work and assassinate other bosses. It really more of a self-preservation technique. If they hired players to take down the other bosses, they had less of a chance of being assassinated themselves. The thing is, you had to accomplish your task before somebody else took down your boss first.

"I am glad you two specifically have come," the shogun greeted us. "I have heard reports that you both are highly ranked players."

UltimateHeroEric: How does he know?

SakurAssassin: He doesn't. He says that to everybody.

"The mission I have chosen for you requires the upmost discretion. Your very lives will be tested. It requires skill, cunning, using the very elements to make yourself invisible. I expect you to be merciless."

He dipped his brush in a small clay bowl filled to the brim with blank ink. With a harsh calligraphy, he scrawled onto a sheet of parchment.

"I require that you assassinate the boss in the neighboring shogunate. I trust you won't let me down. You are dismissed," he said.

We exited the ornate palace by way of the garden so that we wouldn't become apparent to the outside players. We walked along the zigzagged wooden planks in the sea of rocks. The white stones rippled and waved in intricate patterns.

UltimateHeroEric: Sassy pants, does this mean what I think it means?

SakurAssassin: Probably, but I really don't know what you're thinking of exactly.

UltimateHeroEric: WE'RE GOING TO BE NINJAS!

SakurAssassin: I'm already a ninja :P

UltimateHeroEric: :P That's a technicality. We've got a ninja assignment! Do you know what this means?!

SakurAssassin: What?

UltimateHeroEric: I'm halfway to a teenage mutant ninja turtle :)

SakurAssassin: Is there any particular reason you want to be a mutated turtle?

UltimateHeroEric: Oh come on! Who do you want to be? Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, or Mikey. I'm pinning you down as more of a Donatello type.

SakurAssassin: We're not TMNT. Besides, by weapon type, I'd be Leonardo :P

UltimateHeroEric: Okay fine, but can I at least dress like a ninja?

SakurAssassin: No. The point is not to look like a ninja.

UltimateHeroEric: But you already do.

SakurAssassin: And that's not a good thing. People are going to assume I'm a ninja coming to assassinate their boss. Like attracts like, if you will. Now, the place that we're going is the most popular shogunate. They have lots of players and lots of technology, so I can't just stay invisible. We're going to have to sneak in for real.

UltimateHeroEric: My sneaky senses are tingling. Alright, what's the plan?

SakurAssassin: Unfortunately, my stats are a little weird. They're going to think we're suspicious right away if I try to go in as a player. An NPC would be more explainable.

UltimateHeroEric: An NPC? How are you going to pull that off?

I sighed. This was kind of awkward. I typed up the explanation despite the burning blush on my face.

SakurAssassin: We're going to pretend that you captured my heart.

It took a while for Eric to respond. Would he think that plan was too weird? There was really no other good reason for an NPC to be with a player.

UltimateHeroEric: Well, sassy pants, if I'm going to capture your heart, I'm going to need to borrow that lederhosen ;)

SakurAssassin: You're going to regret that comment. It just so happens that you're going to need a costume, too.

UltimateHeroEric: Oh no, please. I didn't mean to. Can't we just forget that ever even happened?

SakurAssassin: Too late. I already sent it to your inventory.

UltimateHeroEric: :( Well what are you going to wear?

The most obvious choice for me was to dress like a geisha. We were in Japan after all. These were the kind of NPCs you could capture here. The many folds and layers of clothes were perfect for hiding my katana. The kimono I wore was beautiful. It was a floral design with branches if sakura. I really didn't look like a player at all. Layers and layers of makeup covered my face to make it look like I wasn't even wearing a mask at all. A wig with lots of dangling ornaments sat on my head. I almost felt like a Christmas tree.

You see, the thing about winning the heart of a geisha is that the process is really very complicated. It requires stats that show bravery, loyalty, class, and it never hurts to have a lot of money. The part where our plans go a little fishy is where a geisha, like myself, gets her heart captured by a guy decked out in lederhosen.

UltimateHeroEric: Wow, sassy pants! You look like a girl.

SakurAssassin: Good. Being a girl would be a lot easier to explain. On your part at least. I'm not going to be able to talk.

UltimateHeroEric: Do I really have to wear the lederhosen?

SakurAssassin: It'll be easier for us to get around if people didn't think you were you. I've got you something so that you can temporarily change your name without the change going on the official game record.

In inventory, it looked like one of those "Hello, my name is..." stickers.

UltimateHeroEric: Cool. Is it a cheat?

SakurAssassin: Of course not. I bought it with my own money credit. I got something for me as well so it looks like I don't have a username at all like an NPC.

: See. This is why I won't be able to talk. Looks awfully suspicious, doesn't it?

SuperLeaderHosen: This just looks suspiciously awful :( Can't I just keep my old username.

He had put on the lederhosen. His cowboy outfit was put aside, replaced by the wondrous bright green shorts. I laughed at our now common misfortune.

: No, that's perfect! :) It'll look like you just wandered in there. The effects won't last long, so we'll be able to get our old usernames back.

We were able to take the main roads of our province without any trouble. I stayed silent just a few steps behind Eric. Once we got to the border, things began to get tricky. It was pretty apparent there was a player playing gaurd.

Flamemaster321: Hey you stop!

A general message? Looks like this guy had a point to prove.

SuperLeaderHosen: Why?

He stopped, so I stopped as well. I tried my best to be as digitally demure as I possibly could.

Flamemaster321: This is a checkpoint.

SuperLeaderHosen: Sorry if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Japan is an island. If I just walked over an ocean, I must be glitching something awful.

Flamemaster321: Ha ha, very funny. Look, it will just be better if you didn't come this way for a while.

SuperLeaderHosen: And it'll probably just be better if you just let me by. I'm kind of in a hurry.

Flamemaster321: Whoa man, what's your rush?

I quickly checked through Flamemaster321's stats. Not bad. Nothing either of us couldn't handle, but it really wouldn't be a good idea to attract attention so near enemy territory.

SuperLeaderHosen: Dude, chill. I'm just going to meet up with some friends and show off my girl.

Well, that took an unexpected turn. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good coverup. Eric slipped around the player, and I followed quickly after.

Flamemaster321: Wait, hold up, are you really saying you won a geisha?

He was following us. We'd have to take him out soon.

SuperLeaderHosen: Yeah, and it took forever to capture her heart. My friends are never going to believe this.

Flamemaster321: Prove it. Kiss her.

He was starting to figure it out. That was okay. We had gotten far enough. Eric didn't have the action to kiss me. Flamemaster321 was starting to power up some powerful magic.

SuperLeaderHosen: Whoa, slow down there, ya perv. We're not far enough in our relationship for that sort of hanky panky.

I cracked a smile at that. The bluff was cute. I drew my sword from under the clothes on my back and stabbed Flamemaster321 through his gut. I withdrew when he started to dissolve.

: Trees

I went off the path and climbed quickly up to the treetops. Flamemaster321's teammates would be after us now. The branches lined up in a maze of paths so we could continue running. I put the kimono into inventory so my speed stats would be unhindered. I put the wig away as well because that just looked ridiculous.

SuperLeaderHosen: Ahahaha! Your face!

Oh right. Now I looked like a ninja with a lot of makeup on my face. I turned my invisibility on, not like that made much difference with Eric.

: They'll know we're here. They'll have already informed the palace.

SuperLeaderHosen: No need for disguises then.

UltimateHeroEric: Ahhhhh, feels good to be back! Howdy, pardner!

The bright green lederhosen had been put back into inventory. Eric was back in his regular cowboy attire. A much better look for him, I must confess.

Bright search lights shone through the leaves

SakurAssassin: Quick, get down!

We jumped down to the ground, we hid behind the trunks. Only when the lights passed did we dare to move. It got harder as the trees got thinner as we got closer to the lake. The light left again, and I chanced it. I ran and dove into the water. The white cloud produced from my makeup dissipated. I searched the shore line and snagged a hollow reed. My character knew what to do for the rest.

I looked back to find that Eric had followed my lead. A reed was promptly sticking out of his character's mouth and broke through to the surface.

We both swam slowly across the lake. The goal was to make the least amount of ripples as possible.

UltimateHeroEric: Think we lost them?

SakurAssassin: For now. It'll be a bit harder when we actually break in.

We washed up the shore of another rock garden. I let my feet be carried by the drawn in ridges as they spiraled toward a giant rock. I hid behind it for good measure.

We were near the outside wall. There were guards on watch.

SakurAssassin: We're going to need some kind of distraction so we can sneak in.

UltimateHeroEric: I could shoot them. Get them off your tail while you go in and do your assassin thing.

SakurAssassin: Really? You'd do that for me? I know how much you like killing bosses.

UltimateHeroEric: Sassy pants, it's your destiny.

UltimateHeroEric: Remember...who you are.

UltimateHeroEric: Plus, my weapons are louder than yours. Makes it pretty hard to be sneaky AND kill people.

SakurAssassin: :P Okay, but be careful. I'll meet up with you in a little bit.

Eric ran out brazenly through the rock garden. His footsteps ingrained in the malleable surface of the sea of small stones. Shots were fired. I stayed behind the rock until I saw the guards and players go after him.

I wasted no time in scaling the outside wall. The inside of these palaces were always complicated. Historically, it was to hinder ninja assassins like me. However, I had memorized the blue prints long ago, including the secret passage ways which would lead me to the shogun.

The secret entrance was hidden in the bushes. I crouched down and was literally running through the walls. It almost made me feel like I had my ghost walker again. After rounding a few corners, it was a straight shot to the court room. There was only a thin screen separating me from the shogun.

I could hear him talking to someone. It sounded like he was in the middle of gathering some new recruits. I'd have to make this quick.

I burst dramatically through the screen and stabbed the shogun. I felt a little smile creep on my face as I watched his HP drain. I beat him.

I was startled to hear the sound of gunshots in my headphones. They sounded close. Were the recruits trying to kill me? I got myself in a defensive position.

UltimateHeroEric: So this is where he was. I was starting to wonder. This place is like a giant maze.

Oh, so it was just Eric. He had shot the recruits. They had already pixeled away.

SakurAssassin: Eric, we did it! We finally did it!

UltimateHeroEric: Awesome! Handshake!

I ran toward him and initiated the handshake.

SakurAssassin: We're so close to beating the game! Aren't you excited?!

UltimateHeroEric: Of course! Why wouldn't I be?

I didn't know why, but something seemed a little off. Like his level of enthusiasm wasn't where I thought it would be. Could it just be me? Maybe I was too happy about winning the game. It wasn't that big of an accomplishment after all. I was just so glad I got to experience it all with him. I was going to finish the game I loved with the person I loved. Of course, he didn't know that. Yet.

SakurAssassin: Be sure to get lots of sleep. Odds are we'll take on the final boss tomorrow :)

UltimateHeroEric: :) Okay. Goodnight, sassy pants!

SakurAssassin: Goodnight, Eric :)