Spice: Hello, ladies and gentlemen, Spiceracksargent001 here, bringing you a brand new chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh Virtual: Enter the Element Reavers! Been on a bit of a creative streak for this story lately, so I'm gonna ride this out and see how far I can get.
ELFI: The Captain owns neither Yu-Gi-Oh, nor the Storyworld this work takes place in.
Spice: That second part is subject to possible change, however, as the Element Reavers and Alpha Gear will be doing largely different things and going different places. Hell, Phoenix is even letting me create an area where Players can find weaponry from Feudal Japan. Still brainstorming on that front by the way, folks, so don't expect anything to come of that just yet. Without further ado, on with the story!
-Starter Forest, Diana's P.o.V.-
I stretched as I stood just outside the gate linking the Village of Beginnings to the Starter Forest. Beside me, Dance Princess was twirling one of her shields around her index finger, and Spellbreaker was checking up on little Eria. I'd called back Inner Guard so that Eria could get her Familiar Spirit, and he understood why perfectly. As I stretched, I thought back to the info Cloud and I had gathered for finding Eria's Familiar.
"Alright, everyone," I call out to my Monsters, getting everyone's attention. "We're heading into the Starter Forest to look for a Gigobyte. According to the info we gathered, there are a few ponds scattered around the forest where Gigobyte spawns are common. We're gonna find one, and then wait while Eria does her thing."
Dance Princess and Spellbreaker nod before smiling at Eria, who was positively beaming at the prospect of connecting with her Familiar Spirit. I'm honestly starting to understand how Cloud is the way he is with Wynn; little Eria's just so precious that I can't help but feel like an older sibling with her around. I smile and offer Eria my hand, which she eagerly accepts, as we start making our way into the Starter Forest to find Eria's Familiar and maybe even get some training in.
"Wonder how Cloud and Wynn are doing?" I muse aloud as we walk. "Any bets they're at those Harpie Hunting Grounds yet?"
"Were it just Harpie's Brother, I've no doubt he's already be there, since he's capable of reaching Mach 5 at his fastest," Dance Princess replies thoughtfully. "Even going at slower pace so Cloud and Wynn can keep up with him, I imagine they're about a third of the way there already."
-Cloud's P.o.V., en route to the Harpie's Hunting Grounds-
"How much farther?" I inquire as Wynn and I catch up to Harpie's Brother, who'd gone ahead to scout the air and make sure our path was secure.
"I'd say we're just shy of a third of the way there, now," Harpie's Brother replies as he looks to me. "Feeling anything on the winds?"
I nod. "A storm brews to the Southwest. It will be upon us in about ten minutes at our current pace."
Harpie's Brother mills over this info before nodding to me. "Let's keep flying for another five minutes or so and see if we can't find a good forest to rest in while we wait out the storm."
"Sounds like a plan," I reply, Wynn nodding beside me as we continue heading towards the Hunting Grounds. I have to admit, despite not having put points into levitate, I'm glad to be able to fly in this world using my wind magic; the view of the world from where Gods dwell truly is a sight to behold. There's a certain beauty to it that only someone whose heart belongs to the winds can truly appreciate, to be able to see the rivers and isles of color denoting roads and settlements scattered amongst the rolling seas of earthen and oceanic splendor with a view as flawless as one from the air.
Those five minutes passed faster than I'd have liked, and I saw Harpie's Brother signaling down in front of us as he began to descend to a forest. Nodding to Wynn, we began to descend as well, following our resident master of the air. I could still feel the storm on the winds. We would be in the outskirts of it in about four minutes, and then the storm would truly be upon us.
When we landed, it seemed the stirring winds from my magic and the beating of Harpie's Brother's wings woke someone nearby, as we heard a dainty yawn, making us turn to see… the top half of a very well-tanned woman beginning to sit up from inside a large, midnight blue rose head. Said woman was wearing a brown-tinged Leather Bodysuit, that did absolutely nothing to hide her large bust so much as emphasize it, which combined with the flower base to denote that she was Earth/Plant. Her hair was unkempt, midnight blue, and seemed to reach pretty far down, complete with bangs that largely obscured her eyes. I did note, however, that her hair had red highlights in it, as there were long streaks of a deep, glistening Crimson in her hair that seemed to move and shift with her hair's every movement, and a closer inspection revealed a similar tinge to the petals of her flower base. I then directed my gaze to her right arm and saw the flower-themed Bracer, confirming what I thought in that she was a Player.
"Mmm… Who's'ere?" The woman asked in a drowsy slur, rubbing her eyes with her left arm before looking at us. Even blurred from sleepiness and with her bangs obscuring much of them, I could see that she had Heterochromia eyes, her right eye being a ruby red, matched by the sapphire blue of her left.
"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," I apologize sheepishly, even as I tried to keep my focus on her eyes and not on how that bodysuit hugged the busty blunette in all the right places. "We were just passing through, and were hoping to find a bit of shelter from the storm that'll be passing through here in a few minutes."
The woman nodded in understanding as she retracted her flower base and pulled up her roots, revealing that she was completely barefoot, didn't even wear footwrap, and that her hair went down to her knees. "Makes sense," she says even as she leans back a bit and lets out another big yawn, making it very hard to keep my gaze from going any lower than her shoulders. She spared me, somewhat, by turning around so I didn't have to bear witness to more of Data Life's jiggle physics, and started walking deeper into the forest while motioning with her hand for us to follow. "Come on, I know a good spot with lots'a top cover."
I shake my head as I try to banish my blush and follow after the woman, who idly put two cards on her Bracer and summoned a Beautiful Headhuntress and Prevent Rat. Harpie's Brother looked to be holding back his laughter, which made me deflate a bit, no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't hesitate to tease me about my weakness to beautiful women if not for Wynn. "So," the woman starts, drawing my attention as we keep walking, "the name's Alexandra Rose. You got a name, cutie?"
That brought my blush back as I look away bashfully for fear of my eyes wandering again. "C-Cloud Skywind."
"Cloud Skywind, huh...?" Alexandra asks to herself, seemingly bouncing my name around in her head. "You don't mind if I call ya Feather, do ya? Yer footsteps across the ground feel very light, like a feather."
"Uhh…" I trail off, not sure how to respond to that. Even Wynn and Harpie's Brother seemed a bit confused when I looked to them for advice.
"Silence is acceptance, Feather," Alexandra says as we keep walking. "So, where ya heading? Newbies like us? We've always someplace we're lookin' for once we step out of the opening zones' cradle."
"T-the Harpies' Hunting Grounds," I reply, a bit uncertainly.
"Th' Huntin' Grounds, eh? Lots'a Harpies there, Feather. Vicious bird ladies that wouldn't hesitate to take 'vantage of a fresh, vulnerable man like yourself," Alexandra warns. "'Course, the Harpies be only one of th' things wanderin' there. Birdfaces patrol the borders of Harpie nests, and Harpie huntin' parties're always competin' with Phantom Griffon packs for turf an' prey."
"Noted," I reply, shrugging to Harpie's Brother before returning my attention to Alexandra. "Why're you telling me this, though?"
"Y'seem like a nice kid, Feather. Be a right shame for you t'spend the rest'a your days here as the fuck toy of a bunch'a Harpies," Alexandra teases. "'Sides, us Rooks gotta stick together. Strength in numbers an' all."
"I suppose I can't argue with the logic on that last point," I reply, trying, and failing, to suppress a shiver at the thought of being held captive as a breeder to a nest of Harpies. Whether that shiver was one of arousal or terror, though, I couldn't tell. 'Wonder how Diana's doing right now…?' I think to myself, trying to distract myself from the busty bluenette before me and what I could potentially be heading towards.
-Starter Forest, Diana's P.o.V.-
I smile as I look to the woman sitting beside me. I'd run into her while she was sparing with her Monster. She had yellow hair that was done up like Akiza's whenever the psychic duelist's limiter came off with streaks of blue in it, electric blue eyes, lightly tanned skin, and breasts that, from what I could guess (I could just barely see the chest wrap she wore to keep them out of the way), were maybe only a little bigger than mine. She was wearing a green-tinted Leather Bodysuit of the same style as mine, and resting beside her at the moment was the Iron Spear that served as her weapon of choice.
This was Relena Neaclon, a Wind/Thunder Player whom I can proudly say I've really hit it off with so far. She also apparently had an older brother around somewhere, but she apparently lost sight of him after they'd entered the Virtual World together, and after looking for him for a few days, is convinced that he's found a group to travel with and that they'll run into each other eventually.
Right now we were watching from a rock nearby a decently sized pond as Eria was chatting up a Gigobyte and doing… whatever it is Charmer's do to contract with their Familiar. Cloud's a Spellcaster; he probably understands the magic mumbo-jumbo a hell of a lot better than I ever could.
"So, where'd you get Eria?" Relena asks as she looks to me.
"She's a gift from a friend I made recently," I reply with a smile as I look at Eria. "I actually first bumped into him, literally, when I was about to register for the new VR world."
Relena snickered a bit at how I described mine and Cloud's first meeting. "So, this friend of yours, what's he like?" She asks, a teasing smile on her face, even as I saw her Monster, an Elemental HERO Sparkman, shake his head, seemingly in exasperation at what was on her mind.
"Cloud? He's pretty cool," I reply thoughtfully as I look up at the sky and kick my feet into the open air idly. "He's a Wind/Spellcaster. He picked up a Longbow and Chainmail when we first got to the Village, so I guess he must've had some Archery experience back home. He's pretty easy to tease, too. He's also apparently got this really weird ability where he can read the wind and predict the future. If his Monsters are to be believed, this is something he's got even in the real world."
"Interesting, So who'd he pick for his Starter?" Relena asks, even as Eria walks over with a beaming smile on her face and a Gigobyte card in hand that she gave to me. I also just got a notification that I'd gotten an Upgrade point for my first diplomatic recruit.
"Oh, thanks, Eria," I say with a smile, ruffling Eria's hair a bit, to the little Charmer's delight, before returning my attention to my new companion. "Anyway, Cloud's Starter is a Sky Scout, but he's got one of the original English cards, so the Monster's name registers as Harpie's Brother. He's also got a Wynn the Wind Charmer and Petit Dragon."
"Why the Petit Dragon?" Relena asks with a confused expression. "Seems like a poor add-on for such a strong initial line-up."
"Petit Dragon is Wynn-nee-chan's Familiar," Eria replies. Relena blinked at Eria's reply (we'd already registered each other as friends), but nodded.
"So, where is this Cloud Guy now?" Relena asks. "I'm interested in meeting him."
"We've split up for a bit," I reply while waving my hand back in the direction of the Village of Beginnings. "He bought a Field Spell back in the Open Market, so he's heading to the Field's location now to go recruiting."
"What Field is he going to?" Relena asks, curious.
"Someplace called the Harpies' Hunting Grounds," I reply. "He wanted to go recruit some Harpies for his lineup, and that's apparently one of the best places to find them."
"Hm. Well, we've got a few days to kill while we wait then, so… what do you wanna do now?" Relena asks.
"I don't know," I admit with a shrug. "Wanna head back to the Village, get something to eat?"
"Sure, I could use a bite to eat," my new companion says with a smile as we get off of the rock we were sitting on, grab our weapons, and start making our way back to the Village with our Monsters in tow.
-Cloud's P.o.V.-
I let out a sigh of relief as I finish the apple I was eating. Turns out Plant and Insect-types can talk to each other, and after arriving at the spot Alexandra was leading me to, she'd asked a couple of Bladeflies that were passing through the area at the time to forage some food for us to eat while we wait out the storm, which had just gotten directly overhead us, the dense top-cover of the trees keeping us pretty dry overall.
"Well, no way we'll be flying again until the storm passes," I muse aloud, looking up as I read the winds to try gauging how long the storm'll last.
"Any idea when we'll be able to take off again?" Harpie's Brother asks as he finishes the mouse he'd been eating.
"I'd say no sooner than an hour from now," I reply, still trying to gauge exactly how long we had before sighing. The winds weren't giving me much to work with at the moment; the section of forest we were in was too dense for them to give me much beyond what I said. "We might as well take the time to rest up a bit before continuing on."
Harpie's Brother nods and helps Wynn to her feet as the Charmer finishes an apple of her own and they start looking for a relatively cozy spot to rest.
"Ye're welcome to nap with me, Feather," Alexandra offers as I get up to follow my Monsters' example, making me wheel around, looking at the twin-colored woman in surprise and embarrassment. Either she didn't register the blush on my face, or she just didn't care as she continued talking. "My Flower Base is big 'nough for me an' one other person, and it'd be a lot comfier than the dirt an' grass or tree bark."
"A-are you sure?" I stutter nervously. "I-I-I w-wouldn't want t-to impose…"
"I don' mind if ya want to, Feather," Alexandra shrugs indifferently. "This part a th' forest is pretty remote. Only ones 'ere 're us an' our Monsters. 'Sides, what's th' worst that happens?"
I was silent for a good while, trying to come up with a counter argument, but none came up. 'I hope Diana never figures out about this, I don't think she'll ever let me live this down,' I think to myself before sighing in defeat. "Fine, you win," I acquiesce, walking over to Alexandra and climbing into the large, midnight blue rose head that sprung up from the ground as she puts down roots again.
"There, now was that so hard, Feather?" Alexandra asks with an amused smile as she helps me settle into the flower.
"Sh-shut up…" I mumble with an embarrassed blush on my cheeks, made only worse by the way she started stroking my hair in a way that calmed my nerves and started to make me drowsy.
"Rest well, Feather," Alexandra coos softly in a tone my rapidly hazing mind could only describe as motherly. "Ye'll need all th' rest ya can get for yer trip to the Huntin' Grounds."
With that, the desire to sleep rather handily won out over trying to protest the way she was treating me and I allowed myself to slip unconscious in her embrace.
-Alexandra's P.o.V.-
I allowed a smile to grace my lips as Feather fell asleep in my arms. He looked so cute like this, like a kid napping in his momma's embrace. I allowed a small chuckle to slip out of me as I kissed his head gently before nuzzling up as I fell asleep as well.
'Cloud Skywind… somethin' tells me I'll be seein' a lot more of ya in the coming days, Feather,' I think to myself as I nuzzle up to my fellow archer. 'I think I'll keep an eye on ya from now on, see where this world takes ya…'
Spice: And that's Chapter. Cloud and Diana meet new people, a sort of limitation is revealed for Cloud's little "wind reading" trick, and Eria obtains her Familiar Spirit. Next chapter, Cloud and his Monsters make it to the Hunting Grounds, and Cloud and Diana begin their training proper.
ELFI: As is the Captain's policy, constructive criticism is welcomed and highly appreciated. Flames will be used as practice for the Hephaestus' Electronic Warfare suite.
Spice: Until next time folks, this is Spiceracksargent001: signing off.