Show Time~
It was the day of launch, something that I could not have waited any longer for. I set up my game so that it should finish downloading Sword Art Online to my PC by the time I had gotten home.
Me and Flynn had coordinated this day since the beta had ended, we exchanged numbers at Jacob's party. As soon as I got home from school, I went upstairs to my room, and flung my backpack across my abode, listening to the light scraping sound it made as it hit the wall. I looked around my room, took in the white walls, the Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and PokeMon posters that littered my room and exhaled in with satisfaction of my gaming career.
Within minutes, my nerve gear was set and calibrated properly. I set my account to the MMO Stream's live footage of the launch. I rested the crimson Nerve helmet on my head, laid down on my bed, closed my eyes, and felt my mind speak the words as if they came from the heart, "Link, Start!"
I was surrounded by a white matrix, with multicolored pillars flying by me, checking the calibrations and network setting of my nerve gear. After calibrations were done, it brought me to a log in screen, where I entered in my information. A small white menu popped up with the name of my character on it Kotani, Welcome back to SAO, use beta character data? I selected the Begin new option, simply because the 'ok' option was not present.
The entire matrix seemed to melt away as I felt my body virtually came in to play. My eyes were still closed. Just to savor the moment, I took in a deep breathe, with the fresh sent of summer time breeze and blossoming Lotus flowers I exhaled. I opened my eyes to a similar looking town square, trees all around myself, a cobblestone floor, large buildings and small shops cluttered the Town of Beginnings. I swiped my index finger and thumb down at the same time, pulling up my menu, I scrolled to the Social tab, and found Add Friend although I was already beat to it. A message appeared on my screen, Hades has sent you a Friend Request, accept? Flynn, she had named her character Hades, and with good reason too. She dropped mobs like the queen of the underworld, her skill with a short sword was unmatched. I pressed my index finger on the small blue circle, meaning 'ok' and was brought back to the Social tab of my menu, I closed it out, and looked around. Trying to spot my red-headed adventure companion. Sadly, she beat me to that as well, she tapped my shoulder and asked ever so innocently, "Who you looking for, Kotani?" I turned around to find her looking just as innocent as she sounded, head tilted and a grin on her face.
Me and Flynn had spent the day getting past the wolves that lay between us and the second town, we had no time to deal with all of those cluttered noobies in the Town of Beginnings. As we ran past boars in our path, I couldn't help but notice how dazzling her eyes looked in this game, I must say she is quite beautiful when she's doing what she enjoys.
We had reached the second town when bells had started to ring from the Town of Beginnings, and within moments, Flynn and I were encased in an envelope of blue, and the next thing I saw was the town square, from the starting area.
Everyone was scattered out around us, some looking frightened, others looking like they had a sense of false confidence, and the rest were just wondering how they had been teleported here. On the other hand, I was excited to see what was about to happen. And I think I'll be the first to admit, I don't want to talk about what HE said. Akihko Kayaba had summoned himself and everyone who was logged in to the game at the time. with a blood red backdrop of security warnings, his face was cloaked, his garbs were the color of blood, similar to the backdrop. A long robe he wore, it had a gold trim. Every night I try to forget what he said, and I don't dare repeat it.
The only thing I found of interest from that event, was the mirror that we had aquired. I hadn't used mine, but I guess everyone felt compelled to. I knew what I looked like, just like my real self. Nothing added, or subtracted from my body what so ever. The same went for Flynn, although I caught her peeking at herself in the mirror, and couldn't help but grin. Flashes of blue spurred from those curious enough to look at themselves. Their true forms took shape in place if their avatars, even Flynn and I. I was a little bit skinner than my original avatar, but past that nothing had changed.
The rest of the day was a blur. I can barely remember anything from it to this day, although, the way back to the second town was easier this time, passing NPCs, quest givers, and small shop owners. All on this quant little cobblestone path.
Flynn and I walked in silence, side by side, hand in hand.
As we reached the gates to the second town, she looked at me and I glanced back at her, she smiled and I knew what she was thinking, "It's magical, isn't it? Us? Inside of a virtual world. I honestly cannot explain how much I have been waiting for this kind of... Opportunity." I said, finally speaking my thoughts. She simply nodded as we entered the town. It was past sun down, yet I wasn't tired. I knew that the nighttime was the time to grind, I was only level 3 currently, and that made me ponder what difficulties lay ahead of us. Although, the thought seemed to stick to my mind like a fly on sticky paper, this game will be cleared.
Four hours, that's how long it took me to reach level five. Not too long, it was only two levels. Three or four quests I had completed during the time, One of the quest rewards was a hood, boy did I love hoods, it was called Wanderer Hood The quest was named Over Yonder It was a simple hack n' slash quest, involving a spider and two wolves, nothing to diverse. "Hey, can we hit an inn or something? I'm getting tired." Flynn called from behind me after finishing off a wolf. She still looked so god damned beautiful in the moon light.
I sheathed my sword and called back, "Sure! Want to stay at the one in ShadowGlave? I hear the innkeeper can give out quests." She smiled and sheathed her longsword on her back, "Shall we?" she turned from me, started to walk softly back in the direction of the town, which wasn't too far away.
The room didn't cost too much for the night only around 9 or ten Col. There were two beds, which was the only thing I had focused on that night. White sheets, white pillows, just the right size. It seemed almost trance like as I got undressed, and seeped in to the bed itself.
That morning, I awoke to Flynn's dark red hair dangling over my face, and I thought that her smile was so bright it voided me, but that was just the sun. "Good morning, Brady. Show Time!"