Yay! Chapter 2! o I have taken all of your comments into consideration while re-vamping this chapter. I do realize that the description, well, was non-existant. So I remedied that with this! Ho-tcha! D I hope you all like this better then my previous chapters. Now for some Reader Response throws cookies and various plushies to all reviewers>

quitelacking: Yep. She'll meet up with some story characters soon, but the OCs keep this moving in the direction I want.

Wind Kaze: 3 Ooooh, that was a lovely review o I'm very glad everyone thinks this is really original Because of your and other reviews, I majorly edited this chapter to be more well-rounded. Thanks for the cookie D

Aura24: Yes, Aura-chan, here's the next chap. o

Inv4der T4k: spritly? Fun Obachan is rather droll, huh? Anyway, though Obachan is sort of ooc last chapter, the idea is that she's "feeling out" her new role. Yes, that'll work well...

kitedragon: Yep. D That's what I thought. But your review is redundant, DDD What's "GL HF"? oo

Tarvos: "cold bitch"? ; I guess, yeah. Well, this chap has more action and terrain. I appreciate critique, even though I like praise, too.

Chapter 2: Outcast

Morgana wandered around on the cobblestone streets of Mac Anu, the Water Capital on the Delta server. The water flowed between the buildings, reminiscent of Venice. The waterways permeated everywhere, gaining notice not only through the boats and piers that made up the sidewalks, but by the large bridges as well. The town gave off a calming atmosphere, with the sunset sky, the gurgling water, and the streamers that hung from the buildings.

Morgana didn't have any plans while she traversed this water-logged city, as her only companion, Lory was offline. This wasn't surprising, since it was the middle of the day, and most players had school or work to attend to. Still, Morgana walked through the Servers, since there was no alternative. If there was anything Morgana hated, it was feeling useless. However, a voice interrupted her musings.

"Excuse me, Miss." A soft voice behind her said. Morgana turned around, and saw a male Heavyblade, with a samurai design. His black hair was pulled back in a short braid, with two green slash tattoos under his soft dark green eyes, His gi and hakama were dark green with yellow blot stripes, and his armor was yellow as well. He held a narrow katana, held in place by his left hand, ready to be drawn by his right arm, which had dark green slash tattoos.

"Yes?" Morgana said in response.

The man smiled and bowed politely, "I was wondering if a lovely lady like yourself would agree to accompany me to a dungeon that's been troubling me. I'm afraid all of my other companions are offline at the moment, and you seem to be alone yourself."

"Alone?" Morgana mused. I don't feel alone. I can always feel all of the players… she thought.

"Oh!" the man looked apologetic and bowed again, "I assumed too much on my part, didn't I?" he said, "Please, if you have other plans, I would not wish to impose on you, Miss." He bowed once more, as if he was unsure whether or not he seemed contrite.

"No, I don't have any plans." Morgana said, "I just never thought of myself 'being alone'" What a humble person. Why does he bow so much? She thought with a touch of her former disdain.

The man cheered up, "Wonderful! My name is Nezumi. Here is my Member Address, Miss."

"My name is Morgana." She said simply, as they exchanged Member Addresses. "Mouse"…interesting screenname Morgana thought, There's always a reason behind screennames.

"Then, Morgana-dono," Nezumi said, "The Keywords are Delta, Twisting, Rectangular, Void."

…Again with the suffixes…she thought as she nodded and walked to the Chaos Gate with the Heavyblade Nezumi.

Morgana and Nezumi gated into a blazing desert field, filled with hot orange sand, dotted with massive skeletons and dried insect exoskeletons. A programmer's nod to Dune? Perhaps. In the shadow of these remains were Snakey Cacti growing.

Before they trekked very far, Nezumi asked cordially, "Anou, Morgana-dono, may I invite you to my party?"

"Yes."

"Thank you very much, Morgana-dono." He said as he added her to his party, then bowing, "Shall we now proceed straight to the dungeon?"

Morgana nodded, and they trudged through the barren landscape. Has this been a real desert, they both would have found that they were dressed quite inappropriately. Morgana was secretly thankful that this measure of realism had yet to be added. After all, it's enough to worrying about wandering monsters without being distracted by sand in your shoes.

When they reached the gaping maw that was the dungeon, Morgana took the liberty to cast Ap Vakz, bolstering their fire resistence.

"Ah, thank you very much, Morgana-dono. I'm sre the boost will help."

"You're welcome." She said. Then she asked, "Why are you so polite?"

"I suppose… it's just the way I am." Nezumi replied, smiling, "Besides, I think it is necessary to effectively communicate with other people, don't you think?"

"…" Morgana merely walked into the protruding gullet that was the entrance to the fleshwall dungeon. Nezumi followed.

Some players mutter that the fleshwall dungeon was the sadistic working of a particulary disgruntled programmer. That, they muse, or said programmer just wanted to make a scary dungeon. Whatever the case, most players agreed that the ambience had a habit of getting under the skin. Whether it was the fact that you went down a creature's throat, or the sickening "shluck" sound your footsteps made, or the giant "tonsels" smothering half a hallway, or just the feeling that you're going to be digested any moment, it was truly creepy.

However, none of this seemed to faze either Morgana or Nezumi as they passed the first few small rooms, pausing only for Nezumi to break the eggs and open chests, of which Morgana always declined. Soon, however, there was a room with a portal.

"Are you ready, Morgana-dono?" Nezumi asked, bowing ever so slightly. With another nod from Morgana, he activated the portal with an "Alright, let's go!"

The portal spun out of existence, revealing two Hungry Grasses and a Sled Dog. "Morgana-dono!" Nezumi said, attacking a Hungry Grass, "Make sure our HP doesn't get too low! A boost wouldn't hurt, either!"

"Leave the Hungry Grass to me," Morgana said, casting a physical accuracy increase spell, "You take care of the Sled Dog."

"Right!" Nezumi did an abrupt about-face and started hitting the Sled Dog.

"Gigan Don!" Morgana cast the level 2 Earth spell on the Hungry Grasses, killing them instantly. As soon as the spells hit, she spun around, skirts twirling, and cast a MeRue Zot on the Sled Dog. Nezumi gave a few more slashes, (with a Ol Repth boost courtesy of Morgana) and the final monster fell. The monsters dissolved in gray, leaving only precious remains.

"Would you like the blue Risky Treasure, while I receive the normal yellow?" Nezumi courteously asked, bowing slightly.

But Morgana shook her head, "I don't need either one"

"Are you sure?" Nezumi asked, cocking his head, "Surely you would like something for your trouble?"

Morgana sighed, Is everyone going to be stubborn? "You can take them. I don't need them."

"But I must insist…"

"I'm fine." Morgana said stiffly, annoyed.

"If you say so." Nezumi conceded, using a Fortune Wire before opening the treasure, "Last chance for a Silver Bracer." He said with a trace of a smile.

"I'll be fine, truly." Morgana said briskly.

"Ah, such a lady." Nezumi said, opening the other chest, "Unlike…"

"Unlike..?"

Nezumi sighed, "Well, in my class there are some girls, and… they aren't very civil at all."

Morgana flicked through her data on cruelty and related subjects. One word in particular seemed to fit the bill.

"Do they… tease you?" she asked.

Nezumi smiled sadly, "Yes. Ramiko-san, Kumika-san, Chimiro-san tease me the most. They make fun of me for being polite, and… petite."

"You can be rather… submissive." Morgana said, "Like calling them 'san'."

Nezumi bowed again, "Yes, I know I shouldn't… but it's just what I do."

"You're pathetic." Morgana said gently, not really meaning it, "If this was a manga, I would say, 'You're a man! Show them who's boss!'" She struck a pose.

Nezumi laughed, "It's funny seeing you being frivolous; you don't seem the type."

Morgana shrugged, "I was merely commenting, that all. But," she smiled a little, thinking of another frivolous person, "I suppose it won't hurt to joke once in a while."

"True!" Nezumi smiled, "I won't take the blame, anymore!"

Morgana paused. "What?"

"Oh well, when they tease me, Ramiko-san and the others usually go crying to the teacher, saying I pulled their hair, or stole their money."

Morgana felt something flare in her, "And what do you do about that?"

"Well, I usually just get off with a warning, but I just apologize and walk away. Some teachers see I'm polite and think it's a misunderstanding."

"And they get away with it?" Morgana asked, the flaring in her stomach increasing.

"Well, um…" Nezumi shifted, "Wait… what the..?" he pointed to the ground, hardly believing his eyes.

While Nezumi had been describing his injustices, Morgana had a hot feeling of anger boiling away within her. However, this caused some literal repercussions, and the previously sickly chartreuse walls and the floor of the dungeon were turning steadily red. As Morgana felt more anger build up, violent angry red spots were breaking out all over the dungeon surface. The giant veins throbbed at a heightened rate.

Morgana froze, cursing in her mind. She forgot about where they were, and desperately tried to calm herself down. The mad throbbing disappeared, and the red rashes shrank until the dungeon was chartreuse once more.

"What was that?" Nezumi asked, "A glitch?"

"M…maybe." Morgana said, fearful that Nezumi might suspect her.

"Well, maybe we shouldn't stay in a glitching dungeon. Let's gate out and I'll inform the Sys Admin." He smiled reassuringly at her.

"Ok." Morgana was quite shaken. She had forgotten how her emotions could effect the system.

Nezumi and Morgana logged back into Mac Anu. Nezumi was about to walk off when Morgana held him back.

"Those girls…" she said, "Don't let them get away with it." With that, she logged off.

End Chapter Two>

Yay, and Morgana needs to learn to control her temper. Whenever I copy/paste, mistakes somehow appear... well, whatever. Please review, even if it's a critique