SAO (Sword Art Online) AU, with elements from SAO, yet not really SAO (a least... I tried).
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You know. I would have never had thought this would all be real, and I still don't. I didn't expect it… they never expected it… none of us expected it to happen.
-sigh- When all you wanted in your life was to play one game, just one game, and to be free from all the stress you've attained in desperate need of attention from the people you love… but then it suddenly turns into your worst nightmare and prison for what - 1 and a half months now.
… and all in one day.
It probably would have been the worst day of my life. Actually, with everything that has happened to me till now, I should have just jumped from the farthest edge of this floating- no, wait… I should have just take off my mask.
…
Haha- Yeah, you heard me. That'll surely give me a quick and painful death; no more taunts and food being thrown at you, or having to take long dark paths just to avoid people. I should have just take off this blasted mask that sadistic game creator gave us months ago!
...oh nevermind. I'll just be a coward… I can't abandon them. Not after all we've been through. At least they have it better than me, right?
…
…'Stop?' What?! What do you mean 'what so important about the mask' and 'why is it better than jumping off a virtual floating island'? Don't tell me… you don't know what I'm talking about do you?
…
-Sigh- Fine, I guess I'll tell you then. I'll give you the quick and easy story instead of a long and boring flashback scenes TV and web shows often dramatize.
Listen up fellow readers: This. Is. A. Game.
Yup, a game, and not just any game. We are in Miraculous Masks Online.
Yeah, I know - the MMO is shortened as 'MMO.' Funny right? At least the game creator had a sense of humor.
MMO is essentially a fantasy MMORPG that's set on this ginormous floating island with no magic spells or wizardry. Everyone fights using melee and long range weapons like swords or bows, and try to be the strongest player or the strongest guild of the game - you know, like any other MMORPG.
The only exception which can be considered magic, but not always, were our masks. They are the first item given to us and grant us a special skill based on the survey they give you after logging in, and trust me I've yet to seen the same skill in 2 different people.
The powers of the mask can be categorized into 3 categories: enchantment grants buffs or debuffs on yourself or opponents, power gives you a powerful one-use fighting ability, and tactician lets you change elements of your surroundings but not onto your opponents, yourself or your allies.
Most players have power masks which have the shortest activation time period, while enchantment masks take the longest to activate, but give players in parties a high advantage if used right, and tactician masks not only have a short range of effect but most abilities under tactician aren't useful in battle. Tactician mask wielders tend to be like shopkeepers or blacksmiths, so you rarely get to see them in the battlefield.
…
Hmm~ which one is my mask? Nah! I'll talk about me later. Don't want to ruin the surprise. -wink-
…
Not charmed. That's fine. Too bad for you then.
Anyways, MMO was the first game to be developed and released to the public as an MMORPG in virtual reality. Everyone was hyped about it - heck, even I was baited into this evil virtual world… then came its newest update.
While we were all having fun exploring the new expansion after the servers opened, he came… The game creator known as Hawkmoth.
No one was able to log out, and when people realized it Hawkmoth summoned every player to the town center. He is keeping us all logged in unless we can find him on the highest floor, the 100th floor, and kill him. Furthermore, if we were to be killed in battle, let our HP drop to zero, jump off the island, or take off our masks, we would die.
…
How do we know? Who knows, but no one wants to die right?
Hawkmoth told us that if we were to disappear from this world before we could complete the game, the feedback would activate something in our VR helmets and self destruct. Everyone got scared from uncertainty, and those that left never came back with help or anything, so we keep trying to survive each day here while hoping our bodies are ok in the real world.
…
Me? 'Am I scared?' Well… I guess at first, but then slowly I just… I don't know.
I just want to be who I want to be. I don't care if I'm able to go back; no one needs me over there...
Heh- ironically, it's the same here though. If there's anyone you can be in this world, I can assure you don't want to be in my shoes.
…
Hm? 'Then why are you still here?'
What are you… Oh, because of earlier. Right…
Maybe I could have jumped or remove this piece of clothing off my face already, then I wouldn't be where I am now… However, I later thought of the people here that I have met. People I could call 'friends' for the first time.
There are times when I do want to leave like a while ago, but I can't just disappear if they need me. Who knows? Maybe I may even know them in the real world since it's an unspoken rule around here to not speak of your true self in the real world.
...
It's stupid, I know, but people never really identify themselves in online games anyways except to people you know in real life. I mean, our enemies might even be amongst ourselves rather than the monsters out there.
Plus… there's someone I'd like to meet again.
I only saw her once, after I met this cool dude named beatDJ (I just call him Dj). She stood out with her red cape and dark blue hair amongst a field of purple lilacs. Before I left with Dj to help him with the gameplay, I briefly saw her turn towards me… and I saw those pretty bluebell eyes… they were so beautiful.
…
Yeah, call me a sap as many times as you like. I don't care.
Hmm… N-No, I don't like her! I just want to meet her again if possible, that's all! Sheesh you're so pushy!
Now that I think about it, I think I met her again somewhere…
*Thump**Thump*
Huh? W-What's happening? Why am I getting dizzy all of a sudden?
…
W-Wha? Who… am I?
…
Heh- how rude of me. I've yet to tell you my name, did I? Sorry, I'm-
...
Within a forest was a man with blonde hair and fair skin, unconscious in the middle of the only sun spot of the area. Clouds had hid the sun until this moment, and when they opened the light awakened the man, revealing a set of hazy emerald eyes surrounded by his black mask.
"Ugh- w-what happened?" He sat up as he rubbed his head in confusion and pain.
As his head cleared up, he made a mental note of his surroundings, which was within a sea of trees where the light shone on the spot he sat in.
He also took note of his appearance: a monochrome black outfit comprised of a trench coat, shirt, pants and boots with distinguishable grey highlights on the sides of his coat and pants. He moved his hand up to touch his mask, frantically touching its edges in disbelief, before moving it again to the top and felt the basic, cat eared shaped cloth attached.
Afterwards, he slowly moved his hand and swiped down in empty air, revealing a light purple pop-up menu similar to an RPG game. Seeing this made the man sigh and slump in defeat.
'Guess it wasn't a dream after all. I'm still in the game. Although, I felt like I was talking to someone, but I can't remember.'
He scratched the back of his head in deep thought when a drop of water touched the tip of his nose. The boy looked up and felt the oncoming drizzle of water calmly making down to the earth, yet he couldn't make out any clouds in the sky.
'Hmm? A sun shower?'
The boy kept looking up until his ears twitched at the sudden sound of bushes bristling ahead. He turned his head and found his two steel daggers, maneuvering quickly into a defensive position with the blades in his hands.
"Who goes there?! Show yourselves!"
Nothing came out till a few moments later; a figure of red walked a few steps towards him with no weapon on hand. He couldn't see who it was because of the red cape until they brought it down and his eyes widened, remembering the same girl a while ago of dark blue hair in pigtails with bluebell eyes and a red mask with black spots. The girl watches him gaping at her and giggles to herself.
"I guess that's the thanks I get for saving your butt back there huh? Still asleep there, Chat Noir?"
"Ah… H-h-hello again Ladybug."