“So, what exactly are you doing here other than picking up your package?”

“Huh?”

Bethany looked up to the boy in front of her, his hands holding onto a brown package addressed to her. She cocked her head to the side, confused thoughts and questions running through her mind. What did he mean? She was here to pick up her package, nothing more. Her plans were simple; go over, get ahold of Dominic, ask him for her package and then leave.

She groaned silently, knowing that it wasn't as simple of a thing as she made it seem. There was another reason for her showing up at his doorstep, asking for the package. While he did mention on the phone that he would bring it to her tomorrow at school, she decided that this would be a good opportunity to take care of the problem she was currently facing with him. She was scared, however, and it was a struggle to make herself come over to his house. She had a hard enough time speaking while in front of him, so needless to say that the simple acts of even standing in front of him made her quiver. Her voice rattled as she asked: “What do you mean?”

Dominic's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, irritation becoming more and more evident. Bethany swallowed hard as she slowly and gently grabbed the box from his hand.

“Happy Birthday, I guess...” He said and then went to step back inside.

“Wait, Dominic, please stop! I just wanted to say I was sorry. That's why I came! Just don't be mad at me anymore!” Her voice wavered and her eyes stung with forming tears. He ignored her, however, despite her pleas, and shut his front door. Bethany stood, shocked and staring at the door in disbelief. He had shut her out, both physically and mentally, leaving her alone. She gripped the box hard, hoping that it would prove to be a sturdy structure to keep her from falling. She began to feel numb on the outside, but on the inside, her chest felt like it was tightening more and more, a knot forming in her stomach. The knot was pulled so tight it felt like she may get sick in any second. Feeling that it would now be a good time to leave his doorstep, a place where she was clearly unwelcome, she turned to walk back to her car to drive home.

While in the driver seat, she set her package down gently in the passenger side seat. Looking down at it she stared for a few moments before reaching for the small card tied to the wrapping. She opened the envelope, the floral card with glitter around its edges resting in her hand. Opening, it read:

Setting the card down she ripped the brown package wrapping to find the box to be black and tightly shut by tape on its edges. After removing the tape she opened it to find a small, silver locket necklace. Pulling it up she examined it more closely, seeing a small floral patter on the charm, almost similar to that of the card. Opening the locket, Bethany couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that it was empty, no pictures claiming it as home. She placed it back into the box, closed it up, and started her car.


She had been sitting on her bed for an hour, the chain and locket twirling in her hand back and forth. Her eyes were no longer focused on the item any longer, and instead was staring into space, her mind black. Her eyes were becoming dry from her staring, but she didn't care. She was thirsty too, but that could be taken care of later. All she could think about was Dom's face when he shut the door on her, denied her of any comfort and forgiveness. It crushed her heart really, to have her best friend disown her for silly drama at school. She would never admit it out loud to her friends, but while being truthful to herself, Bethany came to the conclusion that she was becoming quite tired of the people she was around. Constant rumors and twisting of words; it made for a hard day. While in the middle of her thoughts, Beth didn't hear her door gently open.

“Beth?”

The girl jumped slightly, her eyes slowly trailing over to the source of the voice. It was her mother.

“Yeah?” She asked, her voice hoarse from a dry mouth.

“Are you okay? You've been very quiet all night. You barely ate any dinner.”

Beth looked away from her mother, only giving a nod in response. Her mother stared at her silently. She didn't believe her daughter, but she knew not to push. Beth would come around eventually and talk to her about her problem.

“Well, I'll leave you be. If you need to talk come find me, okay?” Her mother said as she slowly shut the door. Beth heard the door latch, giving her evidence of that she was once again alone and cut off from the world. How could she have been so stupid? Dom went to her in confidence, and Beth threw it to the side as if it meant nothing. She told her friends who were notorious for spreading rumors. The secret got out, the seriousness of the situation escalating sky high in a matter of an hour. Kids were whispering in the halls and began to treat him differently immediately. They began to act scared of him, like he was a now rabid animal on the loose. And at the root of it all was Bethany Reynolds, blabbermouth of the year. Now the issue was figuring out how to mend the damage she had caused.

“I need to find a way to clear my mind.” She said to herself. Stepping out of her bed and placing her necklace gently down onto the night stand, Beth stepped out of her room and walked down the stairs. Peeking around the corner into the family room she noticed that the computer was open and free, giving her the invitation to see and enter into its world. She gladly excepted the invite. Sitting down in her computer chair she booted the computer up, waited a moment, and then logged onto The World.

Username: Adrya
Password: *******

The loading screen came up for a moment or two before taking her to the Altimit desktop. Checking to see if she had any mail (she didn't), she moved on to logging on to the game itself. Checking the BBS she saw a message from another member.

She stared at the post for a moment, tempted to reply and take the offer, but she didn't. Instead, she exited the forums and entered Mac Anu. It was strange really, why a player would just be looking for a Wavemaster to go on a quest with instead of leaving it open to all potential players. Perhaps Vega had never played with a Wavemaster before, and was therefore looking to see what the experience was like? The post didn't state what level Vega was or even what class. Maybe the person was a level one just looking for a healer and caster to take with them. In any case, the availability of having a party member to go into the field to level sounded tempting. It would also give Adrya a chance to reach out and meet new people. She would be happy about that.

Breaking down and giving in, Adrya typed out a quick message and sent it towards Vega after logging out of the root town. There was really nothing to do in the city while she waited for a response, so she just stared at her screen after finishing the message.

It didn't take long for the girl to get a reply. She was rather shocked by the quick answer and quickly opened the mail.

Bethany smiled to herself as she logged back onto the game. Soon she would be meeting a player to go and have a good time with. This was something she really needed considering all of the problems with Dom currently. She needed some distraction.

Mac Anu was busy, hectic, and confusing.

The girl had gated in just moments before and immediately felt overwhelmed by the constantly growing population of The World. It seemed like more and more players were showing up every day, crowding the streets with their own objectives. Some were meeting friends online, some were searching for friends online, while others were looking for relationships of other types, or just their own satisfaction and enterainment. Adrya was here for distraction. The game was good for that; it gave her a way to escape from her from the drama ruling her life. It was unneeded and stressful. At times, Adrya held herself in higher regard than her classmates for their immaturity.

Walking into the root town the wavemistress made her way towards the infamous bridge of Mac Anu, a place that she noticed to be a popular meeting place between players.

It was, after all, in the middle of the town.

Once she finally managed to make her way through the hordes of people, she stepped onto the bridge and immediately began to look for a Long Arm “clad in black”. Her heart began to race as she watched for her soon to be partner, anticipation rising quickly. Adrya always became nervous when she was about to meet new people. She was always scared if they would like her or dislike her, become annoyed with her or love her. This was another childish flaw that she was trying to rid herself of. She had always been told growing up that she should never care about what other people thought about her and to just be herself. Well, growing up in a “clique” filled environment such as high school, worry and wanting to fit in was a daily practice. To be shunned by your peers was one of the worst things that could happen accompanied by the worst feeling you could feel. Adrya knew what it was like to be ostracized; she had to do a lot to change who she was in order to become one in the big crowd. At the time, it meant everything to her. Now, it seemed meaningless and a waste of time and energy.

She came back to herself when she felt a hard hand land on her shoulder. She jumped slightly as she looked up to a girl in all black, her long, straight hair framing her face and body. Her eyes were a deep purple and her skin pale as moonlight. Her clothing was simple; a capped sleeved t-shirt ending at her midriff and short black capris. Her feet were dressed in short boots, and in her left hand sat her spear. This must be Vega. Adrya thought to herself, her eyes meeting the girl in front of her.

“Hi! Are you Adrya?” She asked softly. Adrya nodded.

“Yeah. Vega?”

“Indeed.”

The two girls sat motionless for a moment, silent and only staring. Vega had a smile across her face, her eyes glimmering in the soft sunlight of the root town. She really was a pretty character, obviously carefully planned out by the person behind the visor. It made Bethany feel a little inadequate, her character design just a touch immature and spur of the moment. She could have made a better design.

“You okay? Are you the quiet type?” The Long Arm asked. Adrya shook her head.

“Oh, sorry! I have a lot of my mind! I'll snap out of it!” Adrya could feel herself begin to blush. Vega chuckled softly.

“You're a level one, aren't you?” Vega asked, placing her spear in its holster on her back and then placed her hands on her hips. “You still seem very taken back by Mac Anu and its commotion.”

“Good guess. What level are you?” Adrya said with a small smile.

“Level five. I'm working hard on the level gaining. I want to be the best long arm the game has seen!”

Adrya's small smile crept into a grin at the girl's enthusiasm and friendly demeanor. Adrya was happy that she had found a pleasant character to be partnered with. Maybe they could keep this trend going?

“Well, let's get going! You need to level as well, so lets get to work on you!” Vega stated as she grabbed Adrya's hand and dragged her towards the Chaos Gate. Adrya gave a small yelp at the unexpected force Vega's pull had, but she remained quiet as she followed the other female player. She grunted at a sudden stop. She ran into Vega's back and then looked over the girl's shoulder. A male player stood, a heavy blade, with a grin on his face while giving a friendly wave. Vega's eyes narrowed as she stared at the player and Adrya began to feel a little discomfort for the tension. Did Vega know this player? Did they have a disagreement at one point, and was she mad at him? Was he mean? Or did she just get annoyed with him?

“Hi! I'm new to this game and I'm looking for someone to go out into a field with! I see that you two are heading towards the Chaos Gate. Mind if I join you?” The Heavy Blade asked. Just as Adrya was about to respond, giving an invite, Vega cut in, her words sharp like knives.

“No. Find you're own party. We don't need anyone bogging us down.”

The Heavy Blade's smile faded into a look of shock and confusion. He stepped to the side as Vega began to once again drag Adrya towards the Chaos Gate. Adrya looked over her shoulder at the Heavy Blade she was leaving behind, guilt flooding into her like a raging river. She felt bad for him; he was clearly hurt from Vega's harsh words. What would make her do that to a stranger? Or was he a stranger?

“Did you know him, Vega?” Adrya asked as she looked to the back of the Long Arm's head. Vega was silent for a moment before answering.

“No, I just didn't want him around. I only asked for a Wavemaster, so I don't want anyone to interrupt our time. You and I are the only ones I want to go!” The Long Arm said, this time with a bit more cheerful disposition.

“But it might help if he have a heavier class go with us, you know? I don't have all that much--”

She was cut off by harsh words from Vega.

“I said only us two!” Vega turned on her heels and faced the Wavemistress with a scowl on her pretty face. Adrya backed down and nodded, accepting the demand. Vega's scowl then washed itself away with a smile.

“Sorry. Don't worry, we'll have fun!” The Long Arm said as she once again pulled Adrya along. Adrya felt a slight lump in her throat. She wasn't about to cry, but she was nervous, and her stomach was in knots. Was this a good idea? Vega seemed a little odd, and she snapped at such a simple comment and request. Adrya hoped that it would get better from here. She didn't need anything negative here too.

“Okay!' Vega started as she let go of Adrya's hand and stared into the golden glow of the Chaos Gate, “I think we should try a level three field! If you're worried about it, don't be! I'll be there for you! This way you can gain experience from a bit tougher monsters for your level!”

As Vega was speaking, Adrya's thoughts began to drift away, her attention to the girl fading. Her thoughts were once again drifting, and it wasn't until the rings of the gate wrapped themselves around her did she notice that she was leaving the town and heading to an unknown field. She didn't hear the keywords Vega had stated. She was too distracted.

“What's wrong?” Vega asked. Adrya looked to her.

“I'm so sorry, Vega. Things IRL are a little rough right now. I'm in a fight with my best friend and I'm just tired of the drama I'm being put through...” Adrya cut off her sentence as she found herself talking to a stranger about her problems. She doubted Vega wanted to hear any of this. Who would want other people's problems placed on them? It was wrong of Adrya to spill her feelings and emotions onto Vega; this was just a friendly meeting of players who wanted to play a game together, nothing more.

“What happened?” Vega asked. Wide eyed, Adrya looked up to the taller girl.

“I'm willing to talk to you about it! Maybe I can help!” The Long Arm stated as she began to walk down the hill and further into the field. This was the first time Adrya took notice of the field she had been taken to. It was night time in a snowfield with strange structures jutting out of the ground. A weird airship like thing passed over her in the air, casting a shadow when it blocked the moonlight. It was almost surreal, like an image from a dream. A fantasy world to escape into.

“Well?” Vega called as she motioned Adrya to come closer. She did as she was told, catching back up to the Long Arm.

“Well, my friend came to me in confidence about something that he was going through. I just began to blurt out his issue to my friends, and they began to twist the situation, automatically creating rumors that immediately circulated through the school. Now everyone is treating him poorly. Its my fault.”

“You're still avoiding telling me the issue. If we're friends, you should share your problems so that they can help!” Vega stated. Friends? They barely knew each other! What could this girl possibly want from Adrya?

“He's sick. He didn't want me to talk about it and I did, so now people are treating him as if he should be quarantined for the sake of their health. He isn't contagious by him just being around people, yet they treat him as a threat.” That was all she was going to say about it. She felt that she had already said too much. Vega didn't need to know her personal business. It wasn't her concern, nor did she have the right to know, or even ask. It was somewhat rude.

“What's he got? Aids? TB?” Vega laughed slightly as her statement. Adrya began to feel a bit aggravated with the girl's attitude and how she was handling the situation. What nerve! She dared laugh at Dominic's situation? Was she making fun of him? She could feel her hand gripped her wand tightly, anger swelling up in her chest.

“Its none of your business.” Adrya said.

“What's stuck up your ass? That wasn't very polite! I'm just trying to talk to you about it!” Vega said, slight shock ringing in her voice. Adrya looked forward, relieved to see a golden monster porter a few feet ahead of her. If she ran forward it would stall the conversation for at least a little bit, giving her time to think about the situation. Vega was being extremely impolite, but it might not be her fault; she could have been raised to not know any better. Adrya always kept options like that in mind, even if it could be considered an excuse for the other person's behavior. So, acting on her instinct and first idea, she began to run forward, ignoring Vega's inquiries. The portal began to dissolve, bringing forth three monsters. A moth, goblin, and sword wielding creature came forward, running towards the Wavemistress and her partner.

“Juk Rom!” The Wavemistress called, raising her want into the air. A large mass of wood element rose from the ground, luckily hitting the goblin and sword creature, knocking them back somewhat. The moth, however, was not affected, and the Wavemistress felt a strong slap on her back from its massive wing. She staggered forward, towards the two she had assaulted just moments before. She quickly dodged the sword that was being swung at her from the creature wielding it. Where was Vega? Why wasn't she helping her? Looking over her shoulder she noticed the Long Arm still on the hill, overlooking the battle.

“Vega, what the hell are you doing? Why aren't you helping me?” Adrya cried as she dodged another attack. She swung her wand in defense, but barely any damage hit the creature with the sword. Vega remained silent as she lazily walked down the hill and towards the battle. Her hands were in her pockets, speared sheathed and unprepared, and a smug smile on her face. By looking into her eyes, Vega could see the satisfaction Vega was getting from watching the Wavemistress struggle. What in the hell is wrong with this girl?

“Vega, please! Gan Don!” The spell wrapped around the creatures, this time hitting the moth, but causing minimal damage to all. The sword clad creature stood before her, readying for an attack but was quickly stopped. It grunted for a moment before having the blade at the end of Vega's spear puncture through its chest. It roared, blood spurting forward, tiny specks landing on the Wavemistress' face. Vega stood behind the creature, her weapon firmly planted within him and a smile creeping along her face. Adrya swallowed hard as she watched the Long Arm forcefully ripping her spear out of the creature, causing an even larger gash. It fell to the ground limply, its body fading away and only leaving two creatures.

“Happy?” Vega asked as she ran to the other two monsters. Adrya watched as the girl began to wield her spear aggressively, slashing across the monster's bodies with ease. The Long Arm would get knocked around somewhat but would always make a graceful recovery.

“Adrya, cast another spell!”

Adrya did as she was told, once again calling on Juk Rom. Within moments, the creatures were quickly disposed of, clearing the field for the time being. With hardened eyes Adrya looked over to the Long Arm who was holding her spear lightly in her hands and standing lazily. They stared at one another for a long while, neither of them saying anything. The tension once again began to rise between the two, causing discomfort and irritation within Adrya. Her feels were becoming turbulent, raging through her aggressively. She didn't understand this girl. What was making her act this way. Vega was very odd.

“So what was that about?” Adrya blurted out. Vega smiled.

“Oh get over it. You needed a work out.” Her voice was more spiteful that what she was letting on.

“You nearly had me killed! You pick a level what...three field? You have me against three monsters that could easily eat me in seconds? My SP has been drained because you had me do your job! You know what, I think I'm going to get out of here.” As Adrya went towards a cleared part of the field, she stopped when she heard Vega's voice.

“Stop! Please stay here with me! It was wrong of me to do that to you; I'm sorry! I told you I would protect you, so I will! Come Adrya, don't leave!” Vega pleaded. Adrya turned to her and slowly nodded, giving into the request. She walked back to Vega and stood before her, her wand in hand.

“Well, lead the way.” Adrya said. Vega nodded.

[30 SP used.]
EDIT: Added SP usage.

“Adrya, stand to the side and heal when I need it! I'll take care of this!” Vega called. Adrya did as she was told, but she was irritated. She didn't come here to be pushed to the side. Yes, she was a Wavemistress, and yes, she was meant to be a healer, however, she could fight too. Her spells were enough to help, but considering Vega's strange behavior and mood swings she would remain quiet and stand to the side. Adrya didn't need to be left for bait again. That was a horrifying experience in itself. I wonder if other players did that to Vega? Adrya wondered to herself. Perhaps she had some deeply rooted hatred for other players. Wavemasters, maybe! Adrya swallowed hard.

As she watched the Long Arm swing and slash at the two moth monsters that came forward she was rather enthralled by the liquid movements the girl had. She was somewhat talented, but then again, Adrya couldn't compare her to many people. She only had a handful of visits to the world to her name, so as of right now, Vega was the best she had seen.

She was sure there was better.

“Adrya, can you give me a Repth spell?” Vega called with another strong swing.

Maybe I should give her a taste of her own medicine. Let her sweat a bit. The thought made Adrya grin to herself, but she decided against it. It would cause more problems that she didn't want to be involved in. Raising her wand in the air she cast the spell, a wave of energy washing over the Long Arm. Shortly thereafter the moths were defeated, leaving the two players to silence for a moment. Vega turned to Adrya and smiled, her eyes brightly lit with pleasure and enthusiasm. Adrya smiled back, this time sincerely, and began to think. Maybe this girl wasn't that bad; perhaps she just needed a a friend. Maybe she was in a similar situation as Adrya, only handling it a little less gracefully. Stress could bring about the worst in a person, so Adrya could over look what had happened already. She just hoped Vega would lighten up some.

“Thanks, Addy!” Vega said cheerfully as she grabbed the Wavemistress' hand and led her forward. Addy? A new nickname for the girl, apparently. She didn't hate it, but it did sound slightly awkward. It was something she would need to get used to if she were to be around Vega in the future.

“No problem.” Adrya said quietly as she looked up to the taller girl. Vega walked them over to a small shelter, ruins of an old building sitting silently in the snow. They stood under it and Adrya could begin to feel the ice cold shivers that were now running up and down her back.

“Well, we can keep hitting portals, or, we can go into the dungeon! Do you have a sprite ocarina?” Vega said, holding one in her hand. Adrya shook her head no and Vega handed it to her.

“Here,” she said, “in case you want to go into the dungeon. I would like to. If we get separated and you need to pull out, just use that item and you'll be warped out into the field. If there are are no enemies around, you can gate out back to Mac Anu. Simple, huh?”

“Thank you.” Adrya said as she placed the item in her inventory.

“No problem! You know what?”

“What?”

Vega was silent for a moment while looking out into the field, thinking about her words she was about to say. Adrya watched her intently, waiting for the statement. It seemed like an eternity was dragging on slowly.

“I really like you Adrya. You're nice, and you didn't leave me behind when I pushed you to the edge. I don't get a long with too many people, so I really appreciate you.”

“Um, its all right. Its just a game, I didn't mean to get so upset.”

Vega's smile faded a little while looking outward, making Adrya worry somewhat. Did she say something wrong? Did it seem like she was throwing the compliment to the side?

“I didn't mean anything by that, Vega! I really appreciate your compliment! It made me happy!” Adrya said quickly, trying to mend any new cracks between the two.

“Its okay,” Vega said softly, “I knew what you meant. Where do you live if you don't mind me asking?”

“Live? Um, South Carolina.”

“Really? I'm there too. What part?” At this point in the conversation, Vega still had yet to make eye contact with the Wavemistress. It seemed like part of her mind was distracted by another thought.

“Charleston.”

“Wow, you're close to me. I'm going to ask you something now that I hope you'll say yes to.”

Adrya felt her chest began to cave in and her stomach sink. She was nervous for what was to come.

“Do you think we could meet?”

And there it was, the question that has the answer that could make or break a friendship. Adrya would have preferred to keep her physical distance from anyone she met online, but this Long Arm was obviously the sensitive type. So, she told the girl the answer she knew she wanted to hear.

“Sure, I don't see why not.”

Vega finally looked to her, a bright smile lighting her features. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, making her almost shine.

“Vega, why did you ask for only a Wavemaster to come with you?” Adrya asked, leaning her back against the cold stone wall of the shelter. Vega did the same.

“I used to have a best friend who came online here with me all the time. I never got to meet her in person, but just spending time with her here was enough. She was a Wavemaster, and I guess that by me posting that request almost made me hope that she got it and would respond. I waited for a day or two, but she never did. I knew in the back of my mind that she wouldn't answer me, but I was hopeful none the less.

Anyways, she was my very best friend. She was closer to me than anyone in real life. But, one day she just stopped coming on. I emailed her, flash mailed her, but never got a response. Finally, after a few weeks had passed, she messaged me saying she wanted to meet with me. I was so excited, so I went to the field she was waiting for me at. I asked her where she had gone, and she said that she had been too busy to meet with me. Then she became angry with me and began yelling, saying she never wanted to see me again. I was heart broken. I wanted her to stay with me, but she left me alone. On this game I didn't know anyone but her.” Vega's eyes were sad now as she stared down at the snow. “I tried to get in contact with her, but I have yet to hear from her. That was a few months ago.”

“I'm sorry, Vega. What did she get so mad about?”

Vega fell silent as she stood upright. Shaking her head she began to walk out of the shelter and back into the field. Glancing over her shoulder she said: “I don't want to talk about it anymore. You wanna go?” Adrya nodded, knowing that pushing a subject was a bad idea. If only Vega had known that earlier.

“Yeah, lets go to the dungeon! We can try and get the treasure at the end! That would be nice, wouldn't it?” Adrya said with a smile. Vega returned the gesture as they began to walk side by side to the cave entrance. At this point, Adrya had mixed emotions running through her. While she did feel bad for Vega and did want to make her feel better, she couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy. What did she do to make that Wavemaster angry? Why did she leave her? How could Vega get so attached? All of the questions swarmed around and around in her mind, giving her no answers. The only way to become satisfied with the mystery was to get the answers from the source standing right beside her, but Vega had shut down, the topic no longer a desire to be discussed. Vega would talk more if she needed when the time came.

They reached the entrance to the dungeon, a blanket of know resting lightly on top of its stone entrance. Vega stopped while looking inside, her mind once again wandering. Adrya looked to her, tempted to ask if they should go on. Vega seemed to be distracted by something, and maybe taking a break from the game would be good for her.

“Vega?”

Vega looked to her, light flickering back to her eyes.

“Sorry,” the Long Arm said, “my mom was calling for me. I need to log off for a bit. When will you be on next?”

“I don't know. Its not too late now, so I may be on again tonight or tomorrow after school.” Adrya responded, rubbing her hands on her arms to cause friction. She was so cold!

“Let's meet on here tomorrow, okay? Same place we met today, the Mac Anu bridge. Say three-thrity?”

“Sure.” Adrya said with a nod. Vega looked down to her, her eyes heavy. She seemed almost sad to go.

“You'll be here, right? You promise?”

Vega was shocked by the question. What was Vega so worried about? Was she really in that much need for a friend? Adrya nodded to the question, causing Vega to give a small smile.

“Thanks, Addy! See you tomorrow!” Vega hugged the Wavemistress before gating out and returning to the Root Town. Adrya sat silently in the icy field, thoughts once again circling in her mind. The girl was strange, there was no doubt about that, but she was sweet and needed a friend. Adrya would do as best as she could for Vega, but unfortunately it would seem that her search for someone who had grown up at least a little bit had failed. Vega was quite immature and emotional, but maybe she was just having a bad day? Either way, Adrya would continue to speak to Vega as long as the girl behaved.



Back in Mac Anu Adrya sat at the bridge, looking out into the river. Many small boats were floating through and under the bridge, players of all kinds making their rounds across the canals and streets of the town. The Wavemistress watched the players pass her as if she were invisible, a ghost haunting an old bridge. Bringing her knees to her chest she held them tightly, her distraction from the problem with Dom disappearing and real life drawing closer and closer. She needed to fix the issue. She needed to not be so weak. She needed...more than what she had. Who she was. She needed so much more.

Standing from her seat quietly, the girl logged off of the game and shut down the console.

“Are you done with the computer, Beth?” Her brother asked as he peeked his head around the corner of the room. Bethany only nodded, her solemn mood returning, the desire to talk weakening. She passed him and walked up the stairs, her light footsteps still managing to cause an echo within the hall. Slowly opening the door to her room, she collapsed onto her bed, her hand fumbling as she went to grab her locket. Holding it close to her, the girl closed her eyes. Heavy breathing began, and soon, she fell into a deep sleep.

EDIT: Re-wrote parts of post.

The next day at school had been anything but pleasant for Bethany.

During the entire time, the girl had managed to run into Dom for what seemed to be a million times, and with each meeting she failed to say anything, and his attitude and mood towards her worsened. By the end of the day, Dom would not look at her if she was around and he would walk passed as if she were just another stranger in the crowd. She would watch him, however, and when the last school bell rang and the students were released to return home for the day, she watched as Dom entered into his car and drive away. He did it all as if she didn't exist. It hurt deep inside, and Bethany could feel a lump in her throat all the way home.

She slowly walked into her house, tossing her light back pack onto the ground next to the door. Going into the kitchen she sat at the table, her arms folded and head resting. Looking out the window she began to wonder if he would ever come around.

But, then again, he wasn't the one who did anything wrong.

She rubbed her eyes roughly, trying to mentally yank her out of those thoughts. Sitting back in the chair Bethany looked over to the microwave and read its digital time. 3:27 P.M.

“Shit!” Bethany hissed as she rose from her seat and trotted into the family room. She didn't know why she was rushing, but she had a feeling it would be better for her to be on time in her meeting with Vega than to be late. As the girl rounded the corner she came to an almost immediate halt, trying to keep her balance on the tip of her toes. Her brother was online, playing the game, entranced by its bright colors, life like design, and his party members. She would hear him talking to him, giving them orders to move left, then right, and then to attack. Cocking her head to the side she watched as they played, comparing it to her own experience. Their trip into the field was much different than her own. They didn't have a player in need of emotional comfort to take care of. Adrya had barely fought any battles with Vega.

“Hey, Jack?” She said softly. The boy still managed to jump from her sudden appearance, and he only gave a small grunt in response.

“When do you think you'll be done? There is something I was supposed to meet on here about...three minutes ago.” She said. Jack took a moment to respond.

“Uh, I think I'm on the last floor to the dungeon! We are almost at the end. Give me five more minutes, okay?”

“Please hurry.” She said as she went to sit on the couch. Turning off the speaker to his mic yet never turning his head away from the screen, Jack asked: “Who are you meeting on here? Dom?”

Bethany's eyes went wide as she stared into the back of her brother's head.

“What did you just say? Is Dom on here?” Panic and excitement both rose high in her voice.

“Yeah, he sent me a message. Oh, hold on. Yeah, lets go through that door, I really think we are at the end!” Jack's mind had been easily distracted back to the game, leaving Bethany alone to her thoughts. Dom was on the game! She needed his username! She wanted to play the game with him when this all blew over. She jumped at Jack's voice.

“All yours.”

“Jack, do you have Dom's member address?”

“Yeah. Zero_Dom. Are you going to play with him? If you do, I want to be in your party. That would be fun! My address is Zero_Angel. Weird, huh?” The boy then left the room, leaving the computer vacant. Running over to it, Bethany logged on as quickly as she could.

Username: Adrya
Password: ********

As she entered into the Altimit screen, four chimes sounded as an alert for mail popped up. Going into her email she saw that three out of the four had been from Vega.

Adrya felt her stomach lurch as she read the three messages. They all only had a few minutes in between them. The time was now 3:45 P.M., and she had actually considered just not showing up because of Vega's behavior. However, doing so would only make the situation worse. Her eyes traveled from the angry messages of Vega to one where the name was unrecognizable. She opened it up and began to read.

Without thinking, Adrya quickly went to reply to the message from StarVirgo.

Adrya didn't know what to think. This was getting to a little frustrating. Now a third party had come into this mess and Adrya was half tempted to just start over and go out into a field on her own. She didn't need this. Once again, the circle of drama began to take form.

Entering into Mac Anu Adrya headed straight for her destination. She hoped that this StarVirgo was on so that no more of her time was wasted. She knew once she made it to see Vega she would get an earful, but maybe Adrya could talk her down. Once she reached the bridge Adrya stopped as she saw a Wavemistress standing ahead of her, staring. Her eyes were intense, a bright gold with shading of brown. Her hair was golden blonde, a bit more natural than Adrya's, and her outfit was a bit more tradition for a Wavemaster; she was dressed in the robs that a mage would typically be dressed it. She seemed...older.

“You're Adrya?” She asked. Adrya nodded. The Wavemaster beckoned her forward, walking off the other side of the bridge and down closer to the canals. Adrya followed, and when the two stopped they were under the bridge where only a few people sat. Adrya waited for the girl to start talking.

“Yes, I was once Vega's friend, and this isn't just some quarrel between past friends. You are wasting your time and digging yourself a deep hole by getting involved with that girl. I met her on the BBS, much like you had, and I offered to go on a quest with her and one other. Vega and I seemed to hit it off quite well, really. We had played together on the game for some time. I was higher level than she, but since she was so much fun to be around I would go into lower fields with her. So everything was fine until there was a period of time where real life called me away from the game. I had a family member pass, and my boyfriend of a long time came back into town for me. Emotional support I guess.

When I returned to the game my inbox was flooded from mail from Vega. At first she seemed sad that I wasn't on, but then she became angry, throwing insults at and telling me that I was a horrible friend. I laughed at her behavior, and at that time I realized that her world was the game, and that there was nothing for her outside of it. She is a miserable human being, really.

So, when I logged onto the game I sent her a Flash Mail, asking her to meet me in a low level field. I didn't want monsters to interrupt the confrontation. She met me there, a few levels stronger than what I left her at. She had become somewhat stronger than I. Immediately she barraged me with hateful words, saying that I forgot about her and that I didn't want her friendship any more. I told her what had happened in my life and it was like she didn't hear me. But, she did, and at the end of her rant, she dared make a horrible comment at my sister's expense. That was when I had it. I told her that I didn't want to see her any more and that she was a horrible creature. After those words, I looked down to see her spear in my gut.”

“She killed you? Isn't that illegal in the game?” Adrya asked in shock.

“Extremely, and yet she still hasn't been found and banned.”

“Why don't you report her?”

StarVirgo remained silent as she thought about the question. She shrugged.

“I could have gone to the administration, but Vega is ruthless when it comes to getting back at someone. I know for a fact that she would find another computer somewhere, make a new account only to log on and continue her torture. She followed me for months, teasing and taunting me and even attacking me at times. It was a good thing that I had party members with me and that I wasn't alone.”

“You could have always just logged off the game and not come back, right?” Adrya asked. StarVirgo smiled.

“Then that would mean that she won.” StarVirgo replied. “What I did do, however, was create a new account and stayed away anywhere that I thought I might have seen or heard of Vega. This, so far, is a successful way of avoiding her.”

“Well, I need to go. Vega is waiting for me in the field.” Adrya said as she walked forward.

“Did you not just hear all that I told you! It would be best if you just ignored her!” StarVirgo stated.

“Don't worry, I'm cutting myself off. I just go about things a little differently than you. Immaturity has been so evident within the past few days its stupid. I'm growing up.”

StarVirgo was quite for a moment as she watched the weaker Wavemistress. She then nodded and said “When you strengthen up in the game a bit, send me a message. We should quest together some time. If you change your name, let me know.”

“I will, but I don't think I'll be changing anything, character wise. What was your name again?”

“Elmona.”

“Nice to meet you. I'll see you around!” Adrya then stepped away from the canals and walked back onto the bridge. Once she reached the Chaos Gate, the girl recited the words to the field and gated out.

This was going to get interesting.






As soon of her boots met the soft snow, a small chime rung in Adrya's ear. Opening the message, she saw it was from Vega.

Adrya's face turned to a hard scowl as she made her way to the dungeon. It was straight ahead of her, its cave like opening resembling that of an animal's. She felt like she was being eating as she walking down, the possible meeting with death only steps before her. As she walked down the hall a golden portal awaited her arrival.

“Damn it, I can't do this on my own...” She said, but asking for help from Vega would be one of the last things she would do. Either she would get to her or die trying.

“Fine, lets go.” The Wavemistress ran towards the portal, as she did so the portal dissolved revealing a moth and a goblin making their way towards her. Readying her wand, the Wavemistress took the first step in the assault.

“Gan Zot!” [10 SP used]

The spell hit the two creatures, sending them staggering back. If she could get around them she could make it to the door to the next room. The two creatures came towards her, the goblin readying for an attack. Poison hit the girl, knocking into her hard. She could feel her body begin to break down, her head become foggy and her body ache. She felt nauseous and weak. She was foolish to not buy anything before entering into a level four dungeon, especially as a level one!

If she were to stay here, she would surely die. Running past the creatures she ran towards the door in the back of the dungeon. She now needed to reserve everything she had in order to make it to Vega.

[6 HP drained. 64 HP remaining]

The door opened, revealing a room with a four way stop. Which way would lead her to the staircase? In the center of the room sat another portal. Growling to herself, Adria readied herself to make a move towards a door. Hoping with all she could, she wished and wished for the door she was about to choose would lead to the stair well. Running past the portal she heard it evaporate, revealing the monsters, but she ignored them as she ran as quickly as she could. The door opened revealing the new room.

It did not lead to the stair way.

However, this room was completely empty with only a stack of bones in the back corner.

[4 HP drained. 60 HP remaining.]

Breathing heavily the girl took this moment to let her SP to return completely. She needed to run passed those monsters and make it to the door on the other side. What in the world was Vega thinking, letting Adrya do this on her own. Its just like what Elmona said: Vega was extremely spiteful. This was some sort of sick game the Long Arm was playing, and Adrya was too stupid to leave. She didn't want Vega to win this game. She would get to the Long Arm and confront her. Hopefully she could calm her down.

“Now I wish I would have asked Elmona to come with me.” Adrya said to herself, wincing as more HP was taken from her.

[5 HP drained. 55 HP remaining.]

Adrya whispered “repth”, casting the healing spell over her and replenishing her health completely. She felt better, but the poison was still washing over her. Shaking her head she readied herself, about to run out of the room.

The door opened and three monsters stood before her. She didn't take the time to see what they were for Adrya just began to run, a mad dash towards the door on the other side of the dungeon. She ran passed the group of monsters, but her sprint was immediately stopped as she was tripped by one of the monster's weapons, sending her crashing onto the freezing cold, stone floor. Crying out she quickly gathered her thoughts and rolled out of the way before being sliced in two by a large sword. She swung her wand to deflect the next attack and then continued to run.

[7 HP drained. 63 HP remaining.]

The door opened, showing the glorious stairwell leading to the next floor. She felt like a child at christmas, the stairs sending a strange, happy excitement through her. As she ran down and out of the door, she once again hit the ground, her feet knocking into and hitting against a sturdy piece of metal. With a gasp Adrya looked over her shoulder to see Vega looming over her, a glare so strong staring at Adrya that it made her shiver.

“Look who decided to show up...” Vega said flatly, bringing her spear to her side. Adrya took the moment to stand. She wasn't expecting an antidote to be thrown into her hands.

“Take it.” Vega commanded. Adrya did so.

“Vega,” Adrya said after using the potion, “We need to talk.”

“Oh, do we?” Vega asked, an eye brow rising. “Funny. What do you feel you need to tell me, hmm? I would love to hear it.”

“You're acting very silly right now, Vega. What if I had run into a problem and thats what made me late?”

“Yes, but nothing like that did happen, did it? You used that as a 'what if' situation, so, I would love to hear what did happen.” Vega's eyes flickered angrily as she stared down at Adrya.

“That's none of your business. I came here to tell you straight up that....” She began to weaken, her voice rattling, nervous of how to word her statement. “I came to tell you that...that...”

The Wavemistress cried out as blade met flesh, a slice releasing a line of blood down her cheek. A shaking hand rose to feel the injury, shocked eyes looking up to the Long Arm. Vega smirked for a moment before returning to a hateful glare.

“You're replacing me, aren't you? Found someone new to go on into The World with? Found new friends? You're such a stupid bitch, just like Elmona.”

“Vega, stop! I'm leaving and I don't want to talk to you ever again! You're not worth my time. I can't believe I came here in the first place.” Adrya spat, rising to her feet, the blood still dripping down her cheek. Clutching her wand tightly she stared to walk passed Vega, but quickly jumped to the side as she saw the girl's blade swing quickly and powerfully towards her chest.

“Vega, stop!” Adrya cried as she ducked and dodged, the Long Arm swinging carelessly and dangerously towards the other player. Vega swung once more, but Adrya ran to the side. The blade of the spear stuck itself to the wall of the dungeon from the force of the swing, causing it to become stuck. Adrya raised her wand and swung it as well, the stone weapon meeting Vega's head. The Long Arm collapsed onto the ground, her eyes shut and weapon still attached to the stone wall.

Breathing heavily, Adrya looked down and watched to see if Vega's body would disappear.

Please don't be dead... I didn't PK, I didn't PK...!

Her body remained, leaving the girl only unconscious. Giving a long sigh of relief, Adrya pulled out the Sprite Ocarina the Long Arm had given her just the day before and used it, taking her back to the field. Once there, Adrya gated out, back to Mac Anu.





Just as the system shut down the doorbell to the front door rang loud, echoing through the halls. Bethany stood, heavily walking towards the door. She was nervous to open it and see who it was. She knew it was ridiculous to think it would be the real world Vega, but the thought still lingered somewhat on her mind. As she slowly opened it, she gasped with widened eyes to what she saw.

“Hey Beth.”

It was Dom, his expression unreadable to the girl. He stood still, almost like a statue as he watched her.

“Dom!” She cried as she hugged her friend. She didn't ever want to let go.

“Maybe we can talk. I saw your brother about a half hour ago walking up the street. He said you wanted to see me.”

“I love the locket you gave me...” She whispered as she reluctantly pulled away. He smiled softly, still not sure of his emotions as he stepped inside.

“I'm sorry Dom. I never wanted things at school to turn out the way they did. Do you forgive me?”

“I don't know yet. That's why I came to talk.” He said. She nodded.

“It's okay. Let's go sit down.”

Fantastic job! You really don't need to write in how much SP was used or HP drained, but if you can if you wish. I fully support you overthrowing Sydofh. >_>;;

Adrya: 3 Levels