It was a dark, moonless night .

A burning wind.

Carried her long, blunette locks.

The smell of incense tingled her senses.

Her eyes watered as she stared up upon him.

He gazed back down to her.

One being drifting back into two.

In a bed of soft kimonos.

Eyes void.

Knowing.

The soft, harsh bloom of a fiery flame.

Illuminating both their features.

The tears upon her cheeks glistening.

His jaw clenched in angst.

A desperate apology.

Blinded gaze.

Passion.

The smell of ashes.

The sharpness of a knife.

His trembling lips.

Her soft touch.

Lips meet.

Shaking,

Slowly.

Her taste lingered.

Weak sighs.

Fairytales never existed.

She held his heart.

He held her life.

Blood on his hands.

A bloody blade.

Driven right through her chest.

Death.

No more choices.

Only one.

Pain.

Misery.

Despair.

He screamed.

True love perished.

Death dwelled inside him.

Upon his own sins.

Yet he still couldn't…

He just couldn't…

Let her go…

It all began with a War.

Torn between lands divided amongst the gods.

Two lovers caught in-between.

French Vanilla and Lavender.

These are the scents that greeted her as she snuggled deeply into her covers, allowing for the softness and comfort of her cotton sheets to embrace her and carry her off into a fresh, new world of dreams. The morning sun cascaded down upon her bed, basking her relaxed body into a bath of warm rays that further have begun to sooth her muscles.

'Okay…' The girl sighed happily as she took in a wiff of her sheets, burying herself deeper within them. 'This is by far the best feeling in the entire world!' She giggled, 'I never felt this great!'

She heard the birds chirping. The commotions of everyday life going on softly from out her window but as of this moment, she did not care. As far as her knowledge knew, the girl was caught in a predestined state of bliss that absolutely nothing could destroy. Not the threat of morning. No annoying noises. It was just her, her bed, the warming scent of vanilla…

"Hikari-chan!" A shout was heard from downstairs.

The girl groaned as she threw her covers over her head,, trying again to find that comforting vanilla smell. Suddenly, the blankets around her felt more comfortable. More unattainable.

"Hikari-chan! Are you up?" The shout was louder this time, more persistent.

"C'mon mom, just five more minutes!" Hikari moaned as she subconsciously buried her head underneath a fluffy pillow, hoping to drain out the sound of her mother's voice. Sadly however, it only made her mother call up to her with more concern.

"You don't have five minutes, dear! It's already quarter to eight!"

"Quarter to what?" Hikari suddenly screamed with a sharp gasp as she shot up from her position, causing one particular fluffy pillow to fly off from her head and across her bedroom. Frantically, she searched for her bubblegum pink alarm clock that was already flashing in bright red digits 7:45. Once her eyes have beheld the horror, she grasped the tiny clock with her clenched hands and, as if it were more possible, widened her eyes even further.

"AH! Crap!" Another screamed busted from her lips as the blunette chucked the device onto her white carpet. Without any time to spare, Hikari leapt out of the comfort of her sheets and sprang into motion as she prepared for yet another boring day of reality.

"Crap, crap, crap!"

She had no time! She seriously had absolutely no time! Quickly, the girl began to clumsily rip off her pajamas and chuck them across the room as she frantically searched for her school uniform.

"It has to be here somewhere! Ugh! I so don't need this right now!" Hikari cried out as she threw clothing mercilessly out of her closet in search for her tan blazer and miniskirt. Getting on all fours, she furrowed her way deep into the jungle of skirts, tank tops, and shorts until finally shouting a cry of triumph.

"Got it!" She declared with delight as she hastily threw on the pleated blue skirt, which she noticed, forgot to get hemmed over the weekend but right now that wasn't her biggest concern. As soon as the clothing was situated properly over her hips, Hikari rushed to throw on her laced camisole, white blouse, and blazer. Finally, once she has fastened up the buttons, she grabbed the infamous Hakutou High School's girl's pink necktie and tied it elegantly around her neck. With that, she practically hopped on one leg across her room as she pulled up her white knee socks and brown mary jane shoes.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Hikari whined as she tried to fasten her yellow clips in place as she proceeded to make up her blue tresses. However, the yellow clip wouldn't snap and as the teen pressed harder, the clip broke into two!

"Well, that's just great!" She huffed as she threw it across the room. Pulling out the other clips in her hair, as only having two in would look stupid, Hikari settled on simply wearing her hair down as she brushed her locks fiercely with her brush before spraying her hair in place. After quickly applying her makeup, Hikari sacrificed only a short second to examine herself before jolting downstairs to the kitchen.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ayako sighed as she heard the typical Monday morning commotion from upstairs.

"I'm no longer surprised. Not at all." She again sighed as she took a sip of her coffee, leaning against the kitchen's island. A gray cat at that moment hopped next to the woman and purred as it rubbed itself against Ayako's sleeve. The mother smiled as she pet its head, "I know, that silly girl."

Hikari at that moment stormed down the steps, grabbed her school bag from the table, a piece of toast from the toaster and rushed out the room.

"Bye mom!" Hikari yelled with the toast in her mouth, waving as she rushed out the front door. Ayako followed after her and stopped at the doorway as she watched her daughter frantically run down the street.

"What about your goodbye kiss!" Ayako called out as Hikari still kept running. The blunette sighed in frustration as she turned around towards her mother, "For God's sake mom! I'm seventeen! I'll see you when I get home!" And with that, Hikari continued running towards the next street.

Ayako shook her head as she placed a hand to her cheek in thought, "Oh my." She suddenly felt a nudging to her legs and again felt their precious pet rubbed itself against her affectingly. Ayako smiled at the cat, "What are we going to do with her, Glam?"

The cat meowed a soft yawn as it situated itself by its mother's feet, ready for yet another satisfying nap.

"Well then, I see where Hikari-chan gets it from."

"AH! I'm not going to make it!" Hikari cried out again as she made yet another turn on yet another street. She cursed herself for forgetting that she had a bike, or maybe forgetting to ask her mom for a ride! Yeah, that would have been nice right about now…

The blunette's legs were throbbing with a rushed pain as Hikari made her way through pedestrians, almost knocking over a mother and baby as she did so.

"I'm so sorry!" Hikari turned around and cried back towards the horrified mother . Her baby wailed as the mother scowled at Hikari, "Apologize when you have your own kids someday!"

Hikari grimaced at the nasty comment, pacing herself backwards as she ran. "Sorry!" She called out again as she felt herself step off the sidewalk and onto the road's intersection, and just as she went to turn her body forward…

"Hey, watch out!"

Cerulean eyes widened fiercely as Hikari suddenly found herself in a blur. There was shouting, blinking street lights, the skidding of a motorcycle, and then a scream.

She placed her arms in front of her as she shut her eyes tightly.

"KYAH!"

The blunette fell to the pavement with a harsh thud as everything …went silent. A warm liquid began to ooze from within her knee socks but she didn't dare open her eyes to see what else might be oozing that same warm liquid. Fear had successfully petrified her.

However, strangely as it seemed, besides a discomfort from some bruises here and there, she felt no pain.

"Watch where you're going. "

Hikari hesitated but slowly opened her eyes to the voice and was instantly blinded by the sun. Slowly lifting herself up halfway from the concrete, she looked up again to the voice and saw a darkened silhouette against the bright light. She squinted once, then twice, and then again before adjusting her eyes to see a man in dark clothing perching upon a roaring, black motorcycle.

"S-sorry…" The girl faltered with her words as she stared up at him, taking note of the obvious skid marks that the vehicle has created. The rider, although wearing a helmet, glared at her as she just sat there helpless. Hikari looked at him with unease before suddenly noticing his smoldering, coal-colored eyes from behind the visor.

The world froze.

Nothing moved or seemed to matter.

But this rider and her.

The way he looked at her, with such a intensity that Hikari could never have imagined, sent a warm tingly sensation throughout the course of her body. It was as if he was both confused and amazed, yet determined to figure something out as all he did was just stare at her. Hikari, unsure of what to do, gulped as she stared back at his eyes. A faint blush crept upon her cheeks…the strangest feeling overwhelmed her.

Like she has seen this man before.

And then, it ended. A gaze that seemed to last a lifetime shifted after a few mere seconds as the world continued on around them. The motorcyclist nodded slightly to himself as he turned away from Hikari, flexing his gloved hand over the bike's ignition as it revved up once more. He then murmured something under his breath before glancing over at Hikari again, who still just laid there, before turning away. With a kick to the pedal, the motorcycle again roared back to life and as suddenly as he came, he was gone.

As bystanders helped Hikari to her knees, all the girl could do was watch the direction from which the mysterious biker had vanished. It was odd, so strange, what had just happened?

Slowly shaking her head wearily, Hikari suddenly felt dizzy once more.

"And thus, as popular scholars have concluded, the assassination of their princess brought not only more madness into the kingdom of Alethia but also a necessary evil driven from the souls of the corrupt conspirators of the great war…."

"Hey, isn't Alethia the name of that new online game?"

"I think so! Isn't it the one that's been all over the news?"

"…now as we have learned from our last unit, there were many names given to the war that has brought civil and moral strife to the lands of Alethia. Some call it the Arcanum War for the many unknown causes of its beginning and the dark secrets that are still buried deep within its history. In fact, historians and archeologists are still researching many theories as to why the war itself began…"

"My brother bought the game the other night and it's just as amazing as everyone says it is! Everything is completely CGI and it's like you're a part of another world!"

"I heard that it's so addicting. Doctors are already expressing concern on the news about video game addiction."

"…some theory suggests that the Arcanum War was nothing but a elaborate story carried orally throughout trade routes. However, despite such claims, solid evidence has been discovered to verify that artifacts from the Alethia kingdom had indeed existed. Now, many other stubborn scholars believe that such pieces are nothing more but fabrications and duplicates but if you look at the facts shown in chapter eight…"

"I just reached level 35 last night by defeating this huge Swampert! I barely made it out alive but luckily I had a extra twin blade forged when my one snapped!"

"See, this is why I chose to be a mage. All you have to worry about is keeping your mana up instead of being screwed over if your weapon breaks!"

"I heard this crazy rumor that there is this new secret, rare specialization out there that no one knows about. No one knows anything about it but it's been going around that one lucky person is automatically granted it upon starting a new game! And then after that, only THAT player can play it! Even if they decide to quit the game!"

"Eh? Who would think about quitting Alethia? It's so much fun!"

"It probably is just a rumor for Platinum Corp to get more buyers. Haven't you noticed their sales recently, they shot through the roof! The specialization doesn't even exist!"

"Wah! But I want it!"

SLAM!

The entire classroom snapped away from its hushed conversations as their eyes diverted themselves to the front of the room where a very annoyed teacher stood. His hands were placed firmly upon his desk as he started intently at his disruptive class, staring at each and every one of them with a upsetting glare. Tick tock, the sounds of the clock echoed throughout the room as not a single student dared to move or speak once they were under their teacher's gaze.

Except for one.

"Ah…" Hikari sighed as she stumbled through the classroom door, rubbing her head as she did so. Simultaneously, all eyes averted towards her as Hikari looked up from her panting to see the eyes of her fellow peers and teacher stare at her. Some snickered, some sweat-dropped, and some ( some being her teacher) appeared to be very pissed.

"Shirayuki-san," Her teacher barked sternly as he folded his arms across his chest. Hikari laughed nervously, "Yes, Nanakamado-sensei?" The look her teacher gave her at that moment sent a feeling of impending doom down the girl's spin. Hikari swore that his white mustache almost melted off his face!

"Since you were so kind to all of us for gracing us with your presence today, why don't you inform me and the class why such idle chatter regarding a video game is far more important than our world's history?" Nanakamado-sensei inquired as he ran a finger through his beard, staring Hikari down as she fidgeted back and forth in front of the class, embarrassed.

"U-um…" Hikari began, searching around the room for any clues or hints to help her out. Since honestly, she had no idea what everyone was talking about!

"We're all waiting."

The blunette looked towards her classmates, who either looked away from her out of fear of also getting in trouble or to hide their laughter. Hikari bit her lip, then looked towards her friend sitting next to a empty desk. A desk that she should notably be sitting in right about now. Wouldn't that be nice?

Her friend sighed as she scribbled down something on a piece of paper before discreetly holding it above her face, covering her distinct auburn boy cut. The words on the paper read: Alethia.

Hikari looked dumbfounded at her words, mouthing the words "I don't even know what that is." towards her. Her friend looked at her in amazement, before slamming her palm to her forehead.

"Shirayuki-san! I asked you a question!"

Hikari jumped from the boom in her teacher's voice as she looked at him, fidgeting. "U-um…I think everyone was talking about something called Alethia?" She bit her lip, hoping that her answer would be acceptable enough.

Nanakamado-sensei just stared at her and shook his head, "Precisely." Hikari relaxed her shoulders as she let out a hugh sigh of relief but this relief was cut short tragically with yet another question!

"And what exactly is so great about this video game Alethia? Besides of course, it's apparent parallelism to the once existent Alethia and the Arcanum War?"

Many hands at this moment shot up, eager to answer the teacher's question however Nanakamado kept his attention only on Hikari…who squirmed again for a answer.

"Ugh…" Hikari again put a finger to her lips, "I'm sorry Nanakamado-sensei but I don't play video games. I think they're just a waste of time and money." She bit her lip but her eyes then brightened, "I'd much rather fill my head with other things such as your history class and your great lectures!"

Laughter erupted from within the class as Nanakamado felt himself form a dense sweat-drop alongside his head. He sighed," Just sit down Shirayuki-san, before you embarrass yourself further."

"Hai!" Hikari grinned uneasily as she sheepishly laughed, scratching the back of her head. She made her way back towards her desk and once she sat down, immediately was stared down by her friend.

"I can't believe you don't know what Alethia is." Her friend whispered, her orange eyes wide in disbelief. Hikari groaned softly to herself as she opened up her notebook as Nanakamado-sensei continued on with his lecture.

"I've heard about it before on the news but didn't register exactly what it was until sensei brought it up. Really though, I can care less about a online simulation or whatever people call it." Hikari whispered back as she proceeded to copy off her friend's notes, "Geez. You write so sloppily Nozomi-chan!"

"Deal with it." Nozomi whispered back, "You had to be late this morning so you take what you get."

Hikari gave the notes back to Nozomi as she opened up her textbook, "I'll have you know that I almost got killed on the way to school!" Hikari looked at her friend fiercely, Nozomi didn't seem to buy it.

"Really?" Nozomi seemed amused, "Yet another infamous Hikari-chan story? This is gonna be rich."

"No, seriously! I nearly-!" Hikari got too excited and burst out again, only to be interrupted by…

"Shirayuki-san! See me after class!" Nanakamado-sensei shouted again, distinctly yelling towards the groaning blunette. Nozomi sighed.

Hikari moaned as she slumped in her chair, throwing her pen onto the desk. "Hai…."

The rest of the period went on in mute silence. Hikari looked around discreetly from her idle note-taking to notice that the usually hush whispers that normally would have gotten by Nanakamado-sensei's lecturing soon turned into discreet note-passing and text messaging. Girls giggled to themselves quietly while boys snickered mischievously towards each other upon reading each note and Hikari couldn't help but sigh.

'Geez, ever since that Alethia game was released a few weeks ago it's all everyone cares about!' Hikari wrinkled her nose as she had to look away from a group of girls giggling softly over a gaming article that seemed to feature the newest fashion trends for female armor. Seriously, Hikari remembered when girls used to giggle over real clothing for their own bodies. What is the world coming to?

She turned her attention away from the girls and over to a group of boys who were doodling images of war battles and monsters. The blunette tried her best not to scowl, 'It's hard to believe we're all seventeen years old!'

"…but back to the theory of the war's beginning, many claim that the fall of the monarchy brought a civil uprising amongst its people. Some claim that it was the people that brought on the uprising which felled the monarchy. Others…and these theories prove to be the most interesting…is that the ancient gods' own judgment brought pain towards the Alethian race. Believers of this theory point to a ancient story that surfaced around the time of the Arcanum war…about two lovers whose destines became ill-fated."

In the midst of her classmates' idiotic chatter and the her ever-increasing boredom, Hikari slowly turned her attention to Nanakamado-sensei as he continued on about the theory of the two lovers. Her attention suddenly peaked, yet she had no idea why, as she slowly found herself enraptured by her sensei's words.

"Most of the legends of the lovers begin stating that the gods hated each other, despised each other even and were very, very selfish. They used humans as their followers, treating them as territories and properties only to show their dominance and power to other deities. The two gods who had the most control of their subjects, and shown the most resentment towards each other , are known today as the gods of time and space respectively, Palkia and Dialga. Upon discovering that a human marked by Palkia, and one marked by Dialga, joined as one...well, to put it lightly, chaos ensued from within the two deities minds. The very idea of sharing "territory", of true love drove them made. They grew angry, vicious, and brought the Arcanum War upon their people to demonstrate their ruthless authority and obliterate all thoughts of love from within the people's hearts." Nanakamado-sensei preached as he sat upon his desk in front of the class, Hikari felt her eyes widen.

"Many tales speculate that one of these lovers was indeed the very princess in question who was assassinated. Other variations, however, speak of a prince instead of a princess. Now we can all see the improbably of these tales ever being based off of true events, right? There are other, more probable theories out there that do not rely on mere fairytales but on actual, hard evidence that science can prove." Nanakamado-sensei chuckled, "This is not Shakespeare, people, this is solid history that can be dissected and proven with cold, hard physical evidence. It's highly, and I mean highly unlikely, that such powerful gods even existed and-"

Nanakamado-sensei's words were cut off by the inevitable sounds of the bell, marking the end of the period. Students immediately shout of off their desks and head for the door while Nanakamado just shook his head and return to his chair. Hikari rose slowly from her desk.

"I'll meet you in the courtyard for lunch, okay?" Nozomi said as she gathered her books. Hikari nodded to her friend who smiled before leaving Hikari to her impending doom.

Nanakamado-sensei.

She took in a gulp as she approached his desk, clutching her books tightly to her chest as she stared at her sensei's annoyed expression. He took in a sigh, "Do you know why I asked you to stay after, Shirayuki-san?"

Hikari hesitated as she resisted the urge to fidget underneath Nanakamado-sensei's gaze, "Because I disrupted the class…" She winced, "Twice…?"

Her teacher shook his head, sighing. He placed a hand over his forehead before looking up to her in worry, "I hate being the bad guy. I really do. I try to be the kind teacher, who always gives a second shot, but things aren't looking good for you, Shirayuki-san. You're failing my class."

'Eh?"Hikari cried out, dropped her books on top of his desk in shock. "I-I thought I was borderline passing!"

"Yes, you were. But ever since you did poorly on the last few quizzes and especially after our previous unit test, you have begun to fall over that 'border'. As a teacher, I'm concerned because right now things don't look so good for you." He shook his head as he looked up worriedly at a very distressed Hikari.

"N-No, I can't be failing this class. I'm suppose to be graduating this year and if I fail even one class that means…"

"That means that chances of getting into a university are unlikely, unless you repeat the year. Even then, however, universities look at that too and question your reliability." Nanakamado-sensei broke the bad news. Hikari appeared as if she was going to pass out!

She slammed her hands on his desk, determined. "Y-You have to give me extra credit! Something to bring my scores up!"

Her teacher sighed, "I'm not the kind of teacher who normally gives out extra credit as I fear it would be unfair to the other students." He looked up to Hikari, whose lips were trembling dramatically. "…But I do suppose it wouldn't hurt to assign something before our next test."

"R-Really? I would be so happy! Please, please, please!" Hikari begged as her teacher started to rummage through his desk drawers. He pulled out a giant stack of papers.

"A thirty page research paper on one of the theories revolving around the conception of the Arcanum War. Due next Friday" He handed the paper to Hikari whose jaw dropped.

"A-Are you kidding me? That's impossible!"

"It will net you a whole test grade if done with your full efforts and it will increase your grade substantially above a C. I advise you that you accept this, I normally don't do this."

Hikari clenched her teeth in frustration. She couldn't do that paper! One, she sucked at writing papers and always pulled a D+ on them. Two, she had absolutely no idea really what the word Arcanum meant! And three, writing that paper meant she wouldn't have a social life for about two weeks!

That's a lifetime in teenage girl years!

"Please…please Nanakamado-sensei, I'll do anything else! Please, give me something else! Something that I'm actually capable of!" Hikari pleaded, tears practically forming alongside her eyelashes.

"Shirayuki-san, if you would of paid attention in class you would have been capable-"Nanakamado-sensei's words were drowned out by the sounds of Hikari holding back her sobs. The teacher looked at his student uncomfortably as he watched the girl break down, practically weeping in front of him!

"W-Well…" Nanakamado began as he pulled out yet another paper from his desk, "T-There is a alternative that I have been thinking about for quite a while."

Suddenly, Hikari's tears stopped and the girl smiled cheerily. "Really? I'll take it!" A glint of victory flashed in the girl's eye. When a girl doesn't get her way, there's only one full proof method to getting what she wants. Cry.

Nanakamado-sensei's eyes ran over the piece of paper in his head, "Have you heard of the recent MMORPG Alethia?

Hikari looked dumbstruck, "MMO-what? You mean that video game?" Her teacher nodded.

"Interestingly, the game serves as a complete parallel to the ancient kingdom that was also called Alethia and the Arcanum War. The creators from Platinum Corp took all the theories that ever surrounded the war and kingdom, plus new ones of their own, and created a online game with it. Sure, some elements were created with the video gamer in mind but as a history teacher, its connections to history are simply uncanny. I think that if you play this game, at the very least you would learn a little something about Alethia and hopefully ace the next test."

"B-But sensei, I hate video games!" Hikari started to protest but her words were cut off by her teacher.

"Just as much as you hate writing papers?" He smirked, handing her a piece of paper. "Here's a 50% off discount for a copy of Alethia. My suggestion to you is purchase it and try it out, let me know what you think of it. It may seem like an annoyance now but trust me, sometimes to do something right you must do something you feel is wrong first."

"So your saying that buying this game is wrong?" Hikari questioned, Nanakamado shrugged.

"My personal opinion? No. For you? Maybe. I just hate to see you fail and as your teacher it's my job to do my best to prevent that."

Hikari looked at the coupon in her hands and back at her teacher, "I'll think about it. Thanks so much Nanakamado-sensei…" She muttered as she left the classroom, closing the door softly behind her. Once the door shut, Hikari again looked at the coupon and huffed as she crumbled it up into a ball and threw it in her bag.

A Research Paper would have been Nice Right About Now.

"So wait, what? You're failing Nanakamado-sensei's class and your extra credit assignment is to play Alethia?" Nozomi said in disbelief as she took a bite of her sandwich. Hikari nodded, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her water.

The two were lounging comfortably underneath a large oak tree during their lunch in the courtyard and as usual, the area was booming with the chatter of students. From typical everyday conversation to juicy gossip to lately the newest quest on Alethia, finding a nice quiet spot to eat one's lunch seemed like a godsend.

And unluckily for Hikari, she didn't quite find that peace. Taking another sip of her drink, she sighed and turned to her friend. "Today has just been the worst day in my entire life. It's not fair! He gives me this harsh decision, whether I write this paper, play this stupid game, or practically succumb to a worthless existence. I can't fail Nozomi-chan! If I'm held back and you and everyone else off to a university, then my life is over as I know it." She moaned, Nozomi laughed.

"Well, then maybe a good start would be not to come in late to class." She giggled, Hikari just glared at her.

"I didn't meant too! Honestly, I got my new bed sheets last night and it was hard to wake up! Also I would have been on time if…" A sudden memory swarmed Hikari's thoughts as she remembered falling in the middle of the street, the motorcycle rider who almost hit her, the look in his eyes, that intimate gaze…

"Um, hellooo? Hikari-chan? You're mouth is hanging open. Snap out of it!" Nozomi snapped her fingers in front of a dazed Hikari and at that moment, Hikari jolted back to reality.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Nozomi sighed as she ate more of her sandwich, Hikari sheepishly laughed as she turned away from her friend.

Her mind drifted back towards the motorcyclist and as soon as it did, her heart started to beat a thousand times per minute. She felt her cheeks blush and as Hikari felt her forehead, the strangest sensation fluttered from within her stomach.

'Maybe Nozomi-chan is right. Something must be wrong with me, I'm acting like I'm in love or something!' Hikari shook her head and turned back to Nozomi, a bright smile on her face. "SO!" Hikari piped up happily, "I figured since you're soooo amazing in Nanakamado-sensei's class that you can help me write this research paper! Sleepover this weekend? They'll be lots and lots of snacks!" Hikari tempted as she edged closer to her friend, Nozomi rolled her eyes.

"If you think you're gonna suck me into writing this paper for you, you're dead wrong." She caught up from her spot, causing Hikari to pout.

"But why not!" Hikari whined, "You're not honestly going to make me play this dumb video game are you?"

Nozomi just smirked as she looked down at her agitated friend, "You have to get over this dumb phobia sooner or later."

Hikari's breath hitched in shock as her friend just laughed. Her fate was laid out in front of her, and the key to her survival…was a crumbled up piece of paper.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on for the blunette as her impending doom haunted her throughout each and every period. During art class, every student insisted on painting their fictional character for their self portrait. During gym class, the athletes complained that doing so many push-ups would ruin their wrists for when they went home and played Alethia. Heck, even during chemistry her professor went on about the actual probability of creating potions just like in the game!

There seemed to be absolutely no escape.

The afternoon bell couldn't have come sooner for Hikari when she left school that day, although, she didn't seem to be the most anxious student to leave. The blunette squeaked when her and Nozomi were nearly knocked over by a massive stampede of students all cheering to get home and play the game, all in which thoroughly pissed Hikari off.

"Do you think that's going to be me once I have my extra credit?" She sulked as the two proceeded to exit the school, Nozomi laughed. "Who knows? It's kinda funny picturing you becoming a fanatic."

Hikari rolled her eyes, "Yeah, real funny. But all that aside, what are you doing later? We should go shopping or something!" The girl grinned towards her friend. Nozomi paused for a moment and started to think.

"Hmm, I don't think I can. I have to get home and start getting dinner ready before my parents get home from work."

"Oh, that's perfect! I can help you!" Hikari chimed in, Nozomi shook her head before ruffling the blunette's hair. "Don't you have a assignment to worry about?"

Hikari glared at her, "You're not being funny."

"Who said I was being funny?" A chuckled escaped Nozomi's lips.

Hikari pouted, "Whatever. I have to go buy some new clips for my hair anyway and I don't need much company to do it." She ran a finger through her hair, "So go have fun making dinner."

Her friend laughed, "Oh c'mon now, it really isn't going to be that bad." The two stopped at a intersection to part ways and Nozomi embraced her friend, "You know? Maybe you'll actually like it. After all, hundreds of kids would kill for a opportunity like this."

"Then get them to do it for me." Hikari grumbled, Nozomi laughed again.

"Let me know how it is, alright?" Nozomi said as walked away from the blunette, waving over her shoulder as she did so. Hikari sighed as she waved back as well, the winding carrying her hair as she did so.

Of all people, of all freaking people, she just had to win the lottery didn't she?

Finding her hairclips was easy enough, it turned out, as Hikari had no problem locating a cute boutique that specialized in cute hair pieces. From clips to headbands to ribbons and flowers, the blunette was sent into a sensory overload of cuteness.

"Oh, this is so pretty!" Hikari squealed, holding up a vintage headband with a cute gingham pattern. "How much is it?"

The sales attendant who was currently helping the girl carry her abundant threshold of hair accessories smiled and said "It's only 500 yen. It would look so cute on you, miss!"

"Eh? Really, it's so cheap!" Hikari said incredulously, the attendant sighed.

"Ever since that shop opened up next door promoting Alethia goods, it's been hard on business. Almost everything is discounted!"

Hikari huffed, "That's not fair." Again, she heard about this stupid game! "When's the world going to quit this Alethia nonsense, seriously?"

The attendant laughed, "I guess never but if there is people still like you in the world then there is still hope I suppose."

Hikari smiled, bringing her items to the front register. She thanked the cashier as she purchased her goods and happily left the shop, swinging her bag full of goodies merrily.

"Teehee! Nozomi-chan sure missed out!" Hikari hummed as she walked home, adding a little skip to her step when all of a sudden she came across the shop the sales attendant mentioned earlier.

Her mouth opened slightly at the sight of the building. It was nearly double the size of all the local shops and far more technologically advanced than anything she has ever seen. The exterior was pure crystal that spanned over two stories, making the shop sparkle in the sun's light and on top of it read :

Platinum Shoppe. Your One Stop Shop For Any Alethia

And at that moment, Nanakamado-sensei's words echoed in her mind. "Here's a 50% off discount for a copy of Alethia. My suggestion to you is purchase it and try it out, let me know what you think of it. It may seem like an annoyance now but trust me, sometimes to do something right you must do something you feel is wrong first."

Hikari's eyes traveled to her book bag which still, hopefully, held the coupon that her teacher had given her. She bit her lip. Would she really give in to her own judgment for the sake of a grade? Was university really worth it?

She peeked inside a window and saw the crowded mass of people swarming around shelves and other various merchandizes and for a brief moment, Hikari saw herself as one of them. Something pounded in her chest. Was it fear? Anticipation? Fear?

Perhaps a little bit of each, or a mixture of the three, but regardless on what it truly was…Hikari could not stop herself from taking a small step inside the store. After all, it wouldn't hurt just to look around and see what the big fuss was about, would it?

"Who knows, maybe I'll get a good laugh out of it." She giggled to herself, entering the automated doors that opened with a WOOSH! before her.

And as the doors closed after the blunette, it again displayed the reflection of the streets before it.

It showed the traffic bustling back and forth.

It showed pedestrians happily walking alongside their companions.

It showed the sun slowly setting against the horizon.

But perhaps the most significant image the doors showed was not the beauty of the scenery or the carelessness of the town's citizens around them…no.

It was the sight of a man perched upon a black motorcycle off into the distance.

His hands clenched tightly around the handles of his bike, dark gloves flexing.

His coal eyes smoldering through his helmet's eye slit.

As he carefully kept vigil…

Over every action a particular blunette made.

"A copy of the game is how much?" Hikari gasped as she held the box in her hand, her mouth gaping at the price tag.

"That would be 20,000 yen for the core game. However, we recommend that you purchase the reality glasses headpiece with the built in mic as well so that you can have the full Alethia experience." The too cheery sales attendant said. Hikari stared at the middle age man who was trying to sell the overly expensive product to her, and grimaced.

"Do I need to buy the headpiece with the built in mic? Wouldn't the game work without it?"

"Actually, it won't." The sales attendant said plainly. Hikari sweat-dropped. She couldn't believe she was even in this situation! First, as soon as she walked in to the store she was bombarded by sales attendants asking if she needed any help. Next, they throw a game into her hands when she clearly tells them she is just looking. And now, they're trying to sell it to her!

Honestly!

"U-um, I don't think I'm interested in either of these products. I mean, video games aren't my thing…" Hikari stammered as she went to put the game's box back on the shelf but the attendant quickly grabbed hold of her wrist.

"Oh, but you must try it! I wasn't a gamer myself, after all why would I, a grown man with a family, play games such as these, but it's a whole new experience when you log on! Many claim it's like another world!"

"Erm, thanks but no thanks." Hikari tried to back away, "But I like this world very much." She walked away from the sales attendant who grumbled something under his breath before turning to another vulnerable customer. Hikari sighed and looked at the store around her, she couldn't believe what she saw.

Games everywhere, all relating to Alethia! There was Alethia board games, t-shirts, memorabilia, action figures, hats, expansion packs, everything a geek would fall in love with. Hikari sweat-dropped, she wouldn't be surprised if Nanakamado-sensei was a frequent shopper here knowing all the "historic parallelism" that was being sold.

And then her eyes saw it. One huge, sparkling poster hanging high over the store for all to see:

Do you have what it takes to unlock the ultimate, rare specialization? Only one person is qualified! Is it you? Found out upon purchasing your very own copy of Alethia!

Order a copy today!

"What the-?" She looked up at the sign, confused by its content. "One person is qualified?"

"That means that only one person in the entire world is qualified to play as that character!" The creepy, middle-aged man was back which caused Hikari to jump from shock!

"W-What?"

"It's kinda like the tale about the chocolate factory. Except this time, Platinum Corp is promising that the one who gets that specialization will become very important to the Alethia story. Well, of course the motto for the game is Everyone Is A Part Of The Story but a lot of people are putting their hopes into this!"

Hikari raised a eyebrow, "And how exactly is this person determined? Is it just like a lottery?"

The man grinned, shaking his head. "Whenever someone creates their character on Alethia, regardless if they recreate numerous accounts, the game reads the person's DNA and creates their character and specialization that is fit for them. Just as if they were a part of a real world!"

"T-That's creepy!" Hikari exclaimed, the man shrugged.

"It sounds a lot worse in words but its really harmless. Why don't you try it for yourself?" The man began but as soon as he finished his sentence, it was a lost cause. Hikari merely scoffed at the man and left the store without even glancing back, throwing her coupon from Nanakamado-sensei to the wind.

"Mom, I'm home!" Hikari opened the front door to her house and proceeded to take off her shoes at the entrance. "What's for dinner?" She called out as she placed the two shoes neatly next to each other, walking into the kitchen where she found her mother stirring a pot.

"I was in the mood for some Italian tonight sweetie, so I made you some spaghetti. Your plate is already on the table." Ayako smiled as she continued to stir the sauce. She took a sip of it before adding more spices. "The sauce is done so come up here then and put on however much you would like."

"Thanks mom!" Hikari cheered as she got her food, pumping her fork in the air in victory. "Yay spaghetti!"

Ayako chuckled, "Whatever happened to being seventeen years old?" She took a seat in front of her daughter as she watched her devour the pasta before her, Ayako giggled.

"I'm still seventeen!" Hikari countered as she took another huge bite of spaghetti, Ayako sighed.

"Seventeen year olds wipe their mouths."

Hikari stopped eating. Laughing sheepishly, she grabbed her napkin and wiped her mouth as her mom did nothing but shake her head. "So, how was your day honey? Did you make it to school on time?" Ayako asked as she put a few dishes in the sink and proceeded to wash them.

Hikari was about to say something about her little incident that occurred on her way to school but stopped herself.

'If mom finds out, she's going to freak. She'll question if I'm hurt, she'll cal the school, they'll call Nanakamado-sensei to confirm I made it to class, then he'll tell mom about my grades!' Hikari panicked as she carefully placed her legs fully under the table, a effort to conceal the dried blood marks that stained her white socks.

'Note to self: Get new socks.' Hikari reminded herself as she coolly said, "Yup! No need to worry!"

"Oh that's good." Ayako looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Oh, I almost forgot! You received a package today so I placed it in your room."

By this time, Hikari had finished her plate and wiped her mouth again. "A package? I didn't order anything."

"Me either, but it's in your name plus it came in the strangest way. I was watering my plants and as I came back to the front of the house, it was just lying there on our doorway! Maybe you should check it out, perhaps the post office made a mistake."

Hikari rose from her seat, trying to think. "Well…I guess I'll check it out. It's in my room, right?" Ayako nodded, giving the right away for Hikari to check it out. "Then I'll see what it is, thanks for the dinner mom!" Hikari smiled, excusing herself from the table as she rushed upstairs.

As soon as Ayako heard her daughter's door shut, she sighed.

"Sometimes I worry about her." Ayako exasperated towards Glam, who was licking a bowl of milk in the corner. All the cat did in return was meow.

Hikari ran into her room, shutting the door behind her. Immediately her eyes scanned her room from her computer desk to her floor to her bed she looked for the package her mom spoke of and when her eyes fell upon her bed, there it was.

A simple cardboard box neatly packaged.

"Huh, that's odd." Hikari thought as she approached her bed, lifting up the box. "Oi, it's heavy!" She dripped the box back down on her bed as she sat in front of it.

"This is so weird," Hikari marveled at the gift, taking note it had her exact name and address labeled on it. "Mom wasn't lying." Pulling back the packaging tape, she opened up the box to reveal a large amount of a Styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap. Slowly, pulling out handfuls of peanuts at a time, Hikari dug through the seemingly bottomless pit of packaging until her hand felt something.

"Got it!" Hikari cheered as she pulled it out but as soon as she did, she gasped as she dropped it on the bed.

Her hands shook. Her body went limp. How…?

For there lying on her bed was her very own copy of Alethia along with her own head piece and mic.

"Okay, if that man thought I meant to place a purchase order I'm going to be really pissed!" Hikari shouted in annoyance as she dug deeper in the box, hoping to find a receipt but as she did…she found something else.

Her eyes widened.

From within the box, she saw the most beautiful bracelet she had ever seen. A handcrafted masterpiece, made out of small jaded beads etched out of real jade itself, Hikari was afraid to touch it. It look so old yet still so beautiful. Had it slipped into the packaging?

Reaching further into the box, Hikari carefully took the bracelet and alongside it…a note.

Hikari,

It's not just a game.

I'm still here.

"W-what?" Hikari gasped as she read the note, both scared and confused at the same time. And then, it happened. The bracelet from within her hands glowed and a unmistakable aura surrounded the blunette as a sudden threshold of images swarmed her mind.

Cherry blossoms.

A silhouette of a swordsman.

The serenity of a oasis.

Tears.

A kiss.

A dagger.

Blood.

Then Darkness…

Hikari's eyes snapped open in a cold sweat as she looked down at the bracelet again, and then at the video game lying before her…just waiting to be played.

"What the…h-how…?" She gasped as she tried to steady her breaths, her confusion overtaking her senses. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel anything, all she could do was focus on that letter…

The one letter that said so little but yet so much…

It's not just a game.

I'm still here…

"I don't understand! What was going on? What's not a game? Alethia? What about Alethia? Is there something wrong with it? And whose still here? How…what…what's happening?" Hikari tried to steady herself but the confusion was just too much. She grasped the bracelet tight and from within her palm, she felt a warmth that made Hikari's eyes widen..

It was like a fluttering heartbeat…

Subconsciously, the blunette found herself putting the bracelet on and once it laid softly upon her wrist she had no desire to remove it. She didn't know why, or how, but it felt like it was a part of something that she once held dear…for as long as she could remember.

Yet, she couldn't remember. And that's what scared her.

Hikari clenched her teeth, looking down at the game before her. She knew what she must do.

She took the game and headed over to her computer desk, turning her computer on. Slowly, as if unsure, as if she was going against all she stood for, she carefully placed the disc for Alethia inside the disc drive. Her computer buzzed as it processed the disc's contents and as it did, Hikari steadily placed the game's headpiece that consisted of virtual glasses and a mic upon her head.

Her vision went dark, and at that moment, she no longer was in her bedroom. Her was body floating...in a midst of pure darkness...

Scared, she looked around and saw nothing, heard nothing, but the faintest of a melody becoming ever so welcoming.

Hikari turned around in the darkness and a homepage with the words…

~Welcome to Alethia~

-Login-

Taking a hesitant breath, Hikari reached out for the Login button and then suddenly-

…the once terribly dark world became so white…

And perhaps it was her imagination…

But she could of sworn she heard a voice…

That spoke no words…

But was smiling…

It's not just a game…

I'm still here.

The city's skyline reached out for as far as he could see as the night's wind breezed by him, sending a shiver down his spine. He looked down and saw the sickening, artifical lights that mankind produced and then looked up to the stars and gazed upon their purity and warmth. How easily these stars conquered the lights of man, how easily they can keep shining...

He took a deep drag of his cigeratte before exhaling out a steady stream of smoke.

"You know, you shouldn't be up here on the roof. It's not the best place to smoke." A voice approached him, causing his focus to break away from his thoughts of the stars. He sighed, not turning towards the voice, "It's the best place to look at the stars."

There was a silence.

"She loved the stars..."

The voice, belonging to a man a little bit older than him, smiled, "She probably does still..."

He shook his head before smiling to himself bitterly, "She's not going to remember me, is she?"

A assuring hand was placed upon his shoulder as the voice beside him sighed, "No, she won't. Eventually, but who knows when. It could be a day, few weeks, years even."

"I've waited too long. And now that she's here..." He clenched his teeth before taking another drag of his cigeratte. Unsatisified, he flicked the ashened bud off the rooftop.

He couldn't take it.

He couldn't take waiting.

He needed her right now.

Ever since...ever since...

He shut his eyes tight.

Ever since his eyes met hers...

Happy Ikarishipping Day Everyone! I hope everyone had a Ikarific Day xD I decided to celebrate the day by working on this little chappie story that I had in mind for hmm I don't know...years? xD Please don't kill me, I'll update my other fics as well because now that I'm OFFICIALLY in summer mode I can pump out the updates n.n No more hard school, yes!

About this fic. It's mainly inspired by the .hack series ^.^ I wanted to make a ikari story with the MMORPG element and I can't wait to flesh it out more. Seriously, I had so much writing this for you guys that I already started on the next chappie! Yay! Please, it would mean the world to me if you would be so kind as to review and let me know what you guys think ;)

Until next time!