The Glitch IV - Inversion (Ch. 1)

[Agent Fisher]

Jack decided to quit while he wasnt really far behind and kept his mouth shut.

Course, how do we know this evil elf lady can affect our world. Just the word of two old game characters. He thought to himself.

[SirNitram]

Albert slowly gathered up his wits. He didn't ask stupid questions. He didn't ask how the hell someone could control people from a game. He didn't ask how he was in a game. He didn't even ask the obvious one about how they got here. He went for the crux. "Onward to the dwarves, then." He grumbled. "I wish I had some cheat codes here..."

[Charon]

Matthew's sword never faltered from pointing at Auron. "And how do we know you're not lying? Or you aren't lying?" Matthew turned the blade towards Yuffie. "You haven't given any of us one damn good reason to trust you." Matthew wished that it wasn't true that they didn't have much choice, or that he had no reason not to trust them, they had to be telling the truth about the game, and Yuffie had been dependable if you didn't have something she needed, but he'd played as Ottoman long enough to be able to hide this doubt.

"So you're saying that Draven." Matthew shook his head, it still was very fuzzy from the shift, "I mean, Adam has been... possessed?"

[LadyTevar]

Leah looked over at Thog, then slowly started walking towards Ottoman. Hopefully, he'd not skewer her in his fright. "Ottoman..." and she wished she knew his real name! "Isn't that what we'd been talking about back at the village? Someone... something taking over their characters?"

She hoped to get close enough that she could touch his arm, lower his sword. Hell, he probably needed a hug as much as she did right now.

[Charon]

Matthew looked over at the cleric. "My name isn't Ottoman." His blade turned to point at her for a few moments, his eyes betraying his fright. "Of course something is taking over the characters... God, poor Adam. But, but how do we know they aren't with them?"

Matthew looked back at Yuffie and Auron, turning his blade to face them again.

[LadyTevar]

Matthew looked over at the cleric. "My name isn't Ottoman." His blade turned to point at her for a few moments, his eyes betraying his fright. "Of course something is taking over the characters... God, poor Adam. But, but how do we know they aren't with them?"

Matthew looked back at Yuffie and Auron, turning his blade to face them again.

"... You never told me your name...," the cleric pointed out gently. "I know Th... ALbert knows you, but I don't. I'm Leand.... Leah. Or just call me Lee, like everyone else does."

Another cautious step forward. Panic wouldn't help.. hers, his.. anyone's. "Are they wearing black? Are they attacking us, with skills far more than anyone should have?" she replied in answer to his question. "We know the ones who are ... taken over ... are wearing black. Even the guards at the keep had all taken to wearing black...."

And Leah paused, swallowing as she realized just what she'd said... since Ottoman was now wearing black armor.

[SirNitram]

"It strikes me as.. Counterproductive.. to reveal the trick now. If this place is indeed where they operate from, the local rules apply.. Along with the nasty, horrible death." Albert spoke through Thog's mouth. "So let's put the sword down. If they try to screw us, we do like we always have. Hack large bits off." He tried to sooth his friend. "Just.. Put the sword down, Matthew." He urged.

Leah was given a glance. "Wearing black means a lack of fashion sense, not evil. However, massive boosts in capabilities.. THat's another story."

Finally, Auron was given a look. "So. I have a proper question. You're not from this.. What'd you call it? Gameworld? How'd you get here? You have a TARDIS around here somewhere?"

[Dark Silver]

"Black is thier mark." Yuffie replied to the question, "And thier not actually weaing it...it's well...apart of them."

"All of you sit down," Auron commanded, pointing towards the fire, as he took a sit, cross legged, upon the ground.

"Nothing so outlandish as a TARDIS, only Time Lords travel in this," Yuffie chipped in again at Albert's question, "But beleive me, thier really are a cool ride!"

Auron rolled his eyes, and took the conversation over again, "Travel between the Worlds has been occuring for nearly a millinia for us. But we could never cross the Barrier, which seperated our two Universes. We have a vessal in orbit, but due to agreements, it's not allowed beyond high orbit of this planet, and no technology from it may reach here. We cannot risk one of your people finding it while they are visiting."

The bushes rustled again, for a moment, before the blue clothed spy from the Castle appeaed, the tuft of blonde hair almost obscuring his right eye. For a moment, the image wavered, the clothing shimmered, and the boyish form filled out into more womanly proportions. The magick undone, a lovely woman with hair red enough to rival Leandra's, and a body not so much hidden, as accentuated by the royal court dress she wore stepped towards the fire. She looked delicate, as if one like her should not be in this place, but the sword at her side looked deadly enough to counter the point.

"Zelda," Yuffie waved to the girl.

"The area around here is clear, Auron" Zelda spoke softly. but sstopped on the edge of the circle of light.

[Rukia]

Sivri just flopped on the ground were she was. "This just keeps getting better and better." She sighed, she remembered Zelda. She used to want to be Zelda... when she was really little, she had remembered Yuffie and Auron as well, but she didn't trust them when she was actually playing. No that they were "in", she had no choice. She looked to Auron, "You never answered my question. Can she be killed? I don't know about the rest of you, but I really don't have anything to 'go back' to in our world. Except for my kitty Jinx." Her voice broke, and she sniffled.

[Charon]

Matthew crossed to be on the opposite side of the fire before he sat down, comforted by being in the company of people. His sword was still drawn however. But he was willing to listen, for now.

"But what happened to me? No one else seemed to be hurt by it except me. Why did it hurt?"

Matthew's mind was still working on a very simple, almost childlike level. A short reversion to cope with what happened. He looked over and pointed his blade at Zelda as she appeared, keeping the blade trained on her with fearful eyes before the Dark Elf assassin spoke, he didn't know her real name though.

"What do you mean not going back? You want to stay here? I don't want to stay here! I have family, friends, a store. Oh God my store, I'm gonna lose it! I can't stay here, I've got a real life to attend to. Why do we care about this? Just, send us back. This isn't our pr-" It hit Matthew like a ton of bricks. "What do you mean you could never cross the Barrier? How did we get here then? Does that mean you can come into our world?"

[SirNitram]

Albert was chomping at the mental bit with what he was told. They knew about TARDIS technology. Conclusion? They must have access to TV, or possibly the really old-ass Infocom games. As he digested these points, Zelda hardly caused him to bat an eye. "Ah. Good day, miss." He said simply. "Don't mind me, existential crisis. There's a barrier between our world and this, but not between, oh, Hyrule, and Zion." Think, think. "...Which is why they possess people. Nothing physical goes, but minds..." A moment of dawning. "Minds already go through. That's the point of the HDD. It wouldn't be hard, if you've got the technology of all our fiction, to drag a mind across."

[Rukia]

Matthew crossed to be on the opposite side of the fire before he sat down, comforted by being in the company of people. His sword was still drawn however. But he was willing to listen, for now.

"But what happened to me? No one else seemed to be hurt by it except me. Why did it hurt?"

Matthew's mind was still working on a very simple, almost childlike level. A short reversion to cope with what happened. He looked over and pointed his blade at Zelda as she appeared, keeping the blade trained on her with fearful eyes before the Dark Elf assassin spoke, he didn't know her real name though.

"What do you mean not going back? You want to stay here? I don't want to stay here! I have family, friends, a store. Oh God my store, I'm gonna lose it! I can't stay here, I've got a real life to attend to. Why do we care about this? Just, send us back. This isn't our pr-" It hit Matthew like a ton of bricks. "What do you mean you could never cross the Barrier? How did we get here then? Does that mean you can come into our world?"

"Well if you have a life you might as well try to fight for it. Why let it go to shit because some glitch fuck us over." She shrugged. "For now I think we need to listen to the old-timers, no offence Auron. And see what they suggest. they would have killed us already if they we're the big bad...Or at least wisked us away to the Elf whore and let her have her way."

[LadyTevar]

Leandra ... Leah... had sat down when Matthew sat, close enough she could maybe stop him from doing something stupid. It was so much to take in, even Zelda herself was here? ... it was just unbelievable. Unconciously, she had once again retrieved the contact stone and was playing with it, rubbing and worrying at it as she listened silently. Just hearing Albert talk through Thog, making the connections as to why here and why now.

"Matthew?" she finally spoke. "If we're inside the game... wouldn't we be operating on game-time?" A day is only four hours from sunrise to sunrise... they could stay for several 'game' days, and still not be missed at home.

... not that she would be missed, until she didn't show up for work. Even then, her supervisor would just leave messages for her to call. Eventually someone would get concerned, call the police to check on her... but that could take a week... maybe more. The apartment beneath her was empty at the moment, no one who would get curious why they didnt hear her moving about above them. No one would know. No one ......... the only ones who would care she was gone ... were the ones she was with now.

She drew her knees up and hugged them, clutching the stone so tightly in her fist her nails left marks in her palm.

[Agent Fisher]

To Jack, things had just gotten way too weird. Now Zelda was here.

"Ottoman, I mean, Matthew, you weren't the only only to be hurt. I was too. And we will be missed. I had something to go to in about four hours. If I'm not there, my friends will wonder."

[Charon]

"Don't mind me, existential crisis. There's a barrier between our world and this, but not between, oh, Hyrule, and Zion." Think, think. "...Which is why they possess people. Nothing physical goes, but minds..." A moment of dawning. "Minds already go through. That's the point of the HDD. It wouldn't be hard, if you've got the technology of all our fiction, to drag a mind across."

Matthew looked to Albert, shivering some as the all too recent memory came up again. "Whatever it was that he," Matthew pointed at Jack "And I went through wasn't a mind thing. My body felt like it was being torn apart." Matthew stopped talking and curled up somewhat. Matthew looked up at the others. "If they've been possessing people. And if I was able to physically come through..." Matthew stopped again and looked over at the Dark Elf assassin. "You're right. We need to stop it."

[Agent Fisher]

"I felt the same thing you did, Matthew."

[LadyTevar]

"Then there's the question why we didn't all feel the same way," Lean.. LEAH pointed out. It would be much easier to stay Leandra. Leandra was calm, competent, and courageous. Leah was a mousy little archivist with no life. She wanted to be Leandra.

[Shark Bait]

"I was wondering the same thing myself" Vadlenar said walking towards the rest of the group still putting his weight on the skeleton mage. "Ok... is there anyting that we did differently before being pulled into here? I know I was just standing here not quite sure what might have caused that kind of pain as opposed to just nausia."

[Rukia]

"I was standing right next to you..." She looked at Val. "I felt sick but nothing like... Matthew was it?" She looked at Ottoman.

[Dark Silver]

"I do not know what what could cause you to feel pain like you speak of, or how transfer across the barrier would affect you. Perhaps Dr Light or Professor Langs...."

Auron was interrupted by the sudden departure of Zelda, returning to her Sheik form, and disappearing into the trees. Yuffie looked to Auron, and he tilted his head for her to follow.

Auron remained in place, the humans were speaking, sorting through things. He let them, let them think as they would. He gave them a few minutes, before he finally spoke again.

"There is nothing you can do for those who have already been taken by Adena. We did not know what would happen when they attempted to take you, only that we had to be sure we got to you first."

With that, Auron began to walk to the forest, "Rest tonight, we will watch over you. We beleive the key to returning you to your home world will be found at the end of your quest."

With that, Auron walked out of the firelight, disappearing into the trees.

[Rukia]

"Wait..." Siv called out. "Are we still on game time?" She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. She laid her head on her knees and tried to fight off the tears. Shee looked at the others.. they all had lives to go home to, she had no one, except Jinx. -I miss my baby kitty...- She thought as a tear ran down her cheek.

[Charon]

Matthew listened. They were the ones who did this. But then again, maybe they'd saved him from a fate worse than death. He sighed. First things first.

He looked at everyone, seeing the characters and knowing that the people were inside them. "Well I was away from my HDD, I was getting something to eat when I got, tugged and then there was the pain." Matthew shivered again. "Maybe that was it?"

[SirNitram]

"No idea if we're on gametime or not. Let's just get as much sleep as we can.." Albert sighed. "I'm going to have a bit of a breakdown, if that's alright with everyone else.." He murmured, laying down and staring into the sky.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Elwyn absorbed all the information, especially about minds crossing the barrier and it made sense.

"Indeed, we should rest. There is much to do and probably little time to do it in. I suspect rest is something we will ill be able to afford later"

[LadyTevar]

"I think we're all going to have a breakdown, Albert...," Leah said tiredly, still hugging her knees, worrying with Darek's contact stone. "... I wake up last night because some-thing- is in my room with me, trying to force my legs apart so it can rape me. Now, today, I wind up inside my favorite game, being told by old RPG characters that an evil elf wants to take over my body." Her body shakes, once again threatening to fall into shock. "... I think I deserve a breakdown, don't you..."