Hero

When Ember collapsed to the ground, I didn’t think much of it. When Melody and Rose joined her, I began to worry. Aqua rushed at me, trying to reach me, then her eyes glazed over and she fell forward and stopped moving.

I felt as Alia suddenly went limp in my arms and panic filled me. I tried to stand, but the world became distant and I felt sick. Then I stood in darkness… After a moment, I was standing in front of what I could only describe as a building in the Bronx of New York.

Big, made of stone, and slightly reddened with age. Aqua, Ember, Alia, Rose, and Melody all appeared to either side of me. They all looked utterly confused, but I had a feeling…

“Nya! Please come in!” A small purple hair cat girl said from the front door of the building. “Tama and Saki welcome Hero and his friends!” I sighed and began walking forward. I knew that voice anywhere. That tone.

“Hello Admin Creation.” I said calmly as I walked past her. She giggled and bounced back and forth. Alia moved her hands, then frowned. She glared and attempted to tackle the Admin. I snorted as Tama, aka Admin Creation, literally just sidestepped Alia and tripped her.

“Nya! No skills and abilities or levels here. Alia will get her primary and secondary element when she becomes a full citizen! Oh, also! Death is permanent now, don’t die! Saki and Tama did lots of work getting you here!”

Inside the building, as I carried Alia in, having picked her up from the floor. She looked genuinely distressed and I gently caressed her hair and kissed her cheek. She blushed and looked away shyly.

Inside was a large table with chairs for everyone. Sitting at the end of the table were two people. Sitting in the middle had fox ears and long blonde hair that went down her back. She had green eyes and the deeper I looked in her eyes, the more turned on and scared I was.

Next to her was what I could only describe as a little girl with blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. Her white skin was clear and almost translucent. Unlike the first girl, this girl's eyes screamed a very different message. One that was already undressing me in real time as she drooled slightly. 

One of her hands was under the table and she was shaking slightly. I looked away from her awkwardly and looked back at Tama. She bounced over next to the blonde Foxkin and kissed her on the cheek before sitting down.

The Foxkin coughed audibly and Tama stood back up. “Nya! Right! This is Saki!” She pointed at the blonde haired Foxkin. Then she disappeared and reappeared next to the blonde haired little girl. “This is Anna, all of you came from her game!”

Anna instantly stood as Tama introduced her and leaned forward, her eyes glittering. “I just wanna say Hero, I am a BIG fan, like, I love your work! Please.. Me… sometime?” She suddenly jerked and I felt uncomfortable.

Tama smacked Anna upside the head. Anna looked uncertain and in pain for a moment. Then she smiled as if something made sense, she then, in front of everyone, grew over five inches, her blonde hair became purple, her eyes became purple, her breasts grew out, but only a little, and her shoulders lengthened slightly. 

She just went from an eight year old to someone clearly in their early twenties. She bowed and spoke in a clearly much older voice. “Nice to meet you, I am Sabrina. Anna is my.. Alter ego if you will.”

She leaned forward, her eyes still sparkling. “But I can be anything you want me to be, daddy.” She winked at me and I held Alia tighter. This was getting very weird, very fast. Looking at Tama, she sighed and snapped her fingers. Sabrina vanished entirely. 

She then walked over and sat next to Saki. “Nya! Please sit down, Saki wants to tell you all about your new home!”

“Wait, I want to know where we are first, and I want to know why we are here.” I said simply. Saki facepalmed and Tama giggled. The Foxkin, Saki, stood and climbed onto the table, she crawled across it and landed on the other side near us. She wasn’t wearing shoes.

“Please sit down.” Was all she stated. I looked at her puzzled. Ember charged her for some stupid reason. With Ember, who knew why she did what she did. 

Saki’s Foxkin tail suddenly multiplied to nine and became long and thick. She grabbed Ember with no effort and slammed her into the wall a few times before gently placing her in one of the chairs.

“Anyone else? If not, please sit down.” I slowly walk past her and take a seat, placing Alia in the seat next to me. She immediately just climbed back on my lap and started undoing my belt. Her wrists were grabbed by Saki’s tails.

She looked up in rage. But Saki smiled back sweetly. “Trust me Alia, the wait will be more than worth it. I promise.” Alia looked at her for a long moment. I saw the look in her eyes.

“Alia, don’t..” I tried, but she was already moving. She pulled hard on Saki’s tail causing Saki to fling forward like she had Melody. She jumped from the chair while Saki recovered and landed before twisting her own wrists to grab both tails fully and.. Twirling really hard?

I realized why when Saki tried to pull back her tails, only to be pulled in to Alia. Saki brought more of her tails, and Alia smiled before placing her teeth directly on the nearest tail and looking Saki in the eyes.

Saki froze and they stared at each other. “Don’t. You..” Alia’s mouth closed a little more and Saki growled. Then Tama appeared behind Alia and a single chop to the back of her neck was all it took. Alia fell and Tama caught her unconscious form. She carefully brought her over and handed her to me.

Saki surprisingly smiled, then giggled. “You know, this is why she was always my favorite.” She walked calmly back to the other side of the table now that everyone had taken a seat.. Or were passed out. She sat calmly next to Tama who looked extremely impatient.

Saki opened her mouth to speak, but a blue blob suddenly oozed from the ceiling above us and slammed onto the table. It then launched itself at me. But instead of getting me, it forced itself into Alia’s body before I could react. Alai twitched, then her eyes opened and she smiled at me.

She pushed her lips against mine and her tongue into my mouth and she wrapped her arms around me. Then Tama appeared, pulled Alia back by her hair, reached down her throat, and pulled the blue blob from inside her. Alia’s eyes shuttered closed and she fell forward on me unconscious again.

The Tama squeezed the center of the blue blob, which appeared to be a core until it started showing cracks, then she poured water that came from her own body into it?! And it was restored. She then summoned a box and put the orb in it. 

She disappeared and reappeared holding the box sitting next to Saki. Saki looked irritated, but also slightly amused. “I apologize for Moderator Times actions, she is.. One of your biggest fans, Hero. In fact, I would say you're the biggest by far.”

Tama looked offended at that and tore off the gi she was wearing to show a shirt with HeroxAlia FOREVS and had a picture of me and Alia actively mid makeout session. She giggled and Saki sighed, shaking her head.

“Either.. Way.. Saki said glaring at Tama before turning to us. Sabrina, aka Moderator time, will now be stuck in that cube for the remainder of this session. Please do not antagonize her by removing your clothing or saying anything that she could take as sexual. And by that, I mean please remain quiet unless asked a direct question.”

Melody stayed silent, Aqua and Rose looked at me, Ember and Alia were both unconscious. I just looked back at the clearly fucking insane admins and nodded.

Saki nodded and spoke. “So, I think we should start with context, then we move on to souls, body’s, and why you don't have powers and can permanently die now! Before we get into any of that though, you need to all pick your primary and secondary elements. You will be moving to Xanrea and you will need a core installed inside of you.”

Her large speech was filled with information and I leaned forward instinctively. So many.. So long.. And finally, FINALLY I was going to get answers for my hell! Then I looked down at Alia, and reconsidered. Even if it was Hell, I was happy I suffered through it if only for her…

I looked up to see Tama had brought out a large television screen. I hadn’t seen a T.V. since Muosil… even longer if you ignored that. On it were four elements. Water, Earth, Fire, Air.

“Now, a few basic rules to rem..” She was cut off by Aqua, who spoke quietly.

“I pick water and Earth. Water as primary, Earth as Secondary.” Saki blinked, but shrugged, nodded and wrote it down. Melody looked closely at Saki for a moment before asking. “What are yours?” 

Saki smirked at that and winked. “We didn’t get to pick ours, so… Earth and Air for me. Tama is Water and Air.”

Melody claused her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking at the screen. After a long moment, she spoke. Air and Fire.” Saki nodded and placed it down without issue.

Rose just stared at me patiently and expectantly. I sighed as I realized she was waiting for me to pick her elements. “Just..” I trailed off as I thought about who Rose was as a person. Realized aside from her innocent NPC self, I knew almost nothing about her.

I sat there quietly for a few moments longer before sighing. “Rose, this is permanent, please pick something you think you would enjoy.”

She nodded and leaned forward. “Anything you choose I would more than enjoy Hero!” Tama snickered. Saki held back laughter.

I turned to them. “You are really just gonna let her make a permanent…” I didn’t even get to finish as they both nodded eagerly. I look over to Aqua. “Wake up your sister and have her pick!”

Aqua obediently turned to Ember and began to shake her lightly. “Hit her Aqua!” I snapped. Aqua obeyed and made a fist before punching Ember hard on the nose. Ember jerked awake holding her nose.

“What the…” But Aqua cut her off.

Aqua smiled sadly. “Orders, sorry. Hero requires you to pick a primary and secondary element.”

Ember held her broken nose as she looked at the screen Aqua pointed at. After a moment, she scoffed. “Fire and Earth, obviously fools!” Then she laid back in the chair and looked pissy. I rolled my eyes and began to shake Alia.

She didn’t respond and I began to worry. “She will be picking last, Hero.” Saki said calmly. Her soul is actually here.” Tama held out a jar with a blue soul in it. “We are keeping her from causing another incident until it's her time to pick. Please keep her body safe.”

I felt rage at seeing my first wife in a fucking jar. But I knew better, I wasn’t going to pick a fight I couldn’t win. That meant we needed to get this over with. “Rose, pick Earth as primary and Water as Secondary.”

“Yes Hero! I live to serve! I choose what the Hero has spoken! His will is mine!” Saki nodded and simply put her down as Earth/Water.

Then everyone turned to me expectantly and I froze.