Player Versus Player

Growing up in Everfair, sometimes it was hard to tell what was fantasy and what wasn’t.

Percy clashed swords with the enemy leader as the two lackeys behind him, a boy with twin sabres and a girl covered in armor fighting with nothing but a massive spiky shield engaged his friends.

Even your own parents would play into the facade, backing up its legitimacy. Yet as you got older, it always felt weird. It was like Santa Claus was your mayor, everyone in your history, and all your friends. You knew there was an outside world where things weren’t like this, and inevitably you’d fully ascertain the situation- but you were just expected to be able to do that while everyone else did everything they could to stop you. For some kids, it just wasn’t easy to deal with.

A single hit was all it took to send someone back up. Frankie was watching helplessly just hoping they wouldn’t be so mean as to tag her out when she couldn’t even fight. Somehow, that never happened. She eventually realized it was because her team was working so hard just to protect her.

Life was a game. Even when you were supposed to be taking something seriously, you still had to do it with a sword in hand and the made-up rules of the park in mind. The system was completely backwards. Separate fact from fiction too often, and you were a failure. Fail to separate them at all, and you were an outcast.

Serah finally took out the heavy knight, poking at the joints in her armor. While Rocco held him down, Gregory blasted the dual swordfighter with another Gunstar attack.

So they all banded together. Found each other in those strange schools and attractions full of people they couldn’t understand- and then they all talked, reconciling their experiences with each other. Only then could they finally understand what was real and what wasn’t, just like everyone else.

Percival’s small blade was easily overpowered by the tremendous greatsword and its incredible owner. Buckling at the knees, he fell, and the executioner readied his killing blow.

To each other, they were all the only people they’d ever understood.

The downswing was halted by a thin blade of silver and an exceptionally normal-looking girl. Katie expertly parried the strike, sending it straight towards the ground as she tagged him, the last attacker, out of the game.

“Shit!” The final fighter kicked the ground. “Ah, well… half pay’s not so bad. You’re tough, girl. Keep it up.”

Each of the fighters raised one hand, walking back up the stairs. It wouldn’t be long before a staff member above ground opened up an exit path for them.

“Frankie! Are you okay?”

While everyone else went to go help Frankie out of the trap, Percival tried to stand, only to fall back to his knees despite the lack of actual damage he’d taken. Hearing the master swordswoman comfort her little sister like nothing had happened, he felt so incredibly weak.

“Is this real…?”