WORLD 5 - LEVEL 1

P R E V I O U S L Y . . .

"You think you can win you big ugly beast! I am the hero of Narfinex! I will slay you! I will stop the Corruption! Or die trying!!"

Game Boy roars as he falls towards the beast his sword ready to pierce. The Titan pulls his sword back and thrusts when Game Boy is close enough clipping Game Boy's side, GB turns in the air from the impact but continues to dive with the sword, the red aura growing brighter and brighter. Game Boy falls towards the Titan's head and pierces his eye crashing straight through the back of it's head. Black ooze sprays from the beast's wounds and it slowly starts to fall back, the white of it's one remaining eye going dim. GB crashes onto the floor and rolls across the stone floor at great speed. The Titan falls to the floor, the earth crushing underneath him. Silence.

The eye of the Titan turns black. Game Boy lies in a pool of his own blood completely still. Several seconds of silence go by before Paige, Palanius and Finn come across Game Boy. They stop and look at the destruction of the city, the Titan spilling black ooze from his body which has slowly started to turn into embers. The three rush over to the still Game Boy, Paige grabs him and turns him over, cradling him in her arms. GB's eyes are closed, Palanius and Finn look on speechless.


"Game Boy?"

Nothing.


"Game Boy. Please wake up."

Tears start to form in Paige's eyes as she starts to shake GB to wake him up.


"Game Boy! Don't you do this please!"


"Paige. . . He's gone."

Paige buries her head in Game Boy's chest and cries deeply. Palanius and Finn lower their heads.


Paige lifts her head and breaths in quickly as a red aura quickly surrounds her and disappears. The body of Game Boy has disappeared. Paige looks at her hand, her eyes still wet then looks to the other two.


"Holy sCENSORED"


"Was that a Dragon Shout!?"


"This is peculiar."


"I, feel different. Am I player two?"


"You're making no sense Paige. We should get the Princess, ask her about this. . . And tell her about. . Yeah."


"Yeah, yeah. You're right. . . . . . And, I need to go to Urf."

N O W . . .
It's a solemn affair. The noise from the city and the panic from it's inhabitants has turned silent, as some put out small fires and others move hulking rubble off the pathways we join our heroes in the half destroyed castle in the the center of the city. Princess stands on a large stone balcony, overlooking her fallen city. She holds her hands close to her chest as Paige, Palanius and Finn stand behind her. Paige's eyes are stuck to the marble floor, glazed over trapped in her own thoughts. Princess breathes a sigh of despair and begins to speak, her voice cracking as she holds back her tears.


"I don't believe you."

The three hesitate for a moment. Palanius steps forwards a little and clears his throat.


"It's true Princess, I'm sorry. But Game Boy fell valiantly in battle, saving the city and us all."


"Why?"


"Princess?"

Princess turns to the three, tears falling from her eyes.


"Why did you let him die!?"

The three are stuck in silence as Princess glares at them, Finn shies away from her, brushing back his hair. Paige looks up from the floor, tears in the corner of her eyes as she locks eyes with Princess.


"He wanted to beat the Titan on his own, we couldn't have stopped him. He told us to help the people, we tried to reason with him but he wouldn't have any of it."


"Game Girl is correct."

The four turn to Gretchin the tiny witch who slowly walks into the room, cane in hand.


"Game Boy had to do this on his own, he knew that and so should the rest of you. Don't tarnish his memory by bickering like insolent children."


"Gretchin what are you doing here?"


"To shed some light child. Game Girl, you're looking well."


"Game Girl? Are you talking to me?"


"Who else? That is your name is it not?"


"Gretchin, her name is Paige."


"Odd name for a hero."


"A hero? What's going on exactly."


"Yes Gretchin, could you please explain yourself. You don't seem too broken up about Game Boy either."


"Why would I be broken up? He's not dead."

The others say WHAT? in unison and a left with a flurry of confusion and emotions. Princess wipes a tear from her eye and breaks a slight smile.


"He-He's not?"


"No. He lives on in this one, Game Girl. Or Paige as she may be known."


"What!?"


". . . You've sorta added more confusion instead of shedding some light."

Gretchin lets out a small cackle as she looks around the marble room, torn red banners on the walls bearing Narfinex's crest blow in the wind, she looks to Palanius and Finn and smacks her cane against the ground to get their attention.


"You two. You're both strong men, instead of gawking here go help with the clean up."


"But-"


"Right away ma'am. Come Finn."

Palanius grabs Finn by the collar and guides him out of the room through the open door. Gretchin watches them leave and turns to the girls.


"To be put simply. Game Girl is another half of Game Boy, a hero almost identical in every way minus the looks and possibly a different attitude. When Game Boy sadly met his end at the hands of the Titan, he had no extra lives and his time here was ended giving Game Girl her turn.


"Amazing. So what you're saying is if we kill Paige, Game boy will come back?"

Paige's eyes widen as she hops away from Princess throwing her arms around sporadically.


"Woah let's not do anything hasty now!"


"If only it were that simple. You see Princess if Game Girl dies, it's game over."

The two look at Gretchin, awe struck.


"And I mean that for all of us."


"But, how?"


". . . What is life for us is still just a video game to the rest of the realms, so we must abide by the other realm's rules. If Game Girl dies, our world restarts."


"You mean the fate of Narfinex rests on my shoulders?"


"A heavy burden, but it's one that Game Boy knew and he had no idea about a second player in this game."


"Heh. That idiot rushed into battle knowing it could destroy all of us?"


"Yes. Because that is a heroes duty. He couldn't hide himself away knowing evil still plagued our world, the Corruption taking over and destroying all we know. He took a risk knowing if he lost the world would end either due to himself or to the many evils."


"Paige. We need to get you somewhere safe and out the way, if you die the world as we know it will end. I can't take that risk."


"What!? No! I'm not going anywhere, if Game Boy didn't do it then neither will I."


"You are not Game Boy! . . . I will not let you destroy everything."

Princess and Game Girl stand off, staring each other down.


"Game Girl. Go."


"What?"


"You have a mission on Earth young lady."


"Gretchin, she will kill us all."


"Princess with all due respect Game Girl is more capable then any of us, she will do what she likes and you are in no position to say otherwise."


"I am the ruler of Narfinex!"


"And as the ruler you must tend to your people. Leave the girl alone, she must be stressed. Game Girl, go take a break from here and when you feel ready come to my home."

Game Girl looks between the two, Princess turns away from the two in aggravation and walks back to the balcony. Gretchin grabs Game Girl's hand, Paige snaps her head quickly to her.


". . Hm. You have the same eyes. Go now, the Corruption isn't gone yet, we still have a lot of work to do."

Game Girl swallows the lump in her throat and nods to Gretchin who release the gentle grasp on her hand. Game Girl looks to Princess who stands their looking at her city, our new hero walks slowly out of the room and down the halls.


"In time Princess, she will be as strong as Game Boy, if not stronger."


"Or she will doom us all."


Afterwards we join Game Girl sat under a tree on a hill overlooking the setting sun behind the city, Game Girl twiddles her thumb looking at the sun before sighing.


"What a day."

Game Girl rests the back of her head against the tree trunk, a blue orb floats down next to her and she cracks a smile.

NEW MESSAGE FROM XWF! GAME GIRL VERSUS AUSTIN FERNANDO IN A 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH!


"Two out of three falls? Urf fights are so weird. This is strange though, I thought this Austin guy was cool. Doesn't seem as bad as the rest of them anyway. Did Game Boy ever mention him? . . . Heh, this is my life now. Talking to a blue orb wondering what the heck I should do next."

The orb flies away with terrific speed, Game Girl watches it float through the sky and her eyes turn back to the city. Her hands clench into fists and her brow lowers.


"I'll win for you GB, don't you worry."