The Schemer and the Goddess stared at one another for a tense moment, and then reached a unanimous, perhaps even divinely-inspired agreement to lie their asses off.

“Oh hey yeah! These guys!” Cho exclaimed, throwing up the hood of her coat to cover her braid. “From the place you’re always hanging out in, right?”

Bex grinned, completely oblivious to the metaphysical shenanigans she’d become unwittingly complicit in. “Yeah, Shinki Itten! This is Hanbun,”–the kobold waved, equally unaware that anything was amiss–”This is Mimi,”–the scribe managed a small bow between furious note-taking–”This is Wren,”–the general nodded, perhaps a slight questioning quirk to his typically stoic expression–”and this is Shin!”

“Right, Shin!” Cho jumped in, cutting off any opportunity from Shin to take control of the conversation, “Gosh, Bex has told me all about you. How you’re just a great guy, a great friend. So loyal.” The demigod-come-Player’s pleasant smile spread. “You’d do anything for a friend right? Or family? Right?”

The glint in Cho’s eye was unmistakable: equal parts plea for assistance and promise of divine retribution.

Well, Shin internally sighed, never let it be said that he was unable to read the room. “Any friend of Bex’s is a friend of mine,” he proclaimed, offering Cho a shake that the elf quickly accepted. “I’m glad you could join us! Bex said you hadn’t been able to meet up because your mother was a bit strict? I’m glad she finally said yes!” Shin perked his ears in concern. “Oh, she did say yes, didn’t she? I mean, did you let her know you were doing this?”

Cho’s fingers tightened around his. “She’s out of town right now. It’s fine.”

“Oh, um, does she not know?” Bex seemed concerned. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, though…”

The elf trilled her lips, shooting the other girl a cheeky smile. “Oh nah, she won’t find out! Unless one of your friends here tells her! Haha!” Her grip tightened even further. “But that couldn’t ever happen, could it Shin.”

Shin knew, knew with every fiber of his being, that if he answered this question incorrectly he was absolutely going to Hell when he died. “You’re right, of course. Couldn’t happen. And even if it was possible,”–he offered Cho a wink–”I never could stand a tattle-tale.”

Wren cleared his throat, not sure precisely what was going on here but instinctively understanding the benefit in moving on. “So what’s next? We’re still in the normal version of the town.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Bex pulled open her Character Screen, flicking through a few windows. “I need to go find the Rewind Manager before I can put myself into level sync with Cho. They usually hide those in some corner of the zone’s tavern so’s not to break immersion.”

“Over there.” Shin nodded towards a cozy-looking building on the other side of the, a sign depicting a unicorn-horned pig rampant in silver on a field of red dangling from its portico. “That’s probably it, right?”

Hanbun squinted towards the building. “‘The Swine Before Pearls’?”

“Yeah that’s definitely it,” Bex agreed, starting in that direction. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder to Cho, “I’m so glad we’re doing this!”

Cho called back, the tail she non longer had wagging so hard that Shin could almost see it. “Me too!”

As the girls continued to wave their very temporary goodbyes to each other, Shin turned his attention to his three companions. “You should do one last sweep of the general area,” he suggested, keeping his voice low. “Make sure there aren’t any Players or goons of Glandem skulking around.”

“We should get eyes on the graveyard, too,” Hanbun offered, already moving in that direction. “I’ll scout it out.”

Wren took a glance towards the perimeter. “Unless the Rangers have significantly improved their discipline, I think we’d have noticed any of them by now. Too cocky, too flashy. Still, I can check it out.” He jerked a thumb towards Mimasu. “Is he with me?”

“Oh! Oh, I should stay right?” The scribe seemed surprised by the idea that there was any other possibility, tilting his head at Shin. “Right?”

The Schemer shrugged. “Personally I’m a bit surprised you didn’t go with Bex. I figured you’d want to take notes on whatever a ‘Rewind Manager’ does.”

Mimasu blinked, and then immediately rushed after the departing Player. “Bex! Bex wait! I’m getting out a new scroll! Bex!”

Shin dropped his voice again as the others departed, trusting that the other kobolds despite their Enhanced Senses were less inclined towards eaves-dropping than he was. “I was right, wasn’t I?”

Cho took a deep sniff, her brow furrowed, then shook it off and looked back at Shin. “How’s that?”

“I told you that she’d like you a lot, too.”

“Oh.” The girl couldn’t resist a bashful smile as she dropped her hood, reaching up to undo her braid. “Yeah, um, you did. Thanks, Uncle Shin.”

“Okay so how about to thank me you tell me how the hell you’re here now? And how the hell you’re a Player now?”

The goddess scrunched her eyebrows, shooting Shin a look. “What do you mean?” She shook her hair loose, reaching up to push her choppy bangs out from her face. “I did it the same way they do.”

“The same way…” Shin tilted his head. “The same way who does? Who is ‘They’?”

“They. Them.” Cho motioned towards the tavern and Bex with her chin, “The Players? I logged into Kingdoms of Magica and now I’m a Player and an elf.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

That was, without a doubt, the single most baffling thing Shin had ever heard. “How is that even possible? The Players are from an entire different world! Don’t they need, like…other world stuff to get here?”

“Dunno,” Cho shrugged, infuriatingly nonplussed. “My room is pretty much a different world from Magica, too. Just, like, one that’s a few dozen layers closer.” She held up a warning finger. “But before you ask, I’m pretty sure it only worked because I’m, you know. A Goddess or whatever. Don’t think you could sit in my room and do it, too, so don’t Scheme bigger than your stomach.”

He had to admit, that had been the first thought to cross his mind. Not that Shin would tell her that; how dare Cho so accurately accuse him of something? Before the kobold could deny the charge, though, he became aware of the hair rising on the back of his neck. His defensive retort suffocated in his throat the world immediately around him began to shudder and groan, as if existence was collapsing in on itself to–

“Go on, shoo!” Cho clapped her hands, glaring at what Shin supposed was the reality around them. “Mind your own damn business!” Reluctantly, or as reluctantly as an unknowable supernatural force can manage at least, the world slipped back into its normal position. The girl huffed, blowing a strand of hair out from before her face. “So dumb. You okay Uncle Shin?”

Uh, hm. Yes. He had clutched at his chest at some point, and his throat was unbearably dry, but Shin decided that he probably was okay. “I’m fine,” he answered, once he’d taken a quick swallow. “What was…?’

“Just the System being a dork.” Cho rolled her eyes. “It’s all pissy that I’m doing this; I had to bully it really hard before it would let me make Elf Me.” She hummed, a thought striking her. “ElfMe. That might have been a good handle. Better than ChoChoChoCho2 anyway.”

As insane as all of this was, Shin had to confess he felt a stir of pride at the thought of his divine niece standing boldly in her room, browbeating the stuff of creation into letting her hang out with her crush. That mental image led him to a new concern, however. “So wait, what about your original body, then? Is it just lying unconscious in your room now? What happens when Momo walks in and finds you like that?”

The girl scoffed. “You don’t think I thought of that? That won’t happen.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “I put my saddest albums on and turned the music up real loud. She won’t work up the nerve to bug me for at least a couple days.”

Shin wasn’t certain what annoyed him more: how weak that plan was, or that it would probably work. “...Look, I’ll keep this from your mother, but when this is all over you’re going to have to give me some better answers than that.”

“Soon, okay? Just…” She let out a breath, then gave Shin a beseeching look. “After we do all of this, okay? Just let me hang out with Bex, just as another normal girl, and when we’re back home you can ask me whatever you want.” She raised her hand, pinky finger outstretched. “Deal?”

It was the first time Shin had ever seen the gesture, but he found himself instinctively reaching out to hook his pinky finger around hers. “Okay, Cho. Deal.”

“Yes~!” The elf squealed in glee, throwing her arms around Shin in a big hug. “This is going to be so great Uncle Shin! I can’t wait to see how you totally dunk on that dick Glandem.” She pulled back, her tone now accusatory. “You’ve got a plan, right? You aren’t just going to just pull all of this out of your butt, are you?”

“I mean, I’ve got the beginning of a plan,” Shin replied, “and the ending. It’s just the middle that’s a bit…wobbly.”

Cho waved a hand dismissively. “That’s totally enough; no one needs the middle part. You’ve got two thirds of a plan. That rounds up to being a full plan, right? That’s just math.”

Shin had to chuckle. This was all irresponsible of him, he freely admitted, and when Momo inevitably figured it out he was certain to catch hell. But he just couldn’t help it: Cho was simply too much fun.

A short cough a ways away alerted the Schemer and Player-Goddess to Wren’s approach before he could get close enough to overhear what they were discussing. Very considerate of the older elf. “Perimeter’s clear,” the general reported. “If there’s a trap preparing to snap shut, it deserves to get us.”

“Good.” That was a relief. This moment, before they entered the Instanced version of Brightly, was the last opportunity for anyone in the world at large to interfere. Once in, they’d be practically untouchable by outside forces. At just left the inside forces to worry about. “And you’re ready with what we talked about once we’re inside?”

Wren grunted an affirmation, casting an eye towards Cho. “I’m curious, young lady. Did you think about becoming an Oaken Elf instead of…whichever kind you are?”

Cho made a face. “Uh, no offense, sir, but if I’d done that I’d have started in Quercus. And Quercus looks like it sucks.”

Wren grunted again. “Not in the habit of getting offended by the truth, miss.”

Mimasu burst out of the tavern as Cho gave Wren a smile, the little scribe having somehow managed to take a full scroll of notes already. He hung back for a moment as bemused looking Bex emerged as well, the kobold taking a moment to copy down the pig heraldry of the establishment. He seemed to be in particularly high spirits as he rushed to catch up with the Player, waving his papers towards Shin as he called out. “That was so great?! They answered all of my questions! No one ever answers all of my questions!”

“Well,” Bex cut in, “they did answer most of them with ‘I don’t know the answer to that’, to be fair.”

“So?” Mimasu gave the girl an incredulous look. “That still counts as an answer.”

“Right. Good point.” Bex turned to grin at Cho, the elf disguising another sniff with a quick clearing of her throat. “I’m all set! Are we ready?” She glanced towards Shin. “We’re ready, right?”

“Just as soon as…ah.” Right on cue, Hanbun appeared from the other end of the square. Hm, were her ears a bit folded back? Shin raised a hand to the woman, calling out once she was near enough. “What’s it like?”

“It’s basically like we thought it would be,” she reported. “So wild as hell. You’ll see.”

Right. Ominous. Though not unexpected. And if he suggested they take any more time to check it out, Shin was certain that Bex would hit him in the head with her halberd. “We’re ready. You’re up, Bex.”

Pumping her fist in excitement, Bex pulled up a window. “Alright team! Say goodbye to Brightly,”–she punched through a few prompts–”And hello to Brightly!”

She clicked one final time, the ambient noises of the homey little village lurching to a halt. And then, in a single ineffable motion, the world folded over on itself.

The world unfolded, and Shin briefly wondered why he was in the pack of a wagon, why said wagon wasn’t moving, and why there seemed to be so many arrows being shot into it.

“Cultists!” a voice shouted from outside the wagon. “They’re attacking the caravan!”

Another voice growled in outrage. “This close to the village? Gods damn their boldness!” A lumpy face with a droopy mustache, nose and cheeks beet red, shoved its way through the window separating the drivers’ and passengers’ sides of the wagon to address the two Players and four citizens. “You lot! You’re earning your keep today; get out there and protect the caravan!”

Huh. It looked like whoever designed these Starting Zones liked to start things in the middle of the action. Guess no one ever told them that middles are overrated.