--On Earth

A news announcer came on the television in the store window, her face sad. She shuffled through the stack of papers in front of her and sighed as she started her report. "In Tokyo's News, a young child, named Irina, fell to her death from a bridge. The police are currently investigating if the girl's death was and accident or if someone threw her off the bridge. The girl's family members have yet to be found. She was fifteen years old, five feet tall, around 95 pounds, and wearing a yellow sun dress. The girl had long brown hair and brown eyes. If anyone knows the girl, please contact..." the news announcer faded off as people walked passed the television, not showing any concern...

Ember cursed under her breath, playing the game she had discovered in her mail. Something called Yume Tamashii.. either way, she thought it was a new promo out, so she had decided to try it.. but the game was pretty tough. Dodging attacks with her little character, being absurdly outnumbered.. it wasn't easy.
"Oh great.." The familiar sound of her character getting beaten by the baddies sounded again, as she leaned back in her chair, brushing strands of red hair from her eyes. She crossed her arms over her black shirt, staring at the screen. Her eyes scanned to her homework, as she thought about working on it. Ember knew she should, much like she should be practicing on the piano.. but this new game.. it was different, and very addictive. She glanced to the clock in her room, sighing deeply. *For two hours.. I've been playing.. and my character still gets beaten on the same level every damn time..*
"Oh well!" She laughed lightly, leaning forward in her chair, then started playing again.

--On Ashi

Mashin sat in the library of the Palace, his feet propped up on a table, reading a history book he fished from one of the many shelves. Things had been pretty quiet lately, and Mashin was getting bored, very quickly. He suddenly shut the book with a loud clap, sitting up and letting his feet slap against the floor. Mashin tucked the book into the coat he was wearing, and slipped out of the library. *Let's go hunting.* He thought to himself.

Ashi sat in her quarters, working on a new drawing of a panther. She worked by candlelight, that seemed to breathe life into her pale skin. Her yellow eyes focused on her drawing, as she moved strands of her black hair from her face. The picture showed the large cat sitting tall, it's tail seemingly swishing about in the air. Her eyes moved up from the paper, as she looked to her massive collection of black panther images and figures along the shelves in her room. She spotted her favorite, as she stood up from the chair she in, the sound of her boots on the stone floor the only thing heard, as she reached out and picked up an onyx statue. She smiled slightly, studying the face of the beautiful creature.

--On Earth

Ember narrowed her eyes, as the all too familiar music played on the game, as her character got beat again, "If I had my way... you could have more than one character when fighting ten different things.." She got ready to play again, when she heard her name being called, and something about working on her piano playing. Ember made a face, as she got up, leaving the game on the screen of her computer. She opened the door to her room, exiting, then closing the door behind her. The sound of her footsteps could be heard heading downstairs, then silence for a moment. A few minutes passed, and then the soft sounds of the piano echoed throughout the house.

Phillip sat in front of his computer, inside his tiny apartment in the suburbs of Tokyo. He pushed his light red hair back as he watched the computer screen flashing, reminding him over and over that he died again. He was contemplating quitting the game he had recently got in the mail. *Maybe I should just go back outside. This game is getting me a little stressed. I can't even get past the first level.*
He slowly stood up and turned the computer off, sighing quietly. A loud "Meow!" came from the floor as Phillip's small white kitten rubbed against his legs. "I just fed you, Liga." He bent over and lifted up the purring kitten into his arms like a baby. He winced a little in pain as Liga climbed onto his shoulder. "Time to go." He said to himself. He walked out of the door to his apartment, with Liga purring loudly on his shoulder.

Ember stopped briefly on the requiem she had moved to, as her sister shrieked. She sighed, balling her hands into fists, then slamming them down on the keys. She stood up angrily, knowing the scream had originated from her room.
Racing up the stairs, she stepped into her doorway, seeing her sister with one of Ember's bookshelves knocked over before her. She chuckled, glad to see the shelves had landed on her sister's foot, and little Danii was bawling, "That'll teach you.. now out of my room, brat.." Ember lifted the bookshelf up, as her little sister retreated. Ember sighed, closing her bedroom door, and sitting down before her computer again.
Looking at the level she was still on, she though for a moment about how to go about beating it. Smiling, she began to play the game once more.

--On Ashi

Ashi closed the door to her quarters, growing tired of drawing and admiring the statues in her collection. She headed down the hallway, brushing more of the black strands of hair from her face. Heading outside from a doorway, she shifted her form into that of a sleek, black panther.
Swishing her tail in the air, she moved to the left, sitting near the wall of the castle. Her golden eyes watched all that was taking place around her, stretching her feline form, then settling down, lying on the ground comfortably.

Kankei was strolling outside, his hands tucked firmly in his pockets. He glanced around as he walked, eyes scanning the landscape for anything of interest. His lips slowly formed a frown as he saw nothing and he headed back towards the castle.
He got there quickly and was walking near the wall when his foot ran into something and he fell face-first onto the ground. "What the...?" he growled angrily and turned around, glaring at whatever he'd tripped over. His eyes widened a little when he saw it was a black panther, but kept his glare steady. "Stupid cat...getting in my way like that..." he grumbled, slowly climbing back to his feet and dusting himself off.

--On Earth

A small figure appeared on Ember's computer screen. The figure was of a young girl, around fifteen years old with brown hair and brown eyes. The girl had a very faded look to her, as though she wasn't quiet there. "Stop, while you still can," said the girl quietly. She looked almost exactly like the girl who had died recently, only her clothes were very strange.

Ember's eyes widened, as she blinked several times. She poked the computer screen lightly, "Whoa.. is this some weird defect in the game?" She grumbled, "Damn.. Danii screwed it up again..."

--On Ashi

"Actually, I was here first..." Ashi commented, her black panther form shifting to that of a young woman, strands of emerald green hair falling over her right eye. She sat up from the ground, pulling her knees to her chest, "Besides, you stepped on what was my left paw.." She said looking to her hand for a moment.

--On Earth

"It's not a defect. You're not just playing a game," said the girl as the screen shimmered for a second. There was a bright flash of light and the girl was now standing in Ember's room, her body was misty and she didn't seem to be totally human. She also didn't seem to be fully there either....

Ember blinked, backing away on her chair, "What.. the hell.. is going on?"

"My name's Irina," said the girl quietly.

"Still doesn't explain what's going on.." Ember said quietly, still staring at Irina in shock.

"The game... Didn't you see the messages? The warnings?" asked Irina.

"No... Just got the game today.." Ember said in a slightly cynical voice.

Irina sighed. "My uncle... invented the game... Shino Mon-ban..." said the girl quietly.

"...you're the little girl who just.. died.. not too long ago.." Ember blinked, then sighed, "Great, now my house is haunted.."

"No, you're house isn't haunted," said Irina with a laugh.

"Then.. you came out of the.." She trailed off, pointing to the game she had been playing.

"I'm not really dead... Just my physical body is... I was trapped inside the game," said Irina.
"I'm still trapped inside the game.." said Irina.

"How.. did you get trapped inside the game?" Ember asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"It's not a normal game," said Irina. "But I'm guessing you've figured that out already."

"Besides you always being outnumbered... and how oddly addictive it is... or someone being stuck inside.. No, I haven't had any clues..." Ember said a bit sarcastically.

Irina sighed. "You're going to get sucked into the game soon... It isn't just a game..." said the girl. She was slowly starting to fade.

"How.. am I going to get sucked in??" Ember asked rather loudly, standing up from her chair.

"It's not a normal game. It's a link to another world..." said Irina. "The other world is called Ashi. Ashi is full of evil... And once you start fading, you'll be stuck in Ashi... The only way to stop the process is to die..." said Irina.

"What..?" Ember blinked, "But.. that's impossible.. Games don't do that.." She glanced to her computer momentarily.

"It's not just a game," said Irina with a sigh.

"Listen, have you started to have dreams yet?" asked Irina. "Dreams of a place where magic rules, and evil rules over the magic..?"

"..when I was playing the piano and went off into my own little world.. Yeah.." Ember paused, "The next thing I know, I was playing a requiem.."

"You've got to stop the game now. Or you'll fade into the other world, like I did... I was the test subject for the game....." said Irina quietly.

"You own uncle.. used you to see what the game would do..? But, why?" Ember asked softly.

"I don't know..." said Irina. "But trust me... You don't want to end up in the other world... It's not safe there... Everything is evil..." said Irina.

"So, if I stop playing the game, it'll end there and nothing will happen..?" Ember asked.

"It may... I hope it's not too late for you... Because otherwise... You'll be sucked into the game..." said Irina.

"When.. is it too late..?" Ember asked.

"I don't know..." said Irina sadly, "I was good at the game and I went through levels very quickly, I didn't find out until I was in level 13... And by then... There was nothing left to do..." said Irina.

"Me... heh, I've made it into level two, but that's about it.." Ember replied.

"It may be to late... I don't know..." said Irina quietly.

"So.. you pop out to warn people about this game?" Ember asked, slowly sitting back down in her chair.

"Usually I can't get out..." said Irina. "But I try to warn people..."

"How many others have been taken into the game?" Ember asked.

"The ones that have gone in are dead... They died later... So they weren't trapped between worlds like I am..." said Irina. The girl was fading quickly, she couldn't stay for much longer...

Ember looked to the game, "You're being forced back in, aren't you, Irina?"

"Hai..." said Irina. "I have a link to that world still..." said the girl quietly.

"....I wish I could help you out.. but I'll shut the game down..." Ember replied.

"It doesn't matter if you shut it down or not..." said Irina quietly. “I don't have a strong link to this world anymore..." said the girl quietly.

"I'm... really sorry..." Ember said, not knowing what to say.

"It's not your fault," said Irina with a smile. "I'll try to help you... if you get sucked in... I'm able to touch Ashi easily..." said Irina.

Ember smiled, watching the girl fade.

"Ja..." said Irina as she faded off....