A/N: Yo, Shonpufi here. Just writing this for fun and to get me out of writer's block/burnout. So if you read my other stories, don't think I've forgotten them. I'm just trying to get back into gear with something fun.
-??? POV-
You know, sometimes I wonder what the stars look like here.
From the last time I remember seeing them, they looked like someone had sprinkled gems on the vast canvas above.
But from then on, I haven't seen them since. It's been so long...
Now, all I see when I look up is nothing but an endless white; it's a bitter and cold bite clawing at every pore on my skin.
I-
"Kirito!" A voice suddenly yelled into my ear, causing me to jolt wide awake.
"Ugh, what the hell, Eugeo!" I groaned as my eyes opened. I could feel the crusty rheum collected around the base of my eye, making it slightly uncomfortable to open them.
I quickly rubbed them, removing the bother. I was finally able to open up my eyes properly.
I then looked at my friend, who had rudely awakened me from my beauty sleep.
He was a slender-looking boy with soft-looking, dirty-blonde, slightly wavy hair, green eyes, and cream-colored skin.
[IMG]
He usually had a kind smile plastered over his face all the time, although that was not the case right now.
Currently, his hands were on his hips as he looked over me with a pout. I kinda want to poke his cheeks, but that would only attract more of his 'Wrath', so I stopped myself.
"Seriously, it's midday (According to the guy who keeps time), and you're still asleep! You promised we'd go and explore the forest today!" He exclaimed with a pout.
I groaned when I heard his words.
Yesterday, when we went out playing, I promised I'd accompany him to see 'THAT' thing.
Big mistake.
"Fine, fine. Just let me put on some proper clothes," I said with a yawn as I got off my bed.
His pout turned into a happy smile in a flash. "Alright, I'll be waiting for you outside!" Eugeo said in excitement as he ran out of my room.
I couldn't help but shake my head in amusement at my best friend's excitement.
I then quickly moved towards my closet, which was just a huge ass box made out of wood, and dressed myself warmly. The place we live in is stupidly cold, so if you don't dress yourself up to every extremity, you'll be even more stupid than the cold.
I then walked out of my room and into the living room. My house isn't much, as it's just a log house that has a large fireplace in the middle. Surprisingly, that alone heats up the whole house, protecting us from the outside cold.
But of course, the fire isn't normal. The wood placed into it is a very special wood to our area, called Amber Wood.
And I'll let you guess what the tree's name is.
Finished guessing?
It's called the AMBER TREE!!!
...Yeah, kinda anticlimactic, right? But once you know the history behind its name, you'll think that it's pretty cool.
But I'm not here to give a history lesson right now.
"Kazuto, you're awake?" A voice suddenly called my name from the kitchen.
"I'm awake, Mom!" I shouted back as I began to head towards the kitchen.
(A/N: His full name is Kazuto Kirigaya, but his nickname is Kirito. It's literally his full name put together.)
As I finally reached it, there she was in all her glory. My mom!
Her name was Valeria Kirigaya. She used to be Valeria Smith before, but she changed it to Kirigaya after marrying my dad, Bob Kirigaya.
...Yes, his name is Bob.
Yes, I also laughed when I first heard his name.
But hey, at least it isn't Bob Uchiha (Yes, I'm dropping some ball knowledge).
"What are you cooking, Mom?" I asked as I walked behind her, giving her a tight hug.
"I'm making some stew, honey. It should be ready by the time you finish your little adventure with your friend~," She said with a giggle.
I immediately groaned when I heard her words, "Seriously, Mom, you HAVE to stop letting him into my room!"
"If I do that, I wouldn't doubt if you slept for the whole winter, not that it would ever end," She joked.
I only rolled my eyes and let her go. "Alright, Mom. I'll be back soon!"
I immediately ran for the door, not before kissing my mom on the cheek.
As soon as I stepped outside, I was immediately hit with a slap of ice-cold wind. It was so thick that I could barely see the houses of the others in the close distance.
"You're finally out, Kirito." A voice spoke, but it didn't sound like Eugeo at all.
I turned around in surprise, "W-what? Alice?!"
-3rd POV-
Alice's cheeks puffed in annoyance as she saw Kirito's reaction. "What's wrong? Surprised to see me?"
Kirito smiled wryly as he looked at Eugeo.
Direct translation: WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?!
Eugeo could only sigh with a shrug
Direct translation: She blackmailed the info out of me, sorry...
Eugeo and Kirito always had their own little adventures here in their land. That includes Alice as well, but there's a reason why they didn't tell her about THIS adventure in particular.
"So you and Eugeo have been trying to climb out of here?" Alice suddenly spoke.
Both Eugeo's and Kirito's eyes widened in horror as she said it so blatantly out loud and in public.
"SHHHHH!" Kirito immediately did a hushing motion with his hand to his mouth, earning a teasing grin from Alice.
"Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm just mad you didn't tell me earlier!" She said as she looked at Kirito with a mad expression.
'This girl...' Kirito couldn't help but think. In a matter of seconds, she had caused him to go into an emotional spiral.
"S-sorry, Alice, I won't do it again." Kirito apologized, hoping to appease his other best friend.
Alice stared at him intently for a few seconds, only to sigh and nod her head. "Good, you learned your lesson," She said.
"But don't think he's the only one in trouble..." She suddenly pointed at Eugeo, causing him to flinch.
Eugeo immediately shook his head, resigning to his fate. He already knew Alice was going to use this as blackmail material.
Seeing her friends' reactions, she smiled triumphantly.
"Then let's not waste time; let's go!" She shuddered with excitement before beginning to walk in a specific direction.
"...should we tell her it's the other way?" Eugeo whispered to Kirito as they both looked at the walking Alice.
"Nah, let's see how long it takes for her to realize that we're not behind her," Kirito replied with a grin.
-Scene Change-
After another scolding from Alice, the three of them finally headed to the "Edge".
Rulid Village, their home, was an extremely secluded place. It was a town in the center of a massive crater. And when we consider its size, it could even be called a valley.
But that wasn't what was so special. What was special was that nothing could get in and nothing could get out.
It had been like that for generations.
"I seriously can't believe you two even attempted something like this..." Alice couldn't help but mutter at how stupid they were as she saw the iron sticks lodge on the massive wall that was their world's "Border". She could see how, little by little, these makeshift steps continued to make it higher and higher.
"Yeah, but we didn't make it far either way," Eugeo said wryly.
The climb up was atrocious, considering that the weather got worse the more they went up. And there was also that once you made it to a certain point, the wall began to bend inward, suddenly turning the wall climb into a roof climb.
It was physically impossible for any of them to make it up there.
That's why...
"And it's even more stupid to try to cut THAT down," Alice said as she couldn't help but feel that both their friends were something even greater than idiots.
Alice looked to the left to look at a towering Cedar tree.
Yes, they lived in a massive crater with no way out...but one.
"Many, many, MANY years ago, this planet was one brimming with life..." Kirito suddenly began to recite. Both Alice and Eugeo listened despite already knowing the story.
<------>
Plant life grew free, all sorts of animals roamed, and rivers flowed. But it all changed when the eternal winter came.
In a single day, our civilization was changed.
But the never-ending winter wasn't what was the worst of it; it was its invaders.
Our founder ran away to a haven with a group of people, ending up with the founding of Rulid village.
But of course, that didn't stop the "Invaders" from attacking.
So for seven nights and seven days, the people prayed to the [Amber Lord].
And THEY heard us.
They blessed us with THEIR gift of the [Preservation].
Our home is completely unenterable and unexcitable. Only through a small exit protected by the great [Gigas Cedar] could anything go in and out.
But that alone was a challenge as the [Gigas Cedar] was a tree blessed by the [Preservation], making it incredibly durable.
<------>
Well, not like anyone wanted to leave to begin with
As Kirito finished reciting, Alice spoke, "Exactly, why are you two trying to leave so badly?" Alice questioned
She couldn't help but question why they would both want to leave this heaven that was gifted to them.
Kirito looked at Eugeo, earning a nod from him.
"Alice...what does the Preservation mean to you?" Kirito suddenly asked, catching Alice off guard.
"What does it mean?" Alice questioned.
"Well, it means to protect, no?" Alice answered confidently.
Kirito, hearing her answer, sighed, "No, Alice-" He spoke with a tremble in his voice. His eyes lingered on the massive tree.
"-It is a pause on the inevitable."