The Wonderful World of Skullgirls

Chapter 0: Ladies and Gentlemen, it's showtime!

'Legend tells of an ancient artifact that can grant a woman's wish...The Skull Heart, however if she is impure of heart her wish will be corrupted and she will turn into an immensely powerful, twisted being of destruction...The Skull Girl'

The view pans out from the words detailing the story of the Skullgirl and shows a young man closing the book he was reading from, now placing it inside the bag he had by his feet on the floor. It was also revealed that he was a passenger on a large blimp like ship carrying a variety of people inside.

"...What a load, only granting the wish of a woman. I've never heard of a more sexist thing in my life." He huffed as he crossed one leg over the other and resting his cheek in the palm of his hand, his elbow was at rest upon the window seal to his left. His dull eyes pan to the side to get a look of the view outside.

Nothing but a sea of clouds since we left the ground. I was honestly hoping I'd get to see the world below as we traveled since there's nothing else to do in this ship. Not even a movie. Well, anyway, I'm going to try and see if I can find this Skull Heart and make a wish for myself. What will I wish for? ...I dunno. I should probably fix that.

"What's all this talk about wish granting, man?" A little girl from the seating row ahead questioned while looking down to him from the back of her chair.

He looks at her with a raised brow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You're going crazy back here and I'm trying to play Skullgals on my new handheld! You know you were actually speaking aloud and not narrating, right?"

For a brief moment he gave a blank glare at the young girl as if not wanting to reply to her statement or possibly because he honestly couldn't recall whether or not he was monologuing to himself, "Wow. Breaking the fourth wall this early? I can already tell this is gonna suck."

The girl provided a cold glare in exchange before realizing he didn't look familiar. "Hey, you look kinda...different. I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

"That's because I'm new around here. My home is...very far away. I'll be living in the Canopy Kingdom for a little while. I'm searching for something. I'll get it and get out." He directs his attention back to the window, trying to dismiss the little girl with obvious signs of being uninterested.

The girl looked at him with an intrigued look "Oooooh, new guy?" she asked before forming a cocky grin. "Well you're not home anymore! It's a whole new world out here."

"I know." He replies unenthusiastically, still looking out to the clouds.

"My sister is actually the crown princess of the Canopy Kingdom."

The young man's eyes slightly widened at her sudden statement. He turned back at the girl with a puzzled look on his face. "Your sister is a princess? Wouldn't that make you a princess as well?"

She nods with a proud smile, giving her answer. "What's your name?"

"...I can't give out my real name but you can refer to me as 'The Player'."

"The player?" she repeated before placing her index finger upon her bottom lip, gesturing that she was in a questioning state of mind. "Whatever," She shrugs off her initial thoughts, practically saying she didn't care to think too much of it. "I'm Umbrella. Now if you'll excuse me I've gotta use the little girl's room!"

She jumps out of her seat and runs to the back of the blimp. The sound of a door opening and shutting could be heard as she disappeared. The Player simply shook his head and turned back to the boring view of clouds.

How did I end up meeting a princess the day I decided to come out here? I hope she isn't a plot device...I just want to get this Skull thing and make my wish. I tried looking for this other artifact that would grant my wish but it turns out there's seven of them and they're scattered around the world. Not only that after gathering all seven I'd have to talk to some dragon about my wish, screw that. This was much simpler. I hope I'm narrating to myself correctly this time.