Guess whose theme this song is XD ! A friendly for surprise for all of you Readers!! Misaka Loves You!! (You'll probably figure it out by looking at the girl with the crazy eyes look in the image XD)
The village of Rulid was a small one, according to Eugeo, as he led them to the village, it had a population overall of around 300. It was surrounded by sheep fields as well a ring of large mountains to the North, East, and West.. therefore, the territory to the South, blocked off by the Gigas Cedar was the only territory left to expand to and make more farmland.
"Farming territory is really, really scarce now." said Eugeo. "Resources are becoming smaller by the day.. It's a little tough actually. Because of this a lot of people turn to our priestess Yuniko Kozuki.. but er.. she's really reluctant.."
"So.. the Axiom Church.." said Kirito. "We don't exactly have one of those where we come from.."
"It's the law of the Human Empire." said Eugeo. "Every town in this country has it's own church. They write the laws and tell us how to live through the written called the Taboo Index. Sister Azariya is the one who runs our church here and operates the church bell.. every morning, we go to church worship.. and Selka helps out with most of the ceremonies..."
"Shouldn't your priestess be doing ceremonial stuff?" asked Sinon.
"Well.." said Eugeo. "She's.. different. There are very very few priestesses in the Human Empire."
"Why's that?" Asked Mikoto.
"Because, a Priestess is somebody who is descended from the Goddesses themselves." said Eugeo. "The signs are apparent by the powers they possess. One who has mastery over lightning is a daughter of Stacia, the goddess of creation.. one who has mastery over fire is a daughter of Solus, the sun goddess.. Yuniko is a daughter of Solus.. you see Sister Azariya takes in plenty of orphans at the church, and one day she found Yuniko confused, staggering around the town, yelling out stuff in the Sacred Language.. 'Burst Link..' or 'Unlimited Burst!'..and then she kept on yelling something about why she couldn't get back to her.. time ... or something.. eventually she mellowed down.. and she displayed a power that really shocked all of us.. and she became a priestess after that.."
"Burst.. Link!?" Mikoto stammered. She and Kirito shared meaningful looks.
Sinon, on the other hand, was muttering to herself. "So.. the Sacred Language in this VR is actually just English.. while the main language is Japanese.. interesting"
"Will we get to meet the Priestess?" Kirito asked.
"Tomorrow, when we go to Church for morning Worship." said Eugeo. "A-ah.. Misaka-san.. I understand that you will probably all need a separate place for you all to sleep.. er.. since you two are girls.. and Kirito's a guy.. and.. you could sleep in my guest room if you-..."
"The church is fine.." Mikoto said quickly.
Sinon looked like she could barely contain her giggles.
"Alright.." said Eugeo. "Here we are, welcome to Rulid Village."
Rulid Village was surrounded by a canal of water, with four entrances on the sides, which reminded Mikoto of a certain town back in ALfheim where she and Leafa had been attacked by a group of Salamanders. How long ago that seemed..
Mikoto put a hand on the hilt of the Master Sword and murmured to herself. "You and I have been through a lot huh?"
Talking to her sword, the first sign of insanity. Or so Nox joked inside Mikoto's head.
"Oh shut up." Mikoto murmured to Nox as she followed Eugeo into the village
It was a pretty vibrant village, with many laughing people, all talking to each other and going about their daily business. However, there was a sort of tension in the air, as if everyone expected something to attack. Plenty of the villagers even carried improvised weapons, like kitchen cutters, or axes similar to the Dragon Bone Axe.
"Goblin raids from the Dark Territory have been kind of frequent lately." said Eugeo. "So everyone's on the cautious side. Some villagers have already been kidnapped by goblins.. and not many of us are warriors.. we've only got guards... though.. I doubt any of the goblins would want to mess with our priestess.."
"Why?" Mikoto asked.
"Because.. well.. when the circumstances are right.. she becomes a giant fortress!!" said Eugeo. "Okay.. maybe I'm confusing you here.. eh, you'll see.. some day.. how long are you going to stay in the village?"
"We have absolutely no idea." said Sinon. "You could probably say we're a bunch of homeless wanderers.."
"Oh really?" said Eugeo with a laugh. "Then feel free to call this your new home if you like! The people in this town are friendly, even to strangers like you."
Eugeo stopped in front of an old looking church with a large bell tower on the top. "Well, this will be your home until you guys leave or buy a house at least.. hold on.. I'll get somebody to get your rooms ready.."
Eugeo walked into the church.. as the three friends waited outside, Mikoto gave Kirito a frantic look. "Kirito.. that 'priestess' mention Brain Burst.. have you mentioned anything about our secret project to anybody since last month?"
"No.." Kirito muttered back. "But the government's got a lot of resources.. and the longer we spend in this world, the more I feel like this isn't just some game test.. everyone here.. they're real living people.. with real lives, and their own specialized community which must have taken hundreds of years to develop. And yet none of them are even aware of the fact that this isn't a real world.. that it's all data.."
"Maybe.. that's what it has to do with Brain Burst.." said Sinon.
"What do you mean?" Mikoto asked.
"Here's a theory." said Sinon. "I don't know much about the secret project you two have been doing.. but it speeds up the brain right? Makes 12 minutes seem like a year almost.. perhaps all these people are like us.. their memories were taken when they dived, and they were put in here for years.. only in the real world, the government is using Brain Burst to speed everything up.. so it's only taking minutes or hours.. or.."
"Or three days." said Kirito. "This.. could all be some experiment.. or.. worse.. maybe we're the only three people from the real world.. and these people are all.. like Yui.."
"Yui? I don't think so.." Mikoto said. "Yui's way different.. I think these people are all human.. yet not.. do you think it might be possible.. to erm.. clone Fluctlights? And put them in a human avatar? A living soul born in a VR world.. and living in a VR world not knowing of the Real World.."
"Okay, that's a freaky theory." said Sinon.
"Hey, after I met Seyat and Othinus, I'm ready to make any theory." said Mikoto. "Maybe we're not even the real Misaka, Asada, and Kirigaya!! Maybe we're cloned Fluctlights too!"
"Ahhhhh.. I'd rather not talk about that now.." said Kirito. "Now that's just scary.. I don't even know how somebody would clone a human soul.."
"In Academy City, I once saw the Arch Angel Gabriel cause mass mayhem.." said Mikoto. "Like I said before, anything's possible in the world we live in.. and Nox is living proof."
"Hey everyone." Eugeo walked out the door, behind him was a girl wearing a black and white nun's habit with tea colored hair tied back in a braided tail and tea colored eyes.
"This is Selka." said Eugeo. "Be really good to her, she'll be taking care of all of you.."
"U-uh.. it's nice to meet all of you!" said Selka, bowing to them. "If you would come with me please, I'll show you where to you'll be staying.. and I'll explain the rules to living in our humble village."
As soon as Mikoto saw Selka, she didn't know why, but a warm light seemed to light up in her heart. Selka seemed like a genuinely good natured girl, who appreciated others and sought to make them proud with good work..
The inside of the church was like any other.. quiet, full of doors and halls.. and other nuns and sisters hard at work, along with many orphans who looked around Selka's age.
"The guest rooms are available to everyone." said Selka. "So feel free to pick which room you like.. Um.. Ms. Misaka and Ms. Sinon, you two can have a room over in the left wing.. and Kirito sir.. if you would like this room, that would be fine.. though, any room is yours to-"
"It's fine." said Kirito. "this room is perfect, thank you."
"Oh SEEEEELKA?" A little voice piped up. A very young short girl dressed in a red habit with scarlet red hair tied up in two pigtails walked out and smiled at Selka in a cute fashion. "Everything's ready for Worship tomorrow! Oh.. who are these?"
"Guests Lady Priestess." said Selka. "I'm taking care of them.. "
"Oh that's nice- wait... " The girl eyed Mikoto carefully. Suddenly her expression changed to deep shock. "You.. have one too.."
"Have.. what?"
"A VIROS!!" She squealed.
Sinon and Kirito stared at the girl.. and Mikoto stepped back a little fearfully.
"S-sorry about the outburst!" said the Priestess, readopting her cute persona. "Umm.. Selka? If you don't mind.. I think I'll be letting this one stay with me in my quarters.."
"A-actually I don't mind sleeping with Sinon.." Mikoto whimpered. "She's my cousin after all. and.."
"Yuniko.. they are guests.. and it's good to provide kindness." said Selka. "But isn't it good to let the guests stay in their own rooms first before-"
"It's fine!!" Yuniko exclaimed as she dragged Mikoto with her by the sleeve. "You know what? I think I'll do the little sisterly thing and even show her around our fine town! That good with you? GOOOOD!! Later!!"
Yuniko wrenched open the door which said "Priestess Quarters" on the front, and shoved Mikoto in with her little hands.
She shut the door behind them.. and then.. she turned her head slowly to look at Mikoto.. with an expression that was shockingly different from her cutesy look..
She now looked furious and bad tempered, her face adopting a demonic sort of stare. "Well well well.. I never thought Rath would trap another sucker in this freaking Underworld!! And somebody else also in a state of Viral Symbiosis.. SO WHO ARE YOU!?"
"Mikoto Misaka!" Mikoto said quickly, still taken aback by this split personality Yuniko had going for herself.
"What a load of tosh!!" Yuniko growled. "So, you work for Rath? Or are you just another 'test subject' who has no idea how she ended up in this project!?"
"A little bit of both.. actually." said Mikoto. "H-how did you know about Nox!?"
"NOX!? So that's the name of the Viros fused to you!" said Yuniko, rolling her eyes. "And right now Tempo is telling me that Nox's power is over darkness, not time like him.. great! Not only will I never make it out of this stupid VR, but I'm also stuck 20 years in the past!!"
"Wait.. oh dear god, you're like me, Kirito and Sinon aren't you!?" said Mikoto. "Oh thank goodness, they're others? Do you know how to Log Out?"
"THERE IS NO WAY TO LOG OUT!!!" Yuniko roared. "I've been stuck in here for 2 months.. though of course, out there it's probably only like 2 hours.. so I imagine you were captured for this experiment only shortly after I was.. Well, I might as well introduce my assinizing self eh?"
Yuniko folded her arms and glared at Mikoto more directly. "I'm Yuniko Kozuki. I live in Tokyo in year 2065!!"
"206-WHAT!?" Mikoto said. "Okay.. heheh.. you've got the year wrong, it's actually year 204-
"Actually, she is quite correct." said a small voice. A small snail tredged onto Yuniko's shoulder. "Greetings.. I am Tempo, the Viros currently in Viral Symbiosis with Yuniko, it is a pleasure to meet you.. and I'm sorry to say, my power over time is the cause of the current problem.. Yuniko is indeed from the future."
Mikoto stared at the snail.
"I see you're not familiar with this ability we Viros possess." said Tempo the snail. "In the Data World, if we are fused to a human, we can take the form of a living thing that we have once seen IRL.. and while we are still fused technically to your body.. it allows us some freedom in the Data Stream.. it's called our Faux Form"
"But.. but Nox never.." Mikoto said.
"I never because I knew you'd cuddle me like a moron if you saw my Faux Form."
Mikoto turned her head slowly, and stared in amazement at the small calico kitten on the bed in the room. It looked just like the kitten owned by Touma and Index.. Sphynx.
"This is my Faux form.. we can only have one, and it's randomized among the creatures I've seen through your eyes.." Nox said in her purring voice. "Because of the fact you longed so much to pet that weird fluffy creature.. this became my Faux form.. guess there's no use hiding it now.."
"N-Nox.." Mikoto whispered. "Y-you're.. adorable.."
"That's what I was afraid of.." Nox muttered.
"ENOUGH OF THE STUPID REVELATIONS!!!" Yuniko roared. "Listen here pal!! You don't have any idea what a heapin' load of trouble you're in.. do you have any kind of special powers? Anything like that?"
"I'm an esper." Mikoto said, holding up a hand, crackling with electricity.
"Oh crap.." said Yuniko. "That's even WORSE.. at least they'll probably never see your Viral form.. but if they see you use that.. heh! Eugeo's a nice guy, if he saw your power, he'll probably keep quiet. BUT!! If they find out about your power.."
"Wh-what will happen to me?" Mikoto said.
"You'll be seen as a daughter of one of the goddesses." Tempo explained. ( I got the idea of Tempo from the waving snail in Adventure Time.) "And you will be forced to live here as a priestess much like Yuniko here.."
"I'd like to see them try and force her." Nox said, as she began to give herself a tongue bath.
"Oh they CAN force her!" said Yuniko. "I don't care if she's a freaking Level 5!! Those Integrity Knights, the guys who enforce the law around here.. they're tough!! And you'd become a fugitive for the rest of your life!! I'd rather live in this stinking hell hole instead of living on the lam! Dirt and grime just ain't me!! buuuut.."
Yuniko gave Mikoto a devious grin which she really didn't like.
"Well.. I guess I won't tell the entire church.. maybe." said Yuniko. "Though I might.."
"W-wait!" Mikoto stammered, her hair sparking with stress. "Y-you wouldn't actually tell them!?"
"Well.. I could be persuaded into not telling them.. given that you follow my rules for living in the village.." said Yuniko, chuckling with a dark shadow crossing her face.
"Rules?"
"Oh dear.." Tempo said. "Y-Yuniko.. give the girl a break.. she's probably still confused about the whole situation.. and she IS older then you, and deserves respect..."
"SHUT IT Tempo!" Yuniko growled. "I've already made up my mind.. Her role in this village is going to be for me to decide!!!"
"Wh-what do you want me to do?" Mikoto asked.
Yuniko smiled. "There's.. a little something I want you to try on for me.."
_______________________
"I hope Mikoto's alright.." Kirito said as Selka led him and Sinon back to the residential wing of the Church.
"I'm sure she's fine." said Selka, giving Kirito and Sinon a reassuring smile. "Yuniko's always been a real sweetheart, she helps me cook for the orphans every day.. and she's never above blessing those who come to her for spiritual healing. She and Misaka-san are probably having a good time right now.."
Selka opened the door to Yuniko's room. "Hello? Yuniko? Are you and Misaka doing fine? EH!?"
Mikoto was scrubbing the floor of the room with a brush, she was wearing a maid's outfit with a pink apron and next to her was a bucket full of bubbly soapy water..
Yuniko was sitting on a chair, using Mikoto's back as a foot rest. "Oh! Hello Selka-sempai! Misaka-sempai has kindly agreed to be my caretaker from now on!"
"Oh! That's wonderful!" said Selka, clapping her hands together cheerfully. "All of Yuniko's other caretakers all quit, so it's been rather hard to find a new one.."
"I wonder why.." Mikoto hissed through her teeth, static rippling just ever so slightly through her hair.
"Oh Kirito-kun, Sinon-sempai!" Yuniko waved at the two. "I hope that you enjoy your stay in Rulid!"
Kirito and Sinon both gave Yuniko suspicious fearful looks as they edged away from the door.
"This is bad!" Sinon whispered to Kirito. "She's terrible at housework! She's not doing this because she wants to!!"
Both Kirito and Sinon peeked into the room again.. and stared the super cute innocent looking Yuniko who was now playfully riding on Mikoto's back shouting. "Yay! Horsey horsey!"
"This.. seems wrong somehow.." Kirito muttered.
________________________
"Excuse me.." Later that night, Selka peeked into the dining hall of the church, where Mikoto was finishing her dinner. "I've drawn up a bath for you Ms. Misaka.. Kirito and Sinon are already in their own baths.. so if you would like.."
"Yeah.. thanks.." Mikoto said..
Selka led Mikoto to a door where steam was already pouring out from under the door. Mikoto set the Master Sword down next to the door after Selka reassured her that it wouldn't be touched.
Mikoto then proceeded into the bathroom, sighing with relief as she removed her clothes and hung them on a hook. "Damn.. what a day."
Mikoto pulled open the curtain of the bath, and to his horror, there she was, standing in the tub with a towel wrapped around her body, her hair down.
"There you are my mule!" said Yuniko. "Now.. scrub my back!"
"No!" Mikoto growled. "I at least deserve a part of the day where I can wash away my tension.."
"Ooooohhh?" said Yuniko, suddenly taking on an ominous crazed look (See image above.). "Shall I inform Sister Azariya that we have another glorious daughter of the goddesses in our midst?"
Mikoto gritted her teeth. "Get out.. and remove the towel.."
"Thank you mule.." said Yuniko, stepping out of the water and throwing her towel on the ground. She sat on the wooden stool nearby as Mikoto began scrubbing her back with a back scrubber.
"Hmm. you know.." said Yuniko. "I was thinking, there's so many other tasks I could have you do.."
"Yeah?" Mikoto muttered grumpily.
"Like I could make you get me a Gekota.. they don't have them here in this world.. but you could sew me up a doll and make it look like a Gekota.. right?"
"Uhuh.." Mikoto muttered.
"Then I can pretend to kill that stupid little frog with a fork or something!" Yuniko said.
Mikoto stopped scrubbing for a minute, her eyes wide.
A little later, Sinon opened the door to the bathroom, wearing a towel around her body. "Hey, Imouto-chan? I was wondering if you needed anybody to help you wash your back... EH!?"
Mikoto had Yuniko pinned to the floor and was scrubbing Yuniko's back with such speed and fury, that Yuniko was crying out in pain.
"OWWWW!! YOU DAMN MULE!!! STOP SCRUBBING LIKE THAT!! I'M NOT A PLATE WITH GREASE!!!" Yuniko roared ragefully.
"Nobody.." Mikoto steamed, her eyes wide with rage. "Kills.. Gekota... NOBODY!!"
"Uhh.. I'll come back later.." Sinon said before quietly and awkwardly closing the door.
As Sinon closed the door, Selka walked by, "Hmm? Ms. Sinon? Is there something wrong?"
"I.. really don't know.." Sinon said.. scratching her head with confusion.