3Chapter 1: Quiet Return
Quick synopsis: The Hero won, saved the day, defeated the Demon Lord, and brought the world to peace. He even got his reward! He got to return home to his family and friends that he hasn't seen in months. Now… Why is he being told of some crazy rumor of a special video game that's leaking into reality, and why does he have such a bad feeling about this? Oh yah, it's because he still has a fraction of his power from the other world, and that can only mean one thing, his 'goddess' is still watching over him.
"Is there really nothing I can say that can make you stay?"
"I'm sorry, you've managed to find your way into my heart, but I haven't forgotten the ones I left behind. If I don't go back, it'll be a weight on my heart that'll never fade."
"And what of leaving me behind?"
"..."
"..."
"Don't- Don't smile at me like that."
"I know you, Cynthia. I know you'll be okay, even without me."
"Curse you. Curse you Atlas, couldn't you have let me have just this one thing. I would throw away everything else I have for it."
"You know you won't. Not with the damage it would cause. And you know I could never ask you to do it, because you would say yes in a heartbeat."
"Curse… curse you."
"Farewell Cynthia, I love you."
"... I love you, even if an eternity passes, and my soul passes and reforms, that will never change. I love you. Atlas. Remember That!"
"I will. Cynthia. I will. You remember that I'll do the same. Ok?"
"... I-"
In a city, stands a hospital. In that hospital, there's a room with three beds. Two of the three beds are empty, unruffled bedsheets lay undisturbed. In one, there's a teenager, no older than 17, who's been laying there for the better part of 9 months. He's not been abandoned, but his family doesn't think he'll be waking any time soon. As a result, the only one who came to visit him that day was his brother, who still blames himself for the incident. That day, he left, muttering to himself about how he was going to make things right, which, for the hospital staff, was frankly unnerving. Of course, coincidentally, that very same day, in the middle of the afternoon, as the sun sets on the horizon, the teenager opens his eyes.
"Heh." His voice is raspy and dry. His eyes were wet. "you've always had a way with words…. Cynthia."
"COME ONE COME ALL! IT'S THE GREAT GIVEAWAY SALE!"
A Large Magical Hat with eyes and teeth around its inner rim shouts out from a small stack of TV Screens. It's from a display of TVs at an electronics store, showcasing the ad to the general public out on the sidewalks.
"WHAAAAT'S THE GREAT GIVEAWAY SALE? IT'S ONLY A YEARLY SALE ON THE GREAT GAME 'ADVENTURE FELLOWS!'"
A small crowd of people gather outside the store.
"For those who don't know, 'ADVENTURE FELLOWS!' is the #1 hit game on the phone market. It's FREEEEEE and on the GREAT GIVEAWAY SALE everything is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!"
Soft murmurs echo out from the crowd at the odd ad.
"COME NOW! FIND YOUR FELLOWS! AND BEEEEGIIIIIN YOUR ADVENUTRE!"
The hat spins around at the last line, before turning into a ball and exploding into confetti.
"No Refunds"
The commercial ends.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ATLEAST 5!"
An odd looking figure holds his clipboard over his head.
"I'm- I'm sorry. It's just, we never saw them because they weren't making any big moves. But now they've all moved at once."
"I! I can understand that, but 5? I can't even handle 1 and you're telling me there's 5!"
"Th-that's not the worst part…"
The small creature looked like a cross between a centaur and a goat. Its lower part is a horse, and the upper part a humanoid goat. The creature flinches away again, as black hair suddenly drops in front of him. He looks up in fear.
"What. Is. Worse. Then having to deal with 5 of my own kind?"
"It's- it's, oh dear, it's where they are."
"And where are they exactly?"
"It's, uhm, his home, your greatness."
"... who's home?"
"H-h-h-HIS home."
"... No. No you aren't talking about…"
A large hand reaches down and slowly pulls the clipboard away from the creature. The creature braces itself, ready for more screaming.
What he doesn't expect is for a loud whine to fill the air instead.
"No! Why? Can't I do ANYTHING right?"
As the whining continues, the goataur takes a deep breath before speaking.
"Maybe, we can ask him to help us? He's helped us before, and he seemed rather willing then."
A large hand drops from above and lands right in front of him.
"That's not the point! I made it very clear to him that that time was all I was going to ask from him. And I can't just drag his soul up here and ask him to help again. Well, I can, but how could I even look him in the eye as I ask him this."
"Maybe…. Maybe you don't have to?"
"..."
"You, I mean, you could send him a gift, alongside the message that there's trouble, and he can choose to help or not. No one's toes get stepped on and no one needs to get embarrassed."
"..."
"..." The goataur swallows nervously at the silence.
"Maybe that can work…"