To Drown in Sand

Significant is Insignificance

She could remember the day it started clear as day. It was a rather insignificant moment at the time but insignificant still has the word significant in it. So in the end, it kind of became significant.

Mind boggling, isn't it.

But she was mind boggling herself. How confusing...

But to wrap one's mind around the significance of this insignificant moment...

One must view the moment.

___________________________

This was it.

This was to be his last moment as he was yet again hunted down for being inhuman. He had gotten Yggdrasil to escape the cruelty of IRL but alas. Human nature always beats out common courtesy. Maybe he should just stop playing.

Just as he was to be struck down, a shining golden shield surrounded him and replenished his HP. His would-be attackers were struck down in a flash of silver, their loot dropping from their pixelated bodies. His avatar was frozen as his knight in shining armor turned to him and offered him a hand.

"Why did you save me?" He asked as he took that hand and allowed himself to be pulled up, the shield fading away.

"Saving someone who is in trouble is common sense!" His hero said with a laugh. "It would be  unkind of us to leave someone in need without aid!"

His savior looked around quickly at the us, the helm reflecting the skeletal visage back at the user.

"Us? The shield wasn't you?" He asked. The knight shook his head negative before pointing up.

Descending from above was an angel. An actual player as an angel, one of the most difficult avatars to use due to their limitations when selecting classes. She descended from the sky like a feather, her movements effortless and graceful, a vision in white. The knight clapped her on her shoulder as she landed, a smile emoticon appearing above his head.

"I'm Touch Me and this is my sister, Carissimi Licentia." The knight said with another smiley emoticon.

"I'm Momonga. Nice to meet you."

___________________________

The world was coming to an end.

After twelve years Yggdrasil's servers were going to shut down. The once popular game had slowly lost players as the years went by, even with its regular updates and expansion. People simply outgrew it or became bored. Time was no longer available to them to play the immersive game. The Great Tomb of Nazarick became less of a home and more of the tomb it actually was.

Momonga sat silently at the head of the grand round table of the guilds meeting hall. HeroHero had just logged out, leaving just him, the Pleides and Sebas Tian. With one final huff, he rose from his seat and turned to leave when he was greeted swirling, fluorescent green orbs.

"It's been a minute, hasn't it Momonga."

There stood one of the original members of Nines Ooal Gown. Carissimi Licentia, the Great Niphilim herself. Her avatar was breathtakingly beautiful, dark skin a sharp contrast to her pure white hair and clothes. Her long hair was pulled back into a thick fishtail braid almost the width of her shoulders and stopped mid thigh.Thick strips of hair framed either side of her face, the left side longer than the right. The sweetheart neckline of her clung to her massive chest like a second skin.  A golden necklace wrapped around her chest in the shape of an upside down star. The fabric clung to every dip and curve before flowing loosely at the hip where the shirt was slit from the top of hip to the bottom of the floor length garment. A second, shorter skirt was under it and covered her privates. Long sleeves covered her arms to just below the shoulder and connected to a large hood. Thigh high socks and white heels covered her legs with a silver halo floating around her right ankle. Above her head was another halo, this one pitch black.

The whole look straddled the line of innocent and seductive in the most confusing way in Momonga's opinion. Her angelic form seemed almost shy at times with how her hands were always clasped in front of her and her eyes seemed to be peeking from beneath her lashes. Pero had commented on how her avatar reminded him of the quiet girls in his hentai games.

He'd been promptly beheaded for that comment.

But her other form...

Momonga was cut off from his thoughts by Carrisimi's avatar waving her hand in his face. Her gold and ivory wings emoted angry flaps at being ignored as a pouty face appeared above her.

"Anyone home? Don't tell me you fell asleep before the server shut down?" She asked as she peered at him shyly beneath those lashes. The unmoving faces of their avatars made it impossible to decipher true emotions. Up until the end, she would seem shy and reserved.

Clearing his throat, Momonga spoke. "I'm still here. Was just lost in thought." He walked around her tiny form and approached the guild weapon. "Do you mind if I ..."

Carissim came up on his left side, her hands now clasped beneath her chin as though she were praying. "I don't mind at all. Go ahead. No one here to stop you anyway." She said as she glided over to the Pleiades and Sebas. Even with the heels, her avatar was still significantly shorter than the butler. With a quiet huff, a sad emoticon appeared above her.

"Follow." She said before gliding towards the doors. Momonga seemed to have the same idea as her as they both moved towards the throne room. The long path to the throne felt empowering...

But also like a death march. 

Yggdrasil would be no more after today.

While Momonga approached Albedo and the throne, Carrisimi set the Pleiades and Sebas to kneel before their Overlord and Lady. Carrisimi smoothed her fingers through Sebas's hair wistfully even though she couldn't feel it before placing a chaste kiss on the corner of his lip.

Her screen lit up with warnings which promptly swiped away. Sever was shutting down in less than a minute. What could they do to her? Carrisim scurried to the throne and sat delicately on the arm closest to Albedo and posed. She was determined to get one last screenshot before it all ended.

"Well Momonga, this is it." She said as the countdown filled her screen.

11:59:00

"It's over, isn't it?" Momonga asked as he settled more comfortably into his rig and the numbers turned red.

11:59:28

"I'm gonna miss this place..." Carissimi mumbled as her eye began to water IRL.

11:59:42

"We should meet up in the new version. Rebuild Aiz Ooal Gown again." Momonga said as her tried to remain happy.

11:59: 53

"We should..."

11:59:59

"It was fun playing with you."

12:00:37

"Eh? I thought the server was supposed to shut down!"

12:01:00

"What's going on?"