Ludum is a world similar to Earth, yet vastly different. Technology has advanced beyond
anything imaginable, and gaming has entered a whole new level...
= = =
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRiiiiiiiiiiiing!
The alarm rang loudly, as Leon opened his eyes. "Ugh, morning already."
"Up up, Leon!" a digital voice spoke. The boy sat up and turned to see the speaker: a robotic
dog, that looked like it had been designed in the style of a wolf or a husky. "It's the first day of
summer!"
"I know, I know, Mamoru..." The boy brushed his brown hair out of his face and blinked blearily.
"Anyone else in the Zone already?" he asked.
"Checking now." Mamoru's digital eyes shifted into a loading screen, before returning to normal.
"Only Aaron's online. Then again, you don't have other friends, so..."
"I know..." Leon sighed and went to take a shower. When he was done, he put on jeans and a
sleeveless blue and black hoodie, before he and Mamoru headed downstairs. In the kitchen
were two more boys. One was about a couple years older than Leon, with green eyes and
blonde hair that faded into pink at the tips. He also had a robotic dog, one designed more like a
coyote, with a sandy-colored chassis. The other was a black-haired boy of about seven or eight,
who shared Leon's blue eyes. He, too, had a robotic pet dog: this one was based on a brown
Labrador. Much like the other two robot dogs, this robot looked as if it were wearing a service
dog's vest and a visor over its eyes.
"Morning, bro!" the younger boy said with a big smile.
"Morning, Tommy. Morning, Nicky." Leon smiled back
"You just missed mom and dad before they left for work," Nicky, the blonde boy, said. "But they
kept breakfast in the microwave for you."
Leon nodded and walked over to the microwave, opening it and pulling out a plate with a stack
of waffles on it, each one individually buttered and ready for syrup to be put on. He took his
plate over to the table, sitting down and pouring plenty of syrup on his waffles, then tucked in
with vigor.
"So, are you really gonna aim for the Crystal Cup, like you said you were gonna last night?"
Nicky asked, looking skeptical as Leon chowed down. "You need a really strong team just to
qualify, and you've only got one friend. And before you try it, Tommy's too young, and you know
how I feel about competitive events like that."
"I don't have a choice, Nicky," Leon replied, "If I can't qualify, you know those bullies are never
gonna back off. They'll eventually bring it to our doorstep... and you, Tommy, and possibly even
mom and dad will get hurt just so they can mess with me." Leon's words made Tommy shiver.
He ducked down under the table in a panic. "I won't let that happen."
"Don't scare Tommy," Nicky sighed, getting up out of his seat to comfort Tommy and bring him
back up. "So the "only" way to make them stop is what? Beating the odds?"
"No, it's proving I'm not a weak victim they can push around. If I can at least qualify for the
Crystal Cup, they'll see I'm not the weak little weirdo they think I am... that in turn will make them
know better than to mess with me, or you two. Plus, even if we don't win the Cup, I'll have made
some good friends who will have our backs if they do still try something."
"Huh... you thought this through a lot more than I thought you would." Nicky whistled,
impressed.
"Aaron's more than willing to be on my team, so I just need four more teammates. I have until
mid-June to form my team and prepare for the Bronze Cup Regionals."
"So I'm assuming you'll be hopping into the Zone first thing after breakfast?" Nicky asked.
"Yep, can't waste any time." Leon gulped down the last piece.
"Just don't forget I'm making dinner at five, and that you have brothers who would appreciate
some family time not spent online this summer." Nicky rolled his eyes.
"I won't." Leon smiled. "Mamoru, Login: HOYOS Lobby Plaza."
"On it." The robo-wolf's circuits lit up blue, as numbers and pixels began to cover the world
around it and Leon, shifting the landscape around them. Leon closed his eyes and took a deep
breath inward, centering himself to avoid nausea from the change. As the pixels disappeared, it
became clear that Leon was no longer in his kitchen. He was suddenly outside, in a large,
sprawling park filled with green grass and trees. The only thing that distinguished it from a
normal day was the tessellation of hexes that covered the sky like a geodesic dome.
This was the Zone, an alternate world. Here, games were real. You were the protagonist in
whatever game you were playing, and the game could adapt to your choices.
As Leon walked into the plaza, a flurry of pixels coalesced on his back, and manifested into
being: a scabbard carrying a pair of scimitars. The game Leon was in now was the most popular
of all: Hero of Your Own Story. This revolutionary game created unique stories for everyone
who played, letting you be whatever you want (within reason), wield any sort of weapon, and
basically create your own storyline. You could either go solo or team up for co-op storylines, or
even battle other heroes.
The sheer amount of freedom the game gave was why it's so popular, to the point of legal
tournaments, where heroes can battle to be the best... but none were bigger than the annual
Crystal Cup International HOYOS Championship, an invitational that only welcomes the top
teams.
"Leon-kun!" a voice called out, making Leon perk up. Running up to him was another boy, with
red hair hidden by a baseball cap and silver eyes. Clipped to his belt was a chain whip with a
moderately sized crystal on the end, like a flail. Following him was another robotic dog,
designed to resemble an akita inu, with no unnatural coloring.
"Aaron, hey-" Leon stopped as he noticed two other boys coming behind Aaron. The boy to his
left had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue tank top and a pair of grey
jeans, and a brown strap went across the right side of his body, holding a sword in a sheath on
his back. Next to him was a robo-fox. The boy to Aaron's right had short white hair and wintry,
pale blue eyes, wearing a blue hoodie with a crystal pendant and jeans. Strapped to his side
was a staff with a dazzling blue crystal as its head. With him was a robotic wolf, colored pure
white.
"Who... are they?" Leon asked suspiciously, gesturing to the two of them.
"My two closest friends." Aaron smiled. "When you said you wanted to go for Crystal, they were
first on my list for our team."
"Jay Thompson. My dad owns the Winter's Reprise dessert shop." The white haired boy offered
a handshake, which Leon accepted. "This is my robo-pal, Blitz."
"I'm Tad Wesley," the brown haired boy said with a casual wave. "And this is my robo-fox,
Frost."
"Leon McCloud..."
"Oh, you're that Aspie that-"
Leon winced instantly. "Please, don't finish that..."
"Whoa... easy there!" Jay put a hand on Leon's shoulder. "Aaron's told us about you. We
actually wanted to meet you, before this decision to form a team. If Aaron calls you a friend,
then I will too, and I'll have your back from now on."
"Same here," Tad chimed in. "I'm more than willing to help you in whatever way I can."
Leon smiled. "Leon McCloud. My dad runs Wild Style barbecue. This is Mamoru."
"Your dad runs Wild Style barbecue?!" Tad asked. "I've gone there so many times with my
family! Their steak is the best in town!"
Leon blushed. "Thank you," he said honestly.
Jay then pulled up a hologram screen to check the time. "Your timing is perfect, actually. The
other two show be here any moment."
"Other... two?"
"Yeah, we need a team of six after all. Tad figured he knew just the right people." Aaron looked
at Tad.
"I'm sure that you guys are going to like these two," he said with a confident smile. "They're the
perfect choices for our team!"
"I believe you're referring to us. Right, Wesley?" The four were alerted as two people arrived,
both of them girls.
One had sharp black bangs and a clever expression. She wore a black sleeveless shirt and
jeans, with a slender, deadly-looking rapier holstered on her belt. With her was a robo-fox, much
like Tad's own.
The girl behind her wore black gloves and shoes, as well as a hoodie that appeared to be
designed after a polar bear, carrying a bow and quiver. Behind her was a large, white robotic
bear.
"Is that Tsuruya Taylor, the elite gamer and five nationals finalist?!" Leon was drop jawed.
Tsuruya, the girl in black, smirked at Leon's expression. "In the flesh," she said. "My friend
asked me to aid this team in its quest for the top."
"You're... friends... with Tsuruya Taylor?" Leon looked at Tad.
"It's kind of a long story," Tad said, scratching the back of his head.
"If the admiration is concluded. I took a look at your profiles. We have a speedster with wind
magic…" Leon couldn't help puffing his chest out in pride.
"A mage with wide elemental variety, especially with ice and snow." Jay nodded.
"A close combat sword and shield wielder." Tad smiled.
"And a thief class with mid-range options and fire spells." Aaron folded his arms with a smile.
"Additionally, I run a paladin build, so we have defensive, light and healing magic options. I had
my fox, Kitsu, run the stats. He determined we'd need a ranger who can pull out items on the fly,
so I brought my friend, Snow Morrison, to be our sixth."
"Hello." The hoodie girl smiled sweetly.
Tsuruya walked up to Leon. "So, you're the one wanting to start a team, correct?"
Leon's previous pride was replaced with nervousness at the knowledge of Tsuruya, an elite
gamer, addressing him. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" he squeaked.
"Calm down," Tsuruya placed a hand on Leon's shoulder. "No need to be so nervous. Tad also
told me why you wanna get to Crystal, and you have my support."
With his fear assuaged, Leon sighed, and smiled gratefully. "That's really good to hear, thanks."
"That being said, if we're going to make it all the way to Crystal, we'll need more than just
players," Tsuruya said, all business. "We'll need a strategist for in game missions, a public
relations representative to get our name out there, and a financier to handle our expenses."
"Not mention some good sponsors," Snow added.
"My dad would happily sponsor us. That'd get us at least to the Bronze Cup to get some bigger
ones," Jay pointed out.
"And once he hears you all happily became Leon's friends, I bet Leon's dad, Raymond, will be
happy to sponsor!" Mamoru added.
"A good start," Tsuruya started. "I myself can handle the PR rep."
"Leave the strategy to me." Snow smiled.
"And I know a really good person for our financier," Tad excitedly chimed in.
"Perfect. Now all we need is a name," Tsuruya said. Everyone looked to Leon, trusting him.
"The Crystal Guard. Since we've got each other's backs." Leon smiled. "I'll draw up a logo
personally."
"Alright then." Tsuruya nodded. "I suggest we have our robos register each of us as contacts."
"Way ahead of you, ma'am," Blitz said. "We've already exchanged contacts with each other."
"Good. Now, I know we just met and haven't gotten to game yet, but how about we log out,
gather our assets and meet up at Resolute Park?" Tsuruya advised.
"My dad's restaurant is right there by the park, right across from the bus stop," Leon said.
"Then we'll meet there at noon, that gives us all two and a half hours to make sure we have
everything," Aaron said. "And, Leon-kun, Jay-kun, go ahead and bring your brothers. This is a
chance to get them out of the house."
Leon and Jay nodded.
"This concludes our first meeting, I'll see you all at noon." Leon nodded, and with that, everyone
logged out.
= = =
Back at the house, Nicky and Tommy were playing an old fashioned console game, when both
were alerted to Leon and Mamoru's return.
"You're back already?!" Nicky was surprised.
"And I have my team!"
"You're kidding!" Nicky's jaw dropped. "Okay... maybe there is something to this goal of yours."
"Ye of little faith, Nicky. Especially since I'm about to treat you both to lunch."
Tommy perked up. "You are?"
"Yep. My team is meeting at Wild Style at noon to finalize the team, and you guys are invited."
Nicky's jaw dropped to the floor. "Okay... I gotta meet these guys."
= = =
Down at the park, a nice restaurant sat there on the corner of Ruben and Sky. Wild Style
Barbecue was a nice place. There were no themes or gimmicks- it was just a welcoming,
friendly place to get a sandwich or some BBQ.
In the kitchen, amongst the chefs worked a tall man. He had brown hair that lightened at its tips,
to a sunny blonde color. He had heterochromic eyes- one blue, one grey.
"Ray, mind if I take this over for ya?" another man asked.
"Why? What's up?"
"Your kids are here."
Indeed, Leon, Tommy, and Nicky were just arriving, getting seated at a booth. Mamoru and the
other two robots plugged themselves into the robo charge station underneath the table, and
drifted into sleep mode.
"Boys?" Raymond came over, unaccompanied.
"Hey, Dad," Leon greeted.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, we're meeting my teammates here for lunch," Leon said.
"Wait... Teammates?"
"Okay, get this. Leon's friend had friends who joined the team, and one of those friends had
connections to give them two more members, as well as even more connections. Leon's got a
full team for his quest for Crystal," Nicky explained.
"And new friends to boot." Leon beamed.
Raymond stammered in surprise, but he looked overjoyed to hear it. "That's great to hear! How
about something to drink to start?"
"Just the usuals, if it's okay."
Then, Aaron came in with his robo-dog. "Afternoon, Raymond-san," he greeted.
"Ah, Aaron! Here to meet up with the boys?"
"Hai, I assume you were informed."
"I was. Have a seat, I'll bring you some of your favorite tea with their drinks."
"Ah! Arigatou, Raymond-san." Aaron sat with the boys, while his bot plugged in, and joined the
others for a nap. "You know, I will never understand why the robos nap when they're charging."
Then, Jay arrived with Blitz, along with another boy- he was younger than Jay, and wore an
outfit essentially identical to Jay's own, save that it was red. There was a clear family
resemblance between them, and the younger boy was unaccompanied by a robo.
"Jay-kun, Jerry-kun! Over here!" Aaron called.
"There are other kids my age?" the younger boy, Jerry, asked, tugging Jay's sleeve.
"That's right, Jerry," Jay said with a nod. "Just like I told ya."
"Tommy-kun, Nicky-kun, if it's not too much trouble, can you share a booth with Jerry-san? He
gets nervous around older kids."
"What, we're not good enough for you?" Nicky sneered at Aaron, but he and Tommy
acquiesced, switching to another booth while Jay and Jerry plugged Blitz in.
"You feel comfortable sitting with them, Jerry?" Jay asked, Jerry smiled, nodded, and sat with
the boys, while Jay joined Leon and Aaron. "I do like how calm the atmosphere is here."
"Yeah, my dad figured you could have a good barbecue place without the loud TVs and the
sports and all that. Figured people would be happy to enjoy their food without the noise," Leon
explained.
"Well it works very well!" Shortly, came Tad, with Frost in tow. "Hope I'm not late," he said.
"Daijobu!" Aaron said. "You're fine."
Tad then peeked out the door, "Yeah, they're in here."
In came another boy, with fiery red hair, wearing a green t-shirt and cargo shorts. He was older
than the others by a decent amount.
"Everyone, this is the financier guy I mentioned." Tad smiled.
"Hello," the boy in green greeted. "My name's Eli Lonehelm."
"Nice to meet you," Leon said, as Raymond brought over drinks.
"Go ahead and seat..."
"I can help if you'd like," Eli offered, taking a couple cups.
"Oh, thank you... Those go to the two boys over there." Raymond served Leon his fruit punch,
and gave a cup of tea to Aaron. Eli served Tommy a soda, and a tea for Nicky. "Go ahead and
seat yourselves. Names and drinks?"
"Jerry… fruit punch please."
"Tad here. I'd like a soda?"
"Eli- just water for me."
"Jay, and I'll have soda, please."
"I got it," said another waitress. "Stay with your boys, boss."
"Oh... thank you, Emma." Raymond smiled, and took a seat with Leon, Aaron, and Jay. "Jay,
you said."
"Yes sir. Jay Thompson," He said politely.
"Please, no need to be all formal," deferred Raymond. "Any friend of Leon's is my friend as
well."
"Oh! Jay, did you talk to your dad about the sponsorship?" Leon asked.
"I did, and he's all for the idea of sponsoring us."
"What does your dad run, Jay?" Raymond asked.
"Winter's Reprise. The dessert shop down the road."
"Oh, that place with those delicious cakes?"
"Yeah, exactly!"
"Good! That's a start." Raymond clapped his hands together, but frowned shortly however. "I
don't mean offense to you by this, though: one sponsorship isn't going to get you to Crystal. I'll
have to suss out the details, but you can be assured that Wild Style will also sponsor you, since
you kids were kind enough to support my son."
"Really? Thanks a lot!" said Tad.
In came Tsuruya, and Kitsu.
"Whoa." Raymond recognized her from checking leaderboards, which he did on his days off. "Is
that Tsuruya Taylor?"
"Yes sir."
"You here for the meetup?" Emma the waitress greeted.
"Yes ma'am, and I should have another person, ah, there he is." In came another young man.
This guy had white hair and a lean, but muscular build, and he was wearing a red waistcoat
over a white, long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. "Everyone, this is our PR rep, my good friend,
Akihiko Koizumi."
"Just find a seat. What can I get you to drink?" Emma asked.
"Iced tea, if it's okay," Tsuruya answered.
"The same," Akihiko added, plugging Kitsu in for a charge nap, before joining Tsuruya at a table
nearby the rest.
"How did you get Tsuruya Taylor on this team?" Raymond asked.
"I'm friends with Tad," Tsuruya said. "He wanted to give Leon as good of a chance at Crystal as
he could."
"And with us both on the team, you bet we're going to Crystal." Akihiko snapped his fingers.
"Aki, you're just PR rep."
"But I can double as a substitute player in case of an emergency," he insisted, and Tsuruya
rolled her eyes.
"You always want some of the action…"
Finally, in came Snow and her robotic bear, who waited outside.
"Are you here for the meetup?"
"I sure am." Emma gestured to the team, and Snow giggled. "Good to see you again, everyone!"
She ordered a glass of milk, and sat down.
"Alright, with everyone here, we can begin the very first, official meeting of the Crystal Guard
gaming team," Tsuruya said. "First order of business, the leadership roles."
"I vote for Leon-kun as leader, since he was the one who started the team. With Tsuruya-san as
his second in command, since she's the most experienced," Aaron spoke up.
"I second that notion," agreed Jay.
"Motion carried!" Tad said.
"Leon, do you object to that?" Tsuruya asked.
"No, but I hope you'll help me with being a leader, Tsuruya?" Leon asked.
"Happily." Tsuruya nodded, typing in a datapad. "Alright then, Akihiko, give us the 411 on how to
get to Crystal."
"Okay. The Crystal Cup is international, and invitational." Akihiko drummed his fingers on the
table. "So to qualify, we're gonna need to earn the right to be invited. The way to do that is by
winning the Bronze Cup regional tournament, the Silver Cup state competition, the Gold Cup
Nationals, and if you really wanna get that invite, the Platinum Prism Continentals. If you
manage to win the Platinum Prism Cup, they'll beg you to come to Crystal, because that'll mean
yours is the best team in the continent of Rise."
"Whoa… sounds like a daunting task."
"Yeah, it's not easy. The weakest teams get weeded out pretty fast. Every match you win, the
next match is only gonna be harder. Luckily, from what Tsuruya tells me, Leon's got something
that's rare... but also a huge leg up."
"What would that be?"
"Determination. Lots of strong determination. I've watched at least three Crystal Cups, and
determination to make it through is a huge part of who manages to get to the top. Leon's
motivation alone, wanting to protect his family and make his life better, gives him a lot of
determination, that you can just see in his eyes."
Curiously, Jay looked at Leon, making eye contact. Sure enough, Jay could see the look in
Leon's eyes… the fire of determination. "Whoa… you weren't kidding…"
"So, we actually have a chance if we all share that determination." Akihiko smiled. "The Bronze
Cup is in mid-July, and it's taking sign-up's now. I can get us registered, but your current priority
is to become a tight knit team."
"After lunch," Raymond said, as drinks were served. "Can't train or win on an empty stomach."
= = =
After a good lunch at Wild Style, the team gathered at the park. The robos, properly charged,
registered the new contacts, even including Jerry, Tommy, and Nicky.
"Okay. How about we log back in?" Leon suggested.
"But not into the HOYOS plaza just yet," Snow said, to everyone's surprise. "I actually set up
something for the entire team... and even the little guys can enjoy." She patted Tommy's head,
but Tommy swatted her hand away, displeased by the unwelcome contact.
"Wait..." Tsuya blinked. "You didn't..."
"I did." Snow smiled. "Ursa, group login. Crystal Guard Team Zone."
The surrounding area quickly began to change before them, turning into a somewhat large
lounge area. The group was standing in a circular room in the style of an amphitheater, with
several levels, sloping downward, on which tables, bean bag chairs, and a couple couches
rested, with an encased fire pit in the middle. The room was also filled with various different
types of game decor.
"Our own dedicated Team Zone?" Jay was surprised.
"Our dad created the concept, as well as the subsection of the Zone used to house them. I told
him about our team when I went home to get my stuff, and he hooked us up." Snow put her
hands on her hips proudly. "Here, we can hang out, rest, play, discuss, have meetings, and
more. Though for our leader, from what I've heard, it'll also be a good safe zone to hide in when
they try something." Leon beamed at that.
"This is wonderful!" Tsuruya said, stepping down one of the stairways. "We can make this our
home base. We can customize it with a few things like a little workout zone in the corner, maybe
add a login gate in the game…. This is perfect."
"Go on guys, get cozy!" Snow said. With her permission, everyone began taking the lounge in
properly. Tommy got cozy on a beanbag chair on the second floor. "Ooh, definitely keeping the
beanbag chairs…"
Tsuruya came to the fire place. "I doubt we'll actually need this. Kitsu, can we swap this for a
TV?"
"On it, milady." As the robo spoke, the fireplace pixelated away, replaced with a TV setup.
Akihiko set up some exercise equipment in the back left corner of the room, while Jay set up a
mini-kitchen in the back right.
"Big bro, maybe a game corner for free time could work?" Jerry asked.
"Sure thing, lil bro." Jay said, adding the game corner in.
Lastly, Leon added an open arch to an empty section of wall. "Mamoru, connect this game gate
to the HOYOS Lobby Plaza.
"Coming right up." Mamoru said. He nodded in the direction of the gate, and a vortex of swirling
green energy opened in the center of the empty space.
Leon looked at the others. "Okay guys, having our own Team Zone is nice, but we still need get
gaming! Let's go."
"Yeah!" The group said in excitement.
One by one, each kid and robo jumped through the gate, entering a digital tunnel that they flew
through. Leon led the way as their weaponry came flying to them: he grabbed the scabbard with
his swords, and slung it onto his back, before flying out of the tunnel. A belt appeared on
Tommy, as he grabbed twin daggers, and clipped them to the belt, following Leon. A
warhammer came flying, and Nicky grabbed it out of the air, and slung it upon his back. With a
holster coming his way, Jay set his staff inside it, and strapped it around his back. A holster
soon came Jerry's way, along with a spear as well. Aaron caught his whip as it hurtled through
the air, and clipped it to his belt, while Tad caught his holstered sword and shield. Tsuruya
sheathed her rapier on her belt, Akihiko clipping two knuckle claws to the back of his belt. Snow
caught her bow, before managing to get her quiver. Lastly, Eli caught a pair of war claws and
slipped them onto his belt. Together the Crystal Guard exited the tunnel, right into the plaza.
"Okay, guys, let's-"
"Well, well, well!" a voice sounded, and Leon went stiff as a board, as a group of punkish boys
with heavy weapons approached. "Our favorite toy, Leon the Least." The lead boy, with a
greatsword, laughed.
"Back off," Jay said, defending Leon. "Don't make me freeze you in your tracks."
"And you are?" asked a punk with a laser rifle.
"Leon's friends!" Tsuruya put a hand on Leon's shoulder.
"Friends? When did that pile of nothing ever make friends?" mocked a punk with a war-axe.
"Well it's something you punks will never understand," Jay countered. "Back off. The Crystal
Guard need to train for our quest for the Crystal Cup."
"The Crystal Cup? With that loser on your-" The bully had no chance finish his mockery, before
a single fist of solid wind struck him in the face, forcing him to stagger back. Leon was the one
who threw the punch. "What the?"
"We will make it to the Crystal Cup, and when we do, you will never mess with me, or my friends
or family again." Leon spoke in a very determined and serious tone.
"Care to put your money where you mouth is, brat? You vs Us, team battle, right now."
Leon could only smirk.
"It's ON!"