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The Gam3: Chapter 9

Helios moved his pieces into position, forming a venerable gauntlet on his side of the board. At the same time, Liberty4U had her pieces armed and ready to brave whatever he had to throw at her. Milling between the two forces were the undecided, those caught in the crossfire and those who had nothing to do about The Gam3.

"So whatever happens," she said softly, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed, "The Gam3 will end."

Helios chuckled, taking in the sight of the board one more time. With a contented sigh, he turned and glanced out the window. "Yes. Unfortunately, it will. As much as I would want it otherwise, it will end." He gave an amused shrug and waited for the other player to make her move. One of Liberty4U's pieces began to move of its own accord, sliding over to Helios' side.

"I do wonder what they'll decide in end," said the Quest Maker.

"I don't think it truly matters, does it?" countered Helios. "Our game will have ended with one of us proven wrong. Their game -" He gestured towards the board "- will decide which set of rules they want to live by. And the overall game will decide what happens to this world."

Liberty4U leaned forward and watched her automated piece engage one of Helios' bishops.

"Sometimes I wish they were aware of the truth. They should make informed decisions."

"Now wouldn't that be giving them the fastest route to their destination?" Helios replied with a chuckle. "Besides, you know that if we did that, _he_would get involved and we don't want _him_influencing their decision, do we?"

The elegant Quest Maker inclined her head to the side slightly. "I don't think he does either."

Helios waved a hand over the pieces on the board. "I know but sometimes, _not_doing something is just as influential as the act itself."

"So..." asked his opponent quietly, her eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting?"

*****

Despite being the most 'mature' of the group, Ed felt downright childish as he lay in his big, luxurious room with the door locked and a big 'keep out' sign plastered in front of the door. He had struggled all night and most of the day with the perception of his father who - in his worst moments - he decided to brand 'ungrateful. Then again, it wasn't like his father even knew or understood that all their riches came from a videogame that Ed was playing.

The very videogame that he had been banned from playing.

The sun and set and risen and he still remained nestled in in his big, cushiony four poster bed, staring absently at the canopy. He was caught with a rather strange sensation. On the one hand, he was outraged that his father hadn't been more appreciative of his efforts. Yet at the same time, this feeling was tempered by the fact that there was no way his father could have known the truth. The culmination of the two brought him wanting to drag his father into The Gam3 to expose him to the truth and build the bond between them. Countering that was Liam's warning that _The Gam3_teased but never gave what you really wanted.

And he was right. Despite everything he had gained, _The Gam3_did not give him everything he wanted.

His dad was still distant. They were rich but his dad was still working late hours, hardly ever in the house and didn't even have the time to enforce his ban on The Gam3. Hell, chances were that if they were in the same house together, they would spend an entire day and never run into one another. At least back when they were poor, late hours at work were met with apologies and a genuine hug instead of the cold shrug he got when they passed one another in the hallway or the fake interest he put on at the rare meals they had together.

If Ed didn't respect his father so much, he would've gone right down to the basement and started playing anyway. By the time he would grow tired of The Gam3, several days could've passed in the virtual world but maybe a few hours or so would have passed in real time.

He sighed and absently scratched his furry belly. Sleeping in the nude became customary after his changes set in as he couldn't stand to sleep in his pyjamas, fur and under a quilt. He just overheated. He was even beginning to see the lines of muscle that were showing slightly through his fur. Nothing as enormous as Pete's hulking mass or Tom's lean physique but they were certainly there; evidence of hard earned strength developed over exercise... or should have been had it not simply bled over from The Gam3.

Ed folded his hands and stretched them before setting them behind his head. The soft fur on it tickled the back of his incorrupt neck. He then turned his gaze towards the window where the tall, ominous Reaper Studios tower stood out in the distance. It was now officially the biggest structure in the city. The three spires were clearly visible from almost any angle in the city and it appeared that massive thunderstorms had begun to gather overhead. At a first glance it would almost seem as if they were originating from the tower.

Given the power of their product, he didn't doubt that was within their capabilities.

His musing was then interrupted by a large, brown shape, one that suddenly appeared in front of his window and blocked all view of the distant tower.

Ed immediately sat up as the shadowy form fidgeted with something on his window. When the panel clicked open and the window swang aside, fear began to creep into him. He never got to scream in alert as Liam quickly crossed the distance between the window and his bed before pressing paw against his lips.

"Shut it," snarled the otter. "Are you going to scream?"

Ed stared daggers at Liam and didn't honour him with an answer.

"Good enough," Liam said, pulling his paw away. He straightened, placing his paws on his hips. His eyes roved Ed's room and his lips twisted into a half-snarl, half-smirk. "Nice place you got here."

"Are you going to trash it too?" Ed asked sourly.

"Maybe later." Liam sat on the edge of the bed, back to Ed.

Whether by conscious decision or not, Ed shuffled away from the otter though his thick tail took up a large portion of the bed. "What do you want?"

Liam gave out a very reluctant sigh. "It has come to my attention that..." He paused, struggling for words. "That I have been an ass."

"I thought you were an otter," Ed mumbled bitterly.

Liam then gave Ed a confused stare.

"An ass is a donkey, dumbass."

"Har-har," came the sarcastic reply. "Look, I had no right to destroy your house and your stuff no matter how you got them. I was just -"

"Being a child throwing a temper tantrum?"

"Well -"Liam bobbed his head slightly.

"A colossal jealous dickwad?"

The otter turned towards him with a snarl. "Now hold on."

"A dirty vandal and causeless crook?"

"Okay!" Liam shouted, holding up his paws. "I get it. I was stupid." He lay down on the bed, arms folded behind his head. Liam's tail then began to move towards Ed and he quickly shuffled away. Although he soon found himself right at the edge of his own bed. "I was all of those things. I was jealous that you still get to pretend to be human and have a normal life. I was angry because of how you nerfed my stats and I was being the stupid criminal everyone has branded me to be. But most of all, I was just furious that I couldn't reconcile with Ian. Speaking of which..."

He angled Ed with a piercing stare. "What gave you the right to call him and then take away my abilities like that? You know how hard it was to get up here without all my skills?"

"Some would be grateful for being able to get up here at all," Ed said. "And I was just trying to help. I think Ian actually started warming over to you... until Liberty4U intervened." Ed sat up against the headboard of his bed, arms folded. "For what it's worth, I am sorry that I messed with your life like that. I guess I had hoped that if Ian overheard you talking about how you just wanted things to go back to the way that they were, he'd understand and forgive you."

Liam snorted loudly. "Did you get that off a sitcom or movie?"

Ed made no reply and absently scratched his shoulder.

"And for what it's worth, I am sorry too," continued the otter. "When I heard how your dad banned you from The Gam3 and despite the fact I think that bloody program is a gift from the devil, I felt bad." Liam was silent for a few moments before he said, "I can't help feel that it was sort of my fault."

As tempting as it was to point out how it was completely Liam's fault, Ed bit back. "It's okay. I guess I deserved it." He swung his legs onto the bed, lying with his back against the headboard and still with a sizable gap between himself and Liam. "Here I was preaching about moderation with The Gam3 and I was turning to it every second to solve all my problems."

"Yeah, that was pretty hypocritical of you."

He ignored Liam's comment and shook his head absently. "I guess the real question is, what are we going to do about it?" He wrung his hands together anxiously. His orange fur was crowing just at the rims of his wrist. He could almost feel the itch where his pawpads should be. "Should we keep going, power ourselves up and make our way to God's Studio? Or do we just wait for someone to end it?"

Liam slammed his paws into the bed with a loud smack. "You really think that when tempted with the chance of changing your very future and physical shape so easily and relatively pleasurably, people would go the extra mile to stop that?"

Ed offered the otter a lopsided smile. "Well... someone might decide to be greedy and think to keep the power to themselves. Or maybe there's some really heroic guys out there that will do the right thing."

"So supervillains and superheroes. Great, how many of those do we have?"

"In the real world? Not many. But in The Gam3?"

Liam shook his head and rolled onto his side, facing Ed and propping himself up on his elbows. "Look. Tell me honestly with what you've observed in humans do you honestly_believe that if given the choice, people would end _The Gam3?"

Advocating the good in people seemed like the right thing to do at that moment but... "Well..."

"Admit it," Liam said with a shake of his head. "There are no downsides to The Gam3. Even when you 'disappear' you start anew. Wilbur may regret what's happened because he fell in love with Tom but Tom can just as easily live with him in The Gam3. Colin and Pete may have been forced with strange new transformations but really, what's the downside now that Pete can finally reach one of his cocks between his legs? Those two have enough cocks between them to convert nuns!"

For that Ed, had to offer him a chuckle. "From what I hear, you're not too gung-ho about destroying The Gam3 anymore."

The otter took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying The Gam3_isn't evil but maybe I was a little too... _rash_when I suggested to destroy _Reaper Studios."

"Glad to hear you're not out to murder people anymore."

He got a playful nudge for that. "And I'm glad to hear you don't think_The Gam3_ isn't the end-all solution to everything."

"I never said that!" Ed said, holding up his hand. "If we reach God's Studio like Liberty4U suggested, we just might solve all of our problems."

Liam leapt off the bed. "But only because we'll finish The Gam3. Not the same."

"Sure it is. Who's to say that we can't have some solution that will make everyone happy? Maybe we can broadcast the truth about The Gam3 to the world?" His expression brightened and he lifted his arms. "Hell, what if this is God's way of testing us? If we have the patience and capacity to make it all the way to God's Studio without succumbing to temptation, we're worthy of paradise or something."

The sarcastic look on Liam's face said it all. "And I'm guessing _The Gam3_is paradise?"

"Maybe or maybe it's this world where everyone is more appreciative of what they have? Who is to know until we actually get to the end?"

"You just never let up, do you?" Liam laughed.

"Hey, I've made it my mission to make everyone else happy and the world a better place." Ed jammed his finger at the bed. "I got The Gam3 as a selfish escape from this world but when I realised what it could do, I just couldn't keep it to myself."

"So you're everyone's fairy godmother." Liam shook his head, a small smile on his face. "If there was a guy like you looking after me, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten this far."

Ed shuffled off the bed, standing opposite to Liam. "It's not too late to listen to your mother."

Liam shook his head still smiling. "Why do you keep referring to yourself like that? I mean, I get it. You look after everyone. It's cool but why?"

Shrugging, Ed said, "I dunno. I always just felt like a mother. Constantly nagging and quietly manipulating. Besides, it helps that I'm gay."

The otter flinched. "Oh... Oh, you are?"

Ed narrowed his gaze at his guest. "Wait... you're not... homophobic, are you?"

"What!?" cried Liam, holding up his paws and shaking them wildly. "No! No! Of course not! I just thought..." He began scratching his chin. "Huh... I don't know what I thought. I'm just worried that calling you a 'fairy' isn't offensive... is it?"

"I'm a fairy," Ed said with a shrug. "I accept that. It's who I am. Besides, I've got two friends that are boning other guys. One of whom is completely virtual and the other is boning the first's brother so, if you think about it, the only stereotype yet filled is the flamer which is kind of where I come in." Ed then stood up and did a flashy twirl which made him dizzy but got his point across. "Face it, only a fairy can look this good."

Liam coughed. "Right... well from what I heard you haven't eaten so how about I snatch you something from downstairs?"

Ed snorted and shook his head. "You're a full-blown otter man. You can't walk around here without one of the maids screaming."

Swaggering over to the door, Liam patted Ed's shoulder in passing. "Come on. How do you think I learned you hadn't eaten anything if not from the maids?"

"You spoke with them!?" Ed cried incredulously.

"Nope. They just never saw me." Liam gripped the doorknob with a grin and made a vague karate-like gesture with his free paw. "I'm a ninja!"

Ed threw his head back and laughed but by the time he turned back, Liam was already gone. Both puzzled and surprised at the same time, Ed sat back down on his bed and mulled over their conversation.

There was value in keeping The Gam3 going but not if the world was left ignorant as it was. But then again, as proven with the current generation of Shapeshifters, there would be those that would abuse such a privilege. They would go to extreme lengths to overpower themselves and force themselves into such levels of debauchery that the world of The Gam3 could very well be Hell.

He decided not to go into the theories of the world. An explanation would be needed but somehow, he doubted it would come until the very end. The powers behind The Gam3 were rather strict on keeping everything secretive. Then again, how many people actually spent time on the lore of The Gam3?

That question nagged at his brain and he pushed off his bed and navigated to his desk. He switched on his PC and went onto The Gam3 forums and surfed there for a bit. He tried looking for a Wiki because everything had a Wiki page these days. There was very little in actually endgame Lore and there was certainly the information on how the FGs came to the world but as for the endgame...

"Huh..." he began, tilting his head slightly to the side. He read over the introduction mantra one more time.

'In ages past, man rose from the mire and the muck to make themselves the superior race. They built cities... Domesticated animals... Developed great and wonderful machines... Delved into the arcane arts... Raised tyrants and heroes... and warred across the ages. But always, man prevailed.

'Yet, the worst punishment is not death but stagnant existence. Over and over, man developed, domesticated, delved, raised and warred. Millions died and the gods wept. Man had reached the pinnacle of their power and had nowhere else to go but to ravage the lands around them in a vain attempt to find a challenge when they already ruled supreme.

'So, the gods offered them a challenge.

'Rule your shape so that you may rule yourselves.

'Find the shape that will bring you to our throne.

'The gods gave man purpose once more. And that is where your story starts. You start as a human. But who and what you end up... is up to you.'

Ed leaned back and rubbed his furry chest. There was something... _odd_about that mantra. Knowing what he now knew, it sounded almost like a warning.

But a warning towards what?

WHAM!

He jumped nearly a foot out of seat when a large, plate was seated in front of him. It was filled to the brim with sandwiches.

"Grab your things," Liam said. "We're leaving."

"What?" Ed replied, spinning around. "Why?" Then he saw the big console under the otter's arms and the headset in the other. "Where did you get those?"

"You should know, it's yours," answered the otter with sly smirk. "Come on. We're going to go to Tom's place and play."

"What? But my dad -"

"Your dad has no idea what the hell is happening here." He shoved the headset into Ed's hands. "And if you want to get to the end and fix this mess, you'll have to play."

"But can't you or the others -"

Liam growled and yanked him off his seat. "Look, you're the one that weakened me. I could've made it to God's Studio without much effort but you had to nerf my stats and abilities. So whether you like it or not, you're my mage. You're not backing down."

Ed regarded Liam curiously, unaffected by the threat or sudden hostility. "Pete threatened you with anal rape with his multiple cocks, didn't he?"

The otter winced. "Actually, Colin did. Pete called dibs on my muzzle."

Ed smirked. "Damn, I'm slipping."

*****

Tom opened the door and his face broke into a brilliant grin. "Hey! You came!"

Ed smiled and shrugged. "I was sort of kidnapped," he said while hiking a thumb over his shoulder at Liam who stood with a hood over his features. "Thanks for that, by the way."

Standing to the side and offering his home to the two, Tom said, "Hey, you spent most of your time looking after us so now, it's our turn to return the favour.

Within the apartment, Pete and Colin were already inside preparing some snacks. It looked like they had purchased a new TV and several more _Gam3_consoles and had set it up. There was a third TV and he guessed that was for himself and Liam. Tom gave him an introduction and Pete came over to slap his back with a big hand. Colin was at the stove looking like he was grilling some pork chops. From all the food and the fact that there were sleeping bags everywhere, it looked like it everyone was planning for a long night.

Pete guided Ed towards the dining table which was already prepared with cutlery and dishes. "So I figure with load up on food, rest up a little, then jump into The Gam3 and make it through Europa's Descent. If we can make it to Thanatos Divide, we'll place markers and leave it for the night."

"Sounds like a plan," Ed conceded. "That should be more than enough time for me to make it back home before my dad notices."

"Your father won't notice you're gone, remember? Why not just stay here like the rest of us?" Liam countered, taking a seat on the table. Ed parked himself beside the otter as Pete sat on his other side. Tom and Colin came by a moment later to place the food before them.

"He might now that we had that argument but chances are, you're right," Ed responded. He took a deep breath, taking in the savoury aroma of the food before them. "Smells good, guys." As he reached over for some pork chops, he noticed the decidedly empty seat right next to Tom. "Is that for Wilbur?"

Tom's bright features faltered ever so slightly. "I like to think that he's in The Gam3 right now thinking about us."

That smile said more than Tom was willing to admit and Ed couldn't help being nosy. "Do you want to stay in The Gam3 permanently?"

Shaking his head, Tom said, "Honestly? I don't know. I mean, it sounds too good to be true? But even if you stay in The Gam3, there's this knowledge of what could happen if Reaper Studios suddenly went bankrupt or there was a power outage on one of the servers or something else as disastrous. Would you just... die?" He laughed softly, absently chewing on some bread rolls. "I don't think people were meant to know how their world works."

"But you want to be with Wilbur, right?"

"More than anything."

Ed glanced over Tom's shoulders at the multiple consoles just waiting to be played. The call of The Gam3 was overpowering. More than anything, he wanted to find some way to fix this, make everything better for his father, his friend and... on some level, Liam and Ian.

Pete piped up through a mouthful of pork. "Honestly, I think it's better than how we live now. I mean, you've got all these people who are messing with the very fabric of the universe, making crazy machines that could make black holes and weapons of mass destruction. At least in The Gam3, you have the power to stop it and you _know_how the universe works. There's no trial and error. You won't accidentally rip open the space-time continuum because you _know_what's going to happen in the end."

"But then you won't have a purpose," Liam countered. "There won't be a reason to live. You'd just seek a way to destroy each other. Just like how The Gam3 started, remember? Man created, destroyed, made peace and warred. The Gods saw little progress so they gave everyone a purpose. Meet them."

"Right, and we saw where that got everyone," Colin said with a roll of his eyes. "Everyone just went right back to being dicks to one another." He swallowed his mouthful. "I know what you're going to say too. People realised what happens when you overuse Chaos Drives and they never wanted The Gam3 to end. They lost sight of their purpose. But so what? Ultimately, the choice is there, right? In the end, you either live in The Gam3 or go back to how things were."

"Doesn't make me feel any better," Liam said.

Ed mulled over the conversation for the moment. As the other continued to philosophise about what they wanted, he came to realise something: almost everyone wanted to stay within The Gam3. Pete and Colin sounded like they wouldn't mind staying in a universe where they had some degree of control over and Tom wanted to stay in there for Wilbur. Liam was the only poor soul that didn't want that.

"Why don't you want to stay in The Gam3 forever?" he asked suddenly. Everyone stared at him and he stared straight back. "Let's go around the room. What is the reason, if there is one, for you not taking an offer from Helios to stay in The Gam3 forever?"

Pete lifted a fork. "For me, it's easy. I like being big, buff and a total stag. Hell, the only reason why I would've wanted not to stay in The Gam3 is for nourishment and my health. But if I get to stay in there forever and be the big, strong buck that I always wanted to be? I would jump at that opportunity."

"Then why go to God's Studio at all?" snarled Liam.

"Because Helios and the Shapeshifters turned me into a crazy, multi-dicked freak," Pete responded. "He's locked away some sockets on my FG. I want them removed."

So for Pete, it was really about the power of choice. He wanted that power. It was understandable considering the limitations his former disease had on him. He lost a lot of choices in his life because of that. Now that he could have it again, it was too good to pass up.

"You didn't answer my question," Ed said. "If there was any reason at all_that you wouldn't want to stay in _The Gam3 forever, what would it be?"

Pete set down his cutlery, staring at his food for a long moment. His eyes navigated towards Colin. "Any reason? Well... It'd be only if Colin decided not to go in."

Colin's features brightened. "Same here, bud. If you were going to live in this world, I'd stay with you despite the fact that I get to be a hairy badass lion in the other one with three huge cocks."

"Teenagers," Tom grumbled. "Always thinking with their cocks." He jabbed his brother's shoulder lightly. "Come on, if you're going to stay in The Gam3 there's got to be more reason than the fact that you get two more dicks."

Colin shrugged with a smirk. "How about all the adventure, all the people you can meet, the endless opportunities you're offered and the fact that if you live in The Gam3, you don't have to worry about any of your transformations 'bleeding' over into this world. I mean, come on guys." He lifted his hands and glanced at each of them. "Seriously, without that setback, wouldn't you _all_want to live there?"

Ed decided not to answer and looked to Tom for his answer. "What about you, Tom? Any reason not to live in The Gam3?"

"Just... all the other people that are here," answered his friend. "I still have my mom. Our mom," he added with a glance at Colin, "and Pete, your parents are actually happy and adore you." He then glanced towards Liam. "And you've got your parents and brother too. Do you really want to leave them all alone without any word or just a vague explanation?"

And with those words, the prospect of leaving the real world for The Gam3 no longer seemed so consequence-free. Liam was oddly silent and Ed was grateful for the otter for not rubbing in the fact that the videogame that they had hyped up was not as perfect as they had made it out to be.

Ed in particular thought about his father, the man that he respected and loved so dearly. He had sacrificed his body to make his father's life better. He just wanted to make sure that his father was not constantly pressured into his dead-end job. Could he truly leave him behind even if he had turned into person that barely had time for his son?

He straightened and set down his cutlery. "I think we should put that thought aside. We'll have plenty of time to think about it on our way to God's Studio."

They finished up their meal and Ed helped out with the dishes while the others set up the consoles. When they were ready, Ed plunged straight into The Gam3, feeling a chill run down his spine as his body shifted back into its feline form, the form that he felt strangely most comfortable with.

"I don't suppose anyone has any Markers set up for God's Studio, do they?" Liam asked. Everyone replied in the negative.

"Guess we'll just have to start from Europa's Descent." He opened his menu and invited them all into a party. "Let's get this show on the road. Let's get Wilbur and go."

Tom contacted Wilbur and they all used one of his Markers to bring them to the wolf's smithy. Wilbur was dressed rather scantily in just his smith's apron and there looked to be a fresh set of armour on a stand behind him. There were also a variety of Form Crystals and pieces of armour scattered on the bench as well.

"You're here!" Wilbur exclaimed. "Good timing. I was just finishing up."

"With what?" Tom asked.

The burly smith turned around and produced the item he was working on; it was a set of beautifully decorated chainmail armour. The links were made of a bright red and when the light struck it just the right way, it looked like pure flame was captured within the armour. He set it on the bench with the other items. "Knowing what we're coming up with, I spent the time before we met talking to others on the places leading up to God's Studio. No one has ever made it past Thanatos Divide into the city called Where Atlas Rests. But they do know that Europa's Descent and Thanatos Divide are all about two things." He held up two fingers. "Ice and fire respectively. Opposing forces. Once you go through one, you'll end up getting creamed in the other if you're poorly equipped."

He then waved a paw over all the equipment in front of him. "So I took the liberty of making you all some armour and trading stuff to get some decent FCs that'll help us." Picking up the red chainmail, he carried it along with a silvery bow marked with golden bands towards Colin. The bowstring was almost invisible and the wood seemed to shimmer in the light.

"Here, Colin. I made you some chainmail armour made with the lightest metal I could find to make sure you don't lose flexibility. I also infused some fire-based ability FCs in there. They will keep you nice and warm in the cold but should also make you immune to fire-based attacks where the armour covers." He levelled a finger at Colin. "Don't be fooled okay? Just because you're wearing armour doesn't mean every part of you is protected by some sort of magical aura. Armour only protects the parts that it covers. I've had too many idiots come through here wanting their money back because they think wearing some heavy breastplate somehow protects their heads."

"Thanks," Colin said, taking the armour. "And uh... Thanks for adjusting for the crotch." The lion jingled the rather large pouch between the chainmail leggings with a slight chuckle. Wilbur just grunted.

"What's this bow?" he asked as he reached over to take it.

"Made of Silverwood. As flexible as any wooden bowstring but hard as steel. Light as a feather."

"Awesome."

Wilbur then plucked a large pair of shoulder pads from the bench and what looked like a saddle of some sort. The metal was jet black and etched with silvery runes. The armour also included heavy, black leather straps that could easily be used to wrap around Pete's massive frame.

"I couldn't make any decent armour without your nipple cocks bursting through them so I made you this harness instead. This metal absorbs cold meaning that it if we're in a blizzard, stick to the beast." He pointed at Pete while regarding everyone else. "He'll suck up all the cold and actually keep the rest of us warm."

"Won't I get cold?" Pete asked.

"Fuck yes. That's why you're going to get this too." He then handed Pete a big golden pendant with a massive, glowing gem at its centre. "Made that by fusing a hell of a lot of fire-based FCs. It'll radiate heat to the owner so you shouldn't get cold."

Pete grinned and automatically put on the pendant. Ed instantly felt a wave of heat emanate from him and had to step away. It was almost unbearable.

Pete began to sweat profusely and tore it off. "Shit! That got me burning up!"

"Exactly," Wilbur said. "So only put it on when we're in Europa's Descent_and take it off the moment we're in _Thanatos Divide."

"But then I won't have protection when we're in the fire."

"That's you're armour, dumbass. It's absorbent of cold so it stores_cold. When we're in the _Divide, it'll keep you cool." Wilbur then picked up a staff and some robes, turning to Ed. "Yours were the easiest to make. Cloth is _way_easier to mould and infuse with magical properties than metal."

He dumped the white robes onto Ed's arms. The cloth felt strangely warm and just by looking at how the thread glistened and undulated like liquid, made Ed realise what it was made of.

"Etherfly Silk..." Ed regarded Wilbur with astonishment. "This is really expensive. Almost impossible to get. How...?"

Wilbur waved a paw absently. "I've had a hell of a lot of FCs lying about for nothing. If this is going to be the last charge, the endgame quest, I'm not going to hold back. The staff -"

Ed stared at the staff. It was shaped like two, metal bands twisting and curling around one another like two serpents wrestling for the big, golden orb that they clutched in their mouths. "Promethean Metal... and an orb infused with a hell of a lot of Agility-boosting FCs."

"Take my fun, why don't you?" snorted the lupine smith. He leaned against his bench, arms crossed smugly. "I figured there's no point buffing you up any more than you already are because that'd be pointless. Play to your strengths but your major weakness is that you're squishy. Since your Physicality stats are so low, the only way to keep you safe is to make sure you don't get hit. Hence the light-weight metal and the Agility boosts. Keep on your toes, cast those spells and don't get hit. We'll keep you out of danger."

"Thank you," Ed said, twirling the staff expertly. "This is amazing."

"Don't I get anything?" Liam grunted.

"I'm getting to that," Wilbur growled back. His features softened slightly as he reached towards a pair of thick, metal bracers. "You're fast, speedy and hard to hit but you rely too much on your fast attacks. You don't hit that hard."

The otter's tail thumped the ground loudly. "Give me a clear shot at a guy's crotch and you'll see just how hard I hit."

"Right. Whatever. I made these for you." He handed Liam the bracers. Just as Liam was about to reach towards it, Wilbur pressed something. With two loud hissing noises, large blades erupted from the edge of the bracers, thin but looking like they could easily slip between someone's ribs. "Your right bracer protects you from cold. Your left protects you from fire. Both have these secret blades that you can use to jab at people. They're infused with a lot of Physicality FCs to increase the raw damage that you deal. Hell, if you punch someone and then release the blade, the force of the blade jabbing at the guy might just be enough to send them across the room."

"I feel like there's a reference here that I could make," Liam said, taking the weapons. "Thanks."

Wilbur smiled as he watched everyone examine and try on their new gear. As his eyes drifted towards Tom, he suddenly froze. The big wolf looked almost frightened at the sight of the dragon, who looked back at him with concern in his eyes. A moment later then he took a deep breath and went over to the bench. After all the equipment had been given out there didn't seem to be much left for Tom. All that really remained was a small box. Wilbur picked it up and moved towards Tom.

The four-armed dragon still looked shaky as he offered Wilbur a smile. "What? Everyone gets some fancy armour and weapons and I get something so small? What's up, Bur?"

The smith swallowed hard. His jaw opened and closed multiple times and his eyes couldn't lock on Tom's. There was something about the way his knees were shaking that just sent off alarm bells in Ed's mind. When he realised what was happening, he immediately seized Liam's paw, keeping him firmly restrained. Liam gave him a startled stare but his eyes only went as wide as saucers when Wilbur bent down on one knee.

"Tom," Wilbur said softly, "when I met you, I thought you were just another punk that had been sent to me by Jake in some stupid attempt to get me out of my depression over leaving everything behind to live here."

Tom looked like he had just been punched in the gut and his heart was aiming to leap out of his chest at the same time. His lower pair of arms curled around his stomach, clutching it tightly while his upper crossed over his heart.

"I had been a Shapeshifter," Wilbur continued, "abused The Gam3, suffered for it and wanted a fresh start. But it was only when I met you that my life really began anew. I can't imagine my life without you and no matter what happens, no matter what comes, I want to be by your side whether it is in this world or the next. I know we'll find some way to be together no matter what."

Slowly, the smith opened the case to reveal a silvery ring with four gems inset into it, one red, one blue, one green and one yellow. The gems were arranged into the shape of a star, each gem making one of the four points. Just from looking at it, Ed could tell that it was built to improve on all of Tom's base statistics and offer him some sort of new ability. Both practical and gorgeous.

"You've been my guiding light, Tom. You pulled me out of this dingy smithy and back out into the world. Wherever you go, I'll go. So, Tom... will you -"

"Yes!" Tom exclaimed. "God yes!"

Pete and Colin instantly broke into a cheer, accompanied by Ed and - most surprisingly - Liam. They all applauded as Wilbur slipped the ring onto one of Tom's fingers. Tom yanked Wilbur off his feet and caught him in a tight embrace. They broke off just a moment later to bring their lips together in a passionate kiss.

In the midst of the applause, Liam tapped Ed's shoulder. "Why did you hold me back?"

Ed blinked. "Erm... I kind of thought you'd be opposed to the whole idea of Tom marrying someone... I dunno... virtual?"

Liam rolled his eyes. "Come on, love is love, right? Besides, you heard what Wilbur said. No matter what, they'll be together." They both gazed at the two before Pete's bulk blocked their view. "Whether it's in The Gam3 or outside, I don't think it really matters as long as they're together."

A sneaky smile crossed Ed's muzzle. "So you're not opposed to staying in The Gam3 then?"

"You're not listening," Liam countered, waggling a finger at him. "They'll be together, that's what's important. I'm still going to vote for them to leave this place and be together in the real world but I'll be happy as long as they're together."

"You should've been an ox. You're just as stubborn as one."

Liam gave him a snort. "Look who's talking."

******

After the joy of the proposal wore down, the party decided it was time to make their way through Europa's Descent with promises to fully celebrate the proposal afterwards. Wilbur had already booked them all a dinner at the Emerald Eves. The promise of being together only seemed to push them all to getting to God's Studio and finding a solution to the ever-present problem of the barrier between worlds.

Ed could no longer tell if Tom wanted to stay in The Gam3 or go back to the real world. He was sure, however, that his choice hinged on Wilbur's situation. He just wondered what would happen if they were both offered the choice on which world to live in.

They used one of Liam's Markers to bring them to the edge of the icy wasteland which was Europa's Descent. A blizzard blurred their vision and the new equipment offered to them all offered substantial protection from the biting cold. Pete's amulet constantly radiated warmth, allowing them to pass through the blizzard with the flecks of snow turning instantly into droplets of water that rained down around them to only evaporate a moment later.

North was their destination, beyond the icy wastes of Europa's Descent_and into the fiery pits of _Thanatos Divide. After two hours of trudging and the blizzard began to subside. Tom spotted a large, rocky crest ahead of them and they moved straight towards it, hoping to get a better view of their progress.

From the outcropping, they could see the distant Emerald Eves behind them looking like large, rocky fingers reaching for the sky. Ahead was Thanatos Divide.

"Shit..." Pete murmured. "Look at that."

Breaching the icy landscape of Europa's Descent was an enormous, fiery landscape of molten rock, scorched earth and undulating lava. It looked like where the ice ended, hell began. Even from their distance, they could see geysers of lava shooting out of the ground. Ed knew that was just the edge of the Divide. Somewhere deep in that hellish landscape was an enormous rift where the demons of the world emerged from. Beyond that was the mysterious city known as Where Atlas Rests.

"Look," Liam said, pointing off into the distance. "You can see the tower leading to God's Studio from here."

"What?" Ed asked. "Where?"

"It's really small. Really thin but it's there. Right there." Liam put a paw on Ed's shoulder and guided him over to where he was standing. He pointed off into the distance. He had to squint but Ed could see the thin black spire that sprang from the ground and jutted into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

"Seems so far away..."

"We'll make it," Liam insisted with a grin. "I know we will."

BOOM!

The ground beside Ed suddenly exploded in a flurry of sizzling energies. The snow gave way and the rock broke away. He gave a cry of shock as he plummeted downwards over the edge of the crest. A strong paw seized his wrist, bringing him to a jarring halt.

"No you won't," came a booming voice.

Ed didn't have time to register the speaker as he dangled over the edge precariously. Pete's massive arms seized his shoulders and brought him back to solid ground effortlessly. He thanked Pete and then turned to his original saviour. He was surprised to find that it was Liam but the otter's features were twisted into a snarl of anger, his attention turned elsewhere.

Following Liam's gaze, he spied a winged figure standing at the foot of the rocky rise, a miniature blizzard swirling around him.

"Who...?" he began.

"Dandelion," answered Liam.

Another Shapeshifter and, from Pete and Colin's report, one working with Helios. Ed instantly brought up his staff to the ready while the others around him drew their own weapons. His heart was throbbing in his chest as he realised, much to his dismay, that none of them were now on the level of a Shapeshifter. The only possible way they could defeat him was if they used their Chaos Drives... or...

"Tom, call Jake," he instructed. "Or get an Admin. Get anyone. Everyone else, protect Tom!"

Wilbur more than eagerly jumped in front of the group and hefted his massive gun-hammer. He let out a ferocious roar as his weapon shifted into its gun mode. Powerful bullets erupted from the barrel of the gun, shooting straight towards Dandelion.

The griffon spread his wings and launched into the air in one mighty leap. The single flap of his wings sent a tremendous gale towards the party, sweeping straight towards them. As it drew close, Pete's amulet melted the snow that had been whipped up by the wind but the gale was still enough to cause them all to stagger.

Ed's heel brushed against air. A glance over his shoulder made him realise just how close they were to the edge.

"I'm not going to let you reach God's Studio!" Dandelion shouted, sweeping his wings back.

Ed acted fast, sweeping his staff towards the griffon. "Lightning Lancer!"

Spears of lance-shaped lightning shot out from behind him, shooting straight towards Dandelion. The griffon merely flapped his wings, the tremendous gust of wind from the gesture enough to shatter the shape of the lightning and send the electrical bolts skittering off in various directions. Blades of wind slammed into the party. Ed embedded his staff into the ground, using it as leverage to keep himself from toppling off the edge.

A cry from beside him heralded Pete's rear legs toppling over the edge.

"Shit!" Pete flailed and Colin was instantly there, seizing his arms and trying to pull him back up. But Pete was too big and they both fell over the edge, crashing into the snowing sides of the outcropping and landing heavily at the base of the crest.

"Guys!?" Ed shouted.

"We're okay!" Colin shouted back. "Sort of..."

Pete was staggering to his feet. "We'll try to get back around! Hold him off and don't fall over the edge! It fucking hurts!"

Ed turned back towards the battle, muttering, "Stupid fall damage."

Wilbur waved his arms. The beginning of his protection spells began to work but at that moment, Dandelion swept straight towards him, picking him up by his shoulders. The griffon moved too fast for anyone else to react and he threw Wilbur high into the air, tossing him straight over the edge.

"Wilbur!" Tom shouted and immediately sprang into the air after his fiancé.

"What the hell?" Ed cursed as Dandelion came around for another pass. "This isn't even a PVP area! How is he attacking us!?"

"He's not," answered Liam. "He hasn't directly used a weapon against us. He hasn't even really launched an attack on us. All he's done is flap his wings and give one of us a 'push' by all definitions. He hasn't swung a sword, cast a spell or shot at us!"

"Bastard! Duck!"

They both hit the ground as Dandelion came shooting over them. The winds slammed into them, sweeping snow into their eyes and nearly burying them completely. Ed growled and pushed himself out of the ground.

"Okay, so even if I had hit him, it wouldn't have hurt him because we're in a PVE area." He glanced over at Liam. "Any ideas?"

"Apart from calling an Admin?" Liam answered. "I've got one." He otter gave him a nod. "When it happens, call Jake or someone."

"When what happens?"

"Just trust me."

"How!? You're a former Shapeshifter, you trashed my house, you broke into my same house and stole my console! How am I supposed to trust you?"

Liam smirked at him, his eyes temporarily drifted to the right. "You trust me."

Ed was about to protest when Liam gave him a hard shove, throwing him to the ground. As he hit the soft ground, Dandelion came swooping overhead, missing him entirely but with his passing bringing another powerful gust of wind that would've knocked Ed off the ledge. Before the snow blanketed him entirely, he watched Liam launch himself at the griffon, grappling with the half-lion, half-eagle humanoid in midair.

Panic rushing through him, Ed shook the snow off. Dandelion and Liam lifted high into the air, the two of them looking like they were having a fight without actually fighting. They had each other by their right wrists. However if Liam lost his grip or Dandelion was able to pull him off he would be at the mercy of gravity.

"Shit, shit..." Ed muttered to himself, opening his console. He quickly found Jake's contact and was grateful for the Admin to be online. It only took two rings before Jake answered.

"Edward, what's wrong?"

"We're being attacked!" he cried. "A Shapeshifter is attacking us! You've got to come help."

Jake's features turned angry for a moment... then apologetic. "I see... What perfect timing."

"What's the matter?" Ed asked with rising apprehension.

"I've been... reassigned," Jake responded bitterly. "Suffice to say that I can't intervene anymore."

Crestfallen, Ed said. "What? Why not?"

"If I intervene, I lose my admin rights."

Ed's eyes widened. "What!?"

"It's been decided that I've been meddling a little too much despite the fact I've only been doing my job and offering some advice any decent person would offer. So now, if I so much as offer directions or make a personal appearance, I'll lose my admin rights and get kicked out of The Gam3_."_

Ed's jaw dropped and he desperately wanted to berate Jake, tell him that lives were at stake. But... what would that accomplish? On some level, it was fair. Why should Jake give up his admin rights for a group of kids despite all that had happened? Maybe that was his choice? Maybe he was stuck in _The Gam3_like everyone else and he had worked his way up to admin. If he lost that and was kicked out... what then?

Still, he wanted an explanation.

"Is your admin rights more important than our safety!?"

"You're not the only players I'm looking after, Edward."

He felt like he had been struck in the heart. His mind reeled with those words, triggering a series of explosions that sent his train of thought rocketing towards the consideration of other players. They were on their way to God's Studio to either end or permanently perpetuate The Gam3. Were they even considering all of their choices?

Did they have the right to deprive or damn others with The Gam3?

A cry made him turn. Liam was hanging in midair, Dandelion holding him by the wrist.

He cut off communications with Jake and hit the Whistle button, hoping against hope that some other Admin would come to their rescue but considering the circumstances, he wasn't sure if it would be worth it. If Liam fell, he'd be knocked unconscious and be transported back to the edge of the Zone. Dandelion would come after them next and all their progress for the day would be for naught.

There had to be something he could do... anything.

But what could they do? Dandelion wasn't technically attacking them. He was using the environment-

His eyes widened. "That's it..."

Ed launched himself off the edge of the crest, crashing to the ground with a roll. The others were there to help him up but he quickly rose by himself.

"Guys, I need you to trust me," he said. "Do whatever I say, okay?"

They exchanged glances then nodded.

"Okay... Wait for it..."

Whatever conversation Liam and Dandelion were having ended and the griffon loosened his grip around the otter's wrist. In some bizarre slow motion, Liam fell, arms waving.

"Colin! Use your Chaos Drive that stops time!"

"You mean The Traveller's Word?"Colin asked.

"Don't question! Just do!"

Colin snapped to attention, activating his Chaos Drive. As before, he pulled back an arrow encased in a glistening aura of silver lights. "Who do I shoot?"

"Liam!"

"What!?"

"Just do it!"

Colin released the arrow.

"Liam! Catch!"

The otter didn't have a moment to question and snatched the arrow from midair. The entire field was suddenly awash with silver light, the snow, air and ground going still. Liam's descent was halted though he could still move. Even Dandelion could move though he was surprised at the turn of events.

"Wilbur!" Ed shouted. "Give him Archangel!"

The smith nodded and swept his paws straight towards Liam. A majestic angel of light wrapped her wings around Liam's body and dissipated just as Liam's Chaos Drive came to an end. Liam plummeted to the ground and hit the snow hard but with the effect of the invulnerability given by Wilbur's ability, he was unharmed.

"Clever!" shouted Dandelion. "But that's not going to save you!"

Ed growled. "No, but this will! Pete, Tom! Use you Death Whorl and Cyclone Swarm!"

"But we can't target him!" protested Pete.

"Don't question your mother! Do it!"

The two men shrugged and activated their Chaos Drives, sweeping their weapons around them. Tom rushed forward, the words Chaos Drive: Cyclone Swarm springing up over his head. As he swept his halberds left and right, dozens of ethereal blades sprang up around him and spun wildly. Pete dashed forward before pinning his blade wildly around him in a dizzying array. He became a blur as the words Chaos Drive: Death Whorl sprang over his head.

Even Dandelion looked confused but that was soon wiped off his face as the winds picked up from both men's attacks. Snow was picked up from the ground, whipping up the winds even more than he could have mustered. A tornado of snow quickly made its way upwards, rising up to meet him. It was not a direct attack as the gale was just a side effect of both their abilities. The griffon was swept up in the winds, thrown side to side wildly.

Ed instantly brought up his staff and activated one of his Chaos Drives. The words Chaos Drive: Solar Flare erupted over his head. The sky peeled open with the sound of thunder. A tremendous pillar of flame shot down from the skies and slammed into the ground right in front of him, burning a massive hole into the snow. The heat from the blast evaporated the snow in direct contact with the flames and melted those around it. When the flare ended, a pool of water was left about shoulder deep.

He heard the tornado end but he was still not ready. "Guys, I need you to keep it up!"

Without question, both Tom and Pete activated the _Chaos Drives_again, jeopardising their physical forms to keep up the storm.

Ed turned immediately to Colin and Wilbur. "Either of you two have any abilities that can prevent someone from casting spells?"

Colin lifted his paw. "I got one. It's a Drive though and it'll keep _everyone_from casting spells or abilities."

"Damn..."

"I'll do it," said the lion. "Out of all of us, I'm probably one of the least transformed so I can risk it. What do I do?"

Ed smiled and nodded. "We need to get him in there," he said, pointing at the pool. "The timing just has to be right."

Liam suddenly swept past him. "I'll take care of that. Just get me close to him."

"How?" Wilbur asked. "The only one of us that can fly, and my fiancé, is currently occupied!"

Ed mulled it over then turned to Wilbur. The words Chaos Drive: Hero's Strength appeared over his head and he cast the spell at Wilbur. The smith was encased in an ethereal, red glow. "You're ten times stronger now."

Not needing any further prompting, Liam jumped onto Wilbur's hammer. Just as the tornado began to abate, Wilbur spun around, swinging his gun hammer in a wild arc. Liam was hurled high into the air, speeding straight towards the dizzy Dandelion. The otter slammed hard into the airborne griffon. Though no damage was dealt, Liam spun and kicked Dandelion straight down towards the pool.

"Colin! Now!" shouted Ed.

Colin activated his Chaos Drive, The Ascended's Edict. Ancient runes wrapped around Dandelion's body, glowing a bright white. The griffon was too stunned by the sudden effect to realise what was happening or where he was falling until he hit the frigid waters with a loud splash.

Ed did not waste time. As Colin's own Chaos Drive began to affect him, he activated the last of his available Chaos Drives, mustered not only from all of Dandelion's attacks but his fall from the ledge. The words Chaos Drive: Ice Age sprang over his head. He slammed his staff into the ground. A beam of icy-blue energy erupted from the tip of his staff and where it struck, a tremendous wall of ice sprang from the ground. He ran the beam around the edge of the hole, firstly creating an icy tomb. Before the last gap could be closed, he pointed the beam straight at the waters where Dandelion was currently languishing. The ice instantly solidified, pinning the griffon down from the neck down. Though the griffon tried to reach out with one arm, Colin's spell keep him from casting any spells, preventing any immediate escape. When the last glowing rune wrapped around Ed's body, forcibly ending the Chaos Drive, a completed tomb of ice had encased Dandelion. That would occupy him for a while.

Ed pulled his staff back, gasping for breath.

"Holy shit!" Colin exclaimed. "We did it! That was awesome!"

Even Wilbur was impressed. "We didn't exactly defeat him... but we did keep him from sending us back to the start. That's really impressive." He slapped Ed's shoulder. "Well done, mom."

Ed offered them both a wry smile as the others joined in to congratulate them. Dandelion's scream of frustration was barely audible. "Come on guys. Let's put some distance between us, drop our Markers and call it a night. I've had enough excitement for one day."

And, he mentally added, he had used far too many Chaos Drives already.

******

They all bid Wilbur goodnight and left him and Tom to their time alone especially after the proposal. Ed was a little anxious to be leaving The Gam3_as he knew that the effects of his overuse of _Chaos Drives would only be noticeable once he left. With great trepidation, he hit the 'log off' button and was plunged back into the darkness of the VR helmet.

He immediately pulled off the weighty headset and gave himself a quick inspection. Nothing seemed amiss. He still was without a tail. He glanced at the others who were just removing their helmets and a wave of relief washed over him... before a different kind of wave hit him.

Ed fell back, a strange cry rising from deep in his throat, a mix of a human cry of pleasure and a feline mewl. The strange wave of pleasure flooded his entire body, seeping into his feet. Panting and with sweat pouring out of his pours, he kicked off his shoes in desperation. His growling grew as his toes grew plump and thick, the flesh eagerly consuming his toenails until they disappeared against their folds. Loud cracks filled his ears as the very bone began to reconfigure. His big toe began sliding up his foot, nearly meeting his ankle. The other toes rearranged themselves until the middle two were jutting out slightly ahead of the others. Another loud crack heralded the puncturing of his flesh as sharp claws snapped out the edge of his toes.

"Ed!" Pete cried but his shouts would do nothing to stop the changes.

Ed arched his back, letting out a growl of ecstasy. The change was overwhelmingly pleasurable. His pants suddenly felt really tight and struggled to tear them off. His legs were expanding, gaining more and more muscle befitting his feline persona in The Gam3. They lengthened, fresh blood pumping into them just his cock was pumped with his arousal. His jeans got stuck with his expanding legs and it became impossible to just shuffle out of them.

As if hearing his plight, Ed's hands twitched and the fur on his chest quickly spread all over his arms, carrying with them the grown of muscle that tore his shirt wide open. With the onset of his claws, Ed tore at his pants, tearing to shreds with a feral, animalistic need. His cock sprang up for all to see, thick, plump, pink and spiky, emerging form a feline sheath. It was enormous, almost a foot in length and thick as a bear can with large, plump balls that forced him to spread his legs wide.

Ed let out another feline mewl as he rolled onto his stomach, his rear raised into the air. He wiggled his ass as the sensation of growth began seeping down his spine, pulsating to his tailbone where it pushed the bone further and further out. Every pulse brought another inch of the long, ropey tail covered in thick, orange and black fur all tigers must have.

The next mewl that came flooded brought the flood of pleasurable change all over Ed's features. He snarled and snapped as his jaw changed shape, jutting forward more than any human should have. His teeth sharpened, becoming full blow fangs as his nose grew to accommodate the new, feline features. With his lips being pushed forward by the muzzle, his ears were being pulled back to the top of his head, gaining a rounded, flexible structure of tigers.

Ed couldn't help but seize his massive cock, stroking it violently. The pleasure of his precum-soaked paw rubbing against the sensitive spikes of his cock sent messages into his change-addled brain to orgasm. Some human part of him tried to resist but the beast was too strong.

Ed threw his head back, letting out a ferocious roar. His cock erupted with his seed, shooting thick ropes of cum straight out of the tip and soaking the floor. He bucked several times, splattering more and more of his cum on the floor, soaking the carpet.

A wave of weariness and exhaustion hit him and he slumped into his own cream, panting softly. Some feline instinct instantly kicked in and he let out a disgusted hiss, shuffling away from the puddle he had made. He let out a groan as his chest fur became matted by his semen, outlining the firm, lean muscles beneath the layers of white fur.

Through it all, Pete, Liam and Colin just watched him. With bleary eyes, he mildly noted that Pete looked much, much bigger, rivalling many bodybuilders and his nipples were ridiculously erect, showing through his thick shirt. And Colin... Well, Colin was _really_quite hairy. He had a thick chinstrap beard and there was a lollipop in his lips. Chest hair was creeping up from underneath his shirt as was big, dark and bushy.

"Ed... are you alright?" Pete asked softly.

"He'll be fine," answered Liam darkly. "But now... he's just like me."

_ _