George Fox Chronicles: The beginnings of an Elysian Tail
3 hours had passed since George’s new reality sunk in. The letters on the kitchen table all bore his name, but not the woman he once loved, Carmelita. George just sat at a chair sifting through each letter. All of them were bills for utilities, cable TV, internet and phone service.
George finally decided to take his lament elsewhere. He looked out his window to see a park with a playground right outside his house. The neighborhood was completely empty. Not a single kid swinging the swings, not a dog being walked, not a car on the street.
George picked up his housekeys from the bowl beside his door, and stepped out. The calm of absolutely nothing happening in the area somewhat spooked him inside. With slow steps, he inched closer to the playground, hoping a car doesn’t come out of nowhere.
George got to the swing. He had no enthusiasm left to swing high, so he dragged his feet along the gravel of the playground.  He thought back to an earlier memory with sleeping in Carmelita’s older runners, back when they were new, and how she gave him her sock as a blanket back when George just moved into her place. She didn’t have a room for George at the time, so George made the best of unused shoes as his home sweet home. He lived the memory for about 15 minutes, and then had enough.
George got off of the swing. In the distance in the middle a clear, flat, and well-cut grassy area of the park, he saw a single bench. George walked over, sat down, and lamented further. His mind carried him away to a similar moment, when he sat down at a park bench with Carmelita around. She had walked around for a bit, but wanted to sit side by side and asked George to return to 5’ 9’’. George remembered he had wooed her on the bench and was just about to go in for a kiss when her phone went off. The memory ended as she went off to take the call. Thinking back to each time she was called off to find Sly, Each time she came back, she was as chipper as ever to greet George again.  That gave George a sense that she would go through all the troubles in the world, but still come back to greet him whenever she came home, just to meet her George.
George sat there for another hour, listening to the wind brushing against the nearby grass and trees. There was still not a single soul in the neighborhood. While George appreciated the peace and quiet, he was curious as to why it was so deserted.
George got up and headed back to his house, which was in plain sight from the park bench. As he approached the door, he noticed something odd. When he left the door, his address started with a 6. When George came back, taking exactly the same route heading home, his address now began with an 8. George was at a loss… but he inserted the house keys he had in his hands and they fitted the lock perfectly…

George turned the locks and went in. The house was the same layout, but there were more bills on the kitchen table. He discovered he was no longer living alone in this house, but with a roommate. The name on the other letters read “Unifor Otter.” He never would have considered the name, let alone a male roommate sharing a house together.
George wanted to find out more about his roommate, so he went upstairs to where he remembered Carmelita’s bedroom was and saw a door hanger that read “Do not disturb the mad otter.” The door was slightly open, and without hesitation, he went into the room. The room had 2 large flat screen monitors with a custom built computer and heavy VR goggles in front of the monitors, which were shut off. He didn’t really pay attention to the other stuff in the room, but at a quick glance, it looked like him and Unifor didn’t hang out much.
There was a sticky note on the goggles. It read: “Warn them of the upcoming attack. Get Ginger and your parents to safety!” George immediately figured out this was a video game that had to be played. If his roommate left the door open and a note regarding instructions, he had no reason to say no to try out a video game.
George dawned the VR headset with the accompanying earbuds. He could then hear birds chirping outside in the game world and turned around physically to look behind him. The cable for the headset had enough slack, so the cable wasn’t yanked out of the PC. The outside of what appeared to be an old house was like a winter wonderland. He assumed it was late in the year, and snow was falling.
George then realized he had no controller to move forward. He reached for a motion to take his goggles off. They weren’t there. He squeezed his fingers near where it would be, and his finger and thumb were touching. He reached for the earbuds to yank them out. They weren’t there neither. George then made the final move that would be evidence he was now part of this world. He reached his foot forward and walked around the room. He was able to walk the entire length of the room without stopping at a bed or computer desk. George then felt cold, and that was the last straw.
“Is this a joke? Seriously? I go to play a virtual reality game and you instead just enter me into its world?” George said. He went to the window again and looked down to see a picture of him, and his sister in this world. For a moment, George considered her to be cute, then considered that she was his sister.
“What’s wrong, Jin?” someone said from the other side of the room. George turned around to see the same girl in the picture he was holding. George was not going to pretend being Jin, he was going to let her know the truth.
“I’m sorry, I have literally forgotten everything about you.” said George. The girl, somewhat shocked, put her hand to her mouth and walked closer.
The girl chuckled. “You’re Jin, my brother, aren’t you? Do you not remember your own sister Ginger today?” she said. George then remembered the name on the note. This was the town that was about to be attacked. George braced Ginger and spoke.
“Listen to me Ginger, my name is George. I was sent here to deliver a message that the town is being attacked tonight. Take your mom and dad and run.” said George.
“But, you look just like Jin. Where is my brother? What did you do to him?” Ginger spoke in an aggressive tone. George stood back and went on the defensive himself.
“I don’t know what happened to your brother, I honestly don’t know.” said George. “One minute I’m standing in a completely different room and now I’m here. Please believe me.”
Ginger looked into George’s eyes. “You still have my brother’s eyes. I guess I could give you the benefit of the doubt.” George, still confused as to what Ginger saw in him, wanted to get things clarified once and for all.
“Can you get me a mirror, Ginger? I just wanted to make sure of something.” George said. Ginger brought an old mirror from her parent’s room and George immediately saw a difference in his face. He had blue eyes, light brown hair, and was wearing a detective coat. “I know what the problem is now.”
George got out his cell phone, which Ginger was able to see, and scrolled through menu options and turned “holographic projection safe mode” off. George then looked back in the mirror to see his black hair and brown eyes.
“I see that this is your true form, and I can respect that. But my parents will never believe a stranger. I believe you now, but you’re going to have to come with me in Jin’s form to convince my parents.” Ginger said.
George got out the phone again and reverted the setting. “Where are they?” George said.
“They’re downstairs. They just got back from the market in town.” George took Ginger by the hand and walked down the stairs to the main part of the house.
“Mom, Dad. Jin and I have heard Gaius’ troops will attack tonight!” Ginger said to her parents.
“There is no time to delay, you must head off with Ginger to the nearest safe town and stay there!” George said.
“Gaius’ troops are coming? Well, we won’t want to give up the fight for the Moonbloods, now would we?” said Ginger’s mother.
“I think the time is right. Jin, together with you, us, and the rest of the village, we can fight off this attack!” said Ginger’s dad.
“No, please, I need you two to go. I can fend off the village for myself.” said George.
“But you’ll be killed! One person fighting General Gaius’ army isn’t going to be enough!” Ginger looked to George, shocked by the proposition.
George whispered in her ear. “I can’t be killed, Ginger. I’m immortal. I’ll meet you in the town you’re sending your parents to.”
Ginger paused briefly, then put her trust into George. “Aurora Village. That’s where we’re going.” Ginger whispered in George’s ear, noticeably calmer than a few seconds ago.
“George… I mean, Jin can fend the town for himself. We must go now, mom and dad.” Ginger said in a calm voice.
“Alright, if you trust Jin can do it, then we put our trust in you too, Jin.” Ginger’s mom said. “Stay safe here, Jin. This village’s fate is in your hands.”
Ginger then took her parents hand in hand and walked out the door. Ginger called for a horse wagon to carry her and her parents to Aurora Village and waved goodbye, with somber looks and hearts, not knowing of their fates or George’s or Jin’s fate.
It had been hours since Ginger and her parents left. George turned off his holographic projections again and sat cold on the porch of the house. The sun was setting. He knew the army was coming, but his invulnerability was going to prove to the army that he was stronger than the entire army combined. 
When darkness fell, a shadow was coming from the far reaches of the village. He could hear his footsteps. The first warrior from Gaius’ army was here.
George stepped in front of the house to see that shadowy figure, dawning a hat and sword, inching closer and closer. George was calm, unapologetic, and ready to face his opponent.
“Ah, so this is who the Moonbloods assigned to defend this town… a single, solitary person.” The figure spoke. “Your stance is no match for the greatest warrior of the army, Cassius.”
“Come over here and try to kill me. You’ll only get frustrated as a result.” said George.
“A man so confident in his skills he is willing to die by the blade? I commend your efforts to bluff your way into history…” said Cassius.
“No one has to die tonight, Cassius. I will honestly say I don’t know what has driven you into this war, but you can’t slaughter these people.” George said defiantly.
“It’s basic conquest. We just want to make sure we own as much land as possible, and you’re in my way.” Cassius spoke.
“Then I won’t let you have it. Go ahead, try to kill me.” George said.
Cassius ran towards George with his blade pointing right at George’s chest. The blade penetrated straight through and George didn’t flinch. No blood came out the other side of the blade. George wasn’t choking it out neither. Cassius removed the blade to find no blood as well.
The puncture closed itself up and Cassius was in dumbfounded shock over how George could have survived a straight sword to the heart.
“Well? Keep trying.” George said.
Cassius made a move for the neck only to have the blade bounce off by its strength. Same went for his forehead and he even tried to manually choke George only to expel the majority of his energy.
“I gotta hand it to the moonbloods, an invulnerable warrior was something I wasn’t expecting…” Cassius said, tired and rolling in the snow.
George went to get Cassius up onto his feet, but Cassius grabbed a pocket knife and grabbed onto George stabbed the back of his neck. George once again didn’t flinch, and proceeded to get him back on his feet.
“The element of surprise won’t even kill me, Cassius.” George grabbed the knife in the back of his neck and dropped it to the snow, once again with no signs of blood. He started to walk towards Cassius. “You’re going to have to accept the fact you have to surrender this village.”
“No! Stay back! You may be immortal, but I’m not! Please!” Cassius struggled, as his energy was completely depleted. George kept walking towards him, despite him tripping and falling onto the snow.
George put out his hand for Cassius to accept. Cassius, confused, took the chance to take his hand and George grabbed Cassius until they were face to face.
“Run.” George said.
In that instant, a beam of light soared down from the sky and both Cassius and George were blinded so that they weren’t able to see anything but white. George felt the coldness leaving, that he was being transported elsewhere, and then the white turned to pitch black.
George felt the weight of a blanket. He opened his eyes to see that he was back in Ginger’s house. Curious as to what happened, George could now only see pure white out the window, no sign of the snow or snow covered trees.
In the other bed, Cassius was sleeping, leaving his hat and clothes by his bedside, and snoring loudly. George knew he must have done it. He saved the village from the attack and frightened one army leader into giving up his thirst for war. Though, something still didn’t feel right for George.
George went downstairs. The main area had been replaced with a video wall with a black screen. Where the main door was supposed to be, there was only a solid wall. Something was definitely wrong at this point.
The video on the wall faded in, but it looked for a moment like eyelids opening. The sounds came though speakers hidden from sight, and George was unable to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from. The screen showed a vast forest, filled with flowers, deer, trees and vegetation. Then George saw a hand reaching for a blade, and this “person’s perspective in the screen” discovered a Nimbat.
“What am I watching?” George said. He got out his phone to find that its battery was dead. Impossible! There’s enough charge in that quantum battery to last an entire star’s life cycle.
Cassius came down the stairs without his hat to find George sitting by the video wall. Cassius was much calmer, more curious rather than vengeful. “Is the fight over?”
“Assuming by our sleep, I think its long over.” George said. George still looked puzzled at the Nimbat in the video wall. It then waved at them and said “Hi George and Cassius!”
George and Cassius were both stunned this measly Nimbat knew their names. Both ran up to the video wall and put their bodies and hands on the screen.
“Now, Dust isn’t fully aware of everything yet and is currently mute, but I can tell you both you’re in a spirit containment device, which should be a vision of Ginger’s house.” the Nimbat said.
George looked around, and he would agree that the depiction was rather accurate; minus the fact it had no doors for escape. Cassius ran around the house trying to find escape routes and gave up after 5 minutes.
“There is currently no way you two can escape until you two find and interpret your inner selves. I’d say this is kind of like a spiritual journey in a spiritual containment device!” The Nimbat laughed.
“Cut the crap! Just tell us how to get out of here!” Cassius yelled.
“I’m sorry, were you saying something? Unfortunately no one in the real world can hear people in a containment device, so I couldn’t hear what you just said.” The Nimbat said.
“Well this is just great.” George said. Cassius was about to punch the screen. “Sit down! You don’t want to pop a vein in here, or you’ll really be dead.”
George and Cassius sat next to each other, observing the screen as the Nimbat said one last thing directed at them.
“This really is the first time a Mithrarin has been made from living souls, so I hope you two will learn something from Dust’s adventures. Ooh, he’s coming to his senses! I have to return to my non 4th wall breaking state! Name’s Fidget, by the way.” Fidget said.
Cassius filled himself with rage. “I swear, if I ever see this Nimbat in person, I’m gonna…” Cassius was interrupted by George.
“Stop it. You may as well make the best of the situation. We already know there’s no escape, so it’s best we just follow the instructions Fidget just gave us and observe through the eyes of Dust.” George said.
Cassius backed down from his anger. “Fine, if a spiritual journey is what we have to endure, let us watch, shall we?” Cassius said sarcastically.
George and Cassius observed the screen, as the blade of Ahrah started talking.
TO BE CONTINUED
(WARNING: The next chapter is the synopsis of Dust: An Elysian Tail, told by the spirits trapped inside Dust. Half- MST3K, Half emotional struggles. If you have not played the game, huge spoilers are ahead, so don’t read the chapter.)