July 1

The town of Grounder

Shade Tower, Med Bay

"What's wrong with her," Masa said, pacing in the hall outside of Taro's private room in Shade Tower's medical bay. Soren sat in a chair on the opposite side of the hall. He didn't say a word. "Soren! My sister has been comatosed for almost two days and it was you who she called before she became that way! Her avatar started to disappear!"

"I can't tell you that. She didn't want me to tell you before, and she hasn't given me permission to now." Soren seemed calm, but the constant tapping of her foot said otherwise. Masa growled under his breath.

"So you do know something! And you contacted someone after she passed out! You not only knew about this, but you knew who and how to contact someone! Why did she choose you? Why did-" Masa let out a shuddering breath, "Why did she choose you over me? Why?" He slid down the wall next to Soren. "Why?"

"She didn't want to hurt you, but she needed someone who would be able to do something if anything happened." It was silent for a moment and Soren sighed. "She's not doing good, Masa, but she's good enough to survive in this world. Honestly, this game is saving her. If she was in the real world right now, she'd be going insane. She just wanted to be normal for a little while longer."

"Is she dying, Soren," Masa asked. Soren was silent. "Oh god, my sister is dying."

"It's okay. Taro is too good to die," Soren said. "She's got everyone here and at home to look out for. I think she'd be pissed if she heard this conversation... almost as pissed as Benji when we told him he couldn't enter the med bay."

"Taro is dying and I didn't know. I'm a horrible younger brother."

"Shut up, Masa. She's a fighter. She's not dying anytime soon."

"Hey Soren?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you won't tell me what, but for how long?"

"Unofficially, two and a half years. She was diagnosed by a medical doctor in the real world about a year and a half ago. She found out on her first call to Coraline about six months ago. The docs think it had been going on for a bit before that." Masa nodded, dropping his head into his arms.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

-..-..-

"She's awake." The druid nurse broke the silence in the med bay halls. Masa popped up from his spot on the floor, rubbing sleep from his eyes. It took him a moment to recognise the fact that Soren was no longer in the chair and that the soft rumble of Soren's voice in the room across from him. The door was open and he could see his sister's grim face as she spoke to Soren.

"Taro!" The conversation stopped as Masa ran into the room. Taro smiled at him, but when she saw the tears in her brother's eyes, the smile dropped like a lead weight. "Taro, you idiot!"

"You told him," she asked angrily.

"No, only that you're sick. It was kind of unavoidable."

"Taro!" Masa fell to his knees as he began to sob. "You- you big idiot! You better tell me what's really going on right now or... or I'll... I'll never forgive you."

"Quiet down Masa, you'll wake the neighbors. This is technically a hospital."

"Don't joke with me Taro! Tell me now!" Taro listened to her brother's sobs for a few moments, breathing steadily even though the pain in her chest was nearly unbearable. "Taro, please!"

Taro saw no way out of telling him, and she didn't want to sugar coat it and make it worse for him. She took a deep breath.

"I'm in heart failure, Masa." Masa's sobs stopped suddenly before they started anew. "I had a heart attack in the real world about two and half years ago and the damage was really bad. They put me on the transplant list. It's terminal unless I get a heart soon, but I'm strong. I'll get through it. The doctor says that it could be five years before it goes south."

"Taro, you're dying!"

"That may be true, but you've known me for how long? You think I'll keel over without a fight. Don't you worry, Masa. I made a promise to you and to Makoto when mom and dad died. I'll never leave you, you're stuck with me," Taro said softly, reaching to brush away some of her brother's tears. "Stop sobbing you overgrown baby!"

"Taro," Soren called, a look of question on his face.

"Go give the news. There's nothing to hide anymore," Taro whispered.

-..-..-

Benji stood with his eyes wide at the front of the crowd. The news was still ringing in his ears and the rest of the room seemed to have disappeared. He could vaguely hear the shouts of other guild masters and the members of the Shade Guild as they voiced their opinions on the situation. Soren stood on the public stage with a stern expression, not that it ever changed.

"What," Benji asked loudly and the entire courtyard went dead silent. "This is some kind of sick joke right? It has to be."

"Heart failure? Is that even possible?"

"Yeah, and she was such a good player too, one of the best."

"You think she'll keep playing like this?"

"Probably not. She's probably all talk about not fearing death. She's probably too scared to risk it."

"Yeah, all the raiding and hunting and guarding is not good for the heart. Plus, all that traveling she does between servers probably isn't good for her. I bet Guildmaster Masa won't let her out of med bay ever again."

"What're we gonna do? She's our Ace!"

"What about that news about her being the update designer? They've been saving lives. If she dies, what'll happen?"

"Stop it."

"Yeah, we're all royally screwed if she's put out of commission by this."

"Stop it."

"I wish that she wasn't our Ace. It would be easier if she was just some player, but of course she isn't. I wonder if she was really just a weakling playing hero."

"Stop it!" The courtyard went silent again as Benji shouted over the whispers. Soren stood on the stage, his expression never changing, and that really bothered Benji. He clenched his fists. "She is our Ace! The strongest player in the game and here we are, wishing it was someone else! How could you all say such things? You are the only thing that she protects! She doesn't even care about her own life because she's too busy trying too busy worrying about us! Why do you think this might've happened? She had a damn heart attack! That doesn't happen to healthy, low-stress twenty-one year olds! She probably stressed over us so much she had a damn heart attack! This isn't just a game anymore! It isn't and here we are talking about her as if she were some A.I.! As if she were just dust..."

"Guildmaster Benjamin-"

"As if she were nothing! It's our fault!"

"Benji!" Benji stopped his shouting as someone grabbed him by the shoulders. He knew who it was. Masa dragged him away and Benji could tell Soren wasn't far behind. The noise of the crowd picked up again as the party escaped into the corridor marked 'MEDICAL BAY ENTRANCE' and continued on. "I have to say you're an idiot, but Taro saw something good in you and it's undeniable."

"Where are we going?"

"Taro wants to see you. You're lucky. She's the first one she asked for."