What happens in the Departed Realm, Stays in the Departed Realm

Empire of Games (Part 1)

"This is just great! We're stuck in an abandoned video game, and we hate each other! We will be dead just like those players who got cubed!" Harumi said after carefully observation of the very few gamers that actually got that far.
They knew the very basics at least now.
"Morro wouldn't want us to give up. You know that." Lloyd said
"There's got be another way right? Maybe if we go the same way we came we can go back!" Harumi said desperately
"I don't think it works like that." Lloyd responded coldly
Harumi looked annoyed at him.
"We'll find a way. Somehow. Just trust me." Lloyd said motivationally
Harumi sighed.
"If I trust you, you got to trust me." Harumi stated
"Excuse me?" Lloyd asked feeling offended
"I know we're not exactly friends, but we got to trust each other to get out of this." Harumi said
reluctantly
"Fine. But I don't want you having a knife against my throat!" Lloyd threatened
"And I don't want my energy drained out by you! Being with you is stressful already!" Harumi exclaimed
Both of them stood there silently.
"Okay, what's next?" Harumi said breaking the silence.
"I think we go that way." Lloyd pointed at the extremely complex level.
"It looks ...intense. You any good at parkour and dodging obstacles?" Harumi said competitively
"Bitch, I would I be called a ninja if I didn't?" Lloyd teased
"Haha. Whatever you say Greenie..."  Harumi said smirking and running towards the obstacle course.
"Oh you're on!" Lloyd said running to catch up.
"Too bad we don't have money to customize our avatars and upgrade our look..." Harumi sighed as she backflipped onto the next platform her small ponytails swishing as she did so while the hair that was still down flowed with ease.
Our main priority is to get back to the Departed Realm not to get designer clothes!" Lloyd exclaimed annoyed
"You haven't been dead as long as me. You wouldn't understand." Harumi said shaking her head in disappointment.
"Uh,Harumi, you do realize that things will only get a bit more complicated from here, right?" Lloyd said dodging a swinging hammer as he ran.
"Um, yeah! That's what a video game level does, stupid!" Harumi exclaimed angrily dodging a swing hammer ahead of him.
Lloyd grunted angrily and paced himself further speeding through the swinging spiked hammers.
When he finally caught up with Harumi, he noticed she stopped.
"Why did we—-" Lloyd started to asked
"Moving wall." Harumi said vaguely
"What?Moving wall?" Lloyd asked curiously
Lloyd analyzed the scene there was indeed a wall with a small platform. A very small platform.
"Not even my feet are that small." Harumi commented
Lloyd sighed he knew exactly what had to be done.
"How quickly can you hack into the game?" Lloyd suggested
Harumi raised an eyebrow.
"Go on Lloydie, darling~I'm listening." Harumi responded curiously
"Well, if we can hack into the game, we can use the power-ups for free and..." Lloyd started to say.
"And I get a new outfit!" Harumi said excitedly
"I was gonna say we can use the power ups and complete this level. But I supposed you can do that too." Lloyd sighed exasperated with Harumi's antics.
Lucky for him, Harumi's hand bag turned into her inventory and she miraculously had all the right technology she needed.
"It worked!" Lloyd said jumping in the air and fist pumping the air.
"Are you done?" Harumi sighed
Lloyd stopped smiling.
Harumi, this is one of those moments where you need to trust me? Ok? Whatever you do don't let go." Lloyd said seriously
"What do you mean?" Harumi asked as her own rival wrapped her arms around him like an awkward hug between a new celebrity couple on a New Departed Deadly news article.
"This is one of you stupid ideas that might actually work but I don't understand until you do it isn't it?" Harumi said annoyed
"Yep. Now hold tighter." Lloyd demanded
Harumi held on tight like he was a rung on the monkey bars.
"Tight enough for ya, Greenie?" Harumi asked
"Just peachy." Lloyd replied with a fake smile.
Lloyd took a deep breath.
"I hope I still remember how to do this." Lloyd muttered.
"What did you say?!"  Harumi screeched immediately wrapping her legs around his waist.
Lloyd launched them off of their previous platform and Airjitzu upwards.
Ok, so they were flying.  Would have been extremely nice, if Goldie could access his powers by himself so we could cheat code through it.
When Lloyd finally propelled them up to the top of the block he jumped on to it while still carrying Harumi.
"Can we like, not do that again?" Harumi requested
"I make no promises." Lloyd responded as the both stopped to catch their breath.
But it didn't last long because they heard the music you heard when you reach the next stage.
"Well, there goes our luck for a break." Harumi joked
"Be prepared for what's next. We don't know what will happen up there." Lloyd said darkly.
"What in the Cursed Realm is that?" Harumi exclaimed looking up at the wonky thing that resembled a maze.
"I honestly forgot the name of it. I was never a hardcore gamer. I was more of a comic book dude." Lloyd admitted
"We got to be careful on this one.It looks harder." Harumi pointed out. She could ask about the comic book thing later.
Lloyd and Harumi felt the platform rumbling beneath them. They start jump on two platforms and a trampoline, sending them to a higher platform.
Lloyd continued jumping until he noticed that he couldn't hear any footsteps behind him.
"Lloyd! Pieces of this structure are falling from the sky!" Harumi pointed out.
Harumi jumped forward avoiding some pieces from falling on her.
"And they are explosives too. Isn't that just wonderful?!" Lloyd exclaimed sarcastically
Harumi looked at Lloyd.
"Keep running you jerk!" Harumi screamed
Lloyd was about to climb onto the next platform but a few seconds later spikes shot out of the wall.
Lloyd fear being respawned and thought it was the end. Only to realize he never got hit.
"Huh?" Lloyd said confused
"I told you, you have to trust me too." Harumi scoffed
Lloyd blinked.
"Oh, uh... thanks." Lloyd muttered
Lloyd and Harumi jumped onto the next
platforms only to realize they were much different from the previous ones.
"Agh!" Harumi shouted
"Harumi what's the—" Lloyd asked
And then he saw it. Fire was burning her feet.

They jump onto a trampoline and begin to move faster all well avoiding the obstacles of the area. They start to slow down, growing tired. They stop in front of spikes coming from the next stage.
"Ugh. This is so tiring. It's endless!" Harumi said annoyed
"Agreed." Lloyd nodded
Harumi looked up scanning for anything the help them. She spotted a chest.
"Maybe that can help us!" Harumi pointed out.
Lloyd stared up at the spikes above them.
"Ok, I'll go get it." Lloyd said only to notice Harumi attempted to do it herself.
Lloyd panicked. If she screwed up, the would be sent back to the beginning. And they were almost at the end of this weird structure.
"Harumi look out!" Lloyd exclaimed jumping up without thinking and using his airjitzu to move them out of the way.
When they made it to the top. Harumi gasped.
"Why?" Harumi asked
"Because...you're important." Lloyd explained
Lloyd wouldn't  say it. He wouldn't admit it. She is not a friend.
"So stage three, huh?" Harumi asked breaking the silence.
"This must be the final boss battle. You know end of the level." Lloyd explained.
"I know this, stupid." Harumi scoffed
"Generating opponent." a voice said
"I feel like this will be an extremely emotional fight." Harumi responded
Only for a clone of her past self to walk up to them.
"Shit! Evil clones again?!" Lloyd exclaimed
They all just stood there glaring at each other prepared to fight.

A/N: Avatar Harumi has made her entrance. This will be an interesting confrontation don't you think?