Notice: You guys can review now! ^^ C'mon!
A/N: AAAAAAAAAAGGHH!!!! I know this is SO. DAMN. LATE, AGAIN, but I'll tell you right now, this was HELL to write. Eep. I screwed up again. More on that in the ending AN's. This chapter took forever, I know. And I feel remarkably like a brain-dead snail right now from writing it. -_-
This chapter is dedicated to - Gray (See below ^^), Celes (Thanks, I'm glad you like it!), Kaya Kydra (Ending confusing? I thought that was fairly lucid. *scratches head* You'll be learning more about the Grim Reaper. . . Woops, better not give away too much. ^_~ Thanks, it was pretty freaky, wasn't it?), Kaylana (Why is everyone so confused about the end of last chapter?! *shrug* You DO know who the wind-voice is, right? Thanks for reviewing and keep writing! ^-^), Tsukasa magic (Wow, thanks! =D I'm glad you like the descriptions, 'cuz there's TONS more this chappie!!!), Lady Subaru (Whoot, thanks so much. *feels all warm inside* Fake Wings is one of my favorite songs too. It's so pretty! ^-~v), Ramenth (Um. . . Wow, thanks for the great compliments. *blushes* Though I doubt this could compare to novel quality, but hey, so many people actually like the descriptions!!! ^^ Yay!), Silent Echo (O_O It was THAT sad? Wasn't my intention, but hey, cool. And yes, the little girl IS Aura. I've seen the opening theme and she looks like a pretty little kid to me. Balmung. . . I'll see about that! He will definitely be in this, just as soon as I manage to actually get past this idea arc rolling around in my head right now. . . ^^ Thanks!), Rabid Pink Bunny (Hee! Thanks for complimenting my imagination. I've always wondered whether I had enough. ^-^ I'm glad you like it! Here's the next chappie!), quitelacking (Whoot! Bunnies! *cuddles bunny* I like flying too! *looks up from conversing with bunny* I'm glad you like the descriptions! ^_^ Thankee, and for the info 'bout Albireo, too!), Munebabie (Thanks, I'll try my best! Here's more!), wolfy (Yeah, there ARE so few aren't there? And most of them contain spoilers so I'm afraid to read 'em. -_- Get writing, peoplez!!! 'Kay, here's more just for you! ^^), thank you all so much for your reviews, they're a BIG part of what made me finally get off my lazy arse and actually finish this crazy chapter.
To Gray:
* sweatdrops * Just can't argue with a seasoned critic like you seem to be. . . ^^ I needed all that info, though, I s'pose. What exactly do you mean by the "pain of an AU fic"? * tiptoes away * I have this weird sense of foreboding. . . ^_~ Nah. Hmmm, I'd already stumbled upon the fact that Balmung and Orca killed that Legendary Dragon thing in some fanfic or other but with fanfics you just can't be sure what's fact and what's not when you're as green a .hack//SIGN fan as me. I have seen multiple pics of Balmung but not Orca so it's good to have a description of him. I don't consider anything you said a spoiler, btw, and I'll be getting the .hack games sometime anyway (soon's I finish watching .hack//SIGN that is. . . -_- Yay for 12:00 AM restarts. . .). Okay, let me define my notion of a "spoiler". As far as I'm concerned, info about a character that is important to the storyline in some way or that might come as a big surprise is a spoiler (for example: Sora is a. . . Don't make me say it. You know what I'm talking about. 'Twould explain his, er, attitude, too, kinda O_O Attractive ladies? Whooee). Same goes for info on the player of that character (You know what I mean. Tsukasa is actually a. . . Meep. * zips mouth shut * O_O That was an odd thing to learn. To quote Mimiru: "Edited characters don't mean much after all." Not entirely accurate in this case but then again what is? * shrug *). Info about key storyline elements is a spoiler as well (i.e. Key of the Twilight, the meaning of Aura's existence). As I've said before, I did NOT consider that info about the .hack game a spoiler. I've been sniffing around the edges of this supposedly HUGE mystery about Maha that jumps out of the shadows somewhere in the .hack games. THAT is a spoiler. Info about places is not considered spoiler material unless it's important to the storyline in some way. All of the above mentioned stuff goes for all the elements of the .hack series. .hack//AI BUSTER (info about Albireo, however. . .), SIGN, games, OVA, manga, DUSK. Did I make myself clear? I hope so. ^^ So you're free to comment s'long as you don't reveal anything really major or something. Places (I KNOW about the utter deviation from the series of those but info + criticism is welcome) and OOCness, etc. etc. Go ahead and pound me with constructive criticism, long's it's constructive, 'kay? ^^ Great! Thanks for the nice, long, informative review! * runs off to check out the Dot Hackers site *
P.S. Thanks for clearing up Sora's name. . . It's just so confusing!!!
All righty, then! With no further ado, KB, R, E, & R!!!
Punctuation Notes:
'something' - Italics for emphasis
=========== - Scene Change
########### - Flashback
II\\//\\//\\//\\//II
.hack//DISTORTION_
-- Confrontations --
___________
There was a mixture of groans and fists thrust into the air in triumph among the crowd milling about the large pool table, their clothing as multicolored as a group of Gypsies and armor and weapons clanking on all sides. The groans predominated. Apparently quite a bit of money had been riding on this last game, and the majority of the players trudged from the table with considerably lighter pockets.
"I can't believe he won!"
"I still say it was a fluke - no upstart could flatten the champ like that!"
The favorite, a fairly young fellow with bright yellow hair slicked back from his face in an ankle-length ponytail and wearing only a pair of chain- ridden black leather pants, raised and waggled both eyebrows, laughing good- naturedly, and offered his hand to the one who'd dethroned him.
"Hey, man, you rock at this. You sure this is your first time?"
The other remained silent. This individual of relatively average height was thoroughly enshrouded in a dark cloak that swirled to the ground. A hood hid his face completely and the only thing that could be seen was the long dark, unmarked stick that emerged from his robes and rose above his head. The cloak itself was a mystery to the eye; it seemed to catch the air as its numerous folds lifted with the breeze from the ever-swinging tavern door, appearing to float on nothing for a moment before the strange material settled languorously back into place like a feather wafting to the ground. There was something odd in the way the cloak moved, as something seen through the ever-shifting glassy curtain of a waterfall. In the uncertain light of the stained yellow lamp that hung precariously from the ceiling by a ragged rope, the sheen of the dark color itself seemed to take on a strange new quality, countless hues shifting smoothly like the feathers of a raven's coat.
BT stared fixedly at the cloaked figure. Something tugged at her memory, something pushed away into a dark place from which there could be no return. She thought. That cloak. . .
###########
Two little children laughed, giggling delightedly as they tossed a small round ball back and forth.
A flash and a rumble of thunder. Rain poured in the streets, running along the edge of the sidewalk and vanishing with a gurgling splash between the bars to the sewage. Tires screeched to a halt, throwing up a curtain of muddy water. A man took the smaller child's hand and pulled the little one away, the child looking back to the one standing on the sidewalk while being ushered into a car. The door slammed, a firm, final sound. The car vanished around the curb in a puff of exhaust.
The lone child on the sidewalk stood looking silently after it. The ball dropped to the ground and rolled away.
###########
BT caught herself staring at the one in the cloak and quickly averted her eyes with an impatient sound, blonde forelocks swaying over her cheeks and turquoise pendants flittering at her ears as she jerked her head away. Both Bear and Sora were looking at her, but she never noticed.
===========
His body ached, ached through and through with a fierce sharp deep-rooted pain that wouldn't go away. It was like an itch, horribly irritating, but this was an itch he couldn't scratch.
Indigo eyes opened slowly, blinking at the tumble of soft silver that caressed his cheek. Then the same hateful sensation started behind his eyelids, without the pain, but still just as unbearable. The dark eyes fluttered shut once more, a bright drop of moisture squeezed out beneath the long dark lashes. Lips parted slightly in a soft grunt as he tried to shift his position and failed; it was as if the ever-present ache was dulling his body to everything else, including his commands. Eventually, however, the eyelids tired of the needless strain and the whorl-lit orbs were discovered once more. He stared down at the smooth, featureless surface for a moment. It was utterly flat and colorless, only slightly blue- tinged by the faded light of the long pale staff laid out next to him.
His staff. . .
Suddenly his arm shot out and as his fingers closed about the smooth, familiar handle, easily finding every hidden nook and cranny, a sense of relief dove deep inside him, so profound he barely heard the gasp of surprise above him. The dark eyes widened briefly before the slim eyebrows dipped rapidly downwards, the mouth thinning.
Reflexively he tightened his hold on the staff and jerked himself upright with his other hand, bringing the large, curving jeweled end upwards and back to jam it into the unseen person.
"YOW!!!" There was a muffled thump a few feet away. He looked up and started, violet eyes widening as far as they would go. Cast in a pale soft glow by the dim fire, Mimiru glowered at him from where she'd landed on her rump, legs akimbo. One hand clutched her slender chin while the other was resting on the hilt of her sword. "What was that for?!"
He opened his mouth, and her brows drew down sharply, lips pulling back ever so slightly to discover the tip of a gleaming incisor. He just looked at her and for a single moment it was as though time had frozen. Neither moved an inch, nor did anything else around them in the sightless emptiness.
And suddenly his lip trembled, and she drew back, making a face, a confused and startled sound slipping from her lips. But then she saw the way his mouth was tugging upward at the corners. He chuckled, trying to stifle it by pressing his lips tight but not quite succeeding. She only gaped at him, and then he laughed harder, bent over his staff with his entire body shaking with repressed mirth.
". . . It's not that funny."
The dam broke loose. The silver-haired Wave Master threw his head back and laughter burst from his throat in rough spurts, as though he were out of practice doing it. She had never seen him laugh before. A smile of her own came to her lips despite her annoyed frown and the lingering throb in her chin, where she could already feel a substantial amount of swelling. And then she was laughing, too, clear and exuberant, falling on her back and jerking up and down with her hands clamped over her midriff.
===========
After a moment the yellow-haired young man's smile grew uncertain and he slowly retracted his hand. When the other made no move, the youth shrugged and turned, walking away with his friends who immediately swept him into the tide of their chatter. They vanished, melting into the by now fairly rowdy crowd.
The cloaked stranger gazed after them a moment, then turned to the table in the corner.
"Well, now." His voice contained a trace of dark amusement.
The sounds and colors of the tavern had faded around her. She was staring, wide-eyed, at 'him'. Her breath came in ragged gasps. It couldn't be. It just could not be. But the voice. . . it hadn't changed. She wasn't surprised. It had only been a few months. But it was much longer than that.
"Ah, yes." Sora's voice, full of repressed laughter, pierced her dazed disbelief. "I believe you two have met before?" He giggled gleefully, slitted ruby eyes pinning her in place. She gave him a baleful glare, then looked away, refusing to be drawn into his little game of cat-and-mouse again. Yet still her eyes were drawn back to the now-silent figure on the other side of the pool table. "Yes indeed. Another one I picked up on my wanderings. Well, well, why don't you come over and introduce yourself?"
Bear watched the scene unfold in silence, his eyebrows lowered.
A new game had been started at the pool table, and the attention of the remaining players had shifted from the cloaked stranger, who came now around the table with slow, deliberate strides, still revealing nothing but the long pole of which the end never emerged. Stopping before the dumbstruck blonde sorceress, halfway in the shadows beyond the lamplight, he looked up and gave a very mischievous grin, his cowl slipping back ever so slightly.
"Y-'you'. . ." All words left her as she stared down into luminous deep blue eyes, bluer than the cloudless sky or the deepest sea, jeweled orbs glowing with an inner flame as fierce and bright with life as it had ever been, all the more startlingly vivid in the darkly tanned face. Several locks of hair slipped from their dark confinement as well, liquid fire swirling with deep orange and bolts of gold, tipped like red-hot foxtails.
"G'evenin', Beet." He smirked and shifted, and one thin long-fingered hand appeared from the folds of the cloak, gripping the dark shaft that he held before him like a shield. The blue eyes never left hers.
Nearby, Sora was practically bursting with mirth, both hands clamped over his mouth and sniggering quietly. Bear caught himself and managed to remain impassive. Still, the sharp perse eyes narrowed.
"What can this mean?" the warrior mused softly to himself.
Long seconds passed as the sorceress and the cloaked boy stared at each other. She saw genuine happiness in his eyes but also a glint of wariness; his manner appeared open but she knew he was on his guard, and she felt a surge of irrational anger. BT suddenly noticed the gleaming fangs peeking from the smiling lips, which only added to her irritation. Her lips thinned.
He cocked his head, rolling his eyes. "All right, 'now' what?"
"Jaarin, you little fool!" she hissed, her rage sheathing the leafy depths of her eyes in ice. "You 'know' you're not supposed to be here! You can't be seen!"
The boy smirked defiantly and threw back his cowl. A mess of bangs tumbled down into his face, a spiked crest sprang into the air. A silky mane of flame cascaded about his shoulders, vivid color dulled only slightly by the flickering shadows, and forelocks swept down to his collarbones and then veered sharply upwards like a pair of tusks. The firelight caught his cheeks and the scarlet symbol hooking the dark skin flared in full prominence, dripping twin ruby-rhombus drops to stipple the jawbone. BT drew in a sharp breath as the tips of his ears showed their points through the fine strands.
"Jaarin!"
"Who's gonna stop me?"
He laughed at her hiss of rage and suddenly swept his arm upwards, righting the staff with a lazy flick of his fingers. A flash of silver steel was all they saw before the cloak descended on the upper end with a ruffle of air, gently settling its folds about the slender bar that was a suddenly lot longer than it had appeared to be.
"Don't!" Her voice was a whisper, almost a plea. Her hand gripped the sorcerer's staff and brought it forward and down like the horns of a charging bull. He looked slightly startled when confronted with the menacing blue-violet pincers, but then he threw back his head and laughed again.
"Are you 'really' gonna use that on me?" He looked back down and grinned at the tightening of her face. "You know you can't, Beet. So don't even bother." She hesitated, then the end of the staff dropped with a thud to the wooden slats of the floor.
Still chuckling, he swung himself with fluid grace onto the pole, balancing his lithe body precariously against the thin rod that somehow stayed upright, tilting alarmingly to a side, bare shapely feet easily gripping the slim support. He wore only a sleeveless brown leather jerkin partly open over his bare chest, a thick black studded belt hugging the slender waist. The ample ends of the garment flared down over his knees, swirling in the wind of his movements. Forest green slacks swept his long legs almost down to his ankles; the hems were torn. A gossamer scarf wound about his neck, creamy white. If one looked hard enough one could just make out faint traces, suggestions of lines, a motif like the barest beginnings of a sketcher's work that lined the trailing loose ends of the pale material.
The wispy ends of the scarf seemed to float on the air for a moment before falling delicately to his shoulder. In the same instant, one hand darted to his chest and with nimble fingers collected something there and clutched it, hiding it from sight.
BT gritted her teeth in frustration. Her voice was quiet but just barely steady, deadly with suppressed ire. "Why is it you never listen to a word I say?"
He let his head fall back and the blue orbs twinkled as he smiled. " 'Cuz I know you too well, that's why."
Impatiently pushing the blonde forelocks from her eyes with more force than necessary, she turned her anger and her staff then on Sora. "And you! You should know better. You know the danger as well as any of us. The Crimson Knights are everywhere!" Sharp metal clanged dully on wood, bright tip burying itself in splinters. Plain white cloth fluttered from the force of the slam.
The green-haired man slouched and gave her a bored look, but his blades had slid out, deadly edges gleaming. "Awww, don't be such a party-pooper, 'Beet'!" he whined, as she turned that color. He straightened then and winked cheekily. "After all, what's life without a little risk?"
She had opened her mouth to reply when Bear decided to intervene. "No sense in beating a dead horse. Leave it be." His serious gaze held hers and she knew he meant business.
"Fine."
Sora crossed his arms and pouted. "Well, this is no fun." His olive-skinned face suddenly brightened and one hand flapped energetically.
"Ciao-ao!" he sang, and then in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.
BT growled. "Hn. Why am I not surprised?"
Bear merely sighed, leaning back in his seat, relaxing now.
"Hello?" Jaarin ventured, trying to worm his way back into the conversation, "Don't I even get a 'hello', Beetsie?"
The blonde sorceress sighed and looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, one hand relegating her staff to the seat she'd vacated moments before.
===========
"It's so dark." Mimiru rolled her eyes. It was always dark, save for the fire of his magic.
For a time he just sat there contemplating the ground, and she watched him. He showed no signs of moving anytime soon.
"Mm'hm'!" She nodded decisively to herself.
Sitting up and shooting to her feet all in one moment, the brown-haired girl then proceeded to lurch backward with much clanking of armor and cursing, but managed to keep both her pride and her tailbone intact. She marched over to the motionless boy with calm, nose-in-the-air dignity, drawing her sword from its sheath.
"Ahem!" The broad metal tip clanged to the ground inches from his knees, accompanied by the appropriate cacophony of jabbering notes raining from the darkness beyond. He gave a startled gasp and fell back onto his elbows. He didn't let go of his staff.
A pair of emerald eyes glittered dangerously as they alighted on his, with a smirk to match. Then it was all replaced with the irritated scowl he had come to know so well, as she leaned forward with her elbow on the jewel- topped hilt, her chin resting gingerly in her long-fingered hand. "Well? Are we gonna get going or not?"
The boy smirked back as he regained himself, sitting back up.
"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you needed rest?"
"Well I 'did'." She tossed her head, sending stray brown locks flying. "Do you have 'any' idea how long I had to wait for you to wake up?" she went on in a querulous tone.
Wide dark eyes stared up at her uncomprehendingly as he cocked his head. His cloth cap slipped sideways, the green jewels flashing. She snorted contemptuously and turned her back on him, crossing her arms.
"Thanks." His voice was soft but just a trifle unsteady. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't turn around.
"Hmph." She walked a few steps forward and paused, arms still crossed, tapping a black boot, waiting. The echoing notes started again, then faded away.
A long moment of silence passed, but she heard no more from him. "Tsukasa?" No reply.
Clear emerald eyes widened ever so slightly. She whirled round, sweeping the large blade from where she'd been cradling it to her chest. The keen edge bit deep into her thumb but she didn't care.
He was there. Still sitting. The indigo eyes looked off into the surrounding darkness, the pale face blank. One hand clutched his staff to his chest like a precious thing. The other rubbed absently at a slim hip. He seemed totally at a loss. When she turned, he didn't even glance in her direction.
One brown hand balled into a fist at her side. "Now' what?" Her tone was clipped, her eyes narrowed and hard; she teetered, bending forward like a bull about to charge.
He jolted at the words that seemed to burst with startling clarity in the perpetual silence, and she smiled slightly. She opened her mouth, taking a deep and rather loud breath.
His dark eyes found hers and the sharp words died on her lips. Tears glistened on his cheeks; the swirling deep orbs trembled in bright moisture, something dark danced there, and the deepness of the desolation that lay bare in those eyes seemed to seep somewhere inside her.
"Mimiru. . ." A mere whisper, the voice breaking so it was difficult to make out the words, but she heard them as clearly as her own moments before. The indigo-blue eyes bored into hers and yet he wasn't looking at her. "Please. . . 'please' don't leave me alone here. . ."
She opened her mouth but the words lodged in her throat, and she paused, faltering.
===========
It was a tableau. All the pretense had died.
Green eyes closed momentarily, long lashes brushing high cheekbones before lifting. Scarlet lips tightened and relaxed, letting a sigh escape, then tightened again before parting to speak.
"How? 'How' did you return, and in this form?" Incredulous, hushed. "The access restrictions. . ."
The blue eyes darkened and he gave her a look of contempt. "Don't think I've forgotten." She flinched slightly and he smirked, then the smile faded and his face was somber again. "Did you 'really' think I'd let that stop me? Besides, I never really left."
"What do you mean?" The tone low, the green orbs intent. Unconsciously she leaned forward, sharp-nailed fingers curling into loose fists.
He looked faintly amused.
"I mean what I mean. This is 'my' World now."
Silence fell as two pairs of eyes fixed on the fire-haired youth. He merely looked puzzled. "What?"
Bear sighed and buried both hands in his hair. "No. This just isn't possible." He looked up at BT and saw his emotions mirrored in her eyes. "Things are moving so fast, so out of control. No one can foresee where all this may lead. But something tells me we had better find out."
There was silence again, then Jaarin cocked his head and broke it. "Does he 'always' talk like that?"
BT had to smile. "Most of the time." She grew serious again. She'd been a fool, blinded by this unexpected twist. There was so much that should be known, told, recovered. . . Too much time had been lost already. She glared down at the floor for a moment, then looked up quickly, opening her mouth.
"The real question isn't how," Bear said slowly, almost to himself. Then he raised his head and the sharp dark eyes found warm blue ones, and he snatched the words right from the tip of her tongue. "It's. . . 'why'?"
The sudden change was almost frightening. The dark young face hardened, jawbones stood out almost white as the boy bared his startlingly acerated fangs in a snarl. Both adults drew back in surprise. Blue became glinting black as unruly tufts of flame shadowed the narrowed eyes. The hand at his throat tightened its fist till the knuckles threw out their red-rimmed bone against the flesh. He tensed, muscles rippling in the lean body. A wild thing leashed, a panther crouched to spring.
" 'That'. . . is none of your business." They were frozen beneath his morbid gaze.
Then he threw back his head and laughed again, a wild rough cackle.
===========
"What's wrong?" Her gentle tone surprised even herself. She was beside him on hands and knees, sheathing her sword, emerald eyes gazing up to him earnestly. "Tsukasa, tell me what's wrong." Her hand rested on his robes. The blue fire shimmering about his staff played over both of them, the pale shifting light transforming them both into a pair of water sprites. The boomerangs on his cheeks were all but invisible, and her crescent gold markings had blended with the light, fading into the background of wavering color.
The shadows lifted from the violet eyes then and he blinked. Confusion covered his face. "I. . ." His eyes suddenly seemed to slide into focus on her and he made a startled noise. A faint blush spread over the white cheeks. "N-Nothing. Nothing at all." The silver-haired boy shook his head at her skew-browed perplexity. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Mimiru had barely opened her mouth to reply when he suddenly put his hand over hers, his eyes falling to rest on her thumb. Blood had pearled and spread over the brown cloth of his robe in a small dark patch. "You're hurt. Is it. . ." He looked up sorrowfully. "Is it because of me?"
She turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes. "Not. .. . not really. . ."
"I see." An uncertain pause. She heard the faint rustle of cloth as he glanced down at her hand, then back up again. "Do you feel it?"
"W-wha-?"
"The pain."
She gasped softly, green eyes widening, then winced as she felt him prod it. The wound throbbed, pulsing deep rolling pain along the cut. The wetness of the blood cooled on her skin. Turning back, Mimiru gazed in wonder at the drop of red tipping her finger.
"But. . . it's. . ."
His eyebrows shot up and his mouth quirked into a smile. "Impossible?"
"Well, yeah, that too, but. . ." There was incredulous laughter in her voice. She was dithering, her eyes darting every which way as though in search of escape. "But. . . if. . . I mean. . . we're. . ." Now she was babbling, biting on something more between every word. The violet eyes calmly searched out her own and stared until she fell silent and looked down. He watched her with a hint of a smile.
"It's no use trying to deny it, you know." His face had relaxed back into its usual downcast expression and now he lifted a slender eyebrow.
She bristled. One hand found the pommeled hilt of her blade. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her flat voice was low and hard, a stubborn set to her jaw. She raised her eyes in a dangerous look at him from beneath her bangs.
"Hm." He seemed cocky, almost amused, tilting his head back to regard her from above. "Never mind, then."
"But. . . my finger."
"It'll heal." She felt the warmth of his hand leave hers and looked down again. Her hand tingled. The bleeding had stopped.
He used his staff to pull himself to his feet, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, and stood looking down at her with a smile that gave nothing. "C'mon. We're wasting time."
Turning away, he started off into the darkness without looking back, the end of his staff clicking in tandem with the ringing notes that returned immediately, almost comfortingly.
"Augh!" She glared after him indignantly, then straightened and had to scramble not to be left behind in the darkness, muttering, "You ungrateful little. . ." He stopped, and she did so too after a moment, uncertainly. The dark eyes met hers over the beige shoulder of his robes, and a tiny smile played on his lips. He chortled softly. Mimiru continued to scowl, and only after the young Wave Master had turned away again did she allow her expression to soften.
". . . you ungrateful little friend. . ." she finished in a murmur, rolling her eyes and folding her arms behind her head.
===========
The countless windows of the double-skyscraper building reflected the carpet of twinkling stars in the velvety dark sky, melting into one with the night. Somewhere in the quiet city of the real world, a bell tolled twelve.
A loud scraping of chairs echoed in the circular room. The moon shone ghostly bright through the windows that formed a ring running all the way around the smooth seamless wall. It was dark in the depths of the vast spaces, though, dark except for the cold bright light of the computer monitors and panels set in metal stands all about, thrumming softly to themselves, and the strange reflected dead-glow of the massive wall-size screens that loomed above the windows to be lost in the shadows to the ceiling. Shadowed forms slid into the seats about the long table, hands folded, briefcases thudding on the hard material of the smooth surface, paper rustling like the wings of so many birds. The light from the monitors reflected off glasses and watch faces, glinted off more than a few pieces of jewelry. But the one thing that occupied every place, mirroring every shimmer and flicker that passed, was the vidhelms.
Silence fell as all settled. The table could have accommodated countless more, yet all were clustered at one end.
The last figure lowered himself into the cushioned seat at the head of the table, propping his chin on steepled fingers. All eyes were on him, waiting, watching his every move. A flaming shooting star streaked the sky, unnoticed.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began softly, then suddenly the formal tone was gone, and his voice shook, "We've lost two more."
A fleeting murmur raced through the listeners, a note of shock in every whisper.
"How?" She leaned forward, tucking her long hair behind one ear. "How could this have happened?" A deep breath and a look around, receiving nods from every quarter. She turned back to him. "All right." Her voice was a sob. "All right, who is it? Who is it this time?"
"Bierrda." A weary sigh as the speaker buried his head in his hands. "Bierrda and Eldeen."
"No!" She fell back in her chair. Cries of horror filled the room.
"Impossible! How could they have known?"
"Bierrda was always careless, but this. . ."
"They were our only operatives there, and now another important location has just slipped through our fingers. . . Curse those rogues. . . They'll pay."
"Silence!" The command resonated strongly throughout the room. The voices that had fused like leaks in a kettle hushed immediately. "We have yet to root them out, and it will not be easy no matter what is done. They are much too clever, and they've hidden themselves with a skill surpassing that of normal hackers. We will have to deal with this with maximum care. They are dangerous, they have proven that." Quietly, almost to himself. "Though what they could possibly want, no one knows. They are doing something, and yet we could not detect any abnormalities at all. . . Most peculiar."
"Sir?" A timid, young voice piped up tremulously.
"What is it, my friend?" He smiled slightly and leaned back, quietly receptive.
"Is this. . . could it possibly have come to. . ." The speaker obviously had much more than a simple speech problem; the voice shook so hard it was exceedingly difficult to decipher the words, but no one interrupted.
"Could this be. . . 'The Situation'?" It was spoken so softly it was barely audible, but it shattered the calm of the room like a hammer striking glass. Murmurs of surprise rippled through the audience and the person shrank back and down in his seat.
There was a long silence as all eyes came to rest once more on the one at the head of the table. He seemed to have fallen deep into thought, somewhere else, and sat still as a statue. Finally he stirred and seemed to come to life again.
He spoke to his hands. "I'm afraid. . . Antesun raises a valid point." This time, the shock was so complete no one made a sound. "But I do not believe. . . Not yet, at least. However, we have been complacent for too long. We must proceed as though The Situation were at hand. For all we know, it may soon very well be. Perhaps even a matter of weeks. . ." The silence endured, soared into ringing tension. "The backup has been cunningly absconded with and hidden away. . ." Ruefully. "I have a feeling. . . The World has much more to it than we have thought to look for. It may be that it has grown out of our hands."
Someone spoke up scornfully. "And into whose hands?"
"That I do not know," he replied patiently, "But I f- I 'suspect'- that. . ." He trailed off. "But no matter. It is past the time to begin our preparations. We may have waited too long already." He looked up at all of them then, and the seriousness of his gaze froze them in their places even in the near-complete darkness. "Sandu." The person started at the abrupt call.
"Yes, sir?"
"Gather your team and do what you can to find the backup copy. Look where you can think of, and where you can't." He smiled mysteriously. "Come to me if you find anything. Anything at all."
"Very-very well, sir," the shorter man replied, puzzled. He stood, glasses flashing in the vague dimness, and a couple of others stood with him, gathering up their vidhelms. They made their way to the computers and a rising whine in the subdued hum signaled the beginning of their long and difficult task.
"Viola."
"Sir."
"Continue looking for the hackers. Use the message boards. Send out a personal notice to all the players through the computer mainframe to look for any suspicious activity of any shape or form. Inform me of any further developments. Check the hospital records, though I doubt anything will show up. They are far too sharp for that."
"Yes, sir."
He turned to the one behind him.
"Muster the Crimson Knights. And," a wry smile hovered at his lips, "try not to play around too much, all right? Recent events have not been kind to them, even as... . . Yes, it was most unfortunate. But the show must go on." A nod. A good man. He understood. He always did. "Tell them only what they need to know. If any word of this gets out to the general public. . ." He let the sentence hang.
The other merely nodded once more and left in silence, his vidhelm under his arm.
"Mia?" She smiled up at him, her eyes twin ebony jewels in the darkness, and he nodded an acknowledgement. "You know what to do. Monitor the flow. Do not look. See."
"Of course." Her pleased smile widened as she turned to round up her puzzled colleagues.
"Antesun." The youth jerked his head in a nervous nod. "I think you're up to par with Mia, don't you?"
"Um. . . I- guess so."
"Quit teasing him, Al!" Her laughing voice echoed from above them as she darted up the stairs. Her partner trudged after more reluctantly, dragging his heels and hanging his head.
He gazed after them with a slight smile, shaking his head. Mia settled herself at the controls with a shout, and the giant wall-screens blazed to life.
He picked up his own vidhelm and then hesitated, staring down at it blankly as a man who did not know where he was, who he was, or what to do, before walking to one of the windows, resting his forehead on the cool glass. He looked into the distance, past the skyscrapers towering over the twinkling lights of the city, past the mountains, beyond the horizon where the first rose of dawn glowed faintly in the air beyond the clouds. "We are doing all we can. The rest is up to you all." His sigh misted the glass and suddenly everything was foggy, distorted. "But even with all our efforts, all our precautions. . . without the Key of the Twilight. . . Without the Key, we will fail."
===========
"Do you want some light?"
"Huh?!" She pulled up short, staring at him as if he'd gone mad. The whimsical notes followed in her footsteps, reverberating and ringing till they trod each other into nothing.
The Wave Master turned fully to her, taking his still-burning staff in both hands. Silver hair swayed gently as he tilted his head, a lazy mocking grin on his lips.
"So are you going to answer my question, or are you just gonna stand there all day?"
" 'What' are you 'talking' about?!" Mimiru demanded, indicating the faint bluish flames with an outstretched hand.
"I said do you want light?"
"I heard you the first time," she muttered, then her voice rose, "We 'have' light, in case you didn't notice." Mimiru was growing more irritable by the second. "Can we stop wasting time here? I'd like to find someplace to logout. I'm getting tired of this stupid game." An arm was abruptly thrust out, sweeping in an arc to encompass the darkness around them. Domed scarlet armor flashed brightly at the elbow, iron spike jutting menacingly. "What kind of field 'is' this anyway?! It's boring! There's 'nothing here'!!"
He merely laughed briefly at her with drawn brows and turned away, ignoring the narrowed green eyes that were trying to bore holes in his back. She stamped her foot and crossed her arms tightly, hunching her shoulders and scowling like a six-year-old on a temper tantrum. An angry toss of her head sent her hair tumbling every which way again. "Hmph."
Tsukasa continued to ignore her. His footsteps echoed as though they were in a cave, except no cave had musical echoes. A few steps away, he stopped, his staff still in his hands, the tip touching the ground with a hollow sharp metallic sound. "Of course there's nothing here."
"Wha-"
He looked around, his visage profiled in shadow. Even so, she could see the tightness around his mouth. "What makes you think this is a field?"
"Uh- 'What'?!" Mimiru's mouth was half open in surprise. Her tanned face contorted in confusion, the tusk crescents curving at her cheeks twisting awkwardly out of shape. "I. . . don't think I get what you're saying."
"Yes, of course." The silver-haired boy before her seemed to be talking to himself now. He shifted and all she could see of his face were graceful twists of shadow interlaced with fine grey strands. "So then. . ." Suddenly there was a lighter tone to his voice. He suddenly whirled around, flourishing his staff, and she drew a sharp breath, eyes round and raising one hand as though to fend off a blow. His face had lit up like a birthday candle, the wariness in the dark eyes softening, and his mouth opened in a delighted smile.
"Tsukasa?" she ventured cautiously, "W-what is it?"
The happy face fell a little, and Mimiru bit her lip, bowing her head and studying her boots. Her hands clasped and unclasped, the fingers twisting and toying with each other as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Tsukasa was silent.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft, unsure, "I. . . I didn't mean it that way." Her hopeful tone was met with stony silence. Her chin drew even closer to her collar. "Do you even want me here?"
He looked startled, then abruptly he became reticent. "Why are you asking that? It doesn't matter." Dark eyes retreated into themselves, falling half- closed as his mouth closed in a thin line. "It doesn't matter. Why should it?"
"I'm tired of this!" Her outburst startled him as much as herself. She threw her head up and bellowed to the sky, if there even was one. "Why can't you 'ever' give me a straight answer?! No matter how hard I try you just keep treating me like the enemy!! And I'm telling you right now, it stinks. It really, really stinks!! Well, I'm 'through' with this!" Her shout was hoarse by the last words. Tsukasa was cringing away from her, and her face darkened further at the sight, jaw hardening and eyebrows pressing downwards till the bridge of her nose was all ridges.
She spat on the ground, and, drawing her sword, chopped downward with all her might. The metal clanged and bounced off, the hard ringing sound nearly deafening both of them. Whirling on her heel, Mimiru swung her sword savagely to her side with one hand, heedless of the large gleaming blade, and commenced stalking off into the darkness, not looking back.
"Wait." She hesitated, but continued her course, her slim figure retreating from the pale light of the blue flame more swiftly than ever. The pale face tightened and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Don't go. Not yet. If. . . if you want an answer. . ." She stopped. Turning ever so slowly, she saw Tsukasa standing there with one hand reaching out to her as though to try to catch her, but he hadn't moved from his spot. As she watched, his fingers seemed to jerk before his hand fell to his side. He hesitated before raising the hand to wrap it around his staff in a white-knuckled grip. His fingerless dark gloves lay in a rumpled heap by his feet.
He refused to meet her eyes. His head was down, his forehead against the outside arch of the staff head. "You. . . want me to tell you everything. Everything about me. Well I. . . I can't." The violet orbs rose then, pleading. "Because I don't know. Sometimes. . . - his voice caught - Sometimes. . . I don't think I know anything about anything." Now the Wave Master turned away, his back to her, and lifted his staff up with both hands as though raising a standard. The round jewel enclosed in the curve at the top glittered purple. "But. . . let me show you something."
Mimiru watched, her face blank but the emerald eyes intent. Both hands gripped the hilt of her sword as though ready to swing it into battle.
The staff's fire burned blue one moment, then red the next, then purple and green and gold and bronze and indigo and. . . Mimiru had to shade her eyes. She squinted at the jumble of hues that flashed by so quickly and haphazardly her eyes hurt just to look at the flux.
"Tsukasa! What's going on-!" Her voice was strangely muffled, though the air around her was clear when she moved and the silence that reigned had not been broken by any but them.
After a moment the rainbow of swirling, waving light swam together into one melting, mind-searing mess of living, twisting color, like a thousand dazzling snakes wiggling, all squeezed together with no space left between them. Her head ached behind her eyes. Then suddenly the staff flared a blinding, pure white, a blaze of light that filled Mimiru's vision. She yelped and threw her arms up over her eyes, still instinctively squinting to see, and then for a moment she saw nothing at all.
===========
Warm lights glowed along the wide, quiet waterways, the steady lap of water against the embankments a comfort to the ear. Bridges of round carved stone arched over the river routes, wide enough for a more than half a dozen people to cross at the same time. Banners of crimson and gold were hung out over the waves as well, strung from four corners to a golden ornament in the center, glittering from the strange light of the waters below, which sometimes even at night glistened amber shadow as though they had permanently soaked in the sunset. Long wooden boats, bow, stern and sail rounded with smooth patterned gold, multi-leveled shallow keel also thus bedecked and scattered with the silhouettes of men, glided slowly but surely on the sunlit waves.
Sumptuously crafted buildings of all styles and colors, columns and tall windows and dark lengthy curtains sweeping and bound in the middle, marble, limestone, plain stone, lined the canal, like some wealthy avenue of Italy. Heavy and richly colored abstract tapestries and flies fluttered over windows and storefronts and streets. Bright articulate geometric designs adorned the buildings, giving the city a whimsically colorful air. One almost expected to see carriages rolling to and fro, horses tossing their handsome plumed heads and arching proud necks as they trotted on the paving stones, ladies in scarlet silk gowns, flowered delicate fans in hand, moving by slowly on the arms of tall dignified gentlemen all in black. Instead, players strode the peaceful streets, congregating in the semi- paved square littered with benches, lined with pennants of red and gold, and dominated by a long building of gray arrayed beneath a red-tiled roof.
The head of the building thrust up its golden spire like a bell tower above the narrowly arched doorway and windows. And before it hovered a Chaos Gate, luminous translucent blue like swimming pool water or sky-spun cotton spinning at the top of a flight of steps.
A whining hum accompanied the arrival of a group of men. All were dressed in crimson beneath silver armor, skull-like silver helmets lined with blue and white enclosing their heads and leaving only the jaw revealed, and all wore swords. All but the man at the very front.
He was dressed plainly, a sleeveless velvet-green tabard over a blue tog trimmed with intricate gold design. His pants were an unremarkable dark beige. He wore neither helmet nor mail, and carried no visible weapons, but he moved with such graceful assurance as to make any prospective opponent think twice. His near shoulder-length tawny hair was wild, shifting through all the hues from brown to red, and flopped down into bright dark eyes of odd intensity. Pale grey wreathed in spears along his temple and arm. The men behind him gave him a wide berth, and some were even leaning away from him.
"Well, hello there!" His tone was hearty but his gaze sharp on the one who stepped out to greet him from the shadows of the courtyard, metal sollerets stepping loudly on stone. Red eyes glowed white and steel horns flashed briefly in the dim glow provided by the Chaos Gate. "You made it."
All he received in response was a noncommittal grunt.
The smile on the bronzed face faded. "Same as always. You never were one for niceties, I suppose."
A low grumble greeted his words. "Have you found her?"
The tawny-haired man frowned and held up a warning hand. "Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Silver Knight! We haven't even been able to find a trace of her since she went after that Wave Master-"
"That Wave Master." The tone was forceful and the soft hissing screech of metal was accompanied by a flicker of steel at the Knight's hip. "He is responsible for this."
The other arched an eyebrow. "Jumping to conclusions, aren't we?"
The Knight Captain bared his sword further, the discovered blade glowing silver now as his fingers tensed on the hilt. His words were more growl than talk. "It seems you forget your place, Hieran."
Suddenly the slighter man hissed and took a step forward. The Knight's upper torso jerked and his sword was nearly out of its sheath before he abruptly stilled his hand, burning eyes flaring to glare at the dark ones that glittered now like shards of ice.
"I answer to no one." Very quiet, very slowly, enunciating each word with deliberate care till it seemed each was a boulder dropping in the silence. "No one but Lady Subaru."
The Knight straightened. The sword slid back into its scabbard with a rustle and a clear click. "In milady's. . . absence, 'I', Silver Knight, shall-"
"Subaru, and 'only' Subaru." There was no warmth in Hieran's grin as he turned away, leading his men back to the Chaos Gate. He spoke without looking around. "We have scoured every server, and we have spoken with and contacted numerous players. We managed to obtain little to no useful information. No one has seen nor heard anything." The Knight Captain snorted in disbelief, but there were murmurs of assent among the troop of Knights at the light-haired man's heels. He went on, his tone formal and expressionless, betraying nothing. "However, I believe we have cause to return our search to Carmina Gardelica." This raised some surprise among his men.
"Oh?"
"You'll find out soon enough, Ginkan." He turned his head slightly and the smirk on his features was just visible. "If my hunch turns out to be right."
With that, he and his troop disappeared in a flurry of rising gold rings, the edging hum stepladdering along the infinitely complex mosaic design that faded before it could be properly perceived.
The horned Knight snorted and turned in a clank of armor, stalking off into the darkness.
___________
A/N: All right, NOW it's finished. I wanted to add more but. . . I'm telling you, previews are inherently evil. *bangs head against wall* I'm ditching them. NO MORE. There was absolutely NO WAY I could've fit what last chapter's preview outlined all into this one chapter. Absolutely NO WAY. This chapter was already impossibility chapterified, it drove me INSANE trying to write it with all the proper elements and shtuff. So all the action has ended up being relegated to the NEXT chapter. Again. Somebody shoot me. *digs a hole and hides* Now I understand why Mimiru and Tsukasa must not stay together for more than a few minutes at a time. *bangs hole in wall with head* I am SO DAMN FRUSTRATED with that pair right now, I think Mimiru's outburst was a direct result of that. Ugh. This whole chapter probably tumbled right into OOC zone and beyond, since I oozed through the first half or so and then whirlwinded through the second part, but presently I don't really give a damn. I will probably go back and correct myself to death sometime in the far distant future, but at present I really need to figure out a way to get my inspiration back. My brain has decided to shut down nice and completely. Plus I have a project due tomorrow. *buries self in hole* "Ask after me tomorrow, and you'll find me a grave woman", that you will. Dang. English class x Rurouni Kenshin should not be allowed. Rats.
~End of Rant~
Saner A/N: Anyway, what'd you guys think? I hope nobody thinks my Jaarin is a Mary Sue or something. He has a perfectly valid reason for his appearance. HUGE hint: You should've recognized the shopkeeper at the beginning of last chapter. If you didn't, time to re-watch Role Play. Faults? He has heaps. At least in my view. *shrug* Also, very important, people, DO NOT LOOK AT THIS AS A FRIGGIN ROMANCE, I WILL GET TO THE DANGDRATTED ROMANCE SOMEDAY BUT **NOT. NOW.** Got that? This is NOT Tsukasa/Mimiru, at least for the moment. All I'm going to say to prove that is, well, guys, consider the situation they're in. If you really want explanations e-mail me. I prefer to let you guys use your imaginations though. This was a pretty hefty dose of plot for .hack, so d'you think I should chop it up into multiple chapters or something? Thing is I'm working in a time frame here meaning all this has to happen for something else to happen. . . Anyway! This chapter was probably confusing as heck. Again. About that meeting and all that stuff. . . You'll find out. Someday. If I can get my brain back to life. *looks around* Is it what is commonly known as writer's block? *groans* Jeez, this whole block thingie sucks. I can't write. *bangs head through wall* Review! Send me wedges, send me hammers, send me sledgehammers, dynamite, something, etc. Just help me out here!!! I think I have that awful horrible absolutely mind-killing thing called writer's block!!!!!! Be nice, and review. Please? If you ever want me to manage to find the inclination to write the next chappie? This is not a pathetic attempt to get more reviews. It's a necessity. I'm a lazy arse. I know. ^-^ REVIEW!!!
Ending Note: The next chapter will probably take even longer than this one. -_- There's a HECK of a lot of stuff happening. So. . . Patience, 'kay? ^-^
A/N: AAAAAAAAAAGGHH!!!! I know this is SO. DAMN. LATE, AGAIN, but I'll tell you right now, this was HELL to write. Eep. I screwed up again. More on that in the ending AN's. This chapter took forever, I know. And I feel remarkably like a brain-dead snail right now from writing it. -_-
This chapter is dedicated to - Gray (See below ^^), Celes (Thanks, I'm glad you like it!), Kaya Kydra (Ending confusing? I thought that was fairly lucid. *scratches head* You'll be learning more about the Grim Reaper. . . Woops, better not give away too much. ^_~ Thanks, it was pretty freaky, wasn't it?), Kaylana (Why is everyone so confused about the end of last chapter?! *shrug* You DO know who the wind-voice is, right? Thanks for reviewing and keep writing! ^-^), Tsukasa magic (Wow, thanks! =D I'm glad you like the descriptions, 'cuz there's TONS more this chappie!!!), Lady Subaru (Whoot, thanks so much. *feels all warm inside* Fake Wings is one of my favorite songs too. It's so pretty! ^-~v), Ramenth (Um. . . Wow, thanks for the great compliments. *blushes* Though I doubt this could compare to novel quality, but hey, so many people actually like the descriptions!!! ^^ Yay!), Silent Echo (O_O It was THAT sad? Wasn't my intention, but hey, cool. And yes, the little girl IS Aura. I've seen the opening theme and she looks like a pretty little kid to me. Balmung. . . I'll see about that! He will definitely be in this, just as soon as I manage to actually get past this idea arc rolling around in my head right now. . . ^^ Thanks!), Rabid Pink Bunny (Hee! Thanks for complimenting my imagination. I've always wondered whether I had enough. ^-^ I'm glad you like it! Here's the next chappie!), quitelacking (Whoot! Bunnies! *cuddles bunny* I like flying too! *looks up from conversing with bunny* I'm glad you like the descriptions! ^_^ Thankee, and for the info 'bout Albireo, too!), Munebabie (Thanks, I'll try my best! Here's more!), wolfy (Yeah, there ARE so few aren't there? And most of them contain spoilers so I'm afraid to read 'em. -_- Get writing, peoplez!!! 'Kay, here's more just for you! ^^), thank you all so much for your reviews, they're a BIG part of what made me finally get off my lazy arse and actually finish this crazy chapter.
To Gray:
* sweatdrops * Just can't argue with a seasoned critic like you seem to be. . . ^^ I needed all that info, though, I s'pose. What exactly do you mean by the "pain of an AU fic"? * tiptoes away * I have this weird sense of foreboding. . . ^_~ Nah. Hmmm, I'd already stumbled upon the fact that Balmung and Orca killed that Legendary Dragon thing in some fanfic or other but with fanfics you just can't be sure what's fact and what's not when you're as green a .hack//SIGN fan as me. I have seen multiple pics of Balmung but not Orca so it's good to have a description of him. I don't consider anything you said a spoiler, btw, and I'll be getting the .hack games sometime anyway (soon's I finish watching .hack//SIGN that is. . . -_- Yay for 12:00 AM restarts. . .). Okay, let me define my notion of a "spoiler". As far as I'm concerned, info about a character that is important to the storyline in some way or that might come as a big surprise is a spoiler (for example: Sora is a. . . Don't make me say it. You know what I'm talking about. 'Twould explain his, er, attitude, too, kinda O_O Attractive ladies? Whooee). Same goes for info on the player of that character (You know what I mean. Tsukasa is actually a. . . Meep. * zips mouth shut * O_O That was an odd thing to learn. To quote Mimiru: "Edited characters don't mean much after all." Not entirely accurate in this case but then again what is? * shrug *). Info about key storyline elements is a spoiler as well (i.e. Key of the Twilight, the meaning of Aura's existence). As I've said before, I did NOT consider that info about the .hack game a spoiler. I've been sniffing around the edges of this supposedly HUGE mystery about Maha that jumps out of the shadows somewhere in the .hack games. THAT is a spoiler. Info about places is not considered spoiler material unless it's important to the storyline in some way. All of the above mentioned stuff goes for all the elements of the .hack series. .hack//AI BUSTER (info about Albireo, however. . .), SIGN, games, OVA, manga, DUSK. Did I make myself clear? I hope so. ^^ So you're free to comment s'long as you don't reveal anything really major or something. Places (I KNOW about the utter deviation from the series of those but info + criticism is welcome) and OOCness, etc. etc. Go ahead and pound me with constructive criticism, long's it's constructive, 'kay? ^^ Great! Thanks for the nice, long, informative review! * runs off to check out the Dot Hackers site *
P.S. Thanks for clearing up Sora's name. . . It's just so confusing!!!
All righty, then! With no further ado, KB, R, E, & R!!!
Punctuation Notes:
'something' - Italics for emphasis
=========== - Scene Change
########### - Flashback
II\\//\\//\\//\\//II
.hack//DISTORTION_
-- Confrontations --
___________
There was a mixture of groans and fists thrust into the air in triumph among the crowd milling about the large pool table, their clothing as multicolored as a group of Gypsies and armor and weapons clanking on all sides. The groans predominated. Apparently quite a bit of money had been riding on this last game, and the majority of the players trudged from the table with considerably lighter pockets.
"I can't believe he won!"
"I still say it was a fluke - no upstart could flatten the champ like that!"
The favorite, a fairly young fellow with bright yellow hair slicked back from his face in an ankle-length ponytail and wearing only a pair of chain- ridden black leather pants, raised and waggled both eyebrows, laughing good- naturedly, and offered his hand to the one who'd dethroned him.
"Hey, man, you rock at this. You sure this is your first time?"
The other remained silent. This individual of relatively average height was thoroughly enshrouded in a dark cloak that swirled to the ground. A hood hid his face completely and the only thing that could be seen was the long dark, unmarked stick that emerged from his robes and rose above his head. The cloak itself was a mystery to the eye; it seemed to catch the air as its numerous folds lifted with the breeze from the ever-swinging tavern door, appearing to float on nothing for a moment before the strange material settled languorously back into place like a feather wafting to the ground. There was something odd in the way the cloak moved, as something seen through the ever-shifting glassy curtain of a waterfall. In the uncertain light of the stained yellow lamp that hung precariously from the ceiling by a ragged rope, the sheen of the dark color itself seemed to take on a strange new quality, countless hues shifting smoothly like the feathers of a raven's coat.
BT stared fixedly at the cloaked figure. Something tugged at her memory, something pushed away into a dark place from which there could be no return. She thought. That cloak. . .
###########
Two little children laughed, giggling delightedly as they tossed a small round ball back and forth.
A flash and a rumble of thunder. Rain poured in the streets, running along the edge of the sidewalk and vanishing with a gurgling splash between the bars to the sewage. Tires screeched to a halt, throwing up a curtain of muddy water. A man took the smaller child's hand and pulled the little one away, the child looking back to the one standing on the sidewalk while being ushered into a car. The door slammed, a firm, final sound. The car vanished around the curb in a puff of exhaust.
The lone child on the sidewalk stood looking silently after it. The ball dropped to the ground and rolled away.
###########
BT caught herself staring at the one in the cloak and quickly averted her eyes with an impatient sound, blonde forelocks swaying over her cheeks and turquoise pendants flittering at her ears as she jerked her head away. Both Bear and Sora were looking at her, but she never noticed.
===========
His body ached, ached through and through with a fierce sharp deep-rooted pain that wouldn't go away. It was like an itch, horribly irritating, but this was an itch he couldn't scratch.
Indigo eyes opened slowly, blinking at the tumble of soft silver that caressed his cheek. Then the same hateful sensation started behind his eyelids, without the pain, but still just as unbearable. The dark eyes fluttered shut once more, a bright drop of moisture squeezed out beneath the long dark lashes. Lips parted slightly in a soft grunt as he tried to shift his position and failed; it was as if the ever-present ache was dulling his body to everything else, including his commands. Eventually, however, the eyelids tired of the needless strain and the whorl-lit orbs were discovered once more. He stared down at the smooth, featureless surface for a moment. It was utterly flat and colorless, only slightly blue- tinged by the faded light of the long pale staff laid out next to him.
His staff. . .
Suddenly his arm shot out and as his fingers closed about the smooth, familiar handle, easily finding every hidden nook and cranny, a sense of relief dove deep inside him, so profound he barely heard the gasp of surprise above him. The dark eyes widened briefly before the slim eyebrows dipped rapidly downwards, the mouth thinning.
Reflexively he tightened his hold on the staff and jerked himself upright with his other hand, bringing the large, curving jeweled end upwards and back to jam it into the unseen person.
"YOW!!!" There was a muffled thump a few feet away. He looked up and started, violet eyes widening as far as they would go. Cast in a pale soft glow by the dim fire, Mimiru glowered at him from where she'd landed on her rump, legs akimbo. One hand clutched her slender chin while the other was resting on the hilt of her sword. "What was that for?!"
He opened his mouth, and her brows drew down sharply, lips pulling back ever so slightly to discover the tip of a gleaming incisor. He just looked at her and for a single moment it was as though time had frozen. Neither moved an inch, nor did anything else around them in the sightless emptiness.
And suddenly his lip trembled, and she drew back, making a face, a confused and startled sound slipping from her lips. But then she saw the way his mouth was tugging upward at the corners. He chuckled, trying to stifle it by pressing his lips tight but not quite succeeding. She only gaped at him, and then he laughed harder, bent over his staff with his entire body shaking with repressed mirth.
". . . It's not that funny."
The dam broke loose. The silver-haired Wave Master threw his head back and laughter burst from his throat in rough spurts, as though he were out of practice doing it. She had never seen him laugh before. A smile of her own came to her lips despite her annoyed frown and the lingering throb in her chin, where she could already feel a substantial amount of swelling. And then she was laughing, too, clear and exuberant, falling on her back and jerking up and down with her hands clamped over her midriff.
===========
After a moment the yellow-haired young man's smile grew uncertain and he slowly retracted his hand. When the other made no move, the youth shrugged and turned, walking away with his friends who immediately swept him into the tide of their chatter. They vanished, melting into the by now fairly rowdy crowd.
The cloaked stranger gazed after them a moment, then turned to the table in the corner.
"Well, now." His voice contained a trace of dark amusement.
The sounds and colors of the tavern had faded around her. She was staring, wide-eyed, at 'him'. Her breath came in ragged gasps. It couldn't be. It just could not be. But the voice. . . it hadn't changed. She wasn't surprised. It had only been a few months. But it was much longer than that.
"Ah, yes." Sora's voice, full of repressed laughter, pierced her dazed disbelief. "I believe you two have met before?" He giggled gleefully, slitted ruby eyes pinning her in place. She gave him a baleful glare, then looked away, refusing to be drawn into his little game of cat-and-mouse again. Yet still her eyes were drawn back to the now-silent figure on the other side of the pool table. "Yes indeed. Another one I picked up on my wanderings. Well, well, why don't you come over and introduce yourself?"
Bear watched the scene unfold in silence, his eyebrows lowered.
A new game had been started at the pool table, and the attention of the remaining players had shifted from the cloaked stranger, who came now around the table with slow, deliberate strides, still revealing nothing but the long pole of which the end never emerged. Stopping before the dumbstruck blonde sorceress, halfway in the shadows beyond the lamplight, he looked up and gave a very mischievous grin, his cowl slipping back ever so slightly.
"Y-'you'. . ." All words left her as she stared down into luminous deep blue eyes, bluer than the cloudless sky or the deepest sea, jeweled orbs glowing with an inner flame as fierce and bright with life as it had ever been, all the more startlingly vivid in the darkly tanned face. Several locks of hair slipped from their dark confinement as well, liquid fire swirling with deep orange and bolts of gold, tipped like red-hot foxtails.
"G'evenin', Beet." He smirked and shifted, and one thin long-fingered hand appeared from the folds of the cloak, gripping the dark shaft that he held before him like a shield. The blue eyes never left hers.
Nearby, Sora was practically bursting with mirth, both hands clamped over his mouth and sniggering quietly. Bear caught himself and managed to remain impassive. Still, the sharp perse eyes narrowed.
"What can this mean?" the warrior mused softly to himself.
Long seconds passed as the sorceress and the cloaked boy stared at each other. She saw genuine happiness in his eyes but also a glint of wariness; his manner appeared open but she knew he was on his guard, and she felt a surge of irrational anger. BT suddenly noticed the gleaming fangs peeking from the smiling lips, which only added to her irritation. Her lips thinned.
He cocked his head, rolling his eyes. "All right, 'now' what?"
"Jaarin, you little fool!" she hissed, her rage sheathing the leafy depths of her eyes in ice. "You 'know' you're not supposed to be here! You can't be seen!"
The boy smirked defiantly and threw back his cowl. A mess of bangs tumbled down into his face, a spiked crest sprang into the air. A silky mane of flame cascaded about his shoulders, vivid color dulled only slightly by the flickering shadows, and forelocks swept down to his collarbones and then veered sharply upwards like a pair of tusks. The firelight caught his cheeks and the scarlet symbol hooking the dark skin flared in full prominence, dripping twin ruby-rhombus drops to stipple the jawbone. BT drew in a sharp breath as the tips of his ears showed their points through the fine strands.
"Jaarin!"
"Who's gonna stop me?"
He laughed at her hiss of rage and suddenly swept his arm upwards, righting the staff with a lazy flick of his fingers. A flash of silver steel was all they saw before the cloak descended on the upper end with a ruffle of air, gently settling its folds about the slender bar that was a suddenly lot longer than it had appeared to be.
"Don't!" Her voice was a whisper, almost a plea. Her hand gripped the sorcerer's staff and brought it forward and down like the horns of a charging bull. He looked slightly startled when confronted with the menacing blue-violet pincers, but then he threw back his head and laughed again.
"Are you 'really' gonna use that on me?" He looked back down and grinned at the tightening of her face. "You know you can't, Beet. So don't even bother." She hesitated, then the end of the staff dropped with a thud to the wooden slats of the floor.
Still chuckling, he swung himself with fluid grace onto the pole, balancing his lithe body precariously against the thin rod that somehow stayed upright, tilting alarmingly to a side, bare shapely feet easily gripping the slim support. He wore only a sleeveless brown leather jerkin partly open over his bare chest, a thick black studded belt hugging the slender waist. The ample ends of the garment flared down over his knees, swirling in the wind of his movements. Forest green slacks swept his long legs almost down to his ankles; the hems were torn. A gossamer scarf wound about his neck, creamy white. If one looked hard enough one could just make out faint traces, suggestions of lines, a motif like the barest beginnings of a sketcher's work that lined the trailing loose ends of the pale material.
The wispy ends of the scarf seemed to float on the air for a moment before falling delicately to his shoulder. In the same instant, one hand darted to his chest and with nimble fingers collected something there and clutched it, hiding it from sight.
BT gritted her teeth in frustration. Her voice was quiet but just barely steady, deadly with suppressed ire. "Why is it you never listen to a word I say?"
He let his head fall back and the blue orbs twinkled as he smiled. " 'Cuz I know you too well, that's why."
Impatiently pushing the blonde forelocks from her eyes with more force than necessary, she turned her anger and her staff then on Sora. "And you! You should know better. You know the danger as well as any of us. The Crimson Knights are everywhere!" Sharp metal clanged dully on wood, bright tip burying itself in splinters. Plain white cloth fluttered from the force of the slam.
The green-haired man slouched and gave her a bored look, but his blades had slid out, deadly edges gleaming. "Awww, don't be such a party-pooper, 'Beet'!" he whined, as she turned that color. He straightened then and winked cheekily. "After all, what's life without a little risk?"
She had opened her mouth to reply when Bear decided to intervene. "No sense in beating a dead horse. Leave it be." His serious gaze held hers and she knew he meant business.
"Fine."
Sora crossed his arms and pouted. "Well, this is no fun." His olive-skinned face suddenly brightened and one hand flapped energetically.
"Ciao-ao!" he sang, and then in the blink of an eye, he had vanished.
BT growled. "Hn. Why am I not surprised?"
Bear merely sighed, leaning back in his seat, relaxing now.
"Hello?" Jaarin ventured, trying to worm his way back into the conversation, "Don't I even get a 'hello', Beetsie?"
The blonde sorceress sighed and looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, one hand relegating her staff to the seat she'd vacated moments before.
===========
"It's so dark." Mimiru rolled her eyes. It was always dark, save for the fire of his magic.
For a time he just sat there contemplating the ground, and she watched him. He showed no signs of moving anytime soon.
"Mm'hm'!" She nodded decisively to herself.
Sitting up and shooting to her feet all in one moment, the brown-haired girl then proceeded to lurch backward with much clanking of armor and cursing, but managed to keep both her pride and her tailbone intact. She marched over to the motionless boy with calm, nose-in-the-air dignity, drawing her sword from its sheath.
"Ahem!" The broad metal tip clanged to the ground inches from his knees, accompanied by the appropriate cacophony of jabbering notes raining from the darkness beyond. He gave a startled gasp and fell back onto his elbows. He didn't let go of his staff.
A pair of emerald eyes glittered dangerously as they alighted on his, with a smirk to match. Then it was all replaced with the irritated scowl he had come to know so well, as she leaned forward with her elbow on the jewel- topped hilt, her chin resting gingerly in her long-fingered hand. "Well? Are we gonna get going or not?"
The boy smirked back as he regained himself, sitting back up.
"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you needed rest?"
"Well I 'did'." She tossed her head, sending stray brown locks flying. "Do you have 'any' idea how long I had to wait for you to wake up?" she went on in a querulous tone.
Wide dark eyes stared up at her uncomprehendingly as he cocked his head. His cloth cap slipped sideways, the green jewels flashing. She snorted contemptuously and turned her back on him, crossing her arms.
"Thanks." His voice was soft but just a trifle unsteady. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't turn around.
"Hmph." She walked a few steps forward and paused, arms still crossed, tapping a black boot, waiting. The echoing notes started again, then faded away.
A long moment of silence passed, but she heard no more from him. "Tsukasa?" No reply.
Clear emerald eyes widened ever so slightly. She whirled round, sweeping the large blade from where she'd been cradling it to her chest. The keen edge bit deep into her thumb but she didn't care.
He was there. Still sitting. The indigo eyes looked off into the surrounding darkness, the pale face blank. One hand clutched his staff to his chest like a precious thing. The other rubbed absently at a slim hip. He seemed totally at a loss. When she turned, he didn't even glance in her direction.
One brown hand balled into a fist at her side. "Now' what?" Her tone was clipped, her eyes narrowed and hard; she teetered, bending forward like a bull about to charge.
He jolted at the words that seemed to burst with startling clarity in the perpetual silence, and she smiled slightly. She opened her mouth, taking a deep and rather loud breath.
His dark eyes found hers and the sharp words died on her lips. Tears glistened on his cheeks; the swirling deep orbs trembled in bright moisture, something dark danced there, and the deepness of the desolation that lay bare in those eyes seemed to seep somewhere inside her.
"Mimiru. . ." A mere whisper, the voice breaking so it was difficult to make out the words, but she heard them as clearly as her own moments before. The indigo-blue eyes bored into hers and yet he wasn't looking at her. "Please. . . 'please' don't leave me alone here. . ."
She opened her mouth but the words lodged in her throat, and she paused, faltering.
===========
It was a tableau. All the pretense had died.
Green eyes closed momentarily, long lashes brushing high cheekbones before lifting. Scarlet lips tightened and relaxed, letting a sigh escape, then tightened again before parting to speak.
"How? 'How' did you return, and in this form?" Incredulous, hushed. "The access restrictions. . ."
The blue eyes darkened and he gave her a look of contempt. "Don't think I've forgotten." She flinched slightly and he smirked, then the smile faded and his face was somber again. "Did you 'really' think I'd let that stop me? Besides, I never really left."
"What do you mean?" The tone low, the green orbs intent. Unconsciously she leaned forward, sharp-nailed fingers curling into loose fists.
He looked faintly amused.
"I mean what I mean. This is 'my' World now."
Silence fell as two pairs of eyes fixed on the fire-haired youth. He merely looked puzzled. "What?"
Bear sighed and buried both hands in his hair. "No. This just isn't possible." He looked up at BT and saw his emotions mirrored in her eyes. "Things are moving so fast, so out of control. No one can foresee where all this may lead. But something tells me we had better find out."
There was silence again, then Jaarin cocked his head and broke it. "Does he 'always' talk like that?"
BT had to smile. "Most of the time." She grew serious again. She'd been a fool, blinded by this unexpected twist. There was so much that should be known, told, recovered. . . Too much time had been lost already. She glared down at the floor for a moment, then looked up quickly, opening her mouth.
"The real question isn't how," Bear said slowly, almost to himself. Then he raised his head and the sharp dark eyes found warm blue ones, and he snatched the words right from the tip of her tongue. "It's. . . 'why'?"
The sudden change was almost frightening. The dark young face hardened, jawbones stood out almost white as the boy bared his startlingly acerated fangs in a snarl. Both adults drew back in surprise. Blue became glinting black as unruly tufts of flame shadowed the narrowed eyes. The hand at his throat tightened its fist till the knuckles threw out their red-rimmed bone against the flesh. He tensed, muscles rippling in the lean body. A wild thing leashed, a panther crouched to spring.
" 'That'. . . is none of your business." They were frozen beneath his morbid gaze.
Then he threw back his head and laughed again, a wild rough cackle.
===========
"What's wrong?" Her gentle tone surprised even herself. She was beside him on hands and knees, sheathing her sword, emerald eyes gazing up to him earnestly. "Tsukasa, tell me what's wrong." Her hand rested on his robes. The blue fire shimmering about his staff played over both of them, the pale shifting light transforming them both into a pair of water sprites. The boomerangs on his cheeks were all but invisible, and her crescent gold markings had blended with the light, fading into the background of wavering color.
The shadows lifted from the violet eyes then and he blinked. Confusion covered his face. "I. . ." His eyes suddenly seemed to slide into focus on her and he made a startled noise. A faint blush spread over the white cheeks. "N-Nothing. Nothing at all." The silver-haired boy shook his head at her skew-browed perplexity. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Mimiru had barely opened her mouth to reply when he suddenly put his hand over hers, his eyes falling to rest on her thumb. Blood had pearled and spread over the brown cloth of his robe in a small dark patch. "You're hurt. Is it. . ." He looked up sorrowfully. "Is it because of me?"
She turned her head away, unable to meet his eyes. "Not. .. . not really. . ."
"I see." An uncertain pause. She heard the faint rustle of cloth as he glanced down at her hand, then back up again. "Do you feel it?"
"W-wha-?"
"The pain."
She gasped softly, green eyes widening, then winced as she felt him prod it. The wound throbbed, pulsing deep rolling pain along the cut. The wetness of the blood cooled on her skin. Turning back, Mimiru gazed in wonder at the drop of red tipping her finger.
"But. . . it's. . ."
His eyebrows shot up and his mouth quirked into a smile. "Impossible?"
"Well, yeah, that too, but. . ." There was incredulous laughter in her voice. She was dithering, her eyes darting every which way as though in search of escape. "But. . . if. . . I mean. . . we're. . ." Now she was babbling, biting on something more between every word. The violet eyes calmly searched out her own and stared until she fell silent and looked down. He watched her with a hint of a smile.
"It's no use trying to deny it, you know." His face had relaxed back into its usual downcast expression and now he lifted a slender eyebrow.
She bristled. One hand found the pommeled hilt of her blade. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her flat voice was low and hard, a stubborn set to her jaw. She raised her eyes in a dangerous look at him from beneath her bangs.
"Hm." He seemed cocky, almost amused, tilting his head back to regard her from above. "Never mind, then."
"But. . . my finger."
"It'll heal." She felt the warmth of his hand leave hers and looked down again. Her hand tingled. The bleeding had stopped.
He used his staff to pull himself to his feet, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, and stood looking down at her with a smile that gave nothing. "C'mon. We're wasting time."
Turning away, he started off into the darkness without looking back, the end of his staff clicking in tandem with the ringing notes that returned immediately, almost comfortingly.
"Augh!" She glared after him indignantly, then straightened and had to scramble not to be left behind in the darkness, muttering, "You ungrateful little. . ." He stopped, and she did so too after a moment, uncertainly. The dark eyes met hers over the beige shoulder of his robes, and a tiny smile played on his lips. He chortled softly. Mimiru continued to scowl, and only after the young Wave Master had turned away again did she allow her expression to soften.
". . . you ungrateful little friend. . ." she finished in a murmur, rolling her eyes and folding her arms behind her head.
===========
The countless windows of the double-skyscraper building reflected the carpet of twinkling stars in the velvety dark sky, melting into one with the night. Somewhere in the quiet city of the real world, a bell tolled twelve.
A loud scraping of chairs echoed in the circular room. The moon shone ghostly bright through the windows that formed a ring running all the way around the smooth seamless wall. It was dark in the depths of the vast spaces, though, dark except for the cold bright light of the computer monitors and panels set in metal stands all about, thrumming softly to themselves, and the strange reflected dead-glow of the massive wall-size screens that loomed above the windows to be lost in the shadows to the ceiling. Shadowed forms slid into the seats about the long table, hands folded, briefcases thudding on the hard material of the smooth surface, paper rustling like the wings of so many birds. The light from the monitors reflected off glasses and watch faces, glinted off more than a few pieces of jewelry. But the one thing that occupied every place, mirroring every shimmer and flicker that passed, was the vidhelms.
Silence fell as all settled. The table could have accommodated countless more, yet all were clustered at one end.
The last figure lowered himself into the cushioned seat at the head of the table, propping his chin on steepled fingers. All eyes were on him, waiting, watching his every move. A flaming shooting star streaked the sky, unnoticed.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began softly, then suddenly the formal tone was gone, and his voice shook, "We've lost two more."
A fleeting murmur raced through the listeners, a note of shock in every whisper.
"How?" She leaned forward, tucking her long hair behind one ear. "How could this have happened?" A deep breath and a look around, receiving nods from every quarter. She turned back to him. "All right." Her voice was a sob. "All right, who is it? Who is it this time?"
"Bierrda." A weary sigh as the speaker buried his head in his hands. "Bierrda and Eldeen."
"No!" She fell back in her chair. Cries of horror filled the room.
"Impossible! How could they have known?"
"Bierrda was always careless, but this. . ."
"They were our only operatives there, and now another important location has just slipped through our fingers. . . Curse those rogues. . . They'll pay."
"Silence!" The command resonated strongly throughout the room. The voices that had fused like leaks in a kettle hushed immediately. "We have yet to root them out, and it will not be easy no matter what is done. They are much too clever, and they've hidden themselves with a skill surpassing that of normal hackers. We will have to deal with this with maximum care. They are dangerous, they have proven that." Quietly, almost to himself. "Though what they could possibly want, no one knows. They are doing something, and yet we could not detect any abnormalities at all. . . Most peculiar."
"Sir?" A timid, young voice piped up tremulously.
"What is it, my friend?" He smiled slightly and leaned back, quietly receptive.
"Is this. . . could it possibly have come to. . ." The speaker obviously had much more than a simple speech problem; the voice shook so hard it was exceedingly difficult to decipher the words, but no one interrupted.
"Could this be. . . 'The Situation'?" It was spoken so softly it was barely audible, but it shattered the calm of the room like a hammer striking glass. Murmurs of surprise rippled through the audience and the person shrank back and down in his seat.
There was a long silence as all eyes came to rest once more on the one at the head of the table. He seemed to have fallen deep into thought, somewhere else, and sat still as a statue. Finally he stirred and seemed to come to life again.
He spoke to his hands. "I'm afraid. . . Antesun raises a valid point." This time, the shock was so complete no one made a sound. "But I do not believe. . . Not yet, at least. However, we have been complacent for too long. We must proceed as though The Situation were at hand. For all we know, it may soon very well be. Perhaps even a matter of weeks. . ." The silence endured, soared into ringing tension. "The backup has been cunningly absconded with and hidden away. . ." Ruefully. "I have a feeling. . . The World has much more to it than we have thought to look for. It may be that it has grown out of our hands."
Someone spoke up scornfully. "And into whose hands?"
"That I do not know," he replied patiently, "But I f- I 'suspect'- that. . ." He trailed off. "But no matter. It is past the time to begin our preparations. We may have waited too long already." He looked up at all of them then, and the seriousness of his gaze froze them in their places even in the near-complete darkness. "Sandu." The person started at the abrupt call.
"Yes, sir?"
"Gather your team and do what you can to find the backup copy. Look where you can think of, and where you can't." He smiled mysteriously. "Come to me if you find anything. Anything at all."
"Very-very well, sir," the shorter man replied, puzzled. He stood, glasses flashing in the vague dimness, and a couple of others stood with him, gathering up their vidhelms. They made their way to the computers and a rising whine in the subdued hum signaled the beginning of their long and difficult task.
"Viola."
"Sir."
"Continue looking for the hackers. Use the message boards. Send out a personal notice to all the players through the computer mainframe to look for any suspicious activity of any shape or form. Inform me of any further developments. Check the hospital records, though I doubt anything will show up. They are far too sharp for that."
"Yes, sir."
He turned to the one behind him.
"Muster the Crimson Knights. And," a wry smile hovered at his lips, "try not to play around too much, all right? Recent events have not been kind to them, even as... . . Yes, it was most unfortunate. But the show must go on." A nod. A good man. He understood. He always did. "Tell them only what they need to know. If any word of this gets out to the general public. . ." He let the sentence hang.
The other merely nodded once more and left in silence, his vidhelm under his arm.
"Mia?" She smiled up at him, her eyes twin ebony jewels in the darkness, and he nodded an acknowledgement. "You know what to do. Monitor the flow. Do not look. See."
"Of course." Her pleased smile widened as she turned to round up her puzzled colleagues.
"Antesun." The youth jerked his head in a nervous nod. "I think you're up to par with Mia, don't you?"
"Um. . . I- guess so."
"Quit teasing him, Al!" Her laughing voice echoed from above them as she darted up the stairs. Her partner trudged after more reluctantly, dragging his heels and hanging his head.
He gazed after them with a slight smile, shaking his head. Mia settled herself at the controls with a shout, and the giant wall-screens blazed to life.
He picked up his own vidhelm and then hesitated, staring down at it blankly as a man who did not know where he was, who he was, or what to do, before walking to one of the windows, resting his forehead on the cool glass. He looked into the distance, past the skyscrapers towering over the twinkling lights of the city, past the mountains, beyond the horizon where the first rose of dawn glowed faintly in the air beyond the clouds. "We are doing all we can. The rest is up to you all." His sigh misted the glass and suddenly everything was foggy, distorted. "But even with all our efforts, all our precautions. . . without the Key of the Twilight. . . Without the Key, we will fail."
===========
"Do you want some light?"
"Huh?!" She pulled up short, staring at him as if he'd gone mad. The whimsical notes followed in her footsteps, reverberating and ringing till they trod each other into nothing.
The Wave Master turned fully to her, taking his still-burning staff in both hands. Silver hair swayed gently as he tilted his head, a lazy mocking grin on his lips.
"So are you going to answer my question, or are you just gonna stand there all day?"
" 'What' are you 'talking' about?!" Mimiru demanded, indicating the faint bluish flames with an outstretched hand.
"I said do you want light?"
"I heard you the first time," she muttered, then her voice rose, "We 'have' light, in case you didn't notice." Mimiru was growing more irritable by the second. "Can we stop wasting time here? I'd like to find someplace to logout. I'm getting tired of this stupid game." An arm was abruptly thrust out, sweeping in an arc to encompass the darkness around them. Domed scarlet armor flashed brightly at the elbow, iron spike jutting menacingly. "What kind of field 'is' this anyway?! It's boring! There's 'nothing here'!!"
He merely laughed briefly at her with drawn brows and turned away, ignoring the narrowed green eyes that were trying to bore holes in his back. She stamped her foot and crossed her arms tightly, hunching her shoulders and scowling like a six-year-old on a temper tantrum. An angry toss of her head sent her hair tumbling every which way again. "Hmph."
Tsukasa continued to ignore her. His footsteps echoed as though they were in a cave, except no cave had musical echoes. A few steps away, he stopped, his staff still in his hands, the tip touching the ground with a hollow sharp metallic sound. "Of course there's nothing here."
"Wha-"
He looked around, his visage profiled in shadow. Even so, she could see the tightness around his mouth. "What makes you think this is a field?"
"Uh- 'What'?!" Mimiru's mouth was half open in surprise. Her tanned face contorted in confusion, the tusk crescents curving at her cheeks twisting awkwardly out of shape. "I. . . don't think I get what you're saying."
"Yes, of course." The silver-haired boy before her seemed to be talking to himself now. He shifted and all she could see of his face were graceful twists of shadow interlaced with fine grey strands. "So then. . ." Suddenly there was a lighter tone to his voice. He suddenly whirled around, flourishing his staff, and she drew a sharp breath, eyes round and raising one hand as though to fend off a blow. His face had lit up like a birthday candle, the wariness in the dark eyes softening, and his mouth opened in a delighted smile.
"Tsukasa?" she ventured cautiously, "W-what is it?"
The happy face fell a little, and Mimiru bit her lip, bowing her head and studying her boots. Her hands clasped and unclasped, the fingers twisting and toying with each other as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Tsukasa was silent.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft, unsure, "I. . . I didn't mean it that way." Her hopeful tone was met with stony silence. Her chin drew even closer to her collar. "Do you even want me here?"
He looked startled, then abruptly he became reticent. "Why are you asking that? It doesn't matter." Dark eyes retreated into themselves, falling half- closed as his mouth closed in a thin line. "It doesn't matter. Why should it?"
"I'm tired of this!" Her outburst startled him as much as herself. She threw her head up and bellowed to the sky, if there even was one. "Why can't you 'ever' give me a straight answer?! No matter how hard I try you just keep treating me like the enemy!! And I'm telling you right now, it stinks. It really, really stinks!! Well, I'm 'through' with this!" Her shout was hoarse by the last words. Tsukasa was cringing away from her, and her face darkened further at the sight, jaw hardening and eyebrows pressing downwards till the bridge of her nose was all ridges.
She spat on the ground, and, drawing her sword, chopped downward with all her might. The metal clanged and bounced off, the hard ringing sound nearly deafening both of them. Whirling on her heel, Mimiru swung her sword savagely to her side with one hand, heedless of the large gleaming blade, and commenced stalking off into the darkness, not looking back.
"Wait." She hesitated, but continued her course, her slim figure retreating from the pale light of the blue flame more swiftly than ever. The pale face tightened and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Don't go. Not yet. If. . . if you want an answer. . ." She stopped. Turning ever so slowly, she saw Tsukasa standing there with one hand reaching out to her as though to try to catch her, but he hadn't moved from his spot. As she watched, his fingers seemed to jerk before his hand fell to his side. He hesitated before raising the hand to wrap it around his staff in a white-knuckled grip. His fingerless dark gloves lay in a rumpled heap by his feet.
He refused to meet her eyes. His head was down, his forehead against the outside arch of the staff head. "You. . . want me to tell you everything. Everything about me. Well I. . . I can't." The violet orbs rose then, pleading. "Because I don't know. Sometimes. . . - his voice caught - Sometimes. . . I don't think I know anything about anything." Now the Wave Master turned away, his back to her, and lifted his staff up with both hands as though raising a standard. The round jewel enclosed in the curve at the top glittered purple. "But. . . let me show you something."
Mimiru watched, her face blank but the emerald eyes intent. Both hands gripped the hilt of her sword as though ready to swing it into battle.
The staff's fire burned blue one moment, then red the next, then purple and green and gold and bronze and indigo and. . . Mimiru had to shade her eyes. She squinted at the jumble of hues that flashed by so quickly and haphazardly her eyes hurt just to look at the flux.
"Tsukasa! What's going on-!" Her voice was strangely muffled, though the air around her was clear when she moved and the silence that reigned had not been broken by any but them.
After a moment the rainbow of swirling, waving light swam together into one melting, mind-searing mess of living, twisting color, like a thousand dazzling snakes wiggling, all squeezed together with no space left between them. Her head ached behind her eyes. Then suddenly the staff flared a blinding, pure white, a blaze of light that filled Mimiru's vision. She yelped and threw her arms up over her eyes, still instinctively squinting to see, and then for a moment she saw nothing at all.
===========
Warm lights glowed along the wide, quiet waterways, the steady lap of water against the embankments a comfort to the ear. Bridges of round carved stone arched over the river routes, wide enough for a more than half a dozen people to cross at the same time. Banners of crimson and gold were hung out over the waves as well, strung from four corners to a golden ornament in the center, glittering from the strange light of the waters below, which sometimes even at night glistened amber shadow as though they had permanently soaked in the sunset. Long wooden boats, bow, stern and sail rounded with smooth patterned gold, multi-leveled shallow keel also thus bedecked and scattered with the silhouettes of men, glided slowly but surely on the sunlit waves.
Sumptuously crafted buildings of all styles and colors, columns and tall windows and dark lengthy curtains sweeping and bound in the middle, marble, limestone, plain stone, lined the canal, like some wealthy avenue of Italy. Heavy and richly colored abstract tapestries and flies fluttered over windows and storefronts and streets. Bright articulate geometric designs adorned the buildings, giving the city a whimsically colorful air. One almost expected to see carriages rolling to and fro, horses tossing their handsome plumed heads and arching proud necks as they trotted on the paving stones, ladies in scarlet silk gowns, flowered delicate fans in hand, moving by slowly on the arms of tall dignified gentlemen all in black. Instead, players strode the peaceful streets, congregating in the semi- paved square littered with benches, lined with pennants of red and gold, and dominated by a long building of gray arrayed beneath a red-tiled roof.
The head of the building thrust up its golden spire like a bell tower above the narrowly arched doorway and windows. And before it hovered a Chaos Gate, luminous translucent blue like swimming pool water or sky-spun cotton spinning at the top of a flight of steps.
A whining hum accompanied the arrival of a group of men. All were dressed in crimson beneath silver armor, skull-like silver helmets lined with blue and white enclosing their heads and leaving only the jaw revealed, and all wore swords. All but the man at the very front.
He was dressed plainly, a sleeveless velvet-green tabard over a blue tog trimmed with intricate gold design. His pants were an unremarkable dark beige. He wore neither helmet nor mail, and carried no visible weapons, but he moved with such graceful assurance as to make any prospective opponent think twice. His near shoulder-length tawny hair was wild, shifting through all the hues from brown to red, and flopped down into bright dark eyes of odd intensity. Pale grey wreathed in spears along his temple and arm. The men behind him gave him a wide berth, and some were even leaning away from him.
"Well, hello there!" His tone was hearty but his gaze sharp on the one who stepped out to greet him from the shadows of the courtyard, metal sollerets stepping loudly on stone. Red eyes glowed white and steel horns flashed briefly in the dim glow provided by the Chaos Gate. "You made it."
All he received in response was a noncommittal grunt.
The smile on the bronzed face faded. "Same as always. You never were one for niceties, I suppose."
A low grumble greeted his words. "Have you found her?"
The tawny-haired man frowned and held up a warning hand. "Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Silver Knight! We haven't even been able to find a trace of her since she went after that Wave Master-"
"That Wave Master." The tone was forceful and the soft hissing screech of metal was accompanied by a flicker of steel at the Knight's hip. "He is responsible for this."
The other arched an eyebrow. "Jumping to conclusions, aren't we?"
The Knight Captain bared his sword further, the discovered blade glowing silver now as his fingers tensed on the hilt. His words were more growl than talk. "It seems you forget your place, Hieran."
Suddenly the slighter man hissed and took a step forward. The Knight's upper torso jerked and his sword was nearly out of its sheath before he abruptly stilled his hand, burning eyes flaring to glare at the dark ones that glittered now like shards of ice.
"I answer to no one." Very quiet, very slowly, enunciating each word with deliberate care till it seemed each was a boulder dropping in the silence. "No one but Lady Subaru."
The Knight straightened. The sword slid back into its scabbard with a rustle and a clear click. "In milady's. . . absence, 'I', Silver Knight, shall-"
"Subaru, and 'only' Subaru." There was no warmth in Hieran's grin as he turned away, leading his men back to the Chaos Gate. He spoke without looking around. "We have scoured every server, and we have spoken with and contacted numerous players. We managed to obtain little to no useful information. No one has seen nor heard anything." The Knight Captain snorted in disbelief, but there were murmurs of assent among the troop of Knights at the light-haired man's heels. He went on, his tone formal and expressionless, betraying nothing. "However, I believe we have cause to return our search to Carmina Gardelica." This raised some surprise among his men.
"Oh?"
"You'll find out soon enough, Ginkan." He turned his head slightly and the smirk on his features was just visible. "If my hunch turns out to be right."
With that, he and his troop disappeared in a flurry of rising gold rings, the edging hum stepladdering along the infinitely complex mosaic design that faded before it could be properly perceived.
The horned Knight snorted and turned in a clank of armor, stalking off into the darkness.
___________
A/N: All right, NOW it's finished. I wanted to add more but. . . I'm telling you, previews are inherently evil. *bangs head against wall* I'm ditching them. NO MORE. There was absolutely NO WAY I could've fit what last chapter's preview outlined all into this one chapter. Absolutely NO WAY. This chapter was already impossibility chapterified, it drove me INSANE trying to write it with all the proper elements and shtuff. So all the action has ended up being relegated to the NEXT chapter. Again. Somebody shoot me. *digs a hole and hides* Now I understand why Mimiru and Tsukasa must not stay together for more than a few minutes at a time. *bangs hole in wall with head* I am SO DAMN FRUSTRATED with that pair right now, I think Mimiru's outburst was a direct result of that. Ugh. This whole chapter probably tumbled right into OOC zone and beyond, since I oozed through the first half or so and then whirlwinded through the second part, but presently I don't really give a damn. I will probably go back and correct myself to death sometime in the far distant future, but at present I really need to figure out a way to get my inspiration back. My brain has decided to shut down nice and completely. Plus I have a project due tomorrow. *buries self in hole* "Ask after me tomorrow, and you'll find me a grave woman", that you will. Dang. English class x Rurouni Kenshin should not be allowed. Rats.
~End of Rant~
Saner A/N: Anyway, what'd you guys think? I hope nobody thinks my Jaarin is a Mary Sue or something. He has a perfectly valid reason for his appearance. HUGE hint: You should've recognized the shopkeeper at the beginning of last chapter. If you didn't, time to re-watch Role Play. Faults? He has heaps. At least in my view. *shrug* Also, very important, people, DO NOT LOOK AT THIS AS A FRIGGIN ROMANCE, I WILL GET TO THE DANGDRATTED ROMANCE SOMEDAY BUT **NOT. NOW.** Got that? This is NOT Tsukasa/Mimiru, at least for the moment. All I'm going to say to prove that is, well, guys, consider the situation they're in. If you really want explanations e-mail me. I prefer to let you guys use your imaginations though. This was a pretty hefty dose of plot for .hack, so d'you think I should chop it up into multiple chapters or something? Thing is I'm working in a time frame here meaning all this has to happen for something else to happen. . . Anyway! This chapter was probably confusing as heck. Again. About that meeting and all that stuff. . . You'll find out. Someday. If I can get my brain back to life. *looks around* Is it what is commonly known as writer's block? *groans* Jeez, this whole block thingie sucks. I can't write. *bangs head through wall* Review! Send me wedges, send me hammers, send me sledgehammers, dynamite, something, etc. Just help me out here!!! I think I have that awful horrible absolutely mind-killing thing called writer's block!!!!!! Be nice, and review. Please? If you ever want me to manage to find the inclination to write the next chappie? This is not a pathetic attempt to get more reviews. It's a necessity. I'm a lazy arse. I know. ^-^ REVIEW!!!
Ending Note: The next chapter will probably take even longer than this one. -_- There's a HECK of a lot of stuff happening. So. . . Patience, 'kay? ^-^