Mechanical Wings
Disclaimer: I do NOT own .Hack or any of its characters. If I did, I would probably keep Kite prisoner in my closet...
A/N: Hi guys. I had created a profile on but I never seem to have any free time on my hands, which is why I've only gotten around to posting a fanfic on this today. But I'm gonna keep this updated as much as I can. Here's a few notes before you start reading:
-This story will be taken from the point of view of the real world.
-I guess you can expect to see the .Hack/Sign characters, (which I prefer to call the "Twilight Awakeners") along with the .Hackers from the series of games.
- Tsukasa is a boy in the real world for this fanfic. Yeah, I know, but it's because I want to do this and it's my story. And you don't have to tell me about him being a... cough you know, in reality, because I know already, ok?
-The characters will be keeping their game names and appearances for this story, because I'm afraid it would be too confusing for you otherwise (and confusing for me, too XD)
-Text written in italic are flashbacks from "The World". They're supposed to be confusing and disordered, so it's ok.
-There is NO official coupling for this fanfic: meaning it isn't just a Tsukasa/Mimiru romance or something of the sort. Mimiru is more of a close sister for Tsukasa anyway. There will probably be pairings like Kite and Blackrose in the future.
-Please remember, this story is rated for a reason. Future chapters might be a little nasty for some people, so I would appreciate it if you kept this in mind.
I'm done babbling, thank you very much and I hope you enjoy my story.
Prologue: Summer's Rain
The girl awoke with a start, jolting up in bed. Pulchritudinous jade eyes darted the room with fear; she could hear her own heartbeat thumping quickly in her ears. The room was obscure with a blanket of darkness, delicate shadows of gangling branches danced on the walls. Long vanes of silver traveled down the window as rain prickled the glass from outside.
The girl's breath evened after a moment of thought in the silence. She blew out the side of her mouth upward, removing a few strands of dampened auburn hair out of an eye. She was fully awake now, and once she had realized it, a frown grew on her lips.
Rubbing her dampened forehead with the back of a hand, the girl eyed the alarm clock, placed on the unorganized table at the side of the bed, wearily. The blinding little red numbers nearly made her eyes bulge when she realized it read 4:39 a.m. "Ugh…" she moaned quietly while flopping backward into her cushions.
"Why would I wake up so early? I've never had a problem sleeping in," she thought bitterly. "A nightmare… maybe…?"
Lashes of delicate green tickled her nose; she couldn't help but smile. Blades of pail emerald, illuminated with sparkling beads of soft dew, stretched as far as the eye could see. The area sloped downward at one of the sides, where the disarrayed colours grew ablaze with gold and crimson, climbing high into the azure swirls overhead and eventually becoming whole again.
The wind began to chill as the sky grew greater with dark cerulean, and the shadows at their feet began crawling toward the horizon.
It was nearly a half hour before the girl was able to bring herself to sit up again. She brought her legs to dangle over the bed, and then a moment later stood wobbly without much more resentment. She made the biggest possible stretch she could, lifting her bare arms over her head before letting them dangle at her sides again.
Scuttling toward the bathroom, she attempted to hold back a yawn before passing her parent's room and heading down the darkened hallway.
It was lucky that it was still summer, and the girl didn't need to return to school for ninth grade for a few more weeks still. If this hadn't been the case, she would have thrown a pillow over her head and slept in until the last minute. Fortunately for her, she would be able to catch up on a few hours of sleep later in the evening.
The girl was scratching a mosquito bite on her right hip (absentmindedly) when she arrived at the bathroom. After peering into the mirror for a few minutes, checking over her complexion, she filled the sink with a little warm water and dipped her cupped hands in to splash some on her face. She grabbed a towel from the basket on the counter, and dried up before returning to the hallway. Even though she was slightly more awake, she was far too lazy to brush her teeth and tame her hair.
Now that the girl's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she was fully aware of the surroundings of her room and began searching for some clean clothes. She trotted over to the large pile of clothing by her desk and plucked a few pieces from the top that seemed sanitary. Once she had undressed, the girl then threw her night clothes on the pile, (replacing the ones which she had taken) and dressed herself with the jeans and green tank-top before adjusting them in her dresser mirror and checking her overall appearance one last time.
Once she had accepted herself presentable for the morning, she went over to the window and gazed down upon the disordered city. Drenched from the chilling blanket of rain, the inexplicable structure of the abstruse area lying before her sent shivers throughout her body. Pressing her palms against the cold glass, the girl slid the window open slowly. The rain stung her face in freezing lashes; she couldn't help but sigh from the sensation of cool air, gently tickling her skin.
She giggled buoyantly, flailing her tanned arms over her head to rest in the rousing feeling of soft grass. Radiant clusters of stars overflowed the shadowed cobalt, swirling throughout the majestic sky before them.
She turned her head sideways, eyes were clouded with blithe. He looked at her, ashen features filled with a feeling of content. Then, after a moment, he too, rolled onto his back, and fixated his attention upon the sky.
Their limbs were flailed lazily about; they didn't care about that now. Arms were intertwined in an innocent act, to keep each-other reassured, to know that they were both really there.
"Mimiru…? Is that you?"
The girl had been putting on a shoe at the door when she jumped at the sound of her father's voice from the hallway.
"Uh- yeah, it's me, dad. I'm just going for a walk; I'll be back in ten minutes."
She was answered by a few seconds of silence.
"At five o'clock in the morning…?" Her father's voice sounded agitated.
"I couldn't sleep. I'm just going to get some fresh air."
This response was greeted by something that sounded along the lines of an annoyed growl, similar sounding to the word, "fine".
"Just be back in ten minutes," said her father's voice, before she heard the shuffling of slippered feet returning down the hall and into the bedroom again.
It took a moment for the girl to find her trail of thought once more; the realization of being caught had slightly shaken her. Though she knew nothing was wrong, her heart was beating roughly in her chest, and her feelings of worry went right to her stomach. She would just find out what was wrong, (if there was anything wrong at all) and release this ache in her mind. Then she could come back and crawl into bed and sleep until noon. But first, she just had to figure out the reason for this unsettling feeling. And it was out there, in the streets of the city.
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It was lucky that she hadn't taken the time to tame her hair, after all, because the wind had sent it flying all sorts of ways after she had stepped out of the apartment and onto the dismal walkway. Murky puddles of brown littered the sidewalk as the rain continued trickling down from the grey sky. But Mimiru only focused on the soft pit-patting of drops landing on the surface of the walkway while she walked.
She had to admit that it scared her; having this sort of reaction to a simple feeling. What was she looking for in the first place? The only real answer that could be provided for her would be when she had actually found it. Whatever "it" was going to be. Nevertheless, the feeling was too strong to ignore, so she continued down the street, nearing the less-appealing area of the neighborhood.
The girl wrapped her jacket a little closer to herself with a hand, emerald eyes filled with uneasiness, fixed on a bedraggled stray dog scrounging through a knocked-over garbage can. She bit her bottom lip, uncertainty on her face, as she took a few more shaky steps as far away from the animal as she could bring herself.
"Hey…"
Her voice was so soft. Only slightly above a whisper.
"Let's be like this forever. Just the two of us…"
She sounded hopeful and emboldened; her eyes were shining with anticipation.
After a long, shaky breath, she decided she ought to keep going, now that she had made it this far. After a moment of walking, the mist thickened in her surroundings, making it difficult to see ahead of her.
Mimiru yelped in surprise suddenly, when she felt something soft and warm wrap itself around her leg. Startled, she peered down to see a cat, its boney grey face staring directly up at her. The cat was soaked in water and mud, and the feline was so thin that the outline of its spine could be seen sticking out under the skin. The most curious feature to Mimiru, was the cat's eyes. Two crimson slits, glowing faintly in the eerie grey mist of the street.
The cat closed its eyes as it purred softly, rubbing its little head on the girl's knee. She smiled gently down at the cat and scratched behind one of its ears.
"Aren't you cute," she smiled, crouching down to be level with the little cat.
Suddenly, the cat opened its eyes once more, and directed its attention to Mimiru. The scarlet slits only stared a brief moment, though there was tension hidden within them. Before the girl was able to react, the cat tensed and sprinted quickly down the sidewalk, leaving nothing but the soft sound of patting feet in the puddles.
"Forever?"
Echoed a voice. It came like a calm wind; soothing and quiet and content.
She crouched there a moment while looking in the cat's direction, then slowly got to her feet. She could still feel the warmth of the cat wrapped around her leg, as though it had left its body heat behind it. Hesitantly, she headed in the direction of the small feline, slowly at first, but eventually quickened her pace to a run.
'That cat… was that what I was supposed to be looking for?' she wondered, trying to make out her surroundings throughout the foggy street.
Attempting to avoid the contaminated puddles, Mimiru couldn't help but splash her foot in a few at the speed she was running, but this didn't stop her. She felt that she was getting closer, and she couldn't bring herself to stop now.
"Do you think I'll… be around forever?"
Rain stung the girl's eyes, forcing her to keep them shut as she ran. The feeling in her stomach had returned; a feeling of apprehensiveness that she couldn't explain. Her legs were beginning to feel weakened, knees shaking with trepidation.
"I'm not sure… I'm not sure, but… I'm still going to protect you."
She was in one of the worse areas now, realizing it by the appearances of the buildings, debilitated and dirt-stained. But she wasn't going to stop. Not now, not yet. Her watering jade eyes widened when she could suddenly make out a figure in the distance, leaning by one of the buildings.
"For as long as I can…"
She slowed down to a walk, as she continued closer. As the mist began to clear, the buildings became more distinct. She could see the whole person now. And now that she could, the girl had stopped dead in her tracks, eyes stinging, bottom lip quivering.
"…I promise."
A boy was leaning against the wall. And, Mimiru realized, he couldn't have been any older then she, maybe 14 at the oldest. And the kid was soaked to the bone, and she could tell he was shivering, even from her place several feet away. He only wore a t-shirt, and a pair of baggy jeans that had a horrible rip on the left leg, unveiling most of his knee, though it was hidden by most of his hand, which looked like it was trying to hide the bare part He kept himself up by slumping against the brick wall, slightly bent over, while trying to hide his knee. He wore nothing on his feet, which only cooperated to giving him a more peculiar appearance then he already had.
Her vision became blurry and pallid as she brushed her cheek softly against his silver hair, breathing in a phantasmagorical rush of heavenly scent. Hesitant pink lips graced slowly upon his pale forehead, leaving small, innocent kisses. Feathery strands of silver tickled her nose, causing her to smile through the kisses, hot, shaky breaths coming in quiet gasps.
"No…" Mimiru's voice shook, her legs trembling.
"It can't be…"
His face radiated with that smile; innocence hidden within it, something that resembled her own childishness to Mimiru.
She could feel her heart beating fast in her ears, every second seemed to last an eternity.
Mystic amethyst eyes gazed back at her. They had become far too memorable to ever forget.
She had never forgotten them… Not once.
He was smiling… smiling just for her.
Those eyes were upon her now…
"Are they…? Are they real?" her thoughts were coming to her as fragments.
It was reality though. The ashen boy on the street, drenched in water; he was staring right back at her. And it was far too real.
Her eyes were welling with un-fallen tears. Her voice had left her completely. And so, she mouthed the name that had plagued her mind ever since.
"Tsukasa…"