The events of this fanfiction are a few months after .Hack//Ai Buster...

Gah xx It's boring in the beginning but it gets better! promise!! PLEASE REVIEW! puppy eyes

I do not own anything that deals with .hack, but if i did, Balmung would be a 40 year old nerd who lives in his mother's basement.



I felt my lips curling as I watched a gondola gliding slowly down the canal below me. A softy Irish-type of music hummed gently in my ear. I'm glad that I picked Mac Anu as my Root Town. It was somehow soothing to the troubles I meet such as those I encounter in a dungeon or even in real life, but it did not lose excitement.

I stared out dreamily at the gondola floating under the arched bridge I was standing on. The chat window scrolled down from broken conversation of passing players. I ignore everything for a moment and absorbed the surroundings. I soaked up the colors and sounds, but failed to notice the voice calling me until I saw my chat window:

Fantasy: Hiya Aika

I quickly switched my POV (point of view) from first-person to third-person, which cause my camera to be set away from my avatar instead of seeing though it's eyes. When I saw a girl next to me, I quickly said "hi" in an embarrassed tone. I typed in "/smile" so my avatar gave a cute smile. I awed Fantasy's new avatar (even though I seen it yesterday and before that and before that...). She wanted a challenge so she created a new account and made a new avatar, a Wavemaster to be exact.

Her Wave symbol–darkness–was etched on the side of her fragile neck. There were strands of sunburnt hair that covered the mark ever so slightly. She was draped in a short black dress. She waved at me, shaking her thin and revealing sleeves.

Despite her avatar's gothic appearance, our two avatars look good together. My black hair was in a wolf cut, giving me a cute boyish look. On top of my black shirt, which shows my bare shoulders, was a light chest plate. My shirt barely past my armor and my stomach was expose. I wore an armor shirt, followed by long boots. We both had sharp facial features which made our avatar almost cold-looking.

"Hey, Risa just called from her friend's house and said she coming on in a sec. Wanna join a party and go to 'Sigma Server Zone: Murmuring, Night, Alchemy'?" she said. As I heard her voice come a split second before it was put into the chat window, I could almost imagine her talking into her microphone attached to the FMD (Face Mount Display)

I just replied yea before Risa came running along. Her body was tan so it brought out her calming blue eyes and short light pink hair. She wore a sleeveless red dress and a darker coat of crimson over it as a cloak that barely reach her torso. She held an innocent look, giving the idea that she was a gentle Wavemaster, but I knew she was Heavy Blade. I invited both of them to my party and they agreed hastily. Then we all headed to the Chaos gate to have a little fun.


I typed "/lookhard" at Taku to stared angrily at the player who jumped outta nowhere and stole the deathblow! "Hey!" Risa shouted at him as the monster slowly faded into nothingness. The monsters were tremendously weakened and he just took our experience points! However, his avatar just looked at us blankly.

"Didn't you guys need help?" he asked. There was a hint of being confused in his question. "Fantasy was..." I saw her health bar on the bottom of my screen and saw it was extremely low. Risa and my health was a bit past halfway. We did just fought six strong monsters at the same time. Our expenses for new "Recovery Drinks" will be pricey. . .and this guy just stole the experience of the two toughest monsters!

Fantasy drank a potion and her health gauge turned from a red to a healthy green. "Let's rest so I could recover some skill points" Standing still, or something like that, would heal skill points slowly. Skill points are essential to Wavemaster, whom have low attack power but high magical attack, because skill points are needed to cast magic. However, I could rely on my physical strength since I'm a Pole Arm.

"Well, I'm Taku!" he said with a grin. I sighed as dark memories about my earlier days lingered in my mind. This guy reminds me of a player who did the same thing. Of course, the player acted sorry for the act and I thought we could become good friends. The next day, he hacked into my computer, stole all my rare items and cause a virus! Some friend...

Risa and Fantasy said their hellos. However, a small rustle cause a sudden silence. The dungeon was dim, only lighted with candles inside skulls' mouths. They hung on the walls which were built with grey cracked stones. In a corner, a corpse's face was kissing the cold ground; it's body, resembling a skeleton, was sprawled downward.

Everyone had a wary look, as soft footsteps were heard. I saw tiny shoeless feet hidden under a red dress when the shadows let its grip go of it's prey. I glanced up and saw a girl looking at Taku with void eyes. "Damn! You scared me Aura!"he said. He had an annoyed expression on his face. "Where were you? I was running around this whole place to find you!" She went to him and their hands met.

"Not here..." she softly said. "Please find..."

"Hm? Find what?" Taku asked. She merely repeated what she said in the same ghastly tone. Their fingers gripped together tighter. "Heh . . . That . . . that hurts" The girl's hand only squeezed harder. Blood started to ooze out.

"Stop it!" Risa shouted. Taku looked at Risa in shock. The shock took Risa by surprise. Aura glanced at her as if she just noticed the Player and they all stood, stunned. "W-What . . .? What did I say . . .?" I quickly switched my Chat Mode to "Whisper" so only Fantasy and I could hear each other.

"He's bleeding! How is it possible? It's not even a monster!" I stated.

"His voice . . . He actually sounded hurt –" she stopped. Taku seemed like a role-playing type, but would he really fake pain? "Oh my God! When . . . I targeted her . . . my screen just gets messed up!" I was about to try when I heard Taku's voice.

"You can see her?!" he exclaimed. He walked hastily to Risa. "A-And what about you guys?" He was looking at us. I nodded distrustfully, unsure what he meant. He suddenly grasped Risa's shoulder and smiled. A chill ran up my spine by the way the eerie dungeon's music and his words seem to blend. "That means you can help Aura!" The girl known as "Aura" flashed a sinister smirk behind Taku as if she realized what this meant.

Taku is actually a normal guy when he isn't stealing deathblows or telling us to join him. The light in Mac Anu is far better than that dark dungeon so it was easier to see his avatar. Beneath his sliver hair, his face had striking features. He wore a sleeve scale mail and large leather gauntlets that held two daggers closely. Of course, I quickly told myself that I was not concern about some jerk but the girl who follows him.


Risa and Fantasy had logged out. It was nearly midnight and we all still have school even though it was nearly the end of June. Taku, Aura, and I leaned against the railing of the bridge. None of us talked; we only watched people passed us. Noises and words blared out around me, but I couldn't stand the silence between us.

"Hey . . .I'm leaving –"

"I can't go" he mumbled. Aura snuggled against him affectionately, which somehow reminded me of a daughter and a loving father. He put his arm around her, pulling Aura close. 'I just can't leave Aura here alone" Both out Chat Modes were on "Whisper" for Aura isn't something I feel we shouldn't talk out loud.

"Aura is an NPC, isn't she?" I said, slightly amazed. Why would someone care about something that isn't real? Of course, the way he held her made me feel awful for even thinking that. He started to say something, but I announced louder and quicker, "I'm leaving. You should too. Aura is part of this game . . . I-I think she will do okay staying in the place she lives" I pat Aura's head. "Right?"

Aura nodded. "I will be okay here . . . When I find it . . ."

"Aura's powers I guess" Taku stated with a shrug. "She said she is suppose to have more . . . That's the only wish she ever told me, so that must be it" He suddenly had a boyish grin. Those feelings of envy and admiration were replaced with annoyance. This guy is always ticking me off and I have no idea why. "I'm gonna find it" he declared proudly. Yea, whatever . . . I felt my eyes rolling.

"Good luck with that –"

"You could see Aura!" Taku exclaimed. Aura's head tilted. A girl with blue hair looked at us with a strange look as she walked past us. "You have to help us!"

"Dude! Switched back to 'Whisper'" I hissed. To show how serious this is, I smashed "/infur" on my keyboard so my avatar appear absolutely furious. He mumbled an apology and obeyed my command instantly.

The crowds of people were now replaced with foreigners who decided to ventured in the U.S. Server or annoying jackasses who constantly curses and say perverted things. My chat window filled up with broken English, obnoxious statements I rather not read, words from the few normal people who I'm starting to love with all my heart and the deviling chatter of an insane bastard known as Taku.

"She is not a Player, yet not a NPC" he whispered. He stepped closer. I noticed that his voice gotten softer. Aura was behind of him, clinging to his hand firmly. Her eyes held a blank expression that creeps me out. "She's special . . .and she needs help--"

"No!!!" I cried out and quickly logged out.


12:28 a.m.– Bedroom

I felt my throat ached when I shutdown my laptop, and tossed my FMD on my desk. Night clothed my room in darkness. I fumbled and collapsed onto my bed. I decided to skip school and sleep all day since it was a half-day. I buried my face in my pillow, thinking about Aura and Taku. My stomached twisted as the thought of Taku being a hacker squirmed into my mind. Did he made Aura?

She is not a Player, yet not a NPC . . .

Closing my eyes, I begin pondering about Aura. Who exactly is she?



Like i said, it gets better. it really does! Read more to find out about Aura! And why the hell is Aika is so freak out!