Writer's note: Because much of the post .hack/G.U. games and other content has not been released stateside, and much of it is said to be crap anyway (Seriously what in the heck do stories about online games and advanced AI's have to do with poorly named eco-terrorist groups?), I'm not factoring them into this particular story. If you like Link and all that, expect to be disappointed. Growing Up and Moving On assumes that you have played the G.U. Games. If you have not played them, go do that. :)
Also this first chapter contains several themes that might make people uncomfortable such as alcoholism and child abuse. Reader discretion advised.
It was two years since the AIDA and Cubia crises struck "The World: R:2." While the game made enough money to stay afloat for a couple years, CC Corp was starting to feel the after-effects of their bad decisions. Gamers had left the game for a number of reasons. Parents had been canceling subscriptions because of the stories of children falling into comas. Others didn't like how the PK Tournament went. And still others protested the treatment of their favorite treasure hunter, Ovan,
Try as they might, CC Corp was struggling to save R:2. They raised the level cap. They had even started tightening the rules around PKing. Now, you had to be in a certain level range if you wanted to attack other players. In other words, a level 100 player couldn't attack a new player. Although this caused a number of players (mostly Kestrel) to quit, others welcomed this, and other changes to the community. Pi had been brought back on to oversee it. However, it wasn't enough.
Several lawsuits of varying kinds were finally in the works. It had come to light that CC Corp knew that AIDA was becoming a major threat and had sabotaged the main efforts to contain it by handing off control of their system to a psychotic preteen who willfully spread it. While said preteen could no longer be held criminally responsible, CC Corp's handling of that situation was one of the reasons people were outraged. As the case was getting started CC Corp was becoming unraveled.
However, this is not the story of a corporation brought to its knees by greed and incompetence. This is the story of the final days of "The World" and their protectors as they put the controllers down and move on.
Chapter 1: Sakubo
Today was the big day. Bo felt sad but at the same time, he was happy to be able to log on one more time. The World R:2 was shutting down. Yata said it was because of all the stuff that happened. It had managed to last awhile though. He reflected on everything as he strolled down Mac Anu, ignoring the cursing people. It was only two years ago, Iori Nakanishi, otherwise known as Sakubo, met Haseo and was a key player in the battle against AIDA and Cubia. After that, he continued enjoying the time he spent with Haseo online, and the time he spent with his big sister, Saku. Saku, for her part had actually given up her pursuit Endance. Six months after the battle, she had given up said pursuit after a chat with Pi at the Serpent of Lore.
"Young lady, you do understand that if you were basically any other player, you would probably sanctioned by me or another member of CC Corp's mod team?" Pi said. "Your behavior seriously crosses the line. Seriously, following Endrance around, taking screenshots of him and handing them out to other people in your club without his knowledge is not okay."
"But I love him!" She shouted.
"No you love the idea of him," Pi said, calmly. "Look, he only considers you a friend. It's only because he's your friend, and because he's slightly oblivious to anything not Haseo related that he hasn't reported you."
"I think it's because he likes me." She said.
Pi rubbed her temples, both ingame and offline. "Listen. If another mod catches you acting out, I can't help you. You and Bo share an account. If you get banned so does he. And since you use the same account, you should consider how your actions reflect on him to other players."
Saku paused. Since the rules had always been loose, she had never considered this. None of the mods had ever gotten on her before but with the new rules, an IP ban was possible and she didn't have the knowledge to get around it. And as much as she loved Endrance, she loved her brother even more and didn't want to see him get cut off from "big brother" Haseo, was probably the only real male role-model she trusted. Like she'd let him take lessons from the blue haired pervert or the shirtless guy with the fans who talked in so many big words she needed subtitles.
"Okay miss Pi... I'll only treat Endrance as a friend from now on." Saku said.
Pi was a little shocked at how quickly Saku backed down but she figured sisters, even ones that only existed in their brother's head, would never do anything to intentionally hurt their brother. At the time, Bo was shocked too. As he went to the Chaos Gate, he reflected on the next parts.
Since she couldn't obsessively watch Endrance anymore, she had to find another way to play. She was max level already. She had debated trying to compete in the Arena. Maybe she could become a greater Emperor, or in her case Empress, than Haseo or Endrance. After all, she wouldn't use her Avatar, unlike them. However when she went to Lumina Cloth, she got the error Message: "You are ineligible to compete in the Arena." Enraged, she went to Raven to bother Pi. Kuhn was there too, from the look of things, getting dressed down for another skirt chasing escapade, though she had just missed the conversation.
"What gives!?" She said. "Why can't I compete in the Arena?"
"I guess you didn't read the e-mail," Pi said. "You and Bo were sick so you missed the meeting. After the PK tournament, a lot of the players still questioned the results of it and Haseo's victories in the Arena. It was only thanks to the Cubia incident that he managed to regain the goodwill of the playerbase. The extenuating circumstances surrounding the whole mess no longer exist. Thanks to Sakaki, everyone knows that Haseo has an illegal skill and that we're closely associated with him. It is more likely than not that they believe, correctly, that we have illegal skills even if they don't know the name. If we started winning tournaments, we'd be viewed with suspicion even if we played honestly. The mods believed it was best to ban Epitaph Users from the Arena to keep everyone from spreading conspiracy theories on the forums."
"That's not fair!" She said stomping her feet. "I didn't choose to be an Epitaph User!"
"I know," Pi said. "However, the decision has been made. It's out of my hands."
Saku pouted when Kuhn spoke up.
"If you want my suggestion, try playing the game a different way," Kuhn said. "Bo was always going along with you on your adventures, maybe do something he wants. There's more to the game than combat."
She had stood in Mac Anu for a moment after that, thinking about what she could do with Bo. Bo always wanted to play a more active role in Canard but she rather enjoyed being a major force in Trifle. There was never time for both guilds and Bo acquiesced to Saku. She thought about it some more at the Chaos Gate. Working with Haseo would give the boy some badly needed self confidence. She couldn't always protect him and he couldn't depend on Haseo. . She decided to swallow her pride and go see the famous Adept Rogue.
Even though the player base was declining, you couldn't tell from Canard's new Home on the Delta server. It was a field at Delta, Flying, Emperor's, New Beginning. Luckily, Bo had a guest key. It was a large forest with lots of birds. Presumably, Atoli's design. There were also some bluebirds, a shout out to Ovan. Players were training. Atoli was holding a lecture on avoiding scam artists. Haseo had just got done putting on a show for an audience. Though he couldn't compete in the arena, he could always duel other guild members. Silabus measured up quite well and even beat him a couple times. As a rule he never used his Dual Gun weapons.
"Hey Haseo," Saku said. "Nice performance, for an amateur. Master En is way better."
"Yeah, yeah I know," Haseo said, taking it in stride. "What brings you here?"
"Bo wanted us to become official members of Canard. Trifle is falling apart.
Haseo looked her over. She seemed sincere enough.
"What will you bring to the guild?"
"I can help new Shadow Warlocks. I hear that the other one left the other day."
This was true. Gaspard's parents, motivated by all the new stuff that was rapidly coming to light as a result of the lawsuits, canceled his account. A tearful goodbye was had by all. Haseo would never admit it but he might have cried the most.
"Bo wants to run the shop too!"
"It's a deal. But you have to treat the players with respect, got it? I won't treat you two any differently than anyone else."
Saku nodded.
Over the next few months, Bo worked the shop and Saku would help during training sessions. Bo would come out too, or rather, Saku would try to step back, Bo seemed to be getting comfortable but would immediately switch to Saku if things started to go off the rails. This despite Haseo giving him lessons on being assertive.
This was complicated by the fact that his mother was starting to get physically abusive instead of just neglectful. She'd taken to drinking in excess. He had received a couple beatings. One day Haseo sent him an e-mail after an adventure with Tabby. He'd been hurting but he really needed some time with his big brother. The only reason his mom left the computer alone was that she wanted him out of her hair.
"Look I'm not going to pry or make assumptions but you told me your mom isn't very good," the e-mail read. "Over the last couple adventures, you sound strange over the mic. You say you get sick and I know how you sound when you get sick. The last couple adventures, you've sounded like you were in pain. If your mom is hurting you, you need to tell someone. No matter how sick you are or how much you mess up, you do not deserve to be abused."
Bo assured him that everything was fine and Haseo promised to be there if he needed him as his honorary big brother. Saku knew better. Things were not fine and unless they did something this was going to get worse.
One day, after a particularly severe beating, Saku forced herself to the forefront. She staggered her way to their phone. Since she couldn't speak without waking her mom hearing. It was time to put her plan in action. She sent an e-mail to Haseo.
"Mom is beating us and Bo is getting sicker, please help."
Saku forgot to give an address. She accidentally woke their mom up and had to click send before she could say more. She hoped against hope that the experts on knowing more than they should could do something.
"You're grounded! I'm taking away your Internet access!" The mom shouted as she hit Iori and then shattered the phone. "Now stay in your room!" Which wouldn't be a command he could disobey as she locked the door from the outside. Luckily Saku had hid the laptop under the bed. Their mom, too drunk and enraged only turned off the router.
Pi and Yata would give Bo transcripts of the things he wasn't there for. In their view, since it concerned him personally, and they didn't have grounds to keep this one a secret (for once), he had a right to know what the group did. From the e-mails, he learned that Haseo called an emergency meeting of the Epitaph Users. He was livid. Everyone but Kuhn was there.
"How dare she!" Haseo said. Beating her own child! What kind of mother is she?"
"Calm down," Pi said. "You will not think up a solution while you're flying into a rage."
"You have Bo's address don't you Yata?" Atoli said as she hugged Haseo.
"No," Yata said. "They moved recently, perhaps to avoid suspicion from the neighbors. Neither of them updated their addresses. Now that G.U. is dead, I do not have the resources to track down addresses. Even if I could, I cannot give it to you as per international law."
"Dammit!" Haseo said.
"If I may... Interject?" Endrance said. "Saku sent me an e-mail with her address when she moved, before the rules changed. She invited me to come over."
"Why the hell did you keep it?" Pi said. "You know what kind of person that makes you look like, right?"
"I assure you that I have no bad intentions. Saku and Bo have always struck me as more than a little... Unstable. The fact that she gave me her address without regard for the consequences is proof. I figured I should keep it in case they started harming themselves." Endrance said without missing a beat. "I know more about self harm than I'd like. Even if Saku can be grating, I didn't want to see her hurt. Haseo's desire to protect others has influenced me."
Pi looked at Yata.
"Given that Endrance has never harmed anyone or demonstrated any romantic intent towards the two, it's safe to assume what he says is true," Yata said. "Endrance, forward the address to Haseo. Haseo, send the text and the address to the police. It may not be the smartest idea to keep this so after this is over, delete the address."
Haseo and Endrance logged off to carry out his orders.
Iori, this time under control of the Bo persona, woke up in the middle of the night to hear police at their door. They were coming to investigate an anonymous tip that he would later learn came from his big brother. His mother, answered the door, falling down drunk.
"Is... There a problem... Officer?" She said, slurring.
"We received reports that a child here is being abused."
"I'm... S-sorry b-but you have the wrong, i-dea... I n-never hurt my son... Iori... T-tttells tales like all... Kids..."
Saku thought about taking control and doing it herself but Iori's Saku persona was seen as a manifestation of mental illness. She was smart enough to know that if police talked to her instead of the real Iori, there was a chance their mom could spin it as him being crazy. It was a gamble but if it was Bo talking instead of Saku, the police might listen. This was something her brother could do... Or more accurately had to do. Even if she was wrong about the police not believing the words of the Saku persona, she believed that this was something Bo needed to do.
It's now or never Bo... We only have one shot. The police won't listen to me and you know what she'll do once they leave. Act NOW! You can do it! Just remember what Haseo taught you.
I'm scared.
You can do this. I got Haseo's attention and Haseo must have gotten the police. Now you must play your part.
He remembered everything he learned from fighting the virtual monsters online and all the things Haseo taught him.
That's it Bo! You could stand up to AIDA and Cubia and save the world! Now stand up to her! Do everything you can to make as much noise as possible! Scream! Shout! Break stuff! Whatever you have to do to get the police in here! Remember what Miss Ayumi said in social studies? If the police see or hear something that sounds like a crime, they can enter with probable cause!
Iori, still weak, staggered to his feet and turned on the light so the officer could see him. He would have to sacrifice the heavy duty laptop that had all the nice emails and greeting cards Haseo and Atoli sent him but it would be enough to break the window He picked up the laptop and carried it to the window. Running on sheer willpower and adrenaline, he swung it at the window. Just as the police were buying the story and turning to leave, one of them noticed what Iori was doing.
"What is that kid doing...?" The officer paused. Seeing a kid try to bust a window out would grab any officer's attention. With a second swing the window broke.
"Help!" He said, coughing up blood. "She beat me and locked me in here!"
He was shouting as loud as could. Immediately, the officers marched back in. They had cause to search the place now. They saw bottles and cans everywhere. The house was a pigsty. One went in the kitchen and found not much in the way of food. The other busted the door in. They say Iori, ready to pass out.
"...Please help.."
"Holy hell!" The officer said. "Officer Hamasaki! Get an ambulance down here!"
Iori would be transferred to the ER, as would his mom. The officers were worried that she had too much. He was unconscious for the trip. The doctors would later treat his bruises and they noted the broken bones. When he fully woke up and seemed more or less ready to talk again, a man in a suit came in.
"Greetings Iori, "He said. "I'm Kataoka, Akira," He said, putting his last name first. "To answer what is most likely your first question, I'm here to be your court appointed guardian. Usually parents are supposed to be present when you give a statement, but because that would be a conflict of interest in your case, you get me. I'll be by your side throughout this." He said as officers came in. "Be brave and tell them the whole truth."
He indeed told them everything. About the beatings, the drunkenness, the time his mother said she wished his stillborn sister had lived instead of him which led to his current mental disturbance. He even let slip Haseo's real name that he gave him in a chain of emails.
Iori would remain in the hospital for a few more days. A foster home was being set up. On account of his Dissociative Identity Disorder, the prosecution was unsure about using him on the stand but that soon didn't matter. All the pictures of the bruises and the house would be what they needed. Doctors even insinuated that the alcoholism are what caused the stillbirth of Sakura.
Soon after, Haseo got a medal in the mail from the police thanks to Iori letting his name slip. It was a small trinket but it was far more than he got for saving the world.
Pi told him that Yata called Haseo in three weeks later. "Good morning, Haseo. Congratulations on the commendation from the police."
"What's the update? Bo hasn't contacted us in weeks."
"He is fine. I got a report from a source in the police."
Yata explained everything. Bo was in foster care. The last couple weeks, he'd been kept for observation and therapy. His mother would be pleading guilty to child abuse. She had her parental rights terminated.
"That's good," Haseo said. "I hope he can log back in."
Soon he would be able to. Two weeks later, after convincing his foster mom to buy him a copy of "The World" he logged in to contact Haseo She was very reluctant but once she learned that the person who basically saved his life was there, she couldn't say no. The minute he logged back in Haseo ran to Mac Anu, as did most of Canard. They all had a tearful reunion. Bo was doing better at a new school and he was getting sick less.
However, in the midst of this, Saku was making preparations. Bo was depending on her less. He could even go up to four days at a time without turning into Saku.
On Iori's 13th birthday Saku took over and e-mailed Haseo.
"Come to Lumina Cloth," the mail said
Haseo logged in. Endrance was there too. Saku was there waiting. "Hey Haseo," She said.
"What's up, Saku?"
"It's time for me to go." She said, seeming said but not nearly as sad as before.
"Saku," Haseo said, a little frantically, "We've had this conversation before! Bo depends on you!"
"No he doesn't. It was him who took action when the police came and him who gave the statement. He doesn't need me nearly as much."
"But he still does!"
"That's the problem! If he keeps relying on me, he'll never grow up. He'll have to stay in mental hospitals and junk all his life." She sighed. "Listen, I died years ago. Following Endrance, saving the world, even hanging out with you, have been the best, but if Bo, clings to me, he'll never function in the real world."
"But-" Endrance cut him off.
"If she stays forever, he'll become like me and the AIDA Cat," Endrance said. "Rejecting the world and isolating himself behind something that isn't real."
Haseo sighed. Unlike last time, this wasn't a cry for help. She made up her mind and there was no talking her down.
"All right. What do you want me to do?"
"Get Raven together. We're going some place special."
The next day, all of the Epitaph users were at the Great Temple of Carleon Medb. This temple would be the place Saku would merge with Bo. All the Epitaph Users, aside from Ovan, stood in a circle. Saku, in her spirit form stood across from Bo.
"Why'd she want to do it here?" Atoli asked Haseo.
"I think because this is the place we all got a power boost," Haseo said. "Maybe this is her way of giving Bo a power boost. Makes about as much sense as anything else she's done.
"Big sister, I don't want to lose you," Bo said.
"You idiot, I am you," she said. "The qualities I have, like assertiveness and strength will always be part of you. You don't need to hide behind me now. You can face the world on your own." Bo still seemed scared.
"He can," Haseo said. "But he doesn't have to. I'm right here."
"So am I." Atoli said.
"Me too," Kuhn said.
"Regardless of what happens to this game, I have your back, kid." Yata said.
"I too am right here," Endrance said. "And not just because Haseo is."
"I may not be good with kids, but I'm right here." Pi said.
"See?" Saku said, tearing up. "You can always turn to them. You don't need a split personality. Now let's do this. Today you get a birthday present, a normal life."
Saku and Bo walked forward. When they met with each other in the center, Saku melded into Bo's character. There was a flash of light. Bo would come out of it looking different. His weapon had both the sun and moon instead of just one or the other on both sides. Both halves of his jester cap pointed up, and his black backpack had red stripes.
Thank you for giving me a small chance at life, even if only virtually. I'll always be with you, little brother.
"I need to lay down..." Bo stepped away from the computer, forgetting to click log out. He'd be fine later but the reintegration was taxing. He'd overhear this conversation before the system logged him out automatically.
"It's weird but I feel like we lost a friend," Haseo said.
"Indeed we did," Endrance said. "But everything dies. But without death, there can be no growth. If flowers lived forever, there would be no room for new ones to grow. If Saku stayed forever, Bo would have no room to grow. Even though he lost his sister today, he found something else."
"What?" Atoli said.
"The power to stand on his own,"
Bo would continue to stand on his own and become Canard's Treasurer, right up to today, when he would gate to Netslum for a farewell party.
-End of Chapter 1
Writer's Note: Yes I am aware that Bo's mother is never specifically stated to be an alcoholic in the games. However, it is stated that one of the twins died in childbirth, which is common if the mother drinks in excess during pregnancy and she is emotionally abusive, another common symptom of alcoholism. So I decided to fill in some details to add to the story. Also I don't know much about the Japanese legal system so put anything I got wrong in the "Suspension of Disbelief" file next to the part about online games putting people into comas.