Written while listening to the music of Parasite Eve.
Very hypnotic... :p
Disclaimer: serial experiments "lain" and all things
related are properties of brilliant people like Udea
Yasuyuki, Konaka Chiaki and ABe Yoshitoshi. However,
the story itself is mine... I guess... :p


a Serial Experiments Lain fanfiction:
RESTORE
by Silver Wind
lain@suiko.net
Ginga - http://suiko.net/lain/


"There was a strange event on the Wired last week."
The boy raised one eyebrow in question, "Really?"
"Yeah," the girl flipped her long hair back
thoughtfully, "The Knights... you know, the elite clique...
they suddenly began to disappear one by one. Completely,
even down to their records and histories."
"Scary," he murmured, "Who possibly could do that?
I mean, the Knights are... were the top class hackers
themselves, right?"
"Well, not anymore they are!" she sneered, "There
is definitely at least one person with more skill than
theirs now! How I wish to meet that person!"
"Why do you want to?" he asked.
She laughed, "To congratulate him or her, of
course!"
"Oh, that's right," the boy put an arm around her
waist, smiling wickedly, "I forgot how much you hate the
Knights."
"With all my heart," she replied firmly, fire in
her eyes, "Ever since they destroyed the lives of my
parents... by spreading their secrets and backgrounds on
the Wired. There's no one happier than I am with the
destruction of the Knights!"
He smiled, "I hope you'll be able to meet that
incredible person someday, then."
Her eyes watered and she smiled gratefully to him.

Across the street, a young girl with junior high school
uniform looked at the couple, a small strange smile
playing on her lips.

===========================================================

"Hey, why are you crying?"
The boy looked up in surprise. The small cafe stayed
silent. An older boy was standing right beside him,
concern on his face.
"S... sempai... I'm fine, really..."
"I don't buy that," the older boy snorted, "You
only cry if you're emotionally shaken. Come on, you've
always come to me... why not now?"
"I...," he bowed his head shyly, "I'm just very
happy... that's all..."
"Let me guess," the sempai smiled, "because the
disgusting bulletin board is destroyed now?"
He blushed, "H... hai..."
"I'm glad too," the other one grinned, "I want
to thank whoever did that to the Knights."
His face tensed, "I still don't understand why
they disgraced us like that..."
"Maybe they just didn't like to see two boys in
love with each other," his sempai hugged him gently,
"Served them right... I've heard that lots of Users
cheered for their fall."
"Hai," the boy hugged his sempai back, "Thank
you, whoever you are..."

A girl stood outside the cafe, peering inside. She
turned around and smiled.

===========================================================

"Are we safe now?"
The girl shrugged wearily, "Hopefully. With all
the ruckus here, people likely will forget about the
rumors..."
A silence fell around the table. The girl stirred her
coffee thoughtfully. A waitress came and served their
meal.
"Oneesan, who saved us?" the boy whispered.
"Who knows?" she laughed humorlessly, "Damn all
the Knights into hell! May they all rot there!"
"What about oniisan?"
"It's too late to save him now," she sighed, "he
can never recover fully. I'm just glad that at least his
revenge is paid now."
"Hai... the Knights made oniisan insane," the
boy winced in pain, "and made us into orphans like this..."
"They were just jealous because oniisan was... is
the most brilliant programmed in the world," his sister
replied.
He smiled a little, "Well, they could never harm
any other people now, right oneesan?"
Her face softened and she hugged him fiercely,
"Right..."

From her own table, a girl looked at them. She nodded to
herself and drank her soda.

===========================================================

"It seems that I've done the right thing after all,"
she whispered.


FIN


Written on March 12, 2000. Finished on 12:26 PM.
Final revision finished on March 21, 2000.