.hack//awakening: Chapter 1

A/N: 31 views and no reviews? Come on, please? Thanks for that one alert, though. Please review.

Disclaimer: Don't own .hack.

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~??? POV~

Hardness…

That's the first thing I feel. The wood presses against my ribs, my legs, a tremor of fear slowly goes through me. I pry my eyes open, them sticky with sleep.

A dull pounding is next, I groan, sitting up slowly. My hands cradling my head gingerly, agony pounding like a drum through my head, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm drunk, not remembering I was too young back then to drink.

I feel the spear brushing against my back. It wrapped in a leather sheath, made by a friend of mine when I woke a few months ago in this world.

I blink slowly, the agony slowly pounding away, my breathing slowing. I look around, disoriented and confused.

My tongue slowly unsticks from the roof of my mouth. My hands go down to where the canteen is, the one I keep on me at all times. The coolness of the water soothes me, comforts me.

I groan and cradle my head in my hands again, my fingers rubbing the aching pounding echoing in my head. Wishing everything would stop for a moment.

I finally look up from my pew bench, knowing no matter how much pain I'm in, I need to know where I am.

My eyes scan the new place with uncertainty. Not missing an inch of detail. I feel the tenseness of my shoulders and back slowly loosening as I recognize the place, a place where I've been many times before, one of my few sanctuaries…

Delta: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground.

My eyes slowly scan the cathedral, lost in my memories of Kite and Blackrose. They always found comfort in this place, and of me searching and finding sanctuary away from everyone in this place, a place of solitude, and the place where I could rest.

My eyes skid to a stop on the pedestal, where when I last saw, a goddess statue stood, wrapped in chains. One of the few solaces in the world, the words carved in stone below it etched in people's memories, even though most don't know the full significance of them. Only a chosen few…

She's gone…

My eyes flicker in disbelief, wondering now how long I slept. I thought I only slept for a night, not this long. Unless the admins did some-

My thoughts break off, my eyes slowly taking in what's right in front of me.

A blood red triangle, carved deep in stone.

My feet carry me slowly towards the pedestal, a tremor going through my body as it did when I saw those words carved in stone in what seems years ago. My fingers slowly reach out to touch the triangle, it glows a bright red as my fingers reach towards the deep carving…

A creaking interrupts my thoughts, my focus on the mysterious and ominous symbol in front of me. I whirl around, dropping in a fighting crouch with my hand gripping my spear in seconds, my mind still in that state of fear and paranoia that kept me going for all this time.

The figure blinks slowly, as if totally caught off-guard at my hostile reaction. "Hello…" She says, walking past me as I slowly relax. I blink, seeing her clothes, them a lot more modern than my puffy pants and long-sleeved tunic of a long blade…

Am I still in The World at all?

"Hi," I say awkwardly, still trying to absorb the fact that she looks the complete opposite than I do. I close and unclose my hands, the tough leather along with rubber feeling comforting in this new world. "Where am I?" I ask, my head swiveling around to look at the deeply carved blood-red triangle again.

She gives me an odd look, probably wondering how new I am in the game if I don't even know where I am in it. "You're in the Hulle Granz Cathedral, also known as Delta: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. When did you start? If you want, I could help you…"

The blood drains from my face as the implications of what he's saying sinks in. I stagger back, not realizing I hit the solid wood bench until my knees give out under me, me crashing heavily onto the pew.

Dear God…

I am in the same world.

My mind tries to absorb these words. The headache that had dulled since I saw the triangle starts pounding again and I dig my fingernails into my skin, trying to dull the pain…

Trying to forget what happened.

How long have I been sleeping?

It certainly hasn't been just one night. It's impossible, what happened? My breath comes in short gasps, wheezing coming through my lungs, panting as panic cuts my breath short. Every breath a stab into my side, I feel a hand shake me roughly, my whole body jolting as I feel it.

"It's okay, just breathe… In, out, in, out… Hey, I was a noob once, too. It's hard, especially with all those PK'ers out to kill you now." The voice says cheerily, her words getting to me as my feel my breath calming. The wheezing quieting, my eyes sting, and I wipe the tears away, not knowing when I started crying.

My breath back, I take a few more, my thoughts trying to reorganize the chaos swirling around in it. So this is the same world, so I have slept for a lot longer than I thought. My mind tries to go back to what happened before I woke up, between the time I crashed on the pew, exhausted from a day of fighting and exploring and waking up here, in this new World.

I look up at her, her watching curiously, tilting her head sideways as I study her for a few minutes. "Tell me…" I whisper hoarsely, feeling my mouth drier than it ever was since I opened my eyes, my breath coming in short, pained gasps that feel like a stab every time. "How long has it been since the Twilight Incident?"

She studies me oddly, her eyes taking in every inch of my long spear outfit, going from the braided back hair and the tough leather gloves to the leather booted feet, not missing a detail in the process. "It's been seven years." She says quietly, her voice barely audible, as if it affected her life, too.

My mind barely registers her tone of voice before her words sink in, and I'm glad to be sitting when they do. My mind reels, the world spinning out of control as I grab the back of pew, my fingers scrambling for a good grip. I feel the blood draining from my face as her words register.

Seven years…

Dear God…

I slept for seven years.

I feel a deep stab in my ribs again, but I shove it down. I need to get a hold of myself. But…

What happened to my family?

My friends?

Am I dead? Am I no longer existing outside this game?

Seven years. The words hauntingly ring in my head, the only thing I can hear over the pounding of my own heart. I feel the sting in my eyes, and I angrily wipe at them, not wanting to cry, not right now. Not with so many questions reeling through my head.

My mind scrambles, trying to find anything to help me in this bizarre new World.

Helba…

If she ever gave up this game, it would be when it was officially deleted. I close my eyes, centering myself for a moment. I don't know where I am now, or what happened, but at least I have a goal…

I need to find Helba.

I slowly stand up, feeling the world spin as I grab the pew again. Staggering as everything tilts off-course. I feel a hand grab me, gently centering me, I look down and see the little girl who has told me everything about this new world.

I smile down at her. "Thanks." I say gratefully, straightening up fully, feeling a slight lurch, but steadying quickly. "I think I'm okay now, thanks for your offer, though." I slowly head out, reaching for the door that will open me to this new and changed world.

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping, I like helping new members." She says with a smile and a slight bounce. I tilt my head curiously, wondering if she's a PK'er, I learned long ago not to take people's appearances as is in The World. It has saved my life quite a few times. Her words that she's been PK'd a few times is still ringing through my mind, too.

"No, it's okay, really." I insist, my hand grasping the handle firmly as I start to push it open. "What's your name? Maybe I'll contact you on the boards sometime." I say, knowing full well that I don't have access to them and mostly grateful this moment that I don't.

"My name is Aina, what's yours?" She tilts her head sideways, her eyes flashing disappointment as she brushes off her white dress, her black hair and eyes a sharp contrast to the whiteness that seemed to surround her.

I push the door open firmly, starting to step out as I say my name, hoping that I did make the right choice in deciding to not follow this mysterious girl. "My name's Sara, good to meet you." The last word is met with the slamming of the door, me facing it as I slowly turn around to see this new world that I have woken up to.

TBC…

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A/N: I know it's probably pretty boring now, but things will be picking up over time. Please review.