Chapter VII: Morganna

Λ Server Root Town, Carmina Gadelica

Two women, clothed in armored blue and green river dancing dresses and carrying halberds saluted upon the arrival of a fairly handsome knight in black armor, red lining and large black wings. His onyx hair swayed in the wind.

"Katya. Relena," said the man, gesturing his hands for them to come over to him. "I need each of you to head over to Mac Anu and Dun Loireag for me. It is of the utmost importance at this time."

Relena nodded, but Katya was confused. "Why us, DA? You're filling in for Mistress Beatrix. You have contact with the leaders. Why do we need to do your work?"

Dark Angel slapped himself in the face, exhausted and frustrated. "Because I need to find out what happened to Beatrix, and, to do that…I have to go out alone. Do you understand?" Finally Katya nodded and the two women turned to the Chaos Gate.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said, dropping to one knee and saluting. "Do not mention this to Rain or the others: I am going to Net Slum to speak with a hacker called Helba. She is said to carry vast information unavailable to normal players. It is imperative that none of the others find out. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sure."

"…Good." Dark Angel watched as they gated out and went on his way. "I hope Beatrix did not do anything stupid…"

Ω: Putrid, Geothermal, March

Locke stood out on the sludge in the marshes, his wand out and ready for combat. He turned up and saw Demosthenes high above, looking out off the balcony. He nodded at her, and she nodded back. In several minutes Aura would arrive, and they would finally get their wish.

When Aura did come, however, she was not too pleased with what she saw. The girl was cloaked in a radiant white light, a long, flowing purple dress and a lighter shawl. Her basic color scheme was purple and white, with mixtures of light and dark. Tears poured down her cheeks like rivers, and she held out her hands, longing for the beauty that had died in this realm to return.

"Aura," called Locke, fascinated by the girl's beauty. "Welcome."

"What has happened here?" said the Chosen One, hovering in the air ahead of him.

"Corruption."

"But why? How did this happen?" She lowered herself and placed a finger in the bubbling, oozing waters. When they connected, the water suddenly purified, turning from a vomit green into a clear crystal. Locke grimaced at this and held up his wand. The girl's eyes widened. "Skeith," she breathed, backing up.

"Yes, Skeith. It is time for the reunification of The World and its rightful master!" He raised his wand to Aura and shouted, "Data Drain!" The girl dared to escape, which angered Locke. He fired at her again, and she dodged it perfectly. He tapped the wand on the water's surface and the sound of a bell could be heard, ringing all around the field. Aura grabbed her head and covered her ears, lowering to the ground as the bell kept ringing and ringing, a deafening noise in her mind. Once again Locke attempted to attack her, this time succeeding. She cried in horror as streams of data oozed from her body. When he had finished she fell to the pool and disappeared.

"She escaped…" seethed Locke. Demosthenes appeared behind him, glaring. "But I got what we needed." Instead of strangling him she hugged him tight, and brought him back up into the tower.

"Yes! Good!" she cried, jumping up and down enthusiastically. "Now for the final phase of our plan, Locke. We need another avatar, preferably a Pole Arm, if you can manage it. As I said, Morganna is going to need a body."

"Yes," he agreed. "I know of just the person, too." They shared a maniacal laugh and went their separate ways.

Δ Server Root Town, Mac Anu

"And if you call me that one more time I will knock your teeth out and puke in your heart!"

"And what did he say?"

"He wanted a divorce."

I passed by as two people were having a laugh. When they saw me and recognized who I was, they jumped into my way. "Hiya," said one perky girl, a Blademaster. The other one, a Twinblade, jumped up beside her, giving me an awkward, flirty wave. "You're that guy, right?"

"—the one, that guy who won the Wave Event, am I correct?"

I nodded and rolled my eyes. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Didn't you ask for wings?" said the Blademaster, completely ignoring me. "I thought you got wings. Did you? Where are they?"

"No, stupid! He gave them to his brother, remember?"

"—actually, Lawk is not my brother. He's a very special friend…"

"Special? Oh, I see."

"Where is he? I wanna see his wings! That Nami girl didn't have them either. She won some, didn't she?"

"Administrators exchanged them for some stupid feather-thing, didn't they? Yeah, they did."

As the two argued amongst themselves I tried passing, but they remembered I was there soon after. The Blademaster hopped up and down eagerly, like a dog in heat. "Will you go to the Valentine Event with us? It will be soo much fun, we promise!"

"Well, I'm not sure what I'm doing right now, you see—"

"He's going with his boyfriend," whispered the Twinblade.

"No, actually. I'm not…I don't have one, and—well, I sort of do—he's not here right now. I'm actually looking for him as we speak. And every second you stand here, wasting my time, he is probably suffering."

"So will you go with us?"

"Yay!"

I continued on past them and headed down to the gondola station, and waited for the next passing boat. Two messages popped up on my screen showing me I had to Member Address invitations. I accepted them, allowing them the satisfaction of telling people that they knew me. I was not sure that, if they called, I would show up, but it amused me to no end. I stepped up to a merchant nearby who was selling house deeds. I looked through the list of what he had. I said no to the townhouse, cottage and manor. I saw that there was a nice mansion for sale down in the Town Square, fully furnished and everything. I purchased it for seventeen thousand GP and thanked the merchant kindly, and continued to wait for a boat.

When it stopped I slipped aboard and sat down. There were three other passengers, excluding the gondolier, talking softly in a small group. I sat far away, just so that I wouldn't interfere. The gondola pressed on, and we sailed quietly down through the many canals, enjoying the ride.

"So, will you attend the event with me tonight, BT?" said a Blademaster. He looked like a barbarian, the complete right side of his body painted blue. The other was clean. A white design of hexagons divided the paint and skin, making him look like two men fused together. He had fine brown hair, slicked back.

The woman he addressed, BT, wore an emerald green Wavemaster's robe and carried a long staff. Her corn yellow hair was decorated with a sort of tiara. "Of course I'll go, Bear. It's not every day that we go on dates in The World."

The third member of their happy circle, a tan Heavy Blade, dressed in crimson armor wielding a massive sword, chimed in at this, laughing hard. "What did you say!?" she said in a whiny voice. "Yes you do! You're always together! And you've got Tsukasa to thank for that." She smirked and folded her arms, grinning wickedly. The Wavemaster used her staff to shove the Heavy Blade off the side of the boat.

"Pest," said BT, chuckling quietly to herself.

"Now, BT, that wasn't very polite. Hold on, Mimiru, I'll get you out of there." He reached his long arms into the water, and attempted to reach the girl, failing miserably. I stood up, the boat rocking beneath my feet, and lowered my staff into the water.

"Uh…grab on," I called, and the Heavy Blade clutched on tight. Bear and I took hold of her as she inched closer and dragged her back on board.

"What was that!?" cried Mimiru, shaking the water out of her hair and pressing down the cloth on her armor, drying it off. "BT, you're not too kind…"

"Oh, I am kind, just—"

"Yeah, blah blah, pushover. I hear it all the time!" Mimiru harrumphed and turned away, staring at me now. "And what have we here?" she said, looking over my avatar more closely. "For a moment there, mister, I was about to call you Tsukasa." She giggled, and pointed at me. "Hey, Bear. Doesn't this guy look like Tsukasa?"

Bear removed his hand from BT's shoulder and stopped lecturing her to see what Mimiru wanted. "Hm? Oh, why yes. I suppose he does. Though Tsukasa doesn't wear green and brown."

"Still, it's a similar template."

"I agree. But look at the boy; I don't think we should be bothering him. He doesn't look very happy. I'm sorry, young man, for bothering you. Come along, Mimiru."

The girl sulked back to her original seat, glaring daggers at BT. "Oh…" I said, clutching my staff shyly. "It's all right. She's not bothering me."

BT tilted her head to get a better look. "Forgive me, but are you by any chance, Navel? The Wavemaster who was posted [Wanted!] a while back?"

"Now, BT, there you go, prying again—"

"Yes, that's me…" I lowered my head. More fans?

"Let me ask you, Mister Navel," Mister? I thought, smiling behind my FMD. "How did you come about obtaining one of those Guardians?"

"Oh, I didn't get one, I was attacked by it. I had originally thought that that Tsukasa guy saved me, up until the creatures began spawning everywhere. I was actually disappointed, to tell you the truth. I would have liked to meet him."

"I see. Well, Navel, that is very interesting. Are you planning on going to the Valentine Event this evening?" said Bear, studying my face. "I believe that our Mimiru has no date." He laughed at this joke, and Mimiru growled. "I'm only joking. But it would be nice to see you not alone. I mean, I am going with BT, Subaru is taking Tsukasa, and you never seem to go with anyone."

"Except for Silver Knight that one time," teased BT, nudging Bear in the rib.

"Well, I was planning on going with someone…but they can not make it," I kept my head lowered, and did not elaborate further. "If she wants to, I'll go."

Mimiru folded her arms again, and clicked her tongue. "Anything but going with Silver Knight again. All he did was interrupt me to make sure Tsukasa was not touching Subaru inappropriately the whole evening…online."

I perked up at this, laughing with everyone else. I remembered the days of the Crimson Knights, a vigilante force that used to maintain the peace in The World several years ago. I had seen Lady Subaru and the Silver Knight once or twice on my way through town, and he was very protective.

"Then it's settled. Wavemaster Navel will go with Mimiru," said Bear, clapping his hand on the side of the boat. "Anyway, I have to get back to work. I will see you all later. Goodbye." We waved as he hopped off the boat and onto the side of the canal, and left for the Chaos Gate. Mimiru and BT looked uncomfortable together and stared at me.

"So," said Mimiru, glancing at me up and down again. "Are you a powerful Wavemaster?" I nodded, to which she clapped her hands excitedly. "Cool! One of my best friends is a powerful Wavemaster. You might meet him tonight, actually. But you apparently know of him already, don't you? Tsukasa." Again I nodded and opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. "Can I ask why your date is not attending tonight? Sorry, I feel as if I'm—"

"Yes, you are being nosy," said BT, ready to force Mimiru off the boat again, but stopped suddenly, when I brushed the hair from my eyes and leaned forward.

"It's all right. She can ask. It's not like I've got anything to hide. And besides, if I can get it out to enough people, maybe CC corp. will get off their high horse and do something about it. My friend fell into a coma about two weeks ago, and, unlike the others, will not wake up…" The others could tell that I was upset by the way my voice was shaking. "There is something wrong with the system, and I think that those people are responsible…"

BT, a skeptic by nature, looked to me with her eyebrow raised. "Are you sure? Have you investigated?"

"I sat at his bedside," I said. "I held his hand. He is definitely comatose…and The World—or something in it—is at fault for this…"

"Well, that's not good," said Mimiru, who sounded like she understood. She told me about their past and about the player Tsukasa, and what had happened a couple years ago.

"I see. Nobody was ever informed of that," I noted sarcastically, knowing that CC corp. would never have said anything, just to keep player subscriptions to The World active. "That's terrible. So you know what it feels like, to have your best friend lost…"

"Well, no." said BT matter-of-factly. "Our Tsukasa was conscious here in the game. Whatever your friend is going through is different." She and Mimiru sent me their Member Addresses and stood up, disembarking the gondola. I followed them and accepted their invitations, smiling. "We'll keep in touch, Navel. I'll see what we can do for you."

I thanked them and they left. I paid the gondolier the riding fare of three GP and headed up to the Town Square, to explore the mansion I had purchased.

Ω: Putrid, Geothermal, March

"Finally!" cried Demosthenes, staring breathlessly at a floating screen. Locke stepped up behind her, peeking over her shoulder.

"Something good?"

"Oh, simply the best, Locke." She stood and embraced him tightly, cackling. "I have found the link while searching through Harald's Black Box! Are you ready to join The World, my love?" She grinned, maximizing the window so Locke could see.

"I see. The neurological output goes…"

"You're not too good with the science in it, Locke. That's all right. That is why you have me. All right. We're done with those two, put them in a cell. I may have some use for them later."

"Right. So how exactly are we going to do this?"

"Drain Heart, my dearest. Drain Heart, plus a bit of this," she opened a window, showing him a detailed neuro-suit. "We need two of them, and put them on. We shall attach them to our FMDs and then have one of the Phase programs, probably Macha, use Drain Heart. It's perfect!"

"Good for you, Demosthenes. I've selected our candidate for Morganna's vessel. I am stalking right now, just to get a feel of when the right time to attack is."

"Right. Excellent work. Go get to it. I'm logging off so I can get to work on making those suits. I'll have to go shopping for supplies…damn it. Well, I'm too excited to be angry!" She acted like a happy schoolgirl, jumping up and down screaming. "Project Morganna, activate!"

A loud crack of thunder boomed throughout the swamp, the tower shaking violently. Out on the balcony Locke and Demosthenes saw the clouds coming together to create a large, hurricane-like cloud, with the eye looming directly over them. Lightning crackled and zoomed around on the bottom surface of the mammoth storm cloud, trembling with angry energy. A loud cry echoed throughout, and then a frightening laugh.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! It is so good to be back!" howled the entity, lightning bolts firing randomly and aimlessly into the field below. Locke had to pull Demosthenes out of the way so she would not get blown to pieces. The ledge where they had moved from was struck and blew apart, falling to the crystal clear water below with a loud thud.

"Morganna!" said Demosthenes in a loud, commanding voice. "You are under the command of the Twilight Twins. Calm down, I say!" The entity thundered once more and lightning gathered at the center of the eye, crackling with raw energy. The dead trees below began spontaneously combusting, and the water boiling.

"Nobody commands The World," boomed Morganna, laughing maniacally. "Especially humans like you." She released the lighting from the hurricane's center, and it fired down fast on Demosthenes. She blocked it perfectly with her wand, and directed it back towards its maker. She waved her weapon in a circle, and a large magic circle lit up in the sky above Morganna, flashing once and then disappearing.

"I do," she said. "You are now paralyzed. I am your mistress, and you will be wise to do as I say!"

"You will be very sorry when I am free," Retorted Morganna.

"And who says you shall be free?" Locke asked, beaming at the storm. "It looks like we've got The World wrapped around our fingers."

"For now…"

Λ Server Root Town, Carmina Gadelica

The Midnight Metropolis was completely decorated for the festival of love. Flowers grew everywhere, little boats paddled around in the dark waters below, which was never allowed, and everything just seemed so overdone. I gated in and walked over to the Grunty Farm while waiting for Mimiru and the others. I saw my grunty, Mr. Moo Moo, sitting by two others, eating a La Pumpkin. I sat on the hay and snapped my fingers and called him over. He nestled in my lap and snuggled his head between my sleeve and stomach.

"Hey there, little guy," I said, patting its head. It stared up at me with its large, beady eyes, and squealed happily. I pulled out an Angry Carrot and lopped it in half, giving my pet little pieces at a time.

After a while of playing with Mr. Moo, Moo Mimiru arrived, dressed in a cultural outfit designed specifically for the festival. She must have bought it from the Registrar…I should go get one myself. "Hello again, Mimiru. You look nice." She smiled, blushing and straightening out her frilly skirt.

"Hi, Navel. Bear and BT will be here shortly. They're just getting home from a dinner party, or something, and have to get settled in."

"Oh, they're married?" I asked.

"No, they're just…together, I suppose. I have suggested they get married on plenty occasions, but they don't want to for some reason."

"I see," I said, walking with her to the Registrar. I purchased a ceremonial robe and equipped it, and followed the Heavy Blade back to the Chaos Gate to wait for her friends.

"Hey, am I crazy, or something? Or did you hear that loud thunderous booming earlier?"

I bit my lip to keep from choking on happy tears. "Well, you are crazy," I said slyly. "But yes. I did hear that. I wonder what it was."

I saw her veins pop out on her head, and she punched me in the forehead, raising her chin snobbishly. "I'm not crazy." She harrumphed and then smiled.

"Heh…So, yeah. Why don't you ever have dates?" I asked, and then slapped myself for being so forward. But instead of exploding on me she stated simply a "meh." and scratched her head.

"I guess it's because I don't like a lot of guys, save for the ones I know. But between them, there is either no one to choose from, or everyone's just creepy. We've got Bear, who's with BT and way too old for me…and Tsukasa, who's a girl in real life and is with Subaru…Um, well, Silver Knight, but I think he's obsessed with Subaru…um,"

"I get the point." We leaned over the wall to watch the boats swimming around in the red-black waters. The evening moon and stars reflected beautifully off the surface, giving the impression that it was a parallel world.

"Are we interrupting anything?" asked a voice behind us. We turned and saw Bear and BT, dressed nicely for the occasion.

"Bear! BT!" screamed Mimiru, giddy and excited. "Where's Tsukasa and Subaru?"

BT adjusted a sleeve on her gown and faced her, smiling. "They will be here in—right now."

Two people gated in right behind them, and stepped around. One was a Wavemaster like me, only he wore grey and tan. He quickly changed into a floral robe and watched as the Axe User Subaru followed suit.

"Tsukasa, Subaru. Meet Navel, my date," said Mimiru quite childishly. Subaru bowed and Tsukasa stepped up.

"I've heard of you," he said, shaking my hand. "It's nice to meet you. This is Subaru, my date."

I nodded and bowed to Subaru. "Long time, no see, Subaru," I said. "It's been several years since you and that tank of hot air Silver Knight saved me from that dungeon."

"Oh yes, Navel. I remember you. You gave me a pair of earrings you'd found in that field's Gott Statue room as payment for rescuing you. I'm actually wearing them right now." She tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear to show off her accessories. I smiled and turned to Mimiru.

"Well, I think we're all here, right?" Everyone nodded, and I followed them to the center of town. Lawk, I pray that you are all right…I would have liked to enjoy this evening with you.

Δ Server Root Town, Mac Anu

"Would you cut that out!?" cried a Dancer as she was chased down a long, narrow passage. Her pursuer, a Pole Arm and leader of the Emerald Knights, followed quickly, mercilessly.

"I, Lady Rain, have found you! You are a cheat player! You must be destroyed, by order of CC corp.!" Ryoko stopped as three knights appeared at the end of the alleyway. Four more came up alongside Lady Rain. "Men, assemble!" The dancer prepared for battle.

"Have you checked out my character specs, stupid? I am no cheater!" She cast a spell into her fan by voice-commanding it. "Gust of Wind!" she cried, being wrapped in blankets of protecting winds. She then waved her weapon in Lady Rain's direction, calling out another attack. This time Rain was impaled by blades of light, and toppled over backwards, her avatar flashing red.

"Why, you little!" she said, trying to reposition herself with her halberd, only to be knocked back down by two daggers stabbed into her chest on both sides. Another player had joined the battle, followed by a second. The Twinblade and Axe User made quick work of the knights and helped Ryoko to her feet when they had finished.

"Thought you needed a bit of help," said the Twinblade, who looked like a ninja, spinning his daggers between his palms. The second player, the Axe User, smiled and held her weapon tight, leaning over it and breathing heavily. "Are you all right, Lena?"

The woman, Lena, stood up after a moment and gave them thumbs up. "Of course I am," she turned to Ryoko, pointing at the man. "Xero's always protective over me. It's because I'm pregnant."

Ryoko nodded and thanked them both for their help, and brushed herself off. "We really shouldn't have attacked the Emerald Knights though…"

"Oh they had it coming for quite a while," said Lena, setting down her large axe and sitting cross-legged on a box. Xero leaned up against the wall to her left. Ryoko clutched a streetlight opposite them.

"Each Knight Squad, from every server, are growing paranoid of every player who comes to The World lately. With all of the recent things that have happened, I can see why. But they've been going overboard."

Ryoko sighed, closing her fan and tucking it in her kimono. "Well, thank you again. But I really must be off now. Is it all right if I take your member addresses?" They both nodded and they traded. Ryoko ran off and gated out.

Σ: Hidden, Passed Over, Cat Market

The large ogre brought its hammer down on the Axe User's Head. He cried in pain, downing a Recovery Drink. A Pole Arm and Blademaster were hard at work trying to disembowel the beast with a fury of blows.

"Basic strategy!" commanded the Blademaster, twisting around the beast and taking a long sweep at its leg. It let out a mean growl and tried turning, but was taken down quickly by the red-haired Pole Arm. She used the command "Double Sweep" and cut the ogre in half by means of a large semicircle with her halberd.

When the battle ended they continued into the last room of the dungeon. "The Gott Statue!" cried the Twinblade, as if he had never seen one before. "God, I'm so excited!"

"Newbies," said the Blademaster, tapping the chest with his blade. When it opened, he was blown back into the Twinblade. A red wand hovered out from the light within the box and stayed there for a moment, as if waiting for something. The Pole Arm stepped forward, attempting to grab the item, only to be electrocuted and frozen in place. The wand teleported behind her and lifted her into the air, crucifying her.

A man walked out from the shadows, grinning and cheering evilly. He snapped his fingers and a strange-looking humanoid cat materialized before the Pole Arm. "Data Drain," called the man and the cat placed its hand on her breast, using the awesome deadly powers to separate their data. The girl fell over soon after, unconscious. The Blademaster and Twinblade ran away, terrified.

Locke knelt down and collected the woman in his arms and turned to leave, grabbing his Red Wand along the way. "Sprite Ocarina," he called, and left the dungeon, Pole Arm and all.