.hack//EVA: Catharsis: Midwinter's Shadow

Disclaimer: In this universe in the quantum foam, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the .hack series or Neon Genesis Evangelion.

A crossover between the worlds of .hack and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Set in early 2015, shortly after the defeat of the fourth angel. CC Corporation, creator of the ALTIMIT OS and the internationally popular MMORPG "The World" has recently recovered from a disastrous fire at their headquarters in Osaka-2, which destroyed most of their game data. Newly released is The World: R2, and to ensure that it becomes popular, several thousand individuals around the world were selected as part of the Renaissance Project, the first wave of new players.

" " denotes speech

'italics' denotes thought

'bold' denotes written word

'bold italics' denotes skill use


Apartment 402, Tokyo-3

An empty apartment should be silent, shouldn't it? If not that, then quiet, with allowances made for the low buzzing of electricity running through wires, or the thrum-thump-bump of appliances creaking towards old age. At the very least, it should not be reverberating with the rumbling crashes of construction equipment, creating a veritable symphony of cacophonous aural pollution that even the pre-Impact traffic of Los Angeles would envy.

Still, even with the entirety of the racket, one could still hear faint sounds from the hallway. Click-click-click. Silence. Click-click-click. It was ethereal, but still very much present, and it was steadily approaching, as well, until at last there was silence once more. Cli—creak! The door swung open, drawn in by an unseen cold hand upon rusty hinges, framing the figure of one Rei Ayanami in the archway. Her cold red eyes looked away into the hazy distance, unreadable even by those who had known her for quite some time, if indeed, anyone had really known her.

She padded into the apartment and closed the door behind her, moving with a sort of lithe precision towards the lone chair and computer in room. But behind the mask, trapped inside a cage made of glass, her mind swirled in patterns, rife with strange feelings held captive in the cold and icy night.

The day had been rather…different than usual, with several unexpected twists. First, there had been a new transfer student, who also looked rather odd. While Rei was not one to judge others based on appearance, she did know that silver hair and golden eyes was nowhere near human norms. Then, too, there had been a new teacher, one who seemed to shun the traditional teachings on Second Impact (for which she was indifferent, seeing as she knew the truth behind the event and only looked out the window anyway), seeming instead to have a great interest in psychology of all things.

The terms she used…the Terror of Death, the Mirage of Deceit, the Propagation…for some reason, they seem oddly familiar…

Or at least they had seemed familiar enough to the transfer student, who had appeared rather uncomfortable with the way that Aranami-sensei had characterized those phases in the Epitaph as being part of one's personality. Had Hakubo-san had a bad experience with the teacher in the past? Or perhaps this was somehow related to some of the rumors that had swirled on the message boards of The World?

It was certainly curious, The World. A place where one could be someone completely different from one's identity in this reality, and apparently a place where most of class 2-A visited. She supposed that the human urge to flee from pain was responsible for this, but if so, was it really effective? The World was rife with PKs and rather…eccentric individuals, people who would only cause pain to others in the end. Escapism in that sense, did not work.

And yet…and yet in playing The World, Rei had found herself with a greater spectrum of the human condition to experience, along with interesting questions as to real world identities. That had only been revisited when the quiet bluenette had been approached by another student during lunch, which was unusual in itself. But what was oddest of all was that the other - Reimeiki Hakubo – had launched into an explanation of what The World was to her that was eerily close to her view of Eva.

Bonded to a game? For what purpose? And how would this game bond someone to all people? Unless…

She shook her head ever so slightly. It was not possible that the transfer student could be another artificial soul, despite her strange appearances. No other organization on the planet had the resources, and if they did, the commander would have put a stop to it.

I would have thought it impossible, but…

Uncharacteristically, her thoughts trailed off, unwilling to pursue that avenue of speculation. She knew that she was replaceable, but it was impossible for more than one vessel to be active at once. And further, the other was not quite like her, though there was a sense of…oddness drifting about her.

Who am I? I am Ayanami Rei. Who is Ayanami Rei? Zero, nothing, spirit…bonded to all humanity. But in The World, I am called Skadi…who am I there?

Her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but whether it was up or down, no one could really tell. Her book bag slid off of her shoulder and onto the floor as she padded onwards to where her workstation glimmered with light, perhaps the one clean spot in the apartment. Sitting down on the merely functional chair, she booted up the contraption and slid the headset over her head.

Not for the first time, she wondered exactly why had she chosen a character that looked so much like her? Most people chose something radically different from what they looked like in real life, after all, and while others might think she would just stick with the default appearance, she had modified it to reflect herself, based on something else Lt. Ibuki had told her.

"You are your own person in The World. Define who you are, and what you are, without letting your identity in reality confine you," she had said. Why then, had Ayanami Rei simply chosen a mirror of her real world self? Well, besides the fact that she didn't like the color red, which had first been suggested as a color scheme for her character. But then, there was no time for thought as her consciousness shifted to the streets of Mac Anu.


Δ Server, Eternal City Mac Anu

A golden cascade of light burst into existence before the Chaos Gate, fading to reveal a pale figure clad in a midnight blue yukata, crimson eyes glinting in the light of dusk, as a gentle breeze ruffled her mop of azure hair. Her war fans were held loosely in her hands, though at a moment's notice, she could unfold them and strike with deadly precision, if necessary. But for now, she glanced around, hesitating for a moment on where to go and what to do. Without orders, she preferred a routine, but without even routine to guide her?

It was…puzzling to consider her assignment from school. The new teacher, Aranami-sensei, was apparently well versed in psychology and literature, a far cry from the old one, not that it made a difference to her. But there had never been a teacher who would simply assign work of such a free-form nature, without as much as a hint of direction. And as Ayanami Rei was not used to making decisions on her own outside of what was required, Skadi found this new medium was both fascinating and disturbing, all at once.

Since there was one bit of structure that had been provided (extra points for specifying point in the Epitaph), perhaps she should just visit the Arche Kloen Falls? She had been there before, and it was where power all to droplets had been turned. Tilting her head in thought, she nodded once and turned to the Gate, intending to leave when—

A ping sounded.

No, not the note of A in C major that so often accompanied the arrival of most AIs. Instead, it was the higher pitched tone that indicated the arrival of flash mail.

"From: unknown

To: Skadi

Subject: Lost Ground

You know of the riddles of The World, shadowed one. Perhaps you will find what you seek at Θ Hidden Forbidden Dragonbein, the Keel Mountains of Briona Gwydion. May the blessing of the Twilight Dragon be with you."

Skadi's eyes narrowed upon reading this message. Several things bothered her about it, but what stood out most was: who had sent her this message? No one knew her member address, and for that matter, messages couldn't be sent anonymously, though this one obviously had been. Was Lt. Ibuki somehow manipulating things inside the game to fit some sort of scenario?

There was no way to find out except to comply with the directions, so with a shake of her head, Skadi made ready for gateout once more, only to be interrupted by the gate-in of a figure that seemed almost…familiar to her.

This player looks like me. But why? And who would choose this appearance? Someone in class 2-A?

She studied the other figure's character design intently, finding that for most purposes, it was a male copy of her with longer hair, as two sets of crimson eyes met. The other seemed uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny, fidgeting and trying to look away, but failing.

It was unlikely that Skadi would gain any answers from simply observing though, so she gated away, leaving behind only the word "Curious."


Θ Hidden Forbidden Dragonbein

A fractured sky blighted by ominous gray clouds loomed over the stone bridges and spires of the Dragonbein Range, the Keel Mountains. It was dim, and though there was a measure of light, it was difficult to say for sure whether it was dusk or dawn, only that the twilight was nigh.

A golden flare rent the darkness for a moment, erupting into brilliance before fading out to reveal the Macabre Dancer Skadi, fans held poised in a ready position as her eyes darted about, seeking to identify any threats to her person. Not seeing any, she relaxed slightly, her gaze coming to rest on an immense sculpture of a dragon perched atop one of the towers on the range.

From the direction of the stone beast issues a soft sing-song whisper, quoting a section from the Epitaph:

"Over the Keel Mountains,

Meets an ape with human speech.

The ape asks,

"What clings to you?

Bear it—you cannot.

Accept it—you cannot.

But hidden—it is from you.

Recite its name."

Skadi remembered this passage from earlier in the day as one of the riddles that the students had been quizzed on.

"The general answer would be the name of my shadow, my dark side," she murmured, before answering in a normal, flat tone.

A few second after she had spoken, a low melodic chuckle came as a response, along with the shrill whistle of a blade through the air as a figure leapt off a high parapet, somersaulted forward and landed gracefully upon the stone road before her. This one wore a loose flowing white dress with a blue underskirt, and carried with her a rather deadly looking weapon, a scythe like a demon's claw.

Her pale, and not so unfamiliar face sported the sigil of darkness and a feral grin that distorted her features, framed by two long streaming pigtails of lustrous black hair.

"So you know the Epitaph, do you, Skadi? I suppose I can spare you for a few moments then…so nice to finally know the name of the Macabre Dancer who helped that Edge Punisher to kill me the other day."

The words of the Flick Reaper were tinged with a slight bit of malice, as if at any moment, she might burst into action, using her demon's claw scythe to attack the comparatively smaller girl before her.

"No doubt you heard my name when last we met, for in The World, I am Tomoyami of the Shadow, a far cry from my role in life as—"

"—Hikari, the light, keeper of order...the class representative of 2-A," said Skadi quietly, as everything around the pair became still, so much so that the passage of a single drop of water might well have been cause for alarm.

Then the moment shattered, and the pig-tailed Flick Reaper lurched backward, reeling with shock and discomfiture at the mention of her offline identity. She brought up her scythe, holding it shakily in one hand even as her thoughts darted about frantically, trying to figure out how this random Macabre Dancer could possibly know her name…or worse, her role in real life.

Skadi took a step towards Tomoyami, a move that was met with a backwards shuffling of feet and the non-verbal threat of an interposed scythe, causing her to halt and raise her eyebrows.

"This is unnecessary," said the blue-haired Macabre Dancer. "I mean you no harm."

"Then what do you want?" quavered the once PK, shaken, yet still brisling with a sense of anger. She was obviously uncomfortable with the situation, yet somehow knowing that fleeing the scene would do no good, at least not until she resolved the quandary before her: how her identity had been revealed. True, her famous quip of introduction might have given away her name, but only someone who knew…wait.

If Skadi knows my identity, then she most likely knows me in real life, and there is only one person who looks like that in real life: Ayanami Rei, who some have called the "ice maiden." Ice…winter…Skadi, Goddess of Winter. She knows that I play "The World" from our lunchtime conversation.

All at once, a touch of arrogance graced her features as she straightened up and planted the butt of her halberd upon the ground. There was no reason to fear, only reason to put on another face, as Tomoyami did every day of her life…or as we all do, day by day.

"What do you want?" she repeated, eyes narrowing. "Why do you keep following me, and what do you want, Ayanami Rei?"

There. She had said it. Now all that remained was to see how the other would reply.

To her disappointment, the azure-haired Skadi simply looked at her blankly, crimson eyes betraying nothing as she remained in place. No…there. A momentary look of surprise flickered across Skadi's face quickly enough that Tomoyami would have missed it if she hadn't been concentrating intently upon the mysterious Macabre Dancer.

Again, there was only the whistling of the errant wind through the crags of the Keel Mountains, until at last, the sound of metal sliding on fabric broke the uneasy calm.

"I am not Rei Ayanami," were the words that Skadi spoke, even as her war fans unfolded in her hands, their razor sharp tips glinting in the sun.

The tables had turned once again, so that now Tomoyami was no longer on the defensive, meaning that she was in the far more preferable position of control. Her scythe, instead of glinting, seemed to draw in all light around it, as she poised herself to attack.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" she demanded, voice laced with a sense of feral glee as she advanced. "Then who are you?"

The Flick Reaper lunged forward, attempting to sweep the Macabre Dancer off of her feet (and assuredly not in a good way) and force her to submit. But with a clang!, Skadi's war fans were shown to be somewhat more substantial than they had appeared.

"…I am Skadi," managed the bluenette with gritted teeth, as she pushed back against Tomoyami's attack. "In The World…I am SKADI!"

Now perhaps that was not an actual shout, but compared to her usually even and sometimes difficult to hear voice, it was more than enough to give the seeming of such. Yet, Tomoyami was not satisfied with this answer, and pressed her attack.

"And when not in The World?" she asked, failing to notice a single note playing in the background: A in C Major.

A crackling silvery-gold sphere manifested itself, slamming itself down upon the ground between the two combatants and erupting into a brilliant explosion of light that sent both the Flick Reaper and the Macabre Dancer reeling backwards. When they recovered from their stumble, they willed themselves to look into the light as it faded to reveal a small silver-haired Harvest Cleric, wielding a powerful looking staff and dressed in robes like the sea.

Before anyone else could make a move, the young Cleric bowed to each of the two and introduced himself.

"Rumor might have expected that you would be here, Eternal Darkness and Goddess of Winter. Put down your weapons. I come in peace, with greetings from Lady Tsukinoki, once known Helba, Queen of the Dark."

Two sets of eyes narrowed, both at the unexpected appearance of the spell-caster, and of the reference to Helba.

The Queen of the Dark…from the Epitaph? was the thought that went through both of their minds, one of the few that would do so. At the same time, both continued to hold their weapons in readiness, not entirely sure about the trustworthiness of the stranger that had appeared before them. They shared a glance, and Skadi gave a brief nod to Tomoyami.

"You speak of the Epitaph, or at least one from it," voiced the pig-tailed PK. "How do you know of it?"

"I have been a part of The World since it was born, and the Epitaph is the story behind The World. As for Helba, rumor has it that she is more than simply a name from the Epitaph. She was once a dothacker."

It was Skadi's turn to show a hint of confusion upon her refined features.

"…a dothacker?" she inquired, brows knitted together in thought.

"Yes, a dothacker. One of those who fought against the Cursed Wave."

"The Wave? That is merely a legend, a tale from an epic poem about the human mind!" exclaimed Tomoyami.

For once in his existence, Rumor held no trace of amusement in his eyes, regarding both of the PCs with an intensity that bordered on terrifying.

"It is far more than a tale," he whispered icily. "Rumor says that it is an understanding of human nature, yes, but that it is also the story of the past, when the goddess was born. The dothackers were heroes in time of Twilight, a time that is coming again, with shadows reborn from the Void that threaten this World, my bond."

"…your bond?" questioned Skadi, now gazing intently upon the Harvest Cleric, meeting his stare in order to try and elicit a response.

"My bond to all who dwell in either world, to all life," Rumor smoothly replied, though his face remained dark in nature. "Dark times come, and rumors spread of the coming of a new threat. If you would seek a purpose, seek to be a dothacker, and save this world from shadows born of error."

Naturally, both Skadi and Tomoyami were, to say the least, slightly skeptical of this.

"Dark times?" asked one.

"Shadows born of error?" asked the other.

In response, Rumor closed his eyes, intoning the prophecy of Fidchell, also of the Epitaph:

"Like a frenzied horse that is driven.

An unseen wind of plague shrieks across the border.

Pandemonium, wailing, and stench of carnage fills the air.

There is no place to run. No hope of escape.

Those who are mourned will never return.

The hands of time cannot be turned back."

Upon finishing, he tapped his staff upon the ground, and A in C Major sounded the blue-clad Harvest Cleric formed once again into a sphere of crackling silver-gold, vanishing from the field. In his wake was utter stillness, with even the howling winds falling silent.

Strangely enough, it was Skadi that spoke first, putting away her war fans:

"This is…odd. I do not understand this information."

While Tomoyami would normally have taken advantage of the sudden opening to attack, this time, she was herself rather dazed by the brief appearance of the Harvest Cleric, what he had said, and all the questions he left in his wake.

"How did you find this place?" the Flick Reaper asked, more curious than anything else now, as it was unlikely that out of all the fields in The World, the two would have ended up meeting once again.

"…a Flash Mail from an unknown source—"

"—that instructed you to go to the Keel Mountains."

"Hai," murmured Skadi, now looking at Tomoyami with more interest. Had she been summoned here too?

"It was the same for me," noted the dark haired girl, looking out over the mountain range. "Do you think that that Harvest Cleric had anything to do with it?"

"Hai."

"Can you think of a reason?"

"…Perhaps he was ordered to."

"By the Queen of the Dark?"

"Hai."

"But isn't she just a—" Tomoyami silenced herself at the sharp look from Skadi, reluctantly agreeing to her silent insistence. "The Epitaph is too complex and is referenced too many times to merely be a story."

An awkward stillness again until Skadi asked at last:

"What is our purpose here?"

"Presumably, we were needed to fight against a threat and restore order to The World…Ayanami-san."

The bluenette seemed a bit more uncomfortable this time, and suggested the most logical option.

"Perhaps a truce then…Horaki-inchou."

The Flick Reaper winced at the mention of her last name and role, hastily nodding in acquiescence to Skadi's suggestion, and extending her hand.

"A truce then…Skadi"

Skadi looked down hesitantly and took the pro-offered hand in her own, shaking it firmly.

"So be it, Tomoyami."

A quick set of two pings, as member addresses were exchanged, and the two gated out of the field, leaving the mountains alone with the sound of the wind.


A/N: My apologies about not posting an update for so long. Other obligations have kept me from having the necessary time to create something of decent quality. Here's the latest chapter, so please R&R! Thanks for reading.