AN: Now some might be worried about how "clingy" Skeith was in the last chapter so I'm going to say this once for you all to see.
Skeith is NOT romantically attracted to Haseo (get your minds out of the gutters people!!). There are other reasons for his freak-out last chapter and Yata will be explaining that further on. This story is, shall, and will remain a HaseoxAtoli pairing. So read on and enjoy.
Chapter 11: Two Halves of the Same Whole
A new day had come and all the members of G.U. were gathered impatiently on the bridge of Netslum Tartarga. Atoli was clearly upset and Pi kept frowning and muttering to herself as she flipped through various screens and reports. Finally the woman waved her hand and the screens disappeared as Yata turned to face the group.
Kuhn, who kept fidgeting, couldn't stay quiet any longer, "So is it true? Is that teenager Ryou Misaki who's all over the news really Haseo's player?" he blurted suddenly and everyone turned to their Guild Master, waiting expectantly for his answer. Yata nodded slowly, "Unfortunately, yes. Yesterday afternoon Aihane sent a new AIDA, that has yet to be classified, into the central area of Breg Epona," he began as the footage rolled and showed the battle between Skeith and the scorpion AIDA.
There was a red flash of light that dominated the screen for several long seconds, and when it finally faded, Skeith had disappeared. The last few seconds of the footage showed the AIDA crawling back through the hole it had come out of and the video stopped.
Yata snapped his fingers and the recording went off, "We're not sure what happened exactly, but what we do know is that Skeith has taken control of Haseo and locked his mind within The World, while his body lies unresponsive in the hospital in a comatose condition," he continued adjusting his glasses. Saku scowled at that information, "But why? What's the deal with his Avatar flipping out like this?" she demanded, hands on her hips.
Kuhn thought for a moment, "I was there when it happened and heard Skeith shouting something about not being separated from Haseo. I've never heard anyone sound so...possessive" he commented and then frowned, "I mean I know he's not even human but…Skeith isn't, you know…attracted to Haseo or something is he?" Kuhn asked tentatively and Saku took a step away from the Steam Gunner, "EWWW!" she squealed in disgust. Kuhn threw up his hands, "Hey, I'm just saying…!" he responded quickly.
For a moment Yata looked as if he was going to laugh, but then he regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Hardly. In order to find the reason as to why Skeith is so 'attached' to Haseo, you have to go back to when the First Phase was created. In the previous version of The World, R:1, back when Morganna was still around, there was a player who went by the name of 'Sora' and he was easily one of the most skilled PC's in the entire game. He was also an infamous Player Killer," Yata explained motioning to Pi.
She turned to the group and began explaining, "For a brief amount of time Sora teamed up with Morganna and helped run her errands. But when Sora turned on her she decided to...exact her revenge so to speak," Pi commented carefully. "Morganna used her power to rewrite Sora's data into Skeith," she added and Kuhn thought about that, "So Skeith was created from Sora's data?" he questioned and Yata grunted in acknowledgement.
"Precisely, and Ryou Misaki, the player behind Sora, fell into a coma as a result. But because Morganna used a players data instead of her own, this resulted in something that is still being examined and studied to this day," Yata told them and Endrance hummed at that, "We all know that being Data Drained affects a person's mind…so having his data transformed into Skeith means…that part of Ryou's consciousness was taken from him and was used as a basis on which to create Skeith's emotions and feelings…am I right?" Endrance questioned.
Yata raised an eyebrow at that, "Your flashes of insight never cease to amaze me. Yes, everything you just said is absolutely correct. All of the Avatars are alive, but Skeith is tied to Ryou on a much deeper level then CC Corp previously thought or could imagine. And all of the fighting they've done over these past few months has 'fused' their minds together in a way that shouldn't even be possible," the Macabre Dancer clarified.
Pi picked up the explanation, "You see; the Terror of Death holds half of who Haseo really is; Skeith's thoughts, feelings, and even some of his memories are all tied to Ryou's mind. When they were separated and he woke up, Ryou's memories of The World vanished, and to this day it's unlikely that he remembers those days, despite the fact that he decided to start playing The World again. Everything that happened during that time is buried within Skeith's memories…within a mind that perfectly reflects his user, Haseo," she stated darkly.
Yata shook his head, "And now their minds are so tightly fused together that they depend on one another to exist. When they were separated before, Ryou Misaki merely suffered emotional damage, becoming withdrawn and antisocial. He distanced himself from others and became very frustrated and angry at everyone around him," he added and Kuhn nodded, "That's right! Now that I think about it…it wasn't until AFTER he learned how to summon Skeith that Haseo really started to change," he reflected.
Looking at each of them in turn Yata said, "And that leads us to the reason as to why Skeith is so possessive not just of the PC, but of Ryou himself. If those two were ever to be truly split apart, Haseo's epitaph taken from him, the bond they've built shattered, and their minds torn from each other…it's doubtful that either one would be able to survive the mental and emotional damage that resulted. And even if they did, it would be as if both had lost half of their soul, as if their hearts had been ripped straight out of their chest," Yata stated ominously.
Atoli clasped her hands together in front of her, "The chance that Skeith might never recover from that kind of damage is enormous. He might not 'die' from it…but the end result would be more or less the same. He would be nothing but an empty shell, a useless puppet ready for anyone to start pulling the strings, " she whispered softly.
Endrance looked over at her, "And the same would happen to Ryou…their minds are now one, they are two halves of the same hole. Mirror reflections of one another. Take one away…and neither will be able to function. While it's true that both are on better terms and might even be called friends; the truth goes much deeper then mere companionship. Skeith NEEDS Ryou Misaki in order to survive and exist; the Terror of Death knows this and will protect Haseo at all costs," he said dismally.
Yata turned and looked out the window, a grim look on his face, "If Aihane does manage to separate Haseo and Skeith…then it's all but assured that both will never recover from it. There are really only two outcomes if something like this were to happen: Ryou simply never wakes up as a result of the trauma to his brain, or he does wake up and feels so empty and full of despair that he commits suicide," Yata finished looking down at the floor. Stunned by this information no one could think of anything to say.
Maybe it hadn't been the smartest move ever to send his strongest AIDA fragment directly into Breg Epona like that, but then again Aihane wasn't feeling very charitable at the moment. He clenched his fists as he thought about how close he had been to capturing both Skeith and Innis in one fell swoop.
They were here! On my personal network! Just a second longer and I would have captured both of them! he fumed, gripping the table in order to keep from lashing out at something around him. Aihane took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Getting angry wouldn't change what had already happened. The First and Second Phase were gone, and now Skeith had taken control and fled deep within the system, taking Haseo with him.
Corbenik will learn soon enough to keep his mouth shut. He'll be my puppet soon enough, Aihane relaxed as he watched his computer search for Skeith and Haseo. So far it was as if they had vanished not just from The World, but from the entire network as well, they just couldn't be found. But at the same time his other sensors showed that Skeith was still inside The World…it just couldn't tell him where.
Aihane scowled as this unexpected development, It would seem that Skeith's prowess at maneuvering through data is far greater than I originally expected. But he's still not skilled enough to remove or even find the slave device that's growing within him, he considered and the thought helped soothe his rage.
Besides, once I separate Haseo's conscious from Skeith's, the Terror of Death will be a near mindless, empty shell, ready to be controlled and enslaved, Aihane thought ahead to his future plans. When that day comes its doubtful that Ryou Misaki will survive the trauma and stress, and it'll be that much easier getting Skeith to do as I say. After all, one can't survive without the other, but by then the slave device will have taken over and the First Phase will not be able to use any of his knowledge or power against me, Aihane smirked at the thought.
He glanced over at his other computer and saw Scorpius, the AIDA he had sent to Breg Epona waiting patiently for his orders. Aihane knew that he would have to keep a close eye on that one as well; unlike the smaller fragments this one still had some free will left remaining in it and could even give orders to the AIDA below it.
Scorpius would accept Aihane as its master only as long as the human retained the image of being stronger and smarter. The second the hacker slipped up and made the wrong move...it would order all of the AIDA to destroy him.
Atoli sighed heavily as she leaned against the wall. None of the members of G.U. had actually left Net Slum Tartarga; instead they had simply spread out through the streets and alleys of the floating city to think about what Yata had just told them. Yata himself, along with Pi and Zelkova, was still on the bridge searching for any and all signs of either Skeith or Haseo.
What do we do now? Atoli mulled over sadly as she stared at the floor, I had no idea that Haseo had been through so much already. I mean…I can't really blame him for being the way he is… and as for Skeith, she was distracted from her thoughts as Kuhn walked over to her. "Hey there! You looked like you could used some company," he said with a smile, but she could hear the strain in his voice.
The harvest cleric looked away, too depressed to talk to him. Kuhn leaned closer, "Aww come on! Don't look so down Atoli! You need to be more optimistic; we'll find Haseo and smack some common sense into that thick skull Skeith has on his shoulders! Then he'll see the light and everything will be okay again!" he assured her with the same cheerful grin.
This time Atoli couldn't help but smile slightly at his attempts to make her happy. Kuhn was always there to cheer her up when she was upset, and seemed pop up on other 'convenient' occasions as well. Of course Pi had warned her about Kuhn's flirtatious nature; not that Atoli hadn't noticed from the moment she met him; she wasn't THAT naïve. It was true she did like him…but only as a friend and nothing more; he just wasn't her type. Still, that didn't keep Kuhn from trying at times.
Atoli sighed, "I just…I mean you really can't blame Skeith for reacting the way he did. When in danger, a person's first reaction is to protect themselves, and the Avatar's are no different in the respect. Skeith knows exactly what will happen if he's separated from Haseo, and that causes him to be controlling and possessive at times. In order to protect himself and stay…normal and 'sane'…Skeith has to keep Haseo safe, and he's doing it in the only way he knows how. By sealing Ryou's mind inside the game so that he CAN'T leave," she considered aloud.
Kuhn nodded in agreement, "I've been thinking the same thing," he told her, "And when we finally do find Skeith, I doubt that he's going to freely hand over Haseo to us. I think we need to be prepared to fight him," he commented reluctantly as Atoli frowned slightly at those words.
"That won't work" a voice suddenly put in. Both looked over and saw Endrance standing there watching them, "What do mean?" Kuhn questioned curiously and the man scratched his chin. "Skeith has fought all of us before and won, even absorbing data from our Epitaphs. None of us are strong enough to beat him on our own, and if we were to go against Skeith together…then that will just make him even more desperate to protect Haseo, and thus by doing so protect himself," Endrance warned them with calm logic.
Atoli was growing more and more discouraged and was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to get Haseo back again at all when Endrance started talking to her, "That's why I think both you and I should be the ones to confront Skeith when the time comes," he decided and her head snapped up. Kuhn looked between the two, "Atoli? Why her?" he asked curiously.
Endrance ignored the steam gunner, "You know…don't you?" he questioned and Atoli nodded slowly and turned to Kuhn, "Originally I wasn't Innis' first choice. She chose Shino as her partner but when Shino fell into a coma Innis was separated from her, and gravitated to me instead," she explained sounding somewhat sad and Kuhn scowled at that, "Geez, Yata really doesn't tell me anything! Why am I learning this just now?" Kuhn complained crossing his arms.
Endrance nodded in confirmation, "You may not have been the one Innis originally choose, but you're her partner now and she's not going to lose you. The Mirage of Deceit knows a little of what Skeith is feeling so she will be able to reason with him," he explained and Atoli seemed to take comfort in that. Endrance shifted his attention to Kuhn. "I too was a player of R:1, the first version of The World just like Ryou. I even met his PC once or twice I think. Back then Macha was a slightly 'erratic' PC known as Mia," he began carefully.
He went on to explain everything that had happened at that time. Endrance told them about Kite and Blackrose, how Mia had turned into Macha and then how they had been forced to fight and destroy her. How Mia had come back to him only to be captured and experimented on by CC Corp so that they could obtain Macha's data and use it for their own ends.
Kuhn and Atoli listened closely as he told them his story. Finally Endrance finished up telling them about how AIDA had used his fond memories of Mia to control his heart. "No one will ever truly understand how Skeith feels, even if the circumstances were the same individuals react differently. But Atoli and I can at least begin to understand what he's going through. If anyone can reason with Skeith and get him to understand that we're all here to help…then it will be us," Endrance explained clearly having thought things out.
"Yata and Pi have already agreed to my idea," the Blade Brandier added. Kuhn thought for a moment and then nodded, "Well, that all makes sense to me. But if we can't reason with Skeith…." he paused and Atoli narrowed her eyes with determination, "No, we WILL find Haseo and we'll be able to get Skeith to release Ryou's mind. We have to believe that," she said firmly.
Kuhn grinned, "That's the spirit! Skeith and the other Avatar's may only be made of data, but they can still be reasoned. Once the Terror of Death calms down a little, everything will turn out fine," he said and Atoli smiled at those words. Just hold on Haseo…we're coming for you, she thought clasping her hands together.
Haseo didn't know and didn't care about where he was. All he could focus on were the memories and images flying through his head and the pain that was slamming into his skull. If felt as if someone was taking a sledgehammer to it. It was as if the floodgates had been opened and couldn't be closed again.
He saw images of a twin blade Pking some players, a little girl dressed in white, Aura, an omnipresent voice, Morganna's voice, that seemed to come from all around him, a large monster holding a red staff, a searing pain as the Twin Blade, Sora, was Data Drained, loneliness at always being left out, anger at not having any friends, a desire to find the Key of the Twilight, a Wavemaster with white hair named Tsukasa, a strange cat-like PC, a strange upside down castle.
The Crimson Knights, waking up in the hospital, picking up The World for the first time, Even in a world this vast I'm still alone! Sora thought to himself, I'll become the best, the strongest! I'll find the Key of the Twilight and then everyone will recognize me! Sora takes out his first PC and becomes a Player Killer, a monster, Skeith, taking over his body and using it as a vessel.
Haseo screamed and clutched his head as the memories became faster and more intense, some playing several times others mere glimpses before they faded away. "Haseo?" a voice, not in his head but around him, close by. He managed to open his eyes and saw Alkaid standing there...Alkaid…Alkaid. Haseo stood up and backed away from her, in too much pain and confusion to really recognize her. But the recollection of what she had done was still there in his mind.
Memories of the Demon Palace Tournament flashed through his mind now pushing the other formerly forgotten images away. A red haired Twin Blade accusing him of cheating, an Awakening attack that nearly destroys him, a defeated Alkaid declaring that she'll defeat Haseo and expose him as the cheater he really is.
"Hey what's wrong? All the forums are talking about you, saying that you disappeared or something," Alkaid said taking a step forward and causing Haseo to take a step back and close his eyes as Skeith's emotions flooded him. She frowned at his actions, "Come on Haseo, lets get you out of here. I'll take you back and get you some help. Maybe you should log off or something," Alkaid suggested as she inched forward.
Haseo's eyes snapped open this time glowing blood red, "Take him back? Log off? Get out of here?" and Alkaid stopped dead in her tracks. That wasn't Haseo's voice at all, it was too deep and rough. Dropping his hands and eerie hiss came from his lips, "You want to take him back? Take him away? You want me gone don't you?! You think I'm just some cheat Haseo uses to get his way! A virus or bug to be destroyed don't you?! A program to be used and then disposed of whenever you like? You're just like the others, you don't want me to exist!" he roared angrily advancing on her.
Alkaid immediately remembered what Pi and the others had explained to her. This must be Skeith…that monster Haseo uses. Did he take over Haseo's body or something? she thought backing up as the dual gunners gloves were shredded to reveal long claws that continued growing. Several long red swords tore out of his back causing Haseo to stumble forward. Skeith/Haseo narrowed burning crimson eyes, "You can't have him! You won't destroy me! No one can destroy me! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME!" he bellowed leaping forward with claws extended.
AN: This must be the fastest I've ever updated….I mean it only took me like three days to actually finish this. But anyway I hope you all liked the drama! Sorry to leave you like this but you'll find out what happens to Alkaid in the next chapter.
Will Alkaid survive? Will Skeith be reasoned with? Will Haseo even be found? Keep reading to find out. Please review everybody!