AN: Hello again everyone! I know I didn't do research on the whole Yata/Takumi overdose scene in the last chapter (I was lazy alright?) but thankfully LordofVermillion was kind enough to look up some info and confirm that I was right! So kudos and much gratitude to you!
This whole timeline thing was bothering me since I needed to have some kind of idea of where things were in order to do this chapter. I went back through every chapter I had done so far and after adding up the weeks, days, and "gray areas" where I had oh-so-conveniently forgotten to put anything in, I figured out that since Cubia was defeated and Shino woke up it has been 2 months, 3 weeks, and probably a day or two. It's nothing earth shatteringly important, but I thought maybe you would like to know. I also looked at the Timeline on the dothack wikia (www(dot)dothack(dot)wikia(dot)com if you want to see for yourself) and found out that I needed to shift things around a bit in a chapter or two, not that anyone will really notice the difference unless they have really been paying attention to every detail…which I doubt.
So instead of typing out a long explanation for you all, just suffice it to say that I looked at the official/canon Timeline of .hack Events, made a few basic calculations, and now for our Epitaph Users (i.e. in the realm of fanfiction land) it is the end of November, Ryou and Chigusa are in the Chiba Hospital, and a new AIDA has popped up and decided to join up with the other Avatars as you all know.
Now onward to this chapter, which rewinds the clock a bit. It will start back at the beginning to show what Shino was up to while Haseo, Atoli, and everyone else of G.U. was trying to stop/track down Aihane. Then it catch up to where the last chapter left off.
I know Shino made a brief appearance many chapters back, but now you'll see what she's been doing all this time. She's been keeping a bit of a secret from Ryou/Haseo and the others…^_-
So enough of my babbling. Here is the chapter so read on and enjoy everyone!
Chapter 25: My Last Breath
Shino Nanao sighed with relief as her hands tightened on the bag that was resting in her lap. She had just finished visiting with her psychiatrist and he had written a new prescription to help combat her Depression. The side effects of the medications were getting to be more than she could handle; so after setting up an appointment he had lowered the dosage on one prescription, switched two of the others, and dropped the last one. Now she was on just two medications instead of four. Shino had been battling Depression ever since she had hit her teenage years and in that time had gone through numerous treatments, medications, and side effects. Weight loss, fatigue, trouble sleeping, feeling hopeless and sad, losing interest in normal activities, and at one period thoughts of suicide…they all affected her at some point and still did at times.
During her teenage years she hadn't been on any medication because most anti-depressants had 'suicidal thoughts' as a side effect and she was already having trouble with that; so her psychiatrist had decided to hold off on the prescriptions until she was a little older. Now though she was 22 and her psychiatrist had had her on medicine for just over a year. But lately she had been having headaches and pain in her joints for no clear reason, so in addition to a pain killer, she was on a new anti-depressant that had been approved and released to the public several years ago.
Hopefully this will make things better. I have enough going on as it is, Shino considered as the train slowed and came to a stop. She stood up and managed to slip out just before the rush of other commuters bowled her over. Playing 'The World' had helped as well and meeting Ovan had marked a definite turning point in her life. Shino could still remember the first time she had meet him, the same day he had invited her to join the Twilight Brigade, a Guild that he had just created. She had accepted of course and their friendship had grown exponentially from there.
Tabby was there for here as well and the perky teen was certainly a good friend who had been, and still was, a huge help during Shino's bouts of Depression. I really do appreciate all over her help and I don't know what I would do without her support, but…it just isn't the same as being able to talk with Ovan. I can't open up to her the way I can with him, Shino thought with a sigh as she exited the station and flagged down a taxi. The vehicle pulled over and she slipped in, telling the driver her destination and in seconds they were off once again.
Shino didn't blame Ovan for PKing her and sending her into a coma. She knew that it had been an accident, that hadn't meant for it to happen to her or anyone else. As for what he had done after that…the young woman pursed her lips as she stared down at the shoulder bag in her lap. Ovan, or Masato Indou as he was known offline, had bought it for her as a gift the last time they had met in person. His job had kept him pretty busy most of the time, but he had always made time to see her when she needed to talk or just wanted to see him. She looked up and stared out of the window as she thought about what Ovan had done, the trouble he had cause inside The World, and all of the people who had been PKed because of AIDA and the acts that he had personally committed.
Frowning slightly Shino's thoughts turned to what she had been told about the entire incident. Yata, the Guildmaster of Raven and leader of G.U., had explained to her about AIDA and how Ovan had been infected by it, as well as what he had done, how the Epitaphs were able to fight off the data anomaly, and how Corbenik's Rebirth ability had cleansed the internet of AIDA. At least that was what they had thought at the time. Tri-Edge had been destroyed, but the rest of AIDA had been fragmented and dispersed back through The World and the rest of the internet. Shino had asked him about Ovan as well, but his response was not what she had been hoping to hear.
Ovan's mind was badly damaged by the rebirth of the internet and his consciousness fell into the Sea of Data…a place where deleted, discarded, and junk data from The World and other similar online games is dumped. Yata said CC Corp thinks that this is where Aura retreated to after leaving The World. They know that this is were Ovan's mind and consciousness most likely are but…there's no way of retrieving him or knowing whether or not he'll ever wake up again, Shino thought, her hands gripping the bag more tightly at that all to real possibility.
Shaking her head at that line of reasoning, Shino frowned and pushed those thoughts away; refusing to think badly of her friend, Tri-Edge chose Ovan, not the other way around. He had no other choice. With an AIDA that powerful infecting him he very well could have lost his consciousness and willpower completely, a vessel for Tri-Edge and nothing more. He almost ran out of time as it was. If his plan hadn't worked he would have lost his mind completely to AIDA…and as it is now he's lying in a hospital bed with no way of knowing whether or not he'll ever wake up again, Shino considered as she glanced down at her watch to check the time. Masato was lying in a private room and the floor he was on had strict visiting hours. She would make it just as visiting hours opened up.
She had discovered his location about 2 weeks after the defeat of Cubia. Well, technically, she had gotten an e-mail tipping her off and telling her to go to a certain hospital in her home area of Saitama. The e-mail address said that it had come from someone at CC Corp, but at the end of the message it also said to stay quiet about the matter until after she had seen Masato/Ovan for herself. So Shino had decided to sit on the matter until she found out whether or not Masato was really at the aforementioned hospital. On her first trip all the way across town, closer to Chiba, she had been extremely nervous…hoping…praying that he would be there; and he had been there.
Shino had asked for his name at the front desk, but nothing came up, she had gone back and forth with the admissions clerk for a while, even going so far as to pull out a photo she had of him and her together, but that had only gotten her a deep frown for her effort. Finally she had given her the date from a few weeks ago when the internet had reset due to Corbenik's rebirth ability and said, guessed would be a more accurate term really, that he had been brought in on that day. Her shot in the dark had turned out to be correct and she had been allowed to go up and see him. When she did get the chance to see him in person she could see why the mysterious e-mail had warned her against telling anyone…especially Haseo. To this day it had been 2 weeks since she had first visited Masato in the hospital, 4 weeks total since the defeat of Cubia, and longer since he and Corbenik had been lost and fallen into a coma. Still she hadn't told anyone that she had found Ovan in the real world. It would crush Haseo to see Masato the way he was now.
Shino took a deep breath and let it out as she closed her eyes at the memory…the memory of him lying there dead to the world with IV lines stuck in his arms to keep his body hydrated and nourished, along with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to aid his breathing. It had hurt so much to see the person who had been such a strong man and leader lying there so helpless and weak.
It still hurts…I've just gotten better at dealing with it, she thought with a pained smile as she opened her eyes and looked up. They had reached they're destination so Shino took out her cell phone and swiped it over the scanner in front of her, paying the fee with the phone's e-wallet function as the taxi driver pulled around to the door on the North Wing. Carrying cash or even credit cards was pretty rare these days. Every cell phone could be connected to a person's bank account and thereafter used to pay for anything from your coffee in the morning to a new car. She put in a generous tip for the driver, who had actually been very careful compared to some others she had ridden with, and the man turned around and smiled warmly at her as she got out.
She stared up at the multilevel hospital before walking forward up the sidewalk and past other visitors and hospital personnel who were lingering outside. The air conditioning swept over her in a frigid cloud of air as she went through the automatic doors. The one thing she definitely did not miss from her stay in the hospital was the omnipresent chill that seemed to pervade the air. Shino shivered and rubbed her arms as she walked up to the Admissions desk, forcing a polite smile onto her face she leaned over onto the counter, "Hello ma'am. I'm here to see Masato Indou," she informed the woman courteously and the woman hummed and tapped away on the keyboard as she looked up the name.
"Ahh, here we go! Fourth floor, room 420," the clerk took a visitors sticker and scribbled the number out onto it before handing it to Shino who frowned slightly as she peeled it off and put in on the side of her bag. Looking back up she asked, "That number was different yesterday. Why do you know why they moved him?" she questioned, glancing over at a large map posted in the entranceway as she spoke. The clerk pulled up another screen on the computer and shrugged "All his chart says is that he woke up late last night or early this morning," she replied, but Shino had stopped listening after the words "woke up" and was already hurrying over to the elevators.
Masato's awake? But how? What happened? Shino thought urgently as she just barely managed to make it into elevator before it closed silently. She nodded politely to the others in the elevator as one man inquired as to what floor she wanted. "Number 4 please," she said and he nodded and pressed the button, sending the elevator silently upwards. Shino couldn't help but fidget as the elevator stopped at the second and third floors to let the other visitors off before continuing upwards. Her impatience grew with every passing moment until finally the elevator arrived at the fourth floor. She hurried out and looked around for a sign that would direct her through the long hallways. Spying a sign bearing directions off to her right, she found the right hallway to go down and quickly made her way through the cool white corridors, turning twice more before the numbers slid into the range she was looking for.
When Shino saw the room ahead of her on the left she slowed down and stared at the name plaque on the side of the door. The young woman took a deep breath before opening the door and sticking her head in. Her eyes immediately went over to Masato who was mumbling and groaning as his arms and fingers twitched constantly. He wasn't awake, but he wasn't quite asleep either. His eyes were half open and glazed over as he stared into space. It took a second before Shino noticed the other woman standing there at the end of the large hospital bed, watching her through mirror-tinted sunglasses. She paused, unsure of what to do Shino wanted to go over and check on Masato, but her mind was demanding to know just who this woman was.
The stranger was a tall black woman with braids trailing down her back; she was wearing a pale orange blouse with a dark red pleated skirt and brown sandals. The woman looked more mature than her years, Shino could tell that they must be about the same age. The stranger's face broke into a smile and she slid her sunglasses up to the top of her head her warm brown-gold eyes examining her thoroughly. "Shino Nanao…was wondering when get here you would," she stated in a fairly thick African accent.
Shino stiffened at the mention of her name and her face tightened with suspicion, "It's nice to meet you, but I'm afraid you have the advantage of me," she said as politely as she could, keeping the distrust out of her voice as best she could. The woman nodded at that, "Rhodesia Kajongwe my name. New to CC Corp am I," the foreign woman informed with a tilt of her head in Masato's direction. Shino couldn't help but glance back over at her friend who was so obviously suffering. Pursing her lips she turned back to the supposed CC Corp employee, "Are you the one who sent that e-mail to me? The one telling me to come to this hospital?" she questioned her hands tightening slightly as she stared at the woman warily.
Rhodesia's smile broadened, "Worry not so much would you? Cleaning up mess left over I try to do…and help out innocents in process," she explained motioning towards the chair. "Go on, not here bite you for," she insisted and Shino hesitated for a moment before grabbing the back of the seat and rolling it over so she could sit closer to Masato who was currently the only patient in the room. Rhodesia stuck her head out of the door before closing it and taking a seat at the end of the hospital bed.
Flipping her hair back she continued, "Placed have I as overseer of G.U. So all about Epitaphs and Avatars know I already. Tell everything to you did Yata?" she questioned and Shino nodded, but didn't reply to that. Leaning back the other woman seemed satisfied by that, "After network reset, Ovan fall into Sea of Data and real self fall in coma," she stated nodding towards Masato who was still groaning, his lips moving slightly though no words came out.
Shino looked over at him but kept her hands clasped together in her lap, "I know all of that…but what changed? Just yesterday he was completely comatose and not moving at all. Yet today he's…." she paused and her expression softened with worry and she looked over at Rhodesia, not quite able to summon the right words. The African woman leaned forward as she continued her explanation, "New hacker in The World, trying capture Avatars is he. Then use them confine Aura and have control over network he would," she paused as her eyes slid back over to Shino. Her stomach turned as she picked up on the hint that Rhodesia was giving her.
Shino swallowed hard at that, "This hacker has captured Masato…Ovan's…Avatar, Corbenik hasn't he? And that's why his condition has changed isn't it?" she inquired softly turning back to her friend.
The CC Corp employee nodded, "Masato's consciousness trapped on network, when Epitaph separated from Ovan's PC body. His mind should kicked out of network completely from that, but network reset to him heavy damage it did. Not understand everything happen then, and maybe never will I don't. But not completely detached from network like should is he," Rhodesia explained and Shino frowned as she tried to make sense of the woman's strange way of speaking. Her Japanese was fine overall, but her accent and word arrangement made it hard to understand her without thinking for a moment first. Seeing the look on her face the African woman grinned, "Speak Japanese fine I do. Sentence structure my problem, but understand what I mean?" she asked and Shino nodded.
She looked back over at Masato and grimaced, "So when Corbenik was taken from him it should have freed his mind from the internet and woken him from his coma?" Shino questioned and when Rhodesia confirmed that she added, "But because of the damage he sustained from when the global network reset...his consciousness is still partially trapped online?" Shino inquired, fighting to keep her voice calm and under control. She started to say something else but then shook her head and stared down at her hands, which were clenched tighter then before, her knuckles white.
The silence stretched on until Shino finally summoned the words to speak up once again, "So why are you telling me this? Surely CC Corp could take care of this all on their own, especially with the way they tried to blame and vilify him in the news," she brought up as anger sparked within her at the memory. Of course she hadn't been and still wasn't the only one who was outraged by the accusations the company had laid on him. "They twisted the facts to make him seem like the enemy when he was really just the victim," Shino added, her eyes alight with righteous anger.
At that comment Rhodesia's friendly face dropped into a frown, "Much say about that I could. CC Corp leaders no saints for sure, but nothing else do could they. Not at fault for AIDA existence is and while certainly at fault, not can take all blame they should. But another matter for other time is that. What important now is CC Corp nothing more want then Masato Indou go away. I, however, would better for him prefer," she said the carefully but firmly and Shino knew enough to leave that matter alone for the moment. Seeing that she was listening Rhodesia continued, "Company has hands full with this hacker, falling behind despite all out efforts to stop him they are. Not excusing them for anything I'm not, but true that they having hands full at moment," she commented with professional calmness.
Shino couldn't help the slightly disgusted expression that came across her face, "So you're going to pay me to take him off your hands? Give me a nice big check and hope that I'll just go away so you can handle another problem that will no doubt cost more lives?" Shino demanded keeping her voice level, despite her growing anger. She saw Rhodesia purse her lips and her hands twitched slightly at those words. The other woman was trying to be polite, but it was clear her patience was quickly wearing thin. Taking a deep breath the CC Corp employee responded to that with thinly veiled irritation as her eyes flashed with annoyance, "Think I doing CC Corp favor? Think I be lap dog sent for dirty work?" Rhodesia fired back heatedly, her expression twisting into one of disgust at that last part as she suddenly stood up.
The African woman waved her arm in Masato's direction, "Even stop to think what news would do if news networks hold of this get? Company Masato could send to Psychological Health Institute where he having 24 hour care with best doctors and nurses all over Japan from. Everything he need be taken care of. If condition change for better or worse have he will people just feet away who help him will," Rhodesia told her harshly as she crossed her arms.
Staring down at Shino sternly Rhodesia added, "Instead want I take him out of Saitama Hospital and thus from highly skilled physicians who give him best care possible would, and put Masato in hands of young woman who problems of her own has. Take a formerly comatose man and have him care of taken by young woman who be comatose victim herself once and who struggles also with Depression? Have any idea of how much trouble CC Corp be in that from?" Rhodesia spelled out for her and Shino flinched back at those words and looked away.
Rhodesia flipped a hand through her braids, "Not think of that did you?" she questioned and Shino felt her cheeks turning red with embarrassment from that thorough dressing down. Shino sat taller as she responded to those comments, "Okay, alright, fine. I get your point. So what you're basically saying is that it would be better for everyone involved if Masato was sent to a specialized facility to recover. He would have doctors and specialists waiting hand and foot on him, and if his condition declined in any way he would immediately be taken care of. CC Corp effectively gets the problem of their hands, while at the same time redeeming themselves in the public eye by sending him to a place where he'll get the best care possible. The money involved wouldn't even be an issue for them…just like my privacy I might add," Shino put in, none to happy that this woman knew about her problems with Depression.
Ignoring that last comment Rhodesia added, "Believe me or not, I not concerned with. Like said I...cleaning up CC Corp mess and trying do you both favor," she stated punctuating her statement with a nod, "Care at specialized facility not going bring him out of this it won't. Need he does someone who cares about him as…" she paused and raised an eyebrow as she looked back over at Shino knowingly, "…as more than just patient in a bed. Need someone who wants best for him and understands been through what he has," she added and help up her hand before Shino could comment on that.
Pointing her finger at Rhodesia said, "Need be helped by someone who not blame him for what he done…someone who only want him get better," she clarified and Shino thought carefully about that she turned back to Masato, watching him as she considered what the other woman was telling her. Finally Shino nodded in agreement as Rhodesia walked closer and stood next to her chair. "Still partially stuck in network is his mind. Slowly detach from internet he will, but will take longer if stay here in big city," Rhodesia commented and Shino frowned at that, "What do you mean? Why would he have a problem here?" she asked not understanding what the CC Corp employee was trying to say.
The African woman straightened and waved her arm toward the window, "Enough technology to wire up computer over to the moon there is; signals and frequency's all around. For Masato be it confusing and even excruciatingly painful. You see technology and computers, for him it exceptionally deafening. Even turning TV on for him like having foghorn go off in ears. More technology there be around him, more he will retreat back into himself and shy away from reality. Need be away from all this does he. Best take him away to smaller town or whatever countryside you find can, only then will he really recover start," Rhodesia explained as Shino leaned closer over the hospital bed. As she did so she accidentally bumped the TV remote lying on the counter and the screen flicked on.
Rhodesia grimaced even before Masato reacted. And react he did.
Immediately his eyes shot open and a violent spasm shuddered through his body as he shot up from his resting position. Closing his eyes tightly, his face twisted with pain as he screamed in agony, his hands clutching his head in obvious torment. Shino flinched back from the sound; never had she heard something so horrific. It tore at her soul as she watched him react in such a violent way. Dropping her bag to the floor Shino grabbed the remote and shut the TV off. Her hand missed the button a few times and she cursed to herself before finally hitting it and shutting the TV off.
When the machine clicked off Masato stopped screaming, but didn't move from his position, a small whimper escaping his lips as he hunched over even more, the overwhelming effect clearly lingering. Shino put her hand on his back, rubbing it slowly as she put her other hand on his arm, "Oh, Masato I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" she asked worriedly as his body trembled, but he when he didn't respond she looked up at Rhodesia helplessly.
The other woman shook her head slightly, "Still trapped in own world is he. Corbenik only just taken him from this early morning. Doubt I do he hear you or anything else at all. Only react will he when something electronic comes on or go by the door does," she said softly, but that didn't make Shino feel any better.
Frowning at that Shino kept her eyes on Masato as his body continued to tremble. She thought about what Rhodesia had said and finally she turned back to address the CC Corp employee, "You said he needs to be taken out of the city to...to a place with as little technology as possible?" Shino questioned softly and the other woman nodded in confirmation. Turning back to her friend Shino bit her lip as she considered the matter. She was out of school and since she had missed the deadline it would be months before she could apply once again anyway. She had naturally lost her job after being in a coma for over six months, so it wasn't as if she had anything holding her back...and Masato clearly needed her right now.
Shino frowned as she thought it over, He doesn't have any time left…he needs help and he needs it as soon as possible. Being here will not only slow his progress but it will probably make him even worse, Rhodesia said that herself. Being indecisive and seesawing back and forth on the matter won't bring him out of this. Either I'm going to do this or I'm not. There's nothing and no one holding me back, there's nothing stopping me from doing this, Shino considered as she mentally reviewed her situation. She would prefer more time to plan for this but…she pulled herself from her ruminations and watched Masato as he gave a deep groan, his fingers gripping his hair as his fingers tightened on his head. Immediately she was filled with sympathy for him. He had done everything he could, the only thing he could do to ensure that Haseo would one day be strong enough to stop him and destroy Tri-Edge once and for all.
Of course her parent's would not be thrilled when they learned that she was going to be leaving so soon, and she knew that Masato's relationship with his own parents wasn't very smooth either, especially recently. They had all but deserted him after he was accused by CC Corp of creating and spreading AIDA throughout the world. Of course they did have their hands full taking care of his little sister, but he was still their son.
Shino turned back to Rhodesia and narrowed her eyes slightly, "I lost my apartment," she commented carefully and the other woman smirked, "Place to stay might take little searching, but money for it no setback. Apparently not check bank account lately did you," Rhodesia said with definite smugness. Shino shook her head at that, "You knew all along that I was going to agree didn't you?" she asked and got a genuine smile in response.
There was a heavy sigh as Masato finally relaxed and Shino turned to help him lay back down. When he was settled and resting as comfortably as could be expected, Shino stood up and faced Rhodesia once again with firm determination, "Okay I'll do it. But I'm going to need…" she began but was cut off before she could finish.
Idly twisting a braid around her finger Rhodesia said, "Waiting in driveway of parent's home right now is car. Know have license you do. Forget not also check from CC Corp; mention that earlier think I did. More then willing pay up any amount necessary were they if problem this just go away so deal they can with current problems," Rhodesia added slyly and Shino hummed at that, "I guess I'll just have to take that at face value. I'm sure a lot of money is already being handed out to the coma victim's as compensation for what they've gone through, so I'm certainly not the only one right?" she asked and when Rhodesia nodded she added, "Well then I suppose I should thank you. I don't quite understand why your doing this for him…and for me…but I do really do appreciate it. I must admit I will feel a whole lot better knowing he's close by," Shino added quietly as she turned back to Masato who was tossing and turning yet again.
Satisfied Rhodesia slid her sunglasses back down over her eyes as she reached past Shino to grab a pen and pad of paper that was sitting on the table next to the hospital bed. She scribbled down a phone number and tore off the top sheet before placing the items back on the table. "Cell phone number mine this is. If any questions than call me you should. The rest I sure you can come up with. Arrange matters with hospital I will so leave as soon as possible you will be able," she offered handing over the piece of paper. Shino thanked her and stared at it for a moment before putting it in her bag. Looking back up she asked, "I should leave as soon as possible shouldn't I? I mean if Masato stays here…he's not going to make much if any progress right? There's no telling when or if he'll ever recover from this completely…but," she stopped as her voice wavered and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Taking a deep breath she got control of herself and continued, "…but staying around all of this network activity and technology will slow down and maybe even halt whatever progress he is making…right?" Shino inquired and when Rhodesia nodded at that she clasped her hands together to avoid fidgeting. Shino eye's set with determination as she made her final decision. Masato need help…her help and besides Haseo was busy with his own problems. She was one of only a select few who knew the whole story…the true story…and she was certainly the only person who appreciated the full impact of what he had done and more importantly why he had done it; something that Haseo was still struggling to understand.
Seeing her firm conviction Rhodesia decided to take her leave, "Know have lot to think about do you so leave now will I. Prefer give you more time but matters as you see is urgent. Thank you I do for cooperation and willing spirit, or at very least not attacking me hmm?" she commented and Shino's lips twitched up into a slight smile at that. Perhaps this woman wasn't so bad after all. A thought occurred to her as and she spoke up before the CC Corp employee could exit.
Leaning forward Shino quickly stopped the woman, "Wait! Where exactly am I supposed to go?" she questioned and Rhodesia looked over her shoulder and shrugged, "Have place set up for you north of here in town of Kori. Known also as Koori Machi and it up in Date District of Fukushima, nearly due north of here it be. Set up places CC Corp has all over Japan, mostly for personal use. Moderate town of around 15,000 people it be and region known for scenic beauty, perfect place Masato to recover yes? Was built personally for and by CC Corp executive but…" Rhodesia paused as a wicked grin lit her lips, "In light of recent events, taken if for this purpose I have," she added with a clearly smug look as she flipped her braids back over her shoulder.
Shino raised an eyebrow at those words, "You can do that? I mean to have a personal residence like that they must be pretty high up…" she hinted trying to get a feel for how high a position Rhodesia had herself. The foreign woman snorted at that, "Fortunate I not fire him from company completely he is," she said indignantly as she put her hands on her hips, angry at the thought. "Mess up again and leave him explain self before Network Administration Bureau will I," Rhodesia noted caustically and Shino made a mental note of that and filed it away for later reference.
Moving on Rhodesia waved her hand dismissively to brush off that last matter, "E-mail map and address later to you I will just in case. So stop there at place we have for you and…" she broke off and Shino picked up where she had left off, "Pray for the best?" she offered and Rhodesia gave here a reassuring smile, "Have hope. Get better Masato will," she said confidently before nodding in farewell and heading out.
Shino watched the door close and stared for a while at the spot where Rhodesia had just been standing before turning back to Masato. She hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching over and placing her hand over his. As much as she wanted to hope, she knew that Masato in all likelihood was completely unaware of her presence. Even Rhodesia had said that so far he would only show any kind of response when something electronic was in his vicinity and she had of course seen proof of that herself.
Slowly she squeezed his hand, "Don't worry Masato…I promise I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back," Shino whispered softly and with all her heart. During the whole AIDA incident she had been a victim, unable to do anything but watch Ovan's suffering and Haseo's violent anger and determination to do anything and everything to save her. Now though things would be different, Shino had a chance to help and she wasn't going to sit back and let this opportunity pass her by. Her friend was in trouble. Masato needed someone who would hold him up.
Shino frowned as she thought about that, He's always been the leader, he led the Twilight Brigade and when he disappeared everyone and everything started to fall apart, but now…now he needs someone to support HIM, someone who is going to stay by his side and just try to understand him without judging or blaming him for what he's done, she considered as she looked over at the clock on the wall. She only had about 15 minutes left before she had to leave again. From here she would go straight home and prepare, Rhodesia said it would be best to leave as soon as possible so Shino knew that she would have to be ready in the morning.
Where she would end up was a different story, but Shino wasn't afraid. She may be back with her parents at the moment but she had been living in an apartment by herself for a while so it wouldn't be anything new to find another place to stay. She was an adult now and had gotten used to depending on herself. Taking care of Masato certainly wouldn't be easy but she would just have to do her best. Standing up Shino picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, "I'll be back Masato, and when I am I'll get you out of here…I promise," she whispered before turning and opening the door. She glanced back over her shoulder once before taking a deep breath and leaving the room.
"Your what?" Shino's mother demanded in shock, staring at her daughter as if she had lost her mind. Shino pursed her lips but didn't respond and instead continued packing the personal items she needed. She didn't know how long she would be gone so she had made sure to pack a wide variety of clothes and limited personal items to things she had to have: toothpaste, toothbrush, a couple things for her hair, deodorant, and so forth. The car Rhodesia had supplied for her use was a nice sized family car and could handle her bags and several more with ease.
Zipping up the bag Shino straightened up and nodded to herself, This will have to do, if I need anything else then I can always buy it later. Rhodesia has certainly made sure of that, she considered as she took out her cell phone and pressed a few buttons to access her bank account; she had first thought of checking it when she was on the local rail line heading back home and had nearly keeled over with shock when she saw just much her account had leapt up. Never had she seen so many numbers in one place before. Shino couldn't help but smile as she thought of it, Spend it carefully and I could live comfortably for years without ever having a job, she turned around and finally faced her mother who was understandably upset.
Keeping her voice as calm as possible Shino tried to calm her mother down, "Look mother I know this is sudden…" she began but the woman held up her hand, her eyes flashing with maternal anger, "Sudden? You meet some stranger from that company of criminals CC Corp who tells you to take your friend and leave for some city you've never heard of as soon you can am I right? Do you even know where this place is?" she demanded and Shino grimaced as she lifted the bag and set it off to the side next to her nightstand so she wouldn't forget it in the morning.
After leaving the hospital she had wandered around Saitama for several hours, thinking about what Rhodesia had told her and everything else that it would entail once she actually managed to get Masato to Kori, Fukushima. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but the full impact of what she was getting herself into was just starting to sink in.
Taking a deep breath Shion said, "I know it sounds crazy and foolhardy, but what happened in The World…what happened with Masato…" she began but was immediately cut off, "Don't…" her mother interrupted bitterly, "Don't you dare mention that man's name in this house," she stated sourly and Shino sighed and shook her head slowly. Her parents had known Masato for a while; he had been a close family friend…until the incident with AIDA that is. CC Corp may have repealed their statement blaming Masato Indou for the AIDA incident, but her parents had been on the frontlines, forced to wait and wonder if their only child would ever recover from her mysterious illness. Shino didn't blame her mother and father for being upset with him and she didn't challenge their view either, they had every right to feel that way.
With a slightly frustrated sigh Shino continued more tactfully, "What happened in The World is complicated...CC Corp sent someone to talk to me in person, someone who clearly wielded a lot of power. I mean the money I already expected as compensation, the company already promised me that, but…" she paused as she thought about what had happened mere hours earlier. "But she arranged all of this for me and is even giving me a car, basically for free," she explained as her mother shook her head in dismay. Shino continued before her mother could raise any more objections, "And besides...I would never be able to live with myself if I just abandoned him so that some institute could take him in and lock him up in a padded room somewhere. I'm probably one of the only real friends he has left, and certainly the only one who is in a position to help him," she added firmly and her mother sighed and rubbed her temple.
She eyed her daughter with subdued resignation, "Your going to do this with or without my approval aren't you?" she questioned and Shino nodded in agreement, "He's not on very good terms with his family, and even if he was they have their hands full taking care of his little sister. There's no way they would be able to take on that kind of financial burden…their just barely keeping their heads above water as it is," the young woman insisted, trying to get her mother to see her reasoning. It was true that she was going to leave either way, but she would prefer that it be on good terms.
Shino stood taller and tried to come off as confident and self-assured as possible; showing how worried she was would just worry her parents even more, "He needs my help and I'm not going to abandon him. If this will help him then I'm more than willing to do it. I have no reason not to," she added and her mother pursed her lips at that, knowing that it was true. Finally the woman gave a heavy sigh, "Just…" she hesitated and pulled her daughter into a tight hug, "Just promise that you'll be careful okay? We've already been through so much and…" she pulled back and held Shino's face in her hands, "I just don't want anything to happen to you…your father and I can't bear to go through that again," she said tearfully.
Smiling reassuringly Shino tired to comfort her mother as best she could, "I'm not even leaving yet mom! And I promise I'll call you the minute I get to Kori, Fukushima okay? It will only take a couple of hours…" she promised holding her hand over her heart as well. Her mother scowled at that action and put her hands on her hips, "You're darn right you'll call your mother when you get there! And every day after that if you know what's good for you!" she retorted sternly, her eyes flashing with warning and Shino smiled inwardly at that. If her mother could chastise her like that then it meant that she was feeling better. It was when she wasn't mumbling about something or other that it was time to worry.
Shino brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she smiled genuinely, "The minute I get there and twice a day after that," she promised her mother who nodded in satisfaction before giving another sigh, "Okay then, make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight, they say all those GPS devices went haywire because of AIDA, but I still don't trust them so you had better drive yourself…and watch out for all those crazy drivers on the road while your at it," she fretted as Shino resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her mother's concern.
Instead she merely nodded as her mother continued, "And make sure you eat properly…both of you. I don't exactly like this arrangement, but if your going to go through with this than you need to keep yourself as healthy as possible and that includes good eating habits for Masato as well," her mother added and Shino cleared her throat and cut her eyes over towards the clock, giving her mother a subtle "I get the point, can I go to bed now?" look.
Her mother noticed and shook her finger in warning, "You had just better hope this all goes smoothly or I'm bringing you right back here and telling CC Corp they can just find somebody else to do all of this," she stated with a 'mother knows best' warning glare as she walked over and paused in the doorway making sure her daughter got the point.
"Don't worry mother! Everything will be just fine, I can handle this!" Shino insisted with slight exasperation feeling more worn out than ever. When her mother finally left she heaved a sigh and collapsed back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she thought about what was to come tomorrow. Closing her eyes she finally allowed herself to relax, Stop worrying yourself, she chided, knowing that worrying too far ahead wouldn't do her any good, I'll just have to take things as they come, there's just no telling what will happen when and if Masato ever recovers, Shino considered as she sat up and prepared for bed.
Shino gnawed on her bottom lip as she stood next to the moderately sized family car that CC Corp had provided for her. She fidgeted uneasily as she watched them wheel Masato out of the hospital in a wheelchair and down the incline towards her. Looking up at the night sky she silently apologized to her parents who had still been sleeping when she had gotten up to leave. After spending a couple hours in thought Shino had called Rhodesia and arranged to pick up Masato early that next morning, 2:30 in the morning to be exact. The traffic in Saitama, while omnipresent at all hours of the day, would at least be lessened this early in the day and should grow more sparse as she left the greater Tokyo area behind.
Yawning slightly Shino rubbed her eyes as she took a sip of the coffee she had stopped long enough to pick up, she would need all the extra caffeine she could get, I know I should have done more than just leave my parents a note…but there is no way my mother would have allowed me to leave this early in the morning had she known about it. I know she wanted to see me off but… she stood taller and leaned in the car to put her drink in the cup holder before hurrying over to the other side of the vehicle, opening the door as the orderly wheeled Masato up to the car.
But this is best for everyone. In theory it should at least a little easier on Masato now that at least some of the shops and businesses in Saitama are shut down, Shino considered, hoping her speculation turned out to have at least a small glimmer of truth to it. She had carefully avoided specifying a certain time when her parents had asked about when she would be leaving, instead she had sidestepped the issue and changed the subject to avoid any possible conflict. They had still been sleeping peacefully when she had loaded up the car and backed out of the driveway.
Sucking in a deep breath Shino pushed that thought aside; she could worry about it later when her mother called to chew her out, as she would surely do when she woke up. For now she concentrated on Masato, whose eyes were now open, but his gaze was blank and expressionless as he stared off into space. His face was flat and registered no emotion as the orderly and the man with him helped lift Masato and set him in the car. As they did so his arms moved slightly, grabbing at the side of the chair to steady himself, but his responses seemed automatic rather than a result of conscious thought.
When he was settled in Shino thanked them and they nodded to her before heading back into the hospital through the emergency room doors, which were the only ones open at this time of morning. Leaning over Shino pulled the seatbelt across Masato and clicked it in before closing the door. A sudden gust of wind kicked up and she shivered slightly as she looked around at the well-lit but empty parking lot. The realization that she was now basically alone in this was unsettling. Shaking her head Shino quickly walked around to the driver's side of the car and slid in, closing the door behind her; the automatic locks clicking in place as she did so.
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she fought away her unease, I'm just being paranoid, my parents might be angry but they will still be more than ready to help should anything happen. I also have Rhodesia's phone number and she's promised to send somebody out if I have any trouble taking care of Masato…there's nothing to worry about, she tried to reassure herself, still unable to completely banish her suspicions. If this hacker was going after the Epitaph Users and their Avatars…then what was stopping them from coming after her and getting rid of Masato for good in order to keep him separated from Corbenik?
Shino turned to look at Masato who was clearly unaware of her presence. He was staring down at his feet, with the same blank expression as before. Sighing at that Shino swallowed hard and put the car in gear, pulling out from under the entryway and refocusing her attention on the road and the traveling that was ahead of her. Haseo and Atoli were both fighting against this hacker despite the risk to their own lives; she could certainly do this on her own. Nodding to emphasize the thought Shino took another sip of her coffee as she stopped at a stop sign and looked both ways before pulling out onto the street.
Masato is still trapped online…that's what Rhodesia said…and its going to take a lot time and care for his mind to fully detach from the network. Until then its up to me to make sure he has all the care and attention he needs. He may not know I'm here and he may not even be aware of what's going on around him…but that is no reason to just give up on him, Shino considered as she rolled up and stopped at a traffic light.
Leaning over slightly she punched in the address Rhodesia had given her and the navigation system took a second to calculate before highlighting the route for her to take and asking if she wanted the 'auto drive' feature to take over for her. Shino almost hit yes until remembering the warning her mother had given her. Quickly she hit 'no' and the computer voice told her to make a right in 4 miles. Settling back in her seat Shino stepped on the accelerator as she glanced over at Masato again. It felt strange to be sitting here with him like this; it was making her a little uneasy already and she still had several hours of driving ahead of her.
Growling slightly she turned on the radio, switching to her favorite radio station and turning the sound down a little so as to have some background noise. Her nerves were already on edge and she was stressed out from checking, several times, to make sure that she had all of her medications and the actual prescriptions as well, both on paper and saved to her phone so that she would be able to get them refilled right away should they run out.
Finally unable to stand it any longer she blurted out, "We're going to Kori, Fukushima. I've seen some pictures of the scenery before and the mountains and forests are stunning. That area is famous for growing peaches as well," she commented, feeling as if she should tell him where they were going. Whether her words really registered with Masato or not was highly doubtful, but it still just seemed wrong to pick him up from the hospital and cart him off without telling him what was going on. Shino knew that speaking up would be mostly for her own benefit, but still it would help banish the small sliver of guilt that was insistently pricking her conscience at the moment.
Looking up to the rearview mirror Shino switched to the right lane, "A woman from CC Corp arranged a place for us to stay. It used to belong to one of the executives there but she apparently…relieved him of it so we could use it instead. Being away from the greater Tokyo area should help you recover," Shino added, of course Masato did not respond to this, but saying something made her feel better and doing so finally allowed her to relax a little. It would take a couple hours to get there and she should arrive at about midmorning, giving her plenty of time to get them both settled in.
Everything will be okay, I just need to stay calm and let Haseo and his friends deal with the hacker he told me about. Masato needs my full attention right now. I have to trust that Rhodesia is really as honest as she seems and that Haseo will be able to handle things on his end inside of The World, she considered knowing that she couldn't tell her friend about this situation. He needed to focus all of his attention on strengthening Skeith and taking down whoever was trying to corrupt The World and capture the Avatars. Corbenik had already been taken; if there were many more casualties anywhere near the level of Masato's. then the players of The World and the users of the rest of the network would be completely exposed with no line of defense stopping him from taking what he wanted.
Shino whistled softly to herself as she stood next to the car staring up at the house in front of her. It was an amazing traditional Japanese home set in the forest a few minutes outside of Kori. It was a sprawling mostly one-level complex with a courtyard that surrounded a beautiful garden and pond that had several koi swimming around in it. In back was a larger garden with a trail that wound deeper into the forest. Shino could see why one of CC Corp's top execs had wanted this place all for themselves. Shaking her head slightly Shino turned around and opened the passenger side door, "Well here we are Masato. I have to say this place may only be a few miles outside of town but it sure seems a lot more secluded than that. This should be the perfect place for you to recover," she commented as she loosened his seat belt and moved it out of the way.
She had noticed a subtle change in him the farther they had gotten from Saitama, Gunma, Chiba, and the other prefectures surrounding Tokyo. It wasn't drastic and he still didn't respond to her comments or show in any other way that he heard her, but at the same time he seemed more…aware. Shino scowled to herself at that description and rubbed her face, Either Masato really is a little more aware of himself and his surroundings…or all that caffeine from the coffees I had this morning is finally wearing off, she considered cynically as she grabbed his arm lightly.
"Masato?" she asked softly and slowly his head lifted and he blinked slowly. It took at least a minute until Masato finally turned and stared at her and then down at where her hand was resting on his arm. "Come on, let's go inside," Shino told him and he let out a breath that was not quite a sigh as he turned and stared down at his legs. Hesitating for a moment Shino stood there indecisively for several seconds before leaning down and grabbing his legs, pulling his right leg up slightly before moving it over and out onto the ground. Leaning back in the vehicle she did the same with the other leg.
Straightening up she slid her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Are you ready to go?" Shino inquired as pulled on his arm to try and get him moving on his own. Masato's eyes narrowed every so slightly and Shino waited patiently for what must have been at least 10 minutes, knowing she couldn't rush him. Finally he leaned forward slightly and Shino dropped his hands and shifted closer to her as she helped him stand up next to the car. Masato swayed slightly but stayed upright as she slid her arm around his waist and put his arm around her shoulders so that he could lean on her for support.
"Come on lets get you inside so you can lie down, I know you must be tired," Shino commented as they walked slowly but steadily towards the house. When they got to the front door she put her thumb on the fingerprint lock and it flashed green and gave a small click as the door swung open into a richly decorated entryway. She paused for a moment, before stepping in and using her foot to nudge the door shut. After hearing it shut she headed deeper into the home, heading down a hallway to the right to where she thought the bedrooms would be. She walked down the corridor and to the east wing of the house. The hall twisted to the left and she saw a couple doors before the hall turned left again back towards the main house. She was about to open the door closest to her when Masato staggered suddenly and nearly tripped.
Quickly Shino tightened her grip on him, "Whoa there! Are you okay?" she asked tilting her head slightly to look up at him. He's fading pretty fast, she realized, taking in his dull but exhausted expression. Frowning she opened the door on her right and sighed in relief when she saw that it was indeed a large bedroom with polished wooden furnishings and two windows on either side of the bed. Nodding in approval Shino guided him over and helped sit Masato down on the soft and slightly springy mattress, "Well, here we are Masato. This looks like it will be perfect for now," she commented with great satisfaction. The young man let out a heavy sigh; his body loosening as his eyes slowly slid shut.
Carefully Shino pushed him down the mattress, making sure his head was resting on the pillow and she heard Masato groan slightly as he unconsciously relaxed. Bending over she shifted his legs up onto the bed and his eyelids twitched slightly before he sighed, already half asleep. Smiling softly at that she moved untied his shoes and pulled them off, setting them one the floor at the end of the bed. Silently she slipped out of the room, glancing back over her shoulder at him one more time before shutting the door.
Now that Masato was settled and resting Shino felt just a little more relaxed and she headed back out to the car, only to find a woman already digging around in the trunk and taking out her suitcase and other bags. Stopping dead in her tracks Shino could only stare at the woman for a moment before the lady realized she was standing there. Straightening up the stranger eyed Shino critically for a moment before nodding slightly, as if the young woman had passed some personal test of hers.
"Umm…hello there, my name is…" Shino began, figuring that this lady must belong here, but she was quickly cut off, "Shino Nanao and your friend is called Masato Indou. My name is Nareo I am the housekeeper here," the slight woman informed briskly as she hefted the suitcase out of the trunk and set it on the ground before pulling a large duffle bag out as well and slinging it over her shoulder. "This whole matter was rather sudden so while Rhodesia ordered some clothing for Masato it will most likely not be here for a couple days so he will have to make due with the previous resident's attire. He did not want it and left it for me to discard, but I thought it prudent to keep around for emergencies," Nareo continued promptly, not allowing Shino to get a word in edgewise as she walked up and brushed past the young woman without so much as a "hello how are you?"
After hesitating for a moment Shino hurried after the housekeeper who was taking her bags down the hallway towards the bedrooms, "I suspect you'll be here for a while so I will bring in your things and put them away for you," Nareo commented not slowing her pace in the slightest. Shino spoke up at that, "Oh, well I…" she began but was forced to stop as the housekeeper stopped right in front of her. With a startled gasp she just managed to avoid slamming straight into Nareo as the older woman whipped around, staring at her through suspicious eyes. Despite being shorter than Shino the woman had an unmistakable aura of authority about her that made people stand up and take notice.
The housekeeper's look was almost accusing and Shino fumbled around to try and clarify her statement, "Well it's just that I wanted to be with Masato," she added and when Nareo raised an eyebrow at that Shino flushed candy apple red as she realized how that must have sounded and she scrambled to redeem herself, "W-what I m-meant was I wanted to be close to him," she tried but that didn't make it sound any better. Nareo's eyes narrowed at her as Shino took a deep breath to try and calm herself.
Clearing her throat she spoke slowly, keeping her face as still and serious as possible so as not to make the wrong impression, "What I meant…was that I would prefer to be in a room close to Masato so that if he has trouble or needs something during the night I will be able to help him right away. He is still recovering and needs careful attention," Shino finally managed to get out what she really meant without stammering around and making herself look like an idiot. Nareo's lips twisted into an expression of clear doubt, but she nodded wordlessly before setting off once again at the same brisk pace as before.
Shino found herself struggling to keep up despite the fact that she wasn't carrying any bags. Nareo whipped around the corner and opened the door leading into the bedroom across the hallway and just down from where Masato was resting. The housekeeper entered the room and set the duffle bag on the end of the bed before putting her suitcase over next to the dresser. Just as quickly she turned around and Shino was forced to take a step back once again as Nareo stared up at her with a gaze so fierce it could almost be called a scowl. "I will retrieve your other bag from the car and put your things away properly for you. I suggest you acquaint yourself with the layout of the manor and the outlying grounds," she insistent more than suggested and the young woman fairly jumped out of the way as Nareo stalked out of the room, her footsteps quickly fading.
With a sigh of relief Shino shook her head and quickly retrieved her medicine from the side pocket of the duffle bag, setting the bag of bottles next to the nightstand where they would be easy to reach. Hopefully Nareo would leave them there. Shaking her head at that Shino looked over her shoulder at where the forceful housekeeper had been standing few seconds ago. The young woman didn't quite know what she had been expecting, but Nareo certainly wasn't it. Well at least I won't have to figure this whole matter out on my own. Having her deal with…this place…will give me free time to watch over Masato, she considered approvingly as she looked around the red and gold room. It was clearly meant for a more feminine occupant. For now though she decided to take up Nareo's suggestion. Wandering around a bit wouldn't hurt, and she needed to call her mom anyway.
Taking a deep breath she took out her cell phone and headed outside, after getting a little lost that is. She wandered around for a bit before finding Nareo again and asking her which way the exit was. The housekeeper frowned at that but directed her outside. As she stepped out Shino could see that the car trunk was shut, so evidently Nareo had brought the other bags inside. Looking down at the phone in her hand Shino took a deep breath and turned it on. When it finished powering up she blanched as a screen popped up saying that she had 5 missed calls…all from her mother naturally. With a sigh she decided to get it all over with.
Most of the call was spent with Shino receiving an earful for leaving unannounced and keeping her cell phone off after that. The young woman tried to explain that she had kept if off so as not to disturb Masato, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise and instead ended up apologizing profusely for making her mother worry so much before promising to call her before she went to bed. Ending the call Shino slid the phone into a pocket in her skirt and turned around to stare at the manor that was now her place of residence. She still couldn't believe how big it was.
Well, might as well search around the place. There's no knowing how long Masato and I will be staying here, Shino considered checking the time quickly before nodding. She was about to head around the side of the house when she heard a scuffling sound and froze; looking around she saw nothing until she thought to lower her gaze closer to the ground. There you are, Shino realized as she saw two massive Rottweiler's with thick spiked collars standing there staring at her. They were clearly guard dogs and probably had free reign of the grounds.
Shino froze, unsure of whether they would attack or not when she heard a grunt from behind her, "Those two are Raiden and Mera. They're brother and sister and they guard the property from intruders," Nareo informed casually, not bothering to apologize for the heart attack she had nearly given Shino. The housekeeper whistled and the two dogs trotted over, sniffing the young woman curiously. Nareo gave a sharp command and the Rottweiler's immediately snapped to attention, their eyes focused on the housekeeper. Satisfied the short, but solid woman jerked a thumb towards Shino, "Friend. Protect her," Nareo ordered firmly before whipping around and stalking off back inside the house, nearly slamming the door in the process.
Well, aren't we cheerful this morning? Shino considered sarcastically as she looked down at Mera who wagged her short stump of a tail in happy greeting. "Guess I passed the test and you're my keeper now hunh?" she questioned leaning over and giving the dog a scratch behind the ears before straightening up. Raiden sniffed dismissively and turned to continue his patrol of the yard while Mera trotted along side as Shino continued her original plan of exploring the grounds; as she did so she realized that the rich really were different from everyone else.
What does one person DO with this much space? Shino wondered as she glanced down at her watch. Now that she was actually here she didn't have the slightest idea of what to do. She highly doubted that Nareo would want her underfoot for any reason and Masato was still resting. With a sigh she looked over at Mera who was still clearly alert as she wove back and forth across the walkway that led around the back of the manor. At least I won't have to worry about somebody jumping me, she considered as she tried to relax.
Night had fallen and Shino had finally managed to escape Nareo's inflexible glare, the housekeeper had made dinner and not allowed the young woman to leave until she ate at least half of it. Shino, on the other hand, had never really eaten a lot and lately had been eating even less. When she wasn't feeling well, which was most of the time, she just didn't get hungry and having Nareo's face scowling at her from the other side of the table had lessened her appetite even more. After the first bite or two she had been ready to quit but had been forced to choke it down lest Nareo do so for her.
With a small groan Shino decided to take a shower and head off to bed. She was halfway down the hallway when she realized something, her eyes nearly popping out of her head at the thought. Whipping around she hurried back to the kitchen where Nareo was cleaning up. The housekeeper gave her a "what is it now?" look and Shino blushed slightly at what she was about to say. Clearing her throat she said, "It um…well I mean Masato…" she stopped and Nareo's dark looked deepened with impatience.
Hurrying up Shino continued with, "Well he…uh…needs someone to help give him a bath. He's in no condition to do so for himself," she explained as the housekeeper grunted and turned back around in an obvious gesture of dismissal. "That is your job girl not mine. I take care of the house and you take care of your friend. Watching out for an invalid is not in my job description," Nareo informed unsympathetically as she bent back to the task of cleaning the dishes. Shino frowned slightly but held her tongue as she looked back over her shoulder down the hallway that led to the east 'wing' of the house.
There was a loud frustrated sigh and Shino was shaken from her thoughts as she looked back over at Nareo who was shaking her head at her. Hands on her hips the housekeeper glared fiercely at her, "Oh, for crying out loud! Stop being so gosh darn squeamish and get to it! No one ever told you this would be easy did they?" she demanded and waved a spatula at the young woman when she opened her mouth to object. "Someone has to take care of it and whether you like this part of the job or not is irrelevant. YOU signed up for this and YOU have to deal with what comes along," Nareo concluded with a decisive nod as she stared at Shino critically. "Nurses and aids in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities have to do the same thing and worse. Just be grateful he's a healthy young man and not a wrinkled old senior you have to stare at," she added, her lips twitching up slightly on that note.
Shino's face burned red at that last remark, "I would never...that's not…NAREO!" she blurted in shock, her expression one of horror. The housekeeper gave a sharp laugh at that as she grinned from ear to ear. Putting down the spatula in her hand she took off her apron and folded it before lying in on the counter. Walking over she stopped and stared up at the young woman, "Oh, settle down. Can't you take a joke?" she questioned with a shake of her head, "I'll give you a hand, but don't expect this to be a permanent arrangement," the housekeeper warned, shaking a finger at Shino who nodded quickly; keeping her expressions of relief to a minimum as she followed Nareo back down the hallway.
Together Shino and Nareo managed to get Masato out of bed and give him a shower. Shino for her part, as mortified as she was during the ordeal, managed by some miracle of heaven not to die of embarrassment in the process. The fact that Masato was still pretty much out of it did help…somewhat. Nareo had stuck around long enough to help Shino get him clothed again in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for bed before vanishing off to another part of the massive house, mumbling something about not getting her 'real work' done. Now Masato was sitting on the edge of the tub as Shino finished up with him on her own. Doing this for him was unquestionably awkward and embarrassing, but Nareo did have a point when she made that comment earlier.
I did sign up for this, so its my responsibility to take care of him, Shino chastised herself firmly as she took a deep breath and lifted his chin with her left hand, in her right she held a disposable razor. Carefully she shaved off the beard that had started to grow on his chin and cheeks. Apparently they hadn't been doing much for him in the hospital. Washing off the razor she started on the other side, Still it hurts to see him like this. He used to be the man who held all of us together and now he can barely stand up without someone helping him, Shino thought sadly as she finished up and tossed the razor away before cleaning off his face with a towel. Taking a step back she examined her handiwork to make sure she hadn't cut him or anything.
Gently she rested her hand on his face as she watched him. Masato's eyes were open but he wasn't really looking at anything. He was just staring off into space, his hand and fingers twitching occasionally. Every once in a while he would wince and groan slightly in response to some unseen tormentor. He had looked at her once or twice, but there was no real way of knowing if he was actually aware of her presence. Were his thoughts still tormented by memories of AIDA? Did he hear her somewhere in his broken mind? Did he realize where he was? Or did was Masato still only aware of the network and its influence around him?
Masato grimaced and closed his eyes, his breathing harsher as his shoulder tensed. Her eyes softening in sympathy Shino let her hands rest at the base of his neck as she massaged his shoulders to help relax him. "It doesn't matter how long it takes…I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you bring you back," Shino whispered as tears began to well up in her eyes. It just wasn't fair. Masato…Ovan had been infected by Tri-Edge against his will. It had been an accident when he PKed her. He hadn't 'spread' AIDA throughout The World at all, they data anomaly had already been there. Ovan did everything he could to ensure that Tri-Edge would be destroyed for good, and now he was suffering alone and in silence while the rest of the world blamed him for their troubles.
Shino was tired of trying to explain his actions to others. She was sick of the constant comments and backlash that she had seen posted all over the network. They don't have to understand what he's done. Let the world hate him if they want. I know that Masato isn't a bad person and that's good enough. And when he finally does come out of this…I'll stick by him, Shino vowed confidently as Masato sighed, his body loosening in response to her attention as she continued massaging his shoulders.
I'm sorry Haseo…but I can't tell you I've found Masato just yet. You already have enough on your mind as it is…I don't want to weigh you down even more, Shino considered still feeling guilty about picking up and leaving without telling him about this. But for now it was best just to keep him out of this.
Days bled into weeks, which bled into another month of caring for Masato. Shino sighed as she sat in the garden beside the fishpond with the guard dogs Mera and Raiden who had finally warmed up to her. Smiling slightly she scratched behind Mera's ears and the Rottweiler rested her head on Shino's lap, closing her eyes happily. With a sigh Shino looked up at the full moon. Night had fallen and yet again she found herself unable to sleep. Her thoughts and mind were a whirlwind, the optimism she had forced on herself when this all began was now almost completely gone. Bled dry by the constant emotional drain of caring for her ailing friend. Her Depression symptoms had started to get worse for a while before Nareo had given her morale a much needed slap, so to speak, and boosted Shino's morale.
Shino had forced herself to be strong if only for Masato's sake. At the time she knew that couldn't allow herself to continue this slide back into dejection and discontent. And truthfully she had been scared, scared of what was going to happen. Would Masato ever recover? Would he ever be the same person she had known before? Would he ever be able to lead even a partially normal life again? And if he couldn't was she prepared to continue taking care of him?
Those were serious questions and it had taken a lot of soul searching before she had finally been confident enough to answer yes to that final question. During his time in The World he had always been…detached somehow. As if he didn't want to get to close to people, even with her, his closest friend, Masato had kept his feelings and emotions carefully guarded. But now he needed her and she wasn't going to allow her personal problems to keep her from giving him the help he needed.
Of course helping her out was that fact that Masato's condition had improved, but still only slightly. He would turn to face her when she spoke, but still responded more to her actions than to her words. He didn't quite have the dexterity needed to handle chopsticks so Shino had managed to rummage around the house and found some silverware that he could use instead. It took time and a lot of patience but at least he could feed himself now. Still he was rather uncoordinated and out of it so Shino still helped give him a shower every night, all the while wondering if she would ever get over her embarrassment and discomfort.
And he still hasn't said a word since I first found him in the Saitama Hospital, she considered miserably as she stood up. It had become clear that Masato was aware of her presence, but how much he actually understood and comprehended was a mystery still. She made sure to speak to him about what was going on and tell him about anything she had heard in the news. She even kept him updated on how Haseo was doing in The Word.
But sometimes…I wonder why I bother at all, she considered knowing Masato had yet to respond verbally to any of her overtures. Shaking those thoughts from her head Shino walked back inside, pausing to let Mera and Raiden inside as well. Nareo refused to have the dogs inside during the day, but would allow them to come in and patrol the house at night. Or at least Raiden did, Mera usually slept at the end of Shino's bed. Looking down she patted the dog affectionately once again; truthfully she had been afraid of them at first, but they really weren't as nasty as everyone made the breed out to be.
Shino went around to the kitchen and Raiden circled a few times before laying down with a grunt to go to sleep. Going over to the fridge she reached in and pulled out a peach to eat as a late night snack. She broke off couple pieces and tossed them to the dogs as she leaned against the counter, thinking about Masato. Every time she saw and watched him she couldn't help but think of all the time they had spent together in The World. Searching for the Key of The Twilight…something that technically doesn't exist within the game. I mean… it's not a literal item you can possess. I think we all knew that deep inside but…as long as we were together and enjoying The World our way it didn't matter, we were all happy just searching the back corners of the game and discovering new things and information, Shino thought with a smile as she reflected back on those times. Ovan always had such a strong confidence about him, an aura that said he knew exactly what was going on and was in full control.
Finishing her snack she tossed the pit away into the garbage and wandered outside and down the trail leading into the forest with Mera trotting along beside her on full alert. There was a chill in the air and Shino rubbed her arms as she walked, looking for the spot where you could look down and see the town of Kori below. As she drew closer Mera gave off a low rumble in her throat that was not quite a growl. Frowning Shino put her hand on the dog's neck as she squinted slightly to try and see who it was. Hackles raising at the young woman's touch the Rottweiler nonetheless waited for orders. The wind shifted abruptly, blowing back towards them and Mera sniffed the air before lifting her hand and barking in greeting. When the stranger noticed the sound and turned around to stare at them, Shino could see that it was Masato standing there looking down the mountainside. She felt a quick flair of worry at the fact that he had come out here alone. He was still unsteady on his feet and his legs were prone to giving out at times.
Still, he seems to be okay, Shino considered, relaxing as she walked up beside him, "Masato? What are you doing out here?" Shino questioned as his eyes tracked her movement; he still wore that same partially blank expression as always. Smiling warmly she looked up at him, "This is a beautiful night isn't it? When I can't sleep I like to come out here to this spot. Its relaxing and helps me think," she explained as she turned to stare down at the town all the streets were well lit, but some other parts of the city were almost completely dark.
"I…miss her…"
Startled Shino stared at Masato in shock, but he was still staring down at the ground wearing a look of intense concentration as he spoke. Lifting his head Masato stared at her as he added, "Aina…my…little sister," his look of concentration deepened as he continued, "The World…was the only place…I could see her…" he said with a heavy sigh as his tense expression changed to one of sorrow. "At night…when…it is not…so loud…I have been…thinking…about her…" he added closing his eyes as he shuddered slightly and looked away.
Still stunned by his this sudden admission it took Shino a moment to recover and another to think of something intelligent to say. Finally she managed, "I'm know she must still think about you, and you'll get to see her again some day," she tried to reassure him. After several long and silent moments Masato spoke again, "Not…like this…never…like this…too painful for her…too painful for…my…mother," he added his voice wavering at the end as a single tear slid down his face at the thought of his sister. He really did love Aina with all his heart, and when they had met offline Shino had seen personally how hard it was for him to be separated from her.
With a sigh Shino's lips tightened, she didn't know why he had such a strained relationship with his mother and despite her curiosity she knew it was wrong to pry, but still she wondered sometimes. Touching his arm she tried to console him, "I know that being here must be hard for you. But there are people who need you here with them…now matter how…" she paused trying to find the right word to say, "…hurt you are," Shino said as she lifted her hand and rested it on his cheek turning his head so she could look him in the eyes.
Shino could see the pain and torment in his eyes. What's been going through his mind all this time? she wondered strangely. Somehow she had gotten the idea that this whole time he had just been drifting, not really aware of what was going on around him. But clearly that wasn't the case. Had he been spending these past weeks thinking back on what had happened in his life and in The World? Blaming himself or wondering how he might have done things differently? So many times she had woken up and watched him sleeping, hoping and praying that someday the man she used to know would come back to her.
So many times she had fallen asleep and dreamed of when the Twilight Brigade had still been active, or dreamed of even the drifting partial glimpses that she had received during the time when she had been in a coma and been able to see what Ovan and Haseo were doing and going through. Sometimes she would wake up thinking it had all been a dream. But when she went to get Masato ready for the day ahead, then reality and the truth that was in front of her would sink in once again, opening her eyes to the fact that things hadn't changed and if they had then it certainly didn't feel very encouraging. At time she just wished she could stay asleep dreaming of how things used to be.
Masato closed his eyes, welcoming her touch and reassurance, "Ryou…Haseo misses you too. You were like a brother to him…and I know that given the chance he would welcome the chance for you to explain what happened. He wouldn't blame you at all if he just knew the truth," Shino said gently and he nodded slowly as he placed his hand over hers. With a sigh he opened his eyes as he concentrated, trying to get his words out, "Shouldn't…be here…life…of your own…shouldn't…be taking care…of me like this," Masato told her, his voice strained as he looked away, unable to meet her sympathetic gaze with his own guilty one. Shaking her head in denial Shino paused to brush the hair out of his eyes; she really needed to give him another hair cut.
"College isn't going anywhere. If there are people in front of me who need help then I'm not going to just ignore them. As long as you need me I'll be here to support you and any decisions you make," Shino swore and he shifted his gaze back to her, staring at her for a long moment before asking, "I…don't deserve…your help…not…after what…I've done," he admitted his body tensing abruptly as he backed up, his eyes shuttered and closed. Knowing that look Shino sighed and let her hand drop as Masato turned away from her. Once he made up his mind there was no persuading him. It was the same during the Tri-Edge incident. He had gotten it in his head that he needed to do all of the work alone despite the fact that Haseo would have been more than willing to work with him if he had only known the whole story.
What are you so afraid of Masato? Why are you so scared of letting people into your thoughts? Shino wondered as she relented and slid her hand into his, "Come on…we both need to get some rest," she told him, missing the ever-so-slight twitch that came upon his hearing the disappointment in her voice. Mera stood up and shook herself off before heading back towards the house. Shino led him back to the house, and after making sure he was resting in bed, she went around one last time to make sure the house was locked up. Sighing she headed back to her room and slid into the queen sized bed, Mera jumping up and taking her place on the end as always. Staring at the ceiling Shino rubbed her temple, If that man told me what was on his mind even once I think I would have a heart attack, she noted sourly as she rolled over and closed her eyes.
Corbenik ducked just in time as Fidchell's Quadra Halo attack sliced through the air just below him. The Prophet shuddered again as a violent spasm wracked his body once again, "He can't be gone! He can't be gone!" Fidchell screamed in agony as he used Spinning Death, ripping off his mask and whipping his arm around as he threw it at his fellow Avatar. Quickly the Rebirth glowed briefly before sending out an energy shockwave from his body to deflect the attack.
The Rebirth had his systems on 'sleep mode' so he could finally have some peace after the long day Aihane had forced him and Fidchell through. Unfortunately he had been woken suddenly by his companion's tormented wailing. He hadn't been able to get so much as a word in before Fidchell had started land blasting the area, launching attacks in all directions as he chanted the same four words over and over. At first Corbenik and gotten the heck out of the way so as not to get his head blown off or something. But it quickly became apparent what was going on. All Eight Phases were connected to their Users and to each other. The stronger they became, the more sensitive that bond became. The feeling wasn't nearly as bad as the pain and loneliness that came with being ripped away from Ovan, but still once the initial shock and surprise of being attacked out of the blue had worn off, he had immediately known what had happened.
Corbenik placed a hand on his chest as he shook his head; the feeling was slight but strong and insistent all the same. The sensation of loss, of having something important and vital suddenly torn away. The Rebirth hissed bitterly to himself as his fingers tightened angrily, Yata is dead…he must be…that's the only thing that would make Fidchell lose control like this, he considered, knowing that he had to fight back in order to get his companion to stop. Lifting his arm Corbenik gathered a ball of energy with Clinch Needle before smashing it into hundreds of shards that flew towards through the air, knocking away Fidchell's Spinning Death attack and impaling the reddish-gold Epitaph with purple spikes.
Pushed back, Fidchell grunted in pain and swayed slightly as he raised lifted his arms slightly to use Will of the Gods, but before he could finish a long needle slammed through his back and out the front as Scorpius pinned the Prophet down with his tail, draining his data and immobilizing him so he couldn't use any more attacks. The black and red AIDA snapped his tail back, leaving not so much as a mark to show that Fidchell had been hit. Groaning with pain and fatigue the Prophet slumped over finally done fighting. Corbenik relaxed his fighting stance and was grateful yet again that the massively powerful AIDA was on their side now.
Scorpius pinned him down with one of his claws for good measure before turning to stare at Corbenik through narrowed crimson eyes, "I was trying to get some rest," he grumbled with clear irritation as Corbenik rubbed the back his neck. "Sorry about that. My systems were powered down when he…" he paused and motioned to Fidchell who was still imprisoned by the AIDA's massive claw and broke off. Grunting at that Scorpius was about to say something else when Fidchell suddenly started speaking again.
Lifting his head the Prophet spoke cryptically, And thus thine master who rules over the little child of prophecy doth fell to the earth, while thine child of prophecy doth fade deeper into the grasp of the dark one who rules the shards of darkness. His spirit broken, the child of prophecy lies sleeping as a new master waits to be found. And as thine little children and thy masters mourn his passing from heaven the greatest shards of all begin to gather…waiting for the day when they would return their power to the little children and both will finally be complete. But the dark one of heaven halts not his progress...and the days of the master who is two and yet one doth come to an end at his hands, Fidchell prophesied wearily as he closed his eyes before opening them again and lifting a hand to his head.
With a snort Scorpius let go of Fidchell and Corbenik rushed over to grab his fellow Epitaph as the scorpion AIDA simply turned around to leave, "Hey! Where are you going! We need to figure this prophecy out!" Corbenik objected stridently as he stared at the retreating data anomaly/virus in disbelief. Scorpius stopped and, because he couldn't look behind him, turned around to address the Rebirth. "Prophecies can wait until morning when our systems are refreshed and we're not worn out from a day of slaving for Aihane," he commented simply before scuttling back around and leaving for his little corner of the data space.
Corbenik scowled at that as Fidchell continued to mumble to himself. Looking down he shook his head as he thought about the prophecy, What does it mean? he tried to think but his head protested the extra work immediately and the Rebirth sighed heavily, Scorpius is right…maybe it is best just to leave this until morning, he considered as he settled himself, deciding to watch over Fidchell a little longer just in case.
In the outer dungeon everything was quiet. The Avatars had all gathered together, but the attitude was solemn. Tarvos looked over at Skeith and Innis who were present but looking more disturbed then ever by the news they had just received. Hinote Gorre and Gorre Taiga were holding hands as Magus clenched his fists angrily. Macha floated there in silence as their newest member, the cobra-AIDA Abtrunniger, sat coiled up next to Skeith.
They were still somewhat suspicious of him, but at the same time data didn't, and couldn't lie. They may avoid the truth and try to mislead, but they would never tell a total lie. Only humans felt the need to engage in such behavior. So when Abtrunniger had said that he wanted to join up with them, and had added that he wanted to keep Aihane from enslaving any more AIDA fragments such as himself, they had deliberated for a bit before deciding to accept his words at face value. They had no reason not to believe him and either way they would explain the situation to Rhodesia as soon as possible, since she was the human in charge now.
Meanwhile…Tarvos closed her eyes as she felt her master Reiko's deep pain and agony. Looking down she stared at Ambrosia, which was Rhodesia's PC name in The World. "So Takumi…Yata is…he's really…" the Avenger stopped and shuddered at what she already knew. They had all felt it, that same aching feeling in their breast…the feeling that something had been taken away. Magus shook his head in denial, "He can't be! I mean…he couldn't have just…just," he stopped there, unable to bring himself to say the words. All of them were deeply shaken by this incident.
Ambrosia looked up at them, "Afraid it so. Overdose on sleeping pills he did," she explained softly as Skeith narrowed his eyes, he was crouched over in the corner with his arms on his knees. "Was he in pain?" the Terror of Death asked suddenly and all of the Avatar's glanced over at him before staring down at Ambrosia intently for an answer. Apparently they hadn't considered that. With a small shake of her head she replied, "Not at all. Just like falling asleep for him it was," she added with genuine sadness as her gaze slid over to the PC standing near the Avenger.
Pi too was there and standing next to her Avatar Tarvos silently, her expression one of pain and great resentment as she glared over at Ambrosia. The two women had never really gotten along and the relationship hadn't improved any since that day Endrance had brought her to Netslum Tartarga. The Avatar's on the other hand actually rather approved of the foreign woman, even Skeith respected her, which was highly unusual to say the least.
They all could feel the tension in the area but were trying to ignore it for the moment. Skeith nodded at that, "Well then at least he had some peace in the end," he commented as Innis clasped her hands together. No doubt thinking of Atoli…of Chigusa who was still lying in a hospital bed alone. The Terror of Death stared at the ground as he reflected on his own User. Ryou was lying in a hospital bed completely dependent on Skeith to take care of him. No one else would ever know just how close the young man had come to dying, and only Innis realized that the only thing keeping him from dying now was Skeith's ability to control his body functions. Ryou's brain was heavily damaged to the point where its functions had been severely impaired. Skeith's newfound abilities, though, meant he could not only force the damage to heal, but also "patch over" those areas to keep the parts of the body they affected from shutting down. Like applying a bandage or cast to hold everything together.
Pi scoffed at those words as she straightened and let her arms drop to her sides, "Peace? Yata lost everything…The World was falling apart and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Aihane was running rampant and destroying everything Yata had worked so hard to preserve…and he couldn't do anything to keep it from happening. Then…he lost Fidchell…" she paused and glared spitefully at Ambrosia whose lips thinned at what was coming. Pi's face twisted with anger as she stared at the other woman, "Then he lost his position and respect at CC Corp because of you," she spat and Ambrosia twitched at that hate filled jibe but didn't respond.
Tarvos looked down at her partner sympathetically, it was Aihane's fault this had happened, not Ambrosia's or anyone else's. She didn't blame the other woman for this incident, but at the same time she knew that Pi was in a tremendous about of pain right now and she wanted someone to blame for the loss of the man she had cared so much about. Hinote Gorre was about to say something but Macha poked her in the side with a clawed finger and she growled slightly but ultimately kept her mouth shut. Gorre Taiga glanced back and forth between the two women as if he wanted to interrupt.
Abtrunniger cleared his throat, making the first comment since Pi and Ambrosia had shown up, "Uh…I'm sure you have much to do in light of this situation. Perhaps we should all get some rest and look further into the matter when the sun is actually up in the real world," the AIDA said tactfully, having seen enough of the situation to realize that things weren't going to end up anyplace good if things continued the current path. Ambrosia too could see that it was best if she took her leave. Nodding at that she stared at him for a moment and Abtrunniger flashed a toothy smile as he received and read the message she had sent his way, "Ich verstehe vollkommen. Wir können später reden," he said cheekily in German and Ambrosia gave a tired smile at that as she gave a small nod, "Auf Wiedersehen," she said back to him fluently before blue rings rose up around her as she left the from the area.
Skeith's eyes narrowed in disgust as he turned to address Pi, "There was no need to antagonize her like that. She is just doing her job," he commented stiffly and Pi's face flushed red with anger, "That's exactly the problem! WE were doing just find without her sticking her nose in our business! Yata was doing just fine and if he had been allowed to continue doing his job then maybe he would…maybe he would still be…" she paused as her voice cracked but the Terror of Death was unsympathetic.
Skeith shook his head in denial, "Ambrosia or Rhodesia as she is called in the real world—was brought in at the first signs that AIDA had returned; weeks before Fidchell was taken from Yata. It was only when he failed to perform the duties that came along with his position that CC Corp appointed her as the direct overseer and director of the G.U. project. Its true that he and Fidchell were separated, but Yata is the one who allowed himself to slip farther and farther into depression instead of allowing others to help him. He chose to stay away from The World instead of immersing himself in it in order to find reconnect to Fidchell," he reminded her coldly and with little empathy.
Pi bristled at that as she glared at him, "Don't you dare blame him for…" she began but this time it was Magus who spoke up, sliding between them he said, "Skeith isn't blaming anyone," he said reasonably as Innis put a hand on Skeith's shoulder. The Terror of Death grunted and turned away impassively. Trying to keep a full-blown shouting match from erupting Magus added, "Like it or not all he is doing is stating the facts. Yata…Takumi…he was a troubled man whose only true love was this online world that our creator Harald Hoerwick first created. When he lost Fidchell he must have felt as if he had lost all he had. Rhodesia has done everything in her power and moved heaven and earth to try and help him. She kept CC Corp from hypocritically turning their backs on him and even went to Yata for advice despite the fact that she was technically his boss," he said as Pi pursed her lips and turned away, not wanting to hear this.
Magus leaned closer, trying to catch her gaze, but Pi continued to stare down at the floor. Sighing at that the Propagation looked back over to Skeith for support and the white Avatar turned back to him, "You can blame Rhodesia, Yata himself, or even Aihane…but being angry at someone or something will not bring him back to life," he commented callously and Pi flinched visibly at those words as she closed her eyes. But Skeith wasn't finished yet, "This should be a lesson to all of us. No one is safe. Aihane is not at all averse to killing off a person or two if it will further his own interests. No matter what happens to us or to our Users we must never forget our true goal of bringing an end to people like Aihane once and for all. We must keep fighting…not only for the humans and other AI's who have been enslaved…" at this he paused and glanced over for a moment at Abtrunniger and the AIDA nodded slightly in agreement.
"…but also for those who have already become victims as well. Aihane will not stop because we're angry or depressed, whether it be with ourselves or someone else," Skeith commented snidely and Pi tensed at that. "We must not allow our personal feelings and emotions to get in the way of our responsibilities. Doing so is disrespectful both to those whose lives now depend on our actions…and to those whose lives have already been lost," he stated firmly and all of the other Epitaphs nodded in agreement as all were reminded not only of Yata's death, but also of the fact that Haseo and Atoli were also in trouble themselves. They couldn't allow their feelings to impair their judgment and actions at such a pivotal time. Aihane's efforts to dispose of the Epitaph User's and the Avatar's they controlled wouldn't slack off so they could mourn the passing of their friend and former leader.
Pi shuddered slightly and rubbed her arms as she swallowed hard, "Your right…I'm sorry," she finally admitted weakly and Innis shook her head, "This is a blow to all of us. I can understand your pain at losing Yata this way but we must not forget why he died and what he was fighting for," she reminded as Gorre, both of them nodded at that. Tarvos, who had been staring down at Pi, looked up as Macha, "Let's disperse for now, we all have things we need to get done and I'm sure we all have a lot we need to think about," she commented smoothly as the tension diffused.
Abtrunniger who had his head resting on his coiled body lifted his head, "Perhaps Magus and I can stay here and continue to monitor the progress the police and health team is making. Everyone else should get some rest, the morning is still young and there are many more hours left in the day. Perhaps after a little rest you will all be able to come up with a plan of action, yes?" he commented tactfully and Magus nodded as he leaned down to face Pi. "AIDA or no he's got a point. Just leave everything to us and the minute we find anything out we'll sound the alarms full blast to let you know," he commented and Pi's sad face softened with gratitude at that as she looked around at all of the Avatars around you.
"Thank you…all of your for your help," Pi said appreciatively before she logged out of The World. The needle stuck through Tarvos body glowed as it shot out a thin beam of data that opened a hole in front of the Avenger. Tarvos nodded to her companions before slipping through the data tear and leaving the area as well. Hinote Gorre turned to Skeith with her hands on her hips, "That was a pretty good speech you gave there. Even I'm impressed," she noted approvingly before motioning to Gorre Taiga who bowed to them before leaving with his "twin".
Skeith stood up and wandered farther away, Magus was about to say something when Innis put a hand on his shoulder, "Let him go…Skeith…needs to be alone for a while. I'll take care of him myself. I don't think he really wants any other company right now when he has so much on his shoulders," she noted softly and he stared at her before turning to watch the Terror of Death's retreating back. Finally after several seconds he nodded slowly, "Yeah…okay. I guess your right," Magus relented as he backed up and went back to talk with Abtrunniger.
The cobra turned to the Epitaph with a broad grin, "So now that that's done with how about some music?" Abtrunniger questioned cheerfully and Magus tilted his head as he considered that. Looking over his shoulder he turned back to the AIDA, "Music? Sounds good to me. I suggested it to Tarvos and she nearly took my head off," Magus sniffed disconsolately and the cobra waved his tail, bringing up a screen with a list of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of songs. Finally the AIDA grinned and one of the songs was highlighted
Immediately the room filled with music as Abtrunniger bobbed along to the music, "The song title is You're So Vain by Carly Simon. Year 1972 from the United States. A classic and the lyrics are perfect for Tarvos don't you think?" he asked, humming along as the music played.
"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you? Don't You?"
Abtrunniger sang in time with the song as Magus busted out laughing at the implication, "Oh, you've sized her up perfectly all right! Turn up the sound I need to hear this one!" the Propagation managed to get between peals of laughter. He was clutching his stomach and even gasping for breath.
Innis sighed at that and shook her head as she watched them continue to talk and interact. Still she couldn't help but feel somewhat amused by the song chorus that Abtrunniger was so casually singing along to.
The cobra AIDA's behavior reminded her so much of Magus. Frowning at that the Mirage of Deceit tilted her head slightly, They…really are similar aren't they?…almost…TOO similar, Innis considered as she watched them interact and talk with each other. Magus' earlier consternation seemed quickly forgotten and they were actually getting along rather well. Shaking her head Innis pushed that niggling suspicion out of her mind, I have enough to worry about as it is without wondering about those two. I doubt that AIDA means any harm, but if by some slim chance he does then Magus will be able to handle it, she considered as she left to continue her watch over Chigusa.
AN: And thus concludes another chapter! Those of you who aren't really fans of Shino and Ovan might have found much of this chapter rather boring. Thinking back I should have bits an pieces of it back chapters ago when this story first started…oh well, may someday I'll get around to revising this thing. But for now I have shown what Shino was up to in the past and then gone back to the present so everything is caught up now and exactly where I want it.
On another note did you enjoy Fidchell's newest prophecy? Here it is again for those of you who need a reminder:
And thus thine master who rules over the little child of prophecy doth fell to the earth, while the thine child of prophecy doth fade deeper into the grasp of the dark one who rules the shards of darkness. His spirit broken, the child of prophecy lies sleeping as a new master waits to be found. And as thine little children and thy masters mourn his passing from heaven the greatest shards of all begin to gather…waiting for the day when they would return their power to the little children and both will finally be complete. But the dark one of heaven halts not his progress...and the days of the master who is two and yet one doth come to an end at his hands.
Once again I'm giving all of you wonderful, loyal, readers a chance to decipher what it means, although I've tried to make it as clear as I could it still is kind of vague isn't it? Still those of you who get it right will get…um…my undying happiness and a nice mention in the next chapter's Authors Note?
Anyway you know that very last part where Innis was wondering about how…similar…Magus and Abtrunniger were? That, along with Fidchell's prophecy are a blatant hint of what's to come. They actually tie together to make up my subtle hint. Feel free to speculate everyone!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to some reviewers questions on this chapter I have set up a Poll on my Profile. PLEASE check it out and vote for what you think should happen. Your decisions will affect what happens to one of the Epitaph Users. If it turns out you readers want something different then what I have planned then I will humbly alter the future story sufficiently to reflect this. Thanks and please check it out!
Later everyone!