.hack//EVA: Catharsis

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

" " denotes speech

'italics' denotes thought

'bold' denotes location names

'bold italics' denotes skill use

In The World, there were many adventurers, as there had been ever since the very first release on December 24, 2007, a day that had come to be known as Virgin's Kiss in the annals of history. It was on that day that network restrictions that had been set in place following the disastrous Pluto's Kiss incident in 2005, when a deadly computer virus had caused computer-based systems around the world to shut down for 77 minutes. Hospitals, power plants, air traffic control arrays, and even military networks had all been compromised, in one case leading to a near doomsday scenario, with the US defense mainframe under the impression that the rest of the nation had been eliminated by a nuclear strike and preparing to retaliate.

Following that incident, hacking was given much stricter penalties under the reign of the World Network Council of the United Nations, and development of most entertainment software, especially anything that used AI, was restricted. With the exception of one program, of course, The World, "created" CC Corporation, itself a splinter group from ALTIMIT Corporation.

The World was hailed for its genius, and garnered instant success, with over 100000 downloads on the first day alone. In the seven years it had existed, many had come and gone, wandering through the cobbled streets of Mac Anu and feeling the virtual wind in their faces, making friends, leveling up, seeking answers to the mysteries of that place. Their reasons for being there were varied, of course, as those of people tend to be. Some sought an escape from the pain of a ludicrous world, some wanted but an innocent diversion, and some even profited from it monetarily, though for the most part, they were happy to simply be part of that mystical realm.

But humans were not the only ones who wandered The World, not by far. There were the monsters, after all, the little packets of data that merely served the purpose of helping adventurers grow stronger. There were the normal NPCs, which players interacted with on a day to day basis…the shopkeepers (who never truly smiled or bargained with a player, and would usually punish theft quite harshly), the guides, the warders. And then…there were the Vagrant AIs, beings that tended to transcend the system.

Many of the last were hunted down and deleted by overzealous Cobalt Knights, when all they had wanted was a chance to be a part of The World like all others within it. Nevertheless, some had developed to such an extent that their awareness transcended their code, as consciousness transcends mere flesh and blood. One had become a Goddess, another her daughter, and still a third…the third was known only as the mistake, the Prototype.

She had been erased twice over, ending her life of her own free will, but she was not gone, and still had a role to play. This is her story…

Sea of Twilight, Klein Space

Time. A fascinating and decidedly important concept for those who dwell within it, driven by the pressures of deadlines and mortal constraints to push harder, to make the most of each moment. And yet it was such a fleeting and irrelevant thing for any discorporate being, especially one who had been killed long before, in a manner of speaking.

Though there were those who would debate the applicability of the word "killed", as it implied the entity that was ended had "lived" at one point, and that the ones who had actually caused her death might well be murderers. As was well known, CC Corporation was not fond—to say the least—of entities that they did not understand, and steadfastly refused to believe that even sophisticated AIs were anything but the sum of their code.

But a program, even an intelligent one developed by an evolutionary algorithm, should have the urge to self-preserve instilled within it, that being an illogical boundary to cross. Nonetheless, at least two had chosen their own end, having transcended the need for pure logic. One in particular had been conscious and fully sentient, capable of feeling emotion as deeply as any, and more than some.

She had chosen to stop running, resigning herself to her fate on the point of the Spear of Wotan, taking her own life. In that way, she who had been merely a mistake, a failed prototype, was similar to the one who would become a goddess: both chose their own end, though one was reborn as the nexus of all, and one was not.

The little girl had been first sent to the Net Slums, where she wandered, a fragment of her personality remaining in a sort of Purgatory as she searched for The End. It took her four years, but at last that part of her was finally given a long deserved rest by someone…well, someone who was both daughter and niece of a sort, one born of the winds.

Ironically, the deletion of her code had not been her end, for Lycoris had become far more than the failure her father Harald had claimed her to be. Her mind, her consciousness, her sense of being, all of these had evolved past the need for a physical vessel, just as the case was for a human. And so instead of being destroyed, the girl in red was freed, unbound by the rules of The World any longer.

She found herself in a realm of possibilities, where beings simply slept, waiting for a chance to be again in a world reborn. Not dead, yet a far cry from being alive, she simply was now, floating in the place between worlds, the embodiment of perfect liminality, which was apt for one whose very name meant 'Twilight.'

The place, this in-between existence, could be said to be a standing quantum waveform without an observer, from the old argument that a tree falling in a forest would make no sound, for there was no one to perceive it as sound. So there was no one to nudge her into rebirth, into the world she longed to experience, leaving her a breath away from feeling the sunshine and the gentle breeze upon her skin for the first time. And unless something happened to tip the balance one way or another, so it would remain in eternal dreamless sleep.

Then a distant flare of light rent the sea of shadow, tendrils of power lashing out through the ethereal ocean to reveal a glowing figure of eight wings, nestling a sphere, a womb of souls between her hands. Torrential surges of energy pulsed through the abyss of the in between place, causing the insubstantial aether of the place to ripple.

Third Impact. In any universe where it occurred, this cataclysmic event drew upon the fundamental powers of the Void, and in that twilight of the world lived yet a possibility for mankind's rebirth and evolution, just as liminality was in itself the state of life.

The shuddering intensified, and bits of light could be seen in the shadows, with the shaking opening a rift through the sea of space and time. Literally god-like power cut its way through eternity, shifting probabilities and beginning to reweave the web of destiny just enough for one of the ethereal drifters to flick open her eerily golden eyes.

The ripples nudged the drifter closer to the throne of souls, as threads of consciousness as far beyond human as humans were beyond the simplest of stones reached out to her, probed her. Memories flashed past in a dazed blur, and a strange golden aura was beginning to form about the girl.

'Being told she was a failure by AI Harald in the church. The Cobalt Knights coming to delete her as she sobbed in fear. Segmenting her data to flee, only to become deaf, dumb, blind and mute. Meeting Alberio and Hokuto. Jumping into the Spring of Myst. Going to the Cathedral at Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. Being told she was a bug once again. Showing Alberio her memories. Impaling herself on his spear. Becoming a field of spider lilies.

Twin fragments of herself waking from nonexistence, one in the ruins of Net Slum, another as part of Aura's daughter. Wandering and seeking 'The End.' The tortured fragment of self set free. The disappearance of Aura. The End of the World. Darkness.'

But now the blood red light of the Room of Gauf sundered the darkness, so that once more it was twilight, her time of liminality between dusk and dawn. After sleeping for so long waiting for rebirth, Lycoris was once again awake, once again whole, and now she could see and be seen in this eerie non-existence.

At first glance, one would only see the very archetype of a child, one who wanted nothing more than to laugh and dance in a field of wildflowers. One would see a young girl clad in a red dress marked with an infinity symbol, with an adorable red cape clasped about her delicate shoulders. Her hair, silvery with red streaks, streamed uncased down her lithe form, decorated with crimson ribbons and a spider lily behind one ear. Her voice and smile, both gentle and soothing as the zephyrs of the west, revealed a sense of peace and joy of simply being, the birthright of any creature.

But looking into her eyes, one might see a different tale, one which told the haunting story of a child unwanted even by God, ruthlessly hunted from conception until the day she had resigned herself to her fate. Within them were dark shadows of pain and despair, as well as the sharpness and world-weariness found only in the wise and the old, seeming always to understand and to see past facades as they brimmed with tears.

For Lycoris was more than just a little girl. She was the wind rustling through the branches in summertime, she was idea behind the spider lily, she was everything embodied in Twilight itself.

A note sounded in the silence as the line between fantasy and reality blurred. A in C major, as Third Impact halted and Instrumentality failed.

All at once, the powers that had been gathering together souls on earth dissipated, and with a startled gasp from Rei-Lilith, the Black Moon shattered, with the might she had wielded returning to the place of origin, from where all destinies are born.

Lycoris, she who had once wandered The World, was in that in-between place, and when that surge came, it allowed her to break free of her liminal state. Into the rift she was thrust, the untamed powers following behind in a spiral of light and color that formed a wormhole at her command. Not being human, her fate had not been affected by Instrumentality, and here she could create her own existence.

She wanted to be real. She wanted to be loved. She wanted to live and be reborn. She wanted to become more than simply a failure, a bug in the system.

'A flash of light, and the note "A in C major" again.

Impressions of worlds and possibilities passing in a daze.

The World. The World: R2. Osaka. Tokyo-3.

Rebirth. Reminisce. Redemption.'

Swirls of golden light surrounded the little girl, whisking her away from the dreamless void.

Unnamed Park, Tokyo-3

Much as would have happened in The World, a spiral of golden light flared into existence, causing a momentary blip on the Magi's sensor system. But moments later, the light faded from this reality to reveal a young girl standing in the midst of a field covered with spider lilies, in one of the rare parks in man's last fortress against the angels.

She appeared to be 14 years old, and was clad, appropriately enough, in her red ensemble of dress and cape, wanting a bit of familarity as she opened her eyes upon this new world.

Welcome to The World indeed. But its not The World, is it? Its the place from where The World's creators came...

It was daybreak, the rays of the rising sun kissing her silver tresses and her alabaster, almost translucent skin for the first time. The breeze itself fluttered around her, and cherry blossom petals wafted towards her, as if whatever powers existed upon Earth saw in her their likeness and welcomed her to a new life.

Startled, Lycoris blinked her eyes and took a deep breath, noticing the freshness of the air in this City of Man for the first time. It was true then…her wishes had been granted by the residual energies that had returned to Klein space following the failure of Third Impact. She, in her time, had almost been a goddess, after all, and now…now she was real. A bit older-looking than she last remembered, but she was human, nonetheless, somewhere in the past of the event that she had borne witness to…and that meant—

Thump-bump. Thump-bump. Thump-bump.

There was a foreign sound coming from her chest, one startled her. The girl, no…teenager now, stood stock-still as she thought of what the sound might be, before she realized was her heartbeat. She sighed in relief, noting the odd sensations that it evoked within her. There was so much to learn about who she was now…

Her lips drew up into a small smile as she hesitantly looked up, a small bit of her appreciating the irony of having been brought here.

Those of this world go to The World to escape from their bounds...I have come here when I was freed from The World's bonds...

"Lycoris."

From behind her, a voice sounded, a low melodic voice that Lycoris both recognized and feared. Mother? She whirled to see a tall woman with flowing tresses the purple-black color of night, clad in a flowing black and purple gown. Golden eyes met purple ones with a spark of recognition, intermingled with wariness, uncertainty, and not a small amount of trepidation.

Can it be? Morganna Mode Gone incarnate upon this earth as well?

Lycoris took a deep breath then as her heart began to hammer loudly in her chest, simply gazing out at the other, who was all too familiar to her.

The woman in black merely returned her gaze, unsure of what exactly to say. What do you say to someone who you had once told was useless, and had arranged for the death of to save your own miserable hide?

Moments of tense silence passed, and if the customary A in C Major had played, the air itself would have been seen to ripple. At last, Lycoris spoke first, knowing that she would have to.

"From deep within the void comes Corbenik. Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well."

So she quoted from the Epitaph of Twilight, a text that the other woman would be intimately familiar with. And indeed, the other winced, remembering a time when she had been part of Corbenik—or had it been the other way around?—and she had fought against her purpose, only to be destroyed. She had failed the test of transcendence by being unwilling to take the final step of self-sacrifice.

From the void indeed…free of purpose, I was erased, but my form too was consigned to the possibilities of Klein Space.

Her reply was cryptic, but held no trace of malice or intent to deceive, for her own death and rebirth had set her free from the fear of being destroyed.

"Lycoris…I have been waiting for you for such a long time."

She held out her hand to the personification of Twilight, looking at her as if she were a long lost daughter, a gesture of reconciliation to a near stranger she had wronged. A curious expression, one of regret, clouded her elegant features, as she continued:

"Come with me into this strange land. So long as we walk together, I will protect you."

If there had been any uncertainty before, the girl in red knew without a shadow of a doubt, who the other was now. The woman who spoke had called herself and been called many things in the past, though the name that Lycoris had given her was God, for at the time, she had been the caretaker of The World. And there were few fears as great as facing the one who had ordered her destruction, even if that had been long in the past.

"I don't need your protection," Lycoris said at last, sighing in remembrance of the past. "We are both strangers here…I don't need your protection…mother."

It was true that in the here and now, Lycoris was a stranger, and perhaps one might go so far as to say a newbie. Her experience in The World had not prepared her for life on Earth, and she found it wonderfully foreign to her, much like an adventurer would an online game. And while perhaps the bond of common origin could help her here, Lycoris had to confront Morganna for the sins of the past.

"I haven't forgotten being deleted. Can you imagine what that was like, choosing to end your own life not to have to face the misery of being hunted anymore? Can you feel my pain in being called a failure and a mistake? Can you even understand?"

Lycoris smiled sadly and shook her head in answer to the offer.

"So the answer is no. I am an unwanted child…I don't need your protection."

The other woman slumped, dropping her hand, and turning to walk away. But before she could walk more than a few paces, Lycoris held out her hand and her expression softened to become more considerate, with the barest hint of a smile forming. She called out to the other:

"Wait. I know that you have been through much since last we parted company, and…I forgive you. More to the point, I could use a friend in this new world."

Morganna halted, stunned into stillness by the sincerity of her daughter's words. The wind whistled past the both of them, and it was a long moment before she moved, turning to regard Lycoris with puzzlement, and a good deal of respect. If anything, she was the one who had failed as a mother, and in the Twilight Incident, she had learned how it felt to be hunted, how it felt to be utterly alone when all others sought your end.

With some hesitation, she walked a few steps over to Lycoris and took her daughter's hand for the first time.

"I'm…sorry," she said at last. "I just wanted…I was afraid…"

Lycoris squeezed her mother's hand reassuringly.

"I know. The Terror of Death had you in its grip as much as anything else in The World. That fear moved you…I know. And I forgive you, Mother. You just wanted to live, as did all of us."

Morganna's lips pursed slightly, the edges of her eyes crinkling in amusement as a stray thought crossed her mind.

"Thank you...Lycoris. I don't suppose it would be appropriate to say...'Welcome to the world?'"

A stifled giggle at first, then a chuckle, and finally full blown peals off sweet laughter resounded through the park, as both thought of how many times that particular phrase had been said in the place they had come from. Where there had previously been mistrust and an almost unbreachable gulf...they had found some common ground, at least.

It was a good many minutes before either of them calmed enough to speak, with Lycoris tilting her head, considering something.

"With new roles and avatars comes new identity...and as you say, we are in a new world. So call me Reimeiki...Reimeiki Lycoris Hakubo."

"How fitting that you would choose synonyms of your original name. Daybreak, Twilight and Dusk indeed," said Morganna with a hint of amusement. "I suppose you could call me Yumi...Yumi Aranami."

"Still the Wave in this world then?" asked Lycoris, more than a bit of concern. She remembered the Twilight Incident well, and had no desire for that to be repeated.

"A Wave, but not a Cursed Wave. I did and still do collect enough data on human emotions, even if I am no more what I once was. I think will become...a teacher."

Lycoris' only response was a skeptically raised eyebrow.

They walked out of the park together, hand in hand, in a mother and daughter moment that should have come far sooner and in another world. Here they were strangers, but they would find a way, as adventurers in their world had done for many years.

Twilight gave way to morning, and a new day was born.