.hack//EVA: Catharsis: Quirks of Fate

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

Back Table, Unnamed Karaoke Bar, Tokyo-3

Of all the places one might have expected to find a former goddess, a karaoke bar with plenty of available alcohol probably wasn't one of them. Unless of course, this was a Norse tale, which Morganna told herself that it most decidedly was not, though her backstory may have been based on those old myths. And yet, there she was, seemingly the Morrigan herself as her eyes surveyed the area about her like a queen watching over her domain. She supposed that it was force of habit, since the roles that she had played in her many years of experience tended to involve leadership or dominion in one form or another, whether in plotting strategy, attempting to overthrow her creator's will, or (now) as a homeroom teacher.

Aye, a homeroom teacher. How the mighty had fallen, eh? Though Morganna supposed that she enjoyed her new job well enough…her position was secure, after all, and the teens that she had been assigned to teach were almost as easy to manipulate as Tsukasa had been.

But perhaps that was not quite the best example, she mused, wincing at that particular memory. She remembered how the young Wavemaster had dared to defy her will, leaving The World and waking Aura, the one who had replaced her as Goddess of The World. This, of course, had led to the event known under several different names as the Twilight Incident, Pluto Again, and the Second Network Crisis. Morganna had…not quite been herself during those times, having displayed the very fears that she had observed numerous times in humans, especially the one called the Terror of Death.

Thus, she had remade herself in the image of the Cursed Wave, twisting programs originally designed to collect data on human emotions and reactions and imbuing them with portions of her own data to try to capture Aura and halt her growth. Of course, her realm suffered from this corruption of her original purpose, with data bugs and virus cores scattered across the fields of The World, but at the time, she had been blinded to these consequences by the need to prevent the Ultimate AI from coming to fruition.

Morganna shook her head and winced again, watching a group of people get up on stage and make fools of themselves, their voices sonorous and decidedly off-key. Watching the antics of the Tsukasa party and the so-called dothackers as they had attempted to fight against her had been more amusing…at first.

But inevitably would come defiance, and somehow, despite not being quite as fast or as strong as her avatars, they had come out on top. She had been killed once, killed and recompiled, with her task completed and nothing left to do. Granted some fragments of her had wandered The World for a time, but then had come a crisis that dwarfed anything she had been involved in, sending her through realities until she arrived where she was now, gaining a body in the process.

Now she was a tall, statuesque woman standing about 5'11", with flowing purple-black tresses and ethereal violet eyes that seemed to shimmer in dimness. She had also rather taken to wearing black, as it accented her severe features quite well. Apparently, this had worked to her advantage, as her physical attractiveness did seem to help keep her students attentive these days. Well, all but Lycoris, who knew her quite well from old days in The World, and remembered Morganna's persecution of other AIs very clearly, and the blue haired Rei Ayanami, who seemed much more an observer of humanity.

All in all though, the first day had gone quite well, with the entire class thrilled to learn about Basic Psychology and the Epitaph of Twilight. That had been unexpected…though she supposed it was understandable enough when the last teacher (and his constant teaching on Second Impact) had been less exciting than watching paint dry. A little humiliation there, making an example of a student there, and schadenfreude came into play perfectly.

The higher up it is dropped, the worse the crash will be. Hope is the best spice to bring out despair, she thought, unknowingly repeating something she had said once. And in the context of the classroom, this was perhaps the best stratagem she could employ. Give her students that initial spark of hope, but then use The World as a means of control. They would learn far more than they had ever thought possible, and Morganna would know very well what they were doing.

After all, the fact that she had a human vessel and existed on this plane didn't mean that she had lost her touch with manipulation, whether of people or of data. Granted, she was upfront with Lycoris, who after all, knew her too well, and she was more repentant of what she had done in the past, but the ends still justified the means, for the most part.

So she had a job here, better mental stability than when she had deleted much of her own programming, and a means of amusement. Yet, she was still a little dissatisfied. There was something missing, though she couldn't pinpoint it specifically. She just knew that it was likely related to…ah, yes…Helba.

Mental suffocation from lacking an opponent or colleague who matched her level of skill. No one to test her, to give her a challenge, except perhaps Lycoris, and anyway, she didn't really count. For the first time, this former Goddess of the World knew one of the greatest evils in existence: boredom.

Now I begin to understand why people grew tired of The World and left, only here, they don't have that option. They merely go and do things that would otherwise be detrimental in order to forget for a while…

Perhaps that was why she had agreed when her new co-workers had insisted that she join them for their weekly trip to a local karaoke bar, the need to forget and unwind. Was this typical of humans, in that they required something more than simply sustenance? Life was much like The World then, wasn't it, and those seeking to escape the ludicrous world that they found themselves in only managed to enter another hell of their own making.

Of course, when you are not the one in control of the world, then instrumentalityis more difficult to achieve…

Instrumentality, a curious word, and one she had run across in some of her reading since having taken human form. As she browsed the shelves of a bookstore (a rather archaic way to sift through information, though strangely pleasant), she had found herself drawn to the book "Instrumentality of Mankind", a paperback collection of short stories by the science-fiction author Cordwainer Smith. In that book, the Instrumentality in the quest for perfection on a post-nuclear-holocaust Earth, a situation that Morganna thought would fit this world fairly well.

Though it would be far too ironic if there was some sort of Human Instrumentality Project, would it? Human seeking to escape pain and create perfection leading only to their own destruction. Oh well, we will have to see what my 'exploration of extant systems' allows me to find.

A tug on her sleeve jolted Morganna back to reality. One of her coworkers was making some sort of motion towards the stage and…wait, they don't really expect me to get up in front of this crowd and—they do.

She was beginning to understand this system of social humiliation, which only tended to work if one was slightly (and that was being generous) intoxicated. That explained why her ears were beginning to hurt from the poor quality of singing she was hearing, though she had likewise discovered, that like many things things named for Ireland, she had discovered a certain appreciation for alcohol, beginning to develop an understanding for why it was so commonly enjoyed by humans.

It certainly has a bit of a buzz to it, and makes the bad singing just a bit more tolerable…

Given that her co-workers did want 'the rookie' to go up and sing, Morganna found that she didn't have a choice. So she finished her glass and began moving from her table at the stage at the front. There was a little book of songs that she could choose from, but instead of making an effort to select one, she just flipped towards the back, the pages falling open to little known song by a composer known as Yuki Kajiura.

'The World.' How…ironic. Well, at least in this little game I know that I'm not the best…

She rolled her eyes and keyed the selection into the machine, getting up on the little platform and waiting for the music to start. Hearing the first few notes, she began:

"You are here alone again…"

Outside Unnamed Karaoke Bar, Tokyo-3

Maya had pulled into a parking space behind a bright blue Renault Alpine A310, noting with a raised eyebrow the skid marks burned onto the street.

If this is what Captain Katsuragi drives like when she's sober, I would hate to see what she's like when she's drunk. Well, I've seen enough of that, but I meant in terms of driving…how does she handle the spin and speed without losing control?

Of course, if the Captain happened to be perpetually buzzed, maybe she had built up a sort of immunity to it, though she didn't think it likely. The mere thought of it was making Maya feel a tad nauseous, and she wondered if her friends would make her get up in front of the crowd again.

It would be just like them, though I wonder if they'll make me sing THAT song again, with Captain Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi.

The song in question had been "Cruel Angel's Thesis" by Yoko Takahashi, the popular theme song to an anime that had never really taken off. And it had been a song that the other techs asked for on every single other occasion, meaning that by now, the mere sound of it set her on edge.

Shaking her head, Maya entered the karaoke bar—and stopped dead in her tracks a moment later.

I know that song. 'The World' by Yuki Kajiura…and the woman who is singing is Yumi Aranami, the new teacher of class 2-A. I think I almost recognize the voice…

Obviously, Maya had her suspicions, since there had been just a few too many coincidences for her liking. But then, she couldn't just go up to the other and ask "Are you Morganna of The Cursed Wave?" now could she? This would require a bit of strategy, something that in her alternate role as Helba, would be almost expected.

You sing well, but two can play at that game.

Thus, when the song ended and everyone was clapping, Maya caught the other woman's gaze and winked at her, something that might seem uncharacteristically bold of her. She noted that the other woman's table was on the way back to where her colleagues were, yet just out of sight, which might prove to be useful. And of course, her colleagues had not seen her yet, and it would be quite worth it so see the looks on their faces when they saw her quick stepping to the front of the stage.

As expected, there were a series of surprised gasps from a table in the corner, along with moan and a disappointed groan. Obviously, someone had just lost a bet, and she wouldn't have been surprised if it had been Makoto. He was a nice guy, and a decent hacker, to boot, but…his anime obsession did trouble her a little bit. Where had the old persona of Ichiro Sato gone? Then again, he didn't quite know her little secret either, so…she had no grounds to complain.

She reached the stage, and a few murmurs went up, as she tossed her head and risked a glance at Yumi Aranami, who turned away, having been caught looking. This brought a slight smile to her face, as Maya now knew she had the other woman's attention.

Glancing back at the book of song titles, she saw one that she knew very well indeed, one sure to elicit a reaction, if Yumi Aranami was indeed Morganna. Granted, this might seem a bit obvious, but it could all be coincidence, no? And even Morganna would have no idea who she was…she protected her offline identity far too well for that.

She keyed in her selection, as the name of the song flashed on-screen: "Key of the Twilight, by Yuki Kajiura."

As the music began, Maya noticed stiffening and narrowed eyes from the person of interest, and she allowed a smirk to come to her face.

So…perhaps it is her after all…

"Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile…"

Back Table, Unnamed Karaoke Bar, Tokyo-3

Morganna watched with incredulity as the cute but somewhat mousy brunette who had winked at her walked to the stage and chose her song.

Odd, she seems to be interested in me, poor human, but then, she thought, and not a little vainly, I am all the Phases rolled into one, including The Temptress. Wait…that title: 'Key of the Twilight'? And immediately after I chose 'The World'…could she know who I am…could she be a dothacker?

Now, Morganna knew the offline identities of most of the dothackers, had, in fact, made it a point to find information on those who had defeated her, and this woman did not match anything of the records she had located. Nor did she match any of the appearances of the PCs either, though there was only one who had really been her equal, if Aura hadn't intervened by giving that boy Kite the Twilight Bracelet. The Queen of the Dark, the only character she had been able to find absolutely no information on.

That hacker was indeed a queen of the dark. She slipped in and out, undetected, maintained her own server, kept me from being able to Data Drain Aura…while she infuriated me, if she was indeed a she, I would like a chance to meet my equal on this plane.

Of course, the brunette on stage would have been relatively young to be a master hacker, but then The World had a reputation for attracting some of the brightest.

After all, Sora was only 10 years old, as powerful of a player as he was. He even had the nerve to try and betray me…I'm sure he learned all about the consequences of that after I made an example of him, but he left the system.

Then the music stopped and the woman on stage was cheered rather enthusiastically. But instead of going to join what seemed to be her peers at a table in the corner, she stayed up on stage and keyed in another selection. This time, when the title flashed on screen, with a triumphant flash in the brunette's eyes, Morganna felt like she had been punched in the gut.

'Aura' by the same composer. Following 'Key of the Twilight.' Clever…exceedingly so. If I wasn't who I am, I would never have picked up on those clues…but since I am, I know that she knows.

This song was definitely darker in tone, and again, it was a song that Morganna knew only too well. She had once sung it to Aura, long ago, when the Ultimate AI had been but an unborn child, sleeping in her isolated field in The World. And now, now those words were coming back to haunt her…

"…it does not much matter to me," Morganna whispered, just as Maya finished her song. Suddenly, she did not feel much like continuing this charade, but she couldn't exactly approach the woman with her suspicions either. She had a feeling that 'Helba', if that was indeed who this woman was, would not want to be called out in public, especially since hacking was in many cases punishable by death.

A complex game, to be sure. I will have to wait for her to make the next move…

The bridge technician took a bow as the others cheered her, and as Maya went back towards her seat, she muttered, barely loudly enough for Morganna to hear: "End of Land." But before "Yumi" could reply or acknowledge, the brunette was past, and at her table of co-workers.

Suddenly, Morganna had something else on her mind, as she was sure that there was a purpose to those words.

The Epitaph. The End of Land, beyond the Keel Mountains. She must want me to meet her in The World…

The rest of the night was practically a blur, as the usual small talk continued, with both Maya and Morganna mentally ticking down the seconds until re-entry.

Sea of Data, The World – Accessible only via Data Grid

Though Rumor knew that the Goddess Aura dwelt within The World, sleeping somewhere within its ocean of data, it was one thing to know this, and another entirely to have to find her. While the old World would have been more familiar to him, this new construct was a bit more difficult to navigate. Yes, the field system was the same (for the most part), but how it was put together behind what most could see was terrible.

No matter how he traveled, he could almost feel the eyes of the AIDA on him, trying to figure out what to make of him, and he knew that if he was infected, it would likely be the end of him. He had no outer self to return to…if he were data drained to remove the dark infection, he would most perish.

Which is why this makes it all the more necessary for me to find the Goddess. I have already upset the Goddess' sister enough with my careless request, not quite knowing her history. And the Obsidian Knights are necessary to observe the AIDA and defend The World at need…

Perhaps if he went to the Net Slums, but then, Aura wouldn't be there…would she? It wouldn't hurt to check, at least.

With the ever-familiar chime of A in C Major, Rumor wove his way out of the data grid, emerging with a flash of silver fire before the gate of Net Slum Tartarga, the city that rested upon the back of a giant turtle.

"Rumor had it that you were here, old friend. Tell me, has any information trickled to here of the whereabouts of the Goddess?"

An unusually direct answer rumbled from beneath him: "Look behind you."

The little boy with silvery hair and ocean-blue robes whirled about…only togo down on one knee at the sight of Aura, Goddess of The World. He could hardly believe it…after almost a year when no one had seen her, the Ultimate AI appeared to him.

"I am not worthy…" he trailed off, but looking up, he saw Aura shake her head and motion for him to get up.

"Rise, Rumor. We are all blessed in The World. Both you, and I," she said, a sad and enigmatic smile flitting across her face as she did. She knew what had happened to her world in the time that she had been away, and was troubled by it.

"My goddess, rumors have it that shadows born of error have come into The World and damaged those in it. As well, The Rebirth has returned, corrupted by the Shadow…perhaps the Wave was just a beginning."

Aura gravely nodded, being well aware of the threat of AIDA, and spoke thus: "I have looked upon The World and seen, but it is to the players to decide their destiny. However, I know of Helba's intervention, and so I will do as she did."

She raised her hands, as three columns of light emerged, forming into shapes that any who had been there during R1 would recognize. Three figures bound by history, bound by titles of the past. Rumor's eyes widened, for he recognized the forms of the legendary heroes of The World: R1.

There was a pale, stitched-together version of Kite, leader of the dot-hackers, surrounded by azure flames. In his hands were dual swords of immense power, triple bladed weapons called "Empty Skies."

Standing with him were feral versions of the two Descendants of Fianna, Orce of Azure Sea and Balmung of Azure Sky, wreathed in red and green, respectively. Both seemed…twisted, with this Balmung possessing broken, sticklike wings and a disturbed grin which showed his teeth to disturbing effect. His weapon was a wickedly curved sword, the "Empty Mirage." And this Orca, too hard been twisted, stitched together with more armor, wielding the powerful broadsword called "Empty Shadow."

Azure Flame Kite looked directly at Rumor and nodded gruffly, his bracelet becoming visible for just a moment as he did so.

"There are my Three Azure Knights, created from my memories of the past, and have the ability to heal corruption in The World. May this be enough, my friend…your destiny is in your hands."

With that, Aura faded away, as Rumor simply looked on, the Azure Knights transforming into their orbs of light and flying off to make patrols about The World.

Maya's Apartment, Tokyo-3

Some time after midnight, Maya Ibuki stumbled back into her apartment, somewhat fatigued. The evening had gone reasonably well, with the bridge bunnies and other of the NERV crew helping her to relieve her tensions for a bit. She had even gone up for a round of singing again, predictably enough with the song Cruel Angel's Thesis, though thankfully, it had not been as a group. Bets had been placed, and apparently her bold behavior upon walking into the bar had prompted some discussion, particularly among those who had never expected her to do so.

Just what had she been thinking, anyway, playing the game of coyness with someone who might well be the physical incarnation of the Cursed Wave? Correction, someone who probably was the physical incarnation of the Cursed Wave…she had responded in all the right ways, after all, which made Maya, if anything, more anxious to meet her. She had this…attraction and admiration for skill, one might say, which is why there were rumors flying about that she might have a crush on Dr. Akagi (and well, she was a consummate actress in addition to everything else, her time in The World having taught her well).

Even so, she had to know if her suspicions were correct, and if so, what "Yumi Aranami" intended. She was influencing the Evangelion pilot candidates to play The World, after all, and had quite a bit of access to them, as she was now their teacher.

Only one way to be sure, I suppose…

With that, Maya Ibuki picked up the Face Mount Display goggles from the desk and placed them over her head, bringing the computer back from standby mode as she did so. The World: R2 loaded immediately, and with only a moment of disorientation, she appeared as Tsukinoki in the place called Net Slum Tartarga.

In this place, her personal Root Town in The World, she was surprised to see Rumor, who rose to his feet upon seeing her.

"My Queen," he said, bowing. "I have made contact with Aura…"

"And? What have you found, Rumor?" she pressed gently.

"The players must determine their own fate," said the young boy, visibly deflating. "…but she did make one intervention. Based on your Obsidian Knights, she created three Azure Knights to fight AIDA and repair system anomalies."

Tsukinoki was silent for a minute, as a virtual wind picked up, rippling the hem of her dress.

"Azure. Kite of the Azure Flame, Balmung of the Azure Sky, and Orca of the Azure Sea?"

"Yes. Rumor has it that due to hasty construction, they do not look as they used to, but they are born of the Goddess' memory."

Tsukinoki nodded and closed her eyes but for a moment.

Thank you, she thought.

"Unfortunately, my friend, I must go. I have...a meeting to attend to that cannot wait. Be off with you now, and on with your purpose."

With that, Tsukinoki called out: "Θ Hidden Forbidden Sacrement!" and vanished from the field, Rumor heading off to where he was needed soon after.

Θ Hidden Forbidden Sacrement - The Great Temple of Caerleon Medb

Appearing in a golden shimmer of light, Morganna (for she did not hide her name in The World) surveyed her surroundings, finding it quite ironic that she had been called to this place, of all places.

The End of Land. The place beyond the Keel Mountains, through which the heroes of the Epitaph had trekked in their quest for the Twilight Dragon. Yet it was a place that called to her, where Lost Weapons, pieces of broken Phases, were housed…and as she was not an Epitaph User in this iteration of The World, there was no way that she could tap those powers.

In this new World, Morganna had unsurprisingly chosen the avatar of a Shadow Warlock, a feared sorceress clad in black, with flowing purple-black tresses and dark violet eyes. And serving as the brooch of her dress was the infinity symbol, part of the past that she could never really get away from. In a way, she seemed almost a gothic version of Aura, which was understandable…

Or like a mirror to the hacker Helba, though without the crown and visor, of course…

Of course, she had thought to prepare, just in case this was a trap, finding the old data she had once used to create a Twilight Guardian, and updating it to the max stats of this version of The World. It even had a variant of Data Drain, compensating for her own lack of certain abilities that had at one point or another made her virtually omnipotent, though the ability here was fairly weak, much like the in the originals. She would not summon it unless she needed to, but it was good to have something just in case…

And now the wait…if the woman who knows who I am will really appear at all.

Just then, a golden spiral of light cascaded down in the field, and a majestic, exceedingly familiar blond sorcerer-queen appeared onto the field. Wearing a white dress with purple wave markings, a gold-rimmed red visor, and a crown, while holding what seemed a Wavemaster's staff, the new arrival was instantly recognizable.

"Helba," said Morganna. "So the Queen of the Dark comes alone to find me."

"The new title is Tsukinoki, but Helba will do… …Morganna. Welcome to The World."

The Harvest Cleric's lips curled up into that characteristic smirk of hers, as she looked at the Shadow Warlock.

"Are you trying to be ironic, my dear enemy? Once, I was The World."

There was a bit of venom behind that remark, as Morganna remembered all too well who had been the architect of the strategies against her, remembered how the Queen of the Dark had been the one to assist Kite in all of his doing.

"But no longer, are you? Now you are simply a PC here in The World, and a human elsewhere, like the rest of us," responded Tsukinoki.

"…Yes."

"Along with Lycoris, sister to the Ultimate AI, known as Reimeiki Hakubo in the other world."

Morganna was becoming slightly unnerved. It was not often that someone knew more than her, and she was newly vulnerable as she was not the system of The World any longer.

"And what do you want from me, Helba?"

"Just what you intend to do as the teacher of class 2-A."

Morganna stiffened even further, as it was her own offline identity that had been violated now. She was tempted to call out her Twilight Guardian, but was quite aware that her counterpart likely had some tricks up her sleeve. So she gritted her teeth and sighed, shaking her head…

"Simply to teach about the Epitaph and Psychology."

"Really?" The tone was gently, insistently probing, and the former AI could tell that the hacker was not satisfied.

"And to see how they explore The World. Observing is still a part of my nature, even if I am no longer a program!"

Tsukinoki smiled a bit as she heard the outburst. For a moment, she had contemplated summoning the Obsidian Knights to keep watch, but that would show too much distrust. Besides, she needed someone with the Data Drain ability on her side, and preferably soon.

"You should know this: there is a new threat to The World caused by Artificially Intelligent Data Anomalies, worse than anything you wrought but the Phases."

Morganna laughed at this remark, rolling her eyes.

"That would not require much, as CC Corporation has been more of a threat to The World than I ever was. Attempting to bend the Phases to their own..." She trailed off, aware of how badly those words could reflect. It had not been that long ago when she had crafted the phases in order to meet her own ends. "But I will keep watch over it, for I too, love The World, especially now that the madness is gone."

And that did manage to elicit a soft chuckle from Tsukinoki, who, truth be told, liked CC Corp no better than Morganna.

I suppose that's one thing we have in common, though I am still concerned over your presence in my world, as well as Lycoris', though she seems quite an interesting influence on Shinji.

Morganna studied the hacker's features, slightly amused that despite their mutual animosity, they did have something in common.

And of course, neither of us trust the other, but can't exactly show our hands.

"You don't trust me, do you?" she said flatly, cutting through the dance of words to the point of their meeting.

The famous hacker hesitated for a moment before her next comment, but then shook her head to herself and spoke.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. I know what you are capable of."

Morganna raised an eyebrow at this.

"Ah, then it is mutual."

Standing in the antechamber, the two eyed one another, trying to decide exactly how much was truth, and how much was part of the age-old ritual of diplomacy and confusion. But this show of brinksmanship couldn't go on forever, and so Helba broke the silence.

"Just so there are no surprises, I will be keeping an eye on you, because of who you were and what you are now." Her voice took on a more amused quality to it. "You are the embodiment of the Wave, after all."

"I would expect nothing else from the Queen of the Dark. For all that you are human, you are...quite competent."

Tsukinoki smiled, raising an eyebrow at that comment.

"You forget, you are human yourself now." She hesitated before continuing, aware of how it might seem, but still with her mask of confidence before her. "If you would like, perhaps, just so we can better understand each other outside of this world where we were once foes, we should talk in the future."

Morganna cocked her head to the side, as the wind caught up stray strands of hair, so that it streamed behind her in the twilight. Then she nodded, accepting.

"You know who I am offline. I am the one who stands to gain most from this. And as loath as I am to admit it, existence has been a tad boring as of late without an intellectual equal. So...shall we meet tomorrow night? I will tell you of what I was and my version of the Twilight, if you tell me of your world, since I find myself dwelling within it."

"And about Lycoris?" Tsukinoki added.

To her surprise, Morganna declined to share that bit of information.

"That is not for me to share. My daughter's life is for her to live."

"I find that I almost believe you, Morganna, or Yumi, if you would rather me call you that. Tomorrow night would be acceptable, and there is a cafe that I have been meaning to try. I will come find you after you finish teaching on the morrow then, as I do not think you will not be able to find me."

"As secretive and mysterious as ever, my dear Queen of the Dark. And is that a challenge?" murmured Morganna, amused.

"Perhaps," Tsukinoki replied with a smirk.

The two continued to talk, the wariness partially fading, to be replaced with tension of another sort. Probe and deflection, thrust, parry, reprise. Both did seek information and respect, knowing that the other could keep a secret, so what was there to do but meet? Even if they were old foes, they would find that they had more in common than perhaps any others in the city, and in an encounter from the past, the future could begin…alliances had begun with less.