.hack/EVA: Catharsis: Diffuse Extrapolation
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
Horaki Residence
Tick-tock-tick-tock! The second hand spun round and round, as time speeds and spurts and dribbles on, each fragment spiraling out of reach into oblivion. Tick-tock-tick-tock!
Inhale. Exhale. Darkness. Ba-dump, ba-dump! Twin heartbeats in a barren room, frozen by the weight of unsaid thoughts and memories, false assurances of normality jarred aside by an earlier discovery in the night: the truth of Doll Syndrome.
The house was quiet, with the curtains drawn and lights turned off, and save for the nearly nonexistent movements of life, it was almost completely still. Most rooms were empty, bereft of any human presence, others housed family already gone to sleep, but in one room stirred two figures seated back to back trembling, taking comfort in the fact the other was there. Since they were not affiliated with NERV, they had not been allowed into NERV Medical, where their friend was currently laying in a coma, and so they had retreated to a place to try and collect their thoughts.
"I never expected anything like this could happen from playing a game," whispered one of the seated shadows, her voice lacking any of the confidence or poise it commanded in the daylight. "But you knew all along…why didn't you tell me about this?"
A heartfelt sigh came after moments of leaden silence, as the other spoke at last, silver hair covering her eyes as she drooped her head in shame.
"And if I had, would you have believed me?" she asked with a rueful chuckle. "Or would you have just thought I was making a bad joke?"
"…probably the latter of the two," the first allowed, managing a weak smile of her own. "Still, I wish I'd known, just so I could have done something."
"I thought the threat had gone since many years ago, except for a vague rumor…" Lycoris hesitated, shaking her head before continuing. "It was at the time, a rumor I didn't want to believe because it brought up some fairly traumatic memories—memories of when I nearly died five years ago."
The words of the silver-haired Child of Twilight gave pause to the middle Horaki sister, who paled and silently repeated what she had said, as if trying to make sense of the mad world she found herself thrust into all too suddenly.
"You nearly died?" she managed to say at last. "What happened?"
"A powerful malevolence deep within The World awoke, in that place that was like a second home to me," Lycoris recalled, delving into the parts of her memory that were not too painful to relate. "A shadow stalked me, pursued me, defeated me, scattering my consciousness throughout The World. My body lay sleeping until after the final battle, when light overcame the shadow—when my sister gave up her life to save everyone else."
"Your sister…" Hikari murmured, eyes widening as she remembered the question that had made her friend break down in tears. "You mean…Aura."
Only a lone tear this time at the sound of that name, the name of a girl who had become the Goddess of The World and more, and yet had given up even that to let humanity choose its own path.
"Yes…Aura," the Child of Twilight whispered, eyes glazing over in memory. "The other who was watched over by Helba in those dark times, who alongside the legendary Kite of the dothackers, defeated the Cursed Wave. There were monsters then that would startle even you, ones so strong as to embody human fears and deceptions: the phases themselves. It was truly a time of twilight, with salvation or destruction at the whim of those who strove…they never gave up, and one day, the Lost Ones came back."
Confirmation of an unwanted truth could be a terrifying thing for someone already reeling from having seen and heard too much.
'She's strong…much stronger than I am. To have faced that sort of danger and moved past it—to still be in The World…'
"…I want to ask you something, Reimeiki-san," the pigtailed girl said suddenly, stirring from her thoughts. "After everything you've been through, and everything you've lost, how do you have the courage to face The World again?"
"Because it is my home," the other said absentmindedly, smiling unexpectedly. "Because it is a place where my sister's presence lives on, and because I have so many memories of life there. For me, its no different than asking the question of how people get up every morning, managing to cross streets, go to work, greet people, even knowing they might be hurt. Simply put, The World is my bond, to my vanished sister, to my friends, to my past, and to all humanity."
"You're strong, Remeiki-san," came the soft reply. "Because…I don't know if I can face going into The World again, not after seeing what happened to Ayanami."
A muffled 'hmph' as the silver-haired girl placed a comforting hand on one of her friend's and squeezed.
"You're stronger than you think, Hikari-san," murmured the Child of Twilight, with a wry twist of her lips. "Besides, didn't you tell Aida and Suzuhara that you expected to see them online for the Arena Match tonight? They trust you to come because you've told them you will, as you trust them."
The pigtailed girl's free hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in shock.
"Oh no, what if something happens to them?" she said in a panicked rush. "What should I do?"
"Go to them," the other said simply. "Even if there is something that can put someone into a coma, to do so, it must defeat that someone first. And you, Tomoyami of the Shadow, have too much pride to be easily beaten. What sensei said in class today holds true, that if there is something very wrong, then log out immediately—or even just switch off the power. As long as the shadow doesn't overcome your will to fight, you will be ok."
"Can you promise me that?" the Class Rep asked, before relenting a moment later. "No, I don't suppose you can…it is my path to walk, right? My choice to make."
"One you've already made, even if you're afraid—because I know you, Hikari Horaki. You would never abandon a friend, would you?"
"…No, I wouldn't."
RIIING! The saddening sound of a cell phone ringing caused the two to jump apart with a violent start, even as the pigtailed girl snatched it up and answered.
"Hello?" she asked, not quite prepared for what she heard next.
"Hello, Ms. Hikari Horaki. I presume your friend Reimeiki is with you as well?" spoke a mysterious voice from the other end.
"…Who is this?"
"The one you have sought," came the vaguely amused reply. "You know of me as Helba…"
NERV Medical
'A too familiar ceiling' Shinji thought to himself, glancing at the perfectly smooth surface in question, one painted in that clinically pale shade of white that mirrored the poisonous white of arsenic. 'Do hospitals really make people feel better? Or are they just a way to quarantine the suffering away from the world?'
Having been in NERV Medical too many times before, he wondered about that, and more specifically, how anyone could take comfort in the extremely utilitarian rooms of steel-gray and white there. But this time, it wasn't his injury that brought him to this place. No, it was the fact that Rei Ayanami, someone dear to him, had somehow fallen into a coma—and he hadn't been there to protect her in the way she had always protected him.
"She risked her life for me during the Fifth Angel battle, and she's saved me so many times," he murmured quietly into the darkness of the room. "And this time…what am I going to do? I don't know how this happened or how to bring her back."
It was Rei Ayanami's usual room in NERV Medical, one dark and bereft of warmth as any of the others, with the fallen form of the first laying on the sole bed, chest rising and falling as she slept on, medical equipment scattered around her, monitoring things like her heartbeat and her brain waves. Perhaps 'twas her fate to be here, hooked up to machinery to sustain her existence, given that she was somewhat of an artificial human, but…she was not alone.
Standing by the side of her bed was the Third Child, Shinji Ikari. He looked down upon her sleeping face, holding one of her hands in one of his, as if to anchor himself there, as if trying to tell her that she was not alone. Her hands were soft, almost delicate as she slept, without a trace of the strength she had when waking. How fragile she seemed, how vulnerable…it almost broke his heart.
"Ayanami…" he whispered, his free hand moving to stroke her alabaster cheeks. "Ayana—"
Just then, the door opened, another figure coming in halfway—and stopping cold at the sight she saw. Only for a moment though, as in the next, Shinji found himself being ripped away from the First Child's side and slammed into a wall.
BANG! His vision flashed white as his head made contact with the wall. When it recovered, he found his gaze resting on clear blue eyes in an angry face, framed by the dreaded locks of auburn hair.
'I mustn't run away. I mustn't run awa…eh, who am I kidding? Asuka's going to kill me!'
"Eh? Anta Baka?" ranted and raved the redhead, sputtering and starting in his face. "I came by after a sync test to…check on Wondergirl, and here you are just taking advantage of her in her sleep? I mean, that's what she deserves for being so much like a wind-up doll, but still, that's despicable, you hentai!"
"A-Asuka, that wasn't what it looked like—"
Somehow, he found it hard to continue when two strong hands grabbed his shirt and started shaking him, instead gulping as a glare of death washed over him.
"Wasn't what it seemed like?" she repeated menacingly. "I know what I saw, you verdammen pervert! Putting your hands all over her comatose body—is that what you want to do with Hakubo-san too? Do you just like dolls or something, dolls that you can do anything—mmph!"
Her eyes widened in extreme shock, as in a heartbeat, her angered words were strangled by a pair of lips on hers. Had he actually dared to kiss her? He-he-that pervert…or worse yet, could she have kissed him?
'Maybe he isn't so dull after all…NO. GAH! What am I thinking?'
"Mmph!" Shove! Then the crack! of an armor-piercing slap rent the sterile silence of the room, the force of it turning Shinji's head and staining his cheeks with red.
"B-b-BAKA!" sputtered Asuka Langley Soryu, her face the Third Child's own unique shade of embarrassed tomato red. "Wh-What the hell are you doing? You're despicable…you say you're with Hakubo-san but you're all over Wondergirl, and then you try to take advantage of me? I'll show—mmph!"
As if to take refuge in audacity, once again, her words were cut off by a kiss.
'ANTA BAKA?' she thought, even though other parts of her mind were nagging at her about 'But I didn't see him move', 'He really does kiss well', and 'If he kissed you, why is he the one being forced up against a wall?'
After several moments of shock, she pulled herself away, turning her face in a failed attempt to hide her luminescent blushing.
"I—I won't forgive you!" she shouted as she burst out the door and ran, her footsteps growing more and more distant by the second.
'She didn't slap me again?'
Needless to say, Shinji's mind was now undergoing a cold restart to recover from the minor Blue Screen of Death it had crashed into. Aside from the fact that he still couldn't swim too well, one might have confused him with a fish due to the expression on his face, like one of those aforementioned animals gulping when stranded.
'What…just…happened…Asuka…lips…she'll really kill me…'
"That was well handled, Playboy-kun," teased a voice from the shadows.
"What? Who?" the Third Child managed as he turned to look at the doorway, the tension seeping out of him when he was that it was simply the ever-personable Maya Ibuki, smiling at him with sad eyes. "Oh, you startled me, Ibuki-san."
"Hello, Ikari-kun," the mousy brunette greeted him, glancing from him to the comatose Ayanami, to the hallway down which Asuka had run away. "I came by to check on Ayanami-san and see how you were holding up. I didn't expect Pilot Soryu to come by, or for her to run away like that. Did something happen between you two?"
"I—that is—uh—"
"Hehe, you're fun to tease, Ikari-kun," the bridge bunny giggled, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Just like Katsuragi-san says." Then her face grew solemn as she reached out, touching his shoulder in concern. "Rumor has it that you found Ayanami-san collapsed in her apartment, that she had somehow fallen into a coma while playing The World. Is that really true?"
"…yeah," sighed the Third Child, looking down at the floor in despair. "Reime—someone close to me called it 'Doll Syndrome', saying that it was linked to an incident from five years ago."
"Five years ago…when anxiety and fear passed the breaking point," Maya answered enigmatically, as if remembering something. "During the events of the Second Network Crisis, when technology failed us."
"You know about it, Ibuki-san?" he asked, curious for more information.
"I work for Dr. Akagi programming the MAGI, remember?" she pointed out, her tone much gentler than Askua's had been. "I like computers, and five years ago, The World and Doll Syndrome was all over the news, when many people went into comas, almost all later waking up at the same time."
'At the same time…as if a root cause had been eliminated…'
"…do you know what caused it?" Shinji questioned, eyes intent and almost harsh, causing the bridge tech to take a step back instinctively. "Or how those in comas were brought back?"
Maya looked away from him, her expression pensive.
"I think the answer to that question can only be found within The World," she said after some thought. "I…don't much like fighting or violence, but if you want to bring her back, you'll have to fight just like you're in the Eva again."
"To…fight?" the Third Child repeated uncertainly. But before he could ask anything else, Maya was already back in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Ikari-kun, but I have to go," she demurred. "There's always so much paperwork to finish after an Angel battle. Take care of Ayanami-san…and ask yourself, how much do you want to bring her back?"
With that, she vanished, leaving Shinji alone in the room with the comatose Rei Ayanami once more. As if drawn to her, he walked back to her side and took her hand in his.
'What should I do, Ayanami?'
Commander Ikari's Office, NERV HQ
"…"
A shadowy figure sat within a cavernous room, walls, floor, ceiling—all black with silver streaks, his posture mimicking that of a raptor perched within the branches of the Tree of Sephiroth, peering callously down upon his prey. His face was as a stone slate without emotion, eyes hidden behind orange lenses, the lines between skin and darkness blurred by rough unshaven facial hair.
All that could really be seen of him was that he was looking straight at the figure before him, with his white gloved hands steeped before him, as if her were an disdainful autocrat within the inner sanctum of his domain (which, he was).
"…I see," rumbled the dark one. "Explain, Dr. Akagi."
Before him stood Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head scientist of NERV and Director of Project E. Like her mother before her, the bottle blond was a genius when it came to technology, with a strong dedication to her work and a stoic, detached attitude that allowed her to do what many more squeamish individuals could not. Even so, she disliked having to be the bearer of bad news to Gendo Ikari, especially when it involved his favorite—doll.
"At 1700 hours today, the First Child was discovered in a comatose condition by the Third," the blond scientist summarized from the report she had prepared. "She was brought to NERV Medical, where she was examined. The examination revealed no signs of physical injury, but her higher mental functions seem to have shut down. It is unknown when or even whether she will awaken."
"Unacceptable," came the brusque reply, emotionless as always. "Wait for the Third Child to leave, then dispose of the second, and activate Rei III."
'The situation is deviating from the scenario…'
Net Slum Tartarga, Sea of Data
"…hear me? Can you hear me, Rumor?"
Hearing a concerned voice drift through the darkness around him, the consciousness residing there began to awaken. Blurred impressions of something momentous sped past him, as he caught but glimpses of the world of past.
Shadows. Flames. Dark laughter. Seven eyes. A figure in white protecting him with her death. Escape.
'Someone is calling me, but where am I? What happened to me? I feel strangely disconnected from my body…'
"Open your eyes if you can hear me, Rumor," the voice came again, and this time, his body obeyed, casting him into a sea of light. He was momentarily blinded before his optical receptors compensated for the drastic change, and adjusted themselves properly.
"Where am—I'm back in Net Slum," the young boy realized, examining his surroundings. As he suspected, the one who had called to him was the one named Tsukinoki, the Sorceress in White and Queen of the Dark. But how had he returned? The last thing he remembered was—
(Begin flashback)
"The Eyes of Helba," intoned a vaguely lyrical voice from across the vaulted room, belonging to a grey haired youth in silver and black robes, a Macabre Dancer holding a set of silver fans with seven eyes embossed on each.
The trio so acknowledged looked intently at the figure before them, drawing their weapons and stepping forward in challenge, footsteps echoing one after another.
With a soft chime, an orb of golden light appeared, revealing the form of Rumor, whose eyes were fixed upon the enigmatic one named Siarl.
"What are your intentions?" he questioned, gripping his staff firmly. There was no playfulness in his eyes now, simply a sense of focused curiosity. "If you do not have business with us, we have a pressing matter to take care of."
"Oh?" the other commented, not even bothering to hide his disdain. "I'm afraid I cannot let you go in there just yet."
The Obsidian Knights readied their weapons with an audible clang, taking an offensive stance and staring down the Macabre Dancer in black and silver.
"Heh." Not intimidated, the Macabre Dancer simply raised an eyebrow, flicking open his fans, as living shadows began to pulse around his form.
'It can't be…another AIDA-PC!'
"Rumor…retreat," ordered Melchior as the three stepped forward, breaking from a canter to an all out charge, and—
Darkness.
(End Flashback)
—the unending wave of darkness that sped from…Siarl of the Seven Eyes. "How did I…no…what happened to Melchior and the other Obsidian Knights? Was Siarl defeated, at least?"
"You should be more concerned with yourself, dear Rumor," sighed the Queen of the Dark, who was for once without her staff, ruffling his hair affectionately. "When Balthasar and Casper returned to Net Slum with your broken body, your core data was already rapidly degenerating due to the effects of AIDA invasion."
"You were able to recover my lost data and restore me, then?" the small silver haired boy asked of her. "And Melchior? You did not mention her."
But the Queen of the Dark merely shook her head with sorrow.
"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, Rumor," she replied after a slight hesitation. "You may have noticed that you are not talking at all in third-person form. This is because much of your data, including some of your personality matrix and your character data, was irrevocably damaged. I have managed to slow the decay by eliminating the rogue elements within your code and grafting what remained onto a new character, but I'm afraid that some of your functions have been lost."
"…in other words, I have lost most of the power possessed by a Vagrant AI, correct?" he questioned, raising one of his brows experimentally. His new character seemed about as useful as the old, except without the direct data grid access he once enjoyed. "In any case, I am indebted to you once again, my Queen."
"Not at all, old friend," the Sorceress in White continued, beckoning him to join her for a short walk through the streets, a request with which he willingly complied. "You asked what happened to the Obsidian Knights, correct?"
"Yes, this is so," the boy replied, examining his new body at a mirror on one of the buildings. Apparently, he remained a small boy, but his garments and features had changed somewhat, likely due to his data decaying. His clothes had shifted from robes to white Japanese-styled clothing, secured with a blue obi, and his eyes were now a golden color, while his hair had been slightly cropped. And instead of a whirlpool staff, he now carried an oversized fan on his back, concealing his true nature as a warrior.
"It is only natural that you would wish to see your new body. It is actually fairly close to what your old one looked like, save for a minor wardrobe variation. Now, take these," murmured the Sorceress in White, tossing him two objects: a staff like a frozen whirlpool, and a glowing green-blue diamond with a small pulsating sphere inside. "I know they're not much, but I believe these belong to you."
"…Thank you, my Queen," Rumor replied as he caught both of the items and put them away into his inventory. "So you troubled yourself even to save these…"
"Don't mention it, Rumor, I'm only sorry I couldn't do more," Tsukinoki said with some regret, looking towards Mac Anu in the distance. "As for the others…when Balthasar and Casper returned, they too were extremely battered, with code fragments evaporating from their cybernetic shells. They are currently undergoing regeneration in the sea of data. Melchior…didn't make it. Her program was completely destroyed/corrupted save for a few data remnants, which I managed to salvage."
"So Melchior…"
"Among the data remnants was a recording of the last battle—I'll share it with you."
(Play data file)
"Rumor…retreat," ordered Melchior as the three stepped forward, breaking from a canter to an all out charge, and then—
Darkness.
But only for a moment, as a figure in white sprung forward, taking the blow onto herself as she let momentum carry her into striking range, as—
Clang!
—was the sound of bayonet clashing against dual fans.
"How spirited, to think there is a being that can overcome the life geas to protect another," intoned the lyrical voice of the enemy Macabre Dancer. "But I'm afraid this is the end!"
Three powerful slashes of shadow, as one-two were blocked, but not the third, passing through the Steam Gunner's defenses, staggering her to her knees.
"Hahahaha…it would seem that not even the eyes of Queen of the Dark can stand against me, I who am merely a servant of another power," he smirked, stepping past Melchior's broken form and raising his hands. "Now then, let's try this, shall we?"
Darkness once more, crowding out vision, preventing escape with searing pain, like a thousand fanged claws ripping at data. The other Obsidian Knights tried to defend as best they could, while Rumor fruitlessly cast spells against it—only for their attempts to fail, for the darkness to come ever closer to the core of their code when—
Squelch!
"The shadowless ones are more spirited than I had imagined," Siarl noted calmly, an unusual reaction to a blade sticking out of the middle of his chest. Melchior had somehow managed to stand, focusing enough willpower to rise and stab her enemy in the back, though her data was already degenerating.
"Rumor, run," ordered the Steam Gunner, even as she stood on her last legs. "I will hold Siarl here, so retreat! The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the—"
Clang! Crash! Whoosh! A storm of blades rent the air, whirling, clashing, dueling with a fury matched only by an Eva gone berserk.
"Do you really think this cheap resistance matter?" questioned the black and silver Macabre Dancer, as he moved to the rhythm of an unseen melody, "Your program is decaying, your fellow Eyes of Helba blinded, and her herald mortally wounded. What do you think you can achieve with this pointless sacrifice?"
Melchior spared but a moment to glance at her comrades as she threw everything she had into a last supreme defense.
"Go!"
Riings of golden light obscured the field from view.
(End data file)
"She sacrificed herself…" Rumor blinked, almost disbelieving as a tear trickled down a cheek. "But…why?"
Below him, the giant tortoise Tartarga stirred, voicing his thoughts for the first time in a while.
"Melchior…was the most logical of the Knights," the AI rumbled. "She sacrificed herself that you and her other knights might return to tell our Queen of this, old friend. You have seen her nature, always first to attack, last to retreat in the fight against the shadows. If she had lived, perhaps she would have made an ideal dothacker…"
"Indeed," solemnly spoke the Queen of the Dark. "I would have preferred not to involve children in our struggle once again, but with the new events that have transpired, we cannot wait any longer. It is time to resurrect the age of legends…to call forth the new dothackers, Rumor…or should I refer to you by the name of your new form, Zelkova?"
NERV Medical
Various pieces of medical equipment rasped and beeped and hissed in an otherwise barren room, a room insignificant except for the fact that it housed the comatose body of Ayanami Rei, along with the brown haired boy weeping at her side.
'Why did this have to happen?' he had asked himself repeatedly. 'Why—after I had just seen her smile again, when she had just begun to come out of her shell?'
With the blue-haired girl just lying on the hospital bed, it was tempting—no, beyond tempting—to believe that she was simply sleeping, so easy to believe that today had simply been a bad dream. But if it were a nightmare, would Asuka have kissed him? (Maybe) Would Ibuki-san have dropped by to check on him? (Probably not)
'So it has to be real…and Ibuki-san said that the reason Ayanami is like this is within The World,' he thought. Yes, it would be simple enough to avoid The World, given what had already happened—Aranami-sensei was sure to accept his excuse, but—
'But I can't run away, and besides I'm not going to worry about myself, since no matter what, Reimeiki-chan will be going back into The World," he resolved, recalling his words at the Arena just the day before. 'A samurai, I called myself. That I would see things through to the end, I told myself. I suppose…I'll have to fight.'
His expression was sorrowful but determined as he bent down next to the blue-haired girl's ear and whispered:
"I'll bring you back, Ayanami, whatever it takes. I owe you my life many times over, and I'm not going to let some nameless power just take you away. I'll save you…I promise you that."
With a sigh, he began to lift his head—and accidentally sealed his promise with a secret kiss, a simple brush of lips serving as a favor from his fallen friend.
'What are we to each other, Ayanami? Friends? Something more? I don't think I even know myself, but one way or another, I'll save you, so we can figure it out…together."
"Pilot Ikari—visiting hours are over," came a voice from the doorway once again, a nurse who had come by. "You can come again tomorrow, if you wish."
"Understood," he replied, taking a last look at the mysterious waif upon the bed and smiling sadly, before turning to go. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ayanami…"
He proceeded out of the hospital leadenly, movement ragged and slow as his mind whirled on furiously, thinking of all the times he'd spent with the First Child, of all the incidents they'd been through, and the way she had told him that she would protect him. 'It's my turn now…my turn to protect you.'
But it seemed that this would not be a day for him to think in peace, as the faint strains of Pachebel's Canon in D interrupted him. 'My ringtone…but who would be calling me?'
He picked up the phone, accepting the call—and then nearly dropped it in shock at the words that he heard.
"Greetings, Skari, slayer of Angels. This is Helba…"
Arena, Ω Warring City State Lumina Cloth
"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice boomed out into the gathered crowds, with the Commentator being the most hyped of any member of the crowd. Perhaps he really was a fan of PvP, or perhaps he was over-enthused because he believed he would be promoted soon. Either way, his over the top attitude did add something to the experience. "It's the final match of the first rounds of the Holy Palace Tournament. And would you believe, today's guest is…the mysterious Ovan!"
From her vantage point on the observation gallery, Lycoris' golden eyes flicked to the Steam Gunner who stood next to the Commentator, a man dressed mostly in blue tones, with traces of leather scattered throughout his outfit—offset by a pair of orange sunglasses and a huge metal cylinder on his left arm. A veritable man of mystery, he was not often seen in public spaces of The World, becoming more famous for his long absences and quiet nature than for any accomplishment. An old friend who had come closer to the truth of The World than most…but a distant man, who was, as always, an enigma.
'I feel the presence of The Rebirth from within him, but also something…other,' the Child of Twilight frowned, looking at the locked metal cylinder with dark foreboding. 'That cylinder…manifested with Corbenik's power…why would he seal a portion of himself within it?'
"Those who wish victory must get stronger," the Steam Gunner intoned with a wave of calm. "They must consume all happiness and sadness, and use that as a stepping stone with which to surpass their limits."
"I…see," continued the Commentator, momentarily nonplussed, though he managed to rev himself back to a frenzied state of excitement as rings of azure light flared into existence on the platforms above the floating isle in Arena's center, signaling the arrival of the combatants.
"Both teams have now entered the Arena!" bellowed the rather enthusiastic man. "We have with us today the fearsome shadows of the wasteland, demons of the sea, the personification of the night: the mighty Team Aida!"
A hushed murmur spread over the crowd as once again, the rings of light sprung up, bearing a certain Flick Reaper, Shadow Warlock, and Tribal Grappler to the floating isle of battle.
"Tomoyami of the Shadow, one of the fiercest Chaotic PKs in all of The World, is joined here by Aruna and Arano, famed helpers to The World's newcomers, the Invincible Perverts!"
The Shadow Warlock Arano, a little blond boy clad in a fool's ensemble, with jester's cap, breeches, and other similar vestments, glared at the other member of the so-called 'Invincible Perverts.' Normally, he was not the sort to look too angry, maintaining a measure of dignity, but up until now, he had been unaware of the nickname he and his companion shared-probably due to his companion's antics.
Whisper(to Aruna): "This is all your fault, Aruna! Did you really have to hit on all those low-level PKs the other day at that field with the erotic name? I swear that if we lose here, I'm going to turn you into a cripple for real, and-what the…you're doing it again!"
'He really is the Propagation, isn't he?'
Tribal Grappler Aruna, a tall, dark-skinned, powerfully built man, dressed in an extravagant outfit which leaves his lower legs and most of his chest bare, merely smiled and waved to all the lovely ladies in the crowd, reveling in the attention he never received in the real world.
Whisper (to Arano): "I told you, I can't help it. They were babes, you know! Absolute babes!"
They froze with a sharp glance from their team leader, Tomoyami of the Shadow, the name of who was known and feared throughout The World as one of the strongest Chaotic PKs. Her appearance was simple but elegant, with her tall, slender form clad in a flowing white dress with a blue underskirt. Her rather deadly looking weapon, Heine's Zero, a scythe like a demon's claw, marked her as one of the few who had ever defeated the Doppelganger. And it was rumored that anyone who came close enough in a field to see the sigil of darkness upon her pale face would be slain by the Goddess of Death, the Unyielding Shadow.
'I did promise them I'd be here, and apparently Helba wishes for me to show my strength by facing my fears in battle before she will meet me,' she mused, scythe at the ready as always. 'Very well…I shall not lose here today…at least, not if these two have learned anything from our trainings…'
"Opposing them today is the tournament's dark horse team, who no one knows much about," the Commentator announced, "the one and only—Hetero Team!"
'Hetero Team' the three thought in unison, looking at each other as the other team materialized. They were the Hetero Team, imposing figures all, each possessing a rather futuristic look. Mostly monochrome in black and white, the members of this team wore white trenchcoats over black bodysuits. Two of them, Axanthic and Leucistic, were completely monochrome down to their Lance Snakes, while their leader, Hetero himself, possessed the one bit of color on the team, with his green eyes and flaming red hair offsetting the darkness of his Scythe Hidaru.
"Trenchcoats galore, is it? What is this, the Matrix?" the Commentator shouted out into the crowd. "Today, the past faces off against the future – a PK and Newbie-Helpers against three unknown ronin, magic and fist against cold hard steel. Ladies and Gentlemen, and everyone else, are you ready? Let the match begin!"
"Reaper's Dance!" invoked the leaders of both teams, one from above and one from below, their viciously spinning Scythes colliding in mid-air with a jarring clang.
"So, you are the Chaotic PK Tomoyami!" Hetero said with a grin. "It's a honor to face you once again!"
Round came the Scythe Hidaru with viciously quick speed, blocking and striking at his foe, only for the tremendously skilled opponent to counter—using his own momentum to spin around the haft of his weapon, and deliver a vicious kick to the kidneys. Hetero stumbled back to ground, barely rolling out of the way of the demon's claw that raked the stone nearby.
"After you lost to me once? I didn't think you had the nerve," Tomoyami sang, her voice disturbing sweet with bloodlust. "Fine! Then come at me with everything you've got!"
The two charged recklessly towards one another, scythes raised to slash the other open—but right before their strikes were launched, Tomoyami leapt into the air, flipping forward and over her opponent with one of her favorite acrobatic tricks. Spinning with more agility than Hetero could manage, she tripped him with her long, shapely legs, striking him with her scythe as he fell.
To her surprise and delight, the most powerful effect of her weapon kicked in, draining her foe to 10% of his original HP.
"What? With one hit?" he cried disbelievingly, readying his defense. "Well then, Repth! Reaper's Touch!"
"Ah, you know healing magic do you?" the girl of flowing black pigtails noted, her lips curving into a cruel smirk as she regarded the victim before her. "Still, you've got a lot to learn before you face a Chaotic PK! Heavenly Wheel!"
An ebon scythe sliced through the air, as all around the two, a fairly one-sided battle raged…
"Piercing Heaven!" was the cry of mirror images Axanthic and Leucistic, their drills sharp enough to pierce the heavens, aiming for Aruna and Arano's unarmored flesh.
Dong! The sound of metal one stone, as a lance missed its target and slammed into the Arena floor.
"Yo, ya missed!" taunted Aruna, whose Tribal Grappler class lent him speed as tackled aside the Lord Partizan headed toward Arano. "Now how 'bout a taste of my fist, Shell Shock!"
Targeting the one tugging his spear from the ground, Shadow Warlock Arano let loose his own attack, as light literally shot out from his form at one of the armored titans.
"Take this...OrLei Zas! Nothing like a fistful of lightning!"
Thrown back by the two attacks, the twin Lord Partizans merely snarled like beasts, looking at each other before rushing in again, this time to pierce the two annoyances for sure.
"Heh, is that all you've got? Ranki Lei! Ranki Lei!" Arano shouted, invoking twice one of his more insidious spells, one that caused the character targeted to automatically attack allies and enemies indiscriminately for a set amount of time. And since the two Lord Partizans were closer to each other than anyone else…well. "Did you forget? Lord Partizans are weak against casters!"
"Yo, what happened?" asked Aruna, seeing Axanthic and Leucistic of Team Hetero striking at each other with their lances, allowing no quarter.
"Just a bit of strategy," Arano replied, gathering up another spell. "Since they're heavily armored, I don't want to waste time wearing down their defense…and since Lord Partizans are ideally equipped to pierce armor…"
"You're a genius!"
"Yeah, I know...you don't need to tell me that!" the Shadow Warlock quipped, though he turned serious a moment later. "Just be ready to jump in there as soon as this is over, alright? OrGan Bolg!"
Hearing the name of the familiar spell, Aruna dived out of the way as thin needles of earth lanced out, riddling the two clashing Lord Partizans, each spine doing more and more damage to their defenses, spears of rock that could not be blocked. Just as the storm ended, the Tribal Grappler charged, with all the speed he could summon.
"Alright, lets finish this! King Hammer!" he howled, fists glowing in rage as he struck the Lord Partizans again and again—until suddenly, the confusion spell wore off, and Axanthic and Leucistic together sent Aruna flying with a single blow.
They readied a counterattack, but by then, it was far too late. The morale bar of Team Aida had reached its peak.
Team leader Hetero thought he had won a reprieve when Tomoyami jumped back and put away her weapon, raising his own to end the match once and for all—only to freeze where he stood as two chilling words spelled his room.
"Divine Awakening: Plasma Blade!"
From the very air itself, a gale of plasma erupted into existence, gathering into the upraised hands of the Unyielding Shadow to form a scythe of light.
"Here it comes, are you ready?" she taunted, using the full power in her virtual legs to hurtle high into the sky, disappearing from sight. Yet no sooner had Hetero breathed a sigh of relief when a glowing plasma meteor from above struck the Arena, the shockwave of fire spilling all over the floating battle isle. "DIE!"
The flames engulfed all of Team Hetero, consuming the last of their HP as Tomoyami, Aruna, and Arano strode out of the flames victorious.
"Like shadow and flame through tissue paper, Team Aida has triumphed here! Honor to Tomoyami and the Invincible Perverts!"
"I'm really getting tired of that nickname," Arano groaned, even as they were warped back to the Arena Lobby.
Arena Lobby, Ω Warring City State Lumina Cloth
Rings of azure light flared into existence, bearing with them the victorious trio who had just shown their strength in the Arena, a Flick Reaper, Tribal Grappler, and Shadow Warlock, who fought together, defeating their foes with ease. Stepping out of the group, Tomoyami of Shadow gave them a thumbs-up and a grin.
"Congratulations, I see you two weren't useless after all," she voiced coolly, smirking dangerously at the pair (but particularly Aruna). "So, Invincible Perverts, eh? Is there a reason for that I should know about?"
"Of course not," answered Arano all too quickly. "At least, from me—its Aruna whose always hitting on the girls!"
"YOU TRAIT—" Aruna began to bellow, only to swallow and emit a muffled "eeep" at the glare he received from Tomoyami. Instead, he switched to old Shinji mode, bowing and scraping and kissing the Flick Reaper's feet, while Arano laughed in the background. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
"Heh, this is such a great screenshot for blackmail purposes," Arano had the misfortune of accidentally saying out loud. On hearing that, the two involved in the embarrassing scene snapped their eyes onto Arano, looked at each other and nodded, striding forward calmly with very menacing smiles on their faces. 'Oh crap, I said that out loud…'
But before any violence could be dealt (whether appropriately or inappropriately is up to each one's discretion), a delicate cough and a flash of red caught the attention of all three, distracting them from their little feud. Turning to see who it was, two of the three (that is to say, the Invincible Perverts) were surprised to see the player Lycoris, the young girl clad in a red dress marked with an infinity symbol, an adorable red cape clasped about her delicate shoulders.
"Congratulations to the three of you," she murmured, an enigmatic smile on her face, golden eyes shining out into the darkness. "But I'm afraid I need to steal Tomoyami from you for a while, since we have some business to take care of together. That's all right with the two of you, right?"
Arano and Aruna, never able to turn down the request of an attractive girl (except if she was trying to kill them), quickly acquiesced.
"Oh, of course, no problem at all," said Aruna, scratching the back of his neck. "Say, can I have your—oomph!"
"What Aruna means to say is of course its fine," Arano corrected with a smirk. "We're honored that someone as lovely and charming as you took the time and trouble to watch humble Team Aida's first match in the Tournament."
For an instant, Tomoyami had to fight to forcibly restrain the urge to twitch and pound both of her colleagues into the ground, forcing them to eat the very dust of the earth. And then, a wicked idea came into her mind, one that matched her rather demonic appearance.
"Ah, Lyco-chan!" the pig-tailed girl beamed, mischief in her eye as she flounced over to the Child of Twilight's side and pecked her on the cheek, taking the silver-haired girl's arm lovingly. 'Lets see how those perverts react to this…' "I'm so glad you came to watch us today, even if you had to suffer the attentions of these so-called invincible perverts."
Lycoris giggled softly at Tomoyami's words.
"I'm glad I did...it was quite thrilling, really," the Child of Twilight replied sweetly, catching on to what the Flick Reaper wished to do. "You remember how I promised to reward you if you won, right?"
"Of course, Lyco-chan, I'm looking forward to it..." Tomoyami all but purred, a throaty voice that sent a shiver down her teammates' spines. "Shall we, then?"
At that very moment, one could have easily replaced Arano and Aruna's eyes with four dinner-plates, and no one would have been the wiser.
"You mean…you and—and—and…" Aruna could not finish his sentence, with so much intensity was he fighting to prevent a nosebleed.
"Alright Lyco-chan, let's go on our date!" Tomoyami cooed, evoking the death cries of the Idiot Duo, who simply stood there dumbfounded as the two girls walked over to the Chaos Gate. As she arrived, she turned them, uttering one last word before warping out.
"Kidding."
With an audible click, Arano and Aruna forced their jaws shut, closed their eyes, counted from one to ten, and opened them once more.
'What…the…hell…was that?' were their thoughts in stereo.
Outer Dungeon
Golden spirals of light descended near an abnormal Chaos Gate, vanishing to reveal the form of a still shaken Skari. Having been contacted by the mysterious Helba, he had had no choice but to follow her instructions if he wanted information on what had struck down his comrade Skadi, even going as far as to install a new program into his character and do an irregular warp at a data anomaly. Thus, it was only understandable that he wanted to get his bearings, especially when his surroundings were so strange—more an abstract cubist fantasy of translucent blue-green shapes than any field within The World.
"Welcome to the Outer Dungeons, Third Child," came a cool musical voice from behind him, "I see you have you decided to come."
Skari whirled about to see who it could be, his eyes widening as he noted the presence of a statuesque blond, with a perpetual expression of amusement on her face. Features stern and severe, with her eyes hidden behind a red visor trimmed by gold, she was a Harvest Cleric to be sure, outfitted in a flowing white dress with purple triangular designs and what resembled a matching queen's helm, though she resembled nothing as much as a regal sorcerer-queen.
"Tsukinoki, is it? Or should I call you Helba?" he asked, wanting to get the pleasantries out of the way. "What…is this place? Is it still The World?"
The Queen of the Dark smiled faintly and gave him a once-over with her covered eyes, with an approving 'hmph' escaping her lips.
"One is the present, one is the past, though Tsukinoki would likely attract less attention than the other. But I leave that decision to you, slayer of the divine," she replied calmly, not particularly caring by which she was addressed. "As for the nature of this place, it is both The World and not, born of the corrosion of The World by the unseen wind of plague shrieking across the border."
"Fidchell's prophecy?" Skari questioned. "What does that have to do with The World? And more importantly, does it have anything to do with what took down Skadi?"
"Yes indeed, Third Child, I refer to Fidchell's prophecy, as the Epitaph of Twilight is the foundation of this world," the Sorceress in White remarked. "Even if C.C. Corp has tried to change it, remnants of the old story remain, fated by narrative causality to see its way to completion. Do you also remember the Phases in the Epitaph, and how it was mentioned that the 'Wave was just a beginning as well?' And do you also remember a reference to shadows born of error from our mutual friend Rumor?"
"I do, as I've been studying the Epitaph," the Adept Rogue responded evenly. "So what can you tell me that I do not know?"
"Very well then," the Harvest Cleric conceded. "I will tell you of five years ago, and I will tell you of now, when in the wake of the Cursed Wave defeated by the dothackers, a new scourge arrives. Years ago, the dothackers confronted the old God of the World, a scared and frenzied being who warped pieces of her own being into phases with which to work her will. The legendary party overcame the mirages and illusions of human existence, even absolute terror itself, to defeat a foe thought to be invincible. They fought inhuman terrors as you have, facing death, as you have, and prevailed. And were led by a young boy the same age as you are now, a young boy who fought because he had lost someone dear to him…someone in short, very much like you."
"He was…like me?" Skari repeated, finding it hard to wrap his mind around the fact. "But I'm no hero, just someone who does what I have to. And I haven't beaten fear…it's all I can do not to run away."
"What do you think a hero is?" questioned Helba, looking at the Adept Rogue as if sizing him up, just as she had done when they first met. When the Cleric spoke again, it was in the calm but slightly scornful tone of one accustomed to command. "A hero is simply one who lives with fear but keep going, who takes the feelings within them and can use them as their strength, a person who does not run away even in the face of great danger. This is why I am asking you to become a dothacker, not for your sake, but for your friend Ayanami's."
Silence fell over the Outer Dungeon as Skari took his time considering the offer. There was really only one thing on his mind, so he asked it.
"Will I be able to bring her back?"
"Defeat the power that binds her, and the Lost One will return," Helba answered him frankly. "It will not be an easy task, nor one that is perfectly safe, as your enemy is like the shadow itself, called—"
The Queen of the Dark fell silent, her explanation of the situation interrupted by rings of golden light, which shimmered and vanished to reveal three very familiar figures:
Morganna, former goddess of The World, who appeared as a feared sorceress clad in black, with flowing purple-black tresses and dark violet eyes. With an ancient and unrecognizable book in hand, and infinity symbol serving as her dress' brooch, she was instantly recognizable.
Lycoris, Child of Twilight, forerunner to Aura, appears as a small girl in red dress and cape, with silvery red hair decorated by crimson ribbons, the same color as the flower that shares her name. Her dress too, was marked with an infinity symbol.
And lastly, Tomoyami, with her signature dual streaming pigtails of lustrous black hair, brought out all the more by her loose flowing white dress with blue underskirt.
"If I'm not mistaken, you were about to say 'Artifically Intelligent Data Anomalies', rogue AIs of the void that can infect other players or even monsters," Morganna completed with a nod to her comrade Tsukinoki. "Greetings, Skari. I am glad to see that you have come, you who the Phases would likely have used as their primary data mine, if they were still collecting information on human emotions."
"—Sensei, Lycoris, Tomoyami…what are you doing here?" asked the stunned Adept Rogue, eyes near bulging from his sockets. "Are you all…dothackers as well?"
He did not expect Morganna and Helba both to laugh as if at some private in-joke, while Lycoris merely smiled with one of those looks that said 'we'll talk later' quite clearly.
"No, I am not of the dothackers," Morganna replied with a half smile fixed upon her lips. "I will not go too far into my past, but suffice it to say I am working with Tsukinoki to avert a Third Network Crisis. Lycoris and Tomoyami have agreed to join as well, which is good, as even you cannot bring back the Lost Ones on your own."
"But—but what if…" Skari trailed off, unwilling to give voice to concern, that someone else he cared about would be taken by the Shadow.
"I know how you feel, but Skadi was our friend too, Skari," spoke Tomoyami. "And as your friend, I cannot let you fight alone."
Skari looked over at Lycoris with pleading eyes, hoping to convince her to turn back from this dangerous course of action, but her golden eyes shone with a determination that was almost frightening to behold.
"My sister walked beside the dothackers," the Child of Twilight spoke in answer to his concern. "She walked with them, and with them defeated the Cursed Wave. Without her, the last Phase Corbenik would not have fallen, even to Kite. And if Tomoyami is going to go with you as a friend, what makes you think you can keep me from your side? What would I do if I lost you as well?"
Skari had nothing to say to that, so he wisely shut up.
"Very good," voiced the Queen of the Dark. "But one cannot be expected to fight the Shadow as one is, so to you, the neo dothackers, we will bequeath you with items to help you in your fight. Tomoyami, step forward please and show me your weapon."
As the Flick Reaper did so, Tsukinoki flicked her left hand, causing her staff "8 Wise Men" to appear within its grasp. Then, like a queen elevating a commoner to the rank of knight, she touched both of Tomoyami's shoulders and then the demonic looking scythe with her staff, causing the both to glow briefly before returning to normal.
"I have given you the remnants of a fallen knight, one who served me well unto the end," Tsukinoki proclaimed solemnly. "Your weapon has been enhanced so that it will be effective against the AIDA threat, and your character made resistant to infection."
Morganna turned and caught the Adept Rogue's eyes, beckoning him to her with a crooked finger. Tapping her foot once upon the ground, a haunting sound like whalesong was heard as a golden dumbbell monster simply appeared above the Shadow Warlock's head, a bracelet buried within the central juncture.
"And this, Skari, is a Twilight Guardian, a monster that I may summon to protect me," she explained, raising an eyebrow. Before he could react, a thin tendril shot out from ameboid form right at him—stopping a hair's breadth from his face. She then dispelled the monster, and passed on its data to him, having it demonstrated its speed and power adequately in her eyes. "And because you walk beside Lycoris, I will give you this power so as to protect you. It can be used against non-AIDA threats, but its most powerful ability is the skill known as Data Drain, which can rewrite the data of its target. Use it wisely."
Both Sorceresses stepped backwards then, nodding to the newly christened dothackers, and one another.
"We have given you our gifts," they spoke as one. "And now it is to you the path to walk…."
"Wait," interrupted Tomoyami, raising an eyebrow at the fact that Lycoris had not been given anything. "What about our friend, is she not to be gifted with something as well?"
But Helba only smiled as she looked upon the Child of Twilight, her former ward.
"The sister of Aura was already blessed with power upon her birth," was her reply. "She holds in her hands a light that can bring salvation or destruction upon the user's whim. Now I caution you all not to be defeated by an AIDA or an AIDA-PC, one who has been infected by the Shadow. But the hour grows late, and you three require rest. We will be in touch, my dear dothackers."
In silence the three young ones departed one by one, shimmers of golden light enveloping their forms and whisking them away, back into the proper World, until finally, Morganna and Helba stood seemingly alone within the abstract cubist world.
"You may come out now," the Queen of the Dark spoke into the empty shadows. "Our other business has concluded."
Step-step-step emerged slow, methodical footsteps, revealing the form of a Steam Gunner, the mysterious one who was both the Epitaph User of Corbenik and the first of the AIDA-PCs: Tri-Edge.
"A most intriguing and dangerous game you play, fallen Goddess, hacker queen."
"Likewise…old friend."
Terminal Dogma, NERV HQ
It was the moment of truth for Dr. Akagi. The comatose version of the First Child had been disposed of, and now it was time to awaken a replacement from the Reiquarium. One had already been removed from the large tank, with the First Child's latest download data installed. But it was no use…the clone was not waking, and remained without a soul.
Still comatose, still sleeping, waiting for mind and soul to return from parts unknown.
"The activation of the replacement…has failed."