.HACKLife of Death, Death of Life

Disclaimer: Though I wish I owned the characters etc. of the .hack conglomeration, I must say that I do not. The plot is my own, though I received inspiration from a .hack role-play that I was in.


Chapter 7: The watcher

While the events were being played out within the cathedral, Keika had logged off and simply sat, staring at the computer for several moments. Then, the girl had arisen and gone to the telephone, dialing the number of the friend who had told her the name of that cursed realm. She waited for what seemed an eternity for the line to connect then groaned as, after several rings, the answering machine kicked in. Keika didn't bother to leave a message. If her friend was not answering, that meant one of three things: the other was sleeping, not home or playing the World. It was a Wednesday and the other was always online on Wednesdays. How could Keika forget that?

She sighed and looked towards the computer, unwilling to log back in after the traumatic event she had played a part in. Just the thought of it made her skin crawl. At first, she had simply been trying to prove her bravery. However, after she had opened the black chest, Keika had felt a strange, sinister force take over her body. Even in the real world, she had been unable to move, unable to even breathe, it seemed. Then, in that dreamlike state, she watched herself take the keystone, shove Tsukasa aside and place the stone upon the altar. No… She did not immediately place it in its resting spot. The wavemaster had cast a spell knocking the stone away. Keika had felt the anger of whatever controlled her actions. Then, the twin blade had lunged for the stone and found it cracked. The rage of the thing terrified her, then. It spoke to Tsukasa using her lips and the voice made her throat burn.

Suddenly, the sensation had ceased and she was in control once more. However, she found that all she could do for a moment was simply stare in wonder, fear and awe. Then, she entered the command to gate out. Nothing happened. Keika panicked and shut off the power.

Her mind suddenly snapped back to the present as the phone rang. Hurriedly picking it up, Keika said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Keika," replied the voice. "You called and I would have answered, but I was not in a position to leave the computer and answer the phone."

"That's all right, Yosh," said Keika. Keika was indeed her first name and also her username for the World. "Or should I say Demon Child? Look, I went to the place you told me about and I need to talk to you about it."

"The graveyard? Meet me in the World in twenty minutes. Right now there is something I must do," replied Yosh. His voice sounded different, more like it was in the World.

"All… All right," murmured Keika. "Where?"

"Carmina Gadelica, by the chaos gate."

Then the phone clicked as Yosh hung up. Keika stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Her friend had been acting rather odd the past week or so and she wondered why. However, it wasn't the time to ponder such things. She would ask him about it when she met him later. The sudden rumbling of the stomach alerted her to its emptiness. Sighing, Keika wandered to the kitchen and made a sandwich.

Some twenty minutes later, by the Carmina Gadelica chaos gate, a golden loop materialized in the air next to the portal and fell downwards, two other loops following as Keika appeared. Another player, a black winged heavy blade stood nearby. He was tall and thin, clothed in a tattered, hole-ridden gray cloak and flexible black armor that had a rather spiky appearance. Blood red jewels adorned the plate mail upon the chest, the knees, the elbows, the gauntlets and the boots. He wore no helmet, letting his shoulder length white hair blow free. The player's eyes were bright crimson and his skin deeply tanned and his features strong. Despite the armor, however, he moved silently, coming up behind Keika and tapping her on the shoulder.

She jumped, shrieked and spun around, eyes wide. "Oh, Demon Child, it's only you," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Don't you ever do that again! Now then, about the… the graveyard."

Demon Child nodded. "What would you like to know?"

"How did you find out about that place? And did you visit it before you told me about it?"

"Yes, I did visit it beforehand," murmured Demon, his voice pleasant, yet it had dark undertones. "However, I did not stay long. I found out about it through various circumstances. I don't remember where exactly I heard about it first. You sound scared. You released Death, didn't you?"

When Keika mutely nodded, Demon Child had an almost triumphant gleam in his eyes. However, the look quickly passed into a cold, hard glare. "The wavemaster likely needs help," he muttered. "But if you wish to remain free of this and upon my good side, you will not be one to aid Tsukasa."

"H… How did you know about her?"

The other player shrugged nonchalantly. "Suffice it to say that I know a lot. Now then, I must go and so should you. Tsukasa will need all the help she can get, but not from you. Go to Mac Anu if you want a last chance to talk with her, if you must. If I find that you've been helping her in any way, however, I will consider our friendship ended. And now, farewell."

Demon Child bowed, shuffled his wings and a golden ring appeared at his feet. It rose followed by two others and he was gone. Keika stared at the space her mysterious friend had occupied for several moments. Then, snapping back to the present, the twin blade frowned. If her friend had wanted Death released, then why hadn't he done so himself, she wondered. A sudden thought occurred to her, a sudden memory of things her friend had said earlier that week when he had told her the name of the field.

"Something about him's changed," she murmured eyes wide with fright and worry. "I must warn the wavemaster before she meets him!"

) (

When Tsukasa, Balmung, Reki and Kite had returned to Mac Anu, the four had just stood, staring at each other in terrified wonder. Tsukasa was the first to recover. Trembling, she sank to her knees. The wavemaster put her head in her hands and sat there, shuddering, trying to block the voices out of her head.

"Leave me alone," moaned Tsukasa. "I did what you asked. It can't be stopped, so why not just let me go free?"

Kite frowned. He stepped forward and placed a hand upon the wavemaster's shoulder. "Tsukasa," he said, gently yet firmly. "There are some things you need to tell us."

Balmung and Reki conferred in low whispers. "You're the administrator, so you're the one who must deliver the report," murmured Reki, louder.

"I know," answered Balmung, at the same voice level. "That's why I'm asking you to stay here and help Tsukasa as best you can. It seems she is the only one who can defeat that thing and even then, she will need all the help she can get."

Reki sighed. "Yes, sir."

The two then turned to the twin blade and other wavemaster, seated upon the brick. Tsukasa was doubled over and was shivering violently. Kite was patting her upon the back and talking to her, though the wavemaster only nodded or shook her head in reply. Reki looked back to Balmung, but found him gone. Sighing, the almost unshakable Reki walked over to them and stood behind.

"Excuse me, Tsukasa," he said. "But I think we all deserve a bit of explanation?"

The girl, still shuddering, looked over her shoulder at Reki. "Who are you?" she asked, confusion in her eyes.

"I'm Reki," replied he. Then the other wavemaster added, with a touch of pride, "I am Balmung's assistant."

Tsukasa nodded. "I see," she murmured. "What do you want to know?"

"What that thing was, to begin with," said Kite. "And what exactly it was talking about involving you. Then, we'd like to know what it meant by the power of the Twilight and the Wave. Lastly, it would be nice if you could explain what you did to it. Oh, and what happened between you two before we arrived."

The girl looked blankly at the twin blade, her expression unreadable. She sighed and looked down, a bizarre mixture of pain, sadness, regret and annoyance upon her face. "I wish I could explain it all," Tsukasa whispered, her voice barely audible. "But some of it even I don't know."

"Just say what you know and we'll eventually figure out the rest," responded Reki, sitting down on the other side of Tsukasa.

The girl closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She opened her mouth to begin, but was interrupted by a call from behind them. Keika had just appeared at the Chaos Gate behind them and, seeing the two wavemasters and fellow twin blade, she had called out to them, recognizing the female player as Tsukasa.

All three turned to look at the white and blue clad girl stumbling towards them. Keika's vivid cerulean eyes had a worried, confused and somewhat relieved cast to them. She came to a halt behind them, shooting a curios look at Reki and Kite in turn, but focusing her attention upon Tsukasa.

"Tsukasa," she said again. "I really need to talk to you…."

The wavemaster sighed wearily. "Why does everyone want to talk to me?" she snapped, standing up abruptly. "Why not go figure things out for yourselves?"

Tsukasa turned and pushed past the startled Keika. However the twin blade grabbed her shoulder and hissed, "Look… I don't need to know what's going on… I don't want to, but there is something you should know and someone you should know about too…"

"Well? Tell me," replied Tsukasa.

"My friend, Demon Child, was the one who gave me the name of the graveyard field," explained Keika in a low voice. "I've just been talking with him and he seems very strange and distant. From things he's said and hinted at, I think he wanted that… That thing loose and that he's been watching you and it. I know him in real life, but he's completely different here and it scares me. I… I am terribly afraid and don't want to get mixed up in whatever this is and… Oh, I'm just going to leave… I… uh… Just stay away from Demon Child!"

Keika then turned and ran to the Chaos Gate, logging out before Tsukasa could call out to her. She shivered, then whispered to herself, ignoring the queries of Reki and Kite, "So he's the watcher, the one who started this…"


Author stuffs! Weeee!

Kitsunia: Thanks for reading my next chapter, again! Yes, Death is still 'alive,' but just kind of frozen right now. I remember where I recognize your username from! You wrote/are writing The Mystery of the Dragon's Master. Weee! Good fanfic, but I do think you should finish it.. (O.o)

Other stoof:

eh... no other stuff today, 'cept for a sneak preview of the next chapter.. oooOOOOoooo....

Segment of Chapter 8: Explinations

She seemed about to say more, but was interrupted by a light chime and the appearance of a little blue envelope over her head. The wavemaster looked up and a white sheet materialized in her hand. The blue envelope disappeared and her gray eyes turned back down, scanning over the message. Her eyes widened. Then Tsukasa squeezed them shut and clenched her fist around the paper. She then flung the ball of paper away from herself with a cry. It fizzled into data and disappeared.

"Who was that from?" asked Reki as he stood up and peered over the edge of the building as the paper disappeared. "And what did it say that's so upsetting?"

Tsukasa ignored the query and stood up. She turned to walk towards the door back into the building, but Reki grabbed her shoulder. Though she tried to shake him off, he held firm. Kite, having just received a flash mail of his own, stood up, but didn't immediately turn to the two wavemasters.

"Let me go!" Tsukasa hissed.

"No," replied Reki.

"Please," murmured the girl. "I need to go. Let me."

"If you need to go somewhere, then I'll let you, but I'm not going to let you go alone," said Reki.

O.o That be all I'm going to let you see... o.O

dragon