Disclaimer: I do own the 3-volume set, .hack/legend of the twilight, on which much of this story is based, and I am watching the anime, .hack/SIGN. I don't own the 4 .hack PS2 games (they're almost impossible to buy right now); but, I did rent and play some of the third one. This story is simply my imagination taking a small journey...

.hack/DAWN

by: theoaktree

Mike, as he waited for Freddy to get home, spent the afternoon cleaning easier dungeons so that he could raise enough money to stock up on healing and status-changing items for the upcoming virus showdown. He also picked up a wide range of elemental-attack items, since he had no idea what sort of weaknesses (if any) his enemy might have.

About five o'clock, Freddy answered his e-mail.

"From: MercedesX

Subject: re: New Quest

Hey Mike. That sounds like a cool quest! I can be clear right after supper. I'll PM Personal Message you as soon as I log on.

Freddy the X-man ;-)"

Mike got on-line as soon as he was done eating, headed immediately to Sigma server, and took a good look around Fort Ouoph, the root town, since he'd never taken the time to really poke around there. He'd found the fields here to be moderately hard; so, he figured that, with the levels that he and Freddy had achieved, this quest should be a fair challenge. Out of curiosity, he headed to the Chaos Gate to check on the fields available and found a couple that he thought he and Freddy could check out later. Lonely Primitive Sea of Sand Field that Zephyr had mentioned was not on the list; so, they'd have to enter the name themselves. Mike got to know the layout of the town pretty well by the time Freddy logged in.

"From: MercedesX

Subject: no subject

Sorry Mike. I had to help with dishes. Be right over.

F X"

Once they'd beamed into the field, they took a look around.

"Did Zephyr say where this virus was exactly," asked Freddy.

"Nope. Guess we're on our own. Let's clear the open field and see if it's out here."

"Alright."

After about fifteen minutes, they were satisfied that there was nothing unusual in the open field and headed to the dungeon entrance.

"Okay," remarked Mike as soon as they got close. "That's definitely weird." The facade of the dungeon was that of a slate-blue, wood-frame house from the mid-1900's, complete with covered front porch, unlike the typical cave mouth. "But I doubt the virus did that. Looks like something a dumb programmer would do."

"Heh, yeah. Think we should ring the doorbell?" Freddy pushed the button without waiting for an answer. The floor beneath them abruptly yawned open and dropped them into the blackness below.

"I guess they were expecting people to be neighbourly," said Mike, once he'd shaken off the surprise and gotten to his feet.

"Yeah." Freddy scanned the area as his eyes adjusted to the torchlight. "This looks pretty normal. Let's go."

"Do think I should send out a fairy to map the level?"

"Naw. We're gonna check everywhere anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I s'pose."

They found nothing out of the ordinary in the first level; but, they located the item-master treasure chest on the second one.

"What do you think? Should we open it now?" asked Mike.

"Why don't we save it till the end, since we gotta do it all anyway."

"Sure. Let's go."

Half an hour later, they returned to the item master.

"Well," said Freddy, " we've found nothing like a virus here. It's your quest; you open the chest."

"Okay," said Mike. He stepped forward and tapped the chest with his staff. The room went black and Mike's controller went dead. Crap! he thought. I lost my connection. Figuring all his experience and items gained in the field had been flushed, Mike started to try and get back onto the World; but, nothing happened. Just as he was reaching down to reset his computer to start over, his controller jumped and there was a flicker in his headset.

"Mike127. Wait." It was Zephyr's voice.

"What's going on, Zephyr!"

No response. Mike sat back and tried to figure out what might be happening. Suddenly, he found himself back in the black room with the white floor, and Zephyr was floating in front of him.

"Thank you for your assistance, Mike127. You triggered the virus, and the Cobalt Knights are isolating it right now."

"What happened to me there?"

"Aura had to pull you out before the virus corrupted your data."

"Whoa! Uh... what about Freddy... um, MercedesX?"

"He's currently back at the root town of the Sigma server."

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"Aura has told me to ask you to help her."

"I just did help, didn't I?"

"Yes; but, she wishes to equip you to hunt viruses and other threats to her. She wishes for you to be her hero."

Mike, startled, was speechless.

"Did you not wish it, Mike127?"

"Uh... Why can't the Cobalt Knights do it? They're grownups, and I'm just a kid."

"A kid... A child, an immature human. That is of no consequence; she will provide you with what you'll need. As for the Cobalt Knights, effective though they are, they are servants of CC Corp. Will you be Aura's servant?"

Man, what am I getting into here? But, geez, I want to be a hero. I want... "I want to do it."

"Receive her gift."

Mike noticed a glow of light and realized that it was coming from him. When it died down, he saw that he was dressed differently. "Cool. What's this?"

"Aura has created a new class, that of Archer. You are the first, though you retain all the experience that you accumulated as a Wavemaster. You will be able to keep your distance from the viruses in the future and avoid the harm that endangered you today."

"So my weapon is a bow and arrows?"

"Yes; but, for virus-hunting, you will be given special arrows that will contain cookies, computer code that will be implanted in whatever the arrow hits, allowing Aura direct access to it. Do not use these arrows on regular monsters. That will simply waste them as they will do nothing to the monster."

"No problem. When do I get these 'cookie arrows'?"

"When you start your next quest. Now go. MercedesX is looking for you."

Mike materialized in the root town, directly behind Freddy, who spun around to see what was going on.

"Where'd you go, Mike? You've been gone for half an hour... Hey, cool new outfit! Where'd you get it? You look like Green Arrow!" (© DC Comics)

"I was with Zephyr again. She saved me from the virus and gave me this, a whole new class."

"No way! What about your stats?"

"She saved them for me too."

"Lucky stiff! But why an archer?"

"So I can keep away from the viruses and stuff when she sends me on more hunting quests. And she's gonna give me special arrows for the viruses."

"Oh yeah? You think she'll let me come along with you?"

"I don't see why not. She let you come with me on this one. Hey! How'd you get away from the virus?"

"Well, when you touched the treasure chest, first you vanished, then the whole room started to go all weird, changing shape and all. I made it back to the door and got up to the first level just as the Cobalt Knight squad showed up. I told them where the virus was, and they ordered me out of the whole field, which was no problem for me. I waited for you here."

"Think we should log off? I still got homework."

"Me too. See you at school, okay?"

"Sure."