Graceless Union

Chapter 3: The Rebirth

Disclaimer: The last time I checked I didn't own .hack. However, If I keep on checking my sources, I might find out that I really do own .hack. Until then, I'll just write these disclaimers.

A/N: After careful consideration, problem-solving, and staying awake at night, I have decided to delete .hack/legend of the twilight bracelet! Goodbye! Sayonara! Auf Wiedersehen! My reasoning for this, my dear readers, is that I couldn't figure out how to have them fit into this fan fic, so off it goes. DELETED. Hope you still like this story.

A/N: On another note, I know that the phases were supposed to be manifestations of Morganna, but in this story, I chose for them to be independent entities who obeyed her. Just clearing that up for you.

"Kite…"

Blackrose looked miserable as she stared into the waters of Mac Anu. She, Balmung, and Aura had just escaped the grasp of Morganna A.K.A. Kite, but with a heavy loss, for Helba had sacrificed herself to save Aura from the fate of a second data drain.

Blackrose looked up at Balmung, her usually bright eyes were now dull with grief and worry. He looked down at her, trying to keep a calm face, yet not succeeding very well.

"What do you think will happen to her, Balmung?" She asked rather listlessly, for one who had seen such a tragedy.

Balmung shifted uncomfortably and looked away as he answered. "It seems rather obvious, doesn't it? She'll have fallen into a coma by now, and is probably lying on the floor in front of her computer right now." He then glanced nervously back at Blackrose, "Isn't that what happens when you're data drained?"

She nodded then looked back down at the river. "It's just; I never thought that we would lose Kite and Helba. They've always been the ones who knew what to do. Sort of like the leaders of our group."

"I know," was all that Balmung replied.

It has been a long time.

It has been a long, dreary time.

It was dark, for there was nothing to give light. It was not warm, for there was nothing to give off heat, nor was it cold, however, for there was nowhere for my body heat to escape to. It seemed that there was an absence of senses, for I could not see, hear, feel, or even smell a thing that might have been near me. At first, I had been restless, trying to find a way out of this strange cage I had found myself in. I remembered thinking strange random thoughts at the time, for I was in a sort of shock at the recent events.

So this is what it's like to have your data drained…

I had never known what my victims went through, though I had used the technique quite a few times on multiple users. I was interested to see what would happen to me, so I sat and waited for a while. My internal clock was quite accurate, (it had to be when one was inside an online world), and I patiently waited in that position for the space of one whole year, waiting for whatever happened next.

'Next' never happened.

After the first year had gone by, I took to reviewing my past actions to see what had led me here. Of course I knew that it had been the red hawk that had brought me here. But I decided that I would go through every detail of my life, reviewing myself, seeing what I had done wrong. This took me about six months, and afterwards, I was still confused, so I decided to go over my life again.

It had been two years since my battle with the red hawk. I was now feeling what must be despair. I knew that by now, the red hawk would have faced all my brethren, and seeing as how I had not been contacted by any of them, I figured that they, like me, had also been defeated. All in all, I decided that this was not much of a morale booster. I must have been desperate, for I had given up all hope of ever escaping this awful prison. I mocked myself then.

So, it seems that 'The Terror of Death' is afraid of dying. You were aptly named, Skeith.

I knew I had reached madness when I started talking to Innis. I knew she was not there to hear me, yet I felt the need to think of her, and that need grew to an urge to be with her. That urge drove me to deceive myself that she was actually there with me. So it seemed she was aptly named as well. I stopped watching my internal clock, for I was deeply absorbed in conversing with Innis. She became the object of my every thought. If I had an idea, then the first thing I did was tell Innis about it. And so it was for a long time.

It was some time later, while I was having a deep debate with Innis about the physiology of red wyrms, that I was suddenly interrupted. This surprised me greatly, for Innis had never interrupted me while I was in the middle of a sentence.

"What is it, Innis?" I said, looking over my shoulder at where I imagined her to be.

You can picture my surprise when, instead of Innis, it was the White One whom I saw. I immediately stood up to face her.

"You," I was reaching for my wand, hoping to protect myself from the attacks I knew that I deserved. "You've come to kill me then?" was all I could say.

She approached me with a shake of her head, "No," she replied, "I do not seek revenge. Instead, I come with forgiveness, and offer you a new hope."

When she was close enough, she placed her hand upon my red wand, and with a soft whisper, she caused it to vanish. Then looking directly at me, she spoke, "Before you accept my offer of freedom, you must know that you will pay a price. I am in need of your help, and I will be using you as my servant, much like your former master, Morganna, used you."

I stepped back, "If that is the price, then you may leave. I have looked back at my life, and I now know that I was used as an evil tool. I do not wish to be used for evil once more." With that I turned my back to the White One and stared at the darkness surrounding me.

"Now I know that you have earned my forgiveness," she said caringly, "You are no longer the mindless puppet you once were. You have repented of your mistakes and can now distinguish right from wrong. I congratulate you, for that is what makes us true Intelligences." She moved in front of me so I was facing her again.

"Please join me. I am not like Morganna, in that I will not force you to do anything I ask of you. I will allow you to decide for yourself whether my requests are good or not. If you do not wish to carry out any request I make, I will not punish you." Her voice seemed sad.

Secretly I wondered, "What could have driven her to ask us, her worst enemies for help?"

I thought about this for a minute. The White One seemed patient, and I knew she could not lie, so I finally answered, "If those are your terms, then I accept your offer."

With that she took my hand and said, "In that case, there are some people I'd like you to meet."

Suddenly, I felt a sensation of flying, as we rushed through the nothingness. We seemed to be traveling faster than any eye could follow. I was pondering what she had just said when we were encompassed by a vast array of swirling lights. We seemed to be in the middle of space, surrounded by a vast starry sky. As I looked about in wonder, the stars seemed to grow brighter with each passing second. Soon they were too bright to look at directly, so I covered my face with my one free hand. Glancing at the White One, I saw that she did not seem to mind the eye-piercing brightness. Suddenly we were in a grassy field, like the ones I remembered so well from 'The World'. I looked about me in a daze; suddenly I saw something that gladdened my heart.

As I looked about me, I saw seven other faces staring back in greeting. They were familiar. Suddenly it dawned upon me, I was not the only phase to have been called back from the darkness, in fact, I seemed to have been the last of my companions to return! The White One had let go of my hand and the phases had all formed a silent circle facing her. I glanced to my sides, to my left stood Corbenik, in leaf form, and to my right stood Innis. This, I knew, was not a figment of my imagination, but the real Mirage herself. I then had to direct my attention towards the White One, however, for she had begun to speak.

"This, I know, is a joyous reunion for all of you, for it has been three years since you last saw each other. Therefore, let me be the first to congratulate you on your survival through solitary confinement." At this Macha, in her humanoid form, spoke up, "Though for me, the darkness was not quite so long." She glanced apologetically to the rest of us, as though it were her fault she had been rescued by the humans.

"Still," stated the White One, "It was long enough for all of you to realize the atrocities of Morganna. And that is the most important thing you have learned while you were in the dark. Morganna is evil. She trusts none but herself, and has no true friends. She will lie to all who she chooses to speak to, even us, her own kind. We cannot allow this entity to survive among us. It is my mission to bring about her end, and in this mission, I will need your help. So I ask you now, will you help me destroy Morganna Mode Gone, once and for all?" She turned to face me, "Skeith?"

I answered with no hesitation, "White One, I will do my best to accomplish this goal, for I too believe that Morganna is a despicable evil. She shall come to fear the Death!"

She nodded, with a satisfied smile, then turned to face Innis.

"Innis?"

Her reply was soft, yet clear, "I can tell you that I will help you to my fullest. This, for once, I say with no deceit in my words."

"Magus?"

"As each life begins anew, they must find a standard to fight under. You are my new standard, White One."

"Fidchell?"

"Ever since my confinement, I have foreseen myself bringing about Morganna's doom."

"Gorre?"

We agree to find a way to plan Morganna's demise."

"Macha?"

"You know that ever since my recovery, I have sought a way to destroy the dark voice, for she has always been a thorn in my foot."

"Tarvos?"

"When I saw the evil that woman forced upon us, I vowed vengeance in my soul."

"Corbenik?"

"I have been given a rebirth, White One. With it, I hope to right the wrongs of my last life."

Aura smiled, "Good, now for our next order of business. It concerns me that your present forms are a bit suspicious. They tend to attract the attention of the Humans, so I was hoping that maybe you would be inclined to take more humanlike characteristics. That way you can go about the normal players without them realizing your difference. You may now do so if you wish."

At this we all looked at each other. I had no problem with it, so I said so. Everyone else soon agreed. Suddenly I felt myself melting, without pain, into a dark puddle on the ground. I thought of a human form that I felt like choosing, and then felt myself reforming to shape my thoughts into reality. I was a tall young man with grey hair and dark eyes. My spiked black armor was dyed red at the tips, and I had a tail-like armor protrusion that swung loosely from my back.

"Haseo"

The word came to my lips, as though I were announcing something. Then to my right I heard another name being announced.

"Atoli."

I looked at the girl who had spoken. She was shorter than me, and was wearing a short dress. Her golden hair was covered in a large fluffy hat. All in all, she appeared to be quite charming in my opinion.

"Kuhn."

I barely paid attention to the rest of the phases as they appeared. My mind was fixed solely on the image of beauty before me.

"Yata."

I had never before considered humans to be beautiful. Of course, my lovely Innis had never been humanoid, so maybe that had something to do with it.

"Sakubo."

I glanced at the newest arrival. So Gorre had chosen a female figure as well. As I watched this mischevious new girl, I quickly saw that she was in nowise comparable to Atoli.

"Endrance."

It was no surprise that Macha had become feminine. It was also no surprise to see the small cat floating around her head. What was with her and cats?

"Pai."

Tarvos, a woman! I had never considered him to be all that feminine. This was beginning to become interesting.

"Ovan."

Ah it was Corbenik. He had chosen a rather large male with what appeared to a large sword attached to his hand. That was an interesting weapon of choice.

We all looked at each other, examining ourselves for the first time. I was all eyes for Atoli, however.

"Very nice." commented the White One. "You are now ready for your task."

A/N: Whoa, now this is a long chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and didn't find it too confusing. And in case any of you are wondering, then yes I will be doing a Haseo/Atoli pairing.

But now it's time to answer my review! Hooray!

Legolashugefan: Yay, my first review! Thank you very much. As you can see, Skeith/Haseo has already returned. I too am greatly excited for G.U. This was just some idea I had, not really how I think it will be.