hack//Morganna's Revenge
By: Helbaworshipper
Chapter 2
The Gott Statue stood proud above them, staring down at them, as they were waiting there for some strange reason. Even the treasure chest remained unopened. Elk felt an urge to reach out and unveil it, but he decided to not do something that the other's might not be ready to do.
"Umm... Tsukasa... Did you want the treasure?" Tsukasa, who had been busy pondering his situation still.
"Oh... Not really. You can have it." Tsukasa made a motion to relieve Elk. He walked towards the chest, and opened it slowly, anticipating his findings. His face didn't light up at all, but rather, lost its color, as the contents of the chest disappointed him. A few metal-to-metal pangs were heard, which made Bear turn to look for the source.
A rare blademaster weapon, that was like a razor-sharp katana, fell to the dungeon floor and an Artisan's Soul along with it. This was then followed by a crystal stone. Elk collapsed to his knees, following the item's paths, tears coming out his eyes, enough to fill a river. "ELK!" Tsukasa ran over to the sobbing lump that he called his friend, and embraced him, with a firm, tight grip. "What's wrong! Elk!"
"No...Aromatic Grass was here..." The sob was loud throughout the chamber. "Maybe that's why Mia didn't want to come with me... But... Maybe..." He could barely talk anymore. Tsukasa glanced at Bear, who had taken the treasure to keep the two wavemasters from harming themselves. Tsukasa was in no mood to talk to others, especially when he was around such an emotional person such as Elk.
"Bear, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but could you talk to them instead? I don't want to leave Elk like this. It is wrong to do so." Bear's gave a reassuring nod, quickly removing himself from the party. The blademaster handed Tsukasa the treasure items now, as Elk continued sobbing into his chest.
"Don't worry, you have a good reason. Besides... Friendship is all about trust." The blademaster smiled, as Tsukasa used a Sprite Ocarina to warp him and Elk out of the dungeon and back to town.
D Server Zone: Hidden Forbidden Wavemaster
Just when the two wavemasters left, Kite's party replaced them. Wiseman looked around the field anxiously, hoping to be close to the dungeon's entrance. Kite pulled out a Fairy's Orb, activating its ability to see the surrounding field or level and how many portals were in the way.
"Well, there's about five, but we can cut off about three of them by going wide around and then narrow it down when we get to closing in on the entrance." The twinblade examined the map, arriving at this strategy.
"Is there a way that we can evade them all?" Blackrose sounded hesitant, unsure whether she wanted to fight or not.
"Blackrose, there are no grunties in this server." She nodded and gave up in verbal defeat, and decided to press on by whatever Kite and Wiseman chose.
"I think it's easier just to go along and skip the three that we can."
"What about heading the opposite direction? We'll eventually arrive on the top of the map by going down. There are no portals that way."
"I didn't see that. Well, now that we found a way, let's go." Kite and Wiseman began to move, and followed by Blackrose who had been spurred on by surprise, making her fall behind.
D Root Town, Port Town Mac Anu
Elk's sobs stopped when he was finally in the deserted alleyway. Tsukasa still held onto him lightly, one arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry I was such a nuisance." Elk's voice was full of strain. He was ashamed for what he had done.
"Don't worry about it. Besides, You left the items behind." Tsukasa removed them from his inventory, handing them to Elk, who reluctantly accepted them into his possession. The gray haired wavemaster felt it was time to leave at least until... Well...
"Well, I'll call you again some time. That is if..." Elk began.
"I'll look forward to it. See you later, Elk." Tsukasa forced a smile, while Elk returned it with his own. As soon as Tsukasa disappeared passed the Magic Shop's corner, Elk looked at the items that he received for reassurance.
"Well this can't be given to Mia, this won't do. Wait a minute!" He glanced at the sword, careful not to cut his hand with it's razor-sharp blade. "This is way more powerfully advanced than Mia's sword! I can give this to her!" He smiled brightly, jumping into the air with joy. Just as he thought his happiness couldn't get any better, the Flash mail indicator reappeared.
Subject: I'm back.
I just finished training now. Did you still want to wander around today? I'm always ripe and ready for a challenge.
-Mia.
D Server Zone: Hidden Forbidden Wavemaster
Bear had just about given up waiting when he heard the echoing sound of footsteps. There was more than one set of feet, too, he knew that. He hoped that it was the party that he had been planning to meet with Tsukasa, or he would leave without hesitation. His hopes were met when he was face-to-face with the wavemaster that had contacted him.
"Hello there, my name is Bear. Unfortunately, something came up with Tsukasa today and he couldn't come." Wiseman looked dissapointment, but he knew that if this was a way to getting any closer to solving the Twilight Mystery, he'd take it in any form he could.
"Well, what is so special about Tsukasa anyway, I must know? I had heard that his mind was trapped inside The World while his player was placed in a coma for about half a year."
"Well, you have that right. Did you hear of what exactly imprisoned him within this game?" Bear asked, hoping to stump the white-haired wavemaster.
"No, I hadn't heard a thing about it."
"Well, The World itself is the culprit. I assume that since you have been fighting phases of the "Abominable Wave" and such, that you will believe what I say." Bear leaned against the wall, making a gesture to invite them to sit. Kite sat down against the wall, legs out in a 'V' shape. Blackrose sat close to him. Her sword stood beside her, stabbed into the ground.
"So Tsukasa did manage to log out, right?" Wiseman simply sat down where he was, eying the barbarian blademaster.
"Yes, but it took about six months for him to figure out the mystery and accomplish his true goals." Said Bear, now down on his knees.
"How did he log out?" Asked BlackRose. Bear silenced himself briefly, he had to be careful on how much he told people. He was not interested in being too generous with information, for he did not want people to see him as a pushover.
"Tsukasa's role in the game," He started. "Was to awaken the Shining Girl Aura. You must already know that Harald Hoerwick was trying to create the child, the ultimate AI. He tried to perfect this AI by the use of player's emotions. Tsukasa was unable log out without fulfilling his role."
"Interesting." Typing from Wiseman's avatar was reflecting and echoing sound around the room. Kite wondered vaguely if Wiseman was this passionate at his so-called skill at Digimon cards. He was also thinking of thanking Tsukasa for giving birth to Aura, but he didn't want to interrupt this meeting between Bear and Wiseman.
"What was Tsukasa able to do that was supposedly impossible in The World?" Wiseman pondered this for quite a long time, and now it was his chance to get an answer.
"He toted around a monster with infinite hit points, a guardian if you will, which was eventually destroyed while protecting him from the program that Harald created to awaken Aura. The program became jealous of Aura's birth, which is, so I gather, why it had dark intentions. Tsukasa was also given the power to warp into any area on any server without the use of a Chaos Gate." Bear took a deep breath, something he begrudged himself of while speaking.
"I think that's enough for now, Bear. Thank you for allowing us the chance to hear your story." Wiseman bowed low, watching the blademaster gate out of the dungeon with a wave. The party then proceded to warp out as well.
D Root Town, Port Town Mac Anu
"Mia!" Elk called out, watching the cat character's ears prick up at the immediate sound of his voice. She casually walked down the short, rickety bridge to meet him in the back alley. She smiled at his bright, cheeky face. It was the only thing that kept her sustained anymore. All of these peculiar feelings she was getting, and the havoc that was running amok, made her uneasy. Elk's voice was what made it all go away. That is, at least for the time being.
"Hello Elk. Where did you want to go? Maybe the area that was mentioned on the board?" She then looked at his hands, they were clutching an object that was covered by his sleeve. The impression it made looked like a blade.
"I already went there, and I got this from the Gott Statue. It is for you, Mia." He handed her the hilt of the shimmering blade, clicking the"Send Gift" option. She stared at the crested weapon and aknowledged its stats in awe.
"Elk, it's wonderful. Thank you." She smiled and wrapped her tail around his hand very lightly. "So then, where would you like to go?"
"Where do you want to go, Mia?" He blushed, but although she couldn't see through the terminal, she knew.
"I want to see that place, the Hulle Granz Cathedral. That's the one Kite mentioned about that Aura girl."
"All right. I'll go with you!" Elk smiled, following close behind his feline companion to the Chaos Gate.
wvw
The party sat quietly in the tavern. Wiseman was just finishing his files he so named as the "Wiseman Reports". "So, did you get the information that you wanted?" Kite raised his arms to meet his chin, proping up his head from descending into his drinking mug.
"Yes, I gained enough for my analysis. Well, I should be going to see Helba for details that I may have missed." He stood up, making exit from the dim resteraunt. This left Kite and BlackRose alone together which made BlackRose quite nervous.
"I've... Gotta uh, go and do the laundry for my mom. See you Kite!" She walked out and logged off. Kite, now by himself, felt that he had to do something. He decided that maybe he would go to the Church on the island and talk to the statue. That would do for him, he chose, and he left the bar, paying the NPC his bill.
D Server Zone: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground (Hulle Granz Cathedral)
"Mia... This place looks like something happened to it." Usually, the cathedral had a distinct, home-like feel to it. It was as if a dark presence shaded over the area, haunting its walls. It was also like the wind was pulling people standing outside inward, as if a beast was consuming their prey.
"I don't like the looks of this. We should go, Elk." Mia's ears perked up and twitched around like antennae on the top of a television set.
"Well maybe we should see what's causing it? Kite would be able to tell us I think." By the time Elk finished his sentence, they had been pulled before the statue, which was surrounded by dark blue vines. Bright blue thorns stuck out in various places on the tendrils, and they just screamed that they were sharp.
"Elk! you should get out of here!" Mia felt the hold that was on her let go, but Elk was still bound by the invisible hand. No matter how much he tried to get away from it, it was no use.
"Mia! I can't stop!" Elk suddenly fell onto his back, the vines above dove down, wrapping around his body and began to tug him into the sea of thorns. Mia attempted to flee, but something kept her there. She began to feel extremely sleepy. She kept at struggling to move, fighting the constant pulses to her mind that were inticing her to surrender to the darkness behind her eyelids.
"Elk!" She yelled one last time, watching the vines engulf her companion's body, tearing into his robes and flesh. She collapsed, finally giving into the sudden sleep spell. Elk was trying to force himself to stay awake, to get free from his restraints. It hurt, it hurt not just his player any more, but him.
"MIA!" He yelled again, before the core vine made a final pain-inducing blow into his back, causing him to lose conciousness The vines began to fade away, bringing the young wavemaster along with them.
D Root Town, Port Town Mac Anu
Kite stood before the spiraling Chaos Gate, pulling up the warp history menu, and scrolled the list to find the Church. Something felt wrong though, at least that's what he thought when he heard the pit-patter of footsteps rushing in fast, closing in on him.
"Have you seen Elk anywhere!?" A wavemaster similar to Elk stopped at Kite's feet, his avatar began breathing in and out from running.
"You must be Tsukasa." The wavemaster nodded, continuing to take in much needed air.
"Please, tell me, have you seen a wavemaster named Elk recently?"
"No, I haven't. But I'll try and get a hold of him for you. I am a friend of his. Let me contact one player that I know will be able to find him somewhere." Kite made a few simple keystrokes, flashmailing Mia in a hope that everything was all right. He waited a few minutes, but received no answer and returned to Tsukasa." She must not be available right now."
"Well, do you know where Elk might have gone off to?"
"Maybe he went to the church. Mia was questioning me about it recently."
"What church? You can't mean..."
"The Hulle Granz Cathedral." Those words made a reconnisance in Tsukasa's head, and something nagged at his brain. Something just told him that that was the answer.
"Thank you." Said Tsukasa, turning to the gate.
"Wait." Kite raised his hand to gesture a stop sign.
"What?"
"I'm going there too, we could look together." Tsukasa hesitantly nodded, rather annoyed, but he allowed Kite to entice him. The only condition was, they were to not go as a party.
D Server Zone: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground
The first reaction Kite gave was about how the large building did not look normal to him. He was worried but he walked along the small path up to the twin doors, almost as if he was being charmed in by an unseen force. "So, Tsukasa, you're friends with Elk now?"
"As of today I guess." The wavemaster responded, his mind was in chaos. hat was going on here? This area hadn't been like this before. Kite only gasped when he saw the remnants of the sea of vines, and the cat player blademaster, who laid before him, barely conscious.
"Mia! What happened!" Kite cried, dashing down to the floor to aid her.
"Elk...she took Elk..." Mia staggered to get up and free herself from Kite's grasp, murmuring the same line over and over asthe gating rings, indicating that she was warping out, coiled down over her avatar. Tsukasa advanced to the statue, the mass of vines still eminating over and around it.
"Tsukasa, be caref-" Kite's eyes widened as the vines awoke, and started running. Tsukasa's form, as he tried following suit, was snatched from the floor by the menacing vines, and was bound like a snake's prey. Kite's running made the vines aware of his presence there afterward and dove at him. They were defenseless. At least they were not unconscious, unlike their very unfortunate friend, Elk. Suddenly, without warning, purple rings of light swirled down their characters and they disappeared from the sanctuary.
D Server Zone: Sleeping Child's Fate (The place where the girl once slept)
Appearing in a dim-lit area, they were somewhat dazed. Where are we? Kite thought as he looked around. Vines, similar to those strange ones back at the hulle Granz decorated some areas of this peculiar, dungeon-like structure, or furnishing of some sort.The keywords didn't display in his field of vision when he looked. He wouldn't have even noticed Elk unless-
"ELK!" Tsukasa rose up to the sleeping wavemaster pinned to what used to be the oh-so-familiar bed that Aura once hovered above. Tsukasa's voice didn't seem to wake him, and he tried his hardest to by violently shaking him.
"Tsukasa."
"Wha..." That voice... Tsukasa's eyes widened as soon as his memories snuck back to him. "Morganna! What have you done to Elk!?"
"Nothing drastic, at least yet." The voice was cold, and very seductive.
Kite knew not what to do. Morganna actually speaking around him was new. Was this the 'God of The World' that Bear had mentioned earlier? Was this what controlled those phases they fought not long ago? He began to feel a crushing pressure around his character body. The menacing vines had coiled him into submission while he was in thought. Tsukasa was still near the bed, now staring into space.
"Tsukasa, Join me... And then this will be all that you will have to worry about." Kite was force out of this dark area, not a trace of him was left, almost as if he was never there.
"Please... Let him go and I'll join you." Tsukasa was pleading, hoping to somehow get Elk to safety. Tsukasa alone knew the capabilities Morganna had. He had witnessed her power time and time again. Knowing the dangers of letting Elk stay frightened him.
"Just wait and see. I Shall not release the boy until you have proven yourself once again loyal to me and me alone." Tsukasa then began casting Repth spells on himself and Elk, to maintain their hit point meters.