.hack/FRAGMENT

Saya

version 17.0

And the Land Will Disappear When the Sky Becomes Angry

new topic posted 5.13.06

This is an important message from the amazing and talented Heavy Blade, Koto. I win at life. No, that isn't the message, that's just something I felt like pointing out to you in case you've all forgotten my greatness throughout the length of the story. It has been a while since I've reminded you.

But that still isn't my point. I am sorry to say that the great and wonderful Koto, whom we all know you worship every night before you go to sleep, must take a short break from writing. Fear not, my dears. Though I know you shall all be lost without my expert guidance, my friends have agreed to take good care of you, and good care of our soon-to-be legendary tale.

And though I know you shall all be desolate without me, I hope you will be satisfied with my temporary replacement story-tellers. I won't tell you who they are, but I will tell you there's more than one…and that you already know them. And I will not tell you what order they'll be writing in, because that would give away who they are.

That's my note: I'm being forced away from my computer and will not be able to write for the next few weeks. My counterparts have promised to pick up the slack, and if they don't I give you all full permission to beat them. Or throw pineapples at them…but only pineapples…I was thinking watermelons, but I thought that might do some permanent damage and though my conscience has nothing against that, I do still need them for the time being.

When we last left our heroine (not me, the other heroine), she was being comforted by Death (I can't be the only one who things that sounds odd). He convinced her that the life she wanted so desperately to leave behind was worth going back to. And then, for reasons beyond even my comprehension, they formed a party and teleported to one of the many areas of 'The World.' And that is where we shall continue…

Erika and Death gated into a large, open area that was characteristic of many places in 'The World.' The instant they did, something appeared in the corner of Erika's vision. The girl jumped to the side in time to dodge a blow that would have otherwise dealt a great deal of damage. On her other side, Death had leapt up and slashed down at the monster, "Saved your life," he said with a grin. "I guess you owe me."

"I gave you those experience points, you owe me," the Twin Blade replied, with a similar smile on her pale face. "Or, we can make it even…" she suggested as another group of monsters ran towards them from behind Death. The boy noticed where her gaze was pointed and turned, switching weapons for the different techniques it would provide.

Meanwhile, Erika ran forward, her dark blades appearing in her hands, and quickly unleashed a barrage of techniques. When both the players were done, and had finished opening their well-deserved chests, the white-clad girl pointed to something in the distance. "Do you want to go in?"

"The dungeon?"

"Where else?"

"Let's go then," Death replied, leading the way into the dungeon. It was dimly lit, as all dungeons in the game were (and still are, you'd think they'd do something about that lighting problem they have). The boy pulled a fairy's orb out of seemingly thin air and a full map of the dungeon appeared in the corner of Erika's view. "It's a long one, I hope they have good items at the end."

Unfortunately (or whatever) they never made it to the end. The two walked into the first room and were immediately surrounded by a group of people with the band on their upper arms that represented the Twilight Brigade. Death cursed under his breath while Erika looked around them in surprise.

The boy took a step backwards and pushed Erika back the way they had come while he followed behind her. "Sorry, I guess they're after me. Player Killers are never very welcome members of 'The World," he said as he continued to push her out of the dungeon.

But he stopped short when they had gotten out and were, once again, surrounded by members of the illustrious (don't know what it means, but it sounds good) Twilight Brigade. Death continued cursing, now not-quite-so-under-his-breath, but stopped in surprise at what one of the Twilight Brigade members was saying. "You're Erika? Please come with us…"

"Why me?" the white-clad girl asked curiously, pointing at herself as she spoke.

A pair of familiar looking PCs (player characters) stepped out from the crowd: twins with bright red hair and extremely similar character designs. "Because we can't figure out how you're doings the things you're doing," one of them said (wonderful choice of words, buddy…then again, I'm the one writing it…never mind).

The other twin smiled, "It's thanks to an unknown source that we've been able to locate you."

"Someone by the alias of Sky…"

Sky…the girl from before, and the 'replacement program' that those two men were talking about in the video, the first file she and Koto had retrieved. What did this 'Sky' person, or program (or whatever she/it was) have against Erika?

While she was lost in her thoughts, Death pushed her aside and started trying to fight his way through the crowd, but he was quickly outmatched (ha, ha) and knocked onto the ground and in an instant both teenagers were swarmed upon by the Twilight Brigade while the twins watched with identical smiles.