DM 1988: Here is Log Entry 10. Just to let know, this chapter is about a good 3000 words.
Caleb: Wow, that's long. Hey, Tsukasa. What's wrong with you?
Tsukasa+sneezes+ Hay Lin and Elk gave me their damn cold. That's wrong with me. +sneezes+ Can you do the legal stuff for me?
Caleb: Sure. No way in hell did DM 1988 create W.I.T.C.H. nor .hack//SIGN. That would be credited to Elisabetta Gnone and Project .hack, respectively. Wow Tsukasa, you would'nt look half bad as Soma's little brother or twin.
Tsukasa: Yeah. +sniffs+ Thanks for pointing that out.
Log Entry 10—Recollection
Fadden Falls
December 3, 2006; 6:00 AM
The wind silently whistled throughout the valley. The mountains gave off a bluish hue in the cold, cloudy morning. As a car pulled up to the diner on the other side of Fadden Falls, the wind relentlessly blew powdered snow across the road. The powdered snow hit the legs of the driver that just exited from his car. He had on a business suit that was well ironed. His slacks were glossy, indicating that his shoes were very expensive and had them shined on regular basis. Over his attire was a heavy trench coat that looked brand new.
As the man made his way towards the diner, he noticed the missing child flyer posted on the bulletin board.
"Heh, stupid children."
When he entered the diner, the waitress asked him, "What would you like this morning, sir?"
"….Just a coffee."
As he waited for his hot drink to arrive, people began whispering on the man sitting at the barstool. However, he simply ignored them and enjoyed his coffee once it arrived. Some time later, he asked if the waitress has seen a girl according to the picture that he handed to her.
"No, I have not, sir."
"I see. It's been about six months since she disappeared. Six months since; that my daughter has left my sight."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find her soon."
"Yeah, I'll find her, soon."
As he went out to the numbing outdoors, he glanced at the picture of his missing child and stated to himself, "I know you're here. I just know it……"
The World
8:00 AM
Many players have logged in to the town of Mac Anu, the Water Capital. The town had Christmas decorations decked out everywhere, from the buildings to the shops, from windows stating 'Merry Christmas' to Grunties with antlers attached to their heads.
As more people logged in, the server in Mac Anu became so congested that it caused lag time in the area.
Outside the town Mac Anu however, the field were surprisingly lag free and yet no one was out here; no one but a group of male players. One Blade Master wore a dark brown trench coat and a matching scarf (Caleb). The second BM (Martin) wielded a long needle-like sword, but wore garb that a Wavemaster would wear. And speaking of Wavemaster, the last one (Nigel) was charging up for a summon monster to hopefully defeat a strong monster.
"Caleb! Look out!"
"I know what I'm doing, Martin. Nigel, is that Lightning Doll summon ready yet?!?"
"Almost, just a little more time."
As the three guys struggled with a LV-23 Minotaur, the half-man, half-bull monstrosity raised its axe and swung at the two Blade Masters and the Wavemaster. They barely dodged the attack just in time for Martin to launch his summon the 'Lightning Doll.'
The Doll emitted a strong electrical force that obliterated the bull demon to ashes. As Caleb, Martin and Nigel gathered around the remains of the monster, they started to talk amongst themselves. They all stuck their weapons in the snow covered ground.
"+sighs+ Martin, in a situation like this, it doesn't matter if you get killed. As long as we stick together, we'll be fine."
"Yeah, I know that. But, don't you think about these recent incidents revolving around that Wiru guy?" replied Martin. "I mean, what if he were to ambush us right behind our backs?"
"Martin, chill out. It's just a game for Pete's sakes. And speaking of games, I better get ready for today's basketball game. I'm still waiting for my uniform to come out of the wash."
"Yeah, I better get going too. See you at the game, Caleb. Later."
"Well, that was a kick-ass session in the World we had. See ya."
With that said, Nigel and Martin have logged out, leaving Caleb by himself. He decided to relax near one of the trees near the cliff.
As he sat at the tree, he looked over towards the mountains that surrounded the area. While gazing at the scenery, Caleb noticed snow crunching nearby. He immediately got his sword ready in case the person wanted to challenge him.
What he saw appeared to be a girl. The girl had a ghastly aura surrounding her body. But, the girl simply ignored him and walked passed him. Caleb confusingly gazed at the girl as if it reminded him of someone he knew before.
"What the? W-Will…? Is this really possible…"
The bewildered Caleb could not believe his eyes. The girl had on a purple long sleeved top, a bluish green skirt, purple boots and striped stockings. This ghost also had dark green petal-like wings on her back and sported red head. Caleb stammered at this sight; he could not initiate a comment.
"……Can it…really…Can…it…truly…be…Will…?"
Caleb ran towards the ghastly person, hoping to get a glimpse of her. However, when he caught up with her, he noticed something in her. Her eyes' pupils were non-existent, her hair was longer than he last remembered, and she had cuts on her body.
"Will…is that really you? Will…?"
Caleb put his hand on who he assumed to be Will, but immediately after he put his hand, she disappeared.
"What? I could've sworn I saw her right now."
As the snow in the field became bristly cold, Caleb decided to log off for the day as he had a game later on. However, as he tried to log out, the monster his team had defeated had revived itself.
RRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR!
The monstrosity lunged at Caleb with blinding speeds, knocking him over in the process.
"Ungh! What the hell is this? I thought we defeated this creature! I just know we did!"
Caleb quickly got up and started to attack this monster. However, it didn't seem to take any damage at all with each attack that came from Caleb. As he continued to relentlessly slash the Minotaur, a bystander was watching from the distance.
"Is that Caleb?"
The young wavemaster continued to look at what's going on. His purple eyes locked on the monster that is seemingly undefeatable. However, the one wavemaster known as Tsukasa felt a jolt of pain in his chest.
"Aah! Th-that pain…! C-could the Heart of Candracar be causing this…?!?"
Tsukasa struggled to pull out the amulet out of his body. When the amulet appeared in his hand, he felt the vibrant force coming from the relic. Its reddish aura shone with great might.
"I have no idea how this works, but I need to do something about this…"
RRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR!
"Ungh!"
As Caleb continued to have his hands full with the Minotaur, the monster held nothing back when it was attacking the young Blade Master.
"+panting+ Shit! I'm low on HP and this monster doesn't seem to take any damage at all. How is this possible?"
"It's because that monster has a virus in it. It can't be defeated by regular means." quietly said the white haired Wavemaster.
"Y-you're Tsukasa, right?"
"Yes, now can move out of the way for me." Tsukasa quietly said as he walked up to the impervious beast. Tsukasa then pulled out the Heart of Candracar, which pulsed at an alarming rate.
The Heart of Candracar exploded with energy and enclosed the monster with electricity. The monster could not escape as every bit of its HP was being drained from its body. Shortly after, the only thing that remained from the monster is a gelatinous substance that hovered at where the enemy once stood. The energy flew into Tsukasa's body, which to him reminded him of a similar feeling of pain he felt back then. Images flashed in Tsukasa's mind as he was attacked by the entity he once called his 'Guardian.'
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Caleb watched as the energy began to take hold of Tsukasa's body and surged him with power that might be too much for him.
"PLEASE STOP THIS! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!?" Tsukasa screamed as the energy flowing inside him has become more intense every second. Finally the process has stopped, leaving Tsukasa's body very weak, but at the same time, stronger. When Tsukasa regained control of his body, he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Caleb ran to the white haired boy to see if he's alright.
"Hey, Tsukasa! You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. But, what just happened?"
"The Heart of Candracar. Tsukasa, how are you able to use it?"
"I don't know. I don't know what happened, but I'm out of here. This Heart of Whatever, I don't know why I was entrusted with this." Tsukasa spoke in a trance-like voice. He then logged out of the field area.
"Huh, so Tsukasa was appointed by the Guardians to find Will in the World. But, he didn't seem too happy with this. Well, I better log out right now, before something else attacks me." said Caleb as he logged out of the World.
Elsewhere in the World—Mac Anu
10:00 AM
While the town of Mac Anu was still congested with players, it has calmed down since earlier. Three golden rings have disappeared, revealing the blue haired angel known as Subaru. Wielding her axe in her right hand, she walked over to her ship in the river where she met up with Elyon. The angel boarded on the ship with her blonde haired acquaintance.
"Good day, Lady Subaru. How are things today for you?"
"Not too bad, today. I take it that Tsukasa hasn't arrived yet, no?"
"Not yet. I had sent him a message earlier this morning. I guess must have not received it yet." worried Elyon.
"Don't worry, Elyon. The way I've known him, he isn't the one that usually responds to anything immediately." Subaru reassured her with a smile.
However, something brought Subaru's smile to a frown when Elyon's voice started to choke up.
"Is something wrong, Elyon?"
"……" Elyon failed to respond to Subaru's question.
"It's about Will, isn't it?" said Subaru with concern.
"…Yes, it is. I can't help but think of her after what she has been through this past year."
Subaru replied, "I see. Did you try talking about this to Cornelia and the others?"
"Everyone knows about this but Cornelia. She doesn't want to hear me talk about her."
"Why did you not tell Cornelia? I always thought of you two as inseparable."
"That's until Will ran away. She and Corny were arguing over the World among other things. Will didn't want to go through capturing the player that was making headlines around the World."
"You mean Tsukasa?"
"Yes."
"I know you wouldn't tell Tsukasa as you only met yesterday, right?"
"Yes. He doesn't really know anything yet on Will. Will was going through a rough time and I was there to comfort her…" Elyon told Subaru as she tried to recount the events that happened six months ago. "Caleb was there when this happened. What I'm about to tell you, Subaru, is what happened the last day I ever saw Will…"
Flashback, Six months ago
June 1, 2011; 2:00 PM
Caleb and I were hanging out when Will came up to the doorsteps. I was surprised on her arrival, considering she only speaks to me in class with the others.
"…..Hey… Elyon..."
Her voice sounded a bit quieter than usual, like something happened to her. She spoke in a monotone-like manner.
"Will?!? What happened to you?" I asked with concern.
"……Caleb…Elyon, can you two keep this a secret for me? You see, my father just came here for a visit and well…"
She showed us some scars on her arms. Some parts of the scars were still fresh of blood.
"My father did this to me yesterday when my mother's out with Mr. Collins. I never expected him to lash out on me. Heh heh, it's as if my life is complete joke to everyone."
"What do you mean?"
"My perverted ex-boyfriend Matt just took pictures of me, half-naked; Mother is being oblivious to me and spending more time with that damn teacher of mine, Collins; that anorexic whore Corny accuses me of letting that wavemaster in the World go. Just today, I been caught in a fight with her, making it the second time I fought someone this week."
Caleb then asked, "Will, did you try talking to them?"
"Why? What's the point when they just don't give a shit about you anymore?"
Just then, I noticed the way Will was talking. She was speaking in a tone not very…Will-like. Another thing I noticed is her eyes weren't as vibrant as usual. Her pale brown eyes were starting to scare me.
"Will, you're a mess. Maybe you should come inside." Caleb said.
"Sure, whatever; I guess."
We invited her inside for some iced tea. She stumbled in like a drunkard, despite being a non-drinker.
"Are you alright? Is there something you want?"
"…Maybe an iced tea?"
She then sat down by Caleb, who was at the time playing his Game Boy Advance. Will just simply sat there for some 3 minutes. She started choking up while I was preparing drinks for her and Caleb.
"……..leave……alone…."
Caleb overheard her saying something about being alone. Will began crying quietly. This was starting to get too serious for me.
Caleb asked, "Will? Is something wrong? Please tell me what's wrong? Why are you crying...?"
"…………I just…..I JUST WANT TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL! I JUST WANT ALL OF YOU TO GO TO HELL!" she cried as she threw her arm, knocking stuff off the table.
"WILL, please calm down!"
"Why should I when everything just seems to fall apart on you?!?"
She was screaming her lungs out, but she calmed down when I put my arm around her.
"Will, it doesn't have to be like this."
"It doesn't?"
As Will, Caleb, and I were drinking iced tea, I felt that I've been hanging around her a lot more than usual.
"Will, ever since you moved here over 2 years ago, you have always been a good friend to me. But recently, you haven't been yourself. I want you to know that I'll be there for you."
"Really? I-I don't know what to say, Elyon; t-thank you."
We started talking about what we're going to do this summer. She seemed happy after our little conversation and feeling confident when she left my house.
I was starting to think that Will was going to have a wonderful summer vacation. But when all of this happened, it just took a toll on her body and mind and when all of this reached the boiling point, she just lost it. The other girls tried to help her, but to no avail.
That same week, she ditched school for the rest of the week. I would find her with alcohol in her hands. She would ignore her friends, including me, saying that we would cause harm to her. Whenever we go over to her house, she would always be in her room, playing the World. Her mom demanded that she'd stop playing and threaten to take it away. But she would force her out and lock the door on her.
The next week, Will's mom, Susan, called me frantically. She tearfully said that Will didn't come home from swimming practice. We then had a meeting over at her house to discuss where she'd gone to.
As days passed, we searched everywhere for her. Day in and day out, rain or shine, we looked at every nook and cranny in Heatherfield, hoping to find her.
With each attempt to locating her, it was becoming harder and harder on us. It was at the point where finding her is sorrowfully impossible…
Elyon wiped her eyes as she concluded what she saw in her perspective. Subaru stood solemnly as the boat that they were on reached to a stop.
"I see. You haven't seen her since?"
"No. But, as the weeks gone by, I started to see images of her wherever I go, but mainly in the World. It was scaring me, having her watch my every movement as well as the other girls. The other girls started noticing my behavior and told me to take a break from playing the game."
"But, you ignored them, for the purpose of finding Will in the World."
"Yes. I felt that she might still be accessing the World from a different location. I hope that one day, Will and I can see each other and be friends again."
"I hope that will happen soon for you, Elyon." Subaru smiled as she hugged Elyon.
As the two boarded off the ship, they saw Tsukasa stumbling towards the two girls.
"Tsukasa, what happened to you?!?" Subaru asked as she and Elyon ran to him and carried his arms around their shoulders.
"A-a monster was attacking C-Caleb…seems indestructible…used Heart of Candracar…to destroy it…" moaned Tsukasa. "But…somehow, I felt pain…not only in here…but in reality as well."
"Tsukasa, that can't be possible. Morganna's gone and you only returned yesterday. How is this possible for you to feel pain again?" asked Subaru, fearing that history could repeat itself.
"I-I don't know. I need to log out for today…Sorry Elyon, for being late. Maybe we can meet up at today's game." croaked Tsukasa as he logged out of the World.
"Sure, I guess." said Elyon as her and Subaru logged out.
Heatherfield
12:30 PM
Tsukasa was stumbling towards Sheffield High in the cloudy afternoon. His feet crunched in the snowy sidewalk. His body ached everywhere and the cold air wasn't making things any easier despite wearing somewhat heavy clothing. He felt like his bones could break down any minute.
"I don't understand any of this. How am I able to feel pain again? Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen? This freaking sucks…"
As he got closer and closer to the high school, Tsukasa saw the buses arrive at the parking lot. He saw many guys coming out of the bus, all ready in their uniforms.
Tsukasa then noticed one of the players that looked familiar to him.
"…Whedon…?"
The dark haired boy, who was on his way to the gym, also noticed the other boy gazing at him. He gave a smirk that caused Tsukasa to give off a confused look.
"Huh, I thought I'd see you again, brother of Soma."
"Uh, could you not call me that? I've been getting a lot of that recently."
"Ha ha. So what have you been to lately…Tsukasa…?"
DM 1988: Well people, you know the drill. Click on that one button on the lower corner of the screen and review. Also, you can leave me some suggestions as to how to continue this story.
Tsukasa: Yeah, well I have a suggestion for you. I want out.
DM 1988: I don't think so. We're not even at the half-way point, so quit whining.
Caleb+sneezes+ People, read and review. Achoo! Damn Tsukasa...giving me his cold.