-A Lone Light in a Dark Mass-
"Well, Lan," said Mayl to her next-door neighbor. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ya, you too Mayl." Said the Brunette net battler. And the two the entered their respected homes. Mr. Hikari had given all of Lan's friends rides home, all expect Chaud who called in a limousine.
Lan opened the doors to his house and found his two parents talking to each other. Lan's father was always at work while his mother was always stayed home. Lan respected both of them like any son would.
"Mom, Dad, I love you," he said right at bat and then embraced both of them. "You've done so much for me; I just wanted to thank you."
"Lan." Said the boy's mother.
"Wanna watch a movie? Since Dad is here and all."
"Sure thing, Lan." Said the scientist father.
After enjoying a timeless classic, the young world savior began rummaging through an old toy-chest in his closest.
"Lan, what are you doing?" asked Megaman from Lan's PC.
"I'm looking through my old kid's stuff." He replied as he moved a hand full of old clothes out of his way. "After reading Sean's journal, it made me to be more appreciate for things."
"Really," said the Navi with a skeptical attitude, "Are you going to appreciate your homework now?"
"I meant stuff like friends and family, Megaman." Lan hauled his old toy chest across his bedroom rug.
The box contained Lan's old toys stuffed animals, and dust-covered children's books. The sight of these things brought back numerous memories. He took one of his favorite books from the old container and plopped down on his.
"Hey, Megaman." Said Lan
"Yea, Lan?"
"What do think Sean will be like when he wakes up?"
"I don't think I'm qualified to give any kind of answer to that question, Lan. Sean's actions seem pretty serious for him, but he seem so… relieved when you told him you be his friend; so I don't know what he'll be like after he recovers."
"I just don't think I even know the real him, Megaman."
"Well…" pondered the blue Navi, "Sean couldn't be any worse than what he had been before, right?"
"Good point."
000
Sean and Serenade stood in front of the 2nd door in the lobby.
"Are you certain that this is the only way?" asked the Holy NetNavi.
"That figure said that I can only get to him after I passed through both of these two doors."
"But the first one was a trap, who knows what the other shall be."
"Only one way to find out," said the heroic adolescence as he stepped up to the door. When it felt the boy's presence, the door slid open and a thick dark mist began to seep through. The mist made Serenade look and sound ill.
"This mist… it's like a plague," she wheezed, "I fear I can not continue onward with you, Obihiro. I shall remain here and guide you through thought."
Sean stood in front of the doorway, building up his courage before walking through the door, which slammed shut right after he stepped inside.
He found himself in a large marble hallway. It contained several buttresses, each one with a dark painting of a human and a NetNavi opposite to each other. What really stood out was that there were a bunch of pipes protruding out of the side of the entrance wall appeared over the human-pictures-half of the hallway. The pipes leaked out the mist that made Serenade sick.
Sean walked up to first one. On the right side of the buttress, it had snazzy looking blonde man; while on the left, it had blue air conditioner theme Navi. As he began to walk past it, he was caught in a flash and found himself standing in a big corporation building office.
There was a meeting between two company leaders. One of them was the man from the picture earlier before arose from his chair and began to shout furiously to everyone.
"I won't let my company to be-be-be GUTTED. I built it with hard work and sweat, so I'm not just going to let you to take everything I made so hard with one fatal swooped!"
"Hehehe," chuckled the head chairmen, "Oh course we can. How did you think I'm the boss of this international company, Mr. Kazefuki? I all ready have the capitally to get what I want and what I want is your company. Your hard work is useless in these races, Kazefuki, especially when you attract the ones who are more cunning than you… Thank you for your company. Have a nice day."
Kazefuki stood there, his fist clenched in rage. And strangely, Sean could feel his exact anger and pain that Kazefuki felt. The betrayal of someone who promised you treasure stuns deeply. It felt sort of weird and natural at the same time.
And as quickly as the vision appeared, it disappeared and Sean was back in the marble hallway, standing behind the first buttress. And out of nowhere, Serenade's gentle voice echoed in the kid's mind.
"Obihiro, Are you there?"
"Yes," said the grey haired child out-loud.
"What happened? I shortly lost contact with you."
"I had another vision. But only this time, it was someone else and me."
"Who was it?"
"I think his last name was… Kazefuki."
"Arashi Kazefuki?!? He was part of Gospel!"
"Hmm," Sean pondered, "Anything about him before then?"
"Wait awhile, please." Said the serene navi. She closed her eyes and let her A.I. to surf the net to obtain the information requested.
"He ran a small successful company before it was-
"'-bought out by a big company.' I just saw the whole ordeal. There are these buttresses with pictures of Humans and NetNavis on them. When I passed the one with Kazefuki's picture on it, the vision started. And when it ended, I went pass it."
"Did you feel okay?"
"Well, I do feel a bit depress. Seeing that man's hard work to be all taken away by a mere wave of hand from rich person."
"The business world is cruel and ever changing. Like in the story of Chanticleer, be wary of someone who is smiles and complements."
Sean stopped and pondered on how he felt Kazefuki's rage and sorrow for his company. It seem right or fair to him.
"Something wrong, Obihiro?" asked Serenade, "I can only reach the parts of you mind that you would allow me to."
"Nothing's wrong… So, for the rest of the time, I should continue to have these visions?
"Yes, it is quite oblivious that this room is meant to break you. Whatever you do, you must not let anything get to you into the darkness."
"Speaking of which, that mist the kept you at bay, they're coming out of pipes. Pipes that lead from the walls of center room to above the human portraits of this room."
"Hmm…. They must be under the same spell as you."
"Huh? But how?"
"From what you described, it appears the main darkness that took over your body is flowing over to the other members of Gospel."
"So how do we help them?"
"The pipes lead up to the darkness within you. So once it is vanquished, the evil plaguing the members of Gospel will be freed as well from their dark, twisted nightmares of endless sorrow."
Sean gave a heavy hearted sighed and mummered "No pressure."