Author's Notes: Here we are at Chapter Four! Some of you readers may be asking yourselves, "Is this just going to be a plain old copy-paste retelling of the G.U. games, with Sora, Kairi, and Riku shoved in?"

Shhhhh. Later, sweet ones...

Anyway, here we go, back to Mac Anu!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or .hack. They're owned by Square Enix and NamcoBandai. Dear god, this is going to get really annoying really fast, what with how many chapters I have planned...

Δ Server Root Town: Eternal City Mac Anu

The sound of trickling water once again met Sora's ears for the second time that day as he warped into Mac Anu beside the man who had saved him. Haseo, for his part, made sure to remove his hand from Sora's shoulder before anyone could see him like that. It was bad enough that he had managed to save this player, who would undoubtedly go on to spread tales about how he'd been saved by him. Not like there would be anyone who believed him; in the past, he would always come in after the PKs had finished their grim deeds. Hopefully none of the other players there had seen him warping in with Sora, and if they had, then they would just brush it off a coincidental timing.

"Well...thanks a bunch for your help back there! I kinda wish I could give you something as thanks!" Sora grinned at him, that same obnoxious grin that he had in the real world.

"Just...do me a favor? Don't go spreading that info around online. I've got a reputation to hold up," Haseo grumbled back. "As long as you don't do that, I'll consider that fair payment. Besides, it's not like there's anyone who would believe you," he sneered ever so slightly after the last statement.

"Alright, you've got it! Not a peep from me!" Despite Haseo's less-than-pleasant attitude, Sora just kept on smiling, throwing a thumbs up at Haseo for good measure. Then, Sora let out a gasp. "Kairi! I was supposed to meet up with her! Sorry Haseo, but I've gotta go! Maybe I'll see you later sometime!" Without waiting for his reply, Sora waved at Haseo, then burst into a run out of the domed building, as if the very hounds of hell were on his heels.

Man, what was that all about? He didn't even give me his Member Address, Haseo thought to himself. All that work, and no new information on Tri-Edge, he frowned deeply at the thought. Without another word, he calmly walked out into the bustling streets of the Eternal City. Maybe he'd get lucky, and some new info would pop up...

"Seriously, where is he?" Kairi said aloud with a slight frown, swinging her legs on the fountain she sat upon in the main plaza of Mac Anu. She twirled a few strands of her much longer red hair absent-mindedly. She had to admit, Cid did good work when it came to designs. She was pretty sure that Aerith had a hand in the creation of her character was well. Kairi's hair was much longer than it was in real life; it flowed down her back all the way to her hips in smooth cascade of crimson. Her eyes were the same ocean blue they were in real life. Around her hips, there was an armored burgundy skirt that ended just above her knees, with hot pink leggings that clung to her legs. Her midriff was bare, but she had no problems with that. She'd lived on an island most of her life after all, and it was just a game anyway. A light blue tattoo surrounded her belly button in the shape of a heart. Her top was essentially an armored bra, and she wasn't quite sure if the color of the armor was a darkish pink, or a lightish red. To her amusement, she hadn't been the only one who had noticed this.

"I hope he's okay…" Standing near her was Chigusa. No, not Chigusa. Atoli, Kairi reminded herself. Unlike Kairi, Atoli was radically different online. Short blonde hair, golden yellow eyes, and a green and white dress and hat. She was much more cheerful too...almost too cheerful.

"Hopefully he hasn't met with misfortune. After all, there are many who prey upon those who have just began their journey." In front of Atoli stood a man with dark green hair strung up in a ponytail. Atoli had gleefully introduced him as Sakaki. His outfit and overall demeanor vaguely reminded Kairi of something she'd seen in one of her new textbooks, a general from ancient times who served under and was only loyal to an emperor; a shogun.

Kairi had been saddened when she initially heard about this; players killing other players, essentially for sport. Had that happened to Sora? No, Sora wouldn't have let that happen to him. She let out a giggle. "I really doubt it's something that dramatic. No, it's more likely that he fell asleep." If that was the case, then Kairi would just have to wait until tomorrow. She stood up, about to walk to the Chaos Gate to logout, when a commotion at the stairs caught her eye.

A young boy with a lion's tail was dashing towards the stairs, a wide grin on his face. Kairi would recognize that smile and those eyes anywhere. As the boy reached the top of the stairs, he suddenly tripped over his own feet, sending him tumbling down the stairs until he ended up at the bottom, lying on his back. A few players stared at him as he gazed up at the sky before they returned to what they were doing. It was a strange sight, but strange sights were fairly common in The World. He had just closed his eyes resting his hands behind his head, when Kairi's giggling caused him to stand back up. He headed towards her with a determined look on his face, a slight frown marring his features. Sakaki looked ready to move at a moments notice when the boy stopped, arms folded across his chest and his tail swishing behind him. "Gimme a break, Kairi." Kairi was certain that he was trying really hard not to smile.

"Sora, you lazy bum. I was wondering when you'd stop snoozing and get here." Having stated that this was indeed Sora, Atoli sighed in relief and smiled. Sakaki relaxed as he turned to Atoli, seeing as this young man was indeed Sora and posed no threat to them. Kairi and Sora stood next to them.

"I wasn't sleeping!" Sora denied. "I was...well, I'll tell you about it later. You probably won't believe me, but it was pretty awesome!" Another grin split his face.

Before Kairi could ask what he was talking about, a figure in menacing black armor walked past them, looking like he had a purpose, and that anyone who got in his way would regret it. As he passed by the four of them, Sakaki spoke, turning to the figure. "So, it's you...you, the character that stinks of death; 'The Terror of Death'. You're the PKK, Haseo." Haseo froze in his tracks as Sakaki continued talking, his tone quickly becoming one of accusation. "Players who kill other players are disgraceful. And I agree it's terrible how PKs can just strut around The World so easily these days, but is it right that you PKKs have chosen to use brute force to stop them?"

Haseo didn't even turn to face him as he spoke. "I don't have time for this. Not now…"

Sakaki continued to speak despite the dismissal. "You have no authority and it earns you nothing, so why? I am the leader of Moon Tree's Unit 2. My friend's call me Sakaki, and I'm afraid I cannot overlook your actions." Sora and Kairi both wondered what exactly a 'Moon Tree' was as Haseo finally turned partially towards them, a spark of recognition crossing Sora's face when he did. Before Kairi could question it, Haseo spoke again.

"Did you say 'Moon Tree'? What's that? The name of a guild?" Haseo laughed, his tone oozing sarcasm. "Sorry, Sakaki, but I've already got enough friends, thanks." He turned away again, walking off with a dismissive wave of his hand. Before he got too far away, Atoli suddenly ran after him, Kairi and Sora following slightly behind her.

"Do you always interrupt people like that? You know, Sakaki wasn't finished talking to you yet." Haseo let out a slight groan and turned, intending to chew out the woman who had been harping at him, when his eyes widened at the sight of her face.

As gasp escaped him, his voice was quiet and hopeful, and was that a smile on his face? "Shino!"

"Huh?" the girl tilted her head, confused at Haseo's sudden mood shift.

"Atoli, do you know this person?" Sakaki walked up behind them, throwing the girl a questioning look.

"Uh, no." Atoli shook her head, crushing the hopes Haseo had that Shino had miraculously woken up.

"Atoli…?" Haseo frowned at the revelation.

"It's not unusual to meet players with similar characters in an online game like this," Sakaki explained, as if Haseo were a child. "Hmph, just a case of mistaken identity." Haseo was just about ready to punch Sakaki in his smug face. Oddly enough, Haseo noticed that Sora looked rather similar. Haseo took a fighting stance, glaring as Sakaki.

"Hey, you...why don't you just-" Before he could finish, an alert went off in his ears. Huh? A short mail? "Δ Hidden Forbidden Radiation. Waiting at Arche Koeln." But, who sent it? Just then, he saw someone in the crowd, at the top of the staircase. There was only one person he knew in the entire game that had his left arm covered with an enormous cylinder like that. "Ovan?!" He whispered in a breathless gasp. Ovan turned and began walking away, causing Haseo to panic slightly.

He charged forwards, pushing Atoli out of the way, then Sora, and everyone else who got in his path. By the time he'd reached the staircase though, Ovan had disappeared. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. "Just hold on a moment!" Sakaki urged. Haseo sent the hand's owner a glare and nudged his shoulder off, heading for the Chaos Gate to pursue Ovan. He vaguely noticed that Atoli, Sora, and that other girl were with him, but he ignored them all. "Why don't you stop acting like a complete fool! Remember, what you PKKs are trying to do...if you succeed, you'll be no different than the PKs themselves!"

I don't care about the other PKKs. I don't care about the other PKs, or even the other players. The only one I care about right now is Shino... and I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back.

Once Haseo had left, Sora frowned at Sakaki, his fist clenched in anger. Before Kairi could stop him, he spoke. "That wasn't fair! Lumping him together with PKs...he's not like that at all!"

Sakaki turned to him, a frown marring his face, but otherwise, his expression was calm. "And just how would you know that? The only difference between PKs and PKKs is who they target. Sometimes it's not even that! So how could you possibly know that he's any different?"

Sora looked down, his anger dissipating at Sakaki's words. As Sakaki began to walk off, satisfied that he had won the argument, Sora spoke again, eyes still downcast. "I know because there was once a time when I was like him..." Sakaki turned to face him warily, Atoli giving him a similar look. Kairi tilted her head, curious as to what Sora meant. When Sora looked up again, he was smiling. Not a silly, tooth-filled grin, but a small smile, the corners of his lips just barely pointing upwards. "...when I'd lost my light." A small blush crept across Kairi's face in the real world, displaying on her character as well because of the M2D.

"Sora…"

"So, that's why I'm going to help him! To bring him out of his darkness, and back to the light." He proclaimed with a grin, a fist slamming into his palm in determination.

Both Sakaki and Atoli were taken aback by this. He said it like it was so simple, like it wasn't a matter of 'if', but 'when'. "B-But how?" Atoli asked, eyes widened.

Sora grinned at Kairi. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard. We have done it before, right Kairi?"

Kairi smiled at Sora. This was just like him; always ready to help others at the drop of a hat. "True, but don't you think you're forgetting someone?" She grinned, wondering if he would be able to figure it out.

It took Sora a moment, but then his eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! Where is Riku, anyway?"

"Sora, I expected you to use the same name, but Kairi too? Color me disappointed," a figure laughed behind them, placing a black gloved hand on each of their shoulders and startling them at his sudden appearance. He was a full head taller than either of them, garbed in a earthy brown shirt with dark blue pants. His long and unkempt silver hair was kept from obscuring his aquamarine eyes by a black bandana around his forehead. "And here in The World, don't call me Riku. Call me Kurayami."

Δ Hidden Forbidden Radiation: Lost Ground Arche Koeln Waterfall

Haseo warped in on a small pathway. He took a brief moment to look behind him at the the waterfalls flowing over the gigantic ruins in the background, as well as the strange glowing characters trailing lazily in the air. One way to tell for sure if an area was a Lost Ground was if those were there. Haseo didn't spend any time admiring the scenery; it wasn't why he was here. He walked forward towards the man who had called him here, noting that his back was turned to the Adept Rogue. Once he was close enough, he spoke, more than a little angry at the man. "Ovan!"

The man who stood a full two heads higher than Haseo turned to him. He was dressed in white and black, with an azure scarf around his neck that covered his mouth. His entire left arm was covered in a massive metal cylinder, a bronzed lock keeping it sealed. The sun briefly silhouetted the man as he turned to Haseo, eyes obscured by amber glasses gazing at him. Unlike Haseo, the man was the epitome of serenity as he spoke to him. "It's been a long time, Haseo. Or maybe I should call you 'The Terror of Death'?"

Author's Notes: Cliffhangers! Just what are Sora, Kairi, and Riku-I mean, Kurayami-planning to do? Why does Atoli look so much like Shino to Haseo? And just who is the riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Ovan? Could it be that he knows Tri-Edge? Find out next time, on /Reconnect!

In the meantime, have an omake! And before I forget, I do not own Team Fortress 2. Valve does.

Omake Number 3: "Send me!"

Lea barged from the room beside Yen Sid's chambers that housed the Three Good Fairies. His once-red hair was a garish shade of green and his cloak was currently hot pink. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so mortified. In spite of this, he would have answers from the old sorcerer.

"Alright, you old coot! Start talking! I can understand sending Riku and Sora. Hell, I encourage it, given how much experience they have. But sending Kairi instead of me? That's just plain stupid! She's a Princess of Heart, she has little combat experience, and she's gonna end up sucking faces with Sora instead of doing her job! I have more experience, Xehanort isn't after me, and I'm not in a relationship with the damn brat! You've stuck me with those three in there, and they've ruined my hair! So I'm only going to say this once, and once only: send me where they went!"

Yen Sid, for his part, did not answer. Or rather, he couldn't answer. He tried to, but it's rather hard to speak when you have someone poking around in your teeth. Instead, the doctor who was seated next to him spoke to Yen Sid. "...and vhen ze patient voke up, his skeleton vas missing, and ze doktor vas never heard from again!" The dentist began cackling, as did Yen Sid. Or at least Lea thought Yen Sid was laughing, it was hard to tell. "Anyvay, zat's how I lost my medical license," the dentist continued, Yen Sid suddenly paling at this new information, followed by him suddenly flinching.

A white dove poked it's head out of Yen Sid's beard, a couple loose strands of hair in it's beak. "Archimedes! Nooo! It's filthy in zere! Ugh..." The dentist shooed Archimedes away, the bird perching on a bookshelf nearby. He faced back to Yen Sid, who was currently glowering as best he could at him. The dentist ignored it with a shrug of his shoulders. "Heh, birds. Now zhen..."

"Hey! Herr Doktor, or whatever. Tell Yen Sid to send me!" The dentist looked up at Lea with a slight frown, stood up, and began pushing him back into the room. "Hey, what are you doing? Tell him to send me! Don't leave me back in there with those fairies! Anywhere but there! Send me! SEND MEEEEE!"

The Medic whispered only one word in a tone sounded more like a denial of the request than an affirmative, as he shut and blockaded the door Lea was behind. "Later."