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.Hack//Limitbreaker
Chapter 4: Compassion
WasWar: "What is that monster?" All the defeated data crystals from the lesser monsters seemed to gather into one. "Ahhhhh," a voice was heard off in the distance. "Arashi, NO." A hand reaches out. "NO!" An hour had passed..."NO!" I jolted up with my hand reaching out. I held my head thinking what was that. After a few, dazed from the confusion, I glimpse to see where I was. I opened my eyes and noticed Arashi there resting near me.
Arashi: In his absence I had allowed my character to take on the action of sleeping while I had taken the liberty of removing my goggles and pinching myself to make sure that I was indeed not in a coma. Luckily enough, I was fine; But Lewis' inanimate state still remained. I frowned, "The authorities'll probably be here soon..." Then his body would be taken to the hospital. As for his consciousness, it would remain on the game. "I got some time until then," I told myself, donning the goggles once more. ******* I awoke to find WasWar staring at me. His eyes showed bewilderment, but they also seemed fogged with something else. Was that...worry I saw in his gaze? "Somethin' wrong?" I asked sitting up, "Ya look like you've seen a ghost." For some reason even though I had been dozing the entire time, I felt sore.
WasWar: Instead of looking at Arashi, I kept my daze elsewhere. I concentrated on what was around me. It seemed like no monsters where here. That's a good sign. Several hours, possibly three hours, of straight fighting would exhaust any being. Coming to the senses that no monsters are here and nothing else to bewilder us at the moment, I tend just to sit there.
Arashi: WasWar unresponsive condition alarmed me. I swiftly got to my feet and waved my hands in front of his face, snapping my fingers. "Hello WasWar? Are ya there? WasWar!" I yelled. I did not want to even think that I had already lost him in the few moments of my absence. He just had to be fine!
WasWar: With the snap, I lost my thoughts and glimpse at Arashi. "Yes, yes. I'm alright." I said nervously. I stood up and viewed the area around us. It gave off a calming feel due to the fact there was no monsters out here on the field. I look back at Arashi just remembering something. "I thought you weren't going to come back on until tomorrow."
Arashi: "Oh thank God!" I exclaimed, "I thought I had completely lost ya to the- " I froze, realizing the gravity of what I was just about to disclose to him. His expression seemed contented, peaceful even. How could I break such a tranquil feeling by dumping the news of his current self's status upon him? For some reason, I just could not bring myself to do so. Sighing, I drew back. "Well, I'm just glad ya didn't sleep from here to high noon. An' as for why I came back, that's none o' yer beeswax!" I grumbled, folding my arms. I was back to my usual self. Slowly I turned upon my heel and gazed around. "Do you have any clue where we are?" I asked.
WasWar: "No, I have no idea." I took a moment of silence trying to remember why we were here. Oh yes, I had to escape and Arashi had just arrived. "Well, since we're here, want to go look around?"
Arashi: I turned to him and grinned, "Sure! Why not?" We were completely lost anyways, so there was not really much more we could add to our itinerary. The area was slightly darker than I would like, though, so I withdrew a crystal from my pocket. Instantly it lit up and glowed an iridescent white as it hovered before me. I glanced back at WasWar and chuckled. "Jus' thought I'd add my own starlight to the mix," I teased. My gaze then wandered about the glittery expanse. "Wow," I thought in awe, "I can't believe that such a beautiful place exists outside o' the general public's knowledge...How come nobody else's here?"
WasWar: I watched Arashi take out her crystal pondered about what she would do. It shined and I tried to hide my smirk with her humor. The radiate light stretched out quite a distance, allowing Arashi and I to evidently see our surroundings better. Lay ahead was an astounding sparklingly clear white coated mansion with gold trimmings and frames. The building stood there by itself with no gate as if there was nothing to ever threaten it. From the building and to where we stood, white chalked pillars where placed all at random locations and some had been chipped off or eventually cracked and crumbled. The clear glass ground reflected the visible scenery giving off a mirror image to what was around. The mere fact of a gorgeous place was presented in front of us, caught me breathless. It eradicated any troubles that were left in my mind. Remaining mesmerized, I could not reply to Arashi’s question. I eventually turned my head to her and answered back with, “I think we should go check out the building.”
Arashi: No sooner had he spoken than I was approaching the elegant structure, nearly sprinting to the door with anticipation. The crystal floated behind me, struggling to light an equal distance between WasWar and I. Skidding to a halt, I stopped and looked at the ornately decorated door with a pure white gold handle. Tingles migrated all up and down my spine. This feeling in my stomach -it was the same as when I first went into the Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. And yet something was bizarrely different about it, though I could not quite put my finger on it. Gingerly my fingertips touched the handle. At that instant the door suddenly swung upon of its own accord. I leapt back, slightly bewildered. I turned my gaze towards WasWar and stuttered, "This door...it seems to have a life o' its own!"
WasWar: Seeing Arashi taking off ahead as her usual self, I followed behind wielding my pole arm behind me with the blade edge pointing down. I saw her fascinated with the building and glimpsed at the door. The door stood several feet tall. The door had opened when I stood at her side. "Don't be silly. It's just a building." I replied with after thinking she was being funny again. My head peeked inside to take a look how the interior looked like. My eyes widened and a faint "Woh" was said as a reaction. In the inside, the ground still had the same glass mirror appearance as the outside. Tall pillars stood the ceiling up high making it one big floor. The walls were made out of what looked like dark Lapis Lazuli stones. It gave off a pretty glamorous view.
Arashi: I stepped inside the vast mansion. For some reason I could still not quite shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. I glanced warily at the beautiful decor, remembering an old quote I had once heard: "Beauty hides evil and deceit holds hands with lust for no true beauty exists until the light of the soul is seen beneath the falsehood of the skin." Beauty hides evil; it seemed fitting for the uneasy sensation in my gut and the oppositely alluring appearance of the room. "WasWar..." I was about to voice my thoughts when suddenly the door shut closed behind us. I rushed to it and beat it with my fists, simultaneously shouting. No matter what, the great wooden structure did not budge. We were trapped! Then there came a swishing sound, like that of a breeze sifting through the high ends of the tree tops. I pivoted around just in time to see a mass of data whizzing through the air. But this was no ordinary data -this was the same substance I noticed abounding in the black dragon, which later swarmed at me. I paled in sudden dawning realization of what it was: AIDA! An outlandish source of data that thought, functioned, and even controlled on its own. I had discovered about its existence once when I was hacking into a game programmer's log. This stuff, like a virus, was also known to infect characters, leaving the person with absolutely no control over themselves in the World. "WasWar!" I screamed, "Watch out!" But I had spoken too late, for the AIDA had at that moment lurched towards him. If it infected his character, I could possibly lose Lewis forever!
WasWar: I walked backwards towards Arashi. These anonymous black spots hovered slowly around. Once Arashi screamed, these dots of all different sizes came darting towards me. I felt I backed up into Arashi and with my immediate reaction; I turned around to face her. I felt those orbs crash and merge into my back. Their swift gradual impact fusion into the spine, I placed my hands on the sturdy wooden door over Arashi’s shoulders and made sure my pole arm didn’t harm her. A great amount of orbs had rushed into me and my body lunged forward as my head jerked back with my hair whipped forward, gasping. I pushed my body back to give Arashi room and rushed my head forward, now my hair covering half my face as I endured all the collisions from these black orbs. With what was visible, my face gave off a horrified expression. My eyes slowly inch by inch bulged out and the pupils got dilated. The irises seemed to mutate and darken then go back to its original form. I clinched my teeth with every impact that impales my body.
Arashi: "NO!" I cried. I could see the inhuman mutation the AIDA was taking on him. Slowly it was gaining control and I was losing him. The glowing crystal beside me shattered. AIDA was a powerful substance that was not to be trifled with; Character's who became possessed were generally stronger and became PKers of great intensity. Suddenly out of the corner of my peripheral, I noticed another swirl of AIDA rushing towards me. Swiftly I ducked beneath WasWar's arm and skidded over the floor, the dangerous data barely passing over the tips of my hair. Then I rose to my feet, glancing at WasWar. "I'm not goin' to lose ya, Lewis!" I thought with determination. But the situation was becoming dire. The second mass of AIDA lunged towards me. I screamed, shielding my body with my arms. It came over me and mentally I prepared my consciousness for a struggle with its fatal sway. Nothing happened. Gasping, I opened my eyes to catch a quick glimpse as the data flew over me -through me- and passed me completely. Why had I not instantly been infected like WasWar and so many other victims who I had heard of? But rather than pondering on this notion, I decided to take advantage of it and fight for my friend's life. "WasWar!" I called, desperately hoping that at least some small part of his soul had remained.
WasWar: My body remained still and I whipped my head around abruptly in all directions, my hair flinging everywhere. I stopped my head and now had an intensity expression gasping as if I was being choked. I couldn’t concentrate on anything else for the black orbs were trying to manifest me and I was frozen in terror. I turned my face to see Arashi when she called my name. My eyes still displaying the shaken state, the irises mutated and formed back at a very rapid fast pace. I jerked my face away so Arashi couldn’t see the horrible image that I expressed. I could feel my hands, arms, and legs start to tremble. Finally, I yelled from the excruciating pain inside me.
Arashi: Though not quite understanding why I bore such immunity to the toxic substance, I ran straight for him. Silently I withdrew another crystal -the source of my power- from my inventory. I then held it out in front of me towards the oncoming AIDA. Instantly the floating orbs fled, almost as if they had been exposed to some poison of such. Yet still WasWar stood ahead of me, screaming in agony while still be ravished from the inside out by the AIDA which had already taken hold of him. "I'm coming, WasWar!" I called out to him. I leapt forward, flapping my wings rapidly until I came right up to him, reaching my hand out towards him.
WasWar: I stopped the screaming and laid my head against the door. The pain had stopped; the pain had seemed to stop. “These anomalous black orbs, what have they done to me.” I contemplated as I intake heavy breathes as I’m putting full force on my head leaning against the tall structured door. I stand there, completely zoned out and knew that the black orbs had done something to me, just like the jet black dragon had changed me as well.
Arashi: My hand came in contact with his shoulder and my eyes locked onto his. "WasWar, can ya still hear my voice? Please say somethin'!" I gasped.
WasWar: Still in shock, all I could do was open my mouth. But yet, nothing came out. “Why do these things keep changing me? Why does this keep happening to me? Wasn’t this supposed to be just a harmless fantasy game?” Questions are all I could come up with as I stagger and lost in my thoughts.
Arashi: No intelligible response came from him. He seemed void. Had I lost him forever? "No!" I thought in desperation. Finally I decided that, if there was any part of his normal consciousness left, it was now time that I relay the direness of his situation. "WasWar -ugh- Lewis! I have somethin' important to tell ya: you're in a coma right now! Yer real self is in a coma an' that was why ya couldn't log out. I came 'ere to help ya but...but..." I fell to my knees letting go of him. "I've failed!" I realized, a sickening feeling sinking into my gut. But there was still a part of me which absolutely refused to give in. I was going to get both of us out of here. I jumped to my feet and grabbed his hand, pulling away and flapping my wings. "Let's get outta this crazy place." I told him.
WasWar: I nodded my head in response for us getting out of this illusion alluring building. I still dazed lost in thoughts stricken about the news I just heard. “Coma, I was in a coma. How can that be? How is that possible? A coma, I was in a coma.” I sway and shuffle as Arashi leads the way.
Arashi: Barely managing to hold myself upright, I run doggedly towards the gate. Naturally I was dragging WasWar's unresponsive figure behind me like a young child clinging to their teddy bear. Like that child, I was unwilling to let the spirit of my companion fade. My white hair whipped behind me like the clouds in a hurricane, my wings creating its force winds. As we ran, the glass-like floor suddenly shattered beneath my feet and gave way. I screamed as went through a dark void. I blinked again to find myself appearing at the foot of the bustling steel town of Eipi SeanGadelica. Air ships surfed barely overhead, but their grandiose presence meant nothing to me. "I must've somehow fallen through a hidden Chaos Gate or somethin'..." I sighed. Then I whipped around in a panic, "Where's WasWar?"
WasWar: Just shortly after, I appeared next to Arashi. Instead of landing on my feet like she did, I had landed on my knees. In my final daze, I looked at my hands vaguely. “Alright then, we better make the best of this.” I faintly reflected it in my mind. I hear some noises overhead but it didn’t distract me. I eventually got up and I stand firm wielding my pole arm vertical in my right hand, pointing the blade end straight down. I now glance at Arashi dead on with my eyes. “Alright Arashi, tell me everything.” I told with complete aware of the reality that is currently taking place.
Arashi: WasWar arrived and, what was more, he was reacting; though my relief was quickly shattered by his statement. Slowly I lowered my head and explained, "Well...when I returned to your house, I found yer body lyin' there almost completely lifeless except fer a pulse. Your status on the net was 'M.I.A', so then I realized that ya were...well, in a coma. An' somehow your consciousness had remained in the game so I'm afraid that -if I don't find some way to get ya outta here- then you may be trapped 'ere for all time. But with that AIDA I'm not sure how it'll be possible..." Slowly I realized I was depressing myself and probably him as well, so I raised my face and gave a slight smile. "But I'll find some way to save ya, don't worry." I stated with hope.
WasWar: After Arashi had delivered me the news, I could tell she was miserable concerning what has all been happening to me. I approached precisely in front of her, not taking an eye off her. Another noise had quickly zoom closely pass our heads and caused our hair to flow in the direction the craft went. I then take my arms and brought her to me, my eyes gazing ahead as her head was beside mine. I didn’t say a single word, nor gave her any expression. I stood there standing firm as my arms were wrapping around her. I embraced her tightly into myself. A noise that flew overhead seemed to slowly fly passed our heads. A most upright figure had appeared to my left and a most sturdy voice spoke out, “Are you the player WasWar?”
Radiant Remanence · Sun Jul 20, 2008 @ 05:21am · 0 Comments |
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