.hack//Reparation, chapter 6

[merikuru]

.hack//Reparation
Chapter 6 - Legend

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When Natsuka Hanemori had nothing else to do, she browsed the forums.

She almost never posted; she wasn't exactly what one would call a "people person" in any sense of the word. She just enjoyed reading other people's thoughts, whether on the game or on their fellow players, and found herself especially drawn in by the rumors so often posted there - in fact, she was reading through the rumors forum at that very moment, scrolling boredly through page after page of posts about the same old things. Tri-Edge, the Terror of Death and all those stupid ghost stories...she shook her head in disgust, and was about to log off the forums when a thread at the top, marked with the "!" that showed a new post, caught her eye and left her staring.

Her fingers reached out to brush over the screen, and she read the title off to herself in a quiet whisper, "...'Fianna's Return?!'..."

Maybe today, there was something of interest after all.

She quickly opened the thread (it was started by a player called Iris; no one she'd heard of, not that she thought it particularly mattered) and skimmed over the first post, unable to help but roll her eyes at the childishly excited tone of it - "I heard a rumor that the Descendants of Fianna are in The World R:2 now! Is this true?" Just another young player, most likely, who'd gotten too far into The World's backstory and now wanted to stir things up with what she knew - or thought she knew - about R:1. The replies afterward seemed to say much the same thing, brushing it off as just another of the ubiquitous untrue rumors that floated around the forum, and as she was tempted to make a post to the same effect herself, her eyes lit on the final reply to the thread and she jolted upright in her chair, feeling her breath catch painfully.

"Hey, lay off with all the nay-saying till you're SURE it's not true, why don'tcha?! I, unlike the overwhelming majority of you, think Iris is right. I was visiting a guild in Dol Dona the other day, and I saw this really weird PC on the edge of town - he looked like some kind of ghost, or maybe an angel? I guess I should just call him a ghost angel. Anyway, he was really pale, and I mean REALLY pale - wearing all silver and white, and he had these huge wings. It's funny, but the first thing I thought when I saw him was 'Balmung of the Azure Sky' - and before you start calling me a geek, I'll have you know I was around during R:1 and saw them personally on several occasions. But anyway, I'm gonna be the first one to jump in here and say that I think it's actually the truth. Just my two cents. Later!"

But it wasn't just the post that had grabbed Natsuka's attention; it was the name of the poster as well.

"Tessa," she breathed, memories of the blue-and-white Blademaster she'd known crashing down on her and taking her back seven years for a brief moment. She had never liked Tessa, but if there was one good quality she could recall about the cynical girl, it was that she had always been nothing but brutally honest. So if this was indeed the same Tessa - and from the tone of the post, it had to be - then there was definitely something to this Descendants rumor after all.

In a daze, curiosity sparked, she clicked quickly out of the forums and logged onto The World.

~*~

It all led to Moon Tree, though Rinne wasn't quite sure why. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised - there were quite a few PCs in that guild that could be considered nothing less than odd - but somehow it was a little surprising, especially when offhandedly mentioning the rumor to one of Moon Tree's captains had her brought before Zelkova so fast her head spun. Now, more than ever, she was sure there had to be something to it, and she was determined to find out what; the worst that could really happen was that she'd leave with no more answers than she'd come here with. Taking a deep breath, she tossed her waist-length pink braid back over her shoulder, locking eyes with Zelkova (that was the only part she was finding difficult in all this) and opening her mouth.

Zelkova's face was serious; he spoke before she could, voice somber. "I'm sorry, but I can't answer your questions."

Her mouth shutting with an audible click, Rinne turned her eyes away just slightly, surprised again even though she'd been expecting an answer to that effect. That had confirmed one thing - that there was indeed something to the rumor - for her, but she didn't dare push it to try and get answers for the other questions that confirmation had raised; though she could never once recall any account of him getting angry, she didn't want to see what would happen if she tried Zelkova's patience. "I see," she said instead, and kept her eyes averted now, knowing the apologetic look on Zelkova's face was there without even having to look and see. "Thank you for at least giving me that much." She bowed, hands held awkwardly in front of her in the pose of one unaccustomed to not having a weapon in their grasp, and turned away. "With - with your permission, then, I will take my leave. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Master Zelkova."

Outside the @HOME, however, she hesitated, not knowing why. Her search had effectively come to a dead end, and she had nothing to go on; why couldn't she just leave and let it fade back away into a rumor? - but the instant she wondered that, she sighed softly as she realized she already knew. Seven years before, she had looked up to the Descendants of Fianna just as much as the rest of The World had, and if by some chance they had indeed returned to the game, there was no way she could let it go without seeing them with her own eyes. As for how she was going to do that, though...

She sighed again, started for the warp, and nearly ran into someone.

"S-sorry!" The voice was familiar, and Rinne blinked twice before relaxing, offering a faint smile to the breathless Harvest Cleric who had narrowly avoided a collision with her. "Atoli," she said gently, and dipped her head in greeting, knowing even without looking that the blonde girl had a look of deep curiosity on her face. "I was speaking to Master Zelkova about a rumor that's come up - I was just going, so don't let me keep you if there's something important you need to do," she explained, and started past Atoli, but a hand touched her shoulder and stilled her and she turned to meet questioning gold eyes, blinking again. "What is it?"

Atoli hesitated, glanced quickly around like a frightened bird before whispering. "That rumor on the forums, about the Descendants of Fianna?"

"Y-yes...that's it." Now it was Rinne's turn to dart her gaze nervously about, wondering if they would somehow be overheard, if word of this would somehow reach Zelkova's ears; there was no one but them in the area, however, and she managed to relax after a moment. "Atoli...it's got me so curious I can hardly stand it," she admitted, looking down, the light purple tassel on her hat swaying a little with the movement of her head. "I played The World seven years ago...I looked up to the Descendants just as everyone else did. If there's any truth to this rumor, I want to see it with my own eyes...I want to ascertain it for myself." She fidgeted, toed at the ground, leaving a scuff in the dust with the tip of her boot. "Master Zelkova won't say a word, but even so..."

"That's because...oh, Rinne, please, you can't tell anyone this! But..." Atoli snatched up Rinne's hands, gripping them tightly and gazing at her friend pleadingly. "But I'll tell you a secret, if you promise to keep it to yourself, all right? Please..." Fright shone clear on her face as Rinne drew back slightly in surprise, though it abated when the pink-haired cleric gave a small nod, looking deadly serious in her promise. "The truth is," she said quietly, and released Rinne's hands, "the reason that Master Zelkova is trying to keep this so quiet..." She started pacing; her cape flared behind her with a soft swish of cloth. "That 'ghost angel' PC...is one of us. He belongs to Moon Tree, and serves directly under Master Zelkova's orders." She stopped then, raised her gaze to Rinne's, looking afraid again. "But you can't tell anyone! Master Zelkova only wants to keep them safe, and if word gets out that it's true..."

Rinne raised a fine eyebrow at Atoli's words. "What do you mean, 'them'?"

"The Descendants..." Atoli's voice now dropped to a whisper. "Two of the three...have returned."

~*~

Enoki stood in the Moon Circle, screens open all around him, and surveyed the data.

"The Descendants of Fianna...the legendary players from The World R:1, those who completed the One Sin event." His voice, in the vastness of the room, rang flat, but it broke the monotony of electronic humming and flickering, and that was all he wanted. "Balmung of the Azure Sky, Orca of the Azure Sea...and Kite of the Azure Flame, the boy who became their partner though not an official Descendant. Perhaps..." He smiled then, a humorless expression - it had been right under his nose the whole time, he realized. "No...there's no 'perhaps' about it. If they've truly returned to The World, there's a reason for it, and that reason must be..."

His hand moved, turned slightly to the left; a screen at his side flickered to display a figure cloaked in translucent blue flames.

"It's you...you and them, isn't it?" he asked the screen, though of course he got no reply.

Soon after, he left the Moon Circle, making his way to the ledge where he and Aspera had so often stood; there, he held his hands out before him and let three crystals materialize over his upturned palms, hovering innocuously within glows of blue, purple and green. "These items," he murmured, and the winds over Schrei der Seele caught his voice, bearing it into shreds of nothing. "Zelkova, you told me...that the time to use these items isn't right. I didn't understand then, but..." He moved his hands, let the items dissipate. "It has something to do with the Descendants...and with the Azure Knights, doesn't it? The time isn't right, because there's only two..."

He trailed off there, recalling the two PCs he had seen, long enough ago that he had forgotten all about them. The so-called 'ghost angel', accompanied by a young man with long greenish-blue hair, braided tightly back and caught up at the top of his head with an intricately-worked silver circlet. He hadn't realized then, but now that he thought about it, who else could they be? "Only two," he repeated to himself, and closed his eyes, recalling the faint images, like faded photographs. "The third hasn't reawakened yet. The power they hold can't be called out until..."

A voice came suddenly from behind him, soft and cheerful. "Don't you know there's such a thing as talking too much, even to yourself?"

Enoki jumped, suddenly thankful he hadn't been standing on the rim of the ledge, whirling to face the figure behind him and only then relaxing. "Zelkova...you startled me," he said weakly, shaking his head in slight annoyance that he was so jumpy all of a sudden, managing a smile for his friend's benefit. "I'm sorry...I'm only trying to get things straight for myself." He moved to walk past Zelkova, dropped a light pat to the boy's shoulder, and wasn't surprised when Zelkova cheerfully followed him inside, hands clasped behind his head. "You've been watching me this whole time, haven't you?" he questioned, looking down at Zelkova, feeling quite uncomfortable at meeting those far-too-intelligent eyes but not daring to break the contact. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, but..." Zelkova's ever-present smile vanished now, and he stopped, as did Enoki a few paces later, their eyes still locked. "Enoki, please, don't look any deeper into this, for your own sake. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Puzzlement rang clear in Enoki's voice, but the look on Zelkova's face dissuaded him from asking any more, and he hesitated a long moment before nodding his agreement. "I don't understand, but you've done so much for me already, far be it from me to refuse you this," he said quietly, averting his eyes now out of respect, though he didn't need to look to know Zelkova's smile had returned; it brought a smile to his own face, and he felt himself relaxing farther now that the serious moment had passed. "It's rare to see you away from Moon Tree's @HOME, you must have been really worried," he teased, and turned back to Zelkova now, ruffling soft blue hair in a brotherly gesture.

Zelkova giggled, batted at Enoki's hand and smoothed his hair down. "Of course I was really worried. You're my friend, aren't you?"

Enoki blinked, his smile softening; somehow, those words had calmed threads of worry he hadn't even known lurked in the depths of his soul, leaving him feeling strangely lighter. "Yeah. You're right," he agreed, and suddenly slipped his arm around Zelkova's shoulders, giving in to the urge to pull him close in a tight hug. "Zelkova...thanks. You've helped me with so much, I don't even know where to start listing the things you've helped me with. I...honestly don't know what I can do to repay you for all of this." He closed his eyes, felt Zelkova's arms encircle him to return the hug just as tightly, and let out a shuddering sigh that seemed to lift even more of the figurative weight from his shoulders. "What is it about you, anyway...?"

Zelkova didn't answer; he just reached up, tapped his knuckles against Enoki's head, and pulled away with another giggle. "I think you'll be getting mail soon," he smiled, putting his hands behind his head again. "Make sure you read it carefully, okay? See you later!" And with that, he turned and ran off down the hallway, leaving Enoki staring after him in soft-eyed bewilderment - it didn't last long, though, as the familiar chime that alerted him to new email startled him from his thoughts. Sometimes, he really had to wonder just how much Zelkova knew...or even orchestrated.

Read it carefully...you know I will, but it's that important, huh?

He shook his head and, with a rueful smile, logged out.

~*~

This was a place he hadn't been in a while, and he was just as overwhelmed as the first time he'd come, looking around him at the half-ruined walls and roaring cascades of water that made up the Arche Koeln Waterfall and feeling a small rush of vertigo. It soon passed, however, and he paced slowly down the length of the ruined bridge, thinking back on the email he'd received. It was from a PC name he hadn't recognized, but the promise of more information on the supposed return of the Descendants - followed up by a "don't worry, Zelkova's okay with this" - had roused his curiosity again, and he'd decided it was worth the time to at least see what this Hagen had to say. He was early yet, he knew, but he felt strangely impatient as he paused at the end of the bridge, gazing out over the falls.

Footsteps sounded behind him only moments later, and a quiet voice came, "You're...Enoki?"

"Yes, I'm Enoki, of the Wandering Souls guild. And you must be..." Enoki was turning even as he spoke, and froze when his eyes fell on the figure behind him.

It was the young man with the greenish-blue hair, the one he'd seen in the company of the 'ghost angel' all those months before.

Hagen smiled and tilted his head slightly to the side, seeming unfazed by Enoki's stunned expression as he spoke ten soft words.

"The Descendants of Fianna have indeed returned to The World."