Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction / .hack//Legend Of Twilight Bracelet Fan Fiction ❯ To Be A Legend ❯ Chapter 2: Slightly After The Beginning ( Chapter 2 )

Slightly After The Beginning

 

Drof: So sue me, I couldn't think up a good title…My brain is being fried…I have a fever…AND I CAN'T FIND THE STINKIN' SONG I WANT!!!

 

BHS: …………You're unusually unhappy.

 

Drof: ..Shaddup. Oh, and congrats to Animegirl222, the only one to take a guess. Sorry, you were wrong. But, pretty good guess!!! Oh, and `that other guy' I believe is Kite.

 

Disclaimer: Ford owns nothing except the OCs.

***

Chapter 2: Slightly After The Beginning

 

 

 

“Uhhnn…” Kite groaned. He opened his eyes, and immediately closed them again. The ground was too far below him, and it was moving rapidly. He realized that someone had their arm around his waist, and that he was hanging upside down.

 

“Lemme go!” he said. Whoever was holding him complied, letting go and letting him fall to the ground. “Owww…” he said, sitting up and rubbing his head. He glared at the person he assumed had been carrying him. “That's not what I meant…”

 

“You said to let you go,” the person said. Kite was about to respond, but stopped and stared. The person in question was a boy, a very tall boy. Kite wasn't sure if the boy was over six feet tall, but if he wasn't, he was close enough that there wasn't much difference. He was also very thin, with oddly narrow shoulders. His hands were large, with long, thin fingers.

 

His jet-black hair was held up in a high ponytail, and even then it almost reached his waist. His skin was very pale, an odd contrast to his hair and clothes, both of which were black. His eyes, which held absolutely no warmth in them, were a deep violet color.

 

From his shoulder blades jutted two large, feathery wings, the color of his hair. His clothing was simple, loose black pants and a black robe-cloak, with the hood down. Hanging from the belt at his waist were two daggers, in simple leather sheaths, also black. Kite found himself wondering if the blades themselves were black, as the hilts were.

 

“Who are you?” he asked. “For that matter…what are you?”

 

“My name is Karasu,” he said. “And as for what I am…First and foremost I'm an assassin, although I'm also quite talented as a thief.”

 

“I mean, like….you've got wings!” Kite said, feeling incredibly stupid.

 

“Oh, that,” the boy, now identified as Karasu, said. *I just had to add Kara-chan in! Couldn't you all guess? ^_^0* “It doesn't matter.”

 

“He's always like this…” another voice said. Kite jumped *somehow*, and turned around, now in a standing position. After turning in two full circles, he gave up.

 

“Look down…” the voice said, irritated. He looked down, and saw a very short girl dressed in a very large orange shirt that looked like it was made out of potato sack material. The wrists had to be close to her skin, because the sleeves bagged out over them. This shirt went to her knees, and what he could see of her legs was covered by baggy tan pants, tied at the ankles so they bagged out like her shirt sleeves.

 

She had short brown hair, with the bangs spiked over her left eye. Her eyes were dark brown, and magnified behind thick-lensed glasses much too large for her small face. Her skin was lightly tanned, although it looked quite dark compared to the white of the boy's, not that he could see much of it. Her shoes were large and black, and looked rather clunky. She wore a pack on her back, slung over one shoulder.

 

“Er…” he said.

 

“My name's BHS!” she said. “Ask what it stands for and suffer. And no, I'm not a dwarf or anything…I'm just short! It's not my fault!”

 

“I see…” Kite said, sweatdropping. “Can I ask why you two are here?”

 

“We followed you!” BHS said. “From the beginning. See, when you and Orca went to that Area, we decided to come along too!”

 

“Um…why?” Kite asked, a bit frightened.

 

“Because Shorty here was bored,” Karasu said. “And, frankly, so was I. Following you two was better than hanging around town.”

 

“I see…” Kite said. “So, you saw what happened…?”

 

“Yeah!” BHS said. “All of it! Y'know, that data-bug is so familiar!”

 

“Data-bug?” Kite asked, thoroughly confused.

 

“Uh-huh!” the girl said, nodding. “That's why Orca couldn't hit the monster! It had a virus!”

 

“And why is that familiar to you?” Kite asked suspiciously.

 

“Ah, now he is cautious,” Karasu said. “Maybe, after I trust you more, I'll tell you.”

 

“So…” BHS said. “You're Kite, huh?”

 

“Yeah…” Kite said. “I suppose it'd be stupid to ask how you know?”

 

“Very,” BHS told him.

 

“I'd hate to interrupt this scintillating conversation,” Karasu said, “but we need to leave. We're almost to the Root Town, so just keep walking. We're not safe here.”

 

“Oh, you're right!” BHS exclaimed. “I forgot! Well, we'd better go!” She ran ahead to catch Karasu, who'd already gotten quite far ahead of them.

 

“Wait for me!” Kite called, running after them.

***

“You…walk…too….fast…” Kite panted. He had collapsed as soon as they'd reached the town, and hadn't yet gotten back up.

 

“It's a skill,” Karasu said.

 

“Rather necessary for survival,” BHS added.

 

“You two are weird…” Kite muttered.

 

“Say, you'd better save your game and log out,” BHS told him. “To judge from the letter floating above your head, I'd say you've got mail.”

 

“Alright then,” Kite said. He struggled to his feet, limped over to the Recorder, and saved his game. Then he logged out, disappearing in a flash of light.

 

“I think Helba was right,” BHS remarked after a moment.

 

“What?” Karasu asked.

 

“That he's unusual,” the girl said. “I mean, he's just….he's nice. And…he has a weird aura.”

 

“Really?” Karasu asked. “I wouldn't know. Although…He did give me an odd feeling.”

 

“Like what?” BHS asked. “Does he make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?” She smirked as she said this. Karasu glared at her.

 

“That's not what I meant!” he said. “I mean…he's just…weird. It's like…like when I'm around him, it seems like maybe…maybe everything's gonna be all right. Y'know, that it can't get worse, and it's gonna get better. He's just one of those people…”

 

“You actually meet people like that?” BHS asked. “Wow.”

 

“You're one,” Karasu said.

 

“Really?” the girl asked, an almost childish smile spreading across her face.

 

“Yeah,” Karasu said. “So, you were saying he had a weird aura?”

 

“You always change the subject…” BHS muttered. “You just can't stand to be happy, can you?”

 

“Now who's changing the subject?” Karasu asked. BHS shook her head.

 

“I should have seen that coming…” she said. “Anyway. His aura…it's weird….it's sort of a weird color…”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Well….it's sort of not really any color…It's just like this bright, warm light. It makes me think of Heaven,” BHS told him.

 

“Really…” Karasu said doubtfully.

 

“Yours is black, you know,” the girl confided. “A black aura means that violent things have happened around you, or because of you…Usually murderers and such have black auras.”

 

“That explains mine,” Karasu said.

 

“No,” BHS said. “Not at all. Yours isn't like a murderer's. Your aura is like a victim's…and it's like, you can get better. You can be something else. That's what I mean.”

 

“Enough with the romantic crap,” Karasu said. “It's annoying, and it doesn't suit you.”

 

“You know, you could try to be a little nicer,” BHS said irritably. “You're not usually so mean.”

 

“I've been in better moods,” the boy said. “I've just been dragged into something, again, by, once more, Helba, and now, surprise surprise, I have to deal with some poor lost kid who's apparently some sort of hero.”

 

“I think you're just being mean `cause you're hungry,” BHS said. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly. She slid down the wall she was leaning against into a sitting position, her legs straight out in front of her. “I know I am…We haven't eaten in days!”

“I keep forgetting how fragile you humans are…” Karasu muttered.

 

“Shaddup…” BHS groaned. “Can we please get something to eat?”

 

“Alright,” Karasu said. “Let's see if we can find somewhere.” BHS jumped up, grinning widely.

 

“Well, what are we waiting for?” she demanded. Karasu shook his head. It still amazed him how fast her mood could change.

***

“My friend was hospitalized,” Kite told the man blocking his way. “I just want to see him.”

 

“I'm sorry, but he's in the ICU, and no one can see him,” the man said.

 

“But—“ Kite began.

 

“No `but's,” the man said. “No one is to see him.” Kite sighed.

 

“Alright…” he grumbled. He turned and walked out the door. When he got outside, he sat down on a bench, his head in his hands.

 

“Why won't they let me see him?” he wondered. “Well, I guess it's for the better. After all, I wouldn't wanna see him all weak…and neither would he. I hope he's okay…I just wanna know what the hell happened. Whatever it was…I'm sure the answer's somewhere in The World…”

 

With that, he got up, and started walking back to his home, which wasn't too far from the hospital. When he got there, he logged onto his computer, and answered his mail.

 

“Hm…We can only play in two servers, huh?” he said, reading one. “Alright then. And what's this one?” he asked, looking at the other mail. The picture was blurred, and he couldn't see it. When he opened it, he saw letters interlaced with odd symbols.

 

“I can't read it!” he said. “I wonder who it's from…Oh well. I'd better log in…I wanna see those two people again…Wonder if they're still there.” He clicked on The World, and then, as he was about to log in, stopped.

 

“I should write something on the Board about Orca,” he said, thinking aloud. “Maybe someone could help me…”

 

After writing his message, he logged into The World. The first thing he saw was a tall girl, lightly muscled, with tan skin and crème marks on her face, arms, and stomach, walking around the gate. She had shoulder-length, spiky hair, which was a pinkish-white color. She wore armor, although the top resembled a bikini top, with a strap over one shoulder. The armor on her legs was finely crafted purple mesh, fitted to the contours of her legs, with gold designs curving over it. She wore a white skirt over the armor around her waist, and carried over her shoulder a very large sword.

 

After walking twice around the gate, she stopped and stood in front of Kite.

 

“What are you looking at?” she demanded, staring at him with crimson eyes. “Well? You got something to say?”

 

“Uh…” Kite said, surprised.

 

“C'mon, don't be shy,” she coaxed.. “You can tell me.” After sustained silence from Kite, she sighed. “Well, what do you want?”

 

“Er…” Kite said, his gaze straying rather lower than her face.

 

“In case you didn't know it, you're being very rude!” she said when she noticed where he was looking. “It's impolite to stare at someone like that! You know, this is just like the real world, and you have to act like it! Arrgh!” She heaved a frustrated sigh and stomped off angrily.

 

“Uh…” Kite stammered, taken aback by this sudden mood-swing.

 

“Not much of a ladies man, are you?” an amused voice asked from behind him. He jumped, and turned to see a familiar person leaning against the wall.

 

“Hey Karasu,” he said. “I was hoping I'd find you. Where's BHS?”

 

“She's busy spending our hard-earned money on food…” Karasu sighed. “Hopefully, she'll buy something we can carry around…”

 

“I never thought about food…” Kite said. “I suppose you'd get hungry if you were playing for a while.”

 

“Yeah, and we always play for a while…” Karasu said.

 

“Actually,” a voice said from behind Kite, “we haven't been able to get back to our lives for about two weeks…” Kite turned around to see BHS, carrying a much fuller pack, and eating a large roll.

 

“Really?” Kite asked. “Why?”

 

“Hey, Karasu,” BHS said. “You didn't eat anything.”

 

“I wasn't hungry,” the boy said. BHS rolled her eyes at him.

 

“You barely ever get to eat in real life, why should you starve yourself here?” she asked. “Here, have this,” she said, tossing him the roll. He caught it, and after a moment of staring at it, devoured it.

 

“Not hungry, he says,” BHS said dryly, rolling her eyes again.

 

“Shut up,” Karasu said, looking up from licking the bread crumbs off his hands long enough to glare at her.

 

“Can you answer my question?” Kite asked.

“What question?” BHS said, confused.

 

“You said you two hadn't been logged off in weeks!” Kite reminded her. “Why?”

 

“Well…” BHS began nervously..

 

“We're here because we're stuck,” Karasu said, surprising BHS to no end. “We just sort of flicker in and out of the game. We can't choose when we come back, or when we leave.”

 

“…I just had the weirdest dream…” BHS murmured.

 

“No, I actually volunteered information to someone we barely know,” Karasu said. “You're not dreaming.”

 

“I see…” BHS said. “Kinda hard to believe.”

 

“So, lemme get this straight…” Kite said. “You two are actually here, instead of in the real world?”

 

“Exactly,” Karasu confirmed.

 

“That's….weird…” Kite faltered.

 

“Yeah,” BHS agreed.

 

“Anyway, you should probably get training…” Karasu said. “I know a good area.”

 

“Well, let's go!” Kite said. Karasu was about to enter the keyword into the gate, when a voice from behind them called out to wait.

 

“Huh?” Kite asked, turning around to see the girl from before.

 

“I…uh…know a few interesting keywords,” she said. “I just wondered…D'ya wanna go with me?”

 

“Um…Okay, I guess…” Kite said. “I was gonna go somewhere…”

 

“This won't take too long!” the girl said. “I swear it. My name's BlackRose, by the way. Here's my Member Address…Invite me to your party!” Kite did so, and BlackRose accepted his invitation.

 

“Okay, the keyword is `Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground',” she said. “Let's go!”

 

“…Don't the first two words tell you anything about whether or not we should go?” BHS asked, as Karasu entered the keyword.

 

“Since when did we obey the rules?” Karasu retorted, as he finished the keyword.

 

“Good point…” BHS said, just before they all disappeared. When they reappeared, they were on a bridge, in front of a large cathedral.

 

“Wow…” BlackRose said. “This place…”

 

“Hm?” Karasu asked.

 

“Nothing…” BlackRose said. “Say, who are you two?”

 

“I'm BHS, and this is Kara-chan,” BHS told her, smiling.

 

“Kara-chan?” BlackRose asked, quirking an eyebrow.

 

“Call me that and I promise you, the rest of your time in this game will be spend being killed by me in nasty ways, until I decide to stop playing with you and just delete your character,” Karasu promised her in a deadly calm voice. “My name is `Karasu'.”

 

“I see…” BlackRose said nervously, sweatdropping. “Anyway, let's go.”

 

“Right!” Kite said. He walked towards the steps leading into the cathedral, followed by the others. As soon as he walked in, a goblin dropped to the floor, and brandished its sword at him.

 

“Ahh!” BlackRose yelled. “What is it?! Stay back!” she warned, holding her sword out in front of her with shaking arms. Kite walked forwards, and slashed at it, missing at first. It hit him, and BlackRose screamed, “Oh no!”

 

Kite continued to attack, and soon killed it. BlackRose heaved a sigh of relief. “So, that's it. Pretty weak, huh?” she asked, looking around nervously. “You didn't need my help at all…”

“No, he didn't,” Karasu said. “Surprisingly.”

 

“Who asked you?” BlackRose asked irritably.

 

“Come on,” Kite said, walking between the rows of pews. The cathedral was huge, with rows of pews at the back by the gigantic double doors, and a section at the front that was closed off by an iron fence in the front. On a raised pedestal was a statue of a girl with chains wrapped around her. As they walked, BHS stared at the floor in wonder. It was so shiny that it looked like it wasn't there. It reflected the ceiling, which made it seem as if they were walking on said ceiling.

 

“What does this say?” Kite asked, looking at the inscription in front of the statue.

 

“Skeith…Innis…Magus,” Karasu recited. “That's all I can read. It's faded.”

 

“How did you know that?” BlackRose asked. “It looks like gibberish to me.”

 

“I'm good at language…” Karasu said.

 

“Say, Rose,” BHS asked, “are you a newbie?”

 

“You could probably tell…” BlackRose said, nodding. “From the way I acted back there.”

 

“Yeah,” Karasu agreed. “It was pretty obvious. Panicking over a goblin.”

 

“But…you stuck with me,” BlackRose went on, ignoring him. “That was pretty nice of you. I guess you guys are all right, even if you're weird.” She seemed about to say more, but someone threw open the half-closed doors.

 

“You need to leave here!” he yelled. They all turned, to see a man about as tall as Orca, with pale skin and shoulder-length white hair. He was wearing a full suit of blue-grey armor, and from his back sprouted white angel-like wings.

 

“Balmung…” BHS whispered, almost reverently.

 

“Balmung!” Karasu hissed, in quite a different tone.

 

“What about you?” BlackRose demanded.

 

“You need to leave here,” Balmung said again, walking up to them. “It's dangerous here.”

 

“It's a level six area,” Karasu said before he could stop himself. He flinched as Balmung turned to look at him.

 

“Tell me,” the man said, “what manner of being are you? This is hardly a normal character look. Have you overwritten the data? Such things are forbidden.”

 

“I haven't done any such thing,” Karasu defended. “And you don't look very normal either.”

 

“That is not a valid argument,” Balmung said.

 

“Hey, weren't you going to tell us about how this place is dangerous?” BHS reminded him. Balmung turned a glare on her.

 

“It is,” he said. “You shouldn't mock me. You see—“ He was interrupted by the appearance of a giant green monster.

 

“Woah!” BlackRose said. “What is that thing?!” Balmung jumped up and slashed it with his sword. It fell to its knees, dead. After a moment, it got back up, covered in glowing green scales. Balmung's eyes widened.

 

“This one as well!” he said.

 

“What!” BlackRose yelled. “That thing, it should have been—it should have been dead!! What is it?! Is this for real?!! It's just so freaky!”

 

“What's going on?” Kite asked.

 

“A data-bug,” Karasu said grimly. Balmung looked at him, surprised.

 

“Yes,” he said. “Lately, monsters in several areas of The World have become infected with a virus. This one has too…It has a hit point that is…infinite.”

 

“This is the one!” BlackRose said to herself, looking at the monster. “This thing…because of it…I'll kill you!” She ran at the monster, sword raised.

 

“No! You'll be killed!” Balmung yelled. He ran towards it too, just in time to block the strike intended for BlackRose. “Run, while I buy you time!” he cried, barely managing to block another strike.

 

Kite's eyes were wide, but he wasn't seeing the events occurring before him. He saw Orca, swinging at a monster he couldn't hit. He saw Orca being drained by the monster, and remembered what had happened to him in real life. Suddenly, he heard the girl's voice.

 

“The book!” she said. “Use the book!” He looked around, trying to see her, but she wasn't there.

 

“The book?” he asked.

 

“The power it holds can bring forth either destruction…or salvation, at the whim of the user,” the girl said. “Use it to save your friend!” Suddenly, a large book appeared in Kite's hands. It opened, and shoot odd symbols at him. Slowly, his clothing turned red, with gold designs. And around his wrist appeared a bracelet like the one that had been Orca's doom. Without thinking, he pointed it towards the monster, and it had the same effect the monster had had on Orca.

 

The infected monster stumbled from the sudden pressure, and the scales covering it fell away. It swung at Balmung, who had stopped to stare at Kite. Caught off guard, the man couldn't block the hit, and was thrown back into the fence in front of the statue. BlackRose couldn't do anything except stare in horror as the monster advanced on the helpless man, who struggled to get to his feet.

 

Just as it was about to strike, a black blur leaped in front of Balmung, slashing at a high speed with twin daggers, both black as night. The monster was quickly vanquished, and the black blur resolved itself into Karasu. He turned, and offered Balmung a hand. The man grudgingly accepted the help, and pulled away from Karasu as soon as he stood up.

 

“I'm not thanking you…” he said, glaring at the boy.

 

“You're not welcome,” Karasu responded, his voice and eyes cold as ice. Balmung turned, and walked over to Kite.

 

“Now I see…” he murmured. “You are just like the virus. I didn't think I'd find the one responsible so soon…”

 

“Wha—?” Kite sputtered. “I don't…I'm not….Huh?”

 

“Nicely put,” BHS said, giving him a thumb's up.

 

“Draw!” Balmung cried, pointing his sword towards Kite. “Draw your weapons and die like a man!”

 

“No!” Kite said. “There's no need to fight…I'm not…”

 

“There's a reason for me!” Balmung declared. Before he could continue, BHS stalked over to him, hands on her hips, glaring at him.

 

“That's no way to treat someone who saved your life!” she lectured. “And you owe Karasu a `Thank-you' too! But, for now…Kite just helped you! How can you say he's a bad person if you don't even know him?” With every word, she poked her finger into Balmung's armored chest. “Give him a chance!”

 

“Hm,” Balmung grunted. “Hmmm…” he said, looking away. He hunched his shoulders, and looked sideways at BHS, like a young child being scolded. “Whatever…” he said. To Kite, he said, “I will leave you alone…for now. But, if I find out you are indeed like the virus, I will kill you.” With that, he walked out.

 

Outside, he stopped as someone spoke up.

 

“That was rather childish for Balmung of the Azure Sky, descendant of Fianna, don't you think?” a woman's voice asked. He looked up, and then began walking away when he saw who'd spoken.

 

“I do not speak to hackers,” he informed the woman.

 

“That boy…” the woman said. “He's a friend of your partner.” Balmung stopped walking, his eyes wide.

 

“Orca?” he whispered.

***

“He was pretty rude…” BlackRose said.

 

“Yeah…” BHS agreed. “But, he is Balmung!”

 

“Careful,” Karasu cautioned, “you're drooling.”

 

“I am not!” BHS protested. “You're just jealous.” Karasu snorted.

 

“Of Balmung?” he asked. “Why would I be jealous of him?” With that, he turned and began walking towards the door. After a moment, BHS ran after him, yelling for him to wait up.

 

“I guess we'd better go…” Kite said. BlackRose nodded, and the two disappeared in twin flashes of yellow light, and reappeared near the Chaos Gate in the Root Town MacAnu.

 

“Say, where did these people with you go?” BlackRose asked, looking around. “Shouldn't they log out with us?” Kite opened his mouth to tell her they couldn't, but a thought crossed his mind. Rather, it was something Karasu had said.

 

`When I asked why the data-bug was familiar to them,' Kite thought, `he said `Maybe I'll tell you when I trust you more'. He trusted me enough to tell me that he and BHS were stuck in The World…But does he trust BlackRose? Would it betray his trust if I told her?' Kite spent a good while trying to figure out whether telling the girl would be the right thing to do, and only stopped when she demanded to know what was wrong with him.

 

“Wha—?” he said. “Sorry, I was thinking. Anyway, about Karasu and BHS….They just kinda do their own thing, I think. I don't really know them that well…”

 

“What's up with them, anyway?” BlackRose asked. “That little midget girl's okay, but Mr. Doom-and-Gloom is just scary! I wonder if someone ever did anything to him...” Kite gave her an odd look.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked.

 

“It's just…He has that kinda look in his eyes,” BlackRose said, “like…well, like he's been abused or something. That kinda scared, haunted look…” She and Kite were silent for a long while, both contemplating that. “Nah,” BlackRose said suddenly, breaking the silence and surprising Kite, “it's probably not that. He's just scary…Probably he just does it on purpose…Anyway, I don't really know what to say about today…Just…good night.” And with that, she disappeared into a *ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!* flash of yellow light, and Kite did likewise, after a moment.

 

Of course, neither of them knew that they were being watched from the shadows.

 

“Say, Karasu,” BHS started. “Y'know…”

 

“I don't want to talk about it…” Karasu replied coldly.

 

“Maybe you should tell—“ BHS began again.

 

“Who, Kite?” Karasu gave a harsh laugh, completely devoid of any humor. “I don't want his pity. And he'd probably tell that girl…I hate that look that I get, that look that says `Look at that poor fool, I don't wanna end up like him'. Not that there's anything wrong with thinking like that.” He gave another one of those harsh, humorless laughs.

 

“You don't have to,” BHS said in a subdued tone. “But, it might be a good idea…You know that something'll happen, and then you'll have to tell…And I think it'd be easier to do it willingly, instead of being in a forced situation like that…That's all…”

 

“BHS…” Karasu said, in a warmer, kinder tone. “I don't like talking about it. I'll tell him…and her too. Just not now…I'll tell them when it feels like the right time to. Or maybe I won't…I don't give away information like that lightly, you know. I've never told anyone…”

 

“You told me,” BHS pointed out. Karasu smiled slightly at that.

 

He knelt down so he could look her in the eye, leaned forward, and whispered to her, “That's because I trust you…more than anyone else.” Then he got up, and started walking away *he does that alot, doesn't he?*, leaving behind a stunned BHS.

 

“Hey!!” she said after a moment, catching up to him. “Where are you going?”

 

“I was going to see if I could find somewhere where they sold cheap food,” he replied. “I'm starving.” BHS smiled, and shook her head.

 

“Not hungry, he says,” she muttered. “I know a place!” she said to Karasu, in a louder voice. “Follow me!”

***

Drof: Ooh…The plot is building!!!

 

Karasu: Freedom and fish and stuff!!

 

Drof: ^_^0 He hasn't slept in a while…Review, peoples, or face the wrath of Riddick's teacup!!