NOTE: I updated log 14 above. You definitely need to read it again before hitting this one.
NOTE 2: If this post is too old for me to edit, ignore the previous note. What moron put a time limit on the edit function and left Delete intact, anyway?
This is a long one.
Not even kidding.
-----
Log 15: Azure Flame
Several months ago... in the real world...
"Volume 7, page 97, 2nd edition."
This was the current passcode Kiyone was using to have her clients identify themselves. A good look at the man confirmed that this was indeed the person from Security Division 2 of the infamous CC Corp that had initiated contact. Well aware of the shadiness of the organization, when the man refused to say what the job would be over both e-mail and phone, she immediately insisted he come to Canada to meet in person.
She didn't expect he'd actually fly there, though.
Having taken the opposite seat in their booth at a Tim Horton's, a location chosen via throwing darts at maps her back was turned to as was her custom with face-to-face encounters, the Japanese man tried to begin with meager smalltalk.
"Get to the point."
"Snappy... fine."
He looked around first. While there didn't appear to be anyone in the vicinity that would remotely care about this, the information he was about to reveal couldn't fall on the ears of anyone with any interest in the game.
"You know about the incident in Japan where most of The World R:1 was destroyed in a fire, correct?"
"My associates told me they were trying to revive Aura. It serves them right if you ask me."
Indeed, Project R.A., or Revive Aura, resulted in a catastrophic fire for the original version of The World, in theory wiping out 80% of its data. Jyotaro Amagi, the head of the project at the time, set the fire in delirium before falling comatose. It is widely believed the others who were at their terminals at the time also fell into comas, though she hadn't cared to look deeper at the time to confirm that, so this was all she knew.
"A bit of internal research has concluded that Project R.A. failed based on the use of a dummy factor in place of Tarvos due to unforeseen circumstances, but I don't think that's the true cause."
? The man went silent.
"Spill it."
"...I believe Aura is still alive."
Well now, THAT was news to her.
"What makes you so sure of this?"
"I was one of the .hackers. You do know of them-"
"Yes. Keep going."
*ahem* "Right. As Kite moved forward, The World began to crumble. When Magus fell, the sky shattered and the Root Towns became corrupt. More glitched monsters appeared as the destruction of the Cursed Wave progressed, to the point that the servers were beginning to collapse in their entirety at the final battle. They were restored when Aura was reborn, after dying at Kite's blade, from what he told me of the short time in which I myself became comatose."
"Go on."
"I asked a mutual friend of ours what he believed the reason was behind why Morganna corrupted The World the way she did. He said that, aside from her desire to live overriding all morality, the corruption of The World was only somewhat intentional. He said that Morganna, at the time, really was The World itself, and that as we harmed her, we harmed The World as well. When Aura was reborn, she became The World, and that's why everything returned to normal."
"So you think The World is still standing because Aura hasn't truly disappeared?"
"Exactly. Aura may not be doing anything, but if she no longer existed on the network, or if she disconnected herself from The World, I think the game would have collapsed just as it could have without her rebirth six years ago, don't you think?"
Kiyone didn't really care. She played The World R:2, yes, but that's because many skillful hackers like herself populated the game. It had nothing to do with her liking the game. Her husband did, but that idiot also collects dolls and other toys based on the game, so his thoughts were often void, despite him playing her sidekick both in the game and in real life, and her own nickname having come from a manga character she claimed a lot of empathy with.
They also both agreed that she was really the one wearing the "pants" in their marriage, but that was neither here or there.
"What's the job?"
"Isn't it obvious? I want you to help me find Aura."
Oh lord. Aura was also known as the Key of the Twilight, so he was virtually asking her to go on a wild goose chase.
Virtually meaning she at least knew what the hell she was looking for.
"Do you have any idea how much of a timesink this is going to be, whether I succeed or not?"
"We've learned from our mistakes, miss Kiyone. We're ready to compensate you for your services should you turn up any information that at least lets us locate Aura ourselves, if nothing else. We'd consider you an 'outside consultant.'"
"You actually pay your 'outside consultants'? Last I checked, you guys were a bit shaky even with well-publicized contest payouts. I hate to think what the payroll department does to regular employees, let alone people like myself."
"I admit, CC Corp has had a bad track record in the past of giving players their due rewards, but after Lios nearly cost us everything, the last thing the board wants is for the company to be ostracized by the hacking community, especially should Harald curse us again."
"Hmmm...."
"Just ask Mr. Hino, a.k.a. Yata, a.k.a. Wiseman, if his checks have bounced or gone missing."
"...well, they did employ you, Mr. Balmung of Azure Sky."
"And they're more than willing to employ you, Miss Kiyone of Azure Flame."
Azure Flame... it had nothing to do with the .hackers; it was actually a nickname given to her by her husband, both for her love of the color blue and for her fiery temper. She wasn't necessarily a fan of it, but Anderson wouldn't stop calling her that until it was too late, and her hubby ended up nicknaming her among her hacker friends pretty much for life as a result.
Still, even if this "Balmung" did use that name to her face, a little extra cash coming in during a quiet time was never a bad thing. Anderson's job was secure, and she still had savings built up in both their names from various "side projects" over the past few years. She had a reputation as an ace hacker, known less for her ability to get the job done and far more for the fact that she had such a reputation without any calling cards at all. Hiring her would likely get the job done, and if it didn't, she at least guaranteed the job wouldn't be blown, that a subsequent hacker wouldn't have much additional BS to deal with, if any. In other words, she served as a sort of difficulty gauge for jobs beyond her skill, making her a safe bet no matter the requested feat.
Of course, given who was hiring her and the task at hand, that kind of skill was unnecessary here; Balmung must only be here because no one else of good standing would answer him.
Which meant she had him by the balls.
"What do you want me to do exactly?"
"You'll be working under me as far as the company is concerned, but like I said, all I want you to do is find Aura, or anything that could lead to her, and report back to me whenever you have something worth sharing. Given the nature of the task, I can't establish a definitive timeline, but I will say this; Yata is also looking for Aura, and our amount of time will likely be the same the company establishes for him."
"I see, so I may have months, maybe years, or only until tomorrow, then."
"Hey, if it's cut that short, I'll make sure you're still paid somehow. It may not be much though-"
"I know, you're not being paid a lot. I'm surprised you made the trip."
"Yes, well-"
"Let me guess; you paid your own way."
"...yes."
"Aura's that important to you, huh... fine."
"?"
"All I ask is that you let me do things as I see fit."
"That's my plan."
"I'll need contact details, then...."
...
Sigma: Hidden Forbidden Exhibition: present day
Kiyone, the Azure, and Haseo arrived in empty space, a solid dull white for ground and a featureless sky above. There wasn't even a Platform to be found here. Haseo was simply dumbfounded, but Kiyone was slightly miffed.
<Kiyone> - Hey, idiot, where are we!?
<Azure Kite> - |3a1b0|... @h3ac|....
<Kiyone> - Ahead?
Kiyone couldn't see anything.
<Haseo> - Well, you heard'em! Let's go!
Haseo ran out ahead of the group, right into an invisible wall with a thud. Landing on his butt, he flashed an angry look at the transparent object before embarrassment took over. Kiyone was equally humiliated just watching him.
<Kiyone> - You should at least wait to see what "ahead" means in a place like this.
The zombie floated out in the opposite direction while Kiyone and Haseo followed. The two matched him turn for turn through the unseen maze, Haseo looking more agitated by the minute as his impatience grew from the length of the trip. After what seemed like forever to him, however, the sky began to go black. The humans stopped.
<Kiyone> - Hey, is something attacking us?
<Azure Kite> - ....
Kiyone noticed that the sky's darkening had ceased. She took a step back, and it brightened slightly.
It was just a visual effect meant to scare them.
<Kiyone> - Nevermind. Let's go, Haseo.
Soon the area went completely black. To prevent his team from being lost, the other Azure Flame lit his own body ablaze, becoming a literal beacon in the darkness. Another few minutes of nothing passed before they saw something coming toward them.
Was it a monster? Kiyone couldn't tell. It looked like a square cut in two, and as it approached, she could tell it had the appearance of stone, bathed in red light, black dots all over it that looked like they were boiling off.
<Haseo> - AIDA!
AIDA? She came to the conclusion that this must be the corrupt AIDA approaching. Was it Tri-Edge, making a grand entrance?
No... it was something else... this thing had rings affixed to something... perhaps they were door handles...
and then the door stopped. It even backed off a few inches.
Fear.
That was what Kiyone felt from the door at first, perhaps afraid of her approach. Maybe it knew what she was. Afterward, she felt an immense terror approaching from behind, indicating she wasn't the source of the living door's hesitation.
Paralyzing fear washed over her this time. Haseo, feeling the same waves of hate, spun around to meet the other threat as Frankenstein's Kite watched the front.
It was hard to tell who was approaching at first. Four lasers wandering aimlessly, as if from sniper rifles put into a small rectangular formation, peered out from a huge, fiery aura of black and deep crimson. It lit up the grey ground beneath them in a hellish red as two claw-like hands with singular eyes on their backs now came forth from the fire, arms crossed in an X at the wrist, hands pointing downward so the eyes could see their new victims. The lasers were revealed to be coming from a visor of sorts, with which more lasers created a goggle-like frame...
A wretched cry came from the mouth of the demon. The AIDA door backed off further, as if it was in pain from the arrival of the beast. The newcomer spread its legs apart, opening its arms up shortly before crossing them, palms in front of the shoulders, its claws curved around and slowly extending behind its back. This revealed its face through the fire, unveiling a horrible madness as the lasers focused on the back of Kiyone's head.
It was Dusk, almost frothing at the mouth, as angry as he had ever been.
...
Two months after the meeting with Balmung...
Theta: Hidden Forbidden Battlefield - Coite-Bodher Battlefield
Kiyone sat behind the Platform near the grassy shoreline, the water a murky brown from a fight long past. In front of the Platform, a stone circle lay on the ground, surrounded by a stone floor and six pillars, each with a different colored gem in their middle facing the circle. At the area's beginning, even further back, was a Platform just up a staircase within the walls of a ruined temple of some kind. Kiyone had been watching a thunderstorm in the distance behind Mag Mell, a dragon turned to stone on a giant floating rock. Rumor had it that another Lost Ground was atop the dragon, but that wasn't her concern at the moment.
It was the AIDA she had encountered an hour ago. While wandering a random field lost in thought, she noticed black dots surrounding her left arm. A quick check of her own data revealed what appeared to be an infection, and try as she might, the AIDA fully assimilated itself into her data. Her arm grew blue and green armor around it, and... that seemed to be the end of it.
All the same, she had to call someone in.
<Zelkova> - Hi!
<Kiyone> - Thanks for coming.
<Zelkova> - Oh, it's no problem! Let's see that arm of yours!
Zelkova was mighty curious about it, she thought. This was *the* ace hacker of all The World since Helba left, after all, so if anyone knew how to fix this, it would be him.
<Zelkova> - Huh.
<Kiyone> - ?
<Zelkova> - This AIDA's not corrupt.
<Kiyone> - What does that mean?
<Zelkova> - Well, not every AIDA is evil. Didn't you know that?
<Kiyone> - I... err... no....
Balmung told her that AIDA was a phenomenon in The World that seemed to prey on players, but unlike Yata's G.U., Security Division 2's objective wasn't understanding the AIDA contamination, but rather, strict destruction of the "virus" wherever it spawned. It was growing at such a pace that Yata would still have more than enough data to do his job in the eyes of the higher-ups, so Balmung and Kazumi destroyed them indiscriminately. Kiyone, on the other hand, had nothing to fight them with; she was supposed to call SD2 when she discovered an AIDA, but this one had snuck up on her, and she'd be damned if her main character would be destroyed over this.
Why she was so suddenly attached to this character, she had no idea. Maybe the AIDA was causing it, who could say?
<Zelkova> - Hmmm... hmm, hmm, hmm!
<Kiyone> - Uhh-
<Zelkova> - Looks like we have a new recruit!
<Kiyone> - What are you talking about?
<Zelkova> - You have a special power, Kiyone!
<Kiyone> - Special power?
What was he talking about?
<Zelkova> - Yip! There's someone you really need to meet, Kiyone!
<Kiyone> - I don't-
Zelkova hopped up and forced her into his party, ignoring her confusion.
<Zelkova> - C'mon!
They left together, no explanations given.
...
Indigo "@HOME" - Chaos Gate
<Zelkova> - Gimme a minute. Wait right here!
Kiyone, dumbfounded, complied, if only because she had no idea where she was. She had found plenty of areas in her time "serving" Balmung, like the Arche Koeln waterfall, the Six Ringing Peaks of Al Fadel, Theta: Galloping Wrath's Blue Cloud and the like, but this place was weird. She thought it a greek, maybe Babylonian version of Breg Epona. Leaning on the guardrail away from the Chaos Gate, she pondered why there would be such a close dupe of a Root Town serving as one of the custom @HOME's. There were a couple people here, each of them catching glances of her and whispering.
How irritating. They're talking about me, right in front of me.
Before she could think of how to approach any of the four, however, someone came through the double door on the other side of the area, and took his sweet time walking up to her. He looked... weird, even for a PC in this game.
<Dusk> - Miss Kiyone?
<Kiyone> - Yes?
<Dusk> - My name is Dusk. I am the leader of the Indigo, a group that specializes in The World's gifted. Welcome to our home.
<Kiyone> - How do you do.
As she shook his odd hand, Kiyone thought it strange that Balmung never mentioned the Indigo. Taking screen captures was her first instinct upon hearing this; maybe he doesn't know about them.
<Dusk> - Zelkova tells me you've absorbed an AIDA for yourself instinctively. Not bad.
<Kiyone> - He told me it wasn't corrupt.
<Dusk> - A dirty little secret CC Corp wants to keep hidden. If their lackeys had any moral doubts about the mass exterminations G.U. wants carried out when their research is finished, things would get... problematic.
He knows about G.U. and the exterminations... but no word on SD2... maybe he doesn't know about her true objective?
<Kiyone> - How do you know-
<Dusk> - I know many things. It helps to have Zelkova as one of us. Come: I'll introduce you to a few people, show you what it means to be an Indigo, and you can decide from there whether you want to join us.
Kiyone gave his words some thought as she walked beside him.
If nothing else, I can find out what these Indigo are up to, and whether or not SD2 really knows anything about them. More information and alliances can't really hurt, can it?
...
Sigma: Hidden Forbidden Exhibition: present day
<Dusk> - DIE, DEMONCHILD!!!
Dusk took off, arms raised to shoulder level and bent back into V-shapes, claws pointing forward. He charged Kiyone at blinding speed, ignoring the AIDA door before her and only focusing on who he assumed had betrayed him.
Death... he longed to kill Aura.
The other Flame sped in-between for an uncharacteristically serious defense of his deceitful comrade. Assuming she was Aura seemed to increase his strength a hundredfold upon seeing her threatened; when Dusk extended his fingers outward and brought the blades of his extensions down on the Azure from different directions multiple times, one hand per strike, he was unfazed by all attacks. Reeling them in for close range did little good for Dusk; it even reminded Haseo of his battle with the zombie as he watched in amazement.
The Indigo leader jumped back, and shouted his battle cry as his lasers converged on the sewn-up monstrosity's head.
<Dusk> - DEATH TO THE A.I. MENACE!!
His face blank as always, the Azure had no motivation to wait for the next strike; he flew into Dusk, head-first into the madman's chin before his body spun up for a kick to the same area. This sent the Indigo leader airborne, where the zombie teleported and soundly kicked the attacker in the gut, throwing him back into the darkness. His aura never dissipated, while the Azure's flames grew more intense and potent. Both Kiyone and Haseo could feel the heat... despite this only being a game world. Haseo was trying to deny it, his mind bound still by reality's chains to a certain extent.
Kiyone knew better, though. This World's foot in the door of reality was unquestionable to her; only the extent of which it had crept in was a mystery.
The true Azure Flame charged his recovering opponent, his blackened dual swords drawn for a deathblow. Both auras flared before impact, almost scorching the other two humans, while the screams of the combatants threatened to deafen them, even from such a far-off distance. The Azure pressed down on the guard of Dusk, glancing back at Kiyone, who had finally turned around to see the fight. Through their own special telepathy, he gave Kiyone an order to go on without him; he would see to Dusk.
<Kiyone> - ...are you sure?
<Azure Kite> - ....
<Kiyone> - ...then don't you dare fail me. Haseo!
Kiyone and Haseo turned their attention to the AIDA door.
...
A couple months prior to the loss of Ovan...
Netslum Tartarga - Bridge
Kiyone stared out at sea at the front of the bridge. Taking up parking in Mac Anu again, once more disguising itself as a "sunken" cargo canoe beyond the water's boundaries, Zelkova had parked it to watch the sunset, but he had to attend to some business at his Moon Tree guild first.
The woman had experienced much in the months she spent as an Indigo. She learned firsthand how The World could affect all five senses, how she could affect it in turn, what it meant to have one's mind opened beyond the physical realm. She had been a skeptic for a number of years, closing her mind to the paranormal, but when she took in the AIDA, something in her mind opened up to a new realm of possibility, forcing her to turn her attention to a part of reality she had oft neglected in her life.
However, now she was afraid of both losing that and failing at her job in Balmung's employ. She finally awakened her Indigo ability while Dusk and Keiko slept this night, but her power was something recognized by The World as divinity. Having seen certain pictures before, she knew what she looked like when she transformed, how the mobius strip appeared on her forehead, her hair turned white, and her arm morphed into a Twilight Bracelet-like weapon that operated on five pull-strings, like a bow-and-arrow toy of some sort.
The look of a toy didn't take away from the firepower of its Data Drain, however, nor did it subjugate the "signal" she apparently gave off, as the rumored Tri-Edge appeared to her...
and *bowed*.
The system seemed to recognize her as Aura.
Kiyone remembered Dusk's anti-Aura rants well, how she became God over both The World and the network, overstepping her bounds and virtually enslaving everyone whose life incorporated technology by rendering human maintenance obsolete... how she then abandoned them, allowing the network and The World to deteriorate with no known cause to all but CC Corp... how she still allows the gifted to sense her presence, giving them false hope in her equally false slumber.
This was just the tip of an explosive iceberg. Dusk made no bones to anyone who asked that he wanted Aura dead, that he would hunt her down and gut her himself. While Dusk's anger was indeed frightening, if only because one could feel its immense pressure clear across the pond through the network, it was also silly once one asked Zelkova about the true reason why he hated Aura. It was all in some perceived threat on Keiko that Dusk wanted to kill the "Great Plague."
Then again, some of Earth's greatest enemies had silly motivations too, and that never stopped them... but more important was the incredibly obvious theory that Dusk would likely kill her if he found out about her ability to mimic Aura.
<Zelkova> - And that's why you came to me.
<Kiyone> - GAH!! Don't sneak up on me like that, Luna!
<Zelkova> - Y'know, talking to yourself like that is a sign of Schizophrenia.
<Kiyone> - And how would you know?
<Zelkova> - I wiki'ed it.
Did Zelkova really have to play the part of a kid while my life is on the line?
<Kiyone> - So you understand then.
<Zelkova> - That you need professional help, yes.
<Kiyone> - No, my powers! Dusk will kill me when he finds out!
<Zelkova> - Dusk is hardly Kain, Kiyone. He's not gonna rip your wings off or anything.
<Kiyone> - ...What?
<Zelkova> - Look, if I talk to Dusk, I'm sure he'll understand that this isn't your fault and he'll welcome you back with open arms, K?
:Kiyone sighed.
<Kiyone> - If you say so.
<Zelkova> - Good! He should be waking up anytime now, so he'll see my flash mail and we'll see in a few minutes-
Zelkova got his reply far sooner than expected. Apparently the jingle had woken Dusk, and, well...
he wasn't happy.
And not about being woken up, either.
<Zelkova> - Erm....
<Kiyone> - I told you, Mr. Optimist.
<Zelkova> - Eh heh!
:Zelkova blushes out of embarrassment.
<Zelkova> - Yes, um, well... congratulations! You are now an official member of the Crystal faction! No more Indigo for you!
<Kiyone> - What?
Zelkova then explained what the three factions of Indigo, Crystal, and Rainbow represented, and Dusk's wish that the factions don't congregate beyond their leaderships. Furthermore, this would mean Dusk would not be the guy she reports any progress on her powers to, if she ever reported; that would go to its leader and only other member...
...who happened to be Zelkova.
<Zelkova> - So coming to me was a great big stroke of luck! And I never mentioned names, so he has no idea who I was talking about!
<Kiyone> - ....
<Zelkova> - What?
<Kiyone> - I really liked being in the Indigo.
A lie. Balmung wanted her to heavily investigate the Indigo from the inside once he had been told about their existence. Yata had no idea about them, and Zelkova had been denying they were real; when Kiyone announced that she had uncovered their existence, Balmung and Kazumi agreed that recon work on this group had to be her job from now on.
<Zelkova> - I know, but that's the rule. It's either this or Dusk eats your head.
<Kiyone> - Wait.
Kiyone suddenly had a very devious thought... that if she could send someone ELSE in....
<Kiyone> - I'm not allowed to talk to any Indigo, right?
<Zelkova> - Save Dusk and Keiko, maybe Kazuya, yes, but they're entirely optional, and Dusk doesn't encourage it.
<Kiyone> - Are there *any* exceptions to that rule?
<Zelkova> - Uh, well... yes, it's called the Keiko Exception! If your lover is still Indigo, you're allowed to talk with them and no one will care if you get spotted doing so!
That wasn't surprising in the least; Kiyone was glad to hear Dusk's mental crutch could also serve as a back door.
<Kiyone> - Perfect! There's a guy named Anderson on my home servers that wants to join!
<Zelkova> - Uhhh-
<Kiyone> - He WILL join!
<Zelkova> - Ok, ok! But you do know that he needs to show some kind of gift, right?
Kiyone smiled in real life, but hid it from The World.
<Kiyone> - I'm sure he has a gift. I'll convince him to talk to you and you'll take it from there, right?
<Zelkova> - Heh, sure! Make sure he can enter Netslum first! All Indigo are considered hackers, after all! But, one thing....
<Kiyone> - What?
<Zelkova> - Why?
<Kiyone> - I need to be involved with them. In some way, I have to remain with the Indigo. I can't explain it, Zelkova.
<Zelkova> - Heh, I understand. Don't worry, he'll get in if he has what it takes.
...
Sigma: Hidden Forbidden Exhibition - AIDA door
<Haseo> - How do we get in?
Kiyone cast her guilt about dragging her husband into this mess back into her mental abyss; she would save him no matter what it took. Kiyone readied her left hand, flattening the palm, fingers lined up straight, arm positioned to thrust.
<Kiyone> - We attack it. I'll use my strongest attack on one side, you use yours on the other, and I'd bet it will open.
<Haseo> - Because we're Indigo?
<Kiyone> - Hold pride in that title, Haseo. AIDA-PC, Epitaph User, these statuses and labels mean nothing to the likes of us. Only those of true inner strength can hope to stand against this World!
Haseo felt a rather evil half-smile creep across his face. His pride had finally begun to return, the realization of what he needed to do to save Shino having at last set in.
<Kiyone> - Le-
<Haseo> - Let's go, Kiyone!
Haseo drew his scythe, and readied the strongest second level Art, Heavenly Wheel, based on advice given to him by Kazuya that it was indeed the strongest physical attack in his arsenal. Kiyone smiled in confidence; a thought ran through her mind that Anderson's gonna have to learn a thing or two from this guy if he ever wants her actual respect.
Dusk was locked in combat with a now invincible enemy; he was no longer a threat. Now the door to the museum could be opened. However, as they charged, two powerful shots rang out from above the door, putting craters in their path. The confident duo stopped in their tracks, taken aback by the surprise attack.
<????> - Sorry little lady, that's as far as you go!
Someone hopped down from atop the door. His hair was red, tied into a ponytail that curved upward in the general shape of a scorpion's tail, its tip extending just beyond the reach of his nose horizontally; vertically, it was still a head's height above that facial feature. His face was white like a clown's, the large headband holding his hair black, his pupils a bright green in spite of oily black eyes.
Kiyone had a hard time looking away from this monster, and got a very good look at him for it. He wore a dull white trenchcoat with a long right sleeve, but the entire left side was in tatters, starting from the edge of the shoulder going to the armpit, and down the same direction for the rest of the coat. The entirety of it below the torso was gone only on that side, which had appeared to have been ripped off violently. Underneath the coat, a richly adorned black and deep red outfit covered the rest of his body left vulnerable by the 'coat save the left elbow and below, of which there was only a red glove and a crumbling burnt gauntlet on white skin. The black boots on his legs extended up to below the knee, the tops appearing to be made of dark flickering flame rather than any leather or other solid material.
But on his chest, there appeared to be two red-hot scars bleeding through the red/black material, and when the trenchcoat opened a little, a third vertical scar could be seen going down the right breast.
This man, to Kiyone, had to be one of Tri-Edge's pawns.
Haseo, on the other hand, recognized him immediately.
<Haseo> - Kuhn!?
:A cheshire cat-like smile appears on Kuhn's face!
<Kuhn> - Why hello, Haseo! Did you come to die for her!?
His voice sounded filtered, a little raspy. It was a little slow, and creepy in its distortion.
<Haseo> - Who are you talking abou-
:Kuhn's eyes widen!
<Kuhn> - Tri-Edge, of course! She's been expecting you, Terror of Death!
<Haseo> - Tri-Edge!? Where is she!?
<Kiyone> - And where's Anderson, you foul demon!?
Kuhn's face calmed, and went into a smirk. He exuded confidence now as he looked into the woman's face, making her heart skip.
<Kuhn> - My dear Kiyone, Anderson works for us now.
<Kiyone> - How do-
<Kuhn> - I've been watching you ever since you arrived at my door. The strength of Aura's lackey and hate-monger are palpable even from the other side, I must say... but enough about them.
Kuhn walked up to Kiyone, who tried to reassume a fighting posture. However, visions in her mind clouded her concentration. She couldn't tell what they were, but her face was flushed from them...
maybe blushing was a better word?
<Haseo> - Kiyone?
<Kiyone> - I-I'm fine-
<Kuhn> - Why would you ever want someone as impotent and weak as Anderson by your side?
<Kiyone> - ...you just don't understand....
<Kuhn> - I don't think you get it either, not anymore anyway.
Oh hell, this was a mental assault! Kiyone's realization led to a half-hearted jab at Kuhn's torso, which was easily dodged, leaving her back turned to him as she stumbled forward.
<Kuhn> - Hm, feisty, aren't we?
The AIDA-PC gently grabbed her from behind, his right arm across her tummy area, but the left...
<Kiyone> - What the hell-you can't touch my chest like... ahhh....
She tried to open her left arm, calling her power of Aura, but that just made the arm twitch. Kuhn had used some kind of hypnosis on her, and now she was helpless to his touch, almost wanting of his advances as he pinched her right nipple through her clothing.
<Haseo> - What the f*ck are you doing, Kuhn!?
Haseo quickly whipped out his broadsword, the Centipede, a purple-black-red colored affair that had a sickle-like tip, the rest of the blade with chainsaw-like blades that looked like insect legs running up one side and back down the other into an embellished hilt. Fearing the scythe might hit Kiyone in this strange area, Haseo used the sword instead, attacking with full force and bringing the sword down only on where Kuhn stood, the saw at full speed.
But Kuhn had flown in front of the door and above the floor, his victim in tow.
<Kuhn> - Now now, Haseo, I'm not into guys... but my mistress would LOVE to have you, y'know, right before she cuts out your throat, perhaps?
<Kiyone> - Let me go-
<Kuhn> - Shhh... now now...
Kiyone's voice had weakened significantly as Kuhn's influence on her mind took hold. He moved his left hand slowly downward.
<Kuhn> - I know this is your first time with me... and I promise I'll be gentle...
:Kuhn grabs her in a... private area.
<Kiyone> - Ah!
:Kuhn grins again.
<Kuhn> - For the first minute or so, anyway.
<Haseo> - Kuhn, you bastard! Let her go now!
Ignoring an attack spell from Haseo that went under the two, striking the door fruitlessly, Kuhn begins to whisper in Kiyone's ear.
<Kuhn> - It's OK, dear... I know what you want... just me and you, in a tender embrace,
:Kuhn kisses her neck, nudging her head aside with his own.
<Kuhn> - My hands massaging you...
:Kuhn kisses her near her ear.
<Kuhn> - My lips pressed to yours,
:Kuhn tightens his grip below; Kiyone makes a short gasp.
<Kuhn> - as I slowly slip inside you,
:Kuhn breathes into her ear with his next statement.
<Kuhn> - my love flowing into you...
<Zelkova> - My scythe-blade running through Kuhn's spinal cord in the process.
Out of nowhere it seemed, Zelkova had appeared at the top of the door behind Kuhn, weapon at the ready. Kuhn was so surprised by this that he dropped Kiyone to the ground when he turned around, where Haseo caught her. Her face was still flushed from Kuhn's advances.
<Haseo> - Kiyone! Are you OK!?
:Kiyone breathes heavily.
<Kiyone> - I let my guard down... the bastard....
Zelkova had a blank look in his eyes as he stared down Kuhn, who had only just noticed the lack of battle sounds. The Azure and Dusk had moved well away from the door in their battle. There was a white streak on the inside of Kuhn's ponytail now that only Zelkova had noticed, but it only went a quarter of the way up, and was beginning to recede. Kuhn's look of surprise was quickly overcome by a disappointed calm.
<Kuhn> - Zelkova of Moon Tree... what brings you out here?
<Zelkova> - I noticed someone had been in my home, ate all my porridge.
<Kuhn> - Goldilocks doesn't live here I'm afraid, and if she did... well, I'm not one to discriminate based on age....
<Zelkova> - And what should I find when I follow her trail, but a rapist AIDA about to ruin the dignity of one of my friends?
<Kuhn> - Ruin her dignity? Is that how you see it? I thought I was rewarding her, such a passionate soul coming willingly into my arms, practically begging me to take her... I would have done so much for that blue-haired beauty, and if you'd just leave-
<Zelkova> - I can't believe the AIDA has consumed you by this much, Kuhn.
<Kuhn> - It's the other way around, I assure you!
<Zelkova> - I wonder what Mai would say?
<Kuhn> - ! You shut your mouth about her!!
Kuhn whipped out his AIDA-granted weapons, the Twinzabi. These long, double-barreled bayonets were lined with blades back to the handle, one on the top of the top barrel and one on the bottom of the bottom barrel. Each blade was blood red with wide jags, and a skull design protruded from within the center of each tip. It was actually a double version of the highest level common bayonet, made especially for Kuhn.
<Zelkova> - Would she approve of your self-sacrifice, of how easily you've given in to your own sexual desires, Kuhn?
:Kuhn's hands begin to shake.
<Kuhn> - Shut up.
<Zelkova> - Oh sure, it gave you the Propagation... but you lost her, didn't you? The only woman that could ever love you, Sieg.
<Kuhn> - Shut! Up!
:Kuhn shoots, barely missing on both sides of Zelkova's head due to shaky grips!
<Zelkova> - You lost her to your own lust, Tomonari. You. And she was right to ditch you. No one wants a person that only thinks with their crotch, and you couldn't possibly love her for who she really was! All you saw was an object, didn't you!?
<Kuhn> - SHUT UPPPPP!!
Kuhn began to call upon Magus, the Propagation, third Phase of Morganna, but that's exactly what Zelkova was looking for. During the transformation sequence, Zelkova warped himself, Kiyone, and Haseo out of the area back to Netslum, leaving an enraged Kuhn behind to fight with his own defects and demons.
...
Netslum Tartarga - Bridge
<Kiyone> - The Propagation, huh?
<Zelkova> - Yes indeedy! No need to beat yourself up for this one!
As the trio sat in the still-damaged bridge, Zelkova got Kiyone calm enough to explain why Kuhn had been able to seduce her without even trying. Magus, the Propagation, was a Phase that desired the other gender in sexual ways, which would lead to conceiving children. It was the part of Morganna that led to her own subconscious desire to conceive Aura. To her, it was more than merely Harald's programming; it was a... "human"... longing. In order to be chosen by Magus, however, one must not only want to be with the other sex in such a manner quite badly, but also have that gender pursue you with just as much lust.
Kuhn was chosen not just for his "sickness" as his friends called his devotion to all beautiful women, but also for how those heavenly flowers were willing to reciprocate. The corrupted AIDA within him drank in this aspect of Magus, and exuded a "telepathic" suggestion on everyone in the area Kuhn happened to be in that would desire to be with a man. It quickly acted almost in complete secrecy to make such victims vulnerable to all manner of actions, believing anything from Kuhn to be sexually gratifying by the time most would notice they were being tricked. It went so far as to make their desires paralyzing, leaving the AIDA-possessed Kuhn free to do whatever he pleased, his victims only capable of helping him and giving him more of what he wanted.
In short, he was a masculine Siren.
This meant that straight women and gay men who were not in total mental control of themselves in Kuhn's presence had no chance of winning a fight with him, hence Zelkova's decision to come alone. Only someone who had no natural desire for men could claim immunity to his debilitating presence.
<Kiyone> - How much of that is a guess?
<Zelkova> - Magus isn't terribly difficult to figure out. I'm 100% certain AIDA is using Magus at the door to Balbol entirely for this reason.
<Kiyone> - Why?
<Zelkova> - If Tri-Edge knows Cubia has returned in a female "Epitaph User," it would make complete sense to put someone at the gate against which no straight woman has a chance of defeating... and who would assault her in perhaps the most humiliating way possible.
<Kiyone> - Kuhn was targeted at Indieglut Lugh before Endrance's corruption was destroyed, right?
<Zelkova> - Yes. Kuhn was after Endrance, as G.U. believes more than two Epitaphs active at once in the same area causes them to go berserk. It made sense to only send one to avoid a "catastrophic scenario," as Yata put it to Pi.
:Kiyone groans.
<Zelkova> - What?
<Kiyone> - Nothing.
<Haseo> - So when do we go back?
Suddenly, Zelkova remembered that he was harboring an Indigo. Dusk might have seen Haseo, but Luna was rather certain that he had immense tunnelvision and didn't likely notice.
Besides, Zelkova had extracted Skeith from Haseo already.
Who cares if Dusk kills him?
<Zelkova> - Uhhh, "we" aren't going anywhere! Bye-bye!
:Haseo is teleported out of Netslum.
<Kiyone> - ?
<Zelkova> - He's still an Indigo, y'know, AND he's obsessed with Tri-Edge. Better I not have to explain our not going back anytime soon to him over pages and pages of chat log.
<Kiyone> - ....
<Zelkova> - I'll talk to Dusk. I'm sure once he calms down, he'll understand.
<Kiyone> - I... I don't know how to thank you.
<Zelkova> - You don't have to. I know where Morganna is, thanks to you.
<Kiyone> - ?
<Zelkova> - Balbol Museum was where Ovan liked to gather information on The World, and he was Tri-Edge. Moreover, he was Corbenik, and when Morganna and Corbenik became the same entity, that "fusion" as Helba put it was never reversed. Therefore, Morganna has to be Tri-Edge, and she's hiding out at Balbol to avoid running into Cubia.
<Kiyone> - You finally have your story straight, huh?
:Zelkova groans; Kiyone laughs.
<Zelkova> - Feeling better though?
<Kiyone> - Yeah, I'm gonna take off. Good night, Zelkova.
<Zelkova> - Good night, Kiyone!
:Kiyone logs off.
...
To: Balmung
From: Kiyone
Subject: Zelkova
Whatever fallout occurred between SD2 and Netslum should be worked out ASAP. Zelkova knows a lot more than we ever suspected, and we WILL need his help in eradicating the AIDA menace.
...
To: Kiyone
From: Balmung
Subject: Re: Zelkova
Thanks for finally dropping a line! And here I thought I'd have to cut off your paycheck.
If my guess is correct, "ASAP" means "wait at least a week," right? I wouldn't want my agent being discovered, after all. Kazumi, Pi, and myself will talk to Zelkova once we're sure the threat of your discovery is past.
-----
Oh wow... for someone I didn't think would get any noteworthy screentime beyond dealing with Anderson, Kiyone sure took a chunk of the story for herself, huh? This log actually took me all night to do; I had no idea it would take that long when I started! Anyway, let's summarize what's new:
Kiyone - Now known as a member of Security Division 2, a freelance hacker brought on initially to find Aura, but now researches the Indigo. Anderson was brought in when she could no longer remain with the group due to developing powers very similar to the Great Plague herself, and Dusk is more than angry enough to show us why.
Balmung - Head of Security Division 2 due to seniority, mostly (and the fact that he can't be trusted with event planning...). He hasn't changed much since LotT overall; if anything, he's more relaxed now.
Kazumi - User of the Dummy Morganna Factor, works directly under Balmung. His boss's presence is what stops him from going through with his Project R.A. plan. Kamui could've filled Balmung's role in theory, but thinking about it, she might've ended up agreeing with Kazumi too much and spurred his plan along, which is NOT going to happen in this story. Without yet another new character, only Balmung was interesting and believable enough to take charge of SD2 away from Kazumi.
AIDA <Tri-Edge> - It's alive! For certain!
Kagato Itsuki - He speaks in flash mail in log 14, finally.
AIDA Kuhn - I finally get to use him. I thought of him becoming infected at the beginning of December, wondering what to do about his Sign. I had always planned on Anderson getting infected from his, so it was only natural that Kuhn turn. Of course, AIDA Kuhn comes with a price, and that is sexual terror. This will
not be the last you see of him, and I have... ideas... floating around my head about how I could go about using his powers for chaos in The World. The Twinzabi comes from the fact that Magus also shoots from both hands (like Skeith the 3rd), and if given an "Xth Form," could in theory also become a Dual Gunner, among other things.
So now we have four sides:
Netslum - Wishes to restore Morganna to give her a real chance at life.
Indigo - Wishes to kill Aura and continue with their plan of giving humanity a jump start in psychic development.
SD2 - Has a pressing need to destroy AIDA, but is unclear on what needs to be done about the Indigo.
AIDA - Motive currently unknown.
Anyway, along with -COOH getting a break, I allowed Azure Kite an immense amount of strength to get Dusk out of the way for a little bit as well. Yes, I do believe that Kite's power is completely reliant on his motivation, and if he thinks Aura is there, it's gonna be a nightmare since his zombie pals don't exist in this story to back him up (all of the power they would have been granted is now assumed to be dumped into Azure Kite). This means that if Kiyone is present, Azure Kite becomes something of a DEM.
Hopefully the story hasn't gone to hell yet! I've no idea what will be in log 16, so who knows when that's coming.
I'm a total sucker for romance, in any way, shape or form. (Unless it involves Edward Cullen, but that's a story for another thread...)