.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction / .hack//LIMINALITY Fan Fiction / .hack//Legend Of Twilight Bracelet Fan Fiction ❯ Episode One- .hack//Destiny ❯ Stand ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter Twelve- Stand- Real World

 

Dan woke up when his alarm clock went off, and did everything by routine. Except for one thing. He logged on, and checked the board. There was no reply to the message still. He sighed and walked downstairs.

He munched on his apple as he thought. He felt so weird. He, along with the others, had MILLIONS of lives in their hands. Now he understood if it was ten, or twenty, or even a hundred. Hell, even twenty thousand! But, no, he had over ten MILLION players! Any one of them could be an agent. Any one of them could be the wrench thrown into the mechanics. However, any one of them could be the greatest help. He thought he heard something.

He then thought of Aura. What would become of her if The World ceased to exist. Wouldn't she fade out of existence? And Helba? Wouldn't she be out of a job? There it was, that noise again.

He also considered the fact that it would be likely that if The World crashed, so would the Internet; AGAIN! He was old enough to remember Pluto's Kiss, and the forming of the WNC. He was still foggy on one or two events, but he knew mostly everything.

"DAN! HELLO! DAN?" His foggy thinking was shattered, and he was brought back to reality.

"Uh, yes?" Bill was about to throw a glass of water on him. Jas was about to whack him on the head. He shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Bill shook his head.

"We have been yelling, no, shouting your name for the past ten or so minutes. I thought you were in a com- I mean," he stopped, knowing that Dan's friends' conditions still somewhat depressed him. "What I mean is, that I thought you were ill." He sighed.

"I am fine, father." Dan said coldly as he rose up.

"Is everything all right upstairs?"

"YES! I am not insane! Well, not by much." Jas snorted.

"Nonetheless, I want to schedule an appointment with a doctor, JUST to make sure that there isn't a concussion, or SOMETHING!" Bill said, exasperated. Dan and Jas hid smiles.

 

"NO! I really can't!" Vanessa said.

"Come on," said Darren, "it'll be fun."

"I'm sure." Vanessa said, dead pan.

"Oh, come on! Bring your harem. I planned this party, and I want as many people to come as possible!" Vanessa sighed.

"I guess I can ask- BUT I am not promising anything!" Darren smiled.

"Oh, of course! See you there!" Darren ran off, leaving Vanessa with a paper in her hand. She read it over and sighed.

 

"NO WAY!" Morgan said.

"Yeah, we got invited to a party with Darren!" Vanessa didn't see the point of Morgan's excitement. "So?"

"Well, duh! He looks like he just stepped out of an Abercrombie Magazine! I mean," Morgan took a deep breath, "he is just-" and she went off in psychobabble mode. Dan walked to the girls.

"Hey, I think I-"

"OHMIGOSH OHMIGOSH OMIGOSH!" Morgan squealed.

"What the he-"

"Here, read this." Vanessa handed Dan the paper. He scanned over the paper.

"What is the big deal? We got invited to a party with Dar-" Morgan squealed. "Oh. I see now."

"So, do you think we should go? I mean, ALL of us?" Vanessa asked. Jas ambled over to the group.

"OHMIGOSH JAS OHMIGOS-" Vanessa and Dan covered her mouth. Jas was confused. Vanessa laughed a little.

"Here, read this!"

 

After the bell rang, and the pandemonium that was school dismissal was over, play practice began. The four tried to stay focused, and TRIED to be nice to their understudies, but, it was just one of those days. After all, the understudies WERE Freshmen, and they needed to learn the hard way. Or so the rest of the cast thought.

After a long speech by Miss D. they were released into the real world. The four had to talk.

"So, when is the party?" Jas asked.

"Halloween night. It's only a couple of days away you know."

"So, should we go?"

"We'll see." Dan said, dismissing the subject. "I think I figured out something last night. Hey, if we could meet later. All I am saying is this- bring a Bible. And your computers, if you don't mind." Vanessa was confused.

"What?"

"You'll see."

 

Dan sat in the dining room and sighed. He hated to use people, but that is all that he seemed to be doing these days. He had to get rid of his parents. That took him a second or two to figure out how to do.

"Hey Mom?" He had asked Peg earlier. Bill looked from over his newspaper.

"Yes dear?"

"Hey, the girls, Jas, and I, well, we were kinda wondering if we could have a Bible Study tonight. There was a scripture that Morgan found, and we want to see what it means." Peg's eyes welled up with tears.

"Yes, of course. Bill, put on your shoes and grab my purse. Let's go on a date." Bill got up and left the room. Peg looked at Dan.

"I am so proud of you, son." She said as she got up and went to her room.

As Dan thought on this he sighed. He ended up using the Bible, which technically meant he used God. He was sure that he would reap the whirlwind, but for the time being, he would be fine.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" He yelled. Vanessa and Morgan popped through the door. Morgan still looked giddy.

"You're still high on the Darren Party Thing, right?" Morgan nodded. Jas ambled down the stairs, holding a CD.

"I found it! Oh, hey girls!" Dan waved Jas over.

"Is this the right CD?" Jas nodded. "Good. Girls, you brought your computers?" The girls nodded. "Good, set them up." In a matter of seconds, power cords were extended throughout the room. Dan opened the CD case.

"This is a CD containing the Biblical Texts in several languages, translations, and in it's original Greek, Aramaic, and Latin. I want you two to upload it on your computers. That way we can all study at the same time." He handed the CD to Morgan.

"Question!" Dan smiled.

"What's up Vanessa?" She flicked her hair.

"Why did we bring Bibles?" Dan grinned.

"Deep in the night, I found the letter that Boragia sent us, in here. If you would please, flip over to Isaiah chapter thirteen, starting in verse ten." The group flipped there, and silence reigned over the room for a few minutes. Morgan, a graduate of speed reading, was the first to complete.

"This isn't exact." Dan paused for a second.

"Yes, well, there are several mentions of the Lord, and of places in ancient times, like Ophir, Babylon, and the Medes. Of course, being Death, it wouldn't mention God or anything like that. Also, because it is a modern virus, it wouldn't know much about ancient civilizations, so it wouldn't put that in there. I am just alluding, of course, but I think that is what is happening." Jas nodded.

"Yes, of-" he paused and sighed. "I read all of the chapter and book, and it appears that in the beginning, it is about an oracle. Then it speaks of what will happen. I then read a couple of verses into chapter fourteen, and it says that the graves are astir, and the dead shall pop out, or something to that extent. Do you think anyone has ever, well, died in The World?"

"I don't know. It appears that there is so much we need to learn." Vanessa said with a sigh.

"Well, we need to get started," Morgan said after a few moment's pause, "first off by leveling up. We all are almost at thirty. Then we will explore the dungeon. I will alert Helba on our intentions. Jas, if you could get Casper, and Dan, if you could get that chick we met in the dungeon the other day." The group ogled at her for a second. This was the first time she had EVER done anything to take control. She sniffed.

"WELL!"

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

"Right on it!"

 

After the girls had gone home and the boys rattled off mails to the other ones, they ate a speedy dinner.

"So," Jas said after getting uncomfortable with the silence, "how do you feel?" Dan sighed.

"Tired. I am ready for this to be over, and it hasn't even started yet." The sounds of the door being opened stopped him.

"Hey mom, did you have a nice dinner?" Posed Jas. She nodded. "Good. I hope you don't mind, but Vanessa and Morgan want us to play The World with them this evening. We finished our homework, and studied for the tests. We should be fine. Is it okay?" Bill nodded. "Okay!" The two boys went off to their rooms. Bill looked at Peg.

"Bed?"

"Of course."

 

Dan sighed in his bedroom. As his computer was connecting him to The World, he was anticipating. He didn't know what would happen. He didn't know if anyone would die. He didn't know anymore. All he knew was one thing, and that was fear.

The welcome screen popped up. Dan sighed as he donned his visor. Muttering a silent prayer, he clicked on the action key entitled 'enter'.

 

End of book two.