.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction / .hack//LIMINALITY Fan Fiction / .hack//Legend Of Twilight Bracelet Fan Fiction ❯ Episode Two: .hack//Legacy ❯ Despair ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six- Despair- The Real World

 

Dan took off his visor, tears in his eyes. He waited for the inevitable. One hour later it came.

“DAN!” Peg said from his doorway, “Morgan has been taken to the hospital. You and Jas go and make sure that the family is okay. Pick up Vanessa on the way. Tell them that we are making some food, and to come back here for dinner. Everyone there is invited. Okay? So go!” Dan put on a pair of his boots, got Jas, and left.

 

They arrived at the hospital, and found the correct room. Dan smiled inwardly. It was the same room that Lisa and Amanda were in. He gave the two of them a kiss on the forehead before walking over to Morgan's family.

“I am sorry to hear about this. What was she doing?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“She was playing that game.” Dan nodded.

“Well, if there is anything you need, just ask. Oh, right! There's dinner at our house. Mom pretty much wants everyone there. Do you think that you can attend?” Jas asked. He got a nod.

“Well, it starts whenever you get there. Oh, and one more thing.” Dan said. “We were working on a project, Morgan and I. Would it be possible to go over on my way home and pick up her laptop and a few of her computer files?” He got a nod and a house key. The three left the family and headed over to Morgan's house.

 

“What project were you two working on, Dan?” Jas asked.

“Secret Project. If you must know.” Dan said with a smile.

“Dan.” Vanessa said, impatiently. Dan sobered.

“Okay, well, let's just say that a little birdie said that there is a file on her computer with some findings she had. That's all I know.” Dan said, remembering reading the message,

 

`Dear Dan', it said, `there may not be much time left. If anything happens to me, get my laptop, and on my computer transfer the folder Prophecy to the laptop, and put it into the folder titled Last Dinosaur. Then, use my USB transfer card, and get all items from my computer to yours. Then, once all this is done, open up the file known as introductory. That will explain everything. But do this only if I fall comatose. There is something brewing. That is all I can say.

Love,

Morgan B.'

 

He received the message earlier that day. It made him cold with terror, that somehow Morgan knew of her demise.

 

He was still thinking about it at school the next day. He had done all she said, and had yet to read the files. He sighed.

“Dan, are you all right?” Ms. D asked.

“No, I'm afraid not. You know what happened yesterday.” He stated. Ms. D nodded.

“Here, I want you three to go into my office, lie down on my couches, and stay there until the end of class. Hopefully that will do you some good.”

“I would like to, but I'm getting picked up in five minutes. Doctor's Appointment.”

“Ah, but you aren't sick!”

“Routine checkup. They do it so they can monitor what my legs are doing.”

“I see. Well, you two, what are you waiting for? I told you to relax! The rest of you, WRITE your scenes. You will be doing them tomorrow!”

Dan sighed as he sat in the doctors office. Al walked in.

“Ah, Dan. I see you remembered to bring the journal. I do hope you have been writing in it.” Dan nodded. “However, let's start at the cover you have decorated, and see what we can learn from it.”

“Isn't there a proverb about this? Don't judge a book by its cover?” Dan asked testily.

“Ah. Testy mood today? I heard about your friend. Don't worry, all three of them are in good hands, because they aren't mine.” Dan smiled. “See, Mr. Grumpy Pants? It's okay to smile. You've been doing it for a while now. Now, let's begin.” He put the journal on the table in front of him.

“On the front you have a cross. It looks like a medical cross, yet it is missing one of the snakes. What is it?”

“It is the cross of the alchemist.”

“So you are an alchemist? I thought you were a Christian?” Dan smiled.

“Everything I say is confidential, even from my parents?” Dan asked.

“Of course. Unless it's suicide.”

“Okay. Well, I'm not EXACTLY a Christian. I claim Objectivism.”

“Ayn Rand?”

“Exactly. Current events have caused me to do so. I also believe Alchemy is a science, and I find it to be fascinating. I plan on studying it, if I can find the time.”

“I see. Well, lets look at this. It appears to be song lyrics, but they aren't in English.”

“That's right. That song is called Ready Steady Go. It basically says that even if there is something in the way, too bad. I am moving forward, regardless of what I have done, and without regret, for I will never look back. It is basically my life philosophy, summed into less than four minutes.” Al laughed.

“Are there any other songs like this?”

“Yes, but not on this. There is another, called Inner Universe. That's inside of it.”

“And, well, one last thing that I don't recognize: what is this puzzle piece?”
“Now that is a story in itself.” He reflected on it.

 

“Now, I know it's cliché, but United we Stand, and Divided we Fall. Without cooperation, without group sharing, without complete devotion to what we do when we do it, we will fail. Thus, we are like a puzzle. If one piece is missing, it is incomplete. Likewise, if we don't do something together, we could very well fail. Thus, we must remember one thing above all else: that together, we can do the impossible. Alone, we will fail, wither, and likely die.” They then drew a picture on a square note card, cut it into four puzzle pieces, and ended the meeting. Dan put it on his journal as a constant reminder that he was part of something bigger than he could even comprehend.

 

“It's a project that my friends and I did,” Dan told Al. “Group togetherness, all that rot. School stuff.”

“Right,” Al said, seeing through the lie, “and what was the picture of?”

“A sword. A sword that cuts through the lies, and shows The World for what it really is.” Dan said without thinking.

“Ah, so they teach truth in school now. Very interesting. Well, this concludes our session, I am afraid. Listen, here is my e-mail. I want you to write me tomorrow evening, telling me whatever is on your mind. Okay?” Dan took the card and nodded. “I will see you in one month.”

“Wouldn't miss it for anything. Well, except if I died, or was captive, or something like that!” Dan said, in case something did happen to him while in The World. Al laughed and waved him out.