.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction / .hack//LIMINALITY Fan Fiction / .hack//Legend Of Twilight Bracelet Fan Fiction ❯ Episode Two: .hack//Legacy ❯ Labyrinth ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve- Labyrinth- The World

 

“Holy hell!” BT said. “I don't remember this happening.”

“Oh, this is like the last Twilight!” Mistral said.

“NO,” BT said, “I don't remember being instantly teleported.” Sircosgi shook his head.

“Well, I thought the last fun house was bad. Silly me.” He took stock of where they were.

They were in another carnival styled house, this time it appeared to be a labyrinth.

“Well, this is slightly morbid.” Mirelle said.

“My style.” Badger said, jokingly.

“Bad influence!” Mistral said, covering Mirelle's ears, “MUST STAY AWAY!”

“Mother!”

“Okay,” BT said, “let's prepare for anything.”

“Wait a second.” Sircosgi said. “I have a bad feeling about this. Mirelle, do you have an item that will allow us to trace our steps… you know, a Hansel and Gretel effect, without the breadcrumbs getting eaten?” Mirelle nodded.

“Rare item!” She said, holding a piece of chalk. “Never runs out, can't be erased by anyone except us, and glows in the dark.” Ouka pulled her collar.

“Rare item. Given by Shugo. One of a kind.” Mirelle foamed at the mouth.

“It should have been mine! He solved the riddle of the Old Man, but I made ALL the trees bloom!”

“But he solved it. It's his, well, technically mine. Besides, I killed the fighting bones!” Sircosgi shook his head.

“Who here knows anything about the Labyrinth and the Minotaur?”

“Very little.” Ouka admitted. BT smiled.

“I see. We can get through the labyrinth, but there's gonna be something in the middle.”

“The minotaur.” Badger said.

“Close, but not quite.” Sircosgi said.

“What then?” Sora asked.

“Chaos. What is more chaotic than a maze that none can solve, and what is more chaos invoking, for us, than having The World branding us outlaws? We're technically too late. She's already performed some of her function. If we can take out Chaos, it may free the knights from her hold.” Badger said.

“Unless, of course, they really are zealous nuts.” Sircosgi said with a laugh. Sora smiled.

“Hey, being an outlaw isn't THAT bad. Ask anyone here?”

“Well, I was more of a rebel.”

“Go MOM!” Mirelle said.

“Hush child.”

“We run out of time.” Pai said. “We must act.” He started into the labyrinth.

“Wait!” Ouka cried out. She walked in front of him and put her right hand on the right wall. “Trust me. Mirelle, keep up and mark up!”

“Right-O!”

“Jeez, Shugo is rubbing off on you.” Mistral moaned.

“HEY! Better him than Kite!”

“Or Sora.” Sircosgi input.

“Or Sircosgi.” Sora said. The two laughed.

“You know, they shouldn't be this cheery.” Pai said. “We're potentially going in to kill a friend.” Ouka chuckled.

“Bravery is sometimes based on bravado. Let them do this. They'll be fine. Besides, we all need a good laugh every now and then. UFF!” She cried out, stubbing her toe on a raised tile. She kicked it out of anger. It sunk into the ground. The group silenced.

“Ah CRAP!” They heard a noise from above.

“SPIKES! Dodge!” They started running forward, tripping other traps. However, they managed to stay in front of everything. That is, of course, until the rolling ball of doom.

“I HATE INDIANA JONES!” Sircosgi exclaimed.

They ran from it for quite a while. It must have been magically empowered, because it could turn corners, and even when they turned from a straight-away, it followed them. Sircosgi got an idea.

“Wavemasters, Juk ROM, on my mark.” He jumped forward and spun backwards. “MARK!”

“JUK ROM!” Five individuals cried out. The ball exploded.

“HA!” Sircosgi cried out. “Take THAT!”

 

Pai walked over to Sircosgi. The group had stopped so everyone could take a break in the Real World.

“Sircosgi, what happens if it is Joker?” Pai asked. “I can't fight her.”

“Brother,” Sircosgi said, “if I were to jeopardize the mission by attacking you, what would you do?”

“Fight back. But-“

“Why would you fight back?”

“Because in that case, you would be the enemy.”

“You see. It doesn't matter who it is. If anyone compromises our mission, we must eliminate them.”

“But what if we're wrong?”

“Then we're wrong.”

“But what of the person?”

“Unless we use an ability, they should be fine. No comatose, nothing. So, nothing will happen.” Sircosgi sighed.

“Something wrong, young one?” Ouka asked.

“No. Just, I am tired of having to fight people who had the appearance of being a friend. First Boragia, now Casper, and possibly Joker, one of my best friends.”

“Do you want to know how much it hurt Kite to kill Mia?” Mistral asked. “It made him feel hollow, like a shell without a soul.”

“Ever since I started this, I have felt like that. I am God's joke. So much has gone wrong. We're outlaws for reasons no one knows, three of my friends have fallen comatose, I see a shrink every other week almost. I mean, my life was NEVER this stressful, yet we were chosen. WHY?”

“Because anyone else under this load of pressure would crack.” Badger said. “We're the only ones strong enough to stand. You know the lyrics to the song Rise?” Sircosgi nodded. “Say the chorus and second verse.” Sircosgi started to sing.

 

“Save your tears,

for the day

when our pain is far behind.

On your feet

come with me:

we are soldiers stand or die.

“Save your fears,

take your place,

save them for the judgement day.

Fast and free,

follow me

time to make the sacrifice:

we rise or fall!

“I'm a soldier, born to stand

in this waking hell I am.

Witnessing more than I can compute.

“Pray myself we don't forget,

lies, betrayed and the oppressed.

Please give me the strength to be the truth.

“People facing the fire together-

If we don't, we'll lose all we have found.”

“You know,” Sora said, “you have a good voice.”

“Wow.” Mistral said, she and Mirelle sniffling.

“Who sings that?” Ouka asked.

“Origa.”

“Send me the audio file sometime.” She said. “It's very nice.” Sircosgi sighed.

“Let's get going. It's time to finish this chapter in our story.”

 

“Are we there yet?” Badger asked.

“NO!” Mistral shouted. Meanwhile, Sora and BT were bickering. “If you two don't stop I'll turn this CAR around, and I'm NOT kidding.”

“SORRY!” Sircosgi said. Mistral seemed to grow in size until she towered above him.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO APOLOGIZE FOR? HUH? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?”

“I just stepped on a trap.” Sircosgi said, pointing at his foot. Mistral opened her mouth to yell, but was saved the trouble by a hole opening up underneath them. Beneath it was pointed spikes. They were all, luckily, within arms length of the edge, so they were able to climb back up.

“I am getting tired of this. Ouka, can you scout in front of us?”

“Sure!” She said, shifting to wolf form, and sniffing the ground in front of them, the rest stepping where she had stepped. This worked until she came running back to them from around a corner.

“RUN THAT WAY!” She said. They all looked around the corner and saw a river of gushing water coming at them. They all ran the other way. Sircosgi stepped on a trap tile. A slab of rock came from the ceiling, shutting the flow of water from reaching them.

“HAH!” He said, in celebration, causing everyone to look at him.

“Well, well, well.” A voice said from behind him. He slowly spun around.

They were in the heart of the labyrinth.

In front of them stood two robed people.

In front of them stood Joker, yet with a mask on her face.