Epitaph
A girl meets Tsukasa and tells him that she will be out of town for a little while and that she would like him to help take care of her Grunty. While taking care of the Grunty it eventually becomes sick and the only cure is a hard to find purple cherry. While Tsukasa is searching for the cherry all the other characters are discussing the Key of the Twilight. Sora mentions that he may know someone that might be able to help them in their search...the great hacker Helba.
Aired 30/05/2002EP 9 - Epitaph
.hack//SIGN
A young wavemaster, only known by the alias of Tsukasa, wakes up in an MMORPG called The World, with slight amnesia. He does not know what he has previously done before he woke up. In The World, he is suspected to be a hacker of the Crimson Knights, as he was seen accompanying a tweaked character in the form of a cat. Unable to log out from the game, he wanders around looking for answers, avoiding the knights and other players he meets along the way.
As Tsukasa explores The World, he stumbles upon a magical item that takes the form of a 'guardian', which promises him protection from all harm. Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, along with several other players who became acquainted with Tsukasa, set out to investigate why Tsukasa is unable to log out, and attempt to get to the bottom of the problem before it gets out of hand.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]