And now for something depressing! It is a fandom that's been dead for some years now, so hopefully someone will get it, and I hope it's still interesting to anyone who doesn't…

Someone to Watch Over Me

Iruka looked out again at the ravaged sector, the swirling data sea lapping up into the ruins of buildings, debris visible even from this distance. When the Game Cube had lifted the sight took his breath away, just as it had that first time so many hours ago. Burned out, hollow, deserted except for the colorful creature wriggling through the sludge, looking for all the world as though they were enjoying themselves.

Iruka started when he saw a flash of unfamiliar colour moving in a different pattern than the regular Nulls… by the User, could it be? It looked almost like…

It looked like Sprites.

Iruka kicked his zipboard out and jumped down off of his ledge, intent on finding out what in the Net was going on. Sure enough, it was two Sprites, moving cautiously, but there, against all odds. He followed them warily for a few micros, wondering who, how, why… and what it might mean for him.

"It looks deserted, Sparky. But if Glitch says there's someone here, then-"

"No. It… It looks like Lost Angles. Look at all the Nulls. If there was anyone here who could have helped us, they're long gone. And there's nothing we can do for these Nulls... We'll just have to wait for the next game."

It was a huge man, and a pretty girl, and they both had weapons and looked tough, and Iruka figured that they were probably not here to help him. He slid back into the alley, and waited until their voices faded away before racing toward home.

****

Minato was a genius Guardian, and their system was lucky to have him. He was joined by his equally genius apprentice, Kakashi- an amazing young man, one of the youngest Guardians ever sent out to monitor a system. He was also Iruka's best friend. He was maybe a couple hours older, but as it was, there were so few sprite Iruka's age that he clung to him like a magnet. Kakashi always seemed pleased enough to see him- the older Sprites thought he was too young and too cocky, the younger ones were too much in awe of him to be any fun. Iruka was mischievous and clever and always up for fun, and so through the cycles they grew closer and closer.

Cycles became minutes, minutes became hours, and Iruka'd nearly compiled up to adulthood. He was living out on his own in a sector his parents were terrified of- nearly all binomes, no place for their precious boy, but Iruka was thrilled to be independent. It didn't hurt that he was now free to merge with Kakashi without being terrified of being caught by Minato, or worse- his parents. They were currently huddled together, just enjoying one another, when the dreaded voice rang out across the system.

"WARNING: INCOMING GAME."

Kakashi sighed deeply, started to pull away, but Iruka caught his arm and pulled him back to his side. "Just, stay. Let them take care of it. It'll be fine."

It seemed like only nanos before the voice returned: "GAME OVER. SYSTEM ERROR 009 - KYUUBI VIRUS DETECTED. SECTORS CORRUPTED. DELETING…" Iruka and Kakashi both moved without thinking, out into the sector, just in time to see the blue energy pulse entirely consume the other side of the system.

****

It hadn't taken long to figure out that they were the last Sprites in the system. Kakashi felt responsible, as though he himself could have stopped the virus. He was in agony over the loss of his beloved mentor, full of anger at himself, full of quiet desperation that hardly allowed Iruka out of his sight. Iruka was wracked with guilt because he was so relieved; he had prevented Kakashi from going, and while his grief for his parents and friends was almost unbearable, he knew that if he'd lost Kakashi too he would have broken completely.

****

It became second nature to ignore the games, to let them descend on the barren wasteland that had once been their system. They played when they were forced to- when the Cube descended in one of the two sectors left, desperately trying to protect the little they had left. Iruka was adamant about always going in with Kakashi, and Kakashi allowed it because he couldn't bear to leave Iruka outside alone while he was locked in the game. Still, it occasionally happened that one of them was caught out alone.

It had been less than two hours since the Kyuubi when Kakashi went into a game alone. It took less than twenty micros for the voice to announce "GAME OVER."

Iruka sagged visibly with relief, he was always so terrified that he would hear…

"USER WINS."

That was when he stopped counting time.

****

The unfamiliar Sprites were camping out in the shell of the old school building, on the least damaged part of Sector 7. Iruka kept a halfhearted eye on them, although he assumed the few half-mad binomes left in the system would keep them away from him. For the first time ever, he breathed a sigh of relief when the sky darkened and the purple cube appeared. The strangers flew into it, and Iruka fervently wished that when it disappeared, they would go with it. They did.

He brushed gentle fingers over the silvery Null resting on his shoulder.

"It's okay," he mumbled. "It's okay, Kashi, I'll protect you. I'll always stay with you."

****

A/N - Anyone? Anyone? Do you hate me? Does anyone remember the Crossover Show?