.HACK//FALLEN

VOLUME 3

Why? Reaper?

I'm sorry,

Why her?

I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!

You lie. You meant to take her, don't lie.

Haseo, even you know I'd never--

It's too late, Reaper. You made the choice to take her life so now you must give yours.

That was the same dream as the night before and so on,

'Hih-hah...hih-hah...hih-hah...'

Now I lay here, awake, in my bed. Head in hand on my knee; crying,

'Why?'

I tried to tell him I didn't mean to take her life but he won't listen. He thinks I meant to do so., and in that, he's 'banished' me; ostrocized me from being his friend.

'I'm sorry, Haseo,'

Since all this has happened; AIDA, Helba, Black Deathress, Shay, Blackrose, Reina, and even her, Felicia. I've become more an enemy than a friend and ally.

'Pi, please forgive me.'

'Felicia, I'm sorry, please, you too, forgive me, I beg you.'

"What am I to do? do I log back in and try to set things straight? or do I just let them handle this problem without me and go live my life I still have?" I lay here in my bed wondering this. My eyes roll over the room and past a clock which said,

3:30 a.m. friday, October 10

'God...Today, I am going to see Shay and Felicia in the hospital in downtown Tokyo.'

I lay back down; resting my head on my pillow and falling back asleep.

---Friday afternoon, 12:30 p.m. Yukoshima Hospital, Room 127---

As I walk into room 127, I look around this small, ten by fifteen room. In it, a television set, a desk, bathroom, window, and a bed. In that bed, a girl; pale white, eyes closed; asleep. She was wearing a blue gown, had long, brown, straight hair, and was on life support; which beeped every three seconds, the computers and so read her vitals, heart rate, pulse, brain functionality, and whatever else they were supposed to read. I pull up a chair next to her bed and sit down staring at this once beautiful girl.

"Hey there," I greet, knowing she probably could not hear me

"I'm sorry I got you into this, I really am. You shouldn't have done what you did, but, even though warned, you still chose to help me out,"

I can now feel warm tears run down my face, I grab and hold her hand in mine and kiss it.

"Till death do us part, my dear Shay." I whisper, now crying

"I wish this never happened, I really do." I mutter

'Ugh'

"Shay?" I look up at her and see nothing new; no change in posture or facial expression

'hih-hah' I sigh in dismay

"Please, Shay, get well and come out of this coma. I love you, babe." I kiss her one last time, only this time on her forehead and I walk out with the nurse.

"Thank you, ma'am for letting me see her."

"No problem, sir. I saw how you acted in there, I must say, you do love her a lot. I'm sorry about the curfew, though. If I could, I'd let you stay longer." the nurse answers passionately and sorrowfully

"Thank you." I bow then leave

---1:00 p.m. Room 212---

For the second time today, I walk into a similar room to visit a friend. This room, though, was different. It had no window and was smaller. I look at the bed to see this girl with ear-length, wavy brunet hair and was awake.

"Hello." she spoke

"You're awake," I happily reply before pulling up a chair next to her

"How are you feeling, Felicia?" I ask

"Better," she replies,

"Doctor says in a couple of weeks I can get out of here."

"Cool." I said

"Yeah. How's Shay doing?"

"Shay? she's still on life support and hasn't come out of a coma yet." I drop my head sadly

"I'm sorry, Lan."

"It's okay, Felicia. Afterall, you only gave her advice which she chose to use. You did nothing wrong, don't stress yourself over it."

"Still, Lan, I did hurt her and you."

"Will you ever stop toying with me." now looking into her eyes, smiling

"Ha ha ha. That's the Lan I dorm with right there." she laughs, looking at me

"Yeah. That's me." I smirk

"So, have you been on The World lately Lan?"

"No, I haven't. Ever since I took Pi out with my Data Drain and you and Shay were hospitalized I've stayed away."

"You know Lan, you should go back,"

"Why?"

"Your friends need you."

"What friends? the friends I once had are now my enemies." I reply sadly, picturing the faces of Haseo, Kuhn, Eye, Syn, Pi, and them, Rena and Blackrose

"Do it not for your friends but for the two you love, Lan."

"The two I love? one is in a coma and another is missing, Felicia."

"Missing? you've got that all wrong already, Lan,"

'Huh?'

"The one you say is missing is Rena, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"She is not missing, as you say, 'stead, she is simply in front of you--in the most likely place."

'Most likely place?'

"For me and her, Lan, please go back to The World and end this all." she implores

"sigh...fine. But only for you girls, later." I peck her cheek then leave the room and head home to log back onto, The World.