Author's Note: I actually wrote this chapter in reverse... 0xo Ehem, anyway, a great big hug to each and every reader and reviewer! You guys keep me going!

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED and all its characters belong to their respective owners.


Fantasy Trap

Chapter 03: Silence

Buying equipment in this game was very much like going shopping, Athrun philosophized as he stood staring at the goods lining the walls of the Weapon Shop. To think, they had come all this way, and now they were at a complete stand-still…

After reporting the Rock Golem's demise to the village council, they were rewarded with a handsome amount of Gold Points. There was nothing worth spending their game money on in the village of Iris, since it was just a small, backwater town. So Kira and Lacus had agreed to keep on travelling with 'the stranger', as the townsfolk had dubbed Athrun, to see more of the world and to essentially buy something of value with their reward money.

They had crossed a frigid mountain range to get to the next town. Harried by snowstorms and icy winds, they had braved the deadly Snow Giants, Big Foot monsters and the occasional Yeti that dwelled in Snowflake Pass. There had even been a nasty Ice Troll. Athrun's Phoenix had made short work of that one, and, inside its carcass, he had found another shiny little bauble – the 'Shiva Cradle'. The next fiend unfortunate enough to harass them, had tasted the Shiva's snowstorm breath attack and shattered from the cold. Athrun had been surprised that, this time, his new summoned creature gave him wings made of thin ice. Lacus could not stop admiring the petite ice fairy with her sharp features and long, snowy tresses, but, sitting on Athrun's shoulder with an impish grin, the Shiva only had eyes for her master. Like before, the moment the Shiva took her place in the white gem on his staff, Athrun's frosty, glass-like wings disappeared. Again, Kira had complained.

Now, as Athrun watched Lacus thoroughly examine two pieces of armour, he caught himself daydreaming about what other kinds of creatures he would find through the course of the game. As much as he hated to admit it, at that moment, he was bored.

Shopping with Lacus was a drawn out business…

Kira had quickly grabbed the biggest, toughest bow in the shop, bought the thing and was done with it. But Lacus just could not seem to make up her mind. The two items looked nothing like armour, of course. In fact, they were two jackets that looked a lot like the one Lacus was already wearing. The only real difference was the colour of the garments. No matter what they looked like, the moment she equipped one of them, her defence against physical damage would rise and she would be able to withstand heavier attacks.

"What do you think about this one, Kira?" she enquired sweetly, holding the pink one up against her lavender dress.

"It looks very nice!" Kira replied and Lacus graced him with a delighted smile.

"And this one?" she asked, holding the yellow one up for his inspection.

"That one looks really nice too!" Kira replied.

"Really, Kira," Lacus sighed, arching a delicate, pink eyebrow at him, "it seems you do not care what I wear…"

"Huh? N-No, no," Kira stammered, "it's because both look nice!"

"Honestly!" Lacus huffed, then spun to face Athrun. "Athrun, which one should I buy?" she asked in a tone that demanded an honest opinion, yet somehow sounded serene at the same time.

Athrun could feel Kira's eyes boring holes into his back. Kira had every right to be protective of Lacus – she was very beautiful and popular. There was an easy way out of this one, but the mischievous side of Athrun suddenly had a very sneaky idea… With a slight smirk, he pointed to the sun-coloured jacket in the pink-haired girl's left hand.

"That one," he said simply.

"This one?" Lacus asked, putting down the pink garment and scrutinizing the yellow one anew. "Well, it does match the ribbon in my hair…"

There was a full second of silence before the estimated explosion erupted.

"Buy the pink one!" Kira shouted, practically lunging forward to stop Lacus from paying the shopkeeper, who was watching the whole affair with a bland, NPC smile on her face.

"Oh my?" Lacus cheeped as the brown-haired boy pressed the pink jacket back into her hands. "Kira?"

"Buy the pink one!" he insisted. "It will look great with your hair!"

Lacus blinked and stared at Kira as if she had never seen him before. Slowly, surely, a soft blush was forming on her pale cheeks. Kira should compliment her more often… Athrun thought, his smile growing.

"Really?" she asked, looking as flustered as Athrun had ever seen her.

"Yep!" Kira assured her, nodding vigorously. "Really!"

It was all just too much for Athrun. Unable to keep his amusement to himself any longer, he burst out laughing. This earned him a dirty look from Kira and a puzzled one from Lacus.

"What are you laughing at, Athrun?" Kira challenged, his purple eyes narrowed and his expression dangerously close to sulking. Athrun thought he had better explain now, before Kira decided to take this personally. Not that placid Kira Yamato was one to hold a grudge, but who knew how much of the rules had changed since the guy had fallen in love?

"Kira, did you even bother to look at the stats on that item?" Athrun chuckled. "The obvious choice would be the yellow one. It has much stronger armour!"

In fact, the pink one had even less armour than the white jacket Lacus had equipped at that moment, so buying it would be a complete waste of their gold. The defensive frown slowly faded from Kira's features, replaced by an expression of pure embarrassment.

"Oh…" Kira grumbled, scratching his head sheepishly. When he regained himself, he shot Athrun a 'you-could've-said-something-sooner-you-know' look. Athrun just smiled.

When they finally left the shop, Athrun wore a silver earring that amplified his defence against magic damage, Kira had his new bow and a couple of onion arrows, and Lacus paraded around dreamily in her new pink jacket. She insisted on wearing it since Kira had said that it would look good with her hair. They had tried talking her out of it, both of them – her armour was weaker than it ever had been – but she had happily announced that it was Kira's job to protect her. Then, it was Kira's turn to start blushing.

He really should compliment her more… Athrun thought fondly.

--

Shinn stood hammering the controls of a rather ancient-looking arcade game called Pac Man or some such. His foul mood was finally starting to wear off. Trying out all of the oldest games in the arcade had distracted him from the vision of his little sister. At least, for the time being. He had progressed into the more difficult levels already and was only a few hundreds from beating the top score. He was just about to bag another prize when a high-pitched squeal, loud enough to be heard above the buzz of the arcade, drew his attention. He peeked in the direction the sound had come from, and felt his jaw drop.

A familiar-looking, red-haired girl wearing a pink-and-orange jacket and a pair of short, purple pants – they were so short that they were barely visible under her jacket, Shinn noted with a blush – stood battling with one of the arcade machines. A white cap and matching white handbag hanging at her hip named her the younger of the two Hawke sisters – that and the trademark twin ponytails swishing from side to side as she focused her concentration fully on the game in front of her. Shinn did not think it all that strange to find Meyrin Hawke in an arcade, playing games. What really had him staring was her astounding score.

"Meyrin?" he asked, gaping.

At hearing her name, the redhead spun around with a surprised squeak and jumped so high, her ponytails actually rebounded. In a flash, she pulled down her cap and covered her eyes with the pair of pink sunglasses that had been resting on top of it.

"Ah! You must be mistaken!" she stammered, attempting to mask her voice behind a cough. A fat lot of good that did, Shinn thought with a grimace. He had already recognized her.

"Meyrin, wait!" he called out, but she was already slipping away in the crowd.

Frowning, he stared after her. Was she trying to hide the fact that she was hanging out in the arcade? If she wanted to play out here in public without people knowing it was her, she ought to at least have put on some sort of disguise! The day Shinn understood the things girls did would probably be the day that elephants sprouted wings, hw thought with a shrug.

It still plagued him, however. Did it have anything to do with the mysterious fight Luna and her little sister had had, but would not speak of? Had Meyrin been planning to apologize, but found that her elder sister had not shown up? Come to think of it, where the hell was Luna, anyway? Honestly, these girls just did not make any sense! Maybe he should ask Athrun about it. Athrun seemed to know a great deal about girls.

Forget it! Shinn snapped silently, disgusted with himself for even thinking of the possibility.

That would only serve to further bloat the blue-haired Coordinator's already oversized ego. The day Shinn asked that arrogant bastard for advice would be the day he boarded that winged elephant and flew to moon on its back!

--

Plumes of smoke marred their picturesque view of the sunset as they approached the village of Swanford, a supposedly bustling little town indicated by the map as their next destination. At first, Athrun had dismissed the smell of burning wood for a forest fire or possibly some kind of farming technique. But, as they neared the now familiar X-marker on the minimap, he knew that he could not keep on deceiving himself.

Swanford was a charred skeleton of its former self. Sparks and black smog drifted through the air. Everything reeked of destruction. Athrun soon realized that this had been no mere accident, and not even arson. It was a terrible sight – a sight that did not belong in any game – that now filled their senses. Above the sound of crackling flames, Athrun's ears could pick up the moans of the wounded and the heart-wrenching wails of the weeping. This had been a massacre. Desperately, he tried to shut out the scene of devastation before him, to cut off the sounds rising from that spent inferno.

"This is too cruel…" Lacus exhaled faintly. Her sky blue eyes wavered and Kira caught her just in time as her legs gave way beneath her.

"This was done in terribly bad taste," Kira said, his face as expressionless as a statue's. "Even if they were going for realism…"

He looked at Athrun and Athrun nodded. That look conveyed the unspoken confirmation he had been waiting for. Having seen too much of the real thing in their own lives, neither of them wanted to continue this, even if it was only supposed to be a game. Athrun closed his eyes and accessed the main menu of the game. Absently, he wondered if this kind of thing was the reason for Shinn quitting the game prematurely and storming off without a word. Browsing the list of options available, he concentrated on the one that read 'end game'. A flood of static rushed into his senses, stunning him.

With eyes wide open in surprise, he saw a flash of Kira and Lacus's concerned faces before blacking out…

x x x

Everything was pitch black.

Where am I?

Static noise sang in his ears, making his head hurt.

His breathing was shallow against the leather restraints holding him upright. They felt uncomfortably tight. He tried to open his eyes, but could not. He tried to move. His body refused him numbly. He tried again, and felt a small thrill of victory at managing to move the fingers on his right hand.

"A-Athrun…?" a timid voice spoke from out of the scratchy darkness. "Athrun?"

I'm here! he cried out silently. Where was here, exactly? He tried to move his lips, but no words came out. I can't move! He had to at least make a sound. What if they thought he was dead? They were going to leave him here! Somebody, please find me! His mouth worked soundlessly in a futile attempt to speak. It was like trying to talk around a mouthful of cotton, but he had to try. He willed his unresponsive tongue to move. Work, damn you! His heart sank at hearing the dim echo of retreating footsteps.

No, wait! he wanted to scream. Come back!

But no one could hear him.

He was drowning in silence…

x x x

"…thrun! Athrun!"

L… ight….

Light?

"I don't think that will help, Lacus," Kira was saying gently. "He wasn't hurt inside the game, so…"

Yes, there was a soft, tender light ebbing and flowing in and out of his faltering vision as he heaved open one eye. The first thing he really saw was Lacus's face, her lake blue eyes narrowed in concentration and sweat trailing down her forehead as she bathed him in the light of one of her healing spells. Never before in his life had he seen her look so desperate yet steadfastly determined at the same time. Was she worried about him?

"He's awake!" she exclaimed, letting the spell fade as she scooted over to make room for Kira by Athrun's side.

"What happened?" he croaked, sitting up groggily.

"You were trying to quit the game when you passed out," Kira informed him, helping Athrun to his feet. "Remember?"

"I was trying to quit the game…" Athrun repeated, trying hard to recollect and piece together the jumble of sensations he thought he had experienced. The only thing he could recall with certainty was a vague memory of panic rising in his throat. "And there was interference…"

"I've tried quitting several times while you were out," Kira continued, ruffling his own hair in frustration, "but the option is greyed out and— Athrun?"

Athrun felt the colour drain from his face as it suddenly hit him. The silent room with the restraints… If what he had felt was real… If it had not been just a nightmare… then something was seriously wrong out there in the real world. Lacus blinked at him in confusion, and Kira had a look of apprehension in his amethyst eyes.

"I think…" Athrun began, but had to swallow before he could complete the sentence. "I think we're stuck here…"

Trapped inside a game, with no way to contact the outside world…

--

Meyrin did not stop to catch her breath until she slipped into a broom closet and stood with her back safely against the door. If Shinn was here, in this arcade, it could only mean one thing… Sis is probably here too! she groaned inwardly. It was bad enough that she had had to lie to Lunamaria about having a dentist appointment, but to have walked into the very arcade where she was hanging out with Athrun and the others…! I mean, there are dozens of arcades across town! Why did they have to pick this one!?

Her only hope was that Shinn had not recognized her after all. She sank to the floor with a moan. What were the chances of that?

Sighing despondently, she studied her feet. The only option she had left was to wait here until she was sure Lunamaria and the rest had gone home. That would at least lessen the chances of being seen by her. If only Shinn had not seen her! Sis will never forgive me if she finds out I've been practicing! If they had not gone past the forgiving stage already…

Wondering how long she was going to have to sit here, she looked up, and, for the first time, realized that this small room with its dimmed lights was definitely no broom closet.

"What is this place?" she wondered out loud.

Wires and equipment filled the room. In the middle of the small room stood three seats that reminded her an awful lot of a dentist's chair. Taking a closer look, she noticed that there were people strapped to the chairs. Each of the three wore a headpiece of sorts, and everything was connected to a sizable black box with a flashing green light. Letters spelling the word 'Talisma' was printed on the side of the box next to a logo made up of triplet haloes. Was this the virtual reality game she had heard about? She had been meaning to give it a spin…

Naturally intrigued by anything to do with programming, Meyrin picked her way across the wires to get a closer look at the unfamiliar setup. Studying the players, she felt an involuntary thrill pass through her body as she recognized the navy-haired boy in the seat closest to her – it was Athrun! With a small smile, she noted how cute he looked with the visor of the strange headset covering his eyes.

Wait a minute…! If Athrun is here, then—

Hastily, she checked the other players. One was Athrun's best friend, Kira Yamato, the other, a pink-haired girl who could only be the Lady Lacus. She breathed a sigh of relief at noticing her sister's absence – it would have been terribly bad luck to bump into her now, after going through all the trouble of running away from Shinn!

Shaking her head, Meyrin pushed aside the ridiculous mental picture of her sister rising out of one of these chairs like a mummy from a crypt and chasing after her with glowing red eyes. She was being silly. Sis always said she had an overactive imagination. Even if Lunamaria had been here, none of these three seemed to be aware of what was going on around them, so she went back to studying Athrun…

She bit her lip. He was very still for someone who was supposed to be playing a game. He was not sitting up straight, either. Instead, his body was slumped against the restraints of the chair, and the attachments on the headset was the only thing keeping his head from lolling to one side. Either the game was so boring that he had fallen asleep… or he was unconscious! Gingerly, she pressed two fingers to his throat to feel for a pulse. His heart rate seemed normal, but his skin felt ice cold and his breathing was shallow.

Something was very wrong here! Panicked, she reached to pull off the headset, to free him! Her eyes caught the warning just in time. Her fingers frozen inches away from removing the first clasp, she read the clear, yellow letters:

CAUTION: DO NOT REMOVE HEADSET WHILE GAME IS IN PROGRESS

Her knees buckled at the realization of what she had just been about to. She could not remove the headset forcefully. She was not sure that it would have helped, in any case. She could not give up now. Athrun and the others were counting on her! A bit of searching turned up a manual, discarded on a table in the corner of the room. Just the thing she needed!

But her heart sank as she opened the skinny book to scan the first – and only – three pages. It contained a long list of rules that advised against drinking beverages near the gaming console, pointed out that strictly three players were required to play the game, and all kinds of things about what should not be done while playing. There was nothing about what to do if a player were to lose consciousness. Frustrated, she was about to toss the flimsy little booklet aside when she read something about a "rouse button".

"This is it!" she shouted excitedly. "To get the attention of a player from the outside, do not startle or shake the player. Do NOT remove the headset under ANY circumstances," she could not help but grimace at that, "but please refer to the 'rouse button' located behind said player's chair…"

She dropped the manual and scurried over to Athrun's seat. Sure enough, she found a sizable, blue button at the back of the chair. Hurriedly, she bent down and pressed it. Looking up, she saw the fingers on Athrun's right hand twitch ever so slightly. Come on, come on… she urged silently. Again, she pressed the fat, blue button and stared at him hopefully.

No reaction.

"A-Athrun…?" she ventured. "Athrun?"

Silence greeted her. On the verge of despair, she rushed to try the rouse buttons on the other two chairs.

Utter silence.

Help! she thought, bounding to her feet. I'll get help!

To be continued...