A/N: I am very sorry for the long wait, please don't kill me! I've been having terrible writer's block for this particular story and my examinations have not ended yet… I hope this chapter is worth the wait! I've been typing this in between tuitions instead of revising... hopefully, my grades won't be too bad...

To theunhappytwins, I am sorry for messing with your OTP; I am doing it again in this chapter, though… I understand, don't worry; I am very protective over my LukaxMiku OTP as well.

To Dakimoemoe, I have always wanted to explore the idea of LilyxMeiko, so I gave it a shot! It gave me a lot to write about and a sizable amount of emotions to play with. Thanks for the compliment!

To Abbey, thank you for your concern:) I am glad that you enjoy my work!

To Truna, thank you! I am delighted to be able to brighten up your day!

To everyone else who reviewed, thank you very much! I am heartened to see so many people request I continue this story!

Haruka

Looking down at the chasm before her, Luka gulped and grumbled to herself, "You've got to be kidding me!" A series of ropes hanging from the ceiling were the only way she could get to the other side, and around her, human-like creatures thronged, out for her blood. She could try taking them on, but she decided against it for she would rather not risk getting multiple injuries.

Taking a deep breath, the pink haired warrior took a running jump and managed to latch on to the middle of the rope, katana still firmly clutched in one hand. Reminding herself not to look down, Luka swung her body weight forward, trying to get closer to the next rope while keeping it away from her shrieking enemies. They reached out blindly and desperately for her, climbing over one another; though they looked human, they behaved like anything but.

A few of them tumbled into the chasm, and when Luka finally made it to the second rope and severed the one behind her, she was horrified to find out that she had not heard them hit the bottom yet. The rope fell after them and also made no sound despite the long amount of time it took Luka to reach the next rope; the chasm was deep indeed, whoever dug it, if it was dug, sure did his job well. She waited on the third rope and listened, her entire body shivering; more of her enemies slipped over the edge and fell down, but no sounds came from the awning black hole. Was it bottomless…?

"Shit," Luka cursed as her clammy hands slipped on the rope, nearly sending her tumbling; her heart was pounding in her chest and bile had welled up in her throat. Fortunately, her smart idea of severing the ropes saved her from having to fight while dealing with one of her greatest fears, heights; Luka was grateful that her mind was still functioning intelligently despite the terror that swirled deep within her, despite the fact that all she wanted to do right then was cry.

It was dizzying and absolutely terrifying to even think about the ground that had fallen away below her, so Luka tried to focus every ounce of herself into reaching for the next rope and keeping an eye on the seething mass of angry enemies at the other side of the chasm. They slipped and slid, pushing and clawing at one another, hissing angrily at her. A few of them tried to leap to where she was, but it was a hopeless attempt doomed to failure. Those ropes she had cut away put at least five meters between her and the edge of the chasm, there was no way any one of those beasts could jump so far.

They were fearless and dauntless, though, no matter how many of them fell into the seemingly bottomless hole, they kept trying to reach her and a few of them got pretty darn close. Luka quickly got herself together and swung onto the next rope, severing the one behind her just as one of those creatures grabbed hold of the very last inch of it, trying to pull itself up.

It fell along with the rope, screeching loudly, while Luka tried to look away. Her heart was hammering in her throat and she could feel her pulse racing, her palms were sweaty and her skin ghostly pale. Looking ahead, the pink haired warrior counted the ropes that stood between her and victory; eleven more to go. She wanted to give up more than ever, curl in a corner and cry, heights were her greatest weakness, but it was the thought of Miku waiting for her at the other side that drove her onward. No matter what fears she had to face, no matter what trials she had to overcome, Luka would do all in her power to get past them and save her beloved. For Miku, she would do anything, endure anything, face anything… nothing would stop Luka from going to her sweetheart's aid.

The creatures were throwing one another now, and some of them were throwing their weapons at her as well. Luka ducked narrowly, shifting her weight on the rope to evade the projectiles, tears welling up in her eyes as the sickening sway of the damn piece of string reminded her that there was nothing but emptiness below her. A sword narrowly caught her in the arm, grazing her skin, and she quickly ducked as another came flying her way. The rope swayed again, making her stomach churn.

Cursing loudly, Luka grabbed at the next rope, her fingertips just grazing it as the enemy's weapon crashed into the rope she was on, severing it. For a frightening moment, she was falling with the rope, but she quickly caught hold of the next one, steadying herself. Luka cursed again, rattling off a list of swear words she picked up in high school; she reached quickly for the next rope just in case her enemies severed the one she was on before she could get to it.

They were getting further and further away, their projectiles steadily falling short of her, there now stood but four ropes between Luka and the other end of the chasm. Relief flooded through the pink haired warrior, just as a huge creature's head reared from the depths of the bottomless pit. It was as thick as a bullet train, covered in patchy red and green scales, and had teeth as long as Luka's entire arm. It roared at her, a deafening and terrifying sound that made her heart nearly stop in her chest.

Another profanity escaped the pink haired warrior's lips as she bolted up the rope to get away from gnashing teeth; how could she fight like this? Quickly, she grabbed the next rope, bringing the old one along with her to make a loop. The beast stupidly lunged after her and entered her makeshift noose willingly; Luka quickly knotted the rope and shifted to the next one, using the one she was just on to bind the thrashing creature's neck as well.

Thank goodness I have always been the type to think quickly on her feet, Luka thought as she cleared the last two ropes and landed on solid ground once more; her knees trembled and she threw up a few times as the terror finally settled in her adrenaline-clouded brain. Behind her, the angered monster roared in displeasure, and Luka decided to quickly get out of there before it escaped.

Amused applause greeted her as she stumbled through the doorway, and the same alien from before spoke, "Ingenious, human, absolutely ingenious! We are delighted to have a quick thinker like you playing this year."

Luka growled at him and headed to the shower that awaited her, already growing accustomed to the after-challenge ritual. The alien waited for her to emerge patiently, glad that he was in charge of a very intelligent and amusing competitor this year. If she won, he would receive a sizable commission, and really, he was mostly doing this for money. He and his kind are just like humans betting on the outcome of dogfights, humans have no right to call them cruel.

"Your prize is an hour with the girl you love again, no more, no less," he waved his hand, the turquoise haired girl's emaciated body appearing on the ground between them. Instantly, Luka rushed to the girl's side, embracing her; he reminded them, "Your one hour begins now."

Cradling her starved and weak girlfriend in her arms, Luka suppressed her fury for another time and focused all her attention on comforting Miku; after all, she did not know when they would meet again. They had to be strong for each other and pull through the terrible things they had to endure alone, and they had but an hour with each other every few days. She could not, would not, waste a single precious moment with her Miku by thinking of those goddess-forsaken aliens.

"It's alright, Miku, I'm still going strong. I'll get us out of here, just you wait," Luka reassured the sobbing girl in her arms, stroking her matted turquoise hair, inhaling the sweet scent of Miku mixed with the stench of fear, hunger and suffering. They definitely would be the ones going home this year; Luka would do all she could to assure that.

"L-Luka…" Miku whimpered in response, "I… I don't want anyone else to have to die…!" Trust Miku to be shedding tears for the sake of others instead of worrying for herself, no other girl in the world could be so kindhearted, so selfless. She wanted everyone to go home together, but that was not possible; they lacked the strength and ability to play hero here, they were but pawns in the aliens' games, that was their inescapable reality. It was already all Luka could do to endure these challenges to bring them home alive, it was impossible for her to bring everyone else too.

"I'm sorry; sweetie… but we can't do anything. We are absolutely helpless here; the most we can do is defend our own lives…" Luka hated to have to tell her beloved that, but she would not falsely promise Miku that they could achieve something absolutely impossible. They were puppets of this sinister show, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Miku dissolved into tears once more, mourning the lives she knew would be lost over the course of these cruel Games.

[Elsewhere]

Before the blonde, dozens of misshapen monsters stood, watching her and slowly approaching her like lions toying with their obviously helpless prey. Around her they circled, scarlet eyes glowing, their feet padding soundlessly on the sandy floor. Lily tensed, sword in hand, and then pulled off her chest plate, tossing it at the creatures.

I don't know who I am without you, I don't know if I can stand another hand upon you; all I know is that I should let you go. My reappearance has caused you much pain and interfered with your relationship, I should not stay any longer for fear of causing even more damage. He will love you more than I could; he will give you the happiness that I never managed to. Mei-chan… please release our memories to the wind and let them melt away…

It clanged noisily before them and they snarled, backing up a little, hesitant to sustain any sort of injury. Lily growled at the ceiling, toward the cameras that whirred around her, "I said I would not fight, but I am not dying at the hands of your monsters either, bastards!" She had thought over it last night, filled with the bliss of holding her beloved Meiko, and she knew this was the best thing she could do. Meiko could not survive if Lily remained, her heart would be torn in two, and that half-hearted love would be her downfall. If she died and killed off that surely wilting love within Meiko for her, the brunette would be able to wholeheartedly focus on her boyfriend and, hopefully, get out of these sick Games alive.

"F*** you all, sick bastards!" with that, Lily brought her blade down upon herself, through her chest; relief coursed through the blonde as her body crumpled to the ground, her life bleeding from her.

She had chosen to lose on her own conditions, she had managed to choose her own path in this game that controlled humans as if they were hamsters in a maze, she had done what she knew she would be proud of. "Mei-chan… I… no longer have… any regrets…" The black waves that crashed upon her and dragged her from her body filled Lily with peace and contentment, something that had evaded her for years ever since she left Meiko. She had finally seen her beloved again and let her know that her feelings were true, had always been true, it was all that Lily had ever wished for. Her life was complete, and she could rest in peace.

In stunned silence, the Mind Games creators and staff watched the blonde bleed out on the dust and sand; never before had a human competitor killed herself in the entire history of the Games! They always cared too much for the lover that they would drag to hell with them; either that or they had no guts to die by their own hands. This girl, however, had plenty of guts, she was barely afraid of anything, and she could not care less about the toy rotting in the cells that would die with her. All she wanted was a fellow competitor, and she knew that she could never have her.

They swooped in to take her broken body before the beasts could devour it, struck by the peaceful smile they found on her face. Humans were strange creatures indeed, capable of such strong emotions yet such ruthless heartlessness at the same time. She would be buried among the Mind Games competitors that made an impact, while her boy toy would be incinerated along with the galaxy's trash.

Had the blonde any idea the amount of pain she would inflict upon the warrior Sakine with her death? No, she probably did not, she must have thought that the brown haired warrior felt much more affection toward her boyfriend and would be better off without her. She probably thought that the warrior Sakine would love her boyfriend completely if she were out of the way; she could not have been any more wrong.

The drama was beginning, and it was much more exciting than the climax of any other year's Mind Games. There were so many competitors with such interesting feelings and backgrounds, many this year would be remembered by the Andromeda Galaxy for millennia to come.

"Japan has quite a number of interesting and intense people… we should take competitors from Asia more often. Shall we take... South-East Asians next year, Sir?"

[Elsewhere, again]

"Masuda Lily has failed her challenge. Masuda Lily and Kamui Gakupo are dead."

The announcement nearly made Meiko's heart stop right in her chest; she had not expected Lily to really give up the fight and give up her life. Her knees crumbled below her, her head and heart ached, tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks as she began to sob with the intensity of a person vomiting, on all fours. Kaito's eyes filled with worry as he crawled weakly to her, wrapping his arms around her; to his surprise, Meiko flinched away from his embrace and sunk to her knees, still sobbing.

"You… you really loved her… didn't you?" Kaito asked gently, there was no trace of an accusation in his tone, but Meiko's heart still filled with guilt and pain. She nodded, mumbling a feeble, half-hearted apology, and he reassured her, "It isn't your fault, Mei-chan. We cannot control our hearts, after all."

So, that smug alien bastard was right… Kaito had hoped with all his heart that he had been wrong. Still, there was nothing he could do about the situation and though it hurt him sizably that he was not the only one in Meiko's heart, he understood that it was no one's fault. Maybe it was his own for being an extra, for not trying to find out about his girlfriend's past. He had let it all go, let Meiko keep her secrets, if only he had not, he would have tried to reunite the two, and all this would not be happening.

Lily would not have died, Gakupo too. Guilt gnawed at the blue haired man's heart, he had caused the deaths of two innocent strangers and inflicted a deep wound in Meiko's chest that would probably never heal… If only he had put in the effort to uncover more about Meiko, instead of trying to steal her heart…

As the last of their hour slipped away from them, Meiko whimpered the blonde's name senselessly as her tears dripped onto the cold stone floor, her body heaving with the intensity of her cries; helpless, Kaito could only watch and wish he had done more for the girl he loved with all his heart. If only he had worked to reunite her with Lily… Meiko would not be torn in two, mourning the death of her beloved. If she were unlucky enough to be here even if the circumstances were different, she would be fighting wholeheartedly for Lily, or the other way round; either way Lily would not be dead now, and Meiko would not be in this pathetic state.

There was so much they regretted, but they could no longer change anything. What had happened could not be reversed, and the dead remained dead forever. When Masuda Lily took her own life that day, she took with her half of Meiko and a little piece of her boyfriend Kaito. Wills were beginning to weaken and lives were slowly fading, and it was but the third challenge of the Games. How many more challenges would there be before only one with a heart of pure and true love remained?

Meiko wiped her eyes as the alien in charge of her appeared to announce the end of her reward, telling Kaito in a pained and hollow voice, "I'll continue fighting, Kaito. For you… and for her."

Relieved, he replied, "That's good to hear, Meiko." Although it hurt him to know that he was not the only one in her heart even now, he knew that this was Meiko's idea of penance, she would suffer for the pain she had caused the girl who had truly loved her. She would not take the easy way out and die, not until she had tasted enough pain to alleviate her guilt. "I love you."

It hurt him that she did not respond, it hurt him that she gave him an almost stricken, apologetic look, but he would not let it get to him. He would have faith in his girlfriend and support her no matter what, that was true love after all. Masuda Lily, you fool… did you think Meiko loved me more than she loved you? Did you think your death would cause her little pain? She loved you, loves you still… why did you leave her…? However, deep inside, Kaito knew that Lily would still have died before long; there was no other way about it as her feelings for Kamui Gakupo were not real. Her dying then, before Meiko sunk too deeply into the love that they had once shared, might have been for the best. She had a higher chance of letting go earlier than later, and it was a slim enough chance as it was. The most painful decision was the best one most of the time, adult life taught him as much, and it seemed to have taught Masuda Lily as well.

A/N: Please leave me a review if you have any comments! Oh, and please try to review in English, I cannot understand Spanish (is that Spanish…?), unless you can review in Mandarin or Japanese, which I can understand (albeit sparingly for the former). I am delighted that you have made the effort to review and it is a little wasted that I cannot understand what you have taken time to tell me.

Should I continue?

Haruka