Disclaimer: No!! I can't believe this! Tsukasa is a girl! How horrifying! This sucks! Oh well, if you can see where I am getting to, which I am sorry to say if your thinking, 'What the hell? Why is she doing this? I mean this happens a lot in other fics…' Well you might be able to see what I am thinking in the near future… Well anyway. In my fic Tsukasa is a boy outside of the game. I know this may screw a lot op and all, it's just how I want it to be…I do not own .hack//SIGN or any of its characters. All I own is my thoughts and my own original character Lain Auska X.

.hack//SIGN

Episode Five: Captive. Released. Meeting. Suffering. Pain.

Saga: Born from Darkness

                "Let me out of here!" Lain screamed out pounding on the chambers door. "I didn't do anything wrong! To hell to you guys! You're all a bunch of stupid idiot anyway! And at some point you are going to realize that you've made a mistake! Open up! Let me out!"

"Shut-up in there!" one of the knights barked at her pounding on the door. "No talking!"

"Make me! I will shut-up when Tsukasa is put in here with me!" Lain screamed out ignoring the knight's request. "Get him in here! I don't like the idea of him being alone! Are you listening to me!?"

"We will not do as you request," the knight barked at her. "Subaru wishes for you two to be separated and that's how it will be."

"I don't care what Subaru thinks! I'm tired of her not coming out in the open and talking to me!" Lain screamed at him angrily. "She wants to talk to me but she doesn't! Get her in here if she wants to! Where's Crim! I should be yelling at him not you! Get one of them!"

"I said shut-up!" the knight yelled at her again. "If you're not quiet then I might consider telling Subaru to delete you, you ungrateful brat!"

"Don't call me that!" Lain screamed out hitting the door again. "Your just like them. Always criticizing me. You don't know me." Lain fell back from the door and walked over to one of the corners in the room and curled up in a little ball. "You know nothing about me to call me that. You as bad as them…"

"Lain," Crim said through the door. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't know this was going to happen."

"Go away," Lain shot at him not looking up from her knees. "You did this to me. Now you're going to pay you traitor."

"Now hold on a second," Crim said looking at her angrily. "Traitor? We were never allies to begin with. I just was a message boy remember? Can I come in here and talk to you?"

"I guess," Lain said not moving from her position. She heard the door open and then Crim's foot steeps come over to her. "What do you want? Are you here to tell me that I'm going to be deleted?"

"No," Crim said sitting down across from her. "I just thought I might make a visit here to see how you were doing. And from what the guard say's, you have been giving him hell?"

"Yeah what of it?" Lain asked looking up from his knees to Crim's face. "He won't  even ask Subaru to put me in a room with Tsukasa."

"Subaru would say no," Crim said looking at Lain and then leaned back on his hands. "Tsukasa's fine anyway. He seems to not like the fact the he's away from you either. But he hasn't resolved into yelling though. Just sits in the corner of the room like you are now."

"Really," Lain said looking back down at her knees. "Is Subaru even going to talk to me at all? Or is she just interested in Tsukasa?"

"Actually she's more keen on getting to know you," Crim said smiling faintly at Lain. "Your more rebellious than Tsukasa. You seem to be more like an enemy to her than him. You hate her. Don't you?"

"Hate?" Lain said looking up at the word. "Hate is so strong. I don't hate her. I just dislike her. She doesn't show herself in the open to talk to me. I mean I saved Tsukasa from a fate he would have been punished for, for no reason at all."

"Punishment?" Crim asked looking at Lain a little confused at her words.

"She was going to delete him right?" Lain asked still looking at her knees. "That's what he said to me. I couldn't just stand by and let that happen. That wouldn't be right of me. I can't just let that happen…"

"She wouldn't have just deleted him," Crim said frowning at the thought. "She would hear him out first."

"But would she actually believe him?" Lain asked looking up at Crim doughtfully.

"She did see that you couldn't log off right?" Crim asked raising an eyebrow at Lain. "So she would have to believe him now. Right?"

"I guess," Lain replied looking back at her knees with a frown on her face. "But then again…what is she going to do with us? I mean if were deleted… she'd be committing murder. I…"

"She won't delete you. I'll make sure of that," Crim said getting up from the ground. "What you really need to think about is what you're going to say to Subaru."

"Why?"

"Because she is going to come in here and talk to you," Crim said smiling faintly down at her. "I mean she can't just leave you in here without questions. Now can she?"

"I guess not," Lain said shifting a little. "But when is she coming? Do you know if she'll let me off that list of her? Tsukasa too?"

"I don't know," Crim said looking a little worried but then covered it up with a small laugh. "But don't worry about it kid. I'm sure you can break him out again? Can't you? I mean you have all these friends now that are probably willing to do anything for you! Right!?"

"I guess," Lain replied quietly and then smiled.

The door opened a minute latter after Lain's words. Subaru entered and then the door shut again.

"Crim?" Subaru asked looking a little confused. "What are you doing here?"

"She my friend I guess," Crim said shrugging his shoulders. "I had to see how she was doing."

"I see," Subaru said, while making her way over to Lain. As soon as she was a foot away from the girl she stopped and looked down at her sadly. "You know you've caused me a great deal of pain."

"Have I really?" Lain said sarcastically. "You've caused even worse for me!"

"I have?"

"Yes. You made Mimiru betray Tsukasa. You put us on that wanted list, and you won't take us off. Then you threaten me and him with being deleted. You don't know how this is. You don't know what it's like to be stuck in this game, when you can't log out. I'll never go home. Never. So how could I have caused you a great deal of pain when you are making me suffer more and more every day?"

"I-you don't understand," Subaru said glancing at Crim and then back to Lain. "Crim. Leave now. I want to talk to her alone. Now."

"Yes Lady Subaru," Crim said exiting the room.

"Why did you make him leave?" Lain asked angrily. "Now I'm stuck in this room with you."

"Forget him," Subaru announced looking at Lain. "Right now you have more important matters. First I will have to deiced what to do with you. And Tsukasa also."

"What to do with me?" Lain asked now looking at Subaru dead center in the eyes. "I know what you want to do. You want to just get rid of me. End this matter. Well come on. Say it. You want to delete me and Tsukasa so you won't have to go through all this pain that you are saying that I have caused. Right!?"

"But I don't want to delete you and Tsukasa," Subaru protested frowning at Lain. "Do you know what your saying!?"

"No," Lain said shacking her head and then buried it in her hands. "I'm sorry alright. I don't know what I'm saying; I don't really know what's happening to me. I guess my anger got the best of me… Or is it that I'm scared. For myself, and…Tsukasa? Look Subaru I don't hate you, I just dislike you. So far all I have gotten to know about you is that you're a Princess of the game. You control the Crimson Knights. Maybe I'm scared of you, I don't know…."

"Scared?" Subaru asked bending over on her knees and then sat down. "How could you be scared of me? I have heard that you made contact with a Virus named Mitski. She is the one who supposedly has gotten you stuck in the game, right?"

"How did you know that?" Lain asked looking up with a blank face. "Crim couldn't have told you because I never told him."

"It was a women named BT," Subaru answered. "Bear told her and then she told me. But don't worry, the whole game doesn't know. Just Bear, Mimiru, BT, the knights and then me."

"I don't care if the game knows," Lain remarked turning her head back down in her hands. "Right now I don't really care about anything. I just want to know why you separated me from Tsukasa. I just want to be back in Tsukasa's company."

"I did it because you to are great allies," Subaru answered again. "Because I thought you two might come up with a plan together and break out again. When you broke Tsukasa out the knights told me that you used some kind of magic. Some sort of magic that is really rare in the game. You'd have to have extraordinary power to use it."

"Power?" Lain asked. "I don't have a lot of power. I mean sure I beat Crim and all… but I could never beat Sora. He always seemed to get the best of me."

"Sora?" Subaru replied laughing a little. "Don't worry about that. He gets the best out of everyone. That's how he is able to beat you. He distracts your mind, he make you lose sight of how you are going to fight. You sort of lose concentration on your goal. Your mind wanders."

"Oh, I get it now," Lain said smiling at what Subaru had told her. "Next time I see him, I try out your tactics. I'll see if they work. That is when I ever get out of here."

"You will," Subaru replied standing up. "I put you in here so I could have talk to you. You seemed to always be on the move and seemed to have no time to talk to me. And I did have to act like I was going to punish you for you break out of Tsukasa for the knights and the game. If I just let you go for that… the players would lose their respect for the knights. It would be chaos after that. The knights wouldn't be able to keep the balance."

"Oh," Lain replied looking up. "So you are going to let me go, but punish me all the same?"

"Yes," Subaru replied looking down at Lain and then smiled. "Don't worry. It won't be too bad. I just want you to promise me one thing. Then I'll let you leave after a few more questions. How is that?"

"You sound like Sora," Lain said standing up. "He likes to make bargains also. But don't worry. I don't think you're as low as he is. Your alright now, that I've got to actually know you."

Subaru nodded her head and then smiled. "I want you to promise me that you will be there for Tsukasa. Be his guidance. Help him not to get into any more trouble. Make sure he doesn't use his guardian to destroy more players."

"Help Tsukasa? Be his guidance?" Lain asked raising her eyebrow at Subaru. "I can't control him you know that. Were friends and we let each other do what ever we think is right. And I don't think he'll be using his guardian any time soon. He's already told me that he can't control it. So I'm sure if he can't control it then he won't use it."

"But when he's able to control it?"

"I can't control him. Remember? But I can tell him my opinion though. So don't worry."

"Okay. It's a deal then."

"Right. Now for those questions you said about before…"

"Right. It seems that you are more open about your feelings than Tsukasa is. So you won't mind if I ask you some things about your real life. I would like to help in anyway that I can to try and get you out of this game. I think it is a horrible crime to be punished into living her for the rest of your life. I mean how can you experience anything real?"

"Well first of all everything in this game seems real to me," Lain replied narrowing her eyes. "I have all my senses so I can do almost everything here. But I would like your help on trying to get me out of this game. But I can't promise that I'll leave if you figure a way out. I haven't really decided that far yet. I might not want to go back to my pervious life."

"Is your life that bad?"

"You wouldn't know. When your parents don't trust you, they don't love you, they even seem not to care. They just threw me away, like I was nothing to them."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I've gotten used to it. I mean I have to accept it to move on, right?"

"What about Tsukasa?"

"I don't know. He hasn't told me much about his real life. Just that he doesn't want to go back to it. He says he's happy here with me. He really doesn't want to leave. I think it would be better for him here than out there, back in the real world. But if he decieds he wants to leave… I guess I will have to also?"

"Do you two, always stick together? Side by side?"

"Yeah. I think I'm his first true friend that he's ever had. I mean sure he's friends with Mimiru and Bear. But he doesn't really open up to them like he does to me. I think he actually has trust in me."

"Is that so? Have you ever heard about the Key of the Twilight?"

"Key of the Twilight? Nope. Never. What is it?"

"It's supposed to be a legendary item that has immense power, not to unlike yours and Tsukasa's."

"Really? Maybe I'll look for this item? It might prove useful for the future. And besides it'll give Tsukasa and me something to do. Then we can go on a quest. Sounds like fun."

"So you're going to look for it?"

"Why not? Do you want it Subaru?"

"No not really. I was thinking that it would be something that could help Tsukasa and you log out. I was hoping that that's what it would be."

"I told you before. I'm not too sure if either of us wants to actually log out. But then again, thanks."

"Yes. You are free to go now. But don't cause any trouble. I'm not to sure what I will have to happen if you do."

"Fine with me," Lain replied shrugging her shoulders and then walked to the door. "Is Tsukasa leaving with me?"

"Yes," Subaru answered following closely behind Lain. "He should be waiting for you."

"Cool," Lain said as the dungeon's door opened. Lain steeped out followed by Subaru. She walked forward and saw Tsukasa by the exit. He had a knight at his side holding both of their weapons.

"You can give them back their weapons now," Subaru announced walking over to the player called Silver Knight. "They are allowed to leave after that."

"As you wish Lady Subaru," Silver Knight replied handing Tsukasa his rod and Lain her Sword. "Leave now."

"Fine," Lain said finishing her walk over to Tsukasa and then began to walk away with him.

The two of them walked in silence with each other, just listening to their footsteps that echoed through the passageway. Finally Lain spoke up.

"Tsukasa? Are you all right? You seem awfully quiet. Not that you usually aren't and all… it's just this is kind of strange," Lain said glancing at him and then put her vision back up in front of her.

"Huh? Oh. I was just thinking," Tsukasa replied glancing at Lain and then down at his feet. "Did Subaru ask you about the Key of the Twilight also?"

"Yeah she did," Lain replied in now crossing her hands over the back of her head and then looked at Tsukasa awkwardly. "I said I wanted to go look for it. I thought it might be useful."

"You want to go and look for it?"

"Yeah it was just a thought. But it didn't mean anything. I can just forget it. I don't have too."

"No it's alright. We could go look for it if you want too. You are right. It might prove useful in the future."

"Are you going to use it to log out?"

"No. I was just thinking that I could use it to open her eyes."

"Who?"

"The girl that seems to sleep eternally."

"A girl?"

"Yeah. I haven't been to see her in a long time. But now that you mention it, she did look oddly like you… Except she has long white hair. I think she said her name was Aura."

"Aura…" Lain asked looking horrified at Tsukasa. "My mom used to call me that when I was a little girl. She said that my skin was so pale that she was sure that when light shown on it, it looked like the Northern Lights. But I never did have white hair though. It's always been black. I guess this is just a coincidence."

"Do you want me to show her to you? I can take you too see her if you want."

"I guess. If you want, but you don't have too if you don't want to."

"It's alright. I don't mind at all. We could go after we go and see Bear and Mimiru. I'm sure they want to know how were doing. I mean they did try to warn us when we got there."

"Your right," Lain said now grinning at him. "We should go see them. I bet there really worried about us too. I mean they probably feel really guilty, like they betrayed us. But they didn't. Right?"

"Yes."

Lain exited the field as soon as she was out of the dungeon along with Tsukasa. They reappeared on the docks and began their walk up the stairs to the large grassy almost plain area.

Bear, Mimiru, and Sora were standing along the fence, as if they were waiting for them. As soon as the two of them took their first steeps toward the three, Mimiru exploded and ran over to them.

"Are you guys alright!?" Mimiru yelled out on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry that I did this to you! I betrayed you Tsukasa! Again! I'm sorry! Lain! I'm sorry that I betrayed you to! I didn't know this was going to happen! But still! I should have done something about it!"

"Don't worry about it," Lain said waving the subject away and then glared at Sora. "Were not mad at you if that's what your thinking. We know you couldn't have done anything about what was going to happen. We thought you guys would be worried about us so we returned to show you that we are alright."

"We were worried about you," Bear said walking forward to the three followed by a yawning Sora. "We had no clue what Subaru was going to do to you two. She was furious when she arrived over here."

"It's alright," Lain said waving that subject away also. "Were fine now. That's all you need to worry about. So how did you know that we were going to be here? I mean you guys did look like you were waiting for us."

"Sora came and told us that you were coming," Mimiru replied looking as though she had been able to control her emotions finally.

"Oh," Lain said with no emotion in her tone at all.

"What did I do to make you so mad?" Sora asked stretching and then yawned again. "I didn't do anything. I played no part in this."

"Actually you didn't for a change," Lain replied smiling now. "But I thought you'd be happy to know that I have improved on my skill in battle with other players. I fought Crim right after I died. I beat him, it was a synch. He was a piece of cake."

"Crim?" Bear asked looking a little surprised. "You beat Crim?"

"Yeah," Lain replied. "Ex-Crimson Knights? Right?"

"Yeah," Bear replied now looking shocked. "And you beat him. That's got to ruin his reputation a little."

"Nah, he didn't seem to mind much. I think he was actually impressed. At first he thought I was going to kill him and then I told him I'm not a ruthless as Sora," Lain said smirking a little at the bored green haired player.

"Ruthless? Me?" Sora asked trying to look at Lain innocently. "No way."

"Then he asked if I ever considered the fact of joining the Crimson Knights? I told him I didn't think so. It is a little old school if you know what I mean. I'm not just cut out for fighting all the supposedly evil and stuff," Lain said shrugging her shoulders. "What have you guys been doing in our absence?"

"A lot of searching," Mimiru groaned. "What I wouldn't give to go into a dungeon and have a battle right now."

"Hey then today's your lucky day," Lain said giving Mimiru the victory sign. "Me and Tsukasa were planning on going into a dungeon sometime. You can come with us when we do to. I mean it would make our party a lot better. Right? Tsukasa?"

"I," Tsukasa said and then paused. "Sure."

"Cool!" Mimiru burst out happily while Lain looked at Tsukasa a little uneasy. "Are you guys just going in a dungeon because you want to our are you looking for something?!"

"Actually we are," Lain answered taking her view from Tsukasa over to Mimiru and smiled. "Were looking for the Key of the Twilight."

"Oh! The Key of the Twilight!" Sora burst out happily. "I've heard of that! It's a legendary item that has unknown power right!? You have to let me in on this too!"

"Why should we?" Lain asked narrowing her eyes at him. "So you can get me or Tsukasa into more trouble? Or are you planning to steal it from us if we find it?"

"No. I just thought it might be fun, that's all," Sora replied looking a little poutey. "I thought maybe this time I could go into a dungeon with you since you wouldn't go with me the last time I asked you. Come on… please!"

"Fine, if it'll shut that annoying voice of yours up," Lain replied looking a little blank in expression and then sighed. "How about we all meet back here in a few hours or something? I mean we should go out and look for clues right?"

"Right!" Mimiru shouted out. "See you guys in two hours!" Mimiru left waving. Bear left after her shaking his head the whole time.

"And where are you two planning on going?" Sora asked eyeing Lain.

"Some where, where your not invited," Lain replied. "Go look with Mimiru and Bear or on your own or something."

"Fine. Be mean," Sora said frowning at her and then exited the field a little angrily.

"Tsukasa? Are you sure that your alright?" Lain asked now that everyone had left. "You haven't spoken more than once."

"I was thinking," Tsukasa said now looking up at Lain a little paler than usual.

"Tsukasa. I won't force you to tell me… but your not telling me something. You're not looking so well. What did Subaru tell you?" Lain asked looking at him now a little worried. "I know something's wrong. You can't hide it from me."

""I'm fine," Tsukasa replied now smiling at her. "Really. How about I go and take you to Aura now?"

"Alright," Lain said looking at him a little unsure of his answer but decided it best to give up, because he seemed not to keen on cracking open for her just yet. "Lets go then. How are we supposed to get there anyway? I mean it must be only reachable for you. Other players must not be able to get there right? Or news a bout a strange girl who seems to only sleep would be everywhere right?"

"Right," Tsukasa said smiling at her more brightly. "You catch on fast. It is only accessible to me. But I can open up a way for you to come too."

"Wow," Lain said smiling brightly at him. "You must be good at hacking."

Tsukasa nodded his head and then grabbed Lain's hand. She looked at him a little awkwardly and then went along with it. The two of them disappeared from field. They reappeared in a new field, it had the same presence as the castle that Lain had awoken from when she had fought Crim.

Lain looked over to Tsukasa a little awkwardly and saw that he was looking at her the same way. He let go of her hand instantly and then blushed a little.

A, thick bright forest surrounded the field. The tree's weren't green they were actually the color of an Aurora, all changing colors. The sky was also a bright Aurora. The grass that Tsukasa and her were standing on, were all shades of green. In the middle of the grassy area was a bed. It was as bright as snow and the same color, white. The sheets on it seemed to be floating out everywhere. Like a breeze was blowing the sheets but the two couldn't feel it. On top of the bed floating about one foot in the air was the girl that Tsukasa had told Lain about.

She was about five feet tall and had pale white skin. Her skin also reflected the Aurora that seemed to be covering almost everything. She was wearing a long white dress…it looked so much like the one Lain had wore when she was in the hospital. Except hers was longer… Her hair was extremely long and bright white. It floated around her in the untouchable breeze that seemed to me moving the sheets. Lain couldn't see her face because her hair was floating around it and seemed to be blocking it from all view.

Everything in this field was so bright, it was almost too painful to be there, to look at everything that surround the two of them.

"Tsukasa… is that her?" Lain asked steeping forward towards the girl called Aura.

"Yes. That is Aura," Tsukasa said smiling a little. "She's been her ever since I came to this world. She's probably been here longer than I have. And yet, she has never opened her eyes. She only told me her name, she says nothing else."

"Tsukasa…your right. She reminds me of…me," Lain said walking closer to the bed. She stopped when she was right in front of it. She could see Aura's dress more clearly now. It was like the one that she had worn in the hospital. It was almost the same one besides the length. "I've worn that dress before. Back when I was in that mental hospital. I wore the exact same dress. Tsukasa? What does this mean?"

"I don't know," Tsukasa said with panic in his voice. "Lain I want to leave now. We shouldn't be here. It doesn't feel right. We need to go."

"But. Hold on a minute Tsukasa, please? Just one more minute?" Lain asked leaning on the bed now. She was staring the girls face more closely. It was so sad and plain. As if she had never smiled before in her life.

"Lain," Tsukasa said with more panic in his voice. "I want to leave, now!"

"Okay," Lain said backing up from the bed. She turned around and then gasped out loud. Another player was in this field. "Tsukasa! Behind you! Another player. How can this be? I thought you said you were the only one that could get into this field."

"Mother?" Tsukasa asked turning around looking scared and shocked. "I…"

The new player was not in a human form. It was in a cat form. A most, unusual cat. The cat player was wearing a tan wizards hat. Its white ears were sticking up through its sides. Its shirt was a short sleeve one. It was tan and outlined in green. Under the short sleeve shirt it was wearing a long sleeve dark gray one outlined in the same green. It's pants were the same gray along with its shoes. Its tail was sticking out of the back of its pants and it was the same white as it's ears. The cats face was half purple and half white. On the plain white side around its eye it had a purple star. The cat's eyes were a bright ruby red and showed all emotion that it was feeling. The cat's hands were human. On the side of its face that was purple its hand was purple also. And its other hand was white.

Lain looked at Tsukasa confused. He had just called this strange cat player mother. Why? She looked back over to the cat and noticed that it now had an angry expression on its face. Its ruby eyes looked at her with a piecing, burning, glare.

"Tsukasa?" Lain asked panic now taking over her voice as she backed up. Was this player going to attack her? Why was it so mad at her? Was it because she was in the field with Tsukasa? Was she not allowed to be here?

"Lain," Tsukasa cried out running over to her. As he made it halfway he was jerked to a stop by an unknown force. "Get out of here Lain. I don't want anything bad to happen to you! Leave! FORGET ABOUT ME!"

"NO!" Lain screamed out running over to him. "I'm not leaving without you Tsukasa!"

"LEAVE!" Tsukasa screamed out as his weapon was jerked from him.

His face was now showing signs of pain and fear. It was wincing horribly as his arms were jerked to his sides. His legs were slammed together. He was now standing up totally straight. He was looking at Lain with the most fear she had seen on his face before. More than when she had first met him, when he had talked to her about Subaru deleting him.

"NO! I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT YOU! TSUKASA!" Lain screamed out falling down to her knees in front of him. "NOT WITHOUT YOU!"

"No, Lain," Tsukasa gasped out trying to breath at the same time. "I don't want you too-" He was cut off by a violent force flinging him, upward into the sky and then back down, over to the bed. The girl that was on the bed before had disappeared. He hit the bed and then screamed out in fright and anger. "I…can't…breath…"

"Leave him alone!" Lain screamed out getting up from the ground on the verge of tears. "Stop it! NOW!" She ran over to the cat player and drew her sword and pointed it at the cat. "STOP IT! YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

'Tsukasa? Why did you bring her here?' the cat asked. Its voice echoed through the field.

"Mother…" Tsukasa gasped out breathing in sharply and then out. "Leave her alone. Let her leave."

'No. You brought her here. You want to go back to that ludicrous world. You don't want to live in a world with just the three of us. You want to return.'

"No… that's not…true," Tsukasa said still gasping for air. "I can't breath."

"STOP IT!" Lain screamed out again now with tears running down her face. "CAN'T YOU SEE! HE CAN'T BREATH!"

"Just leave her alone," Tsukasa said twisting his face into a painful expression. "Just…leave her alone. I don't want…you to…hurt…her…"

"TSUKASA!" Lain yelled out forgetting her anger on the cat. She dropped her sword and then ran over to him.  "What's going on!? TSUKASA!?" She looked at him horrified and then leaned over him on the bed. "TSUKASA!"

"Lain…" Tsukasa said trying to twist his face over to look at her but couldn't. "Leave…please…"

"NO!" Lain screamed at him as more tears rolled down her face. "I WON'T LEAVE! I TOLD YOU! NOT WITHOUT YOU! TSUKASA!"

Lain gritted her teeth and then clutched her hands into fists and slammed on the bed beside him. She then stood up and turned to face the cat again.

"You did this to him! Stop it!" Lain screamed out. "You don't care what happens to him! I do! I won't let you kill him! JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

She ran over to her sword and picked it up. The cat looked at her strangely and then let out an echoing laugh. She glared at the cat and then charged at it with her sword. The cat dodged with ease, it was now smiling mockingly at her. Lain was about to charge at the cat again but she heard Tsukasa scream out loud. It sounded so painful. More than how she had been screaming.

"TSUKASA!" Lain screamed out facing him. She forgot all about the cat again and ran over to him. When she was halfway there a black light exploded around him. Lain was flung backward and then slammed into a tree. She looked back over to Tsukasa who was still engulfed in the black light. She could still hear him screaming. He was dying and she knew it. Was she going to see him again? Was this just death? The guess who he was talking about before!? Or was he being deleted by this strange player!?

The light started to flicker and then was gone. Lain looked over to the bed that Tsukasa was lying on before. He was gone. He wasn't there. He had died or been deleted. He was…gone.

Lain got to her feet wobbling the whole time. The impact wit the tree had effected her greatly. And the thought of being separated from Tsukasa again affected it even more. He was gone. Would she ever see him again?

"Tsukasa," Lain gasped out falling back to her knees.

End of this chapter. Tell me what you think. I know it sounded a little weird. I was sort of aiming for another cliffhanging ending. And I hope I got it. Well stay tuned for the next chapter. I should have it up next week. I'm hoping that I can end this story in about ten chapters though… Well continue to read and review!