Elflord: *appears out of a gateway* Whoa! It's The World! Just a minute . . . *jumps behind a tree and returns almost immediately in a Mimiru like costume, save for that it's black with red embroideries, is less revealing, and is warrior style instead of the heavy blade* *looks around* Where is everybody? Tsukasa: *appearing through the gate* Who are you? Elflord: *turns around* Why, I'm your authoress of course. Tsukasa: *frowns* An authoress? Do you mean like the programmer? Elflord: *small sweat drop* Well . . . no. Tsukasa: *snigger* Well, I guess you don't mean much, do you? I don't even know why I'm talking to you. You're just like everybody else around here. Elflord: *--*

Hey, before I get any further on this, I really ought to put in the disclaimer. I don't own Tsukasa, the World, .hack, any of the characters, any episodes, or anything else for that matter. Man . . .when did writing disclaimers get so . . . depressing. Oh, and nor do I own the song "Aura", the .hack/SIGN song that inspired me. It's too beautiful to be created by me.

A few more author's notes. I don't take plot as orthodox. I feel that it's best to keep what parts of the plot that support the fic, but do not feel afraid to change other parts of to better support the fic. Please do not flame me for plot reasons. Another thing . . . this poem is written in Tsukasa's POV. However, I really haven't been able to figure out who he is writing to. If you go with my theory, it is something in the area of mother, Aura, the programmers, the awful truth, and The World itself. My best guess is it is a mixture between mother and Aura, but one could make a good argument for them all. Anyways, that's all I have to say. On with the fic *finally*

Not a Thing

Waters . . .

Why you must betray me.

How your traitorous face lies to itself. . .

Because I can't see past you

I can't see the point

Of what I'm supposed to mean.

And you told it me that it didn't matter

That it doesn't mean a thing.

So I laughed and turned away from you

Thinking you the insane ones

Thinking I was somehow beyond you.

But I couldn't find myself anywhere

So I ran away

Ran away from existence.

In the darkest part of the light

In the lightest part of the dark

I found what I thought was salvation.

You said it didn't matter

That it doesn't mean a thing.

And I laughed and turned away

But maybe not so loud

A tear in the smirk

A scream in the silence.

But I couldn't see

What the point was

What I was supposed to mean.

So I ran and ran

And when I ran, I couldn't find myself

Where I thought I should be

Where I saw the silhouettes of you

The shadows of that light.

But that didn't matter

Did it?

It didn't matter to you

That I was crying in the dark.

It didn't mean a thing.

No

It never meant a thing.

So I ran and I ran

And when I ran

I thought I ran from you.

In the dark, in the light

I saw myself

Like I could never be.

In a dream, I heard her whisper

That everything was fine

And it didn't mean a thing.

So I laughed and I cried

When I saw it at last

Because I wanted to believe

I wanted to feel

I wanted to be the way you are

So free

So pure

So amazingly far from here.

You were so far from me,

So far from everything.

So I laughed and I cried

Looking for the mystery

Without any clues.

In the darkest part of the light

In the lightest part of the dark

I reached out for your arms

And fell right through.

And you said it didn't matter

That it didn't mean a thing.

So I fell and I fell

And as I fell I thought I saw you

That it was you who was crying.

But it wasn't you

It was only me

And it didn't mean a thing.

I saw the truth

That broken mirror of truth.

Painted in blacks and blues

A little wax dolly in a box

A little piece of chiseled ice

A little child weeping at your feet.

So I screamed and I screamed

Trying to say it wasn't true

Trying to hold on somehow

Against everything that was dying

Everything killing me.

And you sang it didn't matter

That it didn't mean a thing.

So I fell and I fell

And when at last it all ended

I was still there

In everything I was really was

Broken, crumbled, cold.

So I cried and I cried

But it wasn't any use

Because you wouldn't come hold me

Because it didn't mean a thing.

And now, I'm still standing here

Just a shadow, just a face

Just an empty shell like always

So now I laugh and turn away

For at last I know

What I'm supposed to mean

Because I don't mean a thing

Nothing means a thing

And it never did.

But still I wonder

In this death that is eternal

In this land without a sun:

Nothing means a thing . . .

So what do you mean?

THE END