Author's Notes: Just wanted to remind everyone that this is a bit more of a romance than my previous fics, as a relationship has already been established. Please keep that in mind while reading. This chapter was more difficult to write, and you'll understand why by the end, but I think I managed to keep everyone in character. Hopefully. Sorry about the cliffhanger, too, but I'm afraid you haven't seen the last of them. *evil laugh* Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback, they are truly inspirational. Enjoy.

Oh, and since I've already completed this story beforehand, expect regular updates.

Ende des Tages

Part 2

He sat on the dock of Mac Anu, the russet glow of the city bathing him in pale, golden light. He didn't move, his eyes fixed on the flowing ripples of water before him, the dim murmur of the city in the back of his mind. In his lap sat the third Ryu book, his hands curled limply around the binding, one finger serving as a bookmark between the thick pages. He had checked it a few minutes ago, hoping that something had changed, and already he felt the need to look at it again, just in case. He knew what it would say though.

BlackRose: Online

It had been the same since he had left Helba and he felt as if the highlighted words had become permanently etched into his mind's eye. It was a symbol of the fact that his partner was gone, and though he knew she was still within The World, there was nothing to tell him where she was. She was in danger and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

Kite's free hand tightened into a fist.

"Where are you?" he whispered to the river and felt his heart tighten, the pressure almost unbearable. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He had certainly felt it before, after the infection of the Root Towns, but it had been BlackRose who had talked sense back into him, made him see he wasn't the only one suffering. He knew it was the same now, he just wished she was there to yell at him again, bully him back into believing.

But it was she who was suffering now. He knew it, somehow, and he had no way to help her. There were hundreds of fields, far too many to search one by one, and despite his power, he was no hacker. All he could do was send out emails to every member address in his list, asking them to notify him if they saw or heard anything about BlackRose. He hadn't explained what was going on, prompting more concerned emails, none of which he had answered. He didn't have the energy to rehash everything that had happened. Just telling Helba had drained him of all energy.

The hacker had been surprisingly gentle, asking questions in a voice that said she was sure he would balk if she pushed too hard. He had told her all that he knew, dragging up details he thought might help. He had described the Blademaster and how he had PKed another player just before BlackRose had engaged him in battle.

It was this fact that had made Helba tilt her head thoughtfully, her lips pursed in thought. Her silence had made him take notice and she explained that she had a hunch about their kidnapper. Perhaps he had not been a PKer at all. Perhaps the whole situation had been a set up to catch BlackRose, meaning that the player who had been killed had actually been an accomplice of the Blademaster and not a victim at all. Which meant that someone had known he and BlackRose would be at that field at that time and that seeing someone PKed would fan his partner's temper.

Helba had nodded. It's someone who knows you.

But that didn't necessarily mean that Kite knew them, too. It could be that another hacker had been watching them for awhile, gathering information. The name "Dixie" had not rung any bells with her, but Helba had promised to do some hacking of her own to see if she could find any info on a player of that name, as well as trying to locate BlackRose herself. Kite had thanked her but the older woman had waved it away.

I have my own reasons for doing things, as you well know.

He had not heard from her since then, and BlackRose's status remained unchanged. She had not logged out since she had been taken and that in itself said something was wrong. She was out there somewhere, beyond his reach, and all alone.

It was driving him crazy.

"You're not doing too well, I see."

Kite turned his head to regard Wiseman silently before turning his gaze back to the water, finding no reply to the Wave Master's words. Wiseman nodded to himself as if he had expected Kite's silence and moved to his side, following Kite's line of sight out into the river.

"It isn't like you to dwell in self-pity," Wiseman remarked after a moment, a casual observation.

Kite didn't so much as blink. "You were right. About us."

"I know."

"Then you can understand."

"I can understand that you're upset," Wiseman conceded. "but I don't think she would want you to do this to yourself."

Kite managed a brief smile. "She'd tell me I was being stupid and yell at me for being a fool."

"BlackRose is a fighter, Kite. The best thing you can do for her now is believe in her."

Wiseman spoke the truth, he always did, but Kite knew his partner better than anyone else in The World. Though she portrayed herself as a hot headed warrior, deep inside BlackRose was just as scared and nervous as everyone else. They had been through a lot of trying battles, ones he hadn't always been sure they would win, and he had seen sides of her no one else had. She was courageous and brave when she had to be, and her temper did flare at the slightest insult, but she was also sensitive and caring, especially to those who were hurting. Which was a part of the reason he was so upset. BlackRose was strong, but could she be strong all on her own?

He wanted to believe.

He also wanted to believe that they were stronger together than divided.

"Why do you think they took her?" he asked quietly. Wiseman took a breath.

"From what Helba has told me, it sounds like revenge. Someone wants to hurt you as much as they think you have hurt them." The Wave Master paused. "They knew taking her was the way to do it."

"I've never seen that Blademaster before, Wiseman," he answered flatly. "And I've never met a player named 'Dixie'."

"I didn't say it made sense, Kite, only that I think it's the reasoning behind all of this, whether it's true or not."

A moment of silence stretched between them, the sound of water lapping against the dock suddenly loud in their ears. It was Kite that gave in first.

"Do you think they will hurt her?" The question was almost voiceless.

Wiseman answered in kind. "I don't know. They obviously have the power to keep her in The World and under control…" He cleared his throat. "We can only hope that their real target is still you. If that's the case, then we still have a chance to get her back safely."

In his lap, Kite opened the Ryu book, his gaze immediately finding the name that had resounded in his head all day.

BlackRose: Online

Kite closed his eyes. "Then let's give them what they want."

* * * *

She couldn't see.

Colors kept shifting in front of her, whirling in circles until she felt nauseous and had to reach out to touch something solid, a sign that she was still alive. She didn't know where she was, in an courtyard somewhere maybe. All she knew was that she was far away from other people. She could hear their voices in the distance but no matter how she tried she couldn't seem to find them. They seemed to laugh at her, those voices, giggling at her helplessness.

She was too stubborn to give up though, instead stumbling along over obstacles she could only half see until her knees and hands felt raw. One fall had made her hit her head on the rough paving stones, white spots dancing in the blobs of color that had become her world. She had lain there until the voices had come, taunting her in her weakness, tears making tracks down her tattooed cheeks as she struggled to rise through the pain.

She wanted to escape, she knew there was a way, but she had forgotten it. The voices had taken it from her. They had done something to her, something she couldn't quite recall, but she knew the voices were bad. They had hurt her when she had refused to tell them about Kite.

"Kite." The word somehow managed to escape in a voice she barely recognized as her own, the sound hoarse and strained to her ears. It was only then, as a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, that she realized the voices were real.

She was not alone.

"Yes, Kite," the voice said coldly. "We're going to make sure he finds you." Another voice, high pitched and young, laughed from somewhere behind her. A girl's laugh. "And then he's going to suffer."

She ripped her arm out of her captor's grasp and staggered to the side, off balance and angry. Why couldn't she see?

"He'll never give you what you want," she said, furious at the way her words came out, so weak. She wished they had not taken her sword. Ethical or not, she would have PKed them both after what they had done, regardless of her bad vision.

"We don't want anything he can give," the first voice answered, pushed to anger. "He just has to suffer, as we have suffered."

A push to her back made her lurch forward, her feet unwilling to respond to her demands for them to move. She collapsed once more, her fingers digging into the rocks and dirt beneath her. This time the voice came from far away. They were leaving her.

"Go to him, if you can. And tell him this is the price of his power."

When she was sure she was alone, she began to crawl forward on her hands and knees, swallowing her pride as she moved agonizingly forward, foot by foot. After a few minutes her fingers found wood and she realized she had hit a door. Reaching up with shaking fingers she pushed against it and fell through it as it swung open soundlessly, her body hitting smooth, cool tile that felt wonderful against her feverish skin.

Laying there, sprawled on the floor, she saw a rainbow glare of color and felt her heart leap in her chest. Stained glass.

She was in the cathedral.

Shoulders shaking with contained sobs, she lay quietly, blinking tears she couldn't see out of her eyes, and wondering at this new turn of luck.

"Kite," she whispered, "Find me."

* * * *

Come to the church quickly.

Balmung's email had been short and to the point as always, but Kite had sensed the urgency behind the Blademaster's words. By "quickly" he meant "now" and Kite had gone to the Chaos Gate at a dead run, teleporting the moment he touched it, already in motion as he appeared at the old cathedral. It was a place that was special to him, to them, and he suddenly knew what he would find inside.

Running flat out, he reached the church and rammed his shoulder into the door, letting it swing wildly and rebound against the wall as he bolted through. There, in the center aisle, knelt Balmung, his silver hair highlighted by the sun through the stained glass windows, his wings arched up and over the figure at his feet as to protect her from prying eyes.

Kite's heart dropped into his stomach.

Balmung's deep voice echoed throughout the sanctuary. "I came here on a whim, just to check, since it was the place I first met you two." The Descendant of Fianna looked up at him with solemn blue eyes. "They've done something to her. She was awake when I got here but she's slipped off again." He paused. "She was asking for you."

Kite swallowed. "Could you leave us for a moment?"

Thankfully, Balmung didn't question him, simply rose to his feet, two pearly feathers drifting down to settle on BlackRose's limp body as he moved down the aisle. As he passed, the Descendant of Fianna clasped his hand to Kite's shoulder briefly before exiting the church, the door shutting firmly behind him.

In an instant, Kite ran to his partner's side, falling to his knees beside her, a shaky hand reaching out to touch her pink hair. She was laying on her side and as he took in her ragged state, he realized the meaning of what Balmung had said. The painted markings on her body had turned a bright green instead of their usual yellow, and when she finally opened her eyes, he knew she was blind.

"Kite?"

His name was enough. Heedless of the consequences, he reached out and pulled her to him, cradling her in his arms and trying his best not to hurt her. BlackRose's fingers reached up to touch his face, the tips tracing his features until she gave a sort of hiccupping sigh of relief.

"I'm here," he said, when he was sure he could talk without his voice wavering. His partner smiled weakly.

"Sorry I worried you." She rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. "I'm pretty sure they did something to me." She struggled to laugh. "I can't see a thing."

He leaned over and hugged her. "Don't," he whispered fiercely into her shoulder. Don't try to be strong for me.

Her arms linked themselves around his neck and he felt her tremble in his arms. "Kite, I'm scared," she whispered, her words muffled by his scarf. "I can't remember the way out of here."

He closed his eyes in grief. "I know, but it's alright. We're going to figure this out." He looped an arm under her legs and stood, lifting her as he went and settling her against his chest. "I won't let anything happened to you."

BlackRose's crimson eyes slowly closed as she relaxed. "Promise me you won't let me fall into a coma."

Kite didn't hesitate. "I promise."

He felt her smile against his shirt as he carried her out of the church. "Good, because you wouldn't last a day without me."

And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Kite smiled, too.

"I know."

To be continued…