Author's note

Like Chapter 8, this is a sappy romance chapter between Balmung and my friend Jasmine. I needed a filler chapter and she gave me this idea. I'm throwing in a battle scene to it just for my own touch, but this is mainly her idea. I accept almost all ideas given to me, just send it in, and I'll see if I can write it in my fanfic. Thanks again Jasmine for reviews and ideas. Plus I got paid for it. This also has my explanation to my coma thoery so please don't hate bc of the sappiness.

Chapter 12: Black and White

Jasmine logged out to see who sent her some mail. She saw that Kelly wrote her with the subject as urgent but she would read it later. She saw that Balmung had written her telling her to meet him at their normal spot. She quickly logged in and went to Delta Secret Hidden Fort Walls, only to see that something about it was different. Some patches of the sky seemed broken, and some of the graphics were blotched or faded. She walked around and after about ten minutes Balmung appeared behind her and hugged her.

"Thought you wouldn't come after I didn't receive any word from you for about ten to fifteen minutes after I sent the mail," said Balmung.

"I was a little busy and I just some free time," she replied.

"Busy how?"

"I had to take care of a few things involving Blackrose and my friends."

"Would this happen to do with that giant fight over in Dun Lorieag involving that thread on the message board?"

"It might, may not."

"Why are you always like this, always trying to get me to dig it out of you?"

"Because I feel like it."

"Heheheh, well did it have to do with the thread?"

"Yeah, I needed to protect that sword for my friend."

"Huh, why would you have to watch that sword? If I remember correctly the sword was for a heavy blade, so wouldn't that belong to Enigma?"

"Yeah, but he's not doing to well, so he left his sword with me and my friends."

"You're not telling me everythiiiinnnng."

"Fine, since your twisting my arm about it, Enigma got put into a coma."

"Ahhh, I see."

"Why did you call me here anyway? I bet it's not just for a friendly talk and to see my beautiful self."

"Acutally, that's one reason I came, but the main reason was that I wanted to give you something. I've had it for a long time, and I've had no use for it, and thought it perfect if I gave it to you."

"So you're giving me your old junk!!!"

"It's not junk, the item is called 'The wings of Darkness'."

"What do these wings do anyway?"

"It's similar to my wings of light. They were originally meant to go to Orca, but since he didn't want them, the administrators gave them to me."

"So it does what?"

"Take them and equip them as your armor."

Jasmine did as Balmung said, but no real difference could be seen in the appearance of Jasmine. After about a few seconds, Jasmine started to show her irritation.

"Ok, was something supposed to happen or was this just some dumb armor you wanted to give me."

"Give it a minute."

"I don't have time for this, I had just gotten some mail from Sakura and she said it was urgent," Jasmine was yelling at him.

Black shadows started to sprout from her back and began to grow until the shadow was as large as her entire body. Balmung motioned for Jasmine to look behind her and she was surprised to see the shadowy figure behind her. The shadows began to change and formed into sleek, black feathers, and the shadows finally changed into black wings, similar to Balmung's, different only in color.

"What the…," Jasmine was unable to say another word.

"Those are the wings of darkness. Unlike my wings those will only reveal themselves at certain times, as to keep administration off you back about modifying your character."

"Why give these to me though."

"What would an angel like you be without a pair of wings to show she is one," he caressed her arm.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently, "This is a little much."

"Not at all, angel, those wings make it perfect," he pulled her close and covered her with his wings.

"The angelic love is now complete. With these wings I have truly become a dark angel."

"You have always been my angel. These wings just show that everyone else that you are."

"Balmung, being with you gets my mind off all the bad things that have been happening lately," she wrapped her wings around him, and both of them seemed to glow. They held each other closely and kissed passionately.

"What a nice view of the two lovebirds," a voice said from above.

Both Balmung and Jasmine looked up to notice that Helba was watching them with an evil grin on her face, "What on Earth are you doing here, hacker," Balmung said fiercely.

"Just on a quick patrol, looking for anything out of the ordinary," Helba said dryly, "I seemed to have to found two little birdies, and one seems to have gained her wings."

"How did you know where to find us," Jasmine asked.

"I noticed a field created and then had protection placed on it soon after being created. It just seemed strange."

Jasmine's feathery wings changed back to the evil looking shadow which still looked like wings, but without the angelic look to them, "So what are you here to do anyway," she yelled at Helba.

"I've only come to tell that there is a new anomaly in the system, you may notice him too, Darkangel."

"I don't care about what you found and I've just about had it with you!!!"

"Very well, I guess that I will just have to beat sense into your hard head."

"I personally don't about hackers that much, but anyone who threatens Darkangel will have to face my wrath," Balmung said unsheathing his sword.

"Ahh…so the two angels are willing to fight. Maybe you two lovebirds can actually hit me once."

Balmung flew straight at Helba and slashed with his sword narrowly missing her, but Helba seemed to laugh at him as he passed by. Jasmine, flew behind Balmung with her blades ready to strike, and attempted to slash her after Balmung first attack. Helba moved away, leaving Jasmine to pass through air without attacking anywhere near Helba. Helba laughed at their efforts to hit her and told them it was useless to try. Helba raised her wand and the two rings on it started to glow and lightning clouds started to form all around the fields. It started to rain all over the entire field, and lightning began to striking around Balmung and Jasmine. Jasmine flew straight as Helba and Helba dodged like before but this time, Jasmine was ready for her and stabbed her in the stomach. With the blade stuck inside Helba, Jasmine aimed her straight toward the ground and went into a dive bomb. Helba couldn't escape from Jasmine's hold, and was run into the ground. The impact made a large crater from which Helba was unable to get up from, she was able to attack them though. Two gusts of wind hit Jasmine like razor blades, making cuts all over her body. Blamung raced in and threw his sword at Helba's wand, and the sword hit her hand, making Helba drop her wand and was pinned down, by both swords. Jasmine regained her composure and stabbed Helba's other hand with her second blade making it impossible for Helba to retaliate.

"Now what were you saying about an anomaly in the game, wench," Balmung asked.

"Why should I tell you. You just attacked me and almost kill me and you want information," Helba said.

"You'll tell us," Jasmine twisted one the blades in Helba's hands, "or we just might kill you."

"Very well," Helba winced in pain, "I prefer not talking to someone who works for that pig-head Lios, but fine."

"I'll keep this off my report to Lios, so just tell what you know," Balmung stabbed his sword deeper into Helba's hand.

"Stop that or I won't tell you anything. The new anomaly inside 'The World' is a friend of yours Darkangel. He goes by the name Enigma."

"Huh? How is he alive, you saw as well as I did that he was put into a coma by Skieth."

"I know that, but rumors around the board say that he's back and causing a lot of trouble all over 'The World'."

"So your friend who was put into a coma is somehow here and is causing trouble," Balmung putting it together, "You know, Angel, Lios will have me hunting him down if he keeps up his activity."

"Can I go now," Helba was still trying to get up, "Like you both, I have things to do. Would you mind letting me get up by, removing you weapons from my hands and stomach!!"

"One last thing before you go," Jasmine stopped her, "After you left me and my friends paralyzed in that dungeon, we were captured by Lios. He told us something that has been bothering me for the past couple of days. He said something about this game making a connection with parts of the brain through the headset. I just wondered if you could elaborate on that for me."

"That stupid, retarded, pig-head Lios. What was he trying to gain by telling about that," Helba said to herself, "The headset was made to connect as many senses as possible, but there was a flaw in the hardware that CCcorp. was unable to fix. The flaw is that the brain in essence is synchronized with the game character. In layman's terms, what ever the game characters senses, the person controlling the character senses it as well. This includes pain, paralysis, and death."

"Lios also told us when he held me captive, that if I removed the headset, I would put myself in a coma."

"That's true, the headset is a connection medium between the game and the brain, and removing the headset would like severing that connection mid-circuit."

"Then why when I've and many other players have done that, there hasn't been a coma then," Balmung asked.

"The company put in a fail-safe device that would activate in case of blackouts, power surges and simply removing the headset. The device would go through the log out sequence and return the brain to normal in an instant. If Lios told you that you would put yourself into a coma by taking off the headset then he must have deactivated the fail-safe, that bastard."

"He must have done it so that he could make sure we would comply with his demands and work for him. My friends and I only said we'd work for him, just so he would let us go. We're not really going to do what he says."

"Fear not Angel, Lios won't hear a word of this," Balmung said, "If that fool is going to use you like that then I refuse to give him my complete cooperation."

"It's nice that your boyfriend there won't turn you in, but could you let me up now," Helba pleaded, "I told you everything I know, so let me out of here."

Jasmine and Balmung retrieved their swords and let Helba leave as she limped away she turned around, "If you want to find Enimga I would check the message board, because many people have posted his whereabouts as of late."

"Whatever, Helba," Jasmine said as Helba left.

"Well at least we're alone and no one else can mess with us," Balmung sounded relieved.

"Yeah, that's one good thing," Jasmine sounded worried.

"You're worried about what Helba said about your friend aren't you?"

"Not really, just can't understand what she meant about causing trouble, that's so unlike him."

"Don't worry about those things right now, we're together and alone," He hugged her close.

Jasmine's wings returned to the feathered look, "You're right, how long can you stay on tonight?"

"As long as you can, Angel."

They kissed and held each other, and stayed with each other until unknown hours of the night. Jasmine left Balmung while he was asleep, and logged off to write back to Kelly to tell her that she would talk her at school about what Helba had said.

Chapter 12 End

A/N: I know this clears up some holes in my theory but not all. Next chap might take me a while since I got stuff going on at my house right now. Sorry I put story line along with romance so whatever. I will try in the future not to do this again. Review my work. LATES.