Disclaimer: Dot Hack does not belong to me nor any of my family members or friends, I assure you. If that were so, we'd be millionaires... right?

I decided to start a new Dot Hack story since the other one didn't turn out too well, as you can see for yourselves. So... Longer, newer, and better this story will be. One thing: This takes place sometime during the first Dot Hack Game and the second. I'll provide a little background for you readers so you'll know what's going on. Enjoy.

She looked around cautiously for any signs of him. He was following her everywhere, even now, she knew. It wouldn't be long until he caught up with her. Surveying no change in the environment, she continued on, careful not to alert him she was here. Her statue. She had to free her statue. Only then could she escape from him.

Floating above the ground gently in her white gown, she arrived in front of her statue, which was wrapped in chains. The face was sad and twisted into a mournful frown. True, that's how she felt. Trapped. Alone. Isolated. Almost no one came here anymore. Only him... the one who she gave the bracelet too. He was helping her defeat him, defeat Skeith. He wasn't the only one after her, though. That she also knew. Cubia and Innus wanted her gone as well. They wanted to infect The World and she wasn't going to let that happen. She strived too hard NOT to let that happen.

A thought fluttered through Aura's head and she remembered the boy wasn't the only one who came here. That girl he came with; both of them. What were their names? "Blackrose... and Mistral..." She muttered quietly to herself. Yes, those were their names. They were helping her too. Laying the rest of her thoughts aside for a more appropriate time, Aura reached out her hand to touch the statue of herself... To freedom...

But that was when he came. She felt him before he appeared behind her. Turning to face him, Aura glanced at Skeith, seeing his malevolent smirk on his face. She knew she was done for. He had located her and she had nowhere to go. Nowhere to turn to. Skeith came closer to her, taking his sweet little time, gripping his trusty red cross.

A short defiance flashed into Aura's eyes for a second, but as quickly as it came, it went. Skeith seemed to laugh at Aura and his grip tightened on his weapon. "Death awaits you," was all he said. Aura's face twisted into sorrow, the same as her statue. Skeith raised up his weapon as Aura was lifted up into the air. The cross disappeared from Skeith's hand and it reappeared behind Aura, holding her there. Skeith raised his right hand next, his own Data Drain bracelet showing as it opened up.

"Death will consume you." A blinding flash appeared through the room, and when it vanished, both were gone, the only remains a small tear from a white cloth, right in front of the statue, as if someone had been there.

-----

Kite awoke in bed, a numbing pain in his head. It wasn't the pain of a headache, no... It was pain of missing something, but what? Kite climbed out of his bed and went drowsily over to his computer. He checked his Mailer to find one letter from Blackrose. Wearily, he opened it.

From: Blackrose

To: Kite

Subject: White Cloth

Hey, Kite, I don't know if you're on or not, don't know what time it is there. But I went to Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground to see if there was anything going on, you know? Well, when I got there, I found this little piece of white cloth directly in front of the statue. It feels soft and looks like part of Aura's dress, but I'm not sure if it is or not.

Will you get on sometime and check it out with me?

Blackrose

Kite groaned. At this time of night? Kite typed in a response groggily, telling her he'd be on in a couple of hours to help her find with what's going on. He trudged back into bed and found uninterrupted peace for the rest of the night.

-----

"You asked to see me, Blackrose?"

"Yeah, just wait for Kite to get on."

"Okay," Mistral responded and she absent-mindedly waved her wand in front of her. It wasn't long before Kite appeared in front of the Chaos Gate.

"I'm here," He stated.

"We clearly see that," Blackrose replied. "Took you long enough to get here! I sent that email like what, 6 hours ago?!"

"It was in the middle of the night, Blackrose. Surely you don't expect me to get up at midnight to check something out on the game? I have another life, remember?"

"I knew that, Kite, just wondering why it took you so freakin' long. Anyway, come on. We have a mystery to solve." She turned to the Chaos Gate behind Kite and spoke firmly, "Delta, Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground."

The three of them warped to find themselves facing the looming temple structure, one of the two doors cracked open slightly as always. This was one of the few levels without monsters attacking you everywhere you go. Kite, Blackrose, and Mistral walked up the short flight of steps and entered inside. Blackrose led the other two to the front of the statue and pointed down.

"This is what I found. Strange, isn't it?"

"..." Kite stared at it for a second before picking it up gently. "It does look like this belongs to Aura's dress..."

"That's what I thought too. What should we do?"

"I'm not sure..." Kite trailed off, in thought. The two girls stood watching him quietly. "Should we post this on the board?"

"That might work, but it might not," Blackrose replied. "The Administrators might delete the post, just like they did with yours about your friend going into a coma." Kite nodded.

"Well..." Mistral piped up. "Should we hold onto it and wait?"

"We could do that, but..." Kite began, then stopped himself.

"But what, Kite?"

Kite sighed heavily. "But what if... Skeith got Aura, and this is all that's left of her. I mean, I need Aura to help me. Without her, we're lost."

"But surely Skeith couldn't get her... now... of all times?" Blackrose asked. Kite's statement was ludicrous.

"I don't feel her, Blackrose. I don't think she exists anymore..."

"You're crazy, you know that Kite? Stop with the joking!"

"...Uh..." Kite turned his back to her, speechless. He knew Aura was gone, he just knew it. That was the little feeling he had in his mind last night. The feeling that he had lost someone. He had lost Aura. Without so much as a warning, Kite gated out.

-----

Kite was about to get off the computer when his Mailer flashed, showing the 'New!' icon. "Better not be Blackrose..." he muttered for he didn't want to talk to her now. It was actually from Mia, which surprised him. Mia usually didn't use the mailing system. He popped open the box and read the email:

From: Mia

To: Kite

Subject: Interesting New Person in Root Town

I know this might shock you, me using the email, but I found something quite interesting in the Theta Server. Go to the root town and you'll see what I mean.

Mia

"New person in a root town? Why could they be so special?" Curiosity getting the best of him, he logged back on to The World, appearing in Mac Anu. Turning to the Chaos Gate, he chose to go to the 'Theta Server' and warped to Dun Loireag.

Kite appeared to see right away a crowd near the Recorder. He couldn't find what the fuss was about and headed over to the crowd. In the middle of the crowd stood a player dressed in all black, a wand in her hands that was an ebony color. He still didn't get it till he heard some murmurs that sparked his interest:

"She just appeared right in the city, a level 25!"

"She's never been in the records before either!"

"Isn't black a hard color to get?"

Kite saw from his point in the crowd that the girl seemed to be rather perplexed as she glanced around at all the people surrounding her, and he knew she must be afraid. His eyes connected with hers and she made a beeline to him, grabbing his arm. "Come on," he whispered to the girl, "I'll take you away from here." He half ran, half walked to the Chaos Gate and chose a random level, gating out to there.

They appeared in a gusty grassland and he noticed the level was 30, a little too high for the girl, but since he himself was a 32, he should be able to handle it. The girl breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at him. Kite found the courage to ask her a question he had since he saw her. Plus, he didn't even know this girl.

"Just who are you?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"..." The girl lowered her eyes. "To be truthful, I don't have a name."

"Oh... Well... What do you wish to be called by?"

The girl thought for a minute, then looked up. "You may call me Twilight."