A/N: Sorry about the recent delays in my updates, this chapter should hopefully be better than the first few. BTW, if you are reading the story, but not reviewing, plz review, for a while, I had little encouragement to continue. Again, thx for the reviews.

Quote: Do you know the path that I desire?  Tsukasa

Chapter 3

After a while the two began to talk again. It started out slow, but they were finally able to talk normally.

"I, uh, really didn't know, well, I didn't know I could do that skill," Drachen said. I really want to explain what just happened to you, but, well, I don't know enough about it."

"I want to ask you, but, I don't quite know…where to begin," Kikyo said. "I don't understand enough to even begin. I do hope that you're going to be okay." The group was finally starting to understand each other. "I can help!"

"What!" Drachen shouted. "You could've been killed and yet you still want to risk your life. Why would you do something like that?"

"I don't know. What I do know is-is that you're the most exciting person in my life for the longest time. I-I'm just not ready to leave you behind." Kikyo began to cry. Drachen didn't know what to do. He had never dealt with girls in his life. Kikyo had been the closest thing to a girlfriend he's ever had.

"Please…don't cry." Drachen walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. She slapped him. He fell to the ground. He wasn't very talented at making people feel better. "I'm sorry. It's just that…I don't want you to get hurt, because of me. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

Kikyo stopped crying. She stepped towards him and suddenly threw her arms around him and put her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. Drachen didn't understand what was happening. He didn't know how to respond. He slowly put his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Please-please, don't leave me. I just…want to be around you. Is there something wrong with that?" Drachen was about to respond when Kikyo shushed him. She didn't want an answer. She just wanted to hold him, for a little while longer. She knew if they began talking, it'd ruin the moment.

Drachen began to wonder if Kikyo could feel too. He could feel her warmth from the first moment she put her arms around him. He didn't know what she was thinking. His body slowly started to feel warmer. Her hair seemed to glow in the small light that shown in. Drachen ran his fingers through her hair and felt the silkiness that the hair contained. Not a single knot in her hair. He felt bad for bringing her into this. He knew that it would be hard to protect her, but if it kept her happy, he could do it. He could feel her cheek pressed up to his chest, his heart began to beat ever faster. He didn't know what was happening to him. He knew he wanted it to last forever. It just had to last.

After a long while, Kikyo took her arms off Drachen, his heartbeat returning to a normal pace, her warmth leaving him. The two looked at each other.

"Can I please come?" Kikyo asked.

"If it…makes you happy," Drachen forced himself to let her come along. He wanted her, but he was afraid that she would be put into danger if she stuck with him. He realized though, that she might be in danger away from him, but this way, he could protect her. Drachen began to head to the next room of the dungeon as Kikyo grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't forget me," she said to him. They moved into the next room and quickly pushed themselves against the walls. They looked around the room.

"Looks like this room is safe," Drachen whispered. They relaxed their bodies as they walked into the next floor of the dungeon. The stairs were slightly messed up and Drachen tripped on his way down. "Ack!" Drachen howled with pain. Kikyo ran forward and lifted him up to a sit up a position. "And I thought I'd be the one helping you." He clutched his leg in pain.

"Shut up!" Kikyo told him. She didn't want Drachen feeling useless. He was obviously trying really hard to be the big tough guy. Kikyo felt bad for him. He was having a hard time walking and even breathing. Ever since he used the skill he seemed unsure of himself. What would happen if Drachen couldn't handle himself? "REPTH!" She healed him and picked him up the rest of the way. She knew he only needed a little push.

Drachen felt better after being healed. He finally brought himself to smile. He grabbed her hand used a speed charm. His feet began to move at humanly impossible paces. After a couple rooms an enemy showed it self. Drachen and Kikyo raised their weapons to challenge the beast. Kikyo immediately yelled, "RUE KRUZ!" Water formed around Drachen's blade. When he slashed the water converged upon the two blades. It drowned the monster in a flood of water and blood. Drachen pushed off of the monster's head and landed next to Kikyo.

Kikyo looked at Drachen and noticed that he was breathing hard. She could tell that he was keeping something secret. He wasn't telling something that would help understand him. Maybe it was fate that they had met. Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence. Maybe he was keeping it secret because even he didn't know what it was. When she looked into his eyes, she noticed they were a silver-green. When she looked at Drachen she realized he needed something. She reached into her item pouch on took out a small black cap with a sliver stripe around it. She put it gently on his head and he turned to her.

"Thanks," he said. "I think I have something for you." He pulled a flower out of his pocket and put it in her hair. "It looks great on you." He swallowed hard. He was kind of embarrassed. She looked carefully into her staff at her reflection. The flower looked wonderful in her hair.

"Thanks," she said as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him. Drachen blushed. Even though she had done this once already, he didn't get used to it. She let go a little sooner this time. She turned away as she blushed. Drachen thought he had done something wrong. He thought she was mad at him. When she turned back she smiled. Drachen felt relieved.

The party ran deeper into the dungeon. Their mission, the gott statue treasure. When Drachen lifted his blades for another fight, he realized his blades had turned black and curved a little more than before. It was strange. He didn't remember his blades being like that. They had a sliver lightning-shaped stripe running through them. Kikyo noticed them after a few seconds and had the same awe-struck look as him. Drachen began to focus on the fight just in time to dodge a fatal blow. He ran away as fast as he could. The monster was hot on his tail. Drachen jumped and did a back flip near the wall. The creature hadn't been ready and it slammed head on into the wall. Drachen ran to the opposite side to get some rest.

"VAK KRUZ!" Drachen took a look to see Kikyo blasting the creature. The creature turned towards her. It ran at top speed towards her.

"NOOOOO!" Drachen yelled. "I won't let you hurt her. RUE KRUZ!" Ice particles began to form around the creature. Drachen held his blades at arm's length ready to cross them at any moment. "NOW!"

"Okay," Kikyo said. "RAI KRUZ!" Balls of lightning formed around the monster. Kikyo held her staff up in the air. The lightning started to attach to the ice. "Ready!" Drachen and Kikyo released the RueRai Kruz upon the enemy. The enemy was fried. Drachen fell to his knees. His arm had been bitten one he back flipped over the monster. His arm stung. He cried out in pain.

Kikyo had found new head armor. She equipped it. She wanted to test out the new skill. She ran to Drachen. "La Repth!" she said. Drachen and Kikyo began to feel a healing sensation. It felt great. Healed, they walked into the next room. When the next room loaded, they saw the Gott Stature.

"You take the treasure, it's all yours," Drachen said.

"You sure?" Kikyo asked.

"Definitely," Drachen answered. Kikyo opened the treasure chest and pulled out a staff. The staff was the color white. It had a red lightning-shaped tip and floating an inch above the tip was a ball that seemed to be made of light itself. She also pulled out two dolls. She seemed disappointed about the dolls, but she loved the staff. She shrunk her old staff to stick it in her pouch. She put the new one in her hands. It looked awesome.

The team was back in the safety of Mac Anu. Drachen realized it was getting late and his mother would be home any minute. "I'd better log out. My mother will kill me. Later." Drachen disappeared behind the golden rings.

"Later…" she whispered as he left. She was a little sad he had to go. She realized that he couldn't stay on forever, but it was still hard. "Maybe I'll train a little longer." She ran to the Chaos Gate and warped to another field.

Drachen was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Balmung had told him "The World" was a fun online game. Yet, nothing had seemed fun. It all seemed real and unexplainable. Even though he should be asleep, he got back online. He looked around. He didn't see Kikyo. He walked to the bridge and stared down at the water. It seemed so much more realistic in the dark. He stared at it. It entranced him, lured him in. He sat there, staring at the river. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. He began to yawn.

"Man, I'm tired. I better go to sleep." He finally brought himself to logout. He didn't want to get grounded from the game when he had just finally bought it. He went to bed. As he slept he dreamt about what might happen in "The World" tomorrow.