In this chapter, there will be various switches from character to character, which I will point out to get rid of confusion.

Man, school is really interfering with this. Sorry for the wait!

On a side note, if you have not downloaded the .hack/GU trailer yet, do so!

.hack/OMEGA

Chapter 10

Eve of the Eclipse

Ikardis

Ikardis could see nothing. He tried several times to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, his voice turned on. "Where am I?" It echoed. There was no response. "Sorma, Morgonna, Reaper, someone help me! I don't want to remain this way."

There was a noise like someone hit a key on a xylophone.

Ikardis could now see himself, a light coming down upon him from the darkness above. He looked at himself; no wound and no weapons.

Ikardis did not speak this time, but his voice still went around. "Where am I?" "I'm scared." "I can't see. Why can't I see!" "I don't like this place." "Help me." "Help me." "Help me!"

Ikardis looked around for the cause of his voice, but could see nothing beyond his little ray of light.

And then, another ray of light appeared several feet away. Dark Kite; the infected Kite; stepped into the light. A toothy smirk was on its face. "Help me," it said in Ikardis' exact voice, mimicking. Dark Kite pointed his wrist at Ikardis. The Eclipse Bracelet appeared on his wrist now, and opened up into the light flower seen before.

Ikardis smirked also. "Guess it is time for me to repeat our last battle." He attempted to have his two, forearm swords swing forward into their battle positions, but his weapons weren't there. "What..?"

Dark Kite shook his head with the same smirk. Its regular daggers shattered into data and were replaced with two daggers; the blades were now the ones Ikardis used to have, the Horn and Fang of the Twilight Dragon…these were the Weapons of the true Eclipse. Two, black wings emerged from the shoulders of Dark Kite; the Wings of the Twilight Dragon; these were the Wings of the Eclipse.

"No! Kite, no!" Ikardis turned, and ran. But, in darkness, there is no running. Ikardis was running, but he got nowhere; he was still the in the same spot.

Dark Kite's smirk got bigger. From the Eclipse Bracelet, the red beam blasted at Ikardis…

Ikardis lost consciousness.

Muru

Muru sat down on the ground, panting. "Good job, Mana," she praised her Knight NPC.

The Knight stood there with its hands folded on top of the end of the sword, which it had stabbed into the ground.

"Muru? Why is Muru here? Why did she just call me Mana?" Ikardis paused. He wondered what had happened after Dark Kite had Data Drained him, but quickly found out. "I now must live as Mana, then…" Ikardis tried to move, but couldn't. No, Ikardis would not live as Mana; Ikardis would live as a parasite; Ikardis would simply be a presence inside Mana… He tried to call out to Muru, but she did not hear him. Inside Mana, Ikardis screamed as hard as he could…trying to be heard.

Aura

"Get off!" shouted Aura, struggling to get out of Dark Kite's grip, but failing horribly. She gave off various grunts. "Get off, I said!"

"Good, Kite. You did as I wanted," said Morgonna.

Dark Kite smirked and nodded, not letting Aura go.

"So, it has come to this."

"What has it come to, Morgonna? What!"

Morgonna laughed lightly as Aura struggled more. "As you know, your knight, Sorma, has defeated my knight, Ikardis. For your crime against me, my sister, you must now be part of the grand scheme of things."

As if taking a silent sign, Kite allowed Aura to escape its grip.

Aura floated in the air, but then felt something wrap around her; she knew Morgonna's plans for her. Aura now tried to break free of the chains that bound her, but the chains now suddenly pulled her to a bed. "Morgonna, stop this! Don't you see that-" The chains now tied her down to the top of the bed.

"Aura, Key of the Twilight, you will now be the Key of the Eclipse…!"

Dark Kite sunk the infection blade into Aura's heart. When he pulled it out, the wound glowed purple; it was going to take a while for Aura to be completely infected.

Aura let out a gasp. The chains binding Aura shattered into data. Her eyes slowly closed, and she hovered above the surface of the bed.

Sorma

The twins were now much better than they were when we had begun their training earlier today. My eyes caught something in the sky. "Stop," I told the Phoenix Twins, and they took a short break.

"What is it?" one asked.

I stared up at the sky. On the edge of the sun, a small bit of moon blocked it.

"An eclipse in The World?"

"They never do that. Think it is the beginning of some event, Sorma?"

I ignored the two's comments. Unknown to me, Muru, the twins, and every other player, Aura was slowly becoming the Eve of the Eclipse.