A/N: After this, I'll be following the Manga more than the game for reasons of my own… Enjoy the lovely development here. And forgive me for not updating in soooo long! Forgive me for any grammar or spelling mistakes.

He didn't speak for a week. Not even to Shino, or Phyllo. All he did was go to areas too strong for himself and train; alone. When he came back, battered, broken, and bleeding; he would return to the guild's at home and sit on the ground. He would always hug Nazo Grunty close to himself, and Shino even swore she heard him weep. She would always talk about random things to him. About the plant, about real life, about anything, just to try and coax something out of the depressed rouge. Even when she met him in real life; he was but a shell of a wonderful and happy teen. Heart torn… How could one person have such an impact?

She then mentioned Ovan one day while on the game.

"I wonder why we haven't heard from him?" She had asked herself quietly.

But she got a reply, a hoarse and dead voice from a shredded man.

"Not one message… No E-mail. Nothing… It's like he just-!" The tears came again, the droplets falling on Nazo Grunty's head. The pig like creature sniffed and hugged the rouge. A stirring in the rouge's mind occurred; an odd feeling, like something was trying to get out. But it went unnoticed.

"Don't cry... you must be strong!" He said burrowing his head into the black vest.

Shino then remembered something, and smiled brightly.

"Haseo, there's a Job Expansion event today for level two rouge users! You're at the level now to do it! Why don't we contact Phyllo and take the quest?" She asked brightly, hoping the broken teen would take the offer and brighten up a little more.

Nazo Grunty oinked optimistically, and a light smile came to Haseo's pale face.

"Alright."

It wasn't very difficult. He made it to the shrine with Shino and Phyllo. Their friendship being what brought him the upgrade. Haseo was only disappointed that Ovan couldn't be there as well. His now powerful character flexed clawed hands as a scythe materialized out of cyberspace. A few swings of his new weapon before sheathing it and a grin spread on the rouge's face.

Shino smiled, and Phyllo beamed.

"There's Haseo." The dark harvest clerk said, as she lightly touched one of his spiked shoulders.

It helped. He wasn't cured, but it helped. He began to train again, to smile, and talk. Even though when they would return to the at home, there was no way of removing the boy from the Grunty. Shino worried for him, especially since he began to visit the very area Ovan disappeared in; everyday. It became routine. He would log in and go straight for Coite-Bodher Battlefield. He would stare up at the dragon in the sky, the music playing and the lightning flashing. Thunder would roll in, and sometimes it would even rain. Shino once witnessed him even get on his knees and cry up at the dragon.

"Why did you leave me?! Ovan…" He cried; voice full of sorrow and loss. Tears streamed down his sorrow filled tattooed face as they intermingled with the rain.

Shino cried with him as she witnessed the heart tearing moment. When he returned from the area, Shino approached him.

"Haseo." She said, smiling. She'll find away to cheer him up!

He turned, and smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. Oh, Ovan… why did you leave us? Look at the heart you've broken. He loves you Ovan.

"Come with me. There's a place I want to show you." She gently took his hand and dragged back to the Chaos Gate.

Quickly going through her bookmarks; Shino choose the one she wanted.

Haseo looked on in confused wonder as light engulfed himself and the girl next to him. They reappeared in the same fashion as they left. The black rouge's gut clenched tightly all of a sudden as his vision fell upon the great Cathedral. It was the same feeling he had before Ovan left him.

"This is my favorite lost ground!" She beamed, and Haseo offered her a nervous smile. She led him inside, the music growing louder, as they passed the lined benches. Haseo's crimson eyes locked on with the chained covered alter.

Shino smiled to herself as curiosity glimmered in the ruby orbs.

"A girl once stood there." She told him as she leaned on the barrier to the altar.

Mimicking her pose, he did the same and tilted his head in interest.

"A girl?" He asked,

Awe filled him at the next few words.

"Aura was her name. She left here, maybe because she was tired of this world." She said quietly.

Haseo furrowed his brows.

"Does she play a part in the 'Key of Twilight?'" He asked, and Shino smiled as hope dashed his features.

"Some think so." She said, smiling brightly.

The two stared at the altar for a little longer, till Haseo stretched, suddenly bored.

"I'm going to go train. Would you like to join?" He asked, but the dark clerk just shook her head.

"I'm going to stay here for a little longer. I'll meet up with you later." She said and Haseo waved as he head out of the cathedral.

Then, it hit him full force. The horrible feeling in his gut clawed at him with such a ferocity to the point where it was almost unbearable.

Then he heard it; a strangled cry coming from the gothic structure.

Fear possessed Haseo as he launched himself back toward the building.

"SHINO!" He screamed her name, throwing open the doors to look at a horrifying sight.

Shino's character was getting all fuzzy, he ran to her, trying to catch her falling body. In the slow motion of the shock, he saw her smile at him briefly; before she disappeared.

"No…" Haseo looked unbelievingly at the place Shino once was.

She would come back… She wouldn't leave him like Ovan did. In the game, players re-spawned. She would come back. Looking up from the spot he was staring at; and was startled by seeing someone there. An eerie groan came from the figure as two three bladed twin blades disappeared, along with the zombie like owner in an odd azure light. Rumors from the BBC flooded the rouges head instantly. '….Twin blade, looks like an old model from The World R:1…' '…Know as Tri-Edge…' '…PK that can send people into comas.'

"Tri-Edge…!" He snarled as the thing disappeared.

His anger dissipated into worry and fear as he quickly logged from the area. Back in the dome, he checked his friends list. Shino was online. A wave of joy hit him, she was safe! She was okay…

He sent her a quick PM.

'You okay? Had me worried for a bit…'

There was no answer from her. He waited a few moments. Maybe she went AFK for a moment. When there wasn't a response. A deep dread filled him as he sent several more messages without any answer.

Giving up, he logged out; feeling empty and lost.

A few days later, he learned that the Player behind Shino ended up in a coma. A new routine settled for the seventeen year old boy. Early in the morning, he would visit Shino Nanoa everyday in the hospital. Then, the teen would return home and get onto the game. He would first visit Coite-Bodher, then the Cathedral, and even visit the Arche Koeln Waterfall; the meeting place of the Brigade. Then, the hunt began. Fueled by rage from the PK; he would hunt down Tri-Edge's own kind; mercilessly.

"Do you know Tri-edge?" He would snarl, and they would only give him confused looks, or start laughing…

What's the point of a rumor to them, after all? Just some stupid mumbo jumbo on the BBC they think.

But it wasn't just that to the rouge. It was his answer to bring Shino back; if he defeated Tri-Edge, Shino would come back… And maybe, just maybe:

Ovan will too.

Months passed, and the final blow to him came when his last standing friend; fell into death, actual death. Phyllo passed away from old age one day; and the Seventeen year old paid good money loaned to him from his father to go to the old man's funeral on the other side of the country.

Now, a lucky cat statue stood on top of his computer tower with a flower sitting at the base of its paws. Ryou changed out the flower every time one would die, he kept on replacing it.

Thus the cycle continued.

"Do you know Tri-edge?" The PKer he was speaking to stiffened, a blade was pressed to her neck and it drew a little bit of blood. It was as red as the eyes that stared intently at her, awaiting an answer.

The scantily clad woman scoffed, and that's all 'The Terror of Death' needed to know; before slicing open her jugular. The woman gurgled out her last breaths, blood pouring from her wound and mouth before falling to the side; suffocating. Haseo watched with disinterest as her convulses ceased, and she decomposed into the ground. The rouge glanced over the carnage in the desert area, and spat on the reddened ground in frustration and anger.

Nothing, again! Six months of nothing but blubbering, stupid rumors, and false information! Crimson eyes blazed in fury, and only intensified as he heard a small whimper from behind him. Within a blink of an eye, he had his scythe out, and whipped around at the source of the pathetic noise; blade aimed at the neck of the stupid life that was before him.

"Sh-shino?" Eyes widened, and all the anger drained from him to be replaced with shock.

No… She was all wrong. The coloring; it was too bright; and the eyes weren't emerald.

Yellow eyes looked up fearfully into his red, then suddenly changed to confused.

That's right… Shino had green eyes, and a dark clothing set; not a white one. A sneer replaced the shocked look on his face, and the fear returned to the look-alike in front of him. Putting his weapon away; he briskly turned and walked stiffly towards the warp point; heading back to town.

How easily he was fooled. A miserable chuckle escaped Haseo's lips as he stepped into the Chaos Gate Dome. Memories of him first logging on flooded into his mind, and a shudder ran down his spine as he remembered Blaine and Iyoten. Then; Ovan saving him, His heart clenched painfully at the memory.

Then Shino…

"Haseo, you're going to go crazy." He told himself as longing gripped at his being.

He wanted his best friend back. He wanted Ovan to return. A hand came up to place it over his heart. He knew this feeling was something stronger than just a likeness for the Guild Master, he came to terms with that long ago.

But it hurt so much to think about him; and the long absence…

Eight months since Ovan's disappearance.

Six since Shino's.

He admitted to himself guiltily that he missed the former much more than the latter; but that still didn't change the fact that they were gone.

"Ovan… Shino… Why?" That line had repeated in his mind every day since their leaving.

There's was a small stirring in his mind from the depression, but Haseo thought nothing of it. This had occurred a few times in the past few months.

Haseo found himself in Mac Anu square; he had been subconsciously walking while in his thoughts. He sighed deeply as he walked around the fountain before sitting down on the concrete edge of the decoration.

His memories of the small touches Ovan allowed him, and a smile graced his features; remembering that soft voice and mysterious eyes; always obscured by the glasses. He remembered Shino, her calm voice announcing her fake shock when he told her how he felt for the Guild Master a few weeks after the Coite-Bodher incident. She had known, and he was overjoyed that she thought no different of him with his confession, and was happy for him. That was when they began searching for the man; thought it was pointless it gave them hope.

Ovan, I miss you.

"'The Terror of Death' the greatest PKK." A tenor voice shook him from his thoughts.

Eyes narrowed vehemently at the man who spoke his nickname.

Long green hair in a ponytail, and he wore Japanese nobleman style of clothing. Great: a snob.

"It's people like you that make 'The World' have chaos. You're just like the Pk-"

Just his luck: a Moon Tree Snob. Haseo growled at the man's insolence.

"Screw you, and Moon Tree. I don't need a damn sermon! What I do in this game is none of your concern!" He snapped, getting up from his sitting position on the fountain.

With some satisfaction at the stunned look on the man's face, he was about to leave when a small, high voice called out to him.

"Please! Won't you hear him out! Why PK others? Why?" It was the Shino look-alike.

She dares to ask that question to him with Shino's face?! He whirled on her, snarling, a rage he hadn't felt in a long time bubbling up to the surface.

With more malice than he intended he snapped at her.

"My reasons are that of which you could NEVER understand!" Anger turning into sorrow as the girls eyes flashed in fear, his throat constricted.

Shino, Ovan… Why?

Why, why, why, WHY!

"Why?" He whispered the question to her.

The one question he so dearly wanted answered.

"You're sad." She stated quietly so only he could hear her.

He just stared at her, blankly. Of course he was sad, he had been ever since Ovan left; and it turned into hopelessness when Shino left as well.

He was very sad.

"You've lost a great deal, haven't you?" she asked, sadness and understanding gracing her soft features.

She went too deep. He glared at her, but she was no longer afraid of his façade, she knew now.

"As long as I have power" He growled more to himself than her. "I won't lose anything else!" He breathed forcefully.

A whisper window opened in his line of sight on the screen.

'He will be at that place.'

Looking at the sender of the cryptic message, Haseo's heart fluttered painfully in his chest. Disbelief graced his features as he mouthed the name.

Ovan.

A clash of feelings fell on Haseo all at once making him weak in the knees. But despite this, he turned towards the dome. What he saw made him take a sharp intake of breath.

A white coat tail, part of an odd metal Cylinder, and the end of a light blue scarf disappeared around the corner.

The message came back to his mind.

"The cathedral!" He cried out to himself, quickly running towards the Chaos Dome; completely forgetting about the girl and Sakaki.

He ran, he ran with high spirits that he was back, that this wasn't a dream.

Please say it wasn't a dream…

He ignored the odd stares and looks people gave the famous PKKer as he pushed open the doors to the dome fiercely. People jumped, startled; but he paid them no heed as he fumbled with the words on the Chaos Gate.

∆Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

The warp rings swept his character away. When he reopened his eyes, he had to forcefully calm himself as he walked shakily to the large doors to the gothic structure. Pushing them open; Haseo's breath hitched when he spotted the silhouette of the man he had longed to see for over eight months.

"Ovan"

Long awaited update; there ya go! Hope you enjoyed it. R&R please! And I'm also sorry for how long it took me to update!