Black Cats Revival
One Shot: Christmas in Despair
Beginning A/N:
Oh. My. God. I WROTE A ONE SHOT! This is my first one shot, so I'm really excited.
It's time-skip time! Yeah, this is the long-awaited Christmas chapter! (Funny how I'm posting it as a one shot, huh?) So we've time-skipped five months, almost to Christmas, but I assure you that this gap will be filled in the actual story… somehow.
So, as the title suggests, this is a ONE SHOT. This is going to be a part of the series eventually, but I didn't feel like waiting to post this in the actual story, because I would probably have to wait several chapters to post this in the main line. When I finallydoget to the Christmas season in the main story, I'll put this in as the Christmas chapter and continue from that point onward. Anyway, I should tell you that I'm gonna add about five chapters to the main line of BCR before I actually put this in there.
Anyway, have a fun read!
I couldn't take it.
It had been five months since that fateful day… the day when our first guild had disbanded. The clearers, our new guild included, have reached the forty-eighth floor, just in time for the upcoming holiday. It was December twenty-first, four days away from Christmas.
Sachi and Ducker had been so nice to me… even after what happened. I filled up the guild for the purpose of giving them more people to talk to, and Ducker fit in with everyone, but Sachi still only really talked to me.
I was caught. I loved Sachi, and I knew she needed me, but I also knew… that she didn't love me. How could she?
And so I had resolved to leave the guild for the good of Sachi, Ducker, and everyone else in it.
If I stay, I'll go insane… and then my [[Blood Rage]] error will relapse. I have to leave. Those were my worries two months ago.
As I walked through the moonlit streets of a city on the forty-ninth floor, I heard one of the merchant NPCs conversing with a player. When an NPC without a quest mark talks to a player, it means an event is coming up. Let's see what they're talking about.
I walked closer, using my [[Hiding Skill]] to avoid being noticed.
"Did you hear? Rumor has it that the terror [[Nicholas the Renegade]] has come back from the dead, bringing the item he used to do it with him! If you can get the item, you can revive the dead!" Even though the NPC was whispering, I could hear what she was saying as if she were shouting across the room.
The idea abruptly struck me. If I get the revival item, I can revive Keita, and he can take over the guild again!
And so I set out to find as much info as I could about [[Nicholas the Renegade]].
The next day, I still had yet to come across any info on Nicholas that I hadn't already heard. I had stayed up all night walking the streets of the various cities of the forty-ninth floor, finding absolutely nothing.
Once I returned to our newly-acquired house on the forty-fifth floor, I immediately collapsed on the couch, eventually succumbing to the nightmares I knew would come.
This nightmare, like all the others, was about my first guild, [[The Black Cats of the Full Moon]]. However, this dream was different from the rest. I was in a world where they had ALL died—not just Tetsuo, Sasamaru and Keita.
Reviving somebody isn't possible in this world, my dream-self thought while manipulating his equipment menu.
But there's a rumor that [[Nicholas the Renegade]] will drop an item that can revive a player.
Now, all of the treasured equipment that I had never taken off since the time of my days in the Black Cats was replaced with the latest equipment and the most powerful one-handed sword so far. Despite the insulation my new coat gave me, I felt frozen. Frozen without the equipment that contained the warm, happy memories I had shared with the Black Cats.
If I go solo, I'll probably die. I looked at my reflection in the cold sword I held in my right hand, seeing the face of a hopeless teenager, one who will regret his existence for all eternity.
I'll die a meaningless death where nobody will see me. My mind flashed back to Keita's last words.
"A Beater like you hadnoright to get involved with us!" Keita shouted.
He turned around and walked to the edge of the bridge we were standing on, looking down at the endless sky.
No!I thought, running over to him.
Too late. By the time I got there, he had already jumped off the edge.
That's right… I… and my arrogance killed you guys. If I hadn't concealed my true level…
"Kirito!"
*Gasp!* Frantic, I asked, "What is it?!"
I got up to find Sachi looking at me with a frightened expression.
"You… you were having a nightmare, and it woke me up. When I came down the stairs, you were tossing and turning, and when I tried to get you up, you yelled at me."
Sachi…
"I'm sorry, Sachi. I was just having a nightmare, that's all."
"Well obviously! You woke up everyone in the house!" said a blonde from across the room.
"You weren't even sleeping," I retorted.
"You know me way too well, Kirito."
"No, you're just way too easy to read, unlike Cirdan," I said, pulling a random name out of my… various places.
"You called?" Cirdan asked, walking downstairs.
I take back my previous statement.
"You were up all night, too, weren't you," I said.
"Yeah, well…"
"Let me guess… you were having a PM fest with Aria."
"How in the—"
"It was obvious by the happy look you had when you walked in. Let me guess… she said she was coming for a visit this Christmas, and then you guys started making plans without involving us," I said, keeping my own feelings hidden .
"You're wrong on two accounts, Kirito. First, Aria said she was coming to visit on Christmas Eve, and second, we were making plans for just the two of us. You guys are off the hook this time," Cirdan declared.
"Let me get this straight. You're leaving us at one of the most important holidays of the year, just to be with the girl you like," Kamiko said, agitated, as he walked into the room with the worst case of bedhead I had seen since Sugu.
"Exactl— you're trying to make me look bad, aren't you?" Cirdan responded.
"Oh, but you're doing such a wonderful job of it yourself."
At this, we all shared a good laugh at Cirdan's expense, and even Cirdan joined in. However, the smile I held while laughing never did reach my eyes.
Christmas Eve.
Snow was falling around everywhere, my [[Moonlit Illusion set]]'s loose fit making the cold even more potent.
"It seems that you've been leaving your friends out of your over-leveling sessions, Ki-Bou," Argo said as I sat down on the bench next to where she was standing.
"Do you have any more new info for me?"
"Not anything I can charge for."
"And you call yourself an information broker," I said, irritated.
"It was the first event that wasn't part of the beta. I couldn't get much info… late tonight, a field boss called [[Nicholas the Renegade]] will spawn underneath a certain fir tree." Argo emphasized this with various hand gestures.
I got up from the bench I was sitting on. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said as I walked toward the teleport gate.
"You're not seriously planning on soloing that thing, are you?! Ki-Bou!"
Argo started to chase after me, but I picked up my pace. Once I got to the teleport gate, I immediately used it to warp to the thirty-fifth floor, where I started to head to the [[Forest of Disorientation]].
One area away from the fir tree, I heard the sound of people coming out of the area just behind me.
"Hey."
"So you followed me?" I asked Klein, outwardly calm but inwardly seething at him and the rest of his guild, [[Fuurinkazan]].
"Ch—yeah. You looking for the revival item?"
"Yeah."
"Don't risk your life over something that's probably total bull!"
Fortunately, my hair hid my rage-filled eyes from him.
"This is a real game of death, you know! Once your HP hits zero, your brain in the real world will—"
"Shut up."
Klein looked at me angrily. "Don't try to solo him!" he demanded. "It's nuts! Join up with us! The revival item will go to whomever gets the drop, so there'll be no hard feelings!" he said. Klein was mad at me, but I knew he was concerned.
"That's meaningless to me. I have to do it alone," I said, preparing to draw my sword.
His comrades got ready to battle me, completely unaware of my real reason for readying myself. Klein held them back, saying, "Look, I'm not gonna let you die here! Kirito!"
I loosed my sword from its sheath.
Just as I had expected, members of the [[Divine Dragon Alliance]] started to appear, warping into the area. Klein and his guild-mates backed up, surrounding my front. "Looks like you were followed too, Klein."
"Yeah, sure looks like it," he said dryly, grasping his katana.
"The Divine Dragons?!" one of his guild-mates exclaimed.
"They're willing to do anything to get their hands on a rare item," growled another one of them. "What now?"
"I'll…"
"Bastards!" Klein shouted. "Go, Kirito!"
"Klein?"
"Get going! We'll hold them off!"
I slowly turned around and started to run. I ran toward the fir tree where my salvation waited.
The fir tree was gigantic, which was fitting for a giant boss like Nicholas. I heard bells start to ring. Then a familiar sound, the stereotypical sleigh-riding bells jingled from the sky. Giant sleigh tracks appeared above, and then, from the tracks…
A massive figure clad in red crashed to the ground, sending snow everywhere. I instinctively raised my hand to cover my face.
The figure raised up its head with a sickening crack, its deranged eyes stared me in the face. Four health bars appeared next to its head, signifying the incredible strength it possessed.
"You're noisy."
The hideous boss raised its axe high above its head, preparing to strike.
"URAAAAEEE!"
I charged, holding my sword in both hands.
Nicholas swung his axe down.
I intercepted it with a sword skill, knocking his axe up just as I had in the first floor boss fight. However, the force of the axe sent me flying back, making me flip in midair before I landed on the ground.
With the boss's weapon still in the air, I quickly struck with the Extra Skill [[Weapon Bash]] to stun him.
I drew out my second [[Moon Sword]] and immediately activated a devastating skill, the [[New Moon Cacophony]], a thirteen-hit combo unlike the other Sword Skills. It had the ability to adapt, and to block.
Once it was finished charging, I let loose on the still-stunned boss.
"REEEAAAAAGH!"
Left, double right, double diagonal up, down, diagonal down, double left-
Six hits in, he recovered from the stun and began his own attack.
CLASH, CLASH, CLASH!
Three more hits used up by blocking the beast's attacks.
As it swung with a powerful one-hit skill, I rolled to the side, my skill still in motion.
Right, up, down-
I dodged another swing, about to perform the last hit of the combo.
"KURAEEEH!"
As I jabbed, a spear of red energy shot out from my sword and into the leg of the revolting boss.
The boss fell to his knees, still clinging on to just over three bars of its HP.
It can't move!
Because of the long charge time of the skill, there was no Exhaustion time. I began to charge up another skill; [[Full Moon Symphony]]. This attack was fifteen hits and even stronger than the last, and it still possessed the ability to adapt.
Right, right, diagonal down, diagonal up, block-
His health was coming dangerously close to the yellow.
Then the worst happened.
Nicholas landed a two-hit Axe Skill on my stomach, snapping me out of my skill and sending me into the yellow, just under half of my HP remaining.
"RAAAAAAAGH!"
I activated my most powerful [[Dual Wield]] skill yet—"Starburst… Stream!"
Right, right, diagonal up, spin, double right, downward V, upward V-
I felt an axe hit me, but I paid it no mind.
Double jab, diagonal down-
The fist of the overgrown zombie elf hit me square in the face, but I was past caring.
I reversed my grip on my swords, jumping into the air and slashing him twice.
I started slashing wildly, taking control of my body for a mere four hits.
Its axe caught my right sword, but I didn't need it for what came next: the final hit.
"KEEURRAAAAAH!"
A spear of blue energy shot out of my left sword as I jabbed at [[Nicholas the Renegade]], hitting him in the chest.
A few seconds passed. The boss shattered into polygons of all Christmas colors—red, green, silver, gold. A giant [[Congratulations!]] appeared in the sky, signifying that I had beaten the boss.
I started panting heavily and looked at my HP bar, only to see that I was a mere fifteen HP away from the afterlife.
Then a window appeared announcing the LA Bonus, and that I moved up to level sixty seven.
"I… did it…"
Coming out of the Nicholas map, I stared into the face of Klein, his guild, Ducker, Cirdan, Rita, and… Sachi.
My hair was hiding my eyes, so no one could see the look of despair on my face. Everyone ran up to me and asked if I was okay.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Ducker and Kamiko shouted at the same time.
Cirdan's fist connected with my cheek. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled.
Rita did nothing but give me a dirty look, which signaled the rage building inside her. I didn't care. I was too despondent to care about anything.
Sachi just looked on, tears building in her eyes. I started to walk away, desperately wanting to go anywhere but where I was.
"Ja nai…"
"Kirito!"
Sachi ran up to me. "What's wrong?"
She's the only one… the only one who understands me, yet she doesn't love me. It drives me insane!
I tossed her the revival item, which had been in my hand up until then. "Read the item description."
While she read, I continued to walk away, secretly taking out a teleport crystal.
"Within ten seconds…" I heard Sachi whisper. "Kirito, wait!"
"Sayonara." And with that, I used the teleport crystal to go to an inn on the forty-ninth floor.
I planned to disband the guild at midnight, and the hour was drawing close. Once the clock struck midnight, something appeared in my inbox just before I pressed the Disband button.
"A gift? Well, I might as well take a look first…"
When I opened my inbox, I saw the name of the sender. "Sachi…"
I pressed the Open Gift Box button, and to my surprise, a recording crystal appeared.
This… seems so familiar…
I pressed the button on the crystal, starting it up.
"Merry Christmas, Kirito. If you're hearing this message, then I'm probably already dead."
It must have been a timed gift sent before the incident,I thought.
"How should I begin? Well… to tell the truth, I never wanted to leave the town of beginnings. But I know if I continue fighting while feeling this way, my death will be inevitable. That's nobody else's fault but mine.
"Ever since that night, you've told me over and over again that I won't die. So if I die, you'll probably try to shoulder all the blame. That's why I'm recording this.
"Actually, I've always known how strong you really are, how you're even stronger than you say. One time, I accidentally snuck a peek. After thinking long and hard, I still don't know why you're hiding your true strength while fighting with us.
"But I was overjoyed to learn that you're even stronger than you say you are. It really put me at ease. So even if I die, please do your best to live on. See how this world will end and find out why it was created. Find out why scaredy-cats like me are here, and the reason behind our having met. That is my wish.
"I have a lot of time left. Well, since it's Christmas, I'll hum a little tune."
As she began to hum to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, tears assaulted my eyes relentlessly, escaping in a waterfall.
"I'll see you, Kirito. I'm really glad we met… and spent time together. I'll always love you."
And then they came—those two words that were able to drive me completely insane in an instant.
"Arigatou… sayonara."
As the recording crystal lost its light, I broke down into a fit of sobs.
A/N:
On a scale of one to ten, how much did this piss you readers off?
I had a hell of a blast writing this chapter! The entire thing was just so easy to write, and I have no idea why. The flow was just endless, and I couldn't stop writing on it if I had tried.
I had to re-watch the episode so I could memorize the recording crystal speech, just so I could know where to make edits to it to make it fit MY story. I didn't want to carbon-copy the entire speech, 'cause it wouldn't make sense in the context of my story.