EDIT: for those who have already read this chapter please re-read it, i've corrected most of my mistakes and also added an entire new section.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or the related characters, only my OCs,

Enjoy! :D

Tatsuya "Tastsuki" Matsuki

I glanced at my clock and immediately grinned before plopping my body onto my bed, lifted the helmet like NerveGear; a new kind of console that played VR games, yes you heard me right, Virtual-reality. Placing it on my head I uttered the only magic words that worked in this world. "Link-Start" my vision turned blank then white. Multiple circles appeared portraying the progress of system checks until they finished.
A log-in screen appeared which was rapidly filled, a second screen appeared asking whether to use an already existing appearance data. I choose yes.

It took only a matter of seconds for my vision to return and it was filled with a whole new word, Aincrad.

I smirked before running to the closest field, my cousin Kazuto, although he goes by Kirito In this game had also logged in and we promised to meet there.
My avatar was similar to my real appearance... Well more like, only in the height department. Compared to most others I'm quite short and being short had it advantages, such as, a smaller hit-box.
As I was running I passed a small vendor and a certain item caught my eye, a hooded cloak, it wasn't terribly big however it reminded me of my old one back in the beta-test.

Checking the price tag I made a scowl, it was way out of my price range and even if I were to spend every dime I still wouldn't have enough so sadly I walked away and headed towards the hunting fields.

It only took a few minutes of running and ducking into and out of alleys before I reached the large expanse of grassy fields. There were many player out there and it took a while but I finally found Kirito's avatar, along with someone he was partying with.
It looked like he were teaching... Before he kicked the guy in the balls...
I walked up to the two and waved my hand "Oi! Kirito, guy I don't know!" The two of them looked in my direction, now I was closer it was much easier to see them. Kirito's avatar hadn't changed since the beta test, a handsome and tall teen with black hair, the others guy had red hair kept up by a bandana.

Kirito waved back. "What took you so long?!" He yelled.
"Er... I... May.. Have been caught up with a cloak..." he just laughed in response.
"You were trying to regain your old appearance or at-least as close as possible, right?"
"Guilty as charged.." I grinned. The other guy had listened in on the conversation visibly confused. "The names Ghost, you?" Kirito seemed confused however he took only seconds before returning to normal.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm Klein, if you don't mind me asking, how do you two know each other?" That was a very simple and easy to answer question. "We were both In the beta test and often partied, oh that an we're cousins"
"Seriously!? You were also in the beta test? "I simply nodded in reply, only 1,000 or do players got in so it's not that surprising to find that he's surprised, I mean, I would be if I met two beta testers in one day.

I turned to Kirito with an inquiring gaze, he noticed this and explained "he asked me to teach him" well, that explains it. I noticed Klein beginning to mess with his blade and performing Sword-Skills, system set moves that you perform with the help of system-assist.
"Pretty cool huh" I said, Klein nodded his head.
"Hey, would you two like to meet some of my friends from another game?"
Kirito lowered his head, he never was very sociable so I replied for him. "Although that sounds fun Kirito here isn't very big on socializing" I grabbed his head putting him in a lock whilst giving him a nudgie.
"Oh well, if you don't want to then that's fine, maybe some other time?" I replied with a nod of my head. "Wanna continue hunting for a bit? We could both show you some things?"
"I'd love to however, my pizza's gonna be here in a minute"
"Oh.. Alright then" replied Kirito, he mostly returned to being normal only a slight loss in confidence.
We were just about to turn away when we heard Klein "where'd it go?" We turned around to look at out red-haired friend. "Where'd what go?"
"The log out button"
"It's in the menu" spoke kirito "look" he switched his menu to public allowing us to see and scrolled down to the log out button.

It was missing

I checked mine which returned the exact same result. What going on, whats happening, this can't be right. These thoughts of mine were swerving around never-ceasing. "L-let's C-call the game master" I stuttered, I was scared, I've never been good with small places because of my fear of never getting out and although this wasn't so bad, I mean, I rather be trapped in a game than an elevator however I still had fear. Hopefully this'll just blow over.

"I already did"replied Klein scratching his head "but he didn't answer, I bet the server people are panicking right now!" he joked.
"And soon you too, it's almost five"
"Nooo! My teriyaki pizza and Ginger ale! Are there any other ways to log out!"
"No, there was no other way, not even an emergency log out was mentioned in the manual"
"I know, maybe if I try to take the nerve gear off my head!"Klein tried al sorts of things from physically moving his body and speaking words like 'log out' or 'Exit'
"That's not going to work" I said, finally regaining my composure. "The only way to log out is going through the menu or someone on the outside taking it off of you"
"I live alone what about you two?" He asked. Kirito was the first to respond.
"I live with my mother and sister so they will probably notice something is off"
"I live with my mom and dad and sometime my sister when she comes home... Only, they're off on a business trip and my sis is off at uni..." However, none of this seemed to reach Kleins ears. He jumped froward and grabbed my shoulders.

"How old is she!"
"W-what? I'm s-sorry but she already has a er... Boyfriend." It looked like Klein had been kicked in the gut, although it didn't last long. He perked up and grabbed kirito. "You also said you have a sister!"
"Y-yeah! but she's into sports and totally hates games! she'd never go out with a gamer." However Klein continued to press forward.
"I don't care just introduce me!" apparently kirito had enough and kicked Klein in the er... Balls. He fell over clutching his private area until he realized "oh that's right no pain"

"No, but seriously, if the log out button is missing then this could cause serious damage to the games future" kirito fell into thought until I pointed out
"But couldn't the GMs just reset the server?"
"I suppose however I would have thought that they'd have done so already"
I was about to open my mouth when a loud ringing echoed and the space around me became a bright light blue, it was so damn bright I was forced to close my eyes and when I opened them. I'm back in the plaza...

It appeared that every player that had logged in was here, I heard the oh so familiar voice from beside me "Forced teleport..." Of course, it was only then that the sky was filled with blood red and looking closely one could make out 'System message'
Written over and over, this covered the entire sky and I expected to hear the voice of a GM. However, what happened next surprised me. A crimson red liquid that looked an awful lot like blood tricked out of the sky and slowly became a clocked figure.

"Players" it boomed "I welcome you to Sword Art Online, as some of you have most likely noticed the log-out button is missing from your menus and I'd like to erasure you that this is not a bug, but a feature" there were many gasps and shouts "what the hell do you mean!" One of them said. Kirito and Klein next to me began to mutter however I ignored them, I was more interested in what the clocked figure had to say. However, before he continued I blacked out.

Alex "Thrax" Spencer

"...Also, if you die here, you die in real-life, the sensors in the NerveGear will fry your brain, effectively killing you "
No, no, no... This can't be happening, I mean, seriously! Although I don't exactly mind being stuck here, I still have a life! Even if it's full of shit, In just a few years time I would have been rid of those bullies, but now? stuck here for who knows how-long. I noticed a single player falling unconscious, possibly from the shock of what's happening but I couldn't think of that now, luckily two of the player he was standing beside Caught him.

"I've sent a gift from me to you, it should be in your inventories right about now."
What could he have possibly given us? I swiped my right hand down with my index-finger touching my thumb which opened my menu, navigated to my inventory and selected the items option which opened up a new window that would contain miscellaneous items.
Only one item was there. 'Hand-Mirror'. I clicked on it, materializing the item that was just the size of my palm.
"The hell... Do I do with this?" I muttered. It was then I became covered in a bright azure light. "W-what the!" I yelled out in surprise and as soon as it faded I looked back into the mirror.

What I saw next shocked me. The face that stared back at me was not that if my avatar but my own. The face I was born with.
Azure eyes and blonde hair of a foreigner. I wasn't ugly but at the same time not handsome, just average. I was bullied at school because I'm not Japanese but British.. Looking around the female population had dramatically dropped. Remembering back I had but one friend, but he disappeared when I moved to a new town for my fathers work. I wonder if he's here? No, that's a stupid question, of course he is, he was in the beta from what he told me so it would be more unlikely that he wasn't here

"Now you may be wondering, why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko create such a game, the answer to that is simple. To create a world, and interfere with it."
What...
"Sadly, just under three hundred players have logged out if this world, and consequently, real life." Screens floated around the cloaked figure showing that of news sights and broadcasts. "Is this some kind of joke!" A player yelled.
"Thus this ends the tutorial of Sword Art Online, players I wish you the best of luck."
The barriers that enclosed all players in this plaza came down and many players collapsed on the spot, crying and wailing.

The first thing I decided was that I had to get out. I noticed those same players who supported their collapsed friend run out of the plaza. Did they have the same idea as me? Only one way to find out. I slowly made my way through the sea of people and found the Red-haired guy run off back to the plaza and the short boy with black hair who was likely to be fourteen running off with the un-conscience boy. I doubted that he had used the hand mirror yet so I couldn't be sure if he really was a guy.

I followed in behind them following in the shadows until I reached the outer wall.
"Who's there!" He yelled. I stepped out of the shadows with my hands up. His expression relaxed from being tense to friendly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you anxious... I just... You seemed to know where your going and I decided to follow, this is my first day and I guessed wear ever you were going would be better than back there" I said with my face down and my bangs shadowing my eyes.

"Why didn't you say so" he grinned. "I could use some use some help, getting somewhere at level one and a lugging this guy on my back is t really ideal." I lifted my head. "Thanks" he began to run again and I followed shortly after only this time a few steps behind him. Entering the field i unsheathed my knife. The blade was simple with and could be thought of as a miniature sword with a star like hilt.

We ran on the path until we reached a wolf, with the black-haired boy and his hands full the responsibility fell to me. I dashed forward and activated the sword skill dice. The blade of my Knife glowed light blue before I did a forward somersault and before biting the ground slashed at the wolf's rear, forcing it to shatter into polygons and disappear.
"I'm not going to die here!" I yelled, I felt as tho a massive weight had been lifted and decide in my heart that I wouldn't make light of my declaration.

Around half hour later we reached the next town 'Horunka'.
"Hey, do you want to form a party with me? I'm sure you'll survive with us, me and my cousin here are Former-Beta testers so..." I was silent for a minute, I wanted to however... I didn't want to be a liability.
"I.. Thank you for the offer but, not now. I'm gonna complete some quests that involve running around town before I do anything else..." He seemed disappointed. "How about we add each other on our friends list, that way if I change my mind I can contact you easily"

He smiled, "sure..."
From there I ran off to find the closest NPC so I could begin my adventure.

Welp, the names Corro, thank you for reading my first SAO fic, if I've gotten anything wrong then Feel free to say so, I haven't really been reading/watching SAO for ages and only just returned to it when I found out that S2 was out this year(HELL YEAH!) so yeah.

Just to let you know, this is gonna fit in with the cannon however some events will be changed so that it's Tatsuki and not Kirito (only one) whilst the rest will most likely change close to nothing but will also include Tatsuki as well, if you're wondering why he introduced himself as Ghost theirs a simple reason. 1: he was originally named Ghost... 2: to add some back story he used to call himself Ghost because of a certain friend... try to guess who.

oh, and if the conversations are different to the cannon it's because I'm being lazy...