The Last Black Cat, Intercepted by the Lightning Flash
Snow crunched beneath his heel as the Black Swordsman dashed through the Forest of Wandering. Though it was Christmas Eve, he was in no mood for celebrations; rather, he was focused solely on one thing.
If you beat Nicholas the Renegade, he'll drop an item that can revive a dead player. Sachi…If it turns out she was cursing me, fine! I accept it!
His monologue was interrupted by the sound of another player materializing in the forest. He slid across the snow as he tried to slow his momentum, watching as the teleport light dimmed to reveal a teenage girl clad in a white top, shoes, and stockings with red crosses sprinkled on the uniform, complete with a red skirt. Her face was frame by gentle locks of chestnut hair, her eyes staring straight at him.
…So the Knights of the Blood Oath are after the Flag Mob too, huh? But why only one? And her face; it looks familiar somehow, but I can't quite place my finger on it…
"Kirito!"
Her soft, feminine voice made his eyes widened as he recalled a memory from the first floor, immediately deducing her identity as she called his name.
"Asuna…so you joined the top guild, huh? I guess this means the Knights of the Blood Oath are after the revival item too. So, they sent you to look for it, right?"
To his surprise, Asuna shook her head and replied "I'm not here on guild business; I took the next couple of days off for the holidays. I came to try and find you."
Find me? Confused, Kirito asked "What do you mean, you came to find me? Come to think of it, how did you manage to find me?"
Asuna smiled shyly and said cryptically "I guess you could say a little rat told me…"
XXX
Earlier that Afternoon
The young fencer walked back and forth across the town of Mugien, trying to hunt down her former party member. She had caught a tip that Kirito had been looking for an information broker while in passing. Curious, she decided to try and find him to find out if the information he had acquired was anything that would get them closer to beating the game.
Plus, I'd rather spend the holidays with a friend, and Kirito is the only person I've formed a party with…
That wasn't exactly true; Asuna had to form parties numerous times as part of the Knights of the Blood Oath. But those parties always treated each other more as business partners than comrades to protect. Partying with Kirito on the other hand, well, despite his silent and antisocial demeanor, she felt looking back that she could dependably trust Kirito with her life, that he actually cared whether she lived or died.
With the Knights of the Blood Oath on holiday, and wanting to spend the holidays with Kirito, she set out to search for him, but no matter how many times she called out his name, she was only met with silence.
Just as she was about to give up and go home, a teasing voice questioned "So, you're looking for Kii-Boy, right?"
She turned around to see what appeared to be a hooded little girl, with three whiskers painted onto her face.
The girl grinned at the confused fencer and explained "That's just what I call Kirito when I see him so that I can tease him. The name's Argo, though most call me 'The Rat'."
That…definitely fits…Shaking her head, Asuna replied "Alright, so…you said you knew Kirito…do you happen to know where I can find him?"
"Hmm…" Argo tapped her chin in thought before giving a sly grin and replying "Normally I'd charge a pretty hefty fee for player information, but seeing as it's Christmas Eve, I'll tell you what I know for free just this once."
She's an info broker! Could she be the one Kirito was looking for?
"Kii-Boy used to be part of a small guild about half a year ago. They called themselves the Moonlit Black Cats. Here's the thing though; four of them were slaughtered in a dungeon trap while looking for Col, and the fifth member jumped off the edge of Aincrad after Kii-Boy told him what happened."
Asuna's eyes widened in shock as Argo told her the sad story.
The poor guy; to have finally found a guild only to lose everyone in the span of a day…
Before she could say anything in response, Argo continued.
"There's been a rumor going around, though. There's an event quest going on tonight; supposedly on the 35th floor. There's a Flag Mob boss called Nicholas the Renegade who will appear under a giant tree tonight. If a player defeats him, he'll drop an item that can revive a dead player. All the major guilds are looking for it, though Kirito told me that he has an idea as to where it might be. Unfortunately, that was all I could extract from him."
To revive a dead player…no wonder everyone's looking for it. And Kirito especially…
"Oh, and there's one more thing; Kirito's planning to solo this boss."
That shook Asuna to her core, her heart stopping as she thought Solo…a boss? "Why? What would be the point of taking on a boss…by himself?" Kirito's skill is nothing to laugh at, but he couldn't even take on Illfang by himself; it took both of us to finish him off. Why is he being so reckless?
"To ensure he gets the revival item. Word on the street is that he wants to revive one of his former guild members, a woman by the name of Sachi. Some say he wants to revive her to confess love to her. Others say that he wants to apologize for letting her die. Yet others say that he's not looking to get the item at all, but rather to die in combat to atone for his sins. Honestly, there are so many variations that it's impossible to know what his true motives are, and I'm not so sleazy to ask him."
That last theory caught her attention, making Asuna's legs threaten to give out.
Kirito…dead?
The very thought was unacceptable to her; the young fencer bowed and thanked Argo for the information before rushing off to the Teleport Gate, determined to run and run until she caught up to the suffering swordsman.
I have to find him, before he gets himself killed. Kirito…don't you dare die before I get there!
XXX
Kirito gave a sad smile as he murmured "So 'The Rat' ratted me out, huh?"
Asuna nodded, taking note of Kirito's expression; the broken look in his eyes combined with his weary body was a far cry from the shy yet powerful swordsman she had partied with during Diavel's raid.
Reviving this woman, this Sachi, it must be the only way he can find closure. If that's the case…"Kirito…I'll help you. Let's form a party; you'll stand a better chance of beating Nicholas the Renegade if you have someone watching your back."
The idea was tempting to Kirito; he knew from past experience that she could take care of herself, and he was genuinely fond of Asuna. Despite his loner mentality, he found her genuinely easy to talk to, and the fact that she never pestered him for conversation made him appreciate her.
She's certainly skilled enough. I know from experience that I don't need to watch her back all the time. But…never again… "Let's say for the sake of argument that I agreed to form a party. Let's say we managed to take down Nicholas together. If you got in the last strike, then you'd get the revival item. I can't chance that. Why I'm fighting this boss…it's too important to chance that."
He turned to walk away, but he only took five steps before Asuna answered "Then I'll give it to you once the battle's over."
That made Kirito stop in his tracks. He didn't know whether to call Asuna extremely charitable or extremely stupid.
"Asuna…do you realize what you're saying? You're giving up a revival item, a safety net. You're telling me you don't care about that at all? What about your guild? Don't the Knights of the Blood Oath want it too?"
Asuna shook her head and replied "It's obviously important to you, and the Knights of the Blood Oath is really strong, so I doubt we'll need it. Besides, what Commander Heathcliff doesn't know, won't hurt him. So come on; form a party with me, like old times!"
You mean that one item on Floor 1…
Asuna opened her menu and pressed a few buttons, causing a party invitation window to appear in front of Kirito.
Out of objections, Kirito sighed and accepted, telling her "Just for this boss. Try not to slow me down, okay?"
Asuna ignored his rude comment out of concern for his emotional state and wordlessly followed Kirito to the tree, causing a Santa Clause caricature to appear from the snow, roaring at the two adventurers.
XXX
Nicholas the Renegade exploded in a shower of pixels, the congratulations tab appearing in its place as the items transferred to Kirito's inventory. Wordlessly, Kirito disbanded the party before immediately looking for the revival item, his eyes sparkling as he tapped the item name for more info.
He looks a little happier now…I'm glad to see that sparkle again…
Asuna's happy thought was short lived as Kirito's eyes widened before his face scowled, clearly upset with something.
"Kirito? What's wrong?"
Her concern went unnoticed though; Kirito materialized the item causing a clear orb the size of a crystal ball to appear in his hand. He roared, throwing the orb onto the ground and stomping on it with his foot in a vain attempt to break it.
"Kirito? Kirito!" What's wrong? He got what he wanted; he should be jumping for joy.
Alarmed by the swordsman's temper tantrum, Asuna rushed over, wrapping her arms around him and dragging him a few feet away until she sat them both down in the snow, his flailing no longer in danger of hitting anything.
"Kirito, what's wrong? You got the revival item, just like you wanted, right?"
"Ten seconds, TEN GODDAMN SECONDS! It won't work now! I can't revive Sachi, I'll never be able to tell her how sorry I am for letting her die, I'll never find out what the last thing she said to me was…"
A few more seconds of incoherent babbling later, Kirito finally broke down, his tears finally spilling forward as he stopped flailing and all hope left his eyes, as though his soul had died along with Nicholas.
The poor guy; he risked everything just for a chance to revive his former guildmate, and Kayaba practically laughs in his face after taunting him with the promise of a revival…
Asuna tilted him back until his head was resting in her neck, her hands stroking his cheeks as she sought to take his pain away.
What can I possibly say? What could possibly comfort him now?
Asuna couldn't figure out the answer, so she stayed silent, choosing to squeeze him tighter against her, continuing to stroke his face.
It wasn't long before Kirito passed out from emotional exhaustion, slumping forward in Asuna's embrace. Without a second thought, she took out a blue colored crystal and whispered to nobody in particular.
"Teleport Town of Beginnings."
XXX
It wasn't until hours later that Kirito opened his grey eyes, his mind still hazy.
Am I…am I dead?
Shaking his head, he looked around to see a wooden room. Looking down, he saw red blankets covering his body, feeling a soft mattress underneath him.
"An inn? But…how did I get here?"
"Finally, you're awake! Thank goodness."
Kirito's eyes widened as he turned to see Asuna sitting next to him, hand still in his hair.
"Asuna? What happened? How did I get here? And what floor are we on?"
A slight blush on her face, she explained "After we defeated Nicholas the Renegade and got the revival item, you threw a temper tantrum and passed out. I teleported us back to the Town of Beginnings and carried you back to the farmhouse we stayed in that one night."
She…she carried me? A blush on his face now, Kirito sat up and looked away and murmured "…You shouldn't have."
Asuna flashed back to when Kirito carried her out of the first-floor dungeon when she first passed out from fighting so hard and she told him the same thing.
Shaking the hurt from her mind along with the déjà vu, Asuna urged "Kirito, tell me what's wrong, please. It's obvious that you're really hurting, and I want to help you, but you have to let me. That starts by telling me what you're feeling." She moved her hand to squeeze his own before pleading "Please let me in, Kirito…"
Kirito was tired; tired of fighting, tired of pushing people away, tired of being a solo player, tired of being a beater. So for once, he didn't even try to fight her. He let her in; He told her everything.
I had no idea…Kirito, you've been shouldering this pain for six months, alone. Kirito…why didn't you come and talk to me about this? I would have listened…
Before she could think further, Kirito continued "It's my fault that Sachi and the others had died in that trap. It's my fault that Keita committed suicide. I thought that, that if I could revive Sachi, I could tell her how sorry I was and know what she wanted to say to me in her final moments. And if the quest ended up killing me, at least I would have died trying to right my wrongs. And when I finally succeeded and saw the item description, it made all the effort I put in for nothing. I have to live with my guilt, knowing that Sachi and the others died by my arrogance, and I won't even be able to apologize properly…"
Kirito broke down again, causing Asuna to embrace him with an emboldened purpose as he cried into her, for the first time grasping onto the fabric of her KoB uniform as though desperate to keep her from leaving. It then dawned on Asuna that as skilled as Kirito was, deep down he was still just a teenage boy, with all the emotional insecurities and anxieties that came with his age.
A boy who had to watch his friends die right in front of him…
She wanted to assure him that it wasn't his fault, but she knew that it was too early and he was too emotional for him to be receptive to that particular line of thought.
Instead, Asuna gave a sad smile as she caressed his shoulders, whispering "I'm sure they know how sorry you are. I'm sure they're watching, from wherever they are. And I'm sure they would want you to move on and be happy. They wouldn't have asked you to join their guild if Sachi and the others didn't care about your happiness. I know what Keita said to you hurt, but people often say things in the heat of anger that they don't mean. Just…don't dwell on them too much, okay Kirito?"
She couldn't see his face, but after a second she felt him reluctantly nod against her. Satisfied, she opened her menu and materialized a glass jar filled with a white liquid and held it to him.
"Have some warm milk; you must be thirsty."
Removing his head from her body, Kirito gave her a sad smile as he slowly took it and held it to his lips, hands quivering as he drank the artificial beverage. Asuna noticed this and held his hand steady to make sure he wouldn't spill anything.
"Tha…thank you. And…I'm sorry. About how rude I was to you…"
Asuna shook her head and replied "Don't…don't worry about it. Like I said, we all have times where we say things we don't actually mean, right?"
Nodding, Kirito asked "…What did you mean earlier? When you said that you were looking for me? You were looking for me even before Argo told you what quest I was on. So…why were you trying to find me?"
Asuna fiddled with a lock of her hair as she replied "Well…the thought of spending Christmas alone doesn't really appeal to me, and I figured spending this time of year alone would be pretty lonely for you too. So I…thought maybe we could…keep each other company…"
Kirito nodded, blushing at the implication behind her words. Making a decision to himself before fiddling with his menu, a window popped open in front of Asuna, surprising her.
"Kirito invites you to join a party. Accept O. Decline X."
"Kirito…"
"You said you wanted to spend Christmas together, right? Besides, I'm…I'm tired of being a solo player…of being a beater. I'm not ready to join a guild. I'm not sure if I'll ever want to join a guild again…but…I don't want to be alone anymore. So…could you accompany me for a little longer at least?"
Smiling, Asuna nodded and quickly tapped the "O" button, watching his Health Bar materialize next to her own.
I'll be in your party for as long as you want me…
"And, Asuna…"
"What is it, Kirito?"
"Would you…would you mind sleeping in the same room as me? I just…" I'm scared…
Kirito blushed in embarrassment, with Asuna blushing too, but she understood that this was not a romantic gesture. This request seemed more akin to a young child wanting to sleep with his older sister because he was afraid of the dark.
He doesn't want to be alone…no, he's scared of being alone. And with Kirito only just starting to take the first steps in healing, there's no telling if he'll have any nightmares of his former guild, or of being alone in the world… Giving a comforting smile, Asuna obliged "…Okay, Kirito. Scoot over, won't you?"
His eyes sparkling despite holding back a grateful smile, Kirito slid to the other side, allowing Asuna to slide in next to him. She caught him by surprise when she embraced him, resting her hands on his back.
"Go to sleep, Kirito. You won't be alone when you wake up. I promise."
At Asuna's urging, Kirito nodded, cutely yawning before snuggling up against her, clutching to the warmth and comfort her presence provided. Asuna smiled, stroking his hair and watching him sleep before falling asleep with him, protecting him from his own guilt and anguish throughout the night.
Asuna…thank you…