I don't own Sword Art Online or any of the characters. Too bad, I guess.

Chapter One

"Just Pay Me Back Later."

In a chamber with walls made of a dazzling red gemstone, on a golden throne towering several meters above the spotless and clean-cut stone floor, sat a king.

A god.

His plate armor shone just as red as his palace, the pale, silver crown placed upon his head almost glowing. The calm of his smile was rivaled only by the silence of his throne room, a silence that had enshrouded him for months.

A silence that was broken when the impossibly giant doors at the other end of the room were practically blown open.

"It's about time you got here," the deity said, rising to his feet. He began walking down the steps leading up to his throne, intent on meeting the intruder halfway. "I was starting to think you'd never reach this place… Black Swordsman."

"You didn't exactly make things easy," the swordsman said, marching towards the king. His coat, dark as a new moon, fluttered when he unsheathed the blades strapped across his back. "But I was always going to make it here."

"You sound very sure of yourself." The god held out his hands, and in a flash of light, a sword and shield appeared within them. "And to come here alone? Some would call it foolish."

The two stopped right across from each other. "Maybe," the swordsman said. He held up one of his swords, pointing its sapphire blade at the man before him. "You should know that it had to be this way, though. After all, I'm the hero of this story."

The king smiled. "Let's see how it ends, shall we?"

A clash of steel followed soon after.

"Hi there! It's time for this week's MMO Stream! And what else is there to talk about but the release of the greatest game to come out this generation! Of course, that's Sword Art Online!"

Sitting with his back against the concrete wall, Kazuto looked down at his phone, watching intently as the screen showed images of what could only be hundreds of people waiting in a line. There were some tents here and there being dismantled, and public servants going around making sure that nothing got too out of control.

"The first ones to get the game waited in line for three whole days! Talk about hardcore gamers!"

The fourteen-year-old looked around at the empty school roof, getting a little worried over the noise coming from his phone. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten his headphones at home.

"SAO was created by the genius inventor of the NerveGear, Kayaba Akihiko! For the first time ever, players can finally experience a completely virtual world—"

Man, this lady was just gonna keep talking about things everyone already knew, wasn't she? Kazuto was already thinking about switching over to some other stream. I wish they'd just show some gameplay already…

At that moment, Kazuto heard the door open. His thumbs rushed to pause the video, but instead he accidentally dropped his phone. It fell on the floor in the space between his bent legs, and the boy almost had a panic attack before he looked down and saw that the screen hadn't cracked.

"… an MMORPG with no magic! Luckily for all you ranged players, Kayaba-san was smart enough to include bows and other distanced weapons. Can you imagine having to flail around with melee weapons all the time?"

"Yo, someone else here?" From the corner of his eye, Kazuto saw someone round the corner. "Oh! Uh, Kirigaya-san, right?"

Kazuto fumbled to pick up his phone and sprang to his feet, gulping when he saw a group of two other students staring back at him. "Y-Yeah, I… N-Nice to meet you!"

His classmates looked at him, and he looked at them, neither party really knowing what to say.

"… seriously, what kind of name is Sword Art Online anyway, right? I mean, you can use maces and spears and…"

The raven haired teen could practically feel his face reddening. As discretely as possible, his thumb held down his phone's home button, and to his relief, the sound was cut off.

"… I'll be going now…"

Before Kazuto could take one step, one of the students, a girl with chestnut hair done up in a bun, got his attention. "Hey, that was about SAO, right?" Seeing his lack of reaction, the girl cocked her head to the side. "Did you get the game too?"

Reaching up to scratch the back of his head, Kazuto gulped down his need to be not here. "Ah, no, nothing like that. I'm not that lucky…"

With only 10,000 copies released on launch day, it wasn't much of a surprise. He would've gladly camped out in line for days like the people from the stream if he could, but his… mother… probably wouldn't have appreciated such an unwarranted break from school.

The other student, a boy with a dangerously pointy nose and equally sharp facial features, sent him a pitying look. "That's tough."

Smiling, the girl hugged the pointy-nose boy's arm. "Kou-kun just feels guilty because he got into the beta!"

"You don't have to keep telling everyone, Meuma-chan..."

Kazuto's eyes widened as the couple began to bicker in front of him. If the girl was being serious, that meant that this Kou guy was one of the blessed few 1,000 players that had gotten into the beta. He'd tried getting in himself, of course, but the odds were astronomically stacked against him. It had left him a little bitter, but considering that he would've more likely gotten struck by lightning than gotten into that prestigious group, it didn't come as much of a surprise.

It didn't really help that getting into the beta would've given him a free ticket into SAO proper.

All that aside, it seemed like the roof wasn't solely his anymore, and the other two were making him kind of uncomfortable, so Kazuto decided it was time to make his leave.

Stepping around the couple, he went to the door and opened it. "… Bye," he said, knowing that the two had probably forgotten about him already.

School was finally out. Students left the campus in waves, talking amongst each other, bringing out their phones, some walking, some driving, heading home or to the mall or to wherever it was.

As for Kazuto, he was in the process of unchaining his bike from the rack. It was the same ride home he'd used for years, its paint chipped and some parts even rusted. It still worked just fine, so he wasn't about to go and spend money on a new one, but taking ownership of it everyday right outside as classes let out was always a bit embarrassing.

It was as he stuffed the chain lock in his backpack that a group of boys walked by. Out of everyone else passing through, they were the only ones to catch Kazuto's attention.

"Yeah, man, there's apparently like a thousand skills or something."

"Damn, I really wish I could've gotten a copy!"

Kazuto opened his mouth. Actually, the game's supposed to come with an unlimited amount of skills. That's what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. Looking up, he noted that the group had moved on.

The boy stood up, grabbing his bike by it's handlebars and pulling it out from the rack. Wouldn't have heard me anyway, he thought, getting on the seat.

Just as he was about to push off the ground, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Not used to the sensation, it took him a while to figure out that he must've gotten a message from someone. Pulling the device out and holding it up to his face confirmed it.

Get home soon. I have a surprise for you!

- Sugu

Kazuto didn't exactly know how to feel about this. The last surprise he'd gotten relating to his sister hadn't exactly made him happy. Still, should he… reply? Bringing his other hand up, Kazuto prepared himself to do just that, but before he could write anything, he shook his head and put the phone back in his pocket. He would just have to ask about it in person.

As he rode home, Kazuto took the time to look around. His route was fairly direct and usually took around ten minutes or so, but something made him want to go slower. Maybe it was the knowledge that something was waiting for him back home, and whatever it was, well, it could wait, couldn't it?

The people walking by, the cars stuck in traffic, the buildings looming over him and everything else, the well-kept trees poking out from their assigned spots along the sidewalk, the greying skies, the paved roads…..

He'd ridden home the same way the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that. He'd probably ride home the same way again tomorrow.

Was this all there was, then? The thought didn't fill him with dread. He could live like this for a long time. He could dream about a world of swords and a steel castle floating in the sky as much as he wanted, but in the end it wouldn't change much, even if he had been able to go to that place.

Life was like that, though, wasn't it? It happened, then it didn't, and it usually wasn't very exceptional. He could live with that.

"Oi, watch it!"

Kazuto swerved out of the way, barely avoiding a rather annoyed man who didn't look like he would've appreciated being run over. I should probably stay alive first of all, he thought, an apology catching in his throat.

Eventually, Kazuto slowed to a stop on his driveway. Getting off his bike, he ambled over to the front door and, tentatively, reached out his hand. Just as he was about to touch the handle, he stopped, a frown on his face.

What kind of surprise was it anyway? He and Suguha never talked. Ever. That was mostly him, sure, but still, wasn't it a bit sudden? He needed to think about this.

As soon as Kazuto took a step back, the door was thrown wide open.

Suguha's black, bobbed hair and dark blue eyes were there to meet him. "Onii-san, come in!"

"Uh…"

Rolling her eyes, Suguha grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him in. "I heard you come in on your bike," she said, walking them into the living room. "You really need to start putting it in the garage, Onii-san. Someone might steal it or something."

The truth was that getting the garage open, putting his bike in it, and then have to do the same thing just to get his bike out the next day was too much of a hassle. Instead of saying all that, though, Kazuto just nodded his head. "Uh-huh."

Suguha finally let go of him, only to turn around and push him onto the couch. "Just stay here, okay? I'll be right back, and I promise this'll blow your mind!"

Kazuto raised his hand. "Actually, Su—" Aaaand she was gone. "…. gu…."

So there he was. Alone in his living room. Waiting.

….. Wasn't there something going on today? Something about… art? Art class? That couldn't be right.

Shrugging it off, Kazuto looked back at the stairs to the second floor, wondering when Suguha would come back down. His feet began to patter against the wooden floor, and his eyes eventually came to rest on the flat screen against the wall in front of him.

It was strange to be like that, he on the couch and the TV right there. He hadn't really been in that position for a while, not since he'd gotten rid of his old console. It was right after buying the NerveGear—

Shit, he'd completely forgotten about SAO. Checking his phone's clock, Kazuto clicked his tongue. The servers had already gone online. Shuffling back and forth in his seat, Kazuto checked the stairs again. "Sugu!"

"One second!"

He might not have had the game yet, but damn it if he didn't want to check on a few livestreams that would undoubtedly be showing it off. Should he just go up to his room and check on Suguha later? She'd probably be disappointed, but the launch of the first ever fully immersive massively multiplayer online role playing game was a once in a lifetime thing, right?

Just as he was about to start a war with himself, Suguha came into view. She stopped right in front of him, her hands behind her back. "Ready?" she asked, grinning.

Kazuto, his mind somewhere else entirely, nodded to get it over with.

"Ta-da!"

It was just a copy of Sw—

…

A copy of Sword Art Online. An actual, physical copy. The box was right there. He could see it with his own two eyes.

Seeing that her brother was completely speechless, Suguha's grin widened. "Don't just sit there," she said, waving it in his face. "Take it before your eyes pop out."

His mouth hanging open, Kazuto reached out, almost reverently, and took the game. Holding it in both hands, he looked at it, examining the font of the writing, tracing all the curves with his eyes, feeling its weight. "H-H-How?" he asked, out of breath.

Suguha sat down next to him, Kazuto barely registering the shifting cushions. "One of my friends is really into this game, you know. He said he was gonna wait in line for it, and since you couldn't, I asked him if he would buy two copies."

"…. Why?"

Her smile softening, Suguha bumped him with her shoulder. "You really, really, really wanted it, right? Just pay me back later."

Was it weird that Kazuto felt like crying a little? It wasn't just the game either. Well, that was a big part of it if he were to be completely honest with himself, but seriously? He didn't deserve this. He certainly didn't deserve this from Suguha of all people.

Something rose up in him then. Words came unbidden into his mind, but after everything, he had no idea what to tell her.

You're the best.

I'll definitely make it up to you.

I'm sorry.

He settled with a thank you.

"No problem," Suguha said, standing up. Walking over to the kitchen, she turned her head to meet his eyes. "Mom's probably gonna come home late again, so I'll take care of dinner. You've got half an hour, okay?"

At first, he didn't know what she was talking about. When the realization hit, a smile creeped into his face, and he ran upstairs to his room as fast as humanly possible.

Kazuto didn't bother shutting the door. He didn't bother changing out of his uniform, or making his messy bed. The moment he was in his room, he tossed his backpack into the corner, not caring about whatever was inside, grabbed his NerveGear, put SAO in, laid down on his bed, and stuffed his head in the helmet.

All calibrations had been made when he'd first gotten the VR console. There was nothing to update. He was ready.

Smile still in place, Kazuto closed his eyes.

So what if everything would be the same when he came back? The thrill in his chest, the mad smile on his face, it all had to mean something.

"Link start!"

AN:

Generally, Sword Art Online kinda sucks. It's riddled with so many damn clichés and bad, truly horrible writing that its popularity made me lose a little bit of the faith I have in humanity. I don't want this to be a fix fic, but if I manage to fix a few things along the way just by accident, well, that'd be swell.

Not that you should put too much stock into this story. Honestly, I'm only using it to write out all the ideas I can't fit into my other work. It'll be fun for me, at least.

As for the chapter itself, the changes I made to canon should be pretty obvious. Unfortunately for the people that might like that sort of thing, Kirito's not gonna be an unbeatable cardboard box with an equally flat harem.

What else… Actually, you know what? By the end of the next chapter, you should have a pretty clear idea of how things are going down here.

Throw a few reviews my way and tell me what you think, huh?