Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online nor any of it's characters.
A/N: This is one of two Sword Art Online stories that I am currently writing. Please let me know which story you hope to be updated more regularly. They are very widely different stories. Thank you for all your feedback.
If you are not favoriting nor following the other story, because you like this one better, know that is not how I am judging this. I will determine which one to update faster by reviews. If no one favorites or follows that story, I will drop it, assuming that no one likes it at all. Reviews are encouraged either way on both stories. If you like this one better, then just leave me a comment on this particular story, saying so.
I am not trying to pressure you into anything, I just don't want anyone thinking that I will determine it by followers, favorites or amount of reviews.
My name is Kazuto Kirigaya or Kirito. Essentially, my whole life boiled down to one moment in time, where I was in the wrong place, wrong time and was the wrong person. It happened when I was three, but I don't remember it. This is my story.
A young mother was escorting her three year old son and her five month old daughter through the department store. She was divorced recently, because her husband moved on towards greener pastures. She was exhausted and alone. Her daughter Suguha, barely gave her a moment of peace, but thankfully, despite his age, three year old Kazuto, was very helpful. He was a sweet little boy, just learning the importance of communication.
As they continued down the isles, he watched his little sister grab a can or bag to play with. Kazuto would take it from her gently and put it back where it came from. Kazuto would pat his little sister on the head, to make sure she wasn't going to cry.
Midori really appreciated that. She kept Sugu close to her in the cart's seat.
Kazuto saw something of interest and asked in his cute way, if he could get out of the cart and see it.
Midori didn't object, because Kazuto always stayed close to her.
As soon as Kazuto was placed down on the floor, he made his way over to the cool toys. He picked one out and she nodded.
He smiled and brought it over to the cart.
Midori figured she didn't need anything else and better leave in time to get Sugu down for her nap. Midori approached the till and started to unload the cart's contents on the tread. Alerted to her baby's outbursting cries, she did everything she could to coax her baby to stop.
Kazuto placed his hands over his ears, knowing full well, how annoying it was. He suddenly saw a large TV over the next couple isles that perked his curiosity. He stared in complete awe as he drew closer and closer to it. The TV was broadcasting a VR tech, not that Kazuto understood this. He looked back to see his mother still in sight. He looked back at the TV, with his mouth ajar.
A man approached him. "They are cool, aren't they, little boy?"
The boy blankly looked at the man.
"Do you want to play it? We have a copy for testing in the back." The man was not dressed in a uniform, but Kazuto was three. How would he know the difference?
Kazuto nodded, with his face still frozen in the same expression as before.
"Come this way." The man smiled, offering his hand..
Kazuto heard his little sister shriek and decided he wasn't in too much of a hurry to get back there.
Midori started to cry, from exhaustion and embarrassment. She pulled her baby girl in her arms and rocked her back and forth. She tried to hurry up and pay, to get out, before it got any worse. "Kazuto, can you help me, sweety?" Midori looked behind her, then around and started to panic, when she noticed he wasn't around. "Kazuto!" Her eyes landed on the little toy that he had picked out earlier. She abandoned her groceries and ran to that toy, with Sugu in her arms.
She picked it up and felt her heart rate climb to horrific proportions, when she identified it to be the same toy. "Kazuto! Kazuto!" Midori pulled people over and asked them, "Have you seen a little boy with short black hair. He is only three! Please! Have you seen him?!" She asked frantically.
The people felt bad for her but shook their heads.
A young girl approached her. "I saw the boy that meets that description."
"WHERE?!" Midori panicked as she saw the girl point in the direction of the exit.
"He left with a man. I would say in his twenties. Just a couple moments ago."
Midori didn't wait for the girl to say another word, for she ran out of the department store in great haste.
Sugu was bawling, but at this moment, Midori was far more worried about Kazuto. Midori looked all over the parking lot, with every bit of hope diminishing by the second. "KAZUTO! KAZUTO! NO!" The fears started to set in and the horror came crashing down on her. Her son was gone!
People rushed to her side to help her, but no one proved to have any ability to do so.
A black car was speeding down the highway. The younger man who had tricked Kazuto was sitting up front, with another man, who had more years on the other. "Man, oh man! I can't believe we pulled that off! We're going to be rich! I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face, when he learns that we have his kid!"
"Shut up! There is a kid in this car! Didn't your mother ever teach you to watch what you say around children?"
"Who cares about the kid! All I care about is the humongous paycheck they're going to give us, to get 'm back!"
The man in the passenger side turned to face the frightened three year old boy, in the back seat. "Don't worry, little fella. You will be home, soon enough."
The boy remained silent.
"When we get our money, who cares what happens to the little brat! Just give me all that money!" The young driver roared in enthusiasm.
They pulled towards an old, rundown apartment building.
The young man grabbed the door after he exited and reached for Kazuto.
Kazuto grabbed the other door and wrenched on it and the door granted his brief freedom. He darted out and ran screaming as loud as he could, trying to put as much distance as he could.
"Look what you did! Are you really that stupid! Get 'm!" The two men ran after Kazuto and grabbed him.
The young man covered Kazuto's mouth and Kazuto bite his hand.
Kazuto didn't know what was going on, but he knew he wanted his mommy back.
The young man pushed a cloth into his mouth, shutting him up. They darted into the building, hoping to avoid any attention. Lucky for them, there was nobody around. Not so lucky for Kazuto.
They entered a dingy room and placed Kazuto on the cold counter. "You stay put, little boy and you won't get an owie."
Tears cascaded down Kazuto's face as he stayed not only in the same spot, but the same position.
"You got the camera?"
"Ya, it's right here."
"Let's shoot this thing already!" The older man pointed the camera at Kazuto, while the younger one spoke. They weren't in view of the camera, themselves. "Hey Migari Barigone! I've got your kid! 'N if you want Len alive, you better meet my demands! We want two Million! Got that?! We ain't playing around here! See the kid? He crying. He wants to know if daddy loves 'm! You better hurry, 'cuz I have a really short temper and the kid gets it, if I don't get my money! We'll send you a letter with instructions! Don't piss around with us, I'ight?!"
Kazuto started to cry.
"Shut up kid! I'm not messing around! I said shut up!"
Kazuto cried harder.
The older man turned off the camera.
"Sheesh! What is the deal with this kid, man?"
"Haven't you ever seen a kid before? Kids get scared. Be careful how you act around him!"
"I'm not the one who needs to be careful. I will do as I please! The kid can suck it!"
"Whatever. I am going to deliver this tape. Don't kill Len, while I'm gone!" The other man departed from the room, with a letter and disk in hand.
The young man approached Kazuto. "What are you looking at?! Shut up already! I can't stand you, if you keep making all that noise!" The guy held his hands to his ears, revealing a gun, that he pressed up against his own head, in a non-threatening manner. "I can't think!" He then pointed the gun at Kazuto. "Don't make me do this! I want the money!" His hand shook and then he threw his gun behind him on the beat up, old couch.
The older man returned with a jug of chocolate milk. "Here! This will shut him up!"
"Well it better! I don't know how much more I can take! That kid's a siren!"
"There is nobody here, genius! Who is he going to attract?" The older man poured a glass of the choco milk and placed the small tumbler in the boy's hands. "This will make you feel better."
Kazuto stopped audibly crying and took the glass. He drank it and fell asleep, shortly after.
"Good idea. Sedate 'm. I should have thought of that."
"I didn't sedate him. If I tried that and gave him too much, he would die and we would be poor."
At a really ritzy mansion, a messenger brought the threatening letter and disk to the man, who owned it. "Excuse me, Master Migari. I have a package for you. It was to be delivered post haste. It sounds urgent." He lay it on the desk in front of him.
"Thank you. You may leave now." The man ordered and took his three year old son and placed him on the floor to color on some paper. "What is this?" He put the disk into a drive and the wall came to life, revealing the activation screen. "Play!" The man's voice command, signaled the initiation process on the wall.
"Hey Migari Barigone! I've got your kid! 'N if you want Len alive, you better meet my demands! We want two Million! Got that?! We ain't playing around here! See the kid? He crying. He wants to know if daddy loves 'm! You better hurry, 'cuz I have a really short temper and the kid gets it, if I don't get my money! We'll send you a letter with instructions! Don't piss around with us, I'ight?!"
Kazuto started to cry.
"Shut up kid! I'm not messing around! I said shut up!"
Kazuto cried harder.
"Who is this?" The Master stared at his own son and back at the screen, that displayed a child that looked exactly like his. Alerted to the new threat, he jumped up from his seat and ushered his son to follow him. "Kamiel!"
His wife appeared before him. "Yes, Migari?" She bowed in respect, differing to his rule.
"Len is at risk. Do not let him out of your sight and keep three guards with you at all times!"
"Yes, sir." She turned her attention to the little boy. "Come Len! Your father needs to work now."
The man excused himself from their re-entered his office to be greeted by his advisor. He sat down in a rage. "What do you want?"
"That boy?" The advisor pointed to the screen wall.
"Yes, it would seem that they believe they have my son. Morons! There is still a potential threat. Look into this!"
"What about the unfortunate boy?"
"He means nothing to me. They can keep him, for all I care."
"Yes sir."
The young man stormed into the forsaken apartment.
"What are you doing back with the kid? Don't tell me he didn't want him?"
"We got the wrong kid!"
"WHAT?!" The older man shot up and ran over to him. "That is a lie! He looks exactly like the kid in the picture!"
"Doesn't seem to make a difference." The young man turned on the old TV and they saw the millionaire broadcast the child on the news.
"Did they see you?"
"No! I am f*** lucky too! Turns out, he doesn't give a rat's ass about this kid."
"Heartless bastard!"
Kazuto just stared quietly at them, through his dried tears.
"What do we do now? He has seen us! We can't just ditch him on the side of the road! He'll tell the police where we are!"
"He's three! He probably can't even talk! He won't tell the police anything! I say we give him back to the mother and get out of here, while we still can!"
"I never saw no mother! Are you stupid?! Then the mother would see us! Let's just kill him!" The young man grabbed his gun and pointed it at Kazuto.
"Are you an idiot?! You kill him and then we will be charged with murder!"
"Not if we get away!"
"The kid comes with us! Put that away!" The older man grabbed the gun.
Kazuto was pulled into the older man's arms and he took him into the car and belted him.
The two men slammed the car doors. "We better get outta here, before we get the police after us."
"The kid?! What do we do with it?!"
"It? You mean he?"
"Whatever man."
"I don't know. We'll figure it out."
They arrived at a house in Nagoya. He pulled into the driveway of a very welcoming neighbourhood. The house was one story, but it was still nice. It was small enough to be comfortable for the use of one person, two maybe, but that was pushing it. The younger man knocked vigorously on the well kept house's front door.
Kazuto stood on the patio, looking back at all the people around. He didn't have more tears to shed. He stared hopelessly at them.
"Open up!" The young man shouted.
The door flung open, revealing a equally young woman. "Goodness grief, Jien! Why don't you call to the neighbours while you're at it?" Her eyes landed on the little boy. "Ohhh… is this your little boy? Ohh, he is so cute!" She scooped Kazuto in her arms. "I didn't know you had a son. How could you keep this from me?"
"Well, you see…"
"Where's his mother?" She smiled sheepishly and opened the door wide. "Come in! I was not expecting company, but please make yourself at home."
He sat down and Kazuto was placed in a chair that she had lay several pillows on, to adjust its height. "I bet you're hungry. I am sure, I can come up with something. Don't you worry." The woman smiled tenderly as she busied herself in the kitchen. "So? Are you going to tell me about this mystery woman or do I have to pry it out of you?"
"It's complicated. But I find myself, with having to look after him. He doesn't have a mother anymore."
"Oh dear… What happened?" She stopped and looked back at him.
"I don't want to talk about it. I don't want you to be burdened by all of this. I just didn't know where to go."
"I see…" She recognised a hopelessness in her brother's eyes.
"Clema… I don't know what else to do…"
She looked back at Kazuto. "Well… I suppose I can look after the poor dear until you get things sorted. But I will need to know his name."
"Let him tell you. I have to go, but I will see you soon. Thank you for doing this." Jien left shortly after and came back to the car, he parked down the street.
"Did she go with it?"
"We have bought some time. I am just lucky she doesn't watch the news."
"She really okay with this? This is huge shit, we are dealing with here."
"I didn't tell her about that. As far as my sister is concerned, she has been dying to have a kid of her own. It isn't like her late husband was ever going to give her one. In her mind, I have just done her a huge favor."
"You're officially an ass, you know that?"
"Let's just get outta here, man!"
They drove away.
Kazuto was being feed a nice warm meal, that reminded him of his mommy's cooking. He stared at her with his innocent grey orbs.
"What is your name, little fella?"
"..."
"Can you talk yet?"
The boy slightly nodded, barely acknowledging her first question.
"Can you say your name?"
"K-iri…" The boy mumbled very quietly, "... to…"
"Kirito?"
Kazuto just stared at her blankly in confusion.
"Alright. Kirito. That's a very nice name. Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Clema. I will be your new mommy. Can you say mommy?"
"Not mommy…" Kazuto cried.
"I suppose these things take time. It's alright."
Kazuto looked towards the door.
She gently turned his head to face her. "Your home now. You will be safe here. I promise… Kirito."
A/N: This is one of two Sword Art Online stories that I am currently writing. Please let me know which story you hope to be updated more regularly. They are very widely different stories. Thank you for all your feedback.