I DO NOT OWN SWORD ART ONLINE OR CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR MY OCs! ALL RIGHTS GO TO REKI KAWAHARA!

This fanfic has nothing to do with the original story with Kirito and Asuna, though some of the ideas or conflict will be the same. I'm also sharing ideas and characters with pandora99, but we hae different stories. Be sure to check hers out!

Chapter 1

Hotaru

My life's a lie.

"Hey, have you heard of that new VRMMO game?"

What I do is a lie.

"Sword Art Online? Who hasn't?"

What comes out of my mouth is a lie.

"Kayaba Akihiko, huh?"

What I think is a lie.

"He's a genius, isn't he?"

It's all one big lie.

"It comes out after school! We'll have to hurry. It'll run out as soon as it's on sale."

I sighed. "Video games? What a load of crap."

These guys were really idiots. Going on and on about games, porn, it made me sick.

"You ass holes, you're making my head hurt."

"What do you think, Takahashi-kun?"

"I think it's a load of bullshit."

"It sounds fun." I smiled.

"Right? We should all go together once it comes out!" One of the boys across from me exclaimed. "Yeah!" They all cheered in excitement.

"You wanna come, Takahashi?" One guy asked me.

"I'd rather spend the night locked up here. Bastards."

"Sorry, I have to study for midterms these days." I said apologetically. I got out of my seat and walked towards the door.

"Where're you going?" One guy asked. I never bother to remember their damn names.

"Getting a drink." I replied. "Cool, could you get me a bottle of Oolong juice?" Another guy asked. "I want mixed juice!" Another said "A can of black coffee, please!"

"What am I, a dog?"

"Sure." I nodded and walked out the door.

"Damn you all." I mumbled angrily under my breath. I pulled at my long bangs that hid my face, yanking them and twisting the strands around my fingers, which was a habit. "Why do I have to get you drinks? Haul your lazy asses out and get 'em yourselves."

But I couldn't say that to them. I wouldn't. I promised myself that I wouldn't let those kind of words be said to anyone ever again.

I reached the drink machine on the second floor and slid in the coins. I grabbed some bread from the store on my way and headed towards the roof.

"Those bastards probably forgot about it. I don't feel like going back down."

I set all the drinks aside and popped open my can. I lied flat on my back, staring straight up at the clear blue sky.

"Too bright." I complained, holding a hand up to shield the damn sunlight from my face. I don't know how people find it refreshing.

I sighed and turned onto one side. I should probably get these drinks to them. Not that I wanted to.

I sat up at the sound of a bird perched on the railing behind me. I heard some people walking past the open door leading to the roof nearby.

I put on my usual fake smile and walked towards it. "Hello, there. Hungry?" I ripped a piece off of my bread and held it out towards the bird. It cocked its head, then stretched out, wings flapping, and took the bread from my fingers.

"Oh, look, it's Takahashi Hotaru." I heard a girl from behind say.

"Hello!" Another waved.

"Hey!" I waved back cheerfully. "So kind as usual, huh?" The boy walking next to them grinned. "At that rate, you won't have any left for yourself!"

"But he looked hungry." I pouted playfully. "Save some for yourself!" They left.

I sighed. Finally gone.

The bird stared down at me expectantly with its annoying beady eyes.

"Get lost." I said quietly.

"Squawk?"

"Leave, you damn bird." I stared straight at it. It squawked and rapidly flapped its wings and flew away.

I grumpily scooped up all the drinks and headed back down to my classroom.

"How much longer am I gonna keep this up?"

"Hey, Takahashi! What took you so long?" A boy with dark hair grinned, leaning back in his chair.

"Sorry. Long line." I put on my fake smile again.

"These guys are real idiots for not noticing. Everyone is."

"Thanks!" I handed out the drinks.

"Maybe I'm just too good at this."

"We only have five more minutes till class starts, though?"

"Eh? Seriously?! Crap, we have a quiz!"

"Ha, forgot as usual, huh Mochizuki?

"Shut up!"

I drifted off somewhere in the conversation.

"So boring. I hate it. It makes me sick."

I began peeling a piece of tape off my desk.

"People make me sick."

The tape wouldn't move. Agitated, I scratched harder.

"Why do I do this?"

A tiny corner started peeling off the polished word.

"Because I don't want people to see my old self."

The tape started to loosen.

"Because people hate the real me."

I used my index finger and thumb to rip the tape off the desk.

"Because I hate the real me."

By the time I had defeated the villainous Dr. Tape, class had started. I opened my textbook and blankly stared out the window through my bangs.

I could hear the tick-tock of the clock, but that was it. I couldn't hear the teacher lecturing, or the sound of chalk against the chalkboard, or the sound of people whispering and passing notes behind the teacher's back.

"Hashi…Ru…Taka…Takahashi Hotaru!"

"H-hai!" I jumped out of my seat.

"Agh, I spaced out again."

"Please continue reading from where we left off." The teacher ordered.

"Don't order me around, old man."

"Hai, sensei." I held up my textbook. "Um…The leaves of autumn-"

"Wrong page." Sensei snapped.

"Shut up, old man."

"S-sorry." I flipped the page. "T-the wings that-"

"Wrong."

"My empty soul was-"

"Wrong."

"Ha ha ha, lost again, Hotaru-san?" The girl sitting behind me laughed.

"Like you never."

"Page 6, paragraph 5, line 10." Sensei said. "Please pay closer attention next time."

"Never."

"Hai."

I managed to survive the rest of class. I was out the door as soon as the last bell rang.

"And now for the update on the most recent VRMMO game, Sword Art Online."

"Mmm?" I looked up at the large screen TV I just happened to be passing by.

"The new virtual reality game by yours truly, Kayaba Akihiko." The annoying, big-chested anchorwoman droned on. "In this game, you can enter a virtual world full of sword fighting, monsters, and real-life interaction. It is as if you are actually there! You can customize your avatar however you please-"

"Tch." I continued walking.

"Customize your own avatar…however you please…? I'm already doing that."

"Doesn't sound too bad, though…Maybe I'll get it…"

In the end, I decided to get it.

It's not like I was excited. I just wanted to see how it was like.

Maybe I'd finally find a place where I could be free. Where I could do what I wanted, run away from all this stress.

I actually didn't get my hands on it right after it was released. It took me awhile to find a store that wasn't sold out.

I closed my bedroom door shut, even though I lived alone. I opened the box and rummaged through the bubble wrap until I found the helmet-like device and instructions.

"NerveGear, huh?" I examined the machine. It was pretty simple-looking.

I placed the helmet on my head and lied down on my bed. The last thing I saw was the ceiling from beneath the helmet before closing my eyes.

I didn't know that would be the last.

"LINK START!"