Author's note: This follows the Hollow Fragment story line, so Yuuki is alive and Strea, Phila and Premier are all characters

Sword Art Online:

The Black Swordsman and His Favorite Band

Chapter 1: The Journey

He stood waiting at the airport terminal, a pair of old bulky head phones plugged into his phone and placed atop his head over his ears. The song he was listening to, of course, was "In The End" by his all-time favorite band Linkin Park. They had been his favorite now for as long as he could remember, in his mind he was listening to "What I've Done" from his crib and "Breaking the Habit" in his high chair. Even though the band was no longer complete in his day with the passing of his hero and icon, the band's lead singer, Chester Bennington in 2017, he cherished their old music. He couldn't pick a favorite song, how could he when each and every one of Linkin Park's songs were a complete masterpiece to him.

"Kirito! Kirito please pay attention to me for a second!" Asuna interrupted his personal jam session, waving her hand in front of his face as he nodded along with the music.

Kirito reluctantly pulled back his headphones to listen to his needy girlfriend.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? It's not too late for me to get a ticket." The chestnut-haired girl offered.

"Asuna, I told you before, there are somethings a man just has to do on his own, and this is one of them." The Linkin park fan assured her.

"If that's the case, then why are those two going?" She pointed to Klien and Yuuki , waiting for the black swordsman by the ticket gate, both wearing Linkin Park tee-shirts.

Yuuki had just been released from the hospital a week ago, but when Kirito told her, he had located the holy grail for all Linkin Park fans, a copy of their debut album Hybrid Theory signed by every member of the band at the time of its release, in a old US thrift shop he was browsing online, she knew she had to come along for the ride. She hadn't been a fan for very long, Kirito had just introduced the band to her a few months ago while they were playing ALfheim, however she was hooked instantly making her and the black swordsman very fast friends.

Klien was only there because they needed someone to drive their rental car when they got there and because he had nothing better to do. None the less if his best friend Kirito loved the band so much the least he could do was pretend to like it and agree to wear one of the black swords man's many Linkin Park tees.

"They're both true fans Asuna, you wouldn't understand." Kirito explained.

"Yeah, well just take care of yourself alright and come back safely." She wished she could enjoy Linkin Park's punk rock as much as her boyfriend. "I love you." She added with a worried smile.

"Yeah, I'll see you when I get back." Kirito put his headphones back on and turned to join his friends at the terminal.

"Bye, Asuna! Wish us luck!" Yuuki shouted, clinging to Asuna's boyfriend's arm as they started to board the plane.

"Y-yeah, good luck." Asuna called back meekly, worried that the two's mutual love for Linkin Park might ignite something between them on the trip.

The trio boarded the plane and took their seats in the back of the aisle.

"It's really happening." Kirito smiled as he saw Japan disappear beneath him.

"Hell yeah man, let's go get us some Linkin Park albums." Klien shouted enthusiastically, high-fiving his best friend and Yuuki.

"Are you feeling alright, Yuuki?" The black swordsman asked in concern for his frail friend.

"I'm fine, this is nothing. There's a Linkin Park album on the line after all." She grinned reassuringly back at him.

"That's my girl." Kirito grinned, high-fiving her.

They all gushed over how great their favorite band was as the plane continued its ascent. And thus, their journey for Hybrid Theory began.