Sora followed the sound of crying.

He had just landed on a strange world; people walked around with swords on their hips and wore strange clothes, Then again his clothes were considered strange too.

he was wandering around for awhile, just looking at the sights until he heard the crying.

Sora began to walk across a small bridge. The day was ending, leaving the sky tinted orange and pink. Sora liked the end of the day, everything is so peaceful; unlike today, he didn't think it at all peaceful when someone is crying.

He followed the sound to the other end of the stone bridge.

He leaned over the side to see a girl, he frowned.

Her pink hair struck him as odd but he had no room to talk; he had spikes.

"You ok?"

The girl stopped crying and wiped her eyes quickly before standing and turning around stiffly.

She relaxed as soon as she saw him.

"I-I'm fine, thank you" her voice was high, but not an annoying high...It was cute.

Sora then noticed that she was really pretty. He blushed and cleared his throat.

"You don't look ok..." Sora mentally shook of his awkwardness and jumped over the edge of the bridge landing in front of the pretty girl.

After a moment she decided to open up.

"I-" she stumbled over her words, her voice shook as the tears poured down her face.

"I got my heart broken" she gasped. "T-the whole time...He liked someone else! and- and she is my good friend!" The girl bowed her head in her hands and cried. "I was so stupid to think I-I ever had a chance! ever since this death game started all I've had is bad luck" Her voice was slightly muffled due to the fact her head was in her hands but Sora understood.

Sora almost cried with her at this point, the situation she was in was horrible! but seeing a girl cry so hard made him want to cry too.

He cleared his throat again and opened him mouth to speak but closed it as soon as it opened.

Thinking back to what she said, something bothered him.

"Death Game?" he put a hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean by that?"

He wasn't sure why she would say she was "Trapped" in a "Death Game" but that sounded wrong.

She was sniffling. The few tears that fell down her face she wiped away.

She then lifted her head to look at Sora. Her rejection from the boy she loved was forgotten for the moment.

"Your kidding right?" Sora just stared at her.

"Your not kidding?" she asked shocked.

Sora just dumbly shook his head.

After noticing his hand was still on her shoulder the girl pushed it away; that made Sora feel more awkward than before, if that was even possible at this point.

"Did you lose your memory or something? maybe whatever creepy crap that's in the NervGear messed with your head?" she suggested.

Sora just stared, the more he stared, it was obvious she got nervous; Sora was worse, he didn't understand a word she was saying.

"I don't know what your saying...Can you explain?" he asked as calmly as he could. He didn't know what a NervGear was and he wanted to know why she would think it messed with his brain.

"I can't believe I'm actually gunna explain this..." she mumbled quietly, Sora could hear her though.

She sighed and wiped her eyes again before speaking.

"Well then...you might want to sit down" as soon as she spoke those words Sora sat down on the grass criss cross apple sauce. the pink haired girl copied his position.

"Before I explain this, My name is Lizbeth...and you are?" her big purple eyes, although glossy from tears, were filled with curiosity.

Sora grunted in shock, he didn't even introduce himself? geez.

"I'm Sora and thi-" He closed his mouth and blushed; he was so used to Donald and Goofy being around he almost tried to introduce them to her without them actually being there.

He covered his mistake with a cough and looked at her. her face was filled with innocent, and slightly worried, wonder.

"Anyway so..explaining?" He asked.

"Ok...ummm for starters were not in the real world..." She scratched her head.

Sora's mouth almost dropped to the grass.

"What!?" he looked around him in shock. "you kidding!" he stated.

Lizbeth frowned. "I honestly wish I was...it's been a year and a half since anyone has last seen the real sky..." She then looked up at the sky in what Sora could only describe as longing.

She then Looked back at Sora and began to explain.

"You see in the real world we play games! remember? computer games?"

Sora sighed in relief, he actually understood something she said.

"Yeah"

Lizbeth smiled.

"Well in the real world we finally created a virtual environment! we put a machine on our heads called NervGear and our living consciousness is transported to a whole new world!"

Lizbeth said enthusiastically.

"So basically a whole new world!? a game? over the internet? that's were I am now?!" Sora looked around in wonder.

"Yep. I know its cool, the graphics are epic" Lizbeth smiled.

Sora smiled back at her waiting for her to continue.

Their eyes locked and Lizbeth Frowned, making Sora frown too.

"The creator of this world, Sword Art Online, or SAO is named Akihiko Kayaba..."

She swallowed and continued.

"Umm...Anyway the game was a big hit, VRMMO's were the next big thing! gamers everywhere wanted to try it but there was only 10,000 copy's of the game."

Lizbeth then smirked "I was lucky to get my hands on a NervGear, let alone a copy of the game! I was so excited! I remember logging on for the first time...Drinking in the sights! learning my first sword skill, and leveling up. I was living inside a game! a world I always wanted to live in"

Lizbeth frowned again making Sora's heartbeat quicken in worry.

Lizbeth then continued.

"But, after the first day I went to log out...But...The log-out button on my menu was missing"

Lizbeth swiped her right hand down and opened her menu making Sora's eyes widen for a second before schooling his face.

She showed him her Menu and pointed to the blank space were the log-out button should be.

"No one...All 10,000 of us...Couldn't log out" Sora gasped at her words.

"We were all teleported to town square on the first floor of the game. were Akihiko Kayaba himself came and explained that the missing log-out button wasn't a glitch in the game as everyone assumed. He then explained that he wanted to create a world of his own design...so he wanted to make the world as realistic as possible. We couldn't- we can't leave the game and there are no re-spawns, if we die we die. No restarts or anything our character is deleted and the NervGear that's on our heads in the real world fries our brains and we die"

Sora looked at her in horror.

"If you die in the game.." Sora started.

"You die in real life" Lizbeth finished.

"The only way out is to clear all 100 floors. but in order to clear a floor you gotta, first find the boss room, and then you gotta beat it...People are dying daily on the front lines..."

Sora sat quietly for a moment to let it all sink in. He was absolutely horrified.

He couldn't believe someone could do such a thing.

"How many have died so far?" Sora asked. his eyes were covered by his spiky bangs.

"Umm...I'm not sure...At least 4,000..."

Sora kept his eyes covered and looked at the ground as Lizbeth continued.

"If anyone in the outside world tries to take the NervGear off...then the NervGear kills the wearer right then and there...Over 200 people were killed on the first day because parents or siblings ignored the warnings Kayaba stated to the internet and media..."

Sora just couldn't believe it.

"I think right now I'm at the hospital... My Friend Asuna told me that's where we all should be...Because we can't eat and all..."

Lizbeth let more tears silently fall from her face, Sora watched her for a moment before pulling the pink haired girl in for a hug.

Sora had no idea how he managed to land a gummi ship in a game but there must have been a reason.

"Thank you for explaining..It must be so hard for you" he said, his voice muffled because of Lizbeth's hair.

"Its hard but...it helps to have friends...without them...I would have given up hope so long ago...Not sure if I'd be alive now. so I guess you could say that...My friends are my power. they keep me strong in the tough times"

Sora smiled into her hair at her words and gave a her a tight squeeze before letting her go and looking into her eyes.

"What do you do?" he asked. "are in in the front lines?"

Lizbeth's eyes widened.

"I, oh god no! I'm a smith! the best you can find in this game! I give the best weapons to the front-liners!" she puffed out her chest proudly as she said those words making Sora laugh.

"What about you?" she asked.

Sora stopped, he couldn't tell her. he really badly wanted to take her in his gummi ship and get her out...But would he be taking her or her consciousness? would it kill her? would she disappear?

He had no idea.

He already thought of her as a friend and he couldn't bare to take her away not knowing what could happen; would she even go with him and leave her other friends anyway?

Probably not.

"I should go..." he hesitated.

Lizbeth tilted her head.

"Why?"

Sora bit his lip. "I-I'm not wearing NervGear...I got here a different way"

Lizbeth gave a him a look that seemed to say "are you cray cray!?"

Sora laughed ans stood up, Lizbeth followed him as he made his way back up and and across the bridge.

Sora stopped and turned around with a look of dread.

"I'm sorry about that guy you liked...but I'm sure he doesn't deserve you anyway...and I'm sorry" Sora's eyes filled with tears but he refused to let them fall.

"I'm so sorry there's nothing I can do...if it was different circumstances...I would but...I-"

He turned around and let out a shaky sigh.

"Lizbeth"

"Yea?"

"I want you to know that I consider you a friend now...and you'll be my power and I'll be yours" He turned to face her and noticed the stars were out and the sun was almost gone.

"I can't do anything but say this...you will survive and when you get out I'll come see you...and I'll give you the adventure of a lifetime"

Lizbeth was obviously confused, Sora could see that.

"Good bye"

Lizbeth waved and smiled a tiny smile. Sora watched as she looked down at the ground and he began to turn and walk away.

"Bye Sora...I hope you keep your promise"

He smiled, he didn't turn around and he didn't stop walking into the forest.

"I will"