Hello everyone. Had this idea lurking in my head before I decided to go with it. And yes, Sinon is in this, so I suppose this story does have some AU elements in it, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. But enough of that, happy reading!
And special thanks to ThisIsTheGreatestUsername for providing some much needed feedback!
Chapter 1: A Forced Reality
December 10, 2022
Aincrad - Floor 2
"Alright, listen up! I'm not going to repeat myself," Kibaou shouted over the congregation of players in front of him. They were spread out over the plaza that sat at the center of the town of the second floor, Urbus. Players and NPC's alike were gathered around the expansive space. Kibaou eyed each person in front of him. His menacing gaze forced some players to look in any other direction, "We're here for one reason only. To get to the second floor boss. Screw anything else!"
Most players were standing on the cobblestone floor that surrounded the fountain Kibaou was standing on. Others were sitting in the grass and beneath the trees that extended beyond the cobblestone square, muttering to one another about Kibaou's orders. Some players exchanged looks of wariness. Since Diavel's death during the first floor's boss fight and Kirito's sudden disappearance afterwards, the frontline's leadership was in question. Kibaou saw no reason not to take the position himself.
But Sinon knew that he was the worst possible choice
Calling Kibaou hot-headed would be an understatement. It was always his way or no way at all. His stone-handed method of leading people spread a feeling of uncertainty over the frontline. After the boss fight, Sinon had watched with disgust at how Kibaou had treated Kirito before his departure. Nobody that close-minded had any right to lead anyone.
Sinon shouldered her way through the crowds as Kibaou went on with his orders. She eavesdropped on the murmurs of players as she passed them by.
"Man, I wish Kirito would come back. At least he did something."
"You kidding man? You heard him. He's a beater now. Doesn't care about anyone but himself. Kibaou may be an ass but at least he's making an effort."
Sinon came to a stop when she caught sight of a familiar face standing a few feet from the fountain. A large man with an axe on his back was watching Kibaou. She stopped next to him, watching straight ahead as she spoke.
"We have a problem, Agil," she said. Agil looked down and shrugged.
"No two ways about it. Either Kibaou takes up the leadership role or the frontline collapses before it has a chance to grow," Agil said. Sinon hummed to herself and crossed her arms, looking around the crowd of people.
"What about you?" she asked. Agil chuckled lightly.
"I'm not cut out for leadership, Sinon. Sure, I can boss around a couple of players, but a group like this? You're better off having everyone run around," Agil said. Sinon kept a blank face, weighing her options carefully. She looked around the group of players, hoping to find the girl who was with Kirito or someone else who looked capable of leading. Instead, she found something disconcerting.
Two men were seperated from the rest of the group. One was wearing a grey cloak and hood and the other was a surprisingly older man with greying hair and a wrinkled face. The red armor he wore shined in the midday sun. The cloaked figure raised a pale hand and placed it on the other man's chest, pushing it gently a few times. The other nodded slowly.
Intrigued, Sinon broke away from Agil and blended in with the crowd, moving close enough to hear what they were saying. The older man spoke.
"I understand. I'll start looking immediately. If anyone has them, I'll be sure to…relieve them of it."
The cloaked figure nodded and turned his back to Sinon as he walked away. A hand rose from the depths of its cloak, displaying a blue crystal in his palm. His body was enveloped in a bright light and vanished.
Sinon furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure what they were talking about but it didn't sound like any normal conversation. Especially what the older man said. What exactly did he mean by 'relieving them of it'? Sinon stroked her jaw. She kept her eyes planted on the same place as if the loaked man would suddenly come back. A hand clapped her on the shoulder. Sinon turned to see Agil standing behind her.
"Come on, meeting's over," he said. Sinon turned back to see the older man had disappeared as well. Sinon took a slow breath and nodded. There was nothing to gain now that both were gone. She left the plaza with Agil, her silence in contrast to the numerous questions she was asking herself.
...
Aincrad - Floor 1
"…Makoto?"
Suzu leaned closer to the door. The room on the other side was quiet, just like it had been every time she came for the past month. She knocked on the dark oak of the door. The sound reverberated through the dim hallway, but was followed by silence. Suzu sighed. She ran a hand through her short brown hair.
It had been over a month since Sword Art Online had launched. A month since the game she had adored had turned into a fight for her life. When Kayaba's announcement was spoken over the entire player-base, she could barely believe it. Reverting to her real world appearance, complete with her short brown hair, hazel eyes, and round, youthful face was a shock. The game even recreated the small scar on her left cheek.
But what hit her most were the rules Kayaba had laid down. She couldn't escape unless she cleared all of the game's one hundred floors and if she died at any point, she would die in the real world. It was a hard truth to swallow, but it was one she learned to live with. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same for her older brother.
Makoto had taken the news harder than she did. In truth, she couldn't help but feel responsible for his suffering. Back in the real world, she wanted her brother to give it a chance and, after practically pestering him about it nonstop, he reluctantly agreed. Now he was stuck in a situation he never wanted to be a part of in the first place, all because of her.
Makoto's fear and anguish overwhelmed him. It forced him to shut himself inside his room and never come out. Suzu had tried everything she could to coax him out, but nothing worked. Nothing she said made a difference. She felt useless. If she couldn't save her own brother, how was she supposed to do the same for others?
"How's he doing?"
Suzu turned to the source of the voice. A girl with long, blonde hair tied into a braid wearing a shirt of chainmail underneath a metal breastplate stood next to her. She wore a look of concern on her cute face as she came to Suzu's side and faced the door. Suzu shrugged, turning and leaning her back against the wall.
"The same as always, Sabine. I'm worried. I don't want him to stay locked up forever. It's not healthy," Suzu said. Sabine pressed her ear against the door, furrowing her brow in concentration. Suzu watched as Sabine nodded to herself.
"He's doing better, at least." She said. Suzu raised a brow.
"How can you tell?" she asked. Sabine rubbed her arm, her curious look turning sullen.
"He's not crying anymore, like he was last night. I managed to calm him down a little. I talked with him through the door. I hoped he would come out today, but I guess I was wrong," she said. Suzu pinched the bridge of her nose. She wasn't sure what to do anymore. She placed a hand on the door, looking down at the space between the door and the carpet.
"Are Kreuger and Orwell here, yet?" she asked without looking up. Sabine nodded.
"They're waiting downstairs, arguing over weapons or some such. I stop listening after a while," Sabine said with a half-hearted smirk. Suzu nodded in understanding.
"I'll be down there in a minute, okay? I'm not giving up just yet," she said. Sabine clasped her hands together and left Suzu alone. After taking a few steps, Sabine hesitated and looked over her shoulder.
"When I talked to him yesterday, I could tell he still had some strength in him left. He'll climb his way out of it, Sybelle. I'm sure of it. We just have to support him as much as we can," she said. Suzu cracked a forced grin at Sabine using her username. The two shared a quick glance before Sabine walked away and down a flight of stairs.
Suzu placed one hand on the door and another on the knob. She pressed her forehead against the door. She needed to do something. Seeing him like this was unlike him. He was usually so happy and caring. To see him reduced to such a sad state tore her up inside. Suzu nodded to herself and spoke in a soft, understanding voice, "Makoto? Talk to me, please? C'mon, we can't do this without you. I can't do this without you."
Still no answer. Suzu tapped her forehead against the door several times and shut her eyes, "We cleared the first floor. It IS possible to get out of this. We can go back home, but I can't do it without you. None of us can. So please, open the door."
Again, silence was her only response. Suzu pulled her forehead away from the door and opened her eyes. Makoto could be stubborn. Most of the time it served to be useful. Right now, it was frustrating Suzu to no end. She didn't want to leave him in that room until they made it out. The simple fact that he stayed in there for a month was enough cause for concern. If he didn't leave on his own, Suzu didn't know what would happen. That was what scared her.
Suzu sighed and took a step further away. She was about the give up until she remembered something. She came up to the door and placed a hand on the doorknob. Her soft voice echoed in the vacant hallway, "Hey, Makoto…? You remember when our parents left the country on a business trip? You remember what you did that night?"
Suzu waited patiently. If she couldn't encourage him to come out, she had to appeal to the one side of him that he took pride on. She waited in silence, tapping her foot against the carpet. Then she heard his broken voice eke out from the other side of the door.
"W-what are you getting at?"
Suzu inwardly smiled, "What did you do that night?"
Another long pause followed her question. A curdling sense of worry rose in her chest. For a second, she thought he had retreated back until he spoke again.
"I…I made dinner?" he asked. Suzu nodded even if he couldn't see it.
"That's right. You did. Why did you do that?" she asked. She couldn't force her answers on him. He had to find his reasons on his own. Otherwise, he would never muster his strength. She listened intently for his answer.
"Well…I…I had to take care of you," he said.
"Yes, you did. It's probably one of the things your better at. Why is that?" she asked again. On the other side of the door, she heard small, almost silent footsteps coming closer. Relief flooded her chest as she heard the doorknob rattle and twist in her hand. The door cracked open and Suzu peered inside.
Her brother looked at her through the crack of the door. His short black hair was disheveled and messy. His dark brown eyes had bags under it and the whites of his eyes were tinged red. He still wore the beginner armor over his blue shirt. He looked ragged but Suzu couldn't blame him for it.
"Because I…I care about you," he said. Suzu nodded and smiled brightly.
"You're my older brother. You always took care of me, even when we were kids. Right now, where we are, I need you now more than ever." Suzu said. Makoto backed away from the door and walked out of sight. Suzu took her chance and pushed the door open.
The inside of Makoto's room was barren. Aside from a small desk with a vase of flowers, his bed, and a bookshelf, there wasn't much in the way of decoration. Makoto was standing at the only window in the room, looking down at the crowds of players going on about their day. Many of them wore similar armor Suzu did, a metal chest plate along with metal boots and bracers. Everybody was moving on except for him.
Suzu took a few tentative steps inside. Makoto's back was to her. She came up to him and patted him on the back, "It doesn't feel right to leave you here, Makoto. You're scared, I get that. To be honest, I'm scared too. Everyone is. You're not alone. You'll never be alone because I'm going to be next to you every step of the way until we get out of this."
"Suzu…I don't want you to go out there. I don't want you to end up like…" Makoto couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, but Suzu knew exactly who he was referring to, the thousands of players who have already died. She came to his side and joined him in looking out the window.
"It's not going to come to that. Everyone was in a panic. Nobody knew what they were doing. But now we do. People are organizing. We have people forming teams and information networks. Hell, did you even know there are people handing out guides to this game for free?" Suzu asked. She reached out to the window and threw it open. A cool air filled the dreary room. Suzu jumped up and sat down on the window sill, holding her hand out to the expansive city.
"Everyone out there is doing the same thing we are. We're not a bunch of petrified kids anymore. We have a fighting chance now," she said. Makoto poked his head out the window, breathing in the fresh air.
"So…I can't just stay in here?" he asked. Suzu didn't fail to notice the beginnings of a smile on his lips. Suzu looked out at the window. From their vantage point, Suzu could see the plaza where Kayaba made his announcement just over a month ago. Back then, the shock and despair had stopped so many people from thinking clearly. Her brother was one of them. She wouldn't let him sink back into his room. Not if she had anything to say about it.
"Nope. You can't protect me from in here, can you?" she asked. Makoto placed a hand over his face, releasing a shaky breath. Suzu placed a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking it, "C'mon, Saito. I'm not moving out of this room until you do."
"Don't call me by my username," Makoto said through his fingers. He pulled his hand away and sighed. A moment passed before he slowly nodded.
"Fine…fine…I'll go out there." he said. Suzu pumped her fist and hopped off the window sill, patting Makoto on the back.
"Now that's the Makoto I know. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the gang," she said.
"A little late for that."
Both Makoto and Suzu turned to the door. A young man with combed brown hair and a pair of oval glasses was standing at the doorway. He wore a full array of leather armor over a set of brown clothing. His grey eyes gave them both a look of contemplation before he stepped in with a hand outstretched.
"My name is Orwell. I guess you can consider me the Gilded Eagle's tactician," he said. Makoto took a step forward and took Orwell's hand, shaking it firmly.
"Uhh…Saito…I guess," he said, sparing a glance at Suzu. Orwell chuckled lightly a waved away his uncertainty.
"Don't worry so much. Out there, everyone calls each other by their username. If you don't want to use your real name, that's fine," he said. He turned to Suzu and gave a polite nod.
"We were getting worried down there, Sybelle. So I elected to come up here myself," he said. Suddenly, a bellowing laugh echoed from down the hall, making Orwell rub his eyes with a grimace. A large man suddenly peeked into the doorway. His fiery red hair and goatee made him stand out in the otherwise dark hall. Out of all them, he appeared to be the oldest with his wide face and creases on his forehead and eyes.
He took one large step inside, his heavy steel armor making the floor creak underneath his weight. He looked at Orwell and slapped him on the back, nearly knocking Orwell off his feet.
"Typical Orwell. Always trying to take the credit. Really, we all wanted to make sure you were okay. Staying cooped up in one place for so long makes a man restless," he said. Orwell adjusted his glasses and pointed his thumb behind him.
"That's Kreuger. He's our muscle. He's…well he's loud. In more ways than one," he said. Kreuger snickered and approached Makoto, holding out a large hand. Makoto hesitantly took it and hissed as Kreuger practically crushed his hand in his grip.
"These guys are my good friends. We got together not long ago and formed the Gilded Eagles. You can trust them, Makoto. They saved my life several times now," Suzu said. In truth, the guild was unofficial. According to the information brokers, guilds couldn't be formed until a quest on the third floor was completed. But that didn't stop people from teaming up anyways.
"Thank you for taking care of my sister…I'll try to take it from here," Makoto said with a reserved, fragile smile. Kreuger laughed and smacked Orwell on the back again, much to his annoyance.
"Hear that, Orwell? She doesn't need you to stick with her anymore," he said. A faint blush colored Orwell's cheeks as he rubbed his arm. His weak scowl only served to make Kreuger laugh even more.
"It's not like that, Kreuger. I have to talk with her, she's the guild leader!" he said. Kreuger gave an exaggerated nod, as if to say he believed every word Orwell said. Suzu turned to Makoto and motioned towards the door.
"Sabine is here too. You talked with her yesterday, right?" Suzu asked. Makoto nodded and, to Suzu's surprise, smiled a little wider. He looked up and past the three of them.
"Yeah…to be honest. She helped me a lot. I didn't know her that well, but…she did me a favor," he said. Suzu raised a brow and followed his gaze to the doorframe. What she saw nearly knocked the breath out of her.
Sabine was standing in the doorway holding a plate with a large cake. Numerous candles flickered from its top, surrounded by sprinkles and icing. The whole cake was beautifully decorated with swirls and patterns given painstaking detail on its surface. Sabine took a few steps inside, holding the cake out to Suzu.
Makoto wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pushing her closer to the cake. Despite his dreary mood until now, he was trying his best to appear enthusiastic. Even his dull eyes had some spark return to them as he spoke, "Happy birthday, sis."
Suzu was at a loss for words. Seeing the cake in front of her, being in the middle of a bunch of smiling faces, she couldn't stop herself from sharing in their delight, "H-how did you…how did you pull this off?"
"...You think because I shut myself in my room, that I'd forget about your birthday, you little weirdo?" he asked. Suzu tore her eyes away from the cake and looked up at Makoto. She was touched. Even though her brother had been torturing himself for the past month, he went out of his way to do something for her birthday.
"Makoto told me about your birthday yesterday. He asked me if I could make a cake for you. It was the least I could do. You're our leader after all," Sabine said. She set the cake down on the desk and pulled out a knife, cutting a few slices and setting them on ornate plates. She passed out a piece to each person before taking one of her own.
"Makoto…were you planning this from the start?" Suzu asked after trying her slice. The sweet taste left her wanting more as she took another bite. Makoto sat down on his bed, a tired smile on his lips.
"Honestly…no. It just kind of hit me. I couldn't force myself to leave this room…but I didn't want your birthday to go by without doing anything. Even if I wouldn't be there, I wanted to at least know that someone was there for you on your special day," he said. Suzu couldn't stop herself from lightly punching him in the arm.
"You idiot. Do you think I would have let this happen without you being there?!" she asked with a lighthearted grin. Makoto returned her gesture and looked down at his plate, eating his cake in silence. The day passed slowly as the five enjoyed their cake. The guild talked and laughed together as the sun slowly set to give way to the beautiful night sky. Even though the cake was gone, the guild stayed in Makoto's room.
"Tomorrow, we need to focus on building up our reputation. Word of mouth is better than anything we can advertise," Sabine remarked from her place near the desk. Makoto stood next to the window sill, watching in silence as the guild talked about their business.
"Definitely a good idea. If we have the numbers, we'll be able to contribute to the frontlines that much sooner," Suzu said. Across the room, Orwell leaned back against the wall.
"However, we also have to put a focus on our equipment. Once we reach the second floor, there's no telling what may show up. I suggest we take a more financial approach and build up our Col for time being. It never hurts to have too much money," he stated. Kreuger, who was the only one sitting on the floor, pounded his fist into his palm.
"I'll keep a lookout for any quests we can complete that'll earn us some decent equipment. Hell, I'll even check the second floor myself." He said.
"Good call. Just be careful, okay? The frontlines can be dangerous, but profitable. If you find any good grinding spots, let us know," Suzu said. Kreuger crossed his arms and smiled wide enough for his teeth to be in full view.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, chief!" he proclaimed. Suzu looked out the window and unintentionally let a yawn go. Makoto looked over to her and gave her a small smirk.
"Tired?" he asked. Suzu nodded slowly, rubbing one of her eyes.
"Been an interesting day…I can say that much," she said. Sabine picked up the plates and stacked them neatly on top of one another.
"I suppose we'd best get some rest. We much to do in the morning." She said as she shooed the other boys out of the room. She stopped outside the hall and looked back at the two siblings, "I'll talk to you two tomorrow. Have a good night."
Sabine walked out, but her voice still lingered as she spoke, "Thank you for providing the cake, Kreuger. It was very thoughtful."
"H-Hey! That needed to be between us!" they heard him shout.
"And it is. I'm just saying it very loudly."
Suzu snickered under her breath. She turned to Makoto and rose from his bed, stretching her arms as she spoke, "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"I'm…I'm fine, Suzu. You don't need to worry about me, so much," Makoto said with a wry smile. Suzu rolled her eyes and stood on the other side of the window sill. There was something she wanted to ask him. It was very important to both of their safety. The only problem was that she wasn't sure how he would take it.
"I know; I just wanted to ask you something, okay? This is a big place so we need to be able to know where we are at all times," she said. She tented her fingers together, looking out at the lantern-lit streets. A few players were still out walking. It didn't take long before she saw Sabine, Orwell, and Kreuger walk out into the street before going their separate ways. Suzu took a deep breath and stared Makoto dead in the eye.
"I need you to marry me."
Makoto's smile dropped like a rock. Seconds of baffled silence passed before Makoto began waving his arms adamantly and taking a step back.
"H-Hold on, now! We're treading some very disturbing water, here!" he shouted. Suzu pouted and raised her fist before dropping it limply at her side.
"Idiot! It's for practical purposes," she said. Makoto continued to wave his hands.
"Yeah, cause when my sister asks me to marry her, I definitely think it's for practical purposes," he said sarcastically. Suzu planted a palm against her face before removing it and opening her menu.
"Look, in SAO, if two people are married, they can keep track of one another where ever they are. They can also share inventory space and take stuff out whenever they want," Suzu explained. Her finger hovered over the marriage option. She peeked over her menu to Makoto, "You're going to need better equipment than what you have. And I think it'd help us breathe easier if we can constantly monitor each other's status."
Makoto rubbed his temples. Suzu could tell just by the look on his face how taken aback he was by the idea. Really, if it was between two people who trusted each other implicitly, marriage was a very practical thing to do. But she knew the context behind the option was what was freaking him out. Makoto huffed and lightly slapped his cheeks.
"Alright, alright, fine. But we never bring this up, got it?" he said. Suzu pressed the marriage option and a window popped up in front of Makoto. He swallowed and pressed 'yes'. Another small message appeared for both of them congratulating them before Suzu saw their inventories merge together.
"This…never leaves this room," Makoto said. A glow caught his attention. He looked down at his hand to see a ring materialize on his finger, "Of course…why wouldn't it give me a ring?"
Suzu inspected her own ring before shrugging and looking out the window. The clock at the bottom left of her vision told her it was nearly midnight. She stretched her arms again and headed towards the door.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to take you training. If you're going to be one of the Gilded Eagles, you need to learn how to defend yourself," she said. She didn't fail to notice the worried look on Makoto's face, "I'm not throwing you into the deep end. We'll start small and I'll be with you every step of the way. So don't worry."
With that, Suzu left the room. Makoto turned back to the window, propping his elbow one the sill and cupping his cheek. There was a whole world out there he hadn't seen. It was larger than anything he could imagine. The feeling of finally going out there, both intrigued and terrified him. He had to step out of safety and into the great unknown. There was no way he couldn't be scared by that.
But he was certain he could try. As long as his sister was there next to him, he'd try as hard as he could.
...
"How wonderful. She and the others…so warm and so loving…" the cloaked figure told himself. He had watched the window sill from a nearby alley, his grin growing wider as he listened in on their conversation. The brother and sister, trapped in a death game and sworn to protect one another, there was nothing more beautiful than that.
He hugged himself tightly. He could feel their determination warm his body. This world was amazing. So many people brought together and fighting as one. How could anyone think this was a nightmare? If anything, this was what everyone needed. Everyone needed to experience this world. They were safe here, they became strong here. A world like this one didn't need to be beaten, it needed to be nurtured.
"The strength they exude is so amazing. How can they hate this world? It's brought out the best in everyone!" he said. He calmly walked away from the hotel, clasping his hands together. His eyes grew dark with every word he said.
"Thank you…thank you so much for this gift."
