Sword Art Online: A Maiden's Voyage
L.T: Hi Hi, it's time for a new story! I'm doing an SAO epic! Get ready to read my take on this awesome series!
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"Uh?" I looked down at the package on my doorstep. I'd only just moved to Japan on a study trip, and hadn't sent my address to any of my friends. I barely knew anyone here, so I had no idea who could have sent this to me, but, my name was definitely on the label. I picked it up and brought it inside, plonking it on the table. Tentatively, I opened the box, expecting…. Well, anything but what I actually found. "A copy of a game? It looks like I can use it on Xbox! Sword Art Online, hmm? Looks cool!"
Picking the box up, I headed into the living room, turning on my console and sliding the new game into it. I checked the cardboard box for an instruction manual, but found a helmet of some kind. A label on its crown said that it must not be removed during play. A USB connector dangled from a long cable, so I sat down and plugged it in, loading the game with a button and got a shock. I was floating!
A box hovered in front of me, asking for a login. I gulped, and then reached out, tracing my name in the box. A 'ping!' sounded, then the box changed to say, "Name accepted! Choose your avatar!" a long list of little pictures scrolled past me, all bright and vivid, waving at me, just like they'd been waiting for me. I looked at each one, then settled on a girl who looked just like me, her cropped silver-blonde hair ruffling in a non-existent breeze. I reached out, and she did as well. The moment our fingers touched, everything blurred, and a blinding whit light engulfed us, with my name booming in my ears. "COLLETTE!"
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"Uh… That… REALLY… Hurt…" I mumbled, sitting up. Looking around, I could see… "Oh my ever-loving tits! Where the hell am I?! What am I doing here? WHO am I?!" a shadow fell over me, and a tall boy with spiky black hair leaned over me. "A new player? Welcome to Aincrad, the world within SAO. I'm Kirito, and this sorry excuse is Klein!" he pointed at a redhead with a scruffy chin-beard, currently rubbing his back. I stood up, brushing off my mid-thigh skirt. Bowing slightly, I replied in fluent Japanese, "I'm Collette, and, yes, I'm new here. What do I do?"
Kirito started, and then grinned. "Well, first, you need a weapon. You got anything in your bag?" I looked around, then sweat-dropped. "Um… bag?" he sighed, and then told me, "Open your bag by reaching out and thinking, 'Bag!' You try!" I reached out, then thought about bags as hard as I could. A holographic display scrolled down, and I selected the Bag icon by touching it. A single item was in it. "Um… a Blade of Iron?" I touched the icon again, and felt a weight on my hip. Closing the menu, I looked down and saw a small, leather sheathe, a short sword handle hanging out. Drawing the weapon, I felt its heft, the glinting blade heavy in my hands.
Kirito clapped his hands. "Great, you just equipped your first item, now, let's teach you how to use it!" he took me through my paces, seemingly surprised when I began to pick up the basics faster than I thought, even for a new gamer. A few hours later, I sighed, wiping my forehead. "Phew… I'm beat. How did I do?" Kirito looked at me, then smiled. "You got to level seven in a couple hours, good job!" Klein rubbed his tummy. "Man, I'm beat too, and I'd better log out, I ordered a pizza for 6 o'clock!" He started dancing awkwardly, shouting, "Escape! Exit! Log out!" after a second, a loud, "BONNNNGGGG…. BONNNNGGGG… BONNNNGGGGG!" Rang out, filling the world, and a yellow light filled the air, Kirito shouting, "Mass Teleport?!"
A second later, we stood in a plaza, in a place called the Town of Beginnings. A rip appeared in the sky, and what looked like blood poured out of it, forming a hooded robed figure, who told us that his name was Kayaba Akihisa, and that we could no longer log out, and that if we tried, we'd die, as well as if the helmets were removed, we'd die. The only way to leave was to complete each floor by beating the Boss Monster, all the way to Floor 100. He also gave us all a mirror, which I looked into. Everyone started screaming, as their avatars looked like their real-world faces and bodies.
Kirito got shorter and girlier, and I gasped. He was… hot! Definitely a guy, but a really hot guy!
He took my arm, and tried to convince Klein to come, but Klein said he would stay with some friends, and waved as Kirito led me away, rushing to level us up and get us better equipment before the good stuff was gone. Following him, I thought about how I felt about this whole thing. I was scared that I'd die, sure, but, I was stuck here, so I might as well go out fighting, kicking and screaming. I knew next-to-nothing about this world, or why Kayaba Akihisa was doing this.
Kirito was kind, but a bit stiff and inflexible, but he was good at this game, so I felt I could trust him better than anyone else, seeing as if he was going to leave me on my own, he wouldn't be training me up to look after myself. With that logic on my mind, I ran after my new friend Kirito, my gleaming short sword out and a fierce, free joy singing in my beating heart. If now was to be my last moment, I would meet it… Head ON!