Japanese Dead Zone, Tokyo
Former Residential Area
300 Years after Start of Collapse
The air was still. There was no sound. Until eight lights slowly came across the earth, through the debris and remains of civilization. They searched without a word, their cones of light uncovering nothing. The eight Ghosts slowly looked at each other, before one spoke.
"You said they'd be around here." said the seventh.
"I did say they'd be around here, but not where'd they'd be precisely." the first replied. "No one has been here in centuries. If there's Guardians here, we'll find them...Wait."
"What?" the other Ghosts asked.
"I found them." the first said. "Eight of them, right below us. And their light...it's blindingly powerful. These could be some of the greatest Guardians to ever be found and brought back."
"I say we bring them back, then." said the sixth. "We won't get another chance like this one."
They traveled through the road to a bunker built beneath what remained of a large house. They found eight skeletons in a ring, three males and five females, along with a strange device in the middle of the ring of bones. The Ghosts hovered over each of them, and they let loose their Light. Soon, the shapes of eight humans began to form, equipped with rudimentary armor.
A boy of twenty one, a Hunter, with raven-black hair…
A girl of the same age, another Hunter, with a beautiful face…
A girl of twenty, a Warlock, with lighter black hair than the first…
A girl of twenty, a Titan, with countless curls…
A man of twenty-nine, a Warlock, with blazing red hair.
A small girl of nineteen, another Warlock, with two ponytails.
A girl with glasses and short hair, a Hunter of around twenty.
And finally, a colossal man of around forty, a Titan, with a bald head.
The eight Guardians did not stir immediately, and their Ghosts knew time was short. The first Ghost hovered near the face of his Guardian, the Hunter with raven hair.
"Guardian...Guardian!...Eyes up, Guardian!"
Darkness. That was all Kazuto Kirigaya could see. He heard a faint voice, calling out to him.
"Guardian...Guardian!...Eyes up, Guardian!"
Kazuto forced his eyes open to see a white object floating in front of him, with one blue eye.
"Good, you're awake." the object said. "I wasn't sure you would come back, suffice to say. as for me, I'm a Ghost. But now, I'm your Ghost."
The Ghost merged with Kazuto, and he groaned. Then, he remembered. He remembered everything. Aincrad, Alfheim, his life. But then he remembered the one person who mattered most to him.
"ASUNA!" he cried, looking around. Then, he saw his friends Suguha, Rika, Keiko, Ryoutarou, Andrew, and Asada stir as well. But no Asuna to be found or seen. Then, he felt arms wrap around his chest and her passionate lips find their way to his
"Asuna…" he murmured, seeing the chestnut-haired girl in front of him, with tears of joy in her eyes. She rested against his chest, and sighed in relief and happiness.
"Kirito…" Asuna whimpered. "Kirito."
"Geez, what happened?" Klein groaned. "The last thing I remember was us heading down here, and then…"
"Now." Rika finished. "What happened?"
"That's a long story." Rika's Ghost said, coming out. "You all have been dead for quite a long time. Most likely over a few centuries."
"What?" Kazuto gasped. "Dead? But how…"
"We brought you back." Kazuto's Ghost said, coming out. "It's quite a long story, but you're unique. Most Guardians can't remember their lives before the collapse, but yours is very vivid. But we need to get moving. This is Fallen territory, and we aren't safe here."
"Wait, where's Yui?" Asuna cried suddenly. Kazuto then saw the canister in the middle of the room. Hastily activating the MHCP Capsule, he sighed as the container opened, revealing a small girl with long black hair, his daughter Yui.
"YUI!" Asuna cried, taking her daughter out of the capsule. "Yui, wake up! Please!"
Yui stirred, and soon she was crying into Asuna's chest, whimpering and sobbing ceaselessly.
"Yui." Kazuto said, taking her from Asuna's embrace and into his own, as she continued to sob.
"Daddy! Mommy!" Yui whimpered. "Please don't go again! I...I can't…"
"It's okay…" Kazuto said, stroking down his daughter's back. "We're right here, and we're not going anywhere."
"Actually, we need to go. Like, right now." Ryoutarou's Ghost said. "We've got Fallen incoming. And seeing as we're in House Kings's territory right now, we need to get a move on."
"Right." Kazuto said. "Let's go."
"We'll need weapons first." Kazuto's Ghost said. "There's an arms cache not too far from here. Let's head there, then see how we'll get to the City."
The nine of them, with Yui being carried by Asuna, set out, following the lead of Kazuto's Ghost.
"What happened here?" Rika managed to say.
"The Collapse and centuries of abandonment and Fallen scavenging." Keiko's Ghost replied. "We'll fill you in."
As they ran, their Ghosts told them of what had come since their deaths.
The Aries III scouts meeting the Traveler on Mars…
The colonization and foundation of the cities and colonies on Venus, the Moon, Titan, and Mars…
The Golden Age and its advancements…
The arrival of the Collapse and the ensuing Darkness, in the forms of the Cabal, Vex, Hive, and Fallen…
The building of the Last City, the battles of Twilight Gap and Six Fronts...The battle for the Moon, the abandonment of Mars and Venus...the rise of the Guardians, the legends of Saint-14, Thalor, Shin Malphur, The Six Coyotes, and many others, and the state of affairs as of now.
"And since them, we've been fighting to reclaim the Sol System." Kazuto's Ghost said. "And since you are all now Guardians, you'll need a rundown of your powers. Kazuto, you're a Hunter. Fast, agile, deadly. I thought you'd be perfect as a Bladedancer."
"Do I get a sword?" he asked his Ghost.
"No, you get a Knife. Which is also charged with the power of lightning and can cut through nearly anything." his Ghost replied. "Your friend Asuna is also a Bladedancer."
"Also, what's with the armband?" Ryoutarou asked his Ghost.
"You are a Warlock, Ryoutarou, and such, your Bond defines you." his Ghost replied. "The Warlock bond is the focus of your power, and what signifies you as a Warlock."
"Titans such as yourself and Andrew, Rika…" Rika's Ghost said. "Receive a Mark, a sort of waist-sash. But it's much more than that. The Titan Mark is a Titan's pride and symbol. It's also a handy way to clean your fist off after you punch something."
"Why punch?" Rika asked.
"Because the Titan's best weapon is their fists." was the reply. "Many Titans have done mighty deeds with their fists, like Thalor managing to send a Guardian through three walls with one punch."
"What about me?" Kazuto asked.
"A Hunter's knife is their weapon." came his Ghost. "And yours is special to you, as it is required for potent use of your Super Power, the Arc Blade."
"What do I get?" Klein asked.
"Your Palm." his Ghost said. "A simple blast of energy. Has good range, but not as fast as the Knife, or as hard-hitting as a fist."
"Eyes up!" Kazuto's Ghost said as a Fallen Skiff flew overhead.
"That Skiff might be our best bet to get to the City." Keiko's Ghost said. "Provided we kill its crew, and the City Defense guns don't shoot us down as soon as we reach their airspace."
"So what do we do?" Andrew asked.
"We're near that arms cache, so we fight our way to it." Andrew's Ghost replied. As the Guardians headed into the old Armory building, they found a crate of weapons.
"Perfect, Khvostov rifles, straight from old Russia." Kazuto's Ghost said. "Take one, and as much ammo as you can carry."
As each Guardian took one and loaded their ammo, Kazuto looked at the Skiff's landing site. Seven Fallen Dregs and a few Vandals, and one burly Captain stood around it.
"Well, a skeleton crew." his Ghost said. "But that Captain might be a problem. They're usually equipped with personal teleporters, and have shields. Fortunately, they're attuned to Arc Light, so you should be okay."
"What about the rest of them?" Kazuto asked.
"Shoot them in the head, and if that doesn't work, shoot them again."
"Alright…" Kazuto said. As the Guardians moved to cover, Asuna took Yui to a small alcove and told her to stay there. Then, Kazuto aimed his rifle at a Dreg…
...and fired.
The Dreg fell dead, and the remaining Fallen roared in anger and charged the Guardians, the Captain barking orders to his troops. Asuna dodged a swipe from a Dreg and kicked it to the ground before killing it.
"On your left!" Andrew cried to Rika while he struggled with a Vandal. Rika dodged the shock rounds aimed right at her just in time. As they fought, Yui watched nervously. Then, a stray shot from the Captain exposed her hiding spot. The Captain stormed over and grabbed her by the leg.
"YUI!" Asuna cried, which broke her concentration and she was knocked to the ground. Kazuto leaped for his daughter, as the Captain prepared to kill her…
BOOM!
A sniper's shot landed right in the Captain's head, blowing it clean off and sending it to the ground. Yui leaped into Kazuto's arms as more gunfire killed the remaining Fallen. Kazuto then saw three Guardians approach, a Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. The Titan and Warlock moved to secure the Skiff, while the Hunter extended his hand to Kazuto.
"Need help?" he asked. Kazuto accepted and he was pulled to his feet. Yui trembled as he picked her up, and she buried her face in his chest.
"Heh." the Hunter said. "Cute kid. Anyway, seeing as we just saved your sorry asses from that Captain, you're fresh?"
"Fresh?" Kazuto asked.
"Fresh from revival." the Hunter said. "I'm Kitsune-4. The Titan's Logan Reiley, and the Warlock here is Caleb Theodoras."
"What's with the 4?" Kazuto asked as Asuna ran over to him. Kitsune lifted his helmet and to Kazuto's shock, his rescuer wasn't human. A face of metal, black with a green stripe and two prongs on his cheeks greeted him.
"What are you?" Asuna asked.
"I'm an Exo." Kitsune said. "I'm a machine given sentience, conscience, and a heart. For all purposes, I'm basically human."
"That's amazing." Asuna said.
"There's plenty of Exo to go around." Kitsune said, shouldering his Sniper Rifle. "Anyway, Logan?! How's the Skiff?"
"It you mean can it fly, yes." Logan replied. "I'll get the Vanguard on the line."
"Roger that." Kitsune said. As the others boarded the Skiff, Kazuto, Asuna, and Yui settled in the pilot's bay, Yui still trembling from her encounter with the Captain. Then, Kazuto's Ghost took control of the Skiff, and they entered the skies.
"Tower Control, this is Fireteam Waterfall." Kitsune spoke from his Jumpship. "We're escorting eight Guardians and a small child back to the city. Be advised, they are in a Kings's Skiff, so don't fire. Also, get me Zavala as soon as you can."
"Confirmed." said the operator. "Line is open to Commander Zavala."
"Waterfall, what have you found?" came Commander Zavala's voice.
"We've found those Ghosts you sent us to retrieve." Kitsune reported. "And better yet, they found their Guardians. Eight of them. Thing is...they have a girl with them, like seven or so. Not sure what we should do with her. She seems pretty close to two of them."
"She cute?" Cayde-6's voice asked.
"Very." Kitsune replied.
"I could take care of her. I kinda like the idea of being a babysitter."
"We'll deal with that girl later." Zavala replied. "Bring them to the City. I'll mark that Skiff friendly. Good work."
Kitsune then radioed Kazuto's Ghost.
"Hey, I've contacted the Vanguard, and we're clear to head back to the City. They've marked your Skiff friendly, so the Air Defense systems don't shoot it down. So, feel free to rest for a bit."
"Thanks, Kitsune." Kazuto said. "And thanks for saving Yui."
"No problem." the Exo replied. "See you on the far side."
Kazuto handed a trembling Yui to Asuna, and looked back to see his friends resting or talking with their Ghosts.
"Is Yui alright?" he asked Asuna.
"She's trembling so much…" Asuna replied, soothing her daughter as best she could. "She almost died…"
"I know." Kazuto said, brushing his daughter's cheek. "I won't let that happen again. Not ever."
Kazuto kissed Yui on the cheek, and soon, her hiccups of sorrow started to dissipate.
"Mommy, Daddy...I was so scared." she finally managed to say. "That alien was so scary."
"I know. It's all over. All over." Asuna soothed. "It won't happen again. I promise. The scary alien's gone."
"Please...don't go." she murmured before her eyes shut and her breathing slowed.
"She's asleep." Asuna said in relief.
"Some rest would help." Kazuto said as he sat in the awkward-fitting Pilot seat. "Asuna...you alright?"
"I'm fine." she said. "Just scared."
"Me too." Kazuto said. "I'm scared for you, Yui, for everyone. Asuna, as long as we're alive, I'll protect all of us from harm as much as I can."
"And I'll be there, every step of the way." Asuna said. As she joined Kazuto in the pilot seat, she leaned on his shoulder, and they fell asleep like Yui. As Kazuto's Ghost piloted the Skiff, it sailed towards the city.