Some of the below has been taken from the anime, I do not own SAO, and all credit is due to Reki Kawahara.

This is just a teaser, be on the lookout for more. Review, since this is my first fic, I could use all of the help I can get (Hope there isn't any OC-ness). Also, if you see any errors, please pm me or mention it in the reviews. I hate grammar errors or spelling issues. Thanks, and at the risk of saying it too much, PLEASE REVIEW (NO FLAMES PLEASE).

Edit: Edited

Shinozaki Rika, Lisbeth looked up. Her hair strawberry pink hair falling out of place regardless of her barrette as she gazed at the sky while her hands froze in place over her well-used and loved anvil. She had been working to upgrade and smelt new armor for some of the clearers, while also working on some side projects for the regular players as well, when a sound like the soft jingle of bells had begun to ring across Aincrad. Startled, she stood statue still till the fire in the furnace behind her hissed and crackle, bringing her to life quicker than any enchantment. Hurrying, she removed some ore from the furnace to quickly quench it in the salt water barrel set aside for that purpose. The music started softly and grew to crescendo, accompanied by a fanfare of instruments. The cacophony of noise drowned out any other kind of sound; so much so that it made her miss the crafting cue in favor of clamping her hands over her strained ears. The ghostly trumpets blaring, she turned to face the sky only to see nothing but clear blue with patches of clouds. That wasn't unusual, considering that poor weather was usually the sign of an event, or was specifically designed for atmosphere. An impersonal, computer generated, yet somehow feminine voice rang through the level, and most likely throughout all of Aincrad

"Congratulations. As of 14:55, November 7, the game has been cleared."

Its voice resonated from sparsely populated first floor, to the more lived-in middle floors, and finally the clearers on the 75th floor (most likely anyway). One word stuck in her mind though, repeating in her mind like a broken and outdated gramophone that her grandmother would tell her about. "… cleared.", "...has been cleared.", "…the game has been cleared."

"Is it true...Is it really over?" came whispered throughout, the endless chatter and everyday trivialities coming to a halt. The occasional "No way…!" and sobbing were interspersed with calls of relief and joy.

Lisbeth couldn't believe it, grip loosening she dropped her hammer, ignoring the clang and immortal object notice as it hit the floor. She stood there, unable to contain her excitement, as the computer generated voice repeated itself once more. She couldn't stand anymore, as her shoulders began to shake, her trembling legs turned to jelly, leaving her on the floor still shaking. She started laughing unable to contain her relief, and maybe with more than a little hysteria. Heaving with laughter, surrounded by the cheers and joyful screams of the other floors. It was over.

While gazing around, the world off in the distance started to fade to white, while the sound of crumbling objects, the "ting" of newly created polygons drifting off into the sky. She continued to smile as tears continued to stream down her face. She was relieved, but she was sad. She knew that finally returning to the world she had been left behind wouldn't be easy. It would be filled with difficulty and she didn't want to leave the new friends that she had made behind, or at least the ones she had lost. She also knew it would be worth it.

She also felt gratitude. Gratitude to the people she knew. Gratitude to the people she was certain had cleared the game. It couldn't be anyone else but them. No one else that she knew had the level of bravery and determination that was necessary to meet their goal. Kirito and Asuna. Especially 25 floors early. They were responsible for saving their friends, and the other survivors of Sword Art Online, none other than the infamous 'Beater' the legendary 'Black Swordsman'. Now it seemed that there was going to be one more title to the list: 'The Savior of the People of Aincrad'. The boy no, man, that she loved, the person in her life that made her heart beat faster and her face flush when they were together. Then there was her best friend, Asuna 'The Flash' and sub-leader of the renowned guild Knights of the Blood. Someone that she cared about just as much as Kirito, and had known for longer. Kirito and Asuna were together and married but that didn't stop Lisbeth from caring about either of them. Nothing would. She also knew she'd have to suffer awhile, pining after him, but her friendship came before her feelings, and she respected Asuna. She wanted their relationship to blossom and turn into something real in the real world. That didn't stop her from hoping though, and it was sometimes hope that hurt the most.

The scenery darkened, the cheering continued on regardless of the change in setting. Lisbeth strove to hear what was going on around her, but as the world fell apart and the edges of her vision began to go white, she hoped that all of her friends, Kirito, Asuna, Agil,Silica,and the others had made it out alright and that she would see them in her second life. "I want to meet them again." She thought as the world fogged up and her vision went white, and then transitioned to black leaving her home of two years behind.

-Line break-

Now empty, the floating city, Aincrad continued to break down. The wind sailed through the empty streets keening in loss for the captives that brought the place life. The NPCs had all frozen in place at the end of the game, smiles frozen creepily mid-movement. Living statues, stuck in inaction for all eternity. A merchant whose arm thrown across the stall reaching for money that would never be placed in his hand, triumphant grin in place. A little girl, about 5, stuck in the air mid-run arms flung out behind her as if wings were held in her tiny fists. A man across from her face worn with time and hard work, bent down to pick her up in his arms, harsh features soft, with care and devotion.

Slowly the NPC's returned to motion, just before their demise. The children would run to their parents, still grinning toothless grins, innocent to their fate. While the older ones in the know, huddled in the relative safety of their parents arms, scared of the unknown. The lovers returned to their respective others, and friends together. Many wept, noses running, resenting the world that was ending, that forced them to leave behind all of their friends. All of them spending their last moments together.

One by one, amid a sea of quiet panic, tears, and muted screams, they were turned to iridescent polygons, indistinguishable from their surroundings or loved ones.

It doesn't matter though, the NPC's aren't sentient and can't feel. It doesn't matter how many died over the years, their lives have no meaning. They were created for the game, to smile and play along to a predetermined script.

It doesn't matter that they died, and the only ones that cared, and the only ones who could tell you otherwise, are gone now anyway.

And Aincrad ceased to exist.