Reality Check

It's been a month since the SAO Incident from two years ago, where 10,000 players were trapped in a what was supposed to be a normal virtual reality MMORPG. It was turned into to a death game when Akihiko Kayaba announced that information on day one. Players couldn't return to the real world until they've cleared all 100 floors. He also rigged the game's death ability, if they died in here they would die in the real world. Their brains would either be damaged or fried to death. In the first month 2,000 died. While progressing through the years some players decided to live their lives in VR where others tried to complete it until that day.

The day where the game was completed. The Assault Team was doing a boss raid against the Skull Reaper. After beating it, one person figured out that the game wouldn't be completed by beating the 100 floors, it was beating the creator. His name was Kazuto (Kirito) Kirigaya. He had figured out that the creator was among them as the Blood Knights Leader Heathcliff. He knew something was off about him when the first battled. When he was about to strike him, everything around him froze. Time stopped, and then something allowed Heathcliff to move his shield to where he could block the attack. Kirito noticed and knew there was more to Heathcliff then he thought. He remembered hearing rumors that Heathcliff's HP never dropped into the yellow zone.

So, after the boss raid he was challenged by Heathcliff to a fight saying that if he wins then the game would be complete and everyone would go back to the real world. At first it looked like he lost when he was stabbed but Kirito managed enough willpower to move his arm and stab Kayaba in the chest. Kayaba died first and then him. The game was cleared and players were freed. While families celebrated their loved ones were coming back, one didn't. She's been in the hospital with him ever since the game cleared. He hasn't woken up yet and it frightened her more than anything.

This was Suguha Kirigaya, his sister. She has been waiting for him to come back to her since day one. She remembered him trying to separate himself from her when he found out that he was adopted by her family when his parents died. He unintentionally shunned her when they were little but as they grew older, he tried to reconnect with her as a brother. It was slow but a work in progress, then sao happened. She's been watching over him, never leaving his side until he woke up until visiting were over but that's beside the point. She pretty much loved him the moment she met him and all she wants is for him to come back.

Hospital Room 225: (8:10 P.M)

It was raining. It was coming down to the point where people would see lightning and hear loud thunder. In the room was Kirito still in bed with no signs of consciousness. His body was weak and fragile from being trapped in SAO for two years. Right next to his bed was his sister Sugu. This was her daily routine: go to school, practice kendo and visit her brother until the end of the day.

"Kazuto…..Please wake up" she pleaded as she puts her hand on his cheek. This was killing her. She wanted to do something…..anything to make her brother hear her. Tears start to well up in her eyes. She used her free hand to wipe them away before they could fall. She then hears a knock on the door, turning her head around and sees a nurse.

"Hey there Suguha, how are you feeling?" she greeted

"Hi Miss Takiguchi, and I'm okay." She greeted with a slight waver in her voice. Takiguchi knew she wasn't fine but decided to stay quiet. She knew this has been taking a toll on the poor girl for two years and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

"What are you doing here still, you already checked on my brother hours ago?" Sugu asked.

"I had some paperwork that needed to be finish before I forgot about it and there something I need to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Besides you and your mother, did Kazuto know anyone else before all this happened?" she asked.

Sugu raised an eyebrow in confusion. Last thing she remembered about her brother was that he didn't have any friends at school or that he was very social. He was distant towards everyone. Herself included but a month before SAO he was slowly but surely making progress with her.

"Um no I don't actually. Kazuto wasn't really that social with anybody back then but I'm curious, why did you ask me that?

"Well there are some people here asking for him. They say they have been searching everywhere for him ever since the game was completed. If you want I can tell them that only family members can see him right now." she suggested.

"Thanks Miss Takiguchi but it's okay. I would like to meet these friends of Kazuto's, I just hope they don't have anything bad to say anything about him." Sugu replied.

"Okay I'll be right back" Takiguchi said as she left to get the other visitors. Sugu turned back to her brother smiling a bit.

"I glad you made some friends while you were trapped Oni-chan, I just hope you weren't as distant as you were to me then to them." she thought. She knew her brother always had problems with fitting in. He just felt like an outcast everywhere he went. He felt like he didn't belong with them. Sugu knew he felt like that when he found out who he was but she didn't care. She grew up with him and learned to love him like a sister, maybe more than that.

"But still… people here who are claiming to know you puts me on edge. If they try to hurt you.." she thought darkly. Sugu doesn't trust others with her brother because he would get antagonized by others a lot. She will not let anyone hurt her brother ever again. Ever since "that" happened he would try to hide his injuries from her when he started….. cutting. That messed him up a lot more than anything. He knew he would hide from her but she found out the day of the incident. It hurt her to know that her brother did that to himself and she didn't notice. She wasn't going to let that happen again.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Takiguchi came back with 4 people that may be Kazuto's friends.

"Here we go. Sugu these are your brother's friends Kotone Takemiya, Strea Sayuri, Ryoutarou Tsuboi and Sachi Sayuri." Takiguchi introduced as she gestured her hand at each person she referred. Sugu inspected the four standing before her.

Kotone had brown hair that went down to her shoulders with blue eyes and was wearing a blue open jacket with a pink undershirt and a green sleeveless top, dark yellow plaid skirt with leg stockings and blue hi tops. Sugu assumed she isn't afraid to say what's on her mind and says everything rather bluntly.

Sugu then turned to the man next to Kotone named Ryoutarou. He had spiky red hair with a bandana with brown eyes and a slight beard on his face, he was wearing a black biker coat with a red undershirt with black pants and black boots. Next to him was Strea.

Strea had pale brown hair that went down to her chest with red-violet eyes and was wearing a short sleeve white button down blouse with a purple coat, with a black crop skirt and boots. Last but not least was the girl standing next to Strea named Sachi.

Sachi had black hair that went to her shoulders and dark blue eyes, she was wearing a light blue sweater with a black scarf and shorts that hugged her knees with blue boots. She was also holding an umbrella in her left hand. Sugu assumed that they were friendly but she didn't want to do anything yet, not until Takiguchi left them alone. Speaking of her…..

"I'll leave you five alone for a bit to get to know each other." she said.

"Okay miss Takiguchi, thank you for the help." Strea said smiling at her.

"My pleasure." She finished as she left the room closing the door behind her. As soon as she left, Suguha's demeanor changed as she grabbed her kendo stick and pointed it at the four newcomers threateningly putting them on alert. Strea pulled Sachi to stay behind her while Kotone got into her stance ready to guard against the weapon until Ryo got in between them.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA, HANG ON A SECOND CANT WE TALK THIS OUT?" he shouted but was silenced by Sugu's harsh glare.

"Who the hell are you people, why do you claim to know my brother, if you're here to hurt him…." She trailed off as her grip on the stick tighten. Kotone kept her eye on Sugu while keeping her distance, Strea was shielding Sachi in case they were attacked as Ryo tried to calm her down.

"No, no, no, we aren't trying to hurt him honest!" he shouted while frantically waving his hands. Suguha kept her glare in place not believing anything from him until Sachi decided to step in.

"Um…..before you hurt us can we at least explain why we are here and how we met Kirito in SAO?" she said while stepping out in the open from Strea but still kept her distance. Sugu wanted to kick them out of the room and keep them as far as possible away from Kazuto but once she saw Sachi's expression she frowned. She saw in her eyes that she was just worried for Kazuto and just wanted to help. Sugu let out a sigh and lower the stick before setting it next to her backpack and sitting back down in her chair.

"Okay, I guess I can listen to you before assuming the wrong idea." she said while Sachi smiled at her suggestion.

"Thank you. Thank you so much….. um…" she trailed off.

"Sugu. Suguha Kirigaya, I'm Kazuto's sister." she stated.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Sachi." she then gestured her hand out at the that three behind her as she introduced them.

"This is my sister Strea, and our friends Ryo and Kotone."

"Hi"

"Hey"

"Nice to meet you Suguha."

"Nice to meet you all too. Now, before I forget….." she trailed off before she set her glare back on them.

"How do you know my brother?" she asked. Sachi felt afraid before she came up with a glare of her own, she wasn't get intimidated by someone she just met, even if she was Kirito's sister and she wasn't leaving without explaining.

"We met him in SAO, not at the same time but we all knew him. He helped us whenever he ran into us, he helped me overcome my fear of death in the beginning." Sachi said smiling at her memory of when she first met Kazuto.

"He helped me level up for a bit in the beginning and fought on the front lines for a bit whenever we needed to clear a floor." Ryo added.

"He reunited me with my sister. I was trying to find her for a year on my own and then he came along. He said that my goal reminded him of you, he said something about his younger childhood but I didn't want to pry into it. All he told me was that he wished that if there was anything he would instead of being in SAO, it would be spending time with his sister to not only make up for what he did but also to make you happy and be a better brother. So he told me that he won't only be putting his life on the line for everyone, he will be fighting for his life to see you again." Strea said as she approached Sachi and wrapped arms around her while leaning her head on her shoulder. Sugu was touched by the fact that Kazuto thought about her while he was trapped but what warmed her heart was that he was fighting to not only free others, he was fighting to be with her again. Everyone looked at Kotone, waiting for her to say her piece.

"I was seen as orange player, I thought I killed someone or worse. I ran into him in a forest and he instantly noticed I was different from other orange players he met. He didn't see me as a threat so I asked him to help me clear my name and he did." She finished smiling at the memory.

"Kirito helped us with our problem and somehow got all of us to meet each other one day.

"But after he helped us he disappeared." Suguha raised an eyebrow at this.

"What do you mean he disappeared?" she asked. Kotone was about to answer but Strea beat her to it.

"She means that as soon as he helped us with our problems, he just left but not before leaving a note. He said that it was too dangerous for us to be around him." she said grimly.

"Why would he say something like that?" this time Ryo answered.

"None of knew at the time what he meant but we didn't know the answer until a few months later there were rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Rumors said that he was a killer, and players would always avoid him and keep their distance." Suguha then shouted in anger at the answer.

"MY BROTHER IS NO KILLER!"

"WE KNOW THAT…. We all know that he isn't one." he shouted before lowering his voice.

"None of us ever thought that Kirito or Kazuto would kill anyone without reason of why he did it. When we all heard about it we would go to previous areas of where he would be at or has been and ask around." he stated.

"And what exactly happened at those places?" Sugu asked as her voice lowered into a whisper and her hair shadowing her eyes. Ryo was scared to answer thinking that he would be on the receiving end of wrath. He looked at the girls and noticed that they backed away a bit. Sachi was clutching her sister's hand for comfort as Strea held her in a hug and Kotone was waiting for some type of movement from Suguha so she could be ready for it. Ryo was about to answer until Takiguchi came back into the room saving their skin.

"Sorry to interrupt but visiting hours are over and as always Suguha you can come back…. " she trailed off as she noticed the tense atmosphere. "Um….did something happen while I was gone?" she asked calmly. Sugu snapped out of her state and smiled at the nurse.

"No its not you Miss Takiguchi, just working out some issues that's all." She said as she forced a smile at her.

"Well okay but I don't want any fighting from you four ok?" they all nodded at her and she smiled.

"Ok better hurry up, don't be in here when I come back." She turned to exit the room

"Yes ma'am."

"And Suguha"

"Yes?"

"I'll see you tomorrow." With that she left leaving the four. Silence permitted the air as no one wanted to talk. Sugu decided to break the tension.

"Look I don't trust a lot people with my brother since they always give him problems and treat like an outsider…" the others were about to protest until she continued. "But after hearing your guys' short stories of what he did for you and I can drop my guard for a bit and use this chance to learn more about you guys." She finished.

"So how about this, why don't we all meet up at my place and talk about the rest of this later?" she suggested. They all wondered the same thing and agreed on this until Strea pointed out the problem.

"Wait, we don't know where you live?"

"Alright then how about we meet up at the SAO Survivor school and walk to my house to finish our conversation?"

"Why there?"

"Two reasons. One: Tomorrow my brother is having a check up on a scan or something but the nurse Takiguchi is going to look after him. They been having it for the past month for him, at first I thought I was because they were using him as a lab rat but really they are trying to keep his body active before it fails." Sugu saw the others eyes widened in horror. Sachi then speaks trying to not breakdown at the moment.

"Fail?"

"I'll tell you another time." Sugu answered not wanting to remember her brother's condition. Kotone protested in anger.

"TO HELL WITH THAT!" Everyone except Sugu was surprised at her outburst.

"You are gonna tell us what you meant by fail!" she exclaimed walking up to Sugu and glaring at her. Sugu stood up and bang her forehead against hers hard making Kotone yelp a bit in pain as blood trailed down both their faces.

"You don't get to demand anything from me. You came here asking for my brother remember, and I'm letting you guys do that but you'd forgotten that I have the option to ask Takiguchi to make sure she doesn't allow you to see my brother. So, do you really want to do this and lose my trust right now?" Sugu said harshly as her hair covered one of her eyes as she looked down. Kotone and the others shivered slightly at her tone, it was full of malice and hatred. And her eye… it was glowing a bright green as if she was ready to attack. Ryo got in the middle of them to avoid in what could be a violent confrontation.

"Look, Kotone didn't mean it ok. She's just worried about him, we all are and the last thing we want is to lose your trust. Kotone tell her your sorry for provoking her." Ryo looked at Kotone and saw her grit her teeth in frustration.

"Kotone….." he called out to her again hoping she would listen. Kotone just dropped her head down upset.

"I'm… sorry. I really am I'm didn't mean anger just please don't keep us from seeing him. I….. I don't want to lose anyone else." She said as tears welled up in her eyes. She was trying not to cry in front of them but she was failing miserably. While this happened, Suguha was looking at Kotone, her eyes that were once full rage were replaced with sympathy. She had those same eyes when her brother was trapped in the game on the first day and when he didn't come back. She walked past Ryo and stood in front of Kotone. Everyone was waiting for her reaction or next move. Kotone was too busy in her own mind to notice who was standing in front of her. she was pulled out of her stupor when she felt someone pull her into a hug. She opened her eyes and saw a hint of black hair. Sugu pulled back and looked at Kotone. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to threaten you guys and take away your option of seeing my brother, it's just that he would always be alone at school or people would just antagonize him on purpose, so he really didn't have many people to rely on for help." She said.

"That's why I threatened you guys earlier but I feel like that you are telling truth and hearing the reasons of how you met my brother and seeing how much you care for him, makes me really happy." She smiled softly at them.

"Sorry to interrupt the moment but you haven't answered our second reason." Ryo said.

"Ryo!" Sachi and Strea exclaimed while kicking him in the shin.

"Ow sorry, but remember the nurse said visiting hours are over and we don't have much time left." he said shrinking under the glare from them.

"Oh right, I forgot about that. Sorry." Kotone said.

"No worries, my second reason is that since that you all go there I could meet up with you there and walk to my house the rest of the way." she suggested before receiving confused looks from them. " What's wrong, don't you all go there?" Sugu asked raising her eyebrow. Sachi spoke up to answer her reason.

"I did in the beginning but after the game, my sister decided to homeschool me instead. Also, school reminded me of my dead friends." she frowned at the mention of her friends. Sachi felt Strea wrapped her arms around her midsection giving comfort, she put her hand on top of hers and squeezed back.

"What about you Kotone?"

"I live in the city not far from the school in an apartment. I'm alone actually, I lost my parents while I was in SAO." She frowned.

"Wait it wouldn't happen to be building near the Dice Café would it?" Ryo asked. Kotone looked at him in bewilderment.

"Yes and how do you know that?" she asked.

"Because it's the same building I live in." he said.

"How have I not notice that?" She asked.

"Because you've never bother to asked." Sachi deadpanned while Kotone look away from them and scratched her cheek with her finger in embarrassment.

"Then it's settled, you two will meet me at the school and we'll walk from there."

"Me and Sachi could meet up with you guys at the park that's a few blocks up from the school since we live nearby." Strea suggested.

"Okay that works too. We better head out now before Takiguchi comes back." Sugu said.

"All right, come on girls time to go home." Ryo said. They all left but not before Sugu stopped.

"Hey you coming Suguha?" Kotone called.

"Oh yeah I'll be there in a second." she said quickly looking at her. Kotone nodded her head and waited outside for her. Suguha looked back at her brother.

"Kazuto, I'm glad that you made some friends while you were in SAO. Just like me they're really worried about you, you still haven't woken up." She smiled sadly. She then leaned down near his forehead whispering.

"Brother, please come back. Your friends miss you, mom miss you,…. I miss you. Please come back to us soon." she put a hand on his cheek. "Please come back to me." She thought to herself. She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his forehead before grabbing her backpack, kendo stick and umbrella heading out but not before taking one last look at her brother before leaving for the night.

Hospital Front Entrance:

"All right let's recap, Kotone and I meet Suguha at the school from there we meet Sachi and Strea at the park and then Suguha leads the way to her house got it?" Ryo reminded them.

"Yep"

"Okay"

"Yes"

"Okay then see you all tomorrow." Suguha said heading to the bus and waving her hand back to them.

"Bye guys, we'll see you tomorrow." Strea said before taking her sister's hand in hers and walking down the opposite direction.

"That just leaves us. Shall we?" Ryo said while bowing at her making Kotone looked at him blankly.

"No need to act like a gentlemen to me Ryo. Just because you're having issues with getting girls doesn't mean you can practice on me to get better." she said walking past a deflated Ryo. Ryo hung his head before walking behind her. As they walked Ryo thought back to Kotone's crying moment.

"Hey Kotone?"

"Hmm?

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay, why do you ask?"

"Back in the room, you said that you don't want to lose anyone else and started crying." he said not noticing Kotone's eyes were shadowed by her hair.

"I've never seen you cry like that before. Hell, I don't think Strea and Sachi have either. Do you have something you want to talk about?" he asked carefully. Kotone was silent for a moment, she wanted to talk with him but she thought it would be better telling all of them another time, when she was ready. So she looked back a Ryo with a forced smile."Don't worry about Ryo I'm fine. I was just lost in thought at the moment but I'm okay really." Ryo was unsure of her telling the truth.

"Kotone are you really…" he said but was interrupted.

"Let's just go home okay I don't want to stay out in the rain for too long." Kotone walked ahead of him not wanting to continue. Ryo just sighed in acceptance before catching up with her and walking home.

Sayuri Sisters:

Sachi was sitting with her sister on the couch thinking back to Kazuto and Suguha. She was really worried about Kazuto. He looked so lifeless, and pale as if he was going to die soon and she could do nothing about it. She remembered what Suguha said about his body failing. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she thought about her friend coming close to dying.

Strea was sitting reading a book until she heard Sachi sniffling. She was probably thinking about Kazuto and his state of health. Strea put her book down and pulled Sachi into a comforting hug.

"You're thinking about him aren't you, about Kirito?" she asked. She heard Sachi whisper yes to her. Strea knew that Sachi looked at Kirito like an older brother, they both did. He would take his time to help them with a bit or just hang out with them before he would run off.

"I was thinking back to what Suguha said about his condition… Do you think it's true, do you think he's dying?" she asked silently before she started sobbing. Strea shook her head at the accusation.

"No, no, no, no, no. Sachi don't think like that. Kirito may look bad now, but he's strong. He'll come through okay, he will." She said shushing her sister while rocking her back and forth. Strea was thinking about why Sachi would think that until it came to her…. her old friends.

"The Moonlit Black Cats. She lost them because she couldn't do anything about it and Kirito saved her that day. She's afraid she'll lose him feeling helpless again." She thought. Strea was brought out of her thoughts when she heard soft snoring. She looked to her right and saw Sachi sleeping with tear marks on her face. Strea smiled softly at her sister wiping away the tear marks before grabbing the gray blanket near the couch and draping around them both.

"Don't worry Sachi, Kazuto will come back I promise." She whispered before letting sleep take her.

Kirigaya Residence (Suguha's Room):

Suguha was laying in bed thinking about the events that have occurred today. Meeting her brother's friends, her threats and seeing Kotone cry. She frowned at the threat events.

"Maybe I was a little too hard on them with those threats earlier. I didn't mean to be that harsh." She thought before looking up at the ceiling. "I'm a little overprotective of my brother that I forget that I need to not watch over him like a sister/mother hen. But I do it because of the times he was pushed around when we were little up to now." Suguha then thought back to each of her brother's new friends. Kotone, she was nice, she says what's on her mind but she looked like she was hiding something. She wouldn't pry into it though everyone has a reason to hide something. Next was Ryo, he was okay and he seemed like a guy who would diffuse a situation before it would get out of hand but there was something off about him. The less she knew the better. And then there's the sisters Strea and Sachi, they both were nice and friendly. "Out of the four, those two seem so trustworthy and Sachi was eager to gain my trust when she saw me. Either way I can trust all of them." She thought before going to sleep. There was something that still bothered her though. What did they mean when their rumors about Kazuto being a cold killer.

She clenched her bedsheets in anger. There was no way her brother would do something like that and she knows it. She believed in her heart that Kazuto would become someone like that no matter how bad things would get. And if he did, then she would pull him out of his own darkness and into the light.

"I promise Kazuto, I won't let you fall. I'll be with you to the end, I promise." She said before going to sleep not knowing that a miracle would happen the next day.