Author's Note: Well, I'm finally back with another story. Sadly it's a one-shot so I don't think that counts. I'd like to apologize to all my SotA (Slip of the Aim) readers. I have deleted SotA. Mostly because I've lost all motivation. Anyway, that's the past now. I've noticed that there are only around 2 thousand SAO fanfics, and I'd like to change that. This is the first of many SAO fics I am planning on writing. There is a poll on my page that will determine which fics I will write in which order. Go vote in that. I'm hoping I'll be able to update my other stories more frequently, but no promises. I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors you may encounter while reading. I'm not exactly the best at typing, and my grammar just sucks altogether. Well anyway, let's get right back into writing mode shall we?
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online, or any of the characters used and mentioned in this story.
Summary: Video gamer extraordinaire Kazuto Kirigaya wakes up to find the virtual world of Alfheim Online to be overrun... with technical bugs? Unable to play the game, and with his GGO account deleted Kazuto decides to do something in actual reality.
Kazuto Kirigaya woke with a yawn. He stretched his stiff back, his muscles aching. Sunlight filtered in through the window that was located just above his bed. Though Kazuto's bedroom only had the one window, it was a rather large one and allowed vast amounts of sunlight to pour onto the bed. He shielded his eyes from the bright light, and pulled the covers over his head. It was a weekend during summer vacation, and he didn't have anything to do in particular, so sleeping in shouldn't have been a problem. None the less he got up with a groan and shuffled out of his room.
"Good morning Kazuto." His younger cousin, Suguha, said as he trumped into the kitchen.
"Morning Sugu." He replied sleepily. He plopped himself down into one of the wooden dining room chairs, sighing as he did so. He closed his eyes, slumping further into the chair.
"What's gotten into you?" Suguha asked curiously, leaning down from behind the counter to peer at him "Were you up all night playing ALO again?" Suguha may have been younger than Kazuto, but sometimes she would take responsibility for him as an older sibling would. Kazuto respected that, even admired it at times.
"So what if I did?" He remarked opening one eye to look at her. She simply looked back at him, her eyes somehow refusing to blink. He opened his other eye admitting defeat and pulled himself back up. "I get it. It won't happen again mother." He elongated the last word jokingly.
"That was so funny I forgot to laugh." She said sarcastically, though Kazuko could tell she was smiling. "I'm meeting up with some of your friends to clear the next floor. You wanna come?"
Kazuto shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why not. I'll meet you in my cabin on floor 22."
"Kay then. See you there." She jogged back to her room and shut the door with a bang. Kazuto did the same.
Once he got into his room he closed the door behind him. Picking up his NerveGear he laid down onto his bed, pulling it over his head. "Link start!" He called aloud. As reality dissolved around him, a new reality opened. The virtual reality of Alfheim online.
When the shimmering blue data light faded around his avatar, something was off. Instead of the warm, homely living room of the cabin he shared with Asuna, he was surrounded by black nothingness. Usually Kazuto liked the color black, but only when he was wearing it. The words "System announcement" flashed in bright red letters in front of him. Suddenly, a robotic female voice rang throughout the game.
"The VRMMORPG Alfheim Online is experiencing some technical difficulties. Our game developers are looking into this, and will have an answer by tomorrow. Until then ALO will not be accessible to the public. We apologize for the inconvenience. Have a nice day."
Kazuto was automatically logged out. He found himself staring at the ceiling of his room through the NerveGear screen. "What the hell?" He murmured to no one in particular. He pulled the machine off of his head, confusion enveloping his brain. Sugu stood in his doorway, leaning against the frame.
"I know what you mean." She said, nodding her head. "Now we don't have anything to do. Have any bright ideas?"
"None." He answered sadly.
"How about..." Suguha thought for a moment. Then her eyes lit up. "How about I call up some of our friends, and we all have a picnic! After all, I bet none of them have anything to do either."
"Sure. Sounds good. You can call them, and I'll make some food." He began to stand up from where he was sitting, when Suguha roughly pushed him back down.
"No sir. I do not trust you anywhere near the kitchen, understand? I'll make something, and you call everyone. My lunches aren't as good as Asuna-san's though." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
Kazuto was slightly insulted by this yet, sadly, he knew it was true. He sighed. "You're right though, I doubt anyone's cooking is as good as Asuna's, more or less yours and most definitely not mine." He said this blissfully unaware that he had just delivered a hard blow to his young cousin's pride. Her face tightened in anger. Heat practically radiated from her body. Kazuto looked up, and jumped taken aback by what he saw. "What? Did I do something?"
Sugu glared down at him. Gritting her teeth she said "I want you to go over exactly what you just said, and tell me if you did anything."
His previous words circled around in his brain. "I still don't see why y- oh." He cutting himself off. "Sorry Sugu."
"Geez, what is wrong with you? Normally I would be okay with it, but that fact that you didn't even realize what you said just got me really mad you know?" She said rubbing her hand up and down one side of her face. "I'll go cook now. Bye, then." She pushed herself off of the doorframe and headed to the kitchen.
Kazuto picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He couldn't call Agil, he was at work. Klein said he had off today, but wanted to spend some time with his family so he was out. Kazuto tried calling Rika, but she said she had to catch up with her summer reading. Keiko wanted to come, but recently she caught a cold and was stuck to bed rest. Kazuto knew for certain that Asada was available but honestly, he was afraid that she would tease him about her 'being his only friend' or something stupid like that.
He sighed in defeat. Asuna was the only one left, but he thought better of it. It would be super awkward for all of them if it was just Asuna, him, and Sugu. Then said person chose that exact moment to come in.
"Have you called anyone yet?" Sugu asked, a picnic basket around her arm.
"Yeah, no one could make it though."
"Hm, pity. I guess it's just going to be us then." She remarked. "Come to think of it, we haven't really spent much quality time together outside of ALO."
Kazuto thought about it for a second, then realized she was right. "Well then, lets get going."
Sugu nodded, and headed for the front door. She grabbed her helmet off of the hook and strapped it to her head. Her cousin followed suit. He started the ignition on his motorcycle, and, after confirming that Sugu was seated, pulled out of their driveway.
The wind whipped through their hair as Kazuto maneuvered in and out of traffic. After about a 10 minute drive he stopped at the park where he usually hung out, and pulled off his helmet. Sugu walked beside him as they moved to the hill where they usually met their ALO friends.
"Ah! This is nice." Sugu said as she stretched out on the blanket she had brought. A light breeze wafted across her face, blowing her hair to the side.
Kazuko laid down next to her. "Mmmm, you're right Sugu." He grabbed at a sandwich and bit into it slowly, then, forgetting all manners, shoved the rest into his mouth.
"Really?" Sugu asked in exasperation.
"What? It's good." Kazuto replied simply, oblivious to all wrongdoings.
"I suddenly have a lot more respect for Asuna-san, seeing that she has to put up with you." Sugu gazed up to the sky with a sigh.
Kazuto's face turned towards his cousin in annoyance. This only made Sugu laugh.
"Ha! Your face right now is so funny!" She said stifling a giggle.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not!" Kazuto argued back. He shoved Sugu playfully, sending her rolling off the blanket.
"Hey! That was not funny!" She retorted angrily.
"Yes it was, you have to admit. I totally got you ther- wah!" Kazuto was abruptly cut off from the rest of his sentence by a return shove from Sugu.
She laughed, and soon he joined in with her. Their laughter filled the air with joyous ringing.
As evening began to creep upon them, the cousins began to head home. Even if virtual reality was gone, one reality is always better. The real one.