Disclaimer: I own nothing. I need to start working on something with my name all over it.

December 25, 2022

Kagome smiled at Agil from across the field. He winked at her before turning away to talk to someone.

She hadn't thought that there would be so many people here. In fact, if she hadn't gotten overly excited and blown a good portion of her funds on refreshments, there wouldn't have been enough. As it was, she'd seen some people disappear only to return with more people and dropping off donations at the refreshment table.

"Saya!"

"Hmm?" Kagome spun around and positively beamed at the girl with purple hair. "Yumi!" She ran forward and threw her arms around the girl. "I didn't think you were going to make it. I know you've said your guild has been getting stingy with your time."

"Eh? Not make a party?" Yumi squeezed her tightly. "You don't know Yumi very well do you?"

Kagome laughed.

"I can't say that I do." She let her arms drop and stepped back. "Did you change weapons on me? Where'd the bow go?"

"No! No, I still have a bow. It's just …" The girl trailed off. "It's a crossbow."

"Oh." Kagome frowned. "Don't you lose the multi-shot skill?"

"I did, but I like this a lot more. It's not as strength based as the traditional bow, and I get a speed bonus." Yumi explained.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Kagome waved her hands in front of her face. "This is what you want. I'll just bemoan the lack of traditional archers later on tonight."

Yumi smiled at her.

"Thanks Saya." Kagome yelped when the purple haired girl grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. "How have you been? I see you haven't joined a guild yet. Are you waiting for someone special?"

"What? No!" Kagome tried to reclaim her arm. She was very unsuccessful. "I just haven't met any that felt right."

"Well, give it time. It's early still. There's bound to be a guild that suits."

"Yea. I guess. But then we have super-secret guilds like yours. Invitation only? Pretty fancy if you ask me."

"Oh, it's nothing like that!" Yumi stopped at the table and grabbed a purple fruit. "We just … connect well. Have you ever met someone and realized that they were everything that you are, that you want to be?"

Kagome thought of Miroku, of Sango, of Sesshoumaru. Of Kikyou, who she wished to be like until the bitch tried to kill her.

"Yea. I know what you mean." She shook her head. "Is anyone from your guild coming?"

"Uh-uh. They didn't really see the point. I mean Christmas isn't something I traditionally celebrate, but, it's a chance to see a lot of happy people." Yumi frowned then shrugged. "Their loss. I'll be back, I see someone I know." The purple haired girl rushed forward, waving at a blonde boy.

Kagome watched her go, a faint smile on her face. She'd met the other archer during the Lord's Lament quest. They'd both shot at the White Stag, but she'd missed and Kagome had bagged it. The other teen had been really put out until Kagome had told her of another archer-friendly quest. After that, they'd run into each other on the outskirts of skirmishes, each of them supporting a party from afar.

"Saya." Kagome turned towards the hand that was touching her. She blinked when she saw gray eyes and black hair.

"Kirito!" She beamed. "Don't let Agil see you. He scolded me when he discovered that all my clothes were gray. And you in all black? He won't rest until you're in something brighter. Like … orange. Orange would suit you well."

"Saya …" Hi sighed, rolling his eyes. "I haven't seen you in a bit."

"Mmm, it's been a while." She raised an eyebrow and wagged her finger at him. "Now, where are the five other people you were bringing?"

"Hmm?" Kirito's lips curled into a smirk. "Well. There's Agil and Klein. Rico and Tsun-tsun. And Saya. I sent an invite, did you get one?"

"No."

"How odd …"Kirito trailed off studying the sky intently.

"Kirito … you're an ass." Kagome frowned at him. "I thought you'd joined a guild or something and was all ready to make fun of your new version of 'solo'."

"Ah." He quirked an eyebrow. "No, no guilds. No parties. I'm normally in out of the way places, so I don't really see may people."

"Oh." Kagome sighed. "How unfortunate."

"Yea." The black haired boy propped himself against a table and crossed his arms. "It doesn't really look like Christmas, does it?"

Kagome looked around, at the bright green grass and the sun high in the sky.

"It doesn't. But I think he's messing with us. It's like, time's all wrong now, you know? It should be snowing, but instead …"

"It's like he's set his own clock. Made his own year."

"Yea." Kagome agreed. They fell silent, watching the crowd around them.

"Hey, Saya."

"Mm?"

"Merry Christmas." A gift notification popped up on her screen. She opened it and gasped in surprise when a bow materialized in her hands.

"Kirito?" She questioned, hugging the silver and ivory bow to her chest.

"I got it on a quest. Figured you'd get more use out of it." He pushed away from the table. "I'm going to go get something to drink. You want anything?"

Kagome shook her head. She watched as Kirito slipped away into the crowd. She didn't see him again for the rest of the day, but she spotted new weapons among the four other people he had named.

A soft chime from her notification screen woke her the next morning.

It was a short message from Kirito.

'Thanks' it read. Kagome closed it with a smile. She'd gotten him way too many health potions and a black coat lined in thick fur. It was still summery now, but who knew when the weather would change?

March 3, 2023

Kagome panted as she leaped from a tree branch and tucked herself into a roll. She hit the ground and flipped up, landing on her feet and taking off again.

Her party had abandoned her. She'd gone with them to the Forgotten Fields. She'd covered their asses as they fought a murder of Carrion Crows, and then they'd teleported out. One of the guys had cheerfully told her that as a beater, she didn't deserve to live.

Kagome wasn't sure if she should feel proud that she was good enough to be thought of as a beater or terrified because the Crows were going to kill her. She settled on terrified, because yea, right now, that was more important. Spotting a lake, she used a tree as a fulcrum and spun to the left to run at it. With a particularly graceless dive, she sunk below the water's surface. Holding her breath, she looked up to see if the Crows would leave. They flew over the surface, skimming the water with their wings and glaring down at her balefully. Kagome turned and swam away, keeping an eye out for any underwater mobs. She slowly surfaced as she ran out of breath. The Crows were still wheeling around the area she had entered the water. Quietly, she swam to the shore and took off again. This time, she managed to pull her teleport crystal out and port to safety.

She emerged from the other side of the Port stage, wet but alive. Sighing, she sloshed her way to the inn she had made her temporary base. Once there and tucked into her rented room, she took off her jacket and tossed it onto the chair. Happily, it wasn't the fur-lined one she had made to match Agil's armor, but the charcoal-gray over coat she used on hunts. Her black shirt followed soon after and then she toed off her boots. In leggings and her overly cute bra, she flopped backwards on her bed.

Kagome grabbed the second pillow on the bed and curled around it. Her party had left her to die. She bit her lip viciously, determined to not cry.

They'd left her to die.

They'd left her to die.

THEY'D LEFT HER TO DIE!

Furious, she threw the pillow across the room. She changed into a thin white shirt and threw a long green vest over it. She tugged on her now-dry boots and placed the rest of her clothing into her inventory.

They'd planned it. Had made it so that they wouldn't be blamed for her death. Had made it so that it would look like she'd been overconfident.

She'd show them.

May 26, 2023

Kagome tugged absently at the end of the blue and yellow scarf looped around her neck.

"Um, Saya? Everyone's here."

"Oh." She looked over her shoulder. "I'll be there in a moment. Let them know." The blonde in the doorway bowed and left the room. Kagome stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She'd abandoned the gray she normally wore in the field for white. A long white vest with a white turtleneck and white leggings. Her boots were a dark green, a nod to Agil and she'd dyed the scarf in a manner reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's. She took a deep breath, held it and then slowly released it.

Moving swiftly, she threw open the door and stepped through it.

"Hey guys! Are you ready for a Hunt?"

Beyond the door her party waited. They were all dressed in white with a colored scarf of their choosing. They cheered in return.

"Awesome!" Kagome turned to the pretty blonde who'd called her from her room. "Mayu, tell us what are Grounds are."

"Well, we're heading off to the Creeping Forest. I think we can test ourselves against the Fell Wolf packs."

"And the prize?" A brown haired male called.

"Patience Hideki. Mayu first." Kagome reprimanded.

"We'll have to be careful." Mayu bit her lip. "There has been some talk of Dire Wolves in the area and if one of them howls, every wolf in the area responds."

"What do those look like?" Kagome asked.

"That's the issue. They don't have any tell-tale markings." Mayu tugged on her scarf. "They're just the ones that howl."

"Huh. That does make it difficult." Hideki mused. "Soo …"

"There's a choice. You can have a free day with Saya, where she'll buy you anything you want."

"Within range." Kagome interjected. "And nothing embarrassing."

"Or, you can have one free item from Agil's shop." Mayu continued. "Any item of your choice, so long as it's not owned by anyone. Are we good, is the Hunt on?"

"Hunt on!" Hideki cheered.

"Remember to keep your teleport crystals handy. Just in case." The competitors nodded. "Well then, let's go!" The group exited the inn, each of them with a bow of some sort.

Kagome looked back at her party as she walked towards the Creeping Woods. It had taken her a while to gather each member, and she thought there was a chance to form a Guild with these people.

The closer they got to the Forest, the quieter the group fell. Once they hit the tree line, they wished each other good luck and stepped into the dark shadows.

An hour later, Kagome heard a wolf howl. She jerked backwards,almost falling out of her perch. The wolf she had been aiming at tensed, its eyes bleeding red. She focused, aim and shot, watching dispassionately as it fell to the ground before it dissolved into motes of light. She dropped to the branch below and swung to the floor before running in the direction of the howl.

Around her, the Forest was still except for the sound of snarls. She streaked over the ground, shooting down any wolf that appeared in her view. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Hideki. Behind him were three other party members. Mayu wasn't there. Drawing closer, she looped her bow over her shoulder and charged into the clearing.

"Mayu!" She breathed. The girl was perched precariously up a tree. Kagome drew her nagamaki and dove into the mobbing wolves. There was a moment of breathless clarity and then she spun into action. She was vaguely aware of the other archers firing into the swarm. Over her, Mayu's grip shifted and then she was falling. Kagome grit her teeth and spun into action again, her nagamaki gleaming in the poor light.

"Mayu!" Hideki leapt into the swarm, stabbing the wolves with a dagger. "Mayu!" With a slash, he caught the wolf that had been savaging the blonde's leg in its throat. He scooped up the paralyzed blonde and glanced at Kagome. She nodded at him and covered his path, killing each wolf that tried to get by her, that tried to kill the blonde teen. It took them twenty minutes to leave the Forest, to escape the Dire Wolf's zone. One the road, Kagome took a count of her party. Everyone was there.

"Toki – take a potion. La-La, help Pluto heal that bleed. Hideki – how is she?"

"Paralyzed. It look likes the Dire Wolf 's howl does more than call every wolf in the vicinity." The brown haired boy kissed the blonds' forehead. "That was really close."

"I know." Kagome frowned. "I know."

By the time they made it to the inn, Mayu was able to move again. She was sobbing on Hideki's shoulder, completely terrified. Kagome watched her, let her sob and then shut her up.

"Is that all you're going to be good for now?" She snapped. "You get caught and then all you can do is cry?"

"Saya … not now." Hideki ground out.

"If not now, when? Look at her! We've all been caught in something before. This is a matter of deciding. Are you going to stay in the Hunt Mayu? Or are you going to hide? Flee from everything dangerous?" Mayu shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Mayu whispered.

"What?"

"I'm sure!" Mayu pushed away from Hideki. "I won't hide. Not from them and not from him! I can't let him destroy my happiness!" The blond glared at her for a moment. "I won't."

Kagome smiled at her.

"Good."

"You owe me a day." The girl opened her notifications. "I killed the Dire."

Kagome stared at the blond who glared right back at her. She closed her eyes and opened them, taking in the incredulous looks on the rest of her party's faces.

"Well then." She paused, counted to ten and then started again. "Well, it seems like Mayu is the winner of this Hunt. Congratulations Mayu."

Hideki swore. Violently.

August 6, 2023

Kagome studied Agil as he studied her latest haul. He really was very handsome.

"How's your guild doing?" He asked suddenly, prodding a sharp looking cutlass.

"They're good. Hideki and Mayu are getting married. La-La's been searching for a house for us. She wants to get it in the perfect area."

"Hmm. Where do you think that is?"

Kagome shrugged.

"I don't know. I think I'd like somewhere peaceful." She poked at a couple items he had strewn over the desk. "She likes being in town though. And she wants to expand the guild a little."

"What? More archers?"

"No. She wants to compete with the Holy Dragon Alliance or Knights of the Blood Oath." Kagome sighed and ran her finger over the edge of the desk. "I don't really care about that."

"What? Saya doesn't care?" Agil quirked an eyebrow at her and set aside the cutlass. "Have you been hanging around with Kirito?"

"Can't. I've been busy. Guilds are hard work."

"And at last, we arrive at the reason you don't want a bigger guild." Agil smirked. He stood and made his way over to her side, pulling away the dagger she was touching. "Careful, that one has a bleed effect." Kagome wiped her fingers on her vest.

"Well, maybe. But The Hunt was never about funds or competitions. We just enjoy that feeling that comes with a successful hunt."

"Uh-huh." Agil patted her on the head and grabbed his cup before returning to his chair. Kagome took the time to ogle his truly divine butt since he wouldn't notice. He propped his feet up and leaned back. "Tell Agil your problems, he'll show you the way."

Kagome giggled.

"It's not a problem. Just a preference. Everyone else in The Hunt agrees with her. Bigger guild, more bonuses, more prestige. I understand what they're saying; it's just not what I want." She left the desk to stand next to him to read the book in his hands over his shoulder. "Normally, I get what I want."

"We don't always get what we want Saya."

"Then that means you just haven't tried hard enough." She dropped a kiss on his head. "La-La is looking for me. I'll see you later Gorgeous." She left without looking back, her cheeks a particularly bright pink.

December 24, 2023

Floor 49, Myugen

Kagome waved at Agil. The man smiled at her faintly and turned back to the vendor, picking up two cups of something hot. Kagome walked towards him, lowering her hood as she drew nearer.

"Normally, you have to lure me out with food Agil." He smiled at her and shrugged.

"I've been looking into some rumors."

"The revival item?"

"Yea." He handed her a cup. Kagome fairly glowed when she realized he'd gotten her favorite drink. She took a sip as she waited. "Kirito's been asking about it. I thought I should help him. He's been … reckless."

"I know." Kagome looked down at her drink. "I go out with him when I can, but between The Hunt's recruitment picking up and the Assault Squad, I can't go as much as I'd like."

"I know Sweetness, you try." Agil led her to an out of the way bench. "We can't force him to wait for the right time."

"Yeah." Kagome peeked at Agil from under her lashes. The older man was wearing the thick woven scarf she'd bought him on a whim. She smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. She'd worn it down today, and she'd also worn the gold bangle he'd given her, a scarf that matched his armor and the fingerless gloves he'd given her a month ago. She fiddled with her cup and turned to stare at the lights strung around the square.

"I can't believe everyone was busy this year." Agil sighed. "I thought it would be nice to do what we did last year."

"So did I. I even cleared the day to make sure Mayu and La-La couldn't slap me with guild duties."

Agil snorted.

"It can't be helped." He murmured, tipping the cup in his hand this way and that. "We couldn't expect it to stay the same."

"True." Kagome responded. "But I could hope."

Agil laughed and looked down at her. "Close your eyes Sweetness, I've got your Christmas presents." Kagome dutifully closed her eyes. She opened them once she felt the gift box in her hands.

"Ooh? What's in here?" She shook it playfully before clicking it open. She gasped when a nagamaki appeared in her hands. "The Shining One." She murmured, brushing her fingers over the gleaming metal. "Agil …" She looked up at him, wordless. In her hands was a truly rare item, custom made and glorious.

"Kirito asked me to give that to you." Kagome looked down, hiding her confusion behind her hair. "This one is from me." Another box appeared in front of her. She opened it to find a delicate looking purple cake. "I've heard it tastes exactly like strawberry shortcake."

"Well then, let's find out." Kagome grinned and picked up the fork and took a bite. She closed her eyes and savored the tiny bite of heaven. Agil chuckled. "Ssh, or you won't get your gift." She took another bite. "This is so good." Pausing, she spooned up another piece and held it up to Agil.

"Nope. That's all yours Sweetness. I'm sure I can track down another piece. Maybe."

Kagome snorted and placed the fork against his lips. With an evil smirk, she started sliding the tines into his mouth, forcing him to eat the cake or risk having it wasted.

"Oh, that is definitely strawberry." He groaned. She took another forkful and held it up. Within moments, the treat was gone. Kagome called up her inventory and snagged his gift.

"Close your eyes." She watched as he closed his eyes and held his hand out. She slipped off the bench and leaned forward, dropping the gift into his open hands even as she pressed her lips to his. There was a pause, and for a moment, Kagome thought that she'd misread the situation. Misread him. And then he was cupping her cheek with one hand as the other cradled the nape of her neck and kissing her back.

One moment passed, and then another, and then he was drawing away, his hand sliding through her hair as he sat back. She smiled at him, pleased. In a faint corner of her mind, she weighed his expression and judged it wrong. His hand slipped from her face. In a corner of her mind, she registered the shock, the horrified look on his face. Her smile dimmed, dropped.

Kagome recognized the regretful look on his face. The disappointment.

"No …" She whispered to herself. "No."

"Saya … I can't." Agil reached forward and clasped her hands. She let him, even though everything screamed for her to run, to run far away because this was going to hurt. "I'm so sorry. I forgot that this was real, that this isn't just a game. You're beautiful and if I'd met you years ago ..."

Kagome tried to pull her hands from his.

"I'm married in real life Saya. I can't do this. I love my wife. And even if I die here, I don't ever want her to doubt that love."

Kagome flinched as if struck. What had she done? What had possessed her to kiss him?

Now everything was ruined.

Unless.

Unless.

"Gorgeous, as fine as you are, we're friends. But tradition dictates a kiss under the mistletoe." She smiled at him and squeezed his hands. "Silly."

"Oh." Agil studied their clasped hands. "I understand." He pressed a kiss to the top of her hand and let it go. Kagome blinked as a notification alert appeared on her screen.

"Hey, it's Kirito. He's asking me to party up for a short quest." She smiled at Agil. "I'll see you later, okay?" Kagome pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and pulled her scarf up to hide her cheeks. The hood follow seconds later and he could no longer see her face.

"Yea." Agil responded. He fiddled with the gift cube she had pressed into his hands. "Is that him over there?" He nodded towards a black clad figure across the square.

"I'll go see." Kagome spun on her heel and hurried away.

Agil resisted the urge to look up and confirm what he already knew.

There was no mistletoe over the bench.

Floor 35: Floor Maze

Kagome fell into step next to Kirito.

"You know where it is?" She asked.

"Yea." He looked at her over the collar of his jacket. "I'm going alone."

"Oh? Then why the party invite?" Kagome replied.

"I figured you needed an out. He mentioned his wife once. Last Christmas."

"Oh." Kagome flushed. "I didn't know …" She tugged at the end of her scarf again. "I thought …"

Kirito took pity on her. "He's a good friend Saya. He tries to make sure that we're protected when we head out to the front lines. If I'd known you were reading more fr-."

Kagome interrupted, mortified. "Got it, thanks."

He glanced down at the map in his hand and then looked up.

"You should go Saya."

Kagome stared at him. "Not happening. Besides, I assume you'll be heading to that giant tree over there?"

Kirito sighed. He ran forward and Kagome followed in his footsteps. When he slid to a stop, she followed. To the right, a group of six men clad in red shimmered onto the field.

"Yo." The red head greeted.

"You followed me?" Kirito ground out.

"Yeah. You're here for the revival item, right?"

"So?"

"Kirito, don't risk your life for a stupid rumor. You know what happens in the real world. Once our HP drops to zero, the Ne-."

"Shut up." Kirito interrupted.

"Fighting solo is stupid! It's crazy. Look, why don't you join us?" The red head gestured to the others around him. "Whoever gets the revival item gets it, no hard feelings. That's fair right?"

"I'm not solo." Kirito jerked his head towards Kagome. The girl had remained quiet, letting herself fade into the background.

"So you've got one other person? That's still nuts! I can't let you die here!"

Kirito drew his sword as the forest lit up with blue lights.

"Looks like you were followed Klein."

"Shit! What do we do?"

"Klein."

"Go! Just go Kirito! We'll hold them off." Kirito turned to Kagome. With a nod, they took off again. Within moments, they were standing below the tallest fir tree in the forest. Kagome studied their surroundings as Kirito studied the tree. They both looked up when they heard something above them.

In seconds, Santa the Renegade had landed in front of them. Kagome stared at Santa.

"I don't think I'll be doing Christmas anymore. Not if that's Santa."

Kirito didn't respond, merely drawing his sword. Santa whipped out an axe in response and the fight began.

Kagome panted, holding her side as Kirito read the item information.

They'd won, they'd beat Santa.

But, he didn't look happy. He brushed by her, heading back the way they'd come. Kagome followed, nervous. On one hand, she wanted to ask him what was wrong. On the other, his face.

It was like he'd lost all hope. They stepped through the field. She hung back as he tossed the item at the sitting red head.

"Hey!" Klein looked down. "What?" He pulled open the information screen. " … within ten seconds?"

"Use it on the next person you see die." Kirito spoke woodenly. "Make sure that it serves some purpose." He turned to walk away.

Kagome watched as Klein grabbed his jacket. Watched as he told Kirito to live. Watched as he fell to his knees as Kirito walked away. She opened up the party screen and hesitated over disbanding it. Obviously, Kirito was not in a good place.

But neither was she.

She hit the disband button and pulled out a teleport crystal.

Back at the guild headquarters, she snuck up the stairs to her room. She didn't want anyone to see her. Once in her room, she took off her battle armor and changed into a thin white shirt and shorts. She climbed into her bed and wrapped her arms around her knees, tucking the ends of her quilt over her hands.

This had not been a good Christmas.

Remembering the gift she'd stored for Kirito, she sent it to him. She'd see Asuna for lunch and the other girl would get her gift then.

Then she finally let the thought process.

Agil was married.

She'd been stupidly imagining a future with a married man. A faithful man. She shook her head as if that could shake loose the image of shock on his face. The pitying look he'd tried to hide.

Kagome moaned and pressed her face against her knees.

What the hell was she supposed to do now? He was her best friend. She messaged him daily. She shuddered at the thought of even speaking to him. She couldn't, not yet. It would take her a little, a week or three at the most, and then she'd be able to pretend that she'd never kissed him. That she'd only ever thought of him as a friend.

She had her guild.

They needed her.

She'd focus on them.

And Kirito. Kirito was a solo player. Asuna had her own guild to keep her company and so did Yumi and the other friends she had. But Kirito was always on his own. Kagome sighed and turned her head to look out the window.

She moaned again and closed her eyes. Her green jacket, the one she'd dyed to match Agil's armor was folded neatly on the sill.

She was a damn fool.