First off, I'd like to thank all those who've read this story so far, and a special thanks to my guest reviewer. Secondly, here's chapter two. Enjoy!
"Today is the day," he whispered, chuckling as he observed the time. "Now I'll get to see what this world Shino keeps raving on is all about."
My gosh, has it really been about five years? Five years ago, Blaze had helped his best friend escape from his former father's imprisonment, and every since then they had been good friends. Albeit over the last two months they had gotten together as a couple.
So much had happened during those precious five years. Both of them had wanted to inter the police force, though while Shino wanted to become a regular patrol officer, Blaze opted to go into something a tad more demanding.
Swat.
Aside from a few other things, their lives where normal. And he hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, he was about to be proven wrong.
Putting on the Nervegear, he smiled and shouted those two words.
"Link Start!"
Character creation was a simple affair, as he just changed his hair from brown to black and his blue eyes to green. He then placed in his name, Magna Defender, after his fictional role model. "I just hope I can live up to the name," he added softly as he hit the accept icon and entered the game. Little did he know how many lives would depend on it.
He managed to find Shino, or rather, Sinon, sitting on a bench by the Overclock inn. "So this is Sword Art Online?" He managed to get out.
"Yeah." she rose up, before tipping her head. Is something wrong?" she asked.
"No... it's just you look nice," He managed.
Sinon glanced at her skirt and shirt combination. It was simple really, a mid sleeve light brown shirt and leather mini-skirt, with brown boots. Her hair was waist length and brown instead of it's usual short black hair. "You really think I look good?" she asked.
Blaze nodded. "Course you look good IRL, but I think this suits you." He then blushed.
"You're thinking of something dirty, aren't you?" she accused, though there was a light sparkle in her eyes, as if she trusted he wasn't.
"I just never really see you in short sleeves often."
Sinon huffed teasingly. "I could say the same bout you, but you have a bit of an excuse." She then smiled at him gently. "Well, I guess if you like seeing me in short sleeves, then..." However blaze had gently grasped her hand.
"Now hold on, I never said you never wore short sleeves nor that I preferred that to your long sleeve clothes. Maybe it's because we've started dating two months ago, but it's just... a bit refreshing." He then gazed at her gentle. "Don't change your wardrobe just because I say you look good in short sleeves, you look good in your normal attire as well."
Sinon smiled at him. "Thanks Blaze," she whispered. "All the same, I've been thinking about trying some short sleeve styles for a while now. When the weather's warm that is."
Blaze let out a laugh. "Well, it's good to try on new things." He then gazed around. "Can you keep calling me Blaze in game, though? My username is kinda long.
Sinon glared at him with narrowed eyes. "Magna Defender?" She asked, her voice filled with starkness.
"Ho... How'd you know?" Blaze stammered.
"Because you're always going on and on about him!" She exclaimed softly, crossing her hands. "And to make it worse, that's only one of five power ranger seasons you even like."
"So?"
"I don't see you fan-boying over any other of the characters."
Blaze had to admit she did have a point. "So what now?"
"Simple, we grind," she smiled. "But we need to buy a starting weapon."
Blaze grunted in agreement, allowing her to drag him over to the weapon stalls. He quickly bought himself a wooden pole-staff.
"Seriously?" she asked, buying herself a two handed ax.
I could say the same for you lady! Blaze thought, but just shrugged.
"You chose it because you want to be on a swat team, didn't you?" Sinon accused, scrutinizing him through narrowed eyes.
Blaze nodded. "Yep!" You know it." However Sinon just shook her head. "Idiot," she whispered, but then gave him a slight smile to let him know she was teasing.
Blaze soon found himself girding alongside Sinon. Getting a close look at her ax, he realized just how simplistic these weapons where. His was basically just a wooden stick for crying out loud. Sinon's wasn't much different, except hers had a small dual ax blade at the top, not really much better than carving a foot long pocket knife into the stem. He suspected that since she didn't have as much upper body strength as a seasoned player, or a well toned man, she'd gone with the lighter version of the two handed ax.
At least it doesn't look like it'd hurt just to use it, like those one handed ax blades. He shivered, remembering how they had a small wooden handle with a completely flat blade, save for the cutting edge of the blade. And by flat, he meant less than a centimeter.
He smiled as he killed his sixth boar for the day, before noticing something. "Hey, is it normal for a mob to drop nothing but cor?" he asked.
Sinon just glared a moment before her gaze softened, remembering that he mostly played strategy games live civilization and total war over MMOs. "Yeah, sometimes you'll get something, but it all depends. If you take on dropping as your support skill, then you can triple the drop rate of common items. Taking on omega dropping does a twice increase on rare drops." she explained before going back to killing mobs.
Blaze let out a sigh as he continued his onslaught, smiling briefly when he got a boar's pelt. As the sun was setting, he decided to ask another question.
"How does leveling work in game?"
Sinon smiled, breaking away from the spawn point. "Well, for every seven levels you get a new sword skill and a support skill. You can take on any skill you wish, but you need to think carefully, as you can't take back a skill once you chose it."
Blaze nodded so she continued. "You know how to level up your character, but you have three core stats. Strength, agility, and durability. Strength gives you an increase in, well, strength, but also increases your carrying weight. Items such as most armors and weapons require a certain level of strength. Agility focuses on speed, accuracy, and evasiveness. Finally, Durability covers your base defense, HP, and, well, basic durability. When you level up. You get three points to chose on what skills you want to increase. However at every twenty levels, you get three points to every skill automatically."
Blaze believed he had gotten the jest of it, but as he was about to thank her he began to glow white. Opening his eyes, he noticed he was in the starter city.
Shino seemed to appear right next to Blaze, one glance told her where she was. "What's going on Blaze?" she asked, but to her dismay he simply shrugged. Of course he doesn't know! I'm the beta tester here and I should know!
However, before she could say anything else, the sky began to fill up with hexagons, before forming into blood. She glitched onto Blaze, shutting her eyes tightly until he began to stroke her hair gently.
He glanced up as a voice began speaking. "Hi, I am..." she tried to listen intently, but the more he continued speaking, the more she began to tune him out. It wasn't until Blaze informed her about the gift when she seemed to come back to the ground world. She took out the present and gaped as she saw her reflection in the mirror.
Within half a second random flashes of light began to surround her, causing her to shut her eyes in fright. When she opened them, she saw a reflection of herself, her two strands of black hair tied with a small white ribbon, along with her brown eyes.
She glanced up noticing that Blaze had his familiar brown hair and blue eyes. "We've been changed to how we look IRL!" She shouted. Blaze just gave her a small hug, which calmed her down.
"You may be wondering why I creator of sword art online, have done this. The answer is simple, my goal was to create a world of my own control. Now, I have achieved that goal." Sinon could do nothing except watch as he disappeared from everyone sight. She let out a gasp as Blaze quickly pulled her into an Inn.
"Okay, we need to decide sleeping arrangements. Shino nodded. "But we'd only have enough Cor for a large one bed room right now," she added, noting the price of a hotel.
"Okay then. Wait, where they that expensive in the Beta?" he whispered.
"No, they where not." Then again, back in the beta they simply provided a small xp and drop rate bonus. Now are health depends on them, she realized. "Hey, don't worry, We've been friends for five years now. I trust you," she added.
Blaze let out a sigh. "I know, and I trust you too. I... I just didn't think we'd have to sleep together for... for a while."
"For a while?" she asked, confused. He's considered sleeping with me? Creepy, she thought, slightly wearied out.
Blaze shook his head. "Not that I had any ideas, mind you. But if we decided to remain in our relationship, and I had the feeling we would, that would eventually become a concern. Truth be told, I had hoped we wouldn't have to discussion until we where more comfortable with the concept, probably about two or three years, full time."
"But you'd be comfortable with naps sooner?" Sinon guessed, relief filling her voice.
Nodding once again, Blaze simply sent her the cor needed to pay half the expenses. "Eventually, but probably not for close to a year or so."
He's willing to wait over a year? She stammered, before shaking his head. "So you wanted to take it slow?" She mused, paying the inn keeper for a week. She found herself a bit exasperated when he shrugged.
"Well, as far as naps went, I would have been okay with it sooner, if you where the one who asked for the nap. Even then, I'd have gauged closely by what your actions and reactions where and by how far we where in our relationship."
"Okay okay. You sound like a logic robot just now," She wined before smirking at him. "But seriously, given our situation, I'd rather share the bed." I don't think I could even manage to sleep tonight if I was alone, she added to herself.
Climbing into the bed, she was thankful their everyday clothes where relatively clean and comfortable, at least enough to wear to bed. As Blaze laid down, Sinon smiled at him. "Hey listen," she began.
"Yeah, Blaze asked, turning over to gaze at her.
"You don't have to be afraid of us finding out," she began, pulling to him and embracing him. "The truth is, we all know you did what you had to do, and none of us blame you." She then smiled at him. "At any rate, I'm here you you."
By the reaction in his eyes, she could tell Blaze felt relief. "Th.. thank you Sinon. I... I never wanted to kill my father, but at the time it was the..." He paused when she held a finger up to his lips."
"The only thing you could thing of, or do for that matter, if you wanted to get me out of there. I've read the investigation reports." She smiled at him before holding him tight. "Listen, we where ten, neither of us should have been put in that situation, but we where."
She knew he couldn't argue with this and neither could she. "Here, I know what will help," she replied, having roll over and beginning to massage his back.
"Thanks Shino, I needed that," he whispered.
"Anytime Blaze. Don't forget, sometimes I help grandmother at her shop during the summer." Sinon's grandmother ran a massage therapy clinic, and the heir of said clinic promised to hire Shino if her run to join the police didn't work out.
"I remember you telling me how much you enjoy the work," Blaze smiled.
"Yep! Aren't you lucky to have a professional masseuse as a girlfriend," She teased. What he said next brought a smile to her face.
"Even if you where not one, I'd still consider myself beyond blessed to have you as my girlfriend."
"Fl... flattery will get you know where." Sinon joked, but smiled. "Really though, I should considered myself to be the blessed one." she added.
After another ten minuets, Blaze let out a sigh.
"You have a question to ask?" She inquired, knowing what was on his mind.
"Maybe, didn't no weather it'd offend you more if I asked or not." He admitted.
Sinon chuckled a bit. "Always the cautious one I see." She then smiled at him. "No, I see what you're worried about. Someday, you can rub my back for me in return, but just now right now, okay?"
"Okay. Just wondering if I should have offered." Blaze began before yawning.
"I can understand that. Really though, even if it did offend me a bit, which it didn't, I'd have forgiven you." She then pulled a way for a bit.
"I just hope we don't have too... you know..." He shuddered. "I can still feel the guilt."
"Let's hope not. But we both know given human psychology, we just might have to." She then closed her eyes. "Either way, don't for you forgot I'm here for you, my precious Magna Defender."
"Heck of a name to live up too," Blaze admitted. "But I'll do everything can. Especially for you."
Sinon fell asleep with a smile on her face. "You'd better. I don't wanna have to kick your ass."
Alright, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. There are a few things I'd like to speak on.
For starters, if Shino seems a bit OOC in compared to the anime, there is a reason for that. The biggest reason is because she never killed the bank robber herself, and so she didn't suffer the PTSD and stigma which came from it. You can see the effects of this deviation, while seeing remnants of her cannon personality at the same time. That doesn't mean this is the result of the bank robbery never happening, but rather the deviation of the result.
Both Blaze and Shino are affected by the kidnapping, even if it isn't shown in this chapter. However, as time goes on in SAO, the effects of the kidnapping, and in Blaze's case, abuse, are going to manifest themselves, sometimes in rather ugly ways.
Lastly, the relationship. Some may say that it's too soon to begin it, as far as the story goes. The big reason why is because when I get done reorganizing my BlazeXKsachi fic, I'm going to be having quite a large build up in that relation per chapter. (Say about 18K-30K plus worth of words alone. With that big of a project, followed by work on Legends of the Shadowclan guild, Leopon rising, my rewrite of The Quiet Life, and at least three more stories I'm beginning to work on, I figured on skipping a bit of the build-up to save time. Plus, unlike with Blaze and Ksachi, which has a lot of interesting things going on, Blaze and Shino have a relatively quiet life from a month after the kidnapping to the official start of SAO. It's really not worth writing much expect as filler.
Their decision to share the bed comes mostly from necessity and trust, not from impulse. They've been friends for five years, and dated for two, not to mentioned Blaze rescued Shino when she was kidnapped, and conversely Shino in a way saved Blaze's life by providing evidence that said, yes, something was indeed going amiss in Blaze's household. As a result, it was easy for them to build trust, and in time, begin dating. It's a lot better than how Asuna and Kirito sleep together after... what... maybe a month or so of partying up together? I know hey knew each other beforehand, but it's not the same as five years of friendship and constant hanging out.
Well, I hope that nips any questions in the bud. If you do have a question, suggestion, or see a mistake, let me know in the review. Don't forget to follow or even favorite this story if you like!