Chapter 4

Bliss and Battle

November 11, 2027

"Papa?"

Kirito stirred at the sound of the voice. Slowly, his eyelids began to part. Through partially open eyes, he could make out a shape very close to him. He blinked and opened his eyes fully. As his eyes focused, Yui's face came into view mere inches from his.

The black haired man gave a surprised yelp and tried to jump backwards. However, there was no more bed to be had behind him, and he ended up on the floor. As he lay there groaning, Yui's head popped out over the edge of the bed. Since the start of their leave from the frontlines, the young girl had opted to take on her childlike form that she used when they first met her.

"Good morning!" Asuna greeted cheerfully as she entered the room, a tray-full of breakfast in her hands. She completely ignored the fact that Kirito was on the floor. She approached the bed, Yui sitting up and smiling, greeting her mother.

Kirito had not yet seen the food, but as the first whiffs of the scent wafted past his nose, all remaining grogginess vanished in an instant. He leapt to his feet, his eyes wide and his nostrils flaring. He turned and stared hungrily at the tray.

"Woooah!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Asuna giggled, earning her a smile from her husband. He reached over, placing his hand gently on the side of her face, and brought her lips to his. For a second the two were lost in total bliss. They only separated when Yui reminded them she was there.

"Awww," the little girl said. Kirito and Asuna separated with light blushes on their faces and turned to see her staring dreamily at them.

"Thank you," Kirito said somewhat sheepishly.

"You're welcome," Asuna replied just as shyly.

"What are we going to do today?" Yui asked eagerly.

For the last five months, the players under the command of Kayaba had aggressively pushed the frontlines in an effort to locate the other keys and figure out why they couldn't get into Aincrad. Though the players were given leave often and rotated regularly, the commanders and most of the high profile guilds had not had a break the entire time. Finally, with Alfheim's capital, Arun, in their sights, Kayaba authorized leave for the exhausted leaders.

Kirito and his little family chose to retire to a small, peaceful village they had taken about a month ago. The towns now acted much like dungeons, with the players needing to wipe the settlements clean of all monsters and then fight a boss. This particular village was one of the easier ones to take, and as such held no particularly terrible memories for the family.

After breakfast, the three decided to go for a walk through the village and the surrounding countryside. Kirito and Asuna walked hand in hand down the cobblestone path under the shade of beautiful trees while Yui skipped and sang ahead of them. The couple soaked in the warm sunlight and took full advantage of the peaceful moment. While they fought for powerful purposes and still managed to have fun and joy while on the frontlines, being in a place so free of death and violence was rejuvenating.

"Oh Kirito, look." The young man turned his gaze to follow Asuna's outstretched finger. She was pointing to a large tree atop a small hill next to them. The gentle breeze lightly rustled through the leaves. "Let's go sit down up there, I bet the view is great!"

"Alright," Kirito answered, already starting to lead his wife up the slope.

"Yui!" Asuna called, "We'll be under this tree, ok? Don't go off too far."

"Yes Mama," Yui replied.

Kirito sat down and leaned against the tree, pulling Asuna down into his lap. She breathed a happy sigh and snuggled up against him while his arms wrapped her in a loving embrace. Kirito looked around, noticing that the hill wasn't tall enough to give them much of a view of anything.

"I guess the view's ok," he commented.

"It's fine," came Asuna's whispered reply. Kirito looked down to see her eyes closed, a happy smile on her face. At that point he was pretty sure Asuna had an ulterior motive for sitting under the tree, and she was enjoying it right now, not that he minded.

He looked back up, watching Yui play around at the bottom of the hill. Peace and joy swelled within him. "You know, I think this is how I've always wanted to live back in the real world," he told the brunette.

She opened her eyes to also watch the young girl play. "Yeah, I agree. This feels almost perfect." She was quiet for a moment before continuing, "It's for this, this future for us, that I fight."

"Yeah," Kirito replied, "I know when we go back that I'm going to fight even harder, so that we can have this."

Kirito walked alone down the cobblestone path to the village. He was returning from a successful hunt for the family's dinner. At the top of a small hill overlooking the quiet hamlet, Kirito stopped and stared, thinking about all that had happened simply because he put on the NerveGear when SAO was released.

Continuing down the path, Kirito was almost to the village when a strange blue light caught his eye. It was coming from behind some bushes in a grove of trees to his right. Curious, the young man walked over to the source. He found it to be a flower, its petals an illuminating blue color. Kirito had never seen such a flower before.

He decided that this would be perfect to give to Asuna. His black, gloved hand reached down and curled around the base of the flower. He pulled, but it didn't budge at all. Deciding that maybe he hadn't pulled hard enough, Kirito pulled harder. The flower still did not move.

Kirito decided to look at the thing's description to see if he was missing something. His eyes widened and his determination to get the flower increased when he learned what it was.

The Life Flower: One of the rarest and most beautiful flowers in Alfheim. It can be consumed to give one the power to bring life to one deceased player. Its nectar can also be used in making potent healing crystals.

Kirito grabbed the base of the flower with both hands and pulled with all of his might, grunting as he did so. The flower would not budge. Sweat rolled down the side of his face as he tugged again and again. Finally, he stopped and scratched his head, wondering how to get it.

"It appears that you don't have a farming skill high enough to harvest it," the voice behind him nearly made him jump.

Kirito turned to see a large, middle-aged man wearing a straw hat, a red shirt, overalls, and well-used leather gloves. He smiled at Kirito, "You'll need a maxed farming skill to harvest that flower."

Kirito's face fell. Then, an idea came to him. He smirked, finding himself clever as he opened his inventory menu. A shovel suddenly appeared in his hands, and he held it up in triumph as he prepared to dig the flower out.

"I don't need to harvest it," Kirito claimed triumphantly, "just digging it up will suit me just fine."

The farmer tried to protest, but he was simply ignored. Kirito brought the shovel down to dig up the dirt, shouting as if he were about to do battle with it. To his great surprise, the sparks flew and the shovel dinged off the dirt like it was metal. He furrowed his brow in confused frustration, trying again and again all around the luminescent blue flower with the same result.

Now determined to save face by proving he could outsmart the system, Kirito began to slowly back away, constantly clanging his shovel against the ground. After several steps, his shovel finally bit into the soil. He threw the small amount of dirt over his shoulder, crying out victoriously. Then, he saw the distance between himself and the flower; he was about 10 feet away.

"Aww man! There's no way I can dig up and carry all that!" Kirito exclaimed angrily, throwing the digging instrument on the ground.

"You didn't let me finish." The elder man, having watched Kirito's attempts with a rather amused look, stepped up to the flower, "You see, I have maxed my harvest skill. I'll just pick it for you." He easily took the Life Flower in his grasp. Then he offered it to Kirito, "My name is Lammen, it's nice to finally meet you in person Vice-commander Kirito."

Before Kirito could respond, a vine snaked up behind Lammen and grabbed the flower from him. The two players turned to see a massive living plant rise up above them. In had two large leaves and a bulbous head covered in a red and white pattern sat on top of its large stem. Its single, toothy maw opened wide as it let out a roar at the two.

Kirito's shoulders drooped as a dumbfounded look crossed his face. "You're kidding me. What is this? Mario?" The plant monster seemed to chuckle as it tossed the blue flower into its mouth. Obviously, this did not go over well with Kirito. "Hey you overgrown piranha plant! That's my flower, give it back!"

He launched himself into the air, both swords drawn. Almost all of its health was drained as the two blades cut upwards across its face. In midair Kirito changed direction, diving back downward. He threw both of the swords, impaling them in the plant. He grabbed the hilts of the swords as he passed, dragging them down through the thieving vegetation. The monster screamed before bursting into light.

Kirito picked up the flower with a smile on his face before placing it in his inventory. He turned around and saw Lammen with his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. "That was easily one of the coolest things I have ever seen," the slack-jawed farmer said.

"Um, thanks. Oh, and thanks for the flower."

Lammen smiled knowingly, "I'm sure that pretty wife of yours will love it."

"How did you know I was going to give it to her?" Kirito asked curiously.

The pleasant farmer laughed, "I'm not sure if you're aware, but a popular topic amongst players is the devotion you two share. You almost can't call it a guess after seeing you two together."

The two men resumed their walk to the village. They talked about everything from the frontlines to the fish in the nearby river. Kirito learned that Lammen fought on the frontlines for a little while before almost losing his life. After that, he and his wife left to live in one of the first towns they cleared, and then moved here after the players secured it.

"I'm curious Kirito, you and your family are so happy together, why do you risk it all by fighting on the frontlines?"

Kirito smiled, "In the real world, Asuna and I aren't married yet. Our dream is to have a quiet life together, with a real family. It's to achieve that dream, and to protect Asuna, that I fight. Plus, we have a responsibility to everyone else to give our best to free everyone from this game as soon as possible."

"I see," Lammen replied thoughtfully, "you know, the village is having a dance tonight at the square. You and your family should come. It's so nice to see young people so devoted to each other."

"I'll talk to her, but I'll bet she wants to come." Kirito said.

"Papa!" Yui's arms wrapped around his waist the moment he walked in the door.

"Hey, Yui," Kirito greeted as he returned the hug. He then retrieved the meat from his inventory, "You hungry?"

"I'm starving," the little girl replied with a smile.

"You are late, Kirito," Asuna said from the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yeah, sorry. I got a little sidetracked trying to get this," he pulled out the luminescent sapphire flower, "for you."

In the shadows cast by the setting sun, the Life Flower glowed bright, lighting up Asuna's face. Kirito smiled, a warm feeling growing within him at the shocked look of pleasant surprise on the brunette's face. She gently took the flower from his outstretched hand. Then she looked up, her eyes meeting his. He brought her into his arms as the love he saw in her eyes made his desire to hold her irresistible. Their lips came together in a slow kiss into which they each tried vainly to express the full reality of their love.

When they separated, Asuna resumed staring into the deep, yet gentle blackness of Kirito's eyes. "I love you Kirito. Thank you."

"I love you too," Kirito whispered.

The sun's last rays of light were long gone by the time the three of them arrived at the village square. The dance was in full swing already. Four long tables laden with food lined the four sides of the square. In the center the villagers had erected a large bonfire around which the dancers moved.

Kirito and Asuna waited for the current song to end before they walked out on the dance floor themselves. As the song started, all of the dancers placed the palms of their right hands against each other and slowly moved in a circle while staring into each other's eyes. For the young couple in black and white, the whole world disappeared. They moved and spun, completely in sync with one another.

They were so deep into the dance when the music suddenly turned slow they didn't notice. They simply held each other close and slowly swayed back and forth. They kissed just as the song ended.

"I love you, Asuna," Kirito whispered.

United Nations Headquarters, New York City, New York, USA

The conference room was packed as national leaders from all over the world poured into the U.N. Headquarters building to discuss the investigation into rescuing the Alfheim players and the manhunt for the man calling himself "Shadow." This was to be the third meeting to discuss these events, which were taking an ever increasing interest in the international community. Several nations had already tried hacking directly into the game, only to have their own defense servers hacked almost immediately. The murmuring crowd quieted down as the President of the United States stepped up to the pulpit to open the meeting.

"My friends and fellow leaders of the world, we are here-"

He didn't get to finish. The alarm suddenly sounded and the doors to the room were sealed tight. A large screen on the wall behind the President flashed to life, revealing a figure in a chair in front of some windows. The light streaming in from the other side of the glass cast a shadow over the man, perfectly obscuring him from being identified.

"Thank you, Mr. President. I will be taking control of this meeting now. On the outset, let me inform every one of you that the building is in lockdown, and will not be released until I say so. And now, let us begin.

"I am Shadow. I have decided to meet with you all to discuss some things." He was interrupted as shouting and yelling erupted from the leaders he had just taken captive. He simply shook his head to silence them, "Tsk, tsk. Now, let us all be civilized shall we? As I was saying, I have a few things to discuss with you. First, let me tell you how impressed I am that you have listened to my warning and not attempted to directly remove the players from the game. However, I am disappointed by your continuous and futile attempts to gain access to the game. Thus, I have come to you now to make some demands. I will give you ten hours to discuss them.

"I am willing to make a trade. I will release the players from the game after, and only after, you cease attempts to hack it and I have confirmed unilateral control of the world's entire nuclear arsenal. I will return in ten hours for your answer. The clock is ticking."

The screen went blank, leaving the occupants of the room to slowly process the request. They stared blankly at the screen for a moment, then turned and whispered to one another. The President of the U.S. stepped to the pulpit again to begin their discussion.

November 12, 2027

Asuna awoke to an unpleasant surprise. Both of them had received messages from Kayaba calling them back to duty. So it was with disappointment and loving feelings and memories from the previous night that they started the journey back. They walked hand in hand, meeting up with many of their friends as they made the trek to the frontline command post near a town called Golga.

Upon arrival, they were guided to a large room inside the small fortress. The room was already filled with many guild leaders and high level players. Kayaba and Schatten stood next to a table onto which a map was pinned. Kirito and Asuna joined them as Kayaba began the briefing.

"Alright, thank you all for coming," the players' commander began, "we are here because in two days, we will launch our assault on Arun." His announcement caused many whispers to circle about the room. They stopped at once when he continued, "Yesterday, Schatten and our recon team discovered a road through the woods to Arun that is void of monsters. We will march our force down this path, which will take us to Arun's southern edge. We suspect that the next key to our freedom also lies within the city."

"What makes you think that?" Kirito asked.

Schatten was the one who answered, "Because my team found that the city isn't just guarded by monsters, but by what appears to be a trained, military force."

More whispers circulated amongst the crowd before Kayaba spoke again, "They seem to be well prepared for a ground assault, though less ready to resist attacks from the air. So we will split our forces into three groups. I'm sorry Asuna, Kirito, but I'm afraid this time you two will have to be separated. Asuna and I will lead the main ground assault force, while Schatten and Kirito will lead their own air assault groups. The main force will attack first, drawing away most of the enemy's defenses. Then, Schatten will attack the middle levels with his forces and Kirito will take the highest levels of the city. Our ground forces will then break through the enemy lines and link up with each air assault force respectively. Any questions?" When no one answered he continued, "We will take today and tomorrow to prepare, then we march on Arun."

November 14, 2027

"I don't like this," Asuna said with a frown on her face.

"You don't like what?" Kirito looked up from the inventory menu he was checking for the fifth time.

"What if you get trapped up there? What if we don't reach you in time? What if you encounter the boss?" Her voice was starting to crack, which brought Kirito to his feet. "Wha-what if you…"

"Shh." Kirito wrapped his arms around her, placing his hand on the back of her head as she buried her face into his shoulder. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

"At least take Yui with you," Asuna pleaded.

"No," Kirito's answer was hard, leaving no room for questions, "I need her to be with you. My group's got a lot of high level players; I need to make sure you have as much protection as possible."

"Don't worry Asuna," husband and wife turned to see Lyfa standing in the open doorway, "I'll be with him. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything reckless; and if he does I'll let you know as soon as I see you."

They pulled away and Asuna wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Lyfa." The two girls smiled at each other. Kirito was just grateful that Asuna felt comforted.

"Come on," Lyfa said, "their forming up outside."

The three left to take their positions in the lead group of a massive column of players. As the last players joined the formation, Kayaba drew his sword and pointed it at the horizon where the World Tree rose into the sky. The sound of a millions of feet against the ground filled the air as they began their march.

Whew. Sorry that took so long. I'll have the next one up soon. Please read & review! See ya.

Dark Guymelef