Here it is. The next chapter to my story. I'm doing summer classes right now, so I guess I don't have that much time as I hoped for this vacation. Oh well, as long as I do my stories, I'm not complaining. This episode is gonna be full of twists you would never expect, so enjoy!
(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)
Prologue
Inside the fancy hospital, four rooms on the upper floors were occupied. On the front doors were the names of the four people within them: Kazuto Kirigaya, Suguha Kirigaya, Shinichi Nagata, and Asuna Yuuki.
Inside Asuna's room. Vanitas stood there, looking down at the empty shell of the girl, the NerveGear on her head, IVs on her arm, dressed in a hospital gown. Vanitas' took off his mask, and held it under his arm. His yellow eyes looked at Asuna's face. "This is all too easy." he stated, producing his Keyblade, "I could just defeat her right now. But I shouldn't rush things. The master would be disappointed if I damaged her. I might as well have fun with the live one, in any case."
He placed his mask on again and walked over to the nearby table, dropping a file onto the table, which had the name 'Asuna Yuuki' written on the label. "I should at least start to mettle with her heart. This file will definitely do just that. She will learn something about her history that she didn't know before."
Vanitas placed his Keyblade away, opened the window, and placed one foot onto it. He turned back to Asuna again for a second. "See you around, sweetheart." he told the lifeless Asuna, and with that, he jumped out of the window, down to the ground below.
He landed neatly on the ground, and a black pool surged from all around him, producing Unversed from the ground around him. "Go out, and welcome in those Keyblade wielders!" he ordered them, thrusting his hands out front. The Unversed scattered, leaving Vanitas standing there, smiling under his mask.
Back in the Gummi Ship, Kirito was the first to wake up in the group. He had no idea how long he or the others were out for. They were completely exhausted from the endeavors of the last world. He looked around. Sora was sitting back in his chair, his head rolled to one side. Goofy somehow was laying sideways on his seat, his head upside-down as it was off the seat. Donald was on the floor behind everyone, his mouth open and drooling. Yui had her upper body resting onto the computer keyboard, her arms spread out.
Kirito heard some moaning, and turned to see Asuna, still asleep, but her head was rolling around slowly. She was having a dream. Kirito continued to watch her, wondering. I still can't stop thinking about what happened back in Yusnaan. he pondered, and he recalled the aftermath of Asuna's battle with Vanitas, when he took the Key of Doubt from Asuna's body.
Why did Asuna have that Key of Darkness within her? Kirito asked, eyeing his girlfriend, And what are they, anyway? I remember something like that in Kanon Town with Siren, then Skyworld with Palutena, but they don't seem to have that 'key', and Asuna. Why are Maleficent, Vanitas, and everyone else involved wanting these 'keys'?
Just then, Asuna started to speak in her sleep, which caught Kirito's attention. "Don't…leave…Aqua…" she mumbled, "I'll save…you… Come…back…" Kirito walked next to her seat and looked down at her. Then there's still the thing with Aqua. Kirito continued to wonder, Why is Asuna so obsessed with her? Mickey said that Aqua was once a Keyblade master, but that can't be the reason for Asuna wanting to learn about her. What's their connection?
After pondering for a few seconds, during which Asuna calmed down, Kirito knelt down and started poking her cheek lightly. Asuna face moved slightly, and Kirito accidentally poked right through her lips. He was startled, and Asuna opened here eyes. There was a short pause at the awkward moment, then Asuna woke up abruptly, screaming as she slapped Kirito's face, causing him to fall, sitting onto Donald, who woke up abruptly.
(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'With My Friend')
"What do you think you were doing?!" Asuna barked at Kirito. "I was poking your cheek, honest!" Kirito defended as he stood up again, "Then you rolled your head and…" "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!" Asuna shouted, "Geez, I could've killed you." "But you were looking so peaceful." Kirito muttered.
"Ouch! Why'd you sit on me?!" Donald squawked as he jumped up. "I didn't mean to." Kirito replied, "Asuna knocked me over, and I fell on you." "Oh yeah? And who was it that deserved the slap?!" Asuna demanded. "I told you, it was an accident!" Kirito retorted. "Then stop poking my cheek while I'm asleep!" Asuna demanded.
Sora and Yui woke up to the sound of arguing. They turned around to see the trio squabbling with each other, not sure who was truly at fault here. "What's going on?" Sora asked Yui. "Dunno, I'm just as confused as you are." she responded. "Should we do something?" Sora asked. "I'm not sure how much we'll last in that swarm." Yui replied, "It's best just to wait until it dies down."
And through this time, Goofy was still asleep, snoring away while the arguing continued inside the Gummi ship.
(Cue opening song)
Chapter 1: Home-World Bound
Once things settled down, and Goofy woke up, the team got into their seats again. Asuna, frustrated, was looking towards her side of the ship, while Kirito nervously looked to the opposite side. Donald sat in his chair, his arms crossed, angry. Yui, Sora and Goofy were next to each other, looking at the others. "What happened?" Goofy asked. "I don't know…" Sora nervously responded, "But I don't think we should ask." "Good thinking, Sora." Yui agreed.
"Hey, Yui." Kirito spoke up, startling Sora, Yui and Goofy, "Are there any new worlds we haven't visited yet?" "L-Let me check." Yui stammered, walking over to the computer and tapping away at it. After a while, she stated, "I found a new world close by, and it isn't blocked by a spacial gate." "Then that's where we're heading." Sora responded, "Yui, you know what to do." Yui locked in the coordinates, and the Gummi ship flew off into space.
After a half hour of silence, the team arrived at their next destination. From their view, they could see a city plus the Japanese suburban of some kind. To Kirito and Asuna, it looked like home to them. However, they guessed that there was gonna be some sort of twist to this world, like how the Pretty Cure's and Arrietty's worlds were.
"So what's this world's story?" Sora asked Yui, who tapped away on the computer. "I don't know." she answered, looking up at the screen, "The information involving this world is unavailable." "So does that mean we're just gonna dive into this world blindly?" Asuna asked. "There's nothing wrong with that." Donald stated. "Still, we should be careful." Kirito stated, "We don't know what we might encounter once we get down there." Everyone got onto the transporter as Yui locked in the coordinates, and they descended down to the world below.
When they arrived, they found themselves in the streets of the suburbs. Tall wooden fences that surrounded the houses were lined along the sides of the streets. The trees and other plant-life peaked over the fences and other parts of the street. All in all, it looked normal. Too familiarly normal.
Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui looked around examining. "This place seems kinda closed up." Sora pointed out. "It's a suburb. What do you expect?" Yui asked, "Places like this usually have narrow streets due to the Japanese population."
"Wha'dya think, Kirito?" Goofy asked. There was no reply. The four looked to Kirito and Asuna, who looked left and right. "This place…" Asuna gasped. "It can't be…" Kirito started to realize. "What is it?" Donald asked. "I know this street." Kirito replied, surprising the other four. "Me too." Asuna agreed, "Doesn't this street lead to…?"
Kirito's eyes were shocked. He started racing down the path, with Asuna in tow. "Wait up, you guys!" Sora called out to them, then he and the others followed them. "Why are they acting this way?" Sora asked. "I think…it could be possible that this world is really…" Yui started, but she stopped her sentence. However, Sora was starting to understand why they were acting this way.
After a few minutes of running, The team found themselves in front of a large house, with separate dojo, zen garden and plenty of greenery included. The place was surrounded by a stone wall with metal fencing going up half-way up in parts of the wall. Solar panels were on top of the roof. The summer season was making the flowers on the trees bloom. On the entrance into the house grounds, there was a mailbox on one side and a small sign on the other, which had the name 'Kirigaya' on it.
"No way…" Asuna gasped as the four caught up with them. "What is this place?" Sora asked, looking to the sign, "Kirigaya? That's sounds familiar…" "Hey, isn't that Kirito's real last name?" Goofy recalled. Sora and Donald both gasped in realization. "Then, that would mean that…" Sora realized. "This is my home." Kirito stated, looking at his house, "This world…is our home. Me. Asuna's. Sugu's. It's our real life world."
Sora, Donald and Goofy were shocked. They looked at the property and the house. "So this is your house." Donald stated. "It's pretty cool." said Sora. "This is my first time, too." Yui added, "I've never seen papa or mama's real homes before. It feels nostalgic."
They paused as they stood at the entrance, then Sora turned to Kirito. "Aren't you gonna invite us in?" Sora asked. "Huh?" questioned Kirito. "This is your house. You should at least let us see it." Sora stated. "Oh, right." Kirito remembered. He led the group through the entrance, going around the house. He started to completely forget that he was Kirito right now, but Kazuto. Never in a million years would he be experiencing something like this.
They wandered all around the exterior of the house, looking into the dojo for a bit. "This is where Asuna, Sugu and I practice our skills with our Keyblades." Kirito told Sora, walking over to the cupboard and opening it, revealing three weapons that looked like a kendo stick form of a Keyblade. He picked one up and tossed it over to Asuna, who grabbed it in midair.
"We used these as practice, so as not to hurt each other too much." Kirito explained, holding his training Keyblade at hand. "Sounds kinda like me and Riku back on the Destiny Islands." Sora compared, "Only there, we used plank-wood swords to practice. I could rarely beat him back then. Though now, I could probably win." Kirito grinned at Sora, then placed the training Keyblade away, followed by Asuna, and the team walked out of the room.
They came back in front of the house, and Kirito instinctively looked at the window on the corner of the house. The window in his room. Kirito walked up to the front door, and attempted to open it. It was locked. "Looks like nobody's home." Kirito guessed, listening for sounds, "Mom and dad are probably busy. Don't worry, I know where the key is hidden."
He was about to kneel down to get it when a beam of light shot at the keyhole of the door, unlocking it. The team turned to see Sora with his Keyblade raised. "Who needs that when you have this?" Sora asked, indicating his Keyblade. Asuna rolled her eyes. Kirito stood up again, and they entered in.
The house was empty. Kirito entered in first, followed by Asuna, then Yui, and everyone else. "Hello?" Kirito called out. No answer. "Lets look around." Sora suggested. Kirito nodded. Since Asuna had been here a few times, she knew her way around. Kirito gave Sora and Goofy a detour around one part while Asuna led Yui and Donald in another part.
The house wasn't big, so there wasn't much to go around. Kirito's room was the last place in the house for the group. Kirito went to the doorknob, then stopped. I wonder if my body is still here? he thought to himself. He paused for a second, then he grabbed the knob and twisted it open. The room was just how Kirito left it. However, his body wasn't there. Nor was the NerveGear that he wore with it.
"Looks like my body was moved." Kirito stated as the team entered the room. It was kinda crowded with the six of them. "Your body?" Donald asked. "Oh, yeah. These aren't your real bodies." Sora remembered, "You guys were digital characters made real. In that case, why isn't it here?" "Probably moved to the hospital." Asuna responded as she and Kirito looked to the bed, "I guess that means Sugu's, Shinichi's and my body were moved, too." Kirito and Asuna looked to one another, thinking the same thing.
"Let's go search for them." Sora suggested, saying the thing that was in both of their minds. Kirito and Asuna looked back at Sora, and saw the smile on his face. "I wanna see what you guys are really like. What better way than to find them."
"I don't know. We aren't that far different from our avatar looks." Kirito warned him. "Although, Leafa and Recon are definitely different from Suguha and Shinichi." Asuna pointed out. Kirito knew that. He also was curious to see what was happening to his body.
Suddenly, there was a scream from outside. Kirito and Asuna were startled, then rushed to the window and looked down at the entrance. A few people were running away as several Flood and Scrapper Unversed appeared, about to attack them. "The Unversed!" Kirito gasped, unlocking his window and sliding it open. He leapt down, followed by the rest of the crew, and ran to the entrance.
They got in front of the path of the Unversed, stopping them from attacking the citizens. "Leave those people alone!" barked Kirito as the team whipped out their weapons. The team started fighting against all the Unversed, keeping them at bay from the citizens, knocking them out before they could get a chance. The amount of Unversed wasn't too drastic, so it took a minute to take them all out.
"Even our home isn't safe anymore." said Asuna, turning to Kirito. "If the Unversed are here, then Vanitas was or still is here." Kirito assumed, "Then that means we should start looking for where our bodies are kept. He might target them." "Then we should head to the hospital." Yui decided, "They are bound to be there." Kirito and Asuna nodded in response, and they took off, with the others in tow.
Chapter 2: The Bus Ride
Going along the streets, the team raced towards the edge of the city. Within it contained the hospital Kirito and Asuna hoped their bodies were in. What was troublesome were all the Unversed, and now Heartless started appearing as well. Kirito hated to see it, but it looked like his world was in danger.
"If the Heartless and Unversed consume this world, will it get destroyed like Vaan or those witch apprentices' worlds?" Kirito asked Sora. "It won't get destroyed completely, but it will go into darkness." Sora replied. "Ever see the stars in the sky?" Goofy asked, "Well, each of them is a world." "And if the Heartless consume a world, the star will go out." "That's horrible!" gasped Asuna.
"Wait, so each star out there is really a world?" Yui asked, "But we're talking millions, more billions of stars!" "Yep. And each of them is a world." Goofy replied. "Are you sure?" Yui asked, "Cause scientists of our world say otherwise."
"We don't have time for this!" barked Kirito, "If we don't stop them, my world is gonna be in danger!" The others were startled. Never had they heard Kirito so strict and angry. Though they could tell he was also afraid, and so was Asuna. It was only natural. Sora could relate, since his world once disappeared on him at one point, and it took a lot to get it back.
They managed to make it to the edge of town, near a bus stop. There, a parked bus stood, vacant. Not even the bus driver was there. The Heartless and Unversed must've scared them off. "It'll take forever for us to get there by foot!" Asuna moaned. "Then how're we gonna get there?" Sora asked. Kirito looked to the bus, then he decided. "Let's use that." Kirito stated, "We can get there quicker with the bus."
The team rushed over to the vehicle, and looked into it. The place was empty, and the keys were in the ignition. "Perfect!" Kirito exclaimed, getting into the bus, into the driver's seat. "You know how to drive this?" Sora asked. "It's way easier than a flying vehicle." Kirito replied, "Everyone, get in!" Everyone climbed into the bus as Kirito started it up. The motor roared as the team got into random seats, Asuna being in the seat behind Kirito's. Kirito shifted gears, and the bus started to move into the city.
The streets were filled with bustling people, running from the Heartless and Unversed that were attacking them. Cops were trying to stop them, but to no prevail. Kirito looked all throughout the streets as he drove, getting more afraid by the second. "This is awful…" Asuna moaned, looking out the window. "Should we stop and save them?" Yui asked. "But there are too many of them!" Donald squawked.
Suddenly, Kirito had an idea. "Everyone, fire magic spells at them!" he ordered everyone. "What'll that do?" Sora asked. "It will draw their attention to us." Kirito explained, "Remember what the Heartless fear; the Keyblades. If we get them distracted enough, then they'll try to stop us. And as for the Unversed, they will fight us since they are Vanitas' pets." "Then lets get to it!" Asuna declared.
Sora and Donald took one side of the bus while Asuna and Yui took the other side. Goofy stood right next to Kirito as he rolled down the window, pulling out his Keyblade. The other four did the same. They pulled out their weapons, and started firing everything they got against the Heartless and Unversed, taking them out as they passed them in the bus.
Further on ahead, in front of the Dicey Cafe, Andrew and Rika were defending against the Heartless and Unversed surrounding them. Since they weren't Agil and Liz from SAO here, Rika was defending herself with a broom while Andrew fended them off with his fists.
"Damn! Where did these things come from?!" Andrew barked, knocking back another Heartless. "I don't know!" Rika replied, "But more importantly, what are they doing here? Shouldn't these things be in Sora's dimension?!"
"Guys! Get out of the way!" shouted Klein, or rather Ryoutarou's voice. The man came charging out of the cafe, holding a Molotov cocktail, and tossing it at a couple of Unversed from a long distance. It landed and exploded, causing the Unversed to disappear. "Yeah!" cheered Ryoutarou. "That's not gonna be enough!" Rika told him as the Heartless and Unversed drew in closer. The trio tightened together, not sure if they would survive.
Suddenly, they heard the blare of a bus horn, and they turned to see a bus race through the narrow street. They were shocked at the sight of it, but even more so when they saw who was driving it. Kirito angled his hand and head out of the driver's window, and fired a barrage of Blizzard spells at the monsters, making them disappear, leaving the three at the bar speechless.
The bus came to a standstill in front of them, and Kirito looked down at them. "You okay?" Kirito asked them. "K-Kazuto?!" Andrew stammered. "Actually, it's Kirito right now." he corrected him.
"But how?!" Ryoutarou asked. "How can you be your avatar here?!" Rika exclaimed. "It's a long story." Asuna replied, stepping out of the bus with Yui, Sora, Donald and Goofy following her. "Asuna!" exclaimed Rika. "Sora!" Andrew shouted. The door behind them opened, and out popped Silica, or rather Keiko's head. "Guys!" she squeaked, racing out to meet them.
"So what's going on, Kazu- I mean, Kirito." Ryoutarou demanded, "Why are all you guys here? And why are those Heartless here as well?" "Let's explain it on the bus." Kirito replied, turning his head to the street they came from, "Looks like our plan is working. The Heartless are attacking us instead of the civilians. Everyone followed Kirito's gaze. A ton of Heartless and Unversed were racing towards them like angry mob, the ground shaking as they did so. "Quick! On the bus!" Sora shouted, and everyone go on as Kirito pressed the gas, taking off with the Heartless behind them.
Inside, Donald and Keiko watched as the swarm drew nearer. A couple of Shadow Heartless pounced onto the back window, scaring Keiko and Donald. "We can't outrun them!" Ryoutarou exclaimed. "Then we're just gonna have to fight them off!" Sora declared.
Asuna pulled on the emergency lever, releasing the roof door. "We can't let them enter the bus!" Asuna told them, "Lets fight them up on top of the bus!" "EH?!" cried Andrew and Rika. "I'll go up there with Sora and Yui." Asuna told them, "Donald and Goofy, you stay here. If any were to come through the windows, we need you guys to stop them." Donald and Goofy nodded in response.
"Somebody take the wheel." Kirito told the group, "I want to fight as well." "I gotcha!" Andrew responded, switching places with Kirito as he whipped out his Mark of Courage Keyblade. He joined Donald and Goofy, helping the other three up onto the roof of the moving bus.
Once Yui came up last, she, Sora and Asuna all prepared themselves for battle as the Heartless and Unversed started climbing up to them. At the same time, the monsters started to climb through the windows down below, ready to attack Kirito's group. "All except for Donald and Goofy, get to the front of the bus!" Kirito ordered everyone, "I don't want any more casualties!" Rika, Ryoutarou and Keiko did as they were told, and joined with Andrew. With that out of the way, both teams charged at the swarm.
The creatures kept coming and coming, no matter which level they were attacking. Fortunately, both the Heartless and Unversed weren't strong enemies. They were mainly Flood Unversed and Shadow Heartless. For several waves, it was like this, continuously going on, but the team was able to fend them off.
However, the enemy was getting desperate. A couple of Scrappers that joined the party hurled a Minute Bomb at the back of the bus. It exploded on impact. Fortunately, the bus could still drive. However, the back of the bus was blown up, leaving a gaping in the back of it. The explosion sent the heroes off their feet. Sora almost fell of the bus if he didn't grip onto the edge.
"These guys are playing rough now!" Kirito moaned as he, Donald and Goofy got to their feet again. "You okay down there?" Sora called out to them. "We're okay!" Goofy replied. "Yeah, but now the Heartless and Unversed have a better way of getting in." Kirito pointed out, seeing plenty of monsters climbing through the hole towards them, "Guess it can't be help. Gonna go all out." Kirito's body started to glow light green before he shouted, "Hylian Soul!"
In a cutscene, his attire changed from head to toe. His Keyblade was blade first in the ground before him, and he reached his gauntlet out to pull it out of the ground. He swiped it around furiously, ending with a sword spin, shouting a battle cry like Link's, before raising the Keyblade upwards triumphantly.
Kirito immediately charged in and started slashing at the enemies, knocking the off the bus from the back to the windows on each side. His sword spins were the deadliest of his combos. He even sliced off the top half of the seats around him with his spins. "This is a new side of Kirito I've yet have seen!" Keiko pointed out. "So cool!" cheered Ryoutarou.
"If you like that, then you're gonna love this!" shouted Sora, drawing the watchers attention to him as he started to glow white before shouting, "Sky Pirate Soul!" In a cutscene, Sora's attire changed from top to bottom. The sky above him turned blue and cloudless as he fell from the sky, landing onto the ground. He twirled his Keyblade in one hand, slammed it point-first into the ground, hoisted himself onto the handle, and crouched down on top of his Keyblade. "Fly in the freedom of adventures!" he chanted, rubbing his nose as he held his position.
He jumped in and started striking left and right as he took out the Heartless and Unversed with every attack he dealt. He jumped back a bit and performed his 'Cataclysm' Finisher, sending a row of stalagmites to finish off the monsters. "So cool!" Keiko exclaimed. "It's like those Drive Forms they used before, only different." Rika compared, admiring both boys as they attacked.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're kinda trapped here!" Andrew called out, looking ahead. Everyone turned to see that there were Heartless and Unversed in front of them, blocking the path. "No way!" Yui gasped. "They were waiting for us!" panicked Ryoutarou.
Sora and Kirito looked back and front, wondering what they should do. Finally, Sora looked down at Kirito. "Hey, you can take care of the ones in the back, right?" he asked. Kirito nodded. "Then I'll handle the ones in front." Sora told him. "How?" Asuna asked as he past the girls and onto the hood of the bus. "Just watch!" Sora answered.
He focused all of his might into connecting with Vaan's soul. Finally, his body started to glow a bright red. "What is he…" Andrew started. "It's a Soul Finale!" Yui exclaimed. Kirito smirked at the sight of him as Sora grinned eagerly. Then with one leap, the boys charged at each enemy.
Kirito used his Aerial Finisher, 'Bombing Arrow', where he produced a bow, along with arrows with bombs attached to them, and shot a plethora of them down at the group of Heartless and Unversed at a rapid rate. The bomb arrows landed in the middle of the group, and exploded in unison, destroying any enemies chasing the bus. Kirito landed neatly onto his feet and turned to where the bus and Sora was.
Sora body lit up as he performed his Soul Finale, 'License Quickening'. He raised his hand into the air. "I'm a master of all weapons!" he chanted, and suddenly, many kinds of weapons started to encircle his body. There were 3 different kinds of swords, a spear, a hand axe, a crossbow, a shield, bombs, a gun, and a staff. Sora jumped into the middle of the swarm of enemies, and went to work on them, using every weapon given to him depending on where he was targeting, and using each weapon as if he was a master at it.
He ended with his final attack 'Luminescence', where he jumped to one side of the army, and trapped them between two light seals. "This is the end!" Sora shouted, and he shot a blast of holy light straight through the seals, blasting all of the Heartless and Unversed in between. Sora turned away and crossed his arms as the lights died down. "Now you know what I'm made of!" Sora stated as the weapons around him disappeared, and so did his Soul Drive Form.
The bus came to a stop next to Sora as the Andrew, Ryoutarou, Rika, and Keiko all stood there, their mouths wide open. Kirito reverted back to normal as he climbed into the back as Sora walked through the open door. "That was pretty powerful, Sora." Asuna stated, climbing down from the roof along with Yui. "And Kirito's attack was strong, too." Goofy added. Sora and Kirito walked up to each other, smiled, then brought their fists together in a sign of victory.
"Seriously, where have you guys been all this time?!" exclaimed Rika, "I mean, those forms! Those attacks! What the hell?!" The team looked to one another. "I think we should explain it to them before Rika gets a seizure." Asuna suggested. "Sure, as long as we get to the hospital." Kirito responded. They sat down in the seats that weren't destroyed, and started talking as Andrew moved the bus along to the hospital.
Chapter 3: The Shock in the Hospital
It took several minutes to finish the explanation. By that time, the four were too surprised as to what they were dealing with. Kirito ended up taking the wheel of the bus again since Andrew was unable to focus.
"Wow…" Ryoutarou finally said, "I had no idea there were other worlds out there." "I felt the same way when I started out going to different worlds as well." Sora responded, "Back then, it was so much fun, joining Donald and Goofy, going through one crazy place after another. And it was even more fun when Kirito, Asuna and Yui joined in as well."
"They all seem to be really amazing places." Keiko added, "I mean a temple in the sky, super-strong girls, a legendary sword…" "And all through this, you had to deal with Heartless and these new Unversed creatures." Andrew recalled. "That's right." Donald responded.
"But what about that 'Orb of Darkness' you guys keep telling about?" Rika asked, turning to Asuna, "Are you sure you are okay after that Vanitas character took it out of you?" "I'm fine." Asuna responded, "In fact, it felt like a lot of stuff was lifted off of my chest." "And yet, your chest hasn't changed a bit." Rika sassed, her hands creeping towards Asuna's breasts. "Stop that!" Asuna whined, slapping Rika's hands away as she blushed.
"So why do you guys want to go to the hospital?" Andrew asked Kirito. "I want to make sure our bodies are safe." Kirito answered, taking a left turn, "I'm worried what would happen if they were damaged by the Heartless or Unversed."
"Guess that reasonable." Andrew understood, "I mean, you told us you would be gone for a day or two, but in ended up becoming a couple weeks. Shinichi's family is completely distressed. They're saying that once he wakes up, they'll ban him from playing any VRMMO games anymore."
"What about my parents?" Kirito asked, "And Asuna's?" "Your parents are worried, but they aren't over the top." Ryoutarou answered, "As for Asuna's parents, her father has been visiting Asuna's room frequently. He's hoping you would wake up soon." Asuna looked down in shame. "And my mother and brother?" she asked. "They're worried, too." Rika answered.
Asuna looked up at Kirito, and in the rear-view mirror, she saw Kirito's face, full of regret. "Did you tell your parents what was going on?" Asuna asked. "No…" Kirito replied, "Sugu and I both hoped it wouldn't take too long, but it ended up going longer than expected." Everyone looked to him, worried.
"Don't worry about it." Sora chimed, drawing everyone's attention, "We can find them again. And once they know you guys are safe, they should be okay about it. After all, families will understand one another, right?" Everyone smiled at Sora. Kirito and Asuna took a little while before smiling. He was right. They should at least find them so they know that they're okay.
"We're here." Yui pointed out, directing their attention to the right side. Over the forest that surrounded it was the hospital, standing tall like a skyscraper, with the green emblem near the top. Kirito rounded a corner, and drove up to the entrance of the hospital. Everyone climbed out, and stared up the building before them.
"This is the place." Kirito stated. "You okay?" Goofy asked, seeing the expression on his face. "Sure. Just a little…nervous." Kirito replied. "Me, too." Asuna added, standing next to him, "I mean, these are our bodies we're talking about. To be alive, standing in front of our unconscious bodies? That's a bit scary." "I guess that would be a bit scary." Rika agreed. There was a moments pause, then Kirito spoke up. "Let's go." With that everyone entered the building.
It was vacant. The Heartless and Unversed had scared off everyone inside. The interior felt like a fancy hotel. "Where to next?" Sora asked. Kirito walked up to the front desk and took a book from it. He opened it up. It contained all the people still in the hospital. After flipping through the book, he found what he was looking for.
"Here it is: Kazuto Kirigaya, Asuna Yuuki, Suguha Kirigaya, and Shinichi Nagata. Their rooms are on floor 11." It kinda sounded weird to him to say his own name like it was someone else. "Let's take the elevator." Keiko suggested. They did just that, taking two different elevators. Asuna, Kirito, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui took one elevator while the other four waited for the next one. The six climbed in, and Sora pressed the 11 button on the side. The doors closed, and they went up.
Asuna was in front of the door when it opened. She gasped in shock. Her father, Shouzou Yuuki, stood right in front of her, apparently waiting for the elevator to open. He was an elderly man with a wrinkled face and brown hair. He was wearing his business suit, and was carrying a briefcase. He was just as shocked to see Asuna right in front of her.
For a second, there was no movement. "Asuna…" gasped Shouzou. "F-Father…" stammered Asuna. The elevator doors started to close, but Asuna quickly stopped them. "Father!" she cried, rushing into her dad's arms. Shouzou was surprised, seeing his daughter crying in his arms. But even more so to see Kirito and the others walk out of the elevator behind Asuna. "Mr. Yuuki." Kirito greeted him. "This is Asuna's dad?" Sora asked, seeing the man.
"Wha-what are you…I mean, how are you…" Shouzou started to say. "It's a long story." Kirito replied, "But long story short; our avatars were made real into this dimension." "How? How can this be?" Shouzou asked as Asuna sniffled into his chest. "Like I said, it's a long story." Kirito responded, waving to the four next to him, "This is Yui. I'm sure we told you about her. And this here is Sora, Donald and Goofy. They're the reason we're still alive." "Hiya." Sora greeted him.
Shouzou was speechless, unable to comprehend everything. He looked down at Asuna, who's tear-soaked face was parting away from his chest. "It's hard to believe this is real…" he started as Asuna looked up at him, "…But, the fact that you are here, in my arms, is real enough. What's strange is that I just visited you in your hospital room, Asuna." "It's gonna be stranger to see myself in there, too." Asuna chuckled.
The elevator doors opened, and the four from down below came out. "Mr. Yuuki!" gasped Ryoutarou. "I thought the place was empty." said Rika. "Most of the faculty escaped after those strange creatures attacked." Shouzou explained, "But I couldn't leave my daughter's body unattended like this. I was gonna go to the front desk to see if I could get some help when all of you showed up."
"Since you are here, would you mind leading us to our rooms, as well as my sister and Shinichi's?" Kirito asked. Shouzou nodded, letting go of his daughter. He led the team down the hall, passed all of the rooms. Some had names on them. Others were vacant.
"So what's going on here?" he asked Asuna, "How can you be here, yet also in your room?" "I wish I could say it was easy to explain, but it isn't." Asuna muttered, "While trying to enjoy a celebration with Kirito, Sora and everyone else in the other dimension, we found out this dimension was in trouble. As you can see, the Heartless and Unversed are attacking, thanks to a group of very bad people."
"I see." Shouzou understood, "Then how did you come back here without entering your real bodies?" "It's thanks to the Keyblade." Asuna answered, whipping out her Suite Harmony Keyblade. It was the second time Mr. Yuuki saw his daughter display it, though it still startled him. "Mine, Kirito's, Sora's, Leafa's, and two others combined our powers together, and unlocked the gateway between the dimensions. Everything else is self-explained." Shouzou looked down, having a hard time taking in everything she said.
They arrived at the first room, which was Suguha's room. "I don't have a keycard to this room." Shouzou told him. "No problem." Sora replied, pulling out his Shining Wing Keyblade. He pointed it at the card scanner. The light of the Keyblade hit the groove where the card was scanned, and the light on it went green. The door unlocked and opened for them. "Wow!" gasped Ryoutarou and the others. "Your weapon can do this?" Shouzou asked his daughter. "Pretty much." Asuna answered, smiling a bit.
Kirito, Yui, Sora, Donald and Goofy all entered the room, while everyone else waited outside. Kirito parted the curtain, and saw his sister's body, the Amusphere around her head. She was connected to an IV. Kirito saw that her body condition was stable.
"This is what Leafa really looks like?" Sora asked, walking up alongside the bed to see her face. "That's Suguha here." Yui corrected him. "Gawrsh, she looks kinda different than what we're use to." Goofy pointed out. Kirito was quiet, looking down at his sister's body. He felt like things were in reverse. Sugu once looked down at his body while he was stuck in SAO. Now, he was the one looking at her. Only this time, he was able to talk to her, and meet her face to face. It felt sorta strange.
"Kirito?" Donald asked. Kirito blinked, and looked up. The other four were looking at him. "Are you okay, papa?" Yui asked. "Y-Yeah." Kirito answered, "It's just weird to see her like this, that's all." They paused for a second, then Kirito suggested they leave. They did so, joining the others.
They quickly visited Shinichi's room. His body, like Suguha's, was a lot different than his avatar's. They couldn't help but recall what Andrew said about his family. He wondered if he should at least tell them about what's going on. Or better yet, have Recon explain to his real parents.
Finally, there were two more rooms to visit; Kazuto's and Asuna's. They started with Kazuto's room. They opened the door, and Asuna stepped in first, followed by Sora, Yui, Donald, and Goofy. Kirito was last, and was hesitant on looking past the curtain. He peered around it, and saw his own body laying there, unconscious. The NerveGear was still attached to his head.
Kirito felt indifferent. He wasn't sure how to react. "You really don't look that much different." Sora pointed out. "You can blame Akihiko Kayaba for that." Asuna replied, "Back when we first got trapped in SAO, he gave us mirrors that transformed our avatars into our real life looks. We just decided on keeping them, that's all."
Kirito was once again quiet, unsure of what to say. He started thinking about his parents. He was unsure of what they would feel if they saw him walk up to them. He was scared to see his body right here, and to be standing right in front of it.
Asuna walked over and touched his shoulder. He turned to her, and saw the sympathetic expression. "It's too much, isn't it?" Asuna asked. "I don't know." he answered, turning to his body, "I just…wish this whole mess didn't happened in the first place. I kinda feel like it's my fault in some way."
"It's not your fault." Asuna retorted, "We're doing everything we can to stop this threat from escalating. I promise you that once things have returned to normal, we can go back to our bodies again." Kirito looked back at Asuna. He was extremely grateful that she was here with him. He wouldn't know what to do at this moment. Sora and the others looked to the two of them, hoping Kirito was feeling okay.
"Let's go." Kirito told her, "There's still your room left." "Right." Asuna responded, looking at Kazuto's body, "I'm probably gonna have to prepare myself for this." She and Kirito led the group out of the room and closed the door behind them. They walked over to the next room, which had the name 'Asuna Yuuki' next to it. Shouzou stepped up next to Asuna, who faced the door to her room. The two made eye contact, and Asuna nodded, wanting the door to open.
Shouzou slid his hospital card through the scanner, and it unlocked for them. The door slid open, and Asuna entered in first. Shouzou and the five heroes entered in after her, leaving the four to watch them enter. The door closed behind them, and Asuna was already staring at her body. The Amusphere was still on her, and IVs were attached to her arm.
The others walked next to her and stared at her body. "It's kinda weird, seeing this." Asuna started, "Here I am, alive and well, fighting against dark creatures and villains in many worlds. At the same time, I'm here, unconscious, and without any worries whatsoever, only waiting to wake up."
Shouzou walked next to her and patted her shoulder. "It's like I'm seeing twins." he stated, "But you are really one in the same." Asuna looked to her father for a second, then she smiled. "Don't worry. I'll come back for real again. I just have important things to do right now. It'll take some time, but I'll be fine, just as long as I have my friends with me. I'm a Yuuki, after all."
Shouzou smiled nodded at her conviction, but he looked away a little unreassuring. Asuna looked to him, confused. "Is something wrong?" Kirito asked, seeing his face as well. Shouzou didn't answer.
"Hey, what's this?" Sora asked, picking something up on the table. The team turned to see him holding a document folder in his hand, and on the name tag, it had Asuna's name on it. "It has my name on it." Asuna responded as she, Kirito and Yui gathered around Sora. "These are hospital records." Kirito explained, "These are just the hard copy of them. I found my online back when I was ten." Shouzou looked to the folder, hesitant.
Asuna took the folder, paused for a second, then opened it up. She privately examined the contents as everyone watched, with Shouzou growing ever more nervous. Finally, Asuna paused on one sheet, looking at it, then she gasped in shock. "What?" Kirito asked. Asuna's pupil's shrunk, petrified. "No… No, this can't be…" Asuna muttered. "What is it?" Sora asked. "Mama?" Yui asked.
Asuna sharply turned to her father. "Father…is this….is this true?!" she demanded. Shouzou looked down, guilty. "Answer me!" barked Asuna. "What are you talking about?" Kirito asked. Asuna gritted her teeth as she shakily passed the documents to Kirito for him, Sora and Yui to read.
After examining the contents, Kirito was shocked, realizing what Asuna was talking about. Asuna covered her eyes with her hands, unable to take in the reality. "No way…" Kirito gasped, looking up at his girlfriend, "According to these documents…Asuna is…adopted."
Chapter 4: A True Yuuki
"Adopted?" Sora asked, looking at the contents, "So she's like you Kirito?" He nodded, but he was more focused onto Asuna, who was having trouble with this. He could relate. After all, he was traumatized from finding out that he was also adopted. The difference was that Asuna found out several years later ahead.
"You never knew?" Donald asked her. Asuna shook her head, unable to speak. She whipped around to Shouzou. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked angrily, "Why couldn't you tell I was not really your daughter?" "Please, you must understand…" Shouzou started. "No I don't understand!" Asuna shouted, "All this time, I thought I was truly part of this family! I thought I was a Yuuki! But all this time, it was really a lie?!"
"I never meant to deceive you." Shouzou responded, "You were so young when we found you, and we decided to take care of you. Your mother and I would tell you the truth when you grew up. But it looks like things just don't work out like they should, especially in these circumstances."
"Then tell me why wouldn't you have told me sooner." Asuna asked sternly, "Why is it that I never found out that I was adopted? What reason would you have on keeping this away from me?" Shouzou paused for a second, trying to find the right words. "The truth…was something even I couldn't believe." he answered, surprising Asuna.
He looked up at her. "You see, if I told you before all this, you wouldn't have believed me. However, you and Kazuto have journeyed beyond human understanding, to other worlds. Other dimensions. Even that weapon of yours, the Keyblade, is unbelievable. And what's happening to our city. Our world. I think it's time you learned the truth…"
(Flashback) Mrs. Yuuki was in the baby room, next to her three-year old son, nesting him in her lap. Mr. Yuuki was downstairs at his desk, going over some papers for his work. It was late in the evening. The moon was shining down through the window in front of him. It was a long and tiring day for him.
He pulled off his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes for just a second. He looked up into the sky, and saw something. A blue starry light started to shine down from the night sky. Shouzou blinked, then realized the light was getting brighter. No, rather it was getting closer. The light was drawing near his house.
His chair fell backwards as he stood up, walking back a few steps, unable to explain what he was seeing. The light started to grow brighter and brighter, drawing closer and closer. Shouzou quickly ran to the front door, and opened it up. By the time he got there, the light became unbearable. He shielded his eyes as the light floated down to his front step. He gazed at amazement as the light touched the ground, then disappeared.
For a second, nothing happened. Next thing, there was a sound of a baby crying, coming from the spot the light disappeared at. Shouzou crept closer and looked down at a baby girl, wrapped in a white cloth, her hazel hair starting to grow a bit on her head. A white necklace with a white and silver-lined star pendant was around her neck. She was crying like crazy.
Shouzou was startled. Where did this baby come from. He looked up at the sky, wondering. Was it all in his imagination? Did he really just see this girl fall from the sky? He slowly bent down and picked up the child in his arms. She couldn't have been over a month old. She continued to cry as he held her.
"What's going on, dear?" asked Mrs. Yuuki, rushing out of the house, "I saw a bright blue flash, then suddenly…" She gasped as she saw the baby in Shouzou's hands. "Wha…Who's this?" she demanded. "I don't know." Shouzou answered, "I don't even know how she came to be here. I saw the bright light come to this spot, and the next thing I know, she's right here."
"Well…what do you think we should do?" Mrs. Yuuki asked, "If we told anyone about this, we'll be the laughing stock of the city. Think of the scandals…" "But we can't just leave her here." Shouzou retorted, looking down at the baby, "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to have a daughter in the family as well? Maybe this is our chance."
"I don't know…" Mrs. Yuuki sounded unsure, "…It isn't right. I mean, baby girls just don't appear out of thin air. And besides, if we do take care of her, she won't be a true part of the Yuuki family." "I'm sure she will." Shouzou declared, "We can raise her as one of our own. Let's welcome her in with open arms, but let's not tell her about this, or anyone else. This is only between you and me, okay?" Mrs. Yuuki nodded.
Shouzou took the necklace around the baby's neck and looked at it. The star pendant was white-stained glass with silver frames, and brown stitching tying the piece together. He looked in the back, and saw something engraved on it. 'May it protect Asuna' was what it said. "Asuna…" echoed Shouzou, looking at the child, who calmed down and fell asleep in his hands, "So this is your name." He turned to his wife, then pocketed the pendant as he carried Asuna into the house. (Flashback ends)
Nobody made any sudden movements in the hospital room. Sora, Kirito, Donald, Goofy and Yui were all looking at Asuna, who was startled to hear the story of how she came to be here. "…This is the absolute truth." Shouzou ended, "I won't lie anymore on what happened that night. But the explanation is just confusing to me."
"So…what happened to the pendant?" Asuna asked, "The one that had my name on it?" Shouzou paused, then he opened a briefcase next to him, and pulled out the same pendant, dangling its' chain as he showed her. "I always kept it safe." he explained, "I cleaned it, fixed it, made sure it was intact. Apart from you, this was the only other thing that made me believe what happened that night was true. It's been a sort of good luck charm."
Asuna walked over and took the star pendant in her hands, examining it. "I think I know that." Sora recalled, "It's a Wayfinder." Sora pulled out Kairi's lucky charm and showed it to Asuna. "See? They're the same." he compared, "I mean, this one's made out of seashells. But still, they're the same size and everything." "A Wayfinder…" Asuna echoed, examining the pendant. She turned away from the group, staring at the window.
"Since they are basically the same design, what does this mean?" Kirito asked. "Maybe it's just a coin…conci…er…" Donald started. "Coincident?" Goofy guessed. "Yeah, that's it!" Donald responded. "I don't think that's the case." Yui denied.
"By all the ideas that I could think of, I couldn't figure out one answer. However, if you, Sora, have something similar to the pendant, then that means that…" "I'm not from this world." Asuna finished his statement, looking at the window. Everyone turned to her. "I can't believe it. I'm not even from this world, let alone this family." Asuna plainly stated, "I never knew I felt out of place until now. Question is; where did I come from? Who's my real family? And who am I really?"
Everyone continued to watch her cautiously. Asuna lowered the pendant and turned to Shouzou. "Father…even that name sounds fake now." she stated, "I'm not sure if I was really part of the family." "Asuna…" muttered Shouzou. "I need to be alone." Asuna told everyone, and she walked passed everyone, and out the door, passed the four standing outside. They looked confused and concern when they saw Asuna's expression. She didn't take the elevator, but instead took the stairs.
Everyone in the room just stood there. Not sure on what to say. "I should go talk to her." Kirito suggested. "Let me come, too." Sora asked. "No. You can't help this time, Sora." Kirito retorted, "I'm the only one here who understood what Asuna's going through…well the part about adoption. I should get through to her. You guys just stay here, okay?" Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded in understanding.
Kirito looked to Yui, who looked at the door, then at Kirito. "Will mama be okay?" she asked him. "Trust me, she'll be fine." Kirito answered, "I'll make sure she's okay." He patted Yui's head in a reassuring way. He then turned to Shouzou, who looked to Asuna's body in the bed, a look of regret across his face. Kirito didn't feel sorry for the man before him, nor was he angry. He wondered if his aunt felt the same way he was feeling right now.
Kirito stepped outside of the room. "What's going on?" Keiko asked. "Did you guys upset Asuna somehow?" demanded Rika. Kirito smiled innocently. "It's nothing you should concern yourselves with." he answered, "I'm gonna go talk to her." He walked over to the door that led to the stairs, opened it up, and stepped through.
He started to descend, trying to catch up with Asuna. He found her on the fifth floor staircase, leaning against the guardrail, looking at the white Wayfinder. She didn't make any sudden movements as Kirito stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at her.
"I'm so confused." said Asuna, a little choked up, "How did you deal with this, Kirito? How were you able to overcome these feelings, when you found out you were not really part of the family?" Kirito paused to find the answer, then he replied, "I guess I never got use to it."
(Cue Sword Art Online OST 'Past Sadness')
Asuna looked up at Kirito, who looked down back at her. "Back then, I questioned my own connection to the family constantly. I especially did so with Suguha. 'Who is she?' 'Did I really know anything about her?' 'Was I ever really part of this family?' These questions overwhelmed me constantly, and I felt like I didn't fit in. In a way, that's how I started to play online games. But during those two years in SAO, I realized I was separating myself from my family. I regretted doing that to Sugu. It took some time, but I managed to close that gap between me and them."
He looked directly at Asuna again as he continued, "I may not know what it was like to not be part of this world, but I do know this; all that you know about Mr. Yuuki is real. He may have been dishonest about where you came from, but everything else is the same about your family. All you can do is accept who they really are, and have faith in them. So don't separate yourself from Shouzou or any part of your family. You may not fully be part of the family, but you are still their daughter. You're still Asuna Yuuki, just like how I'm Kazuto Kirigaya."
Asuna looked up at him, her eyes tear soaked. While she believed in what Kirito had to say, she still couldn't bring herself to believing that the man several floors above her, inside the room where her body was in, was really her father. "I..I still don't know how to accept it." she muttered, lowering her head. Kirito walked down and patted her shoulder. "I know." he understood, "Just give it time. You'll come to terms with it."
For a while, they stared at each other, then Asuna said, "I want to step outside for a bit." "Sure. Let's go." Kirito replied. With that, he and Asuna walked down the stairs to the ground floor, going to the entry doors.
When they stepped outside, they had barely stepped a few paces when someone spoke up. "We meet again, Keyblade wielders." Vanitas said, leaning against the bus the team used. Asuna and Kirito immediately got serious as they saw him. "You again!" hissed Kirito.
Vanitas straightened himself and started walking towards them. "So how did you like my 'gift', Asuna?" he asked. "What do you mean?" questioned Asuna. "I mean those documents." Vanitas answered, "How does it feel to know the truth at long last? I expected you to figure it out sooner, but oh well."
"You knew?" Asuna asked, surprised, "You knew I wasn't really from this world?" "Exactly." Vanitas answered, "That was part of the reason I went to hunt you down before. Eight years ago, I was given the task to find you, and take you to Xehanort. However, some unexpected obstacles intrude in my path, and I ended up failing my mission. For a while, I was stuck in the darkness. That is, until my new master revived me, and given me the chance to complete my task."
He stared at the two, who produced their Keyblades, poised and prepared. "Tell me, how does it feel?" Vanitas asked Asuna, "You don't even know where you belong anymore…" "Shut up!" barked Asuna. "…No 'family' to turn to. No place you could consider 'home'…" "Shut up! Shut up!" repeated Asuna. "…You are alone." Vanitas continued, "With out a true mother or father. Or even a true sibling to turn to…"
"She said shut up!" growled Kirito, dashing forward, ready to strike. Vanitas raised his hand, and a billowing of flames appeared in front of him, blocking Kirito's path. Kirito stopped and doubled back as a familiar Unversed unveiled itself from the flames. It was the Iron Imprisoner. "Back for more?!" Kirito demanded. Asuna was slightly out of focus, having a hard time concentrating.
"Kirito! Asuna!" Sora called out. They turned to see Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui lead the rest of the group out meet them. Asuna saw Shouzou, and was a bit transfixed, all the things Vanitas was saying swarming her mind. "Concentrate, Asuna!" Kirito called to her. Asuna shook her head and turned back as Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui joined along side them.
The Iron Imprisoner looked the same as how they met it back in Yusnaan. However, in a flash, the gibbet vanished, revealing a pair of gray legs with black and blue bands on it. The Unversed roared in fury as it felt the new power released into it.
"It's gotten an upgrade." Kirito stated. "It lost its' gibbet, so it can't fire its' lasers anymore." Yui analyzed, "However, it can now do so much more than that. It's faster and stronger than before." "It may have gotten stronger, but so have we!" Kirito replied. ready to take on the new foe.
Chapter 5: Vs. Iron Imprisoner III
Kirito charged in first, ready to strike. The Unversed started spinning in a fiery tornado, and came at him. The flames were wider, and its attack was stronger. Kirito couldn't even make contact with it before get consumed by the flames, knocking him back continuously until he was knocked aside.
The Iron Imprisoner continued its' tornado path to the other fighters, who scattered as it passed by them. It angled its course, and started going at Asuna, who cartwheeled out of the way just in time.
It then turn its' attention to Sora and Goofy, who were trying to run away from it. They couldn't dodge it in time, and got hit hard by it. As Sora flailed in the air, he saw Goofy get hit, and he got angry. His eyes flashed bright green for a second, and he threw his Keyblade in a Payback Raid, hitting the Iron Imprisoner, and making it stop.
Sora caught his Keyblade as it came back, and charged at the Unversed. Kirito rushed alongside Sora, healed thanks to Donald. "Nice counterattack." Kirito complimented him, "When did you learn to do that?" "Honestly, I don't know." Sora replied, "I just did it. It's kinda strange." "Well, it doesn't matter." Kirito stated as the two boys jumped at the Unversed, "Just as long as you can do it!"
The two struck the Iron Imprisoner hard, striking with a double dose of combo strikes. It swung its' hammer at them, and they took damage as they were flung back. Asuna came from behind and used a Fire spell on it. It flinched, giving Asuna a chance to strike it a few times before doubling back. It recovered and buried into the ground, surprising Asuna. She looked around, wondering where it went. Suddenly, it appeared right underneath her, exploding out of the ground, sending her flying in pain.
"Asuna!" gasped Shouzou. Asuna recovered in midair, landing neatly on her feet. Asuna turned to see Ryoutarou and the others cheering them on. She saw Mr. Yuuki, who watched her fight. She looked at him for a second, then decided to focus herself back in the battle. "I'm gonna show this monster what I'm made of." she muttered, glowing a bright pink aura, "Savior Soul!"
In a cutscene, Asuna's Savior Form presented itself piece by piece, ending with her piece of hair falling over her shoulder. She landed onto the ground, causing a thunder shockwave at her feet. She stood straight up as she closed here eyes, her Keyblade in front of her face. "In a bright flash…I awaken, and strike!" she chanted calmly, opening her eyes and whipping her Keyblade to one side as she struck a pose.
She immediately dashed in with the rest of the group, and started striking heavily at the Iron Imprisoner. It was definitely a tough battle against it, even in the Soul Drive form. The Unversed was faster and stronger than before. Its' hammer brought more flames with every swing. It's fire tornado and eruption attacks were powerful. There was slim moments for opening after every attack it did. It even produced its' cage more often, trapping somebody in it. It was a force to be reckoned with.
Sora and Kirito skidded backwards as they endured another hammer swing from the Iron Imprisoner. "Damn, this thing's tough!" Kirito moaned, "There's just no way of landing a strong blow on it. Even Asuna in her Savior Form is struggling." "Then lets try THAT move." Sora suggested, smirking at him. Kirito looked to Sora, then realized what move he was talking about. "Then lets do it." Sora declared.
The two raised their Keyblades, and drew two Xs in front of them; one green, one yellow. "Cross Burst!" Kirito and Sora shouted in unison, and their Xs melded together, making a half-yellow, half-green X. The X settled itself onto the ground beneath their feet, and the two stood in between the X, enveloped by a green and yellow aura. They floated into the air in unison, and focused themselves on their target: The Iron Imprisoner.
"Spiral…" Sora started. "…Stream!" Kirito shouted. The two immediately rocketed towards their opponents, their Keyblades out front, the energy streaming around and behind them. They started spiraling around each other until they melded together, forming a yellow, green and white shooting star, the energy bursting from their body.
They rocketed at the Iron Imprisoner, who saw them coming, and disappeared underground. "Oh no!" shouted Sora. "Damn! It avoided our attack!" Kirito gasped. The two rocketed upwards, and their burst of energy dwindled away, leaving the two in midair. "Where did it go?" Sora asked looking around. Yui, Donald, Goofy and Asuna looked around, wondering the same thing.
Finally, Yui noticed a part of the ground glowing red, directly underneath Sora and Kirito. "Beneath you!" shouted Yui. The two looked down just in time to see it rupture from the ground, looking straight up at them. The two couldn't do anything to dodge it. It readied its' hammer, and swung twice. It knocked each of them with a swing each, sending them off in different directions. Sora flew straight into the woods, breaking a couple trees along the way, while Kirito crashed into the hospital building, leaving a big crater upon impact.
"Kirito! Sora!" gasped Asuna, looking at each place they fell. She then turned to the Iron Imprisoner, who stared at the four. Asuna grew angry. "You'll pay for that." she sneered, "Time for my Soul Finale!" She concentrated for her powers to rise, but nothing happened. Asuna tried hard, but was unable to use it. She looked down at her hands, surprised and scared.
"What's wrong?" Donald asked. "I…can't seem to do it." Asuna answered, "Why? I did it before, didn't I? Why can't I do it again?" She then recalled what Lightning said before about the Soul Finale. "…It will never come to you unless you fully embrace the connection of the soul within that Drive Form." "Is there a reason I can't embrace the connection?" she asked herself, "Maybe…I can't because my heart is so confused."
"Look out!" cried Goofy, pointing ahead. They looked up to see the Iron Imprisoner go into a fiery tornado, and started spinning towards them. Asuna decided to use her ground Finisher 'Razor Gale' at it. She spun her Keyblade fast and produced a disc of windy energy at the Unversed.
Both attacks made contact, but the Razor Gale disintegrated under the attack, and the Unversed continued its path. The startled Asuna just stood there, seeing it coming. She was knocked backwards, crying in pain, along with Donald, Goofy and Yui. She was tumbling on the ground until she came to a standstill, several meters away from the five watchers.
"Asuna!" Rika shouted. "Oh no!" Ryoutarou gasped. "Are you alright, Asuna?!" Shouzou asked. Asuna's Soul Drive disappeared, turning her back to normal. She struggled to sat up, and saw the Iron Imprisoner come to a standstill in the middle of the battlefield. She looked at all of her comrades. Donald was face down on the ground. Goofy was knocked into the bus, where he sat there unconscious. Yui was on her side near the hospital garden, also unconscious. There was no movement coming from the woods where Sora was in. And Kirito was bent over, struggling to get to his feet again.
Asuna was horrified at the tragedy she was seeing before her. "Is this…my fault?" Asuna asked, looking around. "Don't give up, Asuna!" cried Keiko. "Guys, get up now!" Rika demanded. "You know you have it in you!" shouted Andrew. "Get serious, will ya?!" demanded Ryoutarou.
Asuna and Shouzou made eye contact once more. She saw the look of worry on his face. He was extremely worried about Asuna. He was worried for his daughter. Asuna started to think back to the time when she was playing with her father as a child. They would have fun together when her dad wasn't busy with his business. They would usually go to the park, where Shouzou would push Asuna while she was on the swings.
She then started to think about her mother. Though she was tough on her to become successful, she did show signs of care for her when she succeeded in her grades. And she studied alongside her older brother, who helped her out in her studies. The smile on his face when they were together was always nostalgic.
All the memories of her family brought Asuna to the realization; even though they weren't her biological family, they were the ones that raised her. They were the ones that brought her to who she was today.
The Iron Imprisoner directed its' attention to the five watchers, who saw it gazing at them. "Crap, it's aiming at us!" Ryoutarou exclaimed. It drew itself near to them, its' hammer at the ready. The five of them were too scared to move. It raised its' hammer, the head of it flaming. After a two second pause, it brought it down upon them.
It was unknown how she moved so quickly, but Asuna was suddenly in front of the Iron Imprisoner. She raised her Keyblade, and jabbed it straight at the head of the hammer. Both weapons made contact, and both stopped moving. The impact caused a shockwave, but neither side moved.
"What do you think you are doing?" Asuna asked softly, glaring up at the Unversed, "Leave friends…and my father alone!" With a great surge of strength, Asuna pushed the hammer away, and did a lightning-fast rapid thrust onto the monstrosity, causing it continuous damage. She sent it flying several meters away, crashing back into the same spot it was before.
Asuna lowered her weapon and glared at the Unversed. "I know what you are trying to do, Vanitas. You are constantly trying to get under my skin to make me helpless. Well, it won't work for a third time!" Kirito dropped an empty potion bottle and looked to Asuna. "I may now know that I am not from this world, but this is where I was raised. This was where I gained friends. This is where my family is at. The connections I made in this world make it my home. So if anyone questions me on who I am, I'll simply say this: 'I am Asuna Yuuki! The Lightning Flash of SAO, chosen wielder of the Keyblade, and the daughter of the Yuuki family'!"
Everyone still conscious was surprised to hear her speech. Ryoutarou, Andrew, Rika and Keiko were especially surprised. Shouzou couldn't help but smile at his daughter's conviction. Sora, who was leaning on a tree, was amazed. Kirito felt proud of Asuna. She closed the gap a lot faster than he did.
"Now it's time for me to show my true resolve!" Asuna shouted, pulling out her Wayfinder, and raising it high. The Wayfinder started to glow a bright blue light. The Elucidator pendant around Kirito's neck also started to glow. He looked down at it, and felt the same power he had with Sora before. He looked at Asuna, and realized what this meant.
"Let's do this, Asuna!" Kirito shouted, racing right to her side. Asuna nodded in agreement. The two raised their Keyblades, and drew two Xs in front of them; one blue, one yellow. "Cross Burst!" Kirito and Asuna shouted in unison, and their Xs melded together, making a half-yellow, half-blue X. The X settled itself onto the ground beneath their feet, and the two stood in between the X, enveloped by a blue and yellow aura. They floated into the air in unison, and focused themselves on their target: The Iron Imprisoner.
"Starlight…" Asuna started. "…Shower!" Kirito finished. Asuna rose high into the air as Kirito rocketed forward in a bright yellow aura, his Keyblade out in front. Asuna raised her Keyblade high, and numerous stars started to shine around her. She then waved her Keyblade forward, and the stars started to rain down, rocketing forward alongside Kirito. The stars got in front, and started peppering away at the Iron Imprisoner rapidly, ending with Kirito piercing right through before coming at a standstill behind it. Asuna floated back to the ground, the Keyblade to her side.
The Iron Imprisoner started to shake. The damage was too much. He then consumed itself in a billowing of flames, before disappearing from view. It was beaten…for now.
Chapter 6: The Fate of the World
Kirito turned his head to Asuna, and happily grinned at her. Asuna smiled back, then did the same when she turned to her father, who looked to her proudly. The other four with Shouzou started to cheer in victory. Donald, Goofy and Yui all regained consciousness and got to their feet again. Sora walked out of the woods and joined Kirito.
The other four parted as Asuna walked up to her father. They started at each other for a while, then Shouzou said, "I'm really proud of you, Asuna. You make me glad to be your father." "And I'm glad to be your daughter." Asuna replied. She jumped forward and hugged her father, who hugged back.
"So touching…" Vanitas' voice called out, and everyone looked up to see him sitting on a ledge above their heads, with one foot dangling over and the other resting on the side. "You can't win, Vanitas!" Asuna spoke up to him, "You can't break me that easily."
Vanitas sighed. "I admit, this wasn't what I was hoping for. I admit defeat for now. I'll even call back all of my Unversed from this world. Though I can't say the same for the Heartless. They are beyond my control." "You bastard!" Sora snarled. "I'll let you guys decide on what you should do with this world." Vanitas continued, standing up as a portal opened from behind him. "Until then, keep getting stronger. I can't wait for our next encounter. Ciao!" And with that, he fell back into the portal, and disappeared from view, leaving everyone looking up at the spot he vanished from.
"What do we do now?" muttered Kirito, "The Heartless will consume this world into darkness if we don't do something about it." "We can't just stay here." Sora stated, "There are other worlds that need our help. And we can't split up either." "There's gotta be a way to protect this world." Asuna moaned as she looked about the city.
"I have an idea!" Goofy spoke up, "Why don't we ask Leafa and Recon to help out?" "You're right!" gasped Kirito, "This is just as much of their home as it is ours. Plus, they can get over here as well in their Gummi Ship." "Maybe even Riku and Kairi can join in." Sora suggested, "If I know them, and I do, they are more than willing to help." "Then it's settled." deduced Yui, "We head back to Yusnaan to pick them up, then bring them here." "Yeah!" cheered the six heroes.
Just then, a keychain appeared in front of Asuna. It was a silver chain, and the token looked like a silver frame around a blue water drop. Asuna took it in both hands, and immediately a voice called out to her. "I'll give you this, Asuna, so that I'll always be with you." Asuna looked around, wondering where it came from. Was that…Aqua's voice? Asuna thought to herself.
"Something wrong?" Kirito asked as the five other heroes gathered around Asuna. "N-No, I'm fine." Asuna stammered, "Anyways, what is this Keyblade?" "It's called 'Stormfall'." Yui explained, "It'll gives a great all around boost of strength. Plus, your magic power will restore faster after it is used up."
Asuna examined the chain, then replaced it with her new keychain. The new Keyblade was silver, grey and blue, with a jagged, crown-like teeth, a thin shaft with two diamond shaped bumps, and a rounded guard. "I know this Keyblade." Asuna remembered, "This was the weapon Aqua was using when I fought her in my heart a long time ago." "So it belongs to Aqua?" Sora asked. "Guess so." Asuna replied, looking at it.
"Let's think about this later." Kirito told Asuna, "Right now, we should get to Yusnaan to get Leafa and the others." "We'll hold down the fort until you guys bring them here." Ryoutarou assured them. "Come back soon." said Keiko. "You better give Vanitas a serious butt-whooping!" Rika stated. "Don't worry about us, okay?" Andrew told them.
Asuna looked to her father. "I have to go right now." she told him. "I know." Shouzou responded, "But I know you will do great." He looked up at Kirito and Sora. "Make sure you bring her back safely." "Absolutely!" Sora responded. "Believe me, she's strong even without our help." Kirito chuckled, "But we'll keep her safe. Don't worry."
Asuna turned to the group, then held out her white Wayfinder. She then lifted her hair, and placed the pendant around her neck before lowering it. The Wayfinder now fell onto her chest. She smiled at them, ready to go. The six heroes gathered together, and stared back at the people seeing them off. They waved to them as Yui called upon the ship. There was a bright light coming from the Gummi Ship, and they were immediately teleported upwards, disappearing from view. "Good luck, my daughter." muttered Shouzou, looking up into the sky.
Did anyone expect that? I mean, Asuna adopted? Believe me, things will get better as time goes on. For now, I'm just gonna leave you in suspense on what's gonna happen involving that.
And I just figured something out: the initials SAK not only could mean 'Sword Art Kingdom', but also the three main characters as well; Sora, Asuna, and Kirito. I just realized this. It's kinda weird.
As always, leave a review, tell your friends, and be patient for the next episode.
Next time on SAKII:
Sora: Another new tournament is about to start! But Kirito and Asuna are already tackling it!
Yui: Oh well. Let's go find Leafa, Riku and the others.
Leafa: Sora! Thank goodness. We need your help!
Sora: Why, what's up?
Riku: It's Kairi. She won't wake up!
Sora & Yui: Say what?!
Author: On the next 'Sword Art Kingdom II: Dimensional Bonds': Nightopia! Dancing Within the Dream!
Sora, Asuna & Kirito: Let's unlock the path to our bonded hearts!