I do not own or have any affiliations with Sword Art Online. I apologize for any spelling errors, grammatical errors or missing words that were made into the text. Thanks for the support of my great friends!

Chapter 25:

Overnighters Part 3: Excursion

Sunday, August 26th, 2030 11:45 AM

Kazuto was typing on his computer in the main bedroom in privacy.

Yumeko comes inside. She was helping Asuna make a special lunch after their breakfast was over.

"You two are done already?" The raven haired man asked her.

She gave a little nod, looking a little upset.

"What's the matter?" He put away the tablet-like PC.

The girl sighed. "Nothing I just got off the phone with Mama and Papa, Mama played the song on her ocarina...and I miss them again."

That's the fifth time... He smirked. "You know you could have booked a cheaper room, they could have taken you along with them."

Yumeko crinkled her eyebrows. "Deluxe parents deserve a deluxe room and nothing less." Her lower lip produced a childlike sulky expression.

Now I've done it. Kazuto patted the mattress offered her a place to sit. "I miss my parents and your aunt Suguha sometimes too. But to make me feel better, I use a special trick."

"Trick? What kind? Is it magical?"

"When it works it feel like that way." He smiled.

"What's the trick?"

He demonstrated for her. "I close my eyes try to picture their faces in my mind and think of one thing I admire about them for five seconds, and I stop missing them for a while."

"Did you come up with that on your own?"

Kazuto shook his head left to right. "It was Asuna's, she's really something."

"I think Papa told me something like that once, but I can't remember if I did it or not." Yumeko looked around the room aimlessly. Her eyes were drawn to a dark corner with an old chair, a bit of sunlight peeking through the white curtain.

Through the ray of sunlight, a helmet of a smooth, deep blue colour with a wire stretching out of a long pad from the back. Beside it was a ring shaped electronic with a magenta eye visor surrounded by a silver backing.

"If you like them so much you should look what I have in the drawer."

"Oh, I got distracted. I really like the design for the NerveGear. I think its better than the AmuSphere."

"I think you'll like what's in the drawer too."

"What the makes drawer so special?" She asked.

Kazuto chuckled. "Open it and you'll see."

Her natural curiousity getting the best of her, the girl gently pulled the golden knob.

The drawer revealed a small dome with what looked like it had a screen like a camera, it was not other than the [Audiovisual Bidirectional Communication Probe].

"It's a communication device. It's something my mechtronics class in high school came up with. Your mother gave me some advice on it a few times."

"Was it after she helped with the M...med..."

"MediCuboid, and yes. This probe is really more like a rough copy of the product, the real one is being held at my workplace right now."

"Oji-san."

"What is it?"

"Can I...try it on?" She pointed to the old virtual reality helmet.

He paused for a moment trying not to form fists with his hands as he didn't want to worry the girl beside him. His breathing went back from heavy to average and nodded his head. He picked it up and went down on his knees. "I have to warn it's a sort of heavy. I was a little surprise to find that out the first time I wore it."

"They all have beautiful designs, but I like the helmet the best." She stopped him before the putting the console on her. "I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room and returned with her cellphone. "I want Mama to see me it in. The camera is all set." Her voice was giddy and excited.

Kazuto had no choice but to unwillingly fulfill the request of his smiling niece. I have a feeling I'm going to to be getting a strongly worded email tonight. The picture was taken.

She requested for her phone back and opened to the photo gallery application and kindly asked to repeat the snapshot process until the look of its overall quality satisfied her. "I'm not old enough to full-dive yet. What's it like?"

"It's...hard to explain, once you get into it's a little surreal. Then one day, it just becomes a part of your life."

"I really want to know how to do all of this someday." Yumeko lowers her head with a smile. "I want to be as smart as Mama and just as nice as Papa when I'm older."

"I think that's a pretty good wish." Kazuto smiled.

They sit on the bed again as he carefully explains to her one of the projects he had the honor of being recruited for, alongside the female scientist.

"I need to work on my timing like you need to work on your words Kirito-kun. I feel like I'm missing out on some nice conversations like yesterday." Asuna teased as she walked in the room and kissed her fiance's lips.

"Asuna, there's a little G.I.R.L. here..." He blushed.

"That's okay, Mama and Papa kiss and fight in from me sometimes. You should still enjoy it while you still have each other."

Asuna ruffled Yumeko's hair. "Don't you think it's about time to give her surprise, Kirito-kun? She did help make it after all." The strawberry blonde chuckled.

They all were in the car.

Asuna was sitting the driver's seat as Kazuto wished to enjoy the ride and nice weather, not wanting to be distracted by the traffic light and other automobiles.

After the two respective females were ready and leaving the apartment, Kazuto told his bride-to-be that he needed to check something.

The woman and child left in summer dresses and a sun hat, excluding Yumeko, due to her preference for her red bell ribbon.

Waiting until the coast was clear, Kazuto swiftly rummaged into Yumeko's packed suitcase and swipes the leather bound notebook, smoothing his fingers across the book's material over the thick hand sewn leather inserts.

After informing Rinko that the old journal is currently in her daughter's custody, the young man asked why were thick like a computerized tablet as Kazuto knew that Rinko handmade it personally to add some more sentimental value. In the response email, she belittled herself for not inspecting accurately as she became both baffled and energized with the impromptu suitcase packing to pay more attention. Further along, the message said the reasoning behind the thickened leather inserts is that within them, are flattened folded pages which kept information from the beginning day of her pregnancy and the day she had the fact disclosed to her lover.

Feeling anxious, Kazuto felt a huge relief as it appeared the slit hadn't been looked at for years. He ached to read them, however the loyalty towards his elder was difficult to calculate as a whole number, never mind a whole percentage. Her personal life is none of his business. He exhaled and ignored her invitation to read those notes himself about the first week of the scientist's the future impending motherhood. Being one of the few people who knew the kindergartener's birth certificate name was enough and hurriedly relinquished the ludicrous logic of peer through the slit wider and forcing the pages to 'casually' ending up in his possession.

He had gotten a text from his fiance asking what was keeping him from getting out of the apartment.

The drive wasn't as long as Kazuto expected, as the city traffic was lower than usual and they were met with a thread of constant green lights.

The car's tires screeched at its sudden halt. Through the windshield a field of grass and trees.

It's been a long time since we last came. Asuna beamed.

"Where are we?" Yumeko asked from the backseat.

"A public park." Asuna turned around.

"Why are we here?" The girl asked.

"For a picnic of course." Asuna chuckled.

"Picnic?"

Asuna nodded. "It's been planned for a month now. But when you ended up with us this weekend, we couldn't reschedule, so we brought you along for some fresh air and exercise."

"So the food we made after breakfast was really for to eat here?"

Asuna laughed. "That's right." She got out of the car and opened the back door.

"Don't mention it. Your supposed to have a good summer vacation. Childhood only lasts so long." She extended her hand to help the girl out of the vehicle.

Kazuto takes out the basket, cooler and a blanket.

Asuna held his hand until the found a comfortable spot to sit.

Yumeko decided to walk a little more.

"Hey Kirito-kun, remember when we came here in high school?"

"Yeah I drove my motorcycle. I miss that thing."

"You were a little sad after you sold it."

"It was nice and hardly gave me any problems."

Asuna persuaded him to keep a watchful eye out for her as the girl warned them she was going to the woods moments ago, though she equipped with a celluar device, he went for the sake of his fiance who was still slightly jumpy from the occurrence of the previous day's outing.

Yumeko took each step carefully, smelling the scent of the surrounding leaves, feeling the warm humidity on the pores of her skin breathing in and out. "Thank you for coming along with me friend. It's nice to get out once in a while isn't it?" The girl smiled at looked to her left, talking aloud to her invisible companion. Through a random spectator's point of view, you would just make an assumption that she is only speaking to thin air. That was a fact she knew for quite some time. "I wish the other could see you. Being unseen day by day can get lonesome doesn't it? I'm sorry if you ever got bored with me, I'm not very interesting. I don't understand why you think so."

Looking above to the sky, a web of tree branches, pouring sunlight shining through the green leaves.

Yumeko lowers her head to relieve the slight burning sensation from her eyes.

Hoo hoo. Tu-whu. An unperturbed, tranquil calling brought her concentration to the tree a few feet away in front of her.

Hoo hoo. The sound was heard again.

The girl's eyes scanned the area.

Hoo hoo. She looked up at a thick brown branch, standing on it was a bird of prey. It's corporeal attributes included a round head, bright yellow eyes and a black bill fitting gracefully it's white feather filled body.

Yearning to capture the animal's brilliant and outstanding majesty, the schoolgirl carefully grabbed for one of the small pockets on the front end of her dress, while trying not to blink, thinking the snowy owl will be gone as soon as her eyes open. She jerked her head back as the wind picked up. The instant change of weather condition made her pores tingle on her arms, even her feet.

Yumeko witnessed the bird's wing spanning as if it was preparing to take flight.

Whoosh! An unforeseen, hard cool gust of wind traveled by.

Yumeko stuffed her red square glasses into the other pocket and covered her face with her hands as her 'friend' advised it will provide a safeguard for her face from dirt or other flying substances before the breeze blasted.

She uncovered her face and put her glasses back on.

The owl was gone, and so was the bell ribbon that was tied in her hair like a ponytail instead of the usual, where it was just on the back right side of her head. That was the jingle I heard. She spun around to each tree. Finally only a few minutes of looking around close to where she first observed the animal, she noticed something red hanging caught on a branch.

Despite the objections of her 'friend' warning her of the risk of danger of the height and injury were high, however so was the level of perseverance the female had to retrieve the hair accessory. I can reach it... I can reach it... The thought was repeated like a mantra. Next, she stretched her arm out enough to loosen the branch's hold. Got it! A beaming grin flourished on Yumeko's face like a flower bud in early spring time.

Geez, for someone who spends a lot of time at home, she walks pretty fast. Kazuto sighed still moving his feet onto the forest ground.

The black haired adult heard a shout of above.

"Oji-san, I'm up here." The voice was and odd mixture of childish fear and maturity.

Kazuto's mouth dropped open. "Yumemi-chan! How did you-! How long -!" He couldn't figure out a proper dialogue.

Creak! The branch made an unexpected sound.

I should have listened to my friend. She shut her eyes tight.

Snap! The limb was falling down, making the child come down with it.

Thud! The branch crashed into the dirt.

Kazuto miraculously has the small body in his arms and pulled her away from his chest and onto the soft ground.

His back hit the trunk in the midst of the urgent rescue action, possibly leaving one or more bruises. The mad exterior softened when he saw the young one wipe her eyes, and calmly placed his hand on her tiny shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I should have listened to my friend. Yumeko guilty reflected. More tears came in her eyes.

Thinking it was his abrupt yelling and the fall making her cry, Kazuto sat crossed legged beside his niece, wrapping her body with his arms, cringing at the newly given pain. "Are you okay?" The adult repeated.

"It's not it." She sniveled. "It's not it."

He softly hushed in her ear. "Yumemi-chan, why did you go up there? It was dangerous." He wiped her eyes. This hasn't been the best weekend for her. He kissed her forehead. "What's not it?"

Yumeko looks at him crestfallen. Her mine shaft grey eye were puffy and pink. "My ribbon." Her voice sounded frail.

"Ribbon?"

"The wind blew it away."

"What's in your hand then?"

Yumeko's fist opened, exposing a simple red ribbon slightly worn out. No trio of small silver bell in the middle. No pleasant chime.

Kazuto and Asuna knew of the forest clearing, as the area was being reconstructed for urban renewal scheduled to begin in late autumn, which is why they had decided to come here in the first place. They were planning to cut down that one too. He stroked her head.

"It's gone forever." She grabbed onto the folds of his shirt.

"Let's make a deal. I'll help you find it only if you promise not to climb."

She nodded in agreement.

"Yumemi-chan, why do you love that ribbon so much?" Kazuto limped towards his left side as the spot endured the most damage when colliding with the wooden plant.

"Onii-chan made it for me. He used the ribbon Papa bought and the undented bells from my bell rattle."

"I see. He's almost done high school right?"

Yumeko nodded. "He even got a baseball scholarship from a university he's going to after graduation. Fuko-oba-san, Namie-oba-san and Mama are very proud of him."

"That's great news. I hope things will work out for him." Kazuto praised.

Yumeko stopped in her tracks while Kazuto took some more steps then turned around.

"We should stop."

Kazuto stared at her, the girl's stamina depleted in a gloomy trance. "Is that want you really want? If you're tired than you can climb on my shoulders. I'm just sore."

She declined the offer, exhausted, hungry and worried about her aunt waiting for them to get back.

Explaining the situation to Asuna wasn't as easy as they had thought.

"How could someone as smart as you two be so reckless, irresponsible and incompetent in a place like this? Did you even consider what kind of trouble you could've gotten everyone else into with this little stunt?" Even during her educational training of becoming a middle school teacher has she neither seen nor heard of any event similar to what had happened only earlier that day, especially when the people involved were none other than a third-year kindergartener and a university graduate.

"I'm sorry. I just thought it was my ribbon. It blew away."

Asuna paused her lecture as her hand brushed Yumeko's lowered head.

"I'm sorry. My friend told me not to go up there, but I didn't listen. If oji-san hadn't come in time... So don't get mad at him. I'm the one responsible, I take full blame, one hundred percent."

What? They talked to each other? Kazuto clenched his fists then released them as soon as pressure of the tight grip entered his wound.

After all of the excitement and tension, the three decided to eat lunch.

Asuna suggested that they'd eat in the car for the sake of her partner's comfort. He rejected wanting to enjoy the experience once again as much as he was able to.

Yumeko gave him a plate, fork and knife while Asuna poured his drink.

Taking a greedy bite of his sandwich he licked his lips. "Great job as usual, Asuna. " He sipped his fizzy soft drink.

"I made that one." Yumeko exclaimed.

Kazuto couldn't believe his ears. She did this? Putting his plate down to the side he slowly tried to bend his back forward and winced.

"What are you doing Kirito-kun? It's going to cause more pain for later." Asuna touched his knee.

"I'm bowing down to one of the goddess' of cooking." He made a small grunt trying to lean more forward.

Goddess? Asuna blushed.

He felt small hands on the front of his shoulders, looking up to his niece's displeased pouting face almost an inch away from his.

I'm going to bow down to the one that got hurt because of me. Yumeko bent her knees and lowered her head, and made a solemn commitment not to climb anymore high places without any formal administration.

Asuna nodded as the child's words. "As long as you learned your lesson and keep that pact."

Yumeko returned to her spot. "But I don't get it... Why was there a ribbon tied to the branch in the first place?"

The couple glanced at each other.

"You see, Himeko-chan...starting something in the spring there's going to be a new shopping mall in this area. The company is planning to prepare the ground sometime in the next month." Asuna explained.

"I see..."

"We're sorry we couldn't tell you this before. It's just that we didn't know how to." Asuna continued.

"I get it." Yumeko understood. But won't the earth be sad about losing apart of itself because of business expansion? She bit her lips. Her so-called 'wonderful imaginary friend' said it was a possibilty for that to occur. She shook her head, forcing herself out of the introspective dazing mind state. "How is you working progress for that project? Mama doesn't really give any details about it at home."

She must mean the one that's almost done... Onee-sensei did tell her about it once or twice. "It's going great. It should be out by the beginning of next year. At least that's the company's goal."

"Do you have a name picked out?" Asuna joined in.

Kazuto nodded. "We're working under a prototype name, but the marketing one is still being looked at."

"What is it then?" The woman asked.

Kazuto took out his phone. The electronic note application reading the project title was read aloud, [Neural Optical Aural Lingual Phonetic Vitalizer].

"That sounds easy to forget and boring." Yumeko's excitement decreased.

"That's what your mother said. She came up with the last part." Kazuto replied.

"No wonder I like that part the best." Yumeko giggled.

"I came up with the first part..."

"I thought that part felt a little flat." The girl said bluntly.

"That's a little mean." Kazuto jokingly furrowed his eyebrows.

"I agree with her. The rest sounds fine, but that first word sounds like it could use a little more work."

"Why is that whenever you females say something another one has to the urge to add something?"

The woman and child share a look and direct their attention back to Kazuto.

"Women's intuition." They said in unison.

Kazuto let out a comedic yelp and gasp. "Where did you learn those words?" His eye's glared the little girl.

"Eh? What words?" Yumeko gave an innocent exterior alongside a hint of curiosity.

"You know what words I'm talking about." He kept this eyes fixated on the kindergartener.

Yumeko blinked. "Oh, you mean-!"

Kazuto cut her off. "Don't say them again!"

"Why not?"

"Because those are bad words."

Yumeko tilted her head. "They are? But I hear Mama, Fuko-oba-san and Namie-oba-san say it sometimes, and Papa and onii-chan are fine with it."

Asuna lightly tapped her shoulder. "Those words are completely fine, you can say them whenever you like. Your uncle is overreacting." She assured the little girl.

"Don't encourage her!"

After enjoying the food and glorious weather they began to pack up the materials.

Yumeko was holding the basket as Asuna carried the other things and was also helping Kazuto, disregarding his words telling her that he's fine and shouldn't worry so much.

The girl was just walking a few steps in front of a large tree standing to the left of her. What she heard made her knees weak.

Hoo hoo. Tu-whu. The same call of the bird she encountered during her walk.

Yumeko dropped the basket slowly on the grassand looked up with a beaming grin lighting her face with pure merriment.

"What happened Himeko-chan?" Asuna's voice came from behind her.

Just then the snowy owl swooped down coming between the three people. It's black bill had something in it. Something that made it jingle.

The couple stood in awe and bewilderment. It walked in front of the youngest and dropped the item. It was a piece of red, glossy fabric with three small silver trinkets attached to it. She girl picked it up. "Thank you." She whispered.

The owl stretched opened up its bill, its eyes giving a top a semicircle look as they were smiling as well. It extended its feathery wing. Yumeko shook the large tip lightly, and snuck a picture on her cellphone before it flew away.

Knowing that owls can be seen as a symbol of good fortune, Kazuto gave a half-smirk. Onee-sensei does call Yumemi her good luck charm.

Kazuto laid in his home comfort wardrobe of a plain black shirt and black sweatpants. He was laying flat of his back, and took two painkillers with a glass of water, feeling drowsy as the medicine's side effect.

The man heard the pitter-patter of heavy feet coming towards the room.

Yumeko was holding a sheet of paper in her hands. She climbed from the foot of the bed to crawl next to the man's torso, putting the paper in front of his face. "I made this for you." It was a picture of a rainbow, a smiling face and heart with a Get Well Soon message under it. "I made the same one for Papa and he said it made him feel better and after that I laid next to him until I fell asleep. When I started snoring Papa kissed and said he loves me very, very much."

Kazuto made a tired grin, his black irises making contact with her mine shaft coloured ones. "Thanks a lot Yumemi-chan. I feel a little better now. The story helped a bit." Kazuto took another peak of the paper drawn in crayons. Though the little girl showed obvious signs of having very high intelligence her artwork skills appeared to be quite average for her young age.

"I'd figure you'd be in here." Asuna came in the bedroom with a towel. "Himeko-chan it's time for your bath now. You want to be nice and clean when your parents come to get you tonight, right?"

Yumeko came down from the furniture as slowly as possible trying disturb the in-pain and sedated male.

"Klein-san said they'll be here in a couple of hours." Asuna informed. "Their going to be so happy seeing you after these long three days." She gave her niece a warm, affectionate embrace, transferring the grade-schooler of the room to letting her groom-to-be rest a little longer.

How long will the extra special project be taking? Having Asuna not know is almost criminal. Kazuto closed his eyes for a brief nap.

"Check-mate, oba-san." Yumeko chimed like an ornament.

"Not fair, that's twice in a row." Asuna moaned and gave a pouted expression.

"I warned you, she's really good." Kazuto praised as a cooling pack was attached to this back while sitting on the sofa.

The apartment door had a knock.

Asuna straightened herself and answered it. "Onee-san, Klein-san how are you?" She greeted them inside.

The couple both answered in tired, lethargic tone of voices. When they asked about Kazuto's unexpected medical condition, the younger adult made up a story about his injury, saying that he slipped on a wet spot in the forest, and landed on his back on a large tree root.

Yumeko ran to her stepfather first.

Klein lovingly stroked her neck with his fingertips like a cat before picking her up. "How's my sweetheart?"

Yumeko giggled. "You've been with Mama all day you should know by now."

"I meant my first sweetheart."

"Why are you asking Mama directly?"

Klein pressed his lips on her forehead. "That's because you're my first sweetheart."

Yumeko disagreed. "It should be Mama, she's the reason why you have me."

"Good job Himeko-chan." Asuna raised her thumb.

Her mother blushed and laughed. "I'm alright with being the second one, Yuyu." She smoothed over her daughter's blow dried hair.

Klein started kissing his step-daughter's face all over, in the similar fashion he used during her infancy. To add to the enjoyment, she still remained calm and appeared to be liking the gesture. "Do you know how many I wanted to kiss you instead of your mother?" He snuggled the small body.

Yumeko frowned with a mad look on her face.

The red haired adult bit his lips. "Oh right, she's the favourite parent..." How the hell do I get out of this one?

"Hey, go easy on him. The poor guy really missed snuggling and brushing your hair." Rinko kindly wrapped her arms around them.

Yumeko comfortably rested her head on Klein's shoulder. Mama's right, if I keep mad at Papa then... "Mama is my favourite parent and Papa is my favourite pillow." She kissed his cheek, yawned again, closing her eyes.

Klein kissed Rinko's lips as a non-verbal 'thank you' gift for preventing him getting into an ordeal with the kindergartner.

Asuna handed over Rinko the old handmade colourful quilt.

Some words were exchanged about the very much anticipated, forthcoming get-together organized to be taking place in one week.

Thank you very much for reading the chapter! Leave a review if you want!