The Tri-Blade Alliance

by Arctic01

Trapped. Like mice in a maze. The walls are closing in, and the only way out is to beat the game. To go it alone would be suicide. We need all the manpower we can get, and then some. Screw the reward. We'll break out of here. And we'll win. With the strongest players and guilds and...him, we can and will beat this game and escape with as little casualties as possible.

25. Chapter 25: Love Burns Brightest

The Tri-Blade Alliance

Chapter 25: Love Burns Brightest…

A/N: Warning: a bit of a dark start.

S/N: Dark indeed, like damn, man! What goes on in that fucked-up head of yours?

A/N: You don't want to know.

S/N: Yeah, I bet! (Sighs) Anyway, we don't own SAO.

(x)

Arctic opened his eyes and looked around. Darkness everywhere. The only source of light was the torch that appeared in his hand, something he knew wasn't there before. In his left hand was his Darkness Blade, but when he looked down at it, he felt nauseous. He dropped the sword and collapsed to his knees, feeling like throwing up. "What's going on here?" Arctic asked himself as the nausea passed over him.

"Look." A ghostly voiced whispered in the hero's ears, sending chills up and down his spine. "You have reaped what you have sown."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Arctic called as he jumped to his feet. Despite having fell to the ground, the torch's light never went out.

Arctic froze as a new voice whispered in his other ear. "All the blood on my hands is on yours now...mate." His eyes widened as he turned to the direction of the voice, and he once again felt like throwing up when he saw what he saw.

Kutthroat was standing in front of Arctic, a sword stabbed through him and blood dripping down the blade. The evil smile never left the specter's face, making it all the more terrifying. "They're calling." That was all the ghost had to say before he disappeared into the darkness.

"Wait!" Arctic reached a hand out to where his predecessor to the Darkness Blade went, but he was too late. Soon after, he began clutching his head in pain as he heard the voices.

"You killed us, Shadow."

"You have the weapon that killed me."

"Why? Why did I have to die?"

"You're no hero."

"A real hero would've looked for him; for the killer."

"All you did was play mercenary."

"How do you live with yourself?"

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Arctic screamed as the voices overwhelmed him. He felt a hand touch his head, and when he looked up, his eyes widened in shock.

Takano stood in front of him, bloodied with a gaping wound in her chest from where she was stabbed by the very person who was staring at her. "I never loved you," the ghost smiled evilly.

"T-Takano?" Arctic asked weakly.

"Goodbye, my 'love'." With that, Takano pushed Arctic back, and he found himself falling through an endless void, constantly tormented by the accusations and statements of the fallen, innocent and killer alike.

(x)

Arctic woke up, screaming as he sat up. He stopped screaming as he looked around. He was back in his room in the Tri-Blade Alliance's guild house. He inhaled and exhaled shakily, trying and failing to calm his nerves.

"All the blood on my hands is on yours now...mate."

"I never loved you. Goodbye."

"You're no hero."

The voices were still there; he still heard them, albeit faintly. Arctic buried his head in his hands as he quietly sobbed, repeatedly asking himself:

Will he ever be free of this pain?

Unbeknownst to him, his screams woke up one other person, and that person was currently outside his door, listening to his cries. "Why?" Despite it being a whisper, Skye could hear Arctic clearly, and her heart broke at what she heard next. "Why can't I love? Why haven't I moved on? Why am I being tortured like this?"

Deciding that enough was enough, Skye knocked on Arctic's door lightly, and wasn't surprised to hear shuffling approaching the door. The door opened, and Skye saw Arctic standing in front of her, and he was wiping some tears away. "Are you okay?" Skye asked Arctic as she comfortingly placed a hand on his arm.

Arctic nodded. "It was just a nightmare."

"Must've been pretty bad. Can I come in?"

"Of course." Arctic gestured towards his room, and Skye walked in. "You wanna talk about something?"

"Yes, actually. Let's talk about you." Noticing Arctic's face, Skye quickly added, "About the nightmare you've been having. It'll do you some good to get it out."

"If you say so. Get ready; it's pretty vivid." Skye sat on Arctic's bed, listening intently. After taking a breath to calm himself, Arctic began explaining his nightmare in full detail. Throughout his tale, Skye's expression became that of horror and shock. Once Arctic finished, he looked towards Skye. "You can see why I've become a bit cynical, right?"

"Obviously. How do you live with that?!"

"I try to forget, but something won't let me."

"Do you have any idea what it is?" When Arctic shook his head, Skye sighed. "Figures." She got up from the bed and stretched. "Try to get some more sleep."

"Sure thing." Arctic got up and walked with Skye to the exit of the room. "I'll see you in the morning."

Skye was about to leave the room; she already had one foot out the door before she stopped. She turned around and quickly gave Arctic a kiss on his cheek, stunning the former mercenary. "Good night." Skye smiled before turning and leaving, closing the door behind her.

What bothered Arctic wasn't that she kissed him; what bothered him was that, during that brief exchange, the lapis lazuli teardrop on Arctic's necklace glowed the brightest it ever had, and the light extinguished when Skye left.

(x)

"What should we do today?" Akira asked as she and Solar ate.

Solar chewed on his sandwich for a bit before swallowing it. He snapped his fingers as a thought came to his mind. "We could go spend today at the Town of Beginnings. Or at another town. Y'know, go around town, maybe buy some new things. Of course, I wouldn't say no to some hunting or training."

"...How about Lindas? We could visit Liz while we're there," Akira suggested.

"Sure. Let's get changed into our civilian clothes, put our weapons in our inventories, then head out. I'll change out here; you go to the room." Akira nodded after she ate the last of her sandwich. She got up and walked towards the room, but not before kissing Solar on the cheek, leaving the leader smiling. He stood up and stretched. He then opened his menu and changed into a red long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and red-and-black sneakers. He moved his weapon into his inventory. He heard the door to his and Akira's room open, and turned to face her. Akira was wearing a pink-and-white sweater with a collar so wide that it was going off her right shoulder, as well as a skirt and leggings, and high-heeled boots. "Ready?"

Akira nodded. "Let's go." With that, the couple left to start their day.

Once they were outside, they both raised teleport crystals, and simultaneously called, "Teleport: Lindas!" They disappeared in a flash of blue light.

(x)

"What first?" Akira asked as she swung her arms back and forth.

"Hmm." Solar placed his hand under his chin in thought, then looked up as he said, "How about Liz's smithy? We'll go there as customers, okay?"

"Lead the way." Akira wrapped her arms around Solar's arm, and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.

While they were walking, they picked up some snippets of conversation, starting from when two players walked past them, then did a double take. "Wait, is that really―?"

"I dunno. Go and see."

The next part of the conversation was easily heard, as it was behind them. "Excuse me? Are you Solar?"

Solar and Akira turned around. "Yeah. Why?" Solar questioned as Akira tightened her grip on his arm.

"Wait, for real?!" The player's friend joined him, and both men started jumping up and down in glee. "Oh my god, we're such huge fans!"

"Why? We haven't done anything much."

"Said no floor clearing badass ever!" The player's friend rolled his eyes while maintaining his smile.

"Okay, what is going on?" Akira asked.

Both players gasped when she spoke up. "It's really her!" By this point, everyone in the plaza had surrounded the four.

"Guys. Please. Explain." Solar was beginning to look annoyed.

"Okay, okay! Ever since you became the leader of the Tri-Blade Alliance, you've been recognized as the face of the guild! From that point, every Tri-Blade accomplishment became recognized as your own."

"Are you serious?" The player nodded. "Great. Publicity. The one thing I didn't want."

"What?! Are you kidding?! You know how many players would literally kill for publicity like yours, right?"

"Last I checked, we took down the largest murder guild in SAO in what has been dubbed 'The Final Battle'."

"You did! And you also revealed your Quick Draw, which you never showed before!"

"Drop it."

"But―"

"Drop. It."

"Yes sir."

"Don't call me sir. Makes me feel like I'm better than you, which I'm not. Now can we wrap this up? I wanted to spend today with my girlfriend."

"Okay. Whatever you want, si―Solar," the player quickly corrected himself when he noticed Solar's glare.

"Good." Solar and Akira turned to leave, until Solar stopped. He looked over his shoulder at the players. "What're your thoughts on Arctic?"

"Him? Well, while he did leave you and the guild, he did help out a lot as Shadow. So, we're still not sure about how we feel about him."

"I hope the result is a positive one." On that note, Solar and Akira left.

(x)

"Welcome to Lizbeth's Blacksmith Shop! How can I help...you…?" Liz stared at her two newest customers. "I thought you two were on vacation!"

"We are," Akira said as she looked over the axe collection Liz had. "We're here as customers."

"Speaking of which," Solar said as he walked up to the counter, "can I ask for an upgrade to this new weapon I got?"

"Sure. Let me see it." Solar removed his weapon from his inventory and presented it to Liz, who took it and unsheathed it, looking it over. "What kind of weapon is this? I've never seen it before."

"That, my friend, is an O-Katana. It's one that was specifically made to be sheathed on the back, not on the side. As a result, it doesn't have a curve like all other katanas, but the drawing speed with this surpasses all."

"Black handle and crossguard, and a red blade, huh? Somehow fitting. Does it have a name?"

"I call it 'Infinity Blazer'."

"That's a really cool name."

"Thanks. Can you upgrade it for me?"

"What do you want? Faster drawing speed? More sharpness? More lightness?"

"The last two, if you can."

"Give me a minute." Solar patiently waited as Liz walked into the back room.

He turned to see Akira lift up an axe. "Found one you like, sweetie?"

Akira looked towards Solar. "Possibly. Still looking, though."

"Don't take too long, if you can help it." Akira nodded as she put the axe back and kept looking.

"All done!" Solar turned back around to see Liz with his sword in her arms. "All the upgrades you asked for!"

"Thanks, Liz. You really are the best."

"In the…" Liz smiled as she waited for Solar to finish the joke.

"Sorry, only Arctic can make that joke."

"That's fair. That'll be 5,000 Col."

"Done." Solar paid Liz in full as he took his weapon back.

"I've found one!" Liz and Solar looked at Akira as she walked up to the front. She had an axe that had a very unique color scheme. It had a stark white blade, and a hot pink handle. "I get the feeling you were thinking of me when you made this, Liz."

"Funny enough, I actually was. It suits you. You want it?" Akira nodded. "2,500 Col." Akira paid Liz as she transferred the weapon to her inventory. "You wanna name it?"

"I'll come up with something later. Right now," Akira pulled Solar close to her, "I've got to spend some time with my man."

"Have fun, you two!" The couple waved at Liz, who was waving at the two while they left.

(x)

June 4, 2024

"Arctic…" a voice faintly called. The player being called out to snapped out of his stupor when the person said, "HEY!"

"What?" he asked, looking at Eros in slight annoyance.

"Are you alright? We had to call you like, five times. Did you get any form of sleep?"

"Yeah," Arctic lied through his teeth. This prompted a raised eyebrow from Skye, who knew otherwise.

"Doesn't look like it," Cupid remarked.

"Sorry. I'm just used to sleeping outdoors. The cool air helps me sleep easier."

"Right. Well, d'you know the strategy we're doing?"

"Of course. Heathcliff told me. But, um, exactly how long has it been without Solar and Akira?"

"I'd say, a couple weeks now." Cupid looked towards the silent Skye. "Hey, Skye, you doing okay? You're abnormally quiet over there."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" Skye waved off Cupid's concerns and smiled to reassure her friend.

"Anyways," Pearce drew the attention back to the papers on the table. "How powerful is Gilgamesh, exactly?"

"Like I said, you'll need four armor sets, which I gave out, and we'll need to hone our AGI to avoid the swords he'll launch at us."

"Just swords?"

"Yep. And I gotta say, I respect Kayaba; never took him as the kinda guy to watch anime, let alone any of the Fate ones."

"Mm-hmm. Really puts into perspective how much effort he put into this game. But I digress. Anything else we need to know?"

"If your shields don't work, then you should probably fall back with the archers and blast away his swords. And once again, sharpen your reflexes."

"Easy for you to say," Eros scoffed.

"Hey, if I can dodge, anyone can." Arctic stood up. "I'mma head out now. You know where to find me."

(x)

Outside, Arctic leaned on the base of his tree with his arms crossed while all the members of the Tri-Blade Alliance and the Knights of the Blood Oath were training. He was dozing off, nodding in and out of sleep. Finally, when it looked like he was about to get some actual rest, he said, "Get off my tree, Bella."

"One of these days, I will get you," the Silver Shadow stated while she jumped down next to him.

"Good luck with that; in case you forgot, I'm not Kirito. And should the day come where you manage to catch me off guard, then I'll gladly eat a Taijitu Snake raw."

"I will hold you to that," Bella said with an evil smirk.

"May I ask why you're bothering me?"

"No, but may I ask how you're feeling?"

"Getting better. Slow and steady, y'know?"

"As long as you're getting better. And did Kirito tell you?"

"That you're participating in the boss raid? Yeah. Honestly, this will go a whole lot easier with the Silver Shadow joining us."

"It wasn't easy enough with SAO's Shadow?"

"You can never have too much back-up. And nothing says 'back-up' like two shadows."

"I agree." She looked towards the morning sun, then back at the guild members who were training. "Did you find anyone special, yet?"

Before Arctic could respond, he picked his head up when he heard a pair of footprints. This prompted Bella to tense up, until Arctic reassured her, "Relax. It's just Kirito."

"No one else?" When Arctic nodded, the Silver Shadow smiled mischievously. "Wait here." She climbed up the tree, disappearing from sight once Kirito showed up. During this, Arctic resumed his leaning on the tree, his hood now up to block the sun's harsh rays.

"Hey," Kirito said once he spotted SAO's Shadow. "I thought you'd be up on the branch."

"Not today, my friend. Why are you here?"

"Asuna wanted me to tell you: Heathcliff moved the day of the raid to tomorrow."

"Son of a bitch! He did?!" Arctic uncrossed his arms and stood up straight as he gave his full attention to the Black Swordsman.

"I know. I was just as shocked as you are. But, he is the commander of the K.O.B. If he thinks we're ready, then so be it." He looked around, suddenly on high alert. "Have you seen Bella anywhere?"

With his hood up, and leaning on the tree once more, Arctic sneaked a glance up to where Bella lay in hiding. The female player smiled and motioned for him to keep quiet. "Nope," he stated. "Haven't seen her."

"Really? Damn, she said she'd be here."

"And I am," Bella said behind her companion, who jumped five miles in the air.

"Every time!" Kirito said, putting a hand on his chest to calm his racing heartbeat.

"If this happens every time," Arctic remarked with a smile, evident even under his hood, as he continued leaning, "then you would've learned by now."

"Quiet, you," Kirito growled towards his friend, who merely held his hands up in surrender. "I take it you heard everything?" he asked, turning towards Bella once she stopped laughing her ass off.

"The raid's tomorrow? Any particular reason why Heathcliff made such a bold move?"

"I dunno. Maybe he feels that everyone's ready. I'll see you back home." Kirito turned to Arctic again once Bella disappeared back into the woods. "You all right? You look like you haven't slept in a week."

"I'm fine. And you shouldn't worry about me; leave that job to Asuna."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kirito asked, suddenly defensive once Arctic mentioned the vice commander's name.

"Whoa, why so defensive? You can have her, man." Kirito blushed and sputtered, trying to come up with an answer. "And besides, shouldn't you know the answer to that? I mean, you have been spending a lot of time with her lately." Arctic chuckled and proceeded to jump onto his branch and take a nap while Kirito blushed even more furiously and stuttered some more, before sighing defeatedly.

(x)

The next day…

Floor 70: Boss Dungeon

"Listen up!" All the chattering players stopped and focused their attention on the former mercenary. "I know the vast majority of you don't trust me! But I'm asking you, as your peer and as your friend, help us win! Help us get one step closer to clearing this goddamned game, once and for all!" As Arctic finished, he raised his fist in the air as a call to arms, one that everyone responded to with their own fist pumps and battle cries. "Now, as a brave warrior once said, 'Let's win!'" More cheering ensued as Arctic turned to open the door to the boss room. For reassurance, he looked over at his friends, all of whom nodded in determination. Nodding back, Arctic turned to face the door. He called, "To those I gave those special armor sets to, equip them. Now."

"Done!" Each of the tanks that were chosen called one by one.

"Good." Without another word, Arctic opened the door and walked in front of everyone, who followed closely behind.

The room was dimly lit, with candles being the only source of light. However, once the last person entered and the doors closed, an ominous wind blew out the candles. A second after, the room suddenly lit up, blinding everyone who looked up. Once their vision cleared, they looked at the throne that was all the way on the other side of the boss room. On it sat a humanoid figure, with golden hair and red eyes that pierced through anyone who looked at them. Unlike the other bosses, who each wore some form of armor, this boss was wearing casual clothing, no trace of armor on him. The expression on the boss' face was that of an arrogant person, most likely because he had the skill to justify his attitude. He stood up and walked down the steps to his throne, and walked towards the players. Once he stopped in front of Arctic, they saw that the boss was only a couple inches taller than Arctic, making this boss the most human. The boss smirked as he looked at Arctic, and as several portals appeared behind him. From those portals, various swords came out slowly, and the boss' health bars appeared. The name above those bars read, 'The King of Heroes: Gilgamesh', and the boss kept one hand in his pocket. Gilgamesh used the other to taunt the players by motioning for them to attack him.

"Wait," Arctic called, putting his hand out to stop the advancing forces. "You don't know what he'll do," he said turning to face the soldiers. "I'll test his skills." Immediately after he turned, Gilgamesh launched a sword at him. Everyone cried out in alarm, before the boss's intended target caught the blade in his hand, breaking it afterwards.

"I wasn't finished," Arctic growled.

Gilgamesh retained his smirk, and spoke, which surprised everyone. "Interesting. But your reflexes won't be enough, maggot."

The former mercenary smirked as his nightmarish red eyes met the boss's. "That's not all I have," he replied, drawing the Darkness Blade. Gilgamesh's lip curled upwards in disgust.

"A faker. How nice." Gilgamesh smirked once again as more swords appeared behind all around them. "Arctic", and everyone else, got ready to fight. "This will be more fun than I thought."

(x)

Meanwhile...

"So what should we do today, Aki?" Solar asked Akira as he stretched on the balcony.

"Well," Akira mused, "it is one of the best days in this season. And we do have a lake for now."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Let's go swimming today!"

"All right! I'll go get our things ready."

"I'll go prepare the lunch!"

After half an hour (Akira was really picky about what swimsuits they were going to wear), the couple walked out and along the shoreline. "Don't worry about anyone seeing us, sweetie. I picked this place for our vacation because it's secluded."

"Once again, smart choice. Let's set down here!" Solar nodded, then placed a blanket on the spot Akira recommended. Akira placed the picnic basket on the blanket. "C'mon!" Ignoring Solar's cry of protest, the Slasher Chick grabbed her boyfriend's hand and ran into the water, dragging him with her.

They spent the next few hours playing around in the water. They decided to take a lunch break, and were currently eating some sandwiches that Akira made. Solar finished his sandwich, then peeked over at his love. While Solar himself was wearing red swim trunks, Akira was wearing a pink and white two piece bathing suit. Solar found himself entranced by her beauty. How did I get so lucky? Once Akira finished, she glanced over at Solar, who blushed and looked away when he learned that he'd been caught staring. "So we should probably wait an hour or so before going back in," Solar suggested, the blush still evident on his face.

Akira nodded in agreement, and leaned on Solar as the two watched the lake. "So how long do we have left? In the vacation, I meant."

"You made a good choice in being specific. If you didn't, I would've made a smartass remark. To answer your question, we've got a couple weeks left in the vacation."

"And last I checked, the floor boss fight is happening in two weeks. Around the same time our vacation ends."

"That's what I heard, too. You don't think…?"

"That maybe they planned this so we wouldn't have to take part in this boss raid, and we could enjoy time to ourselves? Maybe."

"I love those guys."

"Me too." The two sat in silence for a bit longer, before Akira looked up at Solar. "How did you meet Pearce, anyway? And why is he so loyal to you?"

"Why the sudden curiosity?" Akira shrugged. "Okay, then. A couple weeks after Arctic left―before I met Shadow―I was walking around one of the floors. People were running past me, and I had no choice but to follow when one of them told me that someone was going to jump off of Aincrad. I saw a player, who I later learned had lost his friends to a field boss he cleared, about to jump off. I ran forward, and grabbed him before he could jump. He was struggling like crazy. Eventually, he calmed down and started crying, most likely for his friends. I talked to him, and I scolded him for giving up so easily. I told them that there was a way for his friends to be avenged; by clearing this game. Apparently, he took my words to heart, because I saw him a few weeks later, and he wanted to join our guild."

"I think I know the answer to this already, but who was the player?"

"It was Pearce. For those solid few weeks, he trained himself to fight with a bow. Now, he can match me with my sword." Akira's eyes widened. "I personally checked. Ever since, he listened to me above all else. He told me it's because I gave him a chance."

"Damn. I had no idea."

"You see why I treat him with respect, right? He could've easily just committed suicide during that one week, but he had the strength to keep going, unlike most people would've." On that note, the two kept staring at the sea and admiring it, before Solar had an idea. He stood up and offered a hand to Akira, who took it and used it to get up. "I did a little scouting around this place earlier, and I found a good spot. Wanna see?" Akira nodded, and they walked into the forest surrounding the house. The forest had been cleared of most mobs, but any they would encounter would be easy.

Later...

"Here it is!" Solar stepped through a bunch of trees that were blocking something. He gestured out to the area. "What do you think?"

"I think," Akira started, "it's beautiful!" The two were standing in a hidden field, and they were currently overlooking the sea at a higher elevation. From this area, the sun, which had begun setting, was in clear view, with just enough shade in the area to avoid the sun getting in the eyes of those who watched it. The orange glow of the setting sun was bouncing off the water, and somehow made the water sparkle. "We should come here for the rest of the vacation!"

"I wholeheartedly agree. Now let's go. It's getting late." Akira nodded, and, after her arms around Solar's arm, began walking back to their temporary home with him. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Not today. I love you, too, sweetie."

(x)

Back at Floor 70…

"55 swords." This statement was spoken by the Silent Savior as he jumped down. "That's how much you can launch in a minute. Afterwards, you're vulnerable for about 15 seconds." "Arctic" smirked as he charged the Darkness Blade. "That's more than enough time we need to kill you."

"Damn you…!" Gilgamesh growled, one hand and knee on the floor to prevent himself from falling due to exhaustion.

"Attack now!" Heathcliff shouted as everyone rushed the downed Gilgamesh. While he dodged most of their attacks, he was forced to tank some of the stronger strikes, bringing him down to half of the first of his four HP bars. Once 15 seconds passed, the King of Heroes threw his arms out to his sides and let a barrier loose, knocking back his assailants. He arrogantly smiled as he stood up straight. This time, multiple swords jetted out of the Gates of Babylon.

"Tanks, now!" Asuna shouted before she dodged all of the blades heading her way.

"On it!" the 12 soldiers shouted, forming a circle around the others and raising their shields. The blades launched at the soldiers were caught by the shields, the tanks using this to their advantage by rushing and bashing Gilgamesh with their new pincushions. Gilgamesh screamed in pain as his HP dropped into the second bar.

"You mongrels!" he growled out. "How are you doing this? How dare you attack your king?!"

"You're no king," Asuna stated. "And you can thank Arctic for exploiting your weakness."

"Arctic?" Gilgamesh asked in confusion. It wasn't long before he started laughing cruelly. "The warrior you call Arctic―he isn't here."

"What?" everyone asked in shock.

"Are you all deaf? He's not here. All that remains is his Shadow. But if you truly wish to know…" Gilgamesh smiled cruelly as a Gate opened up behind one of the tanks.

"One key feature about a man is his loyalty. Arctic would never let someone die while he's around; I wonder if Shadow would do the same." Upon saying this, a sword was launched at the tank. He turned to block it, but it came at him too fast, so he had no choice but to try to take it head on.

Ting!

Upon hearing the impact of steel on steel, the tank opened his eyes to see "Arctic" stand in front of him, the sword he blocked laying on the floor in pieces.

"You okay?" the hero asked, not bothering to look at the tank.

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet." He helped the tank to his feet. "I'll aggro him; once he's vulnerable, then everyone has to attack."

"But that's not the strategy Commander Heathcliff gave us!"

"Sometimes, a well-made plan doesn't work; it's often best to think on your feet." Without waiting for a reply, "Arctic" rushed the boss.

"Are you that eager to be squashed, maggot?" Gilgamesh rhetorically asked as he opened more Gates. "If so, I'll be more than happy to kill you!"

"Arctic" said nothing, opting to dodge the blades alongside Bella, breaking those that came too close to him.

"How much longer?" Bella asked herself as she twisted and dodged about, infuriating the King of Heroes.

"Stay still, you brats!" he growled as the frequency of the blades increased. Gilgamesh suddenly thought of something, and it would surely test the mercenary's loyalties. He opened a portal behind Bella, and watched with sadistic glee as a sword jetted out to attack the Silver Shadow.

All Bella could do was watch in horror as "Arctic" shoved her out of the way, all because, and this was rare for her, she was too damn slow. "Arctic" got pierced in the shoulder by a sword, then in the leg by another. Finally, he stopped in shock after he felt a third sword lodge itself in his back. He fell to his knees, strangely clutching his head like it was about to split open. "NO!" Bella shouted as she rushed to her friend's side.

"DIE!" Gilgamesh smiled evilly as he launched another wave of swords at the struggling "hero", and at the girl dumb enough to go to his side.

(x)

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Shadow crossed his arms as he stared at his other half, who was kneeling and holding his chest in pain.

"What does it look like? I'm saving our friend!" Arctic glared at Shadow as he got back to his feet.

"I don't have friends. All they are to me are meat shields for your body, so we can both live!" Shadow uncrossed his arms as he walked towards Arctic.

"How can you say that?! Bella was one of the few people who knew your identity!"

"All the more reason to use her as a meat shield! She'd understand."

"I'm not dealing with this right now." Arctic turned his back on Shadow to resume control of the body. That was, until he was turned around by Shadow and received a punch to the cheek.

As Arctic got back up, Shadow spoke. "Not so fast, buddy! I'm in control, remember?"

Arctic grabbed Shadow's shoulder and drove his fist into the red-eyed being's gut, feeling silent glee when he saw saliva come out of Shadow's mouth as he grunted in pain. "And don't forget who let you take control!" In response, Shadow punched Arctic again, who retaliated with a punch of his own, this time aimed at the mercenary's face. Once he recovered, Shadow grabbed Arctic and headbutted him twice, bringing the former leader down to his knees. As Shadow was going for a third headbutt, Arctic suddenly reached up, grabbed the collar of Shadow's coat, and headbutted the mercenary with twice as much force as Shadow had used on him. "I won't let you haunt me again!"

"Sorry to say," Shadow seethed as he and Arctic got up, "but as long as I'm stuck in here, neither of us will be free from the other!" Arctic growled, then gasped when he saw something in the "real" world. "What now?!"

"Look!" Arctic pointed to his left, and Shadow turned in the direction indicated. His eyes widened when he saw the current boss fight in his field of vision. He and Arctic looked to the right and saw Skye at the body's side. At the left was Asuna. In front of them was Gilgamesh, who was opening two portals, aimed directly at the females. Already, two swords were coming out; the portal in front of Asuna held the Sword of Shadows, while the one in front of Skye held Arctic's original sword. Shadow looked to Arctic, who swiftly responded with, "I know for a fact that you won't help Asuna, so save Skye! Please!" Shadow nodded, and ran to the right, while Arctic ran to the left.

(x)

Meanwhile…

"DIE!" Gilgamesh smiled evilly as he launched another wave of swords at the struggling "hero", and at the girl dumb enough to go to his side.

"NO!" Skye, Asuna, and Bella shouted as they ran to his side.

"Get back!" "Arctic" somehow got out, his voice sounding like two different people speaking at the same time. Bella, trusting her friend, stopped, looked towards the two females that ignored his command, and ran back into the crowd. "Arctic" kept holding his head in pain as he faced the boss, who had not lost his evil smile. That smile faltered, however, when 6 of the specially-armored tanks jumped in front of Arctic and raised their shields to block the oncoming swords. "Arctic" looked up to see the tanks, who were defending him while he was down. His red/blue eyes widened when he saw that they were all K.O.B tanks. "Why?" "Arctic" choked out as he continued holding his head.

"Because," the very same tank that Arctic had saved earlier spoke as he looked over his shoulder to smile at the ailing mercenary/Tri-Blader, "you helped us. More than we can comprehend. It's only fair we return the favor."

"The jury's still out on whether or not the guild trusts you as a whole," another tank said as he blocked the swords, which were lessening in frequency, "but if Asuna and Heathcliff trust you, then so do we!"

"..." "Arctic" didn't know what to say. "Thank you," he finally said.

"He stopped!" One of the tanks pointed out.

"Get back!" Asuna ordered the tanks, all of whom jumped back without a moment's hesitation. "Are you okay?" Asuna asked "Arctic" as she and Skye knelt by him.

"Perfect!" The two females snapped their heads up when they heard Gilgamesh call, that damned evil smile once again on his face. He raised his arms to his sides as he formed two portals, shocking the entirety of the room. They thought for sure that he had exhausted his sword supply for that time! "Pick one, hero! The commander?! Or the tactician?!" Gilgamesh laughed evilly as he launched the forming weapons at the females, who weren't fast enough to block it.

Clang! Clang!

Asuna and Skye looked up in shock to see "Arctic" raising his hands at his sides, blocking the swords with his gauntlets. "Why save one," "Arctic" started with his two voices, his eyes flashing from red to blue, "when you can save both?" Arctic finished in his voice.

"Nice save," Skye and Asuna stated, smiling widely. Arctic turned back and smiled as he broke the blades.

"Buy me some time," he stated, a serious expression adorning his features as he faced Gilgamesh once again. "I need to switch my weapons."

"On it!" Gilgamesh's targets both charged the boss, slashing and dancing around him as everyone aggroed him.

"I always wanted to say this: Trace...On!" Arctic said to himself as his selected weapon formed in his hands. "NOW! SWITCH!" Arctic shouted as he dashed forward. Asuna and Skye dodged out of the way as Arctic rocketed past, wielding his dual knives.

He screamed as he jumped up and dove towards Gilgamesh. The King of Heroes turned and blocked his opponent's onslaught with a sword he pulled from a Gate near him. Having stunned the King of Heroes with his attack, Arctic immediately launched into a combo, stabbing and slicing Gilgamesh with all the power and speed he had in hand. He broke any and all weapons the boss tried to pull out, and didn't give him a chance to recover as he continued.

Everyone cheered upon seeing the hero's ferocity and will to fight, and more so at the rapid decline of Gilgamesh's HP. Eventually, when his health dropped to a mere sliver, the combo was stopped. Arctic tried to finish the combo by slashing Gilgamesh across the chest―and was shocked to feel his blades bounce off like they were nothing.

Gilgamesh laughed, a triumphant and cruel sound as he opened a seemingly endless number of gates. "What now, maggots? I am invincible!"

Arctic jumped back to the soldiers. "He has a weakness," he whispered to himself. "Just gotta find it."

"Arctic!" Kirito, Asuna, and the others called, drawing the hero's attention as they reached him.

"That was awesome!" Kirito smiled.

"Indeed," Asuna seconded. "But what now? He's invincible."

"What do we do now?" Eros asked.

"Now?" Arctic asked. When everyone nodded, he said, "Now, it'd be best to GET DOWN!" As he shouted the last two words, everyone fell to the floor, holding themselves down for cover as an endless storm of swords rained over them. "Skye! Asuna! With me!" Arctic shouted as he dashed forward.

"What d'you got?" the two women asked once they reached his side and ran alongside him.

"Attack from the sides. Hit-and-run tactics."

"I'll help too," Bella stated, running so she was at the same distance as her friend.

"The more, the merrier," Arctic said, inwardly screaming like a bitch at Bella's sudden appearance. "And...Now!" Everyone dispersed to either side of Gilgamesh, rushing to attack him and draw back, while Skye and Asuna rallied the troops of their respective guilds. They each grit their teeth when they saw their weapons bounce off like Arctic's had. Eventually, when it was Arctic's turn, he attempted to cross his knives in an X-fashion across The King of Hero's chest, only to be blocked by Gilgamesh, who had taken two blades from his Gates. Both Arctic and Gilgamesh grit their teeth as they locked in a struggle.

Pearce was watching, infuriated that he couldn't do anything. Until he remembered: he saw the anime. He pulled out an arrow and aimed while charging it. He couldn't get a clear shot due to Arctic's head being in the way. "Arctic," Pearce whispered. "I know you can hear me. Move your head two centimeters to the right." Barely noticeably, Arctic moved his head precisely two centimeters to the right. Pearce smirked. "I am the bone of my sword, motherfucker," Pearce said aloud before he let the arrow fly.

Everyone watched in glee as the arrow pierced Gilgamesh (pun intended) between the eyes, and openly cheered as the King of Heroes went down, and shattered.

Congratulations!

When Eros and Skye helped the hero up, everyone cheered when they saw Arctic was all right. "Exceptional work," Heathcliff said as he walked up to the mercenary. He smiled. "I would expect nothing less from the Shadow of Sword Art Online and his family."

"Family?" Arctic incredulously asked with a smile.

"SAO's Shadow said he didn't have friends," Bella said, walking up from behind Arctic and resting an elbow on his shoulder. "He never said anything about a family."

"True. Anyone wanna open the door?"

"Nah," Asuna said. "You do it. You did the most out of all of us today."

"I always open the door, though."

"Stop complaining and do it."

"Yes, ma'am." Arctic walked up to the door and opened it.

Floor 71: Open!

As everyone ran past, Arctic turned to face his "family". "This mean the Knights trust me?"

"We'll ask, but we're confident…" Asuna started.

"That the entire guild―myself and Asuna included―will follow you through Hell and back," Heathcliff finished, a smile gracing his and his vice commander's faces.

Arctic smiled back genuinely. "Great! That leaves one thing," he sighed. He turned to Bella, who was smiling rather unsettlingly. "Hand it over."

"But of course. You lost the bet," Bella laughed as she transferred the Taijitu Snake she caught earlier to her friend.

"Bet?" Kirito asked curiously.

"Bella and I made a bet where, if she caught me off guard in any way, I'd eat a Taijitu Snake raw," Arctic explained.

"And judging from Bella's smile, you lost the bet."

"Yep," Arctic replied. He looked at the dead reptile in his hands before biting into it. When he finished, he wiped his mouth and looked over to everyone watching. He smiled. "Is it wrong to find this thing better eaten raw than cooked?"

"Ugh," the girls looked away in disgust while the males and Bella laughed uproariously. Heathcliff merely smiled at this display.

"You are, indeed, a man of your word, Arctic. Come, Asuna, let us go to the next floor."

"Yes, sir!" Asuna walked with Heathcliff, reaching the door before she turned back. "Thanks," she whispered, knowing full well Arctic could hear her, as he simply smiled in return.

(x)

June 19, 2024

Liz hummed cheerfully as she sharpened Asuna's Lambent Light. "And...done!" she finally said, wiping the sweat from her V.R. brow as she stood up.

"You're the best, Liz," Asuna said, taking her weapon and sheathing it. "Thanks."

"Sure, any time," Liz said. "Aren't you supposed to be out hunting with the guild today?"

"Yeah, I had to take the day off 'cause I sort of have this little meeting with someone."

"Oh..." Liz took notice of Asuna's new earrings and smiled. "Hehehe, I BET you have a little meeting, eh?"

"It's not like that!" Asuna asked with a slight blush. "Uh, I have to get going!" Asuna said when she heard the clock tower chime.

"I bet. He must be pretty special, whoever he is," Liz said under her breath.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Nope. Get going! It's rude to keep your date waiting!"

"It's not like that, I...oh, whatever! See you!" Asuna smiled as she turned to leave. Before she could, however…

"I'M BORED!" Arctic shouted as he teleported into the back room. Liz and Asuna both jumped back, screaming as loud as they could. Arctic smiled in humor. "That was very entertaining. See you later," he said in a more calm tone as he prepared to leave.

"No, you don't!" Liz grabbed Arctic's arm, Asuna having already left. "Since you're here, I could use your help," Liz said with a smile.

(Groans) I shouldn't have come here. "Might as well. I got nothing better to do right now."

"Great!" Her smile grew when she heard the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the entrance of a customer. "Starting with this customer."

"Yeah, yeah." Arctic walked outside to greet the customer. "Welcome to Lisbeth's Blacksmith Shop. I'm being forced to work without pay. God save the Queen. How may I―?"

"Excuse me?" Kirito asked incredulously when he spotted his friend. "Your name's Lisbeth now?"

"Quiet, you. And before you say anything, I came in here because I was bored, and I'm friends with the shopkeep. Speaking of, she's coming out now."

Arctic stepped aside as Liz walked out. Her smithing gloves were off, and she smiled at her customer. "Welcome to Lisbeth's Blacksmith Shop! How may I help you?"

"Oh, hi," Kirito said. "I was wondering if you do custom orders."

He doesn't look like he has that much money. "I can. Thing is, metal prices are high these days."

"I can get some for you, if you want," Arctic suggested.

"No, I couldn't ask that of you."

"It's no trouble. Plus, if I'm lucky, I get to kill at least five mobs."

"Oh, well I'm not worried about the cost," the Black Swordsman stated. "I just want the best sword you can make as soon as possible. I'm looking for something either the same quality or better than this," he explained as he gave Liz his sword.

This thing weighs a ton! Liz thought as she nearly dropped the sword due to its weight.

"Hey, is that an Elucidator?" Arctic asked Kirito, who nodded. "That's the best magic sword anyone can get from a mob!"

"You're just jealous you didn't get it first," Kirito stated with a smug smile.

"Why would I be jealous? You've seen my stats and items."

"What do you think?" the beater asked Liz, who had been staring at Kirito's sword in awe. She snapped out of her stupor when Kirito turned his attention to her.

"How about this? It's the best sword I ever forged. I call it my masterpiece!"

"...I don't know. It's a little light," Kirito replied after Liz handed him the sword.

"It should be. I used a speed-type medal to forge it."

"I'd like to test it, if it's cool."

"Test it how?" Lisbeth asked, confused by Kirito's request.

"You know, it's durability." Kirito held the "masterpiece" over his Elucidator and prepared to swing it down.

"Wait!" Arctic shouted, putting his hand out to stop Kirito. He was too late, however, as Kirito slammed Liz's sword over his own, the "masterpiece" breaking at the tip.

"GAAAAAAHH!" Liz screamed in horror as her sword fell to the floor, before it shattered.

"You broke my...masterpiece…" She grabbed Kirito by the collar of his coat in rage. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't think yours was going to break, honest!" Kirito replied in defense.

"Dick move, man," Arctic shook his head in disappointment. "What made you think a speed-type sword could match a strength-type's durability?"

"She said it was her best sword," Kirito justified.

"Doesn't mean it's what you're looking for. No offense, Liz."

"None taken," Liz muttered. "And are you saying," she said aloud, turning to Kirito, "that my sword, my MASTERPIECE of a sword, was lamer than you thought?!"

"Yeah, something like that," Kirito said with a smile.

"For your information, if I had the right materials, I could make a buttload of swords that could shatter yours into a million tiny little pieces! You got that?!"

"Oh yeah? That sounds like the kind of sword I'm looking for, as long as it can shatter mine."

"Hey, asshole," Arctic said, drawing Kirito's attention. "I owe you a favor, so I'll go get the metal."

"From where?" Liz and Kirito asked in unison.

"Floor 55, in the mountains. There's a dragon there that eats crystals and the metal it drops is rare."

"You know its name?"

"X'rphan the White Wyrm. Thing is," Arctic looked at Liz, who felt suddenly nervous, "the metal itself won't spawn unless there's a master blacksmith in the party."

Kirito sighed. "Fine. But keep quiet and stay out of our way," he told Liz.

"Wha―keep quiet and―?!"

"Dude, I've seen her fight. She's stronger than she looks."

"Thank you!" Lisbeth beamed at Arctic.

"If you say so, man. My name's Kirito, by the way."

"Yeah, whatever, Kirito," Liz said.

Well, if you're going to be like that, I can roll with it, Lisssssbeth."

"Grrrrr!"

As they left, Arctic thought to himself, Skye would've liked that sword.

(x)

"Achoo!" Liz sneezed as she, Kirito, and Arctic trekked through the mountains of Floor 55. "Mrr, it's cold."

"Shoulda brought a coat, Liz," Arctic stated as he walked ahead of the other two.

"I didn't know Floor 55 was going to be this freaking cold!"

Kirito sighed. "Here," he said while handing Liz a fur-lined coat.

"Huh?" Liz asked when she received the coat. "Don't you need this?"

"You don't feel cold if you're disciplined." This reply earned Kirito a high-five from Arctic.

"If you're trying to piss me off, it's working. It is warm, though," she remarked about the coat.

"What's wrong, Lisbeth?"

"Giving up, already?" Arctic asked with a hint of humor in his voice.

"Not on your lives! And Kirito, if you're going to be a jerk about it, just call me Liz." She walked on ahead.

Arctic smiled at his friend's tenacity. "So, how've you and Bella been?" he asked the Black Swordsman.

"We're doing fine. Why?"

"Just asking. And is Bella still laughing about…?"

"Every time it comes to mind. Didn't think you'd do it, honestly."

"What can I say? I'm a man of my word."

(x)

"It's so beautiful!" Liz exclaimed as she ran forward to observe the crystals.

"I know! I haven't been here before," Arctic remarked as he walked with Kirito.

"That's surprising. Hey!" Liz exclaimed as Kirito pulled on the hood of her fur-lined coat.

"You should get your teleport crystal ready," Kirito said sternly.

"Alright, alright, I'm doing it."

"Let me and Arctic handle this part by ourselves. We're the most-equipped to deal with this. Stay out of sight, and don't let the dragon see you."

"Come on! I'm not a noob! If I wanna help you guys, I'll darn well―"

"Do what I say!" Even Arctic was taken aback by the sudden harshness in Kirito's tone.

"F-Fine."

"Good. Let's go. When the dragon comes out, don't come out of hiding. Arctic, let's go." Arctic nodded and walked ahead with Kirito.

"GRAAAAWWWWR!" The trio turned their heads when they heard a monster roar.

"Get to cover! Don't come out!" Arctic ordered.

"On it!" Liz called as she ran behind some crystals.

The two fighters looked up when they heard wings flapping. The dragon they were seeking was descending upon them, landing directly in front of them. Once the dust settled, the dragon roared at the two as its four health bars formed, with its name above it. X'rphan the White Wyrm. The dragon reared its head back as it began charging an attack.

"Watch out! It's a breath attack!" Liz called.

"Wait, what?" Arctic got out before the dragon let loose its breath attack. Kirito stepped in front of Arctic and deflected it with ease.

"I had that," Arctic said as he jumped back to Kirito.

"You were distracted," Kirito replied, lowering his sword to his face.

"Well, sorry if I have friends," Arctic remarked, unsheathing his sword.

"Not cool, man."

"Sorry." The two charged the boss. Liz watched in awe at the way the two worked together; where one would hit the boss with an onslaught of attacks, the other parries and switches in after it attacks.

I can't believe he's fighting with that skinny sword, Liz thought, referring to the Black Swordsman. Who is he?

Kirito slashed the boss across the face, causing it to roar in pain. "Switch!" he called.

"On it!" Arctic teleported in front of the boss and created a bright flash, stunning the boss and Kirito. "Sorry!" He said before he attacked the boss.

"Give a little warning next time!" Kirito shouted, blinking the spots from his eyes while Lisbeth sat in her hiding spot, dazed slightly.

She shook the dizziness away and stepped out. "Come on!" she shouted. "Stop playing with it and finish it off already!"

"Dammit!" Arctic said to himself when he heard Liz's voice. "Get down!" he shouted at the blacksmith.

"What's the big deal? You both got right where you―"

The White Wyrm roared after seeing Liz, and used a breath attack on her. The attack blew Liz away and into a hole. She screamed as she fell down.

"LIZ!" Arctic shouted before he blocked the boss's swipes. Kirito jumped after her and grabbed her.

"Hang on to me, Liz!" Kirito shouted as he and the blacksmith fell into the hole.

(x)

Liz groaned and held her head in pain as she got up. Looking over at Kirito, she noticed that he was in a similar state. "Are we still alive?" the beater groggily asked. He immediately sat back up. "Here," he said, handing Liz a health potion.

"Thanks," she said, drinking the potion while Kirito did the same. When he finished, he realized something horrible: he left Arctic to fight X'rphan.

"Arctic!" he shouted, looking around for the player.

"He's still up there,"Liz stated, pointing to the hole.

"Dammit! We have to get out!"

"Arctic can take care of himself. And can't we teleport out?" Liz took out her teleport crystal. "Teleport: Lindas!" She gasped in shock when nothing happened. "It's not working."

"If we can't use crystals, then there's probably another way out."

"HEY, GUYS!"

"ARCTIC?!" Liz shouted back.

"IF YOU'RE NOT TOO BUSY, I NEED HELP!"

"SHAKE IT OFF!" Kirito shouted towards Arctic.

"Done," Arctic said after teleporting beside the hole. He looked down. "Should I come down?!" he called towards the two.

"Don't risk it! We shouldn't trap you either!"

"...You do know I have a 'fuck the rules' crystal, right?"

"So? We'll get outta here on our own!"

"I'll humor you." Arctic leaned away and smiled while crossing his arms. "I wanna see where this goes."

Ignoring Arctic, Kirito stepped back, and ran up the wall. Just before he reached the halfway point, however, he slipped and fell straight down, creating a Kirito-sized hole in the snow. And the beater didn't need a high Straining skill to know Arctic was laughing his ass off above them.

"Well, guess we're stuck here."

Later that night…

"This is kinda weird, isn't it?" Liz asked Kirito as the two lay in sleeping bags with a fire burning in front of them. "This wouldn't happen in real life." Upon noticing Kirito's look, Liz elaborated, "You know, going to strange places, meeting a total stranger, and then sleeping next to them...I mean, you actually tried running up that wall! You really are a weirdo, you know that?"

"Well, excuuuuse me," Kirito said as he rolled his eyes.

"Kirito, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away. I'm all ears."

"Why did you risk your life like that to save me?'

"I can't just sit back and watch someone die. I'd rather die alongside them than do nothing. Especially if that someone's a girl like you, Liz."

"Wow, you really are an idiot. The only people I know who think like that are you and Arctic." Worry etched Liz's face as she thought about her friend. "How do you think he's doing?"

Kirito pointed a finger to above the cave. "GOD...DAMN...ICE WOLVES!" The pair that was stuck in the hole heard the Tri-Blader yell before they heard whimpering and shattering. "FINALLY!"

"I think he's doing just fine."

Kirito and Liz remained in silence for a few minutes before Liz looked at Kirito. "Hey…" Kirito looked towards her. "Hold my hand?"

"...'Kay," Kirito said after a while.

Liz grabbed the hand that Kirito gave her. She smiled as she remarked, "It's so warm…Even though you and me are just ones and zeroes in a virtual world…"

"Liz…" With that last thought, Kirito and Liz fell asleep.

Arctic heard the whole thing and sighed as he jumped up into a tree. It was made of ice, sure, but it'd work. The cold never bothered me anyway.

(x)

(For this entire segment, play "Wings" by Jeff Williams, feat. Casey Lee Williams)

When Arctic woke up, he was surprised to see a white space instead of a black void with nothing but darkness. The change in brightness made him groan quietly as he sat up. After hearing the sound of footsteps, he looked to the side, to see a pair of grey flats walking up to him. He didn't know why, but they looked familiar. He let his eyes wander upwards―and gasped in shock.

Takano bent down to meet his eyes, and smiled. "Hey," she said.

"Takano?" Arctic said, tears welling in his eyes. "You-you're here," Arctic choked out, standing up fully to meet her gaze at an even level.

"Eh, not completely. I'm still dead."

"Wait. If you're here, and I'm here, then…?"

"No, you didn't die." Takano pulled Arctic into a tight embrace, one he wholeheartedly returned.

"Then how is this happening?" the hero weakly asked, leaning into her shoulder.

"I pulled a favor," she joked, pulling away to smile. "I wanted to talk to you, but something kept blocking me."

"That'd be Shadow, my other half."

"I thought I was your other half!" Takano said, faking a heartbroken tone.

"You're dead; you don't count."

"You're so mean!" Takano and Arctic both laughed and hugged once more. "Anyway, all jokes aside, I came here because I had something to tell you."

"Is it secret?"

"Maybe." She leaned into her husband's ear. "Forget about me," she whispered.

"WHAT?!" Arctic shouted as he broke the hug. "I can't do that! You know I can't do that!"

"Learn to. I. Saw. EVERYTHING that happened since my death. You becoming Shadow; the Tri-Blade Alliance prospering under Solar's rule; The Olympians; all of it."

Arctic drew a shaky breath as he fell to his knees, Takano joining him a couple seconds later. "I'm sorry," he whispered, looking away in shame. "I'm sorry. I was so weak. I gave into him because I was too weak."

"Don't be." Takano grabbed Arctic's chin and maneuvered her lips onto his. After a few seconds, she broke the kiss. "Don't blame yourself," she said softly. "There is nothing more I want than to see you happy. And if the thought of me is what's stopping you, then just forget about me, okay?"

"Why? Why do this for me? Why help a person who has no hope of recovery?"

Takano smiled as if he just asked something stupid. "Because I love you, and you need to be the face of the guild's courage. And so you won't further lament: I wanted this. I want you to move on."

Arctic looked down, his vibrant blue hair covering his eyes. "I can never win with you," Arctic grumbled as he moved his head up to look at his dead wife.

Takano merely smiled. "You really can't. Happy wife, happy life, Arctic."

"That's how it goes." Arctic stood back up, Takano following him shortly. He looked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "What's your name?" Takano raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I need to know, so when I get out of here with everyone else, I'll be able to find your family, tell them what happened. They'll hate me, sure, but at least they'll get closure."

"They wouldn't care. I was all alone when I started this game, both IRL and in-game. My name doesn't matter, Arctic." Takano gave Arctic another kiss, one which he returned. When they pulled back, Takano smiled once more. "Go. Be free; free to love, I meant. Skye seems like she likes you, y'know. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you feel about her."

"Oh god, you saw that?"

"The Lovers' Tears never lie." Takano winked.

Arctic blushed slightly. "Thanks for this, Takano. I really needed this."

"We both know that if I didn't do this for you, you would've been aromantic for the rest of your life."

"Somehow, you're always right. I love you, Takano. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Arctic. And please; move on. Live your life. It's like they say: if you truly love something…" Takano started as Arctic turned and walked away.

Arctic stopped and looked up. "...then you'll set it free. Rest In Peace, Takano." Arctic turned around to face his in-game wife, and former love. He was all alone.

Takano had moved on. Her soul, finally, was free from this world; from this game; from Arctic.

(x)

Arctic woke up, covering his eyes from the early morning sun. Remembering what happened, he sat up and fingered his necklace, lost in thought.

"Skye seems like she likes you, y'know. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you feel about her."

"Takano…" Arctic said under his breath. He smiled warmly. "Thanks." He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a distant roar drawing near. "Hey, guys?" he said, teleporting down to the cave.

"Bleh!" Liz said in disgust as she let go of the metal ingot in her hands, Kirito catching it with ease.

"What'd I miss?" the hero asked as he walked up to them. Liz and Kirito screamed in surprise and, after realizing who it was, turned to give Arctic a glare.

"We found the metal," Kirito said as he tossed it to Arctic.

"Cool! Where?"

"Down here. This isn't an ordinary hole; it's the dragon's nest. And that's not a normal ingot you're holding."

"...Ohhhh," Arctic said after he realized what Kirito was telling him. "Eh, I've held worse things before. Speaking of dragons, I heard it roar and it's coming here."

"Get ready," Kirito said as he drew his sword. When the dragon reached the nest, it hovered down―only to feel two swords lodge in its back. It roared as it flew upwards, dragging Arctic, Kirito, and Liz before it threw the latter two up. Arctic held on and, after noticing the boss's HP bars hadn't regenerated, jumped up and sliced the head off, leaving it to shatter and the game to congratulate him, giving him the last attack bonus.

Quickly looking it up, he read the following:

"Blizzard Blazer (S Class)

Trench Coat

Equip Now?"

Arctic chose "Yes", and the coat formed, replacing his current one. Deciding to look later, he dive bombed towards Liz and Kirito.

Meanwhile...

Liz screamed as she fell down. She stopped when she saw the early morning sun. "Wow…Look at that…" she said in awe. "Kirito! You know what?!" she shouted towards the beater, the wind rushing through her ears making it hard to hear her speak.

"What?!" he shouted back.

"Don't freak out, but I'm falling in love with you!"

"I can't hear a thing! What did you just say?!"

Liz laughed as she hugged Kirito. "Never mind!"

"Liz!" She and Kirito looked up to see Arctic stretch his hand out towards them. "Grab on!" he shouted.

(x)

The people of Lindas were going about their day peacefully, blissfully unaware of the next few events.

That peace was interrupted when Arctic jumped down and landed in a crouch, creating a small crater while he stood back up. He stretched his arms out and caught Lisbeth, gently setting her down. After hearing a third scream above them, all Arctic did was extend his arm to the side, letting Kirito get really intimate with said arm before he fell flat on his back. "You couldn't carry me, either?" the beater got out through the pain.

Arctic scoffed. "I'm not carrying your black-clad ass."

"Dick." Kirito accepted the hand Arctic offered him, and stretched, hearing his back pop in various places. "Nice coat. Where'd you get it?"

"I killed X'rphan." Arctic looked down at his new coat. It held the exact same shape as the coat he wore as Shadow, but the colors went from an icy blue at the hood and shoulders, turning into an ultramarine shade as it traveled down to his middle, getting progressively darker as it reached the ends, finally turning into a midnight blue color that bordered on black.

"It looks good on you," Liz noted. Arctic smiled at her.

"Thank you! Now, let's go make Kirito's sword."

Later...

"A one-handed longsword, right?" was Liz's only question as she prepared to put her master smithing skills to work.

"Yep. Make it awesome," Kirito smiled. Liz smiled back and got to work.

I didn't imagine it. The warmth of Kirito's hands...The way I feel...she silently chuckled sadly. Then again, my romantic life doesn't really work the way I want it to. First Arctic...then Solar...now Kirito...Maybe things'll be different. As soon as I've made the best sword I can, I'll tell him.

When the sword was finished, she held it up to reveal an aqua-colored blade with a dark-colored straight grip. Its crossguard was exactly perpendicular to the hilt and looked like conjoined daggers, held together by an aquamarine gem. The blade was aquamarine, and the attachment at the base gave it a slight indent.

"Kick-ass," Arctic whispered in awe upon seeing the blade.

"The sword is called Dark Repulsor. One of a kind. And it's not even in the info broker's directory," Liz explained. Kirito picked it up.

"Don't break it," Arctic joked, prompting Kirito and Liz to laugh slightly.

"It's real heavy…" Kirito said as he analysed the sword. "It's a good sword. It feels like you forged your soul into it."

"Yay!" Liz said to herself.

"Okay, you held up your end of the deal. It's time for me to pay up. So how much?" From the side, Arctic waited for Liz to charge Kirito about five times the actual price.

"Well, I don't...really need any money," Liz replied, surprising Arctic.

"Excuse you?" Arctic stated. "Have you forgotten what we went through?"

"True, but I'd like to be the exclusive blacksmith for Kirito and the Tri-Blade Alliance."

Arctic gave a surprised noise, while Kirito asked, "What do you mean, exclusive?"

"I mean, when either one of you is in town," Liz responded with a small blush, "stop by and let me do maintenance on your gear. Every day!"

"Liz, I…" Kirito started.

"Liz!" Asuna shouted, barging into the back room. "I was so worried!" she continued, pulling the blacksmith into a hug.

"Asuna?" Liz asked in shock.

"Liz, where were you last night? I tried messaging, but you didn't answer and I couldn't track you!" Asuna broke the hug to look into her friend's eyes.

"Sorry, I kinda got stuck in a dungeon...with him," Liz replied, singling out Kirito.

"Hey, Asuna," Kirito smiled at the vice commander. "Long time no see. It's been what, like, two days?"

"K-Kirito?!" Asuna asked in shock, before smiling. "You should've told me you wanted to check this place out. I could have come with you!"

"I'm sorta confused. Do you know each other?" Liz asked.

"Yeah," Kirito replied, "both of us are on the assault team, so…"

"Why is she acting like that?" Asuna asked Kirito sternly. "I swear if you did anything to her…!"

"I-I didn't DO anything!" Kirito was quick to defend himself.

"Then why'd you stutter just now, hmmm?" Asuna asked jokingly. Liz remained silent.

"You know, you could try to show a little more compassion. I almost got killed!"

"And I died," Arctic stated, drawing a scream from the vice commander of the K.O.B. "You don't get to say anything about that!"

"How long were you there?" Asuna asked, a hand on her chest to stop her racing heartbeat.

"Long enough to know: I'll leave you three alone. I'll be outside." Arctic walked out of the shop.

"Anyway, like you're nearly dying is my fault! Don't I always tell you not to fight solo?"

"Right. I get it now," Liz said to herself, realizing the type of thing the other two had.

"If this guy said anything rude, you'd tell me, right?...Liz?" Asuna asked, worried at her friend's unusual level of silence.

"You wanna talk about rude?"Liz stated with a smile. "Try this! First thing he does when he comes in is shatter my best sword!"

"What?! I'm sorry!" Asuna apologized for Kirito's douchebaggery. Liz leaned in close to Asuna.

"He might be a little weird, but he's not such a bad guy. Don't screw this up, he's a keeper," Liz whispered to the vice commander.

Asuna blushed. "B-But I told you, it's not like that!"

Liz leaned away. "Sorry, I have to go pick up some supplies. I'll be right back!" Liz ran out the door.

"Y-you're leaving the store?" Asuna asked in shock.

"Hold down the fort for me," was Liz's only reply as she ran out the shop.

Later…

"Liz?" The blacksmith-in-question looked up with a sad expression when she heard Arctic call her name.

"I thought I could get away with it," Liz said sadly, barely registering the sound of Arctic sitting next to her. "A couple more minutes and I would've gone back to my usual cheerful self."

"What happened? I saw you run out of the shop, and I know you weren't getting supplies."

"Sorry if I worried you," Liz apologized, looking up at Arctic. "I'm fine now. Must have been all the excitement. I'm not used to having adventures."

Arctic raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Then why the hell are you friends with me and the guild?"

"That's different. You look out for me. Kirito saved me, but…"

Arctic wrapped an arm around Liz, who leaned in. "Liz, you knew what happened to me, right?"

Liz scoffed. "It's common knowledge now. Takano died, and you became a Shadow of glory. If you don't know, that means you fought for good, but purely for yourself."

"You know me so well. But what you didn't know was the internal struggles I dealt with on a daily basis. And I wanted to thank you, Liz."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"That's what you think. Just by being there, you helped me fight through all my pain and focus on becoming altruistic instead of glorious; you helped remind me that I had a reason to keep living. And because of you, I was always happy that I decided to live through the day."

"Arctic…" Liz smiled and leaned in close. "Thanks. For being my friend."

"Anytime. Now, I wanted to tell you something."

"Hmm?"

"I had a dream." And so, Arctic told Liz of the "dream" he had last night. At the end of it, Liz felt a tear stream down her cheek.

"That's so sweet! Does this mean you're back?"

"Almost."

"Y'know, you and Skye would look so cute together!"

"Why not you and me?" Liz blushed furiously and stuttered, failing to come up with an answer as Arctic roared in laughter. "I'm just kidding. You're one of my best friends, but you can do better than me. Maybe not Kirito, but…"

"Weren't you supposed to comfort me?"

"I am comforting you."

"Don't quit your day job."

"You mean being an overall badass?"

"That's Solar's job. Your job is being a dark, brooding, attractive mercenary."

"Gee, thanks." Arctic got up and helped Liz up. "Let's back to your shop. Asuna's gotta be worried sick."

"Sure. And remember…" Liz smiled and gave Arctic a two-fingered salute. "You'll always be welcome at my shop!"

(x)

Elsewhere, later that night…

"Whatcha doing?" Akira asked as she walked up to her lover, who was currently on the balcony and staring at the full moon. "You're not going to turn into a werewolf, are you?"

"Hah hah," Solar said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm just thinking about an offer someone made me."

"What is it?"

"The guy who I rented this place from. He made me an offer to buy this place for a fairly cheap price. At first, I declined. Then I got thinking, and told him that I'd have my final answer by tomorrow."

"Are you going to buy it?"

"I think I might. I've been thinking about it."

"Why would you need to buy it?"

Solar turned and smiled at Akira. "For when we get married, obviously."

(x)

Meanwhile, at an open-air café…

Asuna looked up from her drink as something bothered her. "You good?" Arctic asked as Asuna got up.

"My shipping senses are tingling," Asuna seriously said, causing Arctic to get up.

"Who and where?" Arctic asked as he took out his Gray Star.

"Solar and Akira."

"I know where they are. Don't ask." With that, Arctic teleported away to where his pseudo-brother was.

(x)

"There you are," Arctic whispered to himself as he peered out to the balcony, sticking to the shadows to remain unseen. Right now, he was thanking whatever God was up there for his maxed-out straining.

"For when we get married, obviously."

"W-What?!" Arctic's eyes widened as he saw Akira taking a step back in shock.

"Fairly certain I didn't stutter. Do you want me to ask you?"

"I hear you, crystal clear. But...why?"

Solar placed his hands on the railing as he leaned over it slightly. "Well, because I love you. Do I really need any other reason?"

"No, you don't. But what brought this on?" Akira asked as she walked to Solar's side and wrapped her arms around his.

"Call me cliche, but I guess it's because I want to make sure our love is real."

"Could you elaborate?"

"I was getting there, cool your jets. I mean, you and I are, right now, a bunch of ones and zeroes, just like everything else in this game. Just like everyone else in this game. I think that, when we get out of here, I don't want to forget this feeling. I don't want my experiences here, good and bad, to be just...nothing once this game is done. I guess that applies to my feelings, too."

Akira was silent for a moment, scaring Solar and, eventually, Arctic. The latter was waiting for her answer, and was relieved when she finally began talking. "You wanna know something, Solar?" Solar looked away from the moon, and looked into her bright green eyes. "I feel the same. And I think I get where you're coming from. After all, you helped me that day, remember?"

Solar chuckled. "How could I forget? You were a mace user at the time, if I recall correctly. We walked together to the next town, and I sent you a friend request."

"Yeah, that was it. If you hadn't been there, I probably would've gotten lost." Akira shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I'm getting off-track. I developed a crush on you that day, and I still can't believe we're together. I guess, like you, I want to keep this love real."

"So, that means…"

Akira smiled before moving up to kiss Solar. When they pulled back, she said, "Of course I'll marry you!"

Solar broke into a wide grin before he pulled Akira close and gave her a hug she gladly returned. Unbeknownst to them, Arctic had begun smiling in glee while in his cover. He put away his audio crystal, having recorded the entire conversation since he heard the first line. Asuna's going to scream. He turned to leave before his eye caught Solar's new O-Katana. He picked it up and looked it over before smiling. "Now this is a katana!" Arctic said quietly before placing the sword down. He grabbed his crystal and teleported away, eager to tell Asuna what happened.

(x)

"WHAT?!" Asuna damn near shouted in glee once Arctic played the message for her. "That's amazing!"

"They finally tied the knot," Kirito said with a huge smile.

"'Bout time!" Liz said happily as she closed up shop.

"Should we start planning the party?" Arctic asked, a smile on his face as well.

"Already working on it!" Asuna replied cheerfully. "You can head home."

"Yeah, I bet everyone's worried sick. I'll see you all later."

Everyone waved goodbye as Arctic teleported back to the guild house.

(x)

Arctic sighed heavily as he entered the Tri-Blade Alliance's guild house, quietly shutting the door to avoid making any more noise. He silently trekked up the stairs, and breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to make it to the door leading to his room.

"And where have you been?" a voice asked from behind him. Wincing at the coldness lacing the voice, Arctic turned to face an angry Skye, who had crossed her arms to further reflect her emotions.

"I was out," he responded sheepishly.

"Uh-huh. For two days?"

"Correction: I was helping Liz, who is now the Kirito- and guild-exclusive blacksmith."

"Yeah, that's great. Why didn't you message us?"

"I didn't think it'd take that long."

"So? You didn't feel any desire to let us know you're okay? I thought you died again." To this, Arctic had no reply, and simply hung his head low as the livid female continued. "We already lost you once, okay? We can't afford to lose you again." Arctic noticed his necklace glowing faintly as his friend ranted on about safety and whatnot.

"The Lover's Tears never lie," her voice echoed in his head. Arctic allowed himself a small smile as the true meaning of those words finally dawned on him. She's angry because she cares. Before Skye could continue any further with her ranting, Arctic grabbed her face gently and let his lips fall onto hers. The sudden action surprised the tactician, before she wholeheartedly returned the kiss. Breaking the kiss after a few seconds, the hero smiled warmly as he wiped away his lover's tears.

"Better?" he softly asked the tactician, who smiled and nodded.

"You couldn't have done that sooner?" she jokingly asked her new boyfriend.

"You're not mad at it, though."

"No, I'm not." The two locked lips again, breaking it only when they heard something outside. They moved towards the nearest window, and gasped in surprise at what greeted them upon drawing the curtains back.

(x)

Meanwhile, back at Floor 35…

"Do you want to marry Solar?" Akira pressed yes without any hesitation, and her eyes lit up in glee when a marriage icon showed up next to her name. She took a look at her inventory and saw that everything Solar had in his inventory was now shared with her.

"I love you so much," Akira said, happy this was actually happening.

"Ditto." Solar leaned in to kiss his wife. Once they broke the kiss, Solar noted, "Is it cold?"

"Shouldn't be. It's a little before summer, isn't it?"

"True." The newlyweds looked out through the windows-and were surprised to see that it was snowing. "Snow? Now?"

"Let's go check it out!" Akira grabbed Solar's hand and opened the window, stepping out onto the balcony. Some snow had fallen down and landed on the balcony, and began layering. Solar knelt down and took some in his hand, marveled at the chill the snow sent down his hand. He felt more chill when he got hit in the side of the head with a snowball. Once he steadied himself, he glared at Akira, who was stifling in laughter and holding another snowball. Solar quickly gathered some snow and made a snowball, making sure to aim at Akira's hand to get her to drop the ball once he threw it. Akira pouted. "No fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, sweetie!" Solar made another snowball and threw it Akira as she raised her arms to defend her face. The two began laughing as they threw more snow at each other, having fun in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Eventually, the two stopped, feeling cold from all the snow, and were currently hugging each other for warmth as they watched the snow fall from inside their (soon to be) new house. Akira had made some hot cocoa for the two of them, and they were sipping it as they watched the snow and as they snuggled together underneath the blanket that was draped around their shoulders. "That was fun," Solar remarked as he drank his cocoa.

"Yup," Akira responded as she sipped hers. She looked up at Solar and gave him a kiss on the cheek, surprising the leader. He looked down at her as she closed her eyes and smiled at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Solar kissed Akira on the forehead, and the two leaned into each other. "So it's over tomorrow, right? This, I mean."

Akira sighed. "Back to business."

"Yeah." Solar checked the time. "Shit, it's nearing midnight. We should get some sleep."

"Yeah, we should." Without another word, the two got up and walked together to their room, still covered by the blanket. When the morning came, the entire area looked as if it was in the middle of summer: not a single snowflake anywhere.

(x)

End of Solar and Akira's Vacation…

June 21, 2024

"Why is so dark?" Akira complained slightly.

"I don't know!" Solar replied. "I'll turn the lights on." Solar's hand reached for the light switch was, and he felt relieved when he felt the switch beneath his hand. He wasn't prepared for what happened when he flipped the lights on.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" The elite members of the Tri-Blade Alliance, Kirito, Asuna, Wyvern's Inferno, Fuurinkazan, Bella (surprisingly), Silica, Liz, and even Heathcliff, yelled (except Heathcliff).

"WHAT AND HOW?!" Solar shouted as his hand instinctively went for his sword.

"Whoa, whoa!" Arctic and the others raised their hands defensively. "Calm down, man!"

"Sorry. What and how?" Solar asked more calmly. Arctic merely pointed to Asuna, who was right next to him. All the vice commander did was smile and give the two a thumbs up.

"Y'know, I figured Asuna had something to do with this. What's this about?" Solar questioned his best friend.

"You getting married," everyone replied.

"HOW DID YOU EVEN―?!" Again, Arctic used both of his hands to motion to Asuna, who was now grinning widely and giving the newlyweds two thumbs up.

"Figures," Akira sighed, not surprised at Asuna's antics.

"We're throwing a party in the training fields, and everyone else is over there," Klein explained.

"Who's 'everyone else'?" Akira asked as she crossed her arms.

"You'll just have to see," Arctic smiled.

"Do we at least get wedding gifts?" Solar joked.

Arctic's smile faltered. "How do you know about that?"

"Wait, you actually got us wedding gifts?"

"Let's go now!" Without another word, and ignoring the cries of protest from the newlyweds, Arctic grabbed his crystal and teleported away, everyone else following his example with regular teleport crystals.

Solar and Akira looked towards each other. Akira shrugged, and Solar sighed. They grabbed their teleport crystals and said, "Teleport: Tri-Blade Fields!" They disappeared in a flash of blue light.

(x)

"They're here!" Pearce called as the newlyweds appeared in a flash of blue light.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" The soldiers of the both the Tri-Blade Alliance and the Knights of the Blood Oath, Ghost and Rider, Agil, and Argo shouted.

"Thanks, everyone," Solar said as he smiled and waved at the partygoers.

"Let's get this party started!" Arctic called, eliciting cheers from everyone.

Once Eros got up on a platform that was set up earlier and began performing, everyone began dancing and grooving to the tunes, save for a select few. That included Arctic, Skye, Solar, Akira, just about everyone of their friends, and Heathcliff. "Congrats, man," Ren said as he clapped Solar on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Solar said as he smiled.

"Hey, Akira?" Dagger drew the newlywed's attention to herself. Dagger smiled. "Helios has something he wants to give you."

"Dagger! That was supposed to be a surprise!" Helios glared at his girlfriend, who shrugged while smiling. Helios sighed before turning to Akira and opening his menu. "Here. From one axe-user to another. Think of it as a...sign of respect."

"You shouldn't have," Akira smiled at the ash-haired teen. Her eyes widened when she was what Helios gave her. "A decorative axe?! How?!"

Helios shrugged. "I had to threaten the mannish-looking blacksmith to make it, and she couldn't believe I was doing it for someone other than me."

"You mean Liz? If you did anything to her, I swear…"

"She's fine. Her and her shop."

"Reluctantly, we'll trust you," Solar interfered. He looked back towards Ren and offered his fist for a fist bump. "Enjoy the party, man."

"Thanks, man." After fist bumping Solar, Ren, Helios, Dagger, and Riku left.

"Congratulations, you two!" Alice pulled Akira in for a hug, which was returned.

"Yeah! We thought you'd never get married!" Mai rolled her eyes for emphasis, but maintained a smile on her face.

Solar smiled before patting Mai on the head. "Thanks, kid. You watch over Helios now, y'hear?" Solar winked at Mai, who smiled and nodded.

"Hope you guys enjoy Helios' gift!" After a brief hug with Solar, Alice and Mai left to enjoy the party.

Meanwhile…

Arctic smiled as he watched Solar and Akira get gifts from Ren and his guild. He didn't bother turning when he heard the silent footfalls of BellaLux stop next to him. "I already lost the bet. You don't have to sneak up anymore."

"It's a staple to my character, Arctic," Bella stated as she stood next to him. "I wanted to talk."

"As always. About what?" Arctic took a sip from his drink.

"Congratulations." The single-word statement made Arctic stop drinking as he looked towards the female in confusion.

"For what?" Bella smiled knowingly and motioned towards Skye, who was jubilantly chatting with Kirito. "Oh. Thanks. Do you ever turn off your observation habits?"

"I don't." A moment of silence passed. "I can't," Bella corrected herself.

"Ah. Well, good news for you: you can stop checking up on me. And what about you? You gonna get with someone?"

"It depends."

"Right. See you later." Bella nodded her goodbye as she and Arctic walked away from each other.

"What was that about?" Solar asked as he walked up to Arctic.

"Don't worry about it. Congrats on your marriage, Solar," Arctic replied as he drank from his cup.

"Thanks. So who planned this whole thing?"

"Asuna, Skye, and all of the other girls." Solar raised an eyebrow at Arctic, who nodded in confirmation. "I'm not kidding, they did this all in one day."

"Damn, they're good."

"Boss!" Both males turned to see Pearce walk up to them. "You got a moment?"

"You need to talk in private, Pearce?" Solar drank from his cup.

Pearce shook his head. "Here's fine. Besides," the Advent Archer looked over at the Silent Savior, "Arctic might wanna hear this."

"What's this about?" Arctic crossed his arms.

"You remember when you asked me where my loyalties lied?" Arctic nodded, intriguing Solar. "I've decided: when this game is cleared, and I'm still alive, I won't stop playing VRMMO's. Even after SAO, and the trauma it caused, I'll keep playing. And I guarantee that you'll see me in the next game we play."

"That's good to hear, Pearce." Arctic raised his glass in respect for the Archer before he drank what was left.

"Wait, what's this about?" Solar asked in confusion. "What happened while I was gone?"

"We'll tell you later," Arctic promised. "For now, though, just enjoy the party." Solar shrugged and went to rejoin Akira. The party was going good, and everyone was having fun. Soon after, however, an unexpected event occurred.

Skye was laughing with Liz at a joke Arctic made, before she felt a chill run down her spine when something light fell on her head. She reached a hand to her hair and touched it, feeling something wet in her hair. She examined her hand before feeling cold. She looked around her and her eyes widened when she was what was happening. "Does anyone else see the snow?"

All the partygoers were following Skye's example and marveled at the amount of snow falling. In a couple minutes, the snow reached their shins, because of how intense the snowfall was.

"Anyone wanna go inside for hot chocolate?" Everyone immediately agreed to the action Arctic had just suggested, and soon the whole party area cleared out as everyone teleported back to the guild's base, which was closest to their location.

(x)

A/N: Oh my god, this was THE longest chapter we had ever written! We tried to keep it going, but we ran out of ideas for this chapter, and had to cut it off here.

S/N: Till next time!

A/N: And as always, Read And Review!