This chapter will be four sections of chapters that have been slightly rewritten to fit the events that will occur in this Alternate Ending. If you do not understand the context, please read the original chapters and pick up from where the rewritten sections begin. To help, I have also labeled which chapter corresponds to which rewritten event in the story. Because this is an alternate ending, this is completely optional so there is no need to read this. Please remember that this is a fictional story so not everything will obey the laws of the real world.
Chapter 14: Shadows (Mortifer)
"Mortifer…" Cloud began speaking to me, "Do you want to know the reason why the Cardinal system believes you are dead?"
Cloud's voice had a serious tone to it. When I looked at his face, he expressed so many different emotions, I couldn't tell how he was really feeling. His question then kept repeating in my mind. I've been wondering that question for so long now, yet I can't even get a single idea.
"Before you answer, I want to warn you…" Cloud spoke with a more serious tone, "You will definitely not like the answer I give you if you choose to listen to my words."
Cloud's expression now showed empathy and worry. Even Sephiroth, whom I assumed is Cloud's evil side, is showing a hint of empathy. Seeing Sephiroth's face made me scared to find out why I am considered dead by the system. However, I don't even know if I'm dreaming or not. All these events occurring around me tells me it is a dream. But unless it's a terrible nightmare caused by the Voices, I have never received a single dream ever since coming here to Aincrad. If I decline Cloud's offer, I may never know the reason why I am a ghost. I would rather trust Cloud and regret my decision, than doubt him and regret afterwards.
"Go ahead… Tell me…" I told him.
My response forced even Sephiroth to lower his guard. Cloud noticed this and did the same, seemingly trusting his mortal enemy that he would not blindside him. Cloud opened his menu and revealed a portion which I have never seen before. Noticing all the different options, I hypothesized that it was an administrator menu for the MHCPs. Cloud then pulled out a black octahedron with blue outlines. A mysterious white fog suddenly piled up in a small area in front of Cloud. The octahedron began glowing and its upper portion unfolded like a blooming flower.
The octahedron emitted different colored lights on the white fog. When I looked at the fog, the series of emitted light rays played some sort of film. I could see someone in black, running across a forest in the middle of a stormy night. Upon closer examination, I realized it was me. This is what happened after I ran away that night and before I met Cloud. The memories of the Night of the Forest which I couldn't remember. The octahedron then began playing two different videos at once, the new one being a recording of Cloud talking to two silhouettes back in the Cave.
"Cloud... I never thought I would be needing to come here, but it seems there really is someone in this game who you will be guiding." One of the silhouettes spoke to him. The voice which spoke sounded that of a girl.
"Are you telling me you found someone who fits the required parameters for the Darkness Blade?" Cloud asked her.
"Yes." The other silhouette spoke. Her voice was also that of a girl, "Not only that, but his mental health is beyond our abilities. Since you are the most advanced version of the Mental Health – Counseling Program, we came here to ask you to help save this man."
"What is this player's name?" Cloud asked them.
"The player is called Mortifer. Coincidentally, this player is heading to this mountain range right now." The first silhouette spoke. Cloud opened his menu and searched up my name.
"Unbelieveable…" Cloud gasped, "His mental parameters are definitely something I did not expect. I will make it my goal to help this person then, especially since I was designed to do so and because not even you two are capable of doing so."
"If we can somehow intercept him quick enough for us to not be detected by the Cardinal, then you are free to do whatever you want to help this man." The second silhouette spoke, "Now, where are his coordinates?"
Before Cloud could answer, let alone check, lightning cracked the sky and a figure ran inside of the cave in a blur. When the figure stopped, I noticed that the figure was me. I was screaming and clutching my head, mentioning the Voices. The three MHCPs were shocked to see me there and seeing me up close. My person from the past looked at the three AIs and stared at them in confusion. When lightning struck once again, I resumed my screaming and quickly ran back outside.
"No wait, this mountain is far too slippery. At that speed, he's going to fall off!" Cloud yelled as he stood up and broke into a sprint.
Surely enough, past-Cloud watched as past-me ran off the edge of the cliff and began falling. Cloud, now desperate, dove after my screaming avatar and tried to grab him. The two other AIs watched from the top of the cliff, shocked. Cloud shouted in what felt like rage as he struggled to fall faster than my own body. At the very end however, my body fell into the ocean, dying instantly from the impact. The video switched back to the other two AI, who were checking on my current status and the green light which indicated that I was alive turned grey, indicating death. Cloud flew back up to the top of the cliff, tears were forming in his eyes despite him being an AI.
"Damn it… I wasn't fast enough." Cloud sobbed. His crying continued on for a minute when another voice suddenly boomed in the night.
"Stop the screaming! Please!" it spoke. The voice which sounded through the stormy night sounded like my own, "I'm sorry for killing you! So please stop!"
"What is this?" the second silhouette spoke, "A glitch in the Cardinal?"
"I can still feel Mortifer's soul in the game. That shouldn't be possible. His brain should've been destroyed by now due to the NerveGear's microwave burst." The first silhouette spoke, "Unless… No, no… It can't be."
"No… I think it is exactly what you are thinking." Cloud spoke.
The video suddenly cut off there and the octahedral video player broke into a thousand pieces, just like any item whose expiration timer ticks to zero.
"W-What happened in the end?" I nervously asked Cloud.
"This may be hard to grasp, and it definitely sounds like it is impossible…" Cloud began, "But the reason why you are not detected by the system is because the real you died that night Mortifer. In the video, your body hit the ocean and died instantly from the impact. A few moments after that, the NerveGear you wear fried your brain with a high-output microwave burst. Your body in the real world is most likely in the ground already. It has been dead for several months now…"
"W-Wait…" I stammered, "If I am dead, then why am I here?! Why am I still living?! I can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything that's going on! The air of this room is cold and I can see your face. I can hear your voices as well as the ones inside my head. I can taste the dirt in the air which you guys swept up during your fight. I can smell the sweat perspiring from my body. If I am dead, then why do I feel alive?!"
I was desperate to know. Cloud and Sephiroth also sensed the desperation in my voice.
"There are two reasons why you are still here, with one of them being the main one. This main reason is due to the power of your soul." Cloud answered.
"My… My soul?" I questioned him.
"I do not understand it either, but somehow, your soul overpowered the system. When it tried deleting you, it fought back and delayed your deletion. Although there was no physical battle that was visible, your fight with the system was hard fought. The chaos you caused within the system made it so your avatar was revived back at the Monument of Life in the 1st Floor. Your soul then escaped back into that body of virtual body of yours. The system tried deleting you but that's when the unexpected occurred. The creator of this game, Kayaba Akihiko, stopped the Cardinal from deleting you, and turned you into a follower-NPC. Follower-NPCs are the more advanced type of NPCs, and they are the closest NPCs can get to being human without being a complicated AI such as myself. However, since your avatar and soul was human, some human traits and abilities remained with you, such as a Friends list and Party option."
"Wait so you're saying…" I tried speaking but my voice failed me as I began realizing what I am.
"You are only part of the Mortifer which used to live both in this world and the real one. An empty shell which only contains a soul. To put it to harsher words, you are merely an illusion to those around you. While they can physically sense your body, the moment your avatar perishes once again or the moment real players notice that you are an illusion, you will fade back into non-existence…
I fell to my knees and looked at my hands. This body is an illusion? But… But… It doesn't feel like anything different… I'm still having nightmares. I still hear the Voices. I still feel like myself… If I'm not real, then what is the point of living anymore? Something flashed nearby me, and I looked over to see my sword. The sword radiated a black aura and it began calling out for me. I reached for the sword and held it gingerly in my hands. Yes… Maybe I'll do just that…
"If I can't actually see Violet and my friends again, then maybe it is best for me to end it right here… Right now…" I said as I raised the sword and proceeded to drive it right into my stomach. Before it pierced my body, Cloud stopped the sword.
"I'm sorry Mortifer, but I can't let you do that…" he told me.
"Why!" I shouted at him as I quickly stood up and put the sword against his throat, "Why should I stop?! You just said that the only part of me that remains in this world is my soul! If my soul wants to kill itself, then why should I listen to you!"
"Because you made me promise to protect you from doing so!" Cloud shouted back in defiance. His sudden change in tone caught me off guard, "When you were revived, I searched your head and you dreamed about something. In the dream, you had a physical conscience I could talk to. It told me to make sure that you can keep a promise you made long ago. When I asked what was this promise of yours, he showed me through the dream. He told me not to tell you what your promise was because you will eventually find out later. So please Mortifer, live for my sake and your own! You need to keep your promise, to the one you care about most!"
Cloud's body gave off an extremely bright light and Sephiroth, who has said nothing for a while now, suddenly held an expression of anger. The Shadows of Sorrow, which had also been standing idly, made a scared expression and began running away.
"You need to promise me to get out of this cave alive Mortifer. Please survive the pain and suffering you will endure until this game ends. I hope you won't regret doing so, but if you do, then I'm sorry… If that does happen, then I hope this parting gift will somewhat make up for your suffering. This will be when we part ways. Good bye now Mortifer…"
Cloud's body exploded, giving off blinding light. I could feel my body be thrown around and hear Sephiroth shouting in anger. The Shadows of Sorrow also made a screaming sound as it also perished. I did not feel any pain but I soon found myself drifting into a deep sleep, with the Voices screaming at the back of my head.
The next day
I could still hear them screaming. Even though I had fallen asleep, I did not receive any nightmares. I just heard the Voices throughout the entire time. How long had I been asleep? It felt like eternity, but it my sense of time was affected by the Voices, so it may have only been a day, or even a few hours. I'm too weak to do anything. Even as I said that however, I felt the entire cavern start shaking.
I thought it was just me, so I stayed in place and kept lying on the ground, bathing in the faint sunlight of the cave's ceiling. When the rumbling continued, I knew something was up. When I looked around, I noticed that the whole room was lit. The hallway which Cloud and I came from was covered in a dark black fog. On the opposite side of the room, there was a staircase leading upwards. The stairs however looked ancient. One step may cause it to gave way, and who knows what could be under that staircase. It could be just solid rock, or an endless pit.
I was trying to decide which one made more sense to me when the door from the hallway suddenly fell down to the ground. A whole cloud of darkness flooded into the room, and a shadowy figure emerged from it. At first, I couldn't tell what it was due to my blurry vision, but when my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I recognized it completely. It was the same monster which was trying to follow me and Cloud into this room before we entered it. The one that was trying to beat down on the gate. I can tell because it still held its two green flaming swords on its hands. Its green eyes also gave off a feeling of hatred and rage.
The creature of shadow roared and began charging towards me. My body went into a panicked state. I can't fight this as I don't think I have the ability to fight this titan. I have no clue what it is or what it is capable of, and I have no intentions of finding out. I looked towards the staircase and made a run for it.
I ran up the staircase as fast as I could. I was still too fatigued to use my super speed, and so I ran at my normal maximum. The staircase slowly broke down behind me and sure enough, there was only an endless pit below it. The giant tried to catch up but with the staircase gone, it gave no chase. However, it smashed its fist against the wall of the cavern, causing it to shake even more. The cave ceiling above me started cracking and I knew that I needed to run, or else I would be caught in a cave-in and perish.
And so, I ran. I didn't look back since I had no reason to. After a minute of going up the stairs, I started seeing light. Not just any sort of light, however, sunlight. The actual sunlight. The feeling of getting to see it again gave me more energy, but the cave began collapsing even faster. I began using my super speed since I felt like I could make it even if I do happen to pass out afterward. The cave-in also decided to use its super speed and collapsed even faster than it should be.
My cloak got clipped and it was ripped off of my body, causing myself to trip momentarily. A rock fell and slammed into my face, causing my mask to turn in an oddway, blocking my vision. Instead of fixing it, I simply ripped it off to save time. I even removed my belt, which I only used to carry the sheathe of my sword. I threw it away without even saying good bye and reached my hand out for the light.
"Please make it… Please!" I shouted.
I ran out of the cave in extreme speed and got launched when I tripped on a rock that was sitting in front of the cave's exit. I could feel the sun on my back, and it felt amazing. I wish I could feel this sensation for a lot longer, but it seems to me that I have now endangered myself. I am still in the air, and my momentum is bringing me towards the edge of a cliff. Time slowed for me as I watched myself go over the edge and fall down into a river. When my body turned over to look at the sky, I reached my hand out to the birds flying above me.
"Even though Cloud just saved me and made me promise… Even though I have no clue what was the promise I made… This is where I will say good bye to this cruel world." I whispered to myself.
The instant I hit the water, I felt a weird and painful sensation in my head. It was worst than a head ache and it was definitely not the Voices. I tried thinking up of things that could cause severe pain, but my consciousness was fading. I tried to fight back from falling asleep but my body refused. As I closed my eyes, I watched the health bar which had regenerated during my sleep, drop down to the yellow zone, then orange, and then finally red. I didn't make it in time to see it fully empty out, and I sunk into the darkness which I hoped would last forever.
Chapter 32: Morning Dew Girl
I rubbed my hand against the black administrator console. So Yui is one of those AIs that talked with Cloud that night. The other one, I still have no clue who they are. Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Right after Yui had disappeared, she told me that my time was coming soon, but she didn't know how or when. Will I die, or will someone find out that I am simply an illusion in this world? I have no clue. If I do happen to die, I just hope I can tell Violet and my guild the truth about me. Of course, they won't believe the ridiculous story, but if Violet survives and looks for me in the real world, then my body may already be in the ground. Even now, my body is continuously feeling colder than it was when I first learned I was merely an illusion. This coldness radiates a sensation of death, which is why I fully believe Cloud. Yui's appearance removed my doubts about being dead, which I couldn't really say is a bad thing, but it wasn't good either.
"Cloud… How do you think this journey of mine will end?"
Chapter 34: Reporting for Duty (After Mortifer's conversation with Violet)
We sat there for a bit until Violet stopped crying. She then got up and went inside to prepare. Once she was gone, I opened my menu and went to my Skills menu. I stared at my Unique Skill: Darkness Blade. I focused on two words. The End. Ever since I discovered this Unique Skill, I've been wondering what The End is supposed to mean. It was an ability but it didn't have a description or anything. All it gave me was a symbol of two twin swords, one black, the other white, crossing each other. This symbol had appeared only when I Completed my Dual Blades skill, and I now fully understand what it means. However, just like its name states, I will only use it as a last resort.
I closed my Skills menu and opened my inventory. I scrolled down and equipped my beloved Sword of Light and Sword of Darkness. Neither of the blades seemed to be doing its usual thing. The white sword didn't shine nor did the black sword ooze out darkness. They looked like ordinary swords but I know these swords have personalities in them. They too were waiting for me to confront Heathcliff. Because they were like this, I became even more confident that this really is the perfect time to confront Heathcliff, and that he is the one I need to kill.
However, that left me with what will happen after my fight. I have played many scenarios in my head, and not a single one of them do I come out alive. Even with the incredible power of the Yami no Saji, I do not see myself living, and I don't know why. Is it because I am going to sacrifice myself? Or will I just make a fatal mistake which will cost me my life? Either way, I need to kill Heathcliff. If he really is Kayaba, the game may end though I am not so sure. If what I predict is correct, then I need to tell them about it before I disappear, or else they will only be confused as to how I ended up dying a year before the game had ended. Although it will hurt Violet, I hope she can move on from this, despite all the wonderful memories we had together and the suffering we experienced together.
Chapter 35: The End (Kirito – After Mortifer fights Heathcliff)
The explosion of darkness was massive. The black smoke covered the room in an instant and is starting to make me cough. In fact, everyone else was coughing along with me. I stood up but I couldn't see where I was going since it was pitch black.
"I'm not paralyzed anymore." She told me. I started hearing the shuffling of the clearers as they got out of paralysis.
All of the clearers began talking, wondering what were the results of the fight. Nobody could see anything in the room, as it was pitch black, which made a few people panic. However, amidst all of that darkness, I spotted a small light in all of it. The light was shaped like a sword, so I assumed it was the sword which Mortifer had wielded. I grabbed Asuna's hand and dragged her over to the sword. I picked it up and began glowing like a sun, just like how it was when Mortifer first pulled them out. We were still in the boss room. Everyone was here except for Heathcliff who had disappeared. I dropped the sword and hugged Asuna.
We're still alive. I didn't lose her, nor did she lose me. Everybody began cheering and celebrating. Amongst all the noise they made celebrating, crying could also be heard. Everyone became quiet as they tried to locate the origins of the crying. We then saw that the Reapers of Sorrow were gathered in a circle surrounding someone. I saw Rizer who looked at me. His face filled with grief and sadness, but no tears.
"Guys make way for Kirito." He commanded them.
The Reapers of Sorrow all looked at me. Some were crying, while others were on the brink of it. Only one person showed neither of those signs, and it was Zed. Even then, he showed sadness. They all tilted their heads down and parted. They revealed a crying Violet who held a dying Mortifer in her hands. I rushed over to them and Asuna followed me. Soon, everyone, even the clearers has formed a circle around us. We all watched as Mortifer's body seemed to leak particles of darkness.
"Why? Just now, and when we faced The Fatal Scythe in that dungeon back at the 1st Floor, you saved my life. Why?! Why did you save me?" I desperately asked him. I just didn't understand. Out of all the people in this world who I know, Mortifer is the one who saves me. He started chuckling.
"Is something funny?" I asked him. He then started coughing out more darkness.
"You didn't expect that, did you? I don't think anybody did." he laughed out, "I know you hate me Kirito. Everyone in the family hates me. I used to think I hated you guys, but I remembered something important during my time in this game which reminded me how much I care about you guys…"
Tears started forming in his eyes. Why is he crying?
"I'm sorry that I kept it a secret from you. How our parents died right after you were born." He muttered. My eyes stung from his words. Does he want to apologize now? I felt a tear go down my cheek.
"Damn you…" I yelled at him. I punched the ground and Asuna rubbed my back. The clearers around us started muttering. Some, like Klein, looked devastated at what just happened.
"I saved you because…" he started saying, "I saved you because… I saved you because you are my brother. Other than our relatives, you are the only true family I have left. I was in the hospital when mother gave birth to you. When the doctors let me in the room, I remember I was so excited to hold you in my arms. I was happy that I got a little brother. When our parents died, I was so happy that you survived with me. You may not remember, but I took care of you just like how an older brother should. What I just did there, is me showing you that I still care for you. I just knew that Asuna would try to save you when something goes wrong. I knew that if I let that happen, not only would you be in pain, but I would have to see you in sorrow. That's the reason why I was able to get up, cloak, and save both of you from witnessing each other disappear from your eyes."
I heard Asuna crying next to me. I turned to see tears run down her face. Seeing her cry broke me and I started crying too.
"Don't cry Kirito. Both you and Asuna have gone through a lot already. I know most of what has happened." I looked at him in confusion. What does he mean he knows?
"W-What do you mean?" I stuttered. I felt a hand hold mine. I turned to see Violet.
"After he escaped his execution, Mortifer decided to run solo for a bit." Violet began explaining, "He apparently ecountered you when you found a Ragout Rabbit at the 74th Floor. He began following you from there and watched as you used Dual Blades to take down The Gleam Eyes. After that, he apparently saved you guys from Kuradeel."
"That was you too?" I sobbed, looking at my brother. He simply nodded.
"When that happened… I had a flashback. To the very moment before our parents left our home and never returned. I remembered that I had made a promise to mother, promising her that whenever our parents were gone, I would protect you from all harm whilst making sure that I don't cause any harm to you. They were so proud to have you as their new-born child, and they trusted me completely that I would protect you… I'm angry at myself that I wasn't able to fulfill that promise…"
Mortifer began crying now. He was sobbing as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I know of the demise of the Moonlit Black Cats. I watched as Kuradeel was about to kill you. And when I saw that he was about to attack Asuna, I interfered and stabbed him while I had my cloak on. I couldn't let either of you go through the pain of having to kill someone. I also know that you and Asuna took a break from the front lines. You went to the 22nd floor and saved Argo from the flying house. I met up with her and she told me about your marriage, which made me happy. I saw you enjoy your honeymoon in your log cabin. And then… I saw you two with Yui."
Asuna started crying even more as she clutched on to the amulet I gave her. Yui's Heart.
"She was an amazing daughter. Both of you loved her as much as she loved you. When The Fatal Scythe attacked, I tried protecting you guys but I failed and Yui had to do it herself. I was even more shocked to find about the truth of Yui. Then I saw you met Nishida. I saw you help Nishida reel the fish god that lived inside of the lake, and watched as Asuna killed it with ease. Even though I am wanted, I still followed you to Grandzam and eavesdropped on you guys through the window, as Heathcliff said earlier. And now, I find myself here dying… How unfortunate…"
Mortifer tried laughing but only started coughing even more. His body, which had only been leaking a continuous stream of darkness, is now beginning to fade, starting with his feet. Mortifer struggled to look up to see his face, and so Violet helped him by resting his head on her lap.
"I guess I'll see you again Kirito… But this time, it's in a better place… At least that's what I hope for…"
Mortifer let go of my hand, closed his eyes, and started smiling. That's when I realized that he can't go… Not yet…
"Mom and Dad… What were they like?" I asked him. Mortifer opened his eyes and he began shedding tears of joy as he began reminiscing about the past.
"Just like our family now, they didn't always like me." Mortifer began explaining, "I was always messing around not listening to them. But they cared for me just like how any parent should. As for resemblance, we looked a lot like our father. I had his eyes while you had Mom's. Speaking of Mom, when you were still in her belly, she would always sing a lullaby right before she slept. It was meant for you in case you also wanted to sleep but had trouble doing so. Dad would crouch down and talk to Mom's belly whenever he got back home from work, hoping his words reached you. They were so happy to see your face when you were born. In my mind, I was thinking they wanted this one to be the perfect child for them because I knew I wasn't the one they wanted. I was nowhere close…"
Mortifer's words effectively hit my heart, and it did the same for everyone else. Violet brushed off the tears on Mortifer's face with the sleeve of her shirt whilst letting her own tears fall on his forehead.
"The day after you were born, I made my promise to protect you and they left. Our promise was the last time I heard words come out from their mouths. This whole time, I forgot about that promise. And here I am, sixteen years later, remembering the exact words… I guess I really can't break promises that easily…"
Mortifer's legs have faded up to his knees now. He looked towards Asuna, who was right beside me, crying on my shoulder.
"Asuna… Promise me that you will keep my brother safe and happy. Promise that, okay?" Mortifer asked her. Asuna wiped the tears off her eyes and smiled at him, nodding.
"Okay… I promise…"
Mortifer looked upwards to see Violet's face. She was holding both of his hands tightly, kissing the silver ring he wore around one of his fingers whilst letting her tears fall on his hand.
"I told you that I was going to get you out of here… I love you Violet, but I don't want to see you die, just like Kirito." He said whilst smiling. He then looked towards the guild and gave them a stern expression, "All of you… Take care of Violet for me when I'm gone… You guys better not do anything to hurt her."
The Reapers of Sorrow… The most feared guild in all of Aincrad after the fall of Laughing Coffin is now saluting and crying as their leader died right in front of their eyes. Mortifer started coughing again and pointed to a certain place. I followed where he pointed and saw his two swords. Klein and Agil both had the same idea and fetched it for me.
"Thank you guys," I told them. They went back into the crowd and continued watching.
I gave the swords to Mortifer who held it gingerly. A light grew from one sword, while darkness oozed out of the other. They both clumped together by Mortifer's feet and began forming a silhouette. The silhouette then started gaining some color until it became a person. Well, it was more like a ghost as the man was slightly transparent and had a white aura. The man had spiky blonde hair and carried a large sword on his back. For some reason, I recognized him.
"Hey, Mortifer. That was one heck of a battle we had just now." He laughed. Both he and Mortifer were laughing. How can they be laughing at a time like this?
"Yes… It definitely was Cloud." Mortifer laughed out. "But there was less light in the dungeon than in here. Everyone, this is Cloud Strife, a super-advanced Artificial Intelligence, just like Yui. Cloud is my mentor and is also the person who trained me to fight this well. You may all think I'm nothing but a dark monster. I probably am, but Cloud taught me one thing…"
Mortifer's chest was starting to glow and a small ball of light came out from his heart.
"No matter how dark the darkness is, there is always a light to guide you your way."
Mortifer slowly reached for the light and touched it, unable to close his hand on it. Cloud put his hand on Mortifer's light and grabbed it. He motioned for us to do the same. Violet, Asuna, Cloud, and I all held onto Mortifer's hand. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Klein holding my shoulder, then Agil did the same. Everyone, even the clearers who despised Mortifer, touched each other on the shoulder or back, making some sort of connection to Mortifer's light.
"Before I go, I have to tell you guys something… Something important." Mortifer began speaking, "You guys may not believe me, but when we go back to the real world, you will see for yourself."
"Mortifer… W-What are you talking about?" Violet asked him.
"I am already dead…" Mortifer declared, "I have been dead ever since that night, more than a year ago…"
"W-What do you mean?" I asked my brother, "You're here with right now, aren't you? You can't be dead."
"I thought that as well when Cloud told me the truth long ago, back when I was still in that damn cave… Cloud, explain it to them…" All of us looked at the ghostly apparition. The spikey haired guy sighed as he looked up from Mortifer and observed all of our faces.
"May 4th, 2023, Mortifer died from falling into the ocean at the Edge of the World in the 24th Floor. Before the NerveGear fried his brain, his soul fought against the system and was saved by none other than Kayaba Akihiko, who put his soul into this body. What you are seeing is not the real Mortifer, but a shadow of him. His body has long perished and is most likely in the ground now."
"W-What?!" Violet cried, "So, you're saying… You're saying this isn't even Mortifer?!"
"This is Mortifer's conscious. He thinks, acts, and moves just like the real one did. All you've been seeing is an illusion of Mortifer. A fake copy of his existence put into the game by Kayaba Akihiko himself in hopes of learning how someone could defy the laws of his own game and for how long."
"After my execution, I decided to leave you guys because I noticed there was something off with my body. All the sensations of my body started disappearing. My body felt cold no matter how much clothing I wore. It truly felt like I was dead. Even now, I can't even feel the warmth of your hands. The smell of your wonderful hair. My vision is blurring slightly and my hearing has worsened. Right before we left to embark on our journey here, I tried getting a taste of your food only to find that I can't taste anything anymore. It really feels like I am dead…"
"So… So…" Violet tried speaking but too many tears were being shed from her eyes, "All those memories I had with you after that night are not real?! The person who gave me this necklace and married me wasn't even the Mortifer that I knew, loved and cared about?!"
"No…" Mortifer spoke, "Those memories you had of me are real. But if you are referring to the Mortifer you once knew, then yes, those memories are fake. But there is one thing I am sure of Violet…"
Violet looked at Mortifer, who smiled at her despite the terrible mood everyone was in, especially her.
"I am sure that if the real me were still here, he would be doing the exact same things that I am doing now. After all, I am Mortifer's soul. And Kirito…"
"W-What?" I stammered, unable to comprehend the situation due to the tragic reveal.
"I have always loved you, from the bottom of my heart. Ever since you were born, I loved and cared about you. I just wish it was the real me who was telling you this… And I also wish I had shown it to you sooner…" Mortifer whispered to me.
He was crying. Half of his body has faded. Only his upper body remains. He looked towards his guild who all looked at him.
"I've only been with you guys for such a short time, but it feels like forever to me. And Violet…" Mortifer continued speaking. Violet looked at him in the eyes, "You may hate me for keeping it a secret, and I am sorry if it is going to cause you pain. I truly am. I just want you to promise me that you are going to move on and forget about me. If you don't do that, then I'm going to keep hindering your life. I don't want that to happen. All I want is for you to be happy.
A tear ran down Violet's cheek and Mortifer caught it with his spare hand. We all watched in silence as my brother faded away.
"The Voices…" Mortifer mumbled out. He closed his eyes and a small smile grew in his face, "They finally stopped…"
He let go of the light and his arms went slump. He closed his eyes as he burst into a million pieces. The death animation in Sword Art Online. Those pieces then faded into darkness. The light that we were all connected to faded, along with the darkness that leaked out of Mortifer's body. Violet broke down completely and Asuna rushed to her side. The clearers didn't move or speak. Most of them had no clue what just happened and nobody could blame them since they barely knew Mortifer. I, on the other hand, was completely frozen. My mind just couldn't process what had happened. Cloud then grabbed Mortifer's two swords and held them.
"I can't tell if I made the right decision to let him live up till now, or let him die back then so we all could avoid this pain…" Cloud spoke, "After witnessing the events that just transpired, I am truly sorry for all of you who were close to him. And I hope that you can move on from this Violet…"
Cloud's ghostly apparition was then absorbed into the two blades, which hovered and spun in circles until they both faded away. Then we heard a loud ringing noise that came from every direction. Everyone stood up, wondering what was happening. Then we heard a voice announcing something.
"As of November 7th, 2:55 PM, the game has been cleared." It said, "The game has been cleared."
At that moment, the whole world turned white.
(Violet)
I opened my eyes and found myself in some weird place above the clouds. I was standing on a floating glass platform. And then I heard a voice.
"Violet?" the voice said. I turned around to see Kirito and Asuna standing right beside each other, and holding hands.
"W-Where are we?" I stuttered.
I looked around and saw nothing but the sky. But then Asuna pointed downwards and I looked over the edge of the platform we were on. I witnessed the Floating Castle Aincrad as it began falling from the sky, each of its floors slowly breaking down. I saw the Island that we lived in fall into nothingness. I had so many memories in that island. But why do I not feel any sadness?
"Impressive view, isn't it?" I heard another voice say. I turned to see someone in a white suit standing there.
"Kayaba Akihiko?" Kirito gasped.
This is Kayaba Akihiko? This guy is the creator of Sword Art Online? Although I should be angry at the man, I wasn't. I felt like I was in complete peace, except for the fact that I just lost Mortifer.
"Right now, in the basement of Argus Headquarters, the memory banks of the SAO mainframe is being deleted. Every single byte of data will be gone. In a couple of minutes, the whole world will be deleted. All the six-thousand remaining players are being successfully logged out." Kayaba declared.
"What about the dead people? What happens to the four thousand who lost their lives?" Kirito asked the creator.
"They will never regain consciousness ever again. Even if it is a Virtual World, the dead do not return." Kayaba answered.
"Why did you do all of this?" Kirito asked
"Why you ask? For a long time, I've forgotten why I made this world. When I began developing the Full-Dive Environment System… No, even longer before that happened... I longed for nothing but to create a floating castle. A new world that surpassed the laws and boundaries of the real world." Kayaba said. As we listened to him talk, the three of us sat at the edge of the platform, "And now, I've borne witness to someone who surpassed even my own world's laws and boundaries. Your brother, Mortifer, managed to break the boundaries of my world."
We all tilted our heads, remembering that we lost Mortifer just now. Although I remained in peace, I felt a tear run down my cheek.
"I wonder how old I was when I became fascinated with that steel castle floating in the sky." He started to recall, "I wanted to leave the world, and go to that floating castle. It was my only desire, for a long time. You see, I still believe that this castle is out there, in some other world."
"Yeah… it'd be nice if it did exist." Kirito muttered. We all agreed that it would be nice if Aincrad was real. I could live in the island again. With all my friends. And Mortifer…
"That reminds me," Kayaba started saying, "Congratulations on clearing the game. Kirito, Asuna, and Violet. Mortifer was also a big help."
Mortifer. The name repeated several times in my head. Even though it had happened only a few minutes ago, I had somehow forgotten about it.
"What Mortifer and Cloud said, about him being an illusion… Is that true?" I asked Kayaba.
"Unfortunately, it is all true." The man stated. The peace I felt disappeared, and I could feel the lamentation inside my heart, "I was intrigued by Mortifer's resolve and his spirit, and so I saved it from deletion and put it into an advanced NPC. To confirm things, I contacted my assistant in the real world, who had confirmed Mortifer's death. She apparently had difficulty finding his identity but she didn't give me exact details as to why, but I didn't care about them anyway. It really is tragic to see him disappear like that, and I am truly sorry for it. Your brother and your husband was truly a remarkable man who could do the impossible."
Kayaba ended his explanation there and we all stared at the falling Aincrad. The pain in my heart remained, but I could not shed a tear which only made me feel even worse.
"I'll be heading off now…" Kayaba said, breaking the silence, "Good bye Kirito-kun. Asuna-kun. Violet-kun."
Kayaba started walking away from us. A gust of wind blew by and his body quickly dissolved into dust. The particles of dust were then carried off by the wind. The three of us were now alone. We watched as the 100th floor of Aincrad, the Ruby Palace, crumble and disappear.
"I guess this is good bye." Kirito said.
"Before we do disappear, can we exchange our names? Our real names?" Asuna asked us.
"Sure, why not?" I said with a warm smile.
"Kirigaya. Kirigaya Kazuto. That's my real name." Kirito said "I think I turned sixteen last month."
Funny. I thought Kirito would be older. Seventeen at least.
"Kirigaya Kazuto… You are younger than me!" Asuna exclaimed with a smile. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, I am seventeen."
"Yuuki Asuna… You used your real name for your character name?" Kirito questioned her, slightly laughing.
"It was asking for my name and so I put it in! I didn't know anything about video games then!" Asuna yelled whilst blushing, "What about you Violet? What's your name?"
"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am nineteen." I told them. Then I remembered about Mortifer. "Kirigaya-kun… What was your brother's name?"
"My brother…" Kirito muttered. "His name is Kirigaya Katsumoto. I believe he turned twenty January."
"Kirigaya Katsumoto…" I quietly whispered. The pain in my heart decided to come out and I began bawling. Kirito and Asuna moved closer to comfort me, "I never actually got to ask him myself, or told him my name. I didn't do any of that before that night or even after…"
"Here, I'll tell you my sister's phone number. You can contact me from there."
Kirito slowly whispered to me his sister's phone number and I made sure to remember it fully. Afterward, I spent my final moments in Sword Art Online, crying my heart out while two kids who are younger than me tried to warm my freezing heart in vain.
(Kazuto)
I could hear people talking. My body felt a bit numb, but otherwise it was fine. I could feel a small, cool breeze blowing past my face. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a ceiling fan above me. That's right… I'm lying down on my hospital bed right now. The thing around my head is the NerveGear. My left arm felt a little weird so I lifted it up to see it. There was a tube connected to it, feeding me with my supply of food and water.
"Onii-chan!" A familiar voice cried out for me. Suddenly, a face appeared at the corner of my vision. The face of my cousin, Kirigaya Suguha, "Onii-chan! You're awake! Oka-san! Oka-san! Kazuto-nii is awake!"
"Is he really?" my aunt's voice called out. I heard footsteps rushing over and my foster mother's face appeared, "Kazuto-kun!"
"W... Where's Katsu-nii?" I asked them. The two of them held confused expressions, "Suguha… Oba-san… I know Katsu-nii was in the game and he told me something that I couldn't believe. So please tell me… Where is he?"
The two of them were frozen. They looked confused and held questioning expressions. What completely gave the answer away, is the fact that their faces gave no feeling of sadness or empathy. Upon seeing those cold, emotionless expressions, I found my answer. My eyes began tearing up but I fought back since I've been crying too much recently.
"Onii-chan… Katsumoto died a little over a year ago. It was midnight, on the 4th of May 2023."
(Violet)
Half an hour later
My body felt strange yet numb at the same time. My eyelids were heavy and they refused to open. I could, however, hear voices. Voices of my family. I could hear my mother, father, and brother.
"All the other victims of Sword Art Online are waking up, so she should be as well." My dad's voice spoke.
"Oka-san, Oto-san, look!" I heard my brother's voice shout out in excitement, "Her heartrate is different from what it was seconds ago! Onee-chan, are you awake?! Onee-chan!"
"Hitori…?" I voiced out though it was weak. My entire family gasped and I finally opened my eyes.
"Ai-chan! You're awake!" my mother cried out.
"I'm so glad!" my dad exclaimed as his eyes began tearing.
"I'm sorry for letting you play Sword Art Online Onee-chan!" my brother apologized, "It was my fault you were stuck there for two years and missed your exams!"
"I don't care about that right now Hitori…" I weakly spoke, "Can you take off my NerveGear?"
My family slowly helped me remove my NerveGear. A nurse came in and helped me sit up. My body was thinner than what I remembered it to be. My skin was pale since I haven't been exposed to sunlight in two years. The purple streaks of my hair had also faded almost completely, with only trace amounts of violet in them. Although I feel bad and look even worse, the one thing that was in my mind was not me at all. No…
"Oka-chan… Can I use your phone, please? I need to call someone…" I asked my mom. She looked confused at first but obliged. She handed me her phone and then I paused, "I know this may sound weird, but can you give me some privacy while I make a call to a friend?"
Everyone in the room, even the nurse, was bewildered. My family looked at each other and my brother simply shrugged his shoulders and left. My mom and dad hesitantly left the room. The nurse left last as she needed to record my current readings. I unlocked my mother's phone and began pressing the numbers of the dial pad. It has been so long since I have done this. I inputted the numbers exactly as how Kirito told me and put the phone next to my ear. The phone rang a few times before someone finally picked it up.
"Hello?" a girl's voice spoke, "Who is this calling?"
"Hello? Is the person speaking of the Kirigaya family?" I asked.
"Yes, it is. Who is this?"
"My name is Yuzuki Ai. I am a friend of Kirigaya Kazuto-kun who was also trapped inside the game with him." I told her, "I would like to speak to him."
"Onii-chan… This Yuzuki-san girl wants to talk to you." The person said as I heard the phone being passed over. The girl must've been Mortifer and Kirito's sister.
"Violet-san?" I heard Kirito's voice although it was rather weak like my own.
"Yes, it's me." I greeted him.
There was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of crying. I could hear Kirito's sister trying to comfort Kirito. Just hearing it already gave me the answer I wanted to know, yet I still wanted him to say it out loud. My eyes began tearing up and I could feel my heart slowly sinking down to sadness once again.
"I'm sorry…" Kirito's voice spoke from the phone. He was sobbing, "I really am sorry Violet-san. If I had just known that he was this kind of person at heart, maybe things would've been different…"
"Kirito-kun… What happened to Mortifer-san?" I asked him, despite knowing the answer already. There was a moment of silence until Kirito could finally muster up the courage to tell me what I already knew. Even so, hearing it broke my heart.
"Mortifer… My brother… He was already dead… He had died from his NerveGear frying his brain, on the 4th of May, 2023."
I moved the phone away from my ear and let my arm fall. I hung up without saying another word, although I knew Kirito would understand why. Even though I'd been crying so much recently, those tear glands in the game were not the same as the ones I have in real life, meaning these ones had not shed a single tear for over two years. I reached for one of my pillows and buried my face in it as I let two years' worth of tears come flooding out like a dam opening its floodgates. My family and the appointed nurse came rushing into the room to see what was going on only to see me bawling my eyes out.
"Ai-chan! Ai-chan! What's wrong?!" My mother exclaimed, her face filled with worry.
"I… I…" I tried to speak out but I couldn't speak properly nor breathe properly, "I just found out that I had lost someone really close to me…"
"Is it Vitushi-kun? Our cousin?" my brother asked me but I shook my head.
"It's someone you guys don't know… But I knew him very well…"
A week later, Kawagoe Cemetery Garden
It was a rather gloomy day for both me and Kazuto-kun. The skies were covered in rainclouds, which drizzled cold rain on top of us. I was in a wheelchair while my family's maid stood next to me, holding up an umbrella to protect us from the rain. Kazuto or Kirito was on crutches instead of a wheelchair. His rehab has been going faster than mine so he can somewhat walk properly now. He came here with his sister and aunt, but they were waiting for him in the car. Kazuto stood out in the rain without protection, but he wore a black hoodie which slightly protected him from the rain.
"Was there a funeral?" I asked Kazuto, whose face held sadness and grief but showed no tears.
"At the time of his death, my family was very busy with things, so Katsu-nii didn't receive a proper funeral." Kazuto informed me, "They simply prepared his body to be buried and then did so. No ceremony was held. Only my family and the people burying him were present, but even then, they didn't stay long…"
"Did you tell them about his true heart?" I questioned him again but she shook his head.
"Katsumoto told you to move on from his death. I felt like that message was also directed to me and everyone else in the Reapers of Sorrow as well…" Kazuto stated, "If I told my family, they would likely think I have gone crazy since it is unlike Katsu-nii to do nice things. After all, he never did many nice things for us. I also didn't tell them because I found the last will he wrote."
"Last will?" I asked, looking at him with a confused expression.
Kazuto reached into his pocket and he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to my maid, who then gave it to me. The writing was a bit faded as if it were written more than four years ago.
"I don't know if it was a serious last will, but his way of writing, as well as his word usage, makes it seem like it is Katsu-nii. I'm going to warn you now that it is a bit tragic…"
Despite his warning, I began reading.
Most people would not even consider writing something like this when they are only sixteen years of age. But to me, it is better to do so now or never. After all, human life can be taken away as fast as one can blink. One moment, one could be perfectly healthy until they go get their next medical checkup and find out they have a fatal disease such as cancer. There are car accidents, homicides, massacres, warfare, and many other terrible things in this world of ours that could very well take away your own life or the life of someone you love. But that one life taken away is one out several billion. The life of a rich entrepreneur is equal to that of a beggar in the streets. Some people may argue and say that the rich entrepreneur can affect other lives positively while a beggar can affect them negatively. But to me, it is not about how they affect a life; it is about if they are human or not. To me, the life of a human is equal to the life of another, no matter what. A rich man is equal to that of a slave from the olden times. That is why I am writing this. I am only one life out of many others who are living in this world. I am writing this so I can tell those who read it to forget about me. I believe that it is not necessary for one to value the life and memories of one who is dead, as it is a waste of their time and happiness. One cannot be happy if they focus on what is sad. So, to whoever is reading this, whether it be my family or someone close to me, I ask you to forget about me and on to the future ahead of you.
Sincerely, Kirigaya "Mortifer" Katsumoto
The last will ended there. Instead of crying, I actually found myself smiling. At first, I didn't know why but then I began remembering all of those happy times I had with Mortifer. His selfless sacrifices. The skull mask which he loved so much. And then his edgy nickname, The Reaper of Sorrow. For him to write a letter as depressing as this definitely fits his personality, and that is why I found myself smiling.
"You are smiling too…" Kazuto mumbled. I found him staring at me and a smile grew on his face as well, "Even if he only revealed his true personality to me inside the game, I can tell that the letter perfectly fits in with his persona."
"Yeah… It fits in very well…" I responded.
"Well, I need to go now." Kazuto confessed as he began slowly walking away with his crutches, "I hope you have fun in Kyoto. I've also managed to inform the rest of your guild on the whereabouts of Katsu-nii's grave."
"Thanks, I guess…" I replied.
"Goodbye Violet-san."
"Goodbye Kirito-kun."
I watched as Mortifer's younger brother walked back to his family's car. I watched him enter the car and disappear from my sights as the car turned the corner to leave the cemetery. I remained sitting on my wheelchair, staring at Mortifer's grave. I repeated Mortifer's promise in my head and mustered up enough courage to say it, one last time.
"I love you Kirigaya Katsumoto-kun… Goodbye…"