Alright, so there's no confusion, you should known that I'm mixing SAO, Alfheim Online, and some of my own stuff for the rules and detailsof this virtual world. I don't know much of the particulars of the games in the SAO universe, so I'm going to be making up a lot of the game logistics as I go. Names of things might be different, floors that I pull out of my butt may not line up, I don't know. Hopefully the details aren't too far off the mark, but since this is an AU challenge anyways, I'm not too worried about accuracy.

The challenge is to do fluffy, but I'm not too god at that, so we'll see how it goes.

Floor Forty-Four: Ymin

Max adjusts his glasses, intrigued. Both of his friends are practically vibrating when he comes over– and wow, that item looks a lot bigger up close than he would have thought. The thick of it is nestled, more or less, within the sack, but it extends out of the leather in a long jagged line, about a foot from the opening. Just beyond the curious item is a pair of his friends, looking rather pleased with themselves. Max hums to himself as he considers what Nino has just told him.

Apparently, this wyvern's horn didn't come from just any wyvern.

"You don't say?"

"Yeah," Nino affirms. He reaches forward to palm the ivory within the sack, and raises it up to Max's eye level. "This was dropped after Alya cut it off it's head," beside him, his girlfriend preens at the mention of her deed, her tail undulating in a way he isn't sure she's entirely aware of. "Usually, it would be something like ivory that you can use for strengthening non-weapons and making non-weapon items. I was hoping to get a pic out of it," Nino shrugs here, "but it turns out, it isn't ivory."

"It isn't?"

"Nope. Not even some kind of special ivory."

"Then. . . what is it?"

Nino's smile spreads into a grin identical to Alya's as he proclaims, glowing, "It's Jagged Stone."

Max takes a moment to process that.

He eventually shakes his head, disbelieving. "You're not serious."

"I wouldn't lie about this, dude. Here, take a look,"

Nino hands the ivory to Max, who takes it in both his hands and feels the weight of it. It's dense alright, like premium stone. He taps just over it once to bring up the item's information, and sure enough, hovering in dark gray letters over the material are the words "Jagged Stone." Below that are a list of characteristics: Type, Quantity, Strength, other benefits, effects, or embellishments. But Max doesn't get much farther than Type.

It really is a stone.

"So this is rock?" Max asks no one in particular, a bemused smirk forming on his face. He looks up to the two in front of him.

"Yeah," Alya answers. She leans over the front counter and bounces back in one movement, positively beaming. Her smile sparkles with a very feline-esque content that is mirrored by the lofty sway of her auburn tail. "Which means it's mineral, which means you can forge something with it, right?"

"I mean, yes, if the logistics of the game remain true and this is really what we think it is. I can definitely do that."

"Sha!" Nino and Alya rejoice, high-fiving each other.

Max gingerly places the stone back down on the countertop. He appraises the unique material with an approving and somewhat envious nodding of his head; he knows the statistical probability of encountering a wyvern at any point in the game is supposed to be very low. He wonders how they managed to find one. . . it's pretty impressive. He wonders what the others will say when they find out. . . well, Kim will likely throw himself into every cave, cove, and cavern to prove he's just as good, if not better, than Nino and Alya. Max looks up at his friends when he's done appreciating their exploits. "Well, what do you want to do with it?" he asks.

Alya and Nino's smiles kind of shrink. They look at each other, and their cheery energy is suddenly replaced with an awkward pause. To Max, they look conflicted. . . had they not planned what to do with the loot on the long journey back?

Alya's ears flinch in an antsy manner as she thinks about how they should settle this unspoken dilemma; she really wants to use that stone, but that wouldn't be fair. Sure, she dealt the killing blow, but Nino helped her fight that outrageous thing literally every step of the way. He deserves just as much of the reward as she does.

This contemplative silence persists for moments more as Max waits for the couple to come to a decision until finally, Nino sighs, his conflicted expression smoothing into a warm one of fondness as he turns to his girlfriend. "As you were the one to fell this great beast," he says, a fist on his chest and his low timbre full of lighthearted grandiosity, "the item should go to you."

Alya sucks in a sharp breath. Happy, but upset. "Nino–"

"Really. You should have it."

She hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"But it's the easter egg of easter eggs. There'll never be another one."

"I know," Nino takes ahold of her shoulders and levels a calm, accepting look at her. "But only one of us can have the horn, and if that's the case, then I want you to be the one who gets it. You're our main fighter. And let's be honest, that stone can't be used for anything I would really want. This is a chance to level up our team. I won't let myself get in the way of that."

Alya looks up at Nino with nothing but absolute adoration and gratitude, and hugs him really tight. "Thank you so much. You're the best."

Nino hugs her back, smirking. "I know."

The two hold onto each other for a while, tender and happy. And while Max is happy for them, as the embrace begins to get lengthy, he clears his throat to get things back on track. His friends, remembering themselves, separate with matching blushes to face the blacksmith. Ceremoniously, in stark contrast to when they arrived, they both remove the horn from the leather sack together, and hand it over to Max.

Max holds the stone in his hands. He feels it's texture, it's weight. He takes a good look at it's appearance before pulling up it's information again to really understand what it's made of, what it can do. When he thinks he's ready, he sets the horn down again.

"I'd be honored to forge this into a weapon for you. Just give me a moment to retrieve my hammer, and my book. I might have some applicable items that will make this a true masterpiece," He turns away from them, heads towards the back of his shop. He pauses to grab an apron on the way, though Nino and Alya aren't sure what for– maybe it improves his success rate?– and calls out to them as he disappears into a hidden section of the smith. He speaks over random shuffling and clinking. "Be thinking of what you want while I look over some formulas,"

Alya only needs a moment to decide. She already has a plenty reliable bow and arrows, she doesn't wield two-handed swords– they slow her down too much– and broadswords and axes aren't her style. Besides, with a material this powerful, and with Max's abilities to boot, she won't need to forge a power-type for the strength and weight she's looking for.

This weapon will complement her agility, improve accuracy. It'll be just what their perfectly balanced team needs.

Max emerges from the depths of his shop deeply engaged in a large tome he carries with one hand. With the other, he holds a few select items, miscellaneous potions and minerals from his stores. He walks up to the counter, sets the book on it, sets the items beside the horn, and leans over it with his own excitement tangibly building. When he's ready, he glances up at the duo with the look in his eye Alya has been hoping for: a faraway, calculating look, like there's a plan only he can see and understand. He does his best work in uncharted territory.

"So, have you decided?" Max inquires.

Nino looks down at Alya, and Alya nods, certain.

"I know what I want," she sneaks a glance at Nino before licking her lips and leaning towards Max to whisper in his ear. Nino raises an eyebrow at the exchange, but doesn't ask any questions aloud.

After hearing what she has to say, Max leans back with wide eyes, adjusting his glasses incredulously. To his credit, he does not outright admonish the idea. Alya bites her lip; despite everything, she is hopeful that this will work out.

"This is risky," Max warns, "Are you sure you want me to try that with such a low success rate? It's highly unlikely that you'll get anything useful if this doesn't work."

Alya glances at Nino again. He doesn't seem perturbed at all by what Max just said, so she feels safe to continue. "I'm sure," Alya assures her friend. "We came here because we trust you. If anyone can do this, it's you. And even if you can't, I bet I'll still get something helpful."

Max nods. "Okay,"

The blacksmith pores over his reading material one more time before taking his dense hammer into both hands and raising it over the jagged stone. He takes a deep breath, and steadies his grip. Max hits the stone with his hammer once, and once again. The material is still, then it glows a brilliant aquamarine, shimmering at the edges, and the material morphs. That quickly, it is done, and there's no going back.

Max takes a step back as the sparkles fade, hammer at his side.

There's a moment where the air is sucked out of the room, where no one dares to breathe.

Then Alya squeals.

"Yes!" She pumps her fist and jumps high, ecstatic. Max can hardly believe he's pulled it off, and Nino is still processing just what exactly has happened.

"What?"

"Success!" Max rejoices, joining in on Alya's celebration. Nino comes around then, chuckling at his girlfriend's audaciousness. He almost can't believe her, she's crazy, but he isn't in the least surprised.

Carefully, Nino steps forward and takes one of the dual blades into his hands.

"Wow,"

Max really is a genius. With the Jagged Stone, he's crafted two identical jambiya blades, each with lengthened blades that don't taper like the real ones do. These are heavy, broad blades about 15 inches long. At the hilt are draconic embellishments, the handle tightly wrapped with thick leather, and the flat of each sides of the daggers are with a gleaming indigo color that glimmers aqua when the light hits it just right. The butt of the hilt is a bronze looking knot of metal that matches the cryptic insignia emblazened on the face side of each dagger. They are magical blades, stunning. And perfect for their battle formations. Nino feels his heart melt at the sight of them.

"You like them?" Alya asks, breathless, her smile hurting her face.

"I love them," Nino tears his incredulous gaze away from the jambiya to point it at his partner. "Are they for both of us?"

Alya nods. "Oh yeah."

"Wow,"

Alya picks up her half of the matching set. She likes the feeling of it in her hands, the idea of a symbol of intimate connection between her and Nino. She wonders just how strong the weapon is, so she taps over it to see if a stats box will open up. It does.

"This is amazing, Max," Nino comments as he reads from over her shoulder. "How much does this cost, anyways? We might not be able to give you everything now, but I swear–"

"Oh no need to worry about that." Max brushes him off. "The mere fact that I accomplished the feat is it's own reward! Overcoming the chances is quite satisfying," He puts a knuckle to his chin in thought. "Though I would like you to spread the word, it would really help business– oh, and I suppose I would also like to replace the items I used to upgrade it. Those were rather hard to come by, not adventuring and all."

"Done," Nino agrees. "We'll double it! Thanks a lot, man. This is amazing."

"Of course. Anything for you guys."

After closing the stats dialogue, Alya's mouth breaks into another bright grin, only this time, Nino recognizes it as her adventurous grin. While he admires her spirit, internally, he groans; this girl always jumps from one adventure to another. While it's important to make progress in the game and experience what the world has to offer, doesn't she ever want to take it a little slower? They especially could do with a vacation right about now, having cleared floors fifty-four and fifty-five in this past month alone.

With his job done, Max retreats into his shop with a quiet farewell. Alya props her long dagger over her shoulder like she's owned it all her life, brimming with renewed energy. "I think I know exactly which quest we should go on next,"

"Yeah, about that," Nino turns to fall in step with her out the door, "Hows about we take a small break from the quests? Chillax, enjoy our money and things?"

"You say that now," Alya eyes him from the corner of her vision, "but would you still say that if I told you this special quest was to find a hidden genie for three free wishes?"

"Dude. Yes."

"Fine. Look, I promise to chill if we go on this quest. Okay?"

Nino narrows his eyes down at her pleading expression. This dialogue is suspiciously familiar.

Somehow, he gets the feeling that this time will be different. "You're lucky I like you," he concedes.

Alya hip-checks him with a winning smile. "That I am."

Floor Thirty-five: Laddin

As it turns out, the quest is one they'd picked up from a mid-level boss a little while ago in the form of an unnamed scroll. When they'd opened it to read, a new quest was added to their lists, but they knew it was going to be difficult and hadn't had enough confidence in their strength, even combined, to dare to undertake it, and Nino had totally forgotten about it. Now, things are different.

Looking back on it, Nino muses happily, they've been pretty fortunate. These last two adventures seemed to have just been dropped into their laps– not without earnest work on both of their parts, of course, but how many players had the opportunity to score a unique item and a special quest in the same year? The fact lifts his mood even though they're on very high ground in frigidly cold weather, two of his least favorite places to be.

And honestly, since starting the game, the first grievance isn't normally an issue, but this mountain is a non-flying zone, something he's never seen before. While it doesn't sour the journey, it does weigh on the back of his mind.

Nino rubs his arms through his coat, looking around at the jagged cliffs and peak above. The trail they follow is decorated with snow on the edges, with massive stalagtites hanging down from the land above them where the trail overlaps. The mountain trail spirals upwards on the exterior of the mountain, seemingly up to the very top. Nino can't imagine how they're going to follow it all the way, but he tries not to think it about it too hard; one thing at a time.

They are halfway through their climb when the dusk gives way to night. As the sun disappears, the temperature drops further. They continue to climb, Alya leading the way with her superior eyesight, until Nino sees a particularly violent shiver travel up her spine that urges him to stop her now before her stubbornness kills them both.

"Let's make camp here," he proposes, stopping when Alya pauses to turn around. "It's late, and really, really cold. Besides, we'll be to the top soon and we'll need our strength for that."

Alya considers him, glances at the sky to see the moon near its high. With a cute wriggle of her nose, she concedes. "You're right,"

They take in their immediate surroundings, searching for a suitable area to pitch their tents. Everything looks the same. There aren't any convenient outcroppings or caves, so they just settle where they're at.

Alya scrolls through her inventory for materials to make a fire while Nino scans the surrounding area for any odd details, things that may spur an event, or signs that an event has already begun without their knowledge. The coast is clear, and with a few taps, Alya is knelt before a bundle of sticks on the ground with a stone and flint in her hands, kindling a flame. The two settle before the fire rubbing their hands for warmth.

Rations are summoned from Nino's inventory for the both of them to eat. The food tastes good enough and makes them feel full, but it lacks a certain quality– it doesn't bring a satisfaction they're used to. Nino sighs dreamily. "Man. I could really go for one of Adrien's mean boar sandwiches right now."

"Mm, yeah," Alya moans from beside him. "Or one of Mari's bon bons?"

Nino whistles low; he realizes, not really for the first time, that they've been spoiled by their more domestic friends. "Oh, I should not have brought this up."

"No you shouldn't have. Now I miss them and their food."

"When this is over, we'll have to drop by. How long has it been. . ?" Nino wonders aloud as he leans back on his hands. "A month? Two?"

Alya raises an amused eyebrow at him. "More like three weeks."

"Seriously? Feels longer."

"I hear that."

With their food eaten and no other reasons to stay up, dinner is concluded. The pair snuffs out the fire and moves to retire into their tents. Alya scrolls through her inventory and produces hers without delay. Nino, however, scrolls and scrolls. . . goes back to check again and scrolls some more. In the time it takes him to determine his tent is AWOL, Alya has already entered her shelter and presumably moved on with her night. Nino groans, drained, and so not in the mood for this.

Alya pokes her head out of the flap to her tent. "What?"

Nino blinks at her. Right. He forgets that she has better hearing as a Cait. "Looks like I forgot to pack my tent," he grumbles.

Alya tilts her head at him curiously, eyes narrowed with sleepiness. "How?"

"I don't know. I guess I forgot to equip the new one I bought before we left."

"Well," his girlfriend pauses, blinking slowly. Her ear flinches as her gaze averts to some far away point in the dark. "I guess we'll have to bunk together tonight. Cool?"

"Hah, yeah. Cool."

Alya disappears behind the curtain again and Nino impulsively brushes the back of his head while his heart beats faster. It is fine. But his body is warming against his will, and he doesn't know what Cait Sith's can and can't smell.

Don't freak, he tells himself with his most rational voice, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, It's just. . . sleep. What are you being weird for? Nino wills the abrupt feelings to fade away as he enters Alya's tent.

Immediately, he's compelled to look around and, instantly bewildered, is then compelled to take a step back out. Back in, back out. Back in, back out. In, out. In. . . out. He goes back in and stays.

The inside of the tent is much larger than Nino was expecting.

As in studio-apartment-size-but-without-a-bathroom larger. More decorated and furnished, too; not exactly a home but certainly not a strictly functional tent either. The fact that it is furnished at all throws him for a loop considering he hadn't known tents could have so much in them within the parameters of the game.

He starts walking further into the room but quickly stops when he sees Alya, already changed into her night clothes, sliding a wooden table across the space. The ensemble is simply a slightly cropped t-shirt and slim harem pants that stop just above the knee, fit loosely around her hips, but he catches himself staring at her like he's never seen a girl before.

"Alright," he says, declaring his presence and forcing himself to spy instead the attractive nest of plush multicolored pillows in the center of the room. They sit atop a textile carpet that Alya folds back momentarily in order to move a lavish looking ottoman to the side of the room she'd dragged the table over to. "I can work with this. Have you always had all this?"

"Work–?" Alya raises her head to look over at him and nearly bites at the bait, but at seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, she remembers her own and suddenly feels too tired. Instead, she only shakes her head in amusement; the nerve, trying to start banter at this hour. . . she'll let him get away with that one. "Yeah, this the tent I've always used." she answers him.

"Really?"

"More or less," Alya gives the ottoman a final push and straightens. "Why?"

"I just think I'd remember," he looks around, almost like he's lost, "all this."

Alya raises an eyebrow at him. "But you've never even been inside?"

Nino shrugs, walking further into the room. "I can remember things I've never seen,"

That draws a laugh out of her. Hopefully it hides the way she stiffens just slightly when Nino brushes by her to come all the way into her room, and that she feels a little bit self-conscious regarding the tent. . . and sharing it. She's trying not to overthink things, but that doesn't change the circumstances.

Well, there's no point in drawing this out. The night isn't getting any younger, and they need to regain their strength before morning, so once Alya has things situated the way she likes, she summons a big and fluffy blanket she'd also packed and settles in, privy to Nino watching her curl up with it amidst all the pillows. Opting to keep standing for the moment, he brings up the game menu and begins navigating towards something. Alya eyes him with confusion– until she realizes what he's doing. By that point, however, it's too late for her to try and decipher whether she should look away or not; Nino's garments have already disappeared, leaving the toned frame of his body to be encased in gentle light. New clothes are produced nearly immediately, ultimately denoting his period of undress as an ephemeral blip in the night's events.

Alya's heart beats faster anyway.

Nino joins her on the floor clad in a loose tunic and capris that, despite their simplicity, she thinks, fit him nicely. He tugs on the blanket a little, a silent question in his laughing eyes. Alya flushes at her thoughtlessness. She unfurls the blanket from around herself, handing him the opposite corner to hers. While he busies himself with evenly stretching it between them, Alya's eyes are drawn to the exposed lines of his collar bone, the top of the subtle dip in his chest. "You hooked this place up. How much did it cost?"

Nino is talking to her. Alya's eyes dart upward, finding his golden irises looking back at her. "Huh?"

"How much did you pay for all this? If you don't mind me asking."

Too much. Too much to admit with any dignity.

"Not as much as you're thinking," Alya responds attempting to make light of it.

While the excuse is likely true, it is also misleading. On purpose. Alya isn't sure why she's embarrassed by it– it's really nothing– but she had quickly learned after her first few solo quests that the Cait Sith race is finicky. Any time she's tried to sleep in a strictly functional tent without any particularly soft or lofty qualities, her energy has always been low the next day, leaving her at a disadvantage. It was a pain to fight through and figure out, and even more of a pain to cater to since putting the pieces together; she is quite literally incapable of "roughing it," as absurd as the notion is.

She supposes it's a matter of pride, then. Misplaced maybe, but there all the same.

Nino snakes an arm around Alya's smaller frame with a soft chuckle, pulling her into his side with a tired huff and an air of nonchalance. In reality, he doesn't know whether or not the action suddenly takes on a new context because they're essentially in bed together, and is quite nervous, but Alya doesn't react, so he acts like it's nothing. "Seriously though, it's nice. Maybe I should do something similar? Especially if it doesn't cost both my legs."

Alya shrugs, trying not to think too hard about how his hand has brushed her tail and sent her nerves into a messy shock. "Why not?"

Silence falls over them, and with tire weighing them down, conversation doesn't pick back up. Nino, noticing himself nodding off, eventually decides to lie down on his back. Alya follows. With his arm still around her, she lays down against him, her face hovering near his before resting on his shoulder, hand falling over his heart. Nino wonders if she can hear its rapid rhythm as they lay idle, still without words.

Minutes pass in silence. It's uncertain how many. Alya inches even closer to him, curling her body into his side, and pulls the blanket up to their shoulders. Nino takes a deep breath and tightens his hold.

The night is absolutely silent but for the subtle sounds of nature outside. They find comfort in each other, but neither of them can seem to find sleep.

". . .Nino?" Alya eventually hazards, checking to see if he is awake. She gets a low hum in response. The vibrations of his response run through her cheek and tickle her jaw. "If we actually find this genie. . . what will you wish for?"

"That's. . a good question," Nino murmurs. "Maybe I'll wish for maxed out cooking skill?" he chuckles drowsily. "Or maybe a big house, orr-er . . I don't know. What would you wish for?"

"Invincibility?"

"Wow," Nino breathes. "That's a good idea."

"Yeah?" Alya nuzzles her face in the crook of his neck with a content sigh. "You think the game will allow it?"

"Hmph. Wouldn't count on it."

"I honestly don't know," Alya yawns, wide, still nestled between Nino's neck and shoulder, just below his ear. She giggles softly when Nino blows a puff of air at her, retaliation for breathing in his face. "This whole thing is mysterious, and ironic."

Nino intones in agreement. His chest rises and falls with a deep breath, raising Alya's hand up and letting it down.

"We should bring something back for our friends. . ." he suggests.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. . . food?"

"I'm listening."

"Some uncommon meat for Adri to cook up. . . and some flowers for Mari's desserts," the dreamy smile from dinner returns to his face.

"Hm. . . you're onto something."

"Right? But then again. . . we still have to get Max back for his help. It'll be a lotta work, 'should probably get started on that first."

"Ugh," Alya groans softly. Nino can feel her eyelashes kiss his skin as she shuts her eyes. "I guess we should, shouldn't we?"

"It's nothing we can't handle,"

"I know. . ."

Alya yawns again, and soon after, Nino hears her breaths grow deeper and slower. She's asleep before long.

Terribly sleepy himself, it's with a distant state of mind that Nino registers the weight of Alya's body, her hand on his chest, her leg tucked between his, and that he recognizes they have made it under the same blanket. He had felt nervous in the beginning about sharing her space, but everything had just felt so natural after a certain point, he hadn't paid it any mind till now. And he knows that it should be that way, that it really shouldn't matter– they are together and have snuggled plenty of times before– but it kind of does. In a milestone sort of way, he guesses. He doesn't really know.

The thought is a happy one regardless, and it carries him to sleep with dreams of them together many more times, alone, exchanging sweet whispers and giggles in each other's ears, all under the same blanket, sharing the same space.

Last night, Alya got the best rest of her life. In game or out, she is positive she has never slept that good. It could be due to how utterly exhausted she was– maybe she'd crashed and entered a deep sleep– but she likes to think the difference was Nino.

In any case, with plenty of energy to work with, the day's journey begins soon after they rise. They pack up camp and hit the trail before the sun has fully risen over the horizon. As was the case yesterday, Alya leads and Nino follows. Though all of her senses but taste and touch are better than the average as a Cait Sith, her eyesight is the strongest of her enhanced traits and plays the most notable role in the game. She'll be able to see danger long before it arrives, maybe even attack it from a distance if she has the right weapon– or so the idea goes. Interestingly enough, when the sun is just peeking over the mountain and danger does come, Alya hears it before she sees it.

She freezes at the strange sound, signaling for Nino to stop at his position a few meters behind her. She's pretty sure she heard– there it is again, something– something over there! Just as her head swivels over to catch whatever is approaching, the mountain rumbles. From the rock of the landmass emerges two, three, four strange monsters. Alya immediately leaps backward, touching down close enough that her back brushes Nino's shoulder.

She narrows her eyes critically at the creatures to analyze them.

They're stone golems twice her height more or less, with bluish hues to the tips of their claw-like hands and the centers of their eyes. Their barreled chests rise and fall with frosty breath, and thick silver bracelets with no embellishments are wrapped around their wrists and ankles, as if they're shackled to this place. Intricate, deep-colored tattoos wind down the backs of their arms from over their shoulders and reappear twisted around their calves to stop at their heels. One of the two golems in the front bellows a roar, and the markings illuminate for that moment.

Alya talks to Nino over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off of the enemy. "You see anything behind us?"

Nino checks, though he's already glanced back twice before, since the rumbling started. "We're clear for now. What's their level?"

"One Fifty,"

"Shit,"

"Right?" Alya shifts her weight so that her right shoulder and right leg are back, and summons her bow into her left hand; taking these monsters down is going to be hard unless they choose to rely on their newest weapons– maybe even if they do rely on them. Even so, she grins with anticipation as she raises an arrow to her line. "Who would have guessed we would face real adversity on this quest?"

She hears Nino huff just before she releases her first arrow. The attack initiates the battle.

The golems lurch forward with clomping steps. Alya releases a quick burst of several more arrows at the golem leading the charge with her highest skill, hitting it square in the chest each time, stalling it for a moment. She then summons her new dagger and moves in to deal a heavier blow before it can recover, but just before her strike lands, a second and third golem swing their arms down on her.

Nino is there to intercept the attacks with his shield as it happens, but they are forced to retreat.

"This will be hard," he says, seeing the situation. "We can't split them up on this narrow pass, and only one of us can fight a golem at a time. We'll have to be on our toes."

Alya looks over at him, dodging another strike while the golems advance; she notices he's summoned his new blade as well, ready to go on the offensive. She looks back at their adversaries, all four of them, with an intimidating amount of HP each. "True, but we won't have to for long."

Nino watches as Alya takes a step back, switches weapons in a flash, and fires an arrow at the golem they're currently engaged with. He sees the opening she's created before the arrow hits his target. As soon as she releases, they switch, and Nino goes in close to slash at the monster while it's stunned. The blow eliminates it.

The new lead of the mob suddenly glows blue, blows cold fog from its gaping mouth, and charges. It slams its great fists on the floor, and Nino narrowly avoids the subsequent upheaval. He moves to retaliate with his blade from the side, but the monster's post-motion time was not as much as he expected it to be. He shields himself from a seriously heavy backhand, getting pushed back, stopping just before he slides over the side of the mountain.

He huffs a relieved breath as he regains his footing and bolts back in to the fight.

They switch again, and Alya takes his place. She starts with her bow again, wanting to get a feel for the new attack sequence. They switch for Nino to protect against another odd attack, but once she has figured out the pattern, she switches back to take out the second ice golem with her dagger using Piercing Charge. The third golem is defeated in a similar manner, with Nino finishing the fight with a strong shield-dagger combo, in which he actually attacks with his shield and blade both. Alya coos at his exploit.

"That's new,"

Nino smiles, putting some space between him and the last mob. "New weapon, new tricks," he turns to give her an appreciative once-over, spinning the long dagger in his hand. "You like that?"

Alya returns the look with her hands on her hips, her chin raised, head tilted curiously. She feigns indifference. "Maybe."

The answer causes Nino to smile a little wider, lips curled slightly at one end, the same way they are in her dreams. "Should I do it again?"

Despite the heavy temptation to let him, Alya shakes her head. "No," she looks at the fourth ice golem, trudging dutifully towards them with mysterious anger in its eyes. "I'll handle this one. You set me up,"

Nino nods, his smile still present. He sends away both his weapons and instead brings forth his Qityre. He initiates a spell by placing his fingers along the strings of the long instrument, and the strange words of the Pooka magic come to him without any knowledge of their meaning. With the spell's execution, the golem is under his control. He keeps it still.

"Eight seconds before the spell wears off."

Alya dashes forward, her dagger in her hand, a voracious grin forming on her face; time to see what this can really do.

She lands just in front of the frozen golem with seven seconds to spare. She pulls the dagger back to initiate, then moves forward and follows the motion through, but instead of backing away after a single slash like before, she pushes into a combo. She keeps pushing to see how many hits she can get in, and is surprised to find that the count goes all the way to eleven. It must be her high agility.

After her attack concludes, the golem is on its last legs, but it has also been freed from Nino's spell. Alya moves to retreat, but her post-motion time is just starting. Since she'd used a high level skill, it'll be sure to last for a few seconds longer than usual. Nino's expecting this, though, and is in front of her with his shield before the golem can land a hit on her. His shield absorbs the immense impact with little damage, and he is forced to wait out his second of being stunned before he can counter. He recovers before the golem does but chooses to pull Alya back with him rather than finish things.

In the next moment, the golem charges, and Alya is made to take a big leap back in order to create enough distance for her next skill to work. As she lands, she raises her bow to shoulder-level and–

She falters. The stone beneath her back foot is shallow and unstable, the very edge of the spiral path, crumbling a little beneath her weight, throwing off her balance. She knows she leapt pretty far back, but she should have enough space–

The stone crumbles even more before she can right herself and her heart jumps as she realizes she doesn't have time–

The arrow that leaves her bow hits the mark dead-on, even after her arms have started to flail before it's completely released, and Alya sees the golem go down in icy fractals and notes, with triumph, that they've defeated the enemy and received their rewards. Nino seems okay.

"Ah–!"

Onto the new problem.

Nino whips around at her outcry, eyes blowing wide in alarm when he sees her teetering over the edge. "Alya!"

"Nino!"

He tries to fly only to remember flight doesn't work on this mountain. He'll have to catch her.

Nino darts forward with everything he has, reaching for her desperately. He has to make it, he has to. Even if the trail overlaps, the next step down isn't close enough. A fall like that will kill her.

Really kill her.

But his efforts aren't enough. When he reaches the edge, sliding on his stomach to reach down for Alya's falling hand, he's just a second too late, and Alya's fingers slip through his open grip as she plummets, taking his heart down with her.

"Alya!" he screams, shaking.

There's panicked fear painted onto her face, and she swings her limbs back and forth as she enters free fall in desperation to rise back to him, but even as he sees this he can't imagine what she feels compares to the depths of his horror. He lays still, panicking, unable to stop watching her descent, stuck reaching for her outstretched hand in vain, ruined with terror. He's losing her. He's losing her. If he doesn't do something she'll– she'll– she's going to–

No– no, Nino can't accept that. He won't. Not until it's actually over.

Jolting himself from his stupor, Nino grits his teeth and grips the path's edge firmly, not minding how the rugged edge tears at his skin. He brings the toes of his shoes to the back of his wrists. With a shaky deep breath, he thrusts himself headfirst over the edge.

Air immediately fills his ears and his eyes tear up, but Nino only goes faster. Using his proximity to the mountain wall, he pushes himself down to move quicker than Alya is falling, pressing his arms to his sides in a mad dive to reach her– and he does, not a moment too soon. Without wasting a second, he wraps his arm around her middle and summons his blade to his hand and drives the dagger into the stone. Her weight pulls hard on his arms, but Nino doesn't drop her. Their combined velocity carves a long, jagged scar in the mountainside, but eventually, their momentum subsides, and the dagger doesn't cut through the stone anymore. They aren't falling anymore.

Nino's heart beats rapidly in his chest, drowning out the sound of his erratic breathing. He can hardly believe what just happened. "Alya?"

". . .Yes?" she answers quietly. She sounds queasy.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah," she takes a deep breath and releases it. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Nino's forehead falls against the mountainside out of relief. He looks over his shoulder, down at the land below them. They're still pretty high up, but they should be able to survive this drop. His arm quakes under their weight as he discerns this, reminding him that they don't have a real choice.

Nino swallows nervously. "Alya,"

". . Yeah?"

"I have to let go now. Alright? I'm letting go."

"Wait," she grasps at his arm, trying to stabilize herself, "Wait–"

"I can't, I can't hold on any longer. Be ready,"

Nino's grip gives away and he wrenches the dagger from the stone before it can be left behind; the two enter free fall again.

"Hold on," Nino raises his voice over the rushing air as their bodies become weightless. "I got you, hold onto me. We'll be okay," Alya floats up and finds her way into his arms midway, wrapping her own around his middle tightly. Nino mirrors the embrace, murmuring his plan into Alya's ear as they descend because they have no time to spare on reassurances, hoping to every god he knows that he isn't wrong about this and they'll survive this.

The landing comes a little sooner than expected, but both members of the team land on their feet, splitting the damage, as planned. Their knees buckle under the force of their descent and they fall over onto the ground, but they are alive. They're alive.

At first, neither of them can move, they're so shaken, but they eventually realize that they've landed on the edge of the spire path, and begin to stagger away from it closer to the mountain core until Nino's back hits the stone wall and they can't any further. He slides down onto his bottom, Alya still in his arms, his long limbs settling around her like a shield. Alya buries her face in his chest. She can't bring herself to pull away just yet, still in shock. That had been way too close. If Nino hadn't been right there, if he hadn't risked his own life. . . Alya brings herself closer to him. If he hadn't been there, that would have been it for her. It would have been the end.

For the nth time, she tries to wrap her mind around the fact. It's been more than a year, but it still amazes her how real the stakes are.

Nino holds her close, his grip gentle but firm. Alya can feel his chest rise and fall quickly still, hear his frightened breathing; she thinks he's just as shaken as she is, maybe even more so. If possible, she grips him harder.

"Thank you so much. . . thank you. . ."

Nino hazards a laugh, but it shudders. "Of course."

"No, really," she insists, voice just above a whisper, ". . . you saved my life."

"You'd have done the same for me," Nino looks down at her, into the top of her head of wild red hair. "Right?"

"Is that even a question? Yes," Alya pulls away from him slightly to meet his eyes. "I'd do anything for you."

"Really? Anything?"

Alya places her hand to the side of his face, thumb brushing over his cheek tenderly. Nino's heart stutters in his chest, but this time, it's not from shock. "After that? Hell yeah."

Nino relaxes, looking into her deep hazel eyes. His breathing evens out and he sighs, the last of the adrenaline abated with a euphoric happiness; he can feel her, she's okay, they are both okay, they'll live. Nino lets his head fall back against the stone wall that rises so high above his head, looking at it too hard would make him feel dizzy. "Well then," he sighs again, closing his eyes against the mind-numbing distance. "I'm exhausted. . . could you carry me the rest of the way?"

Alya snorts, falling back against his chest. "Yeah, no."

He cracks a small smile. "But you said–"

"I know what I said," Alya murmurs. "But my legs are shit right now."

Oh, right. The fall. Now that Nino isn't full of adrenaline and he takes a moment to think about it, his ankles and knees do feel. . . well, like shit. It doesn't hurt, thank goodness, but the sensation of malaise hovering around them strongly suggests that he's injured something pretty bad. He supposes it makes sense. If the fall were the real. . . well, he's fairly certain he would never walk again. Neither of them would.

For the first time since it all started, he thinks it's a good thing they're in this game and not the real world.

They decide to wait to make back the progress that's been lost until the day after the scare, not in the mood for any more excitement should something arise. The journey to the very top of the spire is long with the additional ground to cover, but it is finished all the same, and without losing too much daylight. The sun sits on the horizon behind the mountain when they finally arrive; an enormous door made of dark wood and precious metals, ancient origins showing in its weathered appearance, awaits them.

As they come to stand before it, a mystical message written in the game's mysterious and supple script whisps into being before the gate, hovering in the air. Both players are puzzled, until the flowing letters rearrange themselves into standard type that they can read.

"What's this?" Alya muses aloud, hand on her chin as her eyes scan the words:

What is not something but something itself, is nonexistance but does exist, is the absence of meaning but has meaning?

Nino answers her. "It's a riddle, I think," he appraises it with furrowed eyebrows. "Do we have to solve it to get in, or is it more of a cautionary riddle?"

"I dunno," Alya steps forward and tries to open the door, but it doesn't budge, forwards or backwards. With no luck, she takes a step back.

"Looks like we do have to answer it."

Nino blows cold air through tight lips. "Is it, like, a cosmic rule to have a riddle safeguarding every epic treasure out there?"

Alya purses her lips at the door. "Probably,"

"Well damn, I'm tired of riddles."

"Normally, I'd disagree, but this quest has been trying me."

Nino turns to her. "You can't tell me you aren't ready to take an honest break from these things,"

"Well," Alya turns around to face him. His face is devoid of any judgement, showing nothing but curiosity. "I could be. It doesn't really matter though; I already made the promise to chill after this, and I intend to keep it this time."

They settle on the ground as they try to decipher the riddle, a few feet apart. Their legs are still heavy from yesterday, and the cold doesn't exactly make them feel energized. Long minutes pass silently between them, Alya focused on solving the riddle and Nino otherwise occupying himself with things arguably contributive to the task.

After some time of absently staring at the floating words while thoughtless daydreams play out in his mind, Nino blinks reality back into his eyes and wonders if Alya has figured anything out yet. She usually likes to compile a few different answers to riddles before she voices her final conclusions on them, so it's likely she has some idea, and Nino figures even if it isn't the right idea, he might get some inspiration from the list and think of something himself.

"You got an answer yet?" he asks her. She stays staring at the magic script, but he knows she's heard him because her ears rotate toward his direction.

Alya bites her lip contemplatively, "Nothing."

Nino furrows his eyebrows up at the cryptic words; Alya is good at riddles, she wins at anything that even remotely involves them, and Nino likes to think that he has the kind of creative thinking riddles often require. And yet they've been here for what feels like an hour, just staring at these words, getting nowhere. "And we're sure there is one?" he ventures, "I mean, I don't know how programming an unanswerable question would even work–"

"No, I mean," Alya turns to him, "the answer is 'nothing.' I think."

Nino turns back to the riddle, eyes narrowed.

"I think I get it," he says slowly, before reading it over again. "Like, not entirely, but I trust it. How do we submit our answer?"

Alya taps on the air in the direction of the script experimentally, and the action summons a dialogue box with a section for input. Score.

She enters the word 'Nothing' into the box and submits it, then exchanges a dubious glance with Nino as they wait to see if she's answered right. They don't have to wait long for the great double doors to slowly open inward, paving the way forward for the adventurers with a great, long groan. Alya's sensitive ears flinch from the sound, but she is happy.

A starry portal awaits them behind the doors. It's a mesmerizing swirl of the night sky, a piece of an abyss, that distorts in real time as they stare into it, disorienting, an illusion of falling forward into the infinity of ALfheim's fictional ether, of being pulled into the eye of a galaxy.

After falling the previous day, it makes them feel sick. Nino takes the lead on this one, taking hold of his girlfriend's hand and approaching the threshold at an easy pace. They look at each other just before the edge, then Nino steps in first, Alya close behind him, and they are no longer in the same world.

The trip through the portal is painless and passes in the fraction of a moment, like teleporting to any other position in the game. The end comes sooner than either player expects, and both of them are taken aback at their sudden materialization in light. The blinding brightness clears and revealed to them is an undefined black space without walls, or limits, filled with an innumerable amount of twinkling stars moving slowly around a strange epicenter, riding the steady flow of the universe toward an unseen goal.

Almost as soon as they can see clearly, from the stars, a figure emerges: a giant, with four strong arms crossed over its barrel chest, each wrist bound with a thick band of gold embellished with carvings so intricate, it is impossible to make anything out of them from a distance. Tattoos curl over its shoulders in patterns similar to that of the ice golems they've faced, also indecipherable. More interesting than that, however, is that where the being's sculpted abdomen ends, nothing begins, the waist instead dissolving and flowing into the energy surrounding everything in this place, that is this place. In their minds they rationalize this being must be the genie, the ruler and owner of this space; the granter of their wishes.

Without further ado, it lifts its bowed head, and opens eyes that gleam a brilliant carnelian.

"What souls enter my space?" it ponders, in a rich voice that is surprisingly soft. The depth of it sends shivers down their spines.

Alya recovers from the overwhelming details first. She swallows, glancing at her boyfriend, then answers, "Alya and Nino,"

"Alya and Nino," the genie echoes back, regarding them in the same quiet tone. "What three desires your wishes be?"

Nino stirs at the topic of their wishes. He leans over to murmur in Alya's ear, "So you wanna go first or. . ?"

Alya thinks she ought to receive an award for how well she contains the way her nerves jump under skin when he does this, brushing air against her sensitive ears. They flinch away from him on contact, out of her control, the stimulation shocking her out of her half awareness of him and everything else. "I mean, I guess– if you don't have anything." she shrugs, hiding a shiver.

"Well, I got it but I mean– did you wanna go first–?"

"I don't care,"

"Are you sure?"

"I mean, what do you want?"

"I don't mind. But I do have something–"

"Then go ahead."

"But do you–?"

"I don't necessarily."

"Necessarily?"

"I have an idea,"

"Well, then you can–"

"But you–"

"No, really–"

"Okay," Alya clears her throat, stepping out of the awkward conversation they're having in front of the giant god-like being that is just staring at them, waiting. . . "Ah, how am I supposed to phrase this?"

Nino "Just start with 'Genie, I wish,'"

Right, there's always movie logic.

"Genie, I wish for invincibility for me and my friends?"

The genie shakes its head. "Wish denied."

She's been anticipating this answer, but it still hurts a little to have the fear confirmed. Oh well. . . worth a shot.

"Damn, okay. . . Nino?"

"Genie, I wish for infinite HP for me and my friends?" he throws at the genie, experimentally, hoping to fool the system. The wish is still denied. With a shrug, he moves on to his other idea.

"Genie, I wish for a maxed out Qityre with the mana to support it."

There's an empty second where nothing happens, and then the genie waves one of its several large hands in elegant manner, gesturing to Nino, Alya, and the cosmos beyond.

"Your wish is granted."

Nino cracks a winning smile, satisfied. Meanwhile, Alya is left looking at things from a different perspective. She gives her new wish a few moments of thought, thinking of gameplay advantages she could gain or months of grinding she could skip, possibly even rules she could bend. . . Ultimately, her choice comes down to the one thing she truly wishes were allowed in the game.

"Genie, I wish for a tamable god-class beast steed– that only I can tame,"

The genie seems to give this request more consideration. . . Alya doesn't know how complex or sophisticated the AI for the system is, but the entity seems truly pensive, and the notion mystifies her. She tries imagining something this powerful and intimidating really existing, really with its own intelligence, and is slightly unnerved. She suddenly doesn't wish for genies to be real with the same starry-eyed zeal as always.

The genie finally waves one of its several hands in elegant manner once more, gesturing to Alya, Nino, and the cosmos beyond.

"Your wish is granted," it says, but unlike with Nino's request, it narrows its jewel eyes at her, "But this beast must still be tamed. It awaits you on the floor at which your strength is greatest, in every cove and cavern you enter."

Alya wasn't expecting it to really work, so she takes it happily, pleasantly surprised that this genie seems to have their best interests in mind unlike those in the fables from the real world that tortured their masters with their own desires.

"A single wish remains for you two," the genie continues speaking, putting emphasis on the words 'single' and 'two', "What will it be?"

Deciding what to do with the final wish might've been be difficult, Alya decides, if Nino hadn't given up the decision of what to do with the Jagged Stone to her discretion. Since he had, letting him choose what to do with their final wish is the only fair thing to do (besides agreeing on one thing together, which she doubts will happen in such a limited context).

Alya nudges his arm, smiling up at the curious expression he gives at her. "You take it."

"You sure?" he asks, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I really might wish for maxed-out cooking skills."

Alya laughs in a short huff, "That's your business. . . but seriously?"

"What, we gotta eat, right? And I've heard the food here can get legendary good if you know how to prepare the right stuff."

"Again: your business. Just make sure it really counts, okay? You should be happy with this for a long time."

"A long time. . ." Nino hums. "I think. . . I got it, actually,"

Alya watches him as he turns to the powerful giant another time, smirking cleverly. "Genie," he begins, "I wish for a special teleportation crystal that will always work no matter where I am, and that will always stay usable in my inventory, no matter how many times I use it."

The genie raises a different one of its hands this time, to stroke its thin, long beard. It appears to consider the request seriously, but Alya gets the impression, this time, that it's just drama coded into the character; the big show for the final wish.

And the genie does raise another of its hands in that same passive gesture, allowing Nino his desire.

"Your wish is granted,"

Nino pumps his fist excitedly; he admits to pushing it with that one.

"However,"

Nino pauses, watching the genie intently as it continues its monologue.

"A crystal such as this is too precious to merely be received. I will grant you the pieces needed to construct it, but they will be hidden across the lands. Find them, and you will have your item. No piece transcends the seventieth floor, and no other players may have them."

"That is less awesome, but still good,"

"A teleportation crystal?" Alya asks him. "Even a special one– you'll be content with it?"

"If it really does what I want it to?" Nino says, turning to look her in the eyes with a gentleness she isn't expecting, "We'll never have to fear falling again."

Alya isn't sure what to say. Any response she may have given is interrupted by the genie anyway, though, with its promises fulfilled and matters resolved.

"Now then, adventurers," it says to them, "time for you to return to your realm."

The genie's soft voice is all the warning they get before it creates a powerful clap with all four of its powerful hands, producing a very bright light that seeps between its fingertips. As its hands spread apart, an incandescence swallows everything, blinding them, and then they are passing through that impossibly short, incomprehensibly distant passageway, tumbling along the starry waves like antimatter, being pulled in and then pushed out, arriving in glimmers outside the galaxy gate.

It takes a moment to get reoriented to the stale and frozen conditions of the mountain spire.

Alya breaks the silence first, blinking the lingering stars from her eyes. "Do you think it actually worked?"

". . . Let's find out,"

Nino opens his inventory and locates his weapons. Appended to the bottom of the list is a new, wicked-looking Qityre with maxed out abilities. He does some more scrolling. . . his mana has been bumped up too.

From beside him, Alya releases a giddy sound. "I have a new quest on my list! It's out there somewhere," she gazes out into the world at nothing in particular, clenching her fists eagerly. "So many people are going to be so jealous."

"I have a new quest, too," Nino says, turning to her, "I have to find seven different pieces, Lord. Looks like this will take a while," he runs a hand through his undercut hair, looking perhaps a little more tired than he wants to. "You ready for the ride?"

Alya's grin is tired, but it sparkles just as bright as always. "As I'll ever be. You?"

Nino looks out over the land. From so high up, his knees feel weak, his renewed fear of heights shaking up his bones, but the mountain top has a great view of the land beyond that bewitches his heart; green land that stretches on forever, birds soaring over full treetops, a lovely sunrise behind the distant valley. He loves this place, loves what he can do here and all that there is to experience. He very much wants the chance to relax for a while– and he will have it soon– but in this moment, at the end of this road, he knows better than ever that no amount of physical exhaustion or pain could keep him from seeing it all with her.

He throws an arm around her neck and draws her closer, grinning too, "Yeah,"

They'll ride the wave until it's over.

Again, mixing SAO and ALfheim and creative license, so don't be confused.

I like to think that since Alya and Nino are superheroes in canon, they are fairly strong players in the game, near the top of the charts. Max too, but he mostly likes to create things than battle, so while his combat skills aren't amazing, his crafting skills are nearly maxed out.