Yuuki was dying. Of course, she'd been dying for quite a long time now, given her terminal illness. It was something she'd come to terms with, something she'd had to accept a long time ago. She'd been dealt a shitty hand, to be sure. Born with complications, the young cat girl had needed a blood transfusion when she was barely even an infant, mere hours after leaving her mother's womb.

Unfortunately, that blood had been infected. Through no fault of her own, through no fault of her family's, they had all ended up with AIDS. It wasn't… it wasn't their doing. It wasn't as if they'd made bad choices, it wasn't like they were reckless. No, they were just a family who'd been dealt a truly bad hand in life.

She was lucky, in a way. Even as her condition worsened with age, salvation had come in the form of Virtual Reality. When Yuuki had first been offered a position as a test subject by Doctor Kurahashi, her family had been understandably concerned. But what did she truly have to lose? And more than that, what she had to gain from testing out the first Medicuboid prototype was just… too good to pass up. So, she'd gone ahead and accepted.

Since then, she'd spent three years constantly logged into the machine, isolated in a sterile room, unable to react with the outside world save for through proxies. In that time, her parents had died. Her sister soon followed suit. It was only Yuuki now, she was all that was left of her original family. But… she hadn't fallen to despair. Because though she was the first, she was far from the last to take up the offer of Virtual Reality Hospice.

Serene Garden had become a new family for her, and the Sleeping Knights had been… it had been home for quite a while. And then she'd met The Royal Pride and… well these last few months had been the happiest of her life, she couldn't deny that. It was more than she ever could have hoped for, more than she ever thought she'd get to experience. It was love, pure, unadulterated, unquestioning love.

Even love couldn't stop the passage of time though. Looking out through the monitor before her, seated in her inner sanctum within the virtual world, Yuuki smiles sadly at the sight of her dear Doctor Kurahashi crying. He's got his palm pressed against the glass of the room that houses her, and he's just delivered the news.

She only had hours to live.

If it were up to her, she would get up out of her bed and press her palm back against the glass. Unfortunately, that was not an option available to her. Her body in the real world was no doubt atrophied beyond belief, only the machines she was hooked up to keeping her alive at this point so that her mind could continue on.

But even that had its limits. Even with how far medical technology had come in the last few decades, they hadn't figured out how to cheat death forever. Not yet anyways. So… Yuuki would die. And she was okay with that. She just wished… she wished that Doctor Kurahashi didn't have to suffer this grief. The man had been her caretaker for so long, since she was but a baby girl. He'd done his best to fight against her disease, done his best to give her the best life he could.

Without him, Yuuki wouldn't have had these last three years of sublime happiness. Without him and without the Medicuboid, Yuuki doubted she would have lasted long after the death of her parents and sister. And with that all in mind… she couldn't simply leave him to his grief, no matter how little time she had left. She might not be able to press her palm against the glass in an expression of comfort, but even now, at least Yuuki had a voice.

"Doctor."

The single word startles Kurahashi from his tears as Yuuki communicates with him through the speakers installed into the Medicuboid. His face darts up, eyes wide slightly as he freezes.

"Y-Yuuki… I'm sorry… there's nothing more to be done."

"I understand. And I want you to know how grateful I am for all you've accomplished for me. You shouldn't have wasted so much time on little ole me."

That startles a gasp of laughter from the good doctor.

"Not… not a waste, Yuuki. It was never a waste. You deserved as much a chance as anyone else in this world, perhaps more so given the circumstances of your… of your condition. You… your family… it was the fault of this hospital, what happened to all of you."

Yuuki knows he can't see it, but she inclines her head in acknowledgement all the same. She had long since made peace with the fact that the hospital had made a truly monstrous mistake when it transfused the infected blood into her infant body. It would have been so easy to be angry or upset or even entitled, as if they owed her something for ruining her life before it even had a chance to get off the ground.

But Yuuki just wasn't that kind of cat girl. And while he might have worked for the hospital that did her such wrong, Doctor Kurahashi had played no personal part in her birth. No, he'd come in later, giving her so much more opportunity than she ever could have hoped for.

"Doctor… I love you."

That startles him again, and he blinks stupidly for a moment even as Yuuki explains.

"You've been like a father to me. I will always love and miss my actual father but know that you have been a shining light in my life. And these past three years… they would not have been possible without you. Even if I have only a few hours left now… I have them because you gave them to me. Don't forget that, okay? And don't… don't beat yourself up so much over something like this. You did your best."

Yuuki pauses for a moment to formulate more words, even as Doctor Kurahashi sits in silence, digesting the first batch. Eventually, she speaks again.

"Will you do something for me, Doctor?"

"Yes? What is it Yuuki?"

"Live a good life. Find happiness, alright? Maybe even find a wife, start a family. Because… because I feel like you've wasted enough of your life on me, yeah? And I want to know that when I'm gone, you won't waste anymore of it. Its okay to cry Doctor, its okay to grieve… but promise me you'll carry on, alright?"

A pause for just a moment, and then Doctor Kurahashi laughs and rises from his chair, standing there with his palm still pressed against the glass separating him from her real body. Tears still stream down his face, but now they circle around the wide smile that his lips have split into.

"I will, Yuuki. I promise I will."

Yuuki lets out a relieved sigh, audible through the speakers. Before she can say anything else though, Kurahashi steps away, his hand finally leaving the glass.

"I think… I think I should go. Because I know you pretty well by now Yuuki. I know where you'd rather spend your last few hours, and I'd hate to think you were obligated to remain with me instead. So… go to your friends. Go and have fun. And maybe we'll meet again someday… in another life."

She's speechless, even as he gives her one last sad smile before departing the room. But then, she's mostly speechless because he's right. The Doctor always knew how to cut to the heart of things, didn't he? In the end, Yuuki had felt guilty about the idea of leaving him, even as she longed to go to her friends. But now he'd taken the choice from her hands, hadn't he? All alone in her inner sanctum, Yuuki might as well go see everyone one last time, right?

-x-X-x-

She goes to Serene Garden first. The others are shocked to hear the news at first, but its not like its something entirely new to their world. The virtual hospice has had its fair share of goodbyes over the years, and Yuuki has been part of many of them. Not in this way though of course, never in this way. But those in Serene Garden are quick to bounce back, and within minutes, they're organizing a party.

It might have seemed morbid to some on the outside looking in, however, the celebration wasn't about her impending demise, but instead her life. Her friends in Serene Garden had been by her side through thick and thin. They had consoled her when her family had died, they had formed the Sleeping Knights with her, and together, they had managed to achieve their goal of getting their names onto the Monument of Swordsmen.

Suffice to say, their bonds were thicker than something as simple as friendship, but even still, those who knew her in Serene Garden also knew that she'd found love with others, that her heart now belonged to a different group of people entirely. Her friends did not fault her for her loyalty to the Royal Pride, and in the end, the celebration only went on for about an hour before they all saw her off, rather than continuing on until her final moments in this world came to an end, as was more often the tradition.

Before fully leaving the virtual world behind, Yuuki stops by her home. Every user in Serene Garden was given a plot of land of a fixed size within the world's capital city, where they could build whatever they wanted. Most chose to build a house, and in that way Yuuki was no different. It had been quite a while since she'd spent too much time in her Serene Garden home though, preferring instead to spend all of her time in Alfheim and the Royal Pride's guild hall of a mansion.

Still, there are a lot of memories tied to her Serene Garden home. Yuuki can't help but reminisce a little as she passes through its dusty halls, smiling at this or that. Everything she lays eyes upon seems to bring up some sort of past event in her mind's eye. Eventually though, she comes to her bedroom, and staring at her bed, she finally glances up above it.

There, hanging over the bed, is her last act as a Sleeping Knight, before she'd left to join the Royal Pride. The picture is framed and takes up much of the wall space above the bed, and it shows Yuuki, Asuna, and the rest of the Sleeping Knights in front of the Monument of Swordsmen, their names added after their successful clearing of the Twenty-Seventh Floor Boss.

It was a gorgeous sight, in Yuuki's humble opinion, and it would forever be one of the brightest moments of her life. For the Sleeping Knights, it was a way of immortalizing themselves forever in the minds of Alfheim's other players. They could not forget them if their names stared them in the face every time they looked at their greatest Monument, now could they?

For Yuuki… that reason had lost some of its meaning after she truly fell in with the Royal Pride. Yes, she was still proud of her accomplishments, and that of the Sleeping Knights. She would always be proud, for what little time she had left. But when it came to being remembered… Yuuki no longer needed her name etched into stone for that. She knew she would be remembered by the Royal Pride for the rest of their lives, and that… that was more than enough for the young cat girl.

Her smile is one of happiness, albeit tinged with just a bit of sadness as she turns and leaves her bedroom behind for the last time. She can't put it off any longer. She likely only has a couple hours left at this point, and she intends to make them count. And that means going to the Pride, HER Pride. She wasn't going to die alone… no, she would die surrounded by those she loved with all her heart.

-x-X-x-

There was silence, as Yuuki's words were processed by the group in front of her. She'd messaged Asuna first, and once the brunette found out what was going on, the entire Royal Pride had logged in within thirty minutes to be with her. Yuuki had never felt more loved, more cared for, then as she sat on the large, expansive bed, the rest of the Royal Pride crowded around her, Asuna and Kirito at her sides.

Sitting there, the cat girl couldn't help but tear up a little bit.

"I… thank you all, thank you all so much for being with me. I want… I only wish this could go on forever."

There's silence for a moment at that, before Asuna leans in close, her lips pressed against Yuuki's human ear as the cat girl's cat ears twitch atop her head.

"You will never leave us, Yuuki. Not truly. We won't let you."

That provokes a choked off sob from the young woman, even as she wraps her arms around Asuna's neck, hugging the brunette close and crying into her shoulder. Asuna hugs her back, and the rest of the Pride crowds around to join in, until they're just one big pile of love and affection. Needless to say, Yuuki isn't sure how it starts. It might have been her, it might have been someone else. But one way or another, lips meet lips, hands begin to wander, and clothing gets unequipped with all due speed.

Asuna guides Yuuki onto Kirito's cock, and the cat girl moans as she slides down his length. His hands close around her hips, and slowly but surely, she begins to ride him, facing away from him, but riding his thick length all the same. Meanwhile, Asuna isn't content to leave the two of them alone. With Yuuki's front so exposed to the brunette, Asuna leans in and begins to lavish praise across the cat girl's chest, sucking and slurping at Yuuki's nipples.

All around them, hands and mouths and all sorts of body parts end up all over the place. Its an honest to god cuddle pile, albeit a rather extreme one, and the first that Yuuki has ever been the center of. Still, as she bounces up and down on Kirito's cock, her cat ears twitching and her tail swishing back and forth across his chest, she's never been happier.

If this is how she's going to go out, then she can die content, surrounded and loved by so many. With a smile on her face, Yuuki lets herself go, lets herself be washed away in the pleasure Asuna is giving her. Its fine to just… accept it. There's no reason to fight so hard anymore. Of course, things don't end there. The orgy goes on for quite some time, and after Yuuki milks Kirito of a load, she's replaced and ends up with tongues in her mouth and cunt instead as she fingers one of the other members of the Pride.

Its like everyone wants a piece of her, and before she knows it, they've gotten it and she's gotten a piece of each of them. But then things wind down and the orgy is over and… well, she's still there. Once they all recover with the help of a nice, hot, group bath, there's a bit of a celebration, just like there was at Serene Garden. Except, maybe not. Because its odd. Its little things that add up, like the way the cake is covered in M&Ms, her favorite chocolate candy, which in turn spell out a big, numeric One.

Or how everyone is acting. She wasn't surprised that her fellow Sleeping Knights had been able to hide most of their own sadness and instead celebrate her life in good cheer, since they had so much practice with it, but you would think most of the Royal Pride had less practice with death. Well, save for those who had gone through the SAO incident, but STILL. There wasn't a single tear in sight. And some of them were looking at her with these sly, secretive smiles, like they knew something she didn't.

The final straw was definitely when they started bringing out the presents. By that point, Yuuki was full on cake, or at least felt full on cake. It had been delicious, but then, most things in virtual reality were. There she sat on Kirito's lap, his cock nestling between her butt cheeks as Silica of all people brought forth a wrapped box with a bow of all things on top of it. She held it out to Yuuki with a happy smile on her face.

"Here you go, Yuuki! Use it well!"

Blinking dumbly, Yuuki can't help but stare for a moment. Then she glances at Asuna, only to find the brunette giving her an encouraging smile and nod. What… what was this? Slowly, Yuuki takes the present from Silica's hands and opens it up. Given that they're in Alfheim and not the real world, this ultimately results in opening up a menu to show the box's game contents. What Yuuki finds takes her breath away. It's a sword, to be sure… but not just any old sword. It's a sword that had to be crafted by Lisbeth, the Pride's main blacksmith. The stats on it. The material cost… it had to be one of the strongest weapons in the game, and it was most definitely the most gorgeous that Yuuki had ever seen.

"I might have been the one to craft it, but everyone put their own bit of work in. Its something the Royal Pride did together. Gathering the materials, preparing them, processing them… and ultimately utilizing them. We thought it appropriate."

Yuuki stares at the pink-haired blacksmith, a bit befuddled. It was… it was a gorgeous present, but at the same time…

"Do you like it?"

Silica has her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes shining with excitement and hope, and all Yuuki can do is pull the sword from the box's inventory and into her own, equipping it as she feels its perfectly balanced weight settle into her grip. Looking down its length, basking in its beauty, Yuuki lets out a forlorn sigh.

"I… I love it. Its beautiful. I just… I don't really know why you went to so much trouble for s-something I'm not… not…"

It finally becomes too much then. The tears fall as Yuuki's brave face crumples. She doesn't understand. She told Asuna that she was dying, that these were her last few hours on this Earth. Why were the Pride treating it like this was her birthday or something, why were they acting like she'd be sticking around? If this was how they coped, then that was one thing, but it felt somewhat cruel, if she was being honest. To give her such a beautiful gift, only for her to have to leave them and it behind as she ventured into the afterlife…

"Why is she crying? I don't understand…"

Silica sounds distressed, and the other members of the Royal Pride crowd around them, closing in quickly, even as Kirito's voice sounds right by Yuuki's ear.

"Asuna… this isn't a very nice trick."

Trick? Yuuki's head snaps up at that, tears still falling as she stares at the smiling brunette. No… no, Asuna wouldn't. She wouldn't tell the Pride that it was Yuuki's birthday instead of her impending death, w-would she? Did they not know? Did none of them know? But as she looks around the circle, the realization that dawns upon her fellow Pride members' faces is different than what she would expect. She doesn't see hurt or anger directed in Asuna's direction, but rather sympathy and a little bit of guilt directed in HERS.

And then Asuna is there, cradling Yuuki's head in her bosom, holding the cat girl close as she looks down at her.

"Yuuki… just how long have you been with us today?"

Blinking owlishly at that, she glances at the time. In the midst of everything, Yuuki had really just tried to ignore the passage of that unstoppable force that was time. She'd let it slip away from her during the orgy and then simply kept on ignoring it even after that had ended. But as she does the quick math in her head, Yuuki realizes she's been with the Royal Pride ALL day long. It's been… it's been eight hours since Doctor Kurahashi delivered the news. That might not seem like long, but when she was only supposed to HAVE hours to live…

"I… I don't understand…"

Asuna gives her a kind, caring smile.

"Try to return to your hospital room, to your main virtual interface."

Brow furrowing, Yuuki almost says no at first. She probably doesn't have long now, and she doesn't want to spend her last moments alone in the hospital. She wanted them to be here, with her family. But everything is too weird right now for her to not follow Asuna's advice. Except, when she tries to return, she cannot. The inner sanctum she'd used as her gateway to virtual reality for three long, exciting years isn't there. Or at least, its closed off to her.

"I… I c-can't."

The Royal Pride is still close now, and Yuuki only realizes just how many are resting comforting hands on her when she trembles in fear and confusion.

"W-What's going on, Asuna?"

Her smile still so very kind, so very understanding, so very sympathetic, Asuna reaches out and takes her daughter's hand. Yui steps up to in front of her mother, currently in her slimmer form and reaching to just under Asuna's chin. Yuuki's eyes slide down to the dark-haired cat girl AI, even as she begins to speak.

"Yuuki Konno… your physical body ceased all function two hours ago. The form you used to inhabit has already been unhooked from the Medicuboid and is being prepared for burial as we speak. For all intents and purposes… you've already died."

Asuna steps in then, even as Yuuki stares in shock at Yui, struggling to process the Artificial Intelligence's words.

"You've also already been reborn, Yuuki. It's all thanks to Yui here. After finding out everything, I set her on the task of locating a very specific piece of technology, made by a very bad man. But even if Kayaba Akihiko was a terrible human being who murdered thousands, he was also a genius. He found a way to upload his mind into the world of virtual reality, killing himself in the process. But then, since you were already going to die, using that same process on you didn't seem all that bad a choice."

Stepping closer, sliding Yui aside, Asuna leans in and smiles down at Yuuki.

"Didn't I tell you, Yuuki? You aren't allowed to leave us that easily, we won't let you."

In the face of all of this, Yuuki really wasn't sure how she was meant to respond. It was all so much… but in the end, happiness won out above all else. She wasn't going to die… or, she already had died, but it clearly wasn't as much of a detriment as she'd imagined it to be. Her physical form was gone now, but then, she hadn't used it for much more than the brain for years. The virtual realm was her world now, had been for these past three years… and would be now for an eternity to come thanks to Asuna, thanks to the Royal Pride.

How could she not be happy? How could she not be thrilled? Sobbing her relief, sobbing her joy, Yuuki wraps her arms around Asuna's neck once more, crying into her shoulder yet again. The brunette is right after all. It's not her death… it truly is her birthday. A new birthday, and thousands more promised well into the future.

-x-X-x-

Hours later, Yuuki finds herself led by the hand to a gorgeous natural hot spring, hidden high up in a snowy mountain range. Asuna leads her there herself, and its just the two of them as the brunette unequips her gear and Yuuki follows suit. Slipping into the spring beside Asuna, the cat girl's ears twitch and she barely yelps as Asuna drags her into her lap.

Running her hands up and down Yuuki's body, Asuna nibbles at one of the cat girl's cat ears, even as Yuuki stretches out across Asuna's front, mewling lightly. Eventually, the brunette's fingers find their way down between Yuuki's legs, gently going to work on bringing the cat girl closer and closer to orgasm.

"How do you feel, Yuuki? Now you know everything, you know this… this is your new existence. How do you feel?"

Yuuki smiles, even as she looks out over the vista before her. The natural hot spring is nestled into the side of the mountain, leaving one half of it facing out towards the valley below. Its an absolutely gorgeous view to be sure, and if Yuuki leans forward, she can even see the Royal Pride's guild hall down amidst the trees beneath them. Of course, she doesn't lean forward, enjoying Asuna's ministrations too much to pull away from the brunette.

"I'm… well. According to Yui, I'll be able to do some of the things she can do, with enough training. Virtual reality is my oyster now I suppose. I'll make the most of it."

Asuna chuckles at that, even as her fingers slide deep into Yuuki's dripping slit.

"I'm sure you will. You've always been a force of will, Yuuki. Always been so focused on achieving your dreams. You'll do the same here, won't you? You'll take this new life by the reins and guide it where ever you want it to go. I would expect nothing less from the Absolute Sword."

Yuuki giggles a little at that, before moaning and arching her back as Asuna's experienced, skilled digits swiftly bring her to the edge and then over it. Her orgasm crests and she cries out softly before eventually slumping back against Asuna's chest. For a little while longer, they just lay like that together, resting with one another, basking in each other's company. Yuuki… Yuuki was at peace. She truly was. At the same time though, she wasn't dead, as she expected to be when 'peace' finally came.

Instead, she was well and truly alive, and nothing was going to change that any time soon. For the first time in her entire life, Yuuki had a future. While that was slightly daunting, and more than a little terrifying, Asuna was right. Yuuki wasn't the kind of girl to run from her problems, to shy away from adversity. No, she would face this new existence head-on… with Asuna by her side.

Eventually, they both rise from the hot spring at the same time, a mutual understanding that their alone time has come to an end. Asuna holds out a hand and gives Yuuki a bright, radiant smile.

"Come on, Yuuki. Let's get back to the others."

Looking between that outstretched hand and Asuna's smile, there's really only one thing she can do. Yuuki reaches out and takes ahold of the brunette's offered palm, and as Asuna guides her along, the cat girl doesn't look back. Not even once.

…

… Well okay, maybe just once. Just a little. Just long enough to send an old friend a simple message.

-x-X-x-

Doctor Kurahashi blinks as a new email shows up in his inbox. For the moment, his workload is in a strange state of flux. He's spent over a decade taking care of Yuuki, and until he finishes handling her affairs and seeing her laid to rest, along with all of the documentation regarding the Medicuboid prototype and its testing, he had a surprising amount of free time on his hands.

Clicking on the email, the good doctor blinks as he finds a simple picture waiting for him. And then his eyes widen as he takes in the details of the image and realizes what he's looking at. Letting out something between a shout, a gasp, and a bark of laughter, Kurahashi sits back in his chair, just staring at the image, at the evidence of something that shouldn't have been possible. A miracle.

The tears fall after a moment, as they're wont to do right now. He's in a fairly emotional state after all. But these aren't tears of sadness, or despair, or grief. No, these are tears of joy and happiness. The girl who he'd never dared to so much as think of as his daughter, the girl he's invested the past decade of his life into… she's finally home.

What more could a father ask for?

-x-X-x-

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