A/N - I know, I know, I go away for a while and come back with a new story. Problem is, I've been dealing with a lot and I've been having a bit of a rough time for a while now. Doesn't help that I've been sicker than usual off and on for these past 3 - 4 months I think? However long it's been, it hasn't been fun.

Anyways, the reason behind this story is because a new friend of mine, FenreldStormblade, presented the challenge to me and it sounded like a rather interesting idea. It's not something I'd seen done before, and I figured I'd give it a try. I think most of the content of this particular fanfic will be original content, considering the game it focuses on will be Alfheim Online (ALO). I might introduce a few elements from the game Lost Song after a while, but who knows?

Anywho, as you'll notice, this chapter is half the length of my usual chapter size. I wrote what I could and figured that the end of this chapter was a good stopping point. It's just the first chapter, after all.

Alrighty, now that I'm done rambling, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1 – Loss

He had done it. After all this time trapped in a world of dreams, or perhaps nightmare would be a more fitting word, Kirito had finally beaten the creator of the game world himself: Akihiko Kayaba. His avatar was named Heathcliff, however, and he had managed to fool pretty much everyone within the world of Aincrad into believing he was just another player, albeit a very skilled one.

Kirito had figured out Heathcliff's true identity and things just erupted into all kinds of chaos after that. Heathcliff had proven to be an insanely strong adversary, the strongest one Kirito had ever fought. And finally, after all this time in Aincrad, the black swordsman had defeated Kayaba, ending his life and bringing an end to Sword Art Online. However…

In the beginning, Kirito had put up a good fight, but he was severely outclassed and was having the hardest time making any kind of progress in chipping away at Kayaba's defenses. He made a fatal mistake at one point in the fight and had nearly paid for it with his life. However, Asuna, his in-game wife and mother of their adopted child, had leapt in the way of the attack meant to end Kirito's life.

Stunned and eyes wide in horror, Kirito clung to Asuna as her life bar depleted. Tears formed in his eyes and he begged her to stay with him regardless of the fact that she was on death's door. When her avatar perished, dispersing into hundreds of tiny particles, Kirito began to shake while the floodgates shattered and he began to sob. Asuna was well and truly gone, lost to him forever.

When it all finally clicked and Heathcliff began to speak, his words not registering in Kirito's mind, Kirito turned to him, his facial features twisted horrifically into the fiercest scowl and his eyes burning with pure, intense rage. Not caring for what may befall him, the black swordsman began to attack with an insane fervor, forcing Heathcliff on the defensive, though the admin found he couldn't keep up with Kirito's flurry of attacks. Blow after blow landed and Heathcliff's life bar depleted bit by bit until Kirito had eventually won.

As Kayaba lay dying on the ground, a serene smile on his face, Kirito struggled to get his breathing under control. Glaring down at his adversary, Kirito could only mutter a few words that only Heathcliff could hear. "She's gone and it's all your fault. Rot in Hell."

Kayaba, the creator of SAO, couldn't help but chuckle softly as he felt his life begin to fade. "Perhaps I will. For what…it's worth, I bore you and the others no ill will. It…was meant to be…a-an experience of…of a lifetime."

Kirito was practically snarling at this point as he said, "Because of you, so many people have lost their lives! Do you care nothing about the many people whose lives you took?! They deserved to survive this wretched game, just as Asuna did! Just as Sachi! Why? Why do all of this? For your amusement?! Tell me!"

"A-As I said, it was p-pretty much an experiment. Lives were lost, that's true…but you Kirito…you survived and completed my game. Congratulations…" Kayaba said before he finally perished, his avatar dispersing just as Asuna's did moments before.

With Akihiko's death, the world of Aincrad began to fall apart. Kirito watched as his friends and fellow Clearers were forcefully logged out of the game until he was the last one left. With a sigh, he dropped his swords and fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably at all he had lost to this devilish game. Moments later, he was logged out, just as the others were. All that was left now to show anyone was there were the swords Kirito had been holding and the tear stains on the floor.

Real World – Kazuto's Hospital Room

As Kazuto awakened, his eyes fluttered open and closed a few times before he twitched his fingers and toes as a test of sorts. Rather than trying to sit up, he stared blankly at the ceiling and listened to the occasional beep from the machine beside his bed. Beep. Beep. Beep. Over and over again, it made that sound and he realized that he was truly back in the world of the living and no longer trapped in that nightmarish world of Aincrad. Not that it really mattered anymore.

Without moving, Kazuto let his eyes scan what he could see of the room. Bland ceiling color? Check. Annoying beeping machine? Check. Curtains? Check. Suguha? Check. Wait, Sugu?!

Turning his head slightly, the former Beater of SAO saw that his sister, Suguha Kirigaya was currently by his side, sleeping with her head laid upon her arms which were currently laid out on his bed. Seeing this beautiful sight, Kazuto let a slight smile spread across his face. It was gone shortly after, however, as he remembered Asuna's last moments in Sword Art Online. Slowly, ever so slowly, Kazuto carefully maneuvered himself off of the bed and slowly pulled the needle from his arm and removed the various pads sticking to his body that monitored his various vitals and whatever else they were used for. He quite frankly did not care what they were all used for. No, all he cared about was checking to see if Asuna had woken up…or if she had perished, just as she did in the game.

At first, as he tried to leave the room, Kazuto stumbled a few times and had to brace himself against a wall or a bed or whatever else was nearby. His body had clearly lost some weight and he barely had the strength required to keep himself standing on his own two feet. Still, he was stubborn and set out into the hospital to try and find Asuna. Somehow, he just knew she was here somewhere, in the hospital.

Shortly after leaving the room, he was stopped by a familiar voice, one he hadn't heard in well over a year. Or was it two? Maybe three? He had lost track of time in Aincrad and couldn't quite tell how long he and the others had been trapped in the world of SAO. Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he focused on the voice he had heard and caught the last half of what the person was saying.

"…going? You just woke up! You shouldn't be walking around like this Kazuto! What if you got hurt?"

Turning around, Kazuto saw his sister, Sugu looking at him with tears in her eyes. Offering her a lopsided smile, he said two simple words: "Hey Sugu."

Hearing her brother call her that for the first time in years, Suguha threw her arms around Kazuto and buried her face into his chest, crying as she said, "You're awake. Please…please tell me this isn't another dream. I missed you so much!"

The black-haired youth slowly returned his sister's hug and gently rubbed her back. He didn't speak another word, simply choosing to hug her and reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Well, mostly okay.

It was at this point that a few doctors and nurses hurried onto the scene, alerted to the fact that there were no vital signs being shown for Kazuto's room. When they saw that he was awake, the nurses quickly rushed up to him and grabbed him lightly by the shoulders. "You shouldn't be up and about so soon after recovering! Come on, let's get you back into your bed. I'm sure people will have many questions to ask you later, but for now you need your rest."

However, Kazuto refused to budge from his spot. Looking into the eyes of one of the nearby doctors, he asked, "Where's Asuna? Did she make it out?"

"Asuna? Hmm, you're going to have to be a bit more specific lad. We have a few Asuna's in the hospital at the moment, so we need to know exactly who this girl is you're speaking of." The doctor replied.

"Her name is Asuna Yuuki. I need to know if she's okay!" Kazuto demanded. He was not in the mood to play 20 questions with these people! He desperately had to know if she had made it out alive, by some miracle or act of God!

At hearing the girl's last name, the doctor frowned and shook his head. "Ah, that one. Poor girl. To have perished at so young an age. Such a shame too. She passed away just minutes before you and the others began to awaken. May I ask what your relationship was with her?"

Kazuto felt his head grow heavy and a fog enveloped his vision. He heard a loud ringing in his ears and he began to shake. Slowly, he released Suguha and clutched at his chest, feeling a sudden tightness and a horrible pain emanating from his heart. He began to hyperventilate until he suddenly collapsed to his knees, unable to bear the sadness at this sudden revelation. Deep inside, he knew she hadn't made it. But still! He hoped and prayed that she would have survived somehow!

After a few moments, Kazuto passed out, not even aware that the doctors and nurses had surrounded him, attempting to help him through his sudden attack.

Seeing this, Suguha covered her mouth with her hands and began to sob. She knew that whoever this Asuna person was, she was obviously very dear to her brother, Kazuto. As the medical staff carried Kazuto back to his hospital bed, Suguha waited until they were gone to enter his room again. Seeing his pained expression, she sat down beside him again and took his hand in hers. "Oh Kazuto, what happened to you in there?"

The beautiful young woman continued to cry as she held her brother's hand supportively. She decided in this moment that she would be there for her brother and wouldn't leave him alone ever again. She vowed that she would support him and help him through the grieving process, no matter what it took.

A few weeks later

For the past few weeks, Kazuto had been constantly monitored and put through long periods of time in rehab to try and build up his strength once again. After being in a type of coma for so long, he needed to grow accustomed to his actual body once again and put some meat on his bones. However, he was also put on suicide watch after determining his mental state was not good.

Despite everything, Kazuto had been strong, mostly for his sister's sake. Throughout it all, Suguha had remained by his side, spending long periods of time with him and trying to support him as best she could. Sure, Kazuto had moments where he contemplated killing himself, if only to be with Asuna up in Heaven, but at the same time, he realized that she wouldn't want that for him. He also knew he needed to be there for Suguha and try to mend his relationship with her. Ever since learning he and Sugu weren't truly siblings, he had tried to distance himself from her, limiting their interactions as best he could. Now, however? He saw that Suguha needed him and he just couldn't bring himself to end his life, no matter how tempting the thought was.

At night, he was plagued by nightmares. He would oftentimes dream he was back in Aincrad, fighting for his life in the style he was so used to by now. Sometimes he'd be beside Asuna again, the two of them playing with Yui as a happy family, only to wake up and realize it was all a dream. Other times, he dreamt that Sugu was there, being killed by monsters over and over again and he was completely incapable of stopping it, no matter how desperate he was to save her. Every dream was considered a nightmare for him and he started doing whatever he could to stay awake for as long as humanly possible.

Kazuto wasn't getting much sleep these days, as he didn't want to dream anymore. So he'd stay awake for longer and longer periods of time, only getting an hour or two of sleep each day. The doctors, nurses, and of course Suguha, had all noticed this and had tried numerous times, albeit unsuccessfully to convince him to get some sleep.

Shaking those thoughts off, Kazuto found himself smiling slightly as he was finally going to be allowed to go home. Yes, he would still need to go to his rehab sessions and he was going to be on a strict diet to build up his muscular structure some more, but he was at least well enough to return home. He was truly thankful for this, as it meant he could attend Asuna's funeral service after all, though Asuna's mother had protested such a thing at first.

As he finished getting dressed into some casual clothes, he looked at the door and shouted, "You can come in now Sugu! I'm dressed."

Slowly the door opened until his sister, or rather cousin, poked her head through the open space and checked to make sure he really was dressed. Stepping inside a moment later, she shut the door and walked up to her brother. Looking at him closely, she saw bags under his eyes and sighed sadly before wrapping him up in another tight hug. "Kazuto, I really wish you'd at least try to get some sleep. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Kazuto sighed for what felt like the thousandth time ever since she started pestering him about this. "I know Sugu. Believe me, I know. But…I can't. I can't handle the dreams…"

Frowning at him, Suguha looked searchingly into his eyes before nodding slowly. "I understand. This kind of thing will take time to heal. I'll be here for you, Kazuto. I promise."

The black clad teen nodded slowly, but he couldn't bring himself to so much as offer a reassuring smile for his sister. Instead, he patted her back gently and said, "Thanks…Sugu." And with that, the two of them proceeded to gather what belongings they had in the room before leaving the room.

At home

Kazuto stood in his doorway looking blankly into his room. It was the last place he had seen before becoming trapped in SAO, and all he could think about was his experiences in the game world. After a moment, his eyes glazed over as he lost himself to his memories of the past year that he spent in Aincrad. It was all flashing before his eyes and he was having a hard time dealing with it all.

Eventually, all he could see was Asuna's smiling face before the image of her suddenly dispersed into particles again, just as she had in the game. When he finally snapped back to reality, he felt somebody's grip on his arm. At first, his instincts screamed at him to fight against whoever was attacking him, only to freeze when he saw Suguha's worried face. When she reached for his face, he wasn't quite sure what was happening until he felt her begin to wipe away his tears. "Sugu…"

Suguha simply smiled at her brother as she finished wiping away his tears. "It's okay Kazuto. Just take all the time you need. I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. Just…don't push me away anymore, okay?"

The black-haired gamer felt the corner of his lip twitch slightly before he nodded in acceptance of what his sister's promise. "Thanks. I'm sorry if I'm kind of a bummer right now. I…I think I just need time to accept everything that's happened. I honestly don't know if I'll ever return to 'normal', or at least to some semblance of normality."

"That's okay, Kazuto. Even if you never return to your old self, I'll still support you every step of the way. Now come on, let's get you to bed. You need your sleep."

Kazuto looked apprehensive about this at first, but when she began to shove him towards the bed, he sighed and reluctantly nodded his head before he removed his shoes and socks before sliding under his blanket and looking up at his sister. "'Kay, Sugu. I'll try to get some sleep. No guarantees."

Sugu offered him a kindhearted smile before she turned and left his room, turning his light off as she went. Just in case he needed her for any reason, the beautiful girl left their doors open so she could hurry to his side if needed. Kazuto, I sincerely hope I can help you through this…

Three months later

"Kazuto, you can't keep ignoring your friends like this. Like it or not, you're their hero. They want to see you and I'm certain they want to help you too. You need some healthy interaction with somebody other than me." Suguha could be heard saying as she stood at the door to her brother's room.

The past three months had been 'rough', for lack of a better term. Suguha had kept true to her word and stayed by her brother's side, offering him what support she could. However, it quickly became apparent to her that her brother was in a truly dark place and needed far more help than she could give on her own. So she began to look into support groups and began to search for those Kazuto had saved from SAO. It took about a week for her to find exactly the kind of group she was looking for.

Suguha had stumbled upon a support group for survivors of Sword Art Online and had reached out to them for help and information. When they asked to meet with her in person, Suguha agreed damn near instantly and rushed to meet these people.

Upon meeting the leader of the support group, a man by the name of Andrew Gilbert Mills, she asked them if they knew of her brother. At first, she asked them if they knew Kazuto, which only seemed to confuse them. It took her a moment to realize that they probably didn't know her brother's real name, so she wracked her brain trying to remember what he called himself in game. When she did remember, she asked them about Kirito, and the reaction she got was quite reassuring.

These people, these wonderful people, had been so thankful for Kirito and what he had done for them. They asked her where he was and if he was okay, and she confessed to them that her brother had fallen into a deep pit of depression that he was unable to climb out of on his own. A man by the name of Ryoutarou Tsuboi, who explained that Kirito knew him as Klein, had approached her at that point and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll help Kirito however we can. We owe it to him for all he's done for us." He had said.

At first, Suguha had accepted what he said at face value, but after taking a moment to think on it, she proceeded to ask him exactly what his relationship was with Kazuto, as he seemed to know her brother on a personal level. "Kirito and I are bros!" he had exclaimed with a boisterous laugh and a grin on his face.

The young woman felt a drop of sweat trickle down her head and chuckled somewhat nervously. "I…see."

Later, Andrew assured her that Tsuboi was just weird like that and she shouldn't take what he said too seriously. Shortly after that, she met both Keiko Ayano, who had gone by the name Silica in SAO, and Rika Shinozaki, who had gone by Lisbeth. Rika had admitted that she was a close friend of Asuna's, so she could understand Kirito's pain…to an extent. She had sighed softly and explained to Suguha exactly what kind of relationship Kirito had with Asuna in Aincrad.

Needless to say, the revelation of what kind of relationship Kazuto had with Asuna was shocking to her. She had tried to get her brother to open up to her about this Asuna girl, but he had remained tightlipped about the subject, refusing to so much as utter her name in Suguha's presence. Inside, a swirl of emotions swirled about, leading to confusion and even a tinge of hurt mixed in.

Whether Kazuto knew it or not, Suguha knew the truth about their relationship and how they weren't actual siblings, but rather cousins. She had always been fond of her brother and, somewhere along the way, she had developed romantic feelings towards him. She knew it was likely to be frowned upon and she would likely be judged harshly for any attempt to be with him in that sense. Still, she had hoped that eventually he would open his heart to her and they could work something out so they could be together.

However, finding out about just how deep Kazuto's bond was with Asuna left a feeling of jealousy and hatred within her. Jealousy she could understand and deal with, but the hatred she started to feel bothered her, as she didn't want to bear ill will towards the dead. Besides that, she felt horrible for thinking ill of Asuna when she had sacrificed herself so Kazuto could live. Sadly, she realized that with Asuna's 'ghost' looming over him, any chance of her brother moving on and recovering from the impact her death had on him was almost zero.

Now here she stood, outside her brother's room, trying her best to coax him into going out for a while. So far, he's ignored any attempts from his friends to reach out to him and he had only gone to his appointments to continue his physical rehabilitation. Unfortunately, he had been eating less and less and was starting to lose weight again. Most of the time, he secluded himself in his room and only came out to go to the bathroom, shower occasionally, and maybe eat a little when he felt up to it.

Suguha waited patiently for her brother to respond, knowing from recent experiences that he spoke softly these days and always in a defeated tone of voice. After a few minutes without a response, Suguha let out a silent sigh and moved to leave. However, she soon heard sobbing from within his room and frowned as she looked at the door. Slowly opening it, she walked inside and, sure enough, Kazuto was on his bed, his face buried in his hands as he continued to mourn the loss of what he felt to be his one true love. However, Suguha knew it was always possible to find new love and to be happy again. She was confident in that belief and refused to let her brother drown himself in his sorrows.

The young woman knew that, if things didn't improve somehow, her brother might very well be lost to her forever. As it stood, he was slowly killing himself, with a very real chance that he might someday soon take his own life. So, with a deep sigh, she walked over to her brother and sat down beside him, gently taking his hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Without a word, she used her other hand to guide Kazuto's head to her shoulder so he could just let everything out. "Shhh. I'm here for you onii-chan."

After a while, when Kazuto had finally calmed down, the grey-eyed girl smiled softly at him and helped him up from the bed. "First we're going to get some food in your belly, then we'll get you dressed to go see your friends. Whether you realize it or not, they lost a friend in Asuna too. They'll support you in any way they can, and I'm sure you'll cheer up a bit when you see them too. Now come on onii-chan, let's go go go!"

Kazuto nodded ever so slightly with his head still resting on her shoulder. "Sure Sugu. Whatever." He said quietly before he had his sister help him up off the bed. Upon standing up with her help, Kazuto wobbled a bit and clutched at his head, shaking it slightly in an effort to stave off the sudden wave of dizziness.

Seeing this, Sugu put on a cute pout and poked him on the nose. "This is what happens when you spend all your time moping in bed. Take a moment to breathe and then we can go get some food in your belly." She said before taking a good look around his room. It was dark, partly due to the fact the light was off, but also because the blinds were closed, preventing any light from penetrating the room. Looking at the floor, she saw a few items scattered about here and there, but it was surprisingly clean compared to what she figured it'd look like for a social recluse like Kazuto had become. Still… I'm definitely going to need to clean up in here. It's so dusty!

A few hours later

Suguha smiled as she gently shoved Kazuto from behind, forcing him to enter the building where the SAO support group usually met. When she finally had him inside, she reached down and gently took his hand in hers as she smiled at everyone. "Hey guys, look who I brought! Kazuto, say hi to your friends."

Everyone in the room looked at the black-haired youth with bright smiles on their faces. Seeing this, Kazuto started to feel nervous to the point he wanted to run away. However, he knew that he needed to stay and see this through. So, with a small, uncertain smile tugging at his lips, he raised his right hand and waved slightly. "Hey."

Upon seeing him, most of them began to smile brightly at him, with the exception of Rika, a.k.a. Lisbeth. No, instead she covered her mouth to silence her gasp before she began to cry. Walking up to him, Rika threw her arms around Kazuto and buried her face in his chest. "You're okay. You're…you're really okay. I'm so sorry for your loss, Kirito. I truly am. I…I miss her too. All the time. But…"

Andrew walked up and placed a large, yet gentle hand upon Kazuto's shoulder. "That's kind of why we started this support group to begin with. We all lost something in that game. Friends, family, and for some of us, even our souls. We went through hell together. You though? You did far more than anyone could have ever hoped for. We're all grieving the loss of a dear friend, some of us more than others. So Kirito, or should I call you Kazuto now? Either way, we're here to support you and help you through these tough times. Honestly, I'm grateful you came. People have been wanting to express their thanks to you…as well as their condolences. You went through more than some of us can possibly imagine, all in an effort to end the game and set things right again. Lean on us for support and we'll do everything humanly possible to help you."

Despite himself, Kazuto let the tiniest of smiles grace his face as he slowly returned Rika's hug. "Thank you. All of you. And yes, Lisbeth, I'm alive, but I don't know if I'm whole exactly. I'm…I'm sorry I worried all of you."

Lisbeth took a small step back, breaking their hug and wiping her eyes before offering him a bright, heartwarming smile. "We're in the real world now, Kazuto. Call me Rika. The big guy, Agil as you know him, is Andrew. Then over there is Ryoutarou. And finally we have Silica, whose real name is Keiko. We've been so worried about you! I…I miss her too, you know? She was my best friend and I loved her to death. I know it's…not the same kind of bond you had with her Kazuto, but for what it means…I understand how you feel. Please, don't shut us out again."

Kazuto's eyes widened fractionally for the briefest of moments before he said, "Sorry. I guess I just wasn't thinking straight. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

Before anyone could say anything else, Suguha stepped up to the group and looked around at everyone. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's a reason why I wanted everyone to meet today. I've got a proposition for you. I know you went through hell in Sword Art Online, and I know some of you might be a bit…hesitant to do this, but I've been playing this relatively new game called Alfheim Online, or ALO for short. It's a pretty casual game to unwind with and enjoy. You get to play as a fairy type of your choosing. Salamander, Spriggan, Sylph, etc. There's a bunch to choose from. Anyways, I wanted to invite all of you to join ALO and play with me and my friends. It's a risk-free game, meaning you won't really die if your avatar perishes for whatever reason, whether it's through combat or somebody's clumsiness or whatever. You all bonded within the world of Aincrad, brought together by a common cause and goal. Playing a game like this might actually help all of you get through these tough times. Think of it like a form of therapy!"

Kazuto looked like he was about to say something, but Keiko spoke up first. "Are you sure there's no risk involved? Because, after what we went through, it's a little nerve-wracking to even think about playing another MMO game like that. But, I do think it might be fun to try…"

Eyes widening, the Black Swordsman of Aincrad looked at Keiko in horror for a moment, but found it hard to speak the words he wanted to say. Looking down at his hands, Kazuto saw that his hands were shaking and quickly clenched his fists tight to try and calm his nerves.

Seeing this, Ryoutarou walked up to his friend and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "Kazuto, bro? Chill man. I think I know how you feel right now, but you have to admit, this might actually be a pretty cool experience. Aside from that, it might actually be relaxing to play something like ALO and not have to worry so much about taking even the slightest bit of damage. You've been through a lot bro, but this might be pretty good for you."

Kazuto looked into his brother figure's eyes before chancing a glance at Suguha, who was looking at him expectantly. Looking around at the others in the group, he saw they all seemed to be waiting on his decision. Of course they were. Kazuto sighed and closed his eyes as he thought over the situation and the pros and cons of agreeing to such a thing.

On the one hand, it sounded like a great experience. If Sugu was to be believed, then they could take ALO nice and easy and enjoy the game as it was meant to be played. He'd be with his friends again and they could probably quest together and just generally enjoy themselves.

On the other hand, what if the same company behind SAO was also behind ALO? Who's to say that they won't pull the same thing again with this game the very moment they link up and dive into the game?!

But… Kazuto thought to himself as he reached a hand up and began scratching at the side of his cheek. From the sounds of it, Sugu's been playing the game. That means she's able to log out. We couldn't do that with SAO. Maybe…maybe she's right and we can just relax and have fun. Okay then…

Looking at his sister, Kazuto nodded his head and gave a very small smile. "Sure, Sugu. It sounds like fun."

The other members of the group all smiled at their buddy after hearing that. Suguha walked up to her brother and hugged him tight. "I know this can't be easy for you, but I really think this might help. Just give it a chance to work. Okay?"

Kazuto slowly wrapped his arms around his sister and nodded once. "Okay. I'll try."

"That's all I can ask for." Suguha said before she released her brother and proceeded to begin giving an in-depth explanation about the game they were going to be playing together. All she could do was hope that this plan of hers didn't backfire and cause everyone, especially Kazuto, more problems. She really just wanted to ensure that he had fun and could take things easy for a while. But more than that, she hoped that, if he distracted himself enough with this game, he might forget about Asuna and open up his heart again. His heart needed mending, and she was with the perfect group to go about healing him.

A/N - And that's the chapter. Short, but I think it turned out alright. Then again, I'm rarely satisfied with my work. I feel like this chapter could have been better, but at the same time, I'm trying to push through this dreaded disease called writer's block. Not fun. .

Anyways, I'm not sure how frequent my updates will be for any of my stories, this one included. I've kinda got a backlog on a lot of things: anime & video games being primary among them. For the past few months, since I couldn't get myself to write anything, I've played a bunch of different games on my PS4 and earned the platinum trophy for a number of them. Final Fantasy VII (original, not the remake), Dark Rose Valkyrie, Yu-No: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world (long name, I know), Date-a-Live Rio-Reincarnation (three visual novels in one! lol), and I can't remember what else. I've been working on a lot of games. ^^;;

At the moment I'm working on playing two games: Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and the brand new Fairy Tail game. I'm kinda switching back and forth between them right now. I'm really quite enjoying both of those games.

Anyways, I'll try to work on updating some of my fics, but like I said, I really don't know when the next update will be. Sorry if that disappoints some of you.