Well, glad to hear the little twist last chapter went over well. And some of you thought I had forgotten about Eugeo. Nah! Eugeo's one of my favorite SAO characters in the entire lineup (Silica being just under him).

But anyways, thanks. I was getting a little worried this story was beginning to lose interest with many of you, and was in serious doubt I should continue writing this story. But, last chapter gave me confidence this is a good fanfic to make. Let's hope that trend continues going forward.

Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the author and creator of SAO. All content related to the franchise is belongs to him and his associates.

Now then,

LINK START!

Chapter 19:

Enter Alfheim

The growing dawn greeted the floating castle of Aincrad following the appearance and disappearance of Quinella and Oberon, along with Asuna, Eugeo, and the Integrity Knights. Even with the next floor open, no one bothered exploring the dungeon to find the next Dungeon Master. And there was no real need to. But at the same time, no one took up Kayaba's offer to go home. Most everyone present had been exiled to Aincrad by the church. They weren't willing to go back unless Quinella was dealt with. Kayaba wasn't worried, and encouraged everyone to make themselves at home in Aincrad however they wished.

Even with all of this going on, Kirito was found at the edge of the castle near Lyndis. He looked out to the sun rising in the east, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Just a little bit ago, he and Asuna along with Eugeo and Alice had been sworn together and would be promised to marry once they got to Rulid. Now, Eugeo had been taken by Quinella, and Asuna was being forced to be Oberon's bride. Despite all of this, Kirito didn't have a plan to rescue them like he did before. There was no Demon Tree to cut down this time, and he couldn't get to where the two masterminds were easily. Quinella likely would prevent him entering with her full regiment of Integrity Knights. And he had no idea where Oberon was, since the man had not been seen prior to yesterday. Overall, Kirito felt powerless, and he hated it.

As he watched the sun rise, he heard Klein speak behind him, "Hey Kiri-dude. How ya been?" The boy didn't reply, nor give any indication he had heard him. Klein went on, "It's a new dawn. There will be new hope soon."

"Hope?" Kirito finally said, a bit of an edge in his voice. Turning to face the scraggly warrior, Kirito retorted, "Hope? Klein, there is no hope. None whatsoever. Asuna's taken and Eugeo is being inducted as an Integrity Knight as we speak. There is no hope." Turning away, he finished, "Maybe it's best if we don't hope anymore." Klein was about to say something when he noticed the pale-blue sword on the wall next to his friend. He had forgotten that the Blue Rose Sword was still with Kirito when Eugeo was taken. Klein then looked up at his friend, disheartened to hear him being so distraught like this.

Scratching the back of his head, Klein tried to explain, "Listen, in my home village, we have a saying: 'a new dawn brings light in our darkest hour.' I know it seems bad, but your dawn is coming. And it will bring light to your darkest hour too. Don't give up yet. There's still a chance. Asuna is out there waiting for you. Hell, Eugeo probably expects you to come to his rescue. Don't throw it all away just because of some screw ups."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kirito requested, "Klein, just leave me alone."

"I will," the man replied. "But, there are some people here that won't." Before Kirito could ask what he meant, a dragon with pale-blue fur and red eyes appeared in front of him as he turned around, surprising him as it squawked and chirped. Following its appearance came a familiar girl with brown hair in pigtails.

Silica came right up to Kirito and hugged him tightly, leaving him stunned and confused in why she was here. She then muttered, "You're alive. You're alive." After a bit, Kirito wrapped his arms around her, completing the embrace.

"Silica, what are you—" he started to ask.

But Silica pulled away and told him, "I was brought here by Kayaba's request. He said you freed everyone in Aincrad. But I'm not the only one." Looking behind her, Kirito was met with the faces of Sortiliena and Lisbeth standing alongside Klein. Sortiliena was dressed differently from before, wearing a purple shirt with chest armor and black pants. She had her hair tied up like she usually did, and had her sword at her side and her whip on her back. Lisbeth was pretty much the same as before, though she did seem troubled.

"It's been too long Kirito," Sortiliena greeted. Then she commented, "You've certainly changed since we last met."

"Liena…" Kirito gasped upon seeing his old mentor. Then asked, "How did you guys get here? The entrance—"

"Strangely enough, a portal opened in my gardens while Silica was playing, and a man named Heathcliff requested we follow him and find you," Sortiliena explained to him. "Your pages would have come to, but they have their schooling to attend to."

Lisbeth then stepped forward and asked, "Kirito, what's going on? We were told you cleared Aincrad."

Upon those words, Kirito said to them, "It's a bit of a long story."

After some time, Kirito finished relaying everything that had happened since they last saw him be taken away by Eldrie. The girls could tell he had been through a lot. Lisbeth was happy to hear Asuna was still alive, but was disheartened like Kirito at her being taken by the man called Oberon. She had several choice words that got her admonished by Sortiliena, who covered Silica's ears to keep her from hearing such vulgar language.

After he had finished, Silica urged, "You can't give up now. You promised you'd rescue Asuna again. You have to go find her."

"Silica, I don't even know where this Oberon person is," Kirito pointed out.

Then Sortiliena suggested, "Why not ask Kayaba about it? He seemed to know about these people, and they knew him. He might have insight into where to find him." Kirito had to keep himself from facepalming at this idea. He couldn't believe he didn't think about talking to Kayaba in all this time. He had just been so caught up in Asuna being taken that he completely forgot.

"Knowing him, he might be in Grandzam," the boy figured. "We better head there to talk with him."

But before he took off, Lisbeth grabbed the cuff of his sleeve and mentioned, "Hold it buster, you might want to make sure Alice is with you. Knowing her, she's probably really depressed after the boy she loved went with such a horrible person like that Quinella lady."

Turning to face her, Kirito replied, "Yeah, but I'm not the best person to help her. She'll snap my head off or something."

"What does that matter?" Lisbeth challenged. Then she said, "She's your friend. You four are supposed to always be there for each other. So, go to her. Snap her out of it. Help her with this issue she's having to deal with. Especially if you are going through the same thing she is."

"She's right Kirito," Sortiliena added. "Right now, you both need each other. You share a bond with your friends that has stood everything that has come at it thus far. Now you need to press on with that very bond in order to achieve your goal."

Tugging on his arm, Silica urged, "C'mon Kirito, let's go find Alice." And she dragged him off, with Pina, Sortiliena, Klein, and Lisbeth followed.

Alice was next to a stone bridge, legs curled up against her as she sat against the structure. She had felt so horrible upon realizing what Eugeo had done for her. She had been so caught up in the moment she shared with him that she didn't realize he was taking whatever Sacred Art Quinella placed on her and becoming her puppet to save his beloved. She felt so guilty about it all, and she cried herself dry. Even now, she found no tears to come, having spent them all yesterday.

As she continued to wallow, she heard a sad chirp coming from in front of her. She looked up, and was startled to see the dragon Pina right in front of her. Pina cooed a bit before going over and nuzzling her side.

"What are you doing here little one?" she asked. Then, a pair of black boots came into her line of sight. She looked up to see Kirito standing over her. Glancing down, she spoke, "I'd like to be left alone Kirito."

To which Kirito responded, "Wasn't my call to make." Silica then appeared from behind him, looking nervous.

She then asked, "Um, Miss Alice… Do you remember… um, remember me?"

Seeing the girl, Alice's expression softened, and she greeted, "It's good to see you again Silica." This response made the girl beam before she came up and knelt beside the Integrity Knight. Noticing her garb, Alice commented, "You seem far different from the last time I saw you."

"You can thank Liena for that," Kirito mentioned. But Alice didn't get to ask about who that was when he went on, "Alice, I was going to see if Kayaba had any ideas about where Oberon came from. Since he seemed to know the guy, I figured he'd know how to find the creep so we could rescue Asuna."

Alice became downcast again, uttering, "Kirito, there's no way we're getting them back. Even if we could go to where Oberon is, he and the Pontifex are too powerful for either of us. You witnessed their power then. Oberon had some kind of Sacred Art that altered the world and hindered us, and Administrator has always had a way of taking control of people she wanted to seize. We stand no chance against them. Not to mention Eugeo is now her slave. I wager he is being reconditioned like all the other Knights so he can be a loyal servant to the Pontifex. Compared to that, what chance do we have?" Silica seemed saddened to hear Alice sound so defeated, and even Pina let out a soft cry at her words. But the two backed away when they heard Kirito stomp over.

He grabbed Alice by the collar under her armor and hoisted her up, and reprimanded, "So you're just going to give up and let Eugeo suffer at Quinella's hands? You're going to let Asuna become the bride of someone as vile as Oberon? Because the Alice I remember would not be so quick to give up. She would be fighting her damn hardest to get Eugeo back. She would be giving everything she had to rescue Asuna. She wouldn't give a damn about Oberon or Quinella. Hell, she'd renounce them at the drop of a hat and stand against them with every fiber of her being. But now, all I have is an idiot who will just sit back and let her friends suffer."

Triggered by his later words, Alice growled, "What did you say?"

"That you're an idiot!" Kirito repeated. "Only an idiot would just sit and wallow because they think they can't do anything. And that's what you are: an idiot!" Every time he said 'idiot', Alice's face contorted with anger. The air around her became so hostile that Silica whimpered, and Pina hunched in front of her to protect her.

Vehemently, Alice shoved him back and broke his grip, replying, "Don't you dare… Don't…" Her voice raised, she said, "Don't ever call me that again! You don't think I want to save our friends? I want to go free them so desperately, like it is my last act. I want to have Eugeo in my arms again. I want Asuna here with us. I want it all." She then took a few breaths to calm herself, but her hard gaze was still set on her face, directed at Kirito as if to threaten him.

Recovering from the shock, Kirito replied, "I'll call you that as many times as I need to if it'll get you to snap out of it. Especially since I'll need you to save our friends." Then he told her, "Let's go see Kayaba. It's time we found out where Oberon resides."

Up in Grandzam, the two from Rulid alongside Silica, Sortiliena, Lisbeth, Klein, and Agil all met in the meeting room where Kayaba awaited them. Agil had expressed his own desire to get Asuna and Eugeo back, wanting to right the wrongs done to everyone in Underworld. He had mentioned it would be the only way he could see his wife back in Centoria, wanting to do everything he could to help Kirito and Alice in their mission.

As they stood before him, Kayaba spoke, "I understand you want to find where Oberon is in order to rescue Asuna."

"We do," Kirito replied, steadfast.

Smirking, the ruler remarked, "I must say it is a rather wise choice to go for her than Eugeo at present. With your current strength, you would not make it to the top of the Central Cathedral. Not with Quinella bolstering her defenses as she has. But Oberon is more careless, and his realm is more vast. But you should know Oberon is not in Underworld." This news caused some murmur among those gathered. "Rather, he is in a realm separate from ours," Kayba continued. "This realm is called Alfheim."

"I have not heard of such a place," Alice mentioned. "The church has nothing regarding it."

"That is because it is separated as part of Quinella and Oberon's pact," Kayaba explained. "They had used Sacred Arts higher than the priests have ever attained to open the way to a new world. This doorway remains open even now, but only to those who know where to find it. Fortunately for you, I know how to get into Alfheim." The group got excited at this news, until he added, "However, you should be warned the residents have a cold disposition towards humans. This journey will be more difficult than anything you have faced before. Are you certain of your path?"

"We are, more than anything," Kirito answered. "I'm not abandoning Asuna. I will save her, so we can be together in Rulid like we promised. I will defy the goddesses if I must get her back."

"On the contrary Kirito, I think the goddesses would approve of you going to rescue her, since she is important to them as well," Kayaba mentioned. Those words reminded the two of what Yui mentioned, about how Asuna was a chosen vessel for Stacia. It slipped his mind that Kayaba also knew. He wondered if Oberon and Quinella were aware of it as well.

Looking to the golden Knight, the ruler inquired, "And what of you Alice?"

"I seek to rescue everyone important to me," she answered firmly. "Rescuing Asuna will give us the advantage we need to save Eugeo from Quinella." Kayaba acknowledged her resolve, sounding relieved at her words.

"We're gonna help them too," Lisbeth came in. "We owe them all so much. We want to do our part in this fight."

"Hell yeah," Klein added. "I ain't gonna let those bastards get away with this."

"While your dedication is admirable, I am afraid this is a journey these two must undertake alone," Kayaba informed. Before they could protest, he added, "However, I will require your help and will need to train you and any allies you have for a future battle that will come before too long. Do not fret, as you will aid us in the battle to come." Rising from his seat, he addressed, "Kirito, Alice, come with me."

A little later found them at the edge of the castle once more, with a platform that looked like a ramp leading out into the sky. Everyone was perplexed by this sight, save for Alice whose eyes flashed with recognition.

Facing them, Kayaba informed, "If you two fly past the western province, you will encounter a rift over the End Mountains. This will take you to Alfheim, the world where Oberon has taken Asuna to."

Crossing his arms, Kirito questioned, "And how exactly are we to fly there? Unless you know a Sacred Art that can conjure wings."

Kayaba gave another of his smiles before replying, "I already have that in hand." Behind them they heard mighty wings flapping as something descended. Alice turned around, and was elated to see what was coming.

As the others turned, she ran up and cried out, "Amayori! You're here." Her dragon cooed at seeing Alice again, nuzzling her with its head. Alice cried happy tears, the first in forever, as she hugged her companion after being separated for so long. Pulling away, she looked back to Kayaba and asked, "How did you retrieve her from the Central Cathedral?"

"I used some of my power before Quinella returned to find your partner," he answered. "She has missed you quite a bit." It certainly seemed that way, as Amayori seemed rather affectionate of Alice. Pina flew over and squawked at the larger dragon, who eyed the smaller one with curiosity. But very quickly, Amayori purred and became affectionate with Pina too, much to Silica's delight.

"They're friends already," she said with a happy sigh.

"I'd be surprised if dragons were ever hostile towards another of their kind," Agil mentioned. "Guess Amayori is the motherly type."

Turning to the man, Klein questioned, "Since when were you a dragon expert."

"Not the time!" Lisbeth snapped at them, startling them both with her temper.

With the reunion settled, Kayaba told Alice, "You should be able to reach Alfheim from here. But be wary when you enter. The beings there will not take kindly to humans living in their dominion." Alice nodded before going to mount her partner. Kirito came up tentatively, worried Amayori might snap at him. Said dragon let him pass and mount up behind Alice. "May you be swift and sure as you venture to a new land," Kayaba said to them.

Taking the reins, Alice replied, "When we return, we shall have Asuna and be ready to rescue Eugeo." And without another word, she snapped the reins, causing Amayori to charge off the ramp and glide into the distance, with Kirito behind her crying out as they flew.

As they grew smaller in the distance, Kayaba turned to the others and informed, "We must make preparations to aid them. And there is someone you will need to meet."

The sun was beginning to set as the two friends flew on Amayori to the western skies. They had settled into a good pace, passing over the many towns and forests dotting the west of the Human Empire. As the End Mountains neared, the two braced themselves for what was ahead.

"How are we to find this rift to get to Alfheim?" Kirito questioned. "Kayaba never said."

"For now we must have faith in what he told us," Alice responded. Nothing else was said as they came closer. As they did, the two noticed something about the air above the mountains. It looked like there was a ripple, too faint to see normally but noticeable at their elevation. Alice directed Amayori towards it, instructing Kirito to brace himself as they went in.

Pretty soon, they entered the rift. The air around them seemed to blow faster around them, causing their cape and coat to flap violently. They both shut their eyes as they braced through the journey. But they never saw the space turn white around them, and a myriad of colors shoot past them as they went into a light at the end.

Before too long, the event was finished. And the two opened their eyes to see an amazing view. A world lush with green forests and grasslands, an entire ocean surrounding the landmass, and a massive white tree that touched the sky and seemed to stretch to every corner imaginable. Without really understanding it, they knew they had entered the land of Alfheim.

"It's beautiful," Alice said in awe, looking around at everything about them. The mountains and cliffs, the trees and rivers, everything about this world. Kirito was of a similar mindset, scanning around to see all there was to be. But his glee faded when he remembered why they were here. They had to find Asuna, which meant they needed to know where Oberon was.

As Amayori flew, Kirito suggested, "Let's go find a settlement. Someone here has to know about Oberon." Alice complied, beginning to look for someplace they could reach. Just then, tongues of flame shot in front of Amayori, causing the dragon to halt in the air to avoid being hit. The two looked over to the source, seeing what looked like five warriors in red with transparent wings, similar to Oberon, chasing two figures in green. A small group of them seemed to have spotted them and were preparing another attack.

"Hang on Kirito," Alice warned. Kirito held on for dear life as she directed Amayori to face their attackers. The dragon opened its great maw and spewed white-blue flames at the figures that attacked them. They dodged, but it was clear they were surprised by the presence of a dragon.

"System Call," Alice called, "Generate Glacial Element, Arrow Shape!" Despite her incantation, nothing was generated from her command. She tried again, but nothing happened. With horror, she questioned, "Why can I not use Sacred Arts here?" She was left no time to ponder as the figures in red attacked again, shooting fireballs their way. Alice was forced to direct Amayori to dodge, as the dragon needed time to recharge its fire breath. Kirito held on as best he could, but wasn't sure how long he would manage.

The warriors got close enough that one lunged with his lance at the humans onboard. Kirito ducked back, but lost his grip in the saddle and fell off Amayori's back. Alice called out to him, but had to draw her own sword to defend against her attackers.

Kirito plummeted to the ground below, screaming as he descended. As he neared the tree line, someone tackled him from the side. Before he was knocked out, and before hitting the ground, the last thing he remembered seeing was someone with blonde hair.

After an unknowable amount of time, Kirito awoke to see that night had fallen. He got up, seeing he was in some kind of forest next to a brook. He checked his status via a Stacia Window, which somehow still worked here, and saw he had only lost a bit of Life, but was still well. Rising to his feet, he began looking around for whatever might have happened.

"Okay, time to find Alice," he muttered to himself. "She must have dove after me when I fell. I just hope she and Amayori are okay." Before he could go anywhere, something pulsed light blue in his coat pocket. He reached in and pulled out Yui's Heart, which seemed to pulse with light for some odd reason. Upon bringing it out, the light pulsed faster before something seemed to happen. The gem radiated with power, floating in the air and pushing Kirito back as he braced against some kind of wind it generated. Kirito peered into the wind as best he could, and saw someone taking shape inside the light.

The form of a little girl in a white dress began to appear, with hair as black as night and going down her back. Her features became more apparent as the energy coalesced into her body. At last, the wind died down, and she floated in the air, curled into a ball. But the sight of the girl made Kirito's heart leap from within his chest.

As the girl opened her eyes, he spoke, "Hey. Do you remember me, Yui?" The girl didn't respond right away, seeming to analyze him.

But then, she formed a bright smile and replied, "I do. I remember everything, Daddy." And Kirito broke down as his daughter floated into his arms. Yui uttered 'Daddy' a few more times, nuzzling into his chest and hugging him tight. Kirito held her close, thanking the goddesses for giving him back his daughter.

That is until something began to happen to her. Her body began to shrink, and her attire changed. Instead of a white dress, Yui wore one that was slightly pink and had a flower petal aesthetic with the skirt. She had fingerless gloves that went up to her shoulders, and an anklet with some kind of orb on her left ankle. Finally, a purple flower fitted itself in her hair.

Once finished, she was just small enough to fit in Kirito's hand, which he held for her. On her back were transparent wings that sparkled and shimmered for some odd reason.

"Yui? What just happened?" Kirito asked, concerned by the change.

Looking herself over, Yui replied, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it is because of this world's dynamic." Noting her father's confused look, she explained, "Normally, to return to my physical form, a massive amount of sacred energy would have been needed to be pooled into me for at least a year. And it could not be interrupted, or I would disappear forever. However, this world seems saturated with sacred energy. There's so much of it that I was able to absorb much of it and take on this form. But I would need a lot more to return to how I originally was."

Taking that explanation, Kirito responded, "Well, whatever happened, I'm glad you're back Yui."

"Me too Daddy," Yui returned. Then she asked, "But where are Mommy, Auntie, and Uncle?"

Turning somber, Kirito told her, "Well, to make a long story short, we cleared Aincrad by defeating Kayaba. But in doing so, two people came and took Mommy and Uncle Eugeo. They were Oberon and Quinella, the same people you told us about." Yui gasped upon hearing this, but Kirito continued, "As for Auntie Alice, she should be somewhere nearby. We got separated after being attacked by these guys in red armor. I was going to start looking for her."

Before he moved anywhere, Yui flew up in front and urged, "Wait Daddy, you need to know some things about this world. This place isn't like Underworld at all."

"I already figured that," Kirito told her. "Alice couldn't use Sacred Arts here."

"Yes, that is true," Yui acknowledged. "This place does not recognize the commands for Sacred Arts like in Underworld and Aincrad. However, there is a language to cast spells exclusive to this world. Not only that, but you need to be careful not of the sacred energy, but your own energy when using spells. I can't explain everything, so we might want to find a resident who knows this world better than I do."

"Where are we going to find someone like that?" Kirito asked. "Kayaba told us people here don't like humans."

"That's because the residents in this world are fairies," Yui explained. "They are the people that live and govern this world. But there are beings like what I am, pixies, that are meant to help fairies. Which explains why I know as much as I do."

"Well that explains a lot," Kirito remarked. Then requesting, "Any chance you can help me find Alice or anyone nearby?" Yui nodded and went to the ground. She placed her hands in the grass and seemed to concentrate on something.

Once done, she informed, "I detected four individuals to our southwest. Three I can identify as Salamanders, a race of fairies known for their more war-like behaviors and powerful fire magic. One of them is a Sylph, who are known to be well-versed mages and speedy fighters. It seems the Salamanders are about to attack the Sylph."

"Then we better hurry and rescue them," Kirito said. Yui flew into his pocket for safety as the boy rushed off in the direction she had indicated.

They approached the scene of the fight, and found the three Salamanders and the lone Sylph Yui mentioned. The Salamanders were dressed in weird armor that looked far different from the Integrity Knight armor like what Alice wore. Most notably was the helmet, which only had a slit for the eyes and seemed to have horns protruding from the sides. All three wielded lances, two of which had bucklers.

The lone Sylph was a girl in a green dress with an open front, white leggings that cut off just before white shorts underneath her dress. One of the more notable features about her was her hair: blonde and tied in a ponytail with a flower surrounding where the ponytail started, and green eyes. She wielded a curved sword that she held in front of her ready to engage.

One of the Salamanders then spoke, "Geez, it'd be a waste to just kill her here. Why don't we just take her home and make her our plaything."

"Not today," another, probably the leader of the group, refuted. "General Eugene wants all Sylphs in this area killed and their Remain Lights collected. Let's get to it."

The Sylph grit her teeth as she prepared to engage them. But Kirito wouldn't allow this to continue. He charged forward and got between them, facing the Salamanders with his hand by his sword.

"Mind explaining to me why three guys are going against one girl? Kind of not cool to do," he addressed.

"What the hell?!" the third Salamander uttered in outrage. "What's a human doing here?"

"Doesn't matter," the leader replied. "We kill him too. Leave him to the beasts here." The two before him came down to Kirito's level, and he smiled at this turn of events.

Glancing back, he inquired, "Mind if I take these clowns down?"

The Sylph seemed taken aback by the request, but she replied, "Be my guest. Just know I'll have to kill you once you finish."

"I doubt it, but I'll duel you if I need to," he told her. Then he drew the Night Sky Blade. For whatever reason, the presence of said sword seemed to cause the fairies around him to falter and step back a bit. But Kirito didn't pay it any attention, settling into a stance so he was ready to attack.

The first grunt charged with a roar, his lance raised to spear the boy in black. But Kirito spun around it and stabbed the man in the back with fluid movements. He then rushed the other guy and cut him down, going right through his armor and killing him in an instant. Both Salamander's bodies then converted into balls of flame that remained where they had fallen.

Seeing his brethren fall, the leader muttered, "I don't care if the general charbroils me. No way in Helheim am I sticking around to get gutted by some crazy human." And he flew off.

Kirito sheathed his sword, turning to face the Sylph he rescued. "Still want to duel me now?" he asked.

To his surprise, the Sylph instead inquired, "Are you… Is it really you, Kirito?"