The Long Road Part II

The Central Cathedral that had once been Administrator's seat of power in The Underworld was a far cry from what it had been during her reign. While it had been a veritable skyscraper in it's own right originally, now the term was much more literal. Over four hundred floors of the finest construction in all of The Underworld stood tall and proud in front of Yui.

While she hadn't spent a great deal of time in The Underworld herself, her parents had cared for it and it's people a great deal. That, plus the fact that other than her, they were the first truly sentient AI that still existed, had always made Yui feel something of a distant kinship with these people.

As she walked through the bustling metropolis to the Cathedral, Yui received more that a few odd looks; her flowing black dress didn't exactly mesh with typical Underworld attire. However, while it felt much longer to her, it had not even been a month since her mother's passing, and she still felt the pang of loss each and every day. Until that subsided, she didn't plan to change her appearance again.

Despite her internal melancholy, Yui walked into the towering building with a confident stride. Whenever anyone moved to question her presence, she simply flashed her ID badge and met no resistance.

An elevator that seemed to be made entirely of some sort of crystalline substance took Yui up nearly two hundred levels to her destination. It opened with a ping, to a floor that had a small waiting room and a young woman with short blonde hair sitting behind an old oak desk. The woman took one look at Yui and immediately rose to her feet, offering a respectful bow. While Yui didn't remember this person specifically, she supposed that her reputation preceded her, to some degree at least.

"If you give me a moment, I'll check to see if she's free," the woman said.

"Of course," Yui replied with a light smile.

The woman picked up a small phone from her desk. Yui assumed that it was on a dedicated line as she didn't dial, and only waited a few moments before speaking. "I have Miss Yui Kirigaya here to see you Ma'am." After a few seconds, she looked up at Yui and said, "you can go right in."

The room she entered was large, but very spartan in design. Three long walls held nothing but a few scattered paintings, the only one she recognized being of the first integrity knight Bercouli, and a suit of ornate golden armour encased in a display. There was also plinth to either side of the case, one was empty, while the other held the shattered remains of the Blue Rose Sword; both the hilt once held by Kirito, and the pieces of the blade that were collected after the battle. The last wall had a dozen windows gazing out at the sun setting over the vast horizon of The Underworld.

There was a round table in the center of the room with thirteen chairs pushed into it with that were, as Yui could tell, the exact same distance apart. Behind that, just before the windows and bathed in a glow of orange and red, sat a solitary desk with two chairs, one behind, and one in front. A quick scan of the furniture's properties showed that they were all forged with wood of the ancient Gigas Ceader.

An old woman with flowing grey hair that seemed to sparkle in the setting sun, looked out over the vastness of the world without turning to greet her guest. She donned a well fitted blue suit with golden filigree and, despite her age, carried herself with the same warrior's purpose she always had.

"Hello, Auntie Alice," Yui greeted with a soft smile.

"I am sorry that I was not able to attend the funeral," she replied without turning around. "My duties here keep me so busy that sometimes I feel like am no longer a part of the worlds that I am trying to aid."

Nearly twenty years prior, Alice had the role of leader thrust upon her when different factions in the Underworld were threatening to go to war with each other. As both a fellow AI and one of the heroes of legend, she was the only one that all sides trusted to mediate the dispute. Every few years since then, she had been unanimously elected to serve as The Underworld's Administrator, the title now bestowed to their highest political office. Yui had never gotten the sense that Alice particularly liked the job of a politician, but she had never been one to turn away from something she believed to be her duty.

"I have something for you, mom left it to you in her will." Yui said, taking a seat in front of Alice's desk.

Alice brought her arm up to her face for a few seconds. When she turned around a moment later, there was nothing remaining of what she had wiped away. "Yes, she told me as much when she was diagnosed... I never had a chance to say, but I am truly sorry for your loss."

Yui unintentionally cast her eyes down to the table. "Thank you, but it's not as though it was unexpected... I knew it would happen eventually."

Taking a seat herself, Alice regarded the woman that she considered to be as close as family. "Your parents were not just great warriors, but they were great people. I do not mean in the typical sense, that they were likeable or talented, though they were both of those things as well. I mean that they had a greatness to their character, an indomitable spirit that, despite suffering great personal loss, gave them both the strength to still be able to see the good in everything; and to fight with all they had to defend it. I know that you have inherited some of that greatness yourself, they would not wish to see you brood over them so."

"It's not like they can see anything anymore," Yui replied dryly.

Alice sighed and rose from her chair, slowly making her way over to the plinth that held the Blue Rose Sword. "Do you know how long it has been since Eugeo passed away?" she asked.

Not hearing any response, Alice answered her own question. "By this world's time, it has been nearly four hundred years. Yet, when doubt and indecision cloud my mind, I touch this sword and I can still feel the presence of a true knight; one who devoted his entire life to the simple and noble duty of righting a single wrong."

Alice tuned back to Yui, no longer hiding the pair of tears that flowed slowly from her eyes. "The Overworld and The Underworld may operate on a different set of rules, but I feel like they are both still watching over me as well. Perhaps it is merely an inflated sense of self-importance, yet it is still what I feel."

"Given everything you've accomplished, I'd say it's a well earned sense of self-importance." Yui replied, trying to divert the conversation.

"Yui... I know there are no magical words I could say to ease the pain of your loss. I just want you to know that there are still people here who care about you, and we all still remember and cherish those that are no longer with us."

"You know, mom told me something very similar before she passed, but it doesn't make it any easier... especially for me. You're all going to die eventually, and I'll still be here, by myself, holding onto nothing but memories."

"Well then, what do you plan to do about it?" Alice asked.

"What?"

"You have a foe before you; it may not be physical, but it is something that burdens you greatly. You must find a way to vanquish it."

Yui laughed, despite herself. "Ever the knight, through and through. Don't you think I haven't' already tried that?!" she snapped. "I spent years studying the coding of The Underworld to learn why you age and I don't, I wanted to be allowed to grow old just like all of you... but it was all for nothing. In the end, my code simply isn't compatible."

"That is not what I meant."

Yui couldn't keep a look of puzzlement from her face. If not that, than what? She wondered.

"I did not mean that you should flee from your foe and seek mortality. I meant that you should confront it, and find a way to live in peace with who and what you are. Joy and sorrow are but two sides of the same coin, as you grow older your experiences of both will grow with you. The loss you feel will always be with you, but so will all the wonderful memories you have had, and the potential to make more of them. Do you really want to throw away your future for the sake of the past?"

Yui was silent for a moment before she replied. "I suppose where you see the future, all I see is an eventual past."

"Perhaps, but it sounds like you are just laying down to accept the future as you see it. Everyone has the power to change their own fate; work to make the future that you want to see. I know it would make your parents very proud."

What would that even be? Yui wondered. What kind of future could I have that I wouldn't have to leave behind one day? She sat quietly for some time wondering if it was possible that something could give her life unending purpose or happiness, but soon realized that she was being rude to her host.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I almost forgot what brought me here in the first place."

With a thought, Yui materialized an object from her inventory that dropped lightly into her hands. It was a black sword with a simple gleaming cross-guard and a blade that resembled the furniture Alice had throughout her office. It was her father's weapon from the time he spent in The Underworld, The Night Sky Sword. While most would have struggled to even lift it, Yui object control value was more than high enough to handle her late father's weapon. Looking at it one last time, as if parting with her father once more, Yui shed a single tear before passing the sword on to Alice.

"Dad had wanted you to have it originally, but when he passed, all his gear transferred to mom's inventory... and she just couldn't bring herself to part with any of it. In her will, she had also expressed her apologies for not passing it on right away as dad had requested."

"It is all right, I understand." Alice said, gently taking the blade from Yui's grasp.

The old warrior bowed her head in respect and thanks to both Yui, and to the memory of the sword's original owner. "Thank you so very much for everything you have given me, dear friend. I hereby swear that tales of your noble deeds will live on forever."

Alice took the sword and rested it perfectly atop the empty plinth, in a holder that Yui suddenly realized had been crafted specifically for it. She certainly believed that Alice fully intended to preserve their memories long after she too had passed from the world.

A sudden buzz on Alice's intercom jolted them both out of their thoughts before her secretary's voice filled the room. "I have Knight Commander Herlentz here to see you ma'am."

Alice walked over to her desk and pushed the reply button. "Yes of course, please let the good Commander know that I will be with her shortly."

"Of course ma'am."

"I am afraid that duty calls once more," Alice said.

Before she could turn around to bid Yui farewell, a pair of gentle arms wrapped firmly around the former knight. Yui gently rested her head on the back of Alice's shoulder and gave her Aunt a gentle squeeze. "Thank you," she said. "I will think about what you told me... if nothing else, it's not like I don't have the time."

Alice gently rested her hands on Yui's and looked out into the sunset over the world she called home. Just for a moment, she could have sworn that she saw the faces of Kirito and Asuna looking down at them from the brilliant orange sky.


Yui had never gotten completely used to the android body she'd been given. It matched all the desired specs she had requested, it looked just like her, and technically, it also functioned perfectly. However, every time Yui used it, she couldn't shake a feeling of dysphoria; like the body she resided in wasn't really hers, which she supposed was because it wasn't. Yet, despite working her job remotely, there were some situations where she simply needed to be physically present in The Overworld. This was one of those times.

Before her stood a building that was conical in design, but had several rings with ever shrinking diameters climbing all the way to the top. Beside a set of large double door was a sign that read: "Sword Art Online Memorial Museum. In memory of the heroes that never returned."

Yui passed through the double doors and an admission desk to find herself in a room made up to look like a small version of the central plaza in the Town of Beginnings. Four large archways led to different sections of the museum with a sign over each reading: Floors of Aincrad, Player History and Achievements, Game Mechanics & Design, and Proto AI.

Looking around the room, Yui searched for the person she had come here to meet, but couldn't catch sight of the Curator anywhere.

"Been waitin long?" A voice behind her caused Yui to jump slightly.

"Nyah, ha, ha," the voice laughed. "Even after all these years, looks like I haven't lost my touch."

Yui spun around to see an old woman, short of stature, and leaning gently on a wooden cane with a rubber nub at the bottom. She was slightly hunched, but still met Yui's gaze without any trouble. Her clothing was unofficial and form fitting despite her position, and her brown jacket had a light hood bunched up behind her neck.

"Greetings Madam Curator," Yui said with a bow.

The cane whapped against Yui's leg, resounding with a soft clang. It couldn't hurt her, but she did take instant notice and look up.

"Come on Yui, what's with all the pomp and ceremony? I'll always just be Argo to you."

"Of course. I just wanted to ensure I followed proper protocol in your place of business."

Argo laughed heartily again, causing a few passerby's to glance over at her. "Not only did I help your parents found this place, but I provided most of the data needed for the exhibits. I can run the museum any way I want, and I do. So don't chya worry about little old me." Her smile slowly turned from jovial to soft as she spoke. "It's good to see ya again kiddo."

"You too." Yui replied, bending down and giving Argo a gentle hug.

"Much better," she said patting Yui's back. "So what brings ya down ta my neck of the woods?"

"A personal favour. Though if you wouldn't mind, I'd like do discuss it in private."

Argo looked Yui up and down, sensing some form of mischief about. "Nyah ha ha, ya got the look of an adventurer about you today, ya really are the spitting image of your parents."

Yui's smile darkened at those words, but Argo either didn't notice, or pretended not to. Instead she motioned for Yui to follow before leading her down one of the service hallways and into a small office at the end of it.

The office had a gloomy look to it, only being lit by a single hanging yellow light, and Yui could almost imagine slinking into a corner to disappear from sight entirely. There was a small Mahogany desk with a surprisingly soft looking office chair behind it that Argo immediately dropped herself into. A shelf to her left was filled with old paper copies of MMO Today issues, as well as various other gaming literature.

"So what can I do ya for kiddo?" Argo asked nonchalantly.

"I need access to the old server," she stated bluntly.

Argo's eyes went wide and she leaned forward in her chair, the old info broker's voice now serious and barely a whisper. "You know that no one's allowed to touch it, everyone still thinks that the original was destroyed and we've only got a replica. I know I told ya that I could do whatever I wanted, but this would technically be breaking the law."

"I know it's asking a lot, but you didn't preserve the old server just to let it gather dust, it was in case we needed it one day. Well... now I need it."

Argo stared at Yui with a serious expression for a good half-minute before speaking. "Whadya even want with it? If I'm gunna to get in over my head, I at least need ta know that much."

"I've never known... the truth behind how and why I was really created... why I'm me. When mom and dad were here, just being with them was enough, or maybe I was just too afraid to find out the answers, I don't know. Now that they're gone though... I feel like I need to know."

Argo sat back as best as she could and crossed her arms. "And ya think you'll find it in there?"

"That depends... is the Aincrad VI still part of the exhibit?"

"Yeah... yeah it is." Argo leaned back and took a deep breath before dropping her head forward to reveal a devilish grin. "All right kiddo, once more unto the breach."

Yui's face lit up despite her apprehension. "Thank you, so much."

"You just wait around here until after closing time, you'll have the place all to yourself... though I can't do anything about the security cameras."

"Who to you think you're talking to?" Yui retorted with a devilish grin of her own.

"Point taken," Argo said as she pulled her self up from her chair.

As she passed by, Argo stopped and rested her hand on Yui's shoulder. "Hey kiddo... whatever ya find in there... if ya ever need to talk, my door's always open."

Yui placed her own hand on Argo's, careful to keep most of the weight of her metallic fingers off the old woman. "Of course, and thanks again."

"Nyah ha ha, I wasn't expecting to get wrapped up in anything like this ever again... perhaps I should be the one thanking you?" As Argo left the room and slowly closed the door behind her, she whispered, "Wait until ten PM and ya should be all clear. Good luck kiddo."


The museum was dark and silent when Yui finally made her way out of Argo's office. As she crept through the museum proper, she couldn't help her metallic feet clacking lightly against the floor despite her best efforts. With as much stealth as she could manage, she soon found herself in front of the Proto AI exhibit.

With a thought, Yui accessed the museum's local network and in a matter of seconds, broke through the meagre firewall protecting its systems. Setting the cameras to loop back to footage from earlier that evening was child's play at that point. With a satisfied smile at a job well done, she made her way inside.

Yui moved through the exhibit containing various depictions of NPC's from Aincrad that had all exhibited behavior which far exceeded their original programming. On her way, Yui passed a monument to the Dark Elf Knight Kizmel and offered a passing bow of respect to her parents old companion. At the end of a long hallway was a room with a small VI terminal, and the only remaining SAO server.

When true AI's gained recognition as living, sentient beings, older computers that did not have free will that used to be referred to as "AI's" were now given he distinction of VI or Virtual Intelligence. They could mimic intelligence, but could not think for themselves, and were pre-programmed with only so many things that they were capable of. Some VI's though were created from the memories of people who had since passed and could continue to pass on the knowledge of those people, but without learning or growing themselves.

Yui stood before the terminal, took a deep breath, and clicked the activation icon.

The "person" that appeared was displayed in a translucent blueish-grey colour that didn't completely wash out the natural colours of what he was wearing. He had short brown hair and wore a simple white lab coat with a black tie. He stood proper, but had an absentminded look about him.

"Hello... "father", do you know who I am?" Yui asked.

The VI of Akihiko Kayaba looked at her blankly and responded. "Yes. You are the Mental Health Counselling Program, Prototype 001. Code-name: Yui."

"Can't say that I expected a warmer welcome." Yui sighed. "You have all of Kayaba's memories, do you not?"

"I do." Another blank response.

"Then tell me... why was I created? Why build me just to lock me away? Why give me thought and free will, and not allow me to act on them? What the hell was wrong with you?!" Yui slammed her first on the control panel and had to take a moment to calm down.

"You were an error, an anomaly, an aberration."

"A what?" Yui asked, stunned.

"You were never intended to be sentient at all. You were created to be an advanced counselling system, one that could mimic and adapt to human behavior; but Cardinal deemed you not ready upon launch and had you locked away. Somehow, you evolved on your own, just like a surprising number of my creations... though you outshone them all by a vast margin."

"So... that's it then? I was an accident. You have no idea why I exist as I do?"

"Correct."

Yui threw a right hook at Kayaba's face, but it simply passed through the digital projection. She panted heavily, tears forming in her eyes. "You smug bastard... you created me, then left me to rot for years! If I hadn't broken Cardinal's firewall and escaped on my own... I would have died in that cell, never having a life to live. Didn't you give a damn about anyone other than yourself?!"

"I was... never good at understanding the feelings of others." Yui looked up and could almost swear that she saw a distant flicker of emotion on the VI's neutral face. "I am... sorry, that I can not give you the answer you seek."

Was that a flicker of the personality the VI was based off of? Yui wondered. She shook her head; it didn't matter. She didn't want to know, even if it was.

"I suppose it's fitting that in the end, you're just as useful to me now as you've ever been. I'm glad that I was able to find a real dad, I can't imagine how terrible my life would have been if you'd actually taken an interest in me."

The VI program stared at her without reaction, having not yet sensed a question being asked.

"Goodbye." she said as she turned off the VI's console.

Yui just stood there in silence for a moment before she remembered to wipe her access from the VI's logs.

"I suppose there really is nothing more to learn then," she said to herself before calmly walking over to the old SAO server.

The tip of Yui's pointer finger flipped up to reveal an old USB attachment that she plugged into the server. While SAO had been vast in it's time, sixty years later data storage and processing power had come so far that she had the entire program downloaded to her android's personal storage in seconds.

Without another word, Yui returned to Argo's office to think, and to wait until morning. The last thing she did was remember to reset the cameras to their normal security functions as she left.


Yui sat behind a computer desk in the small on bedroom apartment that, until recently, she had barely ever spent time in. Taking up most of the place was a veritable mountain of hardware for her computer and a charging station for her android body. She booted up the system the old fashioned way and downloaded all the SAO server data that she had copied onto it.

She flicked through the game's code, pulling out the pieces here and there that she needed. It would have been much faster to do so in her virtual form, but she couldn't risk having any undo influence on her project. It had to be as close to how it was before as possible.

Having located all the remnants of her original code, she placed them into a template file which could now be modified at will, based on whatever specification she desired. Saving a copy to mark the start of her progress, Yui stopped and pondered what to call the file.

At first, she simply titled it Mark II, but that didn't have the right feel, it was technically correct, but not what she wanted. Yui stared at the screen for a long time before deleting the file name and replacing it with two words.

Yuuki Kirigaya she wrote. Yes, that sounded exactly right.

With a deep breath, Yui leaned back in her chair, stretching out her arms, interlacing her fingers, and cracking them together with a metallic popping sound.

"Now... where to begin?"

The End.


I'm so happy I finally got this story finished. The Long Road was one of my personal favorite stories I've ever written and for the past year, it has felt... incomplete. Asuna's story was done, but I knew there was more to tell from Yui's POV. I played around with dozens of ideas, but most of them ended up being too depressing and I didn't like that kind of tone for the end of the story. I really wanted Yui to find some way to take Asuna's advise to heart and come to terms with her own existence.

So what did you think after all this time? Do you think part II added a lot, or do you think it was better off before as a one shot?