A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. Thanks for all the feedback. Been a little tough finding time for this one. Blame football and holidays. Writer's block did not help.

To Lunar, don't worry, the massive player on player combat is coming later.

To Jime, he might be the most important character in this story arc. He just happens to be dead.

January 2, 2023

2nd Floor

Survivors: 7,744

"Why don't we just sleep in the cave? We're here often enough." Sinon commented as the three players made their way back to Troust, the mountain and the goblin. It had been two weeks, and another boss had fallen. For the first time, the finishing blow was dealt by someone not in their little group. One of the higher ranked clearers from the Dragon Knights Brigade had demanded the final attack. Kirito and Asuna hadn't needed to transition from defense to offense for once, and the DKB had been allowed the deathblow. The three had a feeling that, somewhere down the road, that would cause friction, too. Even in a game where more than seven and a half thousand survivors were fighting for their lives, people still didn't want to work together. The trek up the mountain had almost felt like a vacation, after all that.

"We probably could find somewhere to lay down if we wanted. We never did explore very much of the place," Asuna responded to her friend. The three of them had again been spending most of their time away from people, their paranoia properly renewed after Kirito's kidnapping. Asuna found Kirito to be a bit moodier since the incident. He'd only been trapped for a day, and he had gotten a hold of his friends, but that was still a good amount of time with nothing to do but think. She'd not had the time to try and talk to him about it, the two of them had been trying to take care of Sinon. Sinon's attitude had only shifted a little bit, she still seemed vulnerable, she'd cried again the next morning when she saw that Asuna and Kirito were still in her room. Neither had felt comfortable sleeping on their own that night. They'd all slept fully clothed, and Kirito had slept on the floor facing away from the girls, but it still seemed to affect the girl. She fought with more abandon than she had before.

"I just can't wait to see what they've built for you, Sinon," Kirito chimed in from his position at the front of the line. "They said it wasn't a bow. What do you guys think they came up with?" Kirito couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of rare item, or series of rare items, and this was some strange rare quest they'd stumbled over. It felt a little off though. So far, the game had been at least fair. Not in the sense that they'd been duped into playing it, but in the sense that the mechanics and the systems built into it affected everyone evenly. No one could die in the cities or safe zones. No one could break into homes or hotel rooms. Stores couldn't be stolen from. Inventories couldn't be emptied, items that were taken from your hand could be recalled with a button in the inventory system, making theft impossible but lending during combat fairly easy. To have an unannounced rare quest seemed to fly in the face of what he'd observed so far. Which meant he had his suspicions as to what the goblin quests weren't, but didn't help him very much with what they might actually be.

"We'll all find out pretty soon," Sinon responded. She had a feeling she'd need to reshuffle her inventory to allow for the new weapon, whatever it was. She had her knives, so if she had to switch it with her sword, she wouldn't be completely helpless at close range, but it would be different to be one of the few people in the game not carrying one. The game seemed to be getting easier, everyone seemed to be getting more comfortable with their equipment. It was their world now, even if they wanted nothing more than to get back out of it. Fashions were starting to crop up here and there as players started to specialize themselves into tailors. Once custom armors started showing up, they found themselves with a glut of business. At the end of the day, people could still look like whatever they wanted to, however cliche. Swords were starting down the same path. Shields, too, seemed to be picking up in popularity, since a number of players were beginning to use them as a concession to survivability. Some people felt they weren't worth the col to purchase them, since only the game's best clearers really had enough money to buy everything they wanted. Sinon, Kirito, and Asuna had yet to pick one up, but that was because it was incompatible with Asuna's style, Kirito was too reckless to bother blocking, and Sinon preferred to keep her off hand free for her knives.

The three of them continued onward along the familiar slopes of the mountain. They continued talking, going over the events of the past few days, giving their opinion on the direction the game was taking, or just saying nothing at all. The three had grown used to the sound of each others' voices. It gave the world a sense of normalcy, as much as that could be accomplished. The general weather was getting worse, and three were very rarely found without their cloaks. The trip seemed shorter than usual this time, and the three were in front of the mouth of the cave. They slid inside, making their way down its familiar passages. The goblins were still unsettling, the whole place felt like it could attack them at any moment, but they knew better.

They made their way to Troust's office, not yet ready to explore the cave's various side tunnels. They didn't want to be here too long this time. They hadn't been able to spend as much time clearing the last floor as they'd wanted, and the next floor seemed particularly interesting. Troust looked up at the three of them, wearing the same bothered look he'd had on his face the first time they'd come by. "You're back? I suppose you're here for your weapon."

"Yeah, you said you needed two weeks," Sinon responded, trying not to let her annoyance show. Most computer generated characters were much more cooperative than this guy was. Kirito and Asuna were standing behind her, letting her take the lead on this one. It was her weapon, after all.

He nodded, as if she'd asked a question, and then turned his back to them, rummaging through the mess of items lying around. He turned around, smiling, a box in his hands. "This was made by the best armorers of Troust. You won't be disappointed in it." He put it down on the table between the two of them. Reached to take the box, but Troust shook his head, reaching around to open it. Apparently he wanted to keep the box, but was willing to give her the weapon. He opened the box, revealing a polished chakram. A bladed ring with a handle running through the middle. She picked it up by the handle, feeling the weight, rolling it in her hand. It felt good. Heavy enough to have some bite, but light enough to still be effective. She'd been hoping for something better, but the spears in this game were far too slow, and Troust had told her earlier that there were no bows to be found. Maybe this was the best she'd find.

A menu popped up in front of her, asking if she wanted to purchase the weapon. She noticed the col cost, a meager amount compared to what she'd been seeing in the various player and NPC shops that littered the first three floors. She opened her menu, looking through her weapons, ready to equip it, see how she needed to reconfigure her loadout. She found it fairly readily, and the chakram appeared on her right hip, leaving her sword on her left. Interesting that the game allowed her to wield both of the weapons simultaneously.

Sinon gave him a tentative smile. "Thank you. It looks to be a masterful piece of work." She wasn't sure why she said it, but he had held up his end of the bargain, and wasn't being nearly as difficult as he had been last time.

He smiled, nodding. "Of course," he stated it as a fact, as if goblins were incapable of making bad equipment. And maybe these were. "His majesty has a message for you," Troust continued, walking around his desk, motioning for the three of them to follow with him. "He tells you that Memoria's people are not your enemy." Troust seemed to be ushering the group of them back out of his office, again without providing them too much more of interest.

Sinon was lost in thought, Asuna could see the gears turning. She was already figuring out how she could best use her new weapon, how it would affect the group dynamic in combat, those sorts of things. Asuna had seen that look before. Kirito, however, wasn't about to get pushed out again, not with such a cryptic message and no explanation. "What do you mean? Who is Memoria?"

Troust shrugged. "His majesty's words, not mine. Not my place to tell. Go on now, you have work to do. I have to attend to my people. Grenang's wife is due any time now, and I must rearrange the work schedules…" The three of them left the room dumbfounded at what they heard, the last words they could make out being grumblings about the lack of consideration in hiding a pregnancy for so long.

Asuna looked at the other two. "I'm not the only one that heard that, right?" she asked them, the entire tenor of their trip here having been shifted those last comments. Whatever this quest was, it was definitely more immersive than they'd given it credit for.

Sinon had been snapped back to the topic at hand by the comment herself. "Something about a goblin being about to have a baby?"

Kirito shook his head. Well played. They'd have to figure out who or what Memoria was on their own time. "Yeah." He really couldn't come up with a comment. "At least you got your weapon, Sinon." The girl nodded back at him, and the three of them left, deciding they could leave the exploration for another day.

January 4, 2023

4th Floor

Survivors: 7,741

Asuna and Kirito were without Sinon today, the brunette having left to take care of some private matters. The two had objected at first, but once she'd promised to be careful and reminded them that the three of them couldn't always be around each other, and they needed to practice taking care of themselves every now and again, they'd eventually relented. Asuna still didn't like it. Kirito had been gone for only a few hours and Kibaou had managed to get to him. Still, it was her life.

It was their first excursion onto floor four, and, for once, they'd elected not to immediately go clearing. Asuna hadn't liked the idea at first, but it wouldn't be the first time they'd taken a break from the action, and it was beautiful. This floor was verdant without being forested. They'd emerged in a massive valley, the angles of the walls showing that there was no hope of climbing them this time. Everything was lush, green, and tributaries of the main stream seemed to branch off everywhere, leading to the interior of the valley, for the most part, being as large as the other floors had been with few barriers. The areas that did lead off into their own canyons and caverns were thought to be fertile questing grounds, though very few players had taken the time to explore them.

Kirito was lying on the grass next to one of the many branches of the river, Asuna leaning against a moss covered wall behind her, glad that the game's armors didn't stain, since otherwise there was no way the white clothes she wore would stay white through this particular floor. She'd unequipped her cloak, the heat and humidity of the area making it more of a burden than than an aid. Besides, they'd been sure to find an out of the way area, to make sure they didn't run into anyone.

"Shouldn't it be winter?" Asuna half-asked, half observed. So far, the game had been fairly true to the real world's weather. She was enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, to be sure, but it did strike her as odd.

"Maybe this is as close as the game can come to creating tropical islands." Kirito responded, guessing.

"I suppose. It's just jarring after spending so much time in Chirstmasland and Troust," Asuna responded as she let herself slide down into a seated position against the wall. "It's nice, either way." The whole area was refreshing. It had been so long since they hadn't had to bundle up to keep from freezing. The pair remained motionless for a while, letting a comfortable silence fall over them.

Kirito broke the spell, "You know, I don't think I've ever spent this much time outdoors in my life." He was laying on his back, hands behind his head, facing the water. He tilted his head back to get something of a better view of the girl as he said it.

Asuna wasn't sure how to respond at first. None of them really talked about their lives in the outside world. "What did you do inside all the time?"

Kirito shrugged. "I did some Kendo for a while, but after I quit, I never found much reason to go outside. Spent a lot of time playing video games."

"Oh. You did Kendo?" Asuna's surprise seeped into her voice.

"Yeah. Does that surprise you?"

"A little, sorry. Not that you're not a good swordsman, you're one of the best I've met. It's just that how you fight doesn't seem professionally trained. A little primal, I guess."

Kirito chuckled at the response. "You're right. I haven't done Kendo in years. It was fun while it lasted, though." To be honest, he was surprised at how little two years of muscle memory had contorted his responses in combat. "What about you? You seem almost like a professional fencer."

Asuna shook her head before realizing that it was fairly unlikely that Kirito could see her. "No, not at all. I've actually never picked up a sword before I logged in to this game. It's just natural. The game just comes easy to me, I guess."

Again, Kirito chuckled at her. "Someone's pretty sure of themselves. When we met, you didn't even know how parties worked."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep talking," Asuna responded. "What made you quit Kendo?" She decided to turn the conversation back away from petty bickering.

Kirito paused a moment before responding. Chunks of his childhood flashed through his mind. His uncle, his grandfather. The knowledge that he'd never really gotten to know his parents. He shook his head, clearing it slightly. "My grandfather teaches it. My family and I don't really get along anymore, so I didn't want to keep going. My uncle beat me for it, but he seemed to let it go afterward."

Asuna sat there in silence for a moment at the bluntness of his explanation. She'd never suspected that he'd been abused. "He beat you? And you're okay with this? What about your parents? What'd they say?" If she hadn't been so surprised by what he'd said, she never would have let that last bit out. If his uncle was the operant relative, it stood to reason that Kirito didn't have parents in his life, for whatever reason.

He rolled over, looking at her, sighing. He didn't seem angry or hurt. "I don't have my parents, Asuna. I just know they died in an accident while I was little. As long as I can remember, I've lived with my aunt and uncle. I quit Kendo. . . I don't know. I don't like my uncle. We don't get along. I found that I liked computers more than Kendo, so I moved on. He didn't like that. There's a lot of things I do that he doesn't like. I never really have gotten an answer as to why." His voice wasn't breaking, but Asuna could hear something in his tone. Isolation? Did he feel lost? Confusion? She couldn't quite place it, but she recognized it.

Asuna pushed herself off the wall, walking over to where Kirito was lying, and settled herself onto the ground next to him, putting one arm across his shoulders. She wasn't sure what else to do. Her friends were both broken people. She wasn't sure she could do much to help, but she'd try. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

Kirito gave her a weak smile. His mind was still on his sister, his regrets about his life. He suddenly remembered why he'd become a gamer in the first place. These games were his escape. In some, weird, twisted way, Sword Art Online still was. Everyone here had to deal with new, life or death situations, but the stress of the real world was gone. He rolled over and sat up, Asuna doing the same. She stayed close, offering him the comfort of knowing someone was there. The two of them looked out at the river flowing by in front of them. Asuna put a hand on his shoulder. Kirito looked at her. He studied her for a moment as she looked out at the water. Her expression was soft, nothing like the fierce beauty he'd seen on floor one. But it was her just the same. He turned to look back out over the water, almost able to put into words what he hadn't said back then. "There are some beautiful things in this game."

January 4, 2023

2nd Floor

Survivors: 7,741

Argo didn't like using the same meeting spot more than once in a row, so Sinon was back in familiar land of Troust. She found it interesting how quickly she, Kirito, and Asuna had come to think of the whole floor by that name. It was the only place they really went whenever they came back down here. She'd gotten the message from Argo the day before, asking to meet up. Sinon had her doubts that Argo would have as much information as she was hoping for, but she knew better than to doubt the Rat.

She was on the outskirts of town, away from prying eyes. This floor was the least popular of the ones unlocked so far, given how harsh the weather was. Most players preferred the forests of floor three, the security of floor one, or the comparative oasis of floor four. Sinon let her left hand fall to her side, her fingers running across the rim of her chakram. She'd switched it from her right side to her left after some testing. It was just a little faster not having to reach across her body to get to it. It had been easier to use than she'd expected, the game letting her use it her off-hand as though it were her shield meant she didn't have to get rid of her sword, and it seemed that every successful sword skill guaranteed that it would return to her. She was still getting used to it, but it was an effective weapon. Much better than burning through knives every time they went somewhere.

Argo made her way silently to the girl's side. She cleared her throat, then managed to stifle a laugh as Sinon jumped slightly. Argo just smiled as the other girl glared at her. Sinon calmed herself for a moment before speaking, knowing that she needed all of her self control for any discussion with Argo. Not giving away information for free was hard enough to begin with.

"What did you find?" Sinon finally asked.

"I found plenty on Kibaou. He's alive and controversial. Easy. Diabel I'll have to get back to you on," Argo responded, opening a trade window as she did. She punched in a value in col, then sent the offer to the brunette.

Sinon could only scoff. "You think I'm going to pay that without any idea what I'm getting?"

"I thought you might want to pay up front," a nasal voice responded. "Price might just go up as we talk."

Sinon shook her head. "You'd just charge me for that, too."

"True, but it might feel a little better not doing it all at once."

"Data. First." Sinon insisted. "You know I'll pay."

Argo pouted for a moment, before shrugging. "Yeah, yeah. Kibaou's a piece of work. He didn't like beta testers from the beginning, but it seems like he snapped after floor one. After you guys got him booted from the ALF, he started bouncing around from guild to guild. He never stuck long, anyone who wants Guildpact protection can't keep him, but he's got a bit of a following across a few guilds. They fancy themselves some sort of underground movement called the Balance Group. You want to know more about them, it'll cost. Also of note is the fact that he's starting to get buddy-buddy with Lind."

Sinon recognized the name. Lind was the name of the leader of the Dragon Knights Brigade. He wasn't known for being the nicest of players, but it seemed odd that he'd be taken in by Kibaou's rhetoric. "Is that all?" Sinon asked. It didn't give her too much about his personality, but raw factual data was more important when she and her friends were no doubt actively being hunted. Kibaou didn't seem like the type to give up.

Argo retracted the trade off she'd already made. Information on Lind would be extra. "I think Kibaou's trying to put together a guild of his own. You and your friends need to be careful. He's stirring up a lot of flack towards you guys. You guys get killed, I can't get paid." She punched in a new figure and sent a second offer.

"It's heartwarming how much you care." Sinon returned, "Alright. A down payment for information on Lind. And keep an eye on Kibaou. Anything of note that you find, I'll pay for. But only if it's actually of note." Sinon accepted the new trade now, rather than later. She knew Argo would charge for his lunch habits if she could. Although that data might actually help if they ever needed to find him. Bad example. This wasn't going to let her do too much, but Sinon was grateful to have some sort of warning about Lind.

Argo gave her the same smile she'd given when she scared the taller girl. She didn't have any response. She slunk off, leaving Sinon alone with her thoughts. Sinon's hand dropped back to the chakram at her side, sliding her fingers along the cool fo the metal. What did people see in him? Kibaou just kept finding friends. And just what was his connection to Diabel?

January 12, 2023

4th Floor

Survivors: 7,708

The humidity of the fourth floor was completely different challenge from the dryness of the first three floors. Asuna and Sinon had elected to forego their cloaks, leaving Asuna with just her shining top and less rare pants, the white a stark contrast to the greens and blues that prevailed around them. Sinon was armed to the teeth, wearing the a newer lime green tunic, her sword and chakram on her left hip, knives strapped to various parts of her body, one on the right hip, one on her left leg, and various tucked away where she could get to them when she needed them. Kirito was wearing his normal coat, which, while uncomfortable, he said he'd become too accustomed to wearing to leave home.

Kirito pulled his sword out of the skull of an alligator, one of the stock monsters in this area. The thing dissolved into pixels. The creatures here weren't particularly difficult, but then the three of them were all above level ten and this was only level four. Kirito and Sinon had some idea of how to navigate the area, having been here before during the beta, but no beta tester trusted their old knowledge after the debacle against Illfang. The river was narrowing as they entered the base of a canyon. The water seemed to be filling with shadows. Kirito was sure there were creatures following them, but there was no sign that they were going to leave the water anytime soon. Technically, they could have gone into the water to fight the creatures, any player who could swim in real life could swim in SAO, but fighting aquatic creatures in their own territory had caused a spike in casualties over the past week or two.

Asuna was the first to notice the sound clanking metal ahead of them. Sinon and Kirito picked up on it shortly after. More players. They stopped in their tracks. It was rare for unrelated parties to run into each other on Aincrad. The number of players actively scouring the floors was rather small compared to the total population, and the floors themselves were massive. The only place there ever seemed to be any concentration of players outside of the cities were the dungeons, and the trio was taking a day off from there.

As the footfalls drew nearer the three could make out the shapes of people coming from up ahead of them. Six players, one full party, all of them dressed in silver armor with draconic stylizations to them. The weapons they carried varied from man to man, but each seemed well armed. The Dragon Knights Brigade. They were quickly gaining a reputation for being dirty. They didn't kill other players, but they saw to it that their members were best equipped, regardless of how that had to be done.

The lead knight looked remarkably like Diabel, though his features were more gaunt. His face wasn't as kind as Diabel. His hair seemed grungier. Lind. The six soldiers were growing closer, now. They seemed to have noticed the Kirito and the girls, as the absent chatter that had been going on between them suddenly stopped and their leader's posture turned rigid.

"Well, if it isn't the Beat Squad," Lind addressed them, his group still walking towards them. Kirito, Sinon, and Asuna looked around at one another before realizing Lind was, in fact, addressing them. "You're a little late. We've already cleared this area. Surprised you're just now getting around to it. I guess you've already hit the better areas, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. We were just exploring the area." Kirito responded for the group. Sinon in particular was on edge. Kirito and Asuna hadn't left the last boss battle on the best of terms with the man, but that was over his group's greed, not knowledge that he and Kibaou were on the same page.

"Right." Lind responded, condescension and disbelief thick in his voice. "Just like beta testers share everything they know. We know better." The two groups had converged, Lind and his five men now barring the smaller group's path. "You like to get first pick of everything, don't think we haven't noticed just because we're new to the game. I'm going to protect my people. This is Brigade training ground now. I don't want to see you here when we come back."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kirito demanded. He was sick and tired of all this. Why did everyone assume they knew everything about beta testers? Were they just that easy a target?

"I know that you chose not to tell the floor one clearers about Illfang. I don't presume to be able to understand what would motivate you to sabotage your fellow players, but I suppose greed can do that. I know Argo didn't bother listing some of the more lucrative quests and farming areas. At least she wears her greed on her sleeve."

"We never withheld anything. How many times do I have to-" Kirito began. He felt like this was the third time he'd had to defend beta testers as not all being complete monsters. Why couldn't they have run into Agil or Heathcliff or Thinker? They treated beta testers like human beings.

"I don't have time to argue with you. I have things to attend to. I'm going to protect me and mine. This is Brigade territory now. You'd do well to be gone before any more of us show up. I don't like your kind, but I know how to restrain myself. I can't make that promise for everyone else." With that, the group marched off, almost at a loss for words.

"The Beat Squad? Seriously? That's the best they could do?" Sinon finally broke the silence. "How many nicknames do we have now?"

Kirito and Asuna ignored her comment, Kirito instead focusing on the topic at hand. "What just happened? Why does everyone hate us? Why does he look like Diabel?" The second question didn't really need answering, but frustration pulled it from him anyway. His attitude was as far from Diabel's as one could get, so why did he look like the man?

"There's ten thousand people in the game. I have to imagine every once in a while two people are going to want to dress the same without ever meeting each other. It is a video game, we get to wear plenty of things we don't get to wear in real life." Asuna offered, uncertainty showing on her face.

Kirito didn't like the answer. It was certainly possible, but it didn't feel like it fit. The appearance seemed far too deliberate. Was he trying to be like Diabel? If he was, he was failing pretty badly.

"Looks like the next floor boss will be more interesting than usual. It's not just Kibaou who can't stand us, it seems." Sinon wasn't sure whether it was time to reveal that she knew that Kibaou and Lind were working together. She decided against it. She'd tell them later. If Lind meant what he'd said about more DKB members coming, they probably didn't want to be here. Getting into player fights wasn't what they needed, even if they were fighting against a guild that was already developing a reputation.

Suddenly, the three heard a trilling, almost singsong voice came from behind them. "They don't like you very much." The three of them whirled around to find a scaled, blue girl half submerged in the river, her head cupped in her hands, looking at them with an almost childlike interest. She looked vaguely human, but her eyes were completely black, her head had something of a tail instead of hair, he ears were just recesses on the side of her head, and her hands were almost webbed. "Hello!" she waved enthusiastically at the three of them before putting her head back on her hands. She smiled, revealing rows of pointed teeth.

The three of them managed to wave weakly at the creature. This day was just getting weirder. It was Asuna who recovered first. She took a couple steps forward, tentatively approaching the creature. "Hello."

The creature tilted her head at her, almost quizzically. Her unnaturally large eyes narrowed to slits, as though she was trying to make something out. "You work for the goblins?" The creature asked, almost disappointed.

Asuna shook her head. "Their king seems to like us, but we haven't done anything for them, no." Kirito and Sinon were starting towards the pair. They were all captivated by the creature in front of them. "I'm Asuna," Asuna gestured to herself, then to her friends, "that's Kirito and Sinon. What's your name?"

The creature pursed her lipless mouth into what seemed like a mock frown. "I'm Aquella. Mother told us that you all might be coming. Seems mean of the goblins, sending you to meet mean people like that all alone."

"We weren't sent here, and I'm sure that the Goblins didn't know that we're not the most popular. Who's your mother?"

The creature flashed the same toothy smile she'd shown before. "Come with me, I'll show you." She didn't wait for the group's response, but pushed herself off, flipping herself over as she plunged into the water, revealing lithe, humanoid legs with webbed feet. She swam back the way the the group had come. They glanced at each other, but the quest hook was obvious. Kirito shrugged, and the three followed after her.

They she led them down a particularly narrow tributary into an aquatic cavern of sorts, burrowed into the cliff face. There walkway was well hidden, and they found that they had to proceed single file or swim, and as friendly as Aquella seemed, none of them wanted to risk diving into the water.

It eventually opened up, revealing a massive central room filled with lilypads and other aquatic greenery, all far larger than it had any right to be. There were creatures flitting around, attending to whatever business these creatures took part in. In the middle of the room there was what appeared to be their leader. A female, heavily adorned with shells and pearls. She seemed to smile as she saw them, though that could easily have been in response to some comment the trio couldn't hear. She was smiling at them, they realized, when she beckoned them over to her. Despite this, they chose to stay firmly on the walkway on the outskirts of the pond, unwilling to venture out into the water. The creature lazily swam over to stop a yard or two away from the trio, smiling benignly at their guide, who had, upon completing her job, taken to spinning a giggling as she swam. Asuna guessed she really was a child by this people's standards.

"Kurat said you'd be here," the creature began, her voice more authoritative, but with the same singsong quality as the younger one. "He said you'd been useful to him, and recommended you to me."

"Are you Memoria?" Kirito asked, remembering the cryptic comment that Troust had left them with. The others seemed to be making the same connection as he said it.

Her smile broadened. "Yes, I am Memoria, Queen-Mother of the Merfolk. I'm afraid that I cannot say I know your names."

"They say that the boy is named Kirito, the red one's name is Asuna, and the green one's name is Sinon," Aquella suddenly interjected. She quieted when Memoria looked at her. The look wasn't angry, but stern, despite the serenity remaining around the queen's eyes. The girl swam off, though she kept her attention on the group.

"I'm sorry. Some of our youngsters can be a bit impulsive. Still, she did well in bringing you here, and that will be remembered," Memoria resumed. "I'm afraid I need to ask the three of you a favor, much as the Mountain Lord needed to."

"Are you facing rebellions of your own?" Kirito asked, venturing a guess as to where this was going.

"No, no, no, nothing like that, though I'm afraid you will no doubt run into our more aggressive cousins, the tritons were never a part of us. No, rebellion is the nightmare the goblins face. We have to deal with our own." She paused, allowing the players to speak if they wished, but they remained silent, attentive. "I offer you the same deal Kurat offered you. Your help, in exchange for whatever services we might be able to provide you."

"What do you need us to do?" Kirito asked, unwilling to commit to anything without knowing.

"The tritons have become aggressive. There are some places that can barely hold under their attack. We need your help when you find them. But that's not all. There is a crown, the Pearl of Levias, lost somewhere in the dry land of this realm. We need that returned before the Tritons find it."

The three players had readily agreed to the deal with the Merfolk. They were back in their hotel room, worn out from the long day. They'd almost been able to forget their encounter with Lind. Kirito only ever spent time his own room to sleep, the girls' room had become their headquarters.

"Do you think we're the only players getting these weird quests?" Asuna asked the other two. The group was still adjusting to the idea of such a massive, multi-floor mission.

"No idea. It certainly wasn't in the beta," Kirito responded from his position on the bed. He was laying on it, his head dangling upside down off the end of it, looking at the two girls.

"It would be odd if it were just limited to us. Unless somehow the game knows that we can't spend that much time with other players, and built this to keep us sane," Sinon ventured. "That sounds unlikely, so we probably aren't the only ones who can find them. We might be the only ones who have."

"You think we should go to the next boss meeting? I don't think anyone else has been to all of them so far, and it seems like we aren't really wanted." Asuna's mind was drifting back to the confrontation they'd had earlier today.

"We'll be there," Kirito stated. "Sinon and I didn't miss one in the beta and we haven't missed one here. We'll be there."

"Besides, if we bow to people like Kibaou and Lind, they're just going to get a lot more people killed. Heathcliff calls us the finishers during those meetings for a reason. You and Kirito adjust the fastest to new attack patterns and are probably two of the best swordsmen in the game. If we don't go, we'll be acting a lot more like what we're accused of than if we do. We keep going. We ignore them. If they cause issues, that's on them. People may not like us, but they do respect us. Why else would we have picked up four different nicknames?" Sinon asserted, as much as the names annoyed her. They were the Black Swordsman, the Flash, and Bullseye. They were the Beat Squad. Regardless of whether they liked the names, they'd been given to them for a reason. They'd earned them. They weren't going to walk away now.

A/N: I'm going to be doing some minor timeskipping starting in a chapter or two, since at this rate I'll have over a hundred chapters to this thing. And that's without the floors that we spend multiple chapters on, like we did with three. There will be some repeat floor ideas, since there's no way I can come up with nearly a hundred unique biomes. I am open to any ideas for floors that you may want to see done at some point, though. Feel free to message me or leave something in the reviews. The same for story ideas, though how much I can work in is up in the air.

For those who haven't been scouring the SAO wiki looking to make sure that their story is mostly error free *cough*notthatiknowanyonedoingthat*cough*Lind is a character from the manga who founded the Holy Dragon Alliance. He may as well be an OC, given how little I know of his characterization, but still.

Actual OC's will be better noted. Sorry for any confusion.