Yeeeeeeeaaaaaahh, I know. Extremely short chapter. But I had like a lot to do and I was...failing in more than just classes. I practically bull crapped moee than half my assignments...even projects... Oh well, I hope I passed first quarter. *~* So, I'm really sorry that this chapter is short.

Anyway, Thank you to Impstar, DemonFoxBK201, Anomonist, AntiNalu34575, Faliara, SpringStars, Kraehenhexe, AW27, InvisableTarget, Sn0wk1tty, Kirinthor, Shizuku Tsukishima749, cookies2000, and BlueCandyStar for reviewing last chapter!

I've been forgetting to do this...

DISCLAIMER: I don't Goddess-damn own SAO. Only half (or maybe more) of the plot is mine.

Chapter 16: The Golden Stuffed Animal

The house felt empty as Suguha came home. It was a long day at Kendo practice and all she wanted to do was rest… Well, by rest, she meant by taking a break from her stress. Lately, her focus had been slipping, but she couldn't help it.

She sighed softly as she closed the front door and locked it. She reached for the closest switch and turned on the lights. The slightly dark hall lit up, but it didn't help the cold atmosphere. Suguha took a quick look around.

"Tadaima." she gently called out into the empty hall. She stood there in vain hope of hearing a familiar sound of a bell ringing in response.

But it never came.

She sighed and adjusted her shinai on her shoulder as she removed her shoes. Her footsteps were muffled as she walked down the hall and paused at the answering machine. A red light blinked at her, telling her there was a message. Suguha bent her knees to put down her school bag in her other hand, and pressed a button. A monotone voice blared loudly.

"You have, one, new voice message."

There was a loud beep before a familiar voice took over.

"Ah, Suguha-chan, it's me, Okaa-san. Uhm, I know I promised to be home before four, but something came up. *sigh* I'm sorry, Suguha-chan. That's another broken promise. But don't worry! I'll make it up to you. Okay?"

Suguha silently stood there when her mother paused.

"Ano...about Kazuto-kun...There's something I have to tell you. Since I know it's not a good thing to tell you in a voice message, I'll tell you when I come home later. Alright? Take care of yourself until I get back, Suguha-chan. And be sure to eat! Don't think I haven't noticed, young lady."

She flinched. Always trust a mother to know what was wrong with their children. Especially her mom.

"*Sigh* I'll see you later. And remember, I love you, Suguha-chan."

The message ended with another loud beep, and the red light stopped flashing. Suguha grimaced and picked up her bag with a tired sigh. She practically dragged herself up the stairs and into her room. She placed her shinai against the wall and dropped her bag at the foot of her bed. Out of habit, she changed out of her school uniform into a normal light blue v-neck t-shirt and a pair of shorts that stopped at her mid-thigh. She paused for a moment as she felt an urge to go somewhere.

Without a word, she walked out of her bedroom and stopped a few feet down the hall in front of a door. Suguha quietly opened the door and went in.

The room wasn't very big, but it wasn't very small either. A digital clock hung on the wall and read 4:02pm. Nearby was a desk with a well-made computer that hadn't been used for alost a year sitting on top. Suguha wordlessly ran her fingers over the keys, gathering small bits of dust. She made a mental note to do a little dusting after her Kendo practice tomorrow.

She took a seat at the edge of the bed and picked up the simple stuffed animal that sat on the pillow. It was a golden lion with a big, round, yellow-orange head and an orange triangular mane. Its beady black eyes glinted in the faint light of the sun light peeking into the room. The body itself was about seven inches tall and five inches wide. The fabric was fuzzy to the touch and had the same color as the head, but was slightly worn with years.

Suguha took a look around the room and shivered at the coldness that settled in not too long ago. This room was once filled with life and this never ending hope. She could remember the days when she would barge into this room without a care and her brother always greeted her with open arms and a warm smile. Even the days she spent sitting next to him and reading out loud to him to practice her own reading comprehension. Especially the days when she could carry him on her back because her was so light, despite the fact the he was a year older than her.

But…

The warmth that danced throughout the room was gone; barely a trace. The peace that constantly calmed her was absent; replaced with dread and fear. A fear that constantly reminded her that she could loose him at any given second. The joy that her brother held faded the moment he left this room. The hope in her heart left a gaping hole that seemed to grow with each passing day, ready to swallow her whole.

"Onii-chan…" she muttered softly to herself as she hugged the golden lion to her chest. The comfort she had been seeking in it wasn't there. It no longer held the love that her brother had for it, as if he never existed. She clutched the lion tighter in attempt to ease her growing pain.

She began to wonder, just how in the world did a disabled teenager like her brother, able to give so much hope and joy into her life? Into her mother's? Even Rinko-nee and that jerk Kayaba? How? How could he smile when he knew he could die right then and there?

Suguha sat there for a good fifteen minutes before suddenly getting up with the lion in her arms. Her mind was made up. She was going to see her brother.

._._._._._.

If I'm going to die, then I don't want to leave without a smile on my face.

._._._._._.

Rinko was just about to leave the hospital for a quick breather, but someone oddly familiar caught her eye. A teenaged girl was walking down the hall in a brisk pace. In her arms was a recognizable stuffed animal.

"Suguha-chan…?" Rinko muttered to herself. She quickly changed her path and followed the girl from a distance. Usually, she would meet with her and have a small conversation, but with the determined look on Suguha's face made her reluctant to approach her. She trailed behind since she knew where the girl was headed.

Rinko hid behind in another hall as Suguha took a short pause before entering the room. She was so tempted to join her, but something told her otherwise. Instead, she waited patiently for Suguha to leave and sighed.

That golden lion that Suguha held was a gift from Kayaba. Several times, Kazuto would "complain" (with his hands actually) about how boring the hospital rooms were and it finally got on Kayaba's nerves. To shut the boy up, he grabbed the brightest stuffed animal he spotted and bought it for Kazuto. Rinko was surprised how much it actually cheered the boy up. She smiled when a memory of him flashed before her.

She could see Kazuto sitting up in his bed with a smile as he played with the lion. That was about eight years ago. Rinko smiled fondly at the tiny memory and wished that she could go back to the good, old, happy days before this whole mess with this ridiculous death game. She sighed, knowing that it only be nothing but a wish.

The door opened again about half an hour later as Suguha left the room. Rinko blinked when she noticed the golden lion absent from her arms. She watched in silence as Suguha walked right past her, not even realizing she was there. Rinko understood though, and wasn't offended at all. The poor girl had a lot on her mind, after all.

Rinko shook her head sadly and looked back at Kazuto's room. She subconsciously rubbed her upper arms as she went inside. The moment she look at the bed, she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips.

There, sitting innocently next to the frail, pale teenager, was the golden lion. It had its head tilted slightly as it stared ahead, but its body was in the crook of Kazuto's arm, leaning comfortably on him. Her shoulders shook when she remembered the words that Kayaba the day he gave Kazuto the lion.

"One day, you're going to see a world full of color. It's going to be a world full of adventures that you can't find an end to them, even if you tried. And one day, I'll make that world become real. You'll never have to dream again."

If she knew what he truly meant, she could've prevented this.

But she didn't. She didn't understand him at all.

Ahaha...Short. I wasn't actually done with this chapter but I recently got two reviews telling me to update. o_o And I needed to get something up, so here ya go! Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter! And since it's break, I can finally write! And someone said I should do this too, so...

"Kyaaaaaaah!" Silica screamed as she was grabbed by the ankle and was struggling to keep her short skirt down. Klein's eyes widened while Kirito was distracted by something else. A small butterfly fluttered past him, catching his attention quickly. Without even a word, he followed the little butterfly, easily slipping away from Klein without even realizing it himself.

Later!

-CloudyLightning