"Forgotten her already?" The voice sneered, disgust dripping from each syllable.
Kirito recoiled at the words as one might to a snakes bite, sweat dripping from his raven hair and down his sickly face; his dark nightclothes clinging to him like chains, sodden as a result of his panic.
"What has it been? A matter of months and you've already moved on?" the voice penetrated the deepest recesses of his mind, brief flashes of cherished moments long passed flooding his vision.
A young woman with flowing strawberry-blonde hair rode atop his shoulders, giggling madly as she was rocked by the fast pace run he had broken into...
The same woman, her eyes wide and gentle as she doted on a small raven haired girl, her soft tresses hanging over the child in a protective fashion...
The woman letting out a wet choke, her hazel orbs wide as she stared in disbelief at the steel grey of a sword tip protruding from her armour clad chest... a maddening, haunting laugh overriding the sound of her shattering like glass, lost to the carefree breeze...
Kirito keeled over the cold ceramic sink of the hotel bathroom as the sharp sting of bile rose in his throat; fresh, salty tears joining the ever present sweat on its trek down his paling face. His eyes screwed themselves tightly shut, as if the gesture would stave off the voice which again reverberated around the quaint room.
"You failed her! Abandoned her! And how to you honour her passing?"
The voice briefly feel silent as if to let the boy wallow in his misery before resuming it's assault.
"You let a plain, simple minded girl make you weak and vulnerable; you let her take you away from your mission and you gladly followed like her lapdog!"
Kirito could only issue a groan of distress, his limbs feeling leaden; finally finding the strength he uttered in little more than a whisper.
"I... I haven't forgotten her... I could never forget As.. Asuna."
The voice simply snorted; "That Girl-" it emphasized the word "Girl" as if talking of a foul creature of the night, "-In the bed next door would lead me to think otherwise."
Kirito froze solid at the reply, his sounds of distress coming to an abrupt halt; he stared wide eyed at the bottom if the sink for minutes as the tears continued to roll down his sickly skin.
Gradually his slender frame started to shake with sobs; The voice capitalized on the situation and whispered in a mocking jubilant tone.
"You care deeply for her don't you?"
The absence of any reply from Kirito silence seemed to aggravate it, the malicious tone grew deep and heated;
"Asuna was just a throwaway then?"
Kirito choked, his eyes widening...
"A disposable item"
He gasped for air, his hand gripping down tightly...
"A spare"
A final image came into focus... the woman, her skin pulled taunt by the hands of decay, eye sockets empty and bloody, her once rosy lips now blackened and twisting to form the same words over and over; "YOU DID THIS, YOU DID THIS, YOU DID THI.."
Kirito's black pupils rolled up as the voice shrieked his sins; his knees buckled beneath him and he fell sharply forward, his head striking the sink with a sickening crack before he finally fell to the frigid tile floor, landing face down.
He was vaguely aware of a shout from the next room as his consciousness blissfully dimmed into a collage of black and the ghosts retreated to the depths of his mind.
"KIRITO" a cry cut through the darkened haze that clouded his mind; he made an attempt at parting his eyelids, before quickly shutting them again after being assaulted by the harsh neon strip above.
Gingerly, he opened them once more to be met by the image of Yuuki; scarlet eyes were awash with tears and her expression strained with worry. Something sparked within his chest at the sight of her face and the flow of her voice; it was quickly extinguished however by the lingering words that flowed like poison back into his conscious.
"A Spare... YOU DID THIS..."
He jolted violently in the arms of his partner, Yuuki's eyes filling with fresh tears as he quivered. "Kiri-" she tried, her words laced with concern.
It sickened him.
He batted her arms away as she attempted to embrace him, snapping into a sitting position before rising on unsteady limbs that threatened to collapse; Yuuki stared up at him, eyes wide and arms still spread.
She rose in an equally awkward fashion slowly trying to catch his gaze which hung behind sweat slick bangs.
"Kirito I think you need to rest," she said voice wavering with uncertainty; "You hit your head pretty hard," Yuuki spared a glance at the offending sink before continuing. "W...What happened anyway, I heard you moaning, it sounded like you were in pain..."
Kirito looked down at himself, seeing his soiled shirt and registering the sheen that clung to his skin.
"Yuuki can you leave, I need to change" he said his voice monotone and flat as he seemingly ignored her line question. He shrugged off the hand she attempted to place on his shoulder.
The warrior took a step back at the utterly emotionless tone that had greeted her. She found herself hesitating before speaking to his back.
"Kirito are you sure your oka..."
"Yuuki!"
Kirito barked, whipping around to face her, eyes smouldering; Yuuki instinctively flinched under his gaze, she gave a half hearted nod and rushed from the bathroom.
Yuuki lowered herself onto the bed slowly, she gradually became aware the fact she was shuddering, wrapping her arms around her petite form.
"W.. what.. What was that?" she whispered aloud, her mind replaying the pure rage that had shone from the pit of those charcoal eyes; a primal glare usually reserved for mobs or bosses.
Her mind returned to the previous night; falling asleep with her body close to his and her head upon his chest... her eyes grew wet as she came to a realization.
"Asuna."
Yuuki held back a sob as the answer came to her, "How.. how could I be so DUMB?" she brought her head down into her hands.
"He... he lost his wife, and here I am, crawling into bed with him." she murmured in despair, her fingers digging sharply into lavender hair and the scalp it concealed. "F..Fuck, I need to apologize, I should know." her eyes welled with tears of anguish, "I should know better than anyone." her voice had dropped to little more than a fleeting whisper as she allowed the tears to fall silently into her lap.
Kirito finally emerged from the bathroom after half an hour, his hair still wet and slicked back from his shower; the familiar black contours of his combat outfit returned and his sword holstered on his back once more; Yuuki stood abruptly, facing the back of the swordsman.
"K..Kirito, I'm sorry... oh god, I'm so sorry."
The words tumbled out her mouth in a tangle of regret and apology, the eloquent lines she had run through her mind left where they had formed in favour of the bumbling mess of a statement.
Kirito gave no indication he had heard her, instead choosing to move towards the rooms only door, his footfalls heavy on the bare hardwood.
"Wait! Where are you going!" Yuuki jumped off the bed taking a few strides towards him, panic rising within her chest.
"I'm going back out to the frontlines, where I belong." his voice was cold and unyielding, causing Yuuki to flinch for the second time that morning, the panic in her breast swelling.
"Please wait!" she cried hastily opening her menu; "I can help you! Please, just give me a minute!" her hands frantically searched to find her gear among the sea of items.
"No."
The short reply stopped her finger and stuck the breath in her throat as he reached for the door.
"You've done quite enough." his tone remaining the same expressionless, pitiless pitch as he strode out the door slamming it shut with a mundane finality. Yuuki simply stared at the blank back of the door for a time before her face crumpled and her eyes screwed up as she wept, her pained cries ringing around the small room.
Kirito glanced at his surroundings, the last of the light blue particles vanishing as he stood; a message appeared "Welcome to Floor 55, Granzam" he dismissed the pop-up with a swipe of his gloved hand.
The Beater slowly stepped off the marble plinth that housed the teleport gate, his feet moving in a seemingly autonomous fashion as he traversed the swept pathways of the densely populated city. Kirito continued until he reached his destination, looking up he took in the once familiar spires of the Steel Tower that the Knights of the Blood Oath called home.
He braced himself as he walked though the perimeter gate, his eyes darting towards the uniform clad guards who dutifully nodded their heads as he passed; his pace quickened as he strode towards his destination, a seemingly unassuming Oak Tree in the corner of the grass plains that surrounded the tower.
His advance stalled and he stared down towards the base of the tree, a small plaque sitting among its roots; Text was carved onto the granite surface, the letters sweeping into one another to form the words that he himself had chosen: Asuna Yuuki: Forever with us. The words seemed so inadequate to him as he knelt before the headstone, his mind blank to everything except a raging sense of grief and despair. Onyx eyes began to water as he spoke.
"I-I'm s-so sorry A..Asuna." his tears flowing faster at the vocalization of the name, "I shouldn't have gotten as close to... her... as I did."
His mind drifted back to Yuuki as he whimpered; the memory of the girl further paining him. He stopped attempting to speak then and allowed himself to become engulfed in his sorrow, pained gasps exiting his ragged throat.
He stayed hunched for some time, his body being rocked by wave after wave of tears.
"Your a fool" a voice once again penetrated his mind, he sat upright his eyes fixed on the tombstone in surprise, the voice was not the same as before, in place of the mocking, disgusted tone was one of a stern and authoritative nature, but concealed a soft, gentle edge. It continued, "Have you forgotten the promise you made, we both made?"
Asuna slowly broke off the kiss as she opened her hazel eyes to meet Kirito's own, her smile still beaming as she glanced at the golden jewellery that adorned the couples ring fingers.
"I love you Kirito-kun" she whispered as she was drawn into his tight embrace, her head resting on his shoulder, he chuckled softly, stroking her chestnut tinted hair. "I love you too" he murmured back his head resting atop hers, they stayed like that for long a, blissful moment before Asuna suddenly broke off once again; her tone now a commanding one as she spoke once more, a passionate fire igniting in her eyes.
"I want you to promise me something" she locked eyes once again with her husband, hazel into black. "If something happens to one of us", she gripped his hand tightly as she continued, "I want you to promise to move on, to not sit and mourn for the rest of your life." Kirito pulled back slightly his eyes wide with confusion, "Asuna where is this coming fro-?"
"Promise me" she said with conviction, her eyes never leaving his, he relaxed slightly a smile coming to his lips. "Only if you do" she simply nodded in return and drew their lips together once more.
Kirito's eyes grew wide as he recalled the sun kissed evening he had shared with Asuna on the balcony of their house on the 22nd Floor all those months ago and the oath he had agreed to. A promise to continue living for the sake of the other.
A wavering smiled came to his lips as he brushed away his tears, he stood his eyes looking back at the soothing grey of the tombstone.
"Thank you Asuna" he stood and turned, his feet moving quickly as he remembered the cry of muffled despair that had rung from behind the closed door of his shared Inn room earlier in the day. The despair he had caused, he open the menu, finding Yuuki's name he sent her a message.
It was time to move on.
Authors Note: Thank you for reading the second part of 'Duet of Twin Blades' and apologies for the soul crushing angst. Please drop a review and give your opinions on this chapter, all feedback is appreciated!
his tears, he stood his eyes looking back at the soothing grey of the tombstone.
"Thank you Asuna" he stood and turned, his feet moving quickly as he remembered the cry of muffled despair that had rung from behind the closed door of his shared Inn room earlier in the day. The despair he had caused, he open the menu, finding Yuuki's name he sent her a message.
It was time to move on.
Authors Note: Thank you for reading the second part of 'Duet of Twin Blades' and apologies for the soul crushing angst. Please drop a review and give your opinions on this chapter, all feedback is appreciated!