AN: Damn, Worker72, you keep reading my mind!

Also, I'm a little pissed off, on Kirito not training Klein, but training the Black Cats seemingly because a hot girl was there, but anyway, this is why the fanfic was created.

To vent. Also, I completed and edited the chapter fairly quickly, so you'll get this early.

Chapter 5: The Elementals, on April 11, PST.

Chapter 4: Moonlit Black Cats

Kirito walked along the 21st Floor Labyrinth, due to rumours of a mini boss nearby. Only Klein was with him, after all of them agreeing to split up, to cover more space.

They both stopped.

It seems a group already beat them to it. Five people, all males except for one female, glancing nervously at the creature, a black, demonic-looking, lion. A man, with a mace and shield, took heavy damage, his health in the red zone. The others were a fair distance away from him.

"Klein!" The sword leaped into his hand, but Klein was already meters ahead.

"On it!" He charged with his katana, glowing yellow.

"Cheers!" All of them raised their cups, in honour of Kirito and Klein.

"Thanks!" Klein grinned in response.

"…cheers" Kirito muttered.

"Thanks for saving our lives, back there. Tetsuo, our mace user, only has the health to become a forward tank. We tried getting Sachi forward, but the girl really doesn't want to." Keita again smiled at the two.

"Don't mention it!"

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked, eyeing their equipment. No unique items, and everything is bought.

"Well, Sachi isn't a high enough level, and gets afraid sometimes." The girl in question stared at the ground.

"By the way, what are you're levels?" Keita asked.

"40." Klein responded quickly.

"Uh, 40, too. But we aren't really doing anything." He answered as well.

"You have your own guild, right?" Keita looked at their four-square guild icon.

"Yes,"

"Want to merge? Your level is about twice of ours, so can you train us until we can go to the front lines?"

Keita extended a hand at Kirito. The teenager looked at Klein. He shrugged.

"Alright." They shook hands. The Black Cats cheered in excitement.

"The guild of yours, is it just you two?"

"Um…"

The rest of Fūrin Kazan came in the tavern. Asuna scanned for Kirito and Klein.

"Hey, Kirito, we didn't find the mini boss you mentioned, but we found a different one, and got a new hammer for Harry One…"

"Who are you guys?" Kunimittz asked one of the Black Cats, a guy in purple, while Asuna gave Kirito a summary of their dungeon dive. He jumped in surprise.

"Oh, are you with Kirito?"

"Well, yes,"

"Oh, then, I'm Tetsuo!" They shook hands, but Kunimittz was still really confused.

"Oh, alright. But what's happening?"

"Kirito agreed to merge guilds with you guys!" Kunimittz pretended to walk away understanding. Asuna stopped blabbing at Kirito after hearing that. And only thought one word.

Seriously?

"Okay, announcements." Kirito looked to the entirety of the merged guild, in the cramped inn room. Half of them were confused to specifics.

"Me and Keita decided to merge guilds, so we can train together. So, pick partners." The Harry twins stuck with Tetsuo, a mace user like them. Klein picked Sasamaru, a damage dealer. And Asuna picked Sachi, ironically because, in the beginning, she was completely opposite of her. Kirito shrugged out his plans to train Sachi herself.

Asuna's pretty capable, she can handle it.

Floor 20, Sunlit Forest

The giant praying mantis shreiked at Sachi, unconsciously pushing her back.

"Sachi, pull back!" Asuna ran, and stabbed with Linear. Tetsuo rushed, and slammed the purple glowing mace on the back of it's neck. The mantis disintegrated. Keita smiled to the group. Lunchtime.

They found a particularly good spot, amid some ruins on the Floor.

"Hey, Kirito, your guild participates in the a Assault Team, right?" Keita asked, looking at a paper, highlighting the team's progress to Floor 28.

"Yeah, why?" he responded.

"What's it like?" Keita asked again, wistfully staring at the clouds.

"Well, it sucks. Everyone's all 'I want to take the Last Attack Bonus, so stay out of my way'." Klein jumped beside Keita, imitating the Divine Dragon Alliance.

"It's not like that. Everyone works together." Kirito told Keita, trying to convince him.

"Remember Floor 15?" Klein gave him a you-know-I'm-right look.

"Yes." He muttered. Keita chuckled.

"We're going to do some late night training with ourselves." Klein told Kirito and Asuna, backed by his friends.

"Go ahead. We have to catch up soon to the front lines." Kirito walked to the inn, but Asuna walked towards a town in the distance.

"Wait, Asuna. You're certainly not going to sleep. What are you going to do?"

"Just taking a walk." She noticed Klein's skeptical look.

"All the way there?"

"I'll be fine." She walked to the town, bored.

Hmm. Perhaps I should do some levelling… A chime cut through her thoughts.

New message?

Asuna, Sachi ran away somewhere, and you seem to be around. Try to find her, please. We'll help.

–Keita

She opened her menu, and activated her Locating Skill. She grudgingly admitted secretly, that Kirito was right- it would come useful someday. Her vision tinted green, and footsteps were highlighted. She quickly followed.

Sachi was revealed to be under a bridge. Asuna approached carefully, and sat down a generous distance away from her.

"Asuna?"

"Yes?" She was unsure where this was going.

"Let's leave." Sachi whispered, just loud enough for Asuna to hear.

"Leave?!" She exclaimed immediately.

"Yes, leave." Asuna stared at her.

"Leave…the game?" Sachi looked at her.

"A…suicide?" Asuna was silent after saying that.

"Maybe."

"Never mind. Sorry, I lied. I can't bring myself to commit it."

"Sachi, I'm sorry for saying this…" Asuna paused for a moment, not sure whether to continue.

I might hurt her feelings, one side said.

But if I don't speak out, she might actually commit suicide. The other side reasoned.

"Look, being… like this won't save your friends!"

"But I don't know why we're trapped in the first place! It doesn't make sense!"

"We're trapped here. Whether we like it or not. The only way out, is to finish this game!" Sachi remained quiet. Asuna took the chance, and scooted closer.

"We're a team right?" Sachi nodded. "And we watch each other's backs." Asuna stood up, holding out a hand.

"I'll watch yours. But only if you return the favour." Sachi looked at the hand briefly. She has a point… Sachi grabbed Asuna's hand, and she pulled her up.

"Come on, let's go back."

About Two months later…

Sachi stabbed the demonic lion in the neck, deftly dodging the swipes. Tetsuo switched with her, and bashed the cat's head, knocking it ten feet away. The lion exploded into a million pixels.

[XP: 1500, Col: 750, Items Obtained: Lion Claw] The rest cheered, over the easy triumph of a miniboss that once troubled them.

"We have more than enough money for our house, Keita!" Sachi exclaimed. Asuna waved at her.

"She's nice." Asuna muttered, looking at the Black Cats Sachi has grown under her tutelage.

"Maybe we should buy a house!" Klein piped in. Kirito looked at him like he just asked for money.

"Um, no. Too expensive." Dale overheard, and frowned. Keita approached Kirito.

"Hey, I'm going to buy that house; they're way too energetic." He was soon enveloped in a white light, and teleported to the Starting City.

"Do you think we can go to the front lines?" Tetsuo asked, confident their level is high enough.

"Uh…" Kirito looked at Klein and Asuna. He shook his head. Asuna, however, nodded, pointing to Sachi.

"Yes." Klein pulled Kirito in and commenced a impromptu meeting.

"Kirito, we've actually have fallen behind Clearers. Don't give them false hope!"

"Kirito, don't listen to Klein. Sachi's going to fall apart when she realizes that all that work is for nothing."

"Alright, Klein, sorry, I already said yes. Maybe we can divert them-"

"Hey, guys! I found a hidden room!" Kirito pulled away, running at the room.

"Guys, wait!"

The door started to close, and Kirito and Asuna made it in. Klein slammed on the door.

"Kirito, I'll get the rest of the guild!" Klein screamed into the door, and ran off.

Otherwise, it was the Moonlit Black Cats, and their respective partners, except Klein.

Kirito looked at the Mineral Elementals and Dark Dwarf Miners, materializing after Ducker opened the chest.

They were surrounded.

Each enemy was level 35. The Black Cats just hit 30. The mob of enemies soon surrounded each member.

"Asuna!" Kirito screamed, pointing at Sachi. Asuna didn't react; she was already making her way through to her.

"Sachi!" Asuna ran towards her. The girl in question defeated many monsters, but strayed too far from the group. Health was rapidly decreasing. Asuna took out a health crystal, and sprinted, ignoring damage.

It was too late. Sachi whispered something, as she was attacked by numerous enemies.

Asuna was in the right distance to see her due, but not to hear what she has to say. Hurriedly, she broke the crystal in two, but it replenished her own health, the range too short.

Sachi disintegrated.

Asuna paused, as for what to do next. That patience was replaced by passionate rage, as she obliterated everything in sight.

Damn the monsters.

Damn this game!

Damn Kayaba Akihiko straight to hell!

Soon, the room was empty. Kirito looked visibly distraught, and deeply saddened, as the rest of the guild. The door opened, revealing the rest of the guild, weapons ready, with panicked expressions.

The day passed.

"Sachi was nice, kind. Although she was hesitant to fight, she had a drive within her." Asuna spoke, half sobbing, while Keita erected a tombstone in the 11th floor. The rest of the guild nodded in agreement.

"So, what now? Do you still want to be with us?" Kirito asked Keita.

"We have been talking, and we feel we can train by ourselves from here."

"Alright. I see." Kirito nodded.

"Well, it was good working with you." Kirito held out a hand.

"Yeah, I guess." They shook hands, and the two guilds departed, for the last time. Then, Kirito heard someone teleport away.

"Who was that?" Kirito turned around.

"It was Asuna," Klein stopped Kirito from taking out his teleport crystal.

"Leave her alone, for at least an hour." Klein convinced him.

She hasn't been seen for four months. She left Kirito's party.

Issin looked at Argo suspiciously. The hooded figure stared back.

"Are you sure you don't know where Asuna is?"

"No." Issin looked at how she reacted.

Deep, slow breaths.

Finger fumbling.

Feet rubbing together, despite being indoors.

"You know where she is. Just tell me. I can read you easily.

Kirito and Klein looked at the interrogation.

"Argo, come on! I rescued you!" Kirito whined.

"I did not see her!" Klein decided to try to convince her.

"Argo, look. I never met you, yet I'm pretty convinced you know where she is. So tell me." Klein moved closer, looking at her eyes .

"Dead, or alive?"

"Alive." She admitted.

"Is she going to do something dangerous?" Argo nodded.

"Aw, crap." Issin muttered.

"What is it?"

"The revival item. She going after it, and you bet she been followed."

Floor 35 Field Dungeon: Forest of Wandering

Asuna walked across the snowy carpet, heading towards a gigantic fir tree.

"Asuna!" Kirito ran, trying to catch up, Fūrin Kazan behind his back. The Forest of Wandering prohibited teleporting, so the guild had to catch up on foot.

"Wait!" Asuna kept walking. Kirito suddenly noticed a shape in the trees.

"Ambush!" The Divine Dragon Alliance leaped from the trees, blocking the giant tree. Asuna unsheathed her rapier, a silver blade, with diamonds etched around the hilt.

"The item's mine." Kirito finally arrived beside her.

"Asuna , are you seriously trying to attempt this alone?" She ignored him.

"Get out if the way."

"Uh…" The DDA's leader pretended to consider.

"No." A duel prompt appeared in front of him immediately. He analyzed the girl. She looked dead serious.

The duel started. The leader charged, and swung a overhead cut at Asuna. She slashed through his sword nonchalantly, and disintegrated it. She then stabbed the leader, causing him to stumble back several feet. Asuna won.

"I defeated your leader. What makes you think that I couldn't defeat you?" Asuna shouted towards them. They started to walk towards the exit teleport.

"Asuna." Kirito started to grab her shoulder.

"Shut up, Kirito."

"Asuna!" She stopped.

"What?" She said condescendingly.

"Why are you doing this? Sachi has been dead for months!"

"Kirito has a point," Klein agreed. "her brain's been fried."

"You don't know that. Their's no proof that she's dead."

"She's not going back!" A group of men started to appear far away, running towards them. The Divine Dragon Alliance's vanguard. Stronger than the rest of the DDA. Asuna started running to the tree.

"Asuna! Klein, hold them off!"

"Got it!" Kirito ran off in Asuna's direction. Once he reached her, two streaks of light appeared in the sky, accompanied with bells. Then, a red-robed monster jumped down, a twisted, maniacal version of Santa Claus. It towered before them, revealing a battleaxe.

Nicholas the Renegade.

A party request appeared before Asuna. She quickly pressed [Yes], and dodged it.

[Kirito- Level 46]

[Asuna- Level 53]

What?, Kirito thought. But there wasn't enough time to gander.

The final attacks formed a cross, as the boss froze, and exploded in pixels. A screen appeared, and a stone materialized in her hands.

"What does it say?" Kirito peered over Asuna. She smiled in elation.

But that didn't last long.

"Only ten seconds after…" She read the last part silently. Tears started to form. She knelt down, sobbing.

"Asuna…"Kirito bent down, and hugged her, trying to calm her down.

"…she was my responsibility," Asuna started to cry on his shoulder.

"I know."

"I taught her to be aggressive." Asuna started to calm down a little, but wouldn't let go.

"Relax. You tried your best"

Well, I did try.

"…you think so?"

"Yeah." Asuna detached, and stood up, and wiped her face.

"Come on. The guild's waiting." Kirito started to turn around. Asuna hugged him again, startling him.

"Thanks for cheering me up."

"That's what friends are for,"