January 1, 2025
Floor 61 – Selmburg
Asuna lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring aimlessly at the lights from outside reflecting onto the ceiling, making indeterminate shapes. Her mind was a tempest, multiple thoughts smashing around, each of them demanding her attention. She could have lost her again, her daughter. She had lost focus on where her daughter was for a split second – that was all it had taken for her to speed off and face the Blademaster. She had to fight back a tremble as she considered it - if Yui hadn't have been strong enough, or skilled enough...
On top of that, she almost lost him, her husband, the one constant in her life since the madness known as SAO began. She could no longer recall exactly how many times he had come close to losing his grip on his life, but she knew that that number was already far too large. How many more times could he scrape through by the skin of his teeth before his luck would truly run out...? She could tell he was no closer to sleep than she, his breathing far too irregular.
Deciding to give up the frankly impossible task, she turned to face him, his face cast in long shadows. "You're quiet," she whispered, searching his eyes for an inkling as to what he was thinking.
Kirito didn't answer immediately. His mind was equally troubled. He knew that the Blademaster had him dead to rights. He knew that he should no longer be breathing; that he shouldn't be lying in bed with his wife, their child asleep in the room next to theirs; that he should be dead. It was both a sobering, and terrifying, thought. "I was thinking through everything that happened last night," he said, hoping his eyes could convey the words he would not say.
Asuna understood as she took his hand in hers. "Don't dwell on it, Kirito-kun. You're still here. You're still with us."
He didn't answer – he merely moved their joined hands to his face where he lay Asuna's against his cheek. Closing his eyes at the contact, he smiled softly. "Your hand is warm."
Asuna's cheeks coloured as she smiled in response. At times like this, she was forcibly reminded of the fact that, though they were both battle-hardened veterans, they were still young – only recently turned seventeen, in her case – and still nervous in their shows of affection.
She didn't say any words – instead, she chose to carefully move her fingers over his face, gently touching, reminding herself of what he felt like. Kirito hummed deep in his chest as he raised his hand, running it through her auburn hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. Moving further down, he rested the crystal teardrop in his hand, turning it this way and that, watching the play of colour. "I'm afraid," he said finally. Asuna watched his eyes, seeing them burning with the intensity of his emotions. "I'm afraid of what he may have done to her."
Asuna knew what he meant and shared in those fears. "I'm scared, too, but we shouldn't rush to conclusions, Kirito-kun. Yui-chan has told us she'll tell us everything in the morning." She laid her head against his chest, hearing the steady thrum of his heart, calming her troubled heart and mind. Laying her hand on his chest, directly over his heart, she sighed softly, feeling fatigue catching up with her.
Kirito held her close against him, his free hand enclosing the hand resting on his body, entwining their fingers. "I won't lose either of you," he said, watching as Asuna slowly opened her eyes, the light reflecting off them in just the right way to set them ablaze. "I can't."
His own eyes shimmering with determination, he declared, "No matter what it takes, I'll keep you both safe."
Her gentle smile was only for him. "Don't forget, while you're protecting us, we'll be protecting you."
His lips met her forehead with painstaking softness, bestowing the sweetest kiss, before he pulled her as closely to himself as he possibly could, resting his head atop hers. "Sweet dreams, Asuna."
Asuna's lips settled into a soft line as she closed her eyes once more. "Goodnight, Kirito-kun."
xOxOx
It was several hours later before Asuna opened her eyes. The sunlight was strong, cascading throughout the entire room, branding everything with a bright, burnished, glow. Tilting her head upwards ever-so-slowly, she could see her husband's amused eyes looking down at her, though a sweet smile was on his lips. "Good morning," she said, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks as he regarded her so closely.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, raising their still connected hands to kiss hers softly, causing another blush to appear, making her face glow that much more brightly.
She nodded. "I fell asleep listening to your heartbeat. It was...calming," she admitted, feeling embarrassed for having said such a thing. His smile widened ever-so-slightly, and he squeezed their joined fingers gently.
Asuna was perfectly content to stay there for quite some time, but she knew that they would have to speak with Yui about what had happened the night prior.
Kirito, it seemed, was adept at reading her mind. "We need to speak to Yui," he whispered against her hair, leaning down to kiss her forehead. His lips lingered, and Asuna could feel him tremble as his fears reacquainted themselves.
"Try not to worry, Kirito-kun. Things will work out fine, I know they will," she said, encouraging him, feeling her own doubts trying to worm their way into her thoughts, but trying to banish them before they could cause her undue terror. They had to speak to Yui first – there was time for worrying, if it came to that, after.
With a slow nod, Kirito sat up, drawing Asuna along with him. "Okay," he said, drawing strength from her words. Wrapping his arms around her, he said strongly, "No matter what happens, we're a family. You, me, and Yui."
Asuna couldn't manage to answer in words – she didn't trust herself to not have a shaky warble to her tone after he described exactly what she was thinking – but she hoped her tightened hug would provide him with her response.
xOxOx
The parents headed out of their bedroom into the living area where Yui was already seated, absently drinking juice. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice the two of them enter the room – it was only when Asuna knelt in front of her that her eyes shifted focus and a nervous, but sweet, smile formed on her lips.
"Mama, Papa, good morning," she said, keeping up an air of nonchalance, though Kirito could tell that she felt as anxious as both he and Asuna did.
"Yui-chan," whispered Asuna, kneeling before her daughter. Holding her face in her hands, Asuna ran a finger across Yui's lower eyelid, removing moisture. "Oh, don't cry, Yui-chan."
She pulled her into a hug – almost immediately, Yui's body became overcome with shaking, her eyes leaking without any sign of abating. "I didn't want you to see me crying," she said, her smile still in place despite how obvious it was that she was anything but happy, "I wanted to seem really calm and collected, but I'm afraid."
"What do you have to be afraid of?" asked Kirito, placing a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder.
Almost instinctively, Yui leaned into her father's touch, drawing reassurance and strength from it. "After I tell you what has happened to me, I'm afraid you won't want me anymore...that neither of you will be able to love me anymore. I don't want that! I just want to stay with Mama and Papa forever, that's all!"
Her smile faltered as she finally buried her face into Asuna's stomach, her cries terrible to hear. Asuna was tearing up in response to seeing her child in such pain. It felt as though her own heart was bleeding in response, sending crippling pain radiating throughout her whole body. "Don't say silly things like that, Yui-chan," she said, running her hand through Yui's hair, trying to convey any comfort she possibly could. "No matter what happens, you are our child."
"Didn't you believe what we told you when we showed you this necklace?" asked Kirito, his voice low as he pointed out the teardrop gem hanging around Asuna's neck. "Do you think so little of us that you believe we'd just throw you aside because of something we might not like?"
"No, Papa, I...I don't think..." stammered Yui, pulling away from her mother's embrace to stare at her Papa, shock clearly visible in her expression.
"Kirito-kun! You shouldn't..." began Asuna, shocked at the words he was saying, though he cut her off before she could get any further into her sentence.
"We're family, Yui," said Kirito in the most determined manner he could, taking a kneeling position next to his wife. Looking Yui straight in the eyes, he smiled, "Right?"
Yui sniffled, her eyes watery and red, before nodding sharply. "Papa!" she cried as she barrelled forward into his waiting arms. He held her close as she cried, looking to Asuna who was smiling softly at him. She gave him one gentle nod of approval before she enveloped the pair of them in her arms.
"Family," she echoed.
xOxOx
A short time after, Asuna and Kirito were sat across from Yui who had regained her composure. Looking between the two of them, she asked calmly, "So, where do you want to start?"
"Why don't we start with an easy question?" suggested Asuna – now used to the role of diplomat, she wanted the discussion to progress as smoothly as possible. "Where, or from whom, did you get the sword?"
"Beth," supplied Yui simply.
Kirito nodded – the answer was as he had expected, though he had a question. "Is that the weapon she was working on when I was chased out of the forge yesterday?"
Yui shook her head. "No. Beth made this for me weeks ago."
Asuna had listened, though she was troubled. "Why would Liz keep something like this from me?"
"I asked her to," said Yui, forestalling any feelings of anger from Asuna to her friend. "Beth has been entrusted with secrets from so many people, Mama. Would you want her to share a secret you had told her in confidence?"
Shaking her head, Asuna could only marvel at the maturity her daughter was exhibiting. Yui continued her thoughts, "I've been practising with it everytime you left me with Beth. What? Did you think that I would use an untested Skill in a real battle?"
Asuna picked up on that. "What do you mean, Yui-chan? You've been in battle before!?"
Yui nodded in agreement. "We – that is, Beth and I – went on brief journeys to the first few Floors so I could practice with my sword in a battle situation. Obviously, the monsters on those Floors aren't particularly dangerous."
It gets better... thought Asuna, feeling sourly of Lisbeth. It was one thing to make a sword for the girl behind her back – it was quite another to take her out onto the field of battle!
Yui frowned, picking up on her mother's mood. "Don't be mad with Beth, Mama. She didn't want me to go. She only came with me after I told her I'd go on my own."
Asuna was shocked, her face set in an expression of hurt. Kirito took charge of the questioning. "Why would you say such a thing, Yui?"
"I wasn't in any danger, Papa," said Yui confidently, causing him untold confusion.
"How can you be sure of that?" cried Asuna, feeling out of balance and needing to regain control of the situation. "We only just got you back, and now you're going off on your own where we can't protect you."
"I don't need protecting, Mama," said Yui, a dark expression on her face, one that she had never directed at her parents. It took Asuna aback so much, Yui seemed to realise what she was doing and abruptly apologised. "I'm sorry, Mama, but you have to try to understand."
"What do we have to understand?"
Yui took a deep breath and centralised herself before saying what she believed would be the biggest challenge for them to deal with. "Before, I was a program, a part of the system that oversaw the emotional states of the players of SAO. After I was brought back, I was converted into a player, right?" At the hesitant nods of her parents, Yui continued. "What you didn't know is that I didn't return as a low-level player – on the contrary, I'm higher-levelled than perhaps anybody other than the creator of Sword Art Online."
"Kayaba," cursed Kirito, thankful for the return to normalcy that his hatred of the man afforded, though Asuna wasn't able to be so easily distracted.
"What level are you, Yui-chan?" she asked.
Yui looked directly into her mother's eyes, searching for any sign of ill-feeling before speaking in a monotone. "Level one-hundred-and-forty."
Kirito's eyes snapped to his daughter, his shock apparent. Level 140!? Why would Kayaba not only bring her back, but also make her stronger than anybody else? Is it to cause divisions? Distrust between us? Or is it something else?
Asuna could hardly fathom exactly what it all meant – too much was happening too quickly – but she knew that Yui was waiting for some sign from her; something that told her that she wasn't going to abandon her. Taking her daughter's hand in-between hers, she spoke softly, "I'm sorry, Yui-chan. You've been keeping this inside for a long time. I wish that I could have seen how this was eating away at you. I'm sorry I didn't realise it was causing you pain. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to being a parent." Her tone was rueful, and not without a hint of self-loathing, though she recovered quickly. Smiling lightly, Asuna continued, "Still, I promise to work harder from now. I'll make it so that there won't be any possible way to doubt how much I love you, Yui-chan."
Yui's eyes were shimmering as she listened to her mother's words. She'd been certain, even with the reassurances provided before the conversation began, that they would be terrified of her abilities, distrustful of her, and ultimately, would toss her aside. Any words she had said in response to theirs had been mechanical – what she believed they wanted to hear, not what she had truly thought.
Now, she felt foolish for doubting the strength of her bond with her parents. Never once had they given any indication that they felt anything other than deepest affection for her, and they wanted to be with her – not through a sense of duty or obligation, but because they loved, and cherished, her.
"Mama...I...I'm sorry..." she whispered, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks as she shook with sobs. Asuna scooped her up gently, calmly rubbing her back, whispering reassurances to the distraught girl.
Kirito hugged them both, his arms easily encasing the two most precious people in his life. "You don't have to be afraid to speak to us, Yui," he said in a gentle tone, one that he was rapidly associating with his girls. "No matter what it is, or how bad it may seem, we promise that we will face it together, always."
Yui snuggled into the family embrace, feeling their love for her as something physical, something tangible. There really was no way for her to doubt the sincerity of their words. "I'm sorry, Papa," she cried. "So, so, sorry."
They stayed together for a time, the silence comfortable as they enjoyed the closeness. Eventually, Kirito released them from his grasp. Standing, he stretched, releasing a knot of tension he hadn't noticed; groaning in pleasure from the simple action, he got an idea. It was a simple idea, but one that would give massive rewards. "I don't know about you, ladies, but I feel like grinding some experience. Asuna? Yui? Care to join me?"
Yui's eyes lit up. "Really, Papa!?"
"Really. I wouldn't have asked otherwise. Asuna?" Kirito knew this was an opportunity for Asuna – and himself, to a lesser degree – to reconcile what she recalled of the Yui before the Hidden Dungeon on Floor 1 and the new Yui, a sword-mistress higher-levelled than either of them. It was up to her to grasp it.
Asuna sat in silence for a short span, thinking through everything that had been revealed. Her daughter, the child she had watched disappear before her eyes, potentially lost forever, only to be miraculously returned days later, was now a warrior stronger than herself.
It was a strange thought – to circumvent all the hazard and tedium of level-grinding, and suddenly be at such a high level – but the more she pondered it, the more – and she hated admitting this thought – she felt grateful to Kayaba. Not only did he return their child to them – as a reward for discovering his identity, no less – but even though he threatened them with the knowledge of the fate of a player who lost their HP, and stripped her of her immortal object status, he had basically made it that she was, for all intents, invincible. What enemy, save himself, could potentially challenge Yui now?
"Mama...?" began Yui, her voice sounding small and uncertain, "Will we be going?"
Lost in her own thoughts, Asuna looked up, startled. She could see the anxiousness Yui was exuding, clearly wanting to go but hoping for her mother's blessing. Coming to a decision, Asuna gave her daughter a small smile. "Yes, Yui-chan, we'll go."
Yui's lips quivered before a luminous smile lit up her face.