The Last One Standing

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Ch 7

It was pandemonium on the Internet not just in Japan but worldwide over the controversial defeat of the 74th floor boss because it was defeated not by a boss raid party but just one six-man party. Again not because it was just one party but more than half of the accrued damage was done by one person. Midori for one was happy that her children survived and after having watched them for over a year she could understand more so what made them tick. She was glad for that but it didn't help in that all she wanted was her family to be together again. At the moment though she had a meeting with someone else concerning the happenings within SAO.

OOooOO

Midori walked into a cafe that was fairly crowded which she appreciated because she didn't want to be alone with the people she was meeting. "I'm here to meet someone." Midori told the waitress that met her at the door.

"Your name?" The waitress asked looking at her pad.

"Kirigaya."

"Right this way ma'am." Midori followed her to a table that could have comfortably seated six but at present only had one occupant whom stood and bowed in greeting. Midori thought he stood about 180 cm tall not overly broad in build but based on the skin she could see, namely forearms and neck, he had a bit of muscle on him. His face while narrow was covered by a neatly trimmed but generous beard which had a hint of red within the dark brown showing foreign descent.

"Hello I'm Shinozaki Kohaku it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Returning the gesture Midori replied. "I'm Kirigaya Midori and the pleasure is mine."

"From what I was told by the JDF I was expecting at least one other person." Kohaku stated looking across the table at her.

"My husband is no longer with us so he was unable to make it." Midori answered levelly.

"My condolences." Kohaku replied slightly downcast. After they ordered Kohaku looked at her expectantly. "Shall we get down to why we called this meeting? Concerning your son and my daughter."

"Yes let's. Pleasantries are out of the way." Midori asked feeling uncomfortable.

"After watching their interactions over the last few months I've noticed that yes they've married in game." Kohaku stated. "I don't foresee them choosing otherwise after they get out. So I propose that we go ahead and make it official on the family registers."

"Well this is a surprise." Midori said shocked as she wasn't expecting that. "What does your wife have to say about this?"

At this Kohaku gained a look of melancholy. "I lost my dear sweet Yuki the day that little Rika was born."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." Midori said abashed.

"Don't worry about it you couldn't have known." Kohaku said off handedly as their orders arrived. "So has Kirito always used a sword?"

"He only took kendo from my father for a year. Needless to say he was a little heavy handed." Midori answered nervously.

"Really?" Kohaku asked surprised. "Because the way he uses those two swords of his without the system assist speaks of a master swordsman. Rare for one so young."

Midori took a bite to get out of answering that one seeing as she knew the reason having heard it from the man himself.

OOooOO

The guild decided to part ways for a short while after they cleared the 74th floor so that they could take something of a vacation.

Argo went hop scotching the various floor updating her information network. Silica and Leafa went to help some of the younger players get past their current limits and increased their chances of survival. Asuna went to one of the lake floors to spend time relaxing. Agil went back to his shop on the fiftieth floor to swindle people out of their hard earned col *cough *help low *cough *level players *cough *cough *.

Kirito and Lizbeth for their part went down to the 22nd floor to a little cottage that Kirito and Argo had won about a year ago as a quest reward. During the first week Kirito told Lizbeth about some of the things that had happened during his life that could be expected in the next few months. Well he tried anyways. Once Liz heard about the sweet girl Yui she insisted they go look for her seeing as during every other timeline she started appearing about two or three weeks prior on this level. Not that they were looking to hard either seeing as every other time it was happenstance that Yui was found so they tried their level best to just wander around not really looking.

A week and a half into their search they heard from a wood cutter that he had seen a ghostly girl off in the distance just on the edge of his vision. They really didn't blame him for not wanting to stay after seeing her but this was exactly what they had been looking for and spent the next day wandering around the woods in the vicinity of the sighting. Their persistence was rewarded when they came upon a passed out girl with long black hair wearing a white slip of a dress.

"So this is Yui." Liz stated as she took in the little girl that looked no older than ten.

"Yeah this is Yui now if only I had a clear cut means of assuring that I could get her into Alfhiem I'd attack Kayaba right now." Kirito said knowing that he would be pushing his luck by this point because Murphy's law had yet to take its dues. Then he noticed that unlike prior times Yui had a player cursor. 'Of course it would have to be like that.' He thought to himself sighing heavily.

OOooOO

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Our pink haired observer asked incredulously.

"That was the easiest way to accomplish what's needed. I am Cardinal after all I control everything." The librarian said as she made a few other changes through her connection with the system.

OOooOO

Kirito and Liz brought Yui home and putting her in the other bed going to sleep themselves as it was late. Later that night Kirito found himself roused from slumber looking around he tried to determine what woke him. Lisbeth was currently using his chest as a pillow so it wasn't her. Looking around groggily trying not to disturb his wife he noticed that he had a new message he opened his menu and began to read it. About fifteen minutes later he finished and closed his menu deciding that he could think about it tomorrow before falling back asleep.

OOooOO

The next morning Kirito woke up with light from the artificial sun shining on his face. Groaning he looked to the side of the bed and saw Yui looking at him with an inquisitive look on her face and expectant dark eyes while laying her chin on the mattress. "Daddy?" She cautiously asked as Kirito cracked a smile.

"That's right. Come on up here." He answered quietly as the little AI did so without hesitation laying on Kirito's outstretched arm curling into his side. Groaning lightly Lizbeth moved the arm that was curled beside her over Yui's midsection gently bringing her tighter into Kirito's side. Kirito gave a light chuckle as he went back to sleep a smile on his face as the outline of the window had moved enough to put him in shadow.

OOooOO

It was just after noon when Kirito awoke next feeling more refreshed than he ever had before since his return to this timeline. Now that he was awake and enjoying his wifes cooking. Lisbeth wasn't on par with Asuna yet but she'd give her a run for her money in a few months at this rate. Kirito for one couldn't wait. Next came the part of the day he was actually dreading based on the information sent, not by Kayaba, not by one of the other techs, but Cardinal itself.

"Now Yui how much information did Cardinal give you?" Kirito asked the little girl.

"That you and mommy would be my parents and that I could find you on this particular floor at around this time." Yui said as tears started tracking down her face her voice breaking. "I've been watching your guild for the last few months and y'all are the happiest of anyone in this game. I was so happy to know that even though I was alone and isolated for two years that someone out there was willing to look for me if I revealed myself."

Unable to leave the crying girl alone anymore Liz and Kirito brought her into a hug between them. "And now that we've found you we aren't going to be letting you go anytime soon." Kirito said quietly as Yui grabbed onto his shirt crying harder as she smiled. Liz having not really been involved up till this point because she wasn't sure what to feel about the AI decided to throw caution to the wind when Yui started crying because there wasn't any way in her mind that something electronic could emulate human emotions that well without being given some measure of sentience. That and Kirito was rather convincing.

OOooOO

"Well that was a nice vacation." Asuna said lounging around the guild house after she got back.

"Someone looks relaxed." A welcome voice quipped.

"I don't see how I couldn't be Liz." Asuna said looking at her friend upside down over the sofa arm. "Well who do we have here?"

"Asuna meet Yui. Yui meet Asuna." Lisbeth said deadpan indicating the girl hiding behind her who looked even cuter as she had deaged till she was physically five over the last few days and had the mannerisms to match.

"Hi Auntie." The little girl said clutching Liz's skirt Yui while still having black hair her eyes had changed to the same shade of pink that Liz's were.

"You are so cute." Asuna crooned. "Where did you come from?"

"Wandering around the 22nd floor. She doesn't have any parents so we took her in." Liz answered smiling as she lifted the girl into her arms.

"You sure she didn't travel back from the future? She's a dead ringer for the both of you." Asuna stated looking her over.

"Yep I'm sure." Lizbeth said her smile turning into a grin.

"Ok now I'm worried." Asuna said never having liked that look.

"Anybody else ready to raid a high level dungeon?" Silica called as she and Leafa walked in.

"We have something else planned." Liz stated as she turned to the newly arrived pair. "We're headed to Grandum."

OOooOOooOO

One, more, chapter, must, continue.

Shane. What are you doing in a sandbox?

That's what this is? To tell you the truth I was trying to simulate a desperate man in the middle of the desert.

Yeah I can see how that's working.

Well it was supposed to be funny.

Mhm.