Hello every one of the SAO fandom! Issy here, with a new chapter of The True Artist. After Techhy made a new chapter, I decided to make another one. And here it is! [You're forgetting why I took so long to make one!] Yea, this little idiot lost his flashdrive. [No, no the OTHER one.] Oh yea. He's turning into Kirito. He has…
… A girlfriend. The end is near.
In the meantime, let's get this story started!
Disclaimer: SAO/GGO/ALO is not mine.
{The True Artist}
Chapter Four: Let the Games Begin!
I pulled Yuzu with me through the crowd, combing through the herd of newbies with a beta here or there. I saw a few people that kind of looked like her, but they turned out to be different at second glance. I saw this one guy who with brown hair and blue eyes, about 1.93 meters (6 feet, 4 inches for all you people in the United States) [Um, okay I get it, you're using Metric for measurements and Japanese currency to make it realistic but don't act like you're Japanese too, fucking weeaboos...]. He reminded me of a really annoying person I am forced to associate with frequently, so I slapped him as I walked by. [Hey! Don't use this as an excuse to abuse me…] needless to say this pathetic newbie was shocked and glared at me as Yuzu just gave me a knowing look.
I ended up wandering back to a fountain I vaguely remembered from the Beta tests. I looked it up and down. It was in fact one I had helped Akihiko Kayaba himself design. It was of 6 people, with a taller one stand-in proudly in front of the other 5, wielding two maces. Hey, just because I put a statue of me- and others- in the game doesn't mean I'm some egotistical freak. I really don't know who the other 5 are, but I put in a person with a small bird-like dragon, a person –who vaguely resembles Asuna, now that I think about it-, one like my sister –Who Yuzu was quick to point out and smiled at me [I keep telling you, I get that it's foreshadowing, I know these things…] (Because I tell you… Now, stop ruining my story or I won't give you credit anymore!)- A blacksmith because those are awesome, and one with a long ponytail. This all brought back memories of the Alpha and beta test… I met Asuna at this fountain. I spun behind me to see Yuzu staring at someone sitting at the base. A person in a cloak…
"Asuna!"
"H-huh..?!"
I saw her look up and around for who was talking to her, then her eyes fell on me. She gave me a smile, and patted next to her. Her smile disappeared as she saw me holding Yuzu's hand and she looked down as I approached. I mentally sighed, thinking of how to best explain this... Maybe I should just-
"Hi there! My name's Yuzu, and I'm Rukio-chan's little sister!"
I quickly looked to see her extremely close to Asuna, so close that they were almost touching. I saw Asuna's face look up with renewed vigor, and then she stood up and took her hood off. Yuzu was shorter than her, standing at around 1.60 meters (5'3") while Asuna was about 1.65 (5'5").
"Well, it seems like you two have met! It's really nice to see you again, Asuna."
"Are you sure you two are related? I can't really see it!"
It was true, while I had spiky brown hair; Yuzu had long flowing black hair, with maroon eyes. Hell, even I don't know where she got those. I mean, even though I was only 17, I towered over her, and she was 16. [Well then, looks like someone not only looks like an ogre but apparently wants to be tall as one.] (In any other sort of situation, with all the first-person voices and such, this could be considered breaking the fourth wall. Like you seem to enjoy doing quite frequently in your own story, I may add. Now let me get this straight- none of that will be happening here. Unless, of course, a certain audience wants it, hmm?) [Sellout.] I smiled down at Yuzu, then looked up to Asuna and merely said,
"As far as I know- and I think I'd know by now- we're siblings. Nothing more, nothing less."
I looked over at Yuzu, expecting to see her laugh or roll her eyes, when she just looked down and gave a halfhearted chuckle. Unlike some heroes or whatnot I have heard of –or even met- I was not so clueless as to not see what was going on here. I sighed inwardly, and wisely just chose to act as dense as possible so that way nobody could ever hope to suspect my extremely accurate knowledge of people –or more specifically the emotions of the people who may be seeking something from me, be it affection, items in the case of robbers, or weakness in murderers and assorted vagabonds or mercenaries. Hell, I may as well start expecting those shortly after I start playing because I know in just about any other multiplayer online game; anyone who has any knowledge of the game beforehand is automatically singled out by the rest of community, or grouped with others. I knew that the other beta testers would also be treated similar to this, so I started my own personal quest to help any betas I can, and make this game safer. Or, at least as safe as it CAN be, with the whole, die in the real world thing. That's a bit of a bummer, really. One may think I was joking or merely using questing as a metaphor or such, but I quite literally opened up an portable console (Specifically called the System Access Remote Accquision Help, pretty much Akihiko wanted to make sure I wouldn't be alone by giving it a human name- Sarah- and an AI system, kind of like Cortana from that really old first-person shooter game, Halo.) and created a quest titled "Safety of the Originals" where there was no backstory prompt, but just one objective that I myself would have to check off- Defend the Beta Testers. Then again, some random players could be singled out and labelled just for being "Too Good" but they aren't my concern. In times like these, you can't really care for too many others. In fact, I probably shouldn't even concern with the beta testers. Too much of a risk. Sarah, on the other hand, had a different idea. In a very mature, if not noticeably seductive tone of voice… Damn it Akihiko, I'm not making love to a fucking computer, no matter how sultry or well-programmed it may be. Some things he just doesn't get… I get really off track, don't I? As I was saying, said computer complimented me for "Doing the one of the best things someone like me could do" Is that even a compliment?
Asuna smirked at Yuzu, yet she stood her ground and glared back. I glanced over and saw them both mouth "He's MINE."
Oh shit, I think this is happening.
I quickly tried to defuse the situation, by suggesting we go out and do some questing. I heard the now-mocking tone of Sarah saying, "Good save, Mr. Not- Dense."
I thought back, 'Oi, I'm trying my best. How are you even able to read my thoughts? That's… Disturbing.'
She replied sweetly, with a voice that practically gave me a cavity, "Oh, that simple! I'm part of your NerveGear, sweetie!"
I sweat dropped at this, only for Yuzu and Asuna to look at me funny. I spun around and insisted we do a quest called, "The Frozen Passions", without bothering to read what it was about. They both blushed, and as I stopped mid- stride to look over at them, I hurriedly opened up the quest log. I sighed at my stupidity, but the damage was done. I just put my head down, took out my maces, and shuffled away. The first step, to locate the secret lover of the daughter of a nobleman. I 'conveniently' put up a tracking marker, and we followed it, through a sunny forest, and into a cave, which entrance looked like a pair of lips. I just sighed again at this, and walked in, Yuzu and Asuna giggling behind me as they followed.
~~~~~Song Provided To You by Dean Martin~~~~~~
~~~~~Ain't That a Kick in the Head~~~~~
How lucky can one guy be?
I kissed her, and she kissed me.
Like the fella once said,
Ain't that a kick in the head?
We went passed rows of heart- shaped boulders, and after about five minutes of walking, we saw a man frozen in a block of ice, also shaped like a heart. The second I read through the description of this mission, i knew it was the quest that couples did together. I let loose another sigh, as I de- thawed the man. He went tumbling to the floor, and I helped him to his feet. He started panicking about his lover. I attempted to reassure him that she was fine, but instead he ran deeper into the cave. NPCs, man, I tell ya. Asuna and my sister were already chasing after him, and I strolled along, remembering when i had to beta-test this mission with Sarah, since it requires two people.
"Aww, honey, you remembering one of our times together? How cute!"
At this, my head flopped down, and I heard Sarah giggling, as her code went away, to tease me later.
The room was completely black,
I hugged her, and she hugged back.
Like the sailor said, quote,
"Ain't that a hole in a boat?"
The three of us ended up in a dark cave, the only light emanating from a moat-like pool surrounding the edges. This mission, I designed myself. I just felt that it added a little something extra. This room was probably one of my favorite parts of the mission, especially since very few remember about it after the mission, even though it would be a great place for couples to just, spend time with one another. The wet-looking stalactites shined in the semi- dim light, and the man, formerly trapped, was sitting on a bench-shaped rock formation, I went over to him and said, "Hey man, we may not really know each other, but I want to help you out. I can take you back to her. Just come on."
"But, her dad would never approve of me! He hates all commoners, like me, or you!"
Ouch. The sting was real. "You never know, maybe he will realize how much love you two are in. He's probably a very sensible man. You just won't know until you ask, and if you never ask, you'll never be with your true love."
My head keeps spinning.
I go to sleep, and keep grinning.
If this is just the beginning,
my life, is gonna be, Beautiful.
I could see the confidence on his face as I said that, and then he got up, shouting, "You're right! It'll be okay! Thank you!"
As he dashed away, Asuna and Yuzu came up on either side of me, and with glittering eyes, started saying things like ,"You're SO romantic! "Great job, brother!"
A new voice standing outside the cave, said, "That was AMAZING! I LOVE YOU HAIRUKIO!"
The three of us looked over, with Yuzu and Asuna about to rage out on the new girl, only for there to be nobody, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of brown pigtails and a blue tail. Well, at least this explains what I felt earlier, like someone was watching me.
I had a stalker, and I was officially weirded out.
Tell me quick,
Ohhhoahoh,
Tell me quick,
Ain't love a kick,
In the hea~~~~d!