A/N - Apologies for the delayed update. I've been very busy with the holidays. Now this story will be updated regularly.

Also, just to clarify,

gaijin - Japanese word for foreigner

cor - Sword Art Online currency

"Are you okay?"

When Miri awoke, she half-expected her father to be standing over her bed, frantically checking her temperature. She felt hot all over, and her throat was uncomfortably dry.

Groggy, Miri pulled herself up and absorbed her surroundings.

She was in a room that wasn't her own. In a bed that was not her own. And in clothes…that she certainly couldn't afford. She wiped her forehead and heaved a heavy sigh. So…it wasn't a dream.

Yesterday…everything that had happened was real.

Then that meant…

Saki.

Her heart lurched, and at once she opened the menu. Scrolling down to her friends list her mouth turned dry and her shoulders quivered. What if…? She desperately tried to shake the frightening thoughts away; she couldn't think of that yet. At the top of the menu, on a transparent bar, the date blared back at her. 12:04pm November 7th.

"…Excuse me?"

Shocked, Miri looked up and stared. There, before her, was a mature, beautiful teenager. Her long and flowing ginger hair fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright green, and her pudgy face was sprinkled with freckles. Her red blouse showed off her chubby legs and arms, and a dainty ribbon tied it all together at the very front.

"Wait, calm down!" The woman's voice was calm and soothing. "Don't worry. I found you in an alleyway. You were half-conscious and dazed. So I brought you to an inn." She smiled. "Everything's okay now." Miri felt the tension leave her shoulders. Something about this woman was so gentle and kind – maybe it was her motherly voice, or the compassionate light in her hazel eyes.

"I'm Chris," the woman offered. She spoke with a heavy American accent. "My guild and I have been helping people like you-"

"Then you must've seen my sister!" Tears pricked Miri's eyes, and her breath hitched. "She's…she sticks out in a crowd. Spiky pink hair…rainbow jumpsuit…you can't miss her, she-"

"Calm down." The woman's voice was firm, and Miri immediately hushed. "First of all, check your friends list and send her a private message. Despite all this…pandemonium, you must remember it is a game."

Miri opened the menu and the contacts list. Her finger hovered over the 'friends' option for a few seconds – she wasn't sure she wanted to know the truth. If she clicked…and…saw Saki was 'offline…'

Miri closed her eyes and pressed the button. A second later she squinted. Through the haze of her vision she saw a bright green light next to a familiar username – saki_ is online.

All at once the fog in Miri's mind cleared. She let out a long sigh of relief, all worries dissipating in mere seconds. Her sister was fine. She'd send her a message, and they'd reconvene. Opening the tracker, another window popped up, detailing Saki's whereabouts. The Monument of Life.

Chris smiled. "I take it she's safe?"

"Yeah…I'll send her a message now."

"How old is she?"

"Eight," Miri replied, as she typed. "Saki! Don't panic, it's your sister. I know where you are, so stay put. I'll come and get you." Pressing send, Miri's shoulders drooped and she took a few deep breaths to calm her shaken nerves. Chris waited patiently. Miri was grateful for her steady presence.

"Do you know her whereabouts? I have friends all over Starting City. I can have someone keep an eye on her, so she doesn't wander off."

"The Monument of Life," Miri murmured, with no idea on what exactly that place was. Chris seemed to tense up at that name. "But if it's okay – I'd like to go get her now. Thank you for all your help." She bowed in gratitude, her thoughts occupied on a reunion with her sister.

"Here – I'll take you. I know where that…place…is." A strong note of disgust rung in her voice and a small glimmer of nervousness awoke in Miri's heart. Chris suddenly forced a laugh to lighten the mood. "Oh don't worry. It's not a bad place, per se…no monsters there, or rough guilds. It's just…"

Miri swallowed. "Just what?"

Chris paused. Then, with a deep breath, she finally spoke. "Every player is recorded on a stone tablet within that building. Those whom have died are included also. The time of death, the cause…it's all there. In other words, it's a place for the dead."

It was surreal to stand before the building, knowing that inside it held every name of those whom had perished within the game. It was as though this very establishment was confirmation on their current situation. This was no joke – it had already been a day since Miri's fainting, and still the logout button was nothing more than a blank space.

In the time it had taken to walk here, guided by Chris, Saki hadn't messaged back. Though she was still online, Miri couldn't help herself from fretting on the inside. And just why was she at such a strange place?

Chris opened the door, and beckoned Miri in. For a second Miri hesitated – then, she stepped inside, and gasped.

The interior was designed to look like the empty room of a palace. The roof reached high, and thin slants for windows allowed streaks of light to touch the blue cobbles below. Everything had a sheen azure glow. But despite the beautiful architecture the room carried an ominous vibe. Everything was unnaturally quiet. The air cackled with tension, and the freezing cold made the hairs on Miri's neck prickle in unease.

And there, in the very middle of the room, menacing in its size and spine-chilling with its content was a large tablet. It was made completely of stone, though its writing had a blue techno font to it. Miri stepped forward, slightly intimidated by its size but drawn to the names it held on its surface. A few people stood in front of the tablet – some sobbing, others gazing at its writing with wide eyes. So engrossed was she by the Monument of Life that she almost didn't notice her sister, staring with the same mesmerized expression at the large stone tablet.

"So…they're all dead?"

Miri's heart lurched. There, standing before her, was Saki. She was still in her ridiculous getup. But Saki didn't even seem surprised to see her sister again – her eyes were locked on the tablet, scanning names both untouched and crossed out. Miri didn't know what to say. She couldn't even nod. All hope seemed doused when seeing how many people had died so far – was it 200? 300? She couldn't count.

Saki sniffed, and turned to face her sister. Her eyes were wet with tears. "Miri...I'm scared." Saki looked at her with wide, terrified eyes. Miri felt a sudden pressure on her shoulders, weighing her down and squeezing the air from her lungs. She couldn't do this - she was only twelve herself. She just wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare, to be back in the real world, even if that included their mum's different boyfriends. She didn't know what to say; so, fumbling for words, she just said the first thing on her mind.

"There's no reason to be scared. The government will have people working round the clock to free everybody. I promise you that we'll be out of this game in no time."

To Miri those words couldn't have sounded hollower.

"They're…gone forever aren't they," she sniffed.

"We don't know that!" Miri didn't think before blurting those words out. She bit her tongue and avoided Saki's gaze. But it was true – they didn't know that. They only had the words of Kayaba to take for certainty. It was still possible that – maybe – players would simply wake up after perishing in Sword Art Online. She doubted it…but those words seemed to give Saki hope.

The little girl looked back at the tablet and shivered. Then, turning to Miri, she began to cry. Tears streamed from her eyes like a waterfall, and painful sobs tore from her throat. Miri looked at Saki, numb, before wrapping her sister in a hug – just as Saki had once done to her after a certain, crushing event.

When finally she had no more tears to cry Saki pulled away, and wiped her eyes. Sniffling, she mumbled, "can I c-change my hair now?"

The request caught Miri off-guard. Then, she laughed. Saki forced a laugh too. So long as she wasn't crying.

Miri almost forgot about Chris. The woman had been watching from the door, averting her eyes from the stone tablet. A wash of gratitude flooded over Miri when she remembered her kindness.

"You're ready?" Chris asked. Miri and Saki nodded. The older teenager smiled, and waved them outside. Chris' eyes lingered on the tablet for a few seconds longer – then, with what Miri thought was a relieved sigh – closed the door behind her.

"I know this must be overwhelming. I understand how shaken you must be – but we cannot lose hope." Outside of that terrible building, Miri closed her eyes and listened to Chris' soothing words. "I believe that in a week, two at most, the government will hack into Sword Art Online's system and disable whatever lock Kayba has on the logout function. It's a great tragedy, yes, for the many people we've already lost. But we must focus on preventing any more casualties."

Chris spun on her heels and turned to face the two. "Forgive me, but I have not properly introduced myself. I am Chris Robinson, 18 years old and originally from America. I'm studying to be a nurse – but on my break, I decided to visit Japan for the release of Sword Art Online." She chuckled. "What a mistake that turned out to be."

"You helped us, though," said Miri. "For that I'm so grateful. I was such a mess this morning."

"Most were," reasoned Chris. "This isn't something that happens every day. My friends have managed to round up a few kids, and are holding them at the Church. I'll take you two there." Miri didn't want to bother Chris any more than she already had – however, her motherly demeanor and reassuring words were like a warm blanket wrapped around Miri's and Saki's shoulders. Staying with Chris just felt right – as though all would work out in the end, and there was no reason to worry.

Saki walked uncertainly next to Miri. She was looking at the ground, her eyes glazed and unfocused. Miri clasped her sister's hand in her own – a lot had happened, and now wasn't the time for their banter.

Chris strode forward. She walked fast, and Miri found she had to jog to keep up with her. When the teen slowed her pace to match Miri's, she couldn't help looking at her in awe. Miri had always admired teenagers; they were mature, on the cusp of adulthood, something she envied. And they were always surrounded by friends, gossiping about makeup, boys and the latest trends – another thing she envied.

This teen was definitely a foreigner. Never had she seen such long and ginger hair. Her eyes were a bright green, and her mature face was sprinkled with freckles. Her red blouse showed off her legs and arms, and a dainty ribbon gave her an elegant look.

"You're American, right?" Miri couldn't help herself. She knew it was rude, but she hadn't met someone from America before.

The woman grinned. "You're perceptive. How could you tell? Do I reek of gaijin?"

"N-No!" Miri laughed. Though that wasn't entirely true; her Japanese, though understandable, was incredibly formal, and her accent was heavy. "I just thought…"

"Relax. It was a joke. Look, it's the Church."

The Church looked warm and inviting. Young and old flocked inside and out. People were working together in a time of need – some beta testers cooked recipes, while others bought food from shops and transferred it into the items' menu of the hungry. A small crowd of children huddled together, some crying, others simply looking downcast at the ground. An older woman sat with them, her presence a simple comfort.

"Chris!"

A cheery young man waved to the woman, and greeted her with an energetic high five. "New recruits?" he winked. Saki blushed and hid behind the hem of Miri's skirt. He laughed and gave thumbs up. "We can never have enough friends. Would you like some food, kiddo?"

"It's not kiddo!" came Saki's muffled reply. "It's…Saki."

"And you?" the man said. Miri blinked in surprise, and pointed at herself. "Yes, you," he repeated, with a chuckle.

"Oh! Miri!" she replied, a small smile playing on her lips. He was a lot like Chris, but in his own way – playful instead of mature, and brotherly as opposed to motherly.

Chris sighed and rolled her eyes. "All right, Haru. How are the preparations?"

"Everything's going well. The Church is filled, so we're sending some people to inns."

"Thank you for the help." Chris' eyes shone with sincerity. "Now hurry up and get back to work – I don't pay you to be slouching about."

"You don't pay me at all," he protested. Chris gave him a good-natured push and sent him on his way. "I'll see you around," he called back. Saki peeked from behind Miri and waved.

"He was a beta tester," Chris said after he was out of earshot. "That's how he has all his money. What could we do without them?" The beta-testers had early access to Sword Art Online, so naturally had more cor and experience than a player whom started just yesterday. Miri hadn't thought much about the beta-testers, but it suddenly occurred to her that they would know how to take down the first few bosses. That could be an advantage – but it seemed no one was thinking of grinding and boss battling yet. Those who were in shock were too weak or scared to even contemplate risking their lives, and the stronger players were either busy helping them, or grouping in guilds and discussing their next course of action. I suppose there isn't much of a need to try and clear the floors. The government will have people working around the clock to free us. We'll be out of here in no time.

Besides…there was something much more interesting that caught Miri's attention. The strong smell of rich butter wafted through the air. Miri's stomach growled. She thought of how long it had been since she'd eaten – yesterday morning she'd barely had a proper breakfast, either.

"Feel free to eat your fill," said Chris, seeing Miri's hungry eyes on the tables of hot bread. Miri didn't need to be told twice. Walking towards the tables the strong smell of cooking clogged her mind and blurred her senses. A woman with short green hair transferred some bread to her inventory. Pressing accept, Miri clicked on the item's name and allowed it to materialize in her hands.

It was delicious - after one cautious bite Miri found herself wolfing it down in mere seconds. The richness of the melted butter and the soft fluffy texture of the bread was enough to satisfy Miri and lift her spirits. Beside her Saki sighed happily, the bread cupped lovingly in her small hands.

"Hey – where's Chris?"

Miri hadn't even realized it, but the teenager had vanished. The woman with green hair gave her a tired look.

"Probably gone back into town. She's working hard to roundup as many stragglers as possible. Though look where it's ended us up – using our hard earned money on sniffling cowards."

"Don't be like that, Midori. A lot of them are just kids," Haru laughed.

Midori sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Sooner or later you'll run out of gold. We can't keep paying for people's inns. They're going to have to find their own way of surviving."

Haru elbowed her, and Midori scowled and shooed him away. With a threatening glare at the two watching sisters, Miri and Saki decided to follow his lead; Midori certainly didn't seem like she desired any company.

"Sorry about her," said Haru with a shrug. "Her heart's in the right place. She just doesn't handle stress very well." Saki sleepily clutched Miri's arm, mumbling about how tired she felt. The three stopped outside an inn. It was already swarming with people, some already requesting guilds to join.

"The church is full – so stay here as long as you need. It's on me." Inside the crowds reminded her of the claustrophobic lines and swarms in Akihabara. It was only yesterday they had bought Sword Art Online, but it already felt like an eternity. "A lot of people are going to wait things out here. It shouldn't be too long before this ordeal is over."

Haru waited with them in the line, and booked them a room for a week. "I'll send someone here for you on the seventh day," he said, once they were out of that trailing line, "and we'll see what to do then. But for now just rest. Who knows, you might be out of this game and back home by tomorrow morning."

Saki's face brightened at that. "Mum's probably really worried about us," she said helpfully.

"Well when you see her again you can tell her you've been on a really cool adventure." Haru winked, and yet again Saki blushed and hid behind Miri's skirt. Miri could almost roll her eyes at her sister's crush.

Just as Haru was about to leave, Miri rushed a hasty goodbye. "Thanks," she added – she wasn't sure how to thank somebody for paying for an inn, and giving her free food. She looked away shyly; she wasn't used to talking with teenagers.

Haru didn't reply. Just smiled, gave her thumbs up, and left. They were alone again. She knew Chris and Haru had more important things to attend to. But once they were gone she was nearly swamped by an overwhelming feeling of apprehension.

"I hope we see them again," Saki murmured. Miri nodded her agreement.

Their rooms were upstairs. Thankfully they had two beds – Miri sure as hell didn't want to share one with her sister – and she collapsed gratefully on the squishy mattress. She looked up at the ceiling, and sighed. The two said nothing for a long while. After a few minutes Miri must have drifted into a slumber. She was too tired to even dream.

For a week they stayed at that inn. Every day Miri awaited something; though she wasn't too sure what. The first day was lonely. With no one to talk to she and Saki had simply sat in their room, unsure on what to do next.

The second day was slightly better. Whilst Miri napped Saki had left their room to explore. When Miri awoke to find Saki nowhere she nearly panicked – until she found her sister at the inn's lobby, surrounded by children her own age. She was laughing and chattering to them. Many of the kids here had their parents with them, and their eyes were brighter than the lonely children Miri had seen at the church. Being surrounded by family made a big difference. She thought of her mother – and realized, rather numbly, she did not miss her as Saki did.

The third day was the worst. After seeing her new friends with their parents Saki had become homesick. For that whole day she lay in bed, miserable. Miri hadn't known what to do. Her sister wouldn't eat, and refused to talk. All she did was cry silent tears. At night, when the moon was nigh and Miri was just about to drift off to sleep, she heard her sister's quiet sobs. Even if she covered her ears, and buried her head beneath the pillows, she could still hear Saki's muffled sniffles.

For the next few days nothing changed. There was no miraculous appearance of the logout button. No matter how many times Miri checked it still remained a blank space. She'd press it repeatedly, as if expecting it to somehow magically log her out. But nothing would happen.

She did not miss her mother – how could she? She and Miri had never been on the best of terms. But she did miss her friends. The people she talked to online, whom she stayed up all night with chatting about the latest anime, certain trends and other trivial aspects of their mundane lives. Everybody had told her that such friendships were empty, and fragile. But, as she lay in bed thinking about Calli and Kiri, and the other people she'd gotten to know, she realized the friends she'd never even met were the people she missed most about the real world.

Soon, it was the sixth day in their stay at the inn. There was no government breakthrough. On this day, when Saki felt good enough to play in the lobby with her friends, a thought crossed Miri's mind.

What if they would never logout?

What would happen to their bodies?

Would they have to live out the rest of their lives within a game?
She felt so lonely. She missed Chris, and Haru. She had not known them long, but they were so comforting. When she was near them, a life in-game didn't sound so bad after all. She shook her head, as if to rid her mind of such a stupid thought.

"Hey. Hey!" Saki poked Miri in the cheek. Miri gave her a withering glare.

"What?"

"There's an army in the lobby!" Saki's voice was surging with urgency. "You gotta come see this, Miri."

An army in the lobby? "What are you even talking about?"

Saki didn't reply. She jumped off the bed and gave her sister an impatient look. "Come on! Let's go."

Miri sighed, and followed closely behind. Her sister's eyes were lit with a familiar spark; seeing her so lively again was comforting.

Miri hadn't realized it, but the inn was noisy today. Really noisy. The chatter of many voices drifted down the hall, growing louder every second. Near the door to the lobby, a girl Saki's age leaned against the frame.

"You get to go in?" she asked. "Cool. My mum said I can't."

Saki looked rather proud at that. Then, with an annoyed look at Miri – probably because she was too short to reach the doorknob – Miri sighed and pushed open the door.

It wasn't unusual for the inn's lobby to be crowded. People commonly ate their meals at the tables, and others rendezvoused with guilds or friends. She was stunned, however, by just how many people were crammed within the room today. It was impossible to not brush an arm with some stranger; there was disgruntled pushing, shoving, and some unlucky individuals were pushed back against the wall. Someone shoved her out of the way; another bumped square into her shoulder. Saki glowered at a woman who stepped on her foot. Tired of being pushed around, Miri ruthlessly elbowed her way past the thick throngs of people, until she was at the very front.

There, a man with long blue hair stood upon a table. Donned in protective armor, with calculating blue eyes and a naturally confident aura, Miri knew immediately he was recruiting for a guild.

"Announcing you're a beta tester in front of a crowd? You must be so proud," said someone in a condescending tone. "How's that meant to make us feel better about you? From what I've heard your kind are dishonest and selfish."

"Why would we even consider joining your crappy guild?" a woman snapped, glaring at the man. "Sooner or later the government will log us out. I sure as hell won't risk my life for a beta tester."

"Yeah," another chorused. "Just where exactly are the beta testers anyway? You've got some nerve, showing up and asking for our help when all the beta testers vanished."

The man's shoulders drooped, though when he spoke his voice was still calm and firm. "Firstly, it has nearly been a week since we all found ourselves trapped within this game. We know little of Sword Art Online's security system, though we can assume it's incredibly tough to breakthrough. Maybe even tougher than the latest firewall. Hackers are not coming to our rescue any time soon. Secondly, the beta testers are not in hiding. While you all sulk and laze around, they're doing most of the damn work. We're trying to help you." Despite his collected attitude, an edge of agitation sharpened his voice.

"Well the beta testers know more about Sword Art Online than the new players," said an older teen. "Why don't you form your own guild and beat the game for us? You have the experience."

"It's not as easy as that…"

"Of course it isn't," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "we all know what the beta testers are really like. They're selfish solos players; all they worry about is how much cor they have in their banks. They couldn't care less about being trapped in this game. It's heaven for them."

"I met a beta tester a few days ago," another added. "He bought a really expensive house, and was living it up like this was just a vacation."

"Hear that? We don't want you here."

"That's not true!"

For a moment Miri wondered who had spoken. Beside her, looking fiery and unintimidated was Saki. Everybody turned to stare. The young girl shrunk a little under their sharp gazes, but she refused to look away. "Haru helped us, and he's a beta tester. Right, Miri?"
Miri's face flushed. It was one thing to stand unnoticed in the middle of a crowd; but to actually be the center of attention? She silently swore at Saki for the predicament she was now in.

"I-It's true…A lot of people at the Church were beta testers. I don't think it's fair to…to judge them. They're doing all they can."

"See?" said the beta tester, looking rather surprised at the two. "We're doing all we can. We may have an advantage in the game, but this is overwhelming for us too. No miracle will save us now. We all know the genius of Kayaba Akihiko; to leave this game, we have to defeat all one hundred floors. He won't make it easy for us to be rescued. He wants us to play by his rules. So this is what I propose - we start at the first floor; we'll grind for as long as we can, and then maybe in a month's time we'll all gather and take down the first boss."

The crowd shared dubious looks. Then someone said, "I'll join. I've had enough of moping around with you lot." He stepped forward, blazing blue sword at his side.

A few other people came forward too. The man, who revealed himself as Diavel, took their names; many others muttered, and after a few minutes the crowd dispersed. Only five people had joined Diavel's guild.

Miri watched admirably. So these players were really going up against the first boss…she wondered how they'd fare.

"They must be brave," she mused. "Saki, come on, let's-

Before she knew it, Saki had left her side and was confronting Diavel.

"I'll join too!" she stated proudly. Diavel looked down at her, before laughing.

"Sorry, kid. I think you're a little too young to join this guild."

"It's not kid, it's Saki! And maybe I'm really good at games and stuff!"

"Really? What's your level?"

"It's over 9000!"

"Your stats?"

"All in the millions!"

"Do you even know what stats are?"

"Mathematical statistics." She smirked at Diavel and placed her hands on her hips. Miri sighed. She didn't exactly want to speak to the beta tester; as confident as he was, he had a rather intimidating aura.

"Saki, come on, don't annoy him."

"She's okay." Diavel jumped down from his table and stretched. "Thanks though. I never expected a couple of kids to stick up for the beta testers."

"Well…one helped us at the Church."

Diavel rolled his eyes. Miri looked at him in surprise. "Sorry. I appreciate what they're doing, but they have no intention of even beating the first floor. They just want to live comfortably until someone comes to save them."

"What's wrong with that?" She took a step back; Diavel was tall, and she felt uncomfortable when he stared down at her. "Hackers will be working around the clock to save us. We'll be out of here in no time."

"That's exactly what I mean," Diavel scoffed. His shoulders slumped, and he heaved a deep sigh. "Sorry. I'm not trying to say that what they're doing is wrong. But we beta testers do have an in-game advantage; it's people like Haru who give us a bad name. They should use their experience to help eliminate the first boss."

Saki looked defensively at Diavel, but Miri did not reply. She understood his point…in some weird way. As grateful as she was for Haru's and Chris' help, maybe they should try and strengthen guilds with their knowledge. As each day passed it seemed more and more unlikely the government would log them out.

"Here's a piece of advice; in this world you can't wait for someone to rescue you. If you want to get what you want then you have to work for it yourself." He winked at the two, though he barely seemed enthusiastic about his words. Miri realized he was tired.

With that Diavel and his new recruits retreated to the lobby's exit. He did not look back at the two sisters. Miri watched them wistfully; she wasn't exactly sure what should be done. It had only been six days and already tension in-game was high.

The lobby was unnaturally quiet when Diavel left. A few people hung around at tables, drinking or muttering secretively. Saki ran back to her friend, to tell her what had happened.

It occurred to Miri she could not stay at the inn forever. Sooner or later she'd have to make a decision. But what could she choose? Diavel's words rung in her mind. If she wanted something then she couldn't sit around waiting for it. She had to do something.

She looked at Saki, chattering to her friend. Tonight she knew her little sister would change; she'd cry, and sob for her mother. Hearing Saki so alone and homesick…

She remembered what she'd promised Saki at the Monument of Life.

"I promise you, we'll be out of this game in no time."

Miri intended to keep the promise she had made. No matter the cost.

-End of Chapter 2