I do not own Sword Art Online or any of the characters.
I Want One
Michael leaned against the cliff beside the cave's entrance. After nearly a half hour, he was pretty bored. However, he was going to wait until she arrived to clear the dungeon, since the dungeon was anything but simple. Finally, Sinon landed in front of him and he smiled.
"Bout time," Michael grinned pulling out the bow she had given him.
She smirked, holding up her bow as well and the two of them walked into the dungeon. After a moment, they exited the narrow passage into a much wider tunnel that was perfectly round. They looked around before beginning to follow the tunnel. It sloped downward, travelling deeper and deeper as they went. After a few minutes, a pair of horse-sized moles exploded out of the ground, leaping at them. Both drew their bows back and fired, their arrows hitting the moles in the face, however, only Sinon's mole died. Michael slammed his bow into his mole's face and it turned, crashing into the wall and beginning to tunnel.
"I hate moles," Michael growled.
After a moment, it leapt out again and Michael spun, hitting it in the face with an explosive arrow. He sighed, standing and glancing at Sinon as he slung his biw and drew his sword.
"No," Sinon said. "If you're going to keep the bow, you need to raise your archery stat."
Michael groaned, switching back and readying another arrow.
"The higher your stat the more damage bows do for you," Sinon stated.
"But I like swords," Michael complained as they walked, making Sinon laugh.
"Just think of it as training," Sinon laughed.
Michael sighed and they walked in silence for a bit.
"Have you played GGO since..." Sinon trailed off but Michael understood.
"No," Michael said. "You?"
She shook her head and he smirked.
"We might have too," Michael grinned. "We never did prove which of us was stronger."
Sinon grinned just as they entered a massive cavern with tunnels leading out of it everywhere, most smaller than the one they had left. There was a single massive tunnel leading straight down in the center of the cavern but Michael doubted they could go that way and live. Just as this thought occured to him, six moles burst out of the ground around them. Sinon and Michael both shot one, Michael using an explosive arrow to kill his target, then spun, smashing both of the others away with their bows. The moment the moles landed, one began to dig and the other leapt at them again. Sinon shot hers but Michael spun his bow, smashing his into the ground just as the other mole exploded up below it, killing it. Then, Michael spun around Sinon, allowing her to shoot his last one as he shot hers, both exploding. They looked around just as giant moles began to scramble out of the smaller tunnels around the room, at least fifty of them.
"Holy," Michael breathed. "There's...so many."
Sinon nodded and both pulled their bows back, firing at the horde of moles. Michael's arrow split into multiple fireballs, exploding and blasting the moles into the air as glowing golden arrows began to fly into them, failing to kill them. Michael fired a lightning arrow into the ground in front of them and lightning shout outward from it electrocuting nearly half. After a moment, they continued anyway.
"Alright, try this," Sinon growled aiming upward and chanting a spell.
She released the arrow and it flew away, clearing its arch and splitting into dozens of arrows as it fell. The arrows began to rain down among the moles and explode on impact. Finally, moles began to explode as well and Michael drew another arrow, pulling it back as the last three neared them. He fired, hitting one in the face before jumping over it. The next leapt at him and he flipped over in mid air, his bow crashing into the mole, slamming it into the ground before Michael landed on it, pulling the bow back and hitting the mole with an ice arrow. Ice exploded out of the mole's stomach then exploded and the mole shattered. The first mole he had shot leapt at him but a glowing arrow hit its side, unleashing a blinding light and the mole shattered. Michael spun, pulling and loosing another arrow just in time to hit the last mole's foot before it could bat Sinon upside the head with it. It shrieked in rage just as the arrow sent lightning racing over its body and it collapsed, exploding after a second.
"That could have been worse," Sinon said. "You're improving."
"Slowly," Michael said. "So, what next?"
Sinon looked up at the tunnels and shrugged so they walked around the massive one in the middle of the room and they entered the only tunnel that was lit besides the one they entered through. It was a little bit smaller than the one they entered through, forcing them to walk single-file but the tunnel was rather short. At the end, there was a shrine of some kind with a mole standing on its hind legs with its fore legs held up and a basin in front of it. On the ground beside the shrine was a bottle of a bubbling green liquid.
"What's this?" Michael asked picking it up.
The moment he did, a text box appeared over the basin, asking if he wanted to defile it.
"Guess we ruin it," Michael blinked looking to Sinon who shrugged.
He selected yes and the bottle shattered, the green liquid appearing over the shrine, which began to melt. Then, the liquid shattered, leaving the shrine smoking and unable to be recognized. After a moment of nothing happening, Michael shrugged and they turned, walking back to the massive chamber. The walked back down the path to the main floor just as the room rumbled.
"This can't be good," Michael groaned.
Then, a massive mole head slowly rose out of the pit, staring at them. The mole had beady black eyes and reddish brown fur. It sat there for a moment before raising its forelegs in front of itself and clapping once. The ground began to shake violently and then rubble began to crash down around them. Sinon shouted in surprise diving out of the way of a giant chunk of stone as Michael sprinted at the mole, firing several explosive arrows, making the mole turn away, shrieking in pain. Sinon fired an arrow into its eye, ice exploding out of the back of its head before shattering, making the mole shriek again and dive back into its hole. Michael sprinted forward, leaping into the hole, Sinon just behind him. After a moment, they began to slide against the side of the tunnel as it began to slope forward again before leveling out. Michael stood first, sprinting forward as Sinon followed, both readying an arrow. After several minutes, they found the mole, tunneling away from them rapidly. Just as they found it, several smaller Moles burst out of the walls around the mole, charging at them.
"I got them," Michael said, firing an arrow which split into several, one for each mole.
Each arrow sent electricity racing across the moles and they all shattered as two of Sinon's arrows streaked past, hitting the gigantic mole in the back, exploding. This time, when the mole shrieked, three health bars filled and her attack drained a tiny bit of one bar. They sprinted after the mole as it began to get away and more moles began to burst out of the walls around them, this time with them ignoring them. The moles began to grow in number behind them as Michael and Sinon struggled to keep up with the giant mole. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and they looked back to see the enormous swarm of moles all pounding the ground, causing cracks to spread rapidly outward from them, rubble falling around them.
"Kill them!" Sinon shouted.
They both fired three arrows, each of Michael's splitting into five fireballs which exploded in the front lines of the moles while Sinon's arrows separated into dozens of arrows which exploded further back, doing far more damage and ending the shaking.
"Where'd you learn that?" Michael demanded.
"You learn it automatically when your archery stat reaches one thousand," Sinon said as they turned, beginning to run again. "You keep the moles behind us from doing that again. I'll handle the one up ahead."
Michael nodded, leaping into the air and spinning, firing three lightning arrows into the ground, wiping out the remaining moles as they chased them. Then, he landed, spinning and sprinting after Sinon again. As he caught her, moles began to break out behind them again and he spun, firing an arrow into the leader and it exploded, killing two of the six. A second arrow hit another and suddenly a dark circle appeared below the floor under the remaining rats and the tunnel over them collapsed, crushing them.
"Ah Gravity Magic," Michael grinned. "So helpful."
"Nice," Sinon grinned. "How'd you know it'd collapse the tunnel?"
"Who said anything about me knowing that?" Michael snorted. "I'm just as surprised as you."
Sinon smirked, firing an arrow forward. It streaked through the air, splitting into dozens more. When they hit, a massive column of light shot up around the mole and it shrieked in pain. Then, the light faded and the mole continued. Its health was halfway gone now, however.
"Do that a couple more times and we win," Michael stated, looking back to see moles swarming behind them again. "Persistent rodents."
He jumped, firing two arrows which sent a dozen explosions throughout the swarm, killing them all. As he landed beside Sinon, she fired an arrow, using the same attack as before. When it ended, the mole had a sliver of health left from its second health bar left, along with its third.
"Did that really do so little damage that time?" Michael groaned. "Hit him again."
"I can't," Sinon stated. "That was the last of my mana. I can't use any abilities until it refills."
Michael nodded, drawing an arrow and firing at the mole. It hit just behind the mole but sent electricity shooting along the tunnel, blasting the mole. The mole's health dropped to the third bar and the mole shrieked a second time, fur stiffening and spiking up. Then, it began to tunnel faster. Michael's jaw dropped open and they sprinted after it. It quickly left them behind and they turned, both firing at the moles chasing them, dropping them fast. Just as the last shattered, the ground began to shake and the tunnel to their left began to crack. Michael grabbed Sinon, leaping forward and barely getting out of the way as the mole tunneled past. He stood, sprinting to the tunnel and firing after the mole. The tunnel was dark but after a second, the arrow exploded, illuminating the mole and causing it to shriek. Then the tunnel was dark again.
"It's fast," Michael growled. "This is going to be a pain."
Sinon nodded in agreement, standing and pulling her bow back, forming an arrow. The tunnel above them began to crack and they both leapt out of the way, Sinon firing an arrow and hitting the mole in the side. The moment it tunneled into the floor at an angle, Michael and Sinon began to sprint down the tunnel after it, the angle giving them a very helpful boost. They were able to keep up, this time and Michael began to pepper the mole with explosive, lightning, and ice arrows as Sinon sent as many arrows into it as she could. Finally Michael was also out of mana and their arrows weren't even seeming to make the health bar move as it had reached red and received yet another defense boost.
"Enough of this!" Michael snarled as they chased it, drawing his sword. "Let's try my sword now."
Sinon turned toward him just as he pulled his sword back like an arrow and let go, the sword streaking through the air and then plunging into the mole. The mole shrieked in agony, stopping and rearing up before collapsing, the ground in front of itself collapsing to reveal a massive cavern. Then, the mole shattered and Michael walked forward, picking up his Elucidator and spinning it for a moment before sheathing it.
"All the damage of using my sword, and all the range of a bow," Michael grinned. "Unfortunately, it's only a one-time thing."
"True," Sinon smirked. "For a second, I thought you were going to use your sword as a sword."
"Nope," Michael grinned. "Just an arrow."
Sinon grinned and they walked into the chamber, looking around.
"Where are we?" Sinon asked.
"The final chamber of the dungeon," Michael stated. "It spawns wherever the mole dies."
"Why do I feel like you designed this dungeon?" Sinon asked.
"Nope," Michael grinned. "Just looked at the map data."
Sinon nodded as they stopped, seeing a single person in front of them. It was a woman with very revealing purple tinted armor, shoulder-length blonde hair, and a massive purple greatsword with a huge double-edged blade on one end of the six-handed grip and a double-ended dagger blade on the other end in place of a pommel.
"Who is that?" Sinon asked.
"That, is the dungeon's boss," Michael smirked. "The mole was a miniboss."
Sinon nodded, drinking a couple mana potions while Michael did the same before drawing his sword, slinging his bow. Sinon nodded and pulled her bow back, forming an arrow as Michael walked forward, making sure to stay out of the way of Sinon's arrows.
"Who are you?" the girl in the center of the chamber asked.
"I'm Michael," Michael stated. "You?"
The girl simply smirked and sprinted forward, kicking up a cloud of dust before slashing at Michael. Michael blocked the slash, barely holding the sword back before shoving it upward and stepping out of the way as it fell again. Just as it did, it curved, swinging around at Michael's side. He leapt back and barely escaped the slash before the girl appeared in front of him, sword over her head and descending, wings unfurled.
Michael hurled himself to the side as Sinon fired, her arrow redirecting the sword just enough for Michael to escape. As he stood, he spread his wings and grinned.
"Well well," Michael grinned. "We can fly in this room. This aught to be fun."
He and the girl shot into the air, the girl curving around and streaking at Michael. She slashed at him and he blocked it, shoving the sword away and flipping, kicking her away before flying after her. She stopped herself, sword glowing purple as she flew forward, pulling her sword back. Michael pulled his own back as well, the blade glowing blue. As they reached each other, they slashed, their swords meeting in a massive clash, sending a shockwave outward from the impact. A moment later, Michael moved forward, sword sliding along her blade until he passed her, slashing at her. She flipped under the blade, spinning and slashing at his back. He spun, blocking it and being shoved backward. As he sailed away from her, trying to stop himself, she flipped, flying after him. He grinned, seeing the glowing red scratch on her cheek.
"Got you," he grinned as he landed on the wall and kicked off, flying at her.
He flipped over her first slash, activating his OSS. His sword tore into her back repeatedly before she spun, sword carving through his abdomen, ice exploding out of his back. It shattered and he sailed into the air, flipping over several times He stopped himself, health already half gone and looked at her to see that her health bar was also half gone.
"Not bad," the girl grinned raising her sword.
Michael held his own out to his side, gripping the forearm as flames began to roll off the blade. Her blade began to shine purple and they both flew forward. As they neared each other, she slashed, an arch of light flying out. He rolled out of the way, slashing as he passed her. His sword tore down her left side, a massive explosion going off, launching her across the room into the wall as Michael landed, letting his wings fade and grinning, holding his sword out to his side, readying himself.
"You're good," the girl commended, landing about a hundred meters from him, also letting her wings fade and letting the blade of her sword sit on the ground. "This sword is too heavy."
She let go and it crashed to the ground loudly. Then, she held up her hand, flames appearing over it before shooting outward, forming a ridiculously long yet thin red greatsword that Michael recognized as the one Yui had deleted the Death Scythe in Sword Art Online with.
"That sword," Michael breathed as the girl shot forward, slashing at him.
He hurled himself backward, flipping over the blade, barely clearing it, then flipping several times before landing on his feet and skidding backward to Sinon's side, the girl stopping, grinning and holding up the sword.
"That sword..." Michael breathed.
"What's wrong?" Sinon asked.
"Stay back," Michael growled. "Don't get cut by the sword. It'll delete your avatar."
Sinon stared at him for a moment before looking to the girl, seeing the knowing grin on her face.
Michael held his sword out to his side, crouching, sword beginning to glow white. The girl held the sword high above her head, flames rolling off of it. He sprinted forward as she flew at him, slashing downward. He rolled out of the way, avoiding the blade just before it swung around at him. He blocked it and she spun the other way, the blade whipping around and slashing at him again. he blocked it again and the sword spun into the air before she caught it and spun, the sword glancing off of his once before slicing through his abdomen almost instantly afterward, hurling him. He crashed into the wall, groaning and standing then looking down at his avatar and back up at the girl.
"It doesn't delete," the girl stated. "That's no fun."
He grinned, sword glowing blue, and sprinted forward. She flew forward, slashing at him and he blocked it, sword sparking against hers as he continued for a moment before he stabbed, hurtling forward and missing by less than an inch. He landed in a roll and spun, grabbing his bow and pulling it back with his sword. As he turned toward her, she was flying toward him and he grinned, loosing the sword. It stabbed into her chest and her eyes widened as she staggered back, the sword vanishing in flames. Then, she smiled as she glowed and shattered. He stood, grinning just as she reformed, picking up his sword.
"Nice sword," she grinned before tossing it to him. "Guess you win."
"Wait, what the heck just happened?" Sinon asked. "Who is she?"
"I'm Strea," the girl smiled.
"She's a mental health and wellness AI, like Yui," Michael stated.
"She's an AI?" Sinon blinked.
"Yes," Michael nodded. "She's like the Yui of ALfheim Online."
"That's right," Strea smiled. "The admins made me to monitor the players since my big sister isn't doing her job."
"Okay," Sinon sighed. "So...why are we here?"
"She's going to be my navigation pixie," Michael smirked. "And a helping hand when I need it. I'm jealous of Kirito for having Yui to help him out, so I decided to recruit some help."
"But...how did you know she'd help you if you fought her?" Sinon asked. "Or how to get to her? I don't understand."
"I've been talking to her about it for a while," Michael stated. "She can do her job while playing as a character and got bored, but she didn't want to risk the admins getting mad at her. So, in order to get around that, we made a deal. She would create a dungeon and fill it with monsters and make it lead to her and I'd put the dungeon in the next update when it was released, then, she would inhabit an avatar whose player died in real life. Then, when I got to her, she and I would fight and she would help if I won."
"What if you lost?" Sinon asked.
"The dungeon gets deleted," Michael stated.
Sinon nodded then sighed, putting her bow away as Michael sheathed his sword and Strea retrieved her purple greatsword, also putting it away. Then, she began to glow and shrunk to a pixie like Yui. She landed on Michael's shoulder and Michael walked over to Sinon, smiling but able to tell she was kind of disappointed.
"Sad there was no real boss or loot?" Michael grinned.
Sinon sighed then nodded, smirking.
"A little bit yeah," Sinon nodded.
"Well, there just happens to be a loot room behind that big boulder over there," Michael grinned, pointing.
Sinon looked over at him then smirked at him. He kissed her on the cheek and walked to the door, leaning on the frame as she ran over to the boulder, blasting it with an arrow and stepping into the packed loot room. After a few minutes, she walked out with a dagger with a black handle, a white ribbon wrapped around hit forming "X"s, and a leaf-shaped blade roughly as long as Sinon's hand and a fourth of her forearm. She also had a quiver filled with arrows and Michael knew she had found more money than was necessary for any player. It's what he specifically asked Strea to have there for Sinon.
"Happy now?" Michael grinned.
She smiled and nodded and the two of them left the dungeon with Strea. Then, Michael switched them all over to his field and sat against the tree, Sinon taking her usual spot against it while Strea put the avatar in standby, essentially putting it to sleep while she monitored players.
"That was pretty fun," Sinon said. "And Strea had some good loot."
"I agree," Michael grinned. "So, want to head to GGO next?"
"Hell yes," Sinon grinned.
Michael laughed and kissed her, then set his head back, closing his eyes as Sinon set her head on his chest, both drifting off to sleep and being auto logged out.
Read and review.