Chapter 6:

A Mother's Strength Part 2

A Message from the Heart

I do not own «Sword Art Online» just my OC's. All right belong to Dengeki Bunko and Reki Kawahara.

May 2nd, 9:00 p.m.

Rinko slowly opened her eyes to a blurry ceiling. Her eyes quickly came in to focus. Her back was numb, laying on the same gel bed from before. Her left has had an IV placement inserted.

She looked to her left and right and saw 4 girls sleeping in their uniforms, slouched on chairs and covered their upper bodies in green blankets. Asuna and Keiko were next to her arms on opposite sides. Rika and Suguha were at her feet on opposite sides as well.

Asuna eyes fluttered opened and gave a short yawn.

"Girls..." The woman groaned.

"Onee-san, you're awake. We're so glad." Asuna announced and one by one the other woke up.

"Onee-san, would look like some help sitting up?" Keiko kindly offered.

Rinko nodded looking at the ceiling and then to her left hand that was hooked up at a monitor.

"How long out I knocked out for?" She asked in a tired voice as they all joined to help her sit up. Rinko hissed at the searing pain of the scar on her stomach.

"Your surgery lasted for an hour. You came out at 7:45 p.m." Suguha explained.

"I'm sorry." Rinko lowered her head in shame as tears poured out. "I'm sorry. I failed everyone. I'm sorry. I'm a failure." Rinko let out a horrible cry and shaking head. She pulled on her dark grey hair tightly. "It's my fault, it's my fault. I regret what I did that day. Why is the child paying for the sins of her mother?" Her hands started to shake.

Asuna slowly took Rinko's hands and placed it within hers. "No, you're not. You are a wonderful mother." The strawberry blonde began to speak. "You went through an illness so you could protect her for one more day inside of you. You helped create a world that brought all of us together. You were apart of the reason why we are all strong and brave today. Before that day, I felt lonely, stressed and unhappy. And today, you gave birth to an amazing person. You are not a failure. You are human and you made a mistake. We love you very much, and now you have given us another reason to love you even more. That is why you are not a friend, but a sister."

The hazel-eyed beauty folded her hand into Rinko's.

"We are going to stand by you and our baby." Rika sat closer to the woman.

"After all we wouldn't be good aunts then." Keiko sat the opposite side of Asuna.

"We may not be as academically inclined as you are, but we can teach her other things." Suguha joined the small huddle.

"Thank you, for your incredible support." Rinko met them at eye-level view.

"Where's Ryo and Kirigaya-kun?" The numb woman pondered.

"Don't worry, they're with Himeko-chan right now." Keiko answered.

"Himeko-chan? You thought of a nickname?" Rinko smiled softly.

"We came up with quite a few actually. Then we narrowed it down to Aka-chan, MeMe and Himeko." Rika explained.

"She's our princess after all. We're spoil her rotten." Suguha playfully winked at Rinko.

"Onee-san, we have a gift for you." Asuna gave Rinko a yellow paper wrapped box with a pink bow on the lid. Rinko neatly unwrapped the paper to reveal a blue box. She opened it and revealed a gold heart-shaped pendant with a emerald green center.

"Its a recorder for your letter. The center is really a speaker." Suguha informed.

"Thank you." The woman lowered her head in gratitude.

A raven haired teenager entered the room. His blazer was on his left arm while his tie was loosened. "Nice to see your awake, Onee-Sensei." He smiled lightly.

"What does she look like Onii-chan?" His cousin looked at him. The boy sighed.

"Thin skin, visible veins, small, about 635 grams, and just like her mother." He described to them.

"Just like me." Rinko repeated the last words and sighed.

"She'll be very beautiful someday." Keiko chirped like a bird in spring.

"Boys will be fawning all over her." Rika teased.

"Well looks like they lready have some competition. Klein is fawning over her as we speak." Kazuto softly smiled.

Hearing that made a big shining tear fall down Rinko's right cheek and wiped it off.

"Onee-san would you to eat something?" Asuna offered.

"Not right now. I want to record my letter." Rinko politely declined.

Kazuto handed the purse on the nightstand to her.

They all bowed and left her alone.

Rinko ran her fingers through the object placed in her palm and took a nice deep breathe. She noticed that the back of it had tiny buttons. She pressed the biggest one which gave a soft green glow. "Message recording." A robotic feminine voice announced.

My beautiful daughter,

This is your mother, Rinko. There's so many things that I want to share with you.

I want to to know that I love you very, very much.

I have never loved anyone or anything more that you, ever.

The time that you spent inside me will always be near and dear to my heart.

Even with my condition, I didn't mind being sick, because it was for you.

You were with me every step of the way.

I always wondered how you would look like, your hair, your eyes, your nose.

I wonder what your interests, your talents may include.

I wonder what your favourite foods, books, games, likes, dislikes, hobbies, movies and music will be.

I really do hope that we find something in common someday, no matter what it is.

I hope you grow up to be a confident, ambitious, independant, bright and brave woman someday.

I my heart, I know you will.

I hope you won't hide anything from me, but if you do I'll understand.

Just rememeber that I always want you to be happy and healthy.

You are my true love, my darling.

I love more than anything else on this planet.

You are my most precious treasure.

I loved you since your first kick.

You being here, in this world, has made a long dream of mine come true at last.

I hope you will have a dream come true.

I can't wait to see your smile, or hear your voice.

I can't wait to finally meet you.

I will always cherish you.

I love you.

Rinko pressed the button below the glowing one. "Message recorded." The same monotone voice returned.

Rinko reached for the call button next to the lifeline monitor. A nurse came at the doorway. "What can I do you for Koujiro-sama?" The nurse asked.

"Can you please get Nakamura Fuko and Orihara Namie in here?" The woman in bed nicely requested.

"Certainly." The nurse bowed and went.

The kids came back in again. Their faces were tired but happy.

"We just met her. She is absolutely incredible." Asuna said.

"We were supposed to have the same birthday." Rinko lowered her head once more.

"But now she has 2. Today is her actual and adjusted age. She'll have have 4 birthday parties by the time she's 2 years old." Kazuto pointed out. "There's gonna be a lot of presents at each one." Keiko added. "With lots of love." Suguha and Rika said in unison.

The teens assembled a line, lowered slowly their backs and bowed respectfully at the new mother. "Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations." The five voice were in perfect harmony.

"My father says that if you congratulate someone on their birthday, good things will happen. We just wished Himeko-chan." Keiko hugged Rinko.

"I still think my nickname's better." Kazuto smirked and puffed his chest.

"The only reason you came up with it was because I was attacking you with my shinai." Suguha pouted and crossed her arms.

"I still took shorter that you guys." He added.

"We made a list and then shortened it, Kirito-kun. You however just thought of one." Asuna interjected poking him in the center of his chest.

"I still thought of it faster than any of you guys." He playfully stuck his tongue out at his girlfriend.

"Well just see what Yui-chan has to say about this." His girlfriend raised an eyebrow.

Kazuto looked at Rinko. "How many names does Yumeko have now?"

The woman took out her phone and started tapping numerous times. "Let see, Yuyu, Yuko, Meko, Himeko, MeMe and Yumemi." She counted on her fingers as she recited the names. "That makes 6 in total." The mother concluded.

"Who thought of Yuko?" Rika scratched her head.

"Ryo did." Rinko blushed a little. The girls led out a chuckle making the her cheeks even more red.

"Where's the bear Onii-chan?" Suguha turned to her cousin.

"I gave to Klein. He's holding on to it until she's stable enough to put in the incubator." The boy explained.

Fuko and Namie rushed in the room and quickly hugged their beloved friend with their eyes watering."We're so proud to know you." They cried.

Fuko ran back outside and returned with a wheelchair. "Are you ready to meet her?"

Rinko's eye lit up and nodded in response. With the help of the doctor and nurse, she lifted herself off the bed, but hissed at the pain from the wound on her previously inflated abdomen. This pain is nothing, comparing what she's going through right now. At least I can breathe on my own. The image spun in her mind.

9:45 p.m.

As they made they everyone going through the hallway to the NICU, they noticed someone. A young boy with yellow/blonde ear-length hair with eye brown eyes was sitting in a chair in front of the doors. He was wearing a simple light blue hooded sweat shirt, black skinny jeans and purple sneakers with white stripes and black laces. In his left hand were a bouquet of white lilies. Despite the tension energy rising in the hallway, his face was calm.

"What is he doing?" Fuko moved a little faster still driving the wheelchair.

"Takato what the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay home?" She stretched her arms and embraced her son.

"I'm sorry, Oka-san. I couldn't wait any longer. I came in a few moments ago." The middle-schooler hugged his absurdly youthful mother tighter. "I took the closest bus I found and ran all the way here." He nuzzled his face into her chest.

He walked over to Rinko and streched his left hand. "Oba-san thank you for giving me my present early this year." He folded the flowers in her hand. "I read that it's the flower of May and a symbol for motherhood." He leaned forward to embrace her.

"You're welcome." She rubbed the back on his head gently.

A certain blue-haired doctor appeared in front of him. "My, my Takato-kun. You grew a little since the last time we saw each other." The boy looked at her and smiled. "Well, that tends to happen Nami-oba-san."

Fuko clapped her hands lightly. "We can't keep her waiting any longer."

Rinko closed her eyes and breathed slowly and heavily.

Fuko put her hand back on the handles of the mobile chair.

"I'm nervous." Rinko confessed.

"So was I, but now look at me." Fuko whispered in her ear.

The nurse pressed her hand on the door and slowly swung it open.

Thank you VERY much for reading this chapter! It really means a lot to me. I am open to any positive or negative criticism you readers have for me. If you want I am willing to accept any requests if they're available. Please tune in next week for the chapter entitled A Mother's Strength Part 3: First Meeting.