The Tri-Blade Alliance
Chapter 27: Pain of a Loss
A/N: Just three more chapters, and we're done.
S/N: We're so sorry for being late as hell. We're seniors in high school now, so we have all the fun times and stress of retaking the SAT's and with college applications. BUT, by no means, does this excuse our hiatus.
Disclaimer: We don't own SAO.
Key:
Inner thoughts
"Dialogue in flashbacks/Special phrases"
(x)
The white-clad beater grunted in pain as his "companion" stabbed the sword into his paralyzed body, making sure to move the blade around in the stab wound.
How did this happen? he asked himself. Oh, right...
After the Gleam Eyes, word of his duel-wielding had spread around, and now EVERYONE, from the info broker to the fellow front-liner, were lining up at his doorstep, eager for as much info on the skill as he can give. Thankfully, his friends were the only ones who didn't bother him about it, because he had already told them before; the only exceptions were Klein and Asuna. Heathcliff had challenged Kirito to a duel over Asuna, and the wager was that if the KOB Commander won, then the beater would be forced to join the Knights of the Blood Oath. And lo and behold, he lost. Now he was on a little "team-building exercise" with Godfree and...Kuradeel. They took a break, and Kuradeel, who had packed their lunches, had poisoned the water, paralyzing his two fellow guild members. Kuradeel had killed Godfree right in front of Kirito, and soon the beater was going to join his fallen comrade, and the murderous guild member revealed that he was a member of the now-dismantled guild, Laughing Coffin.
Due to the paralysis, Kirito could do nothing but wince as the blade drove into his body. "How's it feel?" Kuradeel rambled as he stabbed Kirito's leg, moving the blade around like before. "C'mon, I wanna know how it feels, knowing you're about to die like a dog. What, is your tongue paralyzed too?" he remarked when Kirito had given no answer to his sadistic inquiries.
As Kirito watched his HP dip below the halfway point, he asked himself, Is this it? Is this where I'm gonna die?
"Come on, now!" His assassin's voice pulled the beater back to reality. "It's your last chance to say something. You really ARE going to die!" Kuradeel removed his sword from the stab wound, and plunged it deep into Kirito's lower waist, the red polygons that acted as the fluid of life drifting up into the air and vanishing from the downed beater. Because his health had dropped dangerously low into the red, Kirito's vision was starting to adopt that same color. Having no choice but to accept his fate, Kirito closed his eyes and waited for the sweet release of death...
Only to have Asuna's face smiling on him, the same look that graced her visage when she told him, "I'm not gonna die, got that? I can't die because I have to protect you." Those were the words that had left her lips before she gently pulled him into a hug that he found himself unable to return.
He immediately opened his eyes and, despite the still-active paralysis, shakily placed his hand on the blade and proceeded to remove it from his body.
Kuradeel said nothing, merely adopting a look of surprise and amusement when he said, "Heh. Why do you keep struggling? Are you afraid of dying after all?"
"No..." Kirito weakly shot back. "I'm just not ready yet!" Kuradeel merely put a hand to his face as he laughed.
"Is that so?" he asked rhetorically before shooting his gaze back at the struggling beater. "THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT!" he shouted as he slowly forced the blade back into the wound. Kirito struggled vainly, watching his HP drop slowly, until the pain was so much that he couldn't bear it. He eventually closed his eyes again as Kuradeel maniacally shouted, "DIE! DIE! DIIIIEEEE!" Kirito, seeing no point in fighting back, just let his grip on the blade slacken.
Suddenly, he heard Kuradeel grunt, first in surprise, then in pain. Through his red-tinted vision, Kirito saw Asuna standing over him, before she turned to him, healing crystal in hand. "Heal!" she said desperately, and Kirito watched his HP fill up all the way, even overlapping a bit at the same amount he had before the vice commander's intervention. However, the paralysis hadn't worn off. But hey, who was he to complain? "I made it... I made it in time, thank God," Kirito heard Asuna whisper. "I made it..." she said one final time before smiling down at him.
"I was tracking your position on the map the whole time," she had explained once the two met each other's gaze. "And then I saw Godfree disappear. I got worried something happened...But you're alive. I'm not dreaming, am I?" Asuna had said that last part to herself, almost as if she still didn't believe the answer, even though she already knew it.
"No," Kirito had confirmed. "You're not." After hearing him get up, Asuna's eyes narrowed dangerously as she switched her gaze over to Kuradeel.
"Hang on," Asuna said lowly, getting up and walking towards the LC member. "I'll finish this." She drew her rapier as she got closer to him.
"A-Asuna, I can explain everything!" Kuradeel said out of fear as his former commander stalked towards him. "We were just training when all of a sudden there was this―" The rapier grazing his cheek had stopped him from spewing out more of his painfully unconvincing lies. He stumbled backwards, reeling in pain as Asuna continued forward. "DAMN YOU!" he shouted, done with the lies as he took a swing at her, a swing that she swiftly ducked under and retaliated by striking her assailant multiple times, her blade moving so fast he couldn't see it. Kuradeel could only scream in pain and fear as multiple green-colored skill trails cut through his body, bringing his HP down slowly. Kuradeel's next response was to hold his hands up in surrender as Asuna pointed the blade dangerously close to his face. "I give up. I surrender!" he proclaimed as he fell to his knees. "Please don't kill me," he begged as he groveled before Asuna. "I'll leave the guild. You'll never see me again, I promise! Please!" he "promised" as he cowered. Asuna's only response was to pull her rapier up and prepare to drive it through his skull.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" The shout of those hypocritical words leaving Kuradeel's lips had stopped Asuna's blade, as she hesitated to finish the job. Unbeknownst to her, however, Kuradeel smirked maliciously and picked up his sword, using it to disarm Asuna and leave her defenseless. Kuradeel laughed sadistically and brought his sword up over his head as he stated, "The oldest trick in the book, AND YOU FELL FOR IT, BITCH!" Kuradeel brought the blade down as he shouted the last part.
The paralysis had at last worn off, and Kirito rushed in to save his party member and friend, blocking the sword with his left hand as he pushed Asuna back with his right. Kuradeel gave a sound of shock, and the beater's hand had separated from his body and shattered, leaving his health bar to display the damage and the symbol of an amputated limb. The pain wasn't even registered in Kirito's mind. All he felt was rage. The beater roared as he charged a sword skill with his right hand, driving it into Kuradeel's abdomen, depleting the last of the murder guild member's HP.
In shock, Kuradeel had collapsed, his killer's hand embedded deep in his body being the only thing keeping him from falling on his face.
"God damn you...you murdered me," were Kuradeel's last words before he shattered and died. Kirito stood up straight, and immediately fell to his knees. Wordlessly, Asuna walked over to him and kneeled, her hand stopping but centimeters away from his.
"I'm sorry," she finally said. "This was...all my fault, wasn't it?" she weakly stated as she looked down. Tears started falling on her clenched fist, which she kept pointed at the ground.
"Asuna..." Kirito finally said as he turned to face her.
"I'm sorry," she said again, looking up to face Kirito. Tears were streaming down her face as she sadly said, "But I-I should stay away from you..." She started crying, only barely managing to bring out, "for your sake."
Before she could say anything further, Kirito grabbed her arm with his remaining hand and looked into Asuna's watery hazel orbs. He said nothing, opting to kiss Asuna instead. She was shocked, and had not been expecting the sudden gesture of romance, but she kissed him back, quickly getting over the shock.
When Kirito broke the kiss, his eyes remained closed as he rested his forehead on her chest. "Asuna, my life belongs to you," he said at last. "I'll give it up for you. I wanna stay with you until the end."
"And I promise," Asuna said in response, looking down to the beater, "I'll do anything to protect you, forever. No matter what. I swear," she finished as she closed her eyes.
"I'll do everything I can to make sure you get back to the real world. Asuna..." Kirito said as he raised his head up to look at her. "Could I...stay with you for the night?" he asked with a kind smile. Asuna blushed and smiled, nodding her answer.
(x)
Floor 1: Iridescent Lake
"So what're we doing today?" Pearce questioned as the elite members of the Tri-Blade Alliance followed their leader and resident mercenary. "I mean, we'll win this either way, but I mean, a field boss? What kind of field boss is it?"
"LISTEN!" Arctic turned around and faced the archer, who began screaming comedically. "If you would shut up for 5 SECONDS, then I'll explain who we're fighting! Okay?!"
"Okay," Pearce calmly said after suddenly stopping his screaming.
"Good. We're fighting a boss called, 'The Black Knight'. I don't even know much about this boss, since it came out today."
"So we decided that the early bird'll take the worm," Solar added on.
"Exactly," Arctic confirmed. "The boss is set to locate in the area we're heading to."
"And where are we heading?" Cupid inquired.
"To a lake. And this boss is said to be VERY dangerous, but I don't know how."
"We'll just have to end it quickly, then," Skye concluded.
"Until we learn how the boss fights," Solar added on, "our best offense will have to be our best defense. How much farther, Eros?"
The performer, having the map out the whole time, closed it and looked up. "We're here."
The Tri-Bladers were standing on the edge of a lake, and Akira knelt down and swiped her hand across the water. "This place is so beautiful," the axe-wielder said in awe. "Why would this place be used for a boss fight?"
"It's gotta have some meaning behind the boss' background," Cupid inferred.
"Tell me you guys see something black circling us," Skye said as she looked up. As the other Tri-Bladers looked up and around, they saw the black material that Skye mentioned circling around them. Eventually, the black material circled around Akira.
"Akira, GET BACK!" Solar shouted as he grabbed his wife and pulled her back before the material could close around her. Despite its lack of a vessel, the material formed into a kneeling figure in medieval armor. The knight slowly stood up and faced the Tri-Bladers, his outline barely visible through the black material. The visor of the knight's helmet glowed red before it roared at the Tri-Bladers, its health bars forming and name reading, "The Black Knight of the Lake".
"Arctic, that's Berserker!" Pearce shouted excitedly.
"I know! I'm so hyped right now!" Arctic responded with as much, if not more enthusiasm than the archer.
"Wait, you mean Lancelot?" Solar asked incredulously.
"I call first shot!" Arctic drew his Darkness Blade and charged at the boss. Once he got close enough, he swung his sword, only to watch in shock as the Knight caught the sword and kicked Arctic away, making the mercenary lose his grip on his beloved weapon.
Akira helped Arctic up and asked him incredulously, "Did he just...steal your Darkness Blade?"
"Yeah, he does that," Arctic said as he steadied himself. "Doesn't mean he can use it, though," Arctic smirked as he outstretched his hand. Lancelot merely looked down at his now empty hand when the Darkness Blade evaporated from his hand and reappeared in Arctic's.
"So, my turn?" Solar asked as he brought his hand up to his sword's hilt.
"Be my guest."
"Thanks." Solar drew his sword and activated Quick Draw, appearing in front of Lancelot in a flash before slashing with ungodly speed. To his shock, Lancelot caught the sword and disarmed the leader before kicking Solar away. Lancelot grabbed the sword and positioned it over his back, taking Solar's stance.
"..." Solar was at a loss for words while Pearce helped him up.
"Don't worry, boss," Pearce reassured. "We'll get your sword back. Arctic, ready?"
"You provide cover, we'll attack him head-on," Arctic reaffirmed.
"Got it." Pearce readied an arrow on his bow, and Arctic held his hands out to his side.
"Let's go!"
(x)
Prior to The Gleam Eyes...
"What'd you need me for, Pearce?" Arctic questioned as the two hung out at the base of Arctic's tree.
"Sorry I didn't give these to you earlier," Pearce started as he opened his menu, "but I got these as a last attack bonus from killing Gilgamesh. I was going through my inventory to list off things to sell before I found these. I can't use them since I don't use knives."
"Use what?"
Pearce said nothing as he sent a trade request to Arctic, who read the screen in shock and awe when he saw what was being offered. "You interested?"
"Hell yeah!" Arctic grinned widely before realizing. "Wait, there's something I have to give to you, too." Arctic opened up his inventory and scrolled down to an item that he would offer for the new knives Pearce was offering. "Got it as an MVP award against Gilgamesh."
"You deserved that. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have won."
"Think I don't know that? But it was you who remembered how the bastard officially died." Arctic found what he was looking for and selected it. "This was meant for you, I believe."
"Yes it was," Pearce said as he read over what Arctic was offering. "Does this have an effect, too?"
"Yeah, and judging by what you said, the knives have an effect too?"
"Yep."
"Something tells me that these'll come in handy."
(x)
"I am the bone of my sword," Pearce chanted as the bow in his hands changed along with the arrow.
"Trace...ON!" Arctic shouted as his new knives appeared in his hands.
"Caladbolg!" The archer shouted as he fired a javelin/sword-like arrow from his new S-Class Caladbolg II (Bow and Arrow).
Lancelot brought his stolen sword up to deflect the arrow, but to no avail as the arrow flew faster than the boss could react. Arctic took the opportunity to rush the boss again, equipped with his S-Class Kanshou and Bakuya (Twin Knives), slamming them down on Lancelot before he could recover fully from the arrow. Lancelot barely blocked the attack, and began engaging the elite members of the Tri-Blade Alliance in a 6v1 fight (with Pearce providing support).
Solar watched with clenched fists as he saw Lancelot bat away any attacks with his sword. I will not stand for this, the leader thought with grit teeth as he opened his menu and scrolled down his shared inventory.
Akira backflipped away from Berserker before getting a notification that Solar was going through their inventory. She peeked over to her husband, who was continuously scrolling down. I hope you know what you're doing, Akira inwardly worried.
"Get back! I got this!" Skye shouted as she rushed at the boss from the front. She held her blade close to her waist and charged it with a lightning-type sword skill, the blue electricity crackling along the length of her sword as she thrust it forward, stabbing the boss through the chest.
Lancelot roared in pain and punched Skye square in the face as an attempt to knock her back. And yet, despite the pain, the female player grit her teeth in determination and swiftly removed the blade, proceeding to slash the boss repeatedly all around his body, electricity crackling wherever she hit. She brought her sword down to finish the combo, and Lancelot prepared to block it...
Only to be slashed from behind as he was struck from behind. The Skye in front of the boss vanished, and the real deal kept attacking the boss, proving that lightning can strike twice. When Lancelot turned to parry her strikes again, she attacked from another side and vanished from her original position and restarted the combo. After the third time, she jumped and called, "SWITCH!"
Arctic rushed forward and charged Bakuya with a fire-type sword skill, bringing it down on Lancelot, who seamlessly blocked it. The boss's assailant swiped an electrically charged Kanshou sideways, spinning and hitting twice. Arctic continued attacking in this manner, using Kanshou and Bakuya with electric and fire-type sword skills, respectively, in the same manner to chip away at his defense. After continuing the combo for some time, Arctic decided to break Lancelot's guard by slashing Kanshou to the left, then the right as electricity sparked along the boss's stolen blade. Frustrated, Arctic yelled as he slammed Bakuya down on the blade, creating a dust cloud that obscured everyone's vision. After a minute, the Blue Shadow jumped back, calling, "SWITCH!"
Skye was about to dash forward again before a red blur crossed her path and forced her to stay put. Lancelot was slashed twice before being kicked away, and Solar stood where Lancelot was. In his hands was a sword that he took out of his inventory. "Is that...Excalibur?" Arctic asked in awe.
"Close," the leader responded. "It's Caliburn, from King Arthur's legend."
"How'd you even―?" Cupid began to ask.
"I'll explain later!" With that, Solar dashed at Lancelot again and sliced the mad knight across the armor. Berserker was stunned momentarily, and Solar took advantage of that by raising his sword up high and slashing it down with full power. As a result, Berserker's black fog dissipated and his helmet broke. The mad knight, with his long and unruly hair, crazed eyes, and sharp teeth bared in insanity, looked up and saw Caliburn in Solar's hand. His eyes widened further and, yelled, "ARTHURRR!" in a fit of rage as his own sword, Arondight, formed in his hands.
"My name isn't Arthur," Solar growled as he readied himself for combat. The two swordsmen clashed, blades creating sparks upon contact. Solar quickly pulled his blade back and slashed upwards, directly under Lancelot's guard, and successfully slashing the boss. However, the former knight quickly recovered and punched Solar's chest, sending the player sliding on his back, who rolled to the side to avoid Lancelot's downward thrust. "NOW, PEARCE!" Solar shouted.
"I am the bone of my sword," the archer chanted again as he readied his bow. "Caladbolg!" he shouted as he released the arrow, burying itself into the Knight of the Lake's chest. Lancelot roared in agony as his last HP bar dipped into the red.
"IT'S OVER!" Solar screamed as he raised Caliburn above his head, pointing the blade to the sky while charging a Holy type sword skill, swinging it down and slicing Lancelot through the middle. Once the blade had exited his body, the boss split in half, both pieces of him shattering. Once the window signifying that the quest had been beaten appeared, Solar stabbed Caliburn into the ground to keep himself up. Guess that took more outta me than I thought, the leader thought.
"You okay?" Arctic asked as he jogged up to Solar, who nodded in response. "That was badass! When'd you get that sword?"
Solar froze momentarily. "Caliburn, you mean?" Arctic nodded. "I guess now's a good a time as any to tell you guys."
"Tell us what?" Skye asked as she and the others walked up to the duo.
"How I got Caliburn. The Quick Draw. Everything."
"S-Seriously?!" Arctic took a step back in shock.
Solar nodded, then motioned for his friends to follow him as he walked along the lake. The group walked for a few minutes before reaching a spot where a small rock was protruding from the ground. Solar knelt down and sighed as he touched the rock. "This is where he got it."
"Who?" Akira asked.
Solar was silent for a moment; that moment unnervingly turned into a while. "You okay, baby?" Akira asked as she slowly approached Solar and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he didn't turn around, she leaned forward and was shocked to see him silently crying. "Oh my god, what's wrong?!"
"It's fine," Solar choked out. "Just...give me a moment." Akira pulled Solar into a hug, and let him cry on her shoulder. Meanwhile, the others were comforting their leader in their own way. After a while, Solar nodded to show that he was okay. Once everyone drew back, he wiped his eyes and took a shaky breath. "I told you my brother died...I never elaborated on that." Solar drew Caliburn and held it over the rock before stabbing it in. He took a step back. "On November 6, 2022, 10,000 players logged onto SAO. I was one of those 10,000―as was my brother, Sora." He turned around and saw everyone listening intently, neutral looks on their faces. "Once we learned that we were trapped, he dragged me to the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings. He told me that he would make good on his promise to himself and our mother―that he would protect me at all costs." He chuckled sadly. "He wouldn't have it any other way, and made me find the next town for us. The next couple of weeks were filled with the two of us grinding, hunting, and staying at an inn. At the end of that second week, we finished grinding for the day. Sora was so determined to make sure that I'd live that he had no idea that he inadvertently created a new skill when killing a mob that nearly got me from behind: the Quick Draw. Apparently, he used similar techniques in other MMO's, so activating it was nothing short of a cakewalk for him." Solar shook his head to clear his thoughts. "We finished grinding at this lake, and he wanted to walk along it. I was younger and less durable than him, so I told him to go on ahead while I rested for a couple minutes." Solar chuckled again―darkly this time. "If I'd gone along with him, then maybe Kutthroat and his partner wouldn't have killed him."
(x)
2 years ago...
Solar layed down on the grass by the lake, catching his breath after a long day of non-stop grinding. Thankfully, he could still see Sora walking along the lake, which brought a smile to the younger brother's face. "He'll be fine," Solar whispered to himself, letting his head slump back down and hit the grass softly. "He's got a Unique Skill."
"Hey Solar!" The aforementioned player sat up quickly at the call. "Check this out! I found a kick-ass sword!"
Solar groaned and slumped back down. "Don't scare me like that! And get your ass back here!"
"Calm down, I'm coming!" Solar patiently waited, hearing the familiar sound of his brother's footfalls draw closer to him slowly. Once Sora had reached Solar, the younger of the two rose from the ground, before hearing the older player shout in an alarmed tone, "Who the hell are you?!"
Solar quickly turned around and saw who his brother was talking about. Two players―both male, one wearing a black cloak over dark green armor, the other wearing dark grey armor, with both appearing to be of malicious intent―standing behind him. "Get behind me," Sora said lowly to Solar, pulling the latter back and preparing to draw his sword. "Just tell us what you want," Sora said in a rational manner. "We don't want any harm."
"Oh, don't worry," the player in the black cloak said in an Australian accent. "We don't want much. Just all your items. And maybe we want to kill you both."
"Like hell that's gonna happen!" Solar shouted. Sora turned to his little brother, smiling sadly.
"Go." Solar looked at his older brother in surprise.
"Why?"
"There's no guarantee I'm gonna survive this. And I promised to keep you safe. Now go."
"I'm not gonna leave you. We can take them on together." Sora's only response to this declaration was to push his brother into the water, forcing the latter to let out a noise of shock before tasting the water entering his open mouth. Solar gasped and sputtered as he struggled to stay afloat, not registering the fight that had occurred the moment he had hit the water.
The only thing Solar had seen as he finally managed to keep his head up and swim to the shore was the grey-clad player running his sword through Sora's armor, right where his heart would have been located, dealing a fatal blow to his older brother.
"NO!" Solar yelled as he ran to his brother's side, catching the older player as he fell. "Damn you, don't you dare die on me!" Solar spoke through grit teeth with tears streaming down his face as he frantically looked for a health potion.
"D-don't..." Sora choked out as pixelated blood trickled down his mouth. "I-It's too late for me..."
"SHUT UP!" Solar yelled as he kept looking for the potion fruitlessly. He didn't notice Sora's hand move and open the Skill Transfer menu, and transferred the Quick Draw to his little brother. Solar noticed the menu and, through that, watched in horror and despair as his brother shattered in his arms. A sword dropped after the menu closed, and a notification popped up in his HUD saying that he had received the Quick Draw.
The grey-clad player sighed. "Look at 'em, Kutthroat," the player said in an English accent. "I can't stand to see kids sad."
"Well, you best fix it then, Ripper," Kutthroat replied, turning and walking away from the other two men. "Reunite 'em with his brother."
Ripper nodded, then walked up next to the shocked player. "Don't worry, I'm only after the sword. Rumors say it's an S-Class weapon."
"Is...a damn weapon...really worth killing someone over?!" Solar asked in anger and anguish as he stared angrily at his brother's killer, who merely chuckled.
"You got some fire left in ya? Don't worry," Ripper readied his sword. "I'll make this quick and painless."
Quick? Solar thought. In that moment, he thought of all that his brother worked for, to ensure Solar's survival. "I'm not dying today, YOU BASTARD!" He roared through his tears, quickly picking up the sword Sora had dropped and slashing through Ripper in the blink of an eye.
In that moment, his brother's killer shattered. Blinded with rage, Solar looked up and around for the acquaintance. When he found that he ran away, Solar looked down at the sword. With a shaky hand, he appraised the weapon, and read it's info to himself. "Caliburn...an S-Class weapon..." With the sudden realization that Caliburn was the sword his brother wanted to show him, Solar collapsed to his knees."YOU BASTARD! WHY DID YOU DIE?! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE!" was all he could shout to the sky before breaking down, crying and mourning Sora's death. "You promised..." was the last thing he had whispered before letting his grief take over.
(x)
"For about a week after that, I was a shell. When I got back to the inn we were staying at, I didn't leave my room; I barely ate; I cried myself to sleep every night. At the end of that week, I got a gift in my inbox, and it auto-equipped itself on my wrists." To clarify, Solar held up his arms, where his black and red wristbands were visible. "Black was his favorite color; red was mine. He wore these all the time, to represent me and him. After that, I found the strength to keep going, and I left my room the next day. I was heading over to the next town, and on the way, I helped someone out by getting rid of a problem, helping her grind and reunite with her friend, being challenged by that same problem on that same day, and meeting two of my friends from the beta." Solar looked at everyone and wasn't surprised to see them crying silently. "Meeting you guys filled that void, since you're all a part of my family. And you should know that I'd go to hell and back for family."
"...We had no idea," Cupid said, sadness clear in her voice.
"You could've told us, y'know," Arctic said, not much better off than Cupid. "Trust me, I know how unhealthy it is to keep stuff like this to yourself."
Solar chuckled sadly. "Yeah, I know. Can I be honest with you?" After collective sounds of affirmation reached his ears, Solar smiled brightly and said, "I feel a lot better now. Thanks for listening, guys. I appreciate it." The only response was a group hug initiated by Skye and Akira, and followed by everyone else, which he returned. "Though I gotta ask: what the hell, Skye? What was that sword skill?"
"Well..." Skye blushed slightly once all eyes were on her. "It's a Unique Skill that I got because..."
"Because what?" Eros asked.
"Because I may have had over a hundred wins in a row, with no losses whatsoever since the start of the game."
"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted as the group hug broke apart.
"Yeah, one of the advantages of being a female fighter is that male fighters almost always underestimate you. I just used that to my advantage. Well, that and my maxed-out AGI."
"What's it called?" Cupid asked.
"Lightning Crash. Allows me to triple my speed so I can attack from three places at once."
"Huh. Neat," Solar responded before looking around. "Has anyone seen my sword?" Everyone looked around before noticing someone missing. "Has anyone seen Arctic?"
(x)
At Lindas...
"Liz, how fast can you get this fixed?" Arctic asked in a hurried and hushed tone as he teleported in front of, then walked into, Liz's smithy.
"Wait," Liz stopped Arctic before clearing her throat. "Welcome to Lisbeth's Smithy! How may I help you today?"
"I need something fixed, dammit!"
"Tone! And language!"
"FINE! I need something fixed for a friend, please." He said the last word through grit teeth bared in a forced smile.
"Much better!" Liz smiled humorously while motioning for her friend/customer to follow her to the counter. Once she got behind it, she placed her hands on the counter. "Show me the weapon." Arctic said nothing as he took out what appeared to be a sword wrapped in some cloth with a ribbon tied around it to keep it wrapped. Liz undid the ribbon and laid the sword out before inhaling sharply. "Is this...?"
"Infinity Blazer. Broken in half by my trusty 'married' blades." Arctic looked down at the sword, which was laying down on the cloth on Liz's counter in two pieces. "I need you to get this fixed before Solar finds out."
"What the hell happened anyway?!"
"There was a field boss that could steal weapons and―"
"Say no more. I'll go check and see if we have some red metal."
"It's best you take the sword with you." Liz complied and wrapped the sword back up before going to the back room.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Arctic turned around just in time to have Solar tackle him and start strangling him.
5 minutes later...
"I'm done!" Liz said cheerfully as she stepped out of the back room with the repaired sword wrapped in the cloth―only to lose her cheerful attitude when she saw the other Tri-Bladers trying, and failing, to get Solar off of Arctic, who was starting to turn blue, despite the fact that they were in a safe zone. "Guys?" No response. "HEY!"All eyes turned to the blacksmith and the now-repaired sword in her hand. Solar slammed Arctic's head into the floor one last time, prompting an "Ow" from the mercenary before jumping off and snatching the sword from Liz.
"I am never letting anyone whose name isn't Lisbeth touch you again!" Solar said in a relieved tone while cradling the sword.
"Isn't it weird how much he loves that sword?" Arctic whispered to Akira as he got up with her help.
"Yeah," Akira said out loud. "It's almost like he loves it more than he loves me."
(x)
Outside Lisbeth's Smithy...
As Solar apologized profusely to Akira, who was ignoring him but smiling at the same time, the other members were behind the group and chuckling at Solar's attempts. Arctic wrapped his arm around Skye, who leaned her head on his shoulder in response. The two smiled as they enjoyed their bliss―only for that bliss to be broken when Skye received a message. Adopting a sour face at their peace being disturbed, Skye answered the message―only to lose that look when she said, "It's Asuna." Everyone's attention immediately turned to the female player.
"What'd she say?" Eros asked as they stopped walking.
"She said, 'Come to Floor 22 NOW. We need your help with something.' We should go now," Skye stated as she looked up at everyone else.
"That reminds me," Arctic said as he put a hand to his chin in thought. "I don't think I ever got them a housewarming gift."
"We covered that," Akira said, a relieved smile on her friend's face as he realized he didn't have to go shopping for gifts.
"Meet you there!" the mercenary exclaimed as he and Skye swiftly teleported away, thanks to Arctic's Grey Star.
(x)
Floor 22: Kirito and Asuna's Home...
After they arrived (Arctic complained about how they took too long), Solar walked up and knocked on the door to Kirito and Asuna's house. As soon as Asuna opened the door, Arctic stretched and proceeded to walk in, despite the vice-commander's protests. "Morning, Asuna!" His voice rang through the house. When he walked into the main room of the house, he saw Kirito and said, "Morning Kirito. Morning, adorable little girl with Kirito's hair color." He froze, then quickly backtracked and knelt in front of the aforementioned girl. "Adorable little girl with Kirito's hair color?" Arctic whispered to himself as he observed her.
"Um..." Solar asked as he walked in (after politely asking Asuna). "Care to explain?"
"Her name is Yui. We found her passed out in the woods," Asuna explained.
"And you decided to bring her here?"
Meanwhile, Yui woke up when she felt a pair of foreign eyes on her. She stared back into the blue eyes as she asked, "Mommy, Daddy, who's the strange man that's staring at me?"
"Mommy? Daddy?" Akira asked incredulously.
"When she woke up, she told us her name, and we told her ours. She tried to pronounce them, but we told her to call us whatever she found easiest," Kirito clarified further as he walked up to his guests (sans Arctic).
"He's a close friend, Yui," Asuna called to the young girl.
Arctic smiled at her. When Skye caught a glimpse of it, she smiled too, a smile that grew when she saw Yui return the smile.
"Congratulations on getting married, you two!" Eros gushed once Asuna had said her two bits. The newly married couple blushed and gave their thanks to the performer.
"Oh!" Asuna said, facepalming. "Where are my manners? Does anyone want tea?" Asuna walked into the kitchen to make the tea once everyone had said "Yes," save for Kirito and Yui.
"Any more details you have to share about this?" Cupid asked, referring to the current situation with Yui. Meanwhile, Arctic chose to poke Yui's cheek, with the younger girl responding in kind.
"Well, that's about it," Kirito explained as he crossed his arms and observed Yui's (admittedly adorable) interaction with Arctic. The poke war slowly began escalating as the pokes exchanged between the two were becoming more frequent. "We're planning on going to the Town of Beginnings later to look for whoever may know her. We were wondering if you guys would help us out."
"Yeah, of course!" Akira gave her approval. "I just can't imagine what Yui's parents are going through, and I don't want that for anyone!"
"Count me in!" Cupid and Pearce added in.
"Us, too," Solar spoke up for the rest of his elites, all of whom nodded in confirmation, and started on the tea Asuna had given them when she came out of the kitchen and sat down next to Kirito.
"ARGH! SON OF A BITCH!"
Everyone turned to Arctic and Yui―and immediately decided to intervene because Yui had poked Arctic in the eye, and the injured player was damn near about to draw his sword on the little girl. Before he got the chance, however, six other hands fell on his once he touched the hilt. Yui giggled and taunted Arctic from behind Asuna as the latter stood in front of the former protectively. "LEMME AT HER!" Arctic repeated in a fit of rage with the others holding him back.
"She's just a kid!" Pearce shouted.
"THAT'S WHY I'LL MAKE IT QUICK!"
"Don't you DARE hurt my daughter!" Asuna crossed her arms and glared at Arctic. The former mercenary struggled for a few more minutes before inevitably giving up. Once they saw him give up, Skye and the others let him go. He knelt down so he was at Yui's level and glared at her.
"You got lucky this time, kid," he growled.
Yui got out from behind's Asuna's leg and poked Arctic on the nose while saying, "Boop."
Arctic took a deep breath, then exhaled in a slightly sad manner. "That's what my little sister does," he muttered.
"Does that make me your little sister?" Yui innocently asked.
"Whatever you want," Arctic waved her off while smiling.
"Yeah, Yui," Solar added in as support. "As far as we're concerned, you're a part of our family now."
"Yay!" Yui cheered.
"Sorry for trying to hurt you, by the way," Arctic said as he started to walk to the door.
"It's okay, Big Brother." Everyone stopped what they were doing, and stared at the innocent little girl incredulously.
"What...did you just call me...?" Arctic asked in surprise. Yui looked confused when she saw the shock on her "big brother's" face.
"You said I was your little sister," Yui said, titling her head in confusion.
"Oh," everyone collectively said, laughing at their own confusion.
"So we're going to the Town of Beginnings, then?" Arctic asked curiously.
"Not yet," Asuna said, pointing to the coffee table, where the Tri-Bladers' tea sat. "Drink," the vice commander commanded.
"Yes, Mom," Arctic spoke the one thought on the minds of him and his guild mates.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME!"
(x)
After finishing their tea, the Tri-Bladers left the home of Kirito and Asuna so they could start heading for the Town of Beginnings and meet the newlyweds there. Along the way, Skye shouted, "WAIT!" prompting everyone else to draw their weapons and prepare for an incoming threat. When they found there was none, they put away their weapons and gave Skye various death glares (all of which unfazed her). "We're heading to a civilian town; what're they gonna think if they see us in our battle dress?" After a moment of thought and realization, the Tri-Bladers agreed to change, with the girls going into the woods and the boys staying out of the woods. After changing into their civilian clothes (Pearce was wearing a green hoodie with dark blue jeans and dark-green sneakers, while Arctic was wearing a blue zip-up hoodie that he left uzipped to reveal a white shirt underneath with black jeans and black-and-blue sneakers), the boys waited for the girls.
Once they exited the woods, the girls (Skye was wearing a white-and-yellow dress with white boots, Cupid had on a pink t-shirt with a white skirt and red boots, and Eros wore a dark blue version of Cupid's outfit), regrouped with the boys, and they teleported to the Town of Beginnings via the Teleport Gate in the plaza on the Floor.
By the time they got there, the Tri-Bladers walked around the Town, hoping to ask some of the civilians about Yui. That goal would go unfulfilled as there was no one around. "That's strange," Arctic muttered. "I know from experience that it's much more lively than this." He froze when he heard a scream from the other side of town. "Guys, I heard a scream!"
"What?! Where?!" Solar asked as they all prepared to run.
"Thank God you didn't ask how. Follow me!" Arctic motioned for the others to follow him as he ran in a direction, with the others following behind him. He came to a stop in front of an alley, and winced when he heard the scream again, only much closer than before. "It came from over here!" Arctic said as he rushed in the alley.
(x)
"Jesus, how much farther?!" Pearce shouted as he ran with the others.
"This turn right...HERE!" Arctic slid into a stop, with the others following suit...except for Skye, who sped up at the last second to get there before the others; instead, she slipped and slid right into the wall, yelling, "SHIT!" as she did so.
Arctic and the others winced. "You okay, hon?!" Arctic shouted to his girlfriend.
"Yeah!" Skye shouted back.
"You mind if we go on without you?!"
"No!"
"You're the best!"
"Love you too!" Arctic and the others ran into the alley, leaving Skye to recover. Once they got to the source of the scream, what they saw shocked them to their very cores. The Tri-Bladers had walked in on Asuna beating up an army dude, while Kirito and Yui watched. "ASUNA!"
"Oh, hey guys," Asuna casually greeted them as the last army member got up and ran away from the crazy girl.
"You don't make a very good teen mom, y'know," Arctic said sardonically.
"How do you know I'm a teen?"
"How do I know you're not?"
"...Fair point."
"Do you lead a secret life that involves terrorizing the people of the Town of Beginnings?" Pearce interrupted as he watched the army troopers run away.
"No," Asuna said as she rolled her eyes. "The soldiers of the ALF in the Town of Beginnings are abusing their authority and forcing the townsfolk here to pay 'taxes'."
"Funny," Arctic growled. "Last time I was here, there was no 'tax'."
"There isn't. They were trying to get that poor lady and those kids over there to give up all of their equipment as 'payment'." Asuna gestured towards a bespectacled lady clad in a blue dress with a white collar, who was still standing protectively in front of several kids.
"It's okay, you're safe now," Arctic clarified.
"Says who?" the lady said cautiously.
Arctic sighed and said in an almost tired manner, "Says the Shadow of Sword Art Online." Immediately, all the kids that were hiding behind the woman rushed to the hero and crowded around the mercenary.
"Wow! Are you really Shadow?!" one of the kids eagerly asked.
"Yep."
"How do we know you're not lying?" another kid cautiously asked as she crossed her arms.
Arctic took out his Grey Star and held it in front of the kids, who stared at it in awe. "That's how."
"Wow!" The first boy who spoke took the star in his hands and gazed in awe at the mini supernova that was contained in the record crystal-like object. The other kids soon crowed around the boy and started talking excitedly to themselves.
Meanwhile, the others were talking to the lady in the blue dress. "Thank you so much for helping us," the lady expressed her gratitude to Asuna, who smiled and waved it off.
"It's fine. What's your name?" Asuna inquired.
"It's Sasha," the lady said. "I work as a supervisor and caretaker of the kids at the church."
"Did you say the church?" Arctic called suddenly after he took back his star.
"Yes, I did."
"The kids at the daycare relocated there after that fire way back in January, right?"
"I believe so."
Arctic broke into a grin. "Is Jacob still with you guys? He's a tiny kid with a black coat that's way too big for him. I visit him at the end of every month, as his parents have requested me to do."
"Yes, as a matter of fact. He's been very good. I'm sure he's dying to see you again," Sasha answered with a kind smile.
"What're we waiting for, then? Let's go!" Arctic's excitement was curbed, however, when Yui screamed and her eyes widened. Everyone stopped and stared at the girl. Arctic felt his world glitch, for lack of a better word, which stopped only when Yui fainted, being caught from hitting the ground by Asuna. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
"My god..." Kirito whispered. "Yui..."
"What was that?" Asuna asked quietly, a question that was spoken in everyone's minds.
(x)
The Next Day...
"There's so..." Kirito started as he looked around the daycare. "Many of them, huh?"
"Yeah, there are," Asuna answered.
"I know, right? It's like this pretty much every day," Sasha said as she watched some of the kids play with the Tri-Blade Alliance's elites. "By the way, is Yui feeling any better?" the daycare owner asked the married couple, turning to them and their "child."
"Well, she got a good night's sleep," Kirito responded, "so I think she's okay. I dunno, you tell me." The aforementioned child was focusing all her attention on a bread roll, so she didn't listen to the grown-ups.
"Has this ever happened to her before?"
"We have no idea," Asuna answered this time. "You see, we found her on Floor 22 wandering the forest. The poor thing, she's lost her memory."
"Oh..."
"That's the reason we came here," Asuna continued her explanation. She looked towards Yui, who was smiling with her eyes closed as she offered her mom the bread roll. "We thought maybe someone from the Town of Beginnings might know who she is," she finished, taking the bread roll and patting Yui on the head affectionately.
"You live here," Kirito said to Sasha. "Does she look familiar to you?"
"Sorry, I haven't. I mean, there are a lot of kids in town, but I've never seen her. When the game started, a lot of the children suffered severe psychological trauma. I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I moved into this church and made it a safe place for them to live. I walk through the town every day looking for kids like these; kids who need my help. But in all this time, I've never seen her before."
"Back to square one," Asuna muttered dejectedly.
The older players in the room were interrupted by a knocking on the doors of the church. "I'll get it!" Pearce called out as he removed his blindfold (the kids were playing a game with the archer where he had to wear a blindfold and guess what food he was holding based on its smell, feel, and taste in some cases). He opened the door and saw a woman wearing an iron-grey cloak, with silver hair tied back into a ponytail. "Um...hi."
"Sorry to bother you," the woman said as she bowed in respect. "I'm Yulier."
"Come in, don't be shy." Pearce gestured Yulier in, then called out, "Kirito! Asuna! Sasha! You have a visitor!"
"Thank you, Pearce!" Asuna called back as she, Sasha, and Kirito got up and walked over to Yulier. Asuna gave Yulier a quick once-over before crossing her arms and deducing, "You're with the Army, right? I hope you're not here to start trouble because of yesterday."
"You mean when you kicked those jerks' asses and we didn't see it?!" Arctic called.
"God no. In fact, I'm here to thank you," Yulier went on, ignoring the mercenary (who merely shrugged and went back to entertaining the kids with his Grey Star). The three currently talking to Sasha adopted expressions of shock. "You did right by putting those men in their place."
"Huh?" Kirito and Asuna simultaneously said as they looked at each other.
"This looks important, so I'm cutting in," Solar said as he walked up behind the trio (quartet, if you included Yui, who was holding onto Kirito's arm).
"Forgive me for being rude, but who are you?"
"I'm Solar," the aforementioned player held his hand out, which Yulier shook. "I'm the leader of the Tri-Blade Alliance."
"I see. I was going to ask these two a favor, but I suppose having some extra help wouldn't hurt."
"Slow down. What's the favor? What's your position in the army? Are we going to kill some things? Then we'll talk about whether or not I help you."
"Of course. Where can we talk?"
"There's a room where we can talk in private."
"May I?"
"Yes, of course."
(x)
"Remind me again why I'm down here?" Solar asked as he walked with Kirito, Asuna, Yulier, and Yui (who insisted on coming along) down the Blackiron Palace dungeon.
"Out of the kindness of your heart?" Asuna offered.
"Because you decided to cut in on our discussion with Yulier?" Kirito offered.
"Because my big brother isn't scared of anything?" Yui offered.
"Only two out of those three things are true," Solar retorted.
"Regardless," Yulier cut in, "thank you for helping me. All of you."
"No sweat. And if things go right back up, Arctic and the rest of my elites should have Kibaou removed from power."
"Again, thank you."
"I said if. No guarantee." The quintet stopped in front of a pathway that led to room full of Scavenge Toads. "Ew. Toads."
"I'll take care of it," Kirito offered as he handed Yui off to Asuna before rushing into the room, drawing both of his swords as he did. "RRRRAAAH!" Kirito yelled as he began hacking and slashing away at the toads.
As the quartet watched the beater take care of the toads, Solar looked around. "If we knew about this dungeon beforehand, we wouldn't be having this problem."
Asuna looked at Solar with a raised eyebrow, with her arms on Yui's shoulders as the child gleefully watched her dad kill the toad monsters. "What do you mean?"
"I would've had my guild take care of the monsters in this dugeon, and map it out as well." He smiled and went back to watching Kirito finish off the toads. "Of course, if this were our free day, we'd hire Shadow to get it done."
Asuna smiled as well and mimicked Solar's actions. "Yeah. He would've gotten it done."
"At least then we wouldn't have to deal with these..." Solar glanced at Yui. "...annoying monsters."
"That's the best you've got?"
"Trying to keep it kid-friendly." Solar paused. "Probably failed that on numerous occasions."
"Probably."
Kirito exhaled as he walked back to the group, stretching. "Man, I fought my butt off!"
"I should have helped you," Yulier said apologetically.
"No, not at all. I had a blast! Besides, they dropped some items."
"Really?" Asuna asked curiously. "Did you get anything good?" Kirito smiled and pulled up his menu, bringing out a toad leg. "Wh-whhat is that?!" Asuna asked in disgust.
"It's scavenged toad meat."
"You mean those frogs?!"
'Hey, the weirder the meat, the better the taste!" Kirito answered jovially. "Maybe you can cook it up later."
"NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" Asuna shouted as she snatched the meat from Kirito and chucked it away as far as she could.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kirito shouted in disbelief. "Oh come on, what'd you do that for?! Damn it!" Kirito pulled up his menu again. "Okay, fine! What am I gonna do with these?!" Kirito demanded, holding a large batch of the scavenged toad meat.
Solar, Yui and Yulier all watched as Asuna started throwing the meat away and shouting at Kirito, who started shouting back. "I wish they could save some for us," Solar said quietly to the child. "Your dad's right-that meat is good." While watching the lovers quarrel, Yulier laughed and smiled.
"You're smiling!" Everyone looked at Yui, who had a bright smile on her face as she pointed at Yulier. "I've never ever seen you smile before!" Yui had a happy blush on her face, never losing the innocently happy smile. Everyone's expressions immediately lightened.
"Come on," Asuna said as she took Yui's hand. "Let's go."
(x)
"Hey, a safe zone!" Solar said, pointing ahead.
"There's a player inside," Kirito said when he activated his Tracking skill.
"It's Thinker!" Yulier exclaimed, running to the safe zone.
"Hey, wait!"
"YULIER!" A voice shouted the player-in-question's name from the direction she was dashing to.
"THINKER!" Yulier shouted happily as she reached out to him. The three chased after the Army member, smiling as they reunited two lost souls.
"NO, STAY BACK!" The looks of triumph immediately turned to alarm. "THAT CORRIDOR'S RIGGED!" Right as Thinker said the last word, a monster started to appear next to the oblivious Yulier.
"YULIER, LOOK OUT!" Solar shouted as he tackled Yulier, a metal scythe striking where she once stood. The guild commander stopped the blade's advance by blocking it with his own. The walls adopted an astral look as a tattered cloak flew over their heads. Solar and Kirito readied their weapons and rushed in to fight the boss.
"Yulier." The aforementioned player looked over at Asuna as Yui was handed to her. "Take Yui and get to the safe zone."
"O-okay." Yulier placed her hands on Yui's shoulders and guided her to the safe zone, where Thinker also took refuge.
"Mommy..." Yui said as Yulier took her to the safe zone.
"Come on." Yulier stood by Thinker with Yui near the two.
Asuna drew Lambent Light and looked over to make sure that Yui was safe. Once she was certain, she ran forward and joined the guys in fighting the monster. She observed the monster in it's entirety; it was a giant hooded figure that was floating above the ground and wielded a scythe as huge as the monster itself was. What added to the creep factor was the fact that the monster's face was nothing but a skull. "If Arctic were here," Solar started as his eyes stayed fixated on the boss, "he'd equip Blood Rose and challenge this thing to a death match."
"Probably," Kirito seconded as he got ready to block an attack. The boss roared, and Asuna tensed. "Asuna," she turned to Kirito when he called her, "use a teleport crystal to get Yui and the others out of here now." He and Solar tensed when the boss raised its scythe. "I can't see its data with my ID skill. It could be as strong as something from Floor 90. We'll buy you time! Get everyone out of here!"
"There's no way I'm leaving you here!" Asuna protested.
"SHIT!" Solar yelled as he saw the scythe come down. He ran to block and parry it, but the boss swung its weapon at the last second and knocked him into the wall.
Kirito growled as he saw his friend go down. He looked back at Asuna. "We'll catch up! Move it!"
Asuna hesitated and looked back at Yui, Thinker, and Yulier. "Mommy..." Yui softly called to her.
Asuna smiled, then adopted a commanding expression and tone. "Take care of Yui! Run while you still have a chance!"
"Asuna!" Kirito looked over at her again.
"Don't...be...stupid!" Solar called as he got back to his feet slowly. "We'll teleport out when you guys are safe!"
"No! We can't leave-!" Yulier called.
"Hurry!" Asuna interrupted.
The boss slowly advanced towards Kirito (who was rejoined by Solar). Yulier brought out three teleport crystals and gave one to Thinker. They looked at Asuna, who nodded at them and gave them the go-ahead. After that, she ran ahead and joined Kirito and Solar, both of whom prepared to fight.
The boss raised its scythe high and swung it in an arc towards the three front-liners. Asuna brought her rapier in front of Kirito's swords, and Solar raised his sword in a defensive position. These methods proved to be ineffective, and they all screamed in pain as the boss sent them flying and crashing onto the ground, Solar having rolled away a couple extra feet since he took damage earlier.
"Ow..." Solar complained as he tried to get up, but failed. "That...really...fucking...hurt."
"You're telling me," Kirito complained as he staggered up, then fell to his knees.
"You shouldn't be talking! I took a hit for you earlier!"
"BOYS! FOCUS!" Asuna shouted when she got to her feet.
"YES, MA'AM!" The male players shouted back.
"Anything we should know, Kirito?" Solar asked, taking a defensive stance.
"I can't get a read on it," Kirito answered after a moment's silence. "As far I know, this boss could be all the way from Floor 90."
"You're kidding!" Solar sighed and got ready to charge. "Ah well, the best we can do right now is hit it till it dies. CHARGE!"
(x)
Yulier pulled out two teleport crystals and handed one to Thinker. Yui watched the fight in concern, then adopted a look of determination as she rushed forward. The couple gave sounds of alarm before they teleported without the girl. Solar grit his teeth and readied to attack again, despite his low HP...only to stop in his tracks when Yui stood in front of him. "YUI, NO! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!" His words fell on deaf ears as the monster swung at her.
The attack never hit.
Kirito looked up from the ground and saw a violet barrier over Yui, with a hexagonal shape of the corresponding color hovering over her.
"Immortal Object."
Flames surrounded the little girl and she jumped up high, bringing out a massive fire-sword as her clothes burned away to reveal her white dress. Without a sound, she swung the blade and sliced the monster lean in half, immediately disintegrating it. She looked towards the stunned players. "Mommy. Daddy. Big Brother. I remember now."
(x)
"Everything in Sword Art Online is created by a single, massive system. The system is called Cardinal. Its function is to regulate the balance of SAO according to its own discretion. Everything, from monsters and NPC AIs to drop rates for items and money, is controlled by this system, and that includes the psychological care of the players." Yui closed her eyes. "Mental Health Counseling Program, prototype 1. Code name: Yui." She opened her eyes again and smiled sadly at the three players. "That is who I am."
"Wait...You're a program?" Solar asked in shock.
"I was designed to put players at ease. That's why I was given the ability to emulate complicated emotions. Nothing about me is real...nothing." The young "girl" smiled again as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Not even these tears."
"But...what about your amnesia?" Asuna asked. "Can that even happen to an AI?"
"Two years ago, on the day of he official launch, Cardinal blocked me from interacting with and helping the players who were in distress. All I could do was monitor their mental states. Their situation, in a word, was horrible. Terror, despair, rage. All players were slowly being overcome by negative emotions. Especially..." Yui shuddered as a certain player came to mind. "Despite all that, I wasn't permitted to interact with any of them. Gradually, errors began to accrue within me, and I fell apart.
"Then, one day, I saw several players whose mental parameters were vastly different from all the rest. There was joy and peace."
"Who were these players, Yui?" Kirito asked curiously.
"You, Kirito and Asuna. And the Tri-Blade Alliance as well. Their 'elites' were some of the few to hold out hope that the game will be beaten. Well, except for their leader."
"Who, me?" Solar pointed a finger at himself in confusion. Yui smiled again and shook her head.
"Arctic. Since his first kill-and by extension, the death of his girlfriend Takano-he has been the epitome of negative emotions, and he was one of the players I needed to help the most. You, on the other hand," Yui gave Solar an admiring look, "never gave in to the darkness after your brother died. The both of you were alone when you lost your loved ones, especially when dealing with the grief. Your unique equipment personify your choices."
"You mean the Shadow Set and my wristbands?"
"Exactly. The two of you were given very similar opportunities to deal with your grief; yet your refusal of the Shadow Set and his acceptance of it showed how incredibly different you were. You chose to reject the darkness while Arctic accepted it. But you both ended up as heroes in the eyes of the civilians."
Solar bit his lower lip. "I'm no-"
"You are a hero, no matter what you say. Your actions and words throughout the two years of Sword Art Online clearly show that. I believe that it's possible that if you both chose the other options, you would end up following the same path the other did. You'd make a name as Sword Art Online's Shadow, and Arctic would make his name as the fearless leader of the Tri-Blade Alliance."
"You...seriously think that?"
"I know it." Yui smiled sadly as tears came to her eyes and she sniffled. "I wouldn't lie to my big brothers."
Solar smiled and hugged the girl tightly." Oh, Yui...Please don't go..." Solar sniffled as tears started to stream down his cheeks. He reluctantly broke the hug, and Yui stretched her arms out.
"I don't want to leave...Mommy! Daddy! Big Brother!"
Oh, Yui!" Asuna cried as she and Kirito hugged their child. "We don't want you to leave either!" Yui smiled sadly and hugged back as tears started to fall down from her eyes. When she inevitably shattered, Asuna cried, "NO!"
"Damn you, Kayaba! Cardinal!" Kirito shouted as he rushed to the console Yui sat on and began typing on the keyboard. "If I'm fast enough, maybe I can..." Kirito was cut off as a bright flash blew him back.
Solar and Asuna caught him before he cold hit the floor. "What did you just do?" Solar asked as tears streaked his face.
Kirito smiled slightly as he held up a tear-shaped object in his hand. "I converted Yui's data to my NerveGear. This is what's left of her." The item in his hand read, "Yui's Heart."
"That's good to hear." Solar smiled slightly and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Come on. Let's go back to the others. And guys?"
"Yeah?" Kirito and Asuna asked in unison.
"Can you keep a secret?"
(x)
"And that's what happened," Kirito said as he sat in a chair facing the others. They were back in the church, and were talking in an isolated room where the kids wouldn't be able to hear them. "Yui's gone, and that's all what's left of her." He pointed to the tear-shaped object Asuna wore as a pendant around her neck.
"Th-That's so..." Pearce started as he cried silently.
"Horrible," Eros finished as she sniffled.
"Guys, we're so sorry," Akira sobbed.
"She was taken back too soon," Skye wept.
"Is...there anything we can do?" Cupid asked as she cried.
"No, but thanks for offering, you guys," Asuna smiled lightly.
Arctic remained silent, but clearly wanted to say something. Solar glanced over at his silent brother-in-arms. "Something you want to say?" Solar asked.
"...Yeah, actually." Arctic sat up straight and looked Kirito dead in the eyes. "I get why you did it, but I don't get why you did it."
"Care to specify?" Kirito asked as he crossed his arms and stared Arctic down.
"I understand why you saved Yui, but you could've logged everyone out early. You could've ended this damn nightmare early."
"What're you implying?"
"I'm not implying anything. I just want to hear your reasoning."
"I'll put it this way: if you had to choose between your sister or all the players currently alive in SAO, who would you pick to save?"
"My sister," Arctic responded immediately.
"There you go. Place Yui in that situation and you'll see why I did it."
"..." Arctic remained silent for a few minutes. "I'm not saying that I particularly like your decision, but I'm supporting it all the way, as an understanding friend."
This time, it was Kirito's turn to go silent. Finally, he smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem. Something tells me you'd do the same for me."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that."
(x)
Next chapter...
"I don't see why not," Arctic shrugged as he hopped off of his favored branch. He looked around and smiled as he saw all of his allies training with each other. "You seeing this?"
"Yeah," the beater remarked as he crossed his arms and smiled when he saw what Arctic saw. "They could be using this time to relax, but they're training their hearts out."
"That's how you can tell they're bona-fide Tri-Bladers." Arctic shook his head. "Anyway, you wanted to duel me?"
"Yep." Kirito turned his attention back to Arctic. "The last time we had a duel was in the beta test, so I want to see how far we both came since then."
"Sure. The mercenary and the beater." Arctic smiled. "Dagger's going to have a field day with this."
(x)
A/N: This Friday, on October 6th, The Tri-Blade Alliance will be one year old!
S/N: *pops a party horn* Thank you guys so much for supporting us for one year now! We promise we'll try to upload more frequently, but no guarantees.
A/N: And as always, Read and Review!
S/N: Till next time!