A/N: So, I'm hoping that most of you stuck around and waited for this, and if you did, awesome! I hope you enjoy this incredibly overdue chapter, that once again does not include a cliffhanger!

Recovery

Three weeks had passed since Valm's Conqueror was dethroned. The Shepherds were back on the ships that would take them home, back to Ylisse. Sinon, Silica, Sachi, Yuuki and Aiko were excited to head to the country, as it would be their first time since their arrival in this world. Although, Kazuto thought as she heard Yuuki's cheery voice carrying over the deck, Zekken and the Dragon Tamer seemed to be the most vocal about it.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, appreciating the salty, fresh air that the ocean held, the wind caressing his wings softly as they headed towards the home of Chrom and his family. As he left his eyes shut, he thought back to the day before they had departed…

"People of Valm!" Say'ri said to the gathered crowd of civilians. "The Conqueror is no more, and we are once more a free people!" The crowd erupted into cheers, and Say'ri smiled at the sight of her beloved homeland, Chon'sin, free once more. The only pang of sadness in her heart was that Yen'fay was not there to see it happen.

Pushing aside the thought, she continued to speak from her podium. "But this was not done by the Resistance alone! No! We have help from beyond the seas, and even further, the heavens themselves!" The crowd began to murmur among themselves at her cryptic words, so she went on to say, "The ones from across the sea are the noble Ylisseans and the fierce Feroxi, who fought to save this land as if it were their own!" She indicated Chrom and Robin, who were standing beside the khans, with a dramatic flourish, prompting them to step forward and wave to the applauding crowd with grins on their faces. "Please, lend them your ears, my people!" And she stepped back.

When the crowd had settled down, Chrom said, "People of Chon'sin. The people of Ylisse owe you and your princess a great debt. Without her, we could not have defeated the Conqueror. Her courage and self-sacrifice is something that should be remembered for all time, something I will see to personally when we return to Ylisse. A statue will be erected in her honor in the capital of my homeland, and her legacy will be made known to all of my subjects." And he stepped back with the khans, his speech concluded.

Robin, however still had yet to speak, so he cleared his throat and said in the strongest voice he could muster, "While travelling through your land, we learned that your people chose to continue placing their faith in Naga, despite Walhart's decree." He paused for a moment to marshal his thoughts while the people in the crowd marveled at his knowledge of their culture. When he was ready, he added, "The Divine Dragon heard your prayer, people of Chon'sin! She graced us with warriors from above, warriors such as there have never been before!" He pointed up to the sky, and the people gasped at what they saw.

Kirito and the other warriors of Alfheim were all floating in the air on their wings. Every one of them were present, save for Yui, who was back in her room with Lissa. They all looked down at the citizens bellow with varying expressions, ranging of from open and friendly to quiet and reserved. Then, without any warning, they all shot off in different directions to land on various buildings and street areas, Kirito and Asuna making their landings next to Robin on either side of him.

Robin spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture to the two of them to show the people that they were not to be feared as he said, "Kirito and Asuna Kirigaya are two of the mightiest warriors I have ever met- and two of the kindest friends I've ever had." He smiled at the two of them as the flushed silently and he finished by saying, "If every warrior were like them, we'd have no need for armies."

"Well said indeed, Master Robin," Say'ri said as she stepped back up to the front of the podium. "Now, as thanks to your kinsman and all that you have done for us, we too shall erect statues in your honor. And in the hall where the names of our history's greatest warriors are recorded, so shall there be a place for Klein, who gave up everything so that we might all have a chance to live." Her declaration was met by looks of surprise from the Shepherds and respectful applauding from the audience, who had been made privy to the knowledge of Klein's death, and the circumstances behind it.

Truly, it was a good day to go home…

"Hey there," Suguha said as she walked up to her brother. "How are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you that," Kazuto grinned as he turned to face his sister. "I'm used to this kind of thing- well, more or less." He chuckled sheepishly and then continued, "But you've never had to deal with anything like this before- I mean, having your life in danger and all that. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," she giggled. "It's sweet of you to ask, though. Truth is…" She turned to look out over the ocean with a delighted smile as she said, "I used to wonder what it would be like, getting to fight side-by-side with in Sword Art Online. I never found that out, but I guess that this is a close second."

"How do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Mister Kikuoka told us that you were on the front lines from the beginning of the game," she explained. "At first I was so angry that you would risk your life like that, but as time went on, I started to admire you for it." She smiled at the memory of the day when she came to the realization that her brother was an amazing person, laying his life on the line so that others wouldn't have to. "Eventually, I realized that I was proud of you, but even more, that I didn't want you to do it alone. And I wished that I could have been there with you, fighting to keep you safe, you know?"

"I wasn't alone, though," Kazuto grinned. "I had Asuna and Klein to help me out."

"Okay, but I didn't know that," Suguha sighed. "I was worried about you."

"I know," he said with that gentle smile of his as he gave her a one-armed hug. "But all the same, I'm glad it was me and not you that got stuck in that game." Suguha was quiet for a moment, enjoying her time with Kazuto out on the open sea, and not a care in the world.

But then a thought stole into her mind like a thief, and she couldn't keep herself from asking, "How is Yui?"

At those words, Kazuto's eyes went from peaceful to dark and sad. "She's not doing so well," he replied. "She barely eats, and she's losing weight. I don't think she's sleeping, either."

"She's losing weight?" Suguha gasped. "But she was so small to begin with…"

"I know," Kazuto said heavily, and she saw his shoulders slump with the weight of worry. "That's why I came out here originally. I'm trying to figure out the right way to tell her that she did nothing wrong- that there are things that make all of this worth it. All the fear and pain… the loss…" His eyes clouded over briefly, but he went on to say, "I just don't know how to tell my little girl in a way that she'll understand."

Suguha was at a loss for words. Kazuto, the man that had destroyed Aincrad and its creator, the one that had saved the captives of Old Alfheim, defeater of Death Gun and now the Vanquisher of Walhart, was defeated by the fact that he could not bring himself to tell his daughter that her being forced to kill a man was not the wrong thing to do. She realized that he had never wanted to put in her in such a position- he had wanted her to stay pure, unstained by blood like him. She knew from talking to him and Sinon that not every bloodstain can be scrubbed out of your skin. And now he just wanted a way to wash the blood from the hands of his little girl.

That night, Sachi was plagued with doubts of her own. It was while the moon was at its zenith that she was standing on the prow of the ship, leaning on the railing while contemplating why in the world Naga had chosen to bring her back to life. All I've done since I came back is cause Kirito trouble, she thought. I made Asuna worry that I was going to try and steal her husband, I failed to take care Yui when it mattered… Do I really belong here?

"A good evening, is not, Lady Sachi?" a soft-spoken male voice said, startling her. She turned around to see Marth, Robin's son, standing in the moonlight with a solemn expression on his face. "I am sorry- I did not mean to startle you," he said as he moved to stand beside her.

"I-It's okay," she stammered. "I've always kind of been afraid of my own shadow, so it's not your fault. Just mine…" She sighed heavily, her eyes downcast.

"If I may say so, Lady Sachi…" Marth said while looking at her intently. "You seem to take much upon yourself without cause, something my mother had been known to do."

"What do you mean?" Sachi asked him.

"She sees all of the suffering around her as a result of her inability to prevent it, oftentimes even when it has nothing to do with the Grimleal or their master," he said quietly. "My grandfather and father have tried to tell her that she has done everything she could, more than what anyone could expect of her. Yet it is never enough for her."

"But, I mean, I can kind of understand why she would be so hard on herself…" Sachi said after a moment. "I mean, she's the princess of a very special bloodline, one that saved the world a bunch of times…"

"But before she is any of those things, she is human," Marth said patiently. "Just like you. You know, she only has a few years on you, Lady Sachi. Yet in that time, she has accomplished so much for her people. Just imagine what you could do if you pushed yourself, and stopped blaming yourself for things beyond your control."

"Me?" she protested. "What can I do?"

"You can do whatever you set your heart on doing," Marth replied simply. "If you truly want to become a person that you think Naga would think worth to restore to life, then strive towards that ideal."

"How?" Her voice was very small. "I'm not a warrior."

"Not all of the great people in history were warriors," Marth said simply. "Some were scholars, some were healers, and some were diplomats. Greatness is not always found on the battlefield- often it can be found in the simple things that so many of us overlook… The things we warriors are deaf and blind to."

"What do you mean?" Sachi asked, desperate to know how she could become someone great like Kirito and the elite Shepherds.

"I don't know," Marth said a trifle sadly. "It's something my Father told me back in my time, when I was just a small child. I have longed to know what he meant ever since, but I guess I'm too much like the exalt side of the family. I'm too blind to hear the meaning of his words, and too blind to see what it was that he was trying to tell me. But it's what he told me the day I decided that I wanted to be a warrior like the heroes of old… and like my mother, I suppose."

"But you're a great warrior, just like Chrom and all of them," Sachi said. "How can you be so doubting of yourself?"

"And you are one of the kindest people I have ever known, capable of putting people at ease with you in a way I have never been able to," Marth replied with a slight smile. "I admire that more than anyone's ability to swing a sword." Sachi's eyes widened and her face reddened a bit as she realized that he held her in as high a regard as she held him and the other fighters.

"See, I may not know what it is that my father wanted me to see or hear," Marth said. "But I do know that you possess a gift, Lady Sachi, and a rare one at that."

"J-Just call me Sachi," she stammered, embarrassed without really knowing why.

"As you wish," he said with a slight dip of his head. "I hope that I have been able to help you tonight. I'll take my leave now." As he turned to go, she caught him by the sleeve, but immediately drew back as if burned. "Mmm?" he said as he turned back around.

"Actually, d-do you mind staying out here for a b-bit longer to talk?" she asked shyly.

Marth simply smiled and stood beside her once again as he said, "Of course, Sachi. It would be my pleasure."

Kazuto sighed silently as he looked in the doorway to his and Asuna's cabin aboard the ship. Yui was asleep in Asuna's arms, the young girl cradled by her mother. His daughter was finally getting much-needed rest, and for that, he knew he should be grateful. But the only thing he could focus on was how pale and weak she looked.

She was even more fragile than when he had first found her in the forest of floor twenty-two of Sword Art Online, and the sight was going to either drive him mad or break his heart, he wasn't sure which would happen first. Or maybe both would occur at the same time, and he'd wind up as a shell of his former self. He sighed again and turned to walk out the room, deciding that he needed another walk to try and clear his dark thoughts.

He was surprised when he ran into Shino, for it was late in the evening, and everyone but the watch was supposed to be asleep. "Trouble sleeping?" she asked as she noticed him approaching without a word.

"Yui finally seems to be getting some rest with Asuna, so I didn't want to jump in and disrupt that," he replied. "What about you? Still having nightmares?"

Shino grinned wryly and answered, "You know me too well, Kirito."

"Part of being your friend," he replied with slight grin. "Need to talk about it?"

"Nah, not tonight, but I appreciate it," she answered. "What about you? Need to get something off your chest?"

"Where would I start?" he half-joked. "I'm really worried about Yui of course, and I blame myself for letting her get put in the position she did. But I feel like the worst part is that I'm trying to figure out a way to justify to her what happened, which I know I shouldn't."

"Do you need me to talk to her?" Shino asked seriously, surprising Kazuto. "If anyone can understand what's going through her head right now, it would be me, and you know it."

"Well, yeah, but…" he hesitated.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's just that I'm the only one you talk to about that day and what it did to you," he said. "Would you really be okay with talking to her about it?"

"If she's your daughter, I think my secrets will be safe," Shino smiled gently. "Believe me, I'm not too hyped up about the idea of talking to anyone about what happened, but if she needs someone that understands what's going through her head, I can be that person. And who knows? Maybe she'll help put things in a new light for me, too."

"She does do that from time to time," Kazuto smiled a bit.

"Let me know when she wakes up tomorrow, okay?" Shino said. "I'll go for a fly with her, if she's up for it."

"Just be careful, okay?" Kazuto said after considering it for a moment. "If she gets too weak to fly, I don't want to have her falling into the ocean."

"Kirito, I promise that she'll be safe with me," Shino said as she extended her fist. "I'll protect her, no matter what. And besides, it's not like we're heading towards a battle or anything."

"Famous last words," Kazuto said, but he couldn't stop a slight smile from breaking through again. "All right, I'll let you take her flying tomorrow. Just don't push her too hard." And he bumped fists with his friend, the promise sealed.

Maybe, just maybe, Shino could set Yui on a path to recovery, he thought.

Yuuki: Aw! What a sweet chapter! So much bonding happening!

Aiko: Yeah, seems like Mataras wanted to let things slow down a little bit before he gets to the Grima arc. He also seemed to be setting up a new ship to sail...

Yuuki: Which one?

Aiko: Well, if you don't know which one it is, go back and pay closer attention!

Yuuki: I did pay attention!

Aiko: No you didn't!

Yuuki: Yeah-huh!

Aiko: Nu-uh!

Yuuki: Yeah-huh!

Aiko: Nu-uh!

Mataras: This is going nowhere fast...