Mataras: Heh... Hehe... Hah! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Kirito: Uh...

Asuna: I think he finally lost it.

Robin: Yeah, doesn't he know that this par is supposed to go at the end of the chapter...?

Mataras: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Sinon: Okay, that's enough.

*whack!

Mataras: Ow, hey!

Asuna: Pull it together and tell us what's so funny.

Mataras: Oh right, sure. Umm... How to put this...

Kirito: C'mon man, don't leave us hanging!

Mataras: Someone called me a Gary Stu.

Sinon: Pffft... Heh.

Asuna: Haha.

Kirito: Hehehehe...

All: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Asuna: Oh, that is hilarious! You, a Gary Stu?

Sinon: he's too much of a jerk to be a Gary Stu!

Kirito: And he's not even as strong as Yui! HA!

Mataras: I know, right?!

Robin, Okay, I thought you had just gone crazy there for a minute, but now that I know what's going on, that's pretty hilarious.

Mataras: Ah... Oh, that was too funny.

Reader: Start the chapter already!

Mataras: All right! Geez... Roll film!

A Lady's Guard

A week had passed since the battle against Priam and his men, and things on the ship were relatively quiet. The only real disturbance came about when Gaius had found out that his candy stash was running low, and he started having something akin to a panic attack. He ran around muttering gibberish to anyone that came within earshot of him, and after a couple of hours of this, it was grating on Chrom's nerves.

"Can someone shut him up?" he muttered as the orange-haired thief walked away from him.

"That's what happens when he runs out of sugar?" Argo snorted. "You all had me thinking something worse was gonna go down."

"He hasn't run out yet," Robin sighed. "This isn't even close to what comes after he actually runs out."

"Why doesn't he just ration his supply?" Kirito asked. It was him, the leaders of the Shepherds, Asuna, and Argo leaning on the railing of their ship.

"I don't know," Robin shrugged. "Maybe it's like his opium- you can't suddenly decrease your intake without having some kind of repercussion."

"At least we're stopping at an inhabited island soon," Chrom sighed. "Hopefully they have a market where we can purchase some sweets for him."

"Want me to scout the place?" Kirito asked his captain. "I'm itching for something to do. It's been pretty quiet, and no one's been in the mood for a sparring match lately. Not even Lon'qu."

"Are you actually wanting something to do, or are you just avoiding Mataras?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kid tried to kill me," Kirito said sourly. "Sorry if I'm not exactly comfortable being around him."

"Heh, he's interesting to talk to, if nothing else," Argo grinned. "Hardly ever smiles, though. And when he does, it's only for Yui. He adores that little girl."

"I'm still not sure assigning her to guard him was the best idea…" Asuna frowned as she looked over at Chrom and Robin. She was referring to the fact that although Mataras had been allowed to accompany them, he was being kept under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

The blue-haired man shrugged and said, "She was the only one that seemed to want to do it. And he stays pretty calm with her around, so it seemed like a good idea."

"If you say so," she sighed. "I still can't believe that our kid could turn out so messed up…"

"He's not ours," Kirito scowled.

"That's like saying that Morgan and Marth aren't my children," Robin frowned. "I mean, granted their problems are pretty different, and Mataras' might be more severe, hard as that is to believe, but that's no reason to disown him."

"Your kids didn't try to kill you when they first came to this timeline," Kirito said with a little heat.

"Maybe, but the fact that they didn't recognize their mother stung more than a little," Robin tossed back. "Like I said-"

"Look, Robin, you're a good friend and all that, but this is something that Kirito need to deal with on our own," Asuna interjected sadly. "And to be honest, I'm not sure that we can really even call Mataras our son…"

"Then you can't claim me as your daughter," a small voice said, startling the group. The adults all turned to see Yui floating on her wings next to Mataras, whose gaze was set like flint.

"Yui, what are you-"

"Onii-chan has more of a claim to being your son than I do being your daughter," she said bitterly, interrupting Asuna. Her face was clearly angry more than anything, but there was also great sadness there. "At least he shares your blood. I can't even claim that much."

"Yui, how we feel about Mataras has nothing to do with-"

"Yes, it does," the Black Spirit snapped.

"You're not involved in this," Kirito scowled.

"I'm feeling pretty involved," the boy shot back angrily. "You may not want to be my parents, but I still want to be Yui's brother. And if you're so wrapped up in your disappointment that you can't see that you're hurting her, you're not fit to be parents in the first place."

"Brother, please stop," Yui said as she placed a calming hand on his shoulder, keeping him from advancing on Kirito. She wiped at her eyes as she said, "You're hurting them, too."

He scowled deeply, but said nothing in response, earning him a raised eyebrow from Chrom and Robin. Can Yui really calm him down like that? Robin wondered. Or is he just putting on a show?

"Yui, come here, please," Asuna said while she reached out a slender hand. "I think you've been on guard duty long enough. I'll take over if you-"

"No," Yui sniffed as she shook her head adamantly. "You won't give him a chance like I have- not yet, anyway. You're too mad about him hurting Daddy."

"And she has a right to be," Kirito said as he returned Mataras' scowl. "He's crazy and dangerous, Yui. Who knows whether or not what he's told you is the truth?"

"I can just tell- the same way I knew that Yulier was telling the truth about Thinker back in Old Aincrad," Yui answered. "You trusted me then- why not now?"

"Because this is much different!" Kirito said, aghast that his daughter was even taking a side in this conflict. "He's-"

"He's my little brother," she said quietly. "I have to protect him since you won't, Daddy."

"Protect him from what?!" Kirito asked wildly.

"From whatever could hurt him," she said solemnly, her gray eyes reflecting the same seriousness of the Black Swordsman's for a moment. "And that includes you, Daddy. I love you, but I love him, too. And I can't just stand by while you hurt him like this."

"He doesn't care what I think!" Kirito growled. "Yui, what are you-"

"Is that what he said, or what his actions say?" Yui sniffed, still wiping at her eyes.

"Honey, his actions have shown that he's in an unstable mind frame right now," Asuna said, trying to be more reasonable than her husband. "I want to believe him, but it might take time to-"

"Yer majester!" Donnel's voice called out. "We got trouble!"

"What is it, Donny?" Robin asked as the youth came running up, looking out of breath.

"Lady Cordelia says that the island ahead's got trouble stirrin' up!" he responded sharply. "Nasty cult-lookin' folks are sizing up a li'l village! Miss Cynthia went ahead to scout while Miss Cordelia came back."

"What do their defenses look like?" Mataras asked, hovering a few feet closer.

Donnel looked up at him with surprise for a second before looking back at Robin with a question in his eyes. "Er…"

"It's okay, Donny, I would have asked the same thing," Robin said.

"You, stay out of Shepherd business," Kirito snapped. Mataras simply raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit as he fell quiet.

"They only got two fighters, sir," Donnel told Robin. "Lady Cordelia said it's a real li'l place. The fighters are a big man with an axe and a lady with a hammer. They look real tough, but I dunno how long they can hold off them Grimleal." Asuna, Argo, and Kirito all jerked with surprise at the second part of Donnel's report.

"Wait, the man with an axe and the girl with the hammer," Kirito said quickly. "Was the man dark-skinned?"

"Yeah," Donnel nodded immediately. "Wait, how'd ya know?"

For the first time in a few days, Kirito smiled broadly. "I think things just took a turn for the better," he said.

"That's gotta be Agil and Liz!" Asuna said excitedly.

"Wait, you mean the Mountain-Slayer?" Mataras asked with a cocked head. "Sir Agil, the Thunder Lion?"

"The what-now?" Argo asked him.

Mataras shrugged in response. "In my future, he was known by many names, and his reputation with an axe was said to frighten even the Risen."

"Hey, I told you to butt out," Kirito said while pointing down the deck of the ship.

"Bite me," Mataras shot back.

"Brother…" Yui said a bit tersely.

"Hey, I've got an idea," he muttered in response. "How about instead of arguing over whether or not I should be here, we focus on saving a helpless village?"

"We?" Chrom looked at him sharply. "You're not cleared for combat with us, kid."

"Hey, your highness?" Mataras said, his expression going flat. "All of you?" Everyone hesitantly turned to give him their full attention. When he was sure he had it, he sucker-punched Kirito in the gut hard enough to send him sprawling on the deck.

"What the hell?!" Asuna shouted as her own white wings flashed open. Yui just looked at him in shock, at a loss for words. What was he up to?!

"Catch me if you think you can!" he grinned evilly. Before Yui could stop him, he shot off at maximum velocity, a shockwave left in his wake.

"Get… back here…" Kirito groaned. "Damn him… Got me in the same spot as last time."

"I'll get him," Yui said as she prepared to take off after him.

"I'm going with you," Asuna said as she floated beside her daughter. "Argo, look after Kirito, okay? And send the others after us- no telling what Mataras is planning."

"It'll cost ya," she smirked as the pair flew off after the crazed paradox child.

Andrew scowled at the slow-moving group that was approaching from the mountainside. "I don't like this," he muttered. "Those guys are givin' me a bad vibe."

"Yeah, and the lady in the infirmary was acting extra-skittish," his comrade, Rika, said with a frown of her own. "Think that they had something to do with her condition?"

"I dunno," Andrew shrugged as he unlimbered his double-sided axe from his back. "All I know is, if they wanna throw down, my axe skills are still in good practice."

"How's that axe, by the way?" Lisbeth asked.

"Not bad, but I miss my SAO gear, ya know?" he answered.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Lisbeth nodded. "Sucks not actually knowing how to make weapons after all that time I spent developing the skill to forge them."

Andrew looked like he was about to say more, but then a new element entered the picture. "Cynthia the Heroic is here, no need to fear!" a young, cheery voice called down just before a young girl riding a pegasus dropped out of the sky to land in front of the two surprised fighters.

"Uh… What?" Rika blinked.

"Hi!" the young girl waved energetically. "I'm Cynthia, and I'm here to help out with those bad guys over there." She pointed at the advancing figures, all of which were dressed in red and black robes.

"Wait, you're with them?" Andrew cocked his head.

"No, uh, I meant that I'm here to fight them," Cynthia shook her head and reddened a bit. "Geez that came out wrong…"

"Well…" Rika cocked head with worry at the teenager. "Aren't you kinda young to be fighting creeps like them?"

"Nope!" she grinned. "Been doing it most of my life!" Rika blinked in surprise at her cheery disposition, despite the circumstances facing her.

"Wow…" she murmured.

"What's up?" Cynthia asked.

"Nothing, just… feeling nostalgic," she said as she shook her head.

"Huh?" the other girl wondered.

"Don't worry about it," Andrew shook his head. "My name' Agil. You got any pals that can help us, kid?"

"Oh yeah!" Cynthia nodded. She pointed out to sea and said, "See that ship?" When they nodded that they could, she said, "My dad and his friends are on it, and they're coming soon to help."

"Hey, am I the only one seeing this?" Rika blinked in surprise. "Or are there people flying towards us… on wings?"

"I see 'em too," Andrew said. "And somethin' about 'em seems familiar…"

"They should," a young voice said from behind them. When the trio turned around, however, there was no one there. "Up here." Their gazes went up to a rooftop, whereupon Rika's jaw dropped and Andrew's eyes widened considerably. Standing atop the roof was a boy dressed in black with long, dark hair that covered part of his face. He was armed with a single sword that was strapped over his left shoulder, and a set of black Spriggan wings that floated gently in the breeze. He raised a finger to his brow and gave them a small salute as he said, "Good past noon to you."

"K-Kirito?" Rika asked in shock. He looked very different than when they had last met, she thought, but there were a number of similarities that made it unmistakable that it was him. The way he carried himself, the sword on his back, the jet-black hair, the dark eyes and small mouth-

"Sorry to disappoint, but the Black Swordsman isn't here yet," the boy shook his head. "For now, I'll serve as his representative."

"Representative?!" Cynthia sputtered. "You're supposed to be confined to your room! This is insubordination!"

"Oh?" Mataras smirked. "I wasn't aware that I was confined to quarters anymore. As long as I have a supervisor from the Shepherd's ranks, I'm free to go where I please. Looks like you just landed guard duty, Cynthia."

"You-!"

"Hey, what's goin' on here?!" Andrew demanded. "We got creepy cult guys comin' at us, a Spriggan that looks like Kirito, and a girl flyin' around on a pegasus! What the heel is all this?!"

"Uh…" I think we might be able to explain," said a familiar, feminine voice. They all turned to see Asuna descending with Yui in tow. The little girl immediately flew over to Mataras' side and began speaking a low voice into his ear. While he nodded his understanding, Asuna turned to Rika and smiled a bit. "Hey, Liz," she said as she held open her arms. Long time no see, huh?"

"Asuna!" the girl cried happily as she went in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Hey, not to be that guy, but can we have the reunion later?" Andrew said as he pointed at the advancing cultists. "I think we're about to have some trouble."

"Actually, trouble's coming to them!" a cheery voice called down. Yuuki and Aiko landed beside their comrades, whereupon Andrew and Rika's eyes widened even more. "Heya there, Agil!" Yuuki waved. "How's it goin', Liz?"

"Wha-?" Rika gasped. "Aren't you-"

"We were, but, long story," Aiko waved aside the matter. "Right now we need to focus on those guys over there." She pointed her sword at the Grimleals. "Why are they here?"

"Last time they came, it was just three of 'em," Andrew said, deciding to hold off on his questions for later. "They tried to take a lady from the village. She's a real sweetheart, but it seems like she's got some kind of disability where she can barely talk. She also doesn't seem to remember much of anything, long-term or short."

"That's awful," Yui said sadly.

"Yeah, but get this," Rika said as she glowered at the advancing group. "We think that those guys might've done it to her."

"How do you know that?" Asuna asked.

"We don't," Andrew shrugged. "It's just a hunch based on some of the things she's said over the last few weeks we've been here."

"Time to put the discussion on hold," Mataras said sternly. Everyone looked up at him, expecting a condescending look to be on his face, but instead, his eyes were focused on the advancing group. His jaw was locked and his body tense. "We need to focus on preventing them from getting their hands on their sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?!" Rika squeaked.

"It's not uncommon for those thugs to offer maidens up to their god as an offering," Mataras growled as he unsheathed his sword. "Lady Yuuki, are the others coming?"

"Right here," said Kirito who shot a glare at Mataras. "You're lucky that this happening right now, or I'd have you court-martialed for what you did."

"Hah!" Mataras scoffed. "Can't handle some tough love, old man?"

"Rrrgh…" Kirito ground his teeth.

"Hey!" Rika waved excitedly. "Kirito! It's good to see-"

"Not now, Liz," he said sternly, stunning her and most of his friends. "It's been one hell of a week. We'll do the reunion after we've dealt with this."

"Sir Agil! Lady Lisbeth!" an elderly voice called out from behind them. "The young woman is- GAH!" He took one look at the floating fairies of Aincrad and Alfheim and threw his hands up in fear.

"Don't worry about them, they're friends of ours," Andrew said as he placed a huge hand on the old man's shoulder. "They're here to help us defend the place."

"A-Are you sure?" he asked in a quavering voice. "Th-That one looks like a demon!" He pointed a shaking finger at Mataras, who shrugged in response. "Eh, I've been called worse. Besides, old-timer," he grinned as he jerked a thumb at Yui. "If I'm a demon, then here's your guardian angel."

"Hello," Yui said as she floated down gently on white wings. "We don't want to hurt you, sir. We want to help."

"Oh…" he said, immediately put at ease by her innocent charm. "Well, if that's the case…" He turned to look at Andrew with renewed panic. "The lady has disappeared! She's gone from her room without a trace, sir!"

"What?!" Rika cried. "Why would she do that?!"

"Perhaps to lead her captors away from us?" the old man surmised.

"Seems like somthin' she'd do," Andrew sighed.

"All right, guys!" Kirito called out to gather his comrade's attention. "We need to split up into two teams- one to find this lady, and one to fight off the Grimleal."

"I'll go try to find the lady," Leafa volunteered, her bluish hair swaying in the wind as she rose up on green wings. "I'm the fastest flyer, so I can cover more ground."

"I'm going with you!" Silica said. "Pina is following with the other Shepherds, but she'll be here soon, and she can help us search."

"Okay, anyone else?" Kirito asked.

"Me!" Cynthia grinned. "I can see it now- a heroic rescue from above!"

"Um… I'm not much good in a fight yet, so I'll go search with them," Sachi said quietly.

"Okay, just be careful," the Black Swordsman said after a brief moment. "Everyone else- standard battle positions! We're sending these creeps packing!"

"Be on the lookout for a young woman with long blonde hair that walks with a limp," the elder called up to the four volunteers. "If you're not certain it's her, look for a strange mark on her forehead- it looks like a horseshoe with a teardrop in the middle."

Kirito frowned at that for a moment- that sounded very familiar, though he wasn't sure why. However, he knew he had more important matters to attend to, so he refocused on the enemy advancement. "All right, you know your jobs," he called out. "Chrom and Robin will be here in half an hour at the latest, and he's sending other flyers ahead of him. They'll be here any moment. Our objective is to defend the village at all costs and-"

"Great strategy meeting, can we fight now?" Mataras muttered impatiently.

"If you want to charge in there without a plan of attack, be my guest," Kirito shot back.

"I do have a plan- attack," the black-winged boy said as he shot up into the sky.

"Wait for me!" Yui called out a she followed him.

"Yui, no!" Kirito shouted as he started to go after them- only to be stopped by Asuna grabbing his ankle with surprising force to pull him back down. "Asuna, wha-?"

"She'll be fine," she promised him as she placed a cool hand on his cheek. "He'll protect her, no matter what."

"How do you know?" he asked, looking back up at the sky, where he could see dark energy beginning to gather. Whether it was the Grimleal or Mataras, he couldn't tell yet.

"The same way I knew that you would beat SAO," Asuna smiled at her husband. "I don't. I just have to have faith in him."

Kirito stared into his wife's chestnut eyes for a long, long moment before he sighed and said, "All right guys, let's get moving. Keep those creeps away from here and don't let anyone get hurt if you can help it."

"You heard the man," Andrew said to the village elder. "Get inside until we've taken care of those clowns."

"So, what's up with the wings?" Rika asked Asuna as she drew her rapier.

"We'll tell you later," Asuna answered. "And we'll even get you your own."

"Awesome," Rika nodded as she hefted her mace. "Good to see you back in action… Lightning Flash." She winked at her best friend, who smiled back at her.

"We have come for one girl," a nasally voice called from the ranks of the red-robed men. "Stand aside, and no one else has too get hurt. We will even overlook the fact that you killed three of our own in a gesture of good faith!"

"Go to hell, all of you!" Mataras roared from above. "Rend!" Darkness shot forth, causing the assembled cultists to scatter.

"Iyadi!" Yui called out, and a burst of light exploded in the midst of the biggest cluster of crimson robes.

"Shepherds, attack!" Kirito roared.

Somewhere, among the trees of the island, a pair of pale green eyes stared out at the conflict. She knew not why, but seeing such ferocity in battle made her heart ache, and tears sprung to her eyes, blurring her vision. She clumsily wiped them away as she turned from the carnage.

Why…? She thought. Hurt… I bring… hurt… to the kind people… Tears still flowing, she resumed her journey to get away from the conflict.

During the midst of the battle, Chrom and the others finally arrived in time to meet Agil and Lisbeth, both of whom were standing back from the battle, as they were ill-equipped to fight mages and the like, and there were very few close-quarters soldiers in the ranks of their enemies. "Hello," Chrom said in a friendly manner as he approached the pair. "I take it that you know the warriors of Aincrad?" The rest of the Shepherds moved to join the fight as Robin and Chrom spoke to the potential recruits.

"Knew 'em?" Andrew chuckled. "We used to run with 'em."

"Would you like to do so again?" Robin said as he reached inside his jacket and held out a pair of green marbles. "Eat of these, and you will be restore in power like your friends."

"We swallow this, and just like that, we're fairies again?" Rika asked.

"More or less," Robin shrugged as he continued to hold out the marbles. After only a moment's hesitation, each of the Sword Art Online survivors took a marble and popped it in their mouths, swallowing them like a medicine. It took a few seconds, but then their wings appeared- massive brown ones for Agil, and sturdy gray ones for Lisbeth.

"Aw yeah!" Lisbeth grinned as she flexed her lean muscles. "I feel so much lighter now!"

"Now this is more like it," Agil grinned.

"Care to show what you're capable of?" Robin asked as he drew his thunder tome.

"All hell's yeah!" Lisbeth cackled. "Creepy cult guys, here we come!" And she and Robin charged off to join Lucina and her twin children, who were fighting side-by-side.

Agil, however, noticed something about Chrom, and he stopped him before he could charge ahead with the others. "Hey man, what's that on your shoulder?" he asked with a slight frown.

"This?" Chrom said as he moved his Brand into a better light so Agil could see. "This is the Brand of the Exalt- it's a sacred mark exclusive only to my family."

"Wait, what?" Agil's eyes widened. "But… Then who was she?"

"Who was who?" Chrom asked, very confused.

"The blond lady we were tryin' to protect had a mark just like that one," Agil said.

Chrom froze, even as his mind began to race. It can't be… he thought as he paled.

"Hey man, are you okay?" Agil asked. "Is she related to you, maybe?"

"Th-That woman…" Chrom said with a shaking voice. "What was her name?"

"Dunno, she was never able to tell us," Agil answered. "Her mind's kinda… far off. She can't talk real well, and she can't seem to remember much."

"Her eyes, though!" Chrom almost shouted. "What color were they?!"

"Uh, green," Agil said with a slight frown. "Are you okay? You look like you're seein' a ghost."

"I might be," Chrom said heavily, his sword nearly falling from his grip. Could it be…? "Emm?" he whispered.

A/N: So as you might have figured out from above, I'm doing the chapter format in reverse today. Why? I felt like it.

Gotta say... Biological depression sucks. Sorry it takes so long for these chapters, guys, but I've been in a real slum for a few weeks now. It's hard enough just to get myself to go to work, much less write like I want to... Apologies, but know that I am still doing my best to put out chapters that meet your expectations. That is something that won't ever stop.

Until next time, be well.