Weeks ago

On the beachhouse porch stands a male around 182 centimeters - about six feet - but that's not height she's been used to her entire life. As kids, he only stood half a head taller than her and his growth spurt didn't proceed until his days in SAO. In the virtual world, however, he consistently stands at 175 centimeters == about three inches shorter - which is much closer to their childhood ratio of height. Being only 163 centimeters - five inches shorter - she prefers this difference rather than reality. It makes glaring at him much easier.

As much as she wishes for those carefree days again, they're memories of the past. Time had changed them while they were apart. Time brought them together again, and time repeated the cycle for a short while. Ever since the Death Gun incident last winter, they have remained together. She doesn't seek to repeat the cycle anymore. But time isn't like her Draque L Shamai submachine gun. She can't control when it fire its shots, when it reloads its magazine, and repeats.

The only cycle she could manage were her feelings.

When they lived in America, Joshua and Momiji were close neighbors. Their parents were well off, so they lived on the nice side of town and went to the same great school. But it would be a chance incident in elementary school that'd make them friends. He defended a friend of hers from a couple jerks, but he couldn't go unpunished. For his actions, just as they were, he got off with the lenient task of classroom duties after school alone. He did it without argument; the other option was detention.

Feeling grateful that he stood up for the victim and possibly saved Momiji from getting hurt too, she helped him out as repayment. Then they went home together for the first time. The next morning, she forced him to walk with her to school, then lunch with her. That cycle repeated for six years until they were preteens, and her sister, given a great honor to attend college in Kyoto, took her entire family to Japan. At that time, her childish thoughts about spending forever with him were maturing.

It was snipped in the bud until three years ago, when his family moved to Japan as his father took greater involvement in the family business. However, they'd make their home Tokyo, and whenever his parents came to Kyoto, he remained behind. For two of the last three years, he remained in Tokyo, and she didn't have the guts to go see her beloved childhood friend.

At least that was the story told to Momiji, but last year, the truth shocked her: While she lucked out on her parents stopping her from playing Sword Art Online, Joshua wasn't so lucky. He spent those horrible two years as a member of the Assault Team. Then, before last August, he spent a lot of time in Alfheim Online. It explained how he was so skillful in Gun Gale Online despite never playing the game, how he quickly surpassed her in short time. True, he cheated by hiding his coverted stats, and she hated him for leaving her behind, but after what they went through the night of the third Battle of Bullets, she couldn't let him go anymore.

At first, it was wrong: he had a girlfriend, a girl he met in SAO. He carried emotional baggage from the death of his partner in the same game. Momiji had the worst hand dealt in the game of romance: childhood friend. How many of those girls win in the end? Not many. Light novels, manga, and novels mostly reward the first girl to appear with significance to the story to the main character. The childhood friend either appears second as the main character walks home from school, or they pop up in the of the season after being gone for years. Much like Momiji, ironically, because that's the class that always lose.

Until last month, that is. His relationship ended, and whether Momiji knew it or not, her and Joshua slowly got closer in the meantime. They were living together since spring began, so that helped, but it lead to multiple more-than-friends-less-than-lovers moments including a bet between them. Whoever ranked lower in the third BoB would owe the higher-ranked player a favor, and Momiji asked for a real-world date. It lead to some awkwardness in the following days, but eventually they got over it enough

Fortunately, Joshua is, if anything, was agreeable to a date regardless of who won or loss. Loser has to fork the bill...and while Momiji's family is not wanting for money, it irks her that she might have to spend money on the bottomless bank account that is the heir to one of Japan's leaders in technology, RoboTelligence.

And now, on the eve of that battle, she joins him out on the deck of his family's beachhouse. He stares out to the sunset alone, and she feels conflicted to tear him away from the moment. She tightens the white towel around her waist covering her bare legs and bottom half of her pink and white bikini, then opens the sliding door and leans against the frame. "After a day filled with adventure and excitement, the hero watches over the land, saying goodbye to the sun and welcoming the moon that follows." He turns to her, surprised to see her there. She smirks and joins him on the deck. "Why are you here all alone?"

"I really don't know, to tell you truthfully. I think there's just something about watching the sunset. We did it many times at school. In SAO, I would stand or sit on hills and bridges to watch it. It carried over to ALO and GGO for no good reason...guess its a habit of camping outside of towns so many times."

"Hmm. Remember when we went on that camping trip as kids. You hated being outside that long."

"Heh, then just imagined my unhappiness when we got to the third floor. No human town in sight and Kirito was adamant about starting the quest with Kizmel, so the four of us had to camp with the elves. So fun." I turn my back to the sun, instead looking at the girl beside me. "I'm sorry if what they said yesterday was a bit much."

Yesterday, Joshua and Koharu had encountered a few of his comrades from SAO beyond his friend group. While talking to them, they said that she's fulfilling the role that they watched his former partner claim. "But it is true?"

"I... I don't know about the present, but in the past... Yeah, it was. What I had with Koharu, you can see it now with Kazuto and Asuna. They aren't just in love, their bond extends to life and death, and I've seen it. Asuna threw herself in front of Heathcliff to save Kazuto, Kazuto went to Yggdrasil to save Asuna from that creep and fought to regain her memories not too long ago. Yes, I had that with Koharu, but it died with her. Rika, for as good she was, it just wasn't...there. Never thought I'd find it again, not a ton of chances to die out there in VR anymore."

"Then maybe you should stop looking for it," Momiji says.

He chuckles. "Oddly enough, I made that decision after I said goodbye to Koharu. I don't really feel it anymore, the regret and the longing. My war is over, I guess. Not sure what to do next."

Momiji glances at the fading sun. It has been weeks since Joshua formally said goodbye to his partner, Koharu. Not her in reality, but a avatar of her copied from her data. The Seed Nexus retains some data from SAO, being it was created by Akihiko Kayaba, so it manifested as Koharu in GGO a couple of weeks back. She would degrade soon enough, but it was enough time for Jaoshua to close old wounds.

Well, one old wound. The second wound is his ex-girlfriend. Their breakup was less than ideal but not dirty enough to splinter their friend group. In Momiji's eyes, it's like being on thin ice but nothing has broken yet. And...as much as Momiji hates to admit it, there's a truth that Joshua is ignoring. "Maybe you should patch things up with Rika. It is clear as the sky that she still loves you, and I bet you haven't fully let go yet either. She may not have been the girl you wanted in some regards, but she has been there for you more than anyone else."

"...And what about you?"

"Oh, the bet is still on, but... Yesterday made me realize that, no matter what, you and I will always be at each other's side. That is what I was afraid of back in December after everything, that in my unrighteous anger you'll rightfully leave me this time. But you didn't. We rebuilt our friendship, heck I saved your skin a few times. My feelings are present, sure, but... I'll be fine." A lie. She knows it. He knows it. But it is the right thing to do, yeah? Rika broke up with Joshua over his actions during the OS Incident and her own guilt towards the dead Koharu. Momiji doesn't want to bear similar guilt, or worse, have Joshua bear it.

That's why he isn't fighting her. He knows it himself. "Another sunset creates a beautiful scenery... But the time still isn't right."

"You remember that moment in the wasteland, I shouldn't be surprised. But yeah, the moment still isn't right. Maybe it will be one day, maybe it won't... But you got more important things to worry about, right? Like that project with Rath."

"I can't wait to see what is being developed. I get to dive in for a full week, get the gears rolling maybe fool around myself. They're calling it the Underworld, most likely to keep with the stupid references to Alice in Wonderland."

"Sounds...wonderful." Sighing, Momiji scoots closer to Joshua, placing her somewhat wet brown hair on the shoulder of his black shirt. She may feel guilty over some things, but if anything, she's not planning on being the childhood friend who loses. She'll win in a manner more honorable than taking a dude who hasn't had closer of some sorts. As his arm comes around her, she makes a silent code to herself.

Even if time decides to repeat the cycle to drive her and Joshua apart, she will not be left behind a third time. She will remain by his side, whether in the station she is now or as the one she desires.

"But..." Joshua swallows his words, speaking slowly as he faces the horizon. "Before the moment is right... I have to tell you what happened. The truth behind the truth, of my story with Laughing Coffin."

One week ago

She couldn't have expected this. Like him, she thought the war in his life was over, but she should have expected time to repeat the cycle.

In Sword Art Online, the Jaymes, Kirito, Asuna, and the Assault Team had two nemesis: SAO itself, of course, as the game was designed to kill them; and a orange guild of player-killers called Laughing Coffin. Ever since Kirito was called a beater in the aftermath of the first boss fight, Laughing Coffin was set on plunging Aincrad into further darkness, even if it meant killing other players. If the Assault Team was hope, they were despair. History, however, would write hope as the winners, but despair made its mark.

One of the goals of Laughing Coffin was to turn the Assault Team into murderers themselves, and they did that well enough. In August two years ago, the Assault Team raided the orange guild's base. Of the thirty casualties, twenty were from Laughing Coffin. A quarter of them were killed by Jaymes alone, while a couple were slain by Kirito. While Kirito would deal with the consequences during the Death Gun incident, Jaymes would never forget and regret his actions. Avenging Koharu was the purpose, not mindless killing, so he didn't kill anyone until they were persistent in protecting the man who killed Koharu...and then the man went after Lisbeth.

But after Death Gun, which turned out to be a team of brothers, one a former member of Laughing Coffin, Momiji believed the terror of the guild was behind them. Sure, there are cult followings around the Seed Nexus - Crimson Squad is currently dealing with a annoying group of PKers - but until today, she never thought the snake would rear its ugly head again.

Then Johnny Black injected poison into Kazuto, the same kind used the previous December by the brothers, and had not medical professions acted quick, Kazuto would have died.

Right now, he's in recovery, comatic as his brain suffered damage from oxygen deprivation. Asuna, Suguha, and Suguha's mom are still inside the hospital, but as Momiji came to the premises, she spotted Joshua sitting alone by a fountain. Being the middle of the night, he must be tired, but exhaustion is not the aura she senses as she approaches him. What lies before her is a boy who has once again been sentenced to suffer heartache at the hands of Laughing Coffin.

She felt his pain. She owes Kirito and the others her life for what they did to save her and Joshua last winter. She owes the SAO Survivors, particularly Kazuto, Asuna, and Rika, a greater debt for protecting Joshua the past two years. In short time, she felt as if she's become one of them, even if she's closer to her compatriots in GGO. If Kazuto had died, she would have been choked up by now.

For a silent moment, she comforted him with her presence. By the way she laid and hugged on him and how he held her, onlookers would believe he's comforting her, not the other way around. Then when he was ready to talk, he told her what happened. His meeting with Shino, Kazuto, and Asuna, how he recieved a call from Asuna after dropping Shino at home, and everything that's transpired since.

"Had I offered them a ride...this wouldn't have happened."

"You couldn't have known this would happen."

"...Still... I couldn't look Sugu in the eye. My fault or not, I never even offered them a ride. Imagine if either one were alone, I'd... I can't lose Kazuto. I can't lose him. I don't want Asuna to know the pain I will forever bear, the pain we all bear because of Koharu. It has to work... The STL is our only hope."

Momiji frowns. "The Soul Translator... What are you planning?"

"Kikuoka and I...are going to use it to save Kazuto. But that's a secret, okay?"

"Asuna and Suguha..."

"Think he's being transferred to a hospital better suited for him. Yes, I'm keeping it a secret, and I know this will bite me in the ass later. But for now... Please keep it a secret, Momiji."

"Okay. Got it."

"...I'll never forgive Laughing Coffin." Rage replaces Joshua's despair as his finally lifts his head, glaring angrily at the moon. "If I ever encounter another, be it the real world or the virtual, I'll make them pay for all they've done. I swear that to myself that I won't rest until I put that nightmare to rest."

A week later, she'll meet Joshua again as they participate in the third Squad Jam with Llenn, Pitohui, Fuka, and M. His physical body is somewhere on a research facility in the Pacific Ocean called the Ocean Turtle, and Kazuto sleeps somewhere nearby. Unbeknownst to Joshua, Asuna had finally found them, not that Momiji confessed. She's just resourceful.

But even as the days passed, the murderous glare in Joshua's eyes, stamped in her brain, did not pass. She believed it would fade with time...so she couldn't have expected that it would return in the most unlikely situation...the true Squad Jam III.