December 25th, 2023

After over a year trapped in the Steel Castle Aincrad, there were times he could hardly remember he'd ever had another name. That once, he'd fled as far and as fast as he could from the art of the blade. That he'd ever been anyone besides Kirito, the Black Swordsman.

Sometimes, though, he was still painfully reminded of the socially-inept otaku sleeping beneath the Swordmaster's shell. The aftermath of defeating Nicholas the Renegade was one of those times.

Sachi had calmed, at least, by the time Kirito and Kizmel arrived with her at the room Klein had more or less ordered them to stay in at Fuurinkazan's guildhall. No longer sobbing incoherently, even the signs that she had done so at all had been wiped from her face by the physics of the virtual world. Even still, Kirito didn't think he'd seen such a look on someone's face since the day the Black Cats had fallen.

All he could do was remain silent as the two girls sat on one of the room's futons. He wanted to say something, anything, to help, but this wasn't a battle he knew how to fight.

All I've ever done in this kind of situation is run away, he thought morosely, dropping wearily onto his own futon. Monsters I can fight. This… dammit, I hate feeling this helpless…

They all needed sleep, but none of them made any other move to turn in, instead sitting up in a long, deep silence. Finally, though, it was Sachi whose voice first broke that quiet. "It was a stupid idea, wasn't it," she whispered. "Bringing back the dead… it was crazy of me even to hope."

"Not crazy, I think," Kizmel demurred, putting an arm across the girl's shoulders. "Unlikely, certainly—but if you humans are anything like my people, it's only natural to reach for such a hope, however slim. I know if I had heard of such a thing after my sister fell, I would have fought for it just as fiercely. As it was…"

Kirito winced internally. He remembered, not long after they met, her admission she might have been hoping to die in the battle in which he and Asuna had intervened. Whether that had been part of the initial scripting their actions had apparently broken that day, it wasn't a thought he liked very much. Less now than ever.

"…I've thought about that, too, once or twice," Sachi admitted, looking down at the floor. "But I can't do that. I've lost so many myself in this world; I can't bear the idea of my family having to live with that… or my friends." She smiled; a twisted, bittersweet expression. "Maybe it's just as well that I know for sure, now, that we can't bring anyone back. I took too many risks, chasing that dream."

"There is something to be said for closure," Kizmel agreed. "I would dearly love to have Tilnel back—but I would rather move on, with my friends, than be chained to an empty hope. As much as I've lost, I still have much to live for."

Sachi stared at the floor for a long minute more, before taking a deep, sighing breath. "You're right," she said softly. "I didn't get what I was looking for… but maybe it was worth it to try, anyway. If Keita ever talks to me again, I can tell him that much. And we did at least get something out of it." She raised her head, looking at Kirito. "Are you sure you're okay with leaving the Stone with us? It was only because of your help that we could even find it…"

He raised his hands, shaking his head. "Fuurinkazan is more likely to need it than we are," he told her. "We're just a pair, and we're careful—and anything that does get one of us is likely to get both of us, anyway."

And, Kirito didn't, couldn't, say aloud, I don't even know if it would work on Kizmel. If I needed to try, and it didn't… He couldn't even finish the thought.

Before he could dwell on that too long, anyway, Kizmel cleared her throat. "Kirito is right, Sachi. Besides," she added with a small smile, "I believe we have enough trouble with Guildmaster Lind as it is. No need to take possession of yet another rare artifact and attract yet more attention."

To Kirito's surprise, Sachi actually laughed at that. Briefly, but she did, and afterward she even had a weak smile of her own. "Fair enough," she admitted. "You two do seem to have some kind of history with the DDA. Is there some reason that Lind guy doesn't like you?"

"Long story," Kirito said, waving a hand. "It goes back to Illfang, actually—I don't think he still blames me for that one, but who knows—but it boils down to him still wanting to be in charge of the clearing group, and, well…"

"Kirito doesn't play well with others," Kizmel said dryly. "Present company excepted, thankfully." Her face sobered. "I'll tell you the full story later, Sachi; perhaps at the festival. In the meantime, we had all best get some rest. …Are you going to be all right?"

There was another long silence. "I think so," Sachi said at length, looking down at the floor again. "Maybe not yet, but… I do feel better than I did earlier. At least I won't be wondering anymore. Or taking crazy chances looking."

Kirito found himself nodding at that, as the girls turned to getting ready for bed. It's a good thing we were involved. Taking on something like Nicholas solo… that's too crazy even for me. Some risks are just too dangerous, even for a "Beater" like me—

"Wait, Kizmel, Kirito's still here—"

He looked up at Sachi's protest, just in time to see Kizmel bringing up her menu. A very brief moment of confusion followed—then he whipped his head around to face the wall, barely an instant before very familiar chimes and swishing sounds filled the room.

Face aflame, Kirito busied himself for a few moments uneqipping his boots, coat, and sword; just enough to make sleep comfortable, without leaving himself dangerously exposed. Only when he heard blankets shift did he dare even glance back toward his roommates.

Tucked into her futon, her face bright red, Sachi refused to look in his direction at all. Next to her, wearing a teasing smile and her usual thin nightgown, Kizmel chuckled. "I trust him, Sachi. I know he'll not do anything I would object to."

Dragging blankets over her head, Sachi mumbled, "There's more than one way to take that, you know!"

I'll say! And if Argo were here, she'd really let us have it! Worse, knowing his partner's sense of humor, it was all too likely she knew exactly how it could be taken. I know you keep saying you've got nothing to hide from me, but this is a bit much!

Realizing from the look on Kizmel's face that his eyes were starting to stray dangerously low, Kirito hurriedly rolled to face the wall again. She was probably just trying to break the tension, he thought, pulling up his own blankets. It's hard to be gloomy after that! But still… you're lucky it's just me, Kizmel. What would you have done if I did take it the wrong way?

Thank goodness for the anti-harassment code. Knowing he didn't need to worry about some possibilities was probably the only thing that let him get to sleep.

"Rovia: prettiest town in the first ten floors, and the biggest pain to get around. If there were more bridges, I'd be really tempted to move the guildhall down here."

"Don't even think it, Leader. We're not cut out to be boatmen."

"Says the pirate!"

"Hey, I said if, guys, take it easy…"

Sachi chuckled at the byplay, and Kizmel hid a sigh of relief at the sound. As the combined group of Fuurinkazan and solos made their way from the Teleport Plaza of Rovia toward a dock at the far end of town, the former Black Cat was still obviously subdued, but still far better off than she'd been before.

Better, really, than when we began preparing for last night's battle, Kizmel thought, keeping a surreptitious eye on the other girl. Last night was painful… but necessary, I think. We all needed the chance to put that fool's hope to rest.

With that behind them, the elf could properly appreciate the celebration to come, as well as their current surroundings. She hadn't seen much of the canal city Rovia when first she'd fought alongside Kirito on the Fourth Floor; the conflict with the Forest Elves, as well as the battle with the Pillar Guardian, had taken all her time with her human friends then.

Klein was right: it truly was a beautiful place, in its own way. The canals were unlike anything she'd seen in other human settlements, and if there were few Swordmasters these days plying the gondolas along them, there were still many humans born of Aincrad going about their business.

Of course, there were still a fair number of Swordmaster gondolas around, waiting for the return of their owners. With the size of their group, in fact, Fuurinkazan had arranged to rent a large one from an enterprising Swordmaster who'd started a unique business of it. Kizmel would honestly have preferred to take the boat her human friends owned, named as it was for her own sister, but practical concerns prevailed.

A small price to pay, in any case. At the least, the company will be—

"There you are! I hope one of you, at least, has a good explanation for this? I do have duties in the guild, you know!"

Waiting for them at the pier was the final member of the group heading for Yofel Castle, whether she knew it yet or not. Probably not, Kizmel thought with some amusement, seeing the look of exasperation Asuna wore along with her white and red KoB uniform. I suppose Guildmaster Heathcliff left it to us to explain.

From the look on his face, Kirito had realized the same thing, and was not as amused as the elf was. "Ah, Asuna," he began, rubbing the back of his head nervously, "actually…"

"Actually, what?" Asuna prompted, hands on her hips. "Guildmaster Heathcliff told me to take the day off and come here, but he wouldn't tell me why! Some of us are busy even on holidays, Kirito-kun, so there'd better be a good reason—"

"Aw, take it easy, Aa-chan!" Pushing past a bemused Klein, Argo came to the fore of the group, a mischievous grin on her face. "It's Christmas, an' we're having a party. And Kii-bou told me about last year, so don't worry: this year, the cake's not a lie!"

Taken aback, Asuna blinked in obvious confusion. Feeling much the same, Kizmel shot a quick glance at Kirito, but her partner only shrugged, clearly just as baffled—the collective groan quickly brought her attention to Fuurinkazan, though, most of whom were demonstrating remarkable coordination in covering their faces.

Unfazed, Argo waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know, that meme was old when we were kids, you don't gotta say it, Klein… Forget it, Aa-chan. Look, we're going to a festival at Yofel Castle, this time there's gonna be a Christmas cake, and Kii-bou and Kii-chan didn't wanna do this without you."

"I did kinda screw it up last year," Kirito said sheepishly, glancing away. "So… I wanted to do it right, this time."

Asuna looked at him for a long moment, glanced quickly at Kizmel, then finally sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, fine. I guess I can take one day off… and it's as good a time as any to get you and Kizmel-chan up to speed about a couple things, anyway." Before Kizmel could question that ominous remark, the other girl looked past them at Fuurinkazan. "Would someone introduce me, please? I recognize Sachi-chan, of course…"

"Ah, right." Kirito coughed into his hand, then swept it out to gesture at the guild. "This is Fuurinkazan, led by Klein. I've known them off and on since the start, and they're the ones who took in Sachi after… Well, you know that story. Klein, everyone, this is Asuna, Vice-Commander of the Knights of Blood."

Some of the irritation finally faded from Asuna's demeanor, and she bowed formally. "A pleasure to meet you all. Kirito-kun's mentioned you a couple of times, Klein-san… Er, Klein-san?"

For a moment, Kizmel was as puzzled as Asuna by Klein's immobility; he hadn't so much as twitched since the Knight had come into view. Then, catching Kirito's resigned expression, she remembered where she'd seen that reaction before, and had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Just as Asuna was starting to look concerned, Klein snapped to attention, bowed stiffly, and said, "Hello, Asuna-sama! Klein, twenty-three, single, looking for—"

Kirito and Argo struck him lightly on either side of his head, turning his formal introduction into a flailing stumble, only barely caught by Dynamm. "Don't mind him," the Rat advised, rolling her eyes. "That's how Klein greets every girl he thinks might be old enough. Gonna get him ganked one of these days, ya ask me…"

"He's a good guy, though," Kirito said hastily. "Even if he's a little—well, strange—ack!"

Yanking him back by his collar, Klein glared at him. "Do you always have to hit me?! Give a guy a break once in a while, you—"

Asuna stared at the byplay, glanced at Argo's obvious mirth, and finally turned her gaze on Kizmel again. "Well?" she said pointedly.

"Kirito is right, Klein is a good man," Kizmel assured her, unable to restrain a smile of her own. "And his guild is as reliable as they come. Truly, Asuna, do you believe we'd take them to Yofel Castle if they were any less?"

"No… no, I suppose not." Finally, even Asuna began to smile, just a little. "All right, I admit I could probably use the laugh. Things have been a little tense lately…" Turning back to the still-squabbling group, she raised her voice. "If you people are quite done, let's go. And I'm holding you to that cake, Kirito-kun."

Asuna's in one of her moods, it sounds like she's got news I'm not gonna like, and I'm stuck playing gondolier. I hope the festival goes better than this.

Not that Kirito was exactly unfamiliar with guiding a gondola around the Fourth Floor's canals and rivers, but it had been almost a year. Worse, the gondola he was steering now was of the largest size available, and filled to capacity at that; Tilnel, his and Asuna's old boat, had only carried two plus the gondolier. This one just wasn't as nimble as he was used to.

He really hoped nobody noticed how he almost rammed them into an NPC gondola on the way out of town.

"So what is the news you have for us, Asuna?" Kizmel asked from near the front of the gondola, as they slipped from Rovia's canals into the river leading to the southern end of the floor. "Has something happened since we were last on the frontline?"

Asuna had been leaning against one side of the gondola, idly watching the fish—and not-fish—pass by them. Now she glanced up, started to speak; paused when she remembered the other players aboard. After a moment of obvious thought, she sighed. "I suppose everyone here should know, under the circumstances. Though maybe we should discuss this privately, Klein-san…?"

Klein shook his head. "Now that's not ominous at all… Give it to us straight, Asuna-san, anything you can say to me, I want my guild to know."

Heh. That's Klein for you, Kirito thought, allowing himself a small, bitter smile. A real leader… we sure could use him on the frontlines. Heck, he probably should have the Baneblade… but he's too much a samurai, he'd never take it. Unfortunately.

The KoB vice-commander gave Klein a thoughtful look, then turned it on the other members of Fuurinkazan. Whatever she saw apparently satisfied her; probably, Kirito suspected, spotting Sachi was the clincher. If anyone outside the clearers knew how to handle bad news, it was the former Black Cat.

"All right, then," Asuna said finally. Shifting in her seat to get a better look at the group as a whole, she continued, "The first thing you should probably know is that the DDA is… a bit out of sorts, right now. I don't know what happened last night, but it's got all of them snapping at anybody they see. I actually think Lind is trying to keep a lid on it, but you know what his people are like."

"Yes," Kizmel agreed, shaking her head with a sigh. "They're not as fractious as Kibaou's group, but Guildmaster Lind does seem to have… difficulties with his leadership."

"This time, it's our fault, too." Klein rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the deck. "They were after the same item we were, last night. We got there first, and he lost the duel."

Asuna turned so sharply the gondola rocked. "A duel?! What duel?!" she demanded. "You fought a duel with Lind?!"

"Hey, easy there!" Kirito protested, fighting with the oar to get the gondola back on course. With an effort, thanking whatever higher power might be listening that he'd put so many points into his strength stat, he managed to avoid a collision with a canyon wall.

Barely. Swearing under his breath, he promised himself that if anyone did rock the boat enough to cause an accident, he'd make sure they were the ones who paid the repair fee.

When it had settled, Kizmel cleared her throat. "Technically, I was the one who fought Guildmaster Lind," she said. "Klein dueled with another Dragon Knight, Orochi. Trial by combat was the means agreed upon to determine whether or not the Dragon Knights would be allowed to interfere in the battle Kirito and Fuurinkazan were engaged in."

"A battle… you mean a boss battle?" Asuna looked from one to another through narrowed eyes. "All right, you'd better give it to me from the top. What exactly happened last night?"

The explanation took up about half the trip down the river, interrupted as it was by Klein needing to fend off a Crocoshark that tried to take a bite out of the boat in the middle. He and Kizmel took turns explaining the details of the duel—still omitting, Kirito noticed, the exact details of Kizmel's discussion with Lind—while the other members of Fuurinkazan handled the battle with Nicholas the Renegade.

Much of that was from Kirito himself, in between trying not to capsize them. Sachi may have been recovering from her depression, but she still seemed to be in no fit state to talk about the incident to others, or what had led up to it.

At the end of it, Asuna slumped back in her seat. "Well, that explains that," she said wearily. "The DDA doesn't like losing at the best of times, and with a revival item in the mix… I won't ask what you're going to do with it now—the last thing the clearing group needs is another debate about what to do with a rare item—but I'll tell you it explains a lot about why the DDA is acting like that this morning."

"I heard he'd lost a guy," Klein murmured, rubbing his goatee. "I know I'd take that personally. Maybe it'll die down once word gets out that the Stone doesn't work if you're not right there? Well, once we figure out a way to get the word out without people coming after us for it…"

"I'm workin' on that, big guy," Argo put in. Up to then, she'd been to all appearances asleep against the side of the gondola; knowing her, though, Kirito wasn't very surprised to see her fully alert now. "It's gonna be in my next guide, from one of my 'anonymous sources'; everybody knows mine are good." For once there was no humor on her whiskered face, despite the boast. "But I dunno how much good that's gonna do. Right, Aa-chan?"

"She's right," Asuna confirmed unhappily. "I'm not at all sure the DDA will believe it, except maybe Lind. And whether they do or not, there's going to be a lot of interest in finding more of those Stones. Even if they do only work within ten seconds, right now people will take what they can get." She huffed, looking torn between irritation and worry. "And it's stupid! It wouldn't help with what's going on right now, anyway!"

Kirito felt a chill, and from the collective looks of most of the passengers, he wasn't the only one. Worse, he had a pretty good idea of why. Fuurinkazan, he suspected, didn't—but they were about to, if he was right. "What is going on, Asuna?" he asked, afraid he knew the answer.

"Naga isn't the only victim of a direct PK anymore," Asuna said bluntly. "Well, you and Kizmel-chan probably already knew that, after what happened to you two on the Thirty-Seventh Floor, but… it's getting worse. Ten mid-level players have been murdered in the last month—and that's just the ones we know were PKed. There are a few more we suspect, but without witnesses, we can't be sure."

Klein said something Kirito personally thought any sane MMO would've censored, but he couldn't disagree. He'd known it was bad—Argo had kept him and Kizmel updated, and hadn't even charged for that information—yet he hadn't realized it was quite that bad. Ten murders in a month, at least, in a game everyone knew killed players for real…

No. It's even worse than that. "Witnesses?" he began, only to cut himself off and focus on steering when he realized he was about to run them into a sizable log.

"Pretty sure it means just what you think it does, Kirito-kun," Asuna said grimly. From the look on her face, she wanted to take out her rapier right then and there and go hunting. "The PKers wanted them to live. Otherwise they would never have gotten away."

"PoH," Kizmel said flatly. From her, the name sounded like a curse as vile as Klein's.

"It sounds like it, from what you two told us about him." Asuna's hand clenched on the hilt of her sword, before she visibly forced it to relax. "Which is what I meant that trying for more of those Stones is stupid. These people wouldn't give anyone a chance to use one anyway. Anybody who tried to stick around to use it would just be killed, too."

There was a long silence as the group as a whole digested the grim news. Sachi in particular, Kirito noticed, looked ill. It was Klein, though, that broke the gathering tension. "…Damn," he whispered, with the tone of someone who couldn't find an adequate obscenity. "That's just… Who does somethin' like that, knowing what's at stake here?"

"I don't think we want to know, Leader," Dynamm said, a distant look in his eyes. "That kind of mindset we're better off not understanding, you ask me." After a long moment of staring at something only he could see, he shook himself. "Well, suddenly I'm glad we're making this trip. Thanks for the warning, Asuna-san. We'll be careful."

Asuna inclined her head. "For what it's worth, I don't expect Fuurinkazan to be targeted," she said. "I won't ask, but it looks like you're all close to clearer level? So far, they've only gone after weaker players. Well, except for Kirito-kun and Kizmel-chan, but that was different… As Vice-Commander of the KoB, however, I would ask you to pass it on to any lower-level players you do know."

"Done," Klein said at once. "Sounds like we'll be fine, yeah, but I know a few… But that's for later." He gestured out at the river; Kirito had just guided them around a bend, and now fog was starting to envelop them. "Looks like we're almost at our destination, and I, for one, don't wanna spoil a perfectly good party!"

The Knight might've had something to say about that, but they burst out of the fog before she could. All eyes immediately went to the island in the center of the lake they'd just entered—and the castle built atop it, flying the crossed horn and scimitar flag of the Dark Elves of Lyusula.

Slowly, taking care not to rock the gondola too much, Kizmel stood up, a small smile on her face. "There it is, my friends: Yofel Castle, demesne of Viscount Leyshren Zed Yofilis." She caught Kirito's eye, then glanced to Asuna and Sachi, and her smile grew. "Allow us to show you a proper Yule Festival!"

After the gloomy conversation on the river trip, Klein had to admit Yofel Castle made for a really good distraction. He'd never even known the place was there; the quests Fuurinkazan had taken on when they'd come to the Fourth Floor the first time hadn't brought them within sight of the lake at the southern edge. So he hadn't really known what to expect, when Kirito invited them along.

Damn, but those elves have got style, he thought, whistling long and low at the sight. Isolated on an island, built of gleaming white stone, it was both large and elegant—bigger than he'd thought, he realized as Kirito brought the gondola in close to Yofel Castle's long pier. They sure put a lot of effort into this place… just what was that questline like, anyway?

"Here's our stop," Kirito announced, bringing the boat to a careful halt. "Whatever you do, don't tie that line, we'll have to swim back if you do… Everybody off, and follow our lead."

Torn between awe at the snow-covered fortress and amusement at his buddy's attitude, Klein motioned for Fuurinkazan to follow him off the boat and onto the pier—as ordered, letting the cocky solo, his partner, and the celebrity fencer go first. They were the ones who were flagged to have access, after all. Besides, it gave the rest of them time to gawk.

"You ever been here before, Sachi-chan?" he asked quietly, eyeing the two halberd-wielding elves guarding the heavy metal gates. "Hell of a place they've got…" Klein trailed off, remembering belatedly the only time the girl had traveled with Kirito and Kizmel was not the best thing to remind her of just then.

To his relief, while she did look a little sad, Sachi only shook her head calmly. "They never took us anywhere that wasn't going to help with our leveling. I don't really know that much about the Elf War questline. Just a few stories Kizmel told me, really."

"Huh." Well, he couldn't claim to be surprised by that. Getting Kirito to talk about anything could be harder than kiting Giant Trapdoor Spiders. "Well, I guess we're gonna see it for ourselves in a second…"

At the approach of the players, the elven guards braced to attention, but didn't quite brandish their halberds. "Swordmasters," one of them said, inclining his head. "Welcome back to Yofel Castle—and welcome to your guests, as well. Please, proceed."

Yep, they know him here. Must've been a heck of a quest—whoa, that's cool!

With a rumble, the dark gates swung open, revealing the fortress behind the outer wall: a huge building like a European castle, made of the same bright stone as that first wall. Klein couldn't see all of it from there, but he did notice two grand towers to either side; more immediate, and spectacular, was the front courtyard.

Trees, planters, cast iron fences… All of it lit by pale blue lanterns, lending the place an otherworldly feeling, enhanced by the groups of Dark Elves gathered in it. Talking, drinking, some of them even singing; it made Klein feel like he'd wandered into a completely different game.

The three who'd been there before just kept right on going, heading for the main building as if this was all old hat to them. Argo, well-informed Rat that she was, didn't seem any less at home. He was more than a little relieved that his own guild was gawking just as much as he was; even Sachi, who had only a trace of gloom on her face now.

"I feel like we've walked into Rivendell," she whispered. "I had no idea there was anything like this in Aincrad…"

"Yeah, tell me about it." Klein caught a bit of singing he was sure wasn't in Japanese, and felt his world tilt just a little more. "Sometime I gotta get the whole story out of Kirito. This is way more elaborate than anything from any quest I've been through."

"If you think this is impressive," Kizmel called over her shoulder, "just wait. The Yule Festival is being held in the inner courtyard."

"I dunno," Kunimittz muttered. "Can we take the shock?" Despite the sarcasm, though, he looked as much out of his element as any of them.

It actually made Klein vaguely uneasy. In a game where the story seemed to be mostly created by the actions of the players, he was getting the sense that the Dark Elves—maybe the Elf War quest elements in general—were weirdly well-developed. Considering that as far as he knew, his buddy Kirito and his old partner were the only players who'd ever gone all the way through it…

Later, he told himself, following the clearers' lead into the main structure of the castle. You can wonder what the hell Kayaba's up to later. Tonight, you party, and forget about all the bad things for a few hours.

Putting that back out of his mind wasn't too hard. After just a few turns down halls just as elaborate as the exterior, they came out into a large room, filled with tables and more chatting elves. Klein had just a moment of deepened unreality at the sight of a few long-eared children playing in a corner, before his attention was grabbed by a deep voice.

"Swordmaster Kirito, Lady Asuna—and Lady Kizmel, as well. Welcome back to Yofel Castle, my friends."

Starting, Klein turned to see a tall, oddly-pale Dark Elf greeting the clearers. Decked out in a uniform as fancy as the castle, there was a scar running down his face, right through where his left eye… didn't seem to be anymore. Which was just plain weird, as far as the samurai was concerned, but it didn't seem to faze his younger friends.

"A pleasure to be here again, My Lord," Asuna replied, bowing formally. There wasn't a trace of the bite she'd had when talking to Kirito earlier, Klein noticed. "I hope we're not imposing?"

"By no means," the elf told her with a smile. "Those who saved my Castle, and my people, are more than welcome—as are their friends, of course." He turned to Fuurinkazan. "Welcome, Swordmasters. I am Viscount Leyshren Zed Yofilis. Please be at ease, as long as you are here."

Finally, something normal. Yofilis came across as a bit smarter than most NPCs, but unlike Kizmel some of that did sound to Klein like scripted dialogue. For a little bit there, I was wondering if we were still in a game at all.

A jab to his ribs from Sachi's elbow reminded him he should still say something in return; even normal NPCs expected some kind of response. "Thank you, uh, My Lord. We'll try not to make too much of a fuss."

Kizmel cleared her throat then. "Ah, forgive me, My Lord, I should have remembered: will our armor be an issue?"

Our armor? Wha? Confused, Klein glanced down at his perfectly normal samurai armor, at the sets the rest of his guild wore, and then at the elven girl's own light chestplate. What the heck does our armor have to do with anything? …And why are Kirito and Asuna-san facepalming?

Yofilis laughed, startling him. "Fear not, Lady Kizmel. The war may be over, but I have no intention of being complacent. I have given strict orders on the matter. The priests, I am afraid, will simply have to live with the clatter." He coughed. "That being said… Armor is not, perhaps, the best fit for the final night of the Yule Festival. If you would care to visit the residential wing of the Castle later, I believe the staff can fit all of you with more suitable clothing for the occasion."

Klein looked down at his armor again, and had to concede the point. Yeah, I guess we're not really fit for partying… but what the heck do elves wear to a party? …Oh, right. Look around, idiot, there're partying elves all over the place. Um. This is gonna feel kinda strange…

"We'll take ya up on that, M'lord!" Argo piped up, grinning. "Don't wanna be under-dressed for this! And besides—" She suddenly grabbed Kizmel's arm, startling the elf. "Gotta have a little girl talk before tonight, anyway."

Kirito's look of sheer dread didn't strike Klein as a good sign. Neither did the way Asuna and Kizmel both blushed—and Sachi's audible "Eep!" was just about the final straw for his nerves.

On the other hand, he thought, catching a fangy grin the Rat sent Kirito's way, it doesn't look like it has anything to do with most of us… Oh, right! Remembering his own message to Argo, over a week before, he found himself grinning too. Right on, Argo, let's get those two loosened up a little.

The Black Swordsman obviously saw Klein's expression, judging from the glare he sent. Somehow, though, Klein couldn't bring himself to worry about it too much. Kirito was going to have other things on his mind soon enough—probably enough to make him forget all about petty thoughts of revenge.

Kizmel had never really seen much interaction between her people and human Swordmasters before. Not a thought that had really occurred to her before, but it was one that came right to the forefront now. Before, the only Swordmasters who had ever spent much time with the Dark Elves were Kirito and Asuna; today, Fuurinkazan was with them as well—not to forget Argo.

The resulting contrast, she was finding, was stark.

She wasn't sure she would have even noticed, just a few months ago. After an odd experience in Fort Renya, though, as well as a few strange moments on the Forty-Third Floor, she'd been looking more closely lately. Especially after Lind's ominous comment the previous night.

Perhaps I've merely been away from Lyusula's domains too long, Kizmel thought. She, along with her partner and the other human visitors, sat at a large table in a dining chamber off Yofel Castle's Great Hall. Like her fellow Swordmasters, she'd just ordered light refreshments from the Castle's staff, and found the experience taking more of her attention than she expected.

After all, she mused as the waiters bowed and left, I do spend most of my time around the least organized of the Swordmasters. It's just as likely that I've grown accustomed to their informality. Argo's, in particular. And this is Yofel Castle; hardly the most relaxed outpost of the Kingdom, even in time of peace.

Still. The stilted manner of the servants struck Kizmel as strange—and she was sure most Dark Elves knew more of the human tongue than these seemed to understand. Didn't they?

"Oi, Kizmel-san. You okay over there?"

She twitched, surprised by the sudden interjection. "Ah. My apologies, Guildmaster Klein. I was just… lost in thought for a few moments."

The samurai waved it off. "C'mon, Kizmel-san, drop the 'Guildmaster'. You're Kirito's buddy, and any friend of his is a friend of mine." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "Anyway. Pretty deep thoughts, looked to me. You okay?"

Kizmel started to reply; hesitated, when she caught Argo's expression from the corner of her eye. "Nothing worth Cor, Klein," she said carefully. "And please, the 'san' isn't needed… I was merely reflecting on how much my life has changed over the past year. Since I first met the Swordmasters."

"I think that's true for just about all of us," Asuna agreed. Resting her elbows on the table, she had a thoughtful look on her face. "I can't think of anyone I know in Aincrad who hasn't changed a lot since we first came here." She smiled; an expression that seemed an odd mix of sad and sheepish. "I know I never thought a year ago I'd be where I am now."

There were nods all around at that. Most notably, Kizmel noticed, from Sachi and Kirito; the one, she was sure, because of what had happened to her friends. And Kirito, if I know him, because he still has no idea how he won so many friends.

She smiled to herself. One wish she had, however petty, was to see the look on her partner's face when it finally occurred to him why some people refused to take his villain act at face value.

"Heck of a year, yeah," Klein agreed. "Scary thing is, though, so much of this is starting to feel normal. Like being here. This castle is really nice, not the kinda place I'd ever have thought I'd end up in before Aincrad. Now? Sure, it's still really cool, but…"

"Normal," Sachi agreed softly. She looked down at the table; from her position, Kizmel couldn't quite see the girl's expression. "Almost more normal than…"

It was unclear if the former Black Cat would've ever finished the sentence; she hadn't been silent long before the waiters returned, interrupting the conversation with the welcome delivery of food. Talk in general was put off for a time by eating—prefaced by the Swordmasters' traditional "Itadakimasu," a word whose meaning she still wasn't clear on—which was, all things considered, probably just as well.

Especially with the distraction provided by Klein's comical reaction to realizing he was eating roast goat. Apparently not a dish with which he was familiar, though he seemed to find it acceptable once he'd recovered from his surprise.

Of course, pleasant as it is, the food here lacks the variety of the Swordmasters… Heh. I really have been with them too long, if I'm even thinking this way about food!

Somehow, Kizmel couldn't say that actually bothered her.

The group as a whole had managed to put about half the meal away before anything was said again. Eventually, though, Klein glanced up from his plate, a thoughtful look on his face. "Speaking of this castle," he said, "I've been kinda wondering… This is a heck of a fortress, Kizmel. Just how bad was that war, anyway?"

Sachi paused, another bite of goat halfway to her mouth. "I've been wondering about that, too," she said shyly. "Come to think of it, I don't think I ever heard how you and Kirito got together—as partners, I mean!" she added hastily.

Kizmel didn't miss the look that crossed Asuna's face, though it was the one on Argo's that worried her more, knowing the Rat. Amusement in general passed quickly regardless, and she exchanged significant looks with both Asuna and Kirito—the only others who knew the full tale, and just how dark some of it had been.

At Asuna's small shrug, and Kirito's tiny nod, Kizmel drew in a slow breath. "That's… something of a long story," she said slowly, considering exactly how much to say. Some of it was public knowledge, some of it very private—and some of it traumatic enough she hardly cared to remember it herself. "Hm… Well, some of it Argo would doubtless prefer I left to her to sell, but I suppose a brief account wouldn't intrude on her profits too much."

"Why, thankee, Kii-chan! Very thoughtful of ya to remember, today of all days."

The elf allowed herself the human gesture of rolling her eyes, but let it pass. Indulging in the human practice of "payback" would have to wait for another time. For now, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair as she turned her thoughts to those days.

"The war itself was, as you may have guessed, a long, bitter affair," she began. "My people's grievances with the Forest Elves went back many centuries. Indeed, the roots of the conflict went back to before the Great Separation, as we learned from the involvement of the Fallen Elves."

"Fallen Elves," Sachi murmured, a shadow in her eyes. "Like…"

"The Commandant, yeah. For what it's worth, though, he was probably the last of their generals." Kirito's gaze went to a window overlooking the lake as he made his first, quiet contribution to the tale. "We made sure of that."

Klein cleared his throat. "Lemme guess: Dark Elves don't like Forest Elves, but Fallen are even worse?"

"They had indulged in great crimes against both us and the Forest Elves long ago, Klein," Kizmel told him, "to say nothing of their pursuit of forbidden arts. They were also responsible for manipulating Dark and Forest into battle with one another." She remembered when Kirito and Asuna had first brought news that Fallen and Forest were in league—and how little they truly knew, then, of what was actually going on.

"They tricked you into fighting each other?" Sachi's gaze went to the lake, that shadow in her eyes growing darker still. "That reminds me of…"

"PoH and his band of freaks." Klein growled low in his throat, looking like he wanted to reach for the katana he wasn't wearing. "No wonder. You guys smashed 'em good when you figured it out, huh?"

"Not exactly. Indeed, we never would have puzzled out the truth at all, were it not for Kirito and Asuna." Kizmel's gaze met Kirito's briefly, then Asuna's, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips. "I still find it remarkable even now. There was no real meaning in our meeting, yet by the end…"

They were only seeking the power to survive, she thought, remembering that year-ago day when she'd first truly interacted with Swordmasters. Kirito did not expect me to live through those first minutes… yet that meeting saved my life, and my people.

I've gained much from that, despite the pain. Friends. Experiences I would never have had, otherwise…

Kizmel shook off the memory. "Argo will doubtless be willing to sell you many of the details later. To make a long story short, I met Kirito and Asuna almost by chance, but our adventures together brought to light the true conflict—and when the Fallen Elves made a last attack on our capital on the Ninth Floor with all their strength, the three of us assaulted their headquarters in turn."

She didn't like to think too much about that. The Fallen Elves' last stronghold had been steeped in the dark magic they had used in eons past to seek immortality, and their strongest warriors had defended it. Along with her human friends, they'd gone in with a dozen Pagoda Knights—yet by the time they faced the King of the Fallen Elves, only the three of them had survived.

"…We destroyed their leadership," Kizmel said softly. "At great cost." Nearly including my own life. If Asuna had not been so fast—had Kirito not known of athelas—that would have been the end. "There may yet be some Fallen Elves in dark corners of Aincrad, but they will never be a great threat to anyone again."

They'd been threat enough to small groups, of course. The darkness in Sachi's eyes was proof of that. But the danger they'd once been to Aincrad itself—no. That, they would never be again.

"Well," Klein said after a long, uncomfortable moment. "That was heavier than I counted on. Sorry if I brought up bad memories, guys. Guess now I understand why you and Kirito get along so well, though, Kizmel. Been through a lot together, haven't you?"

"You could say that," Asuna put in. "I was with them for a lot of that, remember." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, since I joined the KoB they've been up to things even I can't keep up with. Sometimes I think they're deliberately holding out on me!"

We are, Kizmel thought dryly, grateful for the change in subject. Seeing as I strongly suspect half of Kirito's discomfort with living with me comes from an ingrained fear of your retribution.

"O' course, that's what I'm here for." Argo flashed a fanged grin. "Fer the right price, I got lots of dirt on these guys."

Kirito covered his face with his hand. "Argo… do you have to sound like a professional blackmailer, instead of an info broker…?"

From there, to Kizmel's relief, the conversation stayed away from more serious subjects. This was supposed to be a day of celebration, after all; and if it had begun with closing the door on a particularly grim chapter of their time together, it was all the more important to enjoy the Yule Festival to the fullest.

Perhaps I have been around them too much to feel at home among my own people any longer. But if this vibrant life is what I receive in return, that is a sacrifice I can accept.

That, at least, was what she thought at first. Then, when they'd all finished the meal, the waiters returned to collect their plates—accompanied by a more senior member of Yofel Castle's staff. "Your pardon, Swordmasters," he said, bowing diffidently. "Viscount Yofilis sends his regards, and suggests that you all prepare for the evening's events."

"Oh, right." Asuna nodded. "He did say something about, um, providing clothing for the evening…?"

"Yes, My Lady. If you will come with me, other members of the staff are waiting in the residential wing to help you prepare."

Argo quickly jumped to her feet. "Lead on, then!" She flashed another of those unnerving grins. "C'mon, Kii-chan, Aa-chan. We gotta get ready for the main event!"

Kizmel shivered, despite Yofel Castle's warmth. She had the uncomfortable feeling the girl was not speaking of the official events of the Yule Festival…

Being at Yofel Castle again felt almost painfully nostalgic, Asuna reflected that evening. Looking around the Great Hall, seeing Dark Elves everywhere and hardly a trace of other players—just a handful of Fuurinkazan, gawking and chatting—took her back a year; it felt more like a lifetime. It felt like she'd been a different person from the one now sitting at a Dark Elf table, that first Christmas in Aincrad.

I was a different person, she told herself, taking a thoughtful bite of the one dish that Kirito had brought, rather than the Castle's staff. I wasn't the honor student anymore—but I wasn't quite who I am now, either. I was… weak. Weak, and needing to prove myself… and naive about what this world was really like.

Deliberately, Asuna pushed that thought aside. She had found her place, and if her commander was going to insist she take a day off, she was going to enjoy it. As it was, it was wearing on toward nightfall, when the gathering was supposed to move out into the inner courtyard. Before that, she wanted to get the most out of the treat Kirito had brought her.

"At least you really did remember the cake this time," she remarked at length, halfway through a third piece. "I guess I'll forgive you for blackmailing the Commander into setting this up."

Kirito, seated on the other side of the table with his own plate of crumbly dessert in front of him, raised his fork defensively. "Hey, I wouldn't lie about something like this. And who said anything about blackmail, anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, are you really going to tell me all you did was ask him nicely? You do know we're really busy with the clearing these days, Kirito-kun. I can't be gone too long."

He sighed, shook his head, and took a bite. "Actually, that was all I did," he replied, the first couple words garbled as he talked around his food. "I guess Heathcliff just remembers what I told you back when we first met: you gotta take some time off once in a while, or you'll burn out."

"Yeah, sure. Like you ever do that?" Asuna allowed herself an unladylike snort. "I do check in with Argo regularly, Kirito-kun. I know you and Kizmel-chan are always up to something—even if I think your priorities could use some work."

The look on his face was well worth the admission of what could be construed as stalking. There were times she questioned whether her old partner had any sense of self-preservation at all, but she knew he did fear two things in Aincrad: losing party members, and Argo's wealth of blackmail material.

I bet she's adding to it tonight, too, she thought, eyeing Kirito's outfit. Usually, she knew, he still preferred to look the part of the morally-dubious rogue, the better to be a scapegoat. Tonight Aincrad's most infamous player was decked out in a fancy suit, and if it was dark and the tailcoat was long enough to pass for his usual tastes, that was where the resemblance to his normal self ended. It's almost enough to make me wish I had more time to think about that kind of thing.

Almost.

They'd gone through another piece of cake each before Kirito managed any kind of retort. Leaning back in his chair with a lackadaisical air that belied his formal attire, he shot Asuna and aggrieved look. "Okay, fine, so maybe we're usually busy, too. But what do you mean, 'skewed priorities'?"

Asuna hesitated. She'd only meant it as a comeback, and it was touching on more serious things than she really wanted to think about tonight. Still… "You and Kizmel-chan have been disappearing to follow sidequests pretty often the last few months," she pointed out carefully. "Like the Reliquary quest back on the Thirty-Seventh Floor. And just what were you up to during the clearing of the Forty-Third? I can't even get Argo to say anything about that."

She'd tried hard, too. No matter what price she offered, though, the Rat claimed Kirito had upped what he was paying for her silence, and eventually that Kizmel had added double herself. Which in Asuna's experience meant either Argo was trying to cover for one of the rare occasions she didn't actually know something, or it really was juicy enough for the pair to be desperate to keep it quiet.

"That's nothing you need to worry about," Kirito said now, looking away; toward Viscount Yofilis and his children, who were having a quiet but obviously happy dinner at another table. Her old partner watched them for a long moment, though what he was thinking about Asuna couldn't guess. "It was just… something Kizmel and I had to deal with, that's all."

Asuna thought pressing him on it, but only briefly. Argo could be bribed; if Kirito really didn't want to talk about something, it was like getting water from a stone. "Fine," she huffed. "But that just proves my point, you know: you're letting yourself get distracted from clearing. Just like a year ago."

That got his attention, and he brought his gaze back to hers with a frown. "A year ago…? Asuna, you can't be talking about…?"

"This, Kirito-kun. Well," she amended, glancing at Yofilis herself now, "not this, coming here did probably save the raid that time… But in general. Kirito-kun, I'm as happy as you are to have met Kizmel-chan, and I don't regret saving her back then. I'm really glad she's a Swordmaster now. But you remember as well as I do how that quest ended."

From the look in his dark eyes, Kirito remembered quite well. The horror of the siege on Lyusula's capital, their desperate assault on the Fallen Elves' Twilight Citadel. The running battle inside, against the twisted Fallen and their poisoned blades, as the handful of Dark Elves who'd come in with them fell one by one.

The nightmarish battle with the King, which had taken everything they had, and nearly cost them more.

"We almost died there, Kirito-kun," she said softly, pushing back those memories. "It meant everything to Kizmel-chan, I know, but we almost died—and for something that had nothing to do with clearing the game. We almost died, and it would've been for nothing."

For a long, long pause, Kirito was silent. He picked up a glass from the table, filled with Kizmel's favored moontear wine, and spent as much time staring into it as drinking from it; long enough that Asuna started to think she really should've just kept her mouth shut. We are still moving forward, she reminded herself. We need Kirito-kun and Kizmel-chan, but I don't need to push right now. Not tonight…

At last, Kirito set down the glass again—and at that moment a chime rang out. Yofilis had risen from his chair and tapped a spoon against a crystal glass, drawing all eyes to him. "The hour grows late, my friends," he called out, voice pitched to be heard throughout the hall. "Let us take this to the inner courtyard, and end this Yule Festival in the greatest spirits this Castle has seen in many years!"

With that, the viscount led the way to the double-doors leading outside, his family in tow. The other Dark Elves soon followed, and after a brief hesitation so did Fuurinkazan. Then Kirito rose, turned to Asuna, and in the most courtly fashion she'd seen outside of NPCs since coming to Aincrad extended a hand to her.

Wondering if he was being flippant, Asuna hesitantly allowed him to draw her to her feet, and though he promptly let go she readily matched his stride on the way out. "Kirito-kun…?"

"Let me ask you something," he said softly. "Something I was asked a while back, by… Well, it doesn't really matter who it was. Asuna… what is this world to you?"

She looked at him in confusion. Is this some kind of joke…? But no, his eyes were as serious as she'd ever seen them. "It's a deathtrap," she said finally. "What else would it be?"

"The answer I gave was 'prison', actually," Kirito told her, a faint smile flickering across his face. Just as they passed through the doors to the courtyard, though, it was gone again, and he went on seriously, "But let's put it another way: what do you think this world is to Kizmel?"

"To Kizmel-chan?" Now Asuna was definitely confused. "Kirito-kun… what are you getting at…?"

"Just… think about it, Asuna." He smiled again, an air of mystery in the expression. "We're trapped here, sure. But that doesn't mean we have to let that define how we look at this world."

She wanted to question that. To ask him what he could possibly see in SAO other than death, after everything they'd gone through. After the Twilight Citadel, the Twenty-Fifth Floor boss raid, and the fall of the Moonlit Black Cats—to say nothing of the recent increase in PK incidents.

Asuna wanted to ask that, but the sight of what was waiting for them in the inner courtyard completely derailed that train of thought. It had been redecorated since the last time she'd been in Yofel Castle: the thorny hedges remained, the flowerbeds, the pale blue lanterns, the benches… The tree under which they'd first reunited with Kizmel was still there at the center, even. Yet something new completely distracted her from the remembered sights.

Tables had been added by the edges of the center garden, bearing what Asuna thought was roast goat. What really caught her eye, though, was the huge tree trunk in the center of it all, burning brightly against the deepening night.

It was obviously meant to be the center of the gathering. All around it was open space, in which elves started to gather in pairs; it reminded Asuna belatedly of exactly what the finale of the Yule Festival was supposed to be.

All thoughts of death and pain were chased out of her mind as music began to swell from elven instruments. "Beautiful," she breathed. "Kirito-kun… this is amazing…"

"Yeah," Kirito agreed softly, obviously taken in by the sight himself. "Kizmel told me a little about what this was supposed to be like, but—"

He cut off so abruptly it pulled Asuna out of the wonder, and she shot a concerned glance at her old partner. He was suddenly oddly stiff, looking at something just out of her sight. "Let us begin, my friends!" Yofilis called out, as Asuna tried to spot whatever had stunned Kirito. "After so long under threat of war, let us put that all behind us tonight, with the first Yule Dance our home has seen in many years!"

…Oh! Finally catching sight of the figure approaching from the other end of the garden, Asuna covered her mouth to hide a smile and giggle. Oh, my, she thought, watching a certain Dark Elf approach. Kirito-kun… just how are you going to handle this one? Argo, please tell me you've got a recording crystal!

Kirito had thought himself well-used to his partner's appearance by now, having seen her in as much as full armor and as little as nothing at all. She might still have been able to fluster him well enough, if she pushed it, but he hadn't thought she'd be able to really surprise him anymore.

Seeing her step out into Yofel Castle's inner courtyard, lit by moonlight reflecting off the floor above, the garden's blue lanterns, and the fire of the Yule Tree did it. Purple tunic and tights, much like what she normally wore beneath her armor but much more elaborate, tall boots and elbow-length gloves, decorated here and there with black roses—it was close to what he was used to seeing her in, yet different enough that he found himself suddenly speechless.

He was vaguely aware that he'd just been saying something to Asuna, but just then it seemed utterly unimportant next to the sight approaching now.

"Good evening, Kirito, Asuna," Kizmel said, when she'd gotten close. She inclined her head to the Knight, then turned her gaze on Kirito; he felt suddenly self-conscious as she took in his own formal suit. Especially when she smiled, just a hint of a blush on her dusky skin. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. I'd hoped to join you for the meal, but the staff took longer than I expected with my clothing for the evening."

"Not at all, Kizmel-chan," Asuna assured her. "Kirito-kun and I were just catching up, that's all." She giggled. "I'd say the wait was worth it anyway. Right, Kirito-kun?"

The elbow she not-so-subtly jabbed into his ribs jolted Kirito out of his immobility. "Uh, yeah!" he blurted. "You, er, look very nice, Kizmel."

Smooth, a corner of his mind snarked at the rest. Really smooth… Huh?

"Thank you, Kirito." It might've been his imagination, but he thought Kizmel's smile widened just a hair. "You as well, my friend." She chuckled, raising one gloved hand to cover it. "It would seem the staff here knows you well; perhaps we have been here a little too often."

Yeah, and that's another thing that weirds me out. They shouldn't be keeping track of my equipment habits like that… but I guess that doesn't really matter right now.

Realizing he'd been struck silent again, Kirito cleared his throat, floundering for a topic; somehow he was feeling much less confident around his partner than usual. "So… do you want to go back inside and get something to eat, since you missed dinner? There should still be some left…"

Kizmel shook her head. "No, I'm fine for now. We can always return later. Now is not the time for dining, is it?" She gestured toward the cleared space around the Yule Tree.

Kirito glanced over and started, reminded now of what he'd been told earlier. Elven musicians had begun a tune he found oddly familiar, while most of the elves had split off into pairs in that open space. …Oh. Right. She told me about this the other day, didn't she?

So… what the heck do I do now, anyway?

Actually, odd feeling in his stomach aside, Kirito had a pretty good idea of what he was supposed to do now. He wasn't used to socializing; that didn't mean he didn't know anything about it. Even to him, some things were pretty obvious.

The question was, could he make the first move without bursting into flames? Noticing Fuurinkazan gathering on the benches around the garden, along with Argo—whose presence made him nervous on general principles, never mind the expression currently on her face—didn't help.

But Kizmel was only standing there patiently, waiting with a reassuring smile as he got his act together.

Asuna was less patient. Even so, Kirito could almost thank her for jabbing him in the ribs again, prodding him forward. "Er, Kizmel," he began awkwardly, fumbling for the right words, "may I have this dance?"

"I'd be delighted, Kirito," she answered at once, smile definitely widening now. She extended a hand. "Shall we?"

On the one hand, it was all worth it to see the expression on Asuna's face change from amused anticipation—the look of someone expecting him to trip over his own feet—to open-mouthed surprise when he took Kizmel's hand. Holding her right hand with his left, he placed his right hand on her waist while her left settled on his shoulder.

Didn't think I knew how to dance, huh, Asuna? Kirito thought, leading Kizmel out into the space cleared for the Yule Dance. Not that I'm going to admit how I learned it… That he'd been that determined to clear a particular quest in an early offline VRRPG was something he wasn't quite willing to admit to anyone—especially not anyone who was friends with Argo.

On the other hand… This was the first time he'd ever danced with someone who wasn't definitively a soulless NPC, uncaring of the closeness of the situation. It was one thing to dance with a true NPC, whose actions were completely scripted; it was something else entirely to do it with his partner and best friend.

Or is it? The thought nagged at Kirito as he led Kizmel in the ballroom dance. One way or another, she's an AI, too… right? He was quickly realizing he was actually the better dancer; Kizmel's steps were more hesitant at first, and her eyes were following his feet more than his face. With each step, she got a little better—obviously learning as she went, not something she was programmed to do.

That was made all the clearer when she actually stepped on his foot, an action no pre-programmed algorithm was likely to include. Yet…

A learning program would make mistakes along the way, too. Especially with a human partner as an irregular element. So how is this any different from any high-level AI? Leaving aside whether it makes sense to devote that kind of processing power to a quest NPC.

A step to one side, then the other. Kizmel's movements were beginning to even out, just in time for them smoothly slip past Viscount Yofilis and his wife. She spared the Castle's master a sheepish smile at the close call, and finally brought her gaze up to Kirito's.

He almost stumbled then, seeing again in her violet eyes that indefinable something that had always set her apart from other NPCs.

"Just one copy made from a mold, Kirito? Are you really so sure about that?"

The voice of Diavel's shade, asking one of the questions that had shaken Kirito's entire worldview. The half of the Trial of the Wise that he hadn't been able to answer that day. It echoed in his mind, even as he let go of Kizmel's waist to twirl around her, ingrained reflex moving his feet to the music.

"There is truth in how you see it, Kirito—yet maybe not as much as you think. Or maybe you're not looking at it the right way. Think back to when you met—to what she's told you. Think about it, and ask yourself: are those really signs of interchangeable copies? Or is there something more?"

"…I don't understand."

"I don't have the answer either, Kirito. Perhaps not even the crimson bird knows the truth. But consider it. The truth may not be so simple as you think…"

Kirito thought about it now, drawing Kizmel closer again. Looked into those violet eyes, and remembered the days of the beta, when she'd followed the same rote actions every time. Remembered when he'd met her again in the death game, and everything had changed.

He was startled when a voice suddenly rose to join the elves' music, singing a wordless song alongside the melody. As one, he and his partner glanced off to the side, to see Sachi on her feet; drifting closer to the musicians, it was her voice that added the new element to the waltz. Impromptu, unasked, but none of the elves objected as she added to the harmony.

Kirito hadn't even known Sachi could sing—but looking at the soft smile on Kizmel's face, he realized the elf girl had. Those nights of "girl talk", he thought now. Talking about little things… things no ordinary NPC would ever think of.

She could still be. This could all be just programming. But… it doesn't make any sense. Not even for Kayaba's dream. So…

I can't keep worrying about that all the time. I don't have the answers. I just know what it's been like, traveling with her through this world. It doesn't matter if she's AI or anything else. Kizmel is… my partner.

My friend.

Yeah. That sounded right. In this world where death was real for them all, it didn't matter who anyone was before, or where they came from. Asuna, Klein, Sachi, himself… In this world, who was to say an elf who fought by their side through thick and thin was any less a person than they were?

A tension he hadn't quite realized was there went out of Kirito's shoulders, and his own dance steps smoothed out just a little more as well. He almost stumbled right after anyway, as a laughing Dark Elf child darted across the garden, weaving through the dancers without a care.

When he recovered, he found himself meeting Kizmel's gaze again. With a start, he realized she'd been watching him the whole time—and she'd seen the change in his stance. "Kirito," she murmured, barely audible even to his ears. "How do you really see this world?"

"What is this world to you?" Diavel's other question echoed in his ears.

"A prison," Kirito had answered, baffled by the question.

"What do you think Lady Kizmel, a person born of this world, regards Aincrad as?"

Those questions, he'd been able to answer that day. To Kizmel, of course, Aincrad was home. And now, Kirito had another answer of his own. If he could just take the risk of saying it…

"I can't see this world as anything other than constructed," he whispered back, forcing himself to be honest. If she was his partner, his friend, she deserved that. No matter the consequences. "But… a lot of people would say my world was made by a higher power, too. That doesn't make it, or everyone in it, a dream. Or fake."

It wasn't the whole truth. He wanted to believe he only left it at that because he didn't think she'd understand, not because he was afraid—but it was still the truth.

For a long moment, there was only the step to one side, then to the other, as she stared into his eyes. Then, finally, she nodded, a smile playing at her lips. "Then that's enough for now, my friend."

Kirito wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean, and at the same time was afraid to ask. Either way, he didn't have the chance. The music was picking up, building toward a crescendo; Sachi's singing had taken on lyrics, which he couldn't quite make out. And Kizmel was suddenly pouring more enthusiasm into the dance, matching him step for step, pushing him to use every bit of his own hard-won skill.

Releasing each other, they stepped around one another, back to back, in time with the other dancers—yet with just a bit of a slip in timing, compared to programmed perfection—and then Kirito caught Kizmel's hand again, guiding her through repeated, graceful twirls.

The music reached its climax, Kizmel spun back into step with him, and he finally realized Sachi's song was in English, a language he hadn't known she knew. He suspected the words weren't meant for the elves' tune, but she somehow matched them to it anyway.

"...I'll be home for Christmas… if only in my dreams…"

Elven instruments and human voice alike fell silent. Kirito and his partner came to a stop with it, just beneath one of the trees at the edge of the garden—and Kizmel slipped from the hold of the dance into a close embrace, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Startled yet again, as he'd been so many times tonight, it felt strangely natural to match the gesture, his arms around her back, chin on her shoulder. His virtual heartbeat picked up; he could smell Kizmel's familiar pine scent, now with a strange touch of sakura blossoms.

Any thought of her being a dream was driven completely out of his head. Right then, for reasons he couldn't grasp, this was the only reality that mattered.

He could hear her breathing beside his ear, felt her heart beating against his chest. As fast as his own was going, it took him a moment to realize hers had sped up as well; she shifted against him in a way that made him uncomfortably aware of her body.

Kirito didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed when Kizmel pulled back, just far enough to look him in the eye. He didn't know if it was embarrassment or something else that made him feel warm at the blush on her face. But when she spoke…

"Kirito… I believe, as Argo would say, we've been 'had'."

He blinked. "Eh?" Following her gaze, he spotted the Rat herself, grinning widely, hands tucked suspiciously behind her back; next to her was Asuna, the vice-commander blushing for the first time he could remember seeing in a long while. On Argo's other side, a grinning Klein, giving him a thumbs-up.

Kizmel was right. Argo was up to something. But what—?

With a lift of her chin, the elf girl directed his gaze upward, to the branches of the tree above them. And to the innocuous leaves hanging down from otherwise barren branches.

Then, and only then, did Kirito remember one last Western Christmas tradition that had completely slipped his mind, when he'd explained the holiday to his partner. The realization set his face on fire; he jerked his eyes down from the damning plant, inadvertently meeting Kizmel's gaze again—

She was blushing, too. But she was smiling, and her head was tilting to one side as she slowly leaned in toward him; at the same time, without conscious thought, his hand came up to rest on the back of her neck.

He didn't know what he was doing. Before Aincrad, he would never have dreamed of doing something like this. But…

Eyes drifting closed, Kizmel crossed the last of the distance—or maybe he met her halfway. He was never sure, later. "Merry Christmas, Kirito," she whispered, and her lips met his.

…Wow…

December 31st, 2023

The Forty-Ninth Floor of Aincrad was a beautiful place, Kizmel had to admit. Containing mostly open plains, with a few low hills bearing the entrances to ancient catacombs scattered around, the towns and cities were built of smooth, polished stone. Quartezia in particular, the city closest to the Pillar of the Heavens, was notable for its graceful towers, reaching much of the way to the floor above.

Quartezia was also close to the edge, and Kizmel stood now atop one of the farthest towers, allowing her a breathtaking view of the sky. From here, she could see so many of the stars normally hidden by Aincrad's structure—the stars, and the full moon gleaming over the city.

It's almost the New Year, she thought, resting her arms on the railing ringing the tower's roof. The second the Swordmasters have seen since they came to this place. Little more than a full year that they've been here, and so much has changed…

Three floors cleared in the past month alone, and almost half the entire Steel Castle in that year. Over a millennium it had been since the Great Separation, with no hope of truly uniting the peoples of Aincrad's hundred floors, yet the Swordmasters had come so far in such a tiny fraction of time.

Be honest, Kizmel told herself, grimacing. Powerful as the Swordmasters are, it is not merely strength that sets them apart, but will. Even the humans of Aincrad could have made some progress, had they been willing to try—and my people more, had we a reason. But with our own means to avoid the barriers entirely, there never has been one.

True, the war with the Forest Elves had long been a distraction as well, and now both sides needed time to recover before even contemplating direct action. Even so, she could no longer imagine sitting back and doing nothing herself.

I've seen too much, fighting alongside the Swordmasters. Experienced too much of their culture… made too many friends. I could hardly turn back now, even had I not invoked the ancient alliance. Unconsciously, her right hand came up, touching two gloved fingers to her lips. Especially not now.

Kissing her partner, her best friend—especially the way she had—by rights should've made things awkward between them afterward. Certainly that evening had ended on an odd note for them both; Kirito had returned to the room they shared much later than she, and in deference to his obvious discomfort Kizmel had feigned sleep. Yet the next morning had had only a slight stiffness between them, and the week since had seen things settle down close to the old routine.

Close… but not quite the same. Something had changed between them, Kizmel was sure, but she hadn't yet come to grips with what. She only knew that Kirito had come to some kind of realization that night, one that had left him more relaxed about their circumstances than she had ever seen.

Whether it was at all like the epiphany she was slowly coming to, Kizmel couldn't say. But then, she was only gradually beginning to understand her own part in things.

"Ah, young love. Warms a girl's heart t' see, it does. Aincrad's Christmas miracle."

Kizmel jumped, catching herself on the railing. How she'd managed to miss that person coming up on her… "I don't recall telling you my age, Argo," she said, turning to face the new arrival—and hoping that her face wasn't as bright as it felt. "And you were the one who told me that particular tradition wasn't necessarily between lovers."

Argo sauntered over, hopped up to sit on the railing—heedless of the long fall below—and grinned at her. "Maybe ya didn't, Kii-chan, but I call 'em as I see 'em. That's first-kiss-catatonia if I ever saw it, fer both o' ya. If you're not Kii-bou's age in years, I'm willin' ta bet you're at that stage fer an elf."

Trying to think of some way to deflect the topic, Kizmel finally settled on, "That will cost you thirty thousand Cor, Argo."

At that, the Rat burst out into such a fit of laughter that the elf girl feared she'd fall. "You're learning, Kii-chan!" she gasped out, clutching at the railing. "Nice one—but be careful, girl, one of these days I might just have that much ta spare." Calming, she flashed another grin, eyes narrowed. "An' don't try to change the subject. I saw you, remember?"

Kizmel did, vaguely. Though after the discovery of the position she and Kirito had ended up in, she had been just a little… distracted.

"You did," she acknowledged, leaning back against the railing as she folded her arms. "Of course, the whole thing was your doing, Argo. And as Asuna told me afterwards, you did trick me. As she tells it, tradition has it more… perfunctory than your tale."

"Where's the fun in that?" Argo shrugged, mischief in her eyes. She did not, Kizmel noticed, deny the accusation. "'Sides, it didn't look like you were bein' 'perfunctory' one bit. Looked ta me like you were enjoyin' yerself quite a lot."

Is this how Kirito feels when I tease him about our respective standards of modesty? For once, Kizmel felt every bit as young as Argo was insinuating. Less the knight she was than the carefree girl the war had never really let her be. Only Argo could possibly do this to me!

Face well and truly flaming now, she fumbled for a response. She was having difficulty finding one that didn't involve outright lying, though, and before she did think of something to say, the other girl seemed to take pity on her.

"So, where is Kii-bou, anyway?" Argo glanced around the roof, as if Kirito could somehow have been hiding on the perfectly empty roof. "Don't tell me ya scared him off? Didn't think that was too forward, but maybe I underestimated the hikikomori in him—"

"Kirito is merely buying drinks," Kizmel interrupted quickly. "I believe Agil and several other merchants are planning a fireworks display at midnight, which we're intending to watch from here."

"Ah." There was something in the Rat's expression that Kizmel didn't quite trust, but Argo said nothing more about it. Instead, a thoughtful look on her face, she said, "So, no Aa-chan tonight, huh?"

"Unfortunately not," Kizmel said regretfully—though she had to admit to being grateful for the change in subject. "The Knights of Blood are busy planning for tomorrow's raid on the Pillar Guardian."

More and more, she'd noticed, her friend—the sister who'd stepped in to fill some of the chill void left by Tilnel's death—had been consumed by the clearing of Aincrad's floors. Indeed, Kizmel suspected Heathcliff had ordered Asuna to take time off for the Yule Festival because the girl otherwise would hardly have rested at all. A far cry from the young woman the elf had met in the Forest of Wavering Mists, a year before: a woman who'd taken the time to look in wonder at her surroundings, even amidst the conflict.

Not that Kizmel could entirely disagree this time. Scouting reports suggested the Pillar Guardian here was not going to be anything out of the ordinary, but she knew all the clearers, especially the veterans of the Twenty-Fifth Floor, were very concerned about what awaited them on the Fiftieth. Caution was probably wise.

"Well, that's a shame," Argo said now, sighing. "But she's got her job, an' she really is darn good at it. Though on the bright side…" She grinned; an expression Kizmel didn't trust for a moment. "At least there won't be a third wheel for yer date with Kii-bou, eh?"

"It's not a date!" Kizmel protested at once, blush returning in full. "And what is a third—oh, never mind." Slumping, she shook her head. "Argo. Did you come here merely to kill me from embarrassment, or was there another reason? Kirito should be back soon, if you wish to see him."

"Nah, I'll leave ya guys be. Really, I just wanted to give ya this. Call it a late Christmas present." Dropping her feet back on the roof, Argo slipped a hand under her cloak, pulled out what appeared to be a piece of parchment, and laid it on the railing beside Kizmel.

The elf girl took a quick look at it, and her blush grew hotter still. "Argo…!"

"What? C'mon, Kii-chan, trust me: you're gonna want ta keep that memory fresh. And it's such a good picture, dontcha think?" Argo looked down at the picture, taken at one precise moment that one evening, and her grin widened. "Really, I think I outdid myself with the timing. And you look so… so…" She trailed off, grin fading into a frown. "Say… shouldn't that've set off the…?"

Unable to bear the scrutiny, either of the picture or, as she was sure would soon be the case, herself, Kizmel quickly turned her back.

"Kii-chan," Argo breathed. "…You turned it off, didn't ya?"

Looking up at the brightly-shining moon, Kizmel could only reply, voice soft even to her own ears, "…Why not? I've nothing to fear from Kirito—nor anything to hide."

There was a long, uncharacteristic silence behind her. Then Argo whistled, low and long. "You're something else, Kii-chan. I dunno of any human player who'd turn that off fer real. …You're serious about this, aren't ya?"

Kizmel shrugged uncomfortably, feeling the Rat's gaze on her back. "Any man who wishes to wed me must have unshakeable conviction and an iron will," she said, trying to make light of the whole matter.

"Hah! That the best ya got, now that ya can't just brush it off with needing your Queen's permission?" The Rat snickered. "Gotta do better than that, Kii-chan. Seein' as somebody we know has a pretty strong will and all…"

…I should've known that would not dissuade her. "…I've many reasons to follow this path, Argo," Kizmel said finally, still quiet. "The world of the Swordmasters, that I've glimpsed these last months—your world—is a place I wish to see more of for its own sake. There are many friends I've made among you, whom I believe deserve to return home."

She still remembered that one night in Taft, when Sachi had first begun to explain to her what had been done to the Swordmasters—and the night she met Klein, and Kirito confessed the truth of who, and what, his people really were.

"So many reasons," she murmured, as much to herself as to her friend. "And if I have one particular Swordmaster I wish to see it with… Well. We'll see where things lead from here, won't we?"

"…Guess we will, at that." Argo chuckled to herself. "Won't lie to ya, Kii-chan: I got no idea how you might follow us home. But if there's a way, you bet we'll find it. So good luck with Kii-bou. And don't worry—yer secret's safe with me. Won't even sell that one to Aa-chan." Kizmel heard light footsteps heading for the stairs down into the tower; then a pause, and a quick laugh. "'Sides, she'd prolly have a stroke if I did tell her!"

Only when Argo was safely gone did Kizmel risk looking away from the night sky. Picking up the picture, she found herself smiling, despite her embarrassment. The mischievous information dealer truly had picked a good moment: not the first, brief contact that Asuna had told her later was all that was normally expected, no. Argo had waited until Kizmel had pressed a second, deeper kiss on her partner; until, in fact, Kirito had apparently concluded he was hallucinating, and gone along with it.

"…There are worse games that girl has played," Kizmel murmured to herself. "Even if I cannot guess where this one will end…"

Well, she supposed there was one way to find out. No longer bound by the authority of the Queen of Lyusula, the choice was hers now, and hers alone.

Just as you told me in the Trial, Tilnel. Thank you, Sister…

Footsteps coming back up the tower's stairs broke Kizmel from her reverie, and with hurried motions she summoned her menu and consigned the picture to her inventory. Not a moment too soon, either; Kirito appeared at the top only a moment later, a glass in either hand.

"Sorry I took so long, Kizmel," he said, crossing to join her by the railing. "The line was pretty long; the KoB and DDA may be busy tonight, but a lot of other people aren't…" He trailed off. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," she assured him, taking the glass he offered to her. Ficklewine, it was; a human drink she'd taken a liking to for its unpredictable variety. "Argo was here not long ago, that's all."

"Oh." Kirito nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that'd do it… Um. Do I want to know what she had to say?"

"Probably not," she said, with deliberate understatement. She took a sip of her ficklewine, nodded approvingly—a very nice red, this one, reminding her of a restaurant they'd visited on the Forty-Third Floor—and added, "She was just being her usual self."

"That bad, huh?" He took a drink of his own wine, shaking his head. "Yeah… that's one thing I can probably do without knowing." Leaning on the railing much as she had earlier, his eyes flicked upward; checking the time, she thought. "It should be starting soon, anyway. Guess I got here just in time."

"More than in time, my friend," Kizmel told him, noting herself that it was only moments until midnight. On impulse, she moved closer—close enough to lean her shoulder against his.

Kirito shot a quick glance at her, visibly surprised. In return, she only smiled enigmatically, raising her glass toward him. After a moment, he relaxed, and lifted his glass in turn. Just as the fireworks suddenly erupted from the city below, arcing out to compete with the moon and stars in bright bursts of color, he said, "Happy New Year, Kizmel."

She clinked her glass against his. "Happy New Year… Kirito-kun."

Author's Note:

Mea culpa. I really did mean for this to be up at least two weeks ago; unfortunately, I suffered a particularly nasty relapse not long after my last update, and recovery has been slow. I do, however, actually seem to be recovering for real this time—been weeks since I had the irrational conviction of impending death—so hopefully things will smooth out a tad now.

Couple of things to note. First, I regret a couple of plot points I intended to cover here got lost in the shuffle—I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, this is me we're talking about—but I've figured out how to work them in soon, so that shouldn't be an issue (assuming anyone even notices; minor explanations, mostly, to clear up an apparent plot hole or two that may not have been noticed in the first place).

Second… not entirely happy with a couple of scenes in the middle of this chapter. I did some major rewriting of one of them and it still felt a bit weak; hopefully not as bad as some of the previous chapter, at least.

Third, mood whiplash. Kind of inevitable, all things considered, but I hope it wasn't too jarring going from the aftermath of Nicholas to the mostly-cheerful later scenes.

Finally: yes, a good seven months late, here's the Christmas party. And yes, at last, we get to the "Romance" stuff marked as one of the fic's genres. Not the official hook-up yet, but believe me, this marks a definite change in character dynamics.

Unfortunately I won't be able to follow up on that much for another chapter or two—anyone familiar with the canon timeline will likely know two rather dark plot points are coming up next—but it's going to be there at least subtly right off, and the arc after next is really going to get into it.

In the meantime. Once again, thank you all for the amazing response so far, and I do hope you'll all find the dance scene and its climax satisfactory, after the long wait. -Solid