~~Hello, readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
Sword Art Online and Code Name: Kids Next Door do not belong to me.
I only own my original characters.~~
It was now mid afternoon in the virtual world.
Kibaou had just recovered after Sioku transported him and herself to her house.
He and Sioku sat in silence on a couch in the living room.
A few minutes later, Jessy entered the room while carrying two glass cups filled with water.
She then set them down on the coffee table.
"These are for you guys," she said to Sioku.
"Thank you very much," Sioku replied graciously.
She grabbed one of the glasses and then gently handed it to Kibaou.
Kibaou grinned as he accepted the cup from her.
He took a sip of water before setting his cup back down on the coffee table.
Sioku decided to start a conversation and smiled at Kibaou.
"If my dog Trooper had the ability to log into SAO, I'm sure you two would get along. Trooper loves people," she said.
Kibaou laughed and patted the girl's head.
"It would be nice to have dogs in the virtual world. They are a joy to have around," he replied.
"You got that right," said Sioku before she laughed.
In the midst of their conversation, Jessy and Ariel entered the living room while carrying two trays of food.
"Hello, ladies," Sioku greeted.
"Hi, Sioku," replied Ariel.
"Jessy looked at Kibaou and added, "Are you feeling better?"
"Of course," he answered with a smile.
Jessy and Ariel carefully set both trays down on the coffee table.
Sioku looked down at the food, then smiled up at her friends.
"That food looks delicious," she commented.
Ariel smiled back and replied, "Thank you, we made those fish sandwiches again."
"That sounds good," Kibaou added.
Sioku and her friends ate their meal in silence.
Afterward, Sioku helped Jessy and Ariel clean up the place while Kibaou sat down on the couch and rested.
As soon as all of their chores were done, Sioku rejoined Kibaou on the couch.
She put her arm around Kibaou and snuggled up to him.
He wrapped his arms around her in return.
"You love birds really do look cute together," Jessy commented.
She and Ariel sat on the opposite couch.
Sioku's cheeks heated up as she replied, "Thank you, Jess, but Kibaou and I are just good friends."
Kibaou laughed at the sight of Sioku's pink cheeks.
"You two haven't left each other alone since you brought him over here, Sioku," Ariel added with a playful smile.
"Zip it," Sioku replied as she blushed.
Kibaou and the two girls laughed in unison at Sioku's flustered reaction.
A call from Morte popped up on Kibaou's NerveGear, and he answered it.
Sioku laid her head on Kibaou's chest.
The steady rise and fall of his chest instantly relaxed her.
She closed her eyes and slipped into a pleasant train of thought.
"Hello, Morte," Kibaou greeted.
"Good afternoon, sir, how are you doing?" Morte replied.
"I'm feeling much better. Sioku and I just finished having lunch," Kibaou answered.
Morte cleared his throat before adding, "Do you know when you are coming back in the guild?"
"Sioku and I should be returning very soon," Kibaou answered.
"That's good to hear," Morte said before he ended the call.
Kibaou smiled down at Sioku and playfully ruffled her hair.
"You're so cute," he said happily.
Sioku grinned at him in response.
"My dog lays on me like that all the time," he added while brushing loose hair out of her face.
Sioku let out a relaxed sigh.
A message from Kirito popped up on Sioku's NerveGear, causing the girl to open her eyes.
Kibaou placed a calming hand on Sioku's shoulder.
"Sioku, are you all right?" he asked with concern.
Sioku nodded before she selected her new message.
The message read: Hi, Sioku, how are you?
Sioku answered: I'm good, I just saved Kibaou's life after he got poisoned in the dungeon. How are you?
Kirito replied: I'm good as well, Asuna and I solved that murder case. I also met a blacksmith named Lizbeth. She made me a cool new sword. I joined Asuna's guild after losing a duel. Asuna and I just adopted a child named Yui.
Sioku grinned at the message and responded: Awe, I want to meet your little girl sometime. You and Asuna make a cute couple.
Jessy looked at Sioku and asked curiously, "Who were you just talking to?"
"Kirito," she answered briefly.
"How is he doing?" Ariel chimed in.
"Kirito and Asuna are together now. They also adopted a kid," Sioku answered happily.
"That's awesome," replied Jessy.
Jessy grinned at Sioku and asked playfully, "Hey Sioku, are you and Kibaou going to become girlfriend and boyfriend as well?"
"Cut it out, Jess," urged Sioku as she blushed.
Jessy and Ariel giggled at the sight of Sioku's bright red cheeks.
Kibaou suddenly paused as he looked around the room.
"Hey, Kibaou, are you all right?" asked Sioku.
Kibaou let out a heavy sigh and answered, "Yes, but you and I need to go meet up with our guild."
Sioku grabbed his arm and replied with concern, "Hold, on Kibaou, are you sure? Do you really have enough strength to fight again?"
"Yes, I'll be just fine. Please don't worry about me. I am back to full health because of you," Kibaou assured smoothly.
Sioku gave Kibaou a quick hug before she stood up.
Kibaou stretched before he followed suit.
Jessy looked at Sioku and asked sadly, "Are you two leaving already?"
"Sioku stared back at Jessy and answered, "Yes, Kibaou and I must return as quick as possible. We need to help the others clear this dungeon."
"We'll see you later," replied Ariel.
"Please be safe," Jessy added.
"You ladies do the same," said Sioku as she headed toward the door.
Kibaou followed right behind her.
After she waved good bye to her friends, Sioku opened the door and led Kibaou outside.
She then used a teleport crystal to instantly transport them back to the third floor.
Once on the third floor, Sioku and Kibaou hurried into the dungeon.
Fortunately, there weren't any monsters in sight.
The maze of spider webs had also disappeared which created an open path.
They searched the entire area for members of their guild.
However, there weren't any other players in the dungeon either.
Noises could be heard as they made their way toward the boss room.
"Our guild might be in there," said Kibaou.
"Let's hurry," replied Sioku as she ran ahead of him.
"Wait for me!" Kibaou called after her.
He followed Sioku straight into the boss room.
Once inside the boss room, Sioku and Kibaou found a party of seven players from their guild.
Morte and Lind were in that group.
"Hello, everyone, Kibaou and I came here as fast as we could. Sorry for the wait," said Sioku.
Morte looked back at her and responded, "No worries, we didn't wait long at all. I'm just glad that Kibaou is still alive and well. Thank you for saving and helping him recover."
Sioku blushed and said graciously, "You're very welcome, I loved helping him."
Kibaou stood confidently in front of the group and commanded, "Okay, guys, let's take this boss down!"
The other players cheered in unison.
Sioku let out a dreamy sigh as she listened to Kibaou raise his voice.
"I was wondering when he would do that again," she thought.
Kibaou proudly led the group as they charged at the boss from all directions.
The boss looked like a female spider demon.
They repeatedly slashed at the monster with their swords while trying to dodge its attacks.
Sioku used her healing magic to restore the players' HP whenever they needed it.
The boss fight lasted for a few minutes.
As soon as the boss had finally been defeated, it dropped a few things before fading away.
Everybody smiled and cheered victoriously.
"Nice team work, everyone," Sioku praised.
Kibaou walked up to Sioku before placing a hand on her shoulder.
He smiled gratefully at her and said, "Sioku, thank you for all of your support during that battle. My party and I wouldn't have been able to defeat the boss without you. Your healing magic helped us win."
"You're welcome, Kibaou, I am always happy to lend you guys my healing power. Congratulations on your victory," she replied with a smile of her own.
Kibaou and Sioku happily led their team out of the dungeon through an opening nearby.
They were now on the fourth floor.
That boss fight was the start of a brand new adventure for Sioku and her new guild.
They spent weeks and months clearing each floor together.
Sioku would continuously restore her guild members' HP during battles to strengthen her healing powers.
She enjoyed helping her team on the front lines.
Kibaou and Sioku also had some time to themselves whenever they weren't fighting bosses or training to earn experience.
~Two Years Later~
All of the remaining players in SAO had already gotten used to living in the virtual world.
As soon as her guild had finally reached floor 22, Sioku decided to take a leave of absence for a while and hang out with her other friends.
Kibaou decided to help his team clear more floors.
Kirito and Asuna lived in a cabin in the forest.
As soon as she and Kibaou parted ways, Sioku cautiously made her way through the thick forest.
She stepped over fallen tree branches and ducked under huge plants.
A cabin soon came into her view as soon as she reached an open area.
The cabin sat a few feet away from a huge lake.
Sioku calmly approached the doorstep before she knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal Asuna with a small child standing behind her.
"Hello, Sioku, it's great to see you again. Please come in," Asuna greeted warmly.
"Thank you, Asuna, I'm happy to see you as well. You still look great," Sioku replied.
Asuna only giggled in response.
Sioku happily followed the two girls inside their home.
"You guys have a nice house. It's very comfortable in here," Sioku complemented as she looked around.
"Thank you very much," replied Asuna.
The little girl turned to Asuna and asked curiously, "Mommy, do you know that girl?"
Yes, Yui, this is our good friend, Sioku. We've known her for a while now," Asuna answered.
The little girl named Yui grinned at Sioku and hugged her tight.
Yui had long dark hair and bright black eyes.
She wore a long-sleeved, pink sweater, a purple skirt, and red shoes.
"Hi, Sissy, my name is Yui. I want you to be my big sister," she said.
Sioku gently hugged Yui and replied, "Oh, Yui, you're so adorable! I would love to be your big sister."
Yui squealed in excitement and giggled.
The little girl ran back to Asuna who picked her up.
Sioku then turned to Asuna who was happily watching the scene.
"Excuse me, where did you find her?" she asked curiously.
"Yesterday, Kirito and I were going for a walk in the forest. We found Yui asleep in a bush and decided to take her home with us," Asuna explained.
"That was very sweet of you guys to take her in. Yui looks happy to be here," Sioku replied brightly.
Kirito jumped up from his chair and hollered, "Hey, Sioku, long time no see!"
He wore a huge grin on his face.
Sioku joyfully ran over to Kirito before throwing her arms around him.
Kirito returned Sioku's hug with the same amount of happiness.
After they released each other, Sioku sat down next to Kirito.
She decided to start a conversation and smiled at him.
"Kirito, how is your new guild treating you?" she asked.
"They're all right," he answered plainly.
Kirito smiled back at Sioku and added, "How are things going with your guild?"
Sioku let out an exhausted sigh and answered, "This guild is great, but we've been fighting some intense battles. Kibaou really wants to clear every floor in Aincrad."
Kirito looked sympathetically at Sioku and responded, "That sounds rough, you could use a break. Asuna and I are doing that right now. We're taking Yui to the Town of Beginnings very soon. Hopefully we'll be able to find her family there."
"Hey, Kirito, are you ready to go?" asked Asuna.
"I'll be right there," Kirito answered as he stood up.
Sioku and Kirito stood up before they joined Yui and Asuna by the door.
After they exited their house, the group teleported back to the first floor.
They immediately headed over to the Town of Beginnings.
Kirito led them straight to an area where a friendly woman named Sasha was watching over a large group of children.
Sioku smiled at the sight of those children playing and running around without a care in the world.
Asuna carried Yui over to the woman.
"Excuse me, ma'am, we found this little girl collapsed in the forest on floor 22. Do you recognize her?" she greeted politely.
Sasha carefully examined the little girl before replying, "No, this child isn't familiar to me. I've been taking care of these children since the game started. All of them have suffered severe psychological trauma. I decided to care for these poor kids until the game is over."
"That's very kind of you, mis Sasha," Sioku chimed in.
Asuna gently lowered Yui to the ground.
Yui walked up to Sioku and smiled at her.
Sioku ruffled Yui's hair and smiled back.
"Hey, Sissy, I want you to come and live with us. I really want to get to know you," Yui said cheerfully.
Sioku looked down at Yui and replied, "Sorry, but I am already living here on this floor with my friends from school. I'll come and visit whenever I can."
In the midst of their conversation, a player from the Liberation Army entered the church.
She introduced herself as Yulier before requesting help from Kirito and Asuna.
Yulier told Kirito and Asuna that Kibaou and his group had become the most powerful players in the entire guild.
She also explained that Kibaou cared more about collecting taxes on other players and ruling over the guild than clearing the game.
Sioku looked at Yulier surprised and chimed in, "Wait a minute, are you serious? Did he really do that?"
"Yes, he also sent some of our highest leveled players to the front line. We have been thinking about kicking him out of our guild for good. Worst of all, Kibaou tried to eliminate my friend Thinker. Kibaou stranded Thinker in a high leveled dungeon on this floor by convincing him that he wanted to talk unharmed. Thinker doesn't have any weapons or items with him," Yulier explained sadly.
Sioku remained speechless as she listened to Yulier's story.
She just couldn't believe that her best friend in the game would ever hurt others for his own personal gain.
"This isn't right! The Kibaou I know would never hurt anyone! He really cares about people!" Sioku shouted furiously.
"I'm telling the truth," Yulier argued.
Asuna stared at Sioku with a confused expression.
"Calm down, Sioku, why are you getting so worked up over this?" she interrupted.
Sioku stared sadly at Asuna and answered, "Kibaou is my best friend in the game. He never acted like that toward or around me. He showed me nothing but kindness, love, and compassion. I'm sorry, Asuna, but it has been a long time since I last saw him."
"It's okay, Sioku, I understand how you feel. People tend to change over time," replied Asuna sympathetically.
"I'm going to find him right now," Sioku whispered.
Sioku then turned to Yulier and added, "If Kibaou ever leaves this guild, so will I. I will not be in a guild without him."
She then took off in the other direction.
Yui's face saddened as she watched Sioku disappear from her sight.
Sioku immediately headed for the hidden Dungeon.
Finding Kibaou was all she could think about.
Once inside, she frantically searched for him.
"Kibaou! Where are you?" she hollered.
Unfortunately, she was only met with silence.
Sioku leaned against a brick wall and sighed hopelessly.
She stared at the floor and slipped into a train of thought.
A few minutes later, the sound of quiet footsteps pulled Sioku out of her thoughts.
She looked ahead to see Kibaou walking toward her.
A joyful smile spread across her face at the sight of the player she loved.
"Kibaou! I missed you! Where have you been?" Sioku hollered as she threw her arms around him.
Kibaou returned the hug and looked down at her with a saddened expression.
"I'm glad to see you too, Sioku, but I have some bad news. I have just been kicked out of the Aincrad Liberation Squad," he said quietly.
Sioku's eyes widened in shock, and she almost couldn't process the news.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and continued, "I'm so sorry, Kibaou, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to clear the rest of these floors by myself. This is where you and I part ways," he answered sadly.
Sioku felt her heart sink as she listened to Kibaou's unfortunate answer.
A lump of emotion formed in Sioku's throat as she stared at him with tear filled eyes.
Her body started to tremble with sadness.
"Wait, Kibaou, Please don't go yet! I want to clear those floors with you! You and I have been together for a long time! Why are you leaving me behind? I still want to be your healer," she pleaded desperately.
Sioku's legs trembled violently as she tried to maintain her composure.
Kibaou gently released the girl and replied smoothly, "I'm sorry, Sioku, but I don't want to put you in any danger. The bosses get tougher as you progress. Even if I don't make it through this death game, I will be happy to know that you are still alive and safe."
Kibaou's last statement caused the girl to lose her composure completely.
Tears of sadness rolled down Sioku's cheeks.
She fearfully grabbed onto his arm and shouted, "Hold on, Kibaou, you don't need to risk your own life like that just to save me! I would never ever forgive myself if you died! You mean everything to me! Do you understand?"
"Sioku, I really do appreciate your concern for me. I feel the same way about you. That is why I don't want you to come along. It was a pleasure knowing and talking to you, Sioku. I will never forget all of the great times we had together. Thanks again for saving my life back in that dungeon. Please take good care of yourself and your friends," Kibaou replied before he walked away from her.
Sioku watched sadly until Kibaou disappeared from her sight.
She dejectedly exited the dungeon, then started walking toward her house.
Her heart felt heavy as could be.
As soon as she arrived at the house, Sioku walked inside.
She then plopped down on one of the couches.
Leaning back against a pillow, Sioku covered her face and cried silently.
The girl's heart pounded rapidly in her chest.
She didn't care to look for her friends at the moment.
Jessy noticed her distraught friend as she entered the living room.
She sat down on the couch beside Sioku.
"Hey, Sioku, are you all right?" she greeted softly.
Sioku only shook her head.
"Please tell me what happened," Jessy continued.
Sioku lifted her head and replied sadly, "Sorry for making you worry, Jess, but Kibaou and I have separated. He is going on his own journey to clear the remaining floors. I don't want him to die."
Jessy pulled her depressed friend into a comforting embrace.
"Don't worry, Sioku, I'm sure Kibaou had a good reason for leaving you behind. Ariel and I will find a way to cheer you up," she said smoothly.
"I just want to get out of this game forever. All of my happiness had just been taken away," replied Sioku with a slightly irritated expression.
"Sioku, I understand how you feel. You should go on a quest with us," Jessy suggested.
Sioku only sighed in response.
A long period of silence passed between them.
Ariel entered the room and paused abruptly as soon as she saw Sioku looking sad.
"Sioku, what happened to you?" she greeted with a concerned expression.
"Kibaou and I are no longer on the same team," Sioku answered.
Ariel sat down beside Sioku and continued, "What? Why? You two were so happy together!"
"Kibaou wants to clear the remaining floors by himself," Sioku replied.
Ariel stared at Sioku as a thought crossed her mind.
"I heard that Kirito is doing that as we speak. He wants to llog everyone out of here," she added.
"I sure hope he does," Sioku said quietly.
The three girls remained silent as they sat on the couch.