~~Hello, readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I don't own anything from Sword Art Online or Code Name: Kids Next Door.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was now early evening in the virtual world.
Sioku had just parted ways with Kibaou after learning that his guildmates removed him from the Aincrad Liberation Squad.
A few more weeks had passed since that day.
Sioku kept herself busy by going on quests with Jessy and Ariel.
They fought many monsters to earn experience and collect cash.
One day, Sioku and her friends were just lounging around in their living room when an announcement rang throughout the entire virtual world.
"Attention, players! The game has now been cleared. You all will log out immediately," announced a female voice.
Sioku grinned as soon as she heard that news.
Leaving the virtual world was exactly what she had wanted for a long time since her separation with Kibaou.
She was eager to get back home and move on with her real life.
An image of Trooper flashed through Sioku's mind, causing her to smile wider.
She could hear his loud bark echoing in her mind.
"Are you ladies ready to go home?" she started happily.
"I guess so," answered Jessy with a frown.
Sioku patted Jessy's shoulder and said, "Cheer up, Jess, this means that we will finally be able to go back to school together again. I really missed those days. Besides, I am excited to see my family and dog as well."
Ariel smiled back at Sioku and chimed in, "I agree, being at school with both of you is always a lot of fun. I am also ready to go home. My family and pets are waiting for me."
Jessy let out a quiet yawn an replied, "Yeah, I could use a break from this game anyway."
The three girls laughed in unison.
The virtual world of Sword Art Online soon began to self destruct.
The floating castle known as Aincrad began to fade away.
All of the remaining players were successfully logged out before that virtual world had been completely erased.
Sioku slowly woke up and found herself lying in a hospital bed with a few tubes connected to her body.
Her ears were immediately met with constant beeping sounds coming from the machines that surrounded her.
It didn't take much time at all for Sioku to realize where she was.
Sweat covered her body as she panted heavily in fear.
Sioku's breathing rate increased rapidly as she frantically looked around the room.
The beeping sounds on Sioku's monitors began to increase in speed as her stats changed.
"Why am I in the hospital? What happened to me?" she wondered fearfully.
Sioku paused when a familiar female voice calmly spoke to her. "Please calm down, Sioku, your body was instantly transported to the hospital in order to keep you alive. The doctors and nurses have been taking good care of you. Your sisters and I have been coming to visit you every day while you were trapped in that virtual world for over two years. I'm so glad you're back."
Sioku took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down.
Her stats on the monitors also returned to normal.
Sioku looked to her left and saw Kara sitting by her bedside.
A look of remorse mixed with sadness appeared on Sioku's face as she stared at Kara.
"Oh, Mother, I am so sorry for making you and my sisters worry like that. I honestly didn't know that this new game was going to be a death trap. I wouldn't have played the game if I was warned about that. I understand if you are upset with me. I deserve to be punished for causing you all so much pain," she said sadly.
Kara lovingly wrapped her arms around Sioku.
"It's okay, Sioku, I appreciate your sincere apology. However, I am not upset with you at all. Thousands of other people got caught up in that accident as well. I do have something to tell you though. As soon as you recover, you are going to attend a new school. This school was created in order to help all of the surviving kids catch up on their education," she replied smoothly.
Sioku returned the hug and said gratefully, "Thank you, Mother, I'm just glad to know that you and my sisters are still okay. I completely understand if you don't want me to play virtual reality games anymore."
A brief moment of silence passed between them.
Kara gently ran a hand through her daughter's hair.
"Sioku, I know that you are an honest person and a hard worker. You have always proven that to me with the excellent grades on your report cards every year. You have always kept up with your assigned chores as well. I also know how much you love to play video games. If you continue to work hard at school and keep up with your chores at home, I will let you play more of those virtual reality games as long as they are safe. I don't want to see you go through this kind of situation ever again," she explained.
Sioku smiled at Kara with a relieved expression.
"Thank you, Mother, I promise to keep working hard and making you proud. From now on, I'll show you an article of a virtual reality game so you can see the reviews. You don't have to worry about me getting caught up in another unsafe situation," she responded sincerely.
"That sounds like a good idea," Kara added with a smile of her own.
In the midst of their conversation, Melody and Lynn entered the room.
"Hi, Sioku," they greeted in unison.
Sioku sat up and looked at her sisters with a delighted expression.
"Hello, I'm so glad to see you guys again. How have you been?" she replied.
Lynn immediately climbed onto the bed and hugged Sioku tight.
"I'm happy to see you too, Sioku. I've been okay," she answered.
Sioku happily returned the hug.
Melody stood by the bedside next to Kara.
"We really missed you, Sioku," she added.
"I missed both of you as well. I forgot to ask, how is Trooper doing?" Sioku continued.
"He's alive and well," answered Kara.
A long period of silence passed between the four of them.
"I already can't wait to go home," Sioku said with a sigh.
Lynn stared at Sioku with a curious expression.
"Hey, sis, what was it like being in the virtual world? What did you do there?" she asked cheerfully.
Sioku let out a heavy sigh and answered, "The virtual world is a nice place, and I've met a few new friends. I also joined a guild for a while. Jessy and Ariel were there as well. We lived in a house on the first floor."
She purposely left out the details about Kibaou in order to keep those heartbreaking memories of their separation from resurfacing.
"That sounds like fun," Melody commented.
Lynn smiled playfully at Sioku and chimed in, "By the way, sis, did you ever get the chance to heal a swordsman during a battle?"
A long period of silence passed by.
The dreaded memories of Kibaou suddenly flooded into Sioku's mind like rushing water.
She could still hear his loud voice in her head.
Tears of sadness began to roll down the girl's cheeks.
Sioku quickly wiped them away and put on a smile to suppress her sadness.
Lynn noticed Sioku's red face and hugged her close.
Sioku laid her head on Lynn's shoulder.
Kara looked at Sioku with a concerned expression.
"You're looking a little sad. Is something wrong, Sioku?" she said.
Sioku sighed heavily before answering, "No, I just miss somebody a lot. I'll never see him again anyway. Hopefully I'll get over him soon. My real life is more important to me."
Melody perked up and grinned at Sioku.
"Hold on, Sioku, you met a boy? Who is he? Please tell us about him!" she said cheerfully.
Sioku hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly decided to tell her story.
"If you must know, he is a swordsman named Kibaou. Kibaou is short like me, but he is a skilled fighter. I was a member of his guild for a while. Kibaou and I became close friends in the game. I also saved his life after he got poisoned by a giant spider in one of the dungeons. We went on many grand adventures together. As soon as Kibaou got kicked out of the guild, he went on his own journey and left me behind. I was relieved when I heard that we were finally logging out of SAO," she explained sadly.
"That sounds rough," Lynn commented.
Another long period of silence passed between them.
They suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," answered Kara.
The door opened to reveal a female nurse.
"Hello, ladies, how are you all doing today?" she greeted with a kind smile.
"We're okay," answered Melody.
The nurse checked Sioku's vital signs on the monitors.
After filling out some paperwork, the nurse looked at Kara.
"Excuse me, ma'am, your daughter is looking great. She should be able to go home today," she said.
"Thank you very much," Kara replied.
"That's a relief," added Melody.
The nurse then removed all of the tubes from Sioku's body and turned off the machines.
"Sweet freedom," Sioku thought with a relieved smile.
Sioku smiled gratefully at the nurse and said, "Thank you for taking good care of me."
"You're very welcome, Sioku," the nurse replied warmly.
Sioku swung her legs over the side of the bed before carefully stepping onto the tile floor below.
"Sioku, are you feeling good enough to stand up?" asked Melody.
"Yes, Melody, I feel perfectly fine. I promise," Sioku answered sincerely.
Sioku slipped deep into her thoughts while the nurse spoke to her family.
The nurse then filled out Sioku's discharge paperwork.
Before they knew it, Sioku was being released.
As soon as the nurse dismissed them, Lynn and Sioku followed Melody and Kara out of the room.
Kara led Sioku and her sisters down a long corridor and into the elevator.
The elevator descended to the first floor after Kara pressed a button.
Sioku was both relieved and thankful to be leaving the hospital.
However, she couldn't help but wonder how her friends from the game were doing.
Once outside the building, Kara led her three daughters out to her car.
Lynn helped Sioku get situated in the back seat before she climbed in on the other side.
"Thank you, Lynn," Sioku said graciously.
"You're welcome, Sioku," she replied.
Sioku stared out the window as they drove off.
They had a silent car ride.
Fifteen minutes later, Kara parked her car in the driveway of their house.
The sound of Trooper's loud barking instantly pulled Sioku out of her thoughts.
Sioku rolled her window down and hollered to him, "Trooper! Hi, buddy!"
Trooper whimpered excitedly as he jumped on the chain-link fence that surrounded the backyard.
"He's wagging his tail at you, Sioku," Lynn pointed out.
Sioku couldn't help but laugh as she rolled the window back up.
As soon as the car came to a complete stop, Sioku and her family hopped out before entering their house.
Sioku could still hear Trooper's whimpers of excitement as he clawed at the back door.
"Stop it, Trooper!" Kara called in annoyance.
Lynn helped Sioku situate herself on a couch in the living room.
Sioku looked at Kara and asked, "Excuse me, Mother, may I please let Trooper inside?"
"Melody can do that for you," Kara answered.
"I would be glad to let him in," said Melody as she hurried into the kitchen.
Trooper immediately bolted inside the house as soon as Melody opened the back door.
His long tail tapped against a few objects as he ran by.
"Hold on, Trooper!" Melody hollered frantically as she raced after him.
Trooper panted happily as he led Melody into the living room.
A wide grin stretched across Sioku's face as she watched him approach the couch.
He shook his head a few times, making Sioku laugh.
"Hi, Trooper," Sioku said cheerfully.
Trooper wagged his tail wildly in response to Sioku's voice.
Melody firmly grabbed onto Trooper's harness before he could have the chance to jump on Sioku.
"Sit," she ordered.
Trooper sighed as he sat down.
"Good boy," Sioku praised while petting him under his ears.
The dog laid his head in her lap.
"He really missed you, Sioku," said Lynn.
"Yeah… I know, I really missed him too. He's my best friend," Sioku replied with a bright smile.
Sioku slipped back into her thoughts as she began to pet Trooper softly.
Trooper laid down on the floor and relaxed.
That dog's affection was the perfect distraction Sioku needed in order to keep her mind off of Kibaou.
A few minutes later, Melody and Lynn disappeared into their bedrooms.
Kara sat down on the opposite couch and turned on the Tv by pressing a button on the remote.
Hours passed by as the two girls relaxed and watched Tv.
Trooper lay asleep on the floor.
Sioku was instantly pulled out of her thoughts when her Phone suddenly started to ring in the bag beside her.
Trooper lifted his head and shook his ears.
Sioku couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Oops… sorry, Mother," Sioku said nervously.
"You're okay, Sioku," Kara replied calmly.
Sioku quickly unzipped a pouch on her bag and pulled the object out.
"Ariel's name popped up on the lock screen.
She then held the phone up to her ear and said, "Hi, Ariel, how are you doing?"
Ariel spoke to her on the other end. "Hey, Sioku, I'm doing just fine. I am also at home right now."
Sioku smiled brightly and replied, "Hey, I am at home too. Have you heard from Jess yet?"
Ariel's voice came out sad as she answered, "No, Sioku, Jessy is still in the hospital. I heard that she hasn't woken up yet."
Sioku's cheerful expression was instantly replaced by a look of shock mixed with sadness.
"Are you serious? Do you know anything about her condition?" she asked frantically.
Ariel sighed sadly before answering, "Unfortunately no, but I plan on going to see her one day after school. Speaking of that, are you going to attend that new school tomorrow too?"
Yes, Mom already told me about that at the hospital this morning. I can't wait to see you there," Sioku answered.
"Same here, Sioku, how is your family doing?" Ariel continued.
"My mom and sisters are very happy about me being home. Trooper is very excited as well. "How about yours?" Sioku replied.
"My family is doing good as well. The dogs went crazy as soon as I came home. They wouldn't leave me alone," Ariel answered.
Sioku burst into laughter at her friend's last comment.
"Trooper bolted through the living room and tried to jump on me as soon as Melody let him inside. This dog wouldn't stop wagging his tail," Sioku said happily.
"It sounds like he missed you a lot," Ariel replied.
The line went silent for a moment before Ariel spoke again. "Sioku, do you still remember Kibaou?"
At the sound of that name, Sioku froze in place.
Memories of their time together flooded into her mind once again.
Sioku let out a disappointed sigh before answering, "Yes, but I'm still trying to get over him. Our friendship wasn't meant to last forever. Besides, I have more important things to worry about right now. Moping about our separation won't solve anything."
"You're right, Sioku," Ariel replied.
A brief moment of silence passed between the girls.
"I'm glad to hear that you are doing well, Sioku. I have to go because my mom is calling for me," Ariel added.
"Same to you, Ariel, I'll see you at school tomorrow. have a good night," Sioku said before hanging up the phone.
Kara looked curiously at her daughter.
"Sioku, who were you just talking to?" she asked.
"Ariel, she is also at home. She told me that Jessy still hasn't woken up," Sioku answered.
"Hopefully she'll wake up soon," Kara replied.
In the midst of their conversation, Trooper woke up and let out a loud bark.
He then ran to the window while growling and panting.
"Do you want to go out, Trooper?" asked Sioku as she looked at him.
Trooper began to whimper happily in response.
Sioku stood up from the couch, then followed him through the kitchen.
He excitedly hurried straight to the back door.
"Go out, Trooper," Sioku commanded as she slid the glass door open.
Trooper immediately took off outside while wagging his tail.
He barked loudly while running around the yard.
Sioku couldn't help but laugh as she closed the door behind him.
Just as Sioku was about to exit the kitchen, Kara met her in the doorway.
"Hello, Sioku, you're looking well. Would you like to help me make dinner?" she said warmly.
"Thank you, Mother, I'm feeling much better. I would be happy to help you," Sioku answered.
Sioku thought about her time in SAO as she helped Kara with the meal preparations.
Trooper suddenly jumped on the door while whimpering, causing Sioku to look out the window.
"Stop that, Trooper," Kara scolded
Sioku decided to ignore the dog until dinner was over.
She grabbed a tall pot from a cabinet under the sink, then filled it with water.
Afterward, she placed it on the stove and turned the burner on.
Sioku watched the water boil from a safe distance.
Kara prepared some meat before cooking it in a separate pan.
In the midst of their preparations, Lynn entered the kitchen.
"Good evening, Lynn," greeted Sioku.
"Same to you, Sioku, may I do anything to help out?" she replied.
"You can set the table," answered Kara.
Before Lynn could exit the kitchen, Sioku turned to look at her.
"We're making spaghetti for dinner. Would you mind grabbing a few bowls after you're done setting the table?" she said.
"Not at all," Lynn answered as she entered the dining room.
As soon as the water had finished boiling, Sioku opened a box of long noodles before pouring them into the pot.
She then stirred them with a rubber spoon.
Kara noticed Sioku's concentration and smiled warmly at her.
"You're doing a fabulous job in here, Sioku. I really appreciate the effort you are already putting in," she complemented.
"You're welcome, Mother," Sioku replied politely.
A few minutes later, Lynn reentered the kitchen.
She carefully grabbed four glass bowls out of a cabinet above the dish washer, then handed them to Kara.
"Thank you, Lynn," Kara said warmly.
"You're welcome, Mom," Lynn replied.
Kara looked at Sioku and asked, "Will you please go upstairs and find Melody for me?"
"Yes, Mother," Sioku answered as she walked away.
Sioku quietly exited the kitchen before climbing up the wooden staircase.
She then knocked on Melody's bedroom door.
"Come in," Melody answered from inside her room.
Sioku opened the door and said, "Hi, Melody, dinner is almost done being made. Mom asked me to come get you."
"I'll meet you all down there shortly," she replied.
Sioku closed the door behind her before heading back downstairs.
Once downstairs, she met Lynn and Kara in the kitchen.
"Melody will be in here soon," Sioku said to Kara.
"You may come get your bowl now," Kara replied.
Sioku slowly approached the counter before gently picking up one of the bowls.
"Thank you, Mother," she said with a smile.
"You're very welcome, Sioku," Kara replied before she walked away.
Sioku then followed Lynn into the dining room.
They sat down at the table across from Kara.
A few minutes later, Melody entered the dining room before she situated herself next to Kara.
"Good evening, everyone," Melody greeted.
"Hi, Melody," replied Sioku.
Kara gave her oldest daughter a stern look.
"Melody, This is your only warning. If you are late to dinner again, you will be grounded tomorrow. Do you understand me?" she said firmly.
"Yes, ma'am," Melody replied quietly.
The girls enjoyed their meal in silence.
As soon as Sioku had finished eating, she quietly excused herself from the table.
She then carried her empty dishes over to the kitchen sink before rinsing them out.
Afterward, Sioku let Trooper inside before exiting the kitchen with him following her.
The dog wagged his tail wildly as he panted and ran circles around her.
Sioku playfully ruffled his fur in response.
She and Trooper then settled down on a couch in the living room.
Sioku slipped deep into her thoughts as she petted Trooper softly.
Trooper lay curled up next to her.
They relaxed in silence for a half hour.
"Sioku! It's time for you and your sisters to do your chores now," Kara called from the dining room.
Kara's voice immediately pulled Sioku out of her thoughts.
"I'm coming, Mother," Sioku called back as she stood up.
Trooper hopped off the couch, then followed Sioku into the kitchen.
"Let's go outside, Trooper," she said while sliding the glass door open.
The dog immediately rushed out the door while barking.
"That's my crazy dog," commented Sioku as she closed the door behind him.
Sioku then unloaded and loaded the dish washer.
Melody cleaned the kitchen counters, and Lynn wiped down the dining room table.
As soon as their chores were done, Sioku let Trooper inside the house.
Trooper panted happily as he wagged his tail.
Sioku then led Trooper up to her bedroom.
She giggled at the sound of Trooper bolting up the wooden staircase.
"You're so silly, Trooper," Sioku said as she petted his head.
Trooper shook his ears in response.
Once inside her bedroom, Sioku got prepared to take a shower.
Trooper laid down in the giant dog bed and fell asleep.
After her shower, Sioku brushed her teeth at the bathroom sink.
Kibaou was still fresh on Sioku's mind, but she didn't let it bother her.
Back in her room, Sioku climbed into bed and laid down under the covers.
The complete silence in Sioku's bedroom allowed her to drift off into the darkness.