Note: Spoilers for those that haven't read Sister's Prayer, it's one small scene but it's important to this story and to SP's story. With that, enjoy.
[IRL, SAO Survivors School]
The SAO Survivors School, a little on the nose with the name but the staff were considerate, much more accepting than other schools in Japan. Me and Hosaka were finally free from our lessons, meaning it was lunchtime. The moment had come to finally revisit memories I had a vague recollection of through my sister's eyes.
"Yo~!" Hosaka gave a chopping wave as we stepped out onto the rooftop where both Kirito, Kazuto Kirigaya, and Asuna, Asuna Yuuki were sitting nearby - yeah, that made two people I knew who used their names for their aliases online. Kazuto was mulling over a laptop in his hands connected to a moving camera in a rounded case, frowning as he closed the laptop.
"Hosaka, Kazuki!" Asuna waved to us. Yeah, my name is Kazuki Asami, rolls off the tongue, huh? Quickly closing the gap, I was pulled into Asuna's embrace. "Are you okay?" She stepped back again with her hands on my shoulders, her hug was... nice, so I brought a lighter smile to my face.
"Thanks, Asuna, yeah I..." Hosaka jabbed my side with her elbow. "Well, I feel like utter crap, but a certain someone handed me a golden ticket this morning so I'm both anxious and excited - maybe a bit peckish too? I really didn't eat breakfast today,"
Asuna sighed, brushing a strand of her chestnut-brown hair aside to frown disapproving at me. "I know you're hurting right now but you shouldn't forgo meals too, long dives and lack of food will have serious issues for your health."
"Is everyone my nurse today?" I managed to quip but sighed. "Right, sorry..."
She squeezed my shoulder before Hosaka slapped my lower back lightly. "Alright, A-Chan, thinkin' Mal here gets his just reward for helpin' me out so mucH,"
"With what?" I can't recall ever paying Hosaka off, not even for all she's done since SAO.
The blonde shook her head, wagging a finger knowingly. "Yer really that forgetful, huH? All my info from SAO about the Orange Guilds, not to mention other quests and the like, that stuff saved me time, and players alikE,"
I did? I just focused so much on making it up to Hosaka in those days for helping me stand on my own two feet again, same to Kazuto and Asuna, I... wasn't anything without their help. But, knowing I did some good made my chest pains lessen, if only a little.
"Ready to go?" Kazuto nodded his head to me, holding out his laptop. "The Rat said she wanted this to take priority and wanted to be here to see the fruits of her labour and all that,"
"Of course, Kii-bou, gotta see big sis' effortS!" She puffed out her chest as Asuna giggled, then, the older girl handed me what appeared to be a nutrition bar.
"Eat this atleast," I silently thanked her, unwrapping it to satisfy my unseen hunger. Soon, we sat down at the bench. Hosaka to my right, Asuna to the left, and Kazuto holding up the camera behind us, apparently, Yui was looking through it but her vision wasn't completely clear, maybe I could help later with that?
"Okay... okay..." I repeated, the USB hovering near the port. I... was scared. This would be all that remained of my late sister, once I hear what little Hosaka could salvage from her corrupt memory storage, that was it, the last time I'd ever hear anything new of my sister.
Gently, three hands held my body, two on my shoulders, and one on my trembling palm, Asuna's. I looked around at their reassuring smiles. Steadily, I inserted the USB as the screen quickly flashed, accepting the port as a video screen popped up.
In only a single frame, my eyes widened beyond belief.
Another day in Asuka Empire...
"Look, it'll be okay, just introduce yourself, dummy," A girl with light green hair tied into a high ponytail, long bangs arching over her headband and down the sides of her face as her bright green eyes stared at the person timidly playing with the bandana over his mouth. Unlike her, the Ninja of the pair, this boy was a Samurai class, sporting dark armour with a hint of blue woven into the fabrics and his sheathed blade.
"I-I dunno, you sure they'll like me?" He murmured, looking around at the town park they were in. "I-I don't want to impose,"
"Hey, you said you'd give the guys in our guild the heads up about my absence for me, the least I can do is introduce you to them first," She replied, brows shooting up gleefully. "Ah, they're here! Oh, and don't say anything about the class-rank quest, want that to be a surprise for them,"
"S-sure, lips are sealed," He zipped a hand over his obscured mouth, eyes flicking between the greenette and the two girls approaching from the pathway.
His eyes widened when he saw them. They looked like twins, both had brownish-black hair, one with a ponytail tied with a blue ribbon, the other with a headband like the greenette's, their hair shoulder length. Spotting the two, the short-haired girl ran up with a wave. "Hey, Merida, sorry for the wait we got held up!"
"It's no worries, I'm still trying to coax him into not fainting, hehehe," Her laugh made the boy's face redden, eyes downcast as she nudged her hip against his. "Hey, come on, I'm just teasing, say 'hello',"
"Is this your brother then?" The ponytail girl inquired, staring at the boy in samurai gear fidgeting under the short-haired girl's hums and curious gaze. Sensing this discomfort from the boy, she yanked the girl back. "Yuuki, he's nervous, leave him be,"
"Aw, but he looks so cool in that get-up, how'd he find items like that?" Yuuki was vibrating with excitement before the boy bowed his head slightly.
"I-it's from... a quest, I-I'm Merida's younger brother, y-you can call me Malzeno here," He, Malzeno, offered his hand sheepishly. "Nice t-to meet you,"
"Hm, likewise, I'm Ran, this here's my younger sister, Yuuki," The polite girl smiled, shaking his hand. She wore white combat attire most Spell-Casters wore consisting of robes with some leather hide barding. Her sister, Yuuki, was a Swordsman, so her armour was plate metal over blue garbs.
"Nice to meecha Malzeno the Samurai!" Yuuki grinned, patting his shoulder before getting much closer to whisper. "So, about that cool-looking armour, how do I get it? Merida's being a stick-in-the-mud and won't tell - yah!" Again, Ran yanked Yuuki back, pinching the bridge of her nose as Malzeno's head was steaming by now.
"Yuuki... I swear, give him some space, geez," Ran shook her head. "Sorry about her, we're only just leveled high enough to take our first class,"
"And we kicked butt while we did it!" Yuuki swung her fist high.
"As you can tell, they're a riot, aren't they?" Merida giggled as her brother slowly nodded. "Now, as cute as it is watching you get along so well with Yuuki, wanna help out for a bit before you jump onto SAO? It's launch is later today right?"
"I-it is, but I wanted to spend t-time with you beforehand, since, y'know..." He trailed off as Merida gave him a side hug.
"Thanks, I appreciate it, really," Her tone was tender a moment before she clapped her hands. "Alright, who's ready to do some questing?"
"Right behind you!" The twins chimed. Gasping, their index fingers pressed to their cheeks. "Jinx - drat!" They then giggled, the two other siblings joining in.
There was one more, one other that finally tore at my heart.
Merida's expression shook as two people ran through the lush hillside of Serene Garden. "Merida!" She looked crossed between wanting to cry and smile.
"...Yuuki... Ran." Yuuki gradually slowed down and stood still a short way from Merida. Ran reached her side before long.
At Merida's feet was an open lid of a small insect cage where an azure blue stag beetle sat atop it. It was larger than most of its kind, antenna bobbing at its owner. Following Yuuki's gaze downwards, Merida spoke with a smile as she held back tears. "...Roy just wouldn't fly away, you see. I originally wanted to return it to you, Yuuki, but insects can't be given to others after their owner was decided... so I thought you might catch it again someday if I let it go here..."
While Yuuki was silent, unable to find the words, Ran stepped forward, withholding her own emotions. "Roy won't run away. You took such good care of it, day after day, Merida. It'll definitely win the tournament for you, too. So... let's go back together with Roy, Merida. No one else knows about this yet, it's just Yuuki and me."
Yuuki's face lit up with realization. If Dr. Kurahashi was informed of this, Merida would be barred from using her AmuSphere, or any Full-Dive gear. They'd never see Merida again, the last days she'd spend would be wondering if her younger brother would ever come back safe.
After taking in a deep breath, Yuuki hurled words filled with all her emotions at her close friend. "...Please, Merida, don't go to SAO. I want to adventure more with you, Merida. I want to travel more, to visit more with you. So... so...!"
With pain and guilt, Merida spoke with her head down. "...I'm sorry, Yuuki. I'm sorry, Ran. I know it's your birthdays, but I'm still being a huge bother... I'm really sorry. I won't ask for you to forgive me. But... I... I still have to..." Her body was quivering, she was so close to crumbling like sand.
"...I saw it on the news a while back. The police are planning to forcibly remove the Nervegears from the SAO incident's victims country-wide. But I don't think force will work. There will definitely be many sacrifices," Then her anger surged. "My baby brother... I can't... let them do that to him... I... I can't stand it...!"
It was a little more than ten days ago when Ran showed Yuuki the article on a console nearby, the same worry written in her tone.
"...I mentioned, didn't I, that in SAO, there were several members of the guild I was in during the beta test, the same my brother's in now I hope. I should have been in the official release too. I, alone, was saved because they spotted my disease... but actually, that had always, always hurt me," She bit her lip.
"My brother's fighting, I know he is just to get back to me, he worries too much that he can be reckless and stupid, knowing that I'm just sitting here, I... If... if I could enter Aincrad, even now, I could use what life I had left for everyone's sake; I've always thought so. If I could... I may have been able to leave behind a purpose that I lived for..."
"...Merida," Yuuki stepped forward but Merida shook her head sharply, scampering back as her tears fell freely. Yuuki couldn't imagine what she was going through, but, she still had to try something.
"...Please, Yuuki, Ran. Let me go to Aincrad. There are SAO victims in this hospital as well, so I can pass the IP address filter. My parents may become sad, my other siblings too, but I think they will understand. I have to help him, all of them escape that world. I... I want to find it... a purpose for being born into this world!" She felt fresh tears beginning to form as a breeze blew through the grassy plains around them.
Yuuki understood that feeling. She too, hid that wish within herself. To find purpose in her life that felt so devoid of meaning. Beside her, Ran moved like the graceful wind itself, scooping up Roy to gentle stroke his forewings, she smiled slightly as she spoke.
"There are many, many reasons for you to live on here in Serene Garden, in Asuka Empire, and in the real world too. You were the one who raised Roy up so splendidly, and you were the one who brought Yuuki and me to that new world. I know you will find many more in the future as well."
Merida stared hard at Ran, she was tearful but as her smile formed, it held only a pain of wanting to run away. "It would make me very happy if the both of you felt like you've gotten anything from me. But... what I truly want cannot be found here, in Asuka, or even in the real world. I... want to fight. I don't want to just wait for my end on a hospital bed... I want to fight against something bigger than illness... like fate, or the world, and have my life burn out at the end of that. So... please, Ran. Let me go."
"...Merida..."
Yuuki knew Aiko possessed a strong sense of empathy, one that dwarfed Yuuki's. She used it to brave their sufferings together, learning, understanding, and eventually accepting their lives for what they are. But that meant Ran would feel compelled to agree with Merida as she could sympathize with that feeling to fight until the end.
If Ran allowed it, Yuuki knew it would eat her up on the inside, for daring to say the words she said, for not trying harder. It would devour the last of Ran before her sister's eyes.
What she said, it floored me and Merida.
Digging her nails into her palms, Yuuki yelled from the depths of her heart and soul, "...Merida!" Emerald eyes met with onyx as a gust of wind carried the young girl's words. "Your brother, he's fighting so very hard in another world, so you have to do the same for him here! If you can't find one then I'll find it for you! I'll find a purpose for you to burn your life out on! So... so, don't go, Merida!"
With a silly, hopeful smile, she asked, "How will you find that for me, Yuuki?"
Behind Yuuki's eyes, a fire burned on and on, "Fight me in Asuka Empire, Merida. You will surely understand after that."
Tears fell down my face as I hit 'pause', I couldn't... I couldn't take anymore. I sniffed, my shoulders shaking as I realized why I never saw my sister in SAO, Yuuki... Aiko... they saved her, they saved her from Aincrad, they gave her a reason to fight. The memories I had almost forgotten crashed like a tidal wave, those gaps since I met Yuuki finally filled in. The Absolute Sword was the Yuuki I had met two years ago. The last day I saw my sister.
"Merida..." I croaked, bowing my head as arms wrapped around me as I silently sobbed to myself, hand covering my eyes as I let out that anguish I didn't know I had left. "Yuuki, Aiko, thank you...!"
I have to keep fighting.
[To Be Continued...]
[Author's Notes]
A bigger chapter as I again had no real idea how to split this without ruining the meaning for this chapter as a whole. Yeah, really obvious but Malzeno's related to Merida, surprise! It does mean the timeline for Sisters Prayer was tweaked to fit events for SAO but it's not too big of a stretch. That last 'recording' was from the spin-off story of the Konno twins so I won't be taking credit for it as I only tweaked a few lines.
I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support, seeya in the next chapter, Readers!